- woke up screaming this morning. When she finally calmed down, she told me that her bed had jumped up and down and there were “scary things” in her sheets. She didn’t elaborate on the scary things then, but later when we phoned Daddy at work so she could tell him, she mentioned something about butterflies. I’m not sure if butterflies were the scary thing in her dream or what the connection was since he loves butterflies and often pretends to be one.

She was also burning up, poor girl.

She asked for tylenol, and it seemed to help, but she still has a bit of a fever. It’s almost time for a second dose, but we brought her pillow and her favorite blanket out so she could be comfy on the coutch while watching DVDs, and she pulled them down to the floor where she is now fast asleep as The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (”Pooh Bear’s Blue Balloon Movie” in the household vernacular) plays on.

And my poor little boy… he had to go in for his needles yesterday afternoon, and he was quite the unhappy little boy most of the night. I had thought it was the needles, but now I’m wondering if it wasn’t just that he is getting a bit sick too and I hadn’t noticed yet. He’s back to being his normal happy self this morning though, other than having a bit of a stuffed up nose.

We were planning to take Munchkin swimming tomorrow. I was even considering taking the Baby Bear in too for his first swim (usually M takes Munchkin while Baby Bear and I stay home, these days). And then there was so much I wanted to get done around the house. Now I’m thinking, so much for those plans.

I hate it when my poor little babies. On the other hand, one small selfish part of me is glad that Munchkin is sleeping on the floor at the moment instead of bouncing around and wanting me to play with her and take her places, because I am just so tired. Sick kids at night are a horror, but sick kids during the day can be a bit restful, at times.

Just to watch Clinton give Fox the smackdown!

Transcript is here.

My parents’ car just pulled away.  It will take them about twenty hours of driving spread over two days to get home.

Munchkin is sitting on the floor watching tv for the first time since last Saturday.  Baby Bear is on the floor too playing with his toys.

Nothing is really different than it was a week or two weeks or a month ago.  Yet somehow my home seems very lonely today.

Tonight we took advantage of my parents’ presence to leave the kids at home and go out to dinner just us for the first time in, oh, about forever.  It was great.  We could actually talk without constant interuptions!
We’d thought of going someplace nice, but alas, I still can’t fit in to any of my nice clothes, and I’m not willing to buy new nice clothes when they would be too big (I hope) long before I got the chance to wear them again.
So we went to Boston Pizza primarily because I was craving their spinach artichoke dip.  I was a little worried that they wouldn’t have it due to the current spinach scare, but I figured it was probably well cooked spinach from frozen spinach or canned spinach, not fresh, so surely they would.  And even if they didn’t, they could just leave the spinach out and make me an artichoke dip, right?

Alas, not so.  They were too scared to serve it, and it came premade, so they couldn’t just leave out the spinach.  What a dissapointment.  And the worst is, I’m still craving the darn stuff.  If I’d known, we would have gone someplace where it was easier to find something vegan, because if I’m going to cheat it should be for something worthwhile rather than just for the mediocre vegetarian lasagne I ended up ordering.  I’d been so good lately, too.

And so to console myself, and because we were sans children, I ordered a coffee drink off their drinks menu.  I think they put about four shots in it.  At least I’m telling myself that, beause the alternative is embarassing, but about halfway into it I could definately feel the affects and by the time I’d finished two thirds I decided that I better stop there and it was a good thing I wasn’t the one driving because it didn’t feel as if it would be legal or safe.  Nevermind that it didn’t taste as if it had that much alcohol in it and M telling me that there is no way it had more than one shot for that price.

Meh, I guess I’m just a cheap date.  See what years of not drinking will do to you?

Someday we might even have to find a local babysitter - scary thought! - so we can do this more often.

Whee!

First they were supposed to leave Monday.  Then the cat got sick.  Then the person who was supposed to house sit backed out of it.  Then there was talk of just sending my father up on a plane since he hasn’t met the little baby bear yet.

Then things got better and there was the plan to leave on Wednesday and drive over through Yellowstone for a few days before heading up here.  But then there was the forcast for snow in Yellowstone and the procrastination and confusion and my poor stressed out mother, and nothing was clear.

But they left yesterday, so that makes it real

I got a call that from them this morning that they have decided to visit Yellowstone, so they will be here Saturday sometime instead of tonight, which is of the good because my house is still such a mess.  Must get it clean before Mom shows up to criticize.

But I’m happy their coming, so all is of the good.

And Munchkin is quite excited.  She keeps talking about making a cake because I told her back on her birthday that we could make another cake when Grandma and Grandpa came and pretend it’s her birthday again since they just missed that.

But now I’m a bit worried about them because it is a long drive and it’s supposed to snow and they still don’t have a cell phone.

But they do have a nifty new car since I last saw them - a Toyota Prius hybrid - so I’m quite excited to see that as well.

Just a few days left to clean…

To the nice Grandmother I chatted with at playgroup the other day:

I enjoyed chatting with you. I thought it was nice of you to come along with your daughter and grandchildren. But I’m sort of hoping you don’t come to any other events.

See, I thought quite highly of you up until it happened. There I was in the public restroom taking my daughter over to the sink to wash her hands when you breezed in, entered a stall, took care of your business, and breezed right out again.

Did you think I would’t notice? Did you think about it at all? I mean, I understand that out of laziness or something some people just can’t be bothered to wash their hands, but to demonstrate this in front of a witness? A witness who isn’t quite a complete stranger and who you will probably run into again from time to time since you are a part of the same group?

Have you no shame at all?

Just please don’t touch my kids. Or, you know, touch anything they might touch. Just don’t touch anything at all.

Thanks.

Signed,

So Not Going To Shake Your Hand

Labor day has come and gone and other people’s children have gone back to school.  Leaves are still green but the days are getting shorter and oh, summer, where did you go?  Soon it will be cold again.

Yesterday afternoon/evening we went up to the legislature grounds to wade in the fountains for what will most likely be the last time this year.  Munchkin had great fun and splashed with abandon before demanding ice cream.  Getting ice cream just before leaving the fountain is an unfortunate tradition we started the first time we went there and kept up because she expected it and we couldn’t bear to dissapoint her.  It will not be continued next year - I’m hoping that she will have forgotten by then. I wish the ice cream cart was a little farther away and not right there where it was impossible to miss.

In one of the best areas for wading, there are these raised parts with little bubbling pools in them.  I see little babies sitting with their legs in them all the time and it’s so cute, so yesterday I brought a swim diaper for Baby Bar and stuck his toes in.  Alas, the water was too cold, and he would have none of it.  But he did enjoy riding around in the sling while we chased after Munchkin.

I saw something sad though too.  There was this couple - at least I thought they were a couple at first - fighting rather loudly and publically in an argument rather liberally laced with variations of the word “fuck” all the while the woman was holding a little girl who couldn’t have been more than eighteen months.  Now I don’t know if he was the father or just a concerned friend, but apparently they weren’t together, because part of the argument was about how there she stood with her little girl in her arms and yet she’s taking up with a bank robber again.  And I have to wonder did they mean someone who litterally robbed banks?

Despite the language and the public airing of dirty laundry, I sort of liked the man, just because he seemed so concerned about the little girl.  And the woman looked so lost - I felt bad for her.  And that poor little girl…

How do people let themselves get into things like that?

And why do people go to beautiful places and stink it up with their foul cigarette smoke?  Especially with their small children standing righ there?

Oh, and a note to all parents: if you have a young child and there is any possibility that you will be visiting a public fountain or water park, please keep a swim diaper in your diaper bag or car or something.  Because seriously, kids going in naked but for their underwear is one thing, but soggy disposable diapers so full of fountain water that they are practically dragging the child down are just disgusting.

As we sat on the grass eating our ice cream just before we left, I watched a little boy toddle around (thankfully properly dressed) and it struck me that the next time we go there, my Baby Bear will be big like that and most likely walking, and I’ll most likely never have a little baby ever again.  It just doesn’t seem fair somehow that everything has to be so linear.