Challenge...

List ten things that you recommend...anything from a recipe to a book to a website or a behavior.

1. Vitamin Water: G and I are hooked (OK, mostly I am hooked). My favorites are the Lemonade and Dragon-something I can never remember. YUMMY!!!

2. CD: Illinoise, by Sufjan Stevens...amazing! I could listen to it over and over again.

3. Daffodils: Nothing makes me more ready for spring. I saw some in Trader Joe's last week, and they definately cheered me up.

4. if you are a parent, any book by Dr. Sears. G and I don't do full on Attachment Parenting, but I really love his discipline book, and the Baby Book...I try to pick them up once a month to remind myself that Sawyer's tantrums are normal and not to stress :)

5. taking naps: Every weekend, I try to nap with Sawyer at least once (see picture above)...it's the best. I LOVE being waken up by him when his cheeks are all rosy, and he is in the best mood EVER because Mommy is with him.

6. Photoshop: I have become addicted to actions...big time. Our tax preparer just sent me a copy of PS7 out of the blue, and I am LOVING it! I was using PS Elements, and I was really missing "Curves". Poor G...he will have to fight me for the computer now!

7. Mothering Magazine: Sometimes it's a little TOO crunchy for me, but it definately gives you some things to think about.

8. Crocs: Yeah, they're ugly (so ugly they're cute...right?), but since I bought them almost a year ago, they have become my favorite "Mommy" shoes. With a toddler, it's awesome to wear shoes that make your feet feel like they are wearing nothing at all. I think I will be getting an orange or red pair for the summer :)

9. Visit Brooklyn, NY: G was born and raised there, and I lived there with him for 6 years before we moved to IN so that we could start a family. We went back a couple of weeks ago for Sol and Paulette's 50th, and I really had forgotten how much I love it...even more than Manhattan. I love the busy-ness, and the diversity, and how the borrough is really rough around the edges. I also love the cool little shops that are nestled between fish markets and neighborhood eateries....can't wait to go back in April!

10. Live with dogs: They are loud, dirty, and insane, but I couldn't imagine my life without them. Even Sawyer thinks they are his siblings...he yells at them (especially Maxx because he steals his toys), but they are at the top of the "goodnight list" after Daddy...so I think deep down he loves them.

Off to bed...this flu or whatever is kicking my ass. I am soooo getting tired of being sick. Pneumonia, fluid in my ears, every cold that I come in contact with....really tired of it :(

I call this...

fun with rubons!!! Last night, I sat on the couch until about 1am...that is when I decided to go into the office and scrapbook ;). G came home at 1:30am, and we ended up staying up until almost 3am. Sometimes I think we are both in denial that we have a toddler who gets up early weekday or weekend. But, Saw decided to give us a little present, and sleep until 7:30, and when G brought him to bed, he slept another 2 hours...yippeeee!!! Did some shopping...got Sawyer some cool shirts at Old Navy (I got a jacket and shirt), and then we went to Borders where Sawyer picked out some new books to take home (Maisy, of course!). Did the obligatory Sam's run, came home, had lunch, Sawyer napped. Typical Saturday stuff. Sawyer did get his first bruise today on his head....bad Mommy. I was trying to roll up his pants legs so that he wouldn't fall and hurt himself (ironic, huh), and he lost his balance and fell into the corner of his table. Luckily it isn't bad at all.
Reverend Glasseye & his Wooden Legs played at Radio Radio last night. Gregg said it was a cool show, and somehow 70 people showed up even though Mythopeic did not promote it at all. They gave G their most recent CD, and Sawyer LOVES it...maybe even more than Laurie Berkner (watch out, Laurie...I'm gonna catch you, you better run. I'm gonna catch you, here I come). He was dancing his little heart out to freaked out circus music....while eating cucumber slices and peaches...little weirdo!

"mo" has left the building

for the last couple of months, Sawyer has been using the word "mo" for "no"...quite liberally I might add. Tonight, he said NO. And it wasn't just a fluke. I will regret, I am sure, encouraging him to say no...but I really wanted to hear MO a couple more times. Oh well...everyone at work says "mo" now, so it will live on there. I hate that they have to grow up...

Sawyer saying no also proves my theory that the kid's hearing is fine, and he doesn't need ear tubes. We saw an ENT yesterday, and he agreed that we should wait 6 weeks before considering ear tubes...unless Sawyer gets ANOTHER ear infection. I don't know about tubes...I had a ton of ear infections as a kid, no tubes, and did not have any delays or problems. I really feel like they kind of jump the gun these days.

Mr. Man was so loving tonight. G has been busy with Mytho stuff the last couple of nights, so it has just been the 2 of us. It is amazing how much time can fly when you are busy tickling and cuddling, and playing with cars, and reading books. He has thankfully given us a break from his infamous tantrums the last week...and I have been kind of bummed rather than grateful when his 8pm bedtime rolls around. Of course, he has not been sleeping through the night, but I am sure that is vacation related.

Speaking of vacation...the above picture was taken at my bro and sis in law's house. This kid was freaking amazing...AMAZING! He was great on the flight there...a little fidgety, but who among us isn't fidgety on an airplane. The flight back, he slept from takeoff to landing...a freaking angel. The only breakdown we had was when they made him get out of his beloved stroller at the security checkpoint. And if that wasn't bad enough...they made him take off his ga-chee. You don't mess with Sawyer's jackets. Only HE decides when to take it off. That was one time that I didn't mind the screaming in my ears, because I think it got us through the checkpoint a little faster!

Sawyer was definately a hit on the east coast. It was nice to hear so many nice comments about how cute and well behaved he is. At the restaurant in Brooklyn, about 5 strangers came up to me just to tell me how beautiful he is :) I might be biased, but the kid IS gorgeous!

Sawyer's newest obsession is pairing things. He has to have "two" of everything...watches, keys, hats...all new prized possessions, and all must be had in twos. Last night, I found a pair of plastic kiddy sunglasses in his room, and showed him. He asked for "two". I told him I didn't know where the other pair was...OK I fibbed. I knew they were in the car, but I was lazy and I didn't want to go get them. Believe it or not, he remembered that he had put them there over a week ago, and INSISTED that we go to the car ("mama...up...car....mama...UP....g-asses....UP....car") So, we went to the car, got the glasses, and then I took him into the bathroom so I could stand him up in front of the mirror with his glasses. He wanted me to put a pair on, and when he saw us both in the silly plastic kiddy glasses, he was in hysterics! Fast forward to tonight....I came home with a hat on. He wanted "up", and saw his hat on the table. He said "mama...hat". I gave him the hat, helped him put it on, and then started saying "me-oh". It took me about 10 "me-ohs" to realize that he wanted to look at himself in the mirror...so we stood in the bathroom while he chanted "hats...two...mama....hat...two"

"two" f'ing cute :)

holy *#$%!@....I'm 29...how did that happen?

it was a good one! G got me the softbox I have been coveting for my alien bee. He also took me out for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and shopping for scrapbooking supplies. We came home and had a couple of drinks before the boy woke up and insisted on sleeping with mom and dad :)

I am going to try to enjoy this last year...i am SO not ready for 30...

playing catch up...

I need to update!

Friday, 2/24/06-

My first real shoot. Anya emailed me and asked me to come to the Indy Art Center to take pictures of a big art opening. I was psyched! Everything went really well. I took about 250 pictures. I got home relatively early...about 8:30pm. When G and I put Sawyer to bed, we inevitably fall asleep with him. It's a given. Except for tonight. I came in, put my camera on the counter, put my boots in the sunporch, apparently locked the door to the sunporch and went to the bathroom. Just as I was opening the door to come out of the bathroom, I heard the sound of glass breaking. Not like someone dropped a glass...like someone knocked over a china cabinet. but then I remembered we don't have a china cabinet. I thought "shit, someone is breaking into the house". I run towards the sound, and see Gregg standing in the kitchen, with blood running down his arm, and glass everywhere. I was floored...confused...scared like I had never been before...and so was he. He was outside. He heard someone in the house over the baby monitor, and when he tried to come in, the door was locked. Like the amazing daddy he is, his first thought was Sawyer. He was convinced someone was kidnapping him (cause he is so darn cute..LOL), and natural instinct took over, and he punched through the window on our door to unlock it. Luckily, his cuts weren't too bad, and $80 later, we had a new window installed today.

And our poor sleeper? Yep, Sawyer slept through it all!