1 month down...11 more to go.

2011 is speeding along. Jan 1st thur Jan 5th saw me in Michigan. Came back to NC just in time for a snow storm, which I hear is rather infrequent here. We got 3-4 inches; N. Raleigh got O. It took a few days for the white stuff to melt. This past weekend we enjoyed 67* weather. TJ 's hair is curling in the back, so cute. We were playing with the small-stuffed football today, his favorite, well, any ball is his favorite. I asked him to throw it to GG. It does leave his hand, but not always in my direction. Today he made sure I got the football..............he crawled over and ..gave it to me. AWWWW! I don't carry him up or down the steps, so he crawls up and down with me close behind. We have only done this 3-4 times. Today he not only crawled up, but instead of putting his knee on the next step, he put his foot [just the right one] on. Dang, he's so tall. Not interested in walking yet. Very affordable places to retire: #3 Raleigh NC #4 Charlotte NC .......yahoo.com

Everything

TJ's Dr. visit resulted in 'elective' surgery for his enlarged growth on his belly button. Nothing amiss, just not a good clamping when his umbilical cord was severed. The surgeon recommended waiting until April after TJ turns one. Less risk of anesthesia if past 1 year old. Still on the medical side....my wrist feels 99% better since I had the cortisone shot Jan 4th. Now I would like a cortisone shot in my right knee [only hurts to kneel on it - I know - don't kneel on it] and my right hip. The knee is not new, but the hip thing is. On a brighter note, I slept like shit last night, [coffee at 9:30pm] but was up at 3:45 am writing children's books. As I noted on 'Facebook' I have written 17 children's picture books. I'm also on my fourth painting. Rock on!

Check

Dog food...check. Cat food/litter...check. Full tank of gas...check. Cupboard with food... check. I am bound and determined NOT to charge ANYTHING on my Visa for the month of Feburary. A little charge here, a little charge there...by the end of the month - holy Batman! Not only do I not want to charge anything, I'm going to try and not spend ANY money.
If I have to keep a journal of every penny I spend, so be it. I swear, I don't NEED a thing! Wish me luck...

Naps and Night time.

For the first time since I have been TJ's daycare/Grandma, TJ fell asleep for his nap on my chest/lap. Previously, he always fell asleep in my arms with a bottle, song and blanket. Then I would move him to a flat surface. Heaven forbid, if the bottle fell out. Unfortunately the bottle always in the mouth for a nap carried over to night. Now Tim has to sleep with TJ for anybody to get any sleep. What a tangled web of crying-bottle-sleep we have gotten ourselves into. There is hope for a nights sleep; TJ will be weened one day. Today - no blanket, no song, no bottle. He just asked to be picked up on my lap, faced me and put his head on my neck/chest and feel asleep for two hours [with me pinned under him] and Lily squeezing in; I forgot...I was sitting in the 'Lazy Boy' recliner rocker. The same one that I rocked Jay to sleep in - fourteen years ago.

Reading

TJ sits still enough for me to read him a book. "Duck on a Bike" by David Shannon [illustrated by the author] seems to be the right story [animals/bikes], not too long, great pictures and just the right amount of words, not too many - not too few. I do wait to sit and read till TJ is a little tired because he is a very active boy. I have tried other books, but they just didn't have the right combination of factors. I'm a big proponent of counting from the get go. It seems to me that counting should come as naturally as talking, walking and eating. Numbers are a huge part of modern life. Two ears, two hands, one head, five fingers [high five] and 10 toes. Numbers/counting, are a big part of our day.

Wish me luck.

After having written 4 1/2 'children's picture books', I found a publisher [Blue Apple Books] in NJ and mailed the 4 finished manuscripts to ATTN: Submissions. I addressed the envelope in bright marker using a different color for every word, hoping it would get somebodies attention. Very colorful and child looking. Then, I took the envelope to the post office where I paid extra to have it 'signed for' when they receive it. I thought about sending the submission with a box of candy...... next time, if I need to find a different publisher. I have great ideas in my head about the illistrations. The fifth book is getting more finished and I have started my 6th.

I know

I know in my brain that I have everything that I need and then some. But somehow the Visa bill is always a shock when I get it. What could I possibly need? I have indoor plumbing, running hot and cold water, central air and heat, a comfy bed, a cat and dog, a laptop, flat screen TV for movies, a car, food and shelter. Somehow - someway I manage to spend a little here a little there until I'm astounded at how much I spend. Go figure.