Three, oh, it's a magic number

In case you're keeping track, the old Laleblog has been at it for three years.

OK...three years and five days, officially, but you know, sometimes these things get lost in the shuffle that is life.

Thanks for tuning in.

Finally!

It seems like Cubs fans are as split on this decision as America was (and still is) on the election.

I, for one, am in the relief column. I think Woody should have been let go a long time ago. He was a great pitcher when he was young, but he never corrected his mechanics and it led to years of injuries and paying him millions of dollars for not pitching.

If you ask me, he and Prior should have been cut the Cubs should have kept the core of their starters from the 2003 season, instead of dismantling a team that came closer to a World Series than any other Cub's team since 1945.

So long Kerry...thanks for the memories. Maybe we can use your salary to buy some decent pitching.

Two Years, Five Months

Dear Rachel,

This past weekend, you turned 29 months old. We've had a lot of ups and downs this month, but it certainly has been a fun journey.


First of all, I have to tell you how historic this month has been. You have no idea what our country has been going through over the past 8 years. You will probably not remember this election, or going with me to vote for the man who will be our first President of color, but you certainly did know who the candidates were. One night, I was sitting with my computer open on a news website, and there was a split picture of Obama and McCain. You came right up, pointed to each picture and said, "That's Barak-a Obama, and that's John MA-Cain." I hope that some day you'll understand just how significant this election was. I'm glad that you got to come vote with me.


You started going pee on the potty again this month (I think it's an appropriate transition - politics to pee), except now it's not going potty or going pee pee, it's "making the water tinkle." One night, when we were having a hard time getting you to even sit on the toilet, I asked if you wanted to go make the water tinkle for me, and you said "YES!" Ever since then, you've been going to make the water tinkle at least a couple of times a day. We still have to prompt you, but sometimes you will tell us that you're ready to go.


You're very quickly learning to play the system. Last month, we started making you do the things you refused to do when you got out of time out. Now, when you tell us "No" or "You do it" and we say, "Well, then, I guess you'll have to go to time out," you pipe up with "I forgot to..." and proceed to do the thing we'd been trying to get you to do in the first place. Do be do be do. For example, a few weeks ago, we had been playing outside, and your mother asked you to pick up your toys before you came in. "You do it." "If I pick up your toys, you're going to time out." "I forgot pick up my toys."


This past month was the first Halloween that you'll probably remember. You certainly got the concept after so not understanding last year. You were very excited about wearing your bumblebee costume, and when we practiced trick-or-treating at our own house, you were perfectly content to knock on the door all night and let me put candy in your pumpkin bucket.


Even with our practice, there was one thing we didn't anticipate: The first house we came to, I asked you to knock on the door ("You do it." "OK, I'll ring the doorbell for you."), they answered the door, you said "Tick or teat" and proceeded to walk into the house. I love the fact that you are not shy around people you don't know, but we need to teach you some good old fashioned fear. You said "Thank you" to everyone who gave you candy, then when we got home, you proceeded to eat a bunch of it.


Now, we don't usually give you a lot of candy, so all of this sugar in your system got you all drunk-like, and giddy. You stood outside with me, dancing with no music. Then you looked up. "STARS!" Dancing disco style, you continued looking up, pointing your fingers at the stars. "Dada, I dancing wif STARS!" You were up until 11 PM that night.


Part of the "terribles" this month was your starting to tell us not to do things: Don't look at me, don't talk to me, etc. For a couple of weeks, you were very vocal about it, but once we started putting you in time out for "being mean" you started trying to internalize it. Now, instead of shouting "Don't" at us, you'll whisper it, like we can't hear you if you whisper.


You're also really starting to understand when things are funny. There was one day when we were playing around, and I don't even remember what happened, but you started laughing hysterically, then stopped all of a sudden and said "That's funny!" There was another point this month when you learned our names, and at first, you were trying to pronounce your mother's name. You still have a hard time with some words, so it first came out as "Mon-Kia," which is funny to us because of a completely different story from another time, long before you were born, but when we started laughing, you got it. You got that it was funny, and that it wasn't really Momma's name, but it was close. You get that it's a joke when you call her that, so when you want to be funny, you'll yell out "MON KIAAAAA!"


Your Nanna and Dodd will be here in just a few weeks and will proceed to spoil you rotten for three months straight. We're also hoping they can help straighten out some of your behavior. We love you very much.

Love,
Dada

Yes, we did.

Enough said.

There's bees!

Chris, and maybe Dad, should remember that phrase well from our lunchroom duty days. And yesterday, no truer words could be spoken...