I need a time out!

Alternate title: Why won't they nap?!


Yesterday, I cleaned the heck out of the livingroom looking for Greg's lost stylus. The stylus is still lost, but I found a lot of heck.

And then when Aldo lost it from being inside for that long, we went to one of his favorite places on earth, the Model Train museum in Balboa park. He was so excited, he pointed and exclaimed at the parking lot, "There, Mommy, train!" And as we walked toward the museum he got more and more excited and vocal. Until we got there and realized (once again) that it is closed on Mondays. Oh, the sad refrain of "train, train, traaaaaaaaaain," all the way back to the car.

Today, we set out for the Mission Valley library storytime. Sure, there are other storytimes, but this one has singing and bubbles and dancing and lots of kids under 2. We stopped for a few groceries and got there just a few minutes late. I was a bit surprised to see so many parking spaces, but never imagined that it was CLOSED (gasp, muttered swear words,) for carpet repair. For the next month. Ungh.

Is noon too early to start drinking?

Fortunately, Owen got out the playdough and they're both playing with the playdough cookie cutters and such. It's a handmade batch, so it's color is muddy mold color. I was aiming for fuschia.

Greg mentioned last night that he really wants to go on an overnight fishing trip again. Soon. I told him he could go as soon as my overnight trip to the spa was booked. He said, "Tell me when," and I said "tomorrow." But maybe it'll be next week. I want a weekday.

Asian supermarket field trip

I went to the Asian supermarket last Friday with a friend and her kids and ended up with the usual cartful of interesting edibles. (Do I capitalize "Asian"? Why? It's not a country?)

My main mission was more Curing pills and Po Chai pills for happy stomachs. And jars of premade Lee Kum Kee sauces. A bunch of greens that you rarely find in the regular markets--Chinese broccoli, baby bok choi, Napa cabbage, (ok, you can find Napa cabbage in most markets around here, but this Napa cabbage was fresher and crisper. )

And the weird label stuff like the Pocari sweat. My friend got a can of fried baby clams for her husband. She says he asks her if she's trying to kill him when he gets stuff like that. I brought my husband home some Panky chocolate for the name and it's surprisingly delicious. I love me some Panky.

And purple toast. I forgot that I like taro toast. It's purple and a little sweet and sticky inside.

I need to go back for some soda crackers that I saw called, "Magic Flakes." I think I need some more magic about now.

Dark chocolate, Brown Widows and Caca

Chocolate Midnight is a dark chocolate cake with two frosted cookies on the top--a white one in the shape of a moon (with facial features) and a chocolate frosted star. The kids took one apiece as Greg blew out his candles. It turns out that the cake is so dark chocolatey that it's too much for us. Greg has abandoned it for the brownies I made the day before and the kids say, "No thanks," when it's offered. Guess who's going to finish the cake. Yep, me and the diabetic babysitter are splitting it over the next couple of days. Unless I can get a neighbor to eat a piece.

Trouble is, my dessert-splitting neighbor Sarah has gone back to work. Her youngest (and only) has turned and is in full-time preschool and heading for kindergarten. It's beginning to be a trend. Moms are disappearing off the stay-at-home radar and are taking up jobs, gym memberships, hobbies or second and third babies. And when Aldo starts preschool (if?) who knows what will happen.

Owen's already been in full day preschool (8:30-12:30) for a while, which has allowed me to take Aldo to his toddler class. It is a place he can indulge his love of the parachute, which like many of his favorite things (bears, strawberries and blueberries) he calls "bear.

And having one kid has allowed me to further my pursuit of a whole new wardrobe through the thrift shops. I started with replacement t-shirts, then dresses, and now I'm up to prints, shoes, and belts. I was looking at a bracelet and I'd consider a new bag. Something purselike.

And the kids' clothes. So cute and so cheap.

It's nap time now. Owen still has a slight fever, so it might be a good nap.

Did I tell you he was sent home yesterday for fighting? A kid wanted him to do something at lunch, he didn't do it, the kid said, "Caca." At three years old, thems fighting words. So, Owen shoved him and the sippie cup cut his mouth and then Owen would not apologize. This is a write-uppable offense. Mom was called. Owen eventually apologized and went home.

So, we were a little relieved when he turned out to be sick. "See, it's the fever fighting, not Owen." Owen still got a lot of talking to.

Another wildlife story: Have you heard of the Brown Widow? It's like it's darker more famous cousin, but browner, slightly shyer and more poisonous. They're easiest to identify by their spiky egg sacs that look like old sea mines. If you get the right angle, they have the little red hourglass on the belly. They're also breeding in our backyard. Yikes! Under the playthings. Greg showed me a few before he torched them with the lighter. And then I found another one today along with 3 egg sacs under the wagon where Aldo was putting his little bare foot. All this while Owen got his hair trimmed at the hair salon.

Non-stop excitement around here.

The zoo

This is going to be quick because, as usual, I can only dedicate to this blog about the time and attention of the average teenage text message. I'm trying to get this in while they're still using their new zoo clearance-priced battery-powered fan to vibrate tunes out of the thrift store xylophone.

And I still haven't written anything about Seattle, which my tastebud miss dearly, because I'm waiting to upload pictures and that could take a while.

But today was a baby book moment--when the giant tusked pig ate Aldo's shoe. He was kicking his little foot over the bridge to the pigs (from flamingos to the monkeys) and I thought I had better stop that before... and there it went into the muck. By the time the keeper fished it out, it was covered in something dark and mudlike and was missing part of the heel. Chomp.

In other news, Aldo is potty training himself (who is this kid?) and has peed on the potty several times. He is now in pull ups and is ready to start preschool next month when he turns 2. In a terrifying and frustrating change of events, the school just told me it's full. So, they'll find a space or we'll find a new school. Harumph.

And today is Greg's 41st birthday. We gave him his kid-wrapped Goodwill presents--frisbees and a microwave egg cooker! And his photo mug of the kids in a tree. I've made barbecued chicken and potato salad for dinner (how domestic!) And we'll have chocolate cake from Whole Foods for dessert.

I was trying to duplicate the birthday cake I had in Seattle (Black Magic) but they have different cakes in different locations. So we have a Chocolate Midnight cake with a star and a moon on the top. I'll let you know if it's worth staying up for.

One hour until the babysitter gets here. The kids have abandoned the fans and xylophone and have taken the dog outside. Gotta run.

Cute things Owen has been saying

1. It's sunny o'clock. (when he woke up and saw that it was sunny.)
2. I peed really bad. (because he heard his dad say that he had to pee really bad.)
3. When I'm big, I'm going to drive my own car/my own truck/my own airplane and go really fast. He also has plans to have a little mouse in his truck and a bed for the little mouse.

Owen wants to be a skeleton pirate for Halloween. Or maybe a bat.

I don't know what Aldo wants to be. Would it be too much to ask for him to dress in one of the two hand-me-down costumes we have from Owen?

The Olympics and the second child

So, I just sent out my almost monthly photo album to the family and there's something new--pictures of Aldo with his friends. Aldo has friends. He has interests. He has a scrunchy little scowl that resembles none of us, but looks a little like Elvis. He has favorite books and trains (Everybody Poops and Gordon, respectively.) It's reassuring and expected, but still a little surprising. He requests a napkin (towel) at the table to wipe his hands. And he brings me my shoes when he's decided he'd like to go out. Who is this kid?

In an attempt to avoid the second child guilt, I've joined a second playgroup for Aldo's age and am making the effort to learn names and make playdates. The names is the hard part. In fact we're on our way to meet um, Gemma and Alex(?) and someone else at the model railroad museum in less than an hour.

What else is new?

I'm freaked out by the idea of child predators. I know, everyone is, but I mistakenly clicked on a link to a news story about a torture murder of a child (and I'm not going to link it) and it keeps creeping around my head. I'm thinking that we did the wrong kind of dog training with Harriet, you know, the no biting strangers kind, when we should have enrolled in junk yard dog vocation school. Not sleeping enough is probably not helping. Or rather the sleep in three hour increments that I'm getting because Aldo would like a little company when he wakes up in the middle of the night is affecting my ability to think straight.

I'm still going to the gym. I think it helps. Yesterday, we had a substitute "Power Core" teacher named Olga. She is from the Ukraine and I think it was the accent, but I felt like we were going for the gold, which brings me to:

The Olympics--why do I think the Olympics is better viewing for the kids than kiddie programs? I guess I want them to soak up the internationalism and the idea that working hard to be the best is valuable. Plus, it almost always puts Owen to sleep if we watch the events in the afternoons.

And lastly, this month's preschool topic is "Community Helpers" and today is "Dress as a Community Helper Day." Owen is dressed as a police officer. He loves his whistle. And his hat. It's just adorable.

Lower standards

Moms who are also expecting often say, "I don't know how I'm going to do it with two."

My answer is: with a little more shrillness in your voice and with lower standards.

I think we've got a better rhythm now and it's not as hard or desperate as Aldo's first year, but after sleepless nights like last night it's like we go back in time.

Today is a day of lower standards. For example, right now, the kids are watching Little Einsteins so Mommy can pack a snack and talk to the Internet. The 5 second rule has turned into If Harriet hasn't Licked it rule. I think dinner is going to be something from the freezer (tamales?) with a side of something from a can (green beans?). And I'll be taking chocolate, caffeine and ibuprofen every 4 hours.