Sew...

I can't express enough gratitude for the blessing of good friends. MJJ, hangin' out Friday night with Noodles was awesome. Fiona & I had a busy day Saturday, visiting pumpkin patch, then grocery shopping (always an adventure). Today I got a treat, a few hours of uninterrupted sewing at Miss M's. It's awesome. Here's what we got done so far...

There was a little girl who had
a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good she was very
very good,
And when she was bad she was
horrid.

Minus the curl, this summarizes my day. *sigh*

Hapai: Numero Dos

Yup, there's that word again, long time ago I sent out an email announcement with Hapai in the title. I still like "hapai" better than "pregnant". We visited Dr. Eastman-Gallo (here on referred to as Dr. E-G) yesterday, confirmed what I already knew. I heard a faint tiny heart beat; faint 'cause baby was probably hanging out in the back & 'cause as yet is small. In another month we'll hear more. Doc said I was "on target" for 10 weeks.

Fiona was worried about me, she thought that I needed to be fixed. She expressed over and over that she did NOT want to go to the doctor, to which I clarified, "YOU are only visiting the doctor, it's MOMMY that needs to go to the doctor." She said she'd be there "for the doctor to fix me", again clarification that sometimes "we go to the doctor when we just need to know that everything is okay...that's what this is, mommy's going to the doctor for a check-up to see if everything is okay." She handled herself pretty well, enjoyed telling me to lie down on the table & we sang "The Ants Go Marching". Gary was there, and the two of them went to go get chocolate milk while I finished up with the Doc. I was supposed to get blood-work done but the fire alarm went off. A real fire alarm, not a drill. So we sat outside a few minutes and watched the firemen arrive & dress, then go into the building. Exciting, especially for Little Girl! Maybe we'll hear about the alarm reason when I return for the blood-work in a couple of weeks.

So we're excited! Fiona's not exactly sure about what's happening 'cause there's no physical evidence (i.e. BELLY, yet). And it's a long way 'til sibling Thomas arrives. Not sure how much information really sinks in, and what is spouted back can be convoluted. Starting another kind of endurance "race", but when I think about it pregnancy is only the first leg of the race. Then comes baby-hood, toddler-hood, preschooler, so on and so forth. Person-building is a long term endurance challenge, I hope I'm up to the task. As Gary said, I'm getting a promotion.

Of carts & cocoa

First SNOW of the season, sticking & edible for small children. Hot Cocoa with marshmallow cream, which Little Girl refuses to take advice on how not to burn her mouth. Then maybe she just doesn't have the skill yet. My fault, it's too hot.

Yesterday a hard day, not without bright spots, but overall just difficult. Temper tantrums (mine & hers), whining, and budgeting, add hormones of a very special variety and we're jetisoned into no man's land. In the grocery store, the unwieldy (much motherly-despised) "Car-cart". You may have seen them, Deeper wider grocery cart with a big plastic car attached to the front, in single & double versions. Red for fire engine, blue for police car. I find myself hoping every grocery trip that we won't find one available, and that if there is one available I will only use the single version. The double is just ridiculous. These Car-Carts supposedly keep kids happy & entertained for the duration of shopping---maybe that works if the kids are doped one way or another, or still young enough to be fooled that they might actually be driving. Not so for my child. She'll sit still in it for about 15 minutes, until it really sinks in that she's not getting the chocolate milk/sugar/vending machine surprise that she so desires. Then all bets are off. She's popping her head out muppet-style, she's climbing on the car trying out all possible positions. Upside-down, inside-out, standing hanging out the window, lying across the seat feet hanging left-head hanging right. At one point we met up with another mom & child roughly similar age of Fiona. This mom was having a similar issue with her son. In passing, we both said, almost simultaneously, "Get back IN the car, please!" Her son was hanging out the 'windshield' with a foot apparently stuck between the dual steering wheels---she was unluckily saddled with the double wide Car-Cart. I can at least say that I've learned a new skill. Can I add "expert artful piloting/manipulation of giantous clumsy Fire-Engine Car-Cart fully laden with grocery & child"?

Right now, she's quirming in her seat, "Mama, I want some more, cocoa."

Barbie Girl in her Barbie world...

But not really. The Jeep---is a hand-down from a good friend. Decals removed it's not really a Barbie Jeep anymore, but I can't resist the residual connection with the song. It's amazing how fast kiddos will pick up a skill that they want to learn. It was supposed to be a surprise on a random Saturday morning, and I almost succeeded in this. Except that Little Girl went out to the yard to play that morning, in a quiet moment I went to look for her. She answered me from the garage, "Mommy! I'm in my white car!!" That's a surprise fail. "Oh, um, Fiona, I'm not sure that's your car. We'll have to wait until Papa comes home, okay?" But she knew, they always know. So, until Gary got home I listened over and over again to "Is it MY car, Mama? It's MY car." To which I replied, "I don't know, we have to wait for Papa." A trip to Target for stickers, and a short tutorial, and she's off. Cruising around the back yard like she's always been driving.

And as a bonus, some video when Little Girl got the upper hand on Mama. I was incapacitated by little flutter-blasts + the insane cute.

It's a real October day, chilly, rainy, blustery...beautiful. We love the fall, it's a generative time for us. Fiona has decided she wants to be a purple mermaid for Halloween. And that "Mama's going to be a pink mermaid, and Papa will be a green mer[maid]." Gary hasn't exactly agreed to this, though he did say that if we procure a grey or white beard, trident, & crown, he would pose a formidable Poseidon. This will be the first time I've attempted sewing a costume, and the most complicated thing I've attempted to make sew far. Miss M & I already have a "playdate" set up for this project.

If you haven't been following football, Broncos beat the Cowboys (woo-hoo!) and are 4-0. Gary is reserving judgment until after they play the Patriots this weekend. I, however, am already on the bandwagon. Why? Because it's FUN. :)
Happy October!