Cautiously Optimistic

I almost hate to put this in writing for fear of messing it up, but I think we're officially a binkie-free family. Two nights ago Carter lost all of his binkies, so he started sleeping without one. I somehow convinced him that he's a big boy now and doesn't need one. Mason quit using his binkie at about the same age for the exact same reason - we couldn't find it one night. Of course, you know what happens for the next six months - we find binkies all over the house and have to act fast to make them disappear before a relapse occurs.

Mason has developed a new habit that may drive me crazy. He puts things in his mouth ALL the time - his hands, his shirt, crayons, scissors, you name it. He didn't chew on things as a toddler, so I guess he's making up for lost time. It's maddening! On a happier note, he's learning to ride his bike without training wheels. It hasn't been easy, but he's doing better every day.

Today, May 27, 2008, is a big day. It's my brother David's 30th birthday (Happy Birthday!!) AND today is the last day of my home daycare. I feel like I should write a few words of reflection, but I can't think of any a the moment.

Garden Aerobics

Mason and I are helping with our church's community garden ministry. I had no idea gardening was such a great workout! We really like it, though. Mason works as hard as he can the whole hour and still doesn't want to leave when it's time. In a few weeks, we'll have fresh, organic tomatoes, green beans, corn, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, and cantaloupes to share with people in the community who need food. Of course, we get to keep some for ourselves, too - yippee!

Picture: Mason with his baby cousin, Asher (and Mia the dog)

What a day for a daydream...

It's a gorgeous day today, which is particularly nice after the cold, rainy spell we've had recently. I took the kids to the park where Mason's class was having a picnic field trip. I forgot to put his class shirt on him, and I knew he'd be stressed out about it. Sure enough, his teacher said he was worried that he wouldn't be able to go if he didn't have his shirt. By the time I got there with the shirt, he was playing and had forgotten all about it.

We went from there to McDonald's to eat and play on the space shuttle they have in their outdoor playland. The fact that it's outdoors is kind of a pain most of the year (too hot, too cold, or too wet), but today it was perfect. Carter shinnied up the platforms to the top and scared me to death. Mason wouldn't go up inside of playland equipment until he was five, so I never thought about Carter going up there at age two. He loved it, although he did get stuck once. He called out, "Mama, ayúdeme, ayúdeme!" I blame Nickelodeon for the fact that my child cries out for help in Spanish. All of the animals that Diego rescues call out, "Ayúdeme," which means "help me" - for all you monolingual English speakers out there.

Side note: I read a yahoo article today that said Tulsa has been named one of the top cities to live in. Relocate-America.com put out there annual list. I didn't see Borger, TX on there anywhere...hmmm....

1. Charlotte, N.C.
2. San Antonio, Texas
3. Chattanooga, Tenn.
4. Greenville, S.C.
5. Tulsa, Okla.
6. Stevens Point, Wis.
7. Asheville, N.C.
8. Albuquerque, N.M.
9. Huntsville, Ala.
10. Seattle, Wash

So Much to Blog, So Little Time...

A funny thing happens to you when you start blogging - you compose blog posts in your head all day long. Or maybe I should say I compose blog posts all day long. I never watched Sarah Jessica Parker's famous TV show (the name is too risque for my G-rated blog :), but I feel like her character monologuing random thoughts. Granted, my random thoughts are much tamer than her random thoughts, but you get the idea. So here are a few things I've thought about this week.

Mother's Day. I had a great Mother's day with several little presents from Mason and Carter. Mason's kindergarten class made "5 Minutes of Peace" for their moms. It was a tea bag, construction paper teapot, and certificate with "About my Mom" kinds of statements. On it, Mason said I'm as pretty as a dress and my favorite food is meatloaf. ??

Cupcakes. I made chocolate cupcakes on Tuesday that were so utterly delicious I can never make them again. The temptation of chocolate with a cream cheese/chocolate chip center is too much for my weak will power to resist.

Writing for a living. I'm finding my niche as a freelance writer. I love having complete control over how many projects I take at one time. And it's so much fun to work with different clients - all of mine have been super nice so far (knock on wood). I'm also figuring out that it pays to work for customers who live in New York, California, and other places that have higher costs of living. They're used to paying more for things, so they pay me more, too!

Growing up too fast. Mason's new buzz word is "awesome," spoken with a touch of a cool-guy/surfer-dude tone. It's so cute. Carter's new phrases are "sop" and "right der." If he asks for something and I go to get it for him, he points intently and says, "Sop, sop, sop - it's right der, right der!" until I pick it up. He also likes to take our order. He gets out his magna-doodle and "writes" down what we order. Then he nods and says, "...kay." We never do get our food, though...

Eets Peety, Mama!

Carter's new phrase is one that send me running into the room to see what he's "decorated." When he finds a pen or marker and uses it to draw all over himself, he immediately says, "Eets peety, Mama!" (Translation - It's pretty) I'm just waiting for him to graduate from drawing on himself to drawing on the furniture. So exciting!

The highlight of my day was visiting the brand, spankin' new Walmart that just opened today near my house. That should tell you something about my life. Anyway, it's very nice, and most importantly, it's five minutes away. (David and Jennie - If you're reading this, just disregard the second paragraph. :)

Girls Night Out

I've just returned from a much needed break - a movie with the girls - Made of Honor. It was a cute movie (although a little risque, considering our girls group is from church - we're blaming Christina if Pastor Steven raises an eyebrow about it). I missed the dinner portion of the evening because I can't get figure out how to make a quick get away from this house/my kids/ridiculous amounts of last minute tasks that can't wait until I get back. I feel like I'm running underwater when I'm trying to take care of everything that has to be done before I can leave the house. It's exhausting!

I discovered today that Mason is addicted to YouTube. I'm going to have to seriously limit his computer time. He didn't have school today, and all he wanted to do was watch the same model train and tornado video clips over and over - with the most annoying Sarah Brightman song blaring from the speakers. He went into fits and convulsions when I told him he couldn't play on the computer the rest of the day. So we played lots of board games and took a field trip to the library to help him get through his withdrawals.