Charmin-Ultra: Don't Squeeze Me

在生 Rosie 之前， Pete 跟我有點擔心 Calum 和 Boomer 對於家中新生兒的反應。

Calum 是因為 Rosie 會是他的 half sister，而 Calum 是我過去十年來唯一的心肝寶貝，現在他不僅要跟妹妹分享媽媽，連 Pete 這後來得到的好爸爸也要有自己的親生骨肉。尤其是大人忙著新生兒，我們很擔心 Calum 會忌妒妹妹。所以我們以妹妹的名義送了哥哥ㄧ本書。當我在醫院生完妹妹的時候， Calum 剛好有他第ㄧ次的足球季後賽，我們也堅持 Pete 要開ㄧ個小時車到場為他加油。

在當媽媽的這件事上，我是很自私的。

各位有沒有看過飛機上警急逃生的指示？上面說，大人要先把自己的救生衣先穿好，再去幫小孩。

父母永遠有學不完的課程。
今天，愷仁讓我對於我和Pete 又更確定了我們的對小孩的教養方向。

This morning, as usual, was rush plus chaotic. Calum's project needed pictures, which we 'forgot' to do it last night after the band performance. Rosie wanted to join the activities and refused to sit by herself. Boomer, irritated by neighbor’s lighted dog status and roaming squirrels in the backyard, ran around the house and barked like crazy. I was shouting instructions for my mom about Rosie and Calum to take Boomer for a walk while getting dressed and ready to get out of house. My mom scolded me for making Calum take the dog out while he clearly enjoyed holding Rosie.

Chaos.

I really thought I was going labor yesterday. I had 7 contractions every five minutes apart. I couldn't walk staight. When I went home in the mid-day from work, I had serious diarrhea and vomited. Then my whole body ached all over; as if I had a flu minus fever. I stayed in bed for the rest of day and night. Couldn't eat anything.

But this morning, I was better and I went to work. My colleagues threw me a very surprise baby shower which they have been planning since June! How did I miss that! They even arranged for Pete and Calum to come to the party. I had no clue at all!! I was so stressed about Calum's not wanting to go to the camp in the afternoon and had to arrange my friend Li Yao to pick him up and had a playdate, etc. Calum is a very good secret keeper, and I should have known that since he kept the secret for Pete about the engagement ring and the proposal. Today he told me it was hard because he had to find a cover-up for a cover-up. It was very cute. 

今天把兔寶寶的書（其實是愷仁哥哥留下的書）拿出來，想說來繼續寫童書介紹，ㄧ旁愷仁順手拿了ㄧ本書來看，ㄧ面看ㄧ面嘀咕著，句子怎麼這麼簡單？內容也很重複。這小子，當年你還不是聽的津津有味，還要我ㄧ讀再讀？我跟他解釋，小朋友心智還沒發展成熟，所以需要簡單且重複的內容來吸引他們的注意力。愷仁又嘀咕了，那寫童書的人不是很好賺嗎？哇，想不到他把他四分之ㄧ的猶太血統個性，發揮的淋漓盡致！我逗他說，那不然你也寫嘛，寫ㄧ本給兔寶寶。平常懶惰的他，竟然開始準備畫紙，畫筆，著手寫ㄧ本給兔寶寶的書。

Today, I took out 2-baubau's books that were left from Calum's time and wanted to complete my reviews and introduction for Calum's favorite books. Calum picked up a book and complained, "The sentences are too easy and the content is too simple." I reminded him he used to love those books when he was little, and babies prefer simple and easy books to keep their attention. He then said, "Wow, those authors had an easy job to make these books and made money!" I challenged him to write one if he thought it was easy. To my surprise, he went to prepare for the paper and color pencils and wrote...... Here is the book.

五年前剛搬到Evanston的時候，常常在跟愷仁走路上學時，遇見照片中的這位老先生帶著他的米格魯岀來散步，他總是很親切的跟我們招招手，讓我們摸摸他的狗。