Morning tea? Check!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Discoveries
Zahra has discovered makeup. I suppose, if we backup six weeks, we could say she'd discovered vanity. She had never worn a hairbow or headband for more than a minute but all of a sudden she wanted to put them on to look at herself in the mirror. Only THEN would she pull it out. She preened in front of the mirror and admired herself. Honestly, I need a video. I think she's too young for this, right? So, fast-forward to January and she wants to apply BB Cream, blush, and mascara. Zayd was into my makeup at this age, but he was OK with pretending. It might just be me, but I think she is actually "beautifying" whereas Zayd was just painting. As a feminist and Mawrter, I'm pretty sure I've gone astray here. Not until the makeup obsession started did I notice that I call her "pretty girl" about a million times a day. As a lady who shuns the term "princess", obviously I should spend more time highlighting her "executive ability".
Zayd has discovered nail biting. My little worrying lentil. It's like watching my brother twenty something years ago and I'm nervous about his new nervous habit. (Ha! Wonder where he gets it?!) He actually exclaimed, "look mom!" when he bit off his thumbnail this morning. I think he thought he'd invented nail biting. When I went to clip his nails tonight, there were only six to cut and four chewed to the quick. Then he called me into his bed tonight to get him a bandaid for his nail. I'm hoping this is a rookie mistake. Thoughts? Suggestions?
And mommy! Mommy has discovered all of the schooling options in San Antonio. Want your three year old in a mixed-age Montessori program? I know the place. Need flexibility to pick any random combination of hours, I can pick your school. Want to go through a grueling application process that feels more like college than pre-k? Check. Want to send your kid to a co-op? We've applied there too. Ugh. I've Google mapped my way between so many schools, work, and home that I would need a combinatorics expert to break it down. I've memorized the cost of a 7:30am drop off for (no joke!) seven schools. Who knows what well pick, but we are definitely well-informed customers.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
But how do I get out?
It's a big day in the Mammen house, Zayd graduated to a toddler bed. He has been resisting for so long but I figured it was more show than actual opposition. He is a little guy that doesn't like change. But we bit the bullet today and both kids are loving the new set up!
Our quote of the day, "Mom! How do I get out? How do I get out with my feet?"
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Good morning from three Mammens
It has begun! As I wanted to wear my sweater this morning. How long till she finds my shoes?
Pardon their sleepy eyes and messy heads, we just rolled out of bed! We've decided to spend our morning at a car wash place vacuuming their car seats. I think their gonna love it, but I'll let you know.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Making up for lost time
The Z's behind the counter at Trader Joe's. Our cash register guy was the best. |
Zahra was reaching in my bag and shrieking. I assumed she wanted her binky, so I handed it to her. She was after my lipgloss. Uh oh! |
His animals have been getting a lot more love since he discovered The Jungle Book. |
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Missing some Zs
I am in Maryland for work and have left Daddy in charge of the lentil and lolly. He seems to be doing rather well and the Mahncke Mom cadre of support starts tomorrow so I think my Mammens are going to pull through. (In other words, Zayd has playdates starting tomorrow to see them through their last few days.)
So, it takes a village. I have the book but I haven't yet read it. Someday when I have "free time". I suppose now would be the most opportune occasion but I left the book at home.
I have enjoyed getting home from work with a clean slate, napping, and watching hours on end of Downtown Abbey but the truth is I am not at all nostalgic for the days when I had this freedom. When I had it, it felt like an absence of something better to do because that's exactly what it was. When you don't have kids you "take for granted" that you can decide on any night of the week to see a movie or skip dinner all together. I remember being pregnant with Zayd and people telling me, "Go to a nice restaurant while you still can!" "Go to the movies before its too late." "You should travel!" "Sleep now" - always followed by a condescending laugh. But, honestly , if you think about it those not-yet-parents aren't taking anything for granted; there's nothing really that wonderful about having no obligations to little ones.
The real joy is having the kids and sneaking out for a movie with your husband. Or getting the littles to bed and then feeling the "freedom" of your short evening that belongs just to you.
So instead of warning young pregnant or adopting mothers what they need to squeeze in before all heck breaks loose, perhaps we should tell them the way they will learn to appreciate so much more of the lives they get to live once they are mothers. And how you'll never miss the sleep as much as you miss their newborn days. And how it only gets better from here.
Tonight Sam got to take Zayd to gymnastics for a ribbon ceremony. That is something I'm sad to miss.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Christmas Roundup 2014
We made a super cute Advent calendar this year with Christmas socks strung from the arch to the dining room. Each sock had a toy or candy in it and by one week in Zayd was telling everyone how he loves his Christmas socks. Here are some photos of the kiddos right out of the bath opening a knee high sock full of City Work Trucks (a WiFi van, a street sweeper, a snow plow or snow "dumptruck" as we call it). Mostly they got a single Reese's each or a single marker from a set of four. As they get older I would like to get them more experience-based things, but it is hard at this age to promise "let's go see the lights at UIW" or something when they ... are still on the unpredictable side of toddlerdom.
That night, Uncle Moon and the "boys" (who are nearly all men at this point) came over and we had a very Pakki Christmas with home-cooked Pakistani food and tons of family bonding time. Zayd *loves* those boys.