Obsessed

Do you have an obsessive personality? I do. Right now I'm obsessing about (in no particular order) a purse I want to buy at Target, planning Spencer's birthday party, ideas for our annual Christmas picture, getting into my new office and fixing it up to make it my own, refinishing an old hutch we have, making our backyard look better, figuring out where to send Spencer for kindergarten and buying some new Polish pottery for my birthday. These thoughts (especially the hutch and the birthday planning) are taking up a lot of my thoughts. Like 87% of my thoughts.

I also get really obsessive about music. I hear a song and, if it's got that certain something special, I will listen to it over and over and over and over. The first year that I worked for the Senate, when I was 21, I used to drive to Tucson almost every weekend. I once listened to the song Yellow by Coldplay the entire way down. Literally put it on repeat and didn't listen to a single other song for 1.75 hours. And I still love that song. I also did the same thing with Sway, by Bic Runga. I was OBSESSED with that song.

This is my new song obsession. Have you been to see Inception? One of the previews before it is for the movie The Social Network. When I first heard about that movie I laughed outloud. What a stupid idea for a movie. Then I saw the preview with this song. I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Scala & Kolacny Brothers is an all womens choir from Belgium. They do covers of popular pop songs. This is their version of Creep, by Radiohead. I'm also digging their versions of U2's With or Without You and Every Breath You Take by the Police.

A word of warning. It's a wee bit disturbing to hear a choir drop an f-bomb in such a melodic and beautiful voice.

Catch Up

Blogging about our 10 day trip took 10 days, so I'm way behind on day to day happenings. Today is all about catching-up.

#1

A couple of weekends ago we went down to Tucson for a get-together with Laura, Chelsea, Karen and their families. It was supposed to be a pool party. Lady Monsoon had other ideas.

I was responsible for desserts. I made chocolate coconut cake pops.

And s'more whoopie pies. They got a little melty on the way over.I even made smaller ones for the kids, but I don't think a single small child ate a single one. Their loss.A good margarita will lower the disappointment of a severe lack of swimming any day.The night after the party I was in the kitchen talking to my mom when I noticed that Spencer was missing. I found him. With my dad. Eating cake. And watching James Bond. If Spencer grows up to be a diabetic British spy I'm blaming my father. #2

Ginger either has an intense feud going with Minnie, or they love each other. I'm not quite sure yet. Her eyes are kind of hard to read.#3

We've been drinking a lot of fruit smoothies.

#4

Ginger is desperate for a little quality time with her father. She'll get it any way she can.

1st day

Spencer did it. He went to school. He's a kid now.

We did the typical mom and dad pictures.

We did the typical kid in backpack on first day of school pictures.

I think this may be my new favorite picture of Spencer. He looks like a coy, neckless midget. Is midget PC these days?

We did the kid in a hat with a lunchbox ready to start the 1st day of school picture.

There were no tears when we dropped him off. He waved, told us bye and we left. It was very normal and easy. While he was in school Michael and I went to breakfast and then to the movies to see Inception. It was very good. We smuggled big cookies from Chompies in my purse. They were very good.

Spencer will be going to school 2 mornings a week. Starting next week I'll be at work when he is at school. That means I have 1 more free day totally to myself. What to do, what to do.

School

So. This teeny tiny little baby of mine starts school on Monday. Can you believe it? I can't. I swear we brought him home from the hospital, like, 52 hours ago.

We've been in full preparation mode around here. On Friday we went to school and met his teacher, looked at the classroom and played on the playground. We've also been talking about school a lot. What to expect, how long Spencer will be there, what he'll learn about. Most importantly, we've done some back to school shopping (or, in this case- first time ever to school shopping).

There is a new 1st Day of School Outfit. Nothing says big boy going to school like a whale and stripes.
There is a lunchbox. This is not new, actually. It was Spencer's 1st birthday present from my Aunt Karen and Uncle Terry. Spencer's been practicing with his lunchbox for days. He insists that we pack breakfast, lunch and dinner for him. He unzips his lunchbox, pulls everything out and arranges it on the table. Yesterday Michael put a whole plate containing scrambled eggs and and toast in there. Spencer opened it and said "wow" then pulled the whole plate out. It was funny.There is also an Elmo Backpack. Spencer went to Target with us to find the backpack. He was pretty delighted when we found it- he put it on and wouldn't take it off until we got to the car. They scanned it with it on his back.

Michael is taking the day off from work so that we can both take Spencer to school. I'm sure we'll take 748 pictures. There is even talk of recording the whole extravaganza. Want to know what we're planning on doing while Spencer is in school? Going out for a leisurely breakfast and then to the movies. Sounds heavenly to me. Now if we could only figure out how to be off work everyday that Spencer goes to school.

Per reader requests

Maryellen said...
I would like to see Ginger in a bikini.

Is a tankini OK?

Ginger was pretty pissed about being shoved into the tankini. She thought it made her butt look big. She made a fast getaway and then the bottoms fell off. Then her butt really did look big. Team Eliza said...
I wouldn't mind a little recap of Ginger's life while you guys were off galavanting around the East Coast. Did she have any new adventures . . . meet new friends . . . . eat food left on the sidewalk?

Ginger went to live with my parents in Tucson while we were galavanting. She had it easy. They walked her twice a day every day and basically catered to her every whim.

She slept on her bed in the living room. She slept under the kitchen table. She slept in between my parents in their bed. My mom gets all defensive and angry when I take unflattering pictures of her in bed (I don't get her at all), so I covered my mom with a pink bear wearing a crown holding a heart. I love picnik.com.
Ginger took a few field trips too. She went to my grandma's for dinner and to my brother Nick's house. She peed on his floor. He also took her to a friend's house and she played with/was attcked by 2 little daschunds named Whiskey and Scotch. Nick texted me a picture of her running in fear from Scotch, but we can't find the cables to attach our phones to the computer and, wouldn't you know it, it is not actually possible to take a picture of a picture on a cell phone.

Any more requests?

Healing

We asked the ER doctor to predict how bad of a scar Spencer might have as a result of his busted lip and stitches. She told us that you can not predict such a thing (which we already knew) but that there are certain factors that lead to better healing/less scaring. According to Dr. Can't remember her name since I was under a fair amount of stress, you will not heal well if you:

1) Are in poor health. (Not an issue)

2) Smoke (nope. Not so much)

3) Have diabetes (Spencer wants candy every day for breakfast so maybe we should be concerned).

4) Don't keep the wound clean and get an infection (does yogurt face count as "not keeping it clean?")

You be the judge:

1 hour before the fall in the shower resulting in busted lip.

1 hour post busted lip and immediately prior to stitches. 5 minutes after stitches 17 hours after stitches 5 days after stitches and 2 hours before stitch removal30 minutes after stitch removal24 hours after stitch removal1 week after stitch removalThink we'll be cool to take 3 year pictures in early September?

Vermont- The Last Day

The last day was a boring travel day. We needed it after the bloody masacre of a night we had the night before. We got up and got ready and let Spencer sleep until the very last minute. He ended up only sleeping 8 hours. He generally needs 10- 11 to have a good day.

We got to the airport and took some last minute pictures.

3 generations

4 generations Michael's dad has an artificial ankle. It triggered the metal detector and then they had to pull him aside for a wand check. Then they tested his hands and he showed up positive for something. We still don't know what. Then they checked all his bags before finally clearing him. When we got home we had TSA notes in ALL of our suitcases saying they had been checked. Remind me not to fly with him again.

Spencer slept on my lap/ chest the whole way from Burlington to Detroit. It was like old times.

He was a happy boy, despite the stitches, on the way from Detroit to Phoenix.

I am so glad to be done blogging the trip. Now I can start blogging about:

1) Spencer getting his stitches out

2) Spencer starting school NEXT WEEK

3) My new job

4) My longing for fall like weather and how I have this longing every year about this time, yet I never seem to learn that we don't have fall in Arizona.

5) Along those same lines, fun plans for the fall. Corn dog at the State Fair anyone?

6) Upcoming birthdays- my 31st, Spencer's 3rd

Any requests for blogs? Anyone want more pictures of Ginger?

Back to Vermont: The Worst Day of My Life

July 8th

We started the day early in New Hampshire. We were actually up and out of the house before anyone else got up. Breakfast was eaten in the car. Spencer was really happy on the way back to Vermont.

And then something unheard of happened. He actually fell asleep in the car. For a whopping 20 minutes. This had not happened since Mother's Day 2009 (when he slept for a whopping 5 minutes). I took a picture for evidence sake. Once back in VT we went to Pat and Sarah's house for lunch. I think it was 100 degrees outside, and they don't have air conditioning. We were sticky and sweaty. Sarah made us a fabulous lunch and they were kind enough to let us wash all of our clothes while we hung out.

We left their house around 4 and headed to Amy and Gabe's house for dinner. After we ate Spencer insisted on watering more plants. He remembered doing this from when we were there the week before.

Amy and Gabe also don't have air conditioning so the plant watering quickly evolved into a wet romp under the hose (in underwear, of course).

Then things took a turn for the naked and Spencer ditched his underwear.

Wet slide+naked butt= FAST
Spencer almost biffed it at the bottom. He thought it was hilarious.

Right before we left to head back to Aunt Sandi and Uncle Ruggie's house for our last night of vacation we took some posed pictures. Well, as posed as Spencer would allow for.

WARNING

The rest of this blog post contains graphic and gory images and graphic and horrific storytelling. You've been warned.

We left Gabe and Amy's house around 8ish and headed back to Sandi and Ruggie's house. They also don't have air conditioning and when we got to their house it was 96 degrees inside. We were already packed to leave for the airport the next day so we decided we would take a cool shower and then go to bed damp so at least the fan would feel cooler.

Spencer and I got in the shower together. I washed his hair and body. He was just standing there while I started to wash my hair. Then, out of nowhere he just slipped and fell. He hit his face on the side of the tub as he fell. I immediately saw blood even before he rolled back over. Then he rolled over and I saw his face. Then I started freaking out and screaming for Michael.

Michael came running in and then he started freaking out. This is why.

I told you it was going to be gory and graphic and horrific.

I quickly rinsed my hair while Sandi and Michael tried to stop the bleeding. Then I threw on my clothes and we scooped up Spencer. We live 1 mile from a hospital. At home. We were not at home. The closest hospital to Sandi and Ruggie is at least 40 minutes. At least 40 minutes of back country, winding roads, some of them dirt, some of them gravel.

Spencer refused to let us get him dressed so we strapped him in the car seat naked and off we went. I sat in the back while Michael drove at speeds varying from 50 to 80 miles per hour. I did not know this tidbit until later, thank goodness. Oh, and it also started to rain for the 1st time in a week. Because rain and wet roads are EXACTLY what we needed at that moment.

We got to the ER and Spencer let us put underwear and shorts on. We ran in and they got us through triage and into a room within 5 minutes. The doctor came in and looked at him and confirmed stitches. This is where the worst experience of my life comes in.

It can be very dangerous to sedate a 2 year old, even for something like stitches. Michael and I had to hold Spencer down along with a nurse and a tech for upwards of 20 minutes so the doctor could do the stiches. After like 5 minutes they had to wrap him tightly in a sheet to restrain him while the 4 of us held him down. At one point Michael lost it and had to leave the room because he was crying. The only reason it wasn't me having to leave the room is because I was right next to Spencer's face and I had to maintain composure for his sake. I knew that as awful as holding him down was it would be worse to freak out and leave him with strangers.

In the middle of all this terrible restraining and stiching (and my bird's eye view of the stitching) and Spencer demonstrating that he has the strength of an adult grizzly bear, Spencer looked right at me and then at the tech and then back at me and said, perfectly clearly, "Mommy, you get that man off of me right now." It was the saddest and simultaneouly funniest part of the whole awful mess.

Finally, the stitches were done. He got 6.

We loaded back in the car and drove the 50 minutes back (10 extra minutes because we weren't going 80 miles per hour) to Sandi and Ruggie's. We all went to bed. It was not the vacation ending we were looking for.

P.S. Those pre-stitch pictures were taken at the ER after we had seen the doctor while they were prepping for the stitches. Spencer was actually pretty calm while we took them. I am NOT that terrible of a mom that I made him wait to go to the ER while I took pictures as he was freaking out.