When I get baskets, they tend to end up hung on the walls of my kitchen. Seriously -- there are 11 there now. Yours begs to be hung by a hook in the ceiling of your kitchen, filled with fruit or veggies. Or put it in a garbage bag and put it on the top shelf in a spare closet. You'll want it again later.

Mia could not be more adorable. And the sleeping thing does get better. I know it's difficult to believe right now. My son was an early riser from birth, so I operated on very little sleep. Of course, he's 21 now, and whenever he's home (which is rare), I'm lucky if he wakes up before noon.

I was just thinking about how I needed some baskets for our random shit, but I think maybe it would be stupid for you to send it to Chicago. I should just start looking through our alleys.

I say put Elmo on repeat and have a good sleep. Or a good cry, whichever.

1. *hugs*

2. No it is NOT bad to put something on to entertain the booger and doze. I do it every Saturday morning.

And Sunday morning.

You won't actally sleep, but you will get to zone out and not move around for a while. And that's almost as good. I don't give a flip what people might say abut it, as long as the child is safe and you're there, its just fine.

The Elmo DVD is totally safe. I wonder all the irreversible harm I've done with the Gilmore Girls on rotation.

Close the door so she can't escape, make sure everything she can reach is safe, and have yourself a doze. For a while, we were getting up between 4:00 and 5:00am with our little guy. He was happy to play with his toys in a safe room while I literally slept face-down on the carpet next to him.

dumpster diving is the best!I've gotten some great things such as a futon and papasan chair, both have been given away now. A full size bed, we gave that away now too. It was way cute wood with wrought iron. Oh, and an awesome desk. My hubby sanded it and we gave it to a friend who needed one for her new home office. Hmm, OH OH OH, a grill. It was awesome and just needed a $5 part. We used it until after we were married. Ok, I'll hush before I appear to be a bag lady.

after a no sleep night, i say go for the elmo dvd. your sanity is worth it.

the Elmo DVD plan doesn't sound like a bad one to me. I hope it works.

Hey, I have a dumpster basket too. John found it outside the dumpster at Michaels when he was getting cardboard boxes when we moved. He also found a huge mirror that someone threw out. They were both in excellent condition and not trashy at all!

Your little girl is such a little McCutiepie!!! Apparently "This is your brain... This is your brain on Elmo." has done nothing to diminish her adorableness, so I think you're safe. Besides, Mommies are nicer and have more patience with the aid of a tiny nap here and there.

Saturday mornings are officially "Curl Up With Mommy & Daddy and Watch 'Clifford' " time around these parts. And Piper is watching "Sesame Street" on the couch as I type this. So no, I don't think putting on an Elmo DVD would make you a bad mom. Because what would that make me?

Yes on the Elmo. I used to do it all the time when the twins were little.

No on the basket, although I say keep it because if you are anything like me you will have second thoughts the minute you part with it and want it back so bad that you will drive your husband insane...or maybe that is just me.

If your Elmo plan is worthy of a visit from social services I think they would never get any real work done. We would be guaranteed a visit at least once a week (possibly more).

That little skirt is so very cute.

There is no shame in letting Elmo babysit after such a hard week of no sleep - if anyone ever thought of calling you a bad mother for such a thing, I would do a bit of hoodoo on them - I have a dark side, after all. :) When the GBK comes to spend the night, I always let her have some time with Diego (usually in the morning) so I can talk to my husband/take a shower/whatever in peace. Plus, it's a treat for her, as there's no cable at her house.

However, the Wonder Pets I don't miss, because I like to sing the songs!

There is no shame in letting Elmo babysit after such a hard week of no sleep - if anyone ever thought of calling you a bad mother for such a thing, I would do a bit of hoodoo on them - I have a dark side, after all. :) When the GBK comes to spend the night, I always let her have some time with Diego (usually in the morning) so I can talk to my husband/take a shower/whatever in peace. Plus, it's a treat for her, as there's no cable at her house.

However, the Wonder Pets I don't miss, because I like to sing the songs!

I apologize for the double comment - but I had to come back and say, that adorable picture of Mia makes me think of a 60's sock hop girl - so cute!

Go with Elmo as long as she's safely contained.

Have a good weekend. Hopefully no more teething for a little while?

add me to the list of folks that have taken a pbs-assisted nap. Our technique around these parts is for me to curl up on the living room floor with a few pillows. The living room is an officially-certified toddler-safe zone. When necessary - I do allow myself to drift off for a bit ... usually its just 15 minutes or so ... and that usually does the trick. Occasionally I wake up to a very small person in trying to stick fingers in my face, but she's given up on that lately.

I've also already been ratted out to my wife by my daughter for this practice. If I happen to lean on those same pillows while we're all playing in the living rooms, MsMiss will turn to my wife and go "shhh" to make sure that she'll be quiet while daddy is sleeping (even if I'm wide awake!). I expected a bit more loyalty for taking care of her all day! :-)

Oh I highly recommend Elmo as a babysitter. He did a bang up job for us a couple of weeks back when I was battling the plague and was too busy trying to make the room stop spinning to worry about entertaining my 20 month old baby girl.

As for the basket, I got nothing for you. Baskets have been banished from my house (except the lightship variety) and have been replaced by monogrammed tote bags which seem to be multiplying as we speak.

There is nothing wrong w/ the TV and getting some more sleep.

It's not like you have your kid in front of the tv 24-7, so there is nothing wrong with that. And I hope the comment up there by "JoJo" is a joke from a friend to you because otherwise, what a bitch! And she was too chicken to leave an e-mail/url? I wish I was Wonder Woman Mom so that I could criticize other people. Not!

The picture is adorable; I hope all the sleeping craziness ends soon. I am sooo not looking forward to those teething/canine days.

Not awful...and you can ever put it on repeat, can't you? Just a thought...

Random cuteness...isn't it good that pigtails make up for sleeplessness...mostly.

Random SUPERcuteness.

definitely put the video in and sleep. i'm having one of those days too. I actually just laid down while my guy watched a Thomas video and I feel a tad better.

I think the last few days should be dubbed "cry on spouse's shoulder days" - I did it last night, oh and this morning, and probably will tonight. Sometimes being mommy is super hard. Especially if the little one is grumpy.

((hug))

JoJo suck it.

If no one else claims the basket then send it to me. I fill them with things for the shut in's in our neighborhood and then bring the baskets around. Usually I make bread, and then put some jelly and pickles that I have made. When they are done and I visit they give them back and then the next time I bring treats again.
Yes, Mia is ah-dor-ah-ble in that picture!

I totally dozed yesterday while Elmo was on TV. And I gave my kid a cookie so he'd sit still and watch Elmo. I've never done that, and the guilt was so horrible, I confessed to Forrest, who then proceeded to look at me as if to say, "Duh, why'd you not do that sooner?". Oh well... at least Shepherd appreciated and gave me a big wet, chocolate chip smeared kiss to wake me up when he was done with his cookie.

Oh GOD. That picture! She looks so grown up! And adorable!

Of course it's okay, mommies need a little time to feel human again too. And anyone that says different is probably not being truthful.

That picture is sooooooooooooo dripping with cuteness. :)

I am probably repeating - but as long as she is safe, close your eyes and snooze away. I'm sure you'll not fall into such a deep slumber that you won't know her every move. I've done this many times, turn on the tv, get comfy on the couch, and snooze. It helps. Wish I could take a nappy right now however, we are having a puke party and I need to go scrub and clean and boil and disinfect and cry and sip some wine and oh, just kidding, no I'm not, maybe I am - :) Kids -never ever EVER a dull moment.

Just to echo everyone else, I have been known to nap on the couch during Sesame Street. I thought I was the only one!

The pig tails. The skirt. The tights. The happy toddler legs. TOO MUCH!

Try freecycle.org in your area if you want to get rid of the basket. I use that site all the time, plus I've found some yummy stuff too that wasn't sitting by a trash receptical. Because I don't roll that way.

She really is adorable!

OMG, that picture is awesome! Is there anything cuter than toddlers using straws?

Oh yeah, the basket is cute too, but I don't want it. Thanks though!

oh, p.s., I am totally with the other commenters who say it's perfectly okay to doze while the kid watches Elmo. Perfectly.

Oooh, ooooh...the basket.

I'm so late here, but if it's up for grabs I'm coming to DC in a few weeks for HUGE consignment sale.

It's probably already taken, I know so I will regret not reading your post earlier!

she is such a well dressed kid...i bet u r to be thanked for that!

Oh my goodness, look at Mia. I swear, at this rate she will be filling out college applications in like, 3 weeks!!

Nice basket too, I so totally would have snagged that.

You do whatever you have to do to get some sleep. Mia will be fine. Plus a well rested mom is so much better than a crabby, zombie mommie.

I'm so glad to hear all these studies about how video games might actually be good for the brain. Makes me feel less guilty for all the times I've had to let them play unlimited so that I could get some sleep.

Wow, that picture....she really is the world's most beautiful girlchild. (my son fortunately holds the distinction for the opposite sex....)

And sometimes I turn on Sesame Street, wrap us up in a blanket and sit on the couch half asleep when I am not yet ready to start the day. I see no evil. Nope.

And CUTE she is! I could just eat her up :)

Good for you about trying to get rid of something you don't use!

You see, I have a problem....I keep EVERYTHING 'just in case' I may want to use it some day....this is the problem of our entire basement. Maybe I should be down there right this moment while I have the house to myself (daughter and hubby are out for a little while), but NO, the computer just sucks me in!!!

My son is World's Worst Sleeper. His problem is late nights. He just does not want to turn in before 12! Despite the fact he attends a full-day daycare from 9 to 6 (We have to shake him awake at 7 to make it). He naps 2 hrs there, Anyways, the only way me and DH get full sleep is prop him between us, hand him some books, and turn our backs to him and zzzzzzzzzz (thats us, not him)....half hour or an hour later, he crashes too (meanwhile, he babbles to himself, throws the books at us (get soft ones), pulls my hair (i tie it in a bun now so he cannot get to it easily), kicks us some (thats why turning our backs on him is important), sometimes climbs down from over us (we have to be careful with that!), then asks to be lifted again (the worst part), but sometiems he just reads to sleep. (like his Mommy used to when she had more time). All in all, it is not unpleasant, and you may want to try it. When the book thing gets old, I may plan to move the telly to our room and use that too, (only on bad nights though).
Mia is soooo cute, she is so pretty, you should hide her.
And Jojo is wrong, I have cried a few times with frustration as well, I have one child! I do not think I am a wus though. Shedding tears helps.

Miss G is a very content child and never has gotten into anything she isnt supposed to...except the one time she took all the toliet paper and put it in the toliet but you know that is where she knew it went so...anyways, when she was around Mias age I wasnt getting much sleep either so in the morning when she watched her TV I would sleep on the couch. She is now 3 and I still nap on the couch every morning. She has always been very good during that time. If she needs something she will wake me up but mostly she just plays with her toys that are out and watches her shows and is very happy. I have the stairs locked off and the bedroom locked off so she can only get to the kitchen, dining and family room all of which are pretty close together. If that makes you a bad mother then I must be the most terrible one in the universe since I do that almost everyday. Also, I think as mothers we have that instinct because whenever she has gone into the bedroom because I forgot to lock it or something like that I always wake right up just like it is when you cosleep together you always know they are right nest to you no matter how deep you sleep and maybe that is why we dont roll over and smuch thier bodies into little pieces. I say sleep away! But then again I am a horrible mother. Geez, I always thought I was a pretty good one too:)

Aww she is adorable. I love her hair.