Life is measured by details

One of the things about the separation that I haven’t totally worked out is this: I will become responsible for both daycare pick-up and drop-off.  At first I thought I could just work longer hours on Mondays and Tuesdays (Joe’s current days off, when he has Jack) but as of mid-September, Joe will have a different job and schedule that gives him Sundays and Mondays off.  In order for me to get Jack to daycare and drop him off, that means I would have to cram an extra 2 hours onto Mondays to make up for the time I’m taking off the rest of the week.  Daycare has strict hours and it takes me an hour to get to/from work.  Also, Jack is currently enrolled 3 days a week, so I HOPE that they can take him on Tuesdays.  Fingers crossed.

Somehow, I know it will work out.  Things usually do.  It’s just a bit anxiety-inducing in the mean time.

From the land of cute – last night as we were heading to bed, I told Jack to say goodnight to his grandma.  “Nigh-night, Grandma!”  Then he added,  “I love you, Grandma!”  Awwwww.  Love those unprompted expressions of emotion!

Bound to happen, I suppose

Yeah, remember that post I wrote about all the carseat rules we learned??  I thought I was on top of it with the carseat.  Between reading the installation instructions for the seat (actually I should say seats because there have been three), debating seatbelt vs. latch, and just trying to get the damned thing in there snugly, I apparently failed to read my car’s manual thoroughly.

Last week when I needed to reinstall Jack’s carseat after it had been moved to another car, it occured to me that the LATCH anchors were spaced a bit far apart for center seat installation.  I double-checked my car manual to be safe and, indeed, I found that we had the freaking carseat installed in our car incorrectly for the past TWO YEARS.  Yeah, all this time I was thinking my car rocked because I could install the seat in the middle with the LATCH (unlike many other vehicles) but, alas, that is not the case.  Oops.

Since I was pressed for time, I just moved the carseat to properly use the outer LATCH anchors rather than trying to figure out installation using the seatbelt to keep the seat in the middle.  It’s not in the preferred position, but it’s in the secure position, so I’ll leave it for now.

Damned complicated carseats and cars and lack of standardized installation!!!

Kind of speechless

This doesn’t happen to me often – going a long period of time without having much at all to say.  It’s just that I’ve been very busy trying to get some things in my life sorted out.  Mainly, my marriage, which looks like it’s going on hiatus.  Our separation will occur around the date of our 9 year wedding anniversary.  I find that little tidbit strange.

The separation is amicable and it was a mutual decision.  We didn’t fight or anything…we just realized things weren’t what they should be and we need some time to work on our individual selves.  The decision was much harder to make because of Jack.  Joe and I are both concerned about hurting him and/or depriving him of the stability of a two parent household.  Ultimately, we think it’s better to have two healthy single parent households rather than one unhealthy/unhappy two-parent household.  I hope we’re right.

My books!

Check out my side bar!  I have adapted years 1 and 2 of this blog to book form (volumes 1 and 2 respectively).  These books will only be available for purchase for a limited time, so go get one if you want one!

Officially Two

I should have written this a week ago.  We are still celebrating Jack’s birthday in our house (at least, birthday presents keep arriving) so I will cut myself some slack and hope you can, too.

Just as I predicted, Jack had no idea what his birthday was about.  He woke up in a horrible mood, hollered through a (short) bath, and then refused to wear his pirate pants.  That is how he ended up at his party late and pantsless.  I didn’t worry too much about it because, hey, isn’t going around pantsless the epitome of two year old behavior?

Despite not knowing it was his day, Jack made the most of it by running around the rec room like a lunatic and trying on everyone else’s costumes (he got to be both a pirate Superman and a witch superman).  He also had a fabulous time tempting fate with the balloons – he loved to lay on them.  One poor little girl spent the entire party with her hands over her ears, terrified that the balloons would pop.

So what can I say about the two year old Jack?  He is not that different, and yet certainly more of a kid and less of a baby.  He no longer has loaf-like feet and chunky toddler legs; instead he is getting long and slim.  Physically, he can run and jump and throw a ball (although it doesn’t go very far), climb stairs, put a shirt on and, of course, draw. 

Jack has started telling his own brand of jokes.  It usually involves our game of “I see…”  For instance, yesterday as we drove to his aunt and uncle’s house in Richmond, we went back and forth naming the things we saw: grandma, grandpa, houses, cars.  Then Jack said he saw pigs and cows and giggled.  His way of saying he is kidding is to scrunch up his face, shake his head and say “No pigs and cows!” 

He recognizes some of the alphabet and can count to three (as in, “I have three monsters!”).  He has a pretty wide vocabulary, speaks in sentences, and has been practicing phrasing.  I often hear him repeating the same sentence over and over with different inflections.

Food continues to be interesting.  Jack will eat a wide variety of things but is pickier on some days than others.  He goes through cycles where he loves a certain food (i.e. baby carrots) and will consume mass quantities every day for a week.  Then he will suddenly decide he wants no more to do with that food!  So far this has happened with tomatoes, cream cheese, yogurt, raisins, grapes, and crackers.

Sleep is fairly decent most of the time.  Naps are 2-3 hours long once we can figure out a way to get him to sleep.  Most nights he is asleep by 10 and wakes up around 7:30.  The last week or so has seen some night waking due to that last 2-year molar but when he’s not teething, we are resting quite comfortably at night.

I’m still amazed that I have a two year old KID.  He has so few babylike behaviors left and it’s insane how quickly it flew by.  I hope I will always remember every moment of joy Jack has brought to my life.  I am so lucky to have him.

Grandparent Time

Joe’s parents are in town to babysit while Jack’s daycare providers are on vacation.  Jack is extremely excited!  As soon as I mentioned grandma this morning he said, “Wanna go color!  Wanna see grandma!”  He was shaking with anticipation.  He grabbed the crayons, squealed and ran over to his grandma to pull on her sleeve.  I smiled and am so happy that he gets this time with his grandparents.

He’s two!

This is a day late, but I’m exhausted!

He loved the guitar, of course.  It was trumped, however, by a pirate Mr. Potato Head.  I could not have seen that coming!

Do you see a resemblance?

I love doing this, especially now because Jack is finally starting to look a bit like ME!  Of course, then you get to the last picture (of my sister) and you’ll see that Jack resembles her more than me.  Who knows, maybe I’ll get revenge when her kid comes out looking like me. 

Soon to be 2

We have about 40 people slated to attend Jack’s birthday party.  What in the world was I thinking inviting all those people?  I guess I forgot that toddler birthday parties are hot spots these days.  I don’t think I’ve ever had 40 people at any of my own birthday parties!  And I distinctly remember at least one birthday where no one showed up.  Alas, I was not popular, folks.

Jack has no idea his birthday is coming.  He doesn’t even know what a birthday is.  We’re trying to teach him to tell us when we ask that he’s 2.  Sometimes he gets it but usually when I ask him how old he is he just repeats my question.  (That’s his new thing, by the way - rather than saying “I want this” for instance, he asks “Do you want this?”  Questions have now replaced statements yet they mean the same thing.)  At least he can tell you that his name is Jack now.

I think I’m mostly nervous that Jack is going to be upset having to share his toys with the other kids.  I had decided not to do favors for anyone because, well, I didn’t think a bunch of toddlers would care.  But now I’m wondering if favors might prevent toy fighting.  Hmm, probably not…

Great Moment

Last night Jack and I slow danced to “If I Didn’t Have You” playing over the Monsters, Inc. credits.

Yes I wouldn’t be nothin
If I didn’t have you
I wouldn’t know where to go
Or know what to do
I don’t have to say it (Aw say it anyway)
Cause we both know it’s true
I wouldn’t have nothin if I didn’t have
I wouldn’t have nothin if I didn’t have
I wouldn’t have nothin if I didn’t have
Wouldn’t have nothin if I didn’t have
Youuuuu

Being a mama is so special.

Heard Lately

Jack was looking at his alphablocks and held it up to ask me what the picture on it was.
“That’s a pineapple,” I said.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“It’s a fruit. You eat it.”
“Pineapple fruit!” he declared, then pretended to eat the block and we both laughed.

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Saturday Jack repeatedly stretched his arm out to point and mumble a sentence that I couldn’t make out.  By the end of the day it was much clearer and I realized he was quoting Mike from Monsters, Inc. saying “Leave the puce!”  He also quoted Mr. Waternoose’s line “she’s seen too much!” and copied Boo’s yawning.

***********************

This morning he woke up in a rather chatty mood.
“Do you like Miken?” he asked me (Miken is what he calls his Uncle Mike).
“Yes, I like Miken.”  I answered.
“He’s cuuuute!” Jack exclaimed.  Hilarious!

Future Ranger?

Jack runs to greet his daddy at the door every day when he arrives home from work.  They spend quite a bit of time passing Joe’s ranger hat back and forth, then the hat tends to go onto Jack’s talking bear (you can see it on the shelf in the background – what you can’t see is that Jack broke the poor bear’s neck). 

A few days ago Joe and Jack took a walk and Joe caught their conversation on video.  They spoke of foliose lichen and crustose lichen on the trees.  I can’t tell you how bizarre it is for me to watch the little boy who came from my body identify different types of lichen.  It gets even weirder when Jack makes me draw lichen on the magnadoodle because the highest grade I ever got in Science was a C, and that was with “help.”

Diaper Sale!

Sumbuns is having a huge sale today!  The sale amount changes hourly from 10-35%.  Enter code PREGOCHICK at checkout (click buy, then there will be a link at the bottom to modify options/enter sales code).  I just grabbed a pirate map pocket diaper and entered the two free-for-shipping lotteries.

Go buy the diapers before I do, please!  The fabric options are fabulous – retro Alexander Henry, Star Wars, pirates, Superman, Batman, etc.  Check it out!