The Little Jobber

This is the kind of photo I think I will save and bring out in 12 or so years:

Conal giving his pal, PJ, a hug.

And, just like that (she says, snapping her fingers), Conal says helicopter. And fire truck. Sure, the words sound more like hebbacobba and eeaah ick, but you get the picture. We’re making progress over here at Chez Jobber!

Yes. This is what passes for excitement during these snowed-in days.

Apparently, when you stop responding to your son’s gahs, he starts to be able to say things like fish, eggs, tree, cat and milk.

Lesson learned.

A toothbrush maniac, to be specific.

A little background. Conal likes to “brush” his teeth when I brush mine. So, I gave him a toothbrush that he happily chews on while I brush my teeth, or wash my face, or dry my hair. It keeps him occupied and who am I to stop him from wanting to practice good oral hygiene?

But as this post title would imply, the teeth “brushing” is not so innocent. Occasionally, he grabs my toothbrush and chomps away. Somewhat maniacally. I take it away from him, no harm done.

Except that last night I noticed the bristles were sorely frayed. I showed Owen and we laughed about Conal’s love of toothbrushes. Ha, ha, ha! Then I pulled a spare toothbrush from the vanity drawer.

It was still in the package but that meant nothing. Unbeknown to me, Maniac Conal had gotten to it and chomped on the toothbrush through the plastic packaging. The bristles were already starting to fray. An unopened toothbrush, frayed.

Yup, he’s a maniac.

I hope he develops a better fashion sense some day.

Sure, I’m busy. But it is all so good.

I went to the Junior League holiday party last night and it was a blast! There was a big crowd and everyone seemed to have a good time. It was really fun catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while. Plus, it was nice to get a babysitter for the evening and have a night out with Owen at an adult event. Although, we didn’t spend all that much time together: I spent a lot of time flitting around and he spent a lot of time socializing with the other husbands. There were a bunch of fun guys there, so he didn’t mind.

But it wasn’t just fun. No, ho, ho! The party also raised a nice chunk of money for the League’s Imagination Library project and I couldn’t be happier!

And that brings us to this morning. We had a playdate at Joyful Jumpers and Conal loved it. He mostly played solo, getting in and out of the cars. But, he played a little with his pals, Luke and Leah, and I saw him sharing toys with some other little kids. I say, “saw” because I was watching him from across the room while I chatted it up with Jen. That’s right: Playdates are for moms, too!

This afternoon, I picked up some more writing projects. I’m a tad worried about fitting all of the work in, but I’m sure I can get it done. These new projects are fun and really different from most of what I’ve been doing so I’m excited to take them on.

And then there’s tomorrow. Yes! Jen is taking Conal so he and Maddie can play and I can do . . . whatever! Lounge, read a magazine, take a bath, anything I want.

Oh, I wish.

I will not be lounging. Or reading. Or taking a bath. I will be working. A treat after normally squeezing work in during nap time or the evenings. Ah . . .

I love it when everything comes together.

And just like that, a new post!

We had Conal’s 18-month check up this morning. The kid is getting big. That seems to be the trend with these toddlers: Every time they go in for a check up, they’re bigger. It’s like they grow all the time! Kids . . . sheesh!

Conal weighed in at 26 whopping pounds and 2 ounces. That equates to the 59 50th (oops!) percentile for boys. He’s 33.5 inches tall, which equates to the 79th percentile for boys.

And he’s still mischievous: I just caught him sucking on the sponge from the kitchen sink. How did he get that, anyway? Must go rinse out his mouth . . .

You mean here? At Chez Jobber?

What? My pathetically infrequent posts aren’t keeping you adequately updated on the little guy’s antics? You worry that he’ll be off to kindergarten and I’ll fail to mention it because I’ll be too busy being, well, busy?

You could be right. It’s been busy around here. I picked up some projects from a new client. Yea! And then there have been a lot of sofa cushion forts to build. And over-sized Christmas books to read over and over and over and over and over again. Laundry to wash and dry. Groceries to buy. Playdates to attend. And, of course, there’s the fire truck. It never stops with that fire truck. It can get a little distracting.

But most of all, I haven’t had much of interest to say. That sometimes happens. It’s like the Flavor of the Week. Sometimes you get lucky and it’s Peanut Butter Pandemonium. Other weeks, you’re stuck with Crumbs Along the Mohawk and there’s not much you can do. Well, that’s how it is here. Sometimes I’m flush with ideas, with stories to share. Other times, nothing.

So! That’s it. I’ll be back soon. It’s only a matter of time before something blog-worthy happens here at Chez Jobber.

I’m sure of it.

Owen felt that Conal’s hair had gotten too long. No longer.

Sunday evening, I acted swiftly, snipping away while Conal ate his dinner. The distracting powers of tortellini and sun dried tomatoes worked to keep Conal still enough so I could cut his hair with a fair amount of accuracy.

I think the dude likes his new ‘do: