Pet Peeve

Robin: Is there coffee?
Randy: In the world? Yes.

Grrrr.....

Kira's Christmas List

I asked Kira what she wanted for Christmas. This is her list:

1. To be princess of Lynnwood, Washington.
2. For Greta to learn to talk now.
3. For all of us to get over our colds.
4. For us to be able to relax all the time.

I'm not exactly sure how to gift wrap those...

Growing up

My girls just turned 3 months and 5 years on the same day a couple of weeks ago. And I realized that suddenly Kira has changed from a toddlerish sort of girl to a real kid. I can see that she'll be ready to go to school and start tackling the world without me by her side every moment. I know I should be glad about that, and I am, but part of me wants to cuddle her up and make her a baby again. It's a good thing I have a new one to start all over with. :)

You can see for yourself. Here is Kira six months ago, and Kira today - when did this happen?!:

And - a picture of my little three month old in case she ever accuses me of never taking her picture... (I've heard second children can do that when they grow up... ;))

On sleeping in her own bed...

Kira: I do not want to discuss that
Randy: Why not?
Kira: Because my feelings are like glass about that. They will break and shatter into a million little pieces.

Guess where Kira is sleeping tonight...

Just your average night at home...

Going to bed in my house is a Saturday Night Live skit on an average day. There's me, finally with a sleeping baby at her natural bed time of 1am slipping her into her Nest, Kira over into the middle of the bed - making sure that she's not just *leaning* that way or she'll flip back the moment I get in. Scooting Randy all the way to his side so I have room to scoot Kira over, and inevitably the baby wakes up and I pick her up and let her lie down with us all for a while as my shoulder goes to sleep because she's using it for a pillow again. That's everyday.

One night this week, all of the above had occurred as usual and then I hear that cough that every mother knows, right in my ear. The cough that comes from the *stomach* not the chest. I flick the light on, lauch the baby into the nest, grab Kira and run to the bathroom. And yes, she's throwing up the whole way. I get her cleaned up. Get her changed. Get her back in bed. Look in the Nest and there's the wide awake baby. I get the baby who is now hungry and nurse her in bed. She finishes nursing and... hmm... there's that cough again but this time it's Gigi's turn. Randy, who had successfully faked sleep through the last escapade, flicks his light on this time and says "Can I get you anything?" and with perfect timing Gigi then throws up ALL over me, and the bed, and herself. And I say "Yes, a towel". And it keeps coming. This event is made all the more perfect by the fact that I'd just washed and changed all the bedding this afternoon.

Randy takes the baby (at arms length) and proceeds to act like the perfect father while cleaning her up... "Nothing comes out of this baby but love!" Hmmm, where were you an hour ago?

So, baby gets cleaned up. I get cleaned up. Bed gets as clean as it's gonna get at 3 am. We all get ready to get back in bed and Kira says "My tummy doesn't feel so good." Uh oh.

Rush Kira to the bathroom - more throwing up. Put her in the bathtub to keep her warm and close to the toilet now.

Finally, everyone is back in bed and keeping their insides to themselves by 4:30. Ahhhhh....

Movie Review

My Date With Drew

One man and his dream, to get a date with Drew Barrymore.

Seriously, this is a guy whose had a crush on Drew Barrymore since he was ten and, finding himself unemployed and with time on his hands picked up a video camera at Circuit City because he could return it in 30 days and get his money back and video taped his quest to get a date with Drew. He used the $1100 he'd just won in a game show to finance the quest - and by the way, "Drew Barrymore" was the winning answer.

It's funny, uplifting, encouraging and if you watch this before you go to bed instead of Law and Order you won't keep imagining yourself as the body in the opening scene. (Um, not that anyone would do that...right)

Coming clean

After years of avoiding daytime television and anything really with a studio audience, I've become one of those people who talk about what was on Oprah. I confess. My sister got me hooked a few weeks ago and I might have even poked fun at *her* for liking Oprah. Now, I'm not only addicted, but really feel like people should *know* that she just sent her entire staff of over 400 people and their families to Hawaii, or just gave some random fan a new house, then remodled it, then furnished it, then promised to send her 10 kids to college.

I'm one of them now. The Oprah viewers. Oprah's on, people.

Kira's Question of the Day

Kira (out of the blue while playing Dora game on my computer): Mama, does an anteater have a prehensile tail?

Me: Um...

Kira, sensing the pause: Prehensile means it could hang from it

Me, defensively: I knew what it meant! (right) Um, yes, they do, they definately have a prehensile tail.

Me: Why?

Kira: Well, I was wondering if an anteater could eat an ant in a tree, because ants climb trees, and if it had a prehensile tree it could.

Oh, well sure. Clearly we've been watching too much of animal planet...

31 and counting...

Today was my birthday and I have to say that I found 31 a touch harder than turning 30. There's so much buildup to 30, it's like a novelty number. Woo hoo! I made it! I survived turning 30!!!

But now, I'm 31 and thinking, "Hey wait, I was good and did that whole turning 30 thing just fine. Can't we go back to my real age now?!" But no, the numbers keep getting bigger.

And then we went out and celebrated and my beautiful girl sang happy birthday to me all by herself in front of everyone at the restaurant, and my husband gave me sweet cards and presents (one of which actually required him going into Sephora and picking out makeup with only a 4 year old to help him!) and I thought that maybe 31 isn't so bad. ;)

product review

I would like to report for all moms and moms to be my new favorite diaper:
Seventh Generation Diapers

Aside from the warm fuzzy I get every time I look at them thinking a certain friend of mine would be so proud of me (unless you go all the way and use cloth, do you Jen?) they are the best diaper I've tried to date and I think I've tried them all. They really DO feel like cloth on the inside, almost never leak, and don't leave any sad little red marks on the babe. And of course, are eco-friendly, or as close as you can get with a disposable diaper.

Malaprops

Kira has a few words that she doesn't quite get right on a regular basis...

1. Otherwise: "I need my coat eitherwise I will get cold"
2. Crutches: "Grandpa Rick used crunches to walk when his ankle was broken"
3. Rest Ye: "Mama, listen to me play God Rescue the Merry Gentlemen on the piano"

But the one I refuse to correct...

Wife: "Daddy, listen to her, she's your LIFE!"

Things I've learned from my daughter...

On food...

Kira: Can I have a bedtime snack?

Me: Sure. What do you want?

Kira: Something sweet that's healthy for you.

Me thinking "Hmm... well, we have nonfat vanilla ice cream..."

Kira: You know, like carrots or broccoli

Yeah, um, exactly what I was going to suggest... I've somehow created a child who's very health conscious and I can promise you that it's nothing I've imparted to her on purpose. I don't know how these things happen. On the other hand, she hates cats, and I don't know how that happened either!

On relationships...

While watching tv at my mom's house she turns to my mom and says she thinks she's had enough tv and they should go to the yarn store.

Grandma: But you haven't seen this show before

Kira: Yes, and I would like to watch it, but loving someone means doing what they want to do, not what you want to do and I know you want to go to the yarn store.


And other times, she locks the cat in the pantry. Life is a mystery.

The Bachelors and the Bobbysoxer

Upon donning the costume:

Kira - "Let's play Movie!"

Randy and Robin - "Ok" (having no idea what this game is)

Kira - "I'll be the movie, and you be the audience."

Hmm.....

After winning third place at the costume contest:

Kira - "But Mom, how could I win without even having an act?"

Robin - "What do you mean?"

Kira - "Well, I just stood so still up on the stage. I didn't have an act or anything!"

Two Months Today

Miss Gigi is two months old today. I'd like to say that it feels like yesterday that I was having her, but in reality, it feels like yesterday that I was saying "Why are there two lines on the stick if I'm not pregnant?"

I'm sure tomorrow I'll be sending her off to kindergarten and the next day Kira will be going to college.

Here is the little two month old.

Watch out for Elmo

I'm not sure what to make of turf warfare in Elmo garb, or the cliques, but there you have it.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB113011800705377240-lMyQjAxMDE1MzIwNDEyMTQ4Wj.html

How to strike horror in your husband's heart

Last night we went to Scott's Bar and Grill on a whim. This was where we met, and where Randy worked for several years so it's like a homecoming whenever we go. People come to the table to catch up. New waiters come introduce themselves. Everyone makes over the kids.

In the midst of this, Gigi begins to cry and I comment that she looks hungry. Of course we didn't bring a bottle.

Randy says "What are you going to do?" Not in the flip way that he would if I got my shoe stuck in the mud. Or the sarcastic way he would if I said I couldn't get into my baby name board.

This was true fear. I think he was imagining either A) the baby crying loudly in front of all of his friends or B) me deciding there's nothing embarrassing about nursing the baby in the middle of the restaraunt... in front of all of his friends.

Donning my cape as Supermom, I took the baby into the bathroom to nurse her (twice) and no one was the wiser. :)

Things I can cross off the "I've never..." list

Today we were supposed to go to the pumpkin patch. It's a tradition that my sister goes with us and last year we finally found a great patch after some pathetic attempts that culminated in going to the grocery store for pumpkins. It's been beautiful for nearly all of October and we were really excited, then of course, it's pouring today. We wouldn't have been deterred except I don't know how to keep a baby dry in the rain. There's probably some super polypropelene baby pouch gizmo, but I don't have one.

So, we decided to go to breakfast and see Wallace and Gromit. Should have been great. We have a breakfast place that knows us all by name, and we know them. They even held Gigi for me so I could eat my food. (Yes, I gave my baby to the waitress!)

But, hmm, perhaps the hash browns weren't such a good idea. Or maybe it was the blueberry pancakes. Who knows. But by the time we got to the theater I jumped out of the car while in the middle of the road, told Randy to park and bring up the kids and ran to the restaurant, hopping from garbage can to garbage can like I was playing Frogger to avoid throwing up in the middle of the lobby. Thankfully I made it to the bathroom in time.

I then met everyone in the theater, where we sat in the back so I could nurse the baby during the movie.

And those would be two things I can no longer use in the "I never" game.

TGIF

Even though I'm "not working" Fridays are still fun!! Today is (grown up) Lemke TV Night. Wahoo!!! We Tivo all our shows through the week and watch them on Fridays. This week is a wild success because I've only sneaked one show in ahead of time. ;) Our lineup is Gilmore Girls, Lost, Without a Trace. Wahoo!!

Hello Again

Well, after one false start I'm back to the world of blogging! And what a day to start. This would be the day that I heard a stalker/trespasser/serial killer outside my window. Not to be dramatic. I suppose it could have been a guy walking his dog. Still, it was 8am and he was right outside the window. The cops came and assured me no one was there, however, because there were no footprints. Um, ok, you could walk down the paved street, up my stone steps, to my wooden deck to get to this window, but clearly the absence of footprints is telling. Where are Detectives Briscoe and Logan? Where's Special Agent Fitzgerald? SAM SPADE? ANYONE?

Ok, but the good news is, Randy rushed home and I've had company all day. Hopefully panic does not ensue tomorrow.

Later this afternoon I took the girls to the bookstore for coffee and book reading because I saw Kira pushing a paper clip across the hardwood floors. When I asked her about it she said "I'm trying to keep from being bored." Bad Mom. Bad Mom.

And this was my exciting day.

Funny Kira quote of the day... "'So' Kira exclaimed!"