Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner
Considering that Miss Z's arrival in our family meant X's demotion from complete center of the universe, he's doing pretty well with her. There are wonderful moments when they laugh together in the car, urging each other on to ever sillier noises or faces. They rough house with the Mr. and it's a joy to see. There is occasional sharing (mostly on X's part), and sweet words and hugs. But there are also more-than-occasional skirmishes and anguished cries of frustration--from X--when Miss Z thwarts his plans.
Last night I was making dinner and X had been badgering Miss Z for long enough to get her frustrated (which means a long time because she's incredibly easy going). She went over to the lazy susan and started to scrounge through it--a favorite activity and something we totally allow. X got in her way, I wasn't watching closely and suddenly I heard agonized screams--from X--accompanied by copious tears. In between sobs he showed me his bicep with a perfectly clear bite mark on it, two little half moon indentations of teeth.
It is not the first time--nor I imagine the last--that Miss Z will bite her brother. She has some words now--cracker, more, MillMill (the beta cat), Bro Bro--but not enough vocabularly to tell her brother "God damn it, stop hounding me and let me get down to my toddler business!" So she bites. Each time I explain patiently to X that, yes indeed that doesn't feel good, and no indeed we don't condone biting in our family (unless it's me biting Benny--the alpha cat--because he really likes it). But that babies who get frustrated by aggravating big brothers will bite, so his best defense is to simply be nicer to her.
It's amazing to me how we got the perfect baby sister for X.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Sister, Sisters, There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters
My big sister, aka Kiki or The Apple, is coming for the weekend! The Mr. has to be out of town for a work/fun trip that I usually go on--but the X-Man has a school audition (err, observed playtime) so I'm taking one for the team. But since Kiki will be here, it's not at all a raw deal.
Our history of her being absolutely wonderful and great to me goes way back. When I was two--and she was eighteen--my parents somehow convinced her that we should share a room. What were they thinking? Or maybe they were smarter than we all realized-when I was old enough she told me that was the best birth control ever.
When we were both a little bit older and she was out on her own, at the start of her nursing career (did I mention she's an incredible nurse?), she would come to visit and take me to SF in her VW bug. I'd ride "shotgun" on the side--the front passenger seat was out (I don't remember why), so I'd stretch out in the open space. She always let me choose the restaurant and I'd always pick Zim's.
Having her for a big sister is a little like having a spare Grandma around--she's willing to hang on every tiny anecdote about the kids, no matter how ridiculous or trivial. When the X-Man was a wee, tiny baby and still on oxygen, she would come to visit and play night nurse so the Mr. and I could get some sleep. I'm not sure I would have trusted anyone else with him at that point--but hey, my big sister and a NICU R.N., no problem.
She went even further for me with Miss Z. We had to stay out of state for two weeks when Miss was born--holed up in a hotel in the middle of winter, missing out on Thanksgiving. the Mr. had to get back to keeping the world safe for capitalism, so he flew Kiki out to keep me and Miss Z company. I can't imagine anyone else being with me then. We took turns sleeping with the baby, changing diapers, kept each other company watching bad tv and eating tuna and rice. We got really familiar with the local Starbuck's (never my first choice--but they don't have Peet's in Ohio). We California girls drove around in the snow in a huge SUV, trying not to panic when the passenger seat would flop back and the tail gate would suddenly fly open (Miss Z sleeping through it all). We had Thanksgiving dinner (my first away from the Mr. since we met) in a restaurant and actually had a lovely time.
She's just the best. She understands what makes our darling parents so crazy-making and why on occasion you have to tell Mom to just "back away from the fridge." She knows what a spoiled primma donna I am, and she loves me anyway. She appreciates my obsession with Michael Buble because she has a parallel one with Josh Groban.
So this weekend we'll hang out with the kids, do a little shopping, eat some yummy stuff and just revel in each other's company. I "heart" my big sis.
My big sister, aka Kiki or The Apple, is coming for the weekend! The Mr. has to be out of town for a work/fun trip that I usually go on--but the X-Man has a school audition (err, observed playtime) so I'm taking one for the team. But since Kiki will be here, it's not at all a raw deal.
Our history of her being absolutely wonderful and great to me goes way back. When I was two--and she was eighteen--my parents somehow convinced her that we should share a room. What were they thinking? Or maybe they were smarter than we all realized-when I was old enough she told me that was the best birth control ever.
When we were both a little bit older and she was out on her own, at the start of her nursing career (did I mention she's an incredible nurse?), she would come to visit and take me to SF in her VW bug. I'd ride "shotgun" on the side--the front passenger seat was out (I don't remember why), so I'd stretch out in the open space. She always let me choose the restaurant and I'd always pick Zim's.
Having her for a big sister is a little like having a spare Grandma around--she's willing to hang on every tiny anecdote about the kids, no matter how ridiculous or trivial. When the X-Man was a wee, tiny baby and still on oxygen, she would come to visit and play night nurse so the Mr. and I could get some sleep. I'm not sure I would have trusted anyone else with him at that point--but hey, my big sister and a NICU R.N., no problem.
She went even further for me with Miss Z. We had to stay out of state for two weeks when Miss was born--holed up in a hotel in the middle of winter, missing out on Thanksgiving. the Mr. had to get back to keeping the world safe for capitalism, so he flew Kiki out to keep me and Miss Z company. I can't imagine anyone else being with me then. We took turns sleeping with the baby, changing diapers, kept each other company watching bad tv and eating tuna and rice. We got really familiar with the local Starbuck's (never my first choice--but they don't have Peet's in Ohio). We California girls drove around in the snow in a huge SUV, trying not to panic when the passenger seat would flop back and the tail gate would suddenly fly open (Miss Z sleeping through it all). We had Thanksgiving dinner (my first away from the Mr. since we met) in a restaurant and actually had a lovely time.
She's just the best. She understands what makes our darling parents so crazy-making and why on occasion you have to tell Mom to just "back away from the fridge." She knows what a spoiled primma donna I am, and she loves me anyway. She appreciates my obsession with Michael Buble because she has a parallel one with Josh Groban.
So this weekend we'll hang out with the kids, do a little shopping, eat some yummy stuff and just revel in each other's company. I "heart" my big sis.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
In Another Life
Aren't these pretty?
http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat=272104&coll=279004&prg=1365904
Especially the mosaic of birds and vines. I tried to put them in here as a photo but I am seriously computer-impaired. It's a wonder I even have a blog. So you'll have to jump on the link to see.
Where you won't see them is in the new house. There is no place where they obviously fit. But they are just so great--any takers? Then I can come visit you and oooh and ahhh over them?
Aren't these pretty?
http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat=272104&coll=279004&prg=1365904
Especially the mosaic of birds and vines. I tried to put them in here as a photo but I am seriously computer-impaired. It's a wonder I even have a blog. So you'll have to jump on the link to see.
Where you won't see them is in the new house. There is no place where they obviously fit. But they are just so great--any takers? Then I can come visit you and oooh and ahhh over them?
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