All new lows

I wonder if all parents have days like today or if I just need some Zoloft, but there it is. Helena's been on a weird schedule all day, and in a bad mood for most of it. And lately she's started to be a little aggressive with Emma and Bennie (our cat). All very disturbing. Finally, because I felt like I was losing it and I have lessons this afternoon, I have turned on the Baby Einstein (that's right, TV as babysitter for 10 minutes!) and I actually gave Helena a peanut butter cookie. She's not really old enough for sweets, but considering the fact that her grandma gives her Squirt from the can (just a few sips - still!), I don't feel too bad. Caity assured me that she sometimes has days like this, when Emma drives her nuts despite her love for her child. One thing I've learned about low-grade, yucky-day depression is that it helps to get moving. The more you DO the better you FEEL. How many psychologists give that advice before they write out the prescription, I wonder? So, maybe once I start lessons and get going that way I'll feel a little more initiative. (By the way, just the idea of quitting lessons is making life easier - knowing there's an end to all of this!)

The other thing lurking about in the back of my mind is CHRISTMAS! Thanksgiving will be pretty low-key, but it seems like there is always so much to do at the last minute during Christmastime that we don't appreciate the season like we should. Hard to focus on the Savior when we're frantically shopping, baking, decorating, whatever. I have some decorations out already and have at least addressed some of my cards but...

I have no profound thoughts to share today.

Cheers!

Burning boo-boos

I've decided that the reason that Will Ferrell is so totally funny is because he has NO inhibition at ALL. I'm laughing so hard I'm about to run to the bathroom. Honestly. And he can keep a straight face.

So, yesterday Helena burned her sweet little paw at my mom's house. She was sitting on the counter (I know, I've told Mom a million times not to put her up there!) and reached up and touched a halogen light under the cupboard. I never would have thought THAT would happen...I was concerned that she was going to fall off, not burn her hand. Anyway, at her well-baby checkup today the Dr. had to treat the burn. Now her hand is wrapped in gauze and she has to wear a mitten so she doesn't pull the gauze off. It's kind of cute - she wants me to kiss it anytime someone mentions it. I have magical healing powers. It's terrible to say this, but she has an enormous blister - I can't believe how big it is! - and yet, she doesn't seem affected by it almost at all. The good news is that she's in the 75 percentile and healthier than most horses, except possibly thoroughbreds that cost a million bucks. Maybe. Even so, she had to suffer through two shots. Poor girl.

I'm off to bed. Early tomorrow (8:20am!) we'll be at the JCPenney Portrait Studio getting Christmas photos, then off to the Dr. to have the blister lanced. Great, huh? And Dan has the day off! Yippee!

By the way, we have three inches of snow on the ground. Shhhh - I hear Bing Crosby! "I'm dreaming..."

My Crazy Kid

Helena has really gotten into putting things on her head. For example, right now she has a big plastic mixing bowl on her head. This makes me think of the movie "Parenthood," one of our favorites around here. She's also becoming a real whiz at her colors and shapes. We've been using different colored plastic utensils to learn colors - she divides them up into red, blue, etc. and puts them in different baskets. She's got the shape-sorter mastered. BUT, Helena doesn't talk much. Just a few words - "Duck" and "Emma" being two of them. Yesterday, though, Helena started using "Dada" in a meaningful way (it was the only way to get her dad's attention, as he was helping Joel with a shower installation at the time.) It was precious.

The other news here is that winter is definitely coming. Last night we had a High Wind Advisory, and they weren't kidding...and there's snow predicted for today. Already we're halfway through November and I haven't done ANY Christmas shopping/preparation. I'd like to be done, say, in August.

One last (big) thing - I've decided to stop giving music lessons, except for family or church friends. Just having made the decision was a big deal, but of course now I have to tell everybody, which is difficult. What it finally came down to was not being able to give sufficient attention to Helena and whatever student I had at the time. And yes, I could have hired a babysitter or took up every afternoon of Caity's week, but that means I would have been basically teaching for charitable purposes. And anyway, Caity's going to have her hands full(er) pretty soon, too. It's a good thing.

"It's that time of year when the world falls in love!"

Keeping it Simple

This has to be short because it's already 10:15pm and I'm coming down with a wicked case of the Bird flu. Well, maybe it's just regular flu. Whatever kind it is, I don't appreciate it stopping by and reproducing in my body. Tonight we went to Caity and Joel's house for Emma's first birthday party. It was wonderful - tasty cake and ice cream, games, presents, and lots of baby-watching. Emma and Helena are so much fun to watch together! They give each other kisses and play peek-a-boo and stuff like that. It's neat. Joel also gave a really excellent talk today about perseverance. If I remember to I'll give more details about it tomorrow. It was a very busy Sunday but good. (Except the bird flu thing.)

I also got an email from one of my cousins I haven't talked to in a couple of years, I guess, and it was great! Family is truly the most important thing in our lives, and I should take it more seriously, particularly the extended family part.

We've had a horrifying windstorm going on since last night. I was absolutely convinced within myself that the dead oak tree limbs above our house were going to crash into our house and kill us in our beds, but, happily, we all survived with no incident.

We're really getting into the whole Christmas thing around here - all the radio stations are already playing Christmas music and I think that, health willing, I will get out some of the decorations tomorrow...not the tree, naturally...

Here's a thought spurred by another talk (not Joel's) in church today:

It's not what we DO, nor is it what we want to BE that will determine our eternal progression or our temporal/eternal happiness...it's who we ARE.

How do we change/improve who we are? Through building our testimonies of the Savior - then the actions will follow (Elder Glenn L. Pace).

Cheers!