Company Picnic Pics at Last

I received the pictures from my company picnic a few days ago, and they were worth the wait. Enjoy....

Thinking Ahead a Little Bit More

Do you remember last year's post? Well, as you can remember, I was still early in some Halloween costume choices, but when it came down to getting THE Princess Leia costume, I didn't have a chance in hell of obtaining one. That thing was sold out months in advance. So, I've compiled a choice of this year's choices. I have to admit that I wasn't impressed with what I saw this year (and that two of Bea's choices for last year made the list again this year), but here's what I've got...

For Bea:

Supergirl

Storybook Princess

Tinkerbell

Little Red Riding Hood

For Olivia:

Peanut

Tutti Frutti

Princess

Tulip Fairy

I'm taking votes for the next two weeks, and then I'm ordering. Or, if you have another suggestion, I am more than willing to consider it...just let me know what it is.

Olivia at a Year and a Half

Dear Olivia,

Today you are a year and a half old. Every time I write these letters I always mention how fast time has flown by, and this time is no different. What once was a four pound, fourteen ounce baby, is now a babyish toddler working her way to little girlhood. There's been so many changes with you over the last couple months, and I've seen the changes right before my very eyes.

You started walking over a month ago now. At first, you were so stubborn about it and refused to take even a few steps. We had to give you a lot of encouragement, which really helped you want to walk. Before I knew it, you were up on your feet, trying to hold your balance, and continuing to teeter to the ground. That didn't stop you at all as you kept on getting up and attempting to walk more and more. Soon you moved from the fastest crawler I have ever seen to one that was walking like a band member with knee lifts. You lifted up your feet so incredibly high. You're walking pretty steady now and can do the stairs if someone is holding your hand. Sometimes you also get going really fast and it looks like you are starting to run, but then you slow down before you take a tumble.


Your vocabulary is also coming along nicely. Instead of saying "no", which is more like "nah", you also "yeah" (instead of "yes"). So, it's pretty funny to ask you questions these days because you do the appropriate "yeah" or "nah". Additionally, you are starting to say other words like "plane" and "MooMoo" and "Dora". Just tonight I was getting you a cup of water and ice, and as I was filling it, you were chanting "agua" over and over again. It was so cute. You also say phrases which only your father and I can understand - like "I'm done" or "get down" or "go in the big truck". Pretty soon I think you will be talking up a storm, but for now I enjoy all of your baby babble.


You definitely don't like to sit still these days. You want to get up and go everywhere. You fear that someone is going to go somewhere without you, so when your father and I leave the room and it appears we might be going somewhere, you do everything in your power to stop us and throw a fit. You always want to go, too. When we ask you if you want to go bye-bye, your head bops up and down in convulsions while you say "yeah".


You're becoming more of a toddler each and every day. You're into everything. You examine everything. You come to your own conclusions. There's no stopping you. You are a determined little girl who seems to want her way, and if you don't get it, there is definitely hell to pay. It appears you need to try something, even if that means it won't go your way, just so that you can learn from it. You're so amazing to watch at times and I love seeing the world through your eyes.

When looking at pictures of you, your father says that you look like a real angel. And I have to agree. You're so beautiful, so perfect in every way. Your straight hair suddenly disappeared, and in its place, these bouncy tight curls (you inherited those from your father). Your body is starting to thicken up (finally), which I think helped you to walk. You needed some girth to support you.


Most mornings after you wake up, all you want to do is curl up into my arms and lay there for awhile. I know those moments are going to end soon, so for now, I cherish every minute of it. You are my baby, and I will continue to baby you for as long as I possibly can...until you let go, which I hope you never do. You're my little sunshine, so happy to see me and welcome me without any hesitation. I'm so glad to have you in my life and so happy you are a part of our family. For the year and a half that you've been around, you've made my life much happier, and I think that the best is yet to come. Keep being you, for that is the most amazing thing to me...

I love you,
Mama

A Little Less Attentive

You know how you listen to your child every minute, second, millisecond? And, how if you really could, you would have a direct hone-in to their heartbeat so you could make sure that everything was okay all the time (even though some might say you're a worry wart)? I thought I was still one of these "I listen for my children every damn second because seriously you never know" mothers. I guess I'm not, because you see, Bea has become wise beyond her years over the last several months and knows exactly "how" to be the mom in certain situations.

Last night after we put the girls to bed, the house was kind of loud. The dishwasher was going, the clothes washer was going, and I was running around picking up toys. Suddenly Bea comes running out of her room which is totally out of the norm for her these days after being put to bed. I instantly thought she was trying to get out of going to bed, so I told her to march herself back to bed. And she says "Mommy, Livey threw up." And then I said, "No, she didn't." After all, I didn't hear it and my ears are so very privy to the sound of throw up happening that I generally know what is going to happen about one second before it happens (even though at that time it will still be too late). I swear I didn't hear it and insist that the dishwasher was too loud.

When I got back to the girls room with Bea, I immediately went to Livey's crib and proceed to feel around (you think I would have learned my lesson by now). Yep, it's wet, though miraculously she only had a little on her leg. So, I told Bea she was right and she continued to say over and over again that "Olivia threw up. Olivia threw up. Yucky!" while kind of sort of running circles all over their bedroom. She was right, and I think she took full credit for assessing the situation and getting me involved. It was the right thing to do. And somehow, she just knew that it was just important enough to let someone know.

It's nice to know there's a second set of ears around our house for these types of things.

Company Picnics, Blind (Play)Dates and More

In spite of the rather odd start to the weekend (my previous post), we had a fun-filled weekend with a lot of activity.

Company Picnic:

Well, I have to say that my company does not skimp on employee activities. Our picnic was held on Saturday in a very posh part of the bay area. Complete with an actual invitation that boasted pony rides, a petting zoo, carnival games, face painting, and many other fun activities for kids. There was no real way to state to Bea that we were going to mommy's work picnic because that wouldn't sound like fun, so we pumped her up with the promise of pony rides and sort of told her we were going to the zoo to pet the animals. I was fearful that there would be no animals there, but no joke, there were ponies AND animals.

Instead of giving the play by play, the main highlights included:

Bea held a parrot on her arm. NO JOKE! The woman came by with two huge parrots and asked her if she wanted to hold one. She shyed away at first and then the woman volunteered her mother (yes, me) to hold one in hopes the shy child would want to do it as well. It worked. Though it was maybe ten seconds or so, she did it, and it was amazing.

Meanwhile, I was letting Livey run wild in the grass area while she was attempting to perfect her walking abilities. Bea and Josh headed over to the ponies and as I made my way over there with Livey, Bea was riding one. Josh was holding her and walking next to her, but she was doing it, and she had such a huge smile on her face. Then Livey claimed she also wanted to ride, but when putting her on the saddle she started screaming "NO!"

Then it was off to the petting zoo, where there was a donkey, sheep, a pig and piglets, geese, turkey, you get the idea. Craziness. We had a good time there petting all the animals, and both girls participated.

After that, it was off to the carnival games where the kids were actually given tickets when playing the games to trade in for prizes at the prize booth (sound like Chuck E. Cheese?).

The whole time there were photographers everywhere - The parrot on the arm picture was taken, as well as the pony rides and the petting zoo with both girls. As soon as I see the proofs, you can bet I will be posting those pictures here and ordering them.

I missed some of the other highlights, but Josh might fill in on some of the other stuff in the comments...you never know.

Blind (Play)Date:

So, I met this other mom online and we have been chatting for quite sometime. We live in the same area and she is around my age with a son a few months younger than Bea. We had been trying to coordinate a time to meet for a while, and it actually worked out for us this weekend.

When Sunday rolled around, I actually got kind of nervous. You know, that feeling you get when you're set up with someone (though, it has been quite some time for me), but seriously, that was the feeling. Will she like me? Will Bea and her son get along? Will we really have anything in common? It made me nervous.

We got there first. I totally thought we might get stood up. But, we didn't. When I saw her and her son, I immediately knew it was them. The kids got along well. We got along well. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together because the kids were off and running in different directions a lot of the time. Oh, and Bea decided to poop while we were there, too, so I was like "I'll be right back" hoping that she didn't think I was just going to take off on her. So, an hour went by and Bea got cranky and was ready for her nap. We left it as "this was fun, we'll have to do it again..."

So, now of course I'm thinking: Will she contact me? Did she like me? We'll see, but it was nice to meet someone new and hopefully there will be more playdates in the future.

Additional meanderings:

We celebrated the Josh family birthdays on Saturday evening for Josh, his mom and his dad. His sister and her daughters were also in town so we made a big dinner of it all. Josh's birthday was the 27th, and I still need to give an update on his birthday weekend.

Though we did a lot of hanging around the house this weekend, there was definitely a lot of activity and a lot of laughter. The perfect ending to a somewhat perfect weekend:


Oh yeah, we jump on the bed ALL THE TIME around these parts!

To Each Their Own

I've had my first run in with an opinionated mother who tried to force her views on me and it wasn't pretty.

I can remember being pregnant and the question always coming up from people - are you going to bottlefeed or breastfeed? This matters a lot to some people, and others not so much. Everyone has their own views in their choice, me included. I would NEVER ask a mother what her plan was for feeding her baby because, personally, I believe it is a choice for the mother of that child to make and no one elses. A person has reasons for doing what they are doing. Wouldn't you feel horrible asking a mother that question when she relies on certain medications just to get through the day because of deep depression, and maybe that is the reason that she won't be able to breastfeed her child? That's not me, but I know people who couldn't breastfeed because of this and wouldn't you feel awful if she told you this? It's ok if my personal circle of friends ask me, but people I didn't know well or were completely random of the street asked me this, and I wanted to scream at times. Don't get me started on those people who would come up and touch my stomach...

Well, I thought those types of things might end after the pregnancy is over. But, last night I found a new dangerous place: the park. Who would have thought? Josh and I took the girls there yesterday evening before dinner, and there were a few others there. One was an older mother (probably about ten years older than me) with her 5 year old and probably 10 year old.

She only started talking to me after I yelled after Bea to not throw sand on her child. She then told me what a lovely name my daughter had and that both girls were absolutely beautiful. I thanked her. Then the interrogation began...

How old are they?

Oh, you must be really tired? How's that going for you with them so close in age?

These weren't bad, I admit....Then:

So, you stay at home with them, right?
(No. I work.)

Oh, does your husband work, too?
(Yes.)

So, what do you do?
(I work in PR.)

And your husband?
(He's an engineer.)

And why is it that you don't stay at home with them - surely he makes enough money to support all of you?
(I like having my career AND being a mom.)

But you should stay home with them. I believe that every mother should be at home with their children. You're the biggest influence on them. Can't you work it out so that you can stay home with them?
(Not right now. I might eventually work part-time.)

But you can't work it out right now?
(Um, no.)

Well, you can move to a smaller house.
(OK, lady - I did not say this, but was thinking "HAVE YOU SEEN MY HOUSE? SHOULD WE MOVE INTO A CARDBOARD BOX? IS THAT YOUR SUGGESTION???")
(My real response was "No, that's not possible.")

Well, I just don't see how you can't work it out.
(Well, you never know.)

I hope that you do...these children need for you to be there for them.
(Ok, I gotta run, my kids are ready to go home for dinner.)

I used my most polite self during this whole conversation. Inside I was railing. When I met up with Josh I asked him if he spoke to that woman and he didn't. Then I told him what happened. He couldn't believe it, or that I remained that calm. Normally I wouldn't be (remember my story about the emergency room?). Sorry, but mom-fights in front of their children is not the thing for me. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a long time.

So, don't get me wrong, and if you have been reading my blog then you will know that I am not a stay at home mom. I would like to stay at home part time if I could, but right now it's not possible with "this" career that I have. However, I truly believe that it takes a certain kind of person to stay home with their children - a strong one - it's the hardest job in the world and totally commendable in my opinion. I admire those people so incredibly much. I think no less of those that stay at home or those that decide to also work outside the home. As long as you are there for your children and spend time with them, nurture them, love them, etc., then that should make you a great mom. Because I work, the time with my children is very valuable and I try to make the most of our time together. So don't judge me, lady at the park. I would gladly let you walk a mile in my shoes because it isn't easy most of the time living my life, but I wouldn't change it. I do what I do for many reasons unknown to you. And, let's hope that we never cross paths again...or I might just ask you if you breastfed your babies.