Thursday, June 30, 2011

Lists

Either I have the block again or Lucy is just not as funny as I thought....

List People that make you wonder Where are They Now?
Six from Blossom
Rayanne from My So Called Life
Sherman Douglas, one of my favorite basketball players ever
Jake Ryan, really do I need to tell you where he's from?!?
Corky from Life Goes On
Blair from Facts of Life
Some of the people I went to High School and college with
My old boss Alan, what was his last name...it began with a B...he had weird lips but I totally had a crush on him....and he ended up dating a woman we worked with...I was jealous...but I wonder what happened to him.....and this other guy Joe I worked with, I wonder what happened to him
This guy Phil I dated in Illinois - super nice guy...I mean he was such a nice guy that at some point, I stopped thinking of him as a boyfriend and he became more of a companion....and my designated driver as he was not a big drinker and we dated in my mid-20's...and need I say more about my mid-20's? Anyway, I broke up with him because he was way too nice for me and there was no way I was ready to settle down.....but still saw him for like two years - we'd go to weddings together, parties that mutual friends had...I'd see him at Frank and Jenny's....I lost touch with him about a year or so before I moved.....so I wonder what happened to him.....he was so nice....

List Memorable Activities/Events from When You Were a Kid
Going to the beach - Mum and Aunt Marie would load us kids up (7 of us, 3 of them) and we'd head off to the beach for the day...tuna and egg salad sandwiches, chips, sand in everything...it was great. Sometimes, Mum would even pull us out of school saying we had doctor's appointments...
Fishing in the ditch - When John and I were little, we'd tie string to a twig and cast our lines into ditch in front of our house...we never caught anything....
I remember staying at Grammy and Grampy's house quite fondly...especially when right before we went to bed, Grampy would give us a jar to catch fireflies and then he would place a piece of plastic wrap over the jar, secure it with an elastic, punch a couple holes so they could breath and send us off to sleep. Plus, they had a great library in their house and I read tons of books...same books my Mum read as a kid. Grammy's house is where I met Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and The Bobbsey Twins.
Christmas Eve - always a favorite. We be lived in Santa until we were like teenagers....but with younger kids in the house, it wasn't that hard. My parents would host an open house on Christmas Eve so there was a steady stream of company. The tree would go up and we would place, if we were lucky, one decoration each on it....and then it was left for Santa to finish...and we had a fence around our tree....and then we'd try to fall asleep but just end up giggling and sneaking up and down the stairs to spy on the adults and look for Santa....
I remember going to this little pizza place for dinner - and there was this guy who used to sit on a stool with his guitar and sing folk songs...and Puff the Magic Dragon. That is, to this day, still one of my favorite songs and stories
Summer softball and baseball games...both in our yard and with the ORA

Maria, the Mum

Saturday, June 18, 2011

No Daddy, I.....

Conversation I just overheard between Sean and Lucy:
Sean: Lucy, did you just toot?
Lucy: No Daddy, I fart!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, June 17, 2011

As Good as It Gets

Tuesday, I picked Lucy up from day care and we headed home as we normally do with little or no fanfare.
When we arrived home, Lucy, in her blue and white polka dotted coat and her two pig tails, asked if she could play with some of the neighborhood kids.

Sure, I say, we're home early....and in my head I knew dinner was already made, just had to be warmed up so we had plenty of time

We hopped out of the car and took a look around to see who was out and realized, we were the only ones outside.....which given the number of kids here is very unusually. even Pat and Kristen were not around

We wandered over to the big sitting rock and Lucy kept scanning the circle to see if anyone was out.
She looked so......well, her blond hair, which keep getting blonder, was in two little pig tails that had a slight curl in each of them...her hair was framing her face perfectly and for the first time, I saw her as a little girl...not a baby, not a little monkey, not an imp, but a little girl with thoughts, feelings and, I'm praying, hopes and dreams running through her little being.

Her skin, she has gorgeous skin on her face...its not translucent but sometimes, because its so fair, it seems to be almost shimmering....and her eyes! She had these gorgeous blue eyes in which she can express whatever she is thinking or feeling sometimes better than she can in words......her eyes will dance and flicker when she is amused, they twinkle and smile right before she does something she is not supposed to and cloud over just before she release the Kraken.

Lucy held onto my hand, as she paced in a little a circle looking for someone to play with....every few seconds, I would squeeze her hand and she would squeeze mine back and look me directly in the eye giving me a smile that tugged at my heart strings....

She asked to climb up on the rock, maybe to get a better view- still no one to play with
Where all the kids Mama?
I don't know honey, maybe eating dinner...?
Oh, OK Mama. Lucy wait? And with that, she started to sing a song to herself and sort of walked back and forth across the surface of the rock waiting for someone, anyone, to come out and play.

Lucy kept singing and my heart slowly but surely started to ache as a lump worked it's way into my throat and my eyes filled with tears.....

I'm not sure why I was so upset, Lucy could have cared less. She seemed pretty content just singing to herself and watching the world, and the squirrels go by

But I felt awful - its that feeling I imagine a parent gets when their child comes home and says he was picked last in gym class for the team....or when she comes home and says Susie invited everyone to her birthday party except me....I dread those days because I'm too sensitive (and will cry) and then I get angry (and will want to hunt the kid who hurt my kid down and give him or her a wedgie) I so badly wanted to go knock on a door and make someone come out and play with her....

And then I felt badly that we did not live near any of her friends from school that could come play with her.....and then i felt worse that she does not have a sister or brother who could be there to play with her......then in my head I jumped to 5/6 years from now and she was still standing on the rock looking for someone to play with........and then out of no where, this awful thought of Lucy not  being in my world worked itself into my head and next thing I know, i am sobbing....tears are falling down my face and I have no control over the,m - and the lump in my throat is so big I can hardly swallow....even now, as I recall and write this, the lump and tears are back - for no reason, just those fleeting thoughts one has as a Mum...wondering if what you are doing is right, if what you've given your child is enough...hoping this is as good as it gets and nothing changes....because this is good enough for me.....I have what I deserve, I don't need more.....just keep us safe, keep us healthy, keep us happy and I won't ask for more....

And Lucy....Lucy is still holding my hand walking back and forth on the rock singing Ba Ba Black Sheep....

Hi Mama! she says with a grin
Hi Lucy I somehow eek out...
Mama sad?
No Lucy, Mama's not sad....
Oh, Mama cry?
Ohh, maybe just a little bit Lucy....I can't lie to her....
Why Mama?

I had no answer for her, how do I explain to my 2 year old what my heart is so upset about....? Si I just sort of shrug and hope she'll move on.....

Mama sad 'cuz no one can play?
I nodded
Oh, but Mama...
Yes baby...?
Lucy's face broke out into a grin and she excitedly pointed over my shoulder....

Mama, fire hydrant! And with that, Lucy jumped down off the rock, ran over to Albert the fire hydrant, gave him a pat and threw me a smile over her shoulder....

Maria the Mum

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

10 Places, 10 Books

10 Fictional Places I Wish Existed
  1. Narnia
  2. Terabithia
  3. Vulgaria (after the Baron Bomburst is overthrown of course)
  4. Neverland
  5. Hogsmeade
  6. Hogwarts
  7. Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory
  8. Mystery, Alaska, Twin Peaks
  9. Tara Plantation
  10. Utopia or The Fountain of Youth


10 Books I've Never Read and have No Desire to Read (nor will I allow any one to make me feel less intelligent because "you haven't read that?!?" is how they react)
  1. Moby Dick
  2. War and Peace
  3. Jane Eyre - I tried, I really did
  4. Don Quixote - if I did read it, I don't remember doing so
  5. Profiles in Courage - I actually try to avoid books by politicians....
  6. The Sound and the Fury
  7. Beloved
  8. Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit - again, I tried, I really tried
  9. The last 4 books of the Chronicles of Narnia (chronological order not publication order)
  10. The Twilight Books and The Girl who got a tattoo, played with fire, and kicked a hornet's nest Books 

Maria, the Mum

What that? Where Uncle Gareth?

Fire Hydrant
One of my favorite things about Lucy is how inquisitive she is - Why, What and Who are frequent questions in our house. And when she learns something new, be it a concept, a word, or meets a new friend, she embraces said new learned item/idea or person with great enthusiasm and love

So when, driving down the street one day she pointed out the window and asked
What that Daddy?
A fire hydrant Sean replied
Oh, fire hydrant, Lucy repeated with a giggle
We had no idea that would be the beginning of her love...of fire hydrants

Now, when we get in the car or take a walk, Lucy points out EVERY fire hydrant we pass. And if we're walking, we stop and say hello to EVERY fire hydrant...we even name them....I'm not even kidding you

There is a fire hydrant in from of our house, his name is Albert. Every morning she runs out the door and yells
Good Morning fire hydrant!

She may run over and give him a couple pats or she may just stand across the way from him and wave
Then, when its time to get in the car and head to school, she waves and yells with great love,
Buh Bye fire hydrant! Have a good day! See you this afternoon!

When we arrive home, before we've even pulled up to the house, she'll tell me she wants to see the fire hydrant. We hop out of the car and she runs right over to say hello
Hi yo fire hydrant! Lucy home!
And then she just stands next to him and giggles

She forgets his name so she'll ask
What his name Mummy?
Albert I say
Oh....Albert...Hi Yo Albert! Hi Yo fire hydrant.....!!!

I miss the days when something like a fire hydrant fascinated and made me so happy......and I'm glad Lucy has those days....

Where Uncle Gareth?
Sean keeps asking me if I'll blog about Gareth's visit....
Probably not, I replied. It was like our England trip; there was so much we did and saw that I can't seem to focus enough to get it down...but I'll share stories here and there about it...and maybe someday, I'll be able to blog completely about both (the England trip and Gareth's visit) but for now, anecdotes here and there will do

While Gareth was here, Lucy became quite attached to him - the poor guy could not be out of the room for more than 3 minutes without Lucy looking around and asking
Where Uncle Gareth? Where Uncle Gareth?
And if we were not watching, she'd scoot up over the stairs and go looking for him! But to Gareth's credit, he was quite patient with her and I dare say may have relished the attention.

Lucy would stand outside his door every night before her bath and call in here sing songy voice
Uncle Gareth!!!! Uncle Gareth!!
And he would say Hi Lucy, come on in
And she sometimes would go in and bug him for a few minutes but mostly, she just wanted him to look over at her so she could giggle and run away

By the third or fourth night, our bed time routine consisted of me getting her ready for her bath, Daddy and Uncle Gareth bathing her, me dressing her for bed, then Lucy, Uncle Gareth and Daddy piling onto Uncle Gareth's bed to watch an episode of Scooby Doo. I would hear the three of them laughing....then I would hear Sean or Gareth do a Scooby or Shaggy impression...then I would hear Lucy do a Scooby or Shaggy impression!

Gareth left on a Sunday, he headed to the airport at 4:30ish. When I took Lucy up for her bath, her first question was
Where Uncle Gareth? and she then ran to his door to find an empty room.
Honey Uncle Gareth had to go home...
Why? He was home....at Lucy's house
No honey, he had to go home to his house...he went home to see his Mummy...his Mummy missed him just like I miss you when you are at school
Oh, Uncle Gareth went to see his Mummy?
Yes honey
Oh.....Lucy still watch Scooby Doo?
Yes baby! Uncle Gareth left Scooby Doo for you!
OK Mummy...

This went on for like four or five nights - she'd look for him as soon as we got home and then again at bath time. The first couple nights it made me sad, she just missed him! By the fourth night, I figured she'd get tired of looking for him - until the breakdown

On this particular night, she ran up over the stairs ahead of me calling for Uncle Gareth

Lucy, Uncle Gareth isn't here honey, he went home to see his Mummy...
Why Mama?
Well, he missed his Mummy and his Mummy missed him......by now, we're in Uncle Gareth's room and Lucy is leaning against the bed
But Mama...I want Uncle Gareth! I miss Uncle Gareth!

And with that, she put her head in her arms and started crying......there are times as a parent that your child's tears will reduce you to tears, this was one of those times

Lucy cried and cried and cried....and she would pick her little head up and through tears and snot plead for Uncle Gareth - and all I could do was sit on the floor next to her and rub her back. This went on for almost ten minutes

Her crying was reduced to sniffling and she climbed in my lap and buried hear head in my chest. We sat quietly for five minutes or so....a couple heaves and sighs escaped her little body and she asked
Mama, Uncle Gareth come see Lucy again?
Yes honey, he'll come back and see Lucy again, or maybe we can go visit...
Oh, OK Mama.....Mama?
Yes Lucy
Uncle Gareth with his Mummy?
Yes baby, he's with his Mummy
Oh.....Mama...I miss Uncle Gareth
I know honey, Mummy does too

Lucy started to cry again and called out his name a couple times. I hugged her tighter and soothed her as best I could...she calmed down and took a couple deep breaths....

Mama?
Yes Lucy
We still watch Scooby Doo?
Of course we can honey, we'll take a bath and watch Scooby Doo just like you did with Uncle Gareth...
Lucy hopped up and proclaimed, in her best Scooby voice....
SCOOBY DOOBY DOOOOOO!!!!

Maria, the Mum

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Hurt Locker

Sean observed this morning, quite brilliantly, that being a parent is like being a member of the Bomb Squad....you never know when your child is going to blow or what the trigger will be or which wire to cut to disarm them

Lucy has been in the state of a tantrum since last night at 5:30.

I arrived at Day Care at 5:20, the kids were outside playing. So I nipped into her class room, grabbed her bag and the art work in her little mailbox - a duck and two ladybugs. I found Lucy outside making a sand cake and singing Happy Birthday (to Lucy) and, as she always does, she invited me over for a piece of sand cake. By all accounts, Lucy had a great day (made even more great by the fact that Kylie was back from vacation) though she did not really care for the chicken she had for lunch.

I collected Lucy and we headed out to the car. As we were walking down the hall, she noticed the duck in her bag and wanted to hold it. Somehow, the duck's beak fell off along with a couple feathers - Lucy's bottom lip started to quiver and she did that thing with her eyes, where they sort of start to scrunch up....

Honey, its okay, Mummy will fix it, I promise.....I then distracted her with a little snack pack of M&M's (stashed in my bag for just such a potential crises)
Drive home was uneventful as Lucy was chomping her MMs as she calls them

We arrived home and she asks if we can hang her duck and ladybugs on the wall

Of course we can baby, you show Mummy where we should hang them and we'll do it right now
Yeah Mummy, for Daddy?
Yep, we'll hang them up before Daddy gets home and surprise him
OK Mummy

I get the tape, Lucy climbs up on the chair and as I'm putting tape on the duck (after I repaired his beak) and lady bugs, Lucy pointed to the wall next to the clock and said Ducky there.
Then she pointed to the spot next to the light switch and said Ladybugs there Mummy.
OK I agree....

Next thing I know, she starts crying, screaming and throws herself off the chair (I may be chubby but I still have great reflexes)...I caught her on the way down

Lucy is wailing and muttering something completely unintelligible...she may or may not have been putting a curse on me.

Her crying and yelling get louder and no matter how hard I try to calm her down, I can't. So I move the stool, push in the chairs, pick up the broom and leave her to work it out.

I swept, emptied our lunch bags, fed the fish, checked the calendar for what cards need to be mailed next and waited for the crying and screaming to subside. At one point, there was a break and I crouched down to her level and asked her if she wanted a snuggle

Go AWAY Mummy!! as she pushed with her hands and feet

I stood up and walked away which prompted an even louder wail. She jumped up, ran into the living room and threw herself onto the floor...and just kept crying

Sean walked in the door about 35 minutes after this started - helluva thing to walk into.
What happened he asked
No idea I replied, no idea

She carried on for another 10 minutes or so before she finally started to calm down....and announced she was hungry

So I put out a plate and tried to get her to her chair. But she spotted a loaf of bread and asked for some....I pulled the bread out and made the mistake of getting a knife to cut the stale end off before handing it to her....she started to cry...I pleaded with her to just give me a second, I was trying to get the yucky part off....Sean reassured her Mummy was fixing it for Lucy....but she cried.

I handed her the chunk of bread, crying ceased and then tried to guide her to her chair......but quickly realized I was in violation of whatever silent peace treaty had just been reached as her eyes started to cloud over and the vein on her forehead began to throb.....so I suggested that we sit on the front porch and have dinner

So Lucy, looking like a prisoner as she clutched her bread, and I (with her plate and milk in hand) headed to the front porch to enjoy the evening air.

She was fine for ten minutes - when all of a sudden, she took a big bite of bread, leaned over so she was in my face, opened her mouth and spit said bread in my face.......

I did not lose my cool. I simply stood up, told Lucy that was not OK, took the bread away and marched her into the house. She threw herself on the living room floor and cried.

By the time we make it up to the tub, it is 7:30....by this time, we are usually dressed for bed.
I wrestled her through her bath, got her dressed (minimal wrestling) and at 9:15 , I finally descend downstairs to have dinner with Sean.

She awoke this morning with no apparent after effects of last night's tantrum. Seemed like the day was off to a good start, we were even a few minutes ahead of schedule so we played monster hide and seek for a few minutes.....and then, next thing we know...........Lucy explodes into a temper tantrum.......

25 minutes of crying, writhing around on the floor, kicking, screaming, slamming the door, telling me to go away

Know what made her stop? Not promises of seeing Rosie or Caiti, not promises of hearing the Beatles or playing with the puppies when we got home....not even the prospect of wearing new shoes stopped her tantrum....know what made her stop? The pickle....

Somehow, I got her up on the changing table, somehow, I got her to stop kicking me and I asked her to give me five (as an attempt to divert her attempts to hit me)...
Give me five...other side....cut the pickle (you put the tips of your pointer fingers together and the person is supped to chop them apart)....then you say tickle tickle and tickle the person.....that was what made her stop.

Know how long it took me to get her diaper changed, get her dressed, wash her face, brush her hair and get her shoes on...??

About 4 minutes

As we were walking to the car, Lucy asked me if I would go in Lucy's car.
Oh honey, Mummy has to go to work but this weekend, Mummy will ride in Lucy's car with her...(by now, I have her in the car seat and I'm buckling her in)
Please Mummy....? voice wavering and cracking just a bit. Please come in Lucy's car...
Sean wisely hops in the car and says
Hey Lucy, want to hear some Yo Gabba Gabba music?
Ok Daddy...sniff sniff...Please Mummy in Lucy's car

Music starts.....

Daddy says Hey Lucy, it's Party Time in your Tummy!!!!! So yummy!!!!!

Please Mummy, come in Lucy's car......

Sean turns the music up and I do what any mother would do in this situation......I start dancing.....like a lunatic....

And now Lucy is dancing in her seat (and yes, laughing at me).....

Song ends, we're all smiles....and leaving almost 20 minutes late....

Yep, being a parent is like being on the bomb squad......

Maria, the Mum

Monday, June 13, 2011

Vagina Monologues

Vagina Monologues
I was bathing Lucy Friday night and she informed me, while using her finger to point,
Mummy! I have a vajayjay!
Yes you do Lucy!
Mummy have a vajayjay?
Yep, Mummy has one just like Lucy, all girls have a vajayjay...
Even Rosie?
Yes, even Rosie...all girls have a vajayjay..
Oh...yeah for vajayjay (with her hands raised above her arms)

Vagina Monologues Part II
I overheard Lucy having a similar conversation later in the weekend with her Dad. It started by her asking him if he had a vajayjay
No Lucy, only girls have a vajayjay, boys have a penis
Oh, no vajayjay Daddy?
No honey, that's one of the things that makes boys and girls different:Girls have a vajayjay, boys
have a penis
Oh, okay Daddy

(side note: I was super impressed with how Sean handled this and was even more impressed with the whole "one of the things that makes boys and girls different"
So as a result of this, I am rewarding Sean by letting him have THE TALK with Lucy when she turns 10)

Later, as I was dressing her, Lucy said
Mummy, Daddy no have a vajayjay
I know honey
Oh...boys no have a vajayjay, boys have a penis (which sort of came out p-is)
That's right Lucy, girls have a vajayjay, boys have a penis.
Oh, so Daddy have a penis....(I nodded my head and said that's right as she paused collecting her next thought)........which she delivered with a solemn face and a small sigh.....
**.......Poor Daddy.......**

Maria, the Mum

Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Negotiator, Spies Like Us, Golden Ticket



The Negotiator


Sometimes, in order to get Lucy to do things, we "negotiate" with her (some may call it bribing...some bargaining…..some may call it keeping one's sanity intact...


We'll say something like


Lucy, if we don't go upstairs and get changed, we can't go see Rosie
Lucy, we need to get a clean diaper or no hot dog
Lucy, let's get our shoes on or no playground


Lucy turned the tables on me the other night…I was trying to change her and she looked at me and said



No Beatles, no diaper



Spies Like Us
I walk into our bedroom to find Sean and Lucy stretched out on the bed looking out the window
What are you doing I ask?
Watching the people replied Sean, we're spying!
What people? I asked
Lucy popped up on her knees and yelled loudly while pointing out the window,
This people!!!!
This people!!! she yelled again causing them to look up at our bedroom window



Cover blown



The Golden Ticket
Sean observed the other day lottery winners seem to be old and immigrants…..he's going to start buying tickets this week



Maria, the Mum

Friday, June 10, 2011

Game On, What's for Dinner, Beatles, Haircut

Is there a game on?
When Lucy and I get home from work/school, I am in the habit of flipping the TV on to catch the news

The night we had the storms and the tornadoes, the news coverage remained on the TV, never breaking to normal programming

Lucy had finished dinner and was sort of flitting about the kitchen dancing and chattering away.

At one point, she stopped in front of me and said

Mama, I don't want to watch this anymore, she announced with one hand on her hip and the other point at the TV. Watch something else!

What would you like to watch Lucy? internally, I prepared myself for a battle as to why we could not watch Blues Clues or Yo Gabba Gabba

Ummmmmm.......Lucy has a long think and brings her hand to her chin and she raises her eyes upward deep in thought......

Ummmmmm, how about the baseball game?!?!?

Eggs, its whats for dinner
When I picked Lucy up on Monday, she and Rosie were putting some toys away in the tubs out on the playground. They spotted a spider and spent a few minutes watching him scurry about.

Lucy called me over to observe the spider

Look Mama! Itsy bitsy spider! Look! Look! LOOK!!!!! she jumped up and down and pointed in the tub and pulled me down to see

So I stuck my head in and ohhed and ahhed and made a couple comments about how fast the spider can run.

Lucy stuck her head in with me and we watched the spider work his way out of the tub and scuttle off away from us

Where he go? asked Lucy

He's going home for dinner Lucy. Just like we have to....

Oh, OK Mama, she replied slightly dejectedly

I put my hand out for her and we started to walk away

We stopped to say good night to Rosie and Lucy informed her the spider went home for dinner

He did? said Rosie, I wonder what he'll have for dinner....

Lucy, not missing a beat declares

Eggies!!!

Another Generation of Fans
Lucy is a grubber. As a direct result of this, most of the clothes I buy for her come right from Target ($3-4 for a shirt, $3-4 for a pair of pants/shorts) or Kohls (same things, $3-5 for each piece)

At Target, I often browse through the boy's section for T Shirts - they run bigger than the girls and I find that a 3T boys will fit her longer than a 3Y girls. In the last bunch I picked up, one of them happened to be a T Shirt with a cartooninsh picture of The Beatles on it - John, Paul, Ringo and George. It's actually a pretty cool T Shirt - like one I would wear of it came in my size

When I initially put it on Lucy, she was not impressed with it - until I turned her iPod on, flipped it to the Beatles "1" Album and explained to her the Beatles on her shirt were The Beatles singing not beetles.

Lucy now loves The Beatles: her T Shirt and the singing ones

While getting her dressed for bed (she often wears a T Shirt to bed and the boys T Shirts are perfect night shirts for her) she'll tell us I want my Beatles, I want my Beatles shirt!

And when we pull it down over her head, she screeches in delight BEEAATLESSS!!! My Beatles!!
We then of course have to turn on the music and listen to a couple songs while singing (which when Lucy says sing also means dancing)

And if we ask her if she'd like to listen to music....

Yeah! How about the Beatles?

What, no Lollipop?
Last weekend, we took Lucy to Davis Farmland.

Davis is this fantastic Farm in Sterling where the animals roam around the grounds, you can go in and cuddle the cows, you can chase the chickens, goats and sheep. You can pet a llama, a chinchilla, big fat rabbits and ride a pony. Oh, you can also milk a fake cow....which Lucy did a number of times but was quick to point out

Hey! That's not milk Mama! That water!!! Where the milk?

Well, this is only a pretend cow Lucy so we pretend the water is milk....

Oh.....silly fake cow! she declared as she slapped her on the rump....

While we were there, the sheep were being sheared...we asked Lucy if she would like to watch the sheep get a haircut...

The fellow doing it was quote entertaining and used clippers the whole time instead of an electric razor...so instead of taking 15.3 seconds as it does in a sheep shearing contest, it took probably 30-35 minutes...and eternity to a 2 year old....

But Lucy watched pretty intently though at one point she was distracted by a goat who came over to see her........

Where his Mummy Mama? Where his Mummy?

I don't know Lucy....



He sad Mama......you be his Mummy!

At least three times, she pointed at the sheep and farmer guy and asked



What he doin'?



And Sean would explain The sheep is getting a hair cut...just like Lucy!

A haircut?



Yes baby, a haircut....

Oh....sheep get lollipop after haircut? Like Lucy? (when you go to Snip Its, after the haircut is over, the kids get a lollipop and a little prize...one time Lucy got a knock off plastic slinky and she thought it was the best thing ever...she still has that slinky and if you mention hair cut, she brings up her slinky and asks for a lollipop)



Well, let's wait and see honey.....

When the sheep was done getting a haircut and was sent back to her pen, Lucy pops up from her Dad's lap and says



Hey! No lollipop?

Maria, the Mum

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Block

I still have the block - so I've come up with my own lists list...and instead of ten minutes per list, I have to move to the next list when the song I'm listening to on my iPod ends....

List of Lucy, please stop....
Lucy, please stop licking yourself
Lucy, please stop licking the lotion off your arm
Lucy, please stop eating your shirt, you are not a goat!
Lucy, please stop putting your fingers in there
Lucy, please stop licking your plate....I will get your more ketchup
Lucy, please stop tugging on the puppy's penis
Lucy, please stop jumping off the porch
Lucy, please stop coloring on the windows
Lucy, please stop feeding the fish, we don't want him to get a belly ache (Ah Mama, do fish have bellies?)
Lucy, please, for the love of God, please stop licking the lotion off your arm
Lucy, please stop licking Mummy's arm

List of my favorite things to hear Lucy say
I love you
How about again?!?!
Mama/Daddy, look! A fire hydrant
Mama/Daddy, will you read to me?
Mama sing! Daddy sing!
I wanna see Caiti...
Mama, I like (insert name here)
Have a good day Mama! See you this afternoon!
Mama, where Daddy? I miss Daddy....
That's so cheesey!
Scooby Dooooo!!! Where are you?????
Mama, read Winnie the Pooh
Hot Diggity Dog!

List of what I remember from the day Lucy was born
I watched a Jon and Kate Plus 8 Marathon
They had tried to induce my labor the day before but nothing was happening so the Doctor decided to break my water
Getting your water broken is the most uncomfortable thing ever - I don't care what they tell you in birthing class, it was fucking uncomfortable...!
Yet the breaking of my water was also a bit of a relief...given that I lost about 20lbs in water weight, it should have been
I wanted a Blizzard from Dairy Queen in the worst way but they would not let me eat
Which meant my last supper had been the shitty chicken sandwich I had the day before
The nurses spent a lot of time in my room
I had an ultra sound and when the picture was handed to me, I fell in love
When Dr Wu was examining me, Lucy kept kicking her - Dr Wu informed me This baby is going to be a spitfire....if she only knew....
At one point, the nurse who was watching the monitor said can you feel that contraction? Yeah I said, why? Because the woman screaming next door is having the same one you are and all you did was shift your position. Doesn't it hurt? Yeah, I replied, but I feel like yelling might make it hurt more
To the Doctor doing my epidural: So this is my first time (getting an epidural), please tell me its not your first time doing one?

List of what I wanted to be when I grew up...from when I was a kid up till now...
A nun (3rd grade)
John Travolta's Girlfriend (3rd Grade)
A Teacher
A Librarian
A Writer
A newscaster
A reporter
A toy tester
A bartender
A Mum (check)
A Wife (check)
An event planner
A personal shopper
A bookstore owner
A baker
A lawyer
A book reviewer (like a food critic but books)
A columnist
An Editor of a newspaper
A farmer - or a farmer's wife

What I wish I could do or know how to do that I can't or just don't for whatever reason (but probably could if I put my mind to it...well, some things but not all)
Draw
Knit
Play the piano or guitar
Sing
Run...you know be one of those people who gets up early and runs a couple miles before the day begins
Cook a five course meal - and cook it well
Be one of those Mums who remembers to take pictures at all events
Be one of those Mums who remembers to take a new picture of their child every day/week/month
Scrap booking - did I really just write that?
Shop - I hate shopping but sometimes wish I were better at it
Speak a foreign language....just to say I can...like....Irish Gaelic or Welsh
Reconnect with old friends

Maria, the Mum

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Writer’s Block


Sean's oldest and dearest friend came for a visit. Gareth arrived last Thursday, 5.26, and left Sunday…..so I have not blogged much. Don't get me wrong, there's been lots to blog about (where we took him, his reaction to eating his first burrito ever, his fascination and appreciation of Fenway, how Lucy attached herself to him, how he introduced Lucy to Scooby Doo cartoons…) but it appears I have writer's block. I'm having trouble getting motivated to write…and then when I get motivated, everything is all jumbled in my head. So I decided I need to do something to unjumble everything that is flying around in my brain – this is my attempt to focus myself.


Sometimes, when I'm on Blogger, I browse through the other blogs that are out there (using the Next Blog link thing on the top of the page). The other day, there was a blog that caught my eye – actually, there was a link on the side of the page that caught my eye. It was called Listology…so I clicked on it and was taken top another blog…..where someone has posted 52 questions and challenged you to write answer to one question a week and post them on your blog…linking to her blog so she can see all the people who are participating.


Given that I am not one for group activities…and did not want to come off as some creepy blog stalker, I just decided to steal her question and use them when I felt like I needed a jump start……I've given myself ten minutes for each list


List all the teachers you can remember:


Ms Howard, Kindergarten, I made her cry


Mrs Hooper, First Grade, I still adore her and get giggly when I see her


Mrs Hamlin, Second Grade, she had the Reading Castle and may have started my love for reading….this is also where I started to become an over achiever as you were rewarded with stars on the castle for every book you read and I always had the most stars….more so because I loved reading


Mrs Howard, the reading teacher was the one who cultivated my love for reading


Mrs Alley was my Third Grade Teacher and used to read to us Paddington Bear….but she also made you sit on a box if you misbehaved so her good deed was sort of undermined by the whole box thing


Mr Mugnai was my Fourth Grade Teacher….we did not get along….I think that was when I started to develop and attitude towards teachers…also my first foray into politics as I was elected Class president


Mrs Lent was my Fifth Grade Teacher….she was kooky and I loved her! She taught me to knit during inside recess when it was too cold or rainy to go outside. I must have made a million pairs of slippers that year.


Mr Walker was the music teacher, Ms Kellenbeck was art and gym was Miss….I have no idea how to spell her name..Collasey…Linda was her first name. And Mrs Capen was the Librarian at the school….I used to want to be a librarian because of her…..and I wanted to be a teacher because of Mrs Hooper


When I got to Junior High, that was when you had multiple teachers and I remember most of them: Mr Drisko (social studies/civics) Miss Cluff, Mrs Stoneton, and Mrs Lisnick all taught reading/English. Mr Kingsbury and Mrs Harrington (best teacher ever!) were the Science Teachers. Mr Thurston and Mr Quint taught Math


High School….Mrs Sullivan, Mrs LeBlanc, Mr and Mrs Delvecchio, Mr Nahra, Dr Jones, Mr Cowan, Mr Floyd, Mr Merry-o-la, Mrs Millet, Mrs Sprague, Mr Wilson, Mrs Strauch, Mr Schaab, Mr McCarthy, Mrs Waring, Mr Soucy


Oddly, I remember my elementary school teachers better than anyone….what does that tell you?!? I can name maybe three professors from College….and that would be pushing it….Dr Copeland, Dr Schafer, and….okay, I can remember two…so sad….


List things that freak you out:


Twins…identical twins more than fraternal….but twins nonetheless


Snakes


Listening to someone describe how an injury occurred or a dental procedure


Death


Heights


Liberals


Dwarfs


Gnomes


A lot of anything in one place (I blame my sister Mikel for this) specifically flocks of birds


The thought of the world ending freaks me out – not like the apocalypse but like the physical earth blowing up


The movie Planet of the Apes freaks me out but I watch it whenever it's on


People who believe in paranormal stuff freak me out…..because they always seem so paranoid and that freaks me out…and new age stuff


Fairies


I think more thoughts than things freak me out….that would be a list in itself


Flying freaks me out


Feet and toes, especially when they are clammy and cold


List books that made you cry:


Bridge to Terabithia


Where the Red Fern Grows


The Giver


Sounder


Messenger


Love you Forever


A Taste of Blackberries


The Shack


Joshua


Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince


To Kill a Mockingbird


The Bible


Little Women


The Red Tent


The Stone Diaries


We Were the Mulvaneys


God on a Harley


Deep End of the Ocean


Stones From the River


Tuesdays with Morrie


Lesson Before Dying


Conversations with God


Into the Wild


Cider House Rules


Lovely Bones


Happiest Baby on the Block


Prince of Tides


Kite Runner


I Heard the Owl Call My Name


Shoeless Joe



Ok, my thirty minutes are up....maybe now the block is broken.....


Maria, the Mum