Two Kids, Two Wake Up Calls, One Night
Posted on June 25, 2008 - Filed Under Kids | 1 Comment
It´s a miracle. Dante not only slept in his crib last night . . . he did it without waking up all night! In fact, he woke up just ONCE!!! That´s amazing! And, to top it off, Dorian also woke up just once. Dorian has been doing very well with sleeping through the night or mostly through the night lately, and last night we had just a little taste of what life could be like if both kids actually sleep. Ahhhhhhhh.
Just a quick disclaimer, that picture is from a month ago. He actually sleeps at the bottom of the playpen now because he´s figured out how to escape the bassinet part!
How to Get Off Your Duff and Clean Your House
Posted on June 25, 2008 - Filed Under Personal | 1 Comment
I am definitely not the world´s best housekeeper, anyone who knows me and who has stopped by unexpectedly (or even not-so-unexpectedly unfortunately) will be able to tell you this. However, I happen to have chosen the perfect mate . . . a man who loves to clean. So we balance each other out quite well, I throw something on the floor leave something out, he puts it away. I let the kids play with their cereal and he mops up the disaster.
But we have a problem. He´s working for two weeks, gone every day. Which means it is up to yours truly to maintain the house in a livable state. Now, normally, I do try to clean once a day. I sweep, maybe even mop and wipe down the counters, wash dishes, etc. But my theory is that the place is going to be messed up again in five seconds, so why not wait until the evening and do it all at once? Pretty sound, right?
Not so much.
Because today my brother-in-law appeared in my doorway. He had something of Irving´s and wanted to return it and get a couple of movies from our collection. And of all Irving´s siblings, he´s the most judgmental. I could practically see him recoil as he surveyed the room and took in the spilled coffee and cornflakes on the floor, the cup of half-eaten yogurt perched on the arm of the couch, the pile of dishes in the sink (which actually looks worse than it is because one side is clean dishes just draining), the crumbs on the countertop, crumpled chocolate bar wrappers on my desk . . . and I started to imagine him going back to his house and telling them, “It´s no wonder the baby is sick . . . have you SEEN what those poor children live like?” :S
So, right after he left, I jumped up from my blogs and swept, put away the toys and half-eaten food that seems to multiply in my home, dumped more dishes in the sink (who knew there could be so many spoons and forks hidden in the couch cushions?) and then mopped the place. I haven´t yet tackled the counter or the dishes, but those are next on the list. And it really doesn´t matter, because I´m quite sure he won´t be popping back into this horribly contaminated house anytime soon.
Fun Flickr Meme
Posted on June 24, 2008 - Filed Under Fun | Leave a Comment
I need a bit of fun after the past few days, so I jumped in with this Flickr meme I found on Creative Kismet.
1. genesis, 2. SmartiEz, 3. .a glimpse into our day., 4. wham:a different corner, 5. *new* Jensen Ackles Photo, 6. Picasa on Eee, 7. Picasa on Eee, 8. Mudslide Pie from Perry’s in Niceville FL, 9. Day 106 - I am a librarian, 10. bless from above, 11. The Babysitter., 12. militarization procession
What you do:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).
The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name
It Never Ends . . . More Teething!
Posted on June 23, 2008 - Filed Under Kids | 5 Comments
Dante is having a pretty rough week . . . which means we are ALL having a rough week. First he had an ear infection. Then he had the flu with fever and vomiting. Along with a zillion flea bites, which he had a nasty allergic reaction to.
And now, well, now he´s teething again! This time it´s molars and nothing is working to sooth the poor kid. I´ve tried numbing gel, Tylenol, ice . . . walking and walking and walking with him in the sling . . . nothing keeps him calm for more than a few seconds.
I took a look inside his mouth while he was screaming earlier today and saw that the bottom right side of his mouth is all swollen and puffy and black. I learned a while back that the black is normal, just the teeth bruising under the gums, but it looks horribly painful and with all the swelling, I´m not surprised poor Dante is freaking out.
To make things even worse, I had 10 articles due today at noon, and thought that Irving was home today. But he had to go to a gig at ten am, so I ended up trying to write my articles while Dante screamed in my lap, in the sling, and in his bouncy chair, with virtually no sleep in over five days . . . it wasn´t fun for either of us. Thankfully, Dorian is being an angel today. He played outside most of the morning, came in for lunch and then lay down on the couch and had himself a little nap and then kept Dante occupied playing with puzzles while I scrambled to finish up my articles three hours late. 
So, today is a bit of a wash. Dante is finally asleep in his bouncy chair . . . but only while I move him. We´re so not going well on the whole “sleep in the crib” business.
Sick Sick Baby
Posted on June 21, 2008 - Filed Under Kids | 1 Comment
Yesterday Dante looked like this:
He had a nasty fever that just wouldn´t go down and I have never seen such a miserable little boy. He couldn´t keep anything down and he was just so sad and unhappy. Thankfully he is feeling way better today and is running around and getting into trouble like normal. 
The Mouse That Got Away
Posted on June 21, 2008 - Filed Under Guatemala | 2 Comments
We have a mouse. He started by getting into the garbage outside and then he ventured in under the front door and would hide behind the couch for a few seconds before running back outside. Then his excursions became longer and he started going all the way to the stove or television. That´s when we decided he had to go.
We can´t use poison because of the boys, but a trap would do nicely . . . except we haven´t gotten around to buying one. This morning, I was sitting here working and I heard a bag rustling a LOT. Turns out the bag of bread was sitting on the stove, on top of a frying pan. And it was moving.
After a few seconds of debate, I clapped a pot lid over the whole thing, took it outside and dumped it in a big tub of water. The bag didn´t move. I grabbed a corner and shook it. Little chunks of bread fell into the water. No mouse.
I have NO IDEA how the little sucker escaped! But I did see him about 10 minutes later making a run for it, dashing into the master bedroom. sigh. Now I have to get a trap. Or a cat. I´d really prefer a cat . . . but Irving isn´t a cat person.
Two New Blogs
Posted on June 20, 2008 - Filed Under Mom Stuff | 2 Comments
I´ve been working on a couple of new blogs lately. One is just mine and the other is one that my younger sister and I are building together.
The first blog, Fit, Healthy Mama, is just what it sounds like, a health blog. Originally, I was just going to use it as a personal diary to keep track of my weight and exercise, etc. but then I decided to make it a bit more informative and include posts on stuff that I´ve discovered along the way. Anyway, it´s not as exciting as this one, but if you want to pop in now and then, I´d love it.
The second blog, The Gourmet Mama, isn´t quite ready to be unveiled, but I´m going to whet your tastebuds . . . It´s basically a cooking blog. But one that takes into account the fact that busy moms don´t necessarily have time to be cooking up these amazingly elegant meals. Soooooo, my sister, Cherith, and I will be sharing some of our secrets for whipping up great food fast, recipes and tips on how to choose produce, etc. It´s been a lot of fun working with her and we´re also working on a cookbook together that will eventually be sold through that blog.
Anyway, just a little heads up . . . The Gourmet Mama will be ready to go in about a week, so stay tuned for the link!
Mama In Trouble
Posted on June 19, 2008 - Filed Under Kids | 2 Comments
Today I accidentally knocked my coffee mug off my desk and it smashed into bits on the tile floor. Dorian immediately began to cry, “I no do it!”
After I´d cleaned it up and reassured him that it was Mama´s fault, life went back to normal. Until this evening. A few minutes ago, he asked for some water and all we had were ceramic mugs. So I gave him one with some water in it. He took a sip.
“Mama, be careful. NO BREAK IT!” And he put it carefully on my desk. “Be careful. No throw on floor and break. Cuz then it´s garbage. Ok?”
Why do I suddenly feel like the two year old here?
13 Reasons I´m a Terrible Mom
Posted on June 19, 2008 - Filed Under 13 Things | Leave a Comment
There are more than a few people who would think I´m doing an awful job of raising kids. I personally think they are turning out ok, but to keep myself humble . . . here are 13 reasons I´m not a good mom.
- I have been known, when asked for crackers or raisins, to say something along the lines of “Look at all those raisins/crackers right there on the floor. Go eat those.”
- I let my boys sleep with a bottle far too long.
- Most days, I´d really rather not go into town just because it´s such a hassle to dress two little boys and take them with me.
- There are days when I let the kids play with things like flyswatters and plastic bags (while watching them, of course), because it is keeping them quiet and busy.
- I switch their clothes around randomly. Whatever pair of pants is on top of the laundry basket, that´s what the boy I´m changing gets to wear.
- I have actually saved some very cute outfits for a “special occasion” that never appeared and the clothes were never even worn because I didn´t want them to get ruined.
- I absolutely detested breastfeeding and quit as soon as possible with Dante (Dorian never was able to breastfeed) and now I feel guilty about it.
- The words “deal with it” have come out of my mouth . . . while talking to a one year old!
- Dorian knows at least one bad word in English.
- Time outs around here are almost always longer than the recommended one or two minutes (depending on age).
- Dinner has sometimes been just crackers and milk.
- My two year old still eats baby cereal.
- I didn´t read to Dante until he was several months old, when Dorian got books right from the start.
Wordless Wednesday: Green Tea?! I Thought This Was Coffee!
Posted on June 18, 2008 - Filed Under Wordless Wednesday | 4 Comments
