Campbellroo

At some point when Campbell was a baby, he was given "Roo" as a nickname. We had no idea how apt a nickname it would prove to be. Local singer Joe McDermott has a song about a baby kangaroo who likes to bounce and bounce and bounce and bounce and bounce some more. The girls and I have decided it describes Campbell exactly.

One day last week, when Campbell was sick with a really bad case of croup, I heard him wake up from his nap, and then I heard some suspicious noises. I went in to his room, video camera in hand, to see what was up. Notice his very dramatic coughs.

If this is him sick, imagine what he's like when he's healthy.

In praise of good friends

I am, by nature, something of a recluse. I'm happiest at home in my nice, safe, predictable environment. But the last few weeks with sick kids have tested my Howard Hughes-like nature. Since last Thursday I have only left the house to take a child to the doctor and to go to the grocery store and pharmacy. I even did a three-day stretch where I didn't leave the house at all.

Last night I ran up to the corner drug store, with Elizabeth in tow, to get Valentine's cards for Campbell's party at preschool today. When I got back in the car, I just couldn't make myself go home, so I decided to go for a drive, knowing that Elizabeth would probably sleep the entire time. I turned on my 80s music playlist and headed for the freeway. After 20 minutes of driving, I accepted that I wasn't feeling any better.

I decided I needed to visit with a grown-up, someone other than my husband (no offense meant, B, but I needed a change). I pondered whom I could call and realized that it was bed, bath and story time for all of my friends who have little kids, so that narrowed my options. Then I had a stroke of inspiration and called my good friend O'Pine. He and his partner don't have small children, so I knew I wouldn't be interrupting any bedtime routines. Besides, O'Pine is always up for a visit.

So I staggered into his house and basically collapsed. And then I just started unloading on how hard this mother-of-four gig is and how I feel like I'm spread so thin that I can't do any one thing right and on and on and on. It felt so good to vent. He listened and offered suggestions and moral support and made me laugh, which was exactly what I needed.

O'Pine's partner S loves, loves, loves babies, so he held Elizabeth the whole time. She cooed and laughed at him, while O'Pine and I visited. The conversation eventually moved from my pity party to a debate on which Top Chef contestant was hotter - Stefan or Fabio - and a general consensus that Tom Collichio, Eric Ripert, and Anthony Bourdain were dreamy.

I left after about an hour and a half feeling so much better about myself and the world in general. It was a much needed break.

Thank you O'Pine and S for letting me crash at your house. You both did me a world of good. I am fortunate to have such good friends.

Happy Love Thursday.

Side note - if you do go to O'Pine's blog, keep in mind that he's not nearly as cranky as he seems. He just doesn't tolerate stupidity.

Talking with Daddy

Elizabeth has turned very smiley and interactive in the last month. She loves to sit on our laps and "talk" to us. She especially likes it when we make hooting noises at her. Last night, she and B had one of what will be many, many father-daughter talks.

The cuteness just never stops around here.

Shouldn't be allowed, #2

You know what shouldn't be allowed when you are already so sleep deprived that you can't remember your own name?

Insomnia. With a middle of the night migraine thrown in for fun. That's what.

Shouldn't be allowed

Do you know what shouldn't be allowed when you are already so sleep deprived that you can't remember you own name?

Insomnia. Full-on, toss and turn, wander the house in the middle of the night insomnia. That's what.

Professional Big Sister

Now that Ella has become a big sister three times over, she's become quite the pro. Campbell adores her and will accept her as a substitute for me when I'm not immediately available.

Elizabeth loves her, too, especially when Ella sings to her. Here, Ella was singing and Elizabeth was cooing back to her. The sweetness of it all just made my heart melt.

Happy Love Thursday.

Brought to you by the letter . . .

I saw this on Calicobebop's blog - it's called "Brought to you by the letter . . ." She was assigned the letter C and had to write 10 things she loves that begin with that letter. I requested a letter, and she assigned me S. If you'd like a letter, leave a note in the comments and I'll send you one.

Ten Things That Start With S

1. Sisters - My sister and I are almost 7 years apart in age, which means we weren't close as kids: I was the mean big sister, and she was the pesky little sister. But my older girls are just two years apart and are very close. One of the best things about being their mother is watching them be sisters. They have their moments when they hate each other, but 95% of the time, they are best buddies. When we're out for a walk, they'll hold each other's hand without any prompting. And one of their favorite things is having a slumber party with each other, which is pretty funny given that they share a room. When they have their slumber parties they get out their sleeping bags and make a big nest on the floor and giggle until all hours. I'll be interested to see how Elizabeth fits into the sister dynamic around here when she gets bigger.

2. Keeffer - I know this doesn't start with S, but it's my sister, and her name does start with S and I don't know that she'd want me publishing it for all the world to see. Even though she was the pesky little sister when we were growing up, she's turned into a really cool adult. She was 11 when I moved out for college, and I still tend to think of her as being a kid. But she's all grown up and living in Los Angeles with a real job, at which she's very good. I'm very proud of her and what she's accomplished.

3. Shoes - Specifically, running shoes. I don't get all that excited about every day shoes; I suppose it's because I work from home and don't have to get dressed up. But I have yet to lose my kid-like enthusiasm for new running shoes. I often wear them home from the store. I have a very hard time getting rid of pairs once I've run them into the ground. Currently, there are 8 pairs in my closet, which represents 3 years' worth of running.

4. Suburban - I love my new car. Yesterday I took Lily cupcakes at school for her birthday and picked up all the carpool kids at the same time. I had 6 kids in the back of the car - the four school kids plus Campbell and Elizabeth - and there was room for everyone. I figure I'm making up for my carbon footprint at least a little by being able to drive everyone to and from school; I'm saving two other families from having to make trips.

5. Sand - I grew up in a small beach town on the west coast of Florida - at least it was small when we lived there. It's now apparently grown beyond all recognition. I spent a lot of time at the beach, and it is still my favorite place to be. I love the sand in my toes and the salt in the air and floating in the water. Even though last year's trip to the beach was a bit of a disaster, I'm counting the months until we go again in August.

6. Sun - I'm pretty sure I'm solar powered. I love being out in the sun. During my years as a swim coach in Florida I spent entire days out in the sun (coated in sunblock, of course). I think part of the reason summers here bother me so much is that it's too hot to be out in the sun. I end up getting cabin fever from being trapped inside.

This is getting hard . . .

7. Stories - I love stories, both telling them and having them told to me. One man I used to work with once told me that he could tell what kind of mood I was in by the stories I told him. Unfortunately, my love of stories has not led to any kind of talent for creative writing. I'm very good at analytical writing, but I can't write something creative like a short story, and believe me, I've tried.

8. Snapshots - I love taking pictures and always have my camera close at hand. I'm not a good photographer, and I know nothing about taking pictures from the technical side. I rely more on the law of averages - if I take enough pictures, some will turn out well. My beloved camera died on me last month, and it killed me to not have it working. I dithered and dithered about what to buy to replace it, and then I saw a review of a new Olympus model that's coming out in March. It combines all the best of a point-and-shoot and an SLR, and it sounds perfect for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't go that long without a camera, especially not with Lily's birthday and a smiley baby in the house. So yesterday I bought a cheap point-and-shoot to tide me over. When I get my new camera, I'll give the little one to the girls to use.

9. Silliness - I am, at heart, a very silly person. I love silly jokes and movies. I usually wake the girls up in the morning by singing them songs I've made up with silly rhymes. Ella has gotten old enough that she just rolls her eyes at me, but Lily still giggles. I'm glad I have two more kids to be silly with once the big girls outgrow me.

10. Son - When I had Campbell, everyone warned me that boys are different, and I didn't believe them. Now I get it completely. Boys have such a different energy to them, and there's definitely a different mother-son dynamic. Lord help me, because I adore Campbell. If I'm not careful, he's going to get away with murder in the house because I just can't resist his curls and his big dimpled smile - and he already knows it.

Phew - 10 things that start with S. Let me know if you want a letter.

In the blink of an eye

Six years ago today, they placed this tiny bundle in my arms. It's hard to believe that she's gone from looking like this . . .

to looking like this.

Lily is absolutely my girly-girl. She's all about pink and princesses and sparkles. She loves her "ballelet" classes and any excuse to dress in something twirly.

When she was a toddler, she wasn't much for cuddling or snuggling, but now she's definitely the snuggliest of my kids - she loves hugs and kisses and sitting in my lap.

Lily was a very quiet baby. She didn't coo or talk much until she was almost 2, then a switch flipped, and we haven't been able to get her to be quiet since. She loves telling us very long, complicated stories about her day and her friends. She also loves making up plays and puppet shows, although those usually descend into pure silliness, with lots of costume changes.

Her birthday party on Saturday is going to be a Princess Tea Party. We've invited six little friends, and I'm getting out my grandmother's pink rosebud tea set for a real tea party. I'm going to serve heart- and dancer-shaped finger sandwiches and fruit. The girls are going to decorate their own tiaras and cupcakes. It should be lots of twirly, princessey fun.

Lily was so excited about her birthday that she couldn't sleep last night. She crawled onto B's lap at 11:00 p.m. and snuggled with him. He's such a sucker that he didn't make her go back to bed right away like I would have. I'm taking cupcakes to her class today, which Lily is just thrilled about.

So Happy Birthday Lily-bear. We love you bunches!

Day of rest, my a$$

When I read A Year of Living Biblically, I was intrigued with Jacobs' struggle over observing the sabbath. According to Jewish tradition, he wasn't supposed to do any type of work at all - no cooking, no driving, no checking e-mails. It was supposed to be a day of rest and reflection and worship. He had a very, very hard time with taking Saturdays off, and I think I would, too.

Sunday is generally my day to catch up on things that didn't get done during the week. We usually spend Saturday playing or going to birthday parties or doing family things, so Sunday is my only day to get things done. Plus, B makes a real effort to not work on Sundays, which means he's home to marshall the troops.

Take yesterday, for example. I folded a record 11 baskets of laundry - a 12th load is still in the dryer. I ran out of steam before I could get that load folded and everything put away; that's on the agenda for today. Plus I cleaned the kitchen twice and vacuumed the house and mopped the kitchen, office and living room. Of course, the kids, who had been playing in mud in the back yard, came tromping through almost immediately. I also went to the grocery store and bought what I hope is a week's worth of food. Phew.

But because I'd done all this work, I didn't feel guilty in the least about feeding the kids left-overs on paper plates. And I sat and knit for an hour without worrying about leaving chores undone.

The best part, though, is knowing that I'm starting the week caught up. All the laundry is pretty much done. The house is clean, and the pantry is stocked. For one day, I can feel like I'm on top of things.

Reading update

I've updated my list over at my reading blog. Check it out!