He’s just being a boy!

Son, put the gun down and step away very slowly!

Uh! Scared you, didn’t I? No, my son is not a serial killer. No, he doesn’t have a violent behavior problem. But he does have an interest in guns. Is this an indicator that he will one day have a violent behavior problem? Or is it an indicator that he could be one of those kids who go to school with the intention to murder someone else? No! What this means is my son is a boy!

I recently listened to a podcast about America’s school system today and the zero tolerance policy in place. I wish I could remember which podcast it was but my memory fails me at the moment. What I do remember about it, though, is the valid points it had about the zero tolerance policy and how it is affecting our boys. The example in the podcast was about a teacher asking his students to write a story about something, anything, of interest to them.  One of the students, a young boy, wrote about a terrible tornado which came through his town and leveled his family home, killing all of his family. This young boy was immediately sent for an evaluation due to the violent nature of the story. Why? Did the story indicate this boy was prone to violence? No!

Why are we, Americans, not allowing our boys to be boys anymore? The school system is geared more toward graduating successful females instead of males. We want our little boys to sit still and imagine peaceful, pretty stories. We want our little boys to act like little girls. We are setting them up for failure from the beginning. Boys are more aggressive than girls by nature. It’s that little thing called testosterone!

Perhaps I’ll home school my son.

A John Deere Piñata and A Baseball Bat

My son recently turned two years old and what a wonderful birthday party we had for him! It was green from inside out and outside in. Oh, but not just any ol’ green. This was John Deere green! Yep – as in the tractor, John Deere green! It was not as difficult as I had imagined to find such unusual toddler birthday supplies. In fact, I found an extensive collection online at birthdayexpress.com. The most surprising find was a John Deere piñata. That’s right — a John Deere piñata!

To be honest, this was my first birthday with a piñata as well. A baseball bat was used as a last minute, quick thinking tool for swinging at the piñata. It was a hit (pun intended)! All the kids were very excited and eager to take a swing. The adults formed a circle of safety around the swinger for obvious reasons. The smallest children were allowed to take a swing first and as predicted, the piñata broke open with the first hit from one of the older children. Candy littered the floor followed by children’s eager fingers.

I’ve decided this will be a birthday tradition from now on. “Pin the Tale on the Donkey” is old school! We’re going for the big stuff from now on! I just wonder what kind of piñata I’ll be trying to track down next year!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my little miracle, my son! Love Mommy!!!!!

A “Sock Monkey” Winter

A Sock Monkey Winter

It’s a “Sock Monkey” winter at our house this year! My almost-two-year-old son received this darling knit hat from his Granny for Christmas.  Prior to this, my son refused to wear a hat which limited our time playing in the snow. I tried to coax him in many creative and humorous ways but to no avail. I would act goofy wearing my own hat. I offered to let him wear my hat. I tried bribery. I did all but stand on top of my head to convince him that wearing a hat was fun. He was not interested, period. Then along came the “Sock Monkey” hat!

To say that my son loves this hat would be an understatement. He adores this hat. He puts the hat on all by himself. He even wears the hat indoors! This hat is magical, I declare! His enthusiasm led me to learn more about this crazy looking, red-mouthed monkey, called “Sock Monkey.”

Did you know that the Sock Monkey is considered American folk art? Crafty American began making this unusual creature out of socks over 60 years ago. But not just any sock. They used the now patented Red Heel work sock by the Nelson Knitting Mills in Rockford, Illinois. The town in fact is still known as “The Home of the Sock Monkey.” The town even hosts an annual “Sock Monkey Madness Festival.” This coming March will be their 9th festival.

Although Fox River Mills has taken over the Nelson Knitting Mills, you can still make a classic sock monkey from their patented Rockford Red Heel® socks. Fox River even has the instructions on their website. I’ve caught the fever myself and hope to make my son a classic Rockford Red Heel sock monkey soon. Who would have ever thought that the creation of a simple work sock would lead to so many adorable little toys for children? I’ve read that these sock monkeys were first created during the Great Depression. This confirms what my mother has always told me. “Necessity breeds creativity.”

Trying to fit in at home

I am off work today. That seems like a good thing until it actually happens. It’s difficult to change routines, not just on myself, but on every member of the household. I’m normally up and gone to the office by the time all the others get up to start their day. Then I don’t arrive home until late in the evening, usually somewhere between 6 and 7 PM. I come in right at dinner time. I join the family for dinner; do some basic chores; give my toddler a bath; then it’s off to bed. I spend at most, 3 to 4 hours every evening with my family – not long. So, today, on my day off, I had a pleasant and relaxing day in mind. It has been far from that.

I’m not sure if it’s just the “change in routine” or what, but my toddler has been a living nightmare all day long. Everyone is edgy and it has been quite unpleasant. Perhaps I am dreaming and not being realistic when I long to have a “normal” at home, family day. I do realize that some of this could simply be driven from the fact, I’m not accustomed to the “at home” life. In contrast, I’m most comfortable at the stressful, fast-paced office work style.

I pray the Lord will give me more patience with my family and they with me as we adjust to a full house for a few days.

Happy Thanksgiving holiday time 🙂

I Will Be Your Shadow

”If you’re alone, I’ll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I’ll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I’ll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I’ll be your smile… But anytime you need a friend, I’ll just be me.”

– Unknown

 

What a very special weekend we had! On Saturday, we packed everyone in the car and went to the park. This might not sound like a great feat but when you are hauling an 81-year-old woman and a 21 month old, it is quite the task. Aunt Gene, the 81-year-old woman, seemed to really enjoy the fresh air and adventure. She had been stuck in the house all week-long and it was a joy to get her out for a short while. She’s doing so good since moving in with us. I was worried about how we would all adjust to another member of the household but my worries were for nothing. Everyone has adjusted easily and she fits right in. It’s a blessing to be able to have her with us and I love that we are a bigger family now.

 

At the park, my son refused to slide or swing or anything besides sit on the bench and watch the traffic go by. He was in an odd mood. Not sure why but he simply didn’t want to play at that time. So we didn’t stay long but left there and went to eat at Shoney’s. After that, I took him to a 2 year old’s birthday party where, again, he was not interested in playing. Well, let me back up. He was not interested in bouncing in the bounce house. What he was interested in doing was playing with the pedal tractor and wagon. This little boy is obsessed with tractors and wagons! Of course this might have something do to with his Papaw having a tractor! Well, he was in luck on Saturday! The birthday boy’s Papaw had a real tractor and offered to take us for a ride. We happily accepted! My son was in HEAVEN!!!! LOL It was a good day.

 

He spent the night with his Papaw and Nana on Saturday night, then I picked him up Sunday morning for church. We tool Aunt Gene to church with us too and she seemed to enjoy that as well. It was a really great weekend!

 

Here it is Monday morning and time for the rat race! But I will not worry about all the problems ahead of me at work. I will rest my mind on the Lord and know that He will enable me to do good work. I’m so blessed and so thankful that I know the Lord as my personal savior. Without Him I can do nothing. I pray that He will guide me and be with me all day every day. God bless all who happen upon these words. Amen!

My Mother, His Mamaw

As we fast approach the holidays, Thanksgiving Day will be here first. This is a day which reminds me to count all my blessings. Although I try to be mindful of all my blessings each day, the hustle and bustle of routines and deadlines interfere with this thought process. I forget to take a moment and just reflect upon all I have, not material things but those things that tug at the heart-strings. One of those is my relationship with my mother.

My mom is my best friend. She is my son’s Mamaw, whom he adores! She has spent her entire life making sure I was well taken care of and continues to worry over me even though I am a grown woman, fully capable of caring for myself. I never understood the love she has for me until I became a mother. I thought I knew but, looking back, I didn’t have a clue. The love a mother has for her child is beyond description. It comes from the deepest part of the soul and is pure and beautiful in form. I am so thankful to have been blessed with the kind of mother who values family and God above all else. Material possessions come and go as easy as the wind. But the bonds and ties of a close-knit family endure a lifetime.

My mother has taught me how to be a mother to my son. She continues to teach me about what truly matters in life and I pray that I have her in my life as a teacher for many years to come.

Back to the Blog :)

I am back to the blog. I have decided to schedule time for this because I want to create special memories here for me and my son. Of course this was my intention in the beginning but somehow having a child throws all intentions out the door! People say they understand how busy a mom’s  life is but they do not know until they are a mommy. I am one of those people. I was clueless to what the life of a mother entailed. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I am simply pointing out the fact that there is not enough time in the day. Period.

But after, 21 months (my son is 21 months old now), I have began to acquire some very special time management skills. Listen, if you are a business owner or human resource person, I guarantee you that the best employer you can obtain would be that of a mother. The “good” mom is forced to become a project manager, event planner, leader, teacher, etc. A mother is an amazing and talented human being! <patting myself on the back right now>

With that being said, I would like to state my intentions for this blog which will serve as a visual commitment and goal for myself. This blog will be my online journal. I will not lie in this blog. Even though strangers may read it and judge me, it matters not. My words are for my own personal experience. They are not to be used or replicated by anyone else without my permission. It is here that I will record the daily ups and downs of my life. I will vent my frustrations and express my joyous moments here. I will try to post daily but will not beat myself up if I miss a day. Although this is one of my priorities, it will not come before my quality time with my son and my family. Eventually, I will look back on this blog with great memories and insights as to how far “we’ve” come. Let the journey begin. 🙂

Hot Potato, Cold Spaghetti, Mashed Bananna

If you have ever heard the Hot Potato song by the Wiggles, you surely have never hummed another song. I cannot get this song out of my head. I’ve tried. I’ve listened to other music. I’ve tried singing country music. I’ve tried nursery rhymes. My brain refuses to acknowledge any other tune except “Hot Potato, Hot Potato!” Therefore, I am giving in and letting go. I’m going to sing this song as many times as I possible can for the remainder of the day. I’m using the same strategy as my grandmother used on my uncle when he caught him smoking. She made him smoke until he was sick. He is not a smoker and never has been since that day. I am hoping that I will make my brain “sick” of this song.

Do you think it will work? How do you get those annoying tunes out of your head?

A Leap of Faith

We recently had a pool installed in our back yard and I must say that it is a pure delight. I feel like I am on vacation every time I step out my back door. Having breakfast by the pool on Saturday and Sunday mornings is becoming a habit. Arriving home from work during the week has become a race to see just how quickly I can transform myself and my son into pool attire. I’ve even been know to take a quick dip after my son goes to bed. Yes, we are truly enjoying having our very own pool.

However, my 17 month old son has been struggling with some fear issues when in the pool. I have been patient with him and slowly helping him to feel secure in his life jacket while within my reach. He does really well as long as I am holding him. But the second I let go, he starts crying even though the life jacket is keeping him afloat. I try to keep him entertained so that he will have fun while swimming but it gets so frustrating when all he does is whine and cry the entire time. This was the situation last night in the pool. Finally, I sat him on the step and told him to watch mommy swim. As I was making my way to the other end of the pool (backwards), he boldly stood up; gave me one of those “watch this” smiles; then proceeded to “jump” off the steps into the pool by himself. He didn’t reach for my hands. He didn’t cry. He didn’t whine. He laughed and laughed and laughed.

My son took a leap of faith, literally. I am still in awe of his bravery. Here is a lesson for us all concerning our fears. Make the decision to jump in, feet first, and face them. Believe that you can. Stop thinking about it. Stop whining about it. Stop crying about it and simply jump.

Where Are You (What Aisle #)?

 

Where are you? I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. You are so late! How in the world will we ever catch up?

I’ve been looking for love and ultimately, a husband, to no avail. I tried the online dating adventure and have met several men but no husband material. My most recent experience with online dating was disappointing. Actually he seemed very promising in the beginning. In fact, after our first in person meet up, I announced to my family that I had met my husband. Yes, I know, I jumped the gun just a little. He was educated, smart, cute, funny and he wanted more children. He had a nice home and had already retired from the military (at age 39). He appeared to be a really good catch. Our first couple of dates went really great. Then came the first offense.

My prospective husband asked me politely to join him one evening for a simple date. I politely declined and explained that I had too much going on but would love to another night. This led to him declaring that I am only busy because I make my life busy. That’s right, how could I possible be busy? I work 40 hours per week and am the single parent of a toddler! But in his eyes, my life should not be so busy. Mr. “prospective husband” quickly turned into Mr. “de-facebooked” and Mr. “no more information required”, I was done with him and with online dating for a while. That was 2 months ago.

Since then, I’ve stepped back and reflected on my wants and needs in the husband department. I’m confident in knowing exactly what I am looking for. I’m just lacking confidence in where to find him. At my age (40), is the internet the best and most practical place to look? Should I pay the membership fee and sign up for one of the more “elite” online match-making services? My personal preference would be to meet someone by introduction of friends. However, that hasn’t happened yet and probably won’t. The club scene isn’t even an option. I’m done with going to clubs. They only make me feel old and out-dated (no pun intended). My only other options are church, the grocery store or a chance encounter. First, the church that I attend is very small and does not have any single men. It would be a sin to take another woman’s husband, especially at church, right? Just kidding. I’m betting that the grocery store will never pan out either. I’m yet to find the aisle for husbands and every time I ask the little boy putting away the stock, he looks at me like I’m crazy.

In all seriousness, I really do want a husband. I want a companion for myself and a daddy for my son. I want a family. I’m not a bad catch if I do say so myself. I’m educated. I’m attractive. People always mistake me for being much younger than I am. (That’s right, I’m going to brag a little.) I have a really good personality. I’m adventurous and fun. Somebody better snag me up quick, uh? Perhaps he’s out there. Perhaps he just read this blog. Then again, perhaps he’s at the grocery store.