James' 3rd birthday

Wow...3-years-old already. Where does the time go. James was so excited. I made cupcakes for the class. As we walked into daycare, James said, "I'm 3 today." He's so darn cute. After daycare, I picked him up and then went to Grandma's to pick her up. Papa was at a party, so he joined us after dinner. We celebrated with cake and then presents. Grandma and Papa got James a Thomas the Train balloon...which he loves and (2-weeks later) is still floating like the first day!! Here are some pics from the day.

Officially Potty-trained

James has been potty-trained now for probably about 4-6 weeks now...even through the night. I am so amazed at how quickly it happened. Once he was put in underwear, he just kind of got it. Now, we have had a few accidents here and there, but for the most part it has been great. I gave the remaining diapers to my neighbor friend and the pull-ups to my dear friend Melissa.

Crazy Busy

Ok...for all of you who read my blog, you have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. As December approaches we have James' birthday and the holidays...so it gets a little nutsy around here. Sorry for the multiple posts...but hopefully this will update everyone.

Remarkable Progress Potty Training

James is doing exceptionally well with potty training. It is truly amazing. About a week and a half ago, I switched James to underwear. He learned very quickly that you don't want to pee pee in your pants (cause it goes everywhere). From that point on, he has had very few accidents. In fact, he has not had a single accident at school (knock on wood).

For the last 3 nights, James has woken up dry. I was shocked. The poor little guy was real sick on Wednesday night, but he managed to stay dry. On Thursday night, he went to bed at 6:30 and woke up at 6:30 the next morning...DRY!!!! And last night he went to bed normal time (8:00) and woke up just before 7:00...again dry! Each morning he calls for me and says he needs to go potty.

I am so pleased with his progress. I would tell any parent that has been struggling with potty training to consider abandoning the pull ups and go to underwear. The first time he had an accident in his underwear (it was everywhere...so be prepared for that), but he freaked out and learned very quickly that he did not like that feeling. YEAHHH!!!!

CBC Ladies Retreat 11/2 - 11/4

Community Bible Church hosted a Ladies Retreat at Camp Buckner the weekend of 11/2 through 11/4. I was privledged to attend!! I met some amazing ladies, gave myself a weekend to detox and really focus on myself, and actually had some great fun. The was really uplifting music, workshops, quiet times, meals, etc.

I decided to attend the CBC retreat completely alone, not knowing a soul. I signed up for the carpool hoping to meet some ladies on the 90 minute drive to Marble Falls where Camp Buckner is located. Lyn was our driver, Lisa, Barbara and myself were the passengers. We immediately hit it off! Barbara is actually the office manager for James' pediatrician...small world. I will never forget these ladies...they are truly great women.


When we arrived, we registered and got assigned to our cabins. We were all sleep in different quarters...which was ok, cause that meant I got to meet even more new people. I set up my bunk and headed to the "newbie" meeting for all women who have never been to a CBC retreat. While waiting for that to begin, I met Barbara (a different lady from my carpool Barbara). She invited me to sit with her and we were good friends for the rest of the weekend. We headed to dinner together and had lots to chat about. During dinner, I looked up and saw my neighbor. I had no idea she would be there...but it was a pleasant surprise. We had lots of time to chat and catch up.


The weather was so beautiful the whole weekend which allowed being outdoors to be very pleasant. I didn't sleep too well the first night. Kind of difficult on a top bunk with 15 other women in the room. The retreat team was sweet to provide ear plugs...but I wasn't smart enough to use the for the first night...got smarter the second night!


Below are some pictures from the weekend.

Some amazing sculptures

Closer up of one of the sculptures

Where we received communion

Beautiful scenery

Jen (my neighbor), me and Teresa (my other neighbor)

Barbara and me

Lisa, Lyn, Barbara and me (Our Carpool)

On the way home we took a scenic route and got a great view of a private castle. Take a look!

Halloween and Pink Eye...all in one day

On the eve of Halloween, James developed Pink Eye...Conjuctivitis. So, luckily, his father was able to start the medication at about 6:00 pm the night before, so we were safe to trick or treat the evening of Halloween. Here are some pics from our day home together.

He's my angel...even though the shirt suggests otherwise. :)

He doesn't look too sick, does he?

If that's not an angel, I don't know what is!!

After I got done working my sick boy to the bone with housework (yeah right), it was almost time for trick or treating. At first, he wasn't too excited about putting on his costume.

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!!

Buzz Lightyear not so sure about being Buzz Lightyear.

Happy Buzz with Papa.

Trick or Treat!!

Look what I got!!

We had a wonderful evening together. It was really nice to have the whole day together and then enjoy Halloween, friends, trick or treating, and handing out candy.

Spurs Game with Dad - 10/30/07

Dad and I went to the Spurs game on Tuesday, October 30, 2007. He received the tickets from Resources. This was my very first Spurs game. About time since I've lived here for almost 5 years. The Spurs played the Portland Trail Blazers. The was opening night at the AT&T center and we had the pleasure of seeing the Spurs receive their 2007 championship rings. As expected, the Spurs won (106 - 97).

Here are some fun pics from the Game.

Sea World - What Fun!!

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a season pass for Sea World. James and I get the rest of this year along with 2008 unlimited into Sea World. Melissa and Jack invited James and me to Sea World for a 10-2 visit.

It's great going with a pro, cause I have no idea what I am doing just yet. We got into the park and took some quick pics.

Then it was off to the Sea Lion Show. Which was really fun, very amazing, and a wee bit hot!!

Then...we went to have some fun at the pool. We went in the wave pool...all the boys were pros at jumping at the waves. Then we went down the big twisty slide. That was probably more fun for mommy than it was for James.

After the pool, it was lunch at the cafe. The boys got the pleasure of seeing a really cool Shamu show right after lunch. Since the boys were quite tired after lunch, we decided to feed the dolphins and then head out. It was a blast. Can't wait to go back!!

It's been a long time

Ok, Sorry to all the people who read my blog. I haven't posted in what seems like forever...probably because it has been close to a month. Luckily for me I will get in a post or two before September is out.

Here's a little recap of September's events. On September 1st, I regained possesion of my house. So I spent all of Labor Day weekend cleaning the filthy thing. I know the market is slow, but I wouldn't have bought my house either.

We moved back in about September 7th and James was a little confused. He didn't really understand why Mommy was staying at Daddy's house and Daddy wasn't there. This is such a tough age for them to understand things...but I try and do my best.

September has also brought some fun church events.

I promise I won't wait so long to write going forward. Need to make the time to record the wonderful events of mine and James'. Love you all!

Some Pics of Jimmy James

Here are some recent pics of James. He is growing up so fast and changing almost daily.

Such a good eater - yummy hotdogs

James is standing next to "his" grass. They grew grass from seeds in school and we planted it in the backyard.

Fun in the sandbox!!

James loves his Block Tower...and loves to knock it down too!

Bath Time!!!

James is doing well in school and at home. We have lots of fun together, even though from time to time his little energetic self can drive me crazy. I love him more than words can say!!

Potty Training Update

Okay...so James has been seriously potty training for the last few weeks. Every morning he wakes up and goes pee pee on the potty. Some mornings are better than others, but I have been quite successful getting him to go. He had a lot more trouble going potty at school.

Finally, last Friday he went pee pee for Ms. Laura in the afternoon. Early this week he would refuse to go potty for Mrs. Betty (the AM teacher) but would go for Ms. Laura. Thank the Lord, today he went pee pee for Mrs. Betty. What ever the issue was, it appears as though he is finally getting over that.

We haven't had much success with...hmmm...let's say, number 2. :) Tonight I could tell that he had to go, but he kept telling me that he didn't. We went up for his bath and got all washed up. As he was playing in the tub he got on his knees and started to poop, and said, "mommy, I gotta poop." GREAT!! I grabbed him out of the tub (as the log dropped into the water) and put him on the potty. It took a lot of convincing but he finally "finished" on the potty. So I guess he technically went poo poo on the potty this evening. Maybe now that he knows what it is like to go on the potty, maybe he will be more willing. Cross your fingers. I am hoping to get him out of diapers and into underoos as quickly as possible.

Mom back to NJ

Well, it's been a really good and probably too much of a spoiled (in a good way) time with Mom the last 4 or so weeks. I have been so lucky to have Mom here to help pick up James early from Daycare so I could come home straight from work, to have dinner made 99% of the time so I didn't have to think about it, laundry was often done for me, she was able to assist in watching James when he had his black eye, etc. I will definitely miss all of that...and her company of course too.

It always amazes me how time flies so quickly. I cannot believe we are already at the end of August, the kids are going back to school, and before you know it, we will be getting ready for the holidays. It's kind of scary. These last four weeks went quicker than I had expected.

Hopefully more of the family can come visit soon too. I will have a big empty house (so will Dad) in a few weeks...so who ever is reading...come on down, we would love to have you!!

Sick Baby James

Well, last night was fun to say the least. James seemed fine last night. We did the same routine as always...bath, books, and bed. He went to sleep just as usual. At about 11:45 PM, James started to cough, cry and then call out for me. At first I thought he had a bad dream, but something told me that I better get up. I went into his room (very dark) and tried to sooth him. He said, "my pillow is yucky". I touched his pillow and it was wet...YUCK! I turned on the light...that's where the real YUCK came in. Yes, you guessed it, vomit all over the big boy bed. Of course since we just transfered James into the big boy bed 1 week ago, I hadn't yet washed the extra set of sheets. And since there was so much...everything needed to be washed. So, I cleaned the little man up, changed his clothes, stripped the bed, and headed downstairs. I immediately put him on the couch and put on Thomas the Train. Then I started the washer. Of course within minutes, James was vomiting again...all over the couch. Ok...I can do this. No big deal. The washer is going so now it's time to get a 3rd pair of jammies, clean off the couch (trying to find the Folex after midnight is not always easy), and get him comfortable again.

It's really amazing what you will do as a parent. By the third vomiting session, I was running over to him putting out my hands so he vomited there and not anywhere that had fabric. It doesn't gross you out when it's your own kid. After about 2 hours of cleaning, we were all set to go back to bed. James went right down. He woke up a few times and called out, but only once or twice. He woke up at about 6:45 AM to vomit again.

To make things a little more complicated, Melissa was supposed to drop off Jack to hang out with James and Mom while we went to work. I hated to do it, but I had to tell her at 7:00 AM that it was a no go for the baby sitting. I hate leaving my friends in a lurch...but I know she didn't want little Jack exposed to the stomach bug James was dealing with. Luckily Mom is in town, so I was able to leave James with her while I went to work. He was able to sleep three hours in the middle of the day (that's when I knew he was really sick). Also, he only ate 1/2 a pretzel, a few Cherrios, and a bite of a breakfast bar all day.

James in a Big Boy Bed

Last night was James' first night in his new Big Boy Bed. We got him a twin bed to sleep in now. He is finally out of the crib and on his way to being a full out BIG BOY!! When the bed was delivered yesterday afternoon James got real excited. He wanted to go see his big boy bed and check it all out. We kept the same routine for bedtime (bath, books, bed) and he did great. I put him in his bed and told him to go to sleep and to not get out. He said ok and did just that. He slept like an angel and didn't get up at all. I went in the next morning and he was still there all snug in his bed. I am so proud of my little munchkin man!! I will need to take pics and post them!!

James' First Shiner

On Tuesday, August 7, 2007 James went to Daycare as usual. I dropped him off about 8:00 AM, gave him a kiss, and told him to have a good day. At around 9:45 AM I get notification from the daycare that James had a little accident and hurt his eye. They told me that at about 9:10 AM he was running in the classroom and went to throw himself down on a mat. He overshot the mat and landed left eye first into a bookcase. I was told that he didn't even cry. He stood up and said, "I won't run in the classroom anymore." They told me that it looked real bad but that he was acting fine and there was no need for me to come get him. Luckily, Mom/Grandma is in town so she was able to go pick him up for me around 2:00 PM. Grandma brought him to my work so that I could see for myself how bad it was. It looked worse than I thought, but he was acting perfectly fine. Here are some photos from Tuesday through today (Thursday). He is a trooper. His Uncle replied to his injury by suggesting we get him some skates and a stick...cause he is ready for hockey!!!

James' Black Eye - Tuesday (day of)

James' Black Eye - Wednesday

James' Black Eye - Thursday

The Joys of Parenthood

This past Friday was a very interesting one. First off, I hadn't seen James in two days as he was spending time with his father. I went to pick him up at daycare and as I walked in he was wearing clothes I didn't recognize and had no shoes or socks on. I said, "where are your shoes baby?" The teacher said, "oh...yeah...ummm...well...we were outside and James had pooped and well...he decided to take his shorts off, then his diaper, then play in it." Then she handed me the sealed bag with his dirty clothes, shoes, and socks inside. We went home and I got the pleasure of opening that bag. I couldn't clean his shoes at the sink, so everything went into the washing machine.

Ahh...The joys of motherhood.

First Visit to Community Bible Church (CBC)

I seem to go back and forth about attending church. The thing is that I really feel better mentally and emotionally when I attend church on a regular basis. The method in which the message is delivered is very important to me and needs to be focused on application to real, everyday life versus something so intangible I can't relate.

CBC was really great today. It is a very large church and has alot to offer. The child building (yes building) is amazing. There are multiple classes with wonderful volunteers who watch and play with the children while the parents are in service. Today's service was focused around parenting. The pastor, Robert Emmit, is extremely funny, very down to earth, and easy to relate to. He spoke of his children leaving home and him and his wife now having an "empty nest". He ended service with a country song...so cool!!

CBC also has a number of ministries. One of the is a Single's Ministry. They have groups for single moms, single parents, something called a Single Mingle (dinners, movies, events - with other singles). This seems like a good option for me to get to know other singles with similar values. I don't know that I will necessarily meet someone there to date, however it would be nice to meet more people in my same situation and who can relate.

Anyway, I will most likely attend again. Like I said earlier, I feel much better when I attend.

Surf's Up - Movies with James & The Griffin's

Melissa called me at about 11:20 AM and said, "hey, you want to go to the 12:40 Surf's Up at Fiesta 16 theater with the boys? There is a 12:10 at Northwoods, but we can't make that." Heehee...the Griffin's are so funny. I am the opposite, I can jump up and make it anywhere in 2.5 seconds...granted, I'm ill prepared, but I will be there. Now Melissa tends to be on the later side, but the girl thinks of everything to bring...she is definitely the awesome stay at home mom that has EVERYTHING in her bag...even for my kid. God, I love her!!

Well, so we agreed to go to the movie. We had such a great experience with the kids on 4th of July, why would this be any different. :) The movie was PG...not really great for 2 year-olds. Had not so great language and it really wasn't basic enough to keep their attention. By the end, Jack had gone potty 4 times and James was climbing on the seats in front of us.

As we were leaving James decided to start running through the halls. I asked him to stop, however he refused. I forced him to hold my hand, which he didn't like. He started to scream, yell, cry, and hit me. It's always so pleasant when everyone is looking at you. He cried himself into a state that we weren't even back onto I10 and he was passed out in the back. Luckily he still napped for me at home (about 90 min) so that was good.

So...one great experience at the movies...one not so great. We'll chalk it up to the movie content. Let's see how the next one goes!!

The Start of the Journal

I had been thinking about recording my thoughts for some time now. It really became an easy possibility when one of my best San Antonio friends started her blog. While I was reading her blog, I noticed that I could start my own. I feel a little like a copy cat, but hey, that's okay. I want to be able to look back on these days and really reflect on how I was feeling.



Just to set up who I am...I am recently divorced. Joel and I separated in November of 2006, I filed for divorce in March 2007 and the divorce was final on May 30, 2007. I have been a single mom now for a little over a month and have gone through a range of emotions. I have an amazing little boy, James who was born on December 13, 2004. I also have an amazing set of close friends and family who care about me deeply and who I would do anything for. I will elaborate a little more in future blogs.



I hope those of you who know me learn something new by reading this. Hopefully, James and any future children will enjoy reading my thoughts when they get much much older.