Help, "Blogger" Hates Me...

For some reason Blogger is buggy when I try to use it here at my moms. So, this post is an attempt to make it work, and sadly it appears to be failing, miserably.

So, my mom isn't posting on her blog because we can't make pictures post from her computer. I am JUST now able to make the text work. So, anyone have any ideas on why blogger will not post pictures for her? Blogger hasn't been working properly for her in a few months and now that Spring is here, she has lots of beautiful flower, bird, bug, and other critter pictures to share that she has taken with her new camera.

HINTS, TIPS, and TRICKS gladly taken!

Poor Little Guy

The verdict is in...

The fever...
The crankiness...
The clinging...
The tantrums:

Three new teeth... Two bottom left molars and one top left molar.

This picture was "borrowed" from The Tooth Fairy, who knows all kinds of great facts about baby teeth!

Sick

Indiana and I are both sick. (he goes the the doctor today)
I am sorry we haven't been posting so regularly lately.
With the camera giving up the ghost and me being just under the weather I haven't been able to keep up with posting.
I will be back to regular text postings again when I am feeling better, and Back to the postings you expect, with pictures of our handsome boys as soon as we get a new camera.

Continuing Along...

My camera has decided to have problems. It is an older HP model camera and I think its time has just passed. Therefore, I am going to be without new pictures for a few weeks until I can get a new Digital Camera. I am looking at the Kodak Easyshare cameras, mostly. My mom had one and they are pretty decent for the money.

In other news:
Indiana had a most excellent first birthday and Easter. I have wonderful video footage of Indy's big brother leading him through Aunt Duecie's yard with several other children to find the brightly colored chocolate filled plastic eggs. The debacle of '93 taught us to use the plastic ones.

I am getting started on thank you cards today, so I am off to do that. Thank you everyone for stopping by and visiting our Indiana. It means a lot to us as a family to be able to share the lives of our wonderful sons with you. I can't believe Indy is a year old (and thus so is our blog) already!

Birthday Cake

I am not one for pictures of babies with food all over their faces, but... It Is his first birthday cake, and I cant resist. Indiana enjoyed his cake IMMENSELY. Sunday April 16th 2006 is Indiana's first birthday.

Duck was here, Nihm was here, Macy was here, Donkey was here, almost all the neighbors were here. It was a great party. The food was great, everyone in the community contributing to the barbecue.

Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, is actually his birthday but as I explained before, it is Easter and everyone is busy so we had a nice party today. After church tomorrow we are heading to Duck's place for some Easter mayhem with Indy and several of Cousin Macy's nephew in laws.

We are a big extended family, and I hope it continues to grow so that Indiana can grow up with a large family like I did. I miss the "get togethers" at the grandparents every other weekend with lots of aunts and uncles and cousins and friends. I hope we can create that Family environment For Indy and I think we are well on our way.

Taking the Plunge:

We did it. Indiana got his First Haircut on Thursday, April 13th. The beautician who cut it is Glenda Walling. I have known her for 20 years or more. Her son and daughter went to school with me, and were close friends of mine when I was young. She did a wonderful job with his hair, and he enjoyed every minute of his debut at the salon. Indy sat still and happily turned his head as he was instructed. He watched in fascination as his hair fell away. Now, he rubs his hand through his spiky "do" and giggles.

ack...

I seem to have misplaced my camera. So, no new pictures today.

We were able to hand out a few Easter baskets today, trying to get them all out and gone before Saturday, when Indiana's party is (a day early but conflicts are rough having a birthday on Easter Sunday).

Sunday we will be going to White Spires, with friends to celebrate Easter.

Flat Stanley hits the park!

I have finally come up with my plan for Stanley. He will be visiting several local places and people and we will be digitally capturing the images. The best pictures will be printed, matted, and put together in bound book form along with a paragraph about the location or person he is visiting (for instance this picture has a nice blurb about the lake and park he is visiting... How big it is when it was made etc). At the back of the book will be a list of links on the world wide web to other places of interest for Stanley. Also in the back of the book I will enclose a photo CD of ALL the pictures of Stanley's trip. Most schools have access to a computer with a CD rom drive, so the class will be able to see the other places and things Stanley did that didn't get included in the new book.

Thanks to everyone who is involved in this project, its going to be awesome.

Childhood thrills and ills

Indiana lately can be just plain stubborn. He goes where he wants to go at warp speed! You can holler "stop" all you like, he will just continue along. I suspect selective hearing loss; he only hears what he wants to hear. When you pick him up to turn him around in a more acceptable direction, he kicks his legs the whole way. At least he doesn't scream yet.

It seems we are entering the "terrible twos" and we aren't even ONE yet!! He is not yet talking back, but he IS showing his preferences for everything. He wants to do what he wants regardless of what we want or say. He looks at me when I yell "NO", smiles, and does it anyways. He spends a lot of time gated into his room for offenses like that.

His dad says its time to start swatting him, but I am not ready to go there yet. The idea of hitting him frightens me. Can I know for sure that a swat is to discipline and not because I am so frustrated and angry that I have to hit him? I just don't trust myself, or anyone else, to not cross the fine line between discipline and anger with my children.

I have fought through-out my life, the demons created by parental anger. I have dwelt in the land of spousal abuse and child abuse and I have worked very hard to cross over to the other side. Some days, twenty years later, I still find myself with issues to overcome. I just don't want that for my sons. I want my sons, both of them, to have an excellent childhood, filled with wonder and joy and learning instead of anguish, pain and hatred. So, for now, no swatting of Indiana's behind.

Flat Stanley

Our apartment managers were recently mailed a fun package from a nephew in Washington state. Flat Stanley!! Flat Stanley has been all over the world, even visiting The White House!

They have asked our family to help them make Flat Stanley's visit to our town exciting and memorable. So, we are going to local parks, taking pictures in front of signs for historically important things in our area, the county court house, and those kinds of things. I was thinking that we might go up to the Oregon Zoo, or maybe over to the Oregon coast. We are close to the state capitol as well, so maybe there.

What I DO know, is that we are going to digitally capture the pictures, then print them and some text and then put it into a bound book. I was thinking of even gluing leaves or blossoms in to the book as well. (take a picture of him sitting in a tree, and put the leaf from the tree on that page... Like a scrapbook).

Here is my question to you: If your family got invited to participate in this project (where you have to take pictures of this paper cut out boy and describe them for the class of 2nd graders) where else would you go in your area?

We have just two weeks to complete the project, so we encourage suggestions!

Monster Boy!

It is amazing that someone this cute can be so rotten. I haven't slept through the night in almost a year. I am tired and at the end of my patience. And NOW, Indiana has decided to have a "sleep pattern behavioral problem". Last week he started waking up around 1 am and SCREAMING on and off until around four in the morning, at which time he would go back to sleep until it was time to wake up. I tried everything. Today he went to see his pediatrician to rule out any physical problems. The doctor says Indy is doing fabulous and its a behavioral problem and good luck with it. He gave me instructions for how to handle the next week and if the screaming continues we get to go back to the doctor. On the positive side, he weighs over twenty three pounds now, has no ear infections, and is a startlingly advanced child. Woot, Go Indy!

Almost There!!

Indiana is soon to turn one! This year his birthday is on Easter, so his party will be the day before hand. The big barbecue will again be shared by the entire neighborhood and any friends and family members who we can con into coming! (This is the card we are sending for invitations to his party. I blacked out our address for this post)

in memoriam

This week the decision was made to remove the life support from my cousin Steve.
He was a wonderful man who was tragically struck down by an illness that caused him so very much pain. Before this final trip to the hospital, he had made several others and the emotional toll on a formerly strong man was catastrophic. I feel so much pain for my Great-Aunt Shirl, to lose another of her children. I hope I never have to make a decision like the one she made, but if that horrible fate were to befall me, I hope I can have the courage to make the right decision, as she did.

He will be missed by not just our family, but by everyone whom his life touched. I like to think of the difference he made in the world. Of the lives he saved by just doing his job before the illness struck him down.

Something important that I learned from this: Have a living will! Have it in a safe place, and make sure the ones close to you know about it, and where it is. Make sure that your wishes are known! My cousin was in horrible anguish, he was ready to let go. His body could take no more, nor could his mind. Good bye Steven, and God Speed.