ChattaBaby

I thought they gave you a box.

I received a call the last week from what sounded like another credit card solicitation.  The caller asked specifically for Megan who happened to be at work so I asked if he wanted to talk to me.  The caller went on, and I'm paraphrasing here, he said we had been selected to be a Nielsen TV rating family.  He said we'd get a diary...three actually!  One for each TV set we have.  He asked that we keep a detailed account of our television viewing for 1 week.  I of course agreed and he said in turn we would be compensated with the sum of $30.   He didn't lie.  We got our packet yesterday and as I opened the slick blue, white and green envelope, $30 cash fluttered to the floor like confetti.  Who mails cash?  It feels strangely like a back room arrangement.  Regardless,  I wonder how honest we are going to be in our record keeping efforts.  I wonder if starting this thursday I won't be watching a little more PBS and a little less E!.

chattababy: summer bulletin

In case you haven't heard: baby#2 is on the way, due in November.  The ultra sound semi-conclusively identified the fetus as a girl.  Not sure on the name yet but we have effectively ruled out Hillary Rodham S_______.

Sarah is getting ready to start preschool full time this fall.  She will also begin a dance class which when mentioned, incites pants pee peeing (hers, not mine).  Aunt Jen has some great photos up on her site of Sarah attending a gymnastics class this past spring, among other great pics (including the one in this post).

Barbies have entered into the equation.  Not sure when it happened but role playing with barbie-type dolls have become our favorite post-dinner activity.  Barbie's friends Ariel and Cinderella have been known to hijack the pink corvette with there children Ariel Jr. and Cinderella Jr. which happen to be PEZ dispensers cast in their own image...oh, the charmed life of a princess.  My long-term goal not only involves me owning a PEZ dispenser cast in MY image, but also tooling around in a pink sports car with Barry Jr. tenderly strapped into the passenger seat. 

"would you like a piece of candy shaped like medication, Barry Sr.?"

"Oh, Barry Jr.  you always seem to know when I need something tart to suck on."

just plain wacky

Crewmutts

Seriously, that's what it's called. I was shopping the gigantic sale at jcrew.com and wondered what crewmutts was, so I clicked on it. WHAT?!?!

I think this DOG sweater costs $45.00.

the richest man in town

I hope everyone had a super holiday.  We are getting back on track which entails massive amounts of clean-up and organization, figuring out how these new toys are going to coincide with the old ones.  Having a full day together, the three of us with no work or other obligations was pretty special.

O Christmas Tree

Does this make her Baby Spice?

Sarah loves to keep her school life a secret. And it's not for any lack of prying on my part. I come at her from all directions: Who did you play with today? Was Susie sitting next to you at lunch? Did you show Maggie your new Chapstick? What color was Timmy's painting?

She usually sends back every volley with a one-syllable answer (sometimes it's not even a real word)

Well, on our way shopping this morning, Sarah started telling me all about the "Ladies Only" ice cream store. She would say, "You know, mom, the one with Brenna and me." Well, I did not know. But she went on, and soon I realized it was a game she played at school. She and Brenna would drive to the ice cream store on their bikes, but it was only for ladies. Susie's a lady, and her teacher's a lady, but Timmy's not a lady ...

Uh-oh, I thought. "Sarah, but Timmy's your friend. Can't you have a friends' ice cream store?"
She said no, boys can go to the library.

So then I start thinking about how to tell her I want her to be friends with everyone, not playing games that exclude the majority of her class.
But then there's the other part of me that kind of likes her who-needs-men attitude. Girl Power!

We need a playdate with Oliver, fast!

Rock on

There's not much to say about this picture. Except that even thinking about it makes me crack up. Can you believe she wouldn't go trick or treating with her red hair, though? Maybe we'll keep it for next Halloween and she can be a glam rocker.

He'll always be in our hearts

Or at least Sarah's anyway. This is one of only two photos ever taken of Sarah's scarecrow brother. She asked about him yesterday but was easily dismissed. Thank goodness.

O brother!

Sarah has become very attached to certain objects lately. First was the carpet cleaner we rented from Lowe's. She broke down in tears in the backseat when Daddy returned her "robot brother" to the store. Shortly after that we took a trip to buy pumpkins. Sprinkled among the pumpkins were Sarah-sized scarecrows made of Styrofoam and corn stalks. Sarah would go to each one and wrap her arms around it, stopping to talk and posing for a few photos, too. I couldn't resist. I bought Sarah a "scarecrow brother" to take home.

Well, Sarah's new brother stayed inside most of the time, but yesterday Barry was out doing yardwork and assembled a nice fall display by our azaleas. The scarecrow brother was out waving to cars, surrounded by our gourd and pumpkins.

I have nothing against Halloween pranks. I am not so old and codgery that a smashed pumpkin in front of my house would raise ire, but as I donned my winter coat early this morning to clean it up, my blood chilled as I thought to look over to where Sarah's scarecrow brother SHOULD HAVE BEEN. Kidnapped! I looked in the garbage can and under our cars, just in case. Horrible thoughts of what THEY may have done to him keep going through my head.

Well, I spent the morning trying to figure out how to tell Sarah. I didn't want to have to explain why another brother was taken from her, and I didn't want her to think hoodlums were on the loose that might take other things away from her. As we were leaving for the Krystal hamburger competitive eating contest (It smelled so good down there!), I tried to shield her from "the void," but she caught a glimpse and froze.

What's helping it not sink in, I think, is that when she was downstairs this morning she found Santa Baby in the closet and asked to play with him. Santa Baby is also Sarah-sized and much rounder and easier to hug. Santa Baby was allowed to watch Sarah take her nap, something she said her scarecrow brother was never allowed to do.