We’ve had several kids now… and I was getting rather used to the age (generally around 18 months) when the child would discover that his favorite was truly “Papa”.  Sure, mama has her charms what with the wiping their butts and delivering the food and snuggles and kissed boo-boos and all.  But papa is FUN.  And, quite frankly, something of a novelty.  Moreso than mama, at least.  He’s gone all day so by the time he comes home, he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Everything gets dropped, a shout of “PAPA!” goes up and suddenly mama is very much chopped liver.

Mama is pretty used to this.

Still, I held out hope that maybe our baby girl would be a mama’s girl.  I figured at least ONE of these kids had to like me best, yes?  I mean, they couldn’t ALL unanimously prefer Kile, could they?

COULD THEY?

Well, at least for the moment, it would appear I got my wish.  Evie turns 2 in about a week and a half.  An event that doesn’t fill me with any joy, mind you.  Because two is kind of the cut off between “baby” and “kid”.  And since there are no more babies to be had, I’m a little reluctant to just slam the door on that part of my life.  But… that’s the thing about life and time and age.  It doesn’t really care what you think.  And it marches on, regardless.

Anyhow… where was I?  Oh yes!  Evie is nearly 2.  And so far, she still seems to have a slight preference for me.  Which isn’t to say that she doesn’t totally adore Kile.  But I’ve seen some definitely preference for me.  And I’d be totally lying if I said that didn’t make me kind of happy.  At night, during story time, she wants be mauling me instead of resting in papa’s arms so she can see the pictures in the book. She likes to have me brush her teeth, lay her down for a nap, change her diaper in the morning.  She just does. The preference is slight, almost hardly noticable, but it’s there.

And yesterday, I noticed it in a BIG way.

I had a dentist appointment that was going to require me being out of the house for several hours.  Kile came home to watch the kids so I could go out, unfettered.  He arrived during naptime and was fortunate enough to have them sleeping during the majority of the time I was gone.  But Evie did wake up and Kile went to retrieve her.  She was a little surprised, according to Kile, to see him.  But she accepted it with dignity and grace.  She’s a mellow child, so far.

When I arrived home, Liam was on the couch watching a cartoon.  I don’t think he even looked up when I entered the house.  Evie, on the other hand, saw me, dropped whatever was in her hands and ran to the gate separating the kitchen from the living room.  “Papa!  Papa!! Papa!”  For whatever reason, she does not say “mama” when calling to me.  She says “papa”.  I blame the influence of the other two who regularly chant “Papa!” in rapturous tones.  Perhaps she just figures that’s what you call the parent you’re most happiest to see.  But whatever.  I could tell this was being directed at me.  She had a grin a mile wide on her face and when I turned to her, gasping and saying, “Hi there, sweetie pie!”  she beamed even harder.  She bounced up and down, still chanting, “Papa!  Papa!!”  I swooped her up into my arms and gave her a big hug.  She smiled into my face, looking for assurance that yes, it is that lady I like so well and yes, she’s really here.

That, I tell you, did my heart good.

I don’t know how long this will last.  Perhaps next week she’ll decide that papa is the bee’s knees and mama is SO last week.  Or maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll continue to think I’m the end all, be all for the next couple of years.

Either way, I know I’ll long be out of favor by the time she’s a teenager.  I’m not completely cut off from reality.

for now, she's all mine

This year’s Academy Awards were boring as spit.  I know the whole 10 films nominated and the new voting process were supposed to liven things up.  But… I think the whole endeavor was beyond help.  I thought Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were dull as dirt.  And then I realized maybe it was because I wasn’t into their particular brand of humor.  And that this humor was somewhat similar to the style employed by Jay Leno.  And we all know how I feel about him.  So maybe someone out there thought these guys were funny.  I did not.  Dull, dull, dull.

The best parts of the show:  NPH’s intro musical number.  They should have let that guy host the dumb thing.  Would have been infinitely better.  Also an awesome moment: the tribute to John Hughes including a montage of his movies and some touching words by some of the actors and actresses he worked with.  My eyes were very damp.

Lamer than expected: the “In Memorium” tribute.  Honestly, so much wonderful talent passed this year that I expected this to be a very moving segment.  It pretty much wasn’t.  And I’m not sure if I should blame the person who put together the slideshow or James Taylor.  Or both.

But I will say this: I’m glad Avatar didn’t win Best Picture (and no, not just because I didn’t see it and I *did* see “The Hurt Locker”).  I’m sure it was a fine spectacle but… the more I would have had to look at James Cameron’s smug face, the more rum I would have needed to drink and I don’t think I could have handled the hangover this morning.

***

The Denny’s out at Boomtown is a huge huge HUGE FAIL.  Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think of Denny’s as a fairly quintessential “family” restaurant.  Right?  I mean, they have a fancy kids menu and are generally known as a place that you can stop for a meal when traveling across country and know that you and your family will be taken care of.  Yes?

So on WHAT PLANET does a family restaurant only have FOUR highchairs in the entire restaurant?  I wasn’t annoyed when we had to wait 30 minutes to get seated (it WAS a Sunday afternoon, after all).  Hungry, but understandable.  It was a big restaurant, bigger than most Denny’s, I would say, and there were a LOT of people going through there.  So yeah.  You take your lumps, yes?  But when we put our name in, we specifically requested a table with 2 high chairs.  When we were seated, the gal (who had taken our name in the first place) was surprised when we said we needed high chairs.  Why their four high chairs were being used!  FOUR!  Only four!  We explained that we really kind of need to have at least one high chair for Evie (though Liam sans high chair is a frightening prospect and YES I know he’s almost four years old but TRUST ME, everyone is happier when he is restrained.  And I’m including people at neighboring tables in that).   She asked if maybe Evie could sit in a chair.  Seriously?  Do you know many 2 year olds who can?  Okay, don’t answer that.  I’ve heard of some pretty precocious 2 year olds.  But rest assured Evie is not THAT precocious.  And she does need a high chair.

So we sat with her on our laps (we took turns).  And we waited.  And waited.  Cuz it was a busy place.  And Denny’s, even the good ones, aren’t always known for their lightening fast service.  And Evie squirmed.  And Liam acted up.  And I developed an eye tick.  Kile was keeping an eye out and as soon as he saw a large family leave their table, he snagged their high chairs and we were relieved.  Hallelujah!  The kids settled down, our food was finally delivered and we ate in peace and it all ended well.

But seriously?  We will not be back to that Denny’s.  We’ve been to a lot of family restaurants, and even restaurants that I wouldn’t consider “family” and we have NEVER had a problem getting a high chair.  Yes, even when the place is packed to the gills and every other table has a baby at it.  So to the management at the Boomtown Denny’s: GET MORE HIGHCHAIRS.  Also: get a clue.

***

A simple 12 hour stomach bug on Evie is a multiple-day event for Liam.  Liam continues to be our puniest, frailest child, bless his heart.  But the good news is he seems to be better.  But for a while there I was left wondering.

(and also, lest you think we are horrible, negligent parents: we were fairly assured of his health before going to Denny’s on Sunday.  I mean… DUR!)

***

I have a lot of yarn.

my yarn. Client yarn is in the bin on the right.

Good lord.  I need more hours in the day.

***

Rum is good.  Especially when blended with frozen tropical fruit.

Also: is dangerous.

***

My kids are very cute.  But they can also really wear down your nerves after a while.  This is when perspective is important.  Just a side note: sometimes perspective is hard to find when you have an eye tick and your brain is starting to bleed.

Why don’t stay at home moms get mental health days?  Because I think they’re pretty necessary.

This week has not been that great.  I know, I can hear a bunch of you out there saying, “With sick kids in the house?  Of course it was a crappy week!”  But if I’m going to be perfectly honest, I was having a hard time before anyone got sick.  I’ve just been… dragging.  And I haven’t wanted to admit it because I’ve been doing SO WELL.  And I was hoping to rise above it.

But now that it’s Friday and this week is FINALLY almost over (omg, it has been the week that won’t end), I think I can finally throw in the towel and admit, “I’m not too happy this week.”

I wish I knew exactly why.  Nothing happened to make me feel blue.  I just… do.  And everything that has happened since I initially turned blue has only served to make me… bluer.  Stuff that wouldn’t have bothered me a couple weeks ago is just grinding on my nerves.  My nerves are frayed, my patience is thin, my attitude is gray and my energy is low.

I refuse to blame March, because that’s lame.  See?  Look how much I’ve grown!

But yeah.  Feeling in the dumps.  Each day I hope for better and each day I’m greeted with the same blah as the day before.  But at least I hope each day.   And I’m very hopeful that this weekend will provide a “reboot” of sorts.

I’m feeling down.  Moody.  Discontent and discouraged.  Annoyed and aggravated.  Tired and sore.

Depression sucks.

A stomach bug has hit Chez Slackermama.  And that in itself should just tell you how things have been around here the last day or so.  Evie fell victim first… so confused with her first time throwing up that I feel I should liken her reaction to that of a chicken with it’s head cut off.  If it weren’t rather gross, I would probably laugh about it.  Except for not being able to eat much food, she seems pretty much herself otherwise.  A little more clingy though, as she’s on and off and mostly on my lap all day.

Liam, on the other hand, succumbed last night.  The middle of the night, actually.  Because that’s just LIAM.  It’s never about when it’s convenient for YOU with him.  And, being a lil more fragile of body and also tending toward some drama-queen antics, he has been more ill than his sister.  He has stayed on the couch for the majority of the morning, moaning now and again about his belly hurting (Evie has had no such complaints so I’m not sure if her tummy has bothered her or not).  He has drank some watered juice and nibbled at a few bites of dry cereal.  Evie has also nibbled at dry cereal.  Neither of them have much in the way of appetites.  I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do for lunch, if that is the case.  I might put Evie in her high chair and offer some fruit and saltines (which is what she had for dinner last night and kept them down) and go from there.  For Liam, I might ask if he wants to stay on the couch.  If he does, I will leave well enough alone.

Poor little guy.

I am mostly nervous about someone else getting this bug too.  Me, mostly, because I’ve been in very close contact with both of them (mostly Evie and her clingy ways).  And not only do I not care to have endure a stomach bug right now (who does?), but I don’t have TIME to be sick.  I’m on a strict knitting schedule here, people.  So let’s hope and pray that I am able to keep the sickies away.  Fingers are firmly crossed!

So with “Little Bear” on the TV, a moaning child on the couch and a little girl who is off my lap for the moment but whom I expect to return any minute, I hope for a sick-free tomorrow.  On ALL fronts.

Once upon a time, the coming of March was a source of much angst around here.  But I think it’s safe to say that March and I are on good terms now.  No hard feelings and all that.  And now… March is just another month.  And hey, at least the weather is still (usually) cool in March.  So far, July and August are looking pretty stinky in comparison.

Side note: anyone that can find my husband a job at a university or college in Oregon gets my undying love and adoration.  Actually, this probably goes for any state in our great nation save for Arizona, New Mexico and perhaps most of Texas (for obvious reasons).

Cuz, you know.  The love affair with Reno was over probably ten years ago.  Perhaps more.  And yet… we’re still here!  Fancy that.

I went to see the dentist yesterday.  This is a guy that Kile went to go see about a year or so ago.  And who was supposed to be the one pulling my tooth but we decided that we couldn’t wait that long.  So I went somewhere else.  And they hurt me.  (Let’s not speak of it again, shall we?)  This office was really nice (they had a Keurig!  That’s aces in my book!) and high tech and everyone was so friendly it bordered on creepy.  But that’s okay.  And I’m going back next Tuesday for a cleaning and a filling.  Yep, we have a game plan for my mouth.  Which isn’t as intimidating as I was expecting because apparently (save for that tooth that had to be pulled, obviously) my mouth is in pretty good shape.  Considering.  So yay!   Go me.

I also got a new pair of glasses yesterday!  SO EXCITING.  Well okay, that’s probably not fair.  My old pair broke a few weeks ago and we had a temporary solution in place until the new pair could arrive.  Which they did, yesterday.  They look a lot like my old pair.

But whatever.  I’m not a big one on change, apparently.

I’m still pretty pleased with how I’m doing these days.  Today is a little difficult and I’m at a loss as to why, but for the most part, I am not having a hard time at all finding the happy in each day.  Considering where I was at even a few months ago, that is HUGE.  It’s one of those things, where you never really realize just HOW bad something was until you’re better.  And then you look back and go, “DAMN, that was messed up.”  I mean, I knew it was messed up at the time.  Now, I just know HOW messed up.   So lets all cross some fingers that I don’t go back THERE.

It’s just a little apathy.  I’m sure it’ll pass with the day.

Then again, it could have been not having coffee this morning.  What the heck!  I better have two cups tomorrow just to make sure.  Snort.

Happy March!