Friday, September 11, 2009

I am alive

Thank you to those of you who have been checking on me. I have not expired from surgical misadventure, septic gallstones, or the complete decay of my mental abilities. I'm just lazy. And busy. Simultaneously. They seem like they'd be mutually exclusive, but I guess they aren't.

Things are good here. Kevin got a new job with a nice, big raise and lots more responsibility. Yay! I'm as fat as ever, and on the brink of a major body overhaul (via diet and exercise, I wish it were more extensive). Work is keeping me outrageously busy but that's a good thing. I'm preparing for a huge consignment sale that I help manage, I'm completing preparations for the Ministry Fair at my Church, and have started a Daisy Girl Scout troop at Megan's school. No rest for the weary (and stupid).

Megan started Kindergarten and is doing well. She loves her teachers, has a couple of friends in class, and although I know she's tired each day, she's weathering it fairly well. She had TWO birthday parties this year which were big fun but lots of work. I'll post some pictures of the tea party we did for her school friends as well as the kick ass Tinkerbell cake that my best friend helped me make for her family party. I still can't believe Megan is 5 years old, it's like I was pregnant with her yesterday!

She spends oodles of time in trouble for manhandling Liam. If it were an Olympic sport, suffice it to say that she'd medal in "Beating Up on Your Brother." We've tried many variations of punishments and reward systems, and have enjoyed some success with each. Wish us luck, this is going to be a long road of sibling jealousy, we can see it now.

She is a beautiful little girl with a giant heart. Her sandy blonde curls are completely gone, and have been replaced by thick, wavy brown hair. She hasn't lost any teeth yet so she's still got that adorable little-tooth smile that can light up a room.

She got her ears pierced (didn't even flinch!), loves to wear her black high heeled boots, and desires faaaaaaar more bling than I ever have or ever will. We started letting her watch Hannah.Montana and now she thinks she's a teenage rockstar. Please shoot me.

She isn't eating much anymore, but is still shooting up like a reed. She really gives a shit about what she wears (which is a real drag), and won't wear bows in her hair except on rare occasions. [sniff, sniff] She is determined to grow her hair down to her feet, but if she doesn't stop giving me shit every time I try to brush that rats nest, then I'm chopping it all off. And she knows I'm not kidding, so these struggles are starting to dissipate.

Liam ... well, Liam is best described as a menace. Seriously, this boy wears me out. If he can touch it, break it, taste it, or carry it around, he will. I joke that we should have named him Chuck. Hand him something, and his initial reaction is to throw it. Hard. Far. Then run (walking is apparently for sissies) over to it and shove it in his mouth. After both of these activites are completed, then -- and only then -- can he take a moment to actually inspect it and see what he's got his hands on. Of course, after this assessment, his next step is typically to just throw it or bite it again anyway.

He is a study in constant motion and he is hilarious. He's finding his voice (Lord help us, we've already got a house full of talkers), and his temper as well. Awesome. I need to post a video of him dancing because you've never seen something so funny and cute in all your days. Let's just say he channels a bizarre mixture of Elvis, Elaine from Seinfeld, and John Travolta. Just take a moment to picture that. It's good stuff. One of his favorite channels to dance to is the Weather Channel. No lie.

He's got some new teeth, has finally grown hair, and has taken the act of saying "Hi" to a new, agressive level... "hi. hi. Hi. Hi. HI. HI!!!!" Heaven help you if you don't respond in kind. He'll practically come over and bitch slap you.

He's sleeping well (finally!), growing like a weed, and eating us out of house and home. He rarely sits still but when he does, it is to give an extended and wonderful hug typically followed by a dramatic kiss complete with the "mmmmmwa!" sound. Then he's off.

For a taste of what we are working with on a daily basis, let me tell you what he's like in the shower. First, he prefers the shower to the bath because he loves to stand under the streaming water and blow bubbles with his mouth. When he's done with that, he'll tear all of the shampoo bottles off the shelves and throw them around. Then he'll pry off the drain cover, shove his fat little hand down the nasty pipe, and will LICK the underside of the drain cover. Complete with that pinkish water mold stuff. Yes, it IS every bit as horrifying and revolting as it sounds. He's so fast and so wiley that he accomplished that little feat while I was washing the conditioner out of my hair yesterday. I think I screamed so loud that the neighbors could hear me.

I have another post brewing about how reality measures up to the fantasy of completing our family building activities. I'm just struggling with the words to express my thoughts.

In the meantime, I still read your blogs. Every single day. I just don't comment much and obviously don't post for shit. Please forgive me! I'm celebrating your joys and triumphs. I'm also mourning your disappointments and losses. I promise, I really am.

20 comments:

finding_ac said...

your descriptions and short synapsis of what your childrens personalities are like right now are so good!!! I can picture them very well in my mind, and i almost feel your gag reflex when you talk about liam eating the train pink mold stuff! You crack my up and i am anxiously awating you next post...good stuff, maynard!

♥ ac

Jendeis said...

Ew, ew, ew!!! Pink mold drain stuff! Ew!

Glad that you all are doing OK. :)

You must get The Pain & The Great One by Judy Blume. My mom got it for me and my younger brother to help work out our issues. :)

Grad3 said...

I really did gag when I red the drain stuff... eww.

God bless little boys :)

Anonymous said...

Yummmm. Pink mold.

Ick. I guess that means you need to clean your shower! :)

I am glad the gallbladder stuff has calmed down. Just don't follow my record of two obstructions after surgery.

Anonymous said...

you made me laugh out loud with that shower bit! Good to hear from you.

Christy said...

I'm so glad you are back! Yippee! I loved being caught up on your adorable kidlets. But, what's up?!?!?!? Where were the pictures?!?!??!

MissNoAngel (find me on Twitter) said...

Wow, you ARE busy! Glad to hear that you're doing well though.

Anonymous said...

Thinking of You too ♥

LJ said...

Oh my Leah, I miss you so much. Liam sounds hilarious - you know since my kid isn't doing that...yet. Give him a day or two and I'm sure he'll find something to fuck with. His favorite right now? The wires to mom & dad's computers! Good times!

I miss you my darlin'.

Lollipop Goldstein said...

Mmmmm, coming home from the beach to a little update from Leah was so nice :-) I'm glad all is well. I thought of you yesterday when we were near the Bridge. I was going to swing our sandy asses by your house like a bleeding psycho and then thought better of it when I remembered that though we were all accustomed to our beach stench, others may not find it as innocuous. So...when are we going to see you?

AwkwardMoments said...

oh the Girl Hannah bling thing makes me Ill ... God Bless you.

Liam and MT have ALOT ...ALOT ALOT in common

Congrats of Kevin's new job - hope that he does get some off time with all that.

Glad you are alive! Sounds like your plate is very full

Meghan said...

Here way late to comment but so glad you hear from you. Love hearing about the kiddos. Sweetness also thinks thinks the moldy bath-tub drain is much more delicious than anything I could make for dinner.

Glad you hear you're feeling better, good luck with the whole diet and exercise thing, gotta get myself back on that bandwagon one of these days, and hoping you get some time to yourself with all the craziness

Somewhat Ordinary said...

I love your descriptions of your kids...I feel like I "know" them now!

And, that pink nasty stuff, is it from hard water? Because we have it and we can clean it and a week later it is back!

Christy said...

We will be in Baltimore tomorrow! Oct. 5- Oct. 15th. We are meeting Lindsay one day at the zoo. I'm going to email her my cell number, get it from her and get a hold of me!

Jamie said...

Ah . . . good old sibling rivalry! I joke that even though my brother is a solid eight inches taller and a 100lbs heavier, I can still make him cry. It is something I perfected many years ago!!

Christa said...

Your children sound so adorable! I remember stories about how my bigger sister would beat up on me and my parents would tell me to fight back but I never would. We were only 14 months apart though

Tam said...

Thinking of you always Xxxx

Kami said...

Hi Leah!

It was great to hear from you and I really appreciate your comment.

Time for you to update your blog.

Here is a suggestion . . .

I have another post brewing about how reality measures up to the fantasy of completing our family building activities

Frenchie said...

Your description of Liam (I looove that name by the way) sounds exactly like our 'Handsome Man'--especially at that age. He's almost 3 now and it's getting better. Boys are a lot of work. But worth it, of course! :)

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