Well, we got through Andy's party, just barely. It was literally the hottest day of the summer so far, with triple digit temps, so our idea of a laid-back, outdoor gathering kind of sizzled. But, we did the best we could. We kept the beef and pasta salad sitting out in the sun; I'm not sure how food poisoning works, but if you ended up getting violently ill that night, whoops.

Andy made out. Toys, clothes, cash, and all the attention one little boy could ever hope for. I'm becoming concerned that perhaps he will become spoiled. He already freaks out if you try to take something away from him. He loves cups, even if they're empty (but he prefers when they're full of water so he can dip his dirty fist into it, drop the remote control into it, or attempt to drink a few huge sips only to spill water freaking everywhere), and if I try to take a cup away from him, it's like a major child abuse situation. He screams, pulls the cup away, shakes his head no, cries, and basically just loses it. That's just one example. He also goes bananas if he is stopped while trying to twist the stove knob or when he is about to dive head-first in the bath, or if he is trying to grab scissors, knives, lighters, etc. Basically, he becomes very pissed off very quickly when I try to save his life. He wants what he wants and he loses his shit if I say no.

I hope this is normal for a one year old.

Anyway, I told myself I would open one toy at a time for him over a span of about a year or so but of course, by the end of that week, every toy was opened and now our house looks even more like it belongs to Andy and like Chris and I just rent from him. If only that were actually the case; how awesome would it be if Andy had to pay the mortgage?? If he were actually paying the bills, it might be more acceptable that our house looks like a cross between a disorganized toy store and a restaurant about half a point away from being shut down by the board of health. Because there's of course the toys (including 250 Mega Bloks) and there's the fact that I let Andy take his snacks on the go, so there's crushed Cheerios everywhere, little puddles of milk, and then under the high chair, it was Ant City population Lots of Ants until I realized that if Andy drops a banana sliver on the floor I HAVE TO PICK THAT BANANA SLIVER UP RIGHT AWAY.

My housekeeping skills just aren't up to the level they need to be with a one year old in the house. How do other moms do it? Of course, the only other moms I know who do it well have a dog around to lick up all the dropped food, but I know that if I get a dog, the house is becoming a cross between sloppy toy store, unhealthy restaurant, and disgusting pet store. Forget it.

Anyway, so we had a first birthday, a first birthday party, have played with a crapload of toys, and have wondered if Andy is becoming spoiled. What a couple of weeks we've had! No- what a year we've had. So funny to think that it's been a full year already- that my sweet little immobile nugget is now a toddler. God, it goes by fast. Better start planning the 2nd birthday party now, I suppose.