Easton at 14 months

We're just about 14 months in, and let me tell you, it's been a roller coaster of a 14 months. Easton is now officially "into everything." When people try to tell you how boys are different, and you think you're being all feministy by stating "no way, all kids are different, boys can be just as chill as girls" you're simply fooling yourself. Boys are a whole different animal. At least my boy is. Here is what Easton likes to do, in no particular order:

~upon wake up, he likes to invade Sylvia's room, climb the chair next to her bed, get into her bed, and wake her up

~climb anything that he thinks he can, safety is of no concern

~if a bathroom door is left open, he heads straight to the toilet

~if the gate is left unlocked, even for a second, he senses it and heads straight for the stairs

~opens every cabinet, child-locks are not applicable to Easton

~scribbling on paper, even if the marker lid is securely on

~doing anything and everything his sister is doing

~giving hugs, mainly to Sylvia

~nursing like a newborn

~taking record short naps

~eating all by himself. all foods are officially cut small and dumped on his tray for Easton to do with as he pleases

~be held by anyone

~stand on the back of the couch and pound on the window at everything passing by

~says very few words. mainly "mama, dada, hi, hi dada, elmo, water, more, ball."

~grunting and pointing to try and convey info

~loves Trader Joe's honey wheat pretzels. will have one in hand all day long

~early bedtimes

~baths

~being a most happy guy

I'm tired from running, he's such an active little man. But it is almost swimsuit season

(isn't it?) so I'm hoping all this activity chasing Easton will pay off. I can't imagine life without him, though sometimes I daydream about how life was much easier with one child. Easy is not my middle name, and I know Easton was meant to fill out our family. He is so entertaining, an absolute ham at the dinner table, and he is soooooo into his big sister (and vice versa). We're all a bit stir-crazy with this cold snowy weather, I can't wait to experience the outdoors with our little man.

Revelation

My kid's breath was really stinky this morning. Lucky for me, I realized this as I was dropping her off at preschool.

Sylvia's an egghead, coo-coo-cachoo

Sometimes you just have to put plastic eggs on your eyes and forget the world exists.

Update to News (there is an overusage of the word "news" ahead)

New news on the new news!!! I'm so dramatic, right? My mom has offered to foot the bill towards a degree in deaf communications. It's back on the drawing board. You guys are so supportive and helpful, I appreciate all the lovely comments and feedback.

An Explanation to Yesterday

Ok, sorry to leave you hanging. There were calls to be made, numbers to crunch, mental status to be checked, things to figure out before I made any big announcements. You see, I got a REAL degree in a sort of unreal profession: photography. Fine art degrees (though mine was technically through the communications department) are hard to form into real careers. I've been nervous about the idea of investing money into myself, into my personal business, especially with the mind full of many holes as my sleep-deprived self is. When I was younger, I wanted to be an interpreter for the deaf. I took 6 years of signing classes through school enrichment programs and through the Springfield Center for Independent Living. I was the 12 year old in the classes full of adults and deaf people. I like to be the center of attention.

My junior year of high school hit and I hit the teenage phase of "must quit everything to hang out with the drugees." I lost motivation and therefore lost any aspirations. Until recently, I hadn't really given that career another though. But the nice thing about going back to school to do Deaf Communications Studies was that I already know a lot, I'm comfortable with these situations, and I could work with the Special School District and have the exact same hours as my then school-aged kids.

The issues? Schools don't really want you to change degrees. The don't want to give you money to change professions, they want the folks that have yet to attain 1 degree. I have an Associates in Art and a Bachelor's in Photography. So though I could get the degree, it would have to be out of pocket. I'm going to research this more, I have plenty of time till fall semester starts.

I think I'm having misguided focus of energy. As much as I'm stressing about Sylvia's schooling, I'm concerned with my own future in the REAL WORLD of getting paid. My heart is in photography, and this is probably where I should focus my attention. I just need to relax a bit and know that I have 2 kids under the age of 4 and they are my full-time job right now. But goddamn if it wouldn't be nice to get paid.

(turns out my old boss doesn't need me to work right now. this got the wheels turning about what i should be doing right now. i should just sit still and enjoy, it's just hard for me to do just that.)

Heads like to explode

For the millionth time here, I am steady stressing about schools. It's like nesting all over again, but with a 45 lber, and not in my belly. There is a ball of tension in my gut that reminds me throughout the day of "PLANS FOR THE FUTURE" or "GET A JOB" or "EAT MORE CHOCOLATE!" Yes, it's yelling all those things at me. I've come to my own personal conclusion that everything will magically fall in place. The school-fairy wand will be waved and all the answers will appear in glittery-gold font, equipped with fantastic musical scores and dancing tulips. This is how my imagination works, everything to the extreme.

Anyway, here are the options of what could happen:

~Syl gets into New City and they give us lots of money to go (and by lots, I mean LOTS)

~Syl remains at her current preschool

~we don't send her anywhere this fall, then spend some money enrolling both kids in classes that are fun and educational (this may work well for my super secret plan I'll mention in a minute)

~Syl gets into a magnet that, upon touring, I absolutely love and take the plunge to send her to a FULL TIME PRESCHOOL that costs us nothing (well we pay in taxes)

I need to open myself to all of these options. Or I need to open my mouth up to lots of wine. Because I am so sick of thinking about it all, especially for a not quite 4 year old. Ugh.

That leads me into my new super secret plan that really isn't super secret but more so an idea I've been pondering and am just now leaning towards acting on. I'm thinking about a career shift. And if you're thinking, "what career, you milk-making crazo?" and to that I say, "touche!"

But what I mean is that my kids will both be in school in a few years and I need to be preparing for what happens thereafter. So I'm starting to climb the ladder towards the diving board that plunges you into the deep end, but I'm not quite on the bottom rung. More on this later...

Finished Quilt

Pardon the lack of better photos for the finished quilt, but Easton kept making a run for the edge of the bed. And when I put him on the ground, he tries to climb up my leg and back into my uterus. This stage of clinginess is not for the independent-oriented woman. But I know it's short and fleeting, and soon he won't want to stand near me for fear of embarrassment.

But back to the quilt. It's a king-size for our bed. It was about 10 hours of work, costing about $60 (the kona solids and quilting designs were both 50% off. I already posted the link, but if you missed it, go here (I didn't do the ties, too impatient). It's a perfect beginners quilt, though I wouldn't recommend making your first quilt a king-size. That's just lunatic.