Dear Mr. Grocery Store Bagger

Yes.  I am the first to admit it.  I am anal retentive.  If you see that I have painstakingly separated out my groceries according to their temperature requirements on the conveyer belt, you can assume that I expect you to bag them accordingly.  Come on.  All of my freezer things are together.  How hard is it to put all of them in the same bag?  Instead I find that I have one freezer item, one refrigerated item, and three pantry items per bag.  And what's really fun is finding cleaning products in the same bag as my milk.  Or even better.  Raw meat in the same bag as my fresh produce.  Are you kidding me?  And yes.  Every time you do it I will insist that you take the package of raw chicken out of the bag, return the grapes, and wait while I go pick out some more.  

Sincerely,

Your incredibly annoyed, and more than a little disgusted, Grocery Store Shopper

Ok.  Rant over.

***

We'd been doing so well.  The last time we had it was more than three years ago.  We'd grown complacent.  And then it hit us.  The stomach flu.  Again.  Sunshine came down with the symptoms last Thursday, Ladybug on Monday night.  It seemed to pass quickly.

And then Tuesday morning came.  By 5 am, I knew.  It was going to hit me.  I can't even begin to explain how awful it is.  But taking care of two very active children while barely able to crawl off the couch?  Damn near close to impossible.  

I am embarrassed by the amount of television my children watched yesterday.  But frankly, it was the only way I could cope.  And believe me.  I paid for it dearly today.  They fully expected to be watching the television all day today too.  

The high point of my day was Todd coming home at lunch time to feed the girls.  Because I know I could not have done it.  He even made a fort for them to play in.  Which occupied them for about 10 minutes, until I realized that they'd brought the Maglite  into the tent to help them see.  Even in my half-conscious state I knew that wasn't a good idea.  

My fever finally broke around midnight, and today I dealt with the aftermath.  Toys, crayons, books and blankets that were strewn everywhere have been cleaned up.  The stockpiles of gingerale, crackers and immodium have been replenished.  My fierce determination to never have to go through that again has been renewed.  

My one good memory about yesterday?  Sunshine sitting next to me, rubbing my head, telling me that it will be alright and that I'll feel better soon.  She's going to make such a great mom some day.

Hubris

Today's one of those days where I thought I had it all figured out.  But the universe.  Ahh, the universe.  Well, it had different plans for me.  

It began early, which was a good thing.  I have a ton of stuff to do in preparation for our somewhat impromptu trip tomorrow.  And the kids?  Well, the kids needed to be run hard.  It's been way hot here, and we've spent too many  days inside.  I had this lovely day planned.  A stop at the Botanical Gardens to play in the water garden, a trip to Trader Joe's to pick up snacks for tomorrow, Walmart, laundry, and hopefully a nap for the kids.  And lets not forget packing, because I've yet to pack a single item of clothing.

We were doing so well.  Nap time arrived with its usual fanfare.  Yells of I'm not tired.  I'm not going to sleep.  Fine.  I'll go upstairs.  But I'm bringing the entire contents of our four bookshelves with me.  What?  You expect me to actually get in bed.  I thought I could take my nap sitting at the top of the stairs, asking every two minutes if it's time to get out of bed yet.  And that's just Sunshine.  Usually I don't ask her to take a nap.  But she got up early this morning, and frankly her attitude demanded it.  

But oddly enough Sunshine wasn't the issue today.  Ladybug was.  My sweet, 3-hour napping Ladybug refused to take a nap.  On the day that I REALLY needed her to nap.  I'd put her upstairs and not two minutes later, I'd hear her door open and the pitter of her little feet as left her room.  I kept finding her in the guest room with her baby doll, each time trying to lug something else in there.  Finally, the fifth time I headed upstairs, I decided that I would let her finish her task.  It turns out that she though baby needed a diaper and wardrobe change.  She changed baby.  We both felt better.  I put her to bed, and I congratulated myself on figuring out the problem and solving it without tears.

And then I was all prepared to come downstairs and write a post about how all we have to do is sometimes follow their lead.  But today the universe was laughing at me just a little.  After I'd retrieved a snack and the computer, I had some problems getting online.  Wouldn't you know.  Ladybug was back out of bed, this time playing with the router in the guest room.  Since then I've been up there at least five more times.  

The baby gate is going up tonight.  

***

I also wanted to thank everyone for their kind wishes about not getting the job.  I do know that it's for the best.  It would have been incredibly hard for me to leave Ladybug with someone else, regardless of how fantastic that person it.  It's a blessing in disguise.  We were still about a year away from really being ready for me to go back to work anyways.  But sometimes you have to jump on the opportunities that might come your way.  I would have been disappointed with myself for not trying.  

***

We're heading up to the Beach tomorrow to help my mom, who will be recovering from surgery.  Any thoughts and prayers for my mom's speedy recovery, and my sanity on the 10 hour trip to the Beach with the kids. Alone.  Well, they would be greatly appreciated!  

And Then There Was One

I have spent the better part of the last six weeks trying to get the perfect job at Sunshine's school.

Over the weeks the candidates were whittled down to 2.  Me and someone else.

I didn't get it.

I'm crushed.

The End. 

Happy Birthday, Ladybug Part II

I think it's safe to say that Ladybug totally and completely loved her birthday.  Made even better because Daddy could take the day off.  We started out with a lovely trip to the Zoo.  Of course Baby had to join us as well.  

Her first carousel ride.  

Happy 2nd Birthday, Ladybug!

Happy Birthday, Ladybug

My darling Ladybug,

Today you're two.  And boy do I know it.  Your turbulent twos started yesterday.  Defiance meet spitting and hitting.  That's OK though.  You're just testing your limits.  It would be lovely if you could limit it to the morning hours.  It tends to make me grumpy at night. 

 

You're absolutely fearless.  You hang on monkey bars, plunge headfirst down slides, insist on swinging as high as possible, on the big girl swings.   You never hesitate to follow your sister, copying her movements.  You also never hesitate to tell her when she's wrong about something.  I'm so glad that you can hold your own with her.  

You love to be in Sunshine's bed.  Sometimes I find you there during nap time.  And lately?  Sunshine has been complaining that you get into her bed at night.  I know you just love to cuddle with her.  You never hesitate to comfort Sunshine if you think she needs a hug.  

You recently learned how to say I love you.  And I couldn't be more thrilled.  I can't begin to tell you how it feels to hear you say I love you too, Mom.  And yes, you call me Mom.  You picked it up from Sunshine, and no matter how many times I tell you Mommy, you still call me Mom.  What's in name though?

Potty training you depends on the day.  There are some days where all you want to do is use that bathroom.  And then there are others.  Those other days?  Well, you will stand in front of the bathroom, stare me down with your arms crossed, and pee on the floor.  A little stock tip for you?  Sparkle paper towels.  Going to be worth a fortune soon.  

You delight in all things animal.  You're so gentle with Macy, Jake, and Emmit that they don't run away when you approach them.  They don't even cower.  I'm waiting for the day when one of them decides that it's you they want to cuddle with at night.  

Well, you're going to be up any moment now.  Your first request will probably be for tea.  Your second, oatmeal.  And this morning?  You won't have to wait on the internet.  

Love you to the moon and back!

Mom

  

Today I feel grumpy. I've no patience for anything. My tomato plants are all dying, and my teapot just broke.

Oh Good Lord.  It's been one of those days.  And is it really only 3pm?  Because that means I still have way too many hours in the day to go before it's over.  It's the kind of day that makes me want to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a really good movie.  Alas, I broke my teapot, and the girls are awake.  We try really hard not to watch TV during the day.  Because if we do; the requests...  No, the demands for TV will drive me to the point of insanity.  Please, please, please, Mom.  Can I watch a movie?  Can I watch the Tinker Bell movie?  Can I watch Caillou?  You're not listening to me.  You won't let me watch TV.  I don't want to be your kid anymore.   And really, what is it with Caillou anyways?  Is he not the whiniest kid on television?  It's just far easier not to turn it on at all. 

I'm really excited about this weekend though.  We're having company.  And I love having company.  So on that note, I'm going to snap out of this lousy mood I'm in and start cleaning the bathroom.  

Holy Crow! It's Summer, Already? What Happened to the School Year?

At some point, I feel asleep, woke up, and it was summer.  Holy No More School, Batman.  The end of the school year came with its flurry of meetings, play dates, promises of play dates during the summer, and wow, is it really summer?  Already?    

I had a few moments of quiet while waiting to pick up Sunshine on her last day of school.  I was looking at Ladybug, swinging by herself on the big girl swings, and I got to thinking about all the changes that the girls have gone through during the school year.  The other moms and nannies that I see everyday on the playground have been telling me for a while how much the girls have grown.  But I just didn't see it until then.

Sunshine has grown inches taller and significantly more loquacious.  I didn't think that was possible.  I foresee a column regarding my inability to keep her in pants and shoes in the near future.  She's also suddenly a huge fan of potty humor.  She's a girl though.  This phase shouldn't last long.  Crossing fingers and toes.   

She's also grown a little quirky.  I brought her a new pack of panties not too long ago.  She was thrilled.  Several days later she complained that she had no panties left.  Going into her drawer, I found one last clean pair of new panties.  She explained to me that she had a play date coming up, and she wanted to save her last pair for her play date.  Now some little girls save their favorite dress for a special outing.  My little girl saves her favorite pair of panties.  In all fairness, they did have castles and princesses on them.  

Really though, she seems a lot less confident than she did at this time last year.  It's like she realized that there's a big, bad world out there and she needs to hold my hand for a while.  I notice Sunshine watching others.  Observing them before trying something herself.  She seems cautious.  I think it's a good thing.  She's a little wiser, a little less headstrong.  

I don't even know how to describe the changes in Ladybug.  It's more than just the inches she's grown.  And she has grown by leaps and bounds.  She's going to be tall.  Ladybug's gone from a supremely quiet, shy baby to a brazen I-know-exactly-what-I-want-and-I'm-not-afraid-to-tell-you-exactly-what-it-is toddler.  She even seems offended when Sunshine tries to talk for her.  Going so far as to correct her when she's wrong.  No, Sunshine, I don't want orange juice, I want LEMONADE.  

I'm actually having fun with Ladybug and this whole potty training bit.  Now that school is out, we've started training in earnest.  She's in panties during the day, and every 20 minutes that timer goes off and onto the potty she goes.  She insists on the adult toilet.  No baby potties for this little girl.  I am a little concerned that she might be developing a Pavlov's dog response with the kitchen timer though.  I can see it now.  Every time she hears a beep-beep-beep, she pees.  A truck backs up, she pees.  The microwave goes off, she pees.  

I'm thinking that it should be a lovely summer.  We've got some plans, nothing too big though.  We've got some friends, and hopefully some home-grown veggies.  We've got Todd, who is infinitely happier and less stressed.  Oh, and wine.  Thanks to Trader Joe's, we've got wine.  Don't think I could make it through the summer without it.