Life with Dylan

Author: Michelle

  • Wordless Wednesday – My Valentine

  • My Little Bookworm

    What could be better than reliving your childhood memories through your child? Not much that I can think of. Visiting Disneyland and seeing the park through a child’s eyes is one thing, but being able to share stories with your child is another. Dylan has decided to take part in the Book Club offered through his school library and the first book is one that I remember vividly.

    Who doesn’t love Judy Blume? I think I am more excited to read this classic tale of the mishaps between Fudge, Peter, and of course Dribble the Turtle. Wait, when did my son start reading chapter books? Dylan is growing up so fast and I am so proud of his academic accomplishments. Gotta love my little bookworm!

  • Mom’s Serenity

    Everyone has their own way of relaxing and finding serenity. Some people enjoy long walks in nature, others a quiet room with a good book, and some find serenity in the kitchen.

    Today this is where I felt at peace. Armed with my Kitchen Aid mixer, flour, sugar, eggs, frosting bags, decorator tips, and all cupcake paraphernalia at my fingertips. For me, there is just something about using my creativity and baking skills to make something so delicate and so sweet. Some may find making cupcakes from scratch and decorating cupcakes too stressful and would rather just buy a box mix and spread the frosting with a knife. That’s ok … just not for me.

    Those who know me, know that I love any excuse to bake and tomorrow being Valentine’s Day made the decision that much easier. After a long week and a crazy Saturday, Dylan and I needed to relax and find peace today. (No, Dylan did not help bake today … he chose to find his serenity playing Mario Sports Mix on the Wii)

    Nothing too fancy today, meaning I did not get out the fondant and make cute little hearts. Instead I opted for pre-made conversation hearts that I had. Although I won’t eat more than 1 or 2 cupcakes, the serenity I found while baking was wonderful. I’m sure my friends and coworkers will enjoy a sweet vanilla cupcake with pink buttercream or a rich red velvet cupcake with cram cheese frosting. 
    What is your favorite cupcake flavor?

  • Fill In The Blank Friday

    So my good friend over at On the Rox turned me on to Fill In The Blank Friday’s (courtesy of the little things we do) So here goes …

      Join the Fun Here
    1. The TV show/website that I watch/read that I would be embarrassed to tell anyone about is … well, it’s not really embarrassing, but I tend to get addicted to shows like The Kardashians and I can be found watching TMZ late at night when there is nothing else to watch.
    2. An item of clothing that is worn and torn but that I love far to much to throw away is … no longer in my closet because I finally said good-bye. I had an XL sweatshirt from Disneyland that I bought when I was pregnant in 2003 and it was my go to comfy attire almost every night. Even though it was three sizes too big, I had an attachment to it. Not torn, but definitely worn.
    3. My grocery store impulse buy is … fresh baked bread and a chunk of brie.
    4. Something I do at work to pass time that I wouldn’t want my co-workers to know about is … I can’t share that somebody from work might read this. haha
    5. One thing in my life that I could give up, but never will is … my cable TV. There are just too many good shows on cable networks. What would I ever do without The Food Network? And how would Dylan survive without Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, and Nick@Nite?
    6. A little indulgence that I have is … waiting for Dylan to go to sleep and eating an entire bowl of popcorn all by myself while watching a movie on Lifetime or the Hallmark Channel with no interruptions.
    7. The junk drawer/area in my house is … not as bad as it use to be! There is a spot on the kitchen counter where mail, papers from school, receipts, and who knows what else gets piled up. I try to clean it once a week, but sometimes it goes for two weeks. Generally, this is where I can find the item I can’t find when I am looking everywhere else for it.

  • Communication

    “Mom, I need to talk to you” … just like that. So grown up. Of course I am thinking he has done something wrong and is finally ready to fess up. Wow, was I in for a shocker! Just minutes before Dylan said these seven little words I had asked him to clean up the Wii, his Nerf guns and get his book to read before bed. Oh, and I told him I was going to finish filling out his Otter Log. (Otter Logs are filled out weekly to track how many minutes he reads)

    So we sit on the couch and sensing that he was nervous, I told him he could tell me anything he wanted. He takes a deep breath and ‘lays into me’ … “Mom, you don’t have to be so mean to me when you tell me to clean up. You make me feel like a slob and it hurts my feelings. All you have to say is clean up the Wii. You don’t need to say Clean up the Wii, and the remotes, and the games. Just say the Wii. And I know the bullets go with the Nerf gun. Oh, and you don’t need to tell me you are filling out my Otter Log either. Just do it and put it in my homework folder.”

    Once I was able to get a word in I let him know that I understood and that I was sorry I made him feel like a “slob”, but that sometimes he doesn’t pick up and needs to be told each little thing. He informed me that his teacher called him a slob one time because his desk was messy and that it hurt his feelings. I said, “Maybe you need to work on that and make sure your desk stays clean” … He agreed.

    Communication at it’s finest.

    Now let’s read …

  • Wordless Wednesday – Kiss The Cook!

  • How Much Is Too Much?

    After school sports and clubs, Cub Scouts, homework, reading, chores … when do you say enough is enough? Do mom’s really have time for all this, or is it just because I am a single mom who works full time that I find this all a little crazy? Sure, we want our kids to be well rounded and participate in a variety of activities to find out what they really like, but when do they actually have time to be a kid? Dylan has tennis on Wednesday after school, Science Club on Thursday after school, Cub Scout activities and badges to earn, and about 40 minutes of homework plus a minimum 30 minutes of reading each night. I feel bad making him do chores and clean up his toys all the time because then he would have no time to play outside, watch TV, or play his video games. Now I know that TV and video games are not a priority, but the poor kid has been in school all day and then comes home to do more work. Kids need an outlet just like adults do.

    Almost every time he asks the kids next door to play they say they can’t play. Their mom has them in so many different activities (Art class, Music lessons, Singing lessons, Soccer, Running Club, and who knows what else) that these kids have no time to just PLAY. Is playing a thing of the past? Am I a bad mom because I don’t sign Dylan up for everything under the sun?

    I let him choose what he wants to do and he likes the activities he does. Cub Scouts is something that he enjoys with me and his Grandpa and the after school activities are teaching him new things and sportsmanship. We spend time on weekends doing art projects at home, puzzles, and he enjoys cooking and baking with me. So why sign him up for another class to learn art when I can do it with him and spend quality time together?

  • Dylan’s First Surgery

    As a parent, the last thing you want to think about is your child being sedated and having to undergo surgery. This is something that I had to think about for the last three months when a regular dental check-up in October determined that Dylan had Enamel Hypoplasia. (Click the link for full details/pics) This big scary word basically means that there is a defect in tooth enamel that results in less quantity of enamel than normal. The cause is unknown, but Pediatric Dentists believe the main cause is high fevers and/or high amounts of antibiotics during the first two years of life when the first year molars are being developed. So once again, the motherly gut instinct that his molars didn’t look right when they came in was correct.

    After several visits to a variety of Pediatric Dentists, I finally found one that I was happy with and that was “in network” for my insurance. Unfortunately, the extent of the hypoplasia was so deep that Dylan would have to be fully sedated for the treatment. They needed to dig out as much decay as possible on all four of his molars, trying to avoid baby root canals, and cap them all with silver crowns. And no, dental insurance does not cover sedation which is the most expensive part of the surgery. Was I ready for this? Not only financially, but emotionally? Yes, I understand this is a normal procedure; everyone gets crowns, but this is my baby and he is going to be fully sedated. Anything can happen while under anesthesia.

    Well, the procedure was scheduled for January 26th. I was told to hold my baby and give him a hug while he was given a shot that would knock him out. He cried, I rocked him, told him that I loved him, and within a minute his held fell back and he was out. After a 2 1/2 hour surgery, Dylan woke up and the dentist said everything went great. I was a nervous wreck the whole time and so thankful for good friends and family who were there with me. The anesthesiologist, dentist and her entire staff were wonderful! Dylan received a tote bag size goodie bag before the surgery and they were all so understanding of how I was feeling. Aside from the gum infection that set in the next day, which a week of antibiotics took care of, Dylan did great and is proud to show off his new silver teeth!

    The goodie bag …          Waking up …              2 of the 4 silver crowns

  • He Doesn’t Need “Mommy” Anymore

    I am not quite sure when this first started happening, but now it is a daily occurance. My little boy is growing up and demanding his privacy. No more leaving the bathroom door open. Not only does he close the door, but he informs me beforehand that he will be locking the door. He doesn’t get dressed in his room anymore, now he goes into the bathroom, closes the door and gets dressed in private. Not sure why he can’t just close his bedroom door and get dressed in there.

    The latest development in our household is the use of bright orange traffic cones. I guess the signs on his bedroom door were not clear enough. Now my son has lined up cones at the base of his door and hung a dreamcatcher on his doorknob (this will make noise if I try to open door) to make sure I stay out. Last night I was instructed to read the signs outloud to him and promise to always knock before I come in. At first I was like, wait … what do you mean I have to knock? Then I remembered being a child and loving it when my door was closed. Not that we are doing anything important, but the idea of having the door closed and being in your own little world is kind of cool. However, I do not remember doing this until I was 9 or 10 years old; Dylan is only 7!

    I want him to have his own identity and I know he is growing up, but it is hard letting go of my little baby. Oh, and one more thing I was told … “I think I am just going to call you MOM from now on”

  • Sleep is Overrated

    If I count the sleepless nights during pregnancy, it has been 8 years since I have had a full nights sleep. By a full night I mean more than 5 or 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I can remember being so excited when Dylan was a toddler and strong enough to open the refrigerator. I could fill a sippy cup with milk and he could get it when he woke up then crawl back in bed with me; I was good for at least another 30 minutes. Then he was old enough to use the remote and he could turn on the Disney channel and watch cartoons; this gave me almost another hour of sleep. Dylan is now 7 years old. He is fully capable of getting himself something to drink, a cereal bar to tide him over, watch some cartoons, play with Lego’s, or even play the Wii … so I am left wondering, Why must he always wake me up at 7am on a Saturday?

    Does he not realize that we do not have to go to work or school today? Or that I was up past 1 am working on homework or marketing projects for Shel Cosmetics? I only get about 5 hours of sleep during the week, so I treasure my weekends when I have the option to sleep until at least 8 am. Yes, I said option. As I sit here watching Dylan play Donkey Kong on the Wii I am reminded of what I seem to always complain about. Quality time with my son. Having me in the room watching him play, commenting every now and then on his game playing skills, and congratulating him when he beats a level is important to my son. I had 30+ years to sleep in on the weekends and soon it will be me trying to get him up when he is a teenager. So considering the limited amount of time that I have with my son before he is grown up and off to college … I can do without sleep.

    Besides, what other excuse would I have to order my Vanilla Macadamia Nut coffee in bulk direct from Hawaii? Quality time with my son and great Hawaiian coffee, Yes … sleep is definitely overrated!