Working mom

I had to go to work again today for a few hours while Robert stayed home with the girls. It is an interesting perspective being on the other side of the divide. This morning, just as the girls were clamoring for breakfast, I got to escape to the shower. While I dressed and made myself pretty, Robert fed, cleaned and entertained the little bosses. When I left for work, the three of them looked so cute and cozy, still in their pajamas, that it was a little hard to leave. Just a little. I will admit that it felt good too. Walking out the door with my ID badge clipped on my beltloop and my non-mom handbag on my shoulder, I felt a thrill of independence. That feeling of lightness and ease--along with the sadness of missing the girls--always amazes me with its intensity.

Silly Maggie, thoughtful Audrey

The Target debacle

I took the girls to Target this afternoon. I spent an hour walking the aisles, loading the cart, lugging Audrey in the bjorn and keeping Maggie happy. I hauled everything onto the counter (this is no fun when you have a 20 pound baby strapped to your chest) and handed over my coupons. And then my credit card was denied, thanks to my clothing shopping spree of the other day, I'm assuming (apparently I have a pitifully low credit limit...or else the nice saleslady is ordering drinks in Tahiti on my tab).

Did I have anything else to pay with? No, I only brought the credit card and my list into the store. So I had to leave my shopping cart full of bags right there and exit shamefully, hoping Maggie wouldn't notice we were leaving everything behind.

Because I'm a girl, I called Robert for sympathy. Because he's Superman, he took it upon himself to call the manager of Target and have them re-ring everything and suspend the transaction until he can get there to pay for it. He's headed there now.

In the meantime, I'm working my way through a tube of Thin Mints for comfort, and thinking how lucky I am to have Robert.

Another morning at the office

I went to work again this morning for meetings. I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoy being there. Everything is wonderfully slow-paced, calm, quiet, grown-up. People talk in complete sentences, amble down the corridor in search of coffee or soda, stop by a cube to say hello, drop paperclips on the floor and don't react with terror...it's quite an alien experience compared to taking care of a baby and toddler.

There are also lots of men there. Young men. Good looking men. See, this is something I never thought about when I decided to be a stay-at-home-mom...I never see men anymore, besides my own. I live in a world of women and children. So to suddenly be around all these cute 20-something guys...well...it ain't exactly torture.

My only complaint was that I didn't quite figure out how to avail myself of the supposedly free coffee and smoothie bar. I stopped by this morning and it was crowded (natch--it was 8:45 am), and I couldn't tell exactly what was available, and then suddenly the cashier was demanding to know what I wanted, so I panicked and mumbled "bagel" because that's the first thing I saw on the counter. Well, the bagel's aren't free, so I paid a dollar for a sad little bagel and left. Next time I'll have to be more brave about getting a free latte. I discovered, however, that there are fountain sodas in the first floor kitchen. Eureka! So I filled up a big cup with ice and Diet Coke, which went nicely with my $1 bagel.

The meetings were to kick off some projects; I will be doing the actual work from home. I already finished one project while the girls have been napping. When they wake up, we can play or run errands or whatever. At the moment, I am feeling brilliant in my work-kids balance.

A strange day

Today was strange because Maggie was gone all day at my inlaws'. Audrey seems to love being an only child. She was in a great mood all day, laughing hysterically, babbling nonstop, basking in all the attention.

It was strange because I took Rose's advice and went shopping for new non-mom clothes. Me shopping isn't odd, obviously, but what was weird about it was I ended up in a chichi little boutique where a saleslady convinced me to try a bunch of things I would normally never consider, and I was happily surprised to find some fun, young, but not silly clothes that look good on me (at least I hope they do).

It was strange because I went to another quick meeting at the office and started feeling like an official employee. I have a laptop, security badge, parking pass, access to the free coffee and smoothie bar...all the essentials. It all feels pretty darn good. Unless I think about being away from the girls, in which case I start feeling guilty and sad and like my arms are missing.

Audrey is 9 months old

Nine months old!!

If you haven't visited Audrey's site for a while, come on over and check out the new photos and updates.

Batter up...and pretty

I dressed up Maggie in a new super-pretty outfit today and tried to get a glamour shot in the backyard. Being two years old, she refused to pose prettily and instead, insisted I photograph her playing baseball.

Dream on, dear

We haven't used our alarm clocks since Maggie was born. But every once in a while--like today, when Audrey woke up crying at 4:45 am--Robert will reach over and hit his snooze button.

Some day, scientists will alter our DNA to give babies a snooze button.

Lunch with my girls

Sure, they're a lot of trouble. They cry. They whine. They must be constantly picked up, put down, strapped in, fed, watered and cleaned.

On the other hand, I always have someone(s) to eat lunch out with.

Sharing. Or not.

This morning Maggie discovered a bag of toys I've been collecting for donation. She dug into it with glee: "Wow! Toys! For Maggie!" I seized on the opportunity to explain that we're collecting toys and clothes to donate to families who need them, and I went on to talk about how we give some of our money and possessions to other people, and how important it is to help others. She listened to me carefully and said, "We SHARE toys with PEOPLE." And she helped me put the toys back in the bag.

I was so proud.

Approximately 2 minutes later, Audrey made a grab for Dolly and Blankie. Maggie shrieked and knocked Audrey over, necessitating a time-out.

So much for sharing.

Back to work

I started back to work today. Kind of anticlimactic. I went in for a brief update, met some new people and filled out paperwork. I have to go back later this week to pick up the laptop they're giving me to work on, but I won't get any projects until next week. My mom stayed home with the girls and baked cookies with Maggie.

Maggie has a cough and keeps saying her tummy hurts. Audrey is working on cutting four teeth at the same time. Despite all that, they're both in good moods.

More Monday

Target.

Playground.

McDonald's drive-through.

Pretty much a perfect morning for the Graff Girls.

Monday

We had a nice weekend. On Saturday we all went to music class, so Robert got to experience it for the first time. I'm trying to decide whether to enroll for another session. I'll have to pay for Audrey's tuition if I enroll again, and though she likes it, she doesn't get nearly as much out of it as Maggie does. I think Audrey would prefer a Gymboree class, but I'm not sure how to organize my time and babysitting to allow separate classes.

Anyway...here are some happy Audrey pictures to brighten up your Monday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Just this morning I remembered that I saved Maggie's St. Patrick's Day outfit from two years ago, and I actually managed to find it and put it on Audrey. Maggie is wearing a green shirt today too, but refused to wear a green clip in her hair, and also refused to have her picture taken. So I'm putting up her photo from two years ago instead.

Audrey, today:

Margaret, 2004:

Disneyland, day 3

We finished our Disneyland trip with a half-day at the park, catching a few more rides before heading home. We started the day with Jungle Cruise, which Maggie pouted her way through, although she later claimed to have enjoyed it. She had a lot more fun on Small World, as did Audrey, who waved her arms and smiled the whole time. After that we went on a train ride all the way around the park. When we asked Maggie what ride she wanted to do most, she voted for the teacups! So I went on it with her. We also spent a few minutes at Snow White's wishing well, where Maggie desposited more coins and wishes.

We ate lunch in Fantasyland, and then we did one last carousel ride before heading back to Main Street. We went to the little theater where they show old Mickey Mouse cartoons on six screens, which the girls thought was pretty neat. Last of all, we stopped at the theater where they have a special film about the history of Disneyland. It put Maggie right to sleep, and we then headed out of the park and back home.

It was a great trip--every bit as much fun and magic as I could have hoped for. We'll be going back soon.

Disneyland, day 2

Eight action-packed hours at Disneyland...we're tired! But we had a lot of fun. We hit the park early (after room service breakfast) and went straight to the Peter Pan ride. Maggie was a little scared, but did okay. Next was Mr. Toad, which she found too scary. It was scarier than I remembered--but I'm seeing it through a toddler's eyes for the first time. After that, we headed for Tomorrowland and rode the Astroblasters (very fun for me, just okay for Maggie) and Autopia. Maggie loved it and rode twice, once with each of us. She's a pretty good driver, if you're not particular about going in a straight line. Then it was Toontown, which Maggie quite enjoyed, especially the playground (there was a slide, so she was in heaven). We all met Mickey and saw the other sights. She especially liked a big mailbox that made a funny noise when she opened the door, and a big fire engine that she got to climb on. Oh--and the fountain, where she dropped several coins to make wishes.

Lunch and snacks and naps (in the strollers) occured. Snacks are a big deal for Maggie, and she thoroughly enjoyed a tub of popcorn; a Mickey-shaped lollipop; and a Woody (from Toy Story) cup full of lemonade. Finally we hit the new Winnie the Pooh ride, which was so cute. Maggie was really excited to see Eeyore's house while waiting in line, and hear Tigger's voice at the beginning of the ride. Back to Main Street, where we had old-fashioned silhouettes of the girls done. Now we're back in our hotel room taking a rest and preparing to meet Robert's parents for dinner at Rainforest Cafe.

Disneyland, day 1

What a fun day...well, half-day, at Disneyland. We arrived at noon (the girls cooperated and napped on the one-hour drive), checked into our beautiful suite at the Grand Californian, had lunch, then entered Disneyland for the first time (for Maggie and Audrey). Despite the crowds and semi-long lines, the girls remained in good spirits and managed to go on quite a few Fantasyland rides: Dumbo, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Teacups and the carousel. We got Maggie a set of mouse ears (a necessity!), ate dinner at the Mexican restaurant in Frontierland, then hit the Tiki Room. Maggie quite enjoyed the show, although she wanted the birds to only sing the "Tiki Room Song" and nothing else.

After that we got Maggie a huge strawberry ice cream cone and lined up on Main Street for the parade...which she loved. Both girls were sleeping in their strollers on the walk back to the hotel, but then both woke up by the time we were in the room. We finally got them to sleep around 9pm, and I snuck out to do a little shopping at the huge Disney store downstairs. I stocked up on cards and gifts and t-shirts...yay!

The mind of Maggie

A few minutes ago, Maggie started trying to push the coffee table and grew increasingly frustrated and frantic as she failed to make it budge. She was whining and then shrieking, while I kept asking her what was wrong. Finally I made her calm down and tell me what she wanted. She said she needed to push the table over to the TV, to get Polka Dot out of her chair. After pondering this for a moment, I inspected her green chair and found Polka Dot (a little plastic toy) wedged in the back of the chair. I got it out, gave it to Maggie, and she was happy. Why she thought she needed to move the coffee table over to the TV? No idea.

Meanwhile, Robert is getting a little work done and I am packing for our Arctic expedition trip to Disneyland. I feel like a mastermind of organization, getting all our clothes and toiletries into ONE (one!) suitcase, and all of Audrey's food and accessories into a little plastic box.

Weekend

This has been a nice, lazy weekend. Mostly hanging around the house, enjoying the new TV, playing on the floor, and getting excited about Disneyland (we depart tomorrow).

Audrey's excited. Can you tell?

Maggie's first haircut

At age 2 1/2, Maggie was finally ready for her first haircut. She was brave and took the whole process in stride, from sitting on the fun animal chair, to having her hair wet down, to the actual cutting. The stylist was able to take her time and give Maggie a very careful trim, resulting in the beauty you see below!

It's already been a long day

And it's only 9:30 in the morning!

Maggie is still sick. First thing this morning, she drank some milk and promptly threw it up on me. This was before the dog threw up. You're starting to get a sense of my day, right? Maggie is starting to seem a little better, but is still acting pitiful.


Audrey has a runny nose and is generally cranky....but she did reach a new milestone: pulling herself up to stand. She's been trying to do it for the last week, and finally this morning I saw her pull up first on a laundry basket, and then on the Learning Table. Big girl! Too big. I keep telling her "Stay little!" but she ignores me. Guess I'll just have to have another one.

Two girls, two dogs

We are dogsitting my parents' dog Mimi for a week, racheting up the chaos one more level around here. Mimi started the day in fine form: First she tore into a garbage bag and ate some trash. Then she threw up in the middle of the family room carpet. I banished her to the backyard; she showed up at the door a few minutes later drenched and shivering, having taken a joy-run through the sprinklers. I dried her off and let her warm up inside. A few minutes later, she pooped in the family room. All this before 7 a.m.

She's making Lucydog look better all the time.

Sick day

Maggie woke up crying this morning, and we went in her room to discover that she had thrown up all over her crib and blankets. Yuck. She hasn't thrown up again today, but she's been complaining of a "sore tummy" and has been quiet and pitiful. She spent most of the morning cuddling with me and watching TV. The cuddling was nice, although I had to keep getting up to take care of Audrey. Audrey, luckily, seems to be fine except for a slightly runny nose (which I think might be due to teething). Hopefully Maggie will be well enough for music class tomorrow.

Playgroup

Maggie is in a playgroup with a bunch of kids her age. Today at Gina's house, they had a grand old time bouncing on the sofa while the moms lined up to take photos. Notice that her friend Evan, at the bottom of the photos, joined in the fun by bouncing action figures on the sofa.

Countdown to Disneyland

One week from today, we will be tiredly pushing/carrying/dragging two cranky girls through the Magic Kingdom. I'm trying to set my expectations appropriately...but I really am excited about our first family trip to Disneyland. We're going Monday-Wednesday and staying at the Grand Californian Hotel. I've been reading Disneyland guidebooks to gather tips for experiencing it with young children. I've been to Disneyland many, many times, but it will be a new and wonderful thing seeing it through the girls' eyes.

The new love of my life

Isn't it beautiful?


We found out that we're getting a big tax refund, so--good capitalists that we are--we went right out and bought a GIANT PLASMA TV. Right now it's sitting on our coffee table, but we've ordered a lovely new stand to be delivered Friday.

Saturday

We accomplished another fun Saturday morning outing: the Los Angeles Farmer's Market and The Grove shopping center. We ate breakfast, shopped for fruit and veggies, discovered a sticker store, explored the big fountains, threw coins in the ponds, and shopped for books.

Maggie has a fat lip from a bad fall on the patio yesterday. So that's why in the photos she looks like she's been brawling.

Communicating

Communicating with Maggie is a daily adventure. This morning we had a conversation that went something like this:

"Don't touch Audrey's eyes."
"Okay, my touch Audrey eyes gently."
"No, don't touch her eyes at all."
"No. No touch. My touch softly."
"Listen to me. You're not allowed to touch her eyes, ever."
"My touch Audrey eyes soft, very soft."

Then there were the complex instructions she gave me right before heading off to bed tonight (with Daddy in tow to read stories). It was difficult to follow, but I believe I was advised to put on my pajamas, wash my hands, make popcorn, take my turn watching a show, and do an art project.

Then there's Audrey, who has learned how to wave. At first I thought I was imagining it, but she has gotten very deliberate about it over the last few days. Now anytime we say "Hi!" and wave at her, she waves back enthusiastically.

To sleep, perchance to leave the house?

Here's a new puzzle. I have discovered that if I stay home all day, I can get the girls to nap on a beautiful schedule: Audrey from 9-11, then both girls from 1-3. The long morning nap puts Audrey in a great mood, and having both girls nap in the afternoon means I can get stuff done around the house (or read a book or whatever).

The only problem is, there's no time for errands. I have been loving my morning outings with both girls, and I hate to give them up. When they're both awake from 11-1, it's not enough time to do anything because I have to nurse Audrey and feed lunch to both (and myself). After nap, Maggie hates leaving the house so we usually don't. But maybe we can experiment with it.