Monday, October 30, 2006

Thoughts on Learning

So I have been working on the website again. I have been getting a lot of hits, on the site, but not a lot of orders, and I decided that maybe people are a little intimidated at having to pay for a product that they have never even seen. So I changed things up a bit and made it so that customers can submit an order and I will make them a proof and then they can choose whether to purchase it or not after they have viewed the finished proof and made any changes that they want to. It will create a little bit more work for me, but I think in the long run it will be worth it. To implement this new plan I had to learn more programming skills, and I admit it right now my order form is pretty barebones, but I am learning how to write new scripts and I hope that I will have an even better website soon. If any of you lovely folks out there have constructive critisism for me on the website I would love to hear it.

I am so proud of myself, and learning new things makes me feel so good. I feel like as a mother sometimes (perhaps as a result of all of the Teletubbies' episodes I've watched) my brain power gets a little dull. This website has really made me feel empowered because I built all of it by myself. If I didn't know how to do something, I learned. A year ago I never would have thought that I could do this, and now I can, and with all this I think an amazing thing happened...I got better at learning. Just like any other skill I have found that learning is a skill, a skill that is powered not by intelligence, or talent or anything fabulous and unique like that, it is powered completely by will, desire, and hard work.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

I think I'm channelling Jane, Louisa May, or at least one of the Brontes

Ok you know the story, a bunch of poor sisters have no inheritance and must strike it rich with by attracting the right husband, and what always happens...one of the sisters gets sick, we all think she's not going to make it, there may be an eloquent speech by one of the other sisters, and of course then the handsome (and wealthy) suitor shows up with the doctor, or mother, or whoever has the magic touch and sister pulls through. So last week my hubby goes out of town, and I go to Utah to visit my family, and what do you know, I have a cold, with a cough, a really bad cough, then I have a fever for days, then I wake up one morning and I swear there is a fat kid sitting on my chest and I can't breath. My mom takes me to the emergency room, and I find out its not an invisible fat kid, its pneumonia. PNEUMONIA! What is that all about? Don't they know, I'm a mom with a very busy boy, who doesn't grant me sick days? It doesn't matter I am sick and it is out of my control. I hate when things are out of my control. The doctor does however ride in on his white horse, not with my wealthy suitor, but medication...thank heaven for antibiotics, and I am sent on my merry way. My fabulous suitor who am I lucky enough to already be married to does arrive to comfort me as soon as he can, and my wonderful family really stepped up to take care of Bugaboo, but I have been flat on my back for about a week and a half now. I am finally starting to feel a little bit better, but it has been a slow process. Even now I can only do a few things before I am tired and shaky. I feel like a Jane Austen sister who has come through her illness, but now has to slowly convalesce out on the veranda with a quilt and a parasol, listening to someone play the piano forte. Its sounds lovely at first, but seriously I've got stuff to do, oh well...sister will you straighten my quilt I think I feel a bit of a draft?

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Celebrations...

Tuesday we went to Artic Circle for lunch, of course Little Man doesn't know that we go there for lunch. In fact he always seems really surprised when I strap him into one of those wooden high chairs and try to make him eat french fries. The poor kid he is so put upon. Little Man thinks that we go to artic circle for the play place that is housed there. It is shaped like a gigantic fish and has two slides a big one and a little one. Being an only child my little Bugaboo has always loved to see all of the other kids playing around him, but he usually just hangs out at the bottom of the fish steps letting the other kids whir and rotate around him.

Well this week he surprised me. As I chatted and with the other moms from the table I was sitting at I saw Little Man easily climb the steps to the first slide he sat himself down at the top of the slide and then started to look for me. I knew that what he wanted was for me to help him down the slide. He loves slides, but always likes mom or dad to hold on to him a little when sliding down. I could see him, but he hadn't spotted me yet so I just kept quiet and stayed in my seat, wanting to see what bugaboo would do. Sure enough after a few seconds of hesitation my little man slid down the slide ALL BY HIMSELF! I was so proud and so was Little Man he got to the bottom of the slide and stood up and started looking for me again, this time he spotted me and trotted right over to where I was. He hopped over to me beaming, and chattered all about what he had done. Of course I didn't understand anything that he said, but I am sure that if I could speak baby it would have translated to "Mom, did you see that! I went all the way down the slide all by myself!" He went down the slide over and over again and I had to drag him away when it was time to go.

It made me feel so good to see Bugaboo do something so brave, because confidence is something that I have really wanted to give to my son. As a child I was an extremely fearful child, you name it, I was afraid of it. If there was something to worry about, I would do it. I didn't like camping because I was afraid that the tent would fall over on me. I didn't like being left in the car while my mom ran to the neighbors doorstep for a minute because I was a afraid that the car would roll away. I was terrified of fog, because I was afraid that my parents wouldn't be able to find their way home from wherever we were. Seriously I had issues. I think part of the problem was that I was hard wired to be more worried than perhaps another child, but I also think that I lacked alot of confidence that could have been learned. And later in my life, I did learn a little more confidence, but it took years. So when I started to notice that Little Man seemed particularily fearful in unknown situations, and especially of people, I figured that he had inherited a little of my worrier streak. But I don't want Bogaboo to spend his entire childhood doubting himself, so I've been trying to make a conscious effort not to enable his fearfulness. Nothing big, I just try not to run to the rescue whenever there is a task before him that I know he can handle, but doesn't want to. I have been trying to leave him with a babysitter that isn't grandma every now and then. I've been trying not to over dramatize the little falls and scrapes, and instead cheer for him when he gets up, and I guess that's the big thing, I try to remember to cheer for him whenever I can, because when you're one and a half every little victory is a big one. So yes when he went down the slide all by himself it was a big deal and it made us both feel really proud.

Later that day, in honor of Shane being home for the afternoon (a needed break from what is truning out to be a stressful work week month), Bugaboo and I took Dad to the park. Now the park had a much bigger slide. Bugaboo led Shane straight up to the slide and slid right down.

This time I waited at the bottom, just in case, because it was a lot bigger and I was nervous he might slide himself right off the end, but he did great, and had a great time showing his dad all of the park features.


It was such a fun outing we chased ducks,

rolled in fall leaves,

and yes slid down many more slides. I think that this is what life is about. Celebrating the little accomplishment and cheering each other on.


This post is dedicated to my dear husband, who has not gotten to see as much of his family as of late because he carries the burden of protector and provider and has had to work. I am so grateful that he works so hard for us, and that everyday he makes Bugaboo and I feel like we truly are what is important in life.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Weekend Report

I had the most lovely weekend. I have been feeling a little crazed and overwhelmed. So this weekend I went on vacation. I left Little Man home with Shane and went to the neighbors for a srapbooking fest. It was so fabulous to have a little time to myself, and when I came back I found that baby and hubby were both perfectly happy, and my clean house was still clean. Now all of you must stand up and cheer for my lovely hubby who made this all possible. It felt so good to visit with friends and eat treats, and not worry about anyone else but me. I felt so relaxed when I came home and...dun da dah dun...
I have several new scrapbook pages to boot. Woohoo!


Wednesday, October 04, 2006

The Wonder of Boys

So yesterday was a much better day for those of you that were worried. Thanks for the encouragement.

I just have one funny story to share today. Last night I went in the bathroom where Shane was giving Maso a bath after another yogurt incident. We were talking away about something grownup and boring, and well I suppose that Maso felt a little neglected, becuase he chose that time to lean over grunt and, well,...fart. Yep, the kids made bubbles in the tub, and Shane and I being such refined and sofisticated parents burst into uncontrollable laughter. Well, at this point Maso was feeling very proud of himself, and DID IT AGAIN, and then while looking at us with pride and joy on his face he pointed to the water and said, "bubble!"

He is such a boy.