Big-boy bed

It's time for my monthly blog post. Seriously, I miss writing here. Not necessarily because I have really pressing things to share with the now 15 people reading this blog. I just love writing. I could go on about how busy I have been lately with the job, the kids, etc... but boring, who wants to hear about how busy someone else is.

Anyway. The teenager is home from college for Christmas break. I will not even go into his first-semester grades falalalalalalalala lalalalalaalalala. He and I popped over to Target to pick up a secret Santa baby gift yesterday for his 9-month-old sister's daycare. As we're looking at cute little kid toys, we both hear this loud woman say, and I am not making this up, "If you catch me shopping in the baby aisle, just put a bullet in my head." What made it even better was that she said the exactly same thing like, 30 seconds later.

She was older, like well into her grandmotherly years, and she was accompanied by what appeared to be her daughter, who was probably at least as old as me. The daughter pipes up, "Oh yeah, mine's 18, I'm so done, baby years are gone" something like that. And it's not like they're joking. There is a nasty tone to both of them. I looked at my 19 year-old son, who just helped me pick up diapers for his sister and his toddler brother, and we were like, what the hell? I told my son that I'm glad I didn't feel that way now that he was grown. I'd rather be sleep-deprived (yeah, I didn't see that curb at the gas station on the way to Target, oops) than be nasty and unpleasant.

Be careful what you yell out at Target. I will write about you. And since I've been awake since 4 a.m. this morning thinking about work, I will make fun of you because I feel a little meaner than normal.

Speaking of sleep, we moved the little toddler man to his first big-boy bed a week ago! Drumroll! Fireworks! It has gone pretty well, actually. The first few days were the best -- it's like he hadn't figured out he could just get out of bed and wander around the house. On his second night, however, I had just finished reading him 126,578 books and we had tucked in Lovey, Lamby, Glowy Seahorse, Alligator (a giant stuffed alligator about as big as him), his toy cars and some books -- did I mention that toddler beds are small and have crib-size mattresses?). I said OK, good night, and gave him a kiss. He sat right up, flung his legs over and down to the floor and said "I not going to bed." Haha. Last night he howled so long and hard I'm sure my neighbors thought I poked my kid in the eye multiple times.

The toddler is also going through a lovely hitting phase and likes to whack his sister. I gotta hand it to her -- she almost never cries. She just gives me this look, with her sweet round ice-blue eyes, like, "what's his problem and what are you going to do about this, mommy?" I wonder if they accept nine-month-olds into taekwondo? Am I even spelling that correctly?

Finally, a running note. I had one of my best runs on Saturday I've had in ages. I had planned to run 13 but am glad I stuck with 10. I was weary and anxious when I began. But it was the first real snowfall of the season, and it snowed softly throughout the run. It was magnificent. We ran by the spot I got married, along the lakefront, 8 1/2 years ago. I came up with the perfect Christmas present idea for my love while running. That's what running is for me right now. Sure, I've got a couple of races I'm running in January, including a half marathon at the end of January. Yes, outside in Chicago, for those who are wondering. But right now, I'm running to give myself a break, to chill, see friends, and figure things out. Running, as always, continues to help me do that.

Now, if I could just sleep through the night...