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AddieSubtractie

When I introduce myself to new people, 9 times out of 10 I have to repeat myself. If someone makes me repeat myself more than 2 or 3 times, I usually say, "Addie. Subtractie...get it?" If they are smart, they do. If they are not, sign language for addition and subtraction usually does the trick.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Two peas in a pod...snug in a staring contest




What is it with little girls and attitudes? Growing up and helping to care for my younger brothers, I knew they could be tough. But they were easily manipulated into agreeing with me. Girls? Whole new ball game.



When Gracie was a newborn, she was so easy peezy pie I thought I'd hit the jack pot. And I had. She was beautiful, had all her fingers and toes. Breastfeeding for the 1st time? No problem. We figured it out together in a snap. Hardly cried, and when she did - it really wasn't so bad. Apart from the blown out goodies and stomach, I was happyPants all over the place. I could go on and on. Happy baby = happy mama. And that's what we were.



And we still are...85% of the time. But right around 13 months, something scary started to happen.

She started to sound like me. Started to react to her dissatisfaction like I do. Basically she has some serious 'TUDE. In the last few weeks a snappy "heeyyy!" with a light slap has entered her vocab. If I am using MY cellphone, she mugs me while yelling "hey!" at me and tries to take it away from me. If she's in my lap and I'm on MY computer, she will swat my hand away from the mouse or keys repeatedly, "hey! top it". Oh poor sweet babe, you may have the attitude. But I do, too. And I'm bigger.

Some might say this is a learned behavior. Some might say its genetics.

I say both. And lord help me. I believe its safe to say we both have strong-willed and dominant personalities. One of the reasons my own mother and I have such a close relationship is because we balance one another in ways we differ. I am definitely the more dominant lass. What happens when mother and daughter are very much alike? Suppose they are both dominant, overbearing, look-at-me-right-now-I-need-your-full-attention type people?

Stay tuned...and until then I will enjoy being bigger than her. Although she seems to be handling me pretty well here:

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Impersonating

Introducing Zorro & Elton John:




Love the resemblance!!



Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Deadbeat


I love watching the Olympics. The summer Olympics of 2008 were a godsend. I was up all hours of the night breastfeeding my newborn and had some of the best entertainment to get me through those sleepless hot sticky summer nights. But no matter what, whenever I watch any Olympic season, I fight this self-deprecating feeling that I am so not even close to as cool as any of these super human badass people. Ahhh the jealousy! I'd give anything to kick ass on a snowboard like Shaun White!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

"I yuv you"



I meant to post this the day it happened, but with all the internet woes we've had since our big move, it got pushed back to tonight.

Over the last few months I have been enjoying witnessing Gracelyn's speech flourish. It seems like her vocabulary has tripled since the holidays! I will NEVER forget the night she took a bath and I wasn't paying close attention to the fact that she was literally taking a dump in the tub. When I had finally transferred her to a different tub, washed and dressed her, she followed me into the now drained, but still very poopy bathtub. As I'm cleaning it out and tossing it into the toilet, I'm saying, "Gracie, thanks for saving mom a diaper and all, but next time it needs to go in here, ok?" She looks at me, and sweartobajeebs, shakes her head back at the tub and mutters "oh, shits". We still hear that word from time to time (okay, maybe a couple times a week...or more) but we are working on cutting down the usage of shit, asshole, fuck, etc in this house. Not that I have a total sailor's mouth, I feel pretty conscious of my vocabulary around children, but I know Gracie's been exposed to all of the above on more than 1 occasion. She just seems to have a preference for the word shit. As in, she totally freaking loves that word. Oh well...I don't really care. Its not the end of the world if my kid says shit. Its more that I don't want her saying shit around my grandparents or teaching other children to say it.

In my defense, my child does know good, sweet, angelic words, too. Promise. She says things like "ohbosh" for "oh my gosh" and says "blesh" to anyone who sneezes around her. But the kicker? A few days ago I walked into the kitchen and Gracie was sitting on her push car. She looked up at me and said, "I yuv you" and then went back to what she was doing. I was stopped in my tracks and just stared at her, wanting to savor and remember everything about that moment. Hopingwishingpraying that I'll be blessed enough to hear her say that a million more times as we grow older. Because it was the best feeling EVER. And I didn't even have to pressure, beg, or growl "tell your mama you love her!" for her to say it!

So, for the record, on February 9th, 2010 - this gorgeous face told her mama that she "yuv"d her, totally unprompted.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

What's my age again?



What is it about spending time with my dad (Howard) and the minute he tells me to do something or to change the way I'm doing something, I immediately revert back to middle school? I forget that I'm 23 years old, and truly feel about 12.

Does anyone else feel the same way when they spend time with one or both of their parents?

Saturday, February 6, 2010

A Bug's Life


We've got Ants. Big time. I opened my kitchen cupboard a few mornings ago and discovered what seemed to be hundreds of them swarming my food. After initially freaking out from the grossness of it all, I became SUPER pissed off. I had to throw two whole garbage bags of perfectly good groceries away! Blech. We have since emptied our cupboards and are currently storing our food in an airtight storage bin (living the life, I tell ya) and I've purchased some ziplocks and airtight containers for flour, sugar, rice, etc. I've also become a super clean OCD maniac of a woman. My kitchen has never been so clean.

Even after 3 days of no food in our cupboards, we still have some spunky fellows that are still hunting some crumbs down. Guiltily, I take great joy and become downright giddy when I squirt these hungry guys with Lysol: "Aha! I've gotcha, and you thought you were so sneaky!" But then the guilt creeps in and I can't help but imagine the sweet little image of Flik (from Pixar's A Bug's Life). For a quick second I feel like a vicious murderer.

Eh only for a second.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

What a rebel...I love it!

Say "Bird"



How lucky am I to live a block away from this delicious coffee shop?? After 2+ years of being isolated with no sidewalks or shops in sight, I have this scrumptiousness literally around the corner! This is Bird on a Wire Espresso and it is mmmmgood!

My wallet is already tsktsking...

Monday, February 1, 2010

Pasta Later!



So we did it. We actually moved! After 2+ years in Arbor Heights, we have finally changed addresses. That might not seem like a long time to some, but its the longest I've ever stayed at one address since childhood. (And that wasn't exactly stable, was it?) So its a big deal I stayed put for OVER TWO YEARS! It was a wonderful house. It was honestly a lot harder to make this change because its the home I was pregnant in and brought my daughter home to. It was the only home Gracie knew. But she has totally rocked the adjustment process. So I'm not sad anymore! I don't know if I will actually ever be emotionally mature enough (nevermind whatever else it takes) to purchase a home. There is a high chance I'd suffocate if I didn't move every 5 years or so. At the max. Commitment phobe? Bigolduh.

Bye-bye home. You were perfect.



note: Bender meeting his little sister for the 1st time...do you see him licking his lips? Wasn't a good sign...thankfully he is as sweet as pie!