Breakfast with Santa

Operation Happy Holidays!

This weekend, the babies and I are going to put together a care package to send to my cousin, Doug. Doug, who is just a few days older than I am, is currently serving with the US Army in a war zone (see how in tune I am with OPSEC – I'm not posting exactly where his unit is, just that it is in a war zone). Doug has spent his whole adult life serving our country, and now, at the ripe old age of 42 (I can say that, 'cause I'm 42 myself) he is still serving! So, we want him to know how much we love him and appreciate all the sacrifices he's had to make. OBaby is especially excited about making a care package. She's not 100% sure she remembers who Doug is (she's only seen him twice), but she knows that he is part of our "fambily" and that's all that really matters. I've been checking on line to see what kinds of things we should send. Personally, I haven't sent a care package overseas since the days of Desert Storm, the Original. Then, I was sending them to boys I'd been stationed with in England. So, we'll go out tomorrow and stock up on trail mix and gum, beef jerky and playing cards, and candy and magazines. Then, on Monday I'll be making a trip to the post office since Monday is the deadline for sending packages before Christmas. Did you know that you can get a flat-rate box and the post office that will allow you to ship anything that fits in the box, regardless of weight, for just $8.95 since military APO addresses are considered domestic mail? What a bargain! If any of you would like to send a care package to a service man or woman in a war zone but you don't know anyone who is currently serving, you can go to the web site called Soldier's Angels that will match you with a soldier who you can "adopt". Unfortunately, there are lots of men and women over there who don't have anyone at home to send them any mail. I know we plan to send plenty of stuff so that Doug can share with the others in his unit. It's a little thing we can do for those who do so much for us. Hey, if you don't want to adopt a soldier, email me and you can just send a package to Doug to share with his unit! Come on, I'm trying to make this easy for you!

Conversation at the Bus Stop

Ying’s babysitter (aka ABIGAIL’S Mama) lets the neighborhood kids wait for the bus on her front porch on rainy mornings (like today). As Ying and I were on our way in this morning, I had the following conversation with the kids:

Little girl: How old is that baby?

Me: She’s 2.

Little girl: (sounding surprised) 2?

Me: Yeah, I know, she’s little for 2.

Little boy: She looks the right size for 2.

Little girl: Unt-uh – she looks like she’s still in her zeros!

Older boy: Yeah, but she’s pretty.

Little girl: (still sounding like she doesn’t believe me) Yeah, she is pretty.

Baby goes Bowling

From the Mouth of OBaby

OBaby really likes to talk. A. Lot. As in, all the time. As in, I now have a running commentary on my daily life. It can be exhausting, but at times, very amusing. Take last night. We were on our way home, and OBaby commented on how see can’t see really well when it’s all black and the moon is out. She said, “I need some glasses so I can see things the way blind people do.”

Huh?

I was going to ask about that, but by the time I stopped silent-laughing, she had moved on to the next topic.

Trick or Treat (Tee-Tee-Tee)!

The girls had a ball trick or treating (tee-tee-tee, as YBaby said) last night. Olivia had been planning her costume –Hannah (“H-A-N-N-A-H”) Montana, since August. If you don’t know who Hannah Montana is 1) count yourself lucky and 2) O looked just like her. I decided that Ying-a-Bing, my little Autumn Flower, should be a flower, in Autumn. See how that worked out?

First we dazzled everyone one in our neighborhood. Ying wasn’t so sure about the whole process, but once the idea of candy in her bucket was introduced, she held on to that bucket with a two-handed death grip. Even Momma was not allowed to help carry it. Later, we moved on to Aunt M and Uncle J’s house so that they could “oohh” and “ahhh” over the babies. E and a friend took them out for even more trick or treating. I’m not sure who had more fun there, the babies or the big girls!

Remember the nice old couple who live on our street? The ones who stopped by to talk the night I was taking out the trash in my pajama pants and Ying had a blow out diaper? Yeah, sure you remember them. We stopped by their house. The best part of the night – when we were leaving there, OBaby gave them each one of her great arms-wrapped-around-your-knees hugs totally on her own initiative. They were both so happy to get a hug! What a sweetie she is, huh?

Just so you don’t think my kids are perfect, Ying did demand “MORE” from almost every person handing out candy and had to be forcibly removed from more than one candy bowl. What can I say? It was CANDY!

Pretty Pouty Princess

Olivia’s school, being rather “culturally diverse” (there are kids in her class from several different countries), chooses not to celebrate certain holidays such as Halloween. So, instead, the 4/5s had a “Name Parade” where they celebrated their names. No costumes, but some cute paper crowns and sashes. As you can tell from the pictures. OBaby was NOT really having a good day.

She did manage to smile once, and her offical school pictures came in today, too. Note to self: Next year, get O's bangs cut before school pictures.

Being Momma

Last night, ok very early this morning, as I was sitting with YBaby trying to will her to go back to sleep, she looked up at me and smiled and said, “Momma”. Sigh. I love being Momma. OBaby called me Momma for a long time, then it was Mommy, then she moved on to Mom, and now, occasionally, an exasperated “Mother!” But, she never calls me Momma any more. Only YBaby does. I guess it is a baby thing. And I like it. I like the “Momma!” screamed through the house when she is looking for me. I like the “Momma” whispered with a grin when we are being quite. I even like the “Momma” called through sobs with little arms held high for Momma to pick her up. The best Momma, of course, is the running, screaming, feet dancing one I get at the end of a long day when I pick her up from the sitter. I know that some day soon, Momma will give way to Mommy, and that’s nice, too. But there is something special about being Momma. I hope I get to enjoy it for awhile longer.

It Will Never Be Just Another Day

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied
Who told me time would ease me of my pain!
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide;
The old snows melt from every mountain-side,
And last year's leaves are smoke in every lane;
But last year's bitter loving must remain
Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide!
There are a hundred places where I fear
To go, -- so with his memory they brim!
And entering with relief some quiet place
Where never fell his foot or shone his face
I say, "There is no memory of him here!"
And so stand stricken, so remembering him!

--Edna St. Vincent Millay

At the Pumpkin Patch

Baby's First Hair Cut

We went to Chicago on Friday and spent the afternoon in Chinatown. I decided to stop and get Olivia’s bangs cut (see Sammy picture below). While we were there, the ladies in the shop convinced me that Ying needed her hair cut. I was reluctant since she has so little hair, but they were right. It just needed to be cleaned up a little so it will all grow in more evenly. Of course, YBaby loved being the center of attention!

Mom Song

If you haven't seen the U Tube video of the Mom Song, go check it out! I had to watch it a couple of times because it is just so funny.

Help Chinese Orphans Carry the Olympic Torch

Jenny Bowen, mother of two girls adopted from China, is in a competition to be one of the few foreigners allowed to carry the Olympic torch in China for the 2008 games. Jenny founded Half the Sky Foundation, an organization that works to improve the lives of China’s orphans. The Bowen family moved to China 3 years ago to be closer to their work. If she wins. Jenny will be running with the children – 8 orphans from 8 different provinces will get to be part of this amazing event. Can you imagine what a thrill that would be for these kids?!? If you want to vote for Jenny, just click here. You can only vote once from each computer. Thanks!

Ying Rules!

We had our 6-month post-placement visit today with a new social worker. She has to write a report to send to China to let them know how Ying is adjusting to her new home. Well, let me tell you, Ying was ON! I swear, it was like she was trying to impress the woman. First of all, she came to the door with me and said “hi’ when B walked in. Then, she proceeded to put on a little show for her. Ying showed her how her favorite toys work, and danced for her, then she came and sat in my lap and talked up a storm. I couldn’t quite catch everything she was saying, but I think the jest of it was, “This is my house, and these are my toys, and this is my Mama, and I like it here very much. Please tell China that I would like to stay here because they give me everything I want. I rule this house!” Well, at least that’s what I got out of it.

So, I don’t think we are going to have any problems getting a favorable report. And, as an added bonus, my house it so clean it shines. I was actually up at 2 o’clock this morning mopping my kitchen and bathroom floors. You know, there are just some things you cannot do when 2 children are awake! Of course, B didn’t actually want to see the house, but if she had asked to use the bathroom, she would have been impressed, I’m sure!

Out of the Mouth of YBaby

Last night, as I was trying to get YBaby to go to sleep, I was telling her what a good girl she is and what a good girl Jie-Jie is. When I said “Jie-Jie is a good girl”, YBaby responded, “I yuv Jie-Jie.” Man, she is just too cute for words.

One thing I swore I'd never do . . .

I entered Ying’s picture in a photo contest at Baby Zone, and she was selected as one of 8 toddlers in this week’s competition. Actually, the contest is supposed to be about the best picture, not the cutest kid. Of course, in Ying’s case, she is both! So, if you have a minute, drop by and vote for Ying! She is in the Toddler competition. Yes, I’m totally shameless!

Half a Year

As of today, I have been Ying’s mommy for 6 whole months. Yes, 6 months ago today that tiny little bundle of clothes was brought to my door at the Gloria Hotel in Nanchang. I remember thinking, “That can’t be her. That’s a tiny baby.” But it was her, and she might have been tiny, but she was tough. She went through some hard grieving and seriously tested my mothering skills (my strategy, hold back and let her come to me, which she eventually did). The first week was horrible. The second week was bearable. And each and every day, it just gets better.

My tiny girl is still tiny, but she has really started talking up a storm lately. She has a whole slew of new vocabulary words. Right now, her favorite game is to tell me “Be right back” as she walks away from me. She will turn around and yell “bye bye” a time or two, then go out of my sight (usually around the corner). Then she will run back to me with her arms out for hugs and say “I yuv ooo”. Apparently, this is very, very funny. More funny if it is repeated approximately 27 times. The girl has a wicked sense of humor. She finds everything funny, especially her own jokes. Boy, does she ever fit in with the rest of our family!

It’s incredible to think what Little Miss Ying has been through in 6 months. She left her home and her nanny. She left her birth country. She came to a place where no one looked normal or spoke a language she could understand. So, she learned the new language. She learned how to walk. She learned how to eat American food (and lots of it!). She learned how to drink out of a bottle, then with a straw, then out of a cup. She learned what it is to have a sister and a mommy. She had surgery to help her see better and make her eyes more comfortable. And she’s done all of this in just 6 months! I can’t wait to see what the next 6 months will bring!

Freakin’ Frackin’ Foot!

So can I just admit that it was less painful to live with the ginormous cyst in my foot than it is to have it gone? The surgery was 7 weeks ago, and my foot is still killing me. So, I had my follow-up appointment with the surgeon yesterday. It seems that my foot still hurts because it is infected. Great. I got to experience the joy of something they call “scraping and draining” without any pharmaceutical intervention. I only cried a little. Now I have a lovely crater on my foot - .7” long, .3” wide and .3” deep (oh, yeah, they measured how deep it is. Let’s not do that again, please.). I have to keep it packed with gauze that has to be changed daily for the next week. Plus, I’m on oral antibiotics for 10 days. So, on the eve of a 3-day weekend I’m about to spend with 2 extremely active little girls, I am once again hobbling around in pain and unable to do anything cool – like go swimming in the lake when we visit my sister tomorrow. Oh, yeah, and I if have a fever, chills, nausea or vomiting I’m supposed to go directly to the emergency room. Lovely.

Ok, I’m done whining now. You can feel sorry for me if you want.

See How She’s Grown

Yesterday the girls both had physicals – OBaby for preschool and YBaby had her 2-year-old check up. Both babies are wonderfully healthy. YBaby needed to have some immunizations – 3 shots for the poor thing. Of course, she handled it well. Two minutes of crying, then she was her old self. She was a little whiney last night and early this morning, but it was no big drama. The good news is that YBaby has grown 1 ½ inches and gained 3 pounds since her doctor’s visit 5 months ago! She really is getting bigger. Now, she is as tall as the average 16 month old and weighs the same as an average 7-month-old baby. I would say she is tall and skinny, but since she isn’t even on the height chart for a 2 year old, well, she ain’t exactly tall.

The doctor was thrilled with her progress – especially her increased strength and muscle tone. The last time he saw her, she couldn’t stand. Yesterday, she couldn’t sit still! She was running around the exam room and playing hide and seek with her sister in the curtains. He also got to hear lots of her chattering and was impressed with her communications skills. He is the father of 4 internationally adopted kids, so he really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to orphanage delays. To me, the most amazing thing is that this was her first visit to him since we came home 5 months ago. She has seen her specialists for her surgery, but we haven’t had to have one trip to the family doctor. This kid has got one heck of an immune system. OBaby caught every bug in 3 counties her first 6 months home. Heck, I got to witness childhood illnesses I’d never even heard of before (Hand/Foot/Mouth, anyone?)! But YBaby, knock on wood, is a healthy girl. And a smart girl. And beautiful. And funny. And sweet. Yeah, I kind of like her!

First Day of (pre)School

Yeah, School!!!!!!!!! Yeah, sister, too!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Ok, so we drove all the way down to see you, spent two days at your house, and not ONCE did I think to have the girls say happy birthday to their dear grandma. So, today OBaby says, "Happy Birthday, Grandma. I love you really much, and I hope you have the most special birthday ever." YBaby says, "Ah-pple! BITE!" Really, do I need to interpret that?
Happy Birthday, Mom!

Saying Good bye to An Old Friend

Today, I had to do the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I had to make the decision to have my dog, Marbles, put down. He is 11 years old, and I’ve had him since he was 4 months old. He is my longest lasting relationship, and he has been a true friend to me for more than 10 years. I love the old boy.

The first time I saw Marbles, I thought he was blind in his left eye because of the color. He had one brown eye and one blue – they looked like a pair of marbles (hence the name). He was at that awkward not really a puppy, but not a grown dog either stage. I knew the first time I saw him that he was supposed to be my dog.

The first months were rough. He destroyed everything in his path. We tried crate training, and he ate the pad in his crate. We let him play outside, and he ate the hot tub cover and pulled all of the landscape lighting up out of the backyard. I literally had to stand between him and Bill that day to keep Bill from pummeling him!

But, he outgrew the chewing and became a well-behaved dog. Ok, so he flunked obedience training 3 times, but that was more me than him. He just knew that I wasn’t mean enough to be the boss. Oh, well. He still had pretty good manners – no jumping (except on my sister) and no licking people’s faces (I hate that!).

We had a few rough times and nursed him through a couple of serious illnesses. At times it seemed silly to spend that kind of money on a dog, but back then, we had it to spend, and we felt like we’d made a commitment to care for him.

When Bill died, Marbles became my reason to get out of bed in the morning. He mourned with me, he comforted me when I cried, and through it all, he just loved me. What more could you ask for from a dog?

I’ll admit, Marbles was more than a little put out when O Baby came home. By then, he was used to it just being the two of us, and he really wasn’t interested in sharing his mamma with that “thing”. But, in time, he grew to well, ok, I won’t say love, but he grew to accept her. I think he realized that she was important to mamma, therefore, she became important to him. For her part, she adored him. Her first attempt at his name, “Waba” became a nickname that stuck, even after she learned to say Marbles.

By the time Y Baby came home, Marbles was pretty much resolved to the fact that he was never going to be top dog again. He accepted her right away, and she thought he was ok, too. Marbles was a good little mother’s helper. He would come find me when the baby was crying, and I could always count on him to clean up the floor after a messy meal.

It’s a horrible thing to have to decide to let your pet go, but it is the biggest responsibility a pet owner has. Knowing that I did what I needed to do doesn’t make at any easier. I love that dog, and I would have held on to him forever if I could. But, it was time. Time to say goodbye, buddy. And I like to think that Bill is there, waiting for him on the other side of Rainbow Bridge – in a place where they can play tug and share cheeseburgers again.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

And Baby Makes . . . 19????

Ok, I admit it. I have this sort of freaky fascination with the Duggar Family. You’ve heard of the Duggars, right? The family that just welcomed their 17th child? Yeah, you read that right, these people have 17 kids – all of them biological. Mama Michelle has spent something like 11 years of her life pregnant, and she wants MORE KIDS. Um, Michelle, me thinks perhaps you might have a bit of a problem. Like maybe you are addicted to making babies. Really, 17? I read that her doctor “ordered” her to stop having babies about a half a dozen kids ago, but apparently she didn’t listen. I’m thinking instead of a gyno, this woman needs a psychiatrist to figure out why she needs so many kids!

So, you might wonder, how do 2 parents raise 17 kids? Easy, they make the older kids raise the younger ones. Each older kid has one or two “buddies” that they are responsible for taking care of. Nice, huh? Plus, the kids are responsible for cleaning the house. The 15 year old daughter has to make lunch every day (for the whole heard) while the 17 year old girl cooks dinner – every night. The family home schools (sure, don’t let the kids out into the world where they could see that not every 12 year old is expected to dress, feed, bath, and baby-sit a couple of toddlers every day). The older kids spend the mornings teaching the little ones. Ok, so with all these older kids taking care of the little ones, and cleaning the house, and the two servant girls doing all the cooking, what exactly is Mama Duggar doing all day (ok, I’m not going for the cheap, obvious joke here!)? The only thing I’ve found that she actually does (besides act as over-seer) is facilitate “financial freedom” seminars. Yeah, apparently despite having more kids than sense, the Duggars are debt free. They recently built a house using their little angels as unpaid laborers. Really, little kids hanging dry wall and swinging hammers.

So, what’s my problem with all of this? Yeah, of course I’ve got a problem with it. As a single parent with just 2 kids, I see how hard it is to spend time with both and to give each of them the amount of attention they crave. So, how in the world can two parents possibly do this for 17 kids? How do you ever spend one-on-one time with a child when there are 16 others competing for your attention? And what does it do to a child to be just one of the heard? People who adopt children from overseas worry about the fact that the children don’t have individual care-givers, and that they don’t get to bond with a parent. How is having 17 kids with only 2 parents really much better than an orphanage? Ah, but the little ones do get individual attention – from their buddies.

That’s my other problem with this – kids being forced to act as de facto parents for younger siblings. How fair is it to a pre-teen to make him/her have total responsibility for one or two toddlers? When do the big kids get a chance to be kids? And who is nurturing them while they are nurturing the littles? Not to mention the amount of housework these kids are expected to do. A 15 year old being forced to cook lunch for 19 people every day sounds like a violation of child labor laws! It’s just wrong on so many levels.

So, the Duggars feel that kids are a gift from God, and they want as many gifts as God is willing to give them. And, hey, while they’re at it, they aren’t turning down gifts from anyone else, either. These two media whores have sold their story to anyone and everyone. They brag about being debt-free (isn’t bragging a little “flashy” for such a “simple” family?), but they never mention the “assistance” they got from The Learning Channel (one of two networks to do specials about the family) to build their house. They say that they dress the way they do as so as not to draw attention to themselves, but they jump in front of a camera every chance they get, turning their kids into a bunch of freaks growing up in a freak-show.

It’s sad, it’s disgusting, and it’s like a train wreck – I just can’t look away. Mark my words, one of these days, we are going to see Duggar neighbors on TV saying “Little Joshua/John-David/Jill/Jessa/Jinger/Joseph/Josiah/Joy-Anna/Jedidiah/Jeremiah/Jason/James/Justin/Jackson/Johannah/Jennifer* was always such a sweet child. I’d never would have expected him/her to become an axe-murderer.”


*Yes, all 17 kids names start with the letter “J”. It just adds to the freakiness.

Ba, Ba, Ba, Baaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear, I’ve never met a kid who loves to take a bath like Y Baby. She would probably willingly get in the tub 10 times a day if I would let her. Really, I’ve never seen anything like it. The girl loves her baths. I would say she is a total water baby, but um, the swimming pool? Not so crazy about it. I think she prefers the quite, confined nature of the tub. But hey, she LOVES to take a bath.

So, here’s the story. Last night, she was in the family room, and I went into the bathroom to run a bath for the girls. O Baby followed me, and started undressing. I few minutes later, I hear Y Baby coming down the hall. She gets about half way to the bathroom and hears water running – so she starts running! She comes running into the bathroom yelling “Ba, ba, ba, baaaaaaaaaa!” and pulling at her dress trying to get it off. She gets in the bathroom, and stands in front of me yelling “Ba, ba, ba, baaaaaaaaaa!”, pulling at her dress, and her little feet were just dancing all over the place. The girl was soooooo excited to get to take a bath! I got her clothes off, and she was trying to pull her diaper off – ‘cause apparently Momma wasn’t moving fast enough. When I finally got her “nake” she started trying to throw her little leg up to get in the tub by herself. Now, if you’ve seen her, you know she was in no danger of actually getting that little leg up high enough to get into the tub, but you have to admire the effort! O Baby and I were both laughing out loud. I wish I’d had a video camera so you all could have seen her! Once she was finally in the tub, she was in heaven! She lays over on her side to get her hair wet. She blows bubbles. She will even float if Momma holds on with both hands under her. She likes to wash her own hair (like big sister). Then, once she is done (that is, once the water gets too cold) she wants OUT. NOW. She likes to get wrapped up in a towel and have Momma hold her like a tiny baby. Sigh. Who knew kids were so much fun?

Ying Turns 2!

Saturday was a big day at our house. My little baby celebrated her second birthday - her first at home with her family. I wanted to do a simple birthday - cake and ice cream with just family - since Ying has no idea what a birthday is or what it means to be 2. Well, lucky for her big sister is on the job, and big sister knows birthdays. She informed me that we needed a fancy cake, balloons, and decorations. Way to go, O. You look out for your baby sister! So, we had sort of a mini-party. As expected, the birthday girl had no clue what was going on. She woke up from her nap kind of grouchy, and it took over an hour for her to start getting into the party. The cake and ice cream bored her. The presents were mostly overwhelming – until they were opened and she realized that there was cool new stuff to play with. Then, we finally started to see some smiles.

The girls are starting to play together a bit more these days. The new favorite game is mommy and baby. O is the mommy, and Y is the baby. I have to get some pictures of O pushing Y through the house in the doll stroller (which is actually just Y’s size!). The funniest thing was to hear her calling O “Momma” and then looking at me and grinning. Yeah, she knew it was a game. At one point this weekend, Y yelled “Momma” and I answered. She gave me that ‘Oh, please, no one is talking to you look” and said “no”. Then she turned towards O and yelled “Momma” again. It’s so cute to see her little brain figuring all of this out. I know the girls play mommy and baby at daycare, so she is used to hearing O and G calling each other ‘Mommy” and “Baby”. I’m just surprised at how quickly she has learned the game!

And Some Days, It Doesn't

Some Days, It Sucks to be Me

Yesterday, I finally drug myself in to see a doctor after a week of trying to convince myself that I just had a cold and it would pass (sinus/ear infection – not going any where without an antibiotic). So, I take my little script and head off to pick up the girls, knowing that we will have to go to the drugstore after dinner.

We get home, and Ying is in the family room crying hysterically. I figure she is hungry and tired, so I take her an apple slice and some juice to hold her over until I finish dinner. I go back in the kitchen, she is still screaming. Five minutes later I realize that she is screaming because she has her finger stuck in the straw hole of a cup. For like 10 minutes, she had her little finger stuck in this lid. I stood right beside her, gave her a snack, and didn’t notice the cup stuck on her hand. I am the world’s worst mother.

I go to look for Blue Bear to comfort her, only to realize that BB is missing. I call the sitter and learn that BB is lying on the street in front of her house. She gets him and sticks him on the mailbox so I can just run by and pick him up.

We eat dinner, and I load the girls into the van for a trip to the drug store and to get BB. Plus, I promise OBaby we will go through the car wash (the girl LOVES the car wash). We drop off the script, and go get BB. Ying is very happy to have her bear back. As we head back toward the car wash, OBaby starts to complain that her head and tummy hurt. I’m thinking she needs to go potty, so I’m not overly worried. We get to the car wash about 7:04 – they closed at 7. Of course they did! So now, OBaby is REALLY crying, and groaning “Oh, my tummy hurts.” I’m thinking I’m getting drama because she didn’t get to go to the car wash. We go get my antibiotics and head home.

At home, I offer to hold OBaby since she feels bad. She is lying across my lap while I rub her back. About 5 minutes later – ACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She pukes all over me, her, the chair, the carpet. I get her to the bathroom before round 2 begins. Ug. I get her cleaned up and calmed down and clean up the puke.

Then I remember that it is trash night, so I need to put the trash out. OBaby is on the couch in her underwear whimpering because, like any normal person, she hates to throw up. I gather the trash and promise her I’ll be right back in. Of course, she starts crying because she wants me to sit with her. I go to the garage, and grab the cans thinking that I hope none of my neighbors are out since I’m barefoot and in a dress top and my mauve pajama bottoms with big paisleys on them that are like a foot too short for me. Yes, I’m stylin’!

I get to the curb and realize that YBaby has followed me outside. Ok, that’s fine. Then she takes off down the sidewalk (her favorite game – make Mommy chase me). As I jog after her, I realize that she’s had a blow-out diaper and there is poop running out from under her shorts. Lovely. I grab her, turn around to see a van pulling over to the curb. It’s our elderly neighbors from down the street who just adore the Babies. Great. Anyone else and I could have excused myself with a quick “Baby’s got a dirty diaper”, but not the Nice Little Old Couple! I hate to be rude to them. So, here I stand in front of my neighbor’s house wearing ridiculous pajama pants with a shirt that totally clashes, holding a dirty baby and talking to old people while trying to act like I don’t have a hand full of poop. Ug.

I finally escape back into the house and plop YBaby into the tub. I get her cleaned up, stand her up so I can dry her off and what does she do? Of course, she pees in the tub.

Hey, if all this happened to you in the same night, I know I’d think it was funny. As for me, I was left wondering if you can really cop a buzz off of Scope and cursing the day I gave up drinking.

Glimpse of the Future

My sister sent me this picture of OBaby taken a couple of weeks ago. When I first saw it, all I could see was how grown up she looks. This is the face she is going to have when she is a teenager. I don’t see baby in it at all – just the woman she’s going to be. Where oh where did my bald little baby go?

Under the Knife

Ok, so I haven’t posted in a few days. I’ve been a little preoccupied. Friday, I had a little operation on my foot. Nothing major, I just went into the hospital and had a rather large chunk of something removed from my body. No big deal, right? Well, maybe not for normal people, but for me, yeah, BIG DEAL. First of all, I hadn’t had surgery since my tonsils were removed by Dr. Scissorhands in 1972. That didn’t go so well. I ended up back in the hospital bleeding profusely. My sister did, too – same doctor, same hack job. So, naturally, I’m a little cautious about letting people near me with scalpels. Then, there is the fact that I am a big baby and don’t like pain. So, overall everything went ok. The first IV went horribly wrong and I spent half an hour trying not to hurl or pass out. But, after that I got some happy juice, so nothing else really mattered. In the future, I think I would request the happy juice much earlier in the process. I did manage to win $10 from my surgeon during the surgery. Yeah, you read that right. While I was being operated on, my surgical team was playing musical trivia. I was just lying there, drifting in and out of consciousness, humming along to “Blinded by the Light” (ok, I may have been singing out loud, what do I know? I was loopy.) when I heard someone (found out later it was the surgeon) ask if anyone knew who wrote that song. Oddly enough, I did. Then he said, “$10 if anyone can tell me who wrote that song.” Now, I didn’t know if I could speak, or if anyone could hear me, but I squeaked out “Bruce Springsteen”. I heard the anesthesiologist say, “And the patient says Bruce Springsteen”. I was right. They all cracked up. I really don’t think they expected the patient to be playing the game. So, at my follow-up appointment tomorrow, Dr. D owes me $10. Hey, I figure it’s a small price to pay considering everyone in that room will be telling that story for years! So, when I’m feeling better I’ll post some new pictures of the girls. They are doing great – adjusting nicely to Mommy with the Boo-Boo Foot. O Baby has been a big help, and Y Baby has only stepped on my foot one time. Not bad considering she has adopted her sister’s habit of climbing Mommy like a jungle gym. Oh, yeah, and in case I forgot to mention it, Darvocet ROCKS.

Bathing Beauties

Baby Fish

Peek! a BOO!

Happy 4th of July!!

Freedom From Clutter

Anyone who has visited my house in the last, oh, year (ok, maybe not that long) will understand the significance of this photo. Today, I declared my independence from the mess that was the girls’ room. Man, do I feel better!