Life Happens...Game On

Sooner or Later

It was bound to happen, I just didn't know when. And I certainly didn't think I would be standing by, a mere two feet away when it did happen.

Paige got bit by a dog. And not just any dog. Mom's dog, Harley, who has known Paige since Mom brought him into our house as a six-week-old puppy. Before anyone gets too worked up, let me say first that he didn't break the skin and Paige truly is okay. He just scraped up the top of her head a little bit and scared her (and me and Mom). Within moments of it happening, the tears had already worn off and she was back to her normal, happy-go-lucky self.

Mom wondered why it happened. Harley has essentially grown up with Paige and she has "wallowed all over him" with no problem until now.

I know why it happened. He's a small dog, and Paige is a toddler who, while she does grasp the concept of gentle doesn't grasp it well enough to always realize when what she's doing hurts. So, in more clear terms, she hurt him and he reacted in defense. It was not an unreasonable response, although I'm not at all pleased about it.

A mere second before it happened I was in the process of stooping to pull her away and scold her for being too rough. Todd and I have worked to try and teach Paige to be respectful of animals. I think Mom on the other hand, has always found the rough-housing funny...like two siblings wrestling. So, it's been a little bit of conflicting information for Paige. Playing rough isn't allowed. Oh wait, it IS allowed if Mommy and Daddy aren't around.

I'm hoping this was a wakeup call. For Todd and I to be even more diligent about how Paige is allowed to act around animals and for Mom to realize that even though she thinks of and treats Harley like a human baby...well, he's still a dog underneath it all. And yes, he's still in the house and we still love him like the fluffball he is, but things will never quite be the same. I'm just thankful all we got was a scare and not something much, much worse.

The Mommy that Cried Wolf

At least, that's sort of what I feel like at the moment.

It all started last Wednesday. I noticed that morning that Paige seemed extra grumpy and wanted to cling onto me as I was trying to get ready for work. I told Mom to keep an eye on her and headed out the door. That evening as I was driving home, I got a call from Todd letting me know that she had developed a fever mid-afternoon and that she was presently down for an unusually late nap. She slept until 7 (only an hour before she normally goes to bed!) and then she got up and had some spaghetti for dinner.

All seemed well enough. Right up until she threw up on me. Spaghetti isn't really pretty the second time around. Just thought I would share that, you know, in case you were curious. Anyway, I knew it would happen sometime. No parent makes it through their kids' childhood without swimming in their share of puke.

I cleaned her up as best I could and tucked her in...she continued to vomit through the remainder of the night. And again the next morning as we were sitting in the doctor's office, where we were told it was likely a stomach virus but to bring her back the next day if no diarrhea developed and she was still feverish and vomiting.

The next day rolled around. No diarrhea, but a continuance of fever and puke. Back to the doctor's office we went (complete with yet another episode of throwing up in the waiting room) where they did a blood test to confirm that whatever she had was viral and all we could really do was ride it out and keep her hydrated.

In the meantime, to varying degrees Mom, Todd and I managed to catch whatever virus she was carrying. Lemme tell ya, it was a fun weekend in our household. Even one of the dogs got sick...even though that was likely a case of eating the stuffing out of one of his playtoys again.

Through it all, Paige remained fairly consistent with the fever and vomiting and we tried convince her to continue drinking fluids (a toughy at times). But then, her symptoms changed. Gone was the fever only to be replaced by what I'll just call a heavy cough. It sounds as if she has something thick in her throat that she can't cough hard enough to shake loose. Oh yeah - and she's STILL puking.

So, what to do now that things have changed up a bit? I tried really hard to not be one of "those" moms. Don't play coy with me...you KNOW who I'm talking about and I'm sure they annoy you just as much as they annoy me and the pediatricians that see their kids. I left a message on the nurse hotline for Paige's pediatric office and while usually they are so good about turnaround on callbacks, four hours later I was calling back and leaving yet another message. And yes, the message was quite polite...I understand that things happen. But when they called back, the nurse unfortunately didn't KNOW what to do and indicated they would put a message through to the doctor that saw Paige last Friday (when we do sick appointments I'm willing to see whoever in their office is available).

Then I spent the next hour and a half working myself into a frothing tizzy to the point where I was about a pair of shoes away from taking Paige to a local pediatric urgent care. Fortunately, I called Todd and he managed to talk me out of my tree. I made another appointment at her regular pediatric office and they are seeing us this afternoon.

And maybe it will turn out I AM the Mommy that cried wolf. But? I've decided that my kid's well-being and my sanity mean a lot more to me than my pride at not being one of "those" moms.

Ruined

You know that knot you get in the pit of your stomach when something is really bad? That's what I had this morning as I stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror, flat iron in hand as I began straightening out various sections of my hair. I suspected that when I was finished I wouldn't like what I was going to see.

I was right.

I've been growing my hair out for roughly two years. I didn't get it cut (or colored) the entire time I was pregnant with Paige and it got long enough during that time that I thought "what the heck" and continued letting it grow even after she was here - although I immediately went back to my coloring and styling ways. Anyway, it had been a while since I had long hair and I thought it might be fun. What it really was, was a pain the butt. I have entirely TOO MUCH hair to ever wear it long. Granted, it looked pretty when I bothered to do it, hanging like a dark glass waterfall over my shoulders and down my back. But more often than not, I tossed it into a ponytail because getting it to look that way took an hour at a minimum. Just getting it dry enough to flat iron took 45 minutes. Yes, I really do have hair that thick.

So, last weekend I had a hair appointment to touch up my roots and get a cut and I decided it was time to say goodbye to my long locks and hello to something much easier to manage. I pored over the hair magazine that I keep for such occasions and selected three styles, all very similar and all on girls with a face shape similar to mine. I showed these to my stylist Saturday before we got started and explained what I was looking for.

She dove in, working on my color and highlights first and then back to the chair for the cut. Most of the time I didn't pay attention to what she was doing. I sat quietly reading some trashy magazine while she snipped away. Then she started in with the blow drying using...not a flat brush, but a round brush and I started to get a little concerned. I couldn't imagine styling the cut I had asked for with a round brush, but I'm not the expert so what did I know?

When she was done I looked at it and tried to hide my cringe. The top was MUCH longer than I had asked for or anticipated and she had managed to flip the back out in a poorly done mimic of the old "Rachel" hairstyle. I grabbed a mirror and looked at the back...asked her if she thought perhaps I should have another layer in there. She argued with me, was afraid I wouldn't like it. I was annoyed.

I'm the person that had a white pixie haircut in my mid-20s which was later accidentally turned into a shade of purple. If I can handle that, I could certainly handle her cutting in another layer - of course, she didn't know that. But also, I was starting to have that gnawing feeling that I had just been given a bad haircut...and once I've been burned by a stylist, they are history. Why would I ask them to fix the cut? After all, they are the one that missed it up to begin with. At any rate, I have been going to this girl for the past year or so and she's always done a good job. Granted, she really didn't have to do more than trip and shape since I was growing my hair out.

So, I left and bitched instead to Todd about how I was thinking about taking a pair of scissors to it myself to make it look more like what I was asking for to begin with. Once I had calmed down, though, I decided to give it a few days and see if the style grew on me.

Sunday, we hosted a Super Bowl party at our house. I didn't wash my hair since it had just been colored the day before. Instead I tried to work with the styling it had been given. I wasn't thrilled with the results, it was a little too helmet-y for me but I went with it since I was too busy to really spend much time on it.

Yesterday, I washed it but then threw it in a ponytail because I wasn't quite ready to face facts yet. Which brings me back to this morning. As I straightened it out one section at a time, the horror grew. I essentially have bi-level hair - not a mullet, but if you look at the back there is one long section that is just straight and all one length, then roughly three inches above that starts a heavily layered section...and it almost looks like the work of a three year old. You know what I'm talking about. We've all seen the kids that took the scissors and started hacking at their bangs. The end results are gappy, uneven, and always bring to mind a staircase because you can see defined ridges. THAT is what the back of my hair looks like. In one one two hour period, my stylist managed to take two years worth of patiently grown locks and turn them into a nightmare.

This isn't the first time I've ever had a bad haircut...but generally I can work with them. Style them in such a way that I can hide the damage that has been done until it is long enough to do something else with it. Not so, this time. I'm going to have to get another cut - no, I won't be going back to my girl...ever - so I'm going to have to go back to my old standbye place in Lewisville. We'll see what they can do to salvage it. I suspect it is possibly going to end up pretty short.

Updates to come, I'm sure. Oh, and wish me luck.

Joy

I don't have much time to scrapbook these days - not that I ever really have - but I managed to whip out this layout last night while I was upstairs in the playroom with Paige. I was flipping through a Quote book (love those!) and when I came across this quote by Kitty Turmell, I knew I had to do something because I had the absolute PERFECT picture to go with it. The photo was taken when Paige was just a few days over 13 months. She had been walking roughly a month, but someone had always been close by, holding her hand or shadowing her to make certain she didn't fall and hurt herself. 

She had been SO patient this day - we literally spent two hours taking pictures at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. I don't know why but for some reason as we were walking along this path looking for more photo opportunities, I just sat her down and let her go. Her response was to run all the way down the sidewalk, and then to turn around and come running back. She did this several times - back and forth, back and forth and we realized HERE was our photo opportunity. The absolute joy on her face, the exuberance she expressed at being able to do something that we, as adults, too often take for granted was just breathtaking and I'm so happy that we documented that moment.

I guess it was my reminder to relish the little things, the REAL LIFE things because those are what will mean the most to me later. Will I remember every detail of that day as time goes on, what we were doing or saying while each photo was snapped? No, but I will always remember the look on my baby girl's face (and the feeling in my heart) as we allowed her to spread her wings a little and fly.

The Quest for Child Care

Since I went back to work from my maternity leave, my mother has been living with us and acting as an in-home nanny of sorts for Paige. This situation has worked out extremely well for us. We pay Mom to cover our child care needs while we are at work and we know the peanut is being cared for by someone that loves her and is just as interested in her well-being as we are.

But...(there's always a but, isn't there?).

Now that Paige has hit toddler-hood, we think her horizons need to be expanded. She needs more socialization beyond what she can get with my Mommy Group - since I work outside of the home, the activities we are able to participate in are obviously limited. She also needs to be exposed to more structure both in a routine sense as well as a learning sense. Sure, Todd and I read to her and try to teach her things - for example, she most definitely knows what her sock and shoes are (and she can say both)...but ask her to point out something that is red or to find the star in the picture and you get a blank look. You see what I'm getting at? Also, I'm afraid that she could possibly be the only kid to end up in kindergarten asking if anyone else caught last night's episode of Law & Order. (Granny's addiction - not mine.)

What started as a conversation a month or two ago finally became reality when I decided to take the bull by the horns and start researching daycare options in our area. And I discovered quickly that "Toto, we aren't in McCurtain County anymore". There's so much more to think about than I could have imagined. Where I grew up, I only knew of one, or maybe two daycares. Anyone who needed child care either left their kiddo with family, used one of those facilities or their kids were latchkey kids.

The things I have to think about now -

1) Finding a facility that accepts children on a part-time basis. Granny isn't going anywhere after all so there's no point in putting Paige into daycare on a full-time basis. We just want to give her some exposure. But at any rate, not all centers will accept part-timers.

2) Finding a facility that accepts children in her age range. There are TONS of centers as well as Mom's Day Out opportunities in the area. Unfortunately, many of them don't accept kids under 18 months - or in some cases under 24 months.

3) Finding a facility that has an opening in the correct age group (assuming that you've managed to make it past obstacle 1 and 2 above). Yep, one of my favorite places that I've visited so far has a wait list. A LIST. That means that even if we go on it, we may be waiting a while to get in.

4) Finding a facility that doesn't have a ton of "reports" against them on the state website. Um, I was absolutely stunned to see how many infractions some of the centers had and what the issues were. Some have what seems like a lot of reports, but then when you look at them they don't seem that bad...others may only have one report, but then you look and it turns out to be a doozy. (Yes, I said doozy and yes I was absolutely SHOCKED at the incident in the report in particular that I'm thinking of.)

Once all of that is said and done, it's also a good idea to go tour the facilities you haven't crossed off the list and see firsthand what you think and, if you can take your kiddo, how they fit in. I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that things aren't always as great in person as they are on paper - or on the 'net. I visited one facility where the woman over the toddler class was running around in low rise jeans and a crop top. She would have been perfectly fine if she were on her way out to a club in Deep Ellum...not so much for having sing-along-time on the clown mat. Judgemental of me? Maybe. But seriously, I'm not signing up to have Britney Spears look after my peanut.

At any rate, I'm exhausted. And I'm curious to see what Todd's input will be considering I'm the one that has done all the research to this point. For those who may not know, Todd's the more, uh, frugal of the two of us. We tend to balance each other out nicely but given the cost of quality (and sometimes even not so quality) child care options, I foresee me having to remind him that looking for bargain basement options isn't always the best idea.

Wish me luck.

Useless Peanut Trivia

Today's Question of the Day is: How much can a 1-year-old eat in one sitting?

Answer: Two packages of oatmeal!

I have no idea where the kid puts it. She has apparently inherited Daddy's hollow leg (lucky girl!).

Tagged...the Christmas version

So, Jennifer has tagged me on her blog and since as you ALL know (Hello...anyone out there? Is this thing on?) that I'm a lazy blogger, I've accepted the tag challenge.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay,here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!  Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Tag as many  people as you want to....Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer to give wrapped presents. That's not usually what happens, but I love the look of a wrapped box.

2. Real tree or Artificial?  Artificial. Who really wants to deal with all those needles...and hello? Did you miss the fire hazard video that showed a dried out tree going up and destroying a house in like, three seconds?

3. When do you put up the tree?  Generally the day after Thanksgiving. That doesn't mean it is decorated the day after Thanksgiving, but at least it is standing there and usually has lights on it.

4. When do you take the tree down?  Some point after New Year's. There's not a specific day we aim for.

5. Do you like eggnog? Um, no.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?  Probably the 4x4 pickup I got when I was 5 or 6. I remember riding it back and forth between my parents' and sister's rooms with every other present "Santa" had left for me in the truck bed so they could see it. It was roughly 2 am by the way.

7. Hardest person to buy for?  Everyone except for Paige.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Paige. Right now she's happy to play with anything we let her touch.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards. I love Christmas cards. I think I started sending them out the first year I was out of college. I don't know why they make me so happy...it's always such a joy to go to the mailbox during the Christmas holidays.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  Hmmmm...I'm not sure. Probably the socks from my Grandma as a kid. Why would you give a kid socks?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Christmas Story. If my family would let me, I would happily sit and watch the TBS 24-hour marathon. It truly is a movie I could watch over and over and over and over...

13. When do you start shopping?   NOT on Black Friday, although we did go to Toys R Us this year in Tulsa on Black Friday - they were running a good sale on something we wanted for Paige. Usually the weekend after I guess.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  I don't think so, but who knows?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Mmmmm...chocolate delight and coconut pie. My two favorite desserts!

16   color lights on tree?  Multicolored...probably because that's what we had on our tree when I was a child. Todd would love to have gold lights (blech) probably because that was what his parents always put on their tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song?  Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I prefer to be at home but I haven't been at home in YEARS.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Maybe but it would probably require me to sing a song.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have a star (sort of - it looks like it is made from poinsettia petals).

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?   When I was little we opened on Christmas Day and after my parents separated we started opening on Christmas Eve. Now I guess we open on Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Rude and inconsiderate shoppers - hello, it's Christmas people! Let's spread a little Christmas spirit or something!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree is decorated with a combination of generic balls and ornaments that we have picked up together during our travels. It is like a little walk down memory lane each year as we unwrap ornaments and put them on the tree. Also, I've determined that Paige will get her own ornament each year (and she will have them to take with her as an adult - I actually have a handful of the ornaments that my Mom got for me as a child and wish I had them all)...so those are now going on the tree, too.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I'm a big fan of ham and rolls.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?  To sit down with my family at home and have a nice, loving, peaceful Christmas together. And that, as a matter of fact, is what we are going to do. I'm so excited about the idea of waking up in my house on Christmas Day I'm practically beside myself!

I'm not going to tag anyone, so if anyone wants to play along just leave me a message and let me know so I can come check it out!

So, Jennifer has tagged me on her blog and since as you ALL know (Hello...anyone out there? Is this thing on?) that I'm a lazy blogger, I've accepted the tag challenge.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay,here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!  Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Tag as many  people as you want to....Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer to give wrapped presents. That's not usually what happens, but I love the look of a wrapped box.

2. Real tree or Artificial?  Artificial. Who really wants to deal with all those needles...and hello? Did you miss the fire hazard video that showed a dried out tree going up and destroying a house in like, three seconds?

3. When do you put up the tree?  Generally the day after Thanksgiving. That doesn't mean it is decorated the day after Thanksgiving, but at least it is standing there and usually has lights on it.

4. When do you take the tree down?  Some point after New Year's. There's not a specific day we aim for.

5. Do you like eggnog? Um, no.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?  Probably the 4x4 pickup I got when I was 5 or 6. I remember riding it back and forth between my parents' and sister's rooms with every other present "Santa" had left for me in the truck bed so they could see it. It was roughly 2 am by the way.

7. Hardest person to buy for?  Everyone except for Paige.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Paige. Right now she's happy to play with anything we let her touch.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards. I love Christmas cards. I think I started sending them out the first year I was out of college. I don't know why they make me so happy...it's always such a joy to go to the mailbox during the Christmas holidays.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  Hmmmm...I'm not sure. Probably the socks from my Grandma as a kid. Why would you give a kid socks?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Christmas Story. If my family would let me, I would happily sit and watch the TBS 24-hour marathon. It truly is a movie I could watch over and over and over and over...

13. When do you start shopping?   NOT on Black Friday, although we did go to Toys R Us this year in Tulsa on Black Friday - they were running a good sale on something we wanted for Paige. Usually the weekend after I guess.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  I don't think so, but who knows?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Mmmmm...chocolate delight and coconut pie. My two favorite desserts!

16   color lights on tree?  Multicolored...probably because that's what we had on our tree when I was a child. Todd would love to have gold lights (blech) probably because that was what his parents always put on their tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song?  Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I prefer to be at home but I haven't been at home in YEARS.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Maybe but it would probably require me to sing a song.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have a star (sort of - it looks like it is made from poinsettia petals).

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?   When I was little we opened on Christmas Day and after my parents separated we started opening on Christmas Eve. Now I guess we open on Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Rude and inconsiderate shoppers - hello, it's Christmas people! Let's spread a little Christmas spirit or something!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree is decorated with a combination of generic balls and ornaments that we have picked up together during our travels. It is like a little walk down memory lane each year as we unwrap ornaments and put them on the tree. Also, I've determined that Paige will get her own ornament each year (and she will have them to take with her as an adult - I actually have a handful of the ornaments that my Mom got for me as a child and wish I had them all)...so those are now going on the tree, too.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I'm a big fan of ham and rolls.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?  To sit down with my family at home and have a nice, loving, peaceful Christmas together. And that, as a matter of fact, is what we are going to do. I'm so excited about the idea of waking up in my house on Christmas Day I'm practically beside myself!

I'm not going to tag anyone, so if anyone wants to play along just leave me a message and let me know so I can come check it out!

Emergence of a Toddler

"Uh oh."

Do you know what that is? That, my friends, is the warning signal that something has been dropped on the floor. Or more likely thrown on the floor. The subtle addition of an "uh oh" is inserted to fool you into thinking the act was an accident. Frequently the item in question is just a toy or some other harmless thing such as the dog's leash. Occasionally it's some forbidden object that was slipped from its home using all manner of stealth.

Sly little ninjas, these toddlers. Seriously, the cute, bumbling clumsiness is a ruse. The second your back is turned, the Mission Impossible theme song starts playing and the next thing you know they are sitting on the other side of the room downloading new software to the phone that you would have SWORN you left on a table out of their reach.

Another toddler ploy to trick you into submission? Talking. Who knew that common, everyday words could sound so cute? "Foot"? Precious. "Airplane"? Too adorable for words. They knock down your defenses by saying something mildly coherent, and by the time you stop goo-gooing back at them you realize they've already made it down the hall, intent on scaling Mount Staircase.

I once read a piece of wisdom that indicated our job as parents was to protect our children from themselves. The question is, who is supposed to protect us from them?

I'm pretty sure I'm already done for. One look at those big blue eyes and I turn into a big ball of subservient moosh. I'm also certain she has Daddy completely wrapped around her little finger. And the Grandparents? Fuhgeddaboutit. They were in cahoots with her from Day 1.

So, I think it may be up to the family dogs to keep the peanut in line and everything in order. I'm a bit concerned the little hairball may be swaying into her corner, though, so that really just leaves the Nonnie Dawg...and well, I've been having these gnawing feelings that she could be bribed with treats. There's just something about the way she hovers nearby whenever the peanut is in her high chair eating...

Send in reinforcements, we are a sinking ship over here at Chez Orange & Black.

Clarity

The conversation started with a question.

"So, do you think you are going to start working out again soon?" It floated through the doorway from our bedroom as I stood removing my makeup and armoring my face against the onset of wrinkles. I paused and thought about it.

"I don't know." An honest response. And then I launched into a diatribe about how I am my own worst enemy.

See,I'm good at throwing myself into projects...I get excited, gung-ho, and I tend to commit whole-heartedly. The problem comes when there is no end in sight...and you see, when it comes to diet and exercise there IS NO END IN SIGHT. How we eat and treat our bodies is an ongoing process...and I'm always striving to reach the finish line. But what do I do when I get there?

Past history has shown that I reach a goal and then I revert to my old ways. Whew! Glad that's finished. Now hand over that cheeseburger. And before you know it I'm back at the starting line again wondering how the hell that happened.

God bless my husband because he has to be the most supportive man on earth. He's seen me through various cycles of Weight Watchers, Atkins, Body for Life and starvation (he, uh, wasn't so much on board with the starvation) and patted my ego as my weight went down, up, down, up, down, up, up, up... And as annoyed as I get sometimes when he asks me questions like the one at the beginning of this post...he only does it because I've asked him to (repeatedly) and because he cares that I'm unhappy with myself.

So, I unload all kinds of baggage on my husband about how sad I am that I seem unable to make postive, lasting changes and suddenly it's like the clouds part and I realize what I've been doing wrong this entire time. I get SO excited, gung-ho, throwing myself whole-heartedly into everything that I do...that I burn myself out. I expect that I can overhaul my entire lifestyle in one fell swoop and that it will be easy and permanent. Obviously, it isn't.

Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Yes, my friends, I admit it. I have been insane since about the age of oh, 11 or 12...that would be most of my life, lest any of you think I'm only 21 due to my incredible lack of wrinkles (note the sarcasm and reference to nightly regimen above).

So, I have come to a crossroads and I've decided to go the way of Crazy Aunt Purl, otherwise known as Laurie Perry (love her blog - if you don't read it you should - you will totally fall in love with her charm and her cats). She wrote a blog a while back about how she was never going to diet again and instead was going to instead treat herself with dignity and respect and simply try to make better choices. So simple, but so right. It was one of the most amazing and eye-opening things I have ever read. It struck a chord with me at the time but I was still in the throes of trying to power my way to a perfect body.

All of those years of blood, sweat and tears (literally) and the answer is so simple. Let go of my unrealistic expectations and make small and gradual changes that will have positive effects. Because at the end of the day, any change no matter how small, is better than doing nothing, isn't it?

Bad Parents

After it was determined about a month or two ago that Paige would be attending her cousins' Halloween party (which would include a sweep around the neighborhood to go trick-or-treating) Todd and I figured we should invest in a costume for Paige. This involved a trip to the local kids' resale shop where we selected her costume (bunny rabbit) - the main factor in our selection was that it happened to be the correct size...12 months.

Let it be said now that Paige CAN still wear 12 month items, although most of her 12 month jeans creep down on her little bottom. The 18 month clothing we have been buying her is honestly too big for her still, but not so big that she is unable to wear it. The problem generally lies with the length of her pants which is easily fixed with a quick roll of the pants. (Do you see where this is going yet?)

So anyway, we head over to the party last night figuring we would get her dressed in her costume once we were there because with the lining, fur etc. we were afraid that she would get too hot. When the time came for trick-or-treating, I started trying to stuff Paige into her costume. One leg, two legs...why on earth am I having such a hard time getting her arms in this thing??? I held her up and looked...the crotch on the suit came to roughly her knees. There was no way on earth the costume was going to fit, not even if we folded her in half...obviously not an option.

We briefly discussed the possibility of cutting the feet off, but in the end we ended up borrowing a cute little Halloween shirt from her cousin, Reese. So, Paige spent her first Halloween and trick-or-treating experience costume free. No one really seemed to mind because, well, she IS a total cutiepie, and what kind of grinch doesn't enjoy cuddly toddlers full of personality (if you say me prior to having a baby I will TOTALLY deny it)? Fortunately, much like the birthday party (which went really well, btw...guess I should post some pics, huh?) I have a few years to get this right.

First note to self...next year maybe we should try the costume on first.