Par for the Course

Happy Halloween. As it's December 11th, it makes perfect sense that I am only now posting the Halloween pictures. oh well.

I found this cute little Tinkerbell number at the Children's Exchange consignment shop. Matching shoes and fairy wings- it was great. Only she wouldn't wear it.

Try as I might, Katie insisted on her ballerina dress for her school party. Fortunately, Mick didn't mind not wearing his ballerina dress and was happy going as a Kilkenny Hurler.

Well, maybe not happy...

What we should have done was gone with a Disney theme. After all, we have our own Mickey...

And little Miss Minnie Mouse...

And, of course, don't forget GOOFY!!

Yup, Mick thinks I'm funny and that's all that matters.

Ignorance is Bliss

Why didn't anyone tell me this was going on?


I could land a modeling gig as a Jenny Craig Before Photo.

Came across this picture in my computer. Almost fell out of my chair. Maybe it was a funhouse mirror trick? I could vomit. Of course, if I could vomit that easily, wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place...

I will rise above this. I am in training for the 2011 ING Half Marathon . And while I decided to try to run it before coming across this photo, I'd made no official announcement because, quite frankly, I figured I'd back out of it. But now, I CANT. Great. I will use the image burned onto my retinas of this photo as inspiration when I feel I can run no more (which so far has been about 3 minutes into each session).

Wish me luck.

A Brief History of Noteworthy Events

MICHAEL STANDS! first photo: 10/6/10


9/13/10 (Late entry) Katie's first day of preschool at St. Patrick's (and she LOVES it. Miss Sharon is her best friend) Mick's first (but surely not last) mouthful of dirt.
10/8/10 Mick sets new time record for mood change (5.39 seconds)



Katie sets new speed record for... bigsisteritis attack (13.42 seconds, daily attempts are made to best herself)


Michael's first words: Tie between "Uh oh" and "All gone" (which comes out like "Ahugah") But both have adorable corresponding hand gestures.

On 10/10/10, Mick takes his first wobbly steps.

10/20/10 MDCW takes 10 steps (still wobbly)

10/22/10 Mom takes yet another attempt to film said steps. Mick does not cooperate. We do, however, manage to capture some other cute baby things... And, some priceless Katie commentary.

The Dog Ate My Homework

And other excuses for not posting more.

Life is kicking my ass these days. I think the meds need to be adjusted.

I know I sound whiny when I say working and being a mother and a wife is hard, but sometimes I really think it is. Don't roll your eyes. It's only cliche when you're on the outside looking in. After all, the Stones didn't write "Mother's Little Helper" about a damn Cuisinart.

I want to journal and document and record all the many, many, many fun and humorous things that happen EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE. My silent thoughts often take the form of a post - I categorize events and memories under snappy little titles in my brain. But life has been keeping me from my keyboard. Friends and family are recalling right now all the unanswered emails they've sent (I read them, then keep them in the Inbox assuring myself that the next time I log on Ill have just a little more time and will respond to every last correspondence. The result of this is 478 emails sitting in the Inbox and 10-13 people who think Ive snubbed them. Even my facebook has a layer of dust on its cover. Fortunately was alerted to a fabulous family spat played out in status update/comment threads, so I have kept up with some online drama. TGIF.

Where is my time going? I swear I just don't know. A typical week unfolds thusly*:

Monday= Food Shopping/Cooking day. On weeks that I work T, W, Th I try to make all the week's meals on Monday so Manus can just reheat whatever on his DDDD (Double Duty Daddy Days) - Even though I only work part-time, on the days that I work I leave the house by 6am and don't return til 8:30pm or thereabouts. This means Manus must get the kids up and dressed and to school then work and pick them up and get them fed and bathed and to bed alone.

Tuesday-Thursday= Saving Lives

Friday= Recuperating from above, cleaning the house, laundrathon and bringing up the children to be smart, confident, responsible members of society. (yeah, that only takes an hour or so out of the week... no biggie)

Saturday and Sunday= Family time. This means I don't want Manus on the computer and so therefore, I don't get on the computer.

But I want to post because as I'd said in the beginning of this blog thing, it is the only baby book/kiddie timeline I've kept and it's not fair to have documented all of Katie's notable achievements and none of whatshisname's.

So..

Well, now I've rambled on enough for one entry. Will end this one and start another.

* yes it's a real word. I heart dictionaries.

Birthday breaks the silence...

...barely


Mick's first birthday was August 25th. If looked at from the perspective that it took 365 days for him to reach that milestone, it doesn't really look so bad that it took me a mere 38 days to post the pictures and videos.

Break those 38 days down to 13 days still out of the country thus internetless, 2 days jet-lagged, 10 days working (a.k.a. saving lives), 4 days solid cooking healthy, organic, eco-friendly superfoods for the family, 3 days spent coaxing family to eat said foods, 1 night drinking too much and 8 days recovering from it, it's almost like a speed record was set for how promptly I have chronicled my young lad's celebration. Applause not necessary.

We were in Ireland for Michael's first. Nana hosted the party, my mom sent over the decorations and Orla baked the cake.

Mick and Katie thoroughly enjoyed it all... especially the cake.


Happy Birthday my dear son. I love you. Yes, I know your sister had her pictures up within days of her first birthday and yes, Second-Child Syndrome sucks, but just think, one day you could be the middle child and THEN you'll really be SOL.
So buck up lil cowboy and go have fun being one!

Katie feeding the cows

For Nana

Dear Nana,

Look what we've been up to lately. We can't wait to see you. Just four weeks away now!

Happy Birthday

Love,
Katie and Mickey

Coordinating Check-Ups

A long time ago I decided that this blog would take the place of any baby books or journals that I might keep of the kids' developments and accomplishments and wrote the occasional entry to update on what (then only Katie) was up to. Now there are two of them and that means even less time for typing, so forget two updates. We now must share. Because sharing is caring.

37 Month & 10 Month Checkups

Dear Katie and Mickey,

Yesterday I really did coordinate checkups and you both went to the doctor. This was in an effort to save time but we were there for THREE LONG HOURS. We found out that Katie is 38 pounds and 41 inches tall (a height that is "off the charts") and Mick is 28 inches and nearly 20lbs - 19lbs, 14 oz to be exact.

All this growing has not been without it's growing pains. I readily admit that I am to blame for most of the angst. While I love being a mom to Katie and I love being a mom to Mickey, I'm really not enjoying being a parent to two kids at the same time. I feel like I can't give the right amount of attention to either of them and my frustration escalates any situation brought about by kids being kids. Having a second child did nothing for my patience level. Having a preschooler has done nothing for my maturity level and having two children that can throw simultaneous temper tantrums has done nothing to stop me from throwing a fit or two of my own.

It's been more difficult now that Katie is out of 'school' for the summer and there is just no break. I go to work to relax.

God bless poor Katie... She has been through so much this last year (at an age where they recommend no big changes) We, like, moved across the world, she got a brother, started a new school and I went back to work. Then in March the doctor told us because of fluid in her ears it was time to cut out the bedtime bottle of milk and binkies. And she did it, cold turkey. Now after 4 long weeks of spraying saline up her nose three times a day, the fluid is gone. hooray. Add to the list of stressful things, she is has been completely potty trained. Oh creeps! She got evicted from her crib too - the big girl bed made its debut shortly after the new year. When you look at it this way, she's got some good excuses for bad behavior.

Sometimes I forget she is three.

I take it as a personal affront to my authority when she doesn't listen. So I get angry, and shout and grab her by the arm and put my face into hers so she knows I mean business. And she laughs. She laughs and I lose my shit.

They say distraction and redirection are the best ways to work with a young child and get them to do what you want. I want them to do it simply BECAUSE I'M THE BOSS, THAT'S WHY! I'm not saying I want her to genuflect when I enter the room, but a military salute would show some respect.

I forget she is three because she is so smart. She remembers things. She knows her alphabet. She knows what sounds the letters make and she can tell you what letter a word starts with. She can write a few letters, mostly they all come out looking like Hs.. Her vocabulary is outrageous- and you know when she has picked up a new word because she tests it out in all different scenarios. The other day she used 'certainly' 34 times before lunch. And she asks a lot of questions. A LOT OF QUESTIONS. why? why? how? why?

She is timid and shy at times too. She likes to watch the other kids playing instead of running to join them. She gets frustrated easily with tasks and gets mad and gives up. Sometimes she gets upset about something and it just keeps escalating and she can't calm herself down. I see myself in her at times and I get sad. How can I teach her things that I can't do myself?

Katie loves anything princess. She loves to dress up and wear high heels, she loves her babies and feeds them and changes them and puts them all down for naps on blankets all over the house. She is very systematic - all the babies are wrapped and laying the same way. She loves making towers and stacking and lining things up. And she REALLY loves the tv. Cinderella is enabling me to write this now. I'll admit that Ive taken to using tv to give me some quiet time. Or cooking time or doing laundry time or toilet scrubbing time. But cuddle time is the best use of tv. Katie said to me this morning, "Mom, let's go home and Mickey can take his nap and we can sit on the couch and cuddle together. And watch tv." Total manipulation, but I'm a sucker for it every time.

And then there is the Mick. Gawd I love that boy! Whereas some days poor Katie can do no right, Mickey can do no wrong. I'll admit to thinking he wasn't the most beautiful baby as a newborn, but now he could melt butter with his big baby blue eyes. He has long eyelashes and blondish/strawberry blond hair is growing in. Slowly, but with a remarkably perfect hairline. A light birthmark that for weeks I mistook for a bruise is developing over his left eye and after months and months of chewing and drooling like a St Bernard, his four front teeth burst through. Like Katie, it was nine months with none, then 4 within a week.

He's taken to crawling the same way. Months of nothing, barely getting on all-fours, then two weeks ago he took his first step and never looked back. He is sitting and crawling but still not rolling over. The doctor wasn't happy with that and wants us to take him to physical therapy. I guess it will do no harm. I think it's because we swaddled him to sleep for so long. He's probably only 3 months out of the swaddle and I'll still use it from time to time to calm him down when he doesn't want to nap. Now that it's summer and hot, hot, hot in his front bedroom, its almost cruel to swaddle him. That boy sweats like no other. Well, he sweats like me - and that means he will wake in a puddle. A 10 inch halo of wetness surrounding his little angel head. Michael sleeps through the night and will usually take two naps during the day. The morning one is nice and long 10:30-12:30, the afternoon one is a little trickier. But he does not go to sleep easily. There is a lot of rocking, jiggling, shushing and general cajoling-

Ah, speak of the devil, I hear Mick in the monitor. I guess breaktime is over. Time to head back to work.

My dear sweet children. I love you with every ounce of my being. Please forgive me if someday you find yourselves in therapy.

Mom

Why Im not blogging more lately...

Most days include some variation of such display:

It is possible that I may have compounded things with the camera in her face...
This all started because she wasn't allowed back in the bathroom to "wash her hands", which of course means smear liquid soap all over the vanity, walls, floor...

Turning Tree

Sunday was Katie's birthday. And how old is she?

TREE!! Indeed.

Figuring it was our last year to get away with it, we had a low-key family celebration at Mum-mum's. Of course, the princess saw this as no reason to slum it like the rest of the commoners. Fresh coat of polish, pouty pink lips and her finest formal wear were insisted upon.

That's her smile now. I think years of being forced to stare into a flashbulb have taken its toll. She's scared squinty.

First things first, we dove headfirst into the pile of presents. It was like a pink and purple Christmas morning. Wrapping and tissue paper went whizzing by my head as each new gift was promptly tossed to the side in order to see what was in the next box. It was a great sight. I said the only thing that would have made the moment better was if we'd had our video camera to capture her frenzy. (and if it'd been me getting to open all the presents) Oh jealousy, you frequent tormentor...

Cousin Ali wanted in on the booty too. Too bad her booty is too big for that dress.

Roll Call l-r: Uncle Bill, Grampa-daddy, Carolee, Gramma-mommy and the big K-T.

Ms. Tee-tee McGee, Mum-mum, Ali (she got a day pass from the asylum to be with us today) and the other Michael in the family.

As the gifts had all been opened and breakfast was now over, Princess Katie began to sense that this party had gone bust.

She quickly summoned the help with a surreptitious "Psst!". "What this party needs is a sugary confection!", she declared with a twinkle in her eye.

The cake was presented and the princess was happy. Once again, peace and harmony were restored to the kingdom.

Can't forget the Mick.

Food, Glorious Food

Kilkennian in America

We have this book sitting on our coffee table. It's a hardback book showcasing all the great moments in Kilkenny Hurling from the 2009 season. Hard to believe Manus doesn't have it enshrined and behind a thick wall of bulletproof glass, but he needs it to be accessible so he can easily peruse it once, twice,...hourly.

The guy on the cover is none other than one Martin Comerford. Otherwise know as Gorta. I have spoken about him previously here.


So on St. Patty's Day Eve, Manus gets a call from his friend, Martin over at John Martins asking if Manus knows of any place that will be broadcasting the Hurling Club Final on TV (yes! of course, the Hurling Club Final... don't tell me you forgot it was on and didn't set your TiVo!?) as he has a Kilkenny couple over on their holidays interested in watching it. Well, Manus says, he's going to watch it on the computer at home and, being the friendly and accommodating Irishman that he is, he suggests the aforementioned couple come over to our house and watch the match here.

So they do. And that couple is none other than.... (insert drumroll here)

C'mon Rocket Scientists, get out your calculators and figure out this one...

That's right, you guessed it...


Martin Comerford and his new bride, Paula.

They were over on their honeymoon, staying in a hotel just blocks from our house, got sent to John Martins to find out about the match and ended up here -

On our couch!

Watching our TV!

Sitting mere inches from the book whose cover bears his likeness!

Our brush with greatness and where was I? AT WORK! Is there no justice in the world?!

Manus, being the uber-cool dude that he is, would never have asked for an autograph or photo op, so I am left to my uber-uncoolness to imagine what it must have looked like...

Probably something like this:

The great MC on our couch!!

And it was probably at that very moment when Katie, having been kept out of school for the day so she too could rub shoulders with celebrity, was in the next room cutting her own hair with her pair of not-so-safety scissors. Yep, big clump from the left side.

What in the world could have distracted her parent?

Videographic Awesomeness

Remember Mousetrap?

Sick Mick

It only took one day in daycare for Mick to get sick. That has to be a record. His official school Poop Record for last Monday listed hourly diaper changes starting at 3:30 in the afternoon but since you could usually build a bomb shelter with his Lincoln logs, I assumed they were mistaken. But you know what happens when you assume... your son gets crazy diarrhea.

There is no need to elaborate on that situation, for obvious reasons, but let's just say I won't be eating French's fancy yellow mustard or large-curd cottage cheese again any time soon.

Tuesday night marked baby's first barf session. I'm commemorating the occasion with a plaque.

As the illness persisted, I took Mick to the doctor Thursday night. I was assured it was viral, self-limiting and most likely a daycare bug. Yes, it happened that fast.

And it, quite possibly, is the Rotavirus that (most kids) get vaccinated against but our kid didn't because they don't give it in Ireland and by the time I took him for his shots here he was too old to start that one and I am a terrible mother and I didn't register to vote when I turned 18 and I haven't flossed my teeth in over a week.

Now though, one week later, Mickey Boy appears to be getting better. His situation is improving, so to speak (I will be avoiding split pea soup for a while). I hope to be sending him back to school tomorrow to see what he can pick up this week. Of course, now that some of the other family members have begun cooking up some hot and spicy trouser chili of their own, I may be missing a few more days of work this week. Alas.

Here are some pictures from our visit to the doctor's office. We just LOVE our pediatrician.