Everybody's Talkin' At Me

I realized that I forgot some of Jack's words from the last list. Others include:

Out
Down
I don't know (often said with his palms facing skywards, shoulders shrugged)

And this weekend, he added three new words to his vocabulary! Jack can now say:

Knee
Bus
Okay

It is really amazing to see how much he is learning and developing. Think how long it took him to get that first word, and now he's got three new ones in just two days. Very cool.

I can also really see his gross motor skills developing. Was it just this spring that we had to watch Jack on the playground when he went from the mulch to the pavement? He'd inevitably fall down making the transition. Now he runs all over the place, completely carefree. I took him to a different neighborhood park on Sunday (to stave off a change into Tantro The Destroyer). All by himself, he went up the stairs on to the big jungle gym, across the bridge, and down the big tube slide. He was absolutely delighted with himself.

There is a song on one of Jack's Sesame Beginnings DVDs that I find myself singing to him often.

You did something new today
Hooray, hooray, hooray!
You went down the slide today
Hooray, hooray, hooray!
You did something very new
And Mommy's very proud of you
Hooray, hooray, hooray!

Something to talk about

Jack is learning more and more words lately, so it seemed like a fun time to jot down all of the words he knows right now. I'll try to remember them all.

More (Jack's first word)
Uh-oh (frequently used, a very practical word for Jack)
Dada
Mama (often interchangeable with Dada)
Elmo
Jack (pronounced "DACK!")
Bye-bye (sometimes "buh-bye")
No
Yes (pronounced very carefully)
Yeah
Yay
Wow
Bubbles
Ball
Cookie (pronounced "Go-key" and refers to either the treat or the monster)
Oh, no! (accompanied with Home Alone-style hands on face)
Apple
Alligator
Cracker
Bobo (Jack's pet name for Roary)
Eye (often accompanied by a chubby finger poking at one's eye)
Nose
Kermit (I swear, I've heard it three times)
That ("dat")
Airplane
Agua
Bottle
Baby
Ouch
Ow
What ("wha dat?")
Where ("Wha Bobo?")
Car ("gar")
Mommy
Hi

Do animal noises count? We also have:
Moo! (which apparently pigs also say)
Rar! (word of choice for tigers, lions, and dinosaurs)
Quack! (Ack! Ack!)
Neigh!
Baaa!
'Ow! (what kitties say)
Arf, arf!

Welcome, Riley!

I have a new nephew! Riley Davis Broadhurst was born last night and weighs in at a petite nine pounds, six ounces. It's kind of funny that you can hear a weight like that and say, "That's it?" So much for all of the techs who told Jenny and Chris that they could predict his weight within a few ounces.

Anyway, I can't wait to see pictures of the little guy. Welcome to the family, Riley!

And the Oscar goes to...

Jack had a show at school yesterday. The theme was "Academy Awards," and each class had a performance. Jack and his fellow Group Two classmates swirled scarves around and danced to the song "Hot Potato." Steve and I joined the other parent papparazzi to get the best possible photos of our boy, and let me tell you, Jack danced with everything he had. At one point, he even did a spin and shook his heiney for the crowd. It was excellent.

After the last performance, one of the teachers invited everyone back to the school for an "after party." Steve and I agreed it would be a mistake to let Jack see us and then leave, so we headed home. Besides, it was a lot more fun to imagine Jack at his first Oscar afterparty, holding a martini in a sippy cup and saying, "No, Lindsay Lohan, I will not date you! You're old and you smell like cigarette smoke and hamburger grease. Leave me alone so I can go to the Vanity Fair party in peace."

In other news, Jenny is having a Giant Mutant Baby. The doctors estimate that Riley is between 11 and 13 pounds. Holy Yoda! This means that her plan of having a drug-free birth is out the window. She's scheduled for a c-section tonight. Jenny and I talked the night before last, and I gave her every single detail I could think of. I think it made her feel a lot better, believe it or not, to know that when you try to walk for the first time afterwards, it feels like you're going to rip in half. And that your regular underwear is not going to hurt the incision. I have also recommended that given Riley's size that she bypass breastmilk or formula and just give him steaks to gum on.

Premiere Night

It was a big night last night at Stately Wasser Manor, and anticipation was at a fever pitch. It was time for the season premiere of family favorite show Sesame Street, and it honestly got the same level of excitement as we'll have for the starts of other favorites like Survivor, The Amazing Race, and The Office.

Not only do we have all new content ahead (no more boring "skin" content on Elmo's World), but we also met a brand new friend, Abby Cadabby.

I'm happy to see that our newest Sesame friend is a girl. Girls are few and far between on Sesame Street these days, and Zoe, Rosita, and Natasha need a friend. Besides, I don't want my boy to grow up thinking that all of the cool characters are boys.

Jack was completely transfixed by Abby. He sat quietly on the sofa next to me, grinning around his binky. Then he turned and gave me a huge Binky Smile, as if to say, "Thank you so much for letting me watch this!" I look forward to watching more of the episode tonight.

In other news, I talked to my sister Jenny last night. See how cute and happily pregnant she looks here?

Yeah, those days are over. Her baby's due date is today, and the girl has had just about enough of being pregnant. I had a feeling she might be feeling that way, which is why I actually called my stepmom instead of her, in case Jenny did not want to have the, "Yes, I'm still pregnant" conversation, which gets really tedious. I think she was willing to talk to me because she knew I'd understand that she is generally annoyed and pissed off right now. So come on, baby Riley! Get out here and check out the world. We can't wait to meet you, and you need to be nice to your mommy. She's the lady who's going to feed you.

Sweet Dreams

The other night, Steve and I went to check on Jack. He was making a bit of noise, so I hid for fear he was awake. Steve is braver than I am, and peered into his crib. "Awake?" I whispered. Steve shook his head and said, "Dreaming."

I took a closer look. Jack, in his sleep, was petting Roary's head and making tiny roaring noises.

It was just about the cutest thing ever.

Jackson Colic

The other night, I was watching an episode of Surviving Motherhood, also known as Lady, You're Crazy and saw a story that took me back to the Bad Old Days of Jack's early babyhood. The woman's son was suffering from colic. Seeing the desperation on that woman's face really brought me back. Jack had colic from when he was six weeks old to around three months. If you haven't experienced life with a colicky baby, you just can't imagine how hard it is.

Jack would scream and wail inconsolably every single day for hours at a time. I was very, very new at the whole motherhood gig, and it really shook my confidence. What kind of mom was I if I couldn't do anything to stop my baby from crying? I was also embarassed to be living in The Screaming Baby House, convinced that everyone in the neighborhood could hear it and hated us. And I'd look at other women who had babies without colic. I'd watch their kids happily playing with their feet while I strapped Jack into the JackSack (aka Baby Bjourn) and trying frantically to calm him down, and I would secretly hate them because I was just so jealous. I was also sleep deprived and exhausted.

Any time I'm faced with a problem, I try to learn as much about it in hopes of finding a good solution. So I took to the internet. Here's what I learned: 20% of babies suffer from colic. Doctors think that it's probably discomfort due to an immature digestive system. Or maybe overstimulation. Or maybe something else entirely. They just don't know. I could not believe it. 20% of all families with new babies are suffering this kind of hell, the kind of thing that, to be honest, makes Shaken Baby Syndrome seem a bit understandable, and there's no huge Colic Foundation dedicated to finding the cause and fixing it? We just have to suck it up?

I heard good things about The Happiest Baby on the Block. Dr. Harvey Karp supposedly had a magical program that would, like a switch, quiet a crying infant. Madonna had used that program, and as luck would have it, I'd gotten his DVD as a shower gift. I popped in the DVD, and Steve and I watched in amazement as time after time, Dr. Karp stopped fussy infants from crying, transforming them from wailing banshees into sweet little angels. So we tried his 5 S's to see which would help Jack.

Swaddling: Worked great... as long as Jack was asleep. For wakeful times, not so much.
Side/Stomach Position: Terrific. Now if my arms are tired from holding him upright, I can take a break and hold him differently while he screams. Next!
Shhh Sounds: The shushing gives me something to do while Jack cries.
Swinging: Now not only is Jack crying because of the colic, but also because he's not being held.
Sucking: The only sucking that could have helped was me sucking down a bottle of wine.

I decided quickly that Dr. Harvey Karp could kiss my stretchmarked ass. My five s's were starting to include sweating, swearing, swigging booze, stifling screams, and wanting to strangle Dr. Karp.

It was soon getting to the point where when Jack started to cry, I'd just join him. Then, my wonderful husband had a simpler, breakthrough revelation. We needed two things.

The first was a change in attitude. We needed to accept the fact that there was not a single thing we could do to stop Jack from crying. The only thing wrong with him was colic, and we'd just have to wait it out. Instead of trying to stop his crying, what we needed to do was let him know that we were there for him while he worked through it.

The second thing was... ear plugs. I know, it sounds crazy, but believe me, with ear plugs in, we could still hear the crying just fine. It just wasn't as piercing and painful when it was muffled by a bit of foam in our ears.

Those changes made all the difference. I was able to calmly hold Jack while he cried, not wondering if there was something different I needed to be doing. What he really needed was for his mommy or daddy to hold him close so he'd know that even though he was having a hard time, we loved him and were there for him.

The weeks passed, and one day, the darkness seemed to be lifting. It was a while before either one of us dared to say it: the colic seemed to be gone. Sure enough, Jackson Colic was no more, and Jack started to develop a reputation as an incredibly happy baby.

Looking back, I think the tough days of colic really brought all three of us closer together. Jack learned he could rely on us in hard times. I admired Steve's strength and brilliant thinking. And Steve appreciated how much more patient I became as a result of this trial. Now, any problems we go through just don't seem as hard, because we know we can get through some trying trying things. And now, I think I really do have the Happiest Baby on the Block.

Mommy Is Not Funny

So, the night before last, the boys and I were sitting at the dinner table, and Steve and Jack started goofing around together. First Steve would make faces or silly poses -- hands on face, Home Alone style, for instance -- and Jack would immitate him. The peals of Jack's laughter echoed in the halls of Stately Wasser Manor. Then, the two of them decided to mix it up. Jack made noises and moved his hands and Steve immitated him. Even funnier. When Roary started immitating Jack, I swear, Jack was panting to catch his breath, he was laughing so hard.

Last night, we're again at the dinner table. Jack made a silly face and hand gesture, and I copied him. Jack returned this with... a blank stare. Then I started making some of the same gestures and faces as Steve had, and Jack looked completely preplexed. You could see the thought bubble over his head: What on earth is Mommy doing? If I had asked him to balance the checkbook, I think he'd have been equally confused.

What the hell is that all about?

Group Hug

Jack, in his quest to be the Sweetest Little Guy Ever, has taken to initiating Family Hugs. I'll be holding him, and he'll pull Steve over so that all three of us can exchange hugs and kisses. If one of us starts to pull away, he'll pull us back in for more cozy squeeziness.

The overwhelming cuteness of this has allowed me to forgive him for the fact that he woke up three times last night. That and he has a cold.

Calling All Mommy Readers!

Jack, ever the gentleman, likes to signify that he is done with his meal by throwing all of the leftover food on the floor. Sometimes this includes flicking globs of yogurt at his mother while she's on the floor picking up banana slices. Lovely.

When he starts throwing food, we tell him NO. Dinnertime is over, and we take him out of his highchair. So far this has had absolutely no positive effect whatsoever. Maybe it's early and things will work better if I give it time? No more dinner doesn't seem like much of a punishment when you consider that the reason he's chucking chicken nuggets is that he doesn't want to eat anymore.

Does anybody have any advice, or perhaps coupons for paper towels? Now is the time to de-lurk!

Lady Willpower

I haven't talked about this yet, but what the heck: I'm trying to lose some weight. In the past two weeks, I've lost about five pounds, and I think ten more will put me in good shape. I want to take better care of myself, and first and foremost is to lose some weight, eat healthier foods, and exercise more.

I am incredibly proud of my efforts so far. Right now, as we speak, there is a cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera sitting on my desk. My boss brought it in to thank me for a project I worked on. And I'm not eating the bagel. The scales have fallen from my eyes, and I now realize that all of those articles I've read about portion size are now joke, because that bagel, without cream cheese, contains 410 calories. Last weekend when Steve's parents visited, I also did not eat the pineapple cake or the gigantic wedge of cheese that my mother-in-law brought into my house.

I feel good, and I can already see a difference in how I look and how my clothes fit. The frustrating thing is that I have snuck onto the scale a couple of times in the past few days (my weigh-in day is Sunday) and so far I haven't lost any weight this week. What the hell?

Still, I am resolute, and if that scale doesn't budge by Sunday morning, I am going to crank up the exercise even more, working in a run every day if I have to.

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Last night at the dinner table, Steve and Jack practiced burping for each other.

This would not have happened if we had had a girl.

Domestic Chief

Imagine this conversation, which happens with alarming frequency...

Random Friend: Hi, Betsy! What's new with you and the guys?
Me: Well, Jack is doing great. He's learning all kinds of new words, has started climbing on everything, and is getting five new teeth. Steve is writing a novel and is really enthusiastic about it. He's been writing every single day and is really happy. And I'm, um...

And then it kind of trails off. What's new with me? Kind of nothing. I'm writing and editing for Reality News Online, but that's not new. I've been doing that for years, not to mention that it's summer and I'm only writing about one show. I read a lot. I just got back into running. But all of that is boring. I didn't decide to read all of the great Russian novels, and I'm not training for a marathon, so there's not much to say there, is there? My days are full, and I'm not bored, but I do feel a bit of a tickle that maybe I should have something else.

So for now, for lack of a better Russian Novel/Marathon plan, I'm appointing myself the Domestic Chief of Stately Wasser Manor. I will spearhead projects like the landscaping of the front yard, repainting and decorating Jack's playroom, learning new recipes, making new pillows for the sun room, and so forth. Hopefully that's not lame, because those are things that I geniunely enjoy doing, and I do think it'll be a cool addition to things at home.

In other news, I have purchased a third Roary. Believe it or not, two Very Important Stuffed Tigers was not enough. On Sunday, Jack got a nosebleed, soiling Roary #1 in the process. R1 went into the washing machine, and R2 stepped in. Then Jack had his not sleeping incident, and a groggy Steve tried to give Jack Tylenol, missed, and accidentally dosed the tiger (not sure what the correct dosage is for a stuffed tiger, but he seems okay). Thus R2 went into the washing machine, bringing R1 immediately back into play. Then while R2 was in the wash, Jack threw R1 into the bathtub. I put R1 in the dryer, but at a very low setting because I don't want to shrink him or anything weird. He didn't dry completely, so Jack slept with a slightly damp Roary last night. No Roary at all would have meant a serious crisis, so for a mere eight bucks on eBay, Roary #3 is on his way to our house.

Cranky Pants

Who's a big crankypants today? That's right: Me.

Last night, Steve announced that he was going to bed early so he could wake up an hour early today to write. Lovely. I stayed up for another hour or so, then settled in to blissful slumber. The next thing I knew, I was awakened from a deep sleep by Jack punching me in the neck, saying, "Mama!" Somehow in my sleep fog, I pieced together that Jack was in our bed because he'd woken up crying, probably due to the fact that he is currently cutting five or six teeth. I do not say "five or six" as an arbitrary number to show a large number of teeth. I mean the dude is literally getting five or six (it's hard to count) teeth all at the same time. Steve heard him crying and decided Jack would sleep better cuddled up between us.

Why Steve thought that would work is beyond me. Jack turned 19 months old yesterday, and in the entire 19 months of his life, not once has he successfully slept between Mommy and Daddy, contentedly feeling safe from whatever woke him up. Never. Not one time. Instead, he spends that time kicking, squirming, trying to launch himself headfirst onto the floor, and generally making sure that no one sleeps. Adding to my annoyance was the fact that Steve had already had an hour longer to sleep than I had and that he would be getting up earlier, leaving me alone to deal with Jack's attempts to get down from the bed, then up again, then play with fun sleepy mommy. I demanded, not pleasantly, that Steve put Jack back in his crib where he belongs.

As you might expect, that pissed off Jack in a big way. It was fun neck punching time! We were going to play! Now I'm ditched here in my boring crib all alone? He expressed this displeasure, of course, by screaming at the top of his lungs. After about 15 minutes of this, I decided to get up and calm him down. Still muzzy-headed, I walked into the door frame so hard that I have a bruise on my chest. I gathered up all of the binkies Jack had thrown out of his crib in angry protest, cuddled him up with Roary, told him calmly that it was still bedtime, and got out of the room just four seconds after he started to wail again.

Jack woke up three more times last night, each time needing to be bribed with Roary, Tylenol, more binkies, and backrubs and assurances that "it's still nighttime, sweetie."

When I left for work this morning, Steve, the guy who had an hour more sleep than I did, the guy who escalated the first awakening into the screaming fever pitch it became because of his absolute fantasy that Jack would sleep cuddled up between us, was still asleep, as was Jack.

Grrr.

Sweet Freedom

Steve and I hired a babysitter last night for the very first time.

Oh, don't worry; we have, in fact, left the house without Jack in the past almost 19 months. But we've always managed to have family come visit. But last night, we paid an actual human to come hang out at our house and watch the Cub.

The great thing is that I was not at all worried about leaving my boy with a sitter because she was none other than Ms. Vicky, one of Jack's favorite teachers from school. Once Jack figured out that Ms. Vicky was in his house, playing with him, and seeing all of his toys, he was so happy he started to spin. So happy, in fact, that he stayed up an hour past his bedtime in spite of the fact that he had refused to take a nap that day.

Meanwhile, we had some solid adult fun at a dinner party with post-meal games. All for the bargain price of fifty bucks. I don't see doing this every week, but we will be doing it again sooner than 18 months from now.

Where is Jack? No, seriously; where is Jack?

I am happy to report that, for the moment anyway, Tantro the Destroyer is gone and my sweet little man is back. I don't doubt that this is directly related to the fact that we've been playing outside for the past couple of nights.

Jack's latest hobby is hiding from us. He thinks it is the funniest thing in the world. We'll be hanging out together, and he'll all of a sudden take off for another room. He'll be totally quiet... eerily so. Then I'll find him in the next room, hiding, grinning, and looking incredibly proud of himself.

He's not the most creative at this game. His hiding places so far are limited to:
• The floor next to my side of the bed
• The space between the wall and the toilet in Steve's bathroom
• "Baby Jail," the space between his crib and the wall

I went to pick him up at school yesterday. He took one look at me and ran, laughing, away, then dove under a high chair. Hiding.

Can't Stand the Heat

It is approximately a million kagillion degrees out, and this is very bad. It means that we have largely been cooped up inside Stately Wasser Manor. Jack doesn't respond well to being cooped up, and last night reached some kind of boiling point. My sweet little Snugglecub morphed into his alter-ego, Tantro The Destroyer. He reminded me very much of Stitch from the movie Lilo and Stitch in that he just managed to trash every single thing he touched.

First he took his big tub of Legos and dumped them all over the kitchen floor. Then he pulled all of the pots and pans out of the cabinet and used some of them to make Lego Soup. As he ran around the house like a crazed maniac, he tripped over every single catlicking block and freaked out every single time he tripped.

Then he decided that he needed Mommy to hold him. No, Daddy. No, Mommy. No, I want to get down. No, I want Mommy. No, Daddy. And repeat.

Steve went to the store, so Jack was stuck with me. He decided that he didn't want me to put him down, ever, at all. Fine, I'm a mom. I can cook dinner with one arm. But it was not okay for me to go about my busines. If Jack had his way, I would have spent the entire evening on my hip, looking at his class picture on the fridge, pointing at himself and saying, "Jack!" He was very annoyed at my reluctance to take him up on what he thought was a very reasonable request.

While Steve and I ate dinner, Jack spent part of dinner sitting in his high chair throwing banana chunks at us like a cartoon monkey and the rest of it in the sunroom shredding a copy of Entertainment Weekly. While I agree with Jack that Jessica Alba really should not be considered the "it girl" of summer, I really wish he had found a less messy way to express that sentiment.

Steve took him upstairs to wash the sticky strawberry syrup off of his hands (and the bits of Jessica Alba photo that stuck to them) while I fixed the damage. It seriously took 30 times as long to pick up after him than it usually does.

After we finally put Jack to bed, Steve and I went hunting for wine.

All By Myself

Yesterday, my husband had a softball game after work. The day before, he asked me if it was okay for him to go, or if I'd rather he stay home to help me with Jack. I have a cold and am not feeling 100%, so it was nice of him to ask. But I pretty well insisted that he go. Not just because it's good for him to go out and have fun, but because I was relishing the idea of an evening to myself.

Okay, I didn't get the whole evening to myself. There was the portion of the night that included feeding Jack his body weight in melon, going to the park, bath, and some Elmo. But that was only until 7:30. After that, it was all about me.

The stuff I do when faced with an evening alone really isn't the most indulgent. I didn't give myself a facial or anything. Truth be told, I ate macaroni and cheese and watched TV. But there's something really nice about having some time completely to myself, to do whatever I want, to watch whatever I want, and to enjoy the silence. Tonight, the three of us will hang out together, and after Jack goes to bed, Steve and I will probably watch a movie. And I'll love it. But I still love a little alone time.

Tossed Salad

Now that Jack is more mobile and more independent, when he does something nutty, I often find myself wondering, "Should I do something to stop him?" Almost every time, I decide the answer is no. If he wants to put large rocks in his mouth, well, he'll probably be fine. If he were five, maybe I'd put a stop to it, but it's fairly socially acceptable for him to suck on rocks now, I guess. And hey, why not take advantage of that narrow "okay to suck on rocks" window?

Last night, the boys and I were all tired, so we ordered a pizza and watched it downstairs in our jammies. Jack took an interest in Steve's salad. First picked the matchstick carrots out. Some he ate, some he spit out, and some he gave to us (unfortunately, there was some crossover in those categories). Then he removed large leaves of lettuce and started throwing them like confetti. One piece in particular, he repeatedly threw into the air and caught on his head. I kept thinking, "Should I stop this?" and never really came up with a compelling reason to. He was having fun, and it was an easy enough mess to clean up. So I let it go. I don't want to be the kind of mom that is always mad about something, and this just didn't seem important.

The funny thing is, I must have this on my mind. Last night I dreamed that Jack was scooping potato salad into the interior of a plastic toy battleship. In my dream, I let it go.

Vacation Recap, Part 3: Montage

I absolutely love a good montage. Whether it's the Sports Training Montage, or, say, a montage of the funniest moments involving monkeys from 30 years of movies, if you take little clips of stuff and set it to music, you've got me. So today, Coffee Betsy Presents a montage of great moments from our vacation.

- Jack discovering that if he went from person to person, everyone would give him a bite of their dessert. This worked with Vickie's mango cake (awesome), Jenny's banana pudding (must get the recipe), and the traditional July 4th homemade ice cream. All told, he probably got more dessert than any of the rest of us.

- Taking walks on the beach with Steve. Since our honeymoon in Cancun, this has been one of our favorite things to do together. I love holding his hand and feeling the waves occasionally lap onto my feet. And since we had other adults there, we could have someone else watch Jack while we took walks.

- One night, all of the kids decided they wanted to entertain us. Devin showed us how he's learning to juggle. Caity and Elizabeth did a Punch and Judy style puppet show with Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Fancy Mouse that was hilarious. And then Jack decided that it was time for him to show off as well. He grabbed Devin's juggling rings and proceeded to put them on his arms, dance, and "sing." He was a huge ham, and everybody loved the Jack Wasser Variety Show.

- Jack discovering the ocean: squealing with delight when the waves washed over his feet, giggling when I walked into the water with him on my shoulders, running down the sand picking up shells and rocks. Steve and I love the beach, and I'm happy that the Cub does, too.

- A day with no kids. On Thursday, it was supposed to rain, so my dad and Vickie took all of the kids, including Jack, to the aquarium. This meant that we had all day to take naps, sit in the pool with drinks, go to the beach without needing a sherpa, and play a game of tripoly with Jenny and Chris with no kids wanting to play, too. It was bliss... though of course we were thrilled to see our little guy by the time he got back.

- Fabulous food. Vickie must have spent $40 on chips alone, and the house was overflowing with snacks. We had some great meals, too. Andy made two pies. Jenny and Chris made homemade guacamole (with jalapenos, yum) and arroz con pollo. My baked ziti was a big hit. But the best was the seafood feast that Dad and Vickie made- crab, shrimp, and fried mahi mahi. I ate until I could eat no more.

- Sister time. It was a lot of fun hanging out with Big Pregnant Jenny and Expectant Chris. If you looked past Jenny's enormously swollen feet and ankles, she looked beautiful, and it made me really happy to see Chris so proudly dote on her, rubbing her shoulders and feet. We also had several good talks where I gave her tips about life with a new baby, seeing as how she's ten years out of practice.

Vacation Recap, Part 2: Nemesis

Every mom dreads her. She's the woman in your family you thinks she knows better than you do how to take care of your kid, so much better that you're pretty sure if given the chance, she'd take over for you completely. The one who is full of advice, loves to butt in, and cannot let your kid take a step without commenting on how you should be supervising that step.

No, she's not my mom.
No, she's not my stepmom.
No, she's not my mother-in-law.

The most galling thing about That Woman in my life is that she is my cousin's nine-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. That's right. The adorable, freckle-faced girl who wants nothing more than to play with Jack drove me absolutely batty during our vacation. Yes, I realize this makes me slightly insane.

Elizabeth did her very best to spend every minute of vacation on top of Jack. She asked him to laugh like Ernie so many times that I was ready for him to snap and tell her that he was not her dancing monkey. Jack eats better if you hand him a fork and leave him alone, but Elizabeth was right there feeding him and fretting about whether or not the pieces of food were too big and if he was eating enough. Every time he fussed or fell down, she'd swoop in and be all over him, saying he scared her to death and covering him with hugs and kisses. You know, the kind of thing that actually encourages a kid to make a big deal out of a teeny bump or scrape. She narrated every single thing he did -- just a running patter of, "Do you want another bite, Jack-Jack? Oh, that was a big bite!" She was far more protective of him than I have ever been. If he dropped his binky, instead of letting him pick it up himself, she'd pick it up for him. It was just overwhelming, and it was constant.

To make matters worse, Steve thought it was adorable and kept praising her for being a big help. I know, she's a kid, and I know, she meant well. But the position of Jack's mother has been filled, and I do not need an assistant.

My dad came up with the best solution for this, so I don't wind up strangling Elizabeth at Thanksgiving when I see her next: This kid needs a kitten, badly.

Vacation Recap Part 1: The Journey

We're back, and we had a great time! I have all kinds of Things To Say(tm) about our trip, so rather than have one ginormous monster post, I'm going to break this into managable chunks. Besides, I'm going to have to sort through the 421 photos on our vacation picture CD to find the best ones to post/buy, so that's going to take some time!

As my loyal, devoted, and sexy readers know, I was most nervous about the drive. I am happy to report that it went CONSIDERABLY better than I thought it would. For the drive down, Steve and I decided to channel my dad by waking up at 3:00 in the morning and leaving then, hoping Jack would sleep through a big portion of the trip. He didn't go back to sleep right away, so Steve and I were very quiet until he finally gave up and snoozed until 7:00 or so. We made one stop on the way, at the World's Slowest McDonald's, for breakfast and for me to change Jack's diaper on the really gross sink, slightly less gross than the gross changing table. Lovely. I doused both of us in Purell when we were done, so hopefully we'll survive it. The McDonald's had a playland, but it was closed. Jack actually pressed his little face against the glass and looked at it for a while, but he was content to just roam around the restaurant. I drove for the rest of the trip, and Steve sat in the back with Jack and entertained him with the Elmo puppet. The subject on that episode of Elmo's World was Elmo's trip to Disney World, and how his Mommy and Daddy had bought vouchers instead of hard tickets. (Trust me- it was funny.) Thus Elmo entertained all three of us, and Jack was happy, cheerful, and reasonable the whole way to the beach. Nice work, Jack.

The drive home went well also. Steve and Jack napped for part of the way while I drove. We learned our lesson from the gross and sad McDonald's, and our pit stop was at a beautiful roadside Starbucks. The bathroom was immaculate, plus we all got drinks and pastries. Jack danced around to the Springstein music, and we all felt contented and refreshed. I sat with him the rest of the way home. We read books (and Jack can now say the word book, which is cool) for part of the way. Then Roary entertained Jack for quite a while. I actually was able to have Roary play with Jack (tickling him, playing peekaboo, etc) while I read comics- how great is that? I swear to Yoda, that tiger more than earned his keep on this vacation. Is it weird to have the urge to buy a present for a stuffed tiger?

So, ten miles away from our front door, Jack decided that he was restless and had had enough of being in the car. I thought food might distract him, so I gave him a SnackTrap full of goldfish crackers. Jack ate maybe three goldfish, fed me several, and contented himself with crumbling the rest of them into a lovely orange dust, coating his car seat, the floor, and the seat next to him. Guess what I did to stop that? If you guessed "Not a damned thing," you'd be right. It cost 75 cents at the gas station to vacuum out the car, and our sanity is absolutely worth 75 cents.

The really amazing thing was that at no point did we go for the Nuclear Option of turning on the Elmo DVD in the car. I am still very glad that we had it, though, as it came into play several times on our trip. Jack was actually willing to sit still and let me put sunscreen on him without running around the room screaming as if he'd been stabbed if I busted out the Elmo. It was also a good way to get him to relax and have some quiet time before bed. It's not exactly reasonable for me to ask Devin, Caitlin, and Elizabeth to pipe down and be quiet for half an hour so Jack could wind down, so the two of us would disappear into our room, learn about wild animals or whatever Elmo had on his mind that day, and Jack would go to sleep.

More recaps later, I promise.

Vacation!

The boys and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a week-long vacation at the beach. I cannot wait. It's going to be a great set-up - we are renting a house on the beach with its own swimming pool, along with my dad and step-mom, my sister and her family (cannot wait to see big pregnant Jenny), my brother and his wife, and my cool cousin Angie and her daughters. Vickie is All Geared Up about this trip and has reportedly been buying buckets and shovels for the kids, making t-shirts for them all to wear, and baking cookies shaped like shells and sailboats. It's going to be the best of all worlds- we can have family time, in which Steve, Jack, and I chase waves together. We can have extended family time, in which Angie declares that it's "Wine o' clock" and we all get tipsy playing Trivial Pursuit. Or take Devin, Caitlin, and Elizabeth to play mini-golf or to see Superman. And we can have Steve-Betsy time, in which we hand Jack off to one of his eager grandparents and go for a walk on the beach.

The one thing I am not looking forward to is the drive. It will take about 7 hours to get from Stately Wasser Manor to Topsail Island. Jack never got the memo that babies love the car and sleep the entire time. Steve and I are arming ourselves to try to make the ride as enjoyable as possible for Jack, which in turn will make it enjoyable for us. In my bag of tricks are the following:
• Plans to make frequent stops to let Jack run around and stretch his legs. I will keep my eyes peeled for, say, a McDonald's with a playland
• All kinds of snacks, served in the new, Cubproof Snack Traps
• Roary, lifesaver that he is
• Magnadoodle
• Picture books for us to read together (I briefly entertained the thought that I might be able to sit in the front seat with my husband like a normal adult, but that is clearly a fantasy)
• Puppets (Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Fancy Mouse)
• DVD player

That's right, people. I am a Bad Mommy and fully intend to rot my son's brain by piling on the DVDs, and anybody who has a problem with that can suck it. I have packed approximately one billion hours worth of kid programming, including Elmo's World, Sesame Street, three Muppet movies, and the first seasons of both Fraggle Rock and The Muppet Show. And this way, we can answer the eternal question: Is there a limit to how much Elmo Jack is willing to watch in one sitting?

I am guessing not.

These Things

WeirdGirl has a fun post today that inspired me to follow suit.

Three things take me back to childhood:
1. Watching Sesame Street with Jack and singing along with all of the music. Ooh, or watching the Hoth scenes in The Empire Strikes Back. My brother and I had a record of TESB that we put on the floor between our bedrooms and listened to it every single night. I have it memorized.
2. Looking at a night sky full of lightning bugs.
3. Eating a nice cold popsicle on a hot day.

Three things take me back to high school:
1. Music by Violent Femmes or They Might Be Giants. Yep, there's a little bit of contrast there!
2. Public speaking. I was on the speech team in high school (hot!), so standing up in front of a big group of people, giving a presentation of some kind, is like coming home.
3. Emailing with the two people from high school (not counting my brother) that I still keep in touch with. Amy and Felicia can bring me into a giggle fit even now.

and I'll add a bonus list...
Three things that take me back to college:
1. Bourbon! Oh, beautiful, smokey, rich bourbon. One swallow of Jack Daniels or Jim Beam, and I'm sitting on the steps of Washington Hall, sneaking nips out of my flask on a beautiful spring night.
2. A fierce and spirited discussion with smart people about books, politics, or anything that we all feel passionately about.
3. Walking outside on a sunny day, holding Steve's hand.

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Setting: Betsy's car, as she is driving home from work. The phone rings. Betsy sees that it's Steve.

Betsy: Hi!
Steve (panicked): Do you have Roary?
Betsy: Yeah, he's right here.
Steve: Oh, thank God. We're having a Crisis on Infinite Earths here.
Betsy: I'm almost home.
Steve: Come right in. Bring the tiger.

Flashback: 30 minutes earlier.
Setting: Steve's car. Steve is driving Jack home from school.

Jack: Grrr! Grrr!
Steve: Are you talking about Roary?
Jack: Yeah!
Steve: Do you miss him?
Jack: Yeah! Grrr!
Steve: Well, let's go find him as soon as we get home.
Jack: Yeah! Yay! Grrr!

The two enter the house and begin a Tiger Hunt.

Steve: Roary, where are you?
Jack: Grrr!
Steve: Roary? Huh, he's not in your room.
Jack: Uh-oh!
Steve: Let's look in mommy and daddy's room. Roary? Huh, where is he?
Jack: Wah! Wah!

My Spa Evening

Last night, I went from work to a spa to have a pedicure. We're going to the beach next week, so obviously, I need my feet to look cute. It sounded like a great time to have a little Betsy Time and enjoy myself. I was sick all day Sunday and really wanted to feel better. In fact, I still didn't have my appetite back and skipped lunch yesterday. And it had been a busy weekend (though fun), so hooray for a pedicure. Plus they had a fabulous sexsay red.

So, I'm in the pedicure throne, having my toes attended to, when all of a sudden, I felt that whooshing feeling by my ears and I totally slumped over and fainted. The aesthetician was scared to death, but after a soda and some peanut butter crackers, I was okay again.

I can go for a run in the blazing heat, pushing Jack's jogging stroller with no problem, but if I skip one meal, I will faint while receiving a spa treatment.

I would be the worst anorexic ever.

Happy Half Birthday, Jack!

My little man celebrated his half birthday on Saturday. Not everybody celebrates or even notices half birthdays, but when your real birthday is December 24, it's good to have a little celebration day that is just about you. Jack began his day by doing some cooking, and Roary, good sport that he is, was willing to be Tiger Soup.

Steve went and got doughnuts. While he was out, Jack was dangerously close to starving to death, so he was in his highchair eating yogurt when the treats arrived. The little weirdling initially resisted, actually slapping his tray and saying "NO" when we offered him some doughnut. After some coaxing, Steve convinced him that jelly doughnuts are a fine food.

I then took Jack for a haircut, and he proceeded to flirt with all of the women there, then with a baby girl on the way to the car. After his nap, it was time for the big event. We laughed in the face of the dire weather reports (Noah-like storms predicted) and went forward with the block party. It was Steve's first party as the Mighty Block Captain, and I think he was nervous. Well, I can't speak for everyone, but Jack and I had a blast. He loved running around the the other kids, especially the glamorous older boys. We had his pool there, so a bunch of the kids enjoyed splashing around. He refused to eat any food other than mini brownies and snickerdoodles, and I decided that I didn't care. Plus, this fiesta featured what for Jack is the hallmark of a good party: bubbles. Jack was totally exhausted by the time we went home, and so was I.

Happy 1-1/2, Cub!

Digging to America

Anne Tyler is one of my favorite novelists, so it's really no surprise that her latest book, Digging to Americais one of the best books I've read this year.

The story begins with two families waiting at the Baltimore Airport to meet the daughters they have adopted from Korea. The Donaldsons are white Americans, loud and noisy. The Yazdans are quiet Iranian-Americans. The two families become linked by this common experience, especially as Bitsy Donaldson insists on frequent social events to bring the two girls (Jin-Ho and Susan) together.

One of the most interesting themes in the book is what it means to be an American and how it is to be a foreigner living in America (though the Yazdans have been Americans for many years, they remain very connected to Iranian culture). Ziba and Sami change their daughter's name from Sooki to Susan, whereas the Donaldsons keep their daughter's Korean name, haircut, and dress her in native Korean clothing whenever possible. Bitsy is critical of the Yazdans for "americanizing" Susan, but I do believe that if you're a Korean kid with Iranian parents living in the United States, you're pretty darned multicultural even if your mom does put your hair in pigtails. There is a great scene in which Susan is singing a Korean folk song, wearing blue jeans, and preparing a traditional Iranian dish. Central to the discussion about foreignness in America is Maryam, Sami's mother. Maryam is reluctant to let these noisy Americans into her life and has even more misgivings when Dave Donaldson falls in love with her. Is there room for a quiet, thoughtful Iranian woman in all this tumult? Can she be an American and still be Iranian? Iran no longer feels like home to her, but she's still not ready to embrace the noise and clutter of American life.

The characters are all just fascinating. Especially entertaining is Bitsy, who is the absolute worst kind of judgmental, competitive mother. She's just the kind of woman I want to smack in real life, but Tyler writes her in such a way that I can see that her heart is in the right place. Nonetheless, I was cheering for her second daughter, adopted from China, when she resisted her mother's campaign to make her give up her binky.

This was a book I will absolutely read again.

Summer Fun Series

There is something special about summer, something that makes me want to play outside, stay up late, and do things I don't do when the weather is cold. Last night, Steve decided to kick off the Summer Fun Series at Stately Wasser Manor. Jack got an early bath, then we put him in his new Spider-Man jammies. The three of us took a nice long walk, then we cuddled downstairs to watch Madagascar. Jack loved the movie and kept pointing excitedly at the animals. After he went to bed, I made a quick dinner of fajitas, then Steve and I settled in to start a movie. I love that there are no TV shows to watch during the summer, and we tend to watch a ton of movies. Come fall, I'll be ready for Survivor again, but until then, this is fun. Steve then ran out to get us Slurpies. Yay, summer!

Tonight is my turn for the SFS. I'm thinking a trip to the park and popsicles.

Jack's school is initiating a Summer Fun Series of their own. I was really impressed by all they have planned. Every Tuesday is Splash Day, so Jack will need to bring a swimming suit, extra dry clothes, and a pair of aqua socks. Cool! Tuesdays are also Movie Days, which I interpret to mean that the teachers will be completely worn out after corralling a bunch of wet toddlers and will be eager to just take a break. I don't blame them one bit. There will also be frequent walks in the giant multi-kid stroller and weekly popsicle parties. Too cool!

Catching Up

I cannot believe it's been a week since I posted, but there's been a lot going on at Stately Wasser Manor...

• Last Wednesday, June 14th, was Steve's and my 9th wedding anniversary. We had what I think was our best celebration yet. We slept in to the kingly hour of 7:30, at which time Jack snuggled in bed with us for a while. Then the three of us went out for breakfast. The rest of the day was, of course, Steve-Betsy Time, rather than Family Time, but we both agreed that it was nice to spend a little time with Jack, since he's such an important part of our relationship now. We took a long walk, then got the makings of a picnic and took it to the Chrysalis Winery in Middleburg. It was an absolutely beautiful day, so we ate our lunch and drank a bottle of wine outside on the patio, taking in the gorgeous view. We then wandered around the pretentious, overpriced shops until it was time to pick up the Wondercub. Dinner that night was ice cream, which we ate while watching bad TV together. I felt really close to Steve and very happy.

• Much of the weekend was spent outside. I honestly have no idea how we survived being cooped up in the house all winter, because playing outside is so much better. On Saturday, Jack "helped" me in the garden. Actually, he was a little bit of help. I had to clear the bed under the tree, and Jack's job was to put rocks and sticks in my bucket. He had a great time doing that and an even better time playing in the dirt. We went to the pool several times, and Jack loves the water. It was also time to fill up the inflatable pool that I got for the deck. Steve and I had the hose in the pool, and of course, Jack had to come out to investigate. About two seconds after I wondered aloud, "How long until that tiger goes in the pool?" we heard the small splash of Roary going into the drink. Jack then threw his binky in after him and laughed. Luckily, I had Secret Backup Roary at the ready, so crisis averted.

• The pool itself is really quite fabulous. We let it sit out in the sun all day Saturday and Sunday, so Sunday evening, the water was nice and warm. All three of us (but not the tiger) fit in in comfortably. I predict that Steve and I will spend some summer evenings sitting in the kiddie pool drinking wine. Classy!

• Sunday was Father's Day. Jack and I were more than happy to take good care of Steve, because he really deserves it. We took him out for breakfast, then Jack and I went to the park while he got in a run. During Jack's nap, I handed Steve some cash and told him to go out for a beer. When he returned, it was his turn for a nap, so Jack and I cuddled and watched Shrek 2. Then it was time to take Steve out for ice cream. After Jack went to bed, I made us steaks, twice baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. Steve realized mid-afternoon that he had really not done much of any work at all that day- I changed all of the diapers, etc. Mother's Day, you hear a lot about pampering moms, but I think a dad like Steve should get a special day of pampering, too.

Bubbles!

The boys and I had quite the social weekend. Friday night, I had book club. Saturday we hit the Eagan-Bennett bash to hang out with Jack's buddy Andy (not to mention his parents). Let me tell you, there is something truly fabulous about going to a party at the house of someone with a kid Jack's age. Everything was baby-proofed, and there were more than enough cool toys for Jack to check out. Jack especially loved Andy's sandbox, but perhaps even more so, the cat. I was happy to see that Jack didn't completely traumatize the poor kitty and actually petted her in an appropriate and gentle manner. We had such a good time that we stayed later than we probably should have, which meant one worn-out Cub on the way home.
Sunday, we went to Ethan's 2nd birthday party. I bought Elmo wrapping paper for the gift, and Jack developed a fairly unhealthy obsession with it. First it was on the table, which was a mistake- Jack wouldn't eat, he was so excited about pointing at it and saying, "Mel-MO!" Then I hid it on top of the hutch, but he spotted it and would not shut up about it. Luckily, he was willing to surrender the gift, which was a bubble blowing puppy. The puppy was a huge hit with all of the toddlers, so obviously, we need to buy one. Jack was also pretty psyched about his party favor, a big rubber ball with his name written on it in big green letters. As we walked to the car, Jack alternated between exclaiming "bubbles!" "ball!" and "yay!" Then, yesterday morning, a groggy Jack took a swig of his milk, turned to me and said, "Bubbles."
Jack brought Roary the tiger to Ethan's party. He pretty much ran around clutcing Roary in one hand and using his free hand to gobble Teddy Grahams or to play with whatever else looked interesting. At one point, Jack set down the tiger, and Lucas, who is a few months younger, grabbed him. Jack totally lost his s-hit. He screamed, he wailed, tears ran down his face, until we finally got the tiger away from Lucas. Jack then found another stuffed animal and did his best to foist it on Lucas. Like, "Dude, you are so not getting my tiger, so take this instead." I'm going to make an effort to keep Roary at home when Jack is around other little kids. I totally respect that Roary is special and shouldn't be shared, but that's not fair to Jack's friends.
It occured to me this morning that it is probably no coincidence that Roary became so special when he did. Jack adopted him as his BFF while Steve was in Canada. I think on some level, Jack missed his dad and wanted a little extra security and love while Steve was away.

Splash!

Wednesday night, Steve gave Jack a bath. Imagine his surprise when he noticed Roary floating in the water next to Jack, one of Jack's chubby hands firmly grasped around Roary's paw.

How did Jack manage to get the tiger in the tub without Steve noticing it? Yeah, I don't know either.

The good news is that Roary is machine washable. How did I get so lucky as for my kid's stuffed animal of choice to be machine washable? Roary spent the evening hanging in the shower, getting dry, and the next night was good as new. Still, I went ahead and bought a backup tiger on eBay. Thank Yoda for eBay, is all I have to say, because otherwise I'd probably be haunting store saying, "Do you have a little orange stuffed animal, one that could maybe be either a tabby cat or a tiger, depending on if the kid who played with it roared or meowed? Why are you walking away from me?"

Back to Normal

Steve got home safely on Saturday: hooray! He met us at the park, where he was prompted greeted by a flying tackle hug from Jack. The boys and I then went to Celebrate South Riding. Can I just mention how great it was to let Steve load Jack into the car while I got the stroller and stuff, instead of doing both by myself? At the fair, Jack went on his very first ride- the merry go round. He absolutely loved it and giggled the entire time. Then we went on a little train, and Jack waved to the people like he was running for president. The three of us then walked past the stage (on our way to get more junk food, naturally). The band was warming up, and Jack was positively vibrating, he was so excited. Steve let him out of his stroller, and he rushed right out onto the dance floor. There, Jack showed off his hottest moves: the bounce, the foot stomp, the hip wiggle, and the twirl. He'd then go and work the crowd, giving high fives, and undoubtedly encouraging everyone to go out and dance. At one point, I had to keep him from climbing onto the stage like a drunk sorority girl. Good times.

I also loved hearing Steve and Jack playing together, just in the midst of doing something silly and laughing together. Makes me really happy.

Update: the tiger has a name. No longer will he be known as Tiger. His name is Roary, and it suits him.

Yesterday, Isabel (our 4 year old next door neighbor) gave Jack a small Elmo that she didn't play with anymore. Jack was absolutely thrilled and kept showing him to Isabel and yelling "Elmo!" He then decided to share his yogurt with Elmo. So darned cute.

That's More Like It

Jack and I got through an entire evening without anything gross happening. Yay! In fact, he and I had the kind of evening that was ordinary, but that I want to remember because really, ordinary can be pretty great sometimes.

I arrived at school, and he greeted me with a flying tackle hug. Then he marched his little diapered butt right over to the door, ready to go home. There, he demanded a snack, so he enjoyed some raisins and some melon (new favorite food, I think) while I read him a story. We went downstairs to play, and he selected a DVD from the rack, something he hadn't done before. I so wish I could have known what he was thinking, because I bet it was something like, "No way! This DVD has Elmo on it! We are totally watching this." He handed it to me and said, "Em-o." Of course, we watched it, and it was a fun one, with lots of singing and dancing. Jack and I danced together, then did some bouncing songs. When the movie was over, he noticed his tiger across the room and ran over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss. He then spent a lot of time putting the tiger (who really needs a name, as I refuse to call him Tiger) on his car, put his sippy of milk next to him, and pulled him around the room. So cute.

Jack and the tiger then stood at the foot of the stairs and asked to go upstairs. Seeing as it had been at least half an hour since his last snack, he was ravenous. He had milk and animal cookies, which he shared with both me and the tiger. After that, it was bathtime, since the previous night's bath had been less a bath and more damage control. Happily, during his post-bath running around naked time, he decided not to relieve himself anywhere inappropriate and instead to sit on my lap so we could read. He was such a sweet, snuggly little guy.

I'm really enjoying this Mommy-Son time, but I am also excited that the day after tomorrow, Steve is coming home. Yay!

Oh, Jackson.

I was getting Jack ready for his bath last night, and in the few seconds that he was naked, he managed to crap on the floor. Then he stepped in it.

I got him cleaned up, then focused on the carpeting. As I was on my hands and knees scrubbing away, he took a whiz on the floor right next to me.

Oh, Jackson.

Random thought

Can you imagine coming across a strange object and thinking, "Huh, I wonder what this is. I think I'll lick it."

Babies are weird.

Sunday Sanity Challenge

Jack decided to challenge me yesterday. He kicked things off by waking up at 6:00, and decided that "Shh! Mommy's Sleeping" was not a fun game to play. But he gave me a little time to wake up, so I took him to Starbucks for breakfast. Then, we headed to Delaplane for the Strawberry Festival and our 5K walk/run.

Wow. I was not prepared for that race. I mean, physically, I can do a 5K, no problem. But the course was completely wooded, actually on the trails of the state park. It was all dirt, with huge tree roots, rocks, and impressive inclines. It was really cool to be able to run in a place like that, and not on a road. I think I'm really a cross country runner at heart still. Of course, when I was in high school, not only was I a lot younger, but I also wasn't pushing 40 or so pounds of kid and stroller up those hills and over those branches! Still, it was an absolutely gorgeous setting, and I'm glad I did it. Jack was a bit cranky afterwards, probably because it was so hot. But sitting in the shade and splitting a strawberry sundae with him prompted a miraculous recovery. Kid went from low-level whining and figeting to laughing and kicking up his heels.

We headed home and Jack decided that there was absolutely no need to take a nap. Oh, Jackson. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing, with a quick break to go to the grocery store. There, I bought myself an absolutely beautiful steak, which I made myself for dinner, along with a baked potato, sweet corn, and a big fat glass of wine. Ahh, much better!

Today, I totally cheated and instead of attempting a game of "Shh! Mommy's Sleeping!" I put on a Muppet video and semi-snoozed until I felt human again. After breakfast, I began Operation Cub Exhaust. I took the little man to Frying Pan Park, where he absolutely loved running around and looking at animals. He seemed to especially like the chickens, as he spent a lot of time looking at them and saying, "Wow!" At one point, he did attempt to free them, but luckily lacks the dexterity to do so. Then we went home, played in the Elmo sprinkler, then went to the park. He has now been asleep for two and a half hours. Score!

Sanity Watch, Days 1-2

Steve is on vacation in Canada this week, fishing with my dad ("Dear Ennis, please bring home some fish. Love, Alma"), so Jack and I are flying solo. Can Betsy take care of the Wondercub without completely falling apart? Or will I degenerate into not washing my hair and eating nothing but Kraft Macaroni and Cheese?

So far, so good.

Last night, I picked Jack up at school, then we went to the park. He had a good time watching the big kids poke at a dead bumblebee they'd found. Then he decided he'd had enough, so he walked home, with me trailing behind (except for when he held my hand to cross the street). After a quick bath, it was bedtime. I even used his post sleepy time to make myself a casserole and run the dishwasher.

Today was a great day. Jack slept until 8:00, then we went to Caribou for breakfast. There was a family there with three kids that Jack decided were his new BFF's. Then we hit a consignment sale in Centreville. Spider-Man outfit and Elmo t-shirt? Score!

After that, we went to Eleanor C. Lawrence park. Jack absolutely loved it there. He wandered around, tried to climb into the pond, knocked the fluff off of dandelions, and petted both a caterpillar and a dog. At first, he fussed about having banana on his hands, but then decided the most fun thing to do would be to get as dirty as possible. Excellent plan. Naturally, this meant bathtime when we got home, followed by lunch, followed by him passing out for three and a half hours.

After his nap, we picked up dinner and went to Amanda's house so we could hang with her and Ethan and meet new baby Marley. Jack and Ethan showed only passing interest in the baby, preferring to pull out as many toys as possible and play together. We gave the kids dinner. Jack started doing his vehement head shaking, and Ethan thought it was hilarious. The two boys would shake their heads no together and laugh uproariously. Too funny. Amanda was awesome to hang out with, as always. It's funny how we now have conversations together in which we have to spell things out, like, "Maybe we could take the C-H-A-L-K out onto the D-E-C-K" and "Do you think we should put on the E-L-M-O video?" Ah, how things have changed.

Jack is now sleeping, so I think I'm going to pack up the car for tomorrow morning's adventure, then watch a movie.

So far, so sane.

Anybody Out There?

As far as I'm concerned, a new book by Marian Keyes is always cause for celebration, especially when the main character is one of the Walsh sisters. This book focuses on Claire, the second to the youngest sister. Claire has just recovered from a horrible car accident and has a scarred face and psyche. As always, Marian Keyes takes an unflinching look at the very difficult, very sad things that Claire is going through, but at the same time manages to be absolutely hilarious. I adored reading about youngest Walsh sister Helen's forays into the world of organized crime, the "kooky" outfits Claire is forced to wear as a PR for Candy Grrl Cosmetics, and her friend Jacqui's rants about men who are "feathery strokers." It was also great to see what the other Walsh sisters who I knew and loved from Keyes' other books are up to. It made me want to re-read Rachel's Holiday again, since I'd feel better knowing how things would turn out for her! This book was an absolute delight, and I look forward to reading it again.

It's official

Looks like Jack has selected a special buddy: Elmo. Little guy enjoys grabbing Elmo by the foot and slinging him over the shoulder. He wants to bring Elmo in the car with him, then sobs when he has to say goodbye to him to go to school, kind of like Elmo is about to leave to fight the Nazis. And on Monday morning, Steve and I went to wake Jack up and discovered him asleep, holding Elmo's hand, and rubbing it against his nose in his sleep. It was just about the cutest thing ever.

I had a really nice night with the boys last night. We went to Glory Days. Jack spent part of dinner scribbling on his placemat, just like a real grown-up kid. The rest he spent stealing fries off of my plate. Just as well, as the Jack Steals My Food Diet is sure to help me lose a few pounds.

Jack and I are also working hard at having him hold my hand instead of my carrying him when we're going to and from the car. I give him tons of positive feedback for doing it, and he seems to really like being able to walk around.

I've Got Something To Say

Seems that kids around here are trained to call adults by Miss or Mr. and their first names. I am Miss Betsy and my husband is Mr. Steve to our neighbor kids. And I don't like it. I'd rather be either Betsy or Mrs. Wasser. Having your kid call me Miss Betsy kind of says to me, "I want to teach my kids to respect their elders, but I'm not really willing to commit to that."

I had a job the summer after I graduated from high school, teaching English As A Second Language to rising first and second graders. The certified teacher in the class said that last names were too hard to pronounce, so we teacher aides would be Miss Betsy, Miss Carmen, etc. That was a bunch of crap, not just because the kids would have had an easier time with Miss Green than Miss Betsy, but also because she wasn't Miss Linda- she was Mrs. Houk. It was a small way for her to show her rank and to get more authority than the rest of us.

The thing is, I don't really think I can escape this. For one thing, the teachers at Jack's school go by the Miss FirstName standard. And I think it would come across as Trying Way Too Hard To Make A Point if I had Jack call our neighbor not Miss Tina, but Mrs. Morrison or demanding that her kids call me Mrs. Wasser.

Also, I would like to acknowledge that this opinion sounds like a curmudgeony Emily Post sort of ranting.

No.

Got home last night to find a state of semi-chaos at Stately Wasser Manor. I heard the water running, Jack doing medium-grade whining, and then Steve saying, "Betsy, is that you? I need you." I hurried upstairs and found that Steve was freaking out. Jack had a dirty diaper, and his diaper rash is really hurting him. Thanks, antibiotics! He needed a bath, and Steve said, "He needs to see the doctor, because that rash is really bad and really painful and I can't take off any more work and I don't know what to do."

This sounds like a job for Supermom!

I sent Steve downstairs to make an appointment for Jack to see Dr. Kelly- I could take him any time, any day but Friday. I'd get the Cub in the tub, and that Steve should take a minute to get it together.

He returned upstairs, much calmer and apologized for throwing all of that at me the second I walked in the door. No problem, I said. Jack was happily splashing in the tub and enjoying some decadent bathtime yogurt.

Me: And please, go ahead and go to the block captain mixer. I've got things under control.
Steve: Are you sure? I don't mind.
Me: We're cool. Jack, can you and Mommy handle things alone tonight?
Jack: No.

Way to have my back, there, kid. The best part is that when Jack says no, he sounds so very earnest and sincere.

Happy Mother's Day

Wow, my second Mother's Day was incredible!

Okay, granted, it was really not hard to top my first Mother's Day. The Cub was just four months old, and that weekend, he got sick with the dreaded rotavirus. He spent the entire weekend crying and refusing to eat, basically scaring the hell out of me. We had to take him to the Gross 24 Hour Kaiser in Falls Church twice. And to make matters worse, my in-laws were visiting. Not only were they absolutely no help at all, but they had no problem with having the new mom who was worried about her sick baby make them dinner. No, I am still not over it. So, the highlight of my first Mother's Day came when we actually got Jack to eat something- a bottle of Windex-blue Pedialyte- and then watching him crap emerald green diahrrea.

But even without comparison, this year was great. Jack slept until 7:00, then joined us in bed for a snuggle. Then the boys took me to Starbucks for breakfast, confirming my theory that since Jack had a hand in choosing my present, at least part of it would be lemon pound cake. After that, we took Jack to the park, taking advantage of the last few hours of sun. During his nap, I did some cooking, updated my obsessively nerdy Survivor jury article, and just relaxed. When Jack woke up, it was still raining, so Steve suggested that I take my book and go get a cup of coffee. A few hours to myself and a new Marian Keyes book? Bliss!

Plus, in addition to two really sweet cards, the boys gave me a gift certificate for a deluxe manicure and pedicure at the Elizabeth Arden spa. Nice! Jack really, really enjoyed taking the box with the gift certificate in and out of the bag, but probably not as much as I'll enjoy some serious pampering.

Oh! And Steve made me his famous chicken parmesan for dinner and did all of the cleanup. Thanks, boys!

Books Read By Mommy

Steve has mentioned lately that he wants to read to Jack more often. He admits that he doesn't always think of it and asked me to mention it every now and then, when he and Jack are playing. Sure, no problem. Last night, we were talking about what Steve and Jack do in the morning. I suggested that it might be a nice time to read, while I'm getting ready and Jack is having his morning cup of milk. Steve sighed and said this:

He only likes books read by Mommy.

I've got to admit, my first reaction was a teeny, tiny bit of glee. It's kind of nice to hear that Steve feels a bit insecure sometimes. He is such a good dad that he's right to be confident in just about everything he does, but that is of course also maddening at times.

Anyway, Steve went on to say that while Jack will sit on my lap and page through a book with me, woofing at the white dog in Brown Bear, he won't sit still for Steve. He'll close the book and try to squrim away. All of this is pretty much true.

But I honestly think the reason that I'm the Reader Of Choice right now is that for the past 16 months, I have been working my ass off to get Jack to read with me. I read to him in his crib. I'd fight him to not rip the pages. I'd read to him while he basically ignored me and played with other things. I'd keep reading while he walked or crawled over the page. And finally, it all seems to have clicked with him. What Mommy is doing is actually interesting, and I should check it out.

I think Steve's going to try the same thing. It really is worth the effort to get the little guy to sit in your lap and snuggle, cackle-laughing as he points to Ernie.

Rolling the dice

Last weekend, Steve and I made a bold move: We sold much of Jack's baby gear. The fish television bouncy seat. The play pen (oops, I mean Pack & Play), the Jacksack, the Jumping Jack, Chupacabre, the swing he never liked, and a ton of baby clothes.

We agreed on two things:
• That it felt right.
• That we would not let the fact that we'd have to buy a new exersaucer dissuade us if we change our minds and decide to have another baby.

It really did feel okay. We kept the things that we felt most sentimental about (such as Jack's MVP Cub jacket and the jammies he wore on Christmas morning this year), and we have tons of pictures of other things. So I think I'd already really been able to let go. And hot chocolate, did it free up a lot of space in the basement! Plus, we made over $400!

I feel really happy and content with the rhythm that the guys and I have. The three of us work so well together. I don't feel the need for any kind of change right now.

Goodnight Nobody

I recently finished reading Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. She has written some of the most consistently entertaining books I've read in a while, yet I didn't snatch this one up as soon as it came out. The reason is that Weiner (hee) strayed from her usual straight-up, humorous novels and wrote a mystery. I wasn't sure how well she'd pull it off or if I'd enjoy it.

In the book, Kate is a mother of three small kids who lives in the Pleasantville-like setting of Upchurch, CT.
She does not fit in at all with the other moms on the playground. While Kate is disheveled in sweats, the other moms look perfect in pressed wool pants and suede jackets. The other moms pass out organic veggies while Kate rummages in her bag for some crumbled cookies. She feels really out of place and inadequate. Then she finds Kitty, one of the most intimidating moms, dead on her kitchen floor, a knife in her back.

Kate finds herself wrapped up in the mystery, not only of how Kitty died, but also who exactly she was. Turns out there was a lot more to this perfect mother than there appeared to be.

I was engaged in the mystery plot, but even more, I just relished Weiner's (hee) humorous descriptions on life as a mom. There's a great scene in which Kate has a birthday party for her twin boys. She has games, punch, and a bowl of cheez curls that the other moms look at as if they are "severed fingers," then later discovers that she is in the land of competitive birthday parties and should have rented a fleet of ponies and clowns. Oops. There's also a great scene that takes place before Kate and her family move to the suburbs. Kate gets mugged and "stroller jacked" in a dark alley. She gives the mugger her diaper bag and has to explain that she doesn't have a purse- that's it. Then, while she holds "about 63 pounds of squirming toddler" in her arms, she has to teach the mugger how to fold the "easy one hand fold" $600 German engineered stroller. The description was so point on that I could see every bit of it in my head.

This was a fun book, one that I'm sure I'll enjoy re-reading.

That's my boy!

Sometimes, Jack really, really amazes me. The two of us went to the park together yesterday, and we ran into our neighbors Dave, Maura, and Ryan. Dave noticed Jack's sneakers and said, "Hey, Jack, those are some cool shoes! Are those Spider-Man kicks?" Jack smiled, squatted down, and touched the Spidey on his shoes! My son knows who Spider-Man is! Of course, I had to test this a couple of times, so for the rest of the night, I'd ask, "Jack, where is Spider-Man," and every time, he'd point to the webslinger on his shoes. Steve was, of course, beside himself with pride.

Jack's receptive vocabulary is really growing by leaps and bounds, and not just in the case of identifying superheroes (though of course that is impressive in its own right). I asked him if he wanted to go to the park, and he responded by putting Elmo down and walking over to the door. Cool! He also loves going through picture books and identifying the different things on the pages, whether it's a baby, banana, monkey, sock, whatever. A few weeks ago, he didn't know how to do any of that stuff.

Jack Gets Calculating

The boys and I were out for a post-Starbucks walk on Saturday morning and found a yard sale- and a major SCORE. We got Jack a play tent for a mere three dollars. The tent was immediately set up in the basement, and Jack had a great time crawling in there, dragging in toys- all the stuff we figured he'd be doing.

Sunday, the three of us were having a lazy morning and Steve was balancing the checkbook. As he was one sum away from being done, Jack raced over and hit the 8 key. Then he grabbed the calculator out of his dad's hand, ran away, and dove into his tent, laughing his head off all the way. It was quite possibly the funniest thing I saw all weekend.

On a less cheery note, Jack is working on a new tooth and a runny nose. Blech.

Hooray!

Jack said "Mommy" for the first time yesterday!

I about cried.

Update!

It turns out that the new dance moves are dangerous, and not in a "You Got Served" kind of way. I got a call this afternoon from Jack's school. He was dancing, undoubtedly showing off his new spin, got dizzy, and fell into the bookcase, bumping his head.

Poor Jackson. How he suffers for his art.

Also, here is some dialogue from Stately Wasser Manor today.

Jack: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Steve: Sorry, buddy, but that's the way it is. (shows me Jack's Elmo toothbrush) I just don't think it's safe for him to run around with this in his mouth.
Jack: WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: I completely agree, especially because he took that thing out of the trash.
Jack: WWAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
Steve: Oh, Jackson.

How big is Jack?

Soooo big! So big, in fact, that he seems to have already outgrown his size 18 months clothing. That sure didn't last long, did it? As far as I'm concerned, though, this is good news. 18 months is really hard to find, and once you hit 2T, there seems to be a lot more clothing available. Jack seems to have had a mighty growth spurt, because he suddenly seems much taller. This would also explain why he was eating us out of house and home.

In other news, Jack has added some new dance moves. Not only does he bob up and down, but he also likes to spin and twirl! It is too funny. Steve and I kept trying to play music and sing last night so we could watch him dance more.

Cracks in My Foundation

I just finished Cracks in My Foundation, a book of essays and short stories by my girl, Marian Keyes. I am a total sucker for this woman's writing. I love the way she blends comedy and tragedy in her novels, and I enjoy her unique voice. Her essays about travel were especially funny. She actually made me think I'd like a trip to Russia after reading the way she delighted in the melodrama of it all. I could absolutely see little kernals of things she ended up writing about in her novels- the mud incident that later showed up in Last Chance Saloon, the Russian women talking about sex who later showed up in Angels.

My favorite thing in the book was a short story, "Mammy Walsh's Problem Page." It's an advice column, written by Mammy Walsh, the mother of the Walsh sisters who appear in several of her books. It is hysterical listening to her rantings and no nonsense approach to modern issues. One person wrote in to say that she is a vegetarian and her boyfriend wants her to make a roast for his parents. Should she do it? Mammy Walsh tells her to knock off this attention seeking vegetarian nonsense and just admit that meat is delicious.

Great fun. I'm sure I'll pick this up again and dip into different stories and essays.

Mommy-Son Weekend

Steve was away last weekend for an informal fraternity reunion, and Jack and I were on our own. I'm sure Steve had a great time walking around campus and drinking bourbon, but I've got to say, the Cub and I had a really great time.

It poured rain on Saturday, thus killing my plans for us to go to Baby Animal Day at Frying Pan Park. I'll take him next week, since I doubt the baby animals will all have matured by then. We did our usual Saturday stuff, and at Costco I made the amazing discovery that Jack, who has been shunning vegetables of late (funny, since that used to be all he'd eat), loves spinach nuggets, of all things. He scarfed down two of the free samples, so I bought a box for home. Dan and Liana came over in the evening so we could go look for a dress for Liana. I was not as desperate for adult contact as I thought I'd be by then, though I'm sure it helped to keep me sane for the rest of the weekend. Dan was very amused by the fact that Jack consistently called me Dada.

On Sunday, things were a little more challenging because I had a horrible headache. Ordinarily, I would have handed Jack over to Steve and crawled into bed, but that was not an option. So, I took a handful of Advil with a cup of coffee. I had to put away the groceries, so I put Jack in his high chair and dumped an entire jar of Blueberry Buckle on the tray. He looked at me like, "Really?" Jack then alternated between eating it by the handful and smearing it all over his tray, making pretty patterns.

Unfortunately, I still wasn't feeling so good and was not up to giving my sticky blue boy a bath quite yet. So I gave his hands and face a quick swipe, took off his shirt, and carried him to the basement. I put on Sesame Street and curled up in a ball on the floor. Jack was really great. He watched the show quietly, coming over every once in a while to cuddle with me or give me a kiss. Sweet little guy, and his magic cuddling powers made me feel much better.

So then, it was time for the bath. Jack had an absolute blast, splashing probably about half of the water out of the tub and onto Mommy and the surrounding floor. Then he got a look on his face. Dialogue follows.

Me: Um, Jack? Are you doing what I think you're doing? Should I maybe put you on the toilet and... oh, it's too late.
Jack: Uh-oh!
Me: This bath is over.

So, I took the boy out of the polluted bathwater and put him on the floor, forgetting that the floor was soaking wet and therefore slippery. Jack immediately fell down. It was one of those bad times when he didnt start crying right away, but rather turned bright red and took a huge breath so he could really let out a serious holler. I wrapped him in a towel and took him to his room to calm down. Once he finally stopped crying, thank Yoda, it was nap time. Jack went to sleep, I cleaned the tub, then had lunch and made dinner for our guests that night. I am, obviously, an amazing Superwoman.

Communication

Yesterday, Jack really impressed me by how well he is learning to communicate. Sure, we're not at, "Mommy, those were some really good mashed sweet potatoes. Thank you so much for making them for me," but considering that not so long ago all he could do was cry, the little guy is making progress.

Last night, he and I got home from a run. He walked over to the stairs and yelled. I opened the gate, figuring he could use a drink. As I was getting him a sippy of milk, he walked over to his high chair and pointed at it frantically. "Do you want a snack, Jack?" I asked. I responded by running over to the pantry door and yelling at it. My smart boy was rewarded with a snack of milk, Teddy Grahams, and banana.

For the past two nights, Jack and I have experimented with no bedtime bottle. It is going great. I really think he was ready to give it up. Instead of having a bottle, we snuggle and read a bedtime story. I think I have a decent array of short books that are good for pre-sleepies, but I suppose time will tell.

Boo Boo Report

It's becoming all too familiar- the sound of my cell phone ringing in the afternoon, and one of the directors at Jack's daycare leading with, "Hi, Mrs. Wasser. It's not an emergency..." Nope, not an emergency- just another boo boo report for Jack!

It honestly doesn't bother me that Jack gets the occasional scratch or scrape. He's a kid, and I want him to be able to play, explore, run, and I know that it's inevitable that he'll hurt himself every once in a while. One of the kids in Jack's class, Amy, lives in our neighborhood. She had a scratch on her face that she got at school, and her parents were totally freaked out about it. They told Steve all about how "they need to watch the children more carefully" and "what if it gets infected?" I can't imagine getting so upset over one scratch. Does Amy never fall down and hurt herself at their house? The whole place must be covered in bubble wrap and cotton batting.

Yesterday's boo boo report came at 4:30. Jack was playing outside, tripped (probably over his own feet) and fell down on the sidewalk. He is totally fine- in fact, Ms. Rashida reported that he hardly cried at all and was all smiles by the time he got inside to get cleaned up. He does, however, have a bunch of scrapes all over one side of his face. Poor Cub!

And guess what? Tomorrow is school picture day!

No Dress Rehearsal

No Dress Rehearsal is a very short story by my beloved Marian Keyes. It's about 75 pages in a small book with big type. Not quite a short story, so I guess it would be called a novella. In the first few pages, Lizzie is in a biking accident, and although she doesn't realize it for a while, she dies. The rest of the book is about Lizzie trying to adjust to her new reality, including doing her very best to make sure she is not literally late for her own funeral. The thing I liked the best about this story is that Lizzie did have all of the cliched problems of a heroine in a light women's fiction book- she had a boyfriend who wouldn't commit, a chocolate habit, trouble quitting smoking, a dead-end job, etc. The difference is that she died, which certainly put a new spin on things. It became crystal clear that she was wasting her life with these things that did not make her happy. In the end, she was able to talk to her friend Siobhan in a dream and convince her not to make the same mistakes. Very enjoyable little read.

Greetings!

Yesterday was a big day for Jack. He said both hi and bye for the first time! Not bad, busting out with two new words in one day. Sure, they sound a lot alike, but he still gets points since the context was correct and because both of them were accompanied by waves. He said bye to Steve on his way out of the house for school. Then we were watching a new kid show (Big, Big, World - eh), and he started saying hi to each new animal as it came on the screen. So cute.

Perhaps because he was so very sophisticated, I decided to try putting him to bed without a bottle for the first time. Jack has been mostly bottle-free for ages, but we were still giving him one before bed. His doctor is cool with that and said to just start phasing it out before he turns 18 months. Well, for a while now, he hasn't been that into the pre-bed bottle. He'd take a couple of drinks from it, then bat it away with his hand and ask for his binky. I gave him a cup of milk during our evening quiet time, which he downed. Then I took him up to bed, read him Goodnight Moon, and gave him a binky. He went right to sleep, as usual. I think this transition is going to be an easy one.

Happy Easter!

Steve and I agreed that this Easter was probably our best yet (in my case, ranking right up there with the Easter I spent in Madrid at the opening day of bullfighting). Jack was a perfect wonderful Angel Cub and slept until 8:00! The Easter Bunny had come, and did a helpfully poor job of hiding Easter eggs, just scattering them around the study. Jack had a great time picking up the eggs and bringing them to me. Then he was really psyched about his Easter basket, full of little toys, Elmo sippy cups, and Sesame Beginnings DVDs.

The three of us had breakfast, then we went to Lowe's. Jack and I looked at flowers while Steve got the rest of the bricks for edging the front of the house. At home, Steve finished putting out the bricks while I chased Jack up and down the street. A trip to the park and a bath later, and the little guy was ready for a three-hour nap.

Dan, Liana, Bill, and Rebecca came over for dinner, and it was just like the kind of holiday dinner I like- laid back, everyone pitching in, and board games afterwards. It was really a great day.

One Year Later

This morning, Steve and I took Jack to the South Riding Easter Egg Hunt. To be fair, it's not so much a "hunt" as it is a "grab," since all of the plastic eggs are just spread out on the lawn. We took him last year, and it really made me think about how much he's changed.

Last year, we just watched the other kids. He was so little that not only could he not walk and pick up eggs, he couldn't even roll over yet. That's so crazy to think about! I also remember we weren't sure how the short walk was going to go, since he didn't really like his stroller that much. Now one of his favorite things to do is to go for walks. It's really cool to look back and see how much he's grown up. Next year, who knows? He might be able to do something really fancy, like hold a basket and pick up eggs at the same time.

Second Draft of My Life

I finished this book, Second Draft of My Life by Sara Lewis a couple of nights ago. It's about Charlotte, a novelist who gets frustrated with her lack of success and decides to throw in the towel and become a first grade teacher. She finds that teaching is a lot harder than she thought it would be and ends up using the skills she learned as a novelist to reinvent herself and to be a better teacher. It was entertaining fluff and I will probably forget about it completely within a month, but I enjoyed it while I was reading it. I'll probably attempt to sell it at our yard sale next month.

Bock Bock!

Jack totally cracks me up sometimes. This morning, I took him to school. Ms. Esthella and Ms. Vicky were apparently running a bit behind, so there were no toys out yet. Ms. Vicky went into the Magical Toy Closet to get some stuff for the kids. Jack did his best to wedge his little body in there so he could check things out. She was, of course, quick enough to block his way in. She was not, however, able to keep him from spotting one of his favorite school toys: Chicken Dance Elmo.
Jack immediately began pointing at CDE and yelling, "Uh-oh! More!" Vicky brought him the toy, and Jack immediately pushed CDE's foot to make him dance. When I left him this morning, Jack was making Elmo dance, dancing with him, and laughing his wee baby head off. Good stuff.

Uh-oh!

Jack has become enamored lately with one of his words. All day long, there are choruses of uh-oh! Really, it's a handy phrase for Jack, given his lifestyle. Uh-oh is good to use, for example, when you deliberately drop your Spider-Man fork on the floor after every bite of ravioli. Uh-oh also came into play when he dropped his binky in the toilet. I turned my back for one second, heard the "Uh-oh," and found the binky floating in the water and Jack waving bye-bye to it.

Yeah. Bye-bye is right. He'll not be seeing that particular binker ever again.

EIEIO

Yesterday, we took Jack to Great Country Farm. It was so much fun for all three of us. There are all kinds of animals to see, mazes, rope swings, a giant slide, hay rides, a country store, and u-pick fruits and veggies (though nothing is in season to pick right now). All of this for the bargain price of $3 per adult! Jack was absolutely thrilled by the entire thing. He loved the animals. Every time we directed his stroller towards something new, he'd yell, bounce up and down in the seat, and point to it. The rope swing and giant slide were also a lot of fun. I hope that I never reach the point in which I don't realize how fun it is to swing on a rope swing or go screaming down a hill on a steep, fast slide. I was more than happy to make the climb to the top of the slide with Jack because it was just so fun. It was also great to just be able to get Jack out of the stroller and let him run around and explore. At the end of our time there, he was dirty, hungry, and happy. We'll definitely go back.