Solitary Super Bowl

It's Super Bowl Sunday. In living rooms across America friends and families are gathering to watch the Steelers and Cardinals face off to determine the NFL champion. Squares have been picked, sides have been chosen now the game needs to be played. Super Bowl parties, along with the food and beverages that go with them, are a long standing tradition in many homes, ours is no exception. While we rarely host the blessed event we are confirmed, proud, loyal party attendees. For years I've enjoyed all the pomp and circumstance (and beer and snacks) that goes into the Super Bowl. Regardless who's actually playing in the game it's a must watch event for me, for our family. Each year we've happily packed ourselves, and our caloric contributions, into our cars and headed to my brother in law's house. This year is different.Yes, while the Super Bowl does, indeed, continue to be must see TV for me I will not be participating in this year's festivities. No, J-Mo and I will be staying home while DH and LJ head off to join in the fun. It simply became clear that 18 month old girls and Super Bowl parties hosted at bachelor brother in law's homes do not mix. The novelty of an inebriated friend tossing his bottle cap onto the floor instead of into the trash can seemed to disappear once I birthed a girl who has yet to meet an object unfit to be placed into her mouth. Additionally the books, DVDs, video games and pictures so lovingly placed on the beautiful bookshelves are far too great a temptation for our dear daughter to resist. This is why J-MO and I will be staying home and watching the game, in all it's glory, from the safety of our well baby proofed and baby girl toy stocked home. Part of me is a bit disappointed to be missing the craziness that is a Super Bowl party. The sounds, the smells, the electricity and energy. The other party of me is perfectly content to be sitting in my own living room in a tank top and capris with my hair still wet from the shower and my face free from makeup. No pressure to be pulled all together just for J-Mo, myself and Bob Costas. Yes, this year's Super Bowl celebration will be different. It will be more tame. I have a personal pizza to pop into the oven for half time and a couple of beers with my name on them. Hey, even a Super Party for one and a half is to include some caloric indulgences. In living rooms across America friends and families are gathering to watch the Steelers and Cardinals face off to determine the NFL champion. In our home it's just my daughter and I. It's different but it may be the start of a new tradition.

Achieving Balance. One Day at a Time

Today I made a move to attempt to regain a bit of balance in my life, if only for a day. The last few weeks work has been stressful. I’m talking, meetings, deadlines, new employees, all piled on top of day to day expectations, stressful. I’ve not been getting out of the office at the hour deserved of my early check in time. Work has been eating away at my all too precious family time. Today I changed that. There were plenty of “To Do” tasks to keep me in my chair for a few more hours (days?) but I stood up and walked out of the door at 3:49. Only 49 minutes after I intended to leave. Not bad.

I pulled into the driveway just as DH was unloading the kidlets. Joy was visible on LJ’s face and he took great pleasure in attacking me with paper raccoon, an animal that fills me with quite an unreasonable amount of fear. J-Mo too was all smiles. Already my decision to leave financial statements for tomorrow was paying off.

As if I’d planned the evening’s agenda with DH ahead of time we both dove right into tasks that would benefit the family. DH headed to the kitchen to start dinner and I, with LJ’s help, started some laundry and folded up a load that had seemingly taken up permanent residency in our dryer. LJ was all smiles as I walked him through folding his own shirts. He did quite a good job. Then the kids and I made our way to J-Mo’s room. Poor dear’s room has become quite the museum of little girl clothes. I’m not kidding when I say every piece of clothing we’ve ever purchased (or been gifted) for her during her entire 16 month existence is still housed in her tiny bedroom. Also in the room is a stack of maternity clothes I just can’t seem to part with. Long story short, the girl’s room was a disaster. Making matters worse my little pincher grasp phenom has taken to picking at the border hung around the middle of the room thus forcing us to move the crib to the middle of the already cramped quarters. LJ and I laughed at the number of wooden blocks we found scattered around her room. LJ also had fun, per my instructions, stuffing the current season’s wardrobe into the appropriate drawers. Properly folding them will have to come at another time. I managed to throw a fair amount of stained items away, tossed some torn up shoes that once belonged to DH and I and even bagged up the maternity clothes for future donation. It was a productive time. Much work remains to be done but for now we’ve made enough room for us to walk into and J-Mo may even be able to play in there. Victory. Work complete and the three of us had a blast hanging out together.

By the time LJ and I finished up her room J-Mo was done inhaling her dinner. She’s quite the fan of DH’s chicken, it seems. Bath time! My little one adores the water. She happily lay on the ground in the bathroom allowing me to strip her down. I had only gotten the shampoo on her when LJ declared that he wanted to take a bath with her. I hesitated as I was only planning on quick bath for her but then conceded, why not? LJ stripped down and joined his sister in the bath. I rinsed off the girl and got to work on soaping up the boy. LJ took pride in the fact that he need only shake his wet head before his sister was laughing from head to toe. Pure joy rang across her face as her brother entertained her. Bubble beards, pouring water from a cup just in front of her, shaking his head like a wet dog, it made no difference what he did, she ate it all up. I stood back and watched. It almost felt as if I was intruding on their play time. The smiles on both of their, now clean, faces is something that’s now etched in my memory.

Today I achieved a bit of balance. I answered countless emails, reported on the state of our Accounts Receivable, discussed staffing issues and yet all that I accomplished was eclipsed by the ten minute exchange in our grimy little bath tub. That was exactly why I walked out of the office today at 3:49.

My Daughter the Guinea Pig

Tomorrow DH and I will be taking LJ to his first USC football game. That alone will, no doubt, produce countless blog worthy experiences. Just thinking about the fun we’ll have tomorrow makes me want to go on an on about it. I must save that for another day. Instead, I’m posting on the experience my daughter will be having tomorrow.

DH and I are card carrying members of the “It Takes A Village” society. We’re blessed to have both sets of our parents in close proximity. LJ attends preschool where my Mom teaches and he takes a day off from school each week to hang out with my wonderfully supportive in laws. Our parents, combined with our siblings, their spouses, as well as our friends, rarely leave us without babysitting resources. Oddly enough the stars aligned against us tomorrow and babysitting options were limited. There was a moment in the week where it was appearing that I would be sending my boys off in their cardinal and gold without me. DH came to the rescue and managed to arrange a tag team of sitters for the day.

J-Mo’s day will start off normally enough. We’ll wake up, get her dressed, fed and wind her up good for the day. My darling sister in law (married to my brother who’s attending the game with us) will come to our house and hang out for a number of hours. This is a great solution. J-MO is obviously familiar with our house and my sister in law is a capable and experienced (key!) babysitter. The two will no doubt have a grand time playing with blocks and trucks (yes my daughter is playing with toys handed down from her brother) and enjoying a fair amount of cuddle time. Both will be blessed by their time together and I will get a good jump on tailgating knowing that my daughter is happy and well cared for in the safety of our own home.

Mid day there will be a hand off. My brother in law, DH’s youngest brother, a mid twenty-something with absolutely no experience with babies and his adorable and babysitting inclined future wife will be coming over to relieve my sister in law of her J-MO watching duties. Tailgating happiness will continue as I know there are two sets of eyes on our precious sixteen month old. As day turns to evening, coincidentally as we approach kick-off time at the stadium, things on the babysitting front will get a bit dicey. Adorable and babysitting inclined future sister in law will head to work leaving mid twenty something with absolutely no experience with babies alone with our darling daughter. Brother in law and future sister in law will be taking our precious cargo back to their place as not to trap them at our house. The timing is such that there will be about a two hour window where twenty-something brother in law with absolutely no experience with babies will be alone with our girl in their house that is far from baby proofed, that has a pond, that they share with a dog. My only hope is that the alcohol consumed during the pre-game tailgating session is enough to lessen my stress about the situation or, even better, to take my mind off of it all together.

Yes, mid twenty-something brother in law with absolutely no experience with babies will be the sole person in charge of our daughter. Poor guy has never changed a diaper. Not a single one. Ever. We’re attempting to make the process as easy as possible. DH is dropping by their house tonight to drop off, and incidentally set up, the pack n play as well as install the car seat into their vehicle. While dropping off the gear required to care for our daughter DH will be giving his brother a quick lesson on the art of diaper changing using a poor, unsuspecting, doll. I think it would be a better idea for him to make mid twenty-something brother in law attempt to diaper their puppy. Yes, that would better demonstrate the squirminess and Houdini like sills of our little one. Alas, DH will show him just how “easy” it is all the while laughing about the experience his brother (and our daughter!!) will share tomorrow.

I know that my brother in law adores our daughter. I know that he will do all he can to protect her and care for her. It’s simply that I can’t even begin to explain to him all the trouble the little one can get into inside two minutes, let alone two hours. I can’t wait to hear about the items she attempted to ingest or the couches she attempted to base jump off of. Yes, it will be an adventure. As the game kicks off and my pre-game buzz fades my attention will, no doubt, turn to what is happening back in Long Beach. Did J-MO go down well for him? Did she fight him? Did she have poop blow out of epic proportions? I fear the experience will be so traumatic that poor brother in law will declare he will never have children.

Yes, I will enjoy watching USC, hopefully, take care of business vs. Cal but I will, the whole time, be wondering if twenty-something brother in law with absolutely no experience with babies had a strong enough defense to deal with our sixteen month old.