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.
