She's a Constant Source of Entertainment

A Girl and Her Dog

Who Thought of This?

Today in our mailbox was an advertisement for Huggies diapers.  While this is not abnormal, the style of diapers certainly is:

Just when you think your baby can't be any more fashionable in her disposable diaper, Huggies makes sure she is on the cutting edge of fashion with these jean-style diapers.

Seriously?  Do they have skinny diapers?  Or boot-cut ones?  Are you cooler if you cuff the edge of your diaper, or better yet, can they be pinch-rolled a la 90's fashion?

Gizmo will not be sporting these tragic diapers.  She's too cool for them.  

Random Thoughts

• Two and a half weeks ago it was snowing here.  Yesterday we broke a record when the temperature hit 95 degrees.  Can we make up our mind, Mother Nature? 
• My garden is being taken over by ants.  What do I do to make sure it doesn't become one giant anthill?
• It is 6:00am, and Gizmo might be up for the day.  She also put up a big fight about her afternoon nap yesterday.  Please, Gizmo, don't give up the nap just in time for summer.  Mommy needs her naptime, too.
• The series finale of Law and Order was last night.  I feel like a part of me has died.  RIP, greatest show on earth.
• Why is it that job searching must be so difficult?  And why must I search for a job every stinking year?  

"Howdy-Ho!"

For Christmas, Gizmo received a Glow Worm from Aunt Winnie and Aunt Sarah.  We have named her Chloe the Glow-e Worm, and Gizmo just loves her.

However, Mitch and I (OK, mostly me) can't help but see an uncanny resemblance between this beloved childhood toy and something that is anything but kid-friendly.  Anyone watch South Park in the nineties?  Because Chloe the Glow-e looks just like Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo.

If you are not a South Park fan, Mr. Hankey made his first appearance in a holiday episode when Kyle, one of the characters, could not participate in the school's Christmas program because he was Jewish.  Instead, he suggested that they sing the song "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", who is non-denominational and can't be offensive to anyone.  (Hopefully you won't miss the irony here.)  Mr. Hankey hops around, leaving feces everywhere he bounces.  The episode was one of the highest-rated episodes for South Park, and helped to launch the show to success.  

In college, I had a Mr. Hankey screen saver, and he would bounce around the screen covering it in poop.  I loved it.  Even though it is nasty-gross.

On a side note, did you know that Mr. Hankey has a whole Wikipedia entry devoted to him? That's not normal.  

Getting Back To My Roots, Pun Intended

This weekend Grama and Pa Poke were up to visit Gizmo, and we were able to get some work out of Pa Poke between snuggles.  This weekend's task:  build a raised-bed vegetable garden.  My thumb is not as green as I'd like (I have killed everything except a peace lilly that my mom actually killed in the last two weeks!), but I have wanted one since we moved into the house, and was ready to tackle the challenge.  

After a quick discussion on plans and where the garden would go, Saturday we set out to Home Depot and the nursery to pick up the materials and plants.  (Sidebar: Pawl's Nursery in Apple Valley is by far the greatest place on earth.  Forget Disney World.  There were plants for miles.)

Saturday was spent putting the frame together, spading out the grass, and putting up the chicken wire.  Sunday was spent finishing the bed and getting the planting in.

(Everyone needs a coffee break, right?)

I was proud to say that I hadn't forgotten everything about gardening since I was a kid - it's just like riding a bike, I suppose.  Let's hope that's how I feel as the seeds begin to sprout!

Gizmo enjoyed watching the project come together from the dirt-free zone of her stroller.  I think she probably would have enjoyed wiggling in the damp soil, though!  

The finished product, complete with radishes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sugar-snap peas, corn, onions, and lettuce:

I had forgotten how much fun it was to work outside in the dirt.  I'm looking forward to watching it all grow, to nurture the plants and get rid of the weeds, and hopefully have a bountiful harvest come July and August.  

All fun wasn't lost on the garden - Grama and Pa got plenty of Gizmo time!

And at the end of the day, Gizmo enjoyed sitting outside on the patio, which got a good cleaning and reorganizing.  It's now full of flower pots and new patio furniture!

I am the Queen!

Of coupons, that is.

Today's trip to Target:  $154.00  (Damn you diapers and formula!  And random cleaning supplies.  And of course some more new running capris that will double as lounge pants!)

Total Saved Using Coupons:  $41.59

I think the lady who checked me out was just as excited as I was to see how much I had saved with all of my double- and triple-coupons paired with on-sale items.  I'm a rock star.

Eight Months is my Least Favorite Thus Far

Poor little Gizmo's had a rough go of things the last few weeks.  She was enjoying life - playing, eating, napping, sleeping through the night, repeat - doesn't she look happy?

Then, she turned eight months old.  Since then, she's had croup (which thankfully is better) and now she is teething.  

Her schedule is totally gone.  Nonexistent.  Her usual 25 ounces of formula a day?  Gone.  She randomly decides when she will be compliant and drink from her bottle.  Other times she will be stubborn enough to only drink from her sippy cup.  Or drink nothing at all.  Sometimes she eats rice cereal like she has never eaten before.  Other times, it's like trying to shovel sand into her mouth and force her to eat it.  She won't eat veggies, or anything, for that matter, that doesn't suit her.  

Can we talk about the fact that she isn't sleeping through the night?  Last night she was up at least six times, once for over an hour because every time I laid her down she screamed like someone was ripping her limbs off one by one.  Tonight isn't looking very promising, either.  Since she's been sick, she has been up a minimum of five times.  She's congested when she lays down due to her teething.  She won't take the pacifier.  Or a teether.  

And, worst of all?  She's starting to MOVE around.  She can roll from one end of the room to the other in no time flat.  She's into everything that she isn't supposed to have.  She loves throwing her toys and then grabbing a magazine, the remote, a DVD case....anything that is in her reach.  Or just out of it.  Or across the room.  It won't be long now until she is crawling.  She's slowly figuring it out. 

Part of me is just mad that she is not a little, teeny-tiny, adorable baby anymore.  Part of me is mad she's off her schedule.  And a lot of me is mad that I can't control any of her pain, or really even do more to help her than offer Tylenol, Baby Orajel, and soothe her.  

This picture sums it all up - 

It was taken tonight when I was trying to feed Gizmo.  She was hungry, but she pitched a HUGE fit, not wanting to eat anything, even though she needed to.  She fought me like crazy, and I tried everything.  She screamed through the whole sorry attempt at a feeding.  Never has she been so covered in food.  She looked so pathetic that I thought I would take her picture for blackmail later in life, and wouldn't you know that sneaky little kid was all smiles as soon as I turned the camera on.  Damn, she's cute.

I have a feeling Mitch and I are in for a LONG 18 years......  

EXCLUSIVE! Interview with the Half-Marathoners*

On Saturday, Boston and Katie ran a half-marathon in Illinois.  This was Boston's first, and Katie's second.  Here are their thoughts from the day:

Interviewee:  How did you prepare for this half-marathon?

Boston:  Well, I have been doing a very rigorous training schedule, slowly adding on miles to my run.  I've also been weight-training in an effort to have a balanced workout. 

Katie:  I'M AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interviewee:  What did you eat before the race?

Boston:  I made sure I did plenty of carb-loading so that I would have the appropriate fuel to make it through all 13.1 miles.  

Katie:  I'M AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interviewee:  How did you feel throughout the race?

Boston:  Well, I felt really great through the first few miles, but fatigue set in a little earlier than I thought it would.  I had predicted that the weather would be absolutely perfect, but it turned out to be a little more humid than originally anticipated.  This really affected those last three miles.  But, I feel proud that I have accomplished this goal.

Katie:  I'M AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T RUN HALF-MARATHONS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interviewee:  Well, any last thoughts?

Boston:  I'd just like to thank everyone who encouraged us in this goal - we couldn't have done it without your support.  

Katie:  THANKS TO MY ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'M AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

*This interview is completely fiction.  No animals were harmed in the creation of this fake interview.

5K = Epic Fail Due to the Croup

Does this look like a kid who's got the croup?

Because it is.  

Yep, Gizmo is sick again, this time with the stridor-sounding, nose-running, crabby-being croup.  Last night she woke up with wheezing sounds and struggling to breathe.  After a panicked call to the nurse line of our pediatrician's office and preparing to head to the emergency room, Gizmo got things together after some fresh air and was able to go back to sleep.  This morning the doctor gave us the diagnosis, and so now she's on a strict regimen of Baby Tylenol and fluids to knock this virus out.  

It ruined our plans to participate in our very first family 5K this morning.  We didn't even go sign in to get our t-shirts and free food.  I didn't get to wear my brand new running capris.  (Well, truth be told, I wasn't going to run in them, I was going to walk in them, and I have them on right now to take a nap in momentarily.  They are so comfortable - can someone say "mom uniform" for the summer?)

Here's to hoping that Gizmo feels good enough for Mitch and I to use our sitter for a couple of hours out tonight.  Serves us right for planning on having a life outside of Gizmo.  She sure is showing us who's boss.