19 months with Medusa

She's 19 months old (8 or 9ish days ago). Her hair is the love child of Farrah Fawcett and Medusa. Her personality is the love child of Farrah Fawcett and Medusa. Sometimes I'm like "my kid is so fun and so beautiful and everyone loves the charismatic and lovely Rainie!" and sometimes I'm like "I think she's going to kill me." Because, you guys. This month was a lil nuts.

I want to start with a story. In January of 2024, I attended the 30th-ish birthday party of her Aunt Sheshe (Laushine). There was a tarot card reader, which is an exciting little activity for someone who is 5 months pregnant. The reader, a psychologist first and a reader later, flipped the cards and set them before me, beaming at their results. My past was tough and exhausting, but prosperity was on the horizon. In my future category, she actually flipped a card with a baby. Hoo-rah! This activity was for real for real. Below the baby card she flipped two more, then looked at me, smiling.

"So, it's a boy?" she asked.

"No," I respond.

"Ah," she said. She pointed to the two cards. "So, you will have one boy and one girl. Your boy will be calm and soothing. He will bring peace."

She pointed to cards with a prince or king and calm waters, maybe a heart - some sort of compilation of those things.

Then, she shifted her finger over and pointed to a compilation of cards with a woman and swords and blazing flames. Huh, I thought.

"Your girl will… have a lot of personality and feelings."

She proceeded to pull out her psychologist side and recommended books on helping wild children channel their energy into other things.

We've picked skiing, a trampoline, and a mini bike. Rainie picked screaming with a pitch so dire, and at an hour so late, you question if she's being murdered or murdering. Pray for her stuffies.

So, Rainie is every bit her fate. I wrote that story last night at 2am, as she was screaming in the background. It was absolutely heart-wrenching, but she's slowly escalated to this point since we've arrived back from a 2-week trip. Her routine is off. She's been sick. Someone took her world (me) and shook it like a snow globe and we're living in the moment chaos is flying everywhere.

Then, at 9am today, Tim took her to downtown Golden and the library so I could actually get some sleep. The photos were effing adorable. She played with all the other children, smiled at admirers, and her little hands grabbed her daddy's and dragged them all around the scene. I had FOMO (but no regrets sleeping, for the record). I know that side of her, and it's so much fun.

And that is a 24-hour period with my toddler.

This month she skied a real green run at Winter Park. She traveled to three states in two weeks, fought a nasty virus, sledded in the snow, cuddled with me more than I think I deserve sometimes, and pissed me off at record speed. There are marker stains in the floorboards and a few broken toys in the trash. There are matching pajamas on order because I don't know how long I have before she stops thinking I'm the one making the world turn. She's in her must-have-mommy phase and it's as annoying as it is the one thing I hope she never, ever gives up. This parenting gig sure is a conflicting, tumultuous experience.

Rainie baby, happy 19 months. This is my favorite age tucked inside the hardest months. Please never grow up (but getting more sleep could be cool). Watching you grow is still just the best thing.

And to recap this month, here are photos with some fun explanations. More photos than usual, you lucky dogs, you.

Photo 1 + 2: This was one of 100 similar photos in a 10 minute shoot at our park's holiday party. A flask of apple bourbon and I decided to turn mediocre playground lights into a Hallmark movie shot. Took 100 and got two.

Photo 3: I hosted my clothes swap with the fake monies. Rainie grabbed the entire organized stack of money and threw it into the air, yelling "Psh I don't need no man!" and that was her first sentence.

We spent Thanksgiving with family in Winter Park. Rainie popped in her extreme paci, took a real, authentic ski lift (with applauses from the masses), and skied her first green! Well, half her first green. I had to hold up a limp 25-lb toddler the second half and my thighs are now rocks, athankyou.

Rainie flew three times. She dominated the Denver, Baltimore, Manchester, and Boston airports and we have hundreds of stupid videos to prove it (ugh, we're so obsessed). We raw dogged those first three flights - no devices, yes montessori toys, and low on snacks. We almost died. On the flight home from Boston, Rainie had an iPad, headphones, and half the Hudson snack section. I almost went all in with some wild turkey, but decided three bad parenting moves in one flight was enough.

Rainie is preparing to be a 1950's actress who slaps the heck outta the people she loves.

We played at the Von Trapp family Lodge in Stowe. The hills were alive. She got some lovely time with Papa and Grandma Lynda.

We ate and drank our way through Vermont. My life changed with a cider doughnut from Cold Hollow (blog post to come). Tim captured me tasting brews at his favorite brewery, while also watching Steve Brule. Renaissance man.

In a 48-hour span, Rainie went to Burlington, played with her new cousin, caught a virus, and threw up all over her Grandma Lynda's beautiful home. I didn't sleep for three days. Somehow, the days were really special. (and I apologize to my family for the Patriots hat but I was cold and that's the only hat Tim brought... because you were right and Yankees are just bad people)

But, below may be the photo that lives on forever as a real snapshot of toddler momming. Primarily because Tim has placed it in every digital platform he runs, including his screen saver. I have no idea how to minimize this thing. Cool cool cool.

Merry everything, friends!