Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son
Almost every day, I walk 4-5 miles. Most of the time, weather permitting, it’s outside and Lucas is with me, but I have been known to get on the treadmill at 11:00 at night.
My favorite walks are the ones outside. I love our funky neighborhood, being so close to the beach and the fresh air and change of scenery seems to soothe us both.
Here are some random pictures of things in our neighbor that make our walks interesting, fun and worth every step.
It’s summertime? You could have had me fooled. It’s already the END of July and I feel like I’m missing it completely.
We haven’t been outside nearly as much as I thought we would this season and haven’t done any of the other things I had planned in mind.
So far there has only been one trip to the beach and just a handful of visits to the park. The BBQs have been minimal and trips to the pool have only been for swim lessons. There haven’t been any baseball games, sundresses, Popsicles, rides on beach cruisers, strolls on the beach, boat rides, sunburns (which I’m actually grateful for) or lemonade.
The weather had a lot to to with it. It’s been unseasonably overcast, rainy and even chilly this summer in San Diego and while I’d rather be cold than hot any day, it’s just not summer without the sun…
…or a Dave Matthews Band concert!! 25 days until we are sitting at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre listening to my favorite band on the planet. I really do hope that it starts feeling like summer for me before August 20. I really need to get my act together or I’m going to regret it!
The best is yet to be.
We went to the San Diego Zoo this week with our friends Colleen and Jackson.
Elephant Odyssey is one of the zoo’s newest attractions.
Both boys enjoyed getting down and dirty with the goats in the petting zoo.
Jackson really enjoyed watching the monkeys. Unfortunately, Lucas slept through this part of our visit.
Lucas made a hand print animal to document our fun day…
…a giraffe.
By the way, we did see lions and tigers and bears.
The best is yet to be.
I missed last week’s Friday Flip Offs, so bear with me friends, I have a lot of pent up flips to share:
#1 People that have no concept of personal space need to back the hell up and FLIP WAY OFF.
Whether, it’s in line at the grocery store or sitting next to me in a doctor’s office waiting room, my space is mine, not yours and I don’t want to feel you sneeze or smell your breath. I don’t like to be crowded in or touched by anyone that I’m not related to or have known longer than an hour. You give me the heeby-jeebies!
#2 When walking to my car with stroller in tow, I’m going to need several minutes to put my tot in the car, fold and stow the stroller and get myself situated, so for all of you that like to creep behind me in your cars because you think my parking space is 50 feet closer to the entrance, FLIP OFF!!! Park somewhere else and do the extra walking, you probably need it!
#3 My hair deserves a BIG F-you! I am so tired of blowing it straight and flat ironing the hell out of it because it is a wavy mess. We have always had a love/hate relationship and I’m over it! I’m asking for a Brazilian blowout for the next gift giving holiday.
#4 And last, but not least, I have a special FLIP OFF for the navigation system in my car. It usually gets me where I need to go, but I hate the fact that I can’t enter an address or make a change to anything previously entered unless the car is in Park. This is a colossal pain-in-the-ass and extremely annoying. Every other car I have had or been in, lets you be the judge of potentially dangerous button pushing while driving. I really need to look into tripping the system.
A HUGE big thank you to Gigi of Kludgy Mom for developing this much needed weekly virtual detox!
Happy Friday, everyone.
The best is yet to be.
I found out yesterday that an old friend I graduated from high school with, William ‘Brent’ Herrmann died unexpectedly this past Sunday, July 18.
I am in complete shock. He was only 37 years old.
There were only 31 people in our graduating class, so there was a time when I knew Brent very well. He had a brilliant smile, great hair and an awesome Texas drawl. Brent was easy to talk to and I remember spending a lot of time discussing our perfect mates.
Sadly, over the years, we lost touch, but I have often wondered about Brent and where in the world he ended up. I made several attempts to locate him on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. to no avail. I hope he was happy with his life and found love.
Before my parents died, I hadn’t had much experience with death. I was too young to understand my feelings or the concept of loss when my grandparents died, but now, whenever I hear of a loss, be it my own or someone else’s, it effects me differently. It’s much sadder and cuts deeper and always brings me back to my own losses. Until you have had to say goodbye to someone you love, I don’t think you can ever truly understand loss.
Today, I feel like being back in high school when there were very few responsibilities and everyone was hopeful and alive.
My heart goes out to Brent’s family. Brent will be missed.
Here’s to you #66!
The best is yet to be.
************************************************
WILLIAM BRENT HERRMANN, born April 23, 1973, went to be with our Lord on Sunday, July 18, 2010. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Lota and Elmo Canion, and paternal grandparent, William Joseph Herrmann. Survivors include his parents, William J. and Ann C. Herrmann; sisters, Amy Elaine Partida and husband Steven; Allison Herrmann Torres and husband Francisco; nieces Emily Ann Torres, and Isabel Partida; nephew Frank William Jim Walker and many cousins and friends.
Brent was born and grew up in Houston, Texas, and graduated from The Orme School in Mayer, Arizona. He attended Texas Tech University and The University of Houston. He was currently a Information Systems Manager for Twin Liquors in Austin, Texas. His young life was cut short unexpectedly and he will be greatly missed by his loving family. His sense of humor, love for friends, passion for technology, love of fishing, and love of his family were very important in his life.
A celebration of his life will be held at Woodlawn Funeral Home Chapel on Friday, July 23, 2010, at 10:00 a.m., with internment in Woodlawn Garden of Memories immediately following.
Last night I checked on Lucas, as I do every night before turning in myself around 9:30 and as soon as I walked into his bedroom, I smelled something awful. I had forgotten to empty the diaper pail and his laundry basket was overflowing. He was fast asleep (and breathing), so I thought if it wasn’t his behind, I’d just crack open a window and call it a night.
I found his lovey at the far end of the crib and as I grabbed it and was tucking it under his arm, I discovered it was soaking wet. I then turned on the overhead light and found one whole end of the crib was soaking wet as well and there were little white chunks all over him and his bed. Poor baby had thrown up and was now sleeping in it.
Eeewwwww! I’d much rather clean up poop; at least it’s usually confined to one area.
He hadn’t made a peep for 3 1/2 hours. He could have choked! Thank goodness I went in there. But what was I suppose to do now? I couldn’t let him sleep in soiled sheets and jammies. I had to wake him up and change everything out.
Surprisingly, he was in a very good mood considering he was just woken from a sound sleep but quickly became completely confused and very agitated. He started following me all over the house sobbing as I struggled to remove the bumper pad, dust ruffle, mattress pad, sheets and blankets from his bed, find new sheets, start laundry, pull out a fresh pair of pjs, wipe him off, change him, etc.
At one point, he made his way into our room where he quickly found the huge glass of water on my bedside table and proceeded to dump it all over himself. And so ensues another round of clean up and new jammies.
Oh, I haven’t even mention the best part yet…this happens on a night my husband is out to dinner with a colleague.
In LA.
Two hours away.
Lucky me.
He got home just in time to help me try to get Lucas back to sleep, which didn’t happen until after midnight.
Needless to say, I’m more than a little grouchy this morning because even though he was up for 2 1/2 hours in the middle of the night, Lucas still woke up at the butt crack of dawn this morning. What is up with that?!
We both need a break from one another. Thank goodness I have a babysitter coming in T-minus two hours.
The best is yet to be.
You know you’re a mom when…
If you could get paid to watch your child move through the world, learning and experiencing things for the first time, you’d be a gazillionaire. They are such fascinating creatures, aren’t they? Thank you, Arizona Mama at Our Daze in the Desert for developing this terrific meme. Hope you are keeping cool this summer.
The best is yet to be.
I definitely have a son!
Lucas has become a very active, very loud, outgoing, fearless, rambunctious little boy.
It feels like he is on the move from sun up until sun down. Actually, it doesn’t feel that way all at, it is that way. There have been many days recently that he has been on a nap protest making for a 13 hour day. IF he does take a nap, it’s from 10:00 – 11:30, which still makes for a very VERY l o n g afternoon. Where he gets his energy, I have no clue!
No matter how you slice it, he doesn’t want to miss a thing and is really into screaming, or rather screeching, throwing, pushing, brushing off and sometimes having a full blown temper tantrum until he gets his way or moves on to something else.
Um, can you say: challenging, exhausting and often confusing?
I thought that the terrible twos (or threes) were a little ways off. Could my little monster be getting a head start? And what’s with the no naps? Please tell me that this phase will soon pass! I rely on these naps and know he needs them too.
Any useful tips, tricks or insight into the toddler male (or adult male, for that matter) mind would be much appreciated. 🙂
The best is yet to be?
This post was written for the word game, Word Up, Yo! hosted by Natalie (Mommy of a Monster), Kristin (Taming Insanity) and Liz (a belle, a bean and a chicago dog).
If you like words too, play along!A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. – Irish proverb
I haven’t posted in a few days. I have a lot to say, a lot is floating around this brain of mine, but the only thing on my mind is the fact that I’m not pregnant anymore. I couldn’t even get my Friday Flip Offs together, and I live for that!!
Last week went from bad to worse. I will spare you all the details, but it ended last night with a visit to the ER.
I’m on the mend, but sad.
I know it is completely normal for me to feel this way and I know it will pass, but my mind is a litany of negative thoughts and I can’t seem to shake them.
I’m trying to carry on as usual, but it’s easier said than done.
I’m trying to carry on as usual, because I have a 13 month old and he needs me as much as I need him.
Unfortunately, Lucas’ dad had to be out of town for a few days last week, so my sister was here and helped out immensely. She knows me well and is great with Lucas. I don’t know what we would have done without her.
Like most people, when trying to feel better emotionally, I turn to retail therapy, drowning my sorrows in Cabernet, pouring my heart out in my journal or blog, or watching too much bad TV, but sleep has always been my favorite way to escape.
None of it really helps, but crawling under the covers and disappearing for a while is a good place to start.
My son’s smile is another brilliant light at the end of this dark tunnel and lastly, there’s time…. time to heal, time to mourn and eventually time to try again.
Thank you for all of the support, good thoughts and virtual hugs last week and for commenting on my post Miscarried. As usual, I put myself out there in a very real and honest way and the feedback was sincere and heartfelt.
The best is yet to be.
Lucas’ 13th month came and went and I didn’t record (or share) any of his milestones. The biggest and most exciting of which, he started WALKING!!!
Not that I was worried or anything, but he is one of the last in our Mommy & Me group to get up and go.
He has been flirting with it for a couple of months, taking a step here and there, but finally last week, it all clicked for him and he took off. He still seems to prefer crawling because he’s a pro at it, but he can walk all over the house and it is darling to watch. I’ll try to figure out how to post a video.
The other big accomplishment of note is how vast this little boy’s vocabulary is getting and how much he understands. Here is a list of all of the words he either says, retains and/or recognizes:
Mama 🙂
Dada
Bottle
Bubbles
Balloon
Up
Uh-Oh (although he says Uh-Eh)
This
That
Yes
Pat
Diaper
Toes
Head
Belly
Bath
Dog
Banana
Book
Brush – as in his teeth and hair
I have mentioned Lucas’ little tiny stuffed monkey before and how he can pick it out of a group of several other toys (A Onederful First Year), well now he can make the monkey walk and talk and uses a high pitched little voice that simply melts my heart.
Talk about melting my heart, Lucas can now also blow kisses.
I don’t know what I would do without this adorable, smart, funny little person in my life. He brings me so much joy and fills me with a love I have never known.
The best is yet to be.
