Saturday, July 31, 2010

A Tribute to New Parents

Every time we see a mother or a father with a new baby, we need to help them. Even when they say they've got this. Even when they say it's not so bad. (Why do ALL new parents say that? We don't mean it.)

Because I remember and it really kind of is. Even while you love it, and them; even when you manage to get your older child dressed and fed and played with; even when you're out walking or grocery shopping and keeping your life on track; it is the opposite of easy, and everything, from getting dressed to sleeping to eating, has the Newborn Tax of Added Effort and Fatigue. (Not to mention the mamas have been through the greatest physical challenge that most people ever undertake, and it ain't over after the baby's out.)

My heart goes out to parents. Give them some props and tell them how great they're doing, even if they have the baby over/under-dressed, or are/aren't cosleeping, breastfeeding, crying-it-out, or doing whatever you think they should be.

It's not like the baby ever says "good job," and someone needs to.













Wednesday, July 28, 2010





Colorin'.


Eatin'.

Hangin'. (Boy is neighbor/friend/Annaliese's schoolmate, who came over on Sunday).


Workin'.

I went shopping on Saturday in my own store after my shift ended, as I do all the time, because why else own a grocery if not to get 10 percent off on all the items I choose, and thought y'all would get a kick out of seeing what I bought. 60 buks right there, which considering I splurged on the Cotswald cheese (cheese of the week last week) and the muesli and the quinoa and the pesto, ain't all that bad.

Course, most of it's gone. There is that.

Tomorrow's Wednesday, my favorite day of the week cos K works from home and we get to canoodle over a child-free lunch. It's nice loving my husband.

-Today's post courtesy of my sister, who tonight said "Post something new on ableponder, I'm dying here." --
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Thursday, July 22, 2010

tODAY

Annaliese: "I'm too big for huggin.'"

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MISS 2-AND-A-HALF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Caspian, apparently, is attempting to grow eight inches over night so I am tired. He woke up starting around 5am. I relented and brought him into the kitchen for breakfast at 6, at which point he drank 10 ounces of whole milk, about 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 4 dehydrated mango slices, and 2 hardboiled eggs. You know, about a 500, 600 calorie breakfast. Perfectly normal for someone knee-high.

K and I are going on a date Friday night. The kids are really, really great. My sunflowers have started blooming and I have a bowlful on the kitchen table. The store toddles along; we're doing more and more things every day not for the first time.

So despite the fact that Anika left for New Orleans (en route to Berlin) yesterday, and my friend/manager/auntie-godmother has left for good, things be alright.

Surely I can manage this on my own?



Monday, July 19, 2010

Annaliese At The Zoo

She was so excited when we told her she was going Sunday morning. She wore a pink dress her Grandmama gave her, pink shoes, and big-girl panties. She pottied like a champ but couldn't focus on her lunch when there was a playground RIGHT there.


So we let her play. She was a rock star. Climbed every inch of that jungle gym. Did things we didn't know she could do. When I went to get her so we could see some actual animals, she said she wasn't finished, then asked me to spot her as she dangled from a chin up bar. I did. She held her own weight and then tried to get me to let her fall to the ground. I said no. She let go anyway.


(I caught her).

She liked the animals.
But maybe not as much as the playground.

Finally got her to eat lunch at the Farm's pavilion.



Such a very big girl these days, but she still loves her pink blanket.
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Caspian At the Zoo

He insisted on walking everywhere.



One slow step at a time.

He ate all his lunch....and his sister's too (she was busy playing on the jungle gym).

He gave me a chicken nugget.... and then demanded it back.


We love him. Especially when he looks like Paddington Bear.


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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Sometimes We All Want to Be Babies




This morning Annaliese said she wanted a bottle with warm milk, like the baby.

I was cool with that. Why not?

Make no mistake, there is already sibling hitting and pushing in our house, but I am really pleased with the way these two are getting along. Maybe it's because Annaliese was only 17 months when Caspian was born, but I'd like to attribute a little bit to Me being a Good Mama. She started occasionally requesting a pacifier after the baby was born. Parental check: Will it kill her? Nope. And so sure. Annaliese can be the baby whenever she wants. Since Caspian's been born, she's been rocked, pushed in the stroller, put down for night-night, given a paccy, and now a bottle, all Like the Baby.

But she's just playing. Really, she is getting so big, so fast. Yesterday evening she was doing her night-time hollering routine and when K went in to check on her, she said-- so clearly that I could hear her in the hallway-- "No, Daddy. When I cry, I want my mommy."

Guess who got off the couch?

-----

In Store News, we started doing sandwiches. Meaning I started making sandwiches to order, because i have got to understand how this works before I delegate. It's surprisingly challenging. But every little bit counts.

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Sunday, July 11, 2010

What's Happening Here, Andale

When K was in California/Tahoe, I bought a new dress and painted a wall. Apparently, it's what I do in revenge. Dido pees on the carpets, I decorate. I have also whole convinced myself that using strong colors would overwhelm an entire room but are perfect on one wall. The fact that it's 1/10th of the work has nothing to do with it. I want to put some leafy green plants under the hanging chairs, adorn that plain white wall with something funky and framed, and remove the plastic ball from my Life. Also get an actual threshold. Then perfection!



My tomatoes are coming in. These are the Aunt Ruby's German Greens. Do not plant them. Green Zebras taste better, and incidentally, are not the color of old bruises.



What do you do when a baby has the flu? Not go to the zoo! Those were the tentative plans today, but Caspian's been under the weather all weekend, snotty and hot to the touch and gulping water and tea. He's still eating though. Poor bebe.

Annaliese, on the other hand, is 100% Well and 200% Two. Which means we are time-outing and spanking (oh yes, we do, when she clocks her brother in the head repeatedly). She is also funny and magical and good company.



We were driving to see K the other day at his office and somehow, as it always does, the Easter Bunny came up. "I luff the Easter Bunny, I fink," she said matter-of-factly from the back seat.

Me too, kid. Me too.

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Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Alright, everyone badger K to find the camera charger. I ain't posting again until we can take pics.

Friday, July 02, 2010

A moment of quiet

It was a crazy morning. Two out of my five employees are (legitimately, and sadly) ill-- as of this morning. Annaliese had been promised a morning of helping Mommy, and I don't like to change plans on my two-year-old.

But we got it done. By we, I mean me, Annaliese, and of course, Anika. Who somehow managed to chunk watermelon with a two year old, for which she deserves some kind of medal.

But! The coolers are stocked, 3 blueberry pies and all the Irish soda bread and crusty rolls are sold, watermelon stock is dropping steadily, and the homemade and finally really delicious peach ice cream is in the freezer.

And the store has emptied out for the lunchtime lull. Which will hopefully be filled with cash register sounds next Wednesday, since we'll start doing made-to-order sandwiches. Onwards and Upwards. I love making me some money.

K came home, picked up Annaliese, and they're off to have Working With Daddy time. I think fire is involved. Good thing he is a great father or I'd be worried.

I really like working here. It is an uphill battle-- people are blind, and it's tiring to point out with a smile the freshly baked bread or the whatever for the 1000th time, but it's also really satisfying to have a young mother tell me how much she loves our store, how everything she has ever gotten here-- from tomatoes to bread to milk to fancy cheese-- has been fantastic. I like playing: setting out samples, doing a jam and peanut butter display that has tripled our Bonne Maman sales. I don't know why I find it so satisfying, but I do.

It helps that I have five people to do what I see. We redid our soda display yesterday, by which I mean that I asked them to move a cooler and make some pyramid displays with our new cases and then fill the cooler from dark to light, Cheerwine to Sundrop, and they did. Added their own touches-- Zapp's chips perched on the pyramids and whatnot-- and it looks great. One girl spends about five hours a day doing nothing but slicing meat and cheese and packing spices, pasta, and whatnot when she gets through with that. I am so grateful that I don't have to do that :)

Cheeers. Happy 4th. We'll be selling until sundown tomorrow and then we're going to friends for a lazy, food-filled afternoon.