Indecision: 12 Months. 12-30-12

Christmas toy from Aunt S

It won’t be long until Boop is one year old. I’m having a bit of trouble trying to figure out what to do for her birthday, who to invite, when to have it. Mom wants me to have it while she’s in town, which will be about a week early. It’s a bit strange because all of my early birthdays were spent with family, or people my parents knew long enough to feel like family. And I feel a bit like I’m somehow imposing by asking people I haven’t known for very long to come to her birthday, and people may feel like I’m asking for gifts. That’s not it at all, and I wish there were some polite way to request for folks not to worry about bringing presents. Those requests never go very well, always end up awkward. There are the folks who bring presents anyway who make those who don’t bring presents feel uncomfortable, and then there is the presumption when making such a request that folks would have brought gifts, which isn’t good, either.

Eyes closed, just like her momma

Then, there’s the issue of having folks to the house. The house is a wreck from Christmas, along with my many incomplete renovation projects.  My helpers will probably be out of town until after Boop’s birthday as classes don’t start for a while. I won’t be able to do any work on the house for a few days due to travel, with Mom and Boop being here. So, I will have a fair bit of stuff to do when I return from travels. Maybe I’ll find someone that can help me get the house ready. Although a bit pricey, my best bet is probably to get trays or catering or something along those lines. Of course, then, we just need folks to show up to eat. 

Sign Language. 12-23-12

Christmas Fairy and Winnie Claus!

Bingo! 12-21-12

I wish I could sing so well!

Taking Stock at Boop's Week 49. 12-28-12

Here's what's happening at Boop's week 49:

• I didn't forget last week. It's still on my laptop. My laptop is at my mom's. My mom lives 7 hours away. So, I will wait to post week 48 when I get it.
• The big news is that Boop took her first steps a few days ago. And like most working parents, I didn't see it happen. The moronic thing is that I was right there when she did it, but I was working on something else and didn't look up in time. She took 3 steps. Grandma made her mad, and she did it out of spite. It scared Boop when she realized that she was walking unsupported and proceeded to flop down and cry for momma.
• Other big news: Boop has tooth number 3. It's a top one, and the one right next to it is close behind. And she's eating just about everything in sight. Of all things, she likes hummus on bread, and the fact that it was spinach artichoke dip was just fine, too. She scares me because she gets choked. She still isn't able to chew very well. Her favorite words now are ma-ma-ma-ma-ma and num-num-num (like yum-yum, meaning I want food). 
• Winnie still has a UTI in spite of antibiotics and changing food. She still is having accidents in the house, and she still is getting me up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I took her to my aunt D's vet when we were in town, and she tried to help us.
• And me. Is it okay to admit that being at work is more restful than being at home? There are so few people around at the office to disturb me, especially with most students being away. Boop is a very busy girl, and I guess it is helping me stay in better shape. However, between the baby and the dog, I just don't feel like I get a chance to rest. I know this will not improve in the immediate future, as Boop will be walking soon.

Winnie's Present. 12-25-12

The Christmas Pig

Snow White. 12-25-12

The Little Princess

Catching On. 12-25-12

It's amazing how quickly they catch on...

Merry Christmas!

We hope you have a very merry Christmas! We've had a great day, and Mom is close to home now. Hopefully, she'll make it home safely and find my laptop waiting there, which means all photos and such <cell phone recharger :( > are there with it. I got a new camera and will try to figure out how to post soon.

Here's a photo from J. Boop is good at openning packages :)

A Few Thoughts. 12-16-12

I guess everyone is weighing in on the shootings in CT; so I might as well. It’s amazing these things keep happening, and no one is doing anything meaningful to prevent it. As far as the deaths of innocent children, it really isn’t sinking in. Maybe I’m trying to distance myself from the events because I have to leave my daughter at daycare, and it won’t be long before she’s starting school.

I never thought much about having guns until one of the guys during my study abroad in London was marveling about the types of guns Americans are allowed to have and the ease of procuring one. That was long before these crazies started taking these attack weapons to school and mowing down innocent people. My Paw-Paw had some nice rifles and pistols, but they required skill to use. He lived in the country <rural area>, and life was different there. Several of my uncles/cousins hunt and have farms. If they owned the weapons that were used against those children, I would recommend they have their heads examined.

I hear a lot of kick back from people about the Bill of Rights and our constitutional right to bear arms, but I don’t think the forefathers ever imagined the situation we’re in with the types of guns that are available and the ease of obtaining them. And I also hear people ardently defend people that hunt. Well, I’m sorry. If you need a rifle that can rapidly fire 30 rounds without reloading to shoot a deer, you SUCK as a hunter. You might as well give up.  

Ginger Girl. 12-15-12

I am sure I visibly flinched. Apparently, her infant class has done it for a few years now. One of Boop's teachers sent us home with a poster board cut-out of a gingerbread boy. We were supposed to decorate it and write a Christmas tradition on it. First thought: when am I going to have time for this? Second thought: she's not even a year old; we don't have Christmas traditions, yet. Nonetheless, this is what I came up with:

"We have Christmaspalooza, going from house to house, doing this and that. The things we enjoy the most involve being around family. Christmas at my dad’s aunt D’s was always a highlight. She had a present for everyone; although there might be 70+ folks that night. After we gorged ourselves, it was time to open packages. D would assume her spot on her little stool by the tree and begin handing out the packages in order by age, the youngest first. D is over 90 now, and each Christmas we have with her is a gift. I hope Boop will have the opportunity to sit in eager anticipation at Aunt D’s feet for many years to come."   

Taking Stock at Boop’s Week 47. 12-12-12

Here’s what’s happening at Boop’s week 47:

• Winnie seems to have another UTI. I took her to the vet on Saturday just for a urine dipstick. Ended up having to pay another $82! Those are some expensive kidneys on Miss Winnie. They should be gilded in gold by now.
• I’m within 3 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight from my physical. I’m less than the weight right before I got pregnant.  I think losing 5 lbs would be great, just need time to do proper exercise; although chasing after a toddler is pretty good exercise. It still freaks me out to have that skin kind of hang there when I lay on my side; looks like crunches are in my future.
• Heard a great quote, from some French guy writer, no less: “I spent the morning putting a comma in, and I spent the afternoon taking it out.” That pretty much describes how I feel about my work.
• Boop was trying to offer Winnie some of her teething cookies, and Winnie was happy to oblige. Had to put the kibosh on that and keep an eye on things in the future. Boop has not been eating or nursing very well lately. I just need to get her back on track. Thankfully, we seem to have gotten over it.
• This last grant was a bear. We’re just starting to recover. We had a naked tree for a couple of weeks. At least I got the lights on last night. Maybe I’ll be able to get more soon. 

Christmas Cards. 12-2-12

I tried to write out a few Christmas cards today. My card list is *very* limited because I simply don’t have the time or energy with busy Boop and grants due. So, I had a few photos to include, and I had to hunt down a few addresses. Oh my goodness! It was a bit like wrestling a monkey, I think. There were hands and feet everywhere, grabbing and kicking. I tried to nurse Boop, which usually gives me a little time, but the distraction of the paper everywhere was too much for her.

Boop with a present from Ireland. Thanks!

She loves to eat paper. I’m not sure if she really means to eat it, but she likes to suck on it and chew it. Every little thing she finds goes into her mouth, and when I see her chewing, I know I need to do a quick finger sweep of her mouth. Unfortunately, I have found paper in there more often than I like.  And so, I really didn’t want the cards and envelopes to be a casualty. I wound up having to put her on the floor and pushing everything just out of her reach. Everything survived, except my handwriting. Not so hot to start with, but grabbing hands and bumping feet made for a very shaky hand. I just hope the USPS can figure out the addresses. I’m sure the recipients will either deduce it’s from someone with Parkinson’s (can’t think of anyone in the family with Parkinson’s) or their relation with a busy Boop. 

Here Comes Santa. 12-1-12

I couldn’t resist the Little People Disney Princess Songs Palace. I loved Little People when I was little. I had tons of them. My faves were the Little People Farm and the A Frame House. I had Little People car and the Little People Family Dog.

But the party ended during a trip to my Paw Paw’s. I had left many of them in the little bedroom at his house. When I went one weekend and looked in the room, they were all gone. Someone took them. I don’t know how much Paw Paw knew about it. I’m sure he didn’t anticipate my total devastation; it was not a happy weekend. I should still have the Little People Sesame Street downstairs somewhere. I looked for it last time I was home, but I couldn’t get to it. I hope Boop will be able to enjoy it. It’s so cool with a little merry-go-round and a wild slide. You see where this is heading. Boop won’t have to twist my arm to get me to play with her.

The new Little People aren’t as little. The old Little People required some imagination, as they were pretty much glorified old fashioned clothes pins/curvy pegs. The new Little People have proper arms and legs, and the Princess Songs Palace even allows the princesses to talk. Mom found a few Little People things at the store a few weeks ago. And I ordered a garage in the crazy cyber sales. I hope she enjoys them as much as I did.

A few months ago, I was lamenting to Mom the loss of the Weebles. I couldn’t figure out why they quit making them. My fave was the Weebles Mickey Mouse club. Well, I went out to get a few presents today and guess what I saw: WEEBLES! Granted there weren’t very many, and they didn’t come in any sort of set. But they were Weebles. The new ones are also bigger than the old Weebles. <Maybe some sort of choking hazard or something with the originals?> Of course, I had to get them. Now, Boop’s Christmas is complete.

Did I mention that she's into EVERYTHING?!?

What's wrong with this picture?

Note: Puffs, Socks, Dog Food Bowl, Baby Doll, etc.

Taking Stock at Boop’s Week 46. 12-5-12

Here’s what’s happening at Boop’s week 46:

Thanksgiving (no alcohol) eggnog at Aunt D's

• What a week! Thank heavens for babysitters. L came for a couple hours on Monday and Tuesday to look after Boop while I tried to get ready for class in the next room. I’m still swamped with grants. It seems like I’ve submitted 3 or 4 in the past month. Unfortunately, manuscripts are stalling.
• It's been one illness after another for the past almost 3 weeks. Boop then me then Boop. Boop's last bout was about 9pm last night, and it went all over things.
• I’m trying to sort out all of the changes that will happen in mid-January. Boop will turn 1 year old and will transition to a new daycare class. In that class, they eat solid food and have much more of a regimen. No bottles. I start teaching my new class. And I’m debating about weaning. Although I love to come and visit Boop and nurse at lunch, I probably need to phase that out, too. I think she’ll do alright with weaning during the day, but it will be really hard to eliminate those night feedings.
• Winnie is feeling better, but I think she may have another UTI. She’s still picking. I guess I’ll have to go to the Vet this weekend and have them check her. Fingers crossed, she’s okay. 

Return Again. 11-26-12

I didn't fall off the planet, but it felt that way. Travel with a 10 month old is pretty stressful. The car rides are very unpleasant. Then, we both got some kind of sinus thing (and later some kind of GI thing). Not sure if it was viral or allergies, or both. There's something at Mom's house that I'm allergic to. 

Thanksgiving Day, getting food ready to take to Aunt D's

Then, there's the added stress of having a very active 10 month old in areas that aren't baby-proofed. I don't think Mom was really ready for us. She hadn't seen Boop in a month; so she was not prepared for the busy little girl that came to visit. Plus, I think Mom and I have very different parenting philosophies. I'm closer to one end of the spectrum, while Mom is closer to the other. Here's the punch line in most of our conversations: Me: "I think we should throw it out/get rid of it." Mom: "Aw, it's fine/<food> it's not hurt/<stuff> I'll take it." 

Motor Voter. 11-11-12

My job lets me off for the day to be sure to vote. It’s nice. A little extra time off that I really needed. Unfortunately, I still needed the time to prep for class, and it’s a bit difficult to get much done with Boop at home.

Knowing I would be off for the day, I scheduled Boop for the pediatrician. It was at 10am; so I figured I would get ready and try to vote beforehand. Well, that didn’t work out too well. It always takes us longer to get ready than I plan. So, we had about 15 min. to vote. It took me that long to get into the polling place <they really did a poor job of marking the entrance>. Then, there was a line; so we decided to go on to the pediatrician. Afterwards, I went to the grocery and to get gas; so it was after lunch before we got back.

Fortunately, the line was much shorter by then. We had to wait about a half hour to vote. Boop was getting pretty heavy by that time. Folks in the line helped to entertain her. She was mistaken for a boy more than once. I had her in her zebra costume. I figured I would try to get another  wear out of her outfit. Someday, Boop will look back at these things and will no doubt be annoyed, ‘Mom, why didn’t you dress me like a little girl?’ I wouldn’t be doing my job if my daughter wasn’t annoyed with me. I’m just getting some early practice in.  More than one person also asked about her voting. It will happen soon enough. She’s already into everything.