28 & 29 Months Old

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Dear Carlita,

November and December brought us a lot of new experiences. Grandma came for a visit, while not necessarily new it was still exciting, you had your first dental appointment (doin’ fine!), first vaccination (OUCH!) and first Christmas that you were aware something was.. different this month than all the other months. A man in a false beard and red coat gave you candy in the store and I guess that was kinda odd if you didn’t know what was going on (you looked a little apprehensive, but took the candy when prompted - good girl!), and you got to hang little ornaments on our little tree (who knew trees are invited inside in the winter?), but best of all was probably opening the packages first thing in the morning on Christmas Eve, because your dad and I just couldn’t wait any longer for you to open them.

You are turning into this vibrant, beautiful person. The older you get the more I realize that the early days, while relatively easy because YOU were an easy baby, were harder in so many ways because we didn’t have common ground beyond my boobs (oh, and how you savaged them! Never a moments rest.) Now we can share a cookie together on the couch while watching TV. And you laugh at my farts. And I laugh at yours. We all laugh at daddy all the time - times are good!

The control you have over your limbs is impressive, in my humble opinion (and every ball on our property could attest to this), and your language is catching up slowly but nicely. You talk a lot about “Danny”, but we don’t know who or what “Danny” is. You can now pronounce water almost correctly, instead of saying it “outi” you now say it with a sharp W half the time and it comes out “wuti”, sounding a lot like.. Water!

In November, while grandma was here, we all went out to eat but because it was Father’s day that day (and my birthday) we had to try a new restaurant than the one we usually go to, when we go out at all, because it was too crowded. But the new place had a play room, and - most importantly - kids. Other kids. Carlita, you were SO delighted to meet other people your size you didn’t eat a bite that day. And it was amazing to watch you interact with these kids. You got two older boys to play with you by sheer awesomeness. Soon we’re going to have to let you loose upon the under-5 crowd. And you will rock them to bits and pieces.

2009 is upon us and let me tell you, I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for you, and us as a family. It feels like it’s made of win already.

A few expectations

Monday, December 29, 2008

Right, so I think I’ve gained internet-stalker status by donating a humble $5 to Jenn at Breed em and weep, and then, um, got a little too excited when she wrote me a thank you email. I’ll just deflate any rumors that might arise here and now by saying that yes, yes I did grope her topics, but she said she liked it and um, I guess that means I’m not totally sleazy, right? Right!? It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have a nasty habit of frequently writing long and heartfelt emails that I later regret because I’m so damn frigid and antisocial (so much so that when someone approaches ME I completely freeze up and act standoff’ish, panicking because I can feel the pressure and I have to say something clever back, but of course I never do and so people get discouraged, but nevermind!) - and by frequently I mean once every other year or so - that when I write that email it ALL comes spilling out and I never hear back from my internet-stranger-completely-innocent-crush. Weird, huh?

Anyway, I think we can all (mostly) agree that this year has been.. tumultuous? Rambunctious? Hellish? Whatever. But there are a couple of people out there who are making it all worth the while. Miss A (for everything!), my mum (despite everything), Ernie (& S, nims!), Jane (for letting me enable her), Jen (for the card), SuzieQ (you rock!), Bad Mummy (just because..), Cinder, Lila (whom I’ve yet to enable - for shame!) and Mau (although she probably doesn’t THINK so, but c’est la vie!) And so many other people I can’t remember off the top of my head. (Oh, wait, and Anna Nicole Smith! 2008 sucked without you. You were too beautiful for this world *sob*) (Oh, yes, and lets not forget all the lovelies in the BPAL community who were SO generous and sweet!)

I can’t really distinguish this year from any other, except Carlita is an age that she has never been before and will never be again and that is very significant in a really vague sort of way. We got a new (used!) car and a car stereo (not at the same time, though.) Also, we got married! For some reason I feel like we should come out +/-=0 but I can’t help but feel somewhat cheated, of what I’m not quite sure. 2009 should be much, much better than 2008, but then I think I said the same about 2008 vs 2007, so.. Well, lets just wait and see?

HAPPY FUCKING MERRY!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

I must have been 14 or 15 when I got my first shiner, rather comically by the lift at a ski resort when I fell in my too-tall-for-me skis and got up just in time to see an anchor lift headed straight for my head, and my second shiner just yesterday, less comically when my darling daughter threw her half full sippy cup at her resting mother’s head. I think it’s the breaking of the skin that makes me type in third person. The swelling of my eye is also affecting my mood. And my ability to go out in public without laughing (in the NOT SO FUNNY HA-HA WAY) inside my head because I just KNOW everyone will think I’m married to a wife beater.

The truth is so much more humiliating.

So here, HOLIDAY CHEER!
(See how all the little guys are turned away in disgust? Avoiding my gaze? It’s THAT hideous..)

I know I missed Carlita’s November letter, but I was saving all the good bits and was planning to put together a bigger BETTER one at the end of this month, but now? NOT SO SURE!

(Just kidding.. I love you Carlita! Even when you try to gauge my eye out with the blunt end of your sippy cup.)

So, I says to her, I says…

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Gah.

We’re almost half way to Christmas eve and we are SO not in the mood yet. Maybe the fact that it’s RAINING has something to do with it, methinks. As far as winter goes this particular one just doesn’t know how to. For shame!

My grandma wanted us all to come down for Christmas, and I was all, dude isn’t it a little late to make arrangements now? Why do we always (the family I mean) have to wait until the last minute to make plans and execute them? Then I remembered that whenever someone asks what we’re doing for Christmas I’m always like, well, uh, I guess we’ll wait and see.. And so now I can better see how we ended up in this situation. But! We decided that we definitely come down next year because my uncle is going to have his first child this coming summer and most likely my other uncle, wife and my three cousins are going to be there too, so yeah, it’s going to be a big deal.

I would maybe have been more warm to the idea to go this year too if it wasn’t for the fact that Jelly Man hasn’t been paid any money since around mid-summer. We’re managing pretty well because we got our tax returns last week, but hopefully 2009 will bring some $$ sooner rather than later. My grandma offered to pay for the tickets, and that is totally sweet of her, but if we’re going somewhere that requires something like a passport we better have some money to spend while we’re away. I know. Worst excuse ever. But that is just how we like our vacations. With a little spending money on the side.

Instead mum is coming up and we will have an awesome time, damnit! I know we can do it.. Lets just leave it at that so as not to jinx it.

I have meant to take a picture of Buddy Christ, because Frema from over at What’re you lookin’ at? was giving away her stuff and I managed to snag Buddy Christ (note how I was practically whining at her to give me her things. And then she did! I am appalled and impressed all at the same time), and boy do we appreciate him or what? Jelly Man squealed like a girl when he saw what was in the mystery package that arrived, and promptly made a place for him on the wall over the tv. I’ve been hoping for some natural light but with all the clouds and rain and whatnot it just wasn’t happening. So here he is, flash glares and all.

Thanks Frema! Chocolate is being accumulated and will be shipped soonish-ly. I guess when you are lucky enough to win a Buddy Christ you don’t really deserve to win $6000 worth of computers and equipment. I totally see how that works. And congratulations to Bennie who did win.

Now I’m going to have to do some research because we’re going to have to make a choice between PC or Mac when we get me a new laptop, whenever the economy allows. Scary.