Buddy the Dog

We have added another member to our family... a dog named Buddy. We got him off of craigslist...he was supposed to be a Labrador.well that is what the ad said and the way the picture was taken, he sure did look like it. So we went to pick him up and when we parked, all we could hear was this very loud bark. I thought this dog was gonna be a meanie. Well when we walked up, this dog was a little chicken! He ran across the other side of the yard and when we tried to get him in the kennel, he was shaking. We finally got him home and he just ran out of the kennel and started peeing on everything. He is a shepard mix and still a puppy. He is really a good dog and starting to bark at people that he sees instead of just running away. James and him seem to get along great but me being the mother hen that I am, I am always on my guard when they are near one another. Buddy is technically Joe's dog so I will have no part in feeding him or picking up his poopy. I like dogs just not big dogs.

Not just frogs and snails and puppy dog tails...

My son is ALL boy. He loves to play outside, loves to look at bugs...not touch them but look. He is rough and tough just like any other boy. he sweats, gets his hands dirty and at 3 years old already has a scar on one of his knees. But he has a sweet side that can melt my heart. This past weekend he was outside helping his dad fix the backyard fence when he walks in with a purple flower that was growing on the other side of the fence. I was in the kitchen and he had it hiding behind his back. He asked me, "mom, do you like pretty flowers". I answered "yes, baby. I love pretty flowers". he pulled out this flower and handed to me. he had the biggest smile on his face. There is nothing in the world at that very moment that could have taken my breath away like he did.

Almost 100% settled in...

I dont know how we did it...but we did it. Finally after packing, painting, cleaning, moving unpacking, we are almost completely unpacked. I have about 4 more boxes to go and I will be done. I have never been so tired in all my 32 years of life. It is hard for me to get used to all the room we have. We went from a 2 bedroom, 1 and a half bathroom townhome, to a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home. James is adjusting well. The first few nights he kept telling me that he wanted to go home...that broke my heart. So the day I needed to turn in the keys, I took him to see the townhome one last time. I wanted him to understand that we no longer had any of our belongings there. I showed him his room, took him to his bathroom... all empty. Now he is telling me, mama this is my new house? One of the things that I am really grateful for is that we can literally walk across the street and we are at the park, we also have an elementary school around the corner (not that I am ready for him to go to school yet). I will be posting pics soon of our new place so stay tuned.

A nervous wreck!

Well I have to start off first by saying that Miss Rihanna has been reunited with her mom. I was sad to let her go because I have become attached to her but who can come between the bond of a mother and her child?
Second...I have an interview tomorrow with JPMorgan Chase. I really and truly wasn't expecting to go back to work this soon and did not expect for them to respond to my application. I am so nervous about leaving my baby. The good thing is I know he will be in good hands with my mother in law but I know I am going to miss him so much. He and I are together all the time. I guess going back to work is good because it will supplement our income but at the same time, I dont know if it is really worth it. The commute is a 30 minute drive one way and I will have traffic to deal with since it is way on the other side of town from where I live. I know what to expect with this job because I was employed with this same company for 5 years before I quit to stay home with James. Uhhhhh! What to do? What to do? My interview is tomorrow so I am going to show up and if I get a job offer with a pay that can lure me in, I might just become a working mom. I know that Joe is really happy about this...but surely he cant expect for me to do ALL the housework if and when I start to work. Hmmm...this will be my excuse to not make breakfast and dinner for him every night. Oh and the shift is from 2pm- 11pm. So that is another thing I have to think about. I will also have to work on Saturdays and I did that for a long time, 10 years, first when I worked for SWB and then with Chase. I dont know what to do...I will leave it in God's hands.

Who ever said it is easy...is CRAZY!

Well I have been taking care of my niece Rihanna now for about a week and a half. So with James and Rihanna under the same house it is defiantly a challenge. The easy part is that they keep one another company until they start to fight over a toy. I am usually being a referee and it is hard to make toddlers understand that they need to share. They love each other very much because they dont want to be apart but when they are together it is like Pay-per-View boxing. Rihanna is such a princess, always wanting to wear dresses and carry her baby and purse, while James is all boy. He is rough and tough. They are opposites but the same. Both wanting my undivided attention but also both wanting to be independent. I treat them the exact same not only to prevent one feeling singled out but also because I love them both very much. At this exact moment, James is honking his LOUD horn on his tricycle and Rihanna is singing at the top of her lungs. lol! I enjoy having a little girl in the house now I am not out numbered.

Plus one makes four...

We have loving welcomed Rihanna into our home this past weekend, temporarily becoming her "foster family". She is James' cousin and since her mom is having a difficult time in her life right now, we offered to take care her. I love her as if she were my own. Surprisingly, she has adapted very well. James on the other hand is used to being the only one with all the attention and I think is having a harder time with this change. I will admit that having two toddlers under the same roof is a challenge, but God doesn't give us anything we cant handle. I have always wonder what it feels like to have a daughter and now I know. Instead of having Spider man shirts and batman pjs, I have dresses and pink tee shirts. =0) Although she will not be with us forever, I will love her just as much as I love James. They have one another to keep each other company but at times, they do get into their little spats. Other than trying to get them on the same sleep schedule, it has been a breeze.

The cardboard box

We are getting ready to move in the next 3 weeks so of course right now my house looks like a warehouse full of boxes. Everything is kinda out of place and it is really agitating me. Today I went into James' room because I wanted to pack some of his stuff. He has sooooo many toys that I decided to pack all his toys except for what fits in one of his toy boxes. So I did. I filled a few boxes and of course 2 hours later he is asking me where a particular toy is. I clearly remember putting it in one of the boxes. I told him to play with something else because I had already taped up the boxes. Well he had a meltdown. So there I go, digging thru the boxes of toys and cant seem to find it. I emptied all the boxes then I look over to his desk and what do you think I saw? The toy he was wanting to play with! By this time I am so frustrated that I just walk into the living room to give him the toy but I dont see him. Lately he has been playing hide-and-seek so I knew what he is doing. But really-I couldn't find him. Anyway after a few panicked calls of me shouting out his name he pops out of a cardboard box that I had in the living room. I had never had so many emotions hit me all at once. I was frustrated, panicked, scarred, happy and everything else. After all this, he takes the toy and just throws it on the floor and jumps back into the box. That kept him busy for quite sometime so luckily I was able to put my house back in order...well as much as I can. It amazes me that a child can have thousands of toys and the thing that entertains them the most is a cardboard box. If only my life was that simple.