Mr. Camel came to dinner

Austyn watches a ridiculous amount of a little television show called Max and Ruby on Noggin. Because of this, sometimes...er oftentimes, he emulates the behaviors he learns on the show and brings them to everyday situations.

For example: Ruby (the sister bunny) is oftentimes throwing tea parties. She tends to involve all her stuffed animals in these parties, even going so far as to hand write each stuffed animal an invitation and putting out a place setting for them at the table. Last night, as I was preparing dinner (we had company...a cousin from Tuscon came for the evening), Austyn decided that SIX of his stuffed animals were coming to dinner.

Our dinner for four quickly turned into a dinner for ten. He put out bowls for all of them, silverware for a couple of them, and a napkin for one of them. I guess he assumed BooBear was going to be the only messy eater. I had made stuffed shells for dinner, and there were a couple empty shells left over, so each stuffed animal got an unstuffed shell. Very cute.

As that was happening, I was thinking, do I encourage this or just pretend it's not happening? My fear of encouraging it was that it would turn into a have to do thing. Austyn is very much a creature of habit, so oftentimes if you do it once, you continue to do it for a month following. This evening I realized that was a legitimate fear because as I was getting Austyn's dinner ready, Mr. Camel showed up and took a seat at Austyn's table. Austyn was kind enough to get him a fork, napkin, and a bowl. Halfway through the meal, as you can see, our shark also arrived.

I can only imagine who is coming to dinner tomorrow!

I'm getting old..

It's official:

There is talk about our 10 year high school reunion all over facebook. That just means I am getting old!

I'm not old enough to have been out of high school for 10 years yet!

I don't graduate college until December of this year!

I haven't bought a house, or traveled the world, or started a kick ass profession, or gone to cooking school, or had a whole bunch of kids, or any of that other stuff I thought I'd have done by now.

I was talking to my buddy Lee about this and we were debating whether or not we were going with each other. I told him, I'm not so sure because, well when I graduate in December, if I'm able to get a job in Jan or Feb, who says I'll be able to have time off as early as June? Additionally, I didn't really GO to our High school. I took part in DECA, my boyfriend was older than me, and I was only in school our senior year for three hours! Most of the people I really formed that relationship with are still around.

I did tell him I'd think about it though. It would be interesting to see everyone that comes, and hear success stories and find those few people I lost track of!

On the younger side of me right now, I believe I have an ear infection. I'm trying to treat it using homoeopathic drops at the moment because I don't like using antibiotics often. Also, I'll feel like a little kid going to the doctor over a freaking earache!

Education Cuts

The first cuts to be made in February after our new people took office were directed towards public schools (everything from elementary to University) and disabilities and welfare.  I know that they are trying to fix the deficit in our state, but I feel as though not all the cuts should come from the area where people are unable to fix it themselves.  Our elementary age students are not going to teach themselves.  People with disabilities are very unlikely to lose or cure themselves of their disabilities, although I'm sure they would love to.  People at my level in the University (Senior with one semester left) are tempted to drop out because our tuition went up 1,000 dollars a semester.  That's 25%!  

Where am I going with this you might ask?  I just got a letter in the mail from Austyn's school.  His preschool is a special needs preschool situated inside one of our local elementary schools.  The school itself is fantastic and I'm blessed to have found the program.  My only complain thus far is I wish I would have found the school earlier.  He receives a half hour of speech therapy there a week and the rest of the time it's a seemingly normal preschool.  He has grown so much in the past 8 months because of this preschool it's fantastic. 

Right, back to the letter....because of the budget cuts they are changing the program for the fall.  This past year Austyn was in the morning class so he was going from 7:50 to 10:35 Monday through Thursday.  It wasn't a lot of time, but it was a nice break for me.  His new schedule in the fall? Tues, Wed, Thurs from 12:30-2:00.  

I had already planned on placing him in Montessori for this last year of preschool.  Our church has a fabulous Montessori program where I actually did some student teaching.  The reason I'm bothered by the new preschool schedule is that it is not a very long program at all.  I don't see how the kids are going to get the interaction and lessons they need to get them prepared for Kindergarten.  That is the entire purpose of this preschool!  

I was planning on allowing Austyn to continue with the preschool at least until November because that is when his IEP is up for reevaluation.  I don't know any way to make that happen though with such a ridiculous schedule.  My school is 30-45 minutes away depending on traffic so this new schedule doesn't even allow me to go to one class!  I'm disappointed he won't be receiving the speech therapy anymore, but I don't know how to make it work.  Perhaps I'll talk to his doctor to see if there are any alternatives.  

From the mouths of babes:

Austyn is starting to say more and more hilarious things: 

Earlier in the week, Austyn outsmarted me (again) over something I can't remember.  I looked at him and said, "do you know you are sometimes too smart or me?"  He looked at me (dead serious) and said yes.  

Sigh. 

Tonight he was sitting on the couch and I asked him if he wanted to come sit with me.  He said no.  A few minutes later he told me to come sit with him.  So I said, "OK, but I'm going to tickle, kiss, hug and love you." Austyn said "No tickle no tickle Mommy"  so I said "Ok, I won't tickle you." Then he said "no kiss Mommy" so I said "Ok, I won't kiss you." Then he said "no hug" so I said "Ok, I won't hug you either...geez kiddo!"  Then he so "no love me Mommy."  That one was kind of sad and I couldn't promise not to do that so I went and picked him up and kissed, hugged, tickled and loved on him.  Poor kiddo....all the things he asked me not to do!

 

Pictures!

While we were in Oklahoma, Halley took some fantastic pictures for Austyn's 4 year old pics for me!!

I think these three are my favorite.  Halley took about 140 pictures at that park and about 40 at his birthday party.  I had a hard time choosing, so I spent almost 80 bucks printing pictures!  It was still a lot cheaper than getting stuffy studio pictures, and a lot more fun because it was with an old friend I rarely get to see.  

Happy Birthday Austyn!

Dear Austyn, 

Tomorrow you turn four years old!  You don't like to admit it yet though, apparently you think you should stay three forever, although sometimes when I ask you your age you tell me you're seven!  Woah, buddy, slow down...seven will come soon enough.  Let's enjoy four together =)

You have changed so much this year it is unimaginable to me!  You are speaking better, listening more, tantruming less, and you make me laugh constantly.  You are also one great big bundle of energy and sometimes us over four crowd has a hard time keeping up with you.  

This year, you actually told me you wanted a fire truck cake for your birthday, so I made you one.  We came to Oklahoma City and had your birthday party at Chuckie Cheese.  The few kids we know here weren't able to come, but you still had a blast with each and every adult who came to help you celebrate your day.  I believe you wore us all out buddy, then you stayed up sooo late that you outlasted quite a few of us!  

This past year has been amazing for you.  You've started a new preschool, have come closer and closer to being potty trained, and are now reciting numbers and the alphabet and I'm working on teaching you addition.  It's so cool to watch you learn these things, I love it when I see it actually *click* for you.  You count everything.  

Because you are young, sometimes you want something right away.  I will often times tell you to give me "five more minutes".  In the past couple of months, you have started telling me "five more minutes" but sometimes yous stretch it out to ten minutes.  

You love basketball!  The Easter Bunny brought you a new hoop this year, and instead of letting me get rid of the old one, you set it up across from the new one.  It's almost as if you have a court in your backyard now.  Sometimes, you insist on bringing your little hoop inside.  It's been in the living room, and you'll play from the couch, and it's also been in your bedroom where you throw it over your bed and into the hoop!  You are getting to be very good at basketball, I hope that you still like it when you're a little more grown up.  I would love to watch you play basketball at any age. 

You have become addicted to fruit.  You love apple slices, strawberries, bananas, fruit cups, grapes, raisins, and mandarin oranges.  There was a point a couple weeks ago where you were eating almost a whole pound of strawberries a day!!  Nana got you a bowl of strawberries, you took one bite, and told her it was delicious.  You're adorable kiddo...it took us forever to figure out you got that word off of Max and Ruby. 

Max and Ruby is your new favorite cartoon.  When you're a little older, I'll show you how silly it is.  Right now, I'm just going to let you enjoy it.  

You are becoming so much more social.  Within half an hour of coming to Oklahoma City you were hugging all over John and calling him Uncle John. It's so cute.  You are also loving all over your Grandma Linda.  I wish Grandpa Jim were in town for this visit, but I'll make sure you see each other this year one way or another.  

The sad part of this year is that we lost your Grandpa Jay in February.  He adored you so much Austyn, and I hope that you will have a few memories of him as time goes by.  He always wanted what was best for you and was so excited that you were in his life.  This summer we are going to take you to your first baseball game in his honor.  

That's about it kiddo! I am sure I could write about four million more things about you, but I'll keep it short today.   I am so happy that you are in my life...I can't imagine a world without your beautiful face.  I can't wait to see all of the awesome ways you find to surprise me in this next year. 

Love you, 

Momma

Trying to stay positive:

So I had an interesting phone conversation with Austyn's father's best friend tonight.  I guess Linda saw Nick in church and told him we would be coming to town.  So, Nick gave me Jeff's phone number.  He also gave me Jeff's girlfriend's phone number and their address. That was a little trippy for me.  I wasn't sure what to do with the phone numbers.  Should I contact him before I leave to Oklahoma City?  Should I show up unannounced?  Should I pretend Nick and I never talked and just hand the new information over to Child Support Enforcement.  They've never helped me with child support in the past, who's to say they'll help this time? 

I've talked to a couple of my friends about this.  My oldest and dearest friend thinks we should just show up at his house and do bodily harm.  I prefer the non violent approach myself, but it makes me smile that she's so concerned for me.  (I wasn't invited to the bodily harm party apparently!) My next oldest and dearest friend says it's not like he hasn't had the means or information to contact me or come see Austyn. 

I've come to the conclusion that he hasn't been there for the runny noses, the bloody noses, the coughs, the fevers, the potty training, the not so great potty training, the urgent care visits, the ER visits, preschool, late night wake ups, tantrums, smiles, first words, hugs, kisses, basketball, soccer, baseball.  He hasn't gone to the specialists for speech therapy, he didn't sign the IEP to get him into special needs preschool.  He hasn't gone to the Dr appointments or payed for daycare, watched two year old daycare skits.  He hasn't gone on every dang field trip with his preschool class.  Nor has he even asked about any of it or (apparently/seemingly) cared that it was happening. None of it.

So unless he has a damn good reason, like he got hit by a bus and lost his arm and his damn memory.  He doesn't deserve to see my kid. Because I've been there for every minute of it. While going to school, working, taking care of Mom and Jay through mom's surgeries, and being broke and frustrated during all of it. 

Who knows, maybe it's pithy of me, but if I do get a hold of him before our trip, Austyn will stay with one of my friends while I go to speak to him.  I did text both him and his girlfriend a few hours ago and haven't gotten a response.  I hope his girlfriend knew he had a kid! 

Other than that, I'm so looking forward to my visit.  I'm ready to see my girls and have drinks on Friday night.  I'm excited about Austyn's birthday party on Saturday.