The Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Last night was a tough night. I suppose I deserve it after telling another mom my kids sleep until 8 am.

You see, Jonah needs to transition to a big boy bed (it became crystal clear the moment I caught him on the precipice of railing getting ready to fall head first after yelling, "Look Mommy, I can do it!"). To prevent injury from climbing out I have left the railing down while I arrange for a new bed. I figure it is a shorter fall.

Last night however, after one fall out of the crib at 9:30 pm and then an incident of crying at 2:30 am I decided I would let him sleep with me. That was probably one of the worst decisions I have ever made. And yes I mean EVER. For the rest of the night he was squirming and waking up and climbing off the bed only to shriek when I tried to take him back to his own bed. I think we slept a total of 4 hours. Needless to say it will be a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g day today. I can not believe what parents of newborns go through for months at a time. As a friend of mine recently said, "you know, sleep deprivation is considered torture in most countries."

Anyway, I do have to say though I did enjoy the half hour or so of cuddling that we got last night. And that, I think, helped get us both through the long night.

A Mama and Her Boy

Marriage III

Him: Hey look, it's a poor man's Brad Pitt*.
Her (Laughing): Oh my god, you're right. He's totally the poor man's Brad Pitt.
Him: Yeah don't you remember him from Legends of the Spring?
Her: A Stream Runs Through It.
Him: Meet Joe Gray.
Her (rolling with laughter): Mr. & Mrs. Jones.
Him (laughing hard): 11 Monkeys
Her (gasps for air in between laughs): Stop it, before I pee myself.
Him (recovering from laughing): Poor man's Brad. (Sighs)

*In case you're wondering it's the drummer for the Foo Fighters.

Big Mom-Mom

We lost my Grandmother this past Sunday. It came as a real surprise. She was 80 years old.

The kids called her Big Mom-Mom. Sort of a cute variation on the classic "Great-Grandmom." My brother and I called our Great-Grandmother "Big-Grandma."

Our fondest memories of Big Mom-Mom include the kids riding on her lap aboard her wheelchair through the halls of her assisted-living home, shopping at Columbia Mall, meals at Eggspectation, and of course the holidays.

This past Christmas however, we weren't able to see her since both kids were fighting Pneumonia. Soon after they recovered, she was ill with a bad cold, which kept us away. Jen and the kids went to see her a few weeks ago, but I was busy so couldn't make it. It would have been the last time I saw her, and hugged her, and kissed her, and told her that I loved her. Because I was "busy," I wasn't able to make it. Busy. If I knew then, what I know now.

The kids sang her and the other residents songs, and they all clapped. As usual, after the visit she called everyone she could think of to brag about her adorable Grandkids. One of the coolest things about the visit, was that Jonah Boy wouldn't stop giving her kisses. I know she must have LOVED that.

Of course, none of us knew that would be the last time we'd see her. She'd been in and out of the hosptial 15 or more times in the last year or two, and always came back swinging. This time was different and it all happened really quickly. She passed just before I arrived at the hospital.

My brother and I saw my Grandma almost every day for the first ten years of our lives. She lived less than a block away from our house, babysat ALL the time, and vacation with us. We loved our time with her, and she loved us like crazy. She called us "ugly, rotten kids." Then when my kids came along, I saw how much she loved them, and they loved her. She had a soft spot for Jonah "the baby," and I think he is most like her. Sassy, and funny, grouchy at times, but always loveable. He'd ask to go see her completely out of the blue so my guess is she was working that Gradma-magic on Jonah and Ellie, like she did on my brother and me.

To end on a positive note, I couldn't be prouder of how Ellie has handled losing her Big Mom-Mom. I think it's a testament to how much Ellie loved her that she's handled things so well. We've told her all the things you tell a little one when someone passes; they're not in pain any more; they have no more worry; they live on in our hearts and minds, forever. I think that's been a real comfort to her. And she's been a real comfort to me, too.

Rest In Peace, Grandma. We miss you already.
July 12, 1927 – February 17, 2008

Preschool

When you ask Ellie's preschool teachers about how she's getting along in school, they always mention that she simply loves to sing. That's one thing I love about preschool—the incorporation of music into everything.

This is where I feel compelled to share that when I was kid I desperately wanted groups of people to just break into song and dance every once in a while like they did in Mary Poppins. You know, like why didn't the produce kid at the grocers sing with passion about cabbage the way Bert did about chimney sweeping? He could've done a little jig, sang a little song and we'd all spontaneously join together and perform a choreographed dance. Alas, no such luck. But preschool? Well preschool is a different matter...

Here, Ellie and her classmates are doing the Dinosaur Song during circle time. Don't they look adorably ferocious?

Dinosaur Song
(sung to the tune of 3 Blind Mice)
Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs
Lived long ago, lived long ago
Some were as little as chickens you see
Some were very much bigger than me
Oh wouldn't you like to be able to see
A Dinosaur

Happy Hearts Day

Valentine's Day is one of Ellie's most favorite holidays. She has been preparing for this day since the second week of January. Perhaps it's my fault, I mean she does have hearts hanging from her ceiling that we put up one year and never took down (and yes that picture is from 2006). Maybe waking up to those cheery pink shapes everyday has somehow brainwashed her. Valentine's day is the best day of all. Look at what cute and happy little shapes we are. You love Valentine's day, WHICH IS THE BEST DAY OF ALL, too. I guess by hanging those hearts we only have ourselves (actually *cough* myself *cough*) to blame.

In any event, it's a day to celebrate the peeps we love. So here's a little homemade valentine from us to you. Happy Valentine's Day! Feel the love...

What Your Child Draws When You Say It's Quiet Time

Do you think it's a commentary on how she felt when Dave and I asked her to lay down for a bit of quiet time?
Notice our fingers pointing to what looks like a jail cell? Oh and just in case you missed it she is sitting on the steps under her cell (aka her room).

Yay! It's Our Turn Next

Oh look! We DO matter (please excuse me as I wipe a single tear falling from my eye in a move worthy of the cinema), we really do.

Go Mid-Atlantic!

**Note: the Election Button was totally lifted from The WIP: Women's International Perspective**

Happy February

Whoa! I must have hit the snooze alarm one to many times. It's the fifth and I haven't wished you a Happy February yet. My bad.

So I guess this means my Happy Groundhogs tiding is tardy too. Humpf.

Happy Valentine's Day? Oh wait, too soon?

Ugh. I can't seem to get it right. Oh wait, here it is...

Happy February 5th and Merry Super Tuesday!

There. Now I feel better.