Yes. Yes she is.

note to self

Make most certain that the child-locks to my lower cabinets really do keep my two year old out of them. Otherwise she may go into the kitchen while you blissfully remain in the living room. When you realize her (relatively) lengthy absence (accompanied by strange clinkings), you will call to her and ask what she's been doing. After a few seconds of rustling, she will peek her head around the corner and announce she's been eating. "Eating syr(ee)up."

And you will then go into the kitchen not quite sure what to expect. The lower cabinet door will, indeed, be open (remember, you have GOT to double-check those locks) and sitting neatly on the shelf will be two little Cracker Barrel syrup bottles. One completely empty. The other on its way to being so.

You will look on the floor. Not a drop. You will look on your child's face. Just a hint of it around her lips and a dot at the base of her throat. You will realize she really, truly drank all of that syrup in the span of about six minutes (taking the time to put the caps back on when you summoned her).

There will be only one solution in your panicked mind. Make her run laps around the house. NOW. And for the next twenty minutes straight. Your only thought will be to ward off the oncoming rush. To beat that sugar to its maniacal punch. For the most part you will.

But if you DON'T want to deal with all of that, just check the locks for goodness' sake.

tip for tuesday

Whilst flipping through a magazine, I ran across some hair-washing tips. Not that I get to wash mine all that often (something about running after children all day), but I always love a good insight into the ways of follicle upkeep.

* Before you wash, brush your hair from root to end - this loosens the dead skin and hairs. (ummm, disgusting)

* When scrubbing, use the pads of your fingers, not the fingernails. This can scratch the hair cuticle, making it dull. (oops)

* During your shower, don't pile your hair on top of your head - apparently this can dry out the ends. (I don't understand that at all. Plus, I ALWAYS put mine up , because I have long hair, and how else can I wash my shoulders with ease?)

* Rinse with cool/cold water. This causes your pores to contract, so they don't secrete as much oil. (Actually, I've known this for a while, but thought I'd throw it in. It's definitely an art form to get the water only on your head and not any other part of your body.)

There you have it, fellow hair-washers. While we're on the subject, might I add that I've been using Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo. I find it quite enjoyable, and am pleased with the results. I have fine hair, but a lot of it. And with each child it has become increasingly more wavy (not to mention darker). This seems to cater to both those things. Hooray for hair care!

Architect

The child LOVES to build towers. Or if she's feeling super-creative, she calls them "sandcastles." This one is definitely a sandcastle. It does her (Lego-loving) Daddy's heart good.





* She's wearing a babydoll in her sling (an old scarf of mine) ... when she's in the mood, that baby goes with her everywhere. She talks and sings to, feeds and pacifies that little baby - always making sure her charge is in the most comfortable of positions. It does her Mama's heart good.

11 months

Here she is. Eleven months old. The mitten? It's covering the gauze and tape that are wrapped around her fingers. Second-degree burns are covering my baby's three middle fingers as a result of a manual temperature test of steaming hot soup. After 90 minutes of screaming, writhing and sheer agony, the doctor-prescribed Tylenol (with some special sauce) finally allowed her to sleep.

She's been a trooper these last couple of days - what little time I've seen her. When she IS awake, she's been smiling through her drug-addled eyes, until it's time for the next dose and 4-hour nap which follows.

bugs