Hahahahaha we love those o's

Here's officially what Clementine will eat: tomatoes, avocados and Cheerios.

OK, so she doesn't eat the Cheerios as much as play with them, and sometimes she will humor us with a teething biscuit or lasagna, and she's totally addicted to breastmilk (and I'm worried I'm not making enough and may have to tap into the freezerful I have in the basement but was going to donate to the milk bank), but for the most part she's a girl who wants her food of choice to rhyme with O or to sound like an Outkast song. At least that's as much as I can figure. I loved arriving at daycare this afternoon after Julie rushed me through my careful explanation of C's eating quirks this morning with a "Well, I'm sure I can find something for her to eat," to find her also unable to get my stubborn little angel to eat from a spoon. Or to eat anything, it seems. [Aside: also paper. It doesn't rhyme with O, but she'll eat that by the mouthful and doesn't take kindly to having it removed, thank you very much.]

Here's what has changed in our two weeks away from daycare: my Mick-Jagger-wannabe, plastic-surgery-having sitter has finally removed her sunglasses. And I want to say the eye lift made a difference, but it has been so long since I actually saw her whole face that I can't remember what she looked like. Nevertheless, I TOLD her she looked fabulous because I want to stay on her good side now that Clementine isn't such a little baby. When she was a helpless little one, I think she got the lion's share of the attention and adoration. Now that she's a crawling, food-throwing toddler wannabe, I want to make sure we're some of Julie's favorite clients (customers? what are we to her?) to guarantee a close, watchful eye. Moreso than just what we're paying her for, that is. Do I sound loopy? It's really late here, and I'm trying to be spontaneous by staying up past bedtime since these days I'm all about the schedule and think that makes me no fun. Yes, I definitely sound loopy.

So with that, I'll go to bed. Here are some things I'm thinking about and will try to write about if I have time. Maybe I'll just post photos.

• We are now officially members of the zoo, which makes us the best parents in the universe along with about a zillion other Metro Detroit parents, all of whom dress much more conservatively than we do. I had fun at the zoo, but I'm not sure I can handle places like that where essentially EVERYONE has children. Seriously. In the two trips I've made there so far, I saw three non-child-having groups. And like 100 examples of poor parenting, including the assholes who let (encouraged?) their child chase down a goose.
• My sister's children are lovely, but I don't know how she has two. A colleague of mine says having one lulls you into a false sense of "I can do anything!" and that having two is like herding cats. How is my sister sane? Oh, wait....
• Clementine's car terrors have returned. Someone shoot me. Seriously.
• My friend Crystal likes to look at real estate when she visits (just a quirk of hers, don't know why), and it always gets me all fired up about moving somewhere else, even if it IS in Detroit. I have now occupied several different neighborhoods in my mind, and they all make me much cooler and a much better, more loving parent.
  
• My mother is coming to visit this weekend, and I'm going to remain calm, happy and in a zen-like state until she absolutely, positively pushes me over the edge. We'll see if we can make it 5 minutes without a blow up.

C. is crawling all over the bed in her sleep, and Nate is trying to calm her down. Guilt or duty or just a need to get in there with them and cuddle up calls.