As an added bonus to all this rainy-windy weather....
The worms have ventured forth. Or they were washed out. Either way, they are above-ground. I found this out when we walked into church this morning across a parking lot strewn with soggy, squiggly (occasionally squished) WORMS.
Ugh, I hated the thought of stepping on them and did a lot of side-stepping and tiptoeing which naturally drew Henry's attention. Once he found out what those pale stringy forms were, he was FASCINATED and rattled off a thousand questions which all included the word WHY.
On the way back to our car afterwards, he bent down, peering at one close to our car as I opened the doors and loaded our things.
Henry: Mama, I touched a worm!
(OK, knew that was coming. Did NOT see what came after, and I totally should have anticipated this.)
Mama: Great.
Henry: Can I lick my finger?
Mama: NO! Thank you for asking.
Henry: Too late!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Storm of the Century Update
* Water? Check!
*Bread and other assorted dry goods? Check!
*Batteries? Check!
*Candles & Matches? Check!
* Diapers? CHECK!! (that gets capitalized because running out of diapers with no Bumgenious backups anymore...ew)
*Enough yarn to last me through a power outage with 2 small children, a slightly neurotic dog and a husband going through football-withdrawal? CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, that's right. I made a special trip to AC Moore today after church. With Henry. Before lunch. In the drizzling rain. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
*Bread and other assorted dry goods? Check!
*Batteries? Check!
*Candles & Matches? Check!
* Diapers? CHECK!! (that gets capitalized because running out of diapers with no Bumgenious backups anymore...ew)
*Enough yarn to last me through a power outage with 2 small children, a slightly neurotic dog and a husband going through football-withdrawal? CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, that's right. I made a special trip to AC Moore today after church. With Henry. Before lunch. In the drizzling rain. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Storm of the Century?
All anyone wants to talk about is this big storm headed our way. I keep swinging back and forth from "Everyone's overreacting and it's going to be fine" to "OMG, batten down the hatches, stock up on water and batteries." I'm leaning towards "batten down" now that my husband just said we'll be caught in 3 storm fronts. He's at the store now stocking up on said water and batteries.
The closest I've come to dealing with "natural disaster" with 2 small children was when the transformer blew a few days ago right when I got up and we had to get ready & out the door without power. I was so unprepared- we had a dead flashlight and a few dusty candles in glass jars but I couldn't find the matches to save my life and was reduced to using my cell phone screen as an impromtu torch.
I was young enough that when the Ice Storm hit in 1991, it was "fun" camping out downstairs, snuggling with my mom on the feather mattress while my Dad & Grandpa made the rounds with our generators so our neighbors got a few hours of power.
Now...not so much.
The closest I've come to dealing with "natural disaster" with 2 small children was when the transformer blew a few days ago right when I got up and we had to get ready & out the door without power. I was so unprepared- we had a dead flashlight and a few dusty candles in glass jars but I couldn't find the matches to save my life and was reduced to using my cell phone screen as an impromtu torch.
I was young enough that when the Ice Storm hit in 1991, it was "fun" camping out downstairs, snuggling with my mom on the feather mattress while my Dad & Grandpa made the rounds with our generators so our neighbors got a few hours of power.
Now...not so much.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Nighty-Night
Having some trouble with separation anxiety at bedtime. And I mean both Henry & I are having trouble.
When he looks at me with those big, cute-kid eyes and asks, "Mama, will you rockee me?" I just think of when the day will come when he doesn't want a cuddle anymore. I feel like I have to store these moments while I can.
But at some point, he has to go to bed on his own. He'll turn 4 in a few days and we're still indulging him from his first-child-we'll-rock-you-to-sleep routine.
I guess I should stick to more of a bedtime routine but it's hard when each night is different. Some nights he's so wound that he doesn't settle down until almost 10:00 and other nights he's bleary-eyed at 8:00.
So I have the drill-sergeant approach ("Go to bed! No rocking!") and the indulgant "Sure I'll stay in here and rock you, even though I'm so tired I can't see straight either and I desperately want a few minutes alone before I have to go to bed myself."
We learned the hard way and whether it's the difference between their personalities or the different approach, but Kat goes to bed without any coddling.
When he looks at me with those big, cute-kid eyes and asks, "Mama, will you rockee me?" I just think of when the day will come when he doesn't want a cuddle anymore. I feel like I have to store these moments while I can.
But at some point, he has to go to bed on his own. He'll turn 4 in a few days and we're still indulging him from his first-child-we'll-rock-you-to-sleep routine.
I guess I should stick to more of a bedtime routine but it's hard when each night is different. Some nights he's so wound that he doesn't settle down until almost 10:00 and other nights he's bleary-eyed at 8:00.
So I have the drill-sergeant approach ("Go to bed! No rocking!") and the indulgant "Sure I'll stay in here and rock you, even though I'm so tired I can't see straight either and I desperately want a few minutes alone before I have to go to bed myself."
We learned the hard way and whether it's the difference between their personalities or the different approach, but Kat goes to bed without any coddling.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Like father, like son
Henry's really getting into sports now, just like his Dada. Carbon-copy, actually.
Henry: When is the game going to be on with the Yankees and THE baseball team?
Me: Who's THE baseball team?
Henry: THE ORIOLES! The Yankees are MEAN BOYS!
I saw Dada's mouth twitch into that proud, self-satisfied smile that means, "Yeah, that's my boy!"
Henry: When is the game going to be on with the Yankees and THE baseball team?
Me: Who's THE baseball team?
Henry: THE ORIOLES! The Yankees are MEAN BOYS!
I saw Dada's mouth twitch into that proud, self-satisfied smile that means, "Yeah, that's my boy!"
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Subtlety is NOT his strong suite
So I decided to generously share my nightly chocolate fix with Henry....
Me: Here, Henry. (subtly handing him a TINY piece of chocolate)
Henry: CANDY!!! DADA LOOKIT!!! MAMA GAVE ME CANDY!! SEE???? (opens mouth and sticks out tongue)
Dada: Are you freakin' kidding me??? So when the kid's up until 10:00 tonight....
Yep, I should have guessed that Henry would trumpet his excitement for all the world to know. Snitch.
Me: Here, Henry. (subtly handing him a TINY piece of chocolate)
Henry: CANDY!!! DADA LOOKIT!!! MAMA GAVE ME CANDY!! SEE???? (opens mouth and sticks out tongue)
Dada: Are you freakin' kidding me??? So when the kid's up until 10:00 tonight....
Yep, I should have guessed that Henry would trumpet his excitement for all the world to know. Snitch.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Baby-soft
We've all seen those moisturizer ads that promise "baby-soft" skin.
I used to think, "What does that even mean?" It sounds nice. Babies "look" soft and smooth and pretty and I want soft, smooth, pretty skin so X product must be produce desirable results.
Then I HAD a baby and that phrase just simply is not enough to explain the incredible wonder of an infant.
"Baby-soft" is...
silk
roses
pearls
goose down pillows
all packaged into a snuggly, cuddly warm bundle of flannel-wrapped wonder.
And the scent! I would scoff at mothers who would rhapsodize about the "new-baby" smell but now I know- it's AMAZING! It's like cozy flannel, lavender and a hot cup of tea on a chilly autumn day. It's like freshly mowed grass and lemonade on a sweltering summer day.
It starts with the top of a newborn's head and travels slowly down over time to nestle in that vulnerable spot on the back of their necks. I think it starts at the top because how many nights have we cradled our tiny newborns on our chests in the dead of night, with their little heads tucked under our chins, that scent wafting up and just instilling this calm and sense of peace to get us through yet another sleepless night?
Lately I've noticed that baby-scent is fading from my almost-4 year old. It's still there, but fainter and I know he's well past the baby and toddler stages now. It makes me a bit sad to realize that but then I cuddle Baby Kat and treasure those moments even more.
Except that moment tonight when we were playing on the floor and she plunked her bottom down heavily on my cheek and almost broke my glasses. That was not so precious.
I used to think, "What does that even mean?" It sounds nice. Babies "look" soft and smooth and pretty and I want soft, smooth, pretty skin so X product must be produce desirable results.
Then I HAD a baby and that phrase just simply is not enough to explain the incredible wonder of an infant.
"Baby-soft" is...
silk
roses
pearls
goose down pillows
all packaged into a snuggly, cuddly warm bundle of flannel-wrapped wonder.
And the scent! I would scoff at mothers who would rhapsodize about the "new-baby" smell but now I know- it's AMAZING! It's like cozy flannel, lavender and a hot cup of tea on a chilly autumn day. It's like freshly mowed grass and lemonade on a sweltering summer day.
It starts with the top of a newborn's head and travels slowly down over time to nestle in that vulnerable spot on the back of their necks. I think it starts at the top because how many nights have we cradled our tiny newborns on our chests in the dead of night, with their little heads tucked under our chins, that scent wafting up and just instilling this calm and sense of peace to get us through yet another sleepless night?
Lately I've noticed that baby-scent is fading from my almost-4 year old. It's still there, but fainter and I know he's well past the baby and toddler stages now. It makes me a bit sad to realize that but then I cuddle Baby Kat and treasure those moments even more.
Except that moment tonight when we were playing on the floor and she plunked her bottom down heavily on my cheek and almost broke my glasses. That was not so precious.
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