You can run but you can't hide

Claire likes to keep a close eye on things around here.  She likes to constantly know where people are and what they're doing.

I go into her room to get her in the morning or after her nap she'll ask where her dad is.  I say, "Where do you think he is?" She responds, "work." If I tell her he's not at work then she'll say, "potty?"

When her dad goes into her room in the morning she asks where I am.  He says, "Where do you think she is?" She responds, "blankets."  Meaning that I am either in bed or on the couch snuggled in blankets.

You can't hide your true self from a toddler.

Recipe for Success

Take one naked baby,
one sunny spring day (need not be warm depending on your baby type),
several measuring cups, spoons and toothbrushes,
and one porch.

Add one pot of water.

Enjoy a little time for yourself

Nap time stresses me out

Sometimes nap time stresses me out.  Claire sleeps for between 1.5 and 2 hours every day.  Nap time is "me" time.  No one else is home, the house is quiet and I get to do whatever I want to do. Sometimes I do contracting work, sometimes I read, sometimes I watch TV and blog, there were a couple of months there were I napped myself every day.  But I always "do" something that's just for me.

And that is actually where the stress comes in.  When things come up that don't fit into my categorization of "me" time it throws me for a little loop.  Prepping for dinner, for example, does not count as "me" time.  Showering, tampoco. Cleaning up the lunch dishes, straightening up the house, folding laundry, none of these count as "me" time.  The trick is that I actually have to do them very frequently during nap time and every time I do it stresses me out because I know that I'm wasting this most precious time of the day.

Have you ever gone a long time without going on a real date with your significant other?  And when you finally go on a date, months or weeks later, you feel like you need to be enjoying every second of it?  And if you're just having a good time but not a great time you're wasting this one opportunity you have for a date?

Nap time brings up that same kind of crazy in me.

When you know, you know.

Last week grandma sent money for Claire's birthday present. I had asked for a pair of saltwater sandals. We had a pair last year (which grandma bought us--I don't know that I would have splurged on them but I am so glad grandma did because I am convinced forever of their amazingness).  Last year's pair was bright pink and Claire wore them almost every day for nearly 10 months.  We decided it was time to retire them just last month when we put them on and after taking a couple of steps Claire called out, "too tight.  Too tight."

Thursday we walked into Nordstrom and I held Claire up to the display and said, "What color do you want? White, silver, pink or purple?" I would have picked white or silver--practical me thinking about how you can wear those with everything and when you're spending $30 on a pair of kid shoes you want to make the most of them.  Claire had a different idea.  As soon as she saw the bright purple sandals her little face lit up and I could just tell that those sandals sang to her heart. "Purple! Purple!" she called.

So we splurged.  All I had to do was remind myself that really, you can wear bright purple sandals with everything too.

*I know it was a good decision as she has insisted on napping with the shoes in her crib for the last 3 days.

The Ugly Duckling

Yesterday I went to a religious meeting where they played this video.  I cried like a baby (this can probably only be partially blamed on my current VERY heightened emotional state).

As a person who often sees herself as an ugly duckling, I would like to share it with you.



If you don't have the 3 minutes to dedicate to watching I'll just quote for you the best bit.

"Look into the water and see your true reflection.  It is my prayer and blessing that when you look at your reflection you will be able to see beyond imperfections and self doubt and recognize who you truly are; glorious sons and daughter of the most holy God."

Swim on my dear swan friends, swim on.

But that would be insincere

Dear Neighbors, Landscapers and property management company,
If you are wondering who has been...

pulling all of the red berries off the of bushes and putting them into the cracks in the sidewalk,

and beheading the lavender plants I have a confession.  If you're wondering why the side of the pink flower bush closest to our house is completely bare of blooms,

and why all of the rocks in one section of landscaping are suddenly missing (don't worry--only a small percentage of them are off the premise.  You'll find the majority of them thrown into the bushes.)

I confess.  It's us. I'd apologize but that would be insincere--I'm not really sorry.

Love,
Sallee

30 Rocking

Remember how I told you I'm a born rule follower? I've been catching up on my 30 Rock viewing and it seems that Liz Lemon and I are soul mates.

“What do the rules ever get me? The worst seat the movies? A bunch of music that I paid for? A drawer full of leaky batteries that I don’t know what to do with? Rules? There’s only one rule now, Kenneth. Plastic cups go on the top rack of the dish rack so they don’t melt. Otherwise, no rules!” — Liz

Well played Liz Lemon.  Well Played.