Here Comes the Sun

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when trees start to get their buds, flowers start to pop up out of no where, and insects literally come out of the wood works. This is also the time of year when I begin to lose my mind.

Up until this point in the winter, I at least have the sun to help me wake up in the mornings. But now, now I have to try to rise without the sun shining…and I’m not very good at that. So who do we have to blame for this lack of sun in the morning? Well, a few people actually.

Benjamin Franklin is credited with proposing something similar to Daylight Saving Time in 1784, but nothing ever came from it. George Vernon Hudson was an English entomologist who worked shift work and therefore, in 1895, proposed a two hour shift in time during the warmer months so people could take advantage of extra light in the evenings. Hudson’s proposal was introduced to the House Of Commons in a bill in 1908, but was not passed. Germany and it’s allies first implemented Daylight Saving Time in 1916 as a way to conserve coal. After the U.S. entered the war in 1917, politicians decided it seemed like a good idea, and DST was passed in 1918.

So now that we’ve had a little history lesson, what have we learned? What I’ve learned is that Daylight Saving Time is an antiquated ritual, not unlike the electoral college, which has good points, but mainly needs to just be done away with. I guess until that happens I’ll just have to be happy with more light at night, and start having my coffee automatically brew in the morning.

Thus Begins a New Era

It is my personal belief that not only can you measure a child's development based on his age, but also based on phases. Currently, Aj is in the "Push Mommy's buttons until she explodes in a storm of anger" phase. Until now, Caleb was in the "Hanging out doing what Mommy asks me to and being hyper" phase. This was quite the relief considering his previous phases: "I'm a cutie so I'm going to try to get away with as much as possible"; "Mommy will get tired of punishing me if I keep doing the same thing"; and "It will be a miracle if you live to see five".

Now, however, we are entering a new phase. Thus begins the era of "I'm going to act like the other kids I see." You can imagine how thrilled I am about this, considering I find other children terribly annoying. The worst is when he tries to imitate their laughs and mannerisms. I actually told him the other day that I don't want other kids, that I want Caleb. He got it for about five minutes. Unfortunately, this takes hyper to a whole new level. I understand what it's like to have a lot of energy, so normally I let it go for as long as possible before I tell him to chill out. The problem is, now when I tell him to chill out, he continues to act ridiculous until I'm forced to yell at him. Sometimes even after I yell, he keeps it up. I'm going to have to start coming up with creative punishments for this one.

So if you're a mother who sees her child going through this phase, take heart. You're not alone. I'm sure it can't last long....right?

Play Ball!

It's that wonderful time of year when spring training begins and kids all over the country start signing up for little league. Last night, Caleb and I went to the local municipal building to sign him up for baseball. You can't imagine how excited this kid is! He was practically jumping up and down in his booster seat on the way there! I'm excited that he's finally going to have a good outlet for all of his energy, but there's a few things I'm honestly not too excited about.

I know that with my husbands work schedule he won't be able to make all the games. I know that for the most part, I'm going to have to cart Caleb to practice and games by myself. No, I'm sorry, not by myself. I'll have Aj to keep me company...Heaven help us. That's going to be the really interesting part: me keeping Aj occupied while simultaneously trying to watch Caleb play. Should be fun.

Here's what I'm really excited about: the look on Caleb's face when he gets his first hit in a game; his reaction the first time he catches the ball; practicing with him in the yard and watching him get better and better. I can't wait to watch him play and learn about being a good sport. I'm happy he has an opportunity to make new friends.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful experience for both of us, and I can't wait to let the good times roll!

Play ball!