Monday, November 30, 2009

Not Me! Monday

It wasn't me that stepped in a puddle while in the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning and upon checking to make sure it wasn't pee from one critter or another walked away without bothering to get it up.

It also isn't me that has no plans for dinner this week or groceries in the house. But if it WERE me, I'd totally have a justifiable excuse because c'mon people, it was just Thanksgiving and certainly I shouldn't still be having to do all this thinking about food.

It was most definitely not me last night that was completely confused by Google Wave. I would never have sat there staring at the screen in confusion for twenty minutes. I'm not that old.. right?

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Children are like hamsters

I came to this realization a few days ago. I wanted to back this claim up with pictures, but I'll never get things together enough for that.

The Peanut has already managed to chew pieces of wood off of both his cribs.

The Weebles nibbles bites off when she eats. If you hand her an apple she will give it back to you when she is done with a dozen little tiny nibbles all over the apple. She does the same thing with celery and potatoes.

Yesterday the Peanut crawled between the sofa and the wall. We were afraid we'd have to move the whole thing to get him out.

While they certainly do NOT sleep during the day, they have been known to be wide awake half the night.

I'm considering looking into buying a large wheel for the living room so they can run off their energy in the afternoon....

Friday, November 27, 2009

Black Friday

My posts of late have been more twitter worthy than blog worthy and I feel bad about that. My on again off again depression has been dragging me down the last week or two and it has taken every ounce of everything I have to keep on keepin' on where I absolutely have to. Some afternoons I'm pretty sure I'm going to collapse on the floor and never get up again. Bleh. I'm hoping the fog lifts soon and things look up. This is my favorite time of the year and I don't want this bullshit depression to detract from that. Bring on the Xanax* people.

*I don't actually know if Xanax is for anxiety/depression per se. I am woefully uneducated in the world of pharmaceuticals. So don't go self prescribing based on me...

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thankful

Thankful for my babies. Thankful for my husband. Thankful for my friends, IRL and bloggy. Thankful for sleeeeep. :)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Naptime Routine

I am a slave to the daytime routine on the days I am here by myself. Admittedly part of the reason I am so rigid regarding naps is that I crave a few minutes to just zone out. However, it is also crucial that the little people get the sleep they need or they turn into whiny PITAs. And I say that as only a mama who loves them can. So the double whammy of no time to myself + whiny children is enough to push me right over the edge into screamy mad mama behavior.

I have documented the Peanut's sketchy daytime sleep record here many times. I seem to have hit on a delicate formula that works. After lunch I nurse him and put him in his sister's old car seat, yeah it is pink gotaproblemwiththat?? He doesn't know and I try not to take too many pictures... ahem. I have to turn on a specific episode I have TiVo'ed of Classical Baby and then I get his sister ready for her nap and we go upstairs for me to tuck her in. Yes, believe me I have tremendous guilt for essentially strapping my poor baby in and forcing him to watch TV but it is the only way he will sleep for any length of time. If I tuck him in upstairs in his room (during the day only, at night he's fine) he wakes up after 15 or 20 minutes and will not fall back asleep. No amount of crying, playing, cajoling, nursing, or witch doctor-y will change this fact. I wouldn't let him cry it out anyway because that isn't my thing, but believe me, not gonna happen. This little guy is STUBBORN. The show is 20 minutes long, I have to manually restart the damn thing (TiVo doesn't have a repeat function, although I can't really imagine why it would..) and if I accidentally let it run out some damn Elmo commercial comes on that is loud as hell and wakes him. Then it is game over. So I spend his entire nap (which with this plan lasts 2+ hours) keeping a close eye on the TV and restarting as soon as it nears the end with bomb squad precision.

What quirky rituals do you or your children require?

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Mommy: 0 - Kids: 0

Today was one of those no nap days. So.. yeah. I'm pretty much done for. Night all.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Weekend Recap

We spent the weekend with my in laws. The purpose of the trip was two fold. Saturday was my father in law's birthday and we wanted to celebrate it with him and Saturday was also the Asheville Christmas parade. We tried to go to the parade last year but assumed it was the weekend after Thanksgiving instead of the weekend before and missed out.

We got into Asheville a little after ten Friday night. Peanut did great and slept the entire four hours or so we were in the car. Weebles stayed up until her usual bedtime around eight thirty so she only got in about two hours of sleep. When we got there they both woke up and were immediately thrown into excited ooooh goodie look it is SiSi, Granddaddy and Uncle Yama! mode. This was the first time Peanut really seemed to take in his surroundings there and their house has all sorts of interesting things to look at. As a result we didn't manage to get them settled back down until nearly one AM. Ouch. Someone that doesn't have kids might think "well at least they'll sleep in the next morning..." and to that I say YOU FOOL! That is not how the game is played. Peanut was up and at 'em at his usual five AM.

We spent two hours at the parade and both kids were wild the whole time. Then the Peanut grabbed a twenty minute catnap on the way to lunch. After lunch we headed back to my in laws' and the Weebles took a nice hour + nap until five or so. Peanut meanwhile refused further napping and played. We headed to dinner around six thirty and the kids held up remarkably well for having had such a busy day. Peanut passed out in the car on the way home and we managed to change him into his jammies and tuck him in all while he still slept. Weebles however kept going on strong throughout the presents and cake and called it a night around ten.

Not surprisingly both kids were whiny basketcases all day Sunday. Totally exhausted from the previous day they weren't able to handle much of anything so we piled into the car fairly early to head home. My mood wasn't too far off from theirs so it probably wasn't the most pleasant ride for my poor husband with three whiny folks in the car. Thankfully bedtime went well and we're back into our regular (still up at five AM... groan) routine. Just in time to do it all again for Thanksgiving! :)

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Yesterday my kid ate:

A cinnamon roll. Cup of milk.

A handful of cheddar bunnies and a pack of dried fruit.

Two lollipops. They were organic, does that help? No?

Two mini candy canes.

Three french fries and probably a quarter of a cup of ketchup.

Chocolate milkshake.

An orange.

Two and a half french fries and another quarter cup of ketchup. Cup of milk.

The icing off a piece of chocolate birthday cake. It was vegan, does that help? No?

The sad thing is, I'm pretty sure she did better than me yesterday. Sigh.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Christmas Parade

The Peanut really got into the Christmas parade today. Laughing and waving at the passing floats.



Then again, maybe he knows something I don't about this guy:

Friday, November 20, 2009

GAH How many effn days are there in November

I used to like to blog. I looked forward to it. Clearly something has gone awry. Now it's all like ohforfuckssake AGAIN with the blogging? I'm not one for quitting so I'm still plowing ahead. Just be forewarned there is all kinds of written garbage headed your way.

We're in the midst of a sleep regression here in the Slawter household. Two of them to be more accurate. For the uninitiated, a sleep regression is a period in the development of a child where they are on the verge of major developmental milestones and as a result their little brains are so busy prattling on with excitement that they cannot sleep. The definition is way the hell cuter than the reality of it.

You'll be going along, night after night thinking "Hey! the kids sure seem to be sleeping better... we're totally making progress. Just imagine in a few weeks I might not get up at all at this rate." This is where you should stop. Because it makes it even worse when the inevitable happens.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that for the last three or four nights just as soon as my head hits the pillow a child wakes up. You can then repeat that scenario six or seven times throughout the night. Believe it or not, this leaves a person tired, frazzled and somewhat pissed off (if that someone is short on patience as I am.) And after the stretch of pretty decent sleep it is especially crippling to backtrack so spectacularly.

But hey! Good news, I guess this means my kids should be doing some new amazing things in the next couple of weeks! Walking? Talking? Doing the laundry?

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Random Thought Thursday

* I should be packing. The amount of crap that has to go with us when we go anywhere overnight is astounding. Beds, blankets, loveys, food, cups/dishes, clothes, more clothes, toys, movies, medicine, more clothes... crazy. I cannot fathom why my husband and I didn't just pick up and go more often while we still could. Hear that childless people? Travel while it still seems worth the effort!!

* I'm having a hella time finding Christmas + birthday presents for my little guy. Part of the problem is that he inherited so many toys from his big sister that it limits the good ideas. The other difficulty is that he is just now starting to really enjoy playing so I don't have a great handle on what his favorites are going to be yet. And then of course I have the double whammy of back to back gift buying occasions for him so I feel like I need twice as many ideas.

* At what point do you step in when a relative is being obnoxious to your children? If anyone else had intentionally made my baby boy cry and then laughed in his face the mama bear in me would have ripped them to pieces. But today I just sat and stared and then looked at my dad for a reaction, got none and was duly disappointed in him. Should be used to it by now I guess.

* I have so many loose ends to tie up in the coming weeks. Preschool enrollment forms, beach house rental deposits, Christmas cards. Yikes! I'd better find what is left of my marbles and get them all in one place so I might actually get some things done.

* Get well Anissa. I miss teh funny.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

200th Post

There were lots of different directions I thought about going today. I hated to give up a Wordless Wednesday but felt like that wouldn't be a very profound way to mark a milestone. Then last night I got online after getting the kids to bed to this news.

Anissa is the ringleader of the Aiming Low gals, one of my favorite blogging sites. I'm a D List blogger (as you can see from my sidebar) but Anissa? Anissa is what the "A" in A List stands for. I am being reminded again today of why the blogging community is so important to me as everyone rallies around her and her family.

As I go through my day I look at things in a different light. Sure, I could bitch that the kids got up at 5:30 (AGAIN!?!?!) or that my two year old dumped an entire box of Cheerios all over the floor this morning. But then I remember Anissa. I think about her husband, her three kids, all her friends. And I tell myself to shut the fuck up. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go eat some kittehs in her honor.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Fight for Preemies Day



Today is fight for preemies day. I remember when I was pregnant being terrified my babies would come early. Each week I would search the internet for statistics on the survival rates for babies born at that point in my pregnancy. I would go on to read about possible complications they might face, length of NICU stays and their future prognosis. What can I say? I'm a worrier.

I was a preemie myself weighing just five pounds when I was born. I've done my very best to catch up in the weight department. ;) I've had friends and co-workers that have had preemies and seen firsthand the stress, worry, helplessness and heartbreak it can cause. I also have a friend that works in the NICU and she amazes me. That isn't so much a career as a calling I'd have to think. I was thrilled she was able to be there right after my first child was born, but even happier that she was there as nothing more than a friend.

Luckily both my babies were born full term and healthy. While there are lots of things we can do to protect our unborn children we cannot control it all. My next child could very well be born early. We are at a time where we are realizing that preventative medicine is crucial and that all starts during pregnancy. Supporting the March of Dimes is one of the best ways to contribute to the fight against premature birth.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Driving me to drink

If my kid asks me one more time what I'm doing I'm going to have to go straight into the kitchen and have a shot of whiskey. That is all.

Sunday, November 15, 2009


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Daddy Guest Post

Weekends are a wonderful thing. Even if they are sometimes tiring as hell. I look forward to nothing more during the week than being able to spend two entire days with my wife and kids. During the week, my play-time with the kids is limited. The majority of my time in the morning is spent getting ready for work, and the majority of my time with them in the evening is getting them ready for bed. I still manage to have a lot of fun with my kids on weekdays, but nothing compares to the weekend. As probably most people do, I spend at least part of every day at work wishing that I was home instead. But the funny thing is, each Saturday, usually mid-afternoon, realizing just how exhausting it must be for Mary to be at home alone with the kids on weekdays.

Regardless of what time we manage to get him to sleep at night, the Peanut tends to wake up, without fail, sometime between 5:15 and 5:45 in the morning. This would be all fine and dandy if he was good about taking a nap sometime during the day (well -- theoretically anyway...I guess there's a good chance I'd still complain about getting up that early even if he did nap). But he isn't good about taking naps during the day, which just adds insult to injury. It's almost like his sole source of energy is from some invisible solar panel up on our roof (I say up on our roof because if the sun is up, even if he's in a dark room being rocked while a nice gentle soother is playing, he's giddy and playful, as though he's in the middle of a playground with jolting carnival music blaring nearby.)

So, without fail, every Saturday, around 1:30 in the afternoon, after I'm already tired from getting up, playing with and helping care for the kids, doing whatever errands we have to do for the morning, getting lunch and helping to get the Weeble down for her nap, just when I'm looking forward to a break -- just for a few minutes -- the Peanut suddenly gets his second (third?) wind and has the energy to go on a Babycrawl 5K. What's insane about all of this is that Mary is with me the whole time, and I still feel that way. I'm not alone with the kids. Maybe the Peanut inherited his ability to harness the sun's energy from his mom -- because as tired as I know being here during the week makes her, she's gotta be getting the energy to take care of them from somewhere.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Random Thought Thursday

** If it doesn't stop raining I am going to go completely mad. We have been stuck inside for what seems like three months. The Weebles asks me over and over "go outside walk?" I wouldn't even care about the rain at this point but its forty degrees outside. The double whammy of freezing AND raining I just can't find a way around.

** How can Thanksgiving be two weeks away? HOW PEOPLE? I don't even want to think about how much cleaning, shopping and planning I have to do in those two weeks. Not to mention we're going out of town part of the time between now and then.

** Looming behind Thanksgiving is Christmas. We have about 5% of the decorations out already so at least I feel like that's a start. But the recipe finding, cookie baking, gift shopping, wrapping, card sending, family fueding, tree installation madness that awaits is a little overwhelming even though it is my favorite time of the year and I love all those things.

** Even after we survive Christmas we have The Peanut's one year birthday to look forward to a week later. So I'll have to be planning for that somewhere in all the Christmas mayhem.

** This isn't so random is it? More of a depressing "oh shit I gots a lot to do why am I just sitting here refreshing twitter?" list. Better get cracking.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Happy Birthday Maddie

Dear Maddie,

I am a stranger to you and your parents. My daughter is only a couple of months older than you and when she was a few months old I discovered "mommy blogs." Reading them helped me not to feel so alone as I sat here with my baby day after day wondering if I were doing this whole thing right.

About a year ago I found your mommy's blog. It got bookmarked right away because your mommy is very funny and the beautiful pictures of you jumped off the screen and made me laugh. I looked at your pictures and could see the joy in your eyes and thought that your mom must be a really good mom for you to be so happy.

Over the months I enjoyed reading about you and seeing everything that you were learning and how much you were growing. When you got sick I worried and checked in often for updates. When your mom and dad were hurting I felt helpless, desperately wishing I could change things for them.

I wish I had gotten the opportunity to meet you in person. I have never seen a child so full of life. I would love nothing more than to be buying you a present today and wrapping it with a million curly ribbons for you to laugh at. But I will do the only thing I know to do today to celebrate your life. Today, and every November 11th, I will make a donation to Friends of Maddie in your honor.

Your mom and dad's posts still make me laugh and all too often they make me cry. I anxiously (but not too anxiously, don't get any ideas Binky!) await the arrive of your little sister. She will have her own light and her own personality but I have no doubt we will all fall in love with her just like we did with you.

Happy Birthday Maddie.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Insomnia

My son doesn't sleep during the day.

That's not totally true. He sometimes will nap a little, but not reliably and certainly not enough. Today, for example he didn't sleep until noon. He was so tired he finally conked out in his high chair. Our usual "routine" is for me to nurse him and put him in the car seat in front of Classical Baby while I tuck his sister in for her nap. The classical music and colorful graphics usually knock him out and he'll nap there for awhile. Hey, there's one of me and two of them. If anybody has any better ideas I'm listening.

Today though he went out before I could do that. He slept all of 20 minutes after I put him in his crib. So I picked up the routine where it would normally be, changing his diaper and nursing him then snuggling him down with his blankie in front of his "baby show" as the Weebles calls it. I got her all settled in her room and came down to find him still awake. Sigh. Forty minutes later he was still wide awake yammering away at the animals on the screen. I gave up and got him out of the seat.

That's when I discovered his dirty diaper. Well played little man. Now I feel guilty for letting you sit there hoping you'd fall asleep.

Not too guilty though, because I plugged the wipes warmer back in this past weekend. Warm wipes for you Peanut! You can't possibly accuse me of being that horrible of a mama. I'll call that one a draw.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Not Me! Monday

It was certainly not me that was all "woe is me" yesterday when I have a wonderful husband and two healthy happy kids. Not to mention a warm safe home and plenty of food (trust me.. I count points.)

All my love, thoughts, prayer and support for MckMama and her family today.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Pity Party

I'm having one of those days where I'm just exhausted. Not really so much in the physical sense, since I've been exhausted physically for at least a year and don't even notice that anymore. Tired of worrying, tired of feeling so heartsick every time I read about a sick child. Tired of fighting with my kids to sleep or to eat. Then tired of them melting down because they didn't sleep or eat. Tired of being snappy with my husband. Tired of feeling like I'm not taking care of myself. Tired of being tired.

Then again, it could just be the two hours I spent in Wal-Mart today. Blergh.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

27 Months

Weebles,

Twenty Seven months isn't really any sort of milestone but you are growing and learning so much every day that I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with it all.

Thank you so much for being such a wonderful big sister. You are always looking out for your baby brother and it is very sweet. If I look tired or stressed out you say "You otay mama?" and pat my back. You also use please, thank you, and I'm sorry at all the appropriate times.

You love to run and jump. I think your gross motor skills are pretty much all taken care of at this point. We've been trying to teach you letters and numbers but you are totally uninterested, and that's okay.

The potty thing? Is pretty amazing. I never considered that my child would just up decide to use the bathroom on her own without any coaching. Impressive. I finally took your diapers off the changing table. It looks so funny to just have one basket of diapers up there. If you want to teach your brother your mad skills I'd be fine with that...

Things aren't all rainbows and unicorns of course. Some days we go through an hour or two where you are constantly in time out. Other days you aren't at all. It is pretty clearly a factor of what kind of mood both you and I are in. I try so hard not to let my exhaustion from a rough night show in my parenting the following day but find it nearly impossible.

Now that your brother is a little older we've decided to try to split you up for some one on one time more often. The two of us went to the mall this week and it was really nice. Just strolling around hand in hand watching the Christmas decorations go up.

You've gotten into the question asking phase. I didn't think that would get on my nerves. But you ask the same question thirty times in a row and admittedly my patience wears thin on that. :) I assume answering the question the same way every time is the way to go, maybe you are testing to see if it will change? But it is awful tempting the tenth time you ask me what a Christmas tree is to tell you it is a car to see if you will call me on it.

You are upstairs sleeping in your big girl bed. You wake up in the morning and tell me you have to potty. You have definite thoughts on what you want for breakfast and you tell your daddy "be careful, i wuv you" when he leaves for work. You even have your first pair of light up shoes. I'm having a hard time coming to terms with the fact you are growing up so fast. But, I am so proud of you. Sleep tight little girl.

Love,
Mama

Friday, November 6, 2009

Mama's Christmas Wish List

* Stanley Steemer every month for the entire year.

* Eight solid hours of sleep every night for a week. Repeat every three months. I could rule the world with that kind of sleep.

* Total and complete silence for five minutes a day. No white noise, no baby monitors, no WonderPets and most definitely no whining.

* A drive through fast food place with all healthy food. Bonus points if it tastes good.

* Crib sheets that actually fit and don't require superhuman strength to get on the mattress.

* Sheets for my bed that stay on and don't constantly come off at the corners. WTH? My sheets are too big, my kids' are too small. Conspiracy to drive me crazy?

* Clothes that are both stylish and comfortable at the same time.

* Something that goes around and constantly puts toys away, Roomba style

* In the event that some of the things on my list are hard to find, I will settle for a live in nanny/housekeeper/chef/masseuse/hairstylist. Can I get a WOOT for daily blowouts?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Bathroom adventures

There are a whole lot of times I find myself thinking "huh, didn't really see THAT challenge coming." Although admittedly this one had crossed my mind in recent weeks, still it gave me pause when it actually happened.

I needed to pick up a few things at the grocery store. I have a newly un-diapered 2 year old daughter. I don't really like potty trained because I didn't train her. I bought the potty about a year ago and put it where she could check it out. She decided to run with it about a month ago and she hasn't looked back. Anyway, so I was out and about with both kids. I had the big monster cart with the little car section for the two of them to ride in and we were clunking clumsily down the aisles because that thing is a total beast to steer. We were somewhere in the middle of the baking aisle when I heard the dreaded words.

"Mommy I go potty"

Pause. Pause. Pause. What should I say here? Ummm... okay sweetie hold on a minute. Mind racing I try to distract her by pointing out things on the shelves.

"Mommmm -eeee I GO potty!"

Alrighty so we're doing this are we? Super. So I maneuver the gigantic cart through the store to the restrooms. Take her out and let her run around while I unsnap her brother. Still totally unsure how this is going to play out we head into the ladies' room.

I have noticed in a few public restrooms lately a little fold down seat presumably for just such an occasion but there wasn't one of those handy. I contemplated my options. My little Peanut can cruise but can't yet stand on his own. So strap him on the changing table? Yeah, notsomuch. My boy isn't really one of those "quiet, lie still" types and nothing short of a five point harness keeps him in one place. So I squatted down, sat him on my knee and yanked my daughter's pants down with the other hand. I managed to hold him on my knee with one arm while propping her up on the seat with the other. We were all waaay too close to a public bathroom toilet for my liking, but it was the best I could come up with. Luckily I had the foresight to move us all as far away as possible to avoid the startling that would likely come from the autoflushing toilet as I pulled her pants back up.

Another challenge met!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Let's have a little talk about tweetle beetles..

Bonus points for naming that reference.

I would seriously like to nutpunch whoever came up with Daylight Savings Time. Seriously? Who prefers their daylight first thing in the morning anyway? Only bad things come from this scenario.

A.) My children will never come to terms with the fact that time magically shifted an hour. And by the time they finally do come around damn if it won't be time to do it again. Oh ha! That time thing that we've been struggling with for months? Nevermind.. just kidding. Fack.

B.) When the sun stays down longer in the morning, children *might* actually sleep a little later.

C.) Now that it is dark as all hell early in the day there is no opportunity to get outside with the kids post nap/snack and wear them out get exercise before dinner.

To my dearest son,

When the little hand is on the four and the big hand is on the six, GO BACK TO SLEEP. Sweet Baby Jeebus it is four thirty in the effn morning. Under no circumstances is that a proper time to wake up.

I realize now that bringing you to bed with me for your middle of the night feed the last few weeks has been a poor decision. I suspected something was up when I'd doze off nursing you only to awake what seemed like a couple of hours later to find you still going strong. Mama is not a pacifier. Get your milks on and then be on your way. I just can't wait to see what kind of oversupply issues this is going to cause. Pumping at three AM FTW!


Also that thing where you wave bye bye now? OMG THE CUTENESS.

Love, Mama

Moral of the story: I don't care how damn bright and sunny it is, six AM is still friggin six AM no matter how you look at it and I am still going to be tired and cranky. Give me the sunlight at the end of the day when I might actually get to enjoy it.

Monday, November 2, 2009

10 Months

My little boy. My baby. I can't get away with using that term much longer since you are moving full speed ahead toward toddler-hood. This last month has seemed like an explosion in terms of your personality. All of a sudden toys are interesting to you and you will play with some of them for minutes at the time! You love to drag around the little wooden hammer to the pound a peg set and given the chance you would eat every crayon your sister has.

We had a balloon we picked up somewhere for Halloween and you didn't want to go anywhere without it all day. You'd crawl along with the ribbon in your little fist, the orange balloon bobbing along overhead. Then you'd sit down and yank on the ribbon causing the balloon to bop you in the head repeatedly and you laughed and laughed. I was more sad than both you and your sister when it quit floating overnight. We'll get you more balloons soon, I promise.

You surprise me by being so verbal. Constantly jabbering along. Today you said "Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma" so I'm hoping you'll be getting the hang of saying Mama soon. I sort of assumed you would be a quiet child since you are so close on the heels of your chatty sister but you are determined to have your say as well.

The two of you are still getting along famously. It is so nice to watch you both sit on the floor and share snacks while watching cartoons. She takes good care of you and I hope you'll always get along so well.

You are really into cruising the furniture these days. Going from the coffee table to the couch and chasing the cats around pulling out huge clumps of their fur when you manage to catch up to them. Poor kitties. It will only be a matter of time before you'll be walking on your own and then they'll have to learn to take to higher ground for any peace.

We've been trying to vary your menu so that you can feed yourself more. You still aren't totally excited about the prospect but some foods are starting to stand out as favorites. You LOVE yogurt and will almost always eat that well for me. Spaghetti is another favorite. Everything else is hit or miss.

We've been able to bring you downstairs to our room the last month or so. Since your sister got her new big girl room set up she has been sleeping through the night. We never did figure out how to have both of you in the bed with us without worrying that one might fall off the edge. As you both get older that won't be an issue. You have finally gotten used to sleeping with us. I enjoy waking up to see you sprawled out contentedly beside us snuggling your blankie. That being said could you, for the LOVE OF JESUS, quit waking at five AM? It is really starting to drive me nuts. That is just too damn early. When you are a teenager I swear I am going to wake you every morning at five just to get even.

I can tell that you are going to keep me busy. Every little thing you find on the floor you try to put in your mouth. I have retrieved leaves, wood chips, plastic, rocks, grass and bugs from your little mouth. And you get really ticked off every time I have to do it. As a matter of fact, you get pretty darn upset whenever you don't get your way. If your dad has to go in the kitchen and leaves you on the other side of the baby gate they can probably hear your protests two counties away. If we dare to take something away from you that you want to play with we'd better be ready to hear about it. And you are the most persistent child. When you get your mind on something you will.not.let.it.go. Sometimes I move your sister's milk away from you ten times in the span of five minutes only to have you attack the laptop. Then as I set the milk down to move the laptop you give me a sneaky smile and grab the milk. I am so screwed. You are only 10 months old. What are you going to be pulling over on me when you are two? How about fifteen?

I knew from the very beginning you were always going to keep me on my toes. I love you little man.

Mama

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Season of Giving

November 1 officially begins the Christmas season here at the Slawter house. This is for a couple of reasons. The first is that for the past 11 years I have worked for a mail order company and for the six weeks or so before Christmas there is so much work to be done there that there is very little time left over to shop and decorate. So, if I want time to really get things done right I have to start early. The second is that I really adore Christmas and enjoy dragging the holiday out as long as possible. Also, I don't really have anything in the way of Thanksgiving decor... is there really such a thing? So if I want the house spruced up for Thanksgiving I might as well pull out Christmas stuff. Generally the stockings and tree etc don't go up until right at Thanksgiving but otherwise... yeah we'll be decking the halls in the next week or two.

I could write for thousands of words about Christmas... and I likely will since it is NaBloPoMo here on my blog. But my post today is about charity. I saw on the local news website this morning that the Salvation Army is already ramping up the effort to get toys donated for needy children. The demand this year is especially high due to the economy. Lots of families won't have food to eat or gifts to give their small children. This totally breaks my heart and I look forward to finding as many outlets as possible to help these truly needy people have the holiday that all families deserve. However. And this is where I get all soapbox-y and pissed off. There are horrible people out there. Horrible, despicable greedy criminals that take advantage of others' good will. People that are always on the look out for ways to get their hands on more for themselves. So I encourage everybody that reads this blog to find some way this holiday season to help someone that needs it. Even if all you can give is a kind word to someone that is having a bad day. But please PLEASE be cautious to make sure that the donations you do give go to the right places so that they can get to those that need the help the most instead of lining the pockets of those that seem to think they deserve it.