Riley and Avery

So Happy New Year to everyone! I doubt that I'll be up to see the new year in, seeing as how I went to bed last night at 2am for no really good reason. The girls went to bed at 11pm so I thought I had some time to myself. But no, they got up at their normal 6:30am. I just wasn't tired. I think it's from being more or less snowed in. I haven't been able to tire myself out. I even tried vigorous housework. It didn't tire me out, but the house sure looks good.

Avery is walking more and more. She's started trying to run after Riley. I think Riley is her major motivation to learn to walk. I thought kids were supposed to walk to their parents, not away from them. So what does that say about us?

Rudi is going to the YMCA on Tuesday to join up. It's not a New Years resolution thing, just an effort to get in shape and healthy that we've been trying to afford for a long time now. He will get a couple of free passes that I thought I'd use to see if it's worth joining as a family.

Ah, the end of the year when I start getting really excited about taxes. I start watching the mailbox like a hawk, waiting to see how many thousands we'll get back this year. I can't wait to get my freakin' tooth implant. Although not really, because it is surgery and bound to be painful, but it's better than being a jack-o-lantern.:) We're the type of people that file on February 1st or the day after we get our W-2s. Ooooh, I can't wait.

I've agonized over what to get Riley for her birthday, since the tea seat that I had my eye on is sold out in this country. It would have been absolutely perfect. It was by Djeco, and it has a tea pot, two tea cups, wooden tea bags, wooden sugar cubes, and a birthday cake with candles that can be cut and served. Alas! Having a child two weeks after Christmas sucks! We went to Target and got a pizza set for her kitchen, and their toy section was still pretty much wiped out. I got her The Orchard game by Haba, and some play silks that are not really a present, I'm just going to give them to the girls. Avery absolutely loves playing peekaboo with the quilts and Riley likes pretending to be a caterpillar in a cocoon and I'm tired of every last blanket, quilt, and towel being used for these activities. I'm sick of folding and refolding them all day long.

I've been doing a pretty good job of keeping up on all the housework lately, which is hard for me for some reason. Although I'm far from the uber-housewife. I don't want to make it a contention point between Rudi and I, but I do a lot of cleaning up after him. For instance, he leaves all of his outdoor cigar-smoking clothes (and he wears a lot of clothes out there in the cold) on the back of his chair in the living room. and he strips down to his skivvies as soon as he comes home, and leaves those clothes on the chair too. Somehow I feel that he wasn't allowed to do this before he married me, and that he's taking advantage of my good nature. You know, with two daughters here, he's not going to be able to walk around forever in his underwear. Is he? IS HE????

I've tried three different ways of dowloading pictures and Blogger isn't buying any of them. I'm sick of trying, so I'll blog more tomorrow...

Here's the finished Waldorf doll that I made for Riley. It wasn't a really big surprise because I didn't even try to keep it a secret. She does like it, but for now, with all the flashing lights and sound effects of Christmas, it has taken a backseat. It's saving grace is that I made a bunch of clothes for her, and Riley is all about dressing. I am definitely going to make one for Avery, a 12-inch one. But I really don't look forward to making more doll clothes. What Riley really likes about the doll is that she can take it anywhere since it's handmade and not bought in a store. She always say that she can't bring toys into the store because they'll think we stole them, but not this dolly.

Avery found the microphone on the keyboard that Daddy got her and she figured it out all by herself. This isn't the best picture that I took of her singing, but it was hard to tell on the thumbnail images, and I didn't pick the best. Oh, it's cute anyway. Her little voice sounds so adorable. Riley and Avery were playing around in bed today while I was trying in vain to get them to sleep at the same time. It usually annoys me, but this time it was really cute. Avery was just giggling and giggling and hugging and kissing Riley. They played so well. Riley can be a bully, but despite her size, I think that Avery will be able to hold her own. She's feisty. Several times she just leaped on top of Riley and tackled her down to kiss her.

Riley has developed a habit of dumping all of her pretend food into one bowl. Normally this would be fine, but she has wooden beef stew with peas, carrots, yellow cubes that I can't identify (it's Haba, maybe Germans put yellow cubes in their stew), and beef, then she has a can of green beans and a bag of noodles, and muffins, and half-dozen eggs. In short, a lot of little pieces that have to be sorted back out to be put away. And on top of it, her imaginary dishes are never what they seem. One would think that a dish that clearly has six eggs, three muffins, an assortment of veggies, etc. would contain on of those ingredients in Riley's world. But no. I'll say, "Oh, what delicious eggs!" and Riley will say "There's no eggs in jello!" and I'm like "This is jello? Why are there muffins in it?" and Riley will say "That's silly, why would I put muffins in jello?" so I say "I can see the muffins right there" and Riley replies "Just eat the jello." And as soon as I put the food away she dumps it out again. Argh!

Riley said something cute the other day. She said "Avery has two names: 'Avery' and 'Poophead'." She also told me today "I want a real guinea pig. That's what I want for my birthday present." She's said that she wants a guinea pig several times over the passed week, but never specifically for her birthday. I wouldn't mind getting her a guinea pig. But Rudi wants to get her a rabbit. I've had both guinea pigs and rabbits as a child, and I think that guinea pigs are more suitable for younger children and rabbits for children that are just a little bit older. Plus her classroom has two guinea pigs that she helps care for, so she is more familiar with guinea pigs. Ah, maybe the whole thing will pass.


Just one little note here before I'm nominated for the sloppy housewife-of-the-year award: these pictures were taken during the madness of Christmas Day, hence the immense clutter in the background...


Oh yeah, and we're getting another blizzard here in the Springs. It only seems to happen on Rudi's days off of work. And the streets haven't been adequately plowed after our last blizzard last week. We have about four inches already and it's supposed to continue through Saturday. So it won't dump down all at once like last week. Maybe they'll actually plow the freakin' roads this time. Rudi had wanted to go into Denver on Friday and has been looking forward to it. But not now.

I think I'm dowloading too many pictures. I have to save some for later, but just a few more...

I had a rather heartbreaking conversation with Riley tonight. I was putting Avery to bed (and hoping that Riley would go too) when Riley just started crying for what seemed like no reason. So I asked her what she was crying about and she said that she didn't want to be a big sister. I told her that Avery is fun and loves her very much. I was off, because it wasn't the "sister" part that she didn't like, it was the "big" part. She said "I don't know how to play if I'm big." And I told her that she's still little to me, and she said "but look how big I am!" And then I tried to explain that she may be a big sister to Avery, but she is also a little sister to Amy and Emily. That went way over her head. She couldn't understand how she could be both a little sister and a big sister at the same time. Then I tried to tell her that she got all sorts of cool toys to play with now that she's just a little bit bigger. Like her kitchen, and her dolly, and board games that Avery is too little to play. She just continued weeping, saying "I don't want to be a big sister!" I ended up just distracting her. You know, I don't try and persuade her to do things by herself by saying that she's a big girl now. Very occasionally I joke that she's too big to nurse, but usually follow it with a tickle. When I notice her doing something that she couldn't do before, like building a big tower of blocks, or snapping her pajamas by herself, I compliment her and say how big she's getting. I thought that was a positive thing. I guess I'll have to back off.

I cut Riley's hair today using Heather's tried and true way of cutting hair, by putting her hair into a ponytail on the very top of her head and cutting the end of the ponytail. It's only about a few inches shorter, but now has nice layers. I cut it dry so we'll see what it looks like after its been washed. But don't tell Riley. I asked her if she wanted me to cut her hair and she was all gung-ho until she saw her hair on the floor and then told me that she didn't want her hair "cutted." So I pretended to put it back on her head. And then she said "thank you." So she doesn't really know that her hair has been cut. Sucker.

We went to Gymboree yesterday with gift cards courtesy of Mina, Brendan, James, and Allan (thanks you guys!) and got Avery a sweater, an embroidered turtleneck and shirt, and embroidered velour pants. Oh, and bubbles for Riley. Avery was is serious need of some clothes. While we were at Gymboree, Riley tells me "Put that back! Those are too 'spensive! Everything here is too 'spensive! That means we have to leave this place and go to Barnes and Noble!" Then she says, "Daddy's silly. He calls it Barney's. I'm going to go tell him that it's Barnes and Noble."

Tomorrow is supposed to bring another blizzard to Colorado Springs. Conveniently, tomorrow is also payday, so our streak of poverty is nearly over. We are planning a trip to Walmart for tomorrow morning to get some food and a snow shovel. I don't know what it is about Rudi's days off, but we keep getting blizzards on them. Kind of like when you're a kid and it always seems to rain on the weekends. Anyway, we were planning to go into Denver, but there's no way now.

I took great joy today in taking down the Christmas tree. That was a whole lot of fun. Ah, even more space!

Wow, long post and no pictures. Tomorrow will be a picture bonanza for sure...

So apparently my trouble has been posting pictures from Flickr. I can post pictures directly from a CD. Woo-hoo! Although I'll have to be careful and fix the orientation before dowloading the digital pictures from my camera. Almost all of my pictures are portrait so I had to find a few that are landscape. Plus it takes forever to post a picture this way, so I still prefer Flickr.
Here's my little Avery when she fell asleep in her high chair. Nothing better than eating yourself into a coma.
Here's Avery and Daddy looking for a Christmas tree (the tree that has been taken down today. Good riddance!)
I know, this is not a current picture, but I thought it was cute anyway. Perhaps I'll be able to go to Walmart to get the pictures transfered to CD. If not, definitely tomorrow. I'll have to blog again later, Avery keeps going up the steps...

Holy cow, Avery has two more teeth that I didn't even notice! They look like molars, but they are so out of order that I can't even tell which teeth they're supposed to be. Poor thing. That sure explains a lot of fussiness. These mystery teeth are on her left side, one on top and one on bottom. Way in the back.

Still having no luck posting pictures:(

I did some more major rearranging in our house. I moved the roll-top desk that I never use that is only good for collecting junk. I took that upstairs to the third bedroom. Maybe someday I'll have five minutes in a row to write a letter. It was supposed to be for paying bills and such, but who mails bills anymore? I pay ours all online. I moved Roxy's cage where the desk used to be, and put the toy kitchen where Roxy's cage used to be. The space is just freeing up. Wahoo!! Now just to get rid of that offensive Christmas tree.

I discovered salmon in our freezer, so we'll eat good tonight. Teriyaki salmon, yum yum. And both the girls like salmon, so we'll all be fed. Then it's off to Gymboree for some retail therapy. I have gift cards to use. Yipee! Although we're still cash-poor, I have a book that I bought at Barnes & Noble and never used, so back to the store it goes. We'll use the store credit for some much-needed Starbucks and perhaps a little dessert for Rudi and Riley. We seriously need to get out of the house.

Riley and Avery have barely played with their old toys since yesterday's bonanza, so I've taken the opportunity to get rid of a lot of them. Some gently used baby toys will be headed off to my yet-to-be-born nephew. Some of the nicer ones will be donated, and the junk toys will just be tossed. I must be mixed up, I get the winter cleaning drive instead of spring cleaning. If we could only buy a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner we'd be all set. The carpet is taking a beating with a toddler and a baby. And we've only been here since May. Most recently Avery spilled a whole bowl of black bean soup on the carpet. More accurately, she spilled it on herself, me, and the carpet. That was really not pretty.

Ah, off to go shopping without spending a dime...

Once again, Blogger is not letting me upload pictures...so here's the post sans photos...

Christmas has been good to my babies. The kitchen went over really well, as did the kitchen utensil set from Grandma and Grandpa that the kitchen wouldn't be complete without. Riley has already created some concoctions, a bowl with muffins, pickles, eggs, noodles, and green beans all mixed in. Yummy. Riley has had a lot of fun playing with the Discovery Tower that Uncle Allan got for her. It's just like her favorite Montessori activity, the pink tower. Avery got a lot of toys that make a lot of noise from Rudi, which of course she loves. She really likes the pull-along cowboy, although she hasn't mastered the pull-along part of it. She really likes his hat. She's been busy lately trying out the puzzle that Uncle Allan got her. She's almost got it. Avery's napping now so I think that Riley and I will try out the game that Amy, Scott, and Abby got Riley. She really loves board games. It's such a fun age when they get to liking board games. Rudi got Avery a play and learn piano that has a little microphone that Avery discovered right away. Nothing like hearing her "Ahhhhh" and "Ohhhhh" broadcasted all over the house.

We were able to finally move the loveseat into the garage. It was really light and didn't give us a hard time at all. Now we have a big open space. Rudi calls it wasted space because there's nothing filling it. We'll have even more open space once we get rid of the Christmas tree, which I'm totally ready to do right now. I use the excuse that I want Riley's birthday to be completely separate from Christmas, but the truth is that I just can't stand the darn tree right after the presents are opened. In fact, I began despising the tree a few days ago. Every time I get a good look at it, I'm filled with the yuckies. Although it sure smells good.

I think that for Riley's birthday we're going to get her some more food for her kitchen, and definitely a tea set. I'm tired of her using my teabags.

Avery has a new fascination with giving kisses, complete with a "mmmmmm-ma" to go with it. The downside is that Riley is usually the only recipient of these kisses. She absolutely attacks Riley, hugging her and grabbing her and forcing her to accept her sloppy love. She is definitely saying "mama" and "dada" now. I think that she's trying to say "eye". At least that's what I assume when she repeatedly pokes me in the eye and says "eh." Avery has also developed a jealous streak. When she's nursing, she doesn't like Riley near me, and when Riley's nursing, she pulls her hair or pushes her head away. Aw, how cute.

Well, I'm so tired, I'm going to make some Sleepytime tea and retire, and hope that tomorrow I can post some pictures. Not brand new ones since I have to have them put on a CD. New ones are still a few days away...

Yippee! I finally got a picture to post!

I've been extremely busy fixing up the house and rearranging everything. Riley's and Avery's toys are now all in the closet under the steps, which is the perfect walk-in size for them. The dining room table has been moved and now we have a great big empty space that shall remain empty. Rudi tried to fill it with the loveseat, but I told him that it's still going in the garage. Rudi has a tendency to fill up every available space with junk. Riley has three small rag rugs from Walmart that she unrolls and plays with her toys on. When she's done, she puts the toys away, rolls up the rug, and puts the rug away. Then she can get out another toy. That's what they do at her school and it's working really well here so far. I'm just trying desparately to control the mess and clutter.

I finished putting the kitchen together. I can't wait to see the girls' faces when they see it. It's so hard to wait for Christmas. They made out pretty well this year. Oh, just one more day...

Bah! Why is Blogger being so retarded lately!! I can't upload photos to save my life!

The girls had their check-ups today. Avery is 19 pounds (fully clothed) and 28 inches. That's about 15th percentile for both. So still rear-facing in the car seat. Her head circumference is above the 95th percentile. Once again, like always, the doctor didn't trust the nurse's head measurement and remeasured it. Yup, she's big-headed. Riley is 36 1/2 inches tall and 32 1/2 pounds fully clothed. She's about 50th for height and 75th for weight. Her growth has really slowed down. Avery got three shots, and she's none worse for the wear so far. I had told Riley that she was going to get shots, just in case she had to. Turns out our doctor in Missoula hasn't sent her shot records yet, so we put it off until they get here. After observing Avery being held down hand and foot, screaming while getting her shots, Riley says "My turn!" And she was disappointed that she didn't get shots. What?!

Avery is really starting to walk now. She's taking about five steps at a time and not only when walking to someone. She sometimes stands up and just starts walking somewhere. How cool! Just as exciting the second time around. It looks rather funny since she's so small.

I'm making progress on assembling Riley and Avery's kitchen in the garage. It's so secretive that I feel like I'm building a bomb or something. I'm rather impressed with the quality, especially considering that it is relatively inexpensive for a wooden kitchen. It seems really sturdy and well-designed. And the paint job is great.

So Riley graced us with a litany of adult-like language and attitude today on the way home from the doctor's office. Follows is a sampling, word-for-word, of what she was saying: "I have to make you a Christmas present. First of all, I need alligator wrapping paper, but I have no ribbons or tape...I'm not making your present yet because it's not Christmas yet and you have to be good all the way to Christmas!...I'm not talking to you until you stop being a brat!...Do you understand what I'm saying? Why are you not listening to me?...Mommy, what did I tell you?...Mommy, you will NOT talk to me like that!...Fine I'm not making you a present until you stop being a stupid brat!" Holy cow, she's a pistol, as my grandmother would say! What sounds mild coming from my mouth, like saying "freakin'" sounds awful coming from a toddler. And I'm not proud to admit it, and I'm not sure if I should, but during her tirade, I said very, very, very under my breath "lick my butt, kid." Rudi laughed and I hear from the back seat "Mommy I will NOT lick your butt!!" That girl's ears are supersonic. So I just threw up my hands.

My life sucks, let me explain why. First of all, we are on day two of being snowed in. Yesterday was white-out conditions, and today is okay for the roads now, but I don't feel safe taking the kids out. So Rudi is out at Walmart with our last $20 to buy food for a whole week. Yay. And two, both my kids are in the process of giving up naps; Riley her only nap, and Avery one of her two naps. Therefore, both of them are always over-tired or not tired enough. I simply cannot win. Ever.

So I am in the process of making clothes for Riley's doll. Not fun at all. If we had more money, I'd just buy clothes. Just a couple of outfits is all I need. The first shirt I made wouldn't fit over the dolls head, the first pair of pants I made wouldn't fit her waist. Trial and error. More errors that success, it seems. Like I said, I just cannot win.

Riley is going potty absolutely all by herself. She doesn't even tell me when she has to go, she just goes. It involves taking her pants and undies off, so the re-dresses herself (with new clothes of course) whenever she's done. If she feels like it. She has no problem going around in her birthday suit, as everyone knows. Wiping adequately is an art form that takes time to master, though. So I have to jump in if she's gone number 2.

I've also been reading up on allergies. It turns out that milk allergies can manifest in skin rashes (check) and also, news to me, as a respritory problem (check?). Avery has had a cough and runny nose for weeks now. Hmmmm...

Riley and Avery both have check-ups tomorrow. What a load of fun that'll be. Avery's getting shots, and Riley may be. Her doc in Missoula said she wouldn't need any more until she's five, but her doctor here has been saying that she needs some. It'll be a surprise. Mostly for Riley. We'll see if Avery is big enough to be forward-facing in the car. Somehow I doubt it.

Well, I'm going to go and try to preserve my sanity by engaging in some vigorous housework...

Blogger's being a turd about uploading photos, so I'll post some pictures later...

Well, I've noticed a huge difference in Avery's allergies now that she is eating more table food. I can usually cheat just a little bit and it doesn't come through the breastmilk, but if I give it to her directly, she breaks out in a big way. For instance, I made rice and put in a tablespoon of margarine for the whole pot. Avery ate less than 1/4 cup of the rice and broke out with a horrible rash. The bad part is that she is old enough now to scratch with her nails and can do a lot of damage. It used to be that she would rub her face on me or on the bedsheets. Let me do the math...so she ate approximately 1/10th of a tablespoon of margarine.

We took a break and went to Borders. We were having fun until Riley threw up in the kids section. Twice. Fun. Then she threw up on herself in the car. And then in the bathroom sink when I was cleaning her off when we got home. It seems that the two whole bowls of pineapples that she ate before leaving didn't agree with her. Once she was done throwing up, she was done, no sickness. By the way, second-time-around pineapples have got to be one of the worst smells on earth. I don't wish it on anyone. She went to bed with a bowl and a towel, but nothing happened. When I asked her this morning if she was getting better, she replied "actually I'm already better." I love it when she uses words like "actually" and "otherwise" correctly. So cute.

Riley has become quite fascinated with the process of teeth falling out. She keeps telling me that she has a wobbly tooth. Kid, you've got years to wait...

We discovered an interesting game. We found some paintbrushes and I pretend that I'm painting Riley to be a tiger and then say that an animal is taking a piggy-back ride on her and I paint an animal on her back (like a snake) and she guesses what it is. Nice quiet sensory exercise.

Aha, I finally finished Riley's Waldorf doll. I shouldn't say "finally" since it really didn't take that long. If I had been really serious about getting it done, I could have done it in three days. But it did take me about a week. Now just to make some clothes, which shouldn't be too hard now that I've looked at the instructions. Riley already adores the doll. She wanted to take it to school this morning, nursed it and cuddled it. Very adorable. This was before it had hair. A bald naked dolly. I definitely had enough mohair yarn for the hair. I could have made longer hair. I actually may have put too much hair on. It's tied prettily back with a ribbon. I'll have to take pictures. The hair is redder than I thought it would be, but no worries. I'm thinking of making a smaller one for Avery.

Riley has been so well behaved for the last couple of days. I have to say that it corresponds to Rudi's increased involvement with the girls. Before it all was a vicious cycle. Riley would misbehave when Rudi got home because it was the only way for her to get his attention, then I would start to dread him coming home, and he would be mad at me for being cold and at Riley for acting out. No one would be happy. I hope the present situation lasts forever.

Riley discovered two of the stocking suffers that I thought I had sufficiently hidden. Two stuffed animals, one for each of the girls. So now they have them early. What stocking is complete without a stuffed animal? Ho hum. And these were cute little animals from the Whole Foods Market.

Now I have to get busy assembling the kitchen so it'll be ready for Christmas. I really don't want the girls to open it when it's still in the box and then endure Riley's "help" while I put the thing together. Luckily I'm one of the really weired people who likes to assemble things. "Assembly required"=happy Amy.

Ah, I forgot to post the Santa pictures!

Wahoo, I finally have pictures! Now just to wait for them to download.

Today was pretty boring, and I should have made phone calls, but didn't. Last night, as I was on my way to a little toy shop downtown for stocking stuffers, my car starts acting up. Just what we need. Cars always run really well when you have extra money lying around. It idles really low, and stalls unless I give it gas. And when I'm driving the RPMs take a dip, making the car jerk. But no corresponding noise from the engine, and no "check engine" light.

Riley cried for Jay again today. She wants him to come to her Christmas and her birthday. She also has been asking if Abby will come to her birthday, although she has made it abundantly clear what she intends to share with Abby, and what she will not. I've got news for you, kid...Hopefully the birthday ceremony at school will help feed her desire for birthday attendees.

Getting Riley to sleep lately has been really frustrating. She knows all the words to the stories that I tell. Some are short stories, like "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." But some are long, like "Rumpelstiltskin" and she still knows them and wants to interject or tell them herself from beginning to end. She knows all the songs, including "Baby Mine" from Dumbo, which she likes to sing with me. All these activities defeat the purpose of the ritual: to get her to sleep. So I am constantly having to think up other stories that she doesn't know just to get her to sleep. I'm running out of ideas. Plus her naps have been all out of whack. Yesterday she napped from 3:30 to 5:30 and didn't go to bed until 1am, but got up at 7:00. She was understandably tired, so she napped this morning at 11:30. She went to bed tonight at 9:30-ish, so tomorrow better be a more normal day.

Avery is developing quite the dramatic personality. I call her "La Divina." Today I was trying to finish my dinner and Avery was standing at my feet looking up at me fussing for me to pick her up, and whenever I looked at her she would crumble herself to the floor, only to stand up and do it again. And then she went over to Rudi to perform the same tragic play.

Speaking of Rudi, he's been like Wonder Dad for the past two days. He's been getting on the floor and playing with the girls (doesn't seem like much to anyone else, but he NEVER does this). He's been incredibly patient with Riley. Just a little undivided attention really goes a long way with a child. Riley is responding a lot better to him and not being so aggressive towards Avery.

So I'm finally making progress on Riley's doll. This is what it looks like so far. After making the head, the body comes really easily. When the kit came in the mail, I looked at the huge bag of wool stuffing and thought there's no way that'll all fit in one doll, but it sure does. A whole lot of stuffing is involved to get the head as rock-hard as possible. I don't look forward to doing the hair, but in a weird way I kind of do. I guess I'm a sucker for punishment.

So when Rudi brought the Christmas tree in, he leaned it up on the corner of the dining room, and when Riley woke up on Wednesday morning she wanted to get started decorating the tree right away. I tell her that we need to wait for Daddy to get home so that he can put the tree in the stand and move the loveseat for us. That didn't last long. I'm looking at the clock: 8:30am-still eight hours till Rudi comes home. Stall longer. 9:30--seven hours until Rudi gets home. So I determine that I am going to have to put the tree up by myself. First, I move the loveseat out of the way. Not into the garage, I'm not Superwoman. Then I realize that the tree stand is in the closet that the tree is leaning on. So I move the six-foot tree out of the way and get the stand. Of course, Riley has already put about a dozen glass bulbs on the bottom of the tree. So then I get the saw and work for a really long time at getting an inch or two off the bottom of the tree. And into the stand it goes. And them I have to carry it across the townhouse. Then I realize that there is no way that we have enough lights since we've never had a tree this big before. So off to Walmart to visit Rudi for lunch and buy lights.

Then we start decorating the tree just a little. The major decorating occurs after Avery has gone to sleep for the night. Riley and I decorate the tree while Rudi sleeps in the chair. So much for spending time together and making family memories. Rudi said that he had been experiencing vertigo like when he had cysts in his sinuses which were surgically removed. Now that he is fairly certain that he doesn't have stomach cancer, he thinks that he has cysts. Sometimes I wonder if he would be happier if he did have a terminal illness. Not happy unless something is wrong.

Rudi has a doctor's appointment last week and he got a lecture from his doctor. His A1C was 9.2, when it should be between 4 and 6. So his doc told him to come back next month and if his A1C is still high they are going to put him on insulin. So one month to clean up his act. So now he's badgering me about joining the YMCA so that he can excersise, but we never seem to have the money. I know that if he doesn't get to join and ends up going on insulin he's going to blame me for it. Hasn't he ever heard of sidewalks? I hear they're great for walking and jogging on. Not to mention the (women's) weights he bought that are still in the box. I can't win.

We are now on the hunt for stocking stuffers. I have been tempted not to do stokings, but now that we actually have a fireplace, it would be a shame not to have stockings for the girls.

We went to the mall last night because Borders is in the mall here and the mall has a really cool playground in it that Riley and Avery both like. We also tried to eat at the mall. Riley and Rudi had no problems, they're not allergic to anything. I ended up eating california rolls that were about as good as you can expect from a mall. Avery had a bread stick from the pizza place that insisted that there was no parmesan cheese on it. Well, by the time we got to the playground, Avery looked like she had mange. Her whole face was broken out and her eyeball was bright red. Even her scalp was red. Yummy.

Today I took Riley to finally sit on Santa's lap. Riley got shy at the last minute, so we sacrificed Avery to the Santa god and made her go first. Then I got Riley to stand next to Santa and hold Avery's hand. They let us take pictures with my camera (wahoo!). Then we walked away, and Riley got upset because she didn't sit on Santa's lap, so we went back and she sat on his lap. When he asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she said "I want Christmas presents."

Then when Rudi got home we went out for a Christmas tree. Things were looking kind of bleak as everywhere we went was so outrageously priced. We were starting to think that we weren't going to be able to get a tree. We're talking $80+ and that's too much for us. Then we finally were on our way home and we saw a tree lot 1/2 mile from our house and we go there and find a great Douglas Fir for $46. Definitely the best tree we've ever gotten. Plus they had a dog and Avery really got a kick out of that. I can see Rudi and Avery coming home with a dog some day down the road (far down the road, I hope). For some reason the process of looking for a tree scared Riley. Maybe if we had gone in the daylight. Now she is harassing us about decorating the tree. We figured that we'll move the loveseat into the garage and put the tree there next to the fireplace. How nice and cozy. Hopefully Avery is too dainty to touch the prickly tree. That's probably wishful thinking. Although Riley has informed us that she intends to climb the tree to put the star on top, so maybe we're worrying about the wrong child.

Riley has also become fascinated with the skeletal system. She's always asking if she has a skeleton inside her, if Avery does, etc. Or why she has a skeleton in her head and fingers, but not her hair or eyeballs. Or if Avery can have a skeleton inside her, why not a cow inside too?

Riley has developed a really annoying habit of putting her hands up my shirt. I really don't mind so much if we're napping or nursing at home, but in public it's really really annoying, and inappropriate. I really don't like getting a purple nurple while standing in line at Starbucks. At nearly three, should I teach her about personal boundaries? I don't want her to think that she can't touch me, but I don't want her to think that other people can touch her like that either. Maybe I'm worrying too early. Argh, having daughters!

Avery has discovered the hippo walker that Mina, Brendan, and James got Riley for her first birthday. It's so funny to see her walking across the apartment, given that she's so tiny. She can't stear it, though, so she inevitably runs into something that has the audacity to be in her way (like a wall) and get frustrated. She absolutely adores talking on the phone. Rudi was on cloud nine all day today because last night Riley stayed up until 12:45 while Rudi and Avery slept in the bed and apparently Avery crawled over to him and snuggled with him and fell back asleep. And then Avery was napping when Rudi came home, so he thought he would go up and lay down while I make dinner, but found that Avery was awake and playing in bed (she's sneeky like that) so we all went up. I took Avery back down and asked Riley if she wanted to come with Mommy or stay with Daddy, and she *gasp* decided to stay with Daddy. I could hear them wrestling and tickling and laughing over the baby monitor. It was quite cute.

Ah, such a long post and no pictures. I feel like I'm cheating everyone...

Hah, I found a picture of Avery from when we were in Maryland. Yay! But I think it's out of focus. Oh well.

Riley missed school today, and for the dumbest reason. Rudi forgot to take the car seat base out of his car this morning. Even if he had, he hasn't taken the huge toy kitchen out of my car (more than three weeks of asking him to hasn't produced results) and it's far too heavy for me to move. The only way I got it into my car in the first place is by pushing the shopping cart up to the door of my car and shoving it in.

So I'm trying to do laundry for the first time since I came home and I assumed that the washer and dryer were empty, but find that there are really stinky old clothes in the washer that never got put in the dryer. Including Avery's wool soakers. Washed in warm water. Yay. That's why Rudi is not allowed to do laundry.

Riley has been extremely interested in Christmas lately. Tonight, in a failed attempt at bedtime, she asked if everyone was coming to her Christmas. She named a laundry list of everyone she knew. I said that it would be Mommy, Daddy, Riley and Avery. She was particularly concerned whether Jay and Abby would be there. When I told her no, she started to weep. It was pretty sad. She said that she wanted to go to Jay's house right now, and I told her that Jay's house is far away and we have to get on an airplane to get there. Riley really wants to see Santa, and I'm all for it but I don't really want her to learn the "getting" part of Christmas just yet (I know she eventually will) which is why I've avoided the topic of Santa. Rudi asked her if she was going to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas (insert Riley's patented "you're retarded" look) and she said "No, I'm going to give him flowers." I thought that was cute.

Today I talked with Heather, our friend from Missoula. We talked for about and hour and a half (until my phone ran out of batteries) and it was really great to talk to a familiar person with whom I share the same views on parenting and politics and everything. Ah, adult conversations! It's funny how Montana feels like a whole different lifetime ago. I guess when I'm involved with the daily tasks of raising my children, concentrating on parenting, the outside world is irrelevant. Like I could step outside and be in Tokyo, and be like "Eh...whatever." It's nice when you meet other parents and you know right away that your views match and that there'll be no surprise oddities to discover. You have to be carefull in this town. They may be religious zealots or gung-ho military people who collect guns and you don't find out until it's too late to diplomatically cut relations. Heather emailed me pictures of Mazey (I finally know how to spell it) and she is absolutely adorable, which isn't news in itself because she's always been adorable, but now in a girlish way rather than a baby way. Like in the six months since we've moved she's gone from cute to beautiful. I'm not sure that I'm explaining myself well, but I think other parents of daughters will get what I'm trying to say. I wonder if Riley looks that way to others. I see her every day, so I don't notice these things as easily.

Riley has also changed her pronunciation of her name. First it was "Ridey" then "Riwey" and now she's pronouncing it with a really laborious "L" that only just misses. She tries so hard.

Man, I took a shower today and then immediately drew a bath and got in with both Riley and Avery (I can't take a bath without showering first. Otherwise, it's just nasty). Giving two toddlers a bath at the same time is no small feat. Everything was going well until Avery decided to start really splashing. Riley then evicted her, and I was happy to oblige.

Avery has a mystery rash. She even has it on her legs, which she usually doesn't get. It almost seems like something got on her skin, rather than something she or I ate. Riley has a new interest in making her own PB&J, and I'm wondering if I had peanut butter on my hands after cleaning up after her. Or if Riley had it on her. Or if a smear of it got on the floor and I didn't catch it. Her rash is really well-defined, not blotchy. In some places the rash looks like fingerprint shapes. Another day, another rash. We can't win them all.

Woah, I've written way too much and it's time for me to get serious about laundry...

So no picures until I manage to hook up the digital camera to the computer. I'm such an idiot to have lost the password to the computer. Of course no one that knows me would be surprised...

We had two breakthroughs in the world of breastfeeding yesterday. First, I was putting Avery down for a nap, during which Riley usually cuddles with me too. She said, "I want nai-nais" so I said "Okay." Then Riley said, "No, I don't need nai-nais. I'm a big girl, you know." And she didn't nurse for like a whole half-hour. Then that night we went to Barnes and Noble and five times Avery crawled into my lap and lifted up my shirt. Aah, the first blatant violation of my personal boundaries. How sweet.

So, I've been waiting for the network news media to say something about the Kim family ordeal, but no one will, so I'll do it. Those children would have been seriously ill or probably dead if the mother had not chosen to breastfeed. It's like people are so uncomfortable with the topic of breastfeeding that all it gets is a fleeting mention in a five-word sentence. Breastfeeding saved those children's lives.

Aargh, I need to all Avery's doctor for a 12-month check up and her allergist for her three month follow-up. Blah.

I'm not even trying to conceal the fact that I'm making a doll for Riley for Christmas. She's really interested in the whole process, and seeing it may make the doll more special for her. Rudi bought Avery two toys today for Christmas, which is good because as I was wrapping presents, I realized that we really don't have much for Avery yet.

We went to the mall today and got the girls winter hats and Riley some mittens. I don't like feeling like the incompetent mother at preschool where my child is the only one there without a hat or mittens. We got Avery a pink and green fleece hat from the Children's Place, and tried various sizes and styles for Riley before finding one that fit and had mittens in the right size to match. We settled on the same hat that Avery got, and when Avery saw Riley wearing the hat, she gave her the biggest stink-eye I've ever seen. Rudi says "Does she know that Riley got the same hat?" Who knows. They also got the same Christmas pajamas from Old Navy. We'll see if Avery noties. Their selection of suitable Christmas morning pajamas was pretty slim, so we had to get two of the same.

Well, I'm fading away. Time for bed...I'm such a loser.

Oops, once again I saved a post as a draft and forgot to go back and publish it. Oh well, I'm just going to post it and do a new one too...

So Avery turned one yesterday. She also managed to grace us with two more steps, but wouldn't repeat it. We went to Toys R Us and bought her some birthday gifts with the store credit that we had from returning the "wooden" building set that I had originally bought her. We got her a shape sorter and a stacking train. She really likes them, and unfortunately Riley really likes them too. Of course Riley had to get another Littlest Pet Shop pet. She loves those darn things. We couldn't realistically take Riley to the toy store and not buy her a little toy. That would be cruel. We also got the Hi-Ho Cherry-O boeard game for Riley and we've played it already. Riley won twice. She really enjoys the game. This whole buying toys for Christmas versus birthday thing is really hard to figure out. Why did we have two children both so close to Christmas? Alas...

And I totally forgot about the Waldorf doll kit that I started to make for a Christmas gift for Riley. Doh. Hopefully I can still get it done. It's not really the doll that I'm worried about, it's making the clothes to go with it. I have tons of leftover fabric from quilting, but I don't look forward to working in such small scale. Ugh. And they probably want me to use elastic or something else devilish, or maybe buttonholes. Argh.

Avery's birthday party was a lot of fun, and a lot of work, mostly for my Mom. I did make the cupcakes, which I think turned out pretty good. The icing was not thick enough, and I don't know what to do about that, so maybe I'll try a different icing recipe next time. Avery really really wanted the chocolate cake, which was really sad. We had a lot of people here, which was nice because I don't see my extended family nearly enough. Avery got a lot of nice presents, except for the ones that I got her. They stunk. "Wood Creations" should mean wood, not plastic. I am not morally opposed to quality plastic toys by any means, but if I buy wood, I want wood. Those are going back to the store today. Avery and Riley both particularly like the piggy bank that Uncle Button, Auntie Mina, and Jamesy got Avery. Avery is pretty good at putting the coins in. Abby was a big hit at the party, with her groovin' dance moves and adorable little pigtails. James and Abby hit it off and Abby was calling him her boyfriend. Jay's Grandma Pooran told her not to trust Jay because he has a lot of girlfriends.

Today is our last day here in Maryland. We're off to Colorado early in the morning tomorrow. That means that I have a lot of laundry to do, namely diapers. Avery will be in disposables tonight and tomorrow, so all her diapers will be clean to pack and I won't have to worry about cloth on the plane. Rudi says that they are supposed to get a blizzard today and tomorrow, so hopefully the trip won't be too painful. I wonder what the weather is supposed to be in Minneapolis. Well, I just looked on the Weather Channel and they say nothing about a blizzard in the Springs, but flurries in Minneapolis. Although I've never known the Weather Channel to be right on a single darn thing, hopefully they're right on this one. I think Riley is going to be very upset when we leave tomorrow. But she'll be happy to see her father, and he'll be happy to see us, at least until we get on his nerves, which should be only a few minutes.

I bought Avery a small set of Playmobil 1.2.3. toys. Let's just say that she really really likes them. She was dripping pools of drool everywhere.

Brendan, Mina, and James came over tonight so that we could see them before we leave tomorrow. Riley totally attacked Jay with hugs and kisses when they left. I think he was a little embarassed. Then he wouldn't get close enough for her to kiss him on the cheek, so she kissed her hand and patted him on the face. It was quite adorable. Riley has already cried today, telling Grandma that she will miss her tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too bad. I think we'll be making a lot of phone calls over the next couple of days.

Avery has a new skill: climbing the stairs. For some reason the stairs at my mom's house are really appealing to babies. Riley learned to climb stairs when she was here for her first birthday. Avery likes sitting up on the landing and overlooking all the activity below. She also makes this really funny sound, like a possessed person, that really amuses her. I think she's trying to bark and growl like the dog. She also chases after Duke, which is made funnier by the fact that Duke doesn't know that he's being chased. He just goes around his daily activities while Avery crawls as fast as she can after him. Avery has gotten really lazy about walking, although Mina saw her take a couple of steps yesterday.

My mom watches James on Thursdays, so I thought that would be a treat. Not so. Riley whacked Jay with a dinosaur yesterday, so he was really sensitive to what she was doing today, and she was eager to prod him. Not a good combination. So we took Amy up on her offer to have us over to play with Abby. After a rough start, the girls got along really well. They ran and climbed trees, after pretending to eat ice cream for a rather long time. Riley came home covered in sap (and several souvenir sticks and pinecones), so she disrobed in front of everyone without a thought, and washed herself in the sink. Jay, Allan, and Ben are always so scandalized by her penchant for nudity. We also had one of those days where Riley pees in her pants more than she pees in the potty.

Avery skipped her afternoon nap, and Riley didn't have a nap at all. So they both went to bed rather early, around 7:30 after which I ran out to Party City and got some stuff for Avery's birthday party. No character plates, and I'm done with the pink. So Avery's having an ocean theme whether she likes it or not. I'm sure she doesn't care.

We are running rather low on money, so I think that the kitchen that I originally got for Riley will now be for both Riley and Avery. It's probably better that way since they'll both be playing with it and it's easier for Riley to share when she knows ahead of time that she's expected to. And if it belongs to both of them, she'll know that she has to share. We'll see...

We've had a pretty fun past couple of days. On Sunday we went to look at two houses with Brendan and Mina. I think we all agreed on which of the two we liked better. I'm not sure that I'm ready to start the house hunt yet in Colorado Springs. It's so full of eager anticipation and bitter disappointment. Plus we have some major debt reduction to do before then. Some people were born to me homeowners, like Brendan and Mina. Some people not so much, like me.


Amy and Abby came over on Monday. Riley and Avery got along really well, which is a relief since Riley was a bully when we visited them in NYC six months ago. I think it helps that the difference in their age becomes less and less significant as they get older. Their interests and abilities are becoming more similar. Then we went to Barnes and Noble today and I think the girls had fun playing on the train and running all about the kids area.

What follows is a conversation I had with Riley out of nowhere as she was falling asleep tonight:
Riley: Mommy, what's eczema?
Me: It's a rash that Avery and Abby get because of allergies.
Riley: Is Abby allergic to milk?
Me: Yes, she's allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts, just like Avery.
Riley: Can Amy eat eggs?
Me: No.
Riley: Why not?
Me: Because Abby is allergic to them, and Abby still has nai-nais, so if Amy eats them Abby will get sick, just like Avery.
Riley: Is Abby going to have a baby?
Me: No, Abby is too little to have a baby.
Riley: [blank "your're retared" stare]
Me: Oh, do you mean is Abby going to have a baby brother or sister?
Riley: Yes.
Me: Not yet, later.
Riley: Why later?
Me: Because it takes a while to make and grow a baby.
Riley: Oh.

Grandma had the pleasure of this conversation before bed:
Grandma: Look what I found. Do you like Cinnamon Toast Crunch?
Riley: Yeah! I want some!
Grandma: Do you like it with milk?
Riley: No! I like it crunchy. If I have milk it will get squishy and SQUISHY! [emphatic hand gestures] And then I can't eat it if it's squishy! That's yucky. Crunchy on top and squishy on the bottom with milk.
Grandma: Here you go. [hands her a bowl of dry cereal]
Riley: Where's the milk? I can't eat it without milk! How am I supposed to eat it if I don't have milk!?
Everyone: Aaaargh!

I thought this toddler action picture was cute! It looks like a slo-mo frame from an action movie.

Oh my goodness, we got the most awesome portraits of Avery today. It was questionable since she didn't have a morning nap before leaving for the appointment and them fell asleep in the car on the way there. I hid around the corner while her portraits were being taken and she was hamming it up like I've never seen. She particularly liked the feather boa. Yeah, she's a blonde-haired blue-eyed kid. Literally all of the pictures were excellent. These are my two favorites, but I picked the one with her in the box. Man, this kid is a professional. She looked in the camera and smiled every time. A dream subject. She's so delicate and pink. I don't think that I could have two children who look more different.

So Avery's portrait appointment was the beginning of a six-hour stint at the mall. I don't know how we spent so much time there, or what exactly we did that took up six hours, but we managed to do it. Panera Bread is about the only place we could eat that didn't have peanuts, eggs, or milk in their food. Mom and I had a lot of fun at the mall on Friday trying to find something at Chick-Fil-A that was safe. Turns out they fry everything in peanut oil. So we had them grill some chicken strips for Avery. And then they couldn't figure that out either. Ugh. I hope Avery outgrows this allergy thing. I guess I'll have to get really friendly with the nutrition guide everywhere we go.

I am pretty darn tired, so I think I'll have to go to bed. Riley probably wet it so hopefully I can find a dry spot to lay my carcass down in. I don't know what's wrong with her lately. Maybe it's just the change in routine and new surroundings. I hear just about anything can trigger a bedwetting habit...I'll have to post pictures of Riley tomorrow.

My parents gave me our early Christmas present--a digital camera! Woohoo! I really couldn't believe it. I am going to be having a lot of fun with it, I can feel it! It's a really excellent one too, to satisfy my need for instant gratification and for quality. Blogging will be a lot easier too. I love cameras. I have joined the digital revolution. I always cringe when I see a redneck at the zoo with a really cool digital SLR. Then I have camera envy. My Mom said that the backgrounds in the pictures I take at home are cluttered. This new camera will give me an around-about reason to clean and purge our belongings. Strange how things work out.

Riley really really loves the blocks at Grandma's house. She only has the alphabet cube blocks at home which she basically makes a circle tower out of and that's it. She can really make elaborate creations with these ones. I may have to invest in some. But Grandma's have been collected over like a dozen years so there's a lot of variety. I'll have to see what I can find.

We braved the mall today. Actually we just braved Gymboree. I have such a weakness for that store. I haven't been in there for a long time, so everything looked new to me. They had an additional 30% off of everything, and everything that I got was already 20% off, so essentially I got 50% off of everything. They had a really cute Peruvian Doll line that I initially was getting for Avery, before realizing that it wouldn't work for her coloring. No problem, I got them for Riley. Then they had a panda line which I got for Avery. I'm not sure if she looks good in black or not, so the jury is still out on that. I'll have to try them on her tomorrow.
Avery finally has her portrait appointment tomorrow and I think that her rash is pretty much cleared up. Hopefully we can avoid a new one until then. I always eagerly anticipate portrait time, but am usually dissapointed in the results. I really hope we get good ones. She is so fair that every blemish or tear or crying spell shows up on her face. I need to be more assertive about what I like and don't like. I also get an inferiority complex when I use a coupon and don't intend to buy add-ons. Like I don't deserve good pictures if I'm using a coupon. Just one of my hang-ups. Her appointment is at Kiddie Kandids in the Columbia Mall since I have a really good coupon and you get your pictures right there. Yes, I need instant gratification. I already have been waiting for Riley's school portraits and that is killing me. Don't need to wait for Avery's too. This is a photo of the reaction I get whenever Avery sees me. Charming.

Grandpa decided to give Avery a bite of cranberry sauce today. To say that she loved them is a huge understatement. She bellowed her impatience and reached for another bite every single time. Grandpa had to go back for seconds and thirds. Thank goodness Avery isn't allergic to cranberries like Auntie Mina. This kid is little, but she had a yell that comes from the belly, and she used it to get cranberries.

I am sitting here watching the news and hearing about all the people that were injured (or shot) while shopping today. I don't think that I could give my child a toy on Christmas morning, knowing that I caused someone bodily harm in order to get it. People are seriously crazy. Stores will get more and there'll always be another sale.

Thanksgiving was pretty cool. I must say that I really enjoyed the eating. The food was absolutely delicious. I do not like having to stay home all day. That stinks. Brendan, Mina, and James came over and had dinner with us. Allan and Ben rented some video games from Blockbuster, so I've had the pleasure of watching them play. How fun. We did manage to get our Starbucks fix today. That was nice. I really want to go to the mall tomorrow, but I know it'll be a zoo. They are having a sale at Gymboree that can't be beat. Avery has a bodysuit from there that I just love and she got banana on it the first time she wore it and the stains won't come out. It's now on sale, and an additional 30% off tomorrow morning. Hmmmm, is it worth it? And if so, do I have the money? I still have Avery's party to think of.

Avery still has her rash. I know that I haven't eaten anything strange. My only guess is that I do eat things if they say "may contain traces of peanuts" and maybe something I ate actually did contain traces of peanuts for once, although I normally eat them all the time without a problem. Namely I'm talking about my granola bar habit. So it's concievable that if all granola bars in a box are from the same batch and so all could be contaminated, and if I eat, say, five in a row, that could be a problem. Just in theory. I would never eat five granola bars at a time. Wink wink.

So Riley is not ashamed of showing her true colors here in MD. Running around in her underwear at best, absolutely naked at worst. We're in the middle of the Thanksgiving celebration and she decides that she does not want undies or pants on. Sweet. Jay is of course scandlized by the whole naked girl thing. Riley held one of Uncle Allan's snakes today, which I thought was pretty brave for a two-year-old, especially considering that she did not have a shirt on. That must have felt funny.

Avery spent quite a lot of time playing with the play kitchen accesories. She also spent a while combing her hair with the fork, like the Little Mermaid. It's a dinglehopper!

The other night Riley wet the bed TWICE, and Avery managed to wriggle out of her diaper cover and she had a wet spot too. So we all woke up marinated in urine. Quite skinky I must say. At least I didn't wet the bed. I'm the only civilized one I guess.

So today was fairly boring. It rained. And rained. Being from Colorado I am just no longer used to extended periods of useless rain.


We met Mina and Jay and his friend Lindsay at McDonalds today and Riley had her first Happy Meal. She was pretty happy with the toy. Riley was still a touch too small to play on the playplace since they have these silly platforms that she can't climb. Riley and Jay are still getting along well, although sometimes they want the same thing. Jay is incredibly attentive to Avery and seems to understand her limitations. I think that he'll make a great big brother. Boys are usually naturally more tender, and then society does something to them.

I was admiring my mother's scrapbooks today and she had done a page of Riley and Avery at the park in Montana when Avery was a few months old. Much to my embarrassment, she was wearing the same sweater she's wearing today. So she's still wearing a 3-6m sweater. Sue me. It is a little small now, but not small enough to stop wearing. Plus it's pink, brown, and green. The color combination that is like crack to my senses.


Riley has skipped her naps for a few days. Then she melts down and passes out. She woke up in the middle of the night and requested a bowl of whipped cream, with graham crackers and a spoon. Not going to happen in the middle of the night, but I did oblige today. She insisted on eating the whipped cream "like a dog" so I don't know why she needed a spoon. We have also decided that Riley looks uncharacteristically goofy in pictures. I really tried to get un-goofy photos, but failed. I think it's the big far-apart eyes that make her look doofy in pictures. Oh well, she's exotic looking in real life.

Avery still has her mystery rash, so we postponed her portrait appointment. I still can't figure out what I ate that is worse than what I normally eat. My mother is really working hard on making the Thanksgiving meal edible for all of us. On Friday we have to get serious about Avery's birthday party. Maybe a trip to Party City will inspire us.


This is what a previously happy Avery looks like when I pass within her sight. Her mystery allergic reaction has made her hard to handle today, and nothing I did made her happy for long. Hopefully she'll be better tomorrow.

So I have yet to figure out the formatting on this computer so that it publishes in a manner that is satisfactory to me. I will probably redo it all when I get home so that everything is homogeneous. Plus I'm just a controlling perfectionist...

So I did manage to go to Toys R Us last night. I didn't really find all that much in Avery's age range, and didn't manage to spend my whole store credit. I did find these farm blocks, which Avery picked out herself. Even though we already have a wooden barn, this one will be just Avery's. And it's pretty darn cute to boot. So, one gift down.

We went to Arundel Mills Mall today, and Riley went potty there a record three times. We got a really awesome lined sweater jacket for Riley at the GapKids for $15. It totally rocks. And we happened upon the shoes for Riley that I ran all around Columbia last time I was here looking for and couldn't find. And after I had just spent $50 on new shoes for Riley. Riley said "I really really like these shoes, Mommy!" Brendan and Mina bought them for her for her Christmas gift, she just doesn't know it yet. I also got Avery an outfit at the Gymboree outlet for pictures, for which she has an appointment tomorrow, if her mystery allergic reaction rash has cleared up, that is.

Avery is starting to warm up a bit. Sometimes she is clearly intentionally trying not to smile, which is rather funny. She also likes to touch Duke with her middle finger like a little princess. I also realized that a rather important part of Avery's carseat base is missing. I have a feeling that it was lost by the airline. I asked Rudi to look in his car the next time he's in it to see if it's there. He removed the car seat from his car when he dropped us off at the airport and he's not really familiar with the seat at all, so maybe it dropped off and he didn't notice. If we can't find it we may have to either buy a new base or a new car seat if she's big enough to be forward-facing (which I doubt). Poo.

Ugh, I think I did something strange to my arm. I think it originated with wearing the ring sling too long. My shoulder is all out of whack and my left wrist is swollen. Now my left arm goes numb when I wear any sling, the ring sling or the mei tai. And I can absolutely only hold Avery with my left arm. I am seriously too retarded to figure out the logistics of holding her in my right arm. I just can't do it.

I think Riley injured herself about two dozen times today. She tends to go through self-destructive phases. Her legs are so severely bruised that it looks like she's abused. It's horrible. She fell and hit her face on the wood floor and got a few blood-blisters on her lower lip. She's bumped her head many times...

Oh, I really need to go to bed...

A year old (almost) and still bathing in the sink. One of the dogs left an enormous pee puddle, and I find Avery splashing around in it, having a whole lot of fun. Needless to say, she got a bath immediately. I like having a digital camera at my disposal so that I can download pictures immediately.

Hopefully Grandma will be able to watch Riley today so that I can go to Toys R Us. I have $53 in store credit that I hope to use for birthday gifts for Avery. If Riley comes, we all know how that will end. She just got a Build-A-Bear yesterday, so she does not need another toy. Plus, I always have a hard time getting all of our stuff back home after visiting here. And I never think that we bought that much stuff. I also want to get Avery's picture taken since our walls are covered with portraits of Riley since we used to take her every few months. Poor Avery, the second child.

In my rather boisterous family, I can see how serious a child Avery is. I always knew that she had tendencies towards seriousness, but they were never as apparent as now. She's such a strange little bird. She takes her toys so seriously, examining them intently. She hardly ever giggles. She's got a nice smile, though, when she chooses to grace you with one. She only has six teeth, though, and Riley had sixteen at this age. I can't believe that Avery is almost one, that my last baby is almost not a baby anymore. Thankfully she's small, so I can pretend that she's still a baby.

I am eating pretty well here. I have specific instructions from Rudi to put on some weight. He said that my thighs are too thin (although definitely not "thin", just thinner than my usual thick). My mother made this awesome hummus dip with chopped onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I ate the whole freakin' tray, literally. And pot roast today. Thanksgiving is going to be really nice. I love eating. And I haven't been home for Thanksgiving for six years.

So we are finally here in Maryland after quite a long journey. Both the flights went well, but our two-hour layover turned into a three and a half hour layover. Avery slept for both legs, Riley entertained herself (with a little help from the man sitting next to her) for the first leg, and also slept for the second. A little highlight, Avery took her first steps in the Minneapolis airport. Go Avery!! Riley met a girl named Mia in Minneapolis who had just come from Japan and she had a lot of coloring books and she shared them with Avery. The books were real paper, not the newsprint paper in American coloring books. Nice to color on, but probably not good for the environment. Oh well. Mia was almost four and apparently took dance or gymnastics, because she was showing Riley some cool tricks and Riley was frustrated because she would try to copy and couldn't.


Riley and Jay are getting along famously. Just six months ago they had to be constantly separated. I guess now Riley is mature enough and more socialized from being at school. They played without direct supervision for a few hours today. No one was bitten, and no one got hit. They pretended to cook in the kitchen, go shopping with the grocery cart and cash register, and even made a house out of the back of the chair.

Avery is really interested in the dogs. Duke absolutley adores babies, and Avery was reaching for him and chirping. When he came close, however, she did this panic-stricken scream. Not high-pitched, but very loud. I have never heard her make that noise before. And the look on her face! It was sad and funny at the same time. She's getting used to Duke now, but he's not sure what to think of her anymore. Avery is also not sure about Grandma and Auntie Mina. She is usually okay being held by people, but I guess she's also in a strange place with new people, so the combination makes her shy. I was changing Avery's diaper and found a surprise poo, so I set her on the floor without a diaper cover so I could get some diaper wipes, and now the dogs are licking the floor where her wet diaper butt was. Dogs are so gross!

I am seriously very tired and am looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight, if Riley and Avery oblige me. I also have to figure out how to upload photos from this computer. Should be a lot of fun.

So, one more day here in Colorado Springs and then off to Maryland! Riley went to school today. She just had to. I've been stuck in the house with them for nearly a week. She was feeling good and had fun.

Avery is not so bad. She is producing a lot of fluid. She's drooling. Her nose is running. And when she's craky she produces copious amounts of tears. For some reason she had been crying at night and doesn't nurse right away. I have yet to figure out the cause. I probably never will.

Avery likes to point now. Last night I was nursing her when Riley came over for some. When Avery noticed that Riley was nursing, she sat up, pointed at Riley and laughed right in her face. It was quite funny.

Riley got a pair of totally rockin' new shoes/boots today. They are quite snazzy. Everyone knows that I like the gaudy shoes for her right now. One day she'll want plain white shoes, so we must take advantage of the eccentric toddler years. Riley insists on dressing herself now, with frequently entertaining results. Today she did a really good job dressing herself for school (that is, in an outfit that matched) so I didn't think to double check her. Turns out she was going commando. Thank goodness she didn't have to go potty at school. The teachers would think that I'm crazy.

On the way to school, Riley asked the proverbial question: Why is the sky blue? Although I know that I've been told the answer, it comes down to the fact that I really don't care why the sky is blue, and therefore never bothered to remember the answer. Even if I knew, I doubt I'd be able to explain it in a way that would entertain a toddler's sensibility. Oh well. I told her to ask Dad. He cares about space and stars and sky and such. Not me. Sorry kiddo.

I finally finished Avery's pants, lanolized them and let them dry. She wore them for the first time today. I am really pleased with the results. They're nothing flashy, but really functional. I couldn't believe that she had a wet diaper on underneath a knit garment and the pants didn't feel wet at all. As a result, I thought her diaper was dry and went a little longer between diaper changes than normal. I'll have to get used to that.

Riley likes making her own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She calls them "peanut jelly and samitch". She likes making them, not necessarily eating them. Which really drives me crazy since I can't eat them for her. Speaking of cute things that Riley says, Rudi was joking around with me the other day, and Riley took it seriously and said, "Don't say that to my Mommy, she's perfect!" Horay, my little champion!

Speaking of weird things Rudi says, he's been quitely experimenting with calling Avery "Claire". It just doesn't sound right. And Avery responds to her name, so let's not confuse her.