Where's Your Tummy?

       

Rite of Passage

Sara came home from school today with her first bite.  It's on her forehead (which doesn't seem like the most opportune place to bite, if you ask me), and was delivered via a boy in her class while the whole group was playing and dancing in the middle of the room this afternoon.  While her teachers said she did cry for a bit, she was back to playing in no time.  They did also assure me that a disciplinary plan has been put into place for the biter so as to avoid such problems in the future.  I don't know that that's totally necessary since I'm sure Sara will be returning the favor sometime soon. 

See the marks on her forehead?  Good thing she's a tough cookie! 

A Mid-Week Update

Last weekend, Sara's cousin Lyndsey was in town.  The last time they hung out was in October, so it was fun to see how much better they were able to interact and play with one another this visit.  A picture of both girls sitting still, looking at the camera, and smiling was out of the question, but here are a few I managed to snap anyway.  (In case you're wondering, Sara has a mouth full of Nilla Wafer.  It may have been a little photo-op bribe.)

This week has been hectic, and I haven't been sleeping well, but the days are flying by nonetheless.  Has anyone else missed the Olympics?  I just loved watching the different events over the past couple of weeks.  However, now that they are over, it means a new episode of The Office comes on this week, and I can't wait.  Pam is having the baby, which will probably go as smoothly as the time Jan got fired or the time Michael held the pizza boy hostage.  If all goes accordingly, a baby debacle will be par for the course.  Can't wait!  In the meantime, I recorded and watched the new show, Parenthood.  Anyone else watch?  It's too early to make much of a judgement call, but I did enjoy the pilot.  Lots of cry-ball-in-the-throat moments, which may or may not have existed for me pre-parenthood.  Hard to know these days.  Anyway, I certainly plan to give the show another shot next week.  I think it could definitely hook me if I'm not careful, but that's okay.  There's always room for another dramedy in my life.

Hope you all are having a good week.  I'll be glad when it's over, which won't happen for me before a middle school social on Friday night.  Young love, mean girls, questionable music: you name it, it'll all be there.  To be thirteen again ... on second thought, no thanks.

As Luck Would Have It

Ever have those moments when you're in the car, a million things on your mind, stress physically weighing on your shoulders, and instead of finding the perfect pick-me-up song you need on the radio, all you hear is commercials?  I know you've been there.  It's just the worst.  But as luck would have it, in the past few days, just when I've needed the right song to play, the radio powers-that-be have answered the call with the following:
1. Like a Prayer by - who else? - Madonna
2. Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
3. In the Still of the Night by Boyz II Men (remake, I know, but who didn't doesn't LOVE Boyz II Men?)
4. The Tide is High by Blondie
5. Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran
6. Life's a Dance by John Michael Montgomery (I know Ashley can appreciate why I had a total mood transformation upon stumbling across this country masterpiece a couple afternoons ago)

Sometimes the right song can just fix everything (or at least lots of things).  You know what I mean when I say that, on some days, nothing beats turning on the radio and having an honest-to-goodness Jerry McGuire Free Fallin' experience.  In such moments, it can almost begin to feel like Heaven is a Place on Earth.

A Case of Clash

When we left the house this morning, Sara was dressed in a cute-but-practical polka-dot dress and leggings.  Apparently it was one of those days, so multiple diaper changes and about four outfits later, she came home wearing this lovely number: 

Oh, my.  I guess I'm getting a taste of what life will be like when she begins picking her own clothes.  I'm trying to remind myself, while looking at this picture, that clothing really should be all about function.  And if that's true, then this whole ensemble totally works.

Dry Skin, Discipline, and Something Downright Disgusting

Dry Skin: I've got a lot of it.  It's the worst thing about this time of year, don't you agree?  I put at least three layers of lotion on my face each morning after showering, and still, my skin continues to peel.  I wonder if I'm part reptile.  As for Sara and her eczema skin, I practically bathe her in creams and lotions, which she detests.  I keep telling her that moisturizing properly now will prevent wrinkles later, but she still squirms away when I lather her.

Discipline:  Nobody told us that the Terrible Two's might actually start around, well, one.  All of a sudden we're finding ourselves in the throes having to discipline our child and we feel so seriously ill-equipped.  We're not having major problems, just little things here or there that are requiring very a firm "no, no" and some little hand slaps.  It's also possible that we've had some serious stare-downs with our dear daughter, who is beginning to test every limit.  While I'm sure this is all to be expected, it's arrived sooner that I had anticipated, and it's definitely challenging us on a variety of levels.  All of a sudden I feel like this whole child-rearing bit is very real. (What wonderland have I been in for the past year?  Not sure.)  What if I make disciplinary decisions now that ruin her for life?  What if she sees me laughing when I'm supposed to be mad?  What if she decides she's heard me say, "Sara Noel, NO," too many times and shuts me out completely?  OK, not likely, I know.  But still.

Something Downright Disgusting: This morning, Sara woke up in a pile of vomit.  Funny thing is, though, that it was crusty ... obviously not too fresh.  She hadn't made one peep all night, so we have no idea when her purge actually happened.  Our lazy Saturday morning began with laundry, a bath, and lots of Oust air freshener.  After some breakfast, Sara was playing and carrying on as usual, so we assumed her little episode had come and gone.  This afternoon, we picked up Melissa and Adam from the airport (they were here on a layover on their way back to MN from Cancun); we ate and hung out for a while.  After dropping them back off at the airport, we decided to take a scenic drive home, knowing that Sara would probably nap.  As we were enjoying our drive and some Starburst candies, we heard the all too familiar vomit gurgle sound from the backseat ... within mere seconds, Sara was covered.  I'll refrain from going into tons of detail here, but - long story short - we pulled over, undressed Sara, and cleaned as best we could.  Then we raced home (with a window down).  Once again, after another bath, Sara was bouncing around like her regular self, though we decided it was best to call it an early night, so she is sleeping soundly now.  We're not sure what is going on with her little belly.  What we do know, though, is that the whole thing is Downright Disgusting. 

I mentioned that we picked up my sister and Adam from the airport today.  We did the same thing last Saturday when they had a long layover on their way to Cancun.  They went for a friend's wedding ... the tropical vacation was just an added bonus.  It was so good to see them for a couple of hours two weeks in a row.  What a treat!

Will You Be My Valentine?