The never-ending christmas!

December 22: Christmas I. Gifts from Grandparents Flecker, Aunt Toots and Great-grandma Flecker.

December 24: Christmas I 1/2. Presents from Nessa & Sandy, and Great Grandparents Schablow.

December 25: Christmas II. Presents from Grandparents DeCarlo, Aunt Carmela & Uncle Steve.


December 28: Christmas III. AKA the Puetz family Christmas.

This year was, in a word, ridiculous. I can only hope that we aren't setting his expectations too high.
I remember the story my high school English teacher used to tell about her childhood Christmases: they got an orange. and one present. and some pocket money.

I feel...strangely guilty that we're able to do this much celebrating. I know that we're really lucky to live when and where we do, and to have so many lovely people who care for us the way they do. I feel like there's not quite enough words to tell you all how much I appreciate all that y'all do, how much I appreciate the way you make Adrian's face light up, how loved I know he feels when he's around you all.

It was a bad day

Yesterday may possibly have to go down in the annals as a day not to be repeated.

Everything was fine up until 5:45pm.
Then the shit hit the fan.

Adrian and I are sitting at the dinner table and he's got ants in his pants and can't sit still. And to add to his antsy-pantsy dance, he decides to use his fork as a drum stick and the plates & table as his drum kit. Not acceptable. This is a standing house rule. I give him 3 warnings then take away the fork. Woe unto those who shall deprive him of his cutlery! 20 minutes of sobbing and hysteria over a stupid fork. We replaced the "big boy fork" with a baby fork and hustled his tushie to bed.

Then a few hours later, Jack decides that it is time to supplement his meals with a mouse. He brought said deceased rodent into my house and tried to eat it off the dining room floor. Mama don't play that.
For those of you who don't know Jack there are two important things to note: firstly, he is a cat. secondly, he never catches his own rodents. He finds ones that have been pre-caught. And in Jack's mind, rodents are without expiration date. There have been rodents that are so far past living that...lets just say that the circle of life can be really gross and wriggly.

Then (it gets better!) at 12:54 am the smoke alarm goes off! I groggily haul my butt out of bed and yank it down off the wall b/c it is not the regular beep-beep-beep of the smoke detectors of old, but more of a beep. beepity-beep. beep. And ours is a new fangled smoke/carbon monoxide doohickey. I'm trying to read the instructions on the back and it's happily chirruping away, and I read the line: if the red light is flashing, get out of the house & call the fire department. I flip the mamajamma over and sure enough the red light couldn't be happier about being a red light: look how i blink! So first I call the fire department, then I wake the weensy ones and haul them out to the car to wait for assistance. Poor Adrian is so confused and cold, i stick him in the car w/ the heat running & a blanket--Fiona is all snuggly in her bunting and could care less. The paramedics arrive, check the house for CO and declare it safe to reenter. Turns out I should probably just change the batteries. And if I hadn't been woken from a dead slumber I probably would've figured that out on my own.
So now I feel like a giant ass for having called the firefighters, and woken the babies, and I was hoping for one of those undo-buttons to miraculously appear in front of me, but no such luck.

And where was Aaron for all of this?
At work.
He misses all the fun.

Because...I said so.

How-dee.
It's been almost a month since I said hi-do. And that means that very few of you know of the failure of project: family dog. Huge flaming failure. Which is a pity, because what a sweet dog! The main problems with the doggie arrangement were as follows:
1. Dog was an unexpected gift. (kind of like an unexpected pregnancy, but with more legs. And a tail.)
2. Adrian could not, would not follow the doggy rules. He really enjoyed getting the pup all riled up and then complained when the pup did puppy things, like pulling on clothing.
3. Aaron was quite ready to make my life more complicated than necessary by acting like an overgrown toddler in response to having a dog thrust upon us.

So what did we do? We returned the dog to the gifters and said find him a new home. Which they did in less than 8 hours. And now sweet puppy is pampered in a toddler-free home. I still miss his buggy eyes and sweet temper, but it's also nice not to have to repeat the rules OVER AND OVER AND OVER again to a 3 year old who doesn't want to hear or obey.

What else is new? Adrian has developed some kind of anxiety, which he copes with by chewing the back of his hands. If I knew what was making him anxious I could fix it, but I've only got suspicions, not concrete conclusions.
Fiona rolls! And sits! And shrieks--mostly at Adrian. She'll be 6 months on the 14th...and she's still a joyful bundle of baby. She's an excellent sleeper, never grumpy--even when she was producing more mucus than should be allowed by law. When that girl gets a cold she really over does it with the congestion.
And now we are awaiting giftmas. It'll be a veritable Bacchanal of toys for tiny people. I'm not sure how I feel about the tide of stuff...but I am grateful that so many people want to make this a wonderful time of year for the tiny ones.

a brand new addition!

Introducing: Tucker the Trucker!


Featuring: a boy and his dog.


Needless to say, I've been a bit busier than usual these past few days. Oh! And to ice the cake, Adrian developed an ear infection yesterday.

to see a film

in a theatre is a real treat...treat as in the last time I saw a film in a theatre Adrian was 10 months old.
This past weekend, thanks to the presence of my favorite mother-in-law, Aaron & I went to see Dan in Real Life with some friends. It was a good movie, entertaining and all that, yes I'd recommend it, but...
It's been 5 nights and I'm still completely puzzled by Dane Cook's so very very white teeth.
How did they get to be so white?
Did it hurt?
Do you think he now has really sensitive teeth and can only consume room-temperature food and breathe through his nose?

To sum up: I need to get out more often.

Photos of our busyness

Warning! What you are about to witness is pure hideousness!



A vile trashcan invading possum! I don't understand how anyone could find these animals to be cute--look at it! Gaah! The horror! (To reward you for your bravery, there are pictures of Adrian and Fiona to follow)



Nothin' says "good morning" like a face full of chocolate donut.




Fiona in the exersaucer! She seems to be growing exponentially...click here to compare with Adrian in the same device.


Whoops! Haha... I just realized that this is sideways. Oh well. Here is Adrian's dino costume courtesy of The Dude (Jim King)...although AD puts it on and declares "I'm an inguana!"

So there you have it--photos from the land of busy. Now I have to go and work on a graphic design project for some dudes. Whee!

oi! what a week!

Well! Friends and neighbors, I apologize for being away so long, but we have been BUSY.
Fiona Leigh has been battling the goopy eye--not quite conjunctivitis, but still ick. She's also being trying to roll over.

Adrian Christopher had his very first day of preschool this week! And I got pictures, but not digital ones. He had fun, and was ready to go back on Friday. So we got all dressed and back pack on and went to school and whoops! No school on Friday. Poor Adrian was so excited to go, and so bummed that there was no school. (Bad Mom!)

And what else? We had a hideous awful pair of LIVE possums in our trash can. And what did we learn from this? Our city has no animal control. What is that?! So we let the buggers loose and the very next day our neighbor won the possum roulette. Evil nasty vile beasties.

AD turns 3 in 9 days. Does that seem unreal for anyone else?

Barb & Dave, this one's for you!

As Adrian approaches his 3rd birthday (as the asteroid hurtles towards the Earth), one of the most startling changes he is undergoing would be the development of his imagination. This has resulted in numerous hours spent pretending to be someone else. Most notably Nick (his cousin) or Shana (another cousin).When Adrian is pretending to be Nick he is doing big boy things: playing ball, helping in the kitchen, or watching TV on the couch. Shana, on the other hand, has become a scapegoat for all activities forbidden or dangerous. Example?

Me: Adrian, don't climb the back of the couch.
Adrian: Shana doos that. I'm Shana!

or
Adrian: I'm Shana. Watch me jump on the stairs!
Me: I don't think so, buddy.
Adrian: Shana does do that.

All little boys should be delivered with notices that read:
Upon the approach of my third birthday I will be seized with the need to run, jump, and climb at every available opportunity. It is your responsibility to prevent my untimely end in these matters. Best of luck to you!

Call me...

Call me a bad mother. Not as in bad-mamma-jamma, but bad as in: for shame!

I am having difficulty dealing with Adrian's new spate of little-person behaviors. Maybe it's because I'm used to him being such a compliant happy chap, maybe it's because we're both stubborn, but there are days when I think: I wish I could sign you up for school because you are getting on my nerves.
And it's not that he's mean or bad or even mischievous, it's that he has so much energy and can't seem to put a lid on it when the lid needs to be put on. And the emphatic refusal of any suggestions that might help him to productively spend the energy is quite trying. Example? How about jumping rather than hitting things with toys? How about putting on some music and dancing rather than using baby toys as nunchucks in the vicinity of the cats? How about we go outside and kick the ball around rather than jumping off the couch?

Which brings us to grievance time: some obnoxious neighborhood kids have walked off with Adrian's soccer ball(in addition to his two kickballs). These are probably the same kids that come up into our driveway when we're not here to play in his sand table. Just a tip, kids: if you're going to play with other people's stuff when they're not around you might want to put it back the way you found it. I have a feeling they'd probably make off with the table if they could shift it. It's a pity that I haven't caught them, but I am thinking of posting a large sign in the front yard that says:
NO HALLOWEEN CANDY UNLESS ALL OF ADRIAN'S TOYS ARE RETURNED.

I am prematurely a cranky old lady.

photo-heavy post

Fiona Leigh as of last week. I just can't get enough of those chubby, kissable cheeks! I'm still waiting for her to roll over...and she is showing no inclination to do so. Ah well. All in good time, I guess.


Adrian's new race car apron, made by yours truly. He wears it when he helps me in the kitchen. He is an excellent stirrer, measurer, and dumper of canned things into pots. And to answer the question "who does Adrian look like?" Take at look at this:



Me, circa 1984. (Photo courtesy of Aunt Carmela)

my least favorite phrase

uttered by Adrian, usually from another room:
I spilled just a little bit.

Fiona Leigh and Zombie Boy

Here are my two lovlies yesterday.

Fiona Leigh is an all-night sleeper and a smiley happy baby. She's pushing up on her belly, laughing a little bit, and trying like crazy to get her arms to follow her commands. She loves to watch Adrian, the television, and the cats.

Adrian is...well, he's almost 3. He's willful and determined, curious and fearless. He's remarkably sweet with his sister and crazy wild fool with his best friend. He's also decided that sleeping is for weenies and he's not going have any of it. You can imagine my joy at this new development. He's also decided that he's going to be a superhero when he grows up. Either that or a delivery man.

It's good to have goals.

a little too quiet...

Adrian goes downstairs to amuse himself while I nurse Fiona before her nap. She falls asleep and I put her in bed. Then I realize that I haven't heard a peep out of Adrian for at least 5 minutes...
I creep downstairs and HOLY CRAP THERE'S PAINT ON THE CARPET.
Turns out little man scaled the bar to reach the paint and then decided to empty 5 containers into one cup. When he turned around and saw me he cheerfully announced: I'm mixing the colors!

Yes. Yes you are.

Two is a funny age

This morning Aaron shaved his beard off. Adrian looked at him and asked "what's wrong with your face?"

And more Toddler Translations!

Toddler to English:

Man Book = Guide Book

Arm Clock = Alarm Clock

here I am!

Since we last spoke:

I have turned 27. It's a lot like 26, but closer to 30 and with less alcohol. (who knew?)

Fiona Leigh has turned 9 weeks old and passed her check up with flying colors--she's 11 1/2 pounds and says Iowa. I'm pretty sure that's just a fluke, but Grandparents Flecker seem to enjoy it. She also holds her wee noggin up and is determined to sit up--failing, but persevering.

Adrian has decided that the time for toilet training is now. He has told me that he's learning to go in the potty so he can go to karate chop school. We've had a week in underwear and he's doing very well. I am thrilled that he taking this step forward and even more thrilled that I only have to buy diapers for one now. He's pretty pleased with himself, too. He announced to his art class "I pee in the potty now". All were suitably impressed.

And now it's time for Toddler Translations!

From Toddler to English:

Joy Sauce= Soy Sauce
Fider Man= Spider Man
Anks= Thanks
Fantaskick Four= Fantastic Four
Masstass= Moustache

A month and then some.

Hello to all. Life has been busy busy. I am just starting to get used to sleep deprivation and life with two little ones. And my findings are thus: two children equals four times as much laundry and four times longer to get out the door. It doesn't seem like that would work out mathematically, but that's the reality of it.

Adrian has done very well with his sister, the main problems arising when he's tired and she needs to be fed. He's also decided that he's going to grow up to be a crane operator or Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs.

Fiona mostly does this. She's still spitting up frequently, earning her the moniker: puking princess of the south side. But she's also one of the smilingest babies I've ever known. I guess it's a good balance.
Here's the fearsome duo being all tucked in, at Adrian's request. And that's all I have for now--as I have to go change Adrian's stinky diaper. Fiona, for her part, hasn't pooped in 5 days.

I have no idea when the next installment will be, so just keep checking in.

4 weeks old tomorrow

Little Miss Fiona Leigh, at 3 weeks & 5 days old.

The differences between Fiona and Adrian at this age are astounding.
She is a champeen sleeper. She sleeps through nearly every noise imaginable, she has no trouble sleeping alone in her bed or her playpen, and usually lulls herself to sleep before she has a chance to get overtired and fussy. JOY! Fiona is now smiling, but most of her smiles are reserved for our resident thespian, Adrian Christopher. She LOVES to watch Adrian, and will babble to him more so than to us. And for his part, Adrian tells her (frequently) "I love you, Fiona" in a sweet and gentle voice. (It is at this point that I would like to say that I have the best kids ever) Unlike Adrian at this age, Fiona is not a screamer. She voices her disapproval by grunting, although she will let out a full cry if she's hungry and I'm not making quick enough with the breast milk.
I love how she stares intently at us when we hold her, as if she's trying to memorize our features. I love how she's so laid back and agreeable--it makes dealing with a 2 year old much more tolerable.
This 2-kid thing seems to be pretty spectacular, and although I am loopy from lack of sleep I would do it all over again for sure.

A mini vacation

Adrian has gone to Rock Island for a mini vacation with his grandparents and the house is very quiet...too quiet.
Last night to pass the time, Aaron and I played "find the smell"--there's an odd odor in our dining/kitchen area and we have no idea what it is or where it's coming from. Aaron even pulled out the fridge in case the cats had left us a half-digested treat behind it but no luck. So now in addition to haunted plumbing we have mysterious smells. I think it may be time to move.

Fiona is doing well, sleeping well and is a general joy to be around. Next week marks the first time I will be a mom alone with 2 little ones and I'm very nervous about the whole thing. I'm sure there's some kind of trick to it, but I don't know what that trick is yet. A friend of mine has opted for the never-leave-the-house method of child rearing but that doesn't appeal to me much. I'm sure I'll figure it out as the days tick by....

Sorry there are no pictures today--I'm charging the camera's batteries.

More baby pics if you can stand the cuteness

The Great Train Cake Caper of 2007. Bet you didn't know you could suck sprinkles (or as Adrian says, "fwinkles") right out of the bottle. He's actually cleaner than Grandma. Grandma had cake batter on her pants, and frosting on her shirt. Fwinkle-free though.
Good morning. No cake for me, thanks.
My first whistling lesson. I need more practice.
Another victim of baby sleep fumes. It seems that when an adult is holding a sleeping baby, the adult also falls victim to sleep. Toddlers are unaffected by this phenomenon.

Posted by Grandma. Hopefully mom will get the OK tomorrow to drive and climb stairs!

How to talk like a 2 (and 1/2 ) year old

Child: I don't WANT to go outside. NO. I WANT to go outside. NO. Yes. I want, I don't want... (Child dissolves in tears because now he has 1) forgotten what it was he was talking about, and 2) can't remember if he wants or doesn't want it. Adults are trying not to laugh.)

Repeat for every conceivable notion during the day. (Lemonade, play with blocks, turn off/on TV, etc. Very entertaining, plus, uses up lots of time!

Monkey see, monkey do and other toddler fun

Adrian: My belly hurts. I need staples too. (Staples courtesy of Grandma and an eyeliner pencil)

Watching Fiona sleep...
Adrian: Fiona smiled!
Kara: Do you think she's dreaming?
Adrian: Yes.
Kara: What do you think she's dreaming about?
Adrian: Mommy's boobies.

Kara sets Adrian's dinner plate in front of him at the table. He pats her poochy belly. "Fiona's back inside!"

(Again from Grandma)

Grandma couldn't resist

Cuter every day...

It's somebody's birthday (yesterday)

This is baby Fiona Leigh, born June 14, 2007, 7 lbs 7 oz, 20.5 inches long. Lots of hair. Big brother was more intrigued with the buttons on the hospital bed. Mom doing fine. This is Grandma reporting. Mom will update when she can manage the stairs to get to the computer. She would love to talk to you on the phone. If you have her number, give her a buzz. She'll call you back, eventually!

Reasons why I love summer...

Lets start with 1. wicked cool ladybug hats
2. Lighting bugs (and catching lighting bugs with Adrian)
3. Summer produce: YUM!
4. Playing in the sprinkler with a delighted 2 1/2 year old
5. The way the sunlight streams through the windows in the mornings
6. Popsicles & trips to Baskin-Robbins
7. Gardening
8. Thunderstorms
9. Food off the grill
10. Birthdays! Mine and (in THREE DAYS) baby # 2's!

7 and counting

SEVEN DAYS TO BABY.

And I am remarkably unconcerned about the whole thing, really. Maybe it's because I know what to expect, maybe it's because this time it's scheduled rather than whenever the baby feels like it, maybe it's because I'm too busy with Adrian to really think about anything farther away than two days from now. Whatever the reason, the only thing I feel I really have to do between now and then is get a haircut. And probably schedule one for Adrian, too.

I am losing steam in other areas of my domesticity. For example, I really think that sandwiches for dinner is a fantastic idea. And while I know that the living room floor needs to be vacuumed I just don't feel like picking up all of Adrian's toys to get that accomplished. I am currently trying out for the title of world champion butt-sitter and I have to say I think I'm a contender.

Check it out

New post on Kara Paints, complete with photos.

Also-AD woke up at 6:15 this morning because, and I quote, "it's morning now".
So tired.
Must Nap.

Our morning at the shrine to commercialism

This morning we took Adrian to the Build-A-Bear Workshop at the mall to make a lovey for himself and one for his impending sister. Aunt Toots had given us gift cards for this purpose waaay back at Christmas and we figured it might make more sense to wait until we were really close to baby day before we went.
Adrian chose Big Bird for himself and a bunny for Fiona. This is him saying "Thanks, Aunt Toots!"

And once you've finished the choosing/stuffing/fluffing/dressing you get to type in some quick info and you get a birth certificate for your bundle of fluff. As a side note; Adrian's Big Bird was outfitted in a spider man t-shirt and a construction hard hat.

Then we ate lunch, rode the train (which gets an enthusiastic thumbs up) and came home.

I also popped into the Williams & Sonoma, which is my happy place.... Although Starbucks makes me pretty happy, too--and they just opened one across from our neighborhood. I haven't been in yet because if I do, I fear I may not want to ever leave.

And for those of you counting down: 16 DAYS TO BABY!

By popular demand

Aaron, AD, and Lunchbox on the couch.

My pregnant self at 33 weeks. (I know, I know our house is a mess. We're in the process of re-arranging for baby girl)
AD reading to Lunchbox. It was one of those moments where I cursed myself for not having the video camera charged up.

And that is all I have the energy for right now. More later.

Toddler's Anatomy

Lately we've been discussing anatomical differences--A.D.'s taken an interest in potty training so the whole "i-have-a-penis" thing is currently big news. And any time we see a boy in public, Adrian is quick to point out "he has a penis".

Hooray for recognizing that boy=penis, and boo for being so very verbal about it around complete and total strangers.

Revenge, served cold.

Last weekend, Aaron was switching from night shift to day shift. As he was trying to realign his internal clock he found himself full of energy at 3AM. What to do with all that energy? Apparently the answer is clean the kitchen. Unload the dishwasher, reload dishwasher, move stuff around, BE REALLY LOUD AND ANNOY YOUR VERY PREGNANT WIFE. His intentions were good, but once you wake the beast it tends to stay woken. Infuriated at having my sleep interrupted by a full grown human who should know better, I consoled myself coming up with a list of things I could do to get back at him without crossing the line. All mildly annoying, none of which are actually illegal. Pick and choose at your discretion and enjoy heartily.

1. Replace coffee with decaf.
2. Mix salt with coffee grounds.
3. Remove shoelaces from one of each pair of shoes
4. Reprogram cell phone directory so that 5 numbers are off by one digit
5. Reprogram stereo settings to least favorite music stations
6. Switch all video games into wrong boxes (this works with CDs, too)
7. Sign up for all kinds of embarrassing mail in their name
8. Replace alcohol with similar looking juice

And there were others, but it was a few days ago and my memory is fuzzy. Please note that I haven't actually DONE any of these, but coming up with them was a great tonic.

Three times in two days.

Here is something I never thought I'd blog about, but I suppose having a toddler it becomes inevitable.
Adrian dropped a deuce in the toilet. One yesterday and two today. I have never poured so much praise on one human being in the span of 48 hours, but anything that gets us closer to potty training is worth excessive praise.

the only downside to this is that every time I get on the phone he wants to tell whomever I'm talking to that he pooped in the potty.

Counting Down

We've come to that point in time during this gestation wherein I am becoming uncomfortable. This little one is laying sideways, with her feet placed in just the right way so that when she kicks, she gets me square in the bladder. (Let's hear it for keigel exercises or I'd never be able to leave the house for fear of wetting myself in public) Also, the dreaded heartburn has resumed it's daily onslaught--I am now at the bottom of my 3rd bottle of TUMS since I started this pregnancy. And everybody's favorite: the swelling! Ankles & fingers mostly.
It'll be quite the thing to watch as we still have another 7ish weeks to go. I'll try and get a photo of my belly up here soon so that you can see that I really do look like the world's worst basketball smuggler.

Bummed out

This weekend is Alumni weekend at my Alma Mater and I am bummed that I can't be there.

I enjoyed college--not just the social aspect of it but the learning bit as well. I always thought I'd go on and get another degree, but now I'm not sure what I want to do so I don't what degree to go get. The possibilities are endless...the cash flow is not. Therefore I feel that I should be absolutely sure about where I want to go with my next degree before I start throwing gobs of money at an institution of higher learning.

Some days I miss getting up and going to work. Other days I really appreciate not having to change out of my pajamas and being able to build block towers all day.

So yes. I'm nostalgic for old friends and those lovely mountains.

Chocolatey goodness

Adrian's first Cadbury Creme Egg. It was a hit. A messy, messy hit.

It's been 13 days since I last posted--sorry about that. Aaron was off work, then my mom was in town, and I have been tired and unmotivated. (Aah, pregnancy)

The newest Flecker/DeCarlo will be making her first earthly appearance on June 14th. I'm scheduled for a c-section that morning (as my pelvis is too narrow to deliver babies in the traditional manner). In that vein Mom & I went to the Ikea and purchased a baby bed & mattress. Now all I have to do is call the landlord and have him deliver the carpet for the basement so we can pull a one-two switcheroo on the studio. (So long my lovely art-making sanctuary)

And then? Life with TWO tiny people dependent on me for their very survival. I think that busy is probably a good adverb to describe my life in the coming months.

Don't raise my hackles

A.D. and I were in art class the other day and he's standing in line waiting to wash his hands. The little girl who has just finished her turn is being carried away from the sink by her mother and she reaches out and smacks A.D. in the face. She smacked my sweet boy in the face.

I have never wanted to hit someone else's child before.

Adrian was stunned but didn't cry--he looked puzzled. The girl's mother told her "say you're sorry" the girl said "no!" and Adrian said "sorry".

I have never wanted to hit someone else's child before.

The mother apologized, but it doesn't make up for the fact that her child hit my child unprovoked. And the fact that there were no consequences for this behavior. Lucky for that woman I have self control, or it would've been all who's the biotch now?! at the Gymboree.

Mundane

(This was last week in Aaron's new Jeep)

Haven't talked to y'all in a while--mostly because the weather has been fabulously beautiful and partly because every day has been fairly routine.
But today Adrian was funny, so I thought I'd share.

This morning he declared that he wanted to go to the beach. Right now. All of us should go. Go now.

We told him that the beach wasn't open yet, that it wouldn't be open until summer. His response?

A.D. wants summer right now.

Clearly we have failed to adequately explain seasons/time/space .

Nosy old lady neighbor strikes again!

This past weekend, Aaron's folks came to town for a quick visit (yay! grown ups!). As they were trying to leave--literally trying to get down the stairs and into the car--nosy old lady neighbor came a'knocking. The purpose of her visit was pleasant enough--her daughter wanted to thank Aaron's parents for a favor they had done, but nosy old lady neighbor? When she saw me, clad in my pajamas at 11 AM? She said "did you just get up?", which annoyed me to no end. Firstly, nosy old lady neighbor, what time I get out of bed is none of your business. Secondly, I am a grown woman--a grown pregnant woman-- and if I choose to wear my pajamas for 3 consecutive days in the privacy of my own home that's my business. And thirdly, I have a 2 year old--7 AM is sleeping in.
Thankfully Aaron's dad averted the pregnant-lady-mauls-senior-citizen crisis by ushering everyone off of the front stairs and into the lawn, while I stayed behind with Adrian and thought unpleasant thoughts.

Also!

Things that make me happy:

1. 55 degree weather! (I'm not falling for it, Chicago)

2. Newfoundlands in underpants

3. Communist Boston Terriers

4. Ice cream

5. Nap time

Thinking

Sudacare shower soothers smell like a cross between a urinal cake and the ape house at the zoo.

They work....

Chicago loves you, baby

Dear Chicago;
If you know me AT ALL you know that cold is my least favorite weather. Cold with cold wind is the worst. So it was a wonderful, delightful excursion to Birmingham where the daffodils were in bloom and I didn't need a coat the whole time I was there. Then I come back to Chicago and it snows. Again.

Well, Chicago-- I have had it with your winter. We've got 14 days 'till the start of spring and I expect to see some big time changes 'round here. I didn't plant 40 crocus bulbs for the exercise, thankyouverymuch.

Oh, I know that the weather is supposed to be in the 50's next week, but let me tell you I'm not buying it. I was here last year when you gave us weeks of beautiful weather and then when my mother came to town in MAY you slammed us with a week of rain and temps in the low 40's. Sweet talk me all you want, but I'm on to you.

Annoyed with you and your cold;
Kara

Dear Kara,

Don't be like that. Chicago has lots to offer you, baby. How about June? We do June real nice 'round here.
All that ice and snow? I didn't know it wasn't your thing. I'll make it up to you, baby. Just you wait and see. You'll get your warm weather.
Chicago loves you, baby.

Love,
Chicago


Dear Chicago,

Don't call me baby.

Kara

Travel...weather...and other stuff too.

Hello!

We (A.D. and I) were in Birmingham, AL for a week--and I took pictures! But they're filmy pictures so I have to get them developed before I can share. The weather was gorgeous--between 60-70 degrees all week--until we decided to get on an airplane and come home. We wound up sitting in the airport for 3 hours while there were tornados, lightening, and no plane for us to get on. Adrian was remarkably good the whole time we were gone, although around day 5 he was saying "want to go home" frequently. And while I love my family, shuttling from place to place isn't exactly my idea of a relaxing vacation.

This past week, he has also started to declare "I'm so angry!" while curled up on the floor. I figure it's good for him to recognize his emotions, but it's hard for me not to laugh--he has such a sweet tiny voice which is in total contrast to what he's saying.

I'm still pregnant--25 weeks (15 weeks to go) and counting. It still seems like a long way off. I'm not sure if that's because the other pregnant moms that I'm friends with are due in 3 weeks and 8 weeks, or if it's because our baby is due in June and it feels like winter will never end. I'm still planning my garden. That's how unreal this pregnancy seems. As though I'm going to have the time/energy to get out there and dig in the dirt in 8 weeks. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, and an ultrasound to make sure that my incredible shrinking cervix hasn't shrunk any further, and to check on the state of my placenta previa. While I feel better during this pregnancy it has been more medically complicated than the last. All I'm hoping is that I can make it all the way through without needing bedrest.

And now! A snack and a nap.

More evidence

that my husband is a strange, strange man.

His comment on my pregnancy:

It's creepy. It's like you're running a hotel for small bald people in your uterus.

Blar.

I have been lazy of late. Call it the weather, call it the pregnancy, call it lazy. Whatever. I haven't been taking pictures or doing laundry or posting to the blog, as I know I should. Instead I have been re-reading books, playing with Adrian and trying out new recipes (banana cinnamon pancakes--yum!). Oh yes... I've also been on the phone. A lot. Trying to work out the logistics of travel and schedules and talking about really big dogs.
So there are things you may have missed if you haven't been on the receiving end of those calls. The first that I feel the need to share with you is this:
Aaron enjoys incense. Maybe it's because he never went through the whole normal college routine, or maybe it's because he associates it with good times in Kuwait, but whatever the reason he gets to burn it in the basement--which is primarily his little club house. All of that is fine and dandy except that the basement is where the computers live, and I too have a need for internet access and photo editing software. The newest incense of choice has an aroma that I can only describe as an old lady's boudoir. It's...unique...pungent...and slightly unpleasant. So while my nose is being assailed by this latest in odiferousness, my brain is trying hard to remember why I sat down at the computer in the first place and where is that old lady hiding, because I can smell her...

oy!

Here's A.D. playing in the snow.

I would've posted sooner, but Aaron killed the computer and now it refuses to install my photoshop and my computer won't connect to the internet and the whole thing is basically a big stinky electronic mess. whee!

Sunday we went to the Field Museum downtown to look at the dinosaur bones. Adrian's reaction to the hall of bones: holy crap. Right you are, kiddo. Those were some big mamma jammas.

And then? Monday Adrian started his Music 3 class--or as we've been calling it "big kid music class" wherein he is the youngest member rather than the oldest. It's taught by the same teacher, but there's a more physical aspect to it and he seems to enjoy it.

And then? I dunno. It's miserable cold here and I'm looking forward to spring. Or any time when it will be consistently over 32 degrees. I hate the cold. A lot.

Slacker Mommy

Wow!
I have pictures for you, but I just haven't shrunk them in photoshop so that I can cram them into one post and you can follow along, so you'll just have to hope I get my act together this weekend while Aaron is around to distract Adrian.
First: it snowed! And Adrian played in it, ate it, and generally enjoyed it the way kids are supposed to.
Then: How about that Bears game?! Granted I only saw the 2nd half because I'm not much of a football fan and I was asleep for the first half, but I have to say it was a bad day to be a Saint.
Nextly: I had my sonogram Tuesday. The baby is, in fact, a baby and not a two headed space monkey, so that's good. We're going to have to continue to call the baby Winky however as the little stinker kept his/her legs closed the entire time. That's right we're having a gender-as-yet-unspecified baby! So much for waiting until we knew to register, hunh?
And then: Adrian has mastered climbing out of his bed, a la Harry Houdini. It's a terrifying thing to watch and I've asked him not to do it any more. I'm sure one morning we'll wake up to his cheerful face by the side of the bed...or quite possibly to the sounds of him rummaging the pantry for tasty snacks.
In closing: It has been a busy week. I will endeavor to update (with pictures) more often than once a week.

All hail Caesar.

amour!

More funny things from the land of language acquisition:

Last night at dinner we were eating tacos.
Adrian points to a particular food item and inquires "this is?"
Aaron replies "cheese"
Adrian "Cheese. I love it!"

Tonight we were eating Chinese food and Adrian declares "Noodles. I love it!"

I have to say that I enjoy his enthusiasm at the table.

Last night Adrian and I were watching Emeril Live on Food Network and we were talking about the band that plays during the show. Well, I was talking about the band. Adrian was talking about the vand.

I tried to get him to say band. He can do buh and, but when you smoosh the sounds together and ask him to repeat "band" he goes buh vand. And it's not that he can't make the b-sound. He can say baby and bye and basketball with no problem. He just thinks that a group of people playing musical instruments is a vand and I'm the one who's got it wrong.

Adventures in laundry

I just pulled a handful of spaghetti-o's out of the washing machine.

Add to this the fact that the interior of my dryer is plastered with race car stickers.

If you knew nothing else about me, you would know that I live with a toddler.