Illustration for prior post. This spider was on the car this morning.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Who's Mama's Little Helper?
We made a job list today, which, coupled with the extra time Katherine gained staying home sick from school, worked surprisingly well. Katherine got so excited about crossing off jobs (her first chance to use the colored Dry-Erase markers she's been coveting since Christmas) that she even ran to get out the next day's outfit at 1:15 in the afternoon--right when I was trying to put Rebecca down for quiet time. But even after I shooed her out, I couldn't budge Rebecca, who was collecting an armful of clothes.
I tried to take them away and put them back, but she started to cry. I had to stand aside and watch. What was Rebecca doing? Getting out her next day's outfit. Just like Katherine.
Then, at dinnertime, I mentioned that Alex hadn't set any silverware for me. In a minute, Rebecca was up and yanking open the silverware drawer. I tried to stop her, worried she'd pull it down on herself, but she reached in for a fork and spoon she was hardly tall enough to see. Why? I wondered, because she already had some. Then she toddled over to my plate and set them down, spoon on the right, fork on the left, before she returned to her place with an enormous smile. I had one too.
At last! Someone is listening to me!
I tried to take them away and put them back, but she started to cry. I had to stand aside and watch. What was Rebecca doing? Getting out her next day's outfit. Just like Katherine.
Then, at dinnertime, I mentioned that Alex hadn't set any silverware for me. In a minute, Rebecca was up and yanking open the silverware drawer. I tried to stop her, worried she'd pull it down on herself, but she reached in for a fork and spoon she was hardly tall enough to see. Why? I wondered, because she already had some. Then she toddled over to my plate and set them down, spoon on the right, fork on the left, before she returned to her place with an enormous smile. I had one too.
At last! Someone is listening to me!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Meal Plan
Monday: wonder what to make for dinner--out of ingenuity managing everything with Lar out of town. Katherine saves the day by choosing lentil soup. Reflect, eating lentil soup, how silly it is getting to always wonder what to make for dinner. Remember Laramie has always advocated meal planning as the solution. Decide to try planning meals. Brainstorm meals with children. Chose English muffin pizzas (kids' request) and phad thai as next meals to make.
Tuesday: shop for English muffins and phad thai bean sprouts. Eat lentil soup.
Wednesday: pick up Laramie from airport, desperately craving olive pizza. Lar helpfully points out that chicken provencal has olives, and requests it for dinner. After afternoon of teaching piano while swimsuited children paint pudding mural outside, rush to store for ingredients to oblige returned husband. Feed children lentil soup. Cook chicken provencal. Lar brings home beef and gnocchi.
Thursday: Eat leftover lentil soup and chicken. Cook pasta to go with chicken.
Friday: go out for dinner to Maggianos, which sends home a second pasta dish for each classic dish you buy. Leave store with three boxes of pasta.
Saturday: get invited out to dinner with the girls after Relief Society broadcast. Lar serves kids lentil soup and English muffin pizzas.
Sunday: lie around with enormous tummyache. Lar cooks rest of English muffin pizzas.
Monday: eat pasta, chicken, and leftover gnocchi. Lar dines on rice and fish.
Tuesday: eat leftover restaurant food.
Throw away rotten bean sprouts.
Rethink meal planning.
Tuesday: shop for English muffins and phad thai bean sprouts. Eat lentil soup.
Wednesday: pick up Laramie from airport, desperately craving olive pizza. Lar helpfully points out that chicken provencal has olives, and requests it for dinner. After afternoon of teaching piano while swimsuited children paint pudding mural outside, rush to store for ingredients to oblige returned husband. Feed children lentil soup. Cook chicken provencal. Lar brings home beef and gnocchi.
Thursday: Eat leftover lentil soup and chicken. Cook pasta to go with chicken.
Friday: go out for dinner to Maggianos, which sends home a second pasta dish for each classic dish you buy. Leave store with three boxes of pasta.
Saturday: get invited out to dinner with the girls after Relief Society broadcast. Lar serves kids lentil soup and English muffin pizzas.
Sunday: lie around with enormous tummyache. Lar cooks rest of English muffin pizzas.
Monday: eat pasta, chicken, and leftover gnocchi. Lar dines on rice and fish.
Tuesday: eat leftover restaurant food.
Throw away rotten bean sprouts.
Rethink meal planning.
Watch
When we were newlyweds, Laramie bought me a golden Timex watch that lit up blue. It served me well, until the clasp started to loosen last year. I asked him to buy me a new one for Christmas, describing exactly what I wanted, he met all my requirements--and I didn't love it. We shopped for a new one, but I couldn't decide. Eventually I pulled out the pliers, tightened the Timex clasp, and put it back on.
That worked great until last week, when, as I sprinted the kids to school, my watch flew off my wrist. Either it's been picked up by a passing third-grader, or it's really going to foul somebody's lawnmower next spring. Anyway, I couldn't find it.
I planned on doing the same thing I did last fall, checking every clock in sight and carrying my cell phone for backup timepiece, but Katherine had other ideas. "Why don't you borrow mine?"
After all, she has a watch too. Her grandma gave it to her as a birthday gift, and though she rarely wears it for fear of losing it, she checks it faithfully at night in bed(usually when I'd rather she were already asleep). At first I demurred, but she brought it to me as I worked on my computer, insisting I use it. (With--smart girl--the caveat that I'd have to buy her a new one if I lost it. Fair enough.)
At first I wondered how I'd feel wearing a child's watch with a bright pink face and a pink elastic band. Not bad, it turns out. The band was surprisingly comfortable, and the shock of color cheered me up. It even had a second hand, one of the qualifications I'd originally insisted upon.
I did rush out to buy myself a watch soon afterwards. Laramie pocketed the pink watch, which I returned to its place in Katherine's bed. I am now the proud possessor of a shiny new watch with a second hand, now set to school time.
But I've learned there are worse things than losing a watch.
Or wearing pink elastic.
That worked great until last week, when, as I sprinted the kids to school, my watch flew off my wrist. Either it's been picked up by a passing third-grader, or it's really going to foul somebody's lawnmower next spring. Anyway, I couldn't find it.
I planned on doing the same thing I did last fall, checking every clock in sight and carrying my cell phone for backup timepiece, but Katherine had other ideas. "Why don't you borrow mine?"
After all, she has a watch too. Her grandma gave it to her as a birthday gift, and though she rarely wears it for fear of losing it, she checks it faithfully at night in bed(usually when I'd rather she were already asleep). At first I demurred, but she brought it to me as I worked on my computer, insisting I use it. (With--smart girl--the caveat that I'd have to buy her a new one if I lost it. Fair enough.)
At first I wondered how I'd feel wearing a child's watch with a bright pink face and a pink elastic band. Not bad, it turns out. The band was surprisingly comfortable, and the shock of color cheered me up. It even had a second hand, one of the qualifications I'd originally insisted upon.
I did rush out to buy myself a watch soon afterwards. Laramie pocketed the pink watch, which I returned to its place in Katherine's bed. I am now the proud possessor of a shiny new watch with a second hand, now set to school time.
But I've learned there are worse things than losing a watch.
Or wearing pink elastic.
Special Treats
One morning I told Alex we had a special treat for breakfast--gingerbread pear trifle that Lar and I had brought home the night before. Since it contained fruit, I thought it would be OK for breakfast.
"Is it messy?" Alex asked.
Overhearing, Becca thought the conversation was about her. "I not messy!" she announced. "I just wet."
"Is it messy?" Alex asked.
Overhearing, Becca thought the conversation was about her. "I not messy!" she announced. "I just wet."
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Mini-agent-holidays
We have not yet had the grand celebratory dinner I wanted after I had the fateful phone conversation with Myrsini Stephanides, who offered to become my agent. I spent all that day in a daze, a little stunned, asked mom to watch kids during the conversation, conducted my part in a business-like manner, and emerged from the study as if in a dream. Part of me wanted to be frantically writing, though there was nothing to be done; part of me couldn't focus on anything (witness my "clogging" the following Thursday!) I didn't want Mom to leave.
Where's That Spider?
Taking advantage of September sunshine to update my blog outside on the lawn, I saw a black, bulbous spider crawl across my knee. Then it vanished. "Where's the spider?" I wondered, picking up my computer and searching my lap. But it was gone.
Fifteen minutes later, standing in my bedroom, I found it crawling out of my sleeve. I jerked and brushed it to the floor. I searched for it, but it had vanished again.
Where's that spider now?
Fifteen minutes later, standing in my bedroom, I found it crawling out of my sleeve. I jerked and brushed it to the floor. I searched for it, but it had vanished again.
Where's that spider now?
Two weeks of momentous events
--Rebecca told me she needed to go potty, demanding to sit on the "downstairs toilet!" and pooping in it. !!! (Sadly, this did not mark the beginning of a new era.)
--Alex threw the longest tantrum we've seen yet.
--I derailed a few tantrums by asking Alex to consider consequences, giving him hugs, or reading to him as he completed his assigned task.
--Katherine received a tape on her Martial Arts belt for yelling "Yes, Sir!" to one of the instructor's command. He says he never gives them out to white belts who've only been in the class two weeks, so she's pretty proud. Alex attends class with a huge smile on his face, and it is to hoped that he soon internalizes their philosophical teachings of self-control.
--Laramie took Alex's piano instruction in hand one evening, chasing him up and down the keyboard as they played technique patterns.
--My friend Lydia dressed my kids and hers in swimsuits so they could paint a giant mural with pudding. Kids revelled in the art, the cleanup (licking their spoons), and their subsequent scrubbing via sprinkler. I calmly taught piano downstairs, congratulating myself on being able to trade so that somebody else could run the messy art projects.
--Laramie left for seven days out of nine, with a work trip and then a family trip to Utah, where he hiked the Narrows at Zion's National Park. (See Skeedattle.)
--My friend Arren, another piano student, organized my candy collection. Now it's nicely packed in Ziplocs into bins labeled "Hard," "Chewy," and "Chewy with a Shell." Chocolate gets its own bag. Even more amazing, we managed to cram everything back into one cabinet, reducing the candy sprawl that had been taking over my storage. Now I will be able to tell what I already possess before I buy, such as the seven half-used bags of marshmallows we collected out of various crannies. Marshmallow, anyone?
--After nine months of dithering, I decided to buy the watch that I'd almost settled on in January. By then, Ben Bridge no longer carried it (and the salesman was pretty grumpy about having to write down the numbers for watches he couldn't sell us, although he charmed considerably when Laramie asked to see a set of $900 watches), but Lar found it at an adjacent jewelry store. ("Oh, I've been visiting this mall for years," I assured the saleslady when they told us how long the store had there, thinking of my teenage rambles up and down its then-fewer halls, wandering into the bookshops and studying the photo of Bellevue Way and 8th--two dirt lanes with a cow in the intersection. "Really? I don't remember seeing you," she said, and I didn't dare admit that I'd never patronized her store because we were only shopping for my second piece of jewelry in our married life.) Luckily, I'm still in love with it a day later.
--I GOT AN AGENT!!!
--Alex threw the longest tantrum we've seen yet.
--I derailed a few tantrums by asking Alex to consider consequences, giving him hugs, or reading to him as he completed his assigned task.
--Katherine received a tape on her Martial Arts belt for yelling "Yes, Sir!" to one of the instructor's command. He says he never gives them out to white belts who've only been in the class two weeks, so she's pretty proud. Alex attends class with a huge smile on his face, and it is to hoped that he soon internalizes their philosophical teachings of self-control.
--Laramie took Alex's piano instruction in hand one evening, chasing him up and down the keyboard as they played technique patterns.
--My friend Lydia dressed my kids and hers in swimsuits so they could paint a giant mural with pudding. Kids revelled in the art, the cleanup (licking their spoons), and their subsequent scrubbing via sprinkler. I calmly taught piano downstairs, congratulating myself on being able to trade so that somebody else could run the messy art projects.
--Laramie left for seven days out of nine, with a work trip and then a family trip to Utah, where he hiked the Narrows at Zion's National Park. (See Skeedattle.)
--My friend Arren, another piano student, organized my candy collection. Now it's nicely packed in Ziplocs into bins labeled "Hard," "Chewy," and "Chewy with a Shell." Chocolate gets its own bag. Even more amazing, we managed to cram everything back into one cabinet, reducing the candy sprawl that had been taking over my storage. Now I will be able to tell what I already possess before I buy, such as the seven half-used bags of marshmallows we collected out of various crannies. Marshmallow, anyone?
--After nine months of dithering, I decided to buy the watch that I'd almost settled on in January. By then, Ben Bridge no longer carried it (and the salesman was pretty grumpy about having to write down the numbers for watches he couldn't sell us, although he charmed considerably when Laramie asked to see a set of $900 watches), but Lar found it at an adjacent jewelry store. ("Oh, I've been visiting this mall for years," I assured the saleslady when they told us how long the store had there, thinking of my teenage rambles up and down its then-fewer halls, wandering into the bookshops and studying the photo of Bellevue Way and 8th--two dirt lanes with a cow in the intersection. "Really? I don't remember seeing you," she said, and I didn't dare admit that I'd never patronized her store because we were only shopping for my second piece of jewelry in our married life.) Luckily, I'm still in love with it a day later.
--I GOT AN AGENT!!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Baby Steps
It's not that I keep my house immaculate. I don't. But I'd like to. And the likelihood of adding to the mess always alarms me. That's why I put the honey on the bread myself, why I'm reluctant to get out poster paints, and why I have my friend lead big art projects while I teach her kids piano. I don't want my kids making more mess!
Still, I have to let go sometime. And they have to grow up. So this week I allowed these activities (with trepidation):
--Painting: Alex decided to make a paper bag pumpkin the way Katherine taught him last year. This means stuffing a lunch sack with paper, rubber-banding it shut, and then painting it. Reluctantly, I mixed up orange and green paint, spread a paper sack out on the deck table for a paint cover, and sent Alex outside in a Microsoft T-shirt (those qualify as "grubbies" in this house). Surprise! No spills, no drips, no mess to scrub off the floor. Just some paintbrushes to wash while the duly-colored pumpkin dried outside. It went so well, I might try it again.
--Cutting: Katherine is becoming quite the independent cook. She now cooks her own breakfast oatmeal in the microwave, and she wants to accompany it with fruit. So Katherine has started cutting her own pears and peaches. She goes after them from the outside in, cutting slices off the peach until she reaches the middle, rather than the grownup method of halving and removing the pit. Added bonus: she feeds slices to her siblings. She's still limited to a butter knife, but the way she's learning, I might let her graduate soon to something sharp.
--Spreading: Katherine has been able to make her own sandwiches for a little while. Today, Alex decided to give it a try. He proudly "honeyed" bread for himself and his sister. I have yet to check for sticky spots.
Now if they can just wipe up spills, and put their blocks away, we might get this house clean yet!
Still, I have to let go sometime. And they have to grow up. So this week I allowed these activities (with trepidation):
--Painting: Alex decided to make a paper bag pumpkin the way Katherine taught him last year. This means stuffing a lunch sack with paper, rubber-banding it shut, and then painting it. Reluctantly, I mixed up orange and green paint, spread a paper sack out on the deck table for a paint cover, and sent Alex outside in a Microsoft T-shirt (those qualify as "grubbies" in this house). Surprise! No spills, no drips, no mess to scrub off the floor. Just some paintbrushes to wash while the duly-colored pumpkin dried outside. It went so well, I might try it again.
--Cutting: Katherine is becoming quite the independent cook. She now cooks her own breakfast oatmeal in the microwave, and she wants to accompany it with fruit. So Katherine has started cutting her own pears and peaches. She goes after them from the outside in, cutting slices off the peach until she reaches the middle, rather than the grownup method of halving and removing the pit. Added bonus: she feeds slices to her siblings. She's still limited to a butter knife, but the way she's learning, I might let her graduate soon to something sharp.
--Spreading: Katherine has been able to make her own sandwiches for a little while. Today, Alex decided to give it a try. He proudly "honeyed" bread for himself and his sister. I have yet to check for sticky spots.
Now if they can just wipe up spills, and put their blocks away, we might get this house clean yet!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Fire truck math
Alex, showing me a picture of a fire in a book: "Mom, how many fire trucks and helicopters would it take to put out this fire?"
Me: "I don't know."
Alex: "16 fire trucks, 10 helicopters, and 10 planes. I figured it out because this one has burned out of control. This one (pointing to opposite picture) would be easier. It would be twice as less helicopters and one less helicopter. And the same amount of planes. This one (pointing at inset) would only need one truck to put that one out. That one's pretty small. This one (another inset) would need two trucks, one helicopter, and one plane. Can you write an article about fires?"
Me: "I don't know."
Alex: "16 fire trucks, 10 helicopters, and 10 planes. I figured it out because this one has burned out of control. This one (pointing to opposite picture) would be easier. It would be twice as less helicopters and one less helicopter. And the same amount of planes. This one (pointing at inset) would only need one truck to put that one out. That one's pretty small. This one (another inset) would need two trucks, one helicopter, and one plane. Can you write an article about fires?"
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Petraeus’ Top 10
Published in the BYU Magazine from Summer 2010, these are from General Petraeus’ list of his "top 10 reasons BYU grads make great soldiers:"
10. They have already been on many a mission.
6. They will seize any objective swiftly if you tell them refreshments will be served.
3. They always have a year’s supply of provisions on hand.
For the complete list, go to the article and scroll down. They're all really funny.
10. They have already been on many a mission.
6. They will seize any objective swiftly if you tell them refreshments will be served.
3. They always have a year’s supply of provisions on hand.
For the complete list, go to the article and scroll down. They're all really funny.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Vashon
We'd been meaning to go to Vashon Island all summer...
Cool and overcast with intermittent sprinkles--the perfect summer day for a swim.
Cool and overcast with intermittent sprinkles--the perfect summer day for a swim.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Becca's Favorite Meal
Me: "Becca, let's go home and have some dinner."
Becca: "I have lunch."
Me: "Yes, you had lunch. Now it's time for dinner. Should we go get some dinner?"
Becca: "I have lunch."
Me: "You already had lunch. Now it's dinnertime. Let's go eat some food for dinner."
Becca: "You have food. I have lunch."
Becca: "I have lunch."
Me: "Yes, you had lunch. Now it's time for dinner. Should we go get some dinner?"
Becca: "I have lunch."
Me: "You already had lunch. Now it's dinnertime. Let's go eat some food for dinner."
Becca: "You have food. I have lunch."
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