Singing and shrieking

After the gym this morning, Sophie and I embarked on a four-stop errand extravaganza. Or that was the plan, anyway. When I picked her up from the gym nursery I was informed that she'd refused to eat breakfast and had been yawning all morning...facts that should have deterred me from my mission but sadly did not. I figured she'd nap in the car and then rally, so we continued on our errand quest. First we hit Costco, and despite only a 10 minute snooze on the way there, Sophie behaved brilliantly. Then we went next door to Target, and she lost her mind about five minutes in.

Public tantrums are really rare for Sophie, especially in a store. She usually loves chilling in the cart and people watching, and if she does start to fuss she can almost always be teased back into a good mood. But of course, I had asked way too much from her today, and by about Noon she was just done. I started singing "Twinkle Twinkle" like a madwoman, which often works as a distraction in these types of situations. And the most adorable thing was that she tried so hard, even in her hysterical state, to reign herself in. She couldn't quite get herself to stop crying, but she was still opening and closing her hands in the gesture we do to indicate the "twinkling stars" in the song. The look on her face was like, "This is all I got Mama, I can give you the hands but I have to scream while I do it." As we stood in line to pay for our purchases, I'm sure we were quite a sight...me trilling loudly and making diamond shapes on my forehead (as in the lyric "like a diamond in the sky" and not just because I felt like it...I'm not completely off my rocker) and Sophie red-faced and shrieking while pinching her hands open and shut like a little crab.

Funny thing is, people ask me all the time why I do most of my shopping on the Internet. I figure they must not have small children.

Santa...friend or foe?

Emma is a BIG Santa fan...from a distance. She loves the idea of going to see him, but actually doing it is another matter altogether. Every year it's the same thing - we stand in line and watch her enthusiasm slowly wane with each step closer we get to the big red guy. By the time we reach Santa, we have to bribe/beg/force Em to even approach him. I believe last year was the only time we convinced her to stay put long enough for a photo, and that was only b/c I agreed to be in the picture too. (As you can see below, she was about ten seconds away from bolting for the door when the shot was taken.)

These Santa experiences from Christmases past are not very pleasant, for us or for her. (Or for Santa, for that matter.) So this year we decided to just write Santa a letter. But then Chris discovered this cute website where Emma could call Santa and leave a message. So that is what we did. If you click here before January and listen patiently to Santa's extremely long rambling at the beginning, eventually you can hear the message that Em left. It's kinda cute. And it was much less hassle than actual face-to-face time. Gotta love the Internet.

Emma Musical Moments

It is cold here and there is much snow on the ground. These common Midwestern obstacles do not normally deter me, but when I must bundle up two uncooperative children as well as myself, I become frightened. Hence, we did not leave the house today. Emma entertained us with a concert instead. The music was of her choosing and ranged from "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to Beyonce. Here are a couple brief highlights...

More Sophie Moments

Baby days are numbered

Now that Sophie's one year old, we are starting to think about weaning. I don't know how long it will take; to be honest, I'm not really in a rush. Yet she has already begun the process on her own, and soon enough the transition will be complete.

In a way, I'm excited to stop breastfeeding because it will be nice to feel like my body is all mine again. But there are many things about breastfeeding I will miss, and none more than my favorite moment of the day...Sophie's bedtime. We sit together in her bedroom and rock in the dark as the falling rain from her sound machine soothes us both into drowsiness. And as Sophie breastfeeds, she reaches one hand up and rests it on my chest. Then she slowly pats me with her fingers, as if she is reassuring me about something. The gesture is so cute and yet so mature, and Sophie only does it when she breastfeeds. I close my eyes and concentrate on the feel of her little fingers lifting gently up and down, up and down on my skin, as if she's telling me, "Don't worry, Mommy. I will always be your baby." She matches the timing of her patting with the rocking of the chair, and we stay locked in that slow, steady rhythm until she signals that she's ready for bed. At no other time in my day - or in my life - do I feel more like a mother than during those moments with her. I look forward to this precious intimacy between us every night, and I will be sad when it is gone.

Sophie is a Mama's girl, so I'm not really worried - as I was with Emma - that she won't "need me" anymore once we end breastfeeding. But I will still miss that feeling of complete connection with my child that simply cannot be replicated any other way. I feel so privileged that I was able to share that with both my girls.

Dr. Emma

Emma came home from school tonight, climbed onto the top of the chair in which I was sitting, and started putting paper band aids down my shirt. She told me to keep quiet and hold still. I opened my mouth to ask a question but was quickly silenced.

"SSSHH! Who's the doctor here?" Emma demanded.

"Emma," I dutifully replied.

"Who's the doctor here?" Emma repeated.

"Um...Emma?" I ventured again.

"WHO IS THE DOCTOR HERE?" Emma bellowed.

"Doctor Emma," I answered meekly.

Every time I attempted to speak, the above exchange repeated itself. After many many many minutes, Emma finally declared me cured and said, "Your manger of love is all better and the boo-boos have gone to safety."

She then charged me 25 cents for services and gave me "anty-botics" for later.

"Thank you, Emma," I said.

"Who's the doctor here?" she shouted.

"Thank you, Doctor Emma," I sighed.

"Good. You may shake my hand and then leave," the doctor ordered.

Stray Cat Strut

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, here's Emma doing her take on the Stray Cats song "Stray Cat Strut."

My three beauties

Chris is the rough and tumble one in our household. Every night when he comes home, he wrestles with the girls on the bed or the couch. He throws them up, down and around, and they both love it.

I try to stay away during this time because Sophie has a tendency to go to me when I am near, even if she's having a blast hanging with Daddy. In fact, she usually lunges at me. Last night, Chris could barely keep her from reaching airborne status when she saw me. I had time enough to take this one picture before dropping the camera to catch her.


I must have been a saint in another life, because I can't believe how lucky I am to have this family.

Translation, please?

Emma woke up this morning all upset because she "tasted like salt." I asked her what she meant by that, but she just kept repeating that she tasted like salt. She went on and on about the salt for at least 5 minutes, whining and crying, until finally she froze in place and shouted in triumph, "OH MAMA, I know why I taste salt in my throat! It's because the frog is getting ready to jump out!" Asking her to clarify the connection between salt and her sore throat, she told me that frogs must use salt to help them jump.

"Or maybe I dreamd-ed of french fries last night and the frog got hungry and ate them all until he went BOOM!" Em added. "Last night I licked Bolt after he saved me from the fire and then I dreamd-ed that he brung me a cake. Oh, and Baby Doll got mad because I made her take a nap, and she cried and cried and cried and I had to rock her and then she took a drink of water and then she went to sleep and said 'Ma-ma, Ma-ma' and woke up and wanted milk but I said, 'No naughty girl, you go back to sleep!' and then she did and she didn't have an accident all night."

With a shrug of her shoulders, she concluded, "Yep, I think that's what happened."

"Um, o-kay..." I said. "But what does all that have to do with tasting salt?"

"Tasting salt? Oh Mama, you're a silly girl," she replied with a giggle before walking away.

Holiday Fever

Today was entirely dedicated to putting up our Christmas tree and holiday decorations. I love our apartment during the month of December. It feels so warm and welcoming to me. This year is especially fun because Emma is at the perfect age to understand and eagerly anticipate the whole countdown until Christmas, and she was SO excited to hang ornaments on the tree. She also helped me hang our brand new stockings and then kept checking inside the one with her name, asking if Santa had come yet. (Okay, maybe she doesn't completely get the whole countdown, but she's learning.) For those of you too far away to visit us during the holiday season, pics of tree and stockings for you. Pretty, no? (Much better in person, but still, you get the idea.)
Chris has been introducing Emma to some of his favorite rock bands, including Stray Cats. So while we were waiting for Chris to get the lights on the tree just so, Em began running around in circles singing, "I don't bother chasing mice or owlves, whoa no!...howling to the moonlight on a hot s-s-sauce..." and other strange variations on the "Stray Cat Strut" lyrics that were totally cracking Chris and me up. Sophie helped decorate as well, although her contributions were less direct. When not stuffing her face with quesadilla, she spent most of her time clutching huge chunks of icicles in her hands and pumping her fists in the air as Emma sprinkled the icicles on her head and shouted "pixie dust, pixie dust" over and over again.

It was a good day. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and let December begin!

Emma on a Wednesday

• Asks if I would like to buy a milkshake for fifty five cents. I reply that I have no money. She whips out a coin from her cash register and gives it to me "as a loant." I hand her back the coin to pay for my milkshake. She bites the coin, grinds her teeth on it, removes it from her mouth, holds it up to the light, studies it closely, chucks it in the register and sweetly says, "Thank you." Then she asks if I would like another milkshake. I point out that I have yet to receive the first one. She explains that I ordered a chocolate shake, but she is all out of chocolate. Would I like a strawberry shake instead? I tell her of course, that will be fine. She smiles and says politely, "That will be fifty five cents."
• Proclaims proudly that 1+1=2, 2+2=4, and 4+4=8. I confirm she is correct, and she brags that she is really good at "pat." "Um, I think you mean math," I say. But she insists, "No, it's pat. Grandma Kitty told me so." Then she says that 11+11=12. When I clarify that the answer is actually 22, she begins shrieking. Loudly. After semi-calmness has been restored, I determine that we should take a break from math for awhile because clearly it is upsetting her. "Yes," Em agrees, "we shouldn't do any more pat today because the numbers are not listening to me."
• Decides that we should make a scarecrow out of "leaves and sticks and raisins for the eyes and dog poop for the mouth." She starts picking up potential scarecrow materials off the ground and then tries to bring her grungy collection into the car. I explain that Stella (our car) does not like dirty things inside of her because they make her sad, so we will have to make a scarecrow another time. Em accepts this, returning everything to its rightful place. She remains quiet the entire ride home. As we pull in front of our apartment, she suddenly announces aloud to the car, "I am sorry you are sad Stella, but my scarecrow is mad at you."
• When I turn on her sound machine and Ocean Wonders and nightlight moon and everything else that signals nap time, Em starts screaming from the bathroom, "No, not yet, not yet! Turn them off, turn them off, turn them OFF!" I do not turn them off. She pleads, "Please Mommy, please, I'm not done cleaning my extra skin and I have to make myself beautiful. Turn them off!" I do not turn them off. She wails, "I don't want to take a nap yet, I still have to put my makeup on so I can go to work. Turn them off!" I do not turn them off. Finally she bursts into her room, glowers at me with hands on hips and shouts, "Why don't you almost listen to me?! Every time I talk and talk and you don't almost listen to me! You are a naughty girl Mommy! A naughty, naughty girl!"
• Plugs her nose as Sophie enters the room and says, "Uh oh, I smell something." Sophie parrots back, "Uh-oh. Uh-oh." "You said it, sister," Emma retorts.
  

Friends

We spent a lovely Sunday afternoon reconnecting with the other mothers from Emma's original playgroup. We've known these fabulous people since Emma was 3 months old. For more than 3 years, we met once a week to share the joys and pitfalls of first-time parenthood and allow our kids to play with others their age. In the process, both the kids and the moms became friends. Preschool has robbed us of the ability to continue seeing each other regularly, but we still try to get together when we can. I credit these special women with getting me through that first terrifying and thrilling year of stay-at-home motherhood. I don't know what Emma and I would have done without them! We've all come a long way in 4+ years. Here we are today, minus a couple friends who couldn't make it but plus a few younger siblings who have joined us over the years.

Happy Birthday, Sophie

Sophie's official birthday isn't until Monday, but we had her party today. It was really nice. Family came from Indiana and St. Louis, and we spent the day eating and visiting. Soph was in a good mood. She was very excited to have playmates close to her age in Izzy and Cadin, and we all had a great time watching the babies interact with one another. Here are pics of Sophie with her cake, two of her Grandmas, her cousins (& big sis), and hamming it up while opening gifts.



And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a good cry over the fact that my baby is turning one.

checking in

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. We have all been rotating sickness. We're gearing up for Miss Sophie's 1st birthday this weekend! I'll post more on that later. Here's a pic of my beauties to hold ya for now.

To sleep, perchance to dream

I cannot sleep. I spend all day yawning, and then night falls and I cannot sleep. It is 11:51pm and I've already went to bed once for the night and arisen again in frustration because I cannot sleep. I am answering emails, posting on Facebook and writing this blog as diversions while I cannot sleep. My husband literally begins snoring beside me within minutes of climbing into bed, often before I've even turned off the light. But not me. I try deep breathing, I try dreaming of slumber, I try bucketfuls of Tylenol PM, I try a soothing eye mask, I try different body positions, I try counting in my head, I try praying, I try reading, I try exercise, I try many many many many other things but the reality is that no matter what I do, I Cannot Sleep.

Tomorrow will be here soon enough, and once again I will be exhausted. My husband is frustrated with me b/c I won't ask the doctor for sleeping pills. I take far too much medicine in my life as it is - I am extremely reluctant to begin taking another. Why are drugs always the answer? There must be another way.

I guess I have all night to think about it.

Winter is moving in

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here it is dreary and cold. We've had a pretty lazy weekend. I don't think any of us feels much motivation to do anything, so we've mostly been staying inside and playing. Em made a snuggly bed out of pillows, blankets...and her Daddy.
Chris drug the girls around the house on a blanket...always a great source of amusement for all.
And Sophie had a blast watching Em twist her body into various contortions as she danced and jumped herself into exhaustion.
It seems winter is moving in, and I'm none too happy about it. However, crappy weather can be a great excuse to stay inside and discover new ways to play. (And take naps. I love naps.)

TGIF

At school yesterday, Emma's eye had a run-in with another child's forehead. The forehead won.
In other news, Emma has had hives for three days and is quickly becoming addicted to Benadryl. We've no idea what caused the hives, nor when they plan to go away. Sophie has the whole runny nose/raspy cough thing and is either sleeping or cranky. Chris contracted a mysterious and brutal stomach bug after work Wednesday, and by Thursday morning he was fine. I'm just trying to stay healthy. And my friend Meg is having a baby RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE!

That's all for now. Happy weekend to you!

Sophie and Mommy Have A Conversation

Sophie will not say any variation of "ma-ma" on command, yet will proudly utter a myriad of "da-da" inflections all day long. Who says she's a Mama's girl again? (And no, my rug is not normally quite that dirty. Sophie had just finished picking a poor piece of tissue into teeny tiny pieces.)

New Sophie Moments

Sophie can clap. Sophie can play games. Sophie loves ham. Sophie likes to feed herself. Sophie does NOT like being fed. Parental units adjust accordingly.

To Emma and Sophie

Someday, both of you will read this blog and hopefully enjoy the memories I've taken the time to document in this journal. Because of that, I want you both to know that on this historic day - Nov. 4, 2008 - this great country in which we live elected to the presidency a person that your father and I both believe to be an extraordinary candidate and an extraordinary man. Time will tell if we are right in those assessments. But for your sakes above all others, my beautiful girls, I pray that we are.

For tonight, at least, I am hopeful.

Happy Halloween, part 2

We had a great Halloween weekend in Indiana. Here are some pics...

Chris, a.k.a. Professor Frink, with Sophie the frog and Emma the cat

No, we don't usually let escaped convicts handle the babies...
but for Grifin's sake, we made an exception. :)

Emma and Callie in full trick-or-treating mode

We call Cadin our "chunky monkey" (with love...he is a big boy), so Cara dressed him as a monkey for Halloween. Is this not the cutest picture ever?

Happy Halloween, part 1

Emma had her Halloween celebration at school today, complete with trick-or-treating and old-fashioned freeze dancing. Here are some highlights:

Hi

Yesterday my sister Cara sent an adorable video of our nephew Cadin bouncing away in his Exersaucer. On the audio, you can hear Cara repeating "Say hi, Cadin, say hi!" Cadin never does say hello, but as the four of us plus Aunt Jayme sat huddled together watching the video, Sophie suddenly said "hi" as clear as day. Everyone paused for a second before whooping in excitement, sufficiently shocking Sophie into never saying the word again.

Babies are such a mystery. I mean, that's all we had to do to get Sophie to talk? Just ask her? Who knew?

Bath Time

We've begun letting the girls take baths together. I believe tonight was the second or third time. They really enjoy it.
I used to hover over Sophie her entire time in the tub, convinced she'd lose her balance and fall forward or back into the water the minute I took my arms away. So I've been hesitant to bathe them together b/c my focus is split between the two. But as Sophie's gotten stronger at sitting up, I've gotten a little more relaxed. Tonight, I actually sat back and just let them play. My favorite part was shaping their hair with shampoo and then watching them make silly faces.
But of course, wouldn't you know...one second we're giggling away, and the next second Sophie is flat on her back. It happened so fast that I don't really know if she slipped or just decided to flip herself, which she is prone to do at the oddest of times. I just yanked her clear out of the tub, and after a bit of sputtering she was totally fine. She didn't even cry. I, however...not so fine. I held her, dried her off, dressed her, nursed her to sleep, and then sobbed for a good 5 minutes before laying her in her crib. I realize that Soph probably swallows more water when we rinse out her hair than she ultimately did tonight when she fell - heck, the whole incident only lasted a few seconds - but still...to look down and see your baby completely submerged in water is nothing short of terrifying.

So, I think this is the last time we're gonna bathe them together for awhile. Nothing wrong with solo baths and constant hovering for a little bit longer. Perhaps we'll try joint baths again when Sophie's 10.

Halloween has begun

Em had her first Halloween event of the week tonight at her school. She still has two more parties and trick-or-treating between now and the 31st, but today was the official debut of Emma Bloom, a.k.a. nice black cat! Behold, her Meow-ness!

Rhyme

Lately Emma has been semi-obsessed with rhyming. She doesn't always get the concept right, but she sure does try. At any given point in a day, she is apt to shout out "Jen rhymes with hen" or "Fleenex rhymes with Kleenex" or "off rhymes with on." (That last one was from yesterday, and no matter how I tried to dissuade her otherwise, she remains utterly convinced that "off" and "on" rhyme.)

Anyway...Em just woke up crying b/c there is a thunderstorm outside and the lightning scared her. I rocked her and sang to her and snuggled with her until she was calm. Then I turned on her moon nightlight, gave her a kiss, and reminded her that I was in the next room if she needed me. She told me goodnight, finally ready for sleep but still doing that hiccup-breathing-gasping-thing that comes after someone's sobbed themselves silly.

Just as I was closing the door, I heard her whisper in this tiny, tear-filled voice, "Lightning rhymes with Lightning McQueen."

Photos & Stuff

Sophie in her new, big girl car seat. She digs it.
A drawing Emma made of her aborted mission to the sun that I referenced a few days ago in the blog entry The mind of a 4 year old. (Sorry about the letters in the background, she did it on scrap paper.)
A video montage of fun Sophie moments.

And I thought I'd end with the cutest picture ever.

Horrible Housekeeper

I woke up this morning to Emma methodically removing things from my bedside table, one at a time, and laying them on my stomach. I asked her what she was doing, and she said she was cleaning. As she wiped down my table, Chris's table, and our full-length mirror with baby wipes, she explained to me that cleaning was her special invention. The doctor told her to find a special invention and then he gave her a shot, and the shot made her want to clean and so that is her invention now.

You can imagine my embarrassment at my 4-year-old's efforts to tackle the chaotic mixture of strewn clothes and dustballs that pervade our bedroom. Not to mention what it says about my housekeeping skills that my daughter views cleaning as an "invention." Our apartment certainly isn't a pigsty, but more often than not it isn't what you would call "orderly" or "tidy" or, um, "presentable" either.

I asked Emma if the doctor could give me a shot that would make me want to clean too, and she said sure...but I had to pay him 27 and 40 hundred dollars and ask for a Spongebob band aid or it won't work.

Needless to say, I'm calling the doctor first thing tomorrow.

The world according to Emma

Sample nuggets from Emma on the way to school this morning:

• "Maybe we'll have a sub-tute at school today. Hey, sub-tute and toot rhyme! Sub-tute like a teacher, and toot like the sound your butt makes when you poop!"
• "Yesterday at school someone went potty on my blanket. Someone just snuck on up on their tippity toes and went 'pee pee pee, pe-pee pee pee' on Dora's face, and then I had to sleep in it with my snuggly and I got all wet." (Note: Do not be alarmed...apparently someone did pee on her blanket, but she most definitely did not have to sleep in it.)
• "Gabriel doesn't wear panties or pull ups when he goes night-night or has naptime. I wear a pull up on my vagina so I don't have an accident, but he just wears his pajamas and nothing on his peanut!"
  

The mind of a 4 year old

I picked up Em from school today, and her teacher report said that she spent a good part of the morning building a spaceship to fly to the sun. After donning her special heat-resistant suit and prepping for launch, she suddenly called off the mission b/c she forgot to take her vitamins.

Bad Mommy Moment

This morning, as I was trying to rush us all out the door so we could get Em to school and Sophie and I to the gym on time, Em started whining that she needed help putting on her coat. As I was nursing Sophie, lacing up my sneakers and eating a banana at that moment, I explained to her I had no more hands and she'd have to do it herself. I told her that she is a big girl and big girls put on their own coats. She said she didn't want to be a big girl, she wanted to be a baby. I snapped back that I already had one baby and didn't want another - I wanted one baby and one big girl, so since Sophie was a real baby, Emma couldn't be a baby today too. Then I shouted, "Now put on your coat so we can GO!"

Emma slowly started putting on her coat. Frankly, I was amazed she had obeyed without histrionics, and when she finished I told her thank you. She calmly replied, "Mommy, I love you even when you're mean."

NOT a Manic Monday

Today was a really dreary weather day here in Chicago, and it seemed to sap the energy out of all of us. We went to the gym in the morning, and then we checked out a renovated playground nearby afterward. But we were home by noon, and I could tell by our mutual lethargy that we were in for the day.

After naps, we basically just hung out on the floor together and played. Here are some snaps of the kids just being. Sophie decided to see if it was possible to actually inhale an entire water bottle, and Em had a one-woman slumber party on our stuffed dog Coney.
I guess maybe we have a bit of the Monday blahs. But hey, at least I got some cute pics out of it.

Best Laid Plans...

Today was "Surprise Day" at our house,which we have every once in awhile. Surprise Day is when we do something special, but I don't tell Emma (or Sophie) what it is. Today I was taking the girls to see a play and then out to lunch. I was really excited b/c it's been awhile since the three of us have gone out and done something fun and new. Emma got all dressed up and even insisted on wearing her tiara.
We got to the theater, and Emma was so pumped when she realized we were seeing a play (If You Take A Mouse To School, based on the book). And she seemed to really enjoy the show. A little too much, actually. B/c after curtain call, things went horribly wrong.

A woman came onstage after the actors left to explain that there would be an audience q&a soon, and we were invited to stay if we so chose. Many people started to leave, and I decided we should leave too b/c a) Sophie had really reached her limit and was pretty fussy, and b) I wanted to have time for our nice lunch. Emma wanted to stay, and didn't understand that the play was actually over. There was a long line of people behind us, waiting for us to make our way down this curving, rickety backstage staircase, so I told her quickly that the play was done and I'd explain in the lobby why we were leaving. When we reached the lobby, I sat a whining Em down and began to spell out for her what was next in our plan for the day. But Em, being someone who needs everything explained before it happens, decided that instead of listening to me she would lose her mind. Which she did. Loudly. In fact, she started screaming and crying so loudly that she scared her sister into wails as well. The concession guy literally jumped so high he spilled soda on the floor, every member of the lobby stopped what they were doing to stare at us, and I've no doubt they heard her from the stage. I was so stunned by her extreme and highly embarrassing outburst that I did the first thing that came to mind - I ran. I pulled a kicking and screaming Emma behind me to the car, threw both girls, coats, bags, etc. in, and announced we were going home and she was going straight to bed.

And that's what we did. Of course, Em cried and screamed the entire way home. I sat silently fuming the entire way home. And Sophie alternately laughed and whined the entire way home. (Soph often thinks Em is playing whenever she's having a tantrum, which I point out to Em is a clear example of just how silly she looks, although Emma doesn't seem to see it that way.)
I did relent and give Em an apple when we first got home b/c I have this ridiculous problem with guilt at depriving my child of a meal, as if she'll starve to death before afternoon snack time. But then it was straight to bed, and Emma must have (accurately) sensed how incredibly angry I was b/c she didn't even put up a fight.

I was furious for a long, long time at how badly our initially promising outing had ended, and I swore I would never do Surprise Day again. But after I calmed down, I realized that Em's awful behavior didn't cancel all the fun we had prior to "The Tantrum." The show was really cute, Sophie behaved really well, and Emma laughed at all the funny parts and seemed to really enjoy and understand the play. I loved seeing my daughter appreciating and relating to theater, since it is such a big part of my life, and I also got a kick out of just watching her watch the show. I saw how much of the plot she comprehended - even a lot of the subtleties. Maybe that's why I reacted especially strongly to her bizarre fit in the lobby - because just before that moment I'd been thinking how mature she's becoming. In the span of one hour she proved to me just how much she's growing up, and just how far she still has to go.

So, with a bit of distance on the incident, I now know I will continue Surprise Day. Hopefully next one will be more universally successful. But either way, they are important learning experiences for the girls...and for me.

Mommy in training, part 2

Em has been in fierce Mommy mode today. She announced that all of her snuggles were sick, so she gave Leah the dinosaur, Pinky Louie the giraffe and her baby doll Charleete Motrin. Then she gave Charleete a bath while Leah and Pinky Louie slept. (At first Em gave the bath in the sink, with real water. I gently suggested she do a pretend bath in the bathtub instead while I mopped up the huge puddle of water that overflowed from the sink onto the bathroom floor.) She was very excited to report that Charleete "loves the bath. She isn't crying or screaming or whining - she's being a good girl!"
After bath, she tucked Charleete in for a nap and told her a story before she fell asleep.
Now she is hovering over Charleete, concerned that she is having bad dreams. Sophie is eating Cheerios, impervious to it all.

I must go now. I have food to prepare and pack. We are going to have a picnic on the living room floor b/c it is raining outside and I promised my girls a picnic, so I picnic we will have! (I'm even going to grab some ants from Em's Ants in the Pants game, b/c what's a picnic without ants?)

Mommy in training

This morning I walked in on Emma in the living room, cradling her doll Charleete and crooning quietly in her ear, "Just you wait and see, just you wait and see, soon we'll be together, like a fam-i-ly." (Did she make this song up? Is it a song from school? Who knows...but anyway, I digress.)

She explained that she was singing Charleete to sleep and asked me to be quiet. I started to tiptoe out of the room, but I tripped on the TV trays and knocked one down. Em just glared at me as I apologized. Then she leaned in and whispered to her baby, "That's your grandma. We love her, even when she's noisy."

Betrothed

Em asked Chris and me if she could get married when she grew up. We told her yes, of course, and that we hoped she would find someone that loved her very, very much and that she loved equally in return. Then she excitedly declared, "Ooh, do you know who I love very, very much? Grandma! I'm going to marry Grandma!"

Sophie on a Wednesday

Here's a little video montage of Sophie moments today...

Sophie gets irritated

Sophie is driving all of us a bit batty lately. After months of solid 12-hour snoozing, she has apparently decided to stop sleeping through the night. I have been up with her anywhere from 1-3 times each evening for the last couple of weeks. And during the day, her neediness is through the roof. She spends the majority of her time following me around from room to room while either whining, crying or screaming (depending on how long I've dared not to hold her). Today she took it to a new level - she would sit on my lap facing me, grab my shirt in both fists and bury her head in my chest, as if she actually wanted to burrow into me, like she'd decided to just hang up her hat, say goodbye to this crazy world, and return to the womb where things make a lot more sense. And it doesn't get much better when Chris is around - tonight she spent most of her time with Daddy searching desperately for me and screaming if she happened to catch a glimpse. It's weird - yes, she's always been a Mama's girl, but this is extreme, even for Sophie. We don't really know why she's acting like this. I've no doubt she has her reasons, and I feel like she's trying SO HARD to tell me, but unfortunately I only know a few words of baby and she has yet to master English, so we are both really frustrated at our mutual inability to communicate.

The only time today she seemed truly happy was when the three of us danced to the Indigo Girls in the living room. I kept twirling Emma in circles, which cracked Sophie up. Except for an accidental head butt between Em and Soph during a particularly aerobic dance section, fun was had by all. But once the dancing stopped, crabby Sophie returned.

I just hope Sophie's behavior is a simple phase of cantankerousness that, much like Republicans in the White House, shall soon go bye bye. B/c I tell ya, Mama is tired.

Family

This is my family. They are goofy. Thank god they belong to me, and I to them.
I am feeling very thankful today for how full my life is. I'm a lucky, lucky woman.

Retainers

Emma is fascinated with the permanent retainer I have behind my lower front teeth. I told her that the retainer helps keep my teeth from moving when I eat. (A somewhat simplistic answer, I know, but hey - she's 4. I feel the specifics of orthodontia can at least wait until kindergarten.)

So tonight, she called me into her bedroom after lights out to tell me, "I need a retainer for my neck to keep my throat from moving when I drink water. Please call the teeth doctor and make a point-ment. Tell him I want one just like yours, except a necklace. And no shots, please."

I don't know at what age kids stop wanting to be just like their parents, but I suspect it ain't gonna last long. So I'm gonna enjoy it while I can...it can sometimes be annoying, but mostly I find it super-cute.

Shots

In a span of less than 24 hours, Emma told a worker at Oberweiss, the drive-thru waiter at Charcoal Delights, a librarian, the grocery cart herder (um...at least I think that's his title?) and a Target cashier that she "got 4 shots at the doctor's all together, two in each arm."

Some laughed, others were confused (especially the worker who clearly did not speak English), all were indulgent, but only the Target cashier looked Emma right in the eye and asked, "4 shots for 4 years, I bet?" "Yes, that is right, I am 4 years old," answered Emma. "Humph," said the cashier. "They make you earn those years, don't they?" "Yes, they do," Emma solemnly replied. "Well, you better get used to it," the cashier advised. "It ain't gonna get any easier." "Okay," Em sighed after a slight pause. "I guess I can do that."

Then they high-fived each other, we left the store, and Em has not mentioned her shots again.

Since her doctor's appointment yesterday, Chris and I have lavished Emma with kisses, cuddles, praise, sympathy...and, of course, many treats. But it took a total stranger to give her the specific validation she apparently needed.

One more reason to love Target, I guess.

Playing Hooky

Normally on Tuesdays, we are up and moving the minute the clock hits 7. I have to get both girls dressed, fed, packed up, and out the door fast in order to drop off Em at school, Soph at the nursery, and myself at the gym before my 9:15 class. But today, I played hooky from the gym. I've never skipped my Tuesday class before, but this morning...I don't know, I just wasn't feeling it. So, I decided to be lazy and roll around in bed with my daughters instead. I feel kinda guilty for missing my workout, but I don't regret the extra time with Em and Soph one bit. We had a good time, which does my heart good...and that is, in fact, the main reason I work out anyway, so really, what's the diff? Cool, I feel less guilty now. :)

Weekend

We had a nice weekend. After a crazy-busy week of tech, ICT's latest show opened Saturday night to positive audience response and a Jeff Recommendation - whoo-hoo! The show is great, I highly encourage all local blog-readers to check it out. Mostly though, I'm just so glad it's open...it's been a long, long road of hard work and I'm so glad now to put it out in the world.

We also took full advantage of the glorious weather. Em got to ride her bike, I took a jog, we all went for a walk in the park together. It was also a big weekend for connecting with friends. My college roommate Rebecca - or should I say Dr. Bernstein, since that is how she is now professionally known (that also deserves a whoo-hoo!) - visited on Friday while in town for a reunion. I was finally able to meet her husband and son, and found them both utterly charming. It was so wonderful to see her again after so many years, and more wonderful still to discover that even though we are now wives & mothers with so much different in our lives, a large part of both of us remains unchanged from those young girls of 16 years ago who almost killed each other as roommates before becoming lifelong friends. Saturday we went to dinner with our friends Harry and Elizabeth and their adorable 6-month-old son Jasper. And today we met Deb, Scott, Brynn and Jack at Legoland. Here are Em and Brynn posing with a Lego clown, and then Chris and Em mugging with the Lego version of Indiana Jones. Sophie spent most of her time in the stroller, craning her neck to take in each new thing as Emma excitedly bounced from one area to another.
Then tonight, Bonnie & Jayme came over to watch a truly heinous Emmy Award telecast on TV with me. It's always more fun to watch when you have people to make fun of them with, and this particular awards show was definitely ripe for mocking.

My favorite part of the whole weekend though was a quiet moment this afternoon with just Sophie and me. We'd just gotten back from Legoland, and Chris & Em were napping. Sophie, curiously enough, went straight for the Legos once unleashed on the floor and proceeded to engage in some sort of bizarre, moving/throwing ritual with the toy that both fascinated me and cracked me up. I swear I felt like I was witnessing the Sophie version of fetch. It's so amazing to watch her steadily improve her mobility. She just recently learned to go from her stomach to sitting and back again effortlessly, and she still possesses this weird compulsion to turn herself in a circle that has led all of us to dub her "Sit-N-Spin." I took a video to document her funny, 9-month-old movements for later recollection. Enjoy, and revel in her baby brilliance.

Weekend

Despite the unrelenting onslaught of rain this weekend, we had a good time. We went to South Bend on Saturday to celebrate Isabella Maggie turning 1 year old! The party had a whole ladybug theme, and Izzy was just a doll in her bug outfit. Here's the birthday girl with her Mommy (and brilliant party mastermind) Tracy.
I got some great snaps of the kids with various family members...which is often challenging b/c Sophie isn't always very eager to go to other people. First there's Aunt Jayme with Emma, and then Grandma & Aunt Cara both with Sophie.
I like to call this picture "Sophie Attacks," because out of nowhere that's what she decided to do to her poor cousin Cadin...
We spent the rest of the weekend at either Grandma's or Grandpa's. Here's one of my favorite pics of Sophie just hanging out with Grifin, totally content to just play with her older cousin (who by the way is getting WAY too big, you are still only 12 so you can STOP GROWING anytime Grif, you are making me feel old!)
It was just nice to visit and let the girls play b/c we won't be getting back to Indiana for awhile. I have a hilarious video too of Sophie spitting out all her baby food at poor Grandma, but that will have to wait for another day...I am tired and my bed beckons me. Ciao.

Sophie Still Likes Baths

Emma on a Wednesday

We spent a LOT of time in the car today. All of these conversations/observations happened in our beloved Stella (ie, our Honda) while on the road.

• After some discussion, Em decides she would like to be a "nice cat" for Halloween, and she will wear all black with a tail, cat ears, drawn-on whiskers and nose, and painted black fingernails for "small claws, because I'm a nice cat and I don't scratch people." After some thought, Em also declares she needs "a bowl with soy milk in it so I can lick it on my four legs and say 'Meow! Trick or Treat! Give me some candy please!'"
• Apropos to nothing, Em breaks a rare moment of complete silence (ie, no baby babble) by shouting from the back seat, "Sophie's doing fine back here. She's just talking away." Then several more moments of silence, followed by, "You crack me up, Sophie. You really do."
  
• Em: "Knock knock." Me: "Who's there?" Em: "Caribou." Me: "Caribou who?" Em: "Caribou's coming to seeeeeeeeeee you."
• A car honks its horn and Em yells, "Stop that, lady! Stop that conkin' right now! Conkin' is rude!"
• Emma randomly asks, "Mommy, remember when we were in St. Louis and I turned 4 on my birthday and 3 cut off?" "Yes, I remember," I answer. Long pause, and then Em says softly, "Bye, 3."
• After debating who will carve a jack-o-lantern for us this year, Em says, "Daddy should do the jack-o-lantern, he's gooder at it. He's gooder at everything." "Better at everything than Mommy?" I ask. "Yes," Emma answers. "Except toenails."
• Emma asks if she can be a mermaid, and I tell her she can for pretend but not for real. "Why not?" she demands. "Because in real life little girls can't turn into mermaids, just like they can't turn into cats or monkeys or spiders," I explain. "But In Little Mermaid they maked her legs, so why can't I get maked into a mermaid?" she asks. I go on about Little Mermaid being a cartoon, not real life, and say again that she can pretend to be a mermaid, but she can't really be a mermaid. "Yes I can," she insists. "We just need a magic wand." "Fine," I reply. "If you find a magic wand that works for real and can turn you into a mermaid, then let me know." "Okay," she says. "I have an idea. Let's go get one at Target."
  

Weekend

We had a nice weekend. I took the girls to the Nature Museum Saturday. Em loved the butterfly haven and the river works area and the playground with the swinging vines. I loved getting out of the house for a bit after a Friday of sickness. Sophie loved chewing on her stroller strap.

Today we all went to the zoo. Em loved the carousel and the train ride and the monkeys. I loved the restraint I showed at not ripping a "Women for McCain" button off an elderly woman's blazer lapel and hurling it into the trash. (Yes, she was wearing a blazer...to the zoo. In 70 degree weather. But I digress.) Sophie loved chewing on her stroller strap.

Mostly, we are just glad Chris is back home safe and sound. Tonight he created a game called Baby in a Box for the kids, which basically consists of throwing one of them in a box and shaking them back and forth. Sophie was dubious, Emma was delighted.

My favorite part of today was giving Sophie a bath and then shaping her hair into a faux-mohawk while she flashed evil-baby faces at me. Now that's entertainment.

Hope you all had a good weekend too.

Stuff

Emma was very excited today when I picked her up from school. She couldn't wait to tell me about the yellow rice and beans she had for lunch and that it was her favorite lunch EVER...and she went on and on and ON about the guest teacher that taught the children "yoda." (She means yoga.) The teacher asked each child to name their favorite animal, and then she had the group do each animal's pose. Em showed me the elephant and giraffe, and then she demonstrated how to breathe in and out, in and out, "from your sender." (I think she means center.) Apparently I do not know how to breathe properly b/c she informed me I was doing it wrong. I apologized profusely for my breathing ignorance and begged her forgiveness. Her grudging reply? "It's okay, I guess. Just breathe better next time."

In other news, I forgot to mention earlier that Sophie's first tooth came in last Friday - or at least that's when Grandma discovered it. (Yes, Grandma--not Mommy...I leave for ONE DAY and milestones are reached, ain't that always the case?) The tooth is barely through the surface and hard to see, but it's definitely there. Sophie has been a much more pleasant baby to be around since "the breakthrough," as I like to call it. In fact, today we spent two and a half hours at the mall after NO morning nap, and she let out nary a cry. When she so chooses, she is quite the angel baby.

And lastly, we are all missing Chris tonight. He is in Buffalo visiting his Nonnie, and Emma seems to be having trouble comprehending the time line of his departure and return. She told Miss Louise today that Daddy was gone "forever," and then she asked me if Daddy was going to be home for dinner. Tonight when I put her to bed, she asked me to have Daddy tiptoe in and give her a kiss when he got home. (She always asks this when one of us is gone at bedtime.) I reminded her that Chris isn't back until Saturday. She told me that was perfect - she'll be up by then "b/c Saturday is after 7, so he won't even waken me up!" I decided to let her flawed logic go and simply replied, "Okay, I'll tell him."

Let's Get Physical

Leaving the gym today, I noticed a saying by the exit that I'd never paid attention to before: "Your cholesterol, blood pressure, waistline and sanity thank you."

Boy, did that sentence strike a chord with me. I have been going to the gym for six months now, which is hands DOWN a life record for me. And not just going "when I can" or "once in awhile" - I've been going regularly, maintaining a minimum 4-day-a-week schedule, and actually loving it. Can you believe that? I, Jennifer Mathews, couch potato queen since the mid-'80s, LOVE going to the gym. If you had told me that a year ago, I seriously would have laughed in your face. But it's true. And all four things in the above list are finally starting to give me due props.

Of course, they thank me in different degrees - sanity kicked in first, and that more than anything is what keeps me going back. Because of extra work hours last week and then the long holiday weekend, today was my first day back to the gym in almost a week, and I kid you not - last night I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. I couldn't wait for morning. I was so antsy to get to the gym today that I got there 30 minutes before my class started! If I go too long without exercising now, I get tense, edgy, sluggish, and not very fun to be around. I need it to feel normal, like...well, like me.

My body took a bit longer to get on board, but it too is now showing appreciation for all my hard work. I was in relatively good health before I started exercising, but my glucose levels were off the charts. But just recently I had lab work done and my doctor couldn't believe the difference in my numbers. After Sophie was born I was right on the cusp of full-blown diabetes, and now I am in total normal range. And my cholesterol and blood pressure levels are both better than ever. That was really, really, really great to hear.

The waistline is the last to show its thanks - ain't that always the case? But it's starting to get with the program too. And the shape of my body is general is beginning to change. Clothes are fitting me differently, I'm down a size, and I'm seeing a difference. (And so is my husband!)

But the best part is that overall, I just feel better. I feel good, inside and out. And I love the example I'm setting for the girls. I love taking them with me and knowing they are having a blast playing in the nursery while I'm sweating upstairs. It's a part of our daily routine now, just like eating lunch and taking naps. The girls see and absorb that and they learn that exercise is as essential as brushing your teeth or taking a bath...it's something you NEED to do, it's important, and it's a priority in our family.

I still have a long way to go before I get where I want to be, but I'm well on my way. And the most exciting thing about it all? I know that nothing's going to stop me now. Not even myself.

Last Gasp of Summer

We had a great Labor Day weekend. First Grandma came up on Thursday to help babysit the girls while I worked, and then we all headed back to Indiana to celebrate Callie's 5th birthday. We tried to get outside as much as we could - although weirdly enough, none of the following pictures reflect that at all. Oh summer, how we will miss you!

Grandma & her girls

Can you believe Cadin is almost 3 months YOUNGER than Sophie?

Gran, Cadin, me & Sophie

Emma helps Callie with her presents

The girls and me at the end of a loooong day