A poem, that is not mine.

I saw this poem on facebook and thought it was so true. I could have written it.  Maybe I did and then fell asleep and someone stole it. I don't remember, short term memory loss is pretty consistent with sleep deprivation.
I didn't write it.  Melissa Sher did.
I would never use *'s in my expletives.
Here it is:

The small hand on the clock points to the five.
The cities and the suburbs are quiet.
But me? I've been up for more than an hour.
Oh, isn't being a new mom a riot?

At four a.m. my newborn got hungry.
I had to feed him to silence his fit.
Now he snores with breast milk dotting his lips. 
And I'm so tired I can hardly stand it.

Yes, I'm tired, exhausted and bitter.
Can't you tell I'm at the end of my wits?
My poor brain is fried and my body hurts.
Sleep deprivation is truly the pits.

Everybody says to sleep when he sleeps.
Folks who say it think that they are brilliant.
But I need to eat, to bathe, and to pee.
Sleeping is hard to do with an infant.

Six uninterrupted hours would be great.
But I'd take four if my babe would permit.
Because when you're a newborn's open bar,
When you rest, you only rest for a bit.

Every time I sit down to eat dinner,
Or try crossing laundry off of my list,
Whenever I hope to call back a friend,
My son will cry and those cries are legit.

Wait! I'll lie down and close my eyes right now,
Even if it is just for a minute.
I'll do what they say: I'll sleep when he sleeps!
Oh, never mind. He is awake now. Sh*t.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-sher/oh-sht-im-so-tired-a-poem-for-new-mothers_b_5622137.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000037

D in Superseat

He doesn't look very happy. He is.

Reverting back to old toys

A has been crawling back into the exersaucer to play. He sometimes gets both legs through the holes, sometimes just one and puts the other one wherever he can fit it. When he is finished he either tries to dive out of it, or yells "mama stuck!" 1000x until I come get him out. 

D is just chilling on my lap. 

T and A in the pool

Today we took Tessa to the pool. She played with Attison the whole time and I just held baby D. 

Again with the drainage trough...

I love my brother.

Kids Tri

This morning Dennis and I volunteered for the Kids Triathlon. Afterwards we had a picnic with our friend Wendy's house (mom of Kristi, the race director.) Steph used to slave for months over this event, it is nice to just show up, help where I am needed, and take all the balloons and extra apples home.  We made about 20 jars of apple butter and it is AWESOME.

Library toys

Da gets in the crib

Story Time

We don't attend many story times, because we are wild and crazy and go wherever the wind takes us when we adventure into the world. But when we make it to a story time, I always love/hate it. 

A usually does not want to pay attention. He wants to play with the trains. Or pull books off the shelves. Or eat the snack the kid next to us has. Or kiss baby D and say "Baby D Baby D Baby D!!!" very loudly. He usually does not want to sit quietly and listen to the books. 

However, the librarians usually fill story time with songs that have hand motions, and songs with props that they pass out, and books.  I really enjoy it when parents let the kids do what they want (to some extent) instead of trying to force them to sit quietly and listen. After all, it is toddler time, we should expect toddler behavior. 

 Anyway...here are some kids.  Getting up close and personal with story time.

(Lade on the left in the black was wearing a FitBit. I didn't ask her about it, nor did she ask me. She also had 2 kids at toddler time in the middle of a work day, so I'm sure we're pretty evenly matched in our "step goals.")

And here is Attison, just passing through, thought he would stop and get a good look at whatever that was.

A private pool

This is our neighborhood city pool.  This day was beautiful, but occasionally the sky would get black and it would rain for 30 seconds. We hit the pool between rain storms and basically had the whole thing to ourselves. 

Of course he only wanted to play with his boat in the drainage trough next to the steps.

Baby D plays in his seat while still in his bathing suit and sun shirt. 

A drives the bus around the house at the speed of light. 

This guy.

"cups wrapped in noise..."

Last night was awesome. I fell asleep in the car and woke up in a place of wonder and surprise. Da carried me into a room that had EVERYTHING! A bed, a abbydaba (tv), a remote with a big red button, a bucket, cups wrapped in noise, a place to wash hands...all in the same space! 
I threw the towels on the floor, it was awesome. I picked up the phone and guess what?? It beeped! Again and again! I tried to show baby D the phone beeping trick, but he just doesn't get it. He cried when I put the bucket on his head, and that was hilarious.
There was a big box with knobs, I turned them all around and the box blew air at me! I have no idea what that was, but who cares, it was awesome!!
This morning I had some cereal and 2 donuts. Mama said there was one for me and one for Da, but then she left and I ate them both. The cereal was boring so I dumped it out on the big bed. It was so much fun smashing it up. If you haven't felt cereal with your toes, you are missing out!!
Then I figured out how to open the door. Running down the long hallway shouting and laughing was a blast. Once Da came, the 2nd time Mama came. Then the door got stuck, which made me really sad. They said it wasn't stuck, but it totally was, so I tried showing them and saying it again and again.
We went to get some juice. Mama really loves her juice in the morning and she does not share.
We took the juice and got back in the car. I watched the busses for awhile and reminisced about how awesome that place was. They called it a cheap hotel, but whatever, it was glorious.

-Attison

Cut the grass!

Attison and I cut the grass at my grandma's house. 

A climber

A is a climber. It is hard to tell him to stop climbing, because usually before I notice he is climbing he has already reached the top.

This happened WHILE I WAS TAKING THE PICTURE. So very quickly.

Porchin it

This is the exhaust duct that Tim made for the house furnace-turned-air-mover that we used during the renovation. Attison thought it was a fun tunnel.

It isn't a fun tunnel, it is a gross air duct, so I made him get out...after I took pictures of him in it. 

He was still pretty pleased with himself while he played in the pool.  

Speaking of pleased with himself...baby D is getting really smiley!

This is his "milk face" which means "Feed me now please. And no, I don't care about this laundry or when it gets folded. Milk. Thanks."

Attison blogs

Every morning they come and remove me from my place of exile. I've come to enjoy my time here though, it is comfortable and safe. Often I am allowed a few favorite books and perhaps a small bus. 
I ask to see my brother. Will they oblige? Has he also been locked away as I have? 
When I see him he looks alert. I begin CPR anyway, these large humans are tricky. She makes me stop, my brother cries out. He is alive! I kiss him again and again, perhaps a little to roughly, he seems displeased when our foreheads knock together.
I play. I need to work the kinks out of my joints from the long isolation. She tries to change my pants. I refuse. I am kicking! That new one shall not touch my skin! I, like Jennythedog, have marked this one so others know it is mine.
She has overpowered me again. I will distract her with begging and crying so she doesnt get to my brother. Oh D. Baby D baby D.....