Phase One Complete

Well, Peanuts.  We somehow survived the pack out.
People always say, "oh how nice! How nice that they pack for you! That saves you so much time and effort!"  Yes.  It is and it does.  But.
I have learned from experience now, that sitting back with a cocktail as the (lowest bidders for the job) packers do it all for you, is a decision that will only necessitate a great many cocktails on the other end of that move.  The packers are about speed; they see something, dump it in a box, move on.  So if, for instance, you have a little box of pins in your sewing drawer, it will be all kinds of interesting unpacking the box they got dumped into when you get to the new place.  Like your own welcome cactus in a box!  Or if, for instance, you are me and you like things to be organized and so you put everything into little labeled boxes and baskets and such, you are going to be silently listing all the expletives you know when you see that the packers took aaaallllll the categorized, organized toys in the whole playroom, and dumped each box out together in one big box, and then put all your boxes in another box. Why?  Why commingle the barbies with the trains?  Why all the legos all mixed in with the monopoly game pieces and hundreds of puzzle pieces?  Did I insult someone's mother?  I mean, why?  Imagine how fun it is to have a whole house to set up, and have to spend an entire afternoon sitting on the floor....playing puzzles. And jewelry. 20 little chain necklaces all in one giant knot.  That will take two afternoons.  If there is trash in the wastebasket, it's getting dumped in a box (with other stuff!) and packed.  If there are wet washcloths hanging, you are getting a box of mold on the other end. And so.  I have learned the importance of pre-packing.  This time around, with J's help, I managed to get it all done in two (very long) days (and most of the night).  Here are my tips for military movers:

1) Have a yard sale and/or donation cleanse first.  I think it helps the transition to involve the kids.  We went through all their stuff and made a pile of things that "someone else might love to have".  On yard-sale day, I spread out two big blankets, gave them a cash box, a stool, and an box for a counter, and let them set up their "store".  They spent half the morning working on their displays, putting shoes here and books there. They were in charge of setting prices, negotiating with buyers, collecting and counting money, and giving back change.  The rule is, whatever money is made from the sale of their things, they get to keep.  This is a pretty good motivation to let things go.

2) Go through all bottles of shampoo and such and either ziplock them or be sure those lids are closed and tight.  The packers do not always care if the shampoo is open and upside-down.

3) Tiny things like needles, thumbtacks, paperclips, and jewelry have to be placed into a container that will not open.  For jewelry, I fold each necklace or pair of earrings into a handkerchief; roll, place another in, roll, etc. to keep them padded and separate.  Then I put the rolled handkerchiefs into a jewelry bag zip it up, and wrap it.

4)Movers wrap is my best friend.  It's basically a ginormous roll of really strong saran wrap.  All my little boxes and baskets, all the puzzles, and so on get wrapped up in that stuff.  This time I wrapped an entire cabinet of little drawers.  Because I am not separating dress-up shoes from tiaras all day in July.  I would rather have the moving guy look at me funny.  I explain in the beginning that if it's wrapped in plastic, it goes as is.  Some packers hate me for it (takes up a lot more boxes), some love it (most of the job is done for them).  But it's the difference between unpacking a room in one day, or taking a week to sort things out.  I've even taken drawers out of dressers, wrapped them, and had them pack the drawers into boxes.  When I get there, I just stick the drawers in and I'm done! It's easy to wash a drawer at a time and put a whole load back in one place, rather than re-sort everything.

5) Make signs.  I empty a closet or two myself, then put everything I don't want packed in there and make a "do not pack" sign on the door.

6) Because things can be handled roughly, lost, or stored in uncontrolled conditions, go through and take out anything that is really special, or can't be replaced (like old film photo albums, little clay baby handprints, old family things, and a hard-drive with photos and videos), and pull it out.  Usually we put them in our trunk and drive it to the new house ourselves, but since that would mean hauling it around for six weeks (and I have to admit I have a ton of old photo albums), we left it with a friend this time.  We also had a generous friend collect and babysit our house plants until we can pick them up.

7)Anything you don't want dirty (throw pillows, sofas, anything) or that is really fragile, wrap yourself.

7) Do ALL the laundry, empty wastebaskets, wash ALL the dishes, and keep people from using them.  So hard with little kids who are in the routine of throwing things away in certain places.  And changing their outfits five HUNDRED times a day.

Not to mention, all the stuff in high cabinets or shelves has to be brought down, all the stuff on the walls taken down, swing sets and play houses dismantled, electronics unplugged and serial numbers listed, hardware labeled, etc.

So even though it truly is a huge service to have packers come and do the heavy work, it's not exactly a breeze, unless I want to pay for it later.
We arranged to have the Sisters stay late at school on those days to keep them out of harms way, and after the packers left I would move things around to make their room safe again.
Coming home and seeing all your stuff gone and a bunch of boxes in its place can be upsetting for little ones.  To help ease the pain, we bend some of our rules during moving time.  We let them watch a movie on a school night (bonus of keeping them entertained safely, away from towers of boxes that could topple if climbed), have popsicles, and stay up late for extra cuddles.  I also gave them a sheet of "This box belongs to me" stickers to put on their boxes so we can find them right away when we get there.

And the last night, we got to go to a hotel with a swimming pool.  Oooohhhh.  Aaaaahhhhh.

So far Missy actually seems to be loving the adventure of it all, and until She collapses from the lack of naps at the end of the day is extraordinarily cheerful.  Little One is very, very sad to leave friends behind, and to leave the familiar, and alternates between being happy and excited, sad and tearful, and moody and obstinate.  Frankly I'm pretty much the same, so I get it.  Moving is hard.  It takes a lot of work and is, in every sense of the word, unsettling.  The one I'm looking to as a role model in all of this is Little Mister.  Mister has had some protesting over the disruption of His perfect schedule.  But overall He is dealing with it all better than any of us.

He doesn't care about our stuff being boxed up, or whether it will arrive in one piece, or at all.  Who cares about a bunch of stuff?  He doesn't care that His fancy play gym is gone and He has to roll around on a flattened box, playing with some sunglasses and a random plastic lid.  Why not be happy with whatever we have in this moment?  He doesn't care that we are leaving places and people behind. Why not focus on Now, on the sound of the birds in the trees and the warm breeze through the window and the amazing entertainment of our own toes? Really, so long as He has His most basic of needs covered and is with His loved and trusted family, He hardly cares what else goes on.

I have cleaned, sorted, padded, wrapped for our move.  I have packed, labeled, planned, back-up planned for our trip.  I have good-byed, thanked, and KIT promised many friends.  Ok.  But now?  Now is the time to be like Mister, and let it all go.  Now we set off on our next chapter, and take it day by day, moment by moment.  Despite all of it, things will get lost.  They will break.  Vacation failures will happen and some friendships will fade.  But we have our most basic needs covered, and we are all together.  We really couldn't ask for more.
Of course, swimming, warm baths, The Magic School Bus, and a pizza party in our hotel room aren't bad bonuses at all.

Be Optimistic

Our Little One was born with Her arms stretched wide, greeting the world at the top of Her lungs.

I know, now, that She was singing.  

She's rarely stopped since.  A chance whim of mine to let Her watch Mary Martin's Peter Pan  during one of Her fevers, at two, hooked Her deeply and forever on musicals and broadway show tunes.  This genre, never present in our home before Little One, has become a permanent Pandora station, and in a way serves as background music for much of our last few years.  

Some time ago, I accompanied the Little's lunch (soup) with a song I recalled from childhood (concerning monkeys and rabbits that loop the loop), and the giggles it produced compelled me to play the original version for them on YouTube.  

There was Shirley Temple, tapping her toes, bouncing her curls, and singing away to adulation.  Little Miss loved it.  She couldn't get enough.  As for Little One?  She seemed to see in Shirley a soul cut of the same cloth.  They both fell in love.

Who hasn't?  I remember watching those curls bounce and trying to tap along when I was little.  I remember my mother humming along, surely transported to her own childhood dreams of the good ship lollipop.  And one of my dearest memories is of sitting in the guest room with my grandmother, as she reverently brought out the Shirley Temple paper dolls she had played with as a child- and saved all those years, they were that precious.  We played with them for hours; Shirley Temple could close the gap of two generations so simply.  

She's hemmed in another generation in this family now, too, encompassing my children.  We keep a lookout for Shirley in the movie section of the library, and even though there are no animations, no special effects, sometimes not even color, they easily compete with the flashiest modern productions for a place in my Little's interest.  

Most recently, we watched (and re-watched, and again) Little Miss Broadway, and a part of that movie twirled out of the screen and affixed itself to our daily lives like a sequin on one of Miss Shirley's flouncy dresses.  

It began with Little Miss.  You are familiar with Missy?  Of the world-infamous frowny face?  There was one episode in which this face which was particularly stubborn and I could not seem to remove it, no matter what solvent I tried.  Then Little One swept in- Her own curls bouncing- regaling Missy with their favorite song from Little Miss Broadway.  

"Be optimistic!" Little One crooned at Her sister, "Don't you be a grumpy! When the road gets bumpy, just smile!"

Like a magic spell, Missy broke out in laughter.  It has been our lucky charm ever since.  Whenever one of us begins to pout or get cranky, someone pipes up with the little song and, if you can believe it, we just about always end up all smiles, the lot of us.  It's a silly, old fashioned song.  Which is just the point.  You can't hear it or sing it without laughing.  Try it!  

I'm not much for the worship of celebrity.  I mean, I don't know these people, and I find it odd to be transfixed by someone I've never met.  So I can't say that I'm personally affected by the death of Shirley Temple Black, as a person.  But I can say I feel a gratitude for the uncommon manner in which she managed to serve as a positive role model her entire life.  And I do have a tenderness in my heart for the idea of Shirley Temple- the idea of generations of people cherishing innocence and simple fun despite themselves. 

So, to commemorate this legacy and honor the ray of sunshine her childhood curls have reflected into my own family's life, here is our Little tribute.

Epipen Apron- ChocolateCherryChewies

As you all know, we have serious food allergy issues around here, including milk and eggs. 
As you also know, I love to bake.  I mean, love to bake. 
These two facts tend to snarl at each other and make bitey faces.  They don't get along. 
But because of my deep love for both homemade confections and keeping my children alive, I have become an allergy/baking mediator. 
It's an ongoing process.  But I've pretty much got the opposing sides down to a few snarky comments and mild glares across the room. 
I am not trained in this art; I make it up as I go along.  So to both record successes where they occur (so I don't forget them) and share with anyone else who has similarly warring factions residing in their kitchens, I thought I'd start sharing some of my tactics on here. 
How about beginning with the treats I threw together last night? 
I was cleaning up after dinner, when I came across some candied cherries left over from a long ago recipe which called for, like, three.  Then what's a girl to do with a bunch of candied cherries that just sit on the shelf and stare at people?  There are no free rides in this house, people!  I decided it was time for those cherries to earn their keep. 

Vegan Chocolate-Cherry-Chewies   (alliteration is fun)

1 Stick of softened Earth Balance margarine
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 flax egg
1 heaping cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp corn starch
Half a bag of ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips*
Half cup maraschino cherries, chopped

Cream together the Earth Balance with the sugars. 
Add the vanilla and pre-whipped up flax egg and beat until smooth.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and corn starch and add slowly to the sugar mixture.  Beat on medium speed until combined. 
Stir in chocolate chips and cherries
Bake at 375 for 11 minutes. 
Yum.

A couple of notes.
1) Don't switch the Earth Balance for some other margarine.  I'm not getting kickbacks for saying so (unfortunately) but truly no other brand comes as close to actual butter in baking.  I'll have to try these with coconut cream one day, that might be yummy.  But if for now, only Earth Balance sticks. 

2) A flax egg is just ground flax seeds mixed with water.  You can buy flax meal at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, sometimes regular grocery stores in the health food section. When you whip them up with a fork, they will reach the consistency of a raw egg.  I just estimate the ratio based on making sure that consistency is right, and then use an egg's worth of the goo, rather than measure exactly how much flax to water. Even though most bakers prefer exact measurements, it always turns out better this way. 

3) Don't argue with me about the corn starch.  Just do it.  Trust me.

4) As a disclaimer for allergy people, the ghiradelli people are serious about warning that these chips are made on the same production line as dairy products.  The line is washed off between products, but there could always be trace amounts remaining.  Those with doubts should use a true vegan or dairy-free chocolate chip.  But Little One is as sensitive to dairy as it gets, and I've used these (too) many times over the years without issue.  Plus, they are in my opinion the absolute best tasting of the lot of vegan chocolate chips, especially for cookies.

5) Because of the flax and the high ratio of brown sugar, these cookies turn out a little darker than a typical chocolate chip cookie.  But eleven minutes is about perfect, they will still be soft and chewy.


And there you go. Just skip these posts if you are like me and know deep in your heart that there is no substitute for butter.  But if you are a veganish or allergic baker, check back and click the "Epipen Apron" tag.  Our cookie jar is never empty.

Littles in Flight

The first question people ask me about our trip to Africa is- how was the plane ride?!?
I will be honest.
The flight(s) to Addis Ababa were.....awesome.
Seriously.  Believe it or not, the trip across the world with two Littles was not just fine, it was fun.
I used all the tricks I've saved up from dozens of domestic flights with kids, my memory of flying with four on the same route long ago, and some great tips from a friend who is like, BFF's with international travel and children.  Would you like to know the trade secrets?

1) Trunki.

Missy Rocking Her Trunki

 We could do an ad for Trunki with happy hearts.  This little rolling suitcase is not only super cute, but super handy on long flights,

Little One toting Miss (these pics are from another trip)

especially if there is a lot of walking through terminals or long layovers.
It's easy for even small kids to pull by themselves, doubles as an entertaining ride-on toy, and can be hooked together with other Trunkis so that multiple tired children can be pulled through the airport with one hand. Hollering "Choo-choo!" to amuse fellow travelers.
I only allow Trunki to be used for travel, so the novelty value is huge and keeps even worn out Littles giggling between flights.  Plus, getting to be "in charge" of one's own luggage feels very grown-up and responsible, and helps Littles behave accordingly.

Also a good place to sit. And wait. 

2) Surprise bags.

Each Little has their own special Trunki as their personal carry-on.  Inside are a change of clothes, jammies and disposable toothbrush if it's an overnight flight, and their "surprise bags".
The surprise bag is a backpack full o' fun.  They contain one very special, familiar toy, and a bunch of brand new, never seen before activities.  Ours had color wonder markers and pages, crayons and new activity books, story books, stampers, stickers, a bag with pony beads and pipecleaners to make bracelets, little jars of play doh, magnet boards, wind up toys, puzzles, and those little pills that magically turn into dinosaurs in water.  Oooohhhh.  Aaaaahhhhh.   Little One's bag also had Her "homework" from preschool.
I allow one activity at a time, and always exhaust the resources of the surprise bag before resorting to anything electronic.  I have found that I usually don't need to, and that these kinds of activities not only keep them from getting stir-crazy, but they morph an uncomfortable ride into quality time with my kids.  Oooohhhh.  Aaaahhhhh. The magical Surprise Bags.  My mom did this for us when we were small, and they are almost as fun on the other side.  Thanks mom!

3)Snacks

It's like a kid-size pacifier. With vitamins.

I don't usually do hand out snacks, but some of the best advice I received from my wise friend was:  "Bend your rules a little.  Or a lot."
I put two snack bags in each Surprise Bag, a "salty" (pretzels, pita chips, soy nuts, turky-jerky, freeze dried peas and edamame), and a "sweet" (dried and freeze-dried fruit, cheerios, millet, coconut chips, maybe a few mini-graham crackers).  The novelty of deciding between salty and sweet is a great distraction somehow, and mixing all those little snacks into one bag becomes an activity in itself.  They might spend fifteen minutes rooting around for the last coconut chip or pretzel, or counting how many raisins they can find.
I also keep a bag of snacks in my own carry-on to hand out as needed.  Because of unexpected delays and food allergies, I usually bring enough for us to all survive on if our plane crashed on a deserted island.  One big treat I like on planes is the pureed fruit packets with the spout for toddlers to suck the fruit out.  For one, it's a big treat and so it has entertainment value.  But they are also good for take off/landings to keep ears clear.  I do bring the straw-type sip cups for that as well, and to keep drinks from spilling.

4) Electronic back-up
Since it was such a long flight, I brought an ipad loaded with apps and episodes of permissible shows (and of course Miss's beloved Baby Movie), and an ipod with some of the same. Noise-regulating earphones in each surprise bag.  Between those devices and the nature channel episodes provided by the airplane, I had plenty of back up in case the surprise bags got tiresome or an emergency arose.... as it did on the return flight (but that's another story).

5) Sleep
I'd never done this before but my friend swore by it, so on this long journey I brought Little One's car seat.  Now I swear by it too. She didn't have to wiggle and wriggle, toss and turn, mess with the metal seatbelt jabbing Her side, and end up making me a prisoner by falling asleep with Her head in my lap.  She was in a comfortable, familiar chair in which She knows from experience just how to lean to sleep comfortably.  Leaving me free to tend to the other Little or make bathroom breaks or whatever.  (Also, it was nice to know that if I had needed to buckle one of them in so they couldnt go anywhere, I could have.)
Another trick for a night flight (again suggested by my friend) was to bring them on the plane in their regular clothes, but once we were in the air and had settled in, change them into PJs- giving them a mental hint that it was time to sleep- and do as much bedtime routine as possible.  We washed faces, brushed teeth and hair, read a story, and got tucked into blankets.

Since Miss was a lap child, I got to the airport at the exact time they opened up for check in- four hours before boarding- to make sure we got an infant bassinet.  She slept like, well, a baby in that thing and I had my hands and lap free. 

Between all that, the little colored pencils and such Lufthansa provides, and the excitement of the plane (funny meals in little trays, being allowed apple juice from the drink cart, being allowed to push the buttons on the armrest radio as much as their little hearts desired), the plane was a breeze.

The girls slept all the way to Germany and for the most part so did I.  The second flight miss napped a bit but mostly we were all busy with the surprise bags.  When we got off, I was a little sad the fun was over.

I know all that may sound like over-preparation, and I did have to haul two children, three carry-ons, and a car seat through Frankfurt to switch planes. (Frankfurt of all places). But it paid off.
After 19 hours of traveling we all had fun, no one cried, over a dozen people came up to compliment us on the Littles behavior, and when we finally arrived in Addis -I kid you not- we received a standing ovation from our surrounding passengers and flight crew.

Of course the flight home was a little more of an adventure.  But that's another story. 

Disney World

Disney. 

 So many things come to mind when I hear that word.  Some good, some notsomuch, but one thing I know is that a three-year-old-princess-ballerina-adventurer would love Disney World.  So when my mom and I realized we had just enough time to squeeze in a visit (maybe our last chance before we move beyond driving distance) we went for it.  

 It was a pretty packed trip. 9 hours of driving to get in at 1am, hit the park at breakfast time on Miss's birthday and pack in a day of fast-pass park criss-crossing (we stayed until midnight) then a morning at the pool and another long drive late into the night.  Whew!

Was it worth it? Peanuts.  They don't call it the Magic Kingdom for nothing. 

Little One knew what the top priority was for Her as soon as we got past those castle gates.  

Meet. The. Princesses.  

She was completely star-struck.  She used Her best royal manners; offering Her hand and curtseying, "nice-a meet you!"  She was completely unamused by the overt spunkiness of the tinkerbell lot, but treated Minnie, Mickey, and Pinocchio like old friends.  

After having been introduced to all these VIPs, Little One deemed the trip a success! 

But there was more.  Dancing.  Singing. 

Possibly Her favorite part- "the singer-guys from the Music Man!"

  

Popsicle.  

Nice of Disney to give Little One a free popsicle for Her sister's birthday

And, oh yes.  Rides.  

Little One LOVED the rides.  She didn't even mind waiting in the incredible lines for the rides.  She asked for the kiddie-coaster ("Little too scary, Mama. But it's ok, we can tell Dada how I was so brave on there!") She was giddy over the teacups, She's still talking about the Pooh ride with Nana.  

Now.  

In case any of you felt like taking the word of a teenaged employee, having not been on the ride since loooong before Jack Sparrow swashbuckled, I am here to tell you.  

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN IS TOO SCARY FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS.   Let alone one-year-olds.  The acrid smell of parental guilt and the thick smoke of impending doom as the boat departed into a dank tunnel ringing with the croak of "Deeaaaad Meeennn Teeelll Noooo Taaaaaaaalllleeeeesss!!" will unfortunately go down as a black spot on our cartoonishly happy Disney experience.  

As will the next six agonizing minutes of huddling together, trying to cover the disturbing soundtrack with my own cheery narrative- 

"Ha ha. Ha.  Look, that pirate has a pet pig.  Cute little piggy! Oooh, those ones are having a big campfire.  Maybe they are running to get marshmallows! Oh yes, silly doggy! Silly doggy tricked those funny pirates into getting in his cage! Look there, he's bringing back the keys! He was just pretending, good doggy! Ha. Haaa haa!  Such funny little pirates!"  Right. 

The physical trembling of my poor Little One (why don't those things have an emergency eject button?) made us a little wary of the next ride.

Especially since my parents are still telling the tale of how I was so horrified on it that I literally tried to jump overboard when I was Little One's age. 

But you all know Little One (aka Little-One-Lilly-Ti-ger!) and Her love of- Peter Pan. So we tried it. 

 

She LOVED it.  In fact, at the end She told every passer-by how UN-scared She was; how much fun it had been.  And how the fact that the croc was letting Hook dance on its head, and that Hook was so joyfully doing so, proved to Her that they were actually both friends. That they were nice, after all! 

If you say so, kid.

What surprised me most was how much Little Miss enjoyed the whole thing.  

She loved it! First of all, It's A Small World.  

"This trippy place is a-MAZ-ing!

 Ho. ly. cow. If I had left Her in there, She'd still be bopping around.  Dancing and grinning, giggling and clapping, waving and ooh-ing and aah-ing.  

A whole land of eternally happy, dancing, tiny people?!  

She found where She belongs, guys.  We went through twice. 

It IS a small world, after all!

Miss was also hugely into the parades, the carousel, and the multitudes of people to flirt with (the one person in Disney who actually likes long lines). Not to mention all the hanging out with Nana time while Little One and I hit the big(ish) kid rides. 

"why did we stop? I need some spurs fer this hoss."

"I get to ring this just 'cause it's my birthday?! You people rock."

We did just about everything there was to do, staying until the park closed.  Disney was even so kind as to provide the Littles with their all-time favorite dinner (salmon and broccoli).  And Nana was so kind as to provide Little One with the one object She had coveted all day long.  

 

It could not have been more magical.  

 

Despite the insanely long, overstimulating, and jam-packed day, despite the no-naps, the late dinner, and the long lines to get anywhere (including out of the park), I am happy to say that there were no tantrums, no cases of the gimmes, no complaints from my little princesses.  

Around 11pm- Little One a little disheveled but still having fun! Missy all magic-ed out.

The only tears shed all day were a few shimmering down Little One's cheek in the moonlight 

as we walked away.  

"Bye Disney wor-wold.  I just miss you so much.  I love you all the days."

For You, For Now

After a long, I mean LOOOOOONG Thanksgiving trip, we had a lot to be thankful for.  I want to tell you about it, but today I have been busy busy doing laundry, doing work on the computer, and packing. All in preparation for our next trip, tomorrow. We are going to DC for the AFC benefit! 
Today is World AIDS Day.  IF you were sitting around, thinking of all you had to be Thankful for, and wishing you could express that thanks by giving back, AND at the same time thinking, hmm, what to do for World AIDS Day, well GUESS WHAT!
I have just the thing for you.  It's right here: http://artistsforcharity.org/new/about/who-we-are/.

2 months

What the? Was there a month that just happened? Where is it? Did you see it?  It just flashed by!  I find it hard to believe that whole month really was here and left before I even noticed it, but the calendar says that Little Miss is Two Months Old, and so I guess it did.
Miss has been busy this month, growing mostly. 
She has developed these absolutely fabulous rolls in Her thighs which give Her the appearance of a nice round dumpling.  Her newborn rash is gone, thankfully, and Her dimples (on both sets of cheeks) are in full heart-melting effect. 
In the last month, Little Miss has been working hard at becoming a Baby, instead of a larval newborn, and has made some serious efforts in three areas:
One- communications. 
This girl wants so much to just have a nice chat about the weather. Or whatever.  She focuses hard on your mouth as you speak, furrows Her brow in concentration, shapes Her lips in whatever shape yours are in- or as close as She can get them- and then coos.  She has the coo!
In Her case, it mostly goes, "Ah-goo!"  and then She grins in pride. 
And She grins a lot.  This is one smiley baby.  All She really needs is eye contact and a hello to break out the dimples.  Sing a song, make funny noises/faces, or laugh at something and She will add full-body giggles to the smile.  Little One still holds the record for most baby smiles and giggles racked up, but we've all been lucky enough to experience them.  It's like having rays of sunshine beam in through your eyes and shoot through to your toes and out your fingertips, just filling you with light. Is there anything better than hearing your child laugh?  No.  Even really good chocolate can just not compete.  
Two- Physical attention.
"Hey! Hey look at me! I'm awake! I'm all big and two months old, and I don't just sleep all the time anymore!  I'd like to be entertained now please or preferably cuddled.  Oooohh....in fact, cuddled.  Yes.  Only that will do.  Cuddle me or I will crinkle up in a pathetic, sad-faced little heap and pop out my trembly lip and actually say, 'Waah!'" 
Little Miss wants only one thing in life, really, which is just to be carried around. 
My mei tai is an absolute life essential to me at this point.  Without it no meals would get made, no laundry or housekeeping done, no swings pushed at the playground, nada.   It frees up my hands and also tranquilizes Little Miss, who can't seem to stay awake in that thing for longer than 2 minute stretches, max.  She looooves it.  Especially if I put Her in so that Her head flops back a little.  Enough for Her to be really comfy and for strangers at the market to warn me that Her head is falling off.
Three- Schedules.
Little Miss doesn't know what the matter is with us disorganized people that we just make things all up as we go.  Because She, for one, would prefer to have a PDA and digital alarm and stick to the schedule people!  With no help from me- except that I just sort of go with it- Little Miss has sorted Herself into a very regular bed time- (extra cuddles DEMANDED at 8pm, out cold in the cradle by 8:30) and sleeps through the night until I wake Her to feed at 4:30.  Then back to sleep till 6:30. 
She has also chosen regular nap times, which I would be wise to encourage, but I tend to ignore when I have other plans.  Bad C!  Because if Little Miss had Her way, She would take a nice solid nap at 9:30 and at 2pm (when Little One sleeps) every day, besides Her carrier-comas.  She'd rather be rocked to sleep, but She's perfectly happy to just be put down with a pacifier.  Sleep times are an exception to the cuddle me all day rule. 
Oh, but the pacifier.  Consider this foreshadowing.  I think this friendly little piece of plastic will become a formidable enemy in the future.  I hope I'm wrong.  But you can go ahead and mark those words, Peanuts, because I see an addiction coming on.  She displays several of the signs already.  We'll see. 
Other than that lurking shadow, though, we are sailing through the weeks because Little Miss is such a breeze.  Not that I'm biased, but She really is the easiest baby I've ever cared for, and ties Her sister for the most fun.  At two months, I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of two Littles, and we have evolved a new 'normal' in the By The Way household.  I can honestly say that I am having the time of my life.  Happy Birthday, Little Miss!  You are two wonderful. 

The Magical Letter O

I am picky about car seats.
My experience with the EMS field has made me a serious believer in the importance of safe car seats.
I am willing to sell minor or extra organs if I have to to finance the purchase of the very, very safest car seat there is.
Unfortunately, this car seat has been sold out of everywhere for gosh-darn ever.  And if this baby ever decides to be born, She'll need that car seat so we can get Her home with us.
I had a terrible time finding this thing.  I finally found an online store that said they had them in stock, only to order, get a receipt, and then a three word email the next day: "out of stock".
I finally called the ONLY other company I could find that claimed to have this car seat, and luckily seemed to have struck a gold mine and found not only what appears to be the LAST Recaro Signo G2 in America (they had exactly one left) but also the ONLY decently helpful customer service representative.  Maybe on earth. 
If you are in the market for a car seat, I seriously recommend you get one from this website, because they are awesome there.  I also recommend this elusive car seat, which far exceeds US safety standards and is often referred to as the "ferrari of car seats".  It is made by the same company that manufactures the safety seats in race cars. The kind that go careening around constantly on the brink of disaster.  If you have ever been in a vehicle with me at the wheel, you know that the experiences are not dissimilar. So, since I will be the primary Jeeves to Little Miss's limousine, it really was vital that this car seat be found. 
Before I found the Last Awesome Car Seat and the Last Good Customer Service Rep, I was getting fairly frustrated with my quest for this thing.  I was questing about on my laptop, when Little One observed my unhappiness:

C: "This is becoming silly".  

Little One: "Oh! Oh no mamma, what matter? Sompin wrong you momma?"

She settled Herself in my lap, between me and the computer screen, and studied us both.

Little One: "Here, let me see.  Hm.  Ok.  Ok, don't worry mommy! Little One, help you! Little One help you, yes ma'am!  Look mommy see!"

She very carefully, very specifically, pressed the letter "O" on my keyboard.

Little One: "See! See mommy, there 'go!"

She cupped my chin in Her hands and looked at me reassuringly.

Little One: "See mommy. Little One just, just push a button, make it ever-thing, all better!!! Now ok momma? You don't worry?" 

It was amazing.  All She had to do was push a button.  And like magic, even though my problem wasn't solved, I tell you I did feel all better.

And now I have one fantastic car seat, one fantastic kid, and one more of each on the way. 

Baby Got Back

You all may have noticed a little something about Little One. A big something, rather. Now, this something resides in the relative area that I, too, happen to have a big something, BUT, you may be surprised to know, it is not a genetic "gift" from me. And to rule out any suspicions of scandal and invasive maternity-suits I'll just tell you right now that She didn't get it from Beyonce, either. AND, although Little One has produced many chubtacular rolls and dimples in the last couple of months, She did not create those curves Herself.
Little One is extra-bootylicious thanks to a rare and valuable undergarment, infrequently seen this side of the Huggies revolution of the 1970's. It's called a cloth diaper. And it rocks Little One's universe, yes it does. Besides offering a little explanation of the booty's liciousness, I also would like to do a little product placement for any of you out there getting ready to handle your own baby goo exportation.
Because cloth diapers save the planet, people. The planet! You too could be superhero, saving the world one baby goo at a time! They also save loads of cash, which could instead be used on other Fun Stuff! (This, by the way, is true, because J is a human calculator and figured it out with Math. Math does not lie, and it says that we are saving $ and $). They also make Little One's booty very very happy. She doesn't get wrapped into any unpronounceable, multi-syllabic chemicals and does not get diaper rash. And really, if you use your imagination, you will understand that it would be NO fun at ALL to have rashes on your butt. *shudder*. PLUS, in what I consider to be one of the greatest advantages, they do not explode.Please revisit my Arizona christmas post or contact my friend K if you would like to know how a diaper can explode. It can my friend. And it isn't pretty. Many a helpless, innocent pink outfit has died the horrible, tragic death of irreversible poosplosion stain because of disposable diapers and a phenomenon called "blowout". I'm realizing I should have put a disclaimer on this post. Too late now! Little One has had a few diaper eruptions, but always when, for some reason, I had Her in a paper diaper. The cloth ones have never failed.
SO- product placement!
Imagine those cloth squares with the funny safety pins as the fish in that evolution cartoon. Those things are obsolete, and I have used them, and they are exempted from my endorsement.
As a newborn, Little One covered Her teeny little bum with Kissaluvs diapers, and thirsties and bummis covers. Now that She really does have some junk in the trunk, we have moved on to bumgenius. These are the BEST. They are easy easy easy to wash and use, plus they are cute and not much more bulky than a paper diaper. They are just like using a disposable, except you wash them instead of throwing them away.
So if you have baby goo coming to your life soon, try it! Then your baby's booty could be as spectacular as Little One's, saving itself from rashes! Saving money! Saving the planet! And, if your baby's booty tries really hard, it might even be this cute. Might.