"You Like Her, You Really Really Like Her!"

Remember the nice lady that came to pay us a visit and brought me a nice, FREE packet of unsolicited advice to help Annie adjust in school? You know, the one Annie almost scarred for life with her Picasso poop painting? Well, today I had a nice meeting with the poop-scar free lady and Annie's teachers at school.

I was really nervous. Since we've moved both the dinner hour and bed-time up by an hour, things have improved dramatically. Annie also REALLY likes her big girl classroom, and while her stubborness and ability to always try and control each and every situation have not dissipated, her tantrums have. So, even though her daily reports from her teachers have been good, for the most part, I was still nervous they wanted to go ahead with the meeting.

I always get nervous before these things. Nothing strikes fear in my heart faster than a parent teacher conference. It is completely ridiculous- and my Mother makes fun of me, but I get intimidated. I did not need to be nervous. Annie's new teachers ROCK. They've only known my kid for 2 weeks, but they have her completely down. And more importantly, they appreciate her. They LIKE her. They enjoy her boundless energy, they know she's freakishly smart and they laugh at her manipulation skills. They are also, successfully, teaching her- not only to write her name, but to quit punching kids in line and respect other's boundaries. They also laugh hysterically at her antics. This immediately made me a fan. Especially when one of her teacher's said, "Annie is a great kid. She's not a problem kid. Believe me, I've had my share of problem kids- and this one isn't. Is she stubborn? Yes. Does she like to control things? Yes. But this will serve her well in life. We just need to teach her how to adapt." This was music to my ears, especially since there was a unanimous agreement to not enroll Annie in any of the programs the Picasso Poop lady offered- because really, her advice was so outdated and NOT useful, it was a bit of a joke.

Whew! A relief. It's so hard when you're parenting your first born- because, as my pediatrician says- "Parenting is like that Bill Murray movie, 'Groundhog Day'. Every morning, you wake up to EXACTLY the same events, but you've got to change your gameplan to make it work. And no 2 days are ever the same." True. Very, very true.

Tag, I'm It

I got tagged from the ultimate in photographic virtuosity- Sugar Photography (I can't figure out how to embed a link on a mac, but she's tagged in my blogroll- check out The Sweet Life). Anywhoo--- even though I've given you guys more than a fair share of poop stories, I've got to find 8 random things about myself that I can share. Here are the official rules:

Rules: post the rules before you give the facts. post eight random facts about yourself. at the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names. leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they've been tagged.

Hmmm.......

1. I once got in a car with a stranger. I was six, and decided to follow my 8 year old brother on a trip to the candy store. (yeah the 70's! Before milk cartons and such...). I got tired about half way there, and sat down on the curb and cried. My brother told me to stay put, and he ran home to get my Mom. After he left, a nice woman in a yellow VW bug pulled over and said "Little girl, are you lost?" After nodding my head, I got in the car. Turns out she was a realtor, and was on her way to an open house. I went to the open house and sat in the kitchen drinking a Coke and entertained her prospects while she called the cops. I was giving advice about window treatments when my parents showed up.

2. I can be a bit manic with my mothering style. One minute, I'm cherishing every last ounce of my little anklebiters. Then, you may find me wishing to charge a one way ticket to Hawaii for a LONG, solo vacation.

3. I'm a bit of a freakishly fast reader. On average, I read 3-4 books a week.

4. I come from a long line of superstitious, Irish women. My grandmother was born with a caul on her head, and she would dream about someone right before they would die. I, on the other hand, dream when people are about to get pregnant. I also have serious ESP in parking garages and can find a spot lickety split. This both delights and scares my husband.

5. After learning I had a guardian angel when I was 4, I used to make my Mom set a place for her at the dinner table. I also used to scooch over in bed so she would have enough room to sleep.

6. I lost a baby 3 months before I got pregnant with Annie. I was 24 weeks along, and it was a little boy. We named him Sam.

7. If you make me laugh too hard, I just may wet my pants. When this happens, it makes me only laugh (and pee) harder.

8. I met my husband when I was 15 years old. We were at a speech and debate tournament (yeah, NERDs!) at Cal State Fullerton. He was wearing a tie with red suspenders, and I remember when he introduced himself, I thought to myself "Pay attention Kristen- this guy will be important."


Ummm...don't hate me for this, but I'm going to tag my cousin Tara, Allie, Jennifer P., Pioneer Woman, Not That You Asked, Cheeky Lotus and Notes from the Trenches.

Letter Of The Day

Today was supposed to be my favorite kind of day. Annie calls them the "P Days"- because P stands for pajamas (which we stay in for as long as possible), Pancakes (which we all make for breakfast- a real mess by the way,) the Pool (because it is still a 100 degree inferno here) and the Park (in case either of my kids have an ounce of energy left in them, we hit this in the late afternoon). However, Lucy kicked off this morning's party in style, with the unplanned explosion of Poop. Lots of it. So, it seems some of our Plans will be Postponed.

Lumps And Bumps

We had friends over for dinner tonight. It was all well and good, until their five year old launched off our family room chair and smacked head first into the wall. I was three feet away, and instead of playing "tough parent" and saying something smart like "hey there, we might want to put some ice on that lump on your forehead..." I screamed "OH NO! HOLY COW! THAT WAS HORRIBLE! ARE YOU OK?" So, we ate dinner while a sufficiently freaked out kid sat on her Dad's lap and we discussed the trials of growing up in a medical family.

Like the cobbler's kid- healthcare can be a bit of a comical situation when you have someone with professional expertise in the family. Take tonight's incident, for example. If it had been any other family- that kid would have gone to the emergency room. Seriously, the lump on the poor little girl's head was cartoonish, it was so big. After her pupils were checked, and she didn't throw up, we all went about our business. Her parents are going to rouse her a few times during the night, but all in all- it was chalked up to kids being kids.

It reminded me of a conversation I overheard between another medical couple. He said, "Do you think Dr. XXX (The Boss) is going to be mad because I took out too much of this guy's intestine?" And the wife says, "Screw Dr. XXX- do you think the patient is going to be mad?" And then they both laughed and went about their business.

So, it wouldn't surprise me if my kids grow up to only believe in holistic healing and wear crystals and listen to Yani. Payback can be a bitch.

Sleep Tight

I'm tired today. I missed my girls so much yesterday, we celebrated our day home with a jam packed day at the local pool. (note: no floating biohazards today). I packed us a picnic, and we braved the heat to go play in spray fountains and swim. I didn't realize how hot it was, until I jumped into the pool and the water felt like ice against my steamy skin. It was HOT here today.

After getting home for naps, I remembered that I agreed to babysit a friend's kids so she could go to a parent/teacher conference. I whipped the house into shape and then watched 3 crazy kids while my baby took a nap. They fought over playdough, they duked it out over cookies, and then chased each other in exhausting rings around my coffee table, while I sat and watched- and prayed no one cracked their head open on the coffee table like I did when I was 3.

Matt called and (no surprise) announced he was slammed at work and neither of us could attend the open house at preschool. A blessing in disguise really, since I feel like a cotton ball that is slowly being shredded apart. I'm really glad I didn't fork over $500 to that quack of a psychologist for my Annie- an earlier bed time and a good ol'fashioned bribe of more Jibbitz for her Crocs has worked wonders. It's not even 8pm, and she's sound asleep. Life is good.

Back To School

Today is the first day of school. Annie is now upstairs at preschool, where the "big kids" go. I was astonished to see her classroom at the meet -and-greet last week. It's starting to look like a real classroom, with a science center, and a writing center where they can practice their letters. She gets to go on field trips this year too. Such a big kid.

My Lucy also started school- which has thrown me for a loop. She's totally ready- and couldn't wait for me to leave the classroom so she could get down and dirty with some crayons. I thought I was such a seasoned parent- and when I took their picture this morning, in their little outfits, with their new Disney backpacks, I suddenly realized how different our life will be this fall. I told Matt I don't want to feel like the family's golden retriever, waiting at the door for everyone to come home- but it will be nice to take a deep breath and reconnect with myself. Honestly, I have to figure out what I'm going to do. (Aside from the mountain of laundry and neverending dirty house that incessantly calls my name).

Did Lucy cry this morning? No. But I did. I threw on my sunglasses, and wormed my way through the crowded lobby of oil Moms talking about their summers and made my way into the steamy parking lot. Then I realized I accidentally took someone else's car keys.

Sheesh!

I'm back! I've got a brand new laptop, and a spanking new modem. Barring all natural disasters, I should have a fresh new post soon.