Am I Crazy?

Aside from getting ready for Christmas, not a whole lot is going on. Oliver seems to have the cold that never ends. He is currently into hour 14 of his afternoon nap. Isn't that crazy? Imagine being able to sleep a solid 14 hours? Jack's runny nose doesn't seem to want to go away either.
I am finally about 1/3 of the way through my Christmas shopping. It just seems to never end. There always seems to be something for someone I have to pick up. I'm pretty much caught up on the wrapping too. That is when it gets tricky. In our little apartment, there isn't much hiding space for gifts. Shawn jokes we will probably forget a gift someplace and will find it in the spring. There is a lot of remembering to do. Remembering is definitely not one of my strengths. I have to be sure to remember what paper I used from Santa and which paper I used from Us. We couldn't dare have the same paper as Santa. What would be the odds? Seriously.
I'm very excited for Christmas morning. Not that we bought the kids a lot of presents, because we didn't, but Jack is going to be super excited about the gifts he is getting. Even if his list is different now then the one he gave me a couple of weeks ago. Oliver of course will likely be more interested in the paper and boxes.
My entire family is going to be here for Christmas. Yes that's right, my entire family. Mom, Dad, Bill, Pam, Tim and their boys, Jody and Rita. Should be interesting. Again, small apartment. What was I thinking? I was thinking it would be nice to all be together for Christmas, even if it means being squished like sardines. Shawn will be serving his first turkey dinner. He is pretty excited about this. I had better start making a shopping list. We are going to need lots of food with all these people coming. Maybe I should bake some treats. Aside from some cookies and cake from a box, I've never really baked anything. Any suggestions?

It Has A Name

So I was doing some reading on the circadian rhythm and I came across some information on circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Oh my goodness. My sleep problem. It has a name. You know what that means? That means that I am not the only person out there with this sleep problem. Do you know how much more normal that makes me feel? It has a name!

It's name you are asking? It is called advanced sleep phase syndrome. It absolutely describes me to a T. You would think someone had asked me to write about my sleep schedule.

In case you are curious, here it is.
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/advanced.html

What is with describes me to a T anyway? Why a T? What does that even mean?

Is There Anybody Out There?

I always wonder if there is anybody out there reading or not. By anybody, I mean anybody other than Chantal and Laura who I know stop by and see if I've had anything to say.
Not much is going on around here. Jack is growing smarter every day. It's amazing to me the development in his language this past year. I think he is going to be a into computers just like Shawn. He can already turn on the computer, load up a web browser and navigate his way around various websites. He has pretty good mouse control and he picked up using the mouse pad on the laptop pretty quick too. He's cute too. He likes using the headphones when he is using the laptop. He always looks like he is hard at work.
Oliver. That boy certainly keeps me on my toes. He is quite a busy boy. He doesn't much like sitting down and reading books. His idea of let's cuddle is let's crawl and climb all over Mommy. The kid just never sits still. The most still he ever gets is when he is standing at your feet while you are eating or standing next to Jack's chair while he is on the computer, though while this is happening he is always busy pounding away at the keyboard or trying to get the mouse.
He sure is sweet though. I always just want to pick him up and squeeze him tight.
He had the pleasure of getting a haircut from Jack the other day. I suppose I left a pair of scissors within Jack's reach. The thought never crossed my mind that Jack would ever pick them up and try to cut his or Oliver's hair. I didn't even know Jack could even use a pair of scissors. Boy was I lucky I saw him when I did and that no eyes were poked out or ears were cut. The cut is not too bad and not really noticeable unless you are looking for it. He only made the one cut. I will have to take a picture and post it.
Oliver is still a great eater. He will eat everything and anything. I am very thankful for this and hope so much that he continues to be. It's by far the one struggle I have with Jack. I know this is partly my fault. I think if we sat around the table and ate dinner as a family, this would eventually change. The problem is, we need a new table that fits better in our kitchen that would allow us to sit around it. That's my excuse anyway.
I'm off to load the dishwasher and try to squeeze in a shower before Oliver's morning nap is over. Wish me luck!

Oliver's haircut as promised. Notice the top right.

Lest We Forget

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
- John McCrae

Happy 1st Birthday Oliver

Today I celebrate the birth, growth and development of my baby boy. It's crazy to think it was a year ago today I was in denial about the possibility of actually being in labor. It was about this time, 11:30, that I was getting ready to go shopping for a take home outfit. I remember being in a store and having THAT contraction. The one that was more painful and intense the they had been. When I think back now, what was I thinking? The embarrasement I would have felt had my water broke. Thank goodness that didn't happen.
It has been a great pleasure to watch Oliver grow into the little person he is becoming. He has brought many smiles to my face. I love that little boy and I can't wait to keep watching him grow and become and young man.
We celebrated his birthday yesterday with close family and friends. It was nice having everyone together to celebrate his birthday with us. I thank you all for coming.
Unfortunately Oliver isn't feeling well. He started to have a fever yesterday afternoon and continues to have one today. He is getting plenty of sleep and will hopefully start feeling better soon. Poor little pumpkin.

Halloween II

Halloween has come and gone. Jack thoroughly enjoyed going out to trick or treat. He's funny that kid. He flat out refused to put his costume on during the day. It's sole purpose was to be worn trick or treating and that is it. As I mentioned before, he was a clown. He wore his clown nose for one, maybe two pictures. It was not to be a permanent accessory. He did carry his lollipop though.
My little Oliver went out as Donald Duck. He looked so sweet in his costume. The head was actually quite big and heavy making it hard for him to balance it. He preferred it when it was off. That little tail feather was cute when it wiggled when he crawled.
Here are a couple of pictures for you to enjoy.

Halloween

Halloween is coming and Jack is so excited. Every day he tells me he can't wait for Halloween. This year, he really had his heart set on being a clown. You would think this would have been an easy costume to find. Wrong. I couldn't find a kids sized clown costume anywhere. I ended up finding one through Freecycle. Thank God. When I asked Jack what else he wanted to be, he replied a circus clown (like there is a difference). When I told him I was having a hard time, the look of disappointment on his face would have broken anyone's heart.
My sister Jody and Mom were kind enough to teach Jack what they call "The Trick or Treat Song"

Trick or treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat
Thank you

As cute as it is when he sings it, I'm not a big fan of the whole "give me" part. Maybe since I don't sing it with him, he'll forget the words by Halloween, but since the kid seems to be remembering just about everything lately, I'm sure he will remember.