Once again, a timely read

My sister sent me the following blog post waaaay back in October 2007. Remember October 2007? I had been back to work for about a month, was starting to struggle with work/home balance, trying to figure out child care, and feeling so alone and helpless.

http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/004007.html

It's funny to read this again, now. So much has changed, yet not much is different. I still struggle for balance. Child care has been an ongoing issue - emotionally, logistically, financially. I feel like a crazy person when I argue it out in my head - I want to be home with Vi, I can't afford to be home with Vi, I have to work, I love my work, I miss Vi, I can't afford quality child care unless I work, I only need quality child care if I work...and so on. Like an insane carousel of emotions and problems and hopes and fears that just doesn't stop.

We've been in a decent pattern for a couple of months now, with a great nanny, a great grammy, and Dan's off-season schedule loosening up a bit. Just this past week, we have found a day care center that I really like. The people are so friendly and qualified, the location is convenient, the price is right... I'll be able to work more...

I should be thrilled, right? I just keep telling myself that it's time. Vi is ready. She is dying for more interaction, more education, more stimulation, more consistency. (Of course I'm hoping the consistency will help the night waking!) I'm ready for more consistency, more balance. Dan is ready for a less crazy wife. (We'll see.)

I guess that sums it up. We'll see.

I'll keep you posted.

Eew, grody.

Vi likes black olives.



Pictures of olives on little fingers to come...I don't need to say how freakin' cute that is, do I?



(That almost makes it OK for her to like them.)

Fun on the Slide (or the Slalsh)

A limerick for Vi, composed by my good friend, Kristin, of dishwasher loading fame:


VIG-o-la HIG-o-la BAD-en-hop WALSH
Went to the playground and slid down a SLALSH.
A "SLALSH" is a slide
That's funnest to ride
With VIG-o-la HIG-o-la BAD-en-hop WALSH.



Kristin visited us this summer, and accompanied us on one of Vi's first trips to the playground. She also fed me and did my dishes. Kristin is my oldest friend, and never fails to impress me with her compassion, empathy, common sense, kindness, silliness, and intelligence. She also is a great shutterbug:

Still snickering...

Dan said the funniest thing last night.

He said, "George Bush is smarter than Sarah Palin."

I mean, really. I never imagined a day that we could finish the sentence "George Bush is smarter than __________" with anything other than "a pile of bricks."

Seriously? VP?

'>Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin.

Communication Skills. Shouldn't that be a job requirement for VP?

Sitting on the floor, laughing

This is what we do.

Dan and I sit on the floor, and watch Vi wander around the house. We hear her silly soliloquy of thoroughly-enunciated nonsense words, and repeat the noises back to her as if they were real words and we're seeking clarification or remarking on her insight. It often sounds like "Philadelphia Gilda Radner Lovenox?" or "Botox Zimbabwe, uh-huh, I know..." She stumbles around, tries to run, chases the dog, casts us a knowing glance with nose wrinkled, kisses the cat, pauses for a snack, then keeps moving. She's VERY BUSY. She seems to be saying, "Are you getting this? I'm hilarious."

Vi has three official words, in order of frequency:
1) Woof
2) Meow
3) Down (which comes out as "goooowwwww," always slightly growled.)

"Meow" started out as "now," with a long, drawn -out but not stuttered "n," said in the sweetest tone of voice. "Woof" comes out whenever she hears a dog barking - which, in our neighborhood, is very often.

Vi has picked up on some sign language, too. Some of our friends are doing the baby sign language thing, some are doing ASL...we're not REALLY doing either. It looked really interesting, so I decided to try a couple of signs that I looked up online at http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi. Obviously, we started with dog, cat, and down. She picked up dog within three or four days, and started using it for everything furry. She would point at a cat and sign dog while saying "nnnnnow." So, we started showing her the sign for cat pretty diligently. She resisted for a long time, then suddenly, this weekend, she got it. Down is pretty easy - pointing down. We also looked up food, more, water, airplane, mother and father. She will sometimes do the food sign, will usually repeat the sign for more when we ask if she wants more while signing, and makes her own special hand-in-the-air gesture whenever she sees a plane.

It really amazes me, how much she is learning, how much she can learn, how much she is innately capable of doing. Some times we are too tired to chase her, so we literally just sit on the floor and allow ourselves to be entertained. She was so silly tonight - crashing into things then giggling, walking around holding a book in front of her face, chasing the dog, screaming out the back door, climbing over and around me...at one point she fell down on her bum and just started laughing. I couldn't help but join in, and we went back and forth giggling at each other for several minutes.

Suddenly I don't have a baby - I have a child. And she cracks me right up.

Tax cut, anyone?

I rarely get into politics here, but in my work, I often hear small business owners worry about their tax exposure under a new administration.

I came across an interesting, simple site that uses actual tax policy from the two candidates to show how their tax plans would affect you:

www.obamataxcut.com

I recommend you visit it just to see for yourself!

And that's all I'm going to say here on the topic! If you want to hear me rave on about my side or rant about the other side, let me know. This site isn't intended for politics. It is a way of documenting life as we know it for Vi, and in our home, this election is very exciting and a favorite topic. Maybe I'll start another blog...in my free time...

Hurray! Pictures from my sister!

Once again, I have an amazing collection of photos to share with you, thanks to my sister.



In July we put on a baby shower for my sister-in-law (who is now proud mommy to Addie!!). Vi was all dressed up and extra-silly for the party:

Vi and Mama all gussied up.

Super silly.

Aunt Noelle not only took pretty pictures, she also brought Vi her first birthday gift. Vi was more than a bit tickled over her new Purple Bear.

She loooooooves Purple Bear. She snuggles Purple Bear. She kisses and hugs Purple Bear.

(Seriously - all the time. She freakin' loves this fuzzy guy!)

Vi in her party dress, standing over the air vent.

Here are the rest of the pictures for slideshow viewing:

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/NewViPictures#

Thanks, Wellie!!!!! XOXO