The stockings were hung ...

By the chimney with care,

In hopes that Jay-Jay the Jet Plane

Would soon be there.

Today we watched Jay-Jay a lot. Have I written about Jay-Jay? He's our latest library video series. It's all about Jay-Jay and his friends down at Terrytown Airport. Terrytown is a lovely little place where there are rainbow waterfalls, snowy peaks, smiling meadows and lightning bug lakes ... all of which Jay-Jay, Tracy, Big Jake, Revvin' Evan, Snuffy and the gang fly over several times per episode. Then they go back to the Terrytown Airport to check in with Brenda Blue the mechanic, who is also the Solver of All of Life's Problems. It's a PBS show, and we only have three recorded episodes, so I've seen them a lot. It's not that we watch a lot of TV, really. It's just that if you watch JJtJP every day for even 15 minutes you start to get into it: "Never met another little guy like that! So much in love with the sky like that! Jay-Jay the Jet Plane!" (cue J-J to ZOOM over and say, "THAT'S ME!!!").

In the picture above, The Goose is in his J-J trance. And oh! Look at that lovely, decorated mantle in the background (art by Macy, vase from Nana, candlesticks from Lynn Wagner, magnolia leaves from the backyard, and stockings from Target. In case you were distracted by such a wonderful display of holiday spirit, I just wanted you to know the details.

And now ... BREAKING NEWS:

For the past few days, when we go to get The Goose in the morning and from each nap, he is standing in his crib pointing at his wall clock. We get him out and put him down and he immediately takes off into our bedroom where he points to the other wall clock. We go downstairs and he finds the third (and final) clock in our house. We're not sure where this clock obsession came from, but it's truly truly becoming something around which our days are centered. We started saying "clock" a lot, and so ...

Are you ready?

Now he's saying "clock"!

I went to Target today in search of a toy clock (NO LUCK) and instead came home with a Peek-a-Zoo, two shirts, and another bag of goldfish crackers. Since I couldn't find him a clock to play with, I opted for the "Let's Find a Clock" game, which involves searching through EVERY SINGLE BOOK YOU OWN looking for even ONE measly picture of a clock. And thank goodness for Goodnight Moon because none of our other books have clocks, but GM has TWO, count 'em, TWO CLOCKS (and some cows -- "MOO") and they are very, Very, VERY fun to point at. Tonight we read GM umpteen zillion times and each time we got to one of the green pages with the panoramic shots of the bunny's bedroom, The Goose pointed out both clocks, said, "CLOCK" and then pointed to his own clock. I just sat back in that rocking chair with my mouth agape, pride oozing out of my pores.

I have one of these moments every day now, it seems. And all of this just at the time when I have taken a five-day-a-week job (albeit only two hours per day) that starts in January. I am having MAJOR anxiety about this: what if MY spring break or other holidays don't coincide with The Goose's? What if The Dad has to work on one of his usual off days and can't keep The Goose? What if The Goose gets sick a lot this winter and I have to miss work? What if I miss another splendid episode like the discovery of clocks?

Anyway ...

I can just QUIT if it's too much, so I shouldn't worry, but of course I am worrying. I am learning that with kids, there is ALWAYS something to worry about. How do we deal with this worry?

Like, for instance, our recent ordeal with getting FOUR SHOTS in one day. The Goose got these shots on Thursday and finally today (Saturday) his leg is not as swollen or painful. He literally couldn't walk at all on Thursday. Yesterday he limped around pitifully and stayed up half the night crying, and today I was prepared to march back into that doctor's office to confront that needle-wielding, so-called "NURSE." But he woke up this morning in much better shape, so I put off the nurse whoopin'. Because y'all: I can whoop any old nurse any old day when it comes to that Buddy Snickums. No matter that she weighs approximately 200 pounds more than me. Anyway, she probably doesn't work on Saturdays.

Don't get me wrong ... I love our pediatrician ... the other staff members, however, leave a lot to be desired. For one thing, the other doctor that works there has a real problem with repeating the phrase "and whatnot" at totally inappropriate points in any given conversation. It's so bad that The Husband and I cannot even look at each other when we're in her presence for fear of dissolving into disrespectful snickers. And then one day Husband heard Dr. Whatnot (notice I said "heard," not "saw") yelling at her kids in Kroger from about two aisles over.

And then there's the receptionist who is SO condescending over the phone. I called the office twice yesterday to report that he was still in pain and that there was a knot on his leg and the like, and she continually called me "Mom" ... as in "Mom, this is a normal reaction to vaccinations" or "OK, Mom, let me pull his chart to see which particular shots he got" or "Don't worry Mom, just give him a little Tylenol." I don't need that.

At our 18-month checkup I think I am going to request that we only get a couple of shots and then we'll just come back later for the others. There is no reason to give a child so many injections that he cannot walk and is pain for TWO DAYS. I refuse to put my Buddy Snickums through that again just to save somebody some time.

Hmmm ... I may be in need of some Christmas spirit.

So that's about it from this neck of the woods. You should be getting your holiday cards any day now, so GET EXCITED!

Until next time, this is Mother Goose, signing off.