You & Me Doll

Lizzy recently got this new doll from her grandma. She likes it pretty well, but frankly, it creeps me out. I guess she's heard me say it's "creepy" a few times because Lizzy now says "ceepy" (pronounced "key-pee"), It's a fitting name, in my opinion.

Check it out. You can clearly hear the mechanics of it too. eek.
(sorry the vid is a bit shaky. btw, that's lizzy in the background making her cute noises)



I mean, couldn't they have given it a better cry? Or at least synchronized the voice with the movements? When it lies down the thing goes to sleep, but then after about 5 seconds of sleeping it shuts off and opens its eyes. I'm telling you---creepy!

Wrong

Yesterday I purchased 2 bags of this, on sale for around $2 each:















Broccoli & Cauliflower. Florets, if judging by picture alone. (tsk tsk tsk, silly consumer.)


Here's what was inside:
















Yes, folks. A mix of stringy stems and angular squares. No florets. Not even close to the pictoral representation. Ah, even steaming couldn't save this flavorless, fibrous bunch. Hardly truth in advertising. Hardly what I intended to serve my family, and not even close to what anyone wants to eat.

Thanks Safeway brand!


Now, the big question...what to do with the other bag of this?

Technorati tags: Safeway, false advertising, WTF

untitled

We're back from Hawaii, and what a trip it was. We saw dolphins, turtles, and seals (oh my!), snorkeled, swam, ate fine food, drank lots of mai tais, and jumped off a waterfall. A Great time.



And we are so very happy to be home safe and sound. Because one of our fabulous days in paradise was marred by tragedy. My husband came very close to drowning while swimming in some rough surf. We were very shaken by this. What really drove the point home though was that, as my husband was pulling himself out of the water, another man about 100 ft away was struggling for his own life. It was a struggle he apparently lost. He dropped down in the surf, and after several days he has yet to be found.



Our hearts go out to the woman we stood with on the beach, the woman who, after watching a failed resuce attempt and an agonizing search that included helicopter flyovers, lifeguards combing the shores, and later, coast guard assistance, knew that her loved one was gone.



I stood by her and hugged her while she chanted prayers and exclamations. She spoke german, so I didn't understand the words, but the meaning was clear. Be Strong! Don't Give Up! God Help Him! Mostly though, we searched an angry, empty sea. At times we could only look into the wind and cry.



When it got dark and they suspended the search until morning, there was no misunderstanding. In her heavily accented english, she softly said to me, "it's over. not good." There was nothing I could say except "I'm sorry."



and Thank You God for giving us another day














R.I.P. Peter Unzeitig, Nov. 29, 2006

The "No-Cry, No-Sleep" Sleep Solution

Early this morning my 20-month-old daughter woke me from a dream. I could hear her crying in her crib; apparently she couldn't settle back into sleep on her own. They say that most babies/toddlers wake during the night and can fall back asleep on their own (or learn to), and most of the time Lizzy does just this. Lately however, she's backslid into bouts of crying and carrying on until either me or daddy gets up to check on her.

When I do hear her crying, I give her at least 10 minutes to calm herself and see if she'll go back to sleep on her own. We struggled with her sleep since the beginning--it's been the most difficult thing I've faced with her. And over the past year, it's gotten worlds better. More often than not, Lizzy can sleep all the way through the night without incident.

But, not last night.

It was 4:02am and I had just returned from checking on her--she had woken me at about 3:45, and after about 10 min of crying, I went to her. I didn't pick her up, just hugged and reassured her everything was ok and that she needed to go back to sleep. It was now 4:02 and she was crying louder and much more intensely.

What a terrible sound. It just made my insides churn with an overwhelming need to go comfort her, to hold and rock her until she was back to sleeping peacefully. But bad habits form quickly for toddlers, and I want her to consistently sleep in her own bed. So I put the covers over my head and let her cry it out.

After 12 min of loud crying (4:14am), I couldn't help but wonder if by not answering her I was inadvertently "teaching her" rejection. That thought pained me terribly. Obviously I want her to know that I am there and she shouldn't be afraid, but at the same time I need her to know that she can sleep on her own.

My motherly need to comfort eventually won, and at 4:22 I went to her. How could I not? This little 20-month-old soul was screaming her heart and lungs out for the one thing she wanted: mama.

When I walked in, she stood up and said "mahh-mahhhhh" all stuffy and wet with crying. I hugged her while she was still in the crib, and then she joyfully said "hi." (It's such a cute thing to hear her say hi, btw.) She calmed down instantly and wanted "up!"

Adamantly, I didn't pick her up (it's sooooo difficult to get her back in the crib if I pick her up in the middle of the night). So I managed to calm her into lying back down by singing lullabies and stroking her beautiful red hair. I talked to her gently, and she eased into a relaxed state.

I sat by her crib and, while pretending to have my eyes closed, watched her keep herself awake, all wide-eyed and blinking stiffly.

I made myself comfy on her cushiony pillows at the base of the crib (set up to prevent escape-injury, just in case), and after about 15 min she sounded like she was asleep. Or very close. I got up slowly and quietly snuck out of the room. She heard me, but she was good and didn't get up.

Glancing at my bedside clock, it was now 5:04am. I rolled into bed and could hear her stir and "say" something, but again, she was good and didn't make any noise afterwards. I assume she went right to sleep.

Back in bed, I was now wide awake, mind running rampant with warm thoughts of her, of how she smiles and how she giggles, of just how amazing and...exhausting...she can be.

I couldn't stop thinking about just how much I love her. And how I wouldn't change anything about her, even if it would mean that I could get more sleep or get more writing done.

I am ever-so awed and inspired by her, this little person who's only been here for 20 months. And although there are days when motherhood challenges me to the core, it gives me such indescribable joy.


~~~~~~~~~
Update: I came across this quote just after completing this post:

"Don't get so involved in the duties of your life and your children that you forget the pleasure. Remember why you had children."

---Lois Wyse

Between the nano novel, cleaning the house/kitchen, trying to lose weight for Hawaii, keeping Lizzy entertained, adjusting to my no-career status, staying up on my mother's group, etc. etc.---I need to remember this and stop trying to do everything at once and simply enjoy the moment. Be present in my life.


Lizzy's growing everyday. And so am I.
But nights like the one I've described above will be nothing but a memory soon enough.



Technorati tags: toddlers, sleep disruption, sleep training, motherhood

New Stuff

I've figured out the background, so now I only need to find something I like better than this flower grid thingie. I know, riveting opener, isn't it?

In other, even MORE exciting topics, Lizzy has officially used the potty three times. Needless to say, it was a very happy occasion for mom. But I must admit I've been remiss in reporting such exciting news, as this was about 10 days ago. I should have made more of a hub-bub because since then she hasn't used it. Bummer, huh? Her new thing is to tell me that random dolls and stuffed animals are "poopy" and that we need to change them. I'll have you know that Mickey Mouse is very regular. As is "Tidoo" her little squishy doll. I'll have them potty trained before Thanksgiving. I don't need to change any more diapers than necessary, thankyouverymuch.

Ker-POW!
Did you hear that? Yup, Lizzy is also entering the language explosion. She tries to say nearly everything and even holds conversations which go something like this:"goosheebahbah mee doo..." Sound familiar to all you moms out there? Sometimes even a real word comes out. She now says "hi!" which is so darn cute. (note: it's not so cute when she says "hi" to you upon entering her room in answer to her 3am cries. I mean, it's cute, but...it more like, "you woke me from sleep to say hi?" uh, yeah. reeeeal cute.) What's even better is her trying to say scarecrow. It comes out as "care-coh" and makes you want to just explode from witnessing such darn cuteness.

Other new stuff (in case you want to be totally bored to tears): she uses a spoon fairly well now and can climb like a little monkey. oo oo ee ee ahh ahh. She walks up and down stairs by herself and is finding new joys in climbing the absolutely highest slide at the park. If mommy pulls her down, she has a fit.

"Hi" to the beginnings of the terrible twos. whimper

I hope all will be well next week with Grandma & Grandpa. As they say, she can be a little pistol sometimes. Must be all that red hair.

Technorati tags: toddlers, potty training, language explosion

Blogger Beta---yeah it is!

Let me just say that I'm kinda irritated Blogger Beta's claims that it would be sooooo much easier to customize (ok, I'm paraphrasing, but is it just me or didn't they make it sound like it would be a cinch?) Whatever. It's not. It's easy if you want to keep the same template but change fonts and colors. WHEE. Oh I guess you can add some new "elements" to the page, but even these are pre-programmed. I took one look at the new "customizer" and just about barfed.

So, here's my take on trying to customize Blogger on my own. It's a start. And I in no way shape or form claim to be good at this. Frankly, I don't know what the #$% I'm doing here. For instance, I'm having issues with the background and think I may ditch it altogether. I like having my own header though. I've been wanting to figure that out for months. I finally holed myself up in a room last night and just threw something together while my poor hubby was downstairs with a very cranky Lizzy. Poor dears. I guess mommy really needed some time away from it all. Why mommy picked wrestling with Blogger and HTML code instead of going out and doing something that's actually fun is a whole other issue. eh, I'll tackle that one later. maybe.

For now, I'm open to suggestions and any help on my HTML debacle displayed herein. :)

Nano MySpace-o

Ok. I admit it. I've totally lost it with the NANO project. I know. It sucks, but it's okay. I've got about 2500 words. I could list my excuses, but I'll spare you. Just wanted to keep you in the know. What matters is that I tried. kinda. I haven't given up on the novel, just getting 50K words written by Nov 30. yeah..........

have I mentioned that we are going to Hawaii in like 10 days?????? I absolutely cannot wait.
OH MY GAWD. It's going to be so keewl to have that much time to spend with my hubby and just be ourselves no work, no little girl. I'll miss her terribly, but we so need to get away and spend some time together. We are staying in the same place we spent our honeymoon. so fantastic. the lanai is oceanfront and we can step right out onto grass that leads to the beach. man oh man. can't. wait.

And.
After 4 months of having an account...I finally set up my MySpace page. (not sure if you can see it or not--but there's even a goofy picture of me on there--for the time being at least) It's funny how many people use myspace. Me? I have NO IDEA what to use it for, but at least now I can pretend to be hip and say, "me? oh yeah, I have a myspace page..." hahaha. I need to pick a URL name, but everything I've tried is already taken. (I know I know, big problems. WAH.) Anyway, if anyone wants to enlighten me as to what to actually DO with a myspace page, feel free. My friend told me people hook up via that thing, but obviously I don't need to do that. and you can have a blog, but...well, that's obviously not needed. Am I just taking up space over there? prolly. oh well.

Getting my NaNoWriMo Legs

It's day 2 of NaNoWriMo, and I'm behind. The goal is to write 50,000 words by midnight Nov 30th--that's roughly 1667 words a day. My total word count is...drumroll please...

1304.

But it's something. And I am proud. I want to "win" the challenge, but even if I don't, I'll be happy in knowing that I tried. If nothing else, I'll have 1304 more words of my novel than I would have if I didn't try. :)

Mostly I'm realizing just how difficult novel-writing is. Let me tell you, thinking and doing are two different things. For me, it's much harder than I realized. At least I am (partially) saved by the NaNoWriMo philosophy to write quantity, not quality. As an editor, it's especially challenging not to edit myself and to just write.

This is probably why I'm behind: because I've rewritten stuff and spent more time tweaking than just spilling out narrative content. I wrote 1,000+ words in about an hour today--not great, but better than yesterday's 300 words.

I'm behind, but I'm not giving up.
I'm not I'm not I'm not!

(Remind me to read this post come Nov 25th.)

Boo! It's NaNoWriMo Eve!!

I finally carved our pumpkin. Check it out.



I think it looks scary, and dude, I totally dig it that way! I've carved many a happy-go-lucky pumpkin, but this year I took one look at my little orange guy and saw a sad, seedy soul. pun intended.

I've also had such a wonderful day today. it helps when Lizzy naps for 2 hours, I must admit. But I actually feel that I got something accomplished AND Lizzy had fun. It's the kind of day I constantly strive for.

We visited the playground earlier in the afternoon and, while there, met lots of new little friends. It's much more fun to play with others. Elizabeth fell in love with this one little girl's bike and she kept going over to it and ringing its bell. the little girl didn't mind (thank god) but I tried to explain to her that it wasn't her bike even though it was one hellova ride...well, not in those words. anyways. it was a nice

And tomorrow I start the novel!

Now THAT's scary.

NaNoWriMo

Oh, I forgot to mention...

As you can see from the sidebar graphic, I've completely lost my marbles and decided to actually participate in this year's National Novel Writing Month, or "nanowrimo" as it is affectionately dubbed. I've got a basic plot forming in my head and lots of curiosity whether or not I can bring it to life as a novel.

Should be a wild ride.
Hope my seatbelts work.

Marie Antoinette review

The other night I went out with a friend to dinner, and afterwards, instead of going home, I went to see a movie...dun dun duuuun...by myself. My friend had to get home, giving the ol' I have to work line. haha, I remember those days!! I know I have a "job" too as mom to my young Lizzzzy baby, but I was out on the town already & not tired, so I figured what the heck. Let me stress that, duuude, this is a WAY rare occastion. Just being out without a child attached to my hip is rare enough!

Of all the movies to see, I chose Marie Antoinette. I'm not a big Kirsten Dunst fan, but I loved Sofia Coppolla's two other feature films (Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides). Plus, it was the only film starting around the time I got to the theaters. An easy and quick decision made!

In a word, I LOVED the movie. The striking imagery and refreshing soundtrack (a blend of New Romantic 80s stuff and classical pieces) wonderfully captured what it must have been like for the young, displaced, and very bored Marie. The romanticized scenes at le Petit Trianon were especially haunting and revealed a side of Marie Antoinette that is rarely seen: simple, pastoral, even a budding creative artist. Scenes of tall wildflowers swaying in the breeze, lazy boat excursions and afternoon interludes with lute and harp players. Beautiful. Not to mention the exquisite candies, bon bons and other delicacies mouthwateringly posed in strategically placed still shots. If I were one of those starving common people rioting in the streets, I'd hate her careless extravagence too, just for those awesome candies alone! I won't even go into her stunning costumes and makeup.

Of course, the film nearly completely disregarded the revolutionist's point of view--but this was Marie's story--she wasn't concerned with them (part of her problem) so it's fair that the volitile nature of revolutionary Paris didn't much enter Marie's world of Versaille, and especially her retreat which expressedly removed her from the worries of world.

Not sure how much this film depicts the real woman vs. how much of it is merely a simplified decpiction of her life. It would be interesting to learn more history on the period and specifically her real character. The film, however, succeeded in showing a sympathetic side of MA, and in a modern, refreshing way. Bravo Sofia.

Not bad, just Stuff.

I haven't been blogging lately, and it's been good. I love keeping a blog, but real life stepped in and said "hey, pay more attention to me." Not bad, just stuff. In the month I've been on hiatus I actually took my LAST paycheck and a (sort of) vacation road trip. I say sort of b/c it was with my DH and one of his friends. Sometimes three's a crowd, kwim? It was fun doing some wheeling in Moab, some gambling in Vegas, and some looong hours driving NV's "Loneliest Road in America" (I'm not kidding). Fun to get away mostly, but I wouldn't call it a "vacation.

So, now I have no...ahem...paid job and lemme tell you that's been yet another transition. The reality of my career-kill is a bit harder than I expected. Perhaps it's more a mental leap than anything though. Just knowing that I don't have my career anymore kind of forces me to "redefine" who I am, if that makes sense. Even though I DIDN'T define myself by my career--I didn't even really think of it as a career. It really makes no sense. All of these thoughts stem from the fact that being a SAHM is completely different than going to the office everyday. Goals and acheivements are still there, but they are WAY wacky. All over the board & chaotic is how I would describe it. So unlike my previous job where things were much more structured and somewhat predictable and process-oriented-to-death, now I need to re-think how to plan and complete goals. Suffice to say, it's been a messy few weeks as far as that goes.

Anyhoo---what I've missed most about blogging--aside from all your brilliant comments of course--is not having a record of what's been going on with me and my darling Lizzy.

She's made a lot of progress just in the past month it seems. She's attempting to talk more-- even mimics words that she's heard for the first time. Well, she's starting to do that; it's still a fairly random event, but it's a start. I know she understands so much of what we're saying too. Nice, but a little scary. Certain words can now trigger an intense reaction, like playground, park, walk, eat, and of course, no.

oh yeah, she's starting to say "no" and I need to keep reminding myself that this IS a good thing.


Glad to be back. It feels good to open up the writing bottle again--I missed it more than I thought I did. Writing is amazingly cathartic.

So are Lizzy's naps...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (Just sleep. pretty please??! Mommy NEEDs you to nap. Mommy...I mean you...er...will feel so much better after a nice, long nap...)

What to do?

It's 4pm and Lizzy still hasn't taken her nap. I just spent the last 30 min in her room, laying on the floor pretending to sleep, hoping she would follow suit. She didn't. However, what she did do was pretty revealing.

She's not napping because she is trying like mad to escape...(cue dark foreboding music)...her crib!

I know because I watched her try over and over again. She lifts her leg up and over the rail so that her knee can almost completely bend over the top. crazy! Then she actually gets her other leg up off the mattress! She's almost figured out how to escape! and I'm guessing that's not going to take long.

I knew her "crib break" was in the making, but I had no idea how close she was to actually succeeding. She's such a determined little problem solver (e.g., remember her climbing tactics?) that I'm thinking I may need to buckle down and set up a toddler or twin bed.

O, scary, scary thought.

I'm imagining episodes of Nanny 911 and Supernanny becoming all too real for me. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, I mean I'm afraid it's going to take hours of repeatedly putting her back in bed before she finally actually sleeps. Will no crib equal no sleep? or at least very painful bedtimes? Are DH and I going to have to spend our nights trying to get her to sleep in her own big-girl bed?

Knowing how difficult she's been sleep-wise since day 1, I'm really nervous about ousting the crib. But if she's climbing out, she could fall on her head/neck and seriously injure herself.

What to do? What to do?

Quality Time

My Friday afternoon break was wonderful.

Here's what I did:

1. Ran small errand (aren't I good, doing the "work" first?)

2. Browsed the consignment store nearby & found a solid teak console table for $49. Unbelievable price and very smart looking. Put the table on hold.

3. Wandered next door to the new southwestern/Mexican collectibles store. Lots of Native American and Mexican pottery, glassware, linens, art, etc. Found a large copper vase that was absolutely stunning. It was pressed into different shades and then finely etched with flowers, vines, and other embellishments. I remarked how pretty the piece was, and the saleswoman informed me it was "one of a kind." It really was beautiful. So, I checked the price: $800. (ahem.) Didn't think DH would find it that beautiful, so I put it down and promptly left the store.

By then, an hour had gone by, and I was starting to feel like my time was slipping away too fast. Shopping is fun, but I wanted to get some time to sit and just rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. I figured I could be gone at least another 1/2 hour, so I decided to drive to main street and check out a local coffee shop that had just reopened under new management. It was the best thing I could have done.

Ordered coffee and a snack. I had grabbed the latest Oprah mag from my car (it's my reading material in case Lizzy falls asleep while we're out--sometimes I just let her sleep while I sit and read. She's a tough little gal to get to sleep, so I try and take advantage of it when I can).

With all my accoutrements, I finally settled at one of the outside tables. It was about 4pm, sunny, warm, cars & pedestrians drifting by. The feel of Friday evening, the weekend was freshly settling on main street. Joival women looked in shop windows, while business men in suits walked by with their briefcases, coats, and keys in their clutches.

I opened & read some of the mag, but it was so wonderful to sit and just watch people and be in the present in the moment. When I noticed I was seated next to a sprightly patch of flowers, and I gazed upon their glorious color and watched their perky petals jostling in the breeze, I felt unspeakably happy and refreshed. It was a grand moment. Simple, but utterly magnificent.

I sat at that table for about 30 min, smiling and enjoying my coffee, pumpkin bread, and the peaceful, easy feeling of watching the world go by.

When I got home, I thanked my FIL and told him how wonderful it was to just sit outside and enjoy some coffee without my little Lizzie there. He laughed. Not sure why he laughed, but I told him, "no, really, it was wonderful. thank you!" and I think then he got the message.

Everyone needs time away, even if it's just for 1-2 hours.
And no $49 table or $800 vase could have given me that kind of smile.

Freetime & Sleeptime

DH's been out of town on business all week, so my FIL offered to come over today and give me an hour or so off to do whatever I want to do. Isn't that nice of him!? My in-laws really are great.

It's so funny, knowing that I have a little block a free time on the horizon, my mind starts rolling, trying to decide what to do with it.

• Should I go get that pedicure I keep talking about getting?
• Are there any movies out that I really want to see?
• Should I just spent it reading/chatting at Starbucks?
• Do I have any errands that would be easier done on my own (now that's a good one. I should say what errands are there and do I even feel like doing them during my "free time"?)

I wish I was one of those people that immediately knew how to best spend sudden blocks of free time, but usually I grapple with the options. It is fun to think of all the possibilities though, and I suppose by doing so I'm already enjoying the time off, you know, by spending time imagining all the cool things I could do.

I'm thinking I might just do a little leisurely shopping (impossible when I'm with Lizzy, and I love to take my time shopping!) and couple that with a small errand.

I feel so nerdy getting excited about this little venture. Makes me step back and notice just how much my life has changed since becoming a mom.

Speaking of mommyhood, Lizzy has been pretty challenging this week with sleeping. Yesterday she didn't want to take her nap (she did end up sleeping for about 40 min on the sofa after I rescued her from the crib) and then she doth protest(ed?) too much at her bedtime. I knew she was tired, but she was just acting hysterical, screaming her little head off and getting the choking cough.

I went in a couple of times, but to no avail. Her birds sadly needed batteries, but that's happened before and she's been okay. I brought her downstairs and she kept saying "go" (????) which could mean LOTS of things, so very confusing.

I held her on the sofa, and, as she would start to fall asleep, she'd rouse herself up and climb down to the floor to do who knows what. After about 45 min of this, I took her upstairs to my room and laid down with her on the big bed. I sang her a couple of lullabys and she basically went right to sleep.

Time: 1015pm. She got up at 530am, so I have NO IDEA what was keeping her awake. Needless to say I was tired after 17 hours. Didn't stop me from watching Janelle get tossed out of Big Brother All Stars. damn.

Lizzy fought her nap today too, but she did eventually stop crying and fell asleep, in her crib....ahhhhh.... thankyou thankyou thankyou.

Aw well. gotta go straighten up a little bit before FIL comes on over. I'll have to report back on how I actually spent my freetime! woo hoo

Our Time

Dear Elizabeth,

Today you went to your first class ever, Kindermusik: Our Time. It is a class for 1 1/2 to 3 year olds, and you are one week away from your 18-month birthday.

I think you may have been the youngest one there, because many of the kids could talk in sentences and they clearly understood what the teacher was saying. It was completely new for you, and, despite your rampant curiousity and non-stop roaming about the room, you did wonderfully.

Granted, the whole experience was much more structured than you are used to. You spent most of the class exploring the folding chairs and watching (if you can call it that) from the sidelines, while everyone else was sitting in a (sortof) circle on the floor.

Melissa, our teacher, led simple songs and movement (like swaying, singing, and tapping the floor). You were much more interested in what was actually on the floor, like other peoples' shoes. You even brought me a couple of different pairs to put on your feet. They weren't yours, and they were way too big for you.

At one point you played with another lady's keys. The lady looked worried that you would lose them. I asked you nicely to give them to me, and you did. When I returned them to the lady, I told her sorry, and she smiled at me.

You also threw down one of the bells that Melissa gave to you to shake and play with. Yes, it made a great big noise. And it was okay. Luckily these were all mommies who understand your gregarious, 18-month-old curiosity.

You made mommy very proud when Melissa played a quiet song and you let me hold you like the other mommies gently holding their own girls. (amazingly, there were no boys in this class.) You also knew how to "dust" off the chairs and "clean" the room with the dustcloth that Melissa handed out to everyone.

The most amazing thing that you did during class was that you sat still and paid attention to the entire book that Melissa showed the class. You thought the blanket she laid out was soft, and at one point you even laid down on it to test its coziness. Melissa showed everyone pictures in the storybook and you looked at many of the pages from your spot on the blanket.

Pretty soon you will be riveted by many stories and songs, not just by pictures, shoes, and other peoples' keys (although clearly those are interesting too).

By the end of class you had demonstrated an interest in what was happening and even joined in storytime and the goodbye song. I'd say that's pretty wonderful for a 45-minute class, an eternity for you.


My little Lizzie, you are learning so much everyday, and I am so very proud of you. You are extremely bright and are always thinking and processing information. You can only say a few words, but I know that you thoroughly enjoyed your first class today. I could tell because afterwards you were worn out and tired from the excitement. Even when AJ and P came over to visit after class, you weren't your normal boundless self. You were ready for your nap. (Don't worry, they understood. Learning is tiring work!)

You are about to embark on an amazing discovery: linguistic, cognitive, and social development...well, that's many discoveries. Yes, you've still got a lot to learn. And mommy is here with you every step of the way.

Me quitting my job and staying home with you is the crux of what "Our Time" means. And I am positively thrilled at the prospect of watching you grow up. (not too quickly though, ok?)

Right now you are in this wonderful transition period between baby and toddler: that is, sometimes you are still a little babylike--where you explore things by putting them into your mouth, garble "words," and exist in your own world sometimes--and other times you show older, more toddlerlike behavior--where you try to communicate with words and affectionate gestures (you are truly an amazing hugger), you follow simple directions and participate in adult-led activites, and sometimes you can even eat snack from a bowl without spilling anything.

Today, by playing and learning with the "big girls," you took a big step towards toddlerhood.

And I am so very proud of you.

Love,
Mommy


technorati tags: toddlers, first day of class, kindermusik, our time, letters

Four more weeks of work

Good news: I only have 4 more weeks of work!!!
(Can you see my happy dance?)

4 weeks may sound like a lot, but it feels great because the other good news is: the big project I've been working on is nearly finished! (yay!) I've completed all reviews and the copy should be pretty close to done. It's been extremely difficult this time around b/c the writer I'm working with has never published before & he's had a lot of process issues and questions and back-and-forth stuff that's taken more time and energy than expected. (I keep having to remind him that I only work "part time.") anyway, it's almost done and I'm getting esctatic in that I can FINALLY see the light at the end of the whole work tunnel. Hopefully by this time next week, this big projet will be done and the stress a thing of the past.

You wouldn't think that working part time from home would be a big deal, but...throw in a very active toddler (who doesn't much enjoy naps, thankyouverymuch) and a big messy project with a newbie, and....well, just watch your head spin.

I'm really looking forward to November, when the National Novel Writing Month comes along. The timing seems to work out very well:

sept: finish & cut ties with work
oct: draft outline for my novel (that sounds so cool)
nov: write write write write write (all this for fun!)
dec: recover, do xmas, and try not to whine about how sucky my novel is

What a great end of the year it's looking to be!

technorati tags: NaNoWriMo, working mom

Being at home is hardest when...

she's bored and i'm low on ideas
there's no other adult to talk to
i need to work but she wants my attention
she won't nap
she plays with the toys i've just cleaned up
i don't understand what she wants
she can't talk
she whines a lot
daddy has to work late

i work harder and longer now
than i did for my paid job
that i left willingly

the hard days challenge me
but i'm endlessly amazed
at just how happy i am
to be home
with her

Oh, the places you'll go!

Lizzy's new discovery: using a stool to climb onto things.

I just had to share this series of photos I took today because it is just so darn funny. The whole series was taken in a matter of seconds.

She must have seen me using this stool in the last couple of days. Today she found it and once she figured out how to assemble it (I'm not kidding!) she carried it to all kinds of places! Here she is at her highchair. Oh, and contrary to what this looks like, I *do* feed her. real food, in fact!

and then she was stuck and needed help from "mah-mah!"

I'm having visions of her climbing onto countertops, refrigerators, you name it---getting into absolutely everything I wouldn't expect nor want her to get into.

A whole new level of parenting, literally.

O, my smart little problem solver!

Re: Toddlers, Expect the Unexpected

It's a funny thing--the more time I spend with my dear Lizzy, the more I realize that the following skills are not only useful, but required to stay sane:

a) Keep wipes with you at all times.

b) Keep diapers with you at all times.

c) Ditto for the extra outfit (even with those wipes and diapers, you can forget it when DD's digestive tract has other plans.

d) Don't leave sippy cup on roof of car while driving.

e) If you do, keep extra sippy cup/s with you at all times.

f) Remember: your purse is not a toy.

g) If purse is (or somehow becomes) a toy, for the love of all that is holy, do not store wallet in said purse!

h) If wallet is in purse, and purse placates DD (i.e., becomes a toy), then keep all monies (paper, plastic, or metals) and important checks out of said wallet/purse ensemble.

i) If money, wallet, and purse fall into child's hands, face it: you're screwed.

j) Don't buy DD new shoes with fancy step-lights if you are immediately going to take her to the beach and let her run around near the water.

k) If this happens, better keep extra shoes with you at all times.

l) And a toy that will cheer her up when she discovers that her shoes no longer flash and look pretty.

m) If you take DD to a restaurant, don't linger over the menu's juicy adjectives and become indecisive over which daily special to try--your toddler only has a short window, people. Have you seen those high chairs? a little padding might help. and god forbid that those actually get cleaned...(restauranteurs take note) Who can blame the little tykes...I mean, would you want to sit in those things for any period of time? I didn't think so.

n) When dining with DD in public, don't fret about using your (washed) fingers if you need to assist your child (who is, let's face it, messy and only beginning to learn how to feed herself). Nevermind the obvious sideways glances from that nearby childless table. They clearly need better conversation skills. or a more entertaining date.

o) Bring stroller with you everywhere.

p) Otherwise you will be forced to carry (or chase) DD everywhere you go.

q) If DD gets sick of being strapped in stroller, allow her to run around in a safe area for a little while to burn off some energy.

r) By "run around in a safe area," I do not mean the mall, the grocery store, any restaurant, or any beach.

s) Be real: you need to strategically plan your errands around the location of the following: preschool parks, any local relatives and/or friends' houses, and several fast-food joints with play areas.

t) If visiting any of these locations, see a-c above and bring twice what you think you need.

u) If you don't have time to stop anywhere to let child run around and take a play break, avoid these places like the plague! One chance glance of the MickeyD's Play Place may send your restless, confined child into a fit!

v) If perchance, while out and about, you encounter other young toddlers, don't allow these sweet (but unknown to you) children kiss or otherwise slobber on your child's face.

w) When it's the overzealous parents of unknown children who are demanding kisses and such (between the kids, not you two!), get in there and do what you need to do to protect your Precious little one. Lie if you have to. ("I'm sorry, but my DD has a cold...") Don't let the "aw, but it's so cute when they do that" or the "argh!...but I don't want to hurt their feelings or offend anyone" in-your-head discussions take over your brain.

x) When going out shopping, always remeber how much room the stroller occupies in your vehicle and buy only that which can fit in addition to the stroller. (see o and p above).

y) Accept that sometimes following these items and more will still not be enough.

z) Most importantly,know that this (item y) is normal, okay, and completely part of the process. You'll get through it. And heck, you may even laugh at it all. someday. maybe.


If nothing else, remember that the only thing you can expect of your young toddler is, quite frankly, the unexpected.


I'll leave you with a quote:

"Being a parent is unlike any previous job--the results of any one action are not clearly visible for a long time, if at all."

-Anonymous mother

Technorati tags: toddlers, parenting