injuries

Well, February is almost gone already. We just finished up a one-day getaway to Palm Springs with friends to celebrate Kenny B's 40th birthday. We stayed one night at the Viceroy- had a good dinner, cocktails and lots of laughs. Things got a bit out of control as the evening wore on- too many drinks!

We enjoyed a 4 day weekend in Las Vegas with the Colorado Nugents- we went out to see Quin's gymnastics meet. We did lots of fun things with the kids- the LIED children's museum, a jumping/trampoline place, the adventuredome at circus circus. Lots of activities to keep everyone moving. The last morning when I was packing up the room alex fell off the bed and bashed his face into a corner of a granite end table between the two beds. It was just awful. Sophie was out with her grammy and geoff had already left for the airport. There was not much blood but he got 2 bad cuts. They have healed fairly well and I have been putting on Vitamin E at night to try to prevent scarring. We will see what happens.

A week ago I took the kids in the jacuzzi with Brett. Sophie got out, took off her suit, and I noticed a lump near her groin/pelvic area. Took her to see Dr. JJ and she probably has a hernia. JJ said her inguicanal tubes did not close off properly and so things can drift in and out, intestines, etc. She will almost certainly need laproscopic surgery. I am not too upset about it- I mean, this is hereditary, Geoff had 2 hernias at age 5. Geoff however, is completely furious and blames this on not being supervised when she uses her pull-up bar in her doorway. He said he KNOWS when she got it- the day she awkwardly put her leg over the bar and said "OW! I hurt something Dad." Hm. I take the blame- I thought the bar was a great idea for burning energy, but I was wrong. She hurt herself and now that is my fault. I do feel bad but I am human, I made a mistake.

This is Jessica's last week. I am truly sad for my kids- for her not being in their lives anymore. I am so hoping that Caitie, our new nanny will work out well. I know she will bring her own special energy. I think it is still natural to feel this as a loss and I hope the transition won't be too hard.

I wanted to take Sophie to Disneyland today- our passes expire in early March- but I just could not quite summon up the energy and have thrown myself instead into spring cleaning - trying to deal with my nightmare kitchen counter and dresser top- getting rid of clothes and papers and bits of toy trash cluttering up my head. I hope to get the kids back for one more trip with my mom and sister. I will probably renew the passes in a year or so, after a little breathing room. There will be a few new great attractions opening in California Adventure the end of this year. The Little Mermaid ride, Cars land, etc.

I am so achy this past week. I wake up stiff and I think I am coming to realize that 40 is truly around the corner and this is probably how life will be.

Sophie and Alex are getting along famously. He is her little muse- she decorated him with a dozen bandaids this morning, and covered him in washable markers last night as I posted some palm springs photos to facebook.

Alex won't keep his pants on and seems ready to potty train, but not quite. Last night he stripped down naked, then did a nice firm lump of poop in the tub. Close, bud! Over the last couple of weeks he has much more complete sentences and is expressing himself very well. He knows Jessica is leaving and I am not sure how he will be affected- they are very attached.

Sophie Bean is completely attached to writing her name and practicing a few other laters- coloring like crazy. She seems really compelled to be using writing instruments and giving her 100 piece puzzles a rest for the moment. My mom got her a leapfrog writing tablet for christmas and she loves to use it. She practices writing upper and lowercase letters and practices shapes. It is good because it shows her where to start each letter, etc.

Trying to keep up with the bills- paying off Alex's last ER visit and now Sophie's surgery coming up. Cabo is in April too...money, money, money...

saturday morning

everyone is still asleep.

I was supposed to go to a seminar/lecture on sibling rivalry this morning. But, Uncle Brett could not come watch Alex - though he had agreed to (needs to get his BMW window repaired) and it is dads and grandpas day at the weekday school during the same time. Geoff and Sophie are going to make pancakes and a woodworking project as they did last year. They can't bring Alex, and if they did, Geoff would not be able to really focus on being with Sophie and doing the projects. So, there goes the lecture. I emailed the speaker, a family therapist, to see if she has an email list for future lectures and if so to please add my name. Cest la vie. Glad I did not pay on the website when I registered to go!aan

The sun is finally out after a solid week of rain. We are supposed to get two days of sun and then another storm system is moving in. there are awful landslides in la canada and flintridge where this past fall's fires occurred- and of course tons of flooding all over, but I know our earth here in LA is just parched for a good long drink. I am happy it has been here- after it clears there will be beautiful patches of green all over the hills behind our neighborhoods here, the ground will have a wonderful cool dampness for a while once our warm days return.

Interviewed two new potential nannies this week- they both seem like really good people and were very charmed by the kids. Alex and Sophie liked both of them and were very friendly right away- I guess this is a testament to the 2 parent household and the very loving nanny they have right now. I have made clear that they are both super physical kids, active and love affection. This last week has been a good one with them getting along. His communication just keeps getting clearer, and she is moving forward with really making a playmate out of him. Yesterday she dragged her big white comforter to the playroom couch, had me draw three fluffy clouds on white paper. She then cut them out herself (loves cutting and tape right now) and then taped them to the blanket. She said they were going to perform a rain dance, but they never quite got to it...

on with the day. everyone is up- rice krispies have been eaten (jumbos for sophie, regulars for alex) and they are watching a little bear story - just one segment before they go make the last 30 minutes of the preschool dad's event.
Oh well...

Sick

Here it is year's end already - 2010 is just a couple of days away. I am disappointed I have not created an entry for this blog to keep up with all the zillions of changes that happen with young children- particularly Alex. I will start there...

My darling son! I love you more every day- he has started to say this back to me now. When he turned two his language really changed- short phrases began, and now he strings together 5 or 6 words sometimes. About a week and half ago he got his varivax shot- the immunization for varicella- and 5 days later he started running a fever. He also had an awful croup cough- and on a mild fever only day I gave him the steroid dose for his vocal chords (that he had once before with no reaction to) and completely lost his mind. Kicking, screaming 'mommy!' and over and over. He had some drool coming out of his mouth and was in just total hysterics. After 30 minutes of this I took him to the emergency room. Thank god nothing major came of it- he calmed after a time- got a big dose of Tylenol in his bum and a nebulizer treatment to locally treat his throat. I am still aching from carrying him around for almost 3 hours that night. I have slept in his bed the last 5 nights since he has been sick- we have been attached like glue. This is seriously wearing me out at this point. Sophie too is getting over a major cold/virus and has an ear infection. I am trying to let her system work it out, but I do have the cefdinir antibiotic at home to start, which will probably happen tonight I am thinking.

Geoffrey - in October he started doing the nutrisystem diet and lost about 15 pounds. In the beginning of November he went to the ER for chest pain. They diagnosed him with an ulcer- when in fact he had stones in his gall bladder. On November 11th he had his gallbladder and appendix removed, and a hernia in his belly treated as well. 5 weeks later, he had two additional hernias operated on near his scrotum- 4 days before Christmas. It has been a week of Vicodin daze, irregular sleep, missed work and fevered chills. The surgeon, Dr. Supple sent him for bloodwork yesterday to make sure he does not have an infection.

And me? I am just trying to soldier through. Just got over my own third cold/virus for the season- it has been a doozy of a cold season for us. But I am grateful no flu- H1N1 or otherwise.

Back to the kids. By the end of the summer Alex was actually swimming! Enjoying jumping in- 'jump and swim' as we called it. We stopped having the bottle at all when he turned two- it was definitely time. At that point we started cuddling It has been an exciting fall for Alex- he is very attached to Jessica, our nanny- and they have been enjoying a mommy and me class together at the YMCA, and for the last 3 months or so a my-gym class on Tuesday mornings. I take him to another parent/tot class at the Rinaldi school with teacher Valerie- he enjoys that too. His second birthday was very lowkey- just our immediate family - some presents and messy cake. It was very low pressure for me and he of course, did not know the difference. Sophie is in room 10 this year at the weekday preschool. Her teachers are Reeta and Debbie- she definitely prefers Reeta and loves going to school. She has been practicing writing her name- and is still crazy for puzzles and her grammy. She and I had a special event/date in mid-December to see 'The Princess and the Frog' - the new Disney movie at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. It was wonderful- her first film in a theater- and afterward we got to visit with all of the princesses and had yummy cupcakes. What a great memory- I took tons of photos. It was really special.


Sophie this past fall did a lot of YMCA classes, including ballet, tumbling and a sports class- but with the illness and some general afternoon crankiness that has gotten scaled back a bit. Ballet is off the list, she doesn't seem to enjoy it anymore. She and I had a great time at Mickey's trick or treat party- and we also had fun with our 2nd annual halloween kids' party- a lot of the same things- pin the nose on the pumpkin, spider hunt, crafts and cookie decorating. All the little ones loved it. Alex dressed up as a very swashbuckling pirate and sophie was the little mermaid, Ariel, complete with red wig, hemmed dress and matching shoes. Thanksgiving was good too- we had about 12 people including Ruth and Robert- and decided to do a catered thing- we got food from Gelsons. It was just okay- I think I will just have to be brave and cook that damned turkey next year!

I took both kids to 12 weeks (one morning per week) to an abrakadoodle art class out in simi valley at the rancho santa susana rec center. Our teacher was Ms. Debbie- we read "If you give a moose a paintbrush" series of books and did art projects- lots of painting, some model magic, etc. It was a good Wednesday morning activity to get us out of the house for a while. After we would have snacks and play in the adjoining park area. Somehow it felt a million miles away from the san fernando valley- the sound of trains going by, sunny days with breezes. Both kids have been obsessed with a dvd and cd of music "Field Trip to the Planets" - the cd is in a constant loop in my car- the Disney princess songs have been ousted in favor of this. The two are playing nicely together a lot of the time. She is just so physical and strong, and he loves loves loves affection. So she tousles him and picks him up and for the most part he enjoys it. There is a lot of "NO SOPHIE" however- he is very clear with her about his limits. He called her "Sah-Sah" for the longest time and I finally said, no, her name is "SOH - FEE" and he quickly adopted it. My sister Karen though, he is still calling her "Nah - Nah." Finally attempting to grow out sophie's bangs- a little natural part is starting to show up. Amazing!

As usual- I am overwhelmed with the amount of 'stuff' in our house and life- snack bags, mail, papers, the food in the fridge, the disaster that is Sophie's room - all the time. I am at odds with some of the furniture layout and am trying to resolve that. we tried putting the circular 'zero table' in the kitchen but it just did not work for me. We put the wood, trestle table back yesterday. Alex is going to get Sophie's full size bed and sophie will get a twin size bed so that she has more room for play in her bedroom.

FINALLY! Uncle Brett moved here about a week before Thanksgiving and we are so happy that he is here in LA with us. He has already been a big help with the kids and actually took Geoff to his second surgery in Thousand Oaks. He got a little black BMW, is living in one of Dave's apartments in Los Feliz and got a job as a production assistant for Hell's Kitchen (THANK YOU CYNTHIA) starting in January. We are thrilled for him. Alex just adores his uncle- I am such a strong believer in 'boys need tribes' - men to show them how to be little boys, etc. It is a wonderful thing that he can be an important part of Alex's life.

Down time. The last couple of weeks- with the viruses and all regular activities (school, classes) cancelled, there has been a lot of just being in the house. Normally this is really tough for me but it has been okay- the kids have seemed to need to extra rest, they have had more TV than usual. I think it has been a good period of time to just recharge and take a breath. Our normal life is pretty structured and go, go, go. A pause was definitely needed.

Heard from a very old friend- Barbra Carroll. That has been interesting - finding out how life has been for her the last 19 years!

Having a cookie baking party on the 10th for the little girls. Should be interesting.

I will be back to this blog soon!

summer

is really just speeding by. I turned 39 last week- celebrated with a bike ride on the beach with my sister, and a swim/bbq with family and close friends in the afternoon. just lovely and perfect. I feel grateful with all-- truly nothing to ask for.

It has been so long since I did an entry - I have just not made the time to sit down and write. May was just an exhausted month and I could not seem to feel better- it was weird- not depression or anything, just downright weariness that I could not seem to overcome. June and July were definitely slower and I started to get back some energy and oomph after just scaling it all back a bit - not trying to do too much. I think managing all the aspects of the first few months of the year- the change in the nanny situation, sophie's preschool changing in January, Alex's separation anxieties with Rachel, Geoff still figuring out life with Prozac, Sophie's birthday parties, etc. just really took a toll on me. I am happy to feel that things are rolling now - that the four of us are truly in a rhythm, it is not taking so much effort or emotional energy to have the day go smoothly. The kids know they are loved and they have a good life. I think that makes them calm and trust in us.

The pool is just amazing. June was super cool and gloomy and our swim season did not really start until July. Once the heat really came on we were all very excited. It is such a great family place for all of us to be- the water is such a healing and cooling place it feels like. We swim and frolic, play with toys, have snacks poolside and float around in the foamy bubbles of the warm water in the jacuzzi. It is our little resort really, in our backyard. And it makes both kids such fish! Being in there every day helps them both feel confident in the water for sure.

Sophie had a good summer school session. She shows increasing confidence in all things because of her positive experiences there. We have all been enjoying the pool as expected, and she loves being "ariel"- a mermaid. Adores the Disney princesses, Cinderell and Beauty, also Tinkerbell. It is cute and not too overwhelming. She is growing like a weed- total growth spurt right now though her feet seem to take forever to change sizes. Took her to Leann at Supercuts two weeks ago for her first true short haircut. Such a nice thing to do for the hot weather- easier to manage and she likes it too. We added another YMCA class to her roster once school ended so she now does ballet, tap and tumbling and seems excited to go to all of them. I keep looking for signs of burnout but none so far. She has her little mood swings but the downs seem to have so much to do with her just being tired. Still enjoying her once per week sleepover with her grammy- I think at this point that their time together is such a lift for mom. Gag's alzheimers' is such a downer, Sophie brings some humor and light into the house. She really is a little delight most of the time and seems settled in her world- with us, Jessica, Alex, her things. I have been trying to be more affectionate with her because I think I sometimes overlook giving her the physical love that she needs. Alex is so possessive of me most of the time that I have to sort've break out and just grab her. She is very affectionate herself lately, giving kisses to her brother and I. He too, asks her for 'hugs.'

Alex has been adding words here and there over the last month but finally seems to be making some sort of breakthrough. Not totally sure, but he keeps adding words to his vocabulary. I think he is going to need speech therapy to help him just sound out things better. He knows tons of words but saying them successfully is another story. He and Soph squabble here and there over toys but for the most part they have been getting along famously. She is lovey dovey with him- and gets a little too rough too- which I talked to her about. Who could not just think the little guy is the cat's meow- he is so cute and thinks she is the world, so Sophie eats it up. He was calling her "Zah Zah" for a while which has now evolved into "Sah Sah" so maybe sophie will come in the next month or so. We shall see. He still has a bottle before bed- a big one, and another in the morning so he is actually getting some milk. We gave up the baby food completely probably in early June- he is getting braver about trying new things, some vegetables, and he does eat a lot of fruits. Loves steak! He is an amazing little water guy - actually pushes off from the jacuzzi bench and glides in the water across to the other bench. He is kind've fearless in the pool doing big jumps off the side - "prone glides" and sailing off the steps to swim to me. He is really a natural- blowing bubbles and coming up for air. His hair is still pretty blonde, especially with the summer sun, but I expect in the later fall he will probably start to turn brunette like the rest of us. He too is enjoying a mommy and me class at the Y with nanny Jessica. She is very good with both kids and I feel lucky to have her- I hope it will last but she may move to Kentucky. I hope she will stick out the year she had promised me as both kids respond well to her consistency and boundaries. They both like spending time with her for sure. she is a nice girl...very good heart I think.

The resemblance between Alex and Sophie is really growing. It is trippy to look at their faces side by side when they sit next to each other.

what else- swim lessons on Saturdays at the Burke's house, Soph and mom had their annual trip to the Ventura county fair with Robert, the Stranieres have been out to visit recently and Uncle Brett is FINALLY going to give up the ghost and move west. Thank God. We really maxed out the few months we had to use our Disneyland annual passes before the summer months kicked in. Good times! Went a couple of times just sophie and I, and a couple of other trips with mom and Karen. Really so much fun. I can't wait to return probably in late september. got sophie and I tickets to Mickey's trick or treat party in October. Bring it on!

Both Geoff and I are just too heavy (and really appalled with ourselves and sick of feeling that way) and need to try to change bad habits. I am starting out simple- trying to cut out white flour and sugar for the most part and start moving around more. Other than the weight things feel good. In this crazy economy geoff continues to make himself indispesible and it seems we are in the clear at least for a few years. So scary to think we are just a couple of mortgage payments away from such a different life if he were to lose his job. My job is good and I still appreciate the balance. I do feel though, that the time with the kids being young is going quickly, and I do wish I could be with them more just to enjoy them. They will be in grade school before I know it and on with their lives. It is such a crazy fulfilled feeling to be their mom. It is a lot of work but for the most part things are feeling under control- I am getting good sleep for the most part and it helps me feel assured and strong. I just love them to death! Lucky mommy...

exhausted

had the soph/amber co bday party at the gymnastics place in chatsworth. Fun, but man am I beat up today.

two kids are sleeping in the car after a last resort drive. Took them out to Soledad Canyon road exit off the 14 freeway to get them both to knock out. it worked.

diapers are expensive and I am getting really tired of feeling like a maid all the time.

I am snack mom for sophie's weekday preschool class tomorrow- fruit skewers (no points on the end) string cheese, milk and rice krispie treats for the birthday sweet element. something a little different- other than a cupcake...

Full speed ahead - 4.29.09

So, it has been much too long since I took the time to really blog though I have wanted to. I guess I feel I just need a bit of a quiet space and head to be able to put down the details of our life here the way I want to - and it has been a long time since I have been able to afford that time to just check out and do that. It is 2:40pm on a Wednesday afternoon- I am here at my local Starbucks, plugged in, a tall iced americano by my side. The kids are at home with the new nanny, Jessica, and Geoff is there as well having come home early with his neck hurting and needing a vicodin. Life has been busy- I just can't see it getting any less busy. There was an interview with Jessica Lange in a recent magazine I read. She was asked about how she was doing since her children had 'left the nest.' She described how suddenly there were vast expanses of time to fill - and I can totally see how that would happen. Two kids with preschool, activities, playdates, birthday parties, mommy and me classes, visits with family and the days are just fluttering by. They are all consuming- and when they leave to have lives of their own - what will there be? Hours to fill with new things...

It has been an up and down last couple of months. To our dismay, Sophie caught pinworms somehow but they seem to be gone. Poor Alexander had his 4th prevnar vaccine booster and promptly got roseola- 4 days of high fever followed by two days of mild pink patches covering his body. Sophie had this too when she was about 18 months old. I fired Rachel the nanny after I became convinced she did not want her job with us anymore - she had begun stealing frozen food- bagels and cookies, and doing the least she could get away with as far as the kids went. Luckily, after re-joining gonannies.com I had interviews with two good candidates and two not so good ones. We went with Jessica- a 25 year old gal from Woodland Hills- went to private school, married parents, has her bachelor's degree in interior design. She has tons of babysitting experience and though would rather be working in her field, the economy is just so bad that she started looking for nanny work. Seems good so far- a fiery Aries personality that Sophie and Alex are both drawn to. Like their dad.

Have been to Disneyland twice since our first visit in March with the Colorado Nugents. Such a good time- Soph is a disney champ and goes for hours on end with no complaints. We went this last Monday with mom and Aunt Karen. After a bumpy start- a lost lolli and Alex needing a nap- we had a good cold lunch at a shady spot in the Plaza Gardens and the little guy had a nap. From there we were pretty much golden hitting lots of spots in the park. Before the summer blockout dates, the plan is for Geoff and the kids and I to go for one more trip to do the California Adventure park. We will drive down on a Sunday night, stay over at the Ramada and be there in the morning to hit the rides without having to deal with a morning commute first. I am looking forward to it. I swear I get more excited for these Disney days than Sophie does!

Geoff had a party at the house for his 40th birthday- catered food from an Argentinian restaurant, rented tables and chairs, I ordered a cupcake cake decorated as a swimming pool. It was fun- about 25 people came in all, including Geoff's parents and brothers. Soph's 4th birthday is next- she has a 'kids' party on Sunday May 3rd at Le Club gymnastics in Chatsworth- we are doing a shared party again with buddy Amber and mom Tricia. Should be fun- fairly easy with having it someplace other than the house. A week later on the 10th, the Stranieres come back into town to have an adult bbq/party for sophie- she wants a Disney princess theme- invites, dinnerware, pinata! No real surprise there. I bought here a gorgeously indulgent Tinkerbell white dress from the Disney store that she had picked out months ago, and is still asking for. After that the DCA trip and then chillin in the pool for June- summer school for Sophie, swim lessons for both kids at Pam's and finding fun stuff to do indoors after the crazy summer heat kicks in. The cool winter weather came and went so quickly- it didn't really start getting temperate until December this year. One big giant desert- LA that is.

Geoff is doing well with work- having a sort've down time right now and waiting for the next big move to come his way. It is looking as if a good promotion is coming not that far down the line.

Sister K is relaxing after being interim nanny for a couple of weeks. Gave her a good chance to bond with the kids by being their caretaker- instead of just having a visit. On Saturday, she and Sophie and I are going to see a Saturday kids play at the Geffen Playhouse called "Frog Belly Rat Bone." I am hoping it will be good. Karen is signed up for graphic design classes starting this summer at Santa Monica City College and wants to get an AA degree- work part time. take it easy and just enjoy herself. I think it is great- you only have one go around and after the last tough couple of years she has had in her employment situation, she deserves time to just stretch her wings, smile and feel good in her skin.

My KIDS. oh how I adore them more every day. Of course with the huge lapse since I have last written, Alex is changing by leaps and bounds. A list will be the best way to describe his changes and loveliness:

He adores shoes, is obsessed with them. He wears all of our shoes around the house, slippers, dress shoes, rainboots, ballet flats, you name it he has had them on.

At 19 months today we have a handful of words beyond his gaggle of animal sounds. We now have
"booo" = pool
"gaaaaah" = car
"mooooew" = mole (as in the ones on my arm he likes to push like buttons)
"bah bah" = bottle
"mah" = more
da and ma, of course
"nana" = Luna
"ball"= ball!

He still loves to give me wet raspberries, on my neck, my arm- anywhere available when it fancies him.

He is starting to eat a little better- had some tuna sandwich today- still likes his fresh fruit, cookies and bread items the best. Will not touch real vegetables and still gets pureed baby veg/meat a few times a week to make up for this. He is sleeping ALL NIGHT in his big boy bed. I still nurse him to sleep and cuddle him- he falls asleep until about 2. I return with a 4 ounce bottle and he kills it and goes back to sleep. I too fall back asleep in his bed usually until 5:30 and then return to the big, comfy warm bed until both kids awaken. It is really exciting that this transition from co-sleeping to his own room and bed happened completely without stress or crying or big problems. Now, I know we still have a hurdle ahead when I wean him, but we are getting close. I think within a month or six weeks that will end. He still loves that nighttime nursing before he goes to sleep, petting my tummy with his hands and all that warm, mommy skin contact. Who wouldn't?

He LOVES Geoff's new Honda dirtbike and goes around the house growling all day, making the sound like the revving engine. Hysterical.

He loves plunging into the jacuzzi for evening 'baby pool' swims with the rest of us now.
He still has his tubes in his ears which are keeping him healthy- the colds have really dissipated since last winter and he is so much happier for it. He is not growing very quickly and remains in the 20th percentile for weight, 35th for height. My little guy- he is about 24 pounds right now. He is really warming up to people in general- grammy dot and my sister, other friends too. He is much less about being just with mom. He runs now, and has become much more graceful and aware of his body. Loves going down slides and climbing, jumping off his little toddler bed onto the floor.

The best part about life with he and Sophie right now is watching the two of them become true friends. Sophie is besotted with him (for the most part) as are Geoff and I. He is our peaceable little Libra- full of affection and cuteness- so adorable with his darkening blonde hair and brown eyes- no longer hazel. I can't take enough photos- this time is so fleeting that I want to bottle him up and cherish this time forever. I cannot wait to hear him say his sister's name. I think that will bring me to tears of happiness, truly.

My Sophie is a pistol- her father through and through. Zippy and energetic, so physical still, clever and full of attitude. At the moment she is adoring school because of her beloved 'teacher Teri.' She looks like such a real girl now- there is nothing toddler or preschooler about her. At Disney mom took her through the haunted mansion and she didn't bat an eyelash. Fearless. She is acting out a bit in regards to the nanny transition, but that is to be expected. She watched her first full length movie last weekend- 78 minutes worth of Tinkerbell on dvd. Loved it, of course. I look forward to actually taking her to the theater and am keeping an eye for something very enchanting to be released to take her to. She still loves spending time with her beloved Grammy in Oxnard- cuddling in the big bed and having dozens of Nurse Nancy stories told to her. She is doing 100 piece puzzles of princesses and dreamy scenes. Still loves watching 'Little Bear' and the 'Little Einsteins', but has added 'Charlie and Lola' and 'Maggie and the Ferocious Beast' to her daily show selections. Still just watching 2 shows per day. Want to make that last as long as I can. She joined a "Twinkle Toes" ballet class at the YMCA which Kaylin (from weekday preschool and mommy and me rinaldi group) goes to as well. She needs that friend in the class to help her break the ice and join in. She loves Teacher Tracy too- and recently declared that she would like to be a teacher now, instead of a nurse!
She captivates me and makes me crazy every day.

And me? I am a person in constant motion- driving, cleaning, prepping meals, washing clothes, making coffee, scooping cat litter, picking up shoes, sweeping the floor (again), making the lunches to go, packing up the laptop to go to the office, changing the diaper, raising the shade, lifting the late night ice cream spoon to my mouth! I did some consistent swimming at the YMCA for about a month, doing laps a few times a week. Lost the groove and need to get back on track. It felt so good, getting that metabolism truly humming and stretching all of those muscles instead of just pounding the laminate all day long.

Above all right now I feel completely and totally GRATEFUL. So lucky to have and know my beautiful kiddos with their good health and winning personalities. My medicated husband- (no, seriously, prozac has been just a godsend in getting his anger issues under control.) Our marvelous home with no more immediate construction needs- our beautiful pool that is just waiting for us to jump back in this summer.
In all of this difficulty with jobs and the economy that so many Americans are dealing with- Geoff and I are both employed, paying the bills on time, being able to enjoy each other and the little ones. I don't take it for granted for a minute.

illness

alex has thrush.
sophie has pinworms.
I have a porokeratoma in my left foot to be be removed this afternoon.

christ.