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July 30, 2007
Squeekers and 2-Story Houses
Once upon a time, there was a woman named Debbie. Debbie was never really sure she'd be a good mom, but she gave it a shot and now once upon a time there is a little girl named Signa and a little boy named William. Thankfully, once upon a time there was also a man named Marc, because without said man, said children would be doomed to a life of horror and Retracing Their Steps.
This is a phrase Signa learned all too well last week while Marc was on a trip. We retraced our steps to find my bank card (to two stores, one restaurant, and then home where I found it in my purse that I had with me the whole time), to find my keys (numerous times), and to find the phone. I believe it was the first or second thing Signa said upon Marc's return. "Daddy, when I walk over there and then back over here again, I'm retracing my steps to find things." She was so proud and I was so… well, I was going to say mortified, but really I wasn't much of anything really, as Marc knows how I am.
We did have a ton of fun in between retracing steps, though. Tuesday night went to storytime at the library, where she sang songs and William clapped along brightly. Wednesday we walked to a puppet show at the library up the street and Signa learned all about hand and rod puppets while Will slept.
After that we went to a zoomobile event and got to see weird nocturnal animals, but no bats, as Signa was wont to point out. Will slept through that, but woke for the playground where he had a ton of fun climbing and scaring the crap out of me. We then went to Chinese food with our friend and neighbor Tori. All day long Signa begged for potstickers and insisted we bring Tori. "She can have whatever she wants if she'll go with us!"
Thursday we went to gymnastics and then ran to ToysRUs for a bubble mower. I always wanted one (for my kids...)and Will had a gift certificate. Picked that up, a stuffed dragon for Signa ("Blueberry") and a game (Guess Who- the Littlest Pet Shop edition- Oh My GOD!). Took them home and the game rules (and has been played by Signa and me roughly 892 times), but the stupid mower- barely blows bubbles and makes loud noises that scare Will. Stupid thing. Another dream, squelched.
We stopped at McDonald's and ate the "food" and then rushed to playgroup with Lin and Amy and their kids. Sadly, Signa had a meltdown moment when I had to tell her to get off the tricycle. Screaming meltdown with sobbing and running away from me. I'd never seen her like that before. On the drive home, she told me that if I ever took a tricycle away from her again, she was going to make me live in a different house. When I asked who would take care of her if that happened, she snottily answered, "Daddy would" as if I were not only a monstrous witch that she hated (as she so nicely screamed at me during playgroup) but also stupid. I had to explain that Daddy would have to work to pay for her stuff, since my money would have to go to my new house. So when he was at work, who would take care of her?
"Gramma. Duh."
So there.
After giving me the silent treatment, she apparently had been really thinking through her plan and asked, "Momma, does your new house have two stories, because I really want a two-story house." Snot.
After that difficult Thursday, we stayed home and chilled on Friday. I don't even remember doing anything. Saturday we went to a Christmas in July thing and then to a local kid hangout that's like Chuck E Cheese only not repulsive. The kids loved it there and I got to sit down for about 10 minutes. Woo hoo!!! Sunday we had treasure hunts around the house and went swimming in the blow up pool and to dinner at Applebee's. Then Marc came home and my world is right again.
I should note that all the while, we were being witnessed by our new pet, Squeekers. So named because of course that's what mice say. A cage, you ask? We have no cage. Our pets live free in the house. Or they do as soon as they hear Marc leave. Within 12 hours of Marc leaving, while I was killing 2 gynormous spiders in the hallway, I heard Signa, "MOMMA! MOMMA! I found a mouse!!!" She was working on a hidden picture workbook so I said with a bit of irritation because, really, why do I have to acknowledge every single step she takes? Really. Why? Anyway, I said, "Great, Signa. I'm so proud of you!" as I have said 834,526 times over the past 6 days.
"He's so cute! On the stove just lookin' at me!"
Hmmmm... a little too excited to be in the workbook. I jogged the 8 steps to the kitchen (we don't have a two-story house) and there he was. Squeekers. Standing on the edge of the stove checking us out. He had no fear at all and was the cutest little guy ever. I use past tense because I am pretty sure that despite our bonding over the past few days, Squeekers is toast now that Daddy is home. According to Signa, Daddy is going to catch him and they are going to take him to the pet shop so that she can visit him all the time.
Maybe when she finds out what really happens, I will get to live in the two-story house, too.
Posted by Debbie at 04:07 PM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2007
Just Some Things
Just some quick notes:
Signa-isms
* Pretzels. Night before last she dreamed that Will was pooping out pretzels. What would Freud think of that?
* Shaft. Sitting at dinner one night, Marc was discussing something that happened in the news and Signa asked why (as she always does). Marc answered, "Because she was a bad mother." Clearly exhibiting her upbringing, Signa jumped in with "Shut your mouth."
* Shopping. Signa walked into the office and Marc was browsing the internet. She saw a side bar advertisement with women's pictures and she asked Marc if he was shopping for a new girlfriend.
* Happy birthday. I saw a TV show with a stuffed kangaroo and said that is what I wanted for my birthday. Signa said, "No, you will get a wooden duck or you will get ZERO for your birthday!" Zero… how nice. I get a duck or nothing at all.
Will-isms
* Babies. Will loves babies. He loves looking at babies, saying the word, "baby", and signing the word, "baby".
* Rock-a-Bye. Will loves to have me sing "Rock-a-Bye Baby" to him. I sing it and rock him and smile down at him and he smiles back. The other night, he was restless getting to sleep and he crawled onto me and grabbed my face and said, "'Bye Baby?" And I sang to him and held him and smiled at him.
* Spiderman. Just like his sister, Will loves Spiderman. He has a ton of toys (some leftover from Signa, some new just for him) and he just smiles at him and loves him. He calls him, "Pie" and the other day, picked up "Pie" and said, "Pie Bye Baby" and rocked him in his little pudgy baby arms.
Posted by Debbie at 11:15 AM | Comments (1)
July 03, 2007
Nan Clark
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. We had a really fun day with some friends on Sat. (6/23) and then on the 24th, we went to an old friend's memorial service. Sylvia passed away earlier in the month from breast cancer. It was tragic and horrible, but her memorial was beautiful. We also got to see old friends and I hope they don't stay that way, but that we keep seeing one another.
This past weekend, the kids and I stayed at Mom's to give poor Marc a break. I rarely travel for work and yet I had four days in Minnesota in June. Then I try to just do something one night a month, like scrapbook, but last week, I had 3 nights away from home. So Marc deserved a break. Plus it's fun to hang out with Mom. Hally came over and visited at Mom's on Saturday, too, so that made it a great day.
I came home, though, to some very sad news. Nan Clark, my old friend from genealogy, passed away. Nan is the one who I visited in Wisconsin and who I vacationed with in the U.P. Michigan. She was 77, but spry as can be. A couple of years ago, she started moving around to her different children's homes and so we switched to regular mail and even a phone call here and there. I feel like I knew all her children so well and even her grandchildren, since she talked about them all the time. Anyway, I sent her a birthday card in April and then last week, I mailed out some pictures of the kids.
Well, I got a letter from her son and he regrets to inform me of Nan's passing on JANUARY 1. I didn't even know. Six months ago and I didn't even know. I hope her dog, Frosty, is okay without her. It's just so sad.
Posted by Debbie at 04:01 PM | Comments (1)