Last week Lauren and I went outside to play. This hat was a little small, but still fit. It is so cute, I will continue to put it on her for as long as I can squeeze her little head into it.

While we were out, I also caught a bit of video - Lauren singing the alphabet, sort of. She's done this a few times now, at first I wasn't sure - I thought, "did I just hear her what I think I heard?" and then one morning last week she sang, clear as day, "now I know my ABCs, YAY!". So I caught a bit of the elusive spectacle on video, but like a "Bigfoot" video, it still doesn't feel like absolute proof.

I'm sure that in hearing the alphabet 10 times a day for her entire life, it will soon be a staple of her repertoire and I will be able to capture definitive proof.

At Schoen Place today.

Lauren's New Glasses

After a very rough Friday - where she had to get a shot of antibiotics in each leg - Lauren was feeling better. We did pick up her new glasses - NOT the style I'd prefer, but what she needs for now. It has been a battle of wills getting her to keep them on (and yes, I am being defeated by a 19 month old).

She thinks it's fun for a minute, then says, "glasses, all done" and rips them off.



Then I take them, put them back on and say, "glasses on"... and the scene repeats until Mommy gives up.

Happy Birthday Honey

Today is hubby's 40th birthday. We've been together longer than we've been apart - 22 years. I've met him in 9th grade, he asked me to the prom in 11th, asked me to marry him in college, and married on a beautiful day in 1991. This past year and a half has been the best, he is such a wonderful Father. Lauren and I are lucky girls.

And still easy on the eyes.

Lauren and I are both very sick today. Bad cold. She also has an ear infection. We still tried to go to work/daycare today, but then I got a call from Daycare... when they got her up from her nap, she waddled over to the mini-bean bag chair and planted herself, somewhat dazed and half asleep. I picked her up early, ordered us a pizza, (she was very excited, repeating "peeza, peeza, peeza"), she ate a decent amount, played a bit, then passed out by 6pm.

I took some cold medicine and, 3 hours later, can almost ALMOST breath through my nose, but, of course, am not tired. Am wired.

Luckily, we are both "off" tomorrow - it is hubby's 40th birthday (though we may not be in any shape to celebrate)!!

Kissing Daddy Through the Window

When Daddy is out mowing the lawn, Lauren watches him through the door, yelling, "Daddy, Daddy". Daddy stopped over for a kiss.

F*ing Bumper

Fucking bumper!

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BACKSTORY:
My brother just sent me this photo of his bumper.

When I was out visiting him in LV in January, he had an "incident". He has an automatic starter on his truck so that he can get the air conditioning going early. But it's a manual transmission. So he leaves it in neutral.

Well, we thought I might go somewhere, so he left it in 1st for me.

Later, when WE went to go somewhere together, he clicked on his automatic starter as we were walking up to the truck. Suddenly, the truck lurched forward about 4 feet. We both stood there, in shock for a minute or two - when suddenly, it lurched forward AGAIN, another 4 feet, into a small retaining wall just past the sidewalk. In the shock of the first "jump", my brother had forgotten that the auto starter tries again.

This time he jumped in, put the truck in neutral, then started it and backed up off the retaining wall and sidewalk, back into the parking spot.

When he got out and assessed the damage, the bumper had been slightly pulled. He managed to snap it back into place, but the gap between the bumper and the body is slightly larger than it should be. What I like to call the only-noticable-to-him gap.

So all he can ever say about it, in disgust, is: "Fucking Bumper" - and we both laugh at the ridiculous stupidity of the whole thing.

As I mentioned last week, my brother moved back from LV. Since then he got 1 job, quit the next day, then started a new one doing groundskeeping at a golf course. He likes this one, but of course, it will end soon as the season ends. Then he'll be on to job 3.

My brother is so funny, even though he's broke, back living with his Mom, single, and will likely never have kids... he's giving my sister marriage advice and both of us parenting advice.

He's actually very sweet and helpful, he decorated at McDonald's playland for our nephew's birthday. Even my sister's husband wouldn't have done that.

Can you tell we have the same nose - we both inherited from Dad. Actually, Adam looks like a spitting image of my Dad, except chubbier and with red hair. Back in the 70's my hippy Dad had long hair and I used to braid it for him. I loved doing that, it was WAY better than having a Beauty Shop Barbie.

Posted new pictures of Lauren. YoBaby Yogurt is having a photo contest, so I snapped a few to maybe submit one. She truly does love the yogurt - it's a "go to" food.

She's starting to be able to repeat almost any word we say, so as she was digging through the laundry tonight, I said, "no, dirty, dirty"... and then she says it right back, "dirry, dirry". That makes her kind of like a fun toy... but I just have to be extra careful not to say some of my favorite words - jackass and dumbass - because I'm sure she'll find those fun to say.

These are the kinds of things that happen to my family...

After spending Thursday, Friday, and Saturday helping my sister move, she was officially "all moved in" to her new house on Saturday.

Sunday morning, at 5:32am, my cell phone rang. It was my sister. I answered but heard only static.

I hung up and she called right back. Again, only static.

Now I am starting to get very worried. She is in a new house and I am assuming something bad might be happening.

I hang up again and try to call her back, as I am calling, she beeps in - but again, static.

Panic is setting in.

I call her husband's phone. No answer.

I call her with my regular phone, thinking maybe it's a cell phone issue. No answer.

Now I am truly panic'd. I think I should drive over there (half hour drive) but am afraid to show up there by myself - if something bad is happening - little me is not going to do much.

I call 911. Tell them what is happening. They need the address. Seeing as though she JUST moved in, I don't even know the exact address.

As the 911 operator tells me that I will probably have to meet the police there, my Sister calls my home phone.

[In a very sleepy voice] "Teen, is everything ok? I saw that you called"]

Me: "You're phone was calling me, hold on a second."

I tell 911 everything is ok.

Me, back on the phone with my Sister... "You're phone was calling me (now I start mostly crying) and it was static and I was so worried that something had happened..."

Sher, "I was sleeping on the couch and my phone was on vibrate, then it started blasting your ring tone. I realized it was 5 something am and you were calling me and I panic'd that something bad had happened".

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Yep, so these are the kinds of things that happen to my family. My sister's phone dials me at 5:30am coincidentally on the first night in their new house... and on my second call back, her phone switches to high volume, wakes her up and she gets panic'd. So we both get a boost in blood pressure, then relief.

It's just freaky, I tell you.

Crazy couple weeks. Grandma went into the hospital, was in ICU for a few days. Her heart rate had gotten very very low. Doing much better, hopefully home this week.

Found out Lauren needs glasses. This will be a challenge.

My sister moved and I spent most of my time helping by either packing, bringing food, and/or entertaining the kids. Note: entertaining the kids can be the hardest part!

Extremely excited to be going to the Toronto Film Festival next weekend. George Clooney is going to be there. If I had guts, I'd bring a box of hair dye and offer to dye his hair. I think of this (not because he needs it) but I read once (not sure where, gossip rag I'm sure) that someone saw him in a drugstore buying hair dye and he said it was "for a friend".

Colin Firth will also be there. He is my favorite. Really hope to see him (again).