I forgot to mention - I finally feel old.  I have to get my first baseline mammogram in the next few months.  It was just weird to hear that.  Mom asked me if I was going to be one of those wimpy women who scream and cry because it “hurts”.  I just laughed.  If I can endure childbirth without an epidural, I think I can handle a little compression on my lady lumps.

The grammy is 69 years today.  Uncle Richard was giving her a hard time about it - I told mom to tell him that she looks better at 69 than he did at 21.  I tried to encourage Lily to call Grammy this morning to sing Happy Birthday, but she flatly refused because “I wanna watch the Wiggles”.  Sorry, mom. 

Mom’s burning desire is to eat at Bonefish Grill so we’re going there Saturday night.  We splurged and got a babysitter to watch the girls.  I’m looking forward to a night out with adults and especially Mikey.  We haven’t been on a date in a while.

This week has been crazy - Jenn and I presented to the Association of Legal Administrators yesterday.  Although we stressed, worried, and felt like we were going to hurl all morning due to fear that we would not do a good job, the presentation went extremely well, we received great feedback, and the icing on the cake?  Jenn’s boss from her previous life was there, and got to see first hand how spectacular she is.  I wish MY old boss had been there!  We are doing more and more speaking engagements, and I keep telling myself it will get easier.  Right now it requires huge amounts of time and prep.  I don’t think Jenn was able to bill much this week because of it. 

Additionally, Mike and I have met with two builders and have decided to go with SouthCoast, if we decide to build in Oak Park.  We loved how they build, the little details that are in all their houses, and the feel the houses have.  There are no corners in their walls - everything is rounded, doorways are arched, the baseboards are wide, there are built-in benches, shelving, and cubbies everywhere - even the porch ceilings have wood planks.  It’s like a bigger version of our old house without the plaster walls and the smelly oil furnace.  If we go this route, we’ll probably end up building something around the same size as our current house, and I really don’t want any crap about it.  We don’t need 5000 feet of space to feel cool.  I prefer smaller, cozy homes - and the big problem with our house now is the floorplan, not the size.  And frankly, I’d rather give up some square footage and get something that is extremely well-built and full of the things that make me feel like I’m really home. 

It was interesting talking to one of the salespeople there.  She told us that the only reason lots and homes are still available is that the biggest house they will allow there is “only” 3700 square feet, and the majority of people building in Richmond want huge homes on tiny lots.  These lots are traditional 1/3 to 2/3 acre lots like in the City, and they won’t allow you to build to the property line like they do in the suburbs.  They also don’t allow you to tear down every tree.  Those things are important to us.  I probably sound like a snot, but I’m really tired of the trend here to build huge homes that are pieces of crap and fall apart in a few years.  The developers who buy property, tear down every tree in sight, flatten the land and then plop big, ugly brick-fronted, vinyl-sided houses depress me.  Most of Richmond looks exactly the same.  I think that’s the main reason I want to puke when I think about moving into a neighborhood like that.  I feel like my body is being compressed into a cookie cutter, when I’ve spent my whole life trying not to end up like that. My neighborhood is bitchy enough.  I am hopeful we can find one that is less like the Stepford Wives. 

Tomorrow we’re walking through a house that is for sale there, and then going back once more through some of the homes that SouthCoast has built and are ready to sell (we can’t afford them, but they’re fun to look at).  We asked the builder to revise the plans for the lot we like the best slightly. Once that is done and approved, it will take about 4 weeks for him to give us a final firm price, at which point we need to either take the plunge or go away.  I’m crossing my fingers and toes that he will come in under what our max price is and we can swing this. 

Enough about all that.  I’ve got to head out to a meeting.  My digital camera is being shipped back, fixed - so I can start posting pictures again. 

I picked up a smiling Arden from Judi today - she was fairly well-rested, happy and had some food in her belly.  I enjoyed a relatively peaceful ride to preschool. Arden did a lot of babbling back and forth.  She likes it when I imitate the sounds she makes.  The drivers around me look at me like I’ve lost it, but it’s fun for her (and for me, I admit).  We walked into school and I greeted Lily, who was trying to tell me that her “boyfriend” (named #1 for protective purposes) had gotten in trouble TWICE today (at this she dramatically holds up two fingers).  Ms. Bryce was not amused and tried to explain to Lily that we don’t talk about other people’s days - only our own, and that she would be the one to talk to #1’s parents, not her.  Try explaining tattle-tale to Lily.  It’s interesting.  I asked her to put on her jacket - she refused. In retrospect, I think the reason this might have happened was that she doesn’t like to be corrected, especially by her teachers - and she was sulking.  I didn’t really notice.  I asked her again to put her jacket on - she said no again and walked away from me.  I asked her a third time. By now, all of the teachers were looking at her and telling her, “Lily, listen to your mother - we don’t say no to adults like that.”  She pushed her bottom lip out and decided she was really going to put up a stink.

I put Arden on the ground and hoped for the best with her (half the time that Lily acts up at school, I have to put Arden down, just to see her get knocked over by some rambunctious classmate of Lily’s).  I grabbed Lily’s coat and began stuffing her arms into it.  That was all it took.  Full-blown temper tantrum with random punctuating screams of “I WANNA PUT MY JACKET ON MYSELF!  I WANNA DO IT MYSELF!” began.  I grabbed her hands and picked up Arden and dragged them both towards the front door.  Lily’s screams got louder and she decided to sit down.  I had already decided that the next time she tries the sit and scream tactic on me, I would drag her.  She doesn’t like it, so I figured it would get her walking again.  For once, I was right - it worked and she walked.  I took several deep breaths and got them both into the car. 

Arden was staring at Lily like she was an alien life form.  I think she was actually amused by it, but I was afraid to look her in the eye for fear we’d both start laughing at her, which would only have made things worse.  After belting both girls in, Lily really lost it.  She started kicked the car door and passenger seat as hard as possible.  She knows this is a huge pet peeve of mine - I’m always telling her to keep her feet off the seat.  She was kicking so hard, her shoes came flying off and one nearly hit me in the head.  While driving (I know, safety first in the Del Bueno household), I reached over and moved the passenger seat as far forward as it would go.  She continued to kick, flail and scream.  I actually did giggle because when she’s mad like that, she sounds exactly like a gremlin.  Her voice gets really hoarse and growly - kind of like the freaky kid in the Shining when he’s doing his “REDRUM! REDRUM!” voice. 

At home, I took Arden out, unloaded the car, got the mail, and let Lily stew in her juices in the car seat.  I unbuckled her and the tantrum continued inside.  I had a mini-tantrum of my own when I realized she had peed in her pants between school and home.  I changed her into dry clothes, while she kicked and screamed and told me she wanted to put her own pants on.  At one point I may have said, “When you can go to the bathroom by yourself, I’ll let you change yourself!!!” 

30 minutes later and many trips to the naughty step, she calmed down and hugged me and told me she was sorry.  Then she asked me to let her watch a movie.  I pretended I was being videotaped by the Super Nanny and informed her that her behavior did not warrant a movie.  Tantrum #36 began and ended shortly before Mike arrived home. For the rest of the evening, she was helpful, cooperative, and even played a little bit with Arden, who watched the whole thing unfold quietly.  She even told Mike that her “attitude was improved”. 

During our cuddle-time, Lily told Daddy to stay - just like one would to a dog.  To ensure he did stay, she draped her arm over his back while hugging me with the other one.  She then gave him a “booger kiss”.  I asked her to explain. She told me that a booger kiss is what happens when you smooch with a runny nose.  Oh, okay.  We both got booger kisses and were dismissed.  I still love her but nights like tonight it’s really a trial, and I know I am being paid back tenfold for the public tantrums I used to have with my mother.  In fact, one of my first childhood memories is of kicking the crap out of my bedroom wall - I had really funky circus wallpaer and I distinctly remember kicking it as hard as I could with my Stride Rite Mary Janes, and the satisfaction (and fear) of seeing the marks my shoes left.  Sigh.  Why did I have to be so bad? 

I think the parents (and staff) must think I’m insane.  Yesterday Arden had pooped in her pants and it shot up her back.  Judi didn’t have a change of clothes for her, and it was 85 degrees, so she decided to let Arden run around shoeless, sockless, and shirtless.  Her pants stayed on as they were clean.  I had to take her into preschool with me to pick up Lily. You should have seen some of the looks I received when I walked into school carrying a half naked baby who kept patting her belly and screeching loudly with delight.  Welcome to my Wal-Mart universe, people. 

I found out today that Alexis is pregnant with child #2.  She’s due in September.  Congratulations, Alexis!  Welcome to the jungle!  I think hers will be about 2 years apart as well.  It is a lot of fun - especially now that our two are beginning to actually play together.  Alexis and her mother are a financial advisory team at SmithBarney and they are awesome.  We love them personally and professionally. 

I’m signing off for tonight.  I’ll update tomorrow after we meet with builder #2 tomorrow.

We should have known it would happen eventually.  We especially should have taken notice when Arden began grunting and bubbles came out of her rump while in the bathtub.  Mike even said, “Do you think we ought to take Arden out?”  I just laughed - she’s never pooped in the tub before.  A few moments later, the bubbles got bigger and bigger until finally - yep - milk duds began floating in the pool.  I screamed, “Snickers in the pool - everyone out!” Lily of course had no idea what this meant so she started attempting to swim in the bathtub, nearly smushing Arden’s remnants on herself.  Finally I got her attention and she realized that Arden had pooped in the bathwater and she was NOT HAPPY.  She got out of the water faster than I’ve seen her move in a long time and shot her sister a dirty look.  Arden just grinned like a maniac. 

Mike came down at 1 pm today to meet with a potential builder in Oak Park.  We are seriously considering it.  It’s seriously giving me an ulcer, too.  This would be our third house, first time building - and for some reason, it’s really freaking me out. I thought I was going to pass out on the way there today.  I think it’s a combination of things.  First, we love the neighborhood. Love might actually be a mild term for what we feel about it.  I remember seeing our first house when we toured it and the smell of the wood floors and the absolute funkiness of the house - it smelled solid.  Everything about that house was solid.  This neighborhood has a similar feeling to it except that everything is new and custom built.  Oh yeah, and good schools.  The whole reason we moved from the city was because of the school situation.  Secondly, this house will be a stretch for us - at least for a couple of years.  So Mike and I are struggling with, do we stretch now and stay in this house that we love, in a neighborhood we love, for a long time?  Or do we stay conservative, like we have in all of our other buying decisions, and move again in another 3-4 years? 

Frankly, I’m a bit tired of moving.  And I know I speak for both of us when I say that Mike and I are REALLY tired of home improvement projects.  The idea of not having to renovate a kitchen or a bathroom, and instead spend time gardening or putzing around with paint is very, very appealing.  I think if we can swing it and find a way to make it work, we will - even if it sucks for a few years.  Like I said to Mike a few days ago - we have young children, Mike doesn’t really like to travel, and we are fairly housebound.  So we can just play it like we did a few years back when money was really, really tight and suck it up and live on a budget.  Oh yeah, and focus on generating some income with the company - instead of dabbling.  The last year of work has really paid off for me in more than financial ways, but things are starting to turn around and actually affect our checkbook now instead of just my ego. 

Stayed tuned for further updates.  We meet with the second builder on Wednesday at noon and will make our decision after that meeting . . . in the meantime, make sure the bathwater is clear!!!

Mike spent the day working his butt off in the yard.  To stay out of his hair, I took the girls to see my parents.  Arden starting the morning off impersonating a very large crab.  Everything sent her into a tailspin, especially the word “no”.  She’s so freakin’ dramatic.  If you tell her no, or remove her from something she is playing with (like when I moved her away from the cactus she was about to eat), she throws herself on the floor and begins screaming, crying, and kicking.  Most of the time it makes me laugh because it’s so over the top.  When she does it repeatedly, however, it becomes less funny very quickly. 

The morning started off with Lily wandering into our bedroom far too early this morning.  I blindly groped for the remote so we could entertain and keep her quiet with television (hooray good parenting skills!).  After 15 minutes of being mauled, including Lily putting her icy feet on my face and draping herself across my legs, I staggered into her room, hoping she wouldn’t notice.  I passed out in her bed.  My last thought was, “oh thank you lord for this moment of quiet.”  Not so much.  She padded into her room, asked me why I was in her bed, and proceeded to sit in her red chair and stare out the window, while talking non-stop to me about everything and anything.  At one point I heard a loud snapping noise.  I sat straight up and focused my bleary eyes on her - she was sitting on the floor with her foot crammed in her mouth - BITING HER TOENAILS!  In usual devil form, when I yelled at her to stop, she grinned maniacally at me and said, “Why, mommy?  I have a hangnail!”  The whole hangnail thing comes from my mother - and now Lily thinks that any time her nails are longer than bitten to the quick, they are hangnails and need to be mauled, picked and bitten.  The habit is now down to her toes, apparently.  Great.  Now I’m going to have to put NO BITE nail polish on her toes, too - not that it does any good on her fingernails.

Anyway, we spent the rest of the day walking around while Lily rode her Barbie trike and Arden lounged in the stroller (and screamed everytime I took her out - she really likes her stroller), hanging out at Sunday Park and basically destroying my parent’s house.  We also watched “A Bug’s Life” in which Lily was only mildly interested - why watch a movie when you can be swinging from Grammy’s chandelier and generally creating havoc everywhere you go?

They are both blissfully asleep right now - and it’s quiet - at least until tomorrow morning at 6.30.