Silly I Tell You
Inclusion
We were planning to attend a party on a Saturday afternoon. I remembered from a previous year, and a previous weekend, that my son had been the littlest guy there and the monkey in the middle. Wanting to be of “help”, I said that I too felt like an outsider in groups sometimes and secretly wanted to be included. I said, “Lets think of ways that we can make a choice or do something to help ourselves”. And we did. Eamon went right in for the bold approach. He said he could just go right up and say, “Can I play with you?” Of course, why...
read moreThe Many Faces of Fiona
What can you really say to express the wonder and amazement that is a new person. Eight years ago, my friend Terry gave me a little framed saying, “Babies are a nice way to start people”. They are made from nothingness and suddenly they’re living with you, confounding your daily existence with their needs absolutely. And you’re sold. The little jokes and running silly baby names and games are what we love to create and I thought to give you a peek into my loony entertainment at Fiona’s expense. This is the attack chair. Also...
read moreBloody Birds
Tis the season for dead birds. Spring and summer finds our little bird friends getting jiggy with it. They’re coming into town, having sex parties everywhere, running into windows, and creating little ones that fly and fall out of their nests and we have to watch and pray for them. I have had numerous run ins with our feathered neighbors since I’ve lived in this house (from which I’ll never be able to afford to move). Should I spare you the story of the baby chimney swifts that fell into my chimney and I had to drive up to Dover to deliver to...
read moreMan Shopping
As you may know, men shop differently than women. If you’ve got a plan of shopping action, he’s willing to here it and execute it. But there’ll be no lollygagging and meandering about aimlessly for items. The first Christmas season we spent together, we went to the Towson (Maryland) Mall and went separate ways to shop. And when we met back up at the appointed place, Mark was pale and shaky. Seems he’d been traumatized previously by shopping. Maybe he was hypoglycemic too, who knows. So it’s been many of years of...
read moreLeche League Nazis
She was like impending doom watching me from the other side of the room. One of many of the parade members. They were all just letting themselves in. As hospital staff, they all have a purpose there. But something about her wolflike stare creeped me out. She had a true purpose. And it was breastfeeding. The hospital has two fulltime gals for the specific purpose of coaching, training, and assisting with the new mothers with their breastfeeding “plan”. This isn’t just a job for them, they’re missionaries. Their belief is a altruistic. That...
read moreThe Birds, Bees, and Kitties
I recently had to explain to my seven year-old why I was shooing the kitty away from the house and away from the girl kitty who was acting kinda funny. We were having a birds, the bees, and kitties talk in which we discussed how boy kitties have spikes on the end of their winkles to ensure their parenthood possibilities. My poor son will never be able to shake the images of that conversation. Good. He did understand there’s a biological imperative for species survival. They don’t even realize they are programmed to continue their existence....
read moreZombie Baby
Newborns are like zombies. Maybe it’s me missing those last Walking Dead episodes. But there are some uncanny similarities. No one mentions this but those weird dark eyes we are born with are kinda creepy. Have you seen the opening montage for the Walking Dead and that sudden shot of the black eyeball twitching about? Aha. Secondly, she’s trying to eat me alive. Albeit with the cutest little bowed lips and hopeful gulping sounds. But eating alive is eating alive. And then there’s those weird jerking movements. You know the lurching and...
read moreThe Baby Girl Clothing Thing
I never suspected it would happen to me. I coveted the cute girl’s clothing while shopping for my baby boy. Frankly, boys clothing is Boring. I wanted to fondle pink and purple and tutus. There seems to be an innate drive to dress a dolly up As we didn’t know what flavor child we were having this time either, I had gathered “gender neutral” clothing again. There’s no such thing. There’s girls clothing and then there isn’t. But then, we had a girl! So three-day old Fiona got her some pink hot pants from Mama from Target store after her...
read moreHouse Arrest
It’s Sunday again and I’m missing the Walking Dead series on AMC again. When the door slams shut on that pre-parent life, one can feel a little isolated. Lost in my life without my cozy routine. My last baby had me reeling, read and remember with the Post Partum depression post. Thankfully, I have more support this time around. So many people in my life forming this amazing net that has surrounded me with well wishes beyond belief. Support network good. I have dealt with the chaos and change as best a Virgo can. I...
read moreChevron Pregnancy
Just like last time I was pregnant, I got this crazy notion to get jiggy with painting the kid’s room. Eight years ago, not knowing the gender of our first-born, I painted a green background with cream vertical stripes and hand painted ribbons cascading down in fuchsia, purple, orange, and aqua. My husband said, if the child doesn’t have ADD, he surely would after living in that room. Flash forward and again, not knowing the gender of belly baby, I decided to refocus my efforts on updating my son’s room to a big boy...
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