Those are just picture books. They're the only ones Tim can "read." He keeps the cats close because they help him when he gets stuck. (Just kidding - those books are super long and I have lost all patience with them, so Elizabeth knows she'll have better luck if she asks her daddy.)
Two full months (and a few days) after we started demo, we are finished with our kitchen remodel. Glen and Arnie were here until late on Tuesday night, and Gary was out yesterday finishing up in the garage, and so, we are done. Signed, sealed, delivered.
I know, you are thinking that these look awfully similar to the last photos before Christmas. That's because they are.
The only real difference is here:
Now we have our trash/recycling drawer on the left, and there are new doors on the lazy Susan that so that the gap is smaller. It's interesting to see how the new doors compare to the ones that are six weeks old - the cherry is definitely darkening and changing. The cabinets are probably my favorite part of the kitchen.
The other new piece since Christmas is the laundry sink in the garage
I wish I had a before picture, but I don't (because this was not in our original plan.) Our previous laundry sink was this movable plastic piece of crap that was barely connected to the wall. Also, once Gary started working the plumbing, he found several places where it was done incorrectly (I think his exact term was "bootlegged.") So now all of the ins and outs and drains are done correctly. And com'n, granite countertop in the garage? I feel like I need to get fancier appliances. Glen kept talking about finding me a "scrap" piece for the top of the cabinet, and I thought by scrap he meant formica, or wood, or tile. I was not thinking granite. My garage is so classy now! I look forward to rinsing out some stains.
It seems so weird to be done. Part of me is sort of terrified that something's going to go wrong now, because everyone's finished and paid off, so it'll be my problem (and not just something to add to my punch list to finish later.) Plus now I actually have to keep things clean. In the last few weeks before the demo, and during the whole thing, I got into a pretty good groove of ignoring dust and dirt because "eh, it's going to get worse before it gets better." Now I have to actually clean up after myself when I'm done cooking. I have the hardest life ever, obviously.
Both Glen and Gary joked about when we're going to redo the bathrooms. When the cabinets and countertops went in, they looked so pretty that I found myself trying to figure out if we could gut the bathrooms before the baby arrived. Now that it's nearly February, I can say that I have no desire to deal with any sort of renovation until late 2014. Plus we still have work to do to get all of the bedrooms ready to go. Oh, and a new baby to welcome and raise. UGH. Hardest life EVER.
Last night we had to say goodbye to Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Charlie before their trip back to Wisconsin. This meant that it was time to snap a few four generation pictures, which I was excited about/dreading, because Ellie has been an absolute MONSTER about having her picture taken for the past few months. Sometimes we get lucky and she just makes her "big smile face" which involves her chin being stuck straight up in the air, but more often than not, she screams and cries and insists on sticking her fingers in her mouth. THE WORST.
Yesterday however, she was an angel about it, saying cheese, smiling nicely, and waiting patiently for the additional craisins we were holding out as a bribe. And I'm glad, because we don't often get to take these sort of pictures.
Lots of Millers
Lots of Thiels
Grandpa was surprised by how hefty she is - she's not for those with bad backs to carry around, that's for sure.
I am especially in love with this picture. These two are completely in cahoots
Today Ellie was sad that it was just Gigi and Grizz at their house (Sara was at work when we stopped by.) But it won't be too long before we're in Wisconsin, doing some visit and vacationing of our own.
Today was our final swim lesson at our current facility. I've been considering quitting for awhile, selfishly because I find all of the prep and then clean up for a 20 minute lesson exhausting. Being pregnant makes it even worse to sit in an incredibly chlorinated pool that's heated to 90 degrees, and the facility itself is about 85 degrees and reeks of chlorine, so putting her in private lessons and staying out of the pool isn't any more attractive to me. The kicker is that the facility is under new management, and our swim instructor, who's been working with Ellie since she was four months old, has left. It just seemed like the right time.
Gigi, Grandma Rosie and Auntie Sara came by today to see the last lesson, and snapped a few pictures for me. Even though I know this is the right move for us, I'm feeling a little nostalgic. We've been going to swim Tuesdays at noon for two years now, every week! I'm not quite sure what we'll do with ourselves next week.
Being forced to back float at her second lesson
On the raft, using her chunky legs as a personal floatation device
And today! Please notice that my hands are not touching her. She can float all on her own!
Thanks for splashing both of us in the eyes, kiddo
Going to get a raft
One last remembrance of our teensy weensy fishy baby
We have been having a great time with Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Rosie, and I'd like to think that they have been pretty entertained by the crazy antics of their great granddaughter. Tim spent the weekend in Las Vegas on a work trip (not a business trip - a celebratory trip since their last few games have been so successful) and we managed pretty okay without him, even though every day I am slightly more uncomfortable, being all old and pregnant. Sometimes the baby just makes my SKIN hurt with the punching and the kicking and the rolling.
We also toured a preschool this morning that I think will be a good fit for Ellie, and us as a family, so that's exciting. And Ricardo came by and continued fixing up our ugly front yard. After a few weeks of feeling like the wheels were coming off, I feel like my life is starting to come together.
Here Ellie is working in the garden with Gigi, using her watering can to plant a new tree. That is her infamous tutu skirt.
Ellie's big girl bed arrived last week, and we have all of the linens we need for it. The new blinds are up in both of the kids rooms, so we can move her whenever we're ready. And this weekend Grandma and I bought some fabric to make a little closet door, and she sewed it all up beautifully.
Here she is asking Grandma Rosie if she can eat some of those pins.
I think we're going to make the move to her new room over the weekend. I still have to sort through and put away the little boy clothes we were generously gifted, and I have to move all of Ellie's clothes into her new dresser and closet. Plus she has a gazillion stuffed animals to sort through and store to make her new room less of a mess. I thought we'd never get here! But we might be ready for a second baby after all. Pictures once we get everything finished.
All is mostly quiet on our front, though moving along nicely. The kitchen is still not completely finished, but we've been enjoying it a lot. We're really working on having home cooked dinner as a family, which ends up with a lot of table manner lessons. Ellie does pretty okay sitting with us and eating what we give her, but she gets crabby when she isn't allowed to get down, or when she IS allowed to get down but neither of us move to immediately start playing with her. We're also working on having her clear her place and throw away her napkin. So many lessons to learn!
Thor is fattening himself right back up, and continues to be a very good boy about getting his shots. Tim showed Ellie how to make a "kitty tower" by putting blocks on Lulu, and that has resulted in a lot of biting. She prefers tea party, if she must interact with the people-kitten.
I am officially 30 weeks pregnant. Please to gaze upon my glorious belly (and my ham bone child. She cries if I ask to take a picture of her, but scrambles in the second we try to get a picture of me.)
I continue to feel really great. Walking every morning, going to the gym on weekends, keeping up with Ellie, for the most part. I do get winded at the end of the night, and picking up all 30 pounds of toddler and carrying her around nearly makes me keel over. I am also all full of hormones and all out of patience, but physically doing great, ha!
When I first started feeling the baby move, he was really low in my pelvis, and I thought that there might be something to the whole "you carry lower with a boy" wives tale. But since he's gotten bigger, he's spent most of his time up near my ribs, just like his sister did. But he's more on the right side of my body, and spends more time rolling, whereas Ellie was a kicker and a puncher and was solidly on the left. Perhaps this one will learn to roll over before he's a year old, instead of being the world's laziest baby.
Here is a video of him up to no good in my insides. This usually goes on nonstop for an hour around 10pm.
The rhythmic movement is me breathing, obviously. The sudden antics are all him.
Tomorrow I have a routine check up with my doctor, and then I have to start going every two weeks, eek! He's going to be here sooner than I realize.
This weekend we went and ordered Ellie's big girl bed for her new room. She's getting a trundle bed, twin sized. She was very excited about the whole production, especially when they brought out some Legos for her to play with. Let the sleepovers begin! That's getting delivered this week, and they're installing our new window treatments on Friday. Plus Grandma Rosie will be here later this week and promised to help me with curtains for Ellie's closet space, so we're right on track with my goal of having Ellie in her new room in early February.
We're also looking at preschools for her, so she can do two half days a week of fun time with some new friends, and so I get a sanity break when I transition to being a mom of two. We've toured a couple of facilities, and Ellie loves it - at the first place she ran in, sat down at a desk and started coloring. Every morning she asks to watch the episode of Daniel Tiger where he visits school, and asks when she gets to go again. Hopefully she'll continue to have a positive reaction when she's actually there for more than fifteen minutes, and when she's there without her mommy two steps behind. I've told the preschool directors that Ellie is a lucky girl in that I'm home with her, we do a lot of play dates with other kids, and she gets a lot of attention from all of her grandparents. Frankly, I'm looking for someplace where Ellie will NOT get one on one attention all the time. She needs to learn a lot about sharing and turn waiting!
She dressed herself. Her favorite tutu skirt (worn two days in a row) plus her kitty cat robe (made for 0-9 month olds) her purse around her neck (filled with Sesame Street friends) and her sweet sunglasses and an old binky she dug up. She had a good time cleaning out her toy bin tonight.
The very last of Gigi's caterpillars is all grown up and was released today (the first warm day in a week. He picked a good birth day.)
It's a little sad that Ellie won't have any more bugs to raise (for a little while at least) but the good news is that the hummingbirds are nesting and laying eggs in the yard. NATURE TIME!
When she's not being a junior nature scholar, Ellie is also preparing to be an astronaut
Well, Wilford Brimley the cat is doing much, much better already, as am I. He's been on the injections for less than 48 hours, and has already put back on a little weight (he'd lost over a third of his total body weight) and now that he isn't starving to death because of the diabetes, he's actually taking the time to chew his food. And most importantly, he does not spend all his time yeowling at me to feed him.
I also talked to friends who have had a diabetic cat, and a couple of nurses and vets and was informed that the insulin I purchased does NOT automatically expire in 30-60 days. We have five pre-filled insulin pens, each of which has enough medication to last Thor for 6 months at a time because his dosage is so tiny (1/5th of a milliliter per day.) One friend told me that each pen is good for 60 days, another friend said just use them until they run out. But the important thing is, the other pens are still good until 2015. So even if I only use each pen for two months, that box will last me almost an entire year. It makes the prospect of keeping him on the medication less financially intimidating. The other thing is, he does not react AT ALL to being stuck because the needle is truly very tiny. I've been putting out some wet food for him, and then while he's eating, I pinch and stick. He doesn't even stop chomping. We'll see if this strategy still works once his weight and hunger has stabilized.
The other good thing is that Ellie has been very gentle about this whole thing, and surprisingly understanding for a two year old. Because I am trying not to freak Thor out, I have just been giving him the shot in the kitchen (also, the pens are in the fridge.) I don't encourage Ellie to come in and watch me, but it's hard to keep her out of my hair most of the time. She is so sweet though, very concerned about how Thor is getting a little shot to help his tummy feel better. She stays out of my way, and then afterwards says "Foury was very bwave." He IS very brave.
So we'll see how he does. The biggest hassle is worrying about what we'll do if we go on vacation. I have always loved the fact that you can just leave an extra litter box and some extra food and water and then ditch your cat for a few days at a time. But this adds a new twist to having people check in on the cats, especially since Thor is not exactly eager to greet visitors. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it and worse comes to worse, the reality is Tim and I and our two small children are not exactly planning to go on a month long backpacking trip through Europe (not until 2014, at least.)
This morning we were back at music class with Miss Elena, after an extended holiday break. We got to play with Lexi at the play ground before hand, which is always fun, and then during Miss Elena's introduction, Ellie kept asking "is it time for music? Is it time for scarves? Is it time for toys? It's music time now?" and then the second Miss Elena launched into the "Hello" song, E was out of my lap, spinning and hopping around. My shy little violet! Lately, when she dances, she likes to inform us that she's a beautiful dancing flower. With the new baby on the way, and the prospect of twice weekly preschool on the agenda, I have been thinking about dropping one of Ellie's current activities. Seeing her this morning made it clear that choosing music over swimming is going to be a good choice (especially since our pool facility is under new management and all of the classes are changing anyways.)
She has also been very into building with blocks lately, telling us that she's going to make "the tallest tower I've ever seed!" This morning, Lulu helped
Lulu is also demonstrating the #1 principle of being a cat, which is "if I fits, I sits."
Today has been kind of a crazy day - I'm so lucky that both Mimi and Gigi were able to pitch in and handle baby duty so I could focus on a bunch of dumb bureaucratic stuff around the house, and more importantly, take Thory back to the vet.
I got a call from them this morning that his blood work had come back, and while all of his vital organs are functioning fine, he's got high levels of sugar in both his blood and urine - Thor has the diabetus. The sugars. I blame Paula Deen.
So this afternoon I took him in, got a quick lesson on what's been going on (his poor body has been breaking down his fat stores in an attempt to nourish him as sugar spills through his system) and I learned how to inject him. They said the needle is so small that the cats don't react, to which I thought "bull crap" but it's true! (thankfully. Now the only problem will be getting him into my arms twice a day for stabbing.)
The real problem is the insulin is human insulin, and it costs a fortune, because it's not sold in small enough quantities. It doesn't last long enough for me to use it before it goes bad, and I HATE the idea of throwing money down the drain (and throwing insulin in the trash!) Thankfully, I have a friend who had a diabetic cat, and she has some secrets she's going to share - apparently there is feline insulin, sold in teeny tiny vials. I'm hoping that we can figure something out so Thor puts some weight back on, quits feeling and acting like he's starving, without bleeding us dry. I mean, he doesn't earn any damn money, nor will he take care of me in my old age, so I have to weigh my options.
But here's hoping that he's got many good years ahead of him, because this is what I imagine Thor and Tim will look like when Tim is an old retired man.
Sitting in his rocking chair, blanket over his knees, cat and computer on his lap.
All of that vacuuming and scrubbing of the house in preparation for a baby party ended up being exactly good for nothing, when after having a huge glass of milk this morning in lieu of her usual yogurt, Ellie puked her breakfast up at 9am, into my fast moving hands. Gross, gross, gross. Even though I thought it was probably just a moment of stomach weakness on her part (I mean, com'n, milk is disgusting) I had to email everyone and suggest canceling, because with cold and flu season and all of the pregnant ladies and newborns in our group, I didn't want to risk anyone getting sick.
Kelly ended up inviting everyone to her house, which was great of her. And Ellie ate a good breakfast and lunch, played blocks and tea party and picnic and went down for a nap and woke up perfectly fine, so we decided we'd join the party too, lasagna and lemon muffins in tow (because hey, the worst part of a party being canceled is having a fridge full of food that you know you're going to have to toss because you won't eat it before it goes bad.)
It is SO FUN to see the kids all together, even though now at 2 there is a lot more breaking up of fights and discussions about sharing. It's wonderful to hear their little muppet voices and watching them interact. Tonight there was a lot of squishing and mashing of play doh (Ellie told everyone several times about how she was slicing noodles) and running about with cars and trucks and trains. Two of the kids are now big siblings, and two more will be big sisters before the summer's out. It's funny to think that what seems like only a few months ago we'd put all of them on the floor and let them do tummy time together.
The two Elizabeths are not enjoying group photo time. I don't know why Ellie gets so upset about the photos lately!
This is not my favorite picture of myself ever, but how cute is that little muffin?
If it's not one thing, it's another in this dump! Today we had Ricardo over doing some serious yard work, guided by mom, and partially motivated by my dad's persistent (and ANNOYING) comments about how my house looks abandoned because of the front yard. There is only so much I can do with a husband who is physically allergic to manual labor, and me being unable to bend forward and maintain air in my lungs at the same time.
Plus, this was more work than I was willing to take on, even if I wasn't pregnant. Ricardo and his brother ripped out a ton of ivy, a sad little juniper bush and a wretched tree stump. Now all of the ivy has been squirted with weed killer, covered in burlap and mulched. In a few weeks, we'll get some good ground cover plants (whatever kind mom tells me to get) and have them planted. We'll also get a little tree for the brick planter part.
But it's already an improvement:
(not the world's best picture, but you get the idea.)
I can only hope the neighbors are pleased with our additional efforts at curb appeal. Maybe this will help them curb their dogs. I'd be more motivated to keep the ivy trimmed back if I didn't always end up with a handful of dog crap for my efforts. Not pictured: our Christmas tree, still sitting on the curb because apparently we missed the day.
During yard work time, Tim and I deep cleaned the house - the first time everything's really gotten scrubbed since the construction was finished (it's hard to put in a lot of effort when the tree is in the house, shedding pine needles.) It feels soooooo goooood. Plus tonight someone came and bought the filing cabinets out of the office, so once we get the new shades put in, it'll be time to move Miss Moo to her big girl room. Progress!
Now if only the Packers season wasn't over. Then my heart would be perfectly happy.
Ellie has never really gone through a "why" phase, and for that I've always been grateful. Though I realized lately, she has her own version of why, which cracks me up. She prefers to focus more on specific questions, and asking them three or four times in a row. For example:
E: where are we going?
M: Target, to buy some diapers.
(ten seconds)
E: where are we going? M: We're going to Target, to get some diapers.
(ten more seconds)
E: where are we going?
M: Where did I say we were going? E: Target. To buy diapers.
Though I must admit, sometimes (towards the end of the afternoon) I answer more like "ELLIE! What did mommy just say?"
She is also big on figuring out our schedule lately. She climbs in bed with us in the morning (after informing us whether or not it's wet outside) and then after demanding we read her Santa Mouse, she asks what we're going to do today, and I try to run through the schedule with her. It's always a question of telling her exactly what we're doing, and not making life more difficult for myself. For example, if we're going to hang out with Lexi, it's best not to tell her until we're getting in the car, otherwise she spends our entire morning walk whining about seeing Lexi. Likewise, I would never tell her about the petting zoo before we head out. She does do a pretty good job of staying with the plans though, and she knows she doesn't get to see her true love Daniel Tiger until after we finish our walk.
Because man, does she love that Daniel Tiger. She sings the songs from the show all the time (especially the one about going potty - the other day to make sure to tell Grizz to "stop! And go right away, flush and wash and be on your way!") and after seeing Daniel go to the doctor, she likes to inform us that we're going to have a check up. She listens to our hearts and then tells us to stand on the scale. If she's not a doctor, I think she'll be an astronaut, as yesterday in Target she kept putting a plate on her head and yelling "I'm Astronaut Ellie! Blast off into outer space!"
We still have our few last fixes in the kitchen to do, but thankfully, we've moved on to our next pre-baby renovation project, this time, more minor.
Our plan is to turn the office into Ellie's big girl bedroom and leave the nursery as is for Lambeau when he arrives. I'd like to have Ellie sleeping in her new room sometime in February, and it looks like we're on our way. Last night we sold our breakfast nook on craigslist, after a few weeks of flakey people emailing about it and then never showing up to see it. I gave the guy who bought it $50 off if he promised to show up at the correct time, and he did! Everyone wins. That was the biggest step in cleaning out that room.
Then of course, I went into crazy nesting mode at 7:30pm and started to tidy up in there. The office has long been a dumping ground - the filing cabinets are full of movies and video games that we haven't watched or played in years (a lot are still in their wrappers, actually.) Two of the filing cabinets actually have our files in them, but we can move them back into our old cabinet. The other seven of the nine bottom drawers are just filled with JUNK. And right now (possibly because I'm nesting) it feels like our whole house is filled with JUNK. I keep wishing I had an empty closet someplace, and then remember that the key is not saving everything, but getting rid of everything that isn't of sentimental value. No use holding on to a bunch of clutter just so that it can sit in a container some place. I also realize that in three years, all of the giant baby gear that's inhabiting my garage will have gone to the consignment store, and that will help. No matter how small that stuff looks in the box, once you put the play mat or the jumparoo together, it never goes back to it's original small and easily stored size.
Ellie and I stopped by Target today, where thankfully a lot of their organizing items were on sale. I bought a big sterilite tub, and anything from the office cabinets that doesn't fit in there is going to have to go. Thankfully, tomorrow a local charity is doing pick ups if you leave your donations at the end of your driveway! But in order to store the tub, I have to clean out a big swath of my closet. By the time Lambeau comes, I feel like we'll have dug through every nook and cranny of this house and cleaned and organized. It's a nice thought, though a little daunting when I'm huffing and puffing on my hands and knees, trying to drag stuff out from under the bed and from dirty corners of the garage. Tim is equally as displeased, because he is my hauling and storing man servant, responsible for shoving all large items into the rafters.
Our friends Cory and Natalie are in town for a few short days as part of a stop over from their previous life in Okinawa Japan and their new life in North Carolina. We're SO happy to welcome them back to the US of A, and so glad that we could steal a few moments with them. I'd left my week open knowing that they'd be in town, and tonight we were able to pull something together. Ellie and I headed over after her nap (after I woke her from her nap to travel) and Tim snuck out of work a little early. Sorry minions, we have childhood friends to see!
Last time we saw them, Ellie and Logan were six and five months old, respectively. Now Logan's little brother Dylan is a seven month old outside baby, and Ellie's little brother is a seven month old inside baby.
At first, the two year olds couldn't get out of each other's way, which happens sometimes. It's like they become dedicated to being toy stealing, screaming jerks. But by the end of the night, they were playing Sesame Street together and gleefully chasing each other through the house. And while Dylan started the afternoon by crying when I kissed him, he ended up cuddling into my chest for a good portion of the visit. I am a lucky godmum.
They all enjoyed duck feeding time at the lake
Some good Sesame Street "friends" time. Dylan chewed on the house, so it was a hit with all of the children
We took Ellie today to get fitted for a new pair of kicks. Poor little thing, she has her mama and Grizz's genetic code. At two years old, she's already a size EIGHT. Eight wide, actually. I mentioned something about it on facebook, and only one of her little friends wears a bigger size, and it's Jonathan, who is a head taller than she is. Most of the girls are just now moving into a size five (which Ellie wore when she was one.)
The good news is we got her some really cute sequined sneakers, and she was delighted not only with her new shoes, but with the little smoothie that she devoured.
She certainly has grown up since her first trip to Stride Rite.
Me: You need to take a nap, and then when you wake up, how about we go to the mall? Ellie: That'll be GREAT! That'll be TERRIFIC!
(as I was putting her in the car after Trader Joes)
Me: Oops, don't sit on your buckle, silly!
Ellie: (bursts into hysterical laughter) I sit on my buckle?
Me: Don't sit on your buckle!
Ellie: (hysterical laughter) I sit on my buckle?
Me: Don't sit on your buckle!
(lather, rinse, repeat the entire drive home.)
In other news, I've taken two steps towards preparing for the second baby this week, and I'm feeling quite proud. We called to set up a consultation for new blinds for the kids rooms. The one in the office is completely broken, and while I don't need black out curtains, I'd like to be able to keep Ellie's soon to be new room shady if it helps her sleep.
And this weekend I finally picked up a double jogging stroller. My BOB stroller has been the best money I've spent on baby gear, and has been a complete sanity saver for me. Thank to Fitbit, I estimate that I pushed it more than 1,500 miles in the first year I owned it (no joke AT ALL) and it rides so smoothly that I can push it with one hand while jogging. Even jogging uphill! Still, as much as I love the single BOB, I didn't want to buy a double one new, because I think it'll have a shorter life span, and there's a lot of nice doubles available on craigslist. So yesterday I met a lady in San Clemente and exchanged a wad of cash for her fabulous used stroller. And the best news? It fits in the Fit, without having to put the back seat down. I already knew that the double wouldn't slide into my trunk (thanks to my friend Kelly letting me try to jam hers in my vehicle) and I didn't think it would work in the Fit. Oh, how silly I am to underestimate the Fit. The Fit has been nothing but GO! since the day we bought it. I have priorities, and they are fancy jogging stroller first, and car second. I would have gotten a new vehicle if it meant the BOB would fit in the trunk. Sad but true! The good news now is that I got a great deal on a nice used stroller, and will get a gently used Honda Fit for zero dollars. I will be taking Tim's UCLA Engineering license plate frame off of it though.
For those of you who maybe don't understand toddler the song is:
Here is the beehive but where are the bees? Hidden away where nobody sees. Watch and you'll see them come out of the hive, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Bzzzzzz! (with tickling.) For reference, she used to freak out and start crying when we'd actually sing the song in music class.
While it was nice to have Tim home for two weeks, I must admit, I am thankful that he's back in the office and Ellie and I are back in our routines. We had a lot of late nights, a lot of long boring mornings (with lots of whining for TV) and lots of crappy naps. But the last few days we've been walking in the morning, having a good lunch and nap and then living life in the afternoons (or bothering Gigi. Depends on the day.)
Ellie has been cracking me up lately with her Midwesternness. She's said "supper" instead of dinner and "bubbler" instead of water fountain for awhile, but the other day she told me "you betcha!" and I just about died. Soon she'll be making hot dishes for everyone. Plus last week I got her to yell "GO PACK GO!" to a stranger in the Trader Joes parking lot who was wearing a Green Bay sweatshirt.
She has also showed the first bit of interest in using the restroom IN the restroom (instead of in her pants.) I must admit, I am a little nervous about the whole thing, because if she can't be fully potty trained by April, I'm not terribly motivated to try. If she could just wait until after the baby is born and I have my mother of two sea legs under me, I'd be happy to take her to the toilet every fifteen minutes for days on end. But I know I can't hold her back, so when she asks to sit on the pot, we go and sit on the pot. She got all mad the other day when she pooped in her diaper and I changed her, and I said "if you don't like having your diaper changed, learn to poop in the toilet." She then asked to use the toilet and got SO MAD when despite all the straining, no more poop came out. She doesn't quite get that she has to go to the bathroom BEFORE the poop. The best is when I use the bathroom and she congratulates me. Thanks for the help kid.
It's also funny that she sings a song from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood every time she uses the bathroom ("if you have to potty, STOP and go right away. Flush and wash and be on your way!") Sometimes she'll remind me of all the steps. Again, thanks for the help kid. For those of you not in the know, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is a cartoon that features all of the puppets from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, with similar messages about kindness and learning and imagination. She LOVES it. We have all the episodes taped on our tivo, and no matter how many times she's seen them, Ellie always wants to watch them again. Except for the one about being angry - that one freaks her out.
Also freaky, this guy.
I guess now we know where Ellie learned her best moves.
I've never been a huge person for New Years partying, so I don't feel bad about not being able to blow the roof off NYE now that I'm a parent. Thankfully, many of my girlfriends feel the same, and so we got together for a fancy dress/casual food and drink party, which ended for most of us shortly after 9pm (it was New Years in New York!) We ate, we drank, we watched the ball drop, we wrangled kids who were growing crankier by the minute, and we were all in bed at a decent time. Which was great, because Ellie had her worst night of sleep in months. She apparently wants to party into the wee hours. Or pout. Whichever!
Pre party shopping at Gigi's house
Everyone in their fancy dress
Ellie and Clare doing some basic home repairs. Just because you're in a party dress doesn't mean you can't be handy around the house
Unrelated to the New Year - all of the ladies in the tent
Tim and Meg met in 2003 at UCLA, only three weeks before Meg graduated, and only three months before she moved to Canada for graduate school. They dated long distance for a year, got engaged in 2004 and married in 2005. Tim makes video games as an actual job. After five years in LA, in a 500 square foot apartment, we moved back behind the Orange Curtain and bought our first house in October 2009. We followed up that fun by having our first daughter, Elizabeth Rosemarie in October 2010.
Tim is 6'6" and Meg is 5'3". Yes, we know we look mismatched in pictures. Yes, Meg tries to stand on things to be taller whenever she can.
