How to Potty Train [Your Duck]

Perhaps my most proud mommy moment to date was the other day when Blaine [unprompted], decided his ducks needed to go potty too.

STEP 1: Put ducks on potty.


STEP 2: Read your ducks their favorite tractor books. STEP 3: Thoroughly wipe off all duck butts.

STEP 4: Go dump the duck pee in the bathroom. [He actually ran it in there and "dumped" it too!]

I love that kid!!

Farmchick's Farm Photo Blog Hop

Wearing his tractor pull shirt to church. Doesn't get more country than that (LOL): One of several new Christmas gak gaks:

This week's farm theme is, "BLAINE LOVES PLAYING OUTSIDE IN THE COLD BUT HATES WEARING GLOVES!!!"

He is fine until he realizes he wants to pick something up and can't. Then he gets mad and rips off the gloves.

I neeeeed advice on how to keep gloves on him. He has even figured out how to get off the ones that double snap to his coat.

Duck tape?

Merry Christmas: Santa Fail

I'm one of those people who gets stressed out about Christmas presents. Like I hate them. Really hate them. Really really hate them. I hate bringing them home and having to find a place for them. So in turn, I basically don't buy people Christmas presents, and if they insist on getting me something, I request toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, batteries, etc. Things I can use. I kid you not, I get them too. It is great! Some people don't listen and some of their gifts end up at Goodwill. I kid you not.

Now that I have a child, I had a Christmas dilemma. Last year we didn't get him anything. This year I bought him 4 used books on Amazon.com for $0.01 each [ok yes you have to pay shipping], but caved and let him read them the minute they came in the mail. {Santa Fail #1}. I also was planning on giving him a bag of hand-me-down toys [thanks George / Peg / Heather] from "Santa". Well, last minute, Santa decided to not come again this year, so Blaine can get the toys in February when the toys from his grandparents have worn out their welcome and we are reallly having cabin fever! {Santa Fail #2}

Let's face it though, Christmas is all about having fun and playing with your cousins!! Blaine had a great time doing just that! After four Christmas gatherings, the dust is settling, dadda is back to work, and we are getting back into a routine [NOT]. Babies staying up until 11 pm is a recipe for long-term messed up schedules! ;)

Farmchick's Farm Photo Friday

Here in Ohio we've had a WARM WARM WARM WARM December! No snow yet this season and great temps to be outdoors. Blaine has been loving it!

I follow a local farm on facebook and on their wall it said, "Stop on by our Holiday Open House Sunday from 1-3". I was totally excited, thinking Blaine would love to see the horses, animals, and tractors. Well, long story short, we get there and it is a party for the people who board their horses there. LOL!! Opps! Totally their fault though (IMO), and they know us so had no problem letting us take Blaine around the farm. HE HAD A BALL!

Apparently, the Belgian horse above is not far off the world record height of 20.1 hands. I learn something everyday!

They Don't Teach This in Childrearing Classes

You know how you take childbirth, breastfeeding, and child-care classes to prepare you for things you will face as a parent?

No one taught me what to do when my child is up all night vomitting and my husband is out of the state.

Yes Blaine got his first tummy bug last night and I was alone.

Here are the strategies I used:

Make sure to call husband who is warm and asleep in his hotel room. Just to fill him in with the miserable conditions at home. If you are losing LOTS of sleep and are VERY miserable, maybe call again. I only called once so things must have been only semi-miserable. ;)

Stop changing the sheets after the third set have been puked on. Just cover puke with a towel. Repeat with new towel when necessary.

Only bath child at 3 am if so much vomit is in his hair that you can't handle the stench while you are sleeping beside him.

Only change his jammies and / or your jammies when so much vomit is on them that the wetness is causing hypothermia.

There you have it! We survived! No more vomit since 4 AM and the diarrhea he has had today so far has gone in the potty [score!!].

Hope Blaine is on the mend and I REALLY hope I don't get it! Today I have waaay too much laundry to do! He puked in my bed AND in his! :(

Back to School

Breastfeeding class that is! I'm going with my pregnant friend to her bfing class tomorrow and I'm soooo excited! Breastfeeding is something I didn't predict I'd like all that much but now that I've been doing it for 16+ months, I'm a big fan.

LOL.

But while we are talking about school, I'm 97% sure I'm going back to teaching next year. I've been very much on the fence for the last year and a half, so this is as close as I've come to being sure about the decision. It is 100% the wrong decision for the next 8 years of our lives but definitely the right decision for the long run. It is my dream job, it is the perfect job for me, I realize I miss it, I love making an impact on so many lives, I love teenagers and all their energy, and it makes me jealous and angry to think of my sub "stealing" my position, my SMARTBoard, my classroom, etc [this girl never even had to interview!!!!!!!!].

Plus now that it is rainy / cold everyday, I'm definitely going 100% INSANE. I think 2 years off is / was the perfect amount for me. The thing I'm having the hardest time with is the bedtime thing. Blaine sleeps 8:30 pm - 8:30 am give or take 45 minutes or so on each of those times. If I'm getting him up next year at 6:15, suddenly we are looking at a 6:15 bedtime. I know lots of you mommy's out there have always had your kids on that type of schedule, but we haven't. And it really REALLLLY will have to change how we live our lives [we aren't even home until after 8 most nights]. Plus he will probably never see Nick in the evenings who will be switching to 10 hour days next year so he can get one day off per week to babysit. Gah. Plus the obvious, I WILL MISS BLAINE SO MUCH.

But I will manage and eventually I will adjust.

PS must share an old pic I am in love with:

Going on a Walk

Talk about the perfect sun angle!!