[not so] Wordless Wednesday-- My bug!

Bugs preschool graduation pictures are today so I decided to post my absolute favorite picture of us and her. This was taken by an over-priced professional in our house for her first birthday. In fact, I was only working part time then and we were so broke we had to make monthly payments on her pictures to purchase them. We had no idea what the cost was until after they came back. Anyway the photographer told us she wanted a picture of us kissing her and she'd adjust the color for us since we weren't prepared to be in pictures and it came out to be our favorite because of the expression on her face. I remember that moment and that day like it was yesterday. My girl is getting so big! Yay pushy-annoying-over-priced-photography-lady that we never hired again. :)

School Uniforms?

Ok, so while shopping for my daughters Cinderella brush, which I ended up ordering off of Ebay after I went to a few stores today and they don't have any. That's not the point of this post though so let me get to that.

While I found the brush at Target.com (not sold in stores), I ran into a great school uniform sale. The school that she goes to requires school uniforms in the designated colors. I decided to research this a little bit, and found that the Middle Schools and High Schools in our area do not require uniforms. What is that? Middle School and High School have the kids that actually care about what they wear, and let fashion distract them from other things. That doesn't really happen at all in Elementary School. I could see them needing to look the same on school field trips. But I really don't think in the actual school, they'd need to look the same. I do figure I will find her some items she'll enjoy in her school colors and also give these to her for her birthday... I just really think it's pointless for Kindergartners.

Then there's the fact that all of the clothes will be new and she'll be painting and playing outside with them while she is there. So, they're going to get dirty. There will have to be enough of them to get through to Laundry day so we'd definitely need 7 of everything. She has drawer space to section off her school clothes, but again this is just pointless.  It feels like a waste of money, and she'll be at this school until 5th grade? Really? Uniforms until then? Does anyone else have children who have to wear uniforms when they are in school?  There is a website called French Toast School Uniforms that has pieces a great prices.  If you spend $65, you'll get free shipping as well. I am shopping and blogging at the same time.

All this talk about clothes has reminded me of the milestone we hit today. While looking for the girls Easter dresses, we discovered the Bug is no longer getting clothes from the Toddler section. She is officially considered a "girl" now. Thankfully, we'll be there for a while before she moves to "Junior" status. But it was a sweet milestone. She seemed excited to move around the section and see what was there. She did seem to notice that the clothes were slightly different in style. The girls did pick their own dresses. My Buggie picked a dress that has a ladybug, and my BeeBee picked a dress that has bees on it.  Our outings today were rather abundant. We spent 4 or 5 hours going to different places. We picked up Bugs invites for her birthday party, and some Easter basket things for their cousins. We also had to pick up some things for the girls Easter party, and our Easter Egg hunt. We had a great lunch out at Macado's too, and the Disney Store, then we went to Target.

It's been hard to go anywhere lately so it was nice to get out for a little while with everyone. I am still carrying around about 4 different pill bottles just in case something happens or I get one of those attacks. We've ruled out several things at least. The problem they tell me with abdominal pain is that it could be anything in there. The location of the pain doesn't really matter because there's so much in there. It's a slow process. It's a lot of tests. It could be a lot of things. We've ruled out digestive disorders. We've ruled out diabetes. At this point, my husband, friends and my family are on pins and needles. They're worried, and I've gotten to the point where I have no choice but to take it a day at a time and each time an episode comes on, try to pay attention to the patterns. So far the only pattern I see is that it pretty much only starts when I get up in the morning and it's every 5-12 days. That's all I've got. I try to sleep straight through it so that I can avoid as much pain as I possibly can. We get more test results in the next day or so, then move on to more testing if we haven't solved the problem. We have even stopped making plans to go places, do anything or hang out because we don't know when it's going to happen again.

It's really an awful thing to go through, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone--- not even someone I dislike. Keep your fingers crossed for me.  Redmosqui has tomorrow off from work so I can call for my test results. Then after 4 more days of work he'll be off for a week. Then in 2 more months, he'll be off for the entire summer which makes all this tag team on and off worth it. He gets so much time off during the year that it doesn't really cut into family time too much. I was also able to get a week off for his birthday in June, and a week off to see bug into her new kindergarten role in August.  I am hoping this health thing will all be figured out well before then so we can still go on a family vacation.  Anyway, I am on some pretty good meds, and am done rambling for right now. Will update again when I get my test results. Hoping they are ready tomorrow!

Milestones

One of the most intriguing things to me are miles stones list. I had the pleasure of speaking to someone who develops the milestones lists for children ages 0 on up. I asked them if these lists were things that are made to make some parents worry. This isn't about my children. Mine have always hit 2 age brackets up. We don't even have to waste our time filling out the forms and checking "yes" next to the million lines of "Can your child." We're long passed that with both of our bugs. But what I want to know, is what is why our society depends on these things. I used them to my advantage. When bug was 16-18 months old, I started teaching her the alphabet with her Leap and Lilly toys and various old (80's old) videos from School House Rock and Sesame Street. Then we would video tape her saying the alphabet and let her watch it. (I see why she stares in mirrors/her refection now.) So the milestones list only gave me a syllabus so to speak. We had "School," in the mornings. Where we'd sit and work on colors, shapes, patterns, letters, numbers, etc.

So what I really wanted to know from this person was how important are these milestones for parents and for children. I can't imagine looking at the lists and not being able to check mark everything off it So, here what I was told:

Milestones list are generally guides lines for doctors to follow to make sure the children don't have special conditions. Apparently this is why the list is so long for each age bracket. I was also told they look for the child to be near or close to them to catch problems early. But there have to be flaws in the list. It's a proven fact that boys develop speech and language slower than girls, but they walk at a younger age too. So shouldn't these lists include gender? One of my friend had to go through a couple of these scares with her son, but as it turned out it was just how he is at the time. Hitting these things in their own way. Wouldn't it seem, for the medical community anyway--- that it would be better if these lists didn't exsist?


Aside from the fact, the person I spoke with stated the Baby Center has the best, most accurate break down. I didn't even spend a minute or so on either bugs age. So, I supposed that's good for us.

Look!!! I finally posted again on Daddy Detective.. after almost a year! haha
http://redmosqui.blogspot.com

Ok, it's 4 am and I still have a trip to get the dog groomed, Sam's club and a few other stores. Hopefully AFTER the girls get some time making "cookies" with grandpa. Any "Milestone" comments are welcome. I don't publish anonymous comments. But I will approve the comments rather quickly. Anon will just be deleted most likely before read unless there it's something nice. ;)

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

I had to work a 10 hour shift on Mother's Day, but I got cards from my family, dinner out the night before and a "Chicken Soup for the Working Mother's Soul" book. It'll be interesting. I swapped it out for the current book that I have at work that I'm dying to finish. It's the first part of the Black Magicians trilogy. I didn't think I'd like it at first but now I'm hook and want to know what's going to happen.

I got my mom a nice little tote bag that has different bags in it. In each bag I put a few things I think she will need on a trip she's taking. She'll be leaving June 3rd and coming back September 14th. I'm going to miss her. I won't be able to talk to her a million times a day while she is back in her home country of Lebanon. And she's also going back to where we used to live-- Greece. I'm nervous. It seems like every summer there is political unrest in Lebanon. It usually ends by summer. I know I shouldn't worry, it's more that I can't talk to her 5 times a day for months. Bee started calling her Grams while she was here. It was cute. When mom comes back from her trip, my kids are going to be totally different! We've never been apart this long even though she lives almost 3 hours away.

Anyway... I'm getting teary-eyed! New subject.


My Bee is talking so well now. And she's the most affection kid in the world. I can barely stand it. All she wants to do most of the day is hug and kiss on someone. (She better cut that out when she's older!) When she gives hugs she says "awwwwwwwwwww Sweet!" It's adorable. I miss her so much when I go to work. She's so adorable. I'm starting to work on her numbers and letters. She's talking a lot more and even starting sentences like:

What's up.
What's that.
See this.
Whats these
All done
Get down.
Got book.
Got blue shoes.
Got balloon.
Go, go car.

Stuff like that. Definitely hitting some milestones early, and some later, but she's my baby girl.

My big girl is starting to learn how to spell and read. It's adorable and I miss her bedtime stores at night. I wish everyone could stay up until 11:30 or whenever I manage to walk in the door from work. She's excited. The only thing I'm working on with her developmentally is trying to get her to use the bathroom without her taking off ALL of her clothes. That's getting annoying... having to get her dress multiple times a day, but I'm sure she'll get it later. We keep telling her she won't be able to go to school unless she does these things and that eventually rattles her to the point where she'll learn... just for the sake of going to school.


I guess I have a lot to upgrade. I did finally join the second gym! So far I like it. It's rough on the foot but I'm hoping that will change soon. I really need to lose weight. All this extra weight is driving me and my health crazy. I'm going 3 days a week. Bee hasn't really taken to the child care center in there. But the woman watching them says if she leaves her alone for a few minutes, she's fine. Lanie wants to go every day. If I let her, she would pack my gym bag and drive me there. She gets excited for Monday, Wednesday and Friday.... she knows them as "Gym Days," it's really too funny. It's been work, I'm definitely out of shape. There is an eldery woman that goes and she's in better shape than I am. I wanted to do an aerobics class while I was here but I decided to just watch instead and boy am I glad I watched only. That has to be the toughest aerobics class EVER. Yet, this elderly woman did it without any problems! Argh!! I've got A LOT of self-improvement to do.


By the way, thank you for all of the book suggestions. I'm going to take a look into all of them. Since I really only have 2 more books coming out this year, and 2 in the Magicians Guild set are already out. So that leaves me with 4 books, after I finish the 3 I already have. I hope my kids like reading this much. Bee likes to open books and ask "What's that, what's this" to everything she sees. Bug has been a book worm forever. Maybe one day, we'll have a "family reading time!" Ok.... no more dreams into the future.


To all moms: I hope you had a great Mother's day even though I'm a little late on posting. I needed to spend time with my mommy. I don't know, I may be a little biased but I think she's the best mom in the world! ;o)

Bee is 1 today...

It's hard to believe that at this very moment last year, I was in the delivery room and about 20 minutes from this point in time, The Bee was placed into my arms, into our lives, and deeper into our hearts. Years go by so quickly. If we don't pay attention, we'll miss them. My little infant, so helpless... so needy is now considered a toddler. She feeds herself, plays by herself... but thankfully, she still needs us a little bit. Her hugs are amazing, her kisses even more so. The fact that you can ask her for a kiss and she'll give you one amazes me. Just be prepared for a really wet one. She understands things you say.... maybe not as much as she or I would like, but you can tell she's smart. She is rather negative. Her favorite word is "No!," exactly the way I say it. That's my girl. She came into the world quiet, she didn't cry at all until we forced her to cry. And now she's all words. She repeats a lot, but knows and uses a lot of her own as well.

Happy Birthday to my sweet bee! Here are her 1 year pictures and her birthday pictures. Don't mind the cake... I made it, not too impressive, but still hard work. The first set are her professional pictures at a studio. The next set were taken by her Aunt S.. Thank you Aunt S!

Crazy crazy crazy...

I happily got fired from my job, although, I didn't deserve to be fired. Stupid politics! But I'm glad I got fired. I think the job was wearing me thin. And if I'm going to have a part time job, I want something easier than manual labor. I did get another job though. I've thought about blogging a lot but haven't found the time nor the energy to do it. Then when I did, I completely forgot what I wanted to say.

The girls are good. Life around me is good. I finally know my Bee, inside and out. She's only been here for 5 months and just like Bug, she's easy to please. That's what my post today is about. My Bee.

She's curious, more curious than he sister.
She pays attention to detail.
If it's interesting enough to her, she would glad give up her food to figure it out.
She likes to hold hands.
She likes kisses on her lips but will tolerate them elsewhere.
She's got a grip like a eagle hold it's prey.
Changing her diaper is just one big game of trying to get her to let go of whatever you need-- the diaper, finger, etc. By time to get one finger free, she's already got something else. Two hands just aren't enough with this one!
She likes to be by herself a lot but when she's had enough... she's had enough.
I know each look she gives... her food, tired, playful looks.
I even know the look she gives when only her sister can make her happy.
It's weird, they seem to have a connection that I don't understand. But it's cute too!

I can't believe next month, she'll be 6 months! Where, oh where does the time go! Life just seems so much more amazing now that she's in it. I can't imagine out life without her... And it's obvious that her sister can't either. She focuses her day around what her lil sis is doing. She knows when it's time for her bottle. And she constantly (literally) checks to see if she needs a diaper change. She asks me nicely not to put her down for a nap. She includes pleases and thank you... and is the first one to say "bless you" when her lil sis sneezes-- or coughs for that matter.


Who knew something so simple could lighten your heart in an instant.

I didn't drop off the face of the earth!

Between funerals,weddings, planning birthdays (Congrats T and S, it was gorgeous!) and raising kids there just hasn't been enough blog time lately but I had some today for an update.

Bee is sleeping all night at not even three months! She holds her head up, laughs, smiles, coo's, rolls from tummy to back and back to tummy. We frequently find her on the other side of her crib now. Her doctor is amazed because this is stuff a four month old does. My only gripe is that while I enjoy breastfeeding, I'd like to stop and she's not having it. She'll take a bottle of breastmilk with no problem, but not a bottle of formula. She'll take them mixed together with some fuss, but eventually gives in. I'd like to start working but don't feel comfortable doing so unless she's taking a bottle since I won't be home at her bedtime.

Bug isn't two quite yet.. but it's coming up here soon! She's having a curious george themed party. She's forming six-word sentences, double what a normal two year old would do. She knows hundreds of words, too many to even write them all down. She's potty trained, dresses herself and tells us what she wants. Now, if she didn't have a meltdown when she doesn't get what she wants, she'd be the perfect child. She even knows her bedtime routine enough to tuck herself in at night! She loves her little sister. She helps with diaper changes, picking her outfit and dressing her. She helps with tummy time, and recently started wanting to read her books.

And..there goes the rest of my blogging since one kid woke up from a nap! Hope all is well with everyone. I hope to catch up some more soon!