Let's Go!

Dash starts to get stir crazy at around 11am on the weekends. He'll have had enough of Cailliou (no small feat, this) and he'll start following me and Josh around the house shouting, "let's go!" He has no idea where he wants to go, but he needs to get there right quick.

This weekend it was raining and I was still not recovered from the cold-flu from hell (9 days and counting, thanks), but the baby started let's go-ing so we let's went. Josh scrounged up an umbrella and we layered Dash in a thermal, then sweater, then jacket and we set out for a walk in the rain. It was kinda cold and a little windy but still, so much fun.

When we returned home Josh lit a fire and Dash watched it, hypnotized, until he fell asleep in my arms. Not a bad way to spend a cold winter morning.

Be Mine

I was digging around Flickr for a photo of my Valentines to mark the day, and I happened upon one I guess I never noticed before:


Obviously, if I had been paying attention, this horror would never have made it off of the camera in the first place. But thank God I live two-thirds of my life in a distracted haze and just loaded this up with the rest. This is the EXACT face Josh makes when he's confused or thinking hard or just making fun. I mean, of course, the resemblance between them is undeniable, but this is truly remarkable.

The other remarkable thing is that, even when I'm mad at him (like I was for most of today) or incredibly stressed (like I have been for the past couple of weeks) or so frustrated that all I want to do is stand in the shower and scream (see previous) I never cease to be abso-fucking-lutely delighted that I helped make another face just like Josh's

I guess that's how you know you chose right. Even when all you want to do is stomp and yell and growl, you're thrilled at the sight of another that looks just exactly like they do.

Hearts

Josh and I have never been big on Valentines Day. Our tradition is to order a pizza and watch a movie on that day. We acknowledge it, but without any of the forced romance of red roses and boxed chocolate (although, mmmm, boxed chocolate). Josh is my best friend, partner and love of my life every single day of the year and I don't need Hallmark to tell me when to make that known.

But, like everything else, having Dash has made the holiday more fun for me to embrace. I like paper crafts and small, easy projects, and making valentines fits the bill perfectly.


These are the goody bags for family and Dash's classmates. The baggies are filled with pink and red Hershey's Kisses and a few Sweet Hearts. For the tags, I printed old vintage valentines onto sticker paper, cut them out and stuck them onto hang tags. Dash signed some.

Dash's teachers and staff at his school will get slightly more elaborate packages. The little paper baskets & tissue paper are from Target. These will have the Kisses and Hearts, along with home-baked cookies cut into Xs and Os.

Dash had a little, live Christmas tree in his room over the holidays that I hadn't the faintest idea what to do with after January 1. The tag that came with it suggested I plant it in the yard after the holidays, but I have no idea what size this thing could grow to or even if it could survive in So Cal. So I stuck it in the kitchen window and am hoping for the best. I've decided it will be my celebration tree. I'll decorate it for whatever holiday or season approaches. The little Valentine characters are stuck onto the silver balls left over from Christmas with double-sided tape. I printed the images from Country Living Magazine (last page).

I saw these doily hearts at the market and couldn't resist them. I stuck a piece of double-sided tape onto the backs and let Dash loose with them. His efforts all landed about three feet from the floor, so I helped a little with placement.

Still Life

One of the many, many things I love about sharing quarters with a two-year-old boy, curious about everything, are these little accidental still lifes I happen upon all over the house.

Show You!

So, you know that potty I'm always going on about? Well, lately Dash has started to understand more about what it's for. There was a memorable warm day in January spent naked in the backyard, moving it from place to place on the lawn and taking a fleeting seat (this was all his idea). Lately he'll ask for it, then demand that his pants and diaper be removed (usually shirt & socks, too. weird kid) and he'll plop down for a few minutes. Nothing has ever happened (well, a couple of poots here and there), and we don't really expect anything to happen. He's barely two.

Last night we had another request for the potty. Pants and diaper were removed. He took a seat and I went into the kitchen to finish making dinner (salad, matzo ball soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. we've just recently discovered the glory of a soup and hot sandwich dinner). So, a few minutes pass and an elated, nude-from-the-waist-down Dash comes tearing into the kitchen. "Mommy! Show You! Mommy! C'mere!" Usually this series of demands means: you will now follow me into the kitchen and fetch me candy, or you will now follow me into the office and show me an Elmo video on You Tube.

Not this time.

Only Child?

I'm pretty sure parents with more than one child have more on their minds than if their kids' hair forms a perfect heart. Luckily for us, we only have one and it does.