photo opportunity

As a Christmas present for my parents, my sister and I decided to go to one of those fancy-schmancy kids' portrait studios to have our children's photo taken. Despite the fact that the kids ages were 10, 2, 9 months, and 9 months, the photo shoot went surprisingly well and the pictures turned out nicely. But those photos cost exactly one arm, one leg, and maybe even another arm thrown in there for good measure. Which is why I've been more than a little selective about who gets one of the 8 wallet-size photos that I bought.

On Saturday night, Michael and I went out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant. This is a place that we used to go to often before the twins arrived. (We have only been out to dinner alone TWICE since they were born, and both times we went to this place.) We are somewhat friendly with the waitress there, so when we walked in, she smiled and asked, "How are the babies?" "Great!" I replied. "I have a picture!"** I pulled my wallet-sized photo out and showed her. "I have to go show my mom!" she said, and ran back to the kitchen where her mom and dad were both cooking.

That was the last I saw of that photo. I guess she must've thought I was giving it to her. I had a hard time enjoying myself through the entire meal, because I kept wondering: Is she going to give it back? Did she forget that she has it in her pocket? Should I ask for it? Is that rude? How many more do I have at home...one? two?

I hate situations like that...I never want to make the other person uncomfortable, so I don't say anything at all. We don't really know this waitress well, so I can't imagine she's going to put the photo in her wallet or go home and hang it on her wall. I'm quite sure it will wind up in the trash. Ah, well. At least the salmon was delicious.

* I've replayed this over and over in my head. I think I said, "I have a picture." Perhaps I should have said, "Let me show you a picture?" or "Look at my picture?"

My Brain is Fried

I really, really wish I had something interesting to blog about. But I don't. So I'll just tell you that Charlotte has finally cut her first tooth. And Gavin has 7.

The Healing Power of Touch

I had a massage on Saturday. It was a gift from two of my sisters for my birthday, and Lordy, did I need it. It was only the second massage I've ever had--unless you count the time Michael and I had a "Couples Massage" in Negril. (That massage was outdoors, in an open-air gazebo that happened to be on a nude beach, atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was incredibly picturesque, but I was feeling uncomfortable about disrobing in front of the 100 or so other beach-goers. I also had a few cocktails the night before, so I was feeling a little...queasy. And I had just read an article about how some people believe that, if your masseuse is in a bad or negative mood during your massage, they can steal your positive "chi." I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I was naked and queasy, so I knew I didn't want my positive chi stolen. So about 5 minutes into the hour-long massage I told the masseuse I wasn't feeling well, got dressed, and went to lie down in our hotel room. Of course, Michael stayed for the entire hour, and of course, I was charged for the entire hour.)

All that aside, this massage was pure heaven. I felt so calm and relaxed afterwards, and it got me thinking about other things that make me feel that way. A happy baby (better yet, two happy babies). Soaking in the hot tub. A nice glass of red wine. A hot cup of peppermint mocha. Girls' Night Out. A good shoe sale.

I think a challenge as a mother is how to get yourself to that point, a calm and centered place, as often as you can. Ultimately, I think you become a better mother for it, and a better person for that matter. I'm not big on resolutions (I hate the New Year and all it entails, but that's another post), but I think this year I'm at least going to try to focus on activities that help me attain that calm, relaxed state. So if you see me stressing, help a sista out! Let me know some of your tricks that relax and center you.

Update on The Sleeping Situation, Even Though I May Be the Only One Who Cares

Alternate Blog Title: Kid For Sale! (Good Lord, I hope you know I'm kidding.)

Charlotte is over the little hissy-fits-at-bedtime thing. She's back to her normal, pleasant self, and can put herself to sleep largely unassisted.

Gavin, my dear Gavin....he has been another story from the start. This kid can't seem to stick to one pattern or schedule to save his life. For a while, back in October, he was waking once a night, usually at 5am, and just wanted to be held and talked to, and he'd nod back off until about 7am. These days, I never know when he's going to get up, but I can guarantee it's going to be many times a night. And he WILL NOT go back to sleep unless I intervene. Believe me, I've tried the whole ignoring thing. It keeps Charlotte awake, so I'm considering moving his crib to a different room, but that would require disassembling the entire thing. I'm thinking about putting him in the Pack and Play in my room for a few nights to see if we can't get this thing straightened out.

I'm at a loss. Between that and the whole my-babies-don't-nap thing, Michael and I have had some very unpleasant evenings lately.

Proof That Twins Aren't Always Alike

Gavin's tooth total is at 5. Charlotte? Zero.

Addendum to My New Obsession Post

So what are your three words?

My New Obsession

Have you seen the i-Caught "Your Life in Three Words" feature on Good Morning America? I think it only airs on weekends, but I am completely obsessed with it. Basically, people send in a video or a photo of three words that describe their present situation. Then GMA compiles the submissions and puts them to music. They always choose a great song, which totally feeds in to my obsession. It's super-difficult to explain...just go watch it. I'll wait.

You watched it? Good. Here's my submission. Let's hope they add it to one of their montages!