Joy

A joy shared is a joy doubled.

 

Breaking Gender Stereotypes

Showing his school spirit by wearing PINK, along with the rest of the 2nd Graders, for "Grade Color Day."
Mommy's shirt. Gretel's hair gel. (He was especially psyched about that.)
Chicks dig guys who aren't afraid to wear pink.
My guy has no fear.

Mixing It With Love

Who can take tomorrow
Dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow
And collect up all the cream?

The candyman can...



The candyman can cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good.

***
My world tastes better because of these faces.

My dreams for tomorrow more vivid, yesterday's sorrows less painful.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

Bliss

May they always be this ignorant to the troubles and turmoils of the life around them.

Dear Santa

Two Years Ago Today

I became a Mother to a Daughter.

These Are The Days...

One 200 year old oak + one leaf blower + 3 exuberant kids = a day to remember.

A is for...

Apple picking!


One half a bushel's worth...




I call this her "Little House on the Prairie" picture.

im in ur face

messin' with yer napz




an wearin ur crocz

Don't Tell Her Father

I can't help myself.
It's a sickness, or some warped Mommy-fetish, I know.
You're right. You're right. I know you're right.

I Promised I Would Stop After She Turned 1 Yr.

But ... seriously ... how could I NOT post yet another preshus baby butt picture?

Oh, LOOK! A Baby!

November 14, 2005. She was 10 hours old.
But what's more noteworthy about this photo is Her placement in relation to the final word of her Dad's t-shirt.

Why I Support Breastfeeding

[edited to add sappy photo & note.]

- CLEAVAGE!

- Shirts for me like "Nip/Suck" and "I make breastmilk. What's your Superpower?"

- Knowing that if someone yelled out "NICE RACK" they, for once, meant it.

- Shirts for Gretel like "I'm No Weaner" and "Mother Sucker."

- And if someone did yell out "NICE RACK" finally being able to respond with "Thank you, I grew them myself!"

- While I can no longer fill my nursing bras (yes it is mostly about the boobs for me wannamakesumthinofit?) I can STILL spill out of a padded push-up stuffed-with-tube-socks training regular bra.

(But this is only at night now and only if I have not nursed Her throughout the day and stored up enough of my stuff so I can resemble something like looks almost like a girl and less like a pre-pubescent boy with freakishly large nipples.)

But perhaps the number one reason is sharing the one thing that only She and I have shared from the start. Sitting in her room, skin-to-skin, her hands gently petting the skin of my stomach. Skin once stretched to its limit that is now so soft and pillowy that she takes every opportunity to lift my shirt just enough so she can steal a snuggle. For those few moments, we are both brought back to Day One. The day I became Her Mother. And the day she became My Daughter.

(*Since this post, Gretel is now weaned. It's a bittersweet milestone but one that we were both ready to happen. The tummy snuggles continue and I'm happy to oblige for I get as much of the comforting benefits from the skin-to-skin contact as she does.)

On a Happier Note

A mentor in my prior life as a dot com goddess always told me to end my communications on a positive note.
Can't think of a better way to end a week, or counteract Wednesday's shitstorm, with pictures of my children playing in the park.

Nip/Suck

*pick, pick, pick*

*pinch, pinch, pinch*

*pull, pull, pull*

Lately nursing has had a high suckage factor.
And not in the way all those LLL pamphlets told me about.
It's appeal has gone downhill now that the person who is doing the sucking is a T.O.D.D.L.E.R. who has sprouted octopus arms almost overnight and who seeks to entertain herself with whatever part of MY BODY that is within arms length while nursing. This includes, but is not limited to:
- finding and picking at the tiniest of moles, or the one in between where I should have cleavage which actually may really be a third nipple;
- pulling at my hair or BETTER YET! my collar bone which creeps me out b/c bones.should.not.be.pulled.or.yanked. EVER.;
- pinching my other nip but not before she gives the whole package a gentle s-q-u-e-e-z-e and a little pat as if she thinks it's lonely which... really... it's not.
She's strong.
She's stubborn.
And just as I think I am winning the battle she throws in a foot, usually to my jaw, which distracts me enough to leave her target of choice all exposed and vulnerable.
::sigh::
And still. I wouldn't give up moments like these for anything...

Does Not Play Well With Others

"They never let me kick the ball. EVER!"

(And yet, there it sits... just waiting to be kicked. Sad lonely ball)