1. art stuff with kids - we have been doing so much craftiness together!
2. sewing and knitting - i have been sewing again, for fun! its fantastic - i'll try to post some pics
3. my first eggnog latte of the season - it is gone too early after the holidays, and never here soon enough, but this week the coop started serving! not much going on? i prefer to say that i appreciate the little things!
4. fall color - our early snow made me fear we wouldn't actually get any fall color, but it turned brilliant this week! and now we will have leaf "clutter" for the next few weeks.
5. pumpkin patch - an adventure with our neighbors on a perfect fall afternoon
6. supper club - afternoon freedom (an entire post will be dedicated to this glorious breakthrough)
7. amazing conversations with the kiddos (quotes to follow)
8. remembering to take my vitamins - or training my kids to remind me as they remember to take theirs
9. apples from our friend transformed into a winter supply of dehydrated apples, apple crisp, applesauce and soon, apple pie!
10. badger balm -soothing a former 1/5-2 hour bedtime routine (including multiple calls for potty breaks and reminders) into a slick book-smooch-snuggle-goodnight!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Good Morning Sunshine!!
the little bear has continued her early morning wake-up. dare i even call 4:49 morning?? it isn't to me, but i've exhausted my ideas on how to make a baby sleep longer. we had a good trend going, since i stopped bringing her into my bed in the wee hours of the morning, but a couple weeks ago croup ran its course in our home, so we've had to start from scratch again. its like she's come back stronger - i don't just mean her immune system! for two weeks now she wakes at 3am and 3:40am. hubby used to be able to walk in the room and she would lie back down and go to sleep. now she fights, she cries, she pleads for him to get her out of bed (i know it is for less than a minute, but at 3am it feels like an hour!). then, at 4:40 or 4:50 she is awake for the day. she won't take any kind of answer from hubby. it's "food" or "MAMAAAAAAAAAaaa" or "sitch sides" (her word for mama's milk). she's awake.
my grandma used to wake up at 4:30, make her coffee, turn on whatever came right after the colorful stripy lines on tv, and start her day. that was the worst part of spending the night at grandmas. the best part was staying up late watching tv and eating her soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. so i guess for some folks, even my own flesh and blood, those early morning hours (even before the sun rises!!) is a pleasant time for them. apparently, our little claire is one of those.
me? not so much. i think 7am would be my ideal, if the kids slept until 7:30. even 6:30 would work. i just don't think it is officially morning before 5:30am.
this morning she slept until 5:30am. when i glanced at the clock i was almost pleased. later that morning hubby was talking with her, telling her that he was proud of her. "didn't that feel good?", he asked her. she nodded. "maybe you could try 6 or 7am" he suggested.
without a thought, she responded, "nope".
my grandma used to wake up at 4:30, make her coffee, turn on whatever came right after the colorful stripy lines on tv, and start her day. that was the worst part of spending the night at grandmas. the best part was staying up late watching tv and eating her soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. so i guess for some folks, even my own flesh and blood, those early morning hours (even before the sun rises!!) is a pleasant time for them. apparently, our little claire is one of those.
me? not so much. i think 7am would be my ideal, if the kids slept until 7:30. even 6:30 would work. i just don't think it is officially morning before 5:30am.
this morning she slept until 5:30am. when i glanced at the clock i was almost pleased. later that morning hubby was talking with her, telling her that he was proud of her. "didn't that feel good?", he asked her. she nodded. "maybe you could try 6 or 7am" he suggested.
without a thought, she responded, "nope".
Thursday, July 2, 2009
home invasion: check.
i know, its a month old now, but it has taken me some time to process, and nighttime isn't great for process this! (as you can imagine). but it was important for me to process...
living in the city has its challenges.
the street is busy, horns honking, cars starting, doors slamming.
our windows are leaky enough so that we hear people talking as they walk by along the sidewalk. at night we hear the baby crying who is up way past his bedtime.
and, sure, there is crime. crime is everywhere, but naturally, with a greater population density, there is more in the city.
since we moved in almost four years ago we have witnessed the decrease in crime.
there used to be dealers right on our corner, prostitutes in the apartment right across the street, and we heard an occasional gunshot.
we've had our garage broken into twice now. it is violating, but it is just stuff. and secretly, (or maybe not so secretly), hubby did enjoy the spending spree from the insurance company last time!
we have been very diligent about calling 911 whenever we see anything questionable, and are grateful for many other neighbors doing the same! and it is making a difference!
having grown up in the burbs, i was pretty green moving into the city, just blocks from downtown. i was nervous in the beginning, especially with a new baby, but bit by bit i realized it is a dense community of diverse people, most of whom are good people making a home for themselves. my fears are diminishing, even tho my alertness is more keen, and i really love our neighborhood.
last weekend one of my biggest fears was realized when our home was invaded.
hubby and i were watching a movie on the couch in the living room. we heard a noise from the hallway, and since jack was still awake (and had already summoned us three time!) we figured he had dropped his sippy out of his bed. it was hubby's turn to go check on things, so i paused the movie and waited. when i heard him say, "what are you doing?" in a very severe voice, i wondered, "what COULD he be doing that would merit that kind of tone?". it sounded like they were getting physical and i was really having a hard time figuring out what could be going on - could jack be sleepwalking, passing out? hubby could hold him easily in one arm, so it was quite mysterious, until i heard another man's voice.
my heart skipped a beat - probably more - someone was in my house!
my phone is never with me, so it took me a minute to remember i had left it on the buffet. i fumbled with the buttons, trying to dial three simple numbers (not a great selling point for these touch pad phones where the dialer is an option to choose, not the opening screen!), while my mind was running in circles. should i go help? should i hide? run? i had children back there! i knew jack was awake and is so sensitive to noises that i was certain he was upset. was there more than one person? was hubby winning? if i went back there and i got hurt too, that's not much good. if i didn't get thru to the police, we would be in this all alone.
i choose to hide in the dark corner of the sun room until i got our address thru to 911. i ran to open the front door - i didn't want anyone trapped inside or out! i know the job of the 911 dispatcher is to remain calm, in hopes of keeping people like me calm, but my frustrations at the questions drew cursing my lips rarely use. i DON'T know what the intruder looks like - i haven't seen him and i'm not going back there to get a description! i don't even know if my husband is winning! i have children back there! WHERE ARE THE COPS?!!
finally hubby hauled a man from the hallway and threw him down in the dining room, pinning him to the ground. he asked if i had called 911, assured me that he was okay, and told me to check on jack.
jack was hysterical, sitting up in his bed crying. i was still on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, shaking, and trying to find a peaceful voice to give comfort to my child.
right away it was clear that he didn't really know what was going on, PTL! the loud noise scared him and he was upset that his carpet was messed up. he calmed down quickly and asked what dad was doing. his open door, which i was not about to close, gave a perfect view of two pair of legs on the dining room floor, so i simply said that dad was wrestling. he started giggling, like Will Farrell in 'Elf', "why is he wrestling?!" whew!
it was less than five minutes, but it felt like hours, and the cops were not there. knowing jack was
i returned to the front door.
standing there, the neighborhood looked quiet.
many nights i enjoy sitting out on the steps, enjoying the summer night air.
tonight, no one even knew what was going on inside our home was far from peaceful!
"they are just a few blocks away" the dispatcher told me, interrupting my thoughts. two, maybe three cars pulled up to the house. the officers were flying out of the car before the cars seemed parked. they rushed the front door so quickly, i had to jump out of the way, and pig piled on the duo. seriously, that is what it looked like. i am sure they had some kind of orchestrated way of taking over, but hubby came out with a few bruises.
i returned to jack, who was on the edge of his bed, all excitement, trying to see as much as he could. "what are the POLICCCCE doing here??!!". i explained that someone came to take something from us. it isn't okay to take things that aren't yours (this statement is very familiar to him). when you are a kid, you have a time out. adults have to go to the police station for their time out. he seemed to be content with that answer, but really wanted to know what the guy was trying to take. "did he want my guitar and claire's instruments?", "was he going to take my carpet?", "did he try to take 'Make Way For Ducklings'?", then, looking around (as if to think of other things) he thought of the biggie, "was he going to take the hinges off my door and take my DOOR???!!" it was nice to have a little humor in the midst of this trauma.
i was finally able to get him quieted, assuring him dad would have more of a story for us tomorrow (total delay tactic), he settled down and immediately fell asleep.
when i came into the dining room, the police were talking with hubby. he told his story version of the story.
when he went to the hallway to listen, he expected to hear jack say he needed to go pee or ask a clarifying question about our plans for tomorrow. instead, he saw a man walk into jack's room.
immediately he tackled the man, right there in jackson's room. he wrestled him into the hallway where he threw him against the wall and frisked him for weapons. while reaching for his phone to call 911, the guy twisted away, back into our room (probably to get out the window where he came in). hubby tackled him on our bed, then dragged him into the dining room where he could pin him to the floor and lay on top of him until the police came. clearly, he picked the wrong house.
after the police took him away, CSI came to do fingerprinting. it seemed over the top since we caught the guy with his pockets full, but since the police department have enough resources right now they want to do whatever they can to remove all reasonable doubt.
the officer who spoke with us was great, very compassionate, very gentle. he took a lot of time reassuring us that they are here to help and that if we even feel uneasy, to call and they will send a squad car over to check things out. it really affirmed how i want to think about our police department. what i imagine, but don't often experience or hear others experience. that they are real people, and care about people, not just about getting the job done and arresting the bad guys.
claire slept thru the entire ordeal.
the aftermath:
apparently a home invasion like this doesn't happen often. burglars don't want an interaction with a person. most burglaries take place during the day when homeowners are at work. if the lights are on, or it is clear someone is home, it just isn't an easy target. our lights were on, "Brian" just wasn't thinking clearly.
that hasn't helped me process much. knowing it was random makes me wonder if another random one could happen to us. i know that statistically it will never happen to us again, but now that i have a picture in my mind of what it does look like, my mind can go crazy working all the various scenarios. and has. especially at night, laying in bed, praying for sleep to takeover the tape rolling in my mind. loosing sleep has been the worst for me. everyone else seems fine. and that is getting better. i keep a large rolling pin by my bed, just in case, and don't plug my phone in the kitchen to recharge anymore.
it just sucks. i understand the value of being alert, not putting on makeup in the car early in the morning with the doors unlocked. i won't even walk around after dark, by myself. but in my own home i have an expectation that i can let my guard down. i want to live like that. i don't like how rigid i feel when i walk down that hallway (at least i don't bring a weapon with me anymore). when i get up to answer the middle of the night call from my children, i don't want to have to splash my face with water so that i will be ready in case i meet up with someone else.
and all for a cheap date. not that we had anything of value for him to take, but he picked a strange collection: the portable dvd player, emptied the piggy bank, took perfume and condoms (it took me 5 years of married life to finally buy condoms!! come on, man!)
we just heard that he is out of jail, with the help of a bail bondsman and an agreement to enter treatment. it made me a little more nervous at first, but i'm fairly confident he won't be back. now i have these funny thoughts of running into him in the grocery store, also very unlikely. we'd like to go to the final hearing (no date set yet) at least to read a statement and give him a face and story to his crime.
i have felt strangely compassionate towards Brian from the beginning. he is only 21 years old with plenty of life yet, especially if he makes some good decisions moving forward. i want to know his story. did his family life give him reason to choose theft? was this completely random choice while under the influence? i want to meet him, talk with him, and encourage him to find people who will give him support. i feel such hope for him. i don't want to attend the hearing and see him, sulking in the corner, feeling nothing.
above all we are thankful. my imagination has conjured up just about every scenario that could have taken place, and none of them played out as well as the actual one. we are thankful it was hubby's turn to check on jack. we are thankful there was just one person, that he had no weapon, and that hubby was stronger. we are thankful that no one came out of it with more than a few bruises and a worry tape to play in our minds. we are so thankful that jack seems to be quite unaware of what actually happened.
so, to quote our guide while travelling in Africa, "don't worry, be ready"
stay alert. use your locks. know where your phone is. remember how very strong your elbow is! live life!
living in the city has its challenges.
the street is busy, horns honking, cars starting, doors slamming.
our windows are leaky enough so that we hear people talking as they walk by along the sidewalk. at night we hear the baby crying who is up way past his bedtime.
and, sure, there is crime. crime is everywhere, but naturally, with a greater population density, there is more in the city.
since we moved in almost four years ago we have witnessed the decrease in crime.
there used to be dealers right on our corner, prostitutes in the apartment right across the street, and we heard an occasional gunshot.
we've had our garage broken into twice now. it is violating, but it is just stuff. and secretly, (or maybe not so secretly), hubby did enjoy the spending spree from the insurance company last time!
we have been very diligent about calling 911 whenever we see anything questionable, and are grateful for many other neighbors doing the same! and it is making a difference!
having grown up in the burbs, i was pretty green moving into the city, just blocks from downtown. i was nervous in the beginning, especially with a new baby, but bit by bit i realized it is a dense community of diverse people, most of whom are good people making a home for themselves. my fears are diminishing, even tho my alertness is more keen, and i really love our neighborhood.
last weekend one of my biggest fears was realized when our home was invaded.
hubby and i were watching a movie on the couch in the living room. we heard a noise from the hallway, and since jack was still awake (and had already summoned us three time!) we figured he had dropped his sippy out of his bed. it was hubby's turn to go check on things, so i paused the movie and waited. when i heard him say, "what are you doing?" in a very severe voice, i wondered, "what COULD he be doing that would merit that kind of tone?". it sounded like they were getting physical and i was really having a hard time figuring out what could be going on - could jack be sleepwalking, passing out? hubby could hold him easily in one arm, so it was quite mysterious, until i heard another man's voice.
my heart skipped a beat - probably more - someone was in my house!
my phone is never with me, so it took me a minute to remember i had left it on the buffet. i fumbled with the buttons, trying to dial three simple numbers (not a great selling point for these touch pad phones where the dialer is an option to choose, not the opening screen!), while my mind was running in circles. should i go help? should i hide? run? i had children back there! i knew jack was awake and is so sensitive to noises that i was certain he was upset. was there more than one person? was hubby winning? if i went back there and i got hurt too, that's not much good. if i didn't get thru to the police, we would be in this all alone.
i choose to hide in the dark corner of the sun room until i got our address thru to 911. i ran to open the front door - i didn't want anyone trapped inside or out! i know the job of the 911 dispatcher is to remain calm, in hopes of keeping people like me calm, but my frustrations at the questions drew cursing my lips rarely use. i DON'T know what the intruder looks like - i haven't seen him and i'm not going back there to get a description! i don't even know if my husband is winning! i have children back there! WHERE ARE THE COPS?!!
finally hubby hauled a man from the hallway and threw him down in the dining room, pinning him to the ground. he asked if i had called 911, assured me that he was okay, and told me to check on jack.
jack was hysterical, sitting up in his bed crying. i was still on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, shaking, and trying to find a peaceful voice to give comfort to my child.
right away it was clear that he didn't really know what was going on, PTL! the loud noise scared him and he was upset that his carpet was messed up. he calmed down quickly and asked what dad was doing. his open door, which i was not about to close, gave a perfect view of two pair of legs on the dining room floor, so i simply said that dad was wrestling. he started giggling, like Will Farrell in 'Elf', "why is he wrestling?!" whew!
it was less than five minutes, but it felt like hours, and the cops were not there. knowing jack was
i returned to the front door.
standing there, the neighborhood looked quiet.
many nights i enjoy sitting out on the steps, enjoying the summer night air.
tonight, no one even knew what was going on inside our home was far from peaceful!
"they are just a few blocks away" the dispatcher told me, interrupting my thoughts. two, maybe three cars pulled up to the house. the officers were flying out of the car before the cars seemed parked. they rushed the front door so quickly, i had to jump out of the way, and pig piled on the duo. seriously, that is what it looked like. i am sure they had some kind of orchestrated way of taking over, but hubby came out with a few bruises.
i returned to jack, who was on the edge of his bed, all excitement, trying to see as much as he could. "what are the POLICCCCE doing here??!!". i explained that someone came to take something from us. it isn't okay to take things that aren't yours (this statement is very familiar to him). when you are a kid, you have a time out. adults have to go to the police station for their time out. he seemed to be content with that answer, but really wanted to know what the guy was trying to take. "did he want my guitar and claire's instruments?", "was he going to take my carpet?", "did he try to take 'Make Way For Ducklings'?", then, looking around (as if to think of other things) he thought of the biggie, "was he going to take the hinges off my door and take my DOOR???!!" it was nice to have a little humor in the midst of this trauma.
i was finally able to get him quieted, assuring him dad would have more of a story for us tomorrow (total delay tactic), he settled down and immediately fell asleep.
when i came into the dining room, the police were talking with hubby. he told his story version of the story.
when he went to the hallway to listen, he expected to hear jack say he needed to go pee or ask a clarifying question about our plans for tomorrow. instead, he saw a man walk into jack's room.
immediately he tackled the man, right there in jackson's room. he wrestled him into the hallway where he threw him against the wall and frisked him for weapons. while reaching for his phone to call 911, the guy twisted away, back into our room (probably to get out the window where he came in). hubby tackled him on our bed, then dragged him into the dining room where he could pin him to the floor and lay on top of him until the police came. clearly, he picked the wrong house.
after the police took him away, CSI came to do fingerprinting. it seemed over the top since we caught the guy with his pockets full, but since the police department have enough resources right now they want to do whatever they can to remove all reasonable doubt.
the officer who spoke with us was great, very compassionate, very gentle. he took a lot of time reassuring us that they are here to help and that if we even feel uneasy, to call and they will send a squad car over to check things out. it really affirmed how i want to think about our police department. what i imagine, but don't often experience or hear others experience. that they are real people, and care about people, not just about getting the job done and arresting the bad guys.
claire slept thru the entire ordeal.
the aftermath:
apparently a home invasion like this doesn't happen often. burglars don't want an interaction with a person. most burglaries take place during the day when homeowners are at work. if the lights are on, or it is clear someone is home, it just isn't an easy target. our lights were on, "Brian" just wasn't thinking clearly.
that hasn't helped me process much. knowing it was random makes me wonder if another random one could happen to us. i know that statistically it will never happen to us again, but now that i have a picture in my mind of what it does look like, my mind can go crazy working all the various scenarios. and has. especially at night, laying in bed, praying for sleep to takeover the tape rolling in my mind. loosing sleep has been the worst for me. everyone else seems fine. and that is getting better. i keep a large rolling pin by my bed, just in case, and don't plug my phone in the kitchen to recharge anymore.
it just sucks. i understand the value of being alert, not putting on makeup in the car early in the morning with the doors unlocked. i won't even walk around after dark, by myself. but in my own home i have an expectation that i can let my guard down. i want to live like that. i don't like how rigid i feel when i walk down that hallway (at least i don't bring a weapon with me anymore). when i get up to answer the middle of the night call from my children, i don't want to have to splash my face with water so that i will be ready in case i meet up with someone else.
and all for a cheap date. not that we had anything of value for him to take, but he picked a strange collection: the portable dvd player, emptied the piggy bank, took perfume and condoms (it took me 5 years of married life to finally buy condoms!! come on, man!)
we just heard that he is out of jail, with the help of a bail bondsman and an agreement to enter treatment. it made me a little more nervous at first, but i'm fairly confident he won't be back. now i have these funny thoughts of running into him in the grocery store, also very unlikely. we'd like to go to the final hearing (no date set yet) at least to read a statement and give him a face and story to his crime.
i have felt strangely compassionate towards Brian from the beginning. he is only 21 years old with plenty of life yet, especially if he makes some good decisions moving forward. i want to know his story. did his family life give him reason to choose theft? was this completely random choice while under the influence? i want to meet him, talk with him, and encourage him to find people who will give him support. i feel such hope for him. i don't want to attend the hearing and see him, sulking in the corner, feeling nothing.
above all we are thankful. my imagination has conjured up just about every scenario that could have taken place, and none of them played out as well as the actual one. we are thankful it was hubby's turn to check on jack. we are thankful there was just one person, that he had no weapon, and that hubby was stronger. we are thankful that no one came out of it with more than a few bruises and a worry tape to play in our minds. we are so thankful that jack seems to be quite unaware of what actually happened.
so, to quote our guide while travelling in Africa, "don't worry, be ready"
stay alert. use your locks. know where your phone is. remember how very strong your elbow is! live life!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
the crafty scientist
our chemist friend, kelly, happens to also be quite crafty. she made this sweet gift for jackson!
oh how he loves to organize and sort things into their proper places! it is delightful.
coincidentally, i had pulled this project out of martha stewart's craft closet to store my knitting needles. i'll let you know when i finish mine.
in the meanwhile, i am really proud of my latest crafty item. a pair of play pants for claire. she gets at least as muddy as jack, and i am tired of her staining every last outfit, so when i found this post i took up some precious nap time to whip out a pair from one of hubby's old tee shirts! and it really did only take 30 minutes! they are perfect for her cloth diapered bootie and look so cute! now i am thinking of all the millions of pants i could make! some of my tees that would look cuter on her! adding a little embroidery or patch or.....the possibilities are endless!
not the best shot, but she's a feisty one these days.
oh how he loves to organize and sort things into their proper places! it is delightful.coincidentally, i had pulled this project out of martha stewart's craft closet to store my knitting needles. i'll let you know when i finish mine.
in the meanwhile, i am really proud of my latest crafty item. a pair of play pants for claire. she gets at least as muddy as jack, and i am tired of her staining every last outfit, so when i found this post i took up some precious nap time to whip out a pair from one of hubby's old tee shirts! and it really did only take 30 minutes! they are perfect for her cloth diapered bootie and look so cute! now i am thinking of all the millions of pants i could make! some of my tees that would look cuter on her! adding a little embroidery or patch or.....the possibilities are endless!
not the best shot, but she's a feisty one these days.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
working out the bugs
today the kids and i were at the thrift store. i didn't have a huge agenda, just a couple things on my list (a compost bin for in my kitchen and a couple pair of "work" shorts for claire for the summer). we happily cruised down the aisles, looking at this and that, and landed in our usual spot - the kids area to play until it is time to go. jack needed a little nudging to put things back when he was done looking at it. claire did her normal run-and-hide routine, but in all it was a great outing, without incident.
until check out time.
we were buying a book for a friend and jack really wanted to hold it. i told him that as soon as the cashier rung it up, he was welcome to carry it to the car. he began to whine, hanging off the counter, "i just want it now". no big deal, this happens - sigh - a lot. "i understand that you'd like to hold it, and i'm happy for you to help carry it, just as soon as the cashier rings it up" i repeat.
i know what its like to want something really bad, but i've learned that its just not socially acceptable to throw myself on the ground and scream because i want it so much!
for a three-and-a-half year old, who is still discovering that this world is much much bigger than just his world, the moment is now and that book couldn't get in his hands fast enough.
tantrum ensued.
throwing himself on the ground, he began screaming this new high pitched most-undesirable squeal .
i asked him to use his manners, find his inside voice and practice being patient (all things that we have had multiple detailed conversations about , so these are not foreign phrases)
then he totally flipped out; trying to grab the book off the counter, tossing off a stack of fliers, grabbing another item and running off towards the door. PTL he doesn't like being too far from me, so he didn't actually run out the door, but threw himself down on the ground right there.
okay, i thought, we'll just get this paid for and he'll be that much closer to the car. i choose to ignore him. this was very difficult. my fear of what others think went into high gear and i became very aware of how many customers were in the store for a weekday morning.
the cashier was very gracious, spoke really gently to me and asked what it was he wanted.
at this point there was no way i wanted to reward this kind of behavior by giving him the book he wanted to hold.
then he swiped a customer with the piece of clothing that he had grabbed off our stack as she was leaving the store. this i can't ignore. i went over, told him that was rude and completely unacceptable, that he was making very poor choices, and set him on a chair that was right at the exit.
i went back to the register, handed over the money and was ready to depart with my head still on when jack went past me and underneath a display.
claire is in my arms, my bag is in the other. i was a little unsure how one executes ANY sort of parental response at this point, with hands full. knowing my child, i knew we had hit that point of no return. he was on the downward spiral, his emotions so worked up that i was sure he didn't even remember what it was that started this run. i bent down to him and quietly told him it was time to leave. if he chose to delay, there would be no playing in the backyard when we got home (a pretty significant consequence since he is in the middle of a construction project right now).
he did not come. now there is a line of customers and i am cutting into the line to have this conversation with him. i said i was going to put claire in the car and come back for him - super glad he reluctantly followed, because as i said it i realized that would mean leaving her in the car alone while i came back in.
we got out the door, i thought over the worst, and he adhered himself to the wall outside the store. he would not come. this whole time he did not stop yelling/crying. he tried to disassemble the cigarette receptacle. two kind women stopped, offering to help. i didn't know how they could help, and when they asked him a question, he snarled back.
"he's so cute" they told me - women of grace, they were to see thru the nastiness he was putting on! "working out the bugs" they read off his shirt in attempts to change the subject for him, but he covered up his shirt and curled into the wall. i guess that's what we were doing, working out some of his bugs.
i was surprised at how calm i really felt. i wasn't angry at him. should i have been? i was really sad for him, knowing how hard it is to stop when you have worked yourself up so strongly. i know how hard it is to say, "i was wrong". and i'm 34. i told him i understood that he was angry, and it is okay to be angry, but if he didn't choose to follow me we would go directly to rest time when we got home. he made his decision by ignoring me. i decided to take claire to the car and come back for jack, so thankful that she was patiently waiting to see how i would respond. i told jack what i was going to do and he cried, but stayed against the wall. as soon as i walked into the parking lot, he took his volume to a whole new level and started coming into the parking lot. of course i had to go back.
another 5 minutes was spent on the curb, with multiple attempts at communicating, "you cannot sit in the parking lot. you cannot run into the parking lot. you can come with me now and hold my hand, or i can come back and get you once i put claire in the car." he would not go back to the sidewalk, he would not come with me. that's when i became "that mom" i've seen before, dragging one kicking and screaming child thru the parking lot, while carrying the other who has begun to cry.
we made it. i actually had to hold jack between my knees while i buckled claire into her seat to keep him there. then i held him. he wouldn't get in the car, we were in a parking lot. i didn't have another choice. i held him, i told him i loved him even though he was not making good choices. he grabbed at my neck, scratching me. i still wasn't angry, just really, really sad. i was actually surprised that i wasn't angry. i held his arms crossed so that he couldn't hit/scratch me and just held him. "as soon as you are ready to get in the car, you can have your own space in the car seat"
his head started hurting - doesn't YOURS?! he knows it is because he is crying so hard. finally. FINALLY, he said he was ready to get in the car (actually because it was windy and he was getting cold). we had a mini outburst when buckling him in, but he was finally in, and we were off.
three blocks towards our on ramp and he unbuckled his seat belt. i pulled off the road, into a parking lot and for another 5 minutes attempted to buckle him. "seat belts are here to protect us", "this is the law", "this is not your choice", "we are not going anywhere without your seat belt on". at least five minutes and three attempts before i got back in the car and drove home.
to rest time.
in the car, he asked why we couldn't stop at Noodle for lunch (!!??$#%#$WHAT??) i told him that we need to go straight home because he chose not to listen (and a few other reasons, but briefly). i asked if he remembered why he was upset. interestingly, he said he didn't want to leave the store.
what would you do?
seriously, today i actually thought some of the myriad parenting ideas, as it was going down. there are great ideas out there, sometimes i just don't know how to put them into action.
logical punishments, time-outs, withholding good things, ignoring it, physical punishments, waiting it out.....sometimes i go with one, sometimes i switch around.
when you are out of the house, with another child, other dangers around (and CPS could be lurking), what do you do? what do you say? how do you follow through?
i'm not interested in just getting home. i want to deal with it while he is thinking about it. i want to make it a learning moment. maybe part of why i felt so patient about it is that i didn't have anything else i HAD to do this morning. bummed that THIS became our morning, but i wasn't inconvenienced in other ways (like missing out on a second errand...)
i hesitated even writing this post, because i don't really want to remember this morning - or have it etched in that world wide web thing forever. but i really want to talk about it.
i'm really curious to hear responses here...and i'm tired.
until check out time.
we were buying a book for a friend and jack really wanted to hold it. i told him that as soon as the cashier rung it up, he was welcome to carry it to the car. he began to whine, hanging off the counter, "i just want it now". no big deal, this happens - sigh - a lot. "i understand that you'd like to hold it, and i'm happy for you to help carry it, just as soon as the cashier rings it up" i repeat.
i know what its like to want something really bad, but i've learned that its just not socially acceptable to throw myself on the ground and scream because i want it so much!
for a three-and-a-half year old, who is still discovering that this world is much much bigger than just his world, the moment is now and that book couldn't get in his hands fast enough.
tantrum ensued.
throwing himself on the ground, he began screaming this new high pitched most-undesirable squeal .
i asked him to use his manners, find his inside voice and practice being patient (all things that we have had multiple detailed conversations about , so these are not foreign phrases)
then he totally flipped out; trying to grab the book off the counter, tossing off a stack of fliers, grabbing another item and running off towards the door. PTL he doesn't like being too far from me, so he didn't actually run out the door, but threw himself down on the ground right there.
okay, i thought, we'll just get this paid for and he'll be that much closer to the car. i choose to ignore him. this was very difficult. my fear of what others think went into high gear and i became very aware of how many customers were in the store for a weekday morning.
the cashier was very gracious, spoke really gently to me and asked what it was he wanted.
at this point there was no way i wanted to reward this kind of behavior by giving him the book he wanted to hold.
then he swiped a customer with the piece of clothing that he had grabbed off our stack as she was leaving the store. this i can't ignore. i went over, told him that was rude and completely unacceptable, that he was making very poor choices, and set him on a chair that was right at the exit.
i went back to the register, handed over the money and was ready to depart with my head still on when jack went past me and underneath a display.
claire is in my arms, my bag is in the other. i was a little unsure how one executes ANY sort of parental response at this point, with hands full. knowing my child, i knew we had hit that point of no return. he was on the downward spiral, his emotions so worked up that i was sure he didn't even remember what it was that started this run. i bent down to him and quietly told him it was time to leave. if he chose to delay, there would be no playing in the backyard when we got home (a pretty significant consequence since he is in the middle of a construction project right now).
he did not come. now there is a line of customers and i am cutting into the line to have this conversation with him. i said i was going to put claire in the car and come back for him - super glad he reluctantly followed, because as i said it i realized that would mean leaving her in the car alone while i came back in.
we got out the door, i thought over the worst, and he adhered himself to the wall outside the store. he would not come. this whole time he did not stop yelling/crying. he tried to disassemble the cigarette receptacle. two kind women stopped, offering to help. i didn't know how they could help, and when they asked him a question, he snarled back.
"he's so cute" they told me - women of grace, they were to see thru the nastiness he was putting on! "working out the bugs" they read off his shirt in attempts to change the subject for him, but he covered up his shirt and curled into the wall. i guess that's what we were doing, working out some of his bugs.
i was surprised at how calm i really felt. i wasn't angry at him. should i have been? i was really sad for him, knowing how hard it is to stop when you have worked yourself up so strongly. i know how hard it is to say, "i was wrong". and i'm 34. i told him i understood that he was angry, and it is okay to be angry, but if he didn't choose to follow me we would go directly to rest time when we got home. he made his decision by ignoring me. i decided to take claire to the car and come back for jack, so thankful that she was patiently waiting to see how i would respond. i told jack what i was going to do and he cried, but stayed against the wall. as soon as i walked into the parking lot, he took his volume to a whole new level and started coming into the parking lot. of course i had to go back.
another 5 minutes was spent on the curb, with multiple attempts at communicating, "you cannot sit in the parking lot. you cannot run into the parking lot. you can come with me now and hold my hand, or i can come back and get you once i put claire in the car." he would not go back to the sidewalk, he would not come with me. that's when i became "that mom" i've seen before, dragging one kicking and screaming child thru the parking lot, while carrying the other who has begun to cry.
we made it. i actually had to hold jack between my knees while i buckled claire into her seat to keep him there. then i held him. he wouldn't get in the car, we were in a parking lot. i didn't have another choice. i held him, i told him i loved him even though he was not making good choices. he grabbed at my neck, scratching me. i still wasn't angry, just really, really sad. i was actually surprised that i wasn't angry. i held his arms crossed so that he couldn't hit/scratch me and just held him. "as soon as you are ready to get in the car, you can have your own space in the car seat"
his head started hurting - doesn't YOURS?! he knows it is because he is crying so hard. finally. FINALLY, he said he was ready to get in the car (actually because it was windy and he was getting cold). we had a mini outburst when buckling him in, but he was finally in, and we were off.
three blocks towards our on ramp and he unbuckled his seat belt. i pulled off the road, into a parking lot and for another 5 minutes attempted to buckle him. "seat belts are here to protect us", "this is the law", "this is not your choice", "we are not going anywhere without your seat belt on". at least five minutes and three attempts before i got back in the car and drove home.
to rest time.
in the car, he asked why we couldn't stop at Noodle for lunch (!!??$#%#$WHAT??) i told him that we need to go straight home because he chose not to listen (and a few other reasons, but briefly). i asked if he remembered why he was upset. interestingly, he said he didn't want to leave the store.
what would you do?
seriously, today i actually thought some of the myriad parenting ideas, as it was going down. there are great ideas out there, sometimes i just don't know how to put them into action.
logical punishments, time-outs, withholding good things, ignoring it, physical punishments, waiting it out.....sometimes i go with one, sometimes i switch around.
when you are out of the house, with another child, other dangers around (and CPS could be lurking), what do you do? what do you say? how do you follow through?
i'm not interested in just getting home. i want to deal with it while he is thinking about it. i want to make it a learning moment. maybe part of why i felt so patient about it is that i didn't have anything else i HAD to do this morning. bummed that THIS became our morning, but i wasn't inconvenienced in other ways (like missing out on a second errand...)
i hesitated even writing this post, because i don't really want to remember this morning - or have it etched in that world wide web thing forever. but i really want to talk about it.
i'm really curious to hear responses here...and i'm tired.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
REALLY?! in the car
today i saw a man driving a car and tossing a yo-yo.
really?
are they that fun?
is that safe?
really?
are they that fun?
is that safe?
signs of summer
may 20
backyard bbq
8pm and it's still light
naked kids running thru the sprinkler
sticky limbs clinging to clothing, each other
no difference in temperature between inside and outside
backyard bbq
8pm and it's still light
naked kids running thru the sprinkler
sticky limbs clinging to clothing, each other
no difference in temperature between inside and outside
Sunday, May 10, 2009
confession
we spent the weekend in the garden. we planted our community garden, which we share with three other families. it feels so good to be digging in the earth, watching the seedlings settle in, and seeing some seed emerge. it is so great to be able to share the work, have others to help entertain the kids so we can really get work done, and enjoy company while we work.
when we came home, we watered our own garden and the kids played in the sandbox (a daily ritual). jack calls it his work site, and diligently breaks apart the dirt to "make new concrete". he continually runs into roots from the nasty hack berry trees that provide our only shade. he finally busted up a really big root. he was so proud of himself, but perhaps he felt some guilt as well because while praying in bed he said,
"thank you God for the special day. if the world changes tonight, dad and i died the hack berry tree"
when we came home, we watered our own garden and the kids played in the sandbox (a daily ritual). jack calls it his work site, and diligently breaks apart the dirt to "make new concrete". he continually runs into roots from the nasty hack berry trees that provide our only shade. he finally busted up a really big root. he was so proud of himself, but perhaps he felt some guilt as well because while praying in bed he said,
"thank you God for the special day. if the world changes tonight, dad and i died the hack berry tree"
Friday, April 24, 2009
Circus Week, Santa Cruz
we just returned from a week of bliss in santa cruz. my two good friends from seattle reunited for the first time since jack was a babe. we have talked about it since i moved, referring to the gathering as nothing less than a circus. it was. we cosied up in a three-bedroom condo with six adults and three children.highlights include:
- spending really good time with wonderful friends!
- sunshine
- two days with just one child!!!
- seeing jeremiah's art - wow! i wish i had taken a couple more photos. he builds surfboards, paints them incredibly. he had a series of art on display at the local coffee shop - really fantastic stuff using a mixture of paint, fabric, paper, glass...wow. claire loved playing under this little table, beside one of jeremiah's surfboards and beneath a painting.
- diverse beaches - one had endless sand, another was rocky and full of muscles, seaweed and treasure-hunting, another was a small beach right up to the cliffs - beautiful, remote feeling.
- seeing baby A while he is still so little!
- time to talk, actually complete conversations, with two precious friends
- really good coffee, every morning. i am looking into buying an aeropress
- a walk in the redwood forests - the serenity only slightly interrupted by the dog carriage and doggy bjorn.
- really amazing meals - chicken "fish" tacos, gourmet pita pizzas, fancy sausage hogies...
- a ridge walk along the coast - reminding me of the cliffs of Dover
- donuts
- first family vacation - we love visiting family in seattle, but this is the first time we've travelled to see friends! it was so good to play, to rest, to catch up.
- watching our kids experience the ocean for the first time. jack was careful, hesitant and certainly didn't want to get cold in that water. he loved looking for treasure (sadly, our sandbox just isn't revealing the same quality of treasures) claire couldn't get enough - she'd sit right down in the chilly water, in her clothes. she didn't want me to hold her hand, because she wanted both hands to dig in the sand. sand in her butt, sun on her cheeks, and freezing legs, she was a happy napper at the end of the day.
my favorite quotes of the week?claire, "switch sides" instead of mama's milk, milk please, or just plain milk, its right to switching sides.
jack, "i need to call my dad. my OTHER dad, he's home, smoking"
and then to return home to spring, lovely!
Friday, April 3, 2009
simply crocs, and contests
one of my favorite blogs, simplemom.net, is celebrating 10,000 subscribers!
that is crazy. i think maybe 10 people read my blog, hey!
anyhoo, she is celebrating in my style! spreading the word about something great.
i got my first pair of Crocs while i was prego with zoom. they were given to me by my two good friends. my first thought? geeez, those things are ugly, at least they are pink. oh! you mean the pink shoes i am STILL wearing, right now, in fact!? these would be the ones!
it didn't take more than a couple minutes to realize how absolutely cushy comfy they were. they have become our house shoes, and mine are finally wearing thin. i've actually been considering a new pair, but there are so many wonderful color options and new styles! so when i saw that simplemom.net was having a little giveaway with Crocs, i jumped.
i guess i am a compulsive contestant, just like my mama taught me.
who, by the way, is in route as we speak...hurrah for grammy time!
but seriously, simplemom.net has saved me many a time, with organization ideas, meal planning, and general helpful ideas.
that is crazy. i think maybe 10 people read my blog, hey!
anyhoo, she is celebrating in my style! spreading the word about something great.
i got my first pair of Crocs while i was prego with zoom. they were given to me by my two good friends. my first thought? geeez, those things are ugly, at least they are pink. oh! you mean the pink shoes i am STILL wearing, right now, in fact!? these would be the ones!
it didn't take more than a couple minutes to realize how absolutely cushy comfy they were. they have become our house shoes, and mine are finally wearing thin. i've actually been considering a new pair, but there are so many wonderful color options and new styles! so when i saw that simplemom.net was having a little giveaway with Crocs, i jumped.
i guess i am a compulsive contestant, just like my mama taught me.
who, by the way, is in route as we speak...hurrah for grammy time!
but seriously, simplemom.net has saved me many a time, with organization ideas, meal planning, and general helpful ideas.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
down with the sickness, it is disturbing
my body finally succumbed to a winter cold - ha! now that winter is over.
i am so thankful to have made it this long, but wow, this sucks.
the kids have had runny noses for a couple weeks, and the past few days it has turned into non-stop nasty nose and hacking cough (the kind where you just want to cough for them, it sounds so ineffective!)
during the kids nap time, i kept thinking that i should lay down too, my head beginning to throb and my eyes hurting, but i am not a napper. and for crying out loud, nap time and bedtime are my ONLY time alone! i'll spend them awake even if i don't feel great, thank you!
as the day progressed, my voice grew weaker and weaker, until it finally disappeared. zoom kept telling me to talk normal, and then asked if i would ever talk normal again.
what was really disturbing to me was how often i wanted to raise my voice, but literally could not! do i really yell this much or was this an extra special day of testing mom? to think i actually wondered if maybe my whisper voice would command their interest in a new way! on the contrary, they acted as if they couldn't hear me. some times they probably couldn't. but pulling out the old tricks like yelling in the house, when our "outside voices" has been long established. i found zoom ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE!!! he has never done that before. it is the little lady's new trick, that stealthy climber, no i am sure he was just copying her, but he knows better! he was putting her pacifier in his mouth, climbing on furniture that is not for climbing, pushing, grabbing, and not using manners.
when i asked him to spend some time in his room for a misbehavior, he did a common meltdown, where he yells and throws himself around. do i usually raise my voice in that situation so that he hears me over his own yelling? is there another way? today there had to be. i couldn't yell louder. practicing some of the love and logic philosophy was easier, i guess. i really was sad for the choices he was making. and i was sad at how badly i wanted to YELL at him!
this has felt like a big part of the long winter. i feel like he is constantly testing. i am constantly on guard. i don't want to assume that he will misbehave, but i fear that i notice those moments so much more quickly and often than good behavior.
sigh.
my mom is coming tomorrow. that is always a welcome relief to feeling outnumbered. i hope to have a date with zoom, even just a walk to the park, and enjoy some goodness from the old times.
i really want to go to bed.
i hope we all feel better tomorrow.
i am so thankful to have made it this long, but wow, this sucks.
the kids have had runny noses for a couple weeks, and the past few days it has turned into non-stop nasty nose and hacking cough (the kind where you just want to cough for them, it sounds so ineffective!)
during the kids nap time, i kept thinking that i should lay down too, my head beginning to throb and my eyes hurting, but i am not a napper. and for crying out loud, nap time and bedtime are my ONLY time alone! i'll spend them awake even if i don't feel great, thank you!
as the day progressed, my voice grew weaker and weaker, until it finally disappeared. zoom kept telling me to talk normal, and then asked if i would ever talk normal again.
what was really disturbing to me was how often i wanted to raise my voice, but literally could not! do i really yell this much or was this an extra special day of testing mom? to think i actually wondered if maybe my whisper voice would command their interest in a new way! on the contrary, they acted as if they couldn't hear me. some times they probably couldn't. but pulling out the old tricks like yelling in the house, when our "outside voices" has been long established. i found zoom ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE!!! he has never done that before. it is the little lady's new trick, that stealthy climber, no i am sure he was just copying her, but he knows better! he was putting her pacifier in his mouth, climbing on furniture that is not for climbing, pushing, grabbing, and not using manners.
when i asked him to spend some time in his room for a misbehavior, he did a common meltdown, where he yells and throws himself around. do i usually raise my voice in that situation so that he hears me over his own yelling? is there another way? today there had to be. i couldn't yell louder. practicing some of the love and logic philosophy was easier, i guess. i really was sad for the choices he was making. and i was sad at how badly i wanted to YELL at him!
this has felt like a big part of the long winter. i feel like he is constantly testing. i am constantly on guard. i don't want to assume that he will misbehave, but i fear that i notice those moments so much more quickly and often than good behavior.
sigh.
my mom is coming tomorrow. that is always a welcome relief to feeling outnumbered. i hope to have a date with zoom, even just a walk to the park, and enjoy some goodness from the old times.
i really want to go to bed.
i hope we all feel better tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
silly fools
flipping thru a magazine yesterday, i landed upon a short article of ideas for april fools pranks. i had no idea it would create such fun for us!
zoom got it in his head to unplug someones computer down in the office. since he slept in until a blissful 10am, the office was already in motion by the time we headed down. zoom spilled the beans,
"mom is having ANOTHER baby!", he announced to my mother-in-law, who works for hubby. she looked up at me and asked, "was i supposed to hear that?". "do you think we would tell him something that we hoped would remain a secret?" was my response.
"AAAPRIL FOOOOOLS!!!" zoom blurted out!
hardly relishing in his success, he moved along. "now let's go unplug dad's computer!"
i was a little leery of unplugging anything in the office, but i figured we could unplug the keyboard. his is wireless - even better. we removed the batteries from the mouse and replaced them with a little note "april fools".
snickering like crazy, we headed upstairs.
the morning provided us with many opportunities to discuss the difference between LYING and telling an april fools day joke. thankfully for a mother of a child, it is just one day.
teasing your little sister by holding out a toy, then pulling it away crying "april fools", is not okay.
it seems the only one fooled by my facebook status update, "i'm feeling the effects of morning sickness" was my mother and her friends. she called me after receiving calls about me being pregnant. really mom? you think i would tell EVERYONE on facebook before you?
multiple times today zoom tried to tell hubby about our evening prank, but i was able to keep him quiet until bedtime.
he gets that he can joke with others, but doesn't get that telling the person about the joke keeps it from being a joke!
zoom was in bed and i told him he could sit up and listen for dad, who was heading to bed as well.
the giggling that erupted from his bedroom when he heard hubby in the bathroom was awesome! hubby came out with a questioning look and i directed him to the patiently waiting zoom, who was sitting up in bed, laughing.
"why is there a little piece of poop in my toothpaste?" he asked.
zoom got serious and said, "no dad! it isn't poop, it's a raisin!!!!! AAAPRIL FOOOOOOLS!" then busted up laughing and fell down on his bed!
zoom got it in his head to unplug someones computer down in the office. since he slept in until a blissful 10am, the office was already in motion by the time we headed down. zoom spilled the beans,
"mom is having ANOTHER baby!", he announced to my mother-in-law, who works for hubby. she looked up at me and asked, "was i supposed to hear that?". "do you think we would tell him something that we hoped would remain a secret?" was my response.
"AAAPRIL FOOOOOLS!!!" zoom blurted out!
hardly relishing in his success, he moved along. "now let's go unplug dad's computer!"
i was a little leery of unplugging anything in the office, but i figured we could unplug the keyboard. his is wireless - even better. we removed the batteries from the mouse and replaced them with a little note "april fools".
snickering like crazy, we headed upstairs.
the morning provided us with many opportunities to discuss the difference between LYING and telling an april fools day joke. thankfully for a mother of a child, it is just one day.
teasing your little sister by holding out a toy, then pulling it away crying "april fools", is not okay.
it seems the only one fooled by my facebook status update, "i'm feeling the effects of morning sickness" was my mother and her friends. she called me after receiving calls about me being pregnant. really mom? you think i would tell EVERYONE on facebook before you?
multiple times today zoom tried to tell hubby about our evening prank, but i was able to keep him quiet until bedtime.
he gets that he can joke with others, but doesn't get that telling the person about the joke keeps it from being a joke!
zoom was in bed and i told him he could sit up and listen for dad, who was heading to bed as well.
the giggling that erupted from his bedroom when he heard hubby in the bathroom was awesome! hubby came out with a questioning look and i directed him to the patiently waiting zoom, who was sitting up in bed, laughing.
"why is there a little piece of poop in my toothpaste?" he asked.
zoom got serious and said, "no dad! it isn't poop, it's a raisin!!!!! AAAPRIL FOOOOOOLS!" then busted up laughing and fell down on his bed!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
the long winter
spring is here.
zoom keeps reminding me. i guess i need it.
while the snow is gone, and the temperatures allow us to go outside (sometimes even without a coat!!) it still feels like we aren't quite there.
this has been a long winter. weeks of snow haven't even been the worst part - i love the snow! having two kids inside a lot, that has been hard. but it feels more like we are in a winter season of life. friends who have travelled this road before me have assured me that this time, with kids in the toddler years, really are the hardest years. it does help to hear that. sort of. i'm still tired. i still loose my patience. i still feel frustrated at how long it takes me to check things off our list. (yes, my brown christmas wreath is still hanging on the front door.) i sometimes feel smothered by my babes, even though i love them terribly!
the glimpse of green is good.
the hope that we will penetrate this frozen ground and plant a seed...soon!
zoom and i worked on seed tapes. we got the idea from Organic Gardening mag. you "paste" seeds along a strip of newspaper using a flour/water mixture. spacing them appropriately for the variety, these strips are ready-t0-go when planting time comes. we tried a few things - at least we get to play garden right now.
my precious ones have been sitting in slush puddles, willing the sand to soften just enough to dig a ditch big enough for the little dump truck to drive.
zoom keeps reminding me. i guess i need it.
while the snow is gone, and the temperatures allow us to go outside (sometimes even without a coat!!) it still feels like we aren't quite there.
this has been a long winter. weeks of snow haven't even been the worst part - i love the snow! having two kids inside a lot, that has been hard. but it feels more like we are in a winter season of life. friends who have travelled this road before me have assured me that this time, with kids in the toddler years, really are the hardest years. it does help to hear that. sort of. i'm still tired. i still loose my patience. i still feel frustrated at how long it takes me to check things off our list. (yes, my brown christmas wreath is still hanging on the front door.) i sometimes feel smothered by my babes, even though i love them terribly!
the glimpse of green is good.
the hope that we will penetrate this frozen ground and plant a seed...soon!
zoom and i worked on seed tapes. we got the idea from Organic Gardening mag. you "paste" seeds along a strip of newspaper using a flour/water mixture. spacing them appropriately for the variety, these strips are ready-t0-go when planting time comes. we tried a few things - at least we get to play garden right now.
my precious ones have been sitting in slush puddles, willing the sand to soften just enough to dig a ditch big enough for the little dump truck to drive.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
good tunes
i've been searching for kids music that doesn't drive me crazy. the handy dandy public library has happily loaned us some real winners!
They Might Be Giants made a delightful cd, Here Come the 1,2,3's
what fun music do you like to listen to with your kids?? we are always looking for more - and it doesn't have to be specific to children, but we prefer no inappropriate content or language
They Might Be Giants made a delightful cd, Here Come the 1,2,3's
- our favorite song is "High Five" - who wouldn't love the line, "slap me five! keep it cool, old school"?!!
- i like my big sister, but i don't wanna wear her coat. it may be black, it may fit perfect, but everyone knows its a girls coat.
- what happened to nine? seven ate nine
- my favorite snack is pa-corn
- no man, i don't have a cold, i just suffer from allergies
- i'm spicy! i'm hot! whoa! (from the food party song)
what fun music do you like to listen to with your kids?? we are always looking for more - and it doesn't have to be specific to children, but we prefer no inappropriate content or language
Saturday, January 31, 2009
we like construction
construction on 35W continues, and we are probably the only ones who intentionally take the freeway just so that we can see what's going on.
yesterday zoom told me he wanted to write a letter to the construction workers because he is "enjoying this construction so much"
when we got home, he reminded me that we need to do that, so i transcribed, word for word, his letter:
we found the name and address for the projects office and he included a couple drawings of excavators and dirt.
yesterday zoom told me he wanted to write a letter to the construction workers because he is "enjoying this construction so much"
when we got home, he reminded me that we need to do that, so i transcribed, word for word, his letter:
thank you for the beautiful construction work on 35W. i like watching you dig. thank you for bulldozing the dirt. its really good. its really nice for you to do that when its winter, but that's your job. i notice that the bridge is almost finished. we really like to go on the diamond lake road on ramp. its really fun for the bumps! that's all. keep up the good work.
we found the name and address for the projects office and he included a couple drawings of excavators and dirt.
IKEA
the enormous blue box is visible from the freeway. the yellow block letters call out at you. and are pretty easy for a toddler to read.
"mom, where is the U?"
i had no idea what he was talking about. then he started sounding out each letter.
"they spelled it wrong mom. there's supposed to be a U"
"I-K-E-U"
sound it out guys. he's right.
"mom, where is the U?"
i had no idea what he was talking about. then he started sounding out each letter.
"they spelled it wrong mom. there's supposed to be a U"
"I-K-E-U"
sound it out guys. he's right.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
monday night knitting is back
finally i have started a knitting night.
i have been a knitter since i turned 13 and was eligible to attend aunt ginger's weekly knitting night for the young ladies. it was a rite of passage for sure! we would knit and chat, taking a break for tea and a treat. uncle jim hung out in the basement, listening to blue grass music, which we could hear only the oomp-pa-pa thru the floor. he would come up for the break, lecture us about changing the oil on our cars and keeping our leather in good condition. he taught us how to eat popcorn without getting butter on our fingers, licking it out of the bowl, so even after the 10 minutes break we could still knit and nibble. i still eat my popcorn this way, and so does zoom. some girls came for the social hour, others really enjoyed knitting. i was in for both, and kept clicking my needles thru high school (this was before it became cool again to knit!). i made afghans for the flock of friends who got married right after high school. most of my friends and family have a scarf i had made. i even found a pattern for hand-holding mittens (and gave them as a wedding gift to one friend).
having kids put the kibosh on a lot of my crafts, but every once in a while i whip out the needles. a few friends have asked me to teach them, and another friend is a fantastic knitter, so we decided to take advantage of these chilly evenings to gather together on couches and knit.
tomorrow night is our first gathering and we'll shoot for every other monday night, at least thru the winter.
i have so missed doing crafty things with others and made it a new years resolution to get back in the pattern of doing crafts.
one thing checked off my list!!
i have been a knitter since i turned 13 and was eligible to attend aunt ginger's weekly knitting night for the young ladies. it was a rite of passage for sure! we would knit and chat, taking a break for tea and a treat. uncle jim hung out in the basement, listening to blue grass music, which we could hear only the oomp-pa-pa thru the floor. he would come up for the break, lecture us about changing the oil on our cars and keeping our leather in good condition. he taught us how to eat popcorn without getting butter on our fingers, licking it out of the bowl, so even after the 10 minutes break we could still knit and nibble. i still eat my popcorn this way, and so does zoom. some girls came for the social hour, others really enjoyed knitting. i was in for both, and kept clicking my needles thru high school (this was before it became cool again to knit!). i made afghans for the flock of friends who got married right after high school. most of my friends and family have a scarf i had made. i even found a pattern for hand-holding mittens (and gave them as a wedding gift to one friend).
having kids put the kibosh on a lot of my crafts, but every once in a while i whip out the needles. a few friends have asked me to teach them, and another friend is a fantastic knitter, so we decided to take advantage of these chilly evenings to gather together on couches and knit.
tomorrow night is our first gathering and we'll shoot for every other monday night, at least thru the winter.
i have so missed doing crafty things with others and made it a new years resolution to get back in the pattern of doing crafts.
one thing checked off my list!!
scheduled craftiness
we completed zoom's weekly calender! i found a tray at the thrift store and we used magnets! i was hoping to find actual magnets from the places we frequent, or at least a biz card or something to use, but we ended up making our own. okay, i did most of them, but zoom was working with me and did help color. he kind of lost interest - or didn't really catch the vision until some of them were complete. the garden one is my fav.
i couldn't figure out how to flip this photo??
anyhoo, this is what we do every night, arrange the magnets to prepare for the following day. there are still so many things that are not on the board, but we wanted to finish enough to at least start practicing.
one down side is just a developmental thing i am sure.
while i know he appreciates forewarning about events to come, he often will whine and say, "i don't want to go to the library tomorrrrrrrrow". not that he rules the schedule, but the cool thing about them being magnets is that, like life, we can make changes as needed for the family's best interest.
suggestions?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
the unveiling
for months we have talked with zoom about getting him a new bed.hubby decided to make the bed and the more time went on the more creative he became. zoom helped collaborate on the design; what was going to be a simple bed turned into a climbing bed (with holds to get into the bed) and finally an excavator.
Earthvator
they have spent hours together in the shop working on this project and added at least one other project along the way - a workbench for zoom
before christmas we moved him into the new room, and since the bed wasn't ready, he slept on the mattress on the floor.
our friend, and fabulous artist, carole, painted the bed. she has done beautiful work all over the city and world. it is a piece of artwork!
yesterday we moved it into his room and he spent the first night in his new bed. the black squares on the end are climbing holds, as are the dual purpose drawer handles! there are 6 large drawers and the large opening is a great spot to hide! we might end up putting hooks for hanging coats or a couple shelves in the back, but for now it provides a great spot for both kiddos!
check out this detail! i love the little butterfly, tucked in with the clouds (the red is his sheet)
and this is the control panel, right by his pillow. zoom told me he was going to have an ipod in his excavator. i thought he misunderstood carole, but nope, there is the receiver, right next to the cd player :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
the lady is back
good news: i'm not pregnant
bad news: it is possible for me to get pregnant again
naturally, the bliss of a babe sleeping all night long would bring the return of the monthly visitor reminding me of my womanhood. not that i was questioning. in fact, i rather enjoyed the two year hiatus! i know i'm a woman, and i don't particularly want to get pregnant right now. remember, i was just given back the gift of sleeping?
i'm enjoying toddler hood so much more than infant hood, i think a little break would be real nice.
bad news: it is possible for me to get pregnant again
naturally, the bliss of a babe sleeping all night long would bring the return of the monthly visitor reminding me of my womanhood. not that i was questioning. in fact, i rather enjoyed the two year hiatus! i know i'm a woman, and i don't particularly want to get pregnant right now. remember, i was just given back the gift of sleeping?
i'm enjoying toddler hood so much more than infant hood, i think a little break would be real nice.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
she'll be all night long!
we initiated the sleep regime on accident.
while staying with my parents, zoom got to sleep in the famous "twin beds" (a bunk bed taken apart so the beds are just a foot off the floor). his room was at one end of the house, right next to my parents. hubby and i, with the girl's crib in our room, were at the far other end of the house. it worked out great for grammy to wake up with zoom and have their special time. the first week the girl did her normal gig, waking up every couple hours or so. i put off nursing as long as possible, but ended up with her on the floor (our bed was not big enough for all three of us and she is so wiggly that i was really afraid she would roll right off). thankfully, the parents have a great sheepskin rug that made a great bed on the floor.
one week into our visit, my parents were out of town for a few nights. this left zoom at the far end of the house by himself. we could have moved him into a closer room but for the, now famous, Longest Night of Sleep Ever.
after a long day with the siblings, we finally got the kiddos to naps around 4pm. at 6 zoom was still asleep, and we decided to let him sleep. we were on vacation, so if he woke up at 10pm and wanted to hang, we could handle that. i took the other twin bed in exchange for a night off with the girl. around 2am zoom woke up to pee, but went right back to sleep until 8am!!! ahhhhhh, sweet sleep!
thus initiated hubby's sleep regime with the girl. he had no boobs to pacify her. she could see that i wasn't' in the bed. she listened to her daddy, who rubbed her back, whispered to her and continued to lay her back down! since things seemed to go so well, we tried that another night. and another. by the time we left seattle i was back in bed with hubby and he would talk to her from bed, "it's bedtime, lay down". that's it. she would give a little grumpy cry and flop back down.
hubby has continued to be the nighttime parent since returning home, and things have gone from good to great! the first few nights she woke up a handful of times, but the interactions were moments. the past two nights she has slept from 8pm to 8am, SOLID!
PTL indeed!
while staying with my parents, zoom got to sleep in the famous "twin beds" (a bunk bed taken apart so the beds are just a foot off the floor). his room was at one end of the house, right next to my parents. hubby and i, with the girl's crib in our room, were at the far other end of the house. it worked out great for grammy to wake up with zoom and have their special time. the first week the girl did her normal gig, waking up every couple hours or so. i put off nursing as long as possible, but ended up with her on the floor (our bed was not big enough for all three of us and she is so wiggly that i was really afraid she would roll right off). thankfully, the parents have a great sheepskin rug that made a great bed on the floor.
one week into our visit, my parents were out of town for a few nights. this left zoom at the far end of the house by himself. we could have moved him into a closer room but for the, now famous, Longest Night of Sleep Ever.
after a long day with the siblings, we finally got the kiddos to naps around 4pm. at 6 zoom was still asleep, and we decided to let him sleep. we were on vacation, so if he woke up at 10pm and wanted to hang, we could handle that. i took the other twin bed in exchange for a night off with the girl. around 2am zoom woke up to pee, but went right back to sleep until 8am!!! ahhhhhh, sweet sleep!
thus initiated hubby's sleep regime with the girl. he had no boobs to pacify her. she could see that i wasn't' in the bed. she listened to her daddy, who rubbed her back, whispered to her and continued to lay her back down! since things seemed to go so well, we tried that another night. and another. by the time we left seattle i was back in bed with hubby and he would talk to her from bed, "it's bedtime, lay down". that's it. she would give a little grumpy cry and flop back down.
hubby has continued to be the nighttime parent since returning home, and things have gone from good to great! the first few nights she woke up a handful of times, but the interactions were moments. the past two nights she has slept from 8pm to 8am, SOLID!
PTL indeed!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
happy new year - and end of year summary
things have been so busy lately, there have been so many things i have wanted to post about, but my time at the computer has not taken priority.
here are some of the fabulous year-end events:
here are some of the fabulous year-end events:
- the girl turned ONE!
- we saw our cousin in a play, then spent the next few weeks practicing being elves
- spent hours playing hide-and-seek
- we were snowed in, in seattle. we dreamed about that kind of snow growing up there, but it was the only truly white christmas i have ever experienced in the northwest!
- we had a fabulous two weeks vacation in the great northwest!
- initiated the new sleep regime with claire
- celebrated four family birthdays AND christmas in one efficient evening
- spent time knitting
- spent time reading
- did i mention we were on vacation, with at least two adoring grandparents at almost any given time?
- discovered hulu and arrested development
- slept in "a few times"
- managed to attend great aunt pat's christmas eve's eve party without breaking any antique christmas decorations or zoom dipping into the loaded eggnog!
- learned how to play UNO and Go Fish!
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