Last night I had the opportunity to pick up Freebird early and wanted to take him to dinner, just him and me, then go back for Baba O’Riley. Baba has been cutting molars and has been very clingy, and I felt like Freebird hadn’t been receiving as much attention. So I figured, dinner with just mommy would be fun for both of us.

And of course I get to the school, and I’m putting his coat on when the phone rings - and it’s the school. Calling to tell me that Baba is running a temp and I need to take him home, too. DANG IT.

So we all went to dinner, which was chaotic, but I did get to have the following conversation:

Me: “I saw your friend C. give you a hug and call you his buddy. Is he your buddy?”
Freebird: “Yeah.”
Me: “What about T? Is he your buddy.”
Freebird: “No, he’s more a man of action.”

0_o?!

On a recent trip to AC Moore for cake baking supplies (see the cake?) I bought Freebird a beginning reader based on Toy Story. It was a level 2 book but he can read it without difficulty. So I looked at the level 3 books when I went back - and OH MY GOD. They had one about Balto, and I thought, ok. Dog sleds! Iditarod! Snow! Alaska! So I pick up the book and I page through it.

I SHIT YOU NOT: three pages describing children dying of diptheria. Sweet holy crap. For an age range of K-3. Are you kidding me?! How in the world am I going to explain that, let alone the concept that “diptheria” is a good word to know at that age.

Maybe there’s a beginning reader about antidisestablishmentarianism. 

Freebird: “I GOT MAD SKILLZ.”

Hubby, even when his rip roaring mad at Freebird: *CRACKS UP IMMEDIATELY.*

Let mad skillz be your guide to humor and getting out of trouble!

I am so freaking tired. Do I go to bed early? No. Ergo: I am a moron.

Freebird: TOTALLY into Tag reading with the Leapfrog books. HOW in the name of POTPOURRI would anyone make a device that holds 8MB of data and make it NOT EXPANDABLE?! Are you Leapfrog bastards completely Daft?! On the other hand, Freebird is reading and reading well above his age, so he’s very happy to have books that he can read and if he can’t figure out a word, he uses the pen to tell him what it is.

Freebird also drew himself skiing at school in a picture for the classroom wall. I had no idea that he knew what skiing was, but I think he and I are going to go out for lessons very soon one day on a weekend. Have to find him some snow pants, first, though.

Baba: The most verbal 2 year old in the world. And because he can articulate what it is that he wants, he expects you to get it for him. NOW.

Baba: I WANT YOGURT.
Me: How do you ask for what you want, buddy?
Baba: YOGURT POOPY?!
Me: No.
Baba: Yogurt Poopy Poopy? (trying to crack me up at this point)
Me: No.
Baba: Yogurt Pee pee Poopy?
*I start to smile*
Baba: YAY! YOGURT POOPY MOMMY! GO GET IT FOR ME NOW!

Hi! Remember me? Yeah. Pneumonia. And a website. That explains all.

I’m thinking about my resolutions for 2010 a lot lately. I do two sets of New Year’s resolutions, one at Rosh Hashana, and one at New Year’s. This year, I think I have to stop noticing or caring what other people think of me, and that includes all those pesky Google Alerts.

It really, and I mean REALLY bugs the ever loving crap out of me when people get all bent out of shape on what I decide to do with a website. I mean, really. Isn’t the internet big enough that you can do your thing and I can do mine and why on EARTH does what I do affect anyone else at all? So, in order to stop contributing to my own feelings of complete irritation, I’m going to set my world up so I notice far, far less what people are saying. Noli nothi permittere te terere.

I also have to start getting to bed earlier. Jeebus. I need caffeine. 

In case my nonstop working schedule wasn’t enough of a clue, my immune system is clearly not 100% illness-proof. My sore throat last weekend headed right into laryngitis this weekend, and Saturday I ended up in the doctor’s office. Bronchitis (quite a case of it, from the doctor’s description). And now? I battle back with biiiig horsepill antibiotics and cough syrup with codeine.

Oh, how I love that cough syrup. I sleep well. I don’t cough. NyQuil wasn’t enough to keep me from coughing.

But the best part, well, not the best but pretty awesome: Freebird was home sick on Friday with me. It was the best Freebird & Mommy day. He’d been on antibiotics for strep for 24 hours and was feeling better, so I packed snacks, some Motrin, and my wallet in my bag, and we did everything ever. We went clothes shopping and bought him lots of pants and “work shirts.” My adorable preppy son now likes to dress like Daddy every day and wear a button down. Oh, is it cute.

Then we went to the playground.
Then we went to the party store to get things for his birthday party gift bags. My rule was that it had to be a useful consumable item or something that was disposable and not plastic. So we have stickers, notepads, and packs of crayons - woo!

Then we went to lunch.

THEN we went to Freebird’s first movie in a theatre: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. SO adorable, and even though he didn’t weigh enough to keep the seat open, he loved the movie. He cried when we left because we couldn’t go back in and watch it again.

Freebird is so much fun. He’s quieter than his brother and very thoughtful and introspective, but so creative and interesting. What an amazing day. He might not remember it, but I bet I will.

I miss our dog, Logan. I miss his ears. I miss his snoring. I miss when he was a little younger (we tend to adopt adult/older dogs so “younger” is relative) and would roll around on the floor to scratch his back. I miss his pointy paws and his butt wiggle.

But also, without taking away from Logan’s importance in our family, I miss having a dog. Such a no-brainer but they’re so different from cats. I miss the interaction and the head rubbing. I even miss the opportunity for walks - and the kids are old enough that one or both could come with us. Alex definitely would love to help take care of a dog.

But I don’t think it’s time yet, mostly because we’re so busy. Soon come.