Confession...I am 12

We have two books on rotation before bedtime. Whether Sam gets any of it is doubtful, but he'll sit in my lap and bat at the pictures while I read. One is Green Eggs and Ham, which is usually a little long for his wee attention span. By the time Sam I Am gets the grumpy, um, hairy thing, to try them, My Sam is all figety and arching his back.

The other book is The Runaway Bunny. It's a sweet tale about a little bunny who tells his mother that he's going to run away and then she says how she'll run after him. Then he says he'll be a flower, so she says she'll be a gardner. So then he says if she's a gardner he'll be a fish, so she says she'll be a fisherman... and on and on. You get the picture.

At one point he says he'll be a sailboat, and she says she be the wind and blow him where she wants him to go.

Then the little bunny says."If you become the wind and blow me"...

...and everytime I stifle a giggle.

Because nothing is funnier than the implication of bunny incest.

I slept, therefore I am...no longer bitchy.

Things are a little better over here. Boy, that was a rough night, and therefore, following day as well. The teething is still happening, but it seems that the little buggers are worn out from the effort and only causing Sam mild discomfort for now. I'm sure it's just a lull in the action until they break through, but just having a lull is reassuring.

So we've moved! I mentioned that before, but haven't been in much mood to get into the details. I've been blogging from my old lap top because we still have yet to set up the "office" with the computer and such. This is also the reason why deluge of Sam photos has seemingly dried up. I have a few good ones in the camera, but can't get them off until the Mac is all plugged in and hummin' along. My mother is beside herself. Not only do I provide regular photo arrays of her only grandchild, but once a week we do a teleconference over iChat. That hasn't happened for two weekends in a row. Grandma ain't happy.

So the new place is awesome. I absolutely love it! It's a little small, but that means less to keep clean. When we first moved in I basked in the glow that is "no dog hair", but that has been dulled by the big brown monster, currently in full molt. Sam is getting use out of his nursery, something I can't say of the old place. It was upstairs! I couldn't be expected to go upstairs! But now, it's 10 feet from...well, pretty much anywhere in the house. Vurtues of a little box.

The best part of the place is the yard. We have a yard! With nice grass that hasn't been burned by dog pee! I'm not sure how we're going to keep that from happening, but in the meantime, it's really green and fresh. Sam and I spent and hour out there on a blanket this afternoon. Bliss.

Pictures to follow...eventually.

Too tired to appreciate the irony

I am really annoyed by the way this blog looks. If only I had time to fiddle with it. But, this is very low on my list of priorities at the moment.

Number 1? Sleep. It's has not been cards lately. After a week of comfortably sleeping in his crib, Sam has gone on strike. He'll sleep the first 2 to 3 hours there, but once he wakes up, it's the last place he's willing to go. I'll nurse him, he'll be on the verge of sleep, but the moment I lower him towards the mattress, he arches his back and begins to wail. If, by chance, he does go to sleep, it lasts about 20 minutes. And he cries until I lift him out. He'll fall asleep on my shoulder, but I can't put him back down in the crib, or it all starts again. We must of gone through this 20 times last night. At around 4:30 the birds started chirping, so he came to bed with me. I figure I got about 3-4 hours.

Pretty sure it's due to his teeth. At least I hope that's what it is. If not, I better figure it out soon. It's been a month since the bottom ones came in, so we're even a little behind schedule for the upper ones. And these top suckers are really doing a number on us. After last nights freak out, I was sure we would wake up this morning to little slits or some sign that they were on their way...but no. Nothing. Nothing but drooling, crying, finger sucking, lip smacking, and now a refusal to take a nap. Pretty much every sign except any evidence of actual teeth.

What's the worst is that the few mom's I know didn't have this trouble with teething. I know every baby is different, but not having someone reassuringly commiserate with "Oh yeah, teething was the WORST. Thank god that's over." is rough. Instead it seems like no one sympathizes. It's all "Oh, we thought she had a cold! Isn't that funny?! One day she had a runny nose, the next she had teeth!" Yeah, hilarious. No what I want to hear. I don't care if it's true. Note to Moms out there: When a new Mom comes to you complaining about something, needing reassurance that what is happening is normal, give her a horror story, not how you were "lucky" and "didn't have to go through that." Even if you baby never cried, slept though the night since emerging from the womb, and giggled as his teeth came in...I'm in no mood to hear how perfect your sleep cycles are. I'm tired and bitchy, and misery loves...excuse me needs some company.

God I need a nap. Not happening. Baby is too tired to take a nap.

Waiting to Clean...

I am sitting amongst boxes.. watching the National Spellilng Bee. LIVE. Thrilling. We finally get our cable hooked up and this is what I watch? There is only about 8 kids left. Only one girl. She has a boatload of bracelets on her left arm. Some sort of superstition. Apparently the Gods of Spelling appreciate someone who knows how to accessorize...or she feels lopsided or something. I've noticed she does a funny thing with her mouth whenever she pronounces an 'S'. Like she used to have a lisp, but went to speech therapy to get it fixed. It reminds me of someone...someone famous or on TV. Crap, I can't place it. I'll have to wait until she comes back up and maybe it will hit me.

J is out doing one of the final runs from our old pad to the new house. There is crap EVERYWHERE. It's 9:30 and Sam is sleeping. Once J is done, I'm going to feed Sam and then head over to the old house and do the clean. Fun. That's why I'm sitting here typing and watching the Spelling Bee. There is a pretty good chance I'm going to be up till after midnight smelling of Fantastic and FeBreeze, so I'm not spending the next hour unpacking.

Oh, here she comes!

Scienophician? That's what I heard. It's a "Blue Green Algae"? Hmm, who knew?

oops. Cyanophycean. Not even close.

They show you how it's spelled before they even try, they didn't used to do that...oh, crap...she put a T in it. T? I didn't even put a T in it.

Oh well, looks like a dude will win.

By the way, all these 13 year old boys seem very efeminite (I'm sure that's not spelled right... DING!) to me. It could be because it's that awkward age, some voices have changed, others still talk like their 9 year old sister. Most of them seem like really ugly girls with bad haircuts. Sorry, I'm tired and cranky.

They list hobbies under their names. There is a high incidence of chess enthusiasts among those who can spell....competatively that is. I am painfully aware of how I can't spell...like, at all. I can play chess, but I would never list it as a hobby. I guess I'm not spelling bee material

Wait! There's a Canadian?! What? National Spelling Bee my ass. OK, The Canuck has to spell VITULINE...He's thinking. Man, he's rocking some bangs. Damn he's taking forever. Oh, there's a beep...yeah, hurry the fuck up! here he goes. Got it.

Oh, it's down to two. The Canadian and an American. How exciting! It's like Rocky! Kinda?

Oh, here's the American. PAPPARDELLE...wow, spelled it fast. Some sort of pasta. Way to go!

Bang boy...He's from Alberta. Damn...spelled his word. Fast tooll

This is getting good! USA!USA! Crap...commercial.

Hey, they are pre-empting Gray's Anatomy for this. I bet there are some pissed off people right now.

EVAN...he's the American. Here we go! Some sort of Japanese Soup? YOSENABE. He's thinking...here he goes! Got it. You go Evan.

The Canadian got some sort of desease. To spell, not like...you know. OOOOHHHH, he got it wrong!

Ok, Evan has to get this one right to win...

SERRAFINE. Oh, he's smiling. He must know it. Spelling...He wins!

Take that Canada.

Before I unplug this thing...

What's up?!




It seems like ages since I've had a chance to sit down and type up a blog post! Lots of packing going on...that is when the Ding Dong isn't crying about his teeth, poor kid. I'll be so happy once they break through, then maybe he'll start sleeping better at night? Let's hope so. I am sooooo sleepy right now. But I have to get to the paint store so we can start priming tonight. I hate painting. But not as much as I hate moving. Yep, it's going to be a wonderful weekend.

I really don't have much right to complain. J has been hard at work removing layers upon layers of wallpaper from our soon-to-be bedroom. I feel bad about not being able to help, but someone has to watch Sam, and it's better that he not inhale bits of 20 year old wallpaper glue and the overwhelming fumes of fabric softner and vinegar. I wonder if that smelll will ever get out of the walls. People will always think we are doing laundry. Which, now that I think of it, we always are.

The big change is the removal of a wall in the front of the house. I only have a few pictures...this is before.



This is after J ripped down the wall...


It left quite the mess



Here's another before and after from another angle...





Since these pictures were taken, the studs have been removed, and the drywall and floor have been patched. All that's left is painting. Did I mention how I hate painting?

Enough of the whining about the move. We've had a few noteworthy happenings around here. Last weekend Sam went to his first concert! Dan Zane and Friends played at the local club on Sunday afternoon. It was packed with little rugrats and their parents.



I was happy to see that Sam wasn't the only wee babe there. But all the little people dancing made me wish he was a little older. But he was strapped to a dancing Daddy, so he still got to boogie...even if he was sleeping at the time.



Sam has become master of the raspberry. Yesterday at the grocery store he was really going to town. I found myself wanting to let other shoppers know not to worry...that it was his face, not his butt, making that noise...but I didn't. Hmm, I wonder if the vibrations provide some pain relief?
Perhaps not, but the hand seems to do the trick when it's not too bad.


Oh, and he's found his feet.



Which I've always suspected were quite yummy.



That's about it. J's folks are coming up to help with the effort, which is awesome. Which means I have to launder the sheets in the guest room, which is not awesome. But I am extremely thankful for the help. The place is quite the disaster. I find it hard to believe that we will actually pull this move off in the alotted time. I think if I can keep J and his Dad from going on a 5 hour boondoggle to Home Depot we might just pull it off...but what are the chances of that?

Chompers and Choppers

At the 5 month old mark, Sam seems to be enjoying the typical 5 month old type things. He's starting to sit...kinda. He can lean forward onto his hands, but you have to be there to make sure he doesn't topple over sideways. And then there is always the sudden spastic attempt to do what seems to be a back handspring.

Oh, and he has two teeth. They are about 1/8 of an inch in. I am assuming the top ones are to shortly follow with all the crying and hand shoving. Hopefully we'll then get a break from all the fussing and discomfort. I guess this is a little early for them to come in. He's getting to be a big boy, growing so fast. First with the teeth, and now with the Harley...



Time to go make lunch. MMmm, maybe I'll have some toes.

Triangle Man hates correct spelling

I'm being held hostage by poop.

Sam hasn't had a movement since Monday morning. Therefore, I am terrified to leave the house. Because as soon as I do, it will happen. And whenever he goes this long, it's quite the event. Requiring an IMMEDIATE diaper change, unless I want poo leakage all over everything. Which, I think we can all agree, I don't.

Right now he's sleeping, so I've been putzing around on the internet. I spent a little time going back and reading some of my blog of past. I've realized I've gotten very boring...you know, all this talk of poop. I've decided I'm going to try and keep it to a minimum. Or at least, make it interesting. If that is possible.

Another reason I am in love with my new neighborhood? We have been invited to the neighbors Cinco de Miao party! (I don't know if that is spelled right, and I'm not going to check...a running theme in these parts...so is using the wrong YOUR or YOU'RE...I know the difference, I just type phoenetically...that's not right either...see, I said I don't care). We can't go though, which sucks. But for a fun reason. We're going to go see They Might Be Giants! My inner high school dork needs some attention. So I'll be bopping around Saturday night screaming about Triangle Man beating up Person Man! And if I'm really lucky, singing along to one of my favorite songs ever, She's an Angel. (or Angle? argh..the kind with wings, not the kind that make up Triangles).

I think I'm gonna like it here....

Once I knew we were moving, I joined the neighborhood message board. It's mostly people posting about free futons, lost pets and searches for a good electrician. It's a great insight to the world we are about to enter and has me looking forward to living in this little corner of Burlington.

Now, even more so....

WANNA JOIN A ROCK N ROLL BAND?
Mon, 30 April 2007

My name is ----. I am 8 years old and a 3rd grader at Champlain. I have been playing the drums for two years (lessons every week) and I am getting quite good. My Dad and Mom have told me that it is "cool with them" if I want to start a rock band. I am looking for a singer, guitar player, keyboard player, and a bass player. I am looking for band mates from the ages of 8 to 12. We can practice at my house on the weekends. I have my own drum set and we have keyboards as well. Please call me if you are interested. Rock on...

Is this the end of a Nacho-free life?

Yes, I managed to mess the whole thing up. I shouldn't go fiddling with things I don't really understand. Lord knows there isn't time to try and fix it. So I guess this is how it will look for a while. Boring. Aaargh.

Why did I go meddling? Well, there is a chance I may have to change the name of the blog. There are exciting things afoot in the Nacho realm.



I've been saying this for YEARS. They wrap all sorts of yummy things with flour tortillas, why don't they make a chip? Well, now they do. I have a bag of these little goodies in my cabinet. I just need to buy some cheese, and sour cream, and jalapenos, and chili, and onions....

We are coming off of a great weekend. We had a really good visit with friends. It was so nice to get away from the news and get outside. We had the first really warm weather of the year and spent a big chunk of the day Saturday outside by the water.

Here is little Rosa...oh so cute. She loved Sam, it was so adorable as she reached out to give him gentle pats. I've never seen a kid so jazzed about stuff! So much fun.



Well, she looks a little serious in that picture. The majority of the time she's bouncing with excitement. Hmm, I didn't take nearly enough photos.

Sam had a kinda rough time this weekend. He is getting his first tooth! You can feel it with your finger. He's not enjoying this milestone, and I must admit neither am I. Not only is he in pain, but he's growing too fast. He's wearing 6-9 month old clothes already. I'm trying to cherise all the baby time I can, but it's going by awfully fast.

One bonus is that he is starting to fit into some cool digs we've been waiting to wear.



In sleeping news, we got a positioner which seems to be working great! No more flipping over and having a fit. At first it made him mad, but now he settles right in...and actually falls asleep quicker. Yay! Don't worry, he still gets plenty of tummy time, but no longer at the expense of sleep.

Hokie Hope

Sam and Mom dressed for Hokie Hope Day in Burlington, Vermont.
April 20, 2007.

Getting some of it out....

Hopefully there won't be many more posts about this. But being so far from friends, it's an outlet...

It seems the national media is beginning to widen it's tunnel vision on Blacksburg. Thank god. Though I'm happy I have been able to see what is going on, I can't help but notice that in every shot, every image, there seems to be a camera man, photographer, or satellite truck in the background. Instead of looking at the image, I find myself putting myself in the picture and imagining the perspective of those captured....having cameras stuck in your face while you cry. I can't even imagine what it must feel like there to have so many outsiders swooping in, looking for a sad story to tell, to satisfy the bloodlust of a hungry nation. And now with the package he sent to NBC. I wanted to see it, I must admit, and I watched transfixed at the angry ramblings of a mad man. But I think it would have been better from them to keep it under wraps for a while. Just because people will want to see it, doesn't mean you have to show it. And NBC keeps patting themselves on the back saying how they are only showing part of it out of respect for the families...yeah, I'm sure they appreciate that.

I suppose I'm slowly making my way through the stages of grief. It's seems anger is hanging out for a while...not sure where that lays in the order...hopefully not too far from exceptance. I know yesterday I was pretty entrenched in the "this is a nightmare, I'm going to wake up and it won't have happened" stage. Not sure if that one has a name or not. Strangely my anger has not been directed at the shooter as much as the media. Blaming the Messanger I suppose.

I hung our VT flag in the window. I feel like I need some tangible expression, some sort of public mourning...a purging. God I wish we had an alumni association up here. Maybe we will start one. I know there are a few of us around. I put a "any Hokies out there" posting on Craigslist, but haven't gotten any responses.

When I first moved here, whenever I wore Tech stuff I had to explain to people that it had nothing to do with Vermont. Actually, on the way back from Florida last week, the flight attendant commented on Sam's hat saying, "oh, what a cute little Vermont hat." I told her it was actually a Virginia Tech hat. I wonder if she remembers that now.

J spoke with P, one of our friends in Blacksburg. He actually heard the shots. He was in a building nearby (Randolph, I think). Crazy.

Tomorrow has been declared Hokie Hope day...people are supposed to wear Maroon and Orange. I think that will be nice. It's kinda weird that tomorrow is also the anniversary of Columbine. I wish it wasn't. But I will put on the colors. Perhaps walk downtown and see if I can find some other Hokies. That would be nice.

We have some friends coming in from out of town. I'm looking forward to it. Though the house is a disaster...cleaning has seemed a monumental task. They are non-Hokies, so hopefully it will be a nice distraction. It will be good to get away from the TV and think about other things for a while.

It's hard to explain, but this feels very personal to me. Blacksburg was my home for 8 years. Virginia Tech is my school. To have the entire nation looking in, tranfixed by the violence feels...I don't know, like people are gawking or something. I am surprised how emotional it is making me. I expect to be sad, but I am finding myself brought to tears...then quick to anger. That stupid CNN guy is driving my nuts. They just talk and talk and repeat themselves over and over. Making stupid observations and idiotic theories. I suppose I should turn off the TV and look to my friends for comfort. Perhaps if I was in Virginia I could. But here in Vermont I feel alone. I thank god I have J, so we can talk about it on the same level.

Last night as I walked to get a bottle of wine, I looked at other people and I felt different. Not in some major way, but I found myself thinking "they don't realize." Then I felt very selfish and embarassed at my own self importantance. But I couldn't help thinking that they may feel horror and disbelief at the events, but not like me. I'm a Hokie. They don't know.

Though the sorrow and grief of those personally effected is unimaginable, I find comfort knowing they are surrounded by the Virginia Tech family. I find myself thinking of other Hokies out there, far from home who are watching this and not having anyone around who can understand.

So if anyone who reads this knows a Hokie....

This is crazy. Words cannot describe the sadness I feel in connection with today's events in Blacksburg. My thoughts are with the entire Virginia Tech community as we struggle to make sense of this act of brutality. I wish strength and comfort to those who have suffered a personal loss. I, as I'm sure all Hokies across the world, mourn with you.

Peace

She's Here!

Welcome Ava Grace!

Mrs. T gave birth on April 5th to this beautiful little girl. They must be so happy! I've been out of town at my sister's wedding and it's been killing me not to have internet access so I could see a picture of her. She is just gorgeous...just like her mama.

Sam can't wait to meet her...

Sleep is for suckers

Perhaps I will make some onsies with this tagline. Other contenders are "I'm here for the Mommy show"and "Sing, woman, sing!" or "Don't even THINK about putting me down." I will be a millionare, no?

Oh, am I jaded already? Perhaps it's hanging out with moms whose babies are sleeping "oh, 6 to 7 hours, then she wakes up every 2." Is not good for my mama self-esteem. At least not when your baby wakes up every HOUR AND A HALF! "It's just a phase" some say. "Probably going through a growth spurt." Well, you may remember when I wrote of 4 hour stretches. Considering that only lasted 3 days, that was the phase. And we are out of it...for sure.

The main problem we are having is that Sam can now roll over. You may think this would be a cause for celebration. Which, at first, it was. It was so cute to see him kick that leg over and flop down on his tummy.


But once he gets over, he can't get back to his back. Which pisses him off. Alot.


He does this in the middle of the night. Like, oh, every HOUR AND A HALF.

J is an angel to put up with the current version of me. The version that gets no sleep. I am not as nice as I used to be. He lets me sleep in on the weekends, not only because he loves me, but I think to try and reestablish the sweeter version of me. So far, I don't think it's working.

Sam also was going through a very fussy phase while J was gone. Perhaps he missed his Daddy? Who knows. But I was about ready to cry. Sam could not be happy. Not at all. Maybe for 20 minutes. But that was it. Luckily, that ended. He still gets fussy, afterall he is a baby, but in more managable stretches.

End of the vent. Sam, is, of course the coolest thing ever. He sure is cute. And he really giggles now which is just awesome. He's getting a little grabby, which you would think would be bad, but actually I love having him reach out for me. He's all smiles in the morning and is mesmorized by Tubbs. He likes spitting raspberries and shoving his fist in his mouth. He has begun to appreciate toys and enjoys touching different materials. His favorite of both right now is Fredward.



We closed on our house! So we are now owners of two houses. Donald Trump look out! Scary. Now we are crunching numbers to see if we can afford to turn our new ugly little box into a not-so-ugly little box. Not looking good. But I am super excited about the neighborhood. I met a bunch of the neighbors this weekend and everyone was super cool. Lots of young families. We even have another Hokie in the hood! woo hoo!

Back from Grandmas

I spent a lot of time fretting over what to do if Sam decided not to be happy on the plane. I had toys, pacifiers and a carefully chosen song repertoire. Luckily, none of it was needed. In his standard form of “showing off for strangers” he slept the entire time. Yes, lady sitting behind me, I do have the most marvelous baby! Of course she didn’t know about the poop explosion 20 minutes before boarding (um, NO CHANGING TABLES in the airport bathroom? Do they want poopy babies on the plane?). And the scream fest on the drive home from the airport (he woke up in the carseat and was starving). My father probably didn’t realize Old McDonald had owls on his farm, but when you run out of barnyard animals you have to improvise.

The trip was great. Grandma and Grandpa had lots of quality time with Sam…especially Grandma. I took complete advantage…eating when I want, going to the bathroom when I want, and even showering on a whim! Heaven.

I even got to go hang out and have lunch with Mrs. T and Pdiddy the day after the shower. And I had a Margarita! Which made me tipsy…. The shower was beautiful, by the way. Mrs. T got loads of stuff. The next day I got the see the nursery and the drawers of already acquired and hand-me-down baby clothes. I don’t think she’ll ever have to do laundry. And if they decide to just have one, she can put the girl through college reselling all the stuff on ebay.

It was so great to see my girls. It always makes me happy, but then it makes me sad. Everyone seems so far away. Luckily Mrs. T lives near my folks, so there is always a trip in the future, but Pdiddy is on the other side of the country. But Sam got some precious time with Auntie P...



and his first photo with his betrothed...she's currrently in utero. Oh, and Aunt Jess (aka Mrs. T...or should I say Mama T).


Yes, I plan to push Sam towards the new little angel to be born this April. Which, of course, will garauntee that they want nothing to do with one another. Sam met another prospect...little Anna. Though by the look on his face, he seems a little weary



So maybe they'll just be friends. Then again, Sam may not like girls at all. We'll have to see how that shakes out. I'm in no hurry. Maybe we'll be one of those creepy mom and son teams that live together and fight over the bath pillow



ok, maybe not.

My boobs are flying!

I'm busy packing for my trip tomorrow. I'm headed to DC for Mrs. T's baby shower!! I can't wait...I get to see Pdiddy too. I'm guessing that Mrs. T will be too busy to check this blog, so...

I knit the baby girl a hat. And some mittens. But then, I thought, hell, she won't be born until April, what will she need with some mittens? So then I knitted some more, some smaller ones. So they can be "Scratchers mitts." Hopefully will some in usefull to keep the little angle from scratching up her face? And the hat? The pattern says up to six months, so I hope it will still fit come October when a hat may be needed. If not...well, maybe she knows someone else who can use them.

It's funny because as I received many gifts I was always surprised at their timing. I got a xams outfit for a 9 month old? Um, Sam was born in December....so, um, he'll never wear it. I also got alot of short sleeved onsies for 3 month olds. We live in Vermont. They haven't seen the light of day. So then I knit a wool hat for a baby to be born in April. Oh well, me not so smart.

Tomorrow we get on a plane. I'll be that mother that all the other people waiting to board will be looking at wondering "is that baby going to cry the whole time." and "God, I hope they aren't sitting near me." I pray Sam will be in a good mood. He isn't a fan of sitting in one spot, so I'm a little concerned. I have two toys packed in my carry-on that seem to entertain him. And then there is always the secret weapon of "Old McDonald"...man, he loves that shit. I figure people would rather listen to me sing than him scream. Ditto for the boob. Of course we're flying out of Burlington, where this happened. Of course it caused such a hub bub, they'll probably smile and fawn over us. Boobs? We love boobs! We are a boob friendly airline!

So here is to hoping it all goes well. I'll be sure to let you know.

Cranky has never been so cute.

Yesterday J, Sam and I had a little get together with some folks from our birthing class. Only 3 couples showed up, but they are the people I connected with the most, so that was ok. All boys were born from these duos so it was Jack, Lucas, and Sam. I must say, Sam beats the other two in size and, of course, cuteness. Perhaps I'm biased.

Because these social soirees are few and far between there is much fretting over fashion choices. Not for me (I still wear pajamas everywhere I go) but for Sam. I look for the perfect mix of cute, hip and unpretentiousness. (Note: I have found that some of the awesome little man outfits I coveted before he was born, or even still in the stores, make him look like a little snobby yuppy when dressed. I guess babies weren't meant to wear sweater vests.) So this was the perfect opportunity for the Crankypants, lovingly knitted by Aunt Amy, to make their debut! Not only was Sam rockin' the Hokie colors, but the soft wool provides the perfect cozy warmth over his legs that are open to the elements in the Bjorn. They were a hit with the other mama's too. (pay no attention to the horribly sewn up orange booties...those are a mama creation).




LOVE them...I need to order some since Sam is growing like a weed. Too bad Aunt Amy is inundated with orders. Yo Amy, we should talk soon. I'll make it worth your while!

Reconstituted

I'm doing much better. I've started a list and this seems to calm my nerves a little bit. There is something about seeing all the chaos I'm supposed to tackle neatly organized on a piece of paper. Due to my interuppted sleep patterns, my memory has been shot. I was stressed and would then have to think about why. It was like I knew I was stressed, I could feel my stress, but my brain could not recall all the reasons why, which was stressing me out even more. Stressing about not being able to remember what I'm stressed about... reminds me of a particularly bad mushroom trip I had in college. Anyway, now I just have to look at my list and be reminded of why I feel overwhelmed. Ironically calming.

I think I'm going to kill the dog. Due to the 3 feet of snow, his normal poop and pee area has been inaccessible. Therefore, he has been enjoying little jaunts to a snow free zone. As a result, he wants to go out constantly. It is increasingly difficult to tell whether he actually has to go out, or merely wants to go sniff the public toilet of the neighborhood dogs. We need some snow soon, just to cover all the yellow, ick. Also, Sam has become sensitive to his barks. What used to be a deep coma of sleep is now a light nap which Tubbs can, and does, shatter. Everyday.
And my response? To yell at the dog. Smart.