kinetic sand: serious win

This kinetic sand stuff? It's awesome! I play with it when he's not around. Since the sand he received for Christmas didn't come with a tray, I set him up with one. It's a 12x12 plastic container made for scrapbook stuffs. Then I stole the CAT construction cars from the car table and magic happened. 

If I made a chart indicating the number of minutes spent on each Christmas toy, this one is the hands down, far and away winner. 

the day will take care of itself, i'm pretty sure

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding how to tackle this day. It's not that I have anything especially pressing that must get done today (we have clean underwear and clean cereal bowls & spoons, so we're good), but I have a whole mountain of things I'd like to get done. The problem is that at best I can hope to accomplish three things in a day. Three. The rest of the day is chasing this baby around the house, saving his life or the life of whatever he found -a book, an important piece of mail, the remote control. We have baby-proofed, but the Pirate and his amazing father are not always aware of the things they're leaving within his reach -like knives, and iPads, and paperback picture books. I'm pretty sure the ratios are about 20 seconds of every minute go to the health and safety of the baby, and another 10 to 15 go to the Pirate. It results in... about three things outside of motherhood can get checked off my list on an average day. Today seems so full of possibility.

Okay. Baby is at my feet begging for a new diaper. So, I'll begin there.
And now.

UPDATE: How the day resolved.

That diaper was a full blow-out. After the clean-up and laundry, it was time to feed him. By then I was forward a little over an hour into the day. I put the baby down for his nap, did some puzzles with the Pirate, jumped in the shower, and then it was lunchtime.

AND sometime after the diaper drama and before the puzzles I remembered that today was the day my SIL's doc scheduled her C-section. Many, many texts and phone calls were exchanged today. Pictures and news finally came later in the afternoon. She's darling, a clone of her big sister, and having a bit of problems that are preventing her from being snuggled by her momma.

THEN somewhere between texts, my BFF called to tell me she's booked a flight to come see me this summer.

And because this was turning up to be a "Could this day be anymore awesome?" kind of day with the birth of a niece and the booked flight of my dear friend, I thought I'd push it and send a picture book ms off to a potential publisher.

I also managed to get some invites dropped off for a class I'm teaching later in the week, and so- overall: productive.

A shower.
A ms submission.
An errand.

AND the gym. I think that should count. Even if I forgot my gym shoes and had to WOD in socks.

it was a looooooooong night

These kids are killing me slowly. Death by sleep depravation. The Pirate howled like a baby last night for thirty solid minutes. I *thought* it was the baby and I was employing the cry it out method which I feel is cruel but entirely necessary at the same time. I've hit the place where self-preservation insticts have outrun mother-instincts when it comes to sleep. I tell myself he needs to learn how to our himself back to sleep, he needs to learne how to put himself back to sleep, he needs to... I chant this to myself like a midnight mantra. SO. I thought the screaming was the baby until... Hubs got up and said a few words to the Pirate... Then the baby took his turn, but he only cried for two minutes, which was nice. Then instead of wailing like an infant, Pirate tried the "Mom."........... "Mommmm." tactic. I've never been able to ignore that one. At night that is.

So. It was a long night. It was shadows, and lay with me, and I had a bad dream, and I'm hungry...

But that didn't stop him from being bright-eyed and ready for the day at 6:45. I tried to buy more sleep by letting him play games on his own. Then I bribed him to make his own breakfast. And now he's yelling from the living room, "Mom! It's morning! Time to get up!" 

I guess I'd better.

Happy Wednesday.