Mommy's In Charge For The Weekend

Let's be realistic now. Mom's always in charge. Since Dad is in Seattle, though, she doesn't have to pretend Dad is calling the shots.

Yesterday we actually made it to the Social Security office with all the appropriate documents. While waiting, a lady with a Southern drawl commented on the cute chubbiness of Little Monster's "jowls" and said, "You shore do have your daddy's head, don' cha?" Here's hoping that Miss Fuss grows into her melon. We also made a trip up to Dad's office for low country boil dinner and to see all of Madeleine's adoring fans, also known as Dad's coworkers, and Goblin was in bed by 9:30.

Today Mom and Madeleine went to Target (our favorite store) and spent time with Dad before we dropped him off at the airport in the afternoon. We met Aunt Joddie, Eric and Nicole for dinner at Il Localino, where Little Monster was slightly fussy, but fascinated by the disco ball lights that came on intermittently. Then it was home and bed by 9:30 again for Miss Fuss. Tomorrow we will attempt to ride the train downtown with some friends to see the DragonCon Parade of Storm Troopers and Yodas. We already know who the cutest Goblin there will be.

The Midnight Ride of La Bandita!

I don't know about you people, but around here police have been receiving numerous calls about the nefarious activity of a masked baby bandit. Descriptions list the baby as wee, cute, about 15 pounds, and prone to leaving nothing in her wake for her victims but a wet diaper and some smiles. Let everyone be warned: La Bandita is on the loose.

Yesterday was rough. We were cranky all morning, but then Mom took Little Monster to the movies, and she slept all through it. Then in the afternoon, she was cranky again, and a series of off-again, on-again naps did a little bit to ease the crabbiness. Mom made lasagna for dinner last night, which put Dad on bath duty. The Little Monster was in bed at around 9:00, which is okay, because she needed it.

Today was a different story. We were all smiles this morning, since Little Monster ate early and she woke up before she got too hungry again. We sat with Dad for a little while while Mom was in the shower, and we had a good bit of tummy time. In fact, we were so productive this morning that Little Monster had to change clothes (because we slobbered a lot during all that productivity). She even tried on some very exciting shoes, but they weren't quite working with her feet, so she kept kicking them off.

We attempted to get Mom's social security card changed, but we forgot to bring the marriage certificate. Since we were out anyway and were going to have leftovers for dinner, we stopped for lunch and at the mall for a stroller ride. We had sandwiches for lunch, and Little Monster passed the time by smiling and watching the fans at the deli.

Tragically, the mall trip was off to a difficult start due to a diaper adventure, but once we got that resolved, we had a happy tour through both floors. We got to ride in a glass elevator, which was very exciting. We also took a look at a water fountain, which shot water into the air every few seconds. Little Monster liked to watch it and she enjoyed the sound the water made when it came splashing back to the ground. And, as is Little Monster's wont, she made a new friend at the mall. He was seven months old, and his dad said Madeleine was looking healthy for her age!

Then we came back home, had an afternoon snack, and took a nap. Now Mom is playing Culdcept Saga (a video game) and Dad is working on his trivia questions for the bar tonight. We'll try the Social Security office again tomorrow, and then Dad's off to Seattle on Friday.

The Night That the Lights Went Out in Georgia

We had a storm last night and lost power. Little Monster was already in bed, so she didn't care one bit, but Mom and Dad had a few minutes of dark. When the lights came back on they lit some candles just to be sure and Mom beat Dad at a third straight game of Kingsburg.

Little Monster has had a few cranky days. Mom wanted to go to the movies today, but Madeleine was having such fusses that it wouldn't have been possible to go. As well, it's been kind of rainy, so we can't even go out to the courtyard to watch cars or sit on the grass. Little Monster has been Little Crab in the car and at the house, and she's only happy when she's eating or when she's seeing the blades of the ceiling fan turn slowly.

Little Monster has also been working her tongue a lot lately. Some times she sticks it out and other times she rolls it around her mouth. As well, she's been using her hands more and more. She can grab things, like the blanket or parts of her jungle gym, but she doesn't really know she's holding on to anything in order to use it yet. And when there's nothing to hold, sometimes she just grabs her other hand, which looks like she's being crafty and rubbing her hands together in malevolent anticipation. Excellent.

We had breakfast at Waffle House yesterday, where the waitresses love Little Monster, but where Dad has seen some of the same people as before, so he's worried that he might be perceived as a "regular." Yikes. Then we went to Target to buy a new bathmat because the old one was bigger than the square footage of the bathroom. Finally, we visited the grocery store, but Little Monster cried the whole way there from Target, so her face was all red and flushed at the store (which earned her some sympathy from one of the clerks).

Last night, Mom made some balsamic-soy glazed chicken wings and Dad gave Little Monster her bath. It was a role reversal of epic proportion. Even the cat enjoyed the chicken wings (but don't tell Mom that Dad fed her with scraps).

Today has been a bust. The rain means Dad can't run, so he's spending the day working on his trivia questions and book. Mom has been reading and rocking Little Monster, since she can't risk the movies. We'll leave in a little while for the store, but it'll probably be another quiet evening in, with maybe another sound thrashing at Kingsburg in store for Dad.

Draft Day

One thing's for certain: Mom knows how to work the camera, even if Dad doesn't. Our video today features slobbers, a single tear, and a smile near the end.


Today was draft day for Dad's fantasy football league, so we left for the office around 11 o'clock to meet Matt and get the place ready. (We had the draft at Dad's office.) It was nice to meet all of the people in the league. Jess and Tim joked about absconding with Little Monster because she's so cute! Mom also brought cookies, which immediately endeared her to everyone who Dad usually yells at.

Little Monster also made a friend at the draft whose name is Olivia. Olivia is 17 months old, and she and Little Monster played with toys like Moo Cow, Dragonfly, and the car seat. (Almost all of Little Monster's toys have names.) It was really hot upstairs and Mom was uncomfortable, but Little Monster eventually fell asleep for maybe a half an hour.

Little Monster expressly disapproves of Dad's draft. In particular, Dad ended up with one sketchy quarterback, one crappy quarterback, and a morally dubious Defense/ Special Teams. But Dad did manage to bring home the best kicker in the league, so provided Nick Folk kicks 10 60-yard-plus field goals every game, baby will indeed get a new pair of shoes.

We also picked up a few board games that Dad brought home from his trip last weekend. Little Monster really enjoyed helping Mom punch some of the pieces out of the cardboard, and no doubt the colorful pieces will eventually end up in her mouth by the fistful. Little Monster's, that, is, not Mom's. But you never can tell.

When we got home, Dad made salad while Mom reheated some leftovers. The miserable Cleveland-Detroit game was on, and Little Monster was having none of it. She happily "burritoed up" and was in bed by 7:30. We'll see how long that lasts....

Dad Cannot Work a Camera

Today was an adventure. We woke up late and then couldn't get back to sleep! While Dad tried to rock us back to sleep and Mom stole an extra half-hour in bed, we knew that there was no breakfast to be had in the house. So once Mom woke up, we decided to go to Java Jive for breakfast. Dad had a Greek omelet and Mom had a Mediterranean omelet. Dad particularly likes Java Jive's coffee and home fries. After Java Jive, we went to Petsmart to pick up food for El Gato Malodoro, where we also saw birds and lizards! Snakes are gross. Then we went to the bookstore, but Dad already has about a thousand books in his queue and the book Mom wanted wasn't in paperback. So phooey.

Then we fussed on the way to the grocery store. You know how that goes.

When we got home Dad went for his run and Mom fed Little Monster. After that, both Mom and Little Monster took a nap. Madeleine's nap went on and on -- we think she went Where the Wild Things Are and came back only because she got a little hungry.

This afternoon, Dad was supposed to be working on his book, but instead he horsed around and played video games while Mom gave Little Monster her afternoon feeding and read a book. By early evening, we decided to go to Taco Mac for dinner before the game. We finished in time for a bath and Jeopardy!

This morning, Dad also got some video of Little Monster, but he did it with the camera held incorrectly and he's trying to get it posted to the web before the game. Little Monster wants you to enjoy her music video for Roxy Music, and she ensures you that next time the production will be handled far more professionally. So, without further ado:

Sorry We're Late

A long day today, even though Dad never left the house. He's working like sixty on the book to get it ready for digital publication.

Today, Little Monster and Mom went over to Joddie's house to visit her and Lindsey. Back when Mom was working at UrbanTrans, she made friends with some of the crew at the H&M clothing store, and today they all brought her a bunch of baby clothes, on the house! Joddie took them from the office to her place, and Mom and Little Monster went to pick them up today.

Aside from that, it was busy but quiet at the house. We did a lot of laundry, since towels seem to be a hot commodity these days. We also spent about half an hour or so in the courtyard, watching the cars go by like Little Monster just loves to do. The weather was downright cool today, and a bit overcast, which was welcome after yesterday's return to the Georgia heat.

Tomorrow is another Cowboy game, which we may go see at Taco Mac. Grandma Raye makes fun and says that Maddie Jo is the "nightlife baby," but that's okay. Little Monster loves to be the life of the party... until she's ready to go, of course.

A Visit from Snarla

Good heavens, it is time for a bath. We are so covered with slobbers and the aftermath of our last digestive efforts, the Coast Guard might have to be called in. Luckily, it's Little Monster's scheduled bath day, so there's no wasted splashing or scaly skin.

We had a good, long nap this afternoon before dinner, which is important because we were acting a little cranky. We went to the post office and the grocery store, but we had to stop off at home without going to the library because fussing was the name of the game. We met three nice ladies at the grocery store, two who worked there and one just doing her shopping, who told us what a little darling Little Monster is. We agreed with them, of course! After a good lunch, we dozed off, which was fortunate, because it was a little too hot to go out to the courtyard this afternoon.

We got up a little early this morning and hung out with Dad because Mom was still a little sleepy from our early morning feeding. Dad is really stinky when he comes back from his jog through downtown Decatur -- almost as stinky as Little Monster can be when she's worked up "a full head of steam," to use Dad's terminology.

We also played a little bit in our jungle gym today, as you can see. It has a lion-shaped reflective surface attached to it, so Little Monster can see what she'd look like as the Queen of the Jungle. Mom says the jungle gym is the best nine bucks we ever spent.

Little Monster from the Black Lagoon

Pool day! Little Monster, Mom, and Dad joined Joddie and Lindsey at the Grant Park pool. The water was too chilly for Little Monster to splash around, but she definitely enjoyed being outside. For lunch we visited the ever-popular Six Feet Under.

We had a late start this morning since we were reluctant to go to sleep last night. Dad wanted to do his run before the pool, but such was not the case. Little Monster slept very late, not getting up for breakfast until seven o'clock. We stayed up late watching the not-good Giants-Browns game. Tonight, since Mom and Dad missed it this weekend, we'll watch the highlights on the Dallas-Denver game from the weekend. But we'd better go to bed on time.

This afternoon we have been practicing our smiling, and we're very good at it. We had a good nap, during which Dad got some work done on his book and Mom read a bit in her Parents magazine. The cat is being weird, sharpening her claws on Mom's flip flops and hanging out on the couch with Mom and Little Monster during the afternoon nap. It must be something in her food.

Back to Normal (For What It's Worth)

This weekend, Little Monster and Mom went to the lake with Joddie while Dad was horsing around in Indianapolis. The trip to Joddie's lake house is about an hour, but it was worth it. The weather was wonderful and Little Monster had two dogs to watch, Lucky and Eddie.

Little Monster slept in a "big girl bed," and Mom didn't bring her pink burrito. The joke was on Mom, though, because it became a fussy night. Still, it was good to get away from home for the weekend, because both Mom and Little Monster needed change of scenery while Dad was away. Rachel also called to see if Mom and Maddie wanted to have lunch with her and Spencer, since Spencer's dad was in Indianapolis with Dad. They'll have to take a rain check on that one.

Poor Little Monster was in the car all day Sunday, though. With the trip back from the lake house, to the trip back home from Joddie's, to the trip to the airport to pick up Dad and finally the ride home, it was a day full of car seat! We were not happy, but we finally got home safe.

Today, we were more of sorts. We had a brief walk outside with Dad, then Mom took us out for a stroller walk while Dad washed the bathroom and kitchen floors. We also had a chance to play with our new jungle gym, which we like very much. It has a lion, elephant, monkey, and zebra to rattle and we really enjoy its bright colors.

A Busy Two Days!

It's been busy around here, as you can tell. Tomorrow Dad's headed to Indianapolis for a trade show. That means Mom and Little Monster will be hanging out for five days! Mom wants to go to the lake house with Joddie, so maybe there'll be a mini-vacation involved.

Yesterday, Mom's friend Gary was in town, and we went to Six Feet Under for lunch. Gary is the brother of the piano player who played at the lounge where Mom and Dad met. He's an airplane pilot, and he just flew the Braves back from their game the day before.

We took Gary back to his hotel and then went home for a few hours, so Dad could run and Mom coould feed Little Monster and have a nap. Then we went out to meet a few friends at Hand In Hand. It was very nice outside, so we sat on the patio and soaked up some sun, as you can see. Then our friends went to the movies and we went home to have dinner. By the time we got home, it was 7:30, and by the time dinner was finished it was 10:00 and little monster was already in bed! Too much to do in one day, it seems.

Today Dad had to run a bunch of errands while Mom kept Maddie. Late in the afternoon, we took a trip to the store so Mom and Dad could look for new clothes. Mom found a few items, but Dad just got mad. He spent the drive home muttering that things have gone to heck in a handbasket since men stopped wearing hats. He is especially mad at silkscreened t-shirts, for some reason.

Now we're at home and Mom and Dad have just had dinner. Little Monster is having her own dinner now while Mom is watching Jeopardy! and Dad is packing for his trip. Tomorrow morning we have to drive Dad to the airport. Little Monster's opinion on the matter has yet to be confirmed, but the forecast is grim.

Busy Day

Dang, dinner still isn't ready. A lengthy post tomorrow, hopefully. In the interim, enjoy this:

Dad Is Eating Cookies

He is mad that he not only missed the Cowboys game yesterday, but that they lost.

An extreme diaper adventure happened yesterday morning, leading to rumored sightings of Naked Baby. Police were called, but Naked Baby proved to be in the idiom of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, having maybe some basis in reality, but remaining unsubstantiated to the masses.

Yesterday was another beautiful day and Little Monster spent it with Mom in the courtyard. She was a little crabby in the house, so Mom took her outside, where she likes to watch the cars and squirrels. When Little Monster came back in, she and Dad went to the store for a few things. She slept the whole time during the ride and the cart-trip through Target. We didn't want to sleep in the afternoon, so we had a bit of tummy time and that tuckered us out.

When Mom made dinner and baked cookies, it was too hot to hang out in the kitchen, so Little Monster and dad danced a little bit to the oldies channel. Then, after dinner but before Dad went to work, he and Little Monster watched some of the Redskins game.

Today started on a much less icky and fussy note. We went to the grocery store for food until Dad's trip Wednesday, and they told Little Monster she was precious.

This afternoon, we went to the park, where we relaxed in the shade and took a walk near the pond. We saw a few more squirrels and plenty of dogs and even a kite in the sky. Then Little Monster decided she was hungry and we headed home. We're having just a little bit before dinner.

One of Little Monster's favorite things to do is stiff-leg. When she's fussing or when she's churning her legs, she occasionally locks her knees with her legs at full extension. We don't know if we're trying to stand or we're just figuring out how our appendages work, but one thing's for sure -- we have strong legs!

Party All the Time

Holy heck, Dad is having a sneezing fit right now! He's waiting for a show about the Battle of Stirling to be on the History Channel. The Pittsburgh-Philadelphia game is on right now, but Charlie Batch was on the screen when Mom switched over to the game, and nothing good can come of Charlie Batch being on the TV.

Little Monster woke up early today, and Dad had to walk with her for half an hour until she fell asleep again. She's been a bit cranky today, especially at the cookout, but that's okay. Dad ate a BBQ pork sandwich and a footlong hotdog and mom had a hamburger. Then we left, fat and happy except for Miss Fuss, who wasn't happy at all.

When we got home, Little Monster had another bath. We all know how much she likes her baths, and she especially likes her bunny towel.

Little Monster also spent some time with Mom in the courtyard today. It was a great day with a nice breeze, and they relaxed on a blanket. Maddie watched cars go by while Mom read a book. They also went to the grocery store, where Mom burgled chicken kebabs and shrimp kebabs from an unwitting woman in the parking lot. Dad got an oil change while Mom was on her crime spree.

Football Season!

Our hair gets exceptionally fuzzy after we have a bath. Sometimes we have to remind Dad not to make fun of us (he says we look like a Batman villain). We really enjoy the bath, though -- especially the warm water and the opportunity to splash.

Today, Dad woke up too late for his oil change, so he'll have to do that tomorrow, but he did manage to run. Mom had oatmeal for breakfast. We went to the movies, where Little Monster slept through most of it, like we knew she would. We saw Brideshead, Revisited. It was us and a full contingent of senior citizens.

When we got home, we ate a late lunch and got ready for the football game. As you can see, Little Monster enjoys watching football with Dad. She also enjoys watching the ceiling fan spin and her friend Panda on her tummy time musical block.

Tomorrow dad has a meeting at work and then a cookout. Little Monster will come to the cookout, where she'll once again be the belle of the ball.

Where Does the Day Go?

Today was a lazy day. Dad got up around nine with Little Monster and Mom stayed in bed for another hour or so. When everyone was up, we spent the morning watching Howl's Moving Castle, and Little Monster enjoyed the landscapes.

After the movie, Little Monster was fussy, so she spent a lot of the afternoon in Mom's arms, since she cried whenever she went anywhere else. Dad worked on his trivia questions for the bar while Mom bounced the wee goblin in her Boppy seat.

Diaper adventures have been occurring with remarkable frequency. Last night, while Dad was holding Maddie during Jeopardy, she rumbled the whole living room with her fury. There in the picture is the aftermath. Note the redneck mustache and t-shirt on Dad. Today we had another diaper adventure, but this time Mom had it coming.

Sometimes at night we have trouble sleeping, so we use the "baby burrito." It's a form-fitting pink blanket that works like swaddling blankets at the hospital. It keeps us warm and prevents us from shaking or startling ourselves awake. We sometimes hate the pink burrito when we put it on, but we really love it during the night. Of course, a 13-pound, 24-inch-long burrito is quite a thing to see, and it makes both Grandma Raye and Grandma BJ laugh. It also makes Mom laugh when we work our hands loose and our fingers wiggle like worms on a hook.

Tomorrow Dad gets an oil change and we might brave the movie. Also, we're going to watch more football, this time on the couch.

Running Errands

Today was a normal day. Little Monster rose at nine in the morning. Mom took a shower and dad went running. Dad's face is scratchy, but he's really proud of the stupid mustache of which both Mom and Little Monster disapprove.

We had Tummy Time this morning, but it didn't last long. We talked a little bit with our friends, but we really just wanted to be held. We also had some amazing diaper adventures about which the less said the better.

It was very hot today -- almost a hundred degrees -- but we went running errands anyway. Mom had to return her laptop to the transportation office where she's no longer working. We had to visit Target to pick up baby essentials and a gift for some friends in Canada (who also had a little girl recently, Charlotte Ruth). And cornbread mix for the chili. Dad's trying to lose about 15 pounds, so he talked himself out of the bag of Target brand chips that he loves so much. (Edited to add: Actually, Mom pointed out that a bag of salt and vinegar chips probably would not benefit his weight loss plan. After some grumbling that rivaled Little Monster's, he put the chips back.)

After Target, we went to the book store and Staples, because we "needed" (Dad's phrasing) new books and a toner cartridge for the printer. Which reminds me, we didn't have a chance to read this morning, and we'll have to do that this afternoon. Yesterday we read Snuggle Puppy. Today we'll read a folk tale from the Italo Calvino collection, provided Dad finds one that's not above his reading level.

After all those errands we came home and had a late lunch. Right now we're listening to the oldies channel and taking a nap. We were kind of fussy yesterday night, so the nap will hopefully make us a bit more mellow this evening. In fact, we were originally going to go to the movies today, but Little Monster was more precarious than Mom and Dad wanted to risk.

It also cracks Dad up to mess with Little Monster's monkey toes. They're really long and very dexterous. One day, Little Monster will probably be able to peel a banana with her feet. Just like her mother.

Tonight is also bath night!

Visiting CNN Center

Little Monster slept late today. She didn't get up until 11. We had been out the night before watching the football game at Taco Mac, so Miss Fuss had a bit of a late evening.

We took Madeleine to CNN Center today for the tour of the facility, where the various news shows are made. CNN Center has the world's longest freestanding escalator in the world, at over 190 feet, that climbs eight floors in 2 1/2 minutes. Madeleine was wide-eyed and slobbery for the trip.

Once on the tour, though, she got a bit fussy. We saw the newsrooms and postproduction studio, but in the final presentation, we ducked out. Maddie didn't want her bottle and she was getting antsy, so we just headed home. Traffic was snarly, so she cried a bit, but by the time we got home, she was asleep.

We attended a pool party at our friend Baddi's house this Saturday, where Little Monster learned she does not like when the pool is below a certain temperature. She loves taking a bath and we're sure she'll eventually enjoy the pool (we're looking into Water Babies at the YMCA up the street), but it was justa bit cool and surprising for her this Saturday.

Now's she's having a late lunch. Mom and dad plan to eat around six (homemade chili, made Sunday and left to steep overnight), then dad has to return a keg to the liquor store while mom looks on through narrowed eyes.