Unique Lullabye....

This one made me think of the kiddos.

A Movin' and a Shakin'...

Well, our little Tommy has been a busy boy these past 48 hours! Not only has he started crawling (with a little more gusto every minute, might I add), but he pulled himself up last night for the first time! Yikes! We all clapped and Lucy yelled, "I am SO PROUD of you Tomma!" He then proceeded to pull up on Lucy's art desk two more times, and back to his LeapStart table this morning. By the way, have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE that LeapStart table? It is the PERFECT toy for a kid 8 - 12 months old. It helps them learn to pull up and take their first steps around the table. Lucy loved it and Tommy already loves it as well!
Tommy also just loves floor time in our family room. He will play on the floor for literally, hours. He is a manipulator of all things. Just one more thing that makes him so different from his wild sister. Lucy always wanted to be upright at this age, usually in her Johhny Jumper, screaming and yelling (in happiness) at the top of her lungs.
Different strokes for different kiddos, once again.

Sign of the Times....

"Do you think we should get Scout some different food?"

"Yeah...why does she get Science Diet when we're eating Spartan brand?"

"Like I always say, if generic is good enough for my baby, it certainly is good enough for the dog."

The Reason for the Season...

So the holiday season is in full swing at our house. Lights are outside, tree is up and decorated, as well as the rest of the house, and Christmas music is being played throughout the day. It would be an understatement to say that Lucy LOOOVVEEESS it all! Comments include, "Isn't the tree pretty, mom?" "Oh..look at that decoration Mom! That was a good choice!" and of course, "No holding it...just looking at it, Mom. That's for Christmas." But one thing I did not anticipate:
Her love of Nativities.
When you really think about it, a Nativity really looks like a doll house. You have the stable (house), Jesus (baby) Mary (momma) and Joseph (daddy). Throw in some farm animals and a shepherd or two and you have yourself some exciting play time!
She has the Little People Nativity. It is in HIGH ROTATION right now. She pushes the angel and dances around the room while I sing an obnoxious high pitch version of "Away in a Manger." She and Tommy laugh while Matt's eye twitches. I love it.
Today, my mom took Lucy to a life-size Nativity at a church down the road. They sat there for a long time. Like at least 30 minutes. The church worker came out to check on them.
The girl loves herself some Nativity action.

Post-Turkey Stream of Thoughts...

1. Thanksgiving was really nice...the kids travelled WELL to Grammy's and I think Lucy has made a turn in the travel department. She watched Cinderella on the way there, and stayed quiet while Tommy slept. My head didn't explode and I actually think I may have fallen asleep for 5 seconds myself. Halleluah!
2. WHY do I get so anxious afer Thanksgiving, thinking about all the things I have to do to prep for the holiday season? It propels me to get it done, yet it keeps my mind spinning at the same time. Cards, gifts, decor, tree, lights, plans! Ahhh!
3. I have noticed within the last month or two, that something has "clicked" with Lucy developmentally (besides her new obsession of counting her fingers). She is more tolerant in restaurants, good in stores, and not so painful in her car seat. Perhaps as she turns 2 and a half years old next week, she has developed just a little more patience. She came out of the womb hating her car seat and not wanting to sit in a high chair for more than 15 minutes at a time. This new development, my friends, is a GOOD THING.
4. Tommy is officially crawling! As expected with chill boy, he only does it when he feels like it. He isn't all "gung ho" about it like many kids I know. But Tomma isn't like any kid I know...he is the one and only Tomma Shamma Lamma and he will roll, crawl or scoot his way to where he wants, when he wants, or not. And no one minds, especially him.
5. I am realizing I get stressed when I can't "home base" it with the kids for multiple days in a row. I like to get home at night, unpack, unload, sleep in my own bed, etc. When I can't do that, it makes me anxious. I guess it's because I have dirty bottles in garbage bags, clothes flailing every which way, things in odd places, etc. The Type A person in me just can't take it. I always knew this about myself, but it was really made apparent over the weekend with all our traveling. It took me 3 hours to get us ready to go to my mom's yesterday, and 45 minutes to unpack at night when we arrived home. Ahhh kids...you would have looked in our car and thought we were leaving for Disneyworld, instead of 15 minutes down the road. Ridic.

Well..at Least She Thinks She Made it Up!

Lucy is at a developmental stage where, when asked who someone's name is, she thinks she has to make up a word never before used. She doesn't get it that a dog in a book could just be named Jeff or Stan. When I ask her what a doll's name is, she responds with a "Lee la Lee la," "Choo-Chee," or sometimes "Troogy" or "Oooda." Then we look at each other and laugh.
Yesterday at naptime, I asked her what the deer's name was in Snow White. She thought for a moment, looked me square in the eye and yelled out, "COCK!"
Oookey dokey...

Why?

Why do I believe I have plucked my eyebrows suffiently every morning, and then look in the car rear-view mirror, only to find that I am Burt from Sesame Street?

Why do I now own a mini-van? Because we have caved and it just makes good sense, darn it. I make quiches and I drive a mini-van. Welcome to my life.

Why does my boy lie in his crib wide awake, and then drifts off to sleep like a dream boat? Because I am one lucky bitch.

Why do I buy kitchen/bath cleaner with bleach in it? Because I am a clean freak, who failed to think about the fact that one drop on anything would BLEACH it out...like a couch, my new shirt from Target, etc. Lame-o.

Why are my boobs soooo sad now after two pregnancies? I mean, they could totally be the "before" picture in a plastic surgeon's office. Lucy pointed to them all confused and said, "What is that, mom?" It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, "Mommy now has "cucumbers in a plastic produce bag," Luce! You and your brother will apparently have higher IQs, and no ear infections..but your mother looks like a deflated balloon!! The sacrifices I have made, my child!!!"

And finally, WHY are my two kids bathing together so hilarious and adorable? Note how I made sure this was not kiddie porn, based on the angle. Because I know there are creeplors out there and I was protecting my peeps.

I am So Lucky....

From the moment I first saw you...
the second that you were born...
I knew that you were the love of my life...
Quite simply the love of my life.

This Girl is Supportive!

As I scrubbed the bathroom shower yesterday (good times), Lucy came up to me, started rubbing my back and said, "Mom..I am SO proud of you for cleaning."
Now if only her father said that more often. :)

As Tommy picked up a toy car (one of the two "boy" toys we have in the house) she said to him, "Tommy...I am so proud of you! And you have your paci in your mouth! Good boy!"
Apparently she appreciates the skill involved in multi-tasking. Who's her mother?

Two days ago, we were sitting on the couch together and she proclaimed to me, "Mom? You are my family AND my friend."
This will not be made mention at age 14.

Poor Little Guy...

I forgot how sad it is to have a sick baby. Tommy finally caved to his sister's cold yesterday and woke up very congested. I know we are lucky he is 8 months old and has only had a couple of tiny colds. Poor little guy...I know kids get colds all the time, but when it's YOUR baby - it is hard!! I guess there isn't really anything we can do for it except let him work it out and make him comfortable. I am trying to keep him vertical all the time, when he is not sleeping. We also bought these and they seemed to help him last night. He slept 7 p.m. - 5:30 a.m. with no wake ups in between. He wants to be held a lot (which normally, he just wants to explore on the floor all day long) so the snuggling is kind of nice. Poor Tomma-Shamma...

Random Celebrity Tid-Bits I've Been Thinking About...

I wonder what the deal breaker was for Britney dumping Kevin. I wonder what that conversation was like. I would have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall. I sooo KNEW she was lying to Matt Lauer in the interview she did last year. People are saying that she had a tummy tuck and lipo. She does look pretty damn good for having a two-month old. However, perhaps the stress of her divorce has caused her to drop quickly. ha ha...like I have any clue. And people keep talking about her "new look" and "new bob" - hello! It is a total WIG!
What's the deal with Katie Holmes? She acts creepy. Why is she BFF's with Posh Spice? How random is that?
I feel sad for the Simpson girls and I feel like their time is up. And have you checked out Ashlee's lip and nose job? She looks NOTHING like her old self. It's sad, really, that she felt the pressure to do that. She has basically morphed into her sister. I think she was on the right track when she was the "grunge/punk" sister before. I'm just sayin'...I think they are phasing out of celebrity-world.
I saw Lindsey Lohan on Oprah. She just acts like a complete moron. WHY is she so popular with teenagers? WHY do people care where she is going and what she is doing? In interviews, she doesn't even look at the person's face. She kept looking away from Oprah and acting all shy and embarrased by Oprah's every question.
I was on the treadmill at 5:40 a.m. last week and watched Paris Hilton's music video. I was desperate. It was so hilarious because her voice was real low over techno-tronic music or something. They can make anyone's voice sound "good" in a studio. Once again, no clue why this girl is famous.

Multiple Choice...

Question: Today is a GREAT day because:

a. Lucy peed in her potty for the first time!

b. Matt got a formal job offer this morning and accepted!

c. Lucy spontaneously said, "I had a great time at library, Mom."

d. All of the above.

Answer: D!!!!!!

And One More Thing Before You Go...

I live in a very nice community. It's very family-friendly, with great schools, nice houses, etc. Parents are very involved, sports programs are incredibly supported, etc. Maybe I am naive, but I sense a feeling of "family" and "community" here. So, I was walking with the kids the other morning (maybe the day after Halloween?). I strolled by something that caught me off guard. I didn't want to stop and analyze with the kids there, but I believe it was a toilet paper roll that had been made into a make-shift bong of some sort. It made me feel sad for some reason. I mean, there will always be kids that smoke pot, look for trouble, etc. But I internalize everything and think about my kids and think - will they ever do that? Or, how dare some rotten kids make a bong and throw it out of their car window into MY nice neighborhood where MY kids could pick it up or wonder what it is.
I happen to live by the local high school. I see the kids walking up to school in the morning, at lunch (they have open campus), etc. I am intrigued by these teenagers. I like to analyze them as I walk by. Most don't make eye contact. Some look full of teenage angst, others are in the midst of a serious conversation with their friends, others just look nervous to be walking by someone they might have to interact with. I look down at my kids, and I try to imagine them as teenagers. I think about how much they worship me right now and how I better soak it up while I can. I am sure Lucy and I will be at each other's throats a time or two, and I am sure Tommy will want nothing to do with me a lot of the time. Of course, I have dreams of this really great, open relationship, where they can come to me with anything, with no judgement and they will never lie to me, etc. But then I snap back into reality. Before it happened, I was really nervous to become a mother of a newborn. Now...I am really nervous to be the mother of a teenager.
I saw Maria Shriver on Oprah last year, and she really impressed me. She was on with her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, talking about how her mother raised her and how she now raises her children. Something about her as she described her growing up, her children, her parenting style, stuck with me. I walked away from that wanting to be the kind of mother she is to her teenage children. She talks about leading by example, asking lots of questions, and being a parent and not always a friend. The other day I read her book. It's really a great book to give a daughter as she heads off to college. But, I just enjoyed reading it myself. It reinforced and reminded me of all the things I want to instill in my kids before they leave "our nest."
It is silly, really, to think of these things as I look at my 8 month old and 2.5 year old. We have many, many years together before any of that happens. But I guess sometimes, when I see these kids strolling along as young adults in the world, or I randomly find a "bong" in the bushes, just a block from my house, it reminds me that it all goes so fast. I want to equip my kids the very best I know how to handle this crazy world.

The Wind of Change is Blowing....

What a day! Woke up to the GREAT news about the Democrats and now..Rumsfeld is resigning? Is it my birthday?! Throw onto that Britney is DIVORCING K-fed? Are all my dreams coming true?! Sprinkle in a 60 degree morning at the zoo and a job offer tonight! It's a good day people...a good day. Oh, and Lucy recovered from yesterday's debacle with a nap from 12:30 - 5 pm. Now THAT'S what you call a nap. AND, Tommy SLEPT IN to 5:40 a.m. this morning. Sad that I consider that a sleep-in situation. Ahhh...things are a ch-ch-changin'!!!

While the World Sleeps...

4:37 a.m. Rousing version of "Twinkle, Twinkle" belted out of Lucy's room.

4:39 a.m. Tommy awakens from lovely tune outside his room.

4:45 a.m. I decide to manage Lucy, while Matt takes on Tommy.

4:55 a.m. After 3 books and 5 songs, I finally get Lucy to lie back in bed.

5:10 a.m. Lucy back at her baby gate talking to Scout about what she is doing in the hall.

5:15 a.m. Tommy wakes up, yet again, from commentary outside his room.

5:17 a.m. Matt goes back to Lucy's room. Stories and songs continue.

5:18 a.m. I get Tommy...die a little inside when I come to full realization that I got up for the day at 4:37 a.m. Take him downstairs.

5:30 - 6 a.m. Listen to Lucy play and yell out on monitor until Matt decides to bring her downstairs to join us.

Random Tidbits for a Mondee Mornin'....

*This was a busy weekend...but lots of relaxing and eating. Lots of NOT thinking about our current situation evey 5-7 minutes. Matt turned the big 3-4 yeterday! Whoooo! Distraction is a great thing! Good news (POSSIBLY) to come soon. Fingers crossed and prayers please!!!
*Tomma Shamma is a wild man. Opening and closing Lucy's art bench and actually pulling toys out of there...what the heck? SERIOUS baby proofing of Lucy's toys must begin ASAP.
*All of a sudden I am obsessed with wanting these in black, which I have NO right to want.
*Oh, and also this in dark pink, which I have NO right to currently enjoy.
*And finally, this is just damn cute...

Total Party at my Crib, Peeps!

Whenever I put Tommy down for a nap in his crib, he is usually pretty groggy. I sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" to him, rock him a little and then lay him down. He sometimes has his eyes shut or at half-mast and I will think he's totally out. But all of a sudden, his head will hit the crib sheet and his eyes pop open. You would think he is furious..but instead, he is BUTT HAPPY. He will start smiling and laughing and kicking his legs. I will laugh at him and kiss his head and hold his hand for a second and he is in pure heaven for some unknown reason. Of course, three seconds after leaving the room he will cry for a minute or so, but all I can summarize is that the kid already LOVES his crib. Now if we could only get him to love it past 5 a.m....perhaps I would smile and kick with glee when the clock said 7 a.m. with no wake ups!

It Was a Treat!

What a day yesterday was...it started out at Lucy's nursery school with her FIRST school performance. We all went and sat front and center!





(See little Elmo in the front row??) Lucy was slightly overwhelmed last night, but by the 3rd house, she was really getting into trick or treating. On a side note, I have to say it is SO FUN to watch her go trick or treating as I remember soooo easily that feeling of excitement in my neighborhood. Also, it was one of those times when I was so grateful that my parents were there to see it in action and be a part of our night!