Reid...and the constant getting into what he shouldn’t

Last year, while at Julie’s, Reid told Julie there was a bead in his poop, as he was sitting on the potty. I’m sure Julie was puzzled because first of all, why would a two year old think there was a bead in his poop (even if he swallowed one, why would he think there would be one in his poop??). But sure enough, there was something there. Julie, God love her, dug it out and kept it for me so I could see what it was. It wasn’t a bead. It was actually one of those decorative pebbles that people use to put in vases and such. So after some probing, I found out that he must have gotten into something at Dad & Beth’s that had those pebbles in it (which actually turned out to be a magnetic pebble). “Bead” out. Crisis averted.

Earlier this year Reid told me he had a hanger in his ear. I looked at him and said “Hanger, what do you mean by hanger?” He just stood there looking at me and said “Hanger in my ear”. I thought he was pretty full of it because obviously, he didn’t have a hanger in his ear. So I asked him which ear, he pointed to his left, I bent his head over sideways and there was a screw, perfectly placed sideways far enough down that there was no way I could pull it out with my fingers. I looked up at Rod, he ran and got the tweezers, and Reid just stood there calm as can be. Rod pulled the screw out, with no objections from Reid. After it was all over, I thought “Wow what a photo that would have made.” I mean it was placed perfectly sideways, just laying there waiting for the right moment to slip down in and be lost. “Hanger” out. Crisis averted.

So yesterday, as we were sitting in the dining room, Reid was playing with Gauge’s magnetix. One of those toys that a three year old shouldn't have (and an eleven year old brother should know to not leave laying around). Small pieces, small balls. So I heard something in Reid’s mouth (I have this weird sense of hearing that I can hear something even in the next room and know exactly what the kids have gotten into. I know...weird) and as I asked him what he had in his mouth, he said “I choke”. I freaked. I could tell there was something in his throat. He could breathe. He could talk, but it looked like he was trying to swallow a pill that was stuck in his throat. In just a few seconds, he swallowed it completely. Then I freaked more. He told me what he had swallowed, a small metal ball. I already pretty much knew that’s what it was by the sound it made in his mouth. I think this time, Rod freaked too (which isn’t good because I am the one who freaks out, he is the one who keeps us calm). He was about to grab him and run to the emergency room. Since Reid was no longer choking I asked Rod to wait and I called the nurse at our doctor’s office. After I talked to her, I was relieved. She said it would probably pass through him in the next three days, but I would need to make sure he had no abdominal pain or vomiting. And the ball would need to make it’s way out in the next three days or I would have to call the doctor. So, for the next three days I have poop duty. Yippee for me!

Ten Tales from Ten Years Ago

I know this is technically 2011, but I found this that I had typed up and planned on posting in 2010. So this is my official
final 2010 post (four months late, lol) I guess that with Gauge’s birthday being two days ago, it made me want to post this even more...

Ten years ago it was the year 2000, and I 22 was years old and...

1. We had survived the Y2K scare, which obviously I wasn’t too worried about because I feel asleep before 10 p.m. on New Years Eve and woke up after midnight to see that the world hadn’t come to an end. I truly think it was a huge hoax to make money.


2. Gauge was born in April. My first pregnancy, my first child, my first boy.


3. I was in my first year of my new job at the Courthouse and knew then how lucky I was to have that job.


4. I thought that 30 was old and I guess somehow thought that my life would end at that point. I wanted to be married, done having children, and comfortable with exactly what I had, so I could be done making any accomplishments...because after all, I would be too old to accomplish anything. Haha! How naive I was. I had no idea how little I knew.

5. I also naively thought that there was no way I could ever love another child as much as I loved my sweet baby Gauge at that time. Although that love for Gauge has never ceased, it’s actually increased by the tons, it’s amazing the room you have in your heart for all the children that call you mom.

6. Less than a mile from my house lived the soon-to-be love of my life (and now husband) and his daughter, Alyssa. We had never met even though we lived in the same small town.


7. George W. Bush won the presidential nomination against Al Gore. I wasn’t too involved at politics at that time, but having a political job sparked my interest, so I was quite disappointed because I, as most of the rest of the Democrats in the county...felt like it was all 'fixed' since he didn't win the most popular votes in the country.




8. I started going to church again more regularly, and I feel that my personal relationship with Jesus Christ was renewed and the seed was planted to make it grow.


9. My Godson Nathaniel passed away the day he was born, on July 11. Michelle & Kris (his parents) lived in Bowling Green at the time, and Nathaniel was born in a hospital up there by emergency c-section, so I never got to see him until at his funeral. He and Gauge would have been a mere 3 months apart in age had Nathaniel lived, and there are still times that I think of what great friends they would have been throughout their lives.

10. I learned that I was much stronger than I knew and that I could make it raising Gauge on my own. We all know it didn’t turn out that way, but for that amount of time, I even surprised myself at how much I was able to do on my own.

Some things should never be tossed

...and never will if I have anything to do with it. I am at this very moment, currently taking on an exceptionally challenging, pain in the hiney, domestic task of preparing and tagging items for our annual yard sale. I’ve been going to the basement and little by little, cleaning things aka toys out.

You know how you go along, or at least I do, happily piling and stashing and rearranging, over and over and over again, until one day you wake up and there's a team from A&E's Hoarder's at your front door? Ok so they’ve never been to my house, but I think Rod secretly has them on speed dial for that moment when I go over the edge. My “hoarding” has been justified and rationalized by me as “everything I keep is sentimental”. Ok, ok I know. But it sounds like the right thing to say. Haha.
Ok so, I am not even close to getting everything cleaned out, but I am having these little moments of baby Gauge-ness because I’m finding things that were so near and dear to him when he was a wee one.

The grocery cart, keys, and golf game. Oh the flood of memories that comes back of chubby toddler. Gauge pushing around the grocery cart with the kiddos I used to babysit playing store. Gauge dragging around those keys and pushing the buttons over and over until the batteries went dead (or sounded like something was dying when he pushed the button). And Gauge playing putt-putt with his very first video game to play on the television. Fact is, at the age of three, he could whip anyone’s hiney in a game of putt-putt so when he got this game, he would get so frustrated that he couldn’t win every time. That was a valuable lesson for him to learn the hard way at the ripe old age of three. So for those, ahem...no names will be named lol, who believe I should end up on an episode of Hoarders, here’s to the sentimental treasures found in the middle of my cluttered paradise. I will treasure them forever, because they each have a story to tell. 







Here's to sentimental treasures found in the midst of a hoarder's paradise. And to the simple and fine art of saving our stories.

Snow, snow, and more snow...

Last week we were warned of the looming snow storm that was headed our direction.  We listened to the weather report, watched the radar, and prayed (well, Gauge prayed) for a snow day.  The meteorologists claimed we would be getting around a foot of snow.  Ya, right (as I rolled my eyes).  Every single bit of now we have gotten this season has been less that what they claimed we would receive.  So pretty much I have a “I’ll believe it when I see it” policy with the snow.  But I couldn’t help being excited about the thought of a foot of snow.  I can’t remember there being a foot of snow on the ground, and I guess the official date of the last time this county has seen a foot of snow was March of 1993. 
 
Friday came and up until about 2 p.m. there wasn’t much going on outside except a few flurries.  But, after that, the weather went crazy.  The ground was covered almost instantly with a blanket of snow.  When I left work at 4:30, it was snowing harder than I’ve seen in a long time.  The flakes were huge and heavy and by the time I walked the half block to my car, my hair was soaking wet.  The parking lot was covered, the cars were covered, and there was already a few inches on the ground. 
 
It’s funny to me the way people act when we do get some snow.  They act like they’ve never seen it before.  On Thursday, the grocery stores were packed like people were storing up for the end of time.  On Friday, before any snow had fallen, they sent home almost every school in our county.  After work it took me about 40 minutes to get home, which is double what it usually does, and not because the snow was that bad, it was because people think that it is necessary to drive 15mph through town on the main roads.  I mean, come on people, WE LIVE IN OHIO! It snows every year, usually several decent sized snow storms, and yet, it seems as if some of these people on the roads have never driven in the snow.
 
It continued to snow pretty much consistently through Friday evening and all night.  When I got up Saturday morning and looked outside, I couldn’t believe my eyes! We really did get a foot of snow. And it was still snowing.  I couldn’t wait to get the boys outside and take some photos of them in the snow.













So after lunch, we bundled up, and headed on outside.  Reid had never been out in the snow, so this was a really big deal to him.  He was so excited to play in it.  He kept picking up big pieces of snow/ice and carrying them around. We got his new sled he got for Christmas out and I pulled him up and down the alley and he kept giggling so loud.



















 Gauge invited one of his friends over and they wrestled around in the snow and threw snowballs at each other.  Both boys love playing in the snow.  And I love the snow.  But Rod hates the snow, and I mean HATES the snow.  He hates all of it, the cold, the shoveling, the snow…all of it.  But we are very lucky to have Joe as our next door neighbor, because while we were all out playing, Joe used his snowblower and did our sidewalks for us.  He (and his wife) are some of the best neighbors we could ask for. 





Gauge and his buddy stayed outside for quite a while, but I knew it was time to take Reid in.  His poor little face was bright red and his hands had to be frozen.  So when I picked him up to take him inside, the temper tantrum began.  He screamed like a fire siren.  And kept screaming while I got him undressed.  But the funny thing is that I took him upstairs for a nap right after that and I think it took him all of five minutes to fall asleep.  I think the snow got the best of him.









Overall, I would say we are a house that loves the snow (and even though Rod claims he hates it, he sure seemed to enjoy playing in it with the boys and the dogs).









It continued to snow all week. Gauge was so thrilled...three snow days on one week! The best part for him was going to Tanner’s house on Tuesday. My friend, Julie, is so nice to let Gauge come over on snow days to play with Tanner. They had a blast, digging in the snow and having snowball fights, and I have to say, Gauge sleeps better after he spends the day at Julie’s house than he does any other day.

Sunday Sum-up

This week was...
My new medicine making me extremely sick, spending lots of time with my head in the toilet...yuck!
First Wednesday...it was so meaningful because it was so helpful to my good friend Julie
Gauge going to First Wednesday since there was no XOO
Gauge got an A++ on his Science test and Spelling test. He just keeps getting better!!!
Date Night Thursday at the roadhouse.
Boys sleepover at Meme's on Thursday.
Huge snow storm rolls in Friday afternoon and although it's usually a huge hoax, the weathermen were right.
We woke up to a foot, yes, a foot, of snow Saturday.
Gauge had a snow playdate with Erik & went to his house to play after.
Reid's first time playing in the snow.
Seeing the kindness in our neighbors as Joe used his snowblower on our sidewalk, a job that would have taken hours without him.
Played Disney Wheel of Fortune with Gauge.
Valentine's Photo Shoot.
Ordered Reid's birthday cupcakes.
Reid saying "peas" (please), "Melmo" (Elmo), and "There he is" for the first time.
Khloe's 10th Birthday Party.
Dad's birthday dinner.
Rod with the guys for the Superbowl.
Gauge sleepover at Dad & Beth's today.

Wordless Wednesday...scrapbook style