Shake What Your Mama Gave You!

As evidence that 2-year-old Henry indeed takes in all that he hears I will share a story from this morning. I was sweating to death in front of the t.v. doing a hard circuits workout. The instructor explained that even in winter one can accomplish a great workout indoors without fancy equipment by using our own body weight. She told the other girl on the screen, "Just shake what your mama gave you." Henry said, "I shake what mama gave me?"

Yesterday I used the Exercise TV feature of our digital cable and completed several short workouts to sample things. The final one had the word Bootylicious in the title. I know. That is so embarrassing that I shouldn't even admit to it. The neighbor girls were over, and they were playing Play Doh at the kitchen table. Naturally, when the program began the girls turned their heads as the title was announced. The six-year-old said, "Bootylicious? That's funny." They all erupted in giggles.

That evening Emily called from next door to offer my family some extra chips and salsa. Now I love, love, love salsa. I could not say, "No." After we devoured it the big girls were playing walkie talkies from inside our neighboring houses. (Doesn't that sound amazingly fun? I got so excited when Olivia came up with the notion, and then it actually worked!) I told Olivia to tell Emily that her chips and salsa ruined my bootylicious workout results. The dad in the house told his daughter to tell me that the Mexican food ruined his P90X. All of us were laughing.

I have BIG news, grandparents! Henry started to pee on my bathroom mat today after his shower, and I quickly put him on the potty. He succeeded!! I gave him M&Ms (just 2), and he was very motivated. Right after lunch and before his nap he asked for more candy. I explained the incentive. He sat on the potty and produced #1 and #2. This blog is about to get much funnier. My potty training days with the girls were hilarious. Henry actually reached behind his behind and got poop on his hand as he pottied. Olivia and Evelyn laughed and laughed, and I thought, "Well, here we go."

We went to Emily's sister's wedding Saturday night, and the reception was a blast. Our big girls' best friends were in the wedding, so they were thrilled to attend the party. Robbie and I danced with the girls until well after midnight. I absolutely love watching him shake what his mama gave him on the dance floor. That's where it all began for us back in 1994...on the dance floor of his fraternity at TU. Evelyn lost steam around 11 pm (which is when I handed over the camera, and let Ev take pictures of us on the dance floor), but Olivia didn't even act tired. She never sat down once the dancing started. The reception began at 5:30 pm with a cocktail hour. We ate dinner around 7 pm, and then we danced the night away. Robbie and Mike found it very strange, but Emily and I had a pumping party around 9 pm. The seams of our dresses wouldn't have lasted much longer without taking action. I turned out the lights in the hotel at 1 am. The terrible news is that after nursing Vivian around 4 pm between the wedding and the reception, she refused all means of food until I returned and nursed her again at 10 am Sunday. My mom tried to give her baby food for the first time, and she shoved it out of her mouth with a protruding tongue. She didn't care that there was breastmilk in the bottles. She wouldn't drink it. My poor baby cried a lot, and I fear we're losing overnight grandparent babysitters one by one. However, she is sleeping through the night. Robbie booked a hotel on Michigan Avenue for a conference in Chicago in October. We have two flights booked. I won't get to go if she won't start taking a bottle soon. Honestly, she went 18 hours without eating. I ALWAYS maintained that a hungry baby would eat. I hadn't met Vivian when I made that comment.

Finally, we recently attended an outdoor picnic for KU attendings and residents. Robbie is going to begin seeing patients in their glaucoma clinic, and we were invited to meet everyone. The outdoor area was lovely, but dangerous for Henry. They had drainage issues at one point, so they landscaped a hilly paved walkway with running water down one side of it. There was a clearing below, followed by a large footbridge. Enormous rocks lined the canal. If Henry even began to walk quickly the slope propelled him into a run on the paved path. I really didn't think we'd escape the picnic without leaving some blood hehind. We have to watch him every minute. At one point I turned from a conversation to discover him climbing stone blocks that had been built to form a narrow stairstep up to a cactus. I got to him just as he grabbed the shaft of the sharp thing, yelled, "Ouch," and fell backwards from the jolt of yanking his hand away from the plant. I caught him before he fell, and I had Vivian in my arms. My word. We got lucky. Again, no blood.

The guests were all down to earth, and we enjoyed our time socializing with them. Vivian's big blue eyes and precious baby smiles charmed women and men alike. Our cuties even got us an offer for free babysitting from a sweet older couple. The funniest part of the evening was when one of the younger doctors asked me if I have help. I told him that we don't have any family in town. He then practically insisted that Robbie must get me a nanny to help with our four little children. "You don't have a nanny? You're crazy." I laughed, then I told him, "This is my work. I love it." I should have told him that with a husband who is as involved a father as Robbie, I don't need a nanny. Robbie rocks. And he can dance. I'm so lucky.