'Camping' Hobbit-Style

Hey Humble Readers...

Just a quick note tonight, as I am tired and sunburned after our day 'camping'.  As it turns out, Ginny is spending the night at the campground with Gramma and the aunties, uncles, and cousins.  It's her first time sleeping over somewhere away from home without us.  She's had nights without us in the past, but she's always been in her own bed.  I know I'm more concerned about it than she is... she's probably having a blast.  Just another milestone...

Things ended up changing a bit from what I was told about eating at this little campout/birthday party.  It turns out that they had burgers, salads, etc for everyone.  And because it was a pretty big group (close to 40 people there for dinner), I didn't feel right about bringing out the (relatively speaking) little Tupperware of potato salad and devilled eggs that I had brought to feed our family of four.  Instead, I'll put it out tomorrow at lunch when there's a smaller crowd. 

But the changes in plan meant that I was unable to fully mentally prepare myself for what I was going to have for dinner.  I ended up succumbing to the scent of bbq'd burgers after spending the day out doors.  I should have only had one, but I ended up having two.  I did, however, manage to avoid the Cheezies (my Achilles heel) and chips, and multiple offers of wine and beer. 

I love being out there with the family, but I really love being able to come home and shower, then sleep in my own bed at night.  I have never been really big on camping.  I'm off to go wash the smell of campfire out of my hair, and head to bed. 

100 Day Challenge - Day 6

Starting Weight - 309lb (heaviest was 318lb in the fall of 2009, lowest was 234lb last October)
Weight at Beginning of Challenge - 267
Current Weight - 259.8
Total Weight Lost During Challenge - 7.2 lb

Exercise

• Marched in place w/ 2lb weights 5km
• arms & abs (10 min)
• stretching (5 min)
• 30 Squats
• total number of steps - 12200

Water

•  4 glasses water + 2 bottles of water( 4-ish litres)

Food

• Breakfast: Breakfast sandwich (skinny multigrain bagel, cheddar, egg, ham, sriracha)
• Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwich, Apple Slices
• Dinner: 2 cheeseburgers, raw veggies, 1/4 cup macaroni salad
• Snacks: 1 diet coke, 1 coke zero, 1 sm rice krispie treat, 1 sm piece bday cake

Weekend Plans

Hey Humble Readers...

Have I ever told you about the month of May in our family?  With my side and my Beloved's, we have a total of 10 birthdays and 2 anniversaries.  Three of the birthdays are today, and another is tomorrow.  And several of these birthdays are milestones as well. 

This weekend we are celebrating my SIL's 50th and my MIL's 75th.  Thankfully, this family gathering is just a short jaunt south, and is relatively low-key.  Most of the family is camping at a small campground (we will go out Saturday morning and come home to sleep, then go back on Sunday).  Thankfully, the forecast is calling for only a small amount of rain over the next few days. 

Today of course, has been a day of preparation.  I've done my grocery shopping, made a big batch of potato salad and made a dozen devilled eggs, made sandwiches for our lunch tomorrow.  I'm trying to plan for my own snacking, while still having a few fun 'camping' treats for the wee-lings and my Beloved.  I've put together a small smores kit, and have sliced apples and carrots ready to go into the cooler tomorrow.  I am purposely not going to buy any wine coolers or beer, as I usually would for a weekend like this, because I know that will just undo all the work I've done this week.  It will be hard enough to get my water in while we're out there, I don't need to add completely useless calories and sugar into the mix. 

The car is mostly loaded now, except for the cooler.  It's ridiculous how much stuff we need to haul just for a day out of the house.  Laundry is done.  My kitchen is clean... ish.  It's been a long day, and I'm pooped.  Tomorrow morning brings a blood donation (hopefully, if my iron is good) and then we hit the road.  For now, I'm going to zone out in front of the tv a bit before going to bed. 

100 Day Challenge - Day 5

Starting Weight - 309lb (heaviest was 318lb in the fall of 2009, lowest was 234lb last October)
Weight at Beginning of Challenge - 267
Current Weight - 260.6
Total Weight Lost During Challenge - 6.4 lb

Exercise

• Walked (with poles) 5km
• arms & abs (10 min)
• stretching (5 min)
• grocery shopping
• total number of steps - 10500

Water

•  6 glasses water (4 litres)

Food

• Breakfast: Breakfast sandwich (skinny multigrain bagel, cheddar, egg, ham, sriracha)
• Lunch: Shredded chicken, sliced tomato, cottage cheese
• Dinner: Ranch Chicken Club Sandwiches (bacon, lettuce, ranch sauce Italian bun), Salad (lettuce, kale, tomato, cuke, BBQ dressing)
• Snacks: 1 devilled egg

The Dirty Word: A Hobbit-ish Paradigm Shift

Hey Humble Readers...

Feminism was never on my radar.  The idea of being a feminist, someone who burned their bra and participated in protests, and screamed about women's rights wasn't someone I wanted to be.  Not intentionally, but through learned behaviour. 

"Feminist" was as bad as the other "f-word" in my bio-family when I was growing up.  Not that it was ever stated outright.  Implications, unspoken lessons, and unwritten rules shaped who I was as a girl and young woman. 

My bio-dad would make drunken comments about that 'femi-nazi' at the bank, the liquor store, or the post office who didn't serve him in the manner he felt he deserved.  From my bio-mom I learned that women who spoke up or spoke out didn't get love, because the love of a man, any man, was better than being alone.  Women were supposed to be sweet and agreeable, and never push too hard for what they needed because the man's needs were more important, and women get their worth from the man who loves them.  From my bio-grandma, I learned that women are the caretakers, the cleaning ladies, and the child-bearers... and as such women didn't have the authority to speak up for their own well-being and safety, and that a woman wasn't equipped intellectually or spiritually to be able to teach boys over the age of 12 at church (seriously, she practically disowned me when I told her I wanted to go into youth ministry).  Even the pastor who performed my confirmation tried to steer me into a 'more appropriate' career path, to be a Lutheran deaconess (ministry professional) rather than youth ministry, where I felt called. 

My other family, the family of my heart, was much more vocal about rights, although they certainly aren't anything close to activists.  There the anti-feminist message was more subtle.  Mom would always look to the douchewaffle (formerly known as Dad) for the final word on a given situation.  Not that I see that as a bad thing in and of itself... in any family there sometimes has to be someone to make the final judgement call.  But given how things have played out in their relationship, I do see it as a power play that left my Mom in a vulnerable spot.  Mom has always been a strong lady.  I think she downplayed her own abilities to make the douchewaffle feel better about himself, and she did it so often that she started to believe it herself.  As an aside, the douchewaffle actually said to me once when I was in my late teens or early twenties, when we were discussing donating blood, that women technically could donate more often because they 'get rid of their bad blood every month', of course implying that menstruation is somehow dirty and the blood from our uteruses is tainted (rather than just unneeded). 

Throughout my college career, I was surrounded by strong women and men who taught me that spiritual giftings know no gender.  That women and men are equal in the eyes of God.  I was encouraged, challenged, and grew to understand that as a woman, a woman of faith, I had a role to play.  In my church, in my family, in my world. 

But still, I wouldn't ever have considered myself a feminist.  That was still some kind of dirty word. 

I have been blessed with a wonderful husband, who genuinely supports me in anything I do or want to do.  He doesn't see value based on gender, but in the actions and accomplishments of the individual.  He has never treated me as anything but an equal and a partner in all our endeavours as a couple and a family. 

It wasn't until I was deep in the trenches with my battle with IF/RPL that I began to sense a change in my attitude toward feminism. 

Part of it came from what I started to learn about reproductive rights, and what was going on south of the border.  In Canadian politics, reproductive rights are not talked about all that often.  The abortion issue was decided in 1988 when "the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the abortion regulation which allowed abortions in some circumstances but required approval of a committee of doctors for violating a woman's constitutional "security of person"" (Wikipedia).  Since then, the issue is strictly avoided by Parliament, most of the time, and when it does rear its ugly head, it tends to get kicked to the curb pretty quickly.  This doesn't mean, however, that there is availability or access everywhere across the country (there is no access to abortion in Prince Edward Island, and in New Brunswick it isn't covered under the provincial medical program).  Assisted reproductive therapy is a different story though.  The legalities are still a bit on the fuzzy side.  Cloning is, of course, verboten.  And it is illegal to sell gametes (sperm, eggs), but they can be donated.  Surrogacy is complicated by both federal and provincial legislations, which don't always agree.  Coverage of fertility treatments by provincial health care also varies across the country. 

Part of my feminist awareness arose from a statement that I read on Mel's blog several years ago now, that opened my eyes in a way I never expected.  She said that if we want to fight for reproductive rights as they pertain to assisted reproductive therapies, we MUST ALSO support a woman's right to choose.  They are part and parcel.  You can't have one without the other.  I had to really think on that for a long time before I could say that I agreed.  Would I ever get an abortion?  No.  Would I suggest it to someone?  Not likely. Would I counsel someone against it?  Probably.  But I cannot, in good conscience, say that it is wrong for a woman to be able to determine what happens with her body.  No one has that right, except the woman in question. 

But the tipping point for me, when I felt that I had to change how I thought about feminism, was when we finally had children.  And not just because we have a daughter, but also for our son. 

I want them both to grow up in a world where their gender does not define their abilities, their opportunities, or their limitations.  I want Ginny to be able to do and be whoever and whatever she wants to be.  I don't want her to ever think of herself as less or more, simply because she has 'indoor plumbing'.  And in the same way, I don't ever want Pippin to think of himself as fundamentally better or worse than someone by virtue of his genitalia. 

I recently read an article about men's rights organizations (advocate for fair custodial settlements and for those who are falsely accused of sexual assault), about how their demographics are changing.  No longer are their ranks made up mainly of fathers who just want equal opportunity to raise their children, but angry young men (primarily 18-25 year olds) who generally use threats of violence, usually of a sexual nature, against women who speak out for gender equality and equity.  The article scared me a bit.  I don't want my son to grow up thinking that feminists are all vitriolic man-haters, and I don't want my daughter to grow up thinking that all men are out to push women down and prone to violence.  I have never liked generalizations like that. 

I will teach my wee-lings that gender does not limit or solely define who we are.  That we all have the right to determine what happens to our bodies.  That marriage is a partnership between equals, not a battle to be won (don't get me started on all those engagement photos on Pinterest that imply 'the hunt is over', etc). 

For better or for worse, this hobbit is a feminist. 

February ICLW: Quick Update & Proof that I Am A Crotchety Old Woman

Hey Humble Readers...

I hope that your week has been going well.  Things here in K-town are going ok.  The service was small, but nice.  After the internment, many of the people who attended the funeral came back to my mom's house just to chat and hang out.  Most of the out-of-town guests left over the course of the day yesterday, and now it's just me, my Beloved and the Wee-lings remaining.  We'll be heading home to the Shire on Saturday... and praying that Ginny doesn't have a repeat of the car-sickness that she had on the way out here (thank you all for your input on that, btw). 

So, now that's out of the way... Welcome visitors!  I'm an IF/RPL survivor, a mom of two hard-won wee-lings (aged 9 months and 27 months) and the wife of an ent.  We live in a small city (the Shire), on the Canadian prairies, just east of the Rocky Mountains.  I'm a pinterest addict, wanna-be novelist, good cook, mediocre baker, deluded crafter, and tv junkie.  I'm a stay at home mom, who loves watching her little ones learn and grow, and is very quickly getting sick of El.mo and singing the Itsy-bitsy Spider. 

A few times in the past, I have done an ABCs of Me as my ICLW intro, and I think I'm going to do that again.  But this time there's a theme.  Things that bug me... (I'm generally a pretty happy person, just been a little on edge lately).  Here are the ABCs of my pet peeves.

A - Asters.  Flowers are supposed to be pretty.  Asters just aren't.

B - Birds.  They're creepy.  They're dirty.  They're icky. 

C - Chapped Lips.  I am a lip balm addict.

D - Downton Abbey.  Not the entire show, just how they ended the third season.  That REALLY REALLY REALLY PISSED ME OFF!

E - Edemame.  I just don't get it. 

F - Fat-phobics.  Especially doctors who are fat-phobic.  To paraphrase J.K. Rowling... 'There are so many worse things a person could be than fat.'

G - Grocery shopping.  It gets me out of the house, but that's about the best I can say for it.  It's expensive and time consuming.  And really, for what groceries cost, there should be someone who comes home with you and puts them away for you.

H - Hate disguised as humour.  Or disguised as patriotism.  Or as faith.

I - Infertility.  In all it's forms.  The way it tears a person down, the toll it takes on a marriage, and the lasting scars that seem to be slow in fading into memory.

J - Judgemental people.  Especially when I'm the one being judgemental.  It makes me less of a person, and no fun to be around.

K - Ketchup.  It's okay in recipes, but I can't stomach it on fries or eggs or kraft dinner (that would be mac & cheese for my American friends). I also can't stand Kraft dinner, but that's another story.

L- Laundry.  It NEVER ends!

M - Misophonia.  This is an actual disorder that is defined by the fact that sufferers have an extreme dislike to certain sounds, even to the point of extreme physical and emotional responses.  For me, it's related to people's mouths (chewing, swallowing, lip smacking, etc) and repetative sounds (like the sound of someone typing). I wish I could tune the sounds out like normal people do.

N - Nylons.  Tights and pantyhose also fall into this category.  A man must have designed them. 

O - Olives.  Yuck.

P - Panties.  Just the word, not the article of clothing.  Please, for the love of pete, just call them underwear.

Q - Queues.  (Yes, it's a stretch).  I don't have a lot of patience for waiting in lines.  And I always, inevitably choose the wrong line... you know, the one that moves at a snail's pace.

R - 'Reality' TV.  Why exactly is Kim Kar.dash.ian a celebrity?  What has she, and her ilk, done that I should spend my time following their every move?

S - Scary movies.  I used to love them.  Now I can't even watch the trailers for them. 

T - Transportation as sport.  Namely NASCAR.  I don't understand how watching cars drive around a track is sporting or entertaining.  But that's just me.

U - Underwear shopping.  No matter how much I psych myself up for it, it's never enjoyable.

V - Varicose Veins.  Just another sign I'm too fat and getting old.

W - Winter.  We've had snow on the ground since Halloween.  I'm done with this season.

X - Xcessively (another stretch) high gas prices.  We are spoiled in the Shire because our prices are some of the lowest in the country, but they're still ridiculous.  And now here in K-town, the prices are astronomical.

Y - Yapping dogs.  My mom's little shi'tzus are driving me nuts!

Z - Canadians who pronounce this letter as "zee".  It's "zed" dang it.

Let me know what some of your pet peeves are.

Her Mother's Daughter

Hey Humble Readers,

We arrived in K-town safely, even though the snowy roads were genuinely un-fun. We left at 4:30 in the morning, and thankfully the wee-lings slept for the first few hours. 

However, we discovered that my wee sweet girl has inherited an unfortunate trait of mine. 

Ginny gets car-sick. 

Ginny got car-sick.

FIVE TIMES. 

I'm totally bummed for the poor girl.  We attempted to employ the wonder drug grav.ol to no avail.  She just kept on puking.  We are going to have to look into ginger and other alternatives.  Any input?

As soon as she was out of the car, bathed, and the center of Mama's attention, she was feeling much better.  Are we surprised?

GG

Good Morning Humble Readers...

Though she be little, she is fierce.

GG passed away last night at 11:30pm. 

GG & Pippin last July
November 24, 1925 - February 8, 2013

She is survived by her two daughters, six grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.  The oldest of 21 siblings (yes, all from the same parents), Grandma grew up on a Manitoba farm during the Great Depression.  She learned early to stick up for herself, and to speak her mind.  She was certainly not shy about giving you her opinion.  The stories she could tell about growing up in such a large family would make your hair curl and make you laugh until you cried.  She was a teeny little woman, just barely reaching 5 feet tall, at her tallest.  She was a klutz, always falling or tripping (usually because she couldn't see her feet past her b00bs) and inevitably injuring herself.  She loved flowers, butterflies, and teddy bears.  She loved to decorate her home for every holiday. 

 

I'm so thankful that she got to meet both of my children, and that we have some pictures of her with them for the wee-lings to look at in the future. 

 

I'm in an odd place with the whole grieving thing.  I feel like the woman I knew as my Grandma has slowly faded away over the past four (almost five) years.  I am happy that she's no longer suffering, and that she is now at peace.  And I'm thankful that my Mom's time as a care-taker is now done... it will obviously be hard for her, but it will be one major stressor off her heart. 

 

Right now, we don't know when we're heading out to K-town.  Possibly early tomorrow morning.  It depends on when the memorial service will be held.  Mom is very overwhelmed right now, and all I want to do is be out there to help.  I will try to post again when we know more.

 

Good News, Bad News

Hey Humble Readers...

Wow, it's been a day.

Started off with Pip giving me an extra early wake-up call (5:30am), then we had a small disaster after breakfast when a framed picture on a shelf in the living room fell and took a glass vase full of sand with it.  Both the frame and the vase shattered on the tv stand and sent glass everywhere.  Miraculously, Pip, who was less than 3 feet away from the whole mess didn't get a scratch. 

After I got that cleaned up, I settled Pip for his morning nap and gave Ginny a bath.  We decided that today would be another go round of potty training, so I moved the potty to the kitchen and got the little miss into her training pants.  Two and a half hours later all I had to show for it was a pile of laundry.  We went through all six pairs of quilted training pants.  **sigh**  We'll give it another go tomorrow morning. 

This afternoon was about keeping the wee little man happy, and trying to get some housework done.  All I managed to accomplish was sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor.  But, I did finally have someone respond to my kijiji ad for the bassinet who actually showed up (have had four or five people interested but they never came by to look at it) and paid full asking price. 

And then I got the phone call...

You might remember that I was rather concerned on Friday that my Mom's primary care physician wanted to see her today.  I was concerned that it was going to be be bad news about "the spot" that she had removed last week.  Thankfully, the appointment wasn't about that, and the doc isn't concerned about the spot, as he's certain the oncologist removed all of it.  Whew, good news.

My mom's main doc is also my grandmother's main doc.  And it wasn't good news. 

My grandma, who has been in a nursing home for the last four years, ever since she had a series of physically debilitating strokes, has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. 

We have known for a couple of months that she hasn't been well, but she's been ill before and she always surprises us and bounced back.  But this is different.  She's been complaining of stomach pain and has been eating very little.  Back before Christmas Dr. W ordered some tests.  It was the MRI last week that finally revealed the big picture. 

GG (what we all call Grandma... ever since the first great-grandchild was born) has had a very poor quality of life since her strokes.  She was a very active, social person, so losing her ability to communicate clearly and only having use of her right arm have been taxing.  Her mental accuity has also slipped quite a bit.  She doesn't remember my wee-lings' names (calls them 'the babies') and she struggles to remember who my Beloved is. 

Of course, when Dr. W asked, my mom reiterated GG's wishes.  No interventions, other than what's needed to keep her comfortable.  No surgery.  No chemo or radiation.  The prognosis is anywhere between one and nine months.  Mom is not that optomistic. 

My head knows that it will be a blessing when GG passes.  She would never have wanted to live this way, confined to a bed or wheelchair, eating mush for every meal, and never knowing if it's 2013 or 1957.  And she never wanted extraordinary measures, even when she had the strokes. 

By my heart hurts at the knowledge that I will most likely not see her alive again.  For the last few years, whenever we've gone out to K-town, I'd resigned myself to the fact that when we left it might have been the last time I would get to see her, but it doesn't make today any easier. 

Welcome 2013!

Happy New Year Humble Readers!

Image credit

I hope that you enjoyed your New Year's Eve celebrations, whether they were raucous or serene.  We had a quiet evening here in the hobbit hole... both wee-lings were snuggled under their blankets by 8:30, and my Beloved and I passed the evening playing video games (me - SuperMario Paper on the Wii) and fiddling with the new computer (my Beloved - the new laptop is for his course work as the software he needs won't run on his ancient desktop.  Can we say tax write-off?). 

My Beloved asked me a few days ago if I thought that 2012 had been a good year.  Without hesitation I said yes.  2012 brought us Pip.  None of the ugliness in my family or our financial struggles can overshadow the joy that our wee little mister has brought to our lives.  And Ginny just keeps on surprising us every day with her capacity to learn and to laugh.  In 2012 we ended our journey to build our family, and as I look ahead I can't help but wonder what this new year will bring us.  Undoubtedly, there will be new joys and new challenges that come our way, but today, as the sun shines and a warm chinook wind blows, I feel optimistic about 2013.

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions.  At least not in the usual sense.  I've never liked the vague "be better to myself" or "lose some weight" types of resolutions.  Being the to do list addict that I am, I need to have things that I can measure, things that I can cross off my list.  So instead of resolutions, I find setting specific goals tends to work better for me.  Some of my goals end up taking longer than a year to accomplish, but I like to be able to see measurable progress being made.  The tough part is always making the list achievable.   

So here's the list for 2013:

1. Health - Continue the good habits that I developed in 2012 (drinking 2-3 liters of water a day, not drinking my calories, cinnamon tea every morning and evening), only step on the scale twice a week (rather than every day), gradually add in physical activity (twice a week in January and February, then increase it for March and April and so on)
2. Self-care - Colour my hair every 8-10 weeks, get a haircut 4 times throughout the year (build it into the budget), buy new capris for the summer (build it into the budget),
3. Household - Strive for at least one meat-free dinner each week (was about 60% in 2012), keeping up with my weekly/daily to do lists, purge cds, re-work household budget (January), do mending weekly (as needed)
4. Learning - Read an average of 3 books a month with at least one of them being a new to me title, build up repertoire of meat-free recipes, learn a new crafting skill (very vague, but I don't know what I want to learn yet.)
5. Family - Attempt potty-training again with Ginny in January, Transition Ginny to her toddler bed by end of February, send out extended family birthday cards ON TIME, come up with a better way of sharing photos with far-away family.
6. Creative Endeavours - write in my "One Line A Day" journal every day, creative writing (using prompts or working on 'the story') for at least 15 minutes every day, maintain a regular blogging schedule

I know that seems like a lot.  Much of it will simply require being added to my daily to-do list.  Other than that, I think I can manage this list this year.  And it's always a given that some things simply won't happen.  Life gets in the way of the best of intentions, but every journey needs a map to point the general direction. 

What are some of your goals for the new year?

Developing Family Traditions: An Introduction

Greeting Humble Readers...

I have been thinking a lot lately about the traditions that we celebrate and carry on in our family, and about how I want to develop some new traditions for our little family.  Coincidentally, the lovely ladies over at PAIL Bloggers have chosen this topic as the November theme posts.  Talk about great minds thinking alike!

tra·di·tion

noun \trə-ˈdi-shən\

Definition of TRADITION

1. a: an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)  b: a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
2. the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3. cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4. characteristic manner, method, or style tradition

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Definition courtesy of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tradition

 

I feel that I need to start with a few pieces of information.  First of all, I'm coming at this whole topic from the framework of my Christian faith, and how we commemorate holidays, holy days, and the every day celebrations are all informed and shaped, in large and small ways, by what we believe.  Second, I'm not one to follow a tradition just because 'we always have'.  Traditions should have meaning and purpose, even if that purpose is simply something fun.  But if the sole purpose of a tradition is because it's fun, and over the years it becomes un-fun, well then why the heck are you doing it? 

 

I think, when most people think of traditions, they think of the biggies... the things they do around the big holidays, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.  And those are good starting places.  But when I look at my family, I want to have celebrations throughout the year, marking the wonders of the everyday as well. 

 

And I think, for my family, an important part of our future traditions, whatever shape they take, service to others will play a role.  At least I hope it will. 

 

So, in the weeks to come, I will be writing about the things we do now as traditions, and things that I am hoping to incorporate in the future.  Some will be frivolous and silly, others, I hope, will be more thoughtful. 

 

Next week... Everyday celebrations.  How do we take the the ordinary happenings and make them memorable and extraordinary? 

 

A Hobbit-ish Halloween & Ghost Story

Hey Humble Readers! 

I hope you're all having a fun and safe halloween.  Ours was fun, but quiet.  It's so cold outside that the few kids in our neighbourhood have likely gone to indoor events, and thus we haven't had any trick or treaters at our door.

Pippin guarding the candy bowl

Ginny had fun going out for a half hour or so with my Beloved (very bundled up under her costume).  She got a ton of candy from the neighbours and got to be out in the snow with Daddy.  Then she came home and had chicken tortilla soup to warm her up. 

Our little puppy dog

 

She was so excited she couldn't stand still.

My pumpkins turned out well, I think.  It's been 5 years since I last carved a pumpkin, so I started out with something basic.  Carving this small jack-o-lantern was my warm up. 

And then I stepped it up a little with this one especially for Ginny...  Perhaps next year I'll go with something a little more complex. 

Last weekend the wonderfully witty Stork (at Stupid Stork) accidentally began a ghost story fest in her comment section, and I wanted to elaborate on the story I shared.  I want to preface this with the fact that I'm not one to see faces in every shadow or jump at every little sound.  I consider myself a fairly grounded person, but these little happenings were very real. 

When I was five years old, I (with my bio-family) moved into an old house.  It was a bungalow built in the 1920s.  My parents were renting with the option to buy. 

We moved in at the end of the school year, so I had the whole summer to explore our new home.  There was a bit of an odd layout because the house had several additions built on over the years.  The only access to the only bathroom in the house was through my bedroom.  There was a parlour off the living room, a huge dining room, and two kitchens side by side.  It was a kooky little house. 

That summer and the following fall, odd things began happening.  Things my parents, initially, chalked up to it being an older home.  Cupboard doors that would open and close on their own.  Noises in the second kitchen (we used it as a storage room).  Hushed voices heard in the parlour.  By Christmas that year, my bio-mom was feeling that there was something pretty strange about the house. 

It started with my sister, who was then three years old.  She would have conversations, full on conversations, with someone who wasn't there.  At first my parents thought she had an imaginary friend.  Then one day, my bio-sister described the little boy who she claimed to be talking to.  He resembled no one in our family's acquaintance and what really threw my mom was how my sister described his clothes.  My sister had described him as wearing the knickerbockers/short pants that young boys wore through the 20s and 30s.  How would a three year old (in 1980) know the word knickerbockers?

Around that time, things got a little weirder.  My bio-mom is a long-time smoker.  She had ashtrays in every room, placed beside the spots where she normally sat.  She had several spares in a cupboard in the kitchen.  Right around Christmas, my mom's ashtrays started disappearing.  She would sit down in her favourite spot in the living room or the parlour, would light a cigarette, and would look for an ashtray that was normally on the table beside her, only to find the side table bare.  She would have to go to the kitchen to get one of the spares from the cupboard.  Often, she found the missing ashtray in the cupboard.  It was an upper cupboard, that I couldn't reach, and my bio-dad at that time was working out of town on a regular basis.  How had it gotten there?  Eventually, the ashtrays would move even after she set them down, or so she claimed.  She would get one out of the kitchen, set it down beside her, light up, and then settle in to read or watch tv, and when she needed the ashtray it would be on the other side of the room. 

What or whoever had a problem with my mom smoking also had a thing for my toys.  Every night before bed I had to put my barbies and toy dishes away in my closet.  I started getting into trouble for pulling my toys out in the middle of the night, because they would be scattered all over the floor in front of my closet in the morning.  I swear I wasn't getting out of bed at night (my room had an old-fashioned linolium floor and I was scared of how the pattern looked in the dark.  I kept my feet carefully tucked under the covers all night), and because my parents had to go through my room to get to the bathroom, they would have noticed my toys being left out after bedtime.  They were being scattered after midnight and before I would get up in the morning. 

Then, at Easter that year, the Easter Bunny brought my siblings and I a swing-set for the back yard.  It was not uncommon to see one of the three swings moving while the others were still when there was no one near the swing set.  And there were times when two of the three swings were swaying in the wind, and one would be perfectly still, as if someone was sitting on it. 

We moved out of that house about a year after we moved in.  I don't remember much of the discussion about why we were moving, we just did.  I can tell you, that in the new-to-us house we moved to, my bio-sister didn't have conversations with her little friend any more.  She said he wasn't there.  And my mom never had any issues with her ashtrays moving, and my toys stayed put at night.  And the all the swings swayed in the wind. 

Not really scary, just my bio-family's encounter with a mischevious little ghostie.  :)  Do you have any ghostie encounters to share?

Random Parenting Ponderings

Hey Humble Readers...

I hope you're all well, cozy in your homes.  It snowed here in the Shire for more than 24 hours and we are hanging out at around -5C for a daytime high.  I finally caved yesterday and turned on the furnace.  Last year I made it until November 5th.  *sigh*  Oh well... at least we have a furnace to turn on, right?

So, I've had some parenting stuff wander through my head recently, and I'm wondering where you all stand on these things.

Potty Training - When did the word training become verboten?  Bathroom education... toilet learning... heck I've even read the term 'personal waste management' used.  Why is 'training' a bad word?  We hire personal trainers, train for marathons, and we even play games to train our brains to keep them sharp.  Why is it wrong to call learning to use the toilet potty training?  It really is training... Ginny is having to train her brain to recognize the messages her body is sending.  Is this just a case of political correctness run amok, or am I completely missing the boat?

Sleep - I hesitate to bring this up, simply because I know we have gotten off sooooooo easy in this department.  Many of my friends have gone for months, even years without a complete night's sleep on account of wee-lings that won't sleep when the rest of the world does.  We have a situation with two wee-lings who go to bed at different times, in the same room.  Ginny goes to bed at 7:30pm and Pippin is adjusting to sleeping through the night without his 11pm feeding.  It's time for him to be sleeping in the nursery all night rather than starting the night in the living room and then being moved to his crib much later.  Ginny is a good sleeper, but she's a light sleeper, and I don't want to wreck her great sleep routine by introducing a squawking little man into the situation.  How do those of you with twins or more than one wee-ling handle them sleeping in the same room?  Any advice to share?

Ginny's Birthday - Our wee sweet girl will be two sooner rather than I care to admit, and I'm having some difficulties with my plans for her birthday party.  First, I decided back in the summer that I wanted to do a "Build Her Library" birthday party (using library cards as invitations, and encouraging her guests to bring books rather than toys because her birthday is so close to Christmas).  My MIL has questioned this idea whenever I bring it up, implying that Ginny is too young to be given a lot of 'nice' storybooks.  Yes, Ginny has recently been hard on some of her books, loving them to death as some little ones do with their stuffies or blankies.  But she so loves having stories read to her, and I want to increase the variety of stories she has to choose from.  Second, I'm struggling with who to invite to the party.  Ginny only has one real little friend, from church.  I want to invite the aunts and uncles, but I don't want it to seem like a gift grab kind of situation.  A second birthday doesn't strike me as much of a milestone birthday as the first... or rather I'm afraid they won't see it as such.  I want her to have a nice celebration of her, but I don't want anyone to feel obligated.  Does that make any sense at all?? 

I have other things rattling around in my brain, but I think I'll stop here for now.  Looking forward to hearing your input... :)

Saturday Daydreams...

Hey Humble Readers...

I know I've been a little hit and miss this week.  I'm not feeling hugely inspired these days.  Maybe it's time for another Q & A post?  What do you want to know about me, my Beloved Ent, the wee-lings?  About  our life on the not-so-frozen flatland?  Let me know via the comment section below or via email.  I'll answer them as best I can in a post toward the middle of next week.

*****
I've been daydreaming a lot the last couple of days.

My Beloved is still looking for a new job, and a posting that came up this week would, if he were to get the position, give us a huge leg up financially.  I'm talking HUGE leg up.  I'm not counting my chickens before they're hatched or anything, but it certainly is nice to think about what we could do rather than what we can't afford to do. 

Like which debt would we pay off first?  Credit card?  Line of credit?  Car loan?

How much could we increase our monthly contributions to our church?  To the wee-lings' college funds?  To our (currently non-existent) retirement fund?

Could we buy a new house?  Something with three bedrooms, two baths, a finished basement with a comfy murphy bed for my mom, and a kitchen with an island and lots of cupboards?

Maybe we could even get cable tv again?

Could I afford a new bra when I need one?  ;)

Daydreams aside, if when my Beloved gets a new and better paying job, we have agreed that we will continue with our personal austerity measures until two of our three non-mortgage debts are paid off.  Our condo seems to shrink by the day lately, but there's no sense in trying to buy something bigger until our debt is better managed, and hopefully the condo increases in value a bit (yeah, we bought at the wrong time).

Some people say that daydreaming can be harmful.  That it leads to dissatisfaction with what you have now.  I disagree.  Do I like being broke all the time?  No.  Does the potential of a significantly increased income bring me pleasure?  Yes. 

But does that mean that I'm not incredibly thankful for what we have?  Heck no!  I have been in much more depressing states, financially speaking, in my lifetime.  And if I can't have my dream house, well then thank the good Lord above that I have my dream man and my two precious babies.  We are all healthy, and happy, and that's what makes daydreaming fun.  Imagining how the great things in our lives can only get better. 

What are you daydreaming about these days?

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Generosity

Howdy Humble Readers,

Things here in the hobbit-hole were better yesterday, with the wee-lings both taking naps and just being in generally better moods.  I don't know if the the lovely cool rainy weather played a part, but overall, things were much better. 

*****
Today I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others.  First, a lady from our church came by with three boxes of infant/toddler boy clothes, a box of childrens' books, and a box of toys.  I had just sorted through all that and started some of it in the laundry, when another friend came by bearing gifts... four large bags and a gift bag, filled with more toddler boy clothes.  All in great shape, some had hardly ever been worn.

I'm swimming in overalls, jeans, long sleeved tees, hoodies, stripey socks and shoes.  Seriously, my coffee table is lined up with seven pairs of boots, shoes, and sandals in sizes ranging from 4 to 6.  I am so incredibly grateful to these generous women. Seriously, I won't need to buy clothes for our wee little mister from age 1 to age 3 or 4.  And Ginny will even be able to wear some of this stuff this winter. 

Just when I start to worry about managing buying clothes, birthdays (our families have many b-days from Aug-Dec), and the holidays, this wonderful gift comes my way.  I'm immensely thankful!

*****
Ginny had a big moment yesterday.  For the first time ever, she recognized that she was in need of a diaper change and told me so.  Woo hoo!  Potty training here we come!

*****
Update on my parents' situation:  It was confirmed yesterday that my Dad is on drugs.  My sister and I called it almost two months ago.  We knew that something fundamental had changed, but everyone around us was saying no, he wouldn't do that.  Damn, I hate being right about stuff like this.  Thankfully, Mom has had the locks on the house changed, so at least she's a bit safer.  Good news... Mom just got a referral to a great lawyer. 

*****
I've had a couple of questions about what I'm crafting for Christmas... so here's the run down so far.  (All these ideas are from Pinterest... links included)

Felt Christmas Tree with Ornaments for the wee-lings.  Hopefully it will help keep them away from our big tree.  (this project is almost finished)

Terracotta Holy Family - made from terracotta pots, scraps of fabric, and wooden balls for the heads.  A cute, inexpensive addition to my collection of Nativity sets.  (have most of the materials)

Extra Sparkle -  (this one didn't have an actual link, but it's easy enough) glue one inch mirror tiles back to back, with a loop of ribbon.  Hang them on the tree after you put on the lights, but before you put on the rest of your ornaments.  Increase the sparkle and twinkle factor by up to 100%.  (having some issues tracking down the mirror tiles for a good price, and without having to pay ridiculous shipping charges)

Are you someone who starts thinking about Christmas super early, like me?  Or are you like my Beloved, adamant that Christmas is for December only?

Pippin @ 3 Months

Hey Humble Readers...

(I realize that posts like this, about wee-ling growth & development, can be hard for some to read.  I get it.  I post this here for my own sake, mostly.  I would hate to forget these moments.  If you want to read, you are more than welcome to, but if you need to click past, I understand.)

Hangin' out with his cousin Felix

Our wee little mister just keeps getting bigger.  Who said that was allowed??  To quote my grandma, we need to put a brick on his head to keep him from growing any more.  I blame my Beloved... he wants both of the kids to be bigger, so he can teach them chess.  *sigh*

He actually did pretty well on the 11 hour road trip.

It was a big month for Pip... first major road trip, first vaccinations, first encounter with dogs, getting to meet many family members for the first time, and getting baptized.  So many firsts!

Snugglin' with GG (my grandma)

Pippin went for his 3 month check up yesterday, and all went really well.  Honestly, it was one of the best appointments I've ever had with Dr. B (famed for being under-whelming).  The doc was very happy with the improvement in Pip's head shape, and that he's already rolling over.  We were able to get a prescription cream for the wee mister's eczema (it's particularly awful on his feet and legs, and around his bellybutton).  We discussed his sleep habits and how much he's eating.  Pip was very smiley and happy through the whole thing, so it was very relaxed. 

With cousins, Z-man, Oscar, & Felix

Pip is up to 14lb 6.5oz.  Yup, he's huge.  We're going to have to move him out of size 2 diapers soon.  They're just getting too small.  And it's about time for me to go through his wardrobe and determine which pieces I'm keeping for posterity and which ones will get added to the sell/give away pile. 

With Mama (my mom)

With Granpa Won (my grandpa)

When he gets very happy, he's so close to laughing that I can almost taste it.  He definitely is cooing and ahhing a lot.  Pippin's a very social little guy, to the point where he gets frustrated if he can hear us but can't see us (like at dinner time). 

While in K-town, Pip basically lived in
 Auntie S's arms (my sister)

He's beginning to try to support himself on his legs, when I hold him under the arms, and he's definitely getting comfy in his bum.bo seat.  Soon it will be time to pull out the jumper-seat we had for Ginny. 

Cousin Z-man

Pip adores his big sister, and loves it when she leans over the side of his bassinet or gets down on the floor with him.  He gives her the biggest smiles, but I rarely have the camera handy to capture it. 

smiley baby

He's been very generous over the last few weeks, giving us several nights with 5+ hours of sleep.  Of course I still wake up at 3am, but I'm hoping to get over that soon. 

doing tummy time

I need to remember to take some pictures of him in the cradle (all the grandkids on my Beloved's side of the family have slept in this cradle) this month, as I'm sure that we'll be moving him into the nursery with Ginny next month. 

with Auntie Sira

He still snores, blows bubbles galore, and belches like a sailor.  His cradle cap hit it's peak about a week ago (ick!) and it doesn't seem to be quite as bad as it was.  Pip never did get the baby acne like Ginny did, which has been nice.  He sucks on his fist, rather than his thumb, and he sucks on it like it's a tootsie pop. 

bumbo-ing!

He's such a good little guy, and a total blessing.  Even on his toughest days, I wouldn't trade one moment of being his Mummy.  :)

*smooch*

And The Gross-ness Just Keeps On Rollin' In

Hey Humble Readers...

Alright.  I have hit critical mass for all the gross-ness that has become my family, and I need to let some of it out.  If you're not at all interested in discovering how my family has become fodder for the Jerry Spr.inger show, I invite you to skip this post and come back tomorrow.  For those of you who choose to stick around, this is a tad long. 

Two and a half months ago, shortly after Pippin was born, I got the heartbreaking phone call from my Mom.  She told me that she and Dad were splitting up.  After 25 years of marriage, after 27 years together, after battling health scares (hello 5x cancer) and the struggles that go along with owning your own business and raising two daughters, they were calling it quits. 

Why, you might ask.

Because my Dad was having an affair.  Had been since at least February.  And this wasn't the first time.  Apparently there was a 'one night stand' last fall.  Oh, and he'd been keeping his 'girlfriend' (any clue about how gross that is to write?) in a motel 20 minutes away from Mom and Dad's house.  Since February. 

Let that sink in a little.

Even while Mom and Dad were on their 25th anniversary cruise.

About the woman... we know that Dad met her on an online dating service.  He actually placed an online ad for someone to have sex with outside his marriage.  We know that she's an addict (by her own admission) and an alcoholic.  Oh, and she's claiming to be pregnant with Dad's baby.  And while it's really not my business, apparently she's fat and ugly too (not that it matters what she looks like, but it is slightly gratifying).

At this point, in early June, my Mom was willing to try to make things work, if Dad committed to counselling (both as a couple and as individuals) and to breaking things off permanently with his 'woman'. 

He didn't know what he wanted to do.  He couldn't make up his mind.  One day he was begging Mom to take him back.  The next day she catches him texting this person. 

Have I mentioned that the 'woman' has threatened my Mom, and by extension my sister and I, with physical harm?  Oh, and she knows where we live because when my Dad was out here shortly after Pip was born, he brought her with him.  She was at his hotel waiting for him while he was here playing with eating my food, playing with Ginny, and holding my son. 

When asked why, my Dad's only response was that he's been lonely.  He travels a lot for work and since Mom 'didn't want to come with' him, he 'had to' seek out comfort elsewhere.  (His words.)

Of course, Mom's choosing not to go with him has nothing to do with the fact that she looks after Grandma.  No, never. 

Just before we went on vacation, Dad spent three days begging Mom to take him back and making all kinds of promises.  Mom took him at his word, and he was there (suffering from a kidney stone attack... oh if I believed in karma!).  He hardly spoke to me, my Beloved, or my sister.  And when he spoke to my BIL, it was mostly about the repairs they were doing on my parents' roof. 

On the last day of our vacation, my sister and I took Dad out for dinner, because we felt that we both had things we needed to say, but they weren't being said in a house full of people.  We went some place loud, so that we wouldn't be overheard, and laid it all out for him.  We hate the choices he's made and how he's hurt Mom and all of us, but we still love him.  We told him that we would support him anyway we could on the road to reconciliation with Mom. 

During our conversation the only response he gave was 'I can't make promises'.  Not once did he indicate that he was sorry, that he felt any remorse for hurting Mom or us.  I came away from the encounter pissed off, but at least I had had my say.

I guess I should have taken the whole thing as an indicator of what was to come. 

When we left their house, my sister and her kids were staying on for a couple of weeks, and then they were all going to come out to our hobbit-hole, to be present for Pippin's baptism. 

On Saturday I got a text from my sister saying that Dad was sick and wasn't going to be able to come.  I called bullshit on that right away.  And I was right.  I hate that I was right.

He has been in contact with the 'woman' all the way through all of the month of July.  Apparently, he just moved her to a different motel.  Most recently he's been in the process of finding an apartment for her, less than 10 minutes away from my Mom's house.  And that's actually the best of the revelations I got this weekend. 

While my sister was there with her kids, my Mom accompanied Dad on one of his work trips.  To give them time together 'to really talk' without all the family around.  While on this trip he told my Mom that what he really wanted was to have both my Mom and this woman in his life.  He 'loves them both' and what would really make him happy was that they have regular threesomes.  Oh, and his 'woman' agrees wholeheartedly to this idea. 

And then he dropped the big one.  He told Mom that while she was going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments during her last go round with cancer 6 years ago, he was hooking up with prostitutes.  Because my Mom 'wouldn't give him what he needed'.  So while my Mom was fighting for her life, battling lymphoma and lesions on her brain, all he could think about was that he wasn't getting laid enough.  Not only was he only concerned about getting his rocks off, but he and Mom were intimate on occassion during this period of time, so who knows what the hell he exposed her to.

Needless to say, that is the ultimate last straw.  I completely lost it on his voice mail and called him every name in the book.  And I fully anticipate that will be the last communication I have with him. 

I vacillate between angry and heartbroken most of the time.  My Mom is a mess most of the time, and is now worried that Dad's 'woman' has a key to Mom's house.  Mom doesn't have the money to have the locks changed, so my BIL will be going back out there in a week or so to do it for her.  In the mean time, arrangements have been made for neighbours to help keep a watch for strange people or vehicles in the vicinity. 

Ummm, other details... because of all this craziness, my Dad's parents decided to cancel their 50th anniversary celebration (the reason for our trip out there) and my Grandpa has basically disowned my Dad. 

This is the man that I held up as a standard by which I measured the men I dated.  The man who always seemed so rock solid, in his faith and in his commitment to his family.  I knew he wasn't perfect, but I never EVER would have anticipated this. 

If you've made it this far, you deserve a gold star.  Thanks for reading.  It's helped a little just to get it all out. 

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Good Evening Humble Readers...

So, how ya doin'?  Dijya have a nice day?  ;)  I'm kind of giddy just now because a rip-snorter of a thunderstorm just rolled through and it was magnificent!  And it brought a slight reprieve to the wretched heat that has taken up residence in our hobbit-hole. 

I am choosing to declare today a victory.  Pippin's baptism went off without a hitch (more on that tomorrow), I successfully fed 10 people lunch in our wee condo, and we had enough left overs from lunch that I didn't have to cook dinner.  Yes, there were some ucky moments today (even more family drama) but I choose to look at the blessings of this day.

Not the least of which is the fact that I encountered a new-to-me blogger... Carla of 'My 1/2 Dozen Daily'.  And she hosts a fun blog hop on Sundays that I wanna join in on... so I give you Sunday Night Chit-Chat!

Our happy boy!

What are you...

Reading?
I just started re-reading Harry Potter.  Reading the series just screams summer to me.  This is likely my seventh or eighth time reading the whole series, and I love it more each time.  I love catching all the foreshadowing that Rowling put into it.

Watching?
Olympic re-caps.  They're talking about the men's singles tennis gold medal match.  I'm not really a tennis person, but that was a pretty astounding game.

Listening to?
My Beloved chatting to Pip as he gives our wee little mister a bottle.  I love how he talks to the kids.

Cooking/Baking?
LOL!  It's FAAAAARRRR too hot to cook or bake tonight.  Last night however, man oh man, I was not having fun baking.  I was trying a new recipe, a cinnamon coffee cake with a cream cheese layer (sounds good right?) for the lunch we had after church for our guests.  First go round I was a complete idiot and put the sugar in with the flour.  Then, second go round, I followed the recipe to a T, but instead of being a batter, it resembled biscuit dough.  Not at all conducive to making a coffee cake.  After a meltdown, I ressorted to an old stand-by recipe for a cinnamon loaf and called it a day.

Happy you accomplished this week?
Finally got around to posting ads on Kijiji for the two extra strollers we have.  And I may actually have a buyer already for one of them.  Crossing my fingers!

Looking forward to next week?
My Beloved and I are going on a date night on Saturday night.  We're going for dinner and a movie... either Batman or Timothy Green.  Opinions?

Thankful for today?
My family.  My immediate wee family of four, and my extended family.  Particularly those who drove a full day to be here with us today for Pip's special day, just to turn around and drive back home. 

*BONUS QUESTION?*
What hobby have you always wanted to learn? Do you plans on trying to learn? Why or why not?
Part of me would like to learn to sew.  I can cross stitch, and I can handle a needle to do basic mending, but there are crafts that I simply can't consider doing because it involves some sewing.   Maybe someday in the future, when we have the space for me to have a crafting room, I'll pick up a used machine and see if I can figure it out.   

Ginevra in July

Hey Humble Readers...

Her first helium balloon

Here we are at the end of another month, and that means that Ginny is another month older.  20 months now!  Holy cow...

Figuring out the crayons

Ginny was a very busy little girl this month.  A trip to a historic farm, a major road trip, and a medical discovery round out the significant events of the past few weeks.

*snort-snort*

Of course she loved the farm, even if my Beloved and I were more than a little disappointed with what it had to offer.  She was incredibly excited to see all the animals, particularly the pigs and the turkey (**shudder**).  She's also adamant that she's not into being on the swings this year, but the slide is totally fair game.

Hangin' at Timmy's w/ Uncle W!

I mentioned before about our little allergy scare with our wee sweet girl.  I had hoped that perhaps her intense reaction to mosquitoes was a one time thing, but since the initial incident, we've had to rely on the wonders of bena.dryl.  I'm not going to lie, I'm a tad concerned about what would happen if she got stung by a bee. 

She was a bit shy around her GG

Our trip to K-town, while challenging on many levels, was a great thing for Ginny.  She got to play with her cousins Oscar, Felix, and Z-man, and got a lot of attention all around.  Her vocabulary took a major jump while we were out there and we added all kinds of new words including Auntie, Uncle, pool, outside, inside, cakies (pancakes), grapies (grapes), and tons of people's names.  She's also often stringing two words together, like 'bye-bye Daddy' or 'grapies alle-alle' (all gone).  We did discover that she deals with a hint of motion sickness, but she comes by that honestly as Mummy still suffers from it at times. 

In the pool w/ Z-man

While in K-town, we learned that Ginny is still not a huge fan of the pool, although she loved it when Z-man pushed her around while she sat on a flutter-board.  She's a bit over-enthusiastic when it comes to my mom's dogs, but they learned quickly to stay out of her reach.  And she slept sooooo much better this trip (as opposed to Christmas) because we put her in my parents' office by herself. 

Z-man & Ginny

Her growth seems to have slowed, as is to be expected, with no great gains this month.  She was even able to fit into her swimsuit from last summer (if it had been a one piece it wouldn't have fit at all).  Her hair gets curlier every day, I swear.  And being a girl with poker-straight to wavy hair, I'm at a loss as to how to control it.  But it sure looks cute when she wakes up in the morning. 

Crazy bed-head

We're struggling a bit with getting Ginevra to use her fork and spoon to eat.  She'll have one good bite out of twenty.  I know at this point it's all about consistency, but I'm finding it challenging to not just take over and feed her.  It would go so much faster. 

Rockin' the bikini

I'm thinking that it's time to get a potty-chair for our wee girl.  She's still determined to take her diaper off if she's left alone in her crib for too long when she wakes up.  I think it may actually be bothering her to be wet, which is a good sign.  Any one with tips on potty training, speak up please!

No... I haven't seen your ice cream

She's recently gone into a clingy phase.  Whether it's the fact that she's envious of the fact that I have to hold Pippin so much, or if she's dealing with a bit of separation anxiety, she has to be right next to me pretty much all day.  And if I'm sitting on the couch, she's crawling all over me.  This is of note, particularly because it used to be Daddy who was the living jungle gym, but not so much any more.

I pulled out the bumbo for Pippin, but she seemed to think it
was all for her. 

Overall, July was a good month for our wee sweet girl.  She's had some adventures and there are more on the horizon.  I'm wondering what the second half of summer will hold for her developmentally.  There are areas where she could be further along, but mostly I'm just wanting to enjoy this time with her.  She's really so much fun... so silly and sweet (when she isn't being 'almost two').