7 Quick Takes

Joining Jennifer Fulwiler for another round of the takes today. 

Because I don't type about the kids enough ... allow me to do so for a minute or 34 ...

1. I'm not in any harried hurry to get Julia potty trained mainly because she is showing no interest in doing so and because I'm lazy and I've heard that potty training success can regress when new siblings come on the scene. But ... of course ... last night Simon asked Julia if she'd like to try to go on her little potty and ... bada-bing-bada-urine ... success. And then she wore her Dora "ummerwares" the rest of the evening with nary an accident. She flew back to the comfort and solace of her diaper today though ... so destination: three kids in diapers and three kids in cages, population: Patton clan .... look out.

I'm not sure if those boots have ever seen the correct feet ... but she puts them on herself which is worth a million trillion dollars in the 72 minute "lets get ready to get out the door" game.

2. More on Julia? You betcha. Julia has slowly worked her way up to multiple nightly wake ups where she merely wants to be tucked back in and given a sip of water and I was a big fat enabler during Simon's night float month and just let it go but I've been letting her cry through the night (yes, she is two large years of age, I'm aware) because the thought of three kids up at night in January and February when Simon is on nights again sends me into a fit of shudders and Premature Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Maybe it's a coincidence but her temperament has improved tenfold in the agreeable category and I'm just telling myself that it's because she has learned to self soothe and realizes that the true holder of the scepter-o-power in the house is, actually and shockingly, not her! Just let me think my hypothesis is spot on. Thank you.

3. Moving onto the former favorite: Sebastian Fatton. His temperament has taken a sudden turn for the nasty - especially in the evenings. I know he's teething and I'm learning to just laugh at his kitchen floor tantrums but he is venturing into a territory that Julia has yet to explore: hitting Mom in the face when he is especially angry. I can tell myself that he isn't trying to be malicious but he totally is. Hopefully it's just a phase. I'll let you know when I figure out how to cure what ails the abusive 13 month old male species ... maybe I'll throw together an informative e-book. A worst seller for sure.

Simon and me: matchy match shoes, pants, fleeces, and skin tone.

4. Switching gears to an even more exciting topic ... our elderly neighbor Jean. He seems to suffer from a touch of dementia because he re-asks our names and tells us that he just isn't as sharp as he used to be every single time we chat. Anyway, he can generally be spotted on a slow walk around the block with the help of his cane every afternoon. The other day an ambulance pulled up to our across-the-street-and-down-a-little-bit and while I was straining to see what was going on from the living room window ... there went Jean .... speeeeeeed walking down the street to check out the excitement -- cane in hand but not in use at all. So ... I'm onto you Jean ... no more pretending you don't know that a. Julia is actually a girl and b. that her name is Julia.

5. Switching gears again to a real thriller ... hair products. Well, one product in particular. I have super duper flat hair. It is terrible. I've tried a zillion products and found that this powder (don't be scandalized by the name) far outvolumizes any dry shampoo, root lifter, root volumizer, miracle worker, gobble gobbler nonsense. I can only find it online and I know some people claim that baby powder is "the same" but my hair disagrees 120 zillion percent. Anyway, hopefully your hair doesn't suffer the same flatty blahs that mine does but if it DOES ... I can't recommend this stuff enough. When Julia got into and spilled a ton of it ... I think I maybe shed a tear or twenty and tattle-tale-texted Simon ... you know how I roll. 

6. I really want to see this movie.

7. If I were to rate this blog post it would get filed under: most boring blog post in the history of blog posts. I trust that you accept my sincere apology.

Go see Jen for all the betters.