It was a shopping trip gone awry.
Angeli and I had a master plan to hit a couple of music stores to price some instruments, because we're both hoping to take music classes in the fall at the Old Town School of Folk Music, the very establishment wherein Gaz attends Wiggleworms. Today we stopped in at Different Strummer, which is the music store that's actually in the OTS.
Gaz made a beeline for a basket of shakers just like the one she fixates on at Wiggleworms. I've had my eye on some wee drums there that I thought Gaz might enjoy, and lo and behold, there was a tiny djembe-looking thing that was not only inexpensive, it was also on sale! I cheerfully showed it to Gaz, who was much more interested in pawing the mandolins Auntie Angeli was looking at. Or the really expensive ukulele right next to the mandolin Auntie Angeli was looking at. There were althogether too many stringed instruments just laying about at Gaz-height. Insert a volley of distraction tactics.
One thing led to another and before you know it, she had a small yellow ukulele that she was running around cheerfully abusing. It was, I think, a kids' uke; at least is was the cheapest one they had. Eventually she swapped it out for a green one, but it seemed unlikely that we would be able to leave without the uke. We found an inexpensive instructional book and figured that at least one of the big people, if not both, would just have to learn how to play the ukulele.
But of course, Gaz isn't into sharing so much, so we'll have to learn while she's asleep. Anyway, that's the tale of our new ukulele. I'm off to go learn me some chords.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Genuinely Good Day!
Today was such a good day! It's about time we had a nice one.
It was crazy hot in the apartment, so it was good to get out of the house for Wiggleworms. Gaz refused breakfast apart from a few nibbles of toast, but didn't fight getting diapered or dressed. In the car she ate a whole box of raisins, though, and that did the trick in keeping her from being cranky at class.
She was a total doll at class (the girl we had trouble with last week was not there, thankfully) and danced like it's what she was born to do. It's good she was in such a good mood since there was a gentleman there videotaping part of our class for promotional use on the Old Town School website. She got to use her favorite "shakey" during shaker time and didn't freak out when we didn't do bubbles at the time we usually do. I can't remember the last time she didn't ask to nurse part way through class, too.
She was good walking to and from the car, she was good getting in and out of the car seat. We stopped at the grocery store on the way home and she got a little wandery and distracted there, but I really can't complain compared to other shopping trips. She fell asleep on the way home and, miraculously, stayed asleep when I carried her upstairs and laid her down on the couch. She had a really good nap and was a very happy and fun girl the rest of the day. And she's really rocking the alphabet puzzle I got her a couple of weeks ago. Her brain works so fast, I can't believe it sometimes.
That's going to carry me for a while. We were due for a really good day.
It was crazy hot in the apartment, so it was good to get out of the house for Wiggleworms. Gaz refused breakfast apart from a few nibbles of toast, but didn't fight getting diapered or dressed. In the car she ate a whole box of raisins, though, and that did the trick in keeping her from being cranky at class.
She was a total doll at class (the girl we had trouble with last week was not there, thankfully) and danced like it's what she was born to do. It's good she was in such a good mood since there was a gentleman there videotaping part of our class for promotional use on the Old Town School website. She got to use her favorite "shakey" during shaker time and didn't freak out when we didn't do bubbles at the time we usually do. I can't remember the last time she didn't ask to nurse part way through class, too.
She was good walking to and from the car, she was good getting in and out of the car seat. We stopped at the grocery store on the way home and she got a little wandery and distracted there, but I really can't complain compared to other shopping trips. She fell asleep on the way home and, miraculously, stayed asleep when I carried her upstairs and laid her down on the couch. She had a really good nap and was a very happy and fun girl the rest of the day. And she's really rocking the alphabet puzzle I got her a couple of weeks ago. Her brain works so fast, I can't believe it sometimes.
That's going to carry me for a while. We were due for a really good day.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The Week That Was
It has been a trying week.
First, I've been trying to break Gaz of a bad habit that I've allowed to run rampant for far too long. She always likes to hold onto the spare breast when she's nursing, and since this has never really bothered me, I let her. But it does make public nursing that much harder when she's used to doing things a certain way that involves me exposing more of myself than I really want to. So on Tuesday when she lifted up my entire shirt for her first-of-the-morning nursing session, I just decided that I had had enough. I clamped one hand over the spare breast and so began the battle of wills. I won, of course, but it took an hour and a half of her crying and me explaining and attempting to soothe for her to settle down enough to nurse. She's still testing me, but she's getting better. Sometimes I don't even have to cover the spare breast.
The side effect of this is that Gaz has been a bit more irritable than usual. Twice this week she's woken up from naps and cried hysterically for more than twenty minutes at a stretch, and after Wiggleworms this week she had a nice, long fit induced by the frustration of one little girl stealing her shaker and not getting to strum the guitar as much as she wanted.
But in amongst the unhappy moments have been some real gems. Tuesday I had a dentist appointment, and Mark met us up at the dentist's office to take over Gaz duties while I got cleaned and x-rayed (no cavities! hooray!). She really missed me and when we stopped for dinner afterward, she sat next to me and showered me with hugs and kisses when she wasn't trying to destroy my water glass.
On the way home from Michigan last weekend Gaz unleashed a new sentence on us: "I excited!" I hear it all the time now when I'm bringing food to the table or getting out a snack or settling in with her to nurse. She's also insistent about which side she nurses on, always asking for the "good one." The good one is never the same one twice, so that makes things hard to predict. But I'm loving the new depths to her vocabulary and expression.
First, I've been trying to break Gaz of a bad habit that I've allowed to run rampant for far too long. She always likes to hold onto the spare breast when she's nursing, and since this has never really bothered me, I let her. But it does make public nursing that much harder when she's used to doing things a certain way that involves me exposing more of myself than I really want to. So on Tuesday when she lifted up my entire shirt for her first-of-the-morning nursing session, I just decided that I had had enough. I clamped one hand over the spare breast and so began the battle of wills. I won, of course, but it took an hour and a half of her crying and me explaining and attempting to soothe for her to settle down enough to nurse. She's still testing me, but she's getting better. Sometimes I don't even have to cover the spare breast.
The side effect of this is that Gaz has been a bit more irritable than usual. Twice this week she's woken up from naps and cried hysterically for more than twenty minutes at a stretch, and after Wiggleworms this week she had a nice, long fit induced by the frustration of one little girl stealing her shaker and not getting to strum the guitar as much as she wanted.
But in amongst the unhappy moments have been some real gems. Tuesday I had a dentist appointment, and Mark met us up at the dentist's office to take over Gaz duties while I got cleaned and x-rayed (no cavities! hooray!). She really missed me and when we stopped for dinner afterward, she sat next to me and showered me with hugs and kisses when she wasn't trying to destroy my water glass.
On the way home from Michigan last weekend Gaz unleashed a new sentence on us: "I excited!" I hear it all the time now when I'm bringing food to the table or getting out a snack or settling in with her to nurse. She's also insistent about which side she nurses on, always asking for the "good one." The good one is never the same one twice, so that makes things hard to predict. But I'm loving the new depths to her vocabulary and expression.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Two Weird Little Things
Last Friday we took Proton to the vet because, wonder of wonders, he's peeing on everything. Again. So we go (Gaz of course had the best time talking to all the people and animals), get pills, come home and he doesn't want to come out of his carrier. Fair enough. So I leave the door open and eventually he decided he was hungry and finally left his wee cage.
The carrier, though, is not a typical cat carrier. It's small dog size, both because Proton is a large cat (13 pounds of sinewy jungle cat, dontchaknow) and because he freaks out somewhat less if he's got pacing room. This also means that the carrier is big enough to entice curious toddlers.
She first demanded that Proton vacate the carrier so she could get in, and when he didn't leave she tired to squeeze in alongside him. That obviously didn't work and she soon gave up, but in that space of time between when Proton went for a snack and I noticed that he was out and about, Gaz managed to get in the carrier. She went in butt first and got everything but her legs inside. But then she wanted to move around and when she couldn't go forward or backward or in or out, she started crying hysterically. I tried to help her wiggle out, but I couldn't get her to keep both arms on the outside. All I could think of was to take the top off the carrier. So while I frantically attacked the screws, Gaz finally figured out how to get her legs inside, after which it was much easier to crawl out. And crawl back in. All that mama adrenaline for nothing!
The other weird little thing: she's eating Cheerios with a fork. And it's working!
The carrier, though, is not a typical cat carrier. It's small dog size, both because Proton is a large cat (13 pounds of sinewy jungle cat, dontchaknow) and because he freaks out somewhat less if he's got pacing room. This also means that the carrier is big enough to entice curious toddlers.
She first demanded that Proton vacate the carrier so she could get in, and when he didn't leave she tired to squeeze in alongside him. That obviously didn't work and she soon gave up, but in that space of time between when Proton went for a snack and I noticed that he was out and about, Gaz managed to get in the carrier. She went in butt first and got everything but her legs inside. But then she wanted to move around and when she couldn't go forward or backward or in or out, she started crying hysterically. I tried to help her wiggle out, but I couldn't get her to keep both arms on the outside. All I could think of was to take the top off the carrier. So while I frantically attacked the screws, Gaz finally figured out how to get her legs inside, after which it was much easier to crawl out. And crawl back in. All that mama adrenaline for nothing!
The other weird little thing: she's eating Cheerios with a fork. And it's working!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Recently Overheard
Mark: (hands something to Gaz) Here you go. Now you say "thank you."
Gaz: I welcome!
M: No, you say "thank you" and I say "you're welcome."
G: I welcome!
M: How about you say "thank you" and I say "you're welcome?"
G: Thank you I welcome!
Mark: Hey Gaz! I love you!
Gaz: Hello to you too!
Mark: Would you like a chip?
Gaz: Chip please!
Mark hands Gaz an extra-BBQ-y Grippo's chip
Gaz: (makes a face that would break a thousand hearts with its sheer unhappiness) I love it!
Gaz rakes out the slobbery chip from her burning mouth while Mom gives Dad the business for handing her such a spicy chip.
If anyone asks her to do something, her default response these days is, "Okay. I'll try." Sometimes she'll tack on a melodramatic sigh, the poor long-suffering child. Another charming thing is when I tell her that, say, I've got to get her shoes on her so we can go outside, and she yells "self!" or "no! self!" or "I self!" because she wants to do everything all on her own. I thought I had some more time before the premature independence kicked in, but no dice. It's really cute when she's not doing it some day when we should have been out the door ten minutes ago.
She's got a million crazy things to say these days, and I'm excited to see what madness occurs when we visit Emily, Kyle, and The Goils this weekend for Evynn's fifth birthday party!
Gaz: I welcome!
M: No, you say "thank you" and I say "you're welcome."
G: I welcome!
M: How about you say "thank you" and I say "you're welcome?"
G: Thank you I welcome!
Mark: Hey Gaz! I love you!
Gaz: Hello to you too!
Mark: Would you like a chip?
Gaz: Chip please!
Mark hands Gaz an extra-BBQ-y Grippo's chip
Gaz: (makes a face that would break a thousand hearts with its sheer unhappiness) I love it!
Gaz rakes out the slobbery chip from her burning mouth while Mom gives Dad the business for handing her such a spicy chip.
If anyone asks her to do something, her default response these days is, "Okay. I'll try." Sometimes she'll tack on a melodramatic sigh, the poor long-suffering child. Another charming thing is when I tell her that, say, I've got to get her shoes on her so we can go outside, and she yells "self!" or "no! self!" or "I self!" because she wants to do everything all on her own. I thought I had some more time before the premature independence kicked in, but no dice. It's really cute when she's not doing it some day when we should have been out the door ten minutes ago.
She's got a million crazy things to say these days, and I'm excited to see what madness occurs when we visit Emily, Kyle, and The Goils this weekend for Evynn's fifth birthday party!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Whew!
Just uploaded a buncha pictures from our recent trip to Evansville.
Poorly captioned, but the cute is intact and as dangerous as ever.
Poorly captioned, but the cute is intact and as dangerous as ever.
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