Goldie and her Leotard

Every time Goldie wears this outfit, I can't help thinking she is the super coolest.

Kids are People Too

One of Penny's favorite things is to throw all of the pillows and cushions off the couch and leap onto them. Generally all of this leaping draws Jesse's attention, and he proceeds to come join the pile of pillows where, more often than not, he becomes part of the leaped on.

Today, this very business was going on when Penny said, "Mom, I wish Jesse could jump like a kid!" (Meaning she wished he could more fully join her in flying from the couch to the pillows).

"I know," I said, "that would be fun, but he's too little. Someday he'll be able to though."

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"Yah," Penny agreed, "When he's a people."

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Yes, when he's a people. It is my fondest hope that he will one day join the race of people, for now though, he is far far from a real people.

See?

I like his fuzzy after nap head.

Here, he'd been playing with Goldie's stuffed tiger, but when he began chewing on Tiger's feet, Goldie took Tiger away.

To calm him, she went to fetch his sock monkey.

As I took these pics I was feeling guilty for not taking pictures of him more often, but then he got up off the floor and began his usual business, and I remembered why there are so few pictures. It is because he doesn't stop moving EVER, and most of my picture taking attempts end up as blurry images of the back or top of his head.

Seriously, watch this video if you will and you will see the constant going of this kid. I just wanted to film him with sock monkey for a minute. Mike and I have commented that, unlike our other kids, he almost never ever ever wants us to hold him -- even when sad. If he is in our arms he is struggling to be out or hitting us angrily in the face. The other day I was holding him for a brief moment when Mike leaned in to kiss me. Quick as a wink, Jesse slapped Mike in the face. It was awesome.

Also, figure in that he usually moves this constantly all day only with stops at every cupboard, bathroom, closet, dishwasher, garbage or drawar to quickly wreak some havoc, and you might understand a tiny bit of why, each morning, the mere prospect of trying to maintain order in my home for another full day seems daunting at best.

And yet . . . people or not . . . we like him loads all the same.

A Post for Valentines

Being as it is the month of love and Valentines and hearts and all of that, I have been thinking extra about how much I love my husband, and, even more extra about how much I like to be loved by my husband. My husband hasn't been around a whole lot lately, which isn't necessarily new, but his absence hasn't quite allowed for me to feel his crushing adoration as perfectly as I generally like. That's not to say he isn't thinking crushingly adoring thoughts about me all day long. He is. I'm sure. It's just I mentioned awhile back that the two of us haven't had much luck with sending messages to one another via telepathy. When I first noticed this failing in our relationship, Mike told me that I needed to start with baby steps. That I shouldn't just start sending him messages from two miles away (in a snow storm no less -- which probably hampers cosmic messages). He said I should start in closer proximity. So, as I sat right next to him on the couch, I practiced. I kept thinking over and over for him to do something (something that, to be honest, I was pretty sure he was going to do in the next 10 or 15 minutes anyway), and then he did! Success? Maybe. But, with the baby steps approach, I can't yet decipher the thoughts of love assuredly aimed at me all day from Mike 40 miles away. So, the other night, feeling the extra Valentines need to be loved, I asked Mike what he loves about me. He told me two things. They were pretty good, but they were only two. I imagine though that it was because he was so worn out from trying to send me thoughts on all the other reasons he loves me from 40 miles away all day. In fact, I think the #3 thing he was going to say he loved about me was how I don't force him to think of more than two things he loves about me when his mind is too worn out from thinking hard all day about how much he loves me. (It must be exhausting).

But, what with Valentines being the 14th, I think it might be a good tradition to have to tell your loved ones 14 things you love about them. So that is what I will ask Mike to do. Two things is something, but 14 things is better. Only, to be honest, I don't want that quite as much as I want a box of chocolates from Marie Cavanaughs with those mints and then some with strawberry and orange cream in the middle. So, I might be just as happy not knowing 14 things Mike loves about me if I have 14 things to eat that I love.

So, he can opt out of the 14 things game, but just in case I don't find 14 presents good enough to opt out, here are 14 things I love about Mike.

1. I love when the windshield is scraped free of frost when I come out in the morning.

2. I love Mike telling me not to rub my eyes so much just like my dad used to.

3. I love when Mike told me that Hereford cows are blind from living in dark caves in Herefordshire all of their lives (and, in case you are thinking, "really?" I will also tell you that he said they could hang upside down from the cave ceiling by their hooves . . .).

4. I love my memory of Mike stepping unexpectedly out of his parents car in our driveway late one Summer night (after 4 1/2 months living apart and about six weeks of not even seeing his face). It was the happiest surprise of my life.

5. I love Mike's arms.

6. I love an image I have of Mike in his black construction boots, a tan ball cap and a black T-shirt walking up the walk to my house for our second date.

7. I love Mike sweeping the floor when he doesn't think it one bit needs sweeping just to make me happy because he knows I do think it needs sweeping.

8. I love my running poem Mike composed for me before my last marathon.

9. I love Mike always being nice to everyone.

10. I love Mike being able to laugh about how tough he must look at the gym after I dye nearly all his white socks and gym shirts pink by accidentally washing them with something red.

11. I love Mike buying me three roses for our anniversary and happily telling me how he'd gone in to the florist shop with a "devil may care" attitude and said, "give me a dozen of your best roses," and then, when they told him the price said, "mmm, how about half a dozen?" and then, "I'll take three." (Yes, I really did love it -- it was very funny to hear him tell and I loved my three roses way more than I've ever loved a dozen).

12. I love the shape of Mike's teeth (yes, the shape of his teeth) and, as long as we're in the mouth area, I love his voice (which I know originates not in your mouth really, but still).

13. I love Mike knowing and so often buying me my favorite treats (and knowing and not minding that I ADORE treats).

14. I love Mike being able to fix pretty nearly anything and everything that might ever need fixing.

And, kind of like a baker's dozen (only a Valentine's 14), I will add one more.

15. I love how when I talk to him on the phone while he's at work, I can always tell wether or not co-workers are present by the amount of animation in his voice. Sometimes it is fun to say shocking things to him when I can tell they are around just to hear him calmly respond, "Well, that's interesting."

I am now going to practice telepathy again by thinking REALLY hard for Mike to come read this blog post. Kind of so he'll see these nice things in print that I've probably already told him many times to his face, but also, maybe, so he'll know what I want for Valentines.

A is for Apple, S is for Sherbet

I was totally duped when I bought this book. I don't know what I was thinking.
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The problem with a first dictionary is that it has words like "apple," and "dirt." And it may not surprise you to hear that by the time your child is old enough to read, they generally already know what an apple is.

In my defense, I bought it with out having first flipped through it (though, I suppose the cover is rather telling). I also bought it before my first child had yet learned much of anything. I purchased it in glorious anticipation of the day when he would flip through its pages to satisfy his curious little mind.

How was I to know that it would only be a disappointment if, at age five or six, my son would need to ask, "Mother dear, what on earth is a flower?" And then what? Rather than taking him outside to show him one -- to cure his ignorant state by giving him firsthand knowledge, I would say, "What planet are you from kid? Go look it up in your dictionary why don't you?"

I have almost been just as duped into buying those DVD's you see advertised that have your 14 month old reading Charlotte's Web out loud to you with out so much as a single mispronounced word. It is every mother's dream -- not only do you get to let your child sit there staring at the TV all day long, but they learn to read on a 4th grade level in the process.

I haven't actually given up on those . . . if any of you have purchased them and can verify the truth of their hefty promises, please let me know.

On another, and completely unrelated note: My favorite ice cream no longer exists. My other favorite ice cream, that is. My first favorite was Snelgrove's Rocky Road. They drifted off the planet because "the rising generation did not identify with the brand from their parents' generation." (That may not have been the exact wording -- Mike is always telling me I'm not allowed to use quotation marks all willy nilly -- that I must be sure I am truly quoting. Of course I say, "Bah" to that, but I figured I would take a moment here to clear myself of any and all future quotation mark abuse).

Anyway, all that was left for me to love was Dreyer's Sherbet Swiss Orange, so, when recent circumstances were such that I couldn't find my Swiss Orange anywhere for several weeks, I decided I would be the victim of circumstance no longer. I took the bull by the horns so to speak and actually emailed my plea for help to Dreyer's headquarters (or at least to a Dreyer's customer service representative). After a day or two of anxious waiting and nail biting, I received my reply. They had discontinued the product based on low national sales. The customer service representative expressed her understanding of how frustrating it can be to "search for, but fail to find, your favorite dessert treats," (those quote marks are entirely legit) and tried to give me hope (false hope I am sure) that if enough inquiries are made in regards to the product it might possibly be "reinstated" at a later date. Bah! What's wrong with the people in this country? (I say that because the only alternative question would be "what's wrong with me?" and heaven forbid. Heaven forbid, I say). I must be upset though. I had been having visions of Dreyers showing up at my door, apologizing fiercely for any strain the temporary unavailability might have caused me, with several cases of the stuff. I must be searching for a way to fill the void because today I bought a Razzleberry Pie at the store. Whaaat? I know. I know.

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Anywho, if time were permitting, I would now tell you about how I bought some scrambled egg microwaveable patties the other day (totally against both my will AND my better judgement) because I was pressured to do so by a kind elderly lady at the grocery store, but there is no time for that. The time it has taken me to accomplish what has been typed thus far has been at the high cost of having every cupboard in my house ransacked by Jesse. Constant vigilance. Farewell.