Three Years

 

Here we are at three years.  When L's birthday comes around, I don't really think much about the day of  his birth.  It was a c-section, so the whole thing was precise and right on schedule.  There was no screaming or pushing, just a tugging feeling and then a very, very loud cry followed by a lot of joy.  I tend to think more about how much he has changed and grown in the last year.

His stubborn streak (M blames me and I blame M's Polish heritage) is shining through, but so is his empathy and sense of humor.  He loves his sister and although they drive each other crazy at times, he always asks about her if she is not around.  He loves dinosaurs and all things NASA, of course. His best friend is still Daddy, with E running a close second.

As hard as it is to raise a toddler and deal with all of the things that go along with it, like potty training and socializing, I know that this is a simple time.  The world is still full of absolutes:  good and bad, nice and mean, yes and no.  There is no gray area, yet, and I try to remind myself that there will be a day when I won't know where he is at all times and I won't be able to check on him every night before I go to sleep.  This birthday seems more bittersweet to me.  His increased independence means more freedom for the whole family, but it also means that we're traveling farther away from that little chunky baby that felt so good in my arms. There is no stopping time, so we try to enjoy this stage with all of the ups and downs included.

He is a wonderful and amazing little boy and I am so lucky to be his mom.

Show & Tell: The Ice Storm Cometh

 

I live in Houston.  That is to say, I live in the little strip of Houston that is only 30 minutes from Galveston and right next to the Space Center.  So, when cold weather gets all the way down here it's pretty rare.  Even more rare is freezing precipitation.  All week there were dire warnings about snow and thick ice and WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE.  While the rest of the country dug out from legitimate storms, we woke up to nothing but a little ice.  The Space Center is closed and so is daycare.  I went in a little late since I work just off site, but M is home with both kids. To top it all off, we've got L in underwear.  That will be a whole other blog post, I'm sure.  So, my show and tell is photos of our little piece of the storm that swept across the country.

Icy Chair

Very angry Jalapenos.

 Gutter Pipe

E wondering what the hell I am doing outside when it's so cold.

You can join in or see more show and tells here!

January Update

Is it me, or did January go by very quickly?  The month was a whirlwind of recovering from the holidays, job changes for M and starting school again.  I think the only goal I kept was to start a 365 blog for the kids.  It's been going very well and I haven't missed a day, yet!  My family seems to like it and I can't wait to see what it looks like at the end of the year.

School started again for me.  This is my last year and I cannot wait to be done and have my life back.  I have been better about insisting on uninterrupted time during the weekend to study.  M agreed to keep the kids away while I am working and it's going well, so far.  On the weight loss front, I rejoined Weight Watchers and the new plan is interesting.  I have lost a few pounds, but my plan is to start Couch to 5K again to help things along.

Then there's work. We were very disappointed when M's company lost its contract. He has already started with the new company and we're feeling the pinch with much higher health care costs and an overall reduced benefit package.  There's nothing that we can do about it, though, so we'll just have to move forward the best we can.  My workplace is feeling the pinch, as well.  We had a layoff last week and my department narrowly missed getting cut.  We're hearing negative reports about the new budget for the space program, so things could get worse.  I am really scared about the future.  I am looking for another job, just in case.

So, some good, some bad.  I hope that for February I can start running again, keep up the 365 blog and visit the doctor for all of my annual exams.  With Superbowl, L's birthday, and Valentine's Day it should be a fun month!