smartphone...is it smart?

So for school I am supposed to have a smartphone that has windows mobile. At first I was way excited...what a great excuse to have a really cool phone. Now I am a little hesitant. I love emails, I love blogs, and I have to admit I do enjoy facebooking. But with this phone it will be at my fingertips. I guess I feel like I am signing my life away--you know the phrase a "crackberry"? Well I just don't want this smartphone thing to be a "crackberry."

But also, if anyone reads this out there and has any strong opinions about the Treo 750 or the Tilt I would appreciate it...I have until late July till I sell my soul. And no, I can't use an iPhone or blackberry or blackjack. I would sell my soul to the iPhone. Not really, but they are pretty cool.

And I leave you with a picture of my son without a mullet. Sadly there are not many pictures that are appropriate for a blog from our lake trip...we were trying to dry out a diaper rash which means that we were running a baby nudist colony for a day or so. But coming soon...Wiley goes on a sea-doo and tubing...wild child!

Mullet?

You decide...Actually, I already did...it was heading that way, so off to get a haircut we went. And I bribed him. With candy. I'm not ashamed.

A day in the life of taking a 2 year old to school...

So, I supposed that I should update friends on what is going on here in B'ham since we are all scattered to the wind this summer...

Perhaps the most exciting part of this summer is that Wiley is in school (I prefer the word 'school' to 'daycare'). As I was driving to my school, UAB, this morning, I was thinking about how Wiley is doing in school. Then I thought about the application process. For those of you who haven't done this yet, in my eyes it is almost as exciting and nerve-racking as applying to college. Yes, I'm probably being a bit dramatic, but I tell you--when I got the call that we were #1 on the waitlist, That was a good day. And then when I got the call that we had gotten in--well, that called for a celebratory dinner along with a whole list of phone calls to be made to family and friends so that they too could partake in the excitement and relief that is getting into daycare, I mean, school.

And so you might ask, how is Wiley doing in school? Well, each morning we get dressed, eat breakfast, have a happy little get out of the house routine. And each morning we cry about going to school. The difference has been that we no longer cry when we see the church (where he goes to school) but that we cry when mommy picks up the pen to sign in. I mean, we all have our morning routines. I enjoy my tea when I get home from taking him and Wiley perhaps just prefers a little cry to start off his day.

And not to worry, Mrs. Sha'nique and Mrs. Mildred and Mrs. Melissa are all ready to take on the Wiley-man and his morning routine, and assure me that he is fine and will stop crying five minutes after I leave. (Which I wonder if this is true or not...I mean, would they really say, Yes Mrs Cooper, your child cried for approximately 36 minutes before he would calm down.--that would be traumatic.) 5 minutes I can deal with. After all, it is our first time in school.

Maybe the best part is picking him up, when the other children run to him and say your mom is here and he runs to the door or gate and keeps saying Mama, Mama...like "I knew you would show up."

His favorite attempt at an exit strategy would be listing off the names of possible people he could go see instead of going to school. This usually begins at the top of the hill where you first see the church.
"Go see Daddy? Go see Baba? Go see Big Dean? Go see T? Go see Aunt B? Go see Pop? Go see Uncle G? Go see Aunt Sissy? Go see Uncle Dada? Go see Emy?" Accompanied in between with my replies as to why we cannot go see the aforementioned friend or family member. I think it is pretty clever. I think he hopes that I will see his clear line of thinking and why it would be better to go play with Emy as opposed to going to school--unfortunately, none of those friends are under the age of 10. And fortunately all the children at school (in his class) are 2.

That is right. Wiley B. is hanging out with children his own age. Children that are not stressed about MCATS and LSATS and GRES, who do not worry about if their major will actually be useful, who are not freaking out because they are in the real world or will be graduating in a year, who cannot buy alcohol, who cannot write 5 research papers in a week, etc. etc.

I know, I know what you are thinking. Well, of course he is crying--suddenly you throw him in with people that are his age, who do not hold him and pamper him and think he is the cutest thing ever (which he is)...he is one of however-many 2 year olds. My, what a change, for this little college baby!

Home

Wiley has started "preschool"/daycare at Canterbury. He has done well given that it is his first time in childcare that is not at his house. But that is not the point of this post...

We are coming back to the apartment here in B'ham to go for a walk. Wiley keeps asking for apple juice (repeatedly, of course) and I keep saying (repeatedly, of course) that we don't have apple juice in the car and he will have to wait till we get home.

And then, the thought struck me that in a couple/few years, Wiley will understand the word home. And then I pictured him saying,"Mommy, this is not home. Home is at Wake Forest." It made me think about our somewhat transient lifestyle and where my home really is.

The other week when I took Wiley to the dentist to check on a tooth he had bumped and had been bothering him I had to fill out the usual paperwork. When the line for address came, I paused. "What is my home address...should I put my parent's house, or our apartment in Winston?" This happens a lot. I often put my parent's address for important documents since we claim Alabama residency still, but that is not where I live. Wil puts his parent's address when he fills out the address line in forms. My husband and I don't even put down the same address sometimes! How bizarre!

So, I'm still thinking about this. The fact that I'm not sure where I should hang my hat, so to speak. The fact that I hang it in W-S mid August- mid December and again from mid January to the beginning of May. In December I hang it at 2 houses. In the summer I hang it at another apartment.

I always tell Wil, I just can't wait to have my own front porch. I can't wait to not have to walk down 3 flights of stairs to go play outside. I don't care if I actually have a front porch, but it would be nice. I think I just would really like to not have to hesitate when I am filling out forms that have the dreaded line of "address." And you know they all have those!

So as I am thinking this, I realize how ungrateful I am being. Here I am, driving a really nice car down a beautiful road, with a healthy boy in a really safe carseat in the back who has just come from a wonderful childcare center at the church I grew up in. I'm coming "home" to an amazing apartment that a gracious family is letting us stay in for the summer (saving my sanity, at the same time!) that is in a safe neighborhood. Moreover, I have listed in my head and here FOUR places that I could call "home." Four. Four places to hang my hat. What about those families, those mothers who don't know where they will hang their hat tonight? What about those who call a homeless shelter "home?"

I am so lucky, so blessed, to have these four places to call "home." I know that my feelings about having a permanent address are real, that they are okay to feel, and that anyone with a family, particularly the mom, has those feelings--the need to settle, to nest. But at the same time, I want to remember to thank the Lord that I have a home, no matter how temporary it may be. I know that I need to remind myself to be at peace in the place I am in right now, to be thankful for what has been given--because I certainly did or do anything to deserve any of it.

So, until the day that I have my own front porch, I will hesitate at the address line, but from now on, I hope that when I hesitate I will thank the gracious Lord that I have four places, four shelters, four safe places, that I can call "home."

Sleeping Late

Home for a couple days before we are off to our next destination, Wil and I were quite tired from our past two trips, but more recently the beach. But apparently Wiley was too. And he should be since he woke up at 6:30 am each day--which is totally not normal for him.

He woke up early this morning too, but I let him talk and play. Finally, Wil got him, changed him, and brought him downstairs to play with us--anything to get a few more minutes of rest. So, we play for probably 30-45 minutes with Wiley in bed, climbing all over us. And then, something magical happened. We always try to get him to lay down with us, hoping he'll go to sleep, and for some reason today--he did!

I said, "Wiley let's go back to sleep with mommy and daddy...lay down your head on mommy's pillow." And he did. I start falling asleep and next thing i know he is asleep too! And didn't wake up till 10 am!!! Amazing! How wonderful to sleep in with the little one. Although while he was sleeping I woke up and all I could think about was his nap schedule is going to be so messed up....ahh oh, well. It was worth it, I think!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Sadly, I have not had a chance to post much of anything---We've been out of town quite a bit and really, I'm not sure anything blog-worthy has happened. Maybe this makes you hope for a post even more?

The sailing trip around St. Martin, Anguilla, and St. Barths was amazing. Such a relaxing trip.

The return home to Wiley was even better. More hair, more curls, and more words! He is going to be so much fun this summer! We had our first Dentist appointment to check on a tooth that Wiley had fallen hard on when chasing his Daddy around the kitchen. It is wiggly, or "mobile" as the Dentist put it. ("Mobile"? I thought the word was loose, or wiggly?)And hopefully will stop being mobile if we keep him from biting hard foods. Wiley was fabulous but proceeded to be difficult in Zoes as he decided to rearrange all the "birthday cakes." I am pleased to announce that when Wiley eats he says "No boo boo" meaning "my mobile tooth is not causing me pain."

We are heading to the beach soon and taking him--I can't wait to see his reactions to the ocean, sand, the pool etc! It will be so fun to experience this with him for the first time! I forsee him being skeptical of the ocean. Skeptical then loving the pool. Then probably getting sand everywhere.

I wish there were more...Hopefully I can add a picture or two from the trip.

Shoutout to all of our Wake friends---my goodness do we miss you all!!! Eli and I walked today and it was so refreshing and fun. I can't believe some of our friends have graduate--yall are so old--and moving on with their lives from Wake.

Ah--the Wiley-man awakens---I'm off!

Birthday Pictures!

Here are a few pictures for our friends and family who weren't able to be here! We missed you all! I wish I could put a video on here, but I don't have the right cords to connect it. We had a birthday party at Davis Field on campus. Wiley had so many friends there, and he had a wonderful time playing in the grass with everyone. He did a lot of somersaults out there, too! He loved his animal cake, too! Wil and I are continually overwhelmed and thankful for our wonderful Wake Forest family. And Wiley just adores playing and being with you all. Happy Birthday Wiley-man!









We hope that you all enjoy the pictures!!