Bad Mommy/Good Mommy

I told him nothing good could come from this whole walking business, but my mother was right: they don't listen. Have to learn every goddamned thing the hard way.

Saturday morning we were having brunch with Josh's cousin, her husband and their nine-week-old when Dash went down. Smashed his lip on the coffee table and bled all over his Manwich t-shirt. (Although I hate that my little man suffered an injury, it was slight and I'll consider it a public service for those who, like Josh & me 11 months ago, smugly think they have the baby thing wired after a few weeks of lugging around a little animatronic bag of goo.) (Yep, animatronic bag of goo.)

Sunday morning I padded into the living room and was greeted by Josh, holding Mansie so I couldn't see his head, saying grimly: "He's fine, but I want to prepare you for what you're going to see." Which, you know, you don't typically want to hear when you're the Jewish mother of a one-year-old. Apparently he didn't learn Saturday's lesson and he brained himself on the coffee table while trying to take a step. (I hear you murmuring under your breath, "Well, Liz, it seems that he's having some trouble negotiating the coffee table. Why don't you move it or wrap it in one of those foam corner covers they make for just this reason?" No. Because.)

The egg on his lil' noggin was an inch high and purple. It looked for all the world like a horn had cropped up on his heed. I thought I was going to throw up at the sight of it. (I did not.) I did, however, hustle the entire family off to the emergency room where we waited for triage with 1. a kid with an earache, 2. a guy with a backache and 3. a little girl who hurt her elbow on the slide. I heart the suburbs. Anyway, the baby is fine and now we have a funny "mommy went nuts and took him to the emergency room" story.

He walked his ass 15 feet down the hallway after we got home.

Also! Also! I figured out how to make fast homemade mac & cheese so I don't have to freak out about what's in the boxed stuff! (I say fast because although Martha's is the best, it's a pain in the ass and not really appropriate for babies)

Non-Scary Mac & Cheese

(I do this with organic everything. You don't have to.)

Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a saucepan. Add a teaspoon or so of flour. Cook for a few seconds to get the raw flour taste out. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 c. whole milk. Whisk until thick and creamy. Remove from heat. Add small handfuls of grated cheese to taste and stir until melted (I ended up using about 1 c.) Pour over about 1/2 lb. cooked whole wheat rotelle pasta and mix well. (I hide pureed veggies in this. Don't tell the baby.)