Tricks or Treats!!!

We had a great time trick or treating tonight. I left work early today to pick up Bug, pick up my parents and head home to prepare. Mam and Pap were going to hang at our house to hand out candy while Bug and I walked the neighborhood.

6 pm came and we were out the door. We hit the houses on our street first- this was the first year since I moved in that I got to have a hot fog- yes, one house on our street hands out hot dogs (all the trimmings), cokes and chips. I always wondered which house it was and tonight I got to find out. Turns out the house is owned by one of the ladies who teaches Bug's Sunday School class- how cool is that!!!

After hitting all the houses on our street, I though Bug was done since he was telling me that he was ready to see Mam and Pap, but it turns out he only wanted to show them the candy he got.

We headed down to the corner and out to the bigger streets in the neighborhood. We finished up one more street and Bug decided he was done. So by 7 pm, we were back at out house helping to hand out candy.

here are the pictures Helping to hand out candy, Bug would only hand candy to non scary kids- the scary ones were Mam's job.

Amazed that for one phrase "trick or treat", people give me candy. bug is still talking about it "they gave me candy momma"

One of the first houses- he was still not too sure here

Mam and Pap all set to hand out candy. It was a great evening, so the entire neighborhood was sitting outside

Little Man, all ready to hit the streets. Fireman outfit- check, firetruck dog- check, plastic pumpkin for getting the candy- check, happy boy- check

to follow up on yesterday's post- Pap tried to read me the riot act, but Bug (at Momma's prompting) told him to stop yelling at his momma- GO BUG.

well, we are off to catch some zzzs. We have a craft fair tomorrow morning and life group in the evening.

Happy Halloween.

Love and hugs,

Deb

Pap is going to yell!!!!

I am in BIG TROUBLE- Bug and I got our hair cut tonight. I was not watching what the hairdresser was doing - I was busy talking to Bug to keep him calm_ and she cut his hair very short. This is the please don't kill me (please don't kill my mom) look

Photo of Momma by Bug

My short haired boy. There are still curls in the back and the curls will grow back- but I am going to hear about it big time tomorrow. I wonder if I can stick a hat on Bug and avoid the entire issue???? Winter is coming, maybe putting a hat on Bug for the next 3 months will be the best thing.

Oh well, it will grow back, but this is the second time this hairdresser has not listened to me or made Bug cry, so I think we will not be letting her cut our hair anymore- from now on- only Miss Leigh is allowed to cut our hair from here on out.

Love to you,

Deb

What does love look like?

What does love look like???

it looks like Bug helping with the water

It looks like Bug entertaining his momma and mam

It looks like a momma taking her Bug for a ride

It looks like Mam standing behind the camera taking pictures

It looks like Pap on the roof.

yep- this is my family- my dad climbed on the roof on Sunday when I found the furnace flue cover in the yard while I cut the grass. While on the roof, my dad decided to look at my gutters and then decided that he needed to clean the gutters for me (I was going to hire someone).

Bug, Mam and I stayed on the ground working on cleaning up the yard for the winter, putting away the hoses and flower pots, and entertaining Bug.

Love is family.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb

Adoption Fair and hanging out with friends

Today Bug and I attended the TriState adoption Fair. candy, in the local office of FTIA asked us to come and speak as to potential families- just in general- about the process and anything else that families might ask. T and Y were also there, as was another single mom (her daughter was born in China) and another family whose child came home from Guatemala. Bug and Y entertained the entire end of the hall where we were- they got balls from a vendor and played with those for a while, drove cars on the wall, and to cap it off- they discovered the joys of crawling under the tables and playing there. They also discovered that all the vendors had candy on the tables, and they found the suckers. It was a good time.

After the adoption fair, T and I took the toddlers to Chic-fil-a for lunch and some more play time. The end of playtime- Y is "helping" Bug put his shoes on. bug was telling her how to do- he was quite the task master for her.

HE WENT DOWN THE SLIDE!!!! yes, I am excited, it typically takes an act of God to get him to go down the slide- this time, he was the first one down. I sat there in shock.

Talking Candy- the Local FTIA person. I like Candy alot- she is so helpful and so calm. Her heart is so big. She was just a big part of helping me through the wait.

3 Single Mommas- T (Guatemala), J (China) and me (Guatemala).

Best Buddies

Jumping toddlers- hyped up on sugar

Playing under the tables- this is the sucker givers here and Bug and Y found them right away.

Y playing under the table.

Gauta Mommas

Kelly from the International Adoption Clinic. She was the person who took us through the all day testing when Bug first came home. I love seeing her, she dotes on Bug and I think she likes to see him because once the kids are through with the 2 visit, the IAC staff never sees them again.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb

leaving the scrapbooking business

Before Bug came home, I was a CM consultant. Not that I sold much, but it kept me working on my scrapbook albums, I got product at cost and I loved teaching folks how to get pictures out of boxes and on to pages.

But since Bug has come home, my sales have plummeted, I have not done anything more than getting his life book done and I have a basement full of product. So, I have made the decision to leave CM. Perhaps I will come back to CM when Bug is older and I have more free time (I hear you all laughing).

I have product going back 8 years- send me a comment with what you are looking for and your email address and I let you know if I have the item and what the cost is. I moderate my comments- so your personal info will not be published.

I should have some pictures of Bug tomorrow evening.

Love and hugs to you,
Deb

Possible Christmas gift for Bug

Bug has been telling me for months that he dreams about Santa every night. When I ask him what Santa brings him, the answer is "moto" 99% of the time.

I have been highly resistant to the idea of him getting a moto- mostly because I would have to find one. But in this month's Parenting magazine- there it whttp://www.chiccousa.com/toys/toddler-2/ducati-monster.aspx

If I got this for him, it would be his only Christmas gift. Which, if memory serves from last year, would not be an issue. But more importantly, am I setting him and me up for disappointment? I never wanted Santa to be the focus, but if he gets this gift, Santa will reign in our house.

I am conflicted over this one- what do you think? Should I get this for Bug?

Oh- for the grandparents reading this in the morning- the moto is foot powered, only the engine sounds are battery powered (2 AAA batteries). There are training wheels- I would probably leave them on for a while and then take them off. No weight requirement listed on this bike.

thanks,
Deb

HalloZOOween

We headed out to the zoo on Sunday afternoon. Apparently most of the city also decided this was a good thing because the parking lot was full right after we pulled in. We met up with T and Y, who also had her nieces M&M and L and A were in town too. I have not see L and A since A came home 2 years ago- she sure has changed. A and Y are about the same age and came home about 1 month apart. I am holding the little ones one the elephant- so from left to right- M, A, M, Y, Bug and me (momma). I am handing my camera to T to take a picture for me, but A's leg was getting smashed, so the kids all decided to get down and once down, they were not getting back up.

My little Elephant Rider, "Firefighter Nene"
Bug and Y playing in the spider web. I told T that Y is going to lead my son astray one day. Bug follows her everywhere and does everything she does. I foresee quite a bit of trouble int eh future for these 2.
Of course, Bug annoys the heck out of Y. Here he is pushing her up the Seal. She was not having it and within a few minutes they both were very unhappy toddlers. It did not help that this is about 3:30 and neither of them had had a nap yet.
It is all smiles at this point, but soon the unhappy wails were out in force.

Picking a pumpkin- I like this one Momma.

We started the day in a turtle neck shirt and sunglasses. he looks too cute- doesn't he????
But soon, he was dressed appropriately to trick or treat at the zoo.
Watching the elephant. I like this area- the treats being handed out were bananas!!! the toddlers chowed down on mom approved treats at this exhibit.
A and Bug enjoying the sun and monkeys
Momma and Bug on the camel.

We spent 3 hours at the zoo. We were both worn out by the time we left. The line was too long at the train, so no train ride this time, but I promised Bug extra train rides the next time we go.

Festival of Lights will be starting in a month- so I am thinking that Bug is going to get lots of rides in the next 2 months.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb

Ponies and Slides- Bug's favorite things

Today, Bug and I headed out to join up with the Single moms group in the area at the park for Halloween fun. Because of the crowds and Bug's bed time, we pretty much were on our own- another reason is Bug's age. He was the youngest kid present. So we had our own agenda. Bug wanted to ride the ponies- so we paid to ride the ponies 2 times. He wanted to ride the same pony each time, so Sha-Sha was the pony of choice for both rides. He was loving it and I think he would have been happy to ride the ponies all night. But, the slides beckoned. Bug started off on the BIG slide and finally came over to the medium slide where I could take pictures. The weather cooled off while we were enjoying the fun- so I bundled Bug up in a jacket and gloves. He was having good time. Momma and Bug- the pumpkins.We played for 2 hours, took a hayride and had a good time. We took Mam and Pap along too. They had a good time too.The weather has turned much cooler, which I am liking.love and hugs to you,Deb

Thank you (read sarcasm here)

Warning- this is a rant from a tired Momma

This is a post for my dear friends in Washington D.C. who.......













decided that children under the age of 4 can not be given over the counter cold medicines. Apparently, we parents are a bunch of idiots who regularly overdose our children on OTC meds. So to protect our children, the government has stepped in and decided what we can and can not give our children when they are sick.

Admit it, you thought this was going to be about the bail out or election didn't you?

Case in point, Bug has been battling allergies and sinus drainage for the last 5 weeks. It started with the typically fall crude that comes this area, was exacerbated by the Hurricane and then it just continued to build up until he finally gave in. All the while, I have battled the same symptoms, but I can take any OTC I want. For Bug, I had to try steam, OTC allergy meds (there are a few that work, one of which I can give to Bug for a few days at a time), hot soup, hot tea and just about anything else I could think of. None of it worked, and the for the last week, I have watched him struggle with the sinus drainage, praying he would not get a sinus infection or an infection in his lungs.
Well, Monday, he lost the battle and was coughing for an hour at time. When your baby wakes up at 1 am coughing so much he nearly throws up, sweating from the effort of trying to clear his lungs, you know it is time to seek help. So Tuesday, Bug was too sick to go to daycare and we spent the morning at the doctor's office.
He is now on an antibiotic medication, thanks to the infection. His doctor understood my frustration, but she could not even give me dosing info on cough medicine for later this season.
This sucks- I am not trying to dose my child at every sign of a cough, I am trying to prevent more serious medical issues by alleviating his symptoms when they worsen to the point that he needs relief and it is not yet an infection. It pisses me off that if Bug was hospitalized, they would give him cough medicine that I can buy in the stores but for which there no longer is dosing recommendation for his age group. What is up with that, if the medicine can't be given to children 4 and under, then it should be across the board. But really, I just want to be able to get the dosing info so that I can dose my son when he needs it. I do not need the government telling me that my son is not important enough to received medicine. I do not need them to tell me how to parent, or for them to say that I am not smart enough to care for my son. I know my son, I know his symptoms, his moods, his comfort level and right now I have no options to make it better.

But- get this- he is in the recommended age group for a flu shot. Why? because the government realizes that with OTC meds, the likely hood of children getting flu to a worse degree than adults is significantly higher. So if you have a pre-schooler and you were thinking of not getting the flu shot for your child, you might want to think again. because even if you buy OTC meds for your child, the pharmacist, the doctor, the nurse, etc can not tell you the dosage to give your child (even if the know)

So thanks government for insuring that I will likely have to take a few more days off this flu season to care for my son, thanks for the late nights, the feeling of powerlessness I will have as I watch my son suffer symptoms I can take medicine for, thanks for the missed hours at work, thanks for the guilt I will feel as I notify my bosses that I have to miss another day, thanks for the fear that will creep into my mind as I notify them that perhaps I could lose my job due to missed work days. Thanks for helping me take care of my child- you guys are doing a great job being my son's advocate. Oh and thanks for the increase risk of over exposure to antibiotics- since by the time I take him in to the doctor's office, he will need another prescription for an antibiotic.


Love to you,
Momma Bug (who is symptom free thanks to medicines)

Fall Fiesta and fire trucks

We had a busy but fun day. The pictures are in reverse order (as usual)


Bug riding the bulldozer on the playground. He had to wait a turn, but it was worth it. Then he was off to the diggers and more waiting.
Of course he had to swing for a while
And then it was off to the slide, where he insisted on going down backward and on his belly because his friend E did the same thing. He was having fun and jumping around
when we got to Fall Fiesta, Bug painted his pumpkin. He wanted me to paint it first, so I painted a face on it and then he took the paint and redecorated it.

Our friend D was at the fiesta- looking not too happy to be a duck
These are the kids at the fiesta- nearly all of them came home from Guatemala- we will see the same group again at the Christmas fiesta in December
This is Bug and E- not that Bug is not looking happy at all. He is my little fireman
Then it was time to go trunk or treating. Bug refused to say trick or treat and refused to talk to any one other than me. Yet again his shyness got the better of him.

In the morning, I made a spontaneous decision at 8:30 am to go to the zoo. We had not been to the zoo all summer and i felt we needed a morning outside, watching the animals. Bug wanted to see the monkeys first thing, so we headed to Gibbon island.

We saw a peacock on the way to the big cat house. The peacock was trying to get ahead of us and I kept speeding up to keep pace.

This was the first time, we went in the car house. We saw lots of cats sleeping, but the sand cats were up and pacing about. I think it was getting close to the time that the doors to outside cages were due to be open.
After seeing the cats, we headed over to the carousel to ride- Bug choose the white tiger in keeping with the cat theme.
We took a train ride- highlight of the trip to the zoo for Bug
And we ended our trip to the zoo with a viewing of the giraffes. We missed the feeding time, but we are going back to the zoo in 2 weeks for more trick or treating.


Friday night, we were planning on going to the football game to see Jason and the band play at half time, but the schedule was changed and the band was not going to play until after the game ended, which is very later, so instead we had dinner with Mam and Pap and then headed over to the fire house to see the fire trucks.

The captain came out to talk to us and took us on a tour. We missed the official open house last weekend because of being in TN.
As much as Bug loves firetrucks, he refused to sit in the firetruck, stand on the firetruck or be anywhere near the fire truck without me. So this is a close as we got. the captain gave Bug a "jr firefighter" badge and Bug will wear that on his fireman costume for Halloween.
Well Bug is fast asleep and I am getting tired. So off to bed for me.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb