Shrooms?
Anybody know what this is? There were several growing in our carrot patch. It seems to be some sort of mushroom.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Forty-Four Months (and then some)
Dear Peeper:
You turned forty-four months old (or "three-and-two-thirds" as I've told you to tell people) about a week ago, but since we were in Texas at the time, I'm just now getting around to writing your letter.
It seems that last month, I wrote mostly about your goody habits, so I thought an update on that would be in order. Mostly, you're about the same, but four days in a row this week, you did not nurse first thing in the morning.
On Monday, we were getting ready to head home from Texas. You were up really late the night before, and finally went to sleep around 11 pm. I have no memory of you nursing during the night, but it's possible that you did (we were sharing a bed, so I might not have woken up enough to realize it).
I got up before you in the morning, to finish up packing, and when you woke, I was sitting on the bed putting my shoes on, so you didn't have to cry for me to come to you, but you also couldn't just roll over and latch on. I picked you up for a snug, and you didn't think to ask before we went potty, and started getting ourselves ready to go.
We were travelling the whole day, and the only time you asked was just as we'd gotten buckled up for the plane to land, which wasn't going to work, so you ended up going about 24 hours before your bedtime goody.
You haven't gone that long without nursing since your surgery, and I haven't gone that long without either nursing or pumping since you were born!
Then, on Tuesday, Mommy heard you call out when you woke up, and she got up so I could sleep in. (Thank you, Mommy!) You were fine with getting up to play with her, and didn't come in to the bedroom looking for goody for an hour or two.
On Wednesday and Thursday both, you woke up around nine (after late nights), and when I took you to the potty, you told me that you were up, and didn't want to go back to bed. Then, about an hour later, you asked to nurse.
Then, last night, you went to bed at a more reasonable hour, but at 5:40 am, you were up for a trip to the potty, and then back to bed for goody. We were both awake for almost an hour, but then we slept and goodied until we had to get up at nine.
So, hell, I don't know what your plan is there. I suspect that if I'd said, "Hey, let's go have some goody in bed!" you would have been game, but I am moving more and more toward "don't offer, don't refuse," and you weren't asking, so I let it go.
I do have to say, though, that whenever it does actually go away, wake-up goody will be the session that I miss the most - because it's the snooze button!
What I won't miss are the middle of the night, back to sleep after potty sessions, and there have been less and less of them lately. Typically, I get you up to potty on my way to bed, and lately, you've been making the trip pretty much in your sleep, and conking right back out when I put you in bed. Then you're almost always good for the night. That I can live with.
You still nurse to sleep every night, of course, although twice recently, Mommy's been able to get you to sleep without much drama when I've been out with friends at (and waaaay past) bedtime, which is really, really nice.
And you usually nurse at least one other time during the day, but not always, and it may be two or three quick drive-bys.
You are definitely well on your way to weaning, which you are doing at your own pace, and which you'll be finished doing in your own time.
Of course, nursing a kid your age, with your mind, is quite an adventure. On the Fourth, we were sitting in the Target parking lot with a bunch of strangers, waiting for the fireworks to start, when we had this conversation:
Mama: Stop wiggling around in my lap, just snug.
Peeper: We can just snug?
Mama: Yes, just snug.
Peeper: We can't get goody?
Mama: Yeah, this isn't really a good goody place.
Peeper: Why?
Mama: Well, remember, goody's kind of private. (This is a new concept that I'm kind of trying to introduce.)
Peeper: I'll keep you covered.
Mama: But you can't see the fireworks, all you'll see is me.
Peeper: We can get goody before the fireworks.
Mama: Well, hell, you've shot holes in every argument I've offered, so c'mon. (As I unhooked my bra.)
This is the way your little brain works.
You are a thinker, and a figure-out-er and a problem-solver.
Even if it's not your problem, you still offer solutions. Many times, Mommy and I have been discussing some grown-up thing, when you say, "Maybe you could . . . " and sometimes you come up with some pretty good suggestions, or at least ones that certainly seem like they'd been good, based on your understanding of the situation.
One day, I said to Mommy something along the lines of, "It's not like everybody can come," and you said, "Yes, everybody can come!" When I said that, no, everybody can't come, you said, "Maybe everybody can take turns."
One evening, I was out of the room while you were bathing and heard you say "I have bubbles!"
When I went to check, you had your bottle of head-to-toe kid wash open and underwater.
Arrgh.
I said, "How am I going to bathe you tomorrow?"
You thought a moment and suggested, "Maybe you could pour the water (in the bottle) on me?"
Well, yeah, that was my plan, actually, but I was TRYING to be dramatically rhetorical to make you feel bad about figuring out how to create your own bubble fun.
Don't spoil it with your damn problem-solving skills!
Sometimes you do get a little confused, though.
Mama: Do you want some watermelon?
Peeper: NO!
Mama: Let's try again. Do you want some watermelon?
Peeper: NO!
Mama: Think about how to answer politely. Do you want some watermelon?
Peeper: (thinking, thinking, thinking, then very politely) Mama, please no.
The next day, I had a towel over your head after your bath and:
Peeper: Where are me?
Mama: Where are me? Really?! Try that one again!
Peeper: Please, where are me?
Walking into KMart one day, you looked around and says, "I see a bunch of yucky vinaigrettes on the ground!"
"What?"
"Yucky vinaigrettes."
"Wha . . . ? Oh! No, Honey, those are yucky CIGARETTES."
"Oh. Does that rhyme?"
One day I went outside where you and Mommy were playing, and you asked me "Are you happy?"
I didn't understand why until I found out that Mommy had just said, "Mama's not going to be happy" that you'd picked some teeny baby peppers from the garden.
So, we had a little talk about not picking them until Mama says it's okay, because if we let the pepper stay on the plant, it will get big and turn red, and THEN we can eat it.
So, you took the pepper back, headed for the door and said, "OK, I'll be right back."
Um, no honey, we can't put it back on the plant!
One day you were playing with my shoes and left them across the room from where I'd put them. Later, you picked one up and said, "Mama! You have lost one shoe!"
Gee, I wonder how that happened?
You're not always so logical, either.
One night, you had a stuffy nose and were waking up hourly. One time when I went in, you were muttering and crying in your semi-sleep, "I don't want purple!"
On the way back to bed after pottying, I asked, "You don't want purple?" and you said, "I DO want purple!"
I have no idea what that was about.
You have great taste in music. On day, I started the car and the radio came on, so I turned it off.
You said, "I want some music."
"Okay, Honey, what do you want to hear?"
"How 'bout 'Ring of Fire?'"
One morning, you set up your drums in the hallway. You were playing when Mommy came out of the bedroom.
You said, "It worked! Mommy woke up!"
Oops.
You also have great taste.
While trying on shorts at the store, I asked you, "So, how does my booty look in these?"
You said, "Just right!"
While having frappaccinos with Aunt Frappa (!), you were taking more than your fair share of mine, when I suddenly realized something.
Mama (to Frappa): "Did I say decaf?"
Frappa: No.
Mama: Peeper, that's not decaf.
Peeper: Oh well!
The night that we got home from Texas, I overheard you and Mommy talking while you were jumping on the bed.
Peeper: I'm having fun!
Mommy: You'd better stop that. There will be no fun-having in this house!
Peeper: Here goes some fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!
Sometimes it seems that you've learned a bit too much from us. One day you were playing with a musical birthday card from, oh, 8 months ago. It's not playing right anymore, so you said, "This card is a pain in the patootie!"
A couple of days ago, you sprayed your tangle remover all over your computer monitor, and proceeded to try to "wipe" it off with your comb. When I told you not to do that, you said, "But I'm trying to clean off this frickin' thing!"
You are also very into dressing up in rather elaborate costumes of your own design (such as Santa or Doctor or Bee or Prince) and acting out the stories we've read or watched or ones that you've just made up all on your own.
I've learned to ask from time to time, "Who are you?" so I don't get in trouble for calling you by the wrong name!
I've also learned to talk to (and for) any number of inanimate objects around the house, because that's the best way to get you to do something.
Mostly, I've learned that you're still getting more and more amazing each and every day.
But that's really not news.
I love you, little girl.
Love,
Mama
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Prince Peeper
It was about 94 degrees outside this evening, when I finally couldn't put off the grocery story any longer. Peeper was wearing her prince "costume" and didn't want to change, so I let her keep it on.
I figure I'm either the Worst Mother Ever or the Coolest Mother Ever.
Of course, she was the belle - um, beau - of the ball, but I did have the following conversation with one employee:
He said, "Oh, it's the Burger King Princess!" and I said, "Actually, she tells me that she's a prince, and I'm not arguing with her."
He then said something along the lines of, "I just can't call a female a 'prince,'" so I told him, "Well, sometimes she tells me she's a puppy, and I don't argue with that, either."
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Little Firecracker
I told Peeper that, for the Fourth of July, I'd make her hair "look like fireworks."
How did I do?
She and I went over to A's house for a July 4th cookout, and I made my "traditional" (I made them last year) cream cheese flag dips. This is the savory one, with black olives, salsa and taco cheese. I forgot to get a photo of the sweet one, with blueberries, cherry pie filling and pecans.
We had a great time, until Peeper bit little H, and then after sitting out of the sprinkler-and-kiddie-pool fun for a while, being told that if she did anything else to hurt anyone, we'd have to leave, she hit C on the head.
Sigh.
So, that little shindig was over for us.
We then went to Lowe's and made a quick stop at Target for an exchange, and then watched the fireworks from the Target parking lot.
With several more "talks about hitting" in between.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
In the Dark
Updated 7/7/12 to add details in photos.
Our power has been out since about 8pm. I have some photos on my camera of Peeper and me "camping out" in the sunroom, but you can't see them until we have power. Oh well.
First we went outside and chased fireflies, to no avail, and then we came in and set up our "camp out."
This photo doesn't look like we're "roughing it" much, but it was actually just about totally dark in the room, and this is all camera flash.
We dragged a bunch of pillows and blankets into the clubhouse, and she found a pail (that was her idea) and filled it with "snacks" (blocks) and we wedge the flashlight in between them to make a little "campfire," and then we snuggled and read book, and I told her about some things that we did when I went to camp.
I realized pretty quickly that I couldn't actually let her sleep there, for a variety of reasons, but how to get her out?
Finally, I said, "Okay, now our program's over, and it's time to hike back to your cabin." Then I sang our "end of program" songs, and "hiked" her to the "bathhouse" and then her "cabin," where I tucked her in and she went to sleep pretty quickly, with her flashlight / nightlight beside her bed.
The power finally come on just before midnight.
Whew.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Home Again, Home Again
Edited 7/7/12 to add details and photos.
Peeper and I made it home, safe and sound, without incident.
Ready for take-off.
Snoozing in-flight.
Pizza Hut on the way home.
Mommy was very busy while we were gone!
She also removed a closet rod and added these two lower shelves in the laundry room closet!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Christmas in July
Edited 7/7/12 to add details and photos.
Today, we all got together to celebrate, well, pretty much everything: Mother's Day for four of us, Father's Day for two of them, and birthdays for Shrike in absentia, me, LadyKay, Frappa, Babybro and NumberOne.
If you're keeping score, and actually know my family, you will realized that that adds up to every adult getting gifts, and no children. We decided that probably was not a good idea, so three of the things that Peeper and picked up at Target yesterday (well, I picked up behind her back) were puzzles for each of the kids.
To backtrack just a bit, when we first arrived at Anonymama's house, one of the things we discovered in her fridge was a bag of cherries, so me and my big mouth offered to make a no-sugar-added pie for the big family dinner.
When we were at LadyKay's house, I was telling her about it, and said, "But it may not be as pretty as the first one I made, because I don't know if Mama has any cookie cutters."
Peeper piped up to say, "Perhaps you could bring your own cutters."
Okay, well, first it's a little late now to do that, but that would be a good idea, but more importantly, did you just say "perhaps?"
Anonymama and I pitted the cherries yesterday and I got the filling all cooked up and ready, and just put it together and baked it this morning.
I actually did find one cookie cutter - a Christmas tree - but I figured that since everyone was getting gifts, and since it is now July, we would declare it "Christmas in July," and go with it.
I gave Peeper the dough scraps, and she had a great time making her own "pie." She was even dressed for the fake-occasion.
My brother's family wasn't able to stay long, but we had a nice visit while they were here. The kids seemed to enjoy playing tougher, although Peeper was a bit territorial and possessive, both about "her" toys and "her" Grandma.
Most of the time they were having much more fun than it seems in these photos!
Like here, for example.
I know it looks like Peeper is pulling DaNiece's hair, but she really wasn't. I forget what her story was, but it made sense at the time, and DaNiece was cool with it. And they were both really cook with "Aunt" Frappa sliding them all around the floor in the basket. DaNephew got a turn later, but I didn't get any photos of that.
Puzzlin' cousins. This is not one of the new puzzles, it's a mamas-and-babies animal puzzle that lives at Anonymama's house.
We were hoping for a photo of all the grandkids, but BabyBro's young uns weren't feeling it.
I swear, two seconds before this, all three little ones were quite happily hugging AuntieKay bye-bye. It was very sweet, but there was no dramatic reenactment to be had.
After everyone was gone, Peeper helped me do some laundry. I seemed to get some variation on this photo every trip.
When it was time to get to sleep, Peeper was having a rough time, and was up until about 11, dealing with being sad about leaving Grandma and Grandpa, plus being excited about going home to see Mommy tomorrow, plus being exhausted, which made it all feel even bigger.
We ended up having to get back up for some more bye-bye snugs before she finally settled down.
Hanging Out
Peeper and I mostly hung out a the Anonyparents' house today, and just got out for a quick grocery shopping trip.
Well, it actually turned into a not-so-quick trip because I thought we could get everything we needed at Target, were Starbucks was still doing the BOGO frappaccino deal, but we still had to go to a regular grocery for one freakin' thing.
But we did get two frappaccinos, and also a Peeper-size one. I told her that the barista gave her that because she saw her stealing all of my first one (we had one while we shopped and the second on the way out), but I suspect she just buzzed up more than would fit in the venti cup.
Tomorrow, Baby Bro and His Lovely Family will be coming in to celebrate Mother's Day, Father's Day, and several birthdays. Yay!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Baby's First Movie
Edited 7/7/12 to add details and photos.
Peeper and I went to lunch with Frappa today,
and then on a whim (after a phone call to Shrike for permission), we all went to see Brave. At the the theater and everything.
At first I was worried about "how she'd do in the theater," and then I remembered that she's quite the little pro at attending ballets and live theater, so yeah, she should be fine.
The movie was, as I'd suspected, a bit "old" for Peeper, with more violence that I like for her to see (much of it played for humor, but certainly not all) and some parts that were definitely but not too much so for her, but she enjoyed it and I really enjoyed it.
(I would have really, really, really enjoyed it if I weren't watching it with her and cringing at the scary and violent parts.)
Mostly, I was thrilled to see a princess who was doing anything other than waiting for her prince to come!
Then we went to Starbucks at the target in the mall with the theater, for buy one - get one frappacinos.
As Peeper was sucking down mine, I asked Frappa, "Did I say 'decaf?'"
"Nope."
"Peeper, that's not decaf."
"Oh well!"
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