I am proud to announce that I survived the last 72 hours. Hopefully I look better than I feel. This one was a doozey that I've been dreading a bit for a few weeks.
I wish that I'd kept track of the mileage that I put on the car -- that would have put it in to perspective -- but with gas as cheap as it is right now, I'm no longer eyeing the gas gauge like I used to.
Here's hoping that you're not totally exhausted, or bored, after you've read out it. Internet -- I'm warning you -- this one is long. VERY. LONG.
Friday AKA "vacation day"
9:30 -- My day started with a tour of in-home daycare #1. [I am sure that, once the dust settles and my head clears, I'll likely share all my daycare stories/angst/issues with you. For the time being, though, I will share that lately I have been 150% preoccupied with finding Anna a new home during the day. For a variety of reasons, including waiting lists YEARS long...seriously, one place I called told me they might be able to offer her a spot in their THREE YEAR OLD room...yes, like, in 2.4 YEARS...I decided to expand my search beyond traditional center-based daycare to in-home daycares. Read on.] It took 50 minutes to tour 2 rooms and a bathroom, during which time Anna cried. No screamed. HER HEAD OFF. Because of course you know that they're interviewing me even more than I'm interviewing them. I think we failed. I sort of got that "we'll call you if a spot opens up" kind of a good-bye. Which is fine. I wasn't feeling it.
10:45 -- Trip to the pediatricians. When they asked me why Anna needed the appointment, I simply explained that I was sick and tired of having a sick baby. They needed to fix her. Or I was going to ask for a refund and a model upgrade. Seriously, I think she's been congested since birth. And she's sounded like a 60 year old smoker for the past 2 months. Nothing serious enough to keep her out of school, but after two different medications through a nebulizer AND a round of oral steroids, I expected more progress. Which I wasn't getting. But I did get a long and serious conversation with one of the elder pediatricians in the practice. Who Anna totally charmed with her smiles, raspberry-blowing talents, and chants of "mamamamama" (LOVE THAT!) and aba-aba-aba (well, Mamma Mia was one of her first feature films!). Bottom line -- the pediatricians suspects a dairy allergy. Huh... So she's now on soy formula. Of course we got the diagnosis days after we dropped some $150 on those commercial sized vats of Similac that you can get at Costco. Uugh! Well, here's hoping that this does the trick. We'll know in a few weeks. Naturally dairy elimination takes time. And, yes, the coughing continues...
11:30 -- Since we were so close, and since I can always come up with an excuse to hit "Tar-jjaay," Anna and I stopped at the local Target on our way home to pick up Similac Soy and a new vacuum cleaner. My Mothers of North Arlington mom's group has adopted a few families for the holidays, and their Christmas wish lists were posted on our website. Of course, by the time that I got around to check it out, the ONLY gift left was the vacuum. But since that item was actually on my own list a few years ago, I was more than happy to oblige. Awesome that I can teach Lily about the gift of giving while teaching about cleanliness (next to godliness right? guess you haven't been at my house lately...). Anna and I got everything on the list, plus a few extras, and I was able to resist getting anything at "Cafe Tarjjaay" even though I hadn't yet had breakfast or coffee. Still not sure how I was able to put one foot in front of the other. Screw breakfast...can live without that...but I'm usually not human 'til I've had my coffee.
12:45 -- Got stuck in traffic. Started swearing that I hadn't gotten anything to eat at Target.
1:30 -- Home. Quick diaper change. Restocked the diaper bag. Stuffed my face with various scraps of leftovers.
2:40 -- Picked Lily up early from school. Forgot to sign her out, for which I'm sure we'll be tarred and feathered tomorrow. Oops.
3:00 -- Toured in-home daycare #2 with Lily in tow. LOVED IT. Rather than scream, this time Anna was all smiles. Before we left she was on the floor, playing with toys and the owner, laughing. WILDLY.
3:45 -- Piled both girls in the car to race downtown for the Huck holiday party.
4:05 -- Pull in to garage. Thankfully we found a spot right away. We did a quick costume change. I think I used half a package of wipes giving Lily a sponge bath next to the car -- she gets SO FREAKIN FILTHY at school!! But soon enough both girls were wearing matching velvet holiday dresses. We were ready to go. Lily was giddy she was so excited about seeing her old friends and her FAVORITE BAND play. Like, OMG, is that Coach Cotton? Willie Bob? And Boogie Woogie Bennie? Yup, local pre-school heroes, Rocknoceros, were the featured entertainment. These guys have groupies. Just ask Noah (wink, wink).
4:15 -- We arrived with the concert already in full swing. A bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention when we walked through the doors, Lily balked, hid behind me, and decided she wanted to go back to the car. AS IF! Anna and I schlepped all the way downtown just for her to rock out to Rocknoceros. Like it or not, she was going to stay. When she discovered, though, that an old classmate was wearing the exact same dress, she quickly turned her frown upside down and joined the four year old mosh pit. I guess having the same dress as a classmate is cool in preschool. If only they knew how UNCOOL that soon becomes.
Although it's hard to see, the girls were jumping. Because apparently that's how "cool" preschoolers dance. Or that's what they told me.
5:45 -- After too many desserts to count, and lots of "jump up and get down-ing," we headed home. I was starting to feel the day. And guilty. Having spent several hours that day touring new daycares, the teachers and directors at the Huck couldn't have been nicer. They were so happy to see Lily. THEY were practically giddy...
6:30 -- 11:30 -- Home. Dinner. Kids in bed. Noah packed for ATL. Attempted to watch Stepbrothers, which turned in to Noah's out of control laughter and my nap on the couch. Welcome to our Friday nights!
Saturday
7:30 -- Noah left for Atlanta and wished me good luck. His alarm clock, of course, woke the kids up. No sleeping in for me...
9:00 -- My mom arrived to watch the kids so I could make it to my pilates class. I haven't been in three weeks and knew I'd be in trouble. I was SO dreading this class. But I also knew that if I missed one more week I'd be too intimidated to go back. I'll have you know, though, that I'm STILL in so much pain that I can actually feel it in my abs when each finger moves to type. Clearly I love you a lot.
11:00 -- I returned from pilates. Amazingly, the next hour and forty minutes is a blur. I know it was only yesterday, but I honestly can't remember it. I do know that I managed to shower, get dressed myself, and together with my mom get the girls dressed. Much beyond that I don't remember.
12:40 -- Restocked the diaper bag.
12:50 -- We left for the Nutcracker. We got lost. We found our way. We arrived in time to get a good spot in the line for general admission seating. Which I HATE. Put me in a line for general admission seating to watch paint dry, or mold grow, and I'll still get competitive. It's why I hate flying Southwest Airlines too. Hurry up. Wait. Hurry up. Wait. All the while my competitive juices are RAGING. This time, though, I'm happy to report that we got great seats. 7 of them. My cousin Susana had organized us small group of girls to go see the Nutcracker. And while I remembered all the details of the outing, I forgot to prepare Lily for a full-length performance that had NO DIALOGUE. Or at least it wasn't meant to have dialogue. The whisper shouts from Lily and her friend, Charlotte, were likely heard by everyone in the theater.
Lily with her cousin, Camilla, and buddy, Charlotte.
2:00 -- 4:30 -- Nutcracker. Music. Riveted baby Anna who refused to sleep lest she miss a second of it. Lily did very well until 20 minutes before it ended when she declared that she was bored. And wanted to go home. I gave her another snack, which bought me 15 minutes. 5 minutes before the curtain call she fell asleep in her seat.
4:35 -- DASH. We dashed out the door, 35 minutes after the performance was scheduled to end, only to find snow falling and traffic backed up. The whining 4 year old in the backseat added to the fun.
5:02 -- Arrival at a birthday party, 32 minutes late. When I searched for wine I only found juice boxes. Damn. Oh well, it was worth looking for!
6:15 -- Party ends. Pack children in to the car. Head to Williams-Sonoma for a late errand. Because I'm a mean mommy. More snow. Anna's first. Shame that Noah missed it.
Anna's first snow. And, yes, we do call that snow in these parts. Don't laugh!
7:05 -- Home. So tired.
8:30 -- Both girls were fast asleep. Miracle of all miracles! Lovely, just enough time for me to do a load of laundry, load the dishwasher, and watch one of my twelve million shows stored on TiVo. Some day I'll have the time AND energy to make a dent in the queue.
Sunday -- the day of rest?!?
7:35 -- Phone rang. It was Noah. He had figured that we were up (we weren't). He was calling to tell me that he woke up with his eye crusted closed and ask what it might be. Like Lily had had. A few different times. "You know, Courtney, when her eye was pink and crusted closed..." UM, you mean PINK EYE?!? Poor Noah.
7:45 -- Stripped sheets off all our beds. Washed them each. Twice. In scalding hot water. My fingers are crossed that I caught this before it spreads.
8:00 -- While I was down in the basement, I folded three baskets of clean laundry. Amazing that we had any clothes left in our dressers. "Paid" Lily with a candy cane to come get me if Anna started protesting loudly from her exersaucer.
8:30 -- "Paid" her again to watch Anna while I showered.
9:00 -- Organized Lily to create cards for the three birthday celebrations we were about to attend. Major creative session ensued. Lily declared that my mother, "Nettie," was going to "freak out" when she saw her card. Who taught my four year old to say "freak out"???
9:50 -- Restocked diaper bag.
10:00 -- My mother arrived. We had a lovely, and amazingly non-rushed, brunch at Harry's Tap Room in Clarendon. In honor of my mother's birthday. To be kind, I won't disclose which birthday. Lily ordered her own meal. Fruit. Smoked salmon (as in lox). Vanilla bean ice cream. Interesting combo...
12:15 -- Dropped off seriously overdue library books on our way home.
1:05 -- Restocked diaper bag. Again.
1:15 -- Left for second birthday celebration of the day. This one for twin girls at Lily's school. At Monkey Business in Falls Church, VA. Anna spit up on me. Twice. Isn't a party 'til someone pukes! Lily cried. Twice. Not a party 'til tears are shed either. These over some weird oblong bouncy thing that looked like a....well....I'm not going to go there, but the tears weren't worth it.
3:05 -- Departed Monkey Business for the third birthday celebration of the day, this one at Jumping Jack Sports in Ashburn, VA. We had about 30 minutes of travel time. Did I mention that this party started at 3?
3:40-5:00 -- Enjoyed a great party. This one for the son of MY friend. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow....and a very long day.
6:30 -- Lily asked for dinner, even though she'd eaten pizza and ice cream cake at the second birthday and birthday cake at the first. I think she's in the middle of a major growth spurt. I hope it's up and not out. With dinner, though, came a little concert.
Sorry it's so dark. And sorry to "out" you Jamie. We still love you even if you give LOUD gifts and sit on the other side of the aisle!
But as tired as I am in my core -- way too tired to be funny for you, my loyal blog readers -- I'm supremely relieved to have made the decision about Anna's care situation. While I'm dreading that conversation tomorrow, we are pulling her from the only daycare that we have ever known and putting her in this in-home daycare that is mere blocks from our house and that gets RAVE reviews from parents current and past. I just keep remembering her squeals of laughter when we were there on Friday. I hope. I pray. My fingers are crossed that we're making the right decision. I'll keep you posted.
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