Thursday, June 28, 2007
Not long after I posted yesterday's entry, a thunder/lightning storm the likes of which I haven't seen for a long time hit our neighborhood. I was convinced we'd lose power... but fortunately, we never did. The weather has been seriously psycho this week. Today, it's a bit overcast but still hotter than hell. I don't want to leave the house at all, but I feel cruel keeping Piper cooped up. We'll probably venture out after she wakes up from her nap.
Piper woke up this morning with another eye infection... her second in as many weeks. Eye boogers galore.... really gross. Fortunately, I have a bunch of drops left over from last week's visit to the pediatrician, so I can medicate her without forking over another co-pay.
During the past several weeks, Piper has begun to develop strong opinions about music. When she hears a song she dislikes, she'll yell "Song!" repeatedly, with increasing urgency, until I switch to another one. There is no rhyme or reason to her musical taste. One day she loves The Beatles, the next day she can't stand them... etc. Part of me thinks it's kinda cute when she vetoes a song, but a larger part of me is really annoyed by it. It will be interesting to see how far she takes it and if any consistency develops...
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
It has been HOT in Albany this week (mid 90s and humid). While a majority of our fellow city-dwellers have been hiding out at the mall or inside their homes, Piper and I have been braving the elements for a few hours each morning. Yesterday, I foolishly decided to take her to one of our favorite playgrounds.... foolish because there is practically no shade there. Despite having been slathered head to toe with a thick layer of 45 SPF sun block, Piper started to turn pink after about 10 minutes in the sand box. She pitched a fit when I forced her to leave, a mere 20 minutes after we'd arrived. I did not want to experience a sunburned baby from hell.... or the guilt that comes along with one. T and I took her out to a different playground after dinner... and even though the sun was beginning to set and the temperature had cooled significantly, she still began to turn red after a short time.
Her skin appeared unscathed today, so I decided to take her to a public swimming pool/playground area for our morning activity. No shade to be found. We spent some time on the swings... and as soon as the pool opened, I greased her up with waterproof sun block and took her into the water. She didn't really like it in there... no matter what I tried, she kept saying "Done!" and "Out!" so back we went to the scorching hot playground after only 10 minutes of relief. Of course, she stumbled and fell in a pile of wood chips before she had completely dried off from the pool, so she was pink AND filthy to boot. As soon as that happened, I made the executive decision to end our morning activity and return to the semi-cool, air-conditioned splendor of our living room.
This weather scares me. Not the heat, although it is hard to withstand at times.... but the ferocity and potency of the sun. I don't remember it being nearly as bad as this when I was a kid. Environmental pollution and mis-use has quite clearly taken its toll on our safety.
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Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Wouldn't you know it, Piper has developed a passion for the tallest slide in the park. I have tried to interest her in the smaller ones with stairs that are made for toddlers, but she will have nothing to do with those. Usually, there are older kids climbing and swinging all over Piper's favorite slide whenever we first arrive... but this does not intimidate her in the least. As soon as I lift her out of the stroller, she waddles over and pushes past them in an attempt to claim her turn. She does not like sharing the slide with so much as one other child and, on more than one occasion, has thrown a fit because someone wouldn't get out of her way fast enough. She doesn't like it when I spot her, either (too damn bad), and she'll try to bat me away as she huffs and puffs her way to the top. She is becoming more independent (stubbornly so) with each passing day. While this type of behavior sometimes poses challenges for me, I am also very proud of it...proud to be the mother of such a self-confident little person.
Tonight after dinner, T and I took her over to the park. The sun was setting, the air was slightly chilly, the playground was mostly deserted. It was a beautiful evening, and we had a really nice time:
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Saturday, June 2, 2007
T took charge of parental duties today, and I had some free time on my hands. It was hot and very humid, so I didn't much feel like being outside. I decided to go to Barnes and Noble and cash in on a gift card that has been sitting in my wallet for a couple of months.
Anyone who knows me knows that I usually have no problem whatsoever spending money on CDs and books. As a new-ish member of the parent demographic, I am particularly susceptible to kids' stuff these days, and all bookstores have a ton of that. I combed our shitty B&N branch from corner to corner and could not find anything that I wanted to buy. Not one single thing.
For sure, my standards re: worthy purchasing have changed significantly since I became a mom and we became a single-income family. I think back fondly to the Amoeba days... once a month, I would spend a pre-determined chunk of my paycheck in that store. I could waste away hours in there. I would buy a ton of CDs, rip them to my hard drive, return them to the store the following week and get 75% of the value back in store credit. A sweet, sweet deal for a collector like me. Now, I live in a small city where Barnes and Noble is the best retail option available next to the Internet. I'm pretty sure the lack of a decent store is a blessing in disguise, because the temptation to spend money I don't have just isn't there. But today I'm pissed about it.
On an up note... last night, I took the happiest picture of my kid to date. Her cheeks are about to explode offa her face. Check it:
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