Just own up

Some dried spots of spilled juice were scattered across the floor. I assumed the culprit was Hayden since Maya is not a big juicer.

"Hayden, did you spill your juice on the floor?"

"No."

"Then why is the floor sticky?"

"Maybe Prada peed."

"No, she didn't pee. It's sticky spots of juice from your juicebox. Why didn't you tell me you spilled?"

"Well, did you smell it?"

1 bite, 2 bite, 3 bite, 3

Hayden is not a good eater. He eats, but it takes a lot of effort on his parents part to get him to eat. Oh, you put mac and cheese or chicken nuggets in from of him and he dives right in. It's the other gazillion things which are made and served him that are hard to get down his throat. (breakfast/lunch/dinner food, not snacks)

Anyway, one thing that is starting to get easier to get him to munch down are veggies. Tonight, he shunned the green beans so I asked if he could eat peas instead. To my amazement, he said "sure". Maya loves them, so we usually have them on hand.

Getting him to eat something starts out with the same line, "how many bites do I need to eat?"

This time around, I pushed it with three. His reply: "how bout 7?"

Uh... sure?

I give him one.

His time frame for chewing is approximately the time span of a typical commercial break. It seems to take forever!

Done with the first bite and he says, "um, how bout I just have three bites?"

I say that's fine.

Let me just mention that I am filling the spoon and pouring them in his mouth. His idea of a bit would be one pea.

He's on the second bite now. I think the time lapse for this is 5 minutes.

Now, the third bite down.

As he is starting his second minute of chewing I get another bite for him and tell him that it's bite number three. His expression changed to confusion and I can see the gears in his head moving.

Huh?

"Yep," I say, "this is bite number three."

He says to me, "Mom, you're screwed up!"

He ate the "third" bite.

Sleep with me

Maya has been a little bit of a stinker when it comes to falling asleep while traveling. She freaked out at the pack-n-play at my parents house and made it through one out of the two (so far) nights at my in-laws. The nights at my parents, I gave in after a half an hour the first night. The second, she fell asleep for two hours in the pnp and that was enough and the third was a replay of the first night but had an added bonus of staying up moving/standing/talking/crawling until 11:30 in the bed.

Now, I am kicking myself. Kicking myself for getting so irritated that Maya won't sleep in her "own" bed while we are away from home.
The first evening at my in-laws was a breeze. For some reason, not a peep of annoyance or freakout. Last night, she fell asleep, after about 20 minutes of screams, in her crib. When I went to put Hayden in bed an hour later, I went over to check on her, cover her with her blanket and check for a pulse. She awoke. And wouldn't go back to bed. So, I got pissy, stuck her in bed with me and rolled over to watch "Lost" on my computer. To my utter relief and amazement, she fell asleep quickly and cutely.

When I closed my computer and turned to my other side where she was. She looked so little, so angelic, so FRICKING cute I smacked myself for getting upset that she wouldn't sleep in her own bed. I put my finger in her hand and fell asleep.

She is only this size for a short time and this is now the time I need to be treasuring for cuddling! What the heck am I thinking not just plopping her next to me without hesitation?! I do need sleep and continually wake up when one of the kids is next to me, ie: woke up with a head in my back, but she is growing so fast. If she puts up a huge fuss tonight, looks like I'll have a bed partner.

Heading home

It's the night before the kids and I leave for a week in Minnesota. We are all excited to go. Hayden is so excited to show all his grandparents how he is reading. Maya has no clue. I am most excited just for the extra hands to take hold of these two. It's been a long couple weeks with Buddy starting up a job where he's staying four nights a week. I'm ready for a nice break.
But, it's starting to sink in that I won't be seeing my Grandma. Every time I have traveled home the past 10 years, I went over to visit, play cards and enjoy some wine at least twice, if not more. It was a time for us to chat and enjoy one another. Playing cards was something we never got bored with when we played. We could play for hours or a full day. And she loved her wine.
I think it's going to be a little emotional either when I first get to my parents house or when I first pass by her last home. My first question to my mom when ever I talked to her on the phone or arrived at home was, "how's Grandma doing?" Besides arriving for the week of her funeral, this will be the first time I won't be asking.

Bring me the roll

For the weak of stomach, this tale is about barf.

Maya ate a lot tonight. She ate it fast too. Mac and cheese, green beans, Cutie orange and a pack of fruit snacks. Then, she played. A lot. Bath time, all good. Got the kids ready for bed and we headed downstairs.

Maya ran to the stairs, stopped short, and barfed. She looked up at me and smiled like all was good. I told Hayden to go downstairs and get me the roll of paper towels.

I heard the rumblings of more barf headed up. Grabbed Miss and ran to my bathroom, which isn't far. All over the tile and just a smidge in the sink. This girl swallowed a whole slice of orange!! Jeez! She looked on the sink and started saying "Tee tee!" (Teeth, teeth). She loves to brush. Well, she must feel better.

In the meantime, Hayden had not come up yet. I yelled down to get the paper towels. He said he was. Up the stairs he came; with one.

Perterbed, I repeated myself, again. "Please bring me the roll of paper towels. The whole roll."

While I used my one to clean up the explosion, I could hear him.

"Ah crap" was what went through my mind. He came upstairs with the whole roll alright. The whole roll UNrolled; minus the cardboard tube.

Now, I have a very large pile of papertowels shoved into the papertowel holder. My counter will be amiss for weeks.

How'd ya get their names?

While pregnant with my children, we never told people what we were naming them. 1: we didn't know what we were having and 2: I didn't ever want to hear, "oh, I know/knew someone with that name, he/she was a brat/etc." or see that look on someone's face like, 'really? you're picking that name?' I think Buddy blabbed once, before we were even close to having them, so there were a few people who knew, but I never told. That I can remember anyway.

I get asked how their names have come to be and thought I would share.

I'm not sure where I heard Hayden's name. I just liked it when I did. I've read a few books which have a character who's name is Hayden, so I assume it's from them. I always thought it was slightly original too. Now I hear it everywhere. His middle name is James, my dad. Not that I had to use it, I really did like how the two went together.

Maya's name, however, I remember exactly (almost exactly) where I heard it. It was in high school and my family was coming home from a ski trip to Montana. We were on the shuttle bus that took us from the airport to the parking lot where we left our car. On the bus was a little girl about the age of 3, with brown, curly hair and simply adorable. I was watching her sit in her seat and play. She got up once and her mom said, "Come here, Maya." She turned around, her curls bouncing on her shoulders and she returned to her seat.

I fell in love with the name. When I thought of the name Maya, I always like the middle name Christine. I just liked the sound of them together. I had a great aunt, Christine, but I don't think this was how I put the two together.

All of this was before I had met my future hubby and baby daddy, of course. :) I was just lucky enough that he liked her first name and really liked the middle name. His real name isn't Buddy, it's Christopher, like his dad's. Also, he has a sister, named Christine.

And now, I have a curly haired little girl named, Maya Christine. I think it fell into place just perfect.

I'll be what?

Hayden and I had a conversation centered around Playdough and making snakes out of the salty stuff. He said that I couldn't make a snake yet because I wasn't big enough.

Me: What do you mean, "big enough"?

H: You will be big enough in 2 months.

Me: How much bigger?

H: 25

Me: 25 what? (obviously plotting my wardrobe in two months time)

H: 25 old.

Me: I'll be 25 years old in two months?

H: Yep.

Me: Yep, I'll be 25 years old in two months. :)

__________________________________________________________

On another note, I found this adorable recycled skirt on Etsy last week and I couldn't pass it up! In fact, I got two. This one and a pink and grey one with a diamond on it. The person who makes them is local, so I was lucky to cut off the shipping costs and pick them up! The skirt is made out of old tee-shirts! I love it!! I was going to pair it with babylegs today, but it was a bit chilly out and she needed more coverage.

The Etsy shop has more than just these darlings. Check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mydaddysshirt?ga_search_query=mydaddysshirt&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

To draw someone easily.

Hayden wanted to draw a picture of a person. I asked him who he was going to draw. At first, the picture was going to be Maya. Then he stopped and said he couldn't draw her because her hair was curly and that would be too hard.
So, he changed the picture to Grandpa. I asked him which Grandpa he was going to draw and he said it could be either. Why could it be either one?
"Because they don't have much hair so Grandpa's are alot easier to draw."

Well, that's a first.

I've heard of this happening to parents. But it hasn't happened to me. Until today.

I went to get Maya from her nap. Typically, she has everything from inside the crib thrown out of the crib. Blankets, bears, baby, NUK, pillow. Sometimes socks, sometimes not. And she's usually doing laps around the mattress crawling or walking, pointing out everything in her room when I walk in the door.

Today was no exception. Except there was something else thrown into the mix on the floor. Her diaper. Luckily, just a little wet.

That's the last time she goes down without pants.

It's a little too ironic

Just about two weeks ago, my Grandma's house burned down. No one was home in the duplex at the time, so reasons for the fire are yet unknown. My Grandma sold the house almost two years ago to move into assisted living, but for me, it was still hers.
Today I got my first copy of the Renville County Register, the local newpaper of my hometown. On the front page was a picture of the house, that I remember being built, ablaze. I remember my Grandpa walking around the house checking the progress of the home being built still just a frame of 2x4's. That was somewhere around the summer of 1986 (?). I have lots of memories of their home; of Christmases, cardplaying, sitting on the patio, meals, games, and family. Always full of happiness, always a popsicle in the garage freezer, always a can of pop in the fridge, always an enjoyable place to be, that was Grandma and Grandpa's house.
So, where is the irony? The reason I have the subscription is because it was my Grandma's subscription. Rather than my parents getting two a week, my dad had the address switched and it's now sent to me.
I'll be having a glass of wine for Grandma tonight.

Close to crying

I was so frigging close to crying today. Not for sadness, not for lack of sleep, not for losing my mind...it was because Hayden read to me today!

Hayden has been going to a wonderful, I repeat wonderful preschool for just about two years now. I know he's been learning just from day to day things; counting, sounding, singing, general stuff. Typically I ask him what he did in preschool that day and he says, "nothing" or "just {fill in the blank}." His teacher always gives me a little rundown of the day, what he did, how good he's doing, etc. I am always amazed at what she says because he never continues at home! He'll talk a little about it, show me his letters and sounds. And in a matter of minutes, he's done. I am totally okay with that. He's four, I get it. The attention span of a four year old is short. So when he doesn't want to continue, I stop.

BUT!!! Today!!! He READ to me! I was literally almost brought to tears!! He was so proud of himself. More proud than I have ever seen him! He has this little book that he has been working on at school called, "Mat" and today he brought it home. I knew he'd been working for a couple days on reading this book, so I thought, okay, he has it memorized. Well, he may have it memorized, but I could tell he was really reading it. He was sounding out the words, stumbing a couple times, but actually reading. He was really looking at the word, putting the sounds together and forming a word. He was making the word 'mat' into a three syllable word to a one syllable word. (Insert me singing a trill here.)

So, typically, he shows me what he does at school and he's over it. I tell him he has to show Daddy when he gets home. He was so excited to read to Daddy when he got home that Daddy got read the book in the bathroom.

I am a proud, proud mom today.

She's 18 Months already

I'm feeling guilty for not starting this blog the minute Hayden was born. Why? See the last how many posts! Since "day one" I've taken both the kids' pics every three months for the first year, every six months for next two and then onc ea year following. So that's: 3 mo., 6 mo., 9 mo., 1 yr, 18 mo., 2 yrs., 2.5 yrs., 3, 4... And seriously, I am so anal about when they turn each specific age, they have been taken on the day they turn that age or at least the day after. Not before.
But, because I started this blog when Maya was a baby, it feels like all I do is post about her! Hayden is a great kid. Cute, smart, funny, and wonderful. But, because he has gone through all the changes that Maya is just starting, he gets left behind so to speak.
Kids change so much up until they are 3. Hayden is four and hasn't changed all that much in the last year. Know what I mean?! Maya has gone from just sitting up to crawling to walking to running to climbing and on. Hayden is learning like crazy, but to look at him isn't a big change.
So, without further rambles from my guilty self, here are Maya's 18 month pictures. I wish I had the cd for Hayden's pictures from the past. I would so do a comparison of the two.
Sigh.

Daddy's Girl

Miss Maya is such a Daddy's girl, it's not even funny. I get a little jealous throughout the day.

She wakes up in the morning, calls for me to get her. I go in, pick her up and the first thing she says, "Daddy."

We have pictures scattered on shelves, walls and the fridge. She goes around the house throughout the day and finds pictures of Buddy, points and says, "Daddy" to each one about 8 times. Each.

She sees a GMC truck out and about and says, "Daddy." Never a Chevy, Ford or Toyota, just GMC. Smart girl.

We went to the grocery store and were by the hot dogs. She starts yelling, "Daddy!!" She's pointing to a package of hot dogs with the Arizona Cardinals symbol on them. Buddy has a bunch of tees, hats and a jersey that he wears often.

Also at the grocery store today. Walked by the Bud Light display. You got it, "DADDY!!"

Now, does she do this when I am not home? Buddy has yet to answer yes to that question.

Mission: Maya's Room=COMPLETE!

I have had an itch to re-do Maya's room for a little while now. I didn't want to do a complete overhaul, cuz I still liked the color. I just wanted some minor changes. Last week I finally came up with something; a new crib skirt. Upon completing that on Thursday, it wasn't going to be enough. So, I made window panels and a valance, did some stenciling (which I do not recommend on textured walls, UGH), threw together two pillows and a mini pillowcase, put some bling onto the stencils and re-did the vinyl phrase above her crib. What I ended up with I love!! It turned out so cute. Plus, it didn't cost much at all!! The black fabric was leftover, I had just enough to do everything you see. I only had to buy the yellow (only a yard) and the pink (3.5 yards), the stencil templates and the curtain rod. Not too shabby!!!

This is before:And after!:
The border is gone and I added stencils on each side of the mirror and a light pink one underneath. Hard to see, but it's there.

Blinged up!

Pillows and pillowcase. The pillowcase is only 16x12 and is little and adorable.

Cribskirt that got me going! Love it!

I started with just the panels and felt something was missing. I added the valance. I wish it was just a hair wider, but I didn't need to get more fabric, so I am good!

I could not find a better phrase for above her crib. I looked, but kept going back to this and it is PERFECT!!

Now, I am on the lookout for a cheap-o lamp that I can vamp up and a few little accessories. Other than that, I think I done ok. :)

Quiet Please

I'll set up the scene:

I am watching 30 Rock and Hayden is playing his DS with the volume UP. Buddy is in the chair eating ice cream and really nothing else.

Me: "Hayden, will you turn the volume down please?"

Hayden does, but minimally.

Me: "Hayden, please turn it down more, I can't hear what I am watching."

Hayden: "Fine, I will."

Still not enough.

Me: "Ok Dude, please turn it down more or go get your headphones. I can't hear what I am watching."

Hayden: "Well, go upstairs and watch it in your bed then you won't hear it at all."

Laughter all around. Little stinker.