Chapstick November 6, 2009

“Please Mom, get my chapstick?”  says a plaintive voiced Lucas at least five times a day. 

You see, applying chapstick has become one of Lucas’ focal points of interest these days. He loves it. I mean really loves it,  like a cherished friend, a favorite confidant, a secret treasure.   There is one stashed in my bathroom drawer which keeps him occupied while I get a quick shower,  and he has another one stashed in the car by his seat.  Both locations provide  ready access in case of emergency lip dryness, boredom, or the need to spread red waxy goo around his mouth for the sheer joy of it.  And, believe me, there is joy written all over his face many times a day.  

Kiel tried to borrow some today in the car, and just as he was applying it to his top lip, up from the back seat comes Lucas’ sternest voice,  ”That’s enough dad, that’s enough.”  (Mind you, this tube has gouges off the top from fingernails trying to get the small cap back on, so it’s hardly smooth enough to spread on one’s lips anyway…and he’s two years old.) However, this simple token is one of the few things Lucas gets full ownership of and naming rights too, and it is a Big Deal. 

 I love that he’s claimed these little red tubes for himself. It brings on his biggest grins,  fosters his self-confidence and lets him have that one thing he can always control.  Who knew something so small could bring so many wonderful gifts?  In a world of being bossed around by parents and a big brother, I’m sure it fills a need for him that goes beyond having ultra smooth and kissable lips. I adore it, and hope it lasts.  Plus, I just love his cherry scented kisses.  They are a Yum in a life that gets overly complicated. Yum, yum, yum.

Trial Run October 24, 2009

AKA: Mom's Ultimate Workout

 

Arctic Valley Field Trip Sunnies

We had a glorious fall day on the mountain with David’s k/1 class.  We climbed back into the creek valley and the kids crossed via the rocks while the adults stuck to the bridge. The kids made forts and hunted for berries and made leaf bouquets. I think it was one of the best field trips I’ve ever been on.

David Crosses the CreekA Happy Ending

 

A few weeks later the weather was still so fine, so we headed up to Powerline Pass for a final family hike…though, we may still get another one in as we continue to have snowless days here in Anchor Town.  Today is beautiful and sunny and there is just a skim of termination dust on the local peaks. I can’t remember a fall so long and so beautiful here in town. It’s been wonderful.

 

The Very LAST Day for this Backpack!

 

Two Fine Boys

 

These pics are of the door we did for David’s classroom. I had the concept, Kiel made a picture  template with clip art and die cut the leaves, and the kids helped put it together. (There was a bevy of girls that loved putting the grasses into the fence part, which was already there.)  I sandwiched floral wire between two tree cut outs to make a

3-D effect that doesn’t really come across in the photos. (I got rid of a lot of wire I’ve had since our wedding!) Each child glued beans and peas onto a leaf to form their initials as part of their handwriting module and then we put it all together. It’s been getting some nice comments and was fun to do.  The big carnival is this coming Thursday, so hopefully it will stay together until then.

 

 

And this last one is just because he’s so terribly cute….

Chutes and Ladders update August 14, 2009

As many of you know when we started playing Chutes and Ladders with David it was during the primaries for the 2008 presidential election.  Kiel named the four players Obama, Clinton, Edwards and a black haired, pony-tailed, girl figure: Kucinic.  Well no one ever wanted to be Kucinic. David is, and has always been, Obama.  I’m usually Clinton.  Today, I mixed it up a bit.

Kucinic is now Palin, played ever so graciously by moi.

Here’s a brief rundown of events: 

Palin shot out of the gate with a high roll of six. Then followed up with a fiver.

Obama started his game slow fielding only ones and twos.

Palin lead until the fourth turn when she had to slide a chute for reading a comic book instead of history. (Or was that Geography?)

Obama quietly picked up his game by mowing a lawn, advancing two levels.

They both plodded along for awhile until Palin made a risky play by skating on thin ice. Twice. Down, down she went, leaving her to wonder where she put that Bridge to Nowhere…

Obama was on the sure and steady path. He quite suddenly decided to sweep up the trash and was rewarded with a movie,  (I suspect and Indie film myself), which landed him in the 70’s. Keeping his forward momentum going, within three moves, he was at the top of the board headed for a win. 

Not to be outdone, Palin scored big by saving a wayward kitten and shot up into the 80’s, only to be cut right back down on the next turn for breaking into the cookie jar.  With approval in the mid-twenties she had no hope. Her last Hail Mary play was uneventful, missing the kitten this time, which allowed Obama the chance to spin a one to win, which he did. 

Yes, it was a fine day for a perilous game, and as usual, the big man came out the winner…..You betcha!

For Liz, Part Duex July 26, 2009

My friend Liz is an amazing woman.  She blows my mind all of the time. Mostly because she is fearless when it comes to travelling with her two girls. I don’t mean let’s go to on a two hour plane ride. I mean, let’s go to Africa, Europe, South America, and Bethel, Alaska.  Did I mention that her girls are under four years old?  She’s been doing this since her oldest, Kiri was a baby. She hasn’t let anything slow her down.  The thing about Liz, is that she has this adventurous, ready to try anything spirit. I admire that about her, and that she does it all without caffiene or a curling iron. She is beautiful. She has a wonderful laugh. She is perfected in her imperfections (which are few). She is a wonderful mother who struggles like the rest of us and is able to stand firm in her beliefs for how she wants to raise her girls and herself. I am proud to call her my friend, and am thankful that we remain so as the years go by. I hope grow old with her, to hear her defend her opinions, (which can be many), tell of her dreams, and to always know that I have an ally in a sometimes crazy world.

Thank you Liz for your generosity of heart and friendship towards me; and for the sweet, sweet, macadamia and coffee filled treat box from Hawaii. You rock!

This one is for Liz June 30, 2009

Ummmmmmm, yadda-yadda-yadda…..been single parenting for half of June….blah, blah, blah, also have worked double my normal amount….boo, hoo, hoo…….my car has needed to be fixed three times in two weeks….whah, whah, whah…cry me a river I know…so, this is what you get, and I want macadamia nuts in that care package…mwhahaha!

Love you.

Things I never thought I’d say #23 April 21, 2009

To the boys while driving in the car today:

“Poop is not a word that we use unless we are doing it,  finding it on the ground, or telling mama that we need to do it.  We certainly don’t yell it at the top of our lungs while driving in the car.  Got it? “

Silence…….then “POOOOOOOOOOOOOP!” echoed by a smaller, gleeful, ”poop, poop poop!”

Hmmmmm. Count to five and visit the refrain again: “Poop is not a word…..”    

And I wonder why I’m all talked out by the end of the day.

Things I don’t want to forget March 22, 2009

My boys are my delight.  They make me smile every day. I wish that I could save their best moments in some sort of reminiscing box, that would hold safe and undiluted, the nuance of each savored memory; so that when I am 80, I could open this box and release the laughter,  funny looks, and shrieks of delight-basking again in the delirious way these boys fill my soul.  For I think that when I am 80 I will not want to revisit my youthso much as theirs. I will miss this time of innocence, this time of delight at each new adventure or understanding. For it passes now, all to quickly. 

What I will carry with me is the funny way David talks out of the side of his mouth sometimes, especially when he’s explaining something technical, like why the GTO Hotwheel is faster than the Thunderbird, or the plot of some simple story. I will hold forever, the softness of his cheek next to mine, which I have now decided is almost better than his kisses. I will always remember the way he says aminal instead of animal and how I don’t care to correct this small endearment.  He is growing so fast and aware of so much more than I believe him to be, that my vigilance has a hard time keeping up with him some days. He absorbs it all: from street signs to movie covers, and spelling out words doesn’t work anymore unless it is a fast and long word like r-a-c-e-t-r-a-c-k. 

I see a lot of my self in David, the way he loves to read, the way he can focus so intently on something he is interested in, and in his frustration when he can’t “get” something right away. I’m thankful his teacher says the latter is not an issue in class, but I worry a bit anyway and am watchful of my own expectations around his performance.  I’ve begun writing him messages and sometimes little stories for him to read in the mornings. Sometimes we do a vocabulary word a week, sometimes, it’s just a reminder of how much I adore him, and sometimes it’s about events to come that day. It’s our special thing and it makes both of us happy to participate in this ritual.  He is his own boy and becoming more so everyday.  For now, he will still snuggle with me for a nap and I smell his hair and hold his hand and drink it in as much as I can.

My Lucas baby, he’s my rock’n'roller. He has a joyful exuberance for life. Whether it’s greeting you at the door, playing tag with his brother, or just reading a book. He is fully involved and present in all of these things. It amazes me, this passion. He models for me the life I’m still trying to learn. Life in the moment.  This boy gives his love without hesitation or guile, and you see and sense God’s light in him for he has no way of dimming it. I pray that he never loses these precious traits.  

Lucas is funny in his  love for dogs. I mean he LOVES them, has no fear of them, and I’m sure if he were allowed, would have a house full of them. I don’t know where this comes from at all.  When he sees a dog he can hardly speak. Catching his breath, he finally manages to get out a delight filled “DOG!!!!” and he will repeat the word until you acknowledge that you see it too. He is a quick study for all things moving and has no fear of injury. The other day he decided that sliding on the sidewalk head first would be a fun thing to do. So over and over again, he ran as fast as he could and dove for some imaginable home-base, laughing the whole time. He exhibits the same affinity for learning that his brother does and this pleases me, though I’ve got to change tactics as he is more kinetic in his learning and play.  He loves to be tickled and his laughter is so contagious you just can’t help yourself.  He is my baby and I couldn’t be more pleased.

These boys, so different, have brought me to my knees on more than one occasion, and yet I know that I will not remember those times as clearly as these first years of exploration and budding individuality. I hope that as they grow and change into boys and young men, that there will be some remnant of this age, glimpsed from time to time in a look, or laugh, or a mouth scooted to the side just for an instant…and it will all come back for me, this blessed time of motherhood; and though these images may fade in time, I know that my heart has already wrapped them up and placed them in permanent storage for safekeeping.

Resolutions February 17, 2009

Ugh…I’ve been putting off blogging for some time now, though I have a list of things to discuss.  I’m not sure why I haven’t been more faithful.  I think it seemed like another thing on my to-do list, and thus, put off for another day for about the last 100 days. Which is not to say that other things have not been crossed off…tiling projects, holiday events, kindergarten tours, household illness and just the everyday upkeep of life have swallowed a lot of time lately. That’s just filler though so…without further ado….

I make resolutions at the beginning of each year. It’s cliche, but I’m a gal that likes to have measurable goals, so I do it in hopes that I’ll improve something about myself along the way. I try not to make ones that I know I’m not honestly able to keep and I limit it to three. This year, it took awhile to come up with three. (No, I’m not that perfect by any means.) I just wanted them to be ones that were achievable.  So here they are:

1.  Wean myself of my paper addiction.

2. Put up or shut up.

3. Get help for parenting issues.

I started in on the first one right away. Got myself off of several catalog lists, and recycled an amazing amount of paper that was lying around the house. I bought a notebook to keep by the phone/computer so I’d stop writing things on little scraps of paper all the time, and have generally made a dent in this one.  I still have about four major piles to go through.  I like the permanence of paper, so this is a hard thing for me, though it has been initially liberating to see so much go in the recycle bin. 

The second one has to deal with complaining-especially about my physique or lack thereof. It does no one any good for me to lament my percieved faults. So, I read a book on how to dress to maximize your shape and have really tried to stop the “I’m eating out of boredom/frustration/emotional need” cycle.  I’ve told myself that any new clothes need to fit and look good, not just pass-which means that soon I’ll be back in my exercise routine. It’s been a battle since the kids have come along, and I have no right to complain if I’m not working on the problem, so, well, that’s it really.

The last one has been one I’ve been thinking about for a few months and putting off. I know I can be better at measuring my responses to the boys when I’m angry or frustrated, and more than that, I just want to find a way to be less tense in general. I’ve been to three counseling sessions so far, and they have helped. I’m reading a great book called Parenting from Within that has made a difference in how I respond when I’m mad and has helped me to understand why I react the way I do.  I’ve noticed a difference already, and am humble enough to realize that I still have work to do.  At the end of the first session the counselor said, ”I want you to also think about why you need to be perfect all of the time, because you are awfully hard on yourself.”   Noted, asterisked, and insight that was appreciated. It’s all good, and with some time, effort, and acceptance, it will be even better.

Choc-o-laht December 18, 2008

My boys and I play this game called Choc-o-laht in which you stand in front of them, squish their cheeks gently between your hands and say “CHOC-O-LAAAAHT”….(which is from this Latin American kids song we heard on TV).  Bouts of laughter inevitably follow.  Lucas especially loves it. At first the game was  between Kiel and the boys, then last week Lucas did it to me, and I about melted in his sweet little hands. He says “Choc-o-co-co”  instead, which just makes it all the more wonderful. It’s feels akin to I love you and I adore you all rolled into one. I have always hoped we would make new words between us, and though not a new word, it is re-purposed for the ultimate gesture of unconditional love.   How Delightful.

Mulligan? November 6, 2008

There are some days that you just can’t predict. Today started just fine.  The boys are slept in and the coffee was perfect.  We made it to Costco without incident and Lucas even laughed when went through the car wash before heading home. (All previous attempts at car wash activity were mommy lessons in how to terrify a baby, so today was a pleasant surprise.)  I started the bread dough and David and I had fun doing his Cars puzzle while Lucas napped. When he woke up, we all had an apple snack and watched the Jetson’s together.  So you see, when I went up to check the dough and start on dinner I had no idea what the next two hours would bring. 

Sure, this Diva can tackle dinner, bread and homemade graham crackers in one fell swoop.  Sigh.  She could if she had done the dinner recipe before…but no, today was a good day to try to break out of the dinner rut and make Pad Thai.  Yeah.  After following the recipe exactly, (the Diva can do that) what ended up in the wok was nothing that tasted like Pad Thai.  OK, she thought, let’s try an salvage this…10 minutes later after a near meltdown in the kitchen, we are all seated at the table staring at gooey noodle glop, and not saying a word about it.  I made the kids eat a few of the veggies and then turned it in for cereal.  A smart Diva knows when to call it in. 

Kiel graciously bugged out for work and I started in on the baking/cleaning juggling act in the kitchen.  A few minutes later, my ears hear the overly joyful glee of baby and boy giggles coming from the living room.  A glance up from the counter reveals blue chalk all over the wall as Lucas demonstrates his ability to draw vertical lines, and David admires his brother’s handiwork. The Diva, who was quickly unravelling, took the chalk from his little hand gave a stern admonishment, and walked away before anyone cried.   

Ten minutes later I tried to salvage the graham cracker idea by letting David help push in the cookie cutters….all the while going through her deep breathing/mantra whispering ritual several times, as he wanted to just go willy-nilly over the dough.  (Breath. “Keep it fun.”  Breath. “Stop controlling him so much.” Breath. “We are almost done.” Breath.)  Whew!  Finally, frosting covered graham crackers keep the boys busy while clean up is finished up.  And wouldn’t you know, one of my angels wiped down the wall for me without being asked, and the other one had a rare night of not crying when I put him to bed. So, even when the unexpected happens, if you roll just right, you may find that there is grace even in the small things.  And if you don’t roll just right, there’s always tomorrow.