Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

They Love Each Other…

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…they really do.  But when Chloe got into our car this evening after five days in Texas, it was as if she had never left.  Sophie started to bait her big sister, to tattletale on her big sister, and Chloe reacted every single time.

I really did not miss the back-and-forth these last few days.  I missed Chloe, but I didn’t miss the Chloe & Sophie routine.  “Mommy, Chloe’s touching my car seat.”  “Mommy, Chloe said ‘poopy.'”  “Mom, Sophie hit me.”  “Sophie, don’t touch my book!”  And on and on and on and on…
That said, I’m happy Chloe is home.  I missed her chatterfests.  I missed her funny stories.  I missed not having her around to make Sophie laugh.  
Speaking of which, Sophie made all of us laugh tonight.  She took her new jewelry box (thanks, Grammy!), opened it up, did a semi-headstand on her bed, and while upside down, examined her butt in the box’s mirror.  “What are you doing, Sophie?”  “I’m looking at my butt!”
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

Playground!

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The day couldn’t have been more beautiful.  Sophie and I got to go to the playground while the hubby went to the supermarket.  And we had lots of fun.
We ran around the field playing tag, which for Sophie meant yelling “stop!” so that she could catch me.  We used a stick to make music on the metal garbage can and danced.  We watched some soccer and drew flowers in the dirt.
Sophie was visibly happy – happy as a clam – to be spending some quality time with her mom.  As was I.  We shared water, grapes and an apple.  And exchanged kisses and hugs.  In all honesty, I hadn’t felt so relaxed in a long time.  Probably not since my time off with the girls last year.
In the meantime, Chloe was in the Lone Star State visiting caves and having close encounters with hairy bats.  And playing Pac-Man on the computer.  She is having a great time and she’ll be back tomorrow evening.  And I can’t wait to see her.
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

An Adult Party!

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My husband and I just got home from a party – yes, an adult party.  A “kegger,” to be exact.  Our neighbor, a senior in high school, did the honor of babysitting Sophie while we met up with our friends.
I was in college the last time I went to a kegger.  And in college, we didn’t call such gatherings keggers, we called them frat parties.  And back then, twenty or so years ago, they weren’t nearly as civilized as the party tonight – where most, if not all, of the guests had children sleeping at home.
No Budweiser for us 40-somethings.  Stella Artois, thank you.  And wine for those of us who are no longer (or never were) beer drinkers.  And jello shots for those who longed for the good ‘ole days of college.  And even the jello shots, which were offered in cherry vodka, pina colada, lime and orange vodka flavors, were a little more sophisticated than the ones I remember.  My husband, the Frenchie, never had a jello shot before tonight.  He had trouble getting it out of the shot glass, and required a few minutes of coaching. 
We came home to a sleeping Sophie, who survived her first time with a babysitter who was someone other than her Grammy or her two beloved weekday sitters.  This is very good news.  Our days as weekend prisoners to our kids are over!   Hallelujah!  
 
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

Friday!

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The stock market is still tanking – but I did my part to shore up the financial markets today by investing in Kraft Foods and BP. People have to eat and drive their cars (even if they are trying to do less of the latter).  And while I am in no way convinced that we’ve hit bottom, the two companies’ stock prices are at levels not seen in a very long time.  You know times are bad when a 128-point decline in the Dow Jones is considered a good thing.
I left work a bit on the early side to pick up Sophie from her babysitter this afternoon.  It was so nice to be home at 5 pm!  I’d forgotten what it was like.  We made some rounds and visited our neighbors, and had a lovely hour catching up with our friends.  It was a gorgeous day and I was happy to spend a bit of it outside with my little girl.
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

It’s Quiet Here!

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Chloe is with my mom – they’re leaving for the airport at the crack of dawn tomorrow.  I came home a bit late tonight, after Chloe left, and it was quiet.  

OK.  It lasted for only about two minutes, until I went to say hi to Sophie, whose last cartoon of the day was ending.  She asked to watch another one, and I was the bad guy because I said no.  No hug hello for me tonight.  Just Sophie swiping at me with her hand for having the gall to refuse to let her watch more TV.  When I warned her she’d be going to the corner, she cried for her Papa.  
And then she saw the slice of pizza on the table, which was meant for me.  She had already had her dinner, but she’s evidently over her cold, because now she’s famished.  So, not only did she assault me when I arrived home, she stole my food.  
Supernanny, are you still accepting applications?
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

Sophie is Going to Have a Vacation…

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…from Chloe.  This is a good thing.  As of tomorrow night, Chloe will be with my mom and the two of them will hit the clouds for Texas.  For a glorious four days, Chloe and Sophie will not have a chance to fight or tease each other or scream in each other’s faces.  

And they love each other, they really, really do.  But Sophie knows that all she has to do is yell “no!” at Chloe and that’s enough to set Chloe off.  So Sophie, of course, continues to yell “no!”  
It’s truly wonderful to come home from a stressful day of work to two girls who are doing all they can to torture each other.  When I was on the phone earlier with my brother (whom Chloe and my mom are going to visit), I could sense the mental sigh of relief from him when he realized that the child screaming at the top of her lungs was not the child arriving in an airplane to see him in a couple of days. 
As for myself, I am very much looking forward to some peace and quiet.  And maybe some shopping and a pedicure to do my part to shore up the economy.

Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

Another Monday

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I’m starting to really dislike Mondays.  Between the roller coaster rides in the stock market and the typical “Oh, it’s Monday” doldrums, I’m ready for a break.
Chloe is taking a break with my mom later in the week to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Texas.  She can’t wait.  She’s very eager to go to a rock concert, because the last time we visited them it was during a music festival and she couldn’t get enough of all the really, really loud music.  Apparently, they’ll be going to a gospel concert of some sort this time around .  Gospel’s great, but let’s face it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t quite live up to her expectations.
In the meantime, Chloe’s been diligently taking care of her newly pierced ears.  We’ll see if she can keep it up for the eight weeks mandated by the pharmacy.  She also continues to torture Sophie, by touching her too much.  Which really is kind of dumb, because even if Chloe doesn’t hurt Sophie, Sophie will use drama and tears to bring attention to her “plight”and her sister’s misdeeds.
Sophie is a smart cookie.  Her pediatrician thinks she should be in school this year so that she has an opportunity to accumulate experiences independently – without our involvement.  But she’s just fine.   Sophie isn’t suffering from not being in a classroom – she is very much her own person.  That said, we’ll enroll her next year – for better or for worse, we’re going to have to get her prepped for kindergarten eventually…
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

My Sick Little Sophie

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It’s been about a week since Sophie came down with her debilitating cold.  Nice way to spend her first seven days as a three-year old!
Although she was noticeably improved today, she’s still not herself.  No singing, no dancing, very few smiles.  And very little eating (shocker!).  Lots of lying down and napping.  And crankiness.
I’m looking forward to healthy Sophie returning soon.  We miss her a lot.  Our refrigerator isn’t emptying as quickly without her customary ravenous appetite.  She had her three-year check-up yesterday, and she’s doing great.  The good news is that she can now drink skim milk also. No more need to buy two different kinds of milk – yet another milestone.   Go, Sophie, go.
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

Let the Piercings Begin

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As promised, we allowed Chloe to get her ears pierced today.  We went to a local pharmacy known for tag teaming so that the ears go under the gun simultaneously.
When we got there, however, we learned that one of the women was home sick.  I asked Chloe if she’d be willing to have one ear pierced at a time, and she gamely accepted.  Like mother, like daughter.  There was no way in hell she’d postpone this momentous occasion.
The selection of the earrings went surprisingly fast, given that there were approximately 100 pairs from which to choose.  Then came the hard part.  
The woman prepped the ears, and the first earring went in.  Chloe was clearly not expecting it to hurt as much as it did.  She went from eager anticipation to excruciating pain in a millisecond.  The tears welled up, but they soon overflowed and started streaming down her cheeks.  She was suffering in silence, and she grabbed my hand for the second round.  In it went.  And more tears fell.  
The nice woman gave her a lollypop and the tears slowly subsided, especially once she grabbed hold of the mirror and saw the earrings, happily lodged in her lobes.
Once we arrived home, she went straight up to her room to her own mirror, admired herself for a few minutes and put on some lip gloss.  
Frazzled Working Mom's Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

Parallel Universe

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The economy is tanking, the idea of Sarah Palin becoming Vice President of the United States is terrifying and we’re still mired in a war we never should have been fighting in the first place.

It’s a crazy world we live in these days, and my girls are blissfully ignorant of the turmoil. Chloe is aware of the upcoming election and knows I’m happily voting for Obama, and thinks John McCain is old. She also heard that Obama was going to raise taxes (probably from some misleading McCain commercial). Chloe doesn’t yet understand what taxes are.

With everything that’s going on, every day is like a rollercoaster. The news is filled with bad stuff. Recently, I’ve been waking up every morning, probably like lots of people, wondering what the day’s news cycle is going to bring. But Chloe and Sophie are my constants. They’re adorable and smiling, most of the time anyway, and make me laugh when I feel like hiding under the covers.

Sophie’s been down and out with a bad cold this week, but even that has an upside. She’s not particularly cuddly in good times, but when she’s under the weather we get to hug her and smooch her all we want. And get all her germs, too.

A Mom's Ramblings About the Marvels & Mishaps of Parenting, the Joys of Family Travel & the Writing Life