My Baby Turned Two ...

Why is two such a milestone birthday?



She had a wonderful time, and delighted in all of the attention. Then got a cold. She was better in time for the family birthday on the weekend.





She's in a serious baby doll phase right now, which seems so at odds (to me) with her personality. However, who am I to say? Her disregard for my confusion is spot-on.



Just ignore the state of the house ... May was a killer month. Here's to June!

iPod Convert: Family Folktales

One of may favorite genres of podcasts to hunt down is the quality child-friendly storytelling podcast. I love The Moth for myself, but it is not for listening to between home and daycare, if you know what I mean. Storynory is always a hit with The Young Man, but as I mentioned in my earlier review of Storynory, was looking for a bit more diversity in the sources of the tales told. I've tried a few podcasts I found through iTunes, but several were either too saccharine or just weird.

Enter the Nashville Public Library Family Folktales Podcast. Although it's a pretty no-frills production it is solid and high-quality. Family Folktales has introduced us to new and unforgettable characters, like the Tanuki in "How the Wicked Tanuki Was Punished." The sources of the folktales seem to be pretty international, which is such a bonus for my kids who are exposed to a steady and mind numbing stream of Transformers and Power Rangers through school. Who ever thought that returning Strawberry Shortcake and those silly plastic ponies to the kids market was a good idea? Oh, never mind, the same geniuses who brought us Bratz! But I digress (which probably could be a title for this blog if I ever decided to change it).

There isn't a whole lot of information about the podcast, previous shows, or the narrator on the main webpage. However, it is worth looking through the archive on iTunes, although there are only six episodes. I certainly hope they keep up production, because we have enjoyed every single one of the shows so far, and how may podcasts can you say that about? The narrator is pleasant and engaging without trying too hard, although I would guess that acting is not her day job. The more I pay attention, the more I think that librarians get to have all the fun. I will say that these are pretty unfiltered traditional fairy tales. Parents die, grow-ups are wicked, and princesses get saved (so far, at least). We haven't run into any nightmares yet, but these stories are in the vein of the original Snow White, red-hot iron dancing shoes and all. So be forewarned, but please, please don't be scared off. Barney is a whole lot creepier, in my opinion.

So, if you are looking for stories with a bit more depth to them to share with your kids, or if you yourself are a fan of traditional fairy tales and folktales, please try Family Folktales and think about spreading the word and subscribing. Everyone likes a little appreciation, and in this case it is well deserved.

Miss T, 19 mo.

Miss T, 19 mo., originally uploaded by twitchycat.

I seem to remember this stage from her brother. The developmentally appropriate colander-on-head months.

Did you know that there is actually a Flickr group devoted to pictures of colanders on heads?

I Want to Give Judith Warner a Hug

Despite the fact that I'm really not the hugging type, and I suspect that she is not either.

From today's NYT's Opinion page, Judith Warner has written an op-ed that has me screaming in recognition. Now, I was not a huge fan of her 2005 book, although now I understand her position a bit better than I did at the time. But today's piece is such a heartrendingly accurate description of some of the mama-angst I've mentioned here, that I feel I just have to point it out.

How many times have I questioned my own mental health as I regard my children and have to catch my breath for the intensity of the moment? Is motherhood really a bit of temporary craziness? It feels out of line to be so completely involved in another human being, but if parents don't do that, who will?

Just one quote for thought, in case you are tempted not to click through and read.

Do we dream our children into being? Are they destined to inhabit the voices we imagine for them?

For the record, my answer is no to the above questions, but they are shockingly familiar.

At Home with the Grumpy Girl

Miss T has been sick off-and-on for the past week with a mystery virus. Nothing that we're concerned about, but I can't wait for all systems to return to normal, if you know what I mean. Poor thing, she's mostly herself, but with an edge of grump. It must suck to be an eighteen-month-old and incapable of meeting your daily mayhem quotient. I've promised not to turn her in to the local Guild of Toddlers, but I think that she's trying to make up for the lack of quantity with quality. Really, it's not at all necessary.

However, in her convalescence she has discovered a new way to torture the dogs. She scatters cheerios on the floor, and then shrieks in indignation as the dogs dive for the goodies. And then she comes to find me, complaining bitterly about the "da da da da das" all the way. She demands retribution, the dogs suffer silently, hoping for justice ... and so goes the day.

Maybe I ought to rethink my desire to stay at home. Apparently it's not all tea and roses.

Here's a Thanksgiving pic, just to add a little cuteness. This is one of my aunts, who with infinite patience was playing the "put it in, dump it out, put it back in game" with the Missy.


Hope you had a lovely holiday.

Credit Where Credit is Due

We seem to have a solution to The Young Man's problem with a kindergarten bully. In the end, Miles' principal called both the fledgling delinquent and Miles in to his office, and asked them to discuss the situation. I am very impressed by this approach, as Miles had to own his complaints, and his nemesis had to face up to the hurt he was causing. This was a week ago, and so far there have been no recurrences of the bullying behavior. And I don't have to call back and get all alpha-mom on the principle, which saves us both a lot of unnecessary grief.

An Interview with The Man

Actually, the discussion with the principal went pretty well. I was pleasant and calm, and he mostly avoided any patronizing tones or moves to "blame the victim." Still, the conversation had its moments, such as my stunned silence when he offered to review the hall monitoring video tapes to see if he could observe any objectionable behavior. I was not aware that they actually have video monitors in the school hallways now. Apparently it helps to apprehend the five year old perp. Whatever happened to supervision and guidance provided by actual people? I don't know many young children who can respond adequately to a video review of their recent actions. I think that might be a few steps beyond what can be reasonably expected.

Of course we'll continue to monitor the situation, but I'm hopeful that adult supervision during the problem times of day (which are very predictable) will help stop the bullying behaviors. I'll try not to quiz Miles when he returns (we're trying not to make a big deal out of this), and no news will be good news. I also hope, however, that we didn't add to the other child's burden. That, too, will merit some attention.

Mama Does a Take-Down

Is it wrong of me to want to squash an irritating five year old that is harassing my sweet, sweet son?

The Young Man has been having some *issues* with a nascent bully at school. This kid was pegged in Pre-K as trouble, and he's starting to live up to his (bad) potential. The good mother in me is all about giving Miles the tools to cope with challenging situations and solve his own problems. The bad mama in me is ready to walk up to the twerp and pop him one. (Kidding! Really!) They are five, for crying out loud! Isn't it enough that this kid has swindled Miles out of more that one Hot Wheel? Why does he now need to push him around in the bus line and steal a pin off of his backpack? I'm sure that the kid has some sort of backstory, but then so do I. That's my son he's picking on, and I'm pissed.

Tomorrow I get to put in a call to the principal, and try to act all rational and measured. But this is my kid we're talking about, and I know that rational will only carry me so far. Please wish me luck. The principal will need it.

Watch Out, World!

I feel like one of those mid-70s ads aimed at women ... you know, green field and sky in the back, arms raised high, stupid grin on my face & jumping for joy. Actually, I think all those ads were for "feminine hygiene products." Never mind.

Anyway, DSL was installed yesterday.

Of course, I was convalescing from the local elementary school plague at the time, but you can't have everything in life, or so I hear.

In honor of our household joining the 21st century, here's a picture of the kids (oh yeah, I'm a mommy blogger!)

Harvest

The pears on our lone tree are starting to ripen. The tree suffered last winter, and I really didn't expect anything this year. I have been surprised. It isn't the overwhelming harvest of the past several years, but it is more than enough for our family. Miles, Teija and I ventured out yesterday to see if it is time to pick.Pears ripen off the tree, so I judge by the willingness of small children to gnaw away at the still slightly hard fruit.

I think the pears are ready.

Making Friends (and Influencing People)

Well, maybe not so much influencing, but by my limited standards, I have been a social butterfly as of late. We had real live (grown up!) people over to dinner last Saturday evening, and while I may have resembled Cinderella in her coal pile at the end of my cleaning frenzy, no one turned into a pumpkin (or frog or whatever) at nine o'clock. We had pleasant conversations, enjoyed a decent Oregonian pinot noir, and ended our meal with a lovely lemon sponge cup. Our guests even said they might like to return, so that counts as a success, doesn't it?

I have also stripped away one more layer of my Luddite tendencies, and joined facebook. I've avoided almost all such social networking sites (except for Ravelry & Book Thing), but I was finally persuaded by the chance to connect with some very long-lost friends from my time in Finland as an exchange student. You see, I am a very bad friend. It isn't that I don't care for people, but I simply don't keep in touch. If you are a friend of mine, I probably think of you quite often, but might contact you only a few times a year. I've given up trying to analyze this trait, and now just accept it. It's occurred to me the facebook and the like are perfect for socially lazy souls such as myself, as it makes it very easy to find folks you've lost track of. I still have reservations, and perhaps an etiquette question. What do you do when someone you do not want to be "friends" with tries to "friend" you (is that a verb)? Is it acceptable to simply ignore an email or an invitation? It is this sort of question precisely that has kept me off of these sites until now. I do think the benefits of being able to find people I genuinely would love to talk to again outweighs this potential drawback, but I admit that I need a bit of help. So, "Help!"

Perhaps I should just suck it up like a big girl and be rude.

Otherwise, thirty-five is nifty so far. (See, you get this old and start using "quaint" expressions. Gosh darn, it's past my bedtime). I've ordered myself a passel of books from Powell's that I'd been lusting after, primarily some venerable knitting tomes and The Gay Uncle's Guide to Parenting (see the blog roll at right for a link to Brett Burk's blog). Poof! goes the birthday cash.

School anxiety has popped up for The Young Man, resulting in several late nights and the occasional screaming fit (not me, I swear). This too, shall pass, but I really wish it would pass a lot faster and with less drama. I am posting from dial-up again, and hate it. Maybe we can swing the faster Internet connection, but my inner miser knows that we shouldn't.

Still trying to write a few reviews, although not tonight. The Hubby is still holding the sleeping baby, and there's a pile of dishes next to the sink. We celebrate our tenth anniversary this weekend, and treating him well is probably the least I can do.

Ta Ta for now.

Iron Chef, Preschool Snack Edition

I may be dating myself here, but we used to be big fans of the Food Network's Iron Chef. It's been about five years since we subscribed to a satellite television service, so I don't know if it's still being aired. It was great fun, though, and last week The Hubby had a chance to relive the excitement at home, from the comfort of our couch.

I was out of the house for the evening with a work meeting, a not-uncommon experience during the week at Casa Dilettare. Steve was glued to the couch holding a sleeping baby, and no one wants to wake the sleeping baby. Apparently The Young Man came into the room and announced that he was feeling a mite peckish.

Since Steve could neither move off the couch nor use either of his arms, he told Miles that he was free to help himself to a snack (within reason). Miles then took himself into the adjacent kitchen with a jaunty step, and proceeded to thoughtfully rifle the refrigerator. From his position in the living room, Steve was unable to observe the specifics of the snack-getting, and as he told me later, " There was a lot of messing about, pausing, opening the 'fridge, closing the 'fridge, and rummaging through the utensil drawer. It was all very mysterious."

And what, pray-tell, was the outcome of our son's first foray into following his own culinary muse? Cream-cheese and tomato paste on multi-grain bread. Sweet child, he even saved me a corner, sealed in a little plastic snack baggy.

To tell the truth, it wasn't half-bad. However, I'm not sure how the Chairman would have felt about the presentation.

Happy Dog

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by twitchycat.

This is Josie, our older neurotic dog. She's a lab/greyhound cross, best we can tell, and she's a loving, gentle soul (unless you are another dog). She and Miles have had a distant relationship, as Miles is not actually that fond of dogs from what I can deduce, and certainly not ones with big waggy tails that might thwack you. Now that he is above tail-wagging height, however, he has warmed up a bit. On Monday he and his daycare provider made bandanas for her dogs and ours, and he graced Josie with hers that very evening. Normally Josie would pull a face and expressively sigh, indicating how long-suffering she is and that life was so much better before That Other Dog and the hairless screaming puppies showed up.

This time was different.

Our dog, who does not like wearing anything, not collars, not booties to protect her sensitive paws, and certainly not any dog clothing, our dog preened in her boy-made and boy-gifted bandanna. If we had mirrors at dog height at our house, I swear she would have spent the evening gazing at her reflection, murmuring, "He made it for me."

We take the bandanna off when we leave the house and at night, to avoid any unpleasant bandanna-eating episodes. But frankly, if she didn't love it, she would have skulked off and torn it to shreds already. From this bandanna I have observed a subtle thawing in Miles' interactions with Josie: a kiss on the nose here; a lingering caress there; and a good ten minutes of brushing just the other evening. Such, I suppose, is the shared power of a home-made gift, that it enthralls boy and dog alike.

And it makes Josie, who is aging and awkward, with many, many bad habits, a very happy dog indeed.

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By the way, that is plywood in the picture, and yes, it is our floor. So now you know my deep-dark secret. I have plywood for floors, and it doesn't even phase me. I truly spring from the northernmost reaches of Appalachia.

I'll Match Your Kryptonite

We have a game we play in our family where we make up superheros and assign them unusual superpowers. We started this as a way to playfully counteract the media and marketing impacts of the standard superheros shtick, which is pretty hard to avoid if your child happens to share, oh, breathing space with any other child. Since I'm not interested in totally isolating my kids, or in making them feel as if their interest in superheros is somehow shameful, we've tried to find a way to at least make the superhero play more creative and less bounded by what toy companies are pedaling. Alternate superpowers can also lead to good discussions on problem-solving, and encourage a lot of all-family goofiness.

The Young Man (Miles) is pretty set in his alternate identity of "SuperGlue." SuperGlue's superpower is, not surprisingly, being able to glue just about anything. Around our house, he halts dogs and cats in their tracks, traps bad guys, and fixes all broken, torn or damaged items. I never considered how many problems could be solved by the judicious application of adhesives until SuperGlue appeared. He's even offered to solve my bunny problem (with some damage to the bunnies, I would imagine).

Miss T (Teija) is SuperBaby. Notice a trend? Preschoolers can be very literal. In her first year, Teija's superpower was pretty much limited to spitting up. Miles was impressed by her capacity to spit up as a newborn. The effect of the super-regurgitation was mostly limited to "shock and awe." Still, with SuperGlue also playing for the home team, I think that Miles had a halt-and-hold approach to catching villains in mind. Stop them with the awesome power of the spit-up, trap them with the glue. With his sister displaying all sorts of developmentally-appropriate new skills, we haven't discussed Teija's new superpower in depth. My vote is for screeching with great vehemence. It stops the rest of the mortal world in our tracks. Poor Miles, I don't think he has the appropriate coping skills yet for when he is confronted with the strength of his sister's will. One screech and she's pretty much turned him into a quivering pile of (soon to be resentful) ooze. We did talk about SuperFlower as her new name, but I'm fuzzy on how her powers work. Pollen-induced sneezing? Kudzu-like growth rate (certainly not any child of mine). As a superhero, SuperFlower needs to be sent back for a bit more creative development. I'll see if I can get more detail tonight.

The Hubby and I get by on pretty limited stints as superheros; consensus has it that my power is using "firm voice." I haven't yet pointed out that SuperGlue seems immune, or at least has selective hearing. I think Steve gets to hand out the popsicles and ice-cream. The division of discipline isn't that divided in our household, but let's just say Miles knows where to find the weakest link (and the link that wouldn't mind a little snack himself).

I love playing this game with Miles, and I'm always surprised by the breadth of his imagination. It's been one of our best finds as a family while we try to subvert some of the values of our consumerist culture.

Let's just say, however, that have the real super-glue under lock and key. Just in case.

Making a Mint

Miles, Teija and I collaborated on a very satisfying project recently. Our garden is blessed (and cursed) with a profusion of mint. We love mint tea in our household, and it killed me to buy stale, inferior stuff when we have this abundance spread before us. So, despite iffy weather and my being uptight at first about getting dried mint all over the floor, we successfully dried, picked and stored our bounty for future use. Miles was so helpful (once I got over my problem with mint strewn everywhere ... at least it smells nice), and even Miss T tried to pitch in.

Our key this year was cutting the herbs before flower and using cheesecloth to keep the drying stalks and leaves contained.

I can't wait to pull out a jar of mint some snowy day this winter, and enjoy a bit of summer in front of the fire.

iPod Convert: Sleepy Eyes Knits and a Wish

This week's podcast review is a split decision ... a quick review of a podcast I've just found and am warming up to, and a fervent wish for a podcast that isn't (yet). I've also split my topics between knitting and music, two activities that normally go together quite well (unless you live with two small children, two needy dogs, two fractious kitties, and one long-suffering husband). My knitting time has been relegated to car rides (when I can avoid vertigo), late nights (if my eyes are open), and work meetings (I'm tired of knitting washcloths).

This makes the title of "Sleepy Eyes Knits" particularly apropos, although I don't know the origin of the name. Sleepy Eyes Knits is a relatively new podcast from Gina House, who has a lovely blog at Sleepy Eyes Knitting. It's the strong connection between Gina's podcast, her blog, her pattern designs, and some lovely tutorials and projects that has moved me to offer a review.

I'll try to explain. There are some podcasts that grow on me slowly, for whatever reason. It may be the podcasters' inflection, voice, timing or music choices that initially don't click with me. However, there is usually some kernel that keeps me listening. In my quest for new podcasts to review every week, I've discovered quite a few (that shall remain nameless) that I turn off in the first five minutes, delete from my itunes queue, and then swear to never download again. It's the ones that I am unsure about, that I listen to for just a few more minutes, and then, well, maybe just one more episode, those are the ones that seem to become some of my favorite listening. This was true of Geek.Farm.Life, which is now a cult favorite in my household. I suspect the same may be happening Sleepy Eyes Knits, although without the expanded family following (the Young Man is learning how to knit, but isn't obsessed with it yet).

Let me just point out that Gina clearly loves (loves!) fiber, knitting and patterns. Even a cursory look at her blog will yield the many patterns of her own design that she has posted, both free and for a nominal fee. ( I can see why the Amanda Hat is so popular. What a lovely design.) Apparently she also works in a yarn store, which immediately puts me in awe. My experience during my teen years of doing annual inventory at our local JoAnn's (when they actually sold fabric) taught me that I would be lucky to leave any place of employ that also sold fiber with even a shred of a paycheck. I have a pretty killer DMC floss collection, the majority of which dates from my *very first job* at a Jamesway department store. On employee discount nights I would load up with $20+ worth of embroidery thread, and that's when the normal price was still 4/$1. I still remember one evening when the floss was also on sale. Sale, discount, already low price, perhaps you get the picture. But I digress.

Sleepy Eyes Knits is full of Gina's chatty and quirky banter about yarns, patterns, new projects (old projects), and the occasional knitting notion. Gina clearly embraces her inner fiber geek, with very little apology. As it should be! On my first 1+ listens, I've become a little lost in the constant flurry of different pattern names and yarns, but it's inspiration to haunt Ravelry a bit more. I also appreciate Gina's promotion of lace patterns, and unabashed embrace of knitting scarves (at least, so far). The socks, well, I've already confessed to how I feel about socks. The less said, the better.

A final note ... the first episode I listened to (Episode 15: Pattern Palooza), featured the song/parody titled "50 Ways to Loose Your Luggage" by Robert Lund. I suggest a listen. Oh, and one more thing ... check out the crock-pot fiber dyeing tutorial.

So, with that transition, on to the music portion of this review. In a perfect world, Fresh Ink, a radio show produced by the Syracuse-based Society for New Music would release their past programs as podcasts. The show is phenomenal. I first caught the August 3rd show, Playful Music II on the drive home from Maine. You could barely tear me away. Poor Miles, I kept telling him to "shush!"; lucky for Miss T, she was sleeping. I enjoy classical music, but our local stations lack a little creativity. The morning music segment always starts with an overture. Need I say more? Jacob ter Veldhuis Jesus is coming, from The Garden of Love (Innova) was a revelation. Samples and classical music seem like an odd mix to you? Think again. The Society does provide some video of selected concerts and mp3s of Society-commissioned works, and this is a temporary balm.

I'm currently searching for a new music (classical format) podcast, hopefully for next week's iPod Convert review. I'd happily take any suggestions.

Why Mama Needs Caffeine in the Morning

I was the world's worst mother this morning. Over breakfast, The Young Man and I had the following conversation:

TYM: Mama, would you vote for Santa Claus?

DM: No, probably not, because he isn't real.

.
.
.

Insert horrified pause here as the five-year-old gapes in shock, and I try not to choke on my tea.
.
.
.

I tried a belated save. A Hail-Mary of sorts.

DM: Well, you know, not real in that "able to run for office" way. He's more of a magical person, and has to remain secret. He's also probably too busy with all the toys, anyway.

TYM: But he is real, right?

DM: Of course, love. Real, but secret.

Like the god-damn magical creatures witness protection program, set up to provide cover for idiot parents everywhere.

On a lighter note, I found yet another reason why the internet is a wonderful place. Behold Yard Sale Bloodbath.

iPod Convert: Storynory!

My latest podcast recommendation comes from the search for non-commercial and kid-friendly listening for the driving I do with the urchins. Now, most of my frequent listening is already pretty safe (what can I say, it is my lot in life), but I would also like to have content specifically created for kids. We've had great luck with audio books for The Young Man, and his interest in Geek.Farm.Life made me feel pretty secure in his ability to follow along without any visual aids. (Such a funny child ... he is always asking for more "Farm Phone Rocks" as he calls GFL. I'd love to know what he gets out of the podcasts.The Hubby fears it is more fuel for the pig obsession.)

But back to the topic at hand. My latest find is Storynory, and it is a hit. I actually didn't get to listen to the trial run of a Storynory podcast with Miles and Miss T, but I certainly heard about it after the fact. We came in to the series with an episode of an ongoing Robin Hood storyline. Now, Miles' retelling of the episode leads me to believe he didn't get all of the subtleties of the Sheriff of Nottingham's visit to Robin's forest hide-a-way, but that certainly didn't stop him from enjoying the story. I was quickly tasked with finding more of the same, and stocking up for our upcoming trek to Maine. Direct from the Storynory site: "Our stories have bought harmony in place of strife on the back seats of cars all over the world. Next time you go away, take Storynory with you."

I'll be sure to, although our strife is blissfully limited, and the savage beast that is a pissed-off Teija isn't likely to be soothed by Jack and the Beanstalk. (Perhaps she prefers the Jasper FForde version? That's my little hard-boiled sweetie-pie.)

Please don't be put off by the somewhat basic website. It isn't fancy, and I found I had to navigate a bit to get to what I wanted. It is so worth it. The focus at Storynory is the storytelling. The narrator Natasha's timing is excellent, (Goodness! She's a looker!), and her interpretations of the different characters avoid the saccharine over-simplification of so much storytelling for children. I appreciate that at five Miles will have to reach to understand some of the motivations of main characters, or that the language is challenging and the fairy tales retain a bit of their Brothers Grimm darkness. I think it is the complexity of these classic tales and the foibles of their characters that enthralls him. I kid-you-not, I didn't hear a peep from him during his second listening of the Sheriff Who Came to Dinner episode, and he can ask questions from sun-up to sundown when the mood strikes him. The stories are also well-paced and not overly long, which shows that the producers know more than a thing or two about kids.

I can't wait to delve into the classic fairytales page, and appreciate that the stories are broken down by primary source, including the aforementioned Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson and others. There is even a category of tales for younger listeners. The Oscar Wilde story is one I am completely unfamiliar with (I.Love.Oscar.Wilde.).

Some parents may be struck by a certain Euro-centric quality to the story selections. The founders are based in London, so this isn't a complete surprise. This is my initial impression, and I may yet be proven wrong, particularly when it comes to the original stories. I did not realize the extent to which I personally expect to see selections from all over the world until I started to review the archives. I mention this mostly as an encouragement to try to find other sources for folk tales and stories from around the word, and not to detract in any way from the ones offered by Storynory. If you find other sources to expand your family's array of children's stories, please post a comment! Storynory does have a Japanese site, so perhaps some selections for that audience will migrate over to the English-language site as well? I can hope.

I could go on, but I think I've hit the highlights. I'm so enamored I might even add a page widget. For the most part, though, I'll enjoy listening.

Starting at the Beginning

On my way home tonight I need to stop by our local library (to which I could compose an ode, if I had any poetic talent whatsoever), and pick up Spring Flowers, Spring Frost, by Ismail Kadare. It is the first book on my 1% Well-Read Challenge list, and I thought that I might as well just jump in and start at the top. For those linear-thinkers amongst us, perhaps my blog post title is inaccurate, since starting at the beginning would probably be Sister Carrie, but I'm just not feeling like embarking on a bit of Dreiser right now. I'm finishing Ursula LeGuin's Lavinia, and gave up hope last week on My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk. I almost never give up on a book already started, but I couldn't do this one, and I'm pretty sure I'd already attempted it once. I think it was the narrative in the first person that did me in (a rich comment coming from a blogger!). I didn't dislike it ... I just couldn't keep up with the changes in narrator. I'll put it on the "try again" list, where hopefully the third time is the charm. Perhaps when my brain isn't already taxed by wrangling two young children.

At the other end of the spectrum, for the second time I am facing a wrapping up, an ending of sorts. As a working and breastfeeding mom, I've become very good friends with my pump, an Avent Isis Iq Duo this time around. Oh, the many times I have cursed its existence! However, now that Miss T is over a year old, I can stop. But oddly enough ... I can't stop. I have a very hard time dropping the pumping, and not just for the restful breaks in my cave of an office with the soothing "whoosh-whoosh" of a breast pump as background noise. (I actually had a dairy farmer ask me if I was near a milking machine when I was using a hands-free pump and speaking on the telephone the last time around. I told him that indeed, I was. Surprise!) Breastfeeding is something my body has actually done well, and while I never try to rub that in, I do take a certain small amount of pride in sticking with it. But Miss T really needs to move on to other sources of nutrition, and I need every extra minute in my work day. So I'm trying to cut back to just once a day, and some day, I will drop that session as well. Perhaps its harder this time because I am so conflicted about stopping at two children. That decision isn't tied to this one, but it is one more step away from the baby stage in my life. Ah well, nothing lasts forever.

More With The Cuteness

I swear, she does eat more than ricecakes.

I've yet to get a really good picture of the loving interactions between The Young Man and Miss T. We have been very lucky with minimal sibling rivalry, although yesterday's birthday did elicit comment from TYM that he felt left out. Which was understandable. But when they cuddle and laugh and play together, it's really all I can do to just get out of the way and let them establish their own relationship. I hope we can create that space for them. Right now, they are pretty good at making it. I wonder if it is tempting for other parents, though, this instinct to muddle in a relationship that it is your job to nurture, but not yours to create?