Mamatography: Days 267-273

Mamatography: A 365 Day Photography Project. At least one picture per day of what you did that day.

 

This week has been hard. Really, really hard. We buried my Mamaw on Monday. Right next to Papaw.  I think I experienced a lot of my grief before she actually passed away because we had some warning that she'd be going sooner rather than later. It has still been a very emotional tantrum filled week. And not all of the tantrums were Little I's. It has been a week and a day since she passed. Every day has its moments, and I'm learning to deal with/embrace each of them.

 

 Sunday: The calling hours were on Sunday, followed by some family coming over and lots of singing. Little I was in a mood. Hyper, then angry, and reacting to every emotion being felt around him. He alternately asked me if I was okay and what was wrong when he saw me crying. He also told me, "Don't cry, Mommy," a lot of the time, which, as you might guess, made me want to cry even more. 

He was very matter-of-fact about everything. He knows she died, and she's in Heaven with Jesus. He asked me at the calling hours why she was still in the casket, since she was supposed to be with Jesus. 

I miss her.

 

This was kind of the mood for the whole day. Except when B had him running.

 

Monday was the funeral. Lots of family. Lots of tears. Lots of food.

 

And what is with the tradition of taking pictures of the people in the casket? I don't like it. To me it's morbid. But I guess it's different down south. 

 

The day of the funeral, Little I in his spiffy suit.

Tuesday we traveled back from NC to OH. A 9.5-10.5 hour drive without a 3 year old. We left at 6am, and got home at 5:30ish pm. It started off badly when my mom asked me if I was crying--Duh--which caused Little I to start in on the, "What's wrong, Mommy? Don't cry, Mommy." We stopped at a Sheetz to get gas about halfway home, and I made it a point to get a frozen mocha with mint and dark chocolate. No whipped cream. That bit of caffeine and distraction got me through a lot of the rest of the trip.

The only way I made it through the last half of the ride home.

Wednesday it was back to classes and the rest of real life. Of course, it was rainy. I love rainy days. Plus, I got to sit in my car for a few minutes while waiting for a class and just watch it.

Beautiful rainy day.

 Thursday went great... until bedtime. I thought he was in bed. I didn't even hear anything. I smelled it. He dumped a 1/4 bottle of soap all over my bathroom counter.

 

Little I dumped out a 1/4 of this bottle of soap. Love that boy...

Friday I had class. And I was bored after Little I went to bed (for real tonight). 

Self portrait in the bathroom.

Today we spent some time with Mama and Papa. Little I and Papa have matching hats now from Mama's work, Goodyear. 

Little I and Papa have matching hats now!

 

Milestones and a bit of rambling

Okay, so I just realized that my 100th post was this past weekend. I totally missed it. I feel like I should celebrate because this is one of the first things that I started and didn't give up.

I mean, face it, I'm pretty good at starting things. I'm a wonderful starter. I just rarely finish anything. Just like the couple times I have started the Jillian's 30 Day Shred and made it through the first week and then stopped (speaking of that, I'm thinking I should start it again--and finish it this time). And the first couple times of potty training (and Here). Thank goodness I found the 3 Day Potty Training guide.

The point is, I have stuck by this blog since March of last year . That's the longest I've stuck with anything except work, parenting, my house, and school--you know, the things you kind of have to stick with. I'm really glad I reached this milestone and I'm going to continue on until I've reached 2, 3, heck, maybe even 5 years with this blog.

Another milestone: since when does my child not take a nap? I've given up forcing him to take one and he actually does well most days. If only he would do that well with daycare, life would be much simpler.

He also outgrew all of his 4t pants (in the length, not so much in the waist), his beloved cowboy boots that he wore every day this past winter/spring/summer, and is now in a size 11 1/2 shoe. I can't believe it! And he passed his vision exam at the pediatrician at his 3 year check up.

 Little I knows TONS of stuff too! He can count to 20 unassisted, match numbers, knows most of his ABC's, can match most of his letters, knows all of his colors, shapes, animals, vehicles, etc. He can draw circles and squares and triangles (though the triangles are misshapen most of the time) and is really big into telling stories now. He's particularly fond of telling a story about a cowboy who falls off his horse and has to walk through the desert.

I don't know when it happened, but my little toddler is becoming a big boy/preschooler before my very eyes.

We've both been passing a few milestones lately. We've had some hard times and some really great times. And I'm so glad and proud to have him as my son.

I should probably stop this before I start reminiscing about everything and get too teary eyed. End rambling post. :-)

This is why I love my life

Here I was, trying to get my reading done for my English Comp II class (we're reading MLK Jr's "Letter From Birmingham Jail") and I thought Little I was playing quietly with his cars in the dining room. That is, until he comes in the living room, naked, carrying my deodorant with white spots on his chest.
Him: "It doesn't work."
Me: "What doesn't work?"
Cue the gasp and stifled laugh when I look up and see him.
Him: "I want it on my boobies."
Me: "You don't have boobies, honey. Can I have my deodorant back please?"
Him: "Yes I do have boobies. They're right here."
*Points somewhere on his ribcage between his bellybutton and nipples*
Me: "No, honey. You don't have boobies. And Deodorant goes under your arms."

He wanted some deodorant under his arms then, so I put some on him and then tell him it's bath time.

And this is why I love my life. He makes me smile and laugh so much at the random things he does.

Mamatography: Late post

Mamatography: A 365 Day Photography Project. At least one picture per day of what you did that day.

I don't really have much to say right now. I'm still not in the best mood for writing. I do have pictures, though. So here they come:

Hanging out watching movies and playing on our phones.

Mama got Little I a new hat from work.

Little I wouldn't keep still for pictures.

 

A picture I took to remember what my English Comp teacher told us to do.

Traveling to NC, going over the bridge to WV

Sorting through pictures for the memorial slideshow

Oh Hold.

If you have been visiting my blog recently you'll have read about my Mamaw. Well yesterday morning she beat the cancer... in a way.
She passed away around 5 am, so now she has had the true healing that comes with going to heaven.
We left yesterday afternoon after I got out of class and made it to my aunt and uncle's house shortly after one this morning.
Today more family will be getting in and the calling hours will be Sunday, with the funeral on Monday. We'll get home Tuesday morning.
Any more blogging will be put on hold until we get back while we spend time with family and start the grieving process.
Any and all prayers,  warm wishes, or whatever good thoughts you want to send our way are welcome.

Just a Short Note...

To my son.

Little man,

Today has been a struggle. Struggle to get you to clean up your messes. Struggle to get you to eat your food. Struggle, really struggle, to get you to take a nap, get dressed, play quietly while mommy did homework, and to stop talking while mommy was freaking out about her car stalling.

I'm sorry for yelling at you, sorry that I lost my cool.

But, seriously, can't you give me a break?

Sincerely,
Your frazzled, short tempered Mommy

Mamatography: Days 253-259

Mamatography: A 365 Day Photography Project. At least one picture per day of what you did that day.

Sorry this is late. :-)

     Another week has passed. It was mostly the same boring week I was expecting. Except that Little I has been testing his boundaries SO much more lately. I don't know if it's because he's back in daycare/preschool or just a normal stage of development, but it is driving me insane! I wish I had the money to enroll him into something like karate or gymnastics or something to take out some of his pent up energy and frustrations. Even just playing outside with him lately is enough to give me a heart attack. He constantly either runs toward the road or toward what I have termed "the cliff" at the back of the yard. It seems all I do anymore is yell, and then apologize for yelling. It's frustrating me to no end.

Anyway, on with the pictures:
Sunday was Grandparents' day. Little I and I went to Friendly's for ice cream before going to my parents' house. 

We went to Friendly's for ice cream.

Sorry the video is sideways. This is Little I dancing in his seat. He does this all the time and I crack up every time.

 

On Monday, I received this cold wrap from Arctic Ease. it arrived right on time because I was doing the Mamavation 2 Week Challenge

Tuesday was my off day. We played around the house.

Basket head. :-)

 Wednesday after school we went to my parents' house. This is my block tower made with Go, Diego, Go! dominoes.

Thursday was another home day.  After we picked up B and took her to the barn to work, we went to JoAnn's and then I organized the smaller parts of the crafting stuff into a basket. It now goes on Little I's art easel.

Friday for my English Comp II class we had to make a one page comic about giving a dog a bath. It also had to tell a story. Let me tell you, for someone who has given a dog a bath less than 5 times in her life, I knew I wasn't going to be able to tell a story ABOUT giving the bath. So I focused on the before: the search for the rubber ducky.

Saturday Little I dressed himself. He did pretty good, even if he did forget the underwear.

Also, Saturday was B's Homecoming dance. Isn't she pretty?

Monsters in the Bathroom

Okay so this is one thing I wasn't really prepared for this early. I certainly don't remember being afraid of monsters, especially at 3 years old.

Little I went to bed around 8:45pm, and as per usual, he was up to use the restroom at about 9:20pm. I'm still downstairs cleaning* and he suddenly starts yelling for me. So I run up the stairs thinking maybe he pooped and needs his butt wiped, but when I go in the bathroom the light is off and Little I is on the toilet pointing to a dark mass on the floor screaming, "Monster!!"

So I flip on the light. And there, in the middle of the bathroom floor, are Little I's pants. That he took off 5 seconds ago.

Then we have the following conversation:

Me: There's no monster, it was just your pants.
Him: My pants are the monster? (he's now scared of his pants..)
Me: No, there is no monster.
Him: Did you scare it away?
Me: No, there just aren't any monsters.
Him: There are monsters! [boy at preschool] said there are!
Me: Oh. Well there aren't any monsters in our house.
Him: Okay... 

But he still won't put his pants back on and is in bed in just his underwear.

I knew he couldn't have come up with it on his own. Although he does have an awesome imagination so I shouldn't be surprised.

And now it's time for me to go up to bed since I have my 7:45am class tomorrow morning.  Remind me why I signed up for the early lab?


*I wasn't really cleaning still. That only takes 5 minutes. I just tell him I'm still cleaning or he'll want me to come to bed right then.

Throwback Thursday

I had a BIG oops this week. I completely forgot that it was Wednesday yesterday. So instead of my usual Wordless Wednesday post, why not a throwback to when Little I really was little? Courtesy of my newly found (but really old) thumb drive.

This is from May of 2010 at my friend's baby shower. Those eyes kill me!

I also found one from my prom. It was a tradition to wear your prom dress (and not change your hair) to church the next day since most of our dances were on Saturdays. All the girls in church used to do it. It was really fun!

Hand Painted Card: Pinterest Sunday

It's Pinterest Sunday! Each Sunday I post about a project, craft, food or anything else I've done with ideas from Pinterest.

It's been a while since I've done one of these. Life has been hectic and gotten in the way recently.

Today is Grandparent's Day (which I didn't remember until this morning) so we did a last minute craft that I got off of Pinterest.

This idea comes from My Montessori Journey and Little I had a blast making it.We did adapt it somewhat from a Valentine's Day theme to Grandparent's day.

So Excited!!!

I wrote the words with the paint bottle, he used his finger to trace them.

Mamatography: Days 246-252

Mamatography: A 365 Day Photography Project. At least one picture per day of what you did that day.

Sunday we spent more time with Mamaw and tried to keep Little I calm and out of trouble. Kind of tough for a 3 year old with endless energy. My cousin T and I took him to an awesome park that had a pirate ship jungle gym thing, two island climber things, and a bunch of other stuff that kept him entertained and ran out his energy for over an hour. My phone was dead so no pictures of the awesome park. Then we came back and had dinner.

In the last Mamatography post, I told you that we left Sunday night after our dinner/farewell.

Little I watching a movie on the laptop at my aunt and uncle's house.

  Little I only slept about 5 hours of the 10 ish hour ride.
 
We got back to mom's house around 6 a.m. Monday and got about 3 hours of sleep there after we ate some breakfasts. Then he was a ball of energy until bedtime, minus his hour nap, I even had to have him call and talk to Papa so he would calm down and go to sleep.

Nap time airing out his booboo. Same shirt as Sunday. Don't judge.

Tuesday we picked up  B from school cause she gets out at 12:00pm now and took some pictures in the house since it was raining.

Kissing B

Shoulder rides. He only smiled so he could spin the fan.

Kissing mommy

Wednesday, it was time to go back to school and Little I got his stitches out. Apparently now stitches in the face get taken out after 5 days instead of longer because they start to adhere and grown into the skin and it causes worse scars. Then we had dinner with my aunt, uncle, mom, and B.

Excited to not have stitches anymore

That chicken breast was huge. I saved half and used it as lunch the next day.

Thursday, we picked up B again since it was my day off school and watched Dino Dan (One of the shows that fascinate Little I) and went to the grocery store where we saw some cool clouds at sunset.

So pretty! No filter or anything.

2 minutes later the whole color changes.

Friday was another busy day filled with school, my Moms to Moms meeting, more school, and a failed naptime.

Getting ready for bed. Still so much energy!

Wordless Wednesday: Ohio River, Mountains, and great phone pictures.

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