I have another website project possibly maybe. woo-hoo! An HOA president (not my neighborhood) contacted me via email inquiring about what I can do and what I charge. I'm hoping they go forward with me- the extra cash would be great!
Meanwhile we're working on updating our ringofsaturn.com site. I finished the homepage earlier this week and have a plan for the consulting page. Some day I'll add blinking lights on the key chain. I'll just keep updating the site one page at a time where needed.
I'm almost done Christmas shopping for my family except my in-laws. They usually give us an idea of what they're hoping for so I'm holding off for that. Rusty has one expensive gift from me and then some other smaller stuff. (I won't go into details in case he's reading this.) Joshua & Elliot got a play kitchen that they'll share. I may get one more toy for Josh but Elliot is all done. I also have cards that we need to sign, stuff & send after Thanksgiving. I love not having to rush for the holidays. Nothing makes me more hum-buggy than having the stress of shopping and feeling rushed.
One thing I really love about Elliot: how easily he goes to bed these days. All I have to do is lay him down and half the time he's content to suck his thumb to sleep, or he may fuss for a few minutes then quiet down. Even better- he usually sleeps the entire night without waking.
One thing I really love about Joshua: when he's in a good mood, he's so excited about everything. The timer went off while cooking which meant the meat was done. He jumped up and down shouting "Yaaay! It beeped! Dinner is done!" And he says the cutest things like "Daddy will shoot out the monsters from my room."
Bought one of Josh & Elliot's Christmas presents today- in full sight of the kiddos but Josh didn't notice. I'm stealthy! I think both will enjoy playing with it. It's a Melissa & Doug Cooks Corner Kitchen. It was less than some of the large plastic models but not the cheapest/smallest one either.
We celebrated Elliot's birthday today, a day early. He had a great time, our guests seem to enjoy themselves and his got his first taste of cake with frosting. yum! I made pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and colorful sprinkles. This attempt at a homemade birthday was a much greater success than Joshua's first birthday, where my homemade cake turned into a bread brick. No, this was much better- not five star but close enough. We filled a baby pool with plastic balls for a ball pit. He and his fellow baby friends loved that. Josh wanted to play too but he had to wait until the other babies were gone. Josh spent the majority of the party playing with his friends upstairs and outside. Elliot got some new toys that he's very excited about and some neat clothes that I am very excited about, especially because he is quickly outgrowing his current wardrobe. Tomorrow is his proper birthday, November 17, and for that we're going to visit the pediatrician.
Joshua had a good day but he was a p.i.t.a. He peed his pants several times, even before the party; he had a hard time sharing; he had a meltdown one time when I tried to get him to go to the potty, which caused him to start coughing; he was into everything; and to make the night just suck he pooped in his bath.
in. his. bath.
with rubber ducks and toys floating everywhere and turds floating and a log gently rolling around in the deep end...
I was downstairs washing dishes when Rusty started calling "mayday" for immediate help. I took care of Elliot who was already out of the bath (thank God) while Rusty disciplined Josh. We didn't spank him or put him in time out or yell. Well, Rusty did raise his voice in anguish, but he didn't really yell. No, discipline was worse. In fact, Josh was asking for "time out please". Oh no. Rusty made him clean out his own poop from the bath. He was visibly grossed out by having to handle his own poop. Rusty said he gagged a couple times. Good! After that, after he was disinfected, I got him into pajamas and talked to him about being a big boy. "You'll be four years old in six months, will you pee your pants and poop in your bath when you turn four?"
"But I'm three"
"Then let's start acting like a big three and use the potty to pee and poop."
We talked a bit more and he apologized to me and Rusty. He knew he had disappointed us.
I pray that Elliot will be easier. please please please please please please please please...........
Elliot has a shiny new tooth on the bottom. Another one seems to be bumping up on the other side of his first two. He had a low fever yesterday and again last night. He's also continuing to take a few steps, but not really walking yet. He's also moving towards one nap a day. It's nearly 2pm and if he doesn't nap soon, I may cry!
We have new pictures in our photo album, including ones taken with Josh's toy camera: www.ringofsaturn.com/photo
It's official- Elliot has taken a few steps today. Right now only two or three before he either plops down to the floor or lands safely onto whatever support he was aiming for. I won't say he's walking yet but that he's taken steps towards it. (yes, that pun was for you!)
More Josh quotes:
Rusty: "Do you want a bath with bubbles?"
Josh: "No, I want a bath with water."
Josh: "Daddy, say no to mommy."
Rusty to me in a playful tone: "Mommy, no!"
Josh: "Thank you"
It may be too chilly on Sunday to do outdoor activities for Elliot's birthday. My back up plan is to move the party inside, including the baby pool ball pit. There's plenty of room in the living room if I move a sofa back. I know what I want to get Elliot for his birthday and can't wait to just go buy it. I even have a coupon for shopping at the toy store- w00t!
I love some of the things Josh says. Tonight he as telling me about our cat Merlin. "I heard him mauing and I got up and told him shhh." He says it just like he hears it, as in the island Maui pronounced without the 'i'.
Josh has a rash around his mouth. I'm not sure what it's from and several people have noticed it and commented. Maybe it'll clear up over night. We tried to put some ointment on it but he kept licking it. I'll sneak in while he's sleeping and put some more on.
Josh visited his pediatric pulmonologist today. He's healthy and doing fine with his "asthma". We're to be proactive in the winter months giving him low-dose puffs at night before bedtime. They measured Josh today- he's 36" tall and weighs 40 lbs.
Elliot is growing too. His torso is getting longer so many of the onesies labeled 12M are already tight. He comfortably fits in 18M shirts and onesies but he still in 12M pants. Just like his brother- bigger on top.
It's all the buzz. Last night's historical election and Obama's win for the White House renews my faith in democracy. I'm glad the guy I supported not only won but won by a large margin. I am interested to see well he does in office and anxious for all the changes he's been promising this year.
In other news, Elliot is growing a new tooth on the bottom row. It was making him exceptionally cranky so I gave him a bit of Tylenol and a teething ring from the freezer. That and some more breakfast made him a much happier baby! He's not walking yet but I've seen make a few lunges for things just out of reach.
The weather is shifting blowing in humidity, clouds, and cooler temps tomorrow. But it's still very pleasant weather. I'm walking at least a mile each day (yesterday I walked 2 miles) pushing the stroller or pulling the wagon. I'll keep this up until it's too chilly.
Argh! He's driving me nuts!
Sorry, I couldn't resist the reference to a pirate joke!
In all seriousness, Josh has been getting into trouble lately for 1) running away when he's called and 2) for refusing to do something we've asked him to do. The running away thing is easy to discipline: immediate time-out. I don't want this behavior played out at a crowded place, store or parking lot. But the refusal to do things is a bit trickier...
Here's an example. I asked him to go to the bathroom after his lunch. He said "I don't wanna to go" in a whiny voice. I told him he needs to go, it's time, go now please. "But I don't need to" he persists. I give in and tell him he has three more minutes then he has to go. Guess what happens next. No really- guess!
Yep! He pees in his shorts at the table!! I was foolish enough to let him dictate. He said he didn't need to go. I respect that he may have been telling me the truth because maybe at that exact moment he didn't need to go or maybe he had already gone and I didn't know it yet. I keep thinking that I need to give him an opportunity to prove that he can take himself to the bathroom when he needs to go without me telling him to do it. So far his batting average is horrible. So that's where I'm stuck. If I give in to his whining he pees in his pants. If I don't then it's a battle of the wills. And this resistance extends into everything! Putting on shoes, getting into the car, bath time, putting toys away. I respect when he says he doesn't want to do something then remind him he still needs to do it anyway. Here's what it sounds like:
Josh, please get in the car so we can go.
I don't want to.
Josh, please get into the car now.
Is that the wire for the e'ctricity?
Yes it is, now get in the car! Right now.
No! I don't want to!
Josh get in the car now or you can sit in time-out. Which do you want?
I don't want time-out.
Then get in the car!
Okaaaay!
wow, that's painfully accurate.
After a day of battles I feel beat!
Our Monster House on Halloween night.
Halloween was a smashing success this year. The house looked awesome, the boys were dressed adorably and we had enough candy to last until just after 9pm. Did I mention the boys were adorable? My mom came to visit for Halloween for a whole day and a half. It's never enough time when she visits. Maybe some weekend I'll get the courage to drive to Lubbock to see her. 
Elliot was a lil' devil with black wings and horned cap.
Josh was a pirate! I got a decent full body picture with my mom's camera, but those pictures are with her.
There's one thing I can't stand coming out of the Obama campaign: his slogan HOPE. It's on signs and in his speeches, commercials. I keep remembering the what Anderson Cooper said after Mayor Ray Nagin failed to clean up New Orleans yet hoped people would return. Cooper said, "Hope is not a plan." I wish Obama's campaign committee had taken the nuance of this word into account. Every time I hear it it makes me cringe a little. Hope is a good word for things that can't be directly controlled like hoping Elliot walks by his first birthday or hoping Joshua doesn't get the flu between now and when he gets his flu shot next month. And saying "hope for our country" doesn't mean anything. What exactly is someone hoping for when they say that? But hey, in less than a week it will be over one way or another.
Joshua
Elliot
My boys sharing a window view.
You can see more recent pics at www.ringofsaturn.com/photo
We have started two new phases with Josh: monsters exist and everything should be questioned with a "why?"
Monsters are everywhere! He's never been afraid of monsters at night but lately he's worried there's a monster in his room at night or pre-sunrise. Rusty put in a blue night-light and told him it's a special light that keeps the monsters away. Josh only kinda buys this. He's a smart kid. Tonight he told me he was scared of monsters even with the light. I reassured him that Puppy would protect him.
"Puppy can't save me."
"But Puppy loves you very very very much and he'll stay with you all night long to help you feel safe and loved."
"Will you stay in my room with me?"
"No sweetie but I'll be right outside your door reading. Stay in your bed, try to sleep. If you want to, you can sing a song like-" and I started a few of his favorites like London Bridge, Row Row Your Boat, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
After a kiss and another round of good nights, I heard him singing songs. Five minutes later we didn't hear another peep.
This weekend is the first of "why". Right now it's more in response to why does something have to be a certain way, like why is Elliot taking a nap or why does he have to go to the bathroom when I say so. He's not creating conversation using why. Why is the grass green, why do girls have long hair- those types of questions. I'm sure those types of why's are on their way. I'll be prepared for either straight up answers (because it has chlorophyll which reflects green light) or I'll give bogus answers to stuff I really don't know the answer to (because spaghetti doesn't come from trees). It will be a new annoyance on some occasions but a sure sign he's sponging in his world from new angles.
Everyone in the house is asleep but me. And it's not even ten o'clock.
:D
I'm not sure what I'll do with myself! Watch a scary movie, pamper my feet, web design, read more than a chapter... the list is endless!
Elliot broke a lamp today. It was the tall elegant one in our front room by the piano. Ya know, the only lamp in the house that could shatter glass into a million tiny pieces! That one. I think he was trying to pull up to standing with it. I was in plain sight in the kitchen sort of watching him while filling cups of water to take to the park. Josh was sitting in the bathroom doing #2. Luckily Elliot didn't get hurt and no one got any glass cuts. It took my over 30 minutes to sweep and hand-mop the room. I blame myself for not securing the lamp to the wall. I had thought to do so saying to myself, "I need to do that but I'm sure it's fine for now- I'll do it later."
I voted yesterday morning. The polling place was a mile away so I put Elliot in the jogging stroller and made the journey by foot. It was very pleasant in the morning. But that wasn't my motivation. It's because my car's battery died. Anyway, I was expecting to beat some of the crowd being that this was a weekday and not during a rush-hour time. I got there around 9:45, waited in line for AN HOUR, cast my ballot in less than 2 minutes then walked home. That's right. Just over an hour waiting in line. I was fortunate that Elliot was in good spirits and that I had the company of two older ladies who ogled at Elliot while we waited. Turns out the people in front of us weren't the hold up, it was the nice old lady looking up everyone's voter registrations on the computer. They really should come up with a better system or have an extra computer or two.
But I'm glad I voted early. I imagine election day will be nuts! I'm encouraging everyone I know (and you) to go vote now! Or the next chance you have. There are no excuses in the DFW area since early voting is a full two weeks.
Tonight is our first chilly night. It's supposed to be a brisk 40-something degrees. I think my relatives in Colorado would love to have some non-freezing-chilly weather. They have very lovely Spring and Fall weather but brutal winters that last way longer than I care for. I have Texas in my veins that can't stand the cold but can tolerate summer's savage heat. I'm going to take advantage of the mid-70's highs by strolling Elliot or pulling the wagon in the afternoons.
Tomorrow I'll buy our Halloween candy. I expect we'll need gobs of it to last for four hours of trick or treaters. Last year they started as early as 6pm then we ran out by 9pm. And this year- only stuff I don't mind getting stuck with.
We made a Monster House soundtrack today. It's ten minutes of various crashes, door slams, hammering, thuds, whispers, and other creepy noises. We're going to play this from two huge speakers at the front of our house on Halloween night. Some of the sounds are surprisingly non-sinister like the shoe rubbing, projector, and a recording of Mt. St. Helen erupting from a distance circa 1980. Josh has enthusiastically helped us find some good sounds (he especially likes the crashes) and weed through the stuff that doesn't work for this project. We expect a few of the younger kids to be maybe a little spooked and the older kids intrigued.
http://www.ringofsaturn.com/halloween.mp3
Elliot has learned how to make a kissing sound. Except his does his by pulling in his bottom lip then popping it out. It's still very adorable. :-)
Three-year-olds offer us a fresh perspective on how the world works. In one example today, I was enthusiastically saying "touch down" every time Elliot raised his arms over his head. Josh corrected me by raising his arms and saying "touch up!" Joshua also says he likes "Siouxsie and The Banshees". He especially likes "Kiss Them For Me" which Rusty played on his phone at dinner.
Josh is still asking tons of questions he kinda knows the answer to, except today he asked, "Can I be a mommy when I grow up?"
"No sweetie, you can't be a mommy but you can be a daddy."
"Can I be a baby when I grow up?"
"You can't be a baby and you can't be a mommy, but you can be whatever else you want to be."
"I want to be a monster!"
Our new thing in the evenings is a wagon ride through the neighborhood. Elliot LOVES to have wagon rides. Almost as much as baths. Josh likes wagon rides now that he has a brother to sit with him. It's way less stressful than chasing after Josh and we can actually get in a conversation while pulling the boys.
Tomorrow we'll put the teeth on our house for Halloween. This year we're adding red eyes to the house. Those will go up next week some time. It's going to look wicked! Rusty has the idea to play "creaky old house" sounds. I doubt we'll get our act together in time so maybe next year.
Oh yeah- I picked up a new website design project. yay! It's for a custom carpet company that sells to high-end customers like hotels and people with too much money. The parent company has a website but the American based division has to do their own. My neighbor across the street referred me to her boss. As she put it, "he's Denny's cheap". Lucky for him so am I. But my rate may go up next year.
Although she doesn't know for certain, Elliot's pediatrician thinks he may have Roseloa. He's been running high fevers since yesterday evening with a temp as high as 104.4 this morning. Tylenol gives him some relief but the fever comes back when that wears off. The pedi said she's seeing a rash of cases (pun intended).
I added a Facebook tag at the footer of my blog. It's in Javascript and may conflict with some Firefox browsers- like mine.
Elliot was sick this evening. He began with a low fever after we got home from grocery shopping. He took a long nap then woke up super-cranky and hotter. I gave him Tylenol which only served to make him throw up everything. He snoozed on my lap for a bit and after the fever went down he was still delicate and temperamental but not feverish and not sluggish. Surprisingly, he went to bed on time. I'm a little worried he'll wake up early in the morning so I'm not staying up late tonight. I have no idea what caused his tummy to turn. Hopefully it's just something he ate and will be 100% tomorrow.
I spoke to my dad briefly this evening. He didn't mention anything about passing out or going to the hospital for detox. I didn't bring it up thinking he would be embarrassed.
I hear Josh coughing up a storm in his sleep. I'm going to give him his rescue inhaler.
Daddy Drama Strikes Again!
My dad's current wife, Nel, called me this evening for emotional support. She said the bar called her this afternoon after my dad passed out on the concrete outside of the bar he was drinking at. The bartender freaked out then called Nel using his cell phone. Nel went to the bar and told the bartender to call an ambulance. He's in detox now and the staff hasn't told her how long he'll be there or how he's doing yet. She was crying when I spoke to her. She's never had to deal with this before and I think it scared her. I have seen my dad passed out in public before so that doesn't scare me. In fact, very little about his excessive drinking would surprise me or scare me. What does surprise me is how long his liver has lasted! Anyway, she needed someone to commiserate with, someone who's familiar with what my dad is doing to himself. She was hoping he would choose her over the booze and bless her, she's tried nearly every trick to get him to sober up a little and connect with her outside of his drinking. I told her to think of his alcoholism like a heroin addiction, that he's not going to wake up one day and just quit. That he will need professional help and until then he will always always choose the booze. He has said mean things to her (the officer asked why does he drink this much and he told him "you'd drink too if you were married to her") and I tell her he's not speaking with a clear mind. In less than 24 hours he'll regret what he's said and what he's done. Then he'll go do it again because he's addicted to how alcohol makes him feel. Nel seemed to feel a little more grounded and a little more sure of herself as our call wrapped up. She repeated that she wasn't going to give up- that she loves him very much and she's going to make this work. But she also feels miserable. She gets verbal abuse when he's drunk, she's stressed all the time and she feels lost about how to deal with his shenanigans. I keep a calm voice and tell her she's strong and patient and that only a strong person can handle my dad and that she's doing all the right things and that my dad is out of control and needs someone like her who cares to be around.
But personally I'm still amazed that she has lasted this long. I'm glad she has. I'm also very glad that my dad ended up not moving here to the Dallas area. The burden of caring for his drunken ass would fall on my shoulders and I'm petty sure I would be less tolerant and less forgiving than Nel has been.
Yesterday morning was rough:
* Elliot was screeching a lot
* Josh wasted half of his breakfast
* Josh spilled milk in the refrigerator...
* which attracted Elliot to the spill like a magnet...
* so my breakfast was luke warm by the time I finished cleaning up
* While drinking tea I had to cough which caused tea to go up my nose
The last one is actually a bit funny now but I wasn't laughing when it happened. The day got better after Elliot took his nap. I made up for being cranky towards Josh by giving him some chocolate milk and playing with him for a bit.
Joshua got another haircut this afternoon. The stylist didn't take enough off the back so I may try to buzz some off tomorrow morning. Maybe.
I've discovered that watching the debates yesterday while reading Twitter comments is the best way to follow a debate. I expected a little more umph and a fewer more faux pas. Although the hockey-mom did make a few memorable sound bites:
doggonit
don't cha know
say it ain't so Joe
darnit
I thought she did a very good job of not answering a few key questions and Joe did a good job of speaking passively.