New Site

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Daddy Is Tired

Yeah, I switched to my own hosting so I could play with a new toy (wordpress). See you there!

Provoked weirdness

I'm very proud of myself. Yesterday I "accidentally" provoked Matthew into saying two of the weirdest things I've heard him ever say, and they were both naturally worked into conversaion. First, while he was on the toilet, he said "It's time to pee, poop, or eat."

The second thing, which I'm much prouder of, was when he was playing downstairs and he said, "But I really want you to hold my balls!"

Yeah, I'm 12.

The Crackdown

I've had it. There's going to be no more horsing around at the table during meals...I've given enough warnings, and that's IT. I'll give one or two warnings, and then boom - you're done eating. I figure the first couple of times may suck, but we toughed out Ferber, so we can tough this out too.

6 months, and it still hurts

Wow, it's been just over six months. Half a year, and I still miss Mena and Gideon like it was yesterday. I have a picture of Gideon on my desk that was taken on his last full day with us, and when I look at it I can still hear, feel and smell him - it's like he's right next to me. He and I were a matched pair, and we understood each other perfectly, and looking at that picture makes me both happy and sad at the same time.

Matthew (2-1/2 years old) was looking at the picture yesterday and asked if Gideon was sick. I confirmed that he remembered Gideon had died, and Matthew told me he meant in the picture.

Yes, Gideon was very sick in that picture.

"He was sick?"
Yes, very.

"His eye hurt?"
Yes, that eye (Gideon's left).

"He needed to see the doctor?"
Yes, but the doctor said he was too sick.

"Did he get shots?"
Yes, but they didn't help.

"I don't like shots. Why didn't he say grrr?"
He did, sweetheart, but sometimes it just doesn't help.

I can't believe I miss Gideon (and Mena) so much, and that's why hearing something like this (also search for #maddie on Twitter) makes me grieve for her family. I can't even imagine how hard it must be for them, and I hope somehow they're able to make peace with everything.

Twitter Insecurities

So lately, with the whole shredheads thing, I've started to Twitter. Yeah, I'm way late to the game. But it's pretty addictive, and it makes me feel like I have more of a life than I really do. I mean, where else can I go to feel like I have lots of friends when, in reality, they don't have a clue who I am or if I'm there? *laugh*

One thing I've noticed, though...I feel slighted when I follow someone and they don't follow me back! Of course I know that some of the more popular people I follow have hundreds or thousands of followers, and that following every one of them would be impractical at best. Plus, they really have no idea who I am, and let's be honest - my tweets aren't exactly bursting with excitement!

But it still makes me feel like I'm back in high school, always on the edge of the popular crowd - listening in, feeling like I'm part of the group, but then not told where the party is that weekend. *sigh* Insecurity sucks!

Eating Out

So we went to Chevy's on Saturday. Normally we don't go there because Ellie can't stand the fact that there's an old rusty pedal car up in the rafters. Yeah, it seems random to me too. Both that they have one, and that Ellie freaks out about it. But the other day when we suggested eating out, she wanted to go there. Partway through dinner she informed us that, "Chevy's has the BEST burritos, which is a good thing because I don't want to have to look at that yucky car!"

OK, then.

Toast

When I think of weekend breakfasts, I think of cooking up a nice big family meal, bringing it out, and serving it up to everyone. We all have a fun time and get going with our day.

Unfortunately, that's not the way it goes. Despite my best offers, the kids only seem to want cold cereal. At our house it consists of about 70% cheerios, 15% raisin bran, and 15% froot loops. It doesn't matter what Sharon and I are having, they want cold cereal (with an occasional request for oatmeal thrown in to confuse me).

This weekend began no differently. I made 2 bowls of cereal and 2 plates of eggs, sausage (vegetarian), and toast. We started eating, and both kids began begging for eggs. But not the kind we had - they wanted yellow eggs (we had spinach in ours). Okay, Sharon cooked some. While she did that, Matthew was begging for toast. Fine, it's only fair to serve them the "real" breakfast, right?

Matthew got his and promptly singsonged, "I don't want toast!"

Sharon pointed out, "You don't have to eat it...but you asked for it."

Then, putting something together in his head, he asked, "Am I sick?"

Ahh, the brain of a 2 year old.