Raising Dracula!

I guess it's time to come forward and admit to the world that I am a parent of a biter.

If you go to church with me or have been in a recent play group, you already know this. I try not to announce it in fear that my child will be labeled, but I think it's too late. Actions speak louder than words.

As he gets older and more verbal, he bites less and less. Up until recently it had been a while since the last incident and we were beginning to think those days were behind us. BUT I think with all the big changes that we have had over the last few weeks with moving, it has caused him to digress a little and he's had some biting incidences recently.

A while back, Mason was having incident after incident. As a parent of a biter, it's an emotional roller coaster. I've found that it's harder to deal with the extreme criticism of other parents then it is to deal with the actual behavior problem. Parents can be down right mean and rude when it comes to protecting their young. I get it. It's your baby. It's your job to protect them. But come on? Who's the parents and who are the toddlers??? I don't like that he did it any more than you do... especially since it's my kid who is doing the unacceptable behavior. I find that they not only now dislike my little vampire child, but also criticize me and the way I handle the situation after it has happened. UGH! No one wins here.

In Mason's case, he bites when he is frustrated and dealing with a confrontation such as a toy is being taken from him. Or on extreme days (more so before he was 2) when he was tiered, hungry, or doesn't feel that he is getting enough attention, etc.

The more verbal he has become the better it has gotten. I have been able to teach him to "Use his words" or say "HELP!" before the situation escalates. This has become very effective for him and has saved him many times when he was almost going to bite a child. He plays VERY well with older children who can communicate well with him now. He use to have problems biting them as well. We haven't had any older children or cousins bit in a very long long time.

Now it is only happening when he is with a group of other 2 year olds who don't have the vocabulary to talk it out. (Come one people.... THEY'RE TWO for crying out loud!!) He actually can speak very well for a two year old, but I think he realized that the little ones haven't found their own voices yet and he needs to use drastic measures to let them know that he means business. Instead of saying to them "No, I was playing with this toy!" Or "Please give it back to me", he BITES them. An extreme measure to get a point across.

As a mom, I understand that biting hurts. I've also come to learn that this does not mean that I am a bad parent. Don't get me wrong. I understand where everyone is coming from. Their child got hurt and it was my child who did it. No one wants to put their children into a situation that will cause their child pain or fear. I am just like the rest of them. I don't want that for Mason either.

I have been dealing with this for over a period of a year, and I'm sure I am just like any parent who has a problem with their child.. what do we do?... we read. We try to educate our selves and look for ways to prevent it from happening again. We also talk to other parents to see if they have dealt with the situation. That's what I'm doing now. I need your guys help and advise.

The problem is that the more I try to talk to people about this, the more I hear that they've never dealt with the situation themselves, and usually don't have any great advise to give. So I'm opening this subject up to the blogging world in hopes that others are willing to come forward and talk about it. I may not get any where with this (since only 3 or 4 people comment normally on my blog!) But if you are a lurker, please feel free to comment NOW!

Things that have NOT worked for me with Mason is:

Biting him back (Sadly I tried... hasn't helped the situation!)
Telling him NO! (obviously)
Spanking (He starts hitting AND biting!)
Time Out (helps, but still doesn't solve the problem!)

Things that I have tried that are working:

Hot Sauce
Vinegar
Time out
Removing him from the situation (i.e. going home on really bad days!)
And talking him through situations as they occur. (i.e. instead of biting, try saying HELP!) or come and get mommy to help you, etc.

If anything else, I hope this post will help someone to achieve a greater understanding and compassion towards people who like me who are going through struggles and feel a little alone.

For starters, here's a link that has helped me.

Babycenter Link: How can I stop my toddler from Biting??

All in all, I'm hopeful that he wont grow up to be a vampire where I will have to hide him away from the world in hopes that he wont hurt anyone else. But I think the only thing I have really come to understand is that he's 2. He wont be 2 forever and he will eventually grow up and grow out of this phase of life and onto something else. I guess that is why they call it the terrible 2's (and 3's and 4's and 5's!) =)

No internet... boo hoo.

You'd think I would be welcoming the idea of not being tied to my computer for a few days, but lets face it... it STINKS! I'm so addicted to blogging and surfing the web that I have hardly been able to stand this hiatus! BUT the internet/cable guy comes on Tuesday Morning! Yipee! I can't wait! Meanwhile I will be sneaking into my parent's house and using their internet here and there to get my quick fixes on all my fav blogs!

P.S. With all the extra time I've had without a computer, I finally finished reading Breaking Dawn a few nights ago. I LOVED IT! BUT... NOW WHAT?? I guess I can finally start reading Edward's book, Oh, and maybe The Host too. But if anyone is onto a new book/series, PLEASE SHARE! I would love to start getting into something else!

Dieting...

I just found a website that tells you the calories of many of the most popular restaurants.

www.dietfacts.com

Shane and I have been trying to make better eating choices and are both starting to loose a little weight. The hardest part about doing this is the eating out factor. You can eat a weeks worth of healthy food and blow it all in one night eating out. Hopefully this website will help you out if you are in the same boat as us!

Living in the moment!

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).


With so much happening as we are getting our house unpacked, I started to notice that every time I went to open a new box and start on a new little project, Mason would run up to me screaming "HELP! HELP! MOMMY! HELP!" I realized that I wasn't giving him enough of my attention and he was now trying in desperation to get any attention of mine he could get. I've found him acting up and acting out a little bit more, I'm sure to try and get whatever he could from me whether it be good or bad.

This morning I came across this quote again, and I decided that today I was going to live more in the little moments as they came up and not be in such a hurry to move onto the next box, or the next thing that needs to get done. I think Mason will appreciate having his mommy back again. So we're off to go play at the park and set up some choo-choo trains.

Inspired

If you haven't noticed already, I have added two buttons to the side of my screen.

They say "I read Nie Nie" and "C me read C Jane".

If you haven't been tempted to click and read already, you should do so. Stephanie Nielson and her husband, Christian's story is touching and inspiring. I am also very inspired by Stephanie's sister's blog as she captures thoughts and feeling about her sister and Stephanie's young family that she is caring for.

I love that this family has come together on so many different levels to do all that they can for their dear sister and brother-in-law. You can tell that they have really grasped the concept that Families are Forever. And they truly love one another and will do anything it takes to care for each other. It's inspiring that this family and their great message is being spread through out the world to people like me who have never met these people.

I feel like I have been blessed to be in a family like theirs. I know that if something were to ever happen to Shane and I that we have so many family members who would immediately step up and take care of business, but in the most loving way possible. These concepts have been taught to us since we were babies. If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, you know what I am talking about. Our church puts a huge emphasis on the Family.

As Shane was getting ready for work this morning we happened to turn on the Today Show. And the first thing we saw was that they were about to cover a story about Stephanie & Christian Nielson and their family. It was the first time that Shane had heard so much about their story and he too was really touched. He knew I had been reading about this story on these two blogs but had never taken the time to read for himself.

Here is where you can find the Today Show's story.

Also be sure to stop by C me read C Jane. She has her own account of the Today Show this morning. And of course, your thoughts and prayers are needed for this family.

Midnight Sun

For those of you who are fans of Stephanie Meyer, you have probably already heard about this long ago. I guess (?) that Midnight Sun is a book that Stephanie was writing from Edwards perspective. it got leaked over the internet, so Stephanie Meyer decided to post the partial draft on her website for all to read.

If you are interested here is where you can find it.

I'm still reading Breaking Dawn. I let myself read 1 to 2 Chapters every night and think about what's going to happen next all day long as I'm unpacking my stuff at my new house. It's tempting to just put the unpacking aside and blow through this fun book! But I'm more motivated to be in my house! =)

The furniture is coming TODAY!!!!

Need I say more???

I've never been so excited to see a couple beds, a few couches, coffee tables, chairs, beat up pots & pans (thanks Mason!) and some linens.

It's going to be a GOOD day!

We'll be tired at the end of it, but it will be GOOD! I say WE'LL because Shane took today off and I finally get my 3 day weekend with my husband!

Oh Happy Day!

Here's a before and after of our Bonus Room Windows!
Some things to notice in this picture, old windows, no window trim, popcorn ceilings, florescent lighting (right hand corner), lack of base boards and mouldings.

And... AFTER!

Ta-Da! Here's a Sneak Peak of our New House!

So the house is ALMOST ready for us.

The carpet guys finished up today and we're so excited!

There's just little things to finish up here and there, but the bedrooms are mostly done.
(Minus closet doors and a few face plates)

I am so excited to share these first glimpses into our house! There will be more to come and some before and after pictures so you can appreciate the transformations!

Below is Mason's beautiful bright blue room (minus the closet doors!) I just love the color of this room. It's a true Boy's Blue! I can't wait to get busy decorating his new space!

Below is what will be our guest bedroom - any takers??
(Minus closet doors - that's why there's a white stripe down the wall!)
I loved the brown in this room so much.. I almost wish it was every where in our house..

This is going to be a nursery for the next baby we have. SORRY! This is not an announcement! We are NOT pregnant, but when we are, this is where that baby will go! I love green, and I have so many ideas BUT... In the meantime this may serve as an office or guest bedroom?

And Finally, Here is OUR new Master Bedroom. You may not be able to tell by looking at these pictures, but this room went through some of the biggest transformations. It had massive 2x4 size shelves covering 50% of the room, (They were so hard to remove!) and over the master bed there was a ceiling to floor size mirror... That was the VERY FIRST thing to come down!

And here is the other side of my master bedroom. I had to get one shot of our new windows, and best of all the view of the greenbelt that our house looks over! I'm not sure what I will be doing for window coverings in our room. Drapes, Shutters, or Wood Blinds?? Drapes or Wood Blinds are probably the most cost effective, but I long for shutters.

Any ideas on how I can mistreat my windows?

That's all for now! If you have any ideas on how to decorate our new space... PLEASE SHARE!