Picture day

A few weeks ago I took the big kid to a sonogram. She doesn't remember going with JJ & she remembers everything. Frankly, I didn't think she had ever gone before either, but lately I forget everything. I thought I'd take her out of school a little early and we'd go have a big girls day out.  

Side note: it turned out she got invited to a play date that afternoon so while she did still choose to come with me for the appointment she ditched me shortly there after for a girls night in at a friend's house. Pizza dinner and a movie with a few girls from her class. Because she may be 6 on her birth certificate, but apparently she is really a teenager. 

Little known fact: the pictures of yore are out. Creepy 3D Sci-Fi is in. I did get one good ol'standby.

I took a look back and all the kids look the same, though to be honest - I can't find a good pic of JJ's sonogram. Middle child, she was born and her fate was sealed.  Remember when we called JJ, Kevin? This kid I've been calling baby Z since the beginning. Z for zombie because (s)he's eating my brain. That said? Now (s)he's taking the life out of me.
 
In looking for whatever we called L when I was knocked up and knocked down with her I found this post. Where I took tests and it told me she'd be a girl. I took the same tests. This is what they said. 

• 75 % chance of having a girl 
• It's a girl!  (Chinese Age 35 at Lunar month 5).

But I digress. 


The truth is I was afraid of what this appointment would kick up for her. She has asked me twice about babies - how they get into one's belly. She's super specific and asks a lot of detailed questions that there is no broadly answering something with her. If you are too general you are met with follow up questions. The first time she asked, I was pregnant with JJ. I was able to get out of it. More recently she remembered I'd never asked this question (2+ years later, people). We were talking about the baby and she said, "You never told me, HOW did the baby get INTO you? HOW DID it get IN there??"

I punked out, again - "Oh, why don't you get that book we have about it - we'll read it together."
That book does exist. It has super specific photos but doesn't actually explain how the baby gets in there. It talks about how the baby lives in there. But that bought me time. As I had her sift through 100s of books looking for the one, I then found a TV show she likes and since TV is a major treat? I dangled it in front of her like a dealer to a junkie. Her curiosity killed by the drug of TV.

MOM OF THE YEAR! RIGHT HERE!!!! 

I knew, if she asked again, I had to do it. I had to figure out a way to tell her - but the truth is I still don't know what I'll say. 

Luckily? She was more curious about what she was seeing.

The sonographer was a peach, let's call her Suzy Sunshine from here on out {sarcastic font}. I mean, here is this adorable kid, so excited to see her baby brother / sister and NO interaction is provided. I'm not saying you have to keep her entertained - but a little guidance as to what we were looking at would have been lovely. Because instead it went like this. 

Me: "Look, L - I think that's the baby's belly!"
Suzy Sunshine: "That's the head." Said in super condescending tone as if DUH. HOW do you not know this. 

And it kind of went like that for each region of the body. These appointments are about an hour due to the amount of testing that has to be done so it was super fun {sarcastic font}. Besides needing to take measurements of everything, the baby tends to be super disagreeable on these things. On more than one occasion I have had to get up, shake around or lay on either side. Sometimes, without warning the sonographer will shake my belly like a god damn Magic 8 Ball. To which I want to to say, "Concentrate and ask again."

Probably the best one went a little like this:

Ball&chain: "L, look the baby is waving to you! I think that's the hand!!"Me: "I think that's the foot..."
Suzy: "That's your mommy's right ovary."

Suzy wasn't fun. She did not appreciate the adorableness that was the kid and asked me approximately 3 times if I was sure I didn't have gestational diabetes.  As if one forgets that information. The test I proudly (once again) and against the odds passed, unlike tests of yore. 

But she didn't get the best of the experience. This kid did. Both of them.

Big sister, can you see the resemblance?

Catching up - barely

Holy hell. It's only been a month - maybe two but so much has happened I don't even know where to begin.

In no particular order, because I don't know how to keep track.

1. My baby is no longer in Kindergarten. SAY.WHAT. 
   
   
   
   
2. My baby baby is no longer a baby - she's two. WHAT THE WHAT?
   
3. The summer is here and we are working it out to make it fantastic.
   

   

   Dinners outside and spent loving.

   
   
   
4. We took a 2 week vacation, haven't done that - almost ever.
   
5. Related: the Jersey Shore is not just for trancing and MTV reality shows. It's magical.  More magical than the magic capital of the world.
6. Related to the 2 week vacation, we did so by way of a 10 hour road trip - each way.
   

   

   Local fun - and Google photos makes gifs? All good.

    
7. We are making friends - or trying to. It's hard work.
    
8. Took JJ to her first real movie. We all survived. It was very much like her sister - popcorn is key.
    
9. We have our first lost tooth. After weeks of wiggling and throwing up in my mouth (it's a horror show - loose teeth) we have one down, one to go that is loose. In the meantime? She has shark teeth - rows of teeth coming in it's horrifying.
   
   
10. There are so many real stories within these small

    

    Summer outside movie fun.

     line items. So many stories to tell - but we're busy. Livin. Put that on a magnet. Pin it.
    

We're going to Disney. A true unveil: leave your tissues at home

The mistakes I made:

• Over thought the surprise element.
• Got a balloon too big for the box - part of said over-thought unveil. 
• Expected too much. 
• Rushed the announcement, it wasn't a good time. 
• Set up too many cameras. There may have been at least 2 in sight.
• Announced the big "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!" after a unique 2-3 hour nap. 
• Built up "we have a surprise for you" before she even came down to unwrap said over-thought unveil. The nerves kicked in with the case of sleep coma she was in and add to that complete stage fright.... 

When life hands you an underwhelming response, you make an iMovie.



An hour or so later she was vibrating with excitement. It will be wonderful.

Taken after the "surprise" element wore off. I asked her to
hold the sign... she came up with this face all on her own.

week 5

week 4

Dance.party.

getting our Valentines ON

 

 

 

• We had lots of dance parties. Almost every day.
• We didn't sleep through the night. Almost every day. 
• I broke out the car seat for a friend to borrow & JJ loved to put her baby in it. It would have been cuter, if she slept at all this week. Instead she is just mocking me with her cuteness. 
• It was so cold this week, with the heat blasting, I wore winter hats, scarfs, gloves and heated myself with a candle. Brutal.
• The kid brought home our first god awful piece of pottery - and I love it. Whatever the hell it is.
• We ran errands, like zombies - cause like I said. We aren't sleeping. 

week 3

3/52 

"And then I says..."

She only reads "big girl books" cause that's what her sister is into.
Board books be damned. Also be damned?
The paper connected to said "big girl books."

She dressed herself. Wanted "all black" as she had a big day.
Field trip & taking a school bus.
Big doings.

Sister "love."

Week 3 highlights

• It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. And L schooled me on the peaceful man. 
• The kid took her first bus ride. "I thought it was going to be the best bus ride, ever. But it was just really bumpy and really loud."
• JJ understands time out; that's been going "strong" for awhile.  This week I have a picture of one of the reasons she gets sent to time out. And understands it. Sigh.

week 2

2/52. The second week of 2013 seemed to work out better for this girl, than the first. Slightly. 

Old Maid. It's a sickness.

Remember the time I tore apart the house looking to put this little
bastard away with the Christmas decoration... that was fun. 

January: when we learned if it isn't raining in Cleve, it's snowing.

Baby's first basketball game.
We found out? Our babies. They likey the basketball. Big.Fans.

Such.Passion.

The blur on my back? A protesting basketball fan - she didn't want to leave.

My guy. Doing jazz hands.

It's.Not.Raining.OR.Snowing. We venture out.

"Oh, this is the outside that you speak of." - JJ.
Hermitting it since we moved to this place. 

So HAPPY to be outside.

Getting our creative on.

"It's a hotel." - socialite L

Week 2 highlights:

• It snowed. Like always. And by always I mean: if it isn't raining, it's snowing up in here. We played. With sand toys. Mission to give my kid the impression I am a genius, complete.
• Inside activities include: cleaning, organization, and Old Maid. SO.MUCH.OLD.MAID.
• The ball&chain got tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers game. They play basketball, yeah. I had to Google that. Interesting fact: my kids are major basketball fans. Major.
• The snow (and rain) stopped for a few short days, and we made the most of it. Our weekend activities included family walks, playing at the playground and building a box hotel empire. As you do.  

Not pictured: 

JJ has not been sleeping through the night. She wakes up anywhere in-between 4am - 5am. It's as fun as it sounds. Then, once she wakes up and we give in to bring her into bed with us she chooses to sleep one of two ways. Both equally as terrible:

• The H position: the ball&chain and I are both sides of a capital H. JJ? She's the middle, horizontal where we are vertical. Smallest one in the bed, taking up the most space. 
• The caddy cornered: the ball&chain sleeps comfortably (when not kicked in the face on her trip to caddy cornered position). The baby creeps up to the top left of the bed (my side) and sleep diagonal at the corner of the bed, thus "caddy cornered." This pushes me to the bottom of the bed, where I (try to) sleep like a dog would.  At the foot of the bed. 

week 1

After a successful 365 project each day I still feel equal parts: relief that I don't have to post a photo and sadness because the kickass-ness of having a place to see just a few photos throughout the year is over. I mean, really. Click here and press shuffle. What fun (maybe it's just me). Each week, I'll sum up the week in photos - mostly Instagram & iPhone. Nothing too fancy, but it tells our story in a quick soundbite. Visual bite, as it were.

• We went to Pittsburgh for New Years Eve, as you do. 
• We saw the sites of Pitts: like the Ikea, old friends, Children's Museum & First Night.
• We took the tree down and all of the trimmings... but couldn't find a wise man & reindeer. 
• We cleaned the house as it never has been cleaned... only to "never" find the wise man or reindeer.
• Until days later the little bastards show up. 
• I took the kid to school, but there was still no school. That day? Definition of shit show.
• 2013 - 1, me - 0

Traditions are important

2011 "perfection"

2009 PERFECTION

I'll be honest, last year's photos scared me. Not only did I buy matching outfits for the girls (who am I?) but everyone looked so happy.

I am aware I don't make sense.

I mean, 2011 pictures were ok. It's NO 2009 though. Let's be honest.

Today we went Ohio City Holiday Festival. I hoped, maybe, we'd get to grab a picture with Old Saint Nick. Did I have high hopes for a little less perfection that we found in 2011? Maybe, I did. Would I have preferred tears? No, though I won't say it would have bothered me. Mother of the year, I'm coming for you.

The Holiday Festival was fine, I think (at first), I expected more. To be fair, if you look at the information they said there would be crafts, Santa, and gifts to buy. There were local stands for this & that, one craft and one booth you could decorate cookies. Cute. There were trees for sale, the smell of Christmas. It was nice. But then, in addition to the ability to take a picture with Santa something truly magical happened. Something they should have put on their flyers.

Santa was there, all right. He sung, real songs, many of them. He sung his way into his chair, awaiting the children to tell him their wishes and dreams. But not before he rapped, moon walked, churned butter and did the cabbage patch. 

 

Good times, had by all. That was until it was time for pictures with Santa. And just like that, tradition continued and the baton was passed.  We'll be back. 2013 I'm looking at you.

2012

The Bug & the Beast

Halloween is delayed here this year. We'll trick-or-treat on Sunday. Maybe I'll have more pictures, but who knows. It's anyone's guess.  We have a long standing history of our love for Halloween. I mean, normally we're all - we are going to match, it's going to be epic.

This year, we were going to all be bugs. I envisioned some kind of "We're buggin out" holiday card. L wanted a butterfly, and we were going to have JJ get into that adorable ladybug costume, since the ball&chain staunchly refused to be a lady bug. Seriously. HOW funny would that have been?  I was going to be a bee and he was going with beetle or lightening bug. Instead? I couldn't find the lady bug costume, and needed to figure out a plan B.

We did the only thing we could do. If she couldn't talk what would she want to be?

A lion.

She growls & roars. All the time. And she's a beast. Boom. Adorable lion, order UP.

2012, Halloween, I give you. The bug & the beast. Plan B? Rocks.