Comebacks

In the shower this morning I remembered some vaguely rude thing someone said to me and I finally came up with a wonderfully biting comment that would have surely put her in her place. You know, if I hadn't thought of it two weeks late, in the shower, alone. I hate that! It's so unfair! I can count on one hand the number of times I've had timely comebacks to random rudeness.

One of my favorite times (and I know some of y'all have heard this one) was when Molly was a little under a year. It was a gorgeous Fall day. It was sunny and around 60-65 degrees. I picked Molly up from daycare and we went to the Post Office. I had dressed her relatively warmly that day; she was probably overdressed for the weather, so I didn't worry about putting a sweater or coat on her. She had also taken her shoes and socks off, but again, 60 degrees, so I didn't bother to put them back on for the 10 foot walk to the door.

There was quite a line in the post office, so Molly and I got behind two older ladies and began to wait. The two ladies kept glancing back at us, I kind assumed that they were looking at my super cute baby (or maybe me, who knows how they swing), but I was wrong, mostly. They were looking at my baby, but not because she was disturbingly cute, but because she was, in their opinion, woefully under-dressed for the frigid weather. Of course they didn't tell me that directly, instead they had a conversation in front of me.

Hag 1: Oh, my, that poor baby.
Hag 2: That's just terrible, poor thing.
Hag 1: Not even wearing socks, let alone boots.
Hag 2: I wonder where her coat is.

Molly coughs as she was getting over a bit of a cold (I liked to refer to the colds she got in daycare as kennel cough. I know, I'm awful).

Hag 2: (Very loudly) If that baby were dressed properly, she wouldnt be so sick!

Me: (Just as loud) Oh, that? She didn't get that cough from being cold, she probably got it from licking the floor at the mall when we were there the other day, don't worry about it.

They just stared at me. One of them may have forked the evil eye at me, not entirely sure. Other people in line laughed and I had my moment of glory. Four years later and I still roll that little memory out for myself every time I have a missed comeback.

Mornings

My favorite time of the day has become morning.  Really.  Early morning, right when I wake up.  Because my husband is made of facial hair and awesome, he gets up with the two older kids, leaving me to lounge about feed Maggie in bed. 

Feeding does happen, but mostly it's just general cuddling and smiling and giggling.  Maggie wakes up so happy in the morning that it should be illegal. She giggles, she "talks" to me, and she pets my face.  And I love it.

I didn't get to do this as much with the older kids because most mornings were filled with showers, feedings and daycare supply gathering.  I never got this extra chunk of time every day to just hang out with my babies doing nothing.  I really wish I had because it's so wonderful.

I know it won't last forever, Maggie's almost 6 months old* now, and she's already on the move.  Pretty soon she'll be crawling out of bed with her brother and sister, But for now, she's perfectly content just hanging out with me, hogging my bed, and I'm perfectly fine with that.


*6 months is the most magical of baby ages.  Six-month old babies are great, they are the reason people keep having babies.  They are giggly and sweet and cute.  They do not run around growling at people in malls, they do not climb on your counters and try to eat your cell phones.  They sleep, they poop, they smile, they stay where you put 'em (mostly) and they think you are the funniest, most awesome-est person on the entire planet. 

It's been one year

If you know me, you know what song is going through my head right now by the title.  Just sayin'.

It's been one full year of stay at home mom goodness for me.  Well, technically one year ago today was a Saturday, and Mark was home with me, so I guess my new "job" hadn't started yet, so it hasn't been a full year, but whatever.  I'll take my milestone now anyway, k, thanks.

When we shared our Candace is going to stay at home plans with our family a couple years ago, we got a mix of opinions.  Most were pretty positive, well, actually everybody thought it was a good idea, so I guess it wasn't really a mix.  Thing is, most people didn't think I could do it.  Particularly my family.  I think the most optimistic time frame given amongst my family was 6 months (if they'd asked, I would've put myself down for at least 8).  They figured I'd be bored and sick of kids pretty quickly.  I guess I don't give off super fuzzy stay at home mommy vibes.  Granted, I don't, but they severely underestimated my ability to entertain myself and three small children.

All that aside, I was actually pretty terrified this time last year.  I really wasn't sure if I could be sole entertainment, source of snacks and nutritious lunches 9 hours a day, 5 days a week without going nuts.  I was definitely worried about having a lack of adult interaction, all of the typical things people bring up when I said I was going to stay home.  Not to mention the fact that I was newly pregnant and suffering from pretty nasty morning sickness (and only able to eat fast food chicken sandwiches without vomiting--so add in a dash of malnourishment).  So yeah, I was nervous, and I honestly have no recollection of what we did that first week at home.  I do remember that it went well, and that we had fun, though.

Overall this whole year has gone so much better than I thought it would.  We've done so many things, and gone so many places that we would have never gotten the chance to had I still been working.  I've had so much fun, and I think the kids have, too.  We've met so many new people and have made so many new friends (random plug - if you stay at home and are in Iowa City you should so be joining our play group), it's just been incredible.

One year down, and several more to go before my baby* is in school.  I hope that all of them go as well as this past year.

*In case you were wondering, Maggie is definitely the last.  Tubes tied.  Hopefully she tied those fertile little bitches with a double-knot and an extra dose of cauterization.

Today was a good day*

5 ways in which my day was far more awesome than yours:

1.  I woke up to a grinning, smiley baby snuggled up beside me and coffee already made.
2.  I enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch in a beautiful park with good friends and good conversation.
3.  Our afternoon snack was ice cream at the mall (in front of 30 kids from Diabetic Camp. Really).
4.  Afternoon story and cuddle time on the couch with 3 of my favorite people.
5.  Taco Pizza from Happy Joe's for dinner.

3 ways in which your day was head and shoulders above mine:

1.  You probably didn't have to wash spit up out of your hair.  Or out of your baby's eyelashes.  And I won't even go into what I saw the dog do with the spit up on the floor.
2.  You probably don't have sand in your bra from the sandbox at the park.
3.  You probably didn't inadvertently pick up a large "piece of lint" from the bathroom floor that was less linty and more feculent than expected.



*I am completely unable to say or think the phrase "Today was a good day" without tacking on "I didn't even have to use my A.K."  I don't think I'm the only one.