Worst Week

And I'm not kidding about that either. JT and I recently went to Wyoming for a visit and all I can say is that I learned a very valuable lesson....never take the super structure loving toddler from home when he's not feeling well. Augh!! I promise I learned that one well!! 

JT screamed on the flight there, which I thought was just because his ears were popping and he wouldn't drink something to help....well a mere 36 hours later and a trip to the ER at 1 am in the middle of blizzard we discovered that he had two ear infections and one was "really bad" as the ER Dr said. Nice...mom of the year over here! The part that made it even worse was when he couldn't lay down to go to sleep (even though he was exhausted) from the pain he would be screaming, crying and pointing at the door saying "daddy, home". We would have gotten a flight out of there sooner but ANOTHER snow storm came through making travel impossible. So we toughed it out with antibiotics and made it to Saturday and was on the first flight we could get back to Texas and to "the daddy." 

I love snow, I love our family, I love seeing my friends BUT having to deal with a sick toddler who will not allow anyone to look at him (forget touching him) besides his mommy plus no sleep to boot....I was worn out! I'm too old for that! We plan on going back in June for Travis's cousins wedding and I know that it won't be as bad as this time...whew! I do have to admit that out of the 6 times I have flown to Wyoming with JT this was the 1st that we have had to deal with a sickness....so 1 out of 6 really is great odds. 

The 1st snow storm that blew thru...according to everyone I "came the wrong week", guess just 2 days before this picture was taken it was a high of 72 there.....figures!

Starting to through a fit.....little did I realize at this point that he had 2 ear infections going on. Oh and playing in the snow after he got to feeling better was not an option.....he hates snow now, not sure what happened because when we went there in October he loved it!!

A few hours after the antibiotics kicked in. Uncle Scott taught me this new game of peek-a-boo where you use your hands to hide your face, I always just used Bob the Blankie before

Boo! Ha! Ha!

I am so mad at myself for not getting my camera out and snapping some more pictures of JT with his cousins. He LOVED playing with them, especially the boys, Trenton and Mason (below)

Playing in the bathroom drawers at Meemee and Boppos

rocking on the fish at Miss Tara's

Having to learn how to share is hard work for a sick toddler.....yes that's him throwing a tantrum in the background.....but I am bound and determined he's going to learn how to share because my pet-peeve is a toddler who can't share because no one made them learn

Playing with my lady friends....Taelyn and Tawnee Dye.

I love my Uncle Scott....he's one of the few people I would let touch me

My favorite toy at Papa and Grandma's house....the wooden turtle....Grandma says it used to be my Aunt Tammy's when she was little

C'mon turtle....I loved dragging it all through the house

My grandma had surgery on her knee a few weeks ago so she was hobbling along on these metal things....guess my cousin, Sarah, calls them "grandma's pogo sticks"

Grandma helping me play with the dolly.....daddy doesn't like when I do this, but mommy thinks it's cute. My Aunt Tammy used to stick my daddy in this same high chair when he was a baby

My dad taught me this...carry it like it's dead then no one will make fun of you...that's how he packs mommy's purse

Beating on the drum with Papa

Suppose to be brushing my teeth but I got Meemee to splash a little with me...that bathroom was soaked when I was done

Dancing with Grandma Teresa before leaving for the airport

back home and happy....shooting Copper with my new gun, the flashlight

High in the sky....a future pilot here.....LOVES going super high and super fast...I want to vomit just watching it

So excited

Just noticed daddy is doing something without my direction....

Watcha doin daddy, need me to show you how? (Travis planted these around the pool equipment....FINALLY something to camouflage it

I should've took a video of this...he was just a jabberin about something and pointing at the bushes

Look at that left foot....he likes to lean on one leg when he's in great description about what he's talking to you about

Hi mom!

And then this morning I caught another site of Copper's arched enemy....Pulido the Possum...he lives in our backyard (where I've yet to discover) and torchores Copper every morning

Pulido will just sit up on the fence and stare at Copper for a good 20 mins...playing possum I presume

Big Helper

Daddy letting me look like a thug

Deeply captivated by the Wiggles....mommy lets me watch them while she makes dinner. For some reason she calls them "the babysitter"

Taking a break from yard work to have a snack of Pumpkin Muffin....mmm my fav

Throwing away my trash

Carrying Copper's bowl....I didn't want mommy to take a picture so I started running with it..hee hee

Playing with my friends Jordan and Sammy. They came over to hang with me while their mommy and daddy went to dinner

Jordan and Travis reading a book together

The boys were curious and wanted to join to

And then they bullied there way to the front pushing Jordan out...boys!

Showing Sam the view from my room....

We've recently learned the past few months what motivates little JT and this is being a big helper. He loves to be praised and given high fives for the latest task he's helped you with and I've noticed that it keeps him motivated to stay out of trouble. 

So what are the "tasks" he helps with? Well every morning he helps feed Copper, which so far it's been working well, he hasn't spilled the food all over the floor yet. He's also really good about throwing things in the trash and I do have to brag that I haven't found anything in the trash that wasn't suppose to be in there in the first place. He's also great at putting his clothes in the hamper and getting a little better at picking up his toys. We have a little song that we learned from a friend that goes with picking up and it's so cute to hear him singing, "pit up, pit up" as he's working along. Of course he gets half way through picking up and then as Travis puts it "gets distracted by a butterfly" and is back to playing, but I'll give him an A for effort anyway. And just like with any toddler that likes to help, he wants to help with things that I do which slows my routines way down. I like to keep our back patio swept off so that the little wet feet that scurry across it don't drag the great outdoors into the house, so of course now JT has to help with the task. He used the take the broom from me and say "hep, hep" but now he uses his plastic garden hoe to gather the leaves into a pile. He even gets down on his knees and gets the leaves out from under the chair....not too bad for a 17 month old. The part that slows me down is he wants to hold the dust pan and carry it to the trash to dump it. Let's just say that we end up sweeping it onto the dust pan more than a few times. When I feel like I'm starting to lose my patience I have to remember that I wasn't good at it when I first learned and how is he ever going to know how to do it unless he practices. Patience, Patience, Patience....that's what I am forever learning.

For Travis

Yes, honey I do see a resemblance....oh and we have a Mr Wilson in our neighborhood, how funny is that?!

What's the difference I can do?

My last post was about how worried I was for JT's generation. For what the American $ may be worth to them and for how they would pay for all we have messed up. 

Well this morning I stand corrected....I'm not going to worry about such things for him. These are inevitable....the chapter of Revelations in the Bible clearly describes these events will happen in order for Christ to return to the earth. I'm going to focus on sharing the great news of Jesus Christ with JT, praying that he will accept this truth and the salvation that comes only through accepting Jesus Christ (John 14:6), and that this will happen at a very young age. Then teaching him that our happiness and peace are not in the economy, our possessions or even our circumstances, better yet our Joy is from within, knowing that all is this world is temporary and one day we will be delivered from this mess that our sin finds us in. It is true that JT's generation will inherit the sins that we have knowingly or un-knowingly committed, but it is also MORE TRUE that he has an inheritance far greater than what I can leave him in my checking account....an inheritance of eternal life with his creator, God our Father in Heaven. 

 That is what I'm going to focus on to make a difference for JT's life. Mother's are the single most important teacher in a child's life......I was reminded of that this morning. We teach them to eat with a fork, to use manners, to use a potty instead of a diaper, to talk, to walk....yet I under-estimate the most important task I have at hand......as a follower of Christ I HAVE to teach him about Jesus, it's more important than anything else, otherwise he'll wake up every morning in a state of panic because of what this world will bring.

Do the politicians not love their children?

I'm sorry JT, mommy is wondering and praying about what a difference I can do to help you in your adult life.

A week in pictures

It's been a whirl wind week....to say the least! Super fun because Grandma and Papa came to town, but also hard because JT & I were sick the first part of the week when they were here, which makes for a very tired mommy and a super clingy toddler. But we were on the mend my Wednesday and the rest of the week was fun. Here's the story in pictures.....

Granpa Tony and Gigi (the great grandparents) sent JT some more metal trucks to add to his car collection...he LOVES them. He's helping daddy un-screw the hummer from the box

Testing out my new hummer.....Thanks Grandpa Tony!!! 

Watching the Wiggles with Papa 

Grandma and Papa brought me a horse!! I knew how to ride it with out anyone showing me how....just hopped on there and rode away into the sunset on Victor (that's my horses name....you know after The Lone Rangers nephew's horse)

Getting into a gallop

Eating a pumpkin muffin and helping Grandma make salads. He actually ate some it of too

The weather was so nice during the mid-week, so we went to the zoo on Wed. JT checking out the goats at the petting zoo in Texas Wild

Goats are his favorite animal right now and he was so tickled he got to see one. When Grandma asked him if the was a goat....he got this HUGE grin on his face

Mesmorized by the Gorillas

Such a cutie!!

Teething on the fence where the baby monkey's are. I discovered in the midst of his pink eye last week that he also got his first molar....finally!! The kid will be 17 months old tomorrow and now has only 7 teeth

On a mission

Silly photo of mommy but great one of blondie munching on his apple

JT loves the penguins and I was so excited to see this one being curious of the folks on the other side of the glass. He kept walking back and forth and JT kept trying to tickle him....it was so darn cute to watch

On Thursday night it was SUPER warm (about 85) so we stayed outside till about 8:30 relaxing and splashing in the big bucket of water

Yes, it was that warm....this picture was taken around 8 pm and he's only in a diaper and t-shirt

Showing Grandma how to splash in his bucket with his favorite yard equipment...his hoe!

Swinging with Grandma on the porch swing

We also took Grandma and Papa to Cabela's. We got JT some new crocs while we were there. They have this little rock incline you can use to test out the grippies on your new shoes....JT loved it and it kept him entertained for awhile

Feeding the trout from the bridge....yes, they have a live trout stream and pond at Cabela's

Relaxing with daddy

Painting with Grandma

Papa wanted to see if JT's paints would work for camo paint too

After Picaso was finished painting he needed a bath....playing in the bubbles Grandma got me!!!