Olde Time Piano Party

We got our piano on Monday and J appears to really enjoy it. Tonight she sat and played by herself for about 20 minutes. I would ask her what song she was playing and this was her set list:
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Old MacDonald
- London Bridge
- Ballerina Song
- Santa Brings Me Presents

None of the real songs involve the actual notes of the song, just her playing and singing along. The last two are original compositions. The Ballerina Song involves, yup a ballerina and she apparently can go on tippy toes. Santa Brings Me Presents is a moving piece about how J wants presents and Santa will put them under the tree but she only wants to see him through a telescope. It is well documented that J hates Santa in person. However, she does enjoy him in the abstract due to the presents he brings. I guess she was reading a book or something where Dora the Explorer or her cousin Diego uses a telescope to see Santa and the reindeer flying in the sky. In her mind, the telescope solved her problem of hating Santa in person, she could just keep up with him via telescope. She is a born problem solver.

So here are some pictures of her playing the piano, our tree, and our cat Buddy (J named him) lounging about. And yes she is wearing a tie-die t-shirt that was purchased in SF by....MY PARENTS. I know, you were going to guess X. But X is tragically HIP, not a tragic HIPPIE. Totally different.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Overachievers

Seems that Thanksgiving has brought everyone out of a blogging funk. Lots of new posts. Except for me. I just post to acknowledge that I suck at posting. Thus achieving the title of worst blogger ever.

So I am jumping on the holiday posting band wagon. We had a good Thanksgiving, which I am sure you are relieved to know about 2 weeks after the fact. J showed off her style in a legit Burberry skirt given to us by Aunt Bizarley, and shoes from the ever high class Tar-ghey.

Not even the chubby finger of bossiness took a break for the holidays.

Then she discovered the piano. She fell in love, whipping out the chubby finger of bossiness to anyone who would pay attention and saying "you play piano with me one minute?" Given this love, and the fact that everything is on sale in these trying economic times, we bought our very own, brand new piano. I am very excited. And fully intend to pressure her to become a great muscian. Just kidding of course. I am too lazy to pressure her to do anything.

J also fed some fish. But it was freakin' cold, so I basically threw the food in the pond and called it a day. Again, please feel free to nominate me for parenting awards. And a note on that coat. Her father purchased it (second hand of course) and I think it looks like a coat that a little African-American boy would wear to church on Sunday. And he would look very cute. J looks cute, because she is J, but I have already purchased a replacement coat.

Lastly, we did some yoga. Here is J doing the pose she made up - "baby dinosaur."

Worst Blogger Ever

Sorry that I have been out of commission for a while. Just been lazy about uploading photos and basically everything else. We did get our Christmas tree up, which was mostly J's doing as she is very focused when she wants something done.

Oh and I have been watching the Wire, which truly is an awesome show. The first few episodes of each season make you wonder why everyone loves this show, but about 4 episodes in, you will be hooked. I just finished season two and I am bummed it is over.

And I have been reading the Twilight series books. Nothing like stories of teen vampire love to keep you occupied.

I guess I have also gone to work and been a mom. So there is that.

Anyway, more postings soon. I hope to have new pictures as soon as my sister can send them.

A sad goodbye....

As some of you may know, when X and I started dating, I got a cat. I named him Guido and he kept me company as X ignored me and ran around cheating on me. He also stayed with me while I labored in my room by myself before having Jillian. He let me pet him and didn't freak out as the contractions came. He was a good friend.

Guido died yesterday in his sleep. No one knows what happened. I am saddened by this, obviously, but also because I lost Guido in the divorce so I haven't seen him much over the past two years. He lived with X and because I could not stand being near X, I never saw Guido. When I went to X's house to get J or drop her off, I never stayed long enough to spend some time with Guido because of the awfulness of being around X. So I didn't get to say goodbye to my buddy.

So tonight, raise your glasses to my good buddy Guido. Even if you are that person who hates cats.

Expensive-ass, Literally

J has had a bit of diaper rash lately. It is seriously time to get out of diapers, which we are working on. Although according to the Montessori school we visited today, the "window" for potty training, or "tolieting" in proper Montessori terms, is 16-19 months. Well, we blew that deadline, so we are going with old fashion bribery (marshmellows for going on the potty), peer pressure ("See, Lexi pee-pees on the potty"), and discomfort ("Yeah, wet peed-in underwear sucks, huh?"). At a birthday party on Sunday she went to the bathroom, came out and announced to the whole party "I pee-peed on the potty!!!!" Everyone clapped and cheered. In that moment, I learned what pride truly feels like.

Anyway, back to the rash, because I know you are on pins and needles in excitment about where this story is going, J has a diaper rash. We have tried all kinds of drugstore creams and powders. The Aveeno actually seems to hurt it, the J&J doesn't do anything, Burt's Bees power is so-so and hella messy. So what to do? No, not seek advice from child rearing books or other parents, silly reader....that is never the answer in my house. Instead, this is what I did.....

Dig through your stuff and find the Kiehl's Diaper Cream that someone gave you as a gift. Try it. See that it works quickly and clears up the rash. Run out of cream, go to Kiehl's store to buy a new tube, find out that it is $18.00 for a few ounces. Sigh as you realize that your daughter's ass accepts only the most ridiculously expensive diaper rash cream money can buy.

Sigh, J has a high end booty.

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, I mean deadly gunshot wound...*

Oh Alabama. Seriously. Football, even SEC football is just not worth killing other folks.

*For those of you who are not aware, The University of Alabama has a million cheers and nicknames that don't make sense (at least don't make sense to me). One of them is "rammer jammer yellow hammer," and I think it has something to do with a bird (even though the mascot is an elephant and the team is the Crimison Tide). I could google all of this to better explain, but I am lazy and no one reads this blog to learn things.

Overload

I haven't posted in a while, sorry. The truth is that there just has been so much going on. First, Halloween prep (pumpkin picking, shopping, party at my parents country club), then a few days at work, then the Phillies win!!!, then VEGAS!!!!, then elections! and now finally a moment to breath. And break it all down via the blog....so here we go:

J has enjoyed all of these things. She picked a pumpkin that she couldn't carry, but got to eat a donut, so all was good. She accompanied me to the Garden State Plaza to go shoe shopping. We shopped for her first and she had her feet measured. Then when we shopped for me (you seriously didn't think I wouldn't look for myself did you?) she took a bracelet she had on and "measured" my foot. It was hilarious. She just kind of makes everyone happy and is a good little shopper. Not that surprising given that she is my kid.














We did go to a Halloween party. J got her face painted, which she normally loves. However, she hated this face painting lady (see picture) and I agreed with J's assessment. If you are mean and hate kids, why would you become a face painter? It is like me becoming a cabbie or something, given that I hate to drive and hate to chat with people randomly.















Later in the week, she insisted on watching the Phillies. She gets them confused with the Eagles, to whom she shouts "don't get hurt guys!" and "yay Phils!!," but she is a good little fan. She went to the victory parade and the cops pulled her up to the front so she could dance and shout yay Phils to the news cameras. I didn't see if she made the news because I was in VEGAS.

Yup, some fools, including Bizarley, T-Pain, justsomeguy, and Young D, traveled to Sin City to partake in some sinning, as you can see from the picture. It took me like twenty minutes and chugging two beers to have the nerve to do that. (he was a go-go dancer, not a stripper, and we were at a club, not the "gentleman's" kind). We ate, drank, played craps, didn't lose too much and had a great time. Miss everyone already.

Now, by using my advanced googling skillz, I discovered that the actor that plays Dan Scott on One Tree Hill was evil frat boy John Sears on 90210 (the original and best). He must be awesome to play a part in two fantastically crappy teen dramas!