Everyday Inklings

Real Peace

2012-02-16T11:22:00.001-06:00

“Real peace is just a lot of hopes put together.” (Elle – 4).

My Funny Valentine

2012-02-14T20:11:00.000-06:00

Joe and I never used to celebrate Valentine's before kids, passively protesting the commercialism and making an earnest effort to show our appreciation for one another often throughout the year.

With the kids around, it's hard not to get sucked in by all of the crafty red and pink projects. We make love mobiles. Long ago I instituted a Love Bug tradition and now the spritely, sneaky fellows visit daily leaving love notes and treats for the eager, watchful kids.

Then there is the Preschool Program. Joe took some time from work to watch the sweetest little performance. Then the four of us (Maya had her school party instead) went out to lunch and took in a movie at home. What a day.

The unforeseen icing on my Valentine's cake was a volunteer gig Max and I had at the memory care unit of a local nursing home. I'll tell more about it over at Doing Good Together tomorrow, if you follow that blog too. If not, suffice it to say that sharing his baby sweetness with those older folks was remarkably fun. If they remembered nothing else, they all remembered their babies. Max brought those memories to life for them. It was a joy to see. I even made a new friend, so we'll definitely be going back.

Next time, Elle tells me she wants to sing her Valentine's songs for them!

Happy Valentine's Day.

Up the Mountain Again

2012-02-09T14:20:00.004-06:00

I am Sisyphus. My boulder is a pair of pink tights, one size too big with a hole in the knee. Each day I must talk Little Miss into wearing something, anything, that's not them.

Or maybe the boulder is convincing Big Sis to let me fix her hair. Each day. Or at least brush it.

I won't even mention Mount Laundry or the dish washer rotation or the massive left bicep that slings a 25 pound baby boy with ease... these are too obvious.

And I am not alone. I am every parent.

What's more shocking... I'm happy. (French Kiss lovers... perhaps your arse is beginning to twitch...)

Somehow, fighting these repetitive mini-battles each day gets overshadowed by the satisfaction of having a six-year-old share her joyful discovery of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe.

She stumbled upon that book when I re-worked my bookshelves last week. She sat right down and delved in. Rediscovering much-loved stories through her eyes nearly brings me to tears.

Actually, when she read the dedication in that book for Jane, who grew up before the book was finished "because girls grow faster than books," I really did cry.

When I listen to Elle read stories aloud to Max, or listen to Max sing "Ba, baba, ma, bwa" to the kitty, I can't help but rejoice that we can stay home most days, tights and all, covered in rice cereal and snuggling.

Then we added two kitty's to the mix, and the energy they bring. Two years ago, all of this chaos would have sent me over the edge... two years ago it nearly did. Perhaps I've hit my stride as a parent, the still point where each victory is savored and each boulder is toted up the mountain with full knowledge that it won't stay put.

I do, in fact, Carpe Diem. Boulders and all, this is my mountain.

Uncomplicated Little Bear

2012-02-03T08:41:00.001-06:00

Big surprise; he won't say "Mama" on command. It does happen. I swear. And anyway, he's a cute little bear even when he's just watching me be silly.

Shhh. Don't tell the old me, that terrified new mother that read every book and was determined to do everything right, but this baby stuff is so uncomplicated.

Not easy. No, he was up from 2 to 4 last night just wiggling, cooing, and being happily, annoyingly awake.

He is gloriously uncomplicated.

This can only be true in contrast to older siblings. Maybe that is why the last baby seems so mellow to almost every parent. In the face of a first grader's playground woes ("I don't know if I'm the leader of the club.... but the club won't let so-and-so in"... What?) and a preschooler's growing demands for independence (no Little Miss, you can't wear tights and a t-shirt to the grocery store!), what to serve baby for dinner barely gets a second thought.

That's what makes being in a family work, I think. Let's hope our cycles of complicated craziness don't link up. As long as a couple of us are in an uncomplicated place at any given time, we'll be just fine.

Favorite Things

2012-02-01T17:51:00.002-06:00

Doughnut Muffins were a Veblen breakfast staple... back before childhood diabetes was a major concern. This recipe on All Recipes totally captures the Veblen essence.... sweets for my high school sweet heart to kick off the month of love.

Here you have our latest sewing project. Printable fabric + kids art + rudimentary sewing skills and a few quilters squares = a good grandparent gift and great napkins for family dinner.

I had these vintage Valentine's printed as photos. We'll be adding glue, paper doilies, and construction paper and taking a pile of them over to the local senior care facility with some tea and chocolate.

Next up.... Love Bugs 2012!

Little Chief

2012-01-30T08:24:00.001-06:00

This easy-going boy is simultaneously part of the background (getting plopped on the kitchen floor when mom occasionally has other needs to fill) and king of the house (catered to, doted on, and constantly entertained).

Did I mention he's started to say Mama? I'll get that one on video as soon as I can!

Present Moment, Peaceful Moment

2012-01-26T14:52:00.002-06:00

Ohm.

The new mantra totally works, along with some judicial internet access dieting and a willingness to have leftovers two nights in a row.

Check out Foxy (the calico) and Monkey.

Poor Ruphis spent his month under our staircase, terrififed of the children. He emerged only when they were safely asleep. This gave him a human contact window of about an hour.

The Pet Rescue people agreed that this was no way to spend a life, much less nine. Ruphis is destined for a quiet apartment free of kids and scary dishwasher noises.

In his place, are two cats that I can safely say are here to stay.

In part because I promised Maya.... In part because they are cats with delightful personalities. They're still kittens, at just 6 months old. The seven of us are smitten.

Smitten with kittens.

Ohm

2012-01-24T08:26:00.001-06:00

A quiet mind in the face of three squirrelly kids, two delightful kittens (did I mention that lovely old Ruphis proved to terrified of our kids to stay here..... more on that, and his replacements later), and a paid writing/planning gig that is gaining momentum..... well, a quiet mind isn't something I've mastered. But I'm working on it.

The longer the to-do list, the more difficult it is to keep from looping it through my thoughts, puzzling out how it all might get done. My goal is the exact opposite - present moment awareness, focus, and intention. When I'm with the kids, I want to be 100 percent with them. When I'm working on a different project, I want my focus to be there. Multitasking? It turns out - according to ever-more research - the human brain doesn't really work that way.... and Pinterest? Sheesh, I need to block that site!

My old Change Nothing, Everything Changes mantra has been overthrown.

Present moment.... only moment.

Ohm.

This Moment

2012-01-20T08:33:00.000-06:00

Because even though every moment can't be seized, and commands to Carpe Diem (if you haven't read the Mamastery post you should) 18 long years of child-rearing - including this week when my whole family was ill, required 24-hour mothering, and came up with some unique distractions for my attention, This Moment was worth a second look.

Even on a harried, under-slept, over-committed day, I still believe a good game of adventure with a girl in a Perry t-shirt and tights is worth savoring.

Sisters

2012-01-17T11:34:00.000-06:00

One wonderful by-product of my poor play-date scheduling skills is a pair of sisters that love to play together. After three days of playing, I only tallied a handful of "Maaa-maaa, she just (took my toy, broke my fort, or clobbered me with a giant bouncy ball)."

The rest of the time, they were playing doll school, adventure Wii (in teamwork mode), some national geographic inspired panther hunting game, and fort-building on a scale too extensive to photograph.

Lucky for Max, though a bit bittersweet for me, they've gotten to the stage where I'm really not invited into their games anymore. When it's just me and Elliot home, I'm called upon to play a lead role in her Jack & Annie adventures or unicorn-princess-fairy dollhouse stories. When Maya is home too, they shoo me out of the room - or more likely, send me to get snacks.

The result is a happy house full of play and a mom with a few extra moments to write or rock-a-bye.

Max as student, Elle as teacher.... Maya was the art specialist

Two peas in a pod for reading time

and as always, dance party. Maya doesn't hold still long enough for a photo!

Life is a Dervish

2012-01-12T10:09:00.001-06:00

Between long family dinners in the dining room watching Max figure out his preferences for solids and and evenings downstairs watching the strange, ever-changing stage in our basement compliment the girls' new pretend-play, the days are flying. Not to mention mount laundry, kid activities, and the usual hustle of a family of five!

This Moment

2012-01-06T16:50:00.000-06:00

Because I've always been a fan of Soule Mama and her "This Moment" posts.

Change & Mutiny

2012-01-06T07:20:00.001-06:00

I forget how easy it is to be in love when you are small.

Maya was so in love with gymnastics. She spent Christmas break nearly decapitating most of our family as she hurled her legs into the air without warning or awareness of how many loved ones populated our living room at the time.

Elle enjoyed her class, enjoyed getting stronger and moving up a level, but she wasn't the enthusiast that Maya was.

Imagine how shocked I was when, just before the new session began, I heard Maya's persuasive argument against gymnastics.

So that's that. On to the next thing.

She just LOVES swimming!

It Starts

2012-01-03T14:19:00.002-06:00

Resolutions have been made, over at Doing Good Together. The vacation is over. Today, after a truly indulgent, old-fashioned holiday break, we're all back in the routine.

Sure, sure. Routine is a good thing, keeping us moving and giving structure to our day.

Oh, but who doesn't love a week to revel in new Wii games, watch movies, and play board games with the family? This was a break to remember. Joe saved a few vacation days all year, just so we could have this time together - what a guy!

It wasn't all fun and games, though. Poor little Max was hard at work popping in new teeth. His first official tooth cut through sometime between 3 and 7 pm on New Year's Eve, no joke! Number two will be in by nightfall, I think. Hopefully that will put an end to his sniffles, fevers, and general unrest.

For Maya, the days off meant a wealth of free time. She spent it playing adventure games on the Wii, reading the original Wizard of Oz on my Nook, and doing approximately 25 million hand stands.

Elliot was just glad to have her sister home. She convinced Maya to give her an impressive number of horsey back rides. Sisters are great.

How did the time slip by for the adults? There was coffee and pjs all morning. I vaguely remember a few dance parties dissolving into dog piles. We cheered on Max while he learned to push himself up onto all fours. Occasionally the kids gave us a turn on the Wii.

And we recharged for 2012. No year has gotten a better start!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T13:21:00.002-06:00

Introducing Ruphis

2011-12-29T21:30:00.004-06:00

Remember Shirley? If not, he's a ladybug that deserves a revisit.

The Shirley episode convinced Joe and I that a Christmas cat was in order. Though Elle dreams of a puppy, our future camping and lake-living plans won't allow for a dog, and we've always been suckers for a good lap cat. Finding the right cat is tricky, though. We've been burned by cats before. We've had two lovely cat's whose characters were epic. We've also had two insane barn cats whose temperaments landed them in a barn on our old farm.

After getting to know each other for a week and a half, Ruphis has officially earned his collar. He's one of the family.

Joe and I hunted covertly for some time, tracking down a young cat (not a kitten), preferably a yellow tabby who loves to snuggle (a.k.a. will let you pet him without nipping), and one who has already been declawed (because we really don't want to perpetrate that crime, but we've seen first hand the damage front claws can do).

The house Maya built.

We found Ruphis (Maya's spelling - but the name was inspired by Rufus Wainwright) through Twin Cities Pet Rescue. He's essentially an economic refugee, as his first forever family lost their home during these tough times. This means he's not homeless due to temperament difficulties. He came with high praise from his foster family and of a very affectionate, if rather lazy cat (the photos don't lie... he's a little fluffy... but nowhere near our first cat)

We've taken a little more than a week to get to know him, and we can now safely declare that he is ours. His character is above reproach. Each evening he purrs and snuggles with the girls before their bed time, and then with Joe and I. During the day, when Maya's endless handstands, Elliot's on-going dance parties, and Max's grabby hands make life too overwhelming, he sleeps on his cat bed in the basement.

Has any girl ever looked so happy (or any cat so scared? That was his first day, he's warmed up tremendously).

To be totally honest, he's a bit terrified of the kids. Elliot and Max to be exact.

He does let all of them pet him endlessly, even purring in spite of himself. He stays put when Elle covers him up with a blanket or tucks a stuffed animal nearby for his "lovey." He docilely gives in when the girls insist on carrying him around. And he'll happily nap with Maya while she reads.

He is a timid cat, though. He's not used to our chaos yet, and he never willingly puts himself in the thick of the action. Even so, he's a far step above Shirley. Unlike his barn-cat predecessors, he adds virtually no stress to the day.

And I officially have a writing buddy.

Each day he plays more with us, explores more of the house, and spends a little more time with the kids.

Making Magic

2011-12-21T11:37:00.001-06:00

I love this season of endless end-of-the-year celebration. For a month now, we've been gathering with loved ones for celebrations great and small. The luxury of extended weekends with loved ones is a welcome compensation for not living near enough to see everyone at once, though after this weekend I may never clean my house again!

Mum, mums.... a first solid!

We've been baking up a storm, from chocolate banana bread to Grandma Alice's candy bar cookies, sharing some and squirreling away others for celebrations to come.

Elle spent all morning making witches brew... gotta love baking soda and vinnegar

We've spent time around the piano singing carols, around the television watching holiday movies, and strapped in the car ogling light displays.

These dark winter days lend themselves to hours in the kitchen doing puzzles and playing board games. Every casserole, every left-over-turkey-soup-with-dumplings, and every Brinner tends to be the most delicious and most comforting meal in family memory.

Mr. Tambourine Man

These days, it is easy to feel generous and magnanimous and graciously accepting of everyday aggravations. I'm tempted to resolve to maintain this productive contentment for the rest of the year, though a lot of resolutions are competing for my focus lately.

Before the warm up that melted our snow and left us with a brown Christmas... the girls skated with Maya's girl scout troupe.

Caroling.... we love it!

Let it be enough for this month to focus on gathering with and nurturing our loved ones, with food, good conversation, and, yes, gifts. It is a beloved indulgence!

12 Days of the Best Christmas Ever

2011-12-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

Each year, my extended and far-flung family organizes the 12 days of Christmas. They always target a family with young kids, and this year the treat is ours. I vividly remember many of the gifts that showed up on our doorstep when I was a child and my own family was showered with long-distance love in this way.

What I didn't remember, though my parents likely do, was how touching it is to be the target of everyone's generosity. Our family is so spread out that frequent gatherings are all but impossible. My own family obligations, with the kids being so young, make joining the one annual event really difficult, at least in the near term.

We are flattered to be the target of this barrage of presents, and more importantly the organization and planning that goes into shopping for such thoughtful gifts, sending them all to one place, and enlisting a kind neighbor to be the Delivery Elf.

As for the Elf, we're trying to pass on at least a bit of the excitement. We've started leaving small tokens of our appreciation for the Elf, offering up a dozen eggs (thanks to the ladies out back), homemade grape jelly, a tin of Christmas cookies, and other goodies to come.

That poor Elf has been waking up pretty early in the morning to get the jump on our early risers. Especially now that the girls are racing into the kitchen to await the surprise. What a wonderful Christmas memory for us all.

News in Brief

2011-12-14T21:05:00.001-06:00

He sits! Not for too long.

Momentarily distracted from Elliot's Polly Theater.

He takes his first bite!

He wonders about the small bite of rice cereal stuck to the roof of his mouth. He stares this way for several minutes, tonguing the concoction, smiling, and drooling.

More dad! Now. More. Mmmm.

He just looks bigger now that he's on real food.

Someday, he'll catch up to his grandpa!

Lady Bug Lost OR Sage Wisdom from Little Miss

2011-12-06T10:33:00.001-06:00

Take time to revel in everyday joys.
Give yourself permission to mourn small losses.
Every kid needs a pet.

These were the lessons learned in our house yesterday.

Little Miss was both teacher and student.

After breakfast, Elle found a ladybug wrapped in a cobweb on her window sill.

This small and bleak discovery might as easily have been a litter of kittens, if you judged them only on by Elle's reaction.

I kid you not, she raced upstairs shouting, "I will keep him. I will name him Shirley. I will feed him and make a house for him and he will sleep in my room."

I don't think she has seen enough Looney Toons to mimic it. I have no idea where "Shirley" came from. But the overall effect was hilarious!

I felt obligated to inform her of the obvious. As she gently wiped the cobwebs from Shirley's spotted body, I casually said, "you know, that ladybug is already dead, Elle. The ladybugs are all hibernating until spring."

"I know. I love him anyway." She continuously referred to it as "him" or Shirley. So girl Elliot dubbed her ladybug boy Shirley.

She spent the next hour setting Shirley up in a little plastic bowl. She decorated the outside with markers and stickers. She put a carrot inside and about half an inch of water. She carefully folded a piece of red construction paper to make a bed, then added a dollop of paint so Shirley could do some crafts. She found a soccer-ball-shaped bead and tossed it in so Shirley could get some exercise.

Each time she added something to Shirley's house, I gently reminded her. "You know, Shirley is still dead. He'll probably get kind of yucky soaking in that water all day."

"Yeah, I know. But maybe the water will make him come back alive."

She carried that bowl everywhere. Shirley joined us for reading time. He joined us for lunch.

"I think he's starting to eat the carrot." Elle told me excitedly, just before naptime.

"Oh, sorry honey, I think he's still dead."

"I know. I just have imaginations."

I am in love with her imaginations. In the vernacular of my first-grader, I could marry Elliot's imaginations.

Speaking of my first-grader, she was horrified by Shirley when she got home. "That nasty thing isn't sleeping in my room!" Thoughtfully, she reserved her outburst for me. To Elliot she offered, "Nice bug house... Why's the water pink?"

"Shirley's paint turned it pink." Elle told her. "It's starting to get a little yucky in there." Her tone was matter-of-fact. Her excitement over Shirley was waning.

After dinner (during which Shirley perched on the counter nearby), the kids sat down to write Santa letters. Elliot decided to tell santa she wants "a puppy because puppies are better than lady bugs... especially dead ladybugs!"

Then, just before bed, she declared, "I think I 'd better throw Shirley away. He's getting too nasty."

Surprisingly, I couldn't tell a difference between the wonderful Shirley Elle discovered wrapped in a spider web this morning and the nasty Shirley that had marinated in carrot stew all day. I was, however, relieved that Shirley was not going to be accompanying us to preschool the next day.

Elle, on the other hand, was full of self-recrimination. Her exact phrase was, "I'm stupid," for throwing away my friend.

"But Elle, honey, it was already dead."

"I know, but I liked him."

She sat sadly on the stairs while we tried to cheer her up with Christmas carols. She mourned Shirley for more than half an hour.

And then, with her small joy thoroughly celebrated and her small grief briefly acknowledged, Elliot moved on.

Somehow, I failed to get a single photograph of these dramatics events, though I marveled at her all day long. Thankfully, Joe snapped a quick picture near the end. Here is Shirley resting on the construction paper bed, plucked out of the carrot stew bug house:

Free Play at Midwest

2011-12-04T14:45:00.001-06:00

With an hour to strut their stuff, the girls had a blast at the gymnastics "showcase."

Five Months & Moving

2011-12-01T21:19:00.001-06:00

In case you were wondering, he's officially on the move. As Thanksgiving weekend drew to a close, Max decided the time had come to sit up unsupported (more or less). Later that same day he mastered rolling front to back and back to front.

Now, he can, and nearly always does, roll to his heart's content. Often half way across the living room in search of a ring or crinkle toy or sister that got away from him.

Yesterday, I even saw him army crawl - two scoots to reach his "it's a boy" balloon.

Put Polly Pocket on notice: this boy's moving and anything smaller than a toilet paper tube is going into quarantine!

Thanksgiving Redux

2011-11-27T14:05:00.001-06:00

We are thankful for a bustling, laughter-filled, family Thanksgiving. The feast lasted days. The girls were doted on, and their little brother was smothered in kisses. We enjoyed catching up with far flung family.

Now, in the quiet after the company, we're all still in pajamas, Joe is playing the anchor in a living room fort, and Miracle on 34th Street is playing alongside a roaring fire.

I am grateful...

2011-11-23T19:51:00.001-06:00

For Maya's kindness, for Elliot's strength, for Maxwell's heart, and for Joe's... love, partnership, enthusiasm for life...everything.

I'm thankful for much more, but for this I am grateful.

Maxwell of Urbino

2011-11-17T10:31:00.001-06:00

Word Count = 45,453

2011-11-15T11:34:00.001-06:00

Under 5,000 words to make the National Novel Writing Month goal, which is wonderful since Thanksgiving is enthusiastically encroaching. I'm guessing I'll need another 10,000 to 15,000 words to finish this first draft... By Christmas perhaps?

It is difficult not to get mired in all the places where the plot is thin or the logistics don't actually work out, but the research and the editing can wait. I have about 10 books on editing and a wonderful story-board software item on my Christmas list. Flaws and all, this one might see the light of day!

View from a Four Year Old

2011-11-15T08:40:00.001-06:00

Elliot's photography illuminates her take on what's important.... or in front of her, anyway.

Playing Dolls

2011-11-13T09:11:00.001-06:00

Scarlet the horse gives pony rides to Rapunzel the doll. This girl just can't play enough horses, dance to enough Wii songs, or draw enough turkeys to satisfy her these days.

Gymansts & Literary Gymnastics

2011-11-10T10:55:00.001-06:00

Can't spare words... put 3,000 into this year's National Novel Writing Month effort just this morning. This year I'm essentially bringing an old manuscript into a second, much better draft... the hope is to edit this one for submission! We'll see.

And while I'm stretching my (sleep-deprived, generally over-demanded) self, the girls are falling in love with their gymnastics class. They finally let me in to take pictures last week (the flash can distract the other gymnasts, some of whom are actually back flipping on balance beams and such).

Four Months

2011-11-06T06:40:00.000-06:00

I've said it before. Nothing is sweeter than a four month old. Young enough to be cuddly and rockable, old enough to giggle and play a bit. Little enough to marvel over every movement but sturdy enough to weather big-sisters' enthusiasm.

MaxiDaxi (Elle's latest pet name for her favorite little buddy) is a solid, happy, four-month-old sweetheart. He coos, he sings, and he rolls over when he's properly motivated.

As you can imagine, he has two little girls (plus his parents) who are eager to bring him whatever toy he gazes at longingly. It's rare that he has to chase down something. But when left to his own devices, Max will sound his battle cry, part baby howl and part guttural laugh, then he'll thrust his legs up in the air, do a rather impressive crunch, and lunge to his side.

In this way, he can very nearly get from his back to his front. He flips front to back only if he's left too long on tummy time and needs to tell us that he is d.o.n.e.

His latest round of vaccines were tough on him. But thanks to his swing, the moby wrap, and my left-bicep-of-steal we got him through the worst of it.

Neigbhorhood on parade

2011-11-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween..... and Off to the Nano Races!

2011-11-01T08:59:00.002-05:00

Dressed for the day as a real boy... 12 month clothes on a 4 month body!

the girls waiting for their siblings

my girls, a gypsy fortune teller and a princess

so excited, they somehow managed to say thank you most of the time!

Napoleon Dynamite and his sidekick the Bear's mascot!

Floppy Naptime Snuggles

2011-10-29T10:29:00.000-05:00

The best part of our weekdays! Snuggling with two cuddlebugs, listening to Elle read her crazy made up stories (Sarah Mony and her friend Purell!)

Everest... I Mean Nano

2011-10-27T11:33:00.001-05:00

This year, meeting the word count for National Novel Writing Month seems like an impossible goal. Three kids, one a baby, volatile sleep patterns, an unwavering sense of falling behind on most regular tasks.

And yet...

I've written more these last two months than all of last spring combined. I've picked up a once abandoned partial manuscript and have a (mostly workable) outline for a (much-needed) rewrite. Mr. Max seems amenable to the idea of sleeping in his stroller in the coffee shop while Elle is in preschool; add that to a bit of evening and Saturday morning dedication and I'll have more time this year than I did last year!

I think I just might make it. At least I intend to try. So Inklings will be quiet or at least very brief for the next month as I channel words elsewhere.

Now if I could just pin down the title....

Inch by Inch

2011-10-26T11:08:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure why, but I actually ticked a project off my "Do Someday" list while Little Miss languished on my couch yesterday and Mister Maxter wiggled after toys on his blanket.

It's a homemade growth chart for the kids, since we painted over the marks in the girls' room. I still need to add felt marks for their height and track down a dowel to hang it.

It definitely looks homemade.I should probably claim that Maya made it!

Yet, in spite of the fact that by 32 I should be a professional something, I'm oddly proud of the small strides I make each day, inch by inch becoming a better cook, psychological coach for the kids, gardener, builder of engaged citizens (as we work on Doing Good Together), and seamstress - at least on this one day. And dare I hope, a better writer. Inch by inch.

Whenever our family doctor checks the kids' growth, she is quick to remind me that their comparison to average (the percentile) is not at all important. The important thing is their comparison to where they were a year a go. Their starting point compared to how far they have come.

This holds true for all of us. We are becoming something more, inch by inch. On those days when my irksome, non-professional status makes me blind to the wonderful way I've spent my days these past few years, I can look back to the beginning of this at-home journey and see just how far each inch has taken me. Change nothing... Everything Changes...

Mercy

2011-10-23T10:30:00.003-05:00

If you ever find yourself gaping at prices for the Children's Theater, let me assure you that it's worth every penny. Mercy Watson to the Rescue brought our entire family to full belly laughs, including four-month-old Max who giggled at the antics more than the story.

The girls have been laughing at the ridiculous adventures of Mercy Watson and her quest for hot, buttered toast since Elle was barely two. We've read them so many times, all three of us can recite them by heart. When Elle was two, she insisted on telling us the stories, rather than waiting for us to read. At the show, she murmured lines right along with the characters (thankfully, this is allowed at a children's show).

The adaptation was wonderful, weaving in aspects of all six books. Though we missed Officer Tomilello, he was there in spirit as Francine Poulet endlessly asked and answered her own questions. We've seen the actor (Reed Sigmund) who played Francine in other productions and he invariably steels the show.

Watching our favorite books come to life with the energy of live production and the professional, outstanding quality of the Children's Theater was well worth the ticket price. We're already picking out our next production (not an easy choice).

Picture taken from the Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/stageandarts/129655093.html

Dreamy

2011-10-21T13:51:00.002-05:00

Strangely, he's already our best sleeper (both girls were up at odd hours last night), has the easiest time adjusting to schedule changes, and is the quickest to laugh at a silly face.... He's a dreamboat!

Afternoon Slumber Party

2011-10-19T13:45:00.003-05:00

Giving Maya free reign over this first free day of our long weekend was an excellent idea. She has lead us all in games of monster tag, a backyard percussion concert featuring sticks and every surface imaginable, a creative Halloween craft... and now, an afternoon slumber party.

First up, a bath. Next it's robes, curlers, and a movie. Soon we'll do our nails and then...

Conduct internet research to learn more about the nocturnal habits of bats and find a way to help Elle in her ongoing effort to make wings that really fly (yesterday's building materials proved ineffective - two plastic serving trays, tissue paper feathers, and some tape).

So it isn't a completely typical slumber party, but we're having a great time.

Reunion. Two sisters. No schedule. Limitless.

Happy baby entertained by sister's antics.

The words of little miss

2011-10-17T12:08:00.001-05:00

"That Obama kite up there sure is flying." She points to the flag.... we may need to broaden our civics lessons!

Four!

2011-10-16T15:41:00.001-05:00

It may have taken us two weeks to complete Elle's "Birthday Week" this year, but with great fanfare and enjoyment, we've turned her four. She had her first "friends" party last night, featuring many of our friends as well. Fun was had by all!

She is so creative, compassionate, and more than a little overwhelmed by all of the new things four has brought. A baby brother. Preschool. School days with no sister at home. But she's taken each big change with enthusiasm, ignoring her own (at times extreme) over-tiredness and eagerly playing each new role with pizazz.

That's my girl.

A Brother and his Sisters

2011-10-13T15:14:00.004-05:00

Our siblings will (hopefully) be our longest relationships. Watching my kids love each other so completely and so quickly makes me want to see my own siblings more often. No one makes Max smile like his big sisters, and no one is more fascinated by Max than Miss Elle. Meanwhile Maya made breakfast in bed (a muffin and milk in a sippy cup) for Elle on "her birthday" which seems to be going on its second week thanks to a rescheduled party. Elle hugs Maya so tight when she gets home from school that she actually lifts her Big Sis up. I feel like I'm posing as an anthropologist half the time, watching these three (mostly just the two bigs so far) resolve their differences and discover how to be playmates, roommates, and siblings.

Out

2011-10-12T14:49:00.002-05:00

The dreaded months of hibernation are just ahead, and we're taking every advantage of this lovely weather.

Weather. A dull topic of conversation, I know. But the ease of spending your days with young children is largely dependent on the weather.

Most days since late April we have been OUT nearly all day. Stomping in puddles or playing in sand or wandering in the neighborhood.

Stylish, sweet, and active before 8 am

OUT means I'm not distracted by the tech that seems to have multiplied at my fingertips over the last year. OUT means Mount Laundry can lurk in its own solitude and the Kitchen Beast can bide its time while we grill and (gasp) occasionally indulge in paper plates.

OUT means monster tag and nature treasures, frolicking with the neighbors and discovering new paths in well-loved parks.

Willow tree pinata - fun with sticks

Hibernation, we'll all soon rediscover, means getting OUT takes 20 minutes or more as everyone needs help finding and donning thermal gear... taking it off to use the restroom... and finally putting it back on again. The young ones can't quite walk in the deep snow. The youngest can't even go OUT through most of January and February when ten degrees above is a heat wave.

Sand pyramids, leaf beds, happy girl

Like the squirrels, I'm stashing away goodies for our coming days IN. Tucking away crafts and science projects and sewing ideas and recipes. Today, we were OUT again until the rain fell... trudging IN reluctantly.

Toes in the sand - first time!

And in the meantime, we're lost in the park. We nearly didn't make it home for dinner last night, the leaves and trails and weather were so alluring.

More toad houses - her fall project

Profile of a First Grader

2011-10-10T14:50:00.002-05:00

Crazy about cats and dogs and boys (just a bit,) she is endlessly enthusiastic when she loves something... equally emphatic when she does not. Tags must be cut from clothing. Bedtime must include at least three hugs after her last chapter is done... chapters... at six! And each day must feature a craft.

She's a girl of contrast, preferring sweatpants on 80 degree days and tank tops when it is 50; begging for time to write and have tea with mom one minute and frolicking like a pony with her sister the next (all pants have thin knees); and believing to her core that the tooth fairy left foot prints in purple ink on a small sheet of paper by her window but disavowing the slightest possibility of h-e-double-hockey-sticks or the big G when the universe and all of nature are miracle enough.

Enthusiasm

2011-10-07T09:47:00.001-05:00

Sharing the enthusiasm of children is the absolute best part of parenting. The world stays fresh, new, and full of wonder in their eyes.

A three-month-old's first bounce in his jumperoo is akin to our hike in the Grand Canyon.

A four-year-old cyclist discovers wheelies and suddenly she's on par with Heinrich Schliemann.

A six-year-old's mastery of the balance beam, and her insistence that we build a practice beam at home, rivals man's first lunar steps.

Each moment is astonishing. Even as millions of other children make similar discoveries and reach similar milestones, our own are perfectly enthralling - for them and us. They help remind me that life is not a competitive sport, and our own achievements and joys (however ordinary) are worth exceptional enthusiasm.

Coming Together

2011-10-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

This was a family weekend, Joe's side... which, after 17 years together, is obviously mine too. We came together, as families do, for comfort, to mark a passing, and to celebrate life as thoroughly as possible. With these happy little people around us, this coming together was a comfort to all.

Don't mistake these somber looks.... these girls are busily making toad houses, and rather annoyed at the photo interruption!

Interview with the Birthday Girl

2011-09-29T13:04:00.002-05:00

She's fearless... she's forceful.... and she's so full of ideas, questions, and personality that it's easy to forget our Little Miss is just now turning four.

What are your favorite things to do? My favorite things are to ride horses... only that.
What do you like to eat? Corn that are little tiny. (the kind that comes in Chinese takeout)
What do you dislike eating? Fish, real fish that are cooked....
What do you want to be when you grow up? I'm going to be a person that has a cat.
What will you do on your birthday? I'm gong to ride horse.
Who is in your family? Um... mom, my sister, pip, dad, and me
What is your favorite color? My favorite color is red.... Because it looks like pink.
What is your favorite toy? Why? Molly, because she's special.
Who is your best friend? Molly and Nathan and Allie.
What is your favorite thing to wear? Is a shirt and tights (usually with a hole in one knee).
What is your favorite television show? Phineas and Ferb.
What is your favorite song? ""My head stuck in the clouds..." that one!
What would be the best thing someone could give you? You know, whatever I want.
If you could go anywhere in the world to visit, where would you go? I don't know.... to my grandma's.
What is one new thing you would like to try this year? Well.... I don't know. (She just mastered her bike all on her own... it's no wonder she's out of ideas!)

Little Fundraisers

2011-09-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

This weekend we attended the Washburn Games on Sunday, where the girls did all kinds of athletic activities to raise money for the Washburn Center for Children (and have fun on a sunny fall afternoon!).

On Saturday the girls and I attended a festival at a nearby park, where they learned to square dance and build tree forts. Oh, and Maya lost a tooth. Plus Max turned three months old (a neck strength milestone, I believe!).

Is it any wonder that we are one worn out family?

Firsts

2011-09-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

"There is no doubt that these first things are magical, that you hunch over the changing table waiting for another smile, that you shriek, "You rolled over!" as though the next step will be the Nobel or the presidency, that a first step is like watching the history of human civilization from small fishy things to Neanderthals unravel in one instant before your eyes." (Anna Quindlen)

Each child in this house... in fact each adult too is making his or her way through their latest "first." Anna Quindlen's quote best captures the utter awe we typically feel over those new baby firsts, as if the universe is unfolding just for Max.

This week marked Maya's first social snag that I couldn't help smooth over. She's fearlessly venturing into first grade each day, and as it turns out, I'm not allowed to follow. At the end of the day I am the receptacle for all of her tales of adventure, the favorite teacher, the new book, the new friendships... This week, I heard her first tale of a friend lost (by embarrassing her new desk-mate with a marriage proposal) and the gang of his friends that took up his defense..... It was high drama.

Honestly, high school is still too fresh for me to hear her stories without wanting to hold my own lecture in the auditorium, singing high praise to the wonderful, silly, earnestness that is Maya and threatening all who cross her with some horrible curse.

Of course, she gracefully recovered from her misstep, making up with her new favorite friend who happens to be a boy, rather than a boyfriend, and his buddies backed off. She's exchanging erasers and bracelets and drawings with other kiddos and starting something called the jungle gym club with her very favorite friend and neighbor.

Like all firsts, this all felt more intense than you'd guess. Few of us remember much from first grade, and I'm sure the social conflicts of my first grader will be lost in time just as my own were. Except this one of course, recorded because of the way it affected me, not her.

Three

2011-09-22T15:26:00.001-05:00

Will there really eventually be three people in this house who wish to wear sweaters in July and shorts in September, eat snacks at breakfast (wheat thins!) and cereal at dinner (who doesn't like beef stew?), and insist that "my body doesn't have to" use the rest room even as they slam their knees together and wiggle vigorously?

Guess who picked out this shirt!

She really is a delight most of the time!

Someone please explain that 6 year olds do NOT need boyfriends or weddings... I know I've never encouraged this!

Don't warn women with baby-lust about how challenging babies are (sleepless nights, bah... big deal). Warn them that these darling babies grow up to have wildly irrational and emphatically expressed opinions for the next couple of decades. I love them dearly... opinions and all, but trying to rationalize Little Miss into long pants and long sleeves is a short road to insanity!

Ah-Goo

2011-09-20T14:21:00.001-05:00

Mr. Max, our little red head. He coos, he giggles, he squeals. And best of all, he naps predictably so Little Miss and I can spend some quality time playing elaborate barbie-monkey rescue games or racing through the park.

These are days of high drama. I saw it coming... I knew the back-to-school transition would knock everyone off kilter, and it has. This week everyone is sleeping a bit better, but the emotional roller coaster (tears over school bus woes one minute, then elation over the new boy she sits next to the next.... can a six year old really be "in love"? I've told her not so much!) reveals new cork screws every minute.

Good thing lovely Max remains cool as a cucumber... and increasingly red-headed!

When everyone's energies are low, we simply pile in bed and read together.

My New Favorite Writing Group

2011-09-17T09:58:00.000-05:00

Though two instances don't make a pattern, I do hope this one continues. My big girl has become my writing partner. When I declare that I'm off to write, she insists on tagging along. She even set up her own work space near mine and picked out a few writing prompts to work on!

So, the instrumental folk is playing, the pencils are sharpened, the coffee and cocoa is hot.... let the words flow!

Heaven is

2011-09-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

A sleeping baby in a cozy bear suit... a walk in the crisp air with a notebook handy and a cup of coffee... and then a quiet hour to write... aaaah.

This Moment's Family

2011-09-14T13:42:00.001-05:00

My first fall and winter home with baby Elle and two-year-old Maya was intense. The demands of two young kids combined with my relative newness to the community of at-home parents in the area meant we rarely left the house.

I thought the rhythm of those days defined my new little family.

Now I know better how a family as young as ours can change dramatically from year to year, even moment to moment. I'm eagerly watching the fall routines set in, waiting to get a feel for what this moment's family will look like.

Last year when I was constantly worried about forgetting Maya at kindergarten pick-up in the middle of the day, I frequently longed for the days when I could run the kids to the zoo or the children's museum without being confined to a clock. Basically, I longed for the previous year.

Now, I'm looking forward to new freedom during the day, but because Maya doesn't get off the bus until nearly 4, I'm missing her company more than I expected. Of course, when I had that exact sentiment a couple of days ago, the nurse called from school a moment later, and Maya chatted my ear off all day while the four of us ran around town getting a diagnosis, drugs, and groceries... that moment's family was a bit harried.

I've learned to appreciate and respond to the needs and demands of the moment, even when they include unexpected detours (when do they not!) and with Max in the mix, this year will be unlike any other.

Change

2011-09-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

The tides of September have swept everyone into the season of change. Maya's gummy grin echoes Elle's quote from yesterday: they seem to love change... when you're a kid, all this new stuff seems as wonderful as Elle's third choice between pink or yellow polka dot pants.

Aside from the predictable fall out (fitful sleep from Big Sis, a few afternoon whines from Little Miss), our first week getting back into school has been a thrill for them. Capping it off with a gorgeous, blue-sky weekend full of long bike rides, neighborhood horsey games while the parents have coffee on the deck, and Frisbee games in the park all only served to enhance everyone's mood.

And ever-so-subtlety, 2.5-month-old Max changes too, laughing more, becoming ticklish, and stretching the seams of his 3 to 6 month clothing! Not to mention sleeping from 8 pm to 6 am every now and then!

Joe and I can't help but sing the refrain of how lucky we are this fall.

In the words of little miss

2011-09-09T19:17:00.002-05:00

"I love changing..... everything is so pretty, I just can't pick!"
Spoken amid a pile of discarded colors and patterns.

Talking to Girls - A Good Reminder.

2011-09-08T15:09:00.002-05:00

Little Miss trotted off (her chin tucked nervously to her chest and her big eyes wide) to preschool today, alone for the first time. Happily, by the time I left her, she was bravely playing with her new little friends and waving me off to promenade around Silverwood with Mr. Max and my NaNoWriMo notebook.

She sported her typical high fashion: a brightly striped tank top and a pair of shorts she loves, bright green socks and purple shoes. She loves nothing better than wild color combinations. Adorable. While she stood there waving among her little friends I noticed a stark difference between the boys and the girls (a difference beyond color choice that has surely always been there, but is more noticeable now that I have Max).

The girls around her all wore dresses and skirts, their hair was braided or curled, their shoes often sparked.... one pair even had a low heel! In contrast, nearly all the boys wore sweatpants or comfy shorts and t-shirts. Most were mix and match outfits that were clearly self-selected (just like Elle :). Even at the tender age of three, the emphasis on looks for girls couldn't be more obvious.

It all reminded me of a couple of articles a friend passed my way not long ago:

One's from a blog called A Cup of Jo
The other is from the Huffington Post.

Read them, or if you truly don't have time remember these two important lessons:

Resist the standard greeting for little girls (even though it's true, they are adorable)... don't open with "Don't you look cute!"
So what do you say? (other than the rote, "how's school going" which is always met with "fine")

What are you reading?
Have you been playing any fun sports or games?
Have you made any art lately?
Anythings beyond hair/body/clothing observations.

This is my new resolution..... far more important than my pledge to write frequently, workout three times a week, and give up ice cream at least two nights a week (yes, it's an addiction)..... And it's proving to be difficult to keep. I ran into my friend that forwarded these great articles.... along with her daughter, who was wearing her navy blue uniform after her third day of kindergarten..... what do you suppose I said in spite of my best efforts?

"Wow, you look so cute!"

It's deeply ingrained.... but I will do what I can to kick this habit!

Off They Go

2011-09-06T08:36:00.002-05:00

Last Hoorah!

2011-09-05T15:42:00.002-05:00

This was a weekend to gather ourselves before the coming season of busy activity, new friends, and stretching ourselves toward new goals, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. From quiet family dinners to a wild day of indulgence at ComoTown, from calm mornings of coffee and conversation to "guard the castle" in the backyard, we did it up right.

And we're ready, tomorrow, to unveil a gap-toothed first-grader, a wide-eyed preschooler, and a giggle-filled infant.... not to mention two adults with plans of our own! Don't you love fall... For me it is the season for resolutions, much more so than January!

Maya requested a new sort of face painting this year..... goodbye purple sparkle butterfly, hello spider-girl!

The words of little miss

2011-09-05T08:36:00.001-05:00

But I DO know how to read... I have many imaginations!

Makers

2011-09-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

I read The Creative Family last year, and it really spoke to me... During these last two weeks, it feels as though we're living the ideas in this book. We've been busily making. Little Miss wanted lamps for her dollhouse, and without any prompting from me, she patched one together with a popsicle, some paper, and some Styrofoam. Then she created an assembly line to make several lamps. Then both girls moved on to create tiny works of art for the walls of the dollhouse.

Big Sis desperately wanted to sew her own pillow the next day, and with the help of our outstanding babysitter, she presented me with a lovely little felt pillow later that same day. Next up, the skirt she's been wanting to sew all summer.

The kitchen has been industrious as ever, smelling of homemade bread and apple sauce and slow-roasted tomato sauce. Yesterday's creation was grape jelly from the box full of grapes Maya pulled in from the back yard.

We even made super-bubbles (2 cups dish soap, 3/4 cup corn syrup, and 6 cups water), providing endless hours of sticky and impressively un-poppable fun. And after big sis brought home her impressive creations from clay camp, including a toad house, the girls have been spending hours in the side yard constructing a toad village.

Meanwhile Max looks on with grins and baby bubbles, cooing at our efforts, and laughing at whichever of us is sitting next to him making faces and silly sounds to impress him.

I've lead the way on only a fraction of this industriousness. The girls have been the leaders, seeing the possibilities, and asking to create something new. And I'm happy to follow their lead.

Hushed Murmurs

2011-08-30T13:49:00.003-05:00

The only murmurs to be heard around here are sweet nothings whispered to a healthy, if sleepy baby.

His murmur is no longer detectable... all signs suggest he's quickly closing the small hole in his heart. It's Max - Self-healing-super-baby! (also, Max - 98th-percentile-jumbo-baby!... and at least for today, Max - Why-did-you-poke-me-my-legs-hurt-I-need-a-nap-newly-vaccinated-baby)

At My House

2011-08-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

A string of fake pears are oats in a pail.... a blue Lynx pom-pom becomes water in another pail.... tap shoes are horse shoes, satisfying with their clippety-clop.... brown dress up clothes are preferred for their horsey hues... and pillows become fences to jump as one sister trains another for the big show.

Who could resist putting down the laundry to play judge and award the blue ribbon for the show?!

Mr. Max

2011-08-24T12:51:00.002-05:00

This sweet, sweet boy is almost too easy. He demands so little from me, in contrast to two baby girls that needed to be walked and bounced for several hours every evening. He eats frequently, sure, but beyond that he's just as content as could be.

I'm thankful, don't get me wrong, but I can't help stealing moments walking him around in the cradle of my arms after the girls are off to bed... even when he doesn't particularly need it. How silly of me to miss the cranky moments when surely Max will have his share.

As you can see, I'm giving up on the blog nicknames already..... This poor kid is starting to be known as Pip far and wide... and we truly love his real name, so Max he is, here and everywhere.

Just in Time

2011-08-23T13:22:00.000-05:00

The lazy part of the lazy days of summer has landed upon us. Happy kids, lots of smiles, silly games, group naps, hours in the hammock (literally, hours)... one first grader even has lazy teeth. They're falling out left and right!

Warms my Heart

2011-08-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Something about having a new baby lights my creativity on fire... unfortunately it cripples my follow through too, but still I'm enjoying a rush of ideas for my 4 (yes 4) unfinished works in progress, along with a plethora of ideas to improve my home and create delicacies with my produce.

Follow through is a persistent problem, so I'm just enjoying these baby smiles, kissing those sweet toes, and starting ten thousand projects in fits and starts with little hope of finishing anything within the next year!

A Whiplash Weekend

2011-08-15T10:55:00.001-05:00

So Saturday was harrowing.... truly. I won't even chronicle my complaints, as they will seem absolutely familiar to anyone with a family. All the big, predictable woes were present, along with some rather unique ones. It was one of those no good days that I can happily say we muddled through on our own with just a hint of grace and a whole lot of determination.

And somehow the following day dawned, and it truly was a new day. A lovely day full of coffee and the newspaper, time to connect with both girls, school shopping, naps, and even a clean house (thanks to help from my girls, what a treat!)

To accomplish all of this, Joe managed to double book a date day. He took Little Miss to Winnie the Pooh and out for lunch. Then he took Big Sis to the Lynx game where she waved her Maya Moore poster and snarfed cotton candy.

Today, we're back in something of a rhythm, with Saturday nothing but a distant memory..... set to a well-known Helen Reddy tune and tinted with quite a bit of pride that we came so far the other way on Sunday.

Stockyard Days Parade

2011-08-12T12:46:00.002-05:00

Princesses, ponies, music, and the most egalitarian MN-nice candy gathering kids.... plus a baby who loved the whole thing.... all mere blocks from our house... That's one easy evening's entertainment.

The Lake

2011-08-11T14:03:00.000-05:00

We squeaked in just one visit to the family cabin this year, and in spite of the herculean readjustment effort this week, we still hope to get back there soon. If not this year, then for frequent trips next summer.

It's strange to so thoroughly enjoy this mellow baby of ours and these two strong, silly girls while feeling so torn apart at the same time. The highlights of the last two weeks are too long to list: so much family, swimming and tubing at the lake, big baby grins, spying a doe and fawn at the local park, and enjoying walks as a family... And these things outweigh that other list, though I wouldn't have thought it possible pre-kids (though that other list needn't be detailed here, it includes food poisoning, midnight calls to the cops to report non-baby-related noise violations, weed and bug invasions that plague even my zen gardening sensibilities, and a flood of paperwork for school and preschool.)

Thankfully, I've learned to only let that plaguing feeling that I should be doing more, faster, and better surface a few times a day.... then I stuff it away in the "deal with later" corner of my mind and go back to marveling at Little Miss's pattern-heavy fashion sense, Big Sis's demands for a farm, and Pip's phenomenal leg strength. What a life!

To Clarify....

2011-08-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

The graceful, politically active start to our day was not a trend..... at the moment Mr. Pip just wants to snuggle (if denied he screams much louder than he has in his whole 6 weeks of life), two girls are trying to jail break the monarch caterpillar they caught and brought inside while I frantically harvested over-sized cucumbers while being dive-bombed by bird-sized mosquitoes, and my house is no less littered with travel detritus than it was earlier this morning.... Our house looks like an advertisement for a maid-service or some sort of mental health retreat!

First Things

2011-08-08T09:19:00.001-05:00

We sit amid a pile of laundry and the exploded suitcase detritus from our family of five's first out of town trip together. But before we tackle that mess, I'm facilitating a letter to President Obama.

Today's headlines caught Big Sis's attention. War? Do we still have war?Why would anybody fight a war?

The result of that conversation was a beautifully written letter to the president, complete with impressively tidy writing (she's ready for first grade!), her own photograph, and a little explanatory note from me. Then we watched this video explaining what happens to a letter sent to the White House (one of the 65,000 letters that arrive each day).

In one fell swoop we've practiced civics, writing, and kicked the day off with an activity... Now for the piles!

Escape

2011-08-04T21:23:00.001-05:00

No time for pictures of the girls running off the dock or the snake they caught... they lake life is not camera friendly... but here is one photo that captures why we love these long days.

Rainy Day

2011-08-01T09:52:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure if it is all the potential of a new baby or the fact that this will be our last baby, but even amid all these first smiles and sleep deprived days we find ourselves making big plans for future adventures....

That and playing school, which fools my overtired kids (and myself) into keeping the crabby monster away!

Photo-Less Friday

2011-07-29T13:36:00.002-05:00

With Pip in one arm and usually a girl, a toy, or someone's snack in the other, I haven't been able to take many pictures this week.

It's too bad, really. Even while meeting the constant needs of a one-month-old, we've had our share of summer adventures this week. Here's the rundown, for the sake of posterity more than anything else:

Lake Johanna! The girls swam and built sand castles with friends while I mastered nursing a sandy baby while keeping a watchful eye on bobbing heads. Thanks to life jackets, and the good friends that joined us, it was safe and fun... though our exit was less than graceful! (everyone was starving and/or whining).
Soccer... Little Miss has decided against participating in her class, but Big Sis loves it. Pip hung out in the Moby for more than two hours while Little Miss played "zoo" with some preschool friend and Big Sis played soccer. Unfortunately, the hike up the hill was a long and tired one, punctuated by admonitions from Big Sis... How COULD I have forgotten to leave her water bottle near the playing field. Poor neglected first born! She nearly got heat stroke :(
Zoo/Play date! Big Sis attended the best summer playdate at a world class park and man-made lake (a bit ironic in Minnesota, but it was clean, well life-guarded, and apparently super fun). While she was off on her own, Little Miss and Pip and I braved the zoo for a couple of hours. We pulled it off thanks to a little girl who was eager for mom's undivided attention and a little boy who sleeps happily any time he's nestled in the moby wrap with his mama. Conveniently, I could fulfill both needs at once, and sneak home in time to nap with them both!

Add in the rather messy breakfast-in-bed the girls accomplished for their dad's birthday, plenty of backyard pool fun, and some rather hilarious dance parties and I can safely say we've had a full and wonderful week. Who needs sleep anyway!

The Garden Grows On

2011-07-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

Somehow, in spite of an embarrassing influx of weeds that will likely pose problems for next year's garden, the harvest is in full swing. Chard, green and purple beans, various lettuces, squash, the beginnings of our cucumbers, and the first super sweet cherry tomatoes are all becoming regular side dishes in our house.

Do you suppose home grown salads, yummy steamed green beans, and sauteed Swiss chard offset the rotation of burgers, bratwurst, and take out that have been sustaining us? It will have to do, as creative and healthful meals will have to wait until I can properly shop for groceries without little pip begging for his own dinner. And until I'm sleeping enough to come up with dinner ideas.

Enthralled

2011-07-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

A month?! Our little guy is a month old! That's a month of feeding him every 2 hours or so, of holding and snuggling him as much as possible, and of using his nap times to play with the girls. Laundry? Food prep? All that other stuff gets shoved to the back of the line....

Predictably, I'm so engrossed in this new. baby rapture that I don't have much else to say.... and typing one handed is tricky! I'm struck again by how something so common, so universal (ours isn't even the only newborn in the family at the moment, and if you count him among friends and extended relatives, he's one in an impressive fleet of doted-on newbies) is simultaneously so intense, personal, and life changing.

I'm not sure if anything new can be written about a family's love for a new baby, and yet it feels so new and so.... so much like an elemental, personal revelation that it is hard to believe we're not the first family to experience it.

Right, so if the blog is quieter than usual, it isn't so much due to lack of time as to lack of anything to say beyond the obvious. We are enthralled.

Psychololgist in Chief

2011-07-21T17:31:00.000-05:00

Though you hear plenty about the trials and tribulations of new parenthood, there is always more to the story.... especially when baby makes 5!

I'm the first to declare that 90 percent (okay maybe 75 percent) of our days are pretty great. We play, we snuggle little pip, we craft, and draw, and run around like horses.... and we indulge in a bit of extra tv for the girls and nap/snuggle time for me and pip.... and there's always ice cream in there somewhere.

But in between all of that fun, I find myself in the position of psychologist in chief. The adjustment period is proving to be a great disturbance in the force for my girls, and managing their emotional well-being has been a greater challenge than the much publicized physical ones of nursing every 2 hours and scant sleep.

For example, earlier this week, on fairy princess day (you know, when you dress up like fairy princesses, make art collages out of flower petals and grass clippings, eat tiny fairy food, and design a fairy house), Big Sis collapsed at my feet while I nursed pip. Through tears and sobs, she wailed, "you just don't love me the same now, do you." I struggled to figure out what brought on this breakdown. A moment earlier she had said something slightly snotty (which I have no tolerance for, unfortunately) and I had told her not to talk to me like that. She took that to mean that she can't talk to her mom anymore. Seriously! It took half an hour of tears and another half hour of hugs to clear up this little breakdown.

Then yesterday, our ironic snow day (when the heat index read 118 degrees), just after we finished cleaning up the frosting from a rather crooked sugar cube igloo, Little Miss went wildly existential on me. "I don't want to die," she declared, with big tears rolling down her cheeks. Though she still says "guy" in her 3 year old way, instead of "die." "I don't want to get old.... I don't want (she named a whole list of friends) to get old and...GUY.... We're all going to GUY one hundred days from now (which is her way of saying a long time from now)" She went on and on.

What in the world was I supposed to say? Going on no sleep, I have rather limited creativity stores at the moment. I tried the zen "live in the moment, now is what's important" speech.... I offered up the idea of heaven.... We read The Next Place, which helped Big Sis through this same concern a few years back. I told her that it will happen so long from now maybe doctors will be able to keep us all alive for hundreds of years.... at which point she freaked out that she needed to get a shot!

And so the days go for us. I nurse pip and read while the girls play well together. I engineer creative games and theme days to pass the time during these summer days that are too hot for a three-week-old. I make up stories to entertain them..... and when I'm not doing those things, I'm calming their little, frazzled nerves and reassuring overwhelmed emotions.

These early days as a family of five are intense!

Videos! Swift Fans

2011-07-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

Even wrapped in the luxury of this silence, I miss my girls.

Here's a little song for any of you who feel the same way. Big Sis is singing along in the background and Little Miss is taking advantage of her close up. If you can't tell, they've been listening to a lot of Taylor Swift.

And not to be out done, here is Pip, moving and shaking. We weighed him last night, and he's already up to 11 pounds (so his hourly snacks are doing their job)

In a Quiet House

2011-07-14T15:30:00.000-05:00

The girls are off on their own adventure, leaving pip and I alone to snuggle. While they unpack their waters socks and no fewer than seven swim suites between them for an exciting lake visit, I suddenly have the time to rock my (almost) three-week-old uninterrupted.

This week we made it to soccer practice, where little miss refused to leave my side long enough to kick the ball. Thankfully, big sis made it worth the two hour walk in the park, reveling in the camaraderie of school friends. She made a fierce defender when she wasn't busy making her friends giggle with her impersonations of park wildlife.

With two big kids in the mix, life simply can't slow down all that much for a new baby.... that is until grandma and grandpa sweep the big ones off on their own.

This long weekend will be a delightful indulgence, full of rocking, kissing little toes, and that lovely but often impractical advice to "sleep when the baby sleeps."

The Babymoon

2011-07-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

So way back in April I whined about the bummer of a spring vacation we took, our attempt at the much advertised baby moon that was plagued by mono.

How is it that I forgot about the true baby moon... the honeymoon with our new baby. The last two weeks have been an intense combination of soothing the worries of a 4 and 6 year old, playing silly water games in the back yard, and snuggling (and feeding and diapering and staring at) this new little love in our lives.

We've kept company to a minimum, which makes it easier to focus on becoming a family of five. The girls have been big helpers. Joe has been our primary caretaker. And Pip has been a little prince. This honeymoon is the perfect way to start off a new life, and a new phase in all our lives.

Almost two weeks old... what a sweetheart!

With Joe off at work, the girls and I had a "cave girl day" complete with costumes, mammoth hunts (tag), foraging for lunch (which I hid), and cave paintings on the fence.

He's awake a bit more every day!

Our first 10 days all home together were dominated by water games.

We also had a "ninja day" while Joe was at work, making ninja head bands, doing ninja exercises, racing through obstacle course, sneaking up on the local wildlife (look out bunnies), and feasting on Japanese food for lunch.

Introducing Everyday Inklings

2011-03-22T14:41:00.001-05:00

This is simply a rebirth of my old blog, running for nearly four years on a URL that no longer applies.

Here, as there, I aspire to posts that capture the most poignant and fleeting moments of raising young kids; to mindfulness; and to a daily (or almost daily) writing habit.

If you know the old blog, or if you follow our happenings on Facebook, you know my kids well enough that false names seem silly. As the big girls grow more independent, they deserve some anonymity in my random web ramblings. I'll try to give that to them with both nicknames and a bit of self-censoring... some stories just aren't mine to share. I'll try to be mindful of that line as much as possible.

The old blog will remain up just as long as it takes me to convert it all into a few keepsake books for my family.