Songs in the Key of KiBi

We've Moved!

2009-10-05T10:41:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all,

I finally got our Wordpress blog up and running. Hopefully this means even more exciting blogging adventures in the future!

As of today, please bookmark our NEW site: http://songsinthekeyofkibi.com and visit us over there from now on. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Big B.

Stranded!

2009-10-05T10:08:00.003-04:00

Has this ever happened to you?

Over the weekend we switched K's car seat to DH's car. Well, this morning K was supposed to go to preschool (for a glorious 3 hours!). At about 7 am DH left for work... WITHOUT switching the car seat back to my car.

Cut to a frame of me doing a dramatic movie scream in slow motion, "Noooooooooooo!"

This means all of my lofty hopes for the morning - exercise, groceries, homework for my web writing class -- are dashed. ARGH!

After I told K, "I guess we're not taking you to your playschool after all," we headed back inside and came up to my room to flop on my bed and catch a little Sesame Street. I thought a while about how we'll spend our new free time. It's a sunny day, so we'll probably head outside and play in the sandbox.

K interrupted my thoughts by snuggling up to me all of a sudden and announcing, "You are MY mommy!"

I guess there are a few million things worse than being "stranded" with your cuddly son on a beautiful fall morning.

That Which Is Expected Vs. That Which Is My Reality

2009-10-01T14:43:00.004-04:00

I haven't had the energy to write long posts, lately, and I feel a little guilty about that, since my whole reason for doing this blog was to capture all of my adventures with Kibi before he grows up and goes off to college.

Well, in the spirit of feeling both guilty AND lazy, I'm devoting today's post to this link to a story I found on my new friend Betsy's blog. (Hi Betsy! BTW, I love your blog and your stories about your daughter, Z.)

I encourage you all to read it. Finished? Good. Now, don't you just feel better?

How Much TV is Too Much?

2009-09-28T13:52:00.002-04:00

If you're like me, you have a major complex about allowing your child to watch TV - any TV. That said, you readily (but secretly) admit that TV makes your life as a parent That Much Easier. In fact, it's sort of amusing how, before you became a parent, you swore that your child wouldn't watch an ounce of television, eat junk food, or do anything similarly detrimental to his/her development as a wholesome individual. But this is real life, folks, and we all know a person has to keep sane.

So... what's a conscientious (but lazy) parent to do?

The Washington Post today offers a refresher on how much screen time is too much. The bottom line - no more than two hours a day.

Since K. loves (and I mean looooooooves) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I try to make up for the fact that I let him watch it twice per day (once while I am showering, and the other time right after bath as a means of "settling down" before bedtime) by reminding myself that we never* go over that two hour limit. Good to get some affirmation from the experts!

*full disclosure: well, ALMOST never...

Miscellaneous Musings

2009-09-25T14:08:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about ramping up my business (communications consulting, mostly to nonprofits in the Washington, DC area). Now that Kibi is in school six hours a week, and he is (knock on wood) pretty reliable about naps, I have bigger chunks of time to get some serious writing done. So ... all I have to do is get more clients (as if it were as easy as that).

Anyway, I went on a whirlwind spree on the internet last night, looking up all kinds of freelance writing blogs and sites, and was pleasantly surprised by how much is out there. It all seems to emanate from this wickedly awesome site: Media Bistro. I share this only in case any of you out there are interested in the same line of work that I am (freelance writing and PR).

The other thing I decided last night is that I need to learn WordPress (as you will probably agree by staring so long at the sucky layout of this blog - sorry, Blogspot!)

Soooo... I'm taking an online web writing and editing class which starts next week! As part of the class we will develop our own blogs, so this is when I hope to get my act together and, ultimately, move this blog over to a far more attractive site at WordPress.

I realize that you, dear readers, may care about precisely none of any of the above, but finally getting my entrepreneurial act together excites me in a geeky way, plus I'm operating on lots of caffeine and little sleep and feeling very streamofconsciousness. In any event, I'll keep you posted whether you want to be or not. Ha!

Have a good weekend!

Off Topic: Netflix is Off Their Game!

2009-09-24T12:56:00.002-04:00

I love Netflix. Whenever a new movie comes out that I know there's no way in hell I will be seeing in the theater because, after all, I am the parent of a toddler, I promptly add it to my Netflix queue then sit back and rest assured that I'll catch it the minute it comes out on DVD. For some reason, this process gives me complete peace and serenity.

Anyway, DH was under the weather Sunday night, and I was bored, so after putting Kibi to bed I settled down in my PJs, glass of wine handy, and got ready to watch State of Play. I was totally drawn in - - that is, until about 3/4 of the way into the movie where the DVD promptly pooped out on me. I got it out, rubbed it off, and did all those other things you're not supposed to do when trying to fix a malfunctioning disc. Still, no dice. At precisely the same point in the movie, the DVD just went kablooey.

So, sadly, I shipped the disc off, completed the "report a problem" function on the Netflix website, and waited.

Yesterday Netflix sent me a new State of Play disc - or so I thought. Last night, I was all excited and got ready to watch where I left off. Imagine the stream of curse words that exited my mouth when I got to the EXACT SAME SPOT IN THE MOVIE AND THE DISC STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. At first I thought, "What are the CHANCES!?!?" Then I realized, duh, clearly someone who hadn't had their caffeine yet at Netflix opened up the disc I returned, put it on the top of the "BAD DISCS" pile, and then mistakenly missed the "GOOD DISCS" pile and re-shipped me my bad disc. Right? Because otherwise... well, that's just statistically impossible.

Argh. C'mon Netflix, wake up. I need to see what happens to Congressman Ben Affleck. Don't let me down!

Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot, Phase 2

2009-09-23T13:45:00.003-04:00

I'm too distraught to post much today, because they've started with phase two of the Great Dismantling Of Our Backyard to Make Way for a Bike Path and Sidewalk Project.

Today they're taking down our backyard fence... they'll put up a temporary one until the new fencing that goes along with the project is installed. But for now I guess we can kiss playing in the backyard goodbye, since it would involve Kibi almost literally playing in traffic. Ugh!

Caillou Screed

2009-09-22T14:57:00.002-04:00

Caillou, please shut up. You drive me nuts. Seriously, shut up now. Your voice is so irritating.

And what's with that theme song? It makes my ears bleed. It's so nasal-sounding: "Nyah, nyah, n-nyah, n-nyah! Nyah, nyah, n-nyah, n-nyah! Nyah, nyah, n-nyah, n-nyah! Caaaaaaaiiiiiiii-yoooooooo!"

Too bad my kid likes to watch you.

Honeythankyou's

2009-09-21T15:35:00.004-04:00

If you're like me, you probably have a much longer "Honeydo" list than a "Honey, thank you!" one. But this past weekend, my dear spouse was so impressingly productive, I thought I should relay to you, dear readers, exactly how thankful I am.

(NOTE: I should add that all good marriage counselors will tell you that the positive feedback is oh-so-important to keeping a marriage happy and healthy. So feel free to follow my lead in your respective households if you like, kind friends ...)

So, back to the Honeythankyou's. In the course of one day - an abnormally chore-filled Sunday - my husband, J., proceeded to do the following:

Replaced a panel of siding that fell off our house during a recent thunderstorm

Fixed one of our bathroom cabinet doors that had been unhinged for WEEKS

Replaced a leaky wax seal and phlange (what the heck are those??) on one of our toilets

Mowed the lawn

Reseeded some dead grass patches in our front lawn

Got 25% of the way through the unenviable task of cleaning our horrendously messy garage

and... the piece de resistance...

Replaced a leaky wax seal and phlange - sic? - (what the heck are those things?) on one of our toilets

Unclogged another toilet*

So, even though he never reads this blog and therefore won't know about this public praise until I tell him... Honey, here's to you for all you do!

THANKS!

*Those of you who know me well that I will do anything -- that's right, ANYTHING -- to get out of doing this most dastardly of deeds. (Remind my college housemates to tell you the story of The Great Toilet Plunging of 1996 when you get a moment.) And looky here, I didn't even have to barter anything to get DH to do it for me this time! I will admit I did let him regale me with the grotesque story of how he got it unclogged. Let's put it this way... it involved a "snaking device". (I'm dry heaving as I type this.)

Arming Ourselves for Cold and Flu Season

2009-09-18T14:21:00.002-04:00

Kibi and I are both down for the count today with colds. At least that's what I think they are - my husband keeps making me paranoid by constantly asking if I think we've got swine flu. I think he's only half joking.

Anyway, speaking of flu, I've got us signed up for our flu shots. This year, our pedi is doing FluMist instead of injections. The receptionist told me these are supposed to last even longer than the normal flu shot. Huh. I'm intrigued. We go one week from today so I'll let you know how it goes. The thought of having something shot up our noses doesn't sound really appealing - in fact, I'd rather take the shot - but oh, well. We'll suck it up I guess. I'm proud of my husband, too, because he already got his done! Last year he was so slack about getting it that by the time he tried, they had run out of vaccine. Glad we won't have that problem this year.

Are you planning on getting the H1N1 vaccine? To me, it's a no brainer, but I guess I can understand why some people would be hesitant. In any case, as soon as that's available, our family will be marching in to the doctor's office to get it. I found that the C DC has a good fact sheet on H1N1 for those of you who haven't stumbled upon it already.

No other big news to report ... I'm off to go drink some warm tea. Have a good weekend!

Summing Up the First Day

2009-09-17T15:09:00.002-04:00

The first day of preschool seemed to come off without a hitch. As I tucked Kibi in last night, I asked him (for the millionth time) about how he liked his first day of "playschool."

You see, I had only received dribs and drabs of information from him throughout the day, such as:

"I was a fire truck!"

and

"Mommy packed a fruit bar!" (he seemed to completely have missed the adorable - if I do say so myself - note and picture I had packed in his lunch box)

and

"I play, play, played!"

and the mysterious:

"The girls played with eggs." ???

So anyway, I remained curious about what went on. I got initial positive reports from the teacher and two co-oping parents. The teacher reported that Kibi did "great, but... um, he doesn't really like to sit at a table, does he?" (Geez, is my kid the ONLY 2 year old who won't sit at a table to eat?)

So, as I tucked him in snug and cozy into his crib, I asked once again how Kibi liked the school.

He sighed and said, satisfied, "I am so proud of it."

I wasn't expecting that answer, but, hey ... I'll take it!

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-16T11:15:00.002-04:00

Well, it's here, and it's going well so far. I dropped Kibi off at 9:30 with no major problems and I'll go back at 12:30 to get him.

I took the advice of the preschool literature and talked with him about his new "playschool" for several days prior to today. This morning, I think it did occur to him that Mom would be actually LEAVING him there (as opposed to staying with him, like we did last week at the playdate arranged for the kids to meet each other). As he ate his breakfast, he quietly asked, "Mommy going to leave?" and I gently replied, "Yes, but Mommy will come back and you can tell me all about your day!" And he didn't protest, so I considered that a good omen.

His teacher, a very cool guy named Peter, told me to expect that kids at this age will go through phases of not wanting to be dropped off versus being fine with it. I imagine it will be hard, also, during the mornings when I co-op at the school. But oh, well, like every other challenge that's come up in our 2 1/2 year journey with Kibi, we'll just ... deal with it!

Here are some pictures of the big day for your enjoyment. That one is of him heading toward the classroom with his Mickey Mouse lunch box. (I sure wish he would've let me snap his photo from the FRONT! But I suppose this turned out equally cute.)

Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot

2009-09-15T13:47:00.004-04:00

Well, it's not that bad, but I feel like it's just as drastic. Our backyard trees are GONE -- thanks to a construction project courtesy of our county. The final project will be good for the community, I'll admit; it involves adding sidewalks, streetlights and a bike path to what is now a very busy and dangerous road (that happens to run directly behind our backyard). But during the course of the next six months or so, Kibi is going to have almost no place to play.

Above, you can see the before and after pictures. (You'll see Kibi playing by the fence and in the background there are, in fact, some trees. Well, rest assured they'll be cut down this week too.) I'm sort of peeved because the tree removal company wasn't exactly helpful during the process of cutting down all the trees yesterday: first of all, although the project manager informed us it would eventually happen (more than a year ago), we got no warning that it was actually happening yesterday. Kibi and I weren't home at the time, so imagine my surprise when we got home. What's worse, because we weren't home, apparently the contractors took it upon themselves to enter our backyard patio, shove all the furniture, toys, etc. (including Kibi's play house) unceremoniously into a pile in the corner, and then tear down all the things we had hanging in our trees -- windchimes, a wind sock that I still can't find, a bird house, and worst of all: Kibi's beloved swing. We spent the entire afternoon cleaning up the mess, and sighing about the barren landscape. Now, we look out our living room glass doors and see this major road, only about 15 feet away. It's really weird. And pretty ugly.

It was really when I saw Kibi's swing, cast aside under the piles of wood chips, that the magnitude of losing all our trees really hit me. Not to get too melodramatic about it, but it's really traumatic. For the last seven years (as long as we've been in this house), we've taken for granted the privacy, shade, and plain old serenity that our backyard canopy of trees provided. And when Kibi came along, we used our favorite old tree for endless swing rides, feeling safely tucked away in the protection of our back yard trees. Now it's all gone - and our patio (and house) is exposed for the world to see. I feel like everyone who passes by on this busy road is looking at my underwear or something. It's an odd feeling.

Fortunately, the county promises us a privacy wall as well as whatever kinds of replacement trees we want. Unfortunately, you don't have a lot to choose from when you're talking about new, replanted trees. We're probably going to go with arbor vitae or something that provides the best screen.

OK, I'll stop whining now. But I feel better having had the opportunity to do a little venting to mourn the loss of some dear friends.

We Will Always Remember

2009-09-11T15:22:00.003-04:00

The events of September 11th, 2001 were very, very real to me. I was here in Washington, DC when it happened. In fact, for a few terrifying minutes that morning, my colleagues at the time and I thought that the final airplane was headed straight toward us. Working in a building located only three blocks from the White House, we thought it was entirely within the realm of possibility that we could be in striking distance. That didn't happen, as we all know, and I became one of the "lucky" ones: my immediate loved ones and I were safe, and I didn't personally know a single person out of the thousands who died. Therefore, I don't claim to have any special "rights" to that day, but it does surprise me how well, over the past eight years, I've been able to tamp down the feelings that surround my recollection.

Well, those feelings all came rushing back today, when I turned on the TV to watch some of the memorials. I'm not sure exactly what triggered it - the moments of silence observed at the times when each plane crashed; the sight of the elderly couple standing in the rain at the NYC memorial service, huddled together under their umbrellas; or the words of the survivors as they read off the names of victims and offered their own personal statements of love and grief. Whatever it was, I found myself, suddenly, sobbing.

As long ago as that day seems, once you let yourself remember what it felt like, this life-changing event once again becomes all too real.

In light of this, it was with a touch of -- I'm not sure, sadness? Depression? Confusion? -- that I read this article in today's Washington Post. It's hard to believe that we've now entered a sort of new era, one in which not everyone remembers exactly what they were doing that day, or how it felt. I can only hope that I can pass along the important parts of that day - the way we all came together as a country, the way politics was put aside, if only for a moment, the way we all wanted to do good with no expectations of acknowledgment for our service - to my son, so that he will always remember, too.

Speaking of New Chapters, Here's One I'm Really Dreading

2009-09-09T14:25:00.004-04:00

Perhaps I'm being a leeeeeee-tle melodramatic, but here goes: a change is afoot, and this change could ... very well mean .... The End of The World.

Kibi is showing definite signs of being ready to start CLIMBING OUT OF HIS CRIB.

On that day, my life as I know it will be over.

It's funny, I've caught him three times now, not all the way out but literally poised to jump out (astraddle the crib rail with a cat-that-swallowed-the-canary look on his face). Something (thankfully) seems to be keeping him from pulling the trigger, because every time he's done it he's announced it loudly as a warning: "Mooooommmmmmeeeeee! Come seeeeeeeee I! Come seeeee what I doooooooing!" (And yes, he's still saying "I" instead of "me", which makes it all the more difficult not to laugh.)

I know you experienced parents out there are laughing at me, evilly, but really, can you blame me for mourning what appears to be the end of an era? I've enjoyed parenthood all the more knowing that AT LEAST for 1-2 hours a day, I get a teensy tiny bit of Moi Time.

What in the world happens when I can't get him to stay in his bed?!?!?

Endings, and New Beginnings

2009-09-08T15:28:00.004-04:00

We recently wrapped up our tenure at a local co-op playgroup. This was a photo snapped of Kibi on one of our last days there. Notice he is still in a sort of jetlag haze since we had returned from our Montana trip only a day before. As a result, he sorta slept through music class. Ha!

My friend T. was the one who got me involved in the playgroup, and I'm glad she did because I think it was good for both Kibi and me. Kibi got a much-needed opportunity to socialize with other kids his age, and I developed good co-oping experience ... both are things that I'm especially grateful for as we embark on our next big adventure: nursery school!

Kibi starts on September 16th, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately.

I come from a family of teachers who happen to believe 2.5 years is too young to go to "preschool". So it was with some trepidation that I went ahead and applied to a few of them anyway. I'll be honest - everyone does it in this area. Not that it's a valid reason, but I'll admit I got sucked in to the thinking. And, truth be told, rather than doing it for any I-have-to-get-my-kid-academically-prepared-at-a-ridiculously-young-age reason, I quite simply wanted to join a co-op preschool, in particular, to a) meet more parents and b) give Kibi an opportunity to play with new toys and kids. Simple as that.

Well, we got waitlisted at the three places we applied to back in March, so I figured that was the universe telling me to wait a year. But lo and behold .... about two months ago we got a call from the school I liked the best, saying they had a spot open for us and would we like to join? I said yes right away.

In a way I'm a little nostalgic/emotional about sending him off to "school"... but I keep telling myself, it's just a two day Parents' Day Out program (Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm). LOTS of parents do it, and their kids survive. In fact, lots of kids actually benefit from it. And, as my husband and I have said, if it turns out he is terrified to be away from me two days a week for 3 hours at a time, we can always pull him out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will work out, though. He seems up for a new challenge and if the "goodbye, Mommy" part gets to him, he can always be distracted by toys!

So... there you have it. For now we're getting all our supplies ready for "school". Sorta fun. And we get to meet Kibi's new "classmates" at a playdate tomorrow. Wish us luck!

Kids Have No Concept of Time

2009-09-05T19:17:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh... this is just plain old funny.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Changes

2009-09-04T12:32:00.002-04:00

Today is one of those sublime days in which I have no work obligations, no social obligations, and even no chores at home since I got caught up yesterday. Hooray! It's just gorgeous outside, so I took Kibi to one of our many wonderful parks in the area. We hadn't been to this particular one in months, so it was interesting to see how he tackled it as an older child.

I've been thinking a lot about how little ones change as they grow, in what seems like a slow manner, but in reality it happens before our very eyes and we are usually too busy or distracted to notice it. During one rare pause in the action this morning, when I was pushing K. on the swing (he will now let me do that for what seems like hours!), he pulled his sun hat off and I stared at his face. His hair was all matted and it looked so sweet. His face was flushed and he had a little scratch on his forehead from an unfortunate run in with a fence the other day. Still, to me, he looked completely perfect, and happy.

I loved being able to really study his face as he swung back and forth, back and forth pretending to be an airplane. It was at this moment that I felt I caught a glimpse of his changing face. Something about it looked different than yesterday, while I'm sure no one would really be able to pinpoint what is was exactly. But I know it is changing, and soon he'll look like even less of a baby than he did today.

Times like these when I look at him so intently, I try to picture what he'll look like as an older child, a teenager, a college student, and (gasp!) an adult. But then I shake that thought off, and go back to enjoying the moment. That's what days like these remind me... to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy the here and now.

2009-09-03T23:28:00.002-04:00

Dear President Obama,

Thank you for sending stimulus dollars our way so that my son can watch construction trucks in front of his house ALL DAY LONG.

Sincerely,

Kibi's Mama

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

2009-09-02T19:36:00.002-04:00

This isn't really about anything embarrassing that Kibi said, just some cute declarations he made as a result of our busy day today.

We spent a beautiful late summer afternoon at the neighborhood park, enjoyed a quiet dinner together (DH was working late), and then I surprised Kibi with a treat: brand new bathtub crayons! These are wonderful because a) he loves them and b) they virtually ensure that I can get through AT LEAST one Us Weekly during bathtime and c) the mess is gone with one swipe of the washcloth!

Anyway, he was full of observations during bath time, but my favorites by far were:

(Long pause, during which, incidentally, I thought he was pooping in the tub) ...

"Mommy, I like to think about going to the park today."

(Thinking while writing with the crayons on the ledge of the tub:)

"Fun about crayon fun ..." (I knew this was not what he meant to say; rather that he was working out the sentence structure in his head, which was actually the cutest thing about it)

So I said, "What are you trying to say?"

He tried again: "Fun about crayons is they write on the tub and you wipe them off!"

He clearly meant to say, "You know what's fun about crayons?..."

They were both sweet, making-conversation types of comments. I love that he's attempting to talk just like a big boy, even if the words sometimes get in the way.

I'm Baaaaaaack!

2009-08-31T13:03:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm back, after an extremely long hiatus. I think the strain of my grandma's passing, combined with immediately going out west on vacation, culminated in my being lackadaisical about updating my blog in these final days of summer. I hope that I haven't lost all of my faithful readers as a result!

I'm posting some pics from our Montana vacation, which was amazing. I've never been to that part of the country before, and it felt like I was on a different planet in many ways: wide, open spaces, a much slower pace, unusual weather patterns. Kibi had a great time, as did the rest of us.

Now we're back home and ready to get back into the swing of things as we prepare for Fall to make its first appearances.

Sorry It's Been So Long...

2009-08-02T23:01:00.002-04:00

... but we've had a lot going on.

Kibi and I were in Ohio for 10 days visiting my parents. Sadly, my ailing grandmother had taken a turn for the worse while we were there. She declined pretty steadily and we thought she might even pass away during our time there. However, she held on and, although it was hard to leave, we said goodbye to her and came back home, wondering when we would get the dreaded phone call.

We spent two quiet but enjoyable days here, catching up with DH/Daddy and recharging our emotional batteries. Then this morning, my brother called with the sad news: my grandma passed away. I feel very sad, of course, but I do feel a great sense of relief because she was struggling so much, and she was so ready to go. As hard as it was to see her at her worst those last several days, we all agreed that we had been given a gift: time together. And that is something I will always cherish.

So, we're heading back out to Ohio in a few days to make a mournful journey home. Sigh. Thanks to all of you who've expressed kind words, sent notes, or called me these last few days... your thoughts and prayers are so very appreciated.

Rest well, Mumma. I love you.

Letter to the Powers that Be

2009-07-20T16:22:00.003-04:00

Dear Nap Gods,

Please don't tell me my son is ready to give up his nap.

It's been three days now, and he's not gone down like he used to do (for a glorious 2-3 hours).

Granted, he has had a bit of a B.M. thing going on, so maybe it's just tummy trouble. But still, I keep hearing that voice in the back of my head, saying (like that bratty kid from the Simpsons:) "HA, ha! Your kid's losing his afternoon nap! Kiss all that sought-after afternoon free time goodbye!"

Oh Nap Gods, please say it isn't so.

Teen Angst Flashback

2009-07-16T13:50:00.003-04:00

So I got my top braces put on Monday. Man, do they hurt! I feel like my teeth have been shoved into a vise ... and that's on top of the Motrin I've been popping pretty much 24/7** since they were placed on my teeth.

And the great news is, this isn't the end of it! After six weeks, they put the bottom row on. I guess they figure that by that time, I'll be used to this agony.

I guess I'd better suck it up. The orthodontist says I have to wear them for 1 1/2 years. (It's funny, in the lifespan of your child, 1 1/2 years seems to fly by, but when you are told you are going to have to wear restrictive brackets on your teeth for that long, it seems like an eternity.)

The only consolation is, thankfully you really can't notice them. The brackets themselves are clear, and the only thing you can see, if you really look hard, is a thin silver line of wire going across my teeth. But when I'm talking, they're positioned in a way that you can't even tell. Thank goodness for modern orthodontia!

Good times!

**I should mention that I do try to space out my acetomeniphen - sic? - dosages, in a lame attempt to avoid getting liver damage.

Another Hilarious Site

2009-07-15T13:44:00.003-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA this week... lots going on. I got a new work project and I'm still figuring out how to cram it in to my small slice of Kibi-free time during the day. So unfortunately I have to keep this short.

I found another amusing website: www.getmortified.com. Those of you who came of age in the late 80's/early 90's will especially appreciate it.

To wit: Check out this rockin' video featuring the chubby kid from the Goonies. I don't know why, but this makes me giggle uncontrollably.

Happy Wednesday!

Where Do They Come Up With This Stuff?

2009-07-10T07:31:00.003-04:00

This morning, K. was scooping water out of the cat's bowl with one of his little toy cups.

I said, "What are you doing?"

His reply: "I'm scooping drainage from Scooby's bowl!"

DRAINAGE?! Seriously? Now, where does he come up with this stuff?

Been Caught Sleepin'

2009-07-09T13:54:00.002-04:00

As some of you know, I work downtown on Tuesdays, and on those days Kibi goes to stay with his grandma. Usually his naps get a little off-kilter on these days, but I don't mind because she keeps him so busy and entertained all day long.

Well, imagine my amusement when I came to pick him up one afternoon and found him sleeping behind the front door. My MIL said that he fell asleep sitting on the couch, then woke up abruptly, jumped off the couch to play for about two minutes, then promptly ran behind the door, curled up, and fell asleep this way for the next two hours.

I wish I could sleep this well!

A Fitting Tribute for a Fish

2009-07-08T21:48:00.003-04:00

My friend W. today sent me this YouTube video, without (I think?) knowing anything about my Tuna the Goldfish story!

I wish I could say Tuna's "interrment" was as ceremonious as Lucky's.

This is reaaaaaaaaaaaally funny.

The Sad Tale of Tuna the Fish

2009-07-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

This is the sad (entirely true) story of Tuna the goldfish.

Last week, Tuna came to stay with us while his owner, Karen, went to Sweden on a family vacation.

We cared for and loved Tuna very much. We fed him 2-3 times per day and gave him fresh water mid-week, as instructed.

On the Fourth of July, Tuna didn't eat his breakfast. He hung out at the side of his bowl, gulping listlessly.

Finally, after we got back from the pool that afternoon, I discovered him, dead. I furtively (and solemnly) removed Tuna from the bowl before Kibi could see.

The next day, I told Kibi that Tuna was sick and had had to leave our house for the fish hospital. Meanwhile, wouldn't it be exciting to go to the pet store and buy K. a new fish? DH, Kibi and I schlepped out to Petco.

Kibi, upon setting foot inside the pet store, gagged and threw up (quite literally) due to the "animal smells" in the store. When we asked him what was wrong, he said he didn't like the "poop smell" and that he didn't want to go into any other "smelly stores".

So, no replacement fish for the time being. I might see if he's up for a ride to the store today, but in some ways I feel I might be pushing my luck. Karen, if you're reading this, let me again say how very sorry I am for letting Tuna die on my watch. The sad thing is, this isn't the first time it's happened. Pretty much the same thing happened to "Tuna I" a few years ago.

What is it with me and goldfish? Do I have a Bermuda Triangle thing going on?

Anyway, RIP Tuna II. You were a good fish. The fact that you died on Independence Day makes your passing all the more poetic, in my opinion.

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-03T15:47:00.003-04:00

If today is any indication, we're off to a deliciously enjoyable weekend. DH is off work so we've had great family time. This morning we got up early, walked to the local coffee joint, got sufficiently caffeine-ated, took Kibi to the park, and later ate lunch. I've just finished one lighthearted summer read and am about to start another book that promises to be interesting. Meanwhile, Kibi is still napping.

Have a great Fourth of July, everyone!

Let's Hear It for Small Victories

2009-07-02T14:19:00.003-04:00

Did I mention my "big bummer" personal news development?

I have to get braces.

Yup, despite the fact that I already had them in junior high, and despite the fact that, aesthetically-speaking, my teeth look fine ... I have to get them.

It's a long story, probably one you don't care to hear about, but I'll tell a truncated version: I'm missing a permanent tooth among my bottom row of molars. Consequently, the spacing on my bottom row of teeth is all "jacked up," as my friend Karen likes to say, and it's causing problems with my bite. The overbite problem, combined with my incessant teeth-grinding, has been causing my teeth to chip constantly.

Soooooo... in order to avoid all of this rigamarole (after all, I do want to have teeth going into my golden years!) I have to get braces. BIG BUMMER. The only small consolation is that these days, they have "invisible braces" like those above, so at least I don't have to look like each of my teeth is wrapped in tin foil, a la 1987.

Well, I will not go down without a fight, and today I scored Small Victory #1 in my orthodontia battle. Here's the scoop: I was scheduled to have separators put on my teeth. For those of you who are not enlightened, separators push your teeth apart to make space for the bands that go with the braces. A HUGELY painful ordeal. I was supposed to get separators on, and then the top row of my braces goes on July 13th.

Well, imagine my surprise upon learning that my teeth are actually too tightly squooshed together (my verbiage, not the orthodontist's) for separators. So I won't get them! And instead of bands, I'll get brackets.

Ha HA! Take THAT, braces!

I Believe David Byrne Would Be Proud

2009-07-01T13:58:00.002-04:00

You may find yourself

Traveling in a big suburban car

And you may ask yourself,

Is there not more tolerable music to listen to with my toddler?

And you may tell yourself

"I have an idea!"

And you may tell yourself

To adapt new lyrics to an old favorite.

This was the impetus for the brilliant idea I had yesterday, when I was really aching for grown-up music on the way home from my MIL's with Kibi. Knowing well his fascination with All Things Fire Truck, I made some quick changes to a perfectly wonderful song by the Talking Heads.

I was so impressed with myself that I jotted the words down (as much as I could remember them) when I got home.

Feel free to use the following for yourselves if and when you are so inclined. You can thank me later.

Burning Down the House

One day, those fire trucks had to co-ome,

Oh, baby! Those fire trucks on the ru-un.

Ain't no ordinary day

Burning down the house!

Hold tight - wait 'til the fire's over,

Hold tight - see all the firemen come up.

There has got to be a way

Burning down the house!

It's time to take the axes out, and chop down all the doors and walls.

(Get those hoses out, to-ooo!)

Close enough but not too far, those hoses shoot up toward the stars.

Fightin' fire with waaa-ter!

All wet - hey, you might need a raincoat.

Shakedown, and pick up all your me-ess.

Three hundred sixty five degrees

Burning down the house!

(expand as necessary....)

You Guessed It... I Have to Mention Jacko

2009-06-26T14:24:00.002-04:00

I loved Michael Jackson from approximately 1985 through 1992. I can't tell you how many of my girlfriends had his posters plastered all over their bedroom walls, and I've already coerced a dear high school friend to post Facebook photos of her fourth grade Jacko outfit (a matching pink skirt and top with a sparkly glove splayed across the front). Even after his period of being REALLY HUGE, I remained interested in his music for a long time. I think he was easily one of the greatest entertainers the world will ever know.

Yet, it's pretty clear that he was genuinely loony. And on a more serious note, I am also deeply suspicious of what he did with many of the young children he took under his wing. The fact that he settled out of court for millions of dollars with that young boy whose family sued him is unsettling at best.

Regardless, I think the world lost a huge cultural icon yesterday. During the inevitable media feeding frenzy in the days to come, hopefully we will be able to focus on the positive ways he affected the world.

Sort of Cartoonish, But Still Traumatic

2009-06-25T14:12:00.003-04:00

We have this beautiful cherry wood dining room table that my mother in law passed down to us. We haven't gotten our acts together enough to find the right set of "grown up" chairs to go with the table, so we've been getting by with those cheap but relatively attractive folding wooden chairs that you get at places like World Market, Target, etc.

Well, today I sat down on one of them, holding Kibi in my lap (he was being soooooo fussy about eating lunch today I decided to take matters into my own hands and spoon feed him from my own chair) ... and IT BROKE. We went crashing to the floor, and amazingly in the split second in which I realized it was happening I was able to cushion K's head with my arm to prevent it from falling back, SMACK, on our hardwood floor. We were both fine but he was a little spooked. (Poor little guy... he was quiet at first, and then, when I got up and hauled the chair out to the garbage can outside, I heard him inside bursting into tears.)

I read the bottom of the chair and it said: MAXIMUM WEIGHT ALLOWED: 160 LBS. Well, NOW you tell us!

My only consolation: thank goodness it took two of us (and not me alone) to break the dang thing.

I guess we're going chair shopping this weekend....

More for the Worry File

2009-06-24T13:28:00.004-04:00

I don't enjoy sharing distressing news, I really don't. Still, the latest issue of Newsweek provides yet another troubling take on the chemical BPA.

GROSS: "In a study.... monkeys fed 400 times the amount of BPA that the government assumes people ingest had lower levels in their blood than the average American."

Now, I believe in the power of positive thinking as much as the next person, but to read that -- ? Well, I think we're pretty much screwed.

Pooltime!

2009-06-22T13:59:00.003-04:00

Nothing spells S-U-M-M-E-R like the community swimming pool. This year, rather than wait years (no, that's not an exaggeration - I literally mean YEARS) on a list to join one of the many local pools in our area, we decided to join the local Knights of Columbus pool, which welcomes members and non-members alike. We've so far been there twice this summer, and I've gotta say, it's a riot!

Really, it's a lot of fun. You get a real slice of life every time you go. There's no pretension whatsoever, which is refreshing. Little kids, big kids, parents, high schoolers (the swim team is called the "Holy Mackerels" - dontcha just love it?), grandparents -- they're all there. There are two Olympic sized pools and a kiddie pool (K. calls it the "cat pool"). In my opinion, the kiddie pool-goers benefit the most, because we get to enjoy a fenced off area complete with picnic tables for snacking or picnicking, and it's never really crowded. In addition, there are picnic areas, grills, and even a "lounge" where Mom or Dad can enjoy a cocktail while the kids play. (I did a double-take as I spotted a couple of fathers carrying pitchers of beer out to the picnic tables yesterday afternoon - enjoying the perfect Father's Day, no doubt!)

The entire thing is sort of a throwback to the 1950's in a way. They make it all so easy for you to come, hang, eat dinner, dump your kid in the car, go home and call it a night. It's going to be one of my favorite parts of summer, I'm quite sure of it.

The Great Midwest

2009-06-17T12:58:00.003-04:00

AN UPDATE: A couple of days in to Bottle-Free Life and "Kevin" (you clever readers, out there!) appears to be taking to it alright, for the most part -- but the odd thing is that he seems to be taking it out on the milk. He's asking for everything BUT milk now: juice, water, etc. Fortunately, most times I -- oops, I mean "Betsy" -- can talk him into milk with some crafty cajoling. ("Let's see how fast we can drink this milk out of the cup with the crazy straw!" "When you drink the milk down to the bottom of this mug, it turns blue! How about that?!" and so on...) I suppose you couldn't have expected any of this to be easy. Oh, well.

In less frustrating news, I thought I'd post some photos of our recent trip to my parents'.

I love it there because they have an acre of land (unheard of here in these urban parts!) and when we're there in the summertime, K. gets to scoot around to his heart's content.

We had fun checking out bugs on the trees, building a sandbox from scratch - yes, that's right (thanks Dad!), and eating our meals out on the deck almost every day.

Ah, summer in the great Midwest!

The Bottle Fairy

2009-06-15T13:31:00.004-04:00

I have a friend (I'll call her Betsy) who has a son (I'll call him Kevin). Although Kevin is over 2 years old, he hasn't quite kicked the bottle habit. This has embarrassed Betsy for a long, long time. For a while, Betsy rationalized it away by saying 1) he never sucked his thumb or took a pacifier, and 2) it's the best way to get him to drink 6-8 oz of milk at a time, since he often has to be reminded to eat and drink. But Betsy's mother, and her own internal guilt, had been pestering her to get Kevin off the habit once and for all.

I'm pleased to report that Betsy came up with a gimmick that (fingers crossed) seems to have done the trick. While visiting her parents last weekend, she decided to announce to Kevin that "The bottle fairy has come and taken all of your bottles." When this was met with the expected cries of protest from Kevin, Betsy had a ready answer: "The bottle fairy had to take the bottles to the poor babies." (Kevin had once asked why Betsy was packing away his old clothes into a big box and she told him it was "for the poor kids.")

This morning was the first time, away from grandma and grandpa's house, in which the "bottle fairy" theory was put to the test. Kevin protested a little more than usual - despite being visibly impressed with the new construction truck sippy cup the Bottle Fairy left him as a consolation prize.

I don't think Betsy is out of the woods yet - she senses that Kevin will have more questions about the Bottle Fairy, if this morning's queries are any indication ("Bottle fairy took bib?" "Bottle fairy comes in a car?") But, I feel more confident than ever that she will emerge victorious. And I share this story - with her permission - if any of you moms and dads out there are like her: ashamed to admit your kid's "dirty secret" and desperately looking for a way to kick the habit once and for all.

Then again, I do think there are far worse maladies than a 2 year old drinking milk from a bottle once a day. So there. (That was for you, Betsy.)

Happy Weekend

2009-06-11T09:01:00.002-04:00

Kibi and I are off to Ohio this afternoon to visit my family for the weekend. (And yes, he seems almost totally recovered - thank goodness!)

Here's another fun read for your Thursday, once again from my favorite parenting blog.

Have a good one, and I'll check back in next week.

Emerging from Croupville

2009-06-09T20:14:00.002-04:00

The good (and most important) news: Kibi appears to be on the mend. We've had no more scary middle-of-the-night attacks, and although he still seems a bit out of it, I can tell he's getting much healthier and stronger every day. This is good because he and I are going to Ohio for a family baby shower this weekend.

The bad news: I have virtually no time between now and Thursday, when we leave, to get done all the things I need to get done. Surprise, surprise...

So, that's my lame attempt to apologize for this bland blog post. But, to make it up to you, dear readers, I'll leave you with some entertaining reading from my favorite NYT blog. Apologies in advance to the fathers out there... I realize this is a little unfair, but I post it mainly because I can: my husband never reads my blog. Ha!

Creeping Crud... or, the Croup

2009-06-08T14:00:00.002-04:00

Ack! Kibi has croup!

He woke us up in the middle of the night Saturday with a cough that sounded, unmistakeably, like a seal barking. He was almost gasping for breath - it was very scary. It gave me a flashback of childhood when my younger brother used to have croup attacks often. Fortunately that was the way I knew what to look up on the web at 3 in the morning while my husband gave him a nebulizer treatment.

Once it seemed he was stablized, we paged our doctor and she gave us instructions (one more breathing treatment, then every four hours or as needed, warm steamy showers if necessary - anything to stop the gasping, or what they call "stridor"). She said if we failed to get the coughing under control with this regimen then she would call him in some steroids, but we haven't needed to do that.

Today he seems to be doing better but he is still pretty lethargic. Sorry this post is rather boring, but I'm trying to stay on top of caring for a sick little boy, plus finishing a couple of other projects for work - fun, fun!

I'll keep you all posted...

Potty Milestone

2009-06-05T20:03:00.003-04:00

Guess what ... (drumroll please) K. did both #1 AND #2 on the potty tonight!

Although he occasionally sat on the little Thomas the Tank Engine potty chair that I placed in our bathroom a couple of months ago, he never gave it much thought. Tonight, for some reason, it was different. He was bound and determined to see the RESULTS of his efforts - and it paid off! Those of you who aren't parents won't truly appreciate the satisfaction of this moment, I fear, but I am absolutely beside myself.

Nothing, however, was better than the huge smile on K.'s own face when I yelled for Daddy - who was in the other room - to come see the little brown lima bean sized thing. (Sorry if too graphic, but I have to convey the cute-ness of it all.) And then again when Daddy and I started yelling and jumping up and down to congratulate him. The expression was pure, unadulterated pride - and it was a joy to witness.

Now, who knows how close we are to actual completion of potty training, but that's okay by me. I just feel happy about this very healthy start.

Now I'm off to kick up my heels and raise a glass of wine ... To the potty!

Infant Diplomacy?

2009-06-04T13:09:00.002-04:00

Sometimes Kibi really amuses me with the declarations he makes.

Early this morning, for instance, as we eased into our day. we were watching the news in my bedroom. President Obama was speaking live at the University of Cairo about U.S./Muslim relations.

Kibi watched quietly while drinking his milk, finished it, then injected: "He's talking to the babies." I said, "President Obama is talking to babies? Babies in the audience?" He said, "Yeah. Babies are clapping."

From what I could tell, it was scholars and diplomat types in the audience -- no babies -- who were indeed clapping. Still, it was funny to try and picture a room full of them, listening intently to the President's speech about the future of our diplomatic efforts with the Muslim world.

Yet Another One of the Reasons I am Glad We Have a Free Press

2009-05-31T16:19:00.003-04:00

Just read this article in today's WaPo. I am so glad some enterprising reporter infiltrated the plastics industry's evil planning meeting!

Is this a Simpsons episode? I'm expecting Montgomery Burns to emerge somewhere...

"Their 'holy grail' spokesperson would be a 'pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country of the benefits of BPA,'" the [conference] notes said.

Um, who are they kidding?

Seattle Pics

2009-05-28T15:29:00.004-04:00

As promised, here are some of my favorite pics from our visit with Papa and Mamoo, aunts and uncles and and cousins in Seattle. We miss them already!

Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!

2009-05-27T00:28:00.003-04:00

Ah, we're back from our trip to Seattle... so much fun, so much fun. I expect I'll post pics in this space soon. But, as expected, I'm both jetlagged and exhausted (and up at almost 1 am - I'll pay for that tomorrow, to be sure...)

I don't know how faithful I will be to my posting obligations this week. I did just read something really engrossing that I had to share, though: this Newsweek article on the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street.

Now I know I wasn't crazy for thinking, "Geez, Sesame Street is actually fun to watch with my 2 year old, and with no guilt!"

The Place Where Kids Go Nuts

2009-05-19T13:44:00.003-04:00

Do you live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area?

Do you have small children?

Have you been to Clemyjontri Park in McLean, Va.? (You've probably heard about it, yes, but have you been there yet?)

What?! You haven't?

Well, drop everything and GO, GO, GO!

Clemyjontri Park is, without a doubt, The Coolest Outdoor Playground of All Time. I found myself with some time to kill yesterday when K. woke up really early from a nap, so we trekked out there - actually only about a 20 minute drive from our house - and goodness me, was I glad we did! It consists of what seems like acres and acres of super-deluxe jungle gym equipment for kids of all ages, but particularly attuned to the Little People set. My little guy was particularly mesmerized by all of the transportation vehicles-turned-playground-equipment.

Here are some pictures of our trips. (Yep, that's trips, plural. We went both yesterday afternoon and this morning!)

Now, you DC-ites, get outside and GO! Today!

(BTW, this is my last post for about a week. We leave for Seattle early tomorrow morning. Off to visit my inlaws for a long Memorial Day weekend! Have a great holiday!)

Precious Little Folks

2009-05-18T14:38:00.002-04:00

So here's a picture of K. (blue shirt on left) and his classmates during "snacktime" at the co-op playgroup we recently joined.

I sent it to my husband while he was out of town on a business trip last week. He wrote back that something about seeing little people eating snacks around a table like this is so precious it makes him want to cry. Funny, but I can sort of relate.

How about you?

Friday Musings

2009-05-15T18:35:00.003-04:00

Do you notice how I thought yesterday was Friday? ("Have a good weekend")???? Geesh. I'm hopeless.

Anywho... yet another busy day! Sorry I've been slack on the posting lately; I promise to do better early next week (that is, BEFORE we leave Wednesday for a week-long visit to Seattle to see my in-laws).

But to throw you devoted readers a bone, I'll leave you with this amusing and rather informative entry from The Poop - San Francisco Chronicle's parenting blog. Aforementioned devoted and long-time readers have probably figured out by now that my secret ambition is to become one of their guest writers.

Maybe if I keep linking to and subtly promoting them, they'll discover me and hire me on the spot! A girl can dream, I suppose...

Weekend Reading?

2009-05-14T14:09:00.004-04:00

Not a whole lot of time to post today, so I'll just pose a question that I've been wondering about. Anyone out there have suggestions for good toddler-discipline books?

A friend just told me about Beyond Time Out, which looks intriguing (although I'm not ready to admit that my household has become filled with "mayhem" as a result of an unruly child, per the Barnes and Noble description. I mean, it's frustrating, but K.'s not a monster... yet! Ha!)

I'm just looking for a middle-of-the-road approach to dealing with a probably all too typical Terrible Two. K. hasn't been awful, but we've had our moments lately, namely situations involving:

1) throwing food, or, worse yet, plates and cups, when he is done eating (usually with minimal warning);

2) standing up in his high chair, pre-, mid-, or post-meal;

3) not sharing with other kids (and sometimes actually hitting or pushing when someone wants to share a toy with him - can you say EMBARRASSING?!)

and

4) tormenting our cat in all shapes and forms.

I attempt to reprimand all of these behaviors, I'll have you know, firmly and consistently, but yet... he keeps doing them. Argh. (NOTE: I acknowledge the possibility that this may be the essence of the Terrible Twos and I just don't want to accept it.)

Anyway, like I said, if you have good recommendations, I'm ready to do some reading!

Thanks, and have a good weekend.

The Lonely Bunny

2009-05-13T13:40:00.002-04:00

One day recently, when I came by to pick up Kibi after a few hours at his grandma's, they showed me a new game.

All it involved was my mother-in-law's sofa, a very large and thick atlas, and Kibi. It went like this:

1) MIL sets up the atlas so that it is at a slant from the seat of the couch (like a slide).

2) Kibi sits at the top of the "slide" (on the sofa).

3) Kibi announces that he is a "Lonely Bunny" and makes a really sad, pouty face.

4) Me and MIL make a really big deal about the poooooooor, lonnnnnely bunny for a few seconds.

5) The lonely bunny slides down the slide.

6) When the lonely bunny lands, he announces that he is now a "Happy Bunny".

7) Cheers and smiles all around!

This was all K's invention. Go figure!

In the Spirit of Mothers Day ...

2009-05-11T14:00:00.003-04:00

I hope all of you moms out there had a delightful Mother's Day. I had a lovely day, which started with getting to sleep in and read the paper! Ahhhhh, decadent and delightful.

As I perused the news, I came across this Washington Post article that I really enjoyed. Check it out...

Ode to Nina (of The Good Night Show)

2009-05-08T13:35:00.002-04:00

An Ode to Nina:

(penned today)

You're pretty, sweet, and gentle

You never ever pout.

You are my favorite character

On that nifty network, Sprout.

Yet despite your kind demeanor

And your singing voice, too

I find that I now live in fear

Of disappointing you.

You've given me a complex

(Quite accidentally, it's true),

And now I worry that I never will

Measure up to you.

Kibi's 2 Year Photos

2009-05-06T13:27:00.002-04:00

We recently had Kibi's 2 year old photos taken. They turned out so nicely! Here is a sampling of just some of my favorites.

I credit our wonderful photographer, Jennifer Burns of Jennifer Burns Photography, with encouraging me to do his shoot in Old Town Alexandria on a gorgeous spring day. She's been taking K.'s photos for a long time now and she has a knack for bringing out the best in our little guy.

Thanks JBP!

Language Evolves

2009-05-04T13:55:00.003-04:00

Kibi has made another step in his language development, recently dropping the way he used to refer to himself in the third person ("K wants this, K does that") and now using the first person pronoun "I" as a substitute for "me." Interestingly enough, he has also started to use "I'm" when he means to say "my".

It is really darn cute to hear him sort of stumble his way through, trying to get the sentence construction just right.

I know he's still evolving where this is concerned, and I have a feeling I should jot it down now because it may be only a fleeting thing.

So.... here are some examples:

"Mommy, push I!" (on the swing)

"Mommy, hold I!"

"It's I'm birthday!"

"Mommy, change I! I'm pants are wet."

"I'm daddy will like this." (What he observed when he received a "Daddy and Me" book for his birthday)

More Photos

2009-05-01T15:49:00.004-04:00

We're getting ready for a nice, relaxing weekend ... I'm feeling too lazy to write anything brilliant today, so here's a smattering of photos from the birthday celebration.

First, my piece de resistance: the Thomas the Tank Engine cake.

The second one is one of my favorites: I caught Kibi snuggling up in his favorite reading chair with one of his new birthday books.

The others were taken on Birthday Party Day... a sweltering 93 degrees here in the nation's capital! Our boy has been getting used to going shirtless as a result of the tropical heat wave. And he managed to have a good frosting fiasco while enjoying his birthday cake ... but really, what birthday kid wouldn't?

Have a nice weekend!

A Birthday Message to Kibi

2009-04-30T14:49:00.003-04:00

Dear K.,

You'll see by the date of this letter that I'm a little late in composing your birthday message. A lot of external events contributed to that -- you got sick, then I got sick, we had your birthday party to plan and oversee, we went to the train museum -- and before I knew it your birthday weekend had come and gone.

In any event, now you are two. Congratulations! You are so different from the baby you were one year ago. You don't just walk; you run. You don't just talk; you speak in full sentences. You don't just observe; you ask questions about the world around you. You are so interesting and engaging and... well, alive. It is truly a joy to see the wonderful and complex machinery with which God blessed you come to life in so many exciting ways.

You're becoming a big boy every day. You're no longer a baby, fully dependent on your parents to care for you. We still do that, of course, but now you have become more of a companion - someone to engage in conversation, someone to help with projects (and how you like to help!), someone to spend honest to goodness "quality time" with. And there isn't a day that passes without you surprising me or your dad with either a new word, a story you've dreamed up, or some recollection of something we never thought you'd remember or retell so vividly.

I love you, my sweet K. As I have since the day you were born, I thank God every day for bringing you into my life. And on this, your second birthday, I pray that God helps you to continue to grow, and thrive, and learn, and explore every single day -- and have fun all the while -- because that is what being a "big boy" is all about.

Love you always,

Your Mom

Bear With Me...

2009-04-28T14:24:00.003-04:00

I caught Kibi's cold a few days ago, and I'm slowly recovering, but still feeling a little sluggish. Combine that with a Washington, DC-area pollen count of 1770 (zoinks!!) and you have one miserable mama!

I'll be back as soon as I can this week with more pictures from the 2nd birthday festivities, but for now, I'm going to slink off and vegetate with a box of Puffs Plus.

Thomas!!

2009-04-24T16:45:00.005-04:00

As part of the 2nd Birthday Weekend Extravaganza, we took Kibi to Baltimore this morning to meet "the real Thomas," as K. affectionately calls him. It was a blast!

Here are some great photos from the occasion.

We all really enjoyed ourselves, and (warning - what follows is indicative of my Type , try-to-control-everything personality:) I was particularly pleased with the timing of it all, because we did the train ride first, then we ate lunch, then we had just about seen and done everything when Kibi started to (very politely) melt down, pre-nap. We popped him in the car and enjoyed a peaceful ride home.

Thanks, Thomas!

Getting Ready...

2009-04-21T20:30:00.002-04:00

We are gearing up for a weekend of fun ... Kibi's 2nd birthday, which is this Saturday! My mom arrives tomorrow and we have lots of activities planned.

The only bummer is that Kibi has contracted RSV, which, faithful readers may remember, he's had before (way back when he was only 8 months old). He's got it again - was diagnosed yesterday, which happened to be MY birthday. (A great present - ha!) Anyway, we're hoping he handles it a little better this time around since he's a bigger boy, and stronger. And hopefully it won't put a damper on the forthcoming festivities. I notice a bit of a scratchy throat myself and and am fighting it with all I'm worth.

So, my posts may be sporadic this week. For now, we're all resting up and trying to get healthy!

He's Not That Into ... Me?

2009-04-16T13:25:00.002-04:00

We recently got accepted into a local co-op playgroup. My friend had joined it long ago and she encouraged us to apply. Understanding that there was a waiting list, I applied, figuring it might be a nice transition to preschool when Kibi turns 3.

When they contacted us to let me know we got in, I was pleasantly surprised. We started this week, and I wasn't sure what to expect. But now that we've experienced two sessions, I am really feeling optimistic about it.

It's two mornings a week. Each parent commits to working in a variety of supervisory roles 4 times per month, and so if you're not working on a particular day, you have the option to stay with your child, or drop them off. I'll admit that I feel quite hesitant to drop Kibi off -- despite the fact that he stays with his grandma usually 2 times per week when I'm working or running errands. I dunno, I guess it signifies to me that he is really not my little baby anymore. Call it the "first child syndrome," I guess.

Anyway, he LOVES the class. I mean, really loves it. As in, I have to drag him home when it's time to go. That was a nice surprise. I had visions of him being shy and clinging to my leg the whole time.

Furthermore, imagine my surprise when, after the second day of attending with him, it dawned on me that ... well, he just didn't seem to even NOTICE that I was there for the entire two hours. (Except for one time when a bigger kid snatched a toy from him and, without crying or protesting, he came over and plopped into my lap to sit quietly for a little bit. But sure enough, soon he was off again, exploring another set of toys.)

I guess my boy is more sociable than I knew. It's not that he plays WITH the other kids; I think he's still a little too young for that. But he definitely notices them. It's mostly that the place is FILLED WITH TOYS, which he loves. And, during the "gym" time, which involves about 15 minutes of running around the community center gym hopping on one ride-on toy and then another, he was in such a state of bliss that I couldn't believe it.

This all makes me think that I might be able to start dropping him off at this class earlier than I had originally thought. Which will do wonders for my time management throughout the week, but... how difficult will it be for ME?

Sniff, sniff...

A Good Read

2009-04-14T14:07:00.002-04:00

Not a lot of time to post today, so for now I'll leave you with this great article I read on WebMD. Parents of toddlers in the "terrible 2's" phase in particular should find it helpful.

Enjoy!

Hoppy, Happy

2009-04-10T15:43:00.004-04:00

Not much to say today ... I'm running around trying to prepare for our Easter weekend extravaganza. We're only entertaining one family member - my mother in law - but it's going to be nonstop good fun, starting tomorrow.

Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful weekend!

- Kibi and His Mom

P.S. Please only focus on how cute Kibi is while dyeing his Easter eggs, above, and ignore my messy kitchen.

Um, Never Mind

2009-04-09T13:51:00.002-04:00

After all of my ranting and raving yesterday, and my general feelings of ickiness all day, sans shower, imagine my surprise when, upon collecting the mail last evening, I noticed that .... the County HAD, in fact, sent me a notice that the water was going to be shut off all day. Unfortunately, it had fallen behind my mailbox and under a bush.

It would've been so much better if I had someone to BLAME for my agony yesterday. Oh, well.

Things We Take for Granted

2009-04-08T13:57:00.004-04:00

You'll recall my recent post about the construction truck fiesta in front of our house. Well, they are STILL WORKING. This has to be the longest public works project in history.

Anyway, for the most part, it's been a real pleasure having insta-entertainment for the toddler pretty much every day (save for when the weather is bad). And, because they've been working on our water pipes, I haven't even minded when we'd receive the occasional notice that they would need to turn our WATER off for a period of time.

On those days, the water would usually be shut off between the hours of say, 9 and 3, and I'd simply make sure that everyone in the household got their necessary showers, made coffee, washed dishes, and did all of the other things you need to do with... well, duh, with water. I'd also be sure to store some extra pitchers for cooking, brushing teeth, etc. A minor inconvenience, but, since we were forewarned, not an insurmountable one.

But today it all went sour.

With NO warning at all, today they SHUT OFF THE WATER BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO SHOWER. And I've been feeling perfectly grody ever since.

Now, I don't mean to sound like a prima donna, but when's the last time you've needed to take a shower ... and you just couldn't? See what I'm saying? We are admittedly a spoiled society, taking the presence of clean and plentiful water for granted 24/7, but really, when you can't wash that morning ick off, let's face it -- you just feel grumpy and out of sorts the rest of the day.

We have plans to meet up with friends this afternoon, and I was almost tempted to call it off due to my general feeling of filth. But then I sucked it up, put fresh makeup on, combed my hair, changed underwear and socks, and now I sort of feel better. Not really, but it's mind over matter, right?

Anyway, having been stranded with no water for who-knows-how-long, I panickedly looked around the house for any semblance of water sources that might be used in case of dire emergency (namely, me needing to brush my teeth before going out in public). I only found two: 1) the cat's water bowl (and believe it or not, realizing my plight, I dipped my hands in there once to wash them after being outside this morning - I know, GROSS!) and 2) the above little cup of water from my bedside stand last night. HALLELUIAH! I feel like the Westerners mining for gold at the beginning of the century - EUREKA, we've found it!

I've been rationing my little teeny cup of water in amusing ways, from allowing myself a few meager drips to wet my toothbrush ... to dribbling a teeny bit of it on a paper towel to wipe up K's high chair tray (that was before I remembered some antibacterial wipes I had stored under the sink). If I get really desperate, I'll use a couple of tablespoons of it to heat up some frozen vegetables for our dinner tonight. I feel like a pioneer!

ARGH! I'LL NEVER TAKE WATER FOR GRANTED AGAIN. I promise!!

So, my friends, for the foreseeable future, the above teeny, tiny cup of water is all that stands between me and sheer insanity.

Why, I Oughtta Slug You...

2009-04-06T15:14:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not promoting child abuse. That headline is a quote that's stuck in my head after taking this cell phone photo of Kibi in the bath the other night.

In a burst of creativity (and a bit of boredom), I carefully crafted his tendrils into this lovely, early 20th century style.

Can't you just picture him as one of the Little Rascals? Isn't that something that the mean one, Butch, used to say: "Why, I oughta sluuuuuug you...." in that sort of whiny high pitched radio voice?

Better yet, can't you just picture him bobbing around (preferably wearing an old fashioned men's bathing suit like this one), with fists raised and circling. for a fight over a damsel?

Maybe I need to get out of the house more.

Wrapping Up the Week

2009-04-03T14:42:00.004-04:00

Thanks to everyone for your comments, emails and kind words about the Emily post. I have been feeling sad about it for a few days now, and just think: I'm not even part of her family. I can't even imagine what her parents and extended family must be going through. My prayers are with them, and I know so many others are thinking of them as well.

On a brighter note, my parents came for a visit on their way back up to Ohio from Florida this week. They just left a little while ago. (Another reason to feel a little bit sniffly today.)

We had a great time. Here are some fun pictures of Kibi helping his grandma and grandpa with various tasks this week -- namely, dying Easter Eggs (Thursday) and replacing some rotten wood panels on our front porch (Wednesday). Talk about a productive week!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

RIP Emily

2009-04-01T10:33:00.005-04:00

My heart is heavy upon hearing some very sad news yesterday.

My friend Christie's 2-year-old neice, Emily, died this week after a year-long battle with brain cancer. I first posted about Emily's situation here.

For the last 12 months, Emily and her parents fought - and I mean fought HARD - against the disease. As Emily's Aunt Christie has said, she was the bravest little girl we've ever known. In the end, her little body couldn't hold up against the aggressive cancer. She passed away surrounded by family and friends, in peace.

Please take a moment today to pray - or meditate, or whatever gives you peace - for Emily and her family and keep them in your thoughts during this difficult time. And be sure to hug your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you.

Rest in peace, Emily.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

2009-03-31T14:57:00.004-04:00

We participated in the annual neighborhood Easter Egg hunt for the first time this past weekend. I was looking forward to it - after all, who can resist watching about 50 little kids running around outside in the springtime?

Just like he did when opening presents from Santa at Christmastime, K. seemed to slowly get the hang of the egg hunt concept as he went - ultimately "getting" it when the egg hunt was finally over. At that point, he went around sort of plaintively asking, "More? More?" and looking for any eggs he might've missed. Nevertheless, he (and we) had a wonderful time.

The event exceeded our expectations. What's more, the cherry blossoms, now in bloom (see top photo), lent the perfect extra touch to an already very happy day. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the party.

Will The Really Funny Parenting Show Please Stand Up?

2009-03-30T14:13:00.006-04:00

I never used to consider myself a television snob (to wit: I watch completely stupid shows like America's Next Top Model and Gossip Girl with relish).

However, after reading this excellent post in a San Francisco Chronicle blog and agreeing with nearly everything the author said, I've decided that maybe I am one.

And really, is that so bad?

Am curious to hear whether you think the new "In The Motherhood" sitcom is funny (like the SFC guy, I feel like it has promise, but I'm still a bit lukewarm, thinking that only time will tell). I'd also like to hear your thoughts on what is, to you, The Most Humorous Family Show Of All Time.

Scrapbook Tidbits

2009-03-27T09:38:00.003-04:00

As we mark Kibi's 23-month birthday (yesterday), I've been thinking a lot about him turning two and also lamenting how terribly behind I am on documenting the precious first two years of his life. My sister in law got me a lovely "Baby's 1st Year" book which, I am proud to say, I completed a couple of months ago, but still it seems that the months after the 1st birthday are crammed full of even more milestones worth capturing.

I know I need to get on it, but in the meantime I keep all the little accomplishments and anecdotes on my computer. Let's hope it doesn't crash anytime soon.

Anyway, speaking of these tidbits, K. came up with another good one yesterday.

Those of you in the DC area know that yesterday was positively crummy, weather-wise. We had a steady stream of rain and gray clouds ALL DAY LONG. Well, K. and I were looking out the window in the morning, surveying the landscape. He told me he wanted to sip from the glass of water I was drinking, so I obliged.

After a couple of big gulps, K. swallowed, paused, and remarked, "Just like drinking rain!"

I don't think I ever would've thought of it that way, but it just goes to show you how amazing the toddler brain is: always wondering, always thinking, always engaged!

It's a Mad Dash...

2009-03-26T13:14:00.004-04:00

... among those of us in the Washington, DC area (who are so inclined) to attempt to get free tickets to the White House Easter Egg roll. They were made available on the White House website today.

I thought I'd give it a whirl, and have been trying since about 8 am today, but no dice. Not that I'm really surprised, but it would've been fun to snap photos of K. looking for eggs on the White House lawn. But really, if I think about it, I'm probably romanticizing it. As my friend J. said, the reality of it with a kid this age is that you'll spend the time trying to get your child to NOT bash other kids in the head with their eggs or throw them at Secret Service agents.

Still, in the interest of serving you, my loyal readers, I will post the link, if you haven't already seen it, in case you a) happen to be interested in coming to DC for the event (on April 13th) and b) have a lot of time on your hands today:

09wheggroll.frontgatetickets.com

Good luck!

Construction Truck Extravaganza, Part Two

2009-03-25T13:07:00.004-04:00

I don't know if our county got a windfall via the economic stimulus or what, but there are - seriously - construction trucks on almost every corner in our neighborhood. Which makes it great when we go for our stroller walks. There's plenty to keep Kibi entertained so I don't have to worry about him suddenly deciding he wants to get OUT. NOW. (Which really screws up my jog/walk-for-exercise plans.)

The trucks are also great for mealtime entertainment. We spent almost an HOUR at lunch the other day, watching the digger, Bobcat (I don't exactly know what it does but it has a bobcat on the side, which is good enough for Kibi), dump truck and concrete driller (sorry for the lack of vernacular accuracy here) do their respective things right in front of our house.

Here's a picture of K. in "construction truck heaven," as I like to say.

Not That There's Anything Wrong With It...

2009-03-24T08:34:00.006-04:00

If you are ever walking the streets of Arlington, and you see a small boy driving a pink car like this one, just remember -- he's a modern man!

Not that there's anything WRONG with a boy driving a pink car, anyway.

At least, that's what I try to tell myself as we stroll down the street, Kibi jolly as can be while I feel the need to explain the car to every passerby we encounter.

Turning Over a New Leaf

2009-03-23T13:33:00.003-04:00

Several days ago I posted about my embarrassing rock-bottom moment when I saw a horrifying roll of "back flab" on myself in a picture posted on Facebook. Well, I'm still trying my darnedest to stick with my new, healthy living regimen ... with a few bumps along the way (namely last Friday when I was super-sleep deprived because the night before, Kibi's stool softeners decided to start working at 2 in the morning and he couldn't fall back asleep -- oh, well).

But for the most part I'm doing WAY better than I thought I would be. And I just purchased a new book that has got me excited -- yes, actually excited -- about my new plan and optimistic that I can make it work.

It's called The Complete Beck Diet for Life and it's about dieting with a twist - it incorporates cognitive therapy into the regimen so that you are armed with solutions to the many rationalizations that a person makes when they are trying to talk themselves out of eating healthy.

It's written by Dr. Judith Beck, daughter of Dr. Aaron Beck, a psychotherapist lauded as the "Father" of cognitive therapy. I first learned about Dr. Beck when I was working at the Institute of Medicine; he is an IOM member with a fascinating professional background. So, when I read about his daughter's book, as it was recently reviewed in the WaPo, I thought, Hey... this might be just the approach I need.

I'm only a few pages in, so I haven't jumped in to the dieting part yet, but already I'm geekily psyched about the preparations. She claims that the book will help you re-train your neural pathways to adopt healthier responses to cravings and snack attacks (my, and I suspect most people's, biggest problems). One way she does this is by having you write mantras on a card to read, and re-read, about the positives to be gained from sticking with your diet and, conversely, the negative feelings you will have after you cheat. I'm really intrigued. A close friend is a recovered alcoholic and told me that they learned about neuroplasticity during treatment as a means of rewiring their brain to cope with drinking triggers -- so I've always been fascinated by the process.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, but in the meantime, check out the book and let me know what you think!

Major Digestive Mystery REVEALED!

2009-03-19T13:01:00.003-04:00

OK, I haven't posted much about this on my blog, but for the longest time, Kibi's been struggling with a problem that I have no choice but to call The Great BM Mystery.

For long stretches at a time (5, 6, 7 days) he will have what looks like diarrhea, but it doesn't have quite the, um, volume that's consistent with diarrhea. It's more like a "splatter" in his diaper. And it happens frequently, as in 10 to 12 times a day on a typical day. When it gets really bad, he'll double over in pain when it's happening and announce that he's "pooping" or that his "belly hurts". Which just kills me, as you can imagine.

It's been like this, almost NON-STOP, since about the beginning of this year. And what's worse, when he has these episodes, naturally we change him like mad, which means lots of wiping, which in turn means lots of diaper rash (he has especially sensitive skin) and then he hates being changed, it becomes like torture, and so on and so forth.

Well, I was going nuts, wondering if it was some obscure food allergy (he's already been tested, and has only shown very mild allergies to milk, and tomato - so mild that the allergist said it's not worth changing his diet over) or something worse.

My pediatrician was also stumped, so she sent us to a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's National Medical Center. And, right away... she SOLVED the mystery!

He's got encopresis. Which you can also read about here, and here.

Phew! What a relief to know we don't have to worry about allergies or other, scarier problems.

So we've been given an OTC stool softener, which we begin tonight, for the first step of treatment: the "cleaning out." Fun, fun! But at least it means my poor little guy will be one step closer to being bellyache-free.

Construction Truck Extravaganza!

2009-03-18T13:39:00.006-04:00

One way you can tell that spring is just about here is the influx of construction and landscaping projects going on in and around our neighborhood. This means ... TRUCKS, glorious TRUCKS of all shapes, functions and sizes!

And so, we awoke to a glorious surprise: the County launched its water pipe replacement project in front of our house today. Wonderful news!

Kibi was rapt during breakfast, as we went out for our walk, and again when we came back (and tailgated on our front porch with snacks while we watched the crew work).

Here are some pictures of our excitement-filled morning.

[BTW, I don't know why my pictures are always scattered haphazardly over the page; I am not sure if this is a Blogger.com flaw or if I am doing something wrong when I post them. Anyone out there know?]

All I'm Going to Say Is...

2009-03-17T14:34:00.004-04:00

WOW, is this a good read, or what?

You mamas out there know what I'm talkin' about.

Butterflies! And Other Dreary Day Adventures

2009-03-16T14:23:00.004-04:00

It's a dreary, inbetween sort of day - not really freezing, but not warm enough to play outside. And so, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of 8 hours inside with no backup*, I quickly hopped on the Our Kids website to see what sort of fun, Kibi-friendly activities I could find in the DC area today. (Those of you who are local parents are surely familiar with Our Kids; if not, be sure to check it out -- for a small subscription fee, you get access to a comprehensive listing of fun things to do for parents and kids in the Washington, DC metro area. )

At the top of their Reviews list, I found the National Museum of Natural History's live butterfly exhibit, and I thought, "Excellent!"

I bundled Kibi up and we made the trek downtown. I hate to advocate against public transportation, but I didn't want to take a chance on a Metro ride going horribly wrong (see my recent Terrible Twos entry), so we took the car. And maybe it's because it's a Monday, or maybe because it's not yet Cherry Blossom season, aka CRAZYTIME, but whatever the reason, I found ample parking spaces right in front of the museum! Hooray.

The only drawback was what happened when we got inside. We were told that today, of all days, was the day the butterfly exhibit was closed due to a broken door. ARRRRRGH!

Nevertheless, we soldiered on, and I'm glad we did. We saw some amazing sights, from a deep ocean exhibit to a room full of lifesize dinosaur bones.

Kibi was NOT interested in the things that I thought he would be (lifesize dinosaur bones, wall-size tv screens showing schools of fish swimming, a huge room full of bugs on display) and showed interest in the things I was least expecting (an abandoned Smithsonian snack cart, public works employees sawing branches off a tree outside the museum).

Ah, well. As with so many things, I think he'll REALLY like this place in a year or two. But I still give today's visit an enthusiastic thumbs up.

And I think we're going to try and make our way back to that butterfly exhibit someday (it reopens as soon as tomorrow, for any of you who may be interested).

*"backup" = D-A-D

Add This One to Your BlogRoll

2009-03-15T16:20:00.003-04:00

I normally don't blog on the weekends, but I had to share something that's become a delightful part of my weekday and weekend fare: "The Poop," the San Francisco Chronicle's parenting blog.

Put it on your list of must reads immediately!

BTW, I just submitted this photo of me and my brother, circa 1979, to their Childhood Bowl Cut Challenge. At least now if my bro doesn't win, I'll have the satisfaction of having shared it with all of you, my dear readers. (And let me know if you have a bowl cut to beat his - I'd love to see it!)

Kibi's New Baby Cousin

2009-03-13T13:50:00.003-04:00

We interrupt this blog for a congratulatory announcement to Kibi's Uncle J. and Aunt J. upon the birth of their first child, a girl, the adorable Baby M. (oh, the lengths I go to protect our privacy!) She was born on March 10th in California after her mom went through (gulp) more than 60 hours of labor. Yikes!

Welcome to the world, little M. We are looking very forward to meeting you!

Blue Bomber

2009-03-12T14:42:00.002-04:00

K. is on an airplane kick. Well, I shouldn't call it a kick, because he's been interested in airplanes for at least the past year. But it seems like the interest has ratcheted up considerably lately -- so much so that everything is now becoming an airplane. His spoon, his crayons ... and our car.

Our car, a blue station wagon, has now become "Blue Bomber" (thanks to my husband) and Kibi just relishes it. A typical departure in the Blue Bomber (also often referred to as Bluey) goes something like this.

Kibi gets placed in his car seat.

"Copilot Kibi - buckled in? Check."

Mom closes his door and gets in the driver's seat.

"Pilot Mommy - buckled in? Check."

We back out of the driveway.

"Blue Bomber departs from the gate on the approach to the runway."

We turn down our street.

"Air traffic control to Blue Bomber: You are cleared for take off."

I report back to air traffic control.

"Pilot Mommy to Air traffic control: Roger."

We turn down the next street and, if there is minimal traffic, I step (lightly) on the gas ... at this point the "take off" morphs into something of a rocket launch, but Kibi doesn't know the difference, and besides, it is just another way to build the excitement.

"5... 4... 3.... 2.... 1. TAKE OFF!"

Vroooooommm, down the street we go. Pilot Mommy looks back at Copilot Kibi, who at this point is sporting an ear-to-ear grin. Definitely the best part of all for Pilot Mommy!

Houston, We Have a Problem

2009-03-11T13:05:00.003-04:00

OK, I'll just say it. A pooping problem. I don't know what's up, but K. has some sort of gastrointestinal funkiness going on, really on and off since he was born now that I sit back and put the pieces together, and we are finally going to get to the bottom of it. We're scheduled to see a pediatric GI specialist next Thursday, and I am so thankful.

The problem is multitudinous (is that a word?) pooping for long stretches at a time (3 to 4 to 5 or even 6 days). The substance is very strange, not solid, but not diarrheal either. It's like little splats at a time, but it goes on all day long. On a really bad day, we end up having to change him a dozen times in as many hours. And many times (but not all), he'll double over and whimper, announcing that his belly hurts. That's the worst part of it all.

I've gone nutso trying to link these episodes to what he's been eating. We did get an allergy skin prick test last summer (as you faithful readers will remember) and the only dietary allergies that showed were tomato and milk -- although the level was so low that our allergist said he wouldn't change K's diet as a result of it. And he drinks milk EVERY DAY, so my pedi confirmed that it couldn't be a lactose issue, or else the problem would be constant (rather than frequent-but-not-every-single-day).

For a while I thought it was the high fiber, grainy cereals that K. likes so much in the mornings, because after all, lots of fiber can wreak havoc on one's digestive system (not mine so much, but it really does it to my husband ... and I'll bet he really appreciates me announcing that here!). I consequently took out any heavily fiber-ous cereals from K's diet and for a few days it was better, so I thought we'd solved the mystery. Then, the mysterious pooping returned with a vengeance.

I have been noting the days it happened since February 1st. The result? He's had these symptoms for 5 out of the last 6 weeks, pretty much. We finally went to the pedi on Monday and she promptly referred us to a specialist. So, we're gearing up for the visit next week. I hope we'll get some answers once and for all. It's hard to see little K. miserable like this, and so often.

We Interrupt This Pity Party for... Some Photos!

2009-03-09T16:03:00.006-04:00

After I posted that last entry, I glanced at my page and realized that the blog has gotten quite text-heavy as of late.

So, here are some recent fun pictures of my favorite subject -- Kibi -- outside, enjoying this glorious warm weather!

I also included a pic of one of the two bunches of crocuses (croci?) that peeked through the brush in our garden a few days ago. I love this bright yellow color. The other bunch is a really rich purple -- so pretty.

Spring is really on its way - thank goodness.

I've Hit Rock Bottom

2009-03-09T15:38:00.004-04:00

So I did something that I hoped I'd never do. I untagged myself from a photo a friend posted on Facebook.

Why? Because I hated the way I looked. Specifically, the culprit was a very unflattering fat roll that made its presence known in a most forthright way. And more generally, well, I am a vain person. So there you have it. I'd rather not let an unflattering photo be linked to me, and if I have the technological tools at my disposal to ensure this, you are darned tootin' that I will use them to do so.

But ever since I did (last night), I've been nagged by What It All Means. (Do you know I have secret dreams of becoming a psychoanalyst?) And after much tossing and turning, the verdict is (duh) quite simple...

I need to get back on the frickin' exercise wagon.

Yes, I will admit it. I have completely thrown in the towel where my health and wellbeing is concerned.

I used to be a devoted Weight Watcher, but I've let my subscription lapse and I haven't actively counted food points since several months ago. And as for regular, cardio-centric exercise, I literally cannot remember the last time I went for a run. I dunno, I can blame a ton of things... the holidays, the cold weather, busy work projects, lack of sleep - none of which really work as excuses.

I got a jogging stroller for my birthday last year (April), and I remember a brief stint of using it, but I think somewhere over the summer my enthusiasm for jogging with Kibi waned, largely because he was going through a phase of trying to get out of his stroller at any cost. So I then used THAT as an excuse not to exercise, because after all, how am I ever going to fit it in while caring for a rambunctious todder? And so on, and so forth... blahblahblah.

But, the good thing about seeing that photo last night is that it was my "rock bottom" moment. It drove me to get my act together, diet and exercise-wise, more than anything else has these last several months. And I am now closing the deal by revealing all of this embarrassing information to all of YOU, dear readers, on my blog, as a way to add another layer of accountability.

So... I'm pleased to report that this morning, Kibi and I dusted off the ol' jogging stroller, and went for a 40 minute jaunt. I call it a jaunt because it wasn't actually 40 minutes of jogging (Lord knows I'm too out of shape for that) but it wasn't only walking either. (Yay, me!) A sort of walk/jog combo. Probably hugely embarrassing if I were to have observed myself, but I'm long past worrying about that sort of stuff. My current plan is that I'll ease my way into it, so that eventually I am back to doing a 30 minute run at least 5 times a day.

I also immediately got back on my Weight Watchers point-collecting regimen. Eliminating that mindless snacking is, admittedly, going to be a challenge. I do it WAY too much anymore, and working from home most days lends itself to unfettered access to the kitchen, which is DANGEROUS. But I'll work on that. I'll also try not to beat myself up too much - - after all, Rome wasn't built in a day -- but at the same time, I'm posting about this topic because this time, people, I AM SERIOUS. And you all had better hold me to this pledge of renewed health!

My friend (an faithful reader of this blog, btw) who posted the FB photo is so kind; I sent her a note last night telling her why I untagged myself. (I did that after much deliberation, because it was tempting to surreptitiously do it and not have to reveal my vain notions ... but after all, I DO want to be accountable.) She said she felt bad for posting the photo, but I assured her that doing so was, in fact, a GOOD thing. Because we all need to get that little kick in the proverbial derriere to jumpstart plans that we've been making in our heads for ages. And I will admit that I've been thinking about my diet and exercise slackness for... well, let's just say a lonnnnnnnng time now.

After all, if my friend L., a mother of three (including twin boys) all under the age of 5, can take care of her brood, run marathons (literally!) and run her own business at the same time, I can surely get on a diet and exercise plan that works while doing my work projects and taking care of only one active toddler.

So, wish me luck, folks. I'm off to calculate my WW points and plan some low cal meals for the week ahead. Stay tuned...

They've Arrived...

2009-03-06T14:00:00.002-05:00

Most parents of toddlers know that the Terrible Twos come way before the kid turns 2, but did you know it's possible for the Terrible Twos to arrive virtually overnight? Yes, I do believe 'tis true. It happened to us while we were in Florida.

All I know is, during the past week, someone must have found my adorably-sweet-irresistible-can-do-no-wrong baby and exchanged him for an obstinate, very opinionated, often crabby, very BOY-like toddler. By "boy-like" I mean exhibiting CONSTANT displays of roughness, such as climbing over, clawing, and pawing me at every opportunity and throwing fragile objects across the room with no warning and for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I mean, I hate to make sweeping gender stereotypes but, judging from the little girls I do know (who are all of course content to sit and play quietly next to their mothers at every playgroup I seem to attend), there is a distinctive quality to BOY behavior. And I always hoped my darling little Kibi would break the mold as far as the BOY-ness was concerned. But alas, no dice.

The most prominent behaviors I've noticed recently can be summed up nicely in one acronymn: BTNY. This stands for banging, throwing, NO-ing, and yelling. The BTNY seems to make its presence known now, at least once a day and often more. Here are some examples:

BANGING: Can take the form of banging cars on the sliding glass door, banging blocks on the antique china cabinet (why I have this precious family heirloom positioned prominently in his play area, I have no idea), or, my personal favorite, banging virtually ANY sharp or hard object on the poor cat. Repetitively.

THROWING: The most irritating way that the throwing surfaces is via mealtime. Without fail, when he is done eating, he simply picks up his bowl/plate/cup and throws it over the high chair tray. Either this, or he takes the remaining pieces of food, and throws them overboard, announcing that they are meant to be "Food for Scooby" (our cat). (I do have to give him points for a creative rationale.) Throwing also happens constantly at playtime. It's almost as if it's his way of changing the subject. Once he gets tired of playing with a particular toy - whooooosh, there it goes, across the room. I recently read a clever disciplinary trick for dealing with the throwing (thanks, MONA!) ... you take the toy that has been thrown and put it in "time out." Needless to say, everything from Thomas the Tank Engine to puzzle pieces has been relegated to Time Out Land over the last few days.

NO-ing: This is a clear hallmark of the Terrible Twos. Everything is "no, no, no!" Especially when it comes to dressing. I never thought a boy would give such a rip about what he wears (and, truth be told, I realize that this is not about fashion but rather about stubbornness), but every day when it's time to get out of his pajamas, we have a MAJOR tantrum. It usually consists of wanting to stay in his pajama top all day long. If we have nothing planned, I often fold (after all, choose your battles, right?) but Murphy's Law dictates that the temper tantrums will ratchet up especially during times when we have to dress in a halfway decent fashion. Sigh.

YELLING: This is the one that I noticed the most while visiting my parents. Kibi has always had a bit of an attention-demanding side that manifests itself when I am engaged in a conversation with someone, either in person or on the phone. (Lately it's been, "Mommy, OFF PHONE!" whenever I am on a call in his presence.) Well, the behavior has intensified, and now he simply hollers one word repeatedly, whenever I am talking with someone else. To wit: while we were riding in the car with my mom and dad, every time my mom or dad would tell me something, Kibi, from the back seat would start chanting, "MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!" until I asked him what he wanted. The answer? Silence. And then the whole thing would begin again. Oy vey.

Now, I am admittedly being a little dramatic in inferring that I now have a 22 month old brat. It's not ALWAYS that bad. In fact, this new "independence" (or whatever the strange new behaviors are about) has been accompanied by an increasingly wonderful aspect of his personality as well, one that is very loving and engaging. Some of the things he says now simply melt my heart. For example, "Mommy, I love you." Or, declaring "I love watching cars!" yesterday when we were outside in the yard counting trucks go by. It's so exciting that he is becoming even more expressive in his communication. He seems more affectionate in many ways, too, like when we enjoy a lazy morning in bed every now and then and he snuggles next to me, saying simply, "Mommy..." and I feel like the luckiest person on earth.

I guess that, like with everything, you have to take the good with the bad. And I know the Terrible Twos don't last forever ... (Right!?! Please tell me I'm right!)

We're Baaaaaack! And Some Observations

2009-03-05T13:22:00.004-05:00

DISCLAIMER: The following post is in no way intended to denigrate RV campgrounds or the persons who frequent them. To do so would be to denigrate my own parents, who are kind, loving, and good-hearted people. Both retired teachers from Ohio (which seems to be a target-rich environment for the RV Set), they have logged in more miles in their recently-purchased mobile home than anyone I know -- and the most important thing is, they are having a blast together.

HOWEVER, after having spent the last week with them at one in central Florida, I found the entire thing to be such a fascinating sociological study that I simply had to share my observations...

First, I must say that if you've never been to one, and if you have young children, I encourage you to do so. RV parks are wonderful for toddlers - especially toddlers like mine who are unaccustomed to big doses of nature and who have a postage-stamp sized area of grass that is expected to pass for a "yard" back home in Arlington, VA.

And yes, these places are also full of unique and memorable highlights for parents of said toddlers.

Here are some of the hallmarks that I found most noteworthy:

1. Bingo playing every Friday night (I attended my first game, surrounded by some of the most die hard grandmas I've ever seen, surprised that I actually sort of liked it after the first few rounds)

2. Lots, and lots, of yard kitsch (gnomes aren't even the half of it!)

3. Golf carts used as transportational (is that a word?) vehicles*

4. Dogs in strollers

5. Very rare sightings of people under the age of 60

It's funny because, although I spent much of the time musing about how different the environment seemed than the one I am used to, it got me also thinking about how often people's varying versions of "recreation" perplex others. I mean, who's to say one is better, or more interesting, than the other?

Some people choose to go to museum-hopping in the city for a weekend, others choose to set up camp in an RV resort. Hobbies differ from group to group. Some people think tanning booths are the best thing since sliced bread; others think they are horribly tacky. Some read books for fun; others enjoy scrapbooking. Some wouldn't be caught dead watching junky TV shows, while others relish reality TV. (I'm somewhere in the middle, for those of you who are curious.) Some choose to spend their free time shopping in a mall, while others drink up the fresh air at any chance they can get.

There are a lot of hobbies and pastimes out there, but one thing is certain. No matter who we are or what we choose to do, we're all part of a big, colorful, unapologetic mass of Americans having a good time when the workin' time is done. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

[*However, this may not be exclusive to RV parks as my brother, a Florida resident, says that this is a "Florida thing" in general.]

Spring Break, Here We Come

2009-02-23T12:17:00.002-05:00

As they say in Minnesota... UFF-da! I'm really dragging today. That's because I forced myself to stay up and watch the Oscars in their entirety and K. decided to wake up - and stay up - this morning at 5:30 am. I don't know what I was thinking. Oh well.

In more exciting news, this will be my last post for awhile, as K. and I are headed to sunny Florida on Wednesday to visit my family. Hooray! We'll be back at the end of next week.

I am really looking forward to warm weather, (hopefully) the opportunity to finish a couple of good books (I realize this is a most optimistic goal), and take advantage of free babysitters! Ha!

Take care everyone, and have a great week.

My Little Irish Rose

2009-02-20T13:51:00.004-05:00

Now that K.'s approaching what I like to call the "pre-preschool age," I've been looking around at the various options we have here in the northern Virginia area. I'm a bit daunted by the talk of waiting lists and (in some rare cases) interviews (!) that are required as part of the application process.

Amid all this talk, my husband and I often say that maybe the best preschool K. could ever have is what he has already with his grandma 1-2 times per week. My mother in law lives about 10 minutes away from us, and I take K. there on Tuesdays, when I work downtown, as well as on many Fridays for a wonderful "Mom's Day Out" sort of thing.

Well, the last time I came to pick him up imagine my surprise when she showed me how she taught him the words to a song! And not just any song, mind you.

They sang it together, my MIL singing and K. following along, missing lots of the pronunciations, of course, but doing his very best, and it made my heart just melt:

I've got rings on my fingers

Bells on my toes

Elephants to ride upon

My little Irish rose;

So, come to your nabob

And next St. Patrick's Day

Be Mrs. Mumbo Jumbo Jijiboo O'Shea!

It was an old Irish children's song I'd never heard before, but I looked it up when I got home and here's the scoop, thanks to a Yahoo! message board:

"'I've Got Rings on My Fingers' is a popular song written in 1909, words by Weston and Barnes, and music by Maurice Scott. It concerns an Irishman named Jim O'Shea, a castaway who finds himself on an island somewhere in the East Indies, whereupon he is made a king by the natives who like his red hair and his Irish smile, and they dub him 'Jijiboo Jhai.' He then sends a letter to his girlfriend, Rose McGee, imploring her to join him."

Hearing K. attempt, in his tiny high-pitched voice, "Mrs. Mumbo Jumbo Jijiboo O'Shea" just kills me, it is so precious.

My goal, now that I know the chorus, is to practice this little ditty with him so that we can videotape K. singing it for St. Patrick's Day!

A Very Good Day

2009-02-19T12:08:00.003-05:00

Sometimes young children will remind you to look on the bright side of things, even without realizing it.

That happened to us this morning -- paaaaaaaaaaainfully early this morning, as K. decided to get up at 5:50 am, begging and pleading for a bottle and, after I unsuccessfully tried to catch a few Z's while he drank his milk, demanding that it was time to "Play, play, play!" - and, when it happened, it sort of yanked me out of my feeling-sorry-for-myself-when-am-I-ever-going-to-get-to-sleep-in-again A.M. rut.

We were in my room, with the blinds drawn (because, again, it was painfully early in the morning, although by this time the sun was starting to creep out).

K. announced, "Mommy, open window... see Very Good Day!"

He was only parroting what I say every morning when we open the blinds, but at that moment, I realized how right that statement was. Of course! Why wouldn't it be a very good day? It's all in your perspective and how you view your own morning when those blinds go up. And, if my only concern in the world (at that moment, at least) was that I didn't get enough sleep, despite the fact that my family is happy and healthy -- well, I need to suck it up, to say the least.

I told my husband, who was in the other room at the time, and we agreed. I know it sounds like a Hallmark card, but it's true: Every day is an opportunity to start fresh, and K.'s words were the perfect start to what promises to be a Very Good Day after all.

Dogs: The Drama Continues

2009-02-18T13:14:00.004-05:00

After thinking maybe we had seen the end of K.'s weird collective alter-ego, "The Dogs," they seem to have resurfaced, big time.

Perhaps it's because he is just getting over an icky cold-like thing, so he's not at his 22-month-old best, but today, lemme tell you, he was in RARE FORM.

First off, he's reverting a bit (maybe, again, because he's sick) and demanding, I hate to admit this .... bottles.

[In the interest of full disclosure I should tell you that we are nowhere close to being a completely bottle-free household. In fact, bottles are still very much a part of our evening regimen. I try to justify it by saying he never sucked his thumb or took a pacifier. I also justify it by pointing to ample evidence (thanks, Us Weekly!) of a totally bottle-addicted, nearly 3-year-old Suri Cruise.]

Anyway... after offering every other kind of sippy cup under the sun, ("NO NO NO NO NO! WANT BOTTLE!") I gave in and gave him warm milk in a bottle, which he happily chugged for about 8 seconds, then proceeded to shake it upside down all over the kitchen floor, narrating as he went: "Dogs spill milk!"

Those pesky dogs emerged again today, at lunchtime. So... he's been eating very birdlike amounts at meals, but I've resolved not to stress about it because, again, after all he's sick and there are only so many times I can offer him various foods to eat. Well, after consuming a meager amount of macaroni and cheese, a handful of raisins (thank God he likes these), and some more milk (fortunately no pouring this time), he announced that he wanted Rice Krispies. Still feeling a little of that irrational parental anxiety that makes you insist to yourself that your child will wither away to nothing due to lack of food intake, I complied, pouring them into his dish.

He then took a handful, dumped it on his high chair tray, ate precisely 4 Krispies, and then THREW THE ENTIRE BOWL INTO THE AIR, YELLING "DOGS THROW FOOD!"

Two words... naaaaaaap time!

Lyle Lovett and My Son... Related?

2009-02-16T14:24:00.001-05:00

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

I Wish I Could be Fun and Amusing, But...

2009-02-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

... I'm sick. That means my brain is not functioning properly and you will be lucky to get a coherent blog post from me today. Sorry.

It's strange, I literally felt myself getting sick last night. First my ears started hurting, then that icky scratchy throat feeling, and by the time it was bedtime my nose was completely plugged. It shouldn't be surprising, as Kibi has had this since Wednesday. So the two of us are pretty pathetic today, sporting running noses and achy heads, and sleepwalking around the house. Fortunately, he just went down for what I hope will be a long nap, so I can be free to veg, sleep or do whatever it is that I'm going to muster the energy to do today.

Thinking "deeply" for the last 30 seconds, I've come up with some of the positive aspects about being sick:

You can wear "fat clothes" (ie, sweatshirt and sweatpants)

You can lie in bed and watch television during the day and not feel guilty

If your child is also sick, you can (bonus!) BOTH lie in bed and watch tv and not feel guilty

You can eat snack-y stuff all day rather than attempting a balanced diet (well, in my book, anyway)

You work the sympathy angle with your spouse/significant other

And now I'm off to do all of the above things... hope everyone else is doing well. Enjoy the three-day weekend! Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Three Friends at the Park

2009-02-12T13:43:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had an absolutely gorgeous day in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue with clouds skittering by, and everyone, it seemed, was out and about.

I took Kibi to the park to meet his good friends C. and S., and they had a great time swinging, playing on the jungle gym, and exploring.

During a bit of a break, we even managed to snap a photo in which all of them were actually LOOKING at the camera!

I love this, don't you? I'm going to save it and bring it out again at their high school graduations.

Have You Ever Been So Tired, Part 2

2009-02-11T11:59:00.003-05:00

So I did it again - two self-inflicted coffeepot incidents in two months.

This morning, I was sooooo tired ("How tired were you?") .... that instead of forgetting to put the coffeepot in the stand, I forgot to put the COFFEE in.

So when I rushed to the coffeemaker after hearing that glorious "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!" I was dismayed to find very hot... water.

Argh.

I'll Just Call This One 'Number 2'

2009-02-09T13:24:00.005-05:00

OK, there's no genteel way to say this, and what I am about to tell you pretty much directly contradicts the "clean freak" fetishism I described the other day, but I have to vent. So, here goes.

K. is obsessed with P-O-O-P. And not just saying it, but, um.... trying to touch it.

Yep, that's right.

I should also tell you that I am the biggest fecal-phobe you ever will meet. It took me months to be able to change K's poopy diapers without dry heaving. And those of you long-time blog readers will laugh to remember the near nervous breakdown I had last summer when I discovered K. juggling some sort of animal feces at a rest stop on our way to the beach. Don't even get me started telling you what happens to me when someone in my proximity has to unclog a toilet.

So anyway, I am probably being paid back for being overly sensitive to All Things B.M.

Anyway, I can't pinpoint it, but I believe K's obsession stems from a book we took out at the library recently, called Doggone Dogs. It's a charming book, really - perhaps a little "old" for K. (there's a lot of humor that parents will appreciate more) but he really took to the pictures of these 10 dogs and their crazy capers in the local dog park. The climax of the story (at least for us) comes when all 10 dogs decide to relieve themselves on the lawn at the park. The verbiage is very clever: "Call the troops, we need 10 scoops, to clean up all these doggone poops!"

Well, perhaps I enjoyed reading those lines a little too much, or with too much energy, because K. has nearly memorized them himself. And when it comes to diaper changing time, he sings them on cue.

You're probably thinking, "That's a little gross, but hey, it's also very cute!" No? Well, sure, except that now, he's personalized it to the point in which "The Dogs" have become a strange sort of alter-ego. To wit: lately, when I change a "#2 diaper," he immediately swings his hand around "back there" and tries to touch "down there", all the while announcing, "DOGS TOUCH POOP!" To which I of course say "NO NO NO! WE DON'T TOUCH POOP." To which he retorts, "DOOOOOOGS TOUCH POOP!" (as in, "You didn't hear me, Mom. I'm talking about the dogs, NOT myself, even though the person who happens to be reaching around to touch his own stool is, in fact, me.")

This also extends to other situations in which K. knows he should not be involved. Some of my favorites:

"Dogs throw food on floor!"

"Dogs boom head!" ('boom' = hit my own head on some sort of hard surface repeatedly)

"Dogs hit [our cat]!"

"Dogs splash water!"

And so on and so forth. It reminds me of that old Family Circus cartoon where the kids came up with "Not Me," the little Pillsbury Dough Boy-looking creature who always took the blame for any household missteps.

I'll admit that the "dogs"/alterego thing is sort of intriguing from a psychology perspective, but I just wish it didn't have to center upon my child's bowel movements. Because despite his using it in all of the above scenarios, the one he comes back to again and again is the peculiar announcement, "Dogs touch poop!" with the accompanying hand gestures.

All I can hope is that this, too, shall pass. Anyone out there have similar horror stories?

Like Mother, Like Son?

2009-02-05T13:34:00.004-05:00

When we were back home the other week I had the chance to scan some old pictures. I came across this picture of me, (above, bottom) at about six weeks, and was struck by how it reminded me of a photo that was taken of K at about six weeks as well (above, top).

Sorry K's photo is so dark - it wasn't one of the best in the series, but it was included in the complete set the photographer gave me and I was struck by how that pose in particular looked so much like my baby picture, that I had to post it!

Q-U-A-R-A-N-T-I-N-E?

2009-02-04T14:44:00.002-05:00

Have you ever seen that scene in The Aviator where a young Howard Hughes is being bathed by his mother and spells the word QUARANTINE over and over, and she tells him, ominously... "You're not safe." The perfect example of germaphobes gone awry?

Well, I am starting to worry that I am raising K. to be a similar clean freak.

Lately he's taken to announcing things that are unclean in any way, shape or form.

A crumb found on his high chair tray.

A drop of milk on his sleeve.

An errant piece of cat food on the kitchen floor.

And (my personal favorite) the floor of our car ...

In fact, the other day he announced, "Mommy, clean car!" To which I yelled at him: "Get off my BACK, willya?" Just kidding about that last part, but I'll admit I sort of felt like it. It's depressing when a 21 month old has to be the one to remind you that you're a slob.

Anyway, while we were in Ohio last week, this manifested itself in a rather humorous way, although I think my mom is secretly worried about him. My parents have a woodburning stove, and so part of the fun K. had was helping Grandpa build a fire in the fireplace, handing him sticks, kindling and cardboard, etc. One day my mom took him out to the back porch to bring in some firewood and when they returned, she announced that K. had refused to help her carry in any of the small logs: "DIRTY!" My mom professed surprise to see "a little boy who is not interested in getting dirty". Which immediately sent me into a tailspin wondering if my mother thinks my son is not demonstrating enough masculine qualities, then chastising myself for even worrying about this, then reminding myself, "Not that there's anything WRONG with that...", then repeating the process in my head over and over. Argh.

Anyway, I'm assuming this will be a passing phase like so many other things we've encountered the last nearly two years. Although it did slightly bother me that he didn't want to walk on the sidewalk outside of art class today because the brick walkway was "too dirty." But then, he went on to say that the sidewalk was also "too leafy" and, finally, "too bumpy". So I'm a bit relieved, thinking that this sounds more like the echo of one of those "That's Not My ______" touch-and-feel books so popular with toddlers.

In any case, I'll keep you posted... hopefully you won't have to picture me scrubbing K.'s legs raw, forcing him to spell Q-U-A-R-A-N-T-I-N-E to my satisfaction.

Pronoun Perplexity

2009-02-02T13:33:00.003-05:00

Here's a tricky one for ya: how do you teach a child the correct usage of personal pronouns?

I discovered the difficulty of this task after hearing K. say, "Hold you! Hold you!" and realizing he meant, "Hold ME." Of course he would say it the other way, though, since he is used to hearing me announce my intentions. At first I thought this was cute (well, it still is, actually) but then I started to think about how I would help straighten him out without complete confusion.

This also translates to other things, like, "Mommy, change you!" when we have a wet diaper. I've started gently correcting him by saying, "Change ME!" and usually he dutifully repeats me, but the next time he needs something, the "you" is back once again.

It's strange that the "you" comes only at certain specific times. All other times he uses his whole name: "K. eating"... "K. playing"... etc.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm sure the "you"/"me" mixup will work itself out eventually. Right now I am more amused by it than anything. It also reminds me just how amazing it is how quickly young children develop language, no matter how complicated our English grammar rules may be. It's quite a miracle!

Wrapping Up the Week

2009-01-23T20:49:00.004-05:00

We're catching up after a busy week. I'm exhausted. At the same time, K. and I are also getting ready to fly to Ohio tomorrow morning to visit my parents. We'll be gone until Wednesday. I gotta go pack!

For now, here are some pictures from Inauguration Week for your enjoyment. Three were taken from the roof of my husband's office during the swearing-in, and the other is of me and my brother at the We Are One concert. (Watching U2 perform live was one of the highlights of my week!)

I'll be back next week. Have a good one!