Monday, February 28, 2005

PMA

Piper has all of a sudden become quite the chatterbox. The things that come out of her mouth...well they are amazingly funny.

The other day I was bending over to do something...squatting if you will...and due to the fact that every designer on the planet feels the need to make pants and shorts that are "low-rise", Piper had a up close and personal view of what her life would be like if her mother were a plumber.

"Mama's booty crack." she says very matter-of-factly.

"Yes, Piper, that is mama's booty crack, " I respond, very embarrassed.

Then Piper begins to take down her pants and diaper.

"Piper's booty crack? I want see Piper's booty crack. My BOOTY CRACK. SEE MY BOOTY CRACK." She was very frustrated. She so wanted to see her own booty crack, why? I dunno...maybe to make sure that it was there?

Yesterday was Sunday, and I have started exercising everyday and it seems to be improving my attitude because Jason keeps saying that he can't stand my PMA...Positive Mental Attitude. I think, "better than PMS, right?" Anyway, it was an awful day...I think it rained the entire day...and nobody in my house really wanted to go to church, except me and my PMA. So, I do my exercise routine and I'm feeling good and we all get ready and get to church.

Piper decides that she wanted to go to the nursery to play, so Jason takes her. He does not return to the service and I see the person who is supposed to be working the nursery during the service enter the service and have a seat. Then Finn begins to fuss, during the prayer of course, and I have to take her out of the service. So there we are, all of us sitting in the nursery...not in the service...what is the point? We left and squashed that PMA.

Monday, February 21, 2005

The Poop hits the fan

Why is it that the night that Jason leave to be out of town for a week, that everything seems to go wrong?

It started with an inconsolable crying...screaming baby before he even walked out the door. The day had been good...ran some errands, had lunch at the park so Piper could play for a while, got everyone home and napping, whew!

The trouble really began after everyone was in bed, including me. I didn't even have the strength to stay awake for Desperate Housewives. Around 1am I hear a door slam...Piper. She comes in my room and I immediately pick her up and take her back to her own room, sing her a song, and back to bed. It wasn't that big of a problem, just that she hasn't done this before.

1:30am - Finn wakes up. Go in, nurse her, back to bed.

2:15am - Finn crying again, go in to stuff passy in mouth and find explosive poop ALL OVER. All over her, all over bed, all over blanket, all over the ceiling, all over the dog, I think it was even all over my stupid truck outside that I hate, but I digress. GREAT.

3:00am - finally back in bed. Quiet.

3:03am - Door slam. Piper in my room. Repeat process as before...this time emphasize...stay in your bed.

4:30am - Finn awake again. Nurse. Decide this may be the week to cry it out and work through all these night time wakings. Yes. This week. Back to bed.

6:30am - Finn awake AGAIN. Laughing at her mobile. Go in to nurse her for fear that laughing may wake up Piper. Go downstairs and get Piper milk because she will be up any minute.

Now - Blogging while Finn is making some kind of noise, waiting for Piper to wake up.

Fun, fun, FUN!

P.S. As I spell checked this I found it amusing that "blogging" was not found and it prompted me to replace it with "flogging".

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Downsizing

We have decided to downsize from our Yukon Denali (I hate this car) and we are choosing between this, this, or maybe this. So give me your opinions.

This may also be a possibility.

Friday, February 18, 2005

When I Grow Up

I was reading something on a message board about what this parent wanted their child to be when she grew up and so I started thinking about what I wanted Piper and Finn to be when they grow up. Do you think that the aspirations we have for our children are a direct result of the accomplishments that eluded us in the past?

Ideas for Piper:
  1. Professional tennis player...her father's dream
  2. Dancer
  3. Writer, painter, photographer...any other artistic creative area
  4. Doctor
  5. Any career that would allow her enough money to take care of her parents in their advanced age

Ideas for Finn:

  1. Some sort of computer guru
  2. Teacher
  3. Musician...ROCKSTAR
  4. Mathematician
  5. Fashion designer

I would have liked to be any of these although I do believe that I have the most important, fulfilling, humble, creative, worthy, difficult, and genuine career...a mother's work is never done.

Waxing

Last weekend, I told Jason that I needed to run a few errands and that I could go when the girls were napping...well, Piper was napping and Finn was in a good mood...so, off I went. I had to finish up the valentine's projects...which I don't want to talk about...and I decided that this would be a good time to go get my eyebrows waxed since we were going to a party the next night for one of Jason's business friends. And, I didn't want to feel shlumpy.

So, there was a line like there always is and there was a woman in the chair who was getting her upper lip waxed and then the waxer lady left her to let her wax her NOSE HAIRS.

An eternity later, the waxee says, "Oh, I forgot, I want you to do my eyebrows too." I'm pretty sure she could feel the fireball that I was launching at her from my glare in the chair across the room.

Finally, it was my turn, and I did my duty of sitting still while she ripped the stray hairs from my eyebrows. Why women do this, I will never understand.

I got home and asked Jason how my eyebrows looked and he said, "Oh, that's what you were doing. I thought you said you had to run errands."

And I was all like, are you kidding? I don't think the pain of waxing can be considered anything but an errand...it isn't like it is a spa treatment or something...and actually if he wanted me to just not wax anything or shave anything and let my body hair grow and grow so I look like a Yeddi, fine. Well, not fine, because really who likes to see clumps of deodorant in armpit hair?

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Sharks

Piper has developed a fascination with sharks.

Sharks.

Great white sharks jumping out of the water to chomp and innocent seal.

She sees these pictures in a National Geographic magazine for kids that my parents gave her. All jaws and scariness. She says, "SHHAARRRKKSSS. Scary." And then laughs and laughs and gets possessive if we try to look at the magazine with her or take it away.

Weird.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Incognito

I was reading through some blogs today...just random blogs...and a thought came to my mind. That thought was that you can be anybody you want to be on a blog and nobody would know the difference. You could tell the whole truth, a half-truth, or just a flat out lie and nobody would know.

You could make your life sound oo good to be true or make is sound like a life that nobody would want to live. You could evoke jealousy or pity. Who is there to hold you accountable for what you say or what you don't say and leave out?

The snag is when you reveal to friends and family that know you intimately that, "Oh, I have this blog...you should go read it and let me know what you think." Those are the people that are going to call you on whatever you write.

I guess I started to ask myself, what is the purpose of this blog. And I came up with a few answers:
  1. It is a way to share my immediate family with other parts of my family that I do not talk with on a regular basis...they can see pictures, read stories, and get to know my kids without physically being here.
  2. It is a permanent record of what goes on in my house that I can refer back to and remember that time that Piper pooped in the tub.
  3. It is an outlet for me to complain, praise, or lament over issues in my life.
  4. It is something that my kids can look back at and find out what they were like when they were little.
  5. It is a way to connect with others in the "virtual" world that I otherwise would not have met in my lifetime.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but these are just the first ones that came to mind. I guess what I'm saying is that this is not something I want to use to promote my own personal agenda. It is something that I hope brings a little bit of joy and a smile to those who read it and maybe we can all learn from each other.

My oh My

So last night I had to go to a meeting at our church for the new leadership. I am taking over the Preschool Ministry which is birth to 5 year olds. I am so excited and have so many ideas...but I am also a little nervous that I have bitten off more than I can chew. I am giving myself until the fall when school starts to launch the new program so that should be plenty of time, we'll see.

Jason comes home from Cali tonight...so glad about that. It's funny because he is sort of becoming famous in his field which is cool but also means that all these people want him to come speak at their conferences and such, which means more out of town trips. It's ok as long as he brings me back something good!

Piper has to be the cuteset bug ever. Last night my mom came over to babbysit while I was at the meeting and she told me the following story:

  • "When we were finished eating dinner I was looking at this plastic box of chocolates that was on top of your fridge and I was reading the label to see what kind of filling the chocolates have and Piper said, "No, no Grammy...those are for our family."

That's my bug...protecting the family stash.

Finley is sleeping MUCH better. And, I have just about finished my projects for Valentine's Day...we started a new tradition of only giving gift that we make or create. It's cold today, so no trip to the park, but we had a lovely playdate yesterday with some of Piper's friends.

I leave you with a quote for my precious family:

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. ~Unknown

Wednesday, February 09, 2005


can you see her? Posted by Hello

Here is a picture of some bubble...oh and Piper. Posted by Hello

Goof ball Posted by Hello

sweet birdie Posted by Hello

little Miss Personality Posted by Hello

this was so funny...our dog Zoe loved chasing the bubbles and biting them. Posted by Hello

Piper's turn Posted by Hello

Piper and Uncle Matt playing with her bubble maker thing Posted by Hello

what a good mommy! Posted by Hello

Piper with her sling...just like Mama...and yes that is a Dora doll she is wearing in the sling Posted by Hello

Piper and her viewfinder, Wiggles style Posted by Hello

Piper and her loot from her birthday Posted by Hello

What's in a Name?

Recently I was talking to a friend on the phone and she said that another friend of hers had figured out where I got the name for my children. I do know this other woman, but only as a mother of a former student that wasn't even in my class. Anyway...she said that I named Piper after a witch on some show on the WB and that the actress that plays this witch has a child named Finley and that is where I got that name. These things are all true...there is a show about some witches and one of them is named Piper. And, the actress that plays Piper has a baby and that baby's name is Finley. The part that is not true is that is where I got my children's names. Please, do you really think I would name my daughter after a witch?

The truth about my children's names:
  • Piper is really just a name that I always liked and thought really had a personality. It is a unique name without being pretentious. I have made up a story after the fact that goes something like this...Jason's grandfather that lives in Washington state owns and runs an airport and flies planes that are called Pipers....people like that explanation.
  • If we had a boy this second time around, his name would have been Finn, after Jason's love of surfing. I honestly think there is nothing wrong with naming a girl Finn, but we decided to make it a bit more feminine and call her Finley. How I came up with that is I was reading the liner notes of a Jack Johnson cd and there was a contributing artist named Finley Quaye. I loved the name and I didn't know that the person was actually a man. We still call her Finn, though. I would just like to add that this was before Julia Roberts had her twins and she stole the name Finn from me, but she decided that she needed to go with Phinneaus so it wouldn't seem so suspicious.

I am sure that you are waiting to hear how the move to Piper's "Big Girl" room went. It was totally awesome. She helped us get her room reading, cleaning and organizing, and we kept saying what a nice room it is and that she was going to get to sleep there that night. I was nervous, but she did great. Slept the whole night with no problems, didn't wake up once. What an amazing child she is! At her 2 year check up she measured on track to be 6 feet tall. I am 5'4" and Jason is 5'11" so go figure!

My brother Matt came by on Friday to deliver Piper's birthday present...a bubble blower...that they went out and played with in the backyard. She absolutely loves the bubble thing...thanks Uncle Matt!

Finley has now moved into Piper's old room and into the crib...it has not been an easy transition. She has not been sleeping, so I have not been sleeping. I think that over the past three nights I have gotten about 6-7 hours of sleep and not more than 1.5 hours in a row. I know it will just take time, but I am so used to Piper being such an awesome sleeper now, that I forget that she was a terrible sleeper when she was Finley's age, and every baby is different.

Finley has such a sweet spirit during the day. She just goes with the flow. She is becoming more and more expressive and she adores her sister. Every time she hears or sees Piper, she lights up and laughs and smiles. I am now seeing that it was a good thing to have them so close together because each of them will have a friend for life.

Jason leaves for California tonight for some big launch of a new search engine by his friend, Michael Yang. It is cool for him, but I kind of wish I could go. He gets to do some really cool stuff and sometimes I feel left out, but it is his passion.

I decided that we are going to start a new tradition in our family for Valentine's Day. We are only going to give gifts that we have made ourselves, so I am in the midst of projects for Jason, Piper, Finley, and my parents. I also want to do some homemade cards for my family that lives out of town, but we'll see if I can get that together.

My other project is to lose about 25 pounds by the end of April when we go to Curacao. Yes, we are going on a vacation to the Caribbean for 1 week. I can't wait. I am so excited, but I will be more excited when I feel comfortable wearing a bikini.

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

L8R


Friday, February 04, 2005

Shout Out

Just wondering how many people are actually reading my day to day adventures, so...if your reading how about giving me a shout out with a comment and let me know who you are!

Key Lime Pie

So, I know you all are wondering what the surprise dessert was that we made for Jason for his birthday: It was a Key Lime Pie.

Piper "helped" me make it by adding about half of a bottle of green food coloring. That explains the color. It actually looks a lot like the playdough we made about a month ago. Speaking of Playdough...here is the recipe we use (we got it from Lab School):

Cooked Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tbs. oil
1 tsp. food coloring

Combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a saucepan. Mix liquids and gradually stir them into dry ingredients. When mixture is smooth, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until ball forms. Remove from heat and knead until solid and not sticky anymore. Cool and keep in airtight container.

By the way, Jason said the pie was good...although he often lies to me about stuff like that so he won't hurt my feelings...what a guy!



So this is the key lime pie that Piper and I made for her daddy for his birthday. She might have added a little too much food coloring, you think? Posted by Hello

do you think too much food coloring could cause some sort of health problem in the future? Posted by Hello

yummy yummy Posted by Hello

lovey dovey

me: "love you, bug"

piper: "love you, my honey"

Thursday, February 03, 2005

31 Reasons why Jason ROCKS!!

Today is Jason's 31st birthday so here are 31 reasons why he ROCKS!:

1. He is HOT
2. He is smart and clever
3. He works so I can stay home with the kids...traditional but so romantic
4. Sometimes he takes his adderall
5. Sometimes he doesn't take his adderall
6. He is Piper and Finley's favorite playmate
7. He is my favorite playmate
8. He loves his family
9. He used to get my pills for me before bedtime when I was taking something
10. He was scared to death the day we got married
11. He loves to surf
12. He is HILARIOUS
13. He got me pregnant twice so I could have two beautiful girls
14. He makes up silly songs
15. He gives me the tingle
16. He might not always get it right, but he tries
17. He is a former soccer player and soccer players are HOT
18. He gets milk in a sippy cup for Piper in the morning
19. He makes me a better person
20. He hasn't taken the christmas tree out to the curb for the trash yet
21. He is kind of geeky and geeks are HOT
22. He says he doesn't care about celebrity gossip, but he watched Entertainment Tonight w/me 23. He kisses really good
24. He gets me to loosen up
25. He can't cook
26. He'll wear the same pair of pants for a week and not get on to me about the laundry
27. He lets me keep the thermostat at 70 at night when we are sleeping
28. He likes McDonald's too
29. He tells me I look good when I really really don't
30. He is an amazing father
31. He is my missing puzzle piece.

Happy Birthday Hubba Hubba Hubby!

Happy Birthday to Jason!

Today is Jason's birthday and so Piper and I made him a special dessert that I cannot reveal until he has seen and tasted it. However, I will say it is not quite the color it should be thanks to Piper. I guess she has to put her unique touch on everything.

Yesterday I took both of the girls shopping at the mall for Jason's gifts. I decided to keep Finn in the stroller so Piper was on her own. Big mistake. BIG. HUGE.

I think that actually it is Hallmark's fault for putting all those cutesy figurines (that you only buy for your children's teacher) (which she or he then sells in a garage sale) anyway...they put the most fragile and breakable things right at the eye level of a newly 2 year old free to roam anywhere and touch, or pick up and throw as the case may be. It isn't Piper's fault that the lighting makes the stupid things all sparkly and enticing even though they may be little trolls or something. So, there I am in a power struggle with Piper (and getting the evil eye of the sales people) trying to get her to put down the fairy thing, while I'm holding Finn on my hip like a sack of potatoes and I notice something wet and smelly. Yup, Finley had pooped all over herself, again.

We did make it home alive. Now, Piper has started some weird nap thing where she only sleeps for like 45 minutes and then wakes up screaming and I go up and sing her a song and put her back down, and the whole process starts all over again but in decreasing intervals. Any ideas? Anyone?

Today we were at the park and all these other moms with their "angels" showed up and it turns out it was a playgroup and an organization at that. The Mom's Club, I was informed meets every week for a playdate and one night a month and plans mom's night out and dad's night out (what about mom out with dad on a date night out?). Seems like a good group although I guess it could be a cult or something. It's worth a shot and Piper made a new friend.

We will be getting Piper's "Big Girl Room" ready this weekend for her to move to her big bed. I do not want to buy another crib and Finley is almost too big for her bassinet...she turns herself sideways and kicks her feet up on top of the edge. We'll see how it goes.

Again, I want to with my husband Jason a happy birthday. I am glad that you were born because nobody could ever love me like you love me, even when I nag. Jason, you are special and extraordinary. I love you.