Introducing…

The new 30 Day Non-Challenge! “Non-challenge” because we will not be offended if you don’t answer all of the questions or decide to skip certain days. Just have fun with it! An Offering of Love and I came up with these and we hope you like them, but I will disclaim this by saying that some questions assume you are in a two-mom household or have a partner/spouse (since that is true of most of our readership). So please don’t hold it against us if you don’t feel every question applies- we did our best! Hope you have fun with this during the month of June. Without further adieu…

Day 1 – Provide a picture of the space where you normally blog
Day 2 -Describe your high school self.  What extracurricular activities, if any, did you participate in during high school?
Day 3 -What are your guilty pleasures?
Day 4 – (for parents) What has most surprised you about parenthood?
(for parents-to-be)  What has most surprised you about ttc?
Day 5 -What do you prefer to do on your birthday? If you have children, what do you prefer to do for their birthday?
Day 6 – When was the last time you tried something new? What was it and what was the result?
Day 7 – What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? If you have children, what are their favorites?
Day 8 – If you had to teach something, what would you teach? (If you DO teach, when did you discover your love for teaching/the subject?)
Day 9 – What is the most important lesson you learned from your own mother (or other primary caretaker)?
Day 10 – Share your favorite recipe (or two)
Day 11 – In what ways does being a lesbian/2-mom family impact your experience of parenting?
Day 12 – Tell us about the first time you got drunk (as far as you can remember…)
Day 13 – Tell us about the best job you ever had, and the worst
Day 14 – How do you typically dress? How do you (or would you) like to dress your kid(s)?
Day 15 – What was your college experience like? Were you involved in any clubs, groups, etc?
Day 16 – How many friends do you have in real life that you talk to regularly? How many friends do you have that you feel are ‘true blue’ and how long have you known them?
Day 17 – (for parents) What is your favorite thing about parenthood?  Your least favorite?
(for parents-to-be) What are you most looking forward to about parenthood?
Day 18 – How do you feel about astrology? What’s your sign, baby, and do you think it matches your personality?
Day 19 – How do you (and your partner if applicable) feel about PDA?
Day 20 – What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you? Did you repay the kindness?
Day 21.   What child(ren)’s names do you like that your partner hates and thus you could never use?
Day 22 – What is your most beloved childhood memory? What memories are you trying to create (or will you try to create) for your child(ren)?
Day 23 – What are your favorite activities to do with your kid(s)?
Day 24 – What are your favorite activities to do without your kid(s)? (keep it clean!)
Day 25 – What did you want to be when you grew up? Why and/or how did that change over time?
Day 26 – What is/are the best piece(s) of parenting advice you’ve gotten or can give others?
Day 27 – Which movies or tv shows do you think are the most accurate portrayals of parenthood?
Day 28 – What size family do you come from, what size family do you want, and why?
Day 29 – What do you think about giving kids an allowance, and what chores do you or would you expect your child(ren) to help out with?
Day 30 – What is/are the most memorable questions or reactions you’ve gotten in regards to being a two-mom family?

Look how they shine for you

Thanks to An Offering of Love, every month we have a photo project to take part in, each with a different color theme.
May is: YELLOW

Greetings and felicitations!

I’m not gone, just stuck in a job that is sucking my soul from me.

Happy birthday to my wonderful wife, Strawberry.  Enjoy your mostly toddler free day!

Happy birthday also to Poppy over at “Eeney meeney miney mommy”.

And finally, congrats to T, S and their little turtles over at “Looking for a little turtle” as their adoption is finalized today.  It’s a long and bogus and insulting thing to have to do, but at the end of the day, their family is as safe as they can make it.

Aww nuts!

So we’ve been a little quieter lately…just not a whole lot to write about. Anyone got any ideas?

Just after he turned 2, we had to take Curly in for his second blood draw to measure his lead level and also do an allergy panel. His first blood draw was at 1 year old, and he was so good about it. I mean, he cried the whole time, but he let me hold him and didn’t fight it. We were worried how he would be at the second draw, being a year older and much stronger, but he handled it just like the first one. He cried, but didn’t bawl, he let me hold him and cuddle him on my lap and he also watched what was happening…fascinated by his blood going through the little tube. We are so proud of our brave boy.

We had the allergy panel done because even though he had been eating peanut butter with no problem from the time he was 10 months old, at 16 months he had a reaction. He spit out his pb & j and began to cry and scratch at his tongue. The next night we gave him a tiny amount to see if the reaction would be the same and it was. We haven’t given him peanut butter since and the doc told us to wait and do the allergy panel at his 2 year blood draw. She called us yesterday with the results (yes, our awesome pediatrician actually picked up the phone out of the blue and called us with the results, which is why even though her office isn’t that great, we’ve stuck with her this whole time).

She gave us the good news- that Curly’s lead level was nearly undetectably low (it was in the mid-range at his one year appt, so this was relieving) and he did not show an allergic reaction to anything but a mild reaction to peanuts. She told us to continue to stay away from peanut butter, but that he could possibly grow out of his allergy to it, and we don’t have to worry about cross-contamination (and we haven’t been). So yay!

The Wrong Message

We received a package from my grandparents for Curly’s birthday. My step-grandmother was very excited because the book had been written by her friend’s daughter and she had signed it (not specifically to Curly though). When we opened the package, we noticed a bright red book with a giant detachable coach’s whistle affixed to the cover. That was our first clue in to thinking maybe it wasn’t the greatest choice, but whatever. Then we read the title, which you’ll have to click the link for because we don’t want to be searchable by it:  http://www.bookmasters.com/express/20041.htm

I immediately said to Nutella, “The “wrong” way? There IS no wrong way to whistle!” to which she replied, “I’m sure that’s the message of the book, just read it.”

So I read it to Curly and besides being unimpressed, began to get irritated because page by page, it appeared that no, that was not the message. By the time I got to the end, it was clear that the author thinks there IS a right way to whistle (blowing out) and a wrong way to whistle (breathing in). Black and white, people, and if you do it the “wrong” way, you must be silly.

Needless to say, the book is being donated although we’ll let him keep the whistle.

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Pink cause you are so very

Thanks to An Offering of Love, every month we have a photo project to take part in, each with a different color theme.
April is: PINK

TWO!!!

Today our Curly is two.  Can’t believe how astounding that milestone feels.  It just seems like a huge step.  I mean, TWO is way bigger than 24 months, you know what I mean?  He’s such a kid now.  I’m starting to see “babyish” things coming to an end.  Some, I’m pretty excited about.  Peeing in the potty?  No more diapers at some point in the future?  HELL YEAH!!!  But no more wearing in the Ergo?  WOE and sadness.  I can still manage his 28ish lbs, but it’s getting to be too much for Strawberry and we know the time is coming soon when we won’t be able to wear him anymore.  Already we see a difference in the stuff we can buy him or that he receives as gifts.  We have to look harder for the non-gendered items and toys and books and stickers.

There is a part of me that is crying out “Wait! I didn’t get enough!”  Already those tiny baby days are fading.  I look at a picture of him at 3 weeks and I struggle to see the same Curly. I hold a 3 month old and I am shocked by how little space they take up and how helpless they are.  Still, there’s no desire to go through it all again.  Although the memory is getting hazier, I’ll never forget how awful a lot of it was.

But the things we have now?  And the things we are looking forward to?  They’re wonderful! Curly is an amazing person.  When he figures out something new, or manages a clear communication I can see those pieces clicking in him.  Building his personality and preferences.  How proud I am when he takes a leap of faith with us and the results delight and amaze him.  This morning, surrounded by family and friends, he stood in front of the lit “2” candle atop his cupcake tower and to everyone’s delight, he leaned over and blew it out, right on cue.

Curly and friends play with the bird themed bean bags we made as favors.