Half-Full!

After reading The Alchemist I have decided to explore how blessings sometimes appear in the form of trials. Case in point...

Tonight I was initially mortified when I discovered Atticus and Wyatt dumping full cups of filthy, country-boy bathwater onto the bathroom floor. As I sopped up the water with a clean towel I had a zen moment:

"I'm pretty sure this counts as mopping." Now I don't have to feel guilty about neglecting the floors for so long.

Maktub!

Top O' The Morning to You...

This year we got instructions from Amy Widmann (AKA Kindergarten Teacher Extraordinaire) on how to make a quality Lepruchan trap! We think ours turned out pretty well.

We didn't catch the lucky little fellow, but we did manage to lure him to our place.

He left little footprints,

played some pranks, took a potty break,

then narrowly escapeded, leaving green tic tacs as a consolation gift.

We did manage to catch his little scarf.

We are quietly optomistic that next year's trap will yield success.

(Suggestions are welcome.)

Warning: Inside Joke...

I was driving to Leesburg this morning when the song "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart came on the radio. I thought of Kathryn and starting laughing so hard (a full, rich belly laugh) I almost had to pull over. I miss my Sistahs.

So this one's dedicated to Annie Frye!

Mommy Shoutout...

After 7 weeks Mom is finally feeling well enough to go back to work. Last they finally discovered it was extreme adrenal fatigue that has caused her to be ridiculously ill since shortly before Ryan was born.

She's on a good treatment plan and starts teaching again tomorrow. Good luck Mom! Heal quickly then come meet Ryan in person! :)

Cut the Lab Apron Strings, Mama...

Recently we were at Bryan and Amanda's house, and Ryan was having tummy troubles. She was pretty pathetic. Amanda offered some gripewater, a natural colic remedy.

I looked at Ryan and all I could think was that theretofore she was still exclusively connected to me physically. Her entire body, every single atom, had been filtered through my body in utero or through nursing. I hesitated giving her the foreign gripewater molecules...Didn't want to contaminate the bond between us. I almost couldn't do it. But then I have to cut the apron strings eventually.

Isn't 4 weeks a little early for string cutting? :)

Then my mind wandered to periodic tables and biology classes past. It really is mesmerizing how a baby can grow so quickly in relation to her size exclusively from drinking breastmilk. I mean Ryan's gained about 30 percent of her birthweight in the last month. The equivalent would be my packing on 40 pounds in a month - From milk alone.

Post-Pardum Progress?

I've been awfully proud of myself because I've been eating fairly well and exercising and I'm starting to feel results. Yay, right?

Well, Wyatt came up to me today while I was nursing Ryan and became hysterically fascinated with my spare tire. He would do the Pillsbury Dough Boy thing to my belly and when his finger completely disappeared in the fat roll he would BURST out into a full belly laugh. This kept him in stitches (and me in near-tears) for at least 5 minutes.

He hasn't seemed too interested in talking, but when he does I swear he has articulation dyslexia. Up is "Pu." Down is "Now." Etc, etc.

Then yesterday I asked him where my toothbrush was and he said "Ount Know." The tone reminded me of a teenager, as if to say, "How should I know where you put your toothbrush? Am I your toothbrush's keeper?"

I can't imagine our home without our little man in a pint-sized body. He's independent and has had a grown up sense of humor since he was about 8 months old. He just cracks us up!

Dude, Where's My Carseat?

I tried to get some "sweet baby" shots of Ryan, but they all came out like bad scenes from movies.

She looks like a slacker from Dude, Where's My car?
Remember Cliffhanger? Or the Rock Climbing scene from MI2?
You talkin' to me?

Or maybe Jaba the Hut.

Better luck next time.

You've Heard of the Naked Chef?

FoodNetwork and Oprah may have The Naked Chef, but we have THE NAKED NAPPER!

For a couple weeks we've been greeted by this sight at naptime. Paris assumes Wyatt's ready for potty-training. I'm not ready to jump on that bandwagon.

And before I get any grief I realize the consequences for posting this photo may be, but are not limited to:

a. Indictment for child pornography
b. A mortified Wyatt when he gets a little older

Totally worth it.