sprung

Spring has sprung. Last fall I meant to go crazy planting tons more daffodil bulbs, but then that kid Mimi showed up and all hell broke loose and it just didn't happen. But we do have a bunch blooming out there, and this is one of my favorite places to put cut daffodils. I have 3 of these little glass vases with suction cups on them, I think I bought them in Paris in the super-hip gay part of town. I love them. By "them" I mean the little vases. Though I do very much love the daffodils and the gays too.

switched at birth

Tonight Mimi was sitting on a blanket, happily gnawing on a toy. Delma did something that made Josh and me explode into a massive fit of laughter. Delly started laughing. After a moment we noticed a strange noise. We looked down and Mimi was bright red, sobbing, tears streaming down her face. I picked her up, but it was so absurd that it made us just laugh harder, and that made her cry harder. And Delly was imploring, "What's wrong with Mimi?!" We couldn't answer her, beyond the obvious that Mimi had been scared and confused by our loud and sudden laughter.

I know there's nothing particularly remarkable about that. But come on. In this house? We laugh A LOT. Loudly. And Delma is 2 and energetic and makes noise. And this baby is as jumpy and easily spooked as a cat. Weirdo.

Somewhere out there is a baby who smiles and laughs and wonders why she's stuck in a family full of people who always look like deer caught in the headlights. And we have that family's baby.

Prison on Mars and Venus

The other night Josh and I were watching something on TV where someone was in prison. I don't even remember what show it was. It clearly left quite an impression.

Josh said, "That's my worst nightmare." He meant jail, that the idea of being in prison was absolutely terrifying to him.

I could not relate. At all. All I could think was how awesome it sounded. You get a full night's sleep every night. Someone cooks your meals, you have time to exercise every day. People earn degrees while in prison. I could read books. I seriously think it sounds great. Aside, of course, from the fact that I couldn't see my family. But really, the sleeping and reading make it seem like a worthwhile trade-off.

And then Josh was all Hello? They rape and stab each other in prison. I guess that's true, but I can't stop thinking about what a lovely and refreshing break from reality prison would be. A girl can dream, can't she?

Son, your mother is a remarkable woman

Found this cartoon through Bible Belt Balabusta. Love it!

To lawn, or not to lawn?

It is like feast or famine lately with my job. Some days I'm trolling around looking for work to do, and then weeks like this one come along when I am absolutely pummeled with more than I could possibly get done. But being busy makes me happy and makes me feel actually productive and involved (imagine that!) and makes me -- wait for it -- like my job very much. Just in time for my organization to announce the latest in a constant succession of realignments, in which my neck is on the chopping block. Awesome.

And what's the best thing to do when you might lose your job? Why, spend $$ of course! We desperately need a professional to turn our blob of moss, boulders and critter holes big enough to break a leg in, into an honest-to-goodness lawn that we can feel safe letting Delma play on. Plus, after I get laid off I'll have plenty of time to enjoy it.

nice news coverage

This is a nice story that ran on the front page of the New Haven Register. It's about an Iraqi family that my synagogue, Temple Beth Tikvah, is sponsoring. Very cool.

slight improvement

Today was a marked improvement over yesterday. Delly got to stomp in some muddy puddles (a la Peppa Pig) at Chatfield Hollow. That girl digs puddles.

The minute we put the girls to bed, Josh literally walked straight from their room to the kitchen to whip us up some killer margaritas. We just sat on the couch, getting loopy and watching TV, shell-shocked after a rough couple of days.

Before I had kids I never ever ever could have even imagined that going to work on Monday morning would be a welcomed relief. Oy freaking vay.

Oh, these girls.

Baaaaaaad Day

Today was so awful. I can't remember the last time I had a day as bad as today. There were some breaks from misery, but, it was just a bad day. Mimi was a wreck literally from the minute she woke up this morning, and since it was my morning to get up with the girls while Josh slept in a little, I was with a crying, fussing baby since 5:45am. I had a whole post written about the day, but really the details don't matter. Thankfully the day ended on a high note, but still, by the time the girls went to bed I was a deflated mess.

In an effort to go to bed thinking happy thoughts instead of wretched ones, here are some of the evening's highlights:

Delma was sucking down a chocolate shake in the car while I drove around to get us out of the house and to get Mimi to take an extra nap before dinner... Delly was so in love with that shake, after a few mintes she stopped drinking and looked at me and gushed "Thank you, Mommy." Oh, my bursting heart.

After dinner Mimi tried finger foods for the first time. Banana. She had a few bites and chewed well -- but she was more interested in grabbing and playing with it than eating it, which was fine since it kept her amused for a while.

Then Mimi took a bath without her infant seat for the first time. She had a total blast, splashing water and chewing on bath toys. She didn't even come close to slipping, she's such a sturdy thing. Delma loved hanging out with us and "helping" me. She kept asking, "How you doing down there, Mims? You having fun in your bath?" (But when she says "your bath," it sounds like "you baff." So cute.)

Now it's me and a beer on the couch, watching Supernanny. I'm just too spent to do any fun crafting, which is such a waste of a free night (Josh is out at a gig). Oh well.

Tomorrow is a new day, etc etc. Serenity Now!

the girls

Josh had the day off yesterday. Daycare was closed. I had to work, though, so my crew had a Daddy/Girly day. I'm not used to being away from the girls all day unless they're at daycare. I kept getting distracted at work, wondering what they were doing and how they were doing. Of course they were just fine and having fun.

Bowling for Plagues

Here is our 10 Plagues bowling set for big Passover fun.



They're pretty much the cutest, happiest little ol' plagues you could ever hope to meet.

Happy Passover!

We had a seder tonight. It was us and our good friends Greg and Adrienne and their son Fletcher. He's two months younger than Delly, and she adores him. She calls him her "favorite boy." Our seder involved us mostly chasing toddlers around and keeping Mimi happy. It was a lot of fun, and of course we didn't take a single picture. Argh.

Josh made a delicious matzo lasagna, but mostly I just ate matzo with charoset and horseradish. And of course all the wine. I hope by the time the girls are old enough to have a clue, Josh and I will have our acts together to throw a real seder. We tried hard to do it for real tonight while making it as casual and as quick and kid-friendly as possible. We were really winging it.

I need to start reaching out to our Jewish friends to get real advice/info/tips on how to do the legit Jewish mom and holiday thing. I want to get it right.

pulling up her own damn pants!

Delma has always been a very independent girl, even as an infant. But for all her wanting to do things herself, on her own terms, there are some areas where she's been very passive, like in getting dressed. She has shown no interest in taking her own clothes on or off (except her socks, since Josh taught her to look for "treasures" between her toes. Hmpf.).

But all of a sudden, since she started potty training this week she's stopped fighting any encouragement to do other things herself, like pull up her pants etc. She want's pull-ups, she flips if we try to put a regular diaper on her. She happily climbs up into her booster seat in the car herself.

She talks a lot about how Mimi is "just a little baby," with the clear and unspoken contrast being that she herself is not a baby. Something has clicked in the past week or 2, and all of a sudden she's ready to grow up a little bit more. And it's made me want to baby her a little bit more. I'm happy to see her getting more comfortable with being a big girl, and I think it's good for her to fight for it a bit instead of us just handing it right over to her.

potty

Last night Delly said she wanted to start using the potty like a big girl. We've been talking about it with her a lot, trying to talk it up and make her interested, and it finally started to work. So we talked about her telling her teachers herself in the morning that she wanted to use the potty, to make sure that she was thinking about it and that this was her decision (sort of).

So they officially started today, parking her butt on the potty every half-hour, and she peed once! She was so excited and proud of herself. So now we're on board at home too, and though she does NOT like being taken away from playing or watching Dora to go sit on the potty, once she's there she's fine.

I think she finally gets it, and is ready. FINALLY. Having two kids in diapers really blows, and despite all the hassle and mess of potty training, we're thrilled. Now I'm just hoping Mimi will be one of those crazy kids that potty trains by 18 months. That would rock.

But first things first. This girl is getting bigger and bigger, right in front of our eyes. Wow.

Sister Sunday

At 6:30 this morning I was up, had a load of laundry going, checked email, and was all alone. It wasn't the sound of a crying baby or toddler that woke me, it was daylight coming through the window. The girls were both miraculously asleep... What a lovely way to start a Sunday.

We had a lot going on today, but it all went relatively smoothly, with very few tears. We made appearances at a few social gatherings, got shopping done, got some yardwork done, the girls had good naps, Josh got to kill some zombies, Delly got to go on swings at a playground and gather rocks and shells at the beach, and we ate dinner pretty much on time.

The day ended with the girls taking their first bath together. Delly and Mimi were both thrilled. It is definitely a 2-adult job, but it was so worth it. They are so into each other, it's a joy to watch them interact and love each other. Mimi stared at Delly all through dinner tonight, and then completely flipped out when Delma finished eating and left the table. They couldn't keep their eyes off each other in their bath, and were both giddy and splashing and just going bonkers.

I know they will likely have issues with each other during their lives and won't always like each other very much. But I am hell-bent on making sure that they each always have the other's back. My brother and I grew up under the same roof as virtual strangers, because we had no one around to teach us how to be a family. And while I do believe that the families we create for ourselves need not be exclusively biological, the sibling relationship is so special. Who else will understand what it was like growing up in your house, with your parents and your family? It's a critical bond, and one that I want Delma and Mimi to be aware of and to respect and appreciate.

But there's time enough to teach them. For now, it's enough and it's everything to look in my rearview mirror and catch them sharing a private moment, staring at each other, smiling, holding hands. It's enough to make my heart burst.

so many babies

I know so many women with babies due in the next few months. It was like this in 2006 when I had Delma, too. 8 babies just in my office, plus several friends... It was nuts. This is shaping up to be another year like that. And the first of many 2009 babes was born on Thursday.

Wee Madeleine is a big baby, just like her big brother O. Mazel Tov, Gillian, Andy and Oliver! Welcome to the world, Maddy!

NaBloPoMo

Thought I'd give NaBloPoMo another try... Day 3 and I'm already scrambling for posts. Ugh. Lamest un-post ever.

wall organizer

I am slowly but surely getting our family room into shape. Very slowly. Like one baby step every couple of months. One serious pain point is my sewing area. I finally whipped up one of these wall organizers from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. The area is still not actually organized though, so I'm not posting a pic yet. Soon!

our mornings

Here's a typical morning scene at our house, Beany on the bathroom floor gnawing on toys while we shower and get ready for work. She definitely still has plenty of fussy time, but the fact that she can happily sit and play is such a change from how she was until relatively recently, and it's such a relief and a joy.



When I took this picture, something about it seemed very familiar. Then I figured it out... Here's a picture from 2 years ago, Delly at the same age that Mimi is now, on our bathroom floor, wearing the same shirt. It says "SINGLE."



Look at all of Delly's hair! Damn, I am so pissed that most of Mimi's hair fell out. It's finally growing in now, but the only substantial hair she has is on the top of her head and just looks like a bad toupee.