Sunday, January 31, 2010

163



Today, Jason presented Remy and Kelby with a toy box he's been working on for Remy's first birthday. Since it wasn't ready until this week, we weren't able to give it to her on her first birthday. He did a great job and the R was my first stab at the now passe craft of decoupage.



After much trepidation, I finally agreed to let Jack bring home the pet rats from his classroom. Most of the kids take turns bringing them home and Jack has been bugging me since September to host the rats at our house. After a few deals made between him and I, it was decided he could bring them home for his birthday weekend.

Let me tell you, this is definitely not my cup of tea. When Mazie was 2 months old, we had an issue with wild rats in our old house. We discovered them a couple of days before Christmas, but thought that was limited to the cool weather and maybe they only wanted to chew up the cord from my iced tea maker and just stay hunkered in the one kitchen cabinet. Nope, the day after Christmas, the varmints ran out from under a chair in the toy room, dashed across the floor and jumped into the toy box. It was after this that we got an exterminator and bleached every single thing in the toy room. Even months later, I was finding footprints in the dust on the upper shelves that were hung on the wall.

For the next 5 years that we lived there, we constantly fought a battle with them in the shed and garage. I was terrified to touch anything or go into these places when it was dark. The pure sneakiness and destructive manner of these critters coupled with the threat of disease and the downright germiness of them just gives me the heebs. Nevermind that they are smart and have the ability to survive even the worst conditions nature can throw their way, they are just purely yucky.

While Jack's teacher tried to sell me on their smarts, their sweet nature and problem solving capabilities, when you boil it down, they are still rats. Rats with that creepy, hairless tail and teeny toenails that feel worse than strange on your skin.

But, they are kinda cute when they eat goldfish crackers.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

162



A decade ago, I became a mom for the first time.

It was Super Bowl Sunday and there were a ton of people in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for this kid to come out. Luckily, the game was on all day to occupy the waiting time for the support team. Another thing that occupied them; Dick's Deluxe cheeseburgers. My dad graciously purchased them for those in the waiting room, but not for me. I couldn't have any food because of the medications I was on. Then, the people dared to come check on me with cheeseburger scent emanating from their mouths...bastards.

Then, at 9:38pm, Jack burst into the world. It was beyond awesome. My mom had my camera and took some once in a lifetime pictures, but had the ability to leave my vag out of them. They captured the beautiful color of Jack's umbilical cord and his screaming, flailing body covered with vernix. They are my most treasured pictures.

Ten years later, Jack has presented me with many parenting challenges, but I'm happy to partake in all of them. He's my baby boy and always will be. I'm pretty sure boys have special connections with their mommies...and I'm happy to be one of them.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

161



Wow, how this year has flown by for our lives with Remy. Hard to imagine that a year has gone by already. I remember the quietness when she finally emerged. She wasn't making a sound and wasn't squawking or curling her hands and legs up in the panicky reflex that most babies exhibit when they are first introduced to life outside their mommies. I was scared and exhilarated all at the same time. I knew she shouldn't be quiet or still, yet she was. I was instantly worried for my sister thinking that if there was something even remotely wrong, this wasn't fair for her.

Luckily, Remy was true to herself and decided to do things by her own rules. She lingered in my sisters' womb long past her due date and then decided that she would transition into this world at her own pace. We have learned that Remy is a strong girl with a strong will and (in our opinions), so so smart. This triple-threat would certainly have really made her daddy grin with pride. I'm sure he would never have thought she would be anything different.

I'm thankful she's in our lives. She's teaching all of us little lessons here and there, the most important at this point is to cherish the gift that children are.