120 mph and no steering wheel

Hey Madee! Want to take a bath?




I mean I don't think I can even put words to my bath time struggle, but I am telling you, this girl? Doesn't want to bathe, shower, or be wiped down and please DON'T even THINK about washing her hair.

She will unleash a fury on you. 45 pounds of NO WATER fury.

Oh, but ask her if she wants to go to the water park?

YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!


Um, yes, this kid. She can literally reduce me to tears. Bath time has always been so traumatic whatever tip or tricks I use.

I mean, no mother wants to feel like she is almost drowning her kid when she bathes her - I can't stand the fight. Alot of nights we don't have it.

Plus, I mean, I don't want to make it worse for her, I figure she will grow into bathing, and I keep her clean enough - I mean I have been known to get her out in the sprinkler (fun) until she sees some soap.

Smart kid.

Um, yah.
This kid doesn't like getting her hair wet.

Technically? She doesn't like not being in control. But she is too young to have a reasonable expectation for herself, or the skills to put that into motion.

Sigh.

So I resort to this.
I am pretty sure she is doing Tai Chi or something here - I know without video you don't get the full effect, but maybe you can see it.

She's a dancer.
And an actress.
And a diva.
If you could see a picture of my heart - the fear, the love, the joy, the madness, the untamed raw passion and let's not forget the piss and vinegar - it would look just like her face.

Oh, and this one.
And this one.


They are so spectacular and no one could have ever prepared me for how I feel about them.

But if I had to put it in words?

I feel like I am going 120 mph and my steering wheel isn't connected to anything it is supposed to be guiding.
Madee is in this fragile place where she is too independent too listen to me, and too unsure to venture out on her own.

It is frustrating for both of us.

But it is also bringing to light the ways in which we can meet in the middle.

Because she isn't always going to be this little girl.

One day she will be a woman.

Like me.

Possibly a mom.

Like me.

And I want us to be connected in a positive, loving, meaningful way.

And the weight of that is ENORMOUS for me.

I don't want to mess up.

But I have always messed up.

This is the first time I am so proud that I could have maybe done something right, these babies.
And I can't mess up.
(anymore than I already have)
((nothing specific, just non-appropriated mommy guilt!))

I want her to love herself like I love her.
And like her father loves her.
I want her to believe in herself and the things she can do.

And it would be nice if she one day bathes regularly.
But for now, thank you splash park, next time we are bringing soap!

Wordless Wednesday - Ammo

Eden, Granddaddy and More Eden

When Grandaddy was over for 4th of July GTG, Eden just stood up and walked to him. She takes steps here and there, but she is not so motivated to commit to walking full-time right now.

What is she doing lately?

A whole lotta clowning around. This kid thinks anything and everything is hilARious. I love taking her to the grocery store because you swing by the milk aisle and this kid DIES.

In related news, this kid drinks ALOT of milk.

Things she says:
Diego*
Here ya go*
Thank you*
Mama
Dadda
Tickle

* all these words sound pretty much the same.

And, well actually she says a lot of things right after you say it, but I am not claiming she knows what she is talking about. She is just really good at mimicking words and noises.

Oh, and she is really good at screaming at the top of her lungs.

She is stalled on cutting tooth #8 and I don't know how many others, but it has been a miserable clammy sweaty bitey screamy screamFEST over here. We call it SCREAMFEST 2010 and it heralds the ever anticipated and critically acclaimed Christmas 2010 which, by the way, is going to be awesome, please bring your own beer!

Can I just say after several white Christmases I am excited to know that we will be decorating palm trees this year?

So I may have mentioned this before, but ever since us kids moved out (kind of) my Dad has been pimping out the house and yard in grew up in. In fact, he got yard of the month this month, and quite honestly, he should get it every month, because this yard is to die for!

(I bet you thought these were taken in a park!)

Anyhoo, back to Eden. She climbs all over our...well, she climbs all over our everything. She has been covered in bug bites and bruises and scratches, because the world is HARD and scratchy. There are lots of spills and tears and bumps and screams, but she is SUPER fast at crawling (it's creepy) and she can climb playsets and slides and couches and has NO FEAR of heights despite her previous experience with gravity.

Let's just say you have to keep an eye on this one.


She is the snuggliest laughiest baby I have ever personally known. In fact she can get me rolling with her laughter until it hurts or I pee. Or both.

She loves to read books, and whereas Madee loved to ride them and tear them to shreds like a hamster when she was this age, Eden will sit and turn pages quite carefully.

But she will eat ANY ART SUPPLY available, and sometimes fully poops play-do and crayons.

She wants to do anything her sister is doing, LOVES the kitties HARD and picks them up all by herself and squeezes them. Precious.

Also she likes to "tittle tittle" Zoose with her little fingers out doing the tickle wiggle, and occasionally fully lays on him she loves him so.

She is a singer and a shoulder shimmier. She will sing any song we sing and especially loves Ariel the Mermaid's song. She is always singing. She is also close to on key so I doubt she's gonna stop. She loves live music and her little shoulders start spazzing out in an Elaine Benes-esque jerking motion when she gets wrapped up in melody.

She REALLY frigging cute.

Also, she will still snatch your glasses right off your face, no matter how many times you say "no!" and she will even shake her head "no!" when she does it because she knows she isn't supposed to do that.

In related news, she LOVES a time out, because she has seen Madee "Get to do" that for some time now and feels all big girl and badass when it happens to her.

She is a stinker. I think I will start calling her "Skunk".

I love you pookie. You are SO Pepe LePew!

Google Me

Sometimes Boom Boom and I get all Magnum PI and start researching and googling people. People like my Dad or my Mom.

And then he googles me.

I mean who even knows what is coming up on the first page of google?

I was actually just a little bit proud of mine.

So I made it into a Top 10 list.

Top Ten Coolest Things On My Main Google Page

10. it seems i meet all my friends on the internet - i just got a new one from craigslist ! ...

9. sick babies are so selfish and the internet broke up with me. i guess it is time to watch anchorman. ...

8. Nursing 26 year old mother in England sells excess breast milk...

7. I need a new vacuum BAD! ...

6. wow. that is totally the sweetest thing i have ever read you say… ...

5. you are our all time favorite! come back home and give us some kisses!

4. so used to being a gypsy that it just feels like "back to normal" what's gonna be weird? settling down for a while.

3. there is nothing sweeter than checking my kids before i go 2 bed. they are so angelic i have 2 touch them sometimes 2 see if they are real.

2. thanks i totally need kisses and hugs.

1. I'm not wearing pants. Grab me a beer and maybe some Fritos. And check on the kids while you're up.

What is the coolest thing that comes up when you Google your name?

Maybe

I call her "Maybelline".

"Maybe" for short.

Charlie says "maybe NOT!"

Anyhoo, a good friend of mine found this poor baby dehydrated and almost dead. After a week of re-hydration and observation, it was time for her to find a place to rest and recuperate so she can find a forever family and home.

I must say, first of all, that she is a GREAT dog. She is thankful for our kitties, our dogs, AND our kids. She is a little skittish, but loves to be held and really just sits around.

Even Charlie has to admit she is a super good girl.

We are filling her up with love and food so she is ready to transition to her next destination. Because sometimes you just have to LOVE something God plops in your lap for while.

::kiss kiss:: who's a good girl?

10 months

Lawdy Lawdy ya'll. Where on earth does the time go? I mean, it went fast with Madee, but this one - this one has grown up in the blink of a twinkly little eye.

Her cuteness gets lost in the chaos of the house sometimes. I feel bad that she doesn't get all the space in the world to explore since Madee the Guerilla Gestapo is always shutting her down, confiscating fun stuff to play with, dishing out all these rules that apply to her.

And then she grabs a handful of Madee's hair in her kung fu grip and blah blah blah the apocalypse, time outs and back to poops and giggles.

It is about a 3 minute process but feels like about 3 days.

Sister fights are effing nutty.
Lucky girls!
At 10 months, she is crawling like lightening, cruising furniture, scaling stairs and hills and yesterday there was almost a delicious encounter with a dog turd.

Hello, baby. Pink eye much?
Thank GAWD I caught her in time.
Gah.

Yesterday she ended up in various states of undress, sporting the leopard mini and a bow ala Pebbles Flintstone.
I died 5 times right there.
Seriously, who just channels the Pebs without even knowing who "The Flintstone's" is?
And she's also very BamBam.
Seriously.
Don't get too close.
She will literally beat the crap out of you.

And charm you at the same time.
(She gets that from MY SIDE of the family!)

We went to the gym today for preschool open gym and She was ALL OVER everything. crawling, bouncing, dancing, playing with the other kids, walking around gripping my fingers, and she actually attempted some steps on her own.

NO BABY!
Stop growing up!

In related news, I am starting to plan for her 1st birthday.
::frownie::side glance::sniff:: not gonna cry I swear.

I just want it too be super spesh and I would hate for it to sneak up on me like Madee's did.
1.
I die.
It's a good thing my kids are such stinking meanies or I'd be hitting up Boom Boom for another one.

Oh but I know better than that.
Right?


Happy Anniversary shout out to my parents! You guys are the cutest!

What about US, Mom?

Sure she's like, 13 pounds. But that is 13 pounds full of sass. And she is smarter than YOU. All the humans in the world using 3 percent of their huge brain would marvel at the percentage of brain used in this acorn sized noggin.

Yes, Ono will blow your mind.

Ono she's SO cute!
Ono DONT STEP ON HER!

That's how she got her name.


She's a purebred long haired pir-hana. Just try to clip her nails, SHE WILL EAT YOU ALIVE.
Don't even try to grab that bone if you want to keep all of your fingers.

Just ask Neener what happens when you get too close!

Just kidding!

Ono is the sweetest and she TOTALLY SELLS small dogs to the big dog crowd. Everybody wants to know what Ono is, and if she happens past you on the beach or at the park, she will wiggle and snuggle you into a fantastic mood because THAT IS HER JOB!

She is kind of a big deal, in fact, so much so, that I have a friend who contacted her breeder in Iowa and got a sibling!

Ono delivers.

This is Zoose.

Zoose enjoys long walks on the beach, big hearty sticks, frisbees and balls. He lives every waking moment for that moment when food hits the floor. He pretends he is deaf and stupid but he is neither.

He WILL run off and wander if given the chance. But he always comes back happy. He will drive you crazy barking like a crazy dog at anything and everything that moves when he is in the car. He also barks if he even suspects that someone or something is within 300 feet of the door.

He is loud.
His love is loud.
He just wants you to say "Hi buddy."

He will put this mug in your lap and weigh you down will all the love in the world.

If given the chance he will eat your trash.

He has been known to eat poop. And then give you kisses. Ewww!



He is 12 1/2 and acts like he's 3. He runs 5 miles like it's nothing. He loves you even when you yell at him. He ignores you when you yell for him. Charlie had him when we got together, and he loved me like crazy (and drove me crazy!) when I was pregnant (both times!), but he is Eden's dog.

Like he was just waiting for her to get here all along.

***********************************************************************

And a very special introduction for:

Ms. Lady

We don't know much about her yet, but Madee has figured out that "Ms Laaaaaaaaady, MIZZZ LAAAADY! MADEES MIZZZZZZZZZZ LAAAAAAAAAAAAAADY!" does not bring her running like the other pets.

And she isn't all too keen on snuggling, either.