• Beach Bits,  Bug,  crazy stuff,  domesticity,  Moody Blues,  the laundry

    stormy!

    seaguls aren't afraid of storms

    It’s such bad luck to write about how manically happy you are. Singing songs about boxes…such foolishness! Well, you know what happened. A switch flipped in my head and suddenly I was struck with PMS (or something) from hell. That’ll teach me to brag about my office box. Whatever goes up must come down.

    Don’t worry, the office box is still rocking. The sun went behind some clouds and a storm moved into my head, that’s all. Thankfully, I have some very good friends who’s feet are firmly grounded in reality and they called me on my crap. I moped a little bit and decided they were right. I know not everyone can kill the blues with a good talk with a good friend but it worked for me…this time. And I am soooooo thankful. I hate falling down that pit of sadness.

    tractor tracks

    I plodded through the day, faking smiles at all of Baby Bug’s cute and not-so-cute antics.

    Let me just take a sidebar on the not-so-cute antics. I’m not complaining here, I just thought I’d share…because I can.

    Suddenly out of the complete blue nowhere, Baby Bug has a huge aversion to scratchy seams. She never cared before. She’s not an overly sensitive child. I can yank on her hair pretty hard when I put her ponytail in. She never complains the way I used to when I was a kid. She never complains that the bath water is too hot or too cold. She’s really mild-mannered for a two year old.

    little miss trouble

    Until lately. Oh my goodness! She will not wear anything that has “scratchy” seams anymore. Of course all the really cute clothes have super scratchy seams. It’s part of some great conspiracy involving Target and Old Navy and children from China sewing with thread made of steel wool for three cents an hour. Or maybe not.

    Maybe Baby Bug is just rebelling because I have not jumped on the organic-free-range-vegan-threadless-hairy-armpit bandwagon all my other friends have jumped on. (I’m just teasing you guys!!!) I guess I’ll have to start budgeting for more expensive clothing from now on. Hopefully, it’s just a phase.

    The other day she was walking around shirtless again and Toby told her to go put on a shirt. I already knew the battle ahead so I told her to go pick her own shirt out. I figured maybe if she was in charge, we might get somewhere.

    She goes in her room and comes out five minutes later wearing her super-soft crocheted blanket her aunt made her wrapped around her middle three times. Apparently, a wrap-around blanket sufficed for a shirt in her book. Whatever. Toby got a kick out of it but I just rolled my eyes. This is the sort of stuff she pulls all day long.

    Later in the day she decided her shirt and her pants were too scratchy so she took them off. Five minutes later she decided her diaper was too scratchy and off it came too. Then she ran around the living room screaming, “Naked Baby! Naked Baby!” I allowed it since this is sort of a fun game we play right before bathtime and frankly, I was worn out with her antics. I just wanted to sit on the couch and stare off into space for a minute or two.

    She crawled up on the couch next to me. It was nice. Just a few minutes of quietness between the two of us. I sighed. Maybe motherhood isn’t so hard after all, I thought. It’s moments like this that make it all worth it…

    AND THEN SHE PEED ON THE COUCH!!!

    Oh well. Life goes on. My new couch cover is very easy to remove for washing (because I’m a thinking mom like that and I planned ahead. I know you all thought I was an idiot to sew a couch cover in white but believe me, I had my reasons). I rinsed the cover off and set both the cushion and the cover out on the porch to dry.

    Wow. I got so sidetracked on my sidebar, I forgot what I was talking about.

    laundry day

    I guess I’ll just finish up by saying it was a pretty blah day with laundry and absolutely no box time, which could be part of the problem. But by the end of it things got much better and Baby Bug and I baked some watermelon cookies!!!! Which I will write about in my next post.

    In the meantime, I’ll just leave you with this photo:

    yelling into the wind

    When the weather gets you down, just yell at it!

  • Bug,  Moody Blues,  Super Dad

    Missing Toby

    gloomy tuesday

    Okay. I admit it. I think we are finally missing Toby. The fun of eating out at restaurants that Toby doesn’t like and moving furniture around (something Toby hates) has run out. The mice are bored now.

    talking to Daddy on the phone

    I think I realize why divorce and separation is so hard on kids now. I am the major care giver in the family but you wouldn’t believe how many times Baby Bug has asked for Toby. Every time we come home from an errand or a walk to the beach, she runs back to his office to see if he is there. Every time she is disappointed.

    Yesterday, I left the phone on the couch accidentally and she found it. I heard her beeping the buttons and saying, “Are you there Daddy?” into the phone. It nearly broke my heart. He may not change her diapers or help with bath time or even read her stories at night but he is a huge part of her life. She really misses him.

    It’s getting harder and harder for me to think of ways to explain that he won’t be home for a while. Does she understand “a few days”? Does someone who counts by skipping from five to thirty understand how long “six more night-nights” is? I don’t know.

    I think it’s mostly my fault. I need to get out and do stuff and keep us busy. But you know how it is… pajamas are so cozy when nobody cares what you wear all day long.