Sometimes

Josephine has been having some wild language bursts lately, and at least once a day I am startled, amused, or even outright floored by something new she has learned to say or a new way she has found to communicate with us. It's a really fun time in her development, and one that I certainly didn't take time to imagine when I was wishin' and hopin' for a little bundle of joy. Even if I had, I would never have come close to imagining how fun and cool this is.

Yesterday, Josephine really mastered the use of the word "sometimes." Perhaps she has said this word to me before and I didn't remember it, but it's most likely that she has repeated it when used by someone else. Yesterday, she used it multiple times, in its correct context, and in sentences she created independently (not just repeating whatever Jeremy or I say, which we think is also awesome and hilarious -- it always sounds better coming out of her mouth).

One time that she used the word sticks out the most. I was taking off her jammies in the morning and Cleo ran in and licked my face. Josie asked Cleo to lick her face too, but she ran out. Josie said, "Sometimes Cleo licks our face. Sometimes she doesn't."

Too some of you, that is no biggie. It's just any other sentence, and "sometimes" is just any other word. Before hearing her say it out loud, I might have felt the same way, but when I heard her say it, I was thunderstruck. To me, that sentence was so loaded with meaning and is an indication of Josephine understanding a concept I didn't even realize I wanted her to grasp.

Sometimes. As in, you might want something to happen (a dog to lick your face, perchance), and it could happen, and that would be great, or it might not happen, and that's okay, too, because hey, it's something that only happens sometimes. It's not a given. Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don't.

Sometimes. As in, nobody ever always or nevers. 

Sometimes. As in, yeah, maybe it seems like you and Sophia always sit together at lunch, but maybe sometimes she sits with Harper instead. It's not the end of the world, because maybe you'll sit together again tomorrow.

Sometimes. As in, the world is not black and white. That person is not always mean. That person is not always good. 

Sometimes. As in, It's okay if sometimes you make bad choices as long as you realize it should only happen once and a while, and tomorrow you can turn it all around because doing something once does not mean you have become a different person.

Sometimes. As in, the world is full of beautiful, wonderful shades of grey! Just because something is not your cup of tea, it does not immediately mean it is evil and wrong and should be abolished! Sometimes there are (and should be) exceptions, and you should think about those circumstances and consider all angles before making bold, sweeping proclamations. 

Sometimes. As in, the only thing that's guaranteed in life is that your mom and dad will ALWAYS love you. The rest? You'll have to take it as it comes, because sometimes a dog licks your face, and sometimes she doesn't. And that's life.

Strikes and Gutters, But Lots of Strikes

Oh, hello. My computer's motherboard decided to die, and I went through some tough times there. Tough times, indeed. Until yesterday when my dad showed up at my front door with a new laptop at a STEAL of a deal, and now we shall commence in the rejoicing. 

Other than the laptop dying, we have been riding the struggle bus in a few other ways over here -- namely, Genevieve is struggling with sleep, drooling excessively, and has SUPER swollen gums on the bottom front (YUP, you guessed it!), and Josephine has a runny nose, is having trouble sleeping through the night, and is gnawing on her fingers, pointing to the molars trying to push their way through her top gums and saying "mouth hurts!" all day. To top it all off, after a night of no sleep for me or Genevieve (I lied, I got three non-consecutive hours, okay?), all morning, every time I got Genevieve to sleep, Josephine would find a way to wake her. So many tears. SO. MANY. TEARS.

But, BUT, other than having two teething children (seriously, I NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED THIS when trying for kids two years apart), we have had so many other wonderful things going on around here, I am easily able to remind myself how sweet life is (most of the time).

Here is a list!

1. We started counting down to Christmas (Josie colored it herself!)

2. We took the girls to see Santa! 

Josephine was a little less than thrilled and Genevieve not impressed. What can you do?

3. We took the girls to their first parade! Josie LOVED it!

There was only one slight incident -- Josephine saw the giant inflatable Mickey and tried to run after it. When I snagged her and pointed to the next float, she said, "Yeah, but what about MICKEY?!?!"

4. We went and got our TREE!

On this trip, Josephine reminded us what an excellent mimic she is ...

And we also tried to see Santa again. Once again, Josephine said no way and Genevieve was like why is this interesting?

5.  I finally got to decorate for Christmas! 

Old Scroogey McDimick thinks we should have waited one more week to get a tree, and I think we should have gotten it at LEAST a week earlier. Harumph.

6. I had TWO excellent shopping and out-to-lunch days with my mom and the girls these past two weeks, and am checking lots of people off our Christmas list.

7. My mom gave Josephine "Josie's new best favorite good book" -- pretty high praise, right? The girls are INTO IT.

(O Little Town of Bethlehem: A Pageant of Lights, if you're interested. Stars light up and it plays the song.)

8. I haven't managed to get a picture yet, but there is sufficient evidence that Genevieve will have TWO dimples. DIMPLES, I say! *swoon*

9. My girls are still the cutest kids ever. :)

Here's Why You're Better Than Me

Okay, I finally tried the Flickr way to get around Picasa that many of you mentioned, and it worked (!), but I must admit, the data limit on Flickr isn't going to last me long either. More on all that nonsense later, but for now, I can upload pictures again! And here is the post I started that day last week and had to abandon because I couldn't include a picture. Enjoy!

So my kid did this yesterday. 

She found a pacifier, told me she was "Baby Josie" and snuggled up. 

Of course, I had the Aww, my poor girl! She must need some extra love and comfort! thoughts. But I also had some other thoughts in the back of my head. Namely, I was thinking, Are you FRICKIN' kidding me, kid? Do you remember when you were a baby and you screamed and screamed and never slept for the first whole year of your life and I tried and tried to get you to take a pacifier just so you could soothe yourself and calm the freak down and stop crying for five bloody minutes? Oh, you don't? Because I DO. Don't put that pacifier in your mouth and pretend you happily did it when you were a baby, because you spit that shit out and screamed instead.

I know that was bad. Very wrong of me. I shouldn't be shocked that my kid would all of a sudden do the thing she refused to do for two years. I should only think loving and kind thoughts about my daughter, yes? Yes, of course.

But sometimes I don't. Sometimes I think YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! BLARG!! when she does things. I've learned to live with it. 

You want to know some other terrible things I do that will make you feel like the superior parent/superior being overall? You got it:

1. I hide behind the pantry door if I want to eat something "good" that I don't want to share with Josie.

2. If Josie's begging to have some food that she's already eaten 700 servings of that day, I just lie to her and tell her we're all out.

3. I hid a few of her books that were making me cry, annoying me, or sent a message I didn't have the energy to explain (She has like 2,000 books. She'll survive).

4. I have a rule where I only change Genevieve's clothes if she messes them up in some way, so if she manages to not spit up on herself or have a blowout for longer than 24 hours, she wears that outfit as long as we can ride it out.

5. I take the advice that you shouldn't bathe your newborn every day very seriously. VERY SERIOUSLY. Even though she's not so new anymore. 

6. I don't even try to catch the finger and toenails when I'm clipping the girls' nails. I'm too busy trying to hold down a wolverine and trim her claws to worry about the mess it makes. I vacuum later. (sometimes)

7. I think Josie looks really cute when she runs around the room making swimming motions with her arms during the "swim!" part of that fish song at library storytime -- even though there is a strict "no running" rule.

8. I have used the hem of Josie's shirt to wipe her nose when I was in a big pickle. And then one other time when I wasn't really in that much of a pickle.

9. I'm dreading the day when she realizes I am totally lying when I say "We can't watch (insert TV show or movie here) because they're sleeping."

10. I rarely let Josephine have sugar, even if other people around her are having it. One time I gave her a broccoli and quinoa muffin when she asked for a cupcake. Pretty evil, right? (She scarfed it down and thanked me for the cupcake, too. Heh.)

Well, there you have it. I left some off the list because every gal needs a secret or two. Also, I have a terrible memory these days. Feel free to add your shameful mothering secrets in the comments or laugh and think happy thoughts about yourself and how you are much better than I am or will be a better parent one day. Just enjoy, dudes. 

Book Review: The Round House

One Sunday in the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked. The details of the crime are slow to surface as Geraldine Coutts is traumatized and reluctant to relive or reveal what happened, either to the police or to her husband, Bazil, and thirteen-year-old son, Joe. In one day, Joe’s life is irrevocably transformed. He tries to heal his mother, but she will not leave her bed and slips into an abyss of solitude. Increasingly alone, Joe finds himself thrust prematurely into an adult world for which he is ill prepared.

While his father, who is a tribal judge, endeavors to wrest justice from a situation that defies his efforts, Joe becomes frustrated with the official investigation and sets out with his trusted friends, Cappy, Zack, and Angus, to get some answers of his own. Their quest takes them first to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe. And this is only the beginning.

Reading the summary of this book immediately reminded me of Leslie Marmon Silko, and as a fan of her work, I had a gut feeling I would like this book as well. I was right.

The Round House is a book that talks about difficult things -- uncomfortable things, things you don't want to think about -- but somehow, it's a book you don't want to put down. That's a skill, for sure. I've read plenty of books where bad things are happening, and I just want to close the book and give up. When I was reading The Round House, however, I was always eager to keep reading, wanting to know what would happen next. 

I loved the characters, especially our protagonist, who is a young teen when we meet him, and this is also another feather in Erdich's cap, as, it sounds terrible to say, but ... I'm not generally a fan of teen and tween male characters in books. I've not found many who resonate with me and don't annoy me. Joe, on the other hand, is such a genuine and kind boy that I can't help but love him. 

At the heart, this story is about two groups who live together, but uneasily, and this is a problem that has existed for quite some time and has clearly not been resolved. Many readers will not have experience with this phenomenon, either personally or through research, and for them, this book will be enlightening. For those who know more about it, I believe this will likely ring true to their own experiences. 

Like other great Native American writers, Louise Erdich brings a world to life for her readers, and asks those who don't already know about it to learn about it and those who are a part of it to say "Yes! This! This is how it is!" Overall, it was an enjoyable book, a great read, and something I believe will be enjoyed by a wide audience. 

I was provided a free copy of this book by TLC Book Tours, but was not compensated in any way. These opinions are my own.

Things I Never Thought I'd Say

"Don't lick that fan!"

"Is this pee?" (and then I TOUCHED IT)

"NO! If that pickle's been on the floor overnight, then it is NOT for eating ... Oh. You ate it already, huh? Well ... just don't tell anyone."

"Friends don't poke friends in the eye."

"Yes, I'm really serious. You CANNOT suck on the burp rag I used to wipe up the glass of water and cup of coffee you knocked over. I -- give it. Just -- seriously! Hand it over!"

"How long has this spit up been on my shirt?"

"No, Ya Gabba Gabba went to sleep for the day ... GUH! When did you learn how to use Netflix?"

"Is this poop?" (and then I TOUCHED IT)

"No, it's not a 'neck hug,' it's what we call 'choking your sister,' and it has to stop!"

"Well, how much did you pee on it? A lot or a little?"