Life... as we know it.

Alex is on the road again...

2011-05-24T06:05:00.002-04:00

Alex enjoyed riding her tricycle last year... in fact so much that she had two of them. When the weather finally broke this spring she rushed to sit on them and begged to go around the block. Upon relenting, we couldn't help but notice that her tiny little knees were quite close to giving her a tiny little black eye every time the pedeals went round. Time for a new bike. A big girl bike!

She was in love from first sight and couldn't wait to go. She is still trying to figure out how the brakes work (when she was going too fast on the tricycle she just bailed out) and has to focus on not watching her feet while she pedals, but overall got the hang of it pretty quick.

And, the bonus is, we get around the block, to the park, or wherever about twice as fast as before.

I second that emotion...

2011-05-20T13:21:00.003-04:00

Alex and I were home alone all day Tuesday because she was rockin' a wicked fever. We got bored in the afternoon and started talking about emotions and non-verbal communication. I busted out the camera and just started shouting out emotions, (happy, puzzled, sad, shocked, angry, indifferent). I have no idea which of these pics is which, but I do know it's adorable.

Spring in...

2011-05-18T14:31:00.001-04:00

We weren'y sure it was going to happen this year, but the weather finally turned. Check out how good Michele's garden is looking already...

Alex types...

2011-05-17T15:55:00.002-04:00

Hey there. I know that I've been missing in action, so I brought on a guest blogger... Alexandra...

alexandra
wesley
michele

There. The first words Alex has ever typed for publication. All on her own. I'll try to follow her example more often.

Alex can "read"...

2011-03-27T05:57:00.003-04:00

Alexandra is a creature of habit. Well, maybe a creature of repetition. When she decides that she likes something, she likes it and likes it and likes it until it's worn. She wants to hear the same song over and over in the car for weeks. She wants the same snack for days on end. She wants to read the same book every night for a month. It's always endearing and often enraging.

Maybe it's just comforting to do the same thing, but I don't think that's it. I think she is really trying to figure things out. Trying to slurp up every drop of what that thing is. Every word to a song. Every color of a shirt. Every nuance of a game.

Yesterday she sat on the top of the sofa and started "reading" her current obsession... "Big Bird Brings Spring to Sesame Street". It's an old, tattered book and she loves it. Over and over she loves it. And then a few minutes in to the "reading" Michele and I realized that she wasn't summarizing. She was, for the most part, reciting the words on each page. Here is a demonstration:

There's more from the same reading on YouTube if you must have more.

She is amazing to me. Even the "er, um" when Big Bird is stumbling over a decision. She has memorized it to a large degree. And then, when bedtime came and she could pick one book for Mama to read her...

Take a hike...

2011-03-19T18:35:00.008-04:00

Today was so nice that we decided to go for a nature walk...
Before we even got on the trail, Michele and Alex saw a snake bathing in the sun...
Alex was a little miffed that she couldn't ride in the backpack anymore...
But this is the year she will start to hike on her own. We did a short half mile, and she really enjoyed looking at the trees and birds...

A great walk, and a great start to spring!

Comparisons aren't always odious...

2011-03-18T19:22:00.003-04:00

Alex is a fickle beast. She knows what she likes... and then she likes for a long time.

A few weeks ago she came home from a trip to the mall and was very excited. Her friend Amy had bought her some new shoes. Michele and Robin snickered off to the side, and I knew something was amiss. The box was opened, and the zebras presented...

Now, don't get me wrong, I consider myself a fan of fancy. I can get behind a three year old having a fun wardrobe. But, at the same time, I am practical and err on the side of "too dressy" at every turn. I was not a fan of the zebras. I hated the zebras. I plotted a life of solitude in the closet for the zebras. I schemed.

Then, a week later, something happened. The shoes that Tia Robin had purchased her on the same day arrived.

And that's when I realized that the zebras weren't so bad. In fact, they were pretty cute. And she has worn them almost every day since.

And that's okay, because the fish shoes are high up in the closet...

Click... click...

2011-03-14T18:38:00.003-04:00

Michele got me a new camera. A fancy camera. I have had it for a day or two, but was too scared to take it out of the box. This will take some getting used to... but here is the first pic I took with it...
Pretty nice, eh? Maybe this will encourage me to take more pics and write more blog entries.

My Left Thumb...

2011-02-25T08:03:00.003-05:00

A little story about my left thumb. You may remember my left thumb from such stories as "Oh Snap, I Shot a Nail Through My Thumb". Well, the fun doesn't stop there!

Last night I was prepping for dinner. Alex was "helping" me, standing on her tower just to my right. I chopped carrots and onions, and started on the celery (mirepoix!). The whole time Alex and I were having a discussion that centered around Mr. Dinosaurhead and went something like this...

A: My dinosaur.

W: Yes, my dinosaur.

A: No, my dinosaur!

W: That's what I said... my dinosaur.

A: No Papa, my dinosaurs!
W: We're saying the same words, why don't we agree? My dinosaur.

I was trying to teach a lesson (and maybe push her buttons a little), she was getting frustrated. As my expertly honed Japanese chef's knife came down toward the celery she yelled "MY DINOSAUR!!" and hit my arm. More of a tap really. But, as it turned out, enough to make me nearly cut off the top of my thumb instead of the celery.

I cut myself cooking often... frighteningly often. Wrap it up, and move on. This time was different. It wouldn't stop bleeding. It wouldn't even slow down. Apparently the baby aspirin I take daily really, really works well. So, off to the Urgent Care and four stitches.

Other than the throbbing, it's all thumbs up now...

Friday unwind...

2011-02-18T15:57:00.003-05:00

There are several great things about living in the wireless world that we find ourselves in. Facebook, Twitter, texting,,, that's all great. But when Michele and I can each work on a Friday afternoon sitting in the pub, that is money... even if she looks a bit sheepish doing it...

It happens...

2011-02-08T15:55:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, as is the norm lately, Michele was leaving for work while Alex was just starting to sleepily eat her breakfast. As usual she rushed to the front window to watch Mama pull out of the drive and wave. Then suddenly she stood up quickly and said, "I have to go potty".

I am not very smart or observant. If I were, I would have noticed the urgency and the look on her face. "Well just hold it for a second and watch or you'll miss Mama leaving." So she did.

The next thing I heard was a splashing noise followed immediately by a tiny, worried voice screaming, "MY PEE IS COMING OUT, MY PEE IS COMING OUT!!!". And it was.

I scooped her up and headed to the bathroom, but before we could even get there she was patting my back and saying, "it was an accident Papa, it happens".

OMG, OMG...

2011-02-04T19:49:00.003-05:00

Alex got her hair cut! Like, for real cut!! Not just trimmed... CUT!!!

I'm not sure that I'm okay with this... but Michele assures me that I am.

Happy, happy...

2011-02-01T18:31:00.002-05:00

Happy eighth anniversary to my amazing wife. Even after all this time there is nobody I would rather chat with, spend a Saturday night with, fight with, or grow with. You're the best.Te amo.

Artsy...

2011-01-30T08:43:00.002-05:00

Alex does a ton of painting at daycare. Almost daily we have little treasures to bring home and put on the fridge. She rarely paints at home. Not because she doesn't love it, but because I have issues with mess. I'm a bit neurotic.

Luckily Michele is there to help out the little monkey. So they busted out the easel and the apron...
And they opened up the pre-load paint brushes...And Alex painted. She was very serious and very focused. Just look at her...And, in the end, a modern masterpiece...
I think it really speaks to the plight of the modern toddler. Every brushstroke is like a comment on parental neuroticism.

Perhaps I should get over my issues and paint with her more often.

Terrible too...

2011-01-24T14:55:00.004-05:00

People always talk about the "terrible twos". The time in a young life filled with spitting, back-talking, throwing themselves on the dirty floor at Target and have a kicking, screaming fit. But Alex never really subscribed. We assumed she was perfect (equal parts luck and kick ass parenting). Then she turned three.

Light switch. At 8:19am on 12/29/11 she turned three, and at 8:20 she started screaming. She started talking back. She started lying... and then laughing about the lying. She now refuses to nap unless immersed in total darkness and quiet... and not napping just makes everything worse. It's terrible too.

Don't get me wrong, she is still pretty perfect. Just a little more opinionated. Timeouts still work... sometimes. And I think Michele and I have gotten a bit more Zen. We have decided that her screaming does not have to lead to us screaming. We try to giggle at the noise. It works... sometimes.

So, fair warning to all you potential owners of a three year old. Making it past two doesn't mean you won... it just means they're biding their time.

My little helper...

2011-01-08T13:46:00.003-05:00

Alex "helped" me shovel snow last year... but this year she HELPED me shovel snow!! She actually moved some and put it where directed!!

Next up? Mowing the lawn.

3 year well visit...

2011-01-05T05:40:00.003-05:00

Alex had her three year check up with the doctor this week and, as you might expect, she rocked it! At 36 months she is 37.25" tall (60th percentile) and 33.6lbs (75th percentile). Progressing nicely.

The doc was impressed with her physical and mental state. She was asked many questions to determine her aptitude... how old are you? what color is your shirt? can you stand on one foot? Stuff like that. She passed with flying colors, only having trouble with two questions...

When asked who her best friend was, she said she didn't know. She later told us it was Maxwell.
When asked to draw a smiley face, she instead drew a fish... and then pointed out all of it's fish features. The doc said that this had never happened and was impressed.

After all that pleasantness, she did have to get two shots. She took it very well. There was a moment of terror followed by a look at us that said "how could you do this to me?"... but the nurse offered animal crackers and all was well.

All in all a very good trip. And now, apropos of nothing including this story, a picture of Alex reading to a sick Michele a couple weeks ago.

Pepe, and Aimee, and Jorge oh my...

2011-01-03T06:07:00.002-05:00

Alex loves Legos (Duplos, really), and she has been cultivating an increasing bucket-full for years now. The very first package she got a person in it and she named it (I'm pretty sure the first one was Pepe the bus driver), or rather we named him together. She was barely one and had a limited vocabulary, but she could say Pepe. It was adorable.

Then came more blocks, and more vehicles, and more people. Aimee and Jorge and George. Some of them she names and some we name together. It started to get difficult to remember them all.

Then, recently, she got a slew of new peeps between Xmas and birthday... many new names!! So we had to make a cheat sheet...

So, if you ever come over to play Legos with Alex... study up.

PS - they are all related by birth, marriage, or occupation too... but I'll save that post for a rainy day.

Alex is 3!!!

2011-01-02T18:41:00.004-05:00

Alex turned three. She is a big girl now... she says. Her birthday was filled with the things she loves. We went to breakfast, and then picked up Max to go to the Xtreme Bounce Zone. Alex jumped right in...Max was reluctant, but Michele helped him get the hang of it...They climbed some pretty tall slides...

Then home for the best things in the world... cupcakes...and cheese!!!She was quite pleased, and quite pleased with herself... Happy Birthday Monkey!!

Christmas 2010...

2010-12-31T14:00:00.004-05:00

Christmas with an almost-three-year-old is exactly what you would expect... crazy fun and crazy long. Our Santa dilemma was solved... mostly by Alex not seeming to care much. Santa is everywhere, after all. We started by wrapping tons of presents...And getting ready to go to Carmen's for Christmas eve (remember to always smile so hard that it hurts)...
Play, dinner, play and then Alex was off to bed, only to be woken at midnight for gifts. It took a while for her to warm up...But she had a great time and got a car load of booty. Next morn, it was a small Santa session at home, and then pour the sleepy toddler in to a fancy dress...And off to Adrian to have another gift orgy. This time with even more cousins...More food, more fun, more smiling...

She slept for thirteen hours that night. Merry Christmas!!

Holiday Recital 2: Electric Boogaloo...

2010-12-20T05:21:00.003-05:00

Alex had her Holiday recital for her daycare again this year... and she was so excited. We practiced her songs for weeks. She had a Santa song, a Hanukkah song, and a Kwanzaa song. She knew them forward and backward. Her teacher even told us that she was the linchpin. On the days that she wasn't there, rehearsal was a disaster. Were she a hockey player, she would have been wearing a C on her shimmery little cardigan.

Then the day came. We picked her up and brought her home to get ready. Max get dressed at our house too...Then off to the auditorium for the big event. We were given some bad directions, and took Alexandra down the stairs where the bigger kids were. She fit right in...But then we had to hustle upstairs to find her class and... chaos. Ten kids running wild and none of their usual teachers to whip them in to shape. Alex flipped. She wouldn't let me leave. Physically wouldn't let me. She cried and sobbed and clung. Finally Miss Jen (a great teacher from an earlier class) grabbed her from me and distracted her long enough for me to escape.

Then the fun began. Infants being twirled and toddlers trying to sing. Alex's class came up and she was still red and puffy from the crying. The first song was tough, but then she started feeling the music and took off. This is long but...

All in all, she swears she had fun and that's all that matters. Merry christmahanakwanzika everyone!!

All I want for Christmas...

2010-12-15T14:34:00.002-05:00

From the very first time Alex was asked what she wanted for Christmas (and I am finding out that kids are asked constantly) she had one answer, and one answer only... cheese.

What do you want for Christmas?
Cheese.
What is Santa going to bring you?
Cheese.
What is on your wish list?
Cheese.

A few weeks ago her grandmother was asking the same thing... and got the same answer. My mom responded incredulously, "That's it? Cheese? Don't you want a baby doll, or a teddy bear, or a truck?". Then, and for the next week, she had a new response.

What do you want for Christmas?
Cheese. And a truck.
What is Santa going to bring you?
Cheese. And a truck.
What is on your wish list?
Cheese. And a truck.

Then her friend Bobbo, as a thank you for a gift Alex had given him, gave her a bundle of her favorite Babybel cheese. She was geek. Then, since, and to this day she has a new response.

What do you want for Christmas?
Bobbo already gave me cheese... so just a truck.
What is Santa going to bring you?
Bobbo already gave me cheese... so just a truck.
What is on your wish list?
Bobbo already gave me cheese... so just a truck.

Oh Christmas tree...

2010-12-14T04:54:00.004-05:00

We agree on most things in our household. We are on the same page about parenting and food and television. One of our small points of early contention was the Christmas tree. Not real vs. fake or light colors, but timing. Michele would like to have it up the day after her birthday (that is Dec 1st) and down some time after the new year. I, given my choice, would put it up about a week before Christmas and put it all away on the 26th. We have, over the years, found a happy middle... second week of December. That was this weekend, so away we went.This is the first year that Alex has really been involve on a higher level. She helped pick out the tree and then charmed the men helping us load it up.She helped put on lights... and only two were broken in the process! I feared the number would be far greater. She had fun... even though all of her ornaments were placed in one area and needed some rearranging.When we were all done, she was so proud and so excited. She has been informed that it is her job to turn on the tree every day. She thinks she's pretty cool. Merry Christmas!!

Two Georges...

2010-12-10T05:54:00.002-05:00

Two years ago Alex got two stuffed Curious Georges for Christmas. My sister's and brother's families each independently got them for her (we called her "monkey" then, and still do) without knowing the other had. It was pretty funny.

As is her norm with many a toy and most stuffed animals, they were quickly relegated to a shelf. There is a zoos worth of animals collecting dust and staring pleadingly and longingly from the corner of her bedroom. She just doesn't play with them (with the exception of Mr. Dinosaur Head and Stripey the Zebra who go everywhere with her).

But then, a couple days ago, she "discovered" one of the Georges. She showed it around, "It's a monkey" she said. "It's Curious George" she happily reported. She carried it around all evening and took it to bed. No idea where that came from.

The next day I reminded her that there was another George. She screamed. "I have two Georges, look I have two Georges!!" Now she takes them both everywhere... including to bed... along with Mr. Dinosaur Head and Stripey the Zebra. We may have to get her a bigger bed.

Difficult to know what to get her for Christmas when her most prized possessions have been ignored for two years...

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-12-08T23:54:00.002-05:00

I think Alex might actually "get" Christmas this year. She has started learning songs for her Christmas pageant, she knows who Santa is, she is ready for snow. But, since she was pretty oblivious in years past, we don't know exactly how our traditions will work out. We do Christmas eve with the Maleys and Christmas day with the Harringtons... always have always will.
So when does Santa come? To our house on a hectic and sleepy Christmas morn? Does he stop by the grandparent's houses to leave a few gifts? Right now, it is all up for debate... thoughts?

The curious case of the bloody ear...

2010-12-07T19:15:00.003-05:00

So yeah, the bloody ear thing. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, after watching Michigan get killed, Alex woke from a nap and toddled out to see me. She handed me Mr. Dinosaur Head to hold while she climbed on the couch, and he was splattered with blood. Big drops of blood. I picked her up and spun her around searching for the source... and there it was dripping from her ear. I freaked.

We called the doc, and after waiting an hour for a call back, were told to go to the hospital. On a holiday weekend. At night. Luckily it wasn't too busy and we got right in. Unluckily we got a doctor with exactly the experience that you would expect at night on a holiday weekend. Her diagnosis (after examining Alex with very shaky hands) was a shrug. "Here are some drops to lessen the swelling and see your doctor on Monday." Perfect.

So, after worrying away the rest of the weekend, we went to a real doc... who was not worried in the least. She said there are three things that generally cause bleeding in the ear in toddlers:

She stuck something in there (she seems more fascinated with her mouth and nose so...)
She has an ear infection (no sign of that)
Her tube came out and released some blood (we have a winner!)

No big deal. Nothing to worry about. No issues since.

Timing? Priceless

Hello? Is this thing on?

2010-12-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

Hey kids... it's been a while. I know this because people keep saying, "What's up with the blog... it's been a while?".

Here's the thing... I ran into a little problem. At first I thought it was writer's block, that amorphous and difficult to wrangle maybe a real issue maybe not deal you get when you can't think of a single word to write (let alone the long rambly stuff I enjoy). But it was more than that. I started to freak out a little. I got the cold sweats and could feel my heart beating in my chest whenever I sat down to convey the cuteness that is life with Alex and Michele. I started to panic a little. It was no fun.

Here's the why... I started worrying more and more about what people thought. Will this aunt be upset if I tell an Alex story involving that aunt. Will people think I'm overselling Alex's adorablosity. Will friends get upset because I did, or didn't, write about an event. Part of me thought I was crazy, but then it happened... some close friends took offense at an attempt at story telling and decided not to be friends anymore. Suddenly I was staring up at the cliff I had been perched at the edge of for so long.

Last week we had to take Alex to the urgent care. She had woken from a nap and was bleeding from the ear. It was scary. The doctor asked how long it had been since she had her tubes in... and our first instinct was to check the blog. It turns out that it isn't just the ramblings of a madman... it's the chronicle of Alex's life and our life with her. It's not about my fear or what you all think... it's the way that we look back and remember and revel. It's the book of us. And it isn't over.

So, here's the deal. I am going to stop stopping. I am going to write on this blog and brag on my baby and love on my wife and not give a damn what you think. If you are one who is prone to judge, compare, or get angry you are no longer invited. If you just want to see cute pics and read poorly written stories about our boring lives, then you are welcome.

Rock On!!! Alex goes to a concert!

2010-11-01T20:41:00.002-04:00

This weekend, while Michele and Wes had to work, I had the opportunity to take Alex to a concert at the Ark in Ann Arbor.
We were going to see the Verve Pipe, a famous rock band from the mid '90's! Only, now that they are older, and have kids, they offer a kids show.
This was Alex's first exposure to a live music concert and at first she wasn't too sure about it, as you can see in the photo.
Eventually she got quite into it! There were many kids at the show and at one point, they invited all the kids on stage to be "Part of the Band!" Alex didn't go up, but that really got her into it!
The concert was really good. The Verve Pipe came up with a bunch of their own kids songs. Alex started out a little scared of the whole thing. Eventually, she asked if she could dance is the aisle to the music. This mean jumping up and down like a mad lady - similar to the kids surrounding us!
From an adult perspective, I appreciated the rock sound to the music and thought they did a good job!
Maybe next time they're in town, the parents can also attend.
In the mean time I got a CD so they can start learning the songs!
The lights were low but I tried to get some video at the end of the concert. By the end of the concert they were singing some songs to get them to Dance around... Like "Jump Around" and "Believer"- from the Schrek films and originally from the Monkeys! Alex jumped up and down for about the last 20 mins of the concert!
This video is sideways... I can't figure out how to fix it.... but here's a taste of her dancing!

Churches and castles and sunsets...

2010-10-02T03:38:00.006-04:00

Friday in Switzerland was a packed day. We loaded up in the morning and headed to Einsiedeln where we toured a beautiful church. We wandered around (trying desperately to keep Alex's volume down while in the church) and checked out all the over the top art. Alex, of course, was most impressed with the fountain that she could drink from...Then we headed on to Rapperswil where we meandered around a huge castle. Alex was quite melty by this time, but we had fun checking everything out. Then we settled in for some tapas, and had a very relaxing meal full of beer and laughter... in a castle. It was pretty cool...Finally we headed home, but had to stop on the way to appreciate this sunset...It was the kind of day that you will not have in the states. A church that grew around a hermits shack over centuries. A castle now used mostly for museums, weddings, and tapas. A roadside sunset view to take your breath away. One more day left...

Because it matters to people like us...

2010-09-24T19:31:00.002-04:00

I defy you to read this and not donate some small bit of your tax deductible dollars.

Lugano...

2010-09-17T04:46:00.005-04:00

Thursday of our trip. Robin, Bob, Jenny, and David graciously offered to hang out with Alex while Michele and I took a trip by ourselves. We took the train to Lugano. A train ride with no worries, no wrangling, and even some conversation. It was nice. The train ride alone was a fantastic break.Then Lugano. A beautiful lakeside town. A little touristy, but lovely to wander around. This is the kind of town, we decided, that we could stay in for a week. Have coffee in the square. Walk along the lake. Lunch with wine. A nap. And then some cocktails. Every day. We could do it.
We saw cute churches...Adorable sloping streets (with cafes and shops)...
Art!...The lake front...
It was a great, relaxing afternoon. We may have to visit this little place again...

Waking up on the wrong side of the world...

2010-09-14T09:11:00.003-04:00

I will continue the story of our vacation when I have a few minutes, I promise, but for now this aside...

We are still adjusting to the time change after returning from Switzerland (six hour difference). Yesterday I was up at 2:30am, and Alex at 3. Today I was up at 3am, and Alex at 3:30. I thought I had convinced her to go back to sleep, until I heard a sing-songy little voice from across the house chanting, "Daaaaaaddy... I'm not tired anymore." over and over.

At this slow rate we might be back to our normal 5am wake up by the end of the week. For the record, I am tired anymore. Very Tired.

Luzern...

2010-09-09T15:09:00.004-04:00

Tuesday we went to Luzern. We got an early start and met up in Bruenen to catch a boat. Jennie convinced us that it was worth the extra money to upgrade to first class... and she was right! We had a lovely table away from the riff-raff where we spent the leisurly trip back and forth across the lake sipping beer and eating cheese. The sights were beautiful, and we had a blast.

Our first stop in Luzern was the Transportation Museum which was pretty awsome. There were serperate buildings with displays on trains, boats, planes, automobiles, and gondolas. We spent quite a bit of time looking around and Alex was very impressed (especially with the trains). But, since I am a child, I mostly liked this sign...

We left the museum to head for lunch and had the worst part of the day befall us. I won't describe in detail, but Alex drank a bunch of water and then was riding on Michele's shoulders while we ran to catch the bus... Michele then had to wash her hair in the WC and buy a new shirt.

Luzern was old and beatiful and charming. Churches and bridges and statues. We had lunch, at which Alex napped.

We walked around for a while and then caught the train back to Zug and met David for pizza. Great day.

Catching up...

2010-09-08T03:39:00.004-04:00

Monday we went to Zurich. Jennie gave us a ride to meet up with Robin and Bob at the train station. There is an area with "Kiss & Ride" stencilled on the street to stop and drop people off... cute. We found our train and settled in for the short ride (usable public transportation is a dream, and we have committed to trying to use what we have at home more often).

Zurich is beatiful. We walked around Old Town, through narrow cobble streets filled with shops. We contemplated buying a Coo-coo Clock. We checked out a gorgeous old church... and Michele & Robin braved the claustrophobic stairs to the top of the tower.

Then we caught another train to do some shopping. Robin got a couple bags, and Michele a wallet, all made from recycled truck parts. It was an intersesting shop. Then back on the train to Zug, a bus to the bottom of the hill, and a long, slow nine minute walk up the stairs to reach the apartment. We had dinner in, drank wine and laughed...

Mountain time...

2010-09-06T01:55:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we went mountain climbing. Well, we climbed down a mountain. But up a few little peaks. But mostly down. Fear not, the combination of altitude and sloth made going down difficult enough.

We took the train almost to the top of Rigi (we climbed up the last 500ft, so technically we climbed it). We had a coffee and watched some crazy people jump off the mountain wearing parachutes.

Then we walked down for a bit and, after some debate, climbed up on a little ridge for a view. It was tough, especially with a toddler strapped to my back, but we made it. Alex was pretty relaxed. If you look over her sleepy shoulder you will see the peak on which we started.

After a rest we headed down more. Saw many cows (they seem to be on any tiny scrap of undevelopped land here) and one very vocal donkey. Alex woke up and was entertained. We had lunch in a tiny enclave. Walked some more. And, to David's dismay, chose to take the train the rest of the way instead of walking for another two hours.

We ended staying in and resting in the evening... healing up. Today, Zurich.

Filling in the gap...

2010-09-05T00:47:00.001-04:00

Since I can't get Michele to post, here is Robin's version of yesterdays adventure...

Switzerland...

2010-09-04T07:45:00.003-04:00

We have been planning and looking forward to our trip to Switzerland for the better part of this year. We are going , along with Robin & Bob, to visit our friends David & Jennie just outside of Zug and climb mountains and eat chocolate. But first we have to get there...

Alex had an annoying cough for the last week or so. No fever. No sick. Just cough. But we decided to take her to see the doctor just for piece of mind (certain that the doc would roll her eyes at us). Here is what the doc told me after listening to her chest, "She has Bronchitis. I guess, technically it's Pnemonia, but I don't want to freak you out so I'm calling it Bronchitis." Amazing. But she also said that the little one would be fine and was okay to travel... good deal.

The flight was scheduled for Thursday evening... we thought alot about what we needed to take. Especially for Alex, to keep her occupied. What we didn't think about until Wednesday night, was where our Passports were. We were up most of the night looking for them, and then scheduling an appointment in Detroit for the morning of our flight to beg for new ones. It was a long night. And then, as we were getting dressed to go do the impossible, Michele found them... in Alex's dresser... in a bag full of Crayons. Of course.

The flights were uneventful, but not restful. But we made it. We ate, and napped, and walked up the hill (hill = holy cow this is steep), and ate, and drank , and went to bed. What a pleasant, beautful place.
Then, of course, I awoke in the middle of the night with a raging, shaking, miserable fever. Par for the course. So, on our first full day of vacation, everybody else went up hiking on a mountain while I stayed in bed. It can only get better though, right?

More to come.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

2010-08-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

...the front roll.

Up Norf...

2010-08-08T12:14:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we went up to Leland to relax and hang out with our friends Tom & Phyllis... we trade them a parking space for Michigan football games for easy northern getaways. The trip started like this...which was planned. Makes for a quieter trip. We arrived, settled in, had a great home-cooked meal... and Alex took to our hosts like they were family. The next day we made the short walk to Lake Michigan...Alex swam...It was cool...But Tom was still searching for Petoskey stones...then we went out on Lake Leland on the boat... Alex was very excited to drive...and ten minutes later was sleeping...The next day was rainy. Good day for going to the bookstore, napping, reading, and splashing in puddles...Then we headed home. Bellies full of delicious viddles made with love. Bodies thankful for less humidity. Batteries recharged. Back to life in the lower half...

Thank you Mendenhall's!!! We would like to make a reservation for next August in advance, please.

Separation anxiety...

2010-08-05T05:10:00.002-04:00

Last week Alex started in a new room at daycare... Preppers. It was not explained what they "prep" for. Presumably the next room. Of course, the next room is Pre-School, which preps for Pre-K, which (as denoted by the name) preps for Kindergarten. So yeah, Preppers.

Alex has been excited for a long while to go to Preppers. Max was there (though he has moved on). Many of her friends had already graduated. They use the potty like big girls. All kinds of fun stuff. She was clamoring for it.

I worried the first day that drop off might be difficult... new surroundings and all. But she took it like a pro. Put stuff away, snack, kiss, goodbye. Like it was completely normal. Then, when I picked her up that afternoon, the real problems started. It turns out that the number one reason she has been looking forward to Preppers is that they have slides on their playground. Twaddlers did not. Worse, Twaddlers playground is just on the other side of the fence. The fence through which Alex gazed upon the forbidden fruit that was the slides. So when I went to pick her up, and they were outside, instead of running into my arms screaming "Papa, Papa!", she ran to the slide. And again. And again. Again, again, again, again, again.

I finally had to threaten to leave alone before the spell was broken. Our new rule is "Five Slides After I Arrive". As yet, this rule has not worked... but we're working on it.

Late explanation...

2010-07-20T19:44:00.003-04:00

Michele has been working crazy hours lately. She worked the week of the fourth, which was supposed to be vacation. She worked this weekend. She is gone early and back very late. She recently moved to logistics at work, and when things go wrong all hell breaks loose.

Until tonight, the explanation of, "Mama has to work late" has been sufficient... that is she accepted my answers to "why?why?why?". Tonight she needed more detail, so this is what I came up with...
There is a plant in Mexico (eraser) that makes parts to build a car. It ships the parts by train (train) to a plant that puts the cars together (black box). There was a flood and the river swelled and broke the bridge (note broken bridge). It was too dangerous for the train to go on the tracks...
So Mama and her friends have to figure out other ways to get the parts to the car plant. They use other trains, planes, and trucks to move the parts before the plant gets shut down...
I left out the part about the banditos robbing trucks at the border... all I had left was Mrs. Potatohead and it wasn't to scale.

Happy....

2010-07-14T13:50:00.004-04:00

Alexandra's cousin Maxwell had a birthday party. There was swimming...

...there was cake...

...and then we left...

The end.

Say ahhhh...

2010-07-13T13:51:00.002-04:00

Alex has no fear of the dentist. She just had an appointment, and looked forward to it... no, longed for it, for two weeks prior. Why? Because she remembered that the dentist had a train. From six months ago.

She asked if the dentist was a doctor. Yes. "The doctor has fishes." she said. Well the dentist is a doctor but not the kind of doctor that has the fish... the dentist just has a train. "A fish train?" No.

We were called back and she asked to see the train. It is on a rail overhead, and the hygenists cooed and aahhed and turned it on for her. She smiled and clapped. Aahh! Then they turned it off to get down to business. "Why did the train stop?" she asked.
"It has to pick up the people!" several hygenists quickly answer as if prepared for this line of questioning.

The cleaning went well. She showed off her brushing skills. She opened wide. She chose strawberry paste because, "strawberry is my favorite because I like it because I had strawberries last night, but not strawberries, strawberry ice cream but it was cold because it was in the freezer." Now the other hygenists were ignoring their patients and adoring her.

We were waiting for the dentist to give the final thumbs up, and they turned the train back on. It went round and round, she smiled and clapped. Then it took a turn too fast and derailed. "What happened to the train?" she asked.
"It crashed. No big deal, they'll pick it up later." I reassured.
"But what about all the people it picked up?" She cried. Brilliant.
Multiple people, at this point, asked how old she was... and promptly told me to shut up and that I was a liar.

Toot toot...

2010-07-06T19:34:00.004-04:00

Done. Finished. Kaputt.

Alex has been potty trained for months, as chronicled here, but the long, slow ride is finally completely over. She took to the potty like she does everything else... quickly, but on her own schedule. But some combination of fear and frugality (we still had diapers on hand) kept her swathed at night. It was never necessary. She maybe once in the last four months peed at night. Never caca. Then last week, diapers dwindling, we asked if she should wear panties to bed. Okay. No problem. And not a problem since. This left only one hurdle.

When she first started the training, we bought her a little toilet...
It was the cutest thing ever. She used it, she used the big potty. Then, over the last few months, I have waged war on the little potty. You see, ever time she uses it, you have to clean it. Dribbles of pee. Smears of poo. And occasionally touching an unusually tall pile on the way to a wipe.

I started to convince her that big girls use the big potty. "Like Mama?" she asked. Yes, yes. And she has, more and more, used the big potty. Almost exclusively of late. Then today I asked her if we could just get rid of the little potty. "Yeah... that's for babies." she condescended.

Our tiny little bathroom just got a touch bigger.

10 years...

2010-07-03T12:50:00.002-04:00

Ten years ago today Michele and I started dating. That is, ten years ago today, we had our umpteenth date but it was different and we never again have been apart. We went to the movies, then to the bookstore, and then to have beers at Ashley's. Michele forgot her newly purchased books at the bar. There is a picture in my head of us sitting there drinking beer and laughing that seems like yesterday. But it wasn't yesterday, it was ten years ago.

After that night we were dating. We started our Tequila Friday tradition. We laughed, and hung out, and had fun. We went up north and I proposed. She said yes. We lived with Carmen to save money. We planned our tiny, odd wedding. I do... I do. We went to Hawaii. We bought a house. We pretended to be adults. We got pregnant. Cancer. And, two days later, a baby. Chemo, diapers, surgery, bottles, radiation, crying. The tumor gone. The baby grew. We suddenly had a toddler. Then it's ten years later. We are still pretending to be adults.

The picture in my head of us rosey cheeked and laughing at the bar seems an apt summary for the whole ten years. Because through it all we have made each other smile, laugh, and enjoy. So tonight we'll go to Ashley's and have a beer. I love you Michele, and I love pretending with you.

This was not my idea...

2010-07-02T05:30:00.002-04:00

Alex got a new toy. Technically she got it a while ago, but yesterday it came out of the box... and into the gargage... I thought it would take a while for her to get the hang of it, but it was only about ten minutes. She has already driven down to Miss Jane's house twice. Miss Jane lives at the end of our block, and has since buying the model to our subdivision in the 50's. The neighborhood kids flock to her for treats, and the adults flock to her for gossip. Now she needs a drive up window.
Who gave her this ridiculous contraption? I'll give you one guess...

Coughing up a lung...

2010-06-29T18:45:00.005-04:00

We are all sick. Have been for a week. Dag-nabbed summer cold. Coughing, hacking, stuffy head. This is the evil look that my lungs are giving me right now...

This is how I feel...

If we could just go one day without having to run through the sprinkler, perhaps we could heal up. Bring on the holiday weekend!

Bourbon...

2010-06-27T13:43:00.006-04:00

After spending a few relaxing days at the cabin hiking and napping, we headed to Lexington, KY for a couple days. Our main activity was Bourbon tours/tastings.

We learned a lot about bourbon, most of which I will not bore you with. But, we saw the grains (at least 51% of which must be corn), and the yeast (closely guarded family recipes in most places), and the water (largely from fresh water springs). Cook all these things up and splash them together in a huge tank and you get Alex's favorite part...

As the yeast eats up the sugar from the grain it burps out gas and bubble, bubble, bubble. From there it is distilled, and distilled again, at which point it is clear and potent (white lighning, white dog, moonshine) Then it's loaded in to new, charred (as in burnned with a hot, hot, flame), ash barrels.
Then they go to the rick house to age for... however long it takes.
Some tours/facilities were nicer than others, but it was pretty cool. We did also manage to bring some home...

What the...

2010-06-26T10:32:00.003-04:00

We have always made a point of talking to Alex like we talk to adults. We have never used a smoodgy-boodgy tone. We explain things the way we might to each other. Sometimes she doesn't understand the words, but that's how you learn. Maybe this practice has contributed to her vocab and communication skills, maybe not.

A couple weeks ago we had the "Apparently I wanted to play" incident. this sort of thing is becoming more normal. She comes up with words that we didn't think she knew, but manages to use them properly... if not sassily. Last week she had her 2-1/2 year well visit with the doc (75th percentile, progressing nicely). The doctor asked a bunch of questions to gauge her cognition, the first of which was, "Are you going back to school after this?". The answer? "Actually, I'm going to Carmen's house!" The doctor was impressed to say the least.

Just a few minutes ago Alex was playing Lego's while I read near by. She always talks to the Legos as she builds and destroys. I was roused from my book when I heard, "What the *frick* is going on?". This is my fault. I have had a difficult time curbing my salty language. Partly because I believe that there are no bad words... words are words and are meant to communicate, and frick comminicates very well thank you. Michele believes that I am crazy/wrong/diluted. I had a talk with her about adult words and children words. She nodded.

All in all, I am happy that she picks things up as quickly as she does. Now if I could just learn to be so aware...

*She did not say frick.

Hiking...

2010-06-25T13:30:00.004-04:00

So, yeah... we went hiking. Sure it was several weeks ago, but just pretend it wasn't. We went to the Hocking Hills region of southern Ohio, and I wish I had a picture of the beautiful, well equipped, luxury three bedroom cabin we rented. It was lush. But I do have pictures from hiking... so here we go.

There were caves...

and cute girls...and scary stairs...
and cool bridges...
and more cute girls...it was not stroller friendly...but it was a good walk...and good practice for Switzerland this fall...
and Alex packed us a lunch that we stopped and ate next to a very nice waterfall...

Saddle up...

2010-06-24T15:15:00.003-04:00

I have no idea what my problem is. Writer's block? Laziness? Something better to do? Whatever it is, I have had a really hard time recently convincing myself to sit down and write on this here blog. It's not that this monkey is no longer interested in dancing for your amusement. It isn't that Alex no longer does cute things. It certainly isn't that we don't have stories to tell. I just can't seem to make myself do it.

So today I am writing about nothing... just to write something. Perhaps it will break me out of my funk to just get something down.

I still haven't even written about our vacation that was nearly a month ago... I'll try. There are plenty of cute pics to drive the story... like this one of Alex taking a break from hiking.

Vacation so far... a list...

2010-06-05T21:37:00.002-04:00

Vacation ends tomorrow, and I don't have the pics downloaded yet... so here is a short list of memorables before I forget.

Three hours in a car is alot with Alex. And she doesn't want to nap.
Our cabin in Ohio was big and beatiful. Alex had a separate bedroom just for napping.
Cabin naps were forced on her by playing with her hair and singing for an hour.
Boxed wine isn't so bad.
Hiking with a toddler in a backpack is not as easy as hiking with a baby in a backpack.
Playdough will get everywhere, no matter how many adults are watching.
S'mores are tasty.
Alex thinks we are going to Arizona next.
We stopped at an outlet mall and shopped for an hour. The registers were down. We were able to buy nothing.
Kentucky is less hilly than southern Ohio.
Bourbon is good. We toured six distilerries.
Alex likes to hold both Bob's and my hand, and yell, "I have two Daddies!!" Kentucky is not the place for this behavior.
Alex loves to sing. Alex sings all day, especially in the car. Her favorite right now is Kumbaya. But she sings, "Kumbaya Mahorn, Kumbaya!" over and over. We giggle.
Tonight Alex ended an excited sentence with, "SUCKAH!!". Michele is mad at me.
Tonight wee went to dinner. Robin ordered a Mojita. They made it with salt instead of sugar. Michele ordered a burger. The bun was moldy. Yes, moldy. We recieved no discount.
Bourbon is good.

More when I have pics. We head home tomorrow.

Pack-pack...

2010-05-28T06:28:00.002-04:00

We have started to practice for our upcoming hiking trips to Hocking Hills and Switzerland. We busted out the baby backpack (or "pack-pack" as Alex calls it). Last week we walked to Washtenaw Dairy to get some ice cream. We were a bit worried that a bigger, more active Alex wouldn't like the ride, but she loved it. Here she demonstrates how it works using her baby doll...

Then Wednesday afternoon she refused to take a nap. After a couple hours of her screaming at me ("But I'm not TIRED!!", "Naps are for BABIES!!"), we decided to hike to the park. This was the first time I tried to load her up without assistance... but after a little fumbling and almost dropping her, she was on and we were walking.

It was hot. I was sweaty. She was singing... we must have been quite a sight. But we made it to the park and she spent an hour swinging and sliding, and hasn't stopped talking about it since.

I may have created a monster...

2010-05-17T14:28:00.003-04:00

This morning Michele took Alex to daycare. They had a conversation that Alex and I have almost everyday... but it concerned Michele a bit.

Alex told her that she was going to play, and then take a nap, and then Papa would pick her up, and then she would have a snack, and then we would walk down and watch the construction. For some reason Michele doesn't think it's healthy for a two year old to plan out her entire day in her head... heck, she doesn't think it's normal that I do it.

Maybe it isn't normal, or even preferred. But who doesn't want to have a plan? Who doesn't want to be prepared? Isn't it possible that it will give her just a little bit more confidence?

Maybe she'll be the perfect combination of retentive (me) and free spirit (Michele).

ABC...

2010-05-16T07:17:00.001-04:00

...FYI...

Garden party...

2010-05-15T15:22:00.002-04:00

With all the rain and cold lately, we have been a little behind on year two of our veggie garden. But this morning was beautiful so we turned this weedy, trampled plot
in to this tilled, trimmed, ready to plant garden
We planted some greens and plan to add tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and more greens next weekend. We also got some herbs that will be going in pots tomorrow. A pretty productive morning! Hopefully we can keep the unwanted visitors to a minimum.

Early morning mayhem...

2010-05-11T07:05:00.002-04:00

Our nephew Maxwell has stayed with us the last two nights while his little brother (Felix!!) was being born. It has been a blast. His bedtime is a little later than Alex's (and mine to be honest), and his wake up routine starts a bit later... but we have all worked together to make it work. Yesterday morning Michele and I got them up and fed them and packed them in two seperate cars, and then met back up at daycare to take them in together... holding hands as usual. It worked out nicely.

This morning was different. Michele had an early meeting and an hour commute. She left before either of the little angel started to stir. So, it was me and two two year olds. Alex woke up and immediately wanted to start harrassing Max. Max is a slow-waker-upper, and spent some time stretching and giving Alex dirty looks for being so energetic. Then we all had breakfast and played a little. Both needed to go potty, so we spent some time discussing the difference between boys and girls (graphically, but with proper medical terminology). Easy peasy.

Until it was time to get cleaned up and dressed up and out the door. You would think that two two year olds is twice the work of one. You would be wrong. There is an exponential multiplier at work... egging each other on. It was like wrangling cats, if cats could giggle, jump, and scream "NO" while still being adorable. It was enjoyably frustrating... because they looked like this:

Eventually I got them both in the car and we danced all the way to TutorTime. It was a hoot, and I don't think I could do it everyday. Good luck Michael & Cheri.

Short story...

2010-05-09T16:56:00.001-04:00

Michele just asked Alex why she didn't take a nap today. The answer?

"Apparently I wanted to play!"

I think we're in trouble.

Bigger girl bed...

2010-05-02T14:19:00.005-04:00

Remember a couple months ago when Alex climbed out of her crib and we had to emergency shop for a big girl bed? Well, we didn't tell the whole story....

She did climb out. She did bonk herself a good one. We did run out and buy a new bed... to pick up the next day. But that night, as Michele went to put the little monkey in her crib, Alex leaned in close and whispered, "Mama, I won't climb out of my crib anymore." Just like that. So we slow played it a little. We eventually took off the front rails to convert her crib to a mini-big girl bed. She dug it. She could climb in and out on her own. But now...

We finally set up the big-big girl bed. The whole thing is a bit surreal. It's a real bed. And, she digs it...
She's taking her first nap in it right now. All grown up...

Sleep tight...

2010-04-28T20:01:00.003-04:00

Two nights ago I didn't get much sleep*. Alex got me up six separate times. She had to pee, she was thirsty, she tottered in to our room carrying a blanket and Mr. Dinosaur Head. But the big one, the one that lasted a while was weird. She was crying, wailing really, and pointing at her bed. "It's there Papa... it's there, get it!"... and I was lost. It was dark and I was recently roused from little slumber. After some soothing and some discussion, it ended up just being the cartoon frogs and ducks on her sheets freaking her out. Long night.

The night before last I didn't get much sleep. Alex got Michele and I up six separate times**. She was thirsty, she was singing, she fell out of bed. But the big one, the one that lasted a while was weird. She was screaming that she needed her other Mr. Dinosaur Head. "Mr. Dinosaur Head is right there honey." But she knew that... she was looking for the other Mr. Dinosaur Head. "There is only one Mr. Dinosaur Head honey." She didn't buy it. Long Night.

Last night Michele and I were talking. She asked me why I was so tired and/or grumpy. I told her I was tired and hadn't gotten much sleep the last two night because the monkey kept waking me up. Alex walked over, touched my knee, and said, "I won't wake you up tonight Papa." And she didn't. And I slept as well as I am capable.

She's the best.

* Michele was sicker than sick!
** Michel was only sick.

Ponies Papa...

2010-04-13T14:17:00.002-04:00

This morning Michele had already left for work when Alex decided that she REALLY wanted "ponies"... that is pigtails. I have avoided this task so far, because my big fat fingers and lack of experience make it all but impossible. But, she really wanted them and we had time to kill, so I tried...

The first attempt, in addition to pulling out a bunch of her hair, was bad enough that I took it out. I then decided that it would be quicker and easier to just give her a ponytail in the back and call it a day. The result was somewhere between Kelly Kapowski with bedhead and the chick from Napoleon Dynamite... cocked to one side, frizzed out and lumpy. She loved it. She looked in the mirror and said, "I'm likin' it Papa!", and wouldn't let me take it out.

When we got to Tutor Time I pleaded with the teacher to please fix it so that Alex wasn't laughed at and summarily refused entrance to forthcoming reindeer games. I also asked her not to make fun of me. She promised to redo the do, and then made fun of me. One out of two ain't bad.

A good Friday...

2010-04-11T17:05:00.003-04:00

On Good Friday we took Alex and her cousin Maxwell to the Toledo Zoo. It was a beautiful day, not that Alex noticed. I'm not sure she noticed many of the animals either. The thing is, Alex has a thing for her cousin. Not that type of thing (I hope), but an unending fascination. She whispers his name when she talks about him just to keep from screaming. She knows that Thursday is the day that he comes over to play and therefore lives life in anticipation of Thursday. She looks at him like some of you once looked at Frank Sinatra, or Jordan Knight, or Justin Bieber. She can stare at him for an hour while he plays with his cars. She can, and she does. He calls her "Baby". And, at least once a day, she stares off in the distance and says, "Max calls me baby all the time."

Which is all just a way of explaining why, instead of an album full of pictures of exotic animals to show for our day in the sun, I have these...

I get it...

2010-04-10T14:28:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I have been slacking off on the blog for a while.

Does this, in any small way, make up for it?

This is the first day that she actually used the pedals to propel herself. I will follow her lead and attempt to, once again, propel the blog.

Go to your room...

2010-03-24T08:04:00.003-04:00

Alexandra is turning into a little person. A little person with little quarbles and little preferences and, every once in a while, a little attitude. This attitude seems to present itself most often in the evening. In that scary time that falls between "this is what I did today" and dinner. It usually starts with some demands and some whining, and then grows and balloons to almost a full blown meltdown. The only solution is "quiet time".

Michele and I call it quiet time. But Alex is rarely quiet. We usually start by telling her that she needs to calm down. "Why don't you spend some time in your room reading?" Then the nesting starts... there are certain conditions that must be met to initiate quiet time.
She must have a blanket to sit on or under. No, not that one... that one.
She must have Mr. Dinosaur Head.
She must have music. No, not the radio... the CD.
She must have natural light. Even if the sun is down, the shades must be open.
And the, most of the time, she will settle in with a pile of books and spend some alone time. She reads the books. She sings along with the CD. She sings random, unrelated songs as she flips through the books. She tells Mr. Dinosaur Head what she did during the day.

It is adorable, and precious, and normally enough time to cook dinner. How long do you think this will last?

Oh, deer...

2010-03-17T13:41:00.002-04:00

A quick follow up to yesterdays post about feeding Alex venison and the possible implied trauma... Here is a rough rehashing of our conversation as we prepared dinner.

What's that?
Meat... we're making it for dinner?
OK. What is it?
Venison. Can you say ven-i-son?
Venison!! What is it?
It's deer... do you know what a deer is?
Lives at Carmen's? (she once saw deer in Carmen's backyard. Like six months ago.)
Yeah, just like that. This is deer.
OK.
Can we eat deer for dinner?
OK.

And that was pretty much that. I am learning that not much fazes her. Next up, rabbit stew!!

When the cat's away...

2010-03-16T09:29:00.002-04:00

Michele is on her way to Alabama for work... she'll be back tomorrow night. When she leaves on these little adventures, my dinners fall in to one of three distinct categories:

Whatever Alex wants (ie waffles, pancakes, or grilled cheese)
Leftovers
Something Michele won't eat

Tonight will be a #3... there are venison steaks (lovingly provided by my brother-in-law) marinating in the fridge right now. Michele is not a fan of game. I am excited for the experiment (I invented the soy, garlic, ginger marinade employing nothing but whimsy), but here is the question...

When Alex invariably asks me, "What is it?", do I tell her?

Sick-o...

2010-03-12T08:59:00.002-05:00

I am at home with a sick little one today. Not really sick sick... just a slight fever. She is acting fine and keeps telling me that she is not sick anymore, probably because she wants to go outside. She's a hoot.

When she was teeny tiny it was easy to work from home. You could plunk her down someplace and go about your business. Then one day this happened...

...and things got tougher. I work from home a couple days a week, and I found myself getting up at 4am just to get some stuff done. That and naptime were my only opportunities. The rest of the time she was all over me.

But today? Today she has been a pleasure (knock on wood - it's early). She is upstairs reading by herself while I work. Earlier she colored at the desk next to mine while I worked. Before that she played "Ring Around the Rosie" around my chair while I worked. The only interruptions coming when she needs to go potty. I could get used to this.

Bullets...

2010-03-10T06:30:00.002-05:00

A short list of items that probably deserve their own post, but won't be getting one...

The other day, while we were cooking dinner, Alexandra told me that she doesn't eat meat. "Are you a vegetarian?" I asked. "Yeah... tarian." Well, I guess that's that.
Michele has an iPhone. That is to say, Michele and Alex share an iPhone. Alex doesn't watch television, but can pick up the iPhone, unlock it, scroll past several pages of apps, open the one she wants (animal/letter flashcards), and start to learn. I used to think there was no way that my kids would be as far advanced technologically as we were to our parents. Now I think we're doomed.
Lately when Alex is crying, be it from sadness or pain, she wails a description at the top of her lungs. "I'm cryyyyying!! I'm cryyyyying!!", "I'm too sad!! I'm too sad!!" I defy you to be sad with her when she does this... I defy you not to laugh.
Alexandra has gotten very good at describing things recently. What she did. What she plans to do. And then, the last couple days, she will end a lengthy explanation with "I thought about it." Like, "I don't eat meat, I play Mama's phone, after I'm crying... I thought about it." I have no idea where this came from... but it's adorable.

Four minutes...

2010-03-05T04:37:00.003-05:00

Construction has started on Stadium just at the end of our block that will last through the summer and into the fall. Traffic is down to one lane, going one direction... and that direction is away from Ann Arbor proper. So, if we are going anywhere not in the direction of the highway (Downtown, Trader Joe's, Carmen's, etc), we have to go around a long convoluted path through the neighborhoods. It has added four minutes to 20% of our trips. It has stolen four minutes from our lives. On time is late for me... this is a problem.

But the bigger issue, and one I hadn't anticipated, is Alex. Say I inform her that we are going to Trader Joe's (BALLOONS!!). We pack up and get in the car and... turn right out of the drive. Her face crumples up. Her teeth nash. "Trader Joe, Papa... Trader Joe!!" At two she has a better sense of direction than me and she knows which way we are supposed to go. "Not likin' it, Papa... not likin' it!"

Just wait... tomorrow morning when we head for Afternoon Delight (every Saturday morning ritual), and turn the wrong way, she is going to flip. Perhaps we can practice counting to four.

Overdue cute...

2010-03-03T05:12:00.004-05:00

A couple weekends ago Maxwell hung out with us for a whole day and night. We had some fun plans and hoped that his rock star potty skills would rub off on Alexandra (and it appears they did). We started our Saturday with a few hours at Jungle Java. Though a bit reluctant at first, I think Max had a good first trip to the craziness (Alex jumped right in to lead the way). By the end, he gave it a big thumb's up.

After some lunch and a nap (for all of us) we headed to the petting farm. It was a bit cold to be outside, but that kept the crowds away. There was only one woman working and she was basically our personal tour guide. The hit of the show for the little ones was definitely the one day old piglets.
Max was not about to feed the goats even after Alex managed to do it and not lose a limb...
...perhaps it was the goat with the glowing green eyes that freaked him out?
Then it was back home for dinner, Legos, cars, reading and potty practice. They really wanted to sleep in the same bed... but that would have made for a long night.
We were all up early the next morning and headed out in the cold for breakfast...
...and then to the market (where they both clearly wanted some "cheese").
Finally we handed him off to Ro and Carmen and collapsed for a long nap. The weekend was a blast and we had a ton of fun with Max and with the combo of kids. That said, I think we might be happy with a spoiled only child for now...

All aboard the potty train...

2010-03-01T19:14:00.003-05:00

It isn't fully official yet, but we think that Alex might be potty trained. We have been passively working on it for a few months now... getting her used to the potty, used to panties, used to figuring out what the sensation of "I gotta go". She has gone in the potty. She has modeled the panties. But she also had accidents and preferred diapers (including saying, "no, not a big girl... I'm a baby!).

But then Friday we put her in big girl panties and she used the potty a couple times on her own schedule. Saturday had no mishaps and a bunch of potty trips (including at the mall). Sunday flew by with no issues and heavy potty action (including at breakfast and at my sisters house). So today we sent her to daycare wearing a pullup and... no accidents!! Four potty trips (in a room full of kids who are not fully trained). The only wet diaper she has had since Friday is from when she woke up yesterday morning.

I think she gets it. And I get one more thing that I hoped for and regret at the same time.

Lost and found...

2010-02-24T17:52:00.002-05:00

Another snowy day, and there was work to do. We headed outside and shoveled the drive, the walks, the porch. I was exhausted. I looked up and... panic! Where is Alex?!?

Ah, snap... she was right under my nose. Sneaky little bugger.

Bound for an exotic land...

2010-02-23T14:55:00.002-05:00

Michele is at the airport headed for Iowa. She is just going overnight (some worky, car interior thingy) and will be home late tomorrow. She used to travel for work all the time. It was normal. Then we grew a baby, grew and dismissed a tumor, and settled in a bit. Now it feels anything but normal. Which leads me to this story...

A couple months ago Michele was offered a chance to interview for a three year assignment to work overseas. We have always said that this is something we are down for. Finite change of pace and a lifetime of stories. We weaved tales over glasses of wine about our crazy ex-pat lives in Germany or Brazil or Mexico. They offered Korea.

The timing is perfect because Alex would be back in time to start school. When will we ever be so free again? I couldn't work (no visa), but is that really a problem? I'm lazy anyway. But Korea?

We had to think and talk about it for a couple weeks. And do you know what finally made up my mind? Not the isolation, or the language barrier, or the smog, food, or people. It was that Michele would have to travel, a lot, to other parts of that part of the world. I could go anywhere, live anywhere, with Michele and Alex... but I have no desire to live with less Michele.

So she passed, and we are mitten-bound for the forseeable future. But, rest assured, if Australia comes knocking we are out of here.

Winter Wonderland...

2010-02-18T15:06:00.002-05:00

Last week we finally got some real snow. Alex was excited to get out and enjoy it... until she realized that meant helping me shovel at 6:30am. But, after the work was done, we did do some playing. She walked through the snow drifts, sat on snow piles, sledded off the two foot high porch, made snow angels, and jumped off the bench *splat* in the snow. She had a blast... so did Michele and I.

Don't want to...

2010-02-08T15:37:00.002-05:00

Alex is struggling. Which means we are struggling.

She switched to a new room at daycare at the beginning of the year... Twaddlers. It is the way station between Toddlers (see: toddlers) and Preppers (see: Preparing for Pre-school). She knows most of the little ones in there and her best friends are there with her. She should love it.

The first week they told us that she was having a tough transition. She was having trouble getting to sleep and crying. She was asking where Pap was, where Mama was. It sucks hearing that. But she was fine at drop off and fine at pick up. Just a phase.

Then she started saying that she didn't want to go. "Don't want to Papa." We still drop her off at Toddlers because Twaddlers opens later. This might be part of the problem... being dropped off someplace comfortable and then dragged away an hour later. She was getting better they said. She wasn't crying anymore... they said.

Thursday I dropped her off, and it was the normal routine. Put away her stuff in Twaddlers, went to Toddlers, set her up with a snack, chatted up the teacher, big kiss, have fun today. I walk out the door and turned back to wave through the window as always. And greeting me was the saddest little face I have ever seen. Tears to make a crocodile blush. Red face, mouth agape, sobbing. And I did what I never do, I went back in. I held her and told her it would be alright and she said, "I want you Papa, I want go home Papa" over and over again. I finally had to just give her a kiss and leave because the alternative was to scoop her up and run out the door and never come back. It was heart breaking.

I hope it gets better, because it can't get much worse than that.

Little Miss...

2010-02-02T19:07:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned that Alex has most of her favorite nursery rhymes memorized? It's true. To me, this makes her an extraordinary, brilliant, freakishly smart two year old. I may be a little biased. She knows Ba Ba Black Sheep, Humpty Dumpty... a bunch. Usually she won't let me record her reciting them (even though she does it constantly). But I must have caught her in a giving mood last week...

Seven years ago today...

2010-02-01T14:24:00.002-05:00

...I married my best friend. I don't know where I would be without her, but it wouldn't be here. It wouldn't be at home. It wouldn't be with our baby. It wouldn't be happy and comfortable and optimistic. It would be happy every morning when I wake up and have a partner to run through life with.

Happy anniversary Michele. I love you.

Only, funniest joke...

2010-01-30T14:49:00.003-05:00

Alex thinks she's funny. I'm sure many of you think that I "think" that I'm funny... but that's neither here nor there. Alexandra thinks she's funny and likes to let you know about it. She'll smile. Hard. A smile with teeth bared and tongue protruding and head cocked that says, "seriously? Are you seeing this?"

She has one favorite "joke". She calls it her "only, funniest joke". It started a while back, but has gained momentum. Now, every time she puts her coat on (every. time. she. puts. her. coat. on!), she has to do the joke first. When you hold the coat up for her to place her arms inside she makes a move to put it on backwards. Then the head cocks. Then the smile. And the look. The only, funniest joke...
She does this every time and it never loses any steam... to her. I wish I could be so pleased with myself several times every day.

I think Alex is feeling better...

2010-01-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

...because this is happening in the basement right now.

Getaway...

2010-01-20T12:23:00.004-05:00

Michele is clearly never going to tell you all about her trip last weekend to Arizona. So I have decided to just post some of her pics and make up my own synopsis (ruthlessly plagiarized)... please feel free to invent your own story as well.

Michele and Jen play Thelma and Louise, two working-class (riiight) friends who together have planned a weekend getaway from the men in their lives. Thelma's husband, Darryl (Wes), is an ~~overbearing oaf~~ swell fella, and Louise's boyfriend, Jimmy (Adam), simply will not ~~commit~~ stop being great. Though the road trip starts out as a good time, the pair eventually wind up at a spa. A tipsy Thelma ends up in the parking lot of the spa with a would-be masseuse. Louise ~~shoots~~ tips the man ~~dead~~. The two decide that they have no choice but to go on the run. They eventually meet up with a young criminal named J.D. (Brad Pitt), whose cowboy spirit rubs off on the timid Thelma. The pair is pursued by a police officer (Harvey Keitel) sympathetic toward their plight. He chases them to the resort bar, where the women make a fateful decision about their lives. They hold hands, close their eyes… and order another drink.

Here we go again...

2010-01-19T07:18:00.002-05:00

After a weekend of Alex being sick (while Michele was away in Arizona of course) I finally had enough and took her to the doctor yesterday. She had a fever for the fourth straight day and her breathing was off. Diagnosis: RSV. Again.

So we are the proud new owners of a nebulizer (to give her breathing treatments). We rented one last year, but the doc seems to think that this will keep happening.

The treatments help, and make her a little more comfortable. She (we) haven't had much rest the last four days, beginning with her throwing up on my bare chest at three in the morning on Saturday, Hopefully better breathing leads to better sleep which leads to quicker recovery and heightened sanity. We'll see.

Too long for bullets, too short for posts...

2010-01-14T13:19:00.004-05:00

A short list of items that probably should get their own post, but won't:

Alex, if you pretend that the number five does not exist, can count to thirteen.

Alex knows many nursery rhymes (including Humpty Dumpty, Little Miss Muffet, Bah Bah Black Sheep, etc) by heart.

Alex will not perform either of the previous bullet items on camera. Instead she starts them and then yells, "Mama!!!". She thinks she is funny.

Michele leaves tomorrow to spend a much deserved weekend of pampering in Arizona with her friend Jen.

Alex got her hair cut.

Michele and I have each lost 10+ pounds since the new year began. Is this more a testament to our revisited resolve and healthy living, or the gluttony of the previous five weeks? Toss up.

Alex. Can. Sing.

2yr data...

2010-01-08T13:08:00.005-05:00

Today was Alexandra's two year well visit with the pediatrician. This morning I was talking to her about going to the doctor. I asked her what she would say to the the doctor and she said, "Hello doctor!". Then I asked her what she thought the doctor would say to her... "No, no monkeys jumpin' on da bed!", she grumbled in a stern, low voice. Hee. Hee.

First we had to dig ourselves out...

After that work was done (good thing she was there to do the heavy lifting), we headed to the appointment. The doc was super pleased. Measurements tracking perfectly (35", 28lbs). Motor skills top rate. Vocabulary impressive. "Be patient with potty training, she's young." "Picky eating is the norm, lighten up." She said that Alex is advanced and brilliant and beautiful. Yay!

Then there were a couple shots. Boo! but, she took it like a champ. A few seconds of freaked out crying, but then she was quickly more interested in the band-aids (she loves band-aids, go figure) and the animal crackers offered up as a sacrifice.

She was asking for music to dance to before we got out of the parking lot, and sleeping before we hit the highway. Bring on the terrible twos.

Emergency shopping...

2010-01-04T13:57:00.004-05:00

One of our many New Year's resolutions is to be a little bit more calculating with our cash. We are trying to pay more attention and budget a little better... watch the pennies and hope the dollars take care of themselves. Until yesterday when we ran out on zero notice to shop for a "big girl bed". Why the hurry?

We have been talking about it for a while... but keep saying, "so long as she is happy and not climbing out of the crib, so be it". Then yesterday it was nap time. That is, Michele and I thought it was nap time. Alex thought it was sing-play-talk-dance-in-the-crib time. We were in the basement watching football (snogging) while she happily fought slumber. Then came the loudest, most horrific crash followed by a scream...

That's right, she climbed up and out of her crib. From what we can tell she dangled over the edge and attempted to traverse the precipitous divide to get to her dresser. Instead she rocked her eye on the corner of said furniture and tumbled the four feet to the floor. She was scared beyond belief, as were we, but seems to have only recieved a knot on her eye from the incident.

So we went shopping for a bed, in a rush. She got lots of hugs from us, and then we went to Adrian and she got even more from her cousins. Hopefully she learned her lesson... but she's fearless and I doubt it.

Time flies...

2010-01-01T12:37:00.005-05:00

Alex was born by C-section. Michele had labored for a couple days and progress stopped, so the plan had to change. Since she was strapped down, and they had snatched away the baby to work on her, Michele's first good look at Alexandra (though we weren't sure at the moment that was her name) was this pic on the tiny screen of our tiny camera...And then somehow, two years have passed and she looks like this...She is a person, and a princess, and a big girl. She sings songs and dances to the radio and is fascinated with her elbows. She had cake on her birthday, but prefers ice cream. She had balloons and was in wonderment. She is growing up before our eyes and there is nothing we can do about it.

Happy New Year everybody. Take your time and enjoy life this year.

Holiday recital...

2009-12-18T13:55:00.004-05:00

Alexandra's daycare is run like a school. The sitters are teachers. There are conferences and book sales and daily report cards. In this vain, last night was the Holiday Recital. Each class, from infants to kindergarten, sang songs and danced.

We skipped this function last year. "What could infants do that is worth going out in the cold?" It. Was. A. HOOT! From start to finish it was entertaining. It took Alex some time to warm up, but about half way through she decided that it was HER show.

Here, in it's three minute entirety, is the "Toddler" portion of the show (Alex is in the middle in a red dress)...

By the end, she was so tired that she could barely function...
Happy Holidays!!!

Hey internets!!...

2009-12-16T09:26:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to check in and let everybody know that we are, in fact, still alive. We have been having some computer issue of late which have not allowed us to download any pics from our camera. Since most of our post inspiration comes from adorable pics/vids of Alex, it has been an issue. I would also like to offer the following lame excuses:

We've been busy Christmas shopping
Alex is a pill
It's cold
We lost power for 12ish hours last Wednesday night and became squatters for a night
We are trying to convince Alex that "one, two, six, eight", while cute, is incorrect
We'd rather drink
Alex outgrows her shoes every two days necessitating mas shopping
We went to Suttons Bay for the weekend and drank too much wine
We're not sure anybody still reads this thing
We're lazy

Hopefully we can get back in the swing moving forward... what have you been up to?

Happy Michele-day...

2009-11-30T17:28:00.002-05:00

Today is Michele's birthday, and she rocks... so we took the day off to celebrate. She and I had a leisurely breakfast and then did some shopping this morning. Then, with some help from Robin and I, she collected a free cannoli from Gratzi, a free Car Bomb from Conor O'Neill's, A free cupcake from Cake Nouveau, a free tea from Teahaus, and a free pint glass from Jolly Pumpkin (we ran out of steam before we could get 6 free bagels from Zingerman's).

This "birthday crawl" may become a tradition...

2009-11-26T05:12:00.002-05:00

Up, at 'em early,
the turkey is brining
polishing stemware
for Pisco and wining

clean up some dishes
some junk finds a home
then sitting for breakfast:
some coffee and scones

more cleaning lightly
and early food prepping
onion/garlic peeling
ingredient schlepping

off to the telly
where floats will be floating
and inevitably soon
some cheese-headed gloating

finish off cooking,
sauteing, and mashing
then sit 'round the table
for story rehashing

some pie, some cheesecake,
another drink if you wish
reminiscing, still stuffed,
of the best received dish

then off for some slumber,
or restlessly turnin'
with belly still sloshing
with gravy and bourbon.

Though we wish you could,
you can't all be here drinking,
so we'll just have to settle
for long distance clinking...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I think I mentioned this before...

2009-11-25T12:29:00.004-05:00

I am not handy. I am not good with my hands, good with tools, or good around the house (unless you count cooking). I am the kind of useless sort that would rather hire a guy than take the chance at embarrassment.

But I still have to do some things just to keep my man card. So last weekend I broke down and finally replaced the faulty breaker in the basement (mostly because the short had stolen the sweet, sweet internets). Electricity makes me nervous, and so it took a fair bit of encouragement form Michele. But I did it.... and I lived. Yea me.

Perhaps it was this tiny, simple, expectable victory that lead to my demise. Yesterday I went to help Bob on the latest phase of his ridiculously large garage. We were framing walls... which is to say that I carried things where people pointed and held things in place. Most of the day went without incident and I was feeling good (dun dun dun). Toward the end of my servitude my thumb ended up in the wrong place, at the wrong time, on the wrong end of a pneumatic nailer (do not click this link!). According to the doctor it would have been much better if it went through my thumb (!!!). Instead, it entered near the tip and went in to about the knuckle. C'est la vie.

Now, not only do I know for sure that I'm not handy, but I'm down a hand for turkey prep. Two thumbs up from Ann Arbor... just don't look too close at the left one.

Perfection...

2009-11-24T19:19:00.003-05:00

Tonight Michele and I went to parent/teacher conferences for Alexandra... that's right, she is not yet two. While this seemed like a silly affair, we went because she is changing rooms soon (moving up to Twaddlers) and we thought we could get some info. Man am I glad we went!

All of my feelings and assumptions were confirmed. She is brilliant. She is adorable. She is advanced and loving and perfect. They said she is a pleasure and helps lead the other toddlers. She has a remarkable vocabulary, understands an astonishing amount of words, and is a great influence on the younger ones who are just learning to talk. Oh yeah, and she is fearless.

Maybe all the little brats get this kind of glowing review, but I prefer to think that she is just the best baby ever. She's perfect.

Pork free cardio...

2009-11-20T07:59:00.002-05:00

Pop's surgery went well and everything is on track. Triple bypass. Replaced some aorta. Decided not to replace the valve with piggy parts because it was working just fine (and I had so many swine jokes saved up). They may even move him out of ICU today if all goes well.

Thanksgiving indeed.

Waiting...

2009-11-19T15:54:00.002-05:00

My dad went in for triple bypass sugery a couple hours ago... so we are just sitting around waiting. A few random thoughts to pass my time:

He was in good spirits and joining in on the swine jokes this morning (he is getting some piggy parts put in his heart along with some veins harvested from elsewhere in his body).
Apparently my nephew was worried about "Papa's broken heart" the other day. Ahhh.
Hospitals don't feel strange to me anymore. I guess anything can be normal if you endure it enough.
Thanksgiving plans for the Harrington clan are up in the air for now. Six grandkids might not be the best for the rest he needs.
Toledo Hospital staff has been hanging holiday decorations all around us... it'd not even Thanksgiving.
Everything's gonna be alright.

My little helper...

2009-11-16T07:39:00.002-05:00

Alex loves to help in the kitchen. And by help, I mean stand and watch you work. I think she would rather watch me do dishes than play with any toy she has. There are times that the only threat/bribe that will work is the ability to stand and watch me chop onions.

Every time Michele or I go to the kitchen to do dishes, cook, make coffee, etc Alex is right behind us. She'll run to the dining nook and grab a chair and start noisily sliding it into the kitchen. "Dishes, dishes!", she says, regardless of the task at hand. I guess it's the little things that thrill them sometimes.

But, we have found out, a wooden dining chair is not the safest perch for little feet. She's fallen off, run over her toe, and almost tipped it over almost every day. So we finally broke down and did something about it. Thanks to a suggestion from our friend Megan, we got Alex a Learning Tower.

Call it a Christmas morning dry run. We assembled it after she went to sleep Friday. When she woke up Saturday morning we ushered her toward the kitchen and it took her about two seconds to figure out what it was for. She ran over and climbed up and made this face...

No more chair, no more peril, no more impending doom. This may be our best baby purchase yet.

Try and shrug it off...

2009-11-03T14:40:00.004-05:00

I don't know if it is a growing spurt, normal two year old stuff, or the reckless abandon with which she throws herself at life, but Alex seems a little clumsy lately. In the last week she has:

tripped on a shoelace and fallen face-first
fallen off a chair
pulled a chair down on top of herself
slipped off a stepping stool
tipped off the stairs
hit herself in the face with a volleyball
and fallen off the toilet

Not necessarily in that order... and not necessarily just once each.

I am always so proud that a hug, a kiss, and sometimes a little attention from BooBooBunny calm her quickly, but, seriously, she is going to have to slow it down.

UPDATE: to the bullets just from this morning...

dropped a book on her toe
stepped on a Lego-man named Pepe
stood up, while under the table, banging her head (at least three seperate times)

Sheesh.

A tale with two tails...

2009-10-31T12:51:00.003-04:00

The lion and the dragon were having a terrible feud. The only meaningful conversation that they could muster was screaming "MINE" at each other from across the room. They were really at each others throats...

Though they had once been very close, an argument over a car had driven them apart. They found that they couldn't even look at each other...

Finally, after being forced to break bread (grilled cheese) together, the lion and the dragon realized the error of their way. Cars are fun... but much more fun when you play together. A hand extended for a shake quickly became a long overdue embrace...

And then they co-authored a self help/relationship book with a focus on conflict resolution called "Roar Fire". They went on a national speaking tour...The end.

Happy Halloween!

Lellow Boon...

2009-10-29T07:02:00.002-04:00

Alex is getting better with colors... but it's hard to tell. She knows them. I'm telling you she knows blue. She is familiar with purple. She has intimate knowledge of red. Orange is a seasonal favorite. But damned if she still doesn't say "lellow" every single time you ask her what color something is.

"What color is that car Alex?"
"Lellow."
"Alex... what color is it?"
"Lellow."
"Come on."
"Boo." (Blue)

See, she knows. She knows. But, while at first I think she was just repeating "color", which she pronounced at the time the same as "yellow", I'm pretty sure now she is a jokester. She has decided that it's funny to say yellow every time. Or it's her default. Or some combination thereof. But the point is, she knows.Yesterday we went to Trader Joe's. She loves Trader Joe's. Bread, cereal, bananas, and cheese are harvested there and these are a few of her favorite things. But above all this, there are balloons. She loves balloons. She loves to play with them, and she seems to love the responsibility built in to a toy that is ever trying to escape. As soon as we walk in the chorus of "boon, boon, boon" starts. But here's the thing... balloons come in colors.

When it comes time to check out, I head not for the shortest line, but for the line with yellow balloons. Not because it's her favorite, she tends not to care. No, I go there so that when the nice man/woman undoubtedly asks, "what color balloon would you like honey?" she can confidently say "LELLOW!", and everybody wins.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer...

2009-10-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

Today was the walk that we have been nagging you about, and it was pretty cool. We got up early and dressed Alex in enough layers of pink to annoy My Pretty Pony..Then Robin managed to get up early and join us, even though she was out rocking a crazy (literally) concert last night...It was cold, but we were happy to be there for a little three mile walk with a huge group of excited people...
The walk started slow because there were thousands of people on small park paths. Luckily everyone was happy and cheering and smiling at Alex. Despite the cold, and not wanting to ride in the stroller, I think Alex had a good time people watching. We learned some timing and positioning lessons that we should be able to put to good use next year... wanna join us?

We got a bit of a late jump on the fund raising aspect of this fundraiser, but as ever our friends and families proved to be generous, caring, and understanding. We raised over $1700 in just a couple weeks and are so grateful to you all that we offer, as a token, this video of Alex dancing in the car on the way home from the walk...

Thank you and ROCK'N ROLL!!!

It will be cold, give me your money...

2009-10-16T09:50:00.002-04:00

Okay people, this is your last chance to step up. Tomorrow we are walking in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer thingy. Follow this link *bing* and donate to a worthy cause. Because after tomorrow I will post adorable/touching/heartening photos from the walk, and then you will feel bad. I'm just trying to look out for you here...

From Hair

Poop peas...

2009-10-14T07:04:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we finally had some time, some patience, and some panties and hunkered down to start actively potty training Alexandra. We have been passively working on it for about a month, just talking to her about it and sitting her there from time to time. But Saturday, armed with six "big girl" panties, we spent the day doing a lot of this...

...and not always in time. We were doing laundry by noon because all the panties, a couple outfits, and the floor got a good soaking.

The good news is that she has taken to the idea of it, if not the tangible practice. We spend a great deal of time sitting in the bathroom, though little happens other than reading. She asks to go often ("poop peas")... usually right after she has gone. But she is getting it, and she likes it.

The bad news is that I have been broken down and see no way around using two of my less favorite words: potty & panties. I fought for toilet, I pushed for undies. I may have even had Michele convinced. But every book, friend, teacher, grandmother, and song we encounter cheerfully says "take off your panties and use the potty!", so what am I going to do?