Today was a much, much better day with Annie. We had Twinkle Toes this morning, which she mostly participated in when not sitting randomly on a bench, playing with a mystery hairbrush or digging casually through a bin of used dance shoes. Then Miss Kelly came and entertained while I went to the gym and Target by myself - a much-needed break. After naps, we dressed up, danced, read books in Jemma's room, and ordered pizza for dinner. But while it's all still fresh in my mind, a few choice quotes from yesterday's meltdowns (and my attempts to turn it all around):
"You're not being NICE to me!" - while at the gym, trying to make her stand up to zip her coat up before heading out into the 7-degree weather.
"I don't mind if you take my Dinah away." - while I told her that her beloved Dinah would be the next to go if she didn't start making better choices.
"Well, I won't be sad about that. I'll just stay home . . . and play . . . and sing . . ." - when I told her that she wouldn't be going to the pool again if she couldn't behave when we were there.
"You can take my books away, too, Mom." - calmly, while I was furiously taking all her favorite stuff out of her room and stashing it upstairs, to be earned back today by good behavior.
"Mom, you need to be patient with me, okay?" - while I was asking her for the second or third time to come to the dinner table.
"You're kind of wearing me out."
Good grief. All I have to say is, usually, before leaving the girls for any extended length of time, I'm all full of angst and guilt and anxiety: they'll need me, and I won't be there; they'll miss me and feel abandoned; no one else can possibly take good enough care of them and/or anticipate every single thing that might happen . . . . etc, etc. The last few days have put a quick stop to that. I need a break, the girls need a break, and I will be leaving on Sunday with the clear conscience of someone who knows that she'll come back a better, happier, more patient mommy for having been away without the kids for a few precious days.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Progressively . . .
Better:
-Our neighbors. Not that they're getting better, per se, but that our times together are more and more fun the longer we live here. I can only imagine the stories we'll have to tell when we've all lived here for 10 or 20 years. (We're all living here that long, right?) Promised pictures attached. (Actually, promised pictures NOT attached. Blogger won't let me! Grrr. Check back later, or else I'll post the link.)
Worse:
-Annie's behavior. The last week or so, she's either been "adorable, hilarious, precocious, interesting, happy" Annie or "100% brat, whiny, defiant, shit" Annie. And today, Annie #2 was in full effect. We were on day 2 of being inside due to weather and day #3 of abrupt no-napping. So from 3:30 on this afternoon, Annie was a trainwreck, unable to stop herself from making every possible worst choice in every situation - at the pool, at dinner, in the tub . . . . this culminated with me in tears and Annie in her bed for the night at 6:45. All her favorite things have been taken away, including her toenail polish and dress-up clothes and dolls, to be earned back on a daily basis when she starts listening again. It was the worst day we've had in a long, long time and makes me realize why parenting is so much harder in the winter than in the summer.
Of course, 20 minutes after she went to bed, I felt terrible about ending the day on such a bad note and I went in to peek at her. She's already asleep, angelic-looking in her bed, with her doop clutched in her hand. I hope hope hope that tomorrow will be a much better day.
-Our neighbors. Not that they're getting better, per se, but that our times together are more and more fun the longer we live here. I can only imagine the stories we'll have to tell when we've all lived here for 10 or 20 years. (We're all living here that long, right?) Promised pictures attached. (Actually, promised pictures NOT attached. Blogger won't let me! Grrr. Check back later, or else I'll post the link.)
Worse:
-Annie's behavior. The last week or so, she's either been "adorable, hilarious, precocious, interesting, happy" Annie or "100% brat, whiny, defiant, shit" Annie. And today, Annie #2 was in full effect. We were on day 2 of being inside due to weather and day #3 of abrupt no-napping. So from 3:30 on this afternoon, Annie was a trainwreck, unable to stop herself from making every possible worst choice in every situation - at the pool, at dinner, in the tub . . . . this culminated with me in tears and Annie in her bed for the night at 6:45. All her favorite things have been taken away, including her toenail polish and dress-up clothes and dolls, to be earned back on a daily basis when she starts listening again. It was the worst day we've had in a long, long time and makes me realize why parenting is so much harder in the winter than in the summer.
Of course, 20 minutes after she went to bed, I felt terrible about ending the day on such a bad note and I went in to peek at her. She's already asleep, angelic-looking in her bed, with her doop clutched in her hand. I hope hope hope that tomorrow will be a much better day.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Just Headin' Down the Street
In minutes, Jason and I are going to walk out our door and head down the street for the Annual Orchard Ave. Progressive Dinner. We're bringing wine. Lots of wine. And later, we'll be next door to finish the night off with dessert. We're not bringing our darling children, and given that they've been screaming (literally) at one another all day, this is a welcome relief. So cheers to a fabulous Saturday night, neighbors, and if you aren't so lucky to be gathering with friends, maybe you should crack open a bottle of something after your kids are in bed and plan a progressive, grown-up outing of your own. I'll post photos of ours later . . .
Thursday, January 24, 2008
New Ventures
A few noteworthy recent achievements in the Doublestein household:
-Jemma is walking! Completely, totally, happily staggering down the hallway and across whole rooms with a big, proud smile on her face. In the span of a couple days she went from reluctantly taking a few steps when we encouraged her to doing it almost all the time, even when nobody is watching. She's so persistent and determined. Of course we're taking lots of video because it's so cute to see her toddling with her hands out in front of her.
-Annie had her first solo playdate yesterday with a friend from school. It was strange not to go pick her up from school at 11:15 and instead have Ella's mommy bring her back at 1:00. Of course, I was worried about how she'd do in an unfamiliar house without me, but she was a champ. The girls, apparently, had fun and did well (this, according to Ella's mommy), but then Annie kept letting little things leak out for the rest of the day:
"Ella threw her piggy bank and it broke so she might get a spanking."
"I said, 'booger' at Ella's house."
"We had a hot dog, string cheese, and an orange. I didn't eat my hot dog."
-I managed to find time last week to write something for a friend's business and actually get paid for it! (Thanks, Di . . .) That's right; I'm going to be filing a W-2 form this year for the first time since 2004. It was great for me to learn a new writing skill (it was copy writing for a business website) and interesting to think about other, broader ways I can ramp up my writing so that, hopefully, it can become more of a "job" and less of a "hobby" in a few years time.
-As for Jason, he's been working his butt off at the office, getting home late at night and being booked out over a month in advance. On top of that, he's been really into cooking lately (nice break for me), making some very yummy potstickers, bean dip, and some sort of french egg thing (not all for the same meal, obviously).
And, outside, the snow continues . . .
-Jemma is walking! Completely, totally, happily staggering down the hallway and across whole rooms with a big, proud smile on her face. In the span of a couple days she went from reluctantly taking a few steps when we encouraged her to doing it almost all the time, even when nobody is watching. She's so persistent and determined. Of course we're taking lots of video because it's so cute to see her toddling with her hands out in front of her.
-Annie had her first solo playdate yesterday with a friend from school. It was strange not to go pick her up from school at 11:15 and instead have Ella's mommy bring her back at 1:00. Of course, I was worried about how she'd do in an unfamiliar house without me, but she was a champ. The girls, apparently, had fun and did well (this, according to Ella's mommy), but then Annie kept letting little things leak out for the rest of the day:
"Ella threw her piggy bank and it broke so she might get a spanking."
"I said, 'booger' at Ella's house."
"We had a hot dog, string cheese, and an orange. I didn't eat my hot dog."
-I managed to find time last week to write something for a friend's business and actually get paid for it! (Thanks, Di . . .) That's right; I'm going to be filing a W-2 form this year for the first time since 2004. It was great for me to learn a new writing skill (it was copy writing for a business website) and interesting to think about other, broader ways I can ramp up my writing so that, hopefully, it can become more of a "job" and less of a "hobby" in a few years time.
-As for Jason, he's been working his butt off at the office, getting home late at night and being booked out over a month in advance. On top of that, he's been really into cooking lately (nice break for me), making some very yummy potstickers, bean dip, and some sort of french egg thing (not all for the same meal, obviously).
And, outside, the snow continues . . .
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday School in the Single Digits
Yesterday morning was my turn to help in Annie's Sunday School class. Usually, this involves a lot of stapling, gluing, herding children from classroom to gathering hallway and back, and a variety of frantic tasks with 10-12 three-year-olds. Even though it's nice to be there with Annie, I'd frankly rather be spending a quiet hour in church, possibly getting something out of the service.
So, why rush out of the house on those freezing Sunday mornings to get Annie to Sunday School? I've always thought it had something to do with "setting an example," or, maybe "starting a life-long good habit;" these are reasons my parents always gave me. But they felt a little empty: why do something just to show you should? Why start a habit for no reason? And then I read this passage, written by Anne Lamott (a favorite of mine), and I knew I had to write it down somewhere to remind myself why I'm making the effort. It's from a chapter entitled, "Why I Make Sam Go to Church:"
"The main reason is that I want to give him what I found in the world, which is to say a path and a little light to see by. Most of the people I know who have what I want - which is to say, purpose, heart, balance, gratitude, joy - are people with a deep sense of spirituality. They are people in community, who pray, or practice their faith; they are Buddhists, Jews, Christians - people banding together to work on themselves and for human rights. They follow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle; they are part of something beautiful. I saw something once from the Jewish Theological Seminary that said, "A human life is like a single letter of the alphabet. It can be meaningless. Or it can be a part of a great meaning." Our little church is filled with people who are working for peace and freedom, who are out there on the streets and inside praying, and they are home writing letters, and they are at the shelters with their giant platters of food."
Now, for me, this is not 100% true. I have some dear friends who are generous and joyful and purposeful without having darkened the door of a church in months or years. And I could also list off 10 or 20 people who managed to be mean-spirited, tight-fisted, and selfish while attending church faithfully each week. But still, this is the gift I want to pass on to my children - the feeling of belonging someplace safe and of being part of something bigger than themselves that will guide their choices in the years to come. Meaning. Balance. Gratitude. Good goals, I think.
So, why rush out of the house on those freezing Sunday mornings to get Annie to Sunday School? I've always thought it had something to do with "setting an example," or, maybe "starting a life-long good habit;" these are reasons my parents always gave me. But they felt a little empty: why do something just to show you should? Why start a habit for no reason? And then I read this passage, written by Anne Lamott (a favorite of mine), and I knew I had to write it down somewhere to remind myself why I'm making the effort. It's from a chapter entitled, "Why I Make Sam Go to Church:"
"The main reason is that I want to give him what I found in the world, which is to say a path and a little light to see by. Most of the people I know who have what I want - which is to say, purpose, heart, balance, gratitude, joy - are people with a deep sense of spirituality. They are people in community, who pray, or practice their faith; they are Buddhists, Jews, Christians - people banding together to work on themselves and for human rights. They follow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle; they are part of something beautiful. I saw something once from the Jewish Theological Seminary that said, "A human life is like a single letter of the alphabet. It can be meaningless. Or it can be a part of a great meaning." Our little church is filled with people who are working for peace and freedom, who are out there on the streets and inside praying, and they are home writing letters, and they are at the shelters with their giant platters of food."
Now, for me, this is not 100% true. I have some dear friends who are generous and joyful and purposeful without having darkened the door of a church in months or years. And I could also list off 10 or 20 people who managed to be mean-spirited, tight-fisted, and selfish while attending church faithfully each week. But still, this is the gift I want to pass on to my children - the feeling of belonging someplace safe and of being part of something bigger than themselves that will guide their choices in the years to come. Meaning. Balance. Gratitude. Good goals, I think.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Winter Happenings
Busy weekend so far; all good. Yesterday I had a glorious couple hours at the salon while my mom watched Annie and Jason took Jemma to the doctor for her one-year checkup. Her stats: 16 lbs, 9 oz (<5th percentile, but at least we're consistently tiny); 28 1/2 inches long (45th %); head size 45th percentile as well. She's taking more steps every day; today I counted about 8 or 9 in a row when she was walking towards me to get her "ma" (milk). Also, she's a climber. Yesterday, I watched her scale a chair and then a table in less than 30 seconds. I can only imagine the places I'll be finding her in the next few months as her mobility increases. I've attached a picture of her in mid-climb . . . .
Also attaching a picture of me sporting my new haircut. It's much shorter, there are many layers, and I still haven't reached a final verdict about whether or not I love it. I loved it when I left the salon, of course, but then I can't ever make it look like that at home. This morning, I was fighting with it for about 15 minutes. We'll see how it evolves; in any case, I have a hairstyle and not just long hunks of hair hanging on each side of my face.
Jason and I fought the blizzard to have a dinner out at Mangiamo last night. It was very cozy there and a nice way to cap off our week of kid-free dinners at night. Next week, we're forging back into the battle and attempting to "do" the family meal thing again. I am gathering my courage, and my patience. I did get Jemma to eat some homemade chicken noodle soup last week and I snuck some prosciutto into her cheese quesadilla today, so she may not be a vegetarian, after all.
Today, I made it to the gym early this morning and rocked out to some VH1 videos while I cranked out 5 1/2 miles in record time, thanks to Britney, Jay-Z and Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and others. Then I headed to Holland for a poetry reading by one of my former professors, Jack Ridl. It was warm, witty, and not-pretentious-at-all, which were just a few of the things I loved about being in his class my senior year. Definitely makes me want to spend some more time devoted to just writing and to reading other people's good writing. Lunch at Butch's with Connie, Gina, and Andrea, a stop at the Peanut Store, and my indulgent day was complete. Thanks, Jason! I felt like an irresponsible college student again for a few hours!
ps - Blogger is being a pain; won't let me post the pictures! I'll try again later . . .
Also attaching a picture of me sporting my new haircut. It's much shorter, there are many layers, and I still haven't reached a final verdict about whether or not I love it. I loved it when I left the salon, of course, but then I can't ever make it look like that at home. This morning, I was fighting with it for about 15 minutes. We'll see how it evolves; in any case, I have a hairstyle and not just long hunks of hair hanging on each side of my face.
Jason and I fought the blizzard to have a dinner out at Mangiamo last night. It was very cozy there and a nice way to cap off our week of kid-free dinners at night. Next week, we're forging back into the battle and attempting to "do" the family meal thing again. I am gathering my courage, and my patience. I did get Jemma to eat some homemade chicken noodle soup last week and I snuck some prosciutto into her cheese quesadilla today, so she may not be a vegetarian, after all.
Today, I made it to the gym early this morning and rocked out to some VH1 videos while I cranked out 5 1/2 miles in record time, thanks to Britney, Jay-Z and Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and others. Then I headed to Holland for a poetry reading by one of my former professors, Jack Ridl. It was warm, witty, and not-pretentious-at-all, which were just a few of the things I loved about being in his class my senior year. Definitely makes me want to spend some more time devoted to just writing and to reading other people's good writing. Lunch at Butch's with Connie, Gina, and Andrea, a stop at the Peanut Store, and my indulgent day was complete. Thanks, Jason! I felt like an irresponsible college student again for a few hours!
ps - Blogger is being a pain; won't let me post the pictures! I'll try again later . . .
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Successful Outings
Since we are on Day Two of Annie's Mysteriously Recurring Fever, I was going a little crazy by this afternoon. I know, I know - two days isn't a long time, but they happened to be days when we usually have things planned in the mornings, as in school and dance, which we obviously had to miss. Since Annie only becomes whinier as the unscheduled day goes on and Jemma only wants to walk up and down the hallway while holding onto my finger, we had to get out. But not anywhere that we might infect others. So . . .
Morning outing: Hobby Lobby. After over two months of waiting for fabric that I ordered back in November, my polite-but-irritated phone call yesterday must have done the trick; my fabric was in! So we headed out to pick it up this morning, sick children safely confined within the cart and therefore not breathing on other children. One less errand to do this weekend!
Afternoon outing: pool at the gym. I even impress myself with this, as it's the first time I've attempted to take both girls there all by myself. We met Connie and Ben there (he's got a fever, too, and we figure that all that chlorine will kill any germs they sneeze out into the pool, right?), and it all went surprisingly well. Annie paddled about with her life jacket on and Jemma just held onto me and said "ball" 45,000 times. (Also, she was looking appraisingly at my chest and occasionally contorting her head like she might want to see if there was anything left in there for her . . . . ) There were about 4 sketchy minutes when we got out and I had to try to change everyone into dry clothes before the shivering and crying set it, but it was a happy outing for a semi-sick family in the winter.
Tomorrow = haircut! I'll post a picture if it's sufficiently cute and different. We'll see how brave I am at the moment of truth . . .
Morning outing: Hobby Lobby. After over two months of waiting for fabric that I ordered back in November, my polite-but-irritated phone call yesterday must have done the trick; my fabric was in! So we headed out to pick it up this morning, sick children safely confined within the cart and therefore not breathing on other children. One less errand to do this weekend!
Afternoon outing: pool at the gym. I even impress myself with this, as it's the first time I've attempted to take both girls there all by myself. We met Connie and Ben there (he's got a fever, too, and we figure that all that chlorine will kill any germs they sneeze out into the pool, right?), and it all went surprisingly well. Annie paddled about with her life jacket on and Jemma just held onto me and said "ball" 45,000 times. (Also, she was looking appraisingly at my chest and occasionally contorting her head like she might want to see if there was anything left in there for her . . . . ) There were about 4 sketchy minutes when we got out and I had to try to change everyone into dry clothes before the shivering and crying set it, but it was a happy outing for a semi-sick family in the winter.
Tomorrow = haircut! I'll post a picture if it's sufficiently cute and different. We'll see how brave I am at the moment of truth . . .
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Help! I've Been Cardio-Blasted!
In an effort to get the most out of my gym membership (read: break out of my running rut in the winter), I attempted a class this morning. Outside of yoga, it's the first real fitness class I've been to since my high-school days of step aerobics.
This class, recommended to me by Sarah, is called Cardio Blast. It began at 9:30 a.m. and only lasted half an hour. At 9:41 a.m., I looked at the digital wall clock and thought, "I'm not going to make it." Then I forced myself to power through 19 more very challenging minutes of running up and down stairs, doing basketball conditioning-type sideways shuffles, jumping rope, jumping jacks, step aerobics, kick-boxing moves, squats, and just generally moving my entire body continuously with absolutely no breaks for water. Or breathing. I wanted to die. Apparently, I can run a marathon, but I cannot currently conquer 30 minutes of Cardio Blast.
I've spent the rest of the day trying to move as little as possible. Right now, I am feeling remarkably interested in eating some leftover cheesecake for dinner and then getting into bed in the next ten minutes or so. Think I'll be sore tomorrow? Hmmmmmmm.
This class, recommended to me by Sarah, is called Cardio Blast. It began at 9:30 a.m. and only lasted half an hour. At 9:41 a.m., I looked at the digital wall clock and thought, "I'm not going to make it." Then I forced myself to power through 19 more very challenging minutes of running up and down stairs, doing basketball conditioning-type sideways shuffles, jumping rope, jumping jacks, step aerobics, kick-boxing moves, squats, and just generally moving my entire body continuously with absolutely no breaks for water. Or breathing. I wanted to die. Apparently, I can run a marathon, but I cannot currently conquer 30 minutes of Cardio Blast.
I've spent the rest of the day trying to move as little as possible. Right now, I am feeling remarkably interested in eating some leftover cheesecake for dinner and then getting into bed in the next ten minutes or so. Think I'll be sore tomorrow? Hmmmmmmm.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Quotie-Quotie
For as long as I can remember, I've been pretty into quotes - reading them, collecting them, using them to begin a paper, sending them in cards to people I love. This is something that I have been mocked for (rightly) by those close to me, and it is now referred to in my circle of friends as just "quotie-quotie." I mean, I used to cut out little paragraphs from the Reader's Digest and paste them together into little inspirational collages that I'd hang on my locker, in my bedroom, in my dorm room, etc. It's embarrassing, I know.
In the interest of being a grown-up with an appropriately-decorated home, I've curtailed it since graduating from college, but I'm still drawn to pondering the wisdom of little nuggets when I see them. Today (you knew this was coming) I snuck to Starbucks (it didn't count because I paid for it with quarters from our change jar!) after dropping Annie off at school. You know how they have little sayings on their cups? Here's mine:
"You can learn a lot more from listening than you can from talking. Find someone with whom you don't agree in the slightest and ask them to explain themselves at length. Then take a seat, shut your mouth, and don't argue back. It's physically impossible to listen with your mouth open."
Please, no mockery about how I saved my PLG Starbucks hazlenut latte cup and toted it upstairs 12 hours later to write about it . . . I like this for two specific reasons. One, I am a horrible interrupter. It's not that I don't care about what the other person is saying; it's that I do care, I want them to know I care, and I'm afraid that I'll forget what I wanted to respond to them if I wait one second longer. I have no memory. Regardless, it's a terrible habit, and one that I need to be reminded to work on breaking. Two, I want to post this everywhere that political news is being posted this year, most especially in my own home and the homes of my closest family members who fit the profile of "someone with whom you don't agree in the slightest." I think we can all use a reminder that everyone has a reason for thinking the way that they do. Disagree passionately, if you must, but don't negate the worth and wisdom of the person on the other side of the issue by refusing to hear what they have to say.
I'm off my soapbox, now, and back downstairs to do the dishes. Jason and I are having a week of lovely, late, adult dinners due to a recent family-meal-related breakdown that I sort of posted about here. Thanks for letting me vent, Meg!
In the interest of being a grown-up with an appropriately-decorated home, I've curtailed it since graduating from college, but I'm still drawn to pondering the wisdom of little nuggets when I see them. Today (you knew this was coming) I snuck to Starbucks (it didn't count because I paid for it with quarters from our change jar!) after dropping Annie off at school. You know how they have little sayings on their cups? Here's mine:
"You can learn a lot more from listening than you can from talking. Find someone with whom you don't agree in the slightest and ask them to explain themselves at length. Then take a seat, shut your mouth, and don't argue back. It's physically impossible to listen with your mouth open."
Please, no mockery about how I saved my PLG Starbucks hazlenut latte cup and toted it upstairs 12 hours later to write about it . . . I like this for two specific reasons. One, I am a horrible interrupter. It's not that I don't care about what the other person is saying; it's that I do care, I want them to know I care, and I'm afraid that I'll forget what I wanted to respond to them if I wait one second longer. I have no memory. Regardless, it's a terrible habit, and one that I need to be reminded to work on breaking. Two, I want to post this everywhere that political news is being posted this year, most especially in my own home and the homes of my closest family members who fit the profile of "someone with whom you don't agree in the slightest." I think we can all use a reminder that everyone has a reason for thinking the way that they do. Disagree passionately, if you must, but don't negate the worth and wisdom of the person on the other side of the issue by refusing to hear what they have to say.
I'm off my soapbox, now, and back downstairs to do the dishes. Jason and I are having a week of lovely, late, adult dinners due to a recent family-meal-related breakdown that I sort of posted about here. Thanks for letting me vent, Meg!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Bacon
We have found a meat-based protein source that both our girls will eat, and this is it. Before you accuse me of promoting unhealthy levels of cholesterol in my children, please peruse this list of protein choices that Annie previously ate but has gone on strike against:
chicken
turkey sausage
fish
pork tenderloin
meatballs
steak
Jemma is at least consistent; she has never really liked any meat at all, unless I sneak it into some sort of melted-cheese quesadilla. Sooooooooo . . . . this leaves us with bacon. Also, they will eat a cheeseburger from McDonald's (note that I have never taken them there, but thank you Jason and in-laws). I guess we will be having a lot more pancake-and-bacon breakfasts here at the Doublestein household.
Jemma is doing a lot of teething and is sort of miserable about getting her top four front teeth all at once. Poor thing. Also reflecting her newly-one-year-old status, she's begun taking a few steps here and there. She'll totter from Jason to me, and then back again. So far, no trucking across a room by herself, but the time is near. I can barely believe that she's becoming so independent - asking for her milk cup from the fridge, sleeping straight through the night for 12-13 hours with no feeding, riding the little red car up and down the hallway with great joy. I'm wistful, but at the same time, I feel like I'm getting my life back, and it's a relief. (I can almost hear Ariel singing "A Whole New World" from The Little Mermaid in the background . . . .)
This past week, there were several moments when Annie and Jemma were actually enjoying each other: dancing to some Beatles music in the car and giggling at each other; taking turns riding the car down the hallway; Annie reading a book to Jemma; dancing together to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (of course it's 80's music coming out of our stereo at 9:00 on Friday morning when Jason's home); waving to each other across the dinner table. It's so great to finally see them interacting happily without any intervention from us and it makes me so glad for them they they'll each have a sister to go through life.
I've just returned from the gym with Annie and made myself a hazelnut latte. The rest of our weekend is wide open, and with the house already clean and the laundry mostly done, we're going to just enjoy a lazy winter weekend!
chicken
turkey sausage
fish
pork tenderloin
meatballs
steak
Jemma is at least consistent; she has never really liked any meat at all, unless I sneak it into some sort of melted-cheese quesadilla. Sooooooooo . . . . this leaves us with bacon. Also, they will eat a cheeseburger from McDonald's (note that I have never taken them there, but thank you Jason and in-laws). I guess we will be having a lot more pancake-and-bacon breakfasts here at the Doublestein household.
Jemma is doing a lot of teething and is sort of miserable about getting her top four front teeth all at once. Poor thing. Also reflecting her newly-one-year-old status, she's begun taking a few steps here and there. She'll totter from Jason to me, and then back again. So far, no trucking across a room by herself, but the time is near. I can barely believe that she's becoming so independent - asking for her milk cup from the fridge, sleeping straight through the night for 12-13 hours with no feeding, riding the little red car up and down the hallway with great joy. I'm wistful, but at the same time, I feel like I'm getting my life back, and it's a relief. (I can almost hear Ariel singing "A Whole New World" from The Little Mermaid in the background . . . .)
This past week, there were several moments when Annie and Jemma were actually enjoying each other: dancing to some Beatles music in the car and giggling at each other; taking turns riding the car down the hallway; Annie reading a book to Jemma; dancing together to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (of course it's 80's music coming out of our stereo at 9:00 on Friday morning when Jason's home); waving to each other across the dinner table. It's so great to finally see them interacting happily without any intervention from us and it makes me so glad for them they they'll each have a sister to go through life.
I've just returned from the gym with Annie and made myself a hazelnut latte. The rest of our weekend is wide open, and with the house already clean and the laundry mostly done, we're going to just enjoy a lazy winter weekend!
Monday, January 7, 2008
We Now Return to Regularly Scheduled Programming
. . . and it's such a relief to be back to what passes for "normal" at our house. This morning, Jason was off to work, Annie was off to school, and I had a blessed 40 minutes to myself while Jemma napped. Caught up on e-mail, showered, did a little laundry, and made coffee. Loved it. This afternoon, we took advantage of the freak warm weather (65! On January 7!!) and bombed around outside for a while. It was a breath of fresh air, figuratively and literally. Everyone seems to be mostly healthy, and I am hopeful that we can get back out into the world and do some playdates and normal errands for the rest of this week.
In other news, Jemma is getting three new teeth on the top! I am glad for her because I feel like she's such a growth-stunted 1-year-old with her PLG two bottom teeth . . . but I just know that as soon as those top teeth come all the way in, she's just not going to look like a baby at all anymore.
Annie's latest demand: "Mom, take your ponytail out." Apparently, my having a ponytail in my hair is somehow offensive to her. This from someone who spent an hour this afternoon "vacuuming" and cleaning the floor with a baby wipe while wearing the much-loved pink sequin dress, the Snow White crown, and a plastic rosary.
Tomorrow night, Connie and I are off to sit in line in a church basement to sign the kids up for next year's preschool class. Last year, I attended this event with a two-week-old Jemma and tried to contain her diaper blow-out. This year, we're getting Rose's Express and bringing a bunch of magazines, and I'm strangely excited for it. You know your life is sort of sad when you get excited to eat take-out food in a church basement as long as it's without your kids . . .
In other news, Jemma is getting three new teeth on the top! I am glad for her because I feel like she's such a growth-stunted 1-year-old with her PLG two bottom teeth . . . but I just know that as soon as those top teeth come all the way in, she's just not going to look like a baby at all anymore.
Annie's latest demand: "Mom, take your ponytail out." Apparently, my having a ponytail in my hair is somehow offensive to her. This from someone who spent an hour this afternoon "vacuuming" and cleaning the floor with a baby wipe while wearing the much-loved pink sequin dress, the Snow White crown, and a plastic rosary.
Tomorrow night, Connie and I are off to sit in line in a church basement to sign the kids up for next year's preschool class. Last year, I attended this event with a two-week-old Jemma and tried to contain her diaper blow-out. This year, we're getting Rose's Express and bringing a bunch of magazines, and I'm strangely excited for it. You know your life is sort of sad when you get excited to eat take-out food in a church basement as long as it's without your kids . . .
Saturday, January 5, 2008
A Feminist at Age 3
Jemma received a LeapFrog fridge farm toy for Christmas, which of course Annie likes to play with. Yesterday, she was making it sing songs and do animal noises while Jason was in the kitchen with her and I was in the hallway.
I hear her ask Jason, "Is Farmer Tad a boy or a girl?"
"He's a boy," Jason answers. "Farmers are boys."
And just before I could march into the kitchen and continue this conversation, Annie says, "Daaaaaad, girls can be farmers, too."
Ha!
Then, Jemma threw up on the kitchen floor. A cloud has descended over our house . . .
I hear her ask Jason, "Is Farmer Tad a boy or a girl?"
"He's a boy," Jason answers. "Farmers are boys."
And just before I could march into the kitchen and continue this conversation, Annie says, "Daaaaaad, girls can be farmers, too."
Ha!
Then, Jemma threw up on the kitchen floor. A cloud has descended over our house . . .
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Countdown Begins
It's official . . . after many, many hours spent searching various websites/condo timeshare trade-in offers/travelocity/priceline-type-options and debating weather averages and restaurant variety, the Doublesteins have finally made up their indecisive minds about where they'll be vacationing in exactly one month. Not a moment too soon, as I'm pretty much over winter and in desperate need of looking forward to something warm and sunny. We gave up Miami because we couldn't find any reasonable hotel prices there, and instead will be staying here - someplace quieter but hopefully just as luxurious and relaxing. (Look at me, learning how to use a hyperlink!)
I'm simultaneously excited to go and already nervous about leaving the girls. It's so hard for me to let go and feel confident that things will be fine when I'm gone. Although, after today's spectacular exit from the library (involving Annie sprinting away from me and then diving right into a stack of books in an attempt to hide, Jemma stranded alone over by the fish tank while I dragged Annie by one arm to the exit . . .), I might remind myself that things don't go perfectly when I am here, either.
I'm furious right now about the lack of even a RERUN episode of 30 Rock or The Office tonight, but I'm about to go downstairs, have a cup of tea, and perhaps talk with my husband for what feels like the first time in a week. Here's to continued recovery and a healthy weekend ahead, I hope!
I'm simultaneously excited to go and already nervous about leaving the girls. It's so hard for me to let go and feel confident that things will be fine when I'm gone. Although, after today's spectacular exit from the library (involving Annie sprinting away from me and then diving right into a stack of books in an attempt to hide, Jemma stranded alone over by the fish tank while I dragged Annie by one arm to the exit . . .), I might remind myself that things don't go perfectly when I am here, either.
I'm furious right now about the lack of even a RERUN episode of 30 Rock or The Office tonight, but I'm about to go downstairs, have a cup of tea, and perhaps talk with my husband for what feels like the first time in a week. Here's to continued recovery and a healthy weekend ahead, I hope!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Year's Eve Sucks, Two Years in a Row
Last year, New Year's Eve found me on the couch, nursing a 4-day-old and hosting my in-laws at my house for a few "helpful" days. This year, Jason has had the flu since Saturday night and I am walking around feeling like a ticking time bomb, just waiting for my turn in the bathroom. Needless to say, we weren't the life of the party at our annual gathering last night. We went to the dinner, made it into the group picture, and then left around 10:00. Sadly, we were both in bed before midnight.
Today, we're trying to pull our lives and our house back together in spite of Annie acting like something out of a horror movie all day long and Jason making our whole downstairs smell like a big fart. The snow continues, Michigan is trying to lose their bowl game, and Jemma is doing some new coughing and sneezing that makes me think a new round of her special 3-week-colds is around the corner. I am all holidayed out, but I will send out a feeble "Happy New Year!" to my faithful readers. I hope you are having a merrier start to 2008 than I am!
Today, we're trying to pull our lives and our house back together in spite of Annie acting like something out of a horror movie all day long and Jason making our whole downstairs smell like a big fart. The snow continues, Michigan is trying to lose their bowl game, and Jemma is doing some new coughing and sneezing that makes me think a new round of her special 3-week-colds is around the corner. I am all holidayed out, but I will send out a feeble "Happy New Year!" to my faithful readers. I hope you are having a merrier start to 2008 than I am!
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