Hangover

Not the most articulate or appropriate thought, but that is the first thing that comes to mind when I find them like this. It happens quite often, and it does not get old. SS is four years old, and as I recall, at that age, JJ was far more independent, needed cuddles, but did not need the closeness that SS needs. Snapshots like this one remind us how emotionally fragile our girl is, and how careful we have to be to reassure her that we will never abandon her. This is our reality and we do not begrudge it, because SS has blessed our lives in ways we never expected.

This blog is a microcosm of who we are as a family. We are P, K , JJ and SS, a family united in an unusual way, yet experiencing normal growing pains. The reader reads and sees what we allow them to read and see. They are allowed (yes, all three of them) to run their imaginations wild and wonder what we do wrong, how we are royally messing things up, how we are not raising our child like we should. Perhaps they think I run the show, I simply snapped my fingers one day and P decided to leave everything he knew and wanted, just to please me (excuse me while I hurl). Others will think that a young Svengali forced me to rethink marriage and I am in a situation I never wanted and still don't want. Whatever...

We have documented a lot of the bad, because we never want our kids to look back and feel that we glossed over their lives. Posting is not done on a whim, nothing is published until BOTH P and I approve. As an adult, JJ is also consulted when his childhood antics are used to mainly make fun of our lousy parenting skills. And although we do not ask SS, we always post mindful that she will read our words later in life.

JJ and SS are our focus, we know we are not perfect parents, we have documented many of our failings here. We do not take ourselves too seriously, but loving, cherishing, and protecting our children is paramount. So what if we choose to tackle parenting with a sense of humor? We feel confident in doing this because no matter our failings we have happy, healthy, intelligent, wanted, loved beyond belief, well adjusted children, with a wonderful sense of humor.

So what if we joke that they are stoned, drunk or both? Live and let live.

At least we had wine at home.

Fridays are rough on P, albeit self-inflicted. He is at work at an ungodly hour, and comes home to a very well rested SS. If we are lucky we get 5 minutes together, and off I go. That leaves a shattered P and a hyper SS to fend for themselves. But P is adamant about no more than three days at school for SS, and I admire that he is willing to sacrifice his beauty sleep in order to do what is best for his child.

I do not have the usual hang ups about Friday the 13th, black cats and such. I was born on the 13th day of the month, so that helps. But this Friday the 13th, little Chinese girls were at their wildest, and mine was among them. When P answered the phone, barely four hours into his nine hour stint with SS, he sounded very tired. While I'm asking P to speak up I can hear SS in the background going full throttle at something. I felt really bad for the guy, and asked him if he had some wine. Dude was way ahead of me, already on his second glass. A very well deserved second glass.

Since SS was behaving like she was on meth I expected her to crash and burn, affording her weary father some rest. Silly woman who dares to dream such folly. SS was wide awake until 11:00 p.m. I did my best when I arrived home at 9:30 p.m. to steer her away from her Baba, but she was on a I-am-joined-at-the-hip-with-my-Baba-really-don't-care-if-he-is-about-to-drop mood. P was out by 10:30, holding SS in his arms, and that is where she was at 11:00 p.m. when sleep finally claimed her.

SS's parting shot to me that day "Bye Mama, don't get lost." WTF?

Language progress leads to language woes.

Ms. A reports that SS is talking more at school. Good, because we could use a rest from our hyper chatterbox. Her language is also clearer, which is for the most a plus. The down side is that now SS's thoughts straight to mouth are understood by others, and that is not such a good thing.

This week I had the pleasure to wake up our beautiful beast for school. SS made it very clear that she was in a foul mood and acted accordingly. First she tried to pull at my heartstrings (luckily I do not have a heart) by saying "Mama, I miss you, not going to school." Oh SS, if you were in the hands of first time parents that line would have earned you a day off. But not only are we pros, we have parented the greatest manipulator this world has generated, your brother. So I proceeded with our morning routine. Not dissuaded by my cold heart SS moved on to a firm approach, she petulantly announced "Mama, I'm not going anywhere." That got an unexpected laugh from me. The cheek of my girl caught me off guard.

On Wednesday we ran some errands and SS kept me on my toes. We were rather busy on our third store of the day when SS noticed a very rotund toddler wobbling between his parents. He was probably half SS's age, same height, and three times her weight. That is when SS's clearer speech was not a good thing. The boy's face was flushed, SS pointed at him and said "That boy has a red face, he looks so silly." UGH, the parents obviously understood and were not amused. As I was uttering something akin to admonishment, SS blew her cheeks with air and announced "And he is SO BIG!" Big coward that I am I hightailed it to another aisle. P, I am with you, I am starting to miss her mute days.

But SS was only warming up at that time. While we are at the supermarket P asked me to pick up wine on the way home. He then changed his mind when I told him that SS was reaching her shopping limit. But a few minutes later SS was happily downing a strawberry banana yogurt drink, so I reconsidered that wine run. Well, it appears that when they go to Trader J0e's P allows SS to use one of their kid shopping carts. I was in a bit of a hurry and unceremoniously dumped SS in a regular shopping cart. SS began to wail at top volume and said "But we need a little cart for Baba's wine. It's how we get Baba's wine. I need to help with Baba's wine." It is almost 5:00 p.m., the place is packed, and my daughter cannot stop screaming about the proper protocol to get Baba's wine. I wanted the store to crumble on me, lots of people were amused; I was not among them.

When we made it to the register the cashier began to chat up a now calm SS. When she asked how she was doing, SS pulled the saddest face ever and said "sad." Nice cashier asked why and that is when SS folded her arms, gave me a death stare and said "We need a little cart to get Baba's wine." That got a lot of laughs, again, none were mine. I just wanted to go home, but nice cashier was having too good a time to let it drop. In mock disgust she turned to me and stated the importance of allowing my child to pick Baba's wine in whatever manner she sees fit. My name is K, and I am the mother of the world's littlest wino.

Move over J*mi Hendr*x, not only does SS play a mean guitar, she makes her own guitar. How did two plain fools win the parenthood lottery twice?

Happy

We will edit her name later today. We are just so unjustifiably proud that she traced her name.

Should we have named her Hattie?

SS's Auntie C loves hats,so I gathered some of SS's hat pictures for her viewing amusement. Then I thought it would be a good way to end Spring Fling, and of course hats off to all who participated.

As you look at the pictures remember that this is the same child we could not get a hat on while in China. SS has come such a long way. One thing is certain, our girl can wear a hat with panache.

Perfection

We have to admit that in this one SS looks drunk.

She got an awesome tan in Puerto Rico.

And now recent some recent pictures:
P bought two of these Wednesday for to get us ready for water park season. This one is mine, SS's is pink. She did not waste any time commandeering my hat, and I do not do pink.



We bought these one for SS when we went to the Halloween Haunt at Great America, then somehow forgot where it was. Here she is eighteen months later finally wearing it.

Cheeky monkey.

This is the priciest hat we have purchased for SS.

We made it, Post #30 of Spring Fling! A big thank you to M3 for helping me conquer the Winter blahs.

She is my sunshine.

Yesterday we had our weekly highfalutin lunch at the hundred dollar store. I also came up with the bloody brilliant idea to take a walk on the first day of real heat we have had in a long time. Never mind that we had to return to the store to stock up on food.

SS has a pretty brain bucket, but I managed to pinch her chin while trying to put it on, and she had a meltdown. We decided to forgo the helmet and the hassle.



Guess who got stuck carrying the quad when Her Highness decided the bridge would be "too bumpy" for her to drive? Typical four year old that she is, SS made the decision prior to trying driving on the bridge. Like I said, brilliant idea on my part.

She then tried it for a full thirty seconds before she returned the quad to her Baba.

Disappointed at the lack of duck sighting.

Shooing birds away.

Those annoying birds!

Our really loud daughter had the gall to complain that a child was being too loud for her taste.

SS is quite the consummate drama queen.

Her rosy cheeks were our cue to head indoors. It was only 85 degrees at that point, imagine an extra 30 degrees in a month or so.

She was never even close to break the speed limit.

When I am away from SS I always call to reassure her that I will return, because that is what Mamas and Babas do. This has become vital to her emotionally during the past eight weeks. I also sing her the SS song (a total ripoff but she loves it), and enjoy my sunshine's ending. Really have to secure her college education, winning Idol is not on SS's future. Of course I am no prize when it comes to singing.



This should satisfy the grandparent fix.

Post #29 of Spring Fling. Feliz Cinco de Mayo and wish me luck, it's my first on call shift in almost four years.