Vacation?

We spent the last week on "vacation." I put the word in quotes because truth be told it is 1000 times more tiring to chase a 2 year old all day than it is to go to work then come home and chase a 2 year old for the evening only. Yet another round of props for all of you SAHM&Ds.

Sharon and Jeff, or Ya-ohn, and Depfss as they became known over the week, flew up from SF to go to the Mountain House with us. It allowed Julian to get to know his aunt and uncle much better and let me tell you, the kid was in LOVE. He would wander around shouting "Depfss, Depfss!!" any time Jeff was not within 10 feet of him. We had a lovely time.

Sharon taking Julian to see the cows.


Jeff putting on Jules' shoes.


Hugs for Auntie.


"Cheers." Anananana smoothie.


Ooh, stainless.




I picked up a plastic slide for the yard yesterday (finally a decent Craig's List experience again) and Julian was sooooo psyched. The slide part is pretty small but he doesn't seem to care.

I have an old friend on the way over so I'm going to keep this post short too. Sorry no ROFL stories to share.





This was a yell of excitement.


Woo hoo, my slide!!


xo
-s

We have rice!!

Things are going smoothly here, if you don't count the fact that I drove my car into a parked truck (people are fine and the truck is fine but both doors on the passenger side need to be replaced.) I told Jon how the truck was parked all the way to the street instead of only up to the curb cut and he nodded and said "so you decided to drive into it?" Nice. Really it was so far into the street I didn't want to drive into the opposing lane as I turned around it so I cut it too close. And yes, I still shouldn't have driven into the truck. And yes, I am aware that I am not a good driver. As if that's not enough car trouble Jon's car has been overheating...the head gasket needs to be replaced. Oh, and when we brought it in we also found out the front brakes only have 15% left so we have to redo the brakes too. We actually are going to have to rent a car to drive while they're in the shop.

Julian is coughing again and I am just praying it is not from the rice we introduced into his diet. In the past he has gotten a bad rash on his face from rice, but never a cough. We are going to be SO psyched if he can have rice. His daycare provided did a happy dance when she heard we'd be trying to introduce it. If he continues to do ok we'll try corn again, and maybe wheat. Our fingers are crossed! Please send some good vibes his way.

I can't believe how Julian's language skills are just exploding. 4 word sentences are common now and he is getting much better at articulating his needs. We're working with him on using his words when he's mad instead of, oh, bitch slapping me across the face...but that seems to be a work in progress. Our friend Evan introduced us to the book Hands Are Not For Hitting. I'll let you know how that is going in a few weeks.

Jon and I are trying to squeeze in as much of the Games as we can after Jules goes to bed. We have still managed to not turn the TV on in front of him. I've been tempted to cave as in the future we plan to allow sports watching but we're hoping to wait until he's 3. We'll keep you posted on that too. And re: the games... What the hell is up with beach volleyball? Regulation bikinis? Come on. And those Chinese gymnasts? If they ARE 16, they are on some very very scary drugs.

On that note, I'm off to try to squeeze in an hour or so tonight so here are a few photos for the record and I'm out.

This was my shirt when I was little. It was 102 degrees so I figured a tank top was in order.




Here is Miss Good Sport Kitty.


xo
-s

Armpit.

Last weekend we had a small group of friends over for a BBQ. Here are a few snaps.




I love this one with Julian and our friend Owen. I have never, ever seen Julian take to a veritable stranger like that. It was so very sweet.


We all just got back from an overnight at the Mountain House for Rob's annual Lobster and Champagne birthday bash. There was a huge crowd (yes, I'm ok) and we hung out all afternoon and evening then spent the night in a nearby hotel. Julian was so spun out from a shorter than usual nap and so many people that we couldn't get him settled down until after 9pm. He was sobbing "home, home" which made my heart sad but I have to admit that I was impressed with the abstract thought.




He woke up in a fabulous mood and proceeded to eat his breakfast (3 eggs with spinach) part of my breakfast (oatmeal) and another egg from Jon's plate. We stopped back by the party on the way home and one of the dads said "he ate 4 eggs?" Yes, I answered. "With the yolks?" Um, yes. I thought that was so odd. Who would feed their kid egg whites without the yolks?


Julian is starting to engage in pretend play and that is changing the face of all of our games. He will stand at his new kitchen and make us eggs, or soup or what not. We'll pretend there is a frog under the pillow and that I am a digger and he is the dirt. It's fun.

As Julian gets more and more words (we can't even come close to counting anymore) we are finding some areas that need some working out. Daddy doesn't drink beard, he drinks beer. The peach doesn't have an armpit, just a plain pit, etc etc. Endless hours of entertainment to be had over here, let me tell ya.

Dang thee Pookie M......

I have been fortunate enough to have good experiences with Craig's List thus far. Well, that ended this weekend. As a firm believer in the "jinx" I think it is because I was reading a post on Michelle Smile's blog about what a crappy experience she had buying a dresser on Craig's List and I thought to myself, 'Wow, I've only had pretty good experiences.' Ha!

Jon & I have had our eye on this particular kids chair for the dining table (the Stokke Tripp Trapp for those who know it) and I was sooo excited to see it listed on Craig's List not only for half the price of a new one, but in our first choice of cherry finish. I emailed and asked the woman (Pookie) if she'd hold it because I didn't want to drive out that far if she had already sold it because my son had strep and wasn't feeling well. She emailed back that I could come and get it right then, but I couldn't actually download that email so I called the number she posted. No problem she said, no need to come that night, she'd hold it until I got there, even to the following day if necessary, she just doesn't prefer to hold things because she worries people won't show up. Oh and just bring cash as people always bring checks and she only takes cash. I told her I'd be there in the morning. I was so happy I even did a wiggle dance.

So it's the morning after a very bad night's sleep for me, Julian is fussy and still sick. I get in the car, drive 20 min to her giant cookie cutter house, walk up and introduce myself. She says "I'm sorry." Note there was not a drop of emotion in this statement. I was very confused. "Excuse me?" I query. And she says "I didn't know if you were coming, I sold it to someone who got here earlier."

WHAT?

"They got here at 8:30, and they bought the expensive stroller."

SO?

I was shocked. After mumbling something about that not being in integrity & that I told her my baby was sick and it was a very long drive for me, I held back my tears and got back in my car to drive home. Now anyone who knows me knows that I don't really care that much about the chair, I can buy the thing new. But I have this defective mind that thinks that things should be fair, and when things aren't fair I get upset. Yes, I know this is idealistic and I know it has caused, causes, and will continue to cause me a great deal of difficulty in life, but I just can't help it.

Anyway, I spent the next 4 hours after arriving home ruminating about all the things I should have said. Perhaps some day Pookie will google her name and find this post. So Pookie, if you are reading this, I hope that you feel badly for being so lame.

Here is what I wish I had said...

What the !%^* is wrong with you? You just did the very thing to me that you didn't want someone to do to you. Have you noticed that your kids are right here in the driveway? Is this really what you want to teach them? To make a commitment then bail just because you feel like it? How would you like it if someone did this to you? You. Suck.

Dang thee Pookie M.....!

Goings on.

Brief report on what's goin' on around here.

1. Julian is starting to talk up a storm. Stringing 3 words together is commonplace. The first time he did it in front of me he said "outside man beard." Too long to explain but trust me, it made perfect sense.

2. We went to the first of 2 summer picnics in town for families that have adopted from Guatemala. The shots from the picnic weren't very good but this is what happened the moment Julian and I got in the car. Or I should say the moment that Jon and I swapped cars and I got in with Julian because I got mine stuck in a freaking ditch?


3. I had a horrible mom moment yesterday. We were all outside and I was sweeping the deck. Julian reached out for my hand to go down the stairs (he wanted me to go with him, he wasn't asking for help.) But then he turned around and fell down the last 3 steps to land on a paver. Nice. Real nice. And no, I won't post a photo of the (minor) damage.

4. Jon's folks wanted to get some posed photos with Julian when they were visiting. There may be 22 month olds that want to sit and pose for a photo but mine isn't one of them. I think the candids are sooo much nicer anyway. How sweet is this?


5. It is my humble opinion that in one's own home it is acceptable to pass gas if necessary. The other day I did so and Julian pinched his nose and said "P.U.!" He then looked at me and to add insult to injury signed "eggs." Nice. At least he does the same thing when he lays one himself. "P.U.!"


6. It's been hot hot hot. Lots of time naked in our (private) back yard. Julian that is. We don't go naked. Or at least I don't. Can't vouch for Jon when I'm not here.



This photo is amazing when it is larger. The sun hitting the water from the sprinkler.


7. I saw this beautiful handmade wood and metal xylophone the other day at the Waldorf store. The sound was absolutely amazing. Hand made in Germany. $80. Seriously.

Hey, maybe the flip side of this gasoline conundrum will be that petroleum based plastics will end up getting so expensive that it will increase the demand for quality wooden toys and they will become more affordable?! This xylophone was a gift to Julian when I was laid up after my surgery. He loves it. But I bet he would have loved the wooden one more.



8. Art shot of Elwynn. Jon took it. I think the colors and the composition are pretty cool. Not sure if it will read on the blog though.


Ta.

LOL

Jon just heard Julian talk in his sleep through the baby monitor.
He said "basketball." I'm cracking up right now...

Negligent negligent blogger.

I know not 3 months ago I made a commitment to update every weekend. I've been remiss. I am recommitting. Really. I'll get back to Sunday posting, even if it's just a photo or two. Now that said, if y'all might comment a bit more I might actually think people are still reading (shameless prod.)


Jon's folks are visiting this week, it's been great, but it sure does wear me out trying to be smart, cute and funny all the time. Not to mention how tiring it is to keep the filter between my brain and my mouth functional for such long stretches. No one is requiring any of this, mind you, but I seem to feel the necessity nonetheless. As the years pass though I think that they understand my ways, and I theirs a little bit better. I imagine I must be a bit of a handful for anyone else's parents (ok, and perhaps my own.)

OK on to Julian. He is talking so much, but oddly enough he has started combining words that he didn't use to combine. "Momook" is 'mommy work', "dadook" is 'daddy work', "mahook" is 'mommy book', you get the picture. He also is starting to issue directives to people including "sit," "stand," "nap," "eat," and today while we were playing "hoobaw" (football) he told Jon and me to "stop talking." Um...no.

Outside is the new inside and Julian will sob if we don't bring him outside for just about everything. We have a rule that he must be sitting to eat and yesterday he wanted to eat outside and when I told him he had to sit down he sat on a flattened cardboard box on the deck, shoved a handful of spinach in his mouth and used his feet to spin himself around in circles while sitting on his butt. He was actually sitting, so what could I say??

Now for photos:

We got this book called "stuff on my cat" which cracked us up so much that Jon decided to start our own "stuff on my cat" series. I've tried a few things but it only works when she's sleeping. Believe it or not it actually pisses her off when we put stuff on her when she's awake (but not when Julian sits on her, go figure.)


I'm not sure why Julian's bike seat was in the living room.


There was one of those moments of silence this morning that make any parent go "uh oh." Walked into the dining room and saw this-
snug as a bug in a rug! (Ok I didn't come up with that one.)


Tank top weather, finally.


Finally.