shopping

So tonight I had to go out and get provisions for the little one - she started veggies this week and I knew after yesterday and today that we would be out of carrots by sometime on Friday (and she has to eat them through Friday or Saturday). And I just have to comment that sometimes something comes over me (a trance?) that makes me look around and around a store (usually like Wal-Mart or Target) for hours. And I look through a section and look through it again. And I sometimes go through it a third time. And I can't seem to stop myself and go home. And I can be dead tired (like tonight - I had already been to Macon with the little girl today), but I will just keep looking and looking. If John did not have a video game to play, I am sure he would wonder what happened to me. Is this some kind of sickness? A shopping zombiedom or something? Does anyone else out there suffer from this? And what can I do to make it stop? I was in Wal-Mart for something like 2 hours tonight. When I needed to be at home cleaning the house and working on my sister-in-law's birthday gift-

On another note, little J is now so mobile (with the turning over) that she will turn herself over in her crib and then cry because she gets trapped in a corner and can't figure out how to get out. She loves carrots! We can even fool her into eating the rice cereal by mixing it with the carrots (this looks gross and sounds nasty, too, but apparently it's delightful for a 4 1/2 month old).

A final note (and brag) about John. He brought me a miniature rose plant tonight. He gave me one for Valentine's Day (he doesn't like to give real flowers since they die), but it only made it about 3 weeks ( it and the dog were neglected when we first had the baby). He said that he thought this plant might have more of a chance since we don't have our hands as full nowadays. I hope I won't kill this "love plant" (see How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days).

Oh- and because I brought up the dog, I must mention that I LOATHE that animal sometimes. Today it took me almost an hour to get him to come out from under the bed so little J and I could leave for Macon. I'm still worried about what he might have been doing under the bed ----

No regrets -

Last night John and I had this conversation about a friend of his who has a bunch of money in his 401K. He told me about the friend, and this is what followed:

Me: That makes me kind of sick.
John: Why?
Me: I just wish we had made some different choices.
John: Well, I could have gone on through college instead of joining the Army, and now I would be making more money than I am. And you could have gotten a degree in something other than education and could be making more money than you are. But then we wouldn't be together. And we wouldn't have had our little girl.
Me: /feels stupid and ungrateful

So let that be my pledge today - to feel grateful for what I have and to stop feeling so regretful all the time.

last night and today

Last night sleep was scarce in our household for several reasons:
1. too much Diet Coke yesterday
2. a noisy 4 month old - she wasn't crying or even awake, she just "talks" in her sleep
3. the dying battery alert in the smoke detector -- could there be anything more annoying???? I'm thinking no.
(btw - I got up at 6:15 and went to the store to buy a 9 volt battery - we have MANY batteries in our house because of the plethora of baby items that run on batteries -- we have AA, AAA, C, D, and probably some others, too, but no 9 volt!)

Advancements of little J this week -
1. She can now put the pacifier in her own mouth. I found this out when I went to load the dishwasher and came back to find her with the pacifier in her mouth (when it hadn't been there before-).
2. She has mastered rolling from her back to her stomach. She did the other roll (stomach to back) when she was only 3 weeks or so, mainly out of anger at us because we put her on her stomach). The details - same thing as with the pacifier the first time - I did not see her do it at first, I just stepped into the kitchen for a minute and came back out to find her on her stomach.
3. She is mobile - if on her tummy she can flail enough to move SLOWLY across the floor. If on her back she can scoot on her butt more quickly than the flailing. If on back or tummy she can move faster and more efficiently if she has something to push off from.
4. In addition to her many MANY other sounds ( she is noisy and "talkative," which John blames on me!), she can now blow raspberries.

Successful shopping at Walmart tonight. Got the little J some onesies that I will iron some transfers on. Don't want to tell what my plans are for those. Just wait and be awed.

Later.

----

Couldn't think of a title for today's post.
It has been a busy day. To work for me - a full day class on Professional Learning Communities in schools. Some interesting stuff, really. Like for instance the unfairness of a zero. And before you tune me out (like what I did when that statement was first made this morning), just read - Think about grading scales: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 69 and below=F. At least that is the one we use. Think about that - 10 points for every level except failing . . . and for failing 69 points! I'm not sure about exactly what to do about it, though. I am not suggesting at all that we just give kids a grade - say a 50 - instead of giving zeroes. I' m just putting this out there. And of course there's the other thing, which is that zeroes are many times given for work that is a homework check, and they reminded us all that we have to think about whether or not it is "busy work" if they are just getting a 100 or a 0 for it. And then there is the fact that a zero doesn't indicate any level of student achievement or understanding - it just says they did not do it. So again - just putting this out there. Let me know what you think I could do -
On a different note, tonight John and I FINALLY brought in all 25 boxes of books and crap that had been stored in the garage and are FINALLY unpacking them all and putting the books into cases. We buy entirely too many books. I am going to get rid of a bunch and then kick the habit. I will either re-read something I have or get something from the library. The only exceptions being books from authors I love and know and collect - Sophie Kinsella, Rachel Gibson, Jennifer Weimer ( those are all chick-lit authors and basically trash) - or Anne Tyler, Alice Seabold (those are less commercial) - or classics. I know, that seems like a lot of exceptions. But really it's not. Most of the books I buy are $6-12 romances that take me maybe 2 days to read at the most. So they add up. I think that's what one money manager guy calls the "latte factor" - and that's something I CAN eliminate.
A final item before I close. I spent last night working on an invitation for a picnic supper for a girl I went to high school with (she's getting married). And I was reminded how much I love to create invitations, cards, business cards, etc. This one was 2 layers - white on top of red - with a red and white gingham bow and little ant decals ( think picnic). So I really wish I could start a business doing that - designing and printing and making such things. If anyone wants me to make some invites or something, let me know. Maybe I could bring in a little extra money so I can keep little J. in the designer clothes she's becoming accustomed to-

Things that are happening around here -

So, I know I have not updated in some time. I have had so much going on. Most of it good, but all of it time-consuming.
Little J. is growing like a weed. She is 14.6 pounds and 24 inches tall. Very cute - legs like the Michelin (sp) Man and little hands and feet that look like they have been made out of playdough and stuck on to her arms and legs. She keeps me and John hopping. Right now we are frustrated and trying to help her because she just continues to spit up all the time. We have tried all of the remedies people tell you about - she sleeps on a wedge, we don't move her around much or lay her down right after she eats, we sometimes give her gas drops, we rub her tummy but not too hard, etc. Mostly we keep her bibbed constantly and walk around with burp cloths at all times. (In fact, since many of our friends have picked at John about being the big tough guy with a pink cloth on his shoulder, I gave him a camo burp cloth for Father's Day -- see www.abetterbib.com. Also, I gave him 2 packages of Hoo-Ahhs field towels -- they are what they say, just wipes basically, but they also have a camo motif.). Anyway, the spitting up thing really has us jumping. And now we have 2 medications we are giving her - Reglan before every meal and Zantac 2x a day. I don't know if anyone will happen upon my blog and read who can help, but if anyone knows anything, please let me know.
Other than that. John has a new game he is playing. So that means less time with me. :(. I know I should be used to it by now, but I think my discontent with it is actually worse because this summer I am basically a stay-at-home-Mom. So when he gets home in the afternoon, I really want attention, but he just wants to see little J. and then go and log in and play. So I have been watching lots of bad tv alone. I have enjoyed the new show Windfall, though. And I am also using the summer to catch up on Degrassi episodes on the N. All of that and washing and folding tons of little bitty laundry and playing with my daughter (who now knows all of her vowel sounds and loves to squeal and play with her big ole feet) and of course washing all kinds of bottles and cereal bowls and being a house frau for my husband.
Anyway, some of those tasks are calling right now. So I am off.