The end of February

This year is flying by and I'm wondering if this is how the rest of life is going to be for us. Lately I've been having a complex about turning 35 because I keep seeing people on TV who are 35 and wondering "Do I look that old?!!!" A recent example: Aileen Wuornos (you know, the serial killer, lesbian prostitute). She was 35! Yes, she had a rough life and the mullet that she sported was not really the most feminine or youthful look, but...she was 35! Jim assures me that I look just like her.

It's not just turning 35 that is freaking me out. It's that I keep thinking about college and high school and wondering how it is that it's been almost 20 years since Jim and I met. It doesn't FEEL like it's been 20 years. Life shouldn't be allowed to do this! We keep making comments like, 'When Millie is 10, we'll be in our mid-40's," moment of silence while we contemplate this and then I point out how much gray hair Jim has (mine is dyed, so you can't see it as much) and he points out that mine is thinning (thanks to Millie, I'm losing my hair by the handful these days. Not to worry..it will grow back and to make me feel better, she seems to be losing a lot of hers, too) and reminds me that I look like Aileen Wuornos.

Despite the lack of photographic evidence in this particular blog, all is well on the home front. Evie has entered the "That's Mine" phase of life and every playgroup devolves into a micromanaged tussle between 2 year olds who don't understand the concept of sharing and who don't WANT to understand either. The other day when Evie snatched a toy out of my hand while emphatically stating that it was hers, I snatched it back and, in my most whiny voice said, "NO! That's MIIIIINE!!!!" Cue the waterworks. I'm not sure it was the best way to teach a lesson, in retrospect, but I was trying to show her that it wasn't an nice thing to do. The result was that she started sobbing and saying "Miine...Miine..Miine" over and over again. I guess your mom isn't supposed to be the bad guy. Since then she has moved on to focusing all of her "that's mine" energy on her baby sister who has neither the interest or the ability to a. take Evie's things or b. defend herself. Sharing is the word of the week.

Potty training has also been a hot topic around here. Despite the purchase of a brand new shiny duck potty, which sings songs when it is used and can also be used as a stool, Evie is just not that interested. Plus she knows how to make the potty sing without actually using it, which defeats the whole purpose. Even tempting her with chocolate mini-eggs could not convince her to sit on her potty without a tantrum. After an exhausting weekend, we surrendered and will try again eventually.

Pictures to come soon. And maybe the weather will get better so we can go out and do something and I don't have to blog about what is going on in our living room all the time. So boring...