Don't Tell My Kid He Isn't Good at Something

A few weeks back, we had our very first parent-teacher conference. We were eager to hear what Jax's teacher, Mrs. Howe, would have to say about our son's first year of pre-school. Was he a genius that should skip 3-year old pre-school and advance straight to the 4-year old class? Was he the class clown or even worse the class bully? Was he the most delightful child she had taught in years or so rotten to the core that the school was kicking him to the curb? So many questions!

It turns out that Jax is the sweet, somewhat shy kid in the class. He gets along well with everyone, but obviously prefers to play with the other boys over the girls. This was confirmed a few weeks later when I purchased a copy of the class photo, and Jax could only identify the boys for us. He only knew one girl's name, Sophie. Maybe he has a crush on Sophie. Who knows? It's fine if he does. She's pretty cute, but they're young, and I'm sure it wouldn't last.

Back to the evaluation, we learned that Jax excels at running around the playground. Evidently, he is the fastest kid in school, not just his class. We also learned that he has exceptional talent when it comes to cutting with scissors. His teacher went so far as to speculate that Jax might one day follow in his father's footsteps and pursue surgery thanks to his scissor skills. We'll see about that!

Then came the bad news. Our son has deficiencies in hopping and coloring! It took a minute for the news to sink in. Had we done something wrong? Had we not pushed him enough or maybe too hard? The truth is we already knew Jax wasn't an artist. Despite my best efforts, he had never shown any interest in coloring pictures or cards for Daddy. He'd do it to please me, but you could tell he was bored by the activity and thrilled when we moved on to something else.

Now, the news about hopping. That was out of the blue and shocking. Jax has always been extremely active. He was doing leg presses at 4 weeks, could run 50 laps around the kitchen and living room and do 20 crunches at age 1, and has been obsessed with any and all sports since, well, forever. So to hear that he couldn't hop actually was somewhat disturbing.

Well, ever since that annual review, it's like Jax has been on a mission to prove Mrs. Howe wrong. He's a hopping fool! But not only that, suddenly he's a budding artist. I think the problem was the medium, crayons and colored pencils. I believe he found those boring and uninspiring. I recently purchased him a set of Crayola paint pens, and now he can't seem to turn off the inspiration. He's cranking out masterpieces at an alarming rate. In fact, we need to buy another set of pens soon because his first set is about out of paint. We also need to buy one of those huge, double-d00r refrigerators to display his work.

So take that Mrs. Howe! He's perfect in every way! ; )

My Brilliant Plan

After realizing that there really was no feasible way to lock myself away from the public eye for the next 3 weeks, I came up with a new plan. Instead of heading to my usual grocery store, Publix, I would venture across the street to the Super Wal-mart. Now, for those that don't know, let me fill you in on a little background. I rarely visit Wal-mart. In fact, I swore never to step foot in one years ago while living in Kansas. Again, forced to be realistic, I haven't been able to completely boycott them, but I do my best.

Desperate times call for desperate measure though. It occurred to me that despite all it's faults and all the issues that I have with the shoppers that I encounter during my visits to Wal-mart, there is one positive, and that positive suits my current condition perfectly. No one talks to you at Wal-mart. No one!

This phenomenon goes well beyond the employees, but we'll start with them because they're the most obvious. Anyone who has ever gone to a Wal-mart knows that it is virtually impossible to find an employee to help you there. They're everywhere, but they always seem to be dealing with another shopper, rushing by you with carts of goods that need to be stocked, cleaning up some kind of mess, or they're just doing their best to straight up avoid you. It's not like Target or Publix where the employees seem happy to be there, and therefore are eager to chat with the customers. Nope, I didn't have to worry about getting pregnancy comments or advice from Wal-mart employees. Shoot, I didn't even have to worry about them making eye contact!

Now for the customers. They don't talk to you either. My best theory as to why is because they're probably just as annoyed to be there as I am. I mean, after making what seems like a million laps around the parking lot, while weaving in and out of stationary cars (waiting for handicap parking spots) driven by the elderly that really shouldn't be driving at all, you MIGHT eventually find a parking space. Of course, it's going to be a mile away from the store in the very back of the parking lot forcing you to cautiously navigate the circling cars on foot and in my case with a 3-year old child. So by the time you enter the store, you're already in a crappy mood and questioning your decision to shop there in the first place.

Then, if you're lucky enough to get a cart with four functioning wheels you're off to wander the endless number of aisles with way too many options, while again dodging and weaving around the same elderly shoppers that you first encountered in the parking lot. Only now, they have motorized shopping carts that they can run you down with. Oh, and God forbid that you be standing in front of a shelf they need access to because we all know it's an unwritten rule that they are never to be made to wait. We wait on them, but it does not work the other way.

Given the sheer size of the store and the volume of people in there at any one time, there just isn't time to chat with those you pass along the way. You see, it's a given that you'll be trapped in there for at least 2 hours. That's without conversation. If you were to try to chat with someone, that's it. Your day is gone! Besides, even if you were crazy enough to try to talk to another shopper, it would only be a matter of seconds before you were in one of the old folk's way, and remember they aren't patient. I'm not kidding. They'll run you right over and not even look back.

Now for check-out. By the time you make it there, you definitely aren't in the mood to try to carry on small talk with the cashier, and they could give a crap about anything you have to say anyway. They are just counting the seconds until the end of their shift when they can run screaming from the store swearing that they'll never return and if they do, it will be to extract revenge on anyone and everyone they can get a hold of during their rampage.

So, yes, I managed to successfully avoid any pregnancy comments, but now I realize I paid a pretty hefty price. No, I don't mean my actual check-out total was hefty. It was lower actually than what I would have paid at Publix thanks to Wal-mart's willingness to screw their employees out of decent pay/benefits and the strong-arm corporate tactics that they take with all of their suppliers. No, I paid for a commentless shopping experience with my sanity!

It's Felt Like Christmas Around Here Lately

Not that there was ever any doubt in our minds, but this past week has definitely convinced us that we are loved. It has seriously felt like Christmas around here because we've been showered with gifts! I have no explanation for our friends' and family's generosity, except for that they love us.

It all started with the arrival of brand new KU gear from Diane in Wichita. She treated us to some Final Four Champion t-shirts, which I know was tough because she's a loyal K-State Wildcat. Talk about a treat and going out of her way! Then, as if they sensed they were possibly being outdone, more KU gear arrived from Jim and Allison in Lawrence. They sent us Orange Bowl Champion shirts and Final Four Champion shirts. They even included an outfit for the baby. We are seriously spoiled! I don't think I've seen Anh this excited about gifts in a while. His Jayhawk pride was apparent.

By midweek, yet another package had arrived. This surprise was specifically for Jax. His Great Aunt Glenda and Great Uncle Robert in Texas had sent some super cute animal-themed water toys. Jax was so excited he immediately wanted to take a bath to use them. Only then did he discover just how much fun they could be. Who knew soaking Mommy & Daddy with squirt toys could be so funny.

Then Grandfather and Grandma arrived later in the week and, as usual, treated Jax to some presents, but you already know most of this from my previous post. I should mention though that his favorite gifts from them were the Cars characters Darrell Cartrip and Bob Cutlass. As a special treat, they shared the news that Aunt Glenda and Uncle Robert had decided that we all needed special treats.

As you already know, Jax got a Cars video game that he is still completely obsessed with. The baby was treated to his very first swimsuits (pictures to follow this summer), and we were treated to a brand new point-and-shoot Canon camera. I was beyond thrilled because we have two cameras, another Canon point-and-shoot and then a digital SLR, but both are used by Anh during the day for work. This makes it hard for me to take pictures for the blog. So the new camera is kind of a present for everyone that reads too (okay, I realize that's a stretch)!

I thought it only appropriate to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone for thinking of us! We didn't need any of it, but we LOVE all of it and love you for thinking of us!

Considering Life as a Shut-In

I'm seriously considering just how bad it would be to spend life as a shut-in until May 19th, the day of my pre-op OB appointment. I just don't think I can handle any more random comments or questions from the general public. It is impossible now to leave the house and not experience the following conversation:

Stranger: "When are you due?" (While looking at my belly with a look of absolute fear that my water will break right then & there or even worse that the baby is about to just fall out from between my legs.)

Me: "I'm having a c-section on May 20th."

Stranger: "Oh! You look like you're about to pop!"

Me: "Thanks you freakin' Moron because the physical discomfort I feel isn't enough! I really need you to insult my appearance as well!" (Okay, I don't really say that, but I'm about one comment/question away from it.)

There are actually many variations of that conversation. That's just the most common version. Then, there are all the people that have the decency to keep their traps shut, but can't help gawking at me as I waddle around trying to complete my errands. All of these experiences have led me to believe that living as a shut-in is my only option for the next 3 weeks.

I'll only leave the house to pick up Jax from school and for my weekly OB appointments, which are totally pointless by the way. What are they checking, to see if I'm still pregnant? Well, I think they would know if I had the baby. Trust me, I'm not having it at home! Okay, in case you haven't figured it out, I'm really just ranting. I actually have to venture out of the house tomorrow to the grocery store. We have absolutely no "real" food and with 21 patients lined up for tomorrow's clinic, I doubt Anh would appreciate me asking him to do the grocery shopping too.

So tomorrow I will head to the absolute worst place in the world for comments. There's something about the grocery store that just welcomes unsolicited advice, comments, and stares. Maybe when they ask when I'm due, I'll tell them that I'm actually in labor and thought I'd pick up a few items on the way to the hospital. Hey, maybe I'll fake labor and see if they'll let me skip to the front of the checkout line! I'm sure I will have something to share about the experience. Until then...

A Weekend with Grandfather and Grandma

This weekend my parents, better known as Grandfather and Grandma, came down for a visit. Needless to say, Jax was thrilled to have his best buddy, Grandfather, in town. Despite their 57 year age difference, they share almost all of the same interests, and by this I mean toys. For the past year, Jax and Grandfather have bonded over their love of the Disney movie Cars.

With Grandfather's help, Jax has assembled quite a collection of the Cars toys. He has almost all of the characters, but they have yet to find the elusive, Dale Jr. car. So the buddies spent their weekend scouring all of the area's toy stores for him. Sadly, they were unsuccessful, and the search continues. I'm sure living in a city that is obsessed with Nascar doesn't make the Nascar character any easier to find.

The boys did, however, discover a Cars video game for the Nintendo Wii which Jax's very generous Great Aunt Glenda and Great Uncle Robert in Texas decided was something that he deserved as a special treat. I knew Jax would enjoy the game, but I had no idea just how much Grandfather would! Jax had to settle for watching Grandfather "demonstrate" how the game worked for a big chunk of the evening. They stayed up past their bedtimes Saturday night playing and only retired the game for the evening upon Mommy's insistence that Jax brush his teeth and get to bed before MIDNIGHT.

Since he went to bed so late, I figured he would sleep in the next morning. WRONG! At 6:30am, he waltzed into our bedroom asking, "Can I play my game?" Still in a complete daze, we both mumbled, "No" and told him to climb in bed and to go back to sleep for a bit. (Yeah, I realize we lose points for consistency on the whole sleeping in his own bed rule, but we were exhausted!)

Grandfather wasn't much better either. The first thing he said to me this morning was, "Alright, turn on the game for me!" I guess he figured he'd better squeeze in as much play time as he could before he had to go home. I dragged myself upstairs to get him situated, and by the time I came back downstairs, Jax was stumbling out of the bedroom in a half-awake state. I told him, "Grandfather's upstairs playing your game, " and he immediately sprang to attention and sprinted upstairs in what has to be record time. If only I'd had my video camera handy for that!

So, all in all, I'd say it was a fun weekend. You never know what to expect with Grandfather and Grandma in town, but fun is always a given.

Friday Night Fun

We lead a wild & crazy life! Well, at least Jax does! He loves to go "jump like Spiderman," and after listening to him ask all week if we could go, I finally caved. Watch at your own risk. Possible side effects = nausea, headache.

Is This a Boy Thing, a Kid Thing, or is My Child Just a Freak?

Somebody tell me that it's not just my kid! All kids or at least boys torture their mothers with the following behavior. I'm past sounding like a broken record. I must utter the phrase, "Not your shirt!" at least 100 times a day. Obviously, once it's too late & the shirt has already been stained. I wish this was just an issue that we dealt with during meals. But it happens everywhere.

At the table, I take the much calmer approach of saying, "Don't use your shirt. Use your napkin." I only have to say it every 5 seconds, no big deal! I've become a master at working that phrase into regular dinner conversation without even skipping a beat. I'm quite sure that Anh doesn't even hear it anymore. The phrase works similar to a dog whistle, only those under age 5 can hear it.

But, no, this is not just an issue while dining. Jax seems to experience great joy from staining all of his shirts. I get that it's easier or more entertaining for him to dig in his nose with his finger rather than ask for a tissue. I mean he's 3, and he's a boy! I get it! But, when he sees me getting a tissue out of my purse for him, why must he immediately wipe his hand across the front of his shirt. As if that's not bad enough, he'll giggle and look at me with this expression that clearly reads, "Ha ha! I love torturing Mommy!"

I try to take precautions that will ward off stain opportunities. I do my best to provide him with only clear or relatively clear liquids. I try to avoid dipping sauces, but he's kind of gotten wise to this and now demands them. Ketchup is evil, by the way. I don't buy white shirts. I carry the tide pen & shout wipes. Jax is a stain master though. He always manages to get something past me.

If I'm lucky, he'll refrain from this sort of behavior until the end of the day. He's a smart kid though. He always knows when I absolutely don't want him to stain his shirt, like if we're heading somewhere "fun" and pictures will definitely be taken. It's like an alarm goes off in his head and he's driven by an absolute need to create a stain. Please tell me all kids do this. Tell me that my son hasn't discovered this is the ultimate form of torture for his neat freak mother.

Bedtime Battles

Jax has been proclaiming for weeks that he is a "big boy," and for the most part, he has proven that he is in fact quickly growing up. He's potty-trained. He brushes his teeth and washes his hair pretty much by himself. He likes to pick out his own clothes every morning, and he even demands chopsticks like the rest of the family when we eat a Vietnamese dish. He's obviously eager to prove to us that he's not a baby.

EXCEPT...when it comes to bedtime. Since the day he was born, Jax has always been difficult to put to bed. Grandfather and Grandma, of course, disagree. They say he goes to bed without issue when staying with them, but their technique is quite different from ours. They place him in the guest room with the tv set to the cartoon channel. Then they hand him the remotes to the tv, fan, and light and tell him they'll see him in the morning. Oh, and they put a big glass of ice water on the nightstand for him. I'm quite sure he doesn't fuss one bit about going to bed with those arrangements.

The routine is slightly different at our house. After his bath, he brushes his teeth, and then it's time for bed. Jax is allowed 3 bedtime books with Mommy, but somehow when Daddy puts Jax to bed those 3 books spiral into 6, 7, 8, or more books. After reading the books, Jax gets a sip of water, turns on his turtle nightlight, and then he's supposed to go to sleep. We kiss him goodnight, and I always tell him not to worry that, "Mommy will check on you while you sleep."

At this point every night, Jax always announces, "I'm not a big boy. Daddy, lay down!" This is his not so subtle way of letting us know that he does not want us to leave him alone. Well, after 3+ years of staying with Jax until he falls asleep we are putting our foot down. I just remind him that he IS a big boy and that I will check on him throughout the night. Then we kiss him again and leave the room. This happens every single night. It's like we're all reading from a script!

After heading back downstairs, Anh and I take turns checking to see how long it will take Jax to get out of bed. We usually find him quietly sitting on the stairs just waiting on us to discover him. Sometimes he'll trick us and pretend to be asleep when we check on him, and then he sneaks down into our bed after we fall asleep. He used to climb right up on the pillows between us, but after we started taking him back to his bedroom, he got smarter. Now he'll sneak in and curl up at the end of our bed where we don't detect him until morning.

Last night, he was especially sly. We caught him on the stairs, and then later we caught him trying to sneak into our room. Both times we took him back upstairs and tucked him into bed. Well, it turns out that last night anywhere, but his bed would do because he ended up sleeping on the living room couch. I just don't get this kid! He's determined. I'll give him that.

I Taught Him Well

Jax regularly demonstrates just how observant he is of our behaviors. He uses many of the same phrases that we do. For example, this is how he answers his fake cell phone. First, Jax will let out a long sigh. Then he'll pretend to answer the phone and say, "Dr. Vu." He pretends to listen to someone on the other end of the line. Then he hangs up, sighs again, and says, "I have to go in," followed by yet another long sigh. Now you all know exactly how thrilled Anh is take emergency call. Jax also answers his pretend cell, "What's up, Jackass?!" I'm sure you can guess which parent he's imitating then too. And, yes, we realize this is terrible!

Jax will also mimic many of our mannerisms. Again, not always a good thing, but on occasion it's a GREAT thing. For example, Anh has recently complained to me about some new behaviors Jax is demonstrating in the car on the way to school in the morning. When approaching any red light or stop sign, Jax instructs Anh to, "Stop!" He also tells Anh when to turn right and when to turn left, in case after 9 months he should forget how to get from our house to Jax's school. I take great pride in the fact that Jax has picked up on his father's need for instructions while driving. This way I don't have to worry about Anh being clueless on how to operate the vehicle when I'm not in the car. ; )

Another Peek Inside

I had yet another follow-up sonogram today to check on the size of baby's kidneys. For those that don't know, at my 20 week sonogram both of baby's kidneys were enlarged. My OB told me this was rather common with developing baby boys, and the condition usually fixes itself after birth. They decided to monitor the situation though and sent me to meet with a perinatalogist after the kidneys continued to increase in size.

After my sonogram at the perinatalogist's office, all seemed to have improved. The kidneys were measuring within the normal range, but they also wanted to continue to monitor the situation in case it turned out that they were seeing me on a "good" day. So today was my follow-up with them. All still looks good. The kidneys measured at the large end of the normal range, but the perinatalogist said that was completely acceptable given that the baby is a boy.

The final decision was to label the kidneys as slightly enlarged. Actually he used some confusing medical term, but that's how the term translates to English. With this diagnosis, we can then schedule baby for an ultrasound to check the kidneys when he's roughly 3 weeks old to rule out any lingering problems. The perinatalogist assures me that all is looking good though and there's no reason to worry. I'm considering this little medical crisis resolved.

In other news, the baby does not appear to be the monster-sized kid that we were told to expect. I guess he hit a growth spurt, but now all has evened out. He's measuring his exact gestational age. Good to know that I won't be featured in the Guiness Book of World Records for birthing the largest baby on record!

Doctor's Appointment

Jax had a follow-up appointment today with his pediatrician, Dr. Nguyen. Yep, we somehow managed to find a Vietnamese pediatrician in Daytona. Go figure! Anyway, when she saw him a couple of months ago for his 3 year old check-up, she detected a bit of lingering redness in his left ear from an ear infection last fall. She wasn't really that concerned, but wanted to monitor it to make sure it continued to improve. Thankfully, all looked good today. She said it still appeared a little red, but saw definite improvement.

Sadly, Jax did end up having to get an unscheduled shot. It turned out that he never received round 2 of the Hepatitis-A shot. I'm sure it was just overlooked in the transition between Dr. Stallworth in Augusta and Dr. Nguyen in Florida. No biggie. Jax took it like a champ. No tears at all, but he did give the nurse one hell of a dirty look. When she asked if they could still be friends, he thought for a moment and then said, "no." The nurse laughed and told us she wouldn't take it personally. The Curious George band-aid he received seemed to put a positive spin on the situation, and he left with a smile on his face.

So we're done with routine doctor's appointments for Jax until he turns 4 next year. Dr. Nguyen isn't getting rid of us that easily though. We're about to be office regulars thanks to the new baby. I sure hope she doesn't get sick of seeing the Vu kids!

He Loves to Keep us Guessing

As some of you know, Jax can be a picky eater at times. He's not quite as bad as I remember my little brother, Travis, being though. Growing up, Travis' diet consisted of ham, sweet pickles, olives, and strawberries. So knowing that Jax wasn't quite that extreme provided some relief. Still at times it can be be frustrating, especially for Anh who will happily eat ANYTHING placed in front of him. Anh attributes Jaxon's pickiness to a "Wilson gene" because as he says, "Vu babies are good eaters." I repay the compliment by pointing out that a "Vu gene" must therefore be responsible for Jax's extreme stubborness. ; )

To save my sanity, I simply try not to push the food issue with Jax. If he wants to gag everytime I put a green bean or banana in front of him, fine. I'll just give him broccoli or apples instead. No big deal in my mind because he happily gobbles up his gummy vitamins which I tell myself make up the difference. If I'm wrong about this, don't tell me. I prefer to remain clueless in my assumption.

Because Jax is so "opinionated" when it comes to his meals, I ask for his input when buying produce. He gets to pick HIS veggies and fruits while we're grocery shopping. I figure this is the best way to avoid wasting my efforts at the dinner table. Well, you can imagine my surprise on our latest shopping trip when Jax actually picked green beans and bananas. In case you didn't pick up on it in my last paragraph, these two foods have always played the role of Jax's evil archnemsis at the table. He gags and screams if he even sees them on his plate. It's really quite a sight. He definitely has a flare for the dramatic.

So, of course, I question his choices. I buy them fully expecting that Anh and I will be the only ones actually eating them. I'm certain Jax will put on his usual performance once they are presented at meal time. Well wouldn't you know it, just to spite me, Jax has now decided these are his two favorite foods. What the ___? I swear he just enjoys messing with my mind! : )

A New Ride

So I've been complaining for months about the ridiculous gas prices in Florida. Each week when I fill up my SUV, spending at least $75, I swear that I will choose a vehicle with better gas mileage the next time around. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my LR3. I really do. I think it's the best vehicle in the world, except for the gas mileage. It suits all of my needs and I feel cool driving it which is, of course, the most important factor. Kidding, sort of.


Anyway, over the last few weeks, I've been car shopping because my lease is about to be up. I made it my mission to specifically look at hybrids. I was determined to become a reformed gas-guzzler and turn over a new leaf as a tree-hugging, environmentally conscience consumer. Well, let's just say that things didn't go as planned. I was so underwhelmed by the hybrid options currently on the market. They either look too "spaceship-like", are too small for hauling around the kids and all the stuff that comes along with kids, or they were so ridiculously expensive that it seemed silly to buy them because you wouldn't be saving any money.

So what did I end up getting you might ask? I really went out of my comfort zone, and ended up getting my exact same LR3 except the newer model! I just couldn't bring myself to spend outrageous money each month on a car payment for a vehicle that I didn't love. Makes sense, right? Okay, maybe not, but that's how my mind works. It makes sense to me and that's what matters. Oh, and for all you tree-hugging, environmentally conscience consumers out there that I've probably outraged, I promise to go green on my home purchase. Oh, and I recycle! So there! ; )

Is it Just Us?

Are we the only people that inherit a random child when we go out to dinner or on a family outing to the beach or park? Surely it's not just us and this actually happens to others. It seems like every time we take Jax somewhere, we somehow end up "babysitting" some other couple's kid. It starts out innocently enough with the random kid wandering over to say hi to Jax. Then the kid will somehow mistake our polite exchanges for an invitation to become the 4th member of our family. Seriously!

Whenever this happens we, of course, immediately begin scanning the area for the child's parents, and are usually greeted with a friendly wave and then nothing. They don't summon their kid back to their area or table after a few minutes. They don't come over to make sure their kid is behaving or welcome for that matter. Nope, we're stuck with their kid until we leave.

Who are these people that are so trusting of strangers with their children? Don't they watch the news?! I guess I should take their "trust" as a sign that Anh and I don't in any way come across as sketchy individuals. It just seems so strange to me how regularly this happens. Surely others can relate, right?

It's Official

Baby #2 will arrive on May 20th! I'm counting the days!

Yo Ho Ho...a Golfing We Will Go!

We finally made it to one of the cheesy tourist mini golf courses this weekend. I have been telling Anh pretty much since we moved here that I wanted to take Jax to one of the courses, but it just never happened. I'm sure you're all shocked at Anh's lack of interest in mini golf. As usual, I was the driving force behind our crazy family outing.

Well we FINALLY made it, and now I fear we will become regulars. Jax LOVED it, and he did surprisingly well. Out of 18 holes, he made par on 4 and bogied 2. Pretty impressive for a 3 year old's first mini golf outing! He also appears to definitely be a leftie when it comes to putting.

After allowing Daddy to demonstrate the appropriate putting technique on the first hole, Jax wanted zero help. In the event that you take him for a golf outing in the future, do not even think about rushing him and certainly don't touch his ball at any point. He wants to do it all on his own. I tried to hurry him along on one difficult hole because there was a crowd forming behind us (all of which seemed impressed by the young golfer's skills). I may have "slightly" nudged his ball into the hole when he missed the putt by the slimmest of margins, and he immediately scolded me. He said, "No, Mommy. I want to do it." I responded, "Jax, you did do it," and he immediately corrected me, "No, Mommy. You did it!" He then proceeded to take the ball out of the hole and reputt his last shot, making it that time on his own. What a perfectionist!

Jax is already begging to go back to play "pirate golf," and I think Anh is eager to to redeem himself. He seemed quite disappointed to have lost the round to his wife by 2 strokes. I'd say we both have room for improvement though. We finished up with less than impressive scores. Anh was +14, and I was +12. Nothing to really brag about! ; )

Just One of the Guys

So Uncle Al, Anh's 19 year old brother, along with 2 friends made the trip down from Georgia for Spring Break 08. They arrived yesterday, just in time for the National Cheerleading Championship which brought 8000 college cheerleaders to town. Didn't that timing work out well for them?!

Thinking that the guys probably wanted to check out the "Daytona scene" ASAP, we headed down to the tourist area along the beach for dinner. There were cheerleaders (each of them with a bow as big as their head) for as far as the eye could see. I'd say the guys were pleased with their decision to come down, even after accidentally taking the wrong exit and adding 3 hours to their 5 hour trip.

Jax is thrilled to have some "friends" visiting, and the guys have really made him feel like part of the gang. He got to stay up late and party with the boys last night, and did his best to remain patient while waiting for them to come downstairs this morning. I spent the morning dragging out all of the beach gear, and then with the guys' help I put the top down on the Jeep. Yes, we agreed to lend them Anh's Jeep so they could cruise the strip in style. Let's hope they don't do anything to make us regret our generosity!

Well the time comes for them to depart for their beach adventure. I tell Jax to wave goodbye, and they drive off for a day of fun in the sun. I look down at Jax, and his face said it all. He was crushed over having been left behind. I told him that the guys just needed to have some "big boy time" and that we'd see them later for dinner and ice cream. That didn't resolve anything in little Jaxon's mind. The tears started to flow and his crying was clearly the result of a broken heart. He was just so sad to not be heading out with his "friends." It was the saddest thing I've seen in a while.

We'll have to do our best to come up with some fun plans for this evening that will thrill both the big and little boys in the group. And sadly for the college kids, the family may be tagging along on tomorrow's beach trip. We'll just sit yards apart so as not to cramp their style. ; )

A Unique Hearing Test

Like any good mom, I try to provide healthy meals and snacks for Jax. He has obviously inherited my love of junk food though. On multiple occassions, Jax has demonstrated that he has supersonic senses when it comes to detecting the presence of junk food. No matter how quietly I try to open a bag of chips, he can hear the rustling of the bag. I mean he can be upstairs playing in his room or digging through the nursery (his latest obsession), and I will be downstairs very quietly trying to sneak a few chips. Without fail, he's beside me within a matter of seconds asking, "Can I have some?" He also has the insane ability to sense when we are within a mile of a Wendy's for chicken nuggets or a Krispy Kreme for a sprinkles covered doughnut. His powers always amaze me!

Pregnancy = Free-for-All Comments from the General Public

Women are sensitive when it comes to their appearance and weight. This statement shouldn't come as news to anyone. It's a well known fact. It's just how we are. Before I was pregnant, the worst public comment I ever received was the whole, "You look tired" deal from co-workers or friends. We all know that this translates to, "Wow, you look rough," but I'm going to be "nice" and say "tired." So why is it that once you're pregnant people feel like you're free game when it comes to comments?

I haven't been able to leave the house in months without someone making some comment about me, like I'm an object. It started out harmless enough. People would ask how far along I was, then make some comment about how great it is to have a Spring baby or tell me that they were born in May. Sometimes people would ask whether I knew what I was having, and then make comments about how I'm carrying the baby bump (high = boy, low = girl). Whatever, all pretty harmless, non-offensive statements.

I'm a pretty laid back person. I don't really get offended too easily. I haven't been put off on the rare occassion that some stranger has felt the need to touch my stomach while talking to me about the pregnancy. I do find this behavior strange, but I haven't been offended as many women are by this action. I draw the line, however, at public commentary about my weight/size. Why in the world would anyone think that it's okay to comment about ANY woman's weight, let alone a pregnant woman with out of control hormones? Don't they realize that not only is it rude, they are putting their lives at risk? Listen up, People, here's a very important life lesson. DO NOT COMMENT ON PREGNANT WOMEN'S SIZE!

Here's my latest experience. We were shopping recently at this great outlet mall in Orlando. Really, it's great. We'll have to take you there if you ever visit. It was towards the end of the day. I had walked miles and miles with aching pregnancy joints, looking at clothes that in no way shape or form would fit me at this point (and of course were being offered at rock bottom prices, this would not have been the case if I weren't 20 months pregnant). I had accepted the fact that all I could really purchase and use at this point would be cute shoes or a new purse.

I was having a good time just being out and about with the family doing one of my favorite activities (yes, I know I need to get a new hobby) when all of a sudden a GAP employee rained on my parade. I was leaving the store after buying a replacement outfit for Jax (that's another story) when I heard the following, "Are you having twins?" I had not spoken to this chick at all. So there was no comment made during a prior conversation that would lead her to ask me this. No, this was her ever so clever way of saying, "Good God Woman, you are the size of small country!" My response, "NO!" Then, I quickly left the store before I became the woman that you see on the news that went into a rage and tore an "innocent" woman's head off her shoulders while she was "innocently" working to support her family.

The lesson from this entry should definitely be to think before speaking to a pregnant woman. Don't just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind because clearly people's brains short-circuit at the sight of a pregnant woman. I can't promise that the next pregnant chick will have the extreme restraint that I do. ; )

Adventures in Potty Training

Let's start this blog off with a bang, people! I have finally decided to force (Yes, I said FORCE) Jax to use the potty. This decision comes after months and months and months of following the expert advice not to push your child into potty training before THEY are ready and ignoring my husband's argument that I was being too lax on the issue. Well, for over a year, Jax has been on the verge of being potty trained, but has simply refused to take the final step of committing to the milestone. He'd go, but only if we really begged him to. Otherwise, he was content to take care of business in his pull-ups.

To be completely honest, I am not one of those moms that really minds changing diapers. No, I don't jump for joy at the opportunity. In fact, I volunteer my husband for the job anytime he's within shouting distance, but I'm pretty much indifferent to it. I just happen to feel it's completely unacceptable to be over 4 years old and still wearing a diaper (assuming you don't have a medical issue and are younger than 80). If I didn't push the issue with Jax, I'm certain he would be content to wear pull-ups well into middle school! I don't want my kid to be teased for still being a baby, and I know that wouldn't be too far away. Kids can be evil little monsters.

So last week I was thrilled to hear the following words come out of my kid's mouth, "Mommy, I have to poop in the potty!" My response was, "Okay, okay...let's go!" What I thought was, "Thank you, Jesus! I thought this moment would NEVER come!" Now, my son didn't have this moment of enlightenment without the ultimate of parent trickery, a bribe. Yes, a bribe. Three weeks ago Jax became obsessed with getting a red bicycle. Not a blue one. Not a green one, but a RED one. He would ask me EVERY day if he could have a red bicycle. I have no idea why he became obsessed. It's certainly not because he lacked something to play on outside. The kid will soon need his own garage to house all of his outdoor play gear. Anyway...I, being the evil yet resourceful mother that I am, agreed to purchase said bicycle under one condition, that he pee and poop in the potty.

Now, to me, that meant becoming diaper free. To Jax, that meant pee and poop one time in the potty and he got a red bike. I didn't hold him to the fine print. I caved out of excitement that we had taken the next step of going on his own without Mommy forcing him kicking and screaming onto the potty. Ever since, he has worn his "big boy undies" like a trooper. They are quite fashionable attire too. He has a variety of Diego, Cars, and Elmo print options. We have only had two very, very small "couldn't run to the potty fast enough" accidents. I'm one proud Mommy at this point. It might have taken him a little longer to make the commitment, but once he put his mind to it, he handled it like a champ.

So, there we go. I start my blog off with a story about crap, and I'm sure there will be plenty more crap to follow. Hope you enjoy my tales!