gobble gobble

It's Thanksgiving morning and John and I are enjoying a cup of coffee (that may or may not be decaf) while the girls play with 30 year old matchbox cars and a creepy baby borrowed from Grandmom's best friend like it's their job. There might be some parade watching or there might be a turkey trot in our future. Whatever we feel like, we'll do...which is SO, SO nice.

Getting to today has been a rough ride this past week. I was super busy with work (think: 60 hours last week), A has been back to her nocturnal shenanigans and threw up within our of our departure from Chez Slacker yesterday. But we made the trip without any puking...and only two potty breaks. And now it's time to sit back and relax and think of all I'm grateful for.

• I'm grateful for my husband...who in addition to being an all-around great guy...really helped out this last week while I was trapped in work hell. He did outings! He cooked dinner! He made crafts! All without grumbling. He is truly and equal partner and I'm so happy he's mine.
  
• I'm thankful for my two beautiful daughters, who are generous with the kisses, hugs and I love yous. In the past year they have become best of friends, playing side-by-side for hoursminutes on end...which is both heart-warming and allows me to get dinner on the table without stepping on a child.
  
• I'm thankful for grandparents. Nonna, Pop-pop, Grandmom and Granddad are all an presence in our girls lives. As someone who lost all of my grandparents at such an early age, this thrills me to no end. And the fact that they provide free babysitting is always a bonus.
  
• I'm thankful for family. We don't get to see Kiki and Uncle Steve or John's brother and sister-in-law as much as we would like...but it's always good times when we do. And, now that the girls remember them between, it's even better.
  
• I'm thankful for friends. Since lives have inevitably gotten more complicated with jobs and kids and everything else, it's so great to see my friends when I can. And I'm grateful that I've made some new online friends through this blog, too!

Hope your turkey days are happy!

ding dong

A has been a little obsessed with the doorbell ever since Halloween. She insists on ringing it every time we come into the house...even if the door is open and everyone is already inside.

Really, it should be no suprise that this is how she spent a good half-hour today while the rest of the kids in the neighborhood ran around and played in the leaves.

Good times were had by all.

friday photo shoot

It had been a while since I've taken pictures of the girls. Since we had a relaxed morning where we ate breakfast and got a chance to play prior to school, I figured that I'd take a few.

The girls weren't too cooperative. At first they just ignored me.

Then A kept looking up and yelling "Don't take my picture, mommy!" before looking down and continuing to play.

Luckily, E was feeling a little bit of the camera love.

Hope you all have wonderful weekends!

the next wave

It has been a crazy busy week in the Slacker house. John and I are both super busy with work, but have somehow managed to perfectly coordinated our schedules so that one of us is home in time to pick up the kiddos and get dinner on the table every night this week. Thank goodness for minor miracles!

During lunch today, I ran to Nordstrom to get my new fancy-schmancy jeans hemmed. (I also ended up purchasing a pair of 7's on that were on sale for almost 1/2 off and a cute pair of black flats...getting skinny is expensive stuff!) Anyway, as I was waiting to pay for my new jeans and the alterations on my other ones, I saw my previous life.

Two women in their late 20s were walking from the mall to the elevators. They were pushing the latest and greatest strollers with their infants snoozing in their car seats. They were chatting as they walked.

Four years ago, that could have easily have been me, Marathon Mom and Steel Magnolia. We would have come from the New Moms Group at the hospital, gone to the Food Court for lunch and maybe browsed around for a bit before heading home. I remember the overwhelmed feeling I had being a first-time mom, but it was so nice to have a group of women to talk to and hang out with. In some respects it seems so long ago...in other ways, I can't believe it's already been four years!

Time...it's such a crazy thing.

parenthood is like golf, with (slightly) less cussing

Before I got married, I took golf lessons with my sister and my friend, Liz. Every Tuesday one summer, we headed out to Fairfax and hit a bucket of balls on the driving range under the watchful eye of our slightly creepy golf instructor. We even played a round or two on a local Par 3 course.

I pretty much sucked at golf. I spent the majority of the driving range sessions hoping to actually make contact with the ball. There were a lot of swings and misses in my practice sessions. It was frustrating, as I like to think of myself as reasonably athletic and coordinated. But every so often, I would hit the ball perfectly, and it would sail to the 80 or 90 or 100 yards sign. It was euphoric, and I understood that was the precise feeling of why people kept coming back for more.

Yesterday, I realized that parenthood is a lot like golf...with things like discipline or potty training, it can be a lot frustration. But every now and again, things all come together and everything is right.

When it comes to potty training A, things have been pretty stagnant. She does awesome at school -- she stays dry at school all day long, and only really has accidents for her poops. But at home, she doesn't go on the potty at all. And while we were out on Saturday, she had gone so much she actually leaked through her pull-up all the while denying that she needed a change.

On Sunday, I put her in panties. She had two accidents within a hour. On Monday morning, she (and E) were all gung ho for her to wear panties to school. She pooped in those panties right as we were leaving for school. Swing and a miss. Swing and a miss. Swing and a miss.

When I picked A up from school yesterday, she was wearing panties. And the same outfit I had brought her in. Yes, she had stayed dry all day. We got home and things were going well. She played...she ate dinner. And then she yelled,

"I have to go potty!"

Into the bathroom we went. We pulled down her pants, dropped her on the toilet and waited. Sure enough, there was a little tinkle and the plop plop plop of a little toddler poop. Ah, the ecstacy.

And what made the victory so much sweeter was, while we were waiting the additional 15 minutes for A to say that she was ready to get off the toilet she turned to me and said, "Mommy, I lub you so much." Yep. Hit that one out of the park.

my thoughts exactly

By bedtime tonight, the excitement of the weekend had not only caught up with E, but pretty much tackled her and threw her to the ground. The visit from Grandmom! The day of shopping where she got tons of stuff! Seeing Santa from afar (I'm thinking this is not our year for a Santa pic)! Games, crafts and fun with Mommy and A! Daddy's triupmphant return from visiting Uncle Dave and his girlfriend, Sam, in Dallas! By the time bedime rolled around...stick a fork in her, she was done.

The straw that broke the camel's back was that neither John nor I would read her book of choice. Because we both hate it. And it takes forever. And it really isn't a story...just a book of I Spy pictures. So she whined through A's choice of book, and when it became perfectly clear that she would not get her way, walked off in a huff to her room before songs.

As E left, A took one look at closing door, waved her hand and said,

"Go to bed, Sissy!"

Luckily for all parties involved...E heeded her advice.

blah

Once upon a time, Slacker Mama was young and single and carefree. She was also a bit of a party girl. In the time that she lovingly refers to as her "Rock Star Days," she could go out on any given weeknight, stay out 'til the wee hours of the morning, and still make it up at 6AM to workout.

That's so not the case any more.

I spent all weekend with 2 preschoolers, 2 grandparents and a pregnant woman. I went to bed before midnight, kept my wine drinking to a (relative) minimum and slept well. And yet, I'm so exhausted from the hubbub of the weekend.

Of course, it doesnt' help that I'm still shocked -- SHOCKED! -- at how early it gets dark because of daylight savings. I mean, this happens every damn year, but every year I find myself muttering to myself "It's dark at 5 o'clock!?!?! How can this be?" It sucked when I was younger...but now I find this as proof positive that there is simply not enough time in the day. To add insult to injury...it's raining today and it's supposed to do that through the weekend.

Hopefully I'll de-funk-ify myself soon. I've got some big plans for the weekend. E's been begging to stay up late, so we might be having a movie night/slumber party one of these nights. We shall see...

at least she's honest

While I was getting ready this morning, E came in and tried to grab the chest strap of our elliptical machine's heart rate monitor. She starts out using it as a fishing pole to go fishing...and often ends up as a lasso or other object that is swung wildly around and, therefore, likely to hit A upside the head.

"Mama, I'm going fishing," she said as she walked into the bathroom.
"No, E. You cannot play with that thing."
E tries to run and grab it.
"E! I said you may not play with it!" I say, slightly exasperated.
"Oh, OK, Mommy," E replied as she walked out of the bathroom. "I'll just come back and get it when you aren't looking, and play with it then."

when weekends attack

This weekend was one of those weekends that has left me so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open to post. But it was SO. MUCH. FUN.

My sister, Kiki, came in from Cali...arriving very early (a la red eye) Saturday morning and leaves tomorrow in the wee morning hours. We spent much of the weekend sitting around laughing, eating and drinking (except for Kiki). We also did quite a bit of shopping for her ever-expanding belly (maternity clothes, nursery furniture, and the baby registry...oh my!) and my was-shrinking-until-the-weekend-gluttony belly (I have a bitchin' pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans in my possession!)

Alas, tomorrow it's back to the grind of work with a sister who lives too far away. But it was sure fun while it lasted.

mahna mahna

Proof positive that the Slackers are enriching our children's lives by teaching them The Classics.

And if you are wondering why my girls are humming the Dr. Pepper jingle...looks like you need to take a look at the original.

all you need is lub

A has learned how to say I Love You...except that when she says it, it comes out more as "I lub you." It is so cute that you are willing to risk getting covered in snot and drool from the kisses that almost always accompany the declaration of lub just to hear her say it over and over again.

At first, it started out as a reaction to what you said. At night, I'd say "I love you, A" and she would reply "I lub you, Mama." But now, she'll say it unprovoked. The other night, John and I were cleaning up after dinner and the girls were at the snack table coloring. As they sat there happily coloring, A spoke.

"I lub you, E."
"Aw, sissy. I love you, too." E replied.

John and I just looked at each other and smiled. Sometimes, life can't get much better.

strive for five

On Monday night, I picked the girls up from school and headed to the local Mexican place to meet Marathon Mom and her crew for Mariachi Monday. It was great to sit and chat over some good Mexican. The kids all behaved well (hers better than mine) and got along great. E and A were particularly interested in Baby Meredith...giving me captivating updates like "Oooo! Mommy, she's awake!" from E and "Baby seeping!" (translation: The Baby is sleeping) from A.

After we said our goodbyes and climbed the car, E began to ask a few questions.

"Mommy, when are you going to have a baby in your belly?"
"Uh. Excuse me?" I stammered.
"I want you to have a baby in your belly. I want five."
"You want me to have five babies in my belly!?!?" I coughed out.
"No. I want there to be five in our family. You, me, Daddy, A and a baby."

This came totally out of left field, as E really has never expressed interest in getting another sibling. But, apparently, Baby Meredith did a number on her. Later, she told John that she would prefer a sister and we could name her Leela. However, for now, I think we'll just pretend like Kiki's baby is the littlest sibling in the Slacker family.

As for A, she's fairly against the concept of a younger sibling. Generally when I hold a baby, or sometimes even talk to her classmates, she runs over, grabs my arm and yells "MY MOMMY!" I don't think she's quite ready to share. But, that doesn't mean that she doesn't think babies are useful. As I was buckling her into her carseat after dinner, I noticed a familiar odor rising up from her heiny.

"Ooo, A. Do you have a stinky poops in your diaper?" I asked.
"No, Mommy," A replied. "Baby did it."

i voted ... did you?

After I dropped the girls off at school today, I went and voted. I was bummed that I couldn't bring the girls with me...I threw E in the stroller and walked to the polls in 2004 and braved the cold and rain with A in a sling and E in the stroller for the gubernatorial elections in 2006. However, when they see my sticker tonight, they will ask what it is for and I will tell them.

A and E will be eligible to vote in the 2024 elections. I hope that our country has stabilized from all of the turmoil and solved the problems that are plaguing us right now. I do believe that we will emerge as a stronger and better nation after this election. It's a daunting task that lies ahead, but can we do it?

Yes. We can.

no whammies!

After a successful birthday dinner on Wednesday night, a great time at the field trip on Thursday, and a candy- and fun-filled Halloween on Friday, John and I decided to press our luck and head down to the UVA v. Miami game on Saturday down in Charlottesville.

It was a 12PM start, but we managed to eek in some breakfast at Bodo's and tailgaiting prior to the game.

E even managed to make some friends with the daughters of our friends...I think it was the mutual love of cheerleading outfits.

The girls were good during about 80% of the game. Thank god for Princess figurines. Those boys gave us much uninterrupted football watching time.

However, about halfway through the 4th quarter the girls were done. So, while the game went into overtime, me and the girls were running around the stadium with our friends (and co-season ticket holders) Sarah and her son, Dylan. We were supposed to stay for dinner at their house, but we ended up just packing it in and heading home.

On Sunday, we got up and headed to the new Wegman's that opened right by us. We got there before it got to be too crowded. Seriously, I cannot begin to describe how excited John and I are about this. You think we love The Teets? Wait until you see the Wegman's love! After grocery shopping, we did lots of chores, lots of playing and had a delicious dinner, Wegman's style. And then, after a ridiculously busy week...month...Fall...year...we all hit the hay without any even attempt at protest.

On the agenda this week: voting tomorrow and Kiki comes on Saturday! Excitement at every turn, I tell you!