Week in Review

Dear Parker,

This week has been hard.  Mommy got sick on Tuesday night and was out of commission for about 24 hours.  It was horrible.  Then, your Mom had tons of work meetings and wasn't home at night much.  You, however, I think had a decent week.  It was busy, though.  Thursday night was the Fall Festival at your school.  You had a blast.  In fact, as we were driving away, you asked to go back.  On Friday, you had a party at school as well as a costume parade.  You apparently had so much fun that when Mom picked you up you were still in your costume because you didn't want to take it off!  Friday night, you spent the night with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Stu and were not happy about leaving there either!  Today, we went to the Children's Museum Haunted House in the morning.  I didn't really know what to expect from it or from you.  You, atypically, wanted to stay in the stroller the entire time.  But, you weren't scared.  Now, it was the lights on, friendly version, but still.  We then played in the rest of the museum for awhile.  Tonight, you were SO excited to go trick or treating.  I tried to get a picture of you on the porch with the pumpkins (which, in true slacker fashion, we did NOT carve) but you wanted nothing to do with that.  Instead, I got this: " A lion says ROOOAAAARRRRR!"

You walked a good way and said "trick or treat" and "thank you" at EVERY house.  (Mostly without prompting)  After every stop, you would say, "I going trick or treating."  After we came back you wanted to sample a small portion of all your candy.  We finally settled on some M&M, Smarties and a sucker.  You also wanted to sit on the porch and pass out candy.  So we did.  You were super cute.

Things are going to get ridiculously crazy soon, kiddo.  I hope you know that we love you lots.  I'm very much looking forward to Christmas break.  (I know that's a bit down the pike, but I can't wait!)

Happy 3rd Halloween (WOW!).

I love you,

Mommy

A true test of parenting

Dear Parker,
This weekend has been really hard.  Saturday, we were driving to the Pumpkin Festival with your friend Sadie and you vomited all over the car.  It was some serious puke. We brought you home, cleaned you off, got you dressed and you puked again.  At this point we decided it was a virus and not choking on your phlegm which you sometimes do.  So, Sadie and her family went home and we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would not get to go to homecoming or do anything fun.  I felt bad for you because you kept asking to go to the Pumpkin Festival amidst your puking.  I also felt bad for myself, however, because I wanted to go to Homecoming and see my friends, who I don't normally get to see. I feel horrible that I even felt sorry for myself.  You were so sick.  Over the course of the day you puked 6 different times.  It was terrible and through it all, I was still a little bummed.

Today, you are doing better, but we still stayed home just to make sure.  I'm going crazy from being in this house for 2 days straight.

I feel guilty, Parker.  I'm sorry that I was thinking of myself when you were so sick. I love you very much and I hope that you are able to have a great day with your Mom tomorrow.

I'm sorry I'm not a better Mommy.
I love you,
Mommy

I puked

Dear Parker,

This weekend was supposed to be really fun.  Our friends from college and their daughter were coming to stay with us for Homecoming weekend.  You and Sadie had fun playing last night and today we were going to go back to the Pumpkin Festival.  On the way, you puked.  A Lot.  And you said, "I puked."  You were very upset that it was all over you, your clothes, your car seat.  So, we aren't going to the Pumpkin Festival.  We aren't going to Homecoming and our friends went home.  I feel bad because you kept asking to go to the Pumpkin Festival and because your Mom and I really wanted to go to Butler to see all the people we don't get to see very often.  But, you are sick.  (Or at least were sick....hard to tell at this point.)  So, we are staying home.  I hope you feel better soon, baby.

I love you so much.  Feel better.
Love,
Mommy

Again.

Dear Parker,

Last night we were at a University volleyball game.  Almost immediately after the game started, you started screaming and saying that your ear hurt.  This confused us because we had just been to the doctor on Thursday and everything had been fine.  We took you home immediately - you cried almost the whole way home.  You finally fell asleep (after we drugged you with Tylenol) but only slept for a few hours.  Around midnight you just couldn't take it anymore and came into our bed.  You still didn't sleep there, but I think you were at least comforted.

You Mom took you to the doctor this morning and it turns out that you AGAIN have a double ear infection and one of your ear drums perforated - most likely because it was so loud in the gym.

I feel so bad for you, baby girl.  I wish you could just be healthy.  Here's hoping the medicine helps and that you sleep well tonight.  I love you so much.

Get better sweetie.  I love you.
Mommy

Awesome

Dear Parker,

We had an amazingly awesome weekend.  We picked pumpkins, played, went to the zoo, visited Aunt Lauren and Uncle Stu and actually got a few things done around the house.  I can't even explain to you the joy your Mom and I experienced watching you play at the pumpkin festival or watching the dolphins swim.  You are truly the most amazing and wonderful thing in the entire world.

Tonight when you were going to bed, you asked if we could sit in the chair together.  I just couldn't say no.  I know the time that you will want to cuddle with me is dwindling and I figured I better take the moments when I can get them.

I know it's going to be hard going to school tomorrow (for all of us) but we only have 3 days this week!  Hopefully, it will go by quickly and Fall Break will be amazing.

We are so grateful for you.
I love you,
Mommy

Hurts Really So Bad

Dear Parker,

The other day you barely scraped your arm at school.  We couldn't even see a scratch, but you gimped around all night not using your arm and kept saying that it "hurts really so bad."  We thought you had forgotten about it, but this morning when we said you were going to the doctor you immediately said that it was so she could check out your arm.  Your Mom took you and she said that when you were waiting for the doctor, you said that your arm was bleeding all over.  When the doctor came in, she was telling you what she was going to (check your ears etc.) and you said "and check my arm."  So, she did and said that she thought it would be ok.  You responded, "Yeah. Ok."  Too funny.

I love you so much, baby.  I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend with you.  We're going to get pumpkins!

Love you,
Mommy

Busy Weekend

Dear Parker,

     We thought this weekend was going to be relaxing and that we would get a lot done.  WRONG!!!!!  Saturday, we had to go pick up your Aunt Lauren because she hit her head. (She's ok.)  That evening, your friend Morgan came over to babysit.  Sunday, we went to the zoo, your friend Elise stopped by AND we got a surprise visit from our friends, Tiger, Megan and Max.  I think you had a great time with all of your friends, but you were quite tired in the end.  Unfortunately, I only have pictures from the zoo.

 Oh - I forgot!  We also bought you a sheet set for your new big girl bed!  Well, alright.  It's not exactly a new bed.  It's the bed that we have had in our guest room, but we thought we would use it to make sure you were okay in the big bed.  You have been, so we will get you a bed and mattress all of your own sometime soon.

I can't believe that you are big enough to sleep in a real bed.  Where did my baby go?

I love you so much!  I'm looking forward to this weekend and getting pumpkins!
Love you,
Mommy

Upside Down

Dear Parker,

I've been meaning to write about this for a couple days, but I keep forgetting.  You cannot stand it when a picture in a book shows someone or something upside down.  You do not understand that the picture is intentionally that way.  So, you will turn the book over.  Then, you turn the page (turning back one page).  Then, you will discover that that picture is upside down.  So, you will turn the book back over and repeat the process.  You will continue this until either your Mom or I force you to not turn the book over and just move on!  Hilarious.

One more random story.  The other night, you were talking about the different animals that all your friends at school sat on.  You named every animal that every child sat on.  We thought maybe you were just making it up, but when we asked you again, you named the same animals.  We checked with your teachers the next day and they said that you had every animal correct.  That's crazy.  I did get a little worried though because the second time we asked, you couldn't remember the animal of one of your friends.  You said, "I don't know!" and then started to cry.  It makes me a little concerned about your perfectionism and what life will be like for you in high school.  I hope you always know that you don't always have to have all the answers or all the right answers.  We love you know matter what.  You don't have to be perfect.  Although, we are proud of you because you are so intelligent, we are also proud of you because you are so caring and funny and because you make these hilarious little faces and because you call people you love "My" Whoever.  There are so many amazing things about you.  You don't have to get the right answer all the time.

We love you, baby.  I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday.

Love you,
Mommy

A 'Lil Bit Sassy

Dear Parker,

You are getting a little bit sassy and I'm not sure how to fix it.  Part of your problem is that you have more words and inflections than most 2 year olds, but don't know when each is appropriate to use.  We just keep trying to offer a better thing to say when you say something with an inappropriate tone or get too bossy, but I'm not sure it's working.  I don't want you to grow up to be bratty, but I don't feel like sending you to time out for these things is appropriate because, really, a 2 year old isn't supposed to understand when sarcasm is appropriate and when it's not.

Appropriate or not though - it is stinking hilarious when you do things like say, "Grandma?  Grandma? (clap clap) Hel- LO?!!!"

I love you so much Parker.  I'm excited that we don't have to do any traveling for a few weeks.  AND fall break is just 2.5 weeks away and then Thanksgiving is 4 weeks after that and Christmas is 3 weeks after that.  Hopefully, the days will go by quickly.

You are amazing (sassy or not!).  I love you.

Love,
Mommy

A trip to College

Dear Parker,

This weekend you and I took a solo trip to visit your Aunt Sally at college.  I was a little nervous about traveling with you by myself because I had never done it.  You, however, were great and made it relatively easy.

We left Friday night for your Aunt Stacy's.  You were so funny in the car.  We sang and danced for almost the entire 3 hour journey.  It was exhausting, but so fun.  You thought driving through all the small towns was amazing and you kept pointing things out and asking, "what's that?"  You kept asking where your Aunt Stacy was and I kept telling you that she was at her house waiting for us.  When we were getting close, Stacy called and we went through it AGAIN.  This time, when we finished, you said, "We're not their yet.  We're coming."  For the remainder of the drive, you just kept saying, "We're coming!"  Too cute.

Saturday, we got up and headed for Berea, OH.  We got there and hung out in Sally's dorm.  You thought her dorm room was awesome.  You especially loved that her bed was "in the sky."  We went to lunch and then to the football game.  You kept asking, "Where my Aunt Sally?"  Sally was with the band, so we found the band and watched them warm up.  You LOVED watching the band.  Later that night when we were driving to dinner, you even said, "I liked Sally's band!"  It got us talking to you about what instrument you wanted to play in the band and you said you wanted to play the trumpet.  AND - this morning at Aunt Stacy's, she was showing you old BHS band videos and you started marching along.  (I secretly love all of this!)

After hanging out at the hotel for the evening, we went back to Baldwin Wallace to get a campus tour from Sally.  You liked walking around the campus and particularly enjoyed the music building.  You liked peering in the rooms and were amazed that were so many pianos.  You even went into an instrument locker!  Silly Bits!

You had a great time with your Aunts and Grandparents.  When we got home, you asked your Mom if you could play her trumpet.  She, of course, let you and you were even able to make a little bit of a noise.  You had a pretty good buzz going, but it was often not on the part of your mouth where the mouthpiece was.

I had an awesome weekend with you.  I love you so much and wish that we didn't have to go to school tomorrow.  You are amazing.
I love you, Parker.
Mommy