February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
It was a good year.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Year!
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
It was a good year.
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
It was a good year.
On the herb...
IMG_2773
Originally uploaded by countmockula
When I cook with Zadie, I always let her try some of the ingredients, particularly any herbs. I figure that if she knows what they taste like and remembers the names, I'm sort of teaching her to cook. Anyway, last night I made avgolemono (lemon-rice soup), and I let her taste the mint and parsley. Later, as I was cleaning up, I saw this face -- she had sneaked back to the cutting board and grabbed another handful of the chopped herbs. Silly.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
What a difference a lifetime makes
Permit me to ponder... I was reading the new Bill Bryson book, and he mentioned that Thomas Jefferson (yes, that one) died in 1826 (on July 4th, incidentally). 75 years later, the car was invented.
Did that just blow your mind a little? It did mine. I mean, if you were born in 1825 or so, you could have totally been born in powdered-wig-time:
and died in Henry Ford time:
I don't know why that surprises me so much. Sweetie said it doesn't surprise him at all. But as much as we know how fast the world moves and how much things change in our own lifetimes, I really think of Jefferson as belonging to a part of history that's far out of reach. I don't want to mis-use the word "ancient," but really, it feels so distant. Whereas the beginning of the 20th century? That's the one I was born in. That doesn't feel so far away at all. My great-grandparents were around for most of it, and I personally knew and loved at least one of them. My grandparents were all around for the depression, World War II, the dust bowl... so it's easy to think of those things as recent. I read a book about the dust bowl, then chatted with my grandma about what it was like. See? Not so long ago. But Jefferson? That dude wore breeches, right? Wrote with a quill pen? Rode a horse?
The year Jefferson died, Beethoven wrote Quartet #13 in B major. 75 years later, "Ain't That a Shame" came out. Go ahead... hum it. You know that one.
In 1826, the year Thomas Jefferson died, the first photograph was taken. It looked like this:
By 1901, they're practically shooting Sports Illustrated:
I mean, 75 years is just not that long! Both my grandmothers are living, and both are over 85. If I was inclined I could probably figure out about how many people were alive in both 1826 and 1901. It's probably a lot.
In comparison, of course, I'm only 35 (well, in two weeks I will be), and when I was born we didn't have microwaves, DVD players, remote controls, the internet, cell phones, personal computers... I sometimes shock my students by telling them about "before the internet," when we had to actually use telephone numbers to dial up BBSs located in people's homes.
And not to age my parents (sorry, guys), but when they were born, most people still didn't have televisions in their homes, private phone lines (they shared with neighbors), central heat or air, velcro, synthetic fabrics, non-stick pans, or margarine. Okay, those aren't all the best examples of innovation, but you know what I'm saying. They were born in Gershwin* and are living happily in middle age in the world of Gaga.
It's just interesting to think how fast the world moves sometimes. Really, I'm so excited to see what else comes along. I never thought I'd be able to blog from a tent in the middle of a campground in Monterey, as I did a couple years ago from my iPhone. What on earth will they think of next?
*Technically, Gershwin died a decade before my parents were born, but I'll be buggered if people weren't still humming "Embraceable You" when they were kids.
Did that just blow your mind a little? It did mine. I mean, if you were born in 1825 or so, you could have totally been born in powdered-wig-time:
and died in Henry Ford time:
I don't know why that surprises me so much. Sweetie said it doesn't surprise him at all. But as much as we know how fast the world moves and how much things change in our own lifetimes, I really think of Jefferson as belonging to a part of history that's far out of reach. I don't want to mis-use the word "ancient," but really, it feels so distant. Whereas the beginning of the 20th century? That's the one I was born in. That doesn't feel so far away at all. My great-grandparents were around for most of it, and I personally knew and loved at least one of them. My grandparents were all around for the depression, World War II, the dust bowl... so it's easy to think of those things as recent. I read a book about the dust bowl, then chatted with my grandma about what it was like. See? Not so long ago. But Jefferson? That dude wore breeches, right? Wrote with a quill pen? Rode a horse?
The year Jefferson died, Beethoven wrote Quartet #13 in B major. 75 years later, "Ain't That a Shame" came out. Go ahead... hum it. You know that one.
In 1826, the year Thomas Jefferson died, the first photograph was taken. It looked like this:
By 1901, they're practically shooting Sports Illustrated:
I mean, 75 years is just not that long! Both my grandmothers are living, and both are over 85. If I was inclined I could probably figure out about how many people were alive in both 1826 and 1901. It's probably a lot.
In comparison, of course, I'm only 35 (well, in two weeks I will be), and when I was born we didn't have microwaves, DVD players, remote controls, the internet, cell phones, personal computers... I sometimes shock my students by telling them about "before the internet," when we had to actually use telephone numbers to dial up BBSs located in people's homes.
And not to age my parents (sorry, guys), but when they were born, most people still didn't have televisions in their homes, private phone lines (they shared with neighbors), central heat or air, velcro, synthetic fabrics, non-stick pans, or margarine. Okay, those aren't all the best examples of innovation, but you know what I'm saying. They were born in Gershwin* and are living happily in middle age in the world of Gaga.
It's just interesting to think how fast the world moves sometimes. Really, I'm so excited to see what else comes along. I never thought I'd be able to blog from a tent in the middle of a campground in Monterey, as I did a couple years ago from my iPhone. What on earth will they think of next?
*Technically, Gershwin died a decade before my parents were born, but I'll be buggered if people weren't still humming "Embraceable You" when they were kids.
Monday, December 27, 2010
"The Wild!"
Well, Z was in good spirits today, and without Tylenol her fever was down to 99.5, so we went for a walk.
We only went to CSUS, which is a mile from our house, but if you go through campus to the river, there are levees on both sides that can be nice to walk around. We said it was "the wild" and Zadie bought it hook, line and sinker. She was only disappointed that there were no bears.
As soon as we hit campus, she told us she had the potty feeling. We asked her to hold it, and we went all the way to the river before letting her have her first "nature pee."
After playing for a while, Sweetie went on to an errand and we walked home with a quick stop at Starbucks for a petite vanilla bean scone.
It was a fairly quiet day otherwise. She took a long nap, which allowed me to go to the gym and get groceries. I normally go to the gym at 5am, but she kept me up from 2:40 to about 4, then I had a hard time going back to sleep, so I shut off my alarm and we all slept until almost 8. It was worth it.
We had pasta for dinner, she drew, we read books, she had a sucker, and that about covers it. She was drawing on the new white board I got her, and she told me, "These are the pyramids, and this is space, and these are all the planets." Cool, right?
At one point she hit Sweetie for no reason. He asked her to apologize, and she was really rude, so we gave her a time out. (She said, among other things, "You were in my way and I wanted you OUT of my way, so I hit you.") After explaining some of the other actions she could have taken, she cried a little and said "I feel bad for doing the mean thing to Daddy." She gave him a hug.
At bedtime, she gets three things, a combination of songs and stories. I identify most of our songs by first line rather than title, so for example, "The Boxer" is "I am just a poor boy" in our house. Tonight she asked for "Joseph's Face" ("Under African Skies") and "Old Friends." I threw in "That was Your Mother." I think I may owe Paul Simon a thank you card.
We only went to CSUS, which is a mile from our house, but if you go through campus to the river, there are levees on both sides that can be nice to walk around. We said it was "the wild" and Zadie bought it hook, line and sinker. She was only disappointed that there were no bears.
As soon as we hit campus, she told us she had the potty feeling. We asked her to hold it, and we went all the way to the river before letting her have her first "nature pee."
After playing for a while, Sweetie went on to an errand and we walked home with a quick stop at Starbucks for a petite vanilla bean scone.
It was a fairly quiet day otherwise. She took a long nap, which allowed me to go to the gym and get groceries. I normally go to the gym at 5am, but she kept me up from 2:40 to about 4, then I had a hard time going back to sleep, so I shut off my alarm and we all slept until almost 8. It was worth it.
We had pasta for dinner, she drew, we read books, she had a sucker, and that about covers it. She was drawing on the new white board I got her, and she told me, "These are the pyramids, and this is space, and these are all the planets." Cool, right?
At one point she hit Sweetie for no reason. He asked her to apologize, and she was really rude, so we gave her a time out. (She said, among other things, "You were in my way and I wanted you OUT of my way, so I hit you.") After explaining some of the other actions she could have taken, she cried a little and said "I feel bad for doing the mean thing to Daddy." She gave him a hug.
At bedtime, she gets three things, a combination of songs and stories. I identify most of our songs by first line rather than title, so for example, "The Boxer" is "I am just a poor boy" in our house. Tonight she asked for "Joseph's Face" ("Under African Skies") and "Old Friends." I threw in "That was Your Mother." I think I may owe Paul Simon a thank you card.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
I have a sick pumpkin.
On Christmas eve, Z woke up with a cough -- a really seal-barky croup-y cough. But she was happy and energetic, and with some crankiness aside, she didn't seem sick. The cough also didn't reappear during the day.
The next night, she coughed just a little, but yesterday all day she was kind of low-key, and she didn't eat much dinner (with rare exception, this kid eats more than I do).
Last night she woke up in the night again and crawled into our bed. She had a stuffy nose and a little cough, so I elected not to take her to the gym. She stayed with Sweetie and apparently cuddled the whole time I was gone (about 2 hours). That is VERY unusual for her. Still, she ate a lot for lunch (more edamame than you or I could probably lift), and seemed happy.
I got her to take a nap, and when we woke up, she was REALLY warm. We took her temperature, and it was over 103. I gave her some Tylenol, waited 5 minutes, and took it again. It had dropped below 103 (which is the magic "call the doctor" number), but I called anyway.
The advice was the usual "rest and fluids," so that's what we're doing. I got her favorite -- pink Gatorade -- and picked up dinner while I was out. She ate well again, and is now running around in her holiday dress.
I was thanking my lucky stars recently that she so rarely gets sick. I guess I should add a thanks for the fact that when she is, she's still pretty pleasant and doesn't seem to suffer too much.
It's funny, though; I was so excited about having a week off with no obligations that I literally spent part of my morning looking up snow play areas, finding the hours for stores where I knew I could get a cheap snow suit, thinking of where we could go in a day trip to the Bay Area, considering whether the zoo or Bounce Town would be more fun... And of course, most of those things are probably out now. I'm a little sad that one of those rare times when I have some free time to spend with her, we really can't do anything fun. Ah well.
Sickypants on Christmas morning.
The next night, she coughed just a little, but yesterday all day she was kind of low-key, and she didn't eat much dinner (with rare exception, this kid eats more than I do).
Last night she woke up in the night again and crawled into our bed. She had a stuffy nose and a little cough, so I elected not to take her to the gym. She stayed with Sweetie and apparently cuddled the whole time I was gone (about 2 hours). That is VERY unusual for her. Still, she ate a lot for lunch (more edamame than you or I could probably lift), and seemed happy.
I got her to take a nap, and when we woke up, she was REALLY warm. We took her temperature, and it was over 103. I gave her some Tylenol, waited 5 minutes, and took it again. It had dropped below 103 (which is the magic "call the doctor" number), but I called anyway.
The advice was the usual "rest and fluids," so that's what we're doing. I got her favorite -- pink Gatorade -- and picked up dinner while I was out. She ate well again, and is now running around in her holiday dress.
I was thanking my lucky stars recently that she so rarely gets sick. I guess I should add a thanks for the fact that when she is, she's still pretty pleasant and doesn't seem to suffer too much.
It's funny, though; I was so excited about having a week off with no obligations that I literally spent part of my morning looking up snow play areas, finding the hours for stores where I knew I could get a cheap snow suit, thinking of where we could go in a day trip to the Bay Area, considering whether the zoo or Bounce Town would be more fun... And of course, most of those things are probably out now. I'm a little sad that one of those rare times when I have some free time to spend with her, we really can't do anything fun. Ah well.
Sickypants on Christmas morning.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
And Merry Christmas 2
IMG_2697
Originally uploaded by countmockula
(This is our living room by 8:30. It does not include presents she received yesterday.)
Friday, December 24, 2010
Hide and seek
Hide and seek
Originally uploaded by countmockula
Last night we had a few friends over, and all together, there were five kids. One was 8, two were five, one is just two months older than Zadie, and then there was my girl.
She was a very gracious hostess, asking people "May I take your coat?" when prompted, and actually putting the coats on the bed as I asked. WIth the other kids, she was generous and sharing. When one hurt his foot, she brought out her little Christmas tree to comfort him.
They played monster and chase and "toy parade" and band, and at one point they decided to play hide and seek. They called me to be the seeker, and this is (more or less) what I found.
Perhaps it is extraneous to add that Zadie is not a good hider.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Ice skating
For the first time since our last visit in November, we had a non-rainy day with no obligations. So we went ice skating!!
This is her holding my hand, which is how we went around most of the time.
Then a staff member named Dustin came over and gave us some tips. She followed his advice well, and he took her skating around a couple times.
She really liked it when he went fast!
He had other stuff to do, so we were on our own for a while. I skated backwards while holding her hands, and that worked really well, because I could see who was coming up behind us. Plus, I wasn't going fast enough to knock into anybody behind me. At one point, she fell on her butt, and I said "That's okay, hon. Falling is just a part of learning." She then promptly fell on her butt on purpose five more times. I then explained that falling on accident is part of learning, but falling wasn't actually going to help her learn, just get her butt wet. Around that time, she decided she wanted a break, and there was a vendor selling smoothies(!), shaved ice(!), and some other treats. Zadie LOVES popcorn, so we got a bag and sat down on a bench. She seemed really tired, even crawling up on my lap to snuggle, so I kept asking her if she wanted to go home, but she didn't.
When, after about 30 minutes, she had finished her popcorn, she seemed reluctant to get back on the ice, but she still didn't want to take her skates off and go. I got her to go once more, and I'm so glad I did. I got into position to go backwards, then let her hands go for a second. I was going to grab them again before we went anywhere, but she wanted to be with me, so she took a couple little steps. She had ice skated by herself! I backed up a little and she kept coming. She kind of yelled at me, because what she wanted was for me to pick her up, but then I did that "you can't get me!" thing, and we turned it into a game. She chased me about a third of the way around the rink on two separate occasions.
Incidentally, the skates she had on had double blades, so they do offer more stability than normal ones, but still, I think it's really cool. She was the youngest kid out there by far, and a lot of the older kids were having a much harder time. I was also pleased to note that, although it's been over twenty years since I last ice skated, I'm still pretty competent.
This is her holding my hand, which is how we went around most of the time.
Then a staff member named Dustin came over and gave us some tips. She followed his advice well, and he took her skating around a couple times.
She really liked it when he went fast!
He had other stuff to do, so we were on our own for a while. I skated backwards while holding her hands, and that worked really well, because I could see who was coming up behind us. Plus, I wasn't going fast enough to knock into anybody behind me. At one point, she fell on her butt, and I said "That's okay, hon. Falling is just a part of learning." She then promptly fell on her butt on purpose five more times. I then explained that falling on accident is part of learning, but falling wasn't actually going to help her learn, just get her butt wet. Around that time, she decided she wanted a break, and there was a vendor selling smoothies(!), shaved ice(!), and some other treats. Zadie LOVES popcorn, so we got a bag and sat down on a bench. She seemed really tired, even crawling up on my lap to snuggle, so I kept asking her if she wanted to go home, but she didn't.
When, after about 30 minutes, she had finished her popcorn, she seemed reluctant to get back on the ice, but she still didn't want to take her skates off and go. I got her to go once more, and I'm so glad I did. I got into position to go backwards, then let her hands go for a second. I was going to grab them again before we went anywhere, but she wanted to be with me, so she took a couple little steps. She had ice skated by herself! I backed up a little and she kept coming. She kind of yelled at me, because what she wanted was for me to pick her up, but then I did that "you can't get me!" thing, and we turned it into a game. She chased me about a third of the way around the rink on two separate occasions.
Incidentally, the skates she had on had double blades, so they do offer more stability than normal ones, but still, I think it's really cool. She was the youngest kid out there by far, and a lot of the older kids were having a much harder time. I was also pleased to note that, although it's been over twenty years since I last ice skated, I'm still pretty competent.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Zany miscellany
Well, here we are, and winter break has arrived! If the blog has been quiet, it's because I've been keeping myself busy with crafting, baking, and other holiday-related stuff.
Zadie has been a lot of fun lately as Christmas approaches. It's really hard for her not to touch the presents, stockings, etc., but if you actually consider how much time we spend here and the number of times she's had to be warned away, she has been pretty cool about it.
She's been having some... I don't know if I'd call it separation anxiety, exactly, but something like that. She has been guilt-tripping me a lot about going to work without her. She was even playing Mommy and Baby with one of her dolls this morning and told her "I love you. But now I'm going away without you. But it's okay, because you love your grandparents." Ugh, it rips my heart out. I got my hair cut today and ran a couple errands, and when I got home, she really wanted to be near me, so as I cooked dinner, she was sitting in front of the fridge playing with alphabet magnets. We had this conversation: "Whoa, I made a long word!" "Whoa, yeah!" "Do you want to know what it says?" "Sure." "It says 'don't go away ever again.'" "Oh. Are you mad at me because I left without you?" "No, but don't go away again."
The other day, she was in the child care center while I went to yoga. She has quite enjoyed the child care center for at least six months, and two of her very favorite kids were there, so when I heard a page come over the sound system, I just assumed it wasn't for me. Another parent went to go find out, and he came back and pointed to me. I rushed in and she was being cradled by a boy who's about 8, and her two friends were huddled around her. She wasn't crying, but it was obvious she had been. When she saw me, she stood up and looked at me. I said "What's wrong, Sweetie? Did you bonk your head? Are you feeling sick?" She burst into sobs and , through tears, said "I just wanted you, mommy!" I held her and stayed with her, and her little girlfriends offered to hold her, too, and she felt better by the time we left, fifteen minutes or so later.* Anyway, it's kind of odd, because she's never really been like that. I mean, clingy to me, sure, but not emotionally ravaged like that. She's usually so independent. I think it's because she sometimes doesn't get enough sleep and that leaves her a little ragged. She fights sleep SO HARD.
Okay, on to funnier stuff. She has decided that she loves T. Rexes above all other dinosaurs, and she pretends to be a baby T Rex while I'm the mommy. She growls and waves her arms and stomps. It's adorable.
The other day we went to a pot luck/movie night at school. She absolutely loves my students and they her. I could have made a decision not to let my personal and professional lives cross paths so much, but I actually think it's really good for everyone. The kids see me as human, Zadie gets to interact with bright, motivated kids of all different backgrounds and ethnicities, and I enjoy getting to have her with me while I do some chaperoning. Anyway, they love to ply her with sweets, put bows in her hair, chase her, play hide and seek, sing her songs with ukulele accompaniment, and they get a total kick out of the goofy stuff she says. For example, recently she told me she had a baby named "Aaann shaa laa daa." "Enchilada?" I asked, incredulously. "Yeah." So now, many of her princesses, babies, etc. are called either Enchila or Enchilada. One of my students pretended to have a baby in his tummy (I think it was actually a 2-liter of soda), and he asked her what he should name it. Guess what she answered? He could hardly stop laughing.
A few weeks ago, Mom showed me a painting Zadie had done at ArtBeast. It had a swath of green at the bottom, a swath of blue across the top, and a yellow circle to the side. I said "Oh! I'll bet I know what this is! It's grass, and sky, and the sun!" She looked at me absolutely witheringly and said "It's abstwact."
She's been super-sweet lately, often telling me she loves me, that I'm cute, etc. She also thanks me spontaneously for things. Tonight, (feeling clingy again) she asked to be in the sling while I baked. I obliged, and we made cookies and peanut brittle. When I put her to bed, I said "Thanks for being my kitchen helper." She replied, "Thank you for letting me..." then yawned the biggest yawn. Then she whipped her head toward me and said "I'm not tired!"
In the car a few days ago, she said "Could you turn some rock and roll on? Because my mommy loves rock and roll." I did, and the song that came on was "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. She said, "Yeah, this is a good rock and roll song."
After running an errand, we came home and I saw that I had forgotten to turn the tree lights off. I mentioned it, and she said "Why were you wasting electricity?" (I am SO in trouble in the coming years.)
She's picked up a couple bad habits from the kids at child care. First, she has started dropping "like" into some of her statements. I used to do that a lot, but I think I've toned it down, so I don't think she actually got it from me. Then yesterday, she and Sweetie were having a power struggle over something (she just kept doing the exact opposite of whatever he told her), and ended up in time-out. Red-faced, she yelled at him "You are stupid!" We had a serious talk about that after the time-out was over.
Okay, on to me for a minute! I got a new haircut. I'd take a picture, but I don't feel like putting makeup on, so maybe I'll do it later. Of course, it never looks as good as when the stylist does it, right?
I've been working out on the elliptical machine 5 days a week, but on Sundays I try to do yoga. The teachers alternate, and although both instructors make it a challenging class, one is more yoga-focused, and the other just kicks our asses Pilates-style. It's so hard! We do plank (like the up part of a push-up) for minutes at a time, then transition to our elbows, then back to hands, then back to elbows, then back to hands... with no rest or anything in between. My upper-body strength has always been lacking in comparison to everything else, so that one really kills me. But what cracks me up is that I can see everyone else, and they're shaking and sweating and grunting and taking breaks, so I know they're feeling it too, but then the instructor will say "How's everybody doing, good? Good." And then she goes on. I had a funny thought the other day about that scene in Braveheart where Mel Gibson's being eviscerated. I thought the dude could ask in a chipper voice, "How we doing, good? Good."
Well, my holiday baking is going more or less perfectly. My English toffee did something I'd never seen before (it seemed to separate once I poured it into the jelly roll pan), but it tastes fine. Caramels and brittle are great, cookies are all great, and I've had relatively few hiccups (with maybe the exception of the chocolate chewies that I had only made once before and forgot that you need to pretty much double the cooking time listed in the recipe).
I was trying to let Zadie help with the sugar cookies, and the sprinkle container I gave her wouldn't shake. I gave her one that had bigger holes, and moments later, there was half a bottle of red sprinkles piled on three cookies. I took that sprinkle jar back and addressed the first one, which had four colors in it. I saw that the holes were blocked, so I went to poke them with a skewer and discovered that they were all wet. Yeah -- she had licked them all. I also saw her licking her fingers and touching the cookies, and then she spilled her Jamba Juice on the cookie tray. She also gave all the angels and snowmen eyes and belly buttons. Guess what happened to that tray? Yeah, I baked it and am reserving those mutants for her only.
My crafting, on the other hand, makes me remember why every year I reconsider crafting the next year. Two of my knitting projects came out pretty great, one came out pretty well with a few not-very-noticeable errors, and one came out like someone lacking opposable thumbs had done it. My sewing projects came out pretty well, but the cool part was supposed to be the screen-print. I had actually ordered a new, different screen with a finer mesh to try to make the text come out, and it just didn't work at all. The pictures came out well, but I had more or less ruined three items before I figured out I could just tape over the words and only print the images. And to my mind, the text explained the images, so without the text, it's kind of random. Ah, well.
There's more to do, so I'm off. Take care, and I hope you're enjoying the season.
*Staying in the child care center did allow me to have a hilarious conversation with the kids. One declared that he was "sensitive." When we mentioned that Zadie's whole name was Azadeh Finn, he raved that he LOVED the name Finn. I said that it was after an Irish hero named Finn McCool. I said "I figured that was pretty awesome," and he agreed heartily, saying "Well, it's got COOL right in it!" Then the other boy enthusiastically announced, "I'm Irish!" I asked them all what their favorite subjects were. One said science, another said math, and Zadie's favorite kid answered "recess." The older sister of the pair that Zadie's crazy about is a tiny grammar nazi. Someone said something like "I hit my head and I bleeded," and without hesitation, she interjected, "bled." I actually heard her do something similar a couple times. I like her.
Zadie has been a lot of fun lately as Christmas approaches. It's really hard for her not to touch the presents, stockings, etc., but if you actually consider how much time we spend here and the number of times she's had to be warned away, she has been pretty cool about it.
She's been having some... I don't know if I'd call it separation anxiety, exactly, but something like that. She has been guilt-tripping me a lot about going to work without her. She was even playing Mommy and Baby with one of her dolls this morning and told her "I love you. But now I'm going away without you. But it's okay, because you love your grandparents." Ugh, it rips my heart out. I got my hair cut today and ran a couple errands, and when I got home, she really wanted to be near me, so as I cooked dinner, she was sitting in front of the fridge playing with alphabet magnets. We had this conversation: "Whoa, I made a long word!" "Whoa, yeah!" "Do you want to know what it says?" "Sure." "It says 'don't go away ever again.'" "Oh. Are you mad at me because I left without you?" "No, but don't go away again."
The other day, she was in the child care center while I went to yoga. She has quite enjoyed the child care center for at least six months, and two of her very favorite kids were there, so when I heard a page come over the sound system, I just assumed it wasn't for me. Another parent went to go find out, and he came back and pointed to me. I rushed in and she was being cradled by a boy who's about 8, and her two friends were huddled around her. She wasn't crying, but it was obvious she had been. When she saw me, she stood up and looked at me. I said "What's wrong, Sweetie? Did you bonk your head? Are you feeling sick?" She burst into sobs and , through tears, said "I just wanted you, mommy!" I held her and stayed with her, and her little girlfriends offered to hold her, too, and she felt better by the time we left, fifteen minutes or so later.* Anyway, it's kind of odd, because she's never really been like that. I mean, clingy to me, sure, but not emotionally ravaged like that. She's usually so independent. I think it's because she sometimes doesn't get enough sleep and that leaves her a little ragged. She fights sleep SO HARD.
Okay, on to funnier stuff. She has decided that she loves T. Rexes above all other dinosaurs, and she pretends to be a baby T Rex while I'm the mommy. She growls and waves her arms and stomps. It's adorable.
The other day we went to a pot luck/movie night at school. She absolutely loves my students and they her. I could have made a decision not to let my personal and professional lives cross paths so much, but I actually think it's really good for everyone. The kids see me as human, Zadie gets to interact with bright, motivated kids of all different backgrounds and ethnicities, and I enjoy getting to have her with me while I do some chaperoning. Anyway, they love to ply her with sweets, put bows in her hair, chase her, play hide and seek, sing her songs with ukulele accompaniment, and they get a total kick out of the goofy stuff she says. For example, recently she told me she had a baby named "Aaann shaa laa daa." "Enchilada?" I asked, incredulously. "Yeah." So now, many of her princesses, babies, etc. are called either Enchila or Enchilada. One of my students pretended to have a baby in his tummy (I think it was actually a 2-liter of soda), and he asked her what he should name it. Guess what she answered? He could hardly stop laughing.
A few weeks ago, Mom showed me a painting Zadie had done at ArtBeast. It had a swath of green at the bottom, a swath of blue across the top, and a yellow circle to the side. I said "Oh! I'll bet I know what this is! It's grass, and sky, and the sun!" She looked at me absolutely witheringly and said "It's abstwact."
She's been super-sweet lately, often telling me she loves me, that I'm cute, etc. She also thanks me spontaneously for things. Tonight, (feeling clingy again) she asked to be in the sling while I baked. I obliged, and we made cookies and peanut brittle. When I put her to bed, I said "Thanks for being my kitchen helper." She replied, "Thank you for letting me..." then yawned the biggest yawn. Then she whipped her head toward me and said "I'm not tired!"
In the car a few days ago, she said "Could you turn some rock and roll on? Because my mommy loves rock and roll." I did, and the song that came on was "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. She said, "Yeah, this is a good rock and roll song."
After running an errand, we came home and I saw that I had forgotten to turn the tree lights off. I mentioned it, and she said "Why were you wasting electricity?" (I am SO in trouble in the coming years.)
She's picked up a couple bad habits from the kids at child care. First, she has started dropping "like" into some of her statements. I used to do that a lot, but I think I've toned it down, so I don't think she actually got it from me. Then yesterday, she and Sweetie were having a power struggle over something (she just kept doing the exact opposite of whatever he told her), and ended up in time-out. Red-faced, she yelled at him "You are stupid!" We had a serious talk about that after the time-out was over.
Okay, on to me for a minute! I got a new haircut. I'd take a picture, but I don't feel like putting makeup on, so maybe I'll do it later. Of course, it never looks as good as when the stylist does it, right?
I've been working out on the elliptical machine 5 days a week, but on Sundays I try to do yoga. The teachers alternate, and although both instructors make it a challenging class, one is more yoga-focused, and the other just kicks our asses Pilates-style. It's so hard! We do plank (like the up part of a push-up) for minutes at a time, then transition to our elbows, then back to hands, then back to elbows, then back to hands... with no rest or anything in between. My upper-body strength has always been lacking in comparison to everything else, so that one really kills me. But what cracks me up is that I can see everyone else, and they're shaking and sweating and grunting and taking breaks, so I know they're feeling it too, but then the instructor will say "How's everybody doing, good? Good." And then she goes on. I had a funny thought the other day about that scene in Braveheart where Mel Gibson's being eviscerated. I thought the dude could ask in a chipper voice, "How we doing, good? Good."
Well, my holiday baking is going more or less perfectly. My English toffee did something I'd never seen before (it seemed to separate once I poured it into the jelly roll pan), but it tastes fine. Caramels and brittle are great, cookies are all great, and I've had relatively few hiccups (with maybe the exception of the chocolate chewies that I had only made once before and forgot that you need to pretty much double the cooking time listed in the recipe).
I was trying to let Zadie help with the sugar cookies, and the sprinkle container I gave her wouldn't shake. I gave her one that had bigger holes, and moments later, there was half a bottle of red sprinkles piled on three cookies. I took that sprinkle jar back and addressed the first one, which had four colors in it. I saw that the holes were blocked, so I went to poke them with a skewer and discovered that they were all wet. Yeah -- she had licked them all. I also saw her licking her fingers and touching the cookies, and then she spilled her Jamba Juice on the cookie tray. She also gave all the angels and snowmen eyes and belly buttons. Guess what happened to that tray? Yeah, I baked it and am reserving those mutants for her only.
My crafting, on the other hand, makes me remember why every year I reconsider crafting the next year. Two of my knitting projects came out pretty great, one came out pretty well with a few not-very-noticeable errors, and one came out like someone lacking opposable thumbs had done it. My sewing projects came out pretty well, but the cool part was supposed to be the screen-print. I had actually ordered a new, different screen with a finer mesh to try to make the text come out, and it just didn't work at all. The pictures came out well, but I had more or less ruined three items before I figured out I could just tape over the words and only print the images. And to my mind, the text explained the images, so without the text, it's kind of random. Ah, well.
There's more to do, so I'm off. Take care, and I hope you're enjoying the season.
*Staying in the child care center did allow me to have a hilarious conversation with the kids. One declared that he was "sensitive." When we mentioned that Zadie's whole name was Azadeh Finn, he raved that he LOVED the name Finn. I said that it was after an Irish hero named Finn McCool. I said "I figured that was pretty awesome," and he agreed heartily, saying "Well, it's got COOL right in it!" Then the other boy enthusiastically announced, "I'm Irish!" I asked them all what their favorite subjects were. One said science, another said math, and Zadie's favorite kid answered "recess." The older sister of the pair that Zadie's crazy about is a tiny grammar nazi. Someone said something like "I hit my head and I bleeded," and without hesitation, she interjected, "bled." I actually heard her do something similar a couple times. I like her.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Giving.
There was some, well, healthy competition between the small learning communities at our school regarding the annual canned food drive. We thought we came up with some innovative ways to get cans, and we were sure that with almost 600 cans (representing about 325 students), we were shoo-ins.
Another small learning community came up with 800, and one of the others was actually only 20 cans or so behind us. I can't complain about not winning, though, because our school donated 3,000 cans to the food bank.
The picture is my colleague's pickup truck. About 40% of our donation didn't fit and had to be put into another vehicle.
Every year, we get a notice that the Socks and Undies drive is going on, and at least as far as I know, we've never participated on a school-wide level. Perhaps individuals donated elsewhere, but I don't remember ever seeing a donation box. This year, I'm an SCTA rep for the first time, so I figured I'd try getting a little something together. I was very encouraging in my emails (short of harassing, I think), and one woman asked what our previous record was, so we could break it. I had to answer, "Uh, zero as far as I know." I put a medium-sized box out, and for about a week, there was nothing in it. I didn't check early this week, but I went to pick it up today. Here is what I found:
I know I'm a goober about Christmas anyway, but I got a little verklempt at least twice today, seeing the spirit of giving that people share.
Another small learning community came up with 800, and one of the others was actually only 20 cans or so behind us. I can't complain about not winning, though, because our school donated 3,000 cans to the food bank.
The picture is my colleague's pickup truck. About 40% of our donation didn't fit and had to be put into another vehicle.
Every year, we get a notice that the Socks and Undies drive is going on, and at least as far as I know, we've never participated on a school-wide level. Perhaps individuals donated elsewhere, but I don't remember ever seeing a donation box. This year, I'm an SCTA rep for the first time, so I figured I'd try getting a little something together. I was very encouraging in my emails (short of harassing, I think), and one woman asked what our previous record was, so we could break it. I had to answer, "Uh, zero as far as I know." I put a medium-sized box out, and for about a week, there was nothing in it. I didn't check early this week, but I went to pick it up today. Here is what I found:
I know I'm a goober about Christmas anyway, but I got a little verklempt at least twice today, seeing the spirit of giving that people share.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Funny conversations
We had two funny conversations this morning.
First, I was getting ready for work, and I heard Z and Sweetie talking quite a bit. I heard her ask him to change her diaper. When I got done, I greeted her, made us breakfast, did a few things, and went to the living room while she finished eating. After a minute, she yelled, "Mama! I changed my diaper by myself!" I had assumed she was wearing panties, but it sounded ominous, so I asked, "Uh, okay... did you put the wet diaper in the basket?" She said no, and then she came running out with a wet diaper. I said to Sweetie, "I thought I heard her say 'Daddy, change my diaper.'" He replied drily, "Yeah, she says a lot of things."
On the way to Grandma's, she was talking about rainbows and stuff when suddenly she asked why we don't "do booby milk" anymore. I explained that blah blah, it was good for her, but she doesn't need it anymore, and people sometimes do booby milk for longer or shorter periods, and some kids her age still do booby milk, but it's pretty rare. But she pressed it -- why don't WE do it anymore? I thought of an analogy: "It's like wearing underwear on your head. There's nothing wrong with it, and it won't hurt you or anything, but not very many people do it, so people might think it was odd."
First, I was getting ready for work, and I heard Z and Sweetie talking quite a bit. I heard her ask him to change her diaper. When I got done, I greeted her, made us breakfast, did a few things, and went to the living room while she finished eating. After a minute, she yelled, "Mama! I changed my diaper by myself!" I had assumed she was wearing panties, but it sounded ominous, so I asked, "Uh, okay... did you put the wet diaper in the basket?" She said no, and then she came running out with a wet diaper. I said to Sweetie, "I thought I heard her say 'Daddy, change my diaper.'" He replied drily, "Yeah, she says a lot of things."
On the way to Grandma's, she was talking about rainbows and stuff when suddenly she asked why we don't "do booby milk" anymore. I explained that blah blah, it was good for her, but she doesn't need it anymore, and people sometimes do booby milk for longer or shorter periods, and some kids her age still do booby milk, but it's pretty rare. But she pressed it -- why don't WE do it anymore? I thought of an analogy: "It's like wearing underwear on your head. There's nothing wrong with it, and it won't hurt you or anything, but not very many people do it, so people might think it was odd."
The Amazing Kreskin answers.
The answer is... yes.
Did you find raw peanuts for cheap at the new Asian market on Florin?
The answer is... totally.
Did you buy Karo syrup in bulk?
The answer is... 3 dozen.
How many cookies have you made so far this season?
The answer... Hershey's Special Dark Kisses.
What recent innovation revolutionized your peanut blossom cookies?
The answer is... my dad.
For whom is the first batch of peanut brittle reserved?
The answer is... at least four, probably six.
How many more batches of candy will you make?
The answer is... at least two, probably four.
How many more kinds of cookies will you make?
The answer is... a lot.
How much more work is there on your crafting projects?
The answer is... maybe kinda.
Do you bake and craft instead of buying presents because you're cheap?
I don't know. I really enjoy crafting and baking. And unlike a book or iTunes gift card, when I take, say, a plate of peanut brittle to my family gathering on Christmas eve, I know it is going to be enjoyed. And you know, we don't get to go to Oregon to spend time with Sweetie's family at Christmas, but if I send a plate of homemade treats, it just feels more personal, almost like I'm there. Plus, a lot of the recipes I use are family heirlooms in a way. How awesome is it that I can share Grandma's caramels with people who haven't had Grandma actually make them in a decade or more?
But I admit that there's a bit of a cheap factor, too. I mean, I spent a lot on Z's presents -- probably more than is reasonable and more than I intended to, but you know, I found perfect stuff that I know she'll really love, and so... well, there you go. But even if that wasn't so, my discretionary income around the holidays is probably only a couple-hundred dollars, and there are about thirty people legitimately on my list, not to mention the two December birthdays and the birthdays that just passed. If I bought everyone something, it would be a pretty paltry offering. I do buy quite a few gifts, but I also make a lot, and I hope people understand that when I make something for them, I spend hours, rather than knocking out everyone's gift purchases on Amazon in a couple minutes.
I guess that's it... I have a knitting project to finish!
Did you find raw peanuts for cheap at the new Asian market on Florin?
The answer is... totally.
Did you buy Karo syrup in bulk?
The answer is... 3 dozen.
How many cookies have you made so far this season?
The answer... Hershey's Special Dark Kisses.
What recent innovation revolutionized your peanut blossom cookies?
The answer is... my dad.
For whom is the first batch of peanut brittle reserved?
The answer is... at least four, probably six.
How many more batches of candy will you make?
The answer is... at least two, probably four.
How many more kinds of cookies will you make?
The answer is... a lot.
How much more work is there on your crafting projects?
The answer is... maybe kinda.
Do you bake and craft instead of buying presents because you're cheap?
I don't know. I really enjoy crafting and baking. And unlike a book or iTunes gift card, when I take, say, a plate of peanut brittle to my family gathering on Christmas eve, I know it is going to be enjoyed. And you know, we don't get to go to Oregon to spend time with Sweetie's family at Christmas, but if I send a plate of homemade treats, it just feels more personal, almost like I'm there. Plus, a lot of the recipes I use are family heirlooms in a way. How awesome is it that I can share Grandma's caramels with people who haven't had Grandma actually make them in a decade or more?
But I admit that there's a bit of a cheap factor, too. I mean, I spent a lot on Z's presents -- probably more than is reasonable and more than I intended to, but you know, I found perfect stuff that I know she'll really love, and so... well, there you go. But even if that wasn't so, my discretionary income around the holidays is probably only a couple-hundred dollars, and there are about thirty people legitimately on my list, not to mention the two December birthdays and the birthdays that just passed. If I bought everyone something, it would be a pretty paltry offering. I do buy quite a few gifts, but I also make a lot, and I hope people understand that when I make something for them, I spend hours, rather than knocking out everyone's gift purchases on Amazon in a couple minutes.
I guess that's it... I have a knitting project to finish!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
A little early for a decade wrap-up
But I can't help myself.
In how many decades do you get to...
...play in a band,
...buy your first house,
...enjoy a career where you can really make a difference, and that you really love,
...meet your soul mate,
...leave the country for the first time (and to the Virgin Islands, no less!)
...marry the love of your life,
...thereby gaining a whole new family,
...maintain an amazing friendship,
...buy your second house,
...after much trying, get pregnant,
...have it progress with no morning sickness and few troubles until 40-weeks-and-three-days!
...bear the world's most beautiful baby,
...and watch her become one of the most interesting people I've ever met?
In how many decades do you get to...
...play in a band,
...buy your first house,
...enjoy a career where you can really make a difference, and that you really love,
...meet your soul mate,
...leave the country for the first time (and to the Virgin Islands, no less!)
...marry the love of your life,
...thereby gaining a whole new family,
...maintain an amazing friendship,
...buy your second house,
...after much trying, get pregnant,
...have it progress with no morning sickness and few troubles until 40-weeks-and-three-days!
...bear the world's most beautiful baby,
...and watch her become one of the most interesting people I've ever met?
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Happy Hanukkah
Nah, we didn't convert to Judaism. I just like to expose Z to a variety of ideas. So we made latkes and played virtual dreidel. Anyway, I have long had some sort of mental block about making fried potatoes. I have tried various hash browns, breakfast potatoes, and potato pancakes on several occasions, but I always end up with wet, raw potatoes in the middle and greasy cooked potatoes on the outside. So not only did I carefully follow a recipe, I watched a video!
They. Were. Awesome.
In fact, because of my constant weight-watching, I had determined that I would only eat two, but I had three-and-a-half! They were so darn good. Crispy, not greasy, cooked through, and soft and delicious.
I made a side salad with the famous Paragary's mushroom salad on mixed greens.
I don't really know where to get gelt or anything, so I think that's about the end of our Hanukkah. But I did tell her the story of the Maccabees, so there's that.
Hope you're all well and enjoying the season, whatever you celebrate.
They. Were. Awesome.
In fact, because of my constant weight-watching, I had determined that I would only eat two, but I had three-and-a-half! They were so darn good. Crispy, not greasy, cooked through, and soft and delicious.
I made a side salad with the famous Paragary's mushroom salad on mixed greens.
I don't really know where to get gelt or anything, so I think that's about the end of our Hanukkah. But I did tell her the story of the Maccabees, so there's that.
Hope you're all well and enjoying the season, whatever you celebrate.
Monday, December 06, 2010
What to do but shake my head.
You may know that I'm not the most... artistic soul. I mean, when it comes to words or whatever, I'm cool, but I've never met a visual art I was at all adept at. Apparently, I sat at the right table tonight at my adult education class (it's required for Zadie's pre-school). I don't know whether the class is normally more, uh, academic than it was tonight -- my mom went to one and the second was cancelled, so this is the first one I've attended -- but tonight was clearly a time-killer.
Here was one table's gingerbread house:
Here was another table:
At first we thought we might actually be better than the table next to us:
But they pulled it together:
Here is ours. I swear none of us was disabled, either physically or mentally:
Here was one table's gingerbread house:
Here was another table:
At first we thought we might actually be better than the table next to us:
But they pulled it together:
Here is ours. I swear none of us was disabled, either physically or mentally:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)