Ok. So I have been trying to strip down the hella bad, flowered, putty colored wallpaper off of the walls in Bean's room. Let me just say? Fun. Yeah. Loads. Of. Fun.
Well the first stripping session, I put Bean in our bed to nap and I proceeded to steam and strip (oh how I wish that phrase meant something cool , sexy and edgy). But Bean was sleeping in the next room and wanted the door open so I was having to be quiet. This means that even when I fell off of the chair and miraculously landed on the blades of the wall paper score-er thingy and perforated the entire side of my right foot....I could not holler, or cuss or slam things around, or fling the score-er out of the blasted window. No. I had to do alot of heavy breathing , you know like Lamaze for the Mortally Wounded, and think really nasty words and phrases in my head.
Second stripping session, hummm.... let's see I had to do that one with Bean awake and flitting about (being Link), needing about 12,000 reminders to stay out from under "The Klutzy Mama on a Chair With A Steaming Tool That Drips BOILING Water Everywhere", while Billy Bones laid across my feet, licking the water glue mess OFF OF THE WALLS, as it dripped down. Also Bean was in charge of the "working music" so that means the every 13.5 seconds, there was a song change. Also it was required to keep a running commentary on Link, love of Link, Link costumes, Link as a wolf (part of the game), Link at night, liking Link, playing Link, Link new sword techniques- you get it.
Then, after the stripping of the wall paper, we were hungry. Since I am so not the type of Mom who can manage Home Improvement AND Nutritious Dinner, I showered quickly so we could get out to Subway. Though while in the shower, Billy Bones was pacing on the edge of the tub, and Evelyn was there between the curtains too and we were continuing the previous conversations about Link but this time with a little "What's Papa been doing?" and "When are we going to Grandma's" thrown in - also commentary on MY activities in the shower. I get out of the shower and as I am trying to dry off, this ear piercing beeping starts torturing us. The smoke detector had run out of batteries! EEE GADS!!! That thing is in the stair well, like 20 feet up in the air.
So there I am , naked and wet, tired and hungry and the Two Musketeers are circling about letting me know just how annoyed they are at the blaring noise emanating from that small thing on the ceiling. Billy Bones was pacing back and forth, meowing and chirping and looking at me like "Mama get that will you?" and then he would swing my way and wrap himself about my feet so that I would know how serious this was and that it hurt. Evelyn was charging about with her ears covered and shouting out ideas and helpful hints, such as "call Papa home", "spray it" ( I never clarified what she wanted me to spray it with), "hit it" (not a bad idea altogether), "get some tape and a towel and tape the towel around it" (also not bad). Then as I am attempting to dry off and get the cat and his hair off of my legs, she marches in and says "you are NOT going to let that go on all night are you? Because I will loose my mind for sure", this was shouted at her full force of course because she still had her ears plugged. I paused here to call my husband, who is always at work when these things happen, just so he could hear the pandemonium, not that I needed help or suggestions after dealing with this sort of thing for 14 years. Then I went outside, after I had some clothes on, to fetch in what I am certain is the heaviest F-ing ladder in the Universe, to stop the noise. However the ladder wouldn't open to it's fullest on the stair landing, so Bean felt it was her moral duty to inform me how Papa uses the ladder and suggested that I wait for him because I was doing it all wrong (again shouted as her ears were plugged) (again with the pacing, meowing cat who after 10 seconds started alternately chewing on the ladder and meowing).
Where was I? Oh yeah. Up on top of the wobbly ladder attempting to remove the obviously cemented in battery and praying fervently that I do not end up in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, bleeding and moaning and the beeping going on.
However I triumphed. The battery came out. The noise stopped. The cat shut up. Evelyn un-plugged her ears and stopped shouting (though she did speak uncharacteristically loud the rest of the night). I rested a few moments and then proceeded to provide dinner and entertainment for the duration of the evening.
Yay for me.
Go Mama.
Then, as I was tucking Evelyn in to bed, she kindly stroked my face, looked me in the eye, and said, "It's a good thing you called Papa so he could tell you what to do with that loudness thingy."
AAAGGGGHHHH!!!!
What did you do today?
P.S. I love these days. I am no fool. I know that these times are the best in my life and even when I am loosing my mind, I am smiling and enjoying it because I know that Evelyn will grow and not be at my feet forever. Billy Bones will get old and sodded. I know that, so I love these times.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Children's Museum
Leslie and I took Evelyn and her cousin Kate to the Children's Museum yesterday. the girls had alot of fun and it was a hoot watching them climb and slide, play in the grocery store and be at the docotor's office. Katie kept saying that it was the funnest day in her life and Evelyn has hounded me all day to go back- so I guess it was a hit.
It was funny watching them get a bit tired after the second hour, this was at the Docotr's Office part and they started arguing over who was going to sit down and be the secretary, so we grown ups called it and took them out for some food. It was a nice day.
By the way. Those shorts Ev is wearing? Those are size 6-9 mos. UMMMM.... she's four people. That is how little she is, I don't think you ever realize it in the pictures that I post here. She is about 35 inches tall and weighs only about 23 pounds. I am freaking out about pants for the winter, I mean a 9 mos waist but the height of 2T?!?!?!- God help me.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
How To...
brush your teeth. With Evelyn. And her guest, the Firefly Toothbrush (thank you thank you thank you Aunt Melissa).
First : Apply tooth paste.
Second: Shake tooth brush enthusiastically while telling Mama tales from your day.
Third: Begin Brushing Proceedure
Fourth: Continue brushing as long as your tooth brush flashes
Fifth: Raise feet off of stool and place them on the wall in an acrobatic type position and maintain this position until brushing is complete.
Sixth: RINSE!
Seventh: More brushing-why not?
Eighth: Return brush to holder
Ninth: Display gleaming chompers for Inspection.
Now, you can brush your teeth just like The Bean. That is, if you can maintain that feet up pose. AND you have a flashing toothbrush.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Figuring Things Out
It was bound to happen, I guess. Evelyn has figured out that death comes to us all. She has been asking questions and playing around the edge of things since we lost Stella two weeks ago.
She started with Billy Bones. She has had two cats die and she remembers them both, and even though we lost The Grinch about 2 years ago, she was still crying about him occasionally, well up to now. So she remembers. Now Stella is gone and Evelyn is older and wiser, and she keeps asking pretty difficult questions, like, "where are they?", "when can I see them again?", "where did you take them?", "why did Grinch have to go to the Doctor first but you just let Stella stay at home?". Even in the middle of some play time, she will just, BLAM! hit me with an inquiry and I stutter about and gulp down tears and try to answer as simply and honestly as I can.
Where are they? They are just gone.
When can she see them again? In a long, long while honey.
I took Grinch to the doctor because I KNEW he was sick and we were trying to make him better, didn't know Stella was going to die.
So THEN, she looks at Billy Bones, she knows that he has been having some breathing trouble. She says, "Mom, when will Billy die? , I answer that I don't really know but we will love him and enjoy him and try to keep him safe and healthy and happy. She seems okay with it but will fire off a "Billy will die in a few weeks" sort of thing. Okay, I get it, she is assimilating and coping but it still makes my heart jump whenever she says it.
THEN, she remembers that my Grandma, her GG, has been sick with heart stuff. Can you see where this is going? I actually had to walk out on that conversation and let Leslie take over.(he did a great job, by the way. Better than I would have done.)
NOW, she is asking when WE will die and if it will be in a few weeks. A few weeks is understandable, it's the outermost limit of her understanding of time. Understanding that lives end, that's .... well, that sucks.
I was hoping that she wouldn't come to these conclusions I was hoping that I could keep her ignorant a little longer. Maybe I could have, by telling sweet lies and keeping her insulated, that's just not my way though. I know how intelligent she is, I know how she resents being talked "down" to, hell, I know that I resented (and still do) that very same thing. I also feel that Life's hard truths are better broken down into small increments and handled a bit at a time....
With Mama.
And Papa.
And lots of ice cream.
She started with Billy Bones. She has had two cats die and she remembers them both, and even though we lost The Grinch about 2 years ago, she was still crying about him occasionally, well up to now. So she remembers. Now Stella is gone and Evelyn is older and wiser, and she keeps asking pretty difficult questions, like, "where are they?", "when can I see them again?", "where did you take them?", "why did Grinch have to go to the Doctor first but you just let Stella stay at home?". Even in the middle of some play time, she will just, BLAM! hit me with an inquiry and I stutter about and gulp down tears and try to answer as simply and honestly as I can.
Where are they? They are just gone.
When can she see them again? In a long, long while honey.
I took Grinch to the doctor because I KNEW he was sick and we were trying to make him better, didn't know Stella was going to die.
So THEN, she looks at Billy Bones, she knows that he has been having some breathing trouble. She says, "Mom, when will Billy die? , I answer that I don't really know but we will love him and enjoy him and try to keep him safe and healthy and happy. She seems okay with it but will fire off a "Billy will die in a few weeks" sort of thing. Okay, I get it, she is assimilating and coping but it still makes my heart jump whenever she says it.
THEN, she remembers that my Grandma, her GG, has been sick with heart stuff. Can you see where this is going? I actually had to walk out on that conversation and let Leslie take over.(he did a great job, by the way. Better than I would have done.)
NOW, she is asking when WE will die and if it will be in a few weeks. A few weeks is understandable, it's the outermost limit of her understanding of time. Understanding that lives end, that's .... well, that sucks.
I was hoping that she wouldn't come to these conclusions I was hoping that I could keep her ignorant a little longer. Maybe I could have, by telling sweet lies and keeping her insulated, that's just not my way though. I know how intelligent she is, I know how she resents being talked "down" to, hell, I know that I resented (and still do) that very same thing. I also feel that Life's hard truths are better broken down into small increments and handled a bit at a time....
With Mama.
And Papa.
And lots of ice cream.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Balm of Gilead
More about cats?!?! Why yes. We dearly love our feline friends around here.
I just wanted to mention that healing over the loss of Stella is happening. We are all still hurting and feeling the emptinss that her death has left. BUT, we do have Billy Bones.
Billy has been working over time to ensure that we are all filled up with feline love and companionship. It warms my heart to see him concerned and doing his best to comfort us, while he is obviously upset about Stella as well. I know that not everyone is going to understand what I am talking about, not everyone has pets or feels for them the way we do or even pays as much attention to them as we do, but let me say, they have moods and emotions and are as affected by loss as humans are.
Our sweet, biting, striped, toe salad of a cat is doing his best to help us all feel better. Well, who couldn't feel better with such a handsome fellow on the job?
I just wanted to mention that healing over the loss of Stella is happening. We are all still hurting and feeling the emptinss that her death has left. BUT, we do have Billy Bones.
Billy has been working over time to ensure that we are all filled up with feline love and companionship. It warms my heart to see him concerned and doing his best to comfort us, while he is obviously upset about Stella as well. I know that not everyone is going to understand what I am talking about, not everyone has pets or feels for them the way we do or even pays as much attention to them as we do, but let me say, they have moods and emotions and are as affected by loss as humans are.
Our sweet, biting, striped, toe salad of a cat is doing his best to help us all feel better. Well, who couldn't feel better with such a handsome fellow on the job?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Link-O-Rama
Not link as in "check out this cool web-site", Link as in the character from the Zelda games. Link, the Elfin Hero. Link has become a huge figure in our lives. Let me explain....
We bought a Wii.
Then we bought Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess.
Then we let Evelyn watch the game. Alot apparently.
Now we have an obsessed fan on our hands.
Really.
She asks all of the time if we can turn on the Wii and play Zelda, so she can watch Link and imitate everything he does.
An aside: These Zelda games have always been big with my family , we played the original like nobody's business (even my parents) and years later before this new onslaught of Zelda games, my Mom named her cat Zelda, so what I'm saying is , Evelyn gets it honest.
For those of you that don't know, Link is the main character and you follow him in a first person type adventure where you have to save everyone you meet and you get to swim, jump, run, ride horses- all kinds of video game fun.
UMMMMM...where was I? Oh yeah. Evelyn is now crazy mad for Link. I have to call her Link half of the time, she runs around with various objects shoved down the back of her shirt to act as a sword, she uses Peppermint as a horse, she wears rubber rain boots as her "iron boots". She will shout out hints and instructions during play and sometimes gets so involved that she has to be sent from the room to calm down. The newest thing is this: Mom and Dad brought the Game Guide to us (because okay , as nuts as we are? My Dad has played through twice and is on his third round and no longer needs the book), and Evelyn lays about constantly pouring over it. Honestly. She hugs pictures of Link and kisses them and I have to look a hundred times a day at the various pictures of him, the only conversation that I have had with Bean today is, what I call, "degrees of Link love".
So instead of a little witch or fairie at Halloween, guess what Evelyn wants to be? I told Les he better start working on a sword and shield because she wants a Link costume-BAD.
I CAN'T wait until she's old enough for Buffy!!!!!! ' Cause it seems that she has the makings of a true fan-girl, just like her Mama.
Omage in Food
Yesterday morning I made a big breakfast here at The Casa. This is noteworthy because we are the grab and go, breakfast types. I made Mexican omelets, fried sausage and toast. Okay, maybe not a HUGE breakfast, but big for these here parts.... And as always, when I was chowing down on a "regular" type breakfast I started to reminisce about some childhood memories......
When my sister and I were little Mom and Dad would drive us (not often enough) to Indiana to visit our Grandpa and Grandma there. These visits were always a wonderful break from our inner city life, they lived on a farm, in an old farm house and Grandma Rose was not afraid of the kitchen, I can tell you that. She would get up every morning of our visits and make these huge country breakfasts. She would have bacon, sausage, biscuits, jelly, jam, eggs, hash browns....I would sit and eat and eat and eat- she probably thought that I had never been fed before , the way I would tuck in at her table. Looking back over my life and the many, many meals that I have had, I can say that those early morning breakfast with Grandma Rose and Grandpa Matt were some of the best meals of my life. I think that's why my favorite "going out" meal is breakfast.
It wasn't just the food that made the visits special, my sister and I loved sleeping upstairs in those elegant bedrooms, whispering to each other and listening to the bugs. It was bug hunting with Grandpa. It was the Indiana air and space. It was the absolute comfort in the home that they had and the way that they loved us. I guess I sum all of that up into "breakfast". So that's why, anytime I plop, hot eggs and sausage or bacon down on the table, Les has to hear all over again about our visits to Indiana, even though I'm sure Grandma never served Mexican omelets, it amounts to near enough for me and my memories.
Then, last night, using shared bounty from my sister-in-law's garden, I made a "country supper". It started out as just regular dinner, using leftovers from Leslie's party, but it changed and before I knew it I had a cast iron skillet on the stove and I was frying up my favorite food of all time, Fried Green Tomatoes. Can I get an "Amen!"? So we had FGT, fried cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, fresh sliced yellow tomatoes and vidalia onions for the burgers (thanks Jenny), day pickles and I topped it all off with a tall glass of iced milk. WOW! That was a great meal. And it was one very similar to the way that my Grandma (Jean or GG, to Evelyn) would out supper on when I was little. As you can imagine then, Leslie and Evelyn were regaled with tales of Grandma and her cooking and how special she was to me then (and now of course).
When my sister and I were little Mom and Dad would drive us (not often enough) to Indiana to visit our Grandpa and Grandma there. These visits were always a wonderful break from our inner city life, they lived on a farm, in an old farm house and Grandma Rose was not afraid of the kitchen, I can tell you that. She would get up every morning of our visits and make these huge country breakfasts. She would have bacon, sausage, biscuits, jelly, jam, eggs, hash browns....I would sit and eat and eat and eat- she probably thought that I had never been fed before , the way I would tuck in at her table. Looking back over my life and the many, many meals that I have had, I can say that those early morning breakfast with Grandma Rose and Grandpa Matt were some of the best meals of my life. I think that's why my favorite "going out" meal is breakfast.
It wasn't just the food that made the visits special, my sister and I loved sleeping upstairs in those elegant bedrooms, whispering to each other and listening to the bugs. It was bug hunting with Grandpa. It was the Indiana air and space. It was the absolute comfort in the home that they had and the way that they loved us. I guess I sum all of that up into "breakfast". So that's why, anytime I plop, hot eggs and sausage or bacon down on the table, Les has to hear all over again about our visits to Indiana, even though I'm sure Grandma never served Mexican omelets, it amounts to near enough for me and my memories.
Then, last night, using shared bounty from my sister-in-law's garden, I made a "country supper". It started out as just regular dinner, using leftovers from Leslie's party, but it changed and before I knew it I had a cast iron skillet on the stove and I was frying up my favorite food of all time, Fried Green Tomatoes. Can I get an "Amen!"? So we had FGT, fried cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, fresh sliced yellow tomatoes and vidalia onions for the burgers (thanks Jenny), day pickles and I topped it all off with a tall glass of iced milk. WOW! That was a great meal. And it was one very similar to the way that my Grandma (Jean or GG, to Evelyn) would out supper on when I was little. As you can imagine then, Leslie and Evelyn were regaled with tales of Grandma and her cooking and how special she was to me then (and now of course).
Fried Green Tomatoes in the pan
Me and my tomatoes = happy
The Supper Spread- don't mind the hodge-podge dishes
Happy Birthday Leslie
Yesterday, on Saturday August 16, my husband turned 36.
We had some family and freinds over for a cookout celebration. We grilled burgers and dogs and bbq chicken. We had a seafood past salad, deviled eggs, day pickles (or a vinegar based cucumber salad), baked beans, veggies and of course, cake and ice cream. It was a fun time, sadly, I didn't snap one photo, I was too busy cooking and visiting.
So Les, I hope that you had a nice day. I hope this upcoming year in your life affords you more love and happiness than you can stand. I never thought that I could be this happy spending my life with an old man, but, you went and proved me wrong again!
I'll wrangle Les out into the backyard in a few days to get some birthday pictures of his handsome face up on here.
We had some family and freinds over for a cookout celebration. We grilled burgers and dogs and bbq chicken. We had a seafood past salad, deviled eggs, day pickles (or a vinegar based cucumber salad), baked beans, veggies and of course, cake and ice cream. It was a fun time, sadly, I didn't snap one photo, I was too busy cooking and visiting.
So Les, I hope that you had a nice day. I hope this upcoming year in your life affords you more love and happiness than you can stand. I never thought that I could be this happy spending my life with an old man, but, you went and proved me wrong again!
I'll wrangle Les out into the backyard in a few days to get some birthday pictures of his handsome face up on here.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Last week....A Visit with Friends
So, ummm, okay. I wanted to put these pictures on and talk about this last week, like when it was relevant but, I temporarily lost the memory card that contained the pictures and I was at a loss. I have the pictures now though and I feel I can finally get this on the blog.
Last weekend, our long time friends came by for a visit. We met Chris and Brent while in Alaska, I should say, that I, Michal met them first and I nearly scared them off with a very typical, late night, chatty, upswing, nearly psycho, trademark mood of mine. They stuck fast anyway. Now we are in Ohio and they are in St. Lewis-ish and we remain friends. Please let me say here that Chris and Brent are the reason that we thrived in AK, they taught us everything that we needed to know about living there. Though I never did make it to the clamming lessons.
So on their way from St Louis to Massachusetts for a vacation, they stopped by here for a visit. It was great to see them. We only had one evening so we tried to make the best of it. We played the Wii, talked and joked and chowed down on some great salmon/artichoke dip. (The salmon was canned Alaskan salmon of course, that Chris canned). Les was on duty so he wasn't a part of the revelry but he did get some left over dip. Also Faith and Dustin (the offspring) have grown entirely too much. Evelyn and Faith acted as if they had just seen each other last week, and Evelyn was lounging about on Chris for a big part of the evening (I think it has to do with the mini-marshmallows that Chris fed her by hand one right after the other, when Evelyn was first home from China but, I could be wrong)
Can't wait to see you guys on Friday. Oh yeah, Chris... I went out and bought some coffee for you guys but, just like 5 minutes ago? Les knocked the pot off of the counter and shattered it! HA! Is that some typical Dillon b.s. or what?!?! Hopefully I'll remember to buy another pot before Friday, if not, it looks like more Speedway coffee for you.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Scenes From the Trail
I took Evelyn to, what we call "the big park" for a bike ride today. I had to stop her every once in awhile, ostensibly to take pictures, but I usually just needed a breather. That girl rode another mile and a half and I had to jog most of that just to keep up with her! Her Papa calls her a Hot Rod Harriet.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Restaurant ....or Mama Takes A Stand
The Bean has a favorite game. It's "restaurant".
Really.
It's the single most boring game on the planet to ANYONE but her. It goes like this, she will approach you with a scrap of paper and pencil or something and proceed to hound you until you make a food order. Then whatever it was that you ordered, she will be out of. In actuality, her rest. only has two items and she will never disclose before hand what those two items are, and they are never the same. SO you end up ordering and ordering, only to be systematically shot down by a tiny tyrant. Then she will hustle off and bring your food back and stand there to watch that you eat it all. THEN, SHE TAKES YOUR ORDER AGAIN!!!! This time though, the things that she has are different so you have to start all over again.
There can be variations on this theme. Sometimes it is "Ice Cream Shop" and sometimes it is "Sushi Shop" but don't kid yourself you are playing "Restaurant".
Another variation is that she doesn't really need paper and pencil. The final variation? Well, sometimes she brings you dishes of water with dubious origins (for one week I drank the water she gave me, then I put two and two together and realized that I had been drinking water from the cat bowl!) and you have to find inventive ways to get rid of it without actually drinking it and without her seeing you.
That's it.
That's the whole game.
Really.
It can last up to 40 minutes if you let it.
Also? This has been a favorite game for about a year. Yes, a whole calendar year, maybe more.
So when she tried to play Restaurant through her new walkie-talkies the other day, I snapped.
I am on strike. No more restaurant. (I think I can hear Jodi cheering from here, as she has had an over-exposure to this as well).
NO MORE RESTAURANT!!!!
Free at last, Free at last! Thank God almi....awwww .... you know the rest...
Now, there are some out there (Mom), who will think I am being mean. These would be people with more patience than Job, also people who have not been subjected to this game on a regularly occurring basis.
So she will have to find some other game to play. Cool. I'm good with that, as long as it isn't another well played game around here.... DUM DUM DUMMMM....
Insurance Agent.
Really.
It's the single most boring game on the planet to ANYONE but her. It goes like this, she will approach you with a scrap of paper and pencil or something and proceed to hound you until you make a food order. Then whatever it was that you ordered, she will be out of. In actuality, her rest. only has two items and she will never disclose before hand what those two items are, and they are never the same. SO you end up ordering and ordering, only to be systematically shot down by a tiny tyrant. Then she will hustle off and bring your food back and stand there to watch that you eat it all. THEN, SHE TAKES YOUR ORDER AGAIN!!!! This time though, the things that she has are different so you have to start all over again.
There can be variations on this theme. Sometimes it is "Ice Cream Shop" and sometimes it is "Sushi Shop" but don't kid yourself you are playing "Restaurant".
Another variation is that she doesn't really need paper and pencil. The final variation? Well, sometimes she brings you dishes of water with dubious origins (for one week I drank the water she gave me, then I put two and two together and realized that I had been drinking water from the cat bowl!) and you have to find inventive ways to get rid of it without actually drinking it and without her seeing you.
That's it.
That's the whole game.
Really.
It can last up to 40 minutes if you let it.
Also? This has been a favorite game for about a year. Yes, a whole calendar year, maybe more.
So when she tried to play Restaurant through her new walkie-talkies the other day, I snapped.
I am on strike. No more restaurant. (I think I can hear Jodi cheering from here, as she has had an over-exposure to this as well).
NO MORE RESTAURANT!!!!
Free at last, Free at last! Thank God almi....awwww .... you know the rest...
Now, there are some out there (Mom), who will think I am being mean. These would be people with more patience than Job, also people who have not been subjected to this game on a regularly occurring basis.
So she will have to find some other game to play. Cool. I'm good with that, as long as it isn't another well played game around here.... DUM DUM DUMMMM....
Insurance Agent.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Night Time is the Right Time
After many months of ignoring the huge stack of cute animals in her room, Evelyn has taken to wanting as many as she can fit, into her bed, or around her bed. I think it's just so cute.
From left to right, you see Tilde, Peppermint (why she named a huge orange and yellow cat peppermint is beyond me), Lambchoppah, Jack (named after Grandpa),Papa Juan and then Pony. Let me say that she has named all of them but Tilde, I had that pig for her long before she came home from China. These are the guys that MUST be in place on her headboard at night. There is usually a few more in the bed with her, a tiny bat, Baby and Drew (another pig) are the usual bedfellows, but there can be minor changes in the line-up.I keep thinking that I could switch her out of the toddler bed, but quite frankly she still moves around too much and I often find her sleeping with her torso on the bed and her legs on the floor, sort of in a "I fell asleep while praying" pose.
It is my habit to check on her at night still, sometimes a few times a night. I think I do this, not because I am concerned with safety, but because seeing her asleep and still with that peaceful expression, never fails to lift my spirits and melt my heart. Even if I feel like I spent the day being the worst Mom on the planet, I can look at her sleeping face and know that it's alright, we're doing okay. I lived for so long wanting a child and needing to have one sleeping safely with me standing watch, that I sometimes can't believe, even after this long, that she is mine and won't disappear into the night. Besides, she is just about the cutest thing on the planet, all warm and sleepy with her head full of dreams.
From left to right, you see Tilde, Peppermint (why she named a huge orange and yellow cat peppermint is beyond me), Lambchoppah, Jack (named after Grandpa),Papa Juan and then Pony. Let me say that she has named all of them but Tilde, I had that pig for her long before she came home from China. These are the guys that MUST be in place on her headboard at night. There is usually a few more in the bed with her, a tiny bat, Baby and Drew (another pig) are the usual bedfellows, but there can be minor changes in the line-up.I keep thinking that I could switch her out of the toddler bed, but quite frankly she still moves around too much and I often find her sleeping with her torso on the bed and her legs on the floor, sort of in a "I fell asleep while praying" pose.
It is my habit to check on her at night still, sometimes a few times a night. I think I do this, not because I am concerned with safety, but because seeing her asleep and still with that peaceful expression, never fails to lift my spirits and melt my heart. Even if I feel like I spent the day being the worst Mom on the planet, I can look at her sleeping face and know that it's alright, we're doing okay. I lived for so long wanting a child and needing to have one sleeping safely with me standing watch, that I sometimes can't believe, even after this long, that she is mine and won't disappear into the night. Besides, she is just about the cutest thing on the planet, all warm and sleepy with her head full of dreams.
Monday, August 11, 2008
New Wheels
While I was out the other day with Jodi, Les and Evelyn spent the day together. The word on the street is that they had a great time too. I know Evelyn had a great day because she ended up with a new bike!!!
She is so little that Les and I never considered that there would be a 2 wheeler out there that she could actually fit on and ride. So, she has been triking it around, longing for a big girl bike. While out the other day, the two of them stumbled across one and Bean jumped on for a test ride. Les says that she just took off on it (it has training wheels) and tooled about the store, never hitting anything and laughing. Even though her desire to own that bike was more than evident, she never asked for it. SO.... Les bought it for her.
She has thanked us a million times. She thinks of her bike all day. She wants to ride all of the time. The first ride that we took her on, on the bike trail at the park she rode about a mile and a half!!!!! WITHOUT STOPPING!!!
I remeber my best bike. It was a banana seated rainbow bike with tassels. That bike was magic. I wanted it so bad. I really wanted that bike. One day when I was riding home from school on the bus, we neared my stop and all of the kids were exclaiming about a cool bike, I had no idea what they were talking about. Then I got up to walk to the front and get off the bus, I looked towards home and then I figured out what the fuss was about. My parents had gone out and bought that bike for me while I was at school and Dad had it parked at the edge of the yard, tilted just so the sun would glint off of it. I tell you those few moments when I was stuck on the bus and everyone wanted my bike, and the knwledge that it was MY bike was sinking into my head, those were some of the best moments that I have ever had. Just knowing in that little minute that my parents knew me and loved me enough to get that bike for me and set it up as a surprise. I am not sure if it was the bike that was so magical or if the magic came from the care that my parents took to make it special, but I know that while I had that bike, I was cool. Hopefully Evelyn feels the same way that I did all of those years ago.
These are not the best pictures, it was getting dark and she was moving pretty quick and we were scrambling to keep up with her.
She is so little that Les and I never considered that there would be a 2 wheeler out there that she could actually fit on and ride. So, she has been triking it around, longing for a big girl bike. While out the other day, the two of them stumbled across one and Bean jumped on for a test ride. Les says that she just took off on it (it has training wheels) and tooled about the store, never hitting anything and laughing. Even though her desire to own that bike was more than evident, she never asked for it. SO.... Les bought it for her.
She has thanked us a million times. She thinks of her bike all day. She wants to ride all of the time. The first ride that we took her on, on the bike trail at the park she rode about a mile and a half!!!!! WITHOUT STOPPING!!!
I remeber my best bike. It was a banana seated rainbow bike with tassels. That bike was magic. I wanted it so bad. I really wanted that bike. One day when I was riding home from school on the bus, we neared my stop and all of the kids were exclaiming about a cool bike, I had no idea what they were talking about. Then I got up to walk to the front and get off the bus, I looked towards home and then I figured out what the fuss was about. My parents had gone out and bought that bike for me while I was at school and Dad had it parked at the edge of the yard, tilted just so the sun would glint off of it. I tell you those few moments when I was stuck on the bus and everyone wanted my bike, and the knwledge that it was MY bike was sinking into my head, those were some of the best moments that I have ever had. Just knowing in that little minute that my parents knew me and loved me enough to get that bike for me and set it up as a surprise. I am not sure if it was the bike that was so magical or if the magic came from the care that my parents took to make it special, but I know that while I had that bike, I was cool. Hopefully Evelyn feels the same way that I did all of those years ago.
These are not the best pictures, it was getting dark and she was moving pretty quick and we were scrambling to keep up with her.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Goodbye
Friday Evening....
Tonight, as the regular activities of our evening went about, Stella walked through the house and headed down to the basement. I suppose that she was headed to her favorite cool corner to catch a nap on her scratching pad.
She never made it.
After nearly 14 years, Stella has surrendered.
I found her awhile later.
It was rough. Those of you that have seen her in these past couple of years know, she was no longer a pretty cat. She was old and she has been tired for a long time. But she was a good cat right up to the end. A strange little animal, she would follow us around and stay near, but never really a lap cat, she was affectionate in her own way. She loved us though, that was plain because she held on as long as she could just to be with us I think. She was always good for a story about 'Nam or what she called "the Good War", she could cuss like a sailor and she had moxie. Here near the end, we usually had to go looking for her as her health made it necessary for her to sleep alot and stay near a litterbox, but she was always happy to see you and she would squint up at you and purr and lick at your hand.
We have been thinking about putting her down for a few weeks now, we hated seeing her slow and tired. It seemed though that everytime we made that decision, or leaned that way, she would rally and we would find her dashing out the door to go chew grass, or she would hop into my lap for a rare snuggle. Hell, just last night she was chasing a laser light aroung the living room (well, okay, not exactly a chase but it was a faster walk than her normal shuffle). And two days ago she got outside and we had to initiate a Stella Hunt, up and down the street for her, we eventually found her, napping under a big pine tree next door.
So now she's gone. And I am surprised at my grief. I knew she was sick and I knew she was old, I just thought I would have more time to say good-bye.
I am going to sleep tonight with the knowledge that, for once, in many, many months, I won't see Stella's face in the morning. I will have to wake up my little girl and explain why she can't find Stella to say goodmorning to her. I will have to walk my child through the pain that I know she will feel, before I feel ready to do such a thing. I will have to watch that heartache age my girl. I will live my first day without that stinky, sick, strange and wonderful cat.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Different but the Same
I don't have the ability to look at my daughter and say, " oh she has her Papa's nose" nor am I able to think " she has my hair". I can honestly say that this has never, ever bothered me.
When I look at Evelyn, I look at her through my love of her and the familiarity of her little being. And when I see her, I see my daughter. I see that she laughs like me, jokes like Les, I could go on and on about how she is like us. I know that physically she looks nothing like us, I mean I guess she doesn't. I guess that why people can automatically assume that she is adopted. I sometimes ask Les," does Ev really look Chinese?!?!" and I am serious and incredulous because when I look at her, I just see my daughter, that wonderfully familiar face, that tinkling laugh.
When I look up in the evening and Les is reading Evelyn a story, my mind knows that there sits an Asian child with a Caucasian father- but I have to force myself to focus on that difference.
Do you want to know what my heart sees when I look at them? I see my family. I see a little girl that is so much like us, that fits in so perfectly, that it takes my breath away. I see that they tend to hold their head the same way when reading, I see that Evelyn likes to read while eating like Les does, I see that they both love joking, I see that they sound the same sometimes (she mostly sounds like me though), I see them as similar in only that way that full, unbridled love can make anyone the same.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
All About The Mama
Les came home and assumed Bean Watch this morning. Shortly after, I headed out of the door to meet Jodi for a girl's day. Let me just say that we shopped and we ate and we talked, and we got our hair done and it was NICE.
I am not sure that I have ever had a "day off" when I was able to head out of the house and have a day with a friend and take it easy. I loved it. I loved every minute of it.
I am glad that I have a husband that will willingly take over Bean duties so I can head out. I am glad that I have a friend like Jodi that I can spend an entire day with and think, "man, what can we do next?".
I spent money on only myself (except for $6 that was spent on a pair of glitter-tastic shoes for Bean). I was able to talk Jodi's ear off.
Can't wait to do it again.
I am not sure that I have ever had a "day off" when I was able to head out of the house and have a day with a friend and take it easy. I loved it. I loved every minute of it.
I am glad that I have a husband that will willingly take over Bean duties so I can head out. I am glad that I have a friend like Jodi that I can spend an entire day with and think, "man, what can we do next?".
I spent money on only myself (except for $6 that was spent on a pair of glitter-tastic shoes for Bean). I was able to talk Jodi's ear off.
Can't wait to do it again.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Drips and chit-chat
Today the ice cream truck trundled down our street. I hollered and sent The Bean running out of the front door, with me hot on her tail. We bought a chocolatey Snoopy thing and a SnoCone. Then we sat on the front porch steps eating our treats as they dripped down our arms, talking about everything and nothing. Watching the neighborhood.
That was a perfect summer moment.
That was a perfect summer moment.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Sneak Peek
My parents and sister have been looking for a new kitten. They wanted a girl and were not particular about anything else, so when my neighbor across the street came over with her hands full of a little black kitty, I immediately thought of The Smokewood Gang. It turns out that they trust my instincts with cats and they want her. Evelyn and I will turn ourselves into a kitty delivery service tomorrow and freight the kitty to them. The kitty is all black with a small, short muzzle and green eyes. Her current name is Delilah and it sounds so cute when Ev says it.
You guys (Smokewood), she is a real sweetie, I could hardly get a picture of her because she just wants to be right up on you all of the time and when you are standing, she just winds about your feet. She has been letting Evelyn love on her and she just grabs your hands with her little paws and gives you the lightest and cutest kitty kisses- we may have found your lap cat.
Billy Bones remains un-impressed however and wants her the HELL outta his house.
Stella has no idea that she is even here.
An Old Lady and a Watermelon
Let me explain.
It all came about because Les and I have subscribed to this Thought Of the Day from Eknath Easwaran, an Eastern Philosopher (that's the easiest way to sum him up). I love to read the thoughts because they are usually about controlling anger and dealing with different hardships in your life- you know stuff I have difficulty with. Well, the one yesterday was about helping out your fellow man when he needed it. Okay, I loved what was said and I thought , "that's nice", not knowing what lay ahead of me in the day.
Grocery shopping, hours later.... I am entering a local store and see a little apricot haired lady standing and waiting patiently, I notice her almost as an afterthought as my mind was blissfully drifting in my own thoughts (Bean was at home with Les and I was all alone to seriously contemplate the unit costs of pickles and the like). I go in the store and do my thing. An hour and a half later, I exit the store and my cart gets caught on a bump in the sidewalk right next to the apricot haired lady! She was still there. But now, she was quietly crying. "OH man" I thought. She looks up into my face and in heavily accented English, asks me if I could help her. I tentatively say "yes....". Then she goes onto explain that a friend of hers had dropped her off and promised to return but has never showed up. I ask how long she has been waiting and she had been there since 2pm (it was 5:20 at this time, so she has been standing out there in the heat all alone for at least 3 hours. I explain that I have a big truck to climb into and I don't really know my way around as I just moved here but that I would help her, she was still game for my assistance. I have to admit on the inside I was highly agitated , I mean it was hot, I KNEW that she wasn't going to be able to walk well and I had already eyeballed the ginormous watermelon in her cart, plus I had company coming over and I thought of all my cold stuff getting hotter and hotter and I had one more store to hit- arggh. But then, I remembered the thought of the day and I remembered how I was raised and I realized that in the long run, it was just better for ME and better for Usci if I took her home.
So I hauled my cart load of stuff down to the Tahoe and I loaded in my groceries and I drove up, put on my hazards and began the loading of Usci. Let me tell you that WAS a big watermelon and it weighed a ton, well more than Usci, I can tell you that, I know because I actually had to life both of them into the truck.
So that's it, that's how my Saturday Grocery Run got entangled with a lost octogenarian Russian and a huge watermelon.
You know what? I enjoyed her company, her driving tips were just downright hilarious and she has promised to pray for me and my whole family every night for a hundred nights.
Thanks Eknath.
This is the thought of the day.....
******
July 30
But they for whom I am the supreme goal, who do all work
renouncing self for me and meditate on me with
single-hearted devotion, these I will swiftly rescue from
death's vast sea, for their consciousness has entered
into me.
-Bhagavad Gita
When the lover of God finds somebody in danger, he
doesn't turn away; he runs to help. This is one of the
unmistakable signs of true love of God.
When someone is in trouble, you don't say, "How
did he behave towards me?" You don't ask,
"Of what race or color is she?" or "Is
this person my countryman? Does she belong to my
religion?" None of these questions can be asked by the
person who truly loves God. He or she just runs to the
rescue of the person in trouble.
When we are trying to help someone, it is we who get great
joy out of it. If we try to rescue someone who has been
unkind, the joy is even greater. This is a secret all but
forgotten in our modern world: we find a much more lasting
joy in rescuing others than in trying to save ourselves,
because in rescuing others we are making sure that we will
be saved by the Lord who is within.
It all came about because Les and I have subscribed to this Thought Of the Day from Eknath Easwaran, an Eastern Philosopher (that's the easiest way to sum him up). I love to read the thoughts because they are usually about controlling anger and dealing with different hardships in your life- you know stuff I have difficulty with. Well, the one yesterday was about helping out your fellow man when he needed it. Okay, I loved what was said and I thought , "that's nice", not knowing what lay ahead of me in the day.
Grocery shopping, hours later.... I am entering a local store and see a little apricot haired lady standing and waiting patiently, I notice her almost as an afterthought as my mind was blissfully drifting in my own thoughts (Bean was at home with Les and I was all alone to seriously contemplate the unit costs of pickles and the like). I go in the store and do my thing. An hour and a half later, I exit the store and my cart gets caught on a bump in the sidewalk right next to the apricot haired lady! She was still there. But now, she was quietly crying. "OH man" I thought. She looks up into my face and in heavily accented English, asks me if I could help her. I tentatively say "yes....". Then she goes onto explain that a friend of hers had dropped her off and promised to return but has never showed up. I ask how long she has been waiting and she had been there since 2pm (it was 5:20 at this time, so she has been standing out there in the heat all alone for at least 3 hours. I explain that I have a big truck to climb into and I don't really know my way around as I just moved here but that I would help her, she was still game for my assistance. I have to admit on the inside I was highly agitated , I mean it was hot, I KNEW that she wasn't going to be able to walk well and I had already eyeballed the ginormous watermelon in her cart, plus I had company coming over and I thought of all my cold stuff getting hotter and hotter and I had one more store to hit- arggh. But then, I remembered the thought of the day and I remembered how I was raised and I realized that in the long run, it was just better for ME and better for Usci if I took her home.
So I hauled my cart load of stuff down to the Tahoe and I loaded in my groceries and I drove up, put on my hazards and began the loading of Usci. Let me tell you that WAS a big watermelon and it weighed a ton, well more than Usci, I can tell you that, I know because I actually had to life both of them into the truck.
So that's it, that's how my Saturday Grocery Run got entangled with a lost octogenarian Russian and a huge watermelon.
You know what? I enjoyed her company, her driving tips were just downright hilarious and she has promised to pray for me and my whole family every night for a hundred nights.
Thanks Eknath.
This is the thought of the day.....
******
July 30
But they for whom I am the supreme goal, who do all work
renouncing self for me and meditate on me with
single-hearted devotion, these I will swiftly rescue from
death's vast sea, for their consciousness has entered
into me.
-Bhagavad Gita
When the lover of God finds somebody in danger, he
doesn't turn away; he runs to help. This is one of the
unmistakable signs of true love of God.
When someone is in trouble, you don't say, "How
did he behave towards me?" You don't ask,
"Of what race or color is she?" or "Is
this person my countryman? Does she belong to my
religion?" None of these questions can be asked by the
person who truly loves God. He or she just runs to the
rescue of the person in trouble.
When we are trying to help someone, it is we who get great
joy out of it. If we try to rescue someone who has been
unkind, the joy is even greater. This is a secret all but
forgotten in our modern world: we find a much more lasting
joy in rescuing others than in trying to save ourselves,
because in rescuing others we are making sure that we will
be saved by the Lord who is within.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Imagination
Just recently, The Bean has started using her big brain powers for...imagination. I just love it. I love to see how kid's minds work and the things that they come up with. I used to sit and daydream about being a Mom and one of my favorites was to go through scenarios, in which, my child was telling me some grand tale. I have waited for this to happen with Bean and I was, quite frankly, beginning to despair because she is really so logically based that I just thought that stuff was out the window. (because let's face it, at art time, I rarely get a drawn picture, I usually get a grocery list or a menu of some sort, or she has written down insurance information, or even used her little scissors to cut up tiny bits of money) ....well, I was wrong.
The Bean has entered the world of child imaginings with a bang. I mean one day she was all, "what's your name?, why are you here to see the Doctor?" then the next? BAM!, there were robots in the basement that ate cat food and talked to each other, a simple red boa wrapped around her waist transformed her into a Bird Princess, or she was a Sky Fairie with wings and magical powers with the simple addition of a homemade tutu.
My favorite so far has actually been a blending of the logic and imagination. This morning she told me the following tale, and I will simplify it here because the original telling took about 10 minutes. Let me paraphrase.....
" Mama, I don't think I want to get any bigger than I am right now. I know I will have to get big to do some things though but I won't want to stay big because I want to be your little girl for a long, long time. So I am going to build a....hum... like a robot tube but it won't be a robot. It will have a long cord for plugging into the wall so it won't have to ever run out of batteries. It will be a big thing that I get into and I will have two cards to use in it. One red and one blue. When I get in and want to be big, I will use the red card and then IT will make me taller and taller and then I can do the things I need to be tall and big for. But. When I am done, and I want to get small gain , I will get in and use my blue card and then IT will make me just this size again. How does that sound?"
That's my girl.
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