So, if you want to see Georgie's picture from our night at the museum, click on this link:
http://www.theeagle.com/slideshows/view/Night-at-the-Museum
It's a slide show, but she made it into the paper twice. Mmmmm....ain't she cute?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
So...we did a costume party thingy...
Well, Kate has been looking forward to this day for weeks. She has kept her own private countdown. Every day she would get up, eat her breakfast and then tell me, "Hey, mom 14 days until Halloween." We knew that we had to address this issue, and address it really soon. We had intended to go to our church's party on Saturday, but then I got called into work, so we made a quick change of plans and when Kate got home from school today, we got all dressed up and headed for the George Bush Museum.
Kate wanted to be a princess, of course, so I ironed her Cinderella dress, attached jingle bells to her socks and gave her some rings to put on her fingers. She took Reagan's pink-cock-horse. Reagan had no idea what to expect. She just thought it was cool that she got to dress up like a kitty cat. You should have seen her with the little ears on her head and whiskers on her nose. She found a mirror and positively preened. I pinned a little lost mitten to the back of Georgie's costume which was a pumpkin for Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater.
We ended up at the museum pretty early, but by the time we had left, I was so glad that we had come early. The line into the museum stretched out all the way to the auxillary parking lot. We were second in line. The girls' costumes were an instant hit. It helped that Reagan played kitty and catterwauled to anyone that passed by. George was just cute.
I was glad that we decided to do this costume party. We got to go to the museum for free and as we toured the exhibits there were attendants with candy. I told Kate to go and ask one of them for a piece of candy. She frowned at me, but Reagan heard me, so she went up to one of them, held out her hand and said, "Candy, please." Imagine her surprise when they gave her a chocolate bar. After that, there was no stopping those girls. They were delightfully bewildered at the fact that all these people wanted to give them candy. The attendants thought it was cute that they kept saying, "Can I have some candy, please."
Kate wanted to be a princess, of course, so I ironed her Cinderella dress, attached jingle bells to her socks and gave her some rings to put on her fingers. She took Reagan's pink-cock-horse. Reagan had no idea what to expect. She just thought it was cool that she got to dress up like a kitty cat. You should have seen her with the little ears on her head and whiskers on her nose. She found a mirror and positively preened. I pinned a little lost mitten to the back of Georgie's costume which was a pumpkin for Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater.
We ended up at the museum pretty early, but by the time we had left, I was so glad that we had come early. The line into the museum stretched out all the way to the auxillary parking lot. We were second in line. The girls' costumes were an instant hit. It helped that Reagan played kitty and catterwauled to anyone that passed by. George was just cute.
I was glad that we decided to do this costume party. We got to go to the museum for free and as we toured the exhibits there were attendants with candy. I told Kate to go and ask one of them for a piece of candy. She frowned at me, but Reagan heard me, so she went up to one of them, held out her hand and said, "Candy, please." Imagine her surprise when they gave her a chocolate bar. After that, there was no stopping those girls. They were delightfully bewildered at the fact that all these people wanted to give them candy. The attendants thought it was cute that they kept saying, "Can I have some candy, please."
Study. Eat. Work. Study. Eat. Study. Work. Eat. Sleep.
That pretty much describes our days. We've made it past the midterms, but now all of the big term papers are due right before Thanksgiving, so we are very busy. Tanner isn't getting much sleep on Tuesdays and Thursdays since his schedule is split. We've learned that putting the classes back to back is very important. He's still keeping good grades, and he gets a lot of "make-up" sleep on the weekends. Today, he heaved a sigh of relief because he gets two days off after a grueling run of tests, quizzes and homework. Lucky for him, he gets to sleep until this afternoon. We've decided to take the girls to a costume party this evening so that they avoid the whole "Halloween" thing, and then tomorrow night we are going to make caramel apples, popcorn, a candy-Thanksgiving chain and maybe watch a movie.
I've been pulled into the first soprano section in choir. Yuk. I do not consider myself a first soprano because I can only hit the high notes at forte, but apparently that's good enough. So, I'm soaring at double forte on a true B above high C. Poor Jonathan has been cringing during my practice sessions at home. I don't blame him. I'm cringing, too.
Kate and Reagan love choir. They come home singing and chanting all sorts of songs and rhymes. Reagan says that her choir teacher "Miss Ilene" is her favorite person. Don't let the "miss" fool you. She's a formidable matriarch, but in Texas everyone is "miss" or "mister". That's right, I'm Miss Noelle, and when Kate isn't listening she becomes Miss Kate, as in, "I said to put that away, Miss Kate." If she's really not heeding my voice she becomes "missy". "Just what did you expect to happen, Missy? Hmm?"
Yesterday, Kate asked me "Wuld ya git me a cuppah wadah." I wish I had mastered the art of raising one eyebrow, but I'm limited to both eyebrows reaching sky high. I responded, "Excuse me, missy? What was that? In english, please." I guess I can't lecture her too sternly since everyone has become "ma'am" and "sir". I almost said "Yes, ma'am" when I was talking on the phone with my mom because that's just what you say to your mamma when she's telling you what is what. Even Kate does it.
Me: Kate, you need to go pick up your toys.
Kate: Yes, ma'am.
Reagan asked me if she could have her own gun. She said she wants a pink one. Looks like I have to find a kids safety training school and a shooting range for kids though I'm not buying a PINK gun. Besides the fact that Tanner would look silly shooting a pink gun, I think it would just be way to attractive for the girls. They would want to play with it. So, I think we'll settle for a nasty, black gun.
Reagan is learning to read. I'm serious. I took her to the Children's Museum yesterday, and she saw all of the alphabet letters. She ran and picked one up and said, "Mommy, it's a G. G says guh." I'm thinking that Kate must be teaching her.
Tanner and I are learning how to couple skate. We took a really bad spill on Wednesday. I was on my right edge (all the way) and Tanner thought we were going straight instead of turning, so out went my foot, down I went, down went Tanner who hit the ice chest first. Ouch. At least we're experienced with falling on the ice. No broken noses or bones, just a bunch of really sore muscles and one really big bruise.
Georgie thinks she can talk. I hold entire conversations with her in baby blabber. She tells me all about the food that she ate, the clothes she pulled out of the drawer, where she squirreled away her last bottle and the toys that Reagan snatched. Every once in a while a clear word will emerge usually it's "Tatie" or "Weg" or "mamma" or "banana" and of course, "dadadadadadadadada". I think, in order of her favorites: Daddy is first, followed by Uncle Jonathan, then Mommy, then Kate, then Reagan. She and Reagan get into a lot of toy tussles. The funny thing is that Reagan usually doesn't win. Georgie is one tough little cookie and snatches and grips onto toys pretty hard. Her favorite thing to do is steal Reagan's blanket. Georgie will throw it across her shoulders and run away with it, laughing the whole time while Reagn cries.
I've been pulled into the first soprano section in choir. Yuk. I do not consider myself a first soprano because I can only hit the high notes at forte, but apparently that's good enough. So, I'm soaring at double forte on a true B above high C. Poor Jonathan has been cringing during my practice sessions at home. I don't blame him. I'm cringing, too.
Kate and Reagan love choir. They come home singing and chanting all sorts of songs and rhymes. Reagan says that her choir teacher "Miss Ilene" is her favorite person. Don't let the "miss" fool you. She's a formidable matriarch, but in Texas everyone is "miss" or "mister". That's right, I'm Miss Noelle, and when Kate isn't listening she becomes Miss Kate, as in, "I said to put that away, Miss Kate." If she's really not heeding my voice she becomes "missy". "Just what did you expect to happen, Missy? Hmm?"
Yesterday, Kate asked me "Wuld ya git me a cuppah wadah." I wish I had mastered the art of raising one eyebrow, but I'm limited to both eyebrows reaching sky high. I responded, "Excuse me, missy? What was that? In english, please." I guess I can't lecture her too sternly since everyone has become "ma'am" and "sir". I almost said "Yes, ma'am" when I was talking on the phone with my mom because that's just what you say to your mamma when she's telling you what is what. Even Kate does it.
Me: Kate, you need to go pick up your toys.
Kate: Yes, ma'am.
Reagan asked me if she could have her own gun. She said she wants a pink one. Looks like I have to find a kids safety training school and a shooting range for kids though I'm not buying a PINK gun. Besides the fact that Tanner would look silly shooting a pink gun, I think it would just be way to attractive for the girls. They would want to play with it. So, I think we'll settle for a nasty, black gun.
Reagan is learning to read. I'm serious. I took her to the Children's Museum yesterday, and she saw all of the alphabet letters. She ran and picked one up and said, "Mommy, it's a G. G says guh." I'm thinking that Kate must be teaching her.
Tanner and I are learning how to couple skate. We took a really bad spill on Wednesday. I was on my right edge (all the way) and Tanner thought we were going straight instead of turning, so out went my foot, down I went, down went Tanner who hit the ice chest first. Ouch. At least we're experienced with falling on the ice. No broken noses or bones, just a bunch of really sore muscles and one really big bruise.
Georgie thinks she can talk. I hold entire conversations with her in baby blabber. She tells me all about the food that she ate, the clothes she pulled out of the drawer, where she squirreled away her last bottle and the toys that Reagan snatched. Every once in a while a clear word will emerge usually it's "Tatie" or "Weg" or "mamma" or "banana" and of course, "dadadadadadadadada". I think, in order of her favorites: Daddy is first, followed by Uncle Jonathan, then Mommy, then Kate, then Reagan. She and Reagan get into a lot of toy tussles. The funny thing is that Reagan usually doesn't win. Georgie is one tough little cookie and snatches and grips onto toys pretty hard. Her favorite thing to do is steal Reagan's blanket. Georgie will throw it across her shoulders and run away with it, laughing the whole time while Reagn cries.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Muscle strains...
Last night Tanner and I went to Wolf Pen to practice our ice skating, and I ran into our dentist. Now, our dentist is a really nice lady, and I was surprised that she recognized us. She asked us what we were doing, and we got to talking about getting injured on the ice. She must be about 44 or so, and she takes lessons, but protects her rear, knees and wrists with all sorts of padding. I found out where she got all the stuff from, and she said, "Oh, you don't have to worry about getting injured. Your body is young. It'll spring right back." I looked at her incredulously. "Are you kidding me?" I asked. "I'm 32. That's not young anymore. That's definitely middle aged." Her mouth dropped and then she dragged her 13 year old daughter over and said, "You'll never guess how old this lady is." Her daughter guessed, "20?" Long and short of it is that my doctor agreed that I should get padding. 32 is middle age, and the old bones and muscles don't spring back quite so quickly anymore.
I was practing my lunges, and strained my thigh muscles, so now I have to wait for that to heal up a bit since it hurts even after I take ibuprofen. Tanner continues to look beautiful on the ice, and last night we even managed to ice dance a little bit since my backward skating is getting much better.
Jonathan strained his wrist at work, so he's going around with his arm wrapped and he's been popping ibuprofen, too.
We've been battling flies the last few weeks in our house. They just seemed to keep springing up out of nowhere. We discovered that a couple of potatoes had rotted, so we threw those out, and figured that perhaps that had been the cause of the flies, but a couple of days later, the flies still kept appearing. We cleared out the pantry. We cleaned the counters, the cupboards and the stove. We cleaned under the stove, inside the fridge, and around the microwave. Still, the flies kept coming. Until this morning. This morning I decided to make a quadruple batch of pancakes, and I ran out of sugar. So, I pulled out my stash of sugar and exposed a gooey mess of baby flies, sugar, water and I don't want to know what else. Disgusting. Gross. At least it didn't smell. Why does this stuff happen? Luckily it was only in one of the bags and the rest were protected because I individually wrap my sugar bags in plastic, but still it was gross. I managed to clean the mess up with a solution of boiling hot water, bleach and a couple of towels that I just tossed after using them. I threw away all the plastic bags and repackaged all the sugar. So, here's hoping that we've found the last of fly breeding grounds.
I was practing my lunges, and strained my thigh muscles, so now I have to wait for that to heal up a bit since it hurts even after I take ibuprofen. Tanner continues to look beautiful on the ice, and last night we even managed to ice dance a little bit since my backward skating is getting much better.
Jonathan strained his wrist at work, so he's going around with his arm wrapped and he's been popping ibuprofen, too.
We've been battling flies the last few weeks in our house. They just seemed to keep springing up out of nowhere. We discovered that a couple of potatoes had rotted, so we threw those out, and figured that perhaps that had been the cause of the flies, but a couple of days later, the flies still kept appearing. We cleared out the pantry. We cleaned the counters, the cupboards and the stove. We cleaned under the stove, inside the fridge, and around the microwave. Still, the flies kept coming. Until this morning. This morning I decided to make a quadruple batch of pancakes, and I ran out of sugar. So, I pulled out my stash of sugar and exposed a gooey mess of baby flies, sugar, water and I don't want to know what else. Disgusting. Gross. At least it didn't smell. Why does this stuff happen? Luckily it was only in one of the bags and the rest were protected because I individually wrap my sugar bags in plastic, but still it was gross. I managed to clean the mess up with a solution of boiling hot water, bleach and a couple of towels that I just tossed after using them. I threw away all the plastic bags and repackaged all the sugar. So, here's hoping that we've found the last of fly breeding grounds.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Whassup?
To all you Northwesterners that are now suffering from cold, bitter, October winds; to those of you that have already had to don jackets, sweaters and windbreakers; to the unfortunate that have already found their boots, tennis shoes, socks and umbrellas...you have my deepest sympathy. Our weather today was 80 with a light breeze. No need for an air conditioner or fans or heaters. Just the natural, warmth that happens on a lovely, fall day in Texas. I am constantly amazed that the girls are still running around in tank tops and shorts, though sometimes I make them put on a t-shirt so that they don't get too cold. The nights do cool down, all the way to the upper 50's, so we make sure that the girls have blankets and warm night clothes. But other than that, I haven't had to make any winter preparations.
Well, one of the problems that we knew we would encounter with Kate going to school was the dreaded mention of the jack-o-latern. She came home on Friday with a painted pumpkin and the news that everyone at school already had jack-o-lanterns at their houses. We have been debating about this for some time, and so on Sunday, we took Kate to the pumpkin patch and let her pick out a pumpkin. She was so funny because she didn't want the ugly, orange pumpkins, she wanted a white pumpkin. Reagan was only interested in the little tiny pumkins that had "handles" on them. So, we brought them home, and today we decorated them. Yup. I bought a big tub of sparkly jewels and glitter paint and we glued and colored our pumpkins. Kate made a curly haired lady with big red lips and blue eyes and long eyelashes. Reagan just stuck stuff all over the place, and mommy made something a little arabesque. Then we got out all of the Thanksgiving decorations and decorated the house for fall. Whew...another successful season navigated...now, if I only knew what to do about a costume for the costume party.
Oh...update on figure skating class. We are now skating on one foot with our legs extended behind us. It's called a spiral because our legs are suppose to make a 180, but most of us only manage 90 at best. We're doing one footed spins, and lunging as we move across the ice. You should have seen that lesson. The whole line of us started out with strong pushes, moved our right foot forward, dropped the back leg into the lunge position and tumbled into a heap like a row of unsightly dominoes. We were all laughing, including the teacher. Up we got and did it all over again. Not to worry, we did manage to finally do a couple of lunges, but the backs of my legs are sore. If you think that lunges, with hands behind your head, while walking are hard, just try the same thing while balancing on a skinny little blade that is sliding across ice. On the plus side, I'm becoming a rink rat. Last week I was at the rink every day except for Tuesday. This week, I think I'll be there every day including Tuesday. I've decided to be proud of my accomplishments. I've only been taking lessons for six weeks, and I can already skate around in a Chuck E. Cheese-like costume. I think I'm kind of impressed...hehehe...of course, Tanner looks so much better on the ice. He has no fear. I've seen him fall maybe half a dozen times, and three of those happened during the lunge class. He does a lovely two footed spin, and only has to practice half as hard as I do. Sounds like what we use to go through in high school. That's okay with me, just as long as I can catch up eventually.
Well, one of the problems that we knew we would encounter with Kate going to school was the dreaded mention of the jack-o-latern. She came home on Friday with a painted pumpkin and the news that everyone at school already had jack-o-lanterns at their houses. We have been debating about this for some time, and so on Sunday, we took Kate to the pumpkin patch and let her pick out a pumpkin. She was so funny because she didn't want the ugly, orange pumpkins, she wanted a white pumpkin. Reagan was only interested in the little tiny pumkins that had "handles" on them. So, we brought them home, and today we decorated them. Yup. I bought a big tub of sparkly jewels and glitter paint and we glued and colored our pumpkins. Kate made a curly haired lady with big red lips and blue eyes and long eyelashes. Reagan just stuck stuff all over the place, and mommy made something a little arabesque. Then we got out all of the Thanksgiving decorations and decorated the house for fall. Whew...another successful season navigated...now, if I only knew what to do about a costume for the costume party.
Oh...update on figure skating class. We are now skating on one foot with our legs extended behind us. It's called a spiral because our legs are suppose to make a 180, but most of us only manage 90 at best. We're doing one footed spins, and lunging as we move across the ice. You should have seen that lesson. The whole line of us started out with strong pushes, moved our right foot forward, dropped the back leg into the lunge position and tumbled into a heap like a row of unsightly dominoes. We were all laughing, including the teacher. Up we got and did it all over again. Not to worry, we did manage to finally do a couple of lunges, but the backs of my legs are sore. If you think that lunges, with hands behind your head, while walking are hard, just try the same thing while balancing on a skinny little blade that is sliding across ice. On the plus side, I'm becoming a rink rat. Last week I was at the rink every day except for Tuesday. This week, I think I'll be there every day including Tuesday. I've decided to be proud of my accomplishments. I've only been taking lessons for six weeks, and I can already skate around in a Chuck E. Cheese-like costume. I think I'm kind of impressed...hehehe...of course, Tanner looks so much better on the ice. He has no fear. I've seen him fall maybe half a dozen times, and three of those happened during the lunge class. He does a lovely two footed spin, and only has to practice half as hard as I do. Sounds like what we use to go through in high school. That's okay with me, just as long as I can catch up eventually.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Another sample of Kate's writing
This one took a bit of circular reading to get.
Transcription starts:
I wil hellp you wosh the dishes too get mi badu. frum kate. i luv yoo momy.
Translation: I will help you wash the dishes to get my beta. From Kate. I love you mommy.
Our Kate is Learning to Write
Transcription:
Dady i luv yoo. Yoo luv me. I rot u letr to mome and this letr is for yoo. This ses that yoo luv mome and yoo r a vare speshol persin. luv kate.
Translation:
Daddy, I love you. You love me. I wrote a letter to mommy and this letter is for you. This says that you love mommy, and you are a very special person. Love, Kate.
At the risk of offending a few people...
President Obama is scheduled to visit Texas A&M today. They received such an overwhelming response to his proposed visit that they declared that they would have to register all of the people that wanted to come. Here's the catch. If people wanted to attend they had to declare whether they were attending to support the president or protest the president. Once everyone had declared why they were going to attend the speech the event became invitation only. And invitations were sent out to a mere 600 supporters. The rest of the crowd is protesting in another area of the campus.
This is the funny part. This is a campus of 50,000 college age kids, and there are only 600 supporters out of the entire group.
When one aggie was asked the question, "Did you know that the president is here at former president George Bush's invitation? Shouldn't you extend hospitality?"
The student responded, "Hospitality is a value that I hold very dear, but I'm an Aggie, and Aggies don't lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do."
I wonder if this will be covered on CNN or MSNBC. Probably not, but here in the heart of Aggieland you can't help but hear about it. So, those of you that don't like conservative politics should probably stay away from Texas because next to Austin, College Station is considered the most liberal city in Texas.
This is the funny part. This is a campus of 50,000 college age kids, and there are only 600 supporters out of the entire group.
When one aggie was asked the question, "Did you know that the president is here at former president George Bush's invitation? Shouldn't you extend hospitality?"
The student responded, "Hospitality is a value that I hold very dear, but I'm an Aggie, and Aggies don't lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do."
I wonder if this will be covered on CNN or MSNBC. Probably not, but here in the heart of Aggieland you can't help but hear about it. So, those of you that don't like conservative politics should probably stay away from Texas because next to Austin, College Station is considered the most liberal city in Texas.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Humorous as it sounds, Texan's go just a little nuttier than usual when more than 2 days of rain occur. During class a girl turned to me, her eyes slightly glazed and tic in the corner of her eye and said, "I can't take it any more. It's been raining for TWELVE days." Then she took a deep breath. I patted her shoulder and reminded her that she was in Texas. The rain would go away very soon. She stared at me in numb shock. How could I handle this so well. TWELVE days!!! I smiled urbanely and explained to her that I come from the northwest. She still said, "Twelve days is a lot of rain!" I shook my head, "oh, no, dear, try 65 days." She almost slipped and fell on the ice. "Don't worry," I reitterated, "I'm sure that in a few days, maybe even tomorrow, we'll have some sunshine."
I felt really sorry for her. We were at the rink and she was wearing thermal underwear underneath her longsleeved t-shirt that peeked out from her parka. Gloves, sock-hat, scarf and of course the double layered pants completed her outfit. I wondered how she managed to stand much less skate in all of the gear as I felt strangely naked in a light weight jacket, t-shirt and yoga pants. I dressed a little more warmly for the rink because ever since the rain had started to fall, the air in the rink had become increasingly damp. I always stripped the jacket off when leaving and when we climbed into the car we would turn the air conditioner on full blast. Even though it was raining, it was still pretty warm, usually in the mid 70's. I suddenly realized that this wasn't normal. I glanced around at the other native Texan's and I could see a similar pattern in all of them: numb stares. I wondered if we needed to start a support group for the "rain" afflicted.
The next day, the weather pattern broke and we had a balmy 85, light breeze, sun peeking through clouds and of course humidity because all of the water that had been falling had to go somewhere. The girls and I stretched out on the front porch and soaked in a few rays, hoping that some vitamin D would get their immune systems into gear.
Yesterday was choir practice. When I told Reagan that we were going to singing school, she jumped up and down and turned circles. She could hardly contain her excitement as we went to pick up Kate from school, and then dropped them off at choir. She gave me a quick kiss, waved goodbye and scooted into the building as fast as she could. She didn't even look back. I followed her all the way inside, watched her hug her teacher and signed the two of them into class. Kate showed more appropriate signs by kissing me and hugging me goodbye.
I felt really sorry for her. We were at the rink and she was wearing thermal underwear underneath her longsleeved t-shirt that peeked out from her parka. Gloves, sock-hat, scarf and of course the double layered pants completed her outfit. I wondered how she managed to stand much less skate in all of the gear as I felt strangely naked in a light weight jacket, t-shirt and yoga pants. I dressed a little more warmly for the rink because ever since the rain had started to fall, the air in the rink had become increasingly damp. I always stripped the jacket off when leaving and when we climbed into the car we would turn the air conditioner on full blast. Even though it was raining, it was still pretty warm, usually in the mid 70's. I suddenly realized that this wasn't normal. I glanced around at the other native Texan's and I could see a similar pattern in all of them: numb stares. I wondered if we needed to start a support group for the "rain" afflicted.
The next day, the weather pattern broke and we had a balmy 85, light breeze, sun peeking through clouds and of course humidity because all of the water that had been falling had to go somewhere. The girls and I stretched out on the front porch and soaked in a few rays, hoping that some vitamin D would get their immune systems into gear.
Yesterday was choir practice. When I told Reagan that we were going to singing school, she jumped up and down and turned circles. She could hardly contain her excitement as we went to pick up Kate from school, and then dropped them off at choir. She gave me a quick kiss, waved goodbye and scooted into the building as fast as she could. She didn't even look back. I followed her all the way inside, watched her hug her teacher and signed the two of them into class. Kate showed more appropriate signs by kissing me and hugging me goodbye.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Figure skating class is so much fun. Yesterday, we learned how to skate backward on one foot and how to do that really cool skating move called a crossover. I don't look very cool right now, and during class I was an utter failure, but then I came back for practice with a pair of knee pads, and managed to figure out how to do the moves. I think most of my problem is that I'm afraid of falling and REALLY hurting myself. After all, I'm 32 and can't really afford to get hurt. I mean, if I hurt my knees, who is going to carry Georgie, clean the kitchen, vacuum, and take Kate to school? So, the knee pads really helped.
After a series of very cold days (we barely broke 74) the weather is warming up again. It is still cloudy outside, but there's a delicious muggy feeling that is typically only felt during the last part of June in Portland. It's that sensual feeling that drags you out of doors to work in the garden or wish you could go kayaking. It's the weather that takes you on a picnic to the Rose Garden or a stroll on the water front because you know there won't be thousands of people crowding around only like minded individuals soaking up the rich, moist air. It's the call of Powell's Bookstore and Illy coffee and a quick trip to the NorthWest district or an even quicker skip to the Pearl. It's also the annoying reminder that some idiot declared that the Rose Festival had to occur at the beginning of June while everything is damp, dank and rainy instead of sensibly setting the dates for the last week of June. Here, in Texas, it's the call to open you windows and let the wind blow through the rumpled bed covers, maybe pull on a pair of rubber boots and take a walk through mud puddles, or dust off the seat of the bike and swish along the sidewalks and side roads on the way to the park.
I am sensibly not going to do any of those things because I still have three girls at home with sniffly noses and cute, deep little voices, and I have the ominous itching of the throat feeling. I think we'll stay at home with just a few windows open to help air the house out, but other than that, this is going to be just a very sensible day, spent doing sensible things like laundry and dishes and general housework since I also have to teach lessons this afternoon.
I am missing the Sauvie Island pumpkin patch right now. I wish I could just hope on a plane and take my kids to get their traditional pumpkin, hay ride, train ride and maze, but that just isn't going to happen any time soon. We live in a part of Texas that caters to BIG farms, so there aren't any nearby pumpkin patches. The closest we have found is just north of Katy, Texas, and it costs $11 a person just to get into the thing. Yeah, that's what I thought, "11 bucks?!?!" So, maybe we'll have to figure out another way to get our yearly stash of pumpkin seeds. That is the whole reason for going to the patch. Kate loves pumpkin seeds. If I didn't monitor her intake she would eat cupfuls in a single sitting. Luckily, I also make a great pumpkin soup, complete with salted pumpkin seeds. Unfortunately, I really don't care for pumpkin pie or pumpkin bars or pumpkin scones or anything else like that so we end up with a lot of frozen pumpkin.
Here's to happy hunting for me. I hope I find a pumpking supplier somewhere soon.
After a series of very cold days (we barely broke 74) the weather is warming up again. It is still cloudy outside, but there's a delicious muggy feeling that is typically only felt during the last part of June in Portland. It's that sensual feeling that drags you out of doors to work in the garden or wish you could go kayaking. It's the weather that takes you on a picnic to the Rose Garden or a stroll on the water front because you know there won't be thousands of people crowding around only like minded individuals soaking up the rich, moist air. It's the call of Powell's Bookstore and Illy coffee and a quick trip to the NorthWest district or an even quicker skip to the Pearl. It's also the annoying reminder that some idiot declared that the Rose Festival had to occur at the beginning of June while everything is damp, dank and rainy instead of sensibly setting the dates for the last week of June. Here, in Texas, it's the call to open you windows and let the wind blow through the rumpled bed covers, maybe pull on a pair of rubber boots and take a walk through mud puddles, or dust off the seat of the bike and swish along the sidewalks and side roads on the way to the park.
I am sensibly not going to do any of those things because I still have three girls at home with sniffly noses and cute, deep little voices, and I have the ominous itching of the throat feeling. I think we'll stay at home with just a few windows open to help air the house out, but other than that, this is going to be just a very sensible day, spent doing sensible things like laundry and dishes and general housework since I also have to teach lessons this afternoon.
I am missing the Sauvie Island pumpkin patch right now. I wish I could just hope on a plane and take my kids to get their traditional pumpkin, hay ride, train ride and maze, but that just isn't going to happen any time soon. We live in a part of Texas that caters to BIG farms, so there aren't any nearby pumpkin patches. The closest we have found is just north of Katy, Texas, and it costs $11 a person just to get into the thing. Yeah, that's what I thought, "11 bucks?!?!" So, maybe we'll have to figure out another way to get our yearly stash of pumpkin seeds. That is the whole reason for going to the patch. Kate loves pumpkin seeds. If I didn't monitor her intake she would eat cupfuls in a single sitting. Luckily, I also make a great pumpkin soup, complete with salted pumpkin seeds. Unfortunately, I really don't care for pumpkin pie or pumpkin bars or pumpkin scones or anything else like that so we end up with a lot of frozen pumpkin.
Here's to happy hunting for me. I hope I find a pumpking supplier somewhere soon.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Well, thank you for all of your prayers. I got 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and Reagan's fever broke this morning at around five. Kate only has a runny nose, and Tanner seems to be on the mend as well.
I feel great. I went to work at 8:30 and stood in the rain until 2:00 dressed in my costume. We thankfully packed up early, and I came home, hung my suit out to dry, made lunch, discovered that Georgie hadn't had a diaper change ALL day, and then discovered that my potatoes had rotted and there were maggots. Gross. Tanner cleaned it up. Typical of me isn't it?
Then, I took Kate and Georgie shopping. We went to Target to get Georgie a birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Howell and Tiffani and David and Talia and Jacob. She ended up with two hoodies and night clothes and a toy organizer. Then we swung by a craft store to pick up a hot glue gun and then to Home Depot for a couple bags of gravel. Home. Spread the gravel. Made dinner. Cleaned the girls room. Got Georgie ready for bed. And now, I'm resting. It feels so good to finally have energy.
I feel great. I went to work at 8:30 and stood in the rain until 2:00 dressed in my costume. We thankfully packed up early, and I came home, hung my suit out to dry, made lunch, discovered that Georgie hadn't had a diaper change ALL day, and then discovered that my potatoes had rotted and there were maggots. Gross. Tanner cleaned it up. Typical of me isn't it?
Then, I took Kate and Georgie shopping. We went to Target to get Georgie a birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Howell and Tiffani and David and Talia and Jacob. She ended up with two hoodies and night clothes and a toy organizer. Then we swung by a craft store to pick up a hot glue gun and then to Home Depot for a couple bags of gravel. Home. Spread the gravel. Made dinner. Cleaned the girls room. Got Georgie ready for bed. And now, I'm resting. It feels so good to finally have energy.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The light at the end of the tunnel.
This week has been a test of our fortitude. Not only did Tanner come down with a full fledged flu, he passed it Kate. That wasn't so bad, but I had just recovered from a cold, and it hit me at the same time that Kate was puking in the toilet at 3:00am on Tuesday. I kept thinking that I could make it just as long as no one else got sick, but then last night as Reagan nestled her cheek next to mine, I discovered another case of influenza and almost broke down crying. I'm not sure if it is swine flu or not, but it's a little late no matter what, so we're just dealing with the situation.
The shopping lists this week have been pitiful. We've made two trips to the store to get chicken noodle soup, 7up, tylenol and dayquil and gypsy cold care. Then we made a third trip to resupply our house with Robitussin, cough drops and tissue. Then Tanner headed out for saltine crackers. I made a trip to get bannanas and applesauce. Jonathan bought bread so that we could make toast. Yesterday was the first day that I felt somewhat normal, so I actually foraged for some fruits and vegetables, but no one has the stomach for them, yet.
A woman from our church dropped off a huge crockpot of homemade chicken noodle soup which the kids devoured. Kate licked her lips and said that she thought it would heal her tummy.
I did have a meltdown yesterday. I started crying while washing dishes. I seemed to be the only one capable of washing dishes and cleaning the house while puking my guts out and cleaning up all the kids. Today was much better with the two guys finally chipping in, and I've only had to wash dishes once, and Tanner cleaned up when Reagan lost her lunch in the living room. I'm not sure if that was because I was at work or if he would have done it even if I was home, but at least it wasn't waiting for me when walked in the door. So, we're all hanging in there. I'm thankful for the cooler weather. It's much easier to keep a fever in check when the outdoor temperature is 70 rather than 90. So, now we just have to make it through Reagan, and I'm sure we'll have to deal with Georgie. Hopefully, Tanner will get enough rest so that he'll recover though it seems to have hit him the hardest and he is not bouncing back very quickly.
If you want to pray, please pray for rest for the adults and health for the kids. I suppose health for the adults would be good, too, but right now, we need sweet, uninterrupted sleep.
The shopping lists this week have been pitiful. We've made two trips to the store to get chicken noodle soup, 7up, tylenol and dayquil and gypsy cold care. Then we made a third trip to resupply our house with Robitussin, cough drops and tissue. Then Tanner headed out for saltine crackers. I made a trip to get bannanas and applesauce. Jonathan bought bread so that we could make toast. Yesterday was the first day that I felt somewhat normal, so I actually foraged for some fruits and vegetables, but no one has the stomach for them, yet.
A woman from our church dropped off a huge crockpot of homemade chicken noodle soup which the kids devoured. Kate licked her lips and said that she thought it would heal her tummy.
I did have a meltdown yesterday. I started crying while washing dishes. I seemed to be the only one capable of washing dishes and cleaning the house while puking my guts out and cleaning up all the kids. Today was much better with the two guys finally chipping in, and I've only had to wash dishes once, and Tanner cleaned up when Reagan lost her lunch in the living room. I'm not sure if that was because I was at work or if he would have done it even if I was home, but at least it wasn't waiting for me when walked in the door. So, we're all hanging in there. I'm thankful for the cooler weather. It's much easier to keep a fever in check when the outdoor temperature is 70 rather than 90. So, now we just have to make it through Reagan, and I'm sure we'll have to deal with Georgie. Hopefully, Tanner will get enough rest so that he'll recover though it seems to have hit him the hardest and he is not bouncing back very quickly.
If you want to pray, please pray for rest for the adults and health for the kids. I suppose health for the adults would be good, too, but right now, we need sweet, uninterrupted sleep.
Is it cold?
Today, we woke up to a light, gray drizzle and a chilled house. I was snuggled up close to Tanner (he is my electric blanket) and discovered that I had three blankets on top of me. I guess Tanner got up in the middle of the night and got a couple of blankets. We usually sleep with just a sheet because it is so muggy and hot that you don't really need anything else. I shivered my way out of bed and to the heater and actually turned on the heaters. They gave out their first belching, smokey scent and the smoke detectors started to beep, but after a few minutes the smell dissipated, and we are sitting in a newly warmed house.
Jonathan came out of his room wearing socks, jeans, long sleeved shirt over a long sleeved t-shirt. We're all wearing sweats except for Reagan who has a fever and is contentedly sitting in my rocking chair covered with her blanky.
This kind of weather makes me reminiscent of my childhood, so I opened the jar of gauva jelly today, smeared butter and jelly on a cracker and took a little trip through Portland snow and hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. And then, my little bubble popped because I looked at the temperature on-line. It's currently 71 outside...
Jonathan came out of his room wearing socks, jeans, long sleeved shirt over a long sleeved t-shirt. We're all wearing sweats except for Reagan who has a fever and is contentedly sitting in my rocking chair covered with her blanky.
This kind of weather makes me reminiscent of my childhood, so I opened the jar of gauva jelly today, smeared butter and jelly on a cracker and took a little trip through Portland snow and hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. And then, my little bubble popped because I looked at the temperature on-line. It's currently 71 outside...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Sick, sick, sick...
We have got some sort of stomach virus. Georgie came down with it first, then transfered it to Uncle Jonathan, who gave it to me, and then I gave it to Tanner, and now Reagan seemse to be coming down with it. That leaves Kate, but today she was saying that her tummy did feel right, so I'm not sure how long she will hold out.
Other than that, our days keep rolling by. I still have to make bread, granola, breakfast, lunch, dinner, do the laundry, go to work, clean the house, teach violin, study, change diapers, give baths and all that good stuff. Tanner has to go to work, study, mow the lawn, fix the house and sleep. I don't know what we would do without Jonathan. Today, he tagged teamed with me and changed a couple of diapers and handed out drinks and snacks. Of course, it doesn't seem like much when I write it down, but I am so thankful that he is around to help pick up some of the slack.
Today was one of the gray, rainy days that are so familiar to Northwesterners. I pulled on a pair of pants and a sweater this morning, but after a mere 1/2 hour, I felt sticky and hot, so I changed into a t-shirt and jeans and finished making the granola. An hour later, as I wiped my brow, I decided to open the windows to let some cool, fresh air inside the house. Imagine my surprise when a blast of hot, sticky air hit me. I checked the sky, and it was still cloudy, gray and raining, but it was HOT. I closed the window, turned on the air conditioner and found some shorts. When I checked the weather report this afternoon, it said we had a high of 89. It never stopped raining, and if the girls hadn't been sick, I would have let them play outside with their rubber boots and bathing suits.
Other than that, our days keep rolling by. I still have to make bread, granola, breakfast, lunch, dinner, do the laundry, go to work, clean the house, teach violin, study, change diapers, give baths and all that good stuff. Tanner has to go to work, study, mow the lawn, fix the house and sleep. I don't know what we would do without Jonathan. Today, he tagged teamed with me and changed a couple of diapers and handed out drinks and snacks. Of course, it doesn't seem like much when I write it down, but I am so thankful that he is around to help pick up some of the slack.
Today was one of the gray, rainy days that are so familiar to Northwesterners. I pulled on a pair of pants and a sweater this morning, but after a mere 1/2 hour, I felt sticky and hot, so I changed into a t-shirt and jeans and finished making the granola. An hour later, as I wiped my brow, I decided to open the windows to let some cool, fresh air inside the house. Imagine my surprise when a blast of hot, sticky air hit me. I checked the sky, and it was still cloudy, gray and raining, but it was HOT. I closed the window, turned on the air conditioner and found some shorts. When I checked the weather report this afternoon, it said we had a high of 89. It never stopped raining, and if the girls hadn't been sick, I would have let them play outside with their rubber boots and bathing suits.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The sweet smells of...autumn?
The grass in our backyard decided to take off like there was no tomorrow, and in the last week or so, it has grown so tall that if I let Reagan out in it, she would be hidden. I use to wonder about that redneck joke: what does a redneck security system look like? Answer: grass so tall you can't see the car or the front porch, so would be burglars would get lost and die of thirst before they ever found their way out again. I've gained a new appreciation for that little joke. Once the first autumn rains hit, the grass just takes off like wildfire. Neatly clipped and groomed lawns suddenly sprout green oceans of grass and slumbering wild flowers wake up and give us nodding blooms.
I was saying that since the grass has grown so tall in our backyard, I've had to send the girls out into the front yard which necessitates my standing or sitting on the front porch watching them. Most parents in this neighborhood don't do that, so I'm sure that I am considered over-cautious, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. So, today, I let the girls outside, grabbed a couple bubble wands and we spent an hour blowing bubbles. It was delicious fun watching Reagan's golden hair whip this way and that as she darted around trying to pop as many bubbles as she could. Even Georgianna participated. She stood on the porch and squealed and squeaked and looked pleased that she got to be outside, too.
The late morning and early afternoon were gloriously sunny. Our concrete porch was warm underneath my barefeet, and the damp smell of freshly cut grass hung in the air. I heard lawn mowers start and stop and restart like a strange automotive chorus. I wondered if Tanner would be able to mow the lawn this week, but didn't like to ask him. I contemplated asking Jonathan, only he hasn't been feeling well lately. So, I sat on the porch and watched the tip of a thunderhead creep toward our house.
A few minutes later I felt the first splash of rain, and watched all the well trained, texas-native children glance up and then scurry into their houses. I called to my wandering girls who clambered up the steps with crestfallen faces. An ominous wind kicked up as I gathered the bubble wands and plastic cups. By the time I had ushered the girls into the house and closed the door a steady rain was falling and the air was cooling down. Perhaps the lawn will get mowed one day, perhaps not, but at least an unmowed lawn is giving me days like this, where I take time out of my studying, baking, cooking and cleaning to watch little hands tickling the underbellies of glistening, wet blossoms of bubbles.
I was saying that since the grass has grown so tall in our backyard, I've had to send the girls out into the front yard which necessitates my standing or sitting on the front porch watching them. Most parents in this neighborhood don't do that, so I'm sure that I am considered over-cautious, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. So, today, I let the girls outside, grabbed a couple bubble wands and we spent an hour blowing bubbles. It was delicious fun watching Reagan's golden hair whip this way and that as she darted around trying to pop as many bubbles as she could. Even Georgianna participated. She stood on the porch and squealed and squeaked and looked pleased that she got to be outside, too.
The late morning and early afternoon were gloriously sunny. Our concrete porch was warm underneath my barefeet, and the damp smell of freshly cut grass hung in the air. I heard lawn mowers start and stop and restart like a strange automotive chorus. I wondered if Tanner would be able to mow the lawn this week, but didn't like to ask him. I contemplated asking Jonathan, only he hasn't been feeling well lately. So, I sat on the porch and watched the tip of a thunderhead creep toward our house.
A few minutes later I felt the first splash of rain, and watched all the well trained, texas-native children glance up and then scurry into their houses. I called to my wandering girls who clambered up the steps with crestfallen faces. An ominous wind kicked up as I gathered the bubble wands and plastic cups. By the time I had ushered the girls into the house and closed the door a steady rain was falling and the air was cooling down. Perhaps the lawn will get mowed one day, perhaps not, but at least an unmowed lawn is giving me days like this, where I take time out of my studying, baking, cooking and cleaning to watch little hands tickling the underbellies of glistening, wet blossoms of bubbles.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The best kept secret about Texas
This morning, I woke up very late. Tanner and Jonathan had made Kate's breakfast and most of her lunch. I'm not sure how I manged to sleep through all of the noise. It might have had to do with the fact that both Georgie and Reagan ended up in our bed last night. Anyway, I woke up late. I did manage to pack the chocolate pudidng, fruit snacks and apple into her lunch box. I was going to let Tanner take Kate to school because it's on his way to his class, but I decided to quickly get Georgie and Reagan ready because I wanted to do some fabric shopping.
For the harvest party this year, we were thinking of dressing our entire family up as "Silver Bells", and I wanted to find some cheap fabric to see if this idea I had would work.
So, I got the little ones ready and myself ready, and hustled them outside. I came to an exultant, abrupt stop on our front porch, and slowly took a deep breath. A light breeze was rustling the grass, the hibiscus was blooming in vibrant reds, a faint smell of salt wafted along and I had a deep longing for the sand and the waves. It was a balmy 78. I couldn't help but fall in love with Texas all over again. Who cares about six weeks of 100 degree weather, when the rest of the year is just like this? This is the time of barbecues and potlucks, of picnics and harvest dances. I'm curious to see what a pumpkin patch will feel like when we don't have to wear scarves and mittens and worry about the kids being too cold during the hay ride. I can't wait to bundle up the kids in hats and gloves because it's 68 degrees out and just too cold.
Yes, this is the secret time-- the time to linger on the front porch to exchange greetings with our neighbors or dawdle on the corner with the trash bag and wave to the kids on the school bus or even pause at the trunk of the car before unloading groceries to find out what the neighbor next door is cooking up for dinner. This is when we soak in the gentle breezes, experience the better parts of southern hospitality and pass from our time into another time when things moved more slowly and people were people not numbers or cars or jobs.
For the harvest party this year, we were thinking of dressing our entire family up as "Silver Bells", and I wanted to find some cheap fabric to see if this idea I had would work.
So, I got the little ones ready and myself ready, and hustled them outside. I came to an exultant, abrupt stop on our front porch, and slowly took a deep breath. A light breeze was rustling the grass, the hibiscus was blooming in vibrant reds, a faint smell of salt wafted along and I had a deep longing for the sand and the waves. It was a balmy 78. I couldn't help but fall in love with Texas all over again. Who cares about six weeks of 100 degree weather, when the rest of the year is just like this? This is the time of barbecues and potlucks, of picnics and harvest dances. I'm curious to see what a pumpkin patch will feel like when we don't have to wear scarves and mittens and worry about the kids being too cold during the hay ride. I can't wait to bundle up the kids in hats and gloves because it's 68 degrees out and just too cold.
Yes, this is the secret time-- the time to linger on the front porch to exchange greetings with our neighbors or dawdle on the corner with the trash bag and wave to the kids on the school bus or even pause at the trunk of the car before unloading groceries to find out what the neighbor next door is cooking up for dinner. This is when we soak in the gentle breezes, experience the better parts of southern hospitality and pass from our time into another time when things moved more slowly and people were people not numbers or cars or jobs.
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