One thing I never thought I'd hear was "daddy you've changed". Followed by why? Change must of us hear is always inevitable and we should embrace it. However, when those words came from my 8 year old tonight it was heart wrenching. I was admittedly overcome with guilt and pain. It was in regards to how much time I spend with her playing and doing things. I will admit, being a SAHD does have some drawbacks. My salary is GONE. Interaction beyond gaga and goo goo is limited. Usually the clerk at Target or Harris Teeter. Time is limited as well. When my wife comes home I sometimes am cooking, cleaning or trying to relax after spending sometimes what is a very bad day filled with screaming, crying and having things thrown at me. Yes, that is from a almost-six month old. I expected those things along with diapers, spit up, and irritability.
However, never did I imagine time would disappear and I would not have as much time for my oldest. My first born. My mini-me. See, the oldest has my eyes. My attitude, my smart comebacks and affinity to speak to everyone. I mean EVERYONE. She came in the other night and told me that she was playing with the neighbor. Then she said I needed to meet him. Ok I thought. I was expecting the little guy two houses down. Nope, it was his DAD. My daughter had wrangled a 40 something year old man who is a law enforcement officer into playing with her. That was funny. I was busy doing domestic things while my wife was handling Katie. So, I went out. That turned into a thirty minute talk about dad stuff. Now, I am taken back to college when I could turn 24 hours in a day in 25 or more hours. Magic I know. So, I need to bring back the old me that can juggle more things than all of PT Barnums clowns. Tomorrow I will start anew at this task. Godspeed!
WOLFPACK
Friday, May 25, 2012
Updates
A lot has happened since I last blogged. First of all, Katie, now almost six months has her first tooth and has started to roll back and forth! That is exciting. To see the miracle of a child growing is insane!! She is doing well with everything and we go in a couple of weeks for the six-month checkup with the pediatrician. As a stay at home dad there is not much time for things other than watching and feedings and diapers. However, we were lucky enough a few weeks ago to have a date night. My wife and I were able to head out to the Raleigh Amphitheatre to see the Beach Boys for their 50th Anniversary Tour! It was wonderful.
When I was working it seemed like days dragged on and on. Now, the days seem to fly by. There is the morning get up and go. We drop off mom at work, then head to carpool. Katie knows when Abby is gone. She loves her big sister so much and that love is reciprocated too. It is sweet to watch sisters growing. Abby, albeit seven years older, is careful when it comes to her sister. And due to logistics Abby is feeding her sister each afternoon during the week. When carpool is over in the morning we head back home. That usually means within an hour it is feeding time, if not sooner. And the little munchkin lets you know! So, she will eat and then take a morning nap which allows me to look at email, converse with my wife, and do some other things. There is laundry, dishes, bottles, and loads of other things. Now I see why my mom was exhausted. Katie has started having more and more tummy time on her Fisher Price playmat. So, we do that and will do some other things like take walks, etc. The dogs kinda hang out with us and go with the flow. By mid afternoon it is time for another feeding. Then, the dogs are taken out and then off to afternoon carpool. I have started a "tradition" of sorts with Abby. When I was younger my mom would bring my afternoon snack to carpool. So, I have started the same. It never fails, some odd way Katie knows when we are back at school waiting in carpool. Abby gets in and it is all giggles and laughs for a while. Then we head to pick up mom and the rest of the night is mom's with the girls usually. She loves that time because she is working all day while I watch the roost.
Sometimes I fall asleep at night in my Lazy Boy and other times I am up til the wee hours of the morning; like now. I will admit that since I am staying at home I notice things about kids more. Their moods, their attitudes, their growing, their likes and dislikes. Recently Abby had her first heartbreak. She and a little guy at school had been playing a lot at school. And they get along really well. So, Abby wanted to have a play date out of school. I sent the email only to get the rejection back saying the little guy doesn't like to play with girls outside of school. The answer given to Abby at school by him was different. He told her his mom didn't like the idea. Too young for "that" kind of stuff. Geeze...I got sent home in kindergarten for kissing a girl. What's the harm? Abby's heart was broken....for about an hour. Then she bounced back. I have convinced her that some of the other guys at school might be worth playing with instead. She warmed to that idea. She also has started playing with the girls in the neighborhood more now too. It is fun to watch. She has no fears flying around on her scooter. That scares me more I think than her.
On a sadder note my grandmother died yesterday. You must understand that she helped to raise me quite a lot since my mom was sick while I was growing up with cancer until she died when I was 14. So, needless to say Nanny as I call her was there a lot. She was my last living grandparent. I had to break the news to Abby. We cried and then today I tried something different. I had her to tell me the "good" things she remembered. BOY! The memories came flooding back for us all. She asked to go and see her. I had to tell her it would be better for her to remember Nanny with the good times and in good health. That seems to have worked. Only time will tell.
When I was working it seemed like days dragged on and on. Now, the days seem to fly by. There is the morning get up and go. We drop off mom at work, then head to carpool. Katie knows when Abby is gone. She loves her big sister so much and that love is reciprocated too. It is sweet to watch sisters growing. Abby, albeit seven years older, is careful when it comes to her sister. And due to logistics Abby is feeding her sister each afternoon during the week. When carpool is over in the morning we head back home. That usually means within an hour it is feeding time, if not sooner. And the little munchkin lets you know! So, she will eat and then take a morning nap which allows me to look at email, converse with my wife, and do some other things. There is laundry, dishes, bottles, and loads of other things. Now I see why my mom was exhausted. Katie has started having more and more tummy time on her Fisher Price playmat. So, we do that and will do some other things like take walks, etc. The dogs kinda hang out with us and go with the flow. By mid afternoon it is time for another feeding. Then, the dogs are taken out and then off to afternoon carpool. I have started a "tradition" of sorts with Abby. When I was younger my mom would bring my afternoon snack to carpool. So, I have started the same. It never fails, some odd way Katie knows when we are back at school waiting in carpool. Abby gets in and it is all giggles and laughs for a while. Then we head to pick up mom and the rest of the night is mom's with the girls usually. She loves that time because she is working all day while I watch the roost.
Sometimes I fall asleep at night in my Lazy Boy and other times I am up til the wee hours of the morning; like now. I will admit that since I am staying at home I notice things about kids more. Their moods, their attitudes, their growing, their likes and dislikes. Recently Abby had her first heartbreak. She and a little guy at school had been playing a lot at school. And they get along really well. So, Abby wanted to have a play date out of school. I sent the email only to get the rejection back saying the little guy doesn't like to play with girls outside of school. The answer given to Abby at school by him was different. He told her his mom didn't like the idea. Too young for "that" kind of stuff. Geeze...I got sent home in kindergarten for kissing a girl. What's the harm? Abby's heart was broken....for about an hour. Then she bounced back. I have convinced her that some of the other guys at school might be worth playing with instead. She warmed to that idea. She also has started playing with the girls in the neighborhood more now too. It is fun to watch. She has no fears flying around on her scooter. That scares me more I think than her.
On a sadder note my grandmother died yesterday. You must understand that she helped to raise me quite a lot since my mom was sick while I was growing up with cancer until she died when I was 14. So, needless to say Nanny as I call her was there a lot. She was my last living grandparent. I had to break the news to Abby. We cried and then today I tried something different. I had her to tell me the "good" things she remembered. BOY! The memories came flooding back for us all. She asked to go and see her. I had to tell her it would be better for her to remember Nanny with the good times and in good health. That seems to have worked. Only time will tell.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I'll take one of....everything
Having a new baby brings back memories from the first time around with our oldest. Diaper changing, googles, drooling, carseats, etc. But with Katie, our youngest, it has been a tad different. We tried her on some baby food last week. And by try I mean just a tad. Well, that was a HUGE hit. She has wanted it all. Apricots, apples, sweet potatos, squash, banannas, and admittedly, I have slipped a few other things over that threshold for her to try. GUILTY!
But, she loves it all. I mean screaming if you don't replenish the spoon full of food you just deposited. Don't stop mamma and daddy! It is fun to watch as she tries new flavors of new things. We weren't sure how some of the things would be received. But she has taken them all pretty well, lest the pumpkin. She didn't like the texture I don't believe. With the baby food we had started out with rice cereal. She had about 3 bowls of it. NO MORE as of today. She spit it back at Phyllis deciding she didn't want that. So, it looks like formula and baby food for the next 7 or 8 months.
Abby has been a tremendous help though. Last week she "babysat" as I had some things around the house to do for an hour or so. It worked and worked well! Abby loves Katie and vice versa. You can see it already. And it is precious. Katie knows, somehow, when I get to carpool in the afternoon! She lightens up and smiles. Yesterday she was sitting up-yes she is doing that too-to see Abby from her carseat in the truck. In a few years I am in for a world of trouble from these two I think! I love it though and would NOT trade it for anything!
But, she loves it all. I mean screaming if you don't replenish the spoon full of food you just deposited. Don't stop mamma and daddy! It is fun to watch as she tries new flavors of new things. We weren't sure how some of the things would be received. But she has taken them all pretty well, lest the pumpkin. She didn't like the texture I don't believe. With the baby food we had started out with rice cereal. She had about 3 bowls of it. NO MORE as of today. She spit it back at Phyllis deciding she didn't want that. So, it looks like formula and baby food for the next 7 or 8 months.
Abby has been a tremendous help though. Last week she "babysat" as I had some things around the house to do for an hour or so. It worked and worked well! Abby loves Katie and vice versa. You can see it already. And it is precious. Katie knows, somehow, when I get to carpool in the afternoon! She lightens up and smiles. Yesterday she was sitting up-yes she is doing that too-to see Abby from her carseat in the truck. In a few years I am in for a world of trouble from these two I think! I love it though and would NOT trade it for anything!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
New day...
Well, it has been a while. Katie is still going full throttle. Today was one of those days. It started great. It had ended great last night and I told my wife I expected mischief today, and I got it!!! That little bugger is starting to try to sit up on her own. Cute as it is, poor thing did it on the way home from carpool this am. In the process she fell asleep in the "up" position, slumped forward in her carseat. I wish I could have snapped a pic of that one!!
Then we did reach a milestone!! Cereal!!! YAHHHHOOOOO!!!! She was able to eat this with me and her momma both today. Then big sis got a chance to feed her some tonight. It was great. This is all still new to us all. Trials, tribulations, crying fits, tired parents, all!!!
Then we did reach a milestone!! Cereal!!! YAHHHHOOOOO!!!! She was able to eat this with me and her momma both today. Then big sis got a chance to feed her some tonight. It was great. This is all still new to us all. Trials, tribulations, crying fits, tired parents, all!!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The days with the girls...
I truly am beginning to relish the days I spend with both of the girls. Each one has their own quirks and personality traits. They seem so different. I know, they are almost 8 years apart in age. With that being the case though, Katie has DEFINITE personality differences than Abby did at this age. Katie is getting her first tooth sooner. She LOVES to snuggle a lot. She also eats more regularly than any child I have ever seen!
This are just a few of the differences. We all went out together this afternoon as I had a bunch of errands to run. Abby and I ate some CFA while in the truck running around. We witnessed a man hunt of sorts. Apparently someone tried to remove money and/or items from a store that wasn't theirs. About 7 RPD cars showed up in a hurry. Given that the local RPD station is about 2 miles away, DUH!
After that we made our way downtown to about 4 other stops. Katie was very well behaved and didn't make a peep until we went to a local county office for some information. Then when I needed to speak to someone she woke up and was HUNGRY!!! So, Abby played the dutiful big sis role and fed her while I met with the lady. That was awesome and ALL of the people in the lobby remarked to me about how great Abby is. I was one proud daddy!! Who am I kidding??? I am ALWAYS one proud daddy!
This are just a few of the differences. We all went out together this afternoon as I had a bunch of errands to run. Abby and I ate some CFA while in the truck running around. We witnessed a man hunt of sorts. Apparently someone tried to remove money and/or items from a store that wasn't theirs. About 7 RPD cars showed up in a hurry. Given that the local RPD station is about 2 miles away, DUH!
After that we made our way downtown to about 4 other stops. Katie was very well behaved and didn't make a peep until we went to a local county office for some information. Then when I needed to speak to someone she woke up and was HUNGRY!!! So, Abby played the dutiful big sis role and fed her while I met with the lady. That was awesome and ALL of the people in the lobby remarked to me about how great Abby is. I was one proud daddy!! Who am I kidding??? I am ALWAYS one proud daddy!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Failure to launch??
So, thinking in NASA terms here, I am feeling like I have failed to launch. Me, personally. Looking at how my 7 year old, soon to be 8 years old is acting, there is no question I have failed. She has in the last year become a rebel. Back talk, acting out at school, at home, throwing temper tantrums, screaming, and other hellion things! I am beginning to wonder since she missed her terrible twos, if these things are now coming back to bite me in the tuckus. I mean, I know most, if not all kids experience some of this crap. And I have a feeling some of it may, MAY, be hormonal. I don't say that because she is a girl. I say that because her mom and I have noticed psychological and physical changes in her lately. BUT, I think a lot of it has to do with Katie being the newest addition and taking up a lot of all of our time as well as things at school.
That being said, nothing as punishment works for her displays of behavior. Taking away the Wii, NOPE. Taking away her TV privileges, NOPE. Taking away fun stuff outside of the home, NOPE. Taking away her beloved computer, NOPE. Time in the room alone, NOT A CHANCE! How do we fix it. I have prayed, her mom has prayed. I think if Katie can talk at all in her head she has prayed too. I know the poor dogs pray to whatever God they have daily about it. Dear Lord of Doggies, I am putting four paws up and asking for deliverance from this child!
Kidding aside-no pun there-something has to give. Staying strong with those brown eyes staring at you and crying is tough. However, one must use the force....thanks Obi Wan and Yoda. Seriously though, how do you get a kid who is almost 8, bored out of her gourd at school whereby nothing is challenging other than how to act 28, to behave? Beatings will commence shortly....nah, just kidding. At some point, I hope a road sign pops up in the middle of the flippin' air that shows me the way. I have tried Biblical references, God, Jesus, invoking the Bill of Rights...almost everything. This past weekend, at a trip to the grocery store with her mom, she runs out of the store and into the traffic ahead of her mom. She KNOWS not to do this. She knows and has been told time and again to stand with us. And what happens? She almost meets Jesus face to face in the form of a Chevy Suburban. After getting home with her mom, she feels like Phyllis is mad. She isn't. She was scared and horrified. Crying, both of them, I give hugs. I let it sink in overnight. Then today, I talk about it. Her answer, she has the right of way because she is in a crosswalk. Wise and a sage beyond her years, I know. The total lack of true understanding however eludes her. She doesn't get that the woman driving the SUV who shot my wife the look from hell during this truly wouldn't have blinked if she thought she ran over a little something in a parking lot probably. In that land yacht of hers she would've kept on moving. That is sad. Sadder though is the idea that my child thinks it boils down to the vehicle laws. UGH. What can I do? Where can I go?
That being said, nothing as punishment works for her displays of behavior. Taking away the Wii, NOPE. Taking away her TV privileges, NOPE. Taking away fun stuff outside of the home, NOPE. Taking away her beloved computer, NOPE. Time in the room alone, NOT A CHANCE! How do we fix it. I have prayed, her mom has prayed. I think if Katie can talk at all in her head she has prayed too. I know the poor dogs pray to whatever God they have daily about it. Dear Lord of Doggies, I am putting four paws up and asking for deliverance from this child!
Kidding aside-no pun there-something has to give. Staying strong with those brown eyes staring at you and crying is tough. However, one must use the force....thanks Obi Wan and Yoda. Seriously though, how do you get a kid who is almost 8, bored out of her gourd at school whereby nothing is challenging other than how to act 28, to behave? Beatings will commence shortly....nah, just kidding. At some point, I hope a road sign pops up in the middle of the flippin' air that shows me the way. I have tried Biblical references, God, Jesus, invoking the Bill of Rights...almost everything. This past weekend, at a trip to the grocery store with her mom, she runs out of the store and into the traffic ahead of her mom. She KNOWS not to do this. She knows and has been told time and again to stand with us. And what happens? She almost meets Jesus face to face in the form of a Chevy Suburban. After getting home with her mom, she feels like Phyllis is mad. She isn't. She was scared and horrified. Crying, both of them, I give hugs. I let it sink in overnight. Then today, I talk about it. Her answer, she has the right of way because she is in a crosswalk. Wise and a sage beyond her years, I know. The total lack of true understanding however eludes her. She doesn't get that the woman driving the SUV who shot my wife the look from hell during this truly wouldn't have blinked if she thought she ran over a little something in a parking lot probably. In that land yacht of hers she would've kept on moving. That is sad. Sadder though is the idea that my child thinks it boils down to the vehicle laws. UGH. What can I do? Where can I go?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Fidget britches
Ok, so we have gotten to the point, in the last week where Katie doesn't like to sit still much at all. Kicking, squirming, like a worm to extend her body and wiggle. The Wiggles, if ever needed, could have a new member! Her legs go out all the way whenever she needs to go in the carseat, or be changed. Holding her is fun. Except when she tries to wiggle and eat at the same time. You have to have bulls-eye experience to get that bottle in!
At the same time, I feel like our oldest is starting to allow the baby sister to wear on her. Momma doesn't think so, but in my daddy's heart I know and knew this MIGHT happen. It happened with me and my next oldest brother Jamey. I have seen it happen in my siblings families. I just hope I can work on getting it corrected sooner rather than later. It might be time for some special daddy time with Abs.
Valentine's Day carried over a tad. Abby wanted to know if she could attend the next movie night at school. I knew why. I just was waiting. And sure enough, "Billy" was gonna be there. "He's at all of them dad". Hmm.....I wonder, is this or should this be considered the 1st date?
At the same time, I feel like our oldest is starting to allow the baby sister to wear on her. Momma doesn't think so, but in my daddy's heart I know and knew this MIGHT happen. It happened with me and my next oldest brother Jamey. I have seen it happen in my siblings families. I just hope I can work on getting it corrected sooner rather than later. It might be time for some special daddy time with Abs.
Valentine's Day carried over a tad. Abby wanted to know if she could attend the next movie night at school. I knew why. I just was waiting. And sure enough, "Billy" was gonna be there. "He's at all of them dad". Hmm.....I wonder, is this or should this be considered the 1st date?
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