Silly Dude

Nile was on a very silly kick tonight. He must've been in an odd mood because he was very clingly and super sweet.

It was the most adorable when Nile threw his stuffed Wall-E and stuffed dog Cramen onto the couch and threw his little arms open for a hug as he said "I love you guys." I couldn't help but marvel and laugh all at the same time. It was so precious. He had a great time rolling around on the floor with Wall-E and kissing him between the eyes.

Nile sleeps with Cramen (a gift from Uncle Cameron and named in his honor) every night. He loves that little puppy and unceremoniously drags him around the house in the morning.

Nile was also having a great time practicing his colours today. We've found a great little system. Nile loves to munch on dry cereal and I bought a box of Fruit Loops the other day. Before he eats each single piece he has to tell me what color it is and if he doesn't know or remember he waits for me to tell him. He really seems to be getting the hang of it. He does have some trouble differentiating between Yellow and Orange but with Fruit Loops its hard to tell the difference.

Nile was also quite keen to tell me to "open your mouth" so he could force feed me some of his cereal. He's quite the giver.

Nile's mean streak also seems to be lessening. He's starting to relax a little. He's less likely to snap "Don't say that" or "stop that." He also hasn't said "shut up" in quite some time. I'm hoping this means he's finally over the small anxious phase kids grow through when they start to gain some control over their world.

School is still going well...in fact...I should probably be busy on Math homework right now...

Good News Everyone!

Well, after over a month, I finally have my Mazda back. For anyone that didn't know, a little backstory. The last week of November, I loaned my Mazda to Greg so he could go grocery shopping and I spent the day with my boyfriend.

About half way through the day I noticed my phone had several missed calls, several voicemails and several text messages. So I checked the voicemails only to find out Greg had been in an accident with Nile in my car. Nile and Greg were both fine but my car was not. It was taken to the shop and thus the process of appraisals and deicisions began. I was worried when they told me the damage was going to amount to over $9,000 and I knew the car was only worth $10,00 or $11,000. Luckily for me, they did not total my car.

After a month of repairs, me in a rental car and for the last few days my dad's truck, they finally called to say my car was done. I was ecstatic! I couldn't wait to have my sporty little ride back. I went and picked him up, he ran beautifully and looked all shiney and pretty. I'm so happy to have him back and super grateful for American Family (and our agent) and the other ladies insurance through State Farm.

Nile is still doing super with potty training. He even pulled on his jeans by himself today, albeit backwards, but still...The kid is just so aware and independent. He's also started drinking from a big boy cup. He's had several spills but he's doing great.

Work is going really well and I actually get to attend my first big business conference in March. I am so excited. I feel like such a big kid. I'm really looking forward to all the stuff I'm going to learn and getting to spend the time with my boss.

School started yesterday and I'm really enjoying it. It feels kinda weird to be back, but I suppose that can't be avoided. I have a lot to prove to myself and I'm determined to really excel in school. I'm far too old and far too much is relying on me succeeding. I can't take this lightly or with any of my former cavalier attitudes. Here's to a "Straight A's Semester!"

2010 - Here's to a New Beginning

Well, alright, as we roll out into a new year and a new decade I (like everybody else) have set some goals. One of the goals I've set (a full list can be read at my alternate blog http://buildauniverse.wordpress.com) is to blog about Nile and life and myself at least once a week, hopefully more like once a day. I've also set a goal to take at least one photograph of Nile (sometimes with me) a day.

I feel like I'm losing out on documenting some of my little man's biggest milestones because I seemingly never have my camera and I've been focusing my blogging on less personal things, and by less personal, naturally I mean things not involving Nile.

So to start this thing off right, I thought I'd jump in with a little update. Starting with myself, since I have a little less going on, 2009 was a whirlwind year. All of the events of the year have really got me jazzed for moving onward, upward and out. I will be moving back to the Provo/Orem area in February. I'm starting classes at UVU this week. I'm going to be finishing my Bachelor's degree in Forensic Science. I'm really looking forward to it but am also quite daunted at the thought of balancing Nile, full time work, full time school and any semblance of a social life/personal time. I am, however, very glad to be making personal progress.

As for Nile, the boy continues to amaze me. All parents are very fond of touting the latest achievements of their children and as much as I'd like to say I'm different, I can't help but regale the world with Mini-Me's skills. Nile is 2 and 1/2 and already speaks nearly as clearly as his 4 year old cousin. Nile has really begun to master the sentence. Nile's responses to questions are probably the funniest of his language skills.

Me - Should we go see Grandpa?
Nile - Probably not at work.
Me - Yes Nile...Probably not at work...

Me - Hey Nile? Would you like some Mac and Cheese for dinner?
Nile - Yeah...Sure.

Friend of Aunt Heidi - Is your mom's name Casi?
Nile - No, her name is Sweetheart.

Nile has also developed a good mastery of emotion. Nile is very quick to identify when He, me or even cartoon characters are Sad, Scared or Happy. When he notices someone is sad, he will often ask if they're going to cry. It's been helpful, though, for me to know he's learning emotions. When he's acting strange I can ask him if he's happy or sad or scared and get a real answer. When he sees someone he thinks is sad he will also ask to give hugs or kisses. His father also relayed an experience where he was feeling down and Nile helped him wipe away tears with his blanket.

Nile's really gotten into movies lately, too. His favourites include Cars, Wall-E, Toy Story and Monsters vs. Aliens. Generally speaking he will pick one movie and watch it at least once daily until I suggest something new at which point he'll watch the new movie until I again suggest something new. Cars is a perennial favourite. He loves talking about Mater, Mac and Li-ning A-Queen, Sheriff and Doc, Big Red, Chick and King. He does, also, love chatting about Wall-E and Eve.

Nile is currently in the process of potty-training and seems to be grasping it really well. He does well at the Sitters and at home which has given me hope that he'll continue progressing and be fully potty trained in the next month. He's always been so independently minded that it's almost comforting that he needs prodding and suggesting to remember he needs to go. I have to hang on to these little shreds of dependence lest I miss my infant too much.

Nile and I have been very blessed and lucky to have such a good home with my parents. They have been more than accommodating and have really helped to make us feel at home and feel like we're always welcome. I am still looking forward to moving out. They have done so much to help us recover after the divorce and I really thank them for that but I am also more than ready to be in my own home again. I miss cooking, I miss having quite, private time, I miss really being in control of what and how and where and when and all the silly little things that most people never think about. I miss doing my own grocery shopping. I miss those little tiny details.

So, here's to a new beginning. A new year, a new decade and a new future.

Shame; An Open Letter

Shame on you. Shame on you all.

Shame on you for making your blood feel guilty. Shame on you for making a 23 year old feel bad for her HONESTY.

Shame on you for making me feel like I can trust you.

Shame on you for punishing me for having an opinion.

Shame on you for taking this out on someone else, your concern should’ve been with me. I wrote those words. No one else. I WROTE THOSE WORDS.

If you have a problem, bring it up to me. Not those individuals mentioned in my writing.

You were supposed to teach me how to be an adult and yet I don’t see you as examples. My writing is my gift and you’ve scared me into hiding it. Like all my other gifts, I hide them because I don't want to give you the pleasure of making me feel like they're not good.

I’m supposed to look to you for spiritual guidance but how am I to do that when I am unable to see your Christ-like behaviours.

I’m sorry if you don’t like my opinions. But my opinion is mine alone. You can’t force me to agree with you or to deny my feelings.

I have never belonged here. I have never quite fit in. This just pushes me further into my isolation.

Fool me into trusting you once, shame on you. Fool me into trusting you ever again and shame, shame on me.

For Nile

I want to dedicate the following song to Nile.

I Wanna Be The One by fun.

Were you named for the river that surrounds
all my biggest mistakes?
Or the way that I made it out?

All the muscles in my mouth
never smiled or said profound things
until the day she handed you to me.

For all the steps you'll take
and all you'll overcome
I wanna be the one to put it in a song.
Take every single tear
for all the world to hear.
I wanna be the one to put it in a song.

Cigarettes are raining hard
on the upper east side.
She brings me a cake,
we celebrate
I have arrived.
And I know that it's been sang before,
but you're my human holiday.
I put my hands to the table and dary say...
"the love of my life?"

And your brother with his best friend
share the name of an inebriate
that couldn't bring me down!

For everything you've lost
and all you've overcome
I wanna be the one to put it in a song.
Take every single tear
for all the world to hear
I wanna be the one to put it in a song

and make it last forever.
Clever comes from truth.
When truth begets the past
it sends a call up to the moon
and the moon can see the beauty that
surrounds
Your heart as it pounds.
It starts the beat
Inspiring me
Until I make a sound.

Sneak

Little known skill learned only after motherhood -

Master hiding skills.

I have quickly learned where and how things (i.e. CANDY) can be hidden when I've determined Nile has had enough but he disagrees. Recently, I learned that the small space between the couch arm and the side table was small enough and dark enough so as to conceal things I don't want Nile to have.

Setting:
Nile has been consuming sour candies at an alarming rate. In order to stop, the bag of candy is slipped in aforementioned slot.

Cue Grandma - shout downstairs to ask Mom a question.

Cue Nile -






Sneaky little fart!








As I turned around from talking to Grandma, I saw this. Sneaky little boy trying with all his might to reach the bag of candy before I noticed. Once busted, he thought it was very entertaining to peak up at me.

Nile keeps getting bigger, smarter and funnier. Each day is quite the adventure. Grandpa is extremely proud of Nile's favourite TV shows. No night is complete until Nile joins me to watch Wheel of Fortune (lovingly called Wo-chun) and Jeopardy (Depp-a-dee). Nile loves these shows. He likes to repeat letters on Wheel and predict his knowledge on categories in Jeopardy (a habit picked up from me, I say OK or Uh-Oh after each category is named predicting how well I'll do with the subject). Jeopardy is by far his favourite and he has even corrected me if I forget to say What/Who is... I have also watched him on several occasions shout "I did it!" and clap wildly after an answer is given.

Nile's language skills are fast increasing. I seem to say this in each post, but I'm still amazed by it. Recently Nile has added foreign languages, animal sounds, numbers, letters and colors to his repetoire.

Nile has added:
Hola
Gracias
Oopsidasio
Me Amo (mostly just Amo)
Bonjour
Bonne Nuit
Bonne Soir
Merci
Au Revoir
Beaucoup
Salut
I did it!
Spank a butt (he often says this after I've scolded him)
Sweet... (constantly prefaces Truck/Car. Any vehicle seen results in a merry "Sweet Truck!")

Nile can accurately (most times) recognize numbers. His hardest number is 8 which he generally thinks is 0. Nile is also getting the hang of colours. He is all too happy to tell you his favourite is Geen. He also cares a great deal for Ba-lue. He's also learning animal noises. So far he can tell you the noises made by Dogs, Cats, Pigs, Cows and Horses. Horse is the most entertaining because he basically just giggles.

Here is an audio clip of Nile playing "Repeat"<--Click it, it's adorable!

Nile's Language

Here is just a smattering of the budding verbous child I'm raising (Credit given where due)

Messes = Kisses
Doughn wan it = I don't want it
Eyen wanna go owside = I want to go oustide
Eyen wanna go dowstirs = I want to go downstairs
Eyen wanna go ustirs = I want to go upstairs
Dinar = Dinner
Luns = Lunch
Brettfast = Breakfast
Yugh-urt = Yougurt
Oumeals = Oatmeal
Sir-rul = Cereal
Uh Oh Chongo = YA...quote from Blazing Saddles, Thanks Grandpa
Wikt Shweet = Wicked Sweet
Aweshome = Awesome
Bee-bee = Blanket
Cuddlesh = Cuddles, naturally
Kreesha's Hoame = Krista's home, to the sitter's
Twoopy = Trooper the dog
Pool-up = Pull-ups
Dipah = Diaper
Chuck = Truck
Cah = Car
Camron = Uncle Cameron
Iwaq = Iraq
Kooowait = Kuwait
Hummah = Hummer
Map = MRAP (Uncle Cameron's vehicle in Kuwait)
Guum! = Gum
Cahsheet = Carseat
Eyen go drive = I wanna go for a drive
Eyen shooda = I want some soda

and my current personal favourite, thanks to Jordan -

Yeah, dude!