Saturday, April 28, 2007

Quality Time

Well today was supposed to be our day with Joe. He tells me last night that we can take a drive and all spend time together in the afternoon. In the morning his buddies are going to come over so they can "drop a motor". But it will only be in the morning and then we will have him. Two'O'clock rolls around and he's just finishing up with his friends. Now he says that there's not enough time to go for a drive, apparently his friends are coming over tonight. Well thanks for letting me know. We decide to just go run errands. Joli plays in the grass while she waits for us. I get the impression grass doesn't taste good.




Then we came home and I made an attempt at tidying up before Joe's friends get here. I did some laundry...


It's nice to have help. Now I'm just waiting for a pack of wild boys to come over and mess it all up again. Oh well, another day gone.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Life's Interference

Well I'd love to be able to say that I've done a million creative things in the last few days. But truth be told I've been running around like a headless chicken. I had a friend in town that has a daughter just a few months older than Joli so it was like a great big play date! We learned the art of running around with two infants and all their baggage. I was not aware that my car could fit three strollers, five diaper bags, two car seat, two adults plus their bags, and six bags of groceries. My car also was lucky to serve as more than transportation. It was a changing table, nursing room, playpen, and crib as well. We had tons of fun.

While they were here I was also trying to get everything together for my day care. Which included taking my screaming five-month-old and two sixteen pound cats to the vet so the cats could get their shots updated. By the time we got to today, I was so exhausted that after dropping off more paper work, Joli and I cuddle on the couch and watched The Holiday. I thought it was very cute, but apparently Joli didn't agree because she slept through most of it. In any case, sorry I don't have any wildly hilarious stories, all I'm looking for is some sleep.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Just Beachy

The last few days have been somewhat overcast and cold, by my standards. But today we woke up and it was a beautiful sunny day. So, why not head to the beach? We put on our bathing suits, (mine was too small, Joli's was too big).


Then we changed again, and headed to the car. We got to Coronado and called a friend who lives there. After stopping by her place, we headed to the beach. Now for most people, happiness sets in once you're out on the warm sand, listening to the waves crashing on the shore. But something triggers in my child, and she goes "Oh crap, mommy's relaxed!" So apparently this makes it the perfect time to scream. She's tired, she's rubbing her face on her blanket, but she can't just enjoy the warmth. She starts pulling on the blanket, shoves her hand into the sand, and then rubs it all over her face. Now she's mad because she's covered in sand! So we gave up and left. She fell asleep in the stroller and we spent the rest of the afternoon at an outdoor cafe, sipping ice tea.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Aphrodite

I woke up this morning and decided that today I would not look like a mom. So while my tiny angel slept ...

I broke free from my drool covered sweatpants, and released the sex goddess from within!

Pajama Party

One of my favorite things about being a mom is how much fun I get to have. So tonight we had a Pajama Party!!


We were all snuggled up after a fairly cool bath. Then we blew bubbles!

What's more fun than riding on mommy's knees?!

Then we ended with a nice stream of drool. My kind of night!

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Flannel Frenzy

For those of you that know my Fairy MIL, you have probably heard the stories of me staying awake for days on end and completing quilt after quilt. Last year I started six and finished five, all while working full time and carrying what I would like to refer to as my tiny time bomb. Since this fiery creature as emerged, I have only managed to start one quilt. Although I have done several scrapbooking pages, and I am working on my third scrapbook for my four month old.

Now many would say that this is completely understandable, and that I have actually completed quite a bit, especially those who know my child. (Her idea of a fun afternoon is to see at what octave it will take for mommy to rush her out the door and into a stoller or car seat.) But for me it is this tiny little leprechaun that is sitting on my shoulder and saying "Ha ha, you're not done yet". See it has been more then two weeks and not only have I not completed the quilt, but I only have TWO BLOCKS!! I know I can no longer be superwoman, but I will finish it this year!


Okay you've waiting long enough. These are the blocks that I started in February. They are made out of the recieving blankets my daughter has grown out of. There will be many more and in several other colors.



Single Parent

When I was pregnant with my daughter I was watching a t.v. show about moms and the things they struggle with. On this particular day there was a woman on who was about seven months pregnant. She had been having complications in her pregnancy and was scheduled to have a c-section the following month. The problem she was having was that she had a two- year-old son who would be staying home with his father for the three days she was going to be in the hospital. Now most people would be thinking at this point "What the problem?". The thing about this family was that the mother did everything. Not just in the way that most mothers do everything, but in the way that the father had never in over two years been alone with his son. So I'm watching as this mom is teaching her husband how to make macaroni and cheese and feed to the child (no child at that age should be being spoon fed, but that's another argument).

Now the whole time I'm watching this I'm thinking, "What is the matter with this woman? She has a perfectly good man around to do things and yet he does nothing!" Of course me being all high and mighty say, "My husband will never be that way, we made this baby together and we're going to take care of her together!"

So at this point I should explain a few things about my husband. My husband is wonderful. He is sweet and caring, and like me, a hopeless romantic. That is when he is physically and mentally here. Now the times when he is out doing training missions I completely understand, because of his job he can't be here all the time. Then he comes home and it is somewhat of an epic battle but eventually he will get off the computer, and spend time with his family. He has his hobbies and his toys, and it is very important for someone with a high stress job to have some time to play. I am very understanding of this.

The problem comes in when he is taking care of the baby. I have always said that I would not be one of those moms that is constantly standing over my husbands shoulder telling him what to do, and I don't. I am really good about putting her in his lap and walking away. But he always finds me! She whines and he doesn't know what to do. She's chewing on her hand so he thinks she must be hungry. "No sweety, she's teething." I say for the fourth time that day. "Well she won't stop fussing." So I explain that he needs to be entertained. "Play with her, and know that watching you play video games is not entertaining at any age!"

So here I am trying to give my husband time with his child, (and me some time to try and remember a song that doesn't have 'Baby Einstein' in the title). I'm trying to let him do things his way; and I feel like I have to teach him everything. I understand he hasn't been around a lot of babies, but not a lot of first time parents have. Just because I've spent the greater majority of my life taking care of babies does not mean that I'm doing it the "right" way, I'm just doing it my way. I mean I get called into the bathroom while he's changing a diaper, now granted this can be tricky, but he taught me how to put on a clothe diaper!

I am holding on to severe hope that it will get better as she gets older, and that I will not always be the one doing the "Stop Your Tears" song and dance. For now I will just put on a smile and say again, "You have to play with her, hunny."

Friday, April 20, 2007

More Than Mama

I started this blog in order to have my own little jar to place my thoughts. I am also part of a web page of moms. The problem is that you have to be a mom to be part of that web page. So I have a myspace account. Unfortunately most people think you have to be young to have a myspace account. I found another group of moms and then another. Several groups in which I visit and contribute, but never just one space that is mine. Some place where anyone that can get online can look. A place that belongs only to me. My husband can't erase anything, the baby can't pee on it, and it doesn't have an endless amount of cat hair. This is the place that is left with only the essense of me. It will reflect my life. Not just as a mom, or a wife, or a babysitter (I hate that word by the way!), but as a woman. A woman that only chooses to remember the parts of her childhood that involves rope swings, swimming in the river, and climbing trees; that has a dark side, that comes out when the city closes in. A woman that has a sweet side for those she loves; and that may seem quiet at first, but will rock your world once you get to know her. I am a woman, wife, mother, daughter, and friend. I am me, and this is my jar of thoughts.