Category Archives: Family

Opposite World

Posted in Isabella/Munchkin by

That seems to be where Isabella is spending most of her time lately. She also visits “MINEville” and “No Land” quite frequently.

I don’t know if it’s the terrible twos or just a toddler being a toddler or a girl being a girl. But it can be exhausting.

Here is how the majority of the conversations go around here these days:

  • Me: Time to put on your pajamas!
  • Isabella: No! I don’t want pajamas!
  • Me: Ok well you need to wear pajamas. Now let’s take off your shirt.
  • I: No! Keep it on!
  • Me: You want your shirt on?
  • I: No! Take if off!
  • Me: <taking her shirt off>
  • I: I want it on! MINE!

And so on…you get the idea. Basically, whatever we say, she says the opposite. Then if you agree with her, she changes to the opposite of what you agreed with!

The other day I asked her if her favorite word was no. She said, “I don’t want no!” So I said ok no more “no’s”. To which she replied, “MY no!”

Sigh.

Most of these Opposite World conversations involve crying and thrashing about too. I often have to stop myself from laughing at her. But come on, it’s funny to watch.

When she’s back to her old self, she’s a loving, sweet, smart, funny girl who I love to death.

Munchkin turns 2 exactly one week from today. Hard to believe that my baby has been alive on this Earth for 2 years. Because we’re moving on her birthday, there won’t be any party or extravaganza. It’ll just be the family opening gifts and eating cake. Quiet and simple. Just how I like it. Heck, I probably won’t even have time to wrap her gifts! Maybe I’ll hide them around the new house and send her on a scavenger hunt. That would be fun!

Speaking of moving, it’s time for me to go upstairs and continue packing (while watching the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy that I DVRed last night). The movers were over today to give us an estimate and she ball parked it at 8 hours of moving time. Oi vey. Hopefully if we have everything ready and set when they arrive, we can cut that time down.

And so I leave you with this video of my sweetheart riding the turtle at the park. We’ve been going to this park for a year and this is the first time she rode that turtle. She’s pushed it before and sat on the pedal but never climbed up in it and really rocked. I am so proud of her!

Isabella riding the turtle at the park

(Because it was getting late, the video is kind of dark. Sorry about that! It helps to turn the lights off and watch it in the dark. Oh wait, that could be creepy. Also, in case you were wondering, at the beginning she is asking where “Chalky” is. That’s what she’s named the sidewalk chalk we took with us to the park.)

Have a great weekend!

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Running and Remembering

Posted in Family, Health and Weightloss by

I am tired. It’s been a long busy day. It started at 6 a.m. and it’ll end here in an hour or so.

I got up so early on a Sunday in order to head downtown to the Omaha Corporate Cup Run. The information sheet I had said to arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. so, being the good little girl that I am, I got there at 6:45. I think I was one of the first ones. The vendor booths weren’t even up yet! At least I got a good parking spot!

I spent the next 2 hours sitting around inside the Civic Auditorium Arena waiting for the race to begin. The vendors put up their booths and I watched them. People started meandering around and I watched them too. I went down at one point to get a goodie bag, then found another seat.

ccr_crowd 

I decided to load up on free stuff before the race since I had a backpack to put it in. So I went from booth to booth, collecting whatever they had to offer. Finally it was race time and I headed outside.

It was a cold and dreary rainy morning. The fog was heavy and I was greeted to a beautiful, albeit gloomy, site when I exited the auditorium.

ccr_skyline

I headed over to stand with the other walkers and runners, and waited for the gun to go off.

ccr_race

I didn’t have any goals with this race – other than to finish. I wasn’t out to break records or run the full 2 miles or beat anyone. I just wanted a good workout. The last race I did was in October 2010 for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. With that one, my goal was to run the full 5k  and do it in under 40 minutes. I finished in 39 minutes but I didn’t run the whole thing. I walked part way. In my perfectionist mind, that wasn’t good enough. I beat myself up for days because I didn’t push myself to run more. Consequently, I didn’t enjoy it.

This time was different. I just relaxed and started walking. I let my iPod drive my pace. I had it in shuffle mode and if a slow song came on, I walked. If it was a fast song, I ran. Simple as that. I didn’t pay attention to any one around me other than to respect them for being there. I didn’t try to beat anyone or compare myself. I just did my own thing. And I enjoyed it. I finished the 2 miles in 35 minutes and that was a-ok with me. I left right away and headed home. I was ready for a nap and a shower.

Later in the afternoon, we went to a Remembrance of Life Service being put on by the health system my OB-GYN belongs to. It was a memorial service to honor all those babies whose lives were lost too soon. At first I was all keyed up because it was raining and I was nervous about my family finding the park. Then I was worried about Isabella behaving. Finally I made myself stop and become fully present for the service. They read a poem, then sang a few songs. One of the songs was about how we were never meant to meet on Earth but will one day meet in heaven. The words moved me to tears. Isabella sat on my lap and I clung to her, letting myself cry quietly in her hair. Then they read aloud all the names of the babies that we being honored. When they said “Baby Trader 1” and “Baby Trader 2”, tears came again.

The final piece was to release balloons in to the air, one for each baby. We got to write a note and attach it to each balloon. Then we let them go.

memorial_2balloons

Those are our 2 balloons, rising up with the rest. I got choked up as they rose, up and up, onward to the heavens.

memorial_allballoons

There were a lot of babies being remembered and a lot of balloons rising up high. Soon they all disappeared.

It was a neat ceremony and I was grateful to Methodist Health Systems for putting it on. It was cathartic and healing for both of us.

Now, it’s time for bed. Time to relax with a book and then drift off to sleep, ready to take on a new week!

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Crabby Pants

Posted in Isabella/Munchkin by

Well Isabella has a cold. And she’s in the terrible 2’s (yes, already). Not a fun combination for mom and dad. She was fussing this morning as I was getting ready for work. She didn’t want anything offered to her and proceeded to throw her oobies and cry. Then she’d scream because she wanted them back. So we ignored her. Eventually she calmed down and just sat in the middle of the floor.

I happily left for work (how many days can one say that?) and wished CJ luck.

He emailed me mid-day to say it was rough and he had a headache.

She was doing fine when I got home. Until I tried to change her in to her PJs. She wanted to take her own sock off and couldn’t get it. That was the worst thing to happen since Beiber Fever. She cried and wailed. When I was done changing her and put her down she rolled on the floor and started thriving.

tantrum

I had to stop myself from laughing. She was making quite the spectacle.

tantrum2

She eventually calmed down, until it was time to brush her teeth. Then it started all over again. As I type this she’s in her crib crying so hard she has the hiccups.

I keep telling myself, “this too shall pass.”

Please.

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