On the drive home from picking Benny up today, I asked him how his day went.
For the rest of the drive (about 7-10 minutes), he told me an extremely elaborate story. Stay with me as I try to retell it!
Me: "How was your day today kiddo?"
Benny: "I'm having a bad day!"
Me: "What?? Why?"
Benny: "Just like they say in the 'Yalay Yalay Ya'alili' video Mommy! I'm having a bad day! When I was a Tatty, I went to a store, ALL BY MYSELF MOMMY!! You and Bella waited in the car because I was a Tatty so I was big enough to go in to the store and get some stuff. And so I told them I'm having a bad day and he said I should try Ya'alili!"
Me: unable to get a word in as he has plenty more to say!
Benny: "First I asked my mommy if I could go in to the store and she said, I mean you said (in a high pitched voice) 'Of course you can Benny!' so I said 'Thank you so much!' so that's why I went inside all by myself. Because I was a Tatty."
Me: "Well, what did you go in the store to buy?"
Benny: "Oh, you know, some race cars and stuff like that! That's what I like to get at the market. Isn't that so cool, Mommy? And I paid for it, cuz I was the dad!"
There was obviously more to it but that's as much as I can remember in detail right now. He is hilarious!
Which reminds me, the other night I realized we were completely out of diapers. Like none to even put on Benny for the night. It was ten o'clock. He had napped late in the afternoon so he was still completely up. So I put a swimming diaper on him (found one squirreled away somewhere deep in his closet) and we took both kids to WalMart for a quick stock up. At the register, we were joking around with him and asked him to please pay for his own diapers.
His response was awesome. "I don't have to pay! I'm not the mom or dad!!!!"
And now I am off to get my almost one year old photographed! :)
Showing posts with label bennymeyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bennymeyer. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Pick Him Up!
I'd love for this to be a purely happy, sunshiney place. I'd also love for my kids to be purely happy and sunshiney. Neither of those are reality so let's move on.
I'm not even going to talk about this past month right now. Too crazy, hectic, tiring. We'll talk about that all some other time as there is definitely what to talk about!
Right now, I'm having an internal struggle. I could definitely use an outlet for my thoughts, no need to let them brew and stew in my noggin.
Picking up Benny from school every day makes me never want to take him back. It's not the school. It's not the staff. It's not even his classmates. All of those are fine, great actually! But maybe that's the problem. Benny NEVER wants to come home with me. They are usually playing in the yard when I come to get him. I usually spend 10-15 minutes trying to persuade (read: bribe) him to walk out willingly. Then I end up dragging/carrying him back into the classroom to gather his stuff. All while holding Bella, who sometimes starts out pickup-time sleeping but almost never remains asleep. {I try to put her in my Ergo to have both hands available, it's a real bummer when I forget it at home!} Once we're in the classroom, I have to gather all his things, he's still busy having his tantrum. My safety zone is usually getting him into the hallway and closing the classroom door. In case you're wondering, we've usually hit the 20 minute mark by this point. Sometimes the hallway calms him down, sometimes he just lays on the floor and goes into full-blown tantrum mode. Shrieking. Kicking. More shrieking. Teachers poking heads out of rooms to make sure everything is ok. Oodles of fun.
Once in a blue moon, he just walks out nicely with me. I can probably count on one hand how many times that has happened.
Shuky tries very hard to get him on the days he's available, or at least to come with me. While he does this quite often, and I am extremely grateful for those days, the bad days WAYYYY overpower those times.
So, now my thought process is telling me it is really not worth the money we are spending for the battle I face, for the small amount of time he gets at the school.
Not sure what will come of this but sometimes rants are needed!
I'm not even going to talk about this past month right now. Too crazy, hectic, tiring. We'll talk about that all some other time as there is definitely what to talk about!
Right now, I'm having an internal struggle. I could definitely use an outlet for my thoughts, no need to let them brew and stew in my noggin.
Picking up Benny from school every day makes me never want to take him back. It's not the school. It's not the staff. It's not even his classmates. All of those are fine, great actually! But maybe that's the problem. Benny NEVER wants to come home with me. They are usually playing in the yard when I come to get him. I usually spend 10-15 minutes trying to persuade (read: bribe) him to walk out willingly. Then I end up dragging/carrying him back into the classroom to gather his stuff. All while holding Bella, who sometimes starts out pickup-time sleeping but almost never remains asleep. {I try to put her in my Ergo to have both hands available, it's a real bummer when I forget it at home!} Once we're in the classroom, I have to gather all his things, he's still busy having his tantrum. My safety zone is usually getting him into the hallway and closing the classroom door. In case you're wondering, we've usually hit the 20 minute mark by this point. Sometimes the hallway calms him down, sometimes he just lays on the floor and goes into full-blown tantrum mode. Shrieking. Kicking. More shrieking. Teachers poking heads out of rooms to make sure everything is ok. Oodles of fun.
Once in a blue moon, he just walks out nicely with me. I can probably count on one hand how many times that has happened.
Shuky tries very hard to get him on the days he's available, or at least to come with me. While he does this quite often, and I am extremely grateful for those days, the bad days WAYYYY overpower those times.
So, now my thought process is telling me it is really not worth the money we are spending for the battle I face, for the small amount of time he gets at the school.
Not sure what will come of this but sometimes rants are needed!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
True Love
I will forever be amazed by the love my children have for each other. In these five short months since Bella was born, they have formed an alliance, a bond so strong that it blows me away.
Truth be told, it was love at first sight. From the moment Benny laid eyes on his little sister, there was no way she could do any wrong in his eyes. And as soon as Bella realized who this little prince was, gazing at her endlessly, calling her his little princess, he could be nothing but amazing in her little heart.
He will smush her as she adoringly coos at him.
She will pull his hair as he whispers sweet nothings to her.
Mid-tantrum, Benny will stop to tell Bella how much he loves her. And then continue screaming at me and Shuky.
In the car, she instantly lifts her head up and around, looking for him. Smiles that go on forever when those eyes find him. He asks me to remove things between their car seats, should it block his line of sight. And if she starts whimpering during the drive, he is on the alert. "MOMMY, BELLA'S SO SAD!!!" And then he turns to her, "It's ok my sister, don't cry my Bella." Cue my heart melting.
He can make her laugh for endless amounts of time! It amazes me every time! Deep, belly laughs! Well, as deep and bellyish as a baby's laugh can be, anyway. But you get my point.
My kids are madly and deeply, head over heels, in a completely adorable way, in love with each other, and I can't get enough of it!
Truth be told, it was love at first sight. From the moment Benny laid eyes on his little sister, there was no way she could do any wrong in his eyes. And as soon as Bella realized who this little prince was, gazing at her endlessly, calling her his little princess, he could be nothing but amazing in her little heart.
He will smush her as she adoringly coos at him.
She will pull his hair as he whispers sweet nothings to her.
Mid-tantrum, Benny will stop to tell Bella how much he loves her. And then continue screaming at me and Shuky.
In the car, she instantly lifts her head up and around, looking for him. Smiles that go on forever when those eyes find him. He asks me to remove things between their car seats, should it block his line of sight. And if she starts whimpering during the drive, he is on the alert. "MOMMY, BELLA'S SO SAD!!!" And then he turns to her, "It's ok my sister, don't cry my Bella." Cue my heart melting.
He can make her laugh for endless amounts of time! It amazes me every time! Deep, belly laughs! Well, as deep and bellyish as a baby's laugh can be, anyway. But you get my point.
My kids are madly and deeply, head over heels, in a completely adorable way, in love with each other, and I can't get enough of it!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
And Then There Were Four
Last week, on Tuesday, I had my 39 week checkup, including an ultrasound. One of the big concerns we've had with this pregnancy has been the possibility of experiencing another labor/delivery like Benny's and my body not being able to handle it. Our goal has been to figure out a game plan to help avoid an unnecessary C-section. We had this ultrasound done with the intention of seeing how everything looked and trying to get an estimate on the size of the baby. The midwife said it seemed like the baby in there was about 7.5 lbs, give or take a pound. Everything looked good, but that weight gave us a moment of concern. Unanimously, we decided I should come back in the morning to be induced. Depending on the exam they would do in the morning, there was a possibility that all it would take was breaking my water. That would have to be determined on the spot. They told me to go home and get a good night's sleep. Eat a good breakfast, as they don't allow food when you are in labor, and come in at 7.
I would like to find out how many people walk out of their appointment, having heard that they will be induced in the morning, and actually get a good night's sleep! With Benny, I didn't sleep a wink. Literally, not one second. This time, I was a bit more calm, having already been through the experience once before, but I've definitely had better nights of sleep! The truth is, reality didn't hit me until the alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning. I stepped into the shower and the waterworks began. Both from the shower head and my own. Just to clarify, I mean tears, not my water breaking! It's a big deal, knowing you're about to bring another life into the world. Granted, it wasn't a surprise to me, this baby had been growing inside me for the past 39 weeks and all! It just hits hard when it finally hits home!
Anyway, Shuky made me a nice breakfast while I went and cuddled with Benny for a little. Told him we were going to the doctor to get the baby. Grabbed my bag and headed out the door.
We got to the hospital in a great mood, joking around with each other. Definitely ready for this to happen! Made our way up to the Birthways, as the maternity ward in our hospital is called. Got settled into my room, unpacked a few of my belongings, and waited for the midwife to come and get the show rolling. Apparently, it was a good day to have babies. People came in left and right, already in labor. Considering that I was not actually in labor yet, they profusely apologized and said they would get me started at the first chance they had. So Shuky and I got to hang out, watch some TV. Almost like a coffee date, without the coffee shop, or the coffee. Around 11:30, the midwife, Alice, finally came in and did my exam. Said I needed pitocin, the baby wasn't low enough to just break my water. So in went the IV and on came the contractions. On a side note, I was STARVING when they started everything so I convinced the nurse to let me have some jello, she felt bad that they had made me wait so long so (after checking with the midwife) I got a little sneak of food right at the start of everything. I couldn't even tell you what they tasted like, I sucked those things down so fast!
The contractions sped up quite nicely and painfully. In an effort to avoid slowing down the dilation, we started with a pain killer through my IV. It would last two hours and I could do two doses successfully. And I did. It was great. I knew exactly when those two hours ended, without having to look at the clock! After those two, I was ready for my epidural. The relief was INSTANT. Quick reminder, I did not have an epidural with Benny so I had no idea what to expect! Anyway, like I said, instant relief. It was almost hard to believe I was in labor. I was sitting up in bed, joking around with Shuky, watching some TV show or another. Just hanging out with my hubby. No big deal!
Around 8:30ish, the next midwife, Carol, came in to check on me (shifts changed around 7). I was 6 cm dilated. As she was telling me this, my water broke. On it's own. Yay me! My body may need to be induced to get the show started but at least my water knows what to do!! (Broke naturally with Benny as well!) At that point, I started asking the nurse (Tera - loved her!!!) how I would know it was time, being that I wasn't really feeling a whole lot. She described the feeling to me, we chatted for a few minutes and she walked out. 37 minutes after Carol said my water broke, probably about 10 minutes after Tera finished describing the feeling to me, I got the feeling. Shuky went out into the hallway, 'Umm I think she's ready!'
Four minutes and maybe two or three contractions later, I had a little baby girl laying on my chest, screaming her arrival. It was 9:08 pm.
She was 7 lbs, 4 ozs; 19 inches long; her head circumference was 14 inches. Similar to Benny in most measurements, except a good pound and a half less! (Benny was 8 lbs, 15 ozs; 20.5" long; 14.5" head circumference).
I decided to have her room with us the first night, she was so cute I just didn't want to let her go. My body wasn't so sore that I felt like I couldn't handle it! Big mistake. She was so cute that I couldn't stop cuddling with her and looking at her! Around 5 in the morning, I called the nurse and made her take the baby to the nursery. I needed sleep!!
The naming process for a little girl is much more simple than that of a boy. We were able to name her the following morning, although through a proxy (my father). He had us on speaker phone throughout the process and it was just another huge difference to add to the list when comparing my babies' entries into the world! (Benny did not have his bris [circumcision and naming ceremony] until two days before he was four weeks old!) It was almost strange to me, seeing the name Bella Miriam on her crib card. Calling her Bella in the hospital. Filling out the forms for her birth certificate on the spot!
Benny came to visit us the next morning, with my sister Rochel. It was love at first sight for this big brother/little sister duo! He held her for a while, stroking her hair. Whispering little words of love to her. Letting her know he was the big brother, there for her! The hospital also offers this great service - they send a professional photographer to your room to take beautiful pictures of your new baby and then provide you with an online gallery (Username: lb1119 Password: 34195-lb1119). You are able to order prints if you want but have no obligation whatsoever! I made sure Rochel brought Benny in a nicer outfit and got some great shots of the two of them together. (The shots of Bella alone are very cute but I feel like she looks completely different already at this point!)
Everyone stuck around for a few hours and I sent them all away mid-afternoon. I was wiped out. Shuky came back to do dinner with me, ran home to help Rochel get Benny situated for the night, and came back to me later to spend the night.
The following morning, we packed up and waited to be discharged. Bella was checked over, I was checked over, forms were filled out, and we were walked out to the car, with a nurse carrying Bella (in her nice, new car seat) out of the hospital. It was their policy.
We had nothing at home for a baby so we made a stop at Target, got some teeny tiny diapers and onesies and such. Ruffles and frills included obviously. Hello baby girl, goodbye money in the bank!
Shabbos was very nice, added another shabbos candle for our beautiful baby. Rested and relaxed a lot! All in all, a pleasant shabbos.
Sunday we went to Des Moines. Old Navy was having a sale and I wanted to get some stuff for Bella. I also wanted to go visit some friends in the area. We didn't get to see everyone we wanted to, I just got a bit wiped out, needed to head home and put my feet up!
This whole week has been a whirlwind of appointments. Monday was Bella's visit back to the hospital to check bilirubin levels (she's fine, just a precaution because of Benny) and to make sure she was nursing well and gaining weight. She weighed 6 lbs 15 ozs. Tuesday, we had an appointment for both kids at WIC. She weighed 7 lbs 4 ozs (birthweight). Wednesday, Bella had her two week check-up, one week early because of Pesach. She weighed 7 lbs 6 ozs. Generally, the goal is to have the baby back at birthweight by two weeks. This little girl is ready for overeaters anonymous apparently!! ;)
Benny has really taken to his role as big brother. Every day, when Shuky gets home from school, he runs to the door to update him on a days' worth of Bella news. When she cries, he comes running, whispering sweet little consolations, "Don't cry Baby Bella, it's ok!" When he notices her pacifier, he grabs it and brings it over to wherever she is, you just never know when a baby might need one of those! He told his toys all about Bella. The cutest yet is what he does at night. He has us bring Bella to his bed and he sings Shema to her. It melts your heart, and I finally caught it on video to share with everyone. :)
Today, at a week and a day old, she is relaxing at home with me, Benny, and Aunty Rochel, as we get ready for our Pesach trip to Postville. And get her settled into our room. And all her new clothes washed and put away.
Happy Pesach preparations to everyone out there!!
Look at those lips!!
I would like to find out how many people walk out of their appointment, having heard that they will be induced in the morning, and actually get a good night's sleep! With Benny, I didn't sleep a wink. Literally, not one second. This time, I was a bit more calm, having already been through the experience once before, but I've definitely had better nights of sleep! The truth is, reality didn't hit me until the alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning. I stepped into the shower and the waterworks began. Both from the shower head and my own. Just to clarify, I mean tears, not my water breaking! It's a big deal, knowing you're about to bring another life into the world. Granted, it wasn't a surprise to me, this baby had been growing inside me for the past 39 weeks and all! It just hits hard when it finally hits home!
Anyway, Shuky made me a nice breakfast while I went and cuddled with Benny for a little. Told him we were going to the doctor to get the baby. Grabbed my bag and headed out the door.
We got to the hospital in a great mood, joking around with each other. Definitely ready for this to happen! Made our way up to the Birthways, as the maternity ward in our hospital is called. Got settled into my room, unpacked a few of my belongings, and waited for the midwife to come and get the show rolling. Apparently, it was a good day to have babies. People came in left and right, already in labor. Considering that I was not actually in labor yet, they profusely apologized and said they would get me started at the first chance they had. So Shuky and I got to hang out, watch some TV. Almost like a coffee date, without the coffee shop, or the coffee. Around 11:30, the midwife, Alice, finally came in and did my exam. Said I needed pitocin, the baby wasn't low enough to just break my water. So in went the IV and on came the contractions. On a side note, I was STARVING when they started everything so I convinced the nurse to let me have some jello, she felt bad that they had made me wait so long so (after checking with the midwife) I got a little sneak of food right at the start of everything. I couldn't even tell you what they tasted like, I sucked those things down so fast!
The contractions sped up quite nicely and painfully. In an effort to avoid slowing down the dilation, we started with a pain killer through my IV. It would last two hours and I could do two doses successfully. And I did. It was great. I knew exactly when those two hours ended, without having to look at the clock! After those two, I was ready for my epidural. The relief was INSTANT. Quick reminder, I did not have an epidural with Benny so I had no idea what to expect! Anyway, like I said, instant relief. It was almost hard to believe I was in labor. I was sitting up in bed, joking around with Shuky, watching some TV show or another. Just hanging out with my hubby. No big deal!
Around 8:30ish, the next midwife, Carol, came in to check on me (shifts changed around 7). I was 6 cm dilated. As she was telling me this, my water broke. On it's own. Yay me! My body may need to be induced to get the show started but at least my water knows what to do!! (Broke naturally with Benny as well!) At that point, I started asking the nurse (Tera - loved her!!!) how I would know it was time, being that I wasn't really feeling a whole lot. She described the feeling to me, we chatted for a few minutes and she walked out. 37 minutes after Carol said my water broke, probably about 10 minutes after Tera finished describing the feeling to me, I got the feeling. Shuky went out into the hallway, 'Umm I think she's ready!'
Four minutes and maybe two or three contractions later, I had a little baby girl laying on my chest, screaming her arrival. It was 9:08 pm.
She was 7 lbs, 4 ozs; 19 inches long; her head circumference was 14 inches. Similar to Benny in most measurements, except a good pound and a half less! (Benny was 8 lbs, 15 ozs; 20.5" long; 14.5" head circumference).
A special thank you to Dodo Rachel Bloom for the beautiful blanket!
Benny came to visit us the next morning, with my sister Rochel. It was love at first sight for this big brother/little sister duo! He held her for a while, stroking her hair. Whispering little words of love to her. Letting her know he was the big brother, there for her! The hospital also offers this great service - they send a professional photographer to your room to take beautiful pictures of your new baby and then provide you with an online gallery (Username: lb1119 Password: 34195-lb1119). You are able to order prints if you want but have no obligation whatsoever! I made sure Rochel brought Benny in a nicer outfit and got some great shots of the two of them together. (The shots of Bella alone are very cute but I feel like she looks completely different already at this point!)
These are obviously not the professional shots. Just from my phone...but I love them!
Everyone stuck around for a few hours and I sent them all away mid-afternoon. I was wiped out. Shuky came back to do dinner with me, ran home to help Rochel get Benny situated for the night, and came back to me later to spend the night.
The following morning, we packed up and waited to be discharged. Bella was checked over, I was checked over, forms were filled out, and we were walked out to the car, with a nurse carrying Bella (in her nice, new car seat) out of the hospital. It was their policy.
Ready to go home in her outfit from Bobbe :)
We had nothing at home for a baby so we made a stop at Target, got some teeny tiny diapers and onesies and such. Ruffles and frills included obviously. Hello baby girl, goodbye money in the bank!
Bella's sweet new car seat and ride :) We got the Chicco and the Britax B-Ready!
Big Brother needs something special for himself, hello Thomas hat!
Our welcome home signs made by Benny and Aunty Rochel :)
Shabbos was very nice, added another shabbos candle for our beautiful baby. Rested and relaxed a lot! All in all, a pleasant shabbos.
My nightly cocktail. Note to self: only chew the chewable ones!!
Sunday we went to Des Moines. Old Navy was having a sale and I wanted to get some stuff for Bella. I also wanted to go visit some friends in the area. We didn't get to see everyone we wanted to, I just got a bit wiped out, needed to head home and put my feet up!
This whole week has been a whirlwind of appointments. Monday was Bella's visit back to the hospital to check bilirubin levels (she's fine, just a precaution because of Benny) and to make sure she was nursing well and gaining weight. She weighed 6 lbs 15 ozs. Tuesday, we had an appointment for both kids at WIC. She weighed 7 lbs 4 ozs (birthweight). Wednesday, Bella had her two week check-up, one week early because of Pesach. She weighed 7 lbs 6 ozs. Generally, the goal is to have the baby back at birthweight by two weeks. This little girl is ready for overeaters anonymous apparently!! ;)
Benny has really taken to his role as big brother. Every day, when Shuky gets home from school, he runs to the door to update him on a days' worth of Bella news. When she cries, he comes running, whispering sweet little consolations, "Don't cry Baby Bella, it's ok!" When he notices her pacifier, he grabs it and brings it over to wherever she is, you just never know when a baby might need one of those! He told his toys all about Bella. The cutest yet is what he does at night. He has us bring Bella to his bed and he sings Shema to her. It melts your heart, and I finally caught it on video to share with everyone. :)
Still can't get enough of these chicken legs!!
Only love from this big brother :)
Post-nursing euphoria
Talking with me, telling me about her day
Today, at a week and a day old, she is relaxing at home with me, Benny, and Aunty Rochel, as we get ready for our Pesach trip to Postville. And get her settled into our room. And all her new clothes washed and put away.
Happy Pesach preparations to everyone out there!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
An Ode To My Firstborn
As I'm nearing my due date I got to thinking. Not usually a good thing, but bare with me here! The last time I found myself in this situation (about two and a half years ago) my life was extremely different. I was working full time, as was Shuky. We had a nice spacious house. We had no kids yet. Now, I have been home with our two and a half year old, in our tiny little apartment, while Shuky spends his entire day (and sometimes evenings) in school and most of his nights are spent studying and doing homework.
Obviously, those dynamics have changed the way this pregnancy has gone for me. Some days are good, some are bad. Nothing I can't handle, but it most definitely affects the way I am to the people around me!
And yet, I watch Benny playing and realize this is how it should be. The amount of joy this little boy has brought to my life is indescribable. The things he says and does constantly keep me on my toes. He remembers more than I do, and tends to use it to his benefit! He is a spitball of energy and I may not have enough to keep up with him sometimes, but I try! He is friendlier than the average adult, saying hi to every person and animal he sees! And I mean every. He loves music and has a talent that I would love to expound on when he is a little older and can appreciate it! He is extremely helpful, when he wants to be! There is a sense of adventure about him, we never have a dull moment!
So, though this all may have provided extra challenges, I would not change my life in any way, shape or form. Just wanted to let everyone know that!
Obviously, those dynamics have changed the way this pregnancy has gone for me. Some days are good, some are bad. Nothing I can't handle, but it most definitely affects the way I am to the people around me!
And yet, I watch Benny playing and realize this is how it should be. The amount of joy this little boy has brought to my life is indescribable. The things he says and does constantly keep me on my toes. He remembers more than I do, and tends to use it to his benefit! He is a spitball of energy and I may not have enough to keep up with him sometimes, but I try! He is friendlier than the average adult, saying hi to every person and animal he sees! And I mean every. He loves music and has a talent that I would love to expound on when he is a little older and can appreciate it! He is extremely helpful, when he wants to be! There is a sense of adventure about him, we never have a dull moment!
So, though this all may have provided extra challenges, I would not change my life in any way, shape or form. Just wanted to let everyone know that!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Done Deal
Last I wrote, I was going to attempt to make Benny a super hero cape. Guess what folks, this waddling mama pulled it off! Last night, Shuky was oh so kind and did Benny's bedtime routine with him so I could go out and get what we needed for Shalach Manos (Purim is creeping up on us!) and I took advantage of that and bought the stuff for the cape.
I decided to be as frugal as possible, more out of necessity than desire, but shh. I found an old, red pillowcase (I have absolutely no idea where it came from). I searched through Shuky's shirts and found a black polo that I know he doesn't wear. Both were perfect measurements. All I had to buy were a few small things; needle, thread, pins, velcro. I already had felt for the applique in my craft box, along with tacky glue and a good pair of scissors. So, today, while Benny played and tested my patience, I sat and made his cape.
And I love it!
I almost want to call my sister in law to get dimensions for her kids so they can all be super together on Pesach. Keyword being almost. My back is KILLING after doing this today! We don't have a dining room table in this apartment so I sat at our kitchen counter most of the day. While Benny was in the bath, I sat on the floor in the bathroom sewing. Once he was in bed, I moved to the couch, but at that point the damage was done. But I don't care. He is going to be ECSTATIC when he sees the finished product tomorrow! If I get a chance to, I will try to make a little mask to go along with it.
After all, a super's most prized possession is his identity!
I decided to be as frugal as possible, more out of necessity than desire, but shh. I found an old, red pillowcase (I have absolutely no idea where it came from). I searched through Shuky's shirts and found a black polo that I know he doesn't wear. Both were perfect measurements. All I had to buy were a few small things; needle, thread, pins, velcro. I already had felt for the applique in my craft box, along with tacky glue and a good pair of scissors. So, today, while Benny played and tested my patience, I sat and made his cape.
And I love it!
I almost want to call my sister in law to get dimensions for her kids so they can all be super together on Pesach. Keyword being almost. My back is KILLING after doing this today! We don't have a dining room table in this apartment so I sat at our kitchen counter most of the day. While Benny was in the bath, I sat on the floor in the bathroom sewing. Once he was in bed, I moved to the couch, but at that point the damage was done. But I don't care. He is going to be ECSTATIC when he sees the finished product tomorrow! If I get a chance to, I will try to make a little mask to go along with it.
After all, a super's most prized possession is his identity!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sleep Cometh for Those Who Wait!
Last week, we started something new with Benny's schedule. We decided to cut out naps and put him to bed earlier. If you follow my blog, you know the challenges we've been having with getting him to sleep at a normal time. Or at all, for that matter. I was scared to give up his nap time, because, aside from him needing the sleep, I needed the peace and quiet, and sometimes, even sleep! I replaced his nap with down time, we sit and play a game or we cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. But I talk to him through out to make sure he is not falling asleep!
He eats dinner at 6, bath afterward, pjs/brushing teeth/brushing hair, and he usually has a couple extra minutes to do a quick clean up before getting into bed at 7. We sing shema, turn out the lights, put on some music for him. When we are diligent in keeping things on time, he is asleep by 7:15. I have become neurotic about making sure we are never out later than 5:30. If we miss the 7 o'clock mark, it takes him longer and without downtime for myself during the day, I can't deal with that!
Now, this does turn him into quite the kvetch for the last bit of his day, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make. In exchange for him going to sleep so nicely, I try very hard to have extra patience at the end of the day!
The best part of this is that it doesn't really make him wake up much earlier in the morning. He still gets up somewhere around 7 or 7:30, some days I get lucky and he waits until 8! The good news is that he has no problem hanging out in bed with me for a bit. Until he starts demanding food. Then I have no choice but to get up and start the day. That doesn't mean he has stopped waking up in middle of the night, but those incidents are becoming more rare and easier to deal with as well!
He doesn't even argue anymore about going into bed. Tonight, I told him to run to bed as I was straightening up his bathroom. I found him tucked in, snuggling with his bear, waiting for me nicely. I didn't have to get into bed with him. I stood there, sang shema, gave him a kiss and away I went. Did not hear a peep of protest. My little boy is really growing up!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Just Some Thoughts
With this pregnancy, I honestly couldn't tell you what week I'm up to. With Benny's I probably could have told you the day and how many were left. I find that interesting. I constantly find myself counting back from my due date to figure out how far along I am when people ask me. At this point, I just say, "Oh I'm due in April."
And now for my standard updates.
Potty training has taken a new turn. The only door left open at home is Benny's bathroom, and he makes use of it on his own! I still remind him when it seems like it's been forever, but more or less, he goes and pees on his own. I'm not ready to talk about his poop yet. All I can say is when it gets too quiet, he's probably pooping somewhere. And I can basically guarantee that somewhere does not happen to be the toilet. And he's not wearing underwear. And our apartment is all carpeting (except for the kitchen and bathrooms). Makes for fun times!
Bedtime has been going pretty smoothly too! I had to restock our prize box today! Thank goodness for holiday clearances! Picked up some great little toys for about fifty cents each, he was super excited to see the new things in there!
We also finally got him a real pair of snow gloves. Tomorrow, Shuky only has one class and it is in the afternoon. Benny requested his prize for bedtime be playing in the snow with Shuky in the morning. He's so excited!! I hope the weather allows it!
Don't forget to get those last minute votes in for my brother, good people!! The contest closes on January 16th and I want to book my tickets for his concert already! :)
And now I will be calling it an early night. Beyond exhausted. Good night to all of you!
And now for my standard updates.
Potty training has taken a new turn. The only door left open at home is Benny's bathroom, and he makes use of it on his own! I still remind him when it seems like it's been forever, but more or less, he goes and pees on his own. I'm not ready to talk about his poop yet. All I can say is when it gets too quiet, he's probably pooping somewhere. And I can basically guarantee that somewhere does not happen to be the toilet. And he's not wearing underwear. And our apartment is all carpeting (except for the kitchen and bathrooms). Makes for fun times!
Bedtime has been going pretty smoothly too! I had to restock our prize box today! Thank goodness for holiday clearances! Picked up some great little toys for about fifty cents each, he was super excited to see the new things in there!
We also finally got him a real pair of snow gloves. Tomorrow, Shuky only has one class and it is in the afternoon. Benny requested his prize for bedtime be playing in the snow with Shuky in the morning. He's so excited!! I hope the weather allows it!
Don't forget to get those last minute votes in for my brother, good people!! The contest closes on January 16th and I want to book my tickets for his concert already! :)
And now I will be calling it an early night. Beyond exhausted. Good night to all of you!
Monday, January 10, 2011
No RSVP
There's a party going on in my belly and I wasn't invited!!! This little baby is SUPER active!! All day and night, there's loud music, dancing, and fun stuff going on in there!! :)
In other news, Benny is doing great with the toilet (I feel like that should be whispered).
Shuky went back to school today. Benny was very sad when he realized what was going on. He saw Shuky getting ready to leave and asked him where he was going. When Shuky told him he was going to school, Benny responded with, "Oh my chinny chin chin! You can't go to school Tatty!" This kid really comes up with the funniest things! Needless to say, I jumped out of bed (yes, I was trying to pretend morning had not yet come still) and started something fun so the kid wouldn't be devastated.
Back to toilet news, we've been having him running around naked, a lot less accidents happening that way. We'll have to deal with the underwear transition when he seems ready. I guess the training pants were just too close to diapers! This morning, he was sitting on the toilet and he hand-called me. This was the message he left for me, "Hi Mommy! It's just Benny! I on the toilet but I don't need to make pishies! Ok. Bye."
We've been trying something new with bedtime as well. We get him ready for bed and give him kisses and hugs and ask him to go to bed on his own. Completely. Like, leave the couch and go to bed. If he manages to go to sleep on his own without one of us getting into bed with him, he gets a prize in the morning. So far, out of two nights, he got one prize. I won't mention that it took him over two hours to actually fall asleep. We'll just focus on the fact that he did it on his own. Last night, however, was a mess. Screaming, no make that shrieking, for two hours straight. I finally crawled into bed with him and he was asleep within five minutes tops! I felt bad that I caved but I couldn't handle the screaming anymore. And I knew the morning brought the first day of the semester so I felt bad for all the students in the building that needed to be hearing his insanity. Let's hope for better strength tonight!
Going to go enjoy the sight of the snow from the warmth of my couch!
In other news, Benny is doing great with the toilet (I feel like that should be whispered).
Shuky went back to school today. Benny was very sad when he realized what was going on. He saw Shuky getting ready to leave and asked him where he was going. When Shuky told him he was going to school, Benny responded with, "Oh my chinny chin chin! You can't go to school Tatty!" This kid really comes up with the funniest things! Needless to say, I jumped out of bed (yes, I was trying to pretend morning had not yet come still) and started something fun so the kid wouldn't be devastated.
Back to toilet news, we've been having him running around naked, a lot less accidents happening that way. We'll have to deal with the underwear transition when he seems ready. I guess the training pants were just too close to diapers! This morning, he was sitting on the toilet and he hand-called me. This was the message he left for me, "Hi Mommy! It's just Benny! I on the toilet but I don't need to make pishies! Ok. Bye."
We've been trying something new with bedtime as well. We get him ready for bed and give him kisses and hugs and ask him to go to bed on his own. Completely. Like, leave the couch and go to bed. If he manages to go to sleep on his own without one of us getting into bed with him, he gets a prize in the morning. So far, out of two nights, he got one prize. I won't mention that it took him over two hours to actually fall asleep. We'll just focus on the fact that he did it on his own. Last night, however, was a mess. Screaming, no make that shrieking, for two hours straight. I finally crawled into bed with him and he was asleep within five minutes tops! I felt bad that I caved but I couldn't handle the screaming anymore. And I knew the morning brought the first day of the semester so I felt bad for all the students in the building that needed to be hearing his insanity. Let's hope for better strength tonight!
Going to go enjoy the sight of the snow from the warmth of my couch!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
A Tale of Twos
Once, long ago and far away, there was a young woman. Now, by relative standards, this young woman was quite normal. Decent amount of drama, weighed out by happiness and love. This woman met a young man that was the yang to her yin, another soul that could be considered normal. They got married and a short while later, had a little boy of their own, one they hoped would grow into his own person, facing all there was ahead of him with as much normalicy as possible.
Then, suddenly and quite unexpectedly, this little boy hit a stage in life commonly knows as 'Terrible Twos'. Although terrible seems quite a mild word for the behavior coming out of this little boy. Words could not begin to describe the sounds that came out of this little boy, the shrieks, the yells, the words! His body would go rigid when he was not getting his way. In case you are trying to figure out what this did, it more or less made it completely impossible to put a coat on him or strap him into his car seat.
Enough of the fairy tale, I'm sure some day this will end (IT DOES, RIGHT???) and we can have an 'and they all lived happily ever after' at the end of the story. In the meantime, I am dealing with this little boy, my lovely Benny, and his horrible tantrums on a way too regular basis! I don't like going out in public with him. I don't even want to take him downstairs to check the mail! And it doesn't help that I'm irritably pregnant and having fabulous dizzy spells with this new little bump of love! Combine dizzy spells with ear piercing shrieks. It doesn't play out well, no matter how you imagine it. Some days, we come home after dealing with one of these lovely shows he puts on and I go straight to the computer. For what, you ask? Looking for a school for Shuky to transfer to, one with a community that has a school. One that Benny can be in for a large portion of the day. When the clouds leave my head, I realize that's not the answer, but when the forecast calls for storms, that's where I go!
It's not like I'm not prepared to be home with him. I have my handy-dandy craft box, which we use on an extremely regular basis. We have an insane amount of toys for a household of one child, so no lack there! Books galore for reading fun, yep, we've got those! Don't forget about our extensive video library for some much needed vegging time!
The cold is a large factor. We can't go out as much, even for a quick walk or bike ride. Cabin fever sets in and amplifies all of the above nicenesses that we've mentioned here!
Now, add potty training (or, unfortunately, re-potty training in our case) and you have a very scary combination.
'This, too, shall pass.' An old saying that I like to live my life by. Thank you for listening to the frustrated ramblings of a stressed out pregnant mom! Hope you all are having a great day!
Then, suddenly and quite unexpectedly, this little boy hit a stage in life commonly knows as 'Terrible Twos'. Although terrible seems quite a mild word for the behavior coming out of this little boy. Words could not begin to describe the sounds that came out of this little boy, the shrieks, the yells, the words! His body would go rigid when he was not getting his way. In case you are trying to figure out what this did, it more or less made it completely impossible to put a coat on him or strap him into his car seat.
Enough of the fairy tale, I'm sure some day this will end (IT DOES, RIGHT???) and we can have an 'and they all lived happily ever after' at the end of the story. In the meantime, I am dealing with this little boy, my lovely Benny, and his horrible tantrums on a way too regular basis! I don't like going out in public with him. I don't even want to take him downstairs to check the mail! And it doesn't help that I'm irritably pregnant and having fabulous dizzy spells with this new little bump of love! Combine dizzy spells with ear piercing shrieks. It doesn't play out well, no matter how you imagine it. Some days, we come home after dealing with one of these lovely shows he puts on and I go straight to the computer. For what, you ask? Looking for a school for Shuky to transfer to, one with a community that has a school. One that Benny can be in for a large portion of the day. When the clouds leave my head, I realize that's not the answer, but when the forecast calls for storms, that's where I go!
It's not like I'm not prepared to be home with him. I have my handy-dandy craft box, which we use on an extremely regular basis. We have an insane amount of toys for a household of one child, so no lack there! Books galore for reading fun, yep, we've got those! Don't forget about our extensive video library for some much needed vegging time!
The cold is a large factor. We can't go out as much, even for a quick walk or bike ride. Cabin fever sets in and amplifies all of the above nicenesses that we've mentioned here!
Now, add potty training (or, unfortunately, re-potty training in our case) and you have a very scary combination.
'This, too, shall pass.' An old saying that I like to live my life by. Thank you for listening to the frustrated ramblings of a stressed out pregnant mom! Hope you all are having a great day!
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Darndest Things!
Just wanted to do a round-up of some of the latest Benny quips, the kid really cracks me up!
(If we're friends on FaceBook, you've probably seen most of these already!)
When told it was time for a nap, he ran to his kitchen with a bribe for me, "I'm gonna make Mommy coffees!"
We were in the car and I was singing along with the radio. Apparently, Benny liked the song that was playing and couldn't hear over me. "Don't sing very loud Mommy, shhh!"
While brushing his teeth the other day, Benny was studying himself in the mirror. Suddenly, he gasps and yells, "MOMMY I HAVE TWO EYESES!!!"
Right before hopping in the bathtub, he gave me a rundown of what he could see. "This is my belly button. And this is my tushy. And this is my boob. And this is my nother boob!" The funniest part is that neither of us taught him the word boob!
I was cuddling with him in his bed and he had his hand on my belly, feeling the baby's movement. I asked him what it felt like. He looks at me with all seriousness, "Like a truck."
Anytime I'm not feeling well (more often than not these days) he asks me, "Mommy, is your tummy so hurting?"
He has little talks with himself, or between his toys. Sometimes they are motivational. On Chanukah, he got a dreidel that lights up and plays music. He was standing at his table having this talk with himself:
"I can't do it!"
"Why not Benny?"
"Because."
"Yes, you can do it!"
"I can?"
There's a lot more that he says, but for now, I just wanted you to get a slight tidbit of the hilariousness that is Benny Meyer!
(If we're friends on FaceBook, you've probably seen most of these already!)
When told it was time for a nap, he ran to his kitchen with a bribe for me, "I'm gonna make Mommy coffees!"
We were in the car and I was singing along with the radio. Apparently, Benny liked the song that was playing and couldn't hear over me. "Don't sing very loud Mommy, shhh!"
While brushing his teeth the other day, Benny was studying himself in the mirror. Suddenly, he gasps and yells, "MOMMY I HAVE TWO EYESES!!!"
Right before hopping in the bathtub, he gave me a rundown of what he could see. "This is my belly button. And this is my tushy. And this is my boob. And this is my nother boob!" The funniest part is that neither of us taught him the word boob!
I was cuddling with him in his bed and he had his hand on my belly, feeling the baby's movement. I asked him what it felt like. He looks at me with all seriousness, "Like a truck."
Anytime I'm not feeling well (more often than not these days) he asks me, "Mommy, is your tummy so hurting?"
He has little talks with himself, or between his toys. Sometimes they are motivational. On Chanukah, he got a dreidel that lights up and plays music. He was standing at his table having this talk with himself:
"I can't do it!"
"Why not Benny?"
"Because."
"Yes, you can do it!"
"I can?"
There's a lot more that he says, but for now, I just wanted you to get a slight tidbit of the hilariousness that is Benny Meyer!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
**Knock, knock** Anyone In There??
I know. It happens every time. I start out with the sincere apologies, promise to be better. It never happens. I guess at this point in my life, my blog is not fated to be updated daily. I will, though, try for more often than once a month!! No guarantees.
So, New York was hard but amazing. Benny was completely pulled out of his element and decided to have a ball with that. And by that I mean torture me. I'm talking no bedtime. Endless amounts of tantrums. Demanding he have what he wants. And, of course, still getting up early, asking for "dinner" (still trying to explain to him that the morning meal is breakfast and dinner is at night!). He was the king of the nest, and treated as such by family and friends. Therefor, he expected the same treatment from me! Guess what kid, it ain't happening! We didn't see everyone we wanted to see but it happens. Next time, hopefully, Shuky will be with me and it will be easier. I can make solid plans instead of a lot of tentatives!
We've been back for almost a week now. Still not back on schedule. He was sick when we came back, just a cold and cough. He got better over the weekend. Came back with a vengeance on Sunday afternoon. We are still dealing with it. At this point, because of all the coughing, he sounds like a squeaky little girl. Make that a whiny, squeaky little girl. And he doesn't let go of me. And, unless he is in the bath, he is in mega kvetch mode!
Today, to distract him, we did some sticker projects. He LOVED it! So tonight, at WalMart, I restocked our art supply, have a few fun projects in mind for the next few weeks. Hopefully we get to them!
And the best news of the week, we are going to Miami for Thanksgiving week! Shuky has the whole week off from school so we are going out Sunday afternoon for wedding vow renewals by his cousins (can't wait!!) and coming home Friday morning. It will be very nice to have the entire family on vacation! The last time we were in Florida was for my mother-in-law's wedding. Benny was about six months old, I believe. It will be nice for him to see the family, nice for everyone to be able to see the character he has become! Here's to hoping this trip is more successful with him!
So, New York was hard but amazing. Benny was completely pulled out of his element and decided to have a ball with that. And by that I mean torture me. I'm talking no bedtime. Endless amounts of tantrums. Demanding he have what he wants. And, of course, still getting up early, asking for "dinner" (still trying to explain to him that the morning meal is breakfast and dinner is at night!). He was the king of the nest, and treated as such by family and friends. Therefor, he expected the same treatment from me! Guess what kid, it ain't happening! We didn't see everyone we wanted to see but it happens. Next time, hopefully, Shuky will be with me and it will be easier. I can make solid plans instead of a lot of tentatives!
We've been back for almost a week now. Still not back on schedule. He was sick when we came back, just a cold and cough. He got better over the weekend. Came back with a vengeance on Sunday afternoon. We are still dealing with it. At this point, because of all the coughing, he sounds like a squeaky little girl. Make that a whiny, squeaky little girl. And he doesn't let go of me. And, unless he is in the bath, he is in mega kvetch mode!
Today, to distract him, we did some sticker projects. He LOVED it! So tonight, at WalMart, I restocked our art supply, have a few fun projects in mind for the next few weeks. Hopefully we get to them!
And the best news of the week, we are going to Miami for Thanksgiving week! Shuky has the whole week off from school so we are going out Sunday afternoon for wedding vow renewals by his cousins (can't wait!!) and coming home Friday morning. It will be very nice to have the entire family on vacation! The last time we were in Florida was for my mother-in-law's wedding. Benny was about six months old, I believe. It will be nice for him to see the family, nice for everyone to be able to see the character he has become! Here's to hoping this trip is more successful with him!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
My Bags Are Packed...
Ok, I lied. They are half packed. And I'm ignoring them for the time being. In case you're wondering what I'm packing for, my mother and stepfather are bringing Benny and me out to visit for two weeks. Starting tomorrow. And we are UBER excited!!! It's been a very long time since we've been to Brooklyn, the last time was our disaster of a road trip!
I know I've been quiet for a while here. I apologize, as usual. It's been a long month!
I don't really have much time now to write either, unfortunately, but I wanted to share something funny that happened this afternoon with Benny. We were on our way home from TJ Maxx (emergency suitcase shopping trip!) and he was having a full blown tantrum in the car. I'm talking screams that make you want to just jump out of the moving vehicle to avoid the horrible sound! Not stopping for breaths. Mid-scream, he noticed a boat on the back of a pickup truck next to us. Mid-scream, he calmly says, "Mommy, you see that boat? Wow!" Gives me the chance to respond with a quick, "Yeah, I see it!!" Picks up right where he left off and finishes that scream he was in middle of. Persistence is the key?
He has been singing airplane songs all day so I'm taking the liberty of assuming he's excited about tomorrow's trip as well. :)
I know I've been quiet for a while here. I apologize, as usual. It's been a long month!
I don't really have much time now to write either, unfortunately, but I wanted to share something funny that happened this afternoon with Benny. We were on our way home from TJ Maxx (emergency suitcase shopping trip!) and he was having a full blown tantrum in the car. I'm talking screams that make you want to just jump out of the moving vehicle to avoid the horrible sound! Not stopping for breaths. Mid-scream, he noticed a boat on the back of a pickup truck next to us. Mid-scream, he calmly says, "Mommy, you see that boat? Wow!" Gives me the chance to respond with a quick, "Yeah, I see it!!" Picks up right where he left off and finishes that scream he was in middle of. Persistence is the key?
He has been singing airplane songs all day so I'm taking the liberty of assuming he's excited about tomorrow's trip as well. :)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
"You May Think That I'm a Dreamer, But I'm Not."
I know. I promised. I said I would write more often. I lied. I said it fully intending to do so, in my defense, but every time I get on the computer, I see the shortcut to my blog and I quickly look away. Pretend I didn't just see it. It's not like I'm not getting enough computer time, either. I get plenty! And I have internet on my phone so theoretically, I could do that too. But I just don't. And for that, dear blog of mine, I apologize. I'll get you a cute teddy bear that says 'You're my #1 blog!' or something to show you my true devotion. I just can't do the daily posting. Honestly, my life just isn't exciting enough for that! Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I miss you and then want to write. It's a harsh reality that must be faced.
**Brushing off my knees as I get up from my apologetic seat on the floor**
Sigh. Now that that's over with, on to more exciting things! Slowly, slowly, our apartment is getting unpacked, furniture is being found and set up, things are in an organizational state of mind! Except our bedroom. Which seems to be the 'Let's put it there for now' place. Hate that! Good thing I can close the door and ignore the room all day! Benny's new toy box
came today, he and I had fun organizing his room. He has a blue storage bench from Target, filled with books. A big, red pop-up hamper
holds all his stuffed animals. Manly ones, obviously. The toy storage bins
we got him in New York (when we lived there) are still full of whoozits and whatsits. The new blue and red toy box is holding most everything else, except for a few random things that are stored around the room. Next task is decorating the room. I have wall decals that match his linens but I have to see how they will affect the paint, this is a rental after all! I have his aleph bais chart and his ABC painting (great thrift shop find, btw) that need to go up. We need to find a place for his 'Benny' train that is befitting of the awesomeness it describes! All in due time, I say. All in due time.
The living room/everything room is slowly pulling together as well. When we first got out here we went and bought a small, cheapo TV stand at Walmart, 'just for now'. Weeks later, I have found a much nicer and bigger one on Craigslist and, alas, our temporary one has been sold. I do love Craigslist! We have some bookshelves, will need to get more still. Everything seems to have chosen it's corner and it's starting to feel like home! Benny has his bathroom, we have ours. It's so great to not have to worry about going into the shower half asleep only to be RUDELY awakened by one of his toys. Always the most painful ones, mind you! His toys stay in his zip code, he knows that!
If you have been keeping up with me, we are still working on Benny going to sleep on his own. Thankfully, it is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-w-l-y moving along! Naptimes and bedtime both, he eventually falls asleep on his own. We have a lot of false toilet emergencies, "Mommy, I got a booboo! I crying!!", pleas for someone to join him, having to go in there and sternly place him back in his bed, he plays for a while, and ends up sleeping at some point. Sometimes, he screams the whole time through until exhaustion kicks in. Those times are a lot of fun. Our neighbors pretty much love us. I can feel it in my bones. Tonight, I knew he wasn't asleep yet because Shuky sneezed in the kitchen and Benny yelled, "BLESS YOU TATTY!!"
By the way, as we've been unpacking, I have yet to find my diet and exercise routine. My head hangs shamefully low as I confess to this. I have not walked my nightly 4(ish) miles since a few weeks before moving. My middle section is yelling it to the world! My diet got left behind somewhere as well. Moving isn't easy you know! It took a lot to commit to that diet when I did. I know what I was getting into now and am in no rush to rejoin that lifestyle! Denial is so much easier! ROUND IS A SHAPE, PEOPLE!!!
We found a sitter, a girl Shuky is in school with. Had our first date night here in Ames. Pulled on one of my sheitels for the first time since the move. Even put on some eyeliner, although I did have to dig around to find it! (We've been kind of low-key since getting here.) Luckily, without our knowledge, Tuesday is $5 Day at the theater! Hooray! Saw 'Date Night for Schmucks', laughed alot, enjoyed ourselves. Came home to find out Benny never realized we were gone. That is the essence of a good babysitter, in my book. Worry-free time on the town! Could a mother ask for more?
I'm still waiting for the boxes to disappear before giving the virtual tour of our apartment. It will happen. It has to. Eventually we will need the things in those boxes! I just hope it comes about before we are packing to move to the next place!!
**Brushing off my knees as I get up from my apologetic seat on the floor**
Sigh. Now that that's over with, on to more exciting things! Slowly, slowly, our apartment is getting unpacked, furniture is being found and set up, things are in an organizational state of mind! Except our bedroom. Which seems to be the 'Let's put it there for now' place. Hate that! Good thing I can close the door and ignore the room all day! Benny's new toy box
came today, he and I had fun organizing his room. He has a blue storage bench from Target, filled with books. A big, red pop-up hamper holds all his stuffed animals. Manly ones, obviously. The toy storage bins we got him in New York (when we lived there) are still full of whoozits and whatsits. The new blue and red toy box is holding most everything else, except for a few random things that are stored around the room. Next task is decorating the room. I have wall decals that match his linens but I have to see how they will affect the paint, this is a rental after all! I have his aleph bais chart and his ABC painting (great thrift shop find, btw) that need to go up. We need to find a place for his 'Benny' train that is befitting of the awesomeness it describes! All in due time, I say. All in due time.The living room/everything room is slowly pulling together as well. When we first got out here we went and bought a small, cheapo TV stand at Walmart, 'just for now'. Weeks later, I have found a much nicer and bigger one on Craigslist and, alas, our temporary one has been sold. I do love Craigslist! We have some bookshelves, will need to get more still. Everything seems to have chosen it's corner and it's starting to feel like home! Benny has his bathroom, we have ours. It's so great to not have to worry about going into the shower half asleep only to be RUDELY awakened by one of his toys. Always the most painful ones, mind you! His toys stay in his zip code, he knows that!
If you have been keeping up with me, we are still working on Benny going to sleep on his own. Thankfully, it is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-w-l-y moving along! Naptimes and bedtime both, he eventually falls asleep on his own. We have a lot of false toilet emergencies, "Mommy, I got a booboo! I crying!!", pleas for someone to join him, having to go in there and sternly place him back in his bed, he plays for a while, and ends up sleeping at some point. Sometimes, he screams the whole time through until exhaustion kicks in. Those times are a lot of fun. Our neighbors pretty much love us. I can feel it in my bones. Tonight, I knew he wasn't asleep yet because Shuky sneezed in the kitchen and Benny yelled, "BLESS YOU TATTY!!"
By the way, as we've been unpacking, I have yet to find my diet and exercise routine. My head hangs shamefully low as I confess to this. I have not walked my nightly 4(ish) miles since a few weeks before moving. My middle section is yelling it to the world! My diet got left behind somewhere as well. Moving isn't easy you know! It took a lot to commit to that diet when I did. I know what I was getting into now and am in no rush to rejoin that lifestyle! Denial is so much easier! ROUND IS A SHAPE, PEOPLE!!!
We found a sitter, a girl Shuky is in school with. Had our first date night here in Ames. Pulled on one of my sheitels for the first time since the move. Even put on some eyeliner, although I did have to dig around to find it! (We've been kind of low-key since getting here.) Luckily, without our knowledge, Tuesday is $5 Day at the theater! Hooray! Saw 'Date Night for Schmucks', laughed alot, enjoyed ourselves. Came home to find out Benny never realized we were gone. That is the essence of a good babysitter, in my book. Worry-free time on the town! Could a mother ask for more?
I'm still waiting for the boxes to disappear before giving the virtual tour of our apartment. It will happen. It has to. Eventually we will need the things in those boxes! I just hope it comes about before we are packing to move to the next place!!
Friday, August 20, 2010
It's Raining Science!
Last night I went online and bought an annual family pass to the Science Center and the Blank Park Zoo. They had a combo deal to buy both together for an awesome price, so we did!
Shuky also started his orientation - of sorts - last night, continuing on to today and tomorrow. He will join tomorrow night as soon as Shabbos ends. Anyway, knowing that he would be gone all day and I needed some stuff from Macabee Deli, I decided to make a trip to Des Moines with Benny. I wanted to do the zoo but the rain persuaded me otherwise. We decided to check out the Science Center. Needless to say, Benny LOVED it!!
There were so many great hands-on exhibits. A great toddler area. Assembly tables. Benny and I built a paper rocket, launched it, watched it fly. Tweaked it. Watched it fly further. 40 feet, if you were wondering. That's how far it flew! Each time I tried moving Benny on to the next area, I had to drag him away from the current one. Luckily, I was not the only mother doing that. I would take that as a good sign! Kids love the place, it's so much fun! There's an IMAX too. We didn't make it in there today. Maybe some other time. :)
Alright, I have to get Shabbos ready, clean up shop, get some laundry finished up.
Have a good Shabbos people!
PS I had this whole post nicely typed and our internet decided to have a glitch while I was posting it. Hope I got everything back up!
Shuky also started his orientation - of sorts - last night, continuing on to today and tomorrow. He will join tomorrow night as soon as Shabbos ends. Anyway, knowing that he would be gone all day and I needed some stuff from Macabee Deli, I decided to make a trip to Des Moines with Benny. I wanted to do the zoo but the rain persuaded me otherwise. We decided to check out the Science Center. Needless to say, Benny LOVED it!!
There were so many great hands-on exhibits. A great toddler area. Assembly tables. Benny and I built a paper rocket, launched it, watched it fly. Tweaked it. Watched it fly further. 40 feet, if you were wondering. That's how far it flew! Each time I tried moving Benny on to the next area, I had to drag him away from the current one. Luckily, I was not the only mother doing that. I would take that as a good sign! Kids love the place, it's so much fun! There's an IMAX too. We didn't make it in there today. Maybe some other time. :)
Alright, I have to get Shabbos ready, clean up shop, get some laundry finished up.
Have a good Shabbos people!
PS I had this whole post nicely typed and our internet decided to have a glitch while I was posting it. Hope I got everything back up!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Toilet Woes & Bedtime Sorrows
Potty training is going dismally slow.
Bedtime is absolutely painful.
I can understand the toilet issues he's having, he's just barely two. But night-time should be much smoother at this point! There are many things I can try to blame this on, but we all know the 'If and Then' games lead nowhere. Facts are facts. Benny does not go to sleep on his own. Sometimes he really fights it and it takes him anywhere from an hour to two. Sometimes he just goes to sleep nicely, with one of us in his bed. Not often, not the nicely part anyway. One of us always has to be in bed with him, putting him to sleep. Tonight, I actually tried bribing him to go to sleep on his own. Put a nice new train next to his bed (out of his reach but within sight) and told him he would get to have it in the morning if he went to sleep by himself. At first he was very excited. Once he realized I intended to leave the room he said, "Umm, no thank you Mommy!" So I put him to sleep and his prize went back in the prize box.
Speaking of prize box, the longer it takes to get him potty trained, the more that box is going to keep costing. I'm not complaining, necessarily, just stating facts again. For #1, he gets a little treat, usually stickers that go into a fun sticker book he has. Sometimes little chocolates. #2, though, now that is a whole other story! This prize box is full of different Thomas trains
(Benny got the Take-Along
set from his Bobbe last summer), and a nice variety of Hotwheels
and Matchbox
cars. The good news is, we usually find the trains for cheaper at stores like TJ Maxx. The cars usually come in variety packs so we get those.
Anyway, just venting, I guess. Things will go the way they are supposed to, I'm not too worried. In general, he's a great kid and we have so much to be thankful for!
And right now I will go enjoy my treat I got earlier - I rented The Last Song
. :)
Bedtime is absolutely painful.
I can understand the toilet issues he's having, he's just barely two. But night-time should be much smoother at this point! There are many things I can try to blame this on, but we all know the 'If and Then' games lead nowhere. Facts are facts. Benny does not go to sleep on his own. Sometimes he really fights it and it takes him anywhere from an hour to two. Sometimes he just goes to sleep nicely, with one of us in his bed. Not often, not the nicely part anyway. One of us always has to be in bed with him, putting him to sleep. Tonight, I actually tried bribing him to go to sleep on his own. Put a nice new train next to his bed (out of his reach but within sight) and told him he would get to have it in the morning if he went to sleep by himself. At first he was very excited. Once he realized I intended to leave the room he said, "Umm, no thank you Mommy!" So I put him to sleep and his prize went back in the prize box.
Speaking of prize box, the longer it takes to get him potty trained, the more that box is going to keep costing. I'm not complaining, necessarily, just stating facts again. For #1, he gets a little treat, usually stickers that go into a fun sticker book he has. Sometimes little chocolates. #2, though, now that is a whole other story! This prize box is full of different Thomas trains
(Benny got the Take-Along set from his Bobbe last summer), and a nice variety of Hotwheels and Matchbox cars. The good news is, we usually find the trains for cheaper at stores like TJ Maxx. The cars usually come in variety packs so we get those.Anyway, just venting, I guess. Things will go the way they are supposed to, I'm not too worried. In general, he's a great kid and we have so much to be thankful for!
And right now I will go enjoy my treat I got earlier - I rented The Last Song
. :)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
What a Week!
Even though there has been A LOT going on since my last post, I haven't been feeling too great so let's catch up to now!
When I last left off, I mentioned we had serious flooding. I didn't put up any pictures for you or give you a real idea of what happened here. My internet is acting up so I can't post pictures now either but if you're a Facebook friend, go check out my August album! To put it mildly, it was utter insanity! Highways were completely submerged. Cars had about an inch showing, above the water that is. Stores were flooded, both Walmart and Target are still closed if I'm not mistaken. The Walmart we usually go to actually had employees who had to be rescued by boat to get them out! The entire city of Ames was under a 'boil your water' order. That was lifted just yesterday. Thankfully, we live in an area that did not have too much damage, nothing for us personally! Our little corner of Ames was actually completely dry by the following morning! Now, the night of the storm, the parking lot next to ours was completely flooded, there were some college guys swimming in it. Literally.
Let's see, what else has happened since then? Our washing machine in the apartment was having issues and being that this is the month that EVERYONE moves in, the maintenance list is a mile long (the office's words, not mine!) so today, after a week, our machine was fixed! Now I have oodles and oodles of laundry to do and absolutely no desire to do it! But alas, I must. And the battle of Chani vs. the laundry piles has begun.
Shabbos we stayed home. Read alot, relaxed alot, sat on the porch with Benny alot. Didn't actually leave the apartment. It was amazing!
Yesterday we went to the Iowa State Fair. Had an amazing time! Parked in someone's backyard for three dollars, thanks Caleb, instead of an official lot for ten! Spent almost the entire day there and way too much money! But we all had so much fun! They had toddler bumper boats, basically a large above ground swimming pool with a bunch of staff members standing around in it, helping the kids out. Benny went by himself. Twice. Would have moved into the boat if they would have let him. I'm talking kicking and screaming upon removal. I'm pretty sure he liked it.
There was this cool discover center type of program, teaches the concept of where things come from, in a food sort of way. Not where you and I come from, people. Sheesh! Basically, you start out with an apron and a wooden basket. You plant some seeds and go to the other side of the garden to pick what you planted. You harvest eggs from the chicken coop. You make diesel fuel out of soybeans so you can drive your tractor. There were more rooms to go through but Benny more or less freaked out when we pulled him off the tractor so our journey ended there. We went to the farmers' market area, sold all the things we had collected and were supposed to get some money to go spend in a cute little grocery store they really had there but again, we finished too soon, just returned the stuff and went on our merry way.
To the petting zoo, obviously. What's a Meyer outing without some animals to feed! Not that any of the animals were eating anymore, by the time we got there! It was about five at that point and these animals must have been completely stuffed. People were literally putting food up to the goats faces and the goats were just like, "Meh. Get a life dude. You should have come this morning!" But animals are animals and Benny was happy. Which is all that matters!
The fair is here until the 22nd, strongly considering going back! Twas an experience to remember!!
And now we are getting all our last minute fun in until Shuky starts school on Monday. As soon as B-Man gets up from his nap, we are going to light it up like it's dynamite!
When I last left off, I mentioned we had serious flooding. I didn't put up any pictures for you or give you a real idea of what happened here. My internet is acting up so I can't post pictures now either but if you're a Facebook friend, go check out my August album! To put it mildly, it was utter insanity! Highways were completely submerged. Cars had about an inch showing, above the water that is. Stores were flooded, both Walmart and Target are still closed if I'm not mistaken. The Walmart we usually go to actually had employees who had to be rescued by boat to get them out! The entire city of Ames was under a 'boil your water' order. That was lifted just yesterday. Thankfully, we live in an area that did not have too much damage, nothing for us personally! Our little corner of Ames was actually completely dry by the following morning! Now, the night of the storm, the parking lot next to ours was completely flooded, there were some college guys swimming in it. Literally.
Let's see, what else has happened since then? Our washing machine in the apartment was having issues and being that this is the month that EVERYONE moves in, the maintenance list is a mile long (the office's words, not mine!) so today, after a week, our machine was fixed! Now I have oodles and oodles of laundry to do and absolutely no desire to do it! But alas, I must. And the battle of Chani vs. the laundry piles has begun.
Shabbos we stayed home. Read alot, relaxed alot, sat on the porch with Benny alot. Didn't actually leave the apartment. It was amazing!
Yesterday we went to the Iowa State Fair. Had an amazing time! Parked in someone's backyard for three dollars, thanks Caleb, instead of an official lot for ten! Spent almost the entire day there and way too much money! But we all had so much fun! They had toddler bumper boats, basically a large above ground swimming pool with a bunch of staff members standing around in it, helping the kids out. Benny went by himself. Twice. Would have moved into the boat if they would have let him. I'm talking kicking and screaming upon removal. I'm pretty sure he liked it.
There was this cool discover center type of program, teaches the concept of where things come from, in a food sort of way. Not where you and I come from, people. Sheesh! Basically, you start out with an apron and a wooden basket. You plant some seeds and go to the other side of the garden to pick what you planted. You harvest eggs from the chicken coop. You make diesel fuel out of soybeans so you can drive your tractor. There were more rooms to go through but Benny more or less freaked out when we pulled him off the tractor so our journey ended there. We went to the farmers' market area, sold all the things we had collected and were supposed to get some money to go spend in a cute little grocery store they really had there but again, we finished too soon, just returned the stuff and went on our merry way.
To the petting zoo, obviously. What's a Meyer outing without some animals to feed! Not that any of the animals were eating anymore, by the time we got there! It was about five at that point and these animals must have been completely stuffed. People were literally putting food up to the goats faces and the goats were just like, "Meh. Get a life dude. You should have come this morning!" But animals are animals and Benny was happy. Which is all that matters!
The fair is here until the 22nd, strongly considering going back! Twas an experience to remember!!
And now we are getting all our last minute fun in until Shuky starts school on Monday. As soon as B-Man gets up from his nap, we are going to light it up like it's dynamite!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Benny - The Unedited Version
He is amazing. I can't get enough of him. Honestly! The things he says and does, I cry from laughing! Every person that walks past him gets a, "Hi, how are you?" No matter where we are, who it is. We sit out on the deck all the time. Of course, everyone in the parking lot gets a personal greeting as well!
He sings every song from Kivi & Tuki
at the top of his lungs, word for word, irregardless of where we are. It's usually in the middle of stores. I love it. He's also obsessed with Elmo's World
, as is every other kid under five on the planet.
Today, we were out there have some Play-Dough
fun - on the good advice of some persuasive Weberman/Feeley women - and someone sneezed in the far end of the parking lot. Benny looks around and yells out, "BLESS YOU!!!" and continues making his giraffe. He loves the Play-Dough
set he has. I was hoping to get some color recognition covered with it. Surprisingly, he isn't very good with colors. Every time we talked about brown, he refused to say it any other way than 'brownie', he is truly my child!! ;)
**BTW, if you're crafty at all, there's a great recipe for home made Play-Dough on FreidaFroo, a great mom-blog that I follow religiously. Enjoy!**
Tonight, while putting him to sleep, I turned to him and said, "Do you want to show Mommy that you're such a big boy?"
To which he responded, "YES!!!"
"Ok," I said. "Mommy will leave the room and Benny will go to sleep all by himself!"
He thought about this for a minute. "No thank you Mommy."
PS We switched to Sprint today, each got the Samsung Moment
. Very excited to have a great new phone that **GASP** has reception in our apartment! Due to the mega floods in Ames, we had to go to the store in Ankeny, about 19 miles away, took about half an hour to get there because of highways being flooded out and non-drivable!
He sings every song from Kivi & Tuki
at the top of his lungs, word for word, irregardless of where we are. It's usually in the middle of stores. I love it. He's also obsessed with Elmo's World, as is every other kid under five on the planet.Today, we were out there have some Play-Dough
fun - on the good advice of some persuasive Weberman/Feeley women - and someone sneezed in the far end of the parking lot. Benny looks around and yells out, "BLESS YOU!!!" and continues making his giraffe. He loves the Play-Dough set he has. I was hoping to get some color recognition covered with it. Surprisingly, he isn't very good with colors. Every time we talked about brown, he refused to say it any other way than 'brownie', he is truly my child!! ;)**BTW, if you're crafty at all, there's a great recipe for home made Play-Dough on FreidaFroo, a great mom-blog that I follow religiously. Enjoy!**
Tonight, while putting him to sleep, I turned to him and said, "Do you want to show Mommy that you're such a big boy?"
To which he responded, "YES!!!"
"Ok," I said. "Mommy will leave the room and Benny will go to sleep all by himself!"
He thought about this for a minute. "No thank you Mommy."
PS We switched to Sprint today, each got the Samsung Moment
. Very excited to have a great new phone that **GASP** has reception in our apartment! Due to the mega floods in Ames, we had to go to the store in Ankeny, about 19 miles away, took about half an hour to get there because of highways being flooded out and non-drivable!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Amesians
You'll have to excuse my absence over the last few days. It's been a busy week, getting unpacked, settled in, exploring our new neighborhood.
We found an adorable public wading pool, love the fact that two exits away (meaning two miles away) are all the stores - Target, Walmart, Kmart, Sam's Club, Starbucks, HyVee, etc - we could ever need, changed our address on our licenses, became members of the Ames Public Library - by far the greatest public library on the face of the earth!
Benny has really settled in nicely. He loves our deck, almost demands to eat his food out there on a daily basis. When we get to the second floor, he knows which door is ours.
We've been trying very hard to get unpacked in an organized manner so we don't have to backtrack. Let it take a little longer to get through the boxes but at least after all is done, we'll be able to find everything! :)
Eating delicious food, getting over a cold, enjoying life.
Come visit!
We found an adorable public wading pool, love the fact that two exits away (meaning two miles away) are all the stores - Target, Walmart, Kmart, Sam's Club, Starbucks, HyVee, etc - we could ever need, changed our address on our licenses, became members of the Ames Public Library - by far the greatest public library on the face of the earth!
Benny has really settled in nicely. He loves our deck, almost demands to eat his food out there on a daily basis. When we get to the second floor, he knows which door is ours.
We've been trying very hard to get unpacked in an organized manner so we don't have to backtrack. Let it take a little longer to get through the boxes but at least after all is done, we'll be able to find everything! :)
Eating delicious food, getting over a cold, enjoying life.
Come visit!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
I Said I Would!
In an effort to stick with my goal, I am writing. Doesn't matter that technically it's tommorrow already. My day has not ended yet, so in my book it's still today. But take heed before reading further, I have been up since the ungodly hour of 6:30, out ALL day with Benny, more or less on my own. Driving for a good portion of the day too. So words may sound good to me but not make any sense at all. Like I said before, take heed.
To repeat, 6:30 am - that was me grumbling as I made my way around the house. Got myself dressed. Got Benny to eat his cereal and get dressed. Packed enough food to go on vacation for a week. Packed enough diapers for two. Lugged everything to the car. Went to my father's house to steal his GPS and found his recycling strewn all over the neighbor's lawn, thanks to last night's storm. Being the dutiful daughter I am, picked up said recycling, all wet and gross. Got filthy. Didn't have time to go home to change. Touched bases with the Slaters. Started my road trip. Realized I forgot to stop for coffee. Poop. (Not the action word, that's raw emotion people!)
The good part started around 9:30. That's when I strapped Benny in to the stroller (which I lugged to the car this morning) and made my way into the Lands End Warehouse Clearance Event for the shopping expedition of a lifetime. They hand you a 35 gallon garbage bag when you walk in. That's your shopping cart. The place was HUGE! Filled from wall to wall with pure amazingness. I'm talking long denim skirts for $5, rain boots for $7, mens pants for $7.50, super fluffy fleece sweaters for $6. Let's put it this way - my one fully stuffed bag and half of another came out to $95. I'm pretty sure I got good deals! :) I didn't even try things on - at these prices, I know I can find someone to buy the stuff from me if it doesn't work! Imagine the lines. They were advising people to put their bags on hold by customer service, go get something to eat, and come back to try things on. The checkout line was about 20-25 minutes long. Doable. When you don't have a kid ready to shoot you and everyone around you. I did it anyway. Oh, by the way, thank you to that little girl who kept handing Benny the things I was busy taking away from him. I'm going to mail you a really large box of junk food. Don't eat it until Mom tells you it's time for bed!!
The best part about the sale was doing it with the Slaters! Benny and Moshe Alex took full advantage of mommies freely giving them lollipops (definitely sure Benny finished most of the bag himself, in M.A.'s defense!) But they also had an awesome time when we let them run free in the playground!
From there, we continued on to Madison, about an hour past Dodgeville. My father's flight wasn't coming in until late in the evening but I had a fun day planned for me and Mr. B. We went straight to the Henry Vilas Zoo, a volunteer-run zoo with free entrance. Don't let that fool you into thinking it was a dinky little place. This place honestly rocked! There were a ton of great exhibits, although there were quite a few that were closed temporarily. There was a goat feeding station, a walk through 'Discover the Primates' exhibit with great views of the different monkeys, and my favorite part of all - the kiddie area. A ride on train, an amazing playground, and Benny's favorite - the carousel. He chose the tiger to sit on. When the ride started, his eyes went wide in amazement. "Mommy, the tiger is flying!" And every time we passed the guy running the thing, he waved and yelled that to him. When we walked off, the guy shook Benny's hand and said, "Come back soon!" Benny took that very literally. He turned to me and asked, "Mommy, Benny come back soon???" We went again. This time it took a few tries until he found the perfect animal to sit on! We started on the elephant, moved to the giraffe, and ended up on the cheetah. He was ecstatic! Wanted to go again. I literally had to shove him back into his stroller, kicking and screaming. He was, that is. I just wanted the Earth to swallow me up.
We continued our day with a trip to Barnes and Noble, or is it Nobles? I can never remember! Anyway, we love their train tables they have set up. Benny was there for about an hour. Saw many other kids come and go. All taller than him. Not necessarily older than him. He was very reluctant to leave there as well, but we had places to go and things to do!
Went to the mall, had to pick up a couple things. Got him the neatest little beanie at Gap. As I described it to my sister, it's 'very Park Slopey.' That slouchy beanie style that just gives off an 'I'm way too cool' kinda vibe. He's way too cool.
At that point, we headed over to the airport to find out that El Padre was delayed. Still in Chicago, in fact, so, very delayed! We worked our way over to Old Navy, got me some boring, same-as-every-summer-but-super-comfortable tshirts. Continued on to Target, got Benny a Harold the Helicopter
to go with his train sets in honor of his (mostly) good behavior thus far. Headed back to the airport to wait for the big arrival.
to go with his train sets in honor of his (mostly) good behavior thus far. Headed back to the airport to wait for the big arrival.Had we waited, Benny would not have his nifty little helicopter. We'll just put it that way. To say that he wasn't happy the entire way home is an understatement, and a gross one at that. Can't say for sure what all the screaming was about, only understood bits and pieces, such as "NO MORE MOMMY'S CAR!!!!" and "I want my shoes OFF! NO! I want them ON! NO! I want them OFF!" Put that math symbol that means repeat over that screamtance (that's my new word, by the way, it's how Benny's sentences come out) and you get a pretty good understanding of where I'm going with this.
We stopped at WalMart for a bit, diaper change was needed (don't worry, he pulled the 'I want to go on the toilet Mommy' line MANY times in the car!) and a little less energy sounded great. Took us half an hour to get him back in the car. Many times of me asking, "Benny, you ready to head home yet?" To which he politely responded, "Not yet, Mommy."
To make a long story even longer, I got home at about 12:30. Unloaded EVERYTHING from the car, let Shuky get the sleeping Benny (FINALLY!!) and came straight to my safe place - this computer :)
And now, I must peel my contacts out of my eyes, (hopefully my pupils will stay put!) and go to sleep. Tomorrow, we load the truck, even though I'm not done packing yet! Eep! Wish us luck!!!
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