A New Blog... WHAT??!!

"I'm going to post every single day" I said, "It will be AWESOME!!" I said.
Yeah well it's harder than I thought. Sometimes I forget to blog about things, sometimes I don't have anything going on that is remotely interesting to talk about. Maybe those days I could post just pictures. Would you all like that? HEY 3 READERS... Would you like that??

Okay anyways, this week my mom was in town. Dexter and I spent I think Thursday, Friday, Saturday over at my Memaw's house visiting them. (Them being Memaw and my mom). We had a blast. Friday night (was it Friday, Yeah I think it was Friday), Friday night Shane came over there with us to eat dinner, and then we went on the worlds longest walk. It was seriously the longest walk we have taken. Dexter loved it, he was scared of seeing spiders on the road, but we didn't.
Saturday, we went back over there, and my mom and Memaw found Dexter a little box turtle, he named Surprise. Long story short.. We now have a pet turtle named Surprise.

Sunday we went to Shane's parents for Memorial Day. We had smoked food. It was delicious, we got to visit with family, it was just a really fun day. But alas the fun ended when I had to go to work. (BOO), and i got off work this morning, (Or yesterday morning as in Monday, by the time I post this time sure it will be Tuesday morning early), so I got off work this morning at 6:00, and went straight to bed, after facebooking that my house smelled like soup. I don't know why it was weird. It wasn't even good soup either.
Woke up at 10:30 am, went to Shane's uncle's house because they were having a little get together, swam, ate, came home took a long nap (we are all sunburned, and I know I am the only one that will still be red tomorrow. Dexter and Shane will be brown *sigh*) the heat zapped me today. I am still tired, but I am at work now, again, and I am blogging... again. So That was my week/weekend, I told you it wasn't anything interesting.

If I would have posted everything in 3 or 4 posts nobody would be reading anymore. So I have this idea.. a lot of people are doing this now, (nobody I know personally), but I am thinking about vlogging, not really like making a video diary, where its like "Oh hey guys, my day went like this," but more of a film throughout the day and edit it all together at the end of the day, and upload it to youtube. I think that would be fun. Then I could get Dexter's funny sayings on film, and all that stuff. So tell me what you think, does that sound good? Something people would want to watch? I don't know, I am the worlds biggest critic, so I'm worried I'm not funny, or people will think "OMG this girl is stupid... SHUT UP STUPID!!" Yeah I don't know, I'm pretty tired still.

OH, I almost forgot, I am apparently 85 years old and I am currently in the process of getting all of the recipes I use, printing them off onto index cards and putting them into a filed box, it is taking forever, but once I am finished it will be AWESOME!!! Yes I am excited about it. That's why I am 85!

On that note I am going to get back to work. So it looks like I will get to post this on Sunday night... You everything I wrote before about Monday morning being Tuesday morning or whatever, just ignore that.
MELANIE OUT!!

Pray for Oklahoma

Today in Moore, Oklahoma (roughly 2 hours from the town I live in) there have been devastating tornadoes. It is so bad they are no longer doing "search and rescue" actions, they are performing "recovery" actions. An elementary school was hit and last I heard there were at least 20 children, I can't even finish that sentence. It's just too heartbreaking.
My husband, son and I sat at the house this evening watching the devastation happen, as well as them start efforts to clean up the debris. I tried to imagine what it was like to look around and see nothing but what used to be your home, your town, your life. These victims have nothing now, they have literally lost everything. That is when I felt this major urge to help in some way. I thought "What would I need if I had just lost everything?" Then it hit me, the first thing people NEED is clothes, and shoes. They are walking around in this debris, with nails, and boards and other harmful things. Their clothes are drenched, and dirty. They need these things to feel a little more human.
We have several big boxes of clothes, womens, mens, and a few baby clothes that we have been saving for a garage sale. We don't have a garage sale planned, and they are sitting there, I decided right then that I am going to donate all the clothes and shoes that I can to help. I would want someone to help me if I were in that situation, and I feel very strongly that it will help. Even if I am able to help one person after this disaster then that is all I need.

This evening I have also received several Facebook messages, photo tags, friend requests etc.. in reference to a 3 year old boy who is at a hospital in Oklahoma City, whose mother is Melanie Thompson.
I am not that Melanie Thompson. My 3 year old (almost) was at home with my husband and I all evening. I would like to report that I read 5 hours ago that the right Melanie Thompson, has been located and she and her husband are back with their little boy at the hospital and everyone is safe.
Once I started getting those messages I hugged Dexter a little tighter, and once the death totals started rising, my hugs got a little tighter again.

Having gotten those messages about a 3 year old who knew his parents names, Shane and I sat down with Dexter and asked him what our names were, it went a little like this...
"Dexter, what is your daddy's name?"
"Daddy"
"No, his real name is Shane, you just call him Daddy because he is your Daddy. What is Mommy's name?"
"Mommy"
"Mommy's real name is Melanie."
"Oh, Melanie?"
"Yes that's right, so if you get lost you can tell someone my mommy's name is Melanie"
"I call you Melanie, not Mommy?"
"No you still call me Mommy"
"No, I call you Melanie, Baby, and Honey now."
To Shane, "Well this conversation didn't go as planned."
To which Dexter replied, "Nope........ Melanie."

I had to end this on a cheerful note. PS: Everyone please pray for Moore, Oklahoma.

Uh Oh, Oh No!!

My title is because of the "bug" going around my house.
In my last blog I said that I would make an update every single day. Well things have been hectic, and I haven't been able to. I had to work Friday night (2p-10p), Saturday I got called in to work Night shift (10p-6a), and I normally work on Sunday (10p-6a) and Monday (10p-6a) which gets me home for the week with Dex on Tuesday morning after sleeping for a few hours, and napping for a few hours in the evenings. So my schedule this weekend has been a little off. I usually only work Sunday and Monday, but it's extra money and that never hurt anyone.

In my last post, I believe I wrote about Dexter's accidents. (I can't really remember, I am exhausted and days run together when you work night shift, plus "pregnancy" brain doesn't help either) Anyway, at some point this weekend, my household caught a "bug" that is apparently going around. Shane has been sick for about 2 days now, and Dexter comes in waves of feeling fine to "my tummy hurts bad momma". So since he has had explosive # 2's we haven't really potty trained this weekend. I think it is a little too much on him to worry about going to the potty as well as having a major potty accident when he doesn't feel good. I just hope this bug decides to skip over me.

That being said, I work tonight my normal night (10p-6a) like I said before, and tomorrow I will get home, sleep for a few hours, get up, take Dex to Memaws, and go to my ultrasound. I am doing a 4D ultrasound at a technology school. Apparently the students need pregnant women to practice scanning on so they can graduate, and I said I would volunteer. I am pretty excited about that. We get to see Emma Olivia tomorrow at 1:00, get more pictures of her and see her in 4D (I don't know why they don't call it 3D). I wonder if she will look like Dexter did, I'm sure she will look more feminine but I just wonder what she looks like AHH!! I am so excited now. I can't wait till 1:00 tomorrow.

Ok, well I am going to go upstairs and take a nap with Punky (Dexter), he was watching Clifford but now he is laying in the living room floor with his "B"(blankey), which tells me he is about nap ready!

Until Tomorrow (most likely evening, so I can put Emma's pictures on here).

2 Steps Forward, 5 Steps Back?

Do you ever have days where you feel like you are here ^ and the world is -------------------- way over ^?

Yeah that is how I have felt today, I felt like I had so much to do, and no time to get it done in. Surprisingly I did get everything done. I think it was just knowing that I had to be at work at 2 pm today and work all evening. Either way, I managed to get everything done that was on my list, and my husband was also able to get everything done on his list (a list I made him) too.

Since I had so much to get done today, and having to be at work in the middle of the afternoon, I didn't focus on Dexter's potty training much. I know, I know that is so awful of me but his grandma watched him for most of the afternoon, and she has 3 kids, they all play together, and I just thought to avoid accidents in the kids' bedrooms then he could just wear a pull up. Don't worry, tomorrow it is back to the normal potty training, FOR SURE!!
Yesterday, he would go pee in the potty, get his sticker, cheer and go back to play. I don't know if he was emptying his entire bladder or not, but it seems like 15 minutes later he would be shouting "I'm peeing, Momma, I'm peeing!!!" Either why he was running to the bathroom, or while standing there like a deer in the headlights in a puddle. I would just say "Uh Oh, you had an accident, they happen sometimes" change his unders and put him on the toilet, and start the process all over again. I know accidents are bound to happen, but it is a bit overwhelming when they happen all at once. Seemingly in the same hour. But the silver lining is that he is recognizing when he is peeing and that he doesn't like his pants wet, and he needs to go to the bathroom. So maybe we aren't taking 5 steps back, maybe its just like 4 and a half.

On a more "adult" note, our house in NY is on the market to be sold, we are trying our hardest to sell it so we can buy the house we want here, but it's just a waiting game. A very stressful waiting game. I don't like not knowing exactly what they are doing with the selling process, but even if we still lived there, we wouldn't know anything until someone made an offer on it. So we are just praying every night, day, minute, hour, second, that someone comes along and makes us an amazing offer that we can't refuse. (On this the day of my daughters wedding) Sorry I couldn't resist a "Godfather" reference.

I suppose that is a good place to end this blog, not very entertaining, but its more of an update. I am very proud of myself for writing every day, my goal is to have a blog every day. Here's to goals!!

Dex and Daddy flying Daddy's new helicopter.

Nana's toes, Dex thought this was the funniest thing EVER

So funny that he had to make some smiley's on his fingers. 

Dexter and Daddy. July 2011

This is how long his hair was before we cut it in November 2012

Riding in Poppy's jeep. He loves riding in the jeep. 

Once Upon A Time..

"Come here, Buddy, I want to tell you a story."
"Oh ok, Momma."
"Ok, Once upon a time there was a little prince,"
"No, Momma, he a boy, not prince."
"Ok, Once upon a time there once was a boy, and he had grown so big that his diapers didn't fit anymore, so his mommy took him to the store,"
"His mommy taked him to Wal-Mart?"
"Yes, she took him to Wal-Mart, and when they were there she let him pick out the very special big boy underwear that he could wear,"
"Did it have Woody, Buzz on it?"
"I guess, so after they bought his new Woody and Buzz underwear, he went home to learn to use the potty like a big boy,"
"My unner-wears, has Mater on it."
"Yes, yours do have Mater on it, but listen to the story. So he felt like he had to go pee pee, so his mommy sat him on potty,"
"And a hair monster jumped out and ate his unner-wears. THEEEE EEEEND."
 *Sigh*

Dexter, er.. Cool Guy at his cousins Halloween birthday party

Bobbing for apples.

Tired Tots.

Just some summer fun 2012

A Day out with Thomas the Train

Thanksgiving 2012, watching the pond.

HUH??

My silly boy and I

 

Another Day, Another... "Did you just poop on the floor?"

We are still potty training, it's getting better. (I'm just saying that, it's really not, but I have to stay positive or I will loose it). Dexter will now say "I don't like using the potty, I only want to play."

I asked Dexter if he still likes the name "The Crapper" and he says he does, but when ever I ask if he needs to use "The Crapper" he says "Eww, Goss." (Gross). He is currently walking around in the nude listening to his "ipod". Yes, I let him walk around the house naked, its much easier than changing his underpants every time there is an accident. Which, there hasn't been any pee accidents in a few days (knock on wood). So, yeah I don't know. It will get better.
SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IT GETS BETTER!!!

Today is my little (not so little) sister's 18th birthday. I can't believe she is 18. I still remember seeing her in the hospital on the day she was born, holding her and giving her the very first bath. She was chunky and bright red. She was such a cute baby/little girl. Now she is an adult, and can vote, make life changing decisions. Ugh, it just gives me a panic attack thinking about it.

Well, I guess I will flood the rest of this post with pictures. That seems like a good idea.

Summer 2011 (I believe it was May 2011)

Swimming in Lake Ontario 

Showing Daddy how to make a sandcastle

You may have seen this picture floating around on the web as one of the cutest pictures out there. Easter 2012

 

Dexter's 2nd birthday, hours before his party. July 2012

REALLY excited about his Spongebob fishing set.

Dexter's 2nd birthday party at the park.

Birthday Boy, Momma, and Daddy

Having fun, playing ball with Cousin Aaron.

How in the *BLEEP* do I potty train my toddler??

Like my title asks... HOW IN THE *BLEEP* DO I POTTY TRAIN MY TODDLER??
I ask this question to myself quite often lately. So I thought I would blog about a few techniques that I have read in the last few weeks since we are starting MAJOR potty training. (By the way, none of these techniques have worked for me what so ever, but maybe you will have better luck.)

1. Children will potty train when they are ready. 
That is great advice, but the way it is going in my house lately, my kid won't be "ready" until he is 7. He shows all of the "readiness" signs, and will pee in the potty all day, without having an accident, but when it comes to pooping in the toilet, he just won't. It's as simple as that, he won't.

2. Some children get scared of hearing the poop "plop" into the toilet, they sometimes think its their guts falling out.
I am not even kidding one bit, that is one of the things I have read on some potty training tip page somewhere. I have explained to my son that "Everybody Poops its ok", which brings on the never ending questions..
"Does Daddy Poop?" "Yes"
"Does Nana Poop?" "Yes"
"Does Elmo Poop?" "Yes"
"Does Big Bird Poop?" "Yes"
"Does Cookie Monster Poop?" "Yes" (because I am sure if puppets that live on a fictional street, in the television can poop, they would.)

3. Let your child  pick a fun nickname out for the toilet. (Example: Potty, Pooper, Flusher.. etc...)
I thought this one would be great. Dexter is so creative, I figured he would LOVE naming the toilet, and whenever he needs to use the toilet, I would say "Lets go use the (whatever nickname he picked)".. So I ask...
"Hey Punky, if you picked a name for the toilet would it help you feel better about pooping on it." "Yeah Momma."
"Ok, so what name do you want to call the toilet, you pick it." "The Crapper."
*Silence* I just started at him, and he started at me. I was waiting for him to laugh, or smile, or do anything, but we just sat there looking at each other. Then it hit me... HE WAS SERIOUS.
"The Crapper? Really?" "Yeah, momma, because then I could crap in the crapper."
"Well, Punky, lets think of another nickname, one that isn't so... um... silly." QUE WATERWORKS *WAAAA* "NO MOMMA, I LIKE THE CRAPPER. YOU SAID I CAN NAME IT!!"
So that one backfired, and we not have a toilet named "The Crapper." (If you could see my face right now, it is not amused.)

I am now reaching out to friends, family, and even strangers.. I need some advice, how to I get my son to poop on "The Crapper"?
(ALSO, did you know there is a song on YouTube for toddlers who are potty training and the lyrics go.. "Pooping is more fun when you do it on the potty") Yeah, not kidding about that one either, look it up. Maybe I'll let Dexter listen to it in the morning.

Hello Pilgrim.

Hello Pilgrim! That is my sad attempt at a John Wayne impression, I don't do impressions.

My last post was in 2011, it is now May of 2013, A LOT has happened since my last post. I will try to make my "life update" as short and sweet as possible.
Here is goes... We no longer live in New York.
That is about it. Just kidding, a few more things have happened along the way. Like I said, we no longer live in New York, if someone told me that I would only live there for a year and a half I would have laughed and called them crazy, however, we only lived there for a year and a half, and we are back in Oklahoma, where we belong. Home is where the heart is and our hearts have ALWAYS been in Oklahoma. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have family or friends, its pointless. Granted, that isn't the reason why we moved back. Let's just say it was the best move for our family.

I only work part time at my old job (which I am loving), 2 days a week, on the midnight shift. It works out so well with our schedules because we don't have to get a sitter for Dexter, because when I am working, my husband is home (sleeping) so Dexter can stay with him, and when he is working, during the week, I am home. Most people would probably think "How can you work over nights with a toddler, when do you sleep", blah blah blah, well Dexter still takes naps, he HAS to have one every day and they are anywhere from 2 to 3 hours long. So I do get sleep. That is the least of my worries, it really doesn't bother me at all.

Moving on to Dexter, he is 2 (almost 3 if you ask him), and he is a ball of fire. He is ALL boy. He loves all things cars, dirt, bugs, you name it. He is very intelligent for his age, I will hold full conversations with him, and when people hear us talking they can't believe that he isn't even 3 yet. Some people have actually told me "My 4 year old won't hold a conversation that long." I have always talked to him, and explained what we are doing, even when he was too young to really know what was going on, and I NEVER used "baby talk". He is a little person, so why wouldn't I talk to him like a normal person.

Now for the newest addition, I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with baby # 2, a little girl. We are going to name her Emma Olivia. Dexter picked out Emma, and we loved it. Emma and Dex sound so good together too. So a little on this pregnancy. Honestly, it has sucked. I am not by any means saying that I am not excited to have my baby girl, or that I don't like being pregnant with her, its just that I have been sick from week 4 to lets say week 20, and then the sickness eased up a little, until the night before last and last night. I haven't puked this time (knock on wood) but from week 4 to 20, I was couldn't keep even water down. I had to get on medication to help me keep food down, (which I still take occasionally) I lost 13 pounds from the time I got pregnant until my 20th week doctors appointment. I have gained back 3 pounds, but I am nowhere near my pre-pregnancy weight. I talked to my doctor about that and he said Emma is growing perfectly and is healthy as can be, and he isn't worried. (She is kicking like crazy right now too, I think she knows I am writing about her.) We have an ultrasound on May 21st, but its just for fun, a friend of mine goes to school at American Institute of Medical Technology and they needed pregnant people to scan for ultrasound training so I said I would do it. Its free and I will get some more pictures of my sweet girl.

That is pretty much my last 2 years in a nutshell, a very small nutshell. Anyway, I plan on blogging as much as possible, I have forgotten how much I loved to blog and how fun it was. That being said I am going to end this blog.

Until next time.
(See you later Pilgrim... Still not good at impressions)