My Baby

I took the boys to the dentist last week. She told me that I needed to stop giving Pman his bottle. He's 3. She said, "I know he's your baby but......." I never considered that I was not letting go of "my baby", until I heard those words.

When W was 2 I sent him to "school" for the first time. Half a day, 3 days a week. I cried in the classroom, sobbed outside of the school gate and hyperventilated all the way home. I felt guilty for the whole year. Alternately, before Master P was even 2 I kicked him out of the house to go to "school" with a smile on my face. I love you, P. I have been thinking about her words a lot and have come to the conclusion that maybe I am holding on to my sweet and adorable baby and subconsciously wishing he would stay that way. I mean, we still give him a bottle. We still let him have his pacifiers in bed, and his "white bed" is a crib.

(When I say "we", I mean '"me. J would have taken away all of that a year ago despite the major meltdowns we would have to endure forever).

He's really not a baby. Out of the blue at dinner tonight he looked across the table at me, smiled, batted his eyelashes and said, "I love you, Mommy."
"I love you too", my heart melted.
"I want to sleep with you tonight!"
"No", without hesitation. We don't do that in this house, never have.

But is that manipulation at its best, or what? He didn't seem like a baby then.

and then on the way to take a shower he asked me if he could "take off my underwear."

If you are speechless so was I!!!!! I didn't say no. I said HELL, NO! And what baby would ask that kind of question? I mean, really. (before you go thinking my child is a perv let me explain that he is really into dressing and undressing himself these days. I think he figured since he has it down pat, he would help me.)

So, obviously I am starting to rethink the bottle and the pacifier and the crib and even more obviously, undressing in front of him because he isn't a baby anymore. But he will always be my baby, right?

Mardi Gras and the big 4-0

The whole city of New Orleans celebrated my 40th birthday this year. and they seemed to be having a fabulous time. For presents I received a whole lot of beads (but had to scream "Throw me somethin' mista!" to get them and I got to see a lot of live music (on the parade route), I have to admit I was a bit bummed when I found out my big 4-0 was during Mardi Gras. Kind of put a crimp in the way I wanted to celebrate but it turned out to be very memorable. J and I spent the actual day downtown whooping it up. (You don't want to see pictures. Not pretty. Or maybe you do but I don't want you to see them). The night before we celebrated with the boys. I will show you those photos. Botox here I come!


When the weekend arrived we started full force going to parades. The boys were both VERY into it this year which made for a fun Mardi Gras. J and I went to one parade without them to celebrate another friends birthday. and while we had a blast it felt like something was missing not having Pman screaming "Throw me somethin', Mista! into this hat!" (he got a fireman's hat from a parade). We went to EVERY parade and drank more Mardi Gras Madrases than you could shake a stick at. All of the parades were great. The floats were beautiful. The bands were at their peak. There is one parade that rolled Monday night that was pretty awful. They were stingy with their throws (unless they recognized someone in the crowd) and I just didn't care for it this year but all and all we were all satisfied.

By the time Mardi Gras day rolled around I was kind of done but I put on my tennies, poured up one last Mardi Gras Madras and took to the streets. When it was all over we had our annual feast of Popeye's fried chicken and topped the night off with a Classic Combo from Reginelli's. We watched "The Pageantry" of the Carnival Balls with a glass of wine in hand that took everything out of me to gag down. But hell, it was Mardi Gras day and the debauchery would soon be over. and thank goodness it is! and their faces could not have said it any better than that.

A shout out to our friends R, J and J for giving W the clown idea. That's what he chose as we were painting faces in the morning.