Roomba product review, also titled, why I love Johnny

Last summer we took our every-other-year trip to Maine to visit my parents. They had been raving about a new purchase they had made based on some recommendations from different friends. It was the new robot vacuum... the Roomba.

I was intrigued, curious, and skeptical, and as a result immediately set out to watch it work throughout their house. I studied it intently and was impressed with how it moved about the house picking up pet hair and the like from every corner of the room. If you want to know the truth I couldn't get enough of watching that darn Roomba. Here we were vacationing in a beautiful spot and all I wanted to do was watch the Roomba do it's magic. Did it really work? Was it as easy as it seemed? The advertisements are full of quotes from women saying "it is great, I come home from a hard day at work and my house is clean!" How can you not at least pay a little attention to a claim like that? After studying the Roomba for days, and it's impressive skills, I decided we needed one and politely requested that it be our birthday and Christmas gifts combined (Kevin was not a participant in this decision and I admit that it wasn't entirely fair to throw out this offer).

For various reasons we didn't get the gift in our possession until our recent trip to California. By now the magic and allure of the Roomba seemed a bit removed and while I was excited to get it, I wasn't quite chomping at the bit like I was last summer. So it sat in the box at our house until I decided about a month ago to set it up and get it charged.

Then I curiously set it to work in our main living area and watched it slowly work it's way around our house. I was annoyed and perturbed that it kept getting caught and stuck on things. I would set it down and think "ok, cool, my house will be clean soon" only to come back two hours later and see it wedged under our ottoman, likely only minutes after I had left it to do it's work. This happened repeatedly for the first few weeks of use. Every time I set it to work it knocked something over or got stuck. Ugh. This was not exactly "set it and forget it" technology. I was annoyed. Our model Roomba comes with two sensors that you can place around your house at doorjams and other areas you want to deny access to the robot. I didn't even think we would use them at first but after all of the sticking and wedging I figured out that they were a necessity. So I got to work using the sensors and reducing the space the Roomba could roam. And moving certain items so they wouldn't knock. And so on and so forth. And slowly but surely I started to see it work.

Early in the process of using the Roomba, Delaney and I decided that the vacuum needed a proper name, because, well, Roomba just doesn't sound great. So we named him Johnny. Roomba will now heretofore be referred to as Johnny.

Let me tell you about how my opinions of Johnny have changed. I love Johnny so much that I want to hug it just about every day. That little robot gets such a workout cleaning our house that not a minute goes by in my house that I'm not using or planning the next Johnny session. It's amazing. Really. Once you get it dialed in and working effectively in the house, it really will reduce your vacuuming headaches and needs by a large percentage. I think conservatively it's reduced mine by 95%. Given that we have two young kids, are about to go down to a single income stream and the endless frustration at a messy and unkept house, I really think Johnny is the best invention for moms anywhere. Not to mention the pet hair. Oh the pet hair! It's friggin everywhere in our house.

But the dialing in process takes time, and even after you have it down pat, there are still surprises and disappointments along the way. In the first month I highly recommend only using Johnny when you are near and can make sure it doesn't get stuck. You really have to commit to using Johnny every day to make it worthwhile.

Let me just talk about a few things that Johnny can NOT do effectively. During my old vacuuming days I would vacuum the dog beds and couches on occasion to remove some of the lint (in addition to lint brushes and such). Johnny will sadly never be able to do it. I had to laugh at myself as I set Johnny down on Lucy's bed in the hopes that it would run, trying to trick it with my fingers to let it know it was a hard surface. No such luck. And Johnny is not great in a dining room with lots of chairs. Also anywhere that there is a surface that is 4 or so inches high (Johnny's height) as Johnny repeatedly gets stuck under these places. Our TV stand, our ottoman, the dresser in our bedroom and a few other places fall into this category. You also have to remove a lot of throw rugs and any other loose items (i.e. toys) or Johnny might get stuck trying to suck them into his vortex.

And I find that Johnny is most effective when put in relatively small spaces to work it's magic. You definitely cannot set it to go throughout the whole house because it will only barely clean certain areas. But given the chance to bang around back-and-forth in a small space and it will get clean. Surprisingly clean. And the more obstacles you can move out of his way (especially chair legs) the better your house will look.

Johnny has his merits, though, and I have to say that his ability to get under spaces that are 5 inches and higher is wonderful. He vacuums under our bed. And under dressers. And the piano bench. And the crib. And the lounge chair. And so many other places that never see a broom or vacuum unless you move furniture. Love it, Johnny! As a result of that, you need to run Johnny like mad at first because his battery life is relatively small when working in spaces that require deep cleaning. I ran Johnny every day in our bedroom for about 7 days straight and only on that seventh day did I notice that he was finally getting ahead of the game and had removed most of the deep dirt in those never-vacuumed spots. Johnny runs for about 45 minutes at a time and it takes him that long to do one big space (our room and bathroom, the kitchen, both kids rooms, etc). Conservatively I would say I run Johnny twice a day. Most days I run Johnny and then anxiously stare at the battery censor to see when he's back at full speed and I set him going again. My life is now very in synch with Johnny's.

As a sidenote, both of our pets hate Johnny and scurry from his presence. The other two creatures of the house, Delaney and Garrett, LOVE to watch the little slideshow of Johnny moving through the house. In that first week it's pretty classic entertainment for kids.

And Johnny is best at hardwood floors. He cleans carpets well enough, but unfortunately with our carpets (relatively high pile) a more powerful vacuum does a more complete job. Also worth noting is that you have to empty the Johnny canister after every session.

I do feel a bit like a Johnny commercial when I come into my bedroom and see vacuum tracks and a clean floor (done without any human labor) and plop with great satisfaction onto my bed and say "thank you Johnny". One day the floor looked so good that Kevin said "did you finally cave and vacuum our room?" and I pleasantly replied, "no, our little robot did all the work." I have had many "commercial moments" when talking and thinking about Johnny.

I also think that those with two floors would find it hard to manage Johnny in all areas because of the lugging. And it would have to work a lot to clean a large square footage of house. But for one floor or a small house like ours, it is completely and totally the bomb. Thank you inventors, for finding a product that truly is a help to the endless battle of house cleanliness. If you are reading this and don't have a Johnny, please consider putting it on your next gift list. Or just go by one yourself tomorrow. I think Target sells them now. I assume you're going there at least once this week, right? You will soon find yourself in a friggin' vacuum commercial rolling around your floors positively giddy that you did not have to do ANY labor to make it that clean. Johnny is a mom's must have.

So, yeah, that big hairy two-headed green slimy oozy monster of life that tries to beat me down on a daily basis with too much freaking cleaning... you can SUCK IT.

Snippets

Here are three recent snippets of Delaney conversations...


Delaney: Mommy, I love you so so much. I don't ever want you to go away.
Me: Well, I might go on a vacation, but I'll never truly go away, I'll stick around if you want me to.
Delaney: And I love Garrett so much too. I want him to stay for at least one more week.


Me: Delaney do you have to go potty?
Delaney: No, I don't.
Me: Then why are you clutching yourself down there and looking down?
Delaney: Because I was hoping that if I looked hard enough I could see my vagina.


Delaney: Mommy am I ever going to have a sister?
Me: No, Delaney, we are done having kids and we are so happy with the two children that we have.
Delaney: I sure wish I could have a sister.
Me: That's nice, bug, but I think you will be a pair with your brother.
Delaney: I wish I had a sister, but I wish she was teeny, teeny, tiny and was the size of my little pinky finger.

Boulder Parking Lot Redux

A while back I posted a rant about the various parking lots in the city of Boulder, and how they nearly drive me to madness on a daily basis. At first I thought it was simply the tight spaces of these lots that was making me so angry.

I'd like to add the traffic flow and exits of these parking lots to be on the same annoying plane as the tight spaces. For some odd reason, the majority of the parking lots in Boulder have one way exits where it's hard to actually get onto the neighboring streets. What is THAT about? Why did they get designed that way?

The worst offender is Target, or at least it seems like the worst offender as I frequent that store so much that getting out of that lot takes a lot of advance planning before you even pull out of your spot. Every exit is only to the right, meaning you have to go to great lengths should you need to go south or west (which I almost always do) after leaving Target.

And there are a host of other stores that can compete well in this category... Safeway, Whole Foods, Michael's, the new 24 Hour Fitness, Wahoo's, McGuckins (and every other store in that area) and so many more. After five years of living in Boulder I have become very accustomed to planning out routes and getting sneaky with my exits. In a town of 100,000 I have to ask myself why it is so hard to go to stores here? I just don't get it.

However I also realize this is just one of those things that I can't control and should stop getting angry about. I think when others come to visit and I hear myself trying to tell them tricks about one-way store parking lot exits is when it all comes to a head.

I would really love to have a conversation with the civil engineers and city planners who designed these parking lots and streets. What the F were you thinking?

New York City Trip Review

I returned yesterday from an all-too-brief visit to Nueva York. I was there for an affiliate conference, and what will no doubt be the last of any kind of real business trip as I move careers to the teaching profession. I packed only a carry-on bag and was able to arrive at the airport only an hour before my departure. I forgot what that was even like!

It was the first time I have left Garrett overnight ever, and it had been a while since I had left Delaney on an overnight trip. I have come to realize that Delaney is at her worst when Kevin leaves town for long trips and secretly I was hoping that the house would meltdown and spontaneously combust as a result of my absence. I was also hoping that the kids were good and he would have an easy time of it, but to be honest I was probably more hoping for the former so that Kevin could have a taste of what it's like to be alone with two kiddos. This was his first extended time with both kids, although two workdays away is nothing compared to two full weeks including weekends. It turns out the little rugrats were great during my absence and reviews of me being gone were positive all around. Hmmm... me thinks I should leave more often. It did get me to thinking about why in the heck I struggle with D so much when Kev is gone and she was a doll for him. I'm sure it has to do with my energy, now I just have to figure out how to get better at that in the future.

New York City was wonderful. The city seemed so alive and full of energy it was like I was getting intravenous injections at every corner. I think that living in Boulder and the slow pace has got me so much more accustomed to living basic that when I get in a real concrete maze with people everywhere it's all I can do to keep walking and not get frozen in one spot to spend time taking it all in. My senses were on complete overload every time I was outside and I loved it. I think part of that has to do with the fact that I've been spending a lot of time inside, with kids, changing diapers and doing the often-boring-as-hell house maintenance routine. I get to NYC and just one building seems fascinating to me, not to mention thousands of buildings, store windows, outside cafes, faces, clothing, construction, cars, traffic, etc. I came to the conclusion that I need to do trips like that more often just to wake up my senses and avoid having them dry up for good.

I stayed in the meat packing district at the new Standard Hotel which is an Andre Balazs property. The hotel was very modern and a bit crazy for a stodgy tech conference but I enjoyed my two nights sleeping in a room by myself. The hotel was right around the corner from the Diane Von Furstenberg office and I found myself walking by that window as much as possible in an attempt to look at the pretty flowing dresses that are so quintessential DVF. If only I had a grand to drop on some clothes.

The hotel was also conveniently located directly over the new High Line walking path in NYC. This was one of the highlights of my trip. I had seen a television piece for this on CBS Sunday morning and was excited to try it out. I had the fortune of re-connecting with an old friend Emilio, and when he picked me up at my hotel for a fun evening dining out and drinking, we were able to walk the entire way to the restaurant on the High Line. It is a fantastic project where the Parks and Rec department in NYC decided to make something of the old railway tracks that were abandoned long ago and were sitting unused. These aren't just any railways, though, it's an above-ground railway that runs north-south along the west side of NYC. The railways are actually still there but they have placed very architecturally pleasing elements all along the way and also added some natural grasses, plants and trees that are also very pleasing to the eye. There are benches where people were camping out for a sunset dinner, a little amphitheater that seems like it mostly meant for kids to look out a the cars underneath, and other spots along the way for people to stop and enjoy the view. It's an understatement to say that this project is cool in concept and execution and it's a testament to the idea that even in NYC where you think every corner has been developed, you can still provide culture and value to the citizens. Well done, NYC.

Emilio and I dined out at the restaurant called The Cookshop, which is very similar in theme and quality to Boulder's The Kitchen restaurant. Fresh and local products are used the menu changes frequently. It was great catching up with an old LA friend and shared stories of our children who are almost exactly the same ages. We had the brilliant idea to possibly do a house swap where he comes to Boulder with hid family and we go to NYC. Of course we are getting the better deal there but given his previous passion for the outdoors and climbing, Boulder could be a nice respite from his concrete world.

The next night I ate with a colleague at Scarpetta, which was recently named "One of the Best New Restaurants In America" by the New York Times magazine. The food did not disappoint at all, and it inspired me to do more experimenting with flavors and cooking given the taste explosion that occurred with every new dish that was presented.

And then it was back to Boulder after two brief days of travel, and I took both kids in the double jogger to the Wednesday night Boulder Farmers Market and purchased some fresh mushrooms, scallions, cherries, arugula, sugar snap peas, grain-fed beef and potato gnocchi. I am excited to do some cooking over the next few days and see what I can do.

Delaney "Goucher" Runner Girl

Last week Delaney completed the Uni Hill Kids 1k race. There is an adults race as well but they kick the event off with kids doing one lap of the 1k course.

Delaney did this race last year and Kevin ended up carrying her for a bunch of it. This year she not only did the whole thing under her own power, but RAN almost all of it. She stopped to say hi to Daddy a couple of times and occasionally stopped because she almost ran into curbs and holes in the road. It is an understatement to say that she was excited about this race, but I imagine her excitement is a direct result of our excitement and fussing over how cute she is in her running clothes and how proud we are of her to.

There are a lot of pics in this post, so bear with me, but I wanted you to feel like you were at the event with us.

Delaney has a snazzy running outfit (from Target) which has had to be pinned due to the fact that it's too big.



First we had a few training runs which were documented on film.





Once we got to the event, there were funny moments of Delaney doing her own stretching routine.



(This one is my favorite)



Kevin getting her ready.





Doing the stretch routine with all the kids.



And finally... the actual run.








The whole thing was a ton of fun for everyone and we will be doing the other two 5430 kid races this summer as well, in the hopes of getting one of the free pair of Crocs that go to the first 100 racers that do all 3. Next up, July 23 West End 1500.

Summer thoughts

I have about two more months of work. Yeah!
It has rained every day for the last 3 weeks. There hasn't been one day where some drops of rain didn't fall, and most days it is a downpour of rain accompanied by lightning, thunder, and sometimes a tornado. I am definitely tiring of not being able to camp out in our backyard a bit more. We have not been able to have one dinner out on our patio and it's mid June. What the heck?!?
Delaney started Gymnastics last week and just loves it. It is in this huge gym with trampolines (multiple kinds), uneven bars, balance beams, ladders, etc. It's a great program and I highly recommend it for kids 3 and up.
Delaney starts soccer this Saturday morning. We'll see how that goes!
She also starts swimming next week. I'm doing my part to keep her busy and active this summer. Now if only the weather would cooperate we could go to the pool with Garrett, the park, and start riding her bike.
It has been so nice to have Kevin around this summer. He leaves for two weeks in July but for now I am enjoying being social and getting things done around the house.
I've got to put D down for her nap (more accurately quiet time) so must run.

Elementary Ed Praxis test

A bunch of my classmates had told me that the test wasn't too bad and that it was nearly impossible to study for given the broad range of materials. To truly study for it you needed to study for almost a year, whereas it would be more helpful to simply take some practice tests and get into the habit of the style of questions.

I took my Praxis test on Saturday and let me tell you, that test was no joke! There are 120 questions, and 30 questions in the categories of language arts, math, science and social studies. So basically it's a content review of everything you learned in grades K-12. It was crazy! The math was very straightforward and easy, and I will say that doing the practice tests was extremely helpful with that section. And language arts was reasonable, although I was a bit muddy on some of my definitions of literacy foundations, but I am pretty sure I got those. But the science and social studies... sheesh! They asked questions about ice and water in a beaker and the temperature of the beaker, finding the density of a cylinder, and a lot more obscure questions that I can't even remember. There were questions where I could not even eliminate a choice because I had no idea what any of the choices were.

I feel like my brain got kicked around for a couple hours and not in a positive way. Ugh. I am reasonably sure that I did not "pass" the test according to my score. But the real test is how I did compared to everyone else. I have no doubt that a student closer to high school is going to do better on that test given that they learned some of those things only 4-8 years back. But for me it is 15-20 years ago! I think I remember hearing that all you need to do to pass is roughly be in the top 2/3 of the test takers.

So keep your fingers crossed for me... I find out in 4 weeks the good or bad news.

General goings-on update

I guess it's true what they say about habits. I have gotten out of the habit of updating this, and lo and behold I've almost stopped posting!

So here is a general update on our life and I have started some writing about various childhood topics like sleeping and discipline. I hope for them to be a "series" of writings with my .02 cents on such tough and interesting topics to me.

The biggest news around here is that I am done breastfeeding. FOREVER! I started weaning Garrett about 3 months ago (yes, you should be laughing) and finally closed the door about a week and a half ago. I don't know why it was so darn hard for me to close this chapter with him but it was.

I will give you a little background on nursing for me. I really struggled to do it with both children for different reasons. In both of my childrens first month I struggled to get through my days, and one of the big reasons was the struggle to nurse. I had almost every breastfeeding problem in the book (undersupply was the only one off the list). But my determination and guilt propelled me to stick with it and persevere. I can't really say I ever LOVED the act of breastfeeding as an act. Pulling up my shirt, unhooking a bra and having a little child tug at a very intimate part of my body was never what I would call "fun". It was satisfying in the sense that I was providing for them and each time it was like I could pat myself on the back because I was providing them with something that was supposedly the best for them. But honestly I get a nice sense of providing by giving my children bottles as well. I see them eating, I am providing it for them, and they are happy. So I guess you would probably ask why would I nurse if I didn't really enjoy it? GUILT. Lots and lots of mom guilt.

I probably could go on and on about the pros and cons of breastfeeding and what I think has happened in our current day to drive the craze and guilt around breastfeeding. I am not saying I am a victim of my guilt, but I definitely admit to having guilt issues around just about everything in my life (one of my personal challenges I hope to work on over the next decade) and when you are prone to guilt it's hard to not get sucked in to the vortex of breastfeeding.

Garrett has been sick for the last 7 weeks with a low grade shitty illness (LGSI). It's not bad enough to warrant a fever, or stomach upset, etc. But crappy enough to make him a little miserable, make him not want to eat or sleep as much, and more fussy and crying behavior. I even put him on antibiotics because the docs were stumped and figured it had to be a sinus infection (which they officially can't tell if you actually have when you're 8 months old). This illness was poorly timed with my weaning and as a result Garrett has been Grade A fussy about taking bottles. Who knows if it's the illness, or the weaning, or both. But then it got me to thinking that maybe he just never really ate that much when he was nursing. He only used to eat on one side at a time and even though I know how much my breasts could produce based on my extensive (i.e. really annoying) pumping schedule. So maybe I think he's rebelling about the bottles but really he's still getting what he used to on a day where he was nursing?!? ONE STRIKE AGAINST NURSING -- you never REALLY know how much your little one is nursing.

But Garrett seems to be slowly improving even though the substances that come out of his nose are terrifyingly gross. And on another note, I AM SO F'ING READY FOR FLUIDS TO START LEAKING OUT OF HIM! He is either spitting up, puking, draining mucous, peeing or pooping. Really. I can list a lot of great things about my baby boy, but the process of cleaning up all of those fluids is not one of them. At the end of the day it's all I can do to not want to rub my body with bleach along with my entire house. I don't even want to tell you how many surfaces (some not cleanable) in my house have been graced with regurgitated milk or formula. So so so much fun. On really good days I am cleaning up his mess and also dealing with Delaney accidentally peeing all over something. Good fun. I had dinner with a friend of mine in the bay area recently and she told me something that absolutely amazed me. Her kids are 5 and 7 and she said she was in a "good stage of life" simply because she had NO IDEA when her kids pooped. Now I know everyone tells me ad nauseum that I am supposed to enjoy the moment. But really. I am really looking forward to that day. Then it's just back to worrying and thinking about my poops. My poops have been so neglected due to the fact that I am forced to clean and think about my childrens poops. Can I say poop ONE more time in this post? Maybe. I'll work on it.

Delaney is still trying and testing us at most turns in life. And she can turn on a dime. One minute she is adorable and without even hesitating she turns into a kid on Super Nanny. Yesterday I was home with both kids and we had an amazing day together despite the weather that kept us inside. But right when Kevin said that dinner was ready she started throwing her toys and came at me with the toy knife she was using to cut her velcro vegetables (Melissa and Doug plus). WTF. One minute nice. The next coming at me with a knife. Some days I really wish there was a boarding school for toddlers. She is running in a kids run race tonight and I hope to post video or pics soon.

I am taking my Praxis teaching certification exam this Saturday and based on some practice tests I muddled through this week, I could be in trouble. I am dusting off my brain and trying to remember things like mitosis, seafloor spreading, zygotes, isotopes, Pythagoreum thereom, allegory, Thomas Paine, protons, neutrons, kinetic energy, fractions, the Magna Carta, and, well, you pretty much get the drift. Better get to some more studying.

Dear Delaney, age 3

Dear Delaney,

Yesterday you turned 3 years old. We had a party for you on Saturday and just about everyone in your life who you enjoy was there. We were missing family, and a few friends who couldn't make it, but all in all the people who bring you joy came over to celebrate with you.

We were supposed to have your party at the park, because we thought it was only fitting that our park girl would celebrate there, but Boulder brought out the rains and thus we had to move it to our house. There were 14 kids under the age of 4 in our house and lemme tell you, it was a sight to be seen. I think you were thrilled to have so many close friends over to share in your day.

On your actual birthday we had Gabe come over to watch Garrett so your father and I could take you out to breakfast. You were in heaven getting to spend time with the two of us all by yourself. Although you never even commented that you were enjoying it, or mentioned the lack of your brother, it was clear you were having fun. You also spent the day in the backyard with the whole family, running in the sprinklers, blowing bubbles, at the park with me and running around with Finley.

The last few months have been a bit rough as you have tried in many ways to push us around with your strong will and temperament. I think we hit the high crescendo when Moma was here helping me during dad's recent trip to China. You were not happy that she was here and you would not let her help you in any way. You complained about most things going on in your day and generally made life difficult for everyone. As a result I bought about 6 books that try to help parents through the toddlerhood phase and I am in the middle of my second one. I think by reading them I am gaining a little bit of an understanding about where some of your behavior comes from and I am trying to watch you closer to get to know you better. Sometimes I have a tendency to rush to frustration but I am doing my best to really understand the Delaney inside and what makes you tick (and explode, incidentally). I think the bottom line is that you are a very strong willed, opinionated, stubborn, active, perceptive and strong girl. That is never going to change. You have been that way since you were born and it's about time I figured out how to nurture that better so we don't go to battle as much as we have been lately.

I must admit I do love your spirit and energy. I am constantly amazed by it, and I also really love and admire it. I don't have that and I am glad you got it. You have been the absolute best big sister to Garrett that I could imagine. You are kind, helpful, nurturing, funny, and a great companion to him. Maybe things will change once he starts moving around but I hope not. I love the generosity you show towards him and it really is one of the things I enjoy most in life. In fact we noticed yesterday that he lights up more for you than anyone else in the world. He loves you because you are so nice to him.

Your athletic abilities have started to come shining through as you have taken a liking to dribbling a basketball, kicking a soccer ball, and hitting balls with your baseball bat. Bike riding is coming along as you have progressed a lot on your scooter and Skuut bike (bike with no pedals). We were in Mexico recently and you nearly learned to swim. You can propel yourself but haven't figured out how to stay up while you lift your head up. I predict this summer you will really learn to swim. You are quite an athlete. I see lots of sporting events in our future. Also you love all of the equipment at the park... the slides, big girl swings, monkey bars, jungle gyms, tunnels, diggers and more. You can spend hours at the park at not blink an eye.

Your favorite foods have changed a bit recently and I wish I could come up with a long list of foods that you enjoy, but the sad truth is that you are getting more picky by the day. You like chicken, hamburgers, sausages, hamburgers, quesadillas and bread. You will eat some veggies and most fruits, but it saddens me that very often you sit down to meals and only eat three or four bites.

Your favorite toys are your musical instruments, puzzles, Play Doh, games and your cars. The Memory Game is your favorite game and you continually amaze us with how good at that game you are, and how you play (and win) with such ease. You are not particularly into your dolls or stuffed animals, although occasionally you will pick an animal to join you in your bed for the night. Mina blanket, super Mina, and Mina pillow are all still very important to you. I am glad we have multiple versions of those and we swap them out regularly so that they will last longer. One little polar bear (actually he is a lamb) named Jeeky Deeky came around last summer and has been sleeping with you ever since. Most days at home you carry Mina and Jeeky around with you everywhere you go and they sit under your dinner table chair while you eat.

Television is not too important to you, although you do like Sesame Street and have warmed up to a few movies like Madagascar and Finding Nemo. You would much rather play with an adult or go outside. Your inability to sit still is obvious as you roam around the family room while you watch TV. I fear that you will struggle in school due to your "fidgetyness".

Jasper is still your closest friend and has been so for the last year. You also love to play with your other schoolmates, namely Cecil, Abilene, Nella, Eben and Gaby. Kids from my mom's group are also fun, especially Spencer and Kyra. Finley, your neighbor, is a regular playmate especially when the weather is nice. Playing nice with other kids is a strong suit and always has been. Sometimes you play the role of "beat up kid" a little too much but we are working on how to stand up to behavior that you don't really like.

We bought you a shirt about a year ago that was "Little Miss Chatterbox" and nothing could be closer to the truth. You are always talking. You make astute observations and chatter on about anything and everything. Your vocabulary is wonderful and you pick up phrases and words so quickly. Yesterday we were walking home from the park and we briefly lost your basketball in some bushes. I looked at you and said "uh oh" and you said "wait Mommy I have a plan!". I had to chuckle. My three year old had a plan! And you did... I would hold the bushes back and you would climb in. Classic Delaney.

Your teachers at school say that you are very easy going at school and always game for any game or activity. Your imaginary play has increased as you regularly lead your classmates in pretend games of swimming, house, cooking, etc. You do the same thing here and I love it when you bring me some strange object and tell me it's "chocolate" or "bananas" when it is nothing like those things. And just agreeing with you isn't enough as you stand there and make SURE I enjoy and eat what you have brought me.

I think this year we will have some kind of turning point in that maybe I will figure you out a little better, learn how to react appropriately and you will figure out life a little bit more. I hope so, although I am trying to enjoy the precious time that is toddlerhood and the really cute moments that happen. Just a few minutes ago you walked into our room and said "are you almost done working Momma?" and I said "yep, just a few more minutes". And then you said "ok, I'll come back and check on you in a few minutes and make sure you don't need anything". So cute.

Thanks for being you, Delaney, and for forcing me to be a better person everyday. I feel like I will be invincible once we get through your childhood because you are teaching me SO much about myself and the world. Delaney, Laney, Laneyloo, Bug, Bugalicious, Laneybug, Bugaboo, Laners and D. Happy 3, my whirling dervish.

Love,
Mom

School almost done

Thursday marks the official close of my spring semester. Phew. I can honestly say that the last 3 months have been the busiest, and arguably, the most stressful of my life. I am not really sure how I managed to keep all of the balls in the air that I did. Now I can focus on summer, my kids and my job. I am taking one online course over the summer but that should be reasonably easy and I am not going to start that until June.

Next week we leave for our big trip to California which will be great because I actually get more than a few days there and can see most if not all of my friends. Kevin is making the drive out with me and I will be making the drive back with my Dad. So at least I won't be doing it with two kiddos by myself.

I am starting to get concerned about this swine flu thing. Given that both of my kids are in school/daycare it seems like if a case breaks out anywhere near there that it could be terrible. No cases have been found in Colorado yet but I have to admit I am watching the stories with anxious fear. Silly, probably, but these types of things cause me to worry.

Delaney turns 3 this Sunday. I cannot believe she is turning 3! Crazy. I am hoping to write her a letter this week and post it on here because we have definitely gone through some changes over the last few months since I wrote to her last.

Kevin was gone for two weeks in China and it nearly killed. Even though my Mom was here to help it still nearly killed me. I had so many projects, papers, and school work to complete all the while trying to keep up my 20 hours at work. It was a really bad two weeks. I am hoping that Delaney acts a little better when we are in California because it was very embarrassing to see her behave like an out-of-control brat when she was here. If 3 is full of behavior like that I am not sure I want her to turn 3. A friend of mine recently told me that her oldest child didn't throw tantrums. Ever. How can that be?!? Delaney started throwing tantrums at 9 months and hasn't looked back. She could be a professional tantrum-thrower.

Garrett is teething and fussier than usual. He is finally sitting up, he did that right about at 7 months. He still doesn't roll over or show any interest in being mobile. I LOVE that about him. He is so content to just sit and be. Yeah Garrett! Two days ago his babbles took on a different sound as he is repeating ga-ga-ga-ga-ga and da-da-da-da-da and ya-ya-ya-ya. It's really cute.

I hope to be able to get back to more regular posting now that my school work is over. I am also looking forward to getting back a clean and organized house, and being able to work out more than once every two weeks. Come on, summer!

Milestone for The Bug

We have hit a new milestone with Delaney, and one that I am not entirely happy about. She has figured out how to reach up onto counters to get what she wants. The other day I put some cashews on our cutting board and was intentionally hiding them from her because she goes bonkers over any kind of nut and you can't get her to stop eating them. Well... I was doing one of the million little things it takes to keep the house functioning and soon noticed that not only was Delaney missing, but the cashews were too! There she was in her room quietly and contently mowing down a half-bag of cashew nuts. She is not that tall so I definitely have to wonder how she managed to see they were there in the first place and how she found a way to get up there and reach them. Ugh. Now even the counters aren't safe! There is so little left in the house that is sacred from the children. The bathroom... fuggedaboutit! Delaney opens the door even when I'm in there asking for privacy. She takes things out of my nightstand, my closet, my bathroom drawers, my backpack, my purse, you name it. Nothing is sacred anymore. Our house is too small and I find myself searching for the highest nooks and crannies that are unreachable for her but there are so few of those now. She's like a little mouse, fitting into and reaching things I never thought possible. And she leaves traces of everywhere she's been just like a mouse. My house has been invaded by a very large, messy, nosy, and hungry mouse. And her name is Delaney.

Funny snippet

When we were in Mexico, here is a little conversation that happened between Delaney and us:

Me: Are you going to be sad when we leave Mexico, Delaney?
Delaney: Yes!
Me: We're going back to our country. Did you know Mexico is a different country?
Delaney: Yeah, and Mexico has a king!
Kevin: No, Mexico actually has a president just like the United States. Do you know who the president of our country is?
Delaney: (pause.....) Santa?
Kevin: (Laugh) No, Santa comes to every country, but we have a different president, do you remember who you voted for in the election at school?
Delaney: Rack Obama!