Ch ch ch ch changes

If you are a parent, perhaps you can chime in if you recognize this:

Do you remember when your newborn went from being that little lump that just lay in your lap, it's milky little eyes open but not able to focus on anything, to a little chub that sat up and took notice and smiled?

Or when your baby started forming words, then sentences, then opinions? "NO RELLA!" meant he was adamantly NOT having any tofurella cheese, and really, I can't blame him.

Or when your sweet natured toddler became a defiant, maniacal button-pusher? BWAAAAHAAAAAHAAAA! I PUSH DESE BUTTONS!!!!! Where did that agreeable little cherub go? And I was so afraid I'd never see him again. I did, but he was returned to me changed a bit, having lived a little wilder, a little more independent, a little more sure of his hold on the world.

And now, can I just tell you, my son is going from little kid to big kid and there just isn't enough coffee to catch me up. My sweet natured kiddo is becoming an eye-rolling, "so" monster. I'll ask him to do something he'll roll his eyes. I'll tell him that there will be a consequence to the behavior and I get "so". (I HATE "SO". SO, SO MUCH). There is so much attitude, I can hardly believe it. And sometimes, he's just in a bucket of worms. His emotions are running really hot and cold. He'll cry if he thinks I'm being unfair (like when I remind him to brush his teeth or something of this heinous nature), and he'll get so angry about something I say, so out of all proportion angry, I just almost have to laugh. (But I don't. But I really, really want to.).

It's odd too, because most of the time it seems as though he's just trying it on. Not like he really feels committed to these thoughts and feelings, but like he's performing some covert social experiment, networking with the other eight year olds to see who can drive their parents crazy first. And farthest. "field note: mom does not give in to whining at 0800 hours. Begin before coffee for next attempt."

Today though he had a friend from down the street over, and he's having his first sleepover, ever. And I'm seeing glimpses of my boy. The thoughtful one, who, when the kid staying over sasses me, say "Hey, don't say that to my mom!" And when I went to tuck them in (for the tenth time), he looked up at me with such big eyes, and said "g'night mom." and whispered "I miss snuggling you".

So yeah, he's growing up crazy fast. But we're still hanging on to that last little boy thread. Thank God.

Talking to cousin Tim

Talking to cousin Tim
Originally uploaded by anniemcq

Joe-Henry has cousins that are all quite a bit older than he is. His cousin Tim is 21, but they are dopplegangers in so many ways. They have a lot of the same mannerisms and speech patterns and interests, and Joe-Henry loves him like a brother. He was talking to him on Christmas day and you can just tell from the picture how much he loves him.

Silent Night

Joe-Henry and I made it out of the worst weather in recorded history in the Northwest with nothing more than a half hour delay.

Charley's car died on the way to the airport this morning and he called my brother at 5:21, who came and got him to the airport on time, then waited by the car for the tow truck for only 10 minutes (after being told it would be 4 or 5 hours). He arrived here safely at 11:50 a.m. It was odd, because I woke from a fitful sleep at 5:22, and had started to text him to see if he was at the airport when he texted me, not wanting to wake me. When I texted him back, he called to tell me what was going on. But I knew already - we were on the wavelength.

My flu, which hit the first day we arrived is subsiding.

The presents are finally wrapped. The snowglobe is settling, and so I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a New Year guided by guardian angels.

I am so grateful for each and every one of you, dear bloggie friends. Enjoy your holiday.

Weatherman

Submitted this to the local news.

snowball fight

Joe-Henry had a snowday today, and he and the neighbor kids had a snowball fight. They had a blast, and even though the snow is gone now, the giggles are still lingering.
Enjoy

We Wish You A Merry Christmas...

We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Originally uploaded by anniemcq

...And all those other wintry wonderful celebrations!

Stay warm, stay cozy, stay safe.

AnnieMcQ

charlie Brown Christmas Dance

I'm the girl in the pink dress near the middle - which Charlie Brown dancer are you?

These are a few of my favorite things...

So, even though they do not nurse from my teats, these "kittens" of ours have a way of keeping me up all night.

And, btw, since it seems I've been missed, I just went ahead and used the word "teats" right there in the first sentence. Like when John Travolta jammed the needle into Uma Thurman's heart in Pulp Fiction.

I have been running interference between cats and kid and husband, and even though we have wisely decided not to put up a tree this year because starting a fire is low on our list of priorities, they have still found plenty of things to knock over, pounce on, chase and use their claws on. Stripes has taken to crawling under the covers when I'm sound asleep, finding my fingers, and attempting to bite the rings off my fingers. It's my favorite thing, next to Lulu shitting on the kittens' cozy bed and smearing it around the bathroom.

And yet. And yet, I love them madly (well, I'll be honest, Lulu has been walking a pretty tight rope for the last 7 years, so, while I try to show her love and affection, and we take the best care of her that we can, she's on my last good nerve). Bosco is turning into a huge love bug - she snuggles up on my lap when I'm at the computer or reading the paper and she purrs so loud she sounds like a little motorboat. She's also begun to drool when she's happy, which I love, because I don't feel so lonely when I do it. Stripes will give me kisses on my mouth if I pucker up.

That last sentence has officially punted me into crazy old cat lady territory, hasn't it?

In other news: it's cold up here, and expected to get colder this weekend, with rain/ice/snow in the forecast. We're stocking up on firewood and insulating the pipes and hoping to stay safe and dry. We'll probably play some monopoly, if we can't get out to see Santa. I have a feeling that this might be the last year I can get him to go see the guy. Sigh. And even though it makes me sad to think about that being lost, I'm also kind of ready to let it go. Maybe when he knows it's us, the crazy expectation of presentspresentspresents will ease, and he'll just be able to feel the magic of the season - you know, love and goodwill and all that. Or not.

Maybe he'll just be bitterly disappointed and his trust in us to tell him the truth will be shattered forever.

He got a fantastic report card today, the kind that I will be fondly looking at when he's a teenager, I'm sure, but still. I'm popping my buttons a bit, and so is his Dad. His teacher seems to think he's a great kid, and we do too, so perhaps he'll turn out alright.

It's strange - Christmas is rapidly approaching, and I'm not feeling crazy. I'm not sure what's wrong with me. It's usually right about now that I begin to freak out about stuff. Maybe the shitty economy has taken the pressure off. Or maybe I'm just getting better at remembering what's important. I'd like to think that somewhere around age 47 one can begin to acquire some perspective.

I'll tell that to Joe-Henry when he gets the bad news about Santa. "Hang in there, kid. You'll come out of it in 40 more years or so!".