Can it be...3?

How can it be so?........My little man has turned 3!

"Yesterday" it seemed like he was scooting around on the floor babbling things that I couldn't understand.
And now, I can barely keep up with him as he runs all over the place telling me stories about things that I can't believe he's old enough to understand.

"Yesterday" he barely even knew what to do with a candle on his birthday cake.
And now, he blows it out (maybe with just a little extra spit due to enthusiasm!) and follows it up with "I made a wish!" & one of the biggest smiles you could imagine!

"Yesterday" he used tantrums to try to get what he wanted.
And now, even thought those terrible tantrums still exsist-somewhere in the last few weeks "manners" have finally started appearing more consistently-I love his 'please's' 'no thank you's' & 'OH thank you's' that are given really without much prodding from me at all anymore.

"Yesterday" he hardly knew what to do with the phone.
And now, he loves to hold a full conversation with anyone willing to talk with him on it.

"Yesterday" he was my little guy.
And now, he's still my 'little guy' but how & when did he decide to get so tall!

"Yesterday" he brought a joy I had never known before into my life.
And now, well I'm glad to say, that this is one thing that has not changed!
(Even if he does still like to supply me with plenty of "hair pulling" moments on occasion! ;)

Happy Birthday to my "little man"~Luke!
I just can't believe you're 3 :)

#6 Cards, anyone?

For as long as I can remember, I have always been around card playing. Whether it be playing UNO with my sisters as a young child or watching my mom & dad playing pinochle/solo/etc with family and friends at home or out & about or learning how to play some of those various card games as a kid and now playing them as an adult, cards have always been around (along with various board games too.)

The games I have played have taken many forms over the years & in some ways have come full circle...

"Slam" My sisters & I made this game up as kids (I just made this name up, since I don't think there was ever an official name for it :) Basically, it consisted of us throwing down playing cards & the winner was the first one to slam their hand onto the pile-it was our attempt at "playing cards" like the we saw the grown-ups doing ;)

"Old Maid" & "UNO" The first card games I learned to play also with my sisters (& probably mom to help us get started :) 'UNO' is one of those "full circle" games because it is now one I play yet again because it is a favorite with my nieces!

"Up and Down the River" This one came along in grade school & is one of the easiest games to learn & the first "official" card game I was taught by my Grandma & Grandpa. We girls were always wanting to play cards like the adults so they taught us this game so we could play 'like the adults'

Junior High brought along "Bullshit!" which was great because you had to cuss when playing it ;)

"Pinochle" I think this one came along in late junior high (at least that's when I remember finally really "getting it") This one became mandatory if one ever wanted/wants to participate in the marathon playing sessions that go on when my mom's side of the family get together. It's also pretty popular with my dad's side too so it's definitely a good one to know :)

"Euchre" came along in college when some of my friends taught it to me after they had been playing it a whole bunch at their college. It was handy to know once I started dating Scott, since it was his & his circle of friends' game of choice!

Drinking Games It was college & cards were usually always involved-enough said!

"Phase 10" came around after I was married & is definitely one of my favorites even though it can take several hours to play at times.

"Gin" is a game I haven't played much of lately & I have only ever played it with my brother-in-law, Brad, but we both agree that there is definitely some weird tie as to who wins & it is all dependant upon whether or not my sis-in-law, Mary, is present at the time...

"Solo" is yet to be learned, but my dad does try to break out the lessons every once in awhile for my sisters & me-maybe one of these days it'll be figured out, but then I'm never sure who I'd ever play it with :)

There are probably lots more that I haven't mentioned, but these are probably the ones that have the most memories associated with them, thus, they pop into my brain quickest.

Cards have been a big part of whom I have been over these past 30 years & I have a feeling that isn't going to change much over the next 30 years as I intend to keep right on playing whenever I'm given the opportunity.

Card game, anyone?

Tip for Cutting a Melon

My in-laws were generous enough to drop of a cantaloupe for Luke the other night, since they know he enjoys the stuff.

His mother on the other hand is not so much a fan of it :)

I decided to cut it up tonight so that Luke could enjoy some with his supper. He stood up at the counter on a chair to watch the job being done.

As I started to cut into it, I hear...

"Oowwwchie, that hurts!" [please use your best high pitched voice in a low tone, almost a whisper when reenacting this]

I looked over to make sure that he hadn't somehow gotten in the way without me knowing, but he was a fairly good distance away. All was good, so I started to cut again, when he made the same sound again...it was then I realized...

He was pretending to say what the cantaloupe would have been saying as I cut it if it could have...

Nice imagination, funny boy, but it's definitely not that helpful when actually trying to cut up the melon. Oh, the plant killing guilt...

Is there a PETA for plants, if so I think I might know a good spokesperson?! ;)

One Month until...

the big 3-0!

Oh my!

I'm not sure I'm ready to be old... ;)

(Just kidding for all of you 30+r's out there!)
Unless you're my husband of course! hehe ;)

I should be posting something worthwhile...

but instead, I'm hoping that after an hour of ushering my little guy back to bed (he waits about 5 minutes & then pops back out again), I'm hoping that maybe he is finally down for the night-fingers crossed!

I'm also hoping for Scott's schedule to simmer down just a bit here real soon too! Still waiting for him to get home at this point (I think he is at least on his way!)

My best opportunity only seems to be when he is home early enough to at least do the "ushering" with Luke at bedtime...maybe tomorrow night!

Until then, thanks for your patience :) & I'll try to remain sane as my husband is now walking into the house just as I'm pretty sure that Luke is finally asleep ;)

Back to School...

Grateful: To have a job, especially after being a "casualty" of the budget cuts here in IL at the end of last school year

Dread: Of the uncertain "environment" we'll all be in because of those same cuts-teachers switching grade levels-some with only a week's notice, 'new' teachers to the building, teachers having switched classrooms over the summer-there are many changes to wrap one's head around

Excitement: To see all of the students & my returning coworkers

Anxiety: Because I finally found my groove for "staying home" with Luke right about mid-late July & now it's going to be over (at least until next summer anyway)

Glad: That Scott & I started working out our 'morning routine' for getting everyone out of the house again at the end of last week, hopefully, that will lead to a smoother transition tomorrow & next week

Hopeful: That despite all of these mixed feelings, this school year will get off to a great start & be one of the best yet!

#5 Guilt...

The thing that never leaves, although it has taken several forms throughout my lifetime.

1. Good old Fashioned Guilt...umm, hello, I was raised/still am Catholic, so I tend to feel guilty about everything in general-whether I need to or not.

2. Guilt Trips...I am very good at attempting to give them...I am also slightly more susceptible to them (ahem, see #1 above!) However, I also tend to recognize when one is being given and find it very annoying so many times I just give one back...it's a vicious cycle :)

3. Mommy Guilt...I try very hard to NOT suffer from this too much, but it is still very good at creeping in (maybe because of #1 & #2.) I try to make the time I spend with him matter, so that when I do choose to do something for myself/go to work...I can feel confident that I don't need to feel guilt about it...I do fairly well, but as with everything, it's definitely a work in progress!

4. Infertility/Adoptive Mommy Guilt...this is in addition to #3. All mommies feel guilty about something, but add infertility into the mix where I had that dream withheld from me for a long time-one feels like she must do a good job to show that she deserved what others may have received without much of an effort (at least from my own viewpoint anyway.) Top that off with choosing to adopt and being blessed with the dream finally coming true because someone chose you to do it and others had to approve that you would make a fantastic parent, it can maifest itself as guilt very quickly when I don't live up to the standards (which are probably too high) that I have set for myself (or sometimes feel have been set for me.) It can be very nasty companion at times!

Guilt, old 'friend', I'm going to keep working against you, but I do figure that you probably plan on sticking around for as long as I do ;)