1-1-11

First of all...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2010 was amazing, I couldn't have asked for anything more in my life, so I don't have any hopes for 2011 being a "new" beginning or something more than what the last year of my life is for. I'm going to love this year just as much as the last, and just as much as the next, and the next. Although I do believe this year will be special in its own right and I'm really looking forward to it.

Now, as the Christmas hangover has finally subsided, I can talk about the holiday without wanting to cry/vomit/crawl under 1000 blankets and never come out.

It was pretty delightful. Mad Mads was a bit overwhelmed but loved opening and playing with her gifts, even if it took a couple of days to get them all open. A kitchen, baby dolls and a stroller, a complete set of the Disney Fairies (from the new Tinkerbell) in large and small sizes (thanks to daddy!), and, my personal favorite, a doll with a sling.


She wears the sling everywhere while doing everything. She slings and pushes her grocery cart. She slings and "cooks" up meals in her kitchen. She slings and pushes two other dolls in the stroller with her puppy in a purse on the handle. Pretty impressive mama I must say.



My one gripe is that the sweet sling doll came with a bottle. I know it shouldn't bother me but I just wonder when this world will see that we should stop training our children that babies are fed with bottles. As if it's so absurd to feed them any other way. Some mamas use bottles and so they should be able to buy bottles for their babies to play with....separately. There is nothing offensive in that. I don't need a special breastfeeding baby doll, I just wish they would let the children, and parents, decide what type of feeding accessories they play with. Anyway, tangent over.

As far as my spoiled self goes, I was spoiled. The Bear is all things sweet and thoughtful, and yes I think it's romantic to spend 20 minutes with a sales lady to pick out the perfect can opener. Because that is the kind of thing I appreciate. Honestly he could have given me a lump of coal and I would still have the greatest gift in the world from him. Something that I get to enjoy anew every.single.morning. My Mads. And the gift of mothering her all day, every day.

I guess among other resolutions I would like to make, because it feels good to set goals, especially when I am setting goals that I intend on following through with, is to enjoy my mothering life more. To feel less frustration on hectic days. To laugh instead of scold when she does the many naughty things that she does. I love her, and I love my life. I don't regret anything in my past and I don't want to wake up tomorrow and regret not enjoying and appreciating my every moment with her. I want to be better for her, so she can learn and love the mother that I am. The way that I love my own mother and try my best to emulate her in all the mothering that I do. Ok, emotional tangent over!




I'm going to post some additional pictures from Christmas, like the one of Mads delightfully eating the pear I buried at the bottom of her stocking (our official stocking tradition) and the incident of her nabbing daddy's trifle leftovers and running away gleefully.









THE END!!!

Pack Rat

Tonight The Bear was packing for a quick trip. He left his suitcase in the front room with a pocket open. Our daughter, who does all of this lately.....






....decided that she needed to pack some stuff too. In went her new snowman jammies and her current favorite movie cover. There is no point other than, hello, how cute is that. I wish I would have zipped the pocket up so The Bear would find them in his hotel room. I know he misses her so much while he's gone, even if it's for less than 24 hours. I know sometimes I miss her just when she's napping or down for the night. Like now. I was just uploading iphone pictures and looking at all her little tiny baby face pictures and it made me want to cry.

She's trying so hard to communicate clearly these days. She'll jabber for several minutes and then look at us like we're nuts because we have no clue what she said. When I talk on the phone she takes it away from me and starts talking and then adds a super fake laugh at the end, all while running away from me of course. She's been signing "more" and "all done" (like when she's in the grocery cart and says all done like that is somehow going to make the shopping end) for a while now but hasn't picked up on any others. A few days ago she wanted a toy that she couldn't reach and was "eh eh ehing" at me. I signed help and asked her if that's what she wanted. She anxiously repeated the sign several times as I pulled the toy out. Minutes later she did it again. Now she's added a sweet little "hep" from time to time when she signs it and I melt. Baby signs and baby words are the cutest ever.

I've been in a weird funk the last couple of weeks. I've kind of been a bummer for myself to be around and The Bear just bought a plastic dog house for me to sleep in out back. I'm blaming the sugar with drawls. Truthfully I think it's all the self loathing I've done, hence the power to overcome the sugar in the first place. So, I'm trying to work on that because it's cold outside and I like my bed and personal foot warmer. But it will be a lot easier when I lose 40 lbs.

Oh wait, I just have to say that Mad put my shoes on today and was clomping around the closet and bathroom. THAT is the cutest thing ever. Yep. Probably more so than the times that she gets my headbands out and successfully gets them on her head. Note to self: get a picture of that cuteness. Why would anyone want to be a bummer with such a perfect life?