The awesome stuff

In the spirit of being fair about life with the 4 year old, here's a series of awesome things that have gone down this weekend.

1. The kid opened a board game that she got for the Festive Winter Holidays.  It's a game about ladybugs and most of it is counting.  When I first heard the spouse and kid playing it, I thought they were playing Candyland only it sounded really fun.  Then eventually I was done with my lecture review and I got to come play, and it's a great game.  I was trounced by the 4 year old and it was fun anyway.  Highly recommend this game for ages 3+ and especially if you've read the Eric Carle book about ladybugs (warning: very long book).  After we played, it was time for the adults to cook dinner, so the kid set about creating her own game using the pieces, feeding ladybugs aphids and some kind of adventure avoiding the aphid-stealing ants.  Best. Game. Ever.

2. A couple of weeks ago, the kid discovered Pokem.on videos at the local video rental place.  We rented a second disc of episodes this week, and she is hooked.  So of course, what does the spouse do?  Goes and finds a giant pile of cards for the card game.  Now they have created two decks and are attempting to learn all the rules (wow is it complicated).  I believe this is about turn 5 and it's taken 1.5 hours to get to this point with the explaining and whatnot.  BUT she is still entertained!  The kid is having a great time playing with these cards, even though she can't read, because there's symbols for just about every little element to the game on the cards.

3. I washed all of the currently found baby clothes in the newborn to 3 month sizes the other day.  Then I cried because EMOTIONS.  I remember the kid being tiny and wearing some of this stuff, and the time she stole my chemistry flashcards and ate ethanol (that's the good part of beer, for those of you not intimately familiar with chemistry) before I realized what she was up to, and I laughed for a good 15 minutes because MY BABY has been "drinking" while I wasn't looking that closely.  I am still mostly in shock that Little Monster will be here, eventually, in the relatively near future.  Holy wow that's amazing.  I also spend lots of time crying and hoping for everyone still awaiting the next part of the family's arrival.  It's so hard.  I'm not one to apologize for feeling what I do, but I am with you all who are waiting, so don't take me for insensitive.  I figure you are totally free not to read, and that's cool by me.  I understand how much it hurts.  Sheesh, honestly waiting around in the OB waiting area and seeing the ladies with the oldest younger than the kid and two more children and a giant belly just hurts my heart, and I think it always will.  It's hard to let go of the vision of your life you had before infertility hijacked it.  I do intend to continue to scoff at anyone who tells me "next summer when I'm pregnant" or anything like it, because you just never know.