Brian's First Trip (and maybe last) to the Movies

As I was logging in to blog today, I realized I had never shared the story of Brian's first trip to the movies. And since it is WAY too entertaining NOT to share, I decided that it would be the topic of my blog today.

So a few months ago, I decided that maybe Brian was ready to go see his first movie at the theater.  I figured he is almost 3 (at the time) so he should be able to sit for over an hour.  He had really started liking movies like Cars, and Toy Story so I decided that I would take him to see Toy Story 3.  My mom agreed that he would probably really enjoy it, so we chose a time and decided to go.


You see, I think maybe Mommy goofed up before we even got to the movies.  All weekend I had been pumping him up by saying "Are we gonna go to the movies!?  And eat popcorn!?"  He would get so excited!  So he just kept saying, "Movies!!"  (which actually came out more like "Nommies" and I have no idea why because when talking about a DVD, he would say "Moobies".  Go figure.)  So I actually think he was sick of hearing about these movies and it taking forever for the time to actually come.


So we get to the theater and order our snacks.  Brian loves popcorn and I am sure he loved the movie popcorn even more because the only popcorn I feed him at home is the Smart Pop kind that tastes like cardboard (but hey, it's healthy, right??).  I am sure his little system went into butter overload with just one bite.  We settle down with Brian between my mom and me.  He was a little fidgety during the previews, which I will admit were a little boring.  So the movie starts and let me tell ya, I was probably more excited to see the movie than my son. 


Fast forward about an hour.  That's when things really get good.


I am very much into this movie and Brian starts REALLY getting antsy.  During the action scenes he is yelling "BUZZ!!!!!" when he thinks Buzz is in danger.  Thankfully, it wasn't a packed theater.  Then he decides it might kinda be fun to attempt to climb over the chair in front of us.  I finally make him sit on my lap which he really doesn't appreciate, but does anyway because he does not have a choice.  I had heard this movie was a tear jerker so I had been preparing myself for the ending, all the while thinking it would be ridiculous to cry over some animated toys in the first place.  It was getting to the very last scene when I decided I would let Brian go back to his own seat.


But I guess he needed a little snack because he proceeded to eat some popcorn.  Not from the bucket.  But off the nasty, gross, sticky, disgusting movie theater floor.


At this point, I have a huge knot in my throat and tears in my eyes.  I would like to say it was all because of the movie, but I really think part of it was because my son was eating popcorn off the dirty floor.


Needless to say, Brian will be staying home from the next  movie.  Although to give him a little credit, I thought he did great to sit as long as he did at 2 years old.  My mom gave him a F.  I gave him a C- for effort :)

First Day of "Pre" Pre-K

Yesterday marked my baby (well, not so much) boy's first day of "school." While I am relived that he isn't actually school aged yet, it is still hard nonetheless. Brian has been going to the Little Sprouts Learning Center at our church ever since he was about 6 months old. He started out in what is affectionately known as the "baby room" and now he is in the big-boy 3 year old class. I am going to be honest- I have been a little worried about this year for a couple of reasons.

1) Brian stopped going to Little Sprouts last year in September. I am about to admit something right now that is going to make me seem like a lunatic, but I pulled him out because of all the swine flu hysteria. Yes, I was one of those mothers who watched and read all about the bad stuff and wanted to wrap my child in a little bubble. So needless to say, Brian would be out of the whole going to school routine.

2) We are (as everyone knows) in the middle of potty training. He is doing exceptionally well- staying dry for almost 3 hours at a time, using the potty more frequently, not crying about it...So I was a little concerned as to how this was going to be affected by school. On one hand, I thought maybe seeing the other kids go would encourage him even more. But then again, my son is a routine, one way or the highway kinda guy.

So even though he was very happy when I dropped him off and didn't shed a tear (total opposite from last year) I was still very apprehensive. Well, lucky for me, those two things really weren't an issue!

But naptime sure was.

It was not good.

Not good at all.

I think the exact words were, "Got up and ran around throwing his blanket."

My heart sank. My well-behaved, always sweet, easy-going baby boy did not do the right thing at naptime. I was immediately sent into a depression that his teachers were going to label him "that kid" and that they would cringe when they saw him coming down the hall. After being told how overly-dramatic I was being (hoping for an Academy Award...fingers crossed!) I realized the truth.

It was his first day of school in almost a year.

There were 15 other little bodies in that room.

He is a 3 year old.

Better yet, he is a 3 year old BOY.

So after I had the evening to get ahold of myself, I realized that he IS going to be "that kid"- the one that radiates kindness and always thinks of others. The one who always has a smile on his face and a Lighting McQueen in his hand. I believe in my baby and I know that it's just going to take a little time before he gets the hang of this naptime thing.

Brian and McQueen's ride to school.

Holding Ninny's hand.

Sometimes life is funny

Something I saw on facebook this morning made me realize just how much life can change in just a short amount of time. And just how fast plans can change. I am a person who plans. Anyone who really knows me, knows this. I have always had a plan. And I have always made sure I followed it perfectly. For most of my younger years, my plan was to make straight A's and go to college to become an elementary school teacher. Well, I worked and worked until I was able to achieve that goal. The next major goal in my life was to meet a wonderful man, get married, and build a life together. Well, as much as I tried, that one didn't work out the way I had planned. And it was tough. You can dearly love someone and have the best of intentions, but it still not work out the way you wish it would. You can think that someone or something is the best plan for your life, but only God truly knows if it is best for you or not. It is our job to trust that He knows best. When I did marry, I wanted so much for it to be like I had always imagine and planned for marriage to be. But again, I was left brokenhearted and this time, alone with a baby. A baby that was even "planned". After 4 years of marriage and contemplating a family, we "planned" to start trying for a baby. That plan certainly came into reality, but just a short 9 months later, my marriage ended. Funny how some plans are fulfilled only to have others end.

My point in all this rambling is that I always felt like I was in good control of my life. I had a plan, and knew what to do to achieve it- or so I thought. The truth is, God's plan is the only right plan. On my own, I have been known to mess up the best laid plans by my own ignorance or motives. With God's plan, we still have to seek His help in not messing up what HE is doing by trying to take over ourselves. It is not easy and it is something that still baffles me. I have always wanted to follow "God's Plan" but most of the time I had no idea what His plan was. The thing I have learned from my years on this crazy planet is that following God's word IS His plan. If I place Him first in my life and follow His ways, then I WILL be following His plan for my life. This allows Him full control of my life to start fullfilling His perfect plan for my life. I have not always understood what has happened in my life, but one thing I have learned is that "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." (Romans 8:28 NLT). I have to remember this when I get down because things aren't going MY way. It isn't my way that should be done...

I am ashamed of myself.

I cannot believe it has been over 2 MONTHS since I last blogged. Especially when you take into consideration how much down time I have at work, I should be blogging everyday! Well, not too many wild and crazy things have been happening in our world lately but I will give you a little update!

1) Potty Training- Don't ask, don't tell. Just pray. (By the way, when Brian graduates high school I'll be sure to send everyone a senior picture of him wearing his diaper.)

2) New (sorta) Car- My stepdad gave me an old company vehicle (2003 Toyota Corolla) that is in great shape! I am using this car for work and when I am by myself so that I can keep as many miles as possible off my 08 Nissan so it will last us longer! When Brian is with me, we make sure to use the newer, more dependable car. And let me tell ya, the Toyota is GREAT on gas!!

3) Brian is Almost 3!!!- I cannot believe my baby boy will be 3 exactly 2 weeks from today. We are going to have a fun little shindig at Chuck E. Cheese and then are planning on going to Great Wolf Lodge with Grandma soon to really celebrate! I seriously can't stress enough how big my son's heart is. I am blown away by the compassion that God has placed in my little guy's heart already. I KNOW he is going to be quite a tool in God's toolbox someday :)

Well, that's about it. Like I said, not too many wild and crazy times. Although I do have some pretty scary potty training stories I could tell...

Life's Little Blessings

Usually I am the Queen of Budgeting my money. I am very obsessive about being organized and planning for everything, but sometimes the best plans can get blown away by life's little unexpected issues. Like the fact that my car tag was due and my homeowner's association dues all came up at the same time. Being on a single income doesn't give much wiggle room, so needless to say I was going to come up very short (like non-existent short). I wasn't even sure that I would be able to tithe, which I really struggled with. I knew I had bills that I owed, so I had an obligation to pay those back. I finally decided that it was more important to give God back just the little that He requires of what He gives me. For a control freak, this was a little scary to me because I was really going out on faith considering it would absolutely take all of my money. I do not like to borrow money from my parents AT ALL (even though they would help me in a heartbeat). So I was just hoping I could make it 2 weeks without needing extra gas or food :)
Like I said, I am a control freak. I don't like surprises. I need a plan. A checklist. An in case of an emergency plan. But I was determined to try to let go of that and have faith that God would provide. That wasn't easy- let me tell you. But God did something wonderful to show me just how big He is compared to my worry and finances.
My mom called me at work yesterday afternoon and told me I had gotten a check in the mail from the hospital. As all of you know, it has been about 4 months since I got all those tests run. I paid my copayments at the time and didn't really think anything about it because I really wasn't out a ton of money with them (maybe $100). I asked my mom to open it because I could not imagine what it would be for, and it was a $70 refund check. Didn't say what for, just said "refund". To make one of my typical LONG stories short, it may not have been a ton of money but it is exactly enough for gas and some things that we typically run out of every week like milk or juice. There was NO doubt in my mind that God has showed me that He WAS taking care of me and that by choosing to put Him first, He was being faithful to me. Boy, was I humbled. And thankful!! I have always heard really cool stories about God providing in mysterious ways like that, but never experienced it myself. It is something that I will never forget.


***On a lighter note, my son's "Week of Nightmarish Behavior" 2 weeks ago (and let me tell ya, I can't emphasize NIGHTMARISH enough) has turned into 2 weeks of the best behaved, most kind little boy. So my having to punish him practically every day during that time has really paid off. It is nice to see that you didn't do time-outs and early bedtimes for nothing! :)

Unconditional Love

Last night Brian was in such a good mood when I got home from work. We went to the grocery store and he chattered the ENTIRE TIME. He literally sounded hoarse when we got home due to all the talking. We ate dinner(he has actually been eating decent lately! Yay!) and then we went for a walk around the neighborhood. That is why I love this time of year- not too hot, not too chilly. It is perfect weather for walking. I could tell he was kinda getting tired and it was getting close to bedtime. He kept wanting me to pick him up and carry him. He would hold out his little hands and say "I luz you!" and what would I do? Of course, I would pick him up and carry him as far as I possibly could without fainting(my neighborhood is very hilly!). When we got back home, I told him we could watch a little "Wuzzy" (which is his way of saying "Wubbzy" which is-unfortunately- his favorite show right now) but we had to put our pajamas on and brush our teeth. GASP. How DARE I ask my child to brush his teeth? He apparently thought this was the most horrible thing I could ask him to do. He threw a fit. Kicking his legs, pushing me away, "No, Mommy!" the entire 9 yards. I told him he was not being kind and I put him in time out which usually works wonders for him. After his 2.5 minutes (hehe) I asked him if he was going to be a good boy and let me brush his teeth. He went into fit throwing mode again. When I tried to approach him with the toothbrush, he REALLY went into fit mode. I figured he must be tired or cranky or both because he usually has no issues with me brushing his teeth. So back to timeout he went. But this time, he deliberately tried to scoot out of his corner. He then ran and jumped on the couch and laughed! I picked him up and took him into the bathroom where I put him on his step-stool in front of the mirror and told him we were brushing his teeth no matter what he wanted. He started hitting at my hands and just being AWFUL!! Since timeout had failed twice, I took him into his room, put him in bed, told him since he couldn't obey, he was going to bed early. And that he did- almost an HOUR early. He was so upset- crying like crazy. I told him I loved him, but that he couldn't act that way. Then I left and listened to him cry for what seemed like a bizillion years(even though it was probably only 10 minutes- he fell asleep FAST).

The point to this long-winded story is that I felt worse about the whole thing than he did. He was over it in about 5 minutes- it pretty much made me upset all evening. I don't regret doing it. His behavior was unacceptable and he needed to understand not to do that. But I felt TERRIBLE. I always want my son to know how much I love him and even though his behavior warranted consequences, it still hurt me to have to watch him go through that. I slipped in his room before I went to bed and gave him little kisses all over his face. I just needed him to know that I still loved him, no matter what he did.

It wasn't until driving to work that God used that crazy story from last night to remind me of His love for me. How often have I done something that was not good for me or acceptable behavior and had to suffer the consequences of my actions? Probably more than I could ever begin to blog about. And I know that even though learning from those experiences is good for me and helps me grow, I know it must not be easy for God to watch His child who He loves so much go through that. Just like I didn't like seeing Brian become so upset. But just like I still showed Brian that I loved him, I know that the entire time, God is right there reminding me of His unconditional love for me. How amazing that becoming a parent has helped me discover a side of God that I had yet to know.

This made me laugh so hard...because I can relate!

A Toddler's Bill of Rights: The Potty Proclamation

1. Please let me go at my own pace.
Help me, but don't push me to do things before I'm ready.

2. Please understand that I have accidents and make mistakes.
Remember that everyone has accidents as they learn. I'm not doing it on purpose.

3. Please understand that I will do things differently than other children.
I have my own style. Don't expect me to be the same as other children you know.

4. Please praise me for my efforts, not just my successes.
Sometimes it will take awhile for me to "get it." What's important is that I'm trying. I'll get there!

5. Please understand when I become frustrated.
I really want to be able to do the things big kids can do, even though my body won't always let me. Please be patient and understanding when this happens.

6. Please understand when I am suspicious of plumbing.
Toilets and drains are big and noisy and scary. I need to know that they won't hurt me.

7. Please let me take a break when things are stressful.
I can't always learn something new when there are big changes in my life. At times like these, please understand if I need additional support and have to relearn skills you thought I had already mastered.

8. Please understand when I am concerned about what happens to my body.
Everything about my body, even my potty, is important to me. I need to know what happens after I flush the potty.

9. Please understand if I giggle and act like a child.
After all, I'm just a kid. Sometimes I get overwhelmed.

10. Please explain things to me in ways I can understand.
Sometimes I can't make sense of the things people say. Help me by using words that I feel comfortable with and can understand.