The perfect neighbor?

I beg the question...Is there such a thing as the perfect neighbor? Chris and I have been ready to move out of our beloved home since, well practically since we moved in, because we have such horrible neighbors. Shortly after buying our house we had several run in's with our neighbors. Their house is less than 15 feet from ours so there is no ignoring them. The house was hopping each night with kids that run rampant with no parental supervision. Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol were being consumed on a daily basis. Admittidly, their behavior was worse in the warmer months but we were over it.

So that is the obvious bad neighbor. To our other side we have the elderly, always in your face, always giving advice, always calling the house to tell us to put our garbage out, neighbor. I'm not sure which is worse. The nosey neighbor or the druggie neighbors.

Why the hell can't we just have normal neighbors. The next neighborhood we move to I will be conducting interviews and doing background checks on our neighbors!

In honor of The Redneck Comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, here is my contribution the the comic world ( although these are true and not so funny when they happen to you!!) :

You know you need new neighbors when:

• You step out your back door and you gets wafts of marijuanna from over 30 feet away
• The cops have your neighbor on your lawn hancuffed
• You get home from a long days work only to have the phone immediately ring with your neighbor on the line telling you "don't you read your calendar, garbage doesn't go tomorrow"
• You find yourself so frustrated that you return from a night out with your father and proceed to scream in the backyard how much you hate your neighbor
• You receive an annonnomous letter in the mail with a news article about your neighbor being arrested for having an illegal firearm.
• Everytime you step out your front door your neighbor "convienently" also comes out to fluff her flag and then you get dragged into a gossip conversation with her.
• 3 out of 4 people that walk by your house are talking to themselves.
• You have a baby and your neighbor stops talking to you ( and gives the cold shoulder) because we didn't call them immediatly to tell them.

From The Hive: preschool - Butterfly day

From The Hive: preschool - Butterfly day: This week we talk about butterflies. I was pretty happy that it was my turn to teach. How fun are butterflies? You can't talk about butt...

dispicable self promotion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2tjWBIXEc

Discovering our children's personalities

Have you ever sat and stared at your child and thought " what a wonderful and complex little creature I have created"? I am in constant amazement by what my children do and say on a daily basis.

My son, Declan, has always been an observer. When he was a baby in daycare his caretakers would always comment on what a quiet and well behaved boy he was. He would often sit and watch his peers and then, only after careful observation, join them in running round in circles pushing their respective trucks.

Now that I am a stay at home mom to both my kids it gives me more time to watch and learn their behaviors that will most likely be present well into adulthood. Even my own mother will never fail to tell everyone how my inner toddler would come out when I got overtired.

Declan is a very cautious boy. He cannot be pushed into doing anything. One of the things he did today is the inspiration for this blog posting. For Christmas I bought him his first electric toothbrush, which I thought would be so cool ( and they were Tigger and Pooh). Declan loved them, but not to brush his teeth and he would freak out if I tried to turn it on and use it. The Tigger toothbrush has sat on the bathroom counter now for two and a half months and Declan would occasionally pick it up to play with it and sometimes use it to brush his teeth ( but NEVER turn it on) . Today out of the blue he grabs Tigger, turns him on and starts to brush his teeth. AMAZING. And he loved it.

The same can be said for learning. He quietly watches, listens and learns. I though he was a little behind in learning his ABC's until his friend Isla came over for a visit. She already knew her ABC's and she was six months younger than Declan. The two were off in the kitchen playing when all of a sudden I hear Declan belting out his ABC's. He wouldn't do it again when I asked him for another three months. Now I can't get him to stop singing his ABC's.

I have no doubt that I have a really clever little boy and I look forward to each day when I can wake up and be amazed by what he does or says!.

Katie, my sweet girl. I am still getting to know you and all your little quarks. At seven months you are already the happiest baby I have ever seen and somehow have such an amazing disposition on life already. I can already see you as an adult being such a kind spirit to everyone you meet and lighting up a room with your gorgeous smile.

What a lucky mom I am to have such wonderful kids!!

Duck, Duck...What!

Original post date: September 18, 2010

OK, so Chris and I were in Declan’s bedroom doing the normal bedtime routine stuff. I was reading a book out loud hoping Declan was listening while Declan climbed on his dad’s back to play choo choo train. When all of a sudden Declan gets down and starts running around me time and time again. It was really cute, then we told him to run around his dad and he promptly started doing figure eights between the two of us. I don’t know what prompted me but I started to say “Duck, Duck” and before I could even get the “goose” out Declan’s face light up light a light and he started to run faster.

Chris and I both looked at one another. Declan has been taught “duck, duck , goose” at daycare!!!! We were laughing and crying all at once. We know he is learning things at daycare but this is just one of those occasions where it hits home that someone else is teaching and influencing your child. We could see how much fun he was having playing this simple game and I just envisioned Declan and all his little school friends running round and round chasing one another crying GOOOSSSEE!

My little boy is getting so big! He is honestly growing up right before my eyes. Last month we taught him togive hugs and kisses and for 3 weeks that’s all he would do. Now, every time we ask for a hug or kiss he turns and shakes his head “no”. DEVESTATION!

As his dad said…it’s time for another one J

:30 of pure love :)

Original Post: October 18, 2010

Scene: Declan’s room

Mood: sleepy

and ….Action

It was your typical Sunday evening. Declan was running around his room in his PJ’s while his Daddy was reading him his bedtime story. Tonight, Declan decided it was a Curious George kinda of night. So he handed his Daddy the book to read.

I was sitting in the middle of his bedroom floor playing a version of duck, duck, goose! Declan pretty much just runs circles around me until I say ” time to get your binky and blankee” . What happened in the next :30 seconds will be embedded in my mind forever. Declan was circling around me when he came over to tap my head and wait for me to say “goose” . Then, instead running off, he leaned down close to my face and proceeded to press his forehead against mine. Now, not everyone will undstand the significance of this so here is some history. First, this is how Declan started to give kisses which were really more like head butts, I really hope my boy doesnt grow up to be a thug . Second, Declan decided at about 15 and 1/2 months that he no longer wanted to give mom and dad kisses or hugs. Athough the Dog gets both daily!!! So for Declan to even think about giving us a kiss it was monumental.

So back to the story. Declan remained with his head pressed against mine for about :30 seconds. If you are a parent you will understand that this is one of the best feelings in the world and it’s your child’s way of saying how much they love you. So although I realize my little boy is getting bigger by the minute and will soon be too big for any little affections at all from his mom or dad, I will relish in this moment and remember it always.

My hope for tonight’s bedtime routine…Declan plant’s one of his big kisses on his daddy because he may not fully understand it now but he has THE BEST DADDY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!

Mortgage settlement leaves most homeowners to fend for themselves

Mortgage settlement leaves most homeowners to fend for themselves