a friend stopped by on her way home from work. still dressed in her business attire, we stood in the entry talking. i noticed zoom sitting at her feet, closely examining her legs, but continued our conversation.
cautiously, he reached out and touched her leg, then drew back his hand.
she and i exchanged smiles, but didn't skip a beat in our conversation, choosing to wait this one out. he touched her again, tilting his head to the side. i heard him say something to himself, but couldn't understand him. he pinched her a little bit, then pulled away.
then he took both hands and felt up and down her calf.
by this time neither of us could keep from laughing, but he was very serious when he looked up at me and (rather politely i might add) asked,
"excuse me mom, is this carrie's SKIN?!!"
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
first words
zoom loves letters and numbers.
he got to pick out a new comforter cover and picked the one covered in colorful numbers. while we read books in bed he looks at all the numbers, talks about how many 8's he sees and whether there are more 5's or 3's. he learned the european 7, and we spent at least five minutes talking about the differences between the number 1 and 7.
letters and words are becoming more important to him too. reading together or passing signs he'll sound out the letters he sees.
we have a 'word whammer' and i'm sure that has helped him learn the different sounds that each letter makes.
i've put most of the word whammer away because i'm a little annoyed with the voice, and so that we can bring it out as a fresh toy in the new year. i had a few letter out for the girl since they are nice,big magnets, and an easy game in the kitchen. the other day zoom said, "look, i spelled purse!"
sure enough, and in just four letters:
the sign for book is holding your hands together and opening them, as if they were a book.
the girl loves her books, and claps viciously with a very serious expression when she wants one - her version of the sign. and she wants them all - her books, zoom's books, my books, work books.
as previously mentioned, her favorite is the Big Red Barn. she likes looking at most books, and turning the pages quickly, but i have noticed that she prefers books with people or animals (and doesn't really like the truck books that were a favorite with zoom) she has created a few of her very own animal noises:
another favorite book of ours is Jamberry, byBruce Degan. it is a fabulous rhyming tale of berries, a bear and a boy. in the final page the bear and his boy are buried in berries. zoom and i began a tradition of pretending to nibble on the berries, sharing them with each other. claire refers to this book by smacking her lips together as if to eat it. this afternoon she initiated the berry feast, offering one to me. so sweet!
i hope it isn't confusing our longstanding house rule, "books are for reading, not for eating!"
he got to pick out a new comforter cover and picked the one covered in colorful numbers. while we read books in bed he looks at all the numbers, talks about how many 8's he sees and whether there are more 5's or 3's. he learned the european 7, and we spent at least five minutes talking about the differences between the number 1 and 7.
letters and words are becoming more important to him too. reading together or passing signs he'll sound out the letters he sees.
we have a 'word whammer' and i'm sure that has helped him learn the different sounds that each letter makes.
i've put most of the word whammer away because i'm a little annoyed with the voice, and so that we can bring it out as a fresh toy in the new year. i had a few letter out for the girl since they are nice,big magnets, and an easy game in the kitchen. the other day zoom said, "look, i spelled purse!"
sure enough, and in just four letters:
PERS
the sign for book is holding your hands together and opening them, as if they were a book.
the girl loves her books, and claps viciously with a very serious expression when she wants one - her version of the sign. and she wants them all - her books, zoom's books, my books, work books.
as previously mentioned, her favorite is the Big Red Barn. she likes looking at most books, and turning the pages quickly, but i have noticed that she prefers books with people or animals (and doesn't really like the truck books that were a favorite with zoom) she has created a few of her very own animal noises:
- a horse does the raspberries
- a dog pants
- a pig breathes loudly through the nose
another favorite book of ours is Jamberry, byBruce Degan. it is a fabulous rhyming tale of berries, a bear and a boy. in the final page the bear and his boy are buried in berries. zoom and i began a tradition of pretending to nibble on the berries, sharing them with each other. claire refers to this book by smacking her lips together as if to eat it. this afternoon she initiated the berry feast, offering one to me. so sweet!
i hope it isn't confusing our longstanding house rule, "books are for reading, not for eating!"
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Five Fabulous Years!
it was five years ago this afternoon that we tied the knot. i scored big time. it remains my favorite wedding of all times!
sadly, these days it is a pretty big deal to say we've been married for five years! i am so thankful for a man who continues to pursue me, challenge me and support me! i would do it all over again!
sadly, these days it is a pretty big deal to say we've been married for five years! i am so thankful for a man who continues to pursue me, challenge me and support me! i would do it all over again!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
sleep update
its night three.
overall i would say things have been moving towards success. we've had lots of wake ups, but i think that is bound to happen with this kind of change.
i failed to mention perhaps the biggest change. zoom is finally out of a "bed with bars". the girl has the crib - no biggie for her, she sleeps in a variety of places, but zoom - he's slept there since he was six months. while he talks about wanting a big boy bed, i think he likes his cosy spot.
when bedtime comes he says he doesn't want to sleep there. the first night he woke up twice, wanting to sleep in his crib. then he was up at 4am, ready for the day. we let him come in our bed and for a while i thought the entire family would be up for the day. thankfully, he fell back to sleep around 6am for another hour. it was a little brutal, especially since the girl was with us too. she woke up when hubby got up for work, around 5am, so i brought her to bed so we could all attempt to sleep a bit more.
last night zoom woke up again, but this time just crying in his sleep. both times he was out of the covers, so maybe he was just cold. little precious. he did sleep, in his bed, until almost 8 this morning, so YES!
the girl ended up in our bed again, this is just a difficult week for hubby to take all the nighttime wakings.
i have to be alert for the day as well, but i can handle less sleep better than he can. i am feeling a little more rested. getting a good chunk of undisturbed sleep makes a big difference.
overall i would say things have been moving towards success. we've had lots of wake ups, but i think that is bound to happen with this kind of change.
i failed to mention perhaps the biggest change. zoom is finally out of a "bed with bars". the girl has the crib - no biggie for her, she sleeps in a variety of places, but zoom - he's slept there since he was six months. while he talks about wanting a big boy bed, i think he likes his cosy spot.
when bedtime comes he says he doesn't want to sleep there. the first night he woke up twice, wanting to sleep in his crib. then he was up at 4am, ready for the day. we let him come in our bed and for a while i thought the entire family would be up for the day. thankfully, he fell back to sleep around 6am for another hour. it was a little brutal, especially since the girl was with us too. she woke up when hubby got up for work, around 5am, so i brought her to bed so we could all attempt to sleep a bit more.
last night zoom woke up again, but this time just crying in his sleep. both times he was out of the covers, so maybe he was just cold. little precious. he did sleep, in his bed, until almost 8 this morning, so YES!
the girl ended up in our bed again, this is just a difficult week for hubby to take all the nighttime wakings.
i have to be alert for the day as well, but i can handle less sleep better than he can. i am feeling a little more rested. getting a good chunk of undisturbed sleep makes a big difference.
Monday, November 17, 2008
a move towards more sleep - we hope!
we made a HUGE sleeping change.
we gave the girl her own room (and a pack-n-play) this summer. she is pretty sensitive to light and noise so she slept better without others in the room. i would go in and nurse her a few times a night then go back to bed. not bad! until a couple months ago. the nursing would last longer, and then she would not let me lay her down once she was finished. she could be out cold, but would instantly wake up when i laid her down. i tried patting her back, holding her back, picking her up for a couple minutes, but nothing - NOTHING worked. whether it was being cold, exhausted, or frustrated and just wanting to sleep, i usually end up in the bed (her bed is in the guest room) with her for the remainder of the night. this might be from 11pm on! this might work out fine,except she is a very restless sleeper, flipping and flopping around even if she doesn't wake. i've received head-butts, fat lips, pokes to the eye, slapped in the face with a tiny hand, and kicked. she also kicks her feet when she goes to sleep, in a rhythmic beat (i do that too sometimes, so i get it - i just don't like being the recipient of that kicking). i'm certain that has been playing a role in my overall mental health being not so good. sleep is HUGE!
part of the problem, we think, is that she hasn't received the same intentional bedtime routine that zoom has, cues that sleep will come soon. she gets nursed, i read a book with her, then hubby wears her to sleep (which, i might add he can knock her off in mere minutes!). the entire thing can take less than 15 minutes.
this weekend we made the decision to change things. we moved her into zoom's room. it has a big chair for reading and nursing so we can create a place for sleep to consume her. zoom moved into what was the guest room. that was a hard move for me - i like having a guest room. i don't want my parents to have to sleep on the couch. at the same time we spend most nights without guests and since sleep is a problem right now i feel like we need to do this. we took down the bed and just put the mattress on the floor for now. zoom loves it! it is so sweet to see him get excited to show people his new room - that really has nothing except that mattress and a few books. hubby is making him a rockin' bed, but we couldn't wait for that to be finished.
the other MAJOR detail is that hubby is taking on nighttime parenting. this was the trigger for zooms 6 nighttime wakings at 1 1/2 years, so we're trying that again.
last night was night one. the girl was mad. she cried but eventually feel back to sleep. zoom woke up twice - once he couldn't find his doggy, once because he was wet. we were all up earlier than we have been. i guess if we are sleeping better that will be just fine! we'll keep you posted!
we gave the girl her own room (and a pack-n-play) this summer. she is pretty sensitive to light and noise so she slept better without others in the room. i would go in and nurse her a few times a night then go back to bed. not bad! until a couple months ago. the nursing would last longer, and then she would not let me lay her down once she was finished. she could be out cold, but would instantly wake up when i laid her down. i tried patting her back, holding her back, picking her up for a couple minutes, but nothing - NOTHING worked. whether it was being cold, exhausted, or frustrated and just wanting to sleep, i usually end up in the bed (her bed is in the guest room) with her for the remainder of the night. this might be from 11pm on! this might work out fine,except she is a very restless sleeper, flipping and flopping around even if she doesn't wake. i've received head-butts, fat lips, pokes to the eye, slapped in the face with a tiny hand, and kicked. she also kicks her feet when she goes to sleep, in a rhythmic beat (i do that too sometimes, so i get it - i just don't like being the recipient of that kicking). i'm certain that has been playing a role in my overall mental health being not so good. sleep is HUGE!
part of the problem, we think, is that she hasn't received the same intentional bedtime routine that zoom has, cues that sleep will come soon. she gets nursed, i read a book with her, then hubby wears her to sleep (which, i might add he can knock her off in mere minutes!). the entire thing can take less than 15 minutes.
this weekend we made the decision to change things. we moved her into zoom's room. it has a big chair for reading and nursing so we can create a place for sleep to consume her. zoom moved into what was the guest room. that was a hard move for me - i like having a guest room. i don't want my parents to have to sleep on the couch. at the same time we spend most nights without guests and since sleep is a problem right now i feel like we need to do this. we took down the bed and just put the mattress on the floor for now. zoom loves it! it is so sweet to see him get excited to show people his new room - that really has nothing except that mattress and a few books. hubby is making him a rockin' bed, but we couldn't wait for that to be finished.
the other MAJOR detail is that hubby is taking on nighttime parenting. this was the trigger for zooms 6 nighttime wakings at 1 1/2 years, so we're trying that again.
last night was night one. the girl was mad. she cried but eventually feel back to sleep. zoom woke up twice - once he couldn't find his doggy, once because he was wet. we were all up earlier than we have been. i guess if we are sleeping better that will be just fine! we'll keep you posted!
she walks!
here we go!
she has been cruising along furniture for a couple months, freestanding for quite a few weeks, honestly i thought she would be walking by now. she has been content to hobble (yes, she has a one-legged crawl) along with great speed rather than stand tall.
but today she took 5 steps. more significantly, she knew she was doing something special. she kept wanting to try over and over, giggling.
she has been cruising along furniture for a couple months, freestanding for quite a few weeks, honestly i thought she would be walking by now. she has been content to hobble (yes, she has a one-legged crawl) along with great speed rather than stand tall.
but today she took 5 steps. more significantly, she knew she was doing something special. she kept wanting to try over and over, giggling.
Friday, November 14, 2008
find me and i love books
the kiddos are simultaneously interested in the same two specific things:
forms of hide-and-seek and books!!
zoom has been playing hide-and-seek nearly every day, multiple times a day. that is the activity following dinner. hubby will hide. zoom will hide in the same spot. where should i hide? he'll ask. tonight i helped him find a spot. while hubby was searching he said, "wow - this is a great hiding spot!". from behind the curtains he heard, "yeah! it is!".
the ladybug has been playing along too. she is really good at spotting the hiding person and will giggle and poke at them.
she also loves peek-a-boo and will find things to put over her face (napkin, dishtowel, diaper). another version is hide-behind-a-piece-of-furniture and peek out, give a little grin, then hide again.
recently zoom has spent more than 5 minutes "reading". by that i mean looking at books. he will pick a stack to take to the couch or beanbag and initiate that reading time all by himself! when he gets too wound up and needs to calm down, i'll have him sit on the chair in his room and read, allowing him to come out when he is ready. one time he was in there over 20 minutes! when i went in to check on him he was working his way thru all the books on the shelf. "i'm just weeding books to help myself cawm down" he explained.
the girl also loves books. particularly the Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown. she can actually pick it out of a stack of books on command. this evening the two of them were sitting around a stack of books, reading. LOVE it!
forms of hide-and-seek and books!!
zoom has been playing hide-and-seek nearly every day, multiple times a day. that is the activity following dinner. hubby will hide. zoom will hide in the same spot. where should i hide? he'll ask. tonight i helped him find a spot. while hubby was searching he said, "wow - this is a great hiding spot!". from behind the curtains he heard, "yeah! it is!".
the ladybug has been playing along too. she is really good at spotting the hiding person and will giggle and poke at them.
she also loves peek-a-boo and will find things to put over her face (napkin, dishtowel, diaper). another version is hide-behind-a-piece-of-furniture and peek out, give a little grin, then hide again.
recently zoom has spent more than 5 minutes "reading". by that i mean looking at books. he will pick a stack to take to the couch or beanbag and initiate that reading time all by himself! when he gets too wound up and needs to calm down, i'll have him sit on the chair in his room and read, allowing him to come out when he is ready. one time he was in there over 20 minutes! when i went in to check on him he was working his way thru all the books on the shelf. "i'm just weeding books to help myself cawm down" he explained.
the girl also loves books. particularly the Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown. she can actually pick it out of a stack of books on command. this evening the two of them were sitting around a stack of books, reading. LOVE it!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
he's ours, well, his
his neatness is really starting to show.
last week he "reorganized" his toy shelves. seriously, took everything off the shelves and put things in new places.
after a walk, he placed his finds on the table - JUST LIKE THIS
then yesterday he was helping me in the kitchen. he asked if he could have a little parsley to make us some carrot salad for dinner. he kept coming back into the kitchen for more water. when i asked what all the water was for he said, "mom, i'm pretending to make salad. the water is salad dressing." i found his little salad making station in complete order:
he doesn't get this from me. i am not really a scheduled person, nor near as organized as hubby. clearly he gets this from him. it has, however, prompted me to help him make a weekly schedule to let him know what to expect (and remind me to keep a schedule for his sake). we are making a list of what we do during the week. then we'll make pictures or words for each item. at the beginning of each week (or the night before if need be) we can post up the items for the respective days. then he'll be able to see, at a glance, what we will be doing
more on that to come...
last week he "reorganized" his toy shelves. seriously, took everything off the shelves and put things in new places.
after a walk, he placed his finds on the table - JUST LIKE THIS
then yesterday he was helping me in the kitchen. he asked if he could have a little parsley to make us some carrot salad for dinner. he kept coming back into the kitchen for more water. when i asked what all the water was for he said, "mom, i'm pretending to make salad. the water is salad dressing." i found his little salad making station in complete order:
he doesn't get this from me. i am not really a scheduled person, nor near as organized as hubby. clearly he gets this from him. it has, however, prompted me to help him make a weekly schedule to let him know what to expect (and remind me to keep a schedule for his sake). we are making a list of what we do during the week. then we'll make pictures or words for each item. at the beginning of each week (or the night before if need be) we can post up the items for the respective days. then he'll be able to see, at a glance, what we will be doingmore on that to come...
Sunday, November 9, 2008
when birthday become a week long celebration
wearing pink stripped socks
complementary eggnog latte
mini homemade chocolate cake delivered on a plate to my kitchen
the happy birthday song sung all day long
facebook love, phone messages, emails, texts
a hair cut, alone
a clever gift card waiting for me "shearly you know you are a cut above the rest"
unlimited babysitting...all week long!
lucia's chocolate truffles and chocolate cookie with sea salt
cards in the mail
a new knife and knife block
bedroom curtains completed
working in the earth
dehydrating apples, making applesauce, freezing apples
panang curry from amazing thai
shopping for ice cream with zoom pushing the "shopper in training" cart
blue fin bay
the sound of waves, even if it isn't the ocean
knitting
sitting
sipping
watching the waves crash on the rocks
bare branches holding on to clusters of right red berries
dancing babes
a chilly starry walk along the water
complementary eggnog latte
mini homemade chocolate cake delivered on a plate to my kitchen
the happy birthday song sung all day long
facebook love, phone messages, emails, texts
a hair cut, alone
a clever gift card waiting for me "shearly you know you are a cut above the rest"
unlimited babysitting...all week long!
lucia's chocolate truffles and chocolate cookie with sea salt
cards in the mail
a new knife and knife block
bedroom curtains completed
working in the earth
dehydrating apples, making applesauce, freezing apples
panang curry from amazing thai
shopping for ice cream with zoom pushing the "shopper in training" cart
blue fin bay
the sound of waves, even if it isn't the ocean
knitting
sitting
sipping
watching the waves crash on the rocks
bare branches holding on to clusters of right red berries
dancing babes
a chilly starry walk along the water
Friday, October 31, 2008
creative wins over scarry
i don't like being scared, and sugar just isn't good for children, so i don't have much fondness for halloween. the past couple years we figured zoom was too young and we just skipped the whole thing. this year we decided to stay home so that the kids could get to bed at a reasonable hour. that meant we had to have something to hand out, just in case some kids came to our door. i spent way too much time agonizing over what to pass out; stickers, noisemakers, fun pen/pencil, bouncy balls, and even contemplated raisin boxes (which would delight my little ones!). in the end i bought a marketed package of candy just like everyone else. if i really wanted to protest, i guess i would just shut off the lights, but there are some cute costumes on the little ones.
zoom asked why we were buying candy - we NEVER buy candy - so i explained that some children might be coming by to go trick or treating, and that most kids preferred a treat over a trick.
we had dinner and were playing around when zoom asked if the twick-o-tweeters would be coming. "i better get on my costume" he told me, and disappeared into his room. a few minutes later he emerged with his superman pjs, a diaper cover over the pants and a pair of pants on his head. he was hysterical! dancing in front of the mirror he exclaimed, "what will the twick-o-tweeters say when they see me??!!", but before we could answer he continued, "they'll say, ' look at that guy with supa-man pjs on! he's got a diaper cover over his pjs' and pants on his head, WHAT??' " we were laughing so hard and so proud of his clever costume.
he and hubby set up a pile of beanbags and sofa cushions and practiced flying.
we had a handful of kids come to the door. of course when he went to the door, all the boldness disappeared and zoom just stood behind hubby and watched the bigger kids.
around 9pm a kid around 6 years old stopped by, alone. sad.
about 9:30 a dad came, with a picture of his child, who apparently was sick and unable to come out. seriously? it makes more sense to go door-to-door than to just pick up a bag of his favorite candy? questionable.
i'm pretty sure zoom put it all together this year...these kids are my age, and we're giving them candy! i have no regrets - we actually held off for three years! we had a great evening and i do not think i have withheld anything good from my child!
then there's this one, trying her best to scare people away from our front door
zoom asked why we were buying candy - we NEVER buy candy - so i explained that some children might be coming by to go trick or treating, and that most kids preferred a treat over a trick.
we had dinner and were playing around when zoom asked if the twick-o-tweeters would be coming. "i better get on my costume" he told me, and disappeared into his room. a few minutes later he emerged with his superman pjs, a diaper cover over the pants and a pair of pants on his head. he was hysterical! dancing in front of the mirror he exclaimed, "what will the twick-o-tweeters say when they see me??!!", but before we could answer he continued, "they'll say, ' look at that guy with supa-man pjs on! he's got a diaper cover over his pjs' and pants on his head, WHAT??' " we were laughing so hard and so proud of his clever costume.
he and hubby set up a pile of beanbags and sofa cushions and practiced flying.
we had a handful of kids come to the door. of course when he went to the door, all the boldness disappeared and zoom just stood behind hubby and watched the bigger kids.around 9pm a kid around 6 years old stopped by, alone. sad.
about 9:30 a dad came, with a picture of his child, who apparently was sick and unable to come out. seriously? it makes more sense to go door-to-door than to just pick up a bag of his favorite candy? questionable.
i'm pretty sure zoom put it all together this year...these kids are my age, and we're giving them candy! i have no regrets - we actually held off for three years! we had a great evening and i do not think i have withheld anything good from my child!
then there's this one, trying her best to scare people away from our front door
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
some comfort
while rocking the babe this evening
all the lights turned off
soft music playing in the background (and an occasional "MOM!!! I HAVE TO GO PEEEEEE!)
i glanced out the window to the apartment next door
two windows mirrored my scene; baby in arms, soft lights, parents praying for sleep.
i am not alone.
all the lights turned off
soft music playing in the background (and an occasional "MOM!!! I HAVE TO GO PEEEEEE!)
i glanced out the window to the apartment next door
two windows mirrored my scene; baby in arms, soft lights, parents praying for sleep.
i am not alone.
Monday, October 27, 2008
politcal quote of the day
this evening we hosted a civics 101 class. a political conversation for folks like us who don't want politics to be our other full time job. a couple friends who are very knowledgeable in this arena and love talking politics came over to lead the lesson and discussion. it was great - basic stuff most ninth graders know, but somehow i don't remember learning - like:
trying to keep the kiddos quiet for the conversation was challenging. the girl is resisting using sign to say "more", choosing rather to pound her fists on the table and yell loudly. tonight i didn't push her - more food to keep quiet. zoom knows how to whisper now, but really doesn't like whispering. he did great. when he wanted to play with loud toys, he took them into his room. at one point we heard him singing at the top of his lungs, playing the guitar. later he told hubby he was playing, "up on top of a mountain is a birdie" (we aren't familiar with that song either, but apparently we should know it well). "it just seemed like the right song" he told us. coming back into the room he boldly declared, "mom! there's a mouse in our kitchen!" - there goes that secret!
near the end of the evening, zoom was sitting on my lap, sucking his finger, doggy in hand. suddenly he sat up and said, "wait! which one is sarah palin? i fought sarah palin was coming tonight".
- what decisions does the president really get to make?
- do political parties even matter?
- what does the house of reps do?
- how do i know who to vote for!!!???
trying to keep the kiddos quiet for the conversation was challenging. the girl is resisting using sign to say "more", choosing rather to pound her fists on the table and yell loudly. tonight i didn't push her - more food to keep quiet. zoom knows how to whisper now, but really doesn't like whispering. he did great. when he wanted to play with loud toys, he took them into his room. at one point we heard him singing at the top of his lungs, playing the guitar. later he told hubby he was playing, "up on top of a mountain is a birdie" (we aren't familiar with that song either, but apparently we should know it well). "it just seemed like the right song" he told us. coming back into the room he boldly declared, "mom! there's a mouse in our kitchen!" - there goes that secret!
near the end of the evening, zoom was sitting on my lap, sucking his finger, doggy in hand. suddenly he sat up and said, "wait! which one is sarah palin? i fought sarah palin was coming tonight".
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
baffling miracle
back in may, my mom had a stroke. her two carotid arteries were almost entirely blocked. my mom wasn't a candidate for a stroke, and doctors were speechless when we questioned how she ended up with such severe blockage. even more mystifying was when she walked out of the hospital without any physical side effects.
during followup doctor visits she is continually called a mystery, a miracle, and many of our questions remain unanswered. other than taking a blood thinner, her life has been very normal. she is simply much more aware of life itself.
this week her doctors took her off coumadin, declaring both her arteries "normal"!
while we are still a bit shocked by the whole experience, we are grateful.
compelled to savour this life.
during followup doctor visits she is continually called a mystery, a miracle, and many of our questions remain unanswered. other than taking a blood thinner, her life has been very normal. she is simply much more aware of life itself.
this week her doctors took her off coumadin, declaring both her arteries "normal"!
while we are still a bit shocked by the whole experience, we are grateful.
compelled to savour this life.
i did it ALL-BY-MYSELF
no, this is not a post about the most frequently used phrase by my zoom.
this is indeed about me! i canned a batch of tomatoes a couple weeks ago and this week i did beans! my friend taught me how to can last year, then this summer we did a canning session at church, but i was still very hesitant to do it on my own. first, it takes a fair amount of labor, preferably without children hanging around - that kind of time is scarce in my world. i also have a little fear of canning gone bad. i'm not even so worried about poisoning my entire family with botulism, much less noble, i don't want my time wasted!
but i did it!
7Qts, 4Pints of Tomatoes
12Pints spicy beans and carrots
aren't they BEAUTIFUL!?
this is indeed about me! i canned a batch of tomatoes a couple weeks ago and this week i did beans! my friend taught me how to can last year, then this summer we did a canning session at church, but i was still very hesitant to do it on my own. first, it takes a fair amount of labor, preferably without children hanging around - that kind of time is scarce in my world. i also have a little fear of canning gone bad. i'm not even so worried about poisoning my entire family with botulism, much less noble, i don't want my time wasted!
but i did it!
7Qts, 4Pints of Tomatoes
12Pints spicy beans and carrots
aren't they BEAUTIFUL!?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
i fell into a vat of chocolate
i love chocolate. dark chocolate. rich chocolate.
i have always dreamed of having a vat of chocolate on my stove. yesterday my dream came true.
we went to a wedding and the guests were invited to bring a pie for the reception (LOVE IT!)
i made La Bete Noire, the black beast!
my finger slipped into the vat a couple times. it was divine.
zoom helped me whisk the ganache and "clean up".
you can see how quickly he went from calmly licking the whisk ,
to getting a little chocolate crazy, and finally
completely insane!!! he didn't want to stop eating the chocolate - atta boy!
at the wedding someone at our table called it a brownie. i had to correct him. you can easily eat a half dozen brownies, but this, just one small slice will do.
forgot to mention that the entire pot was nearly "lost" (i am sure i would have found something to do with it) because the recipe calls for pouring the chocolate into a springform pan, wrapping the pan in foil and placing in a baking dish so that water can be poured in the dish,halfway up the side of the pan. didn't MEASURE the pan, so when it came time to setting that springform pan into the baking dish it didn't fit!!! i searched thru my kitchen for baking dishes, pans, even considering my canning pots, but this springform pan has handles that are just about a half inch wider. finally i spotted the giant cast iron wok - not even mine! we are probably indefinitely storing for friends, but it FIT!! praise praise!
i have always dreamed of having a vat of chocolate on my stove. yesterday my dream came true.
we went to a wedding and the guests were invited to bring a pie for the reception (LOVE IT!)i made La Bete Noire, the black beast!
my finger slipped into the vat a couple times. it was divine.
zoom helped me whisk the ganache and "clean up".
you can see how quickly he went from calmly licking the whisk ,
to getting a little chocolate crazy, and finally
completely insane!!! he didn't want to stop eating the chocolate - atta boy!at the wedding someone at our table called it a brownie. i had to correct him. you can easily eat a half dozen brownies, but this, just one small slice will do.
forgot to mention that the entire pot was nearly "lost" (i am sure i would have found something to do with it) because the recipe calls for pouring the chocolate into a springform pan, wrapping the pan in foil and placing in a baking dish so that water can be poured in the dish,halfway up the side of the pan. didn't MEASURE the pan, so when it came time to setting that springform pan into the baking dish it didn't fit!!! i searched thru my kitchen for baking dishes, pans, even considering my canning pots, but this springform pan has handles that are just about a half inch wider. finally i spotted the giant cast iron wok - not even mine! we are probably indefinitely storing for friends, but it FIT!! praise praise!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
exhaustion
my friend posted about a month ago about her frustration and exhaustion raising kiddos about the same ages as mine. i think i hit that point as well. knowing that she has gone before me makes it a tad easier - that maybe it's normal?? but it is SO HARD!
the ladybug is moving around so much, crawling almost as fast as i can walk. she cruises along furniture, reaching for whatever she can grab. she forages the smallest particles off the floor, gets them into her mouth and clamps shut. she dumps out any container she can reach. she finds open doors. she discovers all electrical outlets and enjoys pulling out cords. i'm always picking up and putting away, but you'd never know by looking.
zoom is testing the boundaries relentlessly. i know that is his job right now. i know my job is to be consistent, but that is SO HARD! he catches me off guard and suddenly i realize i didn't acknowledge a misbehavior. or the opposite, i am saying the same thing over and over and over, getting louder and louder, angrier and angrier.
so many more negative words come out of my mouth than i want - don't do this, stop, ahhhhh!, that is not okay, NOOOO!,... So much time in 'time out' or 'taking a break'.
am i even noticing his good behavior or am i using that time to personally refocus?
i didn't think i would be this mom. not that i thought i wouldn't be angry or sad, but grab at him the way i do?? so relieved when he is in bed (and so grateful that he sleeps thru the night!) i felt some comfort the other night while having dinner with friends (who have children of various ages). one mother said, "if you have a high energy child and you have NEVER felt like ringing his/her neck, you aren't being honest with yourself".
i haven't rung his neck, i guess that's what's important, right? kind of like PPD - it's perfectly normal to think about smothering your crying baby because the sound is so horrible, but a very different thing to actually DO it.
the ladybug resists sleep - so i get less sleep or time without the kids. she doesn't want to go down for naps or at bedtime if anything is going on or anyone is awake. what are the chances of THAT?
i am tired. my eyes hurt during the day.
if/when they do nap, thankfully it usually overlaps for at least 30 minutes. but what do i do during that time?? take a moment for me? fold the piles of laundry that are constantly filling the couch? work on our finances? plan a week of meals - or maybe just tonight's meal? tidy up? phone someone?
i don't feel like i ever get caught up.
then there are so many things i WANT to do. crafts, keeping up on their baby memories, do a little of my own decorating, garden,
i know it is a stage, and i have not forgotten the difficulties of previous stages that are now past. i know there will be more difficult phases to come (like teenagers out at night), but that doesn't make it any less difficult now.
last night some friends came over to care for the kids, giving us a night out. this is the first time we've left the girl with anyone besides the grandparents. she was really weepy, but we had to go - such a different feeling from leaving zoom for the first time. i know how much i need this.
less than two hours later we got a text that both the kids were asleep! wow!! we can't even do that some nights! we had a nice time, came home and had some great conversations with our friends, and we all slept really well last night.
maybe there is hope.
the ladybug is moving around so much, crawling almost as fast as i can walk. she cruises along furniture, reaching for whatever she can grab. she forages the smallest particles off the floor, gets them into her mouth and clamps shut. she dumps out any container she can reach. she finds open doors. she discovers all electrical outlets and enjoys pulling out cords. i'm always picking up and putting away, but you'd never know by looking.
zoom is testing the boundaries relentlessly. i know that is his job right now. i know my job is to be consistent, but that is SO HARD! he catches me off guard and suddenly i realize i didn't acknowledge a misbehavior. or the opposite, i am saying the same thing over and over and over, getting louder and louder, angrier and angrier.
so many more negative words come out of my mouth than i want - don't do this, stop, ahhhhh!, that is not okay, NOOOO!,... So much time in 'time out' or 'taking a break'.
am i even noticing his good behavior or am i using that time to personally refocus?
i didn't think i would be this mom. not that i thought i wouldn't be angry or sad, but grab at him the way i do?? so relieved when he is in bed (and so grateful that he sleeps thru the night!) i felt some comfort the other night while having dinner with friends (who have children of various ages). one mother said, "if you have a high energy child and you have NEVER felt like ringing his/her neck, you aren't being honest with yourself".
i haven't rung his neck, i guess that's what's important, right? kind of like PPD - it's perfectly normal to think about smothering your crying baby because the sound is so horrible, but a very different thing to actually DO it.
the ladybug resists sleep - so i get less sleep or time without the kids. she doesn't want to go down for naps or at bedtime if anything is going on or anyone is awake. what are the chances of THAT?
i am tired. my eyes hurt during the day.
if/when they do nap, thankfully it usually overlaps for at least 30 minutes. but what do i do during that time?? take a moment for me? fold the piles of laundry that are constantly filling the couch? work on our finances? plan a week of meals - or maybe just tonight's meal? tidy up? phone someone?
i don't feel like i ever get caught up.
then there are so many things i WANT to do. crafts, keeping up on their baby memories, do a little of my own decorating, garden,
i know it is a stage, and i have not forgotten the difficulties of previous stages that are now past. i know there will be more difficult phases to come (like teenagers out at night), but that doesn't make it any less difficult now.
last night some friends came over to care for the kids, giving us a night out. this is the first time we've left the girl with anyone besides the grandparents. she was really weepy, but we had to go - such a different feeling from leaving zoom for the first time. i know how much i need this.
less than two hours later we got a text that both the kids were asleep! wow!! we can't even do that some nights! we had a nice time, came home and had some great conversations with our friends, and we all slept really well last night.
maybe there is hope.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
raise 'em to break my heart
i remember my friend lisa telling me, as she was expecting her fourth baby and the thought of a baby was not on my mind, "I'm raising these kids to leave me. " we talked about how the love for children comes from a previously untapped part of the heart (we don't love something else less when we have a babe). when something happens to them, our heart is broken. like they don't want to be held in public anymore. or some teenager becomes their hero instead of me! or they get hurt.
last week claire fell down an entire flight of wood stairs to the concrete basement floor. my heart went right to my gut as i heard the tumble. no one is to blame, either of us could have noticed that the door was left ajar ( i tell myself this over and over) but this kind of thing happens.
miraculously, she only cried for about three minutes before pushing out of my arms to continue playing. she has two small scratches above her eye and no bruises. A-mazing!
she seemed fine, but still called 911, why risk it with a babe? everyone came. zoom woke up just as the sirens were coming within earshot. paramedics, fire department, police. we were that house. zoom showed the paramedics his ambulance and talked up a storm.
once they all left i think it really hit both of us. i haven't seen hubby cry, well, in a long time. i was weak and shaky for the rest of the day and i have a rug burn type wound on my elbow, from rubbing against the wall as i ran down the stairs. but our babe is just fine. we are so grateful
having a child pretty much guarantees me a few heartbreaks.
last week claire fell down an entire flight of wood stairs to the concrete basement floor. my heart went right to my gut as i heard the tumble. no one is to blame, either of us could have noticed that the door was left ajar ( i tell myself this over and over) but this kind of thing happens.
miraculously, she only cried for about three minutes before pushing out of my arms to continue playing. she has two small scratches above her eye and no bruises. A-mazing!
she seemed fine, but still called 911, why risk it with a babe? everyone came. zoom woke up just as the sirens were coming within earshot. paramedics, fire department, police. we were that house. zoom showed the paramedics his ambulance and talked up a storm.
once they all left i think it really hit both of us. i haven't seen hubby cry, well, in a long time. i was weak and shaky for the rest of the day and i have a rug burn type wound on my elbow, from rubbing against the wall as i ran down the stairs. but our babe is just fine. we are so grateful
having a child pretty much guarantees me a few heartbreaks.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
SERIOUSLY?
at first i thought this was a joke.
it's not.
but it isn't telling the whole truth.
since HFCS is in almost everything, the only way to eat it in moderation is to eat real food. that's right, food. the word "natural" is tossed around almost as much as "green", loosing its meaning. just because it is natural doesn't mean it is good
a friend has often said, "there is no such thing as junk food. either it's food or it's junk"
sad, just really sad.
my hope is that my children are going to know what real food is! they'll know how food grows, how to cook, and know the goodness of real food!
it's not.
but it isn't telling the whole truth.
since HFCS is in almost everything, the only way to eat it in moderation is to eat real food. that's right, food. the word "natural" is tossed around almost as much as "green", loosing its meaning. just because it is natural doesn't mean it is good
a friend has often said, "there is no such thing as junk food. either it's food or it's junk"
sad, just really sad.
my hope is that my children are going to know what real food is! they'll know how food grows, how to cook, and know the goodness of real food!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
who's got talent?
we have spent the past two days on scene of an independent film. zoom was called as a last minute replacement for our friend's movie for film school. the scene he was in was a lemonade stand where "jack" and "jill" convince a business man to sell his business because it isn't fun.
since we were a last minute call, zoom didn't know his lines or cues, so he learned them on the spot. he's got a thing for that...picking up lines. "jill", the 10-year-old actress from Fargo, considered him her little project and rehearsed with him until he had them down. ever distracted by whatever was around him, he maintained his post and rarely missed a cue - that was no act! this kid doesn't miss a thing! you think he isn't listening, but he hears it all and quotes you later!
he not only memorized his lines very quickly, but also other lines.
during a break i heard him reciting one man's line, "where's my phone?!". later, during a shoot, he interjected jill's line before she could!
getting his makeup
shots from the set
and taking a little break, using the "clacker"
it was a 20 minute film, but i had no idea HOW MUCH WORK it is to film. every car that drove by, every plane that flew above, neighbors mowing the lawn, people walking by, gawkers, and (seriously?) a man driving an RC car!!! is life really this noisy and i just tune it out? was this a particularly noisy day? or is a film set really very sensitive? my precious 3-year-old patiently persevered as they re-did take after take.
it made me think about child stars.
i'm the first to admit i think my kid's got talent, but this was a little taste of the reality of stardom. these kids were acting the part of kids, but off camera they weren't allowed to be kids. jill didn't have peers to hang around with - they were all adults, many of which didn't really know what to do with her, or were immersed in themselves. at one point she was pretending to be a cat, but jack was the only one who knew what to do with her- and he just wanted someone to throw the frisbee with him. the only schedule was be ready to wait! eat when you get a minute. we squeezed a nap in between scenes one day, but that is hard to do away from home, when you're juiced up on lemonade!
it was, "don't touch that", "get your makeup", "sit here", "say this", "say it again", "now for this camera".... two long days - these kids were exhausted!
at the very end of the second day, zoom was beginning to melt. one more line. i saw his finger in his mouth and wondered if we'd have trouble. he slipped off his chair and came over to me, "i'm ready to go home now". one more line, so close. any other time i wouldn't push it. i know when he is finished. but so many others were counting on us. so i bribed him with a cookie. i wonder how often child stars are bribed, pushed to the limit - for our entertainment.
i'm glad we did it. it was fun to see what our friend does. it was a great experience. if someone sees this film and says, "i've gotta have that kid!", we'll know what to say. we'd like him to be a kid for a while, even if the world doesn't see his talent!
my favorite quote:
camera man: you can call the extension cord "the stinger" - that's film lingo
zoom, looking at him with skepticism: ahhh, my dad calls it an extension cord.
my favorite scene:
zoom dropping his pants and peeing on the boulevard tree - three times!
since we were a last minute call, zoom didn't know his lines or cues, so he learned them on the spot. he's got a thing for that...picking up lines. "jill", the 10-year-old actress from Fargo, considered him her little project and rehearsed with him until he had them down. ever distracted by whatever was around him, he maintained his post and rarely missed a cue - that was no act! this kid doesn't miss a thing! you think he isn't listening, but he hears it all and quotes you later!
he not only memorized his lines very quickly, but also other lines.
during a break i heard him reciting one man's line, "where's my phone?!". later, during a shoot, he interjected jill's line before she could!
getting his makeup
shots from the set
and taking a little break, using the "clacker"
it was a 20 minute film, but i had no idea HOW MUCH WORK it is to film. every car that drove by, every plane that flew above, neighbors mowing the lawn, people walking by, gawkers, and (seriously?) a man driving an RC car!!! is life really this noisy and i just tune it out? was this a particularly noisy day? or is a film set really very sensitive? my precious 3-year-old patiently persevered as they re-did take after take.it made me think about child stars.
i'm the first to admit i think my kid's got talent, but this was a little taste of the reality of stardom. these kids were acting the part of kids, but off camera they weren't allowed to be kids. jill didn't have peers to hang around with - they were all adults, many of which didn't really know what to do with her, or were immersed in themselves. at one point she was pretending to be a cat, but jack was the only one who knew what to do with her- and he just wanted someone to throw the frisbee with him. the only schedule was be ready to wait! eat when you get a minute. we squeezed a nap in between scenes one day, but that is hard to do away from home, when you're juiced up on lemonade!
it was, "don't touch that", "get your makeup", "sit here", "say this", "say it again", "now for this camera".... two long days - these kids were exhausted!
at the very end of the second day, zoom was beginning to melt. one more line. i saw his finger in his mouth and wondered if we'd have trouble. he slipped off his chair and came over to me, "i'm ready to go home now". one more line, so close. any other time i wouldn't push it. i know when he is finished. but so many others were counting on us. so i bribed him with a cookie. i wonder how often child stars are bribed, pushed to the limit - for our entertainment.
i'm glad we did it. it was fun to see what our friend does. it was a great experience. if someone sees this film and says, "i've gotta have that kid!", we'll know what to say. we'd like him to be a kid for a while, even if the world doesn't see his talent!
my favorite quote:
camera man: you can call the extension cord "the stinger" - that's film lingo
zoom, looking at him with skepticism: ahhh, my dad calls it an extension cord.
my favorite scene:
zoom dropping his pants and peeing on the boulevard tree - three times!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
she's a hoover
things i have found in the Hoover's mouth:
- dirt
- twigs
- leaves
- dust bunnies
- bits of whatever i am making for dinner
- a collection of hair
- a connect four piece
- large black ant, alive
- caterpillar, also alive
- jalapeno pepper seed
- very sharp teeth
- very strong jaw
- strong immune system
- a taste for exotic foods
- all my fingers
Thursday, September 11, 2008
now that i'm three, part two
zoom's new thing is getting out of bed on his own. i know, he's three, all other three-year-old's are doing it. but i was FIVE before i got stopped calling to my mom to help me out.
i love the mornings, he comes out all sleepy-eyed, beaming (even tho it has been a week, he is still rather proud of himself). nap time is great too - unless he gets out before he has slept.
but bedtime is tricky. one night this week he had to "pee AND poop" four times (thankfully two were before we had gone to bed). he has called for one of us to take him, but recently he just hops out and takes himself to the toilet. if that were all we'd be fine. but he has a tendency to get distracted.
earlier this week hubby and i were reading in bed (our room is between zooms and the hallway to the bathroom) when i suddenly realized that zoom was standing at the foot of our bed - freaked me out!
last night hubby heard noises in our bedroom. thinking someone might be breaking into our home he cautiously peered around the corner to find zoom, laying on the floor beside our bed, looking under the bed with the flashlight! really? just thought you'd get up and explore!!?
tonight i heard panicky crying - from the bathroom! i thought he was in bed, but he had taken himself to the bathroom, then couldn't open the door to let himself back out. when i asked him why he didn't call for us to take him, he replied, "i did call fo you because i couldn't open the bathroom door" - no point driving this home, back to bed with you!
i love the mornings, he comes out all sleepy-eyed, beaming (even tho it has been a week, he is still rather proud of himself). nap time is great too - unless he gets out before he has slept.
but bedtime is tricky. one night this week he had to "pee AND poop" four times (thankfully two were before we had gone to bed). he has called for one of us to take him, but recently he just hops out and takes himself to the toilet. if that were all we'd be fine. but he has a tendency to get distracted.
earlier this week hubby and i were reading in bed (our room is between zooms and the hallway to the bathroom) when i suddenly realized that zoom was standing at the foot of our bed - freaked me out!
last night hubby heard noises in our bedroom. thinking someone might be breaking into our home he cautiously peered around the corner to find zoom, laying on the floor beside our bed, looking under the bed with the flashlight! really? just thought you'd get up and explore!!?
tonight i heard panicky crying - from the bathroom! i thought he was in bed, but he had taken himself to the bathroom, then couldn't open the door to let himself back out. when i asked him why he didn't call for us to take him, he replied, "i did call fo you because i couldn't open the bathroom door" - no point driving this home, back to bed with you!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
i love leftovers!
check out what hubby, zoom and my dad built for zoom's birthday!
all out of leftover wood from a job!!
now that i'm FREE.....
- i can walk by myself to the store
- i don't have to hold hands crossing the street
- i can use a knife all by myself!
- i can ride by myself on the greenway
- i don't need training wheels anymore
and my least favorite, "why?"
i thought we were going to skip the why stage - considering how vocal zoom is. he has been able to ask questions using complete sentences, so i don't understand WHY we are reverting to an unnecessary WHY!!! it has become so automatic that i barely get a sentence out before he is asking, "why?". sometimes i answer, but when we get caught in a spiral of why-response-why-response, i just stop talking. he usually isn't even listening anymore.
the other day hubby asked him, "why do you ask why?".
his response? "dad, why do YOU ask why?"
Saturday, September 6, 2008
"i love that everything is not falling down"
he says the craziest things! what does that even mean?? i couldn't even see that ONE thing was falling down.
and here are some more:
and here are some more:
- "DO YOU SEE THIS??!!" as dad bench presses him against the ceiling
- "i love (insert whatever you are eating)"
- i LOVE the soft part of my toast
- oh! you can get nutcrackers at any store you want! old navy, the co-op, home depot...
- dad! can i have some of your milk. i have some spiciness right here (pointing to his mouth)
- when i'm 16, then i'll be able to put one hand around my cup
- i locked the car, just for fun
- oh dad! can i have some of your water? i'm dehydrated!
- good mor-ning! i just woke up from a GREAT snooze! hey! the sun woke up before me!
- "hey! it's the Sweeedis Eeenstitute. but i call it the toot."
- "i'm wooking fo MS Buiwders. i wook in da office and at da job site, but wite now i am taking a bwake"
- "no way! who is jose?"
- let's go to the O.M.I.C! (the YMCA)
- "mom, can you help me gunt while i poop? no, i have to do it myself"
- "mom, can you hand me that - not the big silky magazine, but the small book?"
- "oh! i need angie's list!"
- mom! i need a magazine! me: there isn't one here. z: can i pretend the toilet paper is a magazine? me: sure! z: you are using a BIG magazine to wipe me!
- so, deez are tomatoes. see deez liddo guys? dey are cuke-nuts. dis is basil and see deez pur-po guys? dey are turnips!
- i prefer NOT to wear pj's
- jingle bells, jingle bells.....i don't even know what sleigh means!
- ringo, ringo, ringo star. how i wonder what you are
- mick and donald had a farm. E I yo yo yo!
- i fink i am weady for the greenway
- i'm wearing my shirt like the guys on the greenway (tucked into his shorts)
- jennifer (hubby's biz partner), can you say Nike swish?
- i need a crescent wrench to fix the wheel on my bike
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
three years ago today...
it is hard to believe that three years have gone by since my baby was born. we had no idea what we were getting into, nor could we imagine what a treasure we were welcoming into our family. thankfully the ridiculously sleepless nights are but a memory, now we just hear him debriefing the day from his bed. sometimes it is a couple hours of non-stop chatter, but at least he eventually goes to sleep and LOVES to sleep! and gone are the days of seemingly endless naps - he is on full force from the moment he wakes up. it is amazing to already see such beautiful things in this boy!passionate
suburb smile
thoughtful creativity
nonstop action
fearless adventurer
deep thinker
clever problem solver
"i'm FREE now! today is my birfday!" he said to me when he woke up! we began with croissants for breakfast (by request) after a morning snuggle with grammy. he choose to stay home and "play games. like connect four and adult games" there are some board games that are off limits - apparently, turning four means he is old enough to play those games. "build a fort in da living woom", and play outside. hubby and grandpy began the construction of a sandbox and jungle gym, so nap time was ended soon after it began, "all the tools woke me up".
i don't know if he really does understand the significance, but this morning he asked if he could kiss my belly. mmmmmmaaaahhhh! before heading out to work with his new chainsaw.i love you precious! i love watching you grow up!!! happy birthday!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
squirrels are rodents
when i was exploring Zion National Park (p.s. AMAZING!!!) i remember seeing hoards of tourists taking photos of squirrels. on the outside i guess they appear to be cute, furry creatures, probably making a nice stuffed animal for a child. 
but it doesn't take much observation to see that they are really a backyard pest? he is probably chewing on a nut from YOUR PANTRY in this picture! they are the ones responsible for your bulbs NOT coming up in the spring. they eat birdseed right out of your "squirrel proof" feeders before your birds can get to it. they rummage through the garbage. their poop looks like rat poop. i know because they deposit it on my back porch railing where i catch them having their afternoon snack almost every day. probably right after they have buried something in my flower pot or dug up another precious seedling. seriously!
their obsession with my deck began this winter, when my planter had a mix of greens frozen in the soil. there was still a bit of snow on the greens when i realized deep in the branches was a mysteriously half-eaten bagel. i thought perhaps one of our tenants had set the bagel down while opening up the door, then forgot their breakfast and it fell into the greens. but then it was a slice of mostly eaten pizza, yup, right in my planter. once the soil had thawed, and i planted some spring flowers and herbs, the pesky rodents decided to "help". but it was the kind of help we all could do without; digging holes AFTER the plants had been planted.
meanwhile in the garden, we were replanting some lettuce and chard seeds for the FOURTH time! can't blame the squirrels for that, we had the misfortune of planting seeds perfectly timed with a subsequent heavy rain or hail storm. even though chard is much better planted directly in the ground, i decided to start some seeds at home so i could make sure they got out of the ground, then plant them in the garden. they came up nice and strong, but the very first day i set them out to get some real light and slight breeze, the squirrels tore every one of the jiffy peat pots apart, hurling my precious seedlings onto the pathway below to their almost certain death. fortunately, we discovered them before the bits of soil hanging onto those tiny roots were completely dried out and we gingerly pieced them together. my children's ears were spared (since i had lost my voice) the cursing i was spewing in my head, but i was furious! its one thing if you EAT my goods, but just tearing them apart and leaving them!!!??? wretched creatures!
that is, so far, the climax of my angst for those animals.
but, just this morning, the girl and i spotted one out the window and watched it eat a granola bar with the wrapper still on - then leave me a little pile of poop before leaving my deck. i am pretty sure i heard the girl growl at him.
and then, while eating dinner outside this evening, we noticed that one had chomped off the tip of our beautiful Malabar spinach vine that (unfortunately for the dear vine) had just reach the ledge around the house that the squirrels like to travel.
it used to bother me that zoom saw his daddy shoot and kill squirrels in our back yard, but now i am so proud when i hear, "it's a squirrel daddy! shoot it!"
but it doesn't take much observation to see that they are really a backyard pest? he is probably chewing on a nut from YOUR PANTRY in this picture! they are the ones responsible for your bulbs NOT coming up in the spring. they eat birdseed right out of your "squirrel proof" feeders before your birds can get to it. they rummage through the garbage. their poop looks like rat poop. i know because they deposit it on my back porch railing where i catch them having their afternoon snack almost every day. probably right after they have buried something in my flower pot or dug up another precious seedling. seriously!their obsession with my deck began this winter, when my planter had a mix of greens frozen in the soil. there was still a bit of snow on the greens when i realized deep in the branches was a mysteriously half-eaten bagel. i thought perhaps one of our tenants had set the bagel down while opening up the door, then forgot their breakfast and it fell into the greens. but then it was a slice of mostly eaten pizza, yup, right in my planter. once the soil had thawed, and i planted some spring flowers and herbs, the pesky rodents decided to "help". but it was the kind of help we all could do without; digging holes AFTER the plants had been planted.
meanwhile in the garden, we were replanting some lettuce and chard seeds for the FOURTH time! can't blame the squirrels for that, we had the misfortune of planting seeds perfectly timed with a subsequent heavy rain or hail storm. even though chard is much better planted directly in the ground, i decided to start some seeds at home so i could make sure they got out of the ground, then plant them in the garden. they came up nice and strong, but the very first day i set them out to get some real light and slight breeze, the squirrels tore every one of the jiffy peat pots apart, hurling my precious seedlings onto the pathway below to their almost certain death. fortunately, we discovered them before the bits of soil hanging onto those tiny roots were completely dried out and we gingerly pieced them together. my children's ears were spared (since i had lost my voice) the cursing i was spewing in my head, but i was furious! its one thing if you EAT my goods, but just tearing them apart and leaving them!!!??? wretched creatures!
that is, so far, the climax of my angst for those animals.
but, just this morning, the girl and i spotted one out the window and watched it eat a granola bar with the wrapper still on - then leave me a little pile of poop before leaving my deck. i am pretty sure i heard the girl growl at him.
and then, while eating dinner outside this evening, we noticed that one had chomped off the tip of our beautiful Malabar spinach vine that (unfortunately for the dear vine) had just reach the ledge around the house that the squirrels like to travel.
it used to bother me that zoom saw his daddy shoot and kill squirrels in our back yard, but now i am so proud when i hear, "it's a squirrel daddy! shoot it!"
Sunday, August 3, 2008
the end of the beginning
gone are the days of gazing at our newborn.
she crawls,
she climbs,
she is beginning to cruise along furniture.
she waves - more like a rock star acknowledgment.
each stage is so exciting with the first, and now i just think it is going by too fast. while she seems to be developing at about the same rate as zoom, it seems much faster. i thought we;d enjoy this summer with a baby sitting on a blanket at the park, but no. she crawls right off the blanket onto the grass where she can get a handful into her mouth. if there is anything near to climb, she'll crawl to that and pull herself up. no, she'll be walking by the end of summer.
and I'll be blogging...less
she crawls,
she climbs,
she is beginning to cruise along furniture.
she waves - more like a rock star acknowledgment.
each stage is so exciting with the first, and now i just think it is going by too fast. while she seems to be developing at about the same rate as zoom, it seems much faster. i thought we;d enjoy this summer with a baby sitting on a blanket at the park, but no. she crawls right off the blanket onto the grass where she can get a handful into her mouth. if there is anything near to climb, she'll crawl to that and pull herself up. no, she'll be walking by the end of summer.
and I'll be blogging...less
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
free write - zoom style
a middle school english teacher had a weekly exercise for us to do called freewriting. you write exactly what comes to your mind as fast as you can write. no lifting the pencil. it is amazing to hear how quickly our brain moves from one topic to another...as with this morning's example by zoom as he pretended to ship off a diaper in a mailing envelope:
diaper in the mail,
diaper in the mail,
diaper, diaper, diaper
lives in the lane
lives on dury lane
drury lane
drury lane
lane and blaine
blaine and diego
Thursday, June 19, 2008
this is why i care about what we eat
grammy and grampy took zoom for the weekend to a camp in iowa! what a fun adventure for him, sweet time for the grandparents, and a great break for us!! we reunited at church on sunday night with loads of hugs and bouncy love! it was so sweet to see how excited he was to see the girl! "she hugged me AGAIN" he would say, then run back for another one.
part way thru the gathering he declared that he had to go "pee AND poop", and did his little skip/run/bounce towards the bathroom. hubby took him, but appeared moments later with a urgent look, beckoning me to the door. zoom didn't make it to the toilet in time, and it was exploding diarrhea. he sat on the toilet for three minutes unloading. maybe that is too much information, but it made me ask why? that has only happened one other time in HIS ENTIRE LIFE!
i am anal about poop - no pun intended- and work really hard to keep him regular and firm. while i am certainly tempted to withhold all toxins from my children for the rest of their lives, i realize this is not possible, polite or practical. i didn't give my parents a list of do's and don'ts and really, they eat well, so everything "off the list" would be a special treat. so when i sat down with mom to try to figure out why he had such a serious reaction i wasn't shocked to hear about typical camp food, sweets, and juice. but juice, juice and more juice, and RED KOOL AID!!!
was more than i hoped. my dad looked up from his newspaper and asked, "is kool aid bad?". REALLY?!?!? dad, you grew up on a farm! do you think there is anything NATURAL and healthy in kool aid!?
lesson learned. tough stuff. dad and mom - we are still really thankful for the weekend - it was a small price to pay for the freedom we experienced!
i don't think i'll give a do and don't list next time, but i'll probably remind anyone who takes zoom for an adventure that they are taking a risk...it might not wait until he's back with us. would you really like that to happen on your watch?
i'm sure you'll all be glad to hear we are back on track, or as zoom said this morning, "i don't have spitty poop anymore!!"
part way thru the gathering he declared that he had to go "pee AND poop", and did his little skip/run/bounce towards the bathroom. hubby took him, but appeared moments later with a urgent look, beckoning me to the door. zoom didn't make it to the toilet in time, and it was exploding diarrhea. he sat on the toilet for three minutes unloading. maybe that is too much information, but it made me ask why? that has only happened one other time in HIS ENTIRE LIFE!
i am anal about poop - no pun intended- and work really hard to keep him regular and firm. while i am certainly tempted to withhold all toxins from my children for the rest of their lives, i realize this is not possible, polite or practical. i didn't give my parents a list of do's and don'ts and really, they eat well, so everything "off the list" would be a special treat. so when i sat down with mom to try to figure out why he had such a serious reaction i wasn't shocked to hear about typical camp food, sweets, and juice. but juice, juice and more juice, and RED KOOL AID!!!
was more than i hoped. my dad looked up from his newspaper and asked, "is kool aid bad?". REALLY?!?!? dad, you grew up on a farm! do you think there is anything NATURAL and healthy in kool aid!?
lesson learned. tough stuff. dad and mom - we are still really thankful for the weekend - it was a small price to pay for the freedom we experienced!
i don't think i'll give a do and don't list next time, but i'll probably remind anyone who takes zoom for an adventure that they are taking a risk...it might not wait until he's back with us. would you really like that to happen on your watch?
i'm sure you'll all be glad to hear we are back on track, or as zoom said this morning, "i don't have spitty poop anymore!!"
Sunday, June 15, 2008
seattle recap - i heart seattle
we were in seattle last month for a couple weeks. we intended to go out for a wedding, then stick around for longer. why not? free babysitting! green, green, growth! family!
well, just two days before we arrived, my mom had a series of strokes. we were extra thankful to already have plans and be able to be near the family during the aftermath. mom considers herself a miracle, and she is, considering she currently has 90/99% blockage of her two carotid arteries, but has no visible signs of a stroke.
the trip, clearly, was much more emotionally draining than we anticipated. it is strange to have your OWN MOTHER in the hospital. a woman who is healthy. i mean, she drinks her coffee daily, and looks at the dessert menu first, but overall she eats well, doesn't sit around much and specifically has low cholesterol and blood pressure. she falls into this mysterious 1% group of people who have strokes. she has since seen a few specialists, but the only other option is brain surgery. she isn't comfortable putting herself into yet another risk category when she feels so good. i don't blame her.
we are so thankful she is alive and kicking! it was amazing to see how loved she is - letters, cards, flowers, visits and the never-ending phone ringing. my favorite call was from an aunt who said, "well, she lived a good life and got to see two of her grandchildren" - the joys of the grapevine - word got around that she DIED!??! we all got a good laugh out of that message. laughter, i am sure, in part relief! many people don't get the chance to see how many people care for them. this is a gift!
highlights from the visit:
well, just two days before we arrived, my mom had a series of strokes. we were extra thankful to already have plans and be able to be near the family during the aftermath. mom considers herself a miracle, and she is, considering she currently has 90/99% blockage of her two carotid arteries, but has no visible signs of a stroke.
the trip, clearly, was much more emotionally draining than we anticipated. it is strange to have your OWN MOTHER in the hospital. a woman who is healthy. i mean, she drinks her coffee daily, and looks at the dessert menu first, but overall she eats well, doesn't sit around much and specifically has low cholesterol and blood pressure. she falls into this mysterious 1% group of people who have strokes. she has since seen a few specialists, but the only other option is brain surgery. she isn't comfortable putting herself into yet another risk category when she feels so good. i don't blame her.
we are so thankful she is alive and kicking! it was amazing to see how loved she is - letters, cards, flowers, visits and the never-ending phone ringing. my favorite call was from an aunt who said, "well, she lived a good life and got to see two of her grandchildren" - the joys of the grapevine - word got around that she DIED!??! we all got a good laugh out of that message. laughter, i am sure, in part relief! many people don't get the chance to see how many people care for them. this is a gift!
highlights from the visit:
- riding the airplane out west, visiting the pilots (forever known as "chuck and brian") in the cockpit, and zoom getting his own cup on the plane.
- daily kid visits to the hospital, bringing cheer to all
- watching zoom "care" for grammy, then eat the rest of her food off the tray
- whole foods buffet across the street from the hospital instead of hospital food!
- basking in the green green of seattle and almost cluttered color of flowers!
- showing off the new babe!
- Blue C Sushi with A.Tiff, grabbing our lunch off the conveyor belt and using kid chop sticks
- seeing Beyond friends at Cindy's wedding: our all-day-long date, a few hours sans kids!
- 86 degree day in seattle, riding in mom's convertible, eating fabulous food at Salty's for the reception
- hearing how the two aunties fed the girl 3 ounces of milk using the tickle-then-squirt-milk-into-the-mouth method!
- consistently good coffee
- trip to the Burger-master
- sister time - never enough
- nearly constant views of mountains
- entire family gathering for lunch
- grandma's toys
- visiting the greenwood house (where i used to live) to find that we are celebrities, the first girls to live in the house. and finding some of our things still in the house, including a frightening picture from the 80's party. and finding the house still a place where people gather - the legacy continues!
- working in mom and dad's garden
- watching zoom play in the dirt, creating a construction site with an array of dump trucks and diggers
Saturday, April 19, 2008
the babes
so its been a while since i posted any photos or told stories about the babes. they are amazing. growing so fast, so well. zoom continues to amaze us with his ability to comprehend and verbalize. he was in the shop the other day with hubby, cutting wood. he said, "first i need my eawh-plugs and my goggles, dad"i love overhearing him talk to himself, he is such a great daydreamer, has a wonderful imagination, great hearing and an incredible memory! this morning i overheard him quoting 'Curious George Goes to the Zoo' word-for-word as he was playing with his tools. amazing! he also serenaded us by playing the guitar AND singing just the second verse of 'spoonful of sugar' - EVERY WORD! we tried to get it on video, but a watched pot never boils!
other quotes:
to his sister, "well hi little precious gill"
while watering the plants, "oh, hewe i come mr.guy"
when i told him i had something to tell him, he said to himself, "i am special to you"
and the girl - she too is amazing! so calm, so observant. the only reason i can blog as infrequent as i do is because she actually sleeps!! she is working on a three hour one right now! she ADORES her brother and watches everything he does (probably the real reason she has no hair on the back of her head...there he goes off to the left, now off to the right...) she is strong, just like zoom was, and doesn't want to be horizontal. she talks a lot and mimics zoom when he laughs. it is so cute!
we are so glad for the arrival of spring and are taking every opportunity to get outside. we are sharing a garden again with our friend and zoom gets his own space. he talks about it a lot and wants to plan with me about what he is going to plant in his garden. we read a great book, 'the Good Brown Earth' about a granny and her grandson working a garden. now he wants to do things just like joe in the book. it is really neat to see how he learns about something and can apply it to his own life. not so much the same with learning rules....hummm. he could tell me what the rules are, but still wants to experiment with their boundaries. never a dull moment
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
she's an ambi-turner
yesterday this is how i found her awake from her nap
so i guess we won't be napping on the couch anymore.
she mastered rolling from her back to tummy on her right side yesterday and today mastered the left side roll. no longer content to just lie flat, she is determined to move!
so i guess we won't be napping on the couch anymore.
she mastered rolling from her back to tummy on her right side yesterday and today mastered the left side roll. no longer content to just lie flat, she is determined to move!
Monday, March 24, 2008
we just pulled an all-dayer
today we are taking a day of rest.
we took in just about as much of Easter Sunday as a family of four can take in.
my morning began at 4.30am when the alarm went off so i could throw the egg bake in the oven. amazingly, we got the kids and ourselves ready and out the door by 6.15 to find a little surprise spray painted on the new trailer and work truck. (we actually were shocked it took 2 1/2 years for the gangs to tag our vehicles since our neighbor's fence gets it just about quarterly)
our church has a easter sunrise gathering followed by an egg bake brunch every year and while it is crazy to get up and out the door, we are always glad when we do it. this year i was helping with the brunch, so there was no rolling over to turn off the alarm.
it was beautiful, in spite of the freshly falling snow! maybe that adds to the beauty of the resurrection. life seems all the more alive in the midst of mourning death. any bit of green just shines out of this snow (or in our case, simply HEARING about glimpses of new growth). my dad told me yesterday that the rhubarb is coming up in his garden.
the gathering at the edge of the frozen lake was small and brief and everyone huddled back to the brunch...which was fantastic! such a wonderful way to celebrate. by 10am most are on their way home to nap.
but, we headed to papa and mema's house for a quick easter egg hunt. zoom and cousin izzy cruised around the house searching for eggs. we were all thrilled to see matchbox cars and little figurines instead of the expected candy - thanks mom! check out the intensity in these two!
next it was off to hubby's family gathering. we thought about just dropping in for an hour or so, but zoom went out sledding with the older cousins and was having a blast! so we decided to skip his nap and spend some time with the family.
we thought if we arrived early to church that evening we might find it more relaxing, so we went there straight from the family gathering. naturally, zoom fell asleep on the exit ramp of the freeway, just blocks from church. he and i napped in the car for an hour then gathered with our church community. following the regular gathering there was, well, a dance party! one of our friend's was a d.j. in his former life and spun some great music. even zoom was out on the dance floor (covering his ears) dancing with the rest of us!
next year i'd like to be a little more selective about which activities we participate in, but considering the rushing about, we did pretty well!
we took in just about as much of Easter Sunday as a family of four can take in.
my morning began at 4.30am when the alarm went off so i could throw the egg bake in the oven. amazingly, we got the kids and ourselves ready and out the door by 6.15 to find a little surprise spray painted on the new trailer and work truck. (we actually were shocked it took 2 1/2 years for the gangs to tag our vehicles since our neighbor's fence gets it just about quarterly)
our church has a easter sunrise gathering followed by an egg bake brunch every year and while it is crazy to get up and out the door, we are always glad when we do it. this year i was helping with the brunch, so there was no rolling over to turn off the alarm.
it was beautiful, in spite of the freshly falling snow! maybe that adds to the beauty of the resurrection. life seems all the more alive in the midst of mourning death. any bit of green just shines out of this snow (or in our case, simply HEARING about glimpses of new growth). my dad told me yesterday that the rhubarb is coming up in his garden.
the gathering at the edge of the frozen lake was small and brief and everyone huddled back to the brunch...which was fantastic! such a wonderful way to celebrate. by 10am most are on their way home to nap.
but, we headed to papa and mema's house for a quick easter egg hunt. zoom and cousin izzy cruised around the house searching for eggs. we were all thrilled to see matchbox cars and little figurines instead of the expected candy - thanks mom! check out the intensity in these two!
next it was off to hubby's family gathering. we thought about just dropping in for an hour or so, but zoom went out sledding with the older cousins and was having a blast! so we decided to skip his nap and spend some time with the family.
we thought if we arrived early to church that evening we might find it more relaxing, so we went there straight from the family gathering. naturally, zoom fell asleep on the exit ramp of the freeway, just blocks from church. he and i napped in the car for an hour then gathered with our church community. following the regular gathering there was, well, a dance party! one of our friend's was a d.j. in his former life and spun some great music. even zoom was out on the dance floor (covering his ears) dancing with the rest of us!next year i'd like to be a little more selective about which activities we participate in, but considering the rushing about, we did pretty well!
Monday, March 10, 2008
looking for: toaster oven
ours finally bit the dust. well, actually, the toaster option bit it a few months ago, but we kept toasting our bread using the broiler option. until today when my bread went up in flames. both kids were still sleeping and the kitchen was FULL of smoke. thankfully i was able to blow out the flame - yes, thanks to my mama bear instincts i was able to summon enough breath to extinguish a piece of bread engulfed in flames. i still smell smoke in the kitchen, i hope i didn't damage the cupboards. but, the good news is that we are all alive!! and the house is still in one piece.
the toaster oven is on the back porch, along with the charred piece of bread.
and we are looking for a new toaster oven - thought i'd mention it. never know who is reading your blog...
zoom's response when he heard me say we are throwing it out, "but it still works" - is he my son or WHAT!?
Sunday, March 9, 2008
hi pretty!
our latest favorite winter soup. very satisfying, very fresh! wish we had this last fall when we were swimming in kale....Winter Lentil Soup
4 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale
1 TB olive oil
28oz whole tomatoes (but i used diced)
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1/2cup brown lentils
1TB fresh thyme leaves (i used 1tsp dry)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 fresh basil leaves (didn't use, but certainly will once the garden is going!)
parmesan cheese
slice the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/4 inch thick pieces. place in large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. drain and pat dry
remove the stems from kale, stack leaves and slice them into 1/2inch strips (you'll need at least 3 cups). heat the oil in a saucepan over med heat. add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes. add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. add the water and bring to a boil. stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper and basil. simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. serve with parmesan.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
only if you have a home birth...
do you pull out a bag of frozen strawberries from the freezer only to discover it is your placenta.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
sling a ding dong!
i am sold! thanks to the friend who shared this website,i bought a single piece of cloth
learned how to wrap myself in fabric and create an origami style baby holder. i was a ring slinger with zoom, and loved it, but certainly found my back a little sore by the end of a day of carrying him around.
i can carry the ladybug all day and hardly feel the effects that evening!
and she LOVES it! little fussy? throw her in the wrap and she is out! needs to be held
during dinner prep? toss her in the sling and she watches me work. wanting some snuggles?
snuggle AND get something done! late night fussiness? a little dance-and-pat and
calms right down.
and the great thing is that i only spent $5 on a piece of clearance fabric! and it's brown so it goes
with everything! if we are out, i can wrap the cummerbund around her
feet and she stays all snuggled and warm.
AND - zoom can fit in it too! the website shows how you can carry both a toddler and a small child - we aren't there yet. in fact, zoom seems so big i wonder if we would tip over. we'll have to try it just to try it.
learned how to wrap myself in fabric and create an origami style baby holder. i was a ring slinger with zoom, and loved it, but certainly found my back a little sore by the end of a day of carrying him around.
i can carry the ladybug all day and hardly feel the effects that evening!
and she LOVES it! little fussy? throw her in the wrap and she is out! needs to be held
during dinner prep? toss her in the sling and she watches me work. wanting some snuggles?
snuggle AND get something done! late night fussiness? a little dance-and-pat and
calms right down.
and the great thing is that i only spent $5 on a piece of clearance fabric! and it's brown so it goes
with everything! if we are out, i can wrap the cummerbund around her
feet and she stays all snuggled and warm.
AND - zoom can fit in it too! the website shows how you can carry both a toddler and a small child - we aren't there yet. in fact, zoom seems so big i wonder if we would tip over. we'll have to try it just to try it.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
first trip to the ER, we made it past two...
last night i went to my small group for the first time since the ladybug was born. it was also the first time hubby did bedtime with zoom since his shoulder surgery.
right - hubby had shoulder surgery. on his labrum, not labium as i have often slipped. the recovery is 4 weeks in a sling and an additional 3 months sans full range of movement. kind of tough when your line of work can include swinging a hammer, typing on the computer and lifting heavy materials, and kids in the off hours. but the timing is right - we have carpenters, good insurance and it is zero degrees. we paid $15 for this $20,000 surgery, and he should be throwing a ball by summer!
so he has been a bit disabled, which is frustrating for him and means we can't share some of the duties we usually do (like bathing kids, changing diapers, helping kids get dressed)
so last nights outing was pretty significant.
until the fall.
Apparently zoom was standing on the changing table and fell - not off, but hit
his eye on the side of the table. He cried, but has a pretty high tolerance for pain, so didn't cry long. hubby grew concerned when the bleeding didn't slow down right away.
let's just pause right here and say PTL i was not the solo parent at home for the accident. i need to practice on my reaction to stuff like this (and much more mild events as well). i know i would have been freaking out with all that blood and he would have cried more.......
just the other week we were at playgroup and a couple of the kids found a dead mouse. i was holding the girl and totally overreacted while trying to get another parent to help me intercept the mouse that was being passed around. it was a reality check when the other parent calmly explained to his son that dead mice are cool, but can make us sick. it would be great to have that be my first response too....
anyhoo, ruling out calling 911 when the bleeding finally stopped, hubby determined that the wound would need stitches. That's when he started calling me, the one with the vehicle, car seats and two working arms. i say "started" calling me because i have a problem hearing my phone.
while there was a time in my life when i resisted the technology of cell phones, i now see the beauty of having a phone in my hand rather than just at home. but, i have yet to find a good spot to keep it. i don't always have pants with a good pocket. sometimes i have a pocket, but the phone inches its way out. if i keep it in my purse, then it isn't necessarily with me. and the ring tone - it might not be loud enough, but i really don't want a ring tone that wakes up a sleeping child, stops conversation altogether or quiets the entire store i am in when it rings.
so dear hubby spent the next 30 minutes trying to reach me. He called/texted everyone from our group whose number he had, looked up our location on my email, and found their home number on dex online -all one-handed, with injured boy past bedtime. That is impressive.
We went to the ER where over the next 3 hours he got gelled (numbing),
washed, and stitched up. after our burn incident last summer i would have expected him to FREAK out when his wound was touched. and, considering how he hates doctor visits, i was shocked at what a trooper he was! he answered the doctor's questions seriously, listened carefully, and waited patiently - stuff we rarely observe at home! We wish we had a recording of him during the stitches. he was laying on the table with towels around his head
(to keep the syringe of water from running into his ear), dad feeding him a Popsicle (clearly the nurse who offered a popsicle to a 2-year-old at 10PM was not remembering that we would be putting him to bed as soon as we got home!!!), doggy on his belly (both for comfort and to
"watch"), and asking for a song, while the nurse was stitching him up-we were holding back the laughter. It was after midnight before we checked out with a wired little boy (remember previously mentioned artificially colored and flavored popsicle?). Thankfully, claire didn't have her nightly screaming festival and we all slept pretty well.
This morning when he woke up he said, "oh - I fink dere is somefing on my eye" and started picking. Then he remembered what happened and proceeded to tell me the detailed story. Later, getting dressed, he said, "be verwe carweful wiff my stitches mom" Pretty cute. And at playgroup today, "oh, guys, I got stitches this last night"
maybe next time it will be my turn....
right - hubby had shoulder surgery. on his labrum, not labium as i have often slipped. the recovery is 4 weeks in a sling and an additional 3 months sans full range of movement. kind of tough when your line of work can include swinging a hammer, typing on the computer and lifting heavy materials, and kids in the off hours. but the timing is right - we have carpenters, good insurance and it is zero degrees. we paid $15 for this $20,000 surgery, and he should be throwing a ball by summer!
so he has been a bit disabled, which is frustrating for him and means we can't share some of the duties we usually do (like bathing kids, changing diapers, helping kids get dressed)
so last nights outing was pretty significant.
until the fall.
Apparently zoom was standing on the changing table and fell - not off, but hit
his eye on the side of the table. He cried, but has a pretty high tolerance for pain, so didn't cry long. hubby grew concerned when the bleeding didn't slow down right away.
let's just pause right here and say PTL i was not the solo parent at home for the accident. i need to practice on my reaction to stuff like this (and much more mild events as well). i know i would have been freaking out with all that blood and he would have cried more.......
just the other week we were at playgroup and a couple of the kids found a dead mouse. i was holding the girl and totally overreacted while trying to get another parent to help me intercept the mouse that was being passed around. it was a reality check when the other parent calmly explained to his son that dead mice are cool, but can make us sick. it would be great to have that be my first response too....
anyhoo, ruling out calling 911 when the bleeding finally stopped, hubby determined that the wound would need stitches. That's when he started calling me, the one with the vehicle, car seats and two working arms. i say "started" calling me because i have a problem hearing my phone.
while there was a time in my life when i resisted the technology of cell phones, i now see the beauty of having a phone in my hand rather than just at home. but, i have yet to find a good spot to keep it. i don't always have pants with a good pocket. sometimes i have a pocket, but the phone inches its way out. if i keep it in my purse, then it isn't necessarily with me. and the ring tone - it might not be loud enough, but i really don't want a ring tone that wakes up a sleeping child, stops conversation altogether or quiets the entire store i am in when it rings.
so dear hubby spent the next 30 minutes trying to reach me. He called/texted everyone from our group whose number he had, looked up our location on my email, and found their home number on dex online -all one-handed, with injured boy past bedtime. That is impressive.
We went to the ER where over the next 3 hours he got gelled (numbing),
washed, and stitched up. after our burn incident last summer i would have expected him to FREAK out when his wound was touched. and, considering how he hates doctor visits, i was shocked at what a trooper he was! he answered the doctor's questions seriously, listened carefully, and waited patiently - stuff we rarely observe at home! We wish we had a recording of him during the stitches. he was laying on the table with towels around his head
(to keep the syringe of water from running into his ear), dad feeding him a Popsicle (clearly the nurse who offered a popsicle to a 2-year-old at 10PM was not remembering that we would be putting him to bed as soon as we got home!!!), doggy on his belly (both for comfort and to
"watch"), and asking for a song, while the nurse was stitching him up-we were holding back the laughter. It was after midnight before we checked out with a wired little boy (remember previously mentioned artificially colored and flavored popsicle?). Thankfully, claire didn't have her nightly screaming festival and we all slept pretty well.
This morning when he woke up he said, "oh - I fink dere is somefing on my eye" and started picking. Then he remembered what happened and proceeded to tell me the detailed story. Later, getting dressed, he said, "be verwe carweful wiff my stitches mom" Pretty cute. And at playgroup today, "oh, guys, I got stitches this last night"
maybe next time it will be my turn....
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
back on the saddle
whew!
it's been a while and lots has happened
we have a baby GIRL!! our little ladybug is precious! she sleeps, she coos, she snuggles, she adores us all and we are smitten!
our little zoom is a full grown boy now that he is a big brother. it really does seem like he has grown up so much! maybe its that he is HUGE compared to the ladybug - who wasn't so tiny herself. she arrived a healthy 8lbs 8oz and 23 inches long, nearly 2lbs more than her brother! more on her birth soon - believe it or not i still haven't finished detailing out her birth story, but will post it when i do finish - and i will!
but for now, a few quotes:
it's been a while and lots has happened
we have a baby GIRL!! our little ladybug is precious! she sleeps, she coos, she snuggles, she adores us all and we are smitten!
our little zoom is a full grown boy now that he is a big brother. it really does seem like he has grown up so much! maybe its that he is HUGE compared to the ladybug - who wasn't so tiny herself. she arrived a healthy 8lbs 8oz and 23 inches long, nearly 2lbs more than her brother! more on her birth soon - believe it or not i still haven't finished detailing out her birth story, but will post it when i do finish - and i will!
but for now, a few quotes:
- running to the bathroom, "i need to go poo. i need to go tigger too!"
- stopping dad from purchasing a red sled, "red means stop, green means go. i want a green sled!"
- responding to me, "well, mama. well...."
- "i'm so curious!"
- in the fabric store, touching again, "but mom, it's so tempting!"
- overheard during playtime, "i'm patiently waiting for a parking spot so i can go eat at the chinese restaurant"
- responding to dad, who called him bra! "no, don't call me that! it's for mama's milk"
- walking thru the kitchen carrying blankets and stuffed animals, "i'm carrying a big-normous load of am-ni-mals into my room"
- leaving on a sub-zero day, "good fing you have a hat on"
- graham cracker = gamma cracker
- "dad! you did a fantastic job vacuming!"
- "where is Maine in dis Europe fing?"
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