Manic Monday more of a Mellow Monday. Cheerios, Embarrassment and Election Day

This morning went off without a hitch and we even had twenty minutes to spare.

The alarm went off and Matthew JUMPED out of bed and went to crawl in with Eric, locking me out of my own bedroom.

But once I was ready, he got up and got ready.

We headed downstairs, him proclaiming that he wanted dry cheerios with No MILK....Telling me in a sweet little voice "They taste sweeter that way Mommy."

And then he proclaimed he wanted Hot Chocolate. I gave in. I never give him Chocolate before school, but I figured we are up early and it looks like this morning is going good, he will be okay.

Curious George this morning was about a bee sting. Matthew went to explain for the zillionth time about the time, when I was in PA that he got stung by a bee in the basement over the summer. He had thought it was an ant, and if I remember from Eric it was dead.

But somehow the stinger got him and he was okay. This morning he was re-iterating how it "DIDN'T EVEN HURT HIM."

I told him how proud I was of him, and him being so strong and brave.

WRONG.

He said, "Mommy!!" as he got off the chair and slid down onto the filthy floor with his clean clothes. I said, "What?" as I lifted him back up onto the chair.

He said, "DON'T SAY THAT, YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I said, "What??? How honey? There is no one here but us. Who am I embarrassing you in front of?"

He said, "I just don't want you to talk like that!!"

I said, "Okay, I'm sorry for saying your strong and brave" (mumbling under my breath I won't let it happen again)

He is so funny.

The other night for Halloween, we had a unexpected surprise visit by N who we hadn't seen in three months. We took her with us.

In the backseat of the car, from his seat to hers....on the way home................he says, "N, the little girls in school don't believe I have a girlfriend!!"

Eric and I perked right up and were trying to hear.

She told him, "And you do, it's me. You need to tell them!"

He said, "I do, but they don't believe me!!"

Luckily this was at the point when we pulled into the driveway so all talk of romance, ceased.

I told him this morning, that he doesn't have school tomorrow for Election Day!!

He yelled, "Yeah!! What are we going to do??"

I said, "Well, Mommy hasn't given it much thought about you yet, but Mommy and Daddy get to go pull a lever at your school and vote for the next President Of The United States!!!"

He said, "Yeah!! Can I come?"

I said, "Sure!!"

Then I'm reading about the long lines and praying we don't get that problem, or he won't be happy.

I don't like to blog about my political views, I don't like to talk about them with friends. I live in one of the most political states, and yet I'd rather keep it to myself.

I'm just not confrontational and I don't like to have heated political discussions about politics, or even religion.

So, with that said......go out and vote!!!

I'll keep my choice to myself and hopefully our country will still be standing in January and for the next four years.

I am praying for all of us and am really looking forward to turning on the TV or the computer and not seeing anything related to campaigning.

Manic Monday - Crazy he calls me .........

"Crazy he calls me, sure I'm crazy....crazy in love am I." Linda Ronstadt version with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra from her 1983 album "What's New?"

Well, this morning was a typical "Monday morning". Crazy ...la la la

Matthew has this temper these days when he isn't getting his way, and we are trying to let him know that we are his parents and that he has to listen to us.

Typical five year old boy independence, and MEGA macho testosterone (yet still wants mommy to cuddle) . I know how to do it!!! Yet I need your help, but I don't want your help!! He gets so frustrated when he can't do something on the first try. I try and tell him - take a deep breath.

Yesterday we read, appropriately so, The Grumpy Morning and The Way I Feel, and I reiterated to him, that even Mommy sometimes gets frustrated and needs to move from the situation, go for a walk (or long drive in my case), and usually once I've had a moment to calm down, I can then conquer the world.

It doesn't help that all of our frustration levels right now are at an all time high, that we had just spent three rainy days pretty much cooped up in the house with no sunshine. Today when he gets home it will get better. He is still adjusting to this new long week for him in Kindergarten.

His teacher wants us to work on taking off and putting on his coat with the sleeves the right way (so when they put them on - it's easier and more efficient to have them just slip them on), but again he will not have any part of doing it. He wants to but once his arm gets stuck reaching for the sleeve, he gets fed up. He has no problem putting the coat on and even zipped it up (which I have problems with), but by the time we get to try taking off the sleeves the right way - he's had it.

I tell him don't get upset over little things. That to him right now, they seem like they are big things, but they are not.

That he can do anything if he puts his mind to it, and just tries to take a deep breath and stay calm.

Last night, again he had me on my knees in tears, over him not wanting to let me go to sleep in his own bed, on his own.

I was so strong this time, it was going to happen. But it just breaks my heart and after a half hour of arguing/crying, I give in.

Tonight though he says it will be different.

We are working on a chart for everything right now. He is doing awesome at everything that we are working on, and every day I add something new to the chart like "clearing the table, or getting off the computer games without talking back and with a good team player attitude."

So, God willing tonight will be the night.

I'm trying to raise him with love, respect and to know what is real in life. I want him to be the most well balanced child with self esteem, yet not too much testosterone to overlook feelings of those around him. I don't think that will happen. He is the most loving, sweet, wonderful, kind, thoughtful and considerate son to me. If that is any indication of how he will be someday with his friends, family and the people who will be important to him in his life....then maybe I'm on the right path?

I have to start taking him and getting us back to church. For one reason or another, I've failed in this area too.

We say our prayers, Thank God every night for our blessings, but I know his Grandma in Heaven is probably ready to kick me in the you know where, because I haven't enforced us going to church.

The few times we tried, he didn't want any part of behaving.

Now though, he has no choice. It will be good for him, he needs to see and feel faith, love and people show their respect and love for God and each other with prayers and song. He needs to learn the beautiful stories that I loved as a child of the Old and New testament. He needs community of other children learning in Sunday school.

I think that bringing church back into our life, will actually provide us with more for me (I miss being surrounded by that warm feeling), but also a new routine for him that will also give him substance and reason, a chance to see people's humility, humbleness and kindness.

So mommy's goal this week: Sleep in own room by himself, work on taking deep breaths, and bringing church back into our life.

God is in his life. That is one thing, that regardless of going to church that we have made sure he knows he is wonderful, of all this world is because of God, all of the beauty that God created including him. He knows and loves God, just doesn't know church and the hour of taking deep breaths that he will need to take if he gets frustrated.

Prayers greatly appreciated.

MANIC MONDAY - BUT A GOOD MANIA...FOR ONCE

IT'S JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY...LA, LA, LA....WISH IT WERE SUNDAY...

CAUSE THAT'S MY FUN DAY...LA LA LA

RED SOX AND THE PATRIOTS (THAT i AGAIN DIDN'T WATCH) LA, LA, LA, LA, LA...

WORLD SERIES WIN AND SMASHING THE REDSKINS 52-SOMETHIN...LA, LA, LA, LA, LA

sorry....actually yesterday I wasn't feeling good so I was thrilled to find myself up at midnight last night watching the wonderful game with the red sox winning. I clapped to loud though and woke up Matthew, but not before actually watching the whole game.

I love them all. Jacoby is my favorite though. What an experience for someone with that Little League little boyish grin and what a talent he is!! Thank you Jacoby!!! Thank you Mike Lowell for your Home Run last night:-) Thank you for giving us that fourth run. Talk about a finger biting, glued to my seat last inning. I could go on and on but this is going to be short. I have to pick up Matthew from school because he actually made it today.

Here is a picture of my little guy modeling his Halloween attire this morning. Front and Back for Mommy.

Manic Monday with A Mission - Mission Complete

I've mentioned in the past that we have lots of little girls around that Matthew has been lucky to have as friends.

Mommy has been on a mission for the past few years to find him a little friend that is a boy in the neighborhood or one close enough that he sees more than once a month. We have had no luck through moms groups or clubs in finding a friend for him to play with where Mommy makes a connection too.

The little boy up the street from us that we have invited twice to play hasn't worked out. The mother didn't take me up on the offer to have him come and get together to play. It breaks my heart and brings up alot of my own self esteem insecurities and makes it really hard for me to keep trying.

Last night though, after my son having another wonderful weekend with Mommy & Daddy, I decided enough is enough. I told Matthew that today first thing really early, we could either take a walk around our block and make a personal invitation to play and put it in someone's mail box and hopefully that would get a reply, we could go to another local playground hoping again today is the day or we could go to our beach on our lake and hope that there might be some moms and kids his age there that live nearby. He opted for my third suggestion, so I was on a mission.

This morning, first thing I let him know that if we are going to the beach today, we needed new sand toys and that first we would go and get those and then come home and change and drive to the beach.

While out, we noticed signs for a carnival coming up and when I told Matthew about it, he mentioned that "maybe the new friends at the beach would want to go". I said, "That's a great idea!"

We went to the beach and there was one woman on the beach with one little boy in the water. He ran up to him and immediately started playing with him. The woman sitting was joined by another woman who wound up being the mother of both of them. An hour later, best buddies they've become and Matthew is yelling to the Mom on the beach "Do you want to go to the carnival?" She said "YES!" Mommy is very happy because they seem so nice and we have a few things in common which helps. They are very down to earth and we not only have plans now for the carnival, but McDonalds (Ronald is going to be there) and two more beach days planned. All in one week!! Yeah!!!!!!!!

Sorry...can't hold back my excitement. The mom is a few years older than me and she's looking for mom's in the area too to go to dinner with or get together with.

We are also expecting our long lost friends from RI tomorrow for another playdate at noon so Matthew is going to have a great week. And that means Mommy will have a great week. And if Mommy has a great week, Daddy has a great week...and the wheel just keeps turning and turning....

Manic Two Weeks instead of Manic Monday?

But they have been awesome. Sorry to all 2 of you out there that missed me.

Last Tuesday around 4 pm, we as a family started to our trek to PA. Daddy slept at Grandpa's house with us but then headed down to King Of Prussia and later Edison, NJ with work. He returned to us on Saturday night after some fun filled crazy days for Mommy and Matthew.

I will blog more later. Today is my unwinding jet lag feeling day of cleaning my house, unpacking etc. etc.

I am posting some pics here that tell a little story behind my little man and our family trip. I don't know what was wrong with my camera this trip. A lot of pics I took look like I was drunk. Ironically, Matthew's pics came out better then mine. scary i know...

Enjoy!

PS...funny thing these days by Matthew: When he gets mad at Eric or myself he calls us(yelling) YOU DOODLE DONALD DUCK!!!!

True Love - Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar - True Love

Pat Benatar - True Love
Music Video Codes By Music Video Code

Ok...Mommy is a mood today...a true love mood....and hey!!! Instead of a Manic Monday Mood. I couldn't figure out how to add it too my post, so I'll just leave it up for a week or so until my mood changes:-) Isn't she awesome?

Enjoy!

Beetles and Bugs and Insects....OH MY!!!

Well, it's officially 80 degrees and sunny today! The little things that make me happy. Although the yellow jackets in my garage are monstrous and they scare the heck out of me.

I wish there was a way to have warm weather without bees, wasps and other horned and nasty stinging insects.

We have lived on our lake for 12 years and for some reason the last few years the insects, bugs and beetle life have become so huge to me, that I think there is something in the lake water. I have run from some bugs that literally freeze me in my tracks. I'm not that much of a wimp. I will kill something if I have the advantage. I don't know what I'm dealing with and I have a son to protect from whatever bites by whichever bug feels like biting. (say that 3 times fast)

I have been getting library books for us on bugs so Matthew and Mommy can see what I need to know about, but it is impossible to know all of them. The bees are easy for me and I am so afraid of them. I was stung when I was younger, by many.

One year we were swimming in one of my best friend's from childhood (will call her CareBear) pool. I was lounging in the pool on a float and a bee landed right on my big toe. We always would scream and make loud noises so when I started screaming that this bee was on my toe, CareBear's mom, literally just blocked out the sound. Until I think I finally said, Hey!! This isn't playing around this time!! So, she came and put mud on it and that was that. I got a few more from running around the neighborhood barefoot because I liked to do that.

More recently I was stung, last fall when I ran home after dropping Matthew off at preschool. I came home and went into my garage and there was a hive right over the door, that literally attacked me and I almost had to rip off my long sleeve shirt right in my front yard, to get them all out of my shirt. I wound up having a couple of stings on my wrist and arms.

I don't want to be afraid of them, for Matthew's sake to not put that fear in him, but until we can figure out about all of the bugs/beetles etc on the lake, I have no choice. Not to mention the mosquitoes. Last year in MA, they had to stop all night time sports games and practice's due to a little boy who died from encephalitis or the West Nile Virus. It scares the life out of me, that we live on a lake and that in itself just adds to the danger with mosquitoes.

Well Daddy took the day off today so we can get some things done together around the house. Enjoy the weather!!

More Of A Mild Monday than a Manic Monday

Today was more mild than my past Monday's with Matthew. Mommy had a visitor (if you know what I mean) so I was pretty much couch bound yesterday and most of today.

We watched Happy Feet today and Matthew said something that I had to share. Eric got him the movie yesterday, so he had already seen it once. Today he was telling me that Mumble was going to get "penquinapped!!!!" LOL

I guess the last 4 years of Toy Story embedded in his brain that Al toynapped Woody and so now whenever a character gets taken....they will be "Toy" napped!! Penquinapped..hehe

I love it.

Also earlier today....he made his first joke (without realizing it of course). He was playing a game online at NickJr I think, with Stanley where he got to pick out a landscape of either an ocean, a desert, a jungle etc., and he picked out a desert. He picked an animal to drag and drop on each landscape and was actually brilliant at it. Anyway, he picked an armadillo and said "Mommy, Where do Armadillo's live?" I looked at the screen and said "I think I on the plains"...He said "No, They LIVE IN THEIR SHELLS"....HAHAHA

He was looking at me funny when I said..you made a joke:-) Like joke, what joke? I was serious.

Keep checking back every so often, because of the recent concern over the world wide Web and bloggers safety in general, I might be again moving my blog to a more family/friendly place. Maybe our own site. Eric is going to look into it and we will keep you all posted.

(((hugs)))

Manic Monday, Thankful for Tuesday, Mr. Mac-A-Roni Oni, The ABC's & The Big, Big Hill

Today is definitely going alot better than yesterday. It's funny because Manic Monday used to be a song that I loved by the Bangles (I think?). Whenever I say the words Manic Monday, I always think of going to the movies listening to that song in the car with a boy I dated at the time that was 5 feet tall. I was 6 feet. He would hold my hand with his little stubby fingers and I would think, what am I doing here? He was so nice though that at the time, I didn't want to break his heart. But I eventually did and that song became locked in my brain as our song from that moment on. It's funny how things like that happen!

Now Manic Monday has a totally new meaning to me!! One with spinning my wheels and chasing my son in circles figuratively while my not seeming to get anywhere, like a hamster in it's cage going round and round on that wheel. That's how Mondays are to me now.

But now Tuesday's. I'm going to have to come up with a name for my Tuesday's. Definitely more relaxed, more caught up and by Friday, Look OUT!! I'm so ready by Fridays and then the weekend with Daddy home.

On Sunday, Daddy had taken Matthew in his snowsuit to a playground nearby that was covered in ice. They chipped the ice off and had a fun time anyway. That night Matthew told me all that they did. He mentioned that the see-saw was broke and that a man with tools would have to fix it. I asked "Daddy?". He looked at me and said "No Mom, another man with tools named "Mac-A-Roni-Oni" very seriously.

Yesterday Matthew told me that Mr. Mac-A-Roni Oni was going to fix the see saw and that he lived in our village. I said"Oh, I didn't know we had a village?" He just rolled his eyes and said, "You go up there and turn that way and that's the village"....(hehe) I wasn't going to correct him letting him know that in this town they call it "the center".

He also has been going on about "the big, big hill". Eric took him near our library on Sunday, where there happened to be a hill good for sledding. Matthew has been talking about it non-stop since. It's HUGE MOM!!!!

This morning I knew that I was going to get out with him. I had to buy him some much needed clothes so I told him maybe we could go look at it? Maybe this week we can go?

While I was getting him dressed today. I said "Let's sing our ABC's while getting dressed. And he did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I only had to help with L and Q, and then he sang it again by himself!!! I have never been so happy in my life. It has only taken me til he is now over 4 years old. I said "OK, Now we are going to start writing your ABC's and your name." He said, NO!!!!

(one step at a time)

We were getting ready to leave the house with all of our winter gear on that takes 5 years to put on, just to get out of the house. I said "Honey, Mommy can't wait til warm weather when we don't have to think of coats, boots, socks, gloves etc? We just got to brush our teeth before going. Mommy can't seem to find my house keys?" All the while talking to him, looking everywhere for them. We have a key holder by our front door that we hang our keys on. Matthew figured out a few months ago, that if he stands on his Time Out chair just right, he can get a key down while we are going potty, and open the bathroom door.

I literally checked every coat, my purse everywhere and I said "I wonder if Daddy took them by mistake?" He said "No, Mommy, here they are!!!!!!!" as he opened these little drawers that are hidden in a nearby table we have.....I said "OH!!! How did they get there???" I said "Is there anymore keys I should know about hidden anywhere?" He said "Yep, right here!" opening another one of those little slide out thingamajigs we have.

Finally we are getting out of the house, and I told him we are going clothes shopping and then you can show me where you saw the "big, big hill" !!! He said "OK! Can we go down it?". I said "Maybe not today, but definitely tomorrow! Mommy has to buy you clothes and then we will have lunch, but definitely tomorrow. Let's shake on it!!!".

After him screaming at The SPIDERMAN AND BATMAN UNDERWEAR THAT HE NEEDS!!!!! in the store and they had to have toys within his view!!! Mommy! Look at all this stuff!!!! We left with just one toy, a few pairs of pants, some socks and some SUPERHERO underwear.

Driving home I said "OK, are you going to show me where this big, big hill is so we can come back tomorrow?". He said, "By The Library". (I knew where it was just letting him have his moment). I drive "By The Library" and up to this fence outside of a baseball area where in the distance is a big hill. I can see why to him it looks big, to me I remember hills in PA that would have made this one like a bump in the road. I said, "Wow HONEY, THIS IS HUGE!!!"....

HE SAID, "I KNOW MOMMY, THAT IS WHY IT IS CALLED "THE BIG, BIG HILL".......

Ok....Tubby Time? Manic Monday's? Anyone else out there have these? Still? LOL

It's funny how my Monday's are the same as my Monday's when I worked a "real" job in the workforce. Although I don't have the morning rush hour, or stress of screaming at the driver in front of me, because they should have known I was behind them and that it was important for me to get where I was going. (hehe-Thank God)

But like my rambling above, my Monday's are always spinning my wheels and not getting a shower until at least 4 pm if at all that day.

It all started last night when Matthew had been in his footed pj's all day. It was only 25 degrees out without the wind, so when Eric wound up taking him out to play we figured might as well keep the footed jammies on and put sweats on over them. With his snowsuit and the rest he would keep warm. I figured I would give him a bath once he came home from playing outside in the snow anyway.

Didn't happen, next thing you know, he wants to keep them on because they were comfy, wanted to watch a movie in them. By the time dinner was done, I said, "I'm going up to run the bath water and then give you a tubby." At first he was for it because he had got a new tubby toy from a nice woman that works with Eric, so he was anxious to show Mommy how it worked. But by the time the water filled up the tub, he wanted no part of it. He was making me deals while he was screaming at me yelling up our stairs.....while out of breath...saying "Alright! I'll make a deal with you!!!!! Just my bum!!! No Washing My Hair!!!!!!!!"""" I'm trying not to laugh, and hold firm, "No!", Your Hair hasn't been washed in two days...You need a bath and your hair washed". Daddy finally pipes in carrying him up the rest of the stairs and sets him on the bathroom counter. Now I know how tired Matthew was at this point, he had no nap all weekend again. Daddy looks at the tub and sees little specks of dirt on the bottom and my hair because I had to lean over the tub to make the temp right, and said to Matthew "I will have to empty this water and set it up again". I looked at Matthew and said "Tomorrow, first thing tomorrow we are taking a tubby and getting out of the house, come on let's go to bed and read a story".

Well, this is the manic Monday part...I will make it the short version. He had his tubby today, wasn't' til late morning, then I had to make him lunch, then he needed a nap. He just woke up about a half hour ago, and now Mommy still needs my tubby and it's now dinner time!!!!!