Homework

Last week Harper came home with the March kindergarten newsletter which included some homework instructions. Each kindergartener was to take the provided piece of paper and draw a map of his/her bedroom. We discussed the assignment just enough for me to be sure that Harper understood what she was supposed to do and then I let her go and do it. Here is the result:

 

If you click the image you should be able to see it much better. In case the spacing/handwriting is throwing you off, here are the things she labeled: door, closet, book shelf, love seat, doll house, books, chair, basket, radio, dresser, me (her), Kit (her doll), Max, (her stuffed dog), bed, and lamp. She also drew a quick Michael's room, though some of that is cut off, as is the road she drew outside her window, because the paper was a little larger than our printer/scanner thing. 

It certainly isn't the neatest work a kindergartener has ever done, the scale is off, there's lots of smudgy erase marks, some of the perspective went a little awry, and yet I LOVE it. I love it so much. I feel like it looks pretty much like the essence of kindergarten work. I can tell how hard she worked by all the detail she included and the fact that everything is carefully in its correct place. And she was so proud that she did it all by herself. 

I have no idea what the teacher's goals were for this assignment, other than the obvious one of making the children think about how maps are a spot/space viewed from above. I don't know if she will be expecting something neater and cleaner, maybe with more parental guidance. I do know that this is one of the mountains of papers that come home from kindergarten that I will be saving. She'll enjoy looking back on it one day.

Bummer

The first time we sat down to eat ice cream together as a family I cried.

It was the first time were able to go out for ice cream together. Because of Harper's peanut allergy most ice cream places are completely off limits. Then, a few years ago, a seasonal place opened not far from our house. It sold ices, frozen custard, and was nut-free! I will never forget the first time we sat at one of those tables with Harper and enjoyed our treats.

For several weeks we've had the opening day (this past weekend) marked on our calendar and have been gearing up for the first visit. Of course that was before we found out we could no longer go there. Yesterday we found out they've added all kinds of peanut containing products to their stores and it really isn't safe for us even to walk in any longer. Boo.

Now I'm not going to jump up and tell people to send angry letters or boycott the store (you'll notice I haven't even mentioned their name), but we are so, so disappointed.

There are very few places where we can enjoy a meal or snack out with Harper and it is really too bad when we have to cross another one of off our list. Being able to take your kids out for ice cream in the summer is such a simple pleasure and one we really enjoyed, at least for a couple of years.

I will admit that I shed a few tears yesterday when I found out about the menu changes. I know it is silly to cry over something as inconsequential as not being able to go back to an ice cream place, but I think my tears were more about the barriers Harper's allergy represents for her, for us as a family. There are so many normal things that we have to think twice about doing. And I worry often about the ways Harper might be limited as she grows. I know that having this allergy doesn't mean that she won't have a full and happy life, but it is difficult not to feel discouraged now and again.

How to Deal, a Way to Help

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who struggles with what to do about large tragedies like the one in Japan. Or even what do to about small tragedies. The truth is that a lot of bad things happen a lot of the time and for the most part we can't do a whole lot about them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of doing the things we can do. Maybe it is volunteering, fundraising, writing your own check. Maybe it is praying or meditative breathing or switching to cloth napkins. We acknowledge what's difficult, do the things we can, and then try to let it go.

And here's another thing, even though there are so many difficult things happening, there are lots of great things happening, too. I believe it is okay to feel joyful even in difficult times. Maybe especially in difficult times.

We can choose to do good things, try to shine our light into the dark places in front of us, make our ripples positive ones...

As many of you know, when I started fundraising for this year's March for Babies, I emailed pretty much everyone I know to ask them to contribute to our cause. Shortly after I sent the email my friend, Liz, (who I met in high school, TWENTY years ago, old much?) responded with a fantastic idea for a way to raise money.

Liz is creative force (and workhorse) behind FrayBabyBibsandMore and she makes adorable clothes for little ones as well as other goodies like environmentally friendly reusable sandwich bags. She is, in a word, awesome.

Liz offered to make two special March of Dimes dresses and sell them with 100% of the proceeds being donated to Michael's team. And here they are(!):

I love the dresses! And I love that she used purple themes - a perfect fit for March of Dimes dresses. Here are some of the nitty-gritty details:

The dresses are available in sizes Itty Bitty (newborn) through 4T. Any sizes 5T and larger will be made as tops. If you want smaller sizes as tops I can absolutely do that as well. The houndstooth dress is a fit and flair dress - the top part of the dress is narrower and more fitted and the bottom part of the dress flows out. The pillowcase dress is a uniform width, with sizes 24 months and smaller being narrower for a nice fit.  The dresses are $20 each with 100% of the proceeds going back to the March of Dimes in your team name.

Liz will take orders for the March of Dimes dresses until April 1st. The best way to view and order these dresses (and her other work) is on her Facebook Fan Page. Don't worry, you don't have to have a Facebook account to view the page. Once you are there you can use the "Contact Us" button or email her directly to order.

Please help us spread the word. Link to this post from your blog or send friends to Liz's Facebook Fan Page. If you're on Facebook you can share a link to the March of Dimes dresses.

Now those are some good ripples!

In My Own Kitchen

Today, around the kitchen table, my eldest child complimented me on:

• My read aloud skills
• My singing voice (ha!)
• My ability to draw fairy shoes

Can I count that as a positive performance review?

If so, where's my raise?

Playing Pollyanna

So - I am super cranky tonight.

I am cranky for two reasons:

1) I am tired.

2) I have children.

Numbers one and two just don't mesh well... 

I subbed today and a lot of the time when I work I am sort of energized and happy to see my own kids at the end of the day. Today - not so much.

Now I realize I have NOTHING to complain about. And while I know the familiar feeling of wanting to kick in the teeth a person who suggests someone having a bad day just needs a little perspective, I also know that it is true that I might just need a little perspective.

I'm asking you to indulge me while I actually make a list of things I have to be thankful for in the hopes that it will improve my mood:

1. I am thankful we met our March of Dimes fundraising goal so quickly that I am raising it. Several people who only know us through this blog have donated and that is incredibly awesome. Thank you.

2. I am thankful we don't struggle to meet the physical needs of our family. I don't know what it is like to watch my children go without food, or shelter, or clothing, or medicine, or love, or books, or even toys. I know what a privilege that is.

3. I am thankful I get to meet two different friends for coffee tomorrow. This is possible because of nearby friends and an understanding husband.

4. I am thankful that, for the time being I have the privilege of being a stay-at-home-mom, mostly. It is difficult and I'm not always thankful about it, but I know this time spent with my children has not been time wasted.

5. I am thankful we have a DVR. I am sure that sounds like a silly thing to be thankful for, but I really, really love not programming VCRs any longer.

6. I am thankful that my family is happy with simple meals. 

7. I am thankful I can type this from the comfort of my own bed. Seriously, what do I possibly have to complain about when my life is so cushy I can sit in bed and use a laptop while watching shows from the DVR?

8. I am thankful anyone reads this - while a main function of the blog is the fact that I am able to look back and remember what was going on with us - it is a lot more fun with the feedback and support that a handful of readers provide.

9. I am thankful we are not experiencing anything even remotely tragic right now. I am thankful I have the ability to recognize that being tired and cranky is not tragic.

10. I am thankful for friends, near and far, who are there to listen and share their own stories.

11. And then there's this:

Visiting

Harper and I put nearly 1,000 miles on the car this weekend.

I wish I was exaggerating.

On Friday we drove from Ohio to my parents' house in Sussex, Wisconsin.  On Saturday we drove from Sussex to Waunakee (near Madison) for a bridal shower, then from Waunakee to Chicago, Illinois.  We drove to Chicago to spend the night with a friend so we'd be a little closer to home when we drove back to Ohio on Sunday.

Whew, I feel tired just typing that.

It was a lot of driving for one weekend, especially since only one of the travelers was old enough to drive. On a weekend like this, I make no apologies for the use of entertainment technology in the car. (Or maybe I do make apologies, hence the rest of this paragraph). Harper made use of both the DVD player and, despite my distaste for children playing video games, the Nintendo DS. I feel like we do a fairly decent job of limiting our children's screen time and, more importantly, what they are doing during that time, but I still feel really defensive about letting them zone out in the car. I feel like I need to repeat for you that we only do it on LONG trips, and that the children know it isn't an option during our daily driving or on most trips less than two hours, like driving to Cincinnati or Columbus. And I KNOW that we all survived road trips when we were kids without DVD players. We DID use portable tape and CD players, read books, and eventually in my family we had a couple of Game Boys to fight over. So it isn't as though I spent all my childhood car time in a jovial family sing-along or playing endless rounds of the license plate game, did you? Do you think our parents wouldn't have used a DVD player to shush us if they'd have had the option?

The point is, I was very, VERY thankful for all that tech this weekend. Especially since I kept myself entertained/distracted from the many, many miles by seven Wait wait... don't tell me! podcasts. (And now your picture of me as a pretty big nerd is complete. And accurate.)

WHY would we do all that in one weekend you ask? Well the bridal shower was for my little brother's fiancée, thrown by the aunts on both sides of my family. The travel was worth it to help celebrate Molly joining our family and to see many family members that we miss being so far from my original home. Harper had a blast playing with my cousins and, after some initial shyness, enjoyed the attention from the adults who were happy to see her, some of them for the first time in years.

The night in Chicago was kind of a last minute decision, but between the time change and the time zone change we were set to lose two hours on Sunday - it seemed a good trade off to drive them on Saturday and be that much closer to Ohio on Sunday morning. We stayed with a dear friend of mine from college (who feels like a friend I've known my whole life) and Harper enjoyed her first taste of Chicago.

Saturday night Harper kept leaning over the back of one of my friend's chairs and I had to repeatedly remind her to stop. Eventually she said, clearly exasperated, "I'm just not used to living in the big city!" She was fascinated by everything about the city and Cindy's condo. She loved looking at all the storefronts as we drove into the Chicago and she kept exclaiming over how busy and crowded it was. She was surprised by all the cars parked along the street and how we had to be buzzed into the building where Cindy lived. She was irritated by the noise from the upstairs neighbors and worried that she wouldn't be able to sleep because of the cars on the street (it wasn't a problem).

On the way out of town Sunday we drove right along the lake. Harper gawked at the huge buildings, Navy Pier, Soldier Field, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the list goes on... We even got to see the Chicago River, all in green for St. Patrick's Day. Harper has decided she'd like to live in Chicago when she's grown up.

It was a good weekend and I'm glad we went. I'm also glad we don't have plans to drive anywhere until Easter weekend - it will take me that long to recover!

Three

Dear Michael,

Today, dear boy, you are three years old. I will pause for a moment to let this sink in...

THREE!

I am not sure how this happened. It seems like yesterday that I was propping you up on our bedroom chair, taking a monthly photo. I couldn't take a monthly photo of you these days - I doubt you would stand still that many times in a year.

So who are you at three?

You are inexplicably sweet Michael, heartbreakingly so. You nature is mainly gentle and kind - so much so that it always comes as a little bit of a surprise when you act like a normal preschool boy and tell us, "No!" or throw a tantrum. It seems so...contrary to your personality.

Right now you are a complete mama's boy. Your father and I have developed a theory that you cling to whichever parent drops you off at school. Last year you were in daycare, dropped off by Daddy, and you couldn't get enough of him. This year I am the parent who takes you to school and right now you prefer me to handle your care in almost every instance. Nearly nightly you look at me during dinner and say, "You doin' me tonight?" That is your way of asking me to put you to bed and you are always disappointed if the answer is no.

You are HAPPY Michael, and very content. You love to follow me around the house and help with little jobs: unloading the dishwasher, sweeping with the little hand broom, putting items in the recycling, throwing wet clothes into the dryer, making the beds, as long as you can be where I am you are more than happy to lend a hand. When you aren't helping around the house you like to, "play basketball," which means throwing/kicking a little ball around the house and running after it shrieking like a wild thing. You especially like to do this in the kitchen when I'm making dinner - I am not such a fan. Other favorites of yours include puzzles, books (you love the library!), and whatever Harper happens to be playing with at any given moment.

In typical three-year-old fashion you like to do most things on your own, "Me can do it!" is a common refrain in these parts.

You have made many strides with your speech in the last year. You are still difficult for many people to understand and you very rarely speak at all, or above a whisper, to anyone but the family members you see regularly. Your articulation isn't very clear and you have an odd way of phrasing certain ideas, yet you are so much more capable of expressing yourself than ever before. Today you were supposed to have school pictures taken and you were not too happy that your teacher couldn't stand next to you for the photo. When I asked you about it you said, "Me cry yitta bit becat me sad some yitta bit." Which means you cried a little because you were a little sad. Even though you are difficult to understand the way you speak is completely adorable and I know that I will miss it when you are older.

In the past year you have started to recognize characters beyond Elmo. Your favorites are Cars and Thomas the Train. You also like the Trucktown characters, which, for now, are not on TV, only in some of your favorite books. It is only recently, as you've approached your third birthday, that you've been even remotely interested in watching television. Now you will snuggle up with us on family night and pay attention to what is happening if we watch a movie, and you love to get Thomas videos from the library. I must admit I appreciate this change, especially if you are sick and all you really want to do is snuggle; it is nice to have something that can distract you!

It has been a wonderful year in so many ways and I can tell that you are poised to do and learn all kinds of new things in the next year. I find it nearly impossible that your life began in such an uncertain way. There is nothing uncertain about you now Michael. You are a delight and I'm so honored to be a person who gets to help you learn and grow. I can't wait to see what this next year brings.

I love you sweet boy.

Love,
Mama

Cleaning Out, Growing Up, and a Request

We live in a relatively old house. One thing lacking in many older homes is storage/closet space and in this regard we are actually very lucky. With the possible exception of the master bedroom, most rooms in our home have large closets. The children's closets, for example, aren't walk-ins but they are deep and wide. Both children have the type of closet with two sliding doors. Harper has one long hanging bar that runs the width of her closet and two full length shelves across the top. Michael has two hanging bars (one higher than the other) that run about 2/3 the length of his closet, with shelving on the other 1/3, and one long shelf across the top. 90% of their clothes, for both children, hang in the closet which is great because it cuts down on the amount of furniture necessary in their rooms. Of course there is a small downside to having those large closets - it is too easy to just accumulate stuff in them! 

I do a fairly good job of keeping up with the hanging clothes, rotating out and packing away/donating items that become too small, but the shelving is another story. Which is why I was able to stand on a stool in Michael's room today and take down the old crib mobile, the bassinet fittings for the pack-n-play, two Boppy pillows, and several other baby items we haven't used in years. The things our siblings might want will be placed in tubs and transferred to the basement; other items will be donated. One of the items I found that really made me pause was a double insert for the infant car seat.  We needed it because Michael was way, way too tiny to fit in the infant seat the way it came.  I got a little misty, standing in Michael's bedroom, holding that insert, because it is so difficult to believe he was ever that small.  

Do you remember how small he was?

So tiny!  I actually find it kind of difficult to look back at the pictures from when he was an infant.  

I remember blogging when he was very little and things were very difficult and one of you commented that before we knew it he would be this big boy running around the house making us crazy and all the struggle of his infant-hood would be just a foggy memory.  How right you were!

I am so fortunate to have the luxury of occasionally forgetting the difficulty of those early days.  I know how blessed we are that we have a happy ending.  And while I do sometimes forget, I do not forget to be grateful.  Which is why, for a third year, we are going to walk in our local March for Babies.  It's also why, for a third year, I'm going to ask and then gently remind you that you can support me and the hope of healthy women and babies everywhere but making a small donation to the March of Dimes.  There is a not so subtle reminder over on the right!  If you are local person and you want to join our team, fund-raise, and walk with us that would be terrific.  If you are unable to donate or walk (or maybe you are supporting another walker, which is equally awesome) then please spread the word about the March for Babies and send us lots of prayers and positive thoughts for a successful campaign and walk.  

Can you think of a better way to celebrate this little guy turning three?

Me either!

Day is Done

I should begin by telling you that I am convinced I grew up going to the very best summer camp in the world. I will fight over this. The name of my amazing camp is Camp Minikani and it is still a magical place for children from Wisconsin (or children willing to travel to Wisconsin) to spend part of their summer. Not only did I adore attending camp as a camper, I went through the Leadership Training program and spent six summers as part of the Minikani staff.

Tonight our camp alumni community participated in a camp dinner around the world. Camp alums held dinners in cities across the United States and even internationally. We hosted the dinner in our part of the country but unfortunately weren't able to find any other camp alumni in our area.  Not one to be easily discouraged I made the members of my own family participate.

We modified the idea a bit, as our time zone was supposed to begin dinner at seven.  That's a little late for my kiddos so we ate a regular dinner and followed it up with a living room campfire.  We turned out the lights, turned on the fireplace, and sat on the living room floor singing camp songs.

The children also ate sunbutter bars and drank Capri Suns... these are not part of a traditional campfire but Harper made it clear that she did not care very much about my traditions.  She also insisted Kit attend the campfire; there are very few American Girl dolls at a typical Minikani campfire.  Michael also didn't care much for some of the traditions - one of the songs we sang had several repetitive verses and by the middle of the song he was telling me, "No do dat anymore!"  There's a reason that three-year-olds don't go to overnight camp.

Tonight's festivities were Matt's first experience with my camp tradition.  When I was working at camp there was a part of me that couldn't imagine marrying someone who wasn't also a Minikani alum.  I'm sure that sounds silly, but I just couldn't imagine sharing my life with someone who didn't understand that experience.  Of course this idea shifted over time and now it is enough to know that my camp experiences are large part of who I am. I do wish Matt could go back in time and see me in action at camp.  Given my distaste for spiders and having dirt under my fingernails it is sometimes hard for him to imagine that I spent many weeks of the year living largely outdoors.

Our Campfire

Even if they were a little lacking in enthusiasm, my family members were good sports tonight.  I won't be surprised if Michael and Harper request campfire family nights in the future.  I like to think I have done a small thing to keep the Minikani Spirit alive in my corner of the world.

How To Get Vaseline Out And Something Else I Want to Remember

So back on Tuesday, when I was tearing my hair out, one of the things frustrating me was that a child had once again gotten into Vaseline and it was all over some clothing.  At least this time I wasn't getting a full tub out of a child's hair...

Here's how I got Vaseline out of various types of clothing:

1) Use plastic knife or flat edged scraper to remove as much Vaseline as possible.

2) Saturate fabric with Dawn dish soap, scrub into clothing (I used the same technique/motion I'd use with a stain remover).

3) Soak heavily-Dawned clothes in cool water for a while.  (I didn't have the patience for overnight, but they soaked most of the day.)

4) Rinse and ring out clothing. (I used a LOT of Dawn and I was worried about that much of it going in the washer.)

5) Wash as usual. Check for residue, then dry.

Viola - no Vaseline stains on the clothes!

*****

I don't think I've written yet that Michael refers to night time as "dark time."  I am afraid this will either change or cause significant problems once the days get longer.  For now I find it completely adorable.  Here's an example - if I'm going out in the evening he'll ask when I'll be back.  If I tell him that I'll be home while he's in bed he'll say, "Oh, you come back at dark time?"  Or if I try to get him in his p.j.s early he'll say, "No! It not dark time yet!"

Blow the Stink Off

There is a chill in the air but it is gloriously sunny here today so between lunch and Michael's nap we went for a good long walk. I swear I could feel myself lightening with each step (though I might actually need some new tennis shoes). We walked for what turned out to be only about two miles, but it still felt good to stretch the legs. I forgot how long two miles can take when one of the walkers is six and the other walker is pushing about 50 pounds of stroller/preschooler. STILL we walked and it was good. I wish our neighborhood was friendlier for walking (slightly flatter and with sidewalks would be nice), but it was nice to realize that post lunch is a pretty good walking time as far as traffic is concerned.

I was in such a good mood I suggested we stop off at a friend's house and bring her son, who is in Harper's class, back to our place to play for a bit. Michael is napping, the kindergarten duo are tearing up the rec room in the basement, and I am off to try to finish my book club book.

Do you know that today is Dr. Seuss' birthday?  I can't help but link to this tribute from five years ago (Yikes! I've been doing this for a long time!). If you aren't interested in my attempt at Dr. Seuss' style that's fine, but it's worth the click just to see what Harper looked like five years ago.  Sigh.

P.S.  Someone asked about how to get Vaseline out of clothes... the Internet already has a wealth of information on this topic, but tomorrow or the next day I'll post about how I did it.

Cuts Both Ways

Right now, in this moment, I am having that feeling of being driven straight up the wall by my children. I am ready to tear my hair out with the frustration of how long it takes them to eat, the degree to which they argue about everything, the fact that I am going through the process of getting Vaseline out of clothing again... There are moments when I would happily accept a one-way ticket to just about anywhere but here. My skin is crawling with cabin fever, or something.

I know this feeling is fleeting (thankfully). I know that I might feel this way now, tonight, even tomorrow, but eventually this unrest will be replaced by profound gratitude; with awe that my job right now is to be with these miraculous creatures every day and to witness the wonder of their growing up.

Parenting is a constant ride on that pendulum swinging between joy and madness, gratitude and despair...

I just have to remember to hold on.

Winner!

Bluedaisy of Sugar and Puppy Dog Tales... is the winner of a signed Katrina Kittle book!  Woot!

Sorry I can't send one to all of you, maybe when I'm a published author someday (What? A girl can dream!) I'll be able to give away more copies of favorite books!

The Big Itch

So Saturday morning we decided to travel approximate two miles down the street to take the kids roller skating.   I will have to come back and write another post about that experience alone because, whoa, it was like a flash back to the fifth grade.  Plus putting inexperienced children on skates is comedic gold, am I right?

What started as a fun, even whimsical weekend quickly took a nosedive.  Around mid-afternoon on Saturday Michael started complaining of a sore ear and began running a mild fever.  No problem, I thought, a little ibuprofen will carry us through and I'll make an appointment first thing Monday morning.  Haha.

Matt stayed home so Michael could sleep in Sunday morning while I took Harper to church.  It is important to note that I did not see Michael awake before we left...

After church we chatted with some of our friends who remarked on the absence of our male contingent.  No problem I said haughtily, just a little ear infection brewing, we'll go to the doctor tomorrow, no need to run to urgent care for that.  Man, has parenthood taught me nothing?

Once we arrived home I knew something was wrong the minute Michael spoke to me.  It sounded like he had a couple of marshmallows stuck in his throat.  I cringe just thinking about what it looked like in there - so swollen his tonsils were pretty much touching - I have no idea how he was swallowing.

Of to urgent care we went, armed with a huge bag of books and a dose of ibuprofen for the road.  Both the nurse and nurse practitioner who looked at Michael's throat had audible shocked reactions -so hard to believe that happen over night - and we left after about two hours with a script for some antibiotics.

That should be the end of the story, but no, not so much.

Michael took the first dose of meds with no problem.  After dinner I tried to give him another dose - which he tried to spit out - I figured he just didn't want to swallow because his throat was so sore...  but five minutes later he was scratching at his neck and pulling at the collar of his sweatshirt.  I stripped his shirt off to see that his entire trunk was splotchy and red, as well as his neck and shoulders.  Yikes.  Because of our history with allergies I have a really, really hard time not going into an internal panic when I see signs of an allergic reaction.  Unfortunately we couldn't even give him Benadryl because he'd already taken his daily does of Claritin.

I called the after-hours line for our pediatrician and talked with a grumpy nurse who told me I had to call urgent care.  I called urgent care to get more unhelpful advice - don't give him any more of that med (duh) and call 911 if he starts to have trouble breathing (again, duh).  They did say I could use Harper's EpiPen on him if  his throat started to swell shut, which was the only reassuring bit of information to get.  Although if I thought Michael was having an anaphylactic allergic reaction I wouldn't wait for permission to use our EpiPens.

We watched him closely for a couple of hours before finally putting him to bed.  As soon as we dropped Harper off at school this morning it was off to the pediatrician for a closer look and a new prescription.  Poor guy looks like he has a sunburn and may stay that way for up to a week.

I am telling you we better be through with all these germs and soon because I am feeling beat right down but these never ending sicknesses.  Spring cannot come fast enough.

*****

You still have a couple of hours to enter the book giveaway, I'll count all comments left before midnight!

Little Informant

Well I woke up in a spectacularly foul mood today.  How about you?

This just, happens, sometimes.  Even the sun peeping out for a bit this afternoon has not improved my mood.  Even the prospect of the book giveaway is not cheering me this afternoon.  In addition to feeling generally steamed, I am ready to strangle Harper right now.

Do you know what my six-year-old has been doing?  Hoarding raisins and fruit snacks in her bedroom.  I actually knew about this because she shared her secret with my mother and sister when they were here visiting last week.  (Yes children, we really do tell each other everything, sorry for the betrayal.)  I didn't bust her right away and actually found it sort of hilarious that she was keeping fruit snacks under wraps.  Apparently we are so stingy with the dessert around here that she felt the need to keep some backups at the ready.Although she told my mom and sister that she was saving them for a surprise for me - suspicious since she's surely never seen me actually eat a fruit snack.  Anyway I figured a time would come when I'd be able to call her on it, and I was right.

Today Michael told me that he had fruit snacks under his bed.  What?  So he showed me.  I asked where they came from and he told me he got them from Harper.  That's right eldest child of mine, your little brother can speak now, think twice about what you show/tell him.

So Michael took me into Harper's room and pulled a pencil case out from under her bed.  It was stuffed with fruit snacks.  There were also two empty fruit snacks boxes under her bed.  And you know what, while I don't want to encourage the children to hide food in their rooms, that isn't the part that bothered me.  The lying is what really gets to me.

Lie 1: I don't know where he got them.

Lie 2: He got them from the pantry.

Lie 3: I put the boxes in the recycling last week.

Lie 4: I don't have any more.

(Further coaxing reveals more fruit snacks and raisins in her purse.)

Lie 5: I didn't eat any of them.

Ugh. Even when she knows she's cornered she still lies!

From my experience teaching little kids I know that this is perfectly normal 6-year-old behavior.  They panic when they are cornered with their own wrong-doing and tell bold-faced-lies rather than give in to the evidence laid out before them.  I know this, but wow, I really hate being lied to.

I think I have said before that I believe it is actually good for kids to think they are getting away with something from time to time.  It strengthens their sense of self. So there are a handful of infractions that I will knowingly overlook, but lying is not one of them.

Now comes the tricky part - Matt and I will have to decide on a consequence for the food-stashing-and-lying-about-it.  What would you do?

*****
Seriously, don't forget to enter the book giveaway and to tell your friends to come enter.  Comments open until Monday!

February Lift (There's a Giveaway!)

We had the most tantalizing glimpse of spring last week, and it was followed by a Sunday afternoon mix of snow, sleet, and hail.  Blerg.

I wonder if I am not the only one with the need for a little pick-me-up these days...

If you are feeling a little anxious waiting for the arrival of SPRING! try this activity to cure the winter blues:

1. Realize a talented author is living in a neighborhood mere minutes from your house.

2. Get your book club to agree to read her latest novel. (Not difficult to do).

3. Use the fact that you once worked in different divisions of the same school to embolden yourself to contact her and ask if she would consider meeting with your book club.

4. Introduce your fun and interesting book club to aforementioned talented author.  Enjoy good food and wine and discussing of books.  Laugh a lot.  Happily realize that said author is indeed as delightful as you would hope the writer of some of your favorite books would be.

I guarantee that following steps one through four will cure your cabin fever, or distract you from it at the very least. However, if you are not fortunate enough to be able to recreate the above scenario (What? You're not ALL loosely connected to talented neighborhood authors?) I can offer you the next best thing - one of her books!

Our book club was so fortunate to enjoy the company of Katrina Kittle as we discussed her most recent novel, The Blessings of the Animals.  Of course the best way to keep a favorite author writing books is to support her by purchasing her already published books.  I'm very happy to do my part by giving her books as gifts and that includes giving one of them to one of YOU!  As a bonus, Katrina has agreed to sign the giveaway book with a personal message, and she may also share some swag from her publisher.

To enter the giveaway just comment on this post by Monday, February 28th.  Any comment will do, but it would be highly efficient to check out the books on Katrina's website and tell me which of her books you'd like to receive if you are the lucky winner.  I also welcome stories of both wonderful or horrific book club experiences.  (Is there such a thing as a horrific book club experience?)  One entry per person, please, and feel free to spread the word.  If there are more than thirty comments I will give away TWO books. (The winner(s) will be chosen by random number generator.)

Old Friends

From first through eighth grade I attended a small Catholic school in a little Wisconsin town.  There were nine people in my eighth grade class.  Seventh and eighth grades were taught in the same room by the same teacher - and even then there were only 15 of us.  Of the people in my eighth grade class, six of us had been together in school since that first day of first grade.  Of those six people, the only one I am still close friends with is Colleen, who right this minute (due to uncooperative weather in Wisconsin) is sitting next to me on my living room sofa.

I cannot adequately express how happy this makes me.  I'm sorry she couldn't get home to her own house and children tonight, but I'm thrilled that I was able to offer her a place to stay when she became stranded in Ohio.

Colleen is an assistant volleyball coach for a Big-Ten university and had been in town recruiting this weekend.  I was already fortunate enough to catch up with her last night - when she came to visit before heading to her hotel.  We stayed up way too late talking and looking at old pictures and now we get to do it again tonight.

I have a handful of friends like Colleen - people who I know well enough that it genuinely never matters how much time has passed since we've last seen each other.  Before tonight the last time I'd seen Colleen was two years ago when we were on vacation in Wisconsin.  And before that I hadn't seen her since her wedding five or six years earlier.  We don't even talk frequently, but she does read here (Hi Colleen!) and we exchange the occasional email.

So even though she'd never met my children before yesterday and we hadn't spoken in a couple of years, it was as natural as ever to sit down and eat with her last night and to invite her to stay tonight.  AND I didn't even feel the need to play hostess.  Matt and I just finished watching the newest episode of The Amazing Race and Colleen, who doesn't watch it, sat with us and read her book.  I cannot think of many people, other than my immediate family, who could just slide in and hang out with us like that.  It probably seems strange that we were watching TV and she was reading when we so rarely get to spend time together, but like I said, there was a lot of catching up yesterday. It's just comfortable. Perhaps that's how it always is with someone you've known since you were six.

I don't take it for granted, having a friend I am so entirely at ease with.  Even in this age of hyper-connectedness, a 27 year friendship is a remarkable relationship.  It is awesome, and I am thankful.

Happy Valentine's Day

Some people get up early on Valentine's Day to decorate the kitchen or make heart-shaped pancakes or shower their kids with Valentine related trinkets.  We are not those people.

I have nothing against Valentine's Day but both of my children were over the moon about their school celebrations and I really don't see any reason to raise the bar when they are happy with the status quo. Although, I should note that Michael told me sadly that they didn't have circle time today, but they will have it tomorrow.  He missed circle time.  I would also like to note that I made four batches of Rice Krispies treats last night so the morning and afternoon kindergarten classes would have a safe snack.

The first year Harper had a school Valentine party we bought a bunch of craft supplies and had her make the Valentine cards for her friends.  (Actually I ended up in the hospital on bed rest that Valentine's Day, so Matt or Nana helped her make her cards.)  That was fine, but here's the thing:  Valentines are not expensive.  It is great to make them if you're looking for a fun family activity.  But buying Valentines is not going to break the bank.  In fact, for the initial investment we made into Valentine making supplies, I'm sure I could have purchased enough pre-made Valentines to see Harper through elementary school.  I totally phoned it in this year and both kids went to school with store-bought cards.  I think it cost us about four dollars.

Harper did have to make a Valentine box to take to school.  I wrapped a cardboard box for her, cut a hole in the top, and let her go to town with stickers, crayons, etc. I'm fairly certain there isn't much of an artistic streak running through this branch of the family tree.  When you let six-year-olds decorate their own Valentine boxes, the results are uninspiring, but at least they are proud.  I think there's a good parenting lesson in there somewhere.  If you let the kids do their own work (whether it is decorating a box or making their beds) it never looks as good as it would with lots of help from you, but it's not your job.  And Harper actually said yesterday, "I'm so proud!  This is my first Valentine's box!"

I'm not sure what the point of this post is, maybe just to remind myself that it's okay that we don't knock ourselves out trying to make everything extra special for our kids all the time.  My children seem to enjoy life without a lot of intervention on my part!

Snow What Fun

Once upon a time, approximately two years ago, my mom gave the kids a snowman kit.  And we've been waiting two winters to use it.

Let me explain something about winter in this part of Ohio.  It is not unusual for us to get through the winter having had very little snow.  What snow we do get often doesn't last very long.  In fact we're not in the habit of clearing our driveway when we get a couple of inches of snow because it usually melts before it causes much trouble.  Oddly enough, when we do get snow, it is often either super light and powdery or it is subject to a melt/freeze cycle that leaves it with an icy crust on top.  Much to Harper's chagrin neither type of snow is very conducive to snowman building.

(Michael would sit into the snow and then immediately yell, "Pick me up! Pick me up!  Me stuck!)

This winter we've had more than our fair of snow, as, I realize, has most of the rest of the country.  This winter's pattern has been to snow and then immediately get so cold that I can't stand to take the children out into the snow.

Finally today, after what feels like eons of waiting, conditions in the front yard were actually favorable for snowman building.

Apparently conditions were also favorable for random leaf finding; Harper added that leaf to her collection which is part of some grand plan she has to build her own ant farm.

It has been a very long time since I tried to build a snowman*.  And the yard had only about one inch of packable snow on top of the ice layer...  I helped get the process started and then Matt tagged-in when I had to go inside to take a phone call and begin dinner.

Matt and the kids ended up building the snowman in a manner that reminded me of making sandcastles.  Attempts to roll three distinct snowballs were abandoned in favor of a snow pile.  Amateurs.

In the end the snowman turned out just fine, thank you very much.  I'm exceedingly grateful I won't have to go through another year listening to Harper bemoan the fact that she has not been able to use that snowman kit!

*I may be having creative memory here, but it seems to me that rolling a snowball was a lot easier when I was a kid.  Once we got it started we'd roll it once or twice across the yard and have a nicely sized snowman body part to work with.  Northern folks - am I imagining this?  Were the snowmen of my childhood a lot smaller than my memory suggests?  Was it difficult to get a substantial snowball?  Because today it felt like I spent an awful lot of time with my hind end in the air rolling a snowball around the yard with not much to show for it - and I don't think the neighbors appreciated the view!

Moving Forward

I suppose it is time to put football aside and start dreaming of spring... Our temps are supposed to be in the forties next week and Matt has already suggested we put on our shorts and plan a picnic. It never ceases to amaze me how the forty degrees that feel so cool in October are simply heaven come February. For now I'm going to ignore the fact that warmer weather also means the yard will be a giant mud puddle and Rebound (and the floors) will be extra filthy for a solid six weeks. You take the good, you take the bad...

We've had some big changes in the last few weeks and I can hardly believe Christmas was less than two months ago. Michael has transitioned out of both the school programs he was in this fall and into four-morning-a-week public preschool, where he will receive weekly speech services. He began at his new school last Monday, but thanks to a great deal of ice Monday was the only day he had school. We're three for three so far this week, with one day left to go. He howls when I leave in the morning, and truly nothing is quite as heartbreaking as your child screaming, "Mooooommmyyyyy!" as you walk away from him. But in the end I know we are doing a good thing and they tell me he is through screaming before I even get back to the car. It also helps that he chatters happily about his day when I bring him home. Today he counted! With a pointer! And did a joyful skipping dance around the kitchen as he reenacted the events. He'll be fine.

Harper is going through something right now. I'm guessing there is a normal inability (or unwillingness) to attend to anything parents say that comes with six-year-old territory. But beside that, she's been a little extra tired, clingy, and crying at the drop of a hat. I think it is a little too early for adolescence to be setting in so we'll keep and eye on her and see. She is really, REALLY reading now (books with more than five words on a page) and it is so much fun. AND it means there are things we have to be careful of that we hadn't needed to think about previously. I recently discovered she could read over my shoulder as I was typing. She also recently brought home a flyer for Girl Scouts and proclaimed, "It's not too late!" Which, of course, is exactly what the flyer said. It's really too bad you can't turn the reading thing on and off for a couple of years. I have to start putting notes to her teacher into envelopes!

Did I tell you that my netbook arrived? I LOVE it. I can't believe how long I was chained to that computer desk! I am typing this from my kitchen. I have been freed! (Also, if you've been waiting two or three years to get an email reply from me, this might be your lucky month.)

I think that's all, for today. I wondered if you'd need a little updating, what with three posts in a row about our love for the Superbowl winning Green Bay Packers. Never fear, regular scheduled programming has returned.

Last One I Promise

Scenes from a victorious evening:

Harper was taking some kind of notes about the score.

Michael was practicing to lead the Packers when Rodgers retires.

Even the beer knew how to support the Packers.

A little good luck shrine went a long way.

Soooooo happy!

In Case You Didn't Think I Was Serious...

We Interrupt Your Weekend

Please excuse the brief change in blog appearance. I'm quite certain that many of you who read here do not care about football, but I do. And this weekend, my team, a team in which I actually own a share of stock, The Green Bay Packers, are playing in the Super Bowl. I am not ashamed to admit that I actually shed a couple of tears two weekends ago when the Packers won the NFC championship game and secured their spot in this Sunday's contest.

We always have my in-laws over for the Super Bowl and have the same meal each time: cheesy chicken casserole, bread, veggies. Everything aside from the veggies I will prepare ahead today because I fully intended to soak in the hours and hours of pre-game coverage that will air tomorrow. I'm sorry not to have been home in Wisconsin this week to catch all the local coverage as well.

If you've paid any attention to the weather this week, you'll see that Pittsburgh and Green Bay have brought northern winter weather to Dallas. Thoughtful of them, no?

The best part of Sunday is that everyone watching in our house will be rooting for the Packers with me - I hope to sit back and enjoy one heck of a victory.

If you are the type of person inclined to watch the Super Bowl, but don't really care which team wins, go ahead and root for the Packers - you won't regret it.

I'll try to post a picture or two of the kids in their Packer gear tomorrow - Go Pack Go!

Words About Weather

Oh goody, another person writing about winter weather!

So, uh, I thought it was March, that is supposed to come in like a lion.

(Note to March: That is not a challenge.)

We aren't exactly buried in snow here, but our weather has been strange over the last two days.

No school on Tuesday, because overnight the world became coated in ice. Matt stepped one step out the front door to retrieve the paper Tuesday morning and ended up on his hip on the stoop. The ice made the snow in our front yard look glazed. Every time Rebound went out to use the bathroom he did his best Bambi impression.

Oh, and just to keep things interesting, Harper woke up vomiting on Tuesday - at least she was already off the hook for school.

More sleet/freezing rain stuff fell throughout the day on Tuesday. Then it warmed up enough that it started to rain Tuesday evening. The rain made puddles on top of the ice layer on top of the snow.

As it warmed and rained it sounded like the trees were hurling things at our roof. I don't know what exactly we were hearing, but it was loud enough to send my heart racing and had the children covering their ears. This sound went on ALL NIGHT. It was like a wild animal was racing around on the roof (and not a rodent, something larger, a tiger?) jumping and sliding and clawing - winter trying desperately to leap upon us in our beds.

Around 1:30 in the morning the power went out. I know this because it went out, Michael immediately started screaming, and then it flashed back on long enough for the time - 1:28 - to register on my clock before we were plunged into a more lasting darkness.

We found a flashlights, lit a (jar) candle, and I played the, "Please FTLOG go back to sleep Michael" game for the next three hours. Fun times!

Fortunately, because it was relatively warm outside (in the thirties?), the temperature in the house didn't drop too much over night - it was around 60 when we woke up in the morning.

The temperature was supposed to drop rapidly during the day, so we ended up packing some necessities and driving the ten minutes to Matt's parents who still had power. The worst part of that trip was getting the kids up Mike and Ann's (slightly) sloped and (very) icy driveway. Michael did pretty well, I held him under the arms and he sort of shuffled his way to the garage. Harper was a bit more challenging, legs flailing every which way as I tried to keep her from pulling both of us down onto the ice.

Then we ate some breakfast and tore the living room apart. My in-laws have the patience of saints.

We returned home in the afternoon - after checking with neighbors and then calling our answering machine to make sure power had been restored.

Then it got very windy and snowed a couple of inches. The end.

How have your last 48 hours been?

Need a Writing Boost? It's Not Too Late

Something you may not know (and likely don't care about, but whatevs) is that I try to do a set amount of old fashioned writing, which is normally what I'm doing when I ignore the blog. I like to write with a specific type of pen and I write in composition notebooks, the kind that are plentiful when stores break out the back to school merchandise in July. My notebooks a part journal, part creative outlet, and occasionally provide material for blog posts or other pieces of writing. If I take something to the point that I'm attempting any kind of editing/revising I move it to the computer.

The rough goal I try to hold myself to is to complete one notebook a month. Since I slowed down a bit in late fall, I'm trying to do some extra writing to ring in 2011.

I love this picture of one full notebook beside one fresh, untouched, notebook:


I've been a little stuck in a rut in my notebooks lately so I jumped at this offer from my good friend Jen Violi (info yanked directly from her business Facebook page, hope that's okay Jen!):

28 for $28: DAILY WRITE-AMIN

Any writers or word-lovers out there need a little boost? I’m offering a 28 for $28 February special—consider it a daily write-amin (you know I just can’t resist the new dorky word combos).

For just $1 a day, each day in the month of February, I’ll send you an email with a different writing prompt/suggested activity as well as a little inspiration and encouragement for your writing day. Whether you need some new stamina for an old project, inspiration to start from scratch, or just want to commit to writing as a daily practice for your own personal reflection or transformation, this writing supplement is for you!

Register by Jan 31st (or contact me up 'til Feb. 4th to start a few days late) at www.jenvioli.com!

For the direct link to sign up click here!

I'm so proud of Jen and all she has accomplished (her young adult novel will be published this year). I really admire the way she has taken her passions and turned them into a business. The best part is that she is opening up and sharing her wonderful self with anyone who wants to take advantage of her wisdom. I'm so pleased to be able to support her in living her dream, even in a small way.

Supervision Fail

Michael was playing in the living room the other morning while I was trying to find some information online, in the next room. There was a lot of noise and I asked if he'd gotten his blocks out - which was the wrong question to ask...

He decided he wanted to watch a Thomas DVD, and apparently had some trouble finding one, as ALL of the kids' "shows" ended up on the floor, many of them out of their cases. Oops.


(Yes, we have a lot of children's videos. What can I say. We didn't have cable when Harper was little. And I was in grad school so I will not pretend that she didn't watch TV, she did. I hope she appreciated the variety.)

It's always nice of the children to give us little reminders when we've got the leash a little long, no?

Assortment

Does expired tea lose its flavor? Because I made some tonight and what I'm drinking tastes less like chamomile and more like hot water. Maybe I haven't had much tea lately and I've forgotten that it does just taste like hot water.

*****

I ordered a netbook on Friday night and now I am obsessively checking the web to see whether it has shipped already. I want it to be here so I can read/comment on your blogs and respond to three year old emails while I watch mostly mindless television. Evening activities unite!

*****

Speaking of mindless television... Is anyone watching the new season of American Idol? I wasn't sure whether I would or not, but I started too, and I am surprised at how much I enjoy Jennifer Lopez. Also, I am a total sucker for the little human interest bits they do - especially when the contestants can really sing. Apparently in my book hardship + any hint of talent = entertainment.

*****

Both of the kids have strep, although Harper's been on meds long enough that she did go to school today. Michael isn't as far along, big sigh. I hope we all sleep a little better tonight.

*****

Last week I went to pick up Harper from school and my car wouldn't start up again when we tried to leave. I called Ann (mother-in-law) to pick up Harper, got a jump from AAA, got a new battery from our favorite local mechanic, and still managed to retrieve Michael from preschool on time. Despite the dead battery I think the universe was on my side that day.

*****

We have concerns about some sort of prowler in our neighborhood. We got a call last Thursday night that a man had parked his car down the street, approached several houses including ours, and then went back to his car and drove away. Strange. There are footprints in the snow from our neighbor's front porch to our driveway - a path none of us ever walk - and there were similar footprints in the snow a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not exactly afraid someone is going to break into our house. That would be stupid because we don't have much of value, we have a ferocious dog (shhhh, he sounds ferocious), and I have a large metal flashlight for shining light into intruders' eyeballs and hitting them in the face.

I am afraid of looking out one of our many windows into the dark and seeing a face right there looking in at me - that is the stuff of my nightmares, seriously.

Aaaaand now I'll need a sedative to sleep tonight.

*****

Harper would like you to know that she got her hair cut again and it is exciting because it matches Kit's hair!


*****

Harper would also like you to know that she lost her other front tooth (while I was having the car battery changed). It came out while eating a piece of pizza! That makes the number of teeth she's lost four and then number that have needed to be pulled out by adults zero. That is happy math.



*****

Michael would like you to be cool and pretend there is something interesting about his teeth.

Marry a Good One

This morning, when I went to the car to take the kids to school, there was an envelope taped to the driver's window. It was a note from Matt, saying that he was going to come back for me at 11:15 and take me out to lunch to celebrate. He'd arranged for his mom to pick up and watch the kids. He didn't say what we were going to celebrate, but I already knew.

Ten years ago today I met Matt at a church fish fry. No kidding.

And he, all on his own, remembered that this was the ten-year-anniversary of our meeting. And planned a lunch out, just the two of us.

Matt appeared, as promised, at 11:15 with a dozen roses for me. Going to lunch, on a weekday, without the kids, felt like playing hooky. We enjoyed our little break from reality, some time to celebrate us and the family that we've created.

I'm telling you - date whoever you want. But marry the nice one, the smart one, the sweet one - like I did - and life will be good.

(Oh look, there we are, almost ten years ago!)

Rah-Rah

Michael just followed me into the bathroom (oh the joy of a two-year-old!) and, as I was taking care of things, picked up two extra rolls of toilet paper and started raising them and chanting, "Go Packers! Go Packers!"

The children have definitely caught the playoff spirit, even down here in Ohio, but I'm not sure how Michael confused toilet paper and pompoms.

Both children are going to be very disappointed tomorrow when the game doesn't even start until after bedtime, especially after being forced to sport their Packer apparel all day.

*****

On another football related note - Harper was yelling at the television during a game a couple of Sundays ago. She turned to me and confessed, "I don't really know what's happening, I'm just practicing for when I'm a grown up."

Thank You American Girl

My head hurts from trying to explain historical fiction to my six-year-old.

Although, to be fair, it was also occasionally difficult explaining it to junior high students. (The same students who were looking for The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, in the fiction section!)

Fridays are library days for Harper's kindergarten class and last Friday she came home with the book Welcome to Felicity's World, part of the American Girl Doll machine. (I notice that these books must be out of print, which will be distressing to my girl who received Kit for Christmas - surely we'll be on the lookout for Welcome to Kit's World thanks to the back cover adverts on the Felicity book...)

While I have not scrutinized the entire book the layout is friendly/accessible enough for a work meant to introduce children to Colonial America, but a kindergartner is definitely not the target audience for that book. In the first six pages I found myself trying to explain Loyalists vs. Patriots, the colonies, the Boston Tea Party, taxes, tar and feathering, the First Congressional Congress, freedom of religion, and why half of colonial children died before age six and how a doll in a coffin helped their siblings understand those deaths. Uh...

Fortunately I have a PTO meeting tomorrow night and Matt will have to tag in and explain the next several pages!

Welcome 2011

Oh, hi!

How are you?

Yesterday my before-blogging friend Erin called to see if we were still, you know, alive over here. As we were talking the children were screaming/playing in the background. I ignored the noise until it reached that certain pitch that means there might be an actual problem. I had to hang up on poor Erin and found that Michael had tried to take a chunk out of Harper's arm. At first I thought there was blood, but no, just a little bruise for a reminder...

So.

That's kind of how things have been - nothing tragic in the last ten days, mostly happily busy with the occasional bump in the road. We are still unpacking (we were in WI for almost a week) and working on incorporating all of our wonderful Christmas gifts into the household. We have not taken down a single Christmas decoration (this weekend, this weekend...) yet.

Anyway - we're still alive and kicking (and biting) in Ohio.

Here is a question for the new year - do any of you have any experience with netbooks?

I feel like most of my day isn't conducive to being tied to the desktop I normally use, which, among other things, means my back is always to the children. I would love to have a laptop or netbook for email and reading blogs and maybe Facebook. That is literally all I want it for - I'm not interested in loading music or videos or photos on it. I am intrigued by the long battery life, portability, and lower cost of a netbook. I'm NOT looking to replace this desktop... Any thoughts are more than welcome!