I Love Pizza

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday, in addition to her usual antics on the ride home, P did something new. She's said I love you, Mommy and I love you, Daddy. Last night she added I love pizza.


Cheers!
mouse

Spectating

Dear Friends and Family,

I'll admit it, I am more than mildly curious about the upcoming royal wedding on Friday. I remember my cousins waking up early to watch it. I remember the photographs of the new couple, the new baby, and all of the ensuing drama over the upcoming years culminating in the car accident.

So, today, tomorrow and Friday, I'll read articles and remember those years growing up when I believed in princes and princesses and happily ever after.


Cheers!
mouse

10.0 and Distracted

Dear Friends and Family,

We weighed P last night and she hit the 10.0 kg mark which means Little Miss Third Percentile is finally big enough to be turned around in her car seat - the size of a typical one year old. Also amusing is the fact that she still fits almost all of her clothes from last summer so all of the new clothes I bought were for naught.

She's still so precious and so curious.

On my distracted side note we've been dealing with ants (which she is no longer terrified of) and now water. Sigh. This house is cursed.


Cheers!
mouse

04.25.11: Our "One Year Old"

Dear Friends and Family,

It sadly dawned on me that we are enjoying our last days with a one year old in the house. I know it's not a step function and that P will not be noticeably different on her second birthday from how she is today.

Yet, it feels like the time from one to two went astonishingly quickly. Mr. mouse summed it up perfectly last night when he said the days are long, but the years are short.

Saturday, we went for a haircut. P settled down mid-way through the haircut, watching a counting game on Mr. mouse's phone. Then, P and I went to the park while Mr. mouse went hunting for a new pair of jeans. Mommy and Daddy eyebrows followed by a walk through the neighborhood. And, the afternoon? I think we spent the afternoon at home, just enjoying the weather. Oh, I remember, we headed back to the park to play a little more.

Sunday, we went to the zoo. P takes a little bit to get used to the animals. But, she loved the playground, the peacock, and eventually, the giraffes. We rode the carousel on the way out since she asked to. We rode on the bench for the first half, and then Mr. mouse held her by a stationary, non-animal pole for the second half. P and I had a monster three hour nap in the afternoon while Mr. mouse planted some new grass seeds. Then, we headed out to dinner. P wanted to go to the park, but we out voted her and dinner won out. She ate a giant bowl of plain white rice for dinner. I can't help thinking that's not the healthiest dinner, but I'm sure she could have done worse.


Cheers!
mouse

Dreary and Overcast

Dear Friends and Family,

So, I don't like my new job and much as I liked my old job. I don't feel like I can switch jobs without finding a new daycare solution for P and Mr. mouse and I are happy with our current provider. My boss quit this Tuesday.

I have been trying to get motivated/disciplined about time management, getting enough sleep, eating right and getting the house organized.

And, I'm struggling with the weather.

Thankfully it's Friday.


Cheers!
mouse

Sunflower

Dear Friends and Family,

I was so depressed yesterday morning. Stressed and miserable I left for work. Cold, damp and sad, I went into the office to start my day. Lunch was a miserable affair in an overcast cafeteria. And, the afternoon dragged on.

But, when I left work and drove to pick up P, the sun FINALLY broke through the clouds and I was a new person. I know seasonal disorders affect different people to different degrees, but I am beginning to realize they impact me more than I would like. This cold, wet, snowy, overcast spring certainly hasn't helped.

Hopefully, we get a break in the weather and I can begin to get my life back in gear. Some people celebrate tax freedom day. I celebrate winter freedom day - that brief window from March 21st through September 21st when the days are longer and the air is warmer and mouse is happy.


Cheers!
mouse

Baby

Dear Friends and Family,

How odd.

My first months with P felt like a miracle. I couldn't get enough of her. Mr. mouse and I talk somewhat vaguely about whether we should have another or not.

We went to see a friend last night with a six week old. And, I didn't really miss it. I was totally happy for her. But, I didn't leave with a pang to have a baby in the house.

Huh.


Cheers!
mouse

04.18.11: Leaps and Bounds

Dear Friends and Family,

I won't spend a lot of time writing about the weekend because it was a typical weekend. Instead, I need to write about the leaps and bounds P is taking in her development.

Gross Motor Development
running
swings, see saws, slides
climbing
climbing stairs standing up
squeezing and reorienting to get through spaces

Fine Motor Development
drawing circles
taking off and putting on socks
putting on pants
putting gloves on
doing stuff with gloves on

Oral Motor Development
feel like this is complete

Language Development
speaking in sentences
singing songs

Social-Emotional Development
people's states: eating, sleeping, crying
scary, fun, treat

Cognitive Development
memory
counting to "thirty ten"
recognizing letters and numbers out of order
memorizing books
puzzles
logic (e.g. Mr. Potato Head)
form factor (e.g. the chocolate bar)
clean vs. messy and then how to fix it (e.g. her blanket with a hair on it, Daddy wash it)
waiting (e.g. at the front door for us to lock up)
recognizes home, room
opposites - stand up, sit down

And, unfortunately, it's time to go get read for work.


Cheers!
mouse

Before I Forget

Dear Friends and Family,

Before I forget:

Thursday - zoo, dinner in the hotel room

koala (scared)
giraffe (scared)
rhinoceros (scared)
panda (slept)
polar bear (slept)
zebra (slept)
hippos (liked)
tiger (not in sight)
turtles (liked)
monkeys (tolerated)
flamingos (liked)
ducks (liked)
peacocks (loved)

Friday - bay, safari park, dinner by Whole Foods

rhinoceros (scared)
giraffe (scared)
lunch
cheetah (tolerated)
giraffe (tolerated)
tiger (tolerated)
elephants (tolerated and then liked)
gorillas (tolerated)
lorakeets (liked and then scared witless)
children's playground (loved)
cheetah (tolerated)
carousel (scared and then tolerated)

Saturday - beach, pool, nap, beach playground

Sunday - playground, flight home


Cheers!
mouse

I'm Not Dead

Dear Friends and Family,

No. I'm not dead.

No. I haven't deserted my journal.

Yes. I have been trying to figure out how to manage my morning time better and have been doing a miserable time of it.

Retirement planning. Wow.

I wish this was easier. But, it certainly seems like every man, woman, and child for themself in today's political environment. I'm not sure how people are supposed to make this happen. Mr. mouse and I are on the brink of possible, but we're misers with above average incomes. How is a typical family supposed to do this? It should be possible for the average family. It should be a walk in the park for us, frankly. But, it isn't.

Still, we're on the brink of possible, so I shouldn't complain.


Cheers!
mouse

The Terrible Twos

Dear Friends and Family,

P was a walking nightmare last night.

Every other word out of her mouth was mine. And, every other word out of her mouth was no, effectively giving her a two word vocabulary.

She insisted on doing things her way. She threw several tantrums. She ran around the house like she owned the place.

She's effectively two. Excellent.


Cheers!
mouse

04.11.11: Refreshed

Dear Friends and Family,

As always, Monday morning is a little hectic with my early Monday meeting at work so my vacation update will need to wait until later this week.

But, I can say, the weekend was much needed.

We had our moments, more of them than is healthy, truth be told. And, Mr. mouse had trouble letting go of work the first day. But, overall, I'd say vacation was a good thing and something we should try our hand at again.

Practice makes perfect.


Cheers!
mouse

Vacation Day II

Dear Friends and Family,

After a year of working non-stop, we finally found a four day stretch to get away from it all.

Our flight was delayed four hours yesterday which threw a little kink into our day, but we made it out to the somewhat sunny west coast to see the animals at the zoo. Yes, we're in somewhat sunny San Diego, compliments of a $114 fare on Southwest Airlines.

We went to the zoo yesterday, but P was a little petrified at first. Then, she napped and woke to a little more interest in the animals. She saw a mommy hippopotamus and her two month old baby hippopotamus, a tiger, a pool of turtles, a flock of flamingos, and a peacock from her Tails book.

Her favorite part of the visit? Going to the zoo store for a shirt for school. Excellent. Our child loves the store. Oh, and, of course, the fruit slices we got for a snack when leaving.

We're off to some more exploring today. Happy Friday!


Cheers!
mouse

Mental Stress of Random Stuff

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm beginning to feel bogged down by a bunch of random to dos. There's birthday party invites that need to go out. There's birthday presents to be bought. There's cake to be ordered. There's party to be planned.

There's taxes to be filed. There's retirement savings to be invested.

There's house to be cleaned. There's work to be done. There's sleep to be slept.

And, that's how I know, it must be PMS. Nothing else can make me feel this overwhelmed this quickly.


Cheers!
mouse

04.04.11: Spring Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

The weather finally turned. Saturday morning was chilly, but ambitious mouse bundled P up and headed out to the park. She doesn't mind the cold and prefers a little bit of cold to a park full of kids.

Saturday night, we headed out to dinner with a friend and discovered a couple of old friends at a new restaurant.

Sunday, we woke to a dilemma of sorts. P told us it hurt near her butt, but she was pointing to her front. And, we realized all of the times we thought she was saying dirt (as in, I have sand in my diaper from playing outside) she was saying hurt.

Choices. Choices. We decided to take her in to see the doctor, just in case. She was okay, until he turned on the otoscope and she recognized it. Then, she was all screaming and tears. They took a urine sample to check for an infection. We'll know today how it turns out.

Sunday was also the day of the waffle with butter. P ate 1.X waffles for breakfast, polished off the rest of her second waffle for a mid-morning snack, and she nibbled on another before dinner. In between she ate nothing and drank three cups of milk. Dinner? A bowl of plain brown rice. I'm not kidding.

Oh, and I need to record the squirrel incident. We were at the park on Sunday and P was looking out towards the street. Or, at least, I thought she was looking out towards the street. All of a sudden she starts screaming/crying, "stroller" and points and I notice a squirrel had climbed up the side of her stroller. She must have been watching it and the squirrel must have crossed some invisible line she had drawn.

Time for work.


Cheers!
mouse

Financial Planning Procrastination

Dear Friends and Family,

Well. You can either have the discipline to do it yourself or you can pay someone to do it for you. I'm convinced we're not doing a good job of it ourselves, but Mr. mouse is reluctant to outsource it.

So, each month, I put aside money to invest for retirement. And, each month, the bulk of it sits there in cash. We need to find the time to sit down and discuss how to invest the money so that it's growing for retirement. Cash sitting there earning nominal bank interest isn't going to get us there.

I know. I shouldn't complain. Most people have enough problems with step 1, putting the money aside. But, here, time IS money. Delaying this part of it only delays retirement, in a very real way.

So, next week we've got plans. The week after, we're sitting down to do this right. Or, at least I tell myself that.

Perhaps the right answer is to let someone else do this for us.


Cheers!
mouse