Pumpkin Love: Hug, Kiss, Lick

 
 
  

Only 5 Days Left...

 
 
... on our free Photoshop trial. And at $600, we're not going to be buying it anytime soon. 

You Break It, You Bought It

Today Alec and I were at the fabric store (I have to make a zig-zag for his shirt because Dad insists on a Charlie Brown costume for Halloween. I wanted Curious George. So we're having two costumes). I always give him merchandise to hold and play with in the store because, well, I just want to. Anyway, I gave him this squirrel figurine that I thought was made of resin or some sturdy material. Alec starts calling it "Jumpy," like the squirrel on Curious George. All of a sudden he dashes it to the floor: "Smash!" Tail off. I relate this story because my first instinct was to hide the darn thing; pretend it never happened. Then I wished he were a little older so it would be a "teachable moment" or whatever crap regarding you break it you bought it. Anyway, I told the checker we broke it and she said we could either leave it or buy it for 75 percent off, so we did the latter. It was only 24 cents and now we have our own Jumpy squirrel with a broken-off tail.

More DigiPages

 
  
These pages were made using a digital template by the talented Anna Aspnes of www.fotoscrapix.com.

All This For Me?

  

Digital Scrapbooking--Could It Be The Answer?

 
The irony: Before I had a child, I kept running out of things to scrapbook. Now that I have a child, there's little time to scrapbook. The ideas still come, but the photos pile up.
As a reward for finishing a grant writing project, I downloaded a digital scrapbook kit. We have 17 days left in our free Photoshop trial. This is going to be fun! 

Best Birthday Ever

 
 
 
 
Breakfast with Dad at Golden Waffle.
The park with Dad.
Curious George on DVD.
lunch & playtime
Mom home early from work
Nature Center (turtle, owl and "eagle" friends)
smoothie
park with Mom and Dad
"mocha" (Dutch Bros. milk)
dinner on birthday plate
cheesecake with candle
presents
playtime with Star Wars Mr. Potatoheads 

It Was Two Years Ago

Create Your Own!

"Big" Celebrity

 
OK, first of all, I am well aware that I have put on a few pounds. I had a freaking baby, folks, and I told myself I was not going to worry about weight for a couple of years. "A couple of years" is up in two days, so I'll get on it then. In the meantime, cut me some slack. I'm not that MILF at my office who was back to running several miles a day before her baby was a week old. Plus, I like ice cream.
Anyway, what's with the self-criticism? I'm the "Big Celebrity!" Yes, with the help of friends, coworkers and local businesses I raised $5,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters. When they announced that I had won I was most nervous about having to give a thank-you speech. I had crammed a list of people to thank into my bra, so that served me well. It was like the Emmys or something. I also get my picture on a billboard, along with the winners in the other three categories, and free tickets to next year's Big Event so I can present the 2007 Big Celebrity.
So, I enjoyed being able to help such a great cause, but it was a lot of work and I don't think I'll be fund-raising again anytime soon. I need all my free time to exercise. And maybe pop diet pills. And get that stomach-stapling surgery. And go on Survivor. 

Now Signing Autographs

I won "Big Celebrity" at the Big Brothers Big Sisters fund-raiser tonite. I'm super-tired but I'll post a photo or sumthin' tomorrow.
Thanks for your support!

Ridin' On The Range

  

Look Who Got A Haircut!

  

A Fine Day For A Monkey

Finally, the day has arrived. Sept. 26, the day Curious George: The Movie comes out on DVD. The day Mommy is at Target at 8 a.m. after determining that they have the best deal on the movie, by virtue of including the movie soundtrack and a subscription to Parenting Magazine. It's the day that Alec sat through an entire movie, with the exception of the "romance" scene without George, during which Alec asked, "George? George?" until we fast-forwarded it. I think that, if we wanted to, George could virtually eliminate the need for us to care for our child at all.

Top 10 Ways I Was A Bad Mom Today

1. Mistook teething for a cold two days ago; compensated by feeding Alec two Popsicles today and giving him Odwalla OJ mixed with Hansens' soda.
2. Told Alec we were going to the toy store, when really we were going to the park.
3. Anxiously counting down the hour and 15 minutes we were at the park. (I always think he's going to crack his skull open.)
4. Buying Alec a Curious George car and a battery-operated bubble blower (only $3.48 on clearance!) to keep him busy while I cleaned house.
5. Let Alec get used to getting an Icee at Target, and, upon realizing that they had replaced with white cherry Icee with Mountain Dew Black Something-Or-Other, let him have it anyway. (Caffeine anyone?)
6. In fact, bought his entire lunch at the Target food court because I didn't want to go home and come back.
7. Literally two minutes after distaining a mother who let her kid wander the toy section with an obviously poopy diaper, let Alec wander the toy section with an obviously poopy diaper.
8. While changing poo diaper in the car, got sand all over Alec's privates because I forgot to shake it out of his pants and shoes after the park.
9. Used kitchen shears to pry the non-removable Curious George figure out of the car, even though it exposed a screw that had been driven up George's rear, because Alec kept begging, "Out, George, Please, Mom."
10. Put Alec to bed covered in dirt and grime because he asked to nurse before I had a chance to bathe him and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to get him to sleep. (I did brush his teeth though.)

Poor Little Shaver!

Our sweet Alleycat is sick with a cold, courtesy of Mom. It's so sad! He hates the feeling of snot on his nose; it makes him cry. He only napped for half an hour. I'm so glad I have a flexible work schedule so I could come home and the whole family could suffer together. We took him for a drive, telling him we were going to look at cows, but when we got to the cows his eyelids were so droopy that we kept going. A couple of miles later he perked up and started asking, "Cows?" so we made the loop again. He was happy to see the cows, but not completely satisfied after looking at them for awhile, he asked for giraffes, quite certain that we could deliver. Unfortunately, we could not, and there were tears. We calmed him down by singing "Old McDonald," with Alec requesting the animals. We were a little perplexed when he asked that we sing "oc-to-pooos," because we don't know what sound an octopus makes. We made him some soup, and later he asked for "more oop" and ate almost two cans' full. We also mixed Hansen's soda with Odwalla OJ, and he loved that. And we let him open a birthday present early. How else can we spoil our poor, sick boy?

I Lag

I haven't posted lately because, well, I lag. And now I have a cold.
Alec is well, though. He had a great long weekend in Yreka, hanging with the grandmas. At my high school's homecoming parade he learned to stand at the curb with his hands out calling, "Candy! Candy!" Then he'd squirrel it away in a doorway.
Also, I've noticed that perhaps since Tom and I are so quick to jump up and take away from Alec anything potentially harmful or unappetizing, he generally brings us any forbidden items that he may find (today, he brought Dad a deflated balloon at the park). But I didn't realize we might be warping him just a tad when last night, in the bath, he came across a wad of hair. He picked it up, handed to me and said, in the most disgusted voice, "Gwoss!"

Why Is Alec So Cute?

Nobody knows. He just is.
Photo by Dad

Poor Baby

Alec took a spill today and his mouth was all bloody. At first I thought he'd knocked his teeth loose, but instead he had a big, purple welt inside his lip. He was crying really hard, but when I asked if he wanted to watch Curious George with a cup of ice chips he sobbed, "OK, OK" and calmed down. This week he had to go to the dentist, who has been keeping an eye on a bottom tooth that he must have bonked shortly after it came in (it's discolored). The dentist, who is super-nice by the way, calling Alec a good boy and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" while he brushes his teeth, said there's a good chance that tooth might fall out soon, because it's a little loose. Incidentally, paying out-of-pocket for Alec's dental needs isn't that bad--cheaper than insurance. And I learned that if you look appropriately shocked at the fact that $30 of a $62 visit is specifically attributed to the dentist brushing a baby's teeth for two minutes, they'll knock that part off.

A Fine Line Between Love And Hate

So my mom, AKA "Grandma's my name, spoiling's my game," sends Alec this book. Although immediately intrigued by the bright, happy cow on the cover, he quickly starts whistling another tune when I open the book and a bevy of barnyard animals begin mooing, neighing, baaing and cock-a-doodley-dooing at quite a volume. "No," says Alec, backing away. I put the book down and he gingerly shoves it under the couch saying, "Bye." Over the course of the next couple of days, he occassionally peeks under the couch, only to back away saying, "Noise. Ah-muls. Bye." ("Ah-muls" is Alec-speak for "animals.") Then, yesterday, I pull it out and open it up again. It's like he wants to run away but he can't, he's fixated on this fascinating book. "Noise. Ah-muls. More." Now he won't let up. He keeps shoving the book in our hands saying, "Take, take," but then he backs up about three feet and waits excitedly for us to open it and release the barnyard sounds. Turns out he loves the book, just from a safe distance. This morning he made me get it out of the car where we'd left it the night before. "Noise? Ah-muls? Book?" ("Do you want me to get it out of the car?" I ask.) "OK, OK, OK!"

Aargh! Nap already!

Alec naps like a little angel like clockwork for his dad during the week, but on the weekends, when I'm home and Dad is at work, it's a day-long struggle. I've tried everything! He's a tired little demon, too.