Hang ups and air horns

Over the last several months we have been receiving phone calls from someone that is clearly a wrong number. I answer, she (sounds like an older, foreign woman) says sorry, and hangs up. The name and phone number show up on caller ID.

This would happen several times a week, sometimes two or three times a night. Most times I would just pick up the phone and then hang up, without saying anything. Sometimes I would let Noah answer, which was always kind of funny.

Last night though, when she called and it was after 9pm I started to get irritated. So when I answered it I asked why they kept calling when they know it is the wrong number. There was silence on the other end and then they hung up.

Ten minutes later another call, this time I asked them if they were playing a game. Again, silence and they hung up.

Five minutes later another call. Silence and a hang up.

Six calls later (at 10:30pm) I finally left the phone off the hook.

WTF people?

So today I called the phone company to see about getting the number blocked. For six dollars a month I can block her number. And that pisses me off. Why should I have to pay because some asshole that I don't know is calling me? The woman at the phone company agreed with me but couldn't do anything about it. Her only suggestion to me was that since I have their number have some guy call and say they are the police and threaten them with something. While an interesting idea, not quite the way I want to go. Oh yes, she also told me how to block my number from showing up if I decided I wanted to call and harass discuss the issue with them anonymously.

Instead, I called our local police and filed a report. I spoke with a very nice officer who said as a courtesy she would call the number and ask them not to call me again, but really, since they hadn't threatened me they couldn't do much more than that. If the calls continue though, she said to file a civil complaint.

Later the officer called and left a message that she had spoken to someone at that number, and it sounded like an old woman. She said that she didn't think the woman really understood what she was telling her or that she even believed that it was the police calling.

Just what I need, a senile old woman calling me over and over again. Wait, that's already happening with my MIL. Great, now I have two senile old women calling me.

So, I'm guessing that the solution the hubs came up with of getting an air horn to blow in the phone probably isn't a very good idea.

PSA

Everything you wanted to know about flatus but was afraid to ask.

Way to make mommy proud

Every Wednesday evening for the last six weeks we have had "Kids club" for Noah. Which is code for "social skills" class with his therapist.

Kids Club consists of eight 5, 6 and 7 year old boys all on the spectrum in some way. Noah is probably the highest functioning of all the boys (which still feels odd for me to say, because I don't really considering functioning to be Noah's problem, but I digress).

Last week he had to leave the group about 15 minutes in because he was overstimulated and was hitting and spitting on the other boys and the therapist. I took him out for a few minutes and he calmed right down. He went back in and it started all over. We finally took him home about 15 minutes before the hour was up.

He had had a rough day that day. He didn't sleep well because of thunderstorms the night before, and then his class went on a field trip to the zoo, where he was stung by a wasp. So I figured he'd had a rough day, where he had managed to keep it together pretty well until then, so maybe this behavior was just him being exhausted.

Well, tonight, we removed him less than half way through the class because he was kicking the other kids. This time I saw him do it, and it wasn't exactly gentle kicks.

He won't be going back next week.

He had a great day at school today, but as soon as he got to Kids club he started acting out. I think some of it is for attention. He likes Michelle, the therapist, and I think he gets jealous when she is paying attention to the other boys? I think it is unfair to her and to the other kids to keep him in the class if this is how he is going to behave, when it means she has to pay more attention to him and making sure he isn't hurting anyone else.

His emotional age when it comes to things like this is about two I think. Any attention is good to him, negative or positive. I'm at a loss as to how to get him to see the difference.

Oh yes, Mommy is so proud...

Movie Monday - Happy baby!

Is there anything better than the sound of a baby laughing?

I've noticed movie Monday is my least commented on post. I realize not everyone wants to take the time to load and watch a home video. I get it and I'm OK with that. I'm going to keep doing them, but they are more a way for me to routinely document my kids lives. This one isn't too long: one minute, 11 seconds.

Show and Tell

We are supposed to be going to a reunion party today for local families that adopted from the same baby home Noah lived in in Vidnoye, Russia.

Friends of ours have this party every year around this time. And every year it seems, it rains. This year we are having the mother of all thunderstorms.

So the party got me thinking of when we adopted Noah, almost five years ago! August 11 will be his 5th "gotcha" day. So I started looking through some pictures and it sure brought back memories. Thought I'd share some pictures we took while we were in Russia.

Noah snuggled up on my chest in the Baby Bjorn.

Sleeping in a park in Moscow.

Katia and Alyona were our adoption facilitators. They held our hand through everything and were our interpreters.

Daddy and Noah outside the baby home in Vidnoye.

Noah in the bassinet on the plane flying home from Russia. The trip home was quite an event. Maybe someday I'll write about it.

Mom mom and PaPa first meet Noah.

All good memories. I almost forgot what a beautiful little baby he was. So handsome!

Kids at the movies

It's 9:15 pm and we are just home from date night. Oh boy do we lead an exciting life...

We saw the new Batman movie. It was good...intense. We both enjoyed ourselves. Then we went and had a few drinks before my boobs became so full and painful I begged to go home so I could pump. Oh yea, fun times.

But the real point of this post was my amazement at how many kids were there with their parents to see Batman. Young kids. Like under six.

Is it just me? Are my expectations out of whack? We would never let Noah see that movie. He would be freaked out for years! Even if he could handle the noise the content of the movie was way too intense and scary. Are other 5 year olds really able to handle it OK?

We saw one Dad there with three kids, all under five. One was probably around 18 months.

Maybe I'm just too protective.

This post may be deleted shortly

So my mother emailed the other day and asked if she and my dad could read my blog.

I threw up just a little bit.

And have yet to answer.

Crap! What the hell? First I'm "twooced*" at work, now my parents want access?

In all seriousness though I'm not really sure how to handle this. Of course they will be hurt if I say no. And my mother will be sure I'm writing all kinds of nasty things about her.

Rich thinks I should say yes and just tell her if she reads something on here that she doesn't like she has to talk to me about it, not get mad and stew about it. He also thinks maybe it will be good for her to read what is really going on in our life, especially with Noah.

I'm worried though that I'll feel I need to censor myself. I'm already doing it somewhat because of work. Although, as I think about it, I guess it's not holding me back too much.

I guess it goes back to the post I wrote a while back about what direction I want to take this blog.

What do you guys think?


* twooced = my version of being "dooced" because of twitter


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Baby got diaper

No movie Monday this week. Sorry. Just not enough time to put one together. But, in its place I have this picture, that I took at the mall yesterday. Unfortunately, I wasn't that close when I took it on my phone, but hopefully you can get the idea.


See the little boy? See his diaper? See what's below? His pants, yes. But what is even harder to see is that his pants have a belt, and they are deliberately situated low on his hips gangsta style (is that the right term? Shit, I'm so not in touch with the current lingo.). To show off his diaper!

Can't make this shit up people!

Edited to add: I need to make it clear guys, this was done to this poor child on purpose!!!! This was not a case of pants not fitting right, his parents gave him this look ON PURPOSE! I saw him several times over the course of about an hour and he was like this every time. Truly unbelievable!

data art

I found the link to this at Magpie Musing today. So I ran Mommy Needs Therapy through it and this is what appeared.

What do the colors mean?
blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags

Two bodies love me!

Wow, what a wonderful surprise to receive a comment from Kelly at A Rainbow after the Rain and from Katia at Crazy for Trying telling me they had both awarded me this:

Wow, I'm so honored! Thank you so much ladies! This is my first award! Whoohooo

And now, I get to pass it on. Here are the rules:


Upon winning this award you are tasked with the following rules…

You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.


So here are my five recipients...

Deb at Postcards from the Edge because she's like my crazy "older" sister. hehehehe And she's about to get a new blog design which is going to rawk!

Pam at Pantsfreesia because she makes me laugh with every post. And she loves her cats as much as I love mine.

Aunt Becky at Mommy wants Vodka because she gets having a kid like Noah. And I love her blog header. And she makes me laugh. And, well, she has this tiny little baby growing inside her that is kicking her ASS. So give her some love!

And finally...Bejewell at The Bean because she too makes me laugh, and think. I just found her blog a couple weeks ago, and she doesn't know me at all. But heh, how else does a stalker get her start?

And really finally, finally, because clearly I can't fucking count, Mell at Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters because she is just plain awesome and both Mell and her blog have had a huge impact on me.

This was not the cat butt that was aimed at my face

Although the rest of him looks suspiciously like my gassy cat.

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Dear cat,

Why must you wake me up by farting in my face at night?

Please stop!

Love,

Mama

Movie Monday - Robbie hates Elmo

This is my friends dog Robbie. He doesn't like Elmo, or Barney, or puppets on TV in general.

I know the quality sucks, took it on my cell phone. And it only took me five hours to figure out how to get it off my cell, on to my laptop, find a program that would convert it and play it, then edit it and post it. I am THAT good. Ughhh....

Show and Tell - my new blog look!

For show and tell this week I am very excited to show off my new blog design! Thanks so much to Shawna at See My Designs by Shawna for my new look.

Shawna was great to work with and put up with all my "could we try" and "I'm not sure about the color" bits. And her prices were very affordable. Shawna girl, you don't charge enough!

I highly recommend See My Designs by Shawna!

Wordless Wednesday

The first time we met Noah!

Proud

Noah has a lot of sensory sensitivities that have turned in to phobias and fears.

He is scared of public toilets, especially automatic flushers.

He is scared of movies because they are so loud. I took him to see Shrek Three last summer and he was so scared by a preview of The Transformers Movie that we had to leave. He is incredibly sensitive to violence and anything that shows shooting, yelling, fighting, etc. completely freaks him out.

He is terrified of thunder storms, which translates to fireworks as well. Last summer we were able to watch them from his bedroom window. As long as the window was closed he couldn't really hear them.

Well, let me tell you about this weekend. We have made a break through!

This weekend Noah went with us to watch fireworks and loved it! He started out with his hands over his ears as we were walking to them, even though they had not started yet. Once they started he kept his hands over his ears for a while, then only covered one ear, then eventually wasn't covering them at all. I was so proud of him! No more fear of fireworks!

Then Saturday we ran some errands and then ended up at the mall. About ten minutes after we got there he told us he had to pee. In the past when that happened we have had to go home. A few times we have taken him to the bathroom and he promised to try, but once there he has freaked out and wasn't able to even try, even if there were no automatic flushers.

Well, this time he did it! We kept talking up how proud we were that he had not been scared of the fireworks. I think he was proud of himself and that helped. And he pee'd like a champ!

And Sunday, we started talking about going to see Wall-E. At first he was all "no thank you," but I found a trailer for it on YouTube and showed it to him. He got excited and said "OK Daddy, lets go." And they went, and he loved it.

Three phobias tackled in one weekend! Woo hoo!! Noah you RAWK! We are so proud!

Movie Monday

Eeeekkk....there's a shark in the pool!

Bloggy thoughts to ponder

I've reached a point with my blog where I think I need to make some decisions. Over the last couple months I've been gaining readers and it has made me realize how much I enjoy blogging. And that I want to do more with it. I've joined some blog communities like what Mell has created at Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters and of course the Philly Mom Bloggers (PMB) group (you can see all our members on my sidebar).

I've also started some recurring weekly posts on here, including Movie Monday, Tackle it Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday and Show and Tell. I like the structure they offer and the impetuous to post regularly.

So, I'm growing a bit and I feel I need to make some decisions.

1. Re. my anonymity
I moved blogs a few weeks ago because of my coworker and boss reading my old blog. Well, it turns out my coworker found me again. Don't ask, she had to put some work in to finding me, but apparently she was determined.
So, it started me thinking that really, it's impossible for me to keep this blog anonymous unless I password protect it, which I don't want to do. So, I have a couple choices if I want to keep blogging. I either censor myself knowing that people in my real life are reading, or, I learn to not care. And I adopt the attitude that if they choose to read they take the risk that they might not like what I have to say.
I've decided to go the "learn not to care" route but remember that "words are powerful."

My husband knows he is welcome to read any time, but he rarely does. He accepts that this is my place to vent.
My parents know about my blog but have chosen not to read it and as far as I know do not know how to find it. Which is a good thing, because my mother would be horrified I'm sure.
As for my coworker and boss? Well, if she/they want to read I guess they will have to accept that they too might not like everything on here. I do follow some guidelines, always have, which include not posting where I work, the company name, our clients names, etc., or what specifically I do. I'm not going to bash my company, etc. However, if I have a tough day or need to vent about my coworkers, this should be my place to do it. I don't purposely set out to hurt anyone and have no plans on intentionally being mean. What I can't help is that some of them are incredibly sensitive.

Should I be more careful of what I say on here in general, especially if I make it more public to those in my real life, specifically my friends, that I have this blog?

The fact is, that very few people in our life know the origins of Kiel. It has nothing to do with us being embarrassed, but more that it is hard to explain to people and we think that it should be something for Kiel to share if he wants when he is older. Not us. It isn't as "in your face" as Noah's adoption is. But, that leaves me with the issue that no one in Rich's family knows about it.

I don't want to delete that part of my blog because I like that others can find it and learn about our story, and it might help them if they are going through it.

2. also, re. my anonymity
I already post pics of my family. It seems kind of silly that I use pseudonyms to refer to them. I'm thinking that I may just use their names from now on. It would certainly be a whole lot easier that way.

3. Am I ready for a total blog makeover?
As in, am I ready to put out some money for a new blog design? I think I am. I just don't know what I want it to look like. I've never been good at being creative from scratch unfortunately. I'm much better once I have the idea in my head, then I can make it work.

4. Should I allow ad's?
I was recently emailed an offer for a behavior program for kids for free if I would review and link to it from my blog. I could actually make some money if people buy it from my referral. I need to look in to it some more, but it does look like there aren't any real downsides to it. Unless of course I think the whole thing is crap. Then I certainly would not advertise it on here.
That offer got me thinking, plus some conversations I've had with some of the PMB's and I think I may see what happens if I do put ads on in general.

What do you guys think? I'd love to hear from those of you that don't keep your blog anonymous.

Show and Tell

Every year at Christmas I receive a new Danish Christmas plate. They used to come from my Grandmother and now from my parents. These plates are a tradition in my family. My parents have a large collection with plates going back to around the 1920's I believe.

My family on my mother's fathers side is Danish. My great grandparents both emigrated from Denmark to the US, independently of each other, when they were teenagers back in the early 1900's. I never knew my great-grandfather, but I was quite close with my great-grandmother until she passed away when I was 14.

Two companies in Denmark make these plates: Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grøndahl.

According to this site: The Danish Christmas Plate Collection began in 1895 with a plate titled "Behind the Frozen Window" by the Bing & Grondahl company. The Royal Copenhagen firm began making their own Christmas Plate in 1908 with a plate titled "Maria with Child". Both companies have continued to make a plate each year with many varied and charming designs.

These are two of my favorites:

The oldest plates I have are from 1957:

I especially like the one of the Christmas tree as it shows a couple items that remind me of my great-grandmother. I have a candle holder and candle similar to the one on the tree that used to be hers. (Don't worry, it has never been lit.) She used to help me make the two-colored heart that is on the plate. They actually open up and are little bags/baskets. They will always remind me of her.

Receiving one of these plates is always one of the highlights for me at Christmas. I look forward every year to hanging another one on my dining room wall.

Graphic help needed!

I'm looking for someone to help me design a logo for Mommy Needs Therapy. If anyone out there is interested and will do it for reasonable compensation please contact me. mommyneedstherapy @ gmail (dot) com.

My 200th post!!

To celebrate my 200th post I wanted to do something special. I know this isn't all that original, but it's all I could think of. So, here are 200 things about me!

1. I'm not sure I can come up with 200 things about me
2. I like cats
3. I like dogs
4. I do NOT like birds
5. I have two boys
6. I'd love to be pregnant again
7. I've been married almost eight years
8. We live in a townhouse
9. I wish we lived in a real house with our own yard
10. However, I hate to do yard work
11. I used to own my own house
12. I did not have the best yard on the block
13. I did however have awesome wood floors that I refinished myself
14. I like to do creative projects around the house
15. I put down the laminate floor in our refinished basement myself
16. I've done all the creative painting in our house
17. I hate the prep work and clean up of painting
18. but I'm pretty darn good at the actual painting
19. Our bedroom is the only room in the house we haven't painted yet
20. This is because Amazing Daddy and I can't agree on a color
21. I let my seven month old watch the Teletubbies
22. I may be a bad mom
23. I am not a morning person
24. My ideal day would start at 9am
25. And I wouldn't go to bed until 1am
26. And there would be a nap sometime in the afternoon
27. I tend to have the TV on all day, even if I'm not watching it
28. I spend far too much time on my laptop
29. I love my job - most of the time
30. But my boss can drive me crazy at times
31. I think I am good at what I do
32. I get hurt when I find out someone has not been honest with me
33. I loved being pregnant
34. It was the only time in my life I was happy with my body
35. My breasts have always fascinated me
36. I love that I can breastfeed my baby
37. Even if I have to take fenugreek and domperidone to keep my supply up
38. Pumping however, is a bit of a chore
39. I make my own baby food for Kiel
40. Sometimes I make vegetables for him that I don't like - like beets
41. I sometimes think I am funnier than I really am
42. I like to sew
43. and do needlepoint
44. and crochet
45. I love to read
46. Right now I am reading Seven Ancient Wonders by Matt Reilly
47. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to come up with 200 things
48. I'm actually pretty damn boring
49. I'm a couch potato
50. I hate exercising
51. I really hate being hot and sweaty
52. I love to take baths
53. I love to read in the baths
54. I can spend an hour or more in the bath if I get the time
55. I rarely get the time
56. I have my own little sewing business
57. It is very little
58. In fact, it has been almost a year since I have accepted any orders.
59. I wish I could draw
60. I love nap time.
61. I'm not very good at keeping up with my kids baby books.
62. In fact I downright suck at it.
63. My husband and I met in a chat room in May 1999.
64. He came to visit me nine years ago this week.
65. Our first date lasted a week.
66. Yes, we had The Sex on our first "date."
67. But we had been talking on the phone every day for over a month by then.
68. I fell in love with him before I ever met him in person.
69. Adopting Noah and giving birth to Kiel were the two most amazing things I have ever done.
70. Better even than the first time I soloed when taking flying lessons.
71. Oh yeah, I took flying lessons when I was 22.
72. I ran out of money to get my pilots license.
73. I was a licensed EMT when I was 18.
74. I rocked the exams, but never had the confidence to really do anything with it.
75. I was going to be a doctor.
76. But I decided I wanted more of a life than that would allow me.
77. So I went to pharmacy school.
78. But that was after I was the Assistant Director of Campus Safety at the college I graduated from.
79. I decided I did not like busting fraternity parties.
80. I would rather be drinking at them.
81. My mother suggested I be a pharmacist.
82. So I said OK.
83. Not much thought went in to that decision.
84. It's worked out OK for me though.
85. I don't like beer
86. but I love hard cider
87. I prefer to read fiction over non-fiction
88. I prefer interesting and exciting fiction over what others consider "good writing"
89. I can be incredibly shy
90. I hate large gatherings
91. I suck at small talk
92. Given a choice, I'd rather be at home
93. unless it has to do with going out to a fancy restaurant
94. I love to drink wine.
95. I also love fru fru fruity type drinks
96. I used to be hugely addicted to Diet Coke
97. I play the piano
98. I used to play the trombone
99. Yes, I was a band geek in high school
100. I was also the valedictorian
101. and graduated with a 4.0
102. and was voted most likely to succeed
103. and most intelligent
104. they were all very mislead
105. I was sophomore class president
106. in college I was a Delta Gamma
107. in pharmacy school I was in a co-ed fraternity, Kappa Psi
108. I did not have a 4.0 in pharmacy school
109. however, I was voted outstanding graduate in my class
110. I did 'shrooms with one of my pharmacy professors
111. it was fascinating
112. but I won't do it again because I liked it far to much
113. my favorite flowers are spring flowers - lilacs, tulips, daffodils, peony's
114. I always wanted to get married in the spring, and carry lilacs
115. instead I was married in the fall
116. I don't remember what flowers I carried
117. My house is a mess
118. I am NOT a good house keeper
119. I wish I could afford to hire someone to clean for me
120. I'm a decent cook
121. and a great baker
122. but I really hate to make dinner
123. unless it is for a dinner party
124. I've made and decorated cakes that others have told me looked professional
125. If i could make a living doing something creative like that I would
126. but I could never make enough money
127. I have expensive tastes
128. We have three cats
129. We used to have four, but one had butt cancer
130. I used to have a Bouvier named Sabena
131. She had a stroke when she was 15 years old
132. She had to wear a diaper towards the end
133. I've backpacked around Europe and the United Kingdom
134. I spent a semester in college in Stirling, Scotland
135. I've climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
136. I've kissed the Blarney Stone
137. I know how to drive a stick
138. I grew up on a farm
139. I used to have my own pig
140. his name was Wilbur
141. I also had my own pitchfork
142. When I was a kid my job was to collect the eggs from the hen house
143. Chickens can be mean
144. Did I mention I'm scared of birds?
145. I got in big trouble at work because of something I said on Twitter
146. It is the reason I changed my blog name
147. I really wish I could be pregnant again
148. and have another baby
149. maybe when Kiel is three
150. but it will be too late by then
151. and my husband would have a fit
152. My wrists and hands are failing me
153. I had carpel tunnel surgery on my right hand just before the IVF procedure that resulted in Kiel
154. I'm not very good at playing with Noah
155. I lose my patience very quickly
156. I still haven't sent out birth announcements for Kiel
157. but I do think I finally figured out where I am going to order them from
158. I love chocolate
159. but prefer white/vanilla cake over chocolate cake
160. I'm not very good at eating my vegetables
161. I eat too much junk
162. I still have a teddy bear
163. and I sleep with it at night
164. I wish I was a better writer
165. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to grammar
166. but I write for a living
167. I'm not good with confrontation
168. I try very hard to admit and acknowledge when I am wrong
169. or hurt someone
170. I miss my grandmother terribly
171. I'm a picker
172. I was born in England
173. but we moved back to the states when I was two
174. Growing old scares me.
175. turning 40 this year was hard for me
176. My husband is Jewish
177. we are raising our boys Jewish
178. I'm not religious
179. but I love Christmas
180. I really hate dieting
181. I'm not ready yet to move Kiel out of our room in to his own.
182. I miss him when I'm at work during the day.
183. I do see a therapist.
184. She helps me more than wine.
185. But I still drink wine.
186. Sometimes I get sucked in to infomercials.
187. I never return my library books on time.
188. But, I always pay my overdue fines.
189. I'd like to see this blog become something.
190. I've been asked to contribute on another much larger blog.
191. I'm very excited about doing that.
192. I really cherish having my alone time.
193. If I don't get it I get very bitchy.
194. I love to travel,
195. but I love coming home even more.
196. I love buying books and toys for my children.
197. I hate putting laundry away.
198. I also hate unloading the dishwasher.
199. I love my husband and my kids, even when they drive me crazy.
200. I know that I am a very lucky woman.

Wow, I made it! And if you read all of these I'm amazed and pleasantly surprised.

A big thank you to all my readers! It means so much to me that there are people out there that want to read what I write. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wordless Wednesday

(Did not) Tackle it Tuesday

Home with sick baby today. Unfortunately, the only thing I tackled today was taking a shower. Didn't think before and after pics would be appreciated.

Will be home with baby again tomorrow. My goal is to at least hang up the pictures I framed last week. Aim high I say!

So, I'm two posts away from hitting 200. Any thoughts on what I should do for that 200th post? Seems like I should try for something special.