Hectic poem

I discovered yesterday that Asher now has three teeth!  He is crawling and climbing everywhere.  Wherever he is, he wants to be somewhere else.  He wants to walk so badly!  He will go through these yoga-like poses where he'll get on his hands and feet, then lift a hand into the air.  I was surprised a couple mornings ago to find him standing in his crib when I went in there to get him.  Now he does that every morning.

Our days are so hectic, I thought I'd write a poem about them...
Hectic mornings warming milk
Grumpiness I try to bilk
Binkies, blankets, sippy cup
Burp cloth covered with spit up

Poopy diaper, dirty bib
Babbles coming from the crib
Get them dressed from head to toe
Load the car and off we go

Cooking meals and serving dinner
Hit or miss which one's a winner
Flinging food and apple juice
On my floor make a slippery sluice

Playtime, snuggles, bubble baths
Man and wife just crossing paths
Stories, bedtime, brushing teeth
Eight p.m. sure brings relief

Midnight diaper changes galore
Please end soon, I do implore
Wake up early, start again
Where do I even begin

Can't drink coffee because caffeine
Will wire baby and ruin routine
Each day starts off so bleary eyed
Was it just last night I sat and cried?

So tired that I can't think straight
I don't realize until too late
The first of today's many mistakes
I just poured orange juice on my corn flakes

November 8, 2007

It's already Thursday.  How do some weeks pass by so quickly, and others go so slowly when each has the same number of hours?  I'm fighting a cold, hard.  I think I feel better than I did yesterday... it's such a tiny bit better, if is indeed better, that I still feel like crap.

We are all anxiously awaiting Leone's visit on Saturday.  She hasn't seen Avery since she was Asher's age, and has never met Asher.  I don't work on Monday, so will have that day off to spend with her and everyone.  I was looking forward to a ME day... and I might still be able to do something fun... but I have to make room for the possibility it won't happen.

Jamie is taking Donald today to sign up for the Job Corp.  I'm so thankful Donald reconsidered.  I think it's going to be the ONE thing that changes the direction of his life for the better.  That, and he'll be out of the house.. which is something I think ALL of us want at this point.  This morning was typical.  We all woke up early and Jamie and I did a dance for about 30  minutes which includes washing and filling bottles and breastpump, packing up kids' bags, my gym bag, my lunch, getting the kids changed, dressed and fed and getting everything gathered (shoes, blankets, binkies, jackets...) and packed up in the car by 7.  Donny just stands there watching all the havoc he created by getting kicked off the school bus, and all I can imagine is him sitting there with all this control enjoying it.  I have to try really hard not to let it bother me because otherwise it could really start my day off poorly.

Still no sure thing on my job.  I am having to work to get this grant proposal written by 30 November.  My job here depends on not only getting it submitted, but getting it funded.  I have no idea how to go about doing that, and it freaks me out.  I have an application in at Westminster and heard yesterday that I made the first cut, and may be invited for an interview.  I also talked to Joe yesterday about the possibility of my working for the Regional office.  That is the job I'd like.  I would be doing something entirely different than what I am doing now, have a permanent position (finally) and be getting paid more.  With these three irons in the fire, I have to think that by the time my contract here runs out in March that I'll be employed SOMEwhere.

The kids... what are they up to?  Well, yesterday I walked into the living room to find Asher standing up along the fireplace.  Little turkey pulled himself up- only a couple weeks after beginning to crawl.  The past few days have been hard for me because he seems to want to go to bed by 6 or so, and get up at 630, which leaves me little to no time with him outside of daycare.  Avery gets up earlier and stays up later, so I do get time with her.

I had a funny conversation with Avery today.  Funny, in and of itself, that I had a conversation... but it went something like this:
Me (to Asher): Hello pumpkin!
Avery: No, Avery puntin.
Me: Avery's my pumpkin?
Avery: dah
Me: Asher's not my pumpkin?
Avery: No, Avery puntin.
Me: Is Asher my muffin?
Avery: uuuuummmmmm, no.  Daddy.
Me: Daddy's my muffin?
Avery: dah
Me: What is Asher?
Avery: puntin
Me:  Is Asher my pumpkin too?
Avery: dah

What a hoot!  I can't believe how much she's talking and how well I usually can understand her.  It's hard to believe that Asher will be following her soon.  His babyhood is flying by much faster than Avery's seemed to.

November 2, 2007

It's Friday and I'm on the verge of another weekend.  I love weekends.  I get to spend time with my family, whom I miss terribly while I sit in my office all week long.

Just a few months ago I didn't like weekends much at all.  Asher was still little enough so that he was crying ALL the time.  Avery wasn't adjusting well to having a new baby in the house and her whining and crying was incessant.   They are older now. Avery isn't so upset with Asher, and is being nicer to him.  Asher is older, and a happier baby.

It's crazy how quickly things change.  Watching these kids develop has been the joy of my entire life.  Asher started crawling this week.  I swear it's to get away from Avery's clutches... but whatever the reason he seems so pleased with himself that he can get around after weeks of rocking back and forth on his heels, frustrated that he couldn't reach whatever toy was in front of him.

Avery talks more and more every day.  Even sentences like "no, I don't want that" which should irritate me based on their content fascinate me because she's learned to string FIVE words together.  She started singing this week.  I realized a few weeks ago that she wasn't singing along with me when I was singing If You're Happy and You Know It... it had never occurred to me that singing was a developmental milestone.  Sure enough, this week I was singing the ABC song and I heard her little voice hold a note or two in a row while she was dancing around.

Halloween was this week.  I made Avery a tutu, which was supposed to be a bunny costume but since I couldn't find her ears that night I put a tiara on her head and called her a princess.  Asher was a little ducky, but had a cold so he stayed in with me and we passed out candy.  Jamie got a fire call that evening, so I was alone with the kids to feed them, change them into costumes, and pass out candy.  Donny was pretty helpful, and ended up taking Avery trick or treating which was nice.  After all the crap he has put us through in the past couple months, I suppose it is the least he can do.