Chronicles of a Stay-at-Home Mom

Jude is not a morning kind of guy. There is a Jude Ripeness that I like to achieve before plucking him for the day. However, Daddy doesn't get to see him often and is really eager to see him before he leaves. I think Josh checks on him 3-5 times before the boy actually wakes up.

Jude was taken from his crib - awake, but probably could have stayed there for 20 minutes more until he really woke up. I could smell the impending tornado that would unleash as soon as daddy would walk out the door. Once I caught a glimpse of a really quiet, shy and calm boy enter the family room, I knew I would be in for it.

He sat to eat breakfast, and dad rushed out the door for a meeting. I started second guessing myself as he continued to eat his eggs and chat....We got an "all done eat" and he proceeded to the trash to take care of his chores. Starting to look good.

However, Our melt down happened a handful of minutes later when he decided he didn't want to finish the milk in his cup and wanted more milk.

This meant throwing the milk cup with 5 minutes of me repeating "pick it up, now" and "do you want time-out" (usually I get an excited yes, which means he gets it for being smart — although I know he still deciphering his words - he needs to know that's not cool). This time he didn't say yes, instead he hit me in the belly - which is an automatic "walk-the-green-mile" kind of time out. He sat and whined for his 1 minute. After talking with him about hitting, he slapped me in the face. Which is another time-out. Luckily, this time he got it.

But the day wasn't turning round any faster. I soon had a 1 year old whining "open" at the refrigerator so he could address his own milk trauma. I finally replaced the milk thinking maybe something tastes funny. Sat him down for his breakfast again. Which he began laughing and eating.

After his finished his meal - I took him to his crib to rest. 45 minutes of cool down and no sleeping produced an eager and happy kid that was ready to start the day. He has been a sweetheart ever since and is now happily asleep after a fun trip to the zoo.

It was a whopping 89 degrees out, and you have to take advantage of those days in Houston - although still very hot for an almost done momma.




Jude gets a kick out of sitting in chairs, sighing and clasping his hands in his lap. It lasts for 30 seconds and his back down to run again.

Trying to locate the monkey in a tree.


Can you see the exhaustion in his face. This is the first activity we did at the zoo..


Kissing the turtle