"'Tis the Season" Waaaait a Minute!

I am sitting in Starbucks, which apparently has decided there is no such thing as Thanksgiving.  The Christmas holiday, however, is in full swing.  I'm not sure why corporations feel the need to blow past Thanksgiving. I suppose it has something to do with capitalizing on Christmas, but I gotta think the fall blend of espresso is just as popular around Thanksgiving, and is more in keeping with the tradition of Thanksgiving ending the fall season.  Call me crazy.  However, the hypocrite in me got a Grande half-flavored Peppermint Mocha w/whip, because that red board filled with white letters and outlined with white snow drifts and fir trees just called out to me. "Don't drink the usual Cinnamon Dolce Latte, Kari!" it said. "No! Drink this lovely, half dark chocolate and half peppermint latte.  It truly is Christmas in a cup!"  I fell for it. Hook, line and sinker.  What a lovely latte it is, too.

I suppose I should be thanking Starbucks. Their blithe avoidance of the Thanksgiving holiday certainly puts into sharp focus the fact that Christmas is right around the corner and I've bought all of zero gifts.  Hmmm. Holiday shopping. Not my favorite thing to do, and certainly no fun when you are broke. Thankfully, Jace is fully stocked for toys. He may get some play food for his kitchen and some more Melissa & Doug puzzles.  Beyond that, we (Mommy and an unaware Jace) are planning on donating all of the *crap* that comes with Christmas stockings and presents from relatives who don't know what is developmentally appropriate, but don't ask Mom what would be desirable either.

Mommy, on the other hand, could use a clothing spree.  How is it that I am still wearing jeans that I bought 9 years ago?? Well, I only wear those around the house. However, there are many more that are at least 5 years old. I think I've purchased 2 pairs of Jeans since before I got pregnant with Jace... we're talking 4 years!  Oh, and forget cute winter sweaters.  I haven't bought a nice winter top in well over 4 years. Most of my tops include plain, long-sleeved tees. No embellishments, no cute designs, all very "I don't go anywhere or do anything" looking.  Motherhood certainly killed my sense of fashion!  For the past 3 years its been all about utility. Time to be trendy again!!

Well, back to the daily grind. 3 more weeks until the semester ends. I can't wait for a break!!

All the best,
mom2jace

"Entitled" Ex's

This one goes out to all of the Ex's who feel that their Baby'Daddy/Momma should be footing their bill:
1. I don't give a rats ass who you are, if you aren't my child, I'm not responsible for your problems
2. Any money I make is MINE. Any money you make is YOURS.  Don't come crying to me when you're the one with a job.
3. If I have cool toys for our child at my house, and you're jealous, go buy more toys.
4. Don't whine about having too little time with your son when you can't handle any responsibilities more time entails.
5. While I do feel sorry for you, I have my own problems.
6. I buy nice clothes for my son. I expect those nice clothes to return to my house.
7. If you can't set aside $10/month for gas money to exchange our son, maybe you aren't mature enough to see him.
8. Did I mention that I'm not a piggy bank? Just so you know, I do not have ATM tattooed across my forehead. Crazy, I know.
9. I also don't have Bank of Ex, I'll Get This, or Quick Cash Here stamped on my forehead.
10. I DO know that the local McDonalds is hiring. If you'd like, I'll pick you up an application.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Ok, that was my vent for the day. Glad to get that off my chest.

Other than that, we are having a wonderful weekend and looking forward to the week ahead :) Almost done with the fall semester, still pulling A's. OH! Mommy had her first Parent-Teacher Conference on Thursday and Jace is a little rock star! As if there was any question. We have just a few more weeks before Mommy and Jace get to spend just Mommy and Jace time together. After registering for my whopping SIX courses next semester (glutton for punishment, AKA need to finish my B.S. by May 2012), I've decided that this holiday break will be spent with no computers, no phones, no tv, just Jace and I going out and doing lots of fun stuff together.  I see the children's museum, aquarium, and some snowboarding in our future. Ah, Winter Break. How I love thee.

Off to bed. All the best!
mom2jace

I can't get enough...

This is me procrastinating. I have a 20-page lesson plan to work on and a 4-page term paper, both due today.  But I'm on my blog because I just HAVE to share a band I've been listening to incessantly for the past 3 weeks. Their name is Mumford & Sons, and they are a folk-rock band out of London, and they are just amazing. They have really touched my soul.  Anywho, check out their webpage (www.mumfordandsons.com) and hit the play button at the top left to hear bits from each track on the album.  youtube them for full songs. They are AMAZING! My favorites (well, all really) are Little Lion Man, Sigh No More, The Cave, Roll Away Your Stone, White Blank Page and Awake My Soul.  There is another track from one of their first EP's called Liar that I L.O.V.E., but you have to covert it from youtube because it isn't available for download on itunes or rhapsody.  I used video2mp3.net to convert it in HQ.

Now back to work. My darling son threw up again this morning and my exhaustion is so far beyond anything I've felt since he was born, so we'll see if I meet my deadline. I'm really gonna try!

AHHHHH!!!

Jace and I have strep, and poor Jace has probably had it for over a week and a half :(  We woke up in the night after my last post, and the poor little guy pointed inside his open mouth, then proceeded to exhale everything he'd eaten that day all inside and down my jammies. Yuck!  I couldn't understand how a stomach bug would reappear after 40hrs of being symptom free, so I took him in and sure enough, the boys got strep. I got a prescription for antibiotics, too, just as a precaution. So now instead of just having diarrhea, he has antibiotic diarrhea.  I'm jealous, though. My pills are nasty. Why can't they give adults that delicious amoxycillin that tastes like cotton candy?!!?!  NOT fair! (insert bratty 3yr old foot stomp here!)

We did feel better today, so we went outside and Jace played with the neighbor children. They are so sweet, especially the 12yr old boy. He's such a nice kid, always looking out for Jace and including him in their games. The family next door has 4 kiddos, and they are Mormon, so VERY VERY sweet! Jace loves them, and the mom and I get along so well.  Their youngest son is a bit on the introverted side. He's six, but he's quiet and shy at first. While he was getting used to Jace being in the games, he sat down and wrote a note. I've attached it, but let me interpret, for it took me a good bit of time to decipher :) "Jace, Thank you for inviting me mason Matheson" To Jace's birthday party.  It was so cute. He was so proud to bring it to me.

Anywho, I have to jump off. I still have two projects due tomorrow that are still in the slightly less-preliminary stages, but still nowhere near done.  Ugh.

All the Best!
mom2jace

Mommy's are Amazing

I don't know how we do it, juggling school, work, kids and all of the curve balls life throws at us. I'm not about to stop tooting my own horn though, because at the end of the day, when I've gone through the bedtime routine, laid Jace down for the second or third time, and finally he's fallen into a peaceful sleep, while I'm exhausted and want nothing more than to lay my own head down, I keep going.  It isn't that I want to be a martyr, or that I believe that to live well is to suffer. It is just life, and we push through it knowing we are working for an easier tomorrow. Well, maybe not literally tomorrow; perhaps a better next decade.

I have always been a slacker when it comes to school.  Really, in life, I've had the persona of "when the going gets tough, run away!"  However, I'm mature now. At least, I'm much more mature than I used to be. I see the way things are, the way life has been, and I see a route to changing the path I've been on.  I'm happy to say that my hard work this semester is being rewarded with all A's. So far. I'm overwhelmed at the moment, but I'm elated to know that even if I slip a bit right now, I will still hold high B's in all of my courses.

Oh, AND, I found out that I am definitely graduating in May, 2012. I will be able to start my Masters in Audiology that fall, assuming I'm accepted into the program.  Finally, a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel!

OK, I'm done gloating.

Jace just got over a very nasty, albeit short-lived, stomach bug. I've never been thrown up on so much in the entirety of my existence.  I do believe I got a bath in vomit. Not a pleasant experience.  Especially for poor Jace, who refused to hang his head over a bowl and had a not too happy Mommy because of it. Pumpkin.

Now he is on the mends, and we are spending a lot of quality time together. We had a wonderful afternoon at the park, and met another 3yr old and his Mommy.  It always makes me sad to see other children shy away from Jace because they aren't able to communicate with him. I know this will pass, I know he will have many friends in the future, but right now it is painful to watch.  I feel worse for the parents, who try to have their children interact, then are embarrassed for their child's natural aversion to the child who can't communicate with them.  Such a strange feeling, to feel sorry for your child for being shunned, sorry for yourself for being sad about having a shunned child, sorry for the parent of the other child, and all the while trying to be OK with it because there is nothing you can really do except try to help your child communicate.

Jace is beginning to talk, though, and his spoken vocabulary is becoming much more clear. I've uploaded a video from this afternoon. Nevermind my constant questioning of him, its a habit you pick up when you spend all of your time trying to engage your non-verbal son in the hearing world.