Beauty and the beast

Green, the color of growth. The color of renewal. Spring!

We went to TC today for Gerald's EMT test and we will find out the results hopefully by Tuesday. We took M31 the whole way and it was absolutely gorgeous. Driving along the coast through blooming cherry orchards, sun shining brightly. You don't get many days like that in Michigan. But you sure appreciate them when it happens! We rolled the windows down and enjoyed the warm breeze. It's really been a nice week. Sunny almost every day and in the 60's!

Luna was pretty good the entire trip considering she was strapped in a car seat for over 6 hours today. She read her books and ate her box of raisins and played with her toes. But since we have come back from our night away from her, she has really begun to show a temper when she wants something. At first I thought she was acting out because we left her with her grandparents for the first time at night and she was angry with us. But now I believe she is just trying to find her "voice" and how to let us know what she wants and by screaming (piercing screams) she finds it gets our attention real quick. Not cool, especially in a restaurant. Gerald and I, being first time parents, are really at a loss on how to handle this. My first reaction was to cover her mouth with my hand, but that gave some raised eyebrows (even from my husband) plus that won't be effective in the long run. We haven't discussed the issue of spanking yet because we thought it was too early. Gerald says we should take something she wants away from her but I think that she'll just cause even more of a fuss. I definately think when something like that happens in public we should remove her to a private place or take her outside. Not that I'm embarrassed, but just out of respect to the other people who are trying to enjoy their meals. I just don't know if she would understand enough for us to remove her and discipline her later. She's only 14 months old. But that just shows our lack of knowledge on the toddler stage. We're learning as we go.

I am a big fan of yard sales- one of those people that will park in front of your house on a Saturday morning at 7:45 for an 8am sale. Unfortunately there were none today that interested me much on the way downstate, but I was able to stop by a Resale shop that had a wonderful selection of books. I bought half a dozen to add to my collection- "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Sears is a great reference if you feeling uneasy about the dozens of shots your baby gets before he/she even reaches their first birthday. (there is a good reason you should feel uneasy!- but I'll leave that for another post). Also, "The Baby Whisperer" is an interesting read. There are so many hundreds of "How To" books on raising children- I enjoy reading them but I don't think parents listen to their instincts enough. Advice is great, but don't let it override what you feel is right for your own child. You know them best!

I almost bought a baby carrier for a bicycle today. I haven't ridden a bike in a while and I'm out of shape, but I thought it would be fun to take Luna around on it. I really enjoy our baby backpack for hiking- we just upgraded to a better brand (luxury!) by lue of a good yard sale find. (same with our jogging stroller!) It's so much better on my back. I really need to get back into shape. Now with the weather getting warmer and Luna getting older, I don't have to hibernate in the house like I've been. Plus I'm picking up a few shifts down at the Grille and all that running around waiting tables really helps. I'm also looking forward to having a little more cash on hand. :)

Writing really helps soothe the soul. Ahh......