Show & Tell - #48

Last Saturday we made our annual trip to King Richard's Faire.

It was a beautiful day and everyone had fun. I got my face painted.


I figured something with the Grim Reaper would make my son happy...


Willow had no idea what to think and kept staring at my face all day.

There were pony rides for the kids (Willow made it 1/2 through the path before she got scared of the pony), lots of shows and jousting. Maybe next year I can get Willow to have her face painted!

Perfect Moment Monday

Just one this time:

Driving on a Saturday, perfect blue sky, fluffy clouds that one can just make out as different objects as they shift, Beatles playing. Husband sitting beside me, children in the car, listening and looking. Feeling like everything is right in the world.

More Perfect Moments Here.

Perfect Moment Monday

This weekend I was sick. But, even when you are sick, perfect moments happen...

Moment #1: I come home from work on Friday feeling awful. Husband says "I will take care of the kids--go to sleep--NOW." I then go to bed the earliest I have in a looong time--8 p.m. Secure in the knowledge that, indeed, he can take care of them.

Moment #2: Around 9:30 p.m. that night, my son climbs into bed with me. He is having trouble falling asleep. At this point, so am I. We play shadow figures on the ceiling and I am happy to spend this quiet time with just him.

Moment #3: Sunday morning. She wakes up startled at 5 a.m. It is too early and I am too sick. I bring her into our bed and she snuggles down. At 8 a.m. she stretches her body out in a biiiiig yawn and opens her bright eyes right at me.


More Perfect Moments Here.

The Talk

Me: "Do you think it went well?"
Him: "Well, you know those PSAs where the parents are dorky, calm and rationally talking to their child about dr.u.g.s?"
Me: "Yep."
Him: "We were those parents."
Me: "Yes, but do you think it went well?"
Him: "Umm, I have no idea if there is a good way to have The S._.X. Talk."
Me: "But, you think he understood?"
Him: "Time will tell."

It went well, as good as it could be. Some surprises:
Me: "Do you know HOW the s_____ meets the e____?"
The Boy: "Oh yeah."
Me: "Really, you know about the P____ going into the V____?"
The Boy: "Oh, yeah."


We did it together, wierdly with a product of scientific reproduction wandering the room...but we did it. Then "the girls" went away so father and son could talk.

Time will tell...

Show & Tell #47 - My First Poll

Just for fun, I want to see what people think about Halloween costumes for Toddlers...

Here are some examples of what I was thinking of. (Well, originally I was thinking of making a Dalek costume, but we all figured Willow would tear it to shreds--ah, maybe next year...)

Click on the word to get the image:

R2-D2

Queen Amadala

An Otter

Or a Giraffe

The top contender, well, um...I can't decide! Which is why there is a poll over on the top right. Pick one of the top contenders, or let me know other ideas in the comments section below!

Here is the website. Also, Think Geek has some interesting costumes...

So what would you think the Toddler in your life should wear for Halloween? What are you thinking of being for Halloween?

Perfect Moment Monday

Moment #1: After picking him up from his first day of school, I knew I wanted to do something special for him—perhaps his favorite ice cream stand near our house? Unclear whether that will be a treat he would want, I start to suggest doing something special. He says “Can we go to [the ice cream place]?” We go and he gets his favorite, Mint Oreo, in the warm autumn air.

Moment #2: This morning as I get ready for work I hear her call in a sing song voice from downstairs: “Mmmaammaa, mmmaammaaa”. I look to see her totally naked, swaying back and forth in front of the stair gate. Her dad removes the gate, she climbs up and we play (once I get a diaper on her) on our bed for a few moments before I have to get back to getting ready.

More Perfect Moments Here.

Eight Years

Eight years ago. Time seemed to stand still then (so why does it seem a lifetime ago).

He was a little older than she is now (She was not even thought of, how would I realize the journey of the past eight years).

He was too young to understand the unthinkable(I did not even try to explain).

Eight years ago, the world was united (or so it seemed).

Eight years ago, our country was splitting at the seams (I saw it coming, but could do nothing).

Eight years ago, people were mourning losses both personal and public (I am lucky).

Today I hug her and think of those who cannot.

Show & Tell #46

Today is the first day of school. Again. My traditional photos of my son on the first day of school--Fifth Grade. (Oh my--Fifth Grade!?!)

Every year I take these three photos:

Michael getting up:


This year was harder in getting him up than the last (which was harder than the last).

Eating Breakfast,made by mom (doesn't normally happen, cuz I usually leave before his breakfast, but for the first day--I go to work late)

This year, its the first year he is eating in the living room--watching t.v. (well, I guess its good that it took this long before this started happening...)

Leaving the house.

Each year, he is getting taller!

Okay, so those are the traditional shots I have to get. Here are other random ones I took this morning:


He picked out the outfit..its very Michael. I used to care about getting his hair just right for the first day. But, you know...he needs a haircut, but it looks better than some of those kids I saw last year with mohawks (okay, when did this become a trend again?!!?)



Willow, of course, had to get into the act!


Of course, the shot I wanted had her looking at her big brother...


My little ham. This was one of the first photos I took this morning...

I think I was more nervous than he was this morning. I can't wait to pick him up today and hear all about it!

Willow at 16 Months

Willow is becoming her own little person. Her expressiveness and curiousity is boundless. She is able to walk, run, laugh, giggle, be tickled, hug, wave good bye, ask for things, point to her belly button and nose. She can kiss and loves to put baby dolls into her toy buckets so that they are laying down. She can say "mama" "daddy" and a few other words, each time we swear she is saying something like "Michael" or "John" or "hello"--but then we ask her to repeat it and that is that. Tonight she tried to help us put the groceries away, lifting up the shopping bags and even putting some things "away" for us. She is doing new things every day. Willow is into EVERYTHING. In the last four days she has broken three dishes (including the vase that the flowers I got when I was in the hospital with her, which I was saving--but obviously not in a safe spot); and lost daddy's bank card (after she pulled out his wallet and let it flap along, dropping EVERYTHING out of it).

She is fun and frustrating; exhausting and exciting. She is a toddler and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are some random pictures from August at a family BBQ (I did not take these pictures, a kind friend of the family did--thank you!)

Perfect Moment Monday

Moment #1: He always gets to pick out which bed is his when we get to a hotel room. And since he is small and we are large, the double beds are not big enough for the both my husband and I in one bed. So, I get the luxury to sleep in the same bed as my ten year old. Having an excuse to cuddle him is one of those moments I will miss as he gets older. During the second night away, I woke up with a start, not knowing where I was. The thick furry legs of my partner were not there. Instead they were the lanky, stick like legs of my son poking into my stomach. And all was right with the world again.

Moment #2: She kisses her baby doll. A big wet open mouthed kiss with a "mMmmmmmph" for emphasis. Then she kisses her stuffed monkey. Several times. And hugs him. And then she comes over to me. And plants several very messy kisses on my mouth. And pats my back in a hug. I do not remember such affection from my son at this age. It must be a girl thing, I think. I embrace my daughter.

More Perfect Moments Here.

Calm Before the Storm

Going away for the weekend. Our last hurrah of summer, before the fall begins. I love fall. I love the changing of the leaves, the cooler, brisk air. But as I have gotten older, I have found the summer tugging at me. And I wish for longer summers, endless vacations, relaxation. And then its over. And I am left feeling bittersweet.

When we get back from our Labor Day weekend at the beach, it will be back to work, back to school. Already starting to plan our annual Halloween Party...looking towards the holidays and gift buying/giving. I look forward to all of those things and more.

But this weekend is a time to look back, one last time, to this summer.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Show & Tell #45

This week's Show & Tell is an oldie. I am showing these pictures because they involve several things I love. Scrapbooking, Michael, my husband, Duck Tours, vacationing, visiting Washington D.C. (which I plan to do again).

My gosh, Michael was so YOUNG...he was about 3 years old. I am looking back at him then and looking forward to Willow being that age.

This was my first attempt at scrapbooking. Looking back at it, it is really kinda crude...but I am glad I did it.

Perfect Moment Monday

This Perfect Moment Monday is going to be dedicated to someone who touches my family more then any of us could have imagined. She is our cleaning woman.

Long ago and far away, a neat freak (me) and a slob (him) married. For quite a while they got along okay and eventually learned to compromise on domestic duties. Then they had a son. And the slob got promoted, meaning more money but longer hours. And the frazzled neat freak asked if it was okay to hire some help because the house was "going to kill me" (paraphrasing, of course)

So, we hired a maid service for a while. And what bliss it was. Occassionally. Because the service had good cleaners and bad cleaners and you never knew which ones would come to your house. But it was fine.

Then, we had some hard economic times, so we stopped the service. Once things got back to normal, we found her--on a bulletin board. Adrianna.

Adrianna has cleaned up our house every week since my son was 5 years old. And now she seems like part of our family. Not just because she has been with us for so long. She is more than just a service to us.

Like any family member, she trys to help out when she can, well meaning, but not always in the ways one needs or wants...like the time she moved all the organizational stuff around in our large bathroom--and we ended up putting it back the way we wanted to that weekend. Or the times she has dusted pictures on the walls and accidently broke the frames...or the many things (books, toys, important papers) that she has put "away" for us...and we couldn't find them.

But there are other times. When she brought down our huge hamper of laundry (which is not one of her duties) to the basement because she knew I was pregnant. Or when she moved the furniture in Michael's bedroom--and we liked the new configuration!

Or, the two Perfect Moments below:

Perfect Moment #1: Husband is not a morning person. Meaning, given the opportunity, he will fall asleep..which kinda sucks because he is in charge of the kids in the morning, as I go to work earlier. About 2 weeks ago--Willow fell asleep in his arms and he fell asleep. He woke up to noises. Voices in the other room. Then he realized Willow was not in his arms. Panicked, he got up--to see Adrianna and her helper playing with Willow, while cleaning the kitchen. They had been there about 1/2 hour. Adrianna LOVES Willow and has doted on her since she was born.

Perfect Moment #2: This Friday I got home as usual. Kids in tow, rushing around, trying to get things dealt with because we had people coming over in a few hours. I rushed upstairs, not looking forward to having to go through the HUGE pile of clean laundry to find a more relaxed outfit to wear...when I walked into an utterly clean bedroom. Our laundry was all neatly put away in our closet. And the broken shelving was put up on top of the bar--and in pencil (as I only afterwards found out) she had written "shirts" "pants", etc. under the neatly folded laundry. Adrianna even put up the hanging sorter I had bought months ago and put my shoes in it!

Bear in mind, we let her know that we are grateful to her (monetarily and otherwise). Bear in mind, that we have come to know each other through the barriers of class and language.

The sense of relief, care, warmth and gratitude I have for this woman, a woman who I don't really know as well as I should. That is a perfect moment.

Sad News, and a way to help - Updated

One of my friends has lost her youngest sister in an awful accident. A fund is being set up to help her children (who witnessed the accident). If you can help, please click on the article to find out the information:

http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/17956

The family of Kristen Belair, who was killed on I40 near Burgaw, NC. on Aug. 26th around 1pm wants to thank a young woman who stopped and prayed with her 8 and 10 yr old son and daughter while the investigation/pictures were being taken.

Kristen's family says "We don't know her name - only that she may be in her 20's, was wearing a pink polo with a butterfly on it and her cell phone had polka dots on it. The woman stopped to help calm the children, she prayed wtih them and then left without giving her name. The gentleman with her was wearing black pants.

Kristen's children have told the family what a great comfort she was to them in their time of need, and we would love to thank her. Could she please contact Channel 12 in Wilmington NC? If she does not want to come forward we just want to get word to her how much her graciousness means to our family."

Craft Give-Away

Taking the challenge from Anla:

Doing a “take one down and pass it around” craft give-away.
Here's how it works....
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me, especially for you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make but I hope you will.
2- What I create will be just for you.
3-They say I have a year to get it to you. But I hope it will NOT take that long!
4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It’s a surprise to both of us at this point.

The catch? You must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.


So the first five people who post, and are willing to pass it along,will get a handmade gift in the mail from me.

Creature Comforts

The new job is going well. I think I am making myself a useful member of the team and I am gaining confidence every day.

However.

I am missing creature comforts. Being a small office in the middle of town square, some things are taking a bit of time to get used to. Like the fact that we have assigned parking spaces, which means when I leave (for lunch or for the day) I have to ask if anyone has parked behind me—and then they have to go down with me to move their car. Being small, we have less space. The kitchen is not really a kitchen…the refrigerator is a small dorm size.

And then there are the intangibles. I miss my old office mates. I miss the fitness room. I miss my music playing in the background (maybe this will eventually be okay, I just haven’t felt comfortable yet). I miss my old job.

Luckily, there are new creature comforts at home to look forward to. A new couch which I am in LOVE with. Nothing like being able to mush right down in a comfy couch. And then, make it recline further! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah. I could sleep on that couch. But I don’t have to. We have a new mattress! Which I also love!

Perfect Moment Monday

Perfect Moment #1: I step into the noisy arcade. I search for my husband, my children and my son’s friend. I see them. Tall furry, lumpy man with two boys. And a baby crocked in one arm, other arm being used to shoot a video arcade weapon, while the boys and the baby girl root him on excitedly.

Perfect Moment #2: She picks up the play phone. Crocks it between her ear and her shoulder. She babbles, sounding like “hello” and I ask who she is calling. “Daddy”. And we converse with daddy in babbles and smiles.

Click Here to see more Perfect Moments.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Not - Click Title..

The school year is fast approaching. And frankly, I am NOT one of those parents leaping for joy. Not only is it the end of a turbulent summer, turbulent year. But it is also the beginning of new stresses in our lives.

School has never been easy for Michael. Not academically, at least not in the truest sense of that word. He is a smart kid with spongelike abilities to soak up knowledge. He is interested in science--biological and technical. He has a creative mind and is often thinking up all sorts of imaginative games, etc.

No, the part of school he cannot deal with is the structure. He gets bored, his attention wanders. If it is not interesting enough to him, he zones out. He does not always pick up on social cues from others, so sometimes he will be talkative or disruptive in the classroom. In other words, "classic" ADHD.

As a parent of a child who is "quirky", who has ADHD, school becomes not only his struggle, but my struggle. Homework, which is already taxing for a normal elementary student (see my rant on Homework here) can be ten times harder to complete for someone who has been fighting all day to maintain their focus. The last thing either one of us wants to do once we get home is do homework. I find myself constantly inwardly struggling on how to handle the "Homework Situation". I often am frustrated at having to ride herd on him, help him to do something that I myself would not want to do. Something that I have an obligation as a parent in so many ways (Does he really need homework or time to relax? Does he really need to be drilled in this now? But he needs to know that their are responsibilities out there and you shouldn't shirk them. And there is the final grades, etc.) I usually come up with a happy medium where I give it a set time, and once it hits that time--we stop. (One of the few times that him being labeled helps because the teacher usually cuts him some slack because she knows it takes a long time for him to focus and process things).

The school year brings the flood of papers, fundraisers, deadlines. It also brings parent/teacher meetings, various calls from the teacher ("he was disruptive today, couldn't focus, he got frustrated and threw a pencil box"), notes from the teacher ("He was much better today."), IEP meetings, further meetings with his therapist and doctors, changes in his prescriptions (because, of course, he has to "FOCUS"--with a little help from medical science). It brings parental guilt about PTA meetings missed, school functions that cannot be attended, after school care which is not always stimulating or fun...the new guilt of having a second child and juggling both their needs...It brings Cub Scout meetings because said therapists and doctors think that he needs more social stimulation--which eats into the very little time we have for other things (like homework, fixing/eating dinner, bathing, reading--oh, maybe spending time with each other). So yeah. Yippee for the school year coming. Not.

Vacation Meditation - Show & Tell #45

Wrote this earlier this week, but its got lots of showin' and tellin'....

It has become a tradition for me to re-read “The Time Traveller’s Wife”* while I am vacationing on Cape Cod. Part of this is because I love the book and it is so big (and hardbound, so it is so bulky) that the only time I have a good chunk of time to read it is during our vacation.

But I think that part of me likes the past/present/future time travel element to it during my vacation. Going on a traditional long vacation each year in the summer is like time travel. I get the same kind of feeling I have during the holiday season. Something new, something old. Remembrances of times past come seeping in. The past/present and future is right there and you can sense it and feel it.

Going away for the summer, remembering being a little girl and anticipating our drive to Indiana to my grandparents house for a week (sometimes 2). Sometimes I remember those vacations while doing things with my children, so very far away from Indiana and the Midwest. At the beach, I can remember Lake Michigan as a little girl. I remember digging my feet into the sand and kicking and digging out hills and holes with my feet. I watch my son do the same thing right in front of me in Provincetown. I can imagine my daughter doing the same thing next year.

My son's french fries look and smell similar to the ones I used to eat in a small soda shop in Indiana; the wonder of picking up small living creatures and showing them to my daughter reminds me of times I used to catch garter snakes and crawdads and lightning bugs.

I think of the recent past.

The times we came here as just a couple. Having moved 800 miles away from family and friends. Having little money but still wanting time on vacation. We went to Bed & Breakfasts and found the ocean and low tides with creatures lying on the rutted sand like a museum display. We rode bikes along the ocean and we found ourselves as adults.

I spent time with just my four year old son (dad had to go back to work early) and we went in bumper boats (I was scared to death--he was in a bumper boat by himself, while I was in another bumper boat). This year my son and I did a motorized Go Kart.

Feeling the present. Wanting it to last. Wanting my life to just PAUSE in the moment. To enjoy the sea breeze and sunset. To enjoy Willow seeing waves crashing. Michael wading in the ocean and being 20 yards away from a seal.

I want to write down what we did, but I know that it is inadequate. Memories and time are fluid and even now this vacation is becoming part of the past, part of the passage of time that sometimes makes us forget. All I can do is merely journal notes and post pictures so that my mind can remember.

-----------------------------------------

(Pretty somber, eh?!) Okay, enough of that...here's some places we went and stuff we did...

When we first got there, we went to one of our favorite seafood restaurants and had some good ole fried seafood:



The next day we went to Martha's Vineyard. We found these Ginger Houses that we did not even know about...even though we have went to the Vineyard many times before.



This was also where Willow decided to keep working on her shoe fascination. She took off her shoes and found some abandoned flip flops.



Later, Michael engaged in one of the favorite things to do on Cape Cod--eat ice cream--on a carousel figure!



Another day we went to Eastham.

We had pizza and pasta at the Red Barn and played video games and mini-golf.

Willow liked the pasta...



One day it did rain...


I love this picture. It has so many colors I like and embodies my son in so many ways...

But, we went to a paint your own pottery place and have mementos of our time there...



And, the next day, it was beautiful and we went to the beach again...



Amongst the things we did: laughed, played, got sand everywhere (hey, did you know that sand can be digested? imagine that in a diaper!). We watched boats and ships; we went on a ferry, we played mini-golf more than once--and Willow liked to take our balls off the green and run away with them...we had fun and time together as a family. I am glad for it.

Now, back to regularly scheduled life.


Show & Tell exclusive: Extra Picture--a blue and red lobster!



* No, I did not go to see the movie. Had the opportunity to go to the drive in to see it, but the reviews sounded like it sucked. I will probably see it on the cheap. I hate it when they screw up books!


Click to see who else is Showing & Telling.

Home

Just got back from vacation. It is always surreal to come back home after being away for a week. Out of touch from reality and then to come back to it. The past week is a blur of images and experiences. Some were our traditional/annual pilgrimages (to Provincetown to the private beach that we park at; to Eastham and the Red Barn Pizza/MiniGolf/Arcade) and some were new (an Alpaca Farm; Go-Karts(!)). I want to journal more about our adventures. I want to remember everything. Pictures do not do it justice. There were many times during this vacation that I was proud of our children. Many times when I was awed by the splendor of nature. And many times when I was relaxed and happy. More thoughts later...

Random pictures:


View outside our window. Ocean/private beach across street.


First morning. I love the hair!


Woods Hole--aquarium (its free!). This is the part where the kids can pet a horseshoe crab...


An octopus in a jar!

Alpacas!


Provincetown Beach yesterday.