A fish called Chicken

After much debate over whether Pish the Fish was depressed due to his lonely state, Sully and I headed to the pet store to let him pick out a friend for Pish.

Honestly, it was probably more for me than it was for Pish, since Shaun had convinced me he was depressed because I left his father behind, taking every opportunity to rattle off as many Finding Nemo references as he could. Look, it doesn't take much with me.

It was pretty cute watching Sully stand in front of the tanks, checking out all of his options before carefully choosing and pointing out the one he wanted to the fish guy.

As we headed back home in the car, I did my best to try and explain to an almost-two-year-old about names, and choosing a name. We went through the standard Car and Thomas the Train references, hoping something would spark an idea for Sully. It suddenly got really quiet in the back.

He then, excitedly shouted "Chicken! Chicken, fish, Chicken!" I wanted to make sure he just wasn't hungry (not that he even eats chicken, like, pretty much ever, its not a favorite menu item) and he shouted "Yes! Chicken, Pish ... fish!" and then started laughing hysterically.

He laughed so hard in fact, that I started laughing, and this went on for about 3 solid minutes in the car. I'm pretty sure naming the fish Chicken is Sully's idea of a joke. But, none-the-less, it stuck.

Meet Chicken.

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty impressed that he knows who is who. (Pish is orange and white, Chicken is all white with the orange head)

Real Conversations .... with Sully

I came walking through the door last night with an armful of groceries and was pleasantly surprised to see a freshly bathed child standing before me in his pj's, with his daddy standing behind him in the kitchen.

Shaun: "We had an accident."
Stephanie: "An accident? What happened?"
Shaun: "Sully, do you want to tell mommy what happened ... to your penis?"

Sully looked down and frowned. "I dropped it."

I choked back a laugh and shoved the smile back down my throat, because he was so damn serious. I knelt down and gave out an "Oh no! You dropped it?!"

Sully yelled "It broke! It broke!" as he ran over to me and I picked him up.
Shaun: "He actually fell, wet, and naked, and smashed it."

Patting his back holding him, "Yeh dude, I could see how that could feel a little broke."

You 'gotta love boys.

Pish the Fish

Our newest family member.

Sully loves fish.
He loves singing about fish.
Talking about fish.
Feeding the fish at the zoo.

For the first time in, well, my life really, I don't have cats. So, I decided to get Sully a fish, that he calls Pish.

He feeds Pish.
He sings to Pish.
He asks to see Pish before bed.

Mommy's just happy we've made it through week one without Pish Part Deux.

No such thing as starting too early

To his future wife, you're welcome.

This stuff is for the birds

Literally.

After we moved in to our new house, I noticed the birds. Like, hoards of birds. We've seen finches, sparrows, scrub jays, some birds with beautiful red bellies (finches I'm assuming too), hummingbirds and occasionally a raven that pops in for a hello.

Sully loves the birds. So one day, when Nana Cathy came for a visit, she joined us on one of our afternoon walks, and we collected pine cones. Armed with our 'cones, organic peanut butter (these birds don't know how good they got it) and wild bird seed feed, we made little home made feeders for our new feathered friends, which Sully loved.

In fairness, I didn't realize how messy nature could be. There are seeds, ALL over my patio, e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y, which we sweep, constantly. Do you think nature could learn to use a trash can? Too much?

They're lucky I love nature enough to let it go. To make the bird feeders ...

Semi melt some peanut butter, its easier to spread on your cones this way. (If you don't have access to pine cones, old paper towel rolls or a sturdy paper plate, with holes punched into it works well too!)

Use your fingers or child safe knife (the cones can be a little "ouchie-mama" for 'lil fingers)

Spread the PB all over. Phase 1 completed!

Eat the left over peanut butter

And enjoy!

Scoop up your wild bird seed

Sprinkle generously all over

And make sure to get messy. Phase 2 completed!

Do a little hammering (if you don't already have a place to hang them) ...

And hang your finished product

Tah-dah!

Sully scooping into the big feeder

Practice makes perfect!

Pretty proud of himself

Checking out his hard work!

Tangent

I'm going to be honest. Not a lot of people know what I do, you know - outside of the house when I don't do this whole mommy and wife shindig.

For the past seven years now, wow, yes seven, I've worked as the Scholarship Coordinator for the Moorpark/Simi Valley Neighborhood for Learning through First 5 Ventura County. I know, its a mouthful. You should see what I go through to spell out my email to people over the phone on a daily basis.

First 5 is a non-profit organization that is funded through the tobacco tax Prop 10 that gives tax revenues to go towards education in the community. Our goal is to provide free services to ALL families (no, not just low income). We stand by the philosophy that the FIRST 5 years of a child's life, are the most important in shaping and impacting their lives for the long haul. Our little NFL specially provides free Parent & Me classes, free preschool programs, Parent Education workshops, Dental and Mental health services and referrals, ASL and ESL classes, parent library, children's library, Nutrition classes and offer workshops/classes for children's with special needs and developmental checkups. We offer Soccer classes, Tap and Ballet classes, Swimming lessons and have a Produce giveaway every 3rd Thursday of the Month. We do car seat installation checks, Healthy Families applications, and work with childcare providers in our Quality Improvement program.

And that's just the stuff my 15 coworkers do.

And there is me. When I don't have my mommy or wife hat on, I have my Scholarship Coordinator one on. I run the whole program, helping families that have children infancy to five years of age afford quality child care, by offering partial scholarships to help ease the sticker shock of what sending your child to preschool can really cost. I also facilitate Parent Education classes with a wonderful workshop presenter 12 times a year, run a Scholarship Committee, and work with over 40 child care and preschool centers in the Moorpark and Simi Valley area. Through the Scholarship Program, we're able to help around 100 families a year send their children to preschool or child care.

You know the Jefferson Starship song "We built this city on Rock and Roll?". Well, that's the theme song we hear when we think of our job. We built all these programs from the ground up, through years of grass roots efforts, spreading the work, making connections, speaking anywhere we could about the importance of the first five years, and the importance of supporting families in the communities.

I'm passionate about what I do. We all are. We each hold a very personal stake in seeing our programs succeed. They are our work children, our other babies. We've planted and watered and nourished these thousands of seedlings in hopes that they would grow. And have they ever.

That's why, when people, like the new governor, want to cut our funding, I get cranky, like - really cranky. He proposes to take approximately $1 billion in both state and local Proposition 10 reserves, to essentially help fund other struggling organizations because the State of California does not have the money due to the current deficit we are in.

We've worked too hard and come too far to let that happen.

My child, is a First 5 child. My family, is a First 5 family.

I'm extremely fortunate to work with an organization that understands the importance of being hands-on, full-time parents - even when that means we can't always be there full-time due to our work. For the past seven years, I've had the great benefit of working with e small group of amazing women, all who bring something different to the table. I was given the opportunity when having Sully to work two days a week from home, so I could be home more with him on a weekly basis, hands on. How amazing is that?

Also, every Tuesday, since Sully was 8 months old, we attend Mommy and Me Music Classes through my work. I'm extremely fortunate to be able to work with an organization that promotes us to participate in the services we offer families in the community. These services are free, not just to me because I work there, but to everyone.

I'm amazed every week in the growth that Sully has, purely from participating each week in this class. The shy tiny baby I started bringing who would barely let anybody look at him without bursting out into tears - is finally - emerging from his shell.

And it makes this Mama beam with pride.

Please, be proactive in your communities. Whether that happens to be in California, or any other state you may be hailing from. Lets put a stop once and for all to governments proposed and implemented fund cuts from child centered services. Eliminating funding from programs statewide, not just First 5 - is a disservice to the voters who have out these programs in motion. Its detrimental to the communities of families that have come to rely on services such as ours- - because they grow with us, they learn with us, they volunteer with us, spread the word that yes - our children are the most valued assets we have to combat an unknown future. They rely on us to be the center of their community needs.

If you are a California State resident, and would like more information about First 5 you can check us out at http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/parents/

My First 5 baby in class, working at activity centers, singing in group music, reading, doing the Hokey Pokey and helping teacher Sandi clean up ...

(Did I ever mention he calls all rabbits "Rudys" because of our pet rabbit Rudy at work?)

First sentence ...

Today, while running errands, Sully said his first full, unprompted sentence.

My sister was there, she can vouch it.

Of course it would be fitting that my child's first sentence (on his own) would be in context to him talking about a car, specifically, the .79 cent Matchbox car he stood in the aisle clutching while pleading with me to let him open.

I got the standard "Mama, peas (please)". Followed by the standard "Peeeeeeas, open." And then he said it, clear as day, so clear in fact, I thought surely I heard him wrong.

"Mama! Peas! I love car."

Okay so he forgot one measly S on the end of car, but, he's so dang cute I'm willing to give him a free pass on it.

I looked at my sister to see if she heard it and he immediately followed it up with "Mama, peas OPEN! I looooove car!"

We both started cracking up. He sounded so pathetic and passionate.

Little brat got the car.

Annnnnd I'm a sucker.