Archives for March 2007

Because It’s Freaky How ACCURATE This Is!

Princess Pride

Yesterday was one of those amazing days that my kid made me so darn proud, I’m about to hang a banner out on my front porch that says: “Yes! The Princess DOES Live Here!”

We started our day with a trip to the dentist. I take The Princess to a pediatric dentist who does not allow parents to go back with the child for the exam (In case you were wondering, because my mom went with us, and got skeeved out by that: it’s a female dentist, it’s a very open floor plan – there are no offices – several exam chairs in a row, with kids and hygienists all over the place – no worries!). They called her name, and she proudly marched up to the hygienist, ready for her turn. Once her cleaning was done, they brought her back to me, said her teeth look fantastic, that her brushing habits are terrific – and: No Cavities!

Yay.

We then spent a few hours at a butterfly exhibit with my mother and Pumpkin (both girls adored it), and then off to lunch and home to enjoy the warmth of a spring day before…

Hubby and I attended our first PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES for The Princess. Having attended them for Stepson for years, I think both Hubby and I have gotten used to conferences not necessarily being an enjoyable experience (in fact, Stepson’s conference on Monday night ran nearly 90 minutes… and was not great). The Princess’s conference, though? Awesome! Teacher really likes her, and shared some highlights of the evaluations they did for The Princess.

What does The Princess like most about school? Reading and writing.
What is hardest about school? Being careful not to step on other people’s hands and feet.

Important stuff! She is doing fabulous on letter recognition, fine motor control, she’s way ahead of her class as far as rhyming, and the teacher said that when they go over each new letter, The Princess likes to teach her classmates how to sign it. Have I mentioned that this kid totally rocks my world? Such mama pride – you coulda knocked me over with a feather.

And, of course – the most important part: She is DEFINITELY ready to move on to kindergarten in the fall!

Why Mommy Needs a Night Out!

When Hubby got home, I handed him Pumpkin fresh from her bath and nearly bolted out the door. This week has dragged, folks, and I am relieved I have a “girls’ night out” planned for tomorrow. I need it. Not only am I excited to catch up with some old friends (not “old” as in geriatric, because, you know, we’re all just total spring chickens or whatever), I am excited to eat a meal without having to cut someone else’s food for them, carry a diaper bag, or pick food scraps off the floor before I leave so the wait staff doesn’t curse at me and bar me from entering the restaurant ever again.

This week has had a few “highlights” – I’ll list a few:
1) Pumpkin appears to be teething. Like four teeth at once. Yay. This really SUCKS. Teething = no sleep.
2) Pumpkin also has a runny nose and a cough, which to do the math: Teething + runny nose + cough = less sleep.
3) The Princess has decided that our sofa is a trampoline. I told her not to jump on it, she laughed. I told her to sit down, she said no. I told her to go to her room and she said, “You are SO MEAN! Why are you so MEAN? I never get MY way! You get YOUR way!”
4) Pumpkin thought it would be funny to take a new box of pasta out of the pantry, rip it open, and throw noodles everywhere. (Oh, who am I kidding, it WAS funny – I even recorded it to email to my dad – but… ahem… Not funny. I’m now running really low on pasta).
5) A friend helped Hubby paint the shelves in our closet – which look great now – BUT, now I have to paint the closet to cover the shelf paint that got slopped around. Thanksomuch.
6) I also have a growing to do list for the house again (besides painting) which includes: buying a light fixture that isn’t hideous, selecting a shower door (they don’t come with the shower – who knew?!), and figuring out what kind of closet/storage to put in the master bath. It’s all the nit-picky, end of project details. And I hate that this is happening during tax season. Hubby really should get some of the joy of picking this stuff out. Blah.
7) Carpooling sucks. The mom I carpool with was responsible for picking up The Princess and taking her son and Princess to school this morning. Their van pulls into the driveway and Boy comes to the house to tell me “My mom isn’t driving us! It’s my grandma!” Um, thanks for letting me know, CarpoolMom. Seriously, I know I’m easily annoyed – but moms, wouldn’t that have irked you at all? Some person you don’t know picking your kid up? Obviously, The Princess made it safe and sound – but I really felt she coulda called me first and asked me or had the courtesy to tell me. Nope.

So think of me tomorrow – I’ll be wearing uncomfortable shoes – but I’ll be having fun!

And A Hush Fell Over the House…

My local playgroup (sponsored by the school) has decided to set up “Dad’s Night Out” monthly so that the dads who don’t typically attend daytime playgroup can take the kids out for an hour and join in the fun. So… I signed Hubby up to take both girls and my house is quiet and peaceful (but not clean – because I’ve spent the hour getting some exercise and then sitting on my butt watching funny videos on YouTube, because the computer is a time-suck like that).

With Hubby working major hours as tax season rolls on, the girls have been a bit deprived of time with daddy, so I was pleased he came home early to take them, and they were very excited to go.

They will be home in minutes and I can’t wait to hear how it went (and if the dads are even half as catty as the moms!).

Happy St. Paddy’s Day

Wishing you green beer (gag!) and leprechauns that leave presents in your back yard. Hope you’re wearing green and that the kids in your life don’t pinch you (by the way: The Princess picked out my outfit today: green corduroys, green long sleeve t-shirt, green sweatshirt… I’m covered – No pinchies for me!).

Not AGAIN!

I thought that last year was a fluke, but apparently, the teachers of the world have united and thought it would be fun to continue to tell children that leprechauns are funny little men who leave presents in your backyard on St Patrick’s Day. The Princess reiterated to me that her teacher “really knows leprechauns, mom, because she’s REALLY old.”

To the teachers who are spreading this little myth – a big ol’ raspberry to you! Really? I have to buy St Patrick’s Day gifts. DON’T think so. Last year, we got suckered in by it – and we scrambled to not disappoint. This year? Not happening. I still have a layer of drywall dust over everything in my home – not buying more dustcatchers.

I was telling my sister about this today when she stopped by, and she was in shock. She looked at The Princess and said to her, “Girlfriend, do you REALLY think that happens? Because NO leprechauns EVER left anything for me. Ever. So, I think maybe it only happens if you’re Irish. And… you’re not.”

I’m Walkin’ On Sunshine

The first warm day of the year – in the 60s – the neighbors all out and about. What a gorgeous day. I was able to take the girls for a walk and Pumpkin practically went nuts running down the street. She’d run, fall, get up and start running again. No tears – just the pitter patter of toddler feet clunking down the sidewalk.

This warm day was just the kick in the pants I needed to pull me out of my winter blah’s. Of course, I know the weather is gearing up to turn to winter again (back in the 30s by the weekend – doesn’t that suck?), but today reminded me of what there is to look forward to.

I can’t wait until SPRING!!!!

Because Random Feels Good Today

* I may well be just a few short days away from being done painting. That day cannot get here soon enough.

* This has been one of those gruesome weeks: My brother broke his leg (and is in a wheelchair because he cannot seem to figure out how to work crutches), my sister had all four wisdom teeth yanked today, and my mother has warned me that I canNOT have any drama this week, because she just CAN’T take anymore of it. On top of the sibling ailments, my builder messed up on a project (You know that adage: “Measure twice, cut once”? Yeah. He didn’t. He measured once. Guess who had to tear out the shelving and rebuild. Did you guess the builder? If so, ding ding ding!).

* I am so so glad that we didn’t decide to build a WHOLE HOUSE from the ground up. I am so overwhelmed with decision making, it’s not even funny. I had to pick a design for the tilework on the deck of the tub, as well as the back splash. Now I need to pick tile. Tile that won’t put me in the poor house. My to do list grows exponentially each day, and it doesn’t seem that I’m able to cross anything OFF the list.

* The Princess came home with a Barbie from preschool that a friend “gave” her. Oy. Will have to be sure to send that back. (WHY do kids give their stuff away willy-nilly?).

* We have to volunteer at Stepson’s school carnival tonight. I’m sure it will be fun, but man, does that school love their fundraisers. They are always doing something. It could either be a fun time, or I’ll wish I could rewind to the day I volunteered and take it back!

* It’s been over a week since I’ve gotten to sleep past 6 a.m. I’m really not happy about that development.

*Pumpkin is getting teeth. Molars, it looks like. I didn’t say I had no idea why I wasn’t sleeping. Goldarn teeth.

* My ability to compose sentences is greatly compromised this week due to the massive amount of information concerning my house floating in my head. I feel like a space cadet much of the time. Better luck next week, I guess.

Did He Just Say That?

Two words Donald Trump is famous for: “You’re fired.”

Two words he said on tonight’s episode of “The Apprentice” that made me do a double take: “Fo shizzle.”

Granted, he was talking about how the task winners would be going to record with Snoop Dogg, but, seriously? I don’t want to hear him say anything that ends in “izzle” – and by the way? That is one of the weirdest, freakiest language quirks of this era. And I don’t want to hear anyone say it, least of all Trump.

To Pee Or Not to Pee….

This weekend, we’ve dug out the Blue’s Clues potty-seat and introduce Pumpkin to the world of “How the Big Girls Go”. Now, she hasn’t actually gone potty while sitting on the nice padded seat, however, she’s quite amused, and very pleased to hang out there on the toilet a bit, get some toilet paper and then “wipe” and drop the tissue in. She knows how it goes – all that’s left is to actually… go.

That’s not to say that I’m one of those moms who does a militaristic potty-training regime. With The Princess, we introduced her to the little potty at about 18 months (Pumpkin is now 19 months), and while we never pressured her, it was just there (we kept the little potty in the living room – which, gross as it sounds, was quite effective — and once contruction is complete, we may do that again). She was able to sit around, become ONE with the potty… and she gradually got the hang of it.

That’s not to say that I would mind if Pumpkin decided next week that she wanted to go only in the potty and she never wanted to wear diapers again (I cannot wait to never have to buy diapers again – but I’m sure that’s at least a year away…). But really, no pressure. We’ll pick up a Dora potty seat for our downstairs bathroom, as she is a Dora nut, and we’ll let nature take its course.