Parenting Rules

These are the "rules" I often break. I never said I was a good mom, I just said I was a mom.

• I let Buster jump on the bed
• He often watches much more than just 30 minutes of TV a day
• He has had pie for breakfast and lunch
• I knowingly let him color on himself with marker because I thought it was funny
• I have sworn in front of him
• I don't always get him dressed during the day
• He often wears his clothes to bed
• I let him eat in the living room

What rules do/did you break?

Art Class

Last time at art class we decorated pumpkins. Buster decorated his all by himself. As we were creating I was talking to Buster and told him how I didn't like eyeballs because they scared me. Naturally, he decorated his pumpkin in nothing but eyeballs then...

Hiking

Last weekend it was gorgeous outside. Like 70 degrees gorgeous. We thought it might be fun to go to the zoo. We figured it would be busy since it was so nice outside but that we could handle it. Little did we know that it was Family Free Fun Day so about 75% of the population of Milwaukee also decided to go to the zoo. Considering that neither Big Jimmy nor I particularly enjoy crowds, we bailed. Thankfully Buster was asleep so he bought our story about how the zoo was sleeping (I will be very sad when he doesn't just blindly believe everything I say, but for now I take full advantage of it). We decided to go to Grant Park to walk through the woods for a spell instead. Below are pictures of our adventure. The last picture is Buster's portrait of Jimmy and I.

Finally, an update!

Man, two things - first I didn't realize that people actually read this blog. Second, I can't believe it's been 2 months since my last update! Yikes! What have I been doing in that time? Trying to find a new job and trying my hand at being a stay at home mom, both of which are like full time jobs in and of themselves. But...since my sister has threatned to disown me, I will now attempt to rekindle the blog.

So what have we been doing these past two months? In bullet point (because I like lists)

• Buster knows "right" from "left". I can tell him to turn right and he knows exactly where to go
• I have lost 30 pounds since I've been home. Apparently I was stress eating...a lot.
• Buster can count to 13. After thirteen he skips to 17 and 18 and then just repeats (17, 18, 17, 18, 17, 18)
• The Xbox is broken which means we have no Netflix which means Buster is trying to adjust to life without Dora.
• I signed Buster up for an art class and he loves it. I will post another blog about his Halloween art project.
• Big Jimmy often asks what we do during the day. Here's a breakdown. We play in bed for a while, we dance, we make funny noises at each other (yesterday it was the gutteral German sound ), we go to the park, we chase each other around, we watch TV, we nap.
• The other day Buster drew a picture of his "sister". I'm not quite sure where he got that idea
• It is only November and Buster is already obsessed with Santa
• I have once again taken up knitting.
• Buster often helps me cook dinner - it's his job to add the spices.
• Buster knows his name ("I Jimmy")
• Buster orders his own dinner on the rare occasions we go out
• Buster does not like stuffed grape leaves, everything else is pretty much fair game
• I've learned that speaking toddler is like speaking a second language

Allow me to vent for a moment

I love my son. More than I value my own life, I value his.

However,

I am tired of being hit in the ankles with cars/strollers/anything he pushes around.
I am tired to being physically pushed to where he wants me to go.
I am tired of being tugged on and pulled.
I am tired of having him climb all over me.

I would just like five minutes of personal space. Is that too much to ask?

Ready for winter...almost

Don't get in an accident

A non-Buster post -

Jim has been working insane hours so we're both stressed. He's stressed from working until 4 in the morning and I'm stressed from having no Buster breaks. Yesterday I decided we needed a treat so I was going to go to Culver's and get some custard for us.

Jim - "You're going out like that? Don't you want to change?"

Me - "I'm just going through the drive through, it'll be fine" (I have no make up on, my hair is in pig tails and my shirt is spaghetti stained from Buster's "help" cooking dinner).

Jim - "Okay, just don't get in an accident because I'm not going to claim you at the hospital"