You know you're obsessed when...

...you take a picture of the first picture of a person your child draws... This is Jake's first person drawing that looks somewhat like a person. Well, the first one we've seen anyway...He's probably been doing it at school and we had no idea. I remember my first people as balloons with arms and legs sticking out of them, so I think this is a vast improvement.

His funny face is from saying, "Cheese pizza," over and over again while Ike tried to take the picture.

Jake spent last night with Granny and Papa and came home full of energy. He had a fever earlier today, so I worried a little about trick-or-treating tomorrow, but he seems to be much better. AND Ike and I got a new king-sized bed this weekend!! So we'll all sleep well and feel good tomorrow.

That's What He Said

Ok, two things Jake said yesterday that I don't want to forget.

First, on our way to playgroup from school, Jake told me that Mrs. Ventura is now going to start waking them up from naptime by ringing a bell rather than by patting each of them on the back (can you imagine how much time she must have been spending patting each kid on the back til s/he wakes up??). I said, "Oh really? Why will she use a bell?"
Jake said, "I don't know, Mommy. I'm not the teacher. I'm just an ordinary kid."
A few seconds later he asked me what ordinary meant. I told him it meant he's like the other kids in his class. Then he said, "Then I'm not ordinary. I have secret superpowers."

Are we overfeeding an ego here??

Second thing: Last night while helping Jake get in his pajamas, I scratched him with my ring. I said I was sorry and he said, "Why do you wear that ring anyway?"
Me: "It shows that I'm married to Daddy."
Jake: "Married?? Yuck."
Me: "It's not too bad when you're married to someone you like a lot."
Jake: "Actually, I already think it's not bad to be married."
Me: "Oh. Is there someone you want to marry?"
Jake: [Thinks hard.] "I don't know. But not a boy. Because boys don't wear lipstick."

Whew. It's a small distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.

Halloween at Oak Hollow Mall

Here they are: the cutest kids in America. I don't know who the little girl on the end belongs to, but anyway, she's cute enough to stay, I guess.

This is Jake's playgroup before they all went trick or treating at the mall. We had a little mishap, so ended up trick or treating without the group, but the important thing is that Jake got candy. And that Ike helped me deal with the crowds and crowds of kids.

Can anyone tell me why they'd have a random guy playing the accordion in a food court that's already loud and full of people? And why he would stop right behind ME while I waited in the longest line of any restaurant (Chick-Fil-A)?? Is the accordion some sort of Halloween tradition I don't know about???

Last Day: Hat Day

Hat Day
Originally uploaded by shortmama30.

Here's the picture from this morning. Our last day of Spirit Week. I have to say, I think this spirit week thing went out with a whimper rather than a bang. PJ Day and Wacky Tacky Day were great, but the last three days were a little pitiful...

Maybe we just don't have cool enough hats. The kid in front of us this morning had a cool woodpecker-shaped hat. Oh well...

Halloween at Nicholas' House

This afternoon Jake and I went to a Halloween party at his friend Nicholas' house. He and Nicholas get along well and go to the same school (not the same class), and Nicholas' mother Vita has become someone I talk to every day (except on weekends). We both wait in the car line at the school, so we've discovered that it's much more fun to talk to each other than to sit in our cars alone for an hour. Vita has also implemented a Mother's Playgroup once every two weeks for a few moms to get together while our kids are in school. We play board games and eat lunch, alternating who brings food and picks the games. It's been great, so I'm hoping I'll be able to continue going when Annie is a newborn.

It's hard to see Jake in the picture with all the kids, thanks to my excellent photography skills and the position of the sun. But I love the picture of him with the little Peter Pan and the two Tinkerbells. He accidentally poked one of the Tinkerbells with his sword, mumbled, "Sorry," then seemed to realize that Captain Hook would not apologize for that. That's how we got the mean pirate face in the picture.

No, really, that IS his mean face. :)

Tomorrow we'll go trick-or-treating with playgroup, so hopefully I'll have pictures from that. And Ike will be there, so maybe HE'LL take the pictures and they'll be better quality.

Career Day

He has no desire to be a fireman, but we couldn't figure out a way to do "Jedi knight" without taking a lightsaber to school...which seemed like a bad idea. So he's off to Day Four of Spirit Week in his fireman's hat.

Is this spoiling a child's dream?

On a different note, we did the breakfast thing this morning, and it was wonderful! Jake and Ike are playing now before we leave for school. Jake has been in a good mood since he woke up. Yay!

Mornings...

After another rough morning, Jake is absolutely fine at school. Not because of anything I said in the car (although I did go out of my way to be supernice...despite the fact that I wanted to yell and scream), but because the first person he saw when he got out of the car (with only a minute to spare before the tardy bell rang) was...Braydon, of course. Instant change in the child's demeanor. And I do mean deMEANor.

Why is that boy so mean to me in the mornings?? Two mornings in a row, he's thrown a fit. Not in the house, where it's private. Not in the car, where I can turn on the radio and ignore him. No. He's thrown his fits in our FRONT YARD, for all the neighbors leaving for work to hear. And you know why? Well, I actually have no idea what triggered yesterday's fit, but I believe it was something about wanting to go back to bed. Today's was because he wanted a Transformer in the car with him. We were running late (his fault, not mine, I swear), but after buckling him in, I went in to get him a Transformer. (Muttering and cussing the whole way, but he couldn't hear that.) When I got back? "No!! I want TWO Transformers!!"

Ok, I have limits. He got one Transformer and a promise that Daddy would play with him for a LONG time after work. (Note to Ike: You're playing with Jake a LONG time after work.)

All the trauma of the morning instantly cleared up with the sight of Braydon. At least for Jake. Now I'm wondering...and advice would be appreciated...how can I make our mornings smoother? I already make sure I get up and get ready first, so that I'm ready when Jake gets up. I make his lunch and lay out his clothes the night before (thank you, FLYLady). I'm nice to him when I wake him up...What can I do?

My idea is that maybe if we all sit down to breakfast at a set time, Jake would be happier. His favorite thing in the morning (ok, at any time of day) is Daddy. So if Ike and Jake could sit down together and have an unrushed minute or two, that might help. I'd be willing to get up earlier to make breakfast--something beyond French Toast Sticks. But would they be willing to get up, too? I think Jake would, as long as it meant Daddy Time.

So...Ike?

My other idea is to see if Braydon's parents will bring him over here every morning to wake up Jake...

Team T-Shirt Day

Good thing we got him this shirt while we were in Chapel Hill for our anniversary...Who knew it'd be a homework assignment to wear it?? Anyway, today is Day Three in Spirit Week. Team T-Shirt Day.

What I'm worried about is what he'll wear tomorrow. Career Day???

Homework!

Jake and I started his first homework project this afternoon. How exciting! Now he can look forward to a lifetime of less free time...

Of course in PreK homework is pretty stress-free. They've done an introductory lesson on geography in class, working on the idea of, "Where am I from?" Each night this week, we'll reinforce the lesson by coloring strips of paper representing different aspects of where Jake lives. The first strip was his birthday, the second his street address. He already knew his birthday, but he seems pretty excited to have learned his address. He's so funny when he answers my questions. He gets a very serious look on his face and slowly tells me the house number and street name, nodding his head with each new number or word.

After they've learned this lesson, they'll move on to learning the names of the continents. I might need a refresher class in those myself...

A New Year's Resolution

I never make New Year's Resolutions, which is amazing considering how much I love lists. But this entry is here to serve as a reminder to myself: Read at least one of these books a month starting in January. Hmm...maybe I'll get a headstart and read them now, since I'm in the middle of White Teeth, by Zadie Smith. Here's the link with the list if you're interested.

Annie's New Trick

Ok, this morning on the way back from dropping Jake off at school , Annie found my ribs with her feet. Or her hands--some body part that can hurt a person. My friend Jessica warned me this could happen...now I get it. Ouch.

Wacky Tacky Day

With a different digital camera and a higher-quality photographer, you would be able to get the full effect of the tackiness here. Today is Day Two in Spirit Week: Wacky Tacky Day. Jake's coonskin cap is compliments of Granddaddy (who probably never knew it would come in handy except in playing dress up) and the crazy bug shorts are compliments of Uncle Eli.

Huh. So only my side of the family is tacky...nice revelation this morning.

Jake just walked in and saw this picture. He fell over laughing and said, "Oh man! I look soooo tacky!" Maybe he gets his taste from his Quigley side. :)

Doctor's Appointment

My doctor's appointment went well this morning, except for my concern over the weight gain thing. I really don't feel like I've gained 14 pounds in three weeks, nor do I think I look like I have...but I can't say that my clothes weighed THAT much when I stepped on the scale. (Freudian slip: I first typed "scare" instead of "scale") The doctor said that I shouldn't be concerned because this past month was one in which the baby gained a significant amount of weight herself.

Well, she should watch that or she'll have weight issues her whole life. ;)

At any rate, her heartbeat sounded wonderful and strong as always. It's harder to pee in those little cups at this point--I can't see where I'm aiming! Can't they give pregnant women buckets that are easier to hit?

My next two appointments will be every two weeks, then I'll begin weekly visits. It's all going so quickly...I've felt overwhelmed since my appointment and have consequently come home and stared into space while sitting on the couch.

My doctor today was my favorite so far--a good sign, since I think I wrote that last time too. She was wonderful and very reassuring...especially about the weight thing.

Pajama Day: First Day of Spirit Week

Everyone should be able to wear pajamas on Mondays...Today was Day One of Jake's school's Spirit Week, so all the kids and teachers showed up in their pjs. I saw one little girl in slippers and a cute stocking cap (I always thought "stocking caps" were a British thing) and the greeter who helped Jake out of the car looked so comfortable in her husband's terrycloth robe that I can't imagine how she'll stay awake for the day.

This picture is Jake in his pjs, although he kinda just looks like he's wearing regular clothes, doesn't he? Maybe I need to get the kid a stocking cap...

Trains & Pigs

Apparently I've wigged out blogger.com because of all the pictures I want to upload. I had this great post with stories to go with each picture, but it's gone...gone to where posts go to die. And no amount of voodoo computer magic is bringing them back. So...here's my less enthusiastic report on yesterday's events.

These are the best of our train pictures. In whatever order blogger decided to put them. The top picture is Ike and Jake on the way home in the snack car. They were happier than they look. :)

The second picture is Ike and Jake waiting for our train at the Depot in Greensboro. I love that you can see downtown Greensboro in the background, but the train in the shot is a Norfolk Southern freight train, not ours. We loved the train ride. We loved not having to deal with parking, gas, etc, and we loved the free snacks. :) I'd recommend it to anyone traveling with small children. Or anyone traveling anywhere, really.

Picture three is Jake and me boarding the train from Lexington. Lexington doesn't have a train station (shocking, I know), but just for the BBQ festival, Amtrak stops at this one spot. The information about it on the BBQ Festival's website said they'd have the red carpet rolled out for us...Well, anyway, we had a plywood platform and some really nice old men in conductor uniforms...

I've put the rest of the pictures in a "flickr badge" on the side of my blog. Thanks, Brandee, for helping me figure out how to do this! Anyway, you should be able to click on it and see the pictures plus what I've written about them.

Pig Report Coming Soon

Okay, I have a lot to say about the Lexington BBQ Festival today (most of it very good), but since we left home this morning at 8am and arrived home tonight at 8pm...after walking all day...I'm taking my pregnant swollen ankles and belly to bed with a cup of tea and bad fiction.

But look for it: there will even be pictures.

Sleeping Like the Big Guys

Jake just came running out of (Ike's and my) bedroom in only his pull-up.

"Jake, where are your pajamas?"

"They're in the bed."

"Why aren't they on you?"

"Because sometimes I like to sleep like Daddy and Papa."

Now that explains a lot. If his own father and grandfather are still in pull-ups, no WONDER the boy can't stay dry all night!

(My apologies to Ike and Richard.) :)

Already Mastering the Pick-Up Lines...

At four, Jake has become Mr. Charm. He's way ahead of those guys in bars with their lame lines. Jake goes for the heart...

Last night he said this to me:
"I am so lucky to have a mommy like you. When I was born, I didn't know how lucky I was."

Later, he pointed up to the ceiling and said, "Mommy, I love you all the way to God."

Of course, then he paused, thought about it, and said, "Wait, is that more than 100?" When I told him I thought it probably was, he amended his statement.

"Mommy, I just love you to 100. I love Daddy to 1000."

Well...okay, maybe he still needs some practice. He says, by the way, that he has a new girlfriend. Kaylee is no longer the one (that might have something to do with the fact that he says Braydon wants to marry Kaylee), but he doesn't know his new girlfriend's name. He plays with her on the playground, but she's in a different pre-K class.

Can such a long distance relationship work at the age of four?

Jake Writes His First Novel

Ok...actually, Jake wrote his name, not a novel. But really, what writer can even start that great American novel without first writing his name?

Today a teacher's assistant (they rotate at Jake's school, since Guilford County has so graciously decided to cut aide budgets...we're lucky to have any at all) told me that Jake traced his name, first with her help, then on his own. In his classroom, they've been working on tracing by using a pin to trace the edges of things drawn on paper. He has brought home two birds that he "cut" out of the paper by tracing its edges. So, in what is apparently this amazing Montessori style (where learning something new seems to sneak up on a child instead of stressing them out and banging them on the head), he has now moved from that to tracing his name. He brought home his name--the very first time he's written it! I told him we'd keep it forever...

When he publishes that great American novel, maybe I can sell his name tracing on eBay...

Pump It Up & Peanut Butter Crackers

These are two pictures from our trip to Pump It Up yesterday with our playgroup (thank you, Brandee, for the pictures!). Notice two things here: first, Jake is the only non-newborn child in the "mommy picture" and second, he's following my friend Jessica around like she's a hero. She was his hero, actually, since Mommy's tummy was way too big to let her jump around and play. So...thanks, Jessica, I owe you...

Pump It Up is this great place filled with those bouncy things, where kids can run and bounce and slide...and generally pay no attention at all to gravity. Before yesterday, Jake and I had only been one other time (when I was pregnant but didn't know it, so was able to jump around with no worries...), but that one time apparently left quite an impression on him. After I told him (Sunday night) we were going, he couldn't get to sleep until 11pm. Then yesterday after school, his teacher brought him to the car and said he was very excited about some place we were going. So excited he couldn't nap.


So did you follow that? Up until 11pm, then no nap? Yes, I was worried about how this all might turn out...He played fine at home between school and Pump It Up, then slept for five minutes in the car on the way there. He ran and ran and ran (and jumped and jumped and jumped) for almost the whole two hours we were at PIU... Then just before it was time to go, someone in playgroup suggested we get a group shot of the moms, since all but one of us was there. We all got into position, then Jake ran over to stand beside me. "Honey, this is a mommy picture," I told him. Well...obviously, that was ridiculous in Jake's mind. Why take a picture without him in it?? He walked away from me, and his face crumpled. It was that pitiful crying that gets me every time: he looks like he's trying so hard not to cry, but he just can't help it. If he'd scream and pitch a fit, I could ignore it, but that "You've broken my heart, you evil mommy" look...well, it gets to me. So, I called him back, calmed him down, and there he is: the reason I'm a mommy in the first place. In the picture with me and all the other mommies.

On the way home, he cried...oh, I'd guess he cried 15 minutes because he wanted peanut butter crackers. He'd eaten dinner before we went to PIU, and he'd had a little "dessert" of jelly beans while we were there...I knew the issue wasn't food, it was staying up later. And here was his cry: "I want peanut butter crackers, I want my daddy, I want peanut butter crackers." This became, "I want to go to bed right away, I want my daddy." And then, "I want Daddy, I want apple slices." When the silence came, I knew he was asleep. When we got home, he went straight to bed with pretty much no complaint.

But the first words out of his mouth this morning were, "I want peanut butter crackers now." (That's a somewhat healthy breakfast, right? I even threw in the apple slices...)

He's got the memory of an elephant.

Songs for a Sunday Morning

Jake and I have become morning people, apparently. I suppose that's a good thing... Anyway, right now he's in his room, coloring a picture for his friend Brayden at school. He's singing a song that (I hope) he made up.

"I love blue,
I love blue,
I like blue, blue, blue everywhere.
Everywhere I like blue, blue, blue.
I love blue."

And it goes on...forever, I think. Hmm...maybe Jake's a morning person and I'm just up early...

Yesterday we celebrated Papa's birthday (Ike's dad), which was Friday. Happy Birthday, Papa! Ike was disappointed that he couldn't make it to the party because of work, but really, surely someday this crazy schedule will end. He works a couple of hours this morning, then he can come home to sleep. He refused to get out of bed this morning before I promised him he could sleep when he gets home. Sure, I said, as soon as you've eaten breakfast with the family, re-painted the baby's room, and assembled the crib...

Aunt Jane got Jake the best Halloween costume he's ever had (thank you Jane!)! He'll be going this year as Captain Hook, but the best-looking Capt. Hook you've ever seen. The woman who worked at the Disney Store tried to steer Jake toward Peter Pan by saying, "Capt. Hook's sword is too big for you." Well, obviously she doesn't know 4-year-olds. That sealed it for him. He's a BIG boy and he's going as Captain Hook. So there. Pictures will follow eventually I'm sure.

And Granny (Ike's mom) got him new shoes (Thank you Granny!). When Jake was born, Granny said she never wanted him to be in cheap shoes. I appreciate that and am grateful because Jake has had some wonderful shoes. Tomorrow he'll be headed off to school in his new Reeboks. He was much more opinionated about the whole shoe shopping experience yesterday, with definite ideas on what would look best and what made him run faster. I dread the day when he's that opinionated about his clothes too...

Now he's running around the house as a partial Captain Hook (sword and hook only). I think I need some coffee.

If Mommy Won't Brag, Who Will?

Good thing I warned people ahead of time. This blog is solely intended for me to talk ad nauseum about my family...see the header at the top of the page?

Anyway, I have to write about one of the cutest things I've ever seen. This morning when the "greeter" at Jake's school helped him get out of the car, I had a chance to watch him walk toward his classroom building. Usually there are several cars behind me, all of whom have children who seem to move faster than Jake in the mornings, so I have to leave as soon as the greeter closes his door. But this morning we were a little early, so I watched him. He walked so proudly, clutching his Power Rangers bookbag (thank you, Granny!) straps and staring straight ahead. His little head bobbed up and down while he walked, showing an energy that I didn't think he had before 10am. He was so confident and aware of where he was going.

Amazing kid.

Also, on our way to school, Jake counted the "cool" things we saw, things that he said meant it was a "good day." A huge inflatable pumpkin in a yard, a hot air balloon on top of a store (Grand Opening), and a train that traveled parallel to us for about three minutes. What I wished he'd seen on my way home was the bird perched on the head of one of the giant babies. Jake always points out the babies on this billboard we pass--he thinks they're cute because they're babies, I think they're creepy because they're bigger than King Kong. Anyway, one of those babies had a crow perched on his big head this morning. I think that would be one of Jake's cool things.

On a different note, we seem to have an alarm clock goblin in the house. This morning we all woke up late because the alarm didn't go off at 6. Even though I know I set it for 6 last night, it was actually set for 6:48...and the sound was turned all the way down... I tried to blame this on Ike somehow, but it doesn't make sense that he did it. It must have been the goblin because surely I never would have messed with the alarm clock, resetting it in my sleep, just to get a few more minutes...

Daddy: Able to Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound!

I realized tonight that Jake and I have built Ike up to hero status recently. I suppose we've done this because Ike's been working so much lately and we miss him. I know many boys believe their fathers to be superheroes. But come on now, aren't wives supposed to be more realistic??

I hadn't even thought about it until a few minutes ago when Ike and Jake were reading a book on Knights. Jake and I read a little of it last night, but we both decided it was a better book for Daddy to read than Mommy. Sexist? No, it's not that. It's because of this: We believe Daddy is already a knight, and so is of course the best person to help Jake to become one. (Well, and honestly, it was late and I was tired last night...let Daddy read it tomorrow, kid.)

It didn't strike me as odd that we'd mutually declared Ike a knight until I mentioned it again to Jake tonight. Ike gave me that "my crazy wife" look, and I realized...oh. That is a little crazy. But you know, it's all part of daily conversation for Jake and me.

"You know, Mommy, Daddy is as strong as Darkside [Superman's bad guy, I think] because he eats fruits and vegetables."

"You know, Mommy, Daddy is cooler and more funner than you. Because he lets me punch him."

"You know, Mommy, Daddy knows everything about Transformers."

"Mommy, I love you all the way to 100. And I love Daddy all the way to 1000."

"Actually, Mommy, I love you to 5. And I love Daddy to 1000."

Who wouldn't see a guy like that as a superhero??

This is one of the pictures from Sunday's trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Granddaddy (my dad) sent it to me with the subject line, "Mr. Charm." Very appropriate. :)

I think this weekend we'll be going costume shopping. If anyone reading would like to join us (Granny, Jane...) just let me know. Since Jake has changed his mind so many times, I'm thinking I'll just take him to a store and let him pick from what he sees. Of course, this course of action might be disastrous...I can see us at the store for HOURS, finally deciding on one that isn't quite the right one by the time we get it home.

100!

Tonight on our way home from a "Parent Education Night" at Jake's school, he counted to 100. On his own! I almost had to pull over, I was so excited! He needed a little help with "seventy" (and called it "seventeeny" a few times), "eighty," and "ninety," but once he got past those hurdles he just kept going.

I told him I was impressed and he said, "That's the biggest boy I've ever seen."

My thoughts exactly...

A Good Day

This morning when Jake realized we were close to school, he said, "I can't wait!" It's taken this long for him to admit it, but finally I've got proof: the boy likes school (despite himself).

Whew...

Today is both picture day AND book fair day. This is the kind of day I always got excited about, too!

The Cost of Public Education

This is not a rant about the school system or public policy. In case you haven't noticed, anything I write on this blog is about my family, which in my mind is much more important than the state of the union or anything political...

So what I'm complaining about this morning is just how much money it costs to have a kid in a public school. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that we've been able to find a public Montessori school when the local private Montessori would be about $8000 in tuition for preK (or so I've heard). But WOW. Since the first week of school, we've had an almost daily barrage of ways to spend money. Let me see if I can list them for you:

1. Dining & Attractions Guide (week one) $25 each (Thank you, Jane, for ours!!)
2. Cici's Pizza (monthly) ~$20 thus far
3. Chuck E Cheese (apparently monthly, but we can't keep doing that!) ~$30 for food & tokens (Thank you, Granny & Papa, for last month's dinner!)
4. coin drive for hurricane relief (ok, a very good cause) ~$5-10, depending on what we had in our pockets (the school raised something like $3000)
5. Hot dog supper for hurricane relief (again, a good cause) We didn't go to this, but it would have been ~$10
6. School pictures (tomorrow) $24 (and that's a cheap package--we could have spent over $50)
7. Book fair (which of course we won't skip...books are more important than food here) It's tomorrow, so we don't know for sure, but I estimate $15
8. Discount card (we're not getting this) $10

I may have missed something. So what are we looking at? Well, if we did Chuck E Cheese every month until the end of the year, plus Cici's, not only would we be increasing our cholesterol levels and eating not-great pizza over and over, that alone would be ~$360. On pizza to "support the school!" Then thus far if we'd done everything else, we'd have spent almost $100...and Jake has only been in school since August 31st! So ~$50 per month, with 7 more months to go, that's another $350...

But hey, really. It's still a lot cheaper than $8000/yr at the private school. I'll bet those parents also have all these fundraisers, plus the tuition cost.

Is Fear Hereditary??

This afternoon right after school, Jake had to get the first of two flu shots he'll have this year. He's never had one in the past, so apparently kids have to have two the first year they get them. He's not in a high-risk category for the flu, but since we'll have a newborn during flu season, the whole family has to get one (note to Ike: the whole family).

I wasn't sure how to approach telling him about the shot. I mentioned it about a week ago, but didn't want to talk about it again over the weekend or this morning because I didn't want him to worry throughout the school day. So...I sprang it on him as soon as he got in the car this afternoon. "Guess what, Jakey? We're going straight to the doctor for a shot! Woohoo!"

Ok, I wasn't that callous (or excited) about it. I tried to break it to him gently, even bringing him a Yoohoo to drink in the car on the way there. As if this would help. My son has this strong fear of shots. It's almost weird, except that I have the same fear (and in a grown woman who has birthed one baby and will birth another in a couple of months, it's a much more ridiculous fear).

He started crying immediately when I told him where we were going. He calmed down a little when I explained that the shot will help him avoid the flu (so it better work!!). He knows the flu means, "You throw up and I don't want to throw up because it's yucky." However, he cried again when we got to the parking lot, again when they called his name to get his shot, and of course, he screamed like a banshee when he actually got the shot. The nurse tried to appease him after the fact with a sticker, which yes, he took, but no, it did not make him feel better. As he said to her while we walked to the sticker selection, "I can't walk very fast or very well because of the shot you gave me in the leg."

Better you than me, lady. But here's hoping the same nice nurse doesn't get stuck with the job of administering shot #2 in November...

Youth Is Wasted On the Young

Ike pointed that out to me today, although neither of us knows who to credit with saying it for the first time. He made this observation as we walked through campus in Chapel Hill, reliving memories and looking at all the babies who go to school there now...

For our anniversary, Ike and I went to Raleigh last night, where we ate room service food on a bed much more comfortable than our own, and watched a movie (Philadelphia, which I'd never seen). Today we walked around downtown Raleigh for a little while before heading to Chapel Hill for lunch and the aforementioned walk down Memory Lane. We ate at the Rat, where Ike got the Gambler and a Blue Tarheel (so now we have the glass to replace the ones we've broken) and I got the lasagna. Ok, I have to remember not to get the lasagna next time. I get it every time we go, and really, does anyone need that much cheese?? It's just a bowl of cheese, I swear, so while we walked around campus I felt like I was carrying a baby AND a cheese bowl in my tummy. But it's so good...

As parents who say we won't pay for Jake's college unless he goes to Chapel Hill, we realized today that we've been remiss in something very important: Jake has no Tarheel clothing. So we headed to one of the multiple UNC stores on Franklin Street (the Shrunken Head is not open on Sundays, Whims is now closed...) and bought him a Carolina shirt. We were both very excited to present it to him when we got to my parents' house to pick him up...His reaction was this:
(hangs head, sighs) "Oh. It's not even something cool."

Fine, then. As long as he still plans to go to school there, he doesn't have to wear the shirt. :)

Jake spent yesterday and today at my parents' house. Nana took him to the NC Transportation Museum yesterday to ride Thomas the Train. I was thrilled to learn from Mom that he wasn't at all interested in getting the Thomas toys after their ride. I've learned from other mothers that Thomas can be a very expensive habit. He came home with a cool toy, but one that won't break our bank if he decides he wants others. Whew, no Thomas!

After we arrived at their house, we all headed out again to the "Pumpkin Patch," a place to buy pumpkins in WS that is cooler than any place we've yet found near our home. We all purchased pumpkins (thanks Dad!) and took many pictures. The one I'm most looking forward to seeing is the one in which Ike stuck a pumpkin under his shirt...so that we'd have matching bellies.

Now that's love. Perhaps he'd like to birth that pumpkin at the same time I birth mine?? :)

Happy Birthday Grandddaddy!

This post is meant for Jake's granddaddy, not mine, whose birthday is in November. As Dad says (the man whose birthday this is, I mean), we should refer to family members by their names according to the least common denominator. Or he said something like that. Anyway, we call people what Jake calls them, to avoid confusion.

Today my dad is doing a book signing...somewhere...(I know it ends in Salisbury, NC, tonight) for his book, In The Footsteps Of Daniel Boone. He has been on tour pretty much every week or weekend since the book was published and will be until November. Sometime soon after that, he'll be heading to the Alamo to do further research on his next book. And I've heard this rumor from my sister that he's been booked to speak on a cruise ship in the spring??

Well, before he was all that, he was still my dad. And Jake's granddaddy. We couldn't have asked for a more loving, genuine, thoughtful man.

(There's your present, Dad. That's all you get from me, but Jake might buy you a Transformer if given the chance.)

If Jake & God Got In a Fight...

...who would win? I'm not trying to blaspheme first thing in the morning, really. Just a couple of observations about my son and his relationship to God. Jake has always been the one in our family to remind us to pray at the dinner table, to remind me to say a prayer at bedtime, to ask questions about "God's House" (what we call heaven), and every now and then to remind me that "We should go to church again soon." It's a little creepy sometimes, honestly. Like the time he came home from Sunday School at a church we'd been visiting to say, "Mommy. You can't hide from God." (Ok, the italics are mine. Maybe he didn't really mean me per se. But it was creepy nonetheless.)

But now that he's in school, Jake seems to have changed his feelings toward God a bit (resentment, maybe?). He seems to view God as a family member, someone to be encouraged...or put in His place. This morning on the way to school, Jake pointed out, "God is trying to make it rain really hard. You know, he's doing a good job."

A little encouragement from a believer I suppose. But then when you couple that with his insistence last week, "Mommy, I am smarter than God" (We argued over this one. Maybe I should just let it go, but I hate the idea of my four-year-old getting struck by lightning on the playground.), it changes the perspective a bit. Maybe these talks about Annabelle living with God until she came to live in my tummy have led him to believe that God is also a younger sibling?

Ok, maybe it's time for us to go to church again.

On a different note, a friend called this morning to see what I thought of her boyfriend, whom I met a couple of weeks ago. Let me assure you, in case I was too tired when we talked to make it clear, any man who can come in and instantly be Jake's best friend is a good guy in my book. :)

Revised Note for Ike's Calendar

To Ike and any grandparents who happen to see this, never mind about the childbirth class I'd scheduled for us. Today I got information in the mail and discovered that the cost for the class is outrageous. Well, for someone who has already had a baby once and who feels pretty confident she can do it again, anyway. I'm cancelling the class tomorrow and finding out if/when we can schedule a (free) tour of the hospital. Jake's sibling class is still on, as he's never been a big brother before. Plus, it's only $5. :)

A Dark & Stormy Night

Ok, stormy is an exaggeration, but it's certainly dark outside...and raining a little. Ike is out of town tonight, and I'm feeling hormonal and lonely. Hmm...so this is what sends women into chat rooms online (just kidding, Ike).

So what better way to cheer myself up than to write endlessly about my children? Well, rather, my child and child-to-be.

Yesterday I registered at the big baby store for Annabelle. I won't post a link here, in case some random stranger happens onto my blog (we'll take gifts from random strangers, if you are one, but I'd rather you not know where we live). I've been putting off this registration for awhile now, just because I remember how overwhelming the experience was when I was pregnant with Jake. I just don't like huge stores. They're intimidating and full of things no one really needs...but things that are marketed so well that you think you need them when you're scanning the barcodes for a registration list. With Jake, Ike was able to come with me, so I had some help. This time, I needed less help because I knew what to look for, but I would've liked the company. I have two friends who offered to come along, but really, I only want Ike to see how indecisive I can be about something like onesies...

Of all the ridiculous times to feel guilt, I found myself feeling guilty while I registered for baby items. I found myself wishing I could do Jake's babyhood all over again, this time the right way. No, there's no rational explanation for it: I'm sure I did Jake's babyhood right the first time. But I kept looking at the baby boy clothes and wondering why it couldn't have lasted longer...I looked at the baby books and wondered why I never finished his...I looked at the toys and wondered why I didn't play with him more when he was a baby.

Again with the rational thinking: I do know I played with Jake, I do know I did what I felt I could with Jake's baby book, and I am glad Jake is a happy four-year-old boy now (instead of a non-sleeping newborn). In reality, I know that I've been a good mother to my son and that I'll be a good mother to my daughter. But the guilt I felt yesterday at the store was very real, almost bringing me to tears (gee, wonder how many pregnant women cry in that store...). I think I'm not alone with this mother guilt. I suspect that if I did a google blog search right now, I'd find dozens of links belonging to other mothers who feel guilty, despite their rational selves saying, "Enough. You're doing fine."

Rationally, I believe it. But in my most vulnerable moments (which were daily when Jake was a baby, now they're probably just weekly), I worry. Am I the mother my child deserves? Will I have enough love for another child?

Enough, Becky. You're doing fine.

(Ike, you see what happens when you're out of town??)

Note to Ike's Calendar (& to Grandparents Who May Be Reading)

Ok, it's getting more official every day. We are now signed up for a "Childbirth Refresher" class, and Jake is signed up for a Sibling Class. Both are at the hospital. Jake's class is Sunday, November 13th, at 2:30. Ours is an "intensive" class, which means it's two longer days on a weekend rather than three or four weeks in the evenings. We're signed up for Friday December 9th at 7pm and Saturday, December 10th from 8am-4pm.

Maybe a grandparent will read this and offer to keep Jake for that Friday and Saturday... :)

Today at School

This afternoon was the first time Jake was pretty talkative on the way home from school. Usually a few things about his day come out throughout the evening, but today as soon as he got in the car he was talking about school.

First, he "took out one of his wishing stars" and wished for a new lightsaber (he only has six, I think...). He said Braydon (his favorite friend at school) gave him two wishing stars. I thought about pointing out that wishing for something he already has is kind of a waste of a wish...but I let it go.

Then when I asked Jake about his day, he said they did "water work" today. The rule on this is "You can't do water work on a table." He said they had containers for measuring, and once they had the containers, they "did whatever Mrs. Ventura said to do with them." So I didn't get a lot from him on that, but it was something. He also said they did "cleaning work," which I assume means they cleaned up after doing water work.

Hmm...perhaps it's time to implement "cleaning work" at home. Maybe I should even do some cleaning work...

Drinking Syrup & Peeing In Cups

These are the fun things about being pregnant...ranking right up there with the middle of the night leg cramps and constant full bladder...

I just got home from my monthly doctor's appointment. I'm at 27 weeks now, so today's appointment included the test for gestational diabetes. To prepare for this test, I couldn't eat fruit or anything with sugar this morning (no coffee or milk, either) and at 9am I had to drink 5 oz. of "glucola." Glucola...it was basically lemon-lime flavored sugar syrup. If you think that sounds good, I'm not describing it right. It's terrible. Let me recommend to anyone who has to drink it in the future--orange flavored is better (I drank that with Jake). At any rate, I drank the drink and had blood drawn. I'll find out in a day or two if there's a problem. I doubt there is, as I've had enough sugar recently (a family birthday party Saturday and a birthday party for one of Jake's friends yesterday--lots of cake and ice cream) to put me into a diabetic shock if I had gestational diabetes.

Today my iron was tested and looks great, I peed in the cup just fine without missing (despite the fact that I can't see past my belly anymore), and my blood pressure is great. I'm happy to report that I've gained exactly 20 pounds thus far this pregnancy, with only a few days until I'm in Month 7. Considering that I gained 55 pounds with Jake, I'm feeling pretty sure that I won't gain 35 pounds before Annabelle arrives. (Of course, I will have to get through Thanksgiving and possibly Christmas...) I met a new doctor today, now that I'm rotating to meet each one, and finally I've found one I really like at this practice. Here's hoping he's on duty when the time comes.

We listened to Baby's heartbeat, and she sounds very strong. She must be, she can send me running to the bathroom after just one kick at my bladder. :) I can't wait to meet this child!

Independence Day

This morning Jake got out of bed on his own (I could hear him groaning like an old man while he did it), went to his room (because he was in our bed, remember?), turned on his light, and got dressed all by himself. I had to interfere to veto a pair of shorts (stained playclothes can't go to school), but other than that, he did it all. Even down to his socks and shoes, something he usually struggles with (especially the socks).

He and I were both so proud, but only one of us had to leave the room to wipe tears out of our eyes. Chalk it up to hormones...again.

Heartbreaking But Sweet

I'm up too late tonight because I forgot to wash Jake's towel that he uses at school for his nap. Actually...it's dry and ready to go by now, so at this point I'm only up too late out of stupidity.

Around this time of night (anywhere between 1am and 5am), Jake gets out of his own bed and climbs into ours. We've half-heartedly tried to stop this from time to time, but with the changes in our lives these days (starting school, Ike out of town more often for work, the baby on her way...), we've let it slide. What four-year-old doesn't need comfort from the warmth of Mom and Dad sometimes?

So, a few minutes ago, I heard shuffling down the hallway and sniffling. Jake came into the office, holding "Pluto," one of his stuffed dogs (Pluto is also the name of one of his fish. He tends to name everything either Pluto or Max. Of course, he wants to name Annabelle, "Spidergirl," which does seem more appropriate than Pluto...for a girl...), and rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, Jakey, what's wrong?" I asked, holding out my arms to him.

He held out his hand to stop me. I guess to stop me from being worried or overly motherly.

"No, Mommy, I'm not crying," he said. Ok, he was obviously crying...but I let it go. "I just want you to come to your bed and go to sleep."

"Were you upset that I wasn't there when you came to Mommy and Daddy's room?"

"Yes," he said, "but I'm not crying." As long as we're clear on that...

I carried him back to the bed and promised I'd be there soon. When I left, he'd already curled up beside Ike and fallen back to sleep. My baby boy, now too big to admit he's crying.

Okay, never mind. It's all there. I view the internet (and everything computer-related) the way people in ancient cultures viewed the weather: It's an amazing and powerful thing with a mind of its own. Mostly likely controlled by weird voodoo and angry gods.

Thank you, voodoo god, for bringing my blog back.

Test post...Now that I've sent this address to family and friends, it appears I've somehow deleted my blog. A little frustrating...