Alex has been truly inspired by the movie Milo and Otis. It colors a lot of her day. she hoots like an owl, sometimes insists on being called Milo (she's always the star of the show, no matter what) and even lunch has shades of M and O. Yesterday she was eating corn by the individual kernel by squeezing the centers out. They were juicy bits of corn and kept squirting corn juices everywhere. Inspired by the scene where Otis politely asks a clam about Milo's whereabouts in which the rude clam spits at him, Alex decided that the corn kernels were all rude clams.
Speaking of corn, we've had a bit of a semi-crisis on our hands involving popcorn. Alex has, on several occasions, shared her popcorn with Gabey. Now, I know that popcorn is one of those foods that's infamous for being a choking hazard, so it was under the strictest of supervision that Gabe was allowed to eat some popcorn. I even went so far as to break up individual kernels so that he could enjoy what is apparently his favorite snack ever.
What I didn't think about was the potential for bits to get stuck in his teeth. So of course, while gnawing at the popcorn with his front teeth (what other teeth could he use?) he got a bit of kernel stuck behind on front top tooth. I only noticed it because of his tendency to laugh hysterically while throwing his head, and indeed his entire body, backwards. I saw the rather sizable chunk of kernel and immediately decided that the time had come for him to have his teeth brushed. Well, little did I know that the infernal kernel piece was enormous and in every way impossible to dislodge with a toothbrush. But I tried.
Then, when that didn't work, I thought of those toothbrushes with the rubbery picky bits on the end. Well, after I called the doctor in a panic I thought of this. Anyway, we ran to Target for a toothbrush, only to find that there were none with the rubbery picky bit. I bought some other medieval-looking tooth pickers only to discover that, well, long story short, they didn't work either.
So, taking the nurse's advice, I waited, brushed a bit despite screams of protest, and waited some more. I was told to watch for inflammation, swelling, bleeding, extreme crankiness...we had none of that. So, two weeks later, the kernel still teasing me from behind the tooth, nothing had changed. Except my ever-increasing guilty feelings, of course. Clearly only a bad mommy would let her kid have popcorn permanently lodged behind his tooth.
So, I did what any bad mommy looking to be reformed would do. I dug out the infernal kernel with a fingernail. Oh, there was some serious protesting. There was the instance where the kernel was half out and, due to the wiggly nature of my patient and the imprecise nature of the scraping process, the kernel popped further into his gums. But persistence won, and I was able to remove the mammoth kernel shell from his gums.
As a reward, Gabe was permitted to sit on my lap for a long couple minutes gnawing desperately at his toothbrush. Which he miraculously, despite all the mouth intrusions, still loves. So much so that, when he fell asleep with it, he immediately woke up when I wrestled it from his drooly little fingers. Twice.
In any case, I think I'm back to good mommy status, assuming that his gums haven't inflamed overnight. And there will be a serious ban on popcorn until he has all his teeth and can be trusted to only get shells caught between his teeth where I can easily retrieve them.
Also yesterday I determined that 7 games of Candyland in a row is Alex's limit. Well, certainly my limit if not hers. I was only the Queen of Candyland 4 out of 7 times, but for some inexplicable reason Alex was miffed at the outcome of every game even if she won. Which makes me think that perhaps her grasp of what winning means is still a bit sketchy.
February 23, 2011
February 22, 2011
Baby Game
I realize as I'm writing this that I really should have taken pictures, but perhaps they'll play again, so anyway, to the point of the post...
Last night Gabey was having teething issues that could only be solved by Grammy's voice on the phone or some other serious distractions. At some point when I was off strategically doing something else, he found a mostly deflated balloon. I know, it's a choking hazard. Which now reminds me to find that balloon and pitch it, but I digress. So, Gabe has the balloon and somehow, he and Daddy decided to play the pass the balloon game.
It consists of Gabey rubbing the balloon next to his ear and then passing the balloon to Daddy who does the same thing. They passed it back and forth for a while, at least in baby terms a while, so perhaps a minute. Then the game degraded into Gabe trying to eat the balloon. Game rebooting (Mommy or Daddy taking away the balloon and applying the proper admonishments) occurred and the game started over. It was short-lived, as are all games with babies, but a good time was had by all.
What the game convinced me of is that Gabey needs a soft, pliable lovee of some sort that he can rub on his face and chew. I'm not sure what that could be, especially since he seems to have lots of love for rubbery things and paper products mostly, but I'll try to come up with something.
Speaking of rubbery things, we're on the hunt for Shirley the Frog. She hasn't been seen for days, maybe weeks, and I have exactly no idea where she is. I imagine that she was taken from Gabe's gaping maw at some point and placed in a secure location for her own safety as well as his, but where that location is is anyone's guess. I'm almost sure Alex didn't bury her in the snow, but time will certainly tell if that's what happened. Unless the crows spirit her away once she melts out. In any case, Alex has been pretty good about the whole Shirley missing thing, but I anticipate a trip to a toy store if we don't resolve the missing frog case soon. Of course the toy store that we purchased Shirley in has been relocated from the mall to somewhere in Westborough, but maybe, just maybe I can find it if I have to.
Well, I should run off to secure another square to the growing Frankenblanket. We bought more yarn yesterday in an epic trip to the craft store involving a checkout best measured in whines for candy. Side note, why for the love of yarn does the craft store have candy at the checkout? Is it not bad enough that Alex couldn't keep her act together for more than a minute and lost her pinwheel purchasing privileges? Then you have to add the most tempting (to her only, I assure you) candy to the mix? At least there were kind fellow line sufferers who talked to her and distracted her enough to get us to the cashier before total meltdown happened. But I'm going to have to look around for a candy-free craft store in the future, just for my own sanity.
Last night Gabey was having teething issues that could only be solved by Grammy's voice on the phone or some other serious distractions. At some point when I was off strategically doing something else, he found a mostly deflated balloon. I know, it's a choking hazard. Which now reminds me to find that balloon and pitch it, but I digress. So, Gabe has the balloon and somehow, he and Daddy decided to play the pass the balloon game.
It consists of Gabey rubbing the balloon next to his ear and then passing the balloon to Daddy who does the same thing. They passed it back and forth for a while, at least in baby terms a while, so perhaps a minute. Then the game degraded into Gabe trying to eat the balloon. Game rebooting (Mommy or Daddy taking away the balloon and applying the proper admonishments) occurred and the game started over. It was short-lived, as are all games with babies, but a good time was had by all.
What the game convinced me of is that Gabey needs a soft, pliable lovee of some sort that he can rub on his face and chew. I'm not sure what that could be, especially since he seems to have lots of love for rubbery things and paper products mostly, but I'll try to come up with something.
Speaking of rubbery things, we're on the hunt for Shirley the Frog. She hasn't been seen for days, maybe weeks, and I have exactly no idea where she is. I imagine that she was taken from Gabe's gaping maw at some point and placed in a secure location for her own safety as well as his, but where that location is is anyone's guess. I'm almost sure Alex didn't bury her in the snow, but time will certainly tell if that's what happened. Unless the crows spirit her away once she melts out. In any case, Alex has been pretty good about the whole Shirley missing thing, but I anticipate a trip to a toy store if we don't resolve the missing frog case soon. Of course the toy store that we purchased Shirley in has been relocated from the mall to somewhere in Westborough, but maybe, just maybe I can find it if I have to.
Well, I should run off to secure another square to the growing Frankenblanket. We bought more yarn yesterday in an epic trip to the craft store involving a checkout best measured in whines for candy. Side note, why for the love of yarn does the craft store have candy at the checkout? Is it not bad enough that Alex couldn't keep her act together for more than a minute and lost her pinwheel purchasing privileges? Then you have to add the most tempting (to her only, I assure you) candy to the mix? At least there were kind fellow line sufferers who talked to her and distracted her enough to get us to the cashier before total meltdown happened. But I'm going to have to look around for a candy-free craft store in the future, just for my own sanity.
February 20, 2011
Sand
Always nice to have at least one unseasonably warm day in the winter. Alex was in bare feet making a beach on the deck. And "posing" for the camera. Not sure what look she was going for here, but I always just ask for a smile.
February 17, 2011
Perfect Night
Apparently I slept through Gabey waking up last night. Jeff "woke" me to tell me that Gabe was crying, and said I wiggled a little bit so he assumed I went up to feed him. Which may well have happened for all I know. What I know for sure is that he's still asleep, I've gotten the ironing done (only 4 days after Jeff discovered he had no work clothes) and I'm even plotting to finish another Frankensquare for the blanket.
And today should be, in theory, a warm day. Though yesterday was supposed to be nice, and it only got up to the mid 30's with wind. Maybe today will be the outside day. We'll see.
And today should be, in theory, a warm day. Though yesterday was supposed to be nice, and it only got up to the mid 30's with wind. Maybe today will be the outside day. We'll see.
February 16, 2011
Up With the Sun
Alex has recently (last two days) decided that sunrise is the time to rise. Or just about. I've been hearing the thump thump of not so little feet earlier every day, and fear that my morning freedom will be well and truly gone soon.
But it'll be above freezing regularly soon, so perhaps I'll at least see some grass again in the next month or so. There's a thin strip of grass along the driveway, and a few plants poking their heads up over the 3 foot snow blanket, so I can imagine that Spring might actually come. No serious snow in the forecast has brighten our moods too. Alex still wants to make snowmen, but with the nice crust of thaw-and-freeze ice on the top of the snow, that'll probably not happen any time soon. Or hopefully at all. Fingers crossed.
Gabe's taken up to four steps at a time now, mostly inspired by Alex calling him like a little puppy. Any attention from her, and he's willing to walk as far as he can. Unless there's something interesting on the floor, of course.
Well, I can feel the call of the fifth square for the Frankenblanket calling me. Blankets do not knit themselves, and are not any easier to knit when there's a small child chewing on the other end of the yarn, so I should take advantage of the few seconds of morning freedom I have left to get something done.
But it'll be above freezing regularly soon, so perhaps I'll at least see some grass again in the next month or so. There's a thin strip of grass along the driveway, and a few plants poking their heads up over the 3 foot snow blanket, so I can imagine that Spring might actually come. No serious snow in the forecast has brighten our moods too. Alex still wants to make snowmen, but with the nice crust of thaw-and-freeze ice on the top of the snow, that'll probably not happen any time soon. Or hopefully at all. Fingers crossed.
Gabe's taken up to four steps at a time now, mostly inspired by Alex calling him like a little puppy. Any attention from her, and he's willing to walk as far as he can. Unless there's something interesting on the floor, of course.
Well, I can feel the call of the fifth square for the Frankenblanket calling me. Blankets do not knit themselves, and are not any easier to knit when there's a small child chewing on the other end of the yarn, so I should take advantage of the few seconds of morning freedom I have left to get something done.
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