Daylight Savings Time, I Curse You in the Morning but Love You at Night

I loved the adrenaline jolt I received yesterday morning after hitting the snooze button one too many times and realizing we were late, late, late for school. Curse you, Daylight Savings Time and my internal body clock! So I did what any good mama does--I smiled sweetly at the school secretary as she wrote a tardy slip for Little Man and then took Baby Girl to Starbucks to forgive myself. I'm gonna enjoy that extra hour of daylight for sure and try again.

I am happy to report that Day 2 of DST went somewhat better.  The alarm blared on and on intermittently b/w the slamming of the snooze button.  I did roll out of bed, sleepy, dragging, moaning slightly under my breath, until Hubby on his way out of the door said that our tax refund had cleared.  Oh what’s that? Money to burn?  Shopping to be done?  Pedicures, anyone?  Suddenly, I was Lil Miss Perky at the thought of cute sandals.  Plus I realized I had less than 25 minutes to usher Little Man out the door.

Today is absolutely gorgeous weather.  High 70s, sunny, slight breeze.  I feel so alive and grateful on days like this.  Hanging out with my beautiful baby girl who is mostly smiles and giggles.  Running a few errands with a happy baby in tow.  Afternoon stroll around the neighborhood (Good god, just watch out for the hills.  I was huffing and puffing and some of those ‘hills” were very steep, I swear.  I also might be just a tad bit out of shape.)  Writing when the opportunity presents itself (naptime) with the windows open and my faithful dogs nearby.  Chatting and connecting with two friends and my parents.  Waiting for the bus. My only complaint today is the same complaint every day  “What should I do about dinner?”

TLC Duty – One Step Closer to My Nomination of Mommy of the Year

After a successful birthday party for Baby Girl (and running around last week as a crazed mama with a checklist), I thought I'd be taking it easy this week. But nooooo, of course not. Party clean up rolled right into TLC Duty. Little Man developed a nasty cold with heavy congestion.  I have been enforcing afternoon naps. I have been monitoring the fluid intake. I have been wiping noses, taking temperatures, giving hugs, and in general being an attentive mama nurse. (I might baby the boy a little bit. )

I kept him home from school today, primarily because  he is a snot monster.  How much can he learn when he is wiping his nose every other minute? Besides we were both tired having been up at 4am to make the TLC rounds, to include the popular "I instantly feel  better crawling into my parents' bed to snuggle and sleep." (Today has been a highly caffeinated day.)

I rescheduled my two appts and then we took it easy for most if the day.  We did make a quick run into Barnes & Noble Bookstore for two specific get well items: Pigeon finds a Hot Dog by Mo Williems and Cars 2 DVD.  Until I saw the price. I refuse to pay $39.99 for a blu-ray DVD. That's ludicrous! Thankfully another title, in my price range, caught his eye.

Today though has been challenging in TLC management versus all other domestic chores. My house is a disaster.  All regular chores aside from dining support did not happen.  Baby Girl and Sick Little Man would take turns vying for my attention ALL DAY and well into the evening and long into the night I'm sure.

I'm typing this on my phone as I rock Baby Girl at 11:30pm. She too now has congestion and is uncomfortable. Little Man migrated to the living room couch, and having slept for hours this afternoon, is wide awake watching TV.

It's gonna be a long night.

And I can already tell tomorrow will be a repeat of today.

I can’t help to think "Did I shower today?" So maybe a shower at midnight is in order since clearly two days of TLC duty does not leave time for much else.

Yup, stinky but loving and attentive qualifies for mommy of the year.

VT-isms

@ 11 months, these are VT-isms I do not want to forget:

(1)   I love that I am her favorite person in the whole wide world right now.  Whenever she sees me, her entire face lights up with her toothy grin. *

(although she is smiling for Daddy in this photo after he gave her a banana to eat, as you can see some of the evidence on her face.)
* Unless it's in the middle of the night.  Or she is whining and crying incessantly.  Then I'm not as pleased to be the most favorite person in the world.

(2)   She gives head butts of love.  If you ask her for a kiss, she butts her forehead with yours instead.  Or sometimes gives you a wet, open-mouth kiss of excitement on your nose.

(3)   Victoria protests verbally, more like a grunt of displeasure, when you take something away from her.

(4)   She waves like a queen, with her arm outstretched towards her subject. 

(5)   She is always standing up, cooing & smiling while waiting for someone to get her from the crib in the morning.

(6)   She enjoys taking her socks off when she is confined, whether in her crib, pack n’ play, or carseat.

(7)   She enjoys dancing with her mama (sitting on my hip) in the living room to the Tropicales station, channeling her inner Latina diva to enjoy salsa, samba, merengue music.
Life is Good!

Friending Your Mom on Facebook is a BAD Idea When You are Talking About Tattoos

Yes, I am a Suburban Housewife who wants to get some ink.  It’s trendy. It makes me feel not quite so homely.  The tats are for me, my self-expression.  (Although I ain’t gonna lie, Hubby thinks it’s HOT.  And well, anything to keep the fires going is probably worth pursuing.)  So Hubby and I attended the DC Tattoo Convention this past weekend with the hopes of meeting some local artists and preview their portfolios. 

I returned home very excited about the prospect, thinking about the work I want done and what it symbolizes to me.  Of course, it’s not official until I post it on Facebook.  My post:

Sorry, Mom! But I'm one step closer to getting inked. Just got home from the DC Tattoo Convention. Butterflies, dragons, and a lil crab. ;)

I got a few likes and comments from my friends.  And then my Mom weighed in with

You are not JOLIE and ERIC is not PITT. KEEP YOUR SKIN FROM INTENTIONAL BLEMISH. WHY GO THROUGH THE PAIN. LOVE YOU MUCH. BE CLEAN...

I am nothing but amused.  And yes, she did write in ALL CAPS.  But it gets better.  My sister chimes in with

            LMAO! (at mom's comment) I'm next...Shhh! I'm thinking a sleeve..

Mom’s reply:

What does LMSO mean? just voicing my opinion. You are adults who decide what is best for you, whether I agree with you or not, you are in control. MY love is always with both of you.

Oy!

When I called home for my weekly check-in, I got an earful.  After her 20-minute tirade, she ended it with “But it’s your body.  You are old enough to do whatever you want.”  You think?! 

I got nothing but love for my mother.  But I am still building up my patience reserves for when she sees all the tats for the first time.

Teething Baby = Cranky. Needy. Insomniac. Up every 2 hours.

Teething Baby = Cranky.  Needy.  Insomniac.  Up every 2 hours.

Mom Tending to Teething Baby = Exhausted.

Last night was a rough night for both of us.  Victoria was only happy as long as she was touching Mommy in some way.  When she is feeling miserable, having me within sight is not enough.  She needs cuddle time. Which  means it was decision time for me.  Let her cry it out--my least favorite option (too grating on my nerves not to mention the psychological damage the experts are now spouting off about).  Carry her around while I finish up cleaning the kitchen (It’s like an extra workout – carrying 20 pounds around.).  Attempt to hang out online with her on my lap (Too much interference -- As I type one-handed, she is on my lap, cooing, playing with a teether, and is a snot bucket.)  Or go into cuddle mode.

Cuddle Mode wins out, primarily because I had been trying to get her to sleep since 7:30 and clearly at 10:30 with an awake, fussy baby, my other attempts had failed.  I anticipated there would be many interruptions to my sleep, so I set up camp on the living room floor with the baby corral.  The baby corral covers a large enough space for me to sleep in comfortably while giving Baby Girl enough freedom to explore and play safely with slumbering mama near her side. I know she’s safe and I can get my much needed zzzz’s.  The good news about this set-up is that when she wakes up crying, I can nurse her and tend to her needs half-asleep. 

I think what is so bewildering about Motherhood is that so much of it is just Attempting and Hoping that you are doing right.  So before bedtime, I attempted to give her Motrin and hoped that she ingested enough to actually  make a difference.  That little stinker puts everything in her mouth EXCEPT the things that will make a positive difference.  And forget the Orajel.  She had her mouth firmly clamped shut with that attempt!

As predicted, we were up every 2 hours.  So needless to say, when Little Man came bounding into the living room this morning, I was less than thrilled to be up for morning duty.  I got through it but without coffee!!  I was too tired to figure out why my Keurig wasn’t working.  I’m sure it’s a simple fix but sleep deprivation does me no favors.  Thankfully, as soon as the Boy was off to school, Baby Girl and I headed back to our beds for nap.  That is the perk of being a SAHM with no set schedule.  Whenever I seriously consider going back to work, those long nights of fussy baby, interrupted sleep patterns, and tiredness, while infrequent, makes me reconsider.  Some type of Work Outside the Home will always be there, right? (I hope!)

Two hours later, rested and regrouped, Baby Girl and I are ready to face the day.  We haven’t left the house.  It’s a Domestic Bliss kind of day.  And now it’s about that time to go meet the bus.

P.S. I dislike cleaning out the fridge. Ugh!

Christmas 2011 Recap

I’m giving myself a pat on the back for a job well done in regards to our Christmas.

Our Christmas Celebration, as seen through the eyes of my Boy, was fabulous!

My two favorite moments of this Christmas:

1.  Alex’s note to Santa: We had a slight fiasco with our homemade cookies for Santa. We made Butterscotch-Oatmeal cookies and set them aside. Unfortunately, and I hate to admit this, we have a slight, and I mean very slight, but recurring and very annoying ant problem. And wouldn’t you know, those damn ants found their way to the batch of cookies sitting on the counter. (For the record, their appearance is intermittent and is localized to one counter and near the sink. We just can’t find their point of entry to spray them to oblivion.) Obviously, we can’t serve ant-ridden cookies to Santa, so we improvised with Oreos. Alex felt compelled to write an explanation to Santa.

The note reads:

Santa,
Ants got into your cookies. Please have an Oreo instead.
Love, Alex

2. Alex’s Delight with the Unexpected Santa gift of Angry Birds: Alex asked only for Playdoh Transformers from Santa. Imagine his delight when Santa over-delivered. Not only did he receive his requested gift, he must have been on the Very Good list, because he also received 5 Angry birds–red bird, blue bird, black bird, yellow bird, white bird-and 2 pigs, the King pig and a helmeted pig. They couldn’t all fit in his stocking but were scattered nearby. He was surprised and really excited about them all, declaring that this was his favorite gift. Way to go, Santa!

 Alex on Christmas morning, which started at 5:45am!

Of course, this Christmas was also very special because it was Victoria’s first. She wore the same red Christmas pajamas that Alex wore for his first Christmas. She was very happy to be part of the festivities, watching her brother unwrap his mountain of gifts. She did receive gifts, a disproportionate amount in comparison to her brother, but she is still at the age where the gift wrap and box are usually more entertaining than the toy itself.

Eric’s mom, aka Gamie, spoiled all of us with presents and with the gift of sleep. She is such a wonderful help with both the grandkids, that she frees up our time for other things (i.e. sleep, or in my case, long showers in the morning!). Alex adores her and dominates most of her time when she visits. She happily obliges to his demand for attention and plays and plays. She is, however, enabling our family’s Starbuck habit. She gave each of us Starbucks gift cards to include Alex. Eric & Alex used theirs today. Alex bought himself a hot chocolate.

This year, Eric and I had a $100 limit each to spend on each other. We always provide wishlists for each other to make shopping easier, although there is no hard and fast rule to buy from the list. I was fretting a bit since as of Friday, I had not really given presents for Eric much thought. Amazon.com with rush shipping and a kid-free hour at Barnes & Nobles quickly resolved that! I walked out with several books –a travel guide to India and to New Zealand (we are dreaming of travel) and The French Country Table cookbook by Laura Washburn . Eric enjoyed all his gifts but his favorite is a book entitled Zombies vs Plants (based off an online game Alex has played apparently) that Alex made for him.

As I write this, Eric is hard at work in the kitchen, making Pistou soup from his new cookbook. Alex is, as he says “multi-tasking” (I detest that word!), by watching Harry Potter and playing with his Magnetix. Victoria is napping.

Life is Good!

This Christmas Season My Mental Capacity Has Been Reduced to Nothing More Than Composing Facebook Posts to Combat Stress

Sadly, my mental capacity has been reduced to nothing more than composing Facebook status updates to combat Christmas stress. I usually self-impose a one-per-day limit. But lately with all the Christmas hype, angst & bliss – I have gone through an emotional roller coaster in the past few weeks trying to get everything done to create the Christmas magic, only to be derailed by the Boy’s 5 days of fever (missed school, doctor visits, phone calls, snuggling and vegging out).—I’ve been wanting to reach out and update my Facebook status every couple of hours. Before you roll your eyes, know that I have resisted. I know I’m not *that* interesting. Interesting, yes. But not every-couple-of-hours interesting. I realize everyone, at least my peer group, is going through the exact same thing (So quit your whining, Woman!). I have nothing profound or original to say, at least in regards to Christmas, that hasn’t been said or thought of a million times before. Perhaps I have a few relatable exasperations about the holiday, cutesy kid stories, or heart-warming Christmas spirit stories to share, but really most of my “would-be” posts are more along the lines of whining. Or, oh yes, posts about my adorable children. While I know they are, in fact, hands down, the most adorable kids in the world, I suppose, if I really had to acknowledge the truth out loud, I know my friends and acquaintances don’t really care all that much. On the other hand, my Mother does. And yes, we are Facebook friends. However, even now, all she really cares about are pictures of her grandkids. She doesn’t always understand my posts, but she reads them all the same because she hearts me. (Love you, Mom!)

Yes, I do completely succumb to the Christmas hype to include pictures with Santa especially for Baby Girl’s 1st Christmas:

The Boy was along too for a Santa visit because he was home from school. He technically was fever-free but it had not been the required 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. I definitely needed to get out of the house after 5 days in the House of Ill and 3 days of missed school. And can I get a gold star on my reward chart for doing my part and keeping the Boy home on the last day, considering he was pinging off the walls and clearly feeling better? I digress. We had a great outing to the Mall to see Santa, lunch, and a relatively inexpensive and whine-free excursion into the Legos store.

Like every mother, my Christmas to do list has been long and never-ending. I have felt varying levels of stress dependent on how much I have or have not accomplished. I was getting a little snappy yesterday. However, one kid-free hour of shopping tonight at the bookstore has restored order, karma, bliss into my life as I am now done with shopping. Yesterday, I was fretting because Hubby was definitely getting short-changed with the holiday gift exchange. I am a big fan of Christmas gifts, not so much for the sake of outdoing the Joneses or complete excess , but because I like to receive presents and I enjoy knowing Hubby was thinking of me. (We will discuss our spousal gift-giving some other time, but it involves lists and not as much imagination as I’d prefer.) I think it is satisfying, when not under a time crunch, searching for and finding the perfect gift, rewarded with a delighted smile. Ok, hmm….I’m not sure Hubby has ever given me a delighted smile, but I know when I have scored big with him. However, in my time management assessment, shopping for him kept falling lower and lower in terms of importance. Yet, I know he has been working hard at getting it right to delight me (Spoiled Wifey Moment: Um, yes, I have that expectation! But on the other hand, he only has to shop for me. I shop for everybody else to include his mother.) Needless to say, I didn’t want to send him the message that he is not important nor disappoint him. I pulled through, found a few things he wants from his Amazon wish list. I also bought a present for him, meant for us, but he’ll think it’s really for me (It’s not!).

I feel better now and have let go of all the other holiday stresses and the guilt for not getting it done. The only thing left on my to do list is to bake cookies. For those friends who aren’t receiving their Christmas cards until AFTER Christmas, I do apologize. You will forgive me, won’t you? That is, if you have even noticed.
Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow: the Christmas Pageant & the Boy