Happy May Birthdays

Several family members celebrate birthdays in the month of May - almost all of the Sells. Happy Birthday Robin, Keith, Jeff and David.

But, we want to say an extra special Happy Birthday to Nana. Have a great day, Nana!!!

King's Island II

We went to King's Island again on Wednesday. Jake really likes Dora the Explorer so we took him to a live action Dora show. He was amazed! We also rode a couple of rides.

Some Pictures from This Week

Greg and Jake surprised me with Guitar Hero! I'm so addicted! I can already play several of the songs on medium difficulty level.
Jake also discovered stickers this week. He loves Dora the Explorer, so he and daddy bought Dora stickers during the last trip to Target.

The Good, the Bad and the Painful

Another difficult week. Jake has been so moody. One minute he is laughing hysterically, the next minute he's melting down about a remote control or some other thing he can't have.
On Saturday, I was checking my email and Jake desperately wanted my attention. He was so mad at me that he came over and bit me on the thigh, leaving a bruise. I was tempted to spank him, but instead verbally scolded him. I've never seen such pathetic little soul. His lip quivered and his eyes filled with tears. He hugged and cuddled with me for about 15 minutes.
On a happier note, Jake loves to say the word 'awesome.' We often say, "Papaw is ____" and he fills in the blank with "awesome." He spontaneously said, "Mommy is awesome. Daddy is awesome." I try to hang on to those warm, fuzzy moments when he is screaming about some button that he wants to push.

A Typical Meltdown....




A Better Time...

Rough Week

It has been a seriously rough week. Jake has had one tantrum after another. Every time I tell him "no", he melts down, cries, pushes me and then clings to me. If I didn't work two days/week, I would have lost it by now.

Jake went to daycare today because Greg and I had a meeting with a Montessori pre-school. Even though Jake won't be eligible to attend until August 09, we had to submit our application now. I'm excited about the idea of a Montessori education. We observed the classroom and I think it would be a good "fit" for Jake's style of learning.

I am starting psycholgical testing. I'm trying to recruit kids in my neighborhood on which to administer IQ and achievement tests. I'm so excited about learning this new skill!

Doe a Deer

A doe has been leaving her fawn in our neighbor's yard. I'm not sure why a mother deer would trust to leave her baby in the middle of a very busy yard where many children and animals play, but it makes a great picture. I was "fawning" over it all afternoon.

I Loved Him First

I finally came out of the closet as a country music listener. There is this song by Heartland called "I Loved Her First" about a father's love for his daughter. I often think about this song and how Jake will someday leave us and have a life of his own. Whoever that special person may be, I want them to know that I loved him first.

Happy Mother's Day to all of those mothers who loved their children first. Happy Mother's Day to grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and anyone who just loves kids!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

This isn't his best rendition, but it's the best I can capture. He never wants to sing or talk when the camera is rolling because he's so focused on "pushing buttons."

This Week

We had tons of fun this week. The transition from school to home was difficult at first, but I'm so happy to be back with Greg and Jake. This is going to be a difficult semester, but I plan to take it one day (or sometimes one hour) at a time. I want to enjoy this time with Jake and have decided not to let school come first or get in the way of our time together.

We went to the Cincinnati Zoo to begin our Mother's Day celebration. My favorite animals are the gorillas. There is one baby in the group and the mother seems so attentive to his needs. It's funny to think that I aspire to be like that gorilla.

Jake's vocabulary is astonishing. He repeats almost everything we say. He is learning colors and days of the week. We're also in the process of learning Disney characters to prepare for our trip to Disney World this summer.

I'm Back!

I got home from New England at 1:30 this morning. It was a very long week. The pictures were probably deceiving. I wasn't playing with dogs and floating around on a raft in the Gulf of Mexico. I spent the week exploring some very difficult issues related to myself and others. It was like being in intense, group therapy for 5 days. At times, I wanted to throw in the towel and come home. In the end, I learned a lot about my own process, how to be in a group, I deepened some already existing friendships and made new ones. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

I am glad to be back with Greg and Jake. Jake hugged me so many times today. He didn't want me out of his sight. I can't believe how much he has changed in only a week. His vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds. Today he said to me, "Mommy, daddy working." Yes, daddy was at work. He also sang a song from Kindermusik with another child's name in it. I can't believe he remembered the name of his friend.

I'll post pics later.

I Miss You, Jakey!

Hi Jakey,

I miss you soooo much! Hopefully, Daddy and Nana will find this message and read it to you. I can't wait to see you on Monday! Here are some pictures of me.

Love,

Mama