Chucky Jesus

On weekend mornings, its become habit for us to allow the kiddo to watch an hour or so of PBS.  Mostly so that we can sleep in.  An hour of Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers is less harmful than a cranky, under-rested parent for an entire Saturday.  Or so we tell ourselves.

Anyway, even though PBS doesn't air commercials, all the shows have sponsors that have announcements and Otto pays as much attention to these as he does the actual shows.  Consequently, for weeks and weeks now, he has been singing the praises of Chucky Cheese's - When pressed to explain what, exactly, Chucky Cheese's is, all we got was "Its where a kid can be a kid, Mom!!"  So otherwise, he had no idea WTF the place is.  All he knew was that its COOL.  This was simultaneously adorable and completely annoying. 

On Saturday, due to some kid swapping as a result of run/biking schedules, after a 10 mile trail run, I ended up alone with Otto in the big city for a bit.  We went thrift shopping and then I nonchalantly suggested we get some lunch.  Against every instinct in my body, I made a decision based solely on the desire to gobsmack my child- and it worked.  As we pulled into the parking lot and he saw that huge weird cartoon mouse staring down from the sign, the sheer joy and surprise on his face was priceless and totally worth the 2 hours of beeping and booping and robotronic animal singing and screaming children I was about to live through.

"HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!!" he said from the back seat. 

What followed can only be described as an orgy of shitty pizza (he ate 3 slices and honestly, after my run I was so hungry, it even tasted good to me), video games, and excited exclamations of 3 year old ecstasy.  The place was way cleaner and better run than I had expected and honestly, although we won't be going back any time soon, it was super fun just to watch my kid be that. fucking. happy.

At the altar of cheesy, noisy, crazy 3 year old joy

That said, its gonna be a loooooong time before we go back.  One can only handle so many surprise cheesy, noisy pilgrimages in a lifetime.  Heh.

Book Report (plus Hair)

Though Otto still loves picture books and will sit and read as many as we are willing to commit to, I recently made the decision (after reading somewhere on the internets that this was a good age) to begin reading some chapter books aloud at bedtime.  Typically, I lay in bed beside him and we whip through 3 or 4 story books before lights out/snuggle.  Starting chapter books was going to be an experiment to see if one story (with little or no pictures, no less) could hold his attention for about the same amount of time. 

And holy crow, I had NO IDEA how well this would go over.  The kid's attention span is EPIC.

So far, we've read three chapter books recommended for preschoolers that I was able to get for next to nothing used on Amazon:   Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Moongobble and Me: The Dragon of Doom, and Three Tales of My Father's Dragon.

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon is by far our favorite (even though the others are quite good).  Written in the 40's by Ruth Stiles Gannet, this little book is highly enjoyable and right at Otto's 3 year old level.  My Father's Dragon is about a little boy named Elmer Elevator (the narrator's father, natch) who hears of a baby dragon who's trapped on an island of ruthless, wild animals.  In the first story (about 13 chapters), he travels to the island and has a series of adventures while trying to rescue the dragon.  He meets all sorts of animals and comes up with all kinds of clever tricks to escape their clutches and eventually attempt a rescue of the dragon.  The writing is simple yet descriptive and its fun to imagine all of the creatures he encounters.

It does have some minimal, black and white pictures but for the most part we're getting to use our imaginations to picture the story and Otto LOVES it.  Every night its "one more chapter?  Pleeeeeeeeease??" 

Since these books have gone over so well, I can't wait to start on some others.  Anyone have more suggestions of good read-aloud chapter books for this age?  I think he's still a bit too young for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit which are two that I'm really looking forward to reading.

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 On the adult side of things, I've read several great books lately.  My favorites have been Shadow of the Wind  and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  I also (finally) read The Book Thief.  So I've had a bit of a WWII (and aftermath) sort of month. 

 Now, for bookclub, we're reading Devil in the White City which, quite honestly, is proving difficult for me to get through.  In a nutshell, this book juxtaposes two semi-related storylines:  one of the designers and developers of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and one of H. H. Holmes, a serial killer in the city at that time.   So far, I'm finding the stuff about the architects and developers exceedingly dull and for as much tolerance and even enjoyment I get out of some horror, I've never been able to read/watch stuff about serial killers.  I think its because while zombies, monsters, devils, etc. don't REALLY exist, serial killers are very real.  And just...ew.

But I'll give it my best effort or at least read enough of it so I can bullshit my way through bookclub in a couple weeks :)

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As an unrelated post-script of sorts, I  DID cut my hair BUT I only went for the shoulder length.  Figured I could always go shorter, but its hard to go back if you cut too much off.    Here is a shitty picture taken in my car, but you get the general idea.  I had her make the ends super choppy which helps with the bulkiness and I can either air dry (a la below) or straighten depending on the time and effort I'm willing to invest on any given morning.  Long story short (uhHAHAHA), I loves it.

Bring it.

So far this new year has been fast and furious- I have a new boss at work and we are SUPER busy.  Lots of meetings, phone calls, work piling up.  BUT.  The work is challenging, engaging, and dare I say...fun in a lot of ways.  So it could be worse.  And I'm actually surprised at the amount of overtime I haven't had to put in, considering.

Also in the first week of the new year I:

1. had the toenail on my left big toe removed because it was dead and gross (from in-grown toenail surgery 2 years ago and from being a runner) and

2:  confirmed that I have hearing loss in my right ear- mostly in the higher frequencies.  The loss isn't bad enough to warrant a hearing aid (yet) but  I might need a better phone at work and to learn how to read lips a little in situations with lots of background noise (which I already do.)  This makes me feel old.  Pout.

We have, thankfully, been able to carve some time out for fun stuff.  We got the kiddo a pair of snowshoes for $18 on sale and we took him out for his first real trek last weekend.  He did so great!  We were out there for an hour and a half and there was no complaining, crying, being too tired...nothing!   I think he road in the sled up a couple of steep hills and that was it.   A good time was had by all.  Evidence:

It wasn't super cold- especially with our new wool socks we all got for Xmas.  Still, once we got back home, hot chocolate and popcorn were deemed necessary :) 

As an aside:  I LOVE living so close to National Forest areas.  This system of ski and snowshoe trails is 12 minutes from our house.  12 MINUTES!  And we have more National Forest recreation areas 30 minutes the other direction.  And there's no traffic, no crowded parking lots at the trail heads.  Heaven!

As far as other fun activities, (and this one's for you Dandelion Trail) we've had fun lately making homemade toys out of cardboard, paper sacks, toilet paper rolls etc.   A ship for Buzz Lightyear, for example:  (and yes, someone is really into Toy Story and grandparents are obliging by purchasing every related piece of apparel they can find.  But hey- free clothes are free clothes!)

Notice the dog emitting lasers from her eyes.  I'm pretty sure Otto was making her play the role of the evil emperor Zurg the other day.

Never a dull moment but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Bring it on, 2011!

My mama said there'd be days like this

Saturday was just ill-fated from the beginning**.  After a kind of shitty night's sleep, I really wanted to run.  So after a bowl of oatmeal and some snuggle time with the kid, Ruby and I headed a ways out of town.  I wanted to run this road that goes past the old cement factory and turns into a wildlife refuge.  Supposedly great views of our surrounding mountain ranges and all that.  Unfortunately, while in town it had seemed relatively calm, if cold, out on the high plains there were hurricane force winds whipping snow and tumleweeds around willy-nilly. 

But, being the stubborn idiot I can be sometimes, we set out anyway.  It was awful.  A facebook friend commented that my particular locale is known for its "free microdermabrasions" and holy shit she's not kidding.  3 miles and 30 horrible minutes later, I had grit in my eyes, nose, and mouth and was half wondering if there was any skin left on my face.

We finally made it back to town, and I decided to drive through for a pumpkin pie latte as a consolation prize.  As we pulled into the coffee hut, Ruby puked all over the passenger seat of my husband's car.  Sigh.  I thought puppies grew out of car sickness...?

Finally, we made it home and as I pulled into the driveway, I saw the husband and the kiddo standing on the stoop.

The kid's face looked like this:

He'd lept off the coffee table and directly into a wooden cabinet.  This picture was the day of.  You should see it now- he looks like a prize fighter with lots of purple and blue around that pretty eye.


Thank goodness this is a 2-day week for me with a 5-day holiday weekend because fuck.




**There was ONE fun thing on Saturday- I caught a showing of that one big movie about the boy wizard that night with friends.  Loved it.  RIP Dobby the Elf!!

Endings and Beginnings

Change is all around me now...and not the shiny, silver, clunky kind.  I'm talking massive, sweeping changes in areas of my life.  Or at least that's how it feels.

The first big change: I do believe my son is weaned.  And let me tell you, now that I've been through child-led weaning from beginning to end, it is a beautiful, amazing thing to watch.  It's been so gradual that it hasn't been traumatic or sudden for either of us, rather just a gentle progression from "baby" to "kid."   We went from multiple nursings a day when he was a baby (obviously) to fewer and fewer as he got older. And then more recently, to just a couple times a day.  Then it was only once at bedtime and if he hurt himself or got super upset.  And then only at upsets.  And now...nothing.    At bedtime we now "snuggle."  At upsets, we rock and talk and hug and listen.  He no longer asks for "milk."

Of course he still needs me.  Of course he does!  But he doesn't need to breastfeed.  And he made that decision for himself.  Which is totally awesome.  If I ever had it to do over, I would do it this way again in a heartbeat. 

But!  I won't pretend that it hasn't been a little emotional for me to realize that this marks the end of a really special time in my relationship with my son.  I know there is a lot to look forward to and more awesomeness to come but I've allowed myself to mourn just a tad the unique relationship that exists between mother and nursling.  I'm sure dropping prolactin levels also have something to do with a little bit of melancholy. 

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The second big change, is in my worklife.  And while I don't want to go into too much detail here for obvious reasons, suffice to say that upheaval has been ubiquitous between having a new position, a new supervisor (who doesn't start for another 6 weeks or so) and all that comes with that.  They have also been sending me to some trainings that require overnights away from home.

This last week was the first such training and the first time ever since he's been on the planet, I slept apart from my kid.  It was weird.  But I'd being lying if I claimed not to have slept like I was dead.  The Husband, however, wasn't so lucky as he is used to Otto snuggling me at night and not him. 

There's another training scheduled next month that requires 2 nights away.  Eeek.  I know everything will be fine and that almost might be the problem.  Aren't they LOST without me?  How do they function when Mama's not home for TWO WHOLE DAYS?!?!?  Heh. 

These changes are good and I know that.  I'm fulfilled and challenged in my work in a way that I haven't been in a long time.  I have an employer who wants to invest in my career development and who sees potential in me.  That is awesome.  But there's a tiny part of me that feels sad that I'm no longer necessary for Otto's daily/nightly sustenance. 

I keep telling myself that of COURSE he still needs me.  A lot. (See above.)  And he gets a lot of me.  We still co-sleep and my evenings and weekends are spent with him.  But its a time of transition and that usually means some new feelings, some reevaluating, and allowing yourself to mourn the loss of what was even while looking forward to what comes next. 

Holy shit

1.  Look over there =>   ...My DailyMile counter says 250 miles, baby!!  That's how far I've run since I started logging mileage.  Pretty impressive.  To these eyes, anyhow.

My knee is feeling better (knock on wood) thanks due, I think, to reducing my mileage, running on gravel/dirt for a bit and wearing a knee strap like this one.   Let's hope the trend continues and I can knock out some amazing runs before the snow flies.

2.  Work...OMG, y'all.  My new job is kind of monopolizing things right now.  Definitely don't want to go into too much detail here but suffice to say that things are crazy but hopefully will be settling down in the next few weeks.  Just gotta keep my eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel.  And drink lots of coffee.

3.  My son is such a joy right now.  He's going to be Batman for Halloween and we've been learning all about the letter "B" lately ("its like a man with a big belly, mama!") so its fun to see him connecting all the words that start with B in his head, including Batman.  He's growing at a ridiculous rate- I've noticed recently that most of his jeans are nearly too short for him, although he's constantly pulling them up because he has a skinny little butt and they keep slipping down.  (Anyone know a good brand that might fit a skinny butted, long legged kid?)

He's also doing a lot of pre-reading things like becoming OBSESSED with puzzles and asking what signs/papers/labels say.  He's always liked puzzles but now he'll knock out several before dinner and want more after.  Aside from writing his own name (which he's done for a while now), he can also recognize the names of each child in his class, and some other basic words.  I don't think its quite reading yet, more like just recognizing certain letters but I don't think it will be long!  It's so amazing to see that little brain figuring it all out.

4.  The fall here has been one of the prettier ones in recent memory.  I've made it up to the mountain for several runs which is SO good for my mental health and spirit in general.  The weather seems like it will hold for at least a few more days so I have plans for another run with a friend this weekend.  We're all wondering when the first snow will hit...its usually before Halloween.  We'll see...

Ozark Otto Awesomeness

We just got back into town after visiting my folks in the Ozarks for several days.  We drove, we flew, rented a car and drove some more.  We saw a civil war battlefield, Bass Pro Shop (OMG, the red-neck-i-ness of it all), a cave, ate AMAZING BBQ , recreated near flowing rivers and deep, woodsy forests aand generally enjoyed ourselves.  It became apparent pretty quickly that we were starved for family together time without the distractions of home.

One thing that really stood out on the trip was Otto.  He was awesome.  Great in the car, great on the plane, agreeable, easily entertained and overall just pleasant.  He had maybe two small meltdowns the entire trip but I don't think you can blame him- his schedule was completely thrown out the window and there was A LOT of driving and sightseeing even for me.  And I'm 30 years older than him.  Each little meltdown was resolved with relative ease.

He really loved the bus that took us from the airport to our car.  "Mom!  Mom!  We're riding a bus!"  (He's doing this thing right now where every other sentence requires a nearly shouted "MOM!"  Just to make sure I'm still listening, I guess.  And even if I immediately answer, he'll sometimes do it multiple times as if vamping until his thought is formulated enough to say out loud.  "MOM!"  "Yes?"  "Mom!"  "Yes?"  "MOM!"  "YES???????"  (pause)  "We're on a BUS!!!"  I try to be patient with this but its so annoying, sometimes I find myself saying "Whaaaaaaaaat?!?" in an exasperated tone.  Hopefully he grows out of it soon.)

His other favorite thing was throwing rocks in the river by my folks house.  He (and really all the boys, including my dad) could have done that for hours on end.  A wonderful time was had and we got lots of pictures...but of course they're still on my camera.   Haven't quite had time to sit down and upload them all yet.

Oh! And no potty accidents at all.  So proud of him.

We got back late on Monday and then yesterday, Otto and I took the day off to regroup, pay the rent, get groceries, unpack, do laundry, etc.   He kept saying "Mom!  We have the DAY OFF!!!"   We got all our shit done with some time left over to play and make cabbage buns for dinner.

After getting to see him all day, everyday for so many days in a row, I was a little teary-eyed when leaving him at daycare this morning.  I miss his little silly butt.

Fleeting

On Friday, my boy turns 3.

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Its well known in these parts, that when fall hits, there is ONE, maybe two weekends to see the aspens.  The nights turn colder and suddenly their leaves catch fire and shimmer in the wind like a million shiny gold coins and then POOF.  They're gone. 

This weekend was THE weekend and we went up on Saturday to marvel at the fleeting brilliance.  One bright moment in time that can't truly be captured or saved.  All you can really do is be present and immerse yourself in the beauty of now...because tomorrow may be it's own version of beautiful  but it will never be This again.

Antelope Dash

On Saturday, I ran my first ever trail race.  It was SUCH a good time, helped along, I'm sure, by the fact that several of my friends ran it with me AND the husband and the kiddo came up to cheer me on.

I got 3rd overall (womens) in the 4 mile and felt really proud of my effort.

Running buddies- (I'm number 18-note how the black capris make my white legs even whiter)

It was a gorgeous day and even though some of the hills made me feel like my heart was in my throat, there was a nice downhill coast for the last mile that gave me that coveted runner's high/on top of the world feeling.

At the finish line, I overheard one woman (who I passed at about mile 1) talking about how her "34 year old ankles just can't do this stuff anymore."  Um...I'm 33?  Heh.  So I've got a year?  *wink*

The post run spread was awesome, too- watermelon, apples, bananas, cookies, crackers, cheese, coffee, sportsdrink...I think I probably put back in whatever calories I burned.

I got a kickass huge medal and was cheered on by the cutest bystander ever:

It was a good day, except for the fact that I missed getting to see a friend in Colorado Springs because of the race.  Sorry, L!

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On an unrelated note, my husband shaved his beard off this weekend.  It's the second time I've seen his chin in the 17 years I've known him.   I kinda feel like I'm cheating on him with a stranger.  He looks that different.  But he also looks about 10 years younger and pretty effin' cute.

Working for the Weekend

1. Yesterday, at work, a colleague came in and asked me what the Kid would like to drink at a company picnic since she was in charge of bringing non-alcoholic drinks.  I said something like "Oh, I'll probably just bring a water bottle for him," and then this somehow segued into a tirade against HFCS and how sodas/koolaids/etc. are evil.  Sorry, co-worker.  Didn't mean to spew verbal diarrhea at you.   Obviously, I'm passionate about that subject but really- there's a time and a place and this wasn't it.  I feel bad.

2. Speaking of co-workers, I've been SO ANNOYED all week that its been hard to concentrate.  I don't want to elaborate much here but OH MY GOD.  So hard for me to just focus on my work and not develop a nervous twitch due to coughing/loud crunching/endless chit-chatting/etc.  I need a weekend.

3. In a more hopeful and less whiny vein, I might have mentioned that I interviewed for a job this week that would be a small step up income-wise, but a big step up job-satisfaction-wise.   Oh, and after some planned remodeling, this position would also get its own office.  See #2 on why this would be awesome.  I hope they let us know sooner rather than later.

And now, a little gratuitous kidpic:

The kid loves books.

Happy Friday!

Nothing Much

I've thought about posting something here several times in the past few days but I just can't seem to get my shit together to formulate any sort of coherent thought.  And so, without further adieu, a completely random posting of nothingness.  You're welcome! 

We have a lot going on- some of it completely awesome.  The husband has been participating in a series of mountain bike races and really enjoying it.  Its so fun to see him digging something so much.  Also, at last night's race he won a prize in the raffle of 5 free yoga classes...and guess who has a wifey who likes yoga!  Whee!  The Kid and I grabbed some portable dinner and drove up the mountain to watch him race and had a blast.

The Kid is entering that age 3-ish place and we're definitely noticing an increase in asserting of individuality, arguing and tantrums.  It's all completely developmentally appropriate but that doesn't make it any less frustrating when you're trying to get out the door in the morning/ do the grocery shopping/ insert any adult-initiated activity here.  We're brainstorming ideas for his birthday next month and having fun window shopping for strider bikes and roller skates, both things we know he'd love.

He's making huge intellectual strides right now and its so much fun to see him comprehending more and more on a daily basis.  His favorite book to read right now is A Frog Prince which is super wordy without a ton of pictures...he will sit through the entire thing multiple times if his reader is a sucker game.

As for me, I have some job stuff hopefully coming up (fingers crossed) and lots of volunteer work stuff happening as well. Also, I'm making plans for how  to continue running when the snow and ice hits.  I've been scouring craigslist and other classifieds for a good used treadmill and asking everyone for cold weather running stuff for my birthday later this month.  I figure I can get out there as long as the ice isn't too bad, and in that event I'll hopefully be safe and warm and sweating on a treadmill. 

I've got some races coming up- a 5K this weekend and a 4-mile trail run later in the month.  Then in October, my dad and I plan on running a 10K together in Missouri (hooray for low altitude!)  Imma gonna kill it.

Birdie Was Here

  Woods Landing, WY.  Population: 94. 

This week, my folks drove out from Missouri and rented a cabin in Woods Landing, by the river.  No cell phone signal, no internet...just us and the quiet beauty of the Snowy Range.  My dad and I went on a couple amazing runs that had my thighs begging for mercy due to extreme mountainous terrain.   We literally ran 2.5 miles UP A MOUNTAIN towards an observatory and then back down again.  At sunrise.  It was awesome and breathtaking and some of the hardest running I've ever done. 

We played in the water and hiked a bit and had a campfire complete with s'mores.   We picnicked out-of-doors and generally made merry. Otto collected rocks and bird feathers and pine cones and drank what might have been his first soda ever: a cold, sweating can of Sprite purchased at the little country store.  He held it gingerly with both hands, sipping at it reverently as though it were some rare, expensive single malt scotch.

And now we're home, with a pile of dirty clothes reeking of sunscreen and bug spray and woodsmoke and sore legs and light sunburns.  Otto had such a wonderful time, playing baseball with my dad, running through the woods in the sunshine, reading books with my mom, and being the center of attention for days on end.   

This morning, in fact, when it was time to say good-bye and go back to our lives, even though we'd talked (a lot) about how this morning we'd have to get up and say bye to Nana and Doodah and go back to school  he was completely inconsolable.  Wailing for his Nana and sobbing in this totally heartbreaking way.  It was fucking brutal.  I felt like a child abuser leaving him at school, he was so upset. 

Now we just gotta get through a partial workweek and piece some normalcy back together.  I love summer and I love vacations, but I also love my daily routine. 

But man, we had a wonderful time.

Just Keep Swimming

In between morning rushes, bedtime stories, bug-collecting, ow-ies, bandaids, being superheroes, couch forts, snuggles, potty-ing and dinner times, I look at my son and can see that the tiny baby who was nearly an extension of me at first, nearly always attached to me in some way, mute, and helpless, is now (not so suddenly, but still astoundingly)  A Person.  With a Self.  A Self who is independent of me on many levels, and becoming more so every day.  And this is a good thing, something to be celebrated. 

 Now that he is walking, talking, running, discovering, arguing, negotiating, making friends, imagining, philosophizing about life, even...everyday, you can SEE that Self in there more clearly.  It's breathtaking and awe inspiring and just...you know.    He's breaking out of the cocoon of babyness and butterflying his way out. 

It reminds me of  turtles.  You know, the sea turtles?  The ones that hatch on the beach and somehow, someway have to make it all the way down to the ocean, their new, fragile little flippers dragging them through the sand, rife with predators and inclement weather and god knows what-all. 

My son's sense of Who He Is, and how he feels about himself is a baby turtle.  Cautiously venturing out from the safety of the egg, tentatively making his way out into the big ocean all full of multitudes of different, amazing, potentially harmful creatures.  Many of whom would love a nice baby turtle appetizer and won't think twice about taking it.

Of course, I love the Self that is emerging.  And I encourage it.  I want to hold it in my hand and admire its beauty, its intricacy, its perfect design.  I work hard to reflect back to him what I want him to see within- a worthwhile person, with amazing, smart ideas, a wonderful imagination, valid feelings, strength and sensitivity.  I want him to know that he is worth seeing, worth listening to, worth loving.  Worthy of pursuing desire, of pleasure, of peace.

And while I would like to just hold an umbrella over him as he navigates his way to the ocean, aiming a shotgun at any hungries who happen to come by, I know that's impractical.  And ultimately, unhealthy for both of us.  I can't protect him from every heartbreak, from those who would tell him he's somehow inferior, from disappointment.  All I can do is give him the best start possible, and a safe place to come back to when the seas get rough.

But I might sleep with a harpoon under my pillow and carry a trident behind my back. 
You know, just in case.

Keep on the Sunny Side

You know that kind of sick that makes you feel like you're slightly high?  Or drunk?  That's what I have right now.  A doozy of a summer cold complete with sinus pain, congestion, googly eyes and foul temper.  Although that last symptom might just be a personality trait.

I've been sucking it up and going to work anyway because its our busiest time of year and my desk is awash in a sea of white paper and post-it notes.  That, and I was cursed with this stupid thing called a 'work ethic' and actually feel guilty calling in sick when I know that I have a shit-ton to do.  Go figure.

In other news, we're totally potty-learned (taught?...I dunno...I just don't like the word "trained") with only a few (pee) accidents here and there when he gets distracted.  It was a MUCH less arduous process than I thought it would be and all I can think is that we just caught the right little developmental window and he was ready.

Now to work on weaning.  Or not. I have conflicting feelings about it, but mostly feel like I'll be ready very soon.  The little dude really only nurses now once a day (at bedtime) but asks to nurse if he wakes up in the middle of the night, hurts himself or is sick.  So its not like I'm whipping 'em out constantly or anything.  I'm sure that it will evolve like everything else and I should just enjoy these last nursings because Otto is probably going to be an only child.  Right? Right.  And now that I think about it, with me being all nasty-sick, he's getting my antibodies so if he gets it, it should be a much milder illness.  So...upside.

The weather here has finally turned the corner into something resembling spring/summer with highs hovering around 70 degrees and leaves/blossoms popping out on trees.  We've got cherry tomatoes, daisies, bell peppers, and lettuce (that we started indoors from seed) now in containers outside on our front stoop.  We'll see how they get on, as the nights are still a little chilly.

We also started sunflowers and I planted them on the south facing side of the house, so hopefully they'll take off and give us some nice tall flowers later on this summer.  Growing up in Kansas, I always loved watching how the sunflowers took pains to turn their faces toward the sun throughout the day.  Isn't funny how nature kind of knows what's up if you just pay attention?

One Small Step for a Toddler...

...a Giant Step for Mama...

Suddenly, we're potty learning.  Well, maybe not suddenly...the little guy has been using the potty before baths and at other random times since he was 18 months or so, but now?  We're full on:  Rockin' some mean Buzz Lightyear underwear, peeing standing up, kicking ass and taking names. 

It seems kind of random, but I just had a hunch this weekend that it might be time.  I can tell he's going through something developmentally (crazy verbal/hyper all weekend, huge leaps in vocabulary, sleeping really hard, eating a ton) and it seemed like a window of opportunity.  He's had little bouts of underwear-wearing here and there (a few hours at a time) but yesterday we rocked it all. day. long.  Except for nap.  But!  He was dry when he woke up.  Rock star!

He was so excited to wear underwear to school this morning, too.   I think he peed in the potty 4 times before we left the house.  "Just in case, Mama," he said. 

I just hope it goes well and that everyone is positive and encouraging to him.  I know that he's at a great place and they potty train A LOT of kiddos so they know what they are doing.   And there really is something to be said for peer pressure.  He was the most excited to show his best friend in his class (who's been potty trained for a couple months) his undies.

I really love his teacher and I know that she will be supportive and patient with him but I still have this little knot of anxiety about it.  I'm going to have to stop myself from calling once an hour today, probably.

I know its just the first of many achievements I'll be nervous for him about.  Ok, it's 8:11 am.   I might have to call them now.  Heh.

Uke it Up!

Something you may not know about me is that I have recently become a HUGE fan of ukulele music.  Traditional, non-traditional, uke-punk, you name it, I pretty much love it.   (I think Amanda Palmer , for one, can be credited with really feeding this obsession.  And IZ, for another.)

Anyway, amateur musician that I am (or used to be, anyhow) I've been jonesing for a uke of my own for a while. Of course, I've never felt entitled to spend the money on something so unnecessary for myself (even though a decent beginner uke is only about $50).   I've made do, instead, with listening to lots of music, scouring you-tube and giving my poor piano some love while wishing she was someone else.  Shameful!

But my husband, bless him, took matters into his own hands and surprised me yesterday with a ukulele of my own, out of the blue!  Its not my birthday, our anniversary...anything!  (Its pretty much the same model I linked to above.)

I love it so much!  My playing is so rudimentary that its comical but you have to start somewhere, right?  So far its much easier for my relatively small hands to get around on than my acoustic guitar is.  And I love the pure, light sound a uke makes.

It has been really hard to put it down and do things like eat, brush my teeth, or sleep.  I just want to play it all the time.  Also, its the perfect Otto size so he can have some fun with it too.

Here, for your listening/viewing enjoyment, one of the best you-tube ukulele acts I've found so far:  GUGUG performing some Ramones.  Loooooooooove.

ETA:  IF and when I can play an actual song to the point of minimal embarrassment, I just might put it out here for you guys.  Maybe.  :)

Snippets

Current Otto things I want to remember:

"Mama! Mama! Buzz Lightyear says 'WHOOSH...AND BEYOND!!'"

"Holy Mokes!"

"Mama, I super love you."

"NO! I do it!!"

"I see you after yunch (lunch) !! Love you!!"

(Singing) "Spiderman, spiderman/ your neighborhood Spiderman/ in the night...at the scene of the crime/ SPIDERMAN!!!"

(Singing) "Butterfly, butterfly/ flap your pret-ty wings!" (Moves hand like a butterfly.)

(When done eating a meal:) "I ate it all gone! Now can I have de-shirt (dessert)??"



I super love you, Otto-bahn.

Puck It!

We took Monday and Tuesday off this week and went down south for an indulgent little mini family vacation. It included our first NHL hockey game, a night spent in a sweltering hotel room, dinner and breakfast out and the zoo. Whew!

The game was great and the little guy stayed up, happy, for about an hour and a half past his regular bedtime. With the help of lemonade and soft pretzels and cotton candy. Go sugar!! It was doubly fun because we were all wearing Detroit Red Wings jerseys. In Denver.

The Red Wings won, though, so SUCK IT, Avalanche!! Heh. Just kidding. I like the Avs too, just not when they're playing the Wings.


The next morning, we had breakfast at the Denver Diner which is amazing. I, of course had a Denver Omelet. Because I am nothing if not completely predictable? Anyway, I made it about half way through the 4-egg masterpiece before crying Uncle and waddling carefully away from the table.

I'm pretty sure that Otto is yelling at some passersby in this picture but I'm not totally sure.


After breakfast, we hit the Denver Zoo. A piece of advice: A Tuesday in March is an EXCELLENT time to hit the zoo. It was warm (to us, anyway- around 50 degrees), sunny, and delightfully uncrowded. No lines, no hoards of people trying to get a glimpse of the tiger or whatever. Just space and really active animals. We even road the carousel. I know! Dorks!


You don't need me to tell you that all good things come to an end and so did our little mini-vacation. This is what a late night and a day running ahead of your parents after loose peacocks at the zoo will do to you:


It was a good trip.

Is that kind of like being a pepper?

Last night, I did something I don't do nearly often enough: I went out for dinner with a friend. And it was so fun! We met at a small, local eatery, filled up on homemade bread, wine and cheesy goodness and gossiped to our hearts' delight. After stuffing our faces, we ran across the street to a local watering hole for a drink before I had to head home for bath/bedtime with the little man. It was great to get out and have some girl time. And part of me knows that its good for the Husband, the kiddo and puppy Ruby to have some time to themselves as well.

I felt like I was proven right when I walked in the door and Otto was so happy to see me. He ran to me exclaiming, "Mama! Mama! Mama! Guess what?!?!?"

"What, honey?"

"Ruby is a dammit!"

And with that, he sprinted away.

Maybe this is why I don't go out more often. Sigh.

Its a Bummer

We took a couple days off this past weekend to spend some time with the in-laws in the wilds of central Wyoming, otherwise known as the small town my husband grew up in and in which I lived for a very short time. (Long enough to meet him, anyhow. )

It was relaxing and badly needed- a long, quiet car trip though beautiful frozen vistas of partially snow covered sagebrush, deep ravines and craggy rock paired with an icy, crystal blue sky... a couple days of sledding, food, and reading (yay Kindle!) and then a day at home to catch up on shopping, laundry and rest. And some more reading. Heh. I should make a note to always take a President's Day/Valentines Day break because it restored some sanity I wasn't even aware was missing.

After 4 days off the grid, however, its good to be back, catching up on blogs, twitter, news...I love reconnecting with my internet buddies. And the best part? Its Wednesday already! :-)

* * * * * * * *

In other news this awards season, I am apparently up for the Worst Mother Ever award (yet again). The little guy has had a nasty red bum for the past week and a half or so. We tried everything that usually works on diaper rash: blow drying/air drying, keeping it super clean, good cream, even cutting out acidic foods for a couple days...NOTHING worked. If anything it kept getting steadily worse.

Finally, yesterday, I broke down and took him into the pediatrician. $80 later and we have a diagnosis of Strep. In his butt. The Dr. said its super painful and not very common although he does see it a couple times a month (that's not common?) where the strep bug bypasses the tonsils and settles in the, uh, other end.

Of course, I felt horrible that I hadn't immediately noticed that something was really wrong but he reassured me that we did everything right and yada yada yada...Still, mom-guilt has set in and Little O can pretty much get away with murder at the moment because I feel so bad about abusing his poor, sore behind with creams and blowdryers all week.

Live and learn, I s'pose.