Life's a Charm! by Charlotte
Horsing Around is More Fun With Daddy
Daddy and Matthew, Photo taken on January 21, 2007
Daddy and Matthew, Photo taken on January 28, 2007
Daddy and Matthew, Photo taken on July 14, 2008
The photo below my entry to the Horsing Around Photo contest in 5 Minutes for Mom -Win One of Three $100 Gift Certificates in Our “Horsing Around” Photo Contest.
To all who follow me here in this blog and those who care: Please help me win this contest by going over to the contest site, and comment in favor of my photo to influence them to include it to the finals. And if I get included in the finalist, please vote for my entry. Thanks!
Matthew horsing around have always been more fun with his Daddy from the start. This one (below) was taken when Matthew had the most fun. I don’t know how dear hubby does it but Matthew seems to really like playing with his Daddy. Matthew listens to him and follows his instructions. He is playful but in his best behavior with his Daddy at most times.
Daddy and Matthew, Photo taken on July 23, 2008
Hard Life with a Toddler
It has been a while since I talked about Matthew. The truth is I have been struggling with him these past few weeks! Where does a two and half year old toddler get his energy from and where can I get some to match his? He has the energy to go through anything and to go to every corner. And I have to follow him around and keep a watchful eyes or he’ll be dragging the plant out of the pot or he’ll be on top of the sink playing with water or he’ll be taking out every piece of item from the fridge. (Yap, the eggs in the fridge has been hanging on to dear life ever since Matthew learned to open the fridge by hanging by the handle.) He has the energy to cry for 10 minutes when he doesn’t get what he wants while I can only take 2 minutes of that crying and I’d be so stressed out.
This stage in Matthew’s life is really the most challenging for me so far. I mean, I see myself in deep sighs most of the time in controlling myself from just losing it – my temper and my sanity. He is still adorable, makes me laugh, but he is at the stage when he knows what he wants and what doesn’t want and he has the energy and the persistence to get what he wants and to resist what he doesn’t want. Although, this could be an advantage, it could easily be a disadvantage at the same time- for me anyway. I mean, it’s good that he knows what he wants but when it collides with what I want or what can’t be done… he just throws tantrums and throws himself to the floor, and cries that will just make me crazy! *sigh
He can say “more choc-let” 50 times or more and he doesn’t tire saying it. He would even grab my face to look at him, even though I have already told him “All done.”, “No more.”, “You had enough” and other variations of that. Well, at first it’s cute but … the cuteness can only go so far. It becomes really annoying.
When he throws tantrums, I try to distract him by putting on a movie. I let him choose from the DVD’s we’ve got. I put it on but then, the movie hasn’t even started and he’ll want to change the movie. This will go on for more than five DVD changes. Whatever movie he’ll settle for, he’ll only watch for five minutes and he’ll be off playing by the stairs – going up and down the stairs.
When he goes up the stairs to our room and he doesn’t go down in more than two minutes, and it becomes quiet by the stairs, it’s usually my cue to go up and follow him. I will find him on top of the dresser that’s twice his height. Clothes and the beddings on the floor. By then I’ll be mad, for he knows he shouldn’t be up the dresser and for the mess he did, but then he’ll say “Pretty Mommy ” referring to my picture in his hands that was sitting on the dresser. By then I’m taken and completely distracted.
And who would think that a little person like him could take up so much space? He’s everywhere in a flash ’cause he just won’t settle down in one place and if he does -settle in one place, it’s usually inside the closet going through my shoes or under the bed just waiting for me to find him. Or he would settle inside the toy chest after he has vacated the toy chest with all the toys. With this, our living room would look like there has been a toy explosion.
Matthew
Mealtime is always a mess. He is such a picky eater. I have been trying unsuccessfully so far to make him eat something a little bit healthier than gummy bears, chocolate, noodles and cottage cheese. And I had been trying to wean him from bottle. He drinks water and juice from a cup, but he just won’t drink milk other than from a bottle or a half-pint carton. It’s such a puzzle! He would drink milk from a carton but not off the cup.
At the end of the day, I tell his daddy the events of the day, more like complaining really how Matthew gave me headaches and my hardships throughout the day. His daddy would only laugh, and say “Oh, he’s so funny and so cute! He’s growing up so fast.” Well, Matthew is – growing up so fast. He is developing so much curiosity and self reliance so much to my heightening stress level. But what am I complaining about? It is when he is not energetic that I should be worried and complaining.
2009 Hopes, Goals and Resolution
I had been meaning to post my 2009 hopes and expectations for the new year but it took me this much time to put my thought into words.
When our 2008 happened so fast and exceeded all my hopes and expectations, it has left me with just to continue hoping for more of what happened, and continue hoping for what didn’t happen last year.
So I am continuing to hoping for more travelling – maybe to the Philippines this year. And for those that didn’t happen for us last year like – having a new baby or having a new career for me. But these two hopes are not so much priority right now.
The first one – having a new baby – it is not exactly something that we are planning although we are not preventing it to happen either. I mean, we will go with – it will happen in God’s time without fuss and worries. As for having a career, it isn’t something that I am really looking for especially right now that Matthew takes up most of my time. But I will welcome a new job if it is being offered.
Same hopes as last year’s for my family in the Philippines! For dear hubby, I hope for continued satisfaction from his new career. For my little Matthew, that he will stay cute and adorable as he is!
As for my goals this year, I am into blogging more seriously and to write better. And I am thinking of monetizing my blog too. I am thinking that it’s about time to earn from this blogging but of course without compromising my personal style, preferences, schedule and beliefs.
I am also been seriously considering theme building and providing blogging services like designing button, banner and headers and other blog customizations. I had been studying wordpress themes and have started designing themes. I have always been good with colors and design so I think I can deliver quality services. So if anyone’s interested, let me know and be one of my first customers. I promise, I won’t be charging too much! 
Also, I am seriously pursuing getting a driver’s license so I can start driving here. I have a driver’s license that allows me to drive in Yokota AB back in Japan. Unfortunately, it has expired and it’s not valid here in the US anyway! Of course, I need to practice since the last time I drove was more than 6 months ago and at the other side of the road. (Hubby: Hint! Hint!)
As for resolution, I don’t make new year’s resolutions for these simple reasons – I forget about it the next few days. And even if I make the list and write them down to keep me from forgetting about them, somehow I always resolve to not following them anyway.
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Highlights of 2008
What a great 2008 it had been! As I was creating a draft for this post, I realize what an eventful and travel-full year we’ve had, that somehow writing about it will not be enough put them all together.
But first off, I turned 30 in 2008! Coming to that age of big 3-0 didn’t really make me any different. As I have mentioned before, I’ve reconciled to the fact that age is just a number. And I still don’t feel a day over 25! However, a few hairs has been showing off my age. Sadly each week, I find new gray hairs popping out. Also, Matthew turned 2-years old and Hubby turned SEXY-years old.
And then there was hubby’s retirement from 22-years service to the Army, which consequently started our summer with leaving Japan for the United States. We left japan with much reluctance from my part and came to the United States. But before settling in to our new home here in Alabama, we lead a summer trail to different parts of United States.
On our first trail, we vacationed in Hawaii for a week. Matthew had his first taste of salty waters and played with the Waikiki sands. Our days in Hawaii was filled with family fun and made me forget that the days ahead had much uncertainty. And then we came to the mainland in Florida and finally met my in-laws. They welcomed us and made us feel at home in their home. With my in-laws, we travelled to Michigan and Delaware and met more relatives. On the way there and back, we had a chance to step on Georgia, Carolina and other states in between. Then finally, hubby got his current job here at a military boarding school. Alabama became our new home sweet home. This all happened last summer. It was exciting and exhausting!
It kind’a went boring since then except when we travelled to Florida during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
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