Little Brown Caboose

Day 28: Transportation

All I can say, is this train (or one of its millions of clone like friends) clambers past our house at all hours of the day and night.  It's easier to get used to than one would think.  My only complaint is that Doodle has a love hate relationship with it.  Sometimes she is facinated with it and wants to go watch it on the stairs.  Other days, she is terrified and spends half her day reminding me to "tell me if the choo choo's coming".  The biggest challenge is that being a toddler and a girl on top of that, she changes her feelings regarding the train at a moments notice.  Makes for some challenging moments.  Like standing inside the pharmacy for 10 minutes while the train goes by.   Or traumatic hand flapping and spinning in circles because Doodle doesn't know where to run to get away from the noise!  Needless to say, my next house will hopefully not be this close to train (to our wonderful fantastic Landlord, we love your house:))

If You Give An ADD Mom A Mission.....

Day 27: Your Weakness


So I tried to think of something like shoes, chocolate, candy, you know normal weaknesses.  I don't have one thing I always have on hand that I can't resist.  So I went deeper.  More philosophical.  I know, I was scared too.  


As I tried to think what my weakness was I remembered I needed to get something out for dinner.  I looked at the menu for the week and realized I had forgotten to purchase ingredients for 2 meals and had no ideas of what I wanted to make.  Then I heard the dryer ding and went to get the clothes out.  Which reminded me I needed hangers. I had bought some at Target earlier in the morning and when I got to the bag, I felt the need to distribute everyone's belongings to their basket on the stairs.  Looking at the stairs reminded me I needed to vacuum the carpet so Doodle wouldn't complain about "hairs on my feet".  Because I had to vacuum, I needed to pick up all the toys.  Then the dogs barked to go out, so I let them out.  Then I remembered about and email I needed to send (no reason for remembering, just my random brain).  Of course if I touch the computer I must check FB and my email.  Something might have happened.  Then I recalled my vow to get the ironing done.  I have also vowed to watch Dream Girls so that I can send it back to Netflix (6 months later).  I did manage to iron and watch a movie with only about 10 interruptions.  About the time I finished ironing (4:00ish) I remembered I needed to take something out for dinner.....
If this sounds a bit like an adult version of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" then welcome to my daily existence.  And that is me after I have had adderall!  By the end of Izzy's nap all I had done was iron (and watch a great movie).  I ended up with a pile of clean clothes that needed folding, pizza ordered from dominos, and still no idea what to use for my picture of my weakness.  Until I thought of this....

Oh look!  A shiny object all out of focus!

I think this pretty much sums up my weakness.  My attention is definitely my weakness.  When I am out of focus, my attention is diverted to any shiny object, crying child, barking dog, or random thought.  When I am completely focused, I can't stop what I am doing.  I have to clean that closet, finish that ironing, or watch that movie.  It isn't always productive in the conventional sense of the word, but it is what I do and how my brain works.  I have learned to compensate for the craziness ( better living through chemistry and caffeine) and have a wonderful husband who picks up (literally) after my tornados of activity. 

My Colors Are Blush and Bashful

Day 26: Favorite Color

Today I woke up and right after I cussed the dogs for waking me up, I decided we were going to have a great day!  I was the mom I always want to be (minus the hour spent playing angry birds).  I made pancakes with mini m&m's in them for breakfast.  We stayed in our jammies for a little while (I already mentioned Angry Birds) and then went up to get dressed.  While fixing Doodle's hair we read "Pinkalicious" for the millionth time this week. (if you've missed this best seller, it's about a girl who eats so many pink cupcakes, she turns pink)  As we finished up, I asked Doodle if she would like to make pink cupcakes.  Of course she said yes.  And since my favorite colors are blush and bashful, we went to grocery store to get supplies, I let her push the mini cart, eat a cookie, and get a balloon.  In her mind, it was the perfect trip to the store.  We got home ate lunch and made our cupcakes. 

 As soon as Doodle woke up from her nap, the first thing she said was "now we can eat my pink cupcake?" 

We made our frosting pink

We frosted the cupcakes and added pink sprinkles of course!

By the time we were ready to eat, my Favoritest was home and Doodle declared that he would sit at the table and eat his pink cupcake too!

We even added some pink food coloring to Doodle's milk!  Please note, she has no frosting on her cupcake, it might make you messy!

We had a fantastic pinkalicious day!  As we sat down for dinner (meatloaf, home made mashed potatoes and sautees vidalia onions in case you were wondering) I got the leftover pink milk from the fridge.  Doodle was excited to have it again.  So excited in fact that....

it landed all over the floor.  I guess Lo-lo likes pink milk too!  In the end, the spilled milk is the picture I choose!  Today, blush and bashful looked pinkalcious even on the floor, and the door, and the table, and the wall!  And if I wasn't sure that Doodle enjoyed her day as much as I did, I just heard her reciting parts of "Pinkalicious" over the monitor!

Sour Then Sweet

Day 25: Citrus

I had no citrus fruit in my house.  I had no ambition to find some.  I almost gave up.  I was having a blah kind of day.  Tired and lazy, and no motivation to get out of my pajamas let alone take a creative picture.  After I got Doodle down for her nap, I decided I would take a picture of the Lemonhead bag, because in my mind the lemon face on the logo looked cranky and sour and it fit my mood.  When I got the bag out, that stupid lemon face had a big old cheezy grin on it's oblong face.  It did not help my mood! Then I decided I would make fake lemons using balls from Izzy defunct ball bit (I now have 200+ balls with no pit.  Note to self, order new ball pit soon).  Then I remembered I did in fact have some lemon juice.  So I totally decided to have a still life of fake lemonness.  I used a new app for the mac (isplash) and did some selective coloring.  I got a little tickled by my mockery of citrus.

The day was not done, and my mood was still as sour as the lemon heads chased by the lemon juice.  My Favoritest walked in the door tired and cranky and picking up my messes from the day (a habit that makes me want to tie his hands behind his back).  This in turn made me more cranky and sour.  After a quick family dinner we agreed to take Doodle to the pool for a night swim.  Sometime between the shock of the cool water, the numerous repetitions of "Noble Duke of York" and a couple of swims to find number 4,5,6, and 7 on the wall, my lemony mood changed and was a sweet as the inside of a lemonhead.  It was so sweet that I didn't even get sour when my Favoritest got called back into work. As an added bonus, my Favoritest who does not like the pool used his "on call" status as an excuse to sit on the lounge chair (he didn't think to get up and get closer or a different angle) and take pictures of Doodle and I in the water.   Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

She love to hang on the side of the wall all by herself

Pressing Love

Day 24: Love

Yesterday I was talking to my niece about the ways that people show love.  I told her that part of growing up is realizing that people demonstrate their love in different ways and learning to accept those demonstrations at face value.  This is a lesson I have had to learn over and over again.   My Favoritest shows his love by taking out the trash and making sure to run the dishwasher before he comes to bed.  He does his best to sing to Doodle when he puts her to bed by himself.  Doodle shows her love for our pups by bringing them bones and toys.  Occasionally she even shares her favorite windowsill with Zoe.  Doodle's friend BB shows love for her friends by making sure they have their belongings at all times.  It's easy to see the love in these examples, if you are paying attention.  Sometimes it's harder to see.  Sometimes we can be hurt by someone's honesty and they were trying to be a loving and caring friend.  Sometimes love is shelter from a storm and an open door policy.   Sometimes love is spending $3 to send a post card from Europe to your grand daughter who can't read but loves to get mail.
And sometimes love is messy... like when you are combing vomit out of a toddler's hair at 7:45 in the morning.   That being said, there were not going to be any photos of the people I love today.  It's been a bit of a pajama day today given the start to our day.  It was also a lazy morning filled with Elmo, Jake and the Pirates, and more Elmo.  After getting Doodle down for a nap, I decided I better get busy ironing.  It is one of my least favorite jobs.  It is never ending.  My Favoritest is expected to wear dress pants and a button up shirt anytime he is at the hospital.  The only exception to this is the 10-15 days a year he spends in the cath lab and can wear scrubs.  Oh how I love those weeks!  Because every shirt and pair of pants must be washed and then ironed.  I promise, I don't live in the dark ages.  I know about wrinkle free clothing.  I have tried to convince him of those lines at his favorite stores (even went so far as to offer Brooks Brothers wrinkle free shirts).  No go.  He likes starch.  He like them ironed.  In another lifetime I would have A) sent it to the dry cleaners or B) told him to do it himself.  In this lifetime, our budget doesn't allow for dry cleaning daily clothes and time is just as valuable.  I posted a few days ago about being given the gift of time when we moved.  Unfortunately for my Favoritest he was given the gift of working a million hours a week and limited time to actually enjoy life.  So in this lifetime, I rarely ask him to do his own ironing.  I do it.  And I used to complain about it.  A lot!  And then one day, I was ironing and started thinking about why I do the ironing for him.   Gradually, the job became a labor of love.  I strangely started like to the instant gratification of getting shirt sleeves pressed.  I hope that when he gets up before the sun rises, stumbles out of the shower and into the closet, and picks out his clothes (from the largest collection of dress shirts and khaki pants known to man) he feels a little bit of love knowing that they are all ironed and ready.  I know it sounds a little 50's house wifeish, but I have a sense of pride that he goes to work in well ironed clothes. So here is my picture of love....

Now don't get me wrong... I still complain about doing it.  I don't feel the need to name the iron. If he calls while I am ironing, I make sure to let him know that's what I am doing.  I also make sure to leave the newly ironed clothes hanging on the outside of the closet so he know just how much I love him!  What's a unique way that you and your family show your love?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

I Just Gotta Push!

Day 23: Black and White


Ahhh freedom to take pictures of what ever I wanted today.  I act like there is a man with a gun ready to take aim and fire if I don't follow the directions.  What I wanted was a picture of Doodle and all her Frwends in her bed.  What I got was soooo much better.  For months now, Doodle has been trying to climb into her crib.  Yes, I know she is almost 3 and still in a crib (and still SLEEPS with a paci).  Yes, I know if she can climb in she can climb out.  What you don't know is that she is a rule follower and knows her climbing limitations.  She has known how to climb out since December, but will not even try to throw a leg over because she knows she would fall and get hurt.  What you also may not realize is that my kid (God bless her soul) wakes up happy and stays happy in her crib for a long time (enough time to empty the dishwasher, take a shower, and throw on clothes).  The way I see it, we have the perfect set up.  She won't climb out, she is happy even when awake, and I don't have to worry about her.  Well, I have a feeling that is all about to change.  See for yourself.

I want to try!

I just have to push with my legs

I think I could do it Mommy!

 She is so proud of her latest accomplishment.  We have started to discuss making her bed a big girl bed like her  friend Japurb's bed.  This kind of talk always leads to a very long run on sentence with lots of excited stuttering about going to see Japurb and Sammy (the dog).  The adults in the household have discussed the conversion process and may attempt it this weekend.  I hope that her agreeability about a big girl bed has more follow through than her desire to have a little yellow potty (that has a twin white potty that both do nothing but collect dust in the bathrooms).  The adults have also discussed how many more "frwends" Doodle with have once she is like the cool big kids.  Just imagine what she can put in her bed then!

I got a lotta frwends!

Beautiful Inside and Out

Day 22: Landscape

I took a little me time tonight and drove over the mountain so I could get some landscape pictures.  I intended to stop at the scenic overlook and VDOT memorial in I-64 West and get some pictures of the valley below.  When I got to the VDOT memorial, I was struck by the beauty of the flag, the mountains, the sun, everything!  The reason I wanted to take the pictures in the first place is because every time I drive over the mountain, I have a sense of beauty.  Even when it is foggy and I can only see 10 feet in front of me, there is something beautiful about the mountains.  I remember driving over the mountain the first time 2 years ago (almost to the day) heading towards our new home.  Leaving behind family and friends, comfort and familiarity.  I was exhausted from a long drive and anxiety over moving, my Favoritest's new job as a fellow, my new job as a stay at home mom.  I was filled with every emotion one could think of.  As we crested the top of Afton Mountain I couldn't get over how beautiful it was.  Little did I know that our new home would be filled with as much inner beauty as the surrounding landscape.  We landed in a lovely townhouse surrounded by young families and kids the same age as Doodle.  Those families have become our friends and our extended family.  I found other friends (through UVA House Staff Social Network) who understand the crazy, hectic, frustrating, amazing life that our family leads because of my Favoritest's job.  Having those ladies for support and friendship has made a huge difference in my happiness.  I was also given a huge gift with this move.  TIME.  I know I always say that there is never enough, but I have more now than I ever did before.  I have time to enjoy Doodle.  Time to explore new hobbies like photography and writing.  I have time to indulge in old hobbies like scrapbooking.  I have time to sit on the computer and chat with my friends. All of those things give me the patience to deal with the frequent stints of single parenting and solo meals.  So, this picture that I intended just be something beautiful, has really made me think about the beauty of my home.  Two years after first seeing those mountains, I still marvel at their beauty.  More surprisingly is that I am still marveling at the inner beauty of our home!