You know you are a dc transplant when...

... you loathe the thought of going to cherry blossom "festival". Ok, so Rochester has about a month of summer each year but in that one month they pack in as much outdoor fun as possible in the form of many festivals, with music, art, and lots of beer and wine.

Every year my co-workers and I walk down to the tidal basin to take in the sights during this time and I am always a bit disappointed. Maybe I am missing something. Where is the beer tent?

Or maybe I haven't been as deprived of the sun and haven't had 8 feet of snow in my yard all year. Maybe that is why in Rochester all the summer festivals seemed like such joyous events. Anyway, set up the beer tent and I will be there!

status report

So the baby is crawling. Apparently trying to stand as well. When I got to daycare this afternoon the teacher said that she was crying because she got stuck... essentially in the downward dog yoga position and she couldnt figure out what to do next.

We also got a note from Emma's teacher - she wants a conference with us to discuss Emma. At this point either that is bad or good (the extremes I am thinking as it is getting to be the end of the year).

... and the baby is crying again...

soundly sleeping????

So, baby sleeps horribly.... even worse than her big sister did if that is at all imaginable. I decided, and surprisingly hubby agreed, that we would consult with a sleep expert. After that big decision the woman still hasnt called me back (although she did email me telling me to call her). Since I have not heard from her I have had to take matters into my own hands. I didnt think I would do this but I have resorted to crying it out. In a way it is easier than it was with Emma (we tried it a bit when she was a baby too) but this time I know what I am in store for if I dont fix this sooner than later. I should have done this a few weeks ago before the baby could sit up/stand/crawl.

Anyway, she has been crying off an on all night. I did check on her and she wasnt hungry so I put her back down. She is asleep for the moment. We did this the other night and she slept for two 3.5 hour chunks of time (got up just twice). That is huge for Olivia (she is usually up at least 5 times). Cross your fingers.

sleeping????

I am at my wits end regarding the baby's sleeping. Hubby and I actually agreed that seeking professional help is an acceptable idea. Then by accident this morning something happened. I put baby in her crib to pick up a few things (putting on a new musical toy handed down by a friend - THANK YOU) and before i knew it - baby is sleeping.

So, act 2 this afternoon... what will happen if I put a wide awake baby in her crib with music playing and walk away... I am listening to the baby monitor right now... all I hear is music playing (do I hear snoring).

I am afraid to go and check... cross your fingers that this might lead to a new idea in family sleeping techniques!

Woodys

Not those kind, pervert... I am talking about woody plants. This is my current dilema. I am planning a childrens garden for the back yard. I am really excited about this and have found and thought of some cool things for the garden. However, I cannot figure out what kind of shrubs to put in on one side of the border. I am trying to do better. I have been researching native, non-invasive plants. My soil is clay, neutral pH, it is somewhat shady in this area, and I am looking for something that can withstand some drought (as I am not confident that I will remember to water them). I cannot find anything that fits the bill. I think I have to do some experimentation. And I think I will have to put forth some additional effort to meet at least some of these requirements. I will post some before and after photos in the next few months.

The Hunt

Yesterday we went to a fanastic easter egg hunt. I realized at the end the day that I LOVE egg hunts and easter as well. Easter reminds me of being 5 or 6 and being finally allowed to go into the yard after FEET of snow has finally melted away and the lawn is not quite saturated any more. It reminds me of the daffodils and crocuses starting to finally come up. I was just told that back home there is still snow on the ground today so I guess it is really lucky that we have moved south so easter can still be these things to me (and Emma).

Oh, and for whatever reason, I love filling eggs, hiding them and watching the kids search them out. Hubby and I watched from a distance Emma giving some her eggs to other kids rather than keeping them herself. We were pround. Livvy watched everyone from the porch with me. She talked up a storm - appearing to be sharing her observations and the plan of attack she seems to want to take next year when she can finally participate.

"I want to be a mom too"

So the other night hubby was away. The baby is SO not sleeping still and I am open for trying anything to get a bit more rest. "They" say to introduce a lovey for the baby to become attached to (as opposed to needing mommy all night), oh and even better would be to make the lovey smell like mommy so that it is even more comforting. Ok, (1) find acceptable lovey, (2) wear in shirt for the evening to get that mommy smell (not sure if that is a good thing or not). I have to admit that I was a little embarassed to do this in front of Emma so I did this after the girls were both in bed. A little while later I get a call from Emma's bedroom... I forget lovey in my shirt.

"Mommy (complete with look - you know the look), what is in your shirt)?"

"oh... (go into why I am doing this for the baby)..."

She laughs... "that is so silly. When I grow up I want to be a mom too and I am going to take SUCH good care of my kids." (the inflection in that sentence to me implied that me wearing the lovey in my shirt was that *I* was taking such good care of MY kids. I thought - what a great story. I am going to share that with hubby when he gets back.

A few days later I shared the story... I surprised myself as that I started crying when I told it to him. It was just so sweet to me. :)