Rosier

1. So after several weeks of dramatic wailing about how "I CAN'T do this", I am choosing to embrace motherhood and try to be a tad more positive. The bar is set incredibly low (is that a bar? or just a piece of hair on the ground?), so today is going just fine. We got a tv for the living room which is a true mixed blessing: Alex is delighted to watch it when I feed Katherine, but she absolutely flips her shit when I turn it off. See how I said that so positively?

2. Alex pointed to a picture of Martha Stewart and said, "Mama?" Quick, let me cross-stich a "hell no" pillow for that one...

Tummy sick

1. So we've had the stomach flu as well as a healthy dose of the crazy (supplied by yours truly) in our house over the past week. Jay likes to joke about getting a hot Brazilian nanny for the girls, but this past weekend was so bad we have decided on new standards. "She can be fat," he said. "And mean," I added.
2. Funny how something can at once be insanely maddening and sweet. Alex wailed for "mamaaaaaaaaaa" at 1:30 in the morning on Sunday, and since I couldn't get her to be quiet any other way I brought her into our bed. She curled up facing me, grabbed onto my shirt with her little hand and slept for an hour, face buried in my chest. For an independent kid who doesn't like to cuddle, it was close to perfect. If only she could learn to do that at 4 in the afternoon...

Grandpa in Heaven

1. In the 2 years since I've owned my lovely non-minivan, the passenger side floor has collected water every time it rained. I've never taken it to get fixed because, quite frankly, I didn't really care. [Sorry, Dad!] The straw that broke the camel's back last week: I had to scrape the inside of my windshield.
2. Alex barfed all over our (just-changed-yesterday-) sheets this morning. In the last 15 minutes, she's eaten 2 containers of applesauce, half a tub of hummus, 20 mini pretzels and about 400 goldfish. Anyone want to guess what I'll be doing this afternoon? Send Lysol!

Language

1. Why does "Okay Alex, Katherine's in her carseat all ready to go. Let's get your jacket on" so often get translated as "Please go take a nasty dump and then throw a tantrum when I try to change you"?
2. I found myself wanting to scream "stop acting like a 2 year old" yesterday until I realized that would be a compliment.

Mom of the Year

1. Yesterday morning Alex woke up whiny and teary. We had had a babysitter the night before (we're so social!), so I figured she just needed a little extra TLC. As she was crying, I picked her up and sat her on my lap and gave her a big hug. She stopped crying after a few seconds of hugging and then sat there silently, head resting on my shoulder -- it was one of those parenting moments that makes you feel so needed and so full of love. Turns out she had spotted her Fisher Price wise men perched on the window sill and was plotting a way to reach them.
2. Both girls are sick today, but I took them to an indoor playground anyway. Just doing my part to strengthen other kids' immune systems. Here, have some snot.

Changes

1. You know how you get a little rush of adrenaline when you close out a big work project or hit 'send' after drafting a complicated or long email? I found myself with that rush this morning...when I spotted the elusive blue green crayon hiding under the sofa. Nothing quite says satisfaction like having all the crayons in their box.
2. The girls and I stayed in our pajamas until 10:00 this morning. As someone who used to get up at 7:00 on Saturdays in order to hit the gym and the grocery store before Jay got up, I'm equal parts impressed and horrified.

Milestones

1. Baby K rolled over today for the first time! I missed it - I was busy watching Alex eat her 942nd cracker. Who says working parents miss all the milestones?
2. She also shat through two outfits by 9:15 this morning.