A demonstration in 5 parts

How to relieve teething pain on your own.

One part cold glass:


One part proper application of lips:


Two parts sliding your face down the glass:




And one part total enjoyment of the solution:

In which I appease you with pictures

We're back in VA now, but still exhausted. Thankfully, Shepherd is sleeping now, and he's on medicine for his ear infections (2!! one in each ear!! ouch!!). Here are some pictures from Shepherd's first Christmas (and using my wonderfully fun new camera!)

Merry Christmas

Self Portriat of new camera
Originally uploaded by meandscreech.

We're having a wonderful time down in NC with family. It's amazing what being home will do for a tired spirit. I have to say that this Christmas has been by far our best Christmas yet. A combination of being home with family, Shepherd's first Christmas, and the kick-ass camera that my husband's family surprised me with (the new Nikon D40) (Yeah, I was totally shocked and surprised, a first, since I normally guess my gifts... it's a curse, I tell you). I'm so giddy about the new camera that I've been taking a gazillion pictures. You can see a sampling over at Flickr.

Despite all of that, my favorite part of Christmas has been being home with family. It's so wonderful to see Shepherd interact and play with everyone. He's been the center of attention, and totally loves it. He's been crashing hard for his naps since he's being worn out by climbing stairs, chasing cats, chasing the dog, and just having a blast with his new toys. We've just had a great time.

We hope that you and yours are having a wonderful Christmas... and have a Happy New Year.

Bark, Bark, Bark

Okay, so I'm not a dog, nor do I have a dog, but that's the noise echoing through the halls of our home these last few days. Shepherd seems to have come down with a nasty case of Croup that's afforded copious amounts of snot. His cough is fine during the day, it's during the night and early morning that my poor baby sounds like he's hacking up his left lung. Granted, I know we're fortunate, because he's able to sleep well still, and doesn't have trouble breathing, so that's good. It's just that my heart breaks every time I hear him cough. The other thing is that he's just not feeling well either. He's fussier than normal, and cries at the smallest things. Poor guy cried this morning because the ball he was holding rolled away. Normally, he'd just chase it, yet today, he stuck his bottom lip out, and let it quiver a little bit before the crocodile tears streamed down his face.

I just hope he starts feeling better soon, because we're traveling to see family in NC tomorrow, and nothing short of another appendectomy is going to keep me from going. We're so excited because we get to see both Forrest's family and my famiy!! Then, to top things off, Forrest's dad is flying up here for New Years, which will be a blast!! :) After that, Forrest's brother is getting married January 6, so we'll be headed down to Georgia for the wedding. We've got a crazy couple of weeks, so if you don't hear much from me, don't fret. I'll try to post pictures from time to time because, I mean, come ON... Shepherd's first Christmas!!!

Anyways... hope you guys have a great hoiday and a happy new year!!! Thank you all for your support and your kind words over the last few years. It has meant so much to me and carried me through some pretty tough times. Many hugs and much love to all of you...

Merry Christmas!!!!

10 months

Shepherd,

Today you turn 10 months old. I cannot believe that you are already 10 months. I can remember when you were around 3 months old, I wondered in amazement that you'd be 10 months by Christmas, and tried to imagine what you would be like. I never could have imagined that you'd be like you are... so full of joy, life, and happiness. You are the happiest baby I've ever seen. And I'm not the only one that thinks so. Strangers often will walk up to me and comment on how happy you are. You smile at anyone and everyone, and you never, ever meet a stranger.


This past month you've developed quite a unique personality. You seem to have grown up overnight, and you no longer look nor act like a baby. You care nothing for the "baby" toys we have, and any chance you get to play with "big kid" toys, you relish the opportunity. You're cruising faster and faster each day, getting closer and closer to your first independent steps. You're a curious little booger, and you explore every tiny detail of something new.


Another wonderful thing has happened this month... you've started sleeping through the night. We put you down to bed around 7 pm (sometimes as early as 6:30 depending on how tired you are) and you sleep until 7 am. You often wake around 4 am, and softly cry for a little bit. I lay in bed, listening to you, debating on whether or not to go and get you. After a few minutes, you quiet down, and I can hear you snuggle up with your ducky and go back to sleep. When 7 am rolls around, you're ready to get up, but you're not quite ready to play. Most days I get you, and we head to the living room where we sit and cuddle on the couch, while watching the morning news. After 10 minutes of cuddling, you squirm out of my arms, and slide off the couch to play with your toys.


Shepherd, I can't begin to tell you what joy you bring me. I love you beyond what I ever thought I could. I look back at pictures of you and see how much you've grown. In those pictures I also see how much my love for you has grown. I know that no matter what, I will always love you.


You're my little man... my sweetie pie... my baby.



Happy 10 months, booger bear.

Love,
Mommy

Have I mentioned?

Have I mentioned how hard it is to keep up with an almost walking baby?

Have I mentioned how close he is to walking?

Have I mentioned all of the different things I've found and retrieved from his mouth, only after having a major coronary?

Have I mentioned how fast the child can crawl?

Have I mentioned how much he loves (like totally, head over heels, bordering obsession) loves the toilet in our bathroom?

Have I mentioned how long it's been since I cleaned that toilet?

Have I mentioned how hard this motherhood gig can be?

Have I mentioned how much more I love him every day?

Have I mentioned how big he's getting?

Have I mentiond....

Oatmeal Brains

I'm totally a slacker. Either that or my brain has completly turned to oatmeal. I'm gonna say it's the later, because today, I drove more than halfway to Beth's house, thinking that we had a playdate today with her and Sarah. But guess what? That's not until next week. I'm so glad I realized this before knocking on Beth's door and feeling like a total loser (which, you know, is true, but I need not be reminded of this). Anyways... I've been driving around all week with my camera in my purse, trying to remember to take a picture of the house near us that has me confounded as to what to call it. I finally went out last night, leaving Forrest to watch Shepherd, and took several pictures. I may have driven around for about 30 minutes just because I was all alone, without a baby, which by the way was glorious.

So anyways.. no one has sent me pictures... which means:

A.) the folks in your neck of the woods are incredibly tasteful
B.) no one reads my blog
C.) You do read my blog, but honestly could care less about some stupid lights.

So, I guess I'll just resort to making a huge album of the tacky lights in our neighborhood. So, here's the two homes that must be competing for the tacky home award. I'd say the first one wins. How about you? Any suggestions as to what to call this??

I'm Dreaming of a Tacky Christmas

Last night, after FREE! dinner at Panera (coupon!), Forrest and I were driving around looking at Christmas lights. Shepherd was passed out in the back seat, clearly not understanding or caring for the lights. Most normal people drive around trying to find beautifully decorated homes so that they can say things like "oooooo" and "ahhhhhh". But we like to buck that trend.

It started two years ago in Raleigh, NC. One particularly beautiful night, we decided to drive around town to look at Christmas decorations. That night, would forever change the way we searched for the best and brightest. You see, there was this one house, on a busy road. The home was dark, and undecorated. There were several trees in the front yard, and one giant oak tree that's branches hung over the road, forming a cool canopy in the summer, a bright ceiling in the fall, and a delicate cathedral in the winter. The tree was beautiful during the day, as it's branches stretched for the warmth of the sun from the coolness of the earth. You would never in a million years the horror that ensued at night. That cool winter's eve, we set out for a neighborhood close by that we knew would have beautiful lights. As we traveled, in the distance, we saw something bright, something shining, something splendidly horrific. This tree was strung with several strings of different color lights in a such a haphazardously way, that it looked as though an elf had vomited. I looked at Forrest and said, "Does that look like Elf Vomit to you?" He laughed, and we both laughed, and laughed, and laughed. We may have even turned around several times because, like a train wreck, you cant' help but watch.

So that evening, we drove around, not trying to find the most beautiful, but the most horribly decorated homes in Raleigh, looking for "Elf Vomit". I can honestly say that it was a million more times more fun than looking at clean, crisply decorated homes, with neatly manicured lawns. We laughed, and debated on the criteria that musts be met for something to be labeled Elf Vomit. For two years now, we have enjoyed driving around town, searching for evidence of Elves, and taking joy in others inabilities to decorate.

However....

Last night, we stumbled upon something so horrific, that we stopped our car, and sat in silence. There are no words to describe what we saw, and we have yet to coin a phrase. I had no camera, so we plan on driving by again tonight for pictures. There, before our eyes, was a house with every square inch of the yeard covered in antique, plastic light up christmas statues and other gloriously tackey moving, lit toys. The giant fir tree in the front yard was strung with lights that made the tree appear as though it was wearing a pinstripe suit. The roof was covered in lights and a giant santa with his reindeer prancing capped off the display. Forrest and I looked at one another, and looked back at the home. Never have I felt more joy than at that moment, when I gazed upon the ugliness of the decorations. It was so ugly, it was almost beautiful. It reminded me of the time my family went looking a lights, and my father would click his tongue and say, "Tacky, tacky, tacky" and I would cry and say, "But Daddy, it's beautiful!"

But this got me thinking. How many of you enjoy looking at "tacky" decorations? And surely there are those of you who have homes in your neighborhoods that are awe-inspiring in their hideousness. I though it'd be fun to collect pictures of these homes, and put together a gallery of "tackiness" for us to share in this joy together. E-mail me your pictures by Friday, December 15 at corinny[at]gmail[dot]com (replace the at and the dot). I'll try to get the album together and posted by next Sunday night. I can't WAIT to see your pictures. Also, in order to spice things up, we're going to hold a contest. Based on nothing more than personal opinion, and years of appreciation for tacky lights, the winner of this contest will receive something wonderful. I'm going to keep the prize a secret, but trust me, it's glorious. :) So get out there, get hunting, and report back here with what you find... :)

(Oh, and I'll try to get our pictures up tonight late tonight so you can see some samples).

A Love Affair

I love my husband. Lots and lots. You could say I'm crazy about him. Now, before you get to thinking that this is going to be some sappy romance story about the two of us, think again. This is the nitty, gritty, day to day grind of life kind of love we're talking about. Today, I'm offering a rare, unscripted, unedited glimpse into our life. What you're about to see might be disturbing. If you are a Type A person, you may want to cover your eyes to avoid the horror of what you're about to witness.

Exhibit A: Proof my husband loves me (even though I do things like use Comic Sans to purposley annoy him, because, according to him, "It's a sin for graphic designers to cast their eyes upon such filth) (click photos to enlarge)





See? This is my mess. I would like to emphasize that it is my mess because Forrest nearly threw a fit when I told him I'd be posting these pictures. He, being the type A person that he is, was horrified that you, the internet, would witness such filth and desecration. Me, on the other hand, could care less because honestly? I've been living like this my whole life, and have yet to care who witnesses my mess. (Okay, I kinda do care sometimes, like when people are coming over and all, but this is my day to day housekeeping at it's best) (And I kind of care when it does get totally out of control, leading me to clean every inch of the room).

BUT.... there is another point of view. There are those of you out there who are clicking your tongues and saying things like, "Shame, shame" and "You have all that time at home by not working, and your house looks like that, what are you doing? Eating bon-bons and watching The Price is Right all day?" To which, I promptly respond, "You try it for one day, and see how well you handle it." Anyways... I was saying... To those of you who are wondering why my husband puts up with me...

Exhibit B: Proof I love my husband (click photos to enlarge)

Well crap...

I had this great post planned for today, but since stupid blogger won't let me upload pictures, I'm at a loss for what to do. I guess you'll have to check back tomorrow for my "revealing" post. :) So check back!!!

Mmm....baby fingers

I never thought I'd be saying "Don't Bite the little boy" to my 9 month old son.... what can I say, the other boy looked yummy, and stuck his finger in Shepherd's mouth.

Walk Walk

Shepherd Walking

Um.... I didn't know he could do this until today, when a lady at church told me he could, so I went out and found this at a consignment store, and looky what he can do!!!

Overheard

Overheard while getting my hair cut Friday.

Woman (on phone): What do you mean it's over? I mean, I know you're saying it's over, but, I just don't feel like it's over. Like, you know how when it snows, after it stops snowing, it's not really over

...pause...

Woman: Well, you know, after it snows, there's the salt trucks that salt the road, there's the slush on the ground, and then it freezes, and there's the wrecks and all that... so you know, it's not really over when the last snowflake falls.

Woman: Why are you laughing?! Is that funny or something? I'm trying to explain how I don't think it's over, and you're laughing.

...pause...

okay, so you're saying it's over? but it's not... okay, I'll talk to you later.

10 seconds later

Woman: Hey sorry to call you back, is your wife home? Can I talk with her?

6 weird things about me

Bunny over at Mother Bunny tagged me with this meme. It's a meme that I've been afraid of for a long time, because, truth be told, there are like 6 MILLION weird things about me, some of them so weird I fear you'll run screaming from your computer never to return to my site. So this will involve a LOT of self editing, but here goes nothing:

1.) I didn't get my first kiss until I was 18. Unless you count the stupid truth or dare "dare" that I had when I was 17, which was one of those, "Kiss your arch-enemy for 3 seconds" and ended up a tight lipped cringe-fest.

2.) My two front teeth are only half real. I was cursed blessed with an awe inspiring gap, for which I have photographic proof. The only problem is that my mouth was too small for braces (you could honestly see the tears forming in my orthodontists eyes when he told me this), so I was doomed to a lifetime of major gaping. That is until Junior year in high school, when the dentist I went to suggested bonding. He closed the gap between my teeth, and judging from the pictures that year, I was pretty happy with the result. You'd have thought looking through pictures of my childhood that I was the most depressed child ever, and that my junior year, they put me on some kind of great drugs... because from then on, I actually smile in pictures.

3.) I once took a picture of a bruise that I got in college because it looked like a fish. I still have that picture.

4.) I really, really enjoy popping zits. I get some sick pleasure out of doing it, and the worst part? The more that "pops" out, the cooler it is. Okay... 'nuff said

5.) I hate brushing my teeth. Okay, there I've said it. I truely hate it... I do it, because, you know, I'll get cavities if I don't, but I hate it... and sometimes... more than I care to admit... I simply "forget" to brush them.

6.) I have a third nipple hahaha, just seeing if you were really reading... :) The real one: I'm obsessed with Christmas music. I love it. I could listen to it year round if it didn't drive Forrest up the wall. I've actually snuck a listen when he's not home in the middle of summer. In fact, I'm actually listening to some right now. We have a rule now that I can't listen until after Thanksgiving... that's how much I love it... we have RULES...

And... I'm supposed to tag 6 people... I tag: Beth @ sothefishsaid.com, Sarah and the Goon Squad, Erika @ Effected, Chag @ Cynical Dad, Tony @ Creative Type Dad, Jonathon @ Flailing my Arms. That's six, right?? Three moms and three dads...

9 months

Shepherd,

Last monday, you turned 9 months old. It was quite the day to turn 9 months. We bought a new van that day and brought it home and then later that night, your mommy ended up in the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. If ever there was a doubt in my mind that you've grown up, you put it out of mind that night and the days that followed. We took you to our friends house to spend the night, while mommy and daddy spent the night in the ER. You handled it like a champ. You stuck to your schedule, you played hard, and part of me felt a little sad that you didn't seem to miss mommy that much. But then you came to visit mommy in the hospital, and even though I looked 10 different shades of bad, you reached your little arms out for me. My heart broke into a million little pieces because there was nothing more that I wanted to do at that moment than to hold you, snuggle your face into my neck, and smell the sweet scent of your neck. But I was hurting, and had all sorts of things attached to me that would have been dangerous for you to play with. So off you went with Gram and Daddy, while Grandaddy stayed for a while longer. I thought of you a lot that night, as I lay there alone in my bed. I wondered if you were sleeping well, if you were okay. I wondered if everyone was doing everything right, and I missed you. I slept awful that night, despite the heavy pain medication I was on. The next morning, I woke at 5 am, and began walking laps around the corridors, just to prove to the nurses and doctors that I was okay, and to please send me home. That afternoon, I came home and scooped you in my arms. You smiled so big when you saw me, and I've never been happier to be home.

This past month has been an incredible month. You've changed so, so, so fast that I can't keep up with everything. You're cruising now... up and down the couch, from table to table, and occasionally, letting go, standing there on your own. You're incredibly fast. So fast that I can't turn my back on you one minute, not that you'd let me anyways, as I can no longer leave the room without you crying and missing me. Another milestone you've reached this month is you now have 5 teeth. I strongly suspect you have a sixth one lurking just under the skin, but so far, only 5 pearly whites are showing. What this has done to change your smile is a million fold. When you smile, it's as though the world slows down, and time pauses for a breath to take in the beauty of that smile. You smile often, so time seems to be slowing down again, and the months aren't passing so quickly (for which I'm very grateful). Another thing that's changed is that you've learned to make funny faces, and often wrinkle up your nose and smile at me, waiting for me to laugh. When I laugh, you giggle wildly, and do it again.

You're also exploring the range of your voice, both in vocabulary and in volume. At the beginning of the month you screamed and screamed and screamed (good screams, not bad). Lately, though, you've cut back on the screaming, and pick a new sound each day to mimic. Today's sound was "Duh", which you repeat over and over again as you play. If I say "duh" to you, you smile and say, "duh! duh! duh!" back. Yesterday it was "Guh" and the day before "Muh". Most of the times, if I ask you to say "mama", you say it. I don't know if you quite understand what it means yet, but it still makes my heart warm to hear you say that. Sometimes in the car, you'll say "mum" loudly, and I'll turn around to look in your mirror. You flash a smile at me, as if you were only trying to get my attention.

You're quite the social butterfly. The only sign of stranger anxiety I've seen so far is if you're left alone completly. It doesn't really matter who is with you, as long as it's someone. You love to wave hello to people, and just this morning, when a friend of mommy's dropped something off, you smiled, and waved hello to her. You're also quite the flirt. You'll smile at someone, wave hello, then act shy and dig your face into my shoulder, while still looking coyly at the person you're saying hello to. When it comes to other babies, you are totally infatutated. I'm positive you'll make a wonderful big brother (which, hmm... mommy and daddy need to get working on that) as you love other children. You love playing with other kids your age, so we've made a routine of getting out at least once a week for playgroup or something. Your favorite person right now is Uncle Justin. It's kinda sad though because he lives so far away. But when he was here last week, you absolutely worshiped the ground he walked on. If you were upset, and mommy and daddy couldn't calm you down, we called Uncle Justin in and you calmed down immediately. In fact, when he left yesterday, you cried so hard. I feel bad that you can't see him more often, but please know that mommy and daddy promise that one day, we'll be close enough for you to play with Uncle Justin more.

This next month promises to be wonderful, and has already been quite fun. I can't wait to see where it will take us... I love you so much, lil' munchkin.

Love,
Mommy

One part fewer

You may have noticed... I've kinda been absent the past few days. I wish I could say I've been chasing a little man around the apartment, but I can't. I've spent the past 2 days, actually, 2 and a half days, in the hospital. Monday night, after a day of pain in my abdomen, I called my doctor who told me to head to the ER. A short trip up the road, and 4 hours later, the doctors in the ER confirmed my fears... Appendicitis.

So, here I type, one organ fewer. Things went surprisingly well. My doctor was wonderful, and the pain isn't as bad as I thought it'd be. The only thing is I missed Shepherd like crazy, and when I came home tonight, I couldn't really hold him for long because he's a wiggly lil' fella, and he kept kicking my tummy. :( But all is well, and I'm home now. My family drove up for the surgery, and we're having Thanksgiving here tomorrow, instead of driving down to NC. I'm glad they're here, but I'm also bummed that we won't get to see Forrest's mom, step-dad, and family. :-/

Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving... I'll be curled up in front of the TV early watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... then pigging out on turkey and cranberry sauce... mmmmm... :)

A Survey of Auto Ownership: Age 16 to the Present

Through high school and college I drove a 1986 Chevy Cavalier and a 1986 Buick Skyhawk. And, because nothing screams sexy like a Buick, (Exhibit A):

or a Chevy, (Exhibit B):


you may be wondering why I fell head over heels for a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero (Exhibit C):



So, of course the 2 door Alero was totally impractical for hauling a baby around, I've since been driving around a 1999 Nissan Altima (Exhibit D):

which you know, doesn't look that bad really. It was a step down from my hot little Alero, but Forrest still drove that and from time to time, I could hop in it and push the V6 engine hard as I drove to Babies R Us for diapers. However, I must tell you... I have just traded all of my dignity and purchased something I swore I'd never own (Exhibit E):



Yes, dear friends, we have been busy working our way through the auto lots of Northern Virginia, scouring everywhere for that perfect mini-van that wasn't, well, mini-van-ish. (Does such a thing exist?) We finally have settled on the Mazda MPV for it's size (smaller than traditional mini-vans) and the fact that the back seat folds into the floor. Granted, my coolness factor totally dive-bombed, but I have maintained a shred of dignity, as the engine in this baby is a V6 and MAN! does it drive nice. With it's fold in the floor rear seat, I have MUCH more room for stroller, groceries, and whatever else is needed when lugging around a 21 lb. soon to be toddler (y'all, 9 months, 4 days... I can't believe he's 9 months!!!)

We're actually pretty excited about our purchase, and it's sure to make a much more comfortable ride on our road-trip to North Carolina next week for Thanksgiving. As soon as we have the car in our posession (the guy is waiting on the Fed-Ex'd check from my bank), I'll totally have to post pictures. And I can promise, I'll totally be trying to pull off the I'm-not-a-soccer-mom-I-swore-I'd-never-own-this-but-I-really-needed-the-cargo-space-and-with-gas-prices-so-high-a-hot-little-SUV-was-out-of-the-question look. I think I totally can pull it off... yes? YES???

Busy, Busy, Bumblebee

I realize it's been a while since I posted. The thing is that it's nearly impossible to get a moment to sit down at the computer and type anything these days. Shepherd is cruising (and by cruising, I don't just mean pulling up, I mean full out walking up and down the sofa, around the playpen edge, and from wall to chair and back again). Not only is he cruising, but he's gotten quite fast at crawling, and loves to explore our tiny little apartment. So the playpen is seen as a minion of satan, and he refuses to stay put in there for long. On top of all of this, he's spending a lot of time working on standing independently. Don't believe me... fine, here's your proof:

A tad awkward, but ya know, he stands like that for at least 10 seconds

The child is not even 9 months old, y'all. I can't handle this. I. can't. handle. it!!!!

Anyways, now that I've explained my absense, I guess I could talk about what's been going on with us. We've had family in and out this past week, and it has been wonderful. It started out with my mom coming up last week, which was WONDERFUL. I miss my mom so much. I never realized how close we were until we moved away. We had fun just hanging out, shopping, and of course, playing with Shepherd. Then, on Friday, after she left, my father-in-law came into town. We spent the weekend with him, and had a blast. He hadn't seen Shepherd since July, and was just amazed at how much he'd grown. We spent some time in DC walking around the national mall. All in all, it was a great weekend... enjoy the photos!! :)

Because not everyone cares about politics...

I leave you with this picture... just because I realize my last post was a little heavy. :) Hope y'all have a great day!!!

Nail-Biter

Wow, I stayed up entirely too late last night, glued to the television and my computer, furiously refreshing the election results here in our state, Virginia. As it is this morning, the election is too close to call, with our guy, Webb out on top right now. However, there are still votes to be counted in the Northern Virginia's Loudon County. Until now, I really haven't said much about the elections, but in private, I've been following for weeks, secretly harboring the hope that the Democratic party would resume control of at least the House, and now, maybe even the Senate. It's a fascinating process, this whole democracy thing, and watching it actually work is simply amazing. There's nothing like a good ol' neck and neck political race to get the blood pumping. In fact, I find it way more entertaining than any football game or basketball game (however, if you're talking ACC basketball... um, yeah, that's a whole different ballgame). I think the process could use some tweaking, like maybe a paper trail for those votes cast electronically (our county didn't have a paper trail, which made me very uncomfortable).

As far as the other issues on our ballot (including an amendment defining marriage), their results turned out to be pretty predictable, and in fact, may be the only reason Allen did as well as he did in VA, as that tend to bring Evangelicals out of the woodwork. Personally, I feel that the issue doesn't belong in any constitution or law book. I'm tired of the Right legislating morallity, because honestly? That's such a personal issue... I don't like the state deciding personal issues for me. I won't even get into how hypocritical it is that we're "protecting the sanctity of marriage" when 50% of marriages (hetero marriages) end in divorce, and that number is much higher among evangelical christians. No one is out there campaigning against divorce in an attempt to "protect the sanctity of marriage". I won't even get into how Jesus said not a thing about homosexuality, but had some pretty harsh words to say for those seeking divorce. Or how evangelicals wanting to stop abortions need to focus on reducing the number of abortions instead of flat out stopping it. I think EVERYONE can agree we'd like to see that number go down, no matter what side you're on. And think of how much of a difference we could make if we took half the money spent lobbying the issue and funneled it in to education of women, to providing women much needed health care, to approving the FMLA and supporting it. Just imagine the difference if we worked on the issue of poverty by raising minimum wage (which, as I understand, is a moral issue, since Christ commanded his followers to take care of the poor).

Okay... deep breath Corinne. Step away from your keyboard.

All that aside, I'm dragging this morning. BUT.. Shepherd did sleep 11 and a half hours straight last night. Seriously... that's a record. Had I gone to bed on time, it's possible I would have gotten 8 hours straight of sleep. And as luck would have it, it was the one night that I just couldn't go to bed because I just HAD to know what was going on. And also? My mom is coming up to visit. I'm simply tickled pink to see her and spend 3 whole days with her. :) So if I'm sporatic the next few days, you know why.

Hope y'all have a wonderful day!!!!

Anyone?

Seriously, does anyone know what dreams about snakes biting your legs and ankles mean? Because I seriously just woke up thinking snakes were in my bed and biting me....

Speaking of biting, Shepherd now has four five teeth. This morning, he bit me, and I looked, and he has a fifth tooth. Making 3 on the bottom, 2 on the top. Does this mean he's cutting all his teeth at once? Just last week, he cut his third, and yesterday, his fourth, and today, obviously, his fifth. That might explain the random bouts of screaming in the middle of the night.

Mikey sings the ABC's

Recently, we found a used activity table like this for Shepherd, since he's pulling up a lot. It allowed him to play standing up, and it's been great. We found it at a consignment store, so it wasn't much at all. We have been happy with our purchase, so I realize that despite this one major irritation I have, it's fine.

The irritation?

The little book in the middle flips from music to learning. On one side, you can press the buttons and it's musical. I love this side. I catch myself singing the scat that the singer sings when you open the door. It's great. The other side? I don't like so much. In fact, I'm debating super gluing that side down. Why? Well, put it this way... as much as I like some of Michael Jackson's stuff (Jackson 5, people, Jackson 5, don't worry), I don't exactly like hearing the ABC's sung like Mikey would have. Or maybe that doesn't really give you a good understanding of how awful this is. It's kind of like if Brittney Spears was 5 years old, with a breathy voice, singing the ABC's... so it kinda bothers me. Forrest and I joke about the song all the time, singing various other children songs in completely inappropriate, breathy voices. The problem is that Shepherd is fascinated with turning the "pages" back and forth, so I hear this song on average of 15 times a day. Granted, there IS an off switch on the bottom of the thing, but Shepherd gets all frustrated when he bangs on the keyboard and nothing happens.

And people wonder what drives parents crazy.

Autumn

Open Letter

Dear Mr. Dad on the Playground,

Thank you for loudly sharing with us intimate details of your life. We're so happy for you that you have 4 children that you didn't have to pay a dime for because you were on a scholarship to play football. We're also happy that you played for the NFL. You happily proclaimed that you once played for the Eagles, which, you know, I TOTALLY care about. I'm also glad that you ignored all four of your children AND your wife just to come over and brag to us about how great you are. It was especially touching that you shared how much money you make, and how much better you are than all those other dads in the NFL. I'm sure that you make millions, especially since your children were running around in only pajamas on a very cold day. I think the best part of your conversation with the entire playground was when you proudly announced your age. I could totally relate to you, as we're the same age, yet for some reason, you found it necessary to emphasize your youth, and how much better you were than those who wait until they're 30 to have kids. Because we all know that only idiots have babies after 30. Right. I encourage you to continue to share with others all the intimate details of your life, as well as I encourage you to stuff a sock in your pie hole. Also? It'd be nice if you learned how to control your children, as one of them all but pushed my 8 month old aside in an effort to climb the stairs first. Which, you know, no harm, no foul, but had there been, you can bet your sweet @$$ that I would have taken you down faster than you can say "Blitz". Again, thank you for making my day so much more delightful and gracing it with your pompous presence.

Sincerely,

The mom who kept rolling her eyes

Unbearable Cuteness for your Morning Commute

Unbearable cuteness

Seriously... I can't handle the level of adorable here

The dimple... breaks.my.heart

Check out his new kicks!!!

Blowing raspberries and eating...