To Anyah @ 10 Months Old

Oh Ani,

This may very well be a short letter. It's not my fault. You're suddenly into everything. Your cruising along the furniture and grabbing things off places you never even tried to reach before. You love to swipe unattended cupcakes or juice boxes and just this morning you dumped an entire bottle of water all over my carpet because it was fun. Good times.

You say a lot of one word phrases now. My favorite thing you say is "mom mom" but I am bias. You also do a tremendous job saying "ta da". You like to "ta da" whenever something unexpected happens. A few days ago you sneezed, then giggled, then yelled "ta da!".

You've become quite the little sister stalker. You follow Layla everywhere invading her tunnels, crashing the walls of her blanket forts and stealing pieces of her train track. You're not trying to make mischief but boy are you good at it. "No sister No Touch a Me!" is becoming a regular sentence in this house. Layla is willing to share with you, she just likes to be the one to choose what you get and you've got your own little opinions about that.

Your birthday is coming up. I've started planning and while I am excited about celebrating your first year of life I am also a little sad because I know you're probably my last baby and you're already so big. Now that your ears are pierced, you popped up 2 inches and your hair has gotten long enough for hair clippies I find myself wondering whatever happened to my sweet little baby.

Not that your not sweet. You're still a big cuddler and you love to snuggle up for naps or to co-sleep with us at night. You just take up more bed than you used to. Now I wake up to little legs sprawled across my tummy or a tiny arm flung over my face and I know the times they are a changing.

But, one thing will never change... you're a big part of all of our hearts. Your smile and crinkle nosed stink face crack me up and melt my heart every day and I am so glad I get to watch God slowly fill your cup with the remarkable things that make you who he has always invisioned you to be.

Love,
Mommy

Top 10 Reasons We're Counting Down to the New House

5. The dishwasher here doesn't work so I wash all the dishes by hand (usually while Anyah screams "bup bup bup" (up) at my feet).



4. The oven doesn't maintain a constant temperature which renders my Mommy and Me cupcakes with Layla into a very very frustrating event.



3. Little kids need room to grow. Alternate wording: "please for the love of God go outside and play".



2. My living room is a toy store after a Black Friday sale. I can't wait until the room your stuff can be in is just down the hall.



1. Then at least we won't have to think about moving while WAITING any more.



Did I mention I have an anxiety disorder and no patience? Yeah... it's gonna be a long 40 ish days.

Bonuses That Weren't Extra

My work gave out bonuses yesterday. I got half a bonus because I was out almost 6 months having Anyah. The economy is bad. The bonuses were much smaller than usual. I didn't have plans for a bonus being as I didn't know if we would be getting on.

My prayers are for the people I work with who were expecting a comparable bonus to the last 2 years and who instead got a small token of appreciation.

Times are tough. I am thankful I got anything. I am thankful I wasn't counting on it to feed my family because I know there might be some who were.

****

In other work related news, somehow I am being mandated to attend a confidential meeting next week on my day off during the day to serve as a "witness" regarding something that I want nothing to do with.

My bully is still an issue even when there shouldn't be an issue.

So much prayers in the work department would be much appreciated.

Aging +1

I have a birthday coming up. I think I've finally reached that point in adult life where that means just about nothing to me. I took the week of my birthday off thinking Jon and I might get to go out and that we'd be moving later in the same week so I'd want the time. Then Nannie announced she was going on vacate so now my vacation is to watch my girls and I am ok with that.

Given that the kids will be here and the only person who ever watches them will not be. My birthday will probably be spent going out to dinner or lunch and then watching Deadwood on DVD. I'm ok with that too.

I'm also ok with the fact that as an adult my "wishlist" that became constant chatter from age 3 to age 30 has become irrelevant. Sure I'd love a trip to Old Navy or a pedicure and a trip to IKEA to get a kitchen table, but I'm sure that it's ok if that doesn't happen.

When did that happen? When did I get to the point that birthday's stopped being about cake, food, and presents. I mean really, now I'm willing to age for a free awesome meal and a chance to swap a few good stories.

Damn, I must be getting old.

Juggling

Jon's back is out. I worked a lot last week. We're gonna move in less than 5o days. Furniture needs painted. Has anyone seen Layla's paint brush? The damn dishwasher is broken again. Why is the stove off? Look, I found that book I lost when I was pregnant. Don't pull on your sister. Don't put everything in your mouth. Oh no, she can reach the top of that all the sudden. Yes, pretend to be a dinosaur softer dear, someone is napping. I need a pepsi. Do we have time for an episode of NCIS? Another event to squeeze in before May, ok. What's that smell? I made dinner and only I ate it. Mommy needs a nap. Is that cheese in your hair? I don't care if Nannie would let you, Nannie isn't here. No that's your sister's give it back. Anyah needs picked up. Naptime again. Have we gotten the mail recently. I really do need to make that hair appointment. Birthday party decorations go in this box and Easter treats in this one. Don't eat playdough. Bathtime. Bedtime. No piano before 8 am. Stop pulling the pages out of that book. Work. WORK. work. Work. Clean up. Dishes. More laundry. Chocolate milk on demand. Sit on the step we don't pull on the baby. Stop screaming at your reflection in the glass silly baby.

and it continous without ceasing

the circus

.love & responsibility.

I would love to say we spent Valentine's Day doing something romantic. Or perhaps to say that
we spent Valentine's Day surrounded by sweet treats, glued glitter trimmed hearts and craft paper, and tiny envelopes filled with cartoon decorated affirmations of love. But, the truth of the matter is... I hate the general concept of Valentine's Day. So in February I put up some decorations and the conversation hearts make an appearance but other than that it's a small box of chocolates for the toddler and a bag of red and pink M & M's for the hubby and we just let it pass like any other day. We say I love you. But, we say I love you daily, several times a day, without fail...and that to me is more special than a once a year candle lit dinner or some flowers that fade by months end.

Instead we focus our love on the day to day. We attach ourselves to the everyday. We teach our children that they are loved, and that every day is a good day to share love. And we enjoy some chocolates... because it's tradition and it's our responsibility to teach them the difference between the traditions that make us who we are and the ones that make a great excuse for extra fudge filling.

day.dreaming

We've started talking about what we might like to do and how we might like to do it. Someday. Someday that far off day that may or may not find us where we expect it. But, our daydreaming does more than just keep us excited for the upcoming move, it fuels conversations with Layla who needs to be pumped before we take her out of the only house she remembers and stick her someplace new.

Your getting a new room.

Your new room will have a tall princess bed and a cave bed. (bunk beds)

Your new room will have all your toys and a place to read books with Mommy.

Your new room will have pretty new blankets and pillows.

Your new room is going to have a place for your train, your little piano and all your favorite things.

Oh, and by the way, you're gonna share it with your sister.

ah, yeah...

I'd say I'm sorry but we think it builds character, so despite having room to spread the girls out, we're gonna keep them nice and close together. At least for now.

Good times.

catching up the masses

Oh my, oh my how time does fly.

So we're waiting to move. We've given notice. We went out and purchased a new TV stand for the family room and a yard sale set of bunk beds for the girls new room. I'm hoarding funds until after my birthday in hopes that somehow I can get a new kitchen table and chairs since ours is falling apart. I day dream about paint now, which makes me feel rather adult-like.

Anyah went from barely pulling herself up on a Monday to walking along the furniture like a wobbly little penquin the following Friday. Today, we got her ears pierced (she was SOOO good). I picked up two birthday gifts for her already and I plan on getting as much done for her birthday before April gets here as possible, since we'll likely be moving week 1 of April, her birthday party in week 2 and Easter in week 3.

Speaking of Easter, when you ask Layla what she wants she says "make up, a Dora Doll, a baseball bat/ball and a puppy for me". One of these things she will not be getting until at least her next birthday, as a hint, it barks. I purchased my Easter baskets and the bunny is ready with presents so we'll make sure he hops down to the candy store at the last minute and we'll be set.

I've been getting bullied at work. It sucks. I finally turned the person in and the day after they reprimanded her she went out on medical leave. The after effect is that I will not rotate to weekends off during my normal rotation month of February and will spend next week working 8 days straight again, but you know what... totally worth it to have my positive work environment back.

Jon and I actually went to dinner alone earlier this week. We went to BJ's again and I had another lovely pomegranite margarita. Yum Yum Yum.

Layla has this new thing where she always wants to be doing something. It's always painting, or play dough, or stickers, or crayons or my least favorite the construction paper and scissors which result in thousands of tiny pieces of paper everywhere. It's a creative overflow over here and I don't think my carpet can take much more of it. But, boy is she happy. Toddler zen can be reached by applying a Nirvana Trifecta of Children's TV programing, messy craft supplies and chocolate milk. This interest in sitting down to "do" something makes me think she might finally be ready for a little structured learning. So far our, fly by the seat of the pants approach has given us a child that knows all her letters, her numbers up to 20, her colors, her shapes and most of her animals...but it would be nice if she could write her name on a line instead of across a WHOLE 8x10 paper and I think there is something to be said for projects that involve glue and actually create something.

I have a well documented Pepsi addiction, this week is the Super Bowl which means that the nectar of the gods is on sale EVERYWHERE. Needless to say, there will be more than one grocery run this week. Nothing says addicted like a stockpile that looks like an Oregonian preparing the commune for the zombie apacolypse.

And if that blog post isn't random enough for you, I've got nothing left to give :)