Misadventures in Parenting

Well, as I've told my friends (and support network) at Charlotte Mommies, I'm chronicling our (mis)adventures in parenting through "Mama's Log" for "The Ongoing Saga of the Di Man." It's been an interesting 11 days since we arrived home in NC. The weather has been typical for NC this time of year...goofy. When we first arrived, temps were in the 70s then quickly took a nosedive to the 40s. Of course, this meant that I had to take C to purchase a "real" winter coat (no comment from the Yankees in the audience, please).

Here are the past "Mama's Log(s)" from my posts at Charlotte Mommies:

Thursday, 11/29/2007
Mama's log...Day 11

Two days of recap coming your way and oh, the places we go.

So, Wednesday morning, C and I are having loads of fun playing with his toys when he decides it's time for Mama to chase him around the house (that boy can create a game with anything...or nothing at all). So, we run around & I decide to go the opposite direction to "catch him." Plan successful...sort of. When grabbing him, I pick him up and spin around in a circle...Based on my blog entry from Hanoi, you can guess what comes next (yes, the return of the regurgitator). Fortunately, quick thinking on my part lands said contents on me, his clothes, and the kitchen floor (instead of the living room carpet) to which he looks up at me and says, "Uh-oh." So, off to bath he goes (with squeals of delight knowing he was getting ready to have fun times in the bathtub).

He's a funny kid. Just thinking back to a mere 29 days ago, he was petrified of bathing in the tub. Now, I apparently cannot take his clothing off fast enough for him to get in the tub.
The afternoon (after Mama had a Chic-Fil-A fix & C discovered the joys of waffle fries) found us visiting Miss Monkey, Ash, and H & having a play date at the Monkey Mansion. Miss Monkey was in her prime, so proud to tell me all about her things. C, being the boy that he is, squeeled with delight when he met Brutus, the dog & had the opportunity to pet Brutus. The first "kiss" Brutus gave C has truly a histerical experience. He sort of jumped back, looked confused, then smiled and proceeded to pet Brutus.

C immediately warmed up to Ash right away & was not a shy boy for very long. We had a really fun afternoon then decided it was time to go out to eat. Can you guess where we ended up? Pho Real... C quite enjoyed his dinner (and especially his coconut juice...second favorite next to mango). My son's alter ego, the Vietnamese Valentino, decided to make a guest appearance when Colin saw a very pretty woman sitting in the booth behind him. He certainly turned on the charm & coyly played shy boy, peeking out to give her a very mischevious grin. During our meal, E unexpectedly shows up at the restaurant w/ some of his colleagues (taking a job candidate for his department out for a meal).

At the end of the night, C said "bye-bye" to Miss Monkey and her court & sent them off by blowing them a kiss (aww factor...+10).

I am proud to say that my son "got dirty" today. One of my friends (who works w/ E at the University) brought her two kids over for a playdate. Since it was so nice outside, we went to the backyard to play on the swing set & slide. Well, since Z & G (the kids) decided to go play in the pile of leaves, C decided to trot along behing them. The next thing I know, he's throwing leaves up in the air and sitting in a big pile of leaves, looking for acorns.

After his playdate, one of our neighbors was walking her three kids on the street. I introduced them to C & my little guy began voluntarily walking down the road. He held the hand of the oldest girl (who was 9). Well, she took to him like a little mother hen. She started naming things & asking C to say what she said (which he did w/ a great big smile). We then walked back to their house at the end of the cul-de-sac & my little guy stayed w/ her, playing w/ the leaves in their yard (hmm, do I hear babysitter in a few years? ).

I've also discovered that my son is a cleaning machine. He loves to sweep the floor & was so happy to help Mama put clothes in the laundry & dryer. Man, if I can keep these habits up when he's a teenager, I'll be set!

For those of you who remember the trauma of the great bath fiasco of November 1st, please note that now Mama cannot take his clothing off fast enough for him to get in the tub! Tonight, he discovered the joys of laying on his stomach and splashing his feet. Man, toddler discoveries are wonderful! Each day is an adventure. I never know the places we'll go!

Tuesday, 11/27/2007
Mama's Log...Day 9

Okay, so thank goodness for turning on the TV long enough to flip to the TV Channel...the only way I had any idea about the day or date of the week.

So, we've been home for 9 days (one minutes it seems like we just stepped off the plane, the next it seems like C has been with us forever). Maybe it's prolonged jet lag, or just the fog that has enveloped my head since I was silly enough to stay up until 11pm last night but (as I told Heather at Target yesterday evening) the MOMMY BRAIN has developed (to which I received a hilarious reply from my CM friend S that it's nice to know that no matter how motherhood comes to you, your brain turns to guacamole). Suddenly, I think I've forgotten everything I ever learned for the past 35 years (except maybe long division). But, as I seemed to have lost all cognitive and adult functions, the fun factor has definitely set in (and I think I've finally developed those eyes in the back of my head...Mama has developed this 6th sense to let her know when the Di Man is starting to become mischevious or test his limits - well, that and a certain grin he gets when he's getting ready to do something interesting).

Today's adventure...Trader Joes. I wasn't sure about how the crowds were going to be yesterday, so I decided to take little man out to TJ's today. Of course, he became exuberent and so excited when he saw all the "boms" (helium-filled balloons...well, to be honest, boms are basically anything round at this point, balls, balloons, etc.). The big event took place in the back of the store where they were giving out the free samples of coffee, cider, and foods (today was BBQ meatballs).

Well, seeing that I didn't have much time to eat (and the fact that Colin ate 1/4 of the top of my english muffin at breakfast & after that decided 2nd breakfast time was so over), I decided to try one of the meatballs. After my sampling, Colin used sign language to say "eat" (anh in VN) & proceeded to pop the entire meatball in his mouth. Five meatballs later, he gives me the "all done" sign (and puckering of the lips). I, shall we say, was impressed. This was the first time Colin voluntarily ate meat (which resulted in me buying the said package of meatballs and BBQ sauce, of course).

And, when all was said and done, the Di Man waved "bye-bye" to the TJ employees at the sample area & blew them a kiss. Gotta love a lip-puckering toddler blowing kisses. Who can resist?

Tuesday, 11/20/2007
When we last left our Mommy heroine, she had overcome the projectile forces of the gastric byway and the liquification of her newly cleansed shirt. As a new day dawns for Mama and her sidekick, "The Di Man" we find our heroes entering...the snot zone.

Yes, Mama has encountered fluids from another realm. Ones that find themselves shooting from the nares with lightning speed, reaching a target destination of the buccosal highway or long sleeve lane. With quick reflexes (faster than a speeding bullet), Mama is able to leap over a tower of 16 blocks to reach the Kleenex just in time to save the day.

But, like every superhero, Mama has her weakness. Superman has Kryptonite & Mama has...Kohl's gift boxes. "Di Man' increased his sidekick knowledge base by learning how to open gifts. Well, the box apparently drew this moth to his flame, resulting in wild laughter and giddy galloping around home base. In his moment of jubilance, "Di Man" suddenly went where no man has gone before, resulting in the box giving Mama a swell papercut between her left eyebrow & nose.

And that was just day one...

Gotta love Motherhood! I wouldn't trade it for the world. Today's festivites included self-medicating with Benadryl 50 mg, taking a trip to the doctor, and beginning a 5 day treatment with Prednisone for a wonderful case of hives...And when I realized that Ba (aka DH) didn't wake our little man this afternoon (his body is still on VN time and we need to get him transitioned to sleeping during the opposite times than he's used to). So, tonight should be really FUN, FUN, FUN (for Ba)

The Di Man was fascinated by birds and planes in the sky!