"Potty" use with caution

The last few weeks have been filled with thoughts of how to potty train our young Phoenix. At first introduction to the potty he seemed vaguely interested. But as it stood up until two days ago, every time the bathroom door was unguarded he would just run in there and slam the lid down. If we tried to sit him up there he screamed. Well the other night we were getting ready for bath time and I thought what the heck. So while the tub was filling, I lifted the seat to his toilet and asked him if he wanted to try to go potty in the potty. I should have sat him on it first as I began to hear splashing immediately. He was sitting on the bath mat in front of the tub, the recipient of the shower was one of his poor, defenseless rubber duckies. In hind sight, I guess I should have put him on the potty and then said it.
It will probably be another month before we can try again as I think mommy yelling "Phoenix no!" didn't help the potty training process.

Mosquitos suck

While I was in California I was reminded of two things. First, that I am allergic to mosquitoes... crap. Second that there is at least enough "worst places to be bit by a f*ing mosquito" to make a top ten list. Here goes

In any order you like:

1. Between fingers and toes.
2. On the bottom of your foot.
3. Right on the edge of your lip.
4. In your eyebrow.
5. On a knuckle.
6. Elbow.
7. Anywhere on your ear.
8. On your butt, of course it's funnier when there are witnesses to you trying in vain not to scratch.
9. Right between your shoulder blades where you can't reach.
10. The fleshy part of your hand, right below your thumb.

So there you have it, the first of what I think is probably going to be a running thread.

Honey I'm home!

So we've made it back to Washington after a month long trip to California. The ride home was filled with Murphy's law though, and it was a rough trip to say the least. For example it Redding, CA where it was something like 113 degrees, our a/c fan stopped working. So even though you could turn the air conditioner on, and it was nice and chilly if you put your hand on the vent, there was nothing to blow the air into the cabin. That sucked, thankfully Phoenix slept through quite a bit of it. There was a period of time in which I felt sort of in a dream state. Upon returning my father said he could see in the car that I was getting sick. Apparently I had forgotten about my first bout with heat stroke. So in light of the climate control malfunction he decided to turn and head for the coast a little sooner than planned. It almost immediately started cooling off as we traveled west. Good thing too, because we got behind every single human on the planet who recieved their driver's license from a Cracker Jack box. We spent a goodly amount of time behind someone going nineteen miles an hour. But at least the whole route was under a canapy of trees. Oregon scenery is magnificent. Eventually we arrived in Newport, OR to visit my aunt, cousin, and second cousin who I had never met before. It was a first meeting for both Phoenix and Layla. She's two and a half. It was a short visit but I'm glad, because now we know that we only live 3 hours away from each other. Again we got behind all the lovely driver's on the road, but we eventually made it home.
What amazes me is the blistering heat right up until the sun went down even here. But by 10:00 pm we were in the middle of a lightning and thunder storm worthy of an award. And the lightning is different here. Mike's mom tells me it's not, but it is. In California, at least in my experience the lightning is in a very distinct bolt. In Washington it's more like the flash on a camera across the whole sky. And when it's cloudy it looks like there is a roof when the flash reflects off of them. Debby says there is more bolt lightning here usually, but I've never seen anything but flash lighting since I've lived here. Today it's raining and cool outside. I've already taken my first walk in the rain.

My dad flew a plane

Before I came to California for a visit my parents went to Alaska for nine days. While they were there they did some sight seeing and hanging out, eating, and looking for a place to go fishing. The fish hadn't came in yet so my dad's buddy chartered a plane to take him to a fishing spot. When they got over the Cook Inlet, the pilot asked my dad if he wanted to try it out. Of course he did and so there you have it. My dad got to fly a plane, and had the best time of his life he says and he always asks me I've told whoever it is I may be talking to that he flew a plane. Yes dad.

It's ok

I asked my mother what I was like as a toddler. I did this after about 10 minutes worth of her saying that maybe my kid is more like my brother than me. I sat there and watched her try to remember.

I thought about Phoenix and how he is so patient. How sometimes he has every right to push or hit or shove back. How he will forever try and walk away before he finally kicks you with everything that he's got. But for me it takes and eternity watching him wondering why is this kid so mean? And I can't help him, because I need him to defend himself. But that's the rub. It's my need, not his. I have strived so hard to raise him in peace. With no yelling, or ranting, or arguing, or any of that, that my poor child does not know how to react. He's never been hit, only spanked when he's in serious trouble. He has no concept of hitting for the sake of hitting. And his passive approach to these situations overwhelms me wholly. It takes a lifetime in mommy minutes for him to get angry. Maybe he is more like my brother.

When my mother looked back at me she said "No, you fought back". No more, no less. It's okay that Phoenix is more like my brother. I look back at my life, and at his life, and sadly realize that indeed I would rather my son be more like him and less like me. I am short tempered and fragile. He is even tempered and strong. It's okay that Mom always loved him more, he was the better kid from day one.

So maybe yuppies don't have a smell

I spent my Saturday a few weeks ago at a wedding for the Not-better-half's best friend. It was an interesting affair to say the least. First of all who wears all black to a July wedding. Apparently lots of people thats who! Well and me, but I can explain. I went shopping very last minute for a dress, and when I did finally find one it ended up black, but not all black! It had red and white flowers on it. I was feeling a little awkward about it until I saw that it was the color of choice for the day. Okay so here is the weirdness. These people have apparently been friends for 20 years or so, yet it seemed like a company picnic for people who don't really talk much. It was pretty awkard, I missed the ceremony when Phoenix turned into Satan spawn, and spent much time off by myself trying to get signal to my cell phone. Yes I know very rude to be on the phone at a wedding, but who am I kidding, I was miserable. Out in the middle of the freak sunshine with 35 plus of Mike's once-upon-a-time good buddies. Or so he says. They all do the fingertip hugs and weird uncomfortable-english lady smiles. It was all together very different from the way that my friends act when they get together after a long seperation.

Botpah and Dah

So I've been in California for roughly a week and it's been interesting. It's also been fun, and tiring, and exciting. Phoenix has decided that my dad's name is Botpah, and my dad's best friend Wayne has become Dah as far as his grandson is concerned. Grandpas are something else aren't they. My dad has a good memory except for when it comes to not giving baby soda, or coffee, or tee, or too much sugar. His chihuahua also manages to be a little less spoiled when the boy is around. This trip it seems that their relationship is really starting to develop. Phoenix is getting better at communication in an intelligible manner, and dad is excited that it's him that he wants to do most of his talking to. He loves my dad, he follows him around and talks constantly to the back of his knees. It is good to be home. It seems the grandkids are making them both a little younger.