#icebucketchallenge

Everyone has their own opinion and here is mine. 

I cannot understand why so many people are irritated with the ice water challenge. 
*you're wasting water *you're just trying to bring attention to yourself *some people do it and don't donate *it's just stupid and I'm over it *why do you need to dump ice on your head? Just donate

I get those reasons but then don't they pretty much sum up EVERY fundraising event ever! 
Seriously marathons, golf tournaments, dinners, parties etc.
Why do we need any of this to raise money? Why don't people just give and we won't have to waste time planning parties, dinners, beerfests, bunco, bingo, marathons, or tournaments?

It all brings awareness! And as humans we like to have fun!! 
And for those who don't donate - how's that different than winning tickets to a fundraiser on a radio station or fb contest? They win tickets and get to participate but didn't buy their tickets so they didn't give. But what we hope is that it brings awareness and they give down the road. Or that they find something they become passionate about and give to that. 

So please think about that before getting so upset. It's not worth getting so irritated about that you're wasting energy fighting against it. The fact is that like all other fundraisers it has brought awareness and donations in. 
So now that I've said my peace, I'm out.

*drops mic

Twenty Four Hours

In the last 24 hours:

Gavin has put a giant knot on his forehead between his eyes by trying to jump from a kiddie chair to Bryce's bed, missed his target and smacked his head on the wood bed frame.

Cut his lip open trying to surf on his push cart rather than ride it. 

Scraped his arm trying to somersault over his push cart.

Somehow scraped the side of his leg and cut the back of both ankles in the backyard within 30 seconds while I was cleaning up dog poop. 

He also has a new bruise on the inside of his ankle and one on his elbow. 

He has climbed countless times onto the kitchen table, the craft table, climbed up the side of his playpen to get IN, got to the top step TWICE on a three step step stool, managed to climb up behind me on the step stool and maneuver around me to get to the top step, pulled the vacuum out of the hall closet, carried a push broom across the backyard - with his teeth (ok that was only like for 2 seconds, the rest was hands and arms), decided to chomp on some river rock like it was candy, and currently just dumped the bag of dog poop over while I was writing this.

Oh and he became Tarzan on the swing set. 

It's been a crap of a morning

So my morning started off like piss and ended up being totally shitastic. Literally.

I woke up and was feeding Gavin and soon realized that my bed, him and I were covered in baby urine. I didn't change his diaper before feeding him and it leaked all over us. 

So I took his clothes and diaper off, walked over to the laundry and came back to him peeing on a pillow and then patting it with his hand and giggling as it splashed. 

After that clean up Tiny decided to poop in the living room and Gavin decided it'd be fun to walk through it and then pick it up and carry it to me. 

So I get THAT mess cleaned up, go into my room to clean myself up and come back to the smell of crap. I look at Gavin and realize the child I just cleaned up has pooped. No biggie I run him to his changing table, notice that it's a pretty loose stool as he decides to grab his junk the second his diaper comes off. So I've got poop again on me, him, his clothes, the changing table, the wall, etc.

I clean us up. Walk back out to the living room and pick up what looks like a piece of Tiny's chew. But it's not. It's poop mixed with corn that had fallen from Gavin's diaper earlier when I ran him to his bedroom. And now it's all over my hands again. And Gavin's because he saw me pick it up and copied me.

As I'm dealing with that Bryce let's Tiny in who pees the minute he walks in. And guess who instantly steps in it and then starts patting it? That's right!! Gavin does!!!

Back to the shower we go.....

Ezekiel

My cousin, Ezekiel, passed away on Monday. May, 19, 2014. The date itself is it's own statement. When I found out my first thought was: what do you mean dead?  I have no idea if I said this out loud, what I did say out loud, or if I even spoke.  Nothing made sense.  I had just awoke from some really weird dreams and I could have bet anything I was still dreaming.  But I wasn't. As the days have passed it has become more real.  My thoughts make a little more sense, though the idea that Ezeke is no longer here does not.

Ezeke has always been special. Everyone is special in their own way, and I realize this, but Ezeke was amazingly special. He was able to be a nerd without being a nerd. He was unbelievably intelligent.  I am pretty sure his brain worked on its own special wavelength. Most people I know like this have a hard time socializing, interacting with others or showing emotions.  Ezeke was the opposite.  He was caring. Unbelievably caring. He was there for everyone he knew.  He would drop everything in his world if you needed him. 

It's an absolute tragedy to lose him. 

I began writing this the day after we lost him.  I was unable to finish it. I decided to post it today. His birthday. It's also a year ago Baby Alex lost his battle with cancer.  At least I now know the two of them are together in the hands of God. 

Why your kids LOVE Miley Cyrus

You hate Miley Cyrus.  You cannot stand her music, the way she dresses, her twerking, her weird performances, and oh her hair!!

But your kids? They love her.  And if you were a teenager right now, you would love her too.  She is what we all wanted to be as teenagers.  No, I am not saying we all wanted to be shorthaired, twerking, ex-Disney stars.  We did want to be different.  We wanted to be grown up.  We wanted to rebel.  We wanted to go crazy. 

Stop hating on Miley and realize she is human, she's discovering herself and who she is. Oh yeah, and your kids love her.

You have to be kidding me?

Does it bother me that my six month old angel has cried and screamed for two days straight whenever I have to put him down? Yes, yes it does.  But what is even more infuriating is that Dad comes home and suddenly he is fine.  Dad takes Gavin and lays him on the playmat and Gavin plays, for an hour, without being picked up!  Are you kidding me right now?!?

I feel like a horrible crap of a parent as I leave Gav screaming while I try and make dinner, do dishes, help Bryce with homework and get them both baths and ready for bed.  I'm up all night because suddenly Gavin doesn't want to sleep in his bed anymore and wants to be held throughout the night. And then Dad comes home and he's a perfect angel.  You've got to be kidding me!

Believe me I have heard it over and over from others how spoiled a baby he is.  That I hold him too much.  That he needs to cry it out so he realizes he can't be held all the time.  That I shouldn't pick him up again until he stops crying.  Are you kidding me?!?!  

This child does not cry it out.  He doesn't cry himself to sleep.  He doesn't calm down when I lay a hand on his belly or back.  And do not ask me if I have done it long enough or waited enough time.  Are you kidding me?!? Yes I have waited.  Yes! Yes! Yes!  Do I seem like I am the type of person who just gives in?? 

I don't fold over easy.  But this is a 6 month old child we are talking about here.  Crying for longer than 30 minutes is beyond excessive to me.  It isn't killing me to pick him up and let him know he's not abandoned or unloved.  I'm not training him, this is my child.  My child will know he is loved.

Do I think my way is right?? Well I think it's right for me.  It's right for my kids.  Bryce is not Gavin and Gavin is not Bryce.  But they both know they are loved and I hope that's because I adjusted to their personalities, even as babies to let them know they are loved. 

So far Bryce is amazing child.  I constantly hear how well behaved he is.  He's not perfect. But he's loved. And that makes him happy which leads to him having good character.  If it worked for Bryce then let's hope it works for Gavin. 

Time

Time changes everything.  I'm going to guess its what we experience in that time that changes everything.  So is it time or experience?

Gavin is almost 6 months old.  And I'm still breastfeeding.  I hate it and love it.  Some days I feel like I am just a food source.  When he's with Clint he plays. With me he is always trying to eat.  It drives me a little insane at times.  But time has made me love it.  It's a bond no one else has with him.  I'm pretty sure it's depleted my brain somehow though. 

He seems so alert all the time.  And he constantly kicks.  He likes to be held but not cuddled.

He loves the bath.  He has since the day he was born.  He even sits in the bathroom when Bryce takes a bath because he loves the sound of the running water.