My blog, my rules!

Hey. I realize I didn't post last week, but the week went faster than I expected. It's like time is speeding up in anticipation of SCHOOL.
So last week, we painted, got school supplies, Fiona went to the doctor (for a check up), had friends over for dinner, went to friend's houses for dinner, went for a walk in the woods, stayed up late and made the most of the last week of summer. And I can't seem to remember to bring my camera along for much of it.

Adrian was in my studio & found my color wheel & wanted to make one of his own. Grand idea!

Fiona just likes to paint.

At her doctor's appointment we learned that she is 37 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds. (no wonder my back hurts at the end of the day!) 3 more inches & 5 more pounds and she'll be out of the baby car seat (and I will be dancing in the street). I plan on updating you on the first day of school...

This week...

On Sunday last we went to the Brookfield Zoo. It was hot. We saw all kinds of animals, including the super awesome new bear exhibit (complete with Bison!) which will only get better as the seasons roll on. I am looking forward to our annual freeze-yr-buns-off day at the zoo which we take the week before Christmas.
As a result of this jaunt Adrian is quite sure that he wants to be a zoologist. I was 5 when I decided I was going to be an artist, so I figure this could stick. He's been saying he wants to be a scientist and has been pleading for a microscope (but if he can't keep from using a magnifying glass as a hammer I don't think he's quite ready), a telescope, and an incubator. I keep pointing out the survival rate of baby birds in a house with 2 cats, but in his rosy view of the world the cats would know better. (Also, what do you do when you are up to your elbows in adolescent birds?)
And Fiona's take on the whole affair? She has been a variety of animals through the week: a seagull, a wolf, a tiger, a lemur. She's really into the whole pretending aspect of play and I am really enjoying it. Especially when she tells me that she is a tiger and would like tiger food. (What's tiger food? Orange ice pops)
As for me...I had a birthday. It was low key...I worked, Aaron worked. Adrian gave me 10 hugs & 10 kisses. Fiona said "Happy birthday! I'm 3!"

Tomorrow we (the kids & I) are going to the Bristol Renaissance Faire for 2 reasons: 1. It is scouts day 2. Adrian is going to receive the badges he has earned in Spiral Scouts this year (Geology, Cooking, Photography, Swimming, Hospitality) and Fiona is going to receive her Gold Club Pin (for learning scouty things. It's the pre-req for earning the other badges). As I am going to be single-parenting it I am NERVOUS. Adrian rarely leaves my side in public places, but Fiona will take off like a monkey with his tail on fire. And I can't imagine he'll have a whole lot of fun chasing his sister when there are scout-type activities at every turn. In all, I am just hoping that nobody gets lost and nobody gets hurt. Having fun will have to wait until next year.

As we wind down...

As summer draws to a close, I have been trying to do a project a week with the kids. Something different, something that draws them outdoors and gets them to really LOOK at the world, not just move through it. My greatest ally in this crafty nature parade has been a website. It's a collection of craft projects for kids and goes faaaaar beyond pine-cone-peanut-butter bird feeders & popsicle stick picture frames.
And that is where I nabbed this idea:

Flowers AS paintbrushes.

We paint regularly around here, using a variety of paints: watercolor, acrylic, finger paint. We have learned the character and limitations of each. It was fun to watch the kids explore a familiar media with an unfamiliar tool. We used black-eyed susans and queen anne's lace as that was what was in the vase at the table. This will be interesting to try again next year, with a wider variety of flowers.

The worst part

about having kids is that it turns you into a broken record.

My soundtrack for the past 2 hours: Bed. Now.

Fiona is a jack in the box and it is CRAZY MAKING to level hereby reserved only for ex boyfriends and late pizza delivery guys.

She's lucky she's so dang cute or she'd be on the first train to Birmingham.

Easy Peasy Apple Sauce

I was in the midst of trying to create a new & exciting dinner from leftovers when I realized that we had no veg dishes the kids would eat...so I decided to make applesauce. But the easy way--in the microwave!
You'll need 2-4 apples, peeled & cut into chunks. Throw that in a 4 cup-ish microwave-safe bowl.
Add 1/4 cup water (trust me you NEED this). Microwave for about 7 minutes (or until the apples are squishy when poked with a fork). Remove from microwave & mash the bejesus out of the apples. We add a teaspoon of honey and a half teaspoon of cinnamon to ours. Let it cool a bit, and then chow down....Ours never sits long enough to get cold!

Goodbye, July!

There was playing outside after dinner.... Trips to the library...

A trip to the beach (Kemil Beach, Lake Michigan)...

Fresh sugar snap peas from the garden--a green vegetable ADRIAN WILL EAT!

And a 12 week art project that I started. I am closing up week 2. There was also work, and play and hiking at Lake Katherine.

We are gearing up for August--and August 1 celebrates the first harvest. We will be celebrating with friends and food.

blurt

hey!
i have started a 12-week art challenge.
i was going to sit & tell you about it at length, but it sounds as though the children are bent on global destruction....
so, i'll be back later.

(kiss kiss)

So....really...

I haven't been blogging out of sheer laziness. Yes indeed, I have a case of SUMMER. We have been taking it easy, filling our days with outdoor play, library trips, and cookouts with friends.
And talking to friends who live really far away....

And Fiona is THREE. She is enjoying herself & the summer days. We've been swimming, out to catch lightening bugs, making home made ice cream & stopping by the farmers market.

Our own garden is SLOW GOING. We have had plenty of rain, but not too much heat...so the plants are taking their sweet time.

And now I have to go fold laundry before I head to work.

today's lesson: you should always have mayonaisse on hand for removing pine sap from little boy's hair.

TODAY FIONA IS 3!
And what did she want for birthday breakfast? Popcorn.

Aint that the way?

I am out of the habit of doing anything after the kidlets are in bed, so I find myself aimlessly shuffling through the house picking up discarded toys, mate-less socks, and wishing I had the energy to force myself downstairs into my lovely cozy studio.

The wee ones are off on separate adventures this weekend, so maybe I'll find some time to spend getting covered in paint, sewing, soldering...
That is in between the house-chore list, work, 2 meetings and a trip to the vet.

I forsee a lot of peanut butter sandwiches eaten off of papertowels in the coming days....

pickin a good one

A lot has happened in a week-ish. My brother, his girlfriend, former roommate & his girlfriend came to visit for 3 full days (2 travel days). The kids loved the extra audience, I loved having adult-type-peoples to talk to.

Adrian has 2 weeks left in school...and I am trying to figure out how to keep him just busy enough. He will be spending his first 5 days of vacation in DC with grandparents. After that we have camping, birthday parties (fiona turns 3!), and a tentative trip to the beach. Who knows.
I think we'll just roll with it. That's a good life skill, too--right?

fiona's new favorite activity: glue & glitter.
my house is sparkly!

Happy Monday After

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all!

Mine was good, how was yours?

Top 10 things about Mother's Day 2010

1. Foxgloves!

2. Hydrangea (hopefully this one will survive)

3. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (FYI: this wins over chocolate)

4. BBQ!

5. Tball meets volleyball in a bizarre combination game

6. Somebody I know & love is pregnant & I was finally allowed to share the news (it's been trying to slip out for WEEKS)

7. Handmade presents from little kids. Awesome. Every. Time.

8. Fiona getting over her fever and sleeping in!

9. Glueing & glittering with enthusiastic kids.

10. Mrs Plummers Chocolate-Pudding cake. (I think I'll invite her to EVERYTHING. That cake rocked my socks)

can anybody explain to me why a 5 year old would have 46 shirts shoved into one drawer?
(and have 10 more hanging in the closet?)

me: fiona, i am mad.
fiona: you not mad. you spicy!

Hooray for May!

We are 2 weeks from our last frost date. And my gardening pants are getting antsy!

The windows are open, and the house is filled with the smell of fresh-cut grass, spring blossoms, and vanilla crepes (our latest breakfast of choice).

I am slowly introducing the kids to french cuisine, so that when we take our trip to Paris they will be able to order food with comfort. Although I can tell you now that lapin is going to be a hard sell.

I am struggling with my own dilemma. I watched Food, Inc. and then I watched This American Life season 1, episode 6. And now I can't buy meat from the grocery store. I was in the meat aisle yesterday and I just couldn't do it. It's about more than the treatment of animals. It's about all of the chemicals that go into raising quick-sell meat. It's about the fact that homes around industrial pig farms have water that is undrinkable because it's contaminated with pig feces. It's about unethical treatment of employees by industrial food companies. So, I am in search of a halal butcher or a farmer who does it the way it has been done for centuries.

me: fiona, did you draw all over you?
fiona: yes. i've got skills!

Workin Hard

Working harder this week to keep Adrian busy enough that terrorizing his sister doesn't seem like a good way to spend his time. So far we have finger painted, dug in the dirt, and observed local wildlife (bunnies! birds!bugs!)

Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

today was the kind of day that makes you want to call all your single friends & tell them not to have kids.

It's April!

And I am so FAR BEHIND on yard work it might as well be November. Also, I need a rain barrel (or 4) and it turns out the easter bunny doesn't deliver those.

The kids and I dug many many many dandelions out of the backyard this afternoon...and we still have many many to go. I just got tired of looking out the window & seeing dandelions where other things are supposed to grow. But I did notice hostas peeking up through the ground AND the daffodils have started to open. I think I am going to plant a million of them in the fall.

Also, I need to dig out last years worm bin & set up a for real compost pile.
And direct-sow my cold-weather crops. And pre-order my strawberries.

So much to do! You would thin with the kids getting up at 6, I'd be all over it.

Pictures at some point in the future.
Now bed is calling.

Updates

Fiona: got to pet a Uromastyx today. (It's a lizard from somewhere very very hot & very very dry) At one of the local pet shops there is a wall of amphibians & reptiles. We go there frequently to admire all the animals. I took Fion today while Adrian was at school. We didnt see the lizard who is usually doing all kinds of attempting to escape, so we figured he was gone. But no! The friendly pet-store-lady fished him out of his hiding place & let Fiona pet him. And then there were introductions: Hi uromastyx, I'm Fiona and this is my brother Mommy. (Everyone is Fiona's brother. Her actual brother, the cats, the dog, the birds that nest in our yard)

Adrian: has been spending A LOT of time in the time out spot. I can't decide if he's just not listening, or if he is listening and choosing to ignore me. Either way it's infuriating. When he is behaving he's a regular Prince Charming. He starts T Ball on Thursday. And they are required to wear protective gear. Where am I supposed to find a cup for a 40 pound 5 year old? I already told Aaron he has to be the one to explain how to put the thing on.

Me: The antibiotics seem to have worked (hurrah!). I have a follow-up appointment on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to getting the go-ahead to resume regular activity so I can get out into the garden and walk the dog.

Round 2 of antibiotics for pneumonia, as round 1 didn't work. I feel like a science experiment.

fuuuuuh.

It's kinda like being hit in the face with a porcupine...

I got a call from the doctor's office today. The radiologist finally got around to looking at my chest x-rays and hey! I have pneumonia. Back to the doctors on Monday. With another co-pay.

Aaron found out that his gracious employers might be cutting his salary by 15%. If that happens, we'll have to sell the house...

but we can't do that because the upstairs bathtub has drainage problems that include water running down the wall of the bathroom below. And our newly installed roof in the upstairs bath seems to be leaking.

The glory of antibiotics!

Hello!

I am back (mostly) to the land of the living. The past 15 days, I have been brewing a nasty case of bronchitis! I saw the doctor! I had to have chest x rays! (And who doesn't love a big ol' dose of radiation when they are ill?) The good news: It's not pneumonia! The bad news: It's bronchitis!
I exit with a steroid-based inhaler, a prescription for antibiotics, and the desire for a nap.

I am on the mend, and don't sound so much like a phlegm factory. In my downtime, I haven't really kept up with the laundry (just doing enough to get by--underwear? who needs it?!). And wouldn't ya know it? The snow has melted, the weather is warming, and my yard & garden beds need some serious tending to. And the dog needs to be walked. And my mom is coming for a visit in 5 days.

I am trying not to fret over that and instead enjoy getting better.
With that may come more blogging, but I promise nothing!

Good times...mostly

A Fiona update!
Anybody who knows me well knows I have a million nicknames for my kids. Lately, Fiona has taken objection to all of them. It goes like this:
Me: Good Morning, sunshine!
Fiona: I'm not Sunshine, I'm Fiona!
or
Me: Hello, my love!
Fiona: I'm not a wove, I'm Fiona!
(repeat, ad nauseum)
But she's always so cheerful about it, I don't mind much....
The other one, however, has been carrying around his own cloud of doom & gloom. Last week he was off sick and sprang a wicked case of hives one night. And in the midst of his sickness, he completely forgot his manners, or how to talk to people.
He wasn't poor, pitiful Adrian, he was mean & ugly Adrian. It didn't endear me much to him, and put a damper on any sympathy we had for his hideous cough.
Today he is no longer sick, but the nastiness remains. In the course of this morning he has been banished to solitude twice for being awful.
Aaron keeps reminding me that he will be going to school this afternoon, but all I can do is worry about sending the beast into a classroom of 4 & 5 year olds....
Is this just a phase? Or is this hideous behavior Adrian-specific?

The strangest girl

I thought that I would forever be the strangest girl wherever I lived...however my beloved Fiona is making strides to best me even before she turns 3.

Tonight we were waiting for our potatoes to finish baking so we could sit down to dinner and I asked her if she wanted some bread or some chicken.
Her reply?
"No thanks. I want broccoli!"

How you know...

How you know when the sick day is over:

Adrian: I want to watch Dirty Jobs!

Me: Ok. But first you're going to eat some chicken soup.

Adrian: What? Why?!

(note that all of adrian's communications are at MAXIMUM VOLUME. Sore throat? I think not.)

it is negative 7 degrees with the wind chill. without the wind it is a balmy 9 degrees. ferenheit.
I HATE YOU, OLD MAN WINTER!

Busy little bees are we...

So I missed posting last week. Could have been that every time I went to sit at the computer I had 2 kids at my side with a whole list of "Mom can I...", could have been that I needed a week to recover from a VERY LONG 4 day weekend. Could just have been that I forgot.
I honestly don't remember much these days....
But I do know that our time has been filled with dress-up, art projects, books, and as much silliness as a body can handle. Because if you are going to get a little cabin fever, it's best to get the silly kind. The best-loved silliness here goes like this:
Me: (sneeze!)
(look around until I catch eye contact from one of the kids)
Was that you?!

That is the funniest thing EVER, according to our resident 5 year old.

Anywho, I'm off to do my 1 hour of art for the day. Enjoy the pics.

This was 2 weeks ago. Today we hit 43 degrees and are currently enjoying a light drizzle. I am considering breaking out the short sleeves & having a hula party.

Turning a corner

Maybe it was just openly admitting a case of the blahs, or maybe it's that Adrian craves to know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING but I have gone and decided to make the best of the next 10 weeks of winter. (10 weeks--gag!)
Thus far we have

1. Created a question box. In it, we put questions he has that I don't have answers to. (Currently I need someone who knows about porcupines and someone who knows about bees--Nessa I'm looking at you)

2. Caught snowflakes on black paper & examined them w/a magnifying glass. (EVERY household should have a magnifying glass)

3. Tonight we are timing how long it takes for ice to form outside (it's 22 degrees). We also put animal-shaped cookie cutters into the tray of water--I'll let you know how that pans out.

4. Looked up craft projects for later. I reeeeally need to restock the kids craft bin. We are all out of pipe cleaners, pom poms, and googly eyes. I learned that with wax paperas a non-stick surface you can make a whole mess of stuff out of stuff from your kitchen.

5. This coming weekend is a 4 day weekend for Adrian. I thought we could get crafty, get cozy, and learn a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. And if I can get Fiona into snowpants (or newspaper bags) we can go out into the yard and make some snow sculptures. Our current accumulation is about 6 inches (measuring will come later)

Fried polenta cakes for breakfast. Heaven!

Unh hunh unh hunh

I have been busy trying not to be "ogre mom". It is tough work, let me tell you. I think its just the season...I've said it before, I'll say it every year until I shuffle off this mortal coil: I HATE WINTER.
I feel no joy in a snowy landscape. I don't look forward to first frosts, wool sweaters, thermal underwear, and all that heavily layered stuff.

So, I am trying to overcome the tiny black cloud that follows me like a balloon & not take it out on the kids. (After all, they can't even tie their shoes--it would be highly unlikely they could build a weather-changing device out of legos & shiny gum wrappers for me)
And as winter draaaags on, I have less patience, less time for fun & frolic. Today, it was pretty sunny out so I made a point to sit in a sunbeam for as long as I could.

And its becoming harder to live up to the goal for 2010: don't forget to have a good time.
Blah!
Winter is a roller coaster of blah!
I'm going to drink some hot chocolate and read something funny. All this stewing is no good.
More later.

Happy New Year!
My resolution is as follows: Don't Forget To Have A Good Time.
What's yours?

Fiscal responsibility, lesson 1

This morning Adrian woke up at 6:30, turned on the TV to PBS (now that the remote is lost, we set it and he CANT change it--haha!) and played with Fiona's Animal Hospital (what she got for Christmas) until I rolled out of bed at 8. (I KNOW)
I stumbled towards the bathroom & he called out to me: wait! I have something important to ask you!
(I am squinting at him with one good eye and standing on one leg b/c I REALLY have to pee) yes? (raspy morning voice)
Can we get a kitten? An orange one? Please? I love cats!
My response: I'm going to the bathroom. Then we'll talk.

The short answer: no.
The long answer: We have 2 cats & a dog already. And having a pet is also a financial responsibility and right now we just don't have the money for extra vet bills.

This evolved into a talk about our current animals' vet schedules (cats in the spring, dog in the fall) and eventually led to him asking "when will we have the money to get another cat?"

Maybe he should be saving for THAT instead of a computer.
What do you think?

Last night Fiona slept in her toddler bed ALL NIGHT and woke up sunny at 8:30. At which point she came downstairs and said "goodmorning, mama!"
I just love that girl.

So...it's winter

I know that I havent really said hi in a while b/c I was looking for pictures to post and the most recent ones are from November. Ah-ha-ha, yeees. I have been busy & distracted. Busy with work, busy with the kids, busy trying to keep myself from hibernating like I feel I should do every winter. The good news is that all my hard work at work has paid off and I am now a money-making tattooist, the bad news is our mortgage company misfigured our taxes by $5,000 and now wants to raise our monthly payment to half of Aaron's take-home pay. We joke that it's a good thing our kids like white rice & ramen so much.
Thanksgiving was super good--my parents & brother flew out to us and we ate all the traditional stuff, plus a few things that I have made my own: wild rice w/cranberries & pears and a corn casserole. We were all glad to be together, and once again Uncle Jono was the hit of the party. I remember my uncles being fun-in-human-form, and I think that's how the kids see Jono.

And I made Nana's Tea Biscuits for Papa D. He and Adrian frosted and sprinkled them, and had a jolly good time at it. Mom and Dad drove up from VA, and brought a car load of boxes that they had packed away when I left home. Toys, books, and my very first pair of doc marten boots. I have asked Aaron to give them a polish for me for Christmas, because nobody shines shoes quite like a military man.

adrian has declared that he is saving his money to buy his OWN computer. as i can figure, he's 10% of the way there.
you have to admire his ambition.

6:15 AM is too early for the harmonica. I'm just saying.

In review

Adrian & Aaron are looking at Good Guys magazine. It's a magazine completely devoted to classic cars. They are really into it. It sounds like this:
Aaron: whoa! check that out.
Adrian: Awesome.
(page turns)
Adrian: Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
(page turns)
Adrian: Not awesome. Awesome! Awesome!
(page turns)
Adrian: Awesome!
Aaron: You don't have to say awesome after every car.
(page turns)
Adrian: hot-cha-cha!

fiona & i looked through the grocery store's sale flyer this afternoon. when we were done, she told me 'that was a good story'.

adrian: can we go to the north pole so i can give my letter to santa?
me: no, you have a birthday party to go to after school.

As predicted by my highschool biology teacher...

I am delinquent in nearly everything i do. Here are some photos from the Pirate birthday party...

Pirates demand cake!

Pirates get cake!

And my mom was here! For 4 days, which is not nearly enough time but we'll take what we can get. We cooked, we carved pumpkins, we partied, we trick-or-treated, we crammed in as much as we could AND I remembered to take pictures.

Things that are teh awesome.

1. throwing a Pirate Party for your kid's 5th birthday party, because that's what he wanted. (how awesome is it to have a kid that requests, nay demands! his friends talk & dress like pirates?)

2. having other adult-type friends who dress as pirates for the party so I am not dorky costumed mom...I am dorky costumed mom with friends! also, having adult-type friends who are handy with tools build a pirate game to occupy tiny ones.*

3. in the spirit of the season, rewatching old horror films. Bela Lugosi as Dracula is awesome, in a cheese-in-the-can kind of a way. Tonight's feature is Night of The Living Dead!

4. my mom comes for a visit tomorrow. I will be showing her off like a space-age robot.

5. Every time we mention trick-or-treat, Fiona interprets it to: chocolate milk. This has led to a number of improvisations--Fiona as an elephant, drinking chocolate milk. Fiona as a dinosaur, drinking chocolate milk. The action is always the same, but the narrative is what really makes it worthwhile.

6. K and Fuz move into their new house (woo! and congrats!)


*I am not sure if I failed to explain it properly or if they were just more interested in yanking each other around by a length of rope, but the game didn't happen as it was described to me.

New new new!

My oh my! It's always exciting to get things done around the house. Aaron thinks I'm overly ambitious, but the truth of the matter is that I am proactive and he is reactive. I'm also really good at getting him to see things my way. Aaaaah, the power of persistence. (It only took me 5 years to get a dog, after all). To that end, we got a new roof. When we bought the house, there were 3 layers of shingles up there--and the inspector said we could probably squeeze 4 years out of the existing roof. But then some guys came by and gave us an estimate, and I figured lets just do it. (DO IT NOW, screamed the little voice in my head)

We did a complete tear-off, and you know what they found under those 3 layers of shingles? Three holes in our roof. Right over Adrian's bedroom. Which may explain why his room was SO MUCH COLDER than the rest of the house last winter. One of the holes was big enough to put a basketball in. And I took pictures. So here they are, for your viewing pleasure.

Hole number one. AKA the really big one. And if you look up towards the crest of the roof, you can see hole number two.

Hole number 3. The slightly smaller one.

Thankfully, all have been repaired and we have a new roof on top of them.

It just goes to show: you never know what's under there!

Product review, 4-year-old style.

Me: Here, Adrian I got you some more tape.

Adrian: A whole roll? Can I keep it?

Me: Yes, a whole roll just for you. I know how you love the tape.

Adrian: Yes. Because it is SO handy.

Right quick...

I am about to fall asleep where I stand, but I thought I should check in first. Hello! All is well! Children are giant! Adrian will be 5 in 13 days. He is vibrating with excitement.
And a funny: I have this Aunt, she's one of my favorite people EVER, and whenever I am having a grumpy day I know that I can call her and she'll say the exact right thing to cheer me up. One of these things has evolved into a long-standing joke. If the kids are being too much of a handful, she tells me to put them in a box & send them to her via the UPS man.
So this week, Fion climbed into an empty cardboard box and I said to her: What do you think? Should we send you to Aunt Carmela?
And she thought for a moment and replied: Yes. To Aunt Gorilla, please.

Noodles one and two, signing off.

Yesterday Adrian's scout group had their ceremonial wherein the kids received the badges they had earned over the year. Adrian got 8! The ceremonial was held at Kankakee River State Park, which is about an hour from our house. On the way home, Adrian asked to get dinner from the drive-thru.
Usually I avoid the drive-thru. I don't like the culture, I don't think the food is healthy, I don't like all the trash that is a result of a meal-in-a-bag. But I was exhausted from corraling 2 kids out in the woods all day, and he had been really good so we pulled up to a McDonalds. I don't really like McDonalds either--they are like the WalMart of the food industry and I find them distasteful. I placed the order for 2 happy meals, and the voice-from-a-box asked if they were for boys or girls. (a small alarm went off, but I ignored it) I said one of each. We drive to the first window and pay, then we drive to the second window and get our bags.

Once home, I get a good look at the toys. Adrian got a hot wheels car--cool. He loves those things and 1 car can keep him busy for HOURS.
Fiona got a Barbie compact with lip gloss.
I lost my shit.

Make up is not a toy. Children don't need it (they don't need hot wheels cars either, but that's not the point I'm trying to make).
In one seemingly innocent package, McDonalds manages to deliver a load of social conditioning and a message about gender roles.
Again, I lost my shit.
And I know some of you are probably thinking "Relax, it's just a toy. It's just about having fun".
Go and ask any grown woman you know WHY she puts on make up. I will guarantee you it's not because she needs a dose of fun before she heads out the door in the morning.
Halloween make up is fun. Clown make up is fun (creepy, but fun).

But a mirrored compact with lip gloss is just setting girls up for disappointment. There are only a limited number of play scenarios that you can use that particular item in. And none of them seem to encourage girls to be proud of their bodies and their brains.
I was hoping that we had moved past the idea that girls are to be concerned with how they look, whereas boys are to be concerned with how things work.

So, that's my soapbox.
Thanks for visiting.

And now I'm back!

I went away for 4 days, to Connecticut/Maine/Connecticut to visit my brother/go to a wedding of a dear friend. It was wonderful and strange to be travelling alone. I got a lot of guff for leaving the kids behind, but I needed 4 days of not being a mom to put my head back on straight.

And then tonight, further evidence of Adrian's precociousness:

AD: Mom, is Santa real?

ME: oh god oh god think quick, don't ruin the magic yet, he'll be that kid on the playground, what am I going to--What do you think?

AD: I think he's imaginary.

ME: he can NOT have figured this out already, he's only 4 for crying out loud What does that mean?

AD: That he's like a dream.

ME: AHA! But he brings real presents.

AD: Sometimes dreams really do come true, Mom.

ME: (trying not to laugh) I guess so buddy.


Not really a lie, not really the truth. Is Santa real? I don't know. I know I perpetuate the myth because I like the idea of a jolly guy in a red suit who hands out toys to the good kids and coal to the bad ones. I'm fairly certain that's the first little step in teaching our kids the ideal of Justice. Plus it comes with the added puzzler of how does he see me all the time? And not just me, but every kid, all over the world?
So it's a lesson on justice and espionage. And who doesn't want that for Christmas?

@ the philadelphia airport. I can't help thinking that it seems weird to eat a cheesesteak in the airport. Like you're cheating, somehow.

Putting Fiona down for a nap.
Me: I love you.
Fiona: I love dinosaurs!

o hai

I just looked at the calendar and realized it was September. Ha ha. So I should probably finish the epic tale of our trip to New Jersey.
I could go on in detail, but it sounds like the kids are about to stage a World Wrestling Federation style throw-down, so I will be brief. Adrian swims! Nessa's sister-in-law, Dakota, came over for swim lessons. Fiona also swims, but I didn't get that on film (I know, major disappointment)

And the OCEAN! I love the ocean. Adrian also loves the ocean. Fiona likes the sand, but mostly she wanted to hang in the baby pool at the beach club. There's no accounting for taste, I suppose.

Nessa taught Adrian all about the intricacies of sandcastle building & decorating.

School again, school again!

The little ones finally rolled out of bed at 8:30 (once again proving the rule that on days when you need them up and at 'em, they will not oblige).
Breakfast was homemade zucchini muffins (which Adrian loves) and vanilla yogurt. Adrian ate the muffins, Fiona ate the yogurt. Then I loaded them into the car to drop Fiona off at a friend's house, drove the 3 blocks back in the rain, and Adrian & I walked to school.
We saw familiar faces from last year--every sentence ending with an exclamation point--and new faces, hiding behind parents, with worried, furrowed brows. I encouraged Adrian to talk with the new boys in his class--later I explained to him that having a friendly face makes new things less scary sometimes. He's a natural ambassador, and was happy to make connections and chat up strangers his own size. It's those moments when you are so proud of the little people that they are. And yes, I spent most of the morning fighting back tears. Partially, it was watching Adrian dive right in and get comfy and then partially it was thinking of 2 little boys we know who will be starting this school year without their mother.
They are 5 and 7 and they live several states away. And every time I think of those boys, I get a lump in my throat and I just want to reach out and hold them close. To let them know that they are loved, and that so many people are holding them in their hearts.

It's the first day of school

And both the kids are still snoozing away.

When they wake, there will be homemade muffins.

And a cheerful mom! (A cup of coffee in the quiet does a body good.)

Buzz buzz

Hello and sorry for the hiatus.
Back to vacation recap!
One of the many things that is cool about Camp Ness is her amazing gardens. The other cool thing is that she has her own beehives. 2 of them. This is really cool to me, but to a 4 year old it is AWESOME.
What else could we do but suit him up? And take him out to meet the bees...

Nessa smokes the hive...

Pulls off some burr comb (which is what i think that's called, but fully welcoming any corrections here)...

And there stands my first-born...inches away from TWO HIVES full of busy, busy bees.

And lastly, our beloved Nessa, with a frame o' bees. The upper left corner is capped because it is full of honey. I know this because Nessa made me stick my finger into it, break the cap & taste some honey. While all of those bees were ON THE FRAME doing their bee thing.

(Anyone who knows me well will realize that this is a big deal. Prior to my lessons in bees I would have been doing the nervous dance, and not standing there with a camera trying to get pictures. Thanks for the new knowledge, Nessa!)

So now Adrian is agitating for his own hives....

On the Farm

Nessa took us to the Farm, where the kids saw dogs, cats, goats, cows, a sicilian donkey and horses! Lots of horses.
We visited them in the barn, and then...

Pudgy took Adrian on a ride! This is Silver, who also volunteers at a summer camp for disabled kids. It was a bareback ride. He's now a self-descibed "fan of horses".
Fiona watched the whole thing, and then declared that she too wanted to ride onna horse.

Or as she said "Oney do it. Oney ride a horse"

I love how fearless Fiona can be.

Huge Dogs! (Or vacation at Nessa's, Part 1)

Hello!
We have returned, slightly tanned, from our 2 week stay at Camp Newfie. The kids loved the dogs, the dogs loved the kids. And our own pooch looks like a pocket dog in comparison. Nanook, in front, and Pooka in back. You'll note that Pooka is taller than Adrian.

Adrian learned a few important facts about dogs while we were there. 1) Dogs respond to your tone of voice 2) You cannot be the boss if you are acting like a brat.

Fiona, Nessa, Adrian walking to see the horses on the farm.

This is Silver. There is an exciting horse story to be told, but Adrian is currently saying:

Mom! Mom! Watch! I can stand on one leg! Watch me! look! Look!

So I will have to fill you in later.

We are home safe and happy to be back.

(Happy to leave, happy to come home. That's how it's supposed to go, yes?)

I saw Cyndi Lauper in concert last night.
she stood on my chair.
my actual chair.
it was awesome.

there is something wonderful & terrifying about watching your best friend manhandle thousands of bees.
buzz buzz

the kids went horseback riding today.
also, there were goats, cows, dogs, cats, barn swallows, and a sicilian donkey.
yay!

Last weekend

We had a tent city! And, shock & awe, the kids actually slept outside all night. I was kind of hoping Adrian would bail so I wouldn't have to sleep on the ground. I have never enjoyed sleeping on the ground. And the older I get, the less I like it. This week, we packed up a big box and mailed it to New Jersey so we wouldn't have to check any luggage at the airport. Why are we going to New Jersey? To visit my bestest friend and her 2 ginormous dogs.
This will be Fiona's first trip on an airplane. I'm not sure what to expect from her. She's completely different from Adrian (aka adventure boy). She may be charming and delightful and really excited OR she could scream & cry & cling to me so tightly that she leaves little finger-sized bruises (true story). I will brace myself for the worst & hope for the best.
Also I am packing a bag of Mary Poppins proportions full of snacks & art supplies.
Can I take a glue stick on an airplane?
I am so excited! I have ants in my pants.
We leave Wednesday. Maybe I'll blog while I'm there, maybe I'll see you upon our return.
Ciao!

i've run out of patience. i'm so far out, at any moment it is plausible that my head will burst open and millions of tiny aliens'll take over the world.

my train is broken

Train of thought, that is.
I start a blog post in my head before I even sit down at the computer. You'll have to trust me on this next part: in my brain I am funny and engaging and enjoyable.
But then...
I sit down at the computer. And that's when the train gets busted. Apparently the act of opening the computer cupboard turns Adrian into a chattering monkey boy. He will stand at my elbow and repeat himself until I acknowledge that he has said something. And then when he runs out of things to say he goes: what, mom? what? what did you say?
And I'll say: I didn't say anything.
And he says: no, before that.
(if this were a cartoon I'd run screaming & waving my arms above my head)

This weekend promises to be busy and hopefully not too rainy.
Saturday is the farmers market and friends over for a slumber party (moms & kids!). Aaron is working nights so we have decided to take advantage of his absence instead of moping around like mopey moperson.
Sunday is scouts & the Caribbean Block Party. Last year it was so hot I sweated off 2 pounds. This year the high should be 68.
68 in JULY.
This weather is a weird joke that I'm not getting.

Crap. Adrian is singing "sticky, sticky bubblegum" from the next room.
I hope I wont need the scissors.

Wowza.

We returned home from swim lessons this morning to find this fuzzy little guy climbing the railing on the front steps. I have no idea what kind of butterfly he'll turn into, so if anybody out there knows of a good place to identify him, let me know! Last week I was out of the house and Aaron had the kids. This is what they get up to when I'm not around... floor tea parties, wearing my clothes, and general mayhem.

And how was your 4th of July? Ours was rainy, so we spent all day in a 1000 square foot home with 14 other people. Then on the 5th, we had scouts. And the 6th, there was morning swim lessons. So it's little wonder Adrian came home & racked out for 3 hours.

We're nearly half way through July, and I am EXHAUSTED. This kid needs to go back to school so I can nap!

The rest of July will bring us more scout meetings, doctor's appointments, and a trip on an airplane...

but that is a story for next time.

Cheerio, lovelies!

Happy 4th!

I would love to say that I haven't posted because I have been spending many days napping and lounging by the wading pool. Truth is, summer days fill up fast and I am determined to spend as much time outside while the weather is above freezing.
Adrian just returned from a 4 day holiday at his Nana & Papa's house. He saw a baseball game, had a bonfire, played with Aunt Erica (his favorite person in the world) and Elvis (the boxer dog who lives next door). Elvis can shake and will chase a ball. Our dog chases rabbits and does a lot of this: But anyone who knows me will tell you, I am not well suited to a high energy dog. I would be napping frequently if I could.
We will be spending our day with friends, eating and laughing. Kids will play, dogs will run and I am glad to live in a place where my children are safe and loved.

I hope your Independence Day is a good one!

Hey! It's Hot!

I know you're really here for the pictures, but I'm gonna make you read some stuff first.
As you may know, we have been going through some unseasonably warm weather these past few days--and it promises to continue through Sunday. Everywhere I look, people are wilty, droopy and uncomfortable. But for me, this is summer. I grew up (mostly) in Arlington, VA where 90 weather is normal for all of July and August, and parts of June and September. For me, summer is about being hot & sticky. It's about relishing those moments spent in the water, be it a pool or a creek. It's about drinking gallons of kool-aid, and sucking all the flavor out of popsicles until you're left with ice on a stick. It's sleeping with a fan inches away because Mom doesn't turn on the a/c until the thermometer reads 100. It's cooking & eating outside because the house is too hot.
These are the things that make you really appreciate the cool breezes of Fall.
And now, the reason you've all come:

And Adrian. When you get up at 5 AM, drawing all over yourself is a perfectly reasonable use of time.

she's 2!

Fiona is 2!
more later when she's not trying to scale me like mt. everest.....

Aaron: how old is this popcorn?

Me: i made it on tues--no, monday.

Aaron: yeah. it kinda has the consistency of bubblegum.