Simple Joy

Well though the school year has started and officially ended summer for many people, it is definitely still summer here.  Temps were in the 100s last week and in the mid 90s this week.  I don't anticipate any relief anytime soon.

So be it.

We can still hang at friends' houses and swim for hours.  We can ride bikes in shorts and tank tops all hours of the day and night.  We can sit outside with a glass of well chilled Pinot Grigio instead of Pinot Noir.  

All is good.

So what have we been up to?

Labor Day weekend found us home just hanging out.   We participated in Wear Your College Colors on Friday, August 30!

 I dropped him off at school after swim lessons.  He and his BFF were the only 'cool' kids who participated in the College Color wearing :)!  Way to BeSouthwestern!  I then ran off for a 90 minute massage...ahhhhhh!

I picked up sweet Tate before snack time and we headed off on a new adventure...his first visit to the library and his first library card!!  He was so very excited!  He was jumping up and down he was so thrilled!

His very own library card!!  

All his books!!!

We returned home for the rest of the afternoon.  He enjoyed his books which were of course all about trains and he watched the DVD he checked out.  A happier boy I've never seen!

 

Saturday we lazed about the house in the morning then headed up to Aunt Palmi and Alonzo's house for some fun in the sun!  Palmi has an gorgeous house and pool, so we made great use of both!  Tate and Alonzo swam for quite some time, then Tate retired to the house to play with Alonzo's three year old cousins and play with some new toys!!

Look at him swim swim swim!

My little Michael Phelps!

We're working on getting him to use his arms! 

Out for a quick break!

Me and one of my besties!

The boys hanging out!

His new friends, Alonzo's twin cousins!  They are so sweet!

We made our way home and Tate was down for the count almost immediately :)

Sunday we had another pajama morning....love these days!  Then we met our sweet friends N and her daughter H at our favorite restaurant aka The French Fry Place where Tate noshed on french fries as well as broccoli and half a grilled cheese sandwich with nary a nudge from me!  I was ecstatic, but didn't make a big deal because I want him to continue to eat for himself and not my approval.

He and I then made a pilgrimage to ride the Zoo Train!  Fun times as always!

Sunday night we met my sister, Kellie and her family along with my parents out for dinner to say good-bye to her stepson Preston.  He left on Monday to go into the Navy; bootcamp started on Wednesday or I guess actually Monday at the 2pm drop-off.  He was off to the Great Lakes!  We are all so proud of him and wish him so much good luck and God's blessings always!  We will miss him!

Monday we just hung out at home.  Tate is a true homebody.  There is truly nowhere else he'd rather be than here with me playing with his trains.  I was happy to oblige.

The work week started in full force.  Well in full force for a three day week :)

By Friday Tate's cough that had been present for 3 weeks was still in full force even on a course of antibiotics.  But he seemed no worse for the wear, so off we went for swim lessons!  I took him to daycare after swim lessons and ran some errands.  Then I picked him up around 2 and we headed off to...

THE MOVIE THEATER!

That's right!  I decided to take Tate to his first movie. 'PLANES!'

His first real movie!  He's seen 'The Polar Express' and a number of Thomas movies and a couple of Chuggington movies.  But never a full length feature at the theater.  'The Polar Express' is the longest movie he's sat through.  I worried about the noise and the length of the film but decided if he didn't like it we would just leave.  I checked on Common Sense Media to see if it was in any way, shape or form appropriate and decided to go for it!

(It cost me $30 for a matinee...$9.50/me $7.50/him $2.50/convenience fee to buy online $4.75/water and $7.50 for popcorn!)

He did awesome.  I warned him over and over again that it was going to be loud.  I warned him it was going to be really dark.  We skipped the previews and found our seats...there were 4 other people present and no other kids.

I gave him some popcorn and he was happy happy happy.  

30 minutes in he was ready to go home.

Another handful of popcorn.

15 minutes later..."The movie is over for me Mommy."

Another handful of popcorn.

And so on every 10-15 minutes when he was ready to go.  

The best part for him was the 90 second portion with a train!  In a tunnel!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

We had a lovely time.

Sucking down some of
our water.  Popcorn makes
you thirsty! 

Doesn't look too sure does he?

Saturday we missed the FARE Walk and his first Soccer Shots meeting because his cough was so much worse and it was raining.

We headed out to the mall in the afternoon for a little train watching!  He was so excited that his favorite train place has re-opened!

We were there over an hour!  He was so happy.  I got to sit back and just relax.  Love it!

Saturday night he slept in his own bed (with me!) for the very first time!  I was so proud!  I laid down with him to go to sleep, went back upstairs and came back to sleep with him about 3 hours later!

Note how he left space for me on the
other side.  He never moved onto
that space!

Sunday we grocery shopped and played.  Even better while he was playing with his trains for about 45 minutes I laid down on the couch next to him and dozed!  It was wonderful!

Then we got our craft on!

Those are my creations on the floor.  He's holding his up
and on his knee!

Monday found me at my old stomping grounds!  The young lady who took my place at my old office delivered her baby at 29 weeks most unexpectedly.  Carl asked Rita and I if there was any way I could help them out a few days.  So I'm traipsing up there 6 days this month to see some op patients and try to get them through.  It's been an amazing time...I've so loved seeing everyone.  

Tuesday, September 11, 2013 I put Tate to bed and told him I needed him to stay in bed alone, that I was going to sleep upstairs.  (I had slept with him for 4 nights because he is 4 years old) I told him I would not be leaving at any time and that if he woke up and needed me he could come upstairs and find me and get in bed with me if he really needed me.  He made it until 2am with his new train, Whiff.  Sweet boy.  We've continued this trend of him joining me anytime between midnight and 3:30 (last night).  It's a work in progress.  And boy oh boy did I absolutely miss him that first night (ok and each subsequent night), but I'm so very proud of him.  So proud of him.  (and me :) )

Friday found us at swim lessons and then the allergist.  We were supposed to have skin testing for his peanut allergy, but I gave him some anti-histamine on Tuesday (He has to be anti-histamine free for 5 days prior to testing) because he was so ridiculously congested and coughing so very much. I kept our appointment though because I was so very worried that he had now had this cough for 4 weeks and had finished a 10 day course of Omnicef Monday with no relief.  The allergist thought he still sounded really congested though everything seemed to be upper respiratory and thankfully not asthmatic.  He recommended another round of a different antibiotic and starting him on a 3 or 5 day course of a steroid to get some of this inflammation reduced.  He knew I wasn't going to be keen on either one, and I wasn't, but I agreed there seemed like no other choice as Tate was not getting better.  He suggested if this didn't work that we then go to the ENT for either a sinus scan and/or swab of the drainage and see if we didn't need Tate's adenoids out.  

He also recommended a neti pot for kids for Tate with a saline solution.

I started that on Saturday morning, much much to Tate's dismay, hatred, horror and all around crying fits.

It has worked wonders.  He is 99% better.  Though Tate absolutely hated having the saline squirted up his nose only to stream out the other nostril and down and out of his throat it has made a world of difference.  The amount of unpleasant stuff that came out of his nose was shocking, but we've avoided the antibiotic and the steroid.  I've continued with anti-histamines and will for another week or so. I run a cool mist humidifier in his room at night and all seems much better.

Yay for non-medicinal ways to help my baby!

After the allergist we ran to lunch at Smashburger and Tate shocked me by eating a hot dog!  Of course that was only after his favorite part of the meal...milk.

We ran off and got my brows waxed (how lucky am I that Tate is so easy-going that I can take him to such appointments and he's so well behaved?!)

Then we returned our books and video to the library, played on the computer for the 15 allowed minutes and checked out a couple of new books!

Saturday morning we made our way to Soccer!!

Then we had a quick run home for lunch and then two birthday parties!

Party #1 at the Aquarium!

Party #2 at Pump it Up!
Now there's a face!

Much better!

My Saturday ended well..

Sunday was Children's Education Sunday at Tate's school's church.  The kids were awesome as always!

Our last outing on Sunday was to the Texas Children's Art Festival at the Bayou Bend Museum.  It was hot hot hot, so we only last about 30 minutes, but Tate seems to have had some fun.

We made a train stamp :) as well as a template for a train quilt.

Simple Joy.

How I love this boy!

LOVE

I'm overwhelmed tonight with how very much I love my sweet little boy.

My sweet sweet boy.

I am bowled over with how incredible sweet he is.  

He's kind.  He's funny.  He's loving.  He's thoughtful.  He's sweet.

He has the best heart.

He feels.  Goodness he feels.  He feels huge.  He wears his heart on his sleeve.

He's easily hurt.  So easily hurt.

I can see it happen immediately...that hurt.  He crumples up inside and out and it breaks my heart.

His gentle spirit cracks just a bit each time he's hurt.

Each time I hurt him.

I'm far from the most patient person.  

I'm far from the most patient mother.

When he's just being a normal 4 year old and I want to get us out of the house he gets his feelings hurt.

When I ask him or tell him to do something and he's distracted or simply doesn't want to listen at that moment, and I get upset, he gets his feelings hurt.

Over the past month I've realized what a genuinely sweet little person I have living in this house with me.  He's thrown one fit, one fit, in a store in his entire life.  He has yet to talk back to me in public or gotten angry at me.  He is the child who strives to do what he's told by authority figures.  He loves the kids who are the meanest or roughest with him.  And he's so gentle.  So gentle.  He doesn't destroy his belongings in any way, shape or form.  I'm just so very lucky.

Many will say it's most likely the way I've raised him.

I say it's just who he is.

Because I'm quick to get upset.  I'm quick to count to 3 to get proper behavior.  I'm quick to raise my voice (though I desperately try not to yell).  

I want to continue to establish boundaries for him, yet in a more loving manner.  A manner which embraces his sweet, gentle spirit.  I'm learning to count to 3 for myself to get proper parenting behavior. 

I'm most overwhelmed with how much he loves me.  I watch him look for me and how his eyes light up when he finds me in a crowded room.  

I want to always be his safe place.  When he's 14 and beyond 'over his mother' I want him to know deep down that I'm his safe place.  When he's 16 and he's struggling I want him to look for me even if he doesn't know he's looking for me.

I want to honor all that he is.  

My beautiful boy.  

A Milestone at the Ripe Ol' Age of 4y1m!

It's been a weekend of a few firsts in our house, but none as big as the one that happened tonight.

Tate is sound asleep, downstairs in his room.

In his big boy Polar Express bed.

In his big boy train room.

He has been so excited for this moment asking a couple of times a week when will it be time to sleep downstairs in his train room?

Of course he's always quick to say that I'll be sleeping down there too, not upstairs.  And I reassure him that yes I will sleep with him for a while. But I do always say that one day "Mommy will sleep upstairs and you'll be downstairs, and it will be all right.  You can come find me whenever you need me."

So tonight we took the plunge!  I gave him a bath upstairs, brushed his teeth upstairs and then we lugged his hippo, his Sue-Y bear, his Eyeore (how do you spell that???), his Pluto and his huge puppy, the CD player, the huge air purifier and his Thomas pillow downstairs.  (Don't ask me why I didn't move some of this stuff down earlier!)

I laid down with him after we read two stories...books he chose from his new train wall!  He was so very excited!  Then we laid down.  He tossed and turned in excitement for several minutes then finally settled down and fell asleep within about 20 minutes or so.

And I came on back upstairs.

I'm still so unsure this was the right move for us.  Not that he doesn't need his own room, but where I've put him.  I have a townhouse, and when I had it built 10 years ago I had the third bedroom on the third floor 'removed.'  What I mean is the house had a floor plan;  I talked with the builder and discussed having the living room on the second floor having 18 foot ceilings which would require the bedroom above it to not be in my floor plan.  He was completely onboard, and I saved $20,000.

Never once imagining I'd have a child in this house.

Fast forward to 2009.

I have a child.  I figured he would sleep in his crib in my room for the first couple of months, then I would move him downstairs.  Easy Peasy.

Fast forward to 2013.

Said child is still sleeping in my room.  Heck...he's been in my bed with me since February 2013.

And I love having him there.  We've bed-shared off and on since he was 6 days old.   When he would wake up as an older infant I often would put him in bed with me.  Around 12 or 13 months of age he was having a really hard time falling asleep in his crib, so I would put him to sleep in bed, then move him to his crib when I went to bed (Surprisingly he didn't wake and rarely woke in the middle of the night to move back to my bed, but it was fine when he did).  Whenever we traveled we slept together and transitioning back to the crib was never a problem.  I don't know why when we returned from Canada earlier this year that he ended up in bed with me, but it's been fine.  It's been great actually.  I love having him so close to me at night...we see each other so little during the week.

My dilemma was where to put him.  Do I put him on the third floor...which translated into giving him my bedroom.  My beautiful feminine bedroom?  Or do I put him in the bedroom on the first floor which I had had painted a gorgeous blue while pregnant with him intending to make it his nursery.

My concerns for the third floor were mainly worrying about him walking down the stairs to find me in the dark in the middle of the night.  Also the third floor overlooks the second floor with wrought iron railings.  Tate loves to climb and he's actually tried to scale the railings a bit, so that scared me like crazy.  My concerns for the first floor were just that...it's the first floor.  I didn't want my child on the first floor.  Also I needed to get my locks changed to double dead bolt because he's learned to unlock them...I don't worry he'll leave...I worry he'll open the door when looking for me (as he did once a few weeks ago) and our cat will escape.  There's a gate around the entire perimeter of our house, but Vincent can get under it.  Our alarm is always, always set to instant, so I'd know immediately if Tate opened the door, but Vinnie would get out before I could stop him.  So I had to have the locks changed.  So my worry then was Tate scaling the railings and falling down the stairs in the middle of the night.  I know he could fall climbing up the stairs too, but it seems that on hardwood stairs in socks (which he insists upon sleeping in) that down would be worse.  And let's be honest I want to stay in my lovely room.  So he's downstairs.

I went with a train theme, and worked on getting everything in place around his birthday this year.  He was thrilled with everything!  The sheets, the blanket on the wall, the rocking chair as his birthday present...the whole shebang.  Bryan and Mike moved the crib downstairs and converted it for me and we were in business.

Tate got new sheets!

He even slept with them the first night we had them!

I stalked Pinterest and UPS became my best friend and this was the finished product...

 

Birthday present from Mommy!

Detail on the chair!

Reading Nook!

Please pardon the box spring covered in plastic under
the bed.  I didn't realize a box spring was not
necessary for the converted double bed.  I am planning
on covering the box spring with a navy fitted sheet.
Now to find time to go shop for it!

This is 'his' bathroom.  He's not a fan of showers, so he bathes in my jacuzzi tub upstairs.

Tate has not slept in this house maybe only 7 times in his 4 years 1 month and 15 days.  In those 1499 days he has slept here he has been in my room with me.  I'm going to go upstairs to my room, turn on all the lights, turn on the tv, wash my face and brush my teeth while making all kinds of noise.

Then I'm going to tiptoe downstairs, straighten his covers, make sure he has his hippo, adjust the thermostat, kiss his sweet cheek and climb under those train sheets and sleep with my boy.