A Bug's World

Ooozing Happily Along

My sweet little piglet is a wonderful wonderful baby. Even though I don't take all the pictures, or write about her or sometimes not even talk about her all the time. She's just so sweet and loveable. And right now, oozing from every orfice it seems. Well, I guess not every orfice. That would be disgusting and I think we might be hospitalized. However, despite the oozing she sure doesn't seem to be upset about it. She has icky old wax and nastiness coming out of both ears, a consitent amount of snot coming out of both nostrils, and gooey stickies in her eyes as she recovers from pink eye. In both eyes. She also has one little spot on her bum that is like a thrid degree diaper rash. And she still laughs and giggles and appears just as sweet natured and tempered as always. It's just so sweet its pitful.

"NEVER!"

I was prepared for "NO!". In fact, I sort of got rather accustomed to it. Even thought I was doing a pretty good job handling it, and working my way around it and her. HA HA Ha. Fate and Destiny may be evil and cruel mistresses, but let me tell you, Payback is truly a bitch.

My dear, darling Bug, has been born with a drama gene that could surpass all of the Bitneys, Lindseys, and Parises of the world. Put together. She sings and dances her way through the day. All day. She sings about everything she does. It's like living in a preschool Opera. And this weekend she died in a very Shakespearan manner. Such drama.

But the "NEVER!" is going to kill me. Here's how it goes:

Me: Jess, i need to brush your hair now.
Jess: Mommy i need 4 minutes!
Me: You've had 4 minutes, it's time now. We need to get to school.
Jess: NO!.. NEVER! NEVER! ( with much dramatic inflection, followed by running to her room and slamming the door)

So. Um. Yeah. Insert any request that I have for her.

She'll be four on Friday. I am just so excited about the upcoming teenage years. Can I start the prescription for Valium now, please?

Upward and Onward

Just a little over a month ago, the Piglet began crawling in earnest. All over the place. She scoots faster than I can keep up with her sometimes. And of course, everything she comes across must be tasted. Everything goes from hand to mouth in the blink of an eye. No she is already starting to pull up and even "cruise" around the coffee table. She's only 7 months old! Stop! Stop growing up so fast! This week we had tubes put in her ears after 4 earinfections in 3 months and "water on the ear" for that entire time. I didn't really realize how common a procedure that had become until we showed up at the surgery center at 6:30 in the morning amongst 3 other babies then 4 new babies when we left. From the time they took her from me until they called me back to the recovery room was maybe 20 minutes. Sigh. It was a hard 20 minutes on me though. So, she is crawling, pulling up, eating off a spoon, has tubes, but still no teeth. But it is a beautiful toothless grin.

The Bug started in the 4-yr old pre-k room at daycare this week. She won't actully be 4 until the end of the month, but it was decided the move would be good. She's been having problems with the teacher in the 3 yr old room. Our darling Bug has quite a temper on her as well as a good strong stubborn streak. SO far she seems to be doing okay in the prek room -- although she keeps telling us that she is "too litte" to be with the big kids. I agree.. I hate seeing her grow up so fast. She has been dancing and singing at home like mad. I think I'm going to have to put her in dance class. Well, I had planned to anyway, but her love of it seems to be just the excuse I need. She really like dancing with Raquel Welch from the Muppet Episode she was on. Nothing can scare a person more than watching one's almost 4 yr old daughter follow moves and flip her hair while singing "I'm a W-O-M-A-N". Well, unless of course it is watching her mad delight and crazy antics singing her FAVORITE song "Barbie Girl". Oh yes. Boys be warned.

I can't believe I have two of them.

Great Expectations of Children

It continues to amaze me how much our expectations can shape the reality. More specifically, how our expectations of our children shape their behavior. I get up every morning dreading the daily battle of dressing, feeding, hair brushing. And because I dread it, the trials come to pass. Okay, maybe not just becasue I expect it; some of it is due to the fact that she is 3. David on the other hand just "expects" it to all go well and that she will listen and that she can be talked out of any ill mood. And it works. Mostly. But then he is Daddy.

How can she not just do whatever it is he asks of her? Especially when he is so full of wonderful knowledge for her. This last week he taught her some very important information. For the last couple of weeks, the Bug has decided to be "Ariel" the mermaid. She sings her special mermaid song and then goes on and on about how the sea witch has stolen her voice. (Obviously the witch needs some practice if we still get to hear the story, over and over.) Well, David has taught her some grand information. So now, whenever asked she will tell you the problem with mermaids:

Not enough fish to eat; not enough girl to love.

It's just expected that she will remember such wonderful tidbits.

Where did the Days Go?

This week has not seen a whole lot of excitment. Erica is recovering from her third ear infection in two months and Jessica is still trying desparately to turn me into an alchoholic mommy. Well, maybe not that bad, but gracious does that girl push all my buttoms sometimes. And then, she turns on the charm just as quick. For Daddy. She has been practicing the art of meaningless compliments. Especially if they will divert the attention away from her. We can be in the middle of explaining to her why it is not okay to throw her boots at mommy and she ever so sweetly looks up at me and says. "Mommy, I like your hair." Now please..come on..a little focus here.

Their personalities thus far seem to be polar opposite. Whearas Bug has always wanted, needed, demanded constant attention, the Piglet just sort of sits back and watches things happen. I'm sure she's up to something. Plotting my demise probably. Don't let that toothless grin and happy baby gurpling sound fool you.

Summer is nearly over (yes, okay it's only HALF over but that counts) and I have not done any of the wonderful things I had planned. My planning seems to have not take into acount that it is hot during the day and I become terribly lethargic just walking to the mailbox. Which, by the way, I don't even HAVE to do. Jessica is more than willing to run to the mailbox....5 times a day if I let her.

I need to do an albumn for Piglet's first 6 months. But, as seems to be the curse with second children, I'm not sure I have a picture a month. Bad Mommy. Think that may be what I change my blog title to.

Month of June

You know when you do something and think, "Oh golly, I really ought to make a post about that." ? Well, that is the sort of June 2007 I had. In fact, that seems to be about the year I am having. So much is constantly happening; vacations, visits, growing, talking so many changes that it is impossible to believe all of them. So, now that I sit down to actually write I'm thinking, where do i start? Which means, all anybody gets is the bare bones of life here.

1. Grandma Helen came to visit in May. It seemed to be a good visit, despite the fact that it was also during the Harley Spring Bike Festival. Helen and I spent a day at the SPA as a mother's day present. The Bug got to play with Grandma and build castles and put together an awesome undersea puzzle. Grandma got to meet and hold the Piglet. Overall it was a good visit. And I'm a schmuck for not having sent the pictures to her.

2. In June I took both girls down to Texas for a visit. Had lots of visiting plans, that did not work out. My uncle was killed in a car wreck 2 days after we arrived. So we spent the majority of the visit in sort of an emotional holding pattern dealing with family, visitation, and funeral. It's a horrible situation made worse by some family feelings.

3. Traveling by plane with two small children, definitely not recommended. Bug did much better than she did last year, and I really only had problems with her on one flight. Piglet did great. NO crying about her ears, no overly wiggle fussiness as I had to hold her in my lap. Had to pop Bug on the butt publicly which I hated) but was told by another woman, "Sometimes you have to do it and you only hurt both of you by refraining just because other people might see." Still, not thinking that i'm really up for that one again.

4. Spent two days down in charleston (alone) for a seminar right after we got back. What does it say about you when you look at two days sitting through rather boring topic material as a vacation?

5. Now here we are into July. Went to the boat parade where we all got a little overheated and cranky. Bug, Bug got to wave her flag around and David caught a frisbee for her and we got to spend some time with Pa Pa and Grandma Sylvia.

Our "little" Piglet is growing up so fast. She is nearly six months old. Though, according to the growth charts she is perfectly porptionate in size...for a 9 month old! She is pushing up on her arms, though not quite crawling yet. She sort of sits up, then leans over to the side and falls. She is eating baby food now; loves anything orange like sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches. Maybe I can get her to like peas. Maybe??

Bug is quickly approaching 4 years old. I am totally amazed by her at every turn. She loves to sing and dance and put on shows and talk on the phone. She seems so smart and so grown up. I cinstatly ask myself where have the last 4 years gone? How did she get so big? HEr new favorit is the Muppet Show, which David bought all av ailable seasons and specials of. Now all we need are the movies :)

That's all I have right now from Chaos Central.

Hope everyone's summer is going well and that you all are staying cool and hydrated.

Princess Cowboy

Ever have one of those days when you just can't decide what you want to be...or who? It's outfits like these that cause me to not yet trust her to dress herself for school.

And then, have you ever seen somebody look so upset about getting flowers? David is learning quickly that when he brings home flowers for mommy, bug needs some of her own. Soon piglet will need some too and I think at that point it will become cheaper and wiser to just take up gardening.

CHONK

Chonk. Would you beleive that that is the nick name that David and Jssica have begun to affectionately call Erica? now, I now i was calling her piglet, and some might see that as a little derogatory. But, Chonk? Seriously.

And worse than that, I've started using it too. To say she is a good eater is putting it mildly. Right now I wake her up at 10:00 pm to feed her the last feeding of the night. I get her up, change her diaper, talk to her,sing to her, and feed her 6 ounces. And she never even opens her eyes.

Bug is actually doing pretty well with her. She likes to kiss her head in the morning and "pets" her little fuzzy baby head. She gets a little frustrated when I can't do something with/for her immediately because I'm already doing something for Erica. But I think that is to be expected.

Overall, I'm pretty please with both my girls. My Bug and my..ummm... Chonk.

Bestest Baby Gift

I have been blessed with wonderful friends and family who have been thoughtful, generous, and creative in their baby gift giving. I can truly say that I know neither of my girls will ever go without anything they need..and likely anything they truely want. That being said, I have to admit I received the best gift in the mail yesterday. It was from my very good friend Tamara's mother, Susan.

Tamara and I have been friends since we were juniors in highschool. We attended the same college for the first two years (Angelo State University, in San Angelo, TX) and then briefly colleges in the same town of Denton, TX (me, University of North Texas and she Texas Women's University.) I had the honor of being her maid of honor and she was a bridesmaid at my wedding. She now lives in Washington state nd I'm here in South Carolina. We keep on eye on the coasts for each other.

During this time Susan has been a mom figure as well as a friend even though we do not stay in touch individually. Anyone with close friends can understand how after a time the friendship includes their parents as well.

In any case, getting to this most awesome gift. She sent me a scrapbook for both girls. But here is the great thing about it...she has already decorated the pages and made the wonderful personal touches in it so all I have to do is insert the appropriate pictures. This is so totally cool as I am creatively retarded. I tried to scrap book Jessica's first year ...to date I have her first three months! As well as the book itself, there is a lovely letter in front that describes in part her relationship with her sisters. I am leaving that letter in place for the girls.

It is just such an awsome gift that I had to share it.

Big Tub of Vasaline

I am constantly amazed at all the things my Bug picks up on in random speech. She truly seems her happiest when she is playing in the living room with both me and David in the same room. Usually she doesn't even want interaction from us; she just plays her own makebelieve games around us. She often sings her own little tunes and has her whole make beleive world going on around us. However, to think she is not listening and aware of convrsastions would be a terrible mistake.

We had a movie playing in which the heroine was wearing a skintight latex outfit -- think comic book movie, not adult film people. I had just made the idle comment wondering aloud how she wold have poured herself into something like that. David just as absent mindly replied " A big tub of vasaline". And out of the blue, little miss random tidbits pipes up "A BIG TUB OF VASALINE!"

Again, I have to ask, why is the pronounciation on things you wish they'd never repeat almost always perfect, when at the same time you have to ask 5 times to understand that the little squirt said "puzzles"?

Happy Spring.