International baby of mystery

Fly just got a passport! (And even though it's a long holiday weekend, it's not as if we have plans to go anywhere.)

Oh, the places he'll go....


William Shakespeare's home in England


The Coliseum


Paris


Amsterdam

And many more places.

Wish big, baby.

- - - - -

Fly's first birthday is one week from today! We're going to start giving away birthday presents on Monday, so be sure to enter Fly's Growing and Giving contest!

Russian to the rescue

This week, Fly and I took a trip to Russia with the Little Einsteins in the new DVD Rocket's Firebird Rescue. Really! The movie puts together several components of Russian culture -- especially music, our favorite -- along with some magic to create an entertaining, but educational, DVD. Rocket and characters Leo, June, Quincy and Annie travel to Russia to free the musical firebird (from Igor Stravinsky's ballet) so music can be heard across the land once more. Every story has a villain, though, and here it's an ogre in the form of one of those Russian nested matryoshka dolls. He hates music and uses magic to keep the Little Einsteins from getting to the firebird every chance he gets.

Rather than being just a regular movie that you zone out and watch, the Little Einsteins are interactive, talking directly to viewers -- asking you to sing or clap or answer a question. That would definitely engage an older toddler or a preschooler! Even though I think Fly is a toddler now, he is still a little too young for the Little Einsteins. But the colorful, music-filled DVD held his interest for a while. (For the record, I don't let Fly watch a lot of TV or DVDs, but I think once in a while is fine.) While I love the interactivity and focus on music, I thought some of Rocket's Firebird Rescue was a little advanced for most toddlers or preschoolers -- like when one character describes a Russian building as "so Byzantine." (Then again, maybe you have your own Little Einstein who rolls the names of architectural styles right off the tongue!)

If you want to see some clips of the movie, check out a snowstorm scene and the fun instrument forest scene.

The DVD includes a second fun movie called Rocket Soup. The Little Einsteins have to feed Rocket, and the ingredients to make his special soup come from places all over the world. So not only does Rocket Soup teach nutrition, but geography, too.

The Disney folks provided this DVD for review, and also the DVDs that will be given away next week during Fly's "Growing and Giving" first birthday celebration! Check out Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams and Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Treat. Good luck winning!

Because I'm me

3:52 a.m. and I was driving to an all-night drug store. I was going to grab every baby congestion remedy I could find (counting on calling the pharmacist when s/he arrived four hours later) including our third humidifier this year. But also to get away from JP. The streets were almost empty, and my sleep-starved brain was, too.

As I pulled into a parking spot, JP called my phone.

"Where are you?"

"Drug store," I said.

"Fly is back asleep."

"That's good," I said, relieved. I imagined Fly resting in a comma shape in his crib and JP lying back down again in bed. "But when you take him away from me like that, it makes me feel you don't think I can do it myself."

"It's just because you're you. He expects something different from you. He's different with me, and it's one thing I can do for him."

"So you're saying he goes back to sleep faster with you."

JP sighed. "Well, yeah."

"So what have I been doing this past year, being the one to get up with him 90% of the time? Have I just been wasting my time?" Truly, people should not have conversations like this, I realized as I watched a street lamp flickering above me, almost like a strobe light over the dark parking lot.

JP sighed again without a sufficient answer. It had been a rough night, with both of us trying to comfort a feisty baby who couldn't breathe, couldn't nurse, couldn't sleep.

Despite my annoyance -- at Fly's congestion, our lack of sleep, our argument -- I kept JP on the phone while I shopped because it felt creepy being the only customer in the store. When I got home, JP dutifully set up the humidifier, and we all slept until almost 7 a.m. when Fly got me up. In another hour, I called the pharmacist, hoping something I'd bought would work for Fly. She suggested something different, and when JP got up, he went to the store to get it. Fly finally took a nap, and so did I. And later, I went to a health food store to get a homeopathic remedy that turns out to be working better.

We are not the same people we were last night.

But even as I let the issue of JP "rescuing" Fly and me last night nag my thoughts, and as I try to not let it dampen my spirits, there is another, quieter thought that appears: JP is here for Fly and for me. It might annoy me that JP can put Fly to sleep faster and that he doesn't use that gift more often -- but when he does help, Fly and I are better off because of him. And even though I still have a sense that is off from what I wish it would be, just like that flickering street light, it's still something I look to.

What I'd Wear Wednesday

What I'd wear today if I could: this belted jean jacket from a catalog called La Redoute. I guess. But it's not that simple.

First, at the mall last week, I passed a manequin at Macy's wearing an amazing belted jean jacket. It was in the Style & Co. section. It's still 97 degrees outside, but a person can look forward to cool weather, I figured. But could I find that jean jacket anywhere on the racks? No. And I couldn't find a salesperson nearby to ask.

So I looked up the jacket on the macys.com site. No luck.

Then, I found this jacket on La Redoute. It's not the same as the jacket I fell in love with -- this really looks more like a shirt. I prefer the Style & Co. jacket, but I don't have a picture to show you. (Guess I need to start taking my camera to the mall now.)

But anyway, I like the look. I can't wait for fall. I'm ready for 97-degree-days to be over!

So not a comedian

Hey, I just thought up a new joke while nursing Fly to sleep!

Fly came over, had a double and passed out!

Har!

Groan....

Toolbox for New Dads

When JP and I were expecting Flybaby, we felt we were on a mission to Do Everything Right. We took a series of prenatal classes at the local hospital. We also took an infant CPR class. We wanted a knock-your-baby-socks-off nursery (which JP did almost single-handedly, and proudly.) And JP brought me roses every month!

JP's co-worker and his wife were also expecting, but it was their second time around. The co-worker recommended JP take yet another class called Daddy Boot Camp. JP never got around to taking that class (probably because he was sanding and varnishing Flybaby's furniture), but I suspect his co-worker filled him in on a lot. Either that, or JP was born knowing how to swaddle and rock a baby to sleep.

Turns out there's a DVD that would have been a great substitute -- even better than a substitute -- for Daddy Boot Camp: Toolbox for New Dads by Armin Brott, who has written lots of books for fathers. This DVD is by a dad, for a dad, and it covers the basics: what babies do (crying, eating including breastfeeding, pooping, sleeping, etc.) and what you can do with a baby (how to interact with your baby).

The best part of the DVD, though is a section called Life with a Baby. Ooh, this is a goody! This is something the classes we took didn't touch. On this DVD, it's man to man: "Hey, brother, things are going to change. Your wife might get the baby blues. She might get depressed. There are going to be intimacy issues. Don't take it personally. You are going to be a dad for the rest of your life." There's also a section on work that offers this golden advice: as a dad, you may be tempted to work more in order to provide more for your family -- but if that means you're gone from your family more, you'll just be adding more stress to your family life, not making things better. I'm happy to say JP has taken this advice to heart.

The DVD has a bonus section that shows how to diaper and swaddle a baby, talks about what to do when "bad things happen" (if your baby is born ill or stillborn) and tells Armin's story of how he came to fill the role of "the dad's dad" in writing so many books ... and now this DVD! For him, necessity was the father of invention. There weren't any books giving dads advice on how to be dads -- so he wrote them.

JP enjoyed the DVD, and I think Fly watched some of it too. (Fly loved the portrait photos that scroll during some of the fatherhood discussions throughout the DVD, especially the photos of dads with their babies!) The title Toolbox for New Dads sure caught JP's attention -- he's all about tools! If you know someone soon to be a dad, this is a great gift.

At least my home smells minty fresh

Happy Monday! What are you up to? Would you like to know what Flybaby is up to (bright smile, eyebrows up)?

Already this morning, Flybaby has:

• Sifted through the litter in the cat box


• Turned over a lidless sippy cup, spilling formula on the table, table legs and floor


• Discovered that the wall corner protectors placed by our home's previous owners can come off the walls -- sharp end of the screws sticking out


• Pulled up the loose threshholds on the floor


• Rearranged the (previously) floor-length scarf draped over sconces in the living room


• Foraged for a snack of forgotten cat food and wild bird seed in the floor track of the pantry's bifold door


• Knocked over two stacks of CDs


• Took a bite out of his bath sponge that I had to pull out of his mouth


• Refused to play with toys in favor of opening and shutting the bedroom door repeatedly

...and this was while I was watching him!

Last week, Fly hid a bottle of mustard in his room.

And while I was only feet away from him trying to put two handfuls of clothes in the dryer, he got the mouthwash out of the bathroom cabinet, unscrewed the "childproof" lid and glug-glugged a pool of green stuff around him on the floor. Which meant changing his outfit and cleaning the floor.

Fun times! (Can anyone say, "Let's install even more cabinet door locks?")

Let toddlerhood begin!

Start off the weekend....

TGIF! Here are four good ways to start your weekend off right -- entering four contests.

First, there's the Growing and Giving contest I'm having to celebrate Flybaby's first birthday!

Turns out Fly's not the only one celebrating a birthday with a contest. Mommin' It Up is too -- she's going to be 30 just two days before Fly turns one! How exciting. She has some fun prizes to give away.

Also, Mom of a Munchkin's Little Lady is turning one soon too! And her contest is so sweet. Mom of a Munchkin is asking for thoughts to go in Little Lady's birthday book. She's giving away a $40 CDN Gymboree gift card. What would I say to Little Lady? Something I've heard (apparently attributed to Sophie Tucker) that I think is really fun -- but true:

From birth to 18, a girl needs good parents.

From 18 to 35, a girl needs good looks.

From 35 to 55, a girl needs a good personality.

From 55 on, a girl needs cash.

Little Lady, there's no doubt you've got at least the first 35 years taken care of! I'm sure the rest will follow. Many blessings to you always.

Then...

There's a Dooney & Burke bag giveaway at Pinks & Blues, along with a gift bag of Victoria's Secret lotions and other body stuff.

Have a great weekend!

There's still thunder in this 'bird

So it's come to this, my 12-year-old friend: leaves are piling up on you. You sit in our driveway and never go anywhere, ever since I got that other car whose name we won't mention. (Believe me, I didn't want a new car. But when we knew we were going to have a baby, JP insisted on something reliable and with four doors.) Gosh, I don't even know if your engine would start after not driving you for more than a year and a half.

They don't make your kind anymore -- you're not even listed on AskPatty.com's CarBlabber -- but you know what? I still think you're great. Bright red (I secretly nicknamed you The Lips) with soft velour seats, you were my first new car. You carried me on long commutes when I worked so far away. You were a good sport when that teenage girl rear-ended you one rainy day. And you were quite a flirty-dude magnet. (Remember that one guy?! You know the one....) With a roomy interior, huge trunk and rear-wheel drive, you had a lot going for you.

But for a while now you have had issues -- namely, you don't really care for any transmission we've put in you. Your philosphy seems to be Eh, who needs get-up-and-go anyway? Overrated. The only action you see these days is when the UPS man ogles you on at least a monthly basis ("You gonna sell me that car yet?") or I get a rare chance to give you a scrub. I'd love to send you off to a beautiful new life, but JP insists we put (another) transmission in you before we let you go. Something about asking prices. I guess it's just not a priority right now. And so you sit.

No matter what happens, you'll always have a special place in my heart.

Blog about your car today, and you might have a chance to win a fun bag made from a recycled tire! Click here for info.

Momivore

Babies go for a ride

Tonight, Flybaby went on his first bike ride! JP and I strapped him into the new Wee Ride seat, which sits in front of me on my bike instead of behind me like most baby bike seats. I liked it for the most part -- the only downside I can see so far is I have to ride frog-style, with my knees out to the side. JP thinks maybe he can move the seat forward if he drills another hole in the seat's bar. I think Flybaby liked it too. JP pedaled along with me on his bike, taking in the cool twilight of our neighborhood.

Just a few blocks from home, we rounded a corner, and I heard a baby crying. I thought I was hearing the baby crying from inside a home with a window open. But then I realized the baby was in a car in a driveway. The windows were down and the driver door was open. Except there wasn't a driver. There didn't appear to be any other person near that car at all. It sounded like a young baby, crying for all he or she was worth, and there was no one around.

JP assured me someone would come right back outside. After pedaling a few houses down, though, I stopped on the street and waited. JP waited with me. Flybaby looked around and listened. I glanced back at the car. JP looked at his watch. The baby was still crying. I asked JP if he thought we should go up to the house to make sure everyone was OK -- I imagined something terrible like maybe the mother had passed out, slumped over the wheel, and nobody knew. But we waited. We waited long enough to have been able to take the baby out of the seat and pedal back home with him or her. Finally, we heard the car door shut, the engine start up, and the crying muted as the windows were rolled up. The car drove right past us, then turned left and on into the evening with the lonesome baby inside.

My dad can beat up your dad -- with tall tales

As told to me....

JP (at work, seeing boss has come into office): Hey, boss. How's your boy?

Boss (who has 8-month-old son): Great! He took four steps yesterday.

JP: Four steps already? He's only 8 months.

Boss: Yep. He's got five teeth, too -- two of them molars.

JP: No way! Well, Flybaby has nine teeth and one molar. And he's practically running through the house now.

Boss: You don't say. Well, my boy weighs 27 pounds.

JP: Flybaby can write his name.

Boss: My boy can do long division.

JP: Flybaby is taking Advanced Placement courses.

Boss: Mine is already a Rhodes scholar.

JP: Flybaby is a NASA consultant.

Boss: My baby has people who are working on his 2062 presidential campaign.

JP: Well ... the office staff all think my baby is cuter than your baby!

What I'd Wear Wednesday: Did I buy the right thing?

What I'd wear today if I could: a simple white knee-length skirt sort of like this one here.

I took Flybaby to the mall today for no particular reason, just something to do. I had a vague notion that if I saw something interesting to wear -- and the price was right -- I'd get it for something new to wear to church. When I saw a giant clearance sign in front of Sears, I steered Fly's stroller in that direction.

Sears isn't a place I normally shop for clothes. But I was hoping to be surprised.

After going through the racks -- Flybaby liked pulling on the clothes -- I was ready to buy a sheer brown-and-ivory zebra-print wrap top with a fluttery cap sleeve and a matching cami underneath. It was $44 marked down to $15. But then I wondered what the heck I'd wear it with. I don't have any brown or ivory bottoms. I could wear it with jeans, but sometimes, frankly, I get tired of jeans.

Did I just say that?!

Because I have this general idea that full-ish, mid-length skirts are the thing for fall, I looked through the skirts. The white skirt just seemed so simple, fresh and appealing. I envisioned wearing it with a simple, fitted black top -- so White House Black Market. It was marked way down, too.

Then I wandered into the junior department and found a hippie-chick sheer button-down shirt in a non-gross pink paisley and butterfly print with a matching cami underneath. (Am I all over the place in looks, or what?)

I eventually went with the skirt (which has some cool-looking gathers in it here and there, giving it some extra appeal), but now I'm wondering. Should I have got that zebra print top I saw in the first place? What about the paisley shirt? Let me know if you think I made the right choice. Vote!

Giveaways! Growing and Giving

Flybaby will turn one year old in just a couple of weeks! One! Whole! Year!

To celebrate, he wants to give you, teh internets, gifts. That's right, it's his birthday, but he wants you to have the presents!

Starting two weeks from today, Flybaby will have one giveaway every day the week of his birthday. He wanted to offer things that he loves. Some of the prizes are clothes in his size (but are not regifted!) just because he likes to play with people his own size. Here's what he's offering:

Monday, Sept. 3: Boy's Gymboree outfit!



Volcano T-shirt and matching bright orange shorts in size 12-18 months. You won't be able to lose your kid in a crowd if he has these shorts on!

A second prize for the day will be a $5 gift card for Auntie Anne's pretzels. When JP and I need to get our soft pretzel fix, Flybaby likes tiny little bites that we break off and give to him.

Tuesday, Sept. 4: Today's for the girls!



The softest white hoody sweater embroidered with sweet animals in size 18-24, along with patterned white tights and white anklet socks in size 12-24.



A second prize will be the new Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams DVD, which comes out today! Watch a sneak peek here. The DVD has new stories about Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) and Jasmine, along with games and activities. There's also a music video of Belle. This is a must-have for those little girls who are princess-crazed!

Wednesday, Sept. 5: Rattlesnake gift set!



Fun rattlesnake clothes for your outdoorsy boy in size 12-18 months. Romper and T-shirt both feature rattlesnakes and are different shades of green.



A second prize for today will be the new Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD Mickey's Treat. You can watch a clip here. Mickey and friends go to a Halloween party, and the DVD bonus features include stencils, a "Spooky Clubhouse" cookbook and A Little Einsteins Halloween.

Thursday, Sept. 6: $15 iTunes gift card! Flybaby loves music. He even has his own playlists on my iPod.

A second prize is a gift book called Meditations on the Purpose-Driven Life. Fly loves looking at books now, turning the pages to see pictures. This book has beautiful pictures and inspirational sayings. It's a pretty pick-me-up!



Friday, Sept. 7 (Flybaby's birthday): $25 Gap gift card! Flybaby likes Baby Gap. You can use this in the regular Gap store, too, though, wink wink.

I may add additional giveaways before the actual contest starts -- if so, I'll update this post.

To enter, here's all you have to do -- if you enter blog contests, you already know the drill.

1. Write a post about the Growing and Giving contest including the link to this post.
2. Then come back here and sign the linky with the link to your post about the contest (not just the link to your blog home page), and
3. Leave a comment to say which days' giveaways you want to be entered for.

If you don't have a blog, just do steps 2 and 3 and leave your e-mail address in the comment.

And if you want to put this cute button of Flybaby on your site, feel free to snag it!

The Growing and Giving contest is open to the United States and Canada only.

Good luck!

Instructions for babysitting

So, JP's parents will be here in about an hour so we can go out with our friends (our fifth date since Flybaby was born). Last time they watched Flybaby, JP's mom told me Fly had been so good and sweet.

Good? Sweet? Is that the baby I know?

I've given Fly instructions on how he should act around his grandparents -- just like himself:

- Be sure to squeal very loudly and in the highest pitch your voice can muster.

- Be sure to flip over onto all fours when your memaw tries to change your diaper, and attempt to crawl across the top of the dresser.

- When she tries to feed you your dinner, turn your head away at the last second so there's a line of food smeared across your cheek. Then rub your hands across your face and into your hair and eyelashes.

- And after dinner, be sure to cry as though you're being branded when your grandmother tries to wash the food off your face and out of your hair.

- Knock everything off the coffee table, then walk down the hall into the next room to look for more things to knock over.

- And don't forget to cry for no apparent reason, periodically throughout the evening.

Have fun!

How to scare friends and deafen people

Flybaby is a real walker, now, and we I couldn't wait to show our friends at the hospital Baby and Me class we go to sometimes. (The teacher told me not long ago he'd be walking by his first birthday.) When we got there, though, the class had been canceled. So I took Flybaby to the mall to make a quick exchange.

One of our Baby and Me class friends was at the mall -- well, he and his mom, from Switzerland -- so we stopped to chat. Fly has been antsy for days (is it the walking?) and was squealing his displeasure as loudly as he possibly could at being in a stroller. This frightened his friend, opposite him in his own stroller, and he made the most pitiful face and cried.

"Oh, Flybaby, you've scared your friend," I said. "Shhh! Don't squeal, baby." I apologized to the nice Swiss woman, who must have wondered what makes American babies so loud.

"That's all right," she said, soothing him. "He's sensitive. He needs to learn."

My Swiss friend went on to say several of the moms don't like the new class teacher and are doing something called Stroller Strides, and maybe I'd like to come?

Then Flybaby starting squealing again. And his friend screwed up his face and cried again. This time, his mom took him out of the stroller to comfort him, speaking to him in, uh, Swiss? German? I heard the word "freund." And I felt soooo bad.

"We'd better go," I said. "I'm so sorry. I don't want to stay and chat and just make your little one cry more."

So I wheeled Fly in the opposite direction, his squealing filling the high-ceiling corridor of the mall like an opera singer's notes filling a concert hall.

Truly, dolphins and whales were beaching themselves somewhere. Neighborhood dogs perked up their ears and howled. My ears are still ringing.

What I'd Wear Wednesday

What I'd wear today if I could: this camisole from Newport News. Yes, I'm sure you've seen this cami, too, because Newport News probably sends everyone two catalogs a week (not just me). But when I saw this cami, I thought it was pretty rockin'. It looks tough and girly at the same time. Sort of mysterious. It would be great to wear with jeans this Friday when JP and I go out with friends. We realized we have gone on a date -- leaving Flybaby with JP's parents -- about four times since Fly was born. So we really need to go out! This looks date-worthy, dontcha think?

How about a veggie burger to go with that?

Knowing JP's preference for having a little food to go with his condiments, this is not at all surprising....

Meme-apalooza

I am sooo behind in answering these three memes. Guess I'm just not that good at it. Or maybe I don't like to be too introspective. Or both. Anyway....

B at Journey of 1000 Stitches tagged me for this one. You copy and paste this list of blogging tips, * the ones you like, and add your own tip to the end of the list. Neat idea.

1. Look, read, and learn. http://www.neonscent.com/
*2. Be EXCELLENT to each other. http://www.bushmackel.com/
3. Don’t let money change ya! http://www.therandomforest.info/
4. Always reply to your comments. http://chattiekat.com/
5. Link liberally — it keeps you and your friends afloat in the Sea of Technorati. http://chipsquips.com/
6. Don’t give up - persistence is fertile. http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/
*7. Give link credit where credit is due. http://www.sfsignal.com/
*8. Pictures say a thousand words and can usually add to any post. http://scifichick.com/
*9. Visit all the bloggers that leave comments for you - it's nice to know who is reading! http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/
*10. Thrown in something humorous occasionally, to keep things fun. http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/
11. When picking the URL for your blog, think short and easy. You'll be typing it a million times. http://bookslistslife.blogspot.com/
*12. Leave comments on other blogs. Know how much you like to get them? Yeah, other people feel the same way! http://journeyof1000stitches.blogspot.com

And here’s mine:

13. Just be yourself! http://growingalife.blogspot.com

I'm supposed to tag 10 people, but I'm going to leave this up to anyone who wants to do it!

Kimmy at Melchert Family, who just had an adorable baby boy, tagged me for this one:

Four jobs I've held:
Fabric cutter
Editor
Waitress
Marketing assistant

Four movies I can watch over again:
The Princess Bride
Coming to America
Nacho Libre
Bruce Almighty

Four places I have lived:
I don’t qualify!

Four TV shows I watch:
Again, I don’t qualify! I can’t wait to watch Ugly Betty this fall, though.

Four places I've been on vacation:
Grand Bahama Island
All three U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix)
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Beaver Creek, Colorado

Four favorite foods:
Fruit
Bread
Chocolate
Cookies

Four Web sites I visit:
I don’t know? Mostly news sites, I guess.

Four people I am tagging:
Anyone!
Everyone!
You!
You!

Then Amanda at The Wink tagged me for 10 things I like about myself. She did her list in physical attributes, so I figure that's what's expected.... Ack! This is hard!

My lips. I think they are the perfect shape and are nicely full.

My ears. They have the recessive gene trait where the lobe is directly attached to my head. And they don't stick out or anything.

The arch of my feet. I studied ballet for nine years, so I can make a pretty arch when I point my toes.

My arms. Maybe also because of ballet, I just love arms.

My birth mark. I have a penny-sized mark on the outside of my left knee.

My quads. I have some leg muscle!

My shoulders. I did one of those body-double models in software once and learned for the first time I have some Amazon shoulders. Sometimes, tops don't fit me. But my deltoids are pretty (see arms, above), and I am strong.

Making faces. Just the fact that I can use my face to make expressions of any kind.

Making voices. I'd love to be the voice of a cartoon character some time.

My breasts. Maybe not in the way you'd think, though! I'm just amazed these mounds I've been harnessing in a bra for 20 years actually have nourished my baby.

Anyone want to share 10 things you love about yourself?

So there you have it.... More than you wanted to know....

Bagged

Her Bad Mother wrote about what's in her bag and invited everyone to do the same. I had to play along. (And I know there are at least three kind people waiting for me to do their memes, and I will get to it, promise!)

Here is my bag du jour:



And here is what's in it:



A. Cell phone. Needs to be recharged.
B. Boooooring wallet. Don't tease me.
C. Checks. I don't use a checkbook cover. See B, above.
D. National Geographic photographer DVD loaned from JP to friend Star/Guinevere that I wasn't able to give her today. (JP and Star are photogs.)
E. Anti-bac wipes for those gross restaurant high chairs. Like I eat out much!
F. Fresh breath stuff. See also unlabeled breath strips.
G. Estee Lauder Pleasures perfume spray. I like to smell good.
H. Obsession perfume in bag from friend Missy. I think she regifted this to me because it's in a red and gold bag with holly leaves printed on it. Ya think? Haven't really used it yet.
I. Must go shopping! Scored $15 Express coupon in mail somehow.
J. Assorted lip stuff. What? I have really dry lips.
K. Buckle barette. For emergencies.
L. Love note from JP. Swoon!
M. Tide pen. It's been very handy to have!
N. You can't call yourself a writer and not even carry a pen.
O. iTrip for my iPod, which doesn't work well and is just collecting crumbs in the bottom of my bag.

Oh, and not labeled are those two pennies. Is my bag trying to tell me something?!

Bubble, bubble, lots of trouble

Flybaby is now 11 months old (nine teeth -- including one molar -- almost 23 pounds, walking several steps at a time, and yet still hardly enough hair worth using a brush), and so of course, my thoughts are turning to his first birthday party.

A baby's birthday party should be all sweetness and light. Happiness. Good things. A time for gathering friends and family. When I think of a child's birthday party, I think curly ribbons, colorful balloons, upbeat music, bright smiles, pretty cakes.

However....

Something sinister is lurking in our home. One little component of party prep. Something so horrifying that Flybaby screamed hysterically and heaved, his little body convulsing in terror, his face red with fear when he came into contact with it. What about his party could be so frightful?







The nightmare-inducing bubble machine.

It's small enough to fit in my hand. But every time JP and I have turned it on to test it, Flybaby got so scared that I had to hold him each time and comfort him for several minutes before he calmed down.

And I thought the only scary thing about it was how cheap it was.

I hope the store will let me return it!

What I'd Wear Wednesday

What I'd wear today if I could: this totally cute, totally laid-back, totally affordable outfit from Bitten, a new line of clothes by Sarah Jessica Parker. The ever-elegant, trend-setting SJP ("Fashion is not a luxury; it's a right.") is selling her line through a store called Steve & Barry's. Turns out there's a store in my area, but not close enough for casual shopping. Anyway, this whole outfit is under $35! The wedges look a little too tall for me, but I would wear this, easy like Sunday morning!

Up the creek

Sometimes you just have to scratch that itch even when you know scratching might not be the best thing.

I had to have me some outdoors time.

But it's One Hot Summer.

JP and Fly indulged me anyway for a short while yesterday.



That's the bow of my kayak.



That's me, trying to balance a baby on my lap while not flipping us into the creek.



The creek has some nice things going for it, like scenery...



...and wildlife (that's an osprey)...



...and more scenery.

But did I mention how hot it is?

So what did Fly think of his first paddle?



(Orange is really not his color.)

I think I'll wait to go out and paddle again when it's cooler -- much cooler!

New lyrics

Overheard:

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
If that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna kick the jeweler's ass."

In the most tenderest of ways, I'm sure....

I almost forgot to breathe

And please don't ask why there was an empty Office Depot paper carton on the floor. JP put it there for Fly to play with, I guess.

What I'd Wear Wednesday

What I'd wear today if I could: this wood and silver bangle bracelet by Amrita Singh. When you think about it, it's kind of funny that wood can be jewelry. After all, my coffee table is wood, but I don't want to wear it on my arm or around my neck. But wood can be beautiful, as this bracelet shows. I think it got a casual-cool vibe to it that you could wear with anything. The only thing I'd have to worry about with this bangle would be to make sure Flybaby doesn't try to chew on it ... teeth marks are so passe....

And what would Flybaby wear today? One of these cute shirts from Cute as a Bug. Crunchy Domestic Goddess (love the name!) is having a contest and giving away a shirt, so feel free to enter yourself!