There is something qualitatively different about Jesse since he came back from his CA trip.
Truthfully, it does seem like being six is really a milestone of some kind. Since he came back, everyone's been commenting on how big he is, and seems, and how much he now is REALLY like his dad. J and I still have the same struggles, like him ignoring me, but it seems like a lightbulb has gone on for him in the sensitivity department. Last night when a few women from church were here and he couldn't sleep, I sat him down in the kitchen with milk and some peanut butter on bread. He said, "Thanks and oh, sorry to separate you from your friends."
Perhaps there's even a new level of confidence in him as he runs around with his friends outside--he's been squirting the neighbor boys with water guns. (Yesterday when he was done, he cleaned the outside of the kitchen windows using the water gun and rag with Luci.) Apparently, he's old enough to eat ice cream without asking his mom, too. Ike, a 10 year old, has now bought Jesse a few ice creams from the truck that comes everyday. It must feel so great to not have to go through me to get ice cream and to just have it bestowed upon him by a friend who's got money. Looks like I might need to talk to Ike about treating Jesse only once a week.
Sidenote: Luci has totally gotten in touch with her Luci/womanly/whatever charms and is now using them to get free lollipops and gum balls from shopkeepers. Several times in the last week now, I have said no to her requests on the way to shops. But somehow, the men offer her sweets from the counter or just tell her to take one. The first time it happened she came out of the shop and said in a sing-songy way, "HA, HA! The man gave me a lollipop."
Samuel is one amazing guy, and I have to say that that is an understatement. His favorite thing to do is to smile all the time. He's no longer the sleepy, slumpy baby. He likes to push up on his legs, and and watch Luci sing and dance for him--he loves her. He's developed a new squealy voice that is lovely and not too much. I can't get enough of him!
I love my kids--I really think they're great. I don't feel like I have lots of time for myself. That's obvious of course, and any parent knows that. But while I am finding them delicious, I also feel extremely disconnected from the journeys other people are on and it kind of makes me sad particularly where there are a lot of people suffering right now. There's huge health issues plaguing, and literally killing, family of friends of mine (not to mention that my Grandma is really old and I haven't seen her in ages!) and I realize I haven't connected with or even thought about these people much. It's a weird place to be--wanting to care for people but feeling like I'm at the whim of my own memory, which I know if overly affected by lack of sleep and busyiness. I don't like this fact. And on that note, I am off.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Moving On
It has been a strange time for us lately.
Following the birth of Samuel, Darren made a whole lot of trips. He is currently away in CA with Jesse and will board a plane to come home tomorrow. He does normally do a bit of travelling but his has been a bit excessive due to him needing to fit his work trips in before we surrender our passports with our visa applications in August. Our friends were without their passports for 4 months so we need to be prepared for the fact that this could happen.
Knowing that it would be a bit much for me to handle all 3 kids while he was away, Darren thought that it would be good if Luci accompanied him on his Kenya trip and Jesse accompany him on his CA. This has worked out great! It's been an experiment in seeing how our kids are without each other and enjoying them in those forms. Luci apparently never had an attitude difficulty at all on the whole of her Kenya trip. It was a bit weird here at home because I was so used to relating to Jesse in the presence of Luci. (In her absence I would take on conversing with Jesse or reaching out to do something with him and sometimes it just felt like we ended up irritated at each other.) Darren is now with him in CA and discovering (well D's pretty much suspected it all along) that Jesse is quite an introvert, not saying much during car trips (except to express that he is sick) and hunkering down to do art while being present in some of D's meetings. (I talked to my friend Mariah on the phone today in CA and she said she's been thinking of Darren and Jesse as twins because they look and act so much alike.) I've been at home with Luci surrounded by her almost constant joy--I almost can't believe I'm saying that because she can really give us a hard time, but without her most accessible rival J she is pretty much happy all the time. Perhaps the down side to the happiness is the level of enthusiasm that goes into her chattering from morning to night.
I feel like we have a new life to start with Samuel when he comes home. Samuel has really changed in the last 2 weeks while D has been away. He is really tracking with people. If they are moving he is watching and if they are conversing with him, he is doing his best to take in all in, often cooing things back. He loves when Luci sings and dances for him. Now there's a person who can fully appreciate Luci's exuberance, he just smiles and smiles at her and thinks she's beautiful I'm sure--everything Luci could hope for, an audience that adores her.
We've enjoyed experiencing our kids as separate people and it makes it exciting to think about what they will be like when they are older.
Following the birth of Samuel, Darren made a whole lot of trips. He is currently away in CA with Jesse and will board a plane to come home tomorrow. He does normally do a bit of travelling but his has been a bit excessive due to him needing to fit his work trips in before we surrender our passports with our visa applications in August. Our friends were without their passports for 4 months so we need to be prepared for the fact that this could happen.
Knowing that it would be a bit much for me to handle all 3 kids while he was away, Darren thought that it would be good if Luci accompanied him on his Kenya trip and Jesse accompany him on his CA. This has worked out great! It's been an experiment in seeing how our kids are without each other and enjoying them in those forms. Luci apparently never had an attitude difficulty at all on the whole of her Kenya trip. It was a bit weird here at home because I was so used to relating to Jesse in the presence of Luci. (In her absence I would take on conversing with Jesse or reaching out to do something with him and sometimes it just felt like we ended up irritated at each other.) Darren is now with him in CA and discovering (well D's pretty much suspected it all along) that Jesse is quite an introvert, not saying much during car trips (except to express that he is sick) and hunkering down to do art while being present in some of D's meetings. (I talked to my friend Mariah on the phone today in CA and she said she's been thinking of Darren and Jesse as twins because they look and act so much alike.) I've been at home with Luci surrounded by her almost constant joy--I almost can't believe I'm saying that because she can really give us a hard time, but without her most accessible rival J she is pretty much happy all the time. Perhaps the down side to the happiness is the level of enthusiasm that goes into her chattering from morning to night.
I feel like we have a new life to start with Samuel when he comes home. Samuel has really changed in the last 2 weeks while D has been away. He is really tracking with people. If they are moving he is watching and if they are conversing with him, he is doing his best to take in all in, often cooing things back. He loves when Luci sings and dances for him. Now there's a person who can fully appreciate Luci's exuberance, he just smiles and smiles at her and thinks she's beautiful I'm sure--everything Luci could hope for, an audience that adores her.
We've enjoyed experiencing our kids as separate people and it makes it exciting to think about what they will be like when they are older.
Friday, May 29, 2009
there is a moment
Wait--no there's not. I hear Samuel.
Oh well, he can work to get those soothing hands to his mouth for a minute.
So Samuel was born on March 26 and he is fabulous. I declare that he is our easiest baby for which we are very thankful. It's not that he's a fabulous sleeper--it's just that he seems so much more content and I am not so much on pins and needles as I was with the others. Maybe it's the 3rd and last time around and the knowledge of that that makes me just want to stare at him all the time. thankfully, the other 2 go to school and so I have the pleasure of doing that while not ignoring Jesse and Luci.
He is now 2 months old and in those 2 months, so much has happened. My parents have come and gone, as well as Jennifer, and now the Scandrette fam of 5 is here and we have 10 people sleeping in this house. And I am surprised at how well we have shared this space. It's been fun having ALL of our visitors.
Jesse had his first concert (after many afternoons in choir club) a week ago. He did great and it was awesome to see so many kids show their musical and acting skills as well as mingle with the parents and eat ethnic food afterwards. Luci continues to be a whole load of fun and funny, more on that later. The warm weather is unmatched in longevity to any we experienced last year at this time and it has brought the children flooding onto the pavement in front of our place. This means we have seen J grow into more of his boyhood as he now has regular football games with the neighborhood boys. It's just the outlet I've been praying for for him and you can see how much it pleases him to run around and get sweaty. In fact, he took his first real shower last night after coming in drenched. It was a hoot to hear him laugh and say "it tickles" as the water hit his skin.
I'm off.
Oh well, he can work to get those soothing hands to his mouth for a minute.
So Samuel was born on March 26 and he is fabulous. I declare that he is our easiest baby for which we are very thankful. It's not that he's a fabulous sleeper--it's just that he seems so much more content and I am not so much on pins and needles as I was with the others. Maybe it's the 3rd and last time around and the knowledge of that that makes me just want to stare at him all the time. thankfully, the other 2 go to school and so I have the pleasure of doing that while not ignoring Jesse and Luci.
He is now 2 months old and in those 2 months, so much has happened. My parents have come and gone, as well as Jennifer, and now the Scandrette fam of 5 is here and we have 10 people sleeping in this house. And I am surprised at how well we have shared this space. It's been fun having ALL of our visitors.
Jesse had his first concert (after many afternoons in choir club) a week ago. He did great and it was awesome to see so many kids show their musical and acting skills as well as mingle with the parents and eat ethnic food afterwards. Luci continues to be a whole load of fun and funny, more on that later. The warm weather is unmatched in longevity to any we experienced last year at this time and it has brought the children flooding onto the pavement in front of our place. This means we have seen J grow into more of his boyhood as he now has regular football games with the neighborhood boys. It's just the outlet I've been praying for for him and you can see how much it pleases him to run around and get sweaty. In fact, he took his first real shower last night after coming in drenched. It was a hoot to hear him laugh and say "it tickles" as the water hit his skin.
I'm off.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
One Last Pregnancy Rant--maybe?
Soooooooo....one day before the due date is where we're at. This baby's so late! Compared to the other 2 of course, Jesse who came a week early and Luci who came 2 to 4 days early, does anyone remember?
Up until this point I've been a bit frustrated that he hasn't come--perhaps it's mostly related to the constant inquiries that would be more interesting on the other side of things as well as, this forward movement by us to get the house in order, do this, that, and every other thing. I am sick of all that for now (though I really need to replant my salad greens with that potting soil before he comes) and I am ready to get back to life as NORMAL though of course there is irony in that thinking. But maybe I could grab a lady friend for a quick coffee?
I shouldn't be complaining but say, if I did, what would my complaints be? Well, it would be that I'm slightly tired of a bum stretching the middle of my abdomen, tired of being called Brave for venturing anywhere--really?
Actually, pause for a funny story: My friend Shajna and I were shopping at Petticoat Lane market, a place for deals especially when it comes to a winter coat NOW which I thought would be a practical purchase given the thinning of the money with a 3rd and the fact that my other one completely fell apart. When I pulled off my black trench the guys selling the gray winter coat I had my eye on jumped back and said "WHOA!" One said, "When you due? and Shouldn't you like be at home?" and the other one whose exact words I can't remember jovially conveyed the sentiment, "Should you, big lady, be trying on that quite smaller coat?"
And on another note, it really is funny the way we (I do it too) try to engage in conversation with pregnant people. I had an interaction at the library with a lady who, trying to catch my eye said, "You having twins?" I, smiling, and thinking she was ridiculous, said "No." She said, oh "When are you due?" I said "in a few days." To which she said, "Quite small aren't you?" The thought from then on was "When can I get off this elevator?"
Oh yes, back to complaining......these things have provided a level of entertainment but I think I am ready to move on. Though if the "lateness" of this child has anything to do with his mild, quiet, laid-back temperament that I am hoping he will have, I am very happy to wait around. I will also be sad to never hear what a "neat bump" I have around here. I love that little English expression, though I have to ask, "What is the opposite?" A sloppy pile?
For some reason, I am extremely hyper right now, and actually haven't had a load of sleep due to my size and congestion. Darren was saying that I flipped over so rapidly in bed during the night that it was scaring him. To which I say, "Have you seen those sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco?" Clearly they cannot use little effort and move slowly to flip their 300 pounds plus over--it takes momentum.
I will have to post some end-stage pregnancy pictures.............
Up until this point I've been a bit frustrated that he hasn't come--perhaps it's mostly related to the constant inquiries that would be more interesting on the other side of things as well as, this forward movement by us to get the house in order, do this, that, and every other thing. I am sick of all that for now (though I really need to replant my salad greens with that potting soil before he comes) and I am ready to get back to life as NORMAL though of course there is irony in that thinking. But maybe I could grab a lady friend for a quick coffee?
I shouldn't be complaining but say, if I did, what would my complaints be? Well, it would be that I'm slightly tired of a bum stretching the middle of my abdomen, tired of being called Brave for venturing anywhere--really?
Actually, pause for a funny story: My friend Shajna and I were shopping at Petticoat Lane market, a place for deals especially when it comes to a winter coat NOW which I thought would be a practical purchase given the thinning of the money with a 3rd and the fact that my other one completely fell apart. When I pulled off my black trench the guys selling the gray winter coat I had my eye on jumped back and said "WHOA!" One said, "When you due? and Shouldn't you like be at home?" and the other one whose exact words I can't remember jovially conveyed the sentiment, "Should you, big lady, be trying on that quite smaller coat?"
And on another note, it really is funny the way we (I do it too) try to engage in conversation with pregnant people. I had an interaction at the library with a lady who, trying to catch my eye said, "You having twins?" I, smiling, and thinking she was ridiculous, said "No." She said, oh "When are you due?" I said "in a few days." To which she said, "Quite small aren't you?" The thought from then on was "When can I get off this elevator?"
Oh yes, back to complaining......these things have provided a level of entertainment but I think I am ready to move on. Though if the "lateness" of this child has anything to do with his mild, quiet, laid-back temperament that I am hoping he will have, I am very happy to wait around. I will also be sad to never hear what a "neat bump" I have around here. I love that little English expression, though I have to ask, "What is the opposite?" A sloppy pile?
For some reason, I am extremely hyper right now, and actually haven't had a load of sleep due to my size and congestion. Darren was saying that I flipped over so rapidly in bed during the night that it was scaring him. To which I say, "Have you seen those sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco?" Clearly they cannot use little effort and move slowly to flip their 300 pounds plus over--it takes momentum.
I will have to post some end-stage pregnancy pictures.............
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Preparation Phase
Last week was a bit rough because I had a small fear that I would go into labor when D wasn't here but now that fear is gone because he's back. And along with it is the feeling of being slightly back to normal. I feel like I can be active like I like to be and not worry about going to go into labor because it would be just fine. (Last week I was trying to limit myself.)
FYI, when Darren came home, he got to work putting our new bed frame together (we haven't had one in 8 years of marriage) and putting the glider together too. We also ditched our box spring onto our "porch" which looks just lovely as it waits to be picked up by the rubbish folks on Wednesday. We are downsizing and hopefully upsizing to the right things. I find myself endlessly preparing and I endeavor to not do any of that tonight, I just want to relax. I'm done with window washing (where were you Dan?) and painting for now and I long for my regular thoughts and endeavors. So alas, I am off to reclaim them. It's exciting to think about baby this and that but then it does get boring after a while. It's been fun to see our particular flat as home for a while and to try to make the most of it though it is quite shabby in certain areas. Our neighbors have been particularly neighborly to be around (the warmer weather always helps) and every day I open the door to the primary school boys upstairs who want to borrow J's scooter. They are so amazingly polite and I love that we can share things and that scooter time means they are outside living it up and not inside being depressed or watching gobs of tv. By the way, daffodils are out in full force all over the place. That means Luci is busy picking them and the world here is soooooo much prettier. It's an amazing transformation that has taken place in the last 2 weeks.
Anyways, here's some pics of the baby room in progress. You can see Jesse nursing, Luci looking colorful, and Jesse reading to Luci in the new glider.
FYI, when Darren came home, he got to work putting our new bed frame together (we haven't had one in 8 years of marriage) and putting the glider together too. We also ditched our box spring onto our "porch" which looks just lovely as it waits to be picked up by the rubbish folks on Wednesday. We are downsizing and hopefully upsizing to the right things. I find myself endlessly preparing and I endeavor to not do any of that tonight, I just want to relax. I'm done with window washing (where were you Dan?) and painting for now and I long for my regular thoughts and endeavors. So alas, I am off to reclaim them. It's exciting to think about baby this and that but then it does get boring after a while. It's been fun to see our particular flat as home for a while and to try to make the most of it though it is quite shabby in certain areas. Our neighbors have been particularly neighborly to be around (the warmer weather always helps) and every day I open the door to the primary school boys upstairs who want to borrow J's scooter. They are so amazingly polite and I love that we can share things and that scooter time means they are outside living it up and not inside being depressed or watching gobs of tv. By the way, daffodils are out in full force all over the place. That means Luci is busy picking them and the world here is soooooo much prettier. It's an amazing transformation that has taken place in the last 2 weeks.
Anyways, here's some pics of the baby room in progress. You can see Jesse nursing, Luci looking colorful, and Jesse reading to Luci in the new glider.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Sights and Sounds
Luci at the beach when we went on church retreat. We were supposed to build a butterfly there out of leaves that she had brought from the retreat center but I didn't think or care about that in the cold. But she still reminds me about how I didn't follow through with that. Guess that's why she has a fresh batch of leaves on the table downstairs for me.
Tonight we had a CRM London get-together at our place. It looks much too spacious in the picture. Trust me, it wasn't. We had 8 children and 8 adults, with J being the only boy but that's okay because we discovered lately that he doesn't mind being pig-piled on by tons of girls.
Jesse did the eyeliner for angry eyebrows himself. Thanks to Papa Dan for giving him the book that inspired him.
Jesse and art. He made these amazing "scenes" taped standing up on plastic plates of ours.
Thought I'd post just little soundbites from around here lately in an attempt to recap what's been going on.
Don't worry, people but I am 2 weeks from my due date and Darren has been away on an almost 5 day work trip. It has been challenging in some ways (we both didn't really want him to go) but has worked out great in other ways. Before he left, I was having lots of at least pre-labor feelings--funny aches in my legs that I definitely had before J and L's births, etc. And I was a bit nervous that I would go into labor while he was away. If I did though, I would at least be encouraged by the presence of some great friends. Really the offers of help have been amazing--thank you friends! I had a list given to me by a bunch of friends at church that showed their am/pm availability in terms of child care or a car run to the birthing centre. My friend Noel and her husband have helped me out with taking Lu to school extra times since D has been away. Joel who lives across the street (an old friend/co-worker from Boston) took J to school on Friday. My friend Louise offered to cook dinner over here on Friday--wonderful--but an offer I didn't even take her up on because I already had 2 women coming over to hand out and were already providing dinner and a movie. And then my friend Will spontaneously took the kids on Saturday out to lunch with his kid and entertained them for another 4 hours. (While trying to keep the body sensations at bay I laid down, walked Peanut--and the only reliable and thorough way for me to do this now is for me to run her with me on the bike--wash the outside of my windows, and lay down again). I've felt really blessed by friends. Also, I was off to do an errand on Thursday when my leg had a shooting weird sensation so I turned around and walked back up the sidewalk to go home. It was about 30 seconds later that my friend Ivetta from across the street who is also a mom at J's school knocked on my door. She had seen me grab my leg and ran over to check on me, with just her slippers on. It was really touching.
FYI, Darren should be on a plane right now about to head home from Miami!
Needless to say, I'm feeling REALLY pregnant. I found myself doing some heavy breathing (not the labor kind) last night due to carrying all this weight around. (And, Americans, I have no idea how much weight because I don't own a scale and they do not weigh you during pregnancy here.) Truthfully, I have felt really good during this pregnancy, probably better than when I was pregnant with Luci, which wasn't all that bad, but I do think I am slightly bigger than before and this baby's kicks makes him appear to be huge. I've already decided that I need to sleep when he is sleeping because the kicking is a nuisance. I am trying to savor this, the last of my pregnancies, but I fluctuate--I want to meet him, then I want to read one more book or do one more project uninterrupted, and then I feel entirely bored by these outfits that repeat themselves incessantly.
I find myself wondering if you can psychologically put off labor while your husband is away, or while the bassinette is not quite put together or your not done painting the walls you plan to have done before the baby comes. We've now got the clothes lined up, the Moses Basket lined with clean sheets, the changing pad and rocking chair (though unassembled) arrived this week, my new citilite bargain stroller came in the post (Hurray!), and my friends who came over to dinner tonite also brought a crib that converts to toddler bed. I've also managed to a do a fair amount of cleaning out so that we haven't, at least, accumulated.
The kids have been interesting......They definitely had a significant bad streak since Lu's bday. Around that time I noticed how much she was advancing in certain areas but then also was digressing, which I think is a common thing to occur temporarily with kids. She was suddenly into threatening biting again, etc. but then was amazingly attempting shirts over her head (which she had insisted she was nevah, evah gonna do) by herself. I can honestly say she has been wowing me the past few days with her accomplishments like fully dressing herself this morning and doing it again with her pjs tonite. I love how she comes to me for affirmation--I AM so proud of her! While I celebrate her growth, I do want to hold onto certain things, like the way she says yellow, which is "lellow", and I wish Jesse would stop correcting her. She also tells me great stories from her day at school and things she doesn't like, like when she bumped her knee while walking past the table and the kids laughed but she didn't understand why. And she is forever my bottom-feeder, picking up lost buttons and glittery things she finds on the floor at school to bring home. We have also discovered that Luci is a gift person. Clearly the giving and loving to receive has gone on for a long time but I thought it was the usual kid thing and hadn't paid much attention. But she is always finding things (like daffodils which are rampant now in the parks!) to give people and one day--this really drove the point home--she asked me to pick a branch of cherry blossoms for her and one for Jesse to have when I picked her up from school so that she could receive them from me when her teachers called her name to dismiss her. I love that gifts (both giving and receiving) are her love language but it was a bit hard for me to swallow at first realizing how much of an anti-consumer I can be and the fact that I'm definitely NOT a gift-giver. I, of course, can't help but think of Lu's Aunt Sarah (D's sis) who enjoys the art of gift-giving and how much they must have in common.
So Jesse and Luci are 2 peas in a pod-for good and bad. They are soooo creative--I do want to compliment them but they have had me on edge lately because you never know when the next creative move or object will lead to harm or house destruction. Jesse churns out a thousand and one art creations every day, which are very good, but the impact is incredible--paper scraps, constant demands to find the end of the tape or the scissors, gluey table-tops, purple-tainted water spills from paint projects, lentils all over the living room from a sudden inclination to make a bean mosaic. This idea of him to make a bean mosaic was heart-warming. I can see him now, slaving away over his art table with our silver topped canisters containing red lentils, pinto beans, pop-corn. He puts so much care and inspiration into his creations. But I am struggling lately to appreciate and be enthusiastic about his endeavors because I am overwhelmed by how much clean-up that results. He honestly tries to clean up but I'm astonished by what he misses and can't believe this artist could overlook so many of his markers on the floor without tops.
On that note, however, he has been wonderful helping his sister get dressed or her coat on so that they can beat me getting ready to go out. He also tolerates a lot from her when he tries to correct or direct her. (One thing I've been trying to teach him lately is to be only my message bearer to Luci, not also my punitive measure bearer. He'll tell her that I want them to come down for dinner and then get really frustrated at her lack of compliance and start grabbing her, etc. which just leads to a fight.)
This leads me to say that it must be really hard to be the eldest sometimes and I do feel for him. But I am so happy about the beautiful friendship they have. Just the other day Luci was attacking Jesse from behind while he was trying to get dressed for school and they were giggling the whole time while he was trying to break free and get his shirt on. They truly love each other and it sure does make you wonder where this 3rd child is gonna position himself.
By the way, it was World Book Day at my kids' schools on Thursday and they were supposed to dress up as book characters. So Jesse was Pharoah and won a prize again this year in his class, and Luci was Angelina Ballerina.
Tonight we had a CRM London get-together at our place. It looks much too spacious in the picture. Trust me, it wasn't. We had 8 children and 8 adults, with J being the only boy but that's okay because we discovered lately that he doesn't mind being pig-piled on by tons of girls.
Jesse did the eyeliner for angry eyebrows himself. Thanks to Papa Dan for giving him the book that inspired him.
Jesse and art. He made these amazing "scenes" taped standing up on plastic plates of ours.
Thought I'd post just little soundbites from around here lately in an attempt to recap what's been going on.
Don't worry, people but I am 2 weeks from my due date and Darren has been away on an almost 5 day work trip. It has been challenging in some ways (we both didn't really want him to go) but has worked out great in other ways. Before he left, I was having lots of at least pre-labor feelings--funny aches in my legs that I definitely had before J and L's births, etc. And I was a bit nervous that I would go into labor while he was away. If I did though, I would at least be encouraged by the presence of some great friends. Really the offers of help have been amazing--thank you friends! I had a list given to me by a bunch of friends at church that showed their am/pm availability in terms of child care or a car run to the birthing centre. My friend Noel and her husband have helped me out with taking Lu to school extra times since D has been away. Joel who lives across the street (an old friend/co-worker from Boston) took J to school on Friday. My friend Louise offered to cook dinner over here on Friday--wonderful--but an offer I didn't even take her up on because I already had 2 women coming over to hand out and were already providing dinner and a movie. And then my friend Will spontaneously took the kids on Saturday out to lunch with his kid and entertained them for another 4 hours. (While trying to keep the body sensations at bay I laid down, walked Peanut--and the only reliable and thorough way for me to do this now is for me to run her with me on the bike--wash the outside of my windows, and lay down again). I've felt really blessed by friends. Also, I was off to do an errand on Thursday when my leg had a shooting weird sensation so I turned around and walked back up the sidewalk to go home. It was about 30 seconds later that my friend Ivetta from across the street who is also a mom at J's school knocked on my door. She had seen me grab my leg and ran over to check on me, with just her slippers on. It was really touching.
FYI, Darren should be on a plane right now about to head home from Miami!
Needless to say, I'm feeling REALLY pregnant. I found myself doing some heavy breathing (not the labor kind) last night due to carrying all this weight around. (And, Americans, I have no idea how much weight because I don't own a scale and they do not weigh you during pregnancy here.) Truthfully, I have felt really good during this pregnancy, probably better than when I was pregnant with Luci, which wasn't all that bad, but I do think I am slightly bigger than before and this baby's kicks makes him appear to be huge. I've already decided that I need to sleep when he is sleeping because the kicking is a nuisance. I am trying to savor this, the last of my pregnancies, but I fluctuate--I want to meet him, then I want to read one more book or do one more project uninterrupted, and then I feel entirely bored by these outfits that repeat themselves incessantly.
I find myself wondering if you can psychologically put off labor while your husband is away, or while the bassinette is not quite put together or your not done painting the walls you plan to have done before the baby comes. We've now got the clothes lined up, the Moses Basket lined with clean sheets, the changing pad and rocking chair (though unassembled) arrived this week, my new citilite bargain stroller came in the post (Hurray!), and my friends who came over to dinner tonite also brought a crib that converts to toddler bed. I've also managed to a do a fair amount of cleaning out so that we haven't, at least, accumulated.
The kids have been interesting......They definitely had a significant bad streak since Lu's bday. Around that time I noticed how much she was advancing in certain areas but then also was digressing, which I think is a common thing to occur temporarily with kids. She was suddenly into threatening biting again, etc. but then was amazingly attempting shirts over her head (which she had insisted she was nevah, evah gonna do) by herself. I can honestly say she has been wowing me the past few days with her accomplishments like fully dressing herself this morning and doing it again with her pjs tonite. I love how she comes to me for affirmation--I AM so proud of her! While I celebrate her growth, I do want to hold onto certain things, like the way she says yellow, which is "lellow", and I wish Jesse would stop correcting her. She also tells me great stories from her day at school and things she doesn't like, like when she bumped her knee while walking past the table and the kids laughed but she didn't understand why. And she is forever my bottom-feeder, picking up lost buttons and glittery things she finds on the floor at school to bring home. We have also discovered that Luci is a gift person. Clearly the giving and loving to receive has gone on for a long time but I thought it was the usual kid thing and hadn't paid much attention. But she is always finding things (like daffodils which are rampant now in the parks!) to give people and one day--this really drove the point home--she asked me to pick a branch of cherry blossoms for her and one for Jesse to have when I picked her up from school so that she could receive them from me when her teachers called her name to dismiss her. I love that gifts (both giving and receiving) are her love language but it was a bit hard for me to swallow at first realizing how much of an anti-consumer I can be and the fact that I'm definitely NOT a gift-giver. I, of course, can't help but think of Lu's Aunt Sarah (D's sis) who enjoys the art of gift-giving and how much they must have in common.
So Jesse and Luci are 2 peas in a pod-for good and bad. They are soooo creative--I do want to compliment them but they have had me on edge lately because you never know when the next creative move or object will lead to harm or house destruction. Jesse churns out a thousand and one art creations every day, which are very good, but the impact is incredible--paper scraps, constant demands to find the end of the tape or the scissors, gluey table-tops, purple-tainted water spills from paint projects, lentils all over the living room from a sudden inclination to make a bean mosaic. This idea of him to make a bean mosaic was heart-warming. I can see him now, slaving away over his art table with our silver topped canisters containing red lentils, pinto beans, pop-corn. He puts so much care and inspiration into his creations. But I am struggling lately to appreciate and be enthusiastic about his endeavors because I am overwhelmed by how much clean-up that results. He honestly tries to clean up but I'm astonished by what he misses and can't believe this artist could overlook so many of his markers on the floor without tops.
On that note, however, he has been wonderful helping his sister get dressed or her coat on so that they can beat me getting ready to go out. He also tolerates a lot from her when he tries to correct or direct her. (One thing I've been trying to teach him lately is to be only my message bearer to Luci, not also my punitive measure bearer. He'll tell her that I want them to come down for dinner and then get really frustrated at her lack of compliance and start grabbing her, etc. which just leads to a fight.)
This leads me to say that it must be really hard to be the eldest sometimes and I do feel for him. But I am so happy about the beautiful friendship they have. Just the other day Luci was attacking Jesse from behind while he was trying to get dressed for school and they were giggling the whole time while he was trying to break free and get his shirt on. They truly love each other and it sure does make you wonder where this 3rd child is gonna position himself.
By the way, it was World Book Day at my kids' schools on Thursday and they were supposed to dress up as book characters. So Jesse was Pharoah and won a prize again this year in his class, and Luci was Angelina Ballerina.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Snow Day!
Not really, not today I mean. Just pictures I never posted from about a month ago when snow dumped on London and the kids were out of school.
But before that, I should say that the baby's due date is less than a month away. It's hit that point where I'm not really savoring being pregnant anymore (though I'm trying) and I'm just excited about him coming--though I have to say I haven't packed my hospital bag, I've merely accumulated a pile. (Thanks to Hannah who also informed me that I should pack a bag for my kids too in case we need to scramble them to someone's house--that really hadn't crossed my mind but good thinkin') I've really been feeling good 'til about 8 or 9 in the evening when I can not bear to be on my feet anymore because my back hurts and I start to stiffen up. However, today was totally different. All it took was a little housework in the morning, to prepare for having a meeting here, and I was a bit uncomfortable. My abdomen hurt and I was wondering if the baby was trying to reposition himself for some kind of exit. And then I felt better but a bit uncomfortable here and there throughout the day. I'm not trying to say that the baby's coming, at all, but acknowledging that this is how it could be for another month. I am definitely hoping that he will not make and exit before I am 37 weeks because I am looking forward to that enormous shiny bathtub at the Barkantine Birthing Centre and if he's earlier than that, they won't take me. Umm...I am also looking forward to my free dental cleaning on Friday that post-birth I will not receive free because that's right, when you are pregnant, you get free dental care here. Other things I'd like to get around to are purchasing a fabric covered rocking chair (can't believe they're so hard to find, I mean really!), finishing painting, putting a curtain up in the baby/guest room for real (those of you who have visited know the temporary sort-of crack house curtain job we utilize in some rooms), planting some seeds so I don't have to eat salad forever out of plastic bags, and cleaning and repairing my pushchair since I am so stubbornly preferential to the size of my stroller.
I made a commitment to myself and to a small group of women that I would be in bed by 9 these days so that I don't consume my life with busyness so this is all I have to say. Nitey-nite!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Luci is 4
So before I post some pics from her party, which we had yesterday on her birthday, I have to write about some of the funny things Luci's been doing since she is her ever-entertaining self.
Last week when I was playing Settlers with Jeannie, Rory, and Anna after the kids had gone to bed, I found the most un-Peanut like fur on Peanut. It was soft like down and it was growing and peeling off near her backside. Since I didn't want to get up from my chair and we were in the middle of the game, I just made a little pile of it on our already scuzzy rug and totally forgot about it.
The next day when I got up, I found Jesse and Luci sitting at the table eating bowls of cereal. And right next to Luci's bowl was her art project, entitled Furball, a nickname she has for Peanut. It was a blob of my almost red homemade old wholemeal playdo with the fur that I had left on the rug, plugged into it. Added onto that were big melty beads for Furball's eyes, ears etc. All I can say is that it was a sight to behold. As disgusting as it was, I had to save it in the window of my kitchen for several days because of it's utter Luciness.
These days, Luci is good on the phone. Both kids now answer, which is quite handy. Whenever I put Luci on the phone to talk to Darren and I've already said it's Daddy, Luci gets on the phone, asks who it is, and to the answer "Daddy", she asks, "Who's Daddy?" She does this every time she talks to him. Is this some kind of joke?
On another note, Luci loves her show Numberjacks, a very educational show that feature the blobby character "Problem Blob." I admit, I am DEFINITELY blobby now given that I am quite rotund, but a few months ago when I was getting dressed, she likened my body to the Problem Blob and thought that the Problem Blob had gotten ahold of me, which in her accent is Pwoblem Blwob.
Alright, so here are some pictures from yesterday. The party was pretty tame and pleasant. Darren was very lovely to set up the food for us and it turned out to be a nice time for the kids and the ladies. We didn't do anything except hang out and open presents--no pass the parcel or party favors, and therefore more laid back for us and less of an environmental nightmare, which is how children's parties usually appear to me.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Girlie Girls
My college friend Jeannie is here visiting from the States. Since she has visited London before and done that touristy stuff AND since it's been raining we decided that a shopping outing was on the agenda for the day. A little twist in the plan is that Luci tagged along as she was low-energy and getting over a coughing resurgence on Sunday.
Just to diverge for a moment. Sometimes I just adore her beyond words when she is sick because she is so quiet--her voice, her mannerisms, everything. She got up before the bunny clock and climbed in bed with us and then did not get out of bed until 10 and she let me feed her oatmeal in bed. I'd almost do anything to savor moments with this low-key, doll-like ginger head in my bed, she's so cute!
We got to Canary Wharf around 12:15 and set off to find Carluccio's, which apparently I need more practice locating, and I took the ladies to lunch. We had a yummy and fabulous time together and then browsed a few shops, some more seriously than the others. I never know if it is a mistake to take your girlie girl daughter into Monsoon but there's no doubt that it happened today. It is impossible to describe how wonderful the clothes and accessories are in there, especially for little girls and of course Luci instantly started asking me if we could get something off the accessory rack. Usually I say "no, we are not shopping for us", but since her birthday is on Sunday, I thought I'd indulge. She was so cute trying to choose which head-band to pick and we must have stood there for 20 minutes while she tried things on and said, " Now just give me a moment mummy while my head is winding up", which must be her words to describe the decision making process she was intensely in. She did finally decide but then we walked into Accessorize, which is connected to Monsoon, and was distracted again by beautiful things and wanting more. Thankfully we were able to opt out the more expensive item at Monsoon and buy a little more for our money, which included a hawaii outfit, headband, and hair elastics. I have to say that Luci was adorable and seemed to really enjoy the process of selection, instead of demanding 5 things in an ugly voice.
FYI for those of you who are familiar with shops here or wished they were able to find a fabulous winter coat while visiting (because England does at least give the illusion that you can find a winter coat that surpasses all other styles, colors, etc.), Jeannie did come home with a steal of a cream colored coat from Zara with boots from there as well.
Just to diverge for a moment. Sometimes I just adore her beyond words when she is sick because she is so quiet--her voice, her mannerisms, everything. She got up before the bunny clock and climbed in bed with us and then did not get out of bed until 10 and she let me feed her oatmeal in bed. I'd almost do anything to savor moments with this low-key, doll-like ginger head in my bed, she's so cute!
We got to Canary Wharf around 12:15 and set off to find Carluccio's, which apparently I need more practice locating, and I took the ladies to lunch. We had a yummy and fabulous time together and then browsed a few shops, some more seriously than the others. I never know if it is a mistake to take your girlie girl daughter into Monsoon but there's no doubt that it happened today. It is impossible to describe how wonderful the clothes and accessories are in there, especially for little girls and of course Luci instantly started asking me if we could get something off the accessory rack. Usually I say "no, we are not shopping for us", but since her birthday is on Sunday, I thought I'd indulge. She was so cute trying to choose which head-band to pick and we must have stood there for 20 minutes while she tried things on and said, " Now just give me a moment mummy while my head is winding up", which must be her words to describe the decision making process she was intensely in. She did finally decide but then we walked into Accessorize, which is connected to Monsoon, and was distracted again by beautiful things and wanting more. Thankfully we were able to opt out the more expensive item at Monsoon and buy a little more for our money, which included a hawaii outfit, headband, and hair elastics. I have to say that Luci was adorable and seemed to really enjoy the process of selection, instead of demanding 5 things in an ugly voice.
FYI for those of you who are familiar with shops here or wished they were able to find a fabulous winter coat while visiting (because England does at least give the illusion that you can find a winter coat that surpasses all other styles, colors, etc.), Jeannie did come home with a steal of a cream colored coat from Zara with boots from there as well.
Monday, February 02, 2009
WINTER WONDERLAND!
We had about 12 inches of snow in less than 24 hours, starting yesterday, so the kids' schools were cancelled and I was home with them today. I was going to keep them home anyway since this is not a common occurrence but it was great to have the council's blessing.
I cannot tell you what a different neighborhood I experienced today. From morning to night, children and fairly grown people were throwing snowballs at each other and the few cars going by. It was awesome to see some head coverings cast aside by young women as they opted to run around smashing each other with snow. Jesse and Luci were in and out and I was putting on their gear and then taking it off to place on the radiator more times than I can count. I was wishing for a sled and some waterproof gloves, but this is not weather that we are prepared for.
The night before, our friend Rory, who just moved in around the corner, came into our house whispering "Darren" (and it sounded exactly like Rory whispering) to announce that we had left our keys in the door and to invite us to go tobboganing at Hampstead Heath today. I decided that that adventure was out for the humans today but that if he wanted to take Peanut, he could gladly take her. So Peanut had a day away at the Heath with Rory and a family, and came back tired and (Jennifer skip this part) with a bloody toenail due to a little run-in with the escalator at the Tube station.
Today was so much fun. We built a snowman in the backyard with lots of care--walnuts for eyes, parsnip for nose, raisins for buttons, and of course a knit-hat and scarf. After the snowman lost its identity under a further couple inches of snow, Jesse smashed him to pieces, no permission asked, just with all the thrill of an excited boy.
We also saw lots of friends--Yvetta and her kids from across the street, my friend Yasmin and her 2 who came over, a friendly boy named Ike from upstairs, and my friend Noel who came kidless to drop off some baby clothes for me. Our parking lot, concrete courtyard and estate were filled with children and intermingling neighbors and in the words of one mum, "It is great--we've spent more time with the neighbors than we ever do during the summer." I have seriously never seen so many people on our estate, and I know it was that way all over town. It was also pleasant to have no cars on the road.
My highlight was opening the door to let Jesse in after he'd had a brief evening romp in the snow tonite, to be greated with a snowball in the face and a big burst of laughter.
I'm peopled out and going to bed and will have pictures for tomorrow.
I cannot tell you what a different neighborhood I experienced today. From morning to night, children and fairly grown people were throwing snowballs at each other and the few cars going by. It was awesome to see some head coverings cast aside by young women as they opted to run around smashing each other with snow. Jesse and Luci were in and out and I was putting on their gear and then taking it off to place on the radiator more times than I can count. I was wishing for a sled and some waterproof gloves, but this is not weather that we are prepared for.
The night before, our friend Rory, who just moved in around the corner, came into our house whispering "Darren" (and it sounded exactly like Rory whispering) to announce that we had left our keys in the door and to invite us to go tobboganing at Hampstead Heath today. I decided that that adventure was out for the humans today but that if he wanted to take Peanut, he could gladly take her. So Peanut had a day away at the Heath with Rory and a family, and came back tired and (Jennifer skip this part) with a bloody toenail due to a little run-in with the escalator at the Tube station.
Today was so much fun. We built a snowman in the backyard with lots of care--walnuts for eyes, parsnip for nose, raisins for buttons, and of course a knit-hat and scarf. After the snowman lost its identity under a further couple inches of snow, Jesse smashed him to pieces, no permission asked, just with all the thrill of an excited boy.
We also saw lots of friends--Yvetta and her kids from across the street, my friend Yasmin and her 2 who came over, a friendly boy named Ike from upstairs, and my friend Noel who came kidless to drop off some baby clothes for me. Our parking lot, concrete courtyard and estate were filled with children and intermingling neighbors and in the words of one mum, "It is great--we've spent more time with the neighbors than we ever do during the summer." I have seriously never seen so many people on our estate, and I know it was that way all over town. It was also pleasant to have no cars on the road.
My highlight was opening the door to let Jesse in after he'd had a brief evening romp in the snow tonite, to be greated with a snowball in the face and a big burst of laughter.
I'm peopled out and going to bed and will have pictures for tomorrow.
Monday, January 26, 2009
In Praise of Peanut
As most of you know, I haven't been thrilled at the way Peanut has been received (or not) in our neighborhood. And in truth, she's not a piece of cake in the house with a lot of people so I've often resented her. But I've had a really hard time not resenting the neighborhood in relation to her, because while she can be grumpy in the house, she is pretty fabulous on the outside.
And those of you who know Pea know how much she loves balls. So it was heart-warming to have a family over today who, when we went to the playground on our estate, threw the ball to her over and over and over again. It brought back the warm memories of leaving Pea standing outside the gate at Precita playground in SF and letting the ball roll under the fence so a child could throw it to her. Seriously, that is when I felt really proud to have her as my dog and it always drove home the joy it was to have her playful energy in our lives.
I have waited a year and a half to finally feel that feeling here. Sure, the macho gang guys at Stepney Green will acknowledge and occasionally throw the ball to her but they are more interested in the challenge it seems to be for people to be around a dog than they are into her for pure enjoyment. I was so delighted and relieved to see Sigourney, 3, and Quintin, 6 playing with her today. It might sound over the top to some of you or even most but it has been hard, day in and day out, and all day to see her rejected by most of the people around me--really, really hard. (It's actually also been hard to feel like God's beautiful creation has been going to waste because she's not given the time of day.)
And the funny thing (or not so funny thing) was that she was more at ease and calm in the house with our guests after that interaction than I have seen her in a long time.
And those of you who know Pea know how much she loves balls. So it was heart-warming to have a family over today who, when we went to the playground on our estate, threw the ball to her over and over and over again. It brought back the warm memories of leaving Pea standing outside the gate at Precita playground in SF and letting the ball roll under the fence so a child could throw it to her. Seriously, that is when I felt really proud to have her as my dog and it always drove home the joy it was to have her playful energy in our lives.
I have waited a year and a half to finally feel that feeling here. Sure, the macho gang guys at Stepney Green will acknowledge and occasionally throw the ball to her but they are more interested in the challenge it seems to be for people to be around a dog than they are into her for pure enjoyment. I was so delighted and relieved to see Sigourney, 3, and Quintin, 6 playing with her today. It might sound over the top to some of you or even most but it has been hard, day in and day out, and all day to see her rejected by most of the people around me--really, really hard. (It's actually also been hard to feel like God's beautiful creation has been going to waste because she's not given the time of day.)
And the funny thing (or not so funny thing) was that she was more at ease and calm in the house with our guests after that interaction than I have seen her in a long time.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
In Between the Coughs
Sometimes I blog in my mind and never actually get around to blogging....so sorry if I repeat myself.
Darren has been back now from SF for a bit but I feel it has taken us a while to settle back into our normal routines. Sure, there was routine, as the kids always go to school and as we regularly have meetings but D was sick a bit and jet-lagged and I was coughing and recuperating from trying to do all these stupid details to be able to begin a nursing class (don't ask) and everything just seemed busy. I'm also on this thrust towards getting particulars done in the house before the baby comes. Actually I'd like to get them done quite a while before the baby comes--like purchase a bed frame for us, find a Moses basket, paint some walls (trust me it's not just a preferential color change, it business that needs to be finished.) I am already excited about getting rid of maternity clothes just so they don't take up room here.
The kids have been mostly great. Luci is so fun and crazy and I'm not sure I like the fact that she will be turning 4 soon. Somehow I fear the maturity of 4 will take away her spirit, but alas, I don't think we are actually at risk for that. I love how her getting dressed in the morning has become slightly more ordered lately since she has taken to laying out her outfit, as it would appear on her body) on the floor--complete with jewelry, shoes, and hair decor. (I can't imagine how she'll cope with a school uniform come September.)
We had a second Christmas (in terms of opening presents) since D came back. He came back with a load of gifts from his side of the family for everyone and we had a second whirlwind of wrapping paper all over the lounge. Luci got a white fairy outfit from Nana and Jesse has been helping Luci get dressed up in it. I love when Luci wants to present herself to us as a princess and it consistently includes her holding her pink cell phone that Jennifer discarded (gifted) to her in one hand. Truly a modern-day princess must be able to be in contact with all her friends at any time from a pink phone!
Jesse has taken to reading in bed with his flashlight at night and pretty constantly saying he doesn't fall asleep easily any more. However, he fell asleep instantly tonight. Maybe that's because he and I had a date to the Tower of London this afternoon with some friends. He was pretty engaged with the swords, armor, guns and related games they had on display as much of the exhibits we walked by included those items. I believe I heard, "yay, I just killed a bunch of people!" come from his mouth today. I assure you that he is a very tender spirit that sings, draws, and likes silly poetry. One of the things I am thinking about lately though is how to find a regular outlet for his boyishness, especially after a day at school. He loves to horse around at the playground but is not up for joining football club. Though I'm not sure I will continue to let him decide on that because when my furniture is being jumped on or I am barely avoiding being socked in the stomach because of all this pent-up energy, I wonder "Who is in charge ?"
We had the Hayes girls (10 and 15) stay at our house for 2 nights and a day this week-end while their parents were on a retreat and it was a blast. Those girls have an amazing way of relating to our kids despite the age difference and I think I may actually have done a bit of sleeping in due to Alexandra reading stories to the kids this morning. Darren and I also got to stay up somewhat late with them last night teaching them Settlers of Catan. And I think I taught Alexandra to knit though sometimes I am not even sure I really know how to do it myself. Anyways, the Hayes girls' visit was enjoyed by all and our kids are not used to having so much attention--they were spoiled in a way.
I hope to keep up 2 things I reacquainted myself with when Darren was away--yogurt making and composting in my garden. Spring is coming and I'd like to use some of that soil, if it is that, for tomatoes, etc.
Forgot to mention that we also recently visited a birthing centre where we plan to have the next baby. I'm quite excited about the massive tubs and amazing facility. I'm hoping I'm not coughing when the due date rolls around as I am really sick of a recurring cough. My neighbor hasn't even seen me recently but referred to me as being sick the other day when we bumped into each other--I guess she hears the hacking cough from upstairs in her flat and was wondering what was wrong with me. I have no other symptoms, just that and the consequential headache from volume and force. Good thing that it is virtually gone now.
Darren has been back now from SF for a bit but I feel it has taken us a while to settle back into our normal routines. Sure, there was routine, as the kids always go to school and as we regularly have meetings but D was sick a bit and jet-lagged and I was coughing and recuperating from trying to do all these stupid details to be able to begin a nursing class (don't ask) and everything just seemed busy. I'm also on this thrust towards getting particulars done in the house before the baby comes. Actually I'd like to get them done quite a while before the baby comes--like purchase a bed frame for us, find a Moses basket, paint some walls (trust me it's not just a preferential color change, it business that needs to be finished.) I am already excited about getting rid of maternity clothes just so they don't take up room here.
The kids have been mostly great. Luci is so fun and crazy and I'm not sure I like the fact that she will be turning 4 soon. Somehow I fear the maturity of 4 will take away her spirit, but alas, I don't think we are actually at risk for that. I love how her getting dressed in the morning has become slightly more ordered lately since she has taken to laying out her outfit, as it would appear on her body) on the floor--complete with jewelry, shoes, and hair decor. (I can't imagine how she'll cope with a school uniform come September.)
We had a second Christmas (in terms of opening presents) since D came back. He came back with a load of gifts from his side of the family for everyone and we had a second whirlwind of wrapping paper all over the lounge. Luci got a white fairy outfit from Nana and Jesse has been helping Luci get dressed up in it. I love when Luci wants to present herself to us as a princess and it consistently includes her holding her pink cell phone that Jennifer discarded (gifted) to her in one hand. Truly a modern-day princess must be able to be in contact with all her friends at any time from a pink phone!
Jesse has taken to reading in bed with his flashlight at night and pretty constantly saying he doesn't fall asleep easily any more. However, he fell asleep instantly tonight. Maybe that's because he and I had a date to the Tower of London this afternoon with some friends. He was pretty engaged with the swords, armor, guns and related games they had on display as much of the exhibits we walked by included those items. I believe I heard, "yay, I just killed a bunch of people!" come from his mouth today. I assure you that he is a very tender spirit that sings, draws, and likes silly poetry. One of the things I am thinking about lately though is how to find a regular outlet for his boyishness, especially after a day at school. He loves to horse around at the playground but is not up for joining football club. Though I'm not sure I will continue to let him decide on that because when my furniture is being jumped on or I am barely avoiding being socked in the stomach because of all this pent-up energy, I wonder "Who is in charge ?"
We had the Hayes girls (10 and 15) stay at our house for 2 nights and a day this week-end while their parents were on a retreat and it was a blast. Those girls have an amazing way of relating to our kids despite the age difference and I think I may actually have done a bit of sleeping in due to Alexandra reading stories to the kids this morning. Darren and I also got to stay up somewhat late with them last night teaching them Settlers of Catan. And I think I taught Alexandra to knit though sometimes I am not even sure I really know how to do it myself. Anyways, the Hayes girls' visit was enjoyed by all and our kids are not used to having so much attention--they were spoiled in a way.
I hope to keep up 2 things I reacquainted myself with when Darren was away--yogurt making and composting in my garden. Spring is coming and I'd like to use some of that soil, if it is that, for tomatoes, etc.
Forgot to mention that we also recently visited a birthing centre where we plan to have the next baby. I'm quite excited about the massive tubs and amazing facility. I'm hoping I'm not coughing when the due date rolls around as I am really sick of a recurring cough. My neighbor hasn't even seen me recently but referred to me as being sick the other day when we bumped into each other--I guess she hears the hacking cough from upstairs in her flat and was wondering what was wrong with me. I have no other symptoms, just that and the consequential headache from volume and force. Good thing that it is virtually gone now.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The flower vase she always wanted--a charity shop find that J gave Lu for Christmas.
Oh I just love my new spots. Darren gave me this spotty tea set for Christmas. The red chickens (which were my grandmas) and the teapot just cheer me up!
Decorating Christmas cookies with church friends.
I love this picture of Jesse. He's really in his artist zone.
The kids have been so good while Darren has been away--I can hardly believe it. Surely it will all melt down tomorrow just in time for him to come home Friday morning? My kids definitely watch more tv while he is away because otherwise I find it hard to get every thing done, like a healthy dinner. (Sometimes tv doesn't work, of course, and it just riles the kids up and makes them tune me out which is a worse situation. But it has worked out quite well for this stretch.)
I've wanted to ask.... Does anyone feel like they feed their kids gruel for dinner? Sometimes my food is good and almost always it is healthy. But sometimes the throwing together of the vegetables with some sort of leftover soup or sauce to either stand alone or go over pasta just looks like the only gruel we can muster to survive off of.
I found myself making crumb muffins with a recipe I found in "More with Less" and I questioned the wisdom of it afterwards. It did use up some crumbs, alas even some homemade crumbs, but the taste of them was entirely too salty, though paired with a bit of honey worked out well. Turns out, I have decided that I will make these muffins again, but I will eliminate the salt called for in the recipe. Anyway, here I am on a bad day food wise--I'm sick of preparing food and cleaning up, and I'm sick of being with my food so much that it's not enjoyable to sit down to a meal. It all looks like old news that I can't be bothered to chew, though I do it so when I tell my kids to eat up, they don't point the finger at me. Ahhh.....All I want is to savor a foamy cappucino while not engaging the outside world. Has anyone out there got so sick of the immersion motherhood gives you into food that all you want is that cup of coffee to be savored, smelled, and thankfully not chewed, cuz you just can't be bothered? I find myself in that state many times when D and I get the occasional date.
Jesse has been reading in his bed with a flashlight that he got for Christmas which has been great because it gives him the chance to stay up later than Luci. I don't think she could handle being put to bed at a different time from him. For a while Jesse needed all the sleep he could get but now it seems he's actually unable to get to sleep at the normal time. He's been telling me lately when I tuck him in that he hopes he gets to sleep because it takes him a really long time.
A great thing about Jesse lately is that he has been so willing to help Luci get her coat on, or her shoes on, or to help Luci get into her pajamas. Today I had them race me--they had to get their coats, etc. on and I had to get dressed. I thought I would beat them but they managed it, with a lot of Jesse's efforts. He got Luci buttoned unevenly up and must have been the assistant behind the hat and poncho that was over her coat flapping in the wind. Unfortunately Luci could only find one mitten even though it was attached to her coat but that's pretty good for a slow-coach Jesse and a Luci who reminds me defiantly every day (when encouraged to dress herself) that she is "Not ever, never, gonna learn how to do it." Speaking of Luci, I have been totally attuned to how Luci takes lots of breathy breaths while she is talking. It takes her forever to get through her monologues and she makes me think of Marilyn Monroe or somebody like that. She's definitely kept me laughing though and, thankfully, not so much pulling my hair out.
While I made fruit salad for dessert tonight, the kids tidied up the living room which was the greatest gift to me. Sure, I had to ask for it but I couldn't believe that they actually took the time to do categorical/organized clean-up. One of my pet peeves is when everything is just crammed into some supposedly discreet location. But I noticed that tonite the art supplies were put with the art supplies and the teacups into the teacup bag (Luci has never stopped playing with that Judy), etc., etc. I was pleasantly surprised.
I've been catching Luci ducking behind the curtain in our living room the last couple of days to color her fingernails with marker. I wonder when I started doing that.....I remember doing that around 4th grade I think? She'll probably keep me to my word to paint her nails tomorrow morning before school. Hopefully she goes to school. I kept her out today because when we were scootering J to school, she starting her hacking cough and threw up on the sidewalk. I'm sure most of the parents thought "The flu!" but thankfully (maybe with the exception of Darren) been free of that this season.
Monday, January 12, 2009
2 funnies--that's it!
Deanna told me about a funny comment Jesse said on Saturday. While he was playing with a wiseman (part of her nativity scene), Luci came along and picked up baby Jesus. To which Jesse replied, "No Luci, put him back, or I'll have nothing to worship!"
Also, this statement had been made twice now by both children at different times. When watching Teletubbies on the BBC Iplayer about a month ago, Jesse saw the sun arising with the baby face inside of it and shouted, "Mom, Son of God." I thought "Huh, nice word play but very interesting." Then today Luci, of course learning everything from her brother, made the same point while home sick watching Teletubbies.
Also, this statement had been made twice now by both children at different times. When watching Teletubbies on the BBC Iplayer about a month ago, Jesse saw the sun arising with the baby face inside of it and shouted, "Mom, Son of God." I thought "Huh, nice word play but very interesting." Then today Luci, of course learning everything from her brother, made the same point while home sick watching Teletubbies.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Starting with Summer, remember that?
Well the story is.....we (I mean Jesse) broke our camera in July, we got it fixed in September, lost the cable, found it, had the battery die and found we couldn't find the charger......and now we have another one. So Just downloaded 218 photos some of which predate our US trip. I'm here to share just a few, and will share a few more later. Of course they are on my blog opposite from how I want them and I don't have the labels lined up and I'm not fiddling with it right now.
Sometimes I hate it, but a lot of times I still absolutely love our green couch. Doesn't it photograph well? Seriously, I always think that.
For the grandparents who want to see what Luci looks like on a scooter, here it is. And is it ALWAYS with a dress since that it all she wears. Even skirts won't do.
Our cuties always have to sit outside in front of our building and wait for our guests to come--it is so exciting to them.
Awkward shot, but I thought the technique used here was very interesting.
Luci loves the heat on her back and digging in the dirt in our garden. I love it!
Sometimes I hate it, but a lot of times I still absolutely love our green couch. Doesn't it photograph well? Seriously, I always think that.
For the grandparents who want to see what Luci looks like on a scooter, here it is. And is it ALWAYS with a dress since that it all she wears. Even skirts won't do.
Our cuties always have to sit outside in front of our building and wait for our guests to come--it is so exciting to them.
Awkward shot, but I thought the technique used here was very interesting.
Luci loves the heat on her back and digging in the dirt in our garden. I love it!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Matthew 7: An Interpretation
We've been reading through the Bible this year (I'm already behind of course but I'm gonna take that afternoon "our program" suggests and get caught up) and particularly Matthew with the kids. This sometimes seems for better or for worse with their understanding and it's pretty much the same with me as I don't particularly like how harsh people talk to each other (i.e. you brood of vipers!) and I don't much like words like "murder", etc. But that's the Bible and life generally, if we aren't too glossy about life with our kids, isn't it?
Anyways, these yucky things are not what generally trip my kids up and into questions. It's usually goes something more like tonite, for example, when reading Matthew 7 to them where it is Jesus talking to the Pharisees about them being concerned with eating clean and not unclean food versus being concerned with having a clean heart and what flows from it. (Loved stumbling on this now, because this issue is so our neighborhood and I'm thinking about that bacon fat next to the stove smelling up my house) Jesse asked some question about this, as to his ears it needed some interpretation, so I gave what I thought was the most kid-friendly and intelligible answer I could muster up. Well, apparently one can never quite get their head around the Bible (this I know to be true myself) as exemplified by Jesse's response (complete with hand motions). "Well, you know mom, it's not like we would eat green eyeball soup." I said "Right Jesse and blah, blah, blah", something similar to what I had explained before. And then Luci got out of bed, came over to me and said, "Umm, you know, we eat lots of vegetable from the ground but we would never eat poison mushrooms." At that point, I decided we would read right through Matthew 7 and receive it for the time being and not really worry about getting it all straight.
Anyways, these yucky things are not what generally trip my kids up and into questions. It's usually goes something more like tonite, for example, when reading Matthew 7 to them where it is Jesus talking to the Pharisees about them being concerned with eating clean and not unclean food versus being concerned with having a clean heart and what flows from it. (Loved stumbling on this now, because this issue is so our neighborhood and I'm thinking about that bacon fat next to the stove smelling up my house) Jesse asked some question about this, as to his ears it needed some interpretation, so I gave what I thought was the most kid-friendly and intelligible answer I could muster up. Well, apparently one can never quite get their head around the Bible (this I know to be true myself) as exemplified by Jesse's response (complete with hand motions). "Well, you know mom, it's not like we would eat green eyeball soup." I said "Right Jesse and blah, blah, blah", something similar to what I had explained before. And then Luci got out of bed, came over to me and said, "Umm, you know, we eat lots of vegetable from the ground but we would never eat poison mushrooms." At that point, I decided we would read right through Matthew 7 and receive it for the time being and not really worry about getting it all straight.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Blahhg!
Have to admit, I'm just blogging to blog. I don't feel like it but I want to capture a few moments of my life in words so I don't continue forgetting. Which is probably what has been happening since I haven't been blogging. But to be honest, I feel like a tired pregnant lady and I want to go to bed.
We are back in the swing of things. School has started again and holiday is over. To be honest, Lu's school does not resume until Thursday but of course it doesn't feel like holiday anymore with J not around and D newly out of town to SF for 9 days. Actually I'm totally out of the holidaying spirit I had. All that cookie baking and playdate arranging, as well as the somewhat clutterly clutter of our Christmas decor has been put away and I want a simpler life--that of the nesting mom who has cleaning out and projects on her mind. Whatever I'm trippin' on now, either mentally or physically will be much less tolerable with a newborn around. So organization is a goal of everyday for me and my mental lists are a little annoying to carry around.
But I have to say that holiday was fabulous. I don't think we tired of the kids except for one day. They were so great playing together and it was so relaxing to not have to run them to school. It almost inspires me to take family days once in a while even if the school establishment doesn't like it. "So what!" to them. My kids are young and little only once and we are family. "You are the state trying to run too much of my life" is how I feel sometimes.
Luci continues to be crazy funny. She knows it but not to the extent we know it. She does these amazing funny dances lately. It wasn't that long ago (about a year and a half) when I had declared Jesse to be the one with the rhythm and Luci to be the artistic/not-afraid-to-go-against-the-flow one. J still has rhythm but I can't believe the coordination Lu has with her dances and rhythm. When we got their scooters in early fall, I was really skeptical about Lu being able to learn to ride her 3 wheeled one because so appallingly tipsy on it. It's amazing how every kid develops different skills at different times. In the funny department, she is making crazy faces, particularly that pirate one she had as a 1 1/2 year old, where she squints one eye closed with a big fat cheek. She's still about the messiest person I know in terms of being careful around liquid things or eating at the table, or getting mud on her clothes. D and I were recalling when we were in SF and she was 1 1/2 toddling around a small park in the Mission and she grabbed for a discarded 1/2 full beer can and took a swig, to my horror. She was so fast there was nothing I could do and I had to wrestle it away from her over screaming and crying.
Jesse is the continuous joker. It's endearing to watch him experiment with his relatively new craft but it is so bad (as in a bad joke) most of the time. At dinner tonite, he was saying at rapid-fire pace, "Hey mom, your teapot's on fire, your red paint chipped off the clock, the wall is black, your hair's on fire, the toaster's missing." And then he does a really exaggerated goofy laugh that just reminds me of, I think, Jim Carey in "The Mask." Well, I'm sure parents have had to endure much more while their child hones their genius craft.
I am taking my kids straight to the park tomorrow after school as his energy level has been harder to manage(I mean that he's been hyper) since returning to school. I'm skeptical of how much exercise they are getting (he says they went out 3 times today) and wondering what dessert they are serving with lunch.
Jesse is sweet though and has been the ever-ready host over holiday when we've invited people over. He tidies up and gets all excited about getting our little serving dish out that has 3 sections and chopping apples, etc. to make a suitable snack for them upon their arrival. That has got to be his favorite dish.
I am now about 10 weeks from the due date and actually I've been feeling great! Except I have to admit there's a bit of lower back achiness and today would be an exception lately in that I've been very low energy. I am thankful for how well I've felt but I have grown quickly lately, which obviously affects my lower back and energy so I endeavor to get more exercise in on a regular basis. (My restless leg syndrome was actually bothering me during school break quite a bit and I think it's because I wasn't doing the school runs, which are quite good workouts on their own.)
Off to sort out never ending nursing course questions, which I don't even want to talk about, and reeeeeeeelax!
We are back in the swing of things. School has started again and holiday is over. To be honest, Lu's school does not resume until Thursday but of course it doesn't feel like holiday anymore with J not around and D newly out of town to SF for 9 days. Actually I'm totally out of the holidaying spirit I had. All that cookie baking and playdate arranging, as well as the somewhat clutterly clutter of our Christmas decor has been put away and I want a simpler life--that of the nesting mom who has cleaning out and projects on her mind. Whatever I'm trippin' on now, either mentally or physically will be much less tolerable with a newborn around. So organization is a goal of everyday for me and my mental lists are a little annoying to carry around.
But I have to say that holiday was fabulous. I don't think we tired of the kids except for one day. They were so great playing together and it was so relaxing to not have to run them to school. It almost inspires me to take family days once in a while even if the school establishment doesn't like it. "So what!" to them. My kids are young and little only once and we are family. "You are the state trying to run too much of my life" is how I feel sometimes.
Luci continues to be crazy funny. She knows it but not to the extent we know it. She does these amazing funny dances lately. It wasn't that long ago (about a year and a half) when I had declared Jesse to be the one with the rhythm and Luci to be the artistic/not-afraid-to-go-against-the-flow one. J still has rhythm but I can't believe the coordination Lu has with her dances and rhythm. When we got their scooters in early fall, I was really skeptical about Lu being able to learn to ride her 3 wheeled one because so appallingly tipsy on it. It's amazing how every kid develops different skills at different times. In the funny department, she is making crazy faces, particularly that pirate one she had as a 1 1/2 year old, where she squints one eye closed with a big fat cheek. She's still about the messiest person I know in terms of being careful around liquid things or eating at the table, or getting mud on her clothes. D and I were recalling when we were in SF and she was 1 1/2 toddling around a small park in the Mission and she grabbed for a discarded 1/2 full beer can and took a swig, to my horror. She was so fast there was nothing I could do and I had to wrestle it away from her over screaming and crying.
Jesse is the continuous joker. It's endearing to watch him experiment with his relatively new craft but it is so bad (as in a bad joke) most of the time. At dinner tonite, he was saying at rapid-fire pace, "Hey mom, your teapot's on fire, your red paint chipped off the clock, the wall is black, your hair's on fire, the toaster's missing." And then he does a really exaggerated goofy laugh that just reminds me of, I think, Jim Carey in "The Mask." Well, I'm sure parents have had to endure much more while their child hones their genius craft.
I am taking my kids straight to the park tomorrow after school as his energy level has been harder to manage(I mean that he's been hyper) since returning to school. I'm skeptical of how much exercise they are getting (he says they went out 3 times today) and wondering what dessert they are serving with lunch.
Jesse is sweet though and has been the ever-ready host over holiday when we've invited people over. He tidies up and gets all excited about getting our little serving dish out that has 3 sections and chopping apples, etc. to make a suitable snack for them upon their arrival. That has got to be his favorite dish.
I am now about 10 weeks from the due date and actually I've been feeling great! Except I have to admit there's a bit of lower back achiness and today would be an exception lately in that I've been very low energy. I am thankful for how well I've felt but I have grown quickly lately, which obviously affects my lower back and energy so I endeavor to get more exercise in on a regular basis. (My restless leg syndrome was actually bothering me during school break quite a bit and I think it's because I wasn't doing the school runs, which are quite good workouts on their own.)
Off to sort out never ending nursing course questions, which I don't even want to talk about, and reeeeeeeelax!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
On to Enjoy Christmas!
I'm excited to enjoy the real meaning of Christmas tomorrow, and to savor it. I know it's crazy to say that since we are on the eve of a mad dash to rip everything open under the Christmas tree, but it's true.
This "season" has been filled (too filled) with Christmas festivities. There was something every afternoon at Lu's school to attend the last week before break--thank goodness it was only a 4 day week. We were on the receiving end of being handed so many Christmas cards which I am grateful for, but at the moment added to the busyness as I was trying to collect my children or have conversations. The kids were doing Christmas cards for all their classmates, something not accomplished fully. We had multiple engagements at church such as leading worship, taking care of the kids, or singing/soloing in the Christmas carol service. Then other's open houses. The list goes on and on--all good things of course but now I am longing for a slower pace. We've baked so much the last couple days and had friends over because my back aches from combining work with the huge expansion that my belly has also undergone lately.
I'd like to pause and remember all the ways in which it seems the kids have grown in the last couple months also, but I'm keeping it short so I can go to bed. However, Jesse has said something recently that I've been enjoying recalling every day recently. He says that Luci and he are going to get married and move across the street from us so we can visit each other when they grow up. They both love the idea of being together when they are older and love the sentiment that he wants to be so close to us. He in fact mentioned it again today and pointed to unattractive tower block that is the view out our front window. So sweet.
Got to advance in watching Lost. D is 1 1/2 episodes ahead and we are both very impatient when we are not on the same episode.
Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!
This "season" has been filled (too filled) with Christmas festivities. There was something every afternoon at Lu's school to attend the last week before break--thank goodness it was only a 4 day week. We were on the receiving end of being handed so many Christmas cards which I am grateful for, but at the moment added to the busyness as I was trying to collect my children or have conversations. The kids were doing Christmas cards for all their classmates, something not accomplished fully. We had multiple engagements at church such as leading worship, taking care of the kids, or singing/soloing in the Christmas carol service. Then other's open houses. The list goes on and on--all good things of course but now I am longing for a slower pace. We've baked so much the last couple days and had friends over because my back aches from combining work with the huge expansion that my belly has also undergone lately.
I'd like to pause and remember all the ways in which it seems the kids have grown in the last couple months also, but I'm keeping it short so I can go to bed. However, Jesse has said something recently that I've been enjoying recalling every day recently. He says that Luci and he are going to get married and move across the street from us so we can visit each other when they grow up. They both love the idea of being together when they are older and love the sentiment that he wants to be so close to us. He in fact mentioned it again today and pointed to unattractive tower block that is the view out our front window. So sweet.
Got to advance in watching Lost. D is 1 1/2 episodes ahead and we are both very impatient when we are not on the same episode.
Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Saturday, Dec. 13th!
In so many ways, life is not what is used to be. I'll leave it at that because a list of differences to our life in SF could go on and on. By and large the changes are overwhelming good, mostly encapsulated by our really good and more balanced home life here. However, at this moment I am lamenting the fact that I can't go to my closet (because they, first of all, don't exist as much here and they would be called cupboards) and pull out another kid's bubble bath, tube of toothpaste, facewash, bar of soap, and the list keeps going. We are out of so much stuff. I am down to using the dried up toothpaste, created by my children's indiscretions, that remains around the tip of the tube--my thumb can press out no more. I could have shopped a bit in the past few days but I have been sick and prioritized many other things such as slowing down. I hate to say this but sometimes I miss the impact that Costco had upon my life--the endless back up plan of a multi-pack or ginormous serving of something. But alas there is no space for that and I have to admit, we are more environmental because of it. It's not a car that goes to the shops here for us, it's legs or a bike.
Perhaps we have now located the camera cord but I will forgo that for now (I am tired) and get on with dispensing the details of our day.
You guessed it! Chocolate chip pancakes for starters. Then the kids worked on Christmas cards which is quite a huge deal here. They are given lists of their classmates and pretty much expected to bring in cards cuz that's what everyone does. We made some for Luci out of construction paper scraps because she had started off crying because of the inequity of J having some pre-fab and her having none. Well then Jesse was in awe of what we had made and wanted to get in on our making action.
But that's for another day with him because Darren and Jesse then worked on producing a cd of songs the kids had recorded, complete with me scolding them in the background for one movement. Jesse could not have been more into it (read impatient at some points) but overwhelmingly well-behaved and contributing to all of it. He is in at an interesting stage at this point. He is totally into joking. He doesn't say "I joked you" so much anymore but everything is part joke--like when you tell him he can't have anymore bananas, he says (with a twinkle in his eye and reaching hand) "okay mummy, I'll have another banana. Cute, but driving me crazy a lot because he doesn't actually get to the disobedience part but I have to repeat my statement to assure him I will not tolerate disobedience. He also does some good jokes and is lots of fun. But he also has carried the cutting board with bread and jagged knife next to it into the lounge to say "Okay, anyone want some bread" I am trying to teach him that it is not a joke if it involves disobedience or danger. But I love that he loves to be goofy. I just get tired of talking and sometimes I'd rather channel his energy (and mine) into some sort of tickle fight or wrestling..
Have a cough that involves wheezing sounds so I'm going to bed and hoping I have some scraps of a voice to sing in church tomorrow.
Perhaps we have now located the camera cord but I will forgo that for now (I am tired) and get on with dispensing the details of our day.
You guessed it! Chocolate chip pancakes for starters. Then the kids worked on Christmas cards which is quite a huge deal here. They are given lists of their classmates and pretty much expected to bring in cards cuz that's what everyone does. We made some for Luci out of construction paper scraps because she had started off crying because of the inequity of J having some pre-fab and her having none. Well then Jesse was in awe of what we had made and wanted to get in on our making action.
But that's for another day with him because Darren and Jesse then worked on producing a cd of songs the kids had recorded, complete with me scolding them in the background for one movement. Jesse could not have been more into it (read impatient at some points) but overwhelmingly well-behaved and contributing to all of it. He is in at an interesting stage at this point. He is totally into joking. He doesn't say "I joked you" so much anymore but everything is part joke--like when you tell him he can't have anymore bananas, he says (with a twinkle in his eye and reaching hand) "okay mummy, I'll have another banana. Cute, but driving me crazy a lot because he doesn't actually get to the disobedience part but I have to repeat my statement to assure him I will not tolerate disobedience. He also does some good jokes and is lots of fun. But he also has carried the cutting board with bread and jagged knife next to it into the lounge to say "Okay, anyone want some bread" I am trying to teach him that it is not a joke if it involves disobedience or danger. But I love that he loves to be goofy. I just get tired of talking and sometimes I'd rather channel his energy (and mine) into some sort of tickle fight or wrestling..
Have a cough that involves wheezing sounds so I'm going to bed and hoping I have some scraps of a voice to sing in church tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Last couple Days
So to be honest, i don't know when I will post some pictures. So glad that we got our camera repaired and now we can take pictures after quite a hiatus, but now we can't find the cord. We'll work on that.
Luci and I have been sick with what i presume to be the same cold for the last couple of days. I've had 2 weekdays home with her which has been a nice break from the normal routine. On Monday her school actually wasn't in session because of Eid. She was a little bit under the weather but we managed to put dinner in the crockpot together (which Luci at this point loves more than making cookies because there are so many vegetables to dump in), bake cookies with dough Darren had put together the night before, and go visit our neighbors upstairs which had been a long time in coming since I hadn't seen them in a while. It was mostly a visit with the men of the family as the girls were upstairs getting dolled up in their Eid outfits. Luci loved the sparkly things all over their saris.
Today was an intense meeting at our place, and being that I was sick, I was wiped out by the end but then picking up Jesse from school was the next thing on the agenda, then an unexpected yet wonderful visit from my friend Noel and her son, Lu's classmate Rowan, who Luci calls Rowanny Bobowanny. Then we had to put together food for our community group even though I had decided that I was not going. And then the kid's babysitter showed up and I had a visit with her for a bit before she took off since I didn't need her, given my change of plans. Right now i am pooped, or knackered as they say here, and ready to slide into my bed with our new addiction Lost.
Luci and I have been sick with what i presume to be the same cold for the last couple of days. I've had 2 weekdays home with her which has been a nice break from the normal routine. On Monday her school actually wasn't in session because of Eid. She was a little bit under the weather but we managed to put dinner in the crockpot together (which Luci at this point loves more than making cookies because there are so many vegetables to dump in), bake cookies with dough Darren had put together the night before, and go visit our neighbors upstairs which had been a long time in coming since I hadn't seen them in a while. It was mostly a visit with the men of the family as the girls were upstairs getting dolled up in their Eid outfits. Luci loved the sparkly things all over their saris.
Today was an intense meeting at our place, and being that I was sick, I was wiped out by the end but then picking up Jesse from school was the next thing on the agenda, then an unexpected yet wonderful visit from my friend Noel and her son, Lu's classmate Rowan, who Luci calls Rowanny Bobowanny. Then we had to put together food for our community group even though I had decided that I was not going. And then the kid's babysitter showed up and I had a visit with her for a bit before she took off since I didn't need her, given my change of plans. Right now i am pooped, or knackered as they say here, and ready to slide into my bed with our new addiction Lost.