Chivalry is Not Gone

I go walking about 5 days a week with a good friend of mine. We love to walk outdoors and try to find parks that allow us to walk around them and get some good mileage and also good play equipment for the kids to play on afterwords. When the weather does not cooperate, we go to the mall and walk there. I had taken a week off from walking because of shinsplints and wanted to give them the proper amount of rest they needed to heal. So, today we walked indoors. While the kids were playing I received a call from my mother-in-law saying that she and my sister-in-law and nephew were driving by Lake Saint Louis (very close to us) and wanted to know if we wanted to meet them for lunch. Sure! We don't get to hang out that often and Haydn is awfully shy around them, so we'll make the effort especially since they were here. On our way to meet them, Haydn fell asleep. The poor kid. I ordered my lunch and was waiting for it before I went and sat down. While I was filling up my drink and holding on to a sleeping child, a man walked up to fill his drink and asked if I needed any help. I thought I could do it, but when I went to pick up the tray I almost dropped it. So he carried it to the table where my family was already sitting. Chivalry is not gone! I am surprised every now and again by how kind people really are and was amazed that a stranger was willing to help me when my hands were already full.

Thank you kind sir!

Always be Suspicious when they're Quiet

The other day I was doing a little reading and enjoying the peace and quiet of the day. Haydn was happy and was playing with his bikes and trucks. He likes to drive them all over the house and pick up toys and put them in whatever toy he's playing with. He drives them around to different destinations. More often than not, Haydn finds one of his zillion balls and takes it to a basketball hoop his Grandma Nene got him. He had been 'gone' for a long time and the house was quiet...too quiet! So I went around the house looking for him. He wasn't in his normal places. I started to see if he was hiding or something like that (we sometimes play hide-n-seek when Adam gets home from work). I couldn't find him! I noticed that the bathroom door was closed (Haydn LOVES to close doors, it makes him feel like a big kid. If I'm on the computer, he'll close the door to the computer room and wave as he walks backwards out the room.) I open the door and sure enough...there is Haydn, in a pile of toilet paper! He was standing so innocently in the corner. I wish I had thought to grab the camera before I went in.

A few days later, I was doing something on the computer and Haydn laid on the floor behind me. He was singing and I didn't think anything of it. Then it got quiet...again. I don't really know how long he was quiet, but long enough to express his artistic side...again. This time he colored on his legs! Earlier that morning I was making breakfast and he started coloring on our refrigerator right in front of me! I made a sad pouty face and he tried to wipe it off. I hope he won't do that again, but who knows about the skin.

Haydn has discovered his artistic side. He makes sculptures out of...

toilet paper.

Proud sculptor here.

Haydn was very proud of his masterpiece. (I think he looks a little like Jeremy here.)

Haydn's next medium was...

Flesh.

Every mother needs to have pictures of their child's 'flesh art'. I'm pretty sure my mom has a picture like this of everyone in my family.

Again...the happy artist.

The day Haydn discovered that pens write on flesh was the same day that he discovered you can see orange crayon on a black refrigerator. I talked to my mother-in-law that night and she told me to tell Haydn to put his artwork on paper so Grandma Nene could see it. She's very good at giving ideas like that to help stop potential disasters. I hope it works! Those faces he made make me a little nervous for what's to come next.

Fund raising

I am not a fan of fund raising. I actually look forward to the kids in the neighborhood going back to school so that the evenings are quiet and I don't have to fret that they will wake Haydn. I know...I sound much older than my actual years. I digress...when the kids go back to school, EVERY SCHOOL in the area starts fund raising. I think they don't stagger it because the fund raising in the middle of the year will be pointless and everyone will have already emptied their pocketbooks on the kids who were fortunate enough to do their fund raising at the beginning of the school year. So, we get every kid in the neighborhood stopping by our house asking us to buy something. Sometimes it might actually be worthwhile, but more often than not I do not want to spend the extra dollars on some fancy wrapping paper, over priced food or even magazines "at an all time low price that can't be beat". What stinks even more is that I know that I'll have to help Haydn out with his fund raising when he gets to school age. So word to the wise...CLOSE YOUR GARAGE DOORS! If the garage door is open, they know you're home.

Mimicking Habits, Appendicitis, Meals on Wheels

Haydn is really good at mimicking us lately. Of course he has done this his whole life, but he does it more so and more exactly like us as of late. When we leave the house, I usually take a water bottle with me. I am very particular in the flavor of water (yes, water has a flavor!) Last night I wanted to show Adam a neighborhood and it required us to get into the car. So we were getting our shoes on and Haydn grabbed his water bottle and was ready to go. "Just like your mother" Adam said. At least it's a good habit right? Now, to get him to go potty on the toilet.

Thursday morning we received a call from my brother. Let me restate that...in the middle of the night on the Thursday date side, we received a call from my brother. He was in a lot of pain and was asking me to come pick him up and take him to the hospital. I'm not kidding, the phone rings supersonic loud in the middle of the night and you get an adrenaline so everything seems soap opera-ish dramatic. I tried to keep my cool with my brother and let him know that I'm always here for him. On my way to pick him up, I lose my cool and panic call my parents. If my brother is in enough pain to warrant a call in the middle of the night, my parents probably need to know as well. After going to the ER and being released, we went home and tried to get some rest. Not too much longer later, Jared comes over and rings my door bell. I thought this was a little weird because I KNEW how much pain he was in. I couldn't believe he drove to my house! Anyhow, his doctor called him and told him that he really wanted to see him that day and was concerned about him. To make a long story short, his doc call him in because he thought that Jared's pain was more associated with his appendix than anything else. So, he requested a room at a hospital and called a surgeon to talk to him and see what he thought. He ended up having his appendix taken out and all is well now.

Since Jared is down for the count, I have turned in to his personal Meals on Wheels program. I try to cater to his needs and wants, but it's hard to do so when he doesn't request anything! I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago (almost exactly 4 years) and recently passed a kidney stone. I can sympathize the pain and know the need for help. I'm quickly realizing how many 'sick' dishes we make for people that have noodles or some kind of pasta in them. I'm planning on making hamburgers and meatballs for him in the next couple days. So, if you have any ideas about meals to take to someone who is healing, let me know!

Good Night Kisses

Haydn has been giving kisses for a long time. You just had to be prepared to kiss an open mouth! Adam and I have been really exaggerating how to kiss with your mouth closed ("nobody wants to kiss a cookie" hahaha). So recently Haydn has learned to purse his lips and give kisses this way, which we love! Now he'll even kiss us on the cheek and head. It's really quite cute. Anyhow, Adam is gone again over night working (which I really hate...we really miss him when he's gone). Adam is really good at getting Haydn to go to sleep with little to no fight. I used to be the one who could get Haydn down for bed, but now it is Adam. So, being a defeatist I decided that I'd let Haydn go to bed with me. He laid down on a pillow, pulled the sheet up and over him and curled up like he was going to go to sleep. Excellent! This was going to be the easiest night ever! A little while later I felt Haydn move... and then he was leaning over my head and kissed me on the cheek. He mumbled something which I'm assuming was either "Good night Mommy" or "I love you Mommy". He crawled back to where he was before and nestled in for the night again. A few more minutes and he did the same thing. Only this time he had to kiss me on the lips! Again, he repeats back to getting all situated to go to sleep. He did this a few more times and I finally decided that I was going to have to try to get him to go to sleep in his own bed. As annoying as Haydn was being, I sure did love those Good Night Kisses. I'll cherish them now because I know some day he'll stop giving me kisses.

Worth Repeating

I appologize in advance, this is long, but please read all the way through! Be informed.

My sister wrote this on her blog and I don't know how many people go and check her's out. So, I'm going to post something she wrote a few days ago.

First, a few of my thoughts. I do not agree with the National Healthcare Reform. I think it's more or less a crock! I've heard time and time again about how it will provide health care to the "unemployed and underemployed". This really bugs me and has bugged me for several years. There is already a national "health care" plan in force and has been for many years. You might have heard of it...Medicare/Medicaid? WIC? Food Stamps? Those all provide necessities to those who are "unemployed and underemployed." I first started getting frustrated with these 'national' plans when I worked at a grocery store one summer. There would be people who would come in on food stamps and they would eat better than many people who were not on food stamps. Sometimes you'd find a person who was ashamed to be on the food stamps, but more often than not they were so proud to be on it. The WIC program works like this...the mother and her children are 'interviewed' and checked out. The program has come up with what things those people need in order to grow appropriately and have the appropriate nutrition. The mother is then given vouchers or 'checks' which she has to sign upon using. The vouchers have a list of foods and beverages that are 'acceptable' to this plan. Depending on the age of the children, the vouchers have things from formula, baby cereal, juice, milk, eggs, beans, peanut butter, cheese and regular cereal. When a family is on WIC, the mother (assuming she is pregnant or nursing) and children are also covered on Medicaid. To be on these programs, you have to have a certian level of income or less. The income each family must not exceed is based on the number of people in the family.

There are currently problems with these programs, so why are we going to go and throw another problem into the mix? I firmly believe that a national health care system is not something we need or WANT. Just ask any person over the age of 65 how much they like their medicare. There are so many loop holes and decisions to make with that! Please, if you are reading this...think about the best interest of you, your parents, your children AND your grandchildren. A national health care program for the "unemployed and underemployed" is already in place!

Here's what my sister said:
I know this is a public forum. I know someone is not going to see this the way I do. Scary. Perhaps tomorrow I will wake up with FBI agents on my doorstep...it wouldn't be the first time (although, it would be more threatening this go-round)!
When I first read this, I was shocked, and, to be honest, scared. This might be the single most frightening thing I have heard or read about the health care reform. Seriously, if someone wanted to be intimidating, they accomplished it. If not, well, someone went about this in an incredibly wrong way. And, by the way, I HAVE sent inquiries to Obama's Whitehouse in regards to this issue and have not been answered, not even the cordial "we've received your email but due to the amount of inquiries we've received, it may take awhile before we can get back to you."
What, you ask, am I talking about? The latest briefing on The Whitehouse blog. Now, I can guess that they didn't really want this to come across as being a new twist on McCarthyism, but that is what it did. Tell Big Brother about your friends, family, and neighbors who are anti-HCR so they can investigate and document those involved in the proliferation of these sentiments and alleged evidences hedged against the passage of this bill.
What happened to the First Amendment to the US Constitution? This infringes upon those rights. We are allowed to disagree with bills and proposals. We are allowed to congregate and discuss our pleasure or displeasure with current affairs and ideas. We are allowed to publish (paid or unpaid) our thoughts and feelings. All of these are permissible through the First Amendment of the Constitution. Do not restrict us, or you are disregarding the reason for the establishment of this country in the first place. Things taken out of context happen on both sides. Perhaps there are things that have been misconstrued on one end, but they can be held up legally in court due to interpretation of those same words. Yes, Pres. Obama makes promises (verbal are the only ones advertised) that we can keep our private insurance/private doctor and all, but, assuming this is true, what is the cost? How much MORE does the average John Q. Public have taken from his paycheck to cover the cost of this program? We've already been paying into one that apparently hasn't fulfilled the need. There is more to this issue than a quick full-court press.
Those I have encountered in my life who have insisted upon a "now or never" deal were people who knew that what they were trying to push or sell was not worthwhile in the long run, and, given the chance to research, ponder, and pray about it, I would discover the whited sepulchre it truly was. I can only feel that this is much the same way. Don't force it. If it is all it is cracked up to be (or not to be) it will become apparent in the long run. So, my advice to Pres. Obama and his Whitehouse, relax. Enjoy the "game". Don't pressure sale the public. Don't intimidate. Don't make YOUR public feel as if they are under the Nazi regime unless that is where you want this country to be.
And, if making a statement like this qualifies me to be imprisoned, I hope someone will claim my children while I spend time emulating some heroes of mine.

Grandpa Tacos

My grandfather made the best tacos, hands down. In fact, after my friends tried them once they always asked if they could come over the next time my grandpa made tacos. I am not kidding, they were the most delicious tacos one could make. I was sure there was a secret to making them and I couldn't figure it out. They weren't your ordinary run of the mill ground beef tacos...they were shredded beef tacos. The kind with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and you HAD to have this one type of taco sauce. (No special ordering...you had to have it all, that's what made them so delicious) The flavors worked together like nothing you can imagine! They quickly became a family favorite and we would ask my mom to make them. She made them very similarly to what Grandpa did, but they never were quite the same, something was missing. I decided that there must have been a 'secret' ingredient he used in the process. A few years ago my grandfather passed away and I never did get the chance to ask him what the 'secret' ingredient was. I was also sad that Adam was never going to get to have authentic "Grandpa tacos." I'm sure I could ask my grandmother, but there was something about those tacos that my grandpa made. I decided I'd try my hand at "Grandpa Tacos" this evening for dinner. (I wasn't running tonight, so it was probably the best night to try making them) I was prompted to make the tacos by a couple ingredients my mother gave me...1) the roast (most important) and 2) the special taco sauce. They turned out exactly how I remember Grandpa's tacos. They are still making my mouth water! MMMM so good. I think I figured out the secret ingredient...you cook a roast, you need corn tortillas (the kind you fry yourself), cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, the special sauce...it's very difficult to find around here, so I won't even bother with what kind....and the secret ingredient I'm convinced my grandfather used was... LOVE. He absolutely LOVED to make them for us. Grandpa didn't cook much, and this was one meal he could make from start to finish. I remember him asking me how many tacos I wanted and I always had like 8-12 (I was much skinnier then and could handle eating that many). He always laughed and was so delighted to make those tacos. He would cook until our hearts AND stomachs were content. I must say, tonight I made my tacos with the same kind of love. Adam was very hungry when he got home from work and I wanted him to be completely satisfied with dinner. (Adam did special order his tacos...I'm working on him with his vegetables) I think it was the attitude of making dinner tonight though...I didn't see it as something I had to do, it was something that I was ABLE to do. I hope I can keep this attitude towards meals, and if not all the time at least most the time. We are so blessed to have an abundance of food and the fact that we get to choose what we are going to eat every day instead of wondering IF we get to eat makes cooking seem like a luxury. If there is one thing I am to learn from my grandfather...Love is it. I still feel his love today and know without a doubt that he watches over me. I miss you Grandpa and I love you very much! Thank you for the life lesson.

High Jumper in Training

Two of my younger brothers have done the high jump on the high school track teams. My youngest brother is still in high school and still doing high jump. I've gone and watched him a time or two and it's pretty interesting to see that you can jump over a bar backwards and jump literally over my head! Haydn has gone with me to watch my youngest brother and I didn't think he was watching at all. I also have to let you know that Haydn has loved climbing into our pack-n-play. He can climb in, but can't climb out. I think he can, but haven't witnessed it yet. Anyhow, he was just trying to "high jump" out of it. He had his back arched over the side and was crying because he couldn't get out. Maybe he'll be a high jumper...I think just about anyone who knows him will testify that he will definitely be an athlete. He is very coordinated and can balance. What do you think...a high jumper in training?