It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sure you noticed and missed me desperately, right? (Ha.) Well, I'm pleased to report that I'm still alive (as are both children and the husband). We've just been busy and I haven't felt the desire to sit and write when there is so much else we could/should be doing! That's summer for ya.
Anyway, here's a quick overview of what we've been up to:
+ Z now has six teeth, is cruising along furniture, eating some table food and a ton of baby food and breast milk (seriously, I don't know where she keeps it all), is down to two naps a day most days, chews on everything, and is the LOUDEST. BABY. EVER. She likes stealing away to E's room to either wake E up in the morning or play with all E's toys while she's not around to tell her no. She figured out how to sign "milk," but apparently decided it wasn't worth the effort and quit. She enjoys clicking her tongue and shaking her head, and she just learned to make kissing noises (but won't actually give kisses). She's working on that pincer grasp and can put most things in her mouth by herself. She sleeps from roughly 8/8:30 p.m. to anywhere between 7 and 8:30 a.m. on average. (Thank you, God.)
+ E is SUPER helpful with Z. Like, she's my hero. But she's also developed this lovely habit of panicking if you leave the room for more than a minute. Like, running-around-screaming-and-desperately-sobbing because she "didn't know where you were." Nevermind the fact that 30 seconds ago I told her I was going downstairs to move the laundry, and she then watched me walk down the steps. What the heck, kid?
+ I just discovered the blog "A Slob Comes Clean," thanks to a friend who suggested it to an internet stranger in a Facebook group I also happen to be part of. Internet stalking totally pays off, you guys. This blog is hilarious and, for the work-ethic challenged like me, a lifesaver--if only because it lets me know I'm not the only hopeless human out there. I've been exploring her archives and I put one of her books on hold at the library--you know how I like to do my research before I actually get off my butt and DO anything. (Kidding. But not really.)
+ E did a summer session of ballet and is starting "real" ballet here in about a week. She LOVED the summer class, but we've definitely got to work on class etiquette/not being a pain in the rear. Don't get me wrong, I know that the most important thing is that she has fun, but wow. Girlfriend can't listen and follow instructions to save her life. She spent the whole time watching the other girls and copying whatever the class troublemaker was doing at the moment. *face palm*
+ We've been trying to participate in our local (new) Wild + Free group. We've only made it to maybe 50% of the gatherings thus far (#fail), but I'm hopeful that we'll be able to be more consistent this fall. I'm not an outdoorsy person, and it's hard for me to make myself pack us all up and get out there--particularly to an area I know is probably bursting with ticks. I can't do ticks, y'all. But I'm trying.
+ I read a book (the usual impetus for change and experimentation around here) and we've decided to adjust our diets to be primarily low-carb. I say it that way because I know if I say "we're going to give up carbs!" then it's all going to crash and burn. Hard and fast. All things in moderation, especially when they're new. Besides, I ne0ed to be able to cheat once in a while or I'm going to rebel at some point and spend a week solid eating nothing but bread and brownies. It wouldn't be pretty.
+ I'm working on making it a habit to read aloud to both girls at lunch time. So far we're doing pretty well, though it's never enough for E. No matter how many books I read, she's always asking for more. That's a good problem to have, right? How many books do you typically read during read-aloud time at your house (or chapters)?
+ We're heading out for vacation in Colorado soon--E's excited to hike in the mountains again. I should probably check that she has tennis shoes that fit... I checked out a couple audio books from the library and found a can-you-find-me type Dinosaur book at the thrift store, but I'm still betting that the car ride is a bit of a disaster. Gimme all your best road trip tips!
It took us 18 hours of driving to get to Canada last month. We folded down all the seats in the van and made a nest of pillows and blankets and sleeping bags. We had plenty of movie and CDs but they also had stuffed animals to play with and their sketchpads and crayons and lots of books. Copious amounts of snacks that they never get to eat at home also helped a lot with the grumbling. So I would say food, things to do, and the ability to fall asleep are the priorities.
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