Is it Necessity or Motherhood that is the Mother of Invention?

Maybe it's that motherhood launches you into a whole new realm of necessities that you alone can provide to the new little people that have now taken over your world.

At any rate, we're sick. The girls are now both coughing like barking seals, so we call their coughy virus "croup". We also have some green snot around our house, and SOMEWHERE Lily has learned that it is appropriate to wipe it on furniture. As if being stuck in the house with two sad cranky sick babies isn't enough to make me CRAZY!!

A picture of our insanity and my invention: imagine a nearly-dead but caffeinated mother, who after driving to the library to get some more movies to keep us diverted in the wee unsleeping hours, arrives home only to hear that her daughter wants to drive to a faraway park so she can stay in her carseat. (I need not have warned Lily to stay in the stroller at the library while I picked out movies for 10 minutes, she's so lethargic she didn't even want to get out.)

The dog and I both need some fresh air, so I grab a few things from the house and we take off again for a far corner of Ann Arbor to a park with lots of open space where we can run around without contaminating anyone or be tempted to chat with our usual park's regulars. I realized while unpacking my crew at the park was that this is Mighigan in October - it's cold, and Noelle's jeans and single fleece blanket are really not enough as the sun's warm rays were beginning to hide.

Undaunted, I invented: Lily's spare sweatpants became a hat (upside down with the legs tied together because they kept slipping down over her face), and some spare socks became gloves, the baby was wrapped like a cocoon and strapped in the stroller for some cold-air croup treatment: a walk outside in the park.

We all felt better. Now if we can just all sleep through the night....

Meanwhile in Toddlerland and Babyworld

Noelle is crawling! The little peanut started scooting around a little over a week ago, proceeding to crawl speedily off the bed, and trying to escape her crib, etc. She's a bundle of smiles and giggles, and is even saying "bahbahbah" quite a bit. Noelle also LOVES solid food. She wants to participate if we're at the table, so she's been trying all sorts of new things like oatmeal, cheerios, beans & rice, applesauce, squash and prunes!

Lily loves to play board games! She wants to play CandyLand at least 3 times a day, and last night she tried out Uno! She loves the movie Cars (our only animated movie), and loves playing with cars and making them into airplanes. She also loves playing doctor, and wants to doctor everyone and give them a shot that will "only hurt a little bit" just like Geeda read to her from "Farley Goes to the Doctor". Sometimes her sister is opposed to getting so many shots, or to having her reflexes tested so many times in succession, but in general they get along well and enjoy each other.

Lily is definitely growing in independence! She helped me unload the dishwasher, and loves to go potty and get her "peshal treats" herself. Noelle's cheery disposition is a joy to be around!

We've Moved! Again!

Our old spot had recurrent water and mildew/black mold problems, so upon discovery of more black stuff on our bedroom walls, we got out! We're in a different duplex back in our old neighborhood, about 4 blocks from our first house here in Ann Arbor. Archer and I have both been walking with our old neighbors and their dog Harley, Padme's best dog buddy, and we've been frequenting our favorite park again, too!

It was kind of rough getting moved in a hurry with two kiddos, and Lily got tired of all the upheaval, but we're thankful to be in a nicer (mold free!) place in good repair, with slightly bigger bedrooms and a partially finished basement. My favorite part is the dishwasher, honestly.

Whew!