Sleeping hot

One of the differences between husband and wife in our household: body temperature.

With the temperatures dropping, I've added the down comforter to the bed. I love winter, but I hate being cold. So my solution is to always have a blanket, down comforter, sweater, fleece jacket, socks, and slippers on hand.

Michael hates the down comforter. He's not a fan of blankets. He sleeps with minimal wear and barely a sheet. And he wants the fan running all the time and no heater on. I'm on the other side of the bed with all the covers - inches thick up to my chin, with fllannel PJ pants and socks on.

This is one of those situations where we baffle eachother year after year. It makes me laugh. One thing I've noticed is that Maggie, very much like Michael in many ways, runs hot like he does. Go figure. I thought it was a girl thing.

Holy moly

Today is a suprise day at home. Maggie is the best kid a mom could ask for. Re-do playdate with a new friend and daughter Maggie's age at storytime. Babbling and eating snacks in the car. A calm lunch, no drama. Naptime for the kiddo. Relaxation for mom (reading, internet time, and listening to bluegrass).

Sunday was a blur. We headed out early in the morning to Half Moon Bay to visit the ocean and the pumpkin festival but I think about 10,000 other Northern Californian's had similar ideas. We made it within 3 miles of the seaside town and then turned around. Crazy it seems but it was going to be another hour in the car just to get there and park. We were hungry, had blown through the car snacks, and it was 1 pm. We thought we were going to be there by 11. I felt so many things in those moments before turning around...sorryness for Maggie being stuck in her seat so long, sorryness for myself because I was going nuts and felt like I had taken crazy pills, and sadness that I wasn't going to see the ocean because I really needed that mental release. I hated California in that moment for being so populated the City. We were in gridlock traffic much of our all-day drive. I think we made the best of it though and stopped for burgers and a run at the park in San Bruno. Large SF airport planes flew low and over our heads, Maggie excited by the noise and signing "airplane". The airplanes quickly became lost in the clouds. It was an unintentional road trip with no destination.

Once we hit home in the late afternoon, we picked up where we left off. A little dinner, playing and gardening outside in the damp grass with coats on. I was happy to see the rain arrive. The night before we enjoyed a fall dinner - pork chops with apple cider gravy, apples, and onions, spinach salad, mashed sweet potatoes with orange marmalade, and garlic bread. Red wine. Then apple crisp and ice cream for dessert using apples from my yearly trek to Apple Hill. Our neighbors enjoyed dinner with us and I was filled with joy being around good people and watching our kids love on eachother.

Last week Maggie kicked it up a notch. She had the biggest meltdown after leaving the park but it was delayed and caught me by suprise. It took me a few days to sort that out. As my sister puts it, another bunsen burner has been turned on inside dear little Maggie. Boy is this girl full of strong-willed personality and determination. It's awesome really. 

Maggie is now repeating any words or short phrases you throw at her. She is a ham and often cracks people up with her antics. We went to a wedding and she thankfully slept on my back in the ergo around dinner time after holding out all afternoon to nap, which then gave us the chance to stick around and see her dance.

Maggie has been falling a lot and is still putting things in her mouth that we don't want her to. It's just now she knows she isn't supposed to put that stuff in her mouth and makes a show of it. Michael thought she ate a little mushroom from the lawn. It was around bedtime. He looked for the mushroom cap and couldn't find it. I swear, those incidents happen so quickly, they never make sense in the end. We weren't sure if she ate it or what so after I put her to bed, I called poison control and had a nice chat. She never got sick but they gave us good advice and called us back twice to check on her. Amazing service, I was awed.

My parents have always told my sister and I the story of how I once collected lawn mushrooms in the backyard and gave them to my sister. She was a toddler and was cruising around the backyard in a walker with a tray. Mom was gone, dad was in charge. My dad assumed my sister ate one since they were on her tray and tried/or did make her throw up. Turns out, she didn't eat any mushrooms but I think that memory is seared in my dad's brain.

And last but not least, Michael and I went to a friend's bachelorette/bachelor party and played the best made up game ever. It was "internet speed dating" (since the couple met online) where each of us were given a secret persona to imitate and we speed dated with all of the party goers of the opposite sex. I was a "cougar". Not too far off from real life (ha ha). Not that I'm a cougar in real life, but I am a couple years older than hubby and I can't say I haven't been called that before. Hubby was a "pot smoker". I found that to be pretty funny because he is the opposite of one. I think he had fun with it and the party drinks helped. I found myself saying to the male speed daters: "Hey there, I've been watching you from across the room. Oh, you're retired? I'm not sure this is going to work, you're too old for me." I loved hearing all the aftermath once we were done, priceless. I can understand the draw to being an actress/actor, it's exciting to act like someone you're not.

Life is happening quickly. I don't have time to blog about all of it. I'm barely keeping my house clean, meals cooked, the laundry washed, the bank accounts balanced. Loving my family is my top priority. Knitting has taken a backseat temporarily I think. Reading and watching good shows has not. Anyone else in love with The Fabulous Beekman Boys and The Bucolic Plague?

Fall is here?

We felt it in Oregon, but I wasn't notified on any of my calendars. I was, however, kindly invited to enter the fall season at my knitting group last week. It still doesn't feel like fall but I'm stoked that it's here, it's my favorite season.

I want to post videos of Maggie but maybe they are too big for my blog? I need to upload them elsewhere and paste them in. I want to show Maggie imitating "cold". It makes you laugh every time. I know she started saying other words vaguely when she first starting talking, but I have to say that her favorite word is "shoe". She says it in her little voice and draws it out a bit. As we have a habit of leaving shoes everywhere around the house, she is pleasantly surprised when she comes across a pair of shoes. She always tries them on and parades around for a minute. She is really good at putting them on, even her flip-flops with the back strap (proud momma on that one). Last night we spent pre-bedtime in her room watching her go through her shoe drawer and her trying on one shoe after the next. It was entertaining. The last bit of the night was watching the potty training video I rented from the library. It was classic. She was glued to the skit, I mean really glued. I'm wondering how it's going to play out this week...

Random thoughts-

Take videos and pictures of your kids constantly. I was told to do this and we have, but I never really thought Maggie would change as much as she has or that I would forget all of the priceless things you want to remember.

I don't blog about everything in my life. I definitely pick and choose what I want to share but I can say that I share what I think is most interesting and relevant to my life. For the most part, I like talking about Maggie the most but also some of my pursuits outside of mothering.

I've been feeling lately that life is mysteriously beautiful.

Peanut

Maggie is a peanut. People are amazed at how nimble she is. She climbs over everything and isn't afraid of much. She loves to pull out her shoes and socks and put them on (except sometimes she is adamant about not putting on socks). The peanut part: she weighs around 20 pounds. Tiny little lady. It worries me sometimes but I know she is healthy. She eats a lot, drinks a lot, sleeps really well, has good dipes, and plays a lot. Here is the funny thing. She's got these long stick legs and size 6 feet. Her lita got her a new pair of mary jane shoes (cutest I've seen yet!) that are sturdy and have the look of adult dansko's. Imagine that on Maggie, it's a good laugh. Especially when we hear her clomping down the hall, either in her shoes or mine.

She is talking a lot and forming sentences where you think "did she really say that?" For the most part, yes. But she goes stoic around others, especially if she doesn't know them. She gets such a serious face. She was absolutely not willing to smile or move a muscle in the pediatrician's office. I had fun watching this different side of her.

We love this girl.

Solo

-Solo this weekend, almost over. Sleeping in bed alone and having the days/house to myself is nice and peaceful, but we miss DH!

-Mags was grumpy and cranky this weekend, boo. I'm getting tired of screaming fits. Are terrible twos starting early?

-3 hour naps rock.

-Piece of yesterday: I bought a bridal shower gift at Macys and was headed down the escalator with a stroller, purse, kid in my arms, and big shopping bag that was too small for what was inside. On the way down the escalator the bag crashed and burned. I watched in resignation and horror as the white bath towels were thrown out of the bag and scrunched up at the end of the escalator in all the black grease that keeps the escalator running smoothly. I wasn't really suprised this happened and couldn't do anything about it as it was happening, but jeez. Deep breath...then back up to the 3rd floor. It all ended well - the saleswoman helping me was grandma-age and very sweet with Maggie. She never gave me the look and I've gotten the look before due to cranky child. She exchanged the greasy towel, wiped off  grease on another package, told me where to find the elevator (duh!), and gave me a bigger bag so that I could actually carry it all out.  

-Ready for my own weekend away.

-Scored good finds yesterday. Library book sale and garage sales near my house. Maggie was excited to see this in her backyard (not the bucket :-). Someone also gave me a Trader Joe's reusable shopping bag, TJ's insulated cooler, and J Crew crochet granny square purse for free.

-I really hate flies buzzing around the house.

-Maggie was a champ today at the bridal shower. It was just what I needed. Thank you little one!

Like

*After trying multiple mascaras over the past month to see if my obsession with Aveda could be swayed, I found that it could not. I recommend this mascara to every girl out there. It does not come off during the day and it is not waterproof, so when you do want it to come off, it does really easily. That, and it's environmentally-friendly.

*I've read some really good books lately, see my sidebar. Best one yet? I'm going to have to say The Mermaid Chair by the same author who wrote The Secret Life of Bees. This is saying a lot because How to Make an American Quilt was really good but it lacked depth when I wanted more.

*After cancelling netflix earlier this year and resorting to the occasional Redbox, I realized I could start checking out DVDs from the library too (like older ones I can't get through Redbox). They don't have everything, but they have a lot. I'm also checking out CD's now. Very cool.

*Consignment stores of any kind. My two local favorites are Kids Trading Post and Marla Sue's.

*Coupons. Who doesn't like to save money?