My Explorer

One of the oddest things about having a "typically developing" kid is that I really don't have to structure so much of the playtime. What I mean is, with Bean, I had to bring the world to her---with Peabo, it's completely opposite. I need to kind of stop her from destroying the world, ha ha (she did attempt to do the tablecloth trick the other day at lunch with my friend and her mom). She is also way more on track from a motor development perspective, as witnessed by two recent incidetns: two days ago she was having "tummy time" and all of a sudden reached out to rake a toy towards her. I was gobsmacked, to say the least. I mean, I know this is totally normal, but for us...not so much. And then this morning I went to get her up from her nap to discover her on her stomach. Yep, she can now flip front to back AND back to front.

This will certainly make diaper changing more interesting.

Pitiful, Yet Exciting

Right before we left for Seattle our dryer fizzled out. Actually, it went out with quite a loud grinding and thumping noise, most impressive and deeply worrisome to the dogs. I thought about trying to get it repaired, because it is probably something internal that could bear replacing/repairing, but at nearly 20 years old, it has well exceeded its life expectancy, and I do A LOT of laundry. So, onwards to buying a new set (the washer is thus far okay but the same age, and frankly doesn't do such a hot job on getting the clothes clean anymore). After doing some research, I discovered that Fisher & Paykels were extremely competitive pricewise with anything else on the market we'd look at, and they were getting almost totally rave reviews. Call up our local appliance dealer, and lo and behold, they can deliver a new pair tomorrow and fetch away the old ones to the boneyard. AND they were absolutely lovely on the phone. What's not to like?

The thing that concerns me is how excited I am about getting a new washer and dryer. And doing loads of laundry with more bells and whistles. This is sad, people. I probably need to get out more.

Five Questions

My pal Fluffycat sent me five interview questions (at my behest, of course), so here they are:

1) Is there anything you wish you had done before having children?
One of my few regrets is that I didn't do the solo Europe backpack thing after graduation; I moved to California and started working instead. An adventure of a different sort to be sure, but yeah, I do on occasion wistfully think on that trip not taken---I had bought the backpack and budget travel guides and everything.

2) What three books would you bring on a desert island?
Fluff knows me well enough that I'm sure she's laughing at my swithers in answering this question. Does "all of them" count as three? No? Okay. Hm. Robertson Davies' "Salterton Trilogy", Ruth Reichl's "Tender at the Bone" (if I'm stuck with no food, at least I can read about it), and Adrian Nicole LeBlanc's "Random Family". These are all books I've reread at least a thousand times, and I still love them.

3) If you could wake up at the same time every day (without children or animal interruptions), what time would it be?
Oddly enough, I think it would be 6 or 6:30, provided I get to have a good night's sleep beforehand. I actually love being up early and having my coffee and then getting on with the day. I just end up feeling that much more productive. I generally DO get up between 6 and 7 these days, but the good night's sleep prior is less of an option.

4)If you had to pick a new identity, what would your name be?
Trixie LaRue. No, actually, Gene and I had this conversation once and I think my new name was going to be Catherine Gibson. I'm not going to explain why on this blog in case I do ever have to go into the witness protection program, ha ha.

5) Do you ever want to eat Korean BBQ again?
Ha ha. Actually, yes, I do. If only to exorcise the previous demons. For those who don't know, when I was pregnant with Peebs Fluffycat and I went to have Korean BBQ and I got massively ill with food poisoning. I'm not sure it was the Q though, I think it was more likely the bi bim bap or the nasty "chicken" gyro I had had earlier that day.

Here are the instructions to continue:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions

The Times They Are A-Changing

We've recently discovered that Bean's taste in amusing tv has shifted from the preschool programs (Wiggles and the ilk) to the school age variety (Spongebob Squarepants). This is both fascinating, and slightly sad. At least for Mom, although I certainly will get another pass at Wee TV with the Peebs.

My flower children have also demonstrated a clear interest in wannabe hippie mom playing her guitar, as well as not wearing socks. Because you have to feel the earth and the air, man. I retrieved my old classical guitar from my sister here in Seattle, and have really enjoyed picking it up again, although I'm not as interested in the Segovia stylings as I am in the campfire/Delta trips/backyard singalongs, so I may need to add to the collection and get a standard acoustic as well (narrower neck, which is helpful for those of us with smallish hands). The girls are particularly fond of Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are A-Changin', though an attempt at some KT Tunstall met with vague approval as well. Of course, the standard nursery songs are being incorporated, as well as a little Lynyrd Skynyrd. Because that's the music of their people. Man.

Spring Cleaning

If any of you who live in the SF Bay Area are working on clearing out stuff from your house, and it's in pretty good shape, please consider donating those items to Compass Community Services. They work with homeless families in San Francisco through transitional times, and are always in need of a wide variety of things.

Here is their wish list.

As well, here is a nationwide service that looks fantastic, not to mention vital to the emotional health of kids:

www.projectnightnight.org

Sisters

I'm not usually comfy with putting the kids' pictures up on the Internets, but this was too cute not to do so. They are actually both happy, smiling, and basically looking at the camera. The 'sister hippos' were given to them by a friend of ours.

Ruh Roh

So one of my guilty TV pleasures is TLC's What Not To Wear...and tonight there is a marathon! Whoo! Hoo!

Except.

After watching a few episodes with the Bean, it was time to get her to bed, so downstairs we go and start brushing teeth, washing face, etc. And then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

And I was the stereotypical mom who has let herself go. Okay, it is Sunday night, and I have been wrangling small kids all day, but this was just...not...okay. We're talking unwashed hair shoveled into a ponytail, not a shred of makeup, not even lip balm, a tired old maternity top that was at least vaguely fitted, but covered, and I mean COVERED with baby drool and spit up and little kid schmutz and some unknown stains across the shoulder. And ill fitting grey loungey pants. Not cute loungey pants. Possibly at the gym loungey pants. My tattered Ugg slippers were probably the most fashionable thing I had on, which is just sad, people. Sad.

I recognize that, particularly with nursing Peabo, super cute clothes are just not in the picture for a while, and of course I'm still losing baby weight (though I cracked a new decade this morning, 159 lbs---yaaaay!), but honestly, I could try just the teeniest bit harder, even on a lazy Sunday. God, even some mascara would have helped matters. But anyway...it's probably good that I have this secret sad addiction to WNTW, because quite frankly, I need a regular infusion of reminder.