Finding a voice

Something we all work at, right? Finding our voice, our place in society, our role as a child, a spouse, a parent, a student....

I found my voice years ago, I think. Sometimes it falters, but early on I formed opinions and forged my existence - the high road - like robert frost said, "the road less taken".

I've always wanted to stand out - but not be noticed. Be a friend, but not have to be thanked. Be like my mom, but a little more on time (mom, remember all those times you were supposed to pick me up from school in Jr. High and you never came and I walked home? That's what I mean).

Today sucked. One of those icky, can't stand my life sort of days. Toilet training may be harder on the parent than the child. That's what I've decided anyway.

Tonight though, I went to my little brother's junior high choir concert. He was the only blond haired blue eyed boy in the whole concert choir. He stood out. He is finding his voice.

He loves to sing. He has always loved to sing. He sings all day long.

I love to sing with him.

His choir posse tonight did a rendition of "stand by me". It was pretty cool. He stood in the back, a little shy and embarassed, but sang loud and proud. If only his choir teacher could hear him sing that song on Friday's after school with Chunky and Allen and Parkie in the basement. Then, he'd have done a solo.

My two year old also loves to sing - he sings all day long. He has a new song. The tune fluctuates, but the words go like this: "I never get to go outside in the snow and the rain...."

I can't wait to see the blond blue-eyed boy that he'll turn into.



And Chicker? He's finding his voice, too. His voice is loud and powerful. He is making his presence known - and boy do I know what he's telling me. I don't know what he sounds like, but he screams all the day long. Since he doesn't sleep much, that's a lot of hours of loud, boisterous noise.



Imagine this screaming - this happy excited to be alive screaming, all day long.

Every single day.

remember - he doesn't nap.

It's coming again.

It's almost here folks.

NaBloPoMo

National Blog Posting Month is upon us, starting November 1st.

Are you ready? Can you do it?

Let's dance, break it down.

One of the bigger milestones

Toilet training

Something I desperately wanted for my 2 year old but something that after a few reckless attempts over the summer I'd failed at miserably.

As parents, we decided that we'd wait until the first Saturday in November for a toilet training barrage on the kiddo, once little league football was over and we were home on the weekend.

Well, Saturday night, the monkey had other plans. He'd been wearing, for kicks, "big boy pants" on some evenings and he wanted them on Saturday night.

With an hour or two of hawk-like supervision from dad, Elliott figured it out and peed in the toilet. He slept in underwear that night, woke up dry, and did awesome yesterday - even surviving a couple rides in the car.

Today - dry again in the morning and it's been mommy dearest on toilet patrol and guess what - I'm exhausted! Absolutely wiped out. I'm so proud of my boy, and he's doing great, but this constant supervision - along with everything else I'm supposed to get done today and taking care of the chicker has worn me out.

But, it's so worth it to know that there are no more diapers.

And he has such a cute skinny little butt.

To commemorate the occasion, enjoy a clip from music class. Watch my little non-participator/beat to his own drummer/space cadet in action. It's meant for another post, but my little fart is so much like me it's scary.

I love...

...cool, crisp air that makes your lungs burn a little when you breathe deeply...

...sunny days for little league football...


...planting tulip bulbs with little helping hands and a spongebob squarepants shovel...

...the color of fall - RED. It's everywhere and I just cannot get enough...

...turning on the heat...

...the excitement generated by a two year old for cement trucks - it's powerful enough to blow the top off the car...

...wearing sweaters...

...deciding where to hide out on Halloween night so we don't have to be home and pass out candy...

...calling pumpkins, pukins, because it's more fun...

...the fact that my jeans are loose...

...the double stroller and a little forced brotherly love...


...painting pumpkins instead of carving them...

Gross

Him: Hello

Me: Hi, can I yell at you for a minute?

Him: What did I do now?

Me: When you drive my car to the airport on Sunday afternoon while eating lunch, I would appreciate it if after you got home, you would take your dishes and drink cups out of my car.

Him: (laughing) Oh, sorry.

Me: The car stinks like crusty pickles. When we opened the door, Elliott said, "Oooh mama, what's that stinky smell?" (note: There was a bowl on the floor of my car with 3-5 crusty and molting pickles, left over from some sort of sandwich)

Him: Sorry, I forgot.

Me: It's pretty gross. I've left everything in the garage for you. Goodbye.