Monday, October 30, 2006

Another Video for Your Viewing Pleasure



Nummy Nummy Num on Vimeo

I had to rush to Target tonight. I was reminded by the ladies at day care that Audrey should dress as her favorite book character tomorrow. Um, yeah, Elmo costume on the fly? I don't think so. So, I went to sift through the muck. There was nothing left. Things were literally thrown around the aisle. Costumes had been ripped from their packages. I almost threw up my hands in dismay, when I spotted a tutu peeking up at me from the bottom of the costume pit of hell. I grabbed it and held it close to me. Brainstorming began. The first thing that came to my mind is what I'm sticking to for tomorrow. Olivia. She will be Olivia for school tomorrow. It's perfect. I will keep her Halloween costume under wraps until the photos are revealed.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Audrey in the flesh, well, almost.

Bye Da-Da (on Vimeo)
I'm still learning my way around this new toy. For those of you that haven't seen Audrey in a while, you're gonna love this.
Hugs and Kisses!
Bye Da-Da on Vimeo

She has another ear infection. If it doesn't clear up right away, we'll most likely be talking to an ENT. AND all of her molars came in in two days! No wonder she's been so cranky.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Who gives the best presents ever?

Well, I'll give you a clue. Taint me.
My Precious
Tim is so funny. My birthday isn't until Nov. 6th, but he just couldn't hold onto it that long. "Do you want your present?"
"No."
"Do you want your present?"
"No."
Repeat 8 or 15 times.

He had Audrey bring it to me against my wishes. I nearly died. I didn't and still don't feel worthy.
Tony, be prepared for many a questions over some prize winning chili.

Speaking of the Chili Contest Aught Seven..... I think Audrey might enter this year. Yes, it could be interesting. She's pining for the 'Secret Ingredient' category. No more veggie chili from the Georgeseseses.

I'm going to sleep with my MacBook tonight.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

That kind of day...

Co-worker: "How are you feeling? Everything okay?"
Me: "Yes. Thanks for asking."
Co-worker: "Good. You just look really pale today."

Reason number 441 why I should quit my job.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Audrey. New and improved with more whine!

17 Months. One shy of a year and a half.
fussy. i'm starting to see a pattern develop.
RIGHT NOW...
My favorite thing about you is: (This is my favorite thing as well as my not so favorite thing.) your desire to be independent. It's so frustrating when you won't take my hand to walk. You plop yourself right down and silently pout. I guess I should be thankful for the 'silently' part. Still, it's a bit embarrassing Audrey. Especially when I go to pick you up and you do that wet noodle thing. I'm sure it will get worse. But, at the same time, I think it shows your strong will. I don't think a strong will is a negative thing. Not at all. My only problem with this will be when you start running away from me instead. Momma's not in that great of shape, you know. I should shut up before you start getting ideas.
i really don't mean to chop off heads, i swear i don't.
The biggest relief would be: if your hair would start growing faster, specifically the hair on the top. Audrey, you're starting to grow a mullet. It's an especially odd mullet. Straight and short on top and long and curly in the back. A true Southern-Do. If you had bangs, I'd hairspray them straight up for the full effect- but, you don't.
I would also be relieved if you'd stop coming home with bites. I realize this has nothing to do with you, but it makes a mother worrisome. The bruises don't bother me so much. I bruise if someone hugs me. Bites, on the other hand, well, no one should have to put up with being bitten.
hayride
Oh, I thought of one more. Could you please be a little bit more cooperative while getting your diaper changed? I thought it was just a one or two time thing, this being squirmy on the table. Apparently, I was wrong. After I take off the soiled diaper, you think it is the funniest thing in the world to completely turn over and stick your butt in the air. This is not helpful. I know you think it's cute. You laugh hysterically. Honey, the joke stopped being funny about a week ago. Please go back to being normal. No one likes a butt in the face, even if it's as cute as yours. (Okay, I think it's cute. I just can't let you know that right now.)
overcome with laughter
What I’m most looking forward to is: another vacation with you and Daddy. During this time of year I always get a little cabin fever. I know it's about to get cold, so I want to go outside and do more. I think my legs physically twitch more during this time of year. Anyway, this weekend will be fun. Chattanooga again. I hope the weather is nice so that we can all run around like jayhoos again. What I'd really like is to take one more trip to the beach before winter.
New words: bless you (only after sneezing), several animal sounds: moo, rawr, meow, ruff ruff, ribbit ribbit, nay, tweet tweet, she can say moon, all of her other words are getting much clearer. Basically, she's become a parrot.
Some of the funny things you've done lately: Oh, so many. Just today, you were in the computer chair playing with the disconnected mouse. You thought you were so important. You were so busy and serious, glancing at the computer screen every now and then. Daddy came home from work and got a kick out of seeing you type away. We were discussing how defiant you'd been today when we look over and, "Hey!" you're drinking out of Mommy's glass of water. "Audrey, put that down. That's Mommy's!" You put it down and smiled so big. You knew you'd done a very adult thing. (It's not that you haven't drank from a glass before. You just haven't drank from a regular sized glass glass on your own.) Tim and I thought you were finished, and that we'd scared you into not touching it again. Oh ho ho. When will we learn? You grabbed it up again and took another sophisticated swig. We were actually impressed, until you decided with one swift downward stroke of your wrists, to douse yourself with the rest. Luckily, there wasn't much left.
open.close.open.close.    hi.bye.hi.bye.  the life of a toddler.
Yet another funny thing you did happened just a couple of days ago. You were in your playpen. I was at the computer (go figure) and your dad was in the bathroom shaving. We keep your Sesame Street pop up toy in your playpen. You kept hitting the Elmo button and Elmo's song played over and over. At some point, Tim turned to me and said, "Listen. She's singing!" "No way, " I said. We both listened as the automated song stopped and Audrey's version began. My jaw dropped open. Her version was much slower, but right on key. It was a proud moment. "La la la la!"
Yesterday, when I went to pick her up from school and it was raining. We got in the car and she kept saying, "Wah wah. Wah wah." I tried giving her the sippy cup and she pushed it away. It hit me that she was saying "wah wah" for rain.
Audrey in the Sky
She wipes the table clean, brushes her own teeth, pours water over her own head in the bathy, opens the mailbox for me everyday, turns the light switch off and on (while we're holding her), and can even put my shoes away in the closet if I ask her to. She's very close to pulling herself up onto the bed.

I have a feeling that she's growing at an alarming rate. I don't know if I can keep up emotionally.
We actually discussed making her a big girl bed already. I think she's ready. It's me that's not.

Here's one year's difference:
DSC_0136.JPG
Giving it a good beatingThe Sun Was So Bright, It Almost Hurt.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Brainstorming for the 13th

i could stare at those all day and all day tomorrow and all day the next day...
Tooth number six broke through.
She giggles madly for no apparent reason.
Kicking is fierce while diaper changing.
Animal sounds are so "in".
(I wish I had a microphone. I would record her bear sound. It's the best.) RAWR!
The Itsy Bitsy Spider book must be read 100 times before bed.
(Sometimes The Wheels on the Bus is substituted.)
She doesn't go down easily anymore. It's Hell, trying to put her to sleep.
She has mastered the art of whining.


I get upset with her sometimes because she does the wet noodle. There's nothing I hate more than a kid that goes limp while throwing a fit. My worst fear has come true. She's a tantrum thrower.

She sits on the floor if she doesn't want to do something. Then, when we try to pick her up, she throws her head back in agony (while screaming) and raises her arms straight up into the air, making it hard to hold her. Sometimes it's funny. Most times it's annoying.

All is forgiven though, when she looks up at me with those big brown eyes and says, "Momma!Momma!" I can't stay mad at her long.

I am definitely the push-over of the family.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Great. Just Great.

Img3407.JPG

We've been loosening the reigns lately. We put the safety gate at the top of the stairs. Audrey is free to roam the entire second level. Freedom. Well, sort of.

Anyway, today, I was on the computer and she was playing in her room. I could hear her babbling. Every now and then, she'd come check on me to make sure I was still ignoring her. (Come on now, I'd talk to her when she came to visit me.)

She had pranced off to her room and I returned to the computer. After a few minutes, I realized I hadn't heard her bang on anything in awhile. I hadn't heard her constant babble. I got a little worried.

I jumped up from my chair, "Audrey?" No answer. No noise.

I ran into her room to find her atop her nesting tables. She was facing the wall, playing with the monitor and her belt. She didn't even look guilty.

The climbing. It's begun.

Anyone know where I can find some lead shoes?

Friday, October 06, 2006

It was only a matter of time.

a baby so hungry, she might actually eat her own hand.

It was only a matter of time before Audrey ate dog food.

Today, we came home and let the dogs out the back door, as usual. I started cutting up bananas and strawberries for Audrey's snack, as usual. Audrey was playing in the kitchen with her wagon and several Elmo books, as usual....or so I thought.
I looked up from the sink to find that she had opened the large tub that we keep the dog food in. She was picking up pieces, one by one, and putting them in the dogs' bowls. I told her, "Good job! You're feeding the dogs for Momma?"

She continued to painstakingly 'fill' their bowls while I loaded the dishwasher. I looked back up from my work and saw that she had gingerly, with just her thumb and forefinger, placed a piece of dog food in her mouth. I waited a minute. I know, I'm horrible. I just wanted to see if she liked it or not!

She didn't. She took it out and shivered a little. I grabbed it out of her hand and said, "That is NOT baby food. That is doggie food. Yuk!"

I guess I shouldn't have made her wait so long for her snack.

BTW- 10,167 visits to my blog! Thank you. (I see that the 5 of you have visited my blog from 2,000 different computers.) Anyway, even if it's just the 5 of your reading, I still appreciate it.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Just call me Tracey.

I've been working with this woman for a couple of months now.

Today, I was about to get in my car to leave. I was standing at the door reading something unimportant.

This woman walks by me and says, "G'night Tracey."
I looked up, knowing that she was talking to me b/c I was the only other person in the parking lot.
In the seconds before I answered, I contemplated correcting her and what our responses would be. I opted for the shorter version and replied, "G'night."

I don't know about you, but if I'm not sure of someone's name, I either a. don't speak to them or b. just say g'night sans first name.

If I were on my toes I would have said, "G'night Beatrice." You know, put the ball in her court.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Happy Birthday E.

My Fave of the Day

E. is one! I couldn't believe how fast he could crawl. I also find it amazing how bright his eyes are.
Thanks for a great time. We don't see you near enough.

You can see all of the photos here: Bright Eyes Turns One

You Tube Saves the Day

Oh. Man. I've watched this thing like 10 times already. If you're in a funk, THIS will bring you out of it. Too cute.

Who's footing the bill?

putty face strikes again
Upon waking up this morning:
T: "Do you want to go out for breakfast?"
A:(Into my pillow) "Maybe I should just make breakfast. We're broke."
T: "Do you want to go out for breakfast?"
A: "Only if you pay."
T: "I bought groceries yesterday."
A: "You bought bananas and beer."
T: "And toilet paper!"
A: (Rolling over to face T.) "You bought bananas, beer and toilet paper. Woo Hoo. Groceries."
T: "Those are groceries."
A: "I'm putting that on my blog." (Rolling back over to get some more Z's)
T: "Okay. I'll pay."