Archive for the ‘Parenting’ Category

I need a little help.
Zman, who is 10 (11 next month) is currently sharing a room with the almost 2 year old Tatertot.
This arrangement worked extremely well until this past November when the Tatertot was upgraded to a twin bed due to The Great Crib Escape of 2009.
Since the upgrade, Tatertot has adjusted well.
Maybe a little too well.
He loves his new freedom so much that it doesn’t stop him from exploring his surroundings, even if some of the shiny cool looking things aren’t his.
Yes.
He likes to get into his big brother’s stuff.
He pulls clothes out of the drawers.
Finds whatever he can to stand on to get at Zman’s books, wrestling cards or anything else on top the dresser that catches his eye.
And, if he happens to get up before Zman, you can usually find him turning the lights on and crawling into bed with his brother saying “Hi!”

Now, the boy’s are in the Master Bedroom of our home.
So yes, they have the biggest space in the house.
It’s decorated in Packer colors, complete with Lambeau Field on the ceiling.
That’s how it was when we moved in and since we rent, we can’t change it.

Today, we think we have come up with the perfect solution to our problem.
Zman and the Drama Queen would like to share a bedroom (what is currently the boys room) and give the Tatertot his own space to in all honesty, destroy.
Here is where I need help.
Is it okay for an almost 11 year old boy and his 9.5 year old sister to share a bedroom? For the most part the only thing they ever do in their bedroom is sleep.
My thought is as long as they aren’t getting dressed or changing in front of each other everything should be okay. They like to hang out together in there occasionally as it is now just to play on their DS’s or just to escape the Tatertot.

Tell me, what are your thoughts?
Do you think this situation would be okay?
(Now, this would only be happening until we move—which we are hoping is this Fall—into a bigger home.)
Help!!

My apologies.
I’ve been a bad blogger, tweeter etc. lately.
Right now I’m in a funk.
Buried under schoolwork, housework, the kids, finances and everything else I’ve found myself in this funk.
I’m constantly bitchy.
Yes, more than normal.
I’m very irritable.
I lack motivation.
My sex drive is almost non-existent.
I have zero ambition.
And I’m totally stressed out.
I’m also beginning to think that it might just be time to medicate myself since I cry at the drop of a hat.
Seriously, I can watch shows like L.A. Ink where Kat breaks up with Orbi and boom….I’m crying!
Yeah, so I probably depressed.
It is Winter and all.
I don’t get out of the house much.
I don’t have many friends outside of my computer these days.
I’ve become some what of a Hermit.
I miss being able to spend time with my husband and I hate that when I’m having a really shitty down in the dumps day that I take it out on him.
I hate sleeping alone 5 out of 7 nights a week.
I need a vacation.
Without the kids.
Just me and the Hardworking Hubby.
Before we go to New York in August because if I have to wait that long, I’m pretty sure I’m going to kill someone!
Anyone feel like taking on my 3 kids for 2 nights?

My bad.
I was wrong.
You know when I wrote this post about my $0.43.
Apparently the price of a stamp is now $0.44 so that rules out the idea of purchasing a stamp to send Sperm Donor #1 a warm and thoughtful Thank you letter for his contribution in supporting my son.

I guess that puts me back at square one as to what to do with my ginormous child support payment of $0.43.

On another note, you may recall me mentioning that Sperm Donor #1 has not seen Zman since the beginning of August because he lied to my kid and has not made any real effort to mend their relationship. (Not to mention that he lives approximately 40 miles away).

Well…..

A very good friend of mine informed me that she saw him at the local WalMart the other night.

Yea.

The Walmart.

The WalMart which is located approximately 5 minutes from my home via the highway.

Do you think he picked up the phone to call my son to stop by for a quick visit while he was in town?

Nope.

Not a peep from him.

Not one little word.

I spoke to him on the phone last week.

Okay, I didn’t really speak to him.
I more like, yelled at him.

Okay….maybe I didn’t yell at him.
It was more like I tore him a new a$$hole.

I tried to explain to him that maybe he should put in a little effort to repair the relationship he so easily broke.

He asked how he could do that.

I told him….if you’re in town….GIVE THE BOY A CALL!!!

Again….
what did he do?

He didn’t call.

He didn’t even call to invite him to Thanksgiving dinner with his family.

My guess is he didn’t get the fucking Memo or read the book on Parenting and How Not to Destroy Your Relationship with Your First Born.

So, I’ve decided to let the $0.43 sit in the bank.

I was planning on closing that account out in January but now I am not.

I will leave that $0.43 in the bank until Zman’s 18th birthday.

I can’t wait to see how much is there when that day comes!

Now, I’m not new to this whole parenting thing but I am new to the issue of biting.  Zman never bit when he was little (but was bit frequently while in day care) and the Drama Queen did it once and never attempted to do it again.

This brings me to child number 3, the infamous Tatertot who is 20 months old!

AKA—The Biter Extraordinaire.

Just when you think he is being the sweetest little thing ever and he’s all nice and snuggly….

CHOMP!

And we aren’t talking a little nibble here and there, we are talking a full on leave marks ohmygodthathurt kind of bite!

I swear, he can bite just as hard as I can.

He leaves marks.

He bites me, Hardworking Hubby, Zman and Drama Queen and usually it’s without any warning and for no reason whatsoever!

Now, we’ve tried redirecting him when he bites.

We’ve said No Biting! in that mean evil parent voice numerous times.

We’ve given him teething rings, teething toys and even suckers to give him something else to bite but nothing seems to work and I think we are close to holding him down and yanking all of his teeth out one at a time. ( Come on, you know this is something we would never do and is a total exaggeration!)

So my dear Mommy friends in the Blogosphere and Twitterverse, we need your help, advice and tips to get this kid to stop munching on us like we are his afternoon snack!

Please let us know how you’ve dealt with a biter and what worked for you.