Not that again

I have nothing to wear. Yeah, I'm sure we've all said it, but you know it's desperate when your 4-year-old says "Not THAT t-shirt again" with a perfect blend of pity and disgust in her voice, a tone I'd hoped not to hear for at least another 10 years or so. Anyway, we're one day out from Thanksgiving and I have nothing to wear but THAT t-shirt, again. Part of it is due to my wanting - REALLY - to get back to my pre-preggers size and by that I mean 2001, before we had D. So I haven't been shopping at all for myself. The weight is coming off a lot faster this time around, but what I still have left to lose seems to have re-packaged itself in places where I've never normally carried a lot of weight. In short, Baby's Got Back. And I ain't exactly happy about it. Pants look really odd on me. Jeans look odd. Skirts are out of the question. Anyway. The other part of it is I'm still nursing Baby A so I'm stuck with shirts that can be easily re-arranged. Nothing that tucks in, nothing that's going to show stains or leaks or leave me feeling naked. In other words, THAT t-shirt.

We're off for our Thanksgiving in Georgia tomorrow. We're driving. I think it'll take about 8 hours as I anticipate having to stop at least 3 times to feed A. Luckily, M is taking the day off so at least we're not leaving at 5 like we've had to in previous years. It will either be a nice family outing or the car ride from Hell, depending on A's frame of mind in the morning. I wish we had a minivan since it would be nice to be able to tend to the kids without having to perform a contortionist act from the front seat.

Have a safe and happy Turkey Day!

One bad apple...

Our Mac was in the shop for four days. Bad power supply. Or whatever. Hopefully I'll get a chance to post a better update later tonight - sometime between the children wailing, gnashing their teeth and rending their clothes and when Amazing Race starts.

Girls v. boys

Reading
D: Sat quietly; showed comprehension and mimicked action in favorite books
A: Tries to eat favorite books; head butts pictures of other babies; grows bored after 4-5 pages

Travel
D: Travelled extensively, including internationally, by four months old
A: Going to Target and Publix in one trip is a big deal; has not left the West coast of Florida (yet)

Playtime
D: Loved to be sung to; would play with whatever was dangling nearby; loved toys
A: Laughs when I sing; likes to try to get away by scooting around on his back; prefers shoes to toys

In the car
D: Would chatter to me; sang along to music
A: Sleeps

However, they both love baths.

Trying harder

I hate when I re-read a post and realize that I sound much harsher, meaner, angrier, unkind-er than I actually feel. That's how I feel this morning about last night's post about D. 99.9% of the time I LOVE listening to her -- she's both funny in a totally innocent way and (although this is probably taking parental license) amazingly astute for her age. She is very verbal and I love her for it and we will always encourage her (both kids!) to speak up and be heard and express themselves. My mom & dad say I was a talkative kid too -- some would say I still am, I'm sure -- call it karma or whatever. So, please forgive me, when sometimes, and especially at bedtime, it all gets to be a Bit. Too. Much. Even for a normally patient Mama like me.

What do I have to complain about anyway? I have a wonderful husband who loves us, intelligent and healthy kids, a 4-month-old who naps and a new recipe for chocolate chip coffee cake which I'm going to make as soon as I sign off here.

House of the rising son

Now that A is napping in his crib pretty reliably, I spend my time dashing -- silently -- around the house taking care of as many chores as I can during those crucial moments of "alone" time. But (and I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way) he has the uncanny knack of waking up the minute I've finished some task, but before I can actually do something enjoyable for myself. For instance, the moment I've finished cleaning the bathroom, but before I can actually sit down for a few minutes with last month's National Geographic, he's awake. Or just as I've put a batch of brownies in the oven, but before I can lick the bowl clean.

In other kid news, I've started sending D to school full day (7:45 - 2:50 - YIPPEE) two or three days a week. It started as just one day a week, but the prospect of having almost a whole day of relative quiet is a slippery slope indeed. D's conversations are sort of like Muzak - always on, sometimes enjoyable, but after a full day of background noise your nerves are worn away. Some of the fascinating subjects we've covered lately include 1) why we have knuckles, 2)why we shouldn't squeak instead of talk, 3)what to do with pink pompoms, 4)how come glue is "like that" and 5)how many popsicle sticks she can fit in a cereal box (my response: I don't know, why don't you count them? her: no mommy, just guess! Guess!! Guess!!!)

So, to sum up, I'm still exhausted, but it's not from lack of sleep.

We did have a wonderful weekend with our families though. The christening went fine, except that A popped the snaps on his waaaay too small outfit just before the ceremony, so M and I quickly did a shoddy swaddling job on him and just prayed he didn't decide to squirm too much. He was pretty good for the rest of Mass, I only had to leave to walk him around for about 10 minutes. On Sunday we had brunch at the Vinoy. Their brunch is too die for - from traditional breakfast goodies, to seafood, carving stations, salads and of course, DESSERT. I think it's great that I can get all my daily calorie needs met in just one meal. Since I'm abstaining from coffee, tomatoes, citrus and chocolate (they make A fussy, natch) I got to go all out on the seafood, pan-roasted lamb and non-chocolate desserts. Yum. Happily, A helps me burn it all off!

We're supposed to have some beautiful fall-like weather by the end of the week, so it will be fun to bundle the kids up for a change. I'm looking forward to sweater weather.

TGIF

Lots to do today in between conversations about putting away our toys when we're done playing with them and exactly what kind of artwork is OK to display on the couch, which to me would be no artwork and to D would be anything that isn't still dripping wet with paint. She's got stacks and stacks of decorated paper bags, paper scraps, construction paper covered with glued-on beans and glitter and what-not ready for display, but glitter and brushed chenille just don't mix.

I'm making a seven-layer taco dip, salsa and my friend V's yummy pumpkin fluff dip. All that plus cheese and crackers ought to keep the crowd happy tomorrow afternoon before the christening.

M's in charge of grilling tonight - as of 8:14 this morning he has yet to plan what he's cooking or go to get the charcoal, etc. but I've vowed to stay out of it. Even if it gets to 4:00 and there is no sign on action. The kids can eat pb&j if they get too hungry.

A is holding his own - still pretty congested and you can hear the rattle in the back of his throat, but it seems to be a bit looser. He's tolerating the nebulizer, but there isn't a baby in the world that wouldn't get antsy sitting with a steaming mask on their face for 8-10 minutes.

Target, which is becoming a giant black hole where I spend all my money, had some great deals on Christmas stuff so in a frenzy of pre-Christmas shopping I got cute wrapping paper, trimmings and my Christmas cards (something I usually wait until the very last minute to buy). Also the kids Christmas outfits. No last minute rushing around for me -- at least not for that stuff.

Funk-y

Oooh. Uck. The unexplained musty smell in the kids room was coming from their clothes hamper - one of those mesh bag thingys. Must have gotten something icky on it. I can only imagine what.

That's more like it

Okay, I've regained my composure this a.m., despite having had to spend $800 on chimney repairs due to the lightning strike this past summer. Baby A is feeling sooooo much better today (at least as far as I can tell) and isn't a snuffly mess anymore. Now he's just a drooly mess. There was a lot of hair in his crib this a.m., so I wonder if Albuterol has a side effect of sudden hair loss? Must Google that later today and see if it's common.

We had a quiet night. I was in no mood to cook, so M picked up delicious salads and chicken souvlaki from our local Greek restaurant and we watched Friday Night Lights, one of the few new TV shows that we (well, I) like. It's supposed to be about football, but mostly it's about the players. Sure, there's some high school drama there, but nothing too melodramatic except for the crazy cheerleader-sleeping-with-the-best-friend-of-her-star-quarterback-boyfriend-who-was-paralyzed-in-the-first-episode scenario. Come to think of it, for a show that is supposed to be about Texas, football and high school, there is a lot of sex in there. But I just watch it for the football, which, speaking of, how 'bout them Gators?! Still in the top 5, woo-hah.

Baby is napping in his bouncy seat, so I should be rush, rush rushing around cleaning up the house, doing laundry, changing sheets and investigating the slightly musty smell in the kids room, before I have to pick D up from school.

Why I get up every day

You try this

Baby A has bronchitis. His doc put him on Albuterol breathing treatments, so he is tired & cranky from the bronch AND wired from the drugs. So he's back to napping on my shoulder. I've got cramps in my left arm from carrying all 17lbs. of him around all day, and cramps in my right hand from trying to type one-handed. "Someone" left the kitchen a mess after lunch and the cleaners broke M's treasured milk frother (for his coffee in the morning). I've got 11 people coming in this weekend for A's christening and I don't have a thing to wear that is church-y, yet able to be dismantled quickly to nurse and also won't show any miscellaneous stains. I'm tired of lotioning my feet and pretending it's a pedicure and putting my hair in a ponytail and calling it a style. And to top it all off I;m turning 40 this weekend. At least I have my health.

Dilemma

Is it so wrong to pilfer from your 4-year-old's Halloween stash? I mean, if you sneak out the Milky Way Darks and Take Five bars, but leave the Musketeers, Starbursts, Kit Kats, Hersheys, etc.? Is it really so wrong? I LOVE Take Fives. They're like the crack of the candy aisle. I especially can't pass them up when they're sitting right by the check-out counter at the grocery. Or if they're in my 4-year-old's Halloween bag.

Today we're having the toilet in the kid's bathroom replaced. When the plumber pulled it up there was a HUGE nest of dead roaches underneath. It was horrible. I wish I hadn't seen it, but now the image is seared onto my retinas. Apparently, in Florida, God love us, roaches proliferate in the sewer drains and if the wax seal on your toilet happens to be a piece of shit falling apart then the roachies can crawl up under it and nest. And crawl out at their leisure. For instance, when the family is on a three-day weekend trip or when your mom is visiting. Lovely. Explains the hundreds of dollars we've spent on pest control in the last year.

I planned for a more eloquent return to the blogsphere, but of course, as soon as he heard my fingers on the keyboard Baby A went from peacefully napping to fully alert, DEFCON 4, I need Mommy RIGHT NOW.