planning

It's Friday the 13th and it's been rainy. We stayed in all day and didn't go anywhere.

I really don't feel as if I got much done. Although I did a lot of planning which helps me not stress (just my personality). You see, we have the opportunity to get to see Marc's family. But we will be leaving a week from today. I will be going to Mackinaw Island a week from last Wednesday. So in essense I will be gone for over a week and a half starting next Wednesday. And so the lists began. What to pack for Machinaw, what to pack for our MN/IA trip, what items will needed to be moved from Mackinaw bags to MN/IA bags (since we are leaving for MN/IA as soon as I get back), what I need to get done before then, what I need to tell mom when she comes and watches Andrew, what I need to get from the grocery....can you tell I have a touch of type A in me. Or as my good friends who I am going to Mackinaw with would call it....being anal. :) But it makes me feel better and more in control and more managed.

Well, we are waiting for Kari and Andy to come over and eat pizza and little man is sleeping.

...oh they are here, I need to go.

Stale bread is for the birds....or Andrew

Today, I tried to teach Andrew the fine art of feeding the birds. A complex skill consisting of tearing a peice of bread and throwing it into the grass. Well, much more bread fed Andrew than the birds. In his high chair, I try and try to NOT have him throw his food.... but I could not get him throw a single peice of yucky stale bread to the birds.

Today, he also learned to wink. Both eyes go at the same time. I say, "WINK!" and he squeezes both tight for just a second and bobs his little head slighly...it's so cute! Very "I dream of Jeanie". AND....he has successfully pointed on command to his nose, eyes and ears a handful of times the last couple days, too.

Ok, I have to say God is Good. Our sound machine broke and is a MUST for traveling with a baby. Well, I had been checking online and around and the cheapest I could find would be around $15-$20 (although I only bought my for $6 forever ago). Well, we hit some garage sales in the Ueland's neighborhood. And I found one for $2! Woo Hoo! Then earlier this week, we got a bag of little boy clothes from our previous small group leaders and then we got another bag today from Kelly. Between the two we got TONS O'Clothes! Andrew is set for the summer and then some!! Real nice!

Well, I have a lot to do and we've been busy today and haven't got much done.

I dream of Andrew

AUGH, I am sitting in front of the weather channel this morning, and it's calling for rain until Sunday. It's Wednesday! That's like 5 days of rain. Good thing it got a lot of laundry done and hung to dry yesterday. It's raining already. Pbbtthh!

Well, yesterday, we went to a MOPS playgroup. It was really nice and Andrew did really good considering it fell during nap time. I met a couple other moms and am even going over to one mom's house this afternoon for lunch. She has 3 little girls and seems real sweet. She's also a Dykstra. (Although there are a LOT of us around here).

So the plan for today is work on deboning and shredding chicken (I put a whole one in the crockpot overnight), pick up the house, clean out/organize fridge and pantry, make dinner tonight (right now the plan is, enchalata soup, beer bread and corn on the cob), clean bathrooms, dust/vacuum, possibly hit a dollar store. (I'm looking for a slim 1/2 gal pitcher). Well, see how much of this actually gets done. Of course, I also need to do things like shower, get little boy dressed etc... Fortunately, most of these things are not absolutely necessary for me to get done today.

Thank you to all of you who, from this Blog, sent condolences for my Gram. I really appreciate it.
So last night, Marc gets home from basketball really late and I am already in bed nodding off and on. But we get talking when he comes to bed and decides he is going to get Andrew and bring him in bed with us for a little while. Well, Andrew was totally sleeping, but all of a sudden he slaps his own leg and smiles HUGE! So then, Marc and I begin chuckling quietly and Andrew starts kicking his leg and laughing out loud. Totally asleep! It was HILARIOUS! At this point, Marc and I have to cover our mouth we are laughing so hard. Then mean Daddy started lightly tickling him, so he would keep laughing. Poor little man. :) Finally we all went to sleep, and shortly afterward, due to extreme wiggling, Marc took Andrew back to his own bed.

Well, I have to get going, I have a lot to do.

EDITED TO ADD: I forgot that I had put a roast in yesterday, then due to crazy schedules, we just decided to fend for dinner and eat the roast today. No enchalata soup.

Who's Who of the Family Tree

Last night I made copies of pictures of a whole bunch of people in our lives. Mostly family, and some close friends. And I placed these pictures on a tack board so Andrew could work on "Who's Who of Andrew's World". I ask "Where is __________?" and he points to that person. So we've been playing with it this morning and he's got Daddy and Mommy and Gideon down. Then, he walks over to Daddy's picture and starts saying "Daddy" over and over. And I am all proud of him and getting ready to call Marc and share the joy when he leaves the board, walks over to a video game controller and starts pressing buttons saying, "Daddy" over and over. Not sure if he is associating or just likes to say "Daddy".

Well, we are home from our weekend in Ohio. It was a nice weekend, scattered with some sadness, but overall good. Old Mrs. Crazberry helped. Of course, now my house is littered with bags that have been half unpacked and dirty dishes and all kinds of other things that need cleaned up and put away. So, now that Andrew is down for a nap, I am going to sneak a quick shower and get to work. At least I already got the bills paid, trash and recycling out, and got Andrew in the tub this morning.

This afternoon, we are running a few errands. We need diapers in a BAD way. (like, I don't think we'd make it to tomorrow). Tonight we are meeting some people from our original small group at Ada at Chili's for Fahita Monday. (Is it sad that I think I am looking forward more to the food than the company? No offense to the people, because they are totally top notch, but I just LOVE Chili's fahitas so much and it is such a RARE treat for me anymore).

I don't think this week is looking to be too busy. Tomorrow I am heading to MOPs with a neighbor and her son in the morning and we have a vet appt in the PM. Marc will play B-ball in evening. (and I plan on watching Apprentice and ER from LAST Thursday). Other than that...I think the week is pretty quiet. Unfortunatly, we have NO product tests yet scheduled for this week. Bummer.

Ok, I hope you all have a great week. Ba-bye.

Learning is a good thing....right?

So many things cause my son to light up each day with a look of pride on his face that says, "I DID IT". He is learning so much each day and each time he figures something out, there's that look, that grin, those "do you see, Mom?" eyes. Just today he learned that to throw something away on command. (Something that is SUPPOSED to be thrown away). Today, he learned that, even though for many months mommy and daddy have cornered the coffee table into the couch so there is a small area he cannot reach, he can army crawl UNDER the table into the forbidden area and access everything. Today he learned, somehow - not quite sure yet how and hoping it was a fluke, that he could take his diaper off and throw it out of the crib. Yes, he was grinning ear to ear on that one! And here is the kicker, today he learned ,and repeated consistently, that when Daddy scolds him, usually for touching something he shouldn't, that he should immediately go and lay his head on Daddy's leg and Daddy forgets all about it. It's almost scary how much he learns each day.

I will not be writing for a few days as I will be heading to OH tomorrow for my Gram's funeral. She was the Matriarch of the Steiner family of (rough count) 44 and therefore will still be celebrate this Mother's day.

So to all those Mothers, Mothers-to-be, and Mothers-some-day....

Happy Mother's Day.

I'm helpless

I've created a monster and he's out of control.

You see, I read up on the wonders of teaching a baby sign language and how it can greatly help you and your child communicate long before he or she is able to form the correct words, thus making life less frustrating for both the child and parent. Well, I jumped on this bandwagon and started working on basic words with Andrew around 6 months. Words such as "No", "More", "All done", "Drink", "Thank You", etc... Well, he really wasn't all that into it even though I worked and worked and worked on it.

Well, this past week, he has learned the sign for MORE and uses it ALL THE TIME for EVERYTHING!!! I mean EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME! The thing is, is that I am so proud of him and he is so cute when he does it, that I totally give in. I just can't help myself. More peanut butter crackers, mom. More drink, mom. More of this cheerio I found under the couch, mom. More, more, more. For instance, as I write, he is in the high chair scarfing down his third (and last - unless I give in again)peanut butter cracker. Oh no, I didn't even finish that last sentence and he is already "more-ing" me. Must.have.strength. Do.not.give.in.

I must confess, as challanging as this is, I am very proud of my child and as far as other signs go...I want him to learn more.

Tiny Bubbles.... 

I get no peace at breakfast. Look what my Daddy did to me.  

My Future's So Bright... 

My friend Kelly is Awesome!

After reading my last semi-whining entry (well, not really - I didn't expect a bad day, just a crazy one), Kelly stepped up and offered her help which saved me a ton of time. So THANK YOU, Kelly!