Happy New Year!

Wow!  What a turd I was at posting last year...  I plan to do better this year, and am shamefully bribing you for your forgiveness with holiday photos of the Skeeter-man.  Am I forgiven?

O man, he certainly is a cheese!  I needed some pictures for a craft project, but he was just standing there all stiff and formal.  I thought maybe I could loosen him up a bit by asking for some "silly pictures," and that really let the genie out of the lamp.  As you can see he really got into it. Then he managed to grab the camera and started taking pictures on his own.  I let him snap away, and later deleted 3 very unflattering pictures of myself, 5 of his fingers (over the lens,) 7 of the tree, 4 of the TV and 14 pictures of play-dough.  Yep, nuthin but play-dough.  I'm seriously thinking he needs a little digital camera of his own when his birthday rolls around this summer.  On the one hand it feels a little "expensive"for a five year old, but than I remember all the film and developing my mom paid for when I got my first camera, and it doesn't feel too extravagant anymore.  Seriously, how many pictures of the same cat, out of focus and blurry does one kid need?

I have some big, scary/wonderful news to share soon, but right now I have to fly to the grocery store and by apples and soy milk.  Ta!

Happy Halloween 2010!!

Why hello! Didn’t think I was coming back, did you? I’ve meant to visit back for a while, apparently I haven’t been in the “mood” to blog for about 15 months. A lot has happened in that time. Skeeter turned 4, G turned 12, and we went to DisneyWorld. I’ve been in the hospital (briefly.) In fact for a little while last winter, Mom (bronchitis,) E (gall-bladder removal) and I (kidney stones) were keeping the ER staff pretty busy. Poor B, we really ran her ragged too. Work-wise I was busy too. Retirement reform, Early Retirement pushes in two of the retirement system’s my office administers. Lots of WORK, of course… Many great, knowledgeable friends retired or moved to other departments. Most positions have not been filled, and those that are mostly great new people who have a lot to learn. I swear, if I could put a shop-vac to my ear and suck out the knowledge I have and pass it around, I’d do it in a second!


I’m heading over to Skeeter’s house to hand out candy tonight while B and E take the little man trick-o-treating. To tide you over until I get this year’s pictures, here are some from last year. May I present Skeeter as Buzz Lightyear, with his jet-pack (aka his daddy.)

More later!

Skeeter is Three

Happy Birthday BFF Skeeter!!!!! Look who is a big boy now!

Chopstick food: Raspberries and Cheez-its

Perhaps it is a bit early, but my Skeeter must know how to use chopsticks because someday he will be going to visit his cousin G in Taiwan. It can be a royal bitch to find a western -style fork when you go out to dinner, believe me! Thus we are starting sloooooow, and we are starting early. Jury-rigged starter chopsticks, thanks to the folded up wrapper the sticks came in, a rubber band, and a cool Internet site for instructions. We ate things big enough to grab tweezer-like with the chopsticks. He is getting pretty good with them, though sometimes you just gotta skip the utensils altogether and resort to le pingies. My chopsticks were regulation (No rubber band) but I did get a hand cramp. (Damn Carpal Tunnel!)
These pictures are from Good Friday. His day-care was closed so I took the day off to Skeeter-sit. The day was fun, but not drama free. One spanking, one time-out and a retaliatory tantrum (his, not mine.) Things went better for awhile and nap time was enjoyed by ALL. Things turned abruptly south when he puked up his crackers and fruit all over my kitchen floor. It looked better above than it did later...... Still a winner for him, he got an unscheduled bath (including Grandpa Reed's toy submarine) which is his Favorite thing under Grandma's supervision while Yea-yea gaggingly cleaned the floor.

Trains!

What is it about little boys and trains??? He loves them so much.

Wearing Yay-yay's glasses

And the sad thing is, I can't say I look this good in them....

They are back.....

Like vampires creeping from the earth at dusk, they arise. Cautious. Skittish Deprived of access to food and water by the arrival of their nemesis, they are slow to trust. They sense he has left, but are they sure? One of their number was caught earlier, held and enveloped almost beyond endurance before he escaped. They slink forward...look right...look left....HEY CATNIP MOUSE ON A STRING!!!!!! WOO HOO!


That's right Skeeter came to visit Sunday morning and stayed all day, much to the distress of the cats. Bing was loved a bit, but he WILL survive. All in all we (humans) had a really good day, but no pictures, I'm sorry to say. The more fun I have with him, the less think to grab the camera.


Our new fun is playing with trains. Last summer I bought some trains from a friend whose sons had outgrown them. Did I say trains? I mean multiple battery-operated Thom@s the Tank Train engines, train cars, tons of track, risers to make overpasses, tunnels, trees and a table with rolling storage drawers for all it. So cool!

Actually the table was in my living room for months, but it was so big I couldn't access the drawers well and we didn't use it. I just dismantled it recently and took all the stuff to the back bed room. A couple of weeks ago, he and his mommy came over and I took him back to grab a few pieces to play with. We lay down the tracks on the living room floor, but it wasn't really big enough. "We need more tracks!" I said and hurried down the hallway for more with him close on my heels. I distinctly heard SOMEONE (no one is fessing up)in the room behind us say "It's like there are two little kids not one." We increased the track and played for a while, then he looked up and said "More!" And he went flying down the hall with me at HIS heels. With a couple more trips down the hall, it him occupied for three hours or more the first time. He was so cute laying on the floor, eye level with the trains as they passed by, he "helping" them along as they passed.

Thank you, Lisa. These toys ARE the greatest.

Look at the handsome little boy - 2 Year Pictures

Here are this year's portraits of Mr. Cutie. I only wish they had one with his hair mussed up, he looks like such a little puck then....

Okay, the one above does look a little cheesy, kinda like a famous movie poster I can think of...

So sweet, but in fact he is probably trying to figure out how to get into some water, it's his favorite thing... Bath-time, water balloon's, squirty fish, sprinkler....as long as it's wet he is happy.

This Shot was for for Grandpa, lord knows it wasn't for Uncle A.

Ah!!!!! Dressed for his element!

Watertime Fun

We started out in the sprinkler, but it got too cold. So back to our trusty squirty fish!

Getting to the bottom of the matter

Explaining his theory on water ballons

Sometimes he has to splain things s l o w to Yea-Yea, just to be sure she gets it....

Sprinkler TIme!!!!

It was so dang hot and humid this weekend that I introduced my friend Skeeter to the fun of the kiddie sprinkler on Sunday. As you can see he took to it quite well....( Click on photo a better look at his facial expressions, they are a hoot.)

At first he was afraid, so Yea-yea had to run through the wiggly sprayers by herself, but slowly he became braver. I made the fatal mistake of demonstrating how to point one of the sprayers by refilling a squirt gun with it, and then no part of me was dry for the next 40 minutes. Little monkey!

Away too long

Hello! I have been away too long. First it was the January Blahs unmotivating me, then we had some health issues in the family, (not just me this time.) I will write about that later... I just wanted to pop in for a quick moment and post some recent Skeeter-man photos, as I'm sure you must be going through withdrawal by now!!

Enjoy! And Happy March!

Christmas pictures

The sad truth of the matter is that little skunk is getting really good at not holding still. As soon as he sees the camera, it becomes an elaborate "bob and weave" maneuver to avid the lens. As a consequence I don't have that many pictures that aren't of the back of him. Here are the two best ones.

He added the bow himself! I am not to blame..... okay, maybe just a little as I lead by example on this one.

I am definitely to blame for this!! Hee hee. I bought his a bunch of musical instruments, including a tambourine and cymbals! You should have seen his face the first time I smashed them together!! I think his daddy will enjoy them too. I just better not get them back on my birthday....

"Christmas" Day

So
Tired....

Skeeter
Wore
Me
Out

Very
Happy
Day

Good
Night.....

Be@enie Tree

This is actually an idea I stole from my friend Jxxxie, to use be@nie babies instead of regular ornaments. The first time we did it because I didn't feel like hauling all the Xmas crap up from the basement. This year we did it for Skeeter.



It's a little hard to see them all from this angle, many are pushed back into the tree. The first time Skeeter saw our tree, he cocked his head to the side, studied it, then walked over and started taking be@nies off. He then handed them to me with a very solemn expression, as if he were saying: "Yea-yea, this is not where you keep your toys..." When I put them all back in the tree, he seemed a little annoyed with me. We will see what he does tomorrow. His day-care will be closed, and I get him ALL DAY!!! We are going to have fun! I am a little concerned, because we now have all our packages under the tree. He KNOWS how to unwrap presents very well, thank you. Let's see if I have to say "No-no" all day.

I wanted to mention I had a lot of fun this year decorating packages. Instead of adding tags, ribbons, and bows, I used a silver marker to address the packages and draw pictures. Very satisfying! No individual masterpieces, but as a group they are very cool to see.

Two days to go! Merry Christmas!

It's been a long time..

I'm sorry I have been away so long, I just haven't been in a blogging mood. Had a little dental drama, an abscess and root canal (and yes, I DID pronounce it Woot Cannnal for the better part of the day.) It now looks like the infection isn't all cleared up, and I have to go back to the endodontist for a recheck. Ho Ho Ho

As usual, I have been having a ball Christmas shopping. I refuse to admit I have gone overboard, but there are a MESS of presents under the tree for Skeeter -man, and I almost dragged my arms out of their sockets hauling G's packages to the post office.

Looks like I'll have a light workload the next two weeks, my office is closed both Wednesdays and Thursdays. Normally I would work the three other days of the holiday week. I think it isn't fair for those with children to be forced to leave their kids so I can have a day off during the holidays. If I had kids, or even plans, I might feel different.... However this year as a reward for good work done in a crappy year, anyone who wants the 12/26 and 1/02 off may take them. Management is not enforcing minimum staff coverage. In my section only one person is going to work the Fridays. So, two five-day week-ends in a row, Woo Hoo!

And thus, with all this free time, I plan to make things up to you.... I do feel really bad about not blogging, and in guilt and friendship, I think I will be blogging everyday for the rest of the year. A pre-New Years resolution, if you will. Get some better blogging habits ingrained before work picks up again in January.

And now a treat! Skeeter's very first school picture. I don't remember my daycare ever doing this, but then again, my pre-school wasn't attached to a real school that was taking pictures anyway. Doesn't he just look like he is planning some mischief.!

Halloween

As promised, Skeeter pictures. Isn't he the cutest thing since Grover! I don't have a lot of time right now, so I'll have to post later.

A fairly good Friday.

Friday was a good day altogether. I worked a half day and went to the eye doctor for my yearly Diabetic Retinopathy exam. Good news is no sign of damage to my eyes from diabetes and the pressures are normal. Pesky news is they have to dilate my peepers to do it. Yuk.

Better Good news is I arranged to pick Skeeter up from his school, and we had an Auntie Yea-Yea day. He has graduated from the infant room to the toddler room, and he loves it. I had never been in the toddler room before, and I must say at first it was a little ...unsettling. All these kids start coming at you, smiling...drooling...talking....."hi......hi......hi......" I couldn't really see them (remember...eyes were dilated) and I didn't recognize Skeeter in all the Stepford-Zombie children. Then I saw my friend, he grinned at me and the little staggering children stopped seeming so menacing... They really are nice kids (although the excessive drool still bothers me and my healthy gag-reflex.)

So we went to Skeeter's house and played. He spotted a little freebie voice recorder I had hanging from my purse, and it is now his new favorite thing. I sang a little song into it which he liked, but apparently the best button of all is the erase button, so I was singing into the little voice recorder a lot.

Oh! We had so much fun!

Punkin Patch Fun

We met Skeeter and his parents at the local Cider Mill for a pumpkin carrying contest. For a $12 registration fee, you get to keep all the pumpkins you can carry for 10 feet. So we went out and picked pumpkins....

And Skeeter guarded them ...
After inspecting them (just maybe not as carefully as he should have at this moment) he later licked a few to check for freshness....
Oh yes! This looks like a fine crop indeed!
Guess it's time to kick back and relax for the ride to the finish line..

.

.

Sorry, I don't have any actual picture of E carrying the pumpkins......B and I loaded E up, and Skeeter waited with Grandma at the finish line. E managed to carry 19 to the finish line. Most are going to Skeeter's school, a some are going to be carved at home too.

Afterwards we all headed back to the bakery, and had cider and fresh warm donuts. Yummy. A very nice Sunday