Potty, peepee and preemies

I know, it’s an attention grabber isn’t it?

Bubba is going to be 3 April 21st.  Stuns me to think that….I had really decided that I was going to put off potty training until he was 3.  But I just could NOT take it anymore.

So we ditched the day time diapers and went straight to big boy underpants and big boy boxers. (on a rare occasion I am putting him in a pull up if we are gong out and I know that I can’t get to a potty super fast….)

And he is doing a great job….but we do have a couple “obstacles” to maneuver.

1- He is so small – if he is not in the mood to use his little potty, we have to put him on the potty.  He will attempt to get up on the potty using his little potty as the step stool…but that brings us to hurdle number 2.

2-Because of the muscle tightness in his hips and thighs, it’s a tad hard to get his legs “flung” over the toilet.  It’s a workout!  (and yes, if he would use his potty we’d not have obstacle #2 when we are home). 

He is doing a great job – I’m not complaining.  But it’s definitely harder than the two older boys….however, it’s WAAAAAYYYYY  easier than trying to get Lola to go on the potty. I have to remind myself that while the doctors and etc are not adjusting his age – I am.  He’s still a YOUNG two year getting ready to turn 3.  

So, I keep reminding him and even when he tells me “I just went”, I grab him up and put his bootie on the potty.   And I remind myself to be patient.  Patient with my preemie, peepee’n on the potty.

Warning flags and guerilla warfare…….

Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare.

~ Ed Asner

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past 24 hours about consequences.  EVERYTHING we do or say has a consequence.  I know that.  I’m trying to teach  remind my almost 13yo son, Crash, that lesson/fact/point.  Somehow in the past 6ish months, it’s slipped his mind.

Now let me say- my son is QUITE capable of earning an “A”.  So don’t even start on me and the whole “his abilities” thing.  Crash is VERY smart.  CRASH got VERY lazy this quarter.  I saw is coming down the pike.  I warned him.  About every other day….he didn’t believe me….and he did nothing to stop the tsunami that would become his life under my thumb!

I let him “fail”.  It’s not failing, it’s a '”C” in language arts, but it’s WHY he got the “C”. 

One of the hardest things that a momma can do.  To see it coming  and let the consequences happen. 

Let me set the stage for you, readers digest version.

Crash has one teacher that allows them to turn in homework at anytime during the quarter without penalty. 

REALLY – what the HELL is that teaching them?"  Oh here, I’m just kidding, it’s not really due tomorrow but I’m going to tell you it is and you can just do it whenever.  Because homework is not supposed to help you review the material we just worked on or anything….YEAH – like that is freaking reality…:No employee, you just do that whenever – we’ll wait”. 

It ticks me off if you cannot tell.

I said first quarter “Crash, don’t get in the habit.  This is not reality and it’s a BAD habit, and it’s bad habit that is going to trickle over to your other classes.  Do the work when it’s assigned”. 

He didn’t listen.

Second quarter just closed and he had several missing homework assignments for language arts and guess what..they had penalties for being LATE!

I TOLD YOU SO!

Oh wait, I’m a mom, I should not say that!!!! 

So, his lack of doing homework brought his average down …to a C.

So this MEAN Momma, as I SAID I WOULD DO, after warning flags, flares and fireworks, had to start the take-a-ways.  (No relation to Cousin Jethro math (the goesinta’s).

I take-a-way his beloved little shark fin hairdo.  That went bye bye on Friday after school.

Hanging out with his buddies, or his bro’s as he calls them, I take-a-way that too.

I take-a-way his cell phone. 

And TV and Playstation 3 rights.  GONE. GONE. GONE.

Because he got a “C” in Language Arts.  Because I said I would.  Because there are consequences. 

Natural and MOMMA’s!

(This Momma law will be in effect for at least 4 weeks.  I have been in contact with the LA teacher and I will continue to monitor his work on a daily basis.  In 4 weeks, if the same thing is continuing to occur, or not occur in this case, he will NOT be allowed to tryout for middle school soccer.  Just the way it has to be.)

What I want you to know

So this gal, Leslie Welch, posted on facebook 20 things she wanted her middle school and/or high school student to know.  (thank you to my friend KL for reposting on her fb page!) 

I thought for the most part – these were some pretty good “things” to pass along to my kids.  So I’m boot-legging her list and adding some of my own thoughts, twisted as they may be. 

1. Yes, your freshman year counts towards your GPA for college entrance. Screw it up and you’ll work for crap wages your whole life.  Telling me the teacher is horrible, or everyone’s grades are crap don’t lessen the fact that YOUR grades should NOT be crap. You’ve seen my high school transcript – IT REALLY DOES FOLLOW YOU EVERYWHERE!

2. No means NO. In every possible circumstance.  THAT has always been a rule in our house.  I don’t have to give you a reason, I won’t give you a reason, and even if I did, you know what the reason is.  BECAUSE I SAID SO!  And that goes for other people that tell you NO! 

3. Join every sport, every club, every after school activity, no matter what the cost. It’s cheaper than bail.   You still need more than just what is taught inside the cinderblocks of the classroom.   the old adage of being  “well rounded” really is true.  Plus, you never know when and where you’ll meet a new best friend. 

4. Repeat after me: I am never in that much of a hurry… ”I am never in that much of a hurry.”  Say that every time you get behind the wheel. It will save your life and that of your best friend in the seat next to you.   Remember,  I don’t speed.  I’ve never had a ticket so YES I can tell you to NOT do it.  And when in doubt, reference number 2.  

5. Don’t smoke pot. It ruins your short term memory. (Did I already say that?) Don’t eat POT brownies.  It’s the same thing.  Stupid really doesn’t look good on anyone.  And yes, it is a drug.  yes, it is dangerous.  And everyone is doing it – that excuse has never worked with me. 

6. Don’t ever get a credit card. Ever. You earn it or you live without it.  Actually working for and saving up for something will make you value it even more. 

7. If I yell at you, it’s because I love you. And also, because you pissed me off. To avoid the latter, stop being an idiot.   LISTEN to me, stop saying “BUT MOM”, and I might stop yelling.

8. Make a vivid picture inside your head of every great moment of your childhood. You’ll need those to get through adulthood.  Remember what our family says “we’re making a memory” (thanks Aunt Artie).  Well it’s true. 

9. Make snow angels as often as possible.  Play in the rain (not thunderstorms).  Splash at the beach….put your toes in the sand.  Run!  Play!

10. Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.   Stand behind those you believe in.  You have a voice – use it when others can’t!

11. Be always benevolent. Yes, that’s a word. Look it up.   ( I just love that one)

12. Call me for a ride even if you are so drunk you barely know my number. I’ll probably will be mad for a while BUT I’ll respect you for calling and I won’t kill you. Driving or riding with someone who is drinking, will.

13. Remember the LEMMINGS.  Be a leader, not a follower. Unless you are doing stupid things, then follow the kid with the highest GPA.  

14. Love your siblings, even when you don’t like them. Some day you will be trying to get them to take care of me in my old age. If they are mad at you, you are stuck with me.  Remember I want the hairs on my chin plucked and if ya’ll leave me with whiskers like a cat, I’ll come back to haunt each of you.  You know it’s true, I am just that evil.

15. I’ve been there, done that on more things than you can imagine. And if I didn’t do it, HollyBeth did!  And she told me about it.  I’m not stupid and I know what you are doing. I will bust you’re a**!  I was once you (times ten).  

16. Work hard at everything you do. Anything worth doing is worth doing your best at.   Be proud and take ownership in those things. 

17. There is no such thing as safe sex.  Your little brother, remember him, yeah, he’s here because birth control pills really are only 99.9% effective. 

18. When I tell you to clean your room, do not point at my messy room and raise your eyebrows. I’m trying to raise you to be better than me. And don’t talk to your Ninni and Poppa about what my room looked like as a child.  My mom, your Ninni, wrapped all my stuff up in a bed sheet and set it outside for me. 

19. Learn to type; to budget; and to pray. All are equally important. Say Thank you, yes ma’am and yes sir.  Sit up straight and shake hands when you are greeting someone.  SMILE.  (and brush your teeth)

20. Never be sedentary. Some day soon you will no longer be able to move like that. Enjoy it.  Embrace your youth and the energy that it brings.  You’ll be taking afternoon naps soon enough.

AHH the life…..

It was one of those weeks.  If you’re a mom of more than one, you’ll know what I mean….(And don’t get your knickers in a twist, I’m not attacking moms of “ONE'”)…

NOTE:  I have NEVER been able to get the big 3 on the same freaking doctors appointment schedule.  I think “same” schedule is one of things mom-urban legends are made of….

Here is a glimpse of the shuffle I did this week. 

Monday: PTO/Principals meeting at middle school and work.  OH and Pootie’s last night of the driving part of drivers ed!  UGGG…he can get his permit on his birthday Feb 28!!!  the instructor said that our son was very responsible and smart.  Everything this momma bear wants to hear!

Tuesday:  Worked until 1:30ish in the office.  Pootie’s annual NON sick visit….at 4.  Doctor said he was in great physical shape and appeared to be one of the best eaters, nutrition wise, of most teens he sees.  (That would be because of his soccer habit)  Lola finishes drama class at 4.  insert conflict here. Have Mom pick up Lola.  Crash gets home a little after 4, which is good because my Mom, thank god for her, is there with Lola to let them in so they can get started on homework.

Wednesday: Work soccer club job.  Crash’s NON sick visit..at 10 in the morning.  Kept him home fro school of the morning, figuring I’d drop him off there after the doctor visit….didn’t end up happening.  He was a bit rattled after having his testicles grabbed (aka his “chips” – he calls it his fish and chips)  and then hearing there was something questionable there…and he would need to go to a urology specialist. Call hubby to tell him.  It’s nothing super serious, it’s called varicocele, but if not checked could cause problems when he is older wanting to start a family.  I think that warrants a sick day from school for any male.  By office for work, then home.  Work for soccer club.  Take Crash to indoor game in the pouring rain and 5:00 traffic. 

Thursday:  Bubba has PT at 8:15, that goes until 9:15.  Run over to office to fix something for the boss.  Pick up Lola at 1:15 for a 1:30 orthodontist appointment (she had one last week, will have one in two weeks, then one a week after that to but the braces on…).  Get home.  Run to high school to pick up Pootie who stayed for tutoring for his world history exam.  (Exams started Friday, World History exam is Tuesday morning and he thinks that is the toughest exam).  Get him home.  He says his braces are bugging him, there’s a wire out of whack.  He calls orthodontist, yes he calls, not my mouth, he needs to learn to do things like that.  They can see him at 4:40.  Crash gets home at 4:10, take Pootie.  Get home.  Thursday nights I’m a single mom until midnight because Hubby goes to Robb’s house to help out.  (Robb is our dear friend with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease)

Friday:  Not one single doctors appointment!  Yeah!!  But I did have a PTO meeting (which was fun) and then pick up Pootie after his exams.  Bring him home, he packed to leave for Florida for 3v3 Nationals , drop him off with his coach at 3:15.  Go home and wait for hubby to bring his butt home to take us out for MEXICAN!

Add into all this, still working on potty training.  There is an added twist with the Bubba and his tight hips and his braces.  It’s a little harder for him to get his pants pulled down, so we are leaving him in just underpants while we’re home.  Which then means that if he has an accident it really goes on his braces, which then means they have to be cleaned.  So, do I bother to put them on him or just wait until we’re more potty trained.  (Here are his super cute buns helping put a cinnamon roll on his plate…and yes, he’s at the stove but nothing was on or hot!  AND that is HIS step stool.  He uses it all day – it’s GREAT physical therapy!!!)

The funny was the other day I was working and all of a sudden smelled a FOUL smell….I asked Bubba if he had poopied in his pants.  He assured me he had not.  But the smell…YUCK!  So I looked under my desk…Guess what I found!!  YEP!  POOP!  He had pooped in the floor!  I said BUBBA!  That is so gross!  He said “I didn’t poop in my pants MOM!” 

Ahhhh the life…..

Nothing like a Japanese Steakhouse

When hubby was in college (Appalachian State), they had this little tradition of going to the local Japanese steakhouse (Mykotos).  He would, and still does, drowned his food in the white/cream “shrimp sauce”.  I can’t remember why they went there on a regular basis, so don’t even ask me.  Maybe a long night of partying, maybe after class on a certain day – it’s irrelevant to the story, which is why I’m not asking him.

Growing up, my favorite thing to do on my birthday was to go to the Japanese steakhouse.  Around here it was Nakatos.  (Ya’ll remember the one that was Independence Blvd?  That as a LONG time ago!) There is also a good place up in Huntersville, Kobe. 

So, it only seems fitting that Hubby and I LOVE to take the kids there – to celebrate birthdays, of course!

Ya know when ya go to these type of joints, they take a picture right?  Well, I’ve held onto almost all of our souvenir snapshots.  while I can’t find all of them at a moments notice, they are here.  I’m sure if I go over to mom and dad's, there are even more from when I was “growing up”….

Here is our Japanese Steakhouse history. 

This is actually at the place in Greensboro, on my birthday in 1994.  Which explains why we look like babies – we were! 

 

Fast forward MANY years (the photo gap is somewhere in my attic) and we have 3 kids…..this is sometime in the fall of 2001.  And YEP, I had super short hair!  I loved it!!!

 

This is sometime in the  fall of 2002..I’m guessing by how old Lola looks -

And this is from the spring of 2002, even though it says Feb on it..I know I would not have put Lola in a little short sleeve dress in February.  Plus the rest of us are in short sleeve shirts….

this is from February 2003 – I’m sure we were celebrating Pootie’s birthday

 

 

And then it was April, and we were celebrating Crash and Hubby’s birthday (Crash was born on Hubby’s birthday)

And this is 2006 – My mom, dad and brother finally joined in the festivities. 

 

Early 2007 – celebrating birthdays of course…

May 2007

And 2008….yes my brother and father are making goofy faces…

and then this is early 2010.  I KNOW FOR SURE of this one, cause (1) the bubba is in the picture and (2) my boobs are still gi-nourmous from nursing the Bubba. 

Now, here is where it gets sad –

the 2010 was the last time we were there together.  2011’s schedule was CRAZY and we just never made it there! 

But we will for 2012.

Big Boy Steps

No. 

Seriously.

Big boy steps!  We’ve been practicing!  Ms. Christie, our PT, would be so proud! 

Bubba can come down the stairs on his own!!!  NOT sliding on his  belly – he’s been able to do that forever.

But walking down the steps.  Without me hyperventilating.

It’s a HUGE milestone for him!!!!  ( I didn’t think to video him until he was halfway down – but he went the entire way himself! oh and he’s waiting on the dog, Shelby to come down too)

the bubba on the stairs

2012

Happy New Year…just a tad late.

We spent our NYE as we do each year, with our friends in the ‘hood.  It’s always so much fun, lots of great food and laughter.  And none of us have to drive anywhere. 

Hubby was off of work today – which was really nice.  Kids were back at school today – which was really stupid and annoying.  CMS – you make my arse tired.  It was a federal holiday after all. City, county and state offices – ALL C-L-O-S-E-D!  I’m really tempted to call down to the central offices and ask who all was there at work….figure if the kids HAD to be there – so should the idiots powers that be.

Our year ended in Orlando, Florida, (again, remember we were just there at Thanksgiving with Crash) with Pootie at a soccer tournament.  He played 3 great games, and I think overall had fun. 

Hubby and I went down with the Bubba and surprised him.  Which meant that hubby and I had a lot of time with just Bubba….and we did things with him that we probably wouldn’t have done with the big 3.

We went to GatorLand. 

We looked at gators of all shapes, sizes and colors.

We got to pet goats.

We got to feed birds (not his favorite thing at all)

and walk with the birds

Bubba got to play putt putt for the first time – LOVED  it!

We went to the Fun Spot – which is the most cost effective, age appropriate place to take a two year old.  (Hubby and I didn’t have to pay to go in, just $13 for the Bubba and at the time of day we went – he was the ONLY kid on the ride most of the time.)

He was the only babe on the tea cup ride – and yep , he figured out how to spin the little thingy in the middle and turn it round and round!

And the only babe on this ride too!  LOVED this ride – think he did this one 10 times!

And he got to hang out with his big brother

and hug his big brother – he was telling him how much he (Bubba) missed him (Pootie)..We were at a different hotel and really only saw Pootie for his games and them when we took him to breakfast one day (above) and then dinner one night (below).  and one of my favorite pictures

We are starting off the new year with Pootie doing the actual driving part of his drivers education.  (get me a drink NOW).  For this week and the Monday of next week, from 6:30-8:30, if you live in the south area of town, stay off the roads.  Teen learning to drive!!!!  UGGG….I could vomit!

Reality.

It hits scare in the face, boobs is more accurate, tomorrow  - annual boob crunching is tomorrow.  Always a good way to start things off….schedule yours if you’ve yet to do it.  My mom is laughing at me, this is my first mammogram…and she said “just wait – it hurts!”  I of course countered with “it can’t hurt anymore than when the baby bit me so hard that I cold have used a couple of stitches in my nipple!”  After that pain, I can take a little squishing.

And after ten days together, hubby goes back to work tomorrow.  I will miss him.  Honestly…and that’s a big statement from me….usually after a couple of days I’m ready for him to go back to work – he starts to get under my feet.  What are you doing?  What are we eating?  Questions like that….I love him, but there is a reason that he leaves the house in the morning ..haha

So, here’s to a great 2012.  No resolutions from me, no promises, just the hope for a great year for all of us!