NO TV!!!

Our new, beautiful (albeit too large) Samsung HDTV with LLP (?) had a light spot on the upper left hand side of the screen that was visible whenever the picture was darker than say...the color forest green. It got returned. We have no TV. Not sure when Patrick will decide on another one that he likes as much because I think he broke up with Samsung. We can't afford Hitachi. The house is oddly quiet. I think I like it. Pat, however, keeps saying there is nothing to do and I often find the baby standing up against the entertainment center and banging on it. I think he's wondering where Cookie Monster and the rest of his Play With Me Sesame buddies went.

So, I am making a list of all the wonderful things my boys can do INSTEAD of watch TV.

1. Help Mommy Clean
2. Go for walks
3. Play Scrabble
4. Read
5. Draw
6. Finger paint (outside)
7. Organize sock drawers
8. File papers in Daddy's office
9. Bake Mommy Cookies
10. Find all missing toy train parts
11. Read Mommy's Blog
12. Sing
13. Dance
14. Put on a musical theatre performance in the living room.
15. Plant grass in backyard

Can you help me add to my list? I don't know how long men can last without TV, so I better come up with some enticing ideas! We are only on Day 2 without a TV btw. Please honey get one by Thursday so I can watch my Earl. Kylie and Whitney, I'm comin' over to your house for the Bachelor!

Mom Freak Outs...

Every Mom has freak out moments right? Don't try to tell me I'm the only one. Yesterday was my turn. Fuzzy would NOT let me change his diaper and put him in his jammies. He hates changing of any sort, so this is a daily struggle. He's happy to be filthy and sitting in poop, or naked. I try to explain to him that these things are just part of life and if he wants to grow up big and strong and have lots of girlfriends, he's got to start practicing walking around without poop in his pants NOW. However, I was hungry, exhausted and my blood sugar was undoubtedly at some unsafe level, and he kept flipping over on the changing table to try and escape. My games were not keeping him interested or still. Never mind that. I was too tired to play games to keep him interested or still. I didn't have a bottle to occupy him, and he would not stay on his back. Those of you who have met my son know how wiggly he is. He doesn't stop moving ever. He even does laps around his crib at night while he's "sleeping". He's also strong. You actually have to hang on to him or he'll pull himself out of your arms, the high chair, the stroller, the shopping basket etc.

But on this particular night, I didn't want to use force. Could I please not have to break into a sweat every time I change my son's diaper? "No more wrestling matches, son! I want you to lay there like a nice 4 month old baby and look at me inquisitively while I take as long as I need to clean you up!" I pleaded. He wasn't having it. I wasn't having it. Pat was busy with work so I was going on 13 hours of being with my son without a break.

The result? Lotion went flying. Jammies were on the ground. Harrison is standing on the table screaming, holding on to me and pressing his lil' naked body against me. I'm sure I'll be peed upon. Pat leaves to go borrow our Mom's steam cleaner to get the lotion out of the carpet, and being the tidy guy that he is, he starts cleaning as soon as he returns with it. Could it wait till morning? Not a chance. So Harrison, aka: the Vacuum Aficionado, refuses to go to sleep because he wants to chase the carpet steamer around. Could he possibly ignore the exciting new noise humming away right outside his room? Oh, no. *Sigh* His head finally hits the pillow at 7:45pm, which means he will wake up at 6:00am (instead of 7:30am) because for every 15 minutes he is late getting to bed, he gets up a half hour earlier. (Sleep begets sleep, but that's another post.) Yes ladies. It was a rough night and I lost it. If you ever lose it, please don't feel bad. You are still a good Mother. Do like me and gather up your sweat pants, chocolate ice cream, fave novella, the Callgon and all the other things they invented for us and be proud. You are doing the hardest job ever.