Thing the first: dates. I have a “thing” about dates. Important dates, anyway, like wedding dates and birth dates and… well, I guess those are the two biggies. The “date thing” really has no rhyme or reason, save to say that I tend to dislike odd numbers and, in my head, 7 and 9 seem unfriendly. 3 and 5 are, inexplicably, friendlier. I do not like 13, but 15 is okay.
Our wedding was very nearly held on a Sunday because I liked the sound of the date: June 12. Originally we’d planned to marry in 2006; our impatience spurred us into a 2005 wedding and I didn’t want to let go of that date. I could not conceive of getting married on Saturday, 6/11 (those numbers just look like a mess to me), and so eventually we settled on a Friday wedding: June 10. I had to grow into liking the year – our original thought of 6/12/06 was lovely to me, but since I’m not entirely opposed to 5 (see the “friendly” explanation above) I was able to get over it. 6/10/05 it was, but I still prefer to see it spelled out: June 10, 2005.
(Sure I’m crazy yet? Read on…)
My distaste for odd numbers typically does not extend to the first of any month (unless that month is November – 11/1 bothers me). My first choice for our wedding date was October 1, 2005. You’ve never seen a prettier date, have you? I can still just see it spelled out on invitations, and Jimmy and I have recurring discussions of what that wedding day may have looked like – our actual wedding day had temperatures topping 100 degrees, while October 1 was 70 degrees, partly sunny, entirely perfect. Since Jimmy was the one pushing the June wedding, it gives me great pleasure to point this out to him on occasion.
My sister Sara did me the honor of choosing that week for her 2008 wedding: October 4, 2008. 10/4/08. Lovely. I heartily approve. It was a lovely, perfect day. Just as the perfection of those numbers would imply, don’t you think?
I can’t believe that anyone got married this year. I detest 9 and am only too happy that the clock is winding down into a much “friendlier” year – 2010.
My mom was a little worried about my mental health when I went into labor with Madeline on 2/11/08. She knows my distaste for odd numbers, and crossed her fingers that my baby would hold on through the night to be born on the 12th. As my labor dragged on through that day, she crossed her fingers and began to pray again, this time for me to hurry up and avoid the 13th. She was right to do so; of course I’d have welcomed Madeline’s safe arrival on any old day she chose, but writing 2/12/08 or February 12, 2008 gives me great relish. What perfect numbers! What a great date my girl chose to arrive (at 8:18pm, no less!) There is a happy roundness to all those numbers, perfectly even and a little bit matchy.
I’ve never written all this out or given it extended thought, but the recent articles and programs I’ve been seeing about synethesia make me wonder if there are other people out there with this “quirk.” Further googling revealed ordinal linguistic personification, which seems to be a fancy way of saying that some people attach personalities to letters and numbers. I’ve never done this with letters, but it’s nice to know that there may be other people out there who sometimes cringe when they receive wedding invitations or baby announcements with “ugly” or “unfriendly” dates. The human mind is a fascinating thing, isn’t it?
Thing the second: presents. Specifically, gifts for wedding and baby showers. I cannot just go to the store, select an item from the registry, and be done with it. Oh no. I have to find a selection of items from the registry that go together, and essentially create my own little gift set.
Until recently, this quirk was something that I liked about myself. I find fun stuff this way, and it’s often a good opportunity to combine registry items with something more personal or unexpected (past examples include a non-registry picnic basket full of registered-for dishes; a registered-for wine rack full of wine I knew they’d like; etc.). However, one of my best friends is having a baby in January, and her shower is coming up. Her registry is near-empty, which is fantastic; however, I waited too long to put my gift together. Now most of the “bigger” items are gone, and what’s left doesn’t match. I cannot bring myself to simply buy the humidifier and the second carseat base because it’s what they want and need and then be done with it; oh no. Those are not a package and so I am at a loss.
Further complicating things is the fact that I ordered some handmade blankets and burp cloths for her from a coworker; she’d made several for me when I was expecting Madeline and they were the nicest ones I received, so I wanted her to have some as well. So now I have blankets to add to the mix and if I don’t find a solution soon I’m going to have to take the blankets to her early as a standalone gift.
I went to Babies R Us today and wandered like a crazy person for half an hour or so, and all I left with was one of her canvas organizers. That I’m planning to fill with something. That matches, or relatively so. I started to fill it with all the “necessities” – Mylicon, Motrin, all of that – but then I got overwhelmed because I didn’t have a list and oh my God, what do babies even need? I don’t have a baby, I have a toddler and oh look, there is an adorable comb and brush set for her.
So I’ll likely do the necessities thing (after I make a list, you know), but it is ridiculous and exhausting to be this weird. Quirky. Whatever. Hurry, tell me I’m not the only one…
Filed under: me | 13 Comments
Tags: eccentric, ordinal linquistic personification, quirks, synethesia
not much
When people ask “What’s new? What’s been going on?” I almost always answer: “Not much.” There’s always something going on, surely, but I ramble enough about myself here that I can’t fathom that people would want to hear all about it in real life too. Anybody else do this?
:::
Madeline, Jimmy and I made our first batch of Christmas cookies for 2009 this week. I say “this week” because we used his Grandma’s recipe, which is simple enough but very involved, time-wise. The dough has to be made in advance and chilled at least overnight, then the cookies can be baked, and I prefer to let the cookies sit and cool overnight before frosting because they are so soft and break super-easily.
Anyway, it was a ton of fun: Madeline got right into it. She sat up on the island and played in the flour and helped me cut out the shapes. By the end she was covered in flour, and had even snuck herself a teensy taste of raw cookie dough (and when I say snuck, I mean snuck - I was watching her like a hawk; we were laughing and then suddenly there it was, in her mouth). We listened to Christmas music as we cut them out; I was wearing my Christmas apron and it was one of those impromptu Norman Rockwell moments I’d always hoped for while thinking of my family. It was noisy and messy and fun, and I am so very lucky. I forget that, sometimes.
:::
I watched Twilight with my older sister Sara on Saturday. It was my second time watching it, but I just have to say again: is that an absolutely abysmal movie or what? The tinkly, sparkly music when Edward comes out into the sun; the weird-ass “spider monkey” and “monkey man” references; the embarrassingly awkward portrayal of Bella (who is a spaz enough in the books to begin with, even without the Hollywood enhancements); the total lack of relationship development between Edward and Bella… oh, it is a horrendous movie. I didn’t even love the books that much, honestly; I thought they were quite badly written and yet infuriatingly addicting. Yet here I am, yammering on about them, so kudos to you, Stephenie Meyer!
We watched it in preparation for New Moon, which I think we’ll be heading to see next weekend (hopefully after the screaming teenagers have cleared out, so I don’t have to shake my cane at them in a curmudgeonly fashion). Sara is firmly on Team Jacob; I was as well until the events of Breaking Dawn. After that mess, I’m sorry, I have to conclude that he’s a total creeper. I’m on no one’s team, except for the one that’s rooting for Stephenie Meyer to finish the books from Edward’s point of view. Clearly, I’m a glutton for punishment.
:::
There are some other exciting things coming up as well: Elmo LIVE! is exactly one week from today. To say that I’m “excited” would be a massive understatement. I cannot wait to take Maddie! Also, in just a few short weeks I get to head to Chicago to meet the fabulous Samantha and a host of other awesome women. I can’t wait.
This, however, is exactly why I use the answer of “not much.” Because if I told people that I’m excited about Christmas cookies, Twilight, Elmo LIVE! and meeting up with a group of women who are (for all outward appearances) strangers, I think people may find me a little bit off.
So how about you? What have you been up to lately? (No “not much” allowed!)
Filed under: Madeline, family, me | 6 Comments
Tags: Christmas cookies, Elmo LIVE!, New Moon, parenting, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight
little things
More and more she’s been lying down on her belly to play, to color. It was Jimmy who noticed it first, one night when she laid down in the living room to read a book. “Look at the big girl,” he said, nudging me. “Maddie, you’re so big,” he told her. “What happened?”
“What happened, Dada?” she parrotted. “What happened?”
Last night after she had her dinner (goulash, as betrayed by the messy face above), she and Jimmy chased each other through the house. Periodically she’d toss herself down on the rug, proclaiming “OH no! A fall! A-go bonk! Uh-oh!“
When we began to reassure her, she’d fill in the blanks with the phrases she’s heard so many times in her 21 months: “It’s okay, I fine, you okay.”
Eventually, exhausted, she professed that she was “Seeping, mumma. Seeping. Ni-night, Dada. Seeping now.” It was almost bathtime, her red-rimmed eyes bearing evidence of the time.
I’ve forgotten now what it’s like to have a child that didn’t run… that didn’t walk and talk and tell us just what she needed. It’s hard to remember Madeline before the time that she was making jokes and playing little tricks like the “seeping” game. Last night I was laughing helplessly with her there on the kitchen floor, in the very spot where I remember pacing and bouncing with exhaustion with that so-tiny new baby in my arms. I remember thinking she’d never be that big… not this big.
She asks for Ni Hao when she wants to watch Nick Jr.; she says her ABCs and counts to ten. She reaches for our hands when she wants something from another room, pulling us along; she asks for “OJ juice, apple juice, milk!” She loves pizza and would eat nothing but cookies if only we’d allow it. She loves her Thursdays at Ahmie’s and wriggles with joy when we pull into that driveway. She wants to be outside as much as possible; every morning when she wakes up I bring her into my bed and we snuggle, holding hands. She hates having her fingernails trimmed but loves her “MONKEY JAMMIES!” and asks for them every night, in all caps with exclamation points. She wants to dress herself, to pick out her own outfits, to rub lotion into her arms and legs. She loves to brush her teeth.
It’s funny, these great big milestones wrapped up in such little moments. Every day, all these things I could never see coming are happening in such matter-of-fact ways. No longer a baby, my little girl. Growing so fast, in so many little ways.
Filed under: Madeline, daily, milestones, parenting | 6 Comments
Tags: milestones, toddler
the reluctant ladybug
You know, I almost forgot all about Halloween!
I was excited about Halloween this year. Last year, for her first, we dressed her up in a ladybug sleeper and visited our families.
We thought we’d do the same this year, stopping at five or six houses to see our immediate family in the area. We thought that maybe Madeline would like to be a ladybug for Halloween again this year; I found a costume I loved and couldn’t wait to take pictures, then hold them side-by-side so that I could sing Memories and bemoan the rapid passage of time.
Well.
The above picture pretty much sums up what she thought about the whole event. She didn’t want to wear the big puffy ladybug shell. Noted. Next year, nothing puffy.
We went into my office the day before Halloween for a little trick-or-treating excursion they hold; all the kids of the company come in and go around to each cube for candy. Last year we’d had lots of fun with this; however, it was not happening this year. Madeline showed up wearing her leggings and the little undershirt we’d gotten for under her costume. That was it. She refused the hat and shoes, even, that day.
She deigned to accept treats at the first two cubicles: a brownie and two packages of Smarties.
That was it. People had brought in special toddler-friendly treats for her, but she would have none of it. Anytime any one of these treats were carefully snuck into her pumpkin, she’d plop right back down on the floor and extract the offending intruder carefully, placing it on the carpet with a firm “NO THANK YOU!” to whoever had offered it.
It was… an interesting bit of time there.
After a while I admit that it became a bit of a game to try and sneak treats into her bucket, but she would have none of it. I drove home half-laughing and half-shrugging, frustrated with the sassy girl in the backseat (having forgotten, apparently, my Cardinal Rule of never giving her more than she could handle. You know, being that an entire office of relative strangers, weird treats and kids in costume might be a bit much).
On Halloween itself, there was one brief, shining moment when her Ahmie coerced her into wearing the costume in its entirety.
Only Ahmie could make her smile when she’s in that kind of a mood.
Next year, if she seems to feel similarly, we’ll take her to the grandparents and leave it at that. She just seemed overwhelmed by the whole business. It’s not something I even stopped to consider, given that she’s generally pretty easy to be with; I’d assumed she’d take it in stride. I think I need to remember my Cardinal Rule and let her lead me along.
I’ll admit: I was a little disappointed by her reaction at first. Having since gotten over myself and my own stupid Hallmark expectations for every holiday, I will only say this: Madeline, I am so proud of you for always making your opinion known, even when I disagree (and, dare I say, when I think you’re wrong). You are hilariously stubborn and independent and brilliant, and I couldn’t love you more.
Even if you were kind of a Scrooge about Halloween.
Filed under: Madeline, family, milestones, parenting | 3 Comments
Tags: Halloween, ladybug costume, parenting
It’s November.
(The title of this post should be read in the voice used for the It’s Lindsay lead-in on The Soup. You watch The Soup, right? If not, you should. Hilarity).
I posted on November 1, which… well, that was mostly an accident, really. You know what that means though, right? I’ve pretty much got myself into a feeling of “hey, I blogged on a Sunday! That means I should participate in NaBloPoMo!”
But nope. I’m resisting. I really don’t need another obligation on my plate right now, but I am thrilled for all of you who are participating because it was a pretty great experience last year. I will be writing a lot, though, even if it doesn’t all live and breathe here in this forum.
last week, I picked a story back up from some character notes I’d written years ago – again, something I found in the boxes in our office. It’s a character study really; I’m not sure that it’s anything that will develop into a real story, but I may use this month as an excuse/obligation to work more on it and see if I can flesh it out, coax it to life. It’s been so long since I attempted any type of fiction – maybe this is a great time to do so. Maybe my non-participation in NaBloPoMo will be my excuse.
As a side note – I really need to either repair my laptop or pull the files from it. There are a lot of ideas and thoughts contained there, and pawing through all the boxes I found has got me curious about what’s on there as well. Iremember bits of it, but I know I’d find a few surprises.
:::
So Christmas is coming. I’ve succeeded in angering some of the people in my office by putting up our Christmas tree. I swear, sometimes my life is really more like an episode of The Office than I care to admit, and that’s all I’m going to say about that. In my defense, it’s because our company adopts a family at Christmas, and we pull gift tags from the tree to choose gifts to provide for them. I’m just trying to give everyone some time, people! Time to shop, buy, whatever.
I myself have already started wrapping, and that feels fantastic. I’ve been a big old slacker the past two years (see: category “Madeline”) and am determined not to fall into the same trap this year.
I love the holidays, though. I really do. They were always fabulously fun at my house growing up, and I’m determined that Madeline will have the same experience.
:::
Speaking of holidays… what are your Christmas gift-giving rules for your kids?
I’m asking because it’s been very difficult not to go overboard. Very. I’ve kept a list of everything that I’ve bought for Madeline (since it’s getting wrapped as it comes into the house and would be easy to forget) and it’s – longish. Maybe longer than it should be for a 22-month old girl.
Last year was easy. She was 10 months old! What does a 10-month old really like, or want, anyway? She liked to be read to; we bought her some books. I felt that she needed a New Large Plastic Object since her gym had been outgrown, and so we bought her the Laugh & Learn Kitchen (which was admittedly money well spent as she’s still playing with it a year later).
There were a few other things (most notably, the lovely engraved ornament we chose for her and her Christmas stocking – oh, I am nothing if not sentimental) but it was easy to be restrained, because she was a baby and had everything she needed. More than she needed. Jimmy and I went shopping one evening to accomplish all this, and were satisfied that we wouldn’t spoil our child. We decided that each year we’d go shopping together to choose an ornament for her – something that represents a bit of her year. When she’s bigger, she can come along; hopefully, it will turn into one of those family “things” that we just do together.
Now… this year? I feel like all that’s gone out the window. She is a person now, with distinct likes and dislikes, and she’s so easy to shop for. Her stocking is complete, full of Elmo fun; I’ve assembled the big-girl kitchen we bought her. I’ve wrapped the rest of her presents, but I keep thinking of (and seeing) things she may like.
I am picked up what I have determined to be her last gift at Target a few nights ago. Unless I can find a nice child-size table at this weekend’s Mom-to-Mom sale. Then, she will get that as well. Otherwise, I’m calling it done, because really – her birthday is coming too!
So how do you stick to a list for your kids? What’s your strategy? Educate me, please.
Filed under: Madeline, family | 8 Comments
Tags: family traditions, Holidays, Christmas, Christmas traditions, gift-giving
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