Round and round...

I am stuck in this infinite loop. Get up with the babe before Travis wakes up...pee, (with babe on my lap 99% of the time) coffee, email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs... keep baby from peril...Travis gets up... keep him from messing with baby, keep baby from peril...nurse, breakfast, feed us all, change baby's diaper, nurse, email, Facebook, Twitter,blogs.... dress kids... keep Travis from messing with baby, keep baby from peril...shower (or not), snack,nurse, email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs... keep Travis from messing with baby, keep baby from peril...lunch, leave house, (or not), tv, games, snack, lunch....nurse, hope for nap!!!!, email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs.... finally unload dishwasher....blabla....

It's crazy... I get NO time to myself to do anything I want to do.... yeah, ok.... so I probably have an internet addiction...it's definitely escapism....my connection to the "outside world." But people... I cannot even PEE by myself!!!

I was Hoodwinked, Hornswaggled, Harangued. Kids are great... but they are also INSANE.... and they only seem to get more so with the passage of time. Your life? No longer your own. You look and suddenly crazy amounts of time have passed since you were able to do things you used to enjoy... like knit, see a movie, or be intimate with your own husband, or were even able to finish a thought.

All I know is that it absoutely HAS to get better.... please just lie to me... just tell me it does.

Cause seriously? Two kids is my maximum load... the most I can handle. I doubt my own sanity and competent-ness (wtf... is that even a WORD?!)

I wouldn't trade large parts of it for the world. The soft breathing,the sweet-smelling, the gurgles, coos, affectionate hugs, the open-mouthed baby kisses, the giggles, the belly-laughs...touseled hair, the ability to make the world right with a nursing session, or a hug and kiss - a cookie... the joyful sound of play, the interaction, recognition, the knowlege-aquiring .... the imagination, the word "Mama", hearing "I love you mommy", the singing - the wrong lyrics, and out of key......all these things and so many more.... they make the routine, the drugery, the day-to-day grind is so very, very worth it.



I just need to remind myself of this from time to time....

Fall Back...

My kids? They will be the death of me. Seriously. 7:00am waking, no nap having little urchins. Daylight savings can kiss my ass!

Besides that, we had a good day today. We went to the member's preview of the opening of the new Children's Museum. We had a nice lunch at the park... Picked some stuff up at Trader Joe's, and stopped by our storage to get the high chair and BOB Jogger for Ashley.

We were planning on giving the baby her first solids tonight... which has previously been delayed due to teething, and excessive crankinessm, and....
Well, she will have those sweet potatoes that are in the freezer another day (hopefully) this week.

Honestly? I don't really care. I am so not stressing on it. She is only a tiny bit over 15 pounds at barely 7 months... and breastmilk is the best thing for her. I did pick up some bulk hulled millet from Whole Paycheck to make into cereal for her...

The thing I am stressing on? Her insistence on standing. Already. Oh, and then letting go of her support... and repeatedly falling on her head. Thank goodness I caught her today as she launched herself backwards towards the tile floor. Yeah, let's try and avoid brain damage, ok, little girl?

Done, like dinner...

Dinner.

Lately it's been a 4-letter-word around here... In light of the fact that I now have 2 kids... Holy crap!! I have 2 kids!! Also - the fact that one of them is a 4-week-old colicky mess in the evening....The name of the game is simplicity, shortcuts, and letting go. This means taking help from the store... and a more relaxed approach to things. No this isn't that "Semi-Homemade" crap.... it's real life. Anyone who knows me knows this: I love to cook! I KNOW how to cook, I just barely have the time right now. I still am using natural vs. additive-ridden, organic vs. pesticide-riddled, and I am just trying my best to keep things as balanced as I can.


Menu Monday week of May 5-9, 2008


Monday (Cinco de Mayo!)

Fish Soft Tacos (Tilapia) (Relish! Recipe)
Grilled on grill pan - Brush with Olive Oil, season with salt & pepper & grill. Squeeze lime juice on too & serve with Pepperjack Cheese
Guacamole (Trader Joes pre-made)
Chips
Refried Black Beans
Corn

Tuesday:

Thai Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce (Relish! Recipe)
Sesame Sugar Snap Peas (Relish! Recipe)
Jasmine Rice (frozen, microwavable, from Trader Joes)

Wednesday:

Almond-Crusted Chicken (Relish! Recipe)
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Packaged from Trader Joes)
Broccoli

Thursday:

Pasta

Friday: Dinner out with Dad


Also, the added challenge of trying to be as dairy-free (for me) as reasonably possible... I had an iced Soy Vanilla Latte the other day @ Starbucks... it wasn't half bad. Vanilla Rice Dream on my Kashi this morning. But, I absolutely had Cheddar cheese on my BBQ Beef sandwich yesterday, without apologies.

So, the next few weeks will probably continue to be a little tough as I/we continue our adjustment. I realized yesterday that we're still trying to run on 1 kid time. Thinking it will still only take an hour to go to the grocery stores... when in reality, it now takes easily twice that... when you factor in the baby needing to be nursed, changed, etc. Getting 2 changed, clean, dressed, and out the door, into the car... We're figuring this out... cause we're adaptable like that!

Two weeks down!

I've been in a vortex... nursing Ashley, changing both kids' diapers, making food... trying to remember to eat enough myself, and drink enough water... occasionally even managing to make it out of the house, you know... adjusting. Trying my best to ignore the growing pile of laundry needing to be done... the toys strewn all over the living room... the magazines and general clutter needing to be dealt with. Nothing a well-placed hour couldn't handle. But, I don't have a well-placed hour. I have mere minutes between what the baby needs, and what the Boy wants... and I must manage to do things like... ummm...go pee, and other important stuff like eat breakfast. So I guess the house-stuff; it will get done, just not right now. i'm lucky if I can remember to run the dishwasher in the mornings(pre-loaded by Jeff late-night after dinner.)

So, yeah... doing well, yet still trying to get back into the swing of day-to-day household maintenance without going crazy in the process.