tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-369537582024-03-13T00:06:14.908-04:00From Frank to FrivolousBecause what else is this?Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.comBlogger626125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-23641447106734004222013-05-01T22:16:00.000-04:002013-05-01T22:16:57.584-04:00April RecapIt's been a VERY eventful month. Hmmm, let's see....<br />
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<ul>
<li>We went on a spring vacation to South Carolina, where we met the husband's parents and uncle at Edisto Beach. It was cold and dark here and warm and bright there, and we had a blast! We swam in the pool, collected shells on the beach, ate home-cooked meals courtesy of Grandma, played tourist, hunted for (but never found) shark teeth, and visited the always delightful Serpentarium, ate barbeque, and generally had the most fun we've all had in a long time. The boys were well behaved and relaxed; we had our own condo with a palatial bathroom; and we all got to revel in nostalgia and salt air.</li>
<li>I turned, ahem, 40! I got to celebrate in style: first, my parents sent me a package including 40 items that either had the number 40 on them or had 40 parts (and sometimes both). It was great fun to open and watch the boys get more and more confused as I pulled out 40 feet of tin foil and 40 black and white marbles and 40 black balloons with the number 40 on them! Next, we took some of the 40 paraphernalia to the beach with us and used it to have a family party on my actual birthday, at which we also had white cake with key lime icing (have you tried this?? You should! It is so tasty E hid himself in the bathroom to lick the container clean!). And THEN, we had a big party with all our friends from Charleston, thrown by my most fabulous friend Becca. There was another cake, with 40 fake candles (paper candles instead with little things about me written on them), lots of barbeque pork, and mango Rita's water ice... all my favorites with all my favorite South Carolina people. I even got gifts! Such a lucky girl! (Are you still a girl at 40??)</li>
<li>We moved! Just around the corner, but it was still a big move. We are now, finally, out of our two bedroom apartment and into an actual house: four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a basement, a sun room, a garage, a yard, the works, including a third floor, a million windows, and french doors. It is by far the nicest house I have ever lived in, married or single. We are still living out of boxes and slowly pulling ourselves together, but we are already completely happy with the neighborhood, which puts us 1 1/2 blocks away from preschool, two blocks away from the elementary school, 2 blocks away from a grocery store and the public library and a dollar store and a pizza place, across the street from a friend from preschool, and on the same street as our home teacher! Amazing! The basement is unfinished but in really good shape, and I'm going to spend the summer turning it into a super playroom to get us through next winter. I am also going to spend some quality time with all my books and bookcases, newly liberated from the storage unit after more than a year and only a little worse for wear (cursed water damage!), setting up our joint office/multipurpose studio. It's gonna be so much fun to live here!</li>
<li>I had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy because of lingering, ongoing health issues and a family history of not so good GI health. The experience was, in a word, dreadful. But the doctor ended up removing a polyp and biopsying a bunch of "inflamed" areas, so it was probably necessary, but oh. my. goodness. SUCH a distasteful endeavor all around.</li>
<li>We went to Ikea TWICE in April, once in North Carolina on the way back from vacation and once in Pittsburgh this weekend after we'd been in the house a while and knew more about what we needed. The first trip we got accessories and the second we got furniture, including an outdoor table and new dressers and a kitchen cart (my one and only tiny issue with our new house is the lack of counter space in the otherwise beautiful kitchen--real granite counter tops, ya'll!). </li>
<li> The boys have been adjusting to their new digs well. The first full day we were here, I think they spent about 6 hours straight outside in the yard while I started to set up the kitchen. They would ride their scooters and tricycles and bicycles up and down our driveway every day if they could. E has been having nightmares and waking up in an unfamiliar bedroom has been a challenge for him, but I think he will settle down soon. J loves living near a friend and closer to school and having so much space to run around in. Their room is enormous, so even without a play room yet they have been having fun indoors as well. Taking apart and putting their bunk bed back together caused the husband a few fits but now they are back in their beds and feeling more and more at home every day.</li>
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Whew! That's enough for one month, I think. More details and more pictures soon, but we've only had the internet for a few days now and there is so much to catch up on in both the real and the virtual worlds! Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-76768261923559288022013-03-30T18:33:00.002-04:002013-03-30T18:33:28.125-04:00'Tis another seasonWe're trying out a slightly different take on Easter dinner tomorrow. I've always felt a bit odd having ham for Easter, but I couldn't think of a way to make the meal special without it being a repeat of Christmas or Thanksgiving. However, this year, I was following a Pinterest path (you know, when you see something you like on Pinterest, following the pic to the actual site, browse around there a little while, and then follow their links to something much more exciting....? is there an actual term out there for this yet?) when I stumbled upon <a href="http://fhelessons.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/passover-inspired-easter-dinner/" target="_blank">this idea</a> for an Easter dinner modeled on a Passover Seder. <br />
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I'm not going to adopt her question and answer format (modelling is okay, but let's stop short of appropriation, problematic on so many levels) but instead we'll have brief statements explaining the symbolism just before we eat. Emphasis on brief: I'm working with a 3 and a 5 year old after all, and they have the attention span of a gnat unless there are talking dinosaurs, dragons, or trains involved...unless there's a book to be read to them, but, big surprise, no book exists to explain the made up Easter symbol meal...yet! <br />
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Oh, and we're skipping the lamb, because I really, really don't like lamb, and I think the fish is plenty for us. (And yes, I am making the mango salsa pictured on her fish because I just couldn't get it out of my mind when I saw it!) And unless I get really ambitious tomorrow, I will not be making pita bread from scratch and we'll have pre-made round pretzel rolls instead. I still think it's going to be yummy! And a much better way to celebrate the Atonement and the Resurrection than ham!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-26972187248924763832013-03-27T11:30:00.001-04:002013-03-27T11:30:33.070-04:00The indoctrination is almost completeToday is picture day at preschool, and though J had an idea for what he wanted to wear, his choice proved to be too small (he is a giant lately!), so we had to move on to (my) plan B. Only plan B was very wrinkled, so I told him I first had to find a coordinating (read: clean) undershirt and then I had to iron the shirt. <br />
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"But Mommy," he said. "Daddy knows how to do the ironing and he isn't here."<br />
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"Yes, I know, but Mommy knows how, too."<br />
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"But Mommy, don't be silly. Mommies don't iron!"<br />
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"Well, not usually, true, but they can in an emergency. So I will iron your shirt today."<br />
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"Wait until Daddy hears this!"<br />
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Yes, yes, yes. Everything is going according to plan! Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-67939237161305584382013-03-13T19:35:00.000-04:002013-03-13T19:35:36.410-04:00When viruses attack!I promised the story of the virus to end all viruses. Here it is, but be warned: it's not for the faint of heart. Or the weak of stomach. Or the delicate of sensibilities. (Or anyone, really, but it's what I've got!)<br />
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Two weeks ago, the boys and I were over at our friend's house for our weekly "our husbands are too busy" consolation dinner. We get together once a week on the day our husbands have to be at church meetings late and have dinner and let the kids play and generally enjoy ourselves on what would otherwise be a pretty un-fun evening. It's great!<br />
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At some point, her two year old daughter had a massive diaper blowout, the kind of mess that you find up a child's back and smeared across something important, in this case, the couch. Her son and Toddler E pointed out the mess to us and we set about immediately cleaning up. My friend took the baby to the back for a full body scrub down, and I attacked the couch with all the upholstery friendly cleaning supplies I could find, both of us remarking as we went that this particular poop explosion was very odd looking. (Cue foreboding music here.) After we were all cleaned up, we finished fixing dinner, ate, and said our goodbyes.<br />
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Two days after that, at another church function, her son threw up. (Music gets louder.) The next morning, so did Toddler E. (Music climaxes.) That same day, both my friend and I felt sick, like we had been run over by trucks sick, like we couldn't stay awake sick. We spent the next two days nursing sick kids and trying not to vomit ourselves. <br />
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We congratulated ourselves on making it through the weekend, or at least I did, until the husband got sick. Very sick. For a week straight. And when the husband is sick, it's really pathetic. He is a good patient, but his patience was tried by the unending nature of his illness. He was even contemplating missing church, which is unheard of, but by Sunday he was feeling much better, so he went. We all did, happy to be out from under the virus.<br />
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Except that during Sacrament meeting, J said "I have to go potty" with an urgency that alarmed me. You know how sometimes when you look at your child, something in the face tells you something is very, very wrong, often before the child even knows it is? He had one of those looks. 48 hours later, he was still sick, lethargic from all the fluids he'd lost, listless because he felt so bad, and not a happy camper. He pulled himself together enough that I sent him to school, but, in fact, he was still feeling so bad he had a meltdown of epic proportions and I had to bring him home, at which point he fell immediately asleep.<br />
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And now, today, he feels 90% better...and I feel 50% worse. Will it never end?? At some point in there, when I was symptomatic the first time, I had an already scheduled visit with the GI doc and he just called yesterday to tell me I was bacteria free, confirming my suspicion that this is just the worst. virus. ever.Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-86214073739640341972013-03-07T19:35:00.000-05:002013-03-13T19:36:11.479-04:00Carolina dreamin'You know how earlier I was all "Winter isn't so bad!"<br />
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I was wrong. Because, yes, winter can be fun, what with the small children enjoying the snow and the sledding and the pretty pretty pretty. But then it just keeps going. And going. And GOING! And somewhere in my acclimatized to warm days self, a part of me has started a silent scream that I am pretty sure will continue until the cruelest month either turns out to be less cruel or does in fact result in May flowers...and not more snow!<br />
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My disillusionment started a little while ago, when I was driving home from preschool one day and realized that the air, the clouds, the road, and the yards were all the same color: dirty white. For some reason, I found this profoundly depressing. As in, I had to drive home immediately and take a nap depressing. And now, here it is snowing again today, when it was 68 on Sunday. When we got to church, J got out of the car, looked around, and said with a bewildered tone in his voice, "It's not cold!" I felt the same way. More importantly to me, the sun was shining and you could see blue sky. Oh, how I miss blue sky! The sun peeked out from behind some clouds the other day and Toddler E said vehemently, "Go away, Sun! I don't like you in my eyes!" It was all I could do not to pull over and give him a long lecture on why we love the sun, oh yes indeed we do! But I had to remember that he is so young he doesn't remember the endless spri-sum-fall that is South Carolina.<br />
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Fortunately, I have the perfect antidote to the winter of my discontent: a vacation to the beach! Yes, at some point in the (undisclosed to the Internets) future I will be heading off to points south, specifically Edisto Beach, SC, for some fun in the warmth and sun. The husband's parents are meeting us there; we will have two condos between and 4 swimming pools between us. We have approximately one day out of the whole week planned, and I think we're going to try and keep it that way. I'm bringing pool noodles, sand tools, sunscreen, swimming suits, the husband and the boys, and not much else. And I am so excited I can hardly stand it!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-45232635512700839342013-03-01T17:29:00.000-05:002013-03-10T17:30:34.344-04:00No school for you!J must be registered for Kindergarten soon, even sooner than I had supposed since I just found out that the new school area into which we worked so hard to move is the smallest in the district and, when they're full, they're full, and all subsequent students will be bussed to another school...!!! So now, I am trying to gather the mountain of paperwork needed to get him into school, which includes, but is not limited to the following:<br />
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--birth certificate<br />
--physician report form<br />
--immunization record<br />
--dentist report form<br />
--tuberculosis risk assessment<br />
--student health history<br />
--parent identification<br />
--school records (includes pre-K)<br />
--authorization for record release for new students<br />
--copy of signed lease (in our case)<br />
--three additional proofs of residency<br />
--owner/tenant affidavit (which must be notarized)<br />
--residency and custody affidavit (which must also be notarized)<br />
--student registration form<br />
--proof of employment/income<br />
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Some of these are simply forms I need to fill out, others must be taken to various doctors, and still others have to be notarized. All of this is complicated by the fact that we are moving as of April 15th. So, can we register now with our current address, which is also in the right district, even though our lease here technically has no end date, something they frown upon? Or should we wait until some time after the 15th when we get our licenses changed over to our new address? And how long will that take, along with getting three additional proofs of residency in our new address? And will waiting jeopardize our spot in the school? <br />
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After all this angst and work to find a house in the best school area, only to find out something else could move us right out of that school? I am so frustrated and not a little piqued about the whole situation. Plus, this is more documentation to get my child into kindergarten than I have ever had to produce to do anything else in the rest of my life, including applying for a passport, going to school abroad, and getting married! Sheesh! <br />
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So, I am off to call the district tomorrow and ask my questions and hope I get good answers. Then I will try and collect and organize my mountain of paperwork and make my appointment to turn them all in and have them reviewed in person as soon as possible, hopefully before we leave for vacation and/or move. I've got nothing but time tomorrow, of course, in between filing our taxes, packing, going to music class, visiting teaching, and nursing yet another sick child (more on the Virus to End All Viruses next!). <br />
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Wish me luck! Better yet, send me a power bar, will ya?? And maybe a secretary!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-38047959470746678032013-02-26T12:01:00.000-05:002013-03-02T12:02:09.354-05:00Downton brings me downPart of the post below was written before I had seen the season finale of Downton Abbey and part written after. This is important if the post is to make any sense at all. Also, if for some reason you are even further behind than I am and have not seen the season finale or the season at all, SPOILER ALERT!! Do not continue reading!<br />
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I was late to the Downton Abbey party, but I came dressed for the festivities, and I've never left! I'm going to watch the season finale this weekend and enjoy it immensely, in the midst of lamenting the fact that the season is much too short! I've brought the husband on board, too (it was an easy sell), but he has a hard time watching because he detests Mary so much! <br />
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Me, I don't love her, of course, but I like watching the show for lots of other reasons beyond the Dowager's wit, the downstairs drama, and the pretty picture of a society on its way out. Most entertaining to me is the difference between a British Drama written for BOTH a British and an American audience and one written just for the Brits. You see, the Americans were probably SHOCKED that Sybil died, while the Brits were probably wondering why it took so long to dispatch someone substantive. And the Americans were righteously indignant on Bates' behalf, while the Brits were probably wondering why he hadn't died already. (Have you watched much British drama? EVERYONE dies!) As I've talked about here before, British dramas are very cavalier about killing off main characters. It happens MUCH more frequently than it does on American show and usually goes virtually unremarked upon, whereas American programs roll around in the death and its ramifications for hours and hours. So it's interesting to me that there has been so little death on this show that is produced in cooperation with both countries. And while I was surprised by Sybil's death, I still recognize that she was one of the more expendable characters, the kind of character who is much more likely to die in American dramas. <br />
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Then there are the shorter seasons, of course. Not only is Downton Abbey happening in much fewer episodes than it would in America, those episodes are covering a much greater span of time than any but our most ambitious mini-series would ever attempt. Season 1 covered a little over two years; Season 2 covered two and a half years; and Season three will end up covering one and a half years. In three seasons we will have moved from April 1912 to September 1921. Such a span of time would have taken an American show at LEAST that many years in real time. This condensation makes the series move much more quickly, of course, and has the added effect of making this particular period of decline appear to be happening at a headlong pace, which, arguably, it did, depending on who you were and how much you were paying attention.<br />
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Oh. my. goodness. I CANNOT believe they killed Matthew! Are you kidding me? Matthew?? Everyman, savior, all around good guy (except for that kiss with Mary while he was engaged) Matthew? When I said the Brits like to kill people off, I had no idea that would mean Matthew was about to be crushed under a car just after the birth of his son. See, I'm an American through and through: I'm shocked and appalled at this development! And now Mary will become even more hateful and bitter, and we won't be able to blame her, really, and poor Tom will have to be the only champion for Matthew's vision, making him even more at odds with the family, and will we see less of Mrs. Crawley, because she has become one of my favorite characters, and do they really think I'm going to be able to replace Matthew with this new troublesome young girl whose name I can't even remember (Rose?)??? Awful, awful, awful. I think the husband was even more upset than I was and once again I have introduced him to a show that ends in unforeseen tragedy (though hopefully not as abruptly as the last show of this kind I hooked him on, Angel). <br />
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And now we wait for season 4. I don't know if I can take it!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-47967864308120864262013-02-23T11:37:00.000-05:002013-03-02T11:38:23.139-05:00Happy Birthday to E!Toddler E turned 3 years old today! Hooray! He is that much closer to being as old as he looks! Huzzah for him! It's been hard to look like you're four and a half and be only two! And least now he's a whole lot closer!<br />
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Toddler E has really come into his own this year. He finally learned to speak...and then hasn't stopped! He has even started a funny little habit of talking to himself or to others and then, at the end of saying whatever it is he's saying, he'll just start nodding his head and saying "yep, yep, yep" and then he'll simply, literally, babble, make sounds and move his head as if he were talking but not say anything at all. It's as if he has realized that people talk and say a lot but he's run out of things to say so he just inserts some filler. It's hilarious! He has also finally realized that the way to compete with J is to match him story for story and, right now, that means he usually repeats every story J tells right after he tells it, embellishing and extending the narrative as he goes. E is also really, really loud lately. I think he is just daring us to forget he is there!<br />
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Toddler E is his own kid. Recently, even though I had decided to wait until he was at least three to start potty training, he started on his own, going whenever we put him on the potty. Then, a little later, I decided we would just start with the short potty training sessions I did with J...only I forgot we were doing them one morning and and he went until he couldn't stand it any more and went into the bathroom by himself, went, and called me to come help him finish. But as soon as I put a diaper back on him, he also promptly went in the diaper. So I decided that meant he had enough control to skip diapers altogether and move right into big boy underpants and we haven't looked back, with no accidents to speak of. He is even staying dry all through the night and resents that I am making him wear the overnight pull-ups I bought until they're gone. Toddler E does what he want, when he decides to do it. <br />
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He also loves to eat, and he's an adventurous eater. He recently told me, after visiting an Indian friend, "Gupta makes the best food, Mommy!" That's what I like, a just turned three year old who spontaneously identifies Indian food as one of his faves! His other favorite foods are cheeseburgers, blackberries, mandarin oranges, cheese pizza, watermelon, and the perennial favorite, mac-n-cheese. In fact, E would rather have fruit than just about anything. And he's a savory boy at heart, preferring bacon and eggs to pancakes or waffles any morning. He does love candy, don't get me wrong, but isn't a huge fan of chocolate or ice-cream or cake or any typical desserts at all. He'd really just like another serving of barbeque pork, please!<br />
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Toddler E is now a big boy with a big personality. He loves trains, cars, and animals and makes up intricate stories about all of them. He can entertain himself for hours doing that, but he would rather play with J. He wants to BE his big brother and or at least be WITH him, and, failing that, to beat him up when J becomes too much to handle! E can't wait to go to "P-K" so he can go to school just like his brother. In the meantime, he's learning his letters and numbers, faster than J, actually. He's ready to catch up just as soon as he can! Everyone love Toddler E and he loves most people, having skipped the shyness phase, at least so far. I wish he were a tad more shy, actually, or had a more intensely developed fear of the unknown, but my youngest child fears no one and nothing, not strangers or city streets or running off by himself or disappearing from sight and never reappearing until found. He is a handful because of this lack of fear and sometimes makes me wish it were kosher to put a leash on him! The only thing Toddler E is really afraid of is apple peel, because of an unfortunate incident recently when he choked on an apple peel while eating breakfast alone (I was dozing in the next room). I had to do the Heimlich when my mommy sense woke me up and sent me in after him and, sense then, he has avoided apples altogether, telling me solemnly each time "I choked on those apples, Mommy!"<br />
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As with J, I'm happy that Toddler E is growing up. I love the quirky, funny, creative little boy he's become and can't wait to see what the next year brings!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-18993561304967605952013-02-21T18:28:00.000-05:002013-02-23T18:28:21.033-05:00Moving onI know, I've slipped behind in writing, but I've been busy! We are almost to the point of signing a lease for our next place, which means I have been deeply involved in packing (because it's never too early!) and buried in the Ikea catalog as I figure out how to furnish a place with more rooms both cheaply and cleverly. At the same time, we've looked at lots and lots of local and national furniture stores to comparison shop. We have determined that 1) furniture is MUCH too expensive, 2) my tastes are not reflected in most contemporary furniture trends (what is with the 70s revival? Black shellac? Crazy mirrors? Insanely detailed and uselessly decorative drawer pulls? Ugh.), and 3) this is going to be harder than we had originally thought!<br />
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Our biggest certain decision so far is that we are going to get an actual bed frame for the first time in our married lives! Huzzah! But we've also decided to take advantage of the fact that we have a garage and don't love anything we've seen and do a DIY frame using one of Ikea's bare bones pine frames as a base. I would show you the pictures of the tutorials we found online that we love, but I don't want to get your hopes up in case it doesn't work out! Let me just say, we're going for an upholstered headboard--shazam! It's going to be a joint project, the husband working with me, and we're going to take our time and not feel pressed to have the bed done IMMEDIATELY! We've had a Hollywood frame for this long; we'll survive with it a little longer!<br />
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In fact, I think that taking our time is going to be the theme of outfitting our new house. I was all set to head to Ikea and spend tons of money all at once and be done with it, but I think instead we're going to go more slowly, really be sure of what we want, shop the Habitat for Humanity Re-store and Craigslist, hit the garage sales in the spring, and pull everything together over a little bit of time. We've got a few spaces we need to work on, our bedroom being one of them. In our last move, our dresser got damaged but we've kept it anyway, and then the boys dresser got damaged as well, so we need to replace both dressers, along with our bed frame. In addition, we have an "unfinished" basement that is actually quite nice and more finished than any others I've seen, really, but I want to make it into a serviceable play space for the boys, so I'm going to address the flooring (which right now is just painted concrete) and put our kid-friendly furniture down there. Right now, I have a pouf (that I picked up at a thrift store ages ago) and a dream, but I think it will all come together.<br />
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And then there's the kitchen. The kitchen, on the one hand, is beautiful: black granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, the works. On the other hand, it's also severely lacking in counter space and storage cabinets AND the backdoor opens right into the kitchen, so we need some sort of mudroom-esque area as well as additional counter space, which means I need a multifunctional free-standing piece to solve all those problems. No worries, right?! And did I mention that the first floor half bath is in the kitchen? Yep, it is! Shaker houses are so quirky sometimes!<br />
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I'm so excited!!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-55978621274621230872013-02-13T19:42:00.000-05:002013-02-13T19:42:15.728-05:00Life goes on...Quick updates:<br />
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--The bank finally came back after the underwriter's investigations and said our home was, wait for it, valued at exactly the amount we had left on our loan! What a coincidence! Too bad housing values in the area won't support that valuation and the offer on the table is for significantly less than that! I am incensed that it took them all this time to basically look at our loan papers and say "yep, that's what it's worth!" So ridiculous! Don't even get me started!<br />
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--The rental "inspection" turned out to be a 15 minute chat with the realtor during which she recommended places for me to live next, took some pictures of the missing kitchen cabinets, and discussed the relative merits of two nearby schools. She didn't even look at one of the two bathrooms or the boys' room because Toddler E was napping. All that stress for naught but a clean house, which is now, umm, not as clean!<br />
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--The husband went to Tampa on Monday for an overnight pharmacy-related errand, but the company he was meeting with turned out to be unprepared, and he had to stay an extra night. He's not back yet, actually, and will go straight to work from the airport. It's a good thing he drove himself and parked there this time, something we never do, AND brought along the extra pair of underwear and shirt my constant paranoia and real travel disasters have trained him to bring!<br />
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--It's mid-year feedback time at the preschool, which meant I spent part of the weekend tweaking the survey form and then delivering it to the other parents. I'll collect them all tomorrow and then read and report the results to the co-op board. My co-op job is communications, which responsibilities appear to be somewhat broadly defined, but at least I don't have to do something aggravating like grounds keeping or hospitality committee!<br />
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--I finally got a primary care physician! I see him for the first time on Friday. One doc down, a gazillion more to go.<br />
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--I actually did get my room clean, though it happened by the first week of February, not the last day of January, but hey, for 24 shining hours or so it was clean. Mission accomplished!<br />
<br />
--We have decided that we really only want to live in one neighborhood here in Shaker Heights, largely because of the school since J starts Kindergarten next year. Which means that we will be renting (because, to review, in theory our home will be a short sale some day) in the most expensive and least available area here because everyone else wants the same things we do: a great, small school in which every home in the district is within walking distance to school. We did get a line on a house at the very edge of our budget, through back channels at the preschool (our friend found out that her neighbors across the street bought a house and are renting and got us the landlord's info before the house even came up for rent officially). We're going to check it out tomorrow, but on paper and via pictures online it looks perfect, price notwithstanding: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, large master suite on third floor, completely renovated, two car garage, 1.5 blocks from the elementary school, 1.5 blocks from the preschool, available in April, etc., etc. We shall see.<br />
<br />
--Toddler E's third birthday is coming up. We're having a small party after the fact (since I'm going on an IKEA trip on the actual day of--mother of the year, right here!) with just a few family friends. I went through the ward list looking for kids his age and discovered...there aren't any. Not for many months in either direction. And all but one of those are girls. No wonder he only wanted to invite J's friends! I think instead we'll invite our friends and their kids, none of whom happen to be his age. There's always next year to get the poor kid some actual peers!<br />
<br />
And that's a wrap!<br />
Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-37686700618818119812013-02-07T13:25:00.003-05:002013-02-07T13:25:43.228-05:00Mrs. CleanWe have a rental inspection tomorrow. Which means I have spent this week in a cleaning frenzy! You know, doing those things that don't get done as often as they should, like organizing and storing all the random bins and boxes we seem to have accumulated during our last year here, cleaning the fridge thoroughly, moving furniture to vacuum, discovering the origin and means of getting out that strange stain that materialized on the carpet one day, the usual. And, of course, it's a Sisyphean task, with little boys following around behind me, messing up every space I clean because, look here, it's a new clean place for us to dump our toys. Huzzah! As per usual, I have grossly underestimated the time it will take me to do all of this, so things keep getting pushed off the list as the time winds down. But the major spaces will be presentable, at least, and we should "pass" our inspection. Our lease is now month-to-month here anyway, and we are really just biding our time until we can move out of this apartment and into a rental house, but the renter's market here doesn't really start to heat up for another month or so, once med student matches occur and people know they are moving on or moving in.<br />
<br />
We need the time, actually, while our house in SC lingers still in short sale limbo. "Short sale." If ever a term were more in appropriate! I was lamenting the sheer idiocy and extreme duration of this process while waiting with some parents at preschool one day last week and one of the dads there said, "Well, it shouldn't be an easy process, because all those people should have known better and made better choices and shouldn't be trying to pull one over on the banks." I almost decked him. Even for the people who willfully got adjustable rate mortgages and overbought and had no intention of ever paying anyone back for anything, this process seems unnecessarily punitive. And I really doubt there actually are too many of those sorts of folks out there. Instead, for many of the rest of us, who did everything right but were victims of time and markets and, in our case, a lack of job prospects that forced us to move on, this process is downright mean. One day, our house will sell. Or not. But it will all be over, one way or the other. And we will be cautious about our next house purchase and happy to rent in the meantime. Or we will save our money and go on a year long trip around the world instead and rent for the rest of our days and be happy as clams about it!<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I have a kitchen to clean. Nothing like a little all purpose cleanser to bring you back to earth!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-49879113120543359102013-02-06T22:00:00.000-05:002013-02-07T13:46:29.510-05:00Shot to the heartToday was one of those days I hate: I had to take J for his 5 year old well child visit. Things started out badly: he was very uncomfortable sitting around in his underwear and kept asking every doctor or nurse who came in "Can I put my pants back on, please?!" He is also extremely ticklish, which meant certain parts of the examination were, ahem, difficult to say the least. Then he failed the eye exam, again, and they were threatening to send me to see the pediatric ophthalmologist, AGAIN, even though we went last time and it was the worst doctor's experience I have ever had with any doctor ever AND he passed the vision exams with flying colors so it was all pointless anyway. Luckily, my doctor sided with me when I insisted another visit wasn't necessary. J just can't manage to get his eyes in the right places for their little machine. (I have the same problem at the DMV, where it always appears as if I am blind even though I can pass the exam on the wall just fine.)<br />
<br />
So things were already not going well when the time for the shots arrived. 4 of them. In his arms. One of the things I hate most about being a mother is willfully subjecting my child to pain, particularly if I have to be part of the restraint system. I tried cuddling him on my lap on the doctor's table and hugging him tightly but as soon as the nurse walked in and he saw the needles, he started begging "Please, please, no, don't hurt me, please please please, no no no!!" When she tried to give him the first one, he flailed and sobbed so much, she turned to me and said, "Put him between your legs, wrap your legs over his to contain them, immobilize one arms with your arms and I will keep the other arm from moving." So I did what I was told and put my child into a human straight jacket and then held him still while she put two shots in one arm and then two more in the other. All of this was accompanied not only by J's excruciating screams but also Toddler E's cries of "Don't hurt my brother! You leave my brother alone! Stop it now!" The third shot went in at a very sharp angle and J started yelling "My skin, my skin, my skin is broken, you broke my skin!" By the time we finished the fourth shot, both J and Toddler E were inconsolable and my arms and legs hurt from pinning him so hard. <br />
<br />
It was awesome.<br />
<br />
I had promised them a trip to the candy store afterwards, but I had to carry a crying J out with E trailing along asking "Why did they hurt him, Mommy?" I'm pretty sure the doctor's office has never been so happy to see anyone go! I reiterated as we left what the doctor had said, that the next round of shots doesn't happen until he is 11, many years from now, but he was too traumatized to even speak to me for most of the ride to the candy store and still can't talk about it. Early this morning, at 4am, he stumbled into my room crying in pain because of his arms, so I gave him some Tylenol and a cuddle and then sent him back to bed.<br />
<br />
One bright spot: as we were driving away, Toddler E asked J in a very concerned voice "Is your skin really broken? Because if your skin is broken off, how will I hug you??" And then this morning, after we got back from their haircut appointments, I told J to hurry getting his shoes off and he said plaintively, "You shouldn't tell someone with hurt arms and bandages to hurry so fast, Mommy, or their bandages might fall off!" Oh, right, of course.<br />
<br />
Again, the awesomeness continues!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-76074304034873094152013-02-01T14:25:00.000-05:002013-02-01T14:25:48.937-05:00Gimme some paint!I've talked before about how long it's taken me to get used to the cooperative preschool model. This year, one of the ways I've managed is by being the parent helper on the days the class goes on a field trip. We get to school, we review the rules, we pile into the cars, we hike around the nature center, we come back, we have snack, and we're done. It's the best parent helping day ever!<br />
<br />
But eventually I had to volunteer for a day that wasn't a field trip. So, last week, there I was. I got there a little bit early and spent the time getting the scholastic book order forms ready for all the kids. Then, when the teacher arrived, and we got settled, she asked me to make Antarctica. Yes, you read that right, Antarctica. The kids have been learning about Antarctic and Arctic habitats, and their water table has been turned into a container filled with artificial snow (it's not cold, it doesn't melt, it smells like coconut oil, and it's the result of some strange chemical reaction--bizarre). She wanted me to make an Antarctica for them to put their animals on when they played there. Oh, and also, could I make the Arctic circle and the equator? Which is how I found myself covered in paint and trying to figure out a way to simulate the the equator using a cardboard tube and make a continent out of tupperware based on pictures I pulled up on my smart phone.<br />
<br />
THEN, I was instructed to run to the hardware store across the street, buy some hooks, and come back and install them for the kids' coats as part of a new check-in routine. I ended up doing it by hand because I couldn't get the electric drill work and I barely had time to finish before it was time to rush in and cut up the apples and oranges and fill the bowls with goldfish for snack. As it was, I filled and ran and J ended up getting everything else ready on his own...which he LOVED! My first child is a quintessential first child: he likes to be in charge. Me? I left school with a cramp in my hand and paint on my elbow and a new plan to parent help on other days more often, because who knows what I will end up doing? Today, Antarctica. Tomorrow, the world!<br />
<br />
(PS, because I am a huge nerd and have a hard time ignoring teachers who tell me what to do even when they are not MY teachers, I went home and dreamed up a better way to make the ice continent and today I came back in with a MUCH better structure made out of Styrofoam and cotton batting. Much, MUCH better. Do I get extra credit??)Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-47464514162577368792013-01-30T10:34:00.000-05:002013-01-31T10:34:58.340-05:00Watch out for that DRAGON!At last, pictures from J's Dragon birthday party:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1g10xiIRM5FWJRrAz5AHygOvkhEBAwj0WUHhvpoq0qjybK-gd_KHNpac-M0JA17STWvsroAsQmd4PeCaTdOEDiLIIt6Xd7g3x0kZyP7XOu-M-bk3-CJAD0TXzb-Gj41Z4g0k8w/s1600/IMG_6169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1g10xiIRM5FWJRrAz5AHygOvkhEBAwj0WUHhvpoq0qjybK-gd_KHNpac-M0JA17STWvsroAsQmd4PeCaTdOEDiLIIt6Xd7g3x0kZyP7XOu-M-bk3-CJAD0TXzb-Gj41Z4g0k8w/s400/IMG_6169.JPG" /></a></div>We got a 6 foot tall cardboard castle for $9 at an after Christmas sale I ran into at our local drugstore. Score! It was a hit with all the kids.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezkFpXc1ZUueAcDDlT4rj6sO6wSMp8Yxo4A3FXYM50iZlGotw96ph7IyBGr06u_N3PAUnPGGXQ1cLZBp2k8OzOo7LJUfHe8XmFvvtWU8rXhigH7fPAO8W0BjhDJWaaAdSoOqCaA/s1600/IMG_6188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezkFpXc1ZUueAcDDlT4rj6sO6wSMp8Yxo4A3FXYM50iZlGotw96ph7IyBGr06u_N3PAUnPGGXQ1cLZBp2k8OzOo7LJUfHe8XmFvvtWU8rXhigH7fPAO8W0BjhDJWaaAdSoOqCaA/s400/IMG_6188.JPG" /></a></div>J and I made the centerpiece based on a design we saw online, out of toilet paper and paper towel tubes, an oatmeal canister, a Quik canister, sparkly craft foam, and scrapbook paper. We had so much fun, and we really like the way it came out.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tOqWu8Q7zcrIa0B3g6p82uyGy4wK_dQO0G0-aZv7V3uWMRHE7rSsatp9jYJckG0iVAkHqoFP1y63uF4HOWZ2Iu7eQ3v3Lp1NSBQM6SPScnbQerRVFiOnd9H3xd6pQJHpOGTGBg/s1600/IMG_6177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tOqWu8Q7zcrIa0B3g6p82uyGy4wK_dQO0G0-aZv7V3uWMRHE7rSsatp9jYJckG0iVAkHqoFP1y63uF4HOWZ2Iu7eQ3v3Lp1NSBQM6SPScnbQerRVFiOnd9H3xd6pQJHpOGTGBg/s400/IMG_6177.JPG" /></a></div>We decorated with dragons, all but two of which came from the thrift store over the past few months for $1 or less. The castle and knights were also from the thrift store, a last minute addition from our last trip there. they were perfect and also cost less than $1 for the castle AND 7 knights.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cGAsV-sKac5Wk6szpORSve9Ixt4R8B1xgGCq0EB5tWjDraqqok4ykcAPABOy6Iz8ZbgLsOD4YRRmrGXU8ts8v8HTPTAYlLZw3YTYOYsr7oN9lq2gJx6ybBz_9UoCX1fWIwWdvQ/s1600/IMG_6182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cGAsV-sKac5Wk6szpORSve9Ixt4R8B1xgGCq0EB5tWjDraqqok4ykcAPABOy6Iz8ZbgLsOD4YRRmrGXU8ts8v8HTPTAYlLZw3YTYOYsr7oN9lq2gJx6ybBz_9UoCX1fWIwWdvQ/s400/IMG_6182.JPG" /></a></div>This is a party put on by me, so of course there were books involved!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbGCaj69sXJCHI-M1_Exv1lXoRRGMQuZ_TcMcTBwxBgiNSPqGAPI_zKYQQgq4CRJ3KHZjeeQbnWtSyoaCA7B1d9Rnab6uydKqXIKDIH7jNf8wo6Sl8g_MlsP3hr5fyJYQuIR_vA/s1600/IMG_6183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbGCaj69sXJCHI-M1_Exv1lXoRRGMQuZ_TcMcTBwxBgiNSPqGAPI_zKYQQgq4CRJ3KHZjeeQbnWtSyoaCA7B1d9Rnab6uydKqXIKDIH7jNf8wo6Sl8g_MlsP3hr5fyJYQuIR_vA/s400/IMG_6183.JPG" /></a></div>And Grandma Beth came through with a hand illustrated Pin the Tail on the Dragon which everyone LOVED!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgww8ujlMTaS8zcctK-ANHKH6CpPxOaIRi_CGkFibO_M-9HxecF2dxhB5v5N43ldxhL7ufP28UCwLpKp-0Y9tjBiOhW8ZOg7Fqzpq3dxcZOhSbp5ytN2JkJvLliscLqrBEf9yPMQ/s1600/IMG_6224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgww8ujlMTaS8zcctK-ANHKH6CpPxOaIRi_CGkFibO_M-9HxecF2dxhB5v5N43ldxhL7ufP28UCwLpKp-0Y9tjBiOhW8ZOg7Fqzpq3dxcZOhSbp5ytN2JkJvLliscLqrBEf9yPMQ/s400/IMG_6224.JPG" /></a></div>J doesn't look too happy here but he really did enjoy his pizza lunch and confetti cupcakes. Other children, not so much: one said to me "Why would we want to eat cupcakes? We're just going to get crazy from all the sugar!" Umm, yes, and your point is....?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKhnzt5aYmPLWPh5qBlRAiWtGS9A2dHSbN2K38HUhr1BA_Ob7IL6iMCBQejO-Q_jZA2sBeZBPydHRdjHHw5Op4NpeAUSY7Mn8diYDt1vGU522foL4R5-KB84gbyjcxkc437Yp3w/s1600/IMG_6240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKhnzt5aYmPLWPh5qBlRAiWtGS9A2dHSbN2K38HUhr1BA_Ob7IL6iMCBQejO-Q_jZA2sBeZBPydHRdjHHw5Op4NpeAUSY7Mn8diYDt1vGU522foL4R5-KB84gbyjcxkc437Yp3w/s400/IMG_6240.jpg" /></a></div>One friend brought this exorbitant/generous pirate ship. It was the hit of the day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEmzSN9pMdDbOFZdTmqeOuTaYyyODtkV_GaVd8KhU9BPW9aC8XGZfpjIGYNCvNaQbYzHidMQ59haKyg5KUfu0X6IYaNFl5RcM__gWaj52MEnaZ0bJbiGLkUk0z3Ptatpfq_I4YA/s1600/IMG_6259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEmzSN9pMdDbOFZdTmqeOuTaYyyODtkV_GaVd8KhU9BPW9aC8XGZfpjIGYNCvNaQbYzHidMQ59haKyg5KUfu0X6IYaNFl5RcM__gWaj52MEnaZ0bJbiGLkUk0z3Ptatpfq_I4YA/s400/IMG_6259.JPG" /></a></div>The pirate ship even came with canons that actually shoot!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVXYklOMNu8gINW84jdwjFlc1Vym8HriDrnAj3TxmM0WJWkyS19huNkcQyyizVNSQc9oLqGgU7hjkIB1ZNOzi0bgI5bKX3YhakmSLA3XjpbNxOwgzuA96mWUlmueyInYBc3-n6w/s1600/IMG_6179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVXYklOMNu8gINW84jdwjFlc1Vym8HriDrnAj3TxmM0WJWkyS19huNkcQyyizVNSQc9oLqGgU7hjkIB1ZNOzi0bgI5bKX3YhakmSLA3XjpbNxOwgzuA96mWUlmueyInYBc3-n6w/s400/IMG_6179.JPG" /></a></div>The only thing J said he wanted at his party besides dragons was a dragon pinata. This one came from Oriental Trading Company and held so much candy I thought the other parents were going to kill me when they came to pick up their children and their overflowing pockets! Of course, another child asked me "What do we do with all this candy?" Fill your pockets and then eat it later, I said. "Why would I want to eat all that candy? I will just get sick!!" Still another said "I'm going to put this in my Trick or Treating jar!" It's the end of January!<br />
Kids today, I tell you!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbX4pIhOm8qSGMbWLCQO-07x5_vXJasuYtqtpySfo_7OIL9wyOmKlUfG0efrb_eJxpbmwdzvcqT1KBMN6yDOF_g463rnMVekgsOXME-ltDOrkVn_BZJzYwA8BruOwZpRkepM5eg/s1600/IMG_6247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbX4pIhOm8qSGMbWLCQO-07x5_vXJasuYtqtpySfo_7OIL9wyOmKlUfG0efrb_eJxpbmwdzvcqT1KBMN6yDOF_g463rnMVekgsOXME-ltDOrkVn_BZJzYwA8BruOwZpRkepM5eg/s400/IMG_6247.jpg" /></a></div>The pinata did burst but needed a little extra help to break wide open, provided by the husband.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmXkW6Azwr5-rR9sIKVlv3OQwD-cxyinhztGVly-9QvH9SUISfXceCx5B8OXMzZjM1mWpnGc0tOhRiI54VSHY06AM0Bxy5jxorE_KVZ73u51sC1KnXIb9KaFjcR95E3NlL5Jnbg/s1600/IMG_6255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmXkW6Azwr5-rR9sIKVlv3OQwD-cxyinhztGVly-9QvH9SUISfXceCx5B8OXMzZjM1mWpnGc0tOhRiI54VSHY06AM0Bxy5jxorE_KVZ73u51sC1KnXIb9KaFjcR95E3NlL5Jnbg/s400/IMG_6255.JPG" /></a></div>Luckily, the snow had melted earlier that week and it wasn't bitterly cold that day, so we were actually able to break open the pinata outside, behind our apartment building. Apparently, we freaked out many of the geriatric residents while doing so!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLZcJ2mR9Mq18aLbJAiTcWJ9FU0kO1euloxdmBDsdUhIn4tk1lIzhEihzrUhaVtL_lzxZFK_o2u5laF1crK-pgnficd0I_c2PgBvPpLL_gPSU4I0m05OJvFZjWDS_pTgwbtPXJw/s1600/IMG_6267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLZcJ2mR9Mq18aLbJAiTcWJ9FU0kO1euloxdmBDsdUhIn4tk1lIzhEihzrUhaVtL_lzxZFK_o2u5laF1crK-pgnficd0I_c2PgBvPpLL_gPSU4I0m05OJvFZjWDS_pTgwbtPXJw/s400/IMG_6267.JPG" /></a></div>E was sent to a friend's house for the duration of the party. When he got back, he was able to eat all the food and play with the toys, but I think he wasn't too happy we tricked him!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-30970290002453578272013-01-25T15:39:00.000-05:002013-01-26T15:39:15.748-05:00WAHM??I've got a new job...sort of. You see, my good friend M in SC started a freelance editing company many years ago, before she was even in SC, actually, and gradually grew it into two businesses, the editing arm of her work and a service facilitating memoir writing. While I lived in SC, I helped her out on a few of the editing projects, specifically with APA reference style and formatting (which she claims she hates, while I don't have any strong emotions about the style one way or another). When I moved away, we worked together a few more times, and then she asked me to be on her team as she relaunched her expanded website, which was incredibly flattering and also incredibly exciting. <br />
<br />
It <i>IS</i> taking me some time to get used to editing collaboratively and editing for clients via email instead of in person, but this is the age in which we live. Last year, we were able to work with clients in Hawaii, Beirut, South Africa, and India (M has a bit of a specialty in working with English as a second language clients). The international interactions are fascinating and add to the challenge, but I'm learning quickly how to edit from afar.<br />
<br />
So, all of the sudden, I find myself rebranded as a freelance editor, indexer, and proofreader. Sounds good to me! The new website hasn't launched yet, but the volume of work has already increased. This week, I've been working on an academic article for a health research journal, a book about gardening in Hawaii, and the text of the website itself in preparation for the launch. So much fun! Really, I feel like I could do the reference formatting in my sleep but even just doing a little bit of academic/intellectual work has been refreshing for me. I really miss teaching and editing writing and textual problem solving and it's been great, even the nit picky little spacing and punctuation issues. I know, I know, I'm pathetic! But I'm pathetic and happy, so what do I care??<br />
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Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-8465489891135698972013-01-22T21:16:00.000-05:002013-01-23T09:18:24.173-05:00Brrrrr!The husband said tonight "Today was officially cold!" This is big news; as someone who served a mission in Canada, he has a very skewed perception of what constitutes "cold." In his opinion, it's not really cold until parts of your face are falling off or something dramatic along those line. In my opinion, it's officially cold when it's below 40 degrees, which I'll admit is also skewed, but by any measure, it's insanely cold here lately! <br />
<br />
Oh my goodness!!! Today, the temperature barely made it into double digits and with the bitter windchill, it was 13 below. School was cancelled because of "extreme temperatures." Can they even do that? When I explained to J that he couldn't go to school because it was too cold, he said "why don't we just skip recess??" Why indeed? I agree with him! Granted, I feel like sending kids off to school with snow pants and snow mittens and snow everything is a bit much and a huge headache, but really? The kids should go to school!<br />
<br />
Right now, I'm wearing my newest potential addition, a pair of <a href="http://www.sorel.com/Women%E2%80%99s-Cate-the-Great%E2%84%A2-Deco-Boot/NL1927,default,pd.html">Sorel</a> snow boots (don't worry, I didn't spend that much on them; I'm a bargain shopper extraordinaire). They are HUGE and waterproof and incredibly warm (I'm sweating right now and I'm not even wearing socks) and fur and felt lined and expensive (still the most I've ever paid for a pair of shoes...or a coat...or almost any one things, actually) so I am making absolutely sure they're for me by wearing them all around the house this morning. I think I'm going to keep them and, if so, they will join my new snow coat (it's green! It's got 2 layers, 4 combinations, and is very warm) and my new snow/ski pants (also incredibly warm, though they're gray--more practical for sitting down in the snow, I suppose). I'm practically Midwestern! Umm, yeah, not so much.<br />
<br />
I'm actually somewhat okay with the cold and snow this week, since I was planning on spending most of my time cleaning my room (February is almost upon us!) anyway, but the kids are a little stir crazy. We have been going to inside places to play, but just getting us in and out of the car is extremely challenging, and my hands are always icicles by the time we're done. Oh, my hands! Don't even get me started on them: cracked, red, rough, dry beyond reason. Anyone got any solutions for winter hands that actually work?? See, this is how I know I'm NOT Midwestern; I should know all this already! I'm just hoping to make it through the snow and cold this week so we can celebrate the weekend, when it promises to get back up into the high 30s....Hooray???Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-53911687837508791582013-01-17T13:19:00.002-05:002013-01-17T13:19:18.850-05:00Baker womanI am a week and a half into my biggest loser type diet and so of course I spent the morning baking! No, really, it was for a good cause: J and his preschool class spent yesterday setting up a bake shop in their classroom, complete with illustrated and phonetically described menu items, and he and I thought it might be a good idea to send them some actual baked goods to eat there, instead of just pretend ones. <br />
<br />
First, I whipped up a batch of my favorite <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/recipe-coconut-lime-banana-bread.html">Coconut Lime Banana Muffins</a>. Delicious and somewhat healthy. Also, J's favorites, too. I make this recipe as muffins so I don't run into the ever present banana bread that is not done enough in the middle problem and also so I can sprinkle coconut on each and every muffin and then quadruple the glaze and smother them with it. DELICIOUS!<br />
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Then I decided we didn't have enough for everyone, really, and what if some kids don't like coconut or lime or banana (silly children)? We should have an option for them, right? So I examined what I had on hand and found a recipe online for <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/chocolate-chip-oatmeal-yogurt-muffins-2/">Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Yogurt Muffins</a>. Sold! These muffins were not very sweet and could probably have used a bit more chocolate chips and some vanilla, but they were still pretty tasty. <br />
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BUT, this recipe made a very small batch and by then I was in the zone, so I looked in my cupboards again and did another internet search and found what I am calling <a href="http://adventuresofacollegevegetarian.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/everything-i-bake-turns-into-clouds-and-i-dont-hate-it/#more-551">Applesauce Muffins</a>, also made with yogurt (I decided I needed to use it all up). She calls them Apple-Cinnamon Muffins but mine turned out so different from hers I am renaming them. I used my own homemade applesauce (we made some at a Relief Society activity earlier this year) which was very, VERY chunky and though she says her batter was "fluffy," mine was thick as can be and made for some very dense muffins with lots and lots of apple chunks inside and on top. They were so dense they didn't sink in in the middle like hers did because of applesauce. I think they might have been lighter if I had used a smoother applesauce made with more liquid, but I quite liked the apple density in mine. In the future, though, I would omit the cinnamon in the batter all together (as it was, I only used 1/2 tablespoon) and add some vanilla (it is obvious I think vanilla can solve most baking ills?) instead and then add more cinnamon-sugar mixture to the tops.<br />
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And then I started to feel very guilty about the child in class whom I know has a gluten allergy, so I found the package of gluten free brownie mix I bought when I realized this child was befriending mine and might come over to eat one day and made those as well. Plus, I felt like we had too many muffins at that point, and the bake shop needed to offer something else from the menu, so brownies were a good option. I made them in mini-muffin tins as brownie bites and doubled the amount of (gluten-free) chocolate chips the package said to add. I quite liked them, though the chocolate flavor in the mix was more bittersweet/dark chocolatey than the mixes I am used to. I haven't made brownies in a long time, actually, what will all the dieting and special holiday cooking going on recently, but I am a firm believer that brownies from scratch are a complete waste of time. I have made them that way, actually learned to make brownies from scratch first, but if you are generous with your mix-ins (chocolate chips, pecans, mini marshmallows, etc.) and substitute applesauce for the oil or eggs when using a mix, you get rich, delicious, gooey brownies every time and you don't have to bust out a double boiler! Huzzah!<br />
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So, for lunch and for breakfast I had muffins. I may also have them for dinner. Don't judge! It can't be bad if that's all the calories I have during the day, right? Sshhhh, don't confuse me with the facts!Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-35829441158619717542013-01-13T22:11:00.000-05:002013-01-15T22:11:38.088-05:00Happy Birthday to J (pictures coming soon!)My dear little boy,<br />
<br />
Today is your birthday. Sadly for you, it's also a Sunday and our first day back to church on a new, early-morning schedule (Toddler E was sick last weekend) and you are sick yourself this weekend (mysterious fever and stomach pain be gone, I say!) and your party isn't going to be until next weekend because of scheduling conflicts, so it won't be the most festive day. I'm so sorry! We did make cupcakes for your preschool class on Thursday, rainbow cupcakes with blue icing and rainbows on top, so you have had a little cake, and your Auntie Laqne came through with $5 in coins in a card that has been the only present you've opened so far (and you LOVED the money and immediately paid your tithing and put the rest in an impromptu mason jar bank) but really, your big birthday celebration is coming soon, I promise!<br />
<br />
In the meantime, here's my birthday letter to you. You are five years old now. I know I'm supposed to say things like "I can hardly believe it!" and "Where has all the time gone so quickly?" and "It seems like only yesterday you were a baby!" but really and truly, I feel like you and I have worked very hard to get to five years old, and we've both felt every minute of it, particularly this past year of upheaval and change and growth. You have had some rough times this year, adjusting to your new home and new school and new friends, but you have had a lot of successful and fun times as well, and you're finally settled and happy and you told me just the other day "I love Cleveland!" Well, I love you! <br />
<br />
I love that you've learned so much this year: you can draw family portraits and dinosaurs and hurricanes and dragons and almost anything else you set out to draw. You can ride a bike with training wheels (though it frustrates you to no end that you can't ride it without them yet!). You've expanded your collection of "special things" so much that it overflows from the box I've given you to corral it all. You've developed a love of origami, if not yet the ability to fold the paper all on your own. You can sing any song you hear, replicate any tune that catches your ear, and are always humming or singing to yourself no matter what you are doing.<br />
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I love that you're a good big brother. You are always concerned for Toddler E's safety, far more concerned than he ever is. You try to be obedient and be a good example and are zealous in helping E learn the rules of our house and the outside world. You are always telling Toddler E how much you like Primary and preschool and how much he will like them one day, so much so that he cries every day when we drop you off at pre-K. You remind me of me in the way that you've assumed primary ownership of your "baby" as you insist on calling him even though he basically outweighs you!<br />
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I love how much you love to talk. You're friendly with strangers and almost always willing to start up a conversation with any adult. You've made some new friends this year and are always telling me all about your conversation verbatim. You like to repeat the funny parts of the shows you watch right after they happen to make sure everyone realizes how funny they really are. You can make any story good and any additional retellings GREAT with your creative and innocent and often hilarious embellishments. Most people say you sound older than you are, mainly because of your vocabulary. You also still really like words and learning new ones is one of your favorite activities, which makes me happy every day. You can't read yet but spend a lot of time with books anyway, "reading" the ones you already know and making up stories for the ones you don't. We can never check out enough books at the library to keep you satisfied until the next trip, even if we leave with as many books as I can physically carry. And, if you had your way, we would read every single one of them on the first day we get them because you can't take the anticipation!<br />
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I love how affectionate you are. You get into my bed to snuggle every single morning and would spend all day in my lap if I'd let you. You tell us all you love us all the time and like to smother your daddy and me with kisses, though your little brother doesn't let you do much smothering of him these days. You still hold my hand everywhere we go and fret when Toddler E lets go. Though you have turbulent emotional seas at times, you can always be calmed by a hug or a cuddle. You kiss me goodbye at school every day and give spontaneous hugs when you're really pleased about something. You may sound older to others, but I like that you're still a little boy in many ways.<br />
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Finally, I love how much you've developed over this past year. You went from frequent fits and tantrums to many fewer and much more control over your emotions. You have learned how to interact better with others, though of course this is a work in progress. You've gotten more self-assured and self-confident as you've learned to do new things and adapted to a new place. You took to sledding like a pro after two small runs on a bunny hill and never looked back, for crying out loud! You've begun to learn to talk about your emotions and try to handle them instead of letting them overwhelm you, and you are overwhelmed less and less. You're on the path to maturity, one not-so-baby step at a time.<br />
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Happy birthday, J! I hope your upcoming dragon party will be the stuff of legends and next year will be even better than this one!<br />
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All my love,<br />
MommyLilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-16199434435151657552013-01-09T13:55:00.000-05:002013-01-09T14:00:49.319-05:00Snow day(s)Snow is tenacious.<br />
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It snowed here around Christmas and then kept snowing for a week or so and then the temperatures didn't get above freezing until just recently and there was no sun to be seen and the snow has just stayed and stayed. And now, today, finally, the sun is out and the temperature is up into the 40s and it rained this morning and the snow should be melting, right? RIGHT?? <br />
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But no. I mean, it is melting, a little, in some places, but in others it's hanging on with little change and it's kind of shocking to me. I realize I don't know a lot about snow. Living in South Carolina and then Hawaii and then California and then Guatemala and then Delaware (it's really very temperate there) and then South Carolina again with only brief stops in Kansas and Pennsylvania has left me with very little snow experience. So I still regard it with a kind of confused awe. How does it stay around for so long? How much longer will it stay? When will it come again? How can the forecast promise 60 degree weather on Saturday and then snow again next week??<br />
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BUT, I will say, snow can be fun. I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth except under duress, but then I had kids and moved to the bleak midwinter...I mean, to the Midwest, and then it snowed and we went sledding. And it was hilarious! And the boys loved it, toppling off into the icy snow or slamming into protective tires notwithstanding! Take a look:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4IMRTr1SIrBnX9ciaLSOjvoIwQxpOW119cFFBJ0k4_gjpjaoEkXBLB2ggo2Jg2-q9ReSAzFcELyJonfhhbOSWlesDOuPwVg7oTc1Vg3AKjbJbLdz36y8VLr70ZTPhjuFOb55iw/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4IMRTr1SIrBnX9ciaLSOjvoIwQxpOW119cFFBJ0k4_gjpjaoEkXBLB2ggo2Jg2-q9ReSAzFcELyJonfhhbOSWlesDOuPwVg7oTc1Vg3AKjbJbLdz36y8VLr70ZTPhjuFOb55iw/s400/IMG_6141.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Here they all are after much sledding, happy as can be. And yes, I made them wear their bicycle helmets. Since they both dumped off their sleds head first several times, I felt justified in the precaution, and they didn't mind at all. One's helmet is a dinosaur and one's a shark, for heaven's sake. They're cool!<br />
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And now, some video. Apologies for the shaky camera work and my annoying voice and unhelpful commentaries!<br />
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Here's J on his third ride on the smaller of the two hills we visited:<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/8MDtOwi-piQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Here's the husband and Toddler E on their first run...which didn't end so well!<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/D9-DJ-Eiin4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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And here's everyone all together on a ride down the biggest hill.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/cwT1KGSXs6U?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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See, fun. Go figure??Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-79400109892146566592013-01-04T02:42:00.000-05:002013-01-04T02:42:00.521-05:00Happy Halloween...ish!One way to blog more regularly is to catch up on all the past events I've ignored! So, here's a taste of Halloween! I made the boys' costumes, which is always an exercise in creativity, given my limited artistic and technical skills. J wanted to be a dragon and Toddler E wanted to be an owl:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAnfnk-YKq4NLvczJjCcM5igXyGs0QPx3m_Xrl0E9XirkGi5x26sgWw5Ub0uJcU8xCpgmNN9Yq3x40gynAOGob7nHDoiBXCbPhNeSchdWwvuhYWiu_Q-bEQALfw4JWSbbQji5zA/s1600/IMG_5814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAnfnk-YKq4NLvczJjCcM5igXyGs0QPx3m_Xrl0E9XirkGi5x26sgWw5Ub0uJcU8xCpgmNN9Yq3x40gynAOGob7nHDoiBXCbPhNeSchdWwvuhYWiu_Q-bEQALfw4JWSbbQji5zA/s400/IMG_5814.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx2G2YFngNZ9m-guxh73_AxFdfUedAYGU4CQDG6qPZXwjExqprkkG81SIFlfXdPwGuAP0PwxAlhWkNfEm_MO5Ms9V6UIB2ojFezQ5dIin0ANgdyCthb7_jeo1sq2gA3xePVECOg/s1600/IMG_5830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx2G2YFngNZ9m-guxh73_AxFdfUedAYGU4CQDG6qPZXwjExqprkkG81SIFlfXdPwGuAP0PwxAlhWkNfEm_MO5Ms9V6UIB2ojFezQ5dIin0ANgdyCthb7_jeo1sq2gA3xePVECOg/s400/IMG_5830.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQODDu_DdHhyphenhyphenWSo9VjL8lSAO15XL1GdAS4IryhbKYc2d5HpkVO4GYQ4n791akx3q0RjtJzcOGvrfV20u2GFnYvr2aGnGLlMt5rP_wvHvRCTYd0LKNstDg5JurHpD9ts8D3EahGaw/s1600/IMG_5821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQODDu_DdHhyphenhyphenWSo9VjL8lSAO15XL1GdAS4IryhbKYc2d5HpkVO4GYQ4n791akx3q0RjtJzcOGvrfV20u2GFnYvr2aGnGLlMt5rP_wvHvRCTYd0LKNstDg5JurHpD9ts8D3EahGaw/s400/IMG_5821.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUM1JjJM_ZpqqHl5qHvPm1O-Y_Lu1ZvFW2zcZzVopWXZklDwgg_DO6F8fWa-fAQai-TlpPeuQGoT323kFGouNiMRFO5eQRixcnAfUIG7_EGxMaskXGbwGvAhfOacESoKdRWm9ZQ/s1600/IMG_5824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUM1JjJM_ZpqqHl5qHvPm1O-Y_Lu1ZvFW2zcZzVopWXZklDwgg_DO6F8fWa-fAQai-TlpPeuQGoT323kFGouNiMRFO5eQRixcnAfUIG7_EGxMaskXGbwGvAhfOacESoKdRWm9ZQ/s400/IMG_5824.JPG" /></a></div>Here they are growling like a dragon and, as Toddler E said fiercely, "I'm hoo-ing my hoo!!" He was a most ferocious owl!<br />
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The husband and I went as bandits. It was simple but fun!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGndi-FIVMnW7J7BwA_LVXTioOZsGb3sCgaRhIffQH4NHA0x1JFvH4E4yTgcKZuwZmaVPKuknc5QszY6_10T_zMWmy0As2GTu0n29ppdAOMK4oEL8FSymV6HgS9VC5xdw5aVWHiA/s1600/IMG_5841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGndi-FIVMnW7J7BwA_LVXTioOZsGb3sCgaRhIffQH4NHA0x1JFvH4E4yTgcKZuwZmaVPKuknc5QszY6_10T_zMWmy0As2GTu0n29ppdAOMK4oEL8FSymV6HgS9VC5xdw5aVWHiA/s400/IMG_5841.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We were in costumes for days, it seemed, with J's class party, the ward party, and then trick-or-treating. Halloween was actually postponed here because of the effects of Sandy and her winds and rain, but we went out on the actual day anyway because the alternative was waiting until Sunday (no go!) or skipping our trip to DC (also no go). Our friend called a few of her neighbors and asked if we could come trick or treat at their houses so we went with her two small children and hit 4 or 5 houses and it was exactly enough for our merry little band of tykes. I knew we had made the right decision when Toddler E said after two houses in the rain and very cold "Trick or treating is LONG!"<br />
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Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-13907284678721775272013-01-01T14:30:00.001-05:002013-01-01T14:48:26.418-05:00Talking 'bout a resolutionI'm not one for New Year's Resolutions. Actually, I'm not one for New Year's celebrations of any kind, generally. I must have been somewhat cynical even as a child because I distinctly remember staying up all by myself until midnight when I was in third grade and then thinking "That's it? This holiday is ridiculous!" Since I have had children, I have come to loathe New Year's and the Fourth of July specifically because of the loud and upsetting and sleep-depriving fire crackers, though the noisy horrible kind are outlawed in Cleveland, so that may have been more of a Charlestonian/Southern phase of my life. <br />
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BUT, I feel the inexplicable need this year to mark the passage of time somehow, perhaps with resolutions, though I am historically bad at remembering resolutions, if and when I ever make them. I saw somewhere on the interwebs recently that you could make New Year's SOLUTIONS instead of resolutions, and that idea at least made me smile, so maybe that's what I will do. So, without further ado and without much premeditation or even thought on my part (because you KNOW that always works out well for me!)...<br />
<br />
<b>My Solutions for 2013</b><br />
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1. Clean my room by February. No really, giving myself ONLY a month is a stretch goal, believe me. You have never seen my room. Actually, no one has, outside my immediate family and my parents, back when it was clean (for once) when they came to visit in May. And right now, it's an epic disaster, a black hole, a vacuum into which no vacuum has gone for months and months (see previous sentence). There are many problems: lack of space, a closet with no working light fixture, the bedroom/office/laundry room combo we have, laziness and ennui, too much stuff, yadda yadda yadda. But the SOLUTION (see what I did there?) is to clean it, thoroughly, finding a home for all the stuff or chucking it. And I am giving myself a nice, snowy, winter month in which to do this, just to help myself out a tad.<br />
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2. Blog more. Yes, I know, I have dropped the proverbial ball (is that really a proverb? hmm...) here, but I am going to retrench and begin again to chronicle the everyday for two simple but profound reasons. One, otherwise I have no journal of my kids' activities and that is criminal. Two, there are a few of you out there who regularly lament my inactivity and so I will return for you, as well. It's all about the children and the friends. Because I'm a giver! I'm going to start slow and ramp up, perhaps beginning with once every two weeks, moving to once a week, and aiming for three times a week eventually.<br />
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3. Get healthier. Did you know I have a gym membership now? Wait, no, of course you don't, because I'm not blogging! Yep, I am a member of a local gym now, though for some unknown reason (actually, the reason is probably just contrariness), J doesn't like to visit the kids' play place and has made my going there increasingly difficult, but I am going to force him to come and try to go on the days he goes early to school and figure out a snack I can bring that will entice him. Because I was going regularly for about a month there and it really helped me feel better, so I should keep doing it. Also, I am doing an online biggest loser type challenge online for the third time (what? You didn't know I's already done it twice, losing and then regaining and then losing about 10 pounds? Darn this uninformative blog!) and this time I am actually going to try, instead of committing halfheartedly. First up: counting food points, Weight Watcher's style of old (I HATE points plus, by the way), upping my physical activity (hence the gym), and cutting out candy and most sweets as much as possible. I am NOT going to go all "no refined sugars!!" crazy because, let's be realistic, this is me we are talking about, but I CAN eat less sugar, and I am sure it will help me. Then there's the doctors. I haven't seen a doctor of any kind except at an urgent care emergency since I moved to Ohio. I don't have a primary care doc or an OB or a neurologist or gastroenterologist or cardiologist or infectious disease specialist or urologist, all of whom I have seen more or less regularly in the past. I also don't have an acupuncturist or a chiropractor or even a dentist. I am a mess! I am definitely not the solution but the problem here. So, no longer. I declare 2013 the year of medical professionals! I will have a bevy of them before the year is out. And, at the very least, I will be better protected in case something else goes wrong!<br />
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4. Parent Better. I've decided that I need to get serious about figuring out how to better parent the boys. I took a parenting seminar a few months ago and, while it hasn't helped much right away, I did feel better about my choices while I was there and gained some insight into what is making my children do what they are doing. So I need to do more. Next up, an online seminar on intentional parenting (their words, not mine). I'm not sure what will work, but for now I see the husband and me making one anxious child more anxious and one rough child rougher, which isn't a particularly good track record. So I'm going to learn more and do better this year. Wish us all luck!<br />
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I think that's about enough, don't you? Hopefully, these solutions will actually solve some of my life's current issues. I can't wait to see if they do!<br />
Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-60535339225214911812012-12-20T16:12:00.000-05:002012-12-20T16:12:33.525-05:00Goooooo!I need to catch up, of course, but, until then, a little "Jingle Bells" from our aspiring artist:<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MjAnk9uFtOM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-86183931692010362192012-10-12T21:56:00.000-04:002012-10-12T21:56:00.390-04:00I went to a book group last month. It's a new one, formed by some women from my church group and I went because, in theory, I'm pro book group.<br />
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Turns out, in practice, I can't handle them very well!!<br />
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I've been trying to analyze what my problem is, and I think it's many-fold. First, I think I constitutionally can't do book groups when they're reading fiction. Admittedly, the fiction choice for this particular session wasn't stellar (<i>Gone With the Wind</i>--really--did you know it is almost 1000 pages!), but I think that was only part of the problem. I'm too much the literature teacher. I keep wanting to contextualize for everyone, to guide people away from dualistic thinking, to discuss artistic choices the author is making. These are great instincts if you're a teacher, not so much if you're part of a reading for pleasure book group. I'm pretty sure I ruffled a few feathers even though I only spoke a little.<br />
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I think what I need to do is take a graduate lit course. Actually, what I need to do is teach another class, but that's not going to happen for a while still. In the meantime, book groups reading fiction aren't really for me.<br />
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However, this particular group voted on eight books to read together and six of them, including the next pick, are non-fiction and I'm not really sure how a non-fiction discussion would even go, so I'm going to give the group one more shot. [Actually, two more shots: I got guilted into hosting (by myself--I have a huge sense of guilt!) in January when the group is reading--get this--Gabriel Garcia Marquez's <i>Love in the Time of Cholera</i> (not my suggestion, by the way, though all my offerings were fiction, natch). I know, I know--we're not going to read a lot of novels, but one we are going to read is deceptively simple and yet very complex...what now?]<br />
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Anywho, I'm hoping non-fiction in a book group will go better for me. I can completely understand the urge to read non-fiction for information or research purposes, whereas the idea of reading fiction that way just makes me crazy. But then I wonder how a book group discussion would then go: "I learned this...Oh, so did you, because we read the same book! How interesting!" I'm guessing a discussion of the non-fiction author's rhetorical choices won't come up, which is one of the things I'd like to discuss. Because of course it is! Darn that literary training! However, that being said, I still think non-fiction might be my only way to handle book groups. We shall see.<br />
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In the meantime, I suppose I should be overjoyed to be involved in anything at all that encourages me to read, since lately I seem to have picked up the distressing habit of reading the first few chapters of a lot of books but then never finishing (<i>Cloud Atlas</i>, <i>The Historian</i>, <i>Kavalier and Clay</i>, I'm looking at you!).Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-24510255512963200482012-10-11T21:13:00.002-04:002012-10-11T21:13:34.812-04:00NaturallyI've basically given up feeling guilty for not posting regularly. So there!<br />
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Today, I was the parent helper at J's preschool and we went on a field trip to the Nature Center. Last month, I was also the parent helper on the day we went on our first visit to the Nature Center, so now I've gone twice in a row. And I don't know how much the kids are learning, but I am learning lots and lots! Last time, we learned about local birds and animals that live at the Center, and this time we learned about identifying local trees and the hows and whys of fall colors. It was fascinating and fun. The plan is for the kids to go back to the Center once a month for the entire school year. I think by the end we will all have memorized the trails and become very familiar with the area, but I think that's good for all of us. Next month, even though I'm not the parent helper, I may volunteer to drive and take Toddler E along, just for fun!<br />
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However, field trips aside, being the parent helper is a bit of a culinary challenge for me. In addition to various in classroom duties we have, like crowd control and clean-up, we are responsible for bringing in a nutritious snack for 16 kids and two teachers. Fine, easy enough, right? WRONG! Because, first, our snacks must be nut free. Second, they much be gluten-free. Third, they should be something our child likes to eat. And fourth, as I mentioned, they should be healthy. <br />
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Shoot me now!<br />
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My first attempt at snack this year was little portions of turkey pepperoni and cubed cheese and little portions of mixed dried fruit. Epic fail. Most children ate basically nothing, tossing full bags of snacks in the garbage, much to my chagrin. Even J acted like he had never eaten cheese in his life before, although he did eat almost everyone else's pepperoni. So, for my second attempt today, I decided to try a family style snack instead. I put out trays with clementines, sliced cucumbers, and baby carrots in the middle of the tables, along with cheese and crackers, though we did get all fancy and cut the sliced cheese into leaf, pumpkin, and apple shapes, in light of our Nature Center trip and Fall. Much more successful! The oranges were the biggest hit, followed by the cheese (I put some aside without crackers especially for the gluten-free kid), and then the carrots. The cucumbers were the least liked, but J loves cucumbers and only eats three or so vegetables, so I could live with that. Plus, I got to take all the leftovers home with me, so no waste. Huzzah! Do we think I can just bring the same snack every month when it's my turn? Because I am so considering it!<br />
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Here are some shots from our last trip, where we learned how to differentiate between the various types of squirrels and had close (very close) encounters with a group of deer completely unperturbed by a gaggle of 4 year olds just feet away: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv37VVZsXDt1lvZf7y4qMzJtY1i75ZJugFp4OM6ttb8VxUoJSfsMOFuwwzgKzu_bbtrlCN1g1_gsxyMb4xvJRJOseqUbJNxHbjtqwPBIjJUDC5nso5VxtDIy4FINQy_T4Nj54aA/s1600/IMG_5736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv37VVZsXDt1lvZf7y4qMzJtY1i75ZJugFp4OM6ttb8VxUoJSfsMOFuwwzgKzu_bbtrlCN1g1_gsxyMb4xvJRJOseqUbJNxHbjtqwPBIjJUDC5nso5VxtDIy4FINQy_T4Nj54aA/s400/IMG_5736.JPG" /></a></div>Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36953758.post-1192350690862791902012-09-20T14:02:00.000-04:002012-09-20T14:02:00.090-04:00Tried and true TV (aka my current faves)I was talking to a friend last month and she asked me what shows I was watching and for a minute, for the first time in, I don't know, EVER, I was stumped. I could barely think of one show and most that I eventually came up with were off the air for the summer. I think the problem is asynchronicity: the fact that I don't watch any television in real time combined with the rolling premier schedules has made TV watching much more fluid for me. Which means, that now, for the first time EVER, I'm consciously deciding to stop watching programs and pick them up again when the season or series ends and they come out on DVD so I can watch them all at once. But there is still great TV out there, so, for your sake and mine, I'm going to tell you some of my current favorites, along with my taglines for them. WARNING: this list is in no particular order; who can keep track of which is a summer show or a fall show now, really? CAVEAT: I do not watch all these shows simultaneously, even when they are shown in the same season, lest you worry that I'm rotting my brains out! But I do get back to them all sooner or later. DISCLAIMER: not all programs are available on free media sites; some I watch via Amazon Prime, some are now on Hulu Plus, and I'm sure there are still more streaming on Netflix or iTunes, but I do most of my viewing on original Hulu. Finally, I'll let you know which of the new shows this season have piqued my curiosity in another post.<br />
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Rookie Blue: Cop shows filmed in Canada starring mostly Canadians are less NYPD Blue and more Barney Miller with a hotter cast.<br />
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Covert Affairs: She's a spy for the CIA, her tech guru is a cute, blind Iraq war vet, and almost anyone you can think of will show up as a guest star: it's a jamboree!<br />
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Suits: Can you tell the real lawyers from the fake one? Who cares, as long as they're snappy dressers!<br />
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The Glee Project: Still even better than the real thing!<br />
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Doctor Who: It keeps getting better and better, even with more and more cast members.<br />
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Grey's Anatomy: I can't quit you!<br />
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Project Runway: Now celebrating their tenth anniversary of inspiring everyone to think "I could make it work!"<br />
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Revenge: Best served in the Hamptons. Cute clothes and unexpected cast deaths don't hurt, either.<br />
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Top Chef/Top Chef Masters/Top Chef Just Desserts: Not for those on a diet!<br />
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Alphas: They're among us, and they're much more believable than those Heroes ever were!<br />
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Bones: Getting the main characters together hasn't killed the show yet. Stay tuned!<br />
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Breaking Pointe: Fascinating talents and their neuroses. (I'm not sure if this reality show about Ballet West will get a second season, but you should watch the first anyway. It's fabulous!)<br />
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Parenthood: As close to actual drama as anything else out there.<br />
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Downton Abbey: The genius of the stiff uppercrust.<br />
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And then there are the series I plan on watching on DVD when they wrap up, including Burn Notice, Royal Pains (not really in the league of the rest of these, but enjoyable nonetheless), Fringe, Mad Men, and Newsroom.<br />
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Lilitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12327639515916225576noreply@blogger.com0