Could not have said it better

There's a certain voice of parent blogging I am drawn to: the realistic, dry and witty sort. Give me anti-glamor and spit up any day. I've been in those trenches and when I'm not grumbling about the unfair number of butts I have to wipe on a daily basis (three, because I want you to know), I love to laugh about it. I fancy myself a kind of a parenting war vet. Were you in the shit? I was in the shit and it was shit.

Here's a particularly wonderful post from a blog I found via Dooce (another favorite). It perfectly sums up so much of my parenting experience.

FIVE

Five years ago (and a day now) I was huffing and puffing to squeeze this baby out. Well, that's how I remember it. More likely I was moaning and groaning and thinking "I cannot possibly push harder than I just pushed! Just reach in and pull it out! And please let it be just a huge burrito because I'm starving and you people won't let me eat."

After I survived childbirth, they actually let me bring tiny Ira home. I really had no idea what to do with a baby. I thought I did, but I didn't. Ira lived anyway and he's five now! He has wanted to be five for SO long. A few times earlier this year, he thought he could will it to be his birthday. There was a lot of crying and pleading, some magical thinking. I think I was just as happy as he was yesterday morning when I woke him up and said "good morning five-year old!"

One thing I love about this kid (among countless other things) is that he is funny. It might be mom and dad's influence by feeding him jokes or exposing him to different kinds of humor (all child appropriate of course) and explaining why it's funny, but a big part of it is he really just loves to laugh and to make people laugh. This exchange between him and Leon the other day had me in stitches.

Leon (packing up Ira's lunch in the morning): Ira, do you want lemonade in your lunch or [scans the fridge, doesn't see another choice] lemonade?

Ira (without missing a beat): Lemonade. No, wait. [long pause] I mean lemonade.

LOLZ.

Date night

Date night by niklectric featuring a yellow gold necklace

Gypsy extra long sleeve shirt
$50 - topshop.com

Cacharel
$134 - farfetch.com

Leather oxford shoes
$133 - yesstyle.com

Sabina grey bag
$198 - urbanoutfitters.com

Kimberly McDonald yellow gold necklace
£3,585 - brownsfashion.com

The one where I pretend I'm some kind of athlete

I don't know why I feel like belittling this, but I am. I rode a bike! For a long time. At the end of the ride, I got a medal and this picture. A picture that proves I did it, this riding for a long time. It was the easiest hard work and the sense of capability I gained from it is so sweet.

I practiced a lot, so it wasn't something that most folks could just wake up and pound out. I whined and cried about the long hours spent on my bike trainer machine, but all the long training rides I got to do on the bike trail more than made up for it. There's something excellent about riding a bike that I couldn't get from running (being in injured runner is how I got into this cycling business in the first place). I love being able to keep up a good cardio work out for hours (heck yes, I said hours). I also love being able to carry on a conversation with my fitness buddy (hi, HH!) or completely zone out if I so chose. It's a great social sport and as a pretend athlete, that's important to me. Loving the work made it easy and now that I know what I can do, I want to do it again. Next season! For money! AND GLITTERING PRIZES!

And as an aside, just between you and me (and the internet) I had to majorly retouch my upper lip in this photo because I'm having the biggest battle with age/nature, who has gifted my face with the most unflattering dirt 'stache. It's kind of like a freckle, shaped like a very uneven mustache. This dirt 'stache if you will, is longer on one side and it is shaped EXACTLY like my dad's perfect Lowrider 'stache that he's had every day of his life (that I can ever remember). I look so much like my dad, it weirds me out sometimes.