Uncategorized – Page 8 – Angel Wheeler

Just the beginning

She’s barely one.

And I’m pretty sure I’m in over my head.

When she’s sleeping, I’ve got it made. Piece of cake.

But when she’s awake, she’s really trying to run the show around here. Already. At the end of some days, I need a 3 day vacation. But alas, this is a 24/7 job I’ve signed up for. Just hand me another coffee please.

She stiffens her legs, arches her back, and throws back her head when I try to put her in her high chair. Then once I’ve wrestled her in, in order to have the advantage on me, she throws all her food off her tray. Is this typical one year old behavior? Is she just not hungry? Is she a brat?

I wonder what I’m supposed to do. Should I break her spirit? Force her to do everything that I, the all-knowing mother, think necessary? Because really. I’m kind of new at this too.

We fight tooth and nail. She usually wins right and left.

She is nineteen pounds of sheer determination.

If she had her ‘druthers, she would walk around with a naked hiney, a dirty face, eating goldfish crackers and watching Elmo all day. And then I’d be raising a wretch.

But whose to say I’m not.

Mama knows best. Well, about some things anyway, for instance children shouldn’t pee on the floor and occasionally they should eat a fruit.

I might not know much, but at least I know that.

I’m hoping she’s receiving some vitamins and nutrients from the dirt she eats, because she’s rather fond of that too.

She is a busy girl. And this is her childhood. The only one she’ll ever have. The one she’ll look back on with either fondness or dismay. The one that will shape her. The Nurture to help balance her Nature. It’s kind of a big deal when you think of it.

She’s exploring, discovering, and learning. As all children should be allowed to do. Within reason, of course.

While she’s busy growing up, I am busy watching, worrying, and trying to find the fine line between interfering or giving her the space she needs to become the independent little girl that she is becoming.

And trying desperately not to raise a wretch.

The Party

Our baby girl turned one.

We drove to Texas early to celebrate with our family and close friends.

Here’s Emma Kate with her Grandy, who loves her so much. Let me tell you how much Grandy loves Emma. My mom (Grandy) never, and I mean NEVER allows her picture to be made. Except with Emma. Now that’s love, right there.

I tried to keep the party as simple as possible, and discovered that birthdays can easily get out of hand, and my stress level can easily go through the roof, with tears easily running down my cheeks.

Emma Kate loves Pete the Cat, especially “I Love My White Shoes”. So with a little help from Pinterest and more experienced mothers who have gone before me, we went with a Pete the Cat theme.

Let me tell you how much Pete the Cat loves his white shoes. He loves his shoes when they are white, but then he steps in a pile of strawberries and they turn red. Instead of boohooing, Pete just loves his red shoes instead. And when he steps in a pile of blueberries and they turn blue, instead of pitching a fit, he just loves his blue shoes. Then he steps in a pile of mud and you guessed it. He loves his shoes brown. Then he steps in a bucket of water and they turn all white again, but then they are wet! But it’s all good with Pete and he loves his wet shoes too.

Of course we needed strawberries and blueberries. We had a little chocolate pudding for the mud, and then just some one year old friendly foods like crackers and goldfish, with some grown-up friendly food like sandwiches

I was planning on cake balls and a cake, but making the cake turned into a fiasco. A fiasco, I say.

Mostly because I procrastinate, and because I am so NOT Betty Crocker, I can barely get the stove turned on. It would make more sense to order a cake, but somewhere in my perfectionist mind, I needed to make the cake myself, knowing good and well it wouldn’t be perfect.

Of course I found a recipe that involved way too many tricks and steps, of course I had to run to Walmart that day, of course at 1:00 I still didn’t have a cake made when the party was at three, of course tears were dripping into the batter as I frantically mixed and folded egg whites and sifted flour.

The icing turned out to be way too sweet and runny, but thanks to my dear husband who donned his Superman cape and convinced me that store-bought icing is not from the devil, then in the blink of an eye ran to the store and purchased it, then whisked back in a nanosecond and iced the cake beautifully, we had a decent cake before three o’clock. No cake balls, but a decent cake.

Notice I said “we” had a beautiful cake. Emma had one with sickening sweet icing.

Which probably explains this look and why she chose to eat three strawberries and barely touched the cake.

She was a champ at opening presents and sat there and looked at each and every one of them without tiring.

She adores presents and wants to stop and play with them all.

She even loved her cards.

Despite my anxiety, the party was a success and the love Emma received was awesome.

So here’s to planning birthday party #2 eleven months early.

Maybe that way, we can have cake balls.

12 months

It’s unbelievable.

It’s inconceivable.

It’s unfathomable.

I’m sitting up in bed with you sleeping soundly beside me, studying your precious face and shaking my head in disbelief. Can this really be true?

One year, Emma Kate. One year.

This time last year, after a serious ordeal of labor and delivery, you made your appearance and have been a joy to me every single day since.

Let me tell you a little about yourself. First off, nearly every recent picture I have of you is blurry because you are on the go all the time. You took your first wobbly steps almost 4 weeks ago, and now you are practically running.

You love songs, books, babies, dogs, fish, cats, bath, outside, and your momma.

You dislike someone trying to feed you, laying still to get your diaper changed, having something taken from you, sleeping alone, and being left with strangers.

You can talk a blue streak. Some new words you began saying this month are juice, more, fish, Elmo, Emma, and no, no, no.

You love to talk on the phone and often have someone’s cell phone up to your ear pretending. You like to put things in little hidey holes too. I opened the pots and pan cabinet and found a sippy cup and found a sock in a cereal box.

A blurry picture of you with your necklace.

Your daddy thinks you might be a girly-girl because you love bracelets and necklaces and wear them around the house. Even if it’s not a “real” necklace, you turn it into one. You were wearing a cell phone cord around your neck, dragging it on the ground the other day, and you’ll put anything on your wrist that’s circular and then walk around holding your arm up so it rests on the crook of your elbow.

You like to watch Elmo’s World and sing the Barney song with your Grandy. When she starts singing, you begin to sway back and forth and give a big hug (with a grunt) and blow a kiss too.

You’re really super affectionate mostly and pat the people you love on the check and give kisses and hugs. But with people you don’t know very well, you are reserved and solemn, barely cracking a smile or interacting, but instead sitting back and watching.

You make us laugh all the time at your new antics. And I love to watch you walk. You have this funny side-step-shuffle with your elbows bent upward. You also learned to drink from a straw this month.

You still only have 6 teeth, your eyes are big and beautiful, you are cute as a bug, and you have learned how to really cry hard when you aren’t getting something you want or something is being taken away from you.

You still don’t sleep all night long, but I guess there’s worse things in life, and we’ll all survive. We’ve made it 12 months so far, I’m sure a few more months won’t kill us.

This past year, you have taught me to love more than I ever knew I was capable of. You have taught me to savor the moments because they vanish so quickly. You have taught me to see the world with the same kind of newness you do, and to adore chubby little bellies and dimpled hands. You are my baby girl. And even though your first year is now behind us, and we are moving into toddlerhood, you will always, always be my baby.

I love you so very much sweet one.

XOXO,

Mama

My 10 pet peeves

I’m whittling away a list of 30 things to blog about. This is a list of pet peeves.

According to Wikipedia:

Pet peeves often involve specific behaviors of someone close, such as a spouse or significant other. These behaviors may involve disrespect, manners, personal hygiene, relationships, and family issues.

A key aspect of a pet peeve is that it may well seem acceptable to others. For example, a supervisor may have a pet peeve about people leaving the lid on the copier up and react angrily, be annoyed when others interrupt when speaking, or by messy desks of their subordinates. That same supervisor may witness employees coming into work late, and not feel any annoyance whatsoever.

I’m not sure if I have 10 pet peeves although I’m going to do my best to give it a go.

#1. Not using correct grammar when writing your, you’re, to, two, too, there, their, they’re. My goodness, may I be careful to proofread from now on. They’re will probably be at least to mistakes in this post that your going to notice.

#2. When talking to someone on the phone and they begin to talk to someone in the room with them. Either talk to me, or to the other person in the room, but not both of us at the same time. I get confused. “Are you talking to me?” “No, I’m talking to my son.” If it’s that important to talk to them, hang up and call me back.

#3. Not giving me personal space. I am not touchy-feely. I don’t want to sit up against someone on the couch and I really hate when someone sits on the arm of the chair that I’m sitting in. Hugging if you’re not going to see me for a while is acceptable, kissing is reserved for only a select few, and only then if I’m in a good mood. Maybe you’re wondering how I ever had EK. My husband wonders the same thing every day.

#4. Leaving the lid off the milk and putting it back in the fridge. It’s not hard to snap the lid back on. It usually takes one motion.

#5. Hair in the tub. *gag* The bad thing is, if there is hair in the tub, *gag* it’s usually my own. *gag* I’m such a shedder. But it’s terrible when it’s someone else’s hair *gag* or in the sink *gag* or especially while I’m doing dishes *gag*

#6. Noises. Okay, this really is probably my number one pet peeve. I am terribly annoyed by repetitive, unnecessary noises (except the clicking of a keyboard which is happening now). Which is bad considering my former career choice as an elementary teacher. But things like drumming fingernails, rolling a pencil across a desk continuously, clearing your throat over and over, or smacking gum makes me want to hurt someone. Badly. Also, I married a drummer. He’s constantly drumming on things so I just imagine myself hurting him and watch the clock.

#7. Unruly pets that jump in your lap when they were not invited. Refer to pet peeve #3.

#8. Channel surfing really gets on my nerves too. Just find something to watch, already. Same goes with radio stations. I’d rather hear the annoying commercial jingle than the blep, blop, blip, blog, glog, glop, glip of the channels or stations being changed.

#9. Loud yawns. Does that make you feel less tired to let out that loud noise?

#10. Leaving the keys to ding in the ignition or that crazy beeping when you aren’t wearing your seatbelt. Please just close the door, remove the keys or buckle up.

So, that’s a few of my pet peeves, four which involve noises. These are subject to change of course as my daughter grows bigger and draws my attention to others or as I grow older and more cratchety, which is closer than you think. I try to be patient with others, but it’s not always easy. And I’m sure as I publish this post and go about the rest of my day, I’ll find fifteen more that I forgot to mention.

What about you? What’s your #1 pet peeve?

20 Random Facts

1. I actually have 2 middle names. Genea Danelle, one of the weirdest names ever. My parents couldn’t decide what to name me, and I actually was discharged from the hospital without a name. The hospital called home and said they needed to complete the birth certificate. So my mom was yelling at my dad, “What do you want to name this baby?” I guess in the spur of the moment, they decided. My mom chose Angel because I was born without the doctor present and my mom said I was just a little angel, all I needed was wings. My dad didn’t want to name me Angel for fear I’d turn into a bar maid. My maternal grandmother’s name was Imogene and paternal grandfather’s name was Earl Gene, so why not take Gene and throw an a at the end and call it Genea, as in Gina. I don’t know how they came up with Danelle, but my mom like Dani and my dad didn’t. So it’s Danelle, not Danielle.

2. My favorite color is yellow. It’s happy and cheerful, and reminds me of lemons and sunshine. My car is yellow and usually one room in my home is yellow. I especially like yellow and blue, also yellow and green, yellow and robin’s egg blue is also a great combination.

3. As a child, my favorite storybook was a little known book called “Stand Back said the Elephant I’m Going to Sneeze” I read it so much it was tattered. I actually still have most of it memorized. “Stand back said the elephant, I’m going to sneeze. I hate to alarm you, I don’t wish to harm you. My friends I fear, it’s clear, oh dear, you better stand back, I’m going to sneeze. Oh no, oh no, cried the buffalo….” o.k. I’ll stop now.

4. The first chapter book I ever read was “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Clearly. After reading, I became so obsessed with wanting to experience a mouse who rode a motorcycle, I moved my dresser away from the wall and with an orange marks-a-lot, I drew a mouse hole on the white baseboard. But I messed up and had to scribble it out and draw another one next to it. I can’t remember how many I drew, but I never could seem to get it right. I do not remember getting in trouble for that.

5. My dad never spanked me growing up, and my mom whipped me twice. I only remember the reason for one of them, and she whipped me in front of my siblings and I was completely and totally ashamed. Just writing that, made me feel it all over again.

6. I have never truly been happy with my weight, not ever. I have always wanted to be smaller, no matter how small I have been.

7. When I was young, I wanted to be a waitress and a bank teller, a teacher and a ballerina. I’ve actually had jobs as a waitress and a teacher. The bank teller desire passed, but when I see a beautiful ballerina, I still sometimes wish that was me.

8. I never got the chance to take ballet. My older sister did and I hear she was not the most graceful and ran off the stage crying at the recital. I guess my mom assumed I’d do the same, and saved her money. I kind of resent that, but it is what it is.

Wow, I still have 11 more random thoughts to think of. This is harder than it looks.

9. I bite my fingernails when they get too long rather than using clippers to cut them off.

10. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 9 years old in Central Baptist Church. When I was baptized the preacher had my name written on masking tape on the sleeve of his robe so he wouldn’t forget it. That made me feel unimportant that he couldn’t remember my name.

11. I stayed the weekends with my grandmother growing up and I loved it there. I slept with her in her double bed and each night, we’d recite “Another day, Another dollar” and each morning, “This is the day that the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.” Later I moved in with her when I was 14.

12. I am the youngest of 4 children. Two half-brothers that are 10 and 11 years older than me and one sister who is a couple years older than me. I am glad to have had them in my life. They stood up for me, supported me, and helped me so much growing up.

13. I had to take a dog to the pound when I was 30 for snapping at my niece and I sobbed uncontrollably. His name was Chester and he had jumped in my car one night and wouldn’t get out. So I took him home. I had him for about 4 years. He was ill-mannered, but my heart broke anyway knowing he was going to die.

14. I think cereal should be a basic food group.

15. I moved from my hometown at the age of nearly 38 for the first time in my life, except for one year when I lived in another town for college. The rest of my college career I took local classes or commuted over 60 miles one way.

16. I was chosen as Teacher of the Year about 3-4 years ago. That was a nice honor.

17. I used to have a size 6 1/2 shoe, but since I had a baby, now it’s a size 7.

18. I moved out of my grandmother’s house when I was a senior in high school. My sister had a little house I lived in for a couple of months and then when my best friend came home from college at semester and decided not to go back, we got a rent house together. I worked 2 jobs and finished high school, and turned out okay, all by the Grace of God.

19. As I was cleaning my storage building out the other day, I found a funny certificate I’d been awarded from my high school journalism class. I was recognized for MOST LIKELY TO BECOME A ROCKET SCIENTIST/BRAIN SURGEON. I chuckled when I thought of the title of my blog. Who knew?

20. I pray everyday. Even if it’s just “Thank you for another day.”

That’s me, in a nutshell.

30 Things

So I found this pin on Pinterest recently and I think I’ll give it a try. It’s from a blog titled babymakingmachine.com

It’s entitled 30 things my kids should know about me.

Here’s her list.

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and describe how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?
14. Describe 5 and weaknesses strengths you have.
15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
29. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

It’s a bit daunting if I do say so myself, but my goal is to attempt a once a week post on one of these topics. I doubt I’ll go in order, because that’s just not how I roll. I’ll do the easy ones first, because that is how I roll and I’ll weed through the rest.

How I deal with crap

No matter how bad my life is going, no matter how crummy a day I’ve had, no matter how many curve balls life throws my way, when I lay my head down at night, I can always say “at least I’m not a cow in a feed yard”.

That really has to be the worse doesn’t it? Compared to pasture cows who can graze all the live long day, a feed yard cow only eats when the feed truck drops food in the trough. The rest of the time they stand there on that huge hill of poop smelling the stench of manure, swatting flies with their tail, and batting dust from their eyelashes in overcrowded conditions, all the while awaiting their day of execution.

Now some people may want to argue this, saying those cows live the life, and to each his own. I just know when I pass by a feed lot, I’m just a little bit more thankful my stomach doesn’t have 4 compartments.

So today, I will count my blessings. And you should to. Even when manure is hitting the fan. Even when the ketchup packet exploded on your white blouse, even if you lost a $50 in the grocery store parking lot, even if your Almond Joy melted in your pocket.

Remember it could be worse.

You could always live in a feed lot.

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 18,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 4 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

11 months

Dear Emma Kate,

How did this happen? I blinked twice, maybe only once, and you have been with us now for 11 months. My goodness, this is zooming so fast. It makes my mama heart sad knowing your littleness is gone forever, and knowing that the next 18 years will fly past as well, but it makes my mama heart happy each and every day as I watch you grow and learn.

You are quite the little girl! And you have so many people who just adore you. There is no other way to say that.

This month you are standing alone really well and have just begun to take one or two steps as long as you have something ahead of you that you can grab onto. I know as soon as you get the courage to go, you will be all over the place!

You are talking up a storm too. You attempt to repeat many words when told what something is, but you can plain-as-day-say mama, dada, ash, night night, horse, ball, bye-bye. You can almost-plain-as-day-say Grace, cat, I love you, bath.

You love music, singing, and dancing. You sway back and forth singing a precious little “la-la” when its a soft song, and you bounce up and down and throw in some Elvis legs when you really want to get down.

You are a serious child mostly, and only let loose around people you feel comfortable with. In a strange place around unfamiliar people, you study and watch and observe.

Climbing is your thing. You climb on anything you can easily reach, and you think it’s great fun to get in small spaces like cabinets or to sit on things like boxes.

You celebrated your first Christmas and learned pretty quickly what that was all about. Of course it took a while and you wanted to stop and play with all your toys. You loved each and every one, except the pony we got you! It is a bit scary to you for now.

Sleeping. It just isn’t happening still. You my dear, will sleep when you’re old I guess. Its a struggle; not to get you to go to sleep, but to get you to stay asleep. We’ve tried it all, and the best I can figure is you do best with a routine and lately that isn’t happening with the holidays and traveling and moving to a new state. I hope soon it will all settle down and become normal again.

We went to see your favorite book, Pete the Cat’s author at a school where I used to work and you are all but old enough to start going to school. You loved the children and when he started reading “I Love My White Shoes”, you crawled towards the stage and sat attentively. It was so cute!

Even though you are super cute, setting limits is our next job with you it appears. You have started doing some things that mama and daddy don’t think are so cute. Like throwing fits and food. As much as we’d love to let you have everything you want, it would turn you into a brat, and brats aren’t any fun to be around. There will be times when it seems like we’re being mean, but we’re only loving you the best we can.

I love you so much! The past 11 months have been a joy for me. I’m trying to take it all in. I can’t slow down time, as much as I wish I could, but each day I’m trying to make last.

xoxo,

Mama

The First Night

We loaded a borrowed horsetrailer with pots and pans, sheets, and an overnight bag along with an assortment of cardboard boxes I have spent the last 3 weeks packing up and we headed west.

We thought it a good idea to get a jump on moving to our new home in Ruidoso and besides just being a good idea, we’re too excited not to get a headstart.

As J-dub and I carried in box after box in the dark, our niece Ash and our near 11 month old EK were busy too.

Even though it’s already the 23rd of December, and even though we won’t be here for Christmas day, but because it’s EK’s first one and because it’s the good and proper thing to do in a new house in December, they set about putting up the Christmas tree.

Some of the lights wouldn’t light, and it’s bare on the bottom where EK can reach.

It’s not perfect, but neither are we.

But it puts a smile on my face, as does the sweet girls who worked on it.