EICBABMLINAT

I need a pause button. Life is evidently unfolding about 12 time faster than I can write about it. Three entries ago, I talked about having a half dozen blog entries that I wanted to write, but couldn't find time to do so. Well, I think the number has quadrupled since then and I (once again) find myself at that head-scratching, throw-up-your-hands, laugh to keep from crying point to where I want to catch up, but don't have a clue where to begin.

And so... because it's just getting worse by the day... I present to you, the blog dump. In no particular order, here are all of the events, milestones, and otherwise trivial moments that I can think of over the past 3 months that were deserving of their own blog entry but, because of my lack of free time, have now been relegated to summary blurbs in a blog entry called Everything I Couldn't Blog About Because My Life Is Not A Tivo.... or EICBABMLINAT, for short.

1. Naomi started walking about a week ago. Not step-step-fall walking... but full out, I'm-done-crawling-and-may-my-knees-never-touch-the-floor-again walking. I know... that's huge... and it's shameful that this is on the EICBABMLINAT list... but that should let you know that the butt kicking that my schedule has

delivered this month as been a sound and thorough one. I had (and still have) the most awesome idea of a video I wanted to make to document her first full week of walking (SMH)... I guess I'll have to save it for the grandkids. We love you, Naomi, and we're proud of your latest milestone. You're awesome, girl. Now stop growing up so fast. 

It's totally crazy that we have 3 walking children now. Our baby days are officially behind us. Teardrop. Sniffle, sniffle.

2. Naomi's top canines came in before either of her top choppers. Totally weird. Now she's walking around looking like a dracula baby. It's pretty funny. Would've been a cool picture but... (SMH)... one of the choppers broke through before I could grab a camera and so now you'll just have to take my word for it. We had a dracula baby for about 2 weeks.

3. After a full summer of successfully growing herbs, tomatoes and eggplant in our backyard, and tending (and raiding)

our neighbor's garden as well; Venesa has officially been upgraded from City Girl to Farmer Mom. She should have seen her out there, playing in the dirt like she knew what she was doing. I'm proud of you, mommy. You really took the gardening thing (that I've been pushing for years) and ran with it. More than anything, I'm glad that you had so much fun with it.

4. Justin sat on a banana in the shopping cart... and cried like he killed an animal. Did we mention that our son is sensitive? Um. Yeah. I had to document that one. Justin Alexander is (ahem) special. 

5. Jasmine took dance lessons this summer. I think it was 5 or 6 lessons in total; a preview of sorts for the full dance class (which we did not opt to enroll her in). Even though she froze like a snowman in a blizzard during the final presentation, she loved it. And it really showed (reminded?) us that she thrives when given a

bit of separation from her brother... but when she came home everyday with the same line ("I had fun today... but we still haven't done ballet yet") we knew that the full class in the fall (at the full price) wasn't happening. Sorry, but we don't want to hear that our daughter did "so very well paying attention and learning to follow instructions" with the other 3 year olds. She had those "skills" before the class started. We paid for BALLET. We want some jumps and spins or something. At least give us a plié and a fancy stretch. Long story short, I think it's time for a new ballet school. We'll revisit our options next fall.

6. In the category of personal accomplishments, I should mention that I finished the book of Jeremiah. The cool thing is that I didn't just read it but, in an attempt to really read the bible for all that it's worth, I studied the daylights out if it. It was pretty interesting (not to mention way long... nobody told me ahead of time that it was the second longest book in the bible). Timothy is up next. That should feel like reading a pamphlet after reading Jeremiah. One down, 65 to go.

To be continued.

Birthday Girl

20 pounds, 29 inches of sass. I spent the previous 11.5 months writing about how Naomi Janelle was our easy baby. Now I find myself trying to figure out if whining, crying and screaming simply come with being a 1 year old (girl)... or is it that Venesa and I have cornered the market on producing attitudinal females. Granted, we can at least say that it's still easy to make her laugh with jokes and tickles (She'll laugh when you laugh. Jasmine, on the other hand, didn't smile until she was 2... kidding)... but she's certainly cranky when she wants to be. Two days ago, I told her "no" (which, in her defense, she is really good about obeying 99% of the time) and this crazy child dropped down on her belly and started doing snow angels on the kitchen floor as if she had completely lost her mind. This is not learned behavior, ladies and gentlemen. She has never seen such a thing in this household. That was the innovative spirit of pure unadulterated sass.

In other news, Venesa can proudly say that she made it to the 12 month mark with breastfeeding baby number 3. In hindsight, the little hunger strike that Naomi put on a few weeks ago turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it prompted Venesa to make deliberate efforts towards the weening process. They slowly went from feeding every few hours to 3 times a day, to twice a day, to one feeding at night. And as of Naomi's birthday, the milk factory is officially shut down. Hoo-rah.

As for Naomi's milestones, our wonderful angel (snow angel?) has taken as many as 10 steps at a time, and will walk the length of a football field if you give her a finger to hold on to. However, crawling is most certainly still her preferred mode of transportation. I can't blame her, she's about as stable on her feet as a one-legged pirate (which of course has not stopped her from climbing both flights of stairs), and our combination of brick and hardwood floors don't exactly conjure up confidence when it comes to falling. She's turned the corner on nighttime sleep (8 to 6 or 7) and is still a really good eater.  She loves to communicate, though we haven't a clue what she's saying just yet. I kid about her crank, but overall she's a healthy, happy baby who's relatively easy to please (feed me, then pass me to mommy). With that said, I guess we'll keep her.

Cruising