A couple of things

We just got back in town last night after 6 days away in Disney. What an experience--I say that tongue in cheek because even though there were definitely magical moments, I think my child might be the first in history to ask to leave Disney World because she "just wants to be at home." But the trip and her birthday celebration were so sweet and I can't wait to upload all my pictures and relive all that was memorable.
Which brings me to this morning. Since we missed Loulie's actual birthday at school, they celebrated today. Montessori schools actually do a "Life Celebration" where the child walks around the sun the number of years they have been alive. Loulie and I were to make a timeline with pictures and milestones. Since we arrived home so late last night, I did a big no-no and just made the poster by myself this morning. And as I was piecing together the pictures and years and milestone bullet points, I realized there is so much I don't remember about Loulie's second year of life. What were we doing?! She started  walking and talking before turning one and started preschool and ballet right before her second birthday. But I cannot remember a thing about that year in between!
So that motivated me to get on the ole blog again. I have soooo many unfinished posts from this summer, well really the last 6 months. Bert actually makes fun of me. He'll walk by my office, see me slumped over the computer and ask "How many times have you read and edited that post?" He's right though--the type A, oldest child, perfectionist does not always serve me well. I have a ton of posts basically finished by any other standards, except that I think it just sounds a little off. Who really cares though?--I keep this blog for my own memory and outlet, occasionally posting something for the masses that I might share. All of probably ten people visit this thing.
Long story longer, I am going to go back and hopefully update posts as well as keep up better. I hated that feeling of not remembering a whole year this morning and this blog is a great way to relive.
Also, it has been a whirlwind of two weeks--school starting, Labor Day, get ready for vacation, 4 hectic days of vacation. Driving home yesterday, I realized the summer is over. I haven't even had time to think about it. Hopefully, a regular schedule will commence although I've found myself wandering the house this morning not knowing where to begin on my "Once Loulie Starts School" to do list.
Anyhow, I hope everyone has a eventless Friday the 13th. Ours started out with a bang when I unbuckled Loulie for drop off and she leapt over the seat and clung to my neck not wanting to go into school causing me to jump my car over the curb. You should have seen the look on her assistant teacher's face. Geez! Moment to remember. Thankfully, she was fine by the time I showed up for her celebration and she was nothing but proud that her mama was there and her friends were singing to her. So the unlucky morning has already taken a turn for the better!

Happy Rest-filled Weekend!

Phenomenon

You know when you're out running errands, that day where you actually took the time to dry your hair and put on lipstick, being all productive. Then one glance in the rearview shows a child's head swaying back and forth. Before you know it, you have abandoned all plans, pulled a U turn and are racing home in the hopes you can get this exhausted child down for what could be a loooong nap! A long nap in which you make sales calls, return messages and clean the dishes from last night. You turn off the car, tip toe in the house quietly and use all muscle power to slowly lower them into bed....And before you have even completely turned on your heels, there the child is popped up and demanding your attention.

Suddenly, you are home. Tired. Watching a two year old race circles around the dog. And all I can think is that there must be some scientific explanation for how a child can barely put one foot in front of the other one second and be torpedoing off her changing table the next.

Someone please explain this to me?!

Staying at home...still learning the ropes.

I had no idea the cut throat operation that is preschool valentines. Many of Loulie's classmates' mothers were previous teachers--lucky kids.  While I was all excited about taking Loulie to the closest drug store tonight to pick out which Disney princess she wanted to express her two year old feelings of love, other mamas have all but knit together hats for each kid. Too bad you can't hand out business plans or an excel spread sheet--I used to tear those things up in my past life. 
Mrs. Dasher could you put together a plan on how to increase sales by 30% next quarter?--Sure thing! 
Mrs. Dasher can you cut out shapes and design a clever Valentine that also envelopes some kind of healthy treat by Monday?--uhh, what?! 
I personally blame pinterest for all this overachieving. That didn't keep me from immediately peeling out of the school parking lot and heading to Michael's. I can't have Loulie be the only kid with Walmart valentines and cruddy Dollar Store candy!!! After perusing the already empty racks--I still had nothing. I called mom.
"Why didn't you tell me this was a big deal?"
"Lauren, 20 years ago we used construction paper and glue. Besides, aren't the kids supposed to make them?"
Exactly!
I had now spent the better part of my morning on this.
I picked Loulie up from school who kindly reminded me that she has a party on Monday and wants to make a valentine for "Copie" because "she loves hims"!


*Three hours. Loulie's nap. 20 Work calls.*


"How was your nap Love Bug?"
"Go away mama! I want Daddy!"
"Loulie?"
"Go away!"
"That's not very nice. Are you going to continue to be mean to me the rest of the day?"
"Yes ma'am"


Yes ma'am? Yes ma'am?--No valentines, unproductive morning, sassy baby but manners!!! Oh yes, she unsolicited used her manners! It may not be a 30% sales increase but it's a victory nonetheless and I'll take it!

January Pics & a Week I Hope to Forget

This week began with both Bert and I being taken down by the stomach flu and ended with Loulie taking two consecutive dives off various pieces of furniture. (Small gash but luckily no stitches needed.) So not good. We also lost our sweet girl Sulli which has left my heart so heavy. I've felt silly for feeling this way and being so upset until Bert pointed out that Sulli has been part of our family for half of my sister's life. And that's what good pets do--form a place in your heart forever. So I decided just to give into grieving knowing that it will lessen with time. I'm also still trying figure out how to explain death to Loulie who keeps asking to see Sussiboo. I tell you, it's a hard one and more and more I wish these kids came with a manual.
The good new is that Loulie must have the immune system of an ox because this is the 2nd year in a row that she has avoided getting a disgusting bug that I've shared with her. (I'm just going to take credit for that--10 months of breastfeeding=awesome immune system!) Also, Bert finally moved into an office outside of the home. While there are advantages and disadvantages to this, I am pumped because I now have my own office/writing/sewing nook! YES!!! I'm still organizing my stuff and hoping to repaint but have already made a skirt this morning for a friend's child and here I am blogging in peace and quiet. 
This office brings us one step closer to accomplishing some new year's resolutions which I am coming to realize are goals that I will be working towards all year. I really sat down and thought about what needed to be changed individually and as a household. Some were immediate but most are works in progress that I am having to be intentional about each week.  Which makes sense--if they were easy fixes then they wouldn't need to be resolutions.
Which brings me to Lent. I am thinking about giving up facebook in some form or limiting my time doing useless things on the computer (facebook, pinterest, etc.) Bert thinks that even considering it means I should probably go ahead and commit to losing it for 40 days. Anyone else tried this? 
And lastly, some pics of my Bug from January. I didn't post much on her sweet, growing self. My little nurse just proved what big girl she is becoming this week by dressing, feeding and entertaining herself while I got acquainted with the bathroom floor. At one point I crawled to the sofa to lie down. Next thing I know, she has covered me with her favorite blanket and is rubbing my leg saying "You gonna be okay momma. I get you some medicine and a kiss and you be okay."Oh that sweet baby--we're hoping to have an extra fun Saturday to make up for being such slack parents all week!

Cheers to 68 degree winters! Have a wonderful weekend!

New Year's Resolution Gone wrong

I would love to be showing you lush pictures of green plants and rows of sweet summer squash along with ripe cucumbers and fresh cilantro. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? Well, I got your stomachs growling and mouths watering for nothing. Why?

Because this person decided that instead of moving on to Knoxville like the other senior citizens, she would test out retirement in the lowcountry. She's been here a month and in addition to clearing out the den every night with her eye watering fluffs, burping in my face last night at dinner and shedding an extra dog into the bedroom corner; she has also eaten every last leaf out of my garden.
So what was two weeks ago a fulfillment of a new year's resolution, is now a dream of what it would have been like to save money on fresh veggies this summer and the satisfaction of hard work paid off. 
All I have to say, is thank God she is cute! Otherwise, I might have accidentally left the back gate open this morning. 
At least now while having coffee on my back porch in the morning, I can look out at a giant plat of stinky mud. So glad I cleared the area right next to my back door so that all my friends that come by can see the fruit of my efforts. 
Damn Dogs!!! 
On my way to the farmer's market,


Lauren

The Bewitching Hour--the REAL reason Jesus turned water into wine

This is what our house looks like around 6:00 in the evening...

It's not pretty. And like flipping a light switch, Loulie's collicky twin can appear from nowhere. It's pretty hysterical if you think about it. About the time you start to cook dinner, straighten up the house, and your own engine gets a little low; the kids decide to unleash the beast.
I have a friend who home schools her three kids with another on the way--she is the sweetest, soft spoken, faithful person I know. When discussing the bewitching hour phenomenon and how we feel bad that our husbands daily walk into total chaos at 5:30 and who would want to come home to that, she remarked, "That's why I start drinking wine at 5:15 so that when he walks in the door at 5:40, I can put on my happy face."
Isn't it the truth? I am not a big drinker at all but I truly believe that God invented wine for this very reason. The Happy Hour is not for the young and free but for those that need a little dose of happy to forge through to the 7:00 hour.
That being said, the above picture was taken while we were making brownies for Bert. Everything was fine until I moved the pan from the counter to the oven. Loulie dove head first into the batter, laid out on the floor and proceeded to tighten every muscle in her body and scream. Being the great mother that I am, I went to grab my camera because this is good stuff to have on hand for blackmail one day. I should probably be embarrassed that my child can throw such an unbelievable fit but I am really just jealous--jealous that I can no longer shove my hand into chocolate batter and throw a tantrum when it is removed.


At any rate, this little episode and the events that followed kept me from writing my St. Patty's Day post--I am always a day late and a dollar short. We didn't really get to celebrate--we had a doctor's appt during the parade and none of us look good in green. Plus last year's experience kind of scarred poor Loulie. 
     It was St. Patty's Day, I was late for work, Bert was dressing Loulie. He yelled upstairs asking what I wanted to put her in. I yelled back anything green. When I walked downstairs, she was wearing a camouflage onesie with a ruffle on the back that my dad had bought her as a costume. Running late and all, I went along with it. Keep in  mind the child has a wardrobe ten times nicer than my own and could have been in any number of cute dresses but green was necessary. We arrive at daycare when the director says, "Oh Mrs. Dasher, did you not get the memo?"
"What memo?"
"Well, it's class picture day." 
So there's Loulie in her camou onesie for class picture day. I might as well have given her a miniature rifle as a prop and maybe a little squirrel tail cap. Add that to the list of proud moments in parenting! :)
SO we bypassed the green this year but did listen to a little St. Patty's Day trivia. St. Patrick was actually not from Ireland, he was from Wales and his color was not green but blue. He is credited with bringing Christianity to the pagans in Ireland. So I kind of like the whole March 17th celebration a little more now--because I love blue but am mediocre about green and totally dig St. Patrick's passion for Christ and    sharing it with others. I'm not sure where the leprechauns and beer come in. the only thing I can think it that St. Patrick came home a few many times at 5:30 and introduced the beer to the Irish as well!

First Playground brawl....

I have a lists of items to write about on my desk and no where on it is listed the above subject. However after the altercation I experienced this afternoon, with a five year old I might add, I am left speechless and stunned so there is nothing left for me to do but write about it. Because my adrenaline is still pumping and I have now experienced that even in the postmodern world we live in, there is still a very carnal, protective instinct that can spring up on a mother when her young is threatened.

Allow me to set the scene...

This afternoon in Charleston was beautiful--almost 80 degrees and sunny. We headed over to the James Island park so Loulie could get out some energy. There are two sides to the playground, a 2-5 year old and a 6-12 year old. The 6-12 is one of those play sets on stilts that has multiple slides and ladders. Underneath the slides, there are games on the stilts. Loulie wanders over to one of the stilts that has a piano and immediately starts laughing and pushing the buttons. (Bert and I are right behind her.) A five year old girl--we'll call her green shorts--comes up and starts playing next to Loulie. Within seconds another five year old girl, we'll call her The Spawn, comes out of nowhere and starts pushing and clawing green shorts knocking Loulie back in the process. Bert and I stand there sort of stunned before we can pull Loulie back towards us. I am thinking that the two girls have to know each other for the Spawn to feel so comfortable threatening green shorts but I am still feeling uncomfortable watching them fight. I grab Loulie who is still wanting to play with the buttons and say "No mam, you can't play with someone who isn't being nice to their friends."

Green shorts takes this opportunity to break free and head over to find her parents on the other side of the play yard and Spawn with no one left to torment walks away. So I let go of Loulie and she heads back to the piano. She isn't standing there five seconds (with Bert behind her and me on her right) when Spawn runs out of no where and slaps her. Bert immediately huddles around Loulie with a leg on each side while I bend over and tell the little girl not to lay a hand on my baby again. 

Here is the shocker---the little girl does not run away or even move but leans towards Loulie AGAIN! I move to Loulie's left where the child is standing and say in my stearnest voice not to touch Loulie to which she still does not move. Keep in mind this is a matter of seconds, my heart is racing and this child is still leaning on Bert's arm so that he can't really move and looking at Loulie.

"Where is your mother?" (Blank stare.) "You need to go find you mama."

To which the child responds a defiant NO. By this time, Bert is trying to move Loulie away and I tell the child one last time not to dare touch my baby again and that she needs to go get her mother. 

Well, the kid runs off and she and her mother round the ladder about the time Bert and I have gathered Loulie up. I never looked the mother in the eye mainly because I was too scared of what I would say. Bert tells me she gave me the once over but kind of shrank back when she saw the two of us with a one year old. (I'm pretty sure the child did not run over and admit that she had beat on a one year old but that a mean old lady got mad at her. I'm also pretty sure that once the mother saw the two of us and Loulie that things started to add up.)

As Bert and I crossed the playground we looked over to see the the girl thrashing around and repeatedly hitting the outside of a slide. Bert looked at me and said "that kid has problems."

No kidding!

But what do you do in a situation like this? I am serious, I need advice. I am the most nonconfrontational person but something flipped in me today when this kid attacked Loulie out of no where. I was uncomfortable when the Spawn was hitting Green Shorts but nothing like how I felt when I saw her go after my own baby. The thing about it was that Loulie could not defend herself against someone this old--she can hardly talk. And I have never seen a child totally unprovoked hit a younger child with two parents watching. It was scary! I think the smart thing to do would have been to immediately remove Loulie but how fair is that?--take away your child from the fun treat because a bully's parent isn't watching them torment everyone on the playground. On a much larger scale, isn't that what people did during the holocaust, the genocide in Rawanda, etc?--turn their attention elsewhere because they were scared to get involved. I know my child is not perfect and will do unkind things but I hope nothing ever as intentional and as disrespectful and as cruel as what I witnessed today.

As we walked away, I started to get anxious and paranoid (result of the adrenaline) when Bert said, "Well done Mama Bear."

"You think I did the right thing?"

"I do."

I have been thinking on this for the past several hours on what my reaction could have taught Loulie and on what I want to teach Loulie--to turn the other cheek or that I will always be there to defend her or that she needs to fight her own battles. I'm not sure there is a right answer and regardless of my reaction, I know I would find a critic somewhere. But I do know this--if confronting a bully on behalf of my child might bring me criticism, then I don't think I'm out to win a popularity contest. There are a lot of things I will do wrong as a parent but protecting my child in an innocent situation is not one of them.

It is amazing how parenthood can be such a joy and then just suckerpunch you out of no where.

At least Bert has temporarily abandoned his title as most overprotective parent, that goes to helicoptor mom. Now I am going back to my bubble--I like it there. :)