DUDE.
I am very excited about July 18th.
More information forthcoming.
Ever see the movie “Parenthood” ??
Bucket + kid’s head =
Yeeeah.
Some things you just flat don’t wanna hear…
I walked into the bedroom this morning after playing with Aidan - having a good time… and Greg looks at me and said, “You’re not going to believe this. George Carlin died.”
I am in shock… and so saddened. I love George Carlin. The guy was out on the edge as far as humor and politics and worldview - but no one could make me laugh like him when I was a teenager - and when he was on Real Time with Bill Maher, I made sure to tune in. I didn’t necessarily agree with his politics, but he’s nothing if not entertaining to watch. I mean, cripes, she and I spent a bit of time in high school laughing like retarded hyenas to George Carlin HBO specials. I laughed so hard - I couldn’t believe what the guy was saying! Watching him definitely shaped my sense of humor.
The HBO special this came from came out when we were in high school - if I recall correctly, I went to Jennifer’s house to watch it on her TV, and I laughed so much I went out and bought the cassette (Parental Advisory). I laughed so much at this bit, it was ridiculous. (NSFW, duh.)
A little bit of how we spend our day
For my amusement. Because isn’t that why we have kids… for the entertainment value?
EXACTLY.
Kids today, man.
Proofreading. Try it, it works!
I saw this headline and thought… noooo. Someone isn’t paying attention.
The dreams will come to you
Isn’t it one of the first rules of blogging (that you do not talk about blogging… oh man that was so lame! heh) is to keep an entry to one subject — one narrative? Well, let me tell you right in advance that I obviously lack that gene. Or skill. Or the will to follow that rule. Can’t/won’t/don’t wanna.
Okay. That said, I have a lot on my mind lately.
Read the rest of this entry »
My everchanging moods, a musical montage.
I’m tired. I’m busy. I’m overwhelmed. I’m an enigma wrapped in a pancake covered in syrup. Sort of like a pig in a blanket only entirely different. And much less tasty.
I’m also hungry.
So, because I have no wit to spare, not even a square… I shall share with you my moods (which is mostly nostalgic for the music of my youth with a whit of funk) via music. Because I have the technology, people. I have the technology.
Read the rest of this entry »
V-bloggin’ it.
Mail makes me happy. Unless it’s a bill. Then it makes me sad. But if it’s an outrageously awesome card from my friend, Jennifer… well… let me TELL you how I feel about that:
Who isn’t busy?
I would tell you the things that are going on, but who has the time?
Instead? I present my son, asleep.
He is the personification of beauty, in my eyes:
There you have it.
It’ snot so bad, really.
Oh I wonder wonder *bum-ba-dum-bum* who. Who wrote the book of liiiists?
I did:
- The kids are snotty, grody, sick little messes these last couple of days. Nothing major, although - does it make me a bad mom if I chuckle when Madi starts babbling and she’s lost her voice?? SO FUNNY!
- Tomorrow we finally get privacy. Finally! The blinds we ordered were delivered last week, and they’re being installed tomorrow morning. Seriously, we are so close in proximity to our neighbors our houses are just beyond 10′ apart. And we have nineteen windows. Nine. Teen. Including the one above our deep awesome bathtub. Which I have fashioned a ghetto window covering out of a shower curtain. (Hey. At least it wasn’t foil. Or newspaper.) A girl canNOT be denied her baths. Dig?
- Since we’ve moved, I have read a couple of books a week. Some good. Some eh. These are the highlights:
- The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin -
- Don’t Kiss Them Goodbye and We Are Their Heaven, Allison Dubois - I enjoyed the subject matter, but it read like… well, very casually conversational. A lot of “but you get what I mean”s.
- The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch -
- Martian Child, Dave Gerrold - So sweet and lovely. And not remotely like the movie.
- The No Asshole Rule, Robert Sutton, PhD - I’d heard great things about it and it almost lived up to the hype.
- I Am America (and So Can You), Stephen Colbert - It could have been a listing of an elementary school lunch menu and I would have loved it because it’s Stephen Colbert. But really, SO FREAKING FUNNY!!
- The Ten Faces of Innovation, Tom Kelley - freaking awesome. It inspired me.
- I’m totally looking forward to the weekend… my cousin, Sammy, and I are having a co-birthday party for our kids on Saturday. We originally thought we’d have a big one year birthday party blow-out for Aidan, but you know, what with the moving and the stress and the totally NOT BEING UNPACKED YET (not to mention other factors), that completely did not come to pass, and I swear my cousin read my MIND when she sent me a message suggesting a joint fiesta. Two of the cutest kids in the same place, though? I don’t know that the world can handle that.
- We’ve been through a bit of a rigmarole followed by some shenanigans which left us bamboozled regarding Aidan’s adoption date. Bottom line? All the appropriate parties (including ourselves) have completed and sent all appropriate paperwork and? Our attorney will be contacting us shortly with a final adoption date! Finally. FINALLY! In the meantime, we continue to have involvement in our lives from social workers and court investigators and all the usual suspects with regard to both Aidan’s and Madi’s cases. (Although, I’m incredibly grateful that Aidan’s case is so much less complicated than Madi’s.)
Speaking of Aidan and Madi… I leave you with a picture of the sweetness that IS my children. I was loading some groceries in the car today and I turned around and saw this:
Aidan’s hand is on the right, Madi’s on the left. They do this pretty frequently. He also passes her whatever goodies he has, be it a cookie or a toy. They are so sweet together (even when Aidan is a bulldozer). 
Hi. I have a bundle of energy.
It belongs to my son.
I’m sorry, WHO’s the weirdo?
I have a great relationship with my parents. I’m lucky that way. Especially my dad, I think because we have such similar personalities. I talk to him usually at least 2-3 times a week. So yesterday… yesterday I called him and I’m talking to him while I was feeding Madison and he was cracking me up (as per usual). We ended the conversation on a goofy note, I clicked the ‘disconnect’ button on the phone and looked at Madi and said, “Grandpa is such a weirdo!”
Only…
I didn’t click the disconnect button like I thought I had. And my dad made a little comment then hung up.
DOH!!!
He called me back later and we ended up spending the day at their house - and not surprisingly I was teased for calling Grandpa a weirdo.
Hi. My name is Mort E. Fied.
I got a lolz.
moar funny pictures
Photo courtesy of my lovely cousin, Jenny.
Dialogue
The phone rings. It’s Greg.
G: Hey. I’m on the bus. I caught the 4:30 and we’re just crossing Devonshire.
Me: That’s super! Hey, did you know that ♪ the wheels on the bus go round-and-round, ♪ round-and-round, ROUND-aaaand-rou…
G: Hey, I gotta go. *click*
Where? Where does he have to go? He’s ON THE BUS!!
Got an hour and change to spare?
I think you should watch this, if you haven’t already.
An update from the front
I really haven’t said anything about anything related to the move SINCE the move. And well… I’m trying to block the experience from my head. It was a Very Murphy Move. The knee, the cat, the overlong van rental and how we ended leaving behind a lot of our things at the townhouse.
I’m not really going to discuss too much about the house right now until certain issues are resolved and until I’m not completely stressed out about a jillion things. I’ll get over myself eventually, but right now? Stressed.
Things I’m down with right now? My knee is doing a lot better. It’s still really swollen, but it’s not broken or sprained. There is a huge knot in my shin and my ankle is messed up (the whole leg just swolled right up and turned black and blue, including my foot - hi Cankle. You’re swell. Hahahaha!!) BUT. It’s starting to feel better, and that my friends, is what we call progress. Intelligently planned, ehhhh… not so much.
We’ve got blinds scheduled to be installed next week. You don’t even KNOW how much excitement that gives me. Lots. Especially since my husband Has No Shame. What, with the neighbors being able to See Everything. Oh my gosh. You don’t want to know. It’s mortifying. (Trust me, not saying anything to you he hasn’t shrugged off eleventy billion times.) Can’t wait for the install.
Also? We got AT&T U-verse, which is the most awesome of all television services. Dude, I can pull my flickr pics up on my television. HOW COOL IS THAT?? (Very.) Also, it has many other neat features - but I’m not paid to endorse them, so really, just know that I’m down, is all. Yeeee. Not that I’ve been watching much television (except Dancing With the Stars), been reading a lot).
In other news, here are a few things that I cannot gripe about whatsoever, in no particular order:
- The view from our house
- The quiet
- My children
- The color red
- Having a roof over my familys’ head
- Central air
- My kitchen
There are more, but I thought I would leave on a little bit of an up note.
Happiness is…
You know those cutesy little cartoons that say things like “Happiness is… …cuddling.” Or some tripe like that. I do not relate.
They need to come out with a one panel cartoon that says, “Happiness is… …your cat barfs in front of the baby who crawls through it, tracking it on the new carpet, and then you discover it when you pick him up and he smooshes cat barf on your clothes and then lays a really snotty kiss right on your mouth.”
Because THAT. THAT is something I relate to.
The Turkey
A year ago today was Mother’s Day. I remember that I was so sad that day. I thought, “really now, we’ve done all the things we’ve needed to do to become parents and it’s been over a WEEK - so where is my baby, already?”
Verbatim, I thought that. ( 
)
Talk about self-indulgent. My today me would like to go back in time and pop the then-me right in the forehead. Seriously, I was such a dip. I had no idea that I just needed to be a little more patient and everything we’d done would pay off more than I could have ever imagined.
The then-me, the self-indulgent sulking-like-a-teenager me, just didn’t realize that if I could only wait another day - just ONE more day - everything would be Right. A lot more complicated, but so Good. So worth waiting just one more day.
Today is my sweet, quirky, silly, smart little turkey was born. I am grateful to the woman who gave birth to him so that he could be our son. I hope that she’s okay. But most of all, I’m thrilled that he’s my little boy. My fiery little Aidan.
Greg and I are so grateful and fortunate (those words don’t even convey the sentiment on a scale grand enough) to have this little blonde-haired, blue-eyed, squawking, balloon-loving, cat-molesting, kiss-giving, snuggly little boy in our family, as our son.
Happy Birthday Aidan! You’re an awesome boy. Mama loves you times infinity.
post-show wrap up
Found the cat after she’d been missing for over 5 hours. Dumb cat. (Thank goodness.)
Fell and it looks like my right knee is either sprained or strained. Very swollen, black and blue and hard to move. That’s not even the worst part - I was holding Aidan. He didn’t get hurt at all, thank God.
Sitting in the loft with Greg and Aidan (Madi’s in bed). So happy today is behind us.
So so happy.
here kitty kitty
Well… One of the cats escaped while the movers were here. I’m completely freaked out. My little pygmy persian fancy feast kitty… Complete with Alzheimers and no front claws. 
liveblogging the move
I am currently leaning into my kitchen island and typing this into my crackberry in my house. No real internet for another week, but do I care? Nooooo! In other newa the movers are kicking srs butt getting our stuff in.
So excited (and I just can’t hide it)!
By this time tomorrow it will allllll be over.
That’s currently my mantra.
Seriously, SERIOUSLY… how did we possibly think moving would be a good idea. Oh sure, there’s the whole NEW HOUSE aspect of it all… and that’s awesome. But really… this packing thing? Well, it can go straight to H-E-double hockey sticks, Chester. It is so kicking my butt that I should have a bootprint tattooed on my… well, you get the idea.
I don’t know how this is all going to be finished by tomorrow, but I can tell you that my griping about it on my blog certainly is NOT accelerating our progress.
See you on the other side.
Future world champion sprinter!
Guess who took his first steps today…
He did it in the new house when we were over today with the babyproofing guy. How awesome that he hit that milestone in our new place! I’m so proud of my little guy.
Really old in dog years.
Dear Jennifer,
Happy birthday, my friend! You are a total awesome rockstar and I hope you have not only the best birthday, but that 36 ends up being your best year yet.
Love,
Christina
Obligatory Jen-Back-in-the-Day Picture to commemorate today’s auspicious occasion:
Life, and the lack thereof.
You’d hear from me more, but I have a cold. And two babies. And we’re closing escrow tomorrow. And have barely packed.
And the dog ate my homework.
I will be back sometime after things have settled down. In the interim, I can text and email via my phone (and talk, too) but this online thing right now?
Notsomuch.
So much going on.
* Aidan gives kisses on demand (I demand his kisses!)
* Madi speaks fluent gibberish. Pitches, tones, inflection — all very language-y.
For visual updates, check Flickr.
What’s new? Your mom.
No, seriously. It’s been a week. All week. All two weeks? We’re rounding out the end of the second week of having pulled Aidan out of daycare (aka No Sleep Til Brooklyn EVER). Compounded by mega caseworker revolving door, HORRIBLY messy house, and well - too much other crap to ennumerate… well. Hi Stress. Welcome.
Being a Full-time Mama is Hard. Like Math
Since having Aidan home full-time it has become just punch-me-in-the-face obvious that he has a) mega stranger anxiety and b) big-time mama attachment. Love that he wants mama all the time, but it’s been tough when it comes time to feeding and diapering Madi - a total screamfest. And I can’t really engage both of them in the same space because Aidan is totally fascinated with eyeholes. And sticking his fingers in everyone else’s. Also, he enjoys possessing her head with his bendy little fingers. And he is STRONG, so yeah. Separate is key.
Bump in the car
The first day that I had pulled him out of day care, Greg and I decided to meet for lunch. So I picked him up and on our way to the restaurant we got rear-ended. With the kids in the car. Honestly, despite the fact that the people that hit us were so incredibly nice, I just wanted to yell in their faces for even scaring my kids. Thankfully, everyone was okay. On the bright side, we got to replace the car seats. I had recently replaced Aidan’s infant seat with a convertible that, as it turned out, I hate. It has a dial and lever apparatus on the side for loosening and tightening the belts. Totally inconvenient and not very effective. Madi is right at the 20 lb mark, so I was shopping around for convertibles for her - and well. I guess if there is convenient timing for replacing the carseats, there you have it. (Ugh.) So I knew what seats I wanted, went online and ordered them:
Seriously, I know it’s wrong to love carseats so much, but I do. Easy lap belt installation, adjustable head rests. Cushy padding. I freaking want a car seat.
In which I mention Moving. Shocking!
You know what is just terribly wrong? When the car seats showed up on my doorstep, my first thought was - “Awesome! Two more boxes for packing!”
In other news, our house closes in less than two weeks and we move in about three. Finally. I can’t wait for it all to be done.
Must See TV My Neighborhood
Did you watch My Name is Earl or The Office last week? Like, seven whole days ago? Who remembers…? I almost can’t. Except that both shows had scenes that took place in my ghettohood. In the Office where Jim and Pam go off to get a bite to eat, that’s Home Plate Burgers, which is literally less than a block from where I live. Back a couple of years ago they used the exterior for an episode of My Name is Earl and they cleaned up the exterior:
Prior to the filming of Earl, the exterior looked like this:
Classy neighborhood.
Disconcerting
I just found out the Google Maps has implemented a new feature in several metro areas called “street view.” You can type in an address and then click the street view and see what is at that address (or about) visually.
Awesome. Awesome stalker tool.
Can NOT wait to get out of LA. T-20 days.
I detect a slight case of monsterism
I could not be happier right now… My boy and I are sitting in the kitchen eating watermelon (sister is sleeping, shhh!) And Aidan is LOVING it. He is alternating between talking to and growling at his melon.
Awesome!
Please do not ask me about my children in public places.
I am the first person to tell you that I am the - with a hard “e” THEEEE - luckiest woman on the planet. Great husband, terrific family and support system, and I won the baby lottery. I have two gorgeous, engaging, sweet little babies. Both under one. Apple cheeked (both ends), big bright blue eyes, and toes like little corn niblets. Mmm! It’s entirely no surprise whatsoever that we get stopped frequently when we go anywhere (and we all go out together for most everything - grocery shopping, errands, what-have-you).
Usually when we go out, it’s both Greg and I with both babies. When that’s the case, it’s easier to head off conversation with strangers by engaging conversation with each other, if we aren’t already. When I’m by myself - I wish the people would just leave us alone. Because as sure as I did not give birth to my beautiful babies, I also do not know how to keep my mouth shut.
Funny thing? Neither do the people who stop me to comment on my children.
In the last three months “Are they twins?” has been the #1 question and/or comment — with a bullet.
Answers I should say:
- Yes. (Lie and shut them up.)
- Why do you want to know? (Seriously, shut them up.)
- What do you think? (Duh.)
Answer I give:
- No.
The conversation that follows, invariably, goes like this:
THEM: “How old are they?”
ME: “She’s 6½ months, he’s 10½ months.”
THEM: *slackjawed* How did that happen?/Are they both yours?/How do you do that?
What I should say: “Why do you want to know?”
Then it becomes a situation where I’m divulging really personal information to a complete stranger. I DON’T WANT TO DO THAT! It’s gotten to the point where people I don’t know have asked me if I’m infertile (wow. WOW.), do we get money for the kids/how much, why didn’t we adopt out-of-country, and even a remark that thank goodness that they weren’t aborted.
Honestly people. Did your mamas not teach you manners?
Here’s my personal suggestion when you encounter a family with baby/ies:
“He/she/they’re beautiful.”
“Congratulations.”
…and if anyone ever confides in you that they’ve adopted a child, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do NOT say any of the following:
- “He/she/they look like you.” (I get that a lot with both my children and really? They don’t. Maybe you should get glasses. We all just have very full cheekies and blue eyes.)
- “They’re very lucky.” (We’re all very lucky to have each other. I’m the luckiest of all.)
- Say anything that even remotely smacks of a hint of a suggestion of a whisper that the person is not a real parent. (I am doused with baby puke several times every day. I am sleep deprived. I give kisses and cuddles and feedings. The only difference is that I did not give birth to my child.)
- Make any assumptions about fertility. Adoption isn’t always a last option when it comes to building a family.
I’ve opened myself up to all kinds of ridiculous and terrible things by answering questions too openly (really, because that’s who I am) - but I’m done. Or maybe I’m just really exhausted (I am) and had one too many frustrating experiences today (I did) and I’m being melodramatic (unpossible!) — we’ll see how I respond the next time some seemingly delightful woman smiles and asks me if my beautiful babies are twins…
Insane in the mombrane (insane in the braaain!)
Stress!
I think I’m just inventing stress as a response to stress. Does that make sense? No?! Well then, that sounds exactly right!
Ob-ser-uhv:
Firstly, Aidan’s last day of daycare was Friday. I shall be juggling two twenty lb babies under one year from 7a - 6p solo every day (every day. every day. every day I write the book.) It’s not as though I haven’t done this before; I have. Just not… five days consecutively for multiple weeks in a row. So like, hi. I’m totally jazzed about it because really, you don’t even know how much I have missed my little boy every day. (Miserably.) So that’s thrilling. But yeah, I’m nervous.
Over the course of these next three weeks what do you think NEEDS to occur? Let me give you a hint: we gave notice to our current building manager that we will be vacating. Yes! Packing! We. NEED to pack. We’ve done some packing, but hoo boy, not even close. (How do two people accumulate so much s… tuff?)
Also - we have a very narrow window wherein we will close escrow, get keys, get the house babyproofed, and make sure it’s okay to pass home recertification with our FFA (foster family agency) BEFORE we occupy. This has got to happen between 4/29 and 5/2. (We close escrow on 4/29 and our home is due for recertification on 5/2). Then the following week we’ll move.
And… because I feel the need to just… make my life more difficult, I’m already planning Aidan’s birthday party. His birthday is on 5/13 (augh! How did the time pass so fast, I ask you?) but to actually make life easier we’re not having the party until closer to the end of the month. So today Greg and I picked out birthday decorations and made the guest list. We came up with over 60 people in Southern California we *really* want to come. That is more people than we invited to our wedding. Seriously. What the heck?
We’re planning to have the party at our house. Although I am SO not cooking (I’m making cupcakes - using this cake pan and I’ve been practicing piping techniques) — Greg wants to order from Buca di Beppo.
60ish people.
14 kids.
I don’t know which scares me more - moving or throwing this birthday party. It seems unnecessarily large. But then again… it’s mostly family.
But dude. We are so not doing extravagant.
I think I should go to bed. Thinking about these things is seriously breaking my brain…
Don’t mess with my wiki, mmkay? Mk.
In the background right now I have my Disney on-demand going and the Peaches is sleeping (oh yes, sleep baby, sleeeep!) and I got a wild hair to go to wikipedia, okay?
Don’t judge. I look up dumb stuff at wikipedia.
So I was looking at the programs of Playhouse Disney and there was a link to one of the short programs, This is Daniel Cook. So I clicked the link.
Some turkey doctored the article. I read it twice before I could wrap my head around the fact that, no. No, Daniel is NOT a turd. Well, perhaps his parents think he is on occasion, yet… still not right:
Naughty geekses.
Baconblogging (a minor post… now with linky goodness!)
I disagree with her on this point.
I’m hungry.
You eat more vegetable!
So I’m on Facebook and you know, usually I don’t really pay attention to the targeted ads that show up (Facebook, Google, etc.) — but for whatever reason, I notice this ad on the right sidebar:
Which totally, in my very Chick Brain, translates into: “You. I can see you through the monitor. Put the ho-ho down. Time to finish your doctorate. And I’m just the link to lure you to your graduate degree. No? Didn’t go that far? SHOCKING. I’ll pretend you look great in those jeans if you enroll today! Don’t delay!!”
Riiiight.
My suggestion? The fool they’ve hired to craft together such fine advertisement take an e-course, too.
Just a thought.
My life is full.
Ti-faux: Full of “Parental Control”, courtesy of my husband. Thanks, Greg. You know how long it took me to delete those 15 shows? Good grief, y’all.
Foot: Full of pain. Sprained. Wonder why? Tripping over toys and/or boxes while carrying any or all of my 20 lb babies.
Sleep: HAHAHAHA. Kidding.
Outside: Full of sunshine. I love Southern California. If I had my way, I would coerce friends and family into living here. Seriously, why would you not? (Rhetorical.)
Kids: Full of puke. I need to do laundry (why am I not doing it right now? Oh, right. Procrastination. I can’t wait until my laundry is in the house.) because I have baby vomit on almost every single top and dress. It’s attractive.
House: Full of excitement. The house will be complete on/about 4/24, and we will close within the week. Then we will move shortly thereafter. Do I hear anyone volunteering to help? Bueller? Bueller…?!?
Family: Full of loooove. I asked Aidan to give Daddy kisses this morning and he turned around and kissed me. He never gives kisses on demand (doesn’t stop me from trying!) and I melted into a big pile of mama. He’s the most special baby boy, ever. Ever. I can’t believe my little boy is less than 2 months away from turning one year old. I want him to stay little forever. I am so conflicted seeing him grow up. I want him to stay little forever, but I’m so PROUD of him and all the things he can do! (Being a mama is haaaard!!)
Fin.
Via SMS
Why is it that when he’s in a good mood it’s “DadadadadaDADAdadada” but when he’s in a mood it’s “MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” like he’s a goat being slaughtered?
Riddle me THAT, Batman.
The Big Change
I’m up late tonight. Yep, it’s the Pepsi Max again.
Not really. Just my old pal, insomnia. (Gah.)
So I’m surfing every single parenting website and blog known to manom.
You see, we’re going through a change ’round these parts on April 7th. Both kids are going to be home with me during the day. I’m still going to continue to look for a job in the area where we’re moving, but — no one will be in daycare.
Back in November when I became unemployed, Aidan remained in daycare. I was going to pick up another job and poof. We’d keep on keepin’ on. But then… well, that just didn’t happen (for whatever reason, mine is not to ask why) and Madison came into our lives. Being home with Madison full-time has been a wonderful thing for both her and for me, too — not to mention how much schlepping and how many people we have in our lives and home as a result. I also find myself missing Aidan during the day and lamenting that he’s not with us. So, I brought the topic up with Greg this week to take him out of daycare until such point that I go back to work once we move. We already have a daycare lined up, but in the interim I will be able to spend my days with my babies (and job hunt and pack during naps… in theory).
I’m really excited about this change. Aidan is usually home from daycare about once a week, anyway, so I’m accustomed to handling both of them solo. And bonus! As a trade-off, we’re going to have our housekeeper come more frequently to take some of that burden off our shoulders, too.
Win win win. Win. In fact, this is full of win.
In which I choose one of my two favorite topics to discuss:
Will it be HOUSE or KIDS…?
Read the rest of this entry »
A day late and a dollar short go bragh
Yesterday I was so angsty with the kid stuff that I completely did not post what I wanted to post. My favorite Irish Blessing:
May those who love us, love us;
and those who don’t love us, may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn’t turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we’ll know them by their limping.
Let the limping commence! Er, I mean LOVE. Yes, loooove.
Parenting: Pass/FAIL!
Today Madi and I went over to my sister-in-law’s house to hang out with my twin nieces since today was their first day of Spring Break. (already? really?!?) They entertained the poop out of Madi (literally. yep.) and so I decided to take them out to lunch and for some fun and hijinx. We went out to Baja Fresh and had a nice little lunch that involved an extended conversation about the merits of dipping tortilla chips in applesauce (totally delicious, Aunt Chrissy! I swear! Um, okay kiddo. Takin’ your word for it.) and the kind of giggly silliness you encounter with two six year old girls. Good times. After that we ran to the bank (fun for little kids!) and then to the mall so they ride the carousel. After that I let them “have at” the $1 displays at Target (a gaudy barrette and a Littlest Pet Shop Activity Book, in addition to the bunny ear headbands that I chose for them). Then they wanted strawberry banana gelato so guess where we went? Yep, to fulfill their every wish. Hi. My name is Aunt Chrissy and I live wrapped around their little fingers.
Well.
One of the girls was futzing with something in her pocket while she was having her gelato. I asked her what it was… she said, “nothing.” (Yeah. I was a little girl once. RIGHT it was nothing.) So I asked again for her to hand it to me. She got agitated as she handed me a tube of this… candy goo. The tube still had the plastic seal on it. I asked her where she got it, recalling that just a very short time ago we were in the checkout lane in Target where she was molesting the impulse candy display and I called her up to my side to distract her from the shiny chocolate and whatnot.
She started to melt down and told me that she had won it at school and that she didn’t tell her mom because she knew her mom wouldn’t let her have it. I told her that I’d give her another opportunity to tell me the truth… and she started crying. When I asked her why, she said it was because I didn’t believe her.
And you know? I totally didn’t. Still don’t.
I didn’t have any proof that she had stolen the item from the store, although the thought that she could get through a whole weekend without busting into a candy, well… hard not to be suspicious. So. I told her that if her mom wouldn’t want her to have it, she’d best just pitch it in the trash… and I let it go. We’d been having such a nice time that I really didn’t want our special day to be sullied by this.
And you know? It totally was. For me, anyway.
It really bothered me that I thought that she not only lied to me but stole as well. So, on our way out we went to the Target and walked out through the lane where we’d checked out. I glanced at the candy display as we walked through and lo. You’d never guess what I saw?
A box full of the tubes of candy that she had in her pocket.
Now, that doesn’t PROVE that she stole it - but it’s pretty damning. And I truly believe in my heart she stole it and lied to me.
I took them back home and dropped them off (there was someone there to take care of them) and I was vexed about whether I should tell me sister-in-law. Her approach to raising children is… so very different to mine. I knew if I told her about the incident the punishment may very well not be age appropriate for a six year old (in my opinion, of course).
But then I thought… if this was my child… would I want the other party to tell ME about my child’s behavior? Oh HECK yes. Is it the other person’s responsibility to determine consequences (or lack thereof)? Absolutely not.
So I called my sister-in-law and told her what happened. I don’t like the outcome, but I can live with it. I think…
Filler.
It’s been a really difficult and stressful but not altogether bad week. Today is going to be crazybusy filled with visitation and 6 month doctor visits (shots! augh!!) and telephone interviews (yay!) and I need to get to WIC (blah!) or else I have to go buy formula, and I need to go get some spring/summer clothes for Aidan because homeboy is busting out of his 9 month togs. Can’t have nekkid babies. (Although he has THE cutest butt. Seriously. The cutest. EVER.)
So.
I offer the following as filler.
10 months old, and the attitude - forget about it!
6 months old. See how my garden grows!
Is good, no?
Link
Fostering Love
One mother tells her fost/adopt story. Fantastic.
A New Favorite
When I was a kid, I enjoyed Garfield. (Not as much as, say Bloom County or Calvin and Hobbes, but I enjoyed it.) But then, it sucked. Or I got older. Or both. (It sucked.)
Little did I know that Garfield is actually funnier without Garfield.
For Aunt Amy…
Great Odin’s raven!
This week has been a milestone-a-minute. My heart? It can’t take it.
- Madison: broke her first tooth on Wednesday
- Aidan: 9:30 a.m.-ish, Thursday - crawled
- Aidan: 2:00 p.m.-ish, Thursday - pulled to stand on a bucket of toys
Yes - crawling and standing up on the same day. Is it me, or is that insane? (I know he decided to crawl in due time, but I think he’s finding his groove).
Schnikeys.
Like, totally. To the MAX.
This morning I laid in bed until after 2 a.m. just surfing around on my blackberry and playing games. I was hopelessly and in all other adverbly ways sleepless and I had no idea why.
Rewind to last night, I did not make dinner for my family. I ordered in a pizza (btw, pizza mia at pizza hut is actually not crap. and also inexpensive) and a 2 liter of diet soda as a treat because I totally do not typically drink soda anymore. Used to. Not so much any longer.
This afternoon when I was having lunch I poured a cup of soda again and was looking at the bottle of Diet Pepsi. Max.
Oh my god. I had two glasses of diet pepsi max last night right before bedtime. It has almost 2x as much caffeine as regular soda (+ ginseng, whatever). I don’t really drink any caffeinated beverages, so caffeine kind of kicks my ass into GEAR.
No wonder I was awake last night all omgwtfgoodmorninggoodnightzipzipzip.
That stuff is nuts.
Rotting brains, one infant at a time.
My dearest darling Madison is exhausted. And when exhausted she is prone to wailing. Which is the new awesome and also makes me flipping insane.
You know what makes her stop?
Television.
Sidenote: Before I had children I swore that I would never let my children watch television before they turned five. Absolutely under no circumstances.
You know what I’ve learned since I’ve actually become a parent?
Flexibility is key.
(No, she’s not parked in front of it, she’s in the baby jail with her lovey and the tube is in beyond her view. But I’ll be HOT DOGGED if that thing isn’t a charm. God bless Philo Farnsworth, Time Warner, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.)
Amazing.
You know how every now and again you come across a link where you’re like, oh my god - this is the most amazing website I’ve ever seen? Today I found such a website. Please, please, behold it’s brilliance.
Eye tic explained.
I think the tic is a result of my brain not being able to handle more information. The more information I’m confronted with, the more my eye twitches.
Seriously, like I’m ever going to have a practical application for knowing pi to the 100,000
GOSH.
What do you know that is never going to make a whit of difference in your life but is indelibly etched in your brain?
The forgotten bulletpoint (addendum to yesterday’s list)
- I had NO idea that Steven Spielberg was the clerk in the assessor’s office at the end of the Blues Brothers. My brain about exploded when I found that out.
The end.
5/100
Damn, I forgot about this project. Okay, here I go, here I go, here I go again - here I go again.
Ok… go! (hahahah, so funny I forgot to laugh!)
I LOVE playing board games. Greg and I used to have game night, but we don’t anymore. Before we all started having kids, we’d play board games at my in-laws’ on Christmas Eve and THAT is what I looked forward to. I miss playing games so much! My favorite games are Cranium, Clue, and Scrabble.
Tic tic tic
Does it mean something if one’s right eyelid starts involuntarily spasming every time something stressful happens/is mentioned/is in one’s thoughts?
Because I’m thinking it’s TOTALLY COINCIDENTAL.
Right? Riiiight??!!?!?
Day four and counting…
Wiz-bang go the bullets…
- Yesterday Greg and I celebrated seven long, tedious years of marriage. Seven loooong, painful, frustrating years together. God help us both if we have to go through seven more years of THAT hell.
HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, best thing that ever happened to me. I love my husband dearly and I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with anyone but him. - We met up with my aunt over at the new house so I could show her where we’d be having Thanksgiving this year. HURRAY! And then we had lunch together, just the five of us. I had such a great time seeing my aunt. I have some really great early rememberies of her when I was just a little kid. She was my “cool aunt” because, you know, she’s closet in age to me of all my aunts and uncles. But I’m definitely closest with my “Auntie M.” Bonus? She made a kickass blankie for Miss Madi.
- I’m on a baking lasagna kick. Hi. It’s what’s for dinner. All last week. All this week. If you want veggie lasagna, come on over. Seriously. Seriously.
- Madi has been inconsolable. We drove north over the hill today and she wailed. Waaaaailed. Because the invisible ghost in the backseat with her was prodding her with pokey sticks. Poor thing. Horrible. Also, she’s teething. Because my life is all about being surrounded by miserable teething babies. They are the most delicious kind. *deep breath*
- I could really go for a glasse of champagne tonight. Cheap stuff. I don’t care. A bellini. That would be awesome. But… yeah, that is SO not going to happen.
Somewhere… a stinky diaper is calling my name.
somewhere in this room, about five feet behind me, and a foot down…
That dog isn’t the only one with balls.
Seriously.
Today when I picked up Madi from her visitation, birthmom brought her out of the visit room and said, “Look Madi, it’s yourFAKE MOM!”
The first time she said it… I thought it was cute if not a little ignorant.
Today, I took a little deep breath, smiled, and said, “No, I’m her FOSTER mom. 100% real.” with an extra smile at the end and took OUR daughter and walked out the door.
Gah.
Seriously.
I like cakes. And dogs. However…
I love baking. I haven’t really immersed myself into the whole cake thing (I’m more of a cupcake girl, myself), but I admire those who do - it’s such an art. I mean, if you’ve never watched Ace of Cakes, do yourself a favor…
So, I read a couple of baking/cake/cupcake blogs fairly regularly and one of the bloggers/bakers recently went to a competition.
I present to you one of the entries:
(click for larger version)
Pretty impressive, right? I mean, shaping the cake, rolling out and cutting the fondant, airbrushing…
It’s more impressive than you think…
Read the rest of this entry »
The eye are ess can kiss my aye ess ess.
Well, the verdict is in, our taxes are back and we owe again. Seriously, I’m so annoyed. But whatever. Whatever. What. EVER.
(So. Annoyed.)
The timing could not be more annoying with the house and all.
Oh, and the stupid home builders? The ones that we’ve been calling saying, “Hey, when are we going to do the pre-drywall walkthru? When? When? Huh?” And they’ve been saying, “Soon, soon. We’ll get back to you on that…” Well, they called today and said, “Hey, drywall is scheduled to start going up on Saturday, howze ’bout y’all coming down tomorrow?”
Howze about not-so-much, seeing as Greg works as well as we need to give the daycare more than a day’s notice for a drop-in.
Honestly, I’m getting a little cheesed with the people who are cheesing me off.
And now for something completely different:
Aaaaaaaaapes!
(Damn dirty apes.)