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Off again we go to Gammaw and Gampaw’s house! This time as a part of advisory evacuations due to the wild fires in San Diego county, unfortunately. We got a precautionary evacuation phone call about 5:30 am Monday because of a small fire that had broken out just east of us and decided to watch and wait. The Daddy sent us off about 11 am because of poor air quality and to avoid the inevitable traffic if there were mandatory evacuations. So we packed up our stuff and headed on up the road to better air quality. The Daddy was going to stay behind to see what happened because we didn’t know how bad it would turn out and whether schools would be open the next day. It turns out that he followed us a couple of hours later. The schools closed for the week and our area remained a voluntary evacuation area for a couple of days. So we have had a nice couple of days with Gammaw and Gampaw. No hardship here! I’m grateful that we had a place to go. I see all of the families that ended up at Qualcomm stadium and think how stressful it must be for them. We have a bed to sleep in and 24 hour connection to multiple news outlets. I can’t imagine sitting there waiting for news and wondering whether our house was okay. Not to mention the logistics of keeping track of multiple little ones in a place that big! And how do you sleep in a situation like that? My heart goes out to everyone there. It’s overwhelming to think about how many people are displaced right now, not only in San Diego county but in all of Southern California.

I have to say that I was so grateful for that automated phone call Monday morning. As nervewracking as it was to get that call, it gave us time to think through all of the stuff that we might need to take with us. Things that I forgot about, The Daddy remembered. As I looked around, I realized that, as much of a pain as it would be to replace the “stuff”, it was almost all replaceable. Anything that I really wanted to save would fit in my car or The Daddy’s truck with room to spare. I can’t imagine, though, getting that “reverse 911″ phone call that says “Get out now!” with little or no warning. I know that I wouldn’t be able to think straight.

I know that the implications of this much destruction are beyond me right now. I know that I have absolutely no comprehension of what it will take to recover from this. I am just grateful that the weather and conditions have improved so that they could contain the fires that are left. I am grateful that it looks like things are on the downhill slide and that much of the county is out of danger.

We’re probably going to head back today which means I have to get creative about ways to tire The Tot out for nap time and bed time again since it’s not great for The Tot to be out in the smoky air… Indoor obstacle course anyone?

As predicted, a couple of days later I am feeling better. Just needed a little adjustment of the noggin’. The Grandma is always pretty good at helping me do that. I just expect too much of myself most of the time so it’s pretty easy to get “down”. I’m not real good at not comparing myself to other people sometimes, too, which doesn’t help. And I always think I should be able to do more than I am currently doing. What’s up with that??! Anyway, I’m feeling a bit better. I think I’m back on track. And I’m really feeling like the thyroid meds are working now, which is nice.

I got my Mommy Butt out to the community rec pool for a lap swim yesterday. Hallelujah! It felt so good to swim! It’s been over two years and I miss it! It’s just not possible for me to swim AND for The Daddy to surf during the week so I let him surf. He needs to surf more than I need to swim right now, I think. But I am going to start swimming on Saturdays.

The other day The Daddy came home with a pair of pink
Vans for Tater Tot. They look so cute on her and she looooves them!

Aren’t they the cutest teeny-tiny little things? If you don’t have a Vans store near you, Zappos.com Kid’s Shoes
has them. Lots of other cute styles, too. It cracks me up that The Daddy likes to shop for Tater Tot. Who woulda’ thought? Not This Mommy.

Today I called the TV repair guy. Again. After calling him yesterday and leaving a message. We were supposed to be able to pick our TV up Monday or Tuesday. I actually got to speak to him today and do you know what he told me? Of course you don’t so I’ll tell you what he told me. He told me that the part that was supposed to arrive on Friday, be put in on Saturday after which the TV would be run all day to make sure it worked IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!! WHAAAAAT? This television is only 1 1/2 years old and the part that we are talking about is the main board that controls everything. How in the heck does Samsung expect to keep selling televisions if they discontinue the core of a television that is only a year and a half old? Luckily I recieved this news after Samsung customer service hours or some poor soul would have gotten an earful from me. As it is I am fit to be tied and it’s been a couple of hours since I found out. The TV repair guy is gonna hunt around to see if he can find one anywhere but it’s not looking like I’ll have our TV back for season premieres. Or ever for that matter. I’m so mad I could SPIT!

Ibuprofen usually works wonders on The Mommy. I usually take it very sparingly and only if I have to but, for the past 24 hours, I have been eating it like candy. Probably because it’s about the only thing that will fit in my mouth! I still can’t open it very far and it hurts like it’s on fire. I did get in to see a magnificent dentist yesterday morning, however. He and his office staff were amazing. Extremely friendly, reassuring and professional. And they had the coolest panoramic x-ray thingy! They used it instead of the traditional stick-the-wierd-thingy-in-your-mouth kind after trying the first one and almost not being able to get it out of my mouth. I cried it hurt so bad. They even called in a favor with an oral surgeon to get me in to have a wisdom tooth out today when they are techinically booked until September. Wow! Much different than the herd-’em-in, get-’em-out dentist offices I have always been to. Turns out there’s a reason for that, unfortunately.

Let me back up and say that I got a recommendation for this dentist from one of The Daddy’s colleagues the he works with at the school district. She loves this dentist and I can see why after going yesterday. I assumed, as did the dentist office, that we had the same insurance since they work for the same district. They did not take my insurance card because of that and I didn’t think anything of it. Well, I arrived at the oral surgeon’s for a consult yesterday to talk about sedation and so that he could take a look to make sure the other wisdom teeth didn’t need to come out as well and, guess what? HE’S NOT A PROVIDER IN MY LAME-ASSED HMO-TYPE DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN. AAAAAAAH! So, while sitting in the oral surgeon’s waiting room, I am on the phone to the district office’s health benefits person, the dental insurance company, and another dentist that IS in my network to see if I can get in that day so I can get a referral to an oral surgeon that IS in my network. CRAP. CRAP. CRAP. CRAP. Sitting in the waiting room I am about to cry because my mouth is throbbing and it was so reassuring to just know that it was all taken care of. They were just going to get this done. And then it all fell apart. Obviously, I should have been more on top of who was in my network and who wasn’t. I should have called my dental insurance to change my provider before going yesterday. Then I would have known that the wonderful dentist was not in my network. And I would have had a clue that the oral surgeon that they referred me to would not be in my network. Apparently there are two different plans at the school district and we have the plan that does not have access to the wonderful dentists because we don’t pay a premium each month. I guess we just get the crappy dentists. Because the dentist’s office that I had gone to (I’m not even going to tell you how long ago…it’s embarrassing) was crappy. That’s why I was looking for a recommendation for another one.

Well, so as not to bore you any more than you already are (probably too late), I went ahead with the consult ($75 cha-ching) and they calculated the fees for me (cha-ching, cha-ching) and I will be going ahead with the surgery today because it’s only (ha!) $295. I just need it taken care of and The Daddy agrees. It’s not like we have $300 laying around but it’s gotta be done. It would have been better if it was taken care of through insurance but, in the grand scheme of things, it is not going to break us. And I really would rather not go through the entire weekend popping barely safe levels of ibuprofen that will, at best, make me feel minimally human and decrease the insistent throbbing to a dull ache. This way, The Daddy is home to help me with Tater Tot while I recover, which is nice. Worth the money in my opinion.

A couple of good things that have come out of this: 1) I get a rest. Not the way I would have liked to get a rest but it is what it is and I’m grateful for a helpful husband. 2) I have a renewed motivation to keep better track of our insurance and to maintain regular dental visits. Don’t really want to go through this again. Silly Mommy.

Today we tried a little experiment. The In-Laws invited us to attend a local dog show and, instead of having Tater Tot nap at her usual time, we decided to push back her nap and just shoot for one nap today. Great idea. In theory. If we hadn’t done this, we would have been arriving at the dog show just as they were leaving so we gave it a shot. Well, all I have to say is thank God I remembered to bring the snacks! Without snacks we would have had one cranky little girl. In fact, before I busted out the Earth’s Best Organic Crunchin’ Crackers, she would only walk in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go! But crackers got her seated in her stroller and babbling like a cutie in no time! A Mommy’s gotta do what a Mommy’s gotta do…

So she napped on the way home and The Daddy said he wanted to try to get her up to her crib instead of leaving her in the car seat to finish her nap. I said “Okay, if you’re willing to do the rocking that it will take to get her back down in her crib when she inevitably wakes up.” He was willing so we gave it a shot. No chance. She decided she had other things to do. So we got on with our day hoping for another nap later. Ha! Yeah right. She did do about 45 minutes of “Quiet Time” in her crib later in the day which was good for everybody. Sometimes changing The Tot’s schedule so we can do stuff is just as hard on The Mommy as it is on The Tot…

Luckily we had an on-time departure for bed time tonight. I’m gonna crash early…

The past two days have been really, really nice. Yesterday I got to go get my hair done and I did not once think about, worry about, or otherwise occupy my mind with how or what Tater Tot was doing. I knew that she would be having fun with The Daddy and that I could relax and enjoy myself. Today The Daddy watched her while I worked on fixing up the deck outside of her room. I went and picked up a market umbrella that someone was giving away on Freecycle, scrubbed the deck down, and moved some plants up there. I’m far from done but it was nice to make some progress. I’ve got one of the lattice screens sanded and painted and the other one isn’t in as bad shape as the first so I’ll get that one done soon. I’ve got the chaise lounge up there and I’m going to get a cushion for it in a print that matches the color of the umbrella I got today and incorporates the other paint colors that I’ve used.

I hate to say it but it was just nice to do what I wanted to do for once without having to keep track of anyone but myself.

That’s the sound of the light bulbs going off over Tater Tot’s head. Also the sound of the minds of The Daddy and me blowing.

Yesterday I had a hair appointment (hallelujah!) and, while I was gone, The Daddy was hoping that Tater Tot would take an afternoon nap. I had told him “Fat Chance, Buddy” because it’s such a rarity these days. Well, at some point during my outing, The Daddy says to The Tot “Is it time for a nap?”. The Tot gets up, points at the door (Daddy opens it), walks to her room and points at her crib. WHAT???? Did I just type that? Yes, I did. The Daddy lifts her up into her crib and she sits and quietly plays with Mr. Duckie for an hour. Good Lord! No, she didn’t nap but I would have never guessed in a million years that she would be willing to go get in her crib and have “Quiet Time” voluntarily!

Before my hair appointment, The Daddy and The Tot had been playing with the miniature basketball and football he had bought for her. She seemed to really like the basketball and kept trying to bounce it in the kitchen but The Daddy seemed intent on getting her to pay attention to the football. So he said “football” a couple of times and bounced it on the ground as high as it could go to get her attention. When it landed the last time she walked over to it, looked at it and as clear as day said “football”. We looked at each other like “Did we really just hear that?” and, yes we did. This is the little girl who still calls flowers “bow-ber-bers” and says “De-duh” for Dora the Explorer. WHAAA? Of course she wouldn’t say it again because we were so intent on getting her to but we both clearly heard her say it.

She has been intent on signing lately, too. She really likes to sign “eat” and, while I want to reinforce her signing, she signs it ALL of the time. We can have just eaten lunch and she will be signing “eat” a half hour later. And I’m positive that I’m feeding this kid enough at meals. So I try to get creative with what I feed her so that I’m not always shoving crackers in her face. She love tomatoes and pureed veggies, which is good. I think she has universalized “eat” to mean “drink” as well so I try and offer her milk or extremely diluted juice some of the time when she signs it. Always, of course, asking her if she wants something to drink and doing the sign for “drink”. I don’t want to confuse her so I’m trying to clearly show her the signs for eat and drink when I ask her if she wants something to drink or something to eat. Most of the time it’s “eat”. She’s an eater!

She signs “juice” and “milk” now and says “sheeeeez” when I ask her if she wants some cheese. She also sometimes very clearly signs “eat” and then “fish” because she wants to eat goldfish crackers. It’s so exciting to see her able to communicate more! She clearly knows what comes next in our evening routine, too since she is signing “milk” madly while I’m changing her diapers and putting her pajamas on (no we have not quite weaned from the bedtime bottle yet). She signs “diaper” when I am changing her and when I’m doing the laundry and assembling her cloth diapers.

The other way that she communicates lately is to non-verbally communicate her frustration at being told “no”. She has developed the pattern of stomping her foot, saying “Ahhh” and waving her arms and then doing a modified downward-facing dog with her bottom in the air and head on the floor! It’s pretty hilarious but I do whatever I need to not to laugh at her. I don’t want to crush her little spirit. Express yourself, Tater Tot!

Update: She now knows the words “boo-boo” and “Bandaid”! She fell and very minorly skinned her knee today so I cleaned it and put a Bandaid on it. She was enthralled with the whole Bandaid idea and kept saying “Bandaid. Bandaid” over and over. Of course, if you didn’t have the context of putting the Bandaid on her knee, you probably wouldn’t understand that she was actually saying Bandaid but she was clearly trying. It came out “Bandah” but I kept saying “Yes. You’ve got a Bandaid on your knee” and she would give me a huge grin. When The Daddy said “You’ve got a Bandaid on your Boo-Boo” she seemed to really like that and said “boo-boo” over and over for a while.

I swear it seems like a switch has turned on the past couple of days. This is fun!

Usually Princess Tater Tot and I don’t have a whole heckuvalot to do and that’s the way we like it! Takin’ it slow and not rushing around. Just getting our errands/chores done and doing a lot of playing. This weekend, however, we were busy, busy, busy! Friday we wento to The Grandma and Grandpa’s house (Mommy’s Mom and Dad) for a visit until Saturday afternoon. We did lots of catching up with them (and lots of shopping with Grandma)! Then, today, the other Grandma and Grandpa (Daddy’s Mom and Dad) came for a visit. Okay, now that I type that, it doesn’t sound like much. But she’s a toddler who really, really likes her routine and familiar surroundings. Basically the whole weekend was nothing like it usually is. She is a Drama Queen but she did okay. It just took a little extra work on my part. And Mr. Duckie. If I had forgotten Mr. Duckie, I would have been screwed. When everything is topsy turvy in Taterland, just hand the kid Mr. Duckie and her world is restored to order. Boy am I grateful for this duck!

The visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house was soooo much fun! Tater Tot loved to walk in the back yard with all the grass and to walk with Grandma down to the corner of their street. She was a little bit upset when Grandma wouldn’t let her walk out into the traffic but she got over it. There were so many new rooms to explore! Rooms she had seen before but hadn’t explored on foot. Getting to bed wasn’t as easy as usual and napping was kinda hard due to all the excitement but we had a good time.

Now it’s back to the usual…

Lest you think I am crazy, this is a line from one of my current favorite kid’s books, “Belly Button Book (Boynton on Board)“. It is the cutest thing! It tells the story of a teeny hippopotamus and her “beebo” (belly button). According to this book, hippos really love their belly buttons. I had no idea! They like to wear “bathing suits too little” so that you can admire them. The story is cute and the illustrations are great but my favorite thing about the book is hearing The Daddy belt out a wailing rendition of “The Belly Button Song” that the hippos like to sing to their belly buttons. This quiet and usually rather reserved man holds nothing back and sometimes hits notes that are close to only being heard by dogs! And Tater Tot loves it. She thinks it’s the greatest thing. And I do too. I am grateful that The Daddy likes to spend time with The Tot and that he is willing to make a complete and utter fool of himself for her. Even with the windows open and neighbors listening. Priceless.

Tater Tot went to her first baseball game this weekend. She enjoyed it much more than The Mommy and The Daddy did. We had the super-smart (*sarcasm*) idea to sit on the grassy hill behind Center Field instead of sitting at our actual seats since The Tot is so mobile now and thought that it would be a nice, relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Huh. Not so much.

We did manage to avoid too much stress getting out the door, agreeing that there would be no schedule or agenda. Just a whole lotta “go with the flow”. Who cares if we get there on time because we’re probably not going to stay all that long. The tickets were free since someone graciously gave them to us and The Tater Tot’s attention span is about that of an ice cube these days. Typical Toddler. We arrived about 10 minutes after the game started and found our way to “The Grassy Knoll”. So had every parent with three kids within a 50 mile radius, apparently. I don’t know what we thought it would be like out there but we obviously had a generous portion of naivete when we envisioned our afternoon. So The Mommy watches The Tot while The Daddy takes a bathroom break and then we do the trade-off so The Mommy can whiz and get some lunch. Stuff a hot dog down the gullet in record time so The Daddy can go get some dogs and a beverage. Run around after The Tot, down steep embankments, over other people’s blankets, onto the very warm concrete (she was barefoot), over to other people’s snacks. “No you can’t have those, they’re not yours.” “WAAAAHHHH.” “Let’s go over here instead.” “Wheeeee” down another steep embankment with tennis balls whizzing by our heads, being thrown by rambunctious, oblivious children. Mommy’s going to have a nervous breakdown trying to keep Tater Tot from hurting or being hurt!

Finally The Daddy gets back with his lunch and we mooch french fries for a bit. The Mommy’s feeling guilty for letting Tater Tot have little bites of fries so we gotta bust out the Whole Grain Goldfish Crackers instead. The best idea we had all day then occurred to us: let’s go spread the blanket under that tree over there and feed her crackers so she’ll stay still! You know, that tree over there under which you can see no part of the baseball game! Yeah, that one. Whew. It’s nice to just sit for a bit. Score? Who knows.

The Tot sat and ate crackers and took in her surroundings for about another 20 minutes. Then we decided to cut our losses and head out. I’d like to say we made it through more than three innings but I just don’t know. Seriously. No idea what inning it was or who was ahead. Saw maybe one play the whole game. But Tater Tot had a great time running around and looked super-cute in her pink home team outfit. The Daddy and I both were glad that we at least tried. But I don’t think we’ll be doing that again any time soon.