The Ballpark needs Volume Control

Today the whole fam-damily attended the annual picnic for my hubby's work location, followed by a baseball game. The picnic was catered barbecue out at a city park in the suburbs, very nice (so long as you're cool with the 'que). Then everyone scuttled off to the ballpark to watch an evening of minor league baseball at the local ballpark. We've been out to see this team before, and the atmosphere at the ballpark is fun and very family oriented. But I'd forgotten just how LOUD it is!

The P.A. system is LOUD, the music, the fireworks, the crowd, the noisy balloons during the 7th inning stretch, all loud. It was all a little TOO loud for MissM. I'm not sure if it was just the loud noises, or if it was a combination of the loud stuff and her complete and utter lack of an afternoon nap that really was the problem. We made it through the end of the 6th inning, then headed home.

I'm sure this will be the first of MANY events that we'll leave early, now that we're parents!

Roll up your pants...

Last night some wicked thunderstorms rolled through town, with flash flood warnings galore. We didn't realize that the flash flood area was going to be our basement!

They estimate we have over 200 gallons of water soaked into the carpet of our finished basement. A couple dozen books, 75% of my wrapping supplies (gift bags, ribbon, etc.), and some Christmas decorations are ruined.

Fortunately, most things were up off the floor or in plastic totes. Unfortunately, the rider we took out on our home owners to cover sump pump failure only covers replacement of the carpet, drywall, and major appliances. So, we are completely hosed regarding any water damage to the furniture in our basement and other personal effects that are damaged/ruined. : (

The only thing that I'm really upset about is the framed certificate from when I joined my sorority back in 1992. It was sitting on the floor up against the wall in the room that flooded the worst, and it's pretty much ruined. Everything else is replaceable, but that... that one hurts.

There's a company here now, pulling up the carpet, taking away the sodden padding underneath, and sucking as much water as possible out of the basement. Then, they will set up fans and dehumidifiers to dry everything out.

Ah, the joys of home ownership...

It's Coming...

It's kind of like hearing thunder in the distance, low and rumbly. You know a storm is coming. You're not sure when it will descend upon your house, or how much damage it will inflict. But, it's a coming... and you know it.

We are waiting for MissM to start walking. It's imminent. Any day now, she is going to take a few steps, then toddle about unsteadily for a few days, then she'll get the hang of it, 'cause DANG she catches on quick, and then it's ALL OVER. Don't get me wrong, she's quite quick now. She mastered crawling in a very short amount of time. Granted, she waited until she was almost 8 months old to try it, but once she started, it was go-time!

But right now, I feel like we're still in the calm before the storm. I feel like I should be roaming the house looking for ways to baby-proof more things. But I've learned that careful and close observation of MissM will alert you quite readily to anything you've neglected to baby-proof. She can find an open outlet, an errant object on the floor that is not baby-friendly, or a crumb that the vaccuum missed in seconds flat. It's amazing. So, I just watch her, and grab things as she discovers them, or redirect her long enough to cover the outlet or hide the offending object.

She does understand the word "no". We use it frequently when she tries to crawl up on the fireplace hearth. She'll pull up to stand at the edge, then she'll turn around to see if she has an audience (which she always does). She'll play for awhile, then she'll start to sneak one knee up to climb up on the hearth. And we'll say, "noooo MissM, no climbing on the fireplace, you could hurt yourself." She pulls the knee back down. About 30 seconds later, she tries the other knee. Repeat admonition. She pulls the other knee back down. Half the time she just gives up and goes to play elsewhere, but the other half of the time, she goes ahead and crawls up on the hearth, at which point, one of us goes over and picks her up and puts her back on the floor facing the other direction. It's quite the little drama, and you think it would get old. But apparently babies LOVE repetition. So I've been told. Ha.

Honestly, I will miss it when she stops crawling. My little baby is almost a year, and she's getting so big! OK, I'm going to go watch her sleep for awhile before going to bed. Shut up. You other mothers have done it, too. I know you have.

Ten Things I Hate

There are certain things in life that I could really do without. I'm talking about things I absolutely hate to do. If I could pay someone to do these things for me, I would (unfortunately, for some things, it just doesn't work that way).

Here are the top ten things that I HATE TO DO:

• 10. Dusting - it makes my allergies act up and my sinuses get all goopy.
• 09. Getting a pap smear - it's just the most uncomfortable little procedure ever.
• 08. Doing yard work - I can't stand getting dirt under my nails, sweating, and getting sunburned; it's a triple-threat.
• 07. Recording my time for work - I have to account for all my work hours in 15 minute increments, even though my work isn't billable; and I have a very multi-tasking kinda job, so every 15 minutes could be a different activity. Tedious, very tedious.
• 06. Cleaning toilets - this used to be lower on the list, but now that I live with a boy, it's way grosser; it's one of those marriage bonus features no one warns you about.
• 05. Trying on swimsuits - even skinny girls hate this, but being overweight makes this even MORE tortuous.
• 04. Going to the dentist - I've already written about my feelings on this topic.
• 03. Going to the DMV - it's the fourth ring of hell here on earth.
• 02. Driving in heavy traffic - nothing makes me crabby faster than driving in rush hour.
• 01. Delivering bad news - I'm a people pleaser, and this task is the antithesis of that personality trait. My empathy quotient makes this the thing I hate most of all.

What things do you hate to do?

Moira's First Merry-Go-Round Ride

Moira's First Merry-Go-Round Ride,
originally uploaded by Tacey.

She doesn't look so sure about this ride, does she? But I think she had fun.

What's really funny is that another blogging mom's daughter had her first ride this past weekend too!

Note to Self

Remember to keep a toy on the changing table so that MissM won't try so desperately to wiggle away whilst having her diaper changed.

Addendum: An exciting toy.

Addendum 2: A toy big enough to NOT fall down between the back of the changing table and the wall. Because the changing table is actually a dresser.

Addendum 3: Give up and change MissM on the floor while holding her somewhat immobile between your outstretched legs.

Wait your turn! Don't take mine!!

Last night, after enjoying a fine performance of Hello, Dolly! at the local outdoor amphitheatre, I was treated rudely and callously TWICE, by two different vehicles, while trying to peacefully exit the parking lot. As with any large event, when it's over, everyone is trying to leave at the same time. Common sense and etiquette dictate that you proceed in an orderly fashion, letting every other car go and everyone will eventually get out alive.

The line of traffic ended just in front of my parked car. I was basically perpendicular to the last car. I pulled out and angled just a bit, so that as the car in front of me advanced, I could pull in behind him. I sat there patiently for several minutes, waiting to pull in behind him. Then this minivan came blasting in out of nowhere and pulled in right behind the car, and would.not.let.me.in! I kept pulling up closer to the side of the car I was supposed to be following, but the witch in the minivan just kept riding its bumper and wouldn't let me merge. It was such a blatant denial of my rightful spot, it really infuriated me. I pulled in behind her, wishing all kinds of bad karma upon her. Then a couple minutes later, another minivan refused to honor the every-other-car merging of 2 lines that is the polite and civilized thing to do.

It was at this point in time that I formed the following hypotheses about people in minivans:
a) they are inherently evil or
b) they traded in their common courtesy for the minivan keys or
c) they aren't getting enough sex.

Playing unfair during post-event parking lot departure is now added to my list of revocable offenses. A few more episodes like last night, and merely owning a minivan may be added to the list!

Face down in the salsa...

Happy Birthday to me!
I've turned thirty-three.
I'm partying this evening
With drinks, friends, and glee...

That is, provided that I don't fall asleep before the action begins. My nearly 11 month old girl, who was previously sleeping through the night on a semi-regular basis, has had horrible sleeptus-interruptus syndrome all week. Last night I slept from 11:40 to 1:40, then we were up until about 4:45, then normal bright-eyed and bushy-tailed wakening at 7:45.

This is killing me. I'm a person who NEEDS her sleep. I've got to get at least 6 solid hours to even maintain the illusion of being functional during the daytime. A regular 8 hours a night and I resemble a real walking, talking, able-to-contribute-to-society adult.

A pair of three hour naps just isn't cutting it. So, if you find me face down in the salsa tonight, please lift up my head and stick a tortilla chip in my mouth!

Earworms for mommies...

The main theme song to Sesame Street, the Elmo's World tune, and the Journey to Ernie ditty are all STUCK in my head... STUCK... along with that oldie, but goody "everybody sleeps..."

God help me if I start humming out loud here at work. It's not as if I don't already successfully embarrass myself in other, normal, adult ways at the office on a regular basis anyway...

So just ignore that repetetive dull thudding noise coming from my cubicle... I'm hoping that banging my head on the desk will eventually dislodge the Sesame Street soundtrack...

Never Say Never

I've frequently seen bloggers list things they want to do before they die, or goals they want to accomplish before they turn 40. I was having a conversation the other day and someone said, "Oh, I'd NEVER do that!" This made me think, are there things I can unequivocally say I'll never do... turns out, there are.

I, being of sound mind and unsound body, hereby avow that I will NEVER ...

1. Run for public office.
2. Own a cat (allergies).
3. Buy a car with a standard transmission.
4. Get a tattoo (too much of a wimp).
5. Shave my head.
6. Inject, snort, or swallow illegal drugs.
7. Pierce anything besides my ears.
8. Vote for Hillary Clinton.
9. Swim the English Channel.
10. Climb Mount Everest.
11. Forget giving birth to my daughter.
12. Understand religious extremists.
13. Condone intolerance.
14. Play professional sports of any kind.
15. Stop learning.
16. Intentionally disappoint my family.
17. Have a completely clean house.
18. Get rid of my old diaries.
19. Stop believing in the tremendous power of laughter.
20. Have a perfect complexion.
21. Be ashamed to tell the story of how my husband and I met online.
22. Turn down ice cream, german chocolate cake, or a really good strawberry Margarita.
23. Be able to repay my parents for everything they've done for me. (Although giving them a grandchild has gone a long way...)
24. Love anyone more than I love my husband and daughter and any future kidlets we may have.
25. Regret channeling my creative energy into writing

Is there anything that you'd NEVER do?