Saturday, February 18, 2006
Power-napping
Catching a few zzzzz's. Storing up energy for some Noni and Popi time!

Awww, you shouldn't have!
Noni is showing Emma her new Valentines bling.

BoHo baby
Like the shirt? Mommy and Emma were both wearing embroidered tunics today. She's playing with Mommy's cool new pen she got from Noni and Popi.



UPDATED: To show you we weren't wearing the SAME embroidered tunics. That would be kinda goofy (a little bit?) It's damned hard to take your own picture!

Obligatory trip to Target
I had a list. It included medicines and new pink shoes for Emma and the new Strawberry yogurt flavored shredded wheat, which to my shock and amazement they had. Noni bought the giant bag of popcorn and a drink when we got there and Emma was her best buddy for the rest of the trip. That girl put down some popcorn. She has quite an appreciation for being spoiled. BTW, I spared you the picture of us eating lunch at McDonalds AGAIN.


Friday, February 17, 2006
Helping Daddy
He's loading his Mountain Dews, otherwise known as the Elixir of the Gods, into the refrigerator. Emma is helping him pull the cans out of the box. Such a good girl.

Emma's joke
She thinks it's the funniest thing to try to close the closet door on me when I'm hanging up my coat. Of course I make such a fuss over it, how could it not be funny?
Back on the wagon
Daddy pulled it from the front porch. We had to warm it by the stove first. Then they did laps around the downstairs. When Emma's riding it she's just frozen, it's hilarious. M. assures me she really does like it.

Thursday, February 16, 2006
Attention! Again
Blogs are popping out all over! We've added another couple of blogs to the blogroll. Check out the spanking new Travelin' Texans (Katherine), Walter's Little Home (Walt), and Rambling Muse.

I don't really have a set policy about my blogroll. But I'll tell you my feelings on the matter...I like to support new bloggers who I know; I just hope that it will catch on with them and they'll enjoy it. I like discovering new blogs. If they're interesting I will hang around and check you just about every day. If I link someone I would hope for some reciprocity. A one-sided relationship is pretty unrewarding at our level of blogging. None of us are blogging superstars, we're just people who enjoy making connections and love reading good stories. Here's my one other requirement, you have to update fairly regularly. Two reasons you might be delinked from my blog are failure to update or complete lack of reciprocity. I'm not saying that as any sort of threat, that would be silly, we all do this because we enjoy it. I am just telling you my thoughts on the matter. So in other words, It's not that hard to get a link here ;)
Dinner with Grandma G. and Uncle K.
We were invited over to celebrate the birthdays. She fixed shrimp, Red Lobster style biscuits, cole slaw and baked potatoes. Dinner was topped off with butter pecan cake. When we got to the house Emma found the little downy bear, which you can barely see smashed underneath her as she lays on the cat's bed.

Vroom Vroom
One of the coolest things I find about being a parent is when your child starts exhibiting a behavior you know they didn't learn from you. Or your spouse. We got Emma a couple of matchbox cars for Christmas and when she started pushing them around she always made a car noise. It actually sounds more like a siren. We'd never done that. She had to have learned it from the boys at the babysitters. Pretty cool.
Uncle K's present
Emma got a small present for Uncle K. He and M. share the same birthday. We got him a box full of 12 different NASCAR tins with peppermints in them. He's really big into NASCAR so we thought he might get a kick out of it. After he opened the present Emma took the cars, one by one, over to the coffee table and did a lap with each one. By the end it looked like a demolition derby.


Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Now the bad news
Emma got a burn today. She went to touch the light on top of the brand new vaporizer in my room and stuck her hand right over the vent of steam. She cried for like 30 seconds and that was the last I heard of it. Hours later I realized it was worse than I thought because she had a pink mark spread between two fingers. Then a few hours after that she had a juicy blister popping up. Ugh. I had no idea it was that bad. We put some ointment with lidocaine on it, but I swear when I touched it she smiled. Crazy girl.
A riot of color
I've been dying to put these tights on her. And Daddy's birthday seemed like the perfect occasion. Once she was dressed I decided that the flowers might have been pushing the color too far, but alas, we don't have a plain jumper. So, just enjoy the colors.


Now she's vogueing.


Dressed to go out on the town.

Birthday Time!
Emma and I met Daddy after he got off work and took him out to dinner at the Inn. Emma behaved beautifully. Everyone enjoyed the meal. Emma and I came home and got the packages out and waited for Daddy's arrival. Here she is putting the final touches on his birthday card.


She's helping Daddy look at Mommy's birthday card.


Daddy with his big birthday present...his very own 2GB iPod Nano, in black.

A package from the Germans
M. received his birthday package from Bro and SIL and the kids today. Right on time. He brought it home and opened it right up. You'll be glad to know that everything arrived intact, as shown by the picture below. He was really impressed with the pilsner glasses. Seriously. I know you all were worried but he totally liked them. Before he left for work again he put a beer in the fridge so he could christen one tonight.

He was really thrilled with his stars. He said he was way overdue for a promotion and was pretty impressed with himself that he jumped from a two-star to a four-star general. He's already been into the chocolate. And you all will be pleased with me because I made him wear his sticker back to work. He'll have it on the rest of the day, I promise you ;) You guys did good!


In case you can't read it, the sticker says "It's my birthday, wanna spank me?"

More thanks from M.
I finally let him look at his email and he was very happy with his gift from Aunt Patty and Uncle D. He got an Amazon gift certificate. He doesn't know it yet, but he'll be able to use it to buy accessories for his big birthday present. He was very grateful for all the nice ways people remembered him today.
Got to go for a walk
It was 51 degrees when we left the house. Along the way we saw a raccoon, but I hedged too long waiting for the perfect picture and it disappeared. The second photo shows Emma chilling out with her foot propped up on the windscreen.


Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Valentines Day Rocks!
Emma is enjoying a cupcake from one of her little boyfriends.

Valentine Booty
Here are Daddy's gifts to Mommy and Emma. Emma got two roses, for her second valentines day, Daddy said. Daddy also got her the Russell Stover heart and Mommy got her the heart full of M&Ms.


Mommy received a dozen red roses and her own Russell Stover heart. Daddy also made us supper and we had King crab legs! Yum! A fraction of the work for a lot more meat. Way to go Daddy!

Overheard in the kitchen
"Oh by the way, don't be surprised if Beaker starts puking tonight, I can't tell you how many fuckin' crayons he ate."

Backstory: Last night M. was awakened by the sounds of Beaker (the chocolate lab) horking up his guts in the corner. When he got up to clean it up he found about three pieces of tennis ball. Beaker has the culinary discernment of a billy goat.
What not to do with crab crackers
Thankfully no injuries this time.

Your attention please...
I've recently added a few notable new blogs to my blogroll. If you have a spare moment you might want to check out Growing up Guacamole (Jessica), Misadventures in Mommyhood (Deanne), Relaxed Alert (B.), and Texas Happenings (DJ). I expect you all to be very entertaining, so don't let me down ;)

Open call: If there are any other bloggers who frequent this blog and would like a little linky love please let me know.
Stop the presses!
I figured out what's wrong with me. Look at your calendar...yesterday was a full moon. That has to be it. Carry on ;)
Agitation update
One consequence of talking about your feelings on your blog is that someone who loves you might actually want to talk to you about it and examine what is going on...lol. Thanks Mom ;)

So upon further navel-gazing here are some thoughts... The restlessness excalated once I had my Germany tickets ordered, so I may be more upset about leaving Emma than I realize. I'm a worrier. What if something happens to us? That sort of thing. I should probably get some wills in order before we go. Heavy thought, but it needs to be done anyway. I am very anxious to get on with the trip now that I know it's really going to happen.

Another thing that's bothering me is that I've been told that we won't know if the store is earning us anything until our taxes are done. So I'm waiting to find out that, as well as find out if we get a refund or we owe, and how much either way. Usually I do my own taxes but the store's bookkeeper is going to do them this year and M. hasn't given her the stuff yet. We need to know if the store is doing decently before we can make a decision whether to have another child. I've already given all my paperwork to M. but it's still sitting on the kitchen counter. Hellooooo? Big things riding on this, do you think you could move it along please?

I'm not sleeping well lately, but you already knew that. To compound the situation Emma woke up hollering last night. I got up four seperate times to calm her and M. did it twice. What is up with this kid? We'd go in there and she was still laying down, often with her eyes closed, hollering like crazy. WTF? If we poked the paci in she'd stop, but 6 times? I have no idea.

There's a little extended family agitation and unfairness that weighs on me. I just want everyone to get along, why is it that your family often has some of the most challenging people to understand? I just don't get their perspective sometimes. I love them all, but sometimes it's harder than others.

And to cap off this lovely day a 25 year-old girl/neighbor up and died. No known underlying medical problem except obesity. Still, most people don't die from being fat, especially not at 25. From what I could see she had a short, sad life as somewhat of an outcast and it just seems so unfair that she didn't have decades more to make it better.

I'm done whining now.
Monday, February 13, 2006
I'm agitated
Edgy. Kind of unhappy, but not really. I don't know what it is. Cabin fever I think. I feel like I'm anticipating something, but I have no idea what. I need to get out more, but there's nowhere to go here. Nowhere. I have to cross four mountains to find civilization. I used to be susceptible to depression in the winter. Perhaps from the lack of sunlight, a common malady. But I didn't suffer so much last year. But I can't go outside because it's bitch ass cold here, and I'm sick of it.

What's wrong with me? It's not like I don't have an outlet, and people to talk to. Ugh. I can't wait for Spring.
Another Nakey moment
OK, someone just decribed this exact thing to me the other day. Emma was standing there naked, holding her diaper and distracting Mama. Next thing I know she's squatting down rubbing her hand in the pee puddle on the carpet. Wheeeee!

I can't believe we spend so much of our lives repulsed by pee and poop. When you become a parent it's just part of everyday life. Although now that I think about it, my immunity probably only extends to Emma's waste products. TMI but true nonetheless.
New development
She's running up and hugging our legs now. It's very cute. And when we got home she sought me out for a kiss. Ahhhh! Now this is rewarding!
Cleaning up her toys
Definitely worth a picture, and maybe marking the calendar. Daddy was handing her the blocks and she was "nesting" them.

Sunday, February 12, 2006
Sadly, you have to ask
Men aren't mind-readers. I know this. But still, you would think after a year and several months that my husband would have offered at some point to take care of Emma in the morning so I could sleep late. Nope, not once. OK, maybe once a long time ago. But my memory is vague so obviously I wasn't impressed. So seven days a week I'm the one to get up with Emma while he lays about 30 or 40 minutes longer. Sound fair? Yeah. So this week I asked him to get up with Emma on Saturday mornings. He has to work Saturdays anyway so it's not like he's missing a big chance to sleep forever. If I can stay in bed till 8:00 a.m. I feel like I've enjoyed a major indulgence. Yay for Saturdays!
Under the weather
Ever so slightly. First of all, Emma slept until 8:30 a.m. This was highly unusual. When I went in to get her she was sounding froggy. Her chest was rattling a bit. Uh oh. I decided not to give her anything but just monitor the situation closely all day. You could tell she wasn't hitting it at 100% today. Maybe 85%. You wanna hear the sad thing? When she's sick she's the most lovable dollbaby. Quieter, more subdued, more cuddly and content. I don't think it slowed her down too much, but she was more tired than usual. I set up a warm mist vaporizer in her room tonight with some Vicks in it. I hope she's in good shape in the morning.
Hit a short productive streak today...
Did four loads of laundry, swept the kitchen, cleaned out the fridge and both freezers, washed the nasty containers from the fridge and put all the laundry away. I'm looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow. Being snowbound is boring.
The Joy of Mommy's hair
I told you about this last week. Today I was getting brushed with the remote.



Emma takes charge
Yesterday Emma decided to start leading Beaker around by his collar. Thank goodness he's a genial and patient dog. He outweighs her by four times at least. But I'd see them walking back and forth in front of the kitchen door.