I turned on the CNN/YouTube Republican presidential candidate debate last night just to see Anderson Cooper and ended up watching it for a while. I did fine until abortion was discussed and I got so mad that I wanted to throw a glass at the television.
It was my first time to see some of these people in action. It did not take long for J and I to develop a distinct dislike of Matt Romney - our impression is that of a smug, slick, pompous, pomaded jerk. After he spoke, I felt as though I should take a shower.
Our reactions to the men at either end of the stage - Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo - were WTF? The "W" being "who?" Whoever they are, Duncan needs to find another makeup tech because the bronzer was way too heavy last night.
Fred Thompson is a joke. What I saw last night reminded me of that old Saturday Night Live skit spoofing Admiral Stockdale after his debate with Al Gore and Dan Quayle. He looked, at times, confused and his answers were anything but clear, and not in a deliberate "I'm going to dance around the question" kind of way. He just looked inept.
(Side note: whatever happened to Dan Quayle? Wait, I really don't care.)
We were really qujite impressed with Mike Huckabee and his clear, concise answers. He seems to be sincere, well-informed, humble, and he speaks calmly and knowlegably. Go figure.
Rudy Giuliani did fine, and will John McCain EVER let us forget that he served in Vietnam? I rather like McCain although I don't agree with him on many issues, but as my friend Stephanie says, his handlers probably bite their nails and hold their breath whenever he speaks for fear of him saying something outrageous.
Which leaves Ron Paul, who came across to me as the Dennis Kucinich of the Republican candidates. Except that Ron Paul takes himself seriously. Go figure.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
But I play one on TV
I will be the first to admit that I am not a child-rearing expert, nor do I aspire to be one. When I became pregnant, I went against the tide of popular thought and chose not to read every book by every so-called expert. I learned no handy-dandy methods, techniques, schools of thought or theories. Instead, I decided to rely on my average intelligence and my above average common sense. So, truly, I am not a child-rearing expert.
But. You knew a but was coming, right? Yes, indeed, and it is a big but (go ahead, snicker - I want you to). I may not be a child-rearing expert BUT I know dumb child-rearing when I see it. And I saw plenty of it last weekend with J's family.
Each of the following examples should be preceded by the statement "I am not child-rearing expert BUT..."
Example #1
...if you allow a child to snack all day then he/she will not eat well at meals. J's mother leaves food out on the kitchen counters and the two grandchildren that live with her can help themselves whenever they like, all day long. And they do. No surprise here, but when they sit down to meals, they don't eat much. Well, duh!
On Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm, after seeing my four year old nephew eat a handful of grapes for the umpteenth time, I put them away and told him no more snacks. When he whined that he would "get hungry" I told him to wait until dinner (any wonder why I am considered the mean aunt?). Yes, I know that grapes are healthy and I know that children often needs snacks between meals. But sitting a child down to a small snack at one time during the afternoon is not the same as letting them graze all afternoon.
At dinner that night, everyone was amazed at how well the child ate. Well, duh.
Example #2
...there are times when you need to TELL a child to do something and not ASK she/he to do it. The seven year old resident of my in-laws' house dressed herself on Saturday morning, in a sleeveless cheerleading outfit with a short skirt. It was about 40 degrees that morning with an expected high only in the mid-50s. Not snowsuit weather by any means but certainly not sleeveless weather, either. My MIL asked her granddaughter "Don't you think you should put on something warmer?" To which the girl replied, "No."
Well, duh! What answer did you think she would give? I would have told her to go to her room and change into more appropriate clothing. And during the afternoon when the children played outside, the little girl was shivering despite the jacket she wore. Well duh - of course she was!
Example #3
...a child needs to go to bed at a decent time each night so they can get a good night of sleep. J and I are seen as very strict because we make sure that A goes to bed at an early hour every evening. We did relax the rules a bit on Thanksgiving because it was a special occasion, but the next night we had him back on his regular routine. The aforementioned four and seven year old stayed up later than J and I did on Thanksgiving evening, then did not go to bed on Friday night until 9:30-10:00 pm.
The children's mother and grandmother (my MIL) both told me that the children sleep very late in the morning and are often cranky. Well, duh - they are not getting enough sleep! Sure it can be a pain to us adults to make sure that A is home and in bed at a regular, early hour but that is what we signed up for when we became parents. That is our job. And we have been told by many people how impressed they are that A goes to bed nicely each night, without drama or protest, and wakes up happy. Well, duh - he gets a good amount of sleep every night.
So while I am not a child-rearing expert, I think we are doing a pretty good job.
But. You knew a but was coming, right? Yes, indeed, and it is a big but (go ahead, snicker - I want you to). I may not be a child-rearing expert BUT I know dumb child-rearing when I see it. And I saw plenty of it last weekend with J's family.
Each of the following examples should be preceded by the statement "I am not child-rearing expert BUT..."
Example #1
...if you allow a child to snack all day then he/she will not eat well at meals. J's mother leaves food out on the kitchen counters and the two grandchildren that live with her can help themselves whenever they like, all day long. And they do. No surprise here, but when they sit down to meals, they don't eat much. Well, duh!
On Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm, after seeing my four year old nephew eat a handful of grapes for the umpteenth time, I put them away and told him no more snacks. When he whined that he would "get hungry" I told him to wait until dinner (any wonder why I am considered the mean aunt?). Yes, I know that grapes are healthy and I know that children often needs snacks between meals. But sitting a child down to a small snack at one time during the afternoon is not the same as letting them graze all afternoon.
At dinner that night, everyone was amazed at how well the child ate. Well, duh.
Example #2
...there are times when you need to TELL a child to do something and not ASK she/he to do it. The seven year old resident of my in-laws' house dressed herself on Saturday morning, in a sleeveless cheerleading outfit with a short skirt. It was about 40 degrees that morning with an expected high only in the mid-50s. Not snowsuit weather by any means but certainly not sleeveless weather, either. My MIL asked her granddaughter "Don't you think you should put on something warmer?" To which the girl replied, "No."
Well, duh! What answer did you think she would give? I would have told her to go to her room and change into more appropriate clothing. And during the afternoon when the children played outside, the little girl was shivering despite the jacket she wore. Well duh - of course she was!
Example #3
...a child needs to go to bed at a decent time each night so they can get a good night of sleep. J and I are seen as very strict because we make sure that A goes to bed at an early hour every evening. We did relax the rules a bit on Thanksgiving because it was a special occasion, but the next night we had him back on his regular routine. The aforementioned four and seven year old stayed up later than J and I did on Thanksgiving evening, then did not go to bed on Friday night until 9:30-10:00 pm.
The children's mother and grandmother (my MIL) both told me that the children sleep very late in the morning and are often cranky. Well, duh - they are not getting enough sleep! Sure it can be a pain to us adults to make sure that A is home and in bed at a regular, early hour but that is what we signed up for when we became parents. That is our job. And we have been told by many people how impressed they are that A goes to bed nicely each night, without drama or protest, and wakes up happy. Well, duh - he gets a good amount of sleep every night.
So while I am not a child-rearing expert, I think we are doing a pretty good job.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Is it Tuesday yet?
Both A and J were home from school and work last Wednesday. While A went back to school today, J took today off, too. Sigh. I am ready to have the house to myself and to do even the most mundane chore in peace.
I have noticed that since I became a stay-at-home mom, I treasure my alone more than ever and too much togetherness gets tiresome after a while. I guess the Thanksgiving break is a test run for Christmas, when there will be at least a whole week when both A and J are home every day, and my mother will also be here. Maybe I do covet a 10,000 square foot house after all - at least I could hide and reasonably expect not to be found for a few hours!
One more day.
I have noticed that since I became a stay-at-home mom, I treasure my alone more than ever and too much togetherness gets tiresome after a while. I guess the Thanksgiving break is a test run for Christmas, when there will be at least a whole week when both A and J are home every day, and my mother will also be here. Maybe I do covet a 10,000 square foot house after all - at least I could hide and reasonably expect not to be found for a few hours!
One more day.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thankful to be back
I do not like to travel on Thanksgiving, and most years I successfully avoid it. This year, however, with my mother on a bus trip with friends to San Antonio, we traveled to J's parents' house near Charlotte, NC. I did insist that we would NOT drive up on Wednesday with everyone else in the world; instead we left our house early on Thanksgiving morning. I was still surprised at how much traffic there was on a holiday.
I had set my expectations very low for the trip, which I always do when family - either his or mine - is involved. That way, I am rarely disappointed or surprised. Overall, the visit wasn't too bad.
Thanksgiving dinner was held at the home of J's oldest brother, Rick. Rick and his wife, Maureen, are both physicians and moved into their new house within the past year. Their 10,000 square foot house. I like them both and don't begrudge them anything - they have, after all, studied long and hard, and work very hard in their practices - so if they want to live in a 10,000 square foot house with every bell and whistle known to man, then good for them!
I don't, however, particularly care for their choices and I do not envy them in the least. As Rick showed me through room after massive room, my father's voice sounded in my head: "This is a vulgar display of new wealth, a monument to excess." And I agree. It's as though they chose to include every option available with no thought as to whether or not they could really use it. The house and its contents are simply too much for me. I do envy the large size of their kitchen and some of the kitchen appliances, and my clothes really want to live in one of their walk-in closets, but that was really all that I coveted.
Several members of Maureen's family were visiting from Pennsylvania, and I enjoyed talking and drinking with them. The food was good as was the company, so all in all Thanksgiving, while not my choice of how to spend it, was pleasant.
Friday was a blur of whiney cousins and mediocre food, and then we drove back to Georgia on Saturday to our modest 1,800 square foot house. It may not be as large or as posh as Rick and Maureen's house, but it suits us and our lifestyle, and it certainly suits our budget! I just hope that my handbags and shoes never hear about the walk-in closet of my dreams...
I had set my expectations very low for the trip, which I always do when family - either his or mine - is involved. That way, I am rarely disappointed or surprised. Overall, the visit wasn't too bad.
Thanksgiving dinner was held at the home of J's oldest brother, Rick. Rick and his wife, Maureen, are both physicians and moved into their new house within the past year. Their 10,000 square foot house. I like them both and don't begrudge them anything - they have, after all, studied long and hard, and work very hard in their practices - so if they want to live in a 10,000 square foot house with every bell and whistle known to man, then good for them!
I don't, however, particularly care for their choices and I do not envy them in the least. As Rick showed me through room after massive room, my father's voice sounded in my head: "This is a vulgar display of new wealth, a monument to excess." And I agree. It's as though they chose to include every option available with no thought as to whether or not they could really use it. The house and its contents are simply too much for me. I do envy the large size of their kitchen and some of the kitchen appliances, and my clothes really want to live in one of their walk-in closets, but that was really all that I coveted.
Several members of Maureen's family were visiting from Pennsylvania, and I enjoyed talking and drinking with them. The food was good as was the company, so all in all Thanksgiving, while not my choice of how to spend it, was pleasant.
Friday was a blur of whiney cousins and mediocre food, and then we drove back to Georgia on Saturday to our modest 1,800 square foot house. It may not be as large or as posh as Rick and Maureen's house, but it suits us and our lifestyle, and it certainly suits our budget! I just hope that my handbags and shoes never hear about the walk-in closet of my dreams...
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy birthday, Dad
My father was born on 21 November 1926, so if he were still alive, he would be 81 today. My father was a true character and I always told people that if they were to meet him, they would understand me a whole lot more. I am very much my father's daughter, which most of the time is something of which I am proud...but, of course, there a few annoying little traits of his that I reluctantly admit to having.
People who did not know my dad well would probably think that he was gruff and humorless. He did try to act gruff at times, but I think it was to protect his very sensitive nature. He felt things very deeply, which often led to him taking a long time to get over events. For example, it was years before he could talk about the Challenger explosion without choking up; as a NASA engineer and a member of the NASA community, the accident troubled him greatly.
Dad had a great sense of humor and loved to make other people laugh. The story that is famous in our family is the time back in the late '60s/early '70s when he and my mother attended a PTA meeting with their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Knoblauch. A rather well-endowed woman was addressing audience, her hands clasped in front of her bosom. Dad leaned over to Mr. Knoblauch and whispered, "If her bra breaks, we will all be flogged to death." Mr. Knoblauch laughed so hard that he had to leave the room, unable to regain his composure.
I miss Dad so much. We had so many interesting conversations about so many different subjects; he was well-read, inquisitive and informed. My tendency to form an opinion on just about any subject comes from him and while we did not always agree, he respected my opinion as long as it was educated and based on sound reason. I often hear news stories, particularly those about something the current inept administration has done, and think "I can't wait to hear what Dad thinks about that" before I remember that I can't.
Seventy-nine is old, and that was Dad's age when he died. He was ill and had been for some time, and I believe that he was ready to go. Unfortunately, we were not ready for him to go and I thought we still had many years together before us. My biggest regret is that A got to spend so few years with Dad and my big challenge is to keep Dad's memory alive for A.
Happy birthday, Dad!
People who did not know my dad well would probably think that he was gruff and humorless. He did try to act gruff at times, but I think it was to protect his very sensitive nature. He felt things very deeply, which often led to him taking a long time to get over events. For example, it was years before he could talk about the Challenger explosion without choking up; as a NASA engineer and a member of the NASA community, the accident troubled him greatly.
Dad had a great sense of humor and loved to make other people laugh. The story that is famous in our family is the time back in the late '60s/early '70s when he and my mother attended a PTA meeting with their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Knoblauch. A rather well-endowed woman was addressing audience, her hands clasped in front of her bosom. Dad leaned over to Mr. Knoblauch and whispered, "If her bra breaks, we will all be flogged to death." Mr. Knoblauch laughed so hard that he had to leave the room, unable to regain his composure.
I miss Dad so much. We had so many interesting conversations about so many different subjects; he was well-read, inquisitive and informed. My tendency to form an opinion on just about any subject comes from him and while we did not always agree, he respected my opinion as long as it was educated and based on sound reason. I often hear news stories, particularly those about something the current inept administration has done, and think "I can't wait to hear what Dad thinks about that" before I remember that I can't.
Seventy-nine is old, and that was Dad's age when he died. He was ill and had been for some time, and I believe that he was ready to go. Unfortunately, we were not ready for him to go and I thought we still had many years together before us. My biggest regret is that A got to spend so few years with Dad and my big challenge is to keep Dad's memory alive for A.
Happy birthday, Dad!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Being thankful
Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. How can you not love a holiday that revolves around food and football? All joking aside, I like that we have a day to reflect on the riches we have, the good things in our lives...whether we are thankful to a deity or to other people.
The moderator of our Mommy group posted the following on our board this morning:
"Okay, we all know we are thankful for our husbands and kids and homes and churches and families and friends and blah, blah, blah. Now, let's here the 10 things you are really thankful for - like chocolate, baby nap time, heated seats in your car."
So here are my top ten, in no particular order:
1. Salad in a bag
2. Online library book reservations, shopping and banking
3. NPR
4. Hair color
5. Adult fermented beverages
6. Caller ID
7. Massages
8. Dark, rich coffee
9. Dark, rich chocolate
10. Anderson Cooper
For these things, I am truly thankful!
The moderator of our Mommy group posted the following on our board this morning:
"Okay, we all know we are thankful for our husbands and kids and homes and churches and families and friends and blah, blah, blah. Now, let's here the 10 things you are really thankful for - like chocolate, baby nap time, heated seats in your car."
So here are my top ten, in no particular order:
1. Salad in a bag
2. Online library book reservations, shopping and banking
3. NPR
4. Hair color
5. Adult fermented beverages
6. Caller ID
7. Massages
8. Dark, rich coffee
9. Dark, rich chocolate
10. Anderson Cooper
For these things, I am truly thankful!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Between a rock and the wrong place
Today we made our rescheduled trek into Atlanta - no detours for vomiting this week. We started out at the Midtown location of Trader Joe's - what a fabulous store! J and I were content to wander the aisles and peruse the delicacies; A was interested only in the food samples. We tried not to go wild, and limited our purchases to artisan bread, bagels and three types of cheese.
We headed west into Decatur to go to the Dekalb Farmers Market, which is not like a traditional farmers' market nor is like a traditional grocery store. It is an amazing cross-section of food and people from all over the world. I did the majority of my grocery shopping there when I was a poor graduate student and ate quite well for an economical price. It was not uncommon to see a Buckhead matron in a fur coat, punk rockers and large immigrant families (all touching the grocery cart) shopping peacefully side-by-side. We inhaled the rich smells in the seafood section, drooled over even more cheese and stood in awe at the variety of fresh produce. We bought a few more unusual items and added them to our treasure trove in the cooler.
Downtown Decatur was our next destination, where we had lunch at Ted's Montana Grill. J and I enjoyed delicious burgers and A seemed to eat his body weight in chicken tenders and fries. I also indulged in a Bloody Mary, which hit the spot.
Our last stop was the campus of Emory University, my alma mater. I couldn't remember anything about how to get around campus, so we finally parked and then hoofed it. Campus was just as beautiful as I remembered, and I was amazed at the amount of construction taking place. I also marveled at the size and opulence of the Goizueta Business School - not the tiny little building in which I attended classes! A enjoyed running around the various quads throughout campus and I bought him an Emory t-shirt.
J and I were rather sad to leave and drive back out to Hooterville. Decatur is much more our speed: diverse people, shopping, housing, yada yada yada. We felt at home there, which we do not feel living out here in the country. And while we know that living in Decatur is not feasible due to housing costs, job location, etc., it was still a stark reminder that we are living in the wrong place.
We headed west into Decatur to go to the Dekalb Farmers Market, which is not like a traditional farmers' market nor is like a traditional grocery store. It is an amazing cross-section of food and people from all over the world. I did the majority of my grocery shopping there when I was a poor graduate student and ate quite well for an economical price. It was not uncommon to see a Buckhead matron in a fur coat, punk rockers and large immigrant families (all touching the grocery cart) shopping peacefully side-by-side. We inhaled the rich smells in the seafood section, drooled over even more cheese and stood in awe at the variety of fresh produce. We bought a few more unusual items and added them to our treasure trove in the cooler.
Downtown Decatur was our next destination, where we had lunch at Ted's Montana Grill. J and I enjoyed delicious burgers and A seemed to eat his body weight in chicken tenders and fries. I also indulged in a Bloody Mary, which hit the spot.
Our last stop was the campus of Emory University, my alma mater. I couldn't remember anything about how to get around campus, so we finally parked and then hoofed it. Campus was just as beautiful as I remembered, and I was amazed at the amount of construction taking place. I also marveled at the size and opulence of the Goizueta Business School - not the tiny little building in which I attended classes! A enjoyed running around the various quads throughout campus and I bought him an Emory t-shirt.
J and I were rather sad to leave and drive back out to Hooterville. Decatur is much more our speed: diverse people, shopping, housing, yada yada yada. We felt at home there, which we do not feel living out here in the country. And while we know that living in Decatur is not feasible due to housing costs, job location, etc., it was still a stark reminder that we are living in the wrong place.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
One little, two little...
Three little native people! Today was the Thanksgiving feast for all kindergarten classes at A's school. J and I both were able to join our little Pilgrim for lunch; it was my usual morning to work in the class so I was already there.
A was thrilled that Daddy, in particular, was able to come for lunch. While the food wasn't particularly delectable, it was great fun to see A and his classmates dressed as Pilgrims and native Americans, or at least the kindergarten interpretation. At least A's Pilgrim collar did double duty as a bib!
Each child had made a laminated Thanksgiving place mat, and their places were also adorned with a paper tepee and a laced paper canoe along with a tiny pinch pot that they had made.
After the feast, we returned to their classroom to hear Thanksgiving songs and to eat pumpkin pie that the students had made yesterday. I am no fan of pumpkin pie so I passed, but J said it wasn't too bad.
After two hours of working in the classroom, then lunch with excited children and numerous mainly annoying parents, I felt like helping myself to some Pilgrim hooch when I returned home!
A was thrilled that Daddy, in particular, was able to come for lunch. While the food wasn't particularly delectable, it was great fun to see A and his classmates dressed as Pilgrims and native Americans, or at least the kindergarten interpretation. At least A's Pilgrim collar did double duty as a bib!Each child had made a laminated Thanksgiving place mat, and their places were also adorned with a paper tepee and a laced paper canoe along with a tiny pinch pot that they had made.
After the feast, we returned to their classroom to hear Thanksgiving songs and to eat pumpkin pie that the students had made yesterday. I am no fan of pumpkin pie so I passed, but J said it wasn't too bad.
After two hours of working in the classroom, then lunch with excited children and numerous mainly annoying parents, I felt like helping myself to some Pilgrim hooch when I returned home!
Monday, November 12, 2007
TIMBER!
That is the sound of the Ohio State Buckeyes falling from #1 in the college football rankings to #7 after Saturday's loss to Illinois. In the parts of the game that I saw, Ohio State did not play well and Illinois played very well - a lethal combination if you are on the losing end. The big game is this Saturday and all the wins of the season will mean nothing if we lose to Michigan. GO BUCKEYES!
It was an interesting weekend at our house. On Saturday afternoon, a teenage girl who lives around the corner and a few houses down came over to "meet and greet" with us in regards to future babysitting. She is fifteen and seems like a very nice girl, and A took to her immediately. We have already booked her for the night of J's company holiday party; it is going to be nice to have a good babysitter so conveniently located.
Yesterday we tried to take a field trip into Atlanta. I wanted to stroll around the campus of Emory University; I haven't been back since I graduated 18 (gasp) years ago. We thought we would also take the opportunity to go to a Trader Joes grocery store and visit the Dekalb Farmers Market, which is an amazing grocery store and where I did all of my food shopping when I lived in Atlanta during graduate school. It seems slightly pathetic that upscale/unusual grocery stores are a weekend destination for us, but with only standard grocery stores out here in Green Acres, Trader Joes and DFM are treats.
Just before we left the house, A threw up. We weren't too concerned, thinking he had just had too much Cap'n Crunch for breakfast. His color was good and he said that he felt fine, so we proceeded with our plans. Silly, silly us. We got about three miles from home when he announced that he was going to throw up again, so we pulled in a parking lot and I quickly got him out of the car. Once again, his healthy color returned and he assured us that his tummy was fine. But within about ten more miles, we had to pull over again and with that, we decided to go home. We had to pull over one more time on the way home so that A could pollute the roadside.
When we got home, we got A into jammies and put him to bed in the guest room. He slept for about two hours, then got up and was back to normal. He was ravenous and was quite annoyed that I would not let him eat a normal lunch! We kept his food bland the rest of the day, but he clearly felt better already and today is good as new.
So we will try our little field trip again next Sunday, hopefully with better results!
It was an interesting weekend at our house. On Saturday afternoon, a teenage girl who lives around the corner and a few houses down came over to "meet and greet" with us in regards to future babysitting. She is fifteen and seems like a very nice girl, and A took to her immediately. We have already booked her for the night of J's company holiday party; it is going to be nice to have a good babysitter so conveniently located.
Yesterday we tried to take a field trip into Atlanta. I wanted to stroll around the campus of Emory University; I haven't been back since I graduated 18 (gasp) years ago. We thought we would also take the opportunity to go to a Trader Joes grocery store and visit the Dekalb Farmers Market, which is an amazing grocery store and where I did all of my food shopping when I lived in Atlanta during graduate school. It seems slightly pathetic that upscale/unusual grocery stores are a weekend destination for us, but with only standard grocery stores out here in Green Acres, Trader Joes and DFM are treats.
Just before we left the house, A threw up. We weren't too concerned, thinking he had just had too much Cap'n Crunch for breakfast. His color was good and he said that he felt fine, so we proceeded with our plans. Silly, silly us. We got about three miles from home when he announced that he was going to throw up again, so we pulled in a parking lot and I quickly got him out of the car. Once again, his healthy color returned and he assured us that his tummy was fine. But within about ten more miles, we had to pull over again and with that, we decided to go home. We had to pull over one more time on the way home so that A could pollute the roadside.
When we got home, we got A into jammies and put him to bed in the guest room. He slept for about two hours, then got up and was back to normal. He was ravenous and was quite annoyed that I would not let him eat a normal lunch! We kept his food bland the rest of the day, but he clearly felt better already and today is good as new.
So we will try our little field trip again next Sunday, hopefully with better results!
Friday, November 9, 2007
Things that go bleah in the night
There are times when I wonder why we have a cat. Many, many times. Spenser has been a royal pain in the tookus lately, even more so now that the weather has turned cooler. I guess the cold bothers him more since he is a senior (he is 10+ years old), but I can hardly sit down without him trying to climb on my lap. I know that I am nothing if not warm furniture but does he have to be so obvious?
Spenser also sleeps far more than he used to and since he sleeps at night on our bed, he expects us to go to bed when he is ready. He glares at us and blares his loud meow when he thinks it is getting late. Nothing will quiet him down until we go to bed and he hops in after us.
In the wee hours of this morning, we were awakened by the sound of, well, heaving. No delicate way to put it - Spenser was getting ready to throw up. If it would have been light enough to see, we would have been treated to the sight of his whole body undulating...each heave starts at the end of his tail and works its way in a wave to his head. And he is LOUD; no delicate upchucking for him.
I decided that I was too warm and comfortable to get out of bed and try to move him onto tile. Several months ago I tried a similar maneuver in the dark, only to hit the recliner in the corner while running. I dropped Spenser, hit one armrest and flipped over onto the floor. Although J gave me a 9.8 for difficulty and 7.3 for style, I ended up with a hideous bruise on my side and Spenser still threw up on the carpet.
So I let him heave in peace last night, knowing what would be waiting for clean up this morning. To my surprise, after all that heaving and horking, only a quarter size spot was on the floor by the bed. Much ado, indeed, about nothing.
Spenser also sleeps far more than he used to and since he sleeps at night on our bed, he expects us to go to bed when he is ready. He glares at us and blares his loud meow when he thinks it is getting late. Nothing will quiet him down until we go to bed and he hops in after us.
In the wee hours of this morning, we were awakened by the sound of, well, heaving. No delicate way to put it - Spenser was getting ready to throw up. If it would have been light enough to see, we would have been treated to the sight of his whole body undulating...each heave starts at the end of his tail and works its way in a wave to his head. And he is LOUD; no delicate upchucking for him.
I decided that I was too warm and comfortable to get out of bed and try to move him onto tile. Several months ago I tried a similar maneuver in the dark, only to hit the recliner in the corner while running. I dropped Spenser, hit one armrest and flipped over onto the floor. Although J gave me a 9.8 for difficulty and 7.3 for style, I ended up with a hideous bruise on my side and Spenser still threw up on the carpet.
So I let him heave in peace last night, knowing what would be waiting for clean up this morning. To my surprise, after all that heaving and horking, only a quarter size spot was on the floor by the bed. Much ado, indeed, about nothing.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
T is for tutor
I finally started as a reading tutor today. It was something I had done years ago in North Carolina, when I worked for companies that encouraged volunteering during work hours. It was a nice break during the week and really helped me keep my so called "issues" in perspective.
I signed up with the BOE to be a tutor long before this school year started and have been rather impatiently waiting for a student to be assigned to me. I had requested a student at A's school but the coordinator said that there wasn't a match at that school for me - either they didn't have any requests (hard to believe) or perhaps they had all the tutors they needed, I don't know. So the coordinator of the program asked if I would consider another school and since the one she suggested was not too far from our house, I said yes. In hindsight, it is probably better that I am going to a different school; A is at an age where he can be quite possessive of me and if he saw me in the hall but I wasn't there to be in his class, there might be hurt feelings.
I met my student this morning. He is in the fifth grade and is a very outgoing young man. We spent today's 30 minute session just talking and getting to know one another, and will start in on the reading next week. It will be good for me to work with someone older than A, to move beyond the "Jack and Jilly" stories that can be quite tiresome!
I signed up with the BOE to be a tutor long before this school year started and have been rather impatiently waiting for a student to be assigned to me. I had requested a student at A's school but the coordinator said that there wasn't a match at that school for me - either they didn't have any requests (hard to believe) or perhaps they had all the tutors they needed, I don't know. So the coordinator of the program asked if I would consider another school and since the one she suggested was not too far from our house, I said yes. In hindsight, it is probably better that I am going to a different school; A is at an age where he can be quite possessive of me and if he saw me in the hall but I wasn't there to be in his class, there might be hurt feelings.
I met my student this morning. He is in the fifth grade and is a very outgoing young man. We spent today's 30 minute session just talking and getting to know one another, and will start in on the reading next week. It will be good for me to work with someone older than A, to move beyond the "Jack and Jilly" stories that can be quite tiresome!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
It's nice to be nice
Now that we are full-force into the holiday season, A - like most children - has a serious case of the wants. If I tallied up all the toys and games that he has said that he wants, the number would probably shock me. I have to watch the mail and newspaper carefully so that he doesn't seize any more toy ads and add to his list!
One of the lessons that we want to teach him as he grows is that not everyone is as fortunate as we are, and that we should share some of our good fortune. I decided that this year we would participate in Operation Christmas Child, which sends gift-filled shoe boxes to children throughout the world. While I am not wild about the second part of their activities, the evangelizing, at least they are doing something tangible for these children.
We decided to pack a box for a boy in the same age range as A. We went to our local Walgreens on Sunday afternoon and had a great time choosing items for our box: crayons, colored pencils, drawing pad, stuffed animal, Hot Wheels, flashlight, mini Etch-a-Sketch, a ball, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, hard candy...and a few other items that I certainly forgot. All three of us enjoyed shopping and I liked seeing A pick up an item and say "I think he would like this." Of course, we had to occasionally pry an extra toy out of A's hands, but all in all, he got into the spirit of giving to someone else.
The real challenge came when we got home and tried to fit everything into the box! J did a great time of arranging and rearranging, and managed to get everything except one small ball into the box. A and I will drop off the box next week at one of the collection locations - I want for A to have the experience of carrying the box in and seeing it with the other boxes.
Compassion and generosity are not easy lessons to teach, but we are trying.
One of the lessons that we want to teach him as he grows is that not everyone is as fortunate as we are, and that we should share some of our good fortune. I decided that this year we would participate in Operation Christmas Child, which sends gift-filled shoe boxes to children throughout the world. While I am not wild about the second part of their activities, the evangelizing, at least they are doing something tangible for these children.
We decided to pack a box for a boy in the same age range as A. We went to our local Walgreens on Sunday afternoon and had a great time choosing items for our box: crayons, colored pencils, drawing pad, stuffed animal, Hot Wheels, flashlight, mini Etch-a-Sketch, a ball, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, hard candy...and a few other items that I certainly forgot. All three of us enjoyed shopping and I liked seeing A pick up an item and say "I think he would like this." Of course, we had to occasionally pry an extra toy out of A's hands, but all in all, he got into the spirit of giving to someone else.
The real challenge came when we got home and tried to fit everything into the box! J did a great time of arranging and rearranging, and managed to get everything except one small ball into the box. A and I will drop off the box next week at one of the collection locations - I want for A to have the experience of carrying the box in and seeing it with the other boxes.
Compassion and generosity are not easy lessons to teach, but we are trying.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Boo!
The 31st was quite a busy day at our house. A and I had the school field trip during the day and the time after school also proved to be action-packed. A insisted that we carve the tiny pumpkin that he picked out at the farm; while it was easy to remove the small amount of seeds and pumpkin goo, it was tough to carve something that small. Somehow I managed to cut out two eyes and a toothy grin without severing any fingers, but we soon learned that we had to tilt the lid in order to give the candle enough air to stay lit.
A masterpiece, it is not.
We put on A's costume and headed over to our local Publix grocery store, which had treats for the children. A received quite a lot of candy from three different stations within the store and delighted several shoppers with his super hero poses.
Then we went over to the Tae Kwan Do school, which was having a Halloween party for each class. It was quite funny to see Mr. Gable and Master Shim wearing costumes! J had been sent home from work early, so he came directly to the school, which was a nice surprise. Mr. Gable and Master Shim played games with the costumed students (yay - burn off that sugar!) and then handed each child a goodie bag. We were already loaded with candy at this point, and trick or treating in the neighborhood was yet to come.
After a quick dinner, we headed out for trick or treating in the neighborhood. It was still light out, but we could not wait for dark and keep A on any kind of an evening schedule. We had a good time going to the various houses out on the main road in our subdivision and it was completely dark by the time we finished. We had no trick or treaters on our cul-de-sac, down from last year's high number of one.
We let A survey his haul (quite large) and eat a piece or two of candy before getting his bath, brushing his teeth VERY WELL and going to bed. He was exhausted from his busy day and crawled into bed only 15 minutes later than usual. All in all, it was a good day for Captain Heartbreaker and his entourage.
A masterpiece, it is not.
We put on A's costume and headed over to our local Publix grocery store, which had treats for the children. A received quite a lot of candy from three different stations within the store and delighted several shoppers with his super hero poses.
Then we went over to the Tae Kwan Do school, which was having a Halloween party for each class. It was quite funny to see Mr. Gable and Master Shim wearing costumes! J had been sent home from work early, so he came directly to the school, which was a nice surprise. Mr. Gable and Master Shim played games with the costumed students (yay - burn off that sugar!) and then handed each child a goodie bag. We were already loaded with candy at this point, and trick or treating in the neighborhood was yet to come.
After a quick dinner, we headed out for trick or treating in the neighborhood. It was still light out, but we could not wait for dark and keep A on any kind of an evening schedule. We had a good time going to the various houses out on the main road in our subdivision and it was completely dark by the time we finished. We had no trick or treaters on our cul-de-sac, down from last year's high number of one.We let A survey his haul (quite large) and eat a piece or two of candy before getting his bath, brushing his teeth VERY WELL and going to bed. He was exhausted from his busy day and crawled into bed only 15 minutes later than usual. All in all, it was a good day for Captain Heartbreaker and his entourage.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Down on the farm, part 2
On Halloween, I went with A's kindergarten class on a field trip to Minter's Farm, where we went to Inman Farm Heritage Days back in September (see "Down on the farm" - 17 September). It was a beautiful fall day and all five kindergarten classes from the elementary school were very excited to be out of the classroom.
There were five parents total from A's class, so with the teacher and the para professional, we had seven adults for the 16 students in Mrs. G's class. All in all, they were fairly well-behaved; they were just energetic and keeping them in line was akin to herding cats. Giggling, talking, squirming cats.
We went inside a log cabin , known as Miss Quinnie's cabin, which is an original 1870s log home. Mr. Minter told the students how two sisters lived in that tiny cabin (maybe 12' x 12' total?) their entire lives, cooked their meals using the fireplace and had no indoor plumbing or electricity. Then the children made a simple corn husk doll, picked cotton, ground corn with a hand-cranked grist mill to feed the chickens, cows and donkeys, went on a hayride, picked out a small pumpkin to take home, and helped to make, as a class, a hand-twisted rope to take back to the classroom. Then we unpacked our bag lunches and ate outdoors. One of the moms had made Halloween cupcakes, which we enjoyed.
Once all five classes had finished all the activities, they loaded back onto the buses and drove back to school. I drove home and put up my feet when I got in the house! It was great fun, but four hours of farm fun with five and six year olds had me a bit tired, but also appreciating my indoor plumbing and electricity.
There were five parents total from A's class, so with the teacher and the para professional, we had seven adults for the 16 students in Mrs. G's class. All in all, they were fairly well-behaved; they were just energetic and keeping them in line was akin to herding cats. Giggling, talking, squirming cats.
We went inside a log cabin , known as Miss Quinnie's cabin, which is an original 1870s log home. Mr. Minter told the students how two sisters lived in that tiny cabin (maybe 12' x 12' total?) their entire lives, cooked their meals using the fireplace and had no indoor plumbing or electricity. Then the children made a simple corn husk doll, picked cotton, ground corn with a hand-cranked grist mill to feed the chickens, cows and donkeys, went on a hayride, picked out a small pumpkin to take home, and helped to make, as a class, a hand-twisted rope to take back to the classroom. Then we unpacked our bag lunches and ate outdoors. One of the moms had made Halloween cupcakes, which we enjoyed.
Once all five classes had finished all the activities, they loaded back onto the buses and drove back to school. I drove home and put up my feet when I got in the house! It was great fun, but four hours of farm fun with five and six year olds had me a bit tired, but also appreciating my indoor plumbing and electricity.
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