Interesting Blog

I just tripped across this blog: http://dancingwithkatrina.blogspot.com/ . I was amazed at the pictures. For once they were not of people floating by in a river or standing on a raised highway. The are of wreckage in the trenches and are probably the most silently powerful ones I have seen yet. I would recommend it.

Venting Rage

People really piss me off sometimes. Now I know this is a "family" blog - I have kept things pretty PG here for a reason. But I am just so fairly annoyed by multiple people that I cannot help but write about them today.

I took pictures that included the neighbor's kids playing in the yard. I called the neighbor. I said, "Hey, neighbor, I took some pics of our kids playing together, specifically in princess dresses and later in the kiddy pool. They are so unbelievably typical yet endearing that I have printed some off for you and would like you to take your choices before I go and scrapbook them. Tonight." Neighbor says, "Wow, thanks - that is very generous of you. And it is good, too since I never take any pictures, I would love to have some." I say, "great - come on over when you are out picking up toys," ALL of them - before I have to look at them for one more second of the day. Please feel free to read this as Get Your Lazy still-in-pajamas-at-1:00-this-afternoon-too-skinny Bum out there and pick up your toys on your way across the yard to come and get pictures I want to give you - NOW. Readers, it is 10:32 as I type, and skinny lazy neighbor has not been out to pick up her kid's toys yet. I am more than mostly annoyed.

Next culprit of making me pissy tonight - helpful (NOT) people. "Oh," said Helpful Person, "I am sorry we can't have you over for dinner tonight like we said, or last night either, like we said, but if you want I will come over and watch your kids while you have some time to run around and do whatever you want." Aside: Helpful People like to invite me and the girls over for dinner when Jim is traveling - I like that in a person. Well, Reader, surely you are scratching at your hairline right now, wondering, how could this go badly? It certainly went badly, you are probably saying to yourself, because otherwise she would not have written about it. Unfortunately, it went badly enough. Right before Helpful Person showed up, I burned the neurons right out of the pad of my right hand. This was not Helpful Person's fault. It did, however, cause me to use my Precious Time running to Rite Aid to find SOMETHING that would stop the searing pain, and it also caused me to return early from my Precious Time to restock the ice pack I had been using to tolerate the pain. I returned early to find a HUGE dent in my freshly baked peanut butter cookies. 'Oh, Canton Mommy,' you chuckle, 'you are having a bad time of it and over-reacting - you probably don't need to eat all of those anyway'. DON'T VEX ME, READER. Those cookies were specifically made to give to a friend who GAVE BIRTH today. Now, I cannot give her a nice sized tupperware that is a little more than 1/2 full. I swear Helpful Person ate at least 9 cookies out of there. I counted. They were in a sealed tupperware container NEXT to the cookie jar. DOESN'T ANYONE USE A COOKIE JAR??? The cookie jar is full of purchased, yummy cookies that would be fine for snacking but just will not do for a thoughtful treat for a young family. And no, I cannot put them in a smaller container - there just aren't enough there now to look like an appropriate gift amount. Man, I hate it when people force me to use caps so much.

Another neighbor has managed to get my hackles up, too. Having spoken to a couple of the bookclub members, it came to my attention that we would have a few holes in the monthly meeting on Tuesday. This month we are picking books to read for the upcoming discussions, and 3 of the people not coming are the ones that bring the best choices. In addition to this fact, I was feeling particularly low after having found out that my husband's business trip was extended another week. Reader, I called off Helpful People for the weekend based on this wallowing. I haven't put in my contacts since then. In short, I was sad and depressed at the news and did not want to see another Person, let alone clean my house and entertain 8 or them on Tuesday. So I sent out an email. Reader, I have NEVER moved a bookgroup date in the 2 1/2 years we have been meeting here. And only 2 of those months did we meet anywhere else, and that was, predictably, when I was expecting to go to the hospital and have Mary, and the following meeting after that. So I come to find that another neighborhood meeting is scheduled for the following week and we would lose 3 people to that if we moved it. So, Prissy Neighbor writes an email to the whole groups and says, "I think it is counter productive to move a meeting to accommodate some people while losing others. Just my two cents." Two Cents - well, two things, Reader. 1) I did not KNOW there was another meeting, that is why I sent out an email asking if the change of date would be reasonable, and 2) THANKS FOR CARING, PRISSY NEIGHBOR.

I won't even write about the neighbor that came over Friday night and verbally checked me IN MY OWN HOUSE when her 4 year's safety was an issue. And a family issue which would not be appropriate to record here - but the ones who have talked to me KNOW WHO IT IS. I will just say this, Reader, I am not sure when everybody thought they could just say or do anything to me without hurting my feelings or just plane being considered rude. This is why Husband should not leave for long, long trips. I try to make new friends and look where it lands me. I'm going to bed now, so that one more day in the Wifey Solitary Confinement will be gone. Come home quickly, Husband, and save me from these insipid interactions with others.

Cupboard Day

Today I cleaned out the spice cabinet. Emma and Mary were happily playing in the sand box - which means they were dumping sand out as fast as possible. But since I could keep an eye on them while organizing spices, I took my moment. I had purchased a tiered spice rack at www.organizeeverything.com - this type of store should be OUTLAWED for people like me, who really believe that adding one more item into the cupboard will somehow make it more organized. Well, Reader, I could NOT believe how many spices we had - they go like this: Allspice
Apple Pie Spice
Anise seed
Basil leaves
Bay leaves
Caraway seed
Cardamom
Celery seed (2 unopened bottles - huh.)
Cilantro
Cinnamon - sticks and ground
Cloves - both ground and whole
Coriander - seeds and flakes
Cumin
Dill seed
Dill WEED (is that one for smoking?)
Garlic powder
Ginger - ground
Mustard - seeds and ground
Onion powder
Onion salt
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper (Black, white, and peppercorns)
Poppy seed
Red pepper flakes
Rosemary
Sage
Sesame seeds
Thyme
Tumeric

It struck me that we had no spices after T. Are there spices that we do not own that start with U, V, W, X, Y or Z? Why is that? There are so many spices that start with "C", can't we share the love with all of the letters? Well, anyhow, I combined open jars and reorganized. It looks nice and neat (and YES, alphabetized, which is how they SHOULD be). But they do not really look any more accessible. The tier idea is a good one, but to get a jar off of the back row one will probably knock off a few of the front ones. I wish I had space for a drawer spice organizer - I really think those are the best idea, especially if you are shooting for the whole alphabet of spice potential - including multiple jars of Celery Seed. I did let Emma "plant" some of the old, OLD seeds, like the Caraway seed which was still in the original, unopened jar from my spice rack I received as a wedding gift - 13 years ago. I really loved that spice rack - thank you Mrs. B for buying it for us - but I apparently had no use for Caraway seeds. So Emma planted them in her sand box. I don't know why. Perhaps they will grow. What do Caraway seeds grow, anyhow?

Well, that is it for the blog tonight. I had some neighbors over (with their kids)and we played Euchre. Emma did not go to bed until waaaaay after 10, so I am hoping there will be sleeping in tomorrow. I had a lot of fun, but my sinus headache is creeping up the back of my ears, so I am well ready for bed. This is good, as it is the earliest I have even thought about bed since Jim left. Maybe I will make it there before 3 AM like last night.

To Walmart We Will Go

I am not an avid Walmart shopper. I have nothing against them, they just don't sell bananas. My girls eat bananas by the gross and I cannot go anywhere that does not sell them unless I am going to try to venture 2 stops in one trip with the girls in tow. So I go to Meijer - ALL OF THE TIME. It is amazing what you can find at Meijer. But, I found today, it is amazing what you can find at Walmart DIRT CHEAP. Honestly, I have never been so excited to look at plastic Dora placemats or any of the other myriad of things I did not know I needed until I saw how cheap they really were. WHO CAN RESIST OREOS WHEN THEY ARE CHEAP AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAIN AISLE, I ASK YOU?!?! So I also wanted to comment on how it is amazing WHO you can find at Walmart. My dear friend, Lochmoor Mom, recently visited the Walmart in her little town and called me to pontificate on the level of society that seems to congregate there. Now, I am not usually a biased person, Reader, but let me just say in a very vanilla area, Walmart is, well... Local color *AHEM*. And even the vanilla sort is really kind of... Well... Freezer burned? I need to stop with these analogies. I used to call Walmart "The Screaming Child Store", much like I call Mexican Fiesta "The Screaming Child Restaurant" for the very fact that no matter WHAT time of day or night you visit these places there is an inordinate number of screaming children. The first time we shopped at the newest Walmart in Canton it was well past 10:00 PM (this was before children in our little lives) and there were 2 little boys, about 4 and 6 years old that found it to be great fun to roam around the store aimlessly, moaning, "Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama?" and they would take turns crying, too, so that there was a continual stream of lost child mantra occurring. As we shopped (I recall now that I was pregnant, because I was AMAZED at how cheap a body pillow was at Walmart and I had heard it helped you be more comfortable when you slept with your hugely extended belly - and that is not true, by the way), the boys' cries and supplications would fade as they wandered farther away, and then crescendoed as they maddeningly made their way back closer to us. This went on for the entire time we were there. After about 20 minutes I took a vested interest, as I was suddenly feeling the need to eat the children and put them out of my misery, and realized that their Mama was not missing but walking in front of them the whole time this was occurring. They were not lost. They were pleading for a lighter sentence of going home and going to bed instead of wandering around shopping at Walmart after 10 Pm at night.

Well, so as to be in perfect form, today I went and my children were screaming. It was mostly Emma, as she is determined to walk on her own and this means walk on her own wherever the wind currents take her. When I am looking for a particular plastic paper sorter tray that I actually went there to buy, she was forced to be contained in the cart. This resulted in prodigious wailing and pleading, in very good form, I might add, that I completely ignored. Because the one thing about Walmart is that you cannot find one damn thing you are looking for, if you know what I mean. Sure, you can find 100 things you are NOT looking for and realize how much you need to buy, but finding the one thing you know you need is a whole other story, which you just read. So the wailing child mystery is solved. That mother of the two wailing boys was probably looking for the same thing I was, and she knew that if she stood still that her children would be doing pretend snow angels right there on the office supply aisle floor, while holding an American flag, just like mine was, until I corralled her and made her do cart time.

The Crickets Sang

Playing the piano is very emotional, Reader. Sometimes I do it instead of crying and feel the same sort of relief afterwards. Sometimes I play until my fingers are numb and nearly limp from the exhaustion and demand of the anger that must come out somewhere and feel vindicated from the actual physical action. Sometimes I play to listen to the very songs that others spoke onto pages of notes and to hear their rages or sobs.

Tonight I opened up the living room window for the fresh air (and, I guess, to tell the world what needed to be said) and let Chopin orate - again and again - until I felt he had said all that he ever had to say through one waltz (Opus 69, no.2). I played it repeatedly from beginning to end like carousel music or a music box that did not need rewinding. Then I uncluttered the worn, dog-eared sheet music in front of me and presented a clean copy of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. After dizzying rounds of Chopin's waltz this music was a still pond at night.

And the crickets sang.

The sun had set while I was practicing and I did not realize until I was lost in Beethoven's laments and resolutions that the crickets were the only noise left besides my playing. When I had started out there were lawn mowers buzzing down the street, children squealing with excitement while playing outside, cars and motorcycles roaming past. People walked by and their conversation hovered and mixed with the notes, and they continued on as children went inside and outdoor activities were traded in on this, a school night. And at some point the crickets woke up after the warm sun left and started to carry on the way that crickets do every night, every where. But I will tell you, Reader, they are a moving companion to Beethoven.

Single Mom

When I say that, I don't really refer to the fact that my nomadic Husband is humoring his vagabond shoes. I mean that my oldest daughter was spirited away faster than I could even comprehend earlier this morning. So I am a mother of one child today, which means the title should read "Single Child", but it does not. Being Mommy to a single child after managing two is like only having to carry one paper bag of groceries to the car unaided instead of, say, twenty. So I thought, for posterity, that I would post a picture of what Mary gets to do when Emma is not here. Yes, Emma, that is a cookie that Mary is enjoying. I am sure she misses you-Somewhere in there.

So why was Emma removed from the house? Well, Reader, I think I mentioned that raging sinus infection that sent me weeping and crawling to the doctor last Saturday. Well, it has not improved one whit (what the heck is a whit, anyway?), so my Mom took Emma home with her in an attempt to lighten the load over here. I have never been so happy to say good bye to my mother - or my daughter, for that matter. My mom had come over earlier this week (in response to my BEGGING her on Monday, at a point when the needles behind my eyes would not let me see straight) to stay and help me with the girls. Today she had to go to my Brother's house to watch his daughter Katelyn while he worked, so instead of running over there and leaving me to sob on the couch while my children tried to prove the Survival of the Fittest Theory, she sagely left with one of them, promising to return by dinner. I called the Doctor. The rotten, not very understanding, removed from the situation Doctor told me that it may take 10 to 14 days on the antibiotic (Bactrim) for any noticeable changes to occur. And that it may really take up to 21 days to knock this out of my system.

I cried.

I told her I had 2 small children that were in danger of being eaten by their sick and bedraggled mother. I explained that my husband will be gone for 2 more weeks and I just couldn't POSSIBLY endure that amount of time if I didn't feel better than this. Please, I begged, isn't there ANYTHING else that can be done?

"Get some rest."

Just recalling that conversation makes me want to cry again.

Spam Control

Sorry, folks. I am irritated by this spam crap, so I have changed the settings so that you have to go through the "Word Verification". If I cannot get the spam to stop (I had to delete 14 spam comments on the last post) I will also have to not allow anonymous posts. I hope that this does not deter some of my favorite anonymous posters like my friend McBetty and Mrs. B. I just can't take all of this random stuff popping up. Also, I'll write a nice post later. Right now I'm just doing an "FYI".

Always Expect the Unexpected

Well, dear Reader, I am running on little sleep today. I cannot sleep when Jim travels. I have the hardest time going to sleep or getting sleepy. I dither about going to bed, and then I read until I pretty much pass out from exhaustion. So last night I fell asleep about 3:30 or 4 am. Then I got up around 7:15 with the girls. Nap time was a disaster - 1 hour cumulative nap for Mary Lee. Need I say more? I did not get any additional rest today. After Emma got up I took the kids for a walk to get them out of the house. We went over to my friend Trica's house (pronounced Tricia, just spelled funny) to visit her and her 16 month old daughter, Zoe. We decided to stay outside in her yard and Trica filled up the kiddy pool. Well, Reader, I had not planned on a water affair, so off came the girl's dresses. You must realize that I am fully against infant and toddler nudity (partial or otherwise), especially outside of one's own house. So, this was a big concession to some summertime fun. Well, then Emma's pull-up diaper got so inflated that it literally slid off. So I took Mary's diaper off too, after realizing it was the size of Montana. I not kidding here; I have seen a lot of wet diapers in my day and these two were the largest. I think the pool had to be refilled as well. But I digress. So Emma, who is on again / off again potty trained (still coming off of the bladder infection) , was buck naked in the pool and announced that she had to "make pee-pee". What do you think I did? The non-Mommy Ann (the one who would not had even considered HALF naked children in the private, fenced-in courtyard on an impromptu water play date) would have asked to use the bathroom and rushed the anxious child inside and successfully deposited the offending excretions in the proper place, returned the bathing suit to it's wearer, and gone back outside and let her daughter finish playing. Mommy Ann of two toddlers screamed, "DON'T PEE IN THE POOL", swooped down and grabbed Emma, held her over the grass, and let her pee while she was dangling in the air, NAKED and wet. Emma was then unceremoniously splashed with pool water before being returned to her previous spot. I looked at Trica and said, "Let's never speak of this again". For reasons I cannot comprehend, she just laughed. Sure, I thought, YOUR kid wasn't going to pee in the pool - what was I supposed to do? Really, Reader, I thought I did a pretty good job of thinking fast. Now, if Trica never invites us over again, I will know that there was another option - I just don't know what it is. Trica did ask if this meant I was not going to capture this moment in Emma's scrapbook, so I think it was all good. I think.

"As You Wish"

Laundry Room Closet: Before and Still in Progress

So Hubby and I are.... um.... 'discussing' changes to be made to the house. This is why I posted earlier about decorating and dreaming. He wants to add an entire new room on the second floor as well as move the laundry room up there. He says that interest rates will continue to rise and this will be the only time we will be able to do it. He is BENT on this. I want to paint the living room and add the chair rail moldings before the holidays. So we.... um... 'discussed' these and other things, where I informed him that I don't WANT to move my laundry room, I like it where it is. If it was more usable in it's multiple uses. I think I mentioned this before on the blog. So we look it over and he says, "OK, let's go to Home Depot". Do you remember, reader, the Pottery Barn cost of $560? We walked out of Home Depot with an $88 purchase. Two days later, I've got a bench. Now Hubby worked long and hard on Saturday and got most of the rough finishing done. Sunday would have seen this completed and painted, except that my ridiculous Sinus Infection flared up and I could do nothing this morning except sob in a corner of the room. So work was dropped while I slept some of the pressure off and the girls got some quality Daddy time. Later in the afternoon I was up to sitting on the couch and watching the kids while Jim finished the finer details of construction. It is now up to me, reader, to paint and to get the baskets and organizing tools to complete my beautiful new room. Hurray! I'll post the completed project when I get the chance. Remember that hubby will be traveling for a few weeks, so it may take longer to complete the last steps then it did to build the whole thing.

Now, don't you agree that this project was the better solution?

Sure you do.

Dreaming and Decorating

Ok, readers, I am really lost in dreamy world. Let's pretend, for one minute, that I won a shopping spree at Pottery Barn. First, here is the idea for what my laundry room closet will turn out to be like (but in white): http://ww1.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpcfurbchbch%7Crshop%2Fshpcfurbchbch%7Crshop%2Fshpcfurbch%7Crshop%2Fshpcfur%7Crshop%2Fpipcbabdvtptn%7Cgp5884%7Ck%7Cs&pkey=cfurbchbch&gids=p3616 . Wow that is a long link - but worth looking at. So, $560 right there, just to go in and remake closet. Ok - there's more - check out this duvet cover set - I realized when I washed sheets yesterday that we actually have THREADBARE spots in them. So, the new dream set :http://ww1.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpcbabdvtptn%7Crshop%2Fshpcbabdvt%7Crshop%2Fshpcbab%7Crshop%2Fpipcfurbchbch%7Cgp3616%7Ck%7Crshop%7Cs&pkey=cbabdvtptn&gids=p5884 . Wow - another long link. But wait, I've only just begun. Let's talk about the kids' rooms/furniture. At some point they will have to have beds as opposed to the nice, convenient cribs the currently have. So, I am IN LOVE with this bed :http://ww1.potterybarnkids.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpak%7Ccfrnbrd%7Cda%7Crshop%5Fk%2Fshpak%7Ccfrn%7Cda%7Crshop%5Fk&pkey=cfrnbrd%7Cak&gids=k4165 - Madeline headboard, and it would great with a trundle bed or 2 for friends to sleep over. That runs about $700-1000 each bed. No problem, who needs that extra money laying around? And go ahead and look at the Madeline dresser while you're at it, and the Madeline Storage Desk. Let's move on to bedding: The Charlotte bedding - comforter and sheeting - is ideal for frilly girl's bedrooms. I am also enchanted with the solid matelesse (sp?) throw covers. MAN OH PETES this is awful. But, in my head, I have furnished the bedrooms (including my own) with piles of soft patterns and warm colors, all in Pottery Barn style. **SIGH**. Even if I won a shopping spree there, It would be enough money for all of it. Maybe just the bedding for us, and part of the bench/wall system for the new laundry room area. Yeah, that's it..... The kids can sleep in cribs until they are 6, right?

And So it Goes

Here's the rundown:

Emma has a bladder infection

Mary has an ear infection

I may have a sinus infection

We are one happy, sick family. It would explain why I have had such a short temper with the girls the last couple of days. Getting up with Emma many times a night (sometimes for an hour) caused me to get less sleep when I needed it the most. Interestingly enough, since my fan base seems to love the poop/pee topic, the bladder infection made Emma behave in the weirdest ways. Most notably, she would squat wherever she was (ice cream store, front porch, play park) and pee right through her clothes. A nice, solid stream that could not be mistaken for anything else would suddenly come out, along with the announcement (in case I hadn't noticed the action), "Momma, pee pee!!!". Yes, that was fun. So the training diapers went back on (nappies, for my British reader) until she is over this infection. Thankfully, hubby stayed home this morning the help with the children (see reference to my physical health). He ended up taking Ms. Emma in this AM to see the Doctor, who could not be seen yesterday but was available "right away" this morning. Apparently, it merely depends on which receptionist you get. I really liked this one.

On other notes, I am trying to figure out how to fanagle some home improvements. Yes, reader, we have only lived here for 3 years. However, the paint the builders put on is thin and worrisome at best, and I still have some places that need to be painted. Now I will tell you I spent a good amount of time last year while on bed rest (that is a phrase that does not really explain what happens when you are bulbously pregnant and have a toddler at home) sketching up decorating plans for the main floor. Every room has 'stages' in which to decorate and there is one room - the front living room- that remains as white as Mary Leona's soft skin. This must be attended to as quickly as possible. Also, one of our neighbors has transformed their laundry room by removing the closet doors in the room and putting a bench and various other usable things there for their children. I am so impressed with this possible use of space that I wanted to tear down the doors myself today. My headache, for better or for worse, is impeding immediate progress on that front. Hubby's solution is quite grand - he just wants to add another room on the second floor and move the laundry facilities there. I only realized he was serious after a solid week of hearty gaffawing at the idea. I'll let you know how that goes (*!snicker!*). I think I will scan and upload some of my sketches just for the heck of it. Just so you can share in my dream of a fully decorated/painted house.

Crying

Psalm 130 v.1-2, 5-6

Out of the depths I cry to you,
O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentiveto the voice of my supplications!

I wait for the Lord,
my soul waits,
and in his word I hope:
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

I am not one to quote bible verses, especially on a blog that is supposed to be about the children. I am afraid, however, that a post about the children in my current state of mind would incur a visit from social services. So I was bumping around on blogs, when I meant to be playing a mindless video game to relieve some tension, and I found a blog by Apostle John. Huh - Derek will recognize him as someone who commented about his posting potential dating info. Others will recall that the Apostle John lived in the time of Christ. So, of course, I had to check it out (http://apostlejohn.blogspot.com/). It is an interesting blog, so I checked out some of the blogs he referenced - I HAD to read St. Casserole's input (http://www.stcasseroleblog.blogspot.com/). She had quoted these verses and I felt they were particularly calming. So, there you have it.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" or, Politics Across the Pond

I have never been very politically aware, as my husband will tell you. But lately, it seems that I cannot help but have an opinion on things political. So I am deviating from the normal topic of poop and commenting on Tony Blair's anti-terrorist measures announced recently. So Tony has allowed Britain to "expel foreigners who preach hatred, close extremist mosques and bar entry to Muslim radicals", and also those who speak, write, or give sermons supporting terrorism. Let me make it clear that I do not support terrorism in any intentional way (even when Tony isn't looking), so I am not making any judgment on his rulings. But it sounds faintly like the Salem Witch Hunts or the Spanish Inquisition, where you could turn in your neighbor or family member for no better reason than you felt like calling him/her a witch/heretic/terrorist. At least this time it does not mean torture or death, just exportation. So where are they going to send these...... infidels? Australia? Or back from whence they came, where they can gain a following, whip up MORE anger and hate, and be living testaments to the oppression that is the free world? I particularly like the following statement, taken from a Reuter's news site:

"Blair said Britain could override human rights laws if courts blocked deportations and London failed to gain assurances from other countries that they will not torture deportees. Britain's courts have in the past thwarted government expulsion measures because the European Convention on Human Rights requires guarantees deportees will not be mistreated.

"The circumstances of our national security have now self-evidently changed ... We can retest it and if necessary we can amend the human rights act and that covers the British court's interpretation of the law," Blair said." (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050805/ts_nm/security_britain_dc)

That's nice. In other words, "we tried to deport people before for various reasons and then decided not to because the other country would not make promises it would not keep, but now we are just going to change the law to say we can make them go home if we feel like, even if they are going to be tortured". It looks a little murky to me. I wonder what the Queen thinks of it. Can you see her signing a Royal Proclamation to that extent? Not that I am making a judgment, only that it makes me scratch my head and say, "Hmm. Wonder where THAT is going to lead".

Ga! Game and Food Strikes

Mary's new game has some form of complex rules only she can understand. She particularly likes to do it with bloomers or panties, whichever she can find. Since Emma is potty training (STILL) she seems to be able to find both of them with surprising recurrence. Then she stands up, taking the bloomers in her hands, and lifts them over her head. She takes 2 or 3 steps and throws her item to the ground and yells, "GA!!!". Then repeat. Emma has tried to play the same game with her and she just gets mad - apparently Emma does not understand the intricacies of the Ga! Game.

Emma is on a food strike. She is subsisting, I am convinced, on a half a banana a day and a bit of pudding. I refuse to bargain with her, offering multitudes of different dishes to please her. So Mary is getting to eat a lot of Emma's non-eaten meals. This is a good thing, because Mary is storing up for a long hibernation, or a growth spurt. She is eating 3 times what I think Emma would (normally) eat and sleeping inordinate amounts of time. Any day now she is going to be huge.

Speaking of growing, Mary had her 1 year well child appointment last Friday. She is 22 lbs and 31 inches long. This puts her in the 75th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. Wow! Emma always lives in the 25th and 50th percentiles, so I was shocked to hear this. Of course, with the way the girls are eating, it would make sense.

Pictures

I've just spent FOREVER loading pictures into Shutterfly to try them out. So far I don't like them. Then I find out I can't get the great deal I thought I could on 4X6 prints. Now I Like them even less. So I am sharing my album, but not buying prints from them at this time. Anyway, I have enough photos to scrapbook right now without getting more sent to my house and clogging up my creative processes. So here's the darn link if you want to see the pics: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeBNWzFm4ZOXBQ&open=1&x=1&sm=1&sl=0

I'm going to bed now.

Happy Birthday, my Mary Lee

2:03 PM slipped by without notice this year. At 4:53 I noticed the time and realized that uncomfortable memories of last year at that time were foggy at best, thank heavens. Mary turned one while she was sleeping and I didn't even notice. She was perfectly adorable and sweet today, like most days. I loved her more than ever just for being here. We didn't do anything of note today except sing 'Happy Baby Birthday' a dozen or so times. She swayed back and forth the minute we started and smiled all the way through. She let me rock her for about 15 minutes tonight, and I told her all sorts of things you want to tell somebody you really love: about what it was like the first time I saw her, felt her, heard her; the sweetest times I've ever had with her; the sounds I love; (the sounds I don't love); how her hair curls in back and is turning coarse; how all 10 of her toes are absolutely perfect and kissable (and what has she been doing with them since they've gotten so big?!); and on and on. She patiently listened to me and smiled and cooed when she should. Then she got impatient and began trying to tear my face off via the corner of my mouth with her pointy index finger. So I laid her down in her crib - in the middle of the nest of blankets she has made - gave her her blankie and her pacifier and said good night to my precious 1 year old baby as I said goodbye to my helpless infant.

Directly after that, I chased down my naked 2 year old and wrestled her pajamas over her head while she screamed that is was morning, not that evil time called night. Then I sat down and locked her on my lap with my leg to comb the tangles out of her wet hair while she squirmed with amazing strength. She then pleaded for me to find her rainboots (no rain here) and she found her 'purse'. With Disney Princess nightgown, tulip rainboots, and electric blue bag, she announced she was going 'bye-bye' and climbed into the pedal car that Jim got for the girls. Good-bye, dear toddler - until tomorrow.

Blog, Blog, Blog....

You wouldn't believe it if I told you. I blog constantly. Really, I do. Almost every minute of the day, I have a constant monologue accompanying me, making spectacular and witty observations. Imagine my surprise when I review my blog and find none of it there. Some day the need to come up with software that will type what you are thinking when you need it. That would make my life a lot more interesting - and documented. Aside from talking to myself in my head all day, I have been filling every spare moment with crafts. It has been in the 90's here with humidity that makes trees wilt from the weight of it, so I have been spending a lot of time in the basement with the kids and the craft area. I recently bought a climbing/slide toy to put down here so that Emma (and soon Mary) can expend some energy on days we cannot, or do not want to go out. We also put down some of those colorful foam floor mats that interlock like a puzzle to extend the play area. There are two bound remnants that measure about 8 x 10 and 10 x 14 feet, and then the 8 x 8 area of playmats. We brought down our old TV from our bedroom (a little 9" screen with a video player built in) and hooked up a small DVD player to it as well. It doesn't get any reception, but it does play Dora and that is all that matters in this house right now! So the girls have plenty of toys (most of the noisy ones) and things to do downstairs. The idea was that I could scrapbook or do crafty things while they played nearby. WELL, LET ME TELL YOU - that was laughable! When I walk off of the designated play area, Emma suddenly cannot manage the Jack-in-the-Box by herself. Then she cannot climb up the little rock wall alone. Her shape sorter is suddenly out of sorts and can only be righted by me. In other words, she is glued to me. So what ends up happening is I spend short 5 minute bouts of time pulling out everything and really WANTING to craft, but end up playing with the pop-on blocks instead. Then when they go down for a nap, I can't get to my craft area fast enough to do everything I have been wanting to do all morning. Likewise for when they go to bed. So, consequently, I do not spend too much time on the computer. Hence the lack of reliable blogging. I would be surprised by now if anyone besides my loyal Lochmoor Mom even checks this any more.

I would go on, but now it is late and I am tired. I still must pick up the toys and put sheets on our bed. We had Mary's first birthday party this past weekend. I cannot believe she is going to be one on Thursday. My little ball of love is walking occasionally and speaking quite a few words, both of which shock me every time they occur. I will get some pictures up soon, as well as an account of the festivities.

Quick Summary

We had a faboo Fourth of July weekend, doing everything that makes summertime great for kids. Diane and Derek came in Friday night with their girls, and we had an awesome time together! We took the kids to Jungle Java, the Spray scape park (think giant sprinklers), Chuck E. Cheese's (where a birthday girl can be a kid), went out to dinner (for the adults!), saw the parade in Northville, and walked to the ice cream store together (Cold Stone's - where else?!). On Monday, Jim and I escaped to go see Star Wars Episode III, which was awesome, and the kids played together before they went to bed. In the span of3 full days, the kids got to eat birthday cake, hot dogs, ice cream, pizza, more pizza, and brownies. Now, tell me that isn't a good summer weekend for them.

I know you wouldn't believe we had a great weekend if you heard the other side of the coin first, but I will only say that in spite of leaking, explosive diapers and broken glass (not caused by the diapers in any way, shape, or form), it was a fantastic time with our very dearest friends. And, as we mentioned in regards to the glass: at least it wasn't a deer in our house. This is a true story, folks - they had a deer jump through their front window and create havoc and wreckage for 45 minutes one morning while they were out. Caused a h*ll of a lot of damage and left a lot of blood in it's wake. See? The poop and broken glass wasn't that bad. Needless to say, the Ruckers are doing some minor redecorating. We are just ordering a new oven door.

Nothing else to write about right now, except that we are going to sit down and watch the original Star Wars episode so that I can remember the rest of the story - right now, as a matter of fact. We left off last night where Hans Solo and the gang get stuck in the trash compactor - sure hope they make it out!

Potty Language

"So, why haven't you blogged?" Lochmoor Mom asked.

Two words, my friend: POTTY TRAINING.

"So, blog about that."

This one I actually thought about for a millisecond. Besides using up huge time blocks where I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in front of Emma on the 'potty', singing songs, reading books to her, or making up Dora stories, I am, when she goes to bed, pooped.

Not pooped in the sense of "poots" (Emma speak), or as in "pee-pee", which I actually used in a sentence when speaking to my husband yesterday. Pooped as in so flippin' tired and sucked dry of any patience I ever had that I really want to burrow into the farthest reaches of my house and twitch. Barring that availability, eating more Birthday Cake Remix will work, too.

I meant to go to Meijer tonight and pick up more Feel and Learn diapers ("Dora Diapers"), Kan-Doo flushable wipes ("Purple-green paper towel"), and some pull-ups for night and nap times, since Emma likes to remove the regular velcro tabbed diapers for sleeping purposes. However, the minute the girls went to their cribs (they are still chatting at each other right now) I put on my PJ's. I know a lot of people go to all sorts of places in their pajamas, but I am not and will not become one of them. So that will be first on the docket tomorrow morning. Oh, and we are out of milk. Better put that on the list, too.

All in all, potty training is everything I feared and expected. I just didn't foresee the potty-themed songs or the made up Dora adventure stories, where Dora eats a lot and drinks a lot and then has to.... Well, I am sure you can guess that ending.

Status Quo

Well my dear husband made it home today, safe and sound, thank God. He came in just as I was coming downstairs with both girls after Mary's morning nap. They girls were all dressed in pretty yellow dresses, although I myself was only in shorts. Emma sported little pigtails, which are as darling as any 2-year-old can get. She cinched that category when she saw Jim and ran into his arms at full speed, yelling,"Daddy!" with the exuberance only a child can display. Mary got all excited and laughed (in happiness) and waited until Emma was done and Jim looked right at her to say, "DADA!!!!". It was a great homecoming and so wonderful to see my children so happy and animated at Jim's return. Jim looked blissful. So for the afternoon, things returned to normal and it seemed like he was never gone. We went to lunch (Wendy's), and Mary and Emma kept alternating calling Dada and Daddy for him to respond on the drive there. We came home, put the girls down for their naps, and I collapsed from exhaustion while Jim, wired with caffeine, put together the behemoth climbing toy I bought almost 2 weeks ago. When Emma saw it, she loved it. We had pizza for dinner - that is a Wednesday night tradition, so nobody better get on me for not cooking a meal for him. Jim was glad to eat some good food and said that lunch was the most expensive meal he's had in 3 weeks. Well, it is 8:15 and the whole of my family is in bed and I am by myself. It is nice, in a way, to catch my breath, clean up the kitchen and the girls' toys, and sit down to a quiet house. I did finish off my bucket-o-calories today and I hope to not see that dreaded ice cream again for a long time. I am going to go spend some time with my Stampin' Up! orders and catalog and possibly make a few cards to send to people. I have been trying to do that for 3 weeks now and haven't made it yet, so we'll see. BTW, I'd like to welcome my friend in Jackson to the blogging world. You can check out her blog at www.lochmoorlife.blogspot.com . Enjoy!