Tough Couple of Days for Carrie

Yesterday, Shane had an allergy panel.

He was not happy with the whole process. Carrie said he started thrashing and hitting well before the test. He even headbutted the doctor. I got an "I am emotionally exhausted" email from her while at work.

Thankfully, I was able to leave work on time. Carrie took Shane to PetSmart to get a new fish filter and I met up with my babe and baby to help out.

Today, Carrie's tooth fell out again!

Carrie rushed to the dentist, but they were't able to work her in until later. The dentist said the filling/cap wouldn't work anymore. The new plan involved grinding down the rest of the tooth and fitting a crown (sounds like fun). Carrie was only fitted with a temporary crown today, and she'll have to go back later in March after the surgery to remove her tumor.

Throughout this, my parents were a huge help. They held on to Shane willingly.

I left my night class early when it was clear Carrie wouldn't be done at the dentist before 6 PM.

Pop-Pop and Shane were playing when I finally weaved through enough traffic to make it! Shane was in love with a new game Pop-Pop made. Shane would shout "TIMBER!" and then Pop-Pop would stretch up tall and slooowly fall forward to get him!  When Shane learned I would play 'Timber' too he made me fall over by myself 10 times in a row. Maybe that goes with the whole 'anti-Daddy' behavior, or maybe he just thought it was hilarious I would do what he asked! Ha ha. My boy was happy and playing with Pop-Pop and me, so I was fine with it either way. It made for a nicer way to end the night.

We stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way home and the lady gave Shane a free pair of donut holes to see if he preferred glazed or chocolate*! The kid is a cutie. He's already getting free stuff from women. I'll have to drill the whole monogamy thing in if I don't want 20 grandkids.

Or do I? Hmmm......

Just kidding.

Wait until you're married, Shane!

Carrie fell asleep on the couch, so I think I'll go upstairs to finish my last 15 minutes of Lent reading.

Night, world.

*Glazed was the winner, by the way. We'll see if that changes as Shane gets older!

If You Look Close Enough..

If you look at this picture close enough....

....and then click you may notice something.

A Singing Boy

Shane doesn't like it when I sing anymore unless it's one of a few, select songs.

Like "The Wheels on the Bus!"

Even then, Shane prefers to do the singing himself. I'm allowed to sing some of the harder lines.

Shane knows many verses:

Wheels: "Round and round"
Wipers: "Swish swish swish!"
Horn: "Beep beep beep!"
Babies: "Wah wah wah!"
Mommies: "I wuv u" or "Shh shh shh!" (We try to get him to do "I love you," but I suspect Nana does "Shh shh shh"

Sometimes Shane will improvise and the song will be about a garbage truck instead of a bus! He can get really into it when he's not on camera!

Shane's First Snow...

...shoveling attempt.

I think it was the first time Shane was outside in the snow running around too!

I can't believe I never posted this! There was a two hour delay that day. I went out to shovel and Shane loved running around with me. He was not happy when I was ready to go in and warm up.

One day, he'll be big enough to shovel himself and he can stay out and shovel the whole driveway (and the neighbor's too) if he wants!

Min

Good kitty.

Do You Know What YOUR SON Did? #3

I walked in from work yesterday to a "Do you know what YOUR SON did?"

Lately, Shane's been jamming his hand done the back of his diaper. 

Friday, he dug down and found 'brown gold.'

Carrie and Dan had a chat when Dan got back from work before me. Shane ran into a corner and turned to face Mommy (hiding the 'dirty' deed).

Carrie caught on pretty quick, but it was too late. She marched over to Shane, pulled his hand out, and got a surprise!

It gets better.

When Carrie was watching Shane's hands in the sink, Shane managed to slip away his freshly cleaned hand and stick it right back in the mud! Ha ha!

I can't laugh too loud, though. 

The stink did the same thing to me today (my reflexes were better and there were no repeat digs, though!). 

Methinks it's about time to start potty training.

First DYKWYSD? post.

Second DYKWYSD? post.

...and because it's funny: Shane's finest moment.

A Grandpa Vern Story

Wednesday, I was stuck in traffic and angry. People were swerving around, cutting each other off, pulling illegal maneuvers and generally telegraphing"I don't care about anyone else; I'm going to get what's mine and I don't care if it makes the situation worse for everyone else."

I happened to be on the phone with Grandma Lois on my 45 minute, 6 mile commute. My complaints reminded her of a story involving my grandfather.

Once, when Grandma Lois and Grandpa Vern were in Canada, they were in a long line. A man and his family waltzed their way up to the front of the line and cut-in without a second thought.

Grandpa, in his quiet manner, stepped out of line and walked over. He tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "In Nebraska, the line starts at the end."

Grandpa never raised his voice. He never made an angry gesture.

The man and his family turned around and went back outside.

Grandpa wasn't a big guy, but he could be the kind of guy that everyone listened to (boy, that would be useful as a teacher).

Grandpa also had a long list of catchphrases:

On how he could always nap: "Clean living and a clear conscience."

When asked where someone was: "Out among'em."

When asked where that was: "Down at the cornerfrickle by the tennifris."

When greeting an old friend "I'm glad you're here. You're the only one here uglier than me!"

He also had a patented chuckle.

I'm probably off on some of the quotes, so if you knew Grandpa feel free to correct me or chime in. He was on my mind this week/weekend after Grandma mentioned him.

Anti-Daddy

"Daddy bye-bye! That way!"

I've been hearing that a lot lately.

"Daddy go!" and "Daddy hide!" are two other phrases in the local vernacular.

Shane loves his Mommy. Anyone who hugs his mommy without his approval is the enemy.

And he never approves!

I'm sure it's a phase almost all little boys go through: Mommy-itis. Shane has even started calling out "Mommy!" in the mornings instead of "Daddy!" (as of Tuesday).

I'll win him back when he's a little older.

There's only two times of day that I'm a total rockstar: bath time and bed time. I'm also the outdoors parent, but I'm only in his good graces until it's time to go back inside (then I'm the enemy once again).

Shane loves the bath and I'm always the bath parent. He makes me blow bubbles (" DADDY BLOW!?") and recently I started spitting bath water ("DADDY SPIT?!").  Last night, I showed Shane a spit bubble. The kid made me make them continuously for the next 10 minutes until I had dry mouth!

Carrie gets a little upset whenever I mention I'm the parent non-grata. I think it's funny, because it doesn't really upset me. I figure it's just a phase and I can harass him about it when he's older.

Carrie knows the intense Mommy-love could be a phase, too.

Once when Shane was nuzzling her, she looked at him and said "One day when you're older and embarrassed of me because I'm your mother, I'm going to remind you there was a time you were so jealous you'd kick anyone who hugged me!"

I think it's cute how much she's enjoying it now.

I also think it's funny that she can't sneak out of the room for a break without Shane noticing and I can check my email at will!

Humor

Shane picked up his green and pink ball.

"TWO BALLS!"he yelled.

"That's right! You have two balls!" Mommy replied.

Not wanting to be left out of a family moment, I chipped in.  "So does Daddy!"

My sense of humor is going to get me in trouble when Shane's older.

Tumor

Carrie went to the surgeon today and they said it's a tumor. She's scheduled to have it removed in March.

I don't think it's anything to panic over yet, but prayers that it isn't cancer would be highly appreciated.

I'll certainly be praying.

IFSP Meeting today

The doctor referring Shane to child find: stressful.

Deciding to contact child find and get an informal assessment: less stressful.

The formal assessment: stressful (especially for Carrie).

Shane's first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) review today: not stressful at all.

Shane's case manager and therapist came over today at 4 PM for the six-month review of his progress.

I was there, but I was sitting in a car in the garage.

I was on my way home from work at 3:30 PM when I called Carrie. My wife told me "don't come in."

Lately, Shane's been an extreme Mommy's boy. He's also taken an anti-Daddy stance (post to follow). I get lots of "Daddy Bye-Byes!" and if I try to hug Carrie for more than a moment Shane squeezes himself in between us.

Sometimes, he also throws a small fit when I get home from work. The therapist, Georgeanne, wanted to see one when she arrived at 4.

I made a gas detour and my wife put my Bible out in the garage so I could start my Lent reading.

I didn't come in until Carrie texted me an invitation.

No fit.

Shane had a cat toy with a helicopter tied to the end he was slinging around full force. He smiled, showed me his toy, and resumed endangering everyone in reach.

I was relieved. Nothing makes you feel more welcomed home than a temper tantrum and I can't say I was looking forward to his temper tantrum being evaluated by a specialist. Especially because it was about me.

In reality, Shane throws lots of fits when random people show up at our house or we pick him up from Nana Day-Care. I think that: 1) Shane doesn't like transitions and 2) he's really bad at playing favorites. Carrie's in and anyone who could take away Mommy time is the enemy!

When our case manager, Janice, arrived Shane threw one of his fits. He swatted the air and then ran and knocked over some of his toys to show his displeasure (I admit, I felt a little vindicated).

From there, the meeting when in to a full discussion of Shane's progress and his needs. Both women had great things to say. They were extremely helpful and supportive. A social worker was added to answer questions about Shane's behavior and there is a chance we could get free pre-school through the county if Shane qualifies. I would be a little worried about paying more for the extra services, but with Carrie's reduced hours and pending job loss, our income dropped enough that we no longer have a co-pay for any of our services. I'm very glad that we live in the proactive county we do!

The best of all, though, was Shane was happy the whole time Georganne and Janice were here! Mommy was playing with him and he had an audience! He laughed; he giggled. Shane ran circles and from room to room. Would wonders never cease? It was like he knew there were outsiders in the house and wanted Carrie and I to look like A+ parents. I appreciated it.

The only downside was the meeting took close to 2 hours. The ladies were really into word-smithing some of the goals. I was less concerned. They've convinced me through their actions in the past that they have my sons best interests at heart. If I felt otherwise, I would play the "I know a lot about Special Education too" game. Thankfully, that was (and is) not the case.

Janice has Carrie signed up to visit a preschool program through the county Thursday morning. We'll know more then about whether or not we'd want to have Shane receive services through them or stick with the preschool Carrie signed him up for.

Easy to Bed

Bed time has been startlingly easy as of late.

I give Shane his sippy cup of milk downstairs, he chugs, I take him upstairs, say prayers, and he goes to bed.

That's it.

It's a far cry from when Shane decided he was done with his crib and from the days of singing to him as he lulled himself down. 

Bedtime used to take anywhere from 5-30 minutes.

The longest part of our routine now is saying our good-night prayer. Shane always gives me the goofiest, ear-to-ear smile when I say "Amen."

Shane's been easy to nap and easy to bed for the past week or two.

Now if only he didn't wake up at 5:40 this morning on a holiday...

(Ha, ha. I'm not really bitter, but it was a good ending line...oh wait, I just wrote this. Crap.)

Farewell Lunch

Today was the farewell lunch for my sister, Megan, and her husband, Billy. The two of them are going to be going overseas to India to work for a couple of years.

I guess it's fitting that we went to a Mongolian grill! (That country is close to India, so it counts! Right?)

I don't think that anyone who really knows my sister can be overly surprised that she's going to travel the world for her career. 

The twins are essentially fearless.

Bridge jumping, cliff jumping, jet skiing, and snowboarding are included in just some of their hijinks. I remember in high school, they rolled the trampoline next to the garage. Then they videotaped themselves jumping off the house onto it for a school project (I wonder how conflicted the teacher was between giving them extra credit and calling their parents).

As stated, my blonde, always smiling, petite sisters are essentially fearless.

Both of them have a bit of the wanderlust running through their veins, as well. Kathleen got married and went the family route, but Megan is still in adventure mode. She lived in a hotel and worked in Ireland, moved to New York City, and decided to teach herself Russian before going for a three month trip to Russia to learn it even better. 

I think she and her husband are going to have a blast in India. Megan's been learning Hindi and there's a whole new culture to explore.

I asked for a picture of her with a monkey. From what I've read and Megan's told me, monkey's are basically annoying and aggressive overgrown-squirrels. The US Embassy has a trained baboon to piss around their building to scare the smaller monkeys off before big events.

India should be right up Megan's alley. It'll be fun to read about her exploits when she starts emailing them out. I may have to start posting them here!

Back to the restaurant.

I was hoping for some shock and awe when I suggested the Genghis Grill.

Imaginary Nana: "Why did we get these metal bowls? Wait! Why is all the food at the buffet raw? What kind of a restaurant is this!?"

It turns out that my Aunt Beth already introduced Nana to the Mongolian grilling experience in Nebraska (the horde has spread that far!). It wasn't a total loss, because Jama was a new-comer! 

Shane and Baby Cole kept the adults up and moving. We had to eat and say our farewells in shifts. 

A kind (but foolish) server gave Shane a spoon to whack a gong while Nana had him. Shane turned around and smacked a spice rack instead! Nana said that "it didn't all spill!"

UPDATE: Megan started her own blog, and her first post mentions how she and Kathleen were afraid to go too far from home. They've always been bonded to each other and the family, but I think Megan has had too many amazing adventures for that sort of fear to stop her now! 

Lent 2013

In keeping with my goal of reading the bible, I decided to read for 30 minutes a day in lieu of giving something up. The goal is to get my reading done before MechWarrior Online's siren call snags me.

Only When You Least Expect It...

Have you ever noticed how things happen all at once? They're never piecemeal.

Oh, and by 'things' I mean 'why did this have to happen right now' things!

Carrie was on the computer at a live online class for me. Shane and I were upstairs in the cat room.

I brought Shane back downstairs and started to sneeze non-stop. Shane was disgruntled we weren't outside. Carrie bit into a piece of toast and broke her tooth.

It would've made for great comedy in a movie.

Shane ran around; I was tried to corral him from Carrie in between sneezes (and with snot dripping); Carrie raced to the bathroom for a mirror dental check-up. The dentist's office was closed, the class continued without me since I had Shane, and I think something else happened, but my memory is getting fuzzy with parent-itis (it'll hit in full force when Shane's a teenager....only his adulthood will cure it).

My wife has a great sense of humor, though.

She took these photos after the fact!

Meeting New People

Shane and I met Michael, Jessica and their 16-month son, Daniel, from across the street today.

Shane torpedoed straight into Daniel, knocked him over, and made him cry.

Oops.

Shane and I went outside to kick the ball and brave the elements as our neighbors were walking by. They had dogs in tow, including one that looked a little like Indy, so Shane raced over to say 'Hello.'

Introductions were made and as the adults talked, Shane ran in circles around us. Daniel, twin snot rockets dripping slowly turning to snot-cicles, watched.

At one point, Shane charged straight for Daniel. Just before he got there, he tripped, threw out his hands, and lanced them into Daniel's gut. My heart lurched.

Both boys went down.

Daniel started to cry.

Thankfully, Daniel's parents were nonplussed. "He's fallen off slides harder than that!"

Shane got up and seemed fascinated by the crying boy.

We said our goodbyes and they ended their long walk and Shane and I began our turn in the cold.

Hopefully we'll see more of them in the future when the weather is warmer! Maybe my son will refrain from bowling over theirs next time, too!

Changes at Work

Today I told one of my classes I would no longer be their teacher.

It sounds dramatic, doesn't it?

There was a shuffle of teachers at school. I was asked if I could switch one of my periods out for another. This is the first time this has happened mid-quarter in my career. Actually, outside of the ALC (where everything changed quarter to quarter), I've never seen a teacher's schedule change mid-year.

Drama, drama, drama.

The class change doesn't bother me a bit. It's just one of those things you do when you're asked to help. I wish there wasn't any need to switch, but it is nice to be one of the people relied on this time around.

Hopefully, it all works out for the best for kids and teachers.

V-Day

Today was Valentine's Day...

...and I didn't ruin it!

In my afternoon Basic Skills class, I made my room of boys make cards.

I told them "You're about at the age Valentine's Day becomes a trap. Either you'll have someone who expects something from you or you'll wish you had someone who expected from you. Here's what we're going to do..."

I proceeded to point out materials and tell the boys they had to make a card for their mom, grandma, aunt, sister, or a friend.

The goal is simple: get in the habit of making something for someone on Valentine's Day. If you're not dating someone, give it to someone (like your mom) as a nice surprise.

We men aren't always known for our thoughtfulness and I told the boys that a surprise gift is worth double the points of an expected ones.

One of my little smart-alecks asked, "Wouldn't it just be easier to buy some flowers and a cupcake?"

I replied "Sure, if you were old enough to drive and had money."

"I have money. $53."

"And how are you going to get somewhere to spend it?"

The discussion ended with an "Oh."

Overall, I'd say the lesson went well!

Carrie Tales

Carrie interviewed for a new job today!

The interview was a scheduled phone call, so Carrie went to work in the usual fashion. Shane was dropped off at Nana's Day Care Center, the trek to the park was made, and all was well until 20 people crowded outside Carrie's door for CPR training!

It was so loud, my wife called up Genevieve. She ended up doing her interview on a couch in Genevieve's parent's living room! When she was done, she looked over at Genevieve and her dad and asked "How did I do?" Ha ha!

The better news is, she has a follow-up interview in person tomorrow! Go Carrie!

I think these people would be crazy not to pick up my wife, but I'm biased. If it doesn't work out, it's good experience on the job carousel for the next opportunity.

There was a pinch of bad news to cancel out some of the cheer. Carrie had a medical appointment today that had to be re-scheduled. We have to wait until next week to sort that out.

Anyway, if you read this feel free to send a prayer Carrie's way tomorrow. If this job is the right fit, I'm sure God will make it happen. If not, we'll just have to see what else is in store.

Odd Fascination

Shane is obsessed with tags.

Tags on shirts. Tags on pillows.

Shane loves them all.

Every morning, he takes his sippy cup of milk, sprawls out on the couch, and holds a pillow with the tag towards him. If the pillow is not tag-towards, Shane will not drink until he's rotated it to the 'correct' position.

Strange.

The mandatory pillow tags for drinking milk is new, but Shane's fascination with clothing tags is old. He's been grabbing at tags on his shirts (and exposing his belly button in the process) for as long as I can remember.

I thought that the feel of them may annoy him at first, but he goes out of his way to find them. Shane could have a tag-less undershirt and he would still find any tag within reach on his outermost attire.

It's a quirky Shane-ism to chuckle about. I don't know what else to make of it (other than a quick blog post!).

Guppies not Puppies

One fish down, three new ones swimming in a pod.

Three guppies replaced the white molly that didn't survive the tank transfer (two days....quick demise). All of the old equipment was returned and Carrie even found a better deal on some of it (savvy shopping).

Today, we learned that guppies will go down to the bottom of a tank and 'sleep.' It's more of a torpor where my wife panics and thinks they're dead.

Thank God for internet searches.

Otherwise, the fish are pretty, but boring.

My wife's fascination amuses me to no end.

If Shane ends up liking them, the fish will have been worth every penny.

"Baby DOWN!"

Carrie was playing with Baby Cole and everything was fine until she picked him up.

Shane saw Baby Cole in HIS mommy's arms.

"Baby DOWN! Baby DOWN!"

Shane fought and squirmed to get out of his high chair.

Dinner was over.

An interloper was encroaching on his territory.

I'd have pointed out Carrie and I wear each other's rings, but I don't think marriage is a part of my jealous son's vocabulary yet! Ha ha!

Who Knew?

"Is it bad that I'm already thinking of a bigger tank?" Carrie asked.

I never realized fish tanks could grow when no one was watching.

Shane spent almost the entire half hour Carrie was consulting with fish people running back and forth through the automated doors with Daddy. Otherwise, I might have seen this coming a little sooner than it did!

New Additions to the Family?

It happened quicker than I expected.

I told Carrie that Shane loved visiting Petsmart.

Carrie went with Shane and I to Petsmart.

Carrie talked to the girl in the fish area after she watched Shane go bonkers and try to scoop fish out of fish tanks.

My wife, ever industrious, did her homework and the next time we went to Petsmart three little fish joined the family.

The dalmatian (yet to be named) is Carrie's favorite. I suggested "Sushi" as a name, but it was vetoed by my wife. She's been watching YouTube videos and learning all sorts of facts about these little fellas. She can even spot the genders now!

Shane AND the cats are fascinated. Carrie's mom was less so. Carrie sent her a picture and she responed "WHY!?!?!?"

My main concern was/is Shane. I'm waiting for him to knock the tank over. Carrie swears the suction cups will hold!

I guess owning fish will be educational for Shane if they survive long enough!

Love Languages

One of the most useful assignments Carrie and I got in premarital counseling was to read "The 5 Love Languages."

It's a quick simple read, but that doesn't make the knowledge within any less valuable.

The basic idea is that people express and receive love in 5 different ways: words of affirmation, acts of service, physical affection, quality time, and gifts. The love language you tend to express your love in is typically the one that means the most to you when you are receiving.

The book goes on to give many examples of how two people can be expressing love, but the other person is not fully receiving/feeling it.

For example, a husband who's love language is acts of service could always doing yard work, maintenance around the house to show his love....and then he's shocked when his wife complains that he never shows he loves her! Her language could be physical affection, quality time, words of affirmations or gifts. While the wife is very appreciative of her husband's hard work what she really wants is for him to pass up on the chores and be with her.

I bring this up to explain a little bit more about how I tick (you know, just in case!).

Primarily, I'm an acts of service and physical affection kind of guy.

I feel like I show my love for my wife and my son when I'm doing things for them. Clean dishes? check. Trash out? check. If my wife is working in the house, I usually feel compelled to work on something as well to show her how much I love her (and that I'm not a deadbeat!). If my wife and I have a disagreement, I tend to do chores or something I consider productive until we reconcile.

On the physical side, I'm a drive-by hugger. It's the ADHD. I don't always stick around long, but I have very few inhibitions about quick public displays of affection. I tend to give my wife a big hug, hand squeeze, shoulder rub,  or kiss and then wander off when something shiny catches my eye. With Shane, I like to wrestle or push him around with my head. I muss his hair up a little every night after bedtime prayers when I say good night. Part of it is I feel like today's society is so "hands off or you'll be sued" that I enjoy being able to be in contact with my loved ones.

On a funny note: I'm pretty sure I get the acts of service aspect of my personality straight from my dad. I always considered him something of a work-a-holic growing up, but that's how he shows his love. The rule was: if mom's sick, hide! When Nana was sick or upset, the whole house was going to be cleaned from top to bottom. If Pop-Pop saw you while he was working...consider yourself enlisted! I remember sneaking out to read a book on a hammock one time. Pop-Pop got all the other kids who were home working and couldn't find me. I thought I was really clever until Pop-Pop delegated enough in-house duties that he decided to do some outdoors work while the weather was good! Guess who he found?!

I wonder what Shane's languages will be when he grows up. From the way he likes to cling-to and nuzzle Carrie when he says "Daddy bye-bye," I suspect he'll be a physical guy on some level. Only time will tell.

Dinosaur Jealousy

This morning, Shane and Carrie were playing on the floor with a stuffed dinosaur. 

Shane leaned over and gave the dinosaur a kiss.

"Aww! Shane kiss the dinosaur again?" my wife asked.

"No kiss!" Shane replied.

"Mommy kiss dinosaur!" Carrie said. With a smile, and a laugh she gave the toy a quick peck.

Shane stood up, growled and punted the dinosaur across the room!

Shane loves his mommy....jealously! He doesn't like for me to get too huggy with her when he's around either, ha ha!

Shane Loves His Mommy

Shane's developed a strong love for Mommy.

Every morning, Shane and I have to wake Mommy up. Sometimes, I have to announce really loudly that we're coming up the stairs so that Carrie can run and jump back in bed before we get there.

Most of the time, though, Shane is Mommy's official alarm clock!

I follow Shane up the stairs, and turn on a hallway light. Shane opens the bedroom door.The light spills into Carrie and I's room just enough so that Shane can see and Carrie isn't startled awake before he arrives. 

The rest is up to Shane.

With a giggle, he races to the bed! He throws a foot up on the baseboard and scrambles up onto the covers. Carrie is still fast asleep. 

Shane crawls over and, with a contented sigh ("mmmm!"), lays on top of Carrie and gives her a good morning kiss.

Carrie wakes up to the good morning snuggle and "mmmms!" right back! 

It's the kind of sight that warms a daddy's heart. My son wallows all over my wife, and she smiles and soaks it in. 

My job is to referee the whole process to make sure Shane doesn't pounce and/or Carrie doesn't bolt upright.

Shane normally wants to hide under the covers after he's done snuggling. "MOMMY HIDE? DADDY HIDE?" We've had more than one family pow-wow underneath the covers with Shane crawling around!

At night time, Shane wants to make sure he says good night to Carrie before I carry him upstairs. If she's already in bed, we usually drop by for a quick visit.

The picture is a little dated since the therapist told Carrie that it's time to switch off of bottles, but the sentiment hasn't changed! 

It's hard to believe Shane once fit in my wife, isn't it? He's a big 2-year old.

Time Out!

I predicted it long ago (and may times before), but the past couple of weeks feel like the kick-off to temper tantrum season.

Shane knows what he wants, and when he doesn't get it he really makes it clear. He's very quick to yell and hit whatever wall or piece of furniture is near him. If he's in the middle of a room, he'll pick up and throw a toy (or two). When he's really enraged he'll throw himself on the floor (the 'classic' toddler tantrum).

Thus, the discipline wars are in full force.

As Shane's grown older and his ability to communicate has grown, he wants more and more dominion over the world around him. When he doesn't get it by acting cute, he's starting to resort to force and anger.

For example, one day Shane and I watched Dan go outside. As Dan walked, I asked Shane which car Dan was going to get in, "the white car or the black car?"

Shane answered, "White car!"

Dan hopped in the black car; Shane screamed and pounded on the window. He looked at me, screamed "WHITE CAR! WHITE CAR!"

He threw himself on the floor when I looked at him, oblivious to the ignominy of it all, shrugged, and said "Look. Black car go bye-bye."

Yep. Discipline is not my favorite part of parenting, but I've taught enough kids without it to know how important it is.

I've also taught enough kids who's parents didn't do discipline right to know how hard it is to do it correctly. Personally, I believe it's crucial to stay calm and try to be as loving and gentle as I can when firm. Shane will learn how to really get under my skin when he gets older I bet! Only time will tell if Carrie and I's methods will be the right ones for Shane (Please, God, guide us with that!).

For now, I give Shane a 'time out' whenever he goes into a baby-rage and throws or hits. I pick Shane up, hug him and leave the room. We sit in a corner, I say something like "No hit. Be calm. Use your words," and slowly count to 12. Shane normally starts counting with me after a little bit. If Shane was smaller, I could stick him in his playpen. Instead, he just uses his tall toddler athleticism to turn it into a fun climbing reward/diversion.

 I do my best to ignore what I can to teach Shane that a hissy-fit won't magically make a door unlock itself. I swear there are times I think he likes the time outs. He'll hurl a toy and then say "Time out! Time out!" It's certainly a way to get my attention and I know all about 'unintentional rewards' from FBAs and teaching, so I have to watch out for that. Carrie doesn't want to use his room as a time out until Shane's much older, because she wants his room to be a safe/fun place to go (and I understand that).

So the parenting continues! I've got a toddler book that's become may bathroom reading. I love my son, but it's certainly a full time job!

A New Mispronounciation

"BITCH!"

Shane smiled and looked up.

My mind was still registering Shane's first shout when he pointed and called out again.

"BITCH!"

Carrie and I shared a tense glance.

My wife leaned to look over Shane's shoulder at the iPad.

My mind raced. Were we hearing Shane right? What was he watching?

All of a sudden, Carrie relaxed. A smile crept on her face.

"He's watching Kung Fu Pana. That's a bridge, Shane."

"Bitch?"

"Bridge."

We didn't dare laugh. My insides hurt, but if I let it out Shane then would know just how fun his new vocabulary word was.

"Bitch!"

There's Something about Grand-dads

Sunday and Monday, Pop-Pop was the man of the hour. Nana wasn't sure if she should be sad she fell out of favor, or if she should just put her feet up and enjoy the Shane and Pop-Pop show!

Today, Grandpa was the one Shane chased after and dragged everywhere he went.

There's something about Grand-Dads and little boys!

About That Job...

Carrie found out yesterday that her boss is resigning. Her job is safe until the end of March when he goes.

She's got to schedule up a follow-up doctor's appointment, too.

It didn't help that I didn't get home from my class until after 7:30 either.

Needless to say, it wasn't a good day for her.

Super Bowl Sunday - Ravens vs 49ers

I was excited that the Super Bowl may end at a decent time.

Then the lights went out.

To stay up or not?

It's a hard call when the game is getting good.

Things are Heating Up

Literally.

We have a working air system again!

Dan, a mechanic from his work, and the mechanic's brother-in-law spent all day working on our system. They were nice guys. Carrie and I confirmed that Dan's girlfriend wasn't imaginary when asked!

The new system works great so far!

No more emergency heat and stuck parts skyrocketing up our power bills.  February's bill will be nice and March's bill should be even nicer.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back, "Indy, Pop-Pop, Nana, Jama!"

Shane's loving day care support team is back in town after a month of taking care of business in Beaumont.

Carrie, Shane and I dropped by tonight for a quick hello. Indy was the first favorite, but Shane grabbed Pop-Pop by the hand and picked him for the last half of the night.

Whenever I came into the room to play, Shane said "Daddy bye-bye!"

Shane's going to have a lot of fun when Carrie goes to work tomorrow!

Shane's Name

Shane's middle name was not always "Finnegan."

It was almost his first name.

From the start, Carrie said that if we had a girl her name would be "Kaylee."

I agreed on the condition that I could name any boys whatever I wanted (like "Major Major").

Carrie agreed.

When we learned we were going to be blessed with a boy, I learned that it was a 'conditional' agreement (AKA if she didn't like what I picked I had to re-pick until she did like it!).

We were able to agree quickly on a set of rules. At first, I liked Finlay and Finnegan. I like to think of nicknames when I think of names, and I thought 'Finn' would be a good nickname for my future boy.

Eventually, Carrie and I agreed on Shane. At the time, it almost felt like we were just picking a name, but the more we said it the more it became Shane's name and felt 'right.' Carrie suggested Shane's middle name be Finnegan, but I refused. In my head, I thought that maybe my second son could have that name.

Shane's middle name was set to be Malcom.

It stayed that way until after he was born.

The delivery was hard on Carrie. It was very scary for me, too, and after I saw what my wife went through I released the name.

Up until that point, I had been 'saving' the name Finnegan for a future child. My wife was a hurt (yet joyful) mess after Shane's birth and I did not feel that I could ask her to go through that again.

Carrie knew that I originally wanted a large family. We talked about things like that before we were engaged.

She understood when I asked to change Shane's middle name.

The name, Finnegan, felt meaningful to me since the beginning and by giving him both of the names I wanted I  signaled I was putting all of my love and hope of a family into Shane.

I don't regret the decision either.

The name fits.

Shane Finnegan is my son.

Boys Will Be High-Energy

Have you ever put groceries just inside the doorway?

You know, on those cold days where you want to get everything out of the car and into the house with minimal fuss. Once everything is inside, you move the groceries from your staging area to where they belong.

Shane likes to help. He is strong enough that he can pick up a box of Mommy's diet ginger ales and carry it to the kitchen! Then he'll run back for the 12-pack of diet root beers next.

Yesterday, I put a bottle of Strawberry-Banana V8 Juice in the entrance hallway.

It was big and red and must have looked awesome, because Shane snatched it up. It was also much lighter than soda cans. I know this, because Shane ran around the corner with it and hurled it like a javelin. There was a *crash!* (expected!) and then a *whoosh!* (unexpected!)!

The juice landed nose down and the top broke. Plastic shattered and red juice gushed out onto the walls and in an ever-growing pool on the floor.

Shane was pretty proud of himself. I think he was still on a high in time-out with Mommy. It took almost half a roll of paper towels for Daddy to wipe down the walls, kitchen half-door, and floors.

It was annoying then, but I can laugh about it enough now to post it online.

Carrie's Job

Marrying me was a great career move for my wife.

She quit her job as a veterinary technician, moved from Richmond, and immediately signed up for a summer program she's passionate about. When the program ended, she walked up to her boss and said, "you need me."

He was impressed, and decided he did.

Carrie's worked for Gaston since. 

Random Math

194 day contract, but 11 days are workshops, in-services, and workdays. 194 - 11 = 183 days with kids.

92 school days completed out of 183 contracted.

183 days on contract - 2 hurricane days = 181 days with kids total this year.

92 / 181 = the school year is 50.8% over, but who's counting?

Shane and Dan

Wednesday night, Dan snuck in while Shane and I were playing upstairs.

He would have disappeared into the basement, too, if the TV had not snared him.

Wall-E was on (Shane loves his Pixar).

We came downstairs, Shane threw his "who the hell are you?" fit, got over it, and then launched himself into Dan's lap. My son produced a book and demanded Dan read.

I laughed.

When Dan finished the book, Shane made him read it again.

And again...

And again for good measure!

During the reading, I joked that Dan was enjoying himself. "I better warn Shar! Dan wants one!" (a kid).

That got a laugh from both of us.

Then Shane puked half a minute later.

While Dan was reading, Shane was munching. My son was overeager and jammed a cracker too far back into his throat. He started to gag.

Dan response was delayed. He's used to playing with babies, not long-term care. I hopped up and managed to catch two handfuls of Shane puke before it splashed all over Dan and the couch.

I got most of it! Shane hopped down, merry as can be.

Dan, like a true baby novice, went to change clothes, ha! I dumped the puke, washed my hands, and then washed Shane's. There's nothing gross about barf to him and I didn't want him to stick pukey hands in his mouth and gag some more.

Toddlers are messy!