Monday, December 18, 2006

Thanks for asking...

Hi Wonder Mom! Thanks for asking...

I felt OK about Brianna leaving. We'd been away from her before, but my parents had come to our house. This was her first sleepover at someone else's house. I must have told her I loved her about 50 times, and reminded her that I'd see her tomorrow about 30! I was a little choked up when I drove away with an empty car, but looking back, I was more worried about how she'd handle it than I was upset that she was away.

My folks said she handled it really well, until the drive back to our house. Then, in her 3 year old mind, the drive was just too long. I guess when your 3, 90 minutes feels like 900. She was very clingy when she got home but it was TOTALLY worth it!

SOOO much fun

This weekend, Brianna spent her first annual weekend with my parents. They partied and had a great time! (Next year, my folks will take both kids! OH, the anticipation!)

Even still, with just Grant this weekend, it was very liberating. Saturday.... shopping BY MYSELF. Moms out there, you understand right? When was the last time you spent all afternoon shopping BY YOURSELF!?

Sunday- I took Grant with me to Toys-R-Us. He's young enough that I can buy presents for him and he won't realize it still.... I had SO. MUCH. FUN. I just wandered the aisles picking up what I wanted, until before I knew it, an hour and a half had gone by and there just wasn't any more room in, or under, the cart. Grant was even holding/playing with one of his toys already!

People, this is why being a parent is even more fun than being a kid. Not only did I get to wander and buy to my heart's content, in just one short week I will get to see the beautiful faces of my children open all those toys. Even if they promptly forget about them as each new wonderful packages is torn to shreds, I will remember the joy I felt making them happy.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Wahoo!!!!

ALL DAY yesterday, my work computer was blocking blogger beta as inappropriate content!
And I was sincerely attempting to waste my entire work day yesterday so I would have greatly appreciated being able to work on and post my photo essays I'm developing!

Today, I am trying to work... so the pictures will have to wait another day. Or maybe I'll stop working before my silly computer blocks this again....

Hmmmmm.....

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

A photo of my hair

but not my best self-photography....


It's the little things

My son, my wonderful 14 month old son, has started making connections. This is such a fun phase to watch.

This week, I was putting on his coat to take him home from daycare, and he started waving good bye! No one had to tell him to wave, he just knew that when the coat comes on, we leave. I was very touched by it. He is growing up very fast. Now that he is walking, he finally seems to have a personality. He's a touch of a drama king, but it's him.

On that note; file this under "bad mommy".
My son doesn't wear a coat most days. He has a coat, I just don't put it on him. Instead, I put him in a hoodie. In my defense, it's a warm hoodie. AND- I really am looking out for his safety. His real coat is very huge, very puffy. SO puffy, he doesn't fit in his carseat! Yes, ok, I know, I could uninstall his carseat and adjust the straps in the back. But I haven't. It's cold outside, it was in the single digits last week!... I know, thats exactly why I should do it, he needs the coat. And now I have gone in a little circle! I'm a bad mommy running in circles!

Monday, December 11, 2006

I am so horrible at posting!

Things that have happened since my last post:

1. I am actually feeling better after about a week of more medication than I'd like to admit!

2. Grant does nothing but walk now. Seriously, the kid doesn't even stop to play with toys most of the time. He just walks around the house in circles to practice. I hope I can get him to give half this dedication to school or an instrument someday! Now we just need some talking...

3. Brianna is a constant crank. She is in a "do-it yourself" phase. Anything we try and do with her/for her, she freaks out and has some version of a temper tantrum. I won't elaborate, it's too painful.

4. We went bowling with my entire family as a holiday celebration. Bri loved it, Grant only wanted to get down and walk, I suck at bowling, but it was fun. Enough said.

5. I CHOPPED OFF my hair! My hair was quite long, middle of my back-ish, it is now somewhere between chin and shoulder. I did not cry, I actually couldn't stop smiling. I decided that I'm going to be 30 next week. 3.0. people! It was time to give up my ponytail for a while. I love the change but I'm not ruling out the chance that I'll go back someday. I sort of miss my ponytail....

I am working on a photo essay regarding all of the above, but it might be a couple days....

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Geico has it all wrong

Neanderthal man should leave Geico alone and sue me today!

With my messy hair (got up late, Thanks Nyquil!), mouth breathing (no thanks to Dayquil), and raspy voice... Today I am a neaderthal woman! Good think I'm teaching about the stone age, I'll just call it part of the lesson.

I feel a sick day coming on....

Monday, December 04, 2006

'Tis the Season

My mom always says 'tis. She even used to call us "Tizylish" but I don't really know what that means and it isn't what I'd planned on talking about today...

I love December!

I love the snow in December. (I hate it in Jan and Feb but that too is a different story.) My Birthday is in December, the 22nd, just in case.... you know. But I especially love all the family and decorating and hot cocoa and lights.

This weekend, we put up our brand new 8ft tree! It looks amazing, and was super easy thanks to the whole pre-lit thing. Even putting on the ornaments only took about 30 minutes. We were lucky enough to have the wonderful help of a 3 year old dynamo and were not impeded too much by the 1 year old fuss-budget. Brianna loved hanging ornaments on the back of the tree. I'm not sure but I think she liked saying excuse me and squezing by her parents as much as possible. We don't quite have enough ornaments for the new, bigger, tree but that was ok because we can't put anything at the bottom anyway. Grant will just break it or eat it!

I haven't yet put out any of the rest of my decorations, but all the boxes are just sitting in my living room waiting for me. I am a little obsessed with snowmen. By the end of this week, every decoratable surface of my first floor will be covered with snowmen, women, children, and families. This really works for me. Adam was raised Jewish, I was raised Protestant, we haven't really settled on an organized religion yet for our family but we celebrate both faiths. Snowmen are religion neutral. And they TOTALLY work in northern Illinois where winters are full of snow.

I do however draw the line at snowman/seasonal sweaters! I'm 30 people, not 300!

For Hannakah this year, my mother-in-law bought me a very nice, soft sweater... covered in snowflakes and polar bears. I love that she tried to buy me clothes. I love that she even remembered the turtleneck to go under the sweater. I do however plan on returning the sweater. Howard, Heather... please don't tell her, it just isn't necessary. I think I'll share more faux Hanukkah info later.

Later this week I'm planning a photo montage of my best and worst things about December...

and where did my spell check button go?