Oh my word. So much is going on. W fell on his face and ate dirt, literally. He has a large bloody scrape on his nose and upper lip. It doesn't bother him and it's amazing how quickly kids heal. Master P is rolling over from front to back and back to front. We have to be careful of where we leave him. Bummer. It's nice to just put him on the bed and walk away to wash your face or whatever. No more. W is still talking about the potty and getting more outgoing everyday. He is quite the ham when we take him out to eat. Saying hi and hello to everyone he meets. He's really into his "backpuck" and doesn't really like to leave the house without it. Master P gets a kick out of his big brother now. It's nice when he's paying attention to him because it gets his attention and keeps him quiet-forgetting that he doesn't have his pacifier stuffed in his mouth. W gets tired of the entertaining rather quickly so my minivacation doesn't always last for long.

This post was really more for me than anything so I could document things my boys are doing. Oh and Pman is eating now. Pears and rice cereal. The first few times were fun now it's kind of a chore. No wonder why so many 2nd time moms skip the cereal step.

Today was a day that I had someone to watch W for awhile and instead of running a bunch of stressful errands that I probably really need to run, I decided that I would do nothing, but sit. I haven't just sat in a long time. (Sitting while the kids are napping is not the same. I always find something that I need to do). So I did and I loved every minute of it. Actually it was productive sitting-it wasn't as lazy as I intended it to be. On my way out the door to head to the coffee house to just sit (with Master P sleeping) I found the Potty Training book I ordered from Amazon on my doorstep. So I brought it with me and took it's quiz, yes, W is ready for potty training. Then I read it and got inspired.

So with training pants in hand and a good attitude we will soon begin mastering this next skill in W's life. I was planning on doing it this weekend-BUT it's my birthday weekend so we may postpone until the next one so I'm not bound to the house on my favorite day of the year.

A friend was in town to run the Mardi Gras marathon and she inspired me. No. I am not training for a marathon and never will but I may THINK about training for a half marathon. Don't hold me to it. I tried this once-to train for the half-and after my first lap around the park on the outside trail, heading towards my second, I broke my foot on a tree root. That was 5 years ago?

But you know, I'm on my "journey to hot mom status" and after checking out my friend-she has already reached that status, I figured what is the harm in just thinking about it.

So. I made it around the inside of the park today. For the first time since I got pregnant with Master P. I am proud.

Personality or Terrible Twos

W has always been a sweet kid. Really, super sweet and goooood, so good. He's my sweet pea and he always will be but this week has really tested me. I just don't get it. My mom says, "At least he has a personality." as she giggles in shock. Easy for her to say.

He has taken to throwing-anything, crap, just anything in defiance. A handful of cookies, a toy, his pacifier (out of his crib, I know, he shouldn't have it, even in his crib). and it's usually followed by an oh so innocent "uh oh" and the straightest face you have ever seen. It kills me and I do the time out thing but it doesn't seem to be nipping it in the bud. I just am beside myself. I don't know what to do. My mom says to read 'the book'. She gave me a book from the seventies that tells you what phases boys go through. It certainly tells you that but it doesn't tell you what to do about it.

I talked to my go-to friend tonight-the one who is doing all of this boy raising before me and she said, "That's so boy". So I guess, that's my answer and all I can do is continue on through this boy raising journey.

Potty Training

Am I crazy to try this? with a boy so young? I found out Monday that W can't go to camp where I want him to go unless he's potty trained. This is a child who will sit in a dirty diaper for days. But I really don't have another option that I'm excited about. and I certainly can't have him at home all summer. It's not me so much as it is him being bored now that he's had a taste of fun. So I ordered a book and am going to take on this project. Any tips are much appreciated.

He has been interested in the Potty lately. He's saying the word a lot. If that means anything.

For Christmas we got W a building game from Pottery Barn. They are flat wooden pieces that fit together in one way or another. It's actually a very tricky thing to get them together but it does encourage creativity. So I took them out yesterday afternoon and he was hooked. I am constantly impressed by his patience and perserverence. I did most of the actual fitting together while he handed me the pieces and told me where they went. He was insistent on building a 'tall tower' high to the sky. It was way taller than him. And after it finally fell he went about fitting in more pieces together himself. My little engineer.

Elmo's Birthday

Oh my! All I can say is that we celebrated Elmo's birthday and that if we celebrate it again it will be from the comfort of our own home. Don't get me wrong. I am glad we went although the anticipation was probably more exciting than anything. Elmo was late. Yes, to his own party. It was a bit annoying but W didn't mind. and when he finally arrived!!!! Eeeeelllllmoooooo! I wish I got his expression on camera. He was definitely impatient while we were waiting to see him, as you can see. and when it was finally time for our photo op with our red furry friend, well, W didn't want to get too close. I can't blame him. I think he would just prefer to watch him on tv.

I told J that Master P wasn't going to have the experience of seeing Elmo in person. He said that next time he would stay home with W while I took Pman to the celebration. Yeah, right.

I know it's been so long. It's hard blogging when my babies are at their respective ages. I usually get on the computer in the morning when W is at school and Master P is sleeping. I was finally inspired to write this morning but J was working from home for a few hours so I couldn't. I now can't remember what I was going to post. Must have not been that important. But I did benefit from his working from home. I got to walk around the park all alone. It was nice.

W has a few new words in his vocabulary. He at the stage where he repeats every word. J told him we were going to Happy Hour last night for Valentine's. (I was sure that J was going to surprise me with a babysitter yesterday afternoon and whisk me away to a fabulously romantic Vday dinner. We ended up at Superior... all of us... together. It wasn't romantic but we really did have a fun time)
So 'appy ouwah' is his newest word. We made it by the skin of our teeth-with just a few minutes to spare before appy ouwah was over-but we made it nonetheless for our big fat frozen top shelf margaritas. Happy Valentine's to me.

This is the life

Master P sleeps like this, as if he is totally relaxed and living the life.

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

"I didn't think you could swing it."

Those were Uncle RaRa's exact words in referring to my Chicken and Andouille Gumbo.

I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD SWING IT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I sure showed him and he admitted it too.

I made it for Bacchus night/Super Bowl Sunday. I spent all afternoon Saturday, hungover from the morning p-rades, no less, making my roux and browning my chicken and I had a sore arm to show for it. My roux was dark. Really dark and my wooden spoon was burned. I was worried I burned the roux but nope, it was perfect. I used Veron andouille sausage. and I used a bit more than it called for. I also used the cast iron dutch oven that our family passes around. I think it makes a difference.

I am damn proud of my gumbo. and Uncle RaRa was too. Try it if you have a few hours to kill.
Here's the recipe

Golly, I forget just how much I love the Gras. It takes me awhile to get into the spirit. It's not like 10 years ago when I could jump out of bed, crack open a beer and do my Mardi Gras dance. Oh! UNCLE RARA, WE FORGOT TO DO A MARDI GRAS DANCE! But that's for another post. Anyway, we finally got out and going yesterday. W's first p-rade of the season. By the time we got to our destination, only about 10 blocks away, I was sweating. Our new Bob Stroller is awesome, albeit very, very large. J had the ladder, I had the boys in the stroller weighing approx. 70 pounds with the ride and my Mardi Gras Madras. All while trying to push them up 90 degree curbs. I lost half my drink on the way, crashed into a row of boxwoods, asked 2 ladies to pick up my drink from the street after I put it down to push the stroller up the curb but then couldn't go back to get it because then I would have to go back down the curb, and we finally made it! Whew! Once we got our ladder up and were ready for the p-rade, Master P was sleeping, W was crying b/c he didn't like the ladder and I was buzzed from a half a Mardi Gras Madras (remember I lost half of it on the way). But all in all we had a blast. W caught a ton of loot and we had a good day to show for all of our effort.

P.S. I'm going to be really skinny in a few weeks from pushing the damn 100 pound stroller around the city. Watch out.

Everyone is talking about their ladders. Yes, we have one. Uncle RaRa and Aunt JoJo gave it to W for Christmas last year. But this year will be the first year to use it since I was miserable and prego last year.

I don't have to decorate it. JoJo did that-she did it up right-all we have to do is roll it on down the Avenue to Napoleon, teach W to say-Throw me somethin' mister and Yeah U Right! and we're good to go.

Carnival season is when my strict Babywise schedule really doesn't do us right. Because once we head out to the p-rade, I'll have to come back to feed Master P. and then by the time I get back, we'll only have an hour or so before the Little Buddy is ready for a nap. Maybe we can push him a little later this year but I tell you this much, if I see any of you hanging around about nap time, I'm passing him over to you. I'm getting anxious already but in the spirit of the Season, I am going to try (keyword TRY) and live on the edge, let my hair down, whoop it up and abandon our routine. Don't believe me? I don't either.