The Year

Best ever. 

Penultimate

I'm sitting here watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve and have no idea who two-thirds of the performers are. I resolve to be more hip in 2012. And to not be home watching this show on the eve of 2013.

Until then, I'll try to think of something more profound to say in my last blog post of this year. 

Quantity

In order to successfully complete this blogging challenge I need to publish eight posts today. That's not going to happen. In order to hit 100 posts for 2011 I need to publish three posts today. That's so going to happen.

And this counts as one!

Blessed

We made it to Helena with only a peep on the plane from our exhausted babe. Then we proceeded to have a food and laughter filled holiday. Three more days with family here in mountain country. Happy, happy.

The Travel

Today we are off to Montana! I couldn't be more excited. That's not true. I could be more excited if Sam had slept at all today. This may be our most interesting flight yet. Wish us luck!

Piece of Pecan Pie

Three or four times a day Sam crawls over to the entertainment center, pulls himself up and requests music by clicking his tongue, putting his fingers together as if snapping and shaking his head. When we oblige, he is overjoyed and shakes his little booty away. Please witness:

The Bezoar

I finally convinced Dave to look in my ear. And boy was it interesting.

There seems to be what he described as a "bezoar" hanging out in my ear canal. Now, it's not really a bezoar in my ear because, having Googled the word, I know that a bezoar is a ball of swallowed foreign material. I don't know a lot about anatomy, but I'm pretty sure anything I swallow should not end up in my ear. Still, bezoar is a good visual for what I have going on. It's also a great word.

Further research on the internets has revealed that a more appropriate term for this mass is cerumen impaction. Here's a definition:

We say that cerumen is impacted when it has built up in the ear canal to such a point that there may be signs that something is not quite right. It is important to note that, ideally, ears might never need cleaning—they are designed to clean themselves. Impaction often happens when people use items like cotton swabs or bobby pins to try to clean their ears. This only pushes the earwax farther into the ears and can also cause injury to the ear.

Yep. That sounds about right. I am guilty of trying to clean this ear with a cotton swab because, well, there were signs that something was not quite right. Apparently that was a bad idea. Question: Why do they make cotton swabs if they are not supposed to go in your ears? This can't be my fault alone.

So now I'm banned from using Q-tips and have to put drops in my ear to try to break up the bezoar. If that doesn't work, Dr. Dave is going to try to gently rinse out the mass with a nasal aspirator. And if that doesn't work, he's going to try to dig out the clump with some tool I'm pretty sure he's not medically trained to use. He can put in a central line, but he's never had to perform an earwax extraction. He tells me he'll watch a video first. That's reassuring.

La Lumière

We finally decorated the tree. Dave went overboard on the lights, but we got this great shot of Sam after he recovered from being blind.

Each the Other's World Entire

Today my book club met and it was a delightful event. We read Cormac McCarthy's The Road, and while this was not a delightful book, it was strangely beautiful and made for great conversation. It tore my heart right out, but I really loved it. Go ahead. Read it. If you want.

On The Move

We've been thinking about getting Sam a walker wagon, but this box seems to do the trick.

Off Schedule

After Sam talked and then cried through his first nap today, I did what any mother in my situation would do. I gathered him up and went to Target. Sam's favorite place in all the world is a shopping cart, so he was happy as could be cruising through the aisles. 

Sam fell asleep in the car on the way home and kept sleeping right through lunch time. And then he ate his lunch when he should have been napping. Later he napped when it should have been snack time. 

This was all very disconcerting for me. But we weathered the storm as best we could.

Someday I'll Run Again

I went for a long walk today. I've been neglecting exercise of late, so it was quite nice to be on the move. Hundreds of black crows cawed at me as I passed them, and I thought I might be in a Hitchcock movie. After 45 minutes of walking, it seemed I had gone too far because my hip flexors and knees were starting to ache. I made it home, but the aching continued for three more hours. I took some drugs. Then I felt better.

So. Thorns and roses.

O Tannenbaum

We're going to be out of town for Christmas this year (Montana in 11 sleeps!) so we decided to get a small tree to celebrate the season and mark Sam's first holiday with a bit of tradition and decoration. Usually we cut our own tree, but being a little late in the month for that endeavor, we drove out to Linder's to check out the pre-cut selection. Come to find out, Linder's doesn't carry a selection of the Charlie Brown variety, but they do have a nice little Econo Lot with some lovely Balsams each marked with a $37.99 price tag. Immediately, I found a handful of trees suitable for our purpose, but Dave fell in love with one in particular. A natural Balsam eleven feet tall. Just like that we went from small to the biggest tree we've ever had. This reminds me of two things I've learned about marriage: You can't really plan anything and often that's the best way to go.

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

Sam is really into singing lately. Here's a tune he shared with us while crawling around today. I can't get enough of it.

And a Glass of Milk

Right now I'm waiting for Dave to make us each a brownie. We use the No Pudge! mix because you just add some yogurt and put it all in the microwave for a minute to a get a delicious and fat-free treat. Dave has never made one of these for me before. When he wants one, he talks me into making it by describing how hard it is to get the right proportion of yogurt to brownie mix. The truth is, it's not hard at all. But he goes on and on until I just make the brownie. Not tonight. I've been holding out for twenty minutes while he goes on about the difficulty. Since I've been typing this, he has actually gotten up to prepare the mix. This is monumental. And it happened today.

Common Cold

Today I'm sick. I've been trying to function normally but would really like to take a nap. I also wish I could get that fluid-feeling out of my ears. Or get the actual fluid out if that's what's going on. We have an otoscope in the house, but I can never get Dave to look in my ears. I think it could be really interesting. He doesn't seem to agree.

Right Down Santa Claus Lane

We had a fun family outing today in Linden Hills. It's a neighborhood nowhere near our house, but we heard word of reindeer, Santa Claus, and -- can you even believe it -- penguins in the area. Penguins! We were not disappointed. Well, except that the penguins came from South Africa and preferred a warm climate, so they had to be kept in a heated tent. But whatever. That wasn't really a disappointment because we got to see penguins. Penguins! Sam took it all in and seemed to love it despite a runny nose and teething pain. And he didn't even freak out when Santa pulled up a chair at our lunch table for this photo op. Of course, when there's food in front of him, Sam doesn't worry about much else.

Soliciting

Today I'm thinking about gifts, and I need some help. Can anyone recommend a good book for a 2nd grade girl? I'm looking at you, LH! This girl likes to do her nails, talk a mile a minute, put fancy feathers in her hair, and participate in competitive sports. In fact, she's the state swimming champion for her age and sex. But that last category didn't stop her from beating all of the boys' times too. So, she's pretty awesome and deserves a good book or two.

Oh, and if you have any ideas for her parents, we drew their names too. They like music, food, and Scandinavian countries. And, of course, cheering for their ridiculously talented children in athletic events.

Let the ideas roll, People.

Hello, My Name Is

Today I had a great meeting with my writing group. We're all a little behind where we had planned to be, but we each met part of our goal for the month. So that's good. It's also good that we get to talk with pals about similar insecurities and successes in this lonely business we call dissertation writing. And we eat quiche at every meeting. Basically, this group is a lifesaver.

101

Sam really enjoyed the weekend at the cabin. Whenever he pointed at an item he wanted (which was pretty much any item, anywhere) and said "Dat!" someone would grab that item and hand it over. Naturally Sam assumes this will continue at home. Tonight, he refused to nurse until I handed him the TV remote (Dat! Dat! Dat!) and then he pushed buttons while suckling away. In retrospect, that was probably bad parenting.

It's On

We're heading to the cabin today and leaving this behind. 

I can't imagine anything worse than coming home to a dozen dead mice. Except coming home to a dozen empty traps.  This must be done.

The Season

I'm feeling a little bah humbug about gift-giving and receiving this year. I think it's because my family does a very minimal gift exchange while my husband's family does a very maximal one. So while I'd rather be gathering gifts for my most intimate peeps, I am instead researching possible gifts for a cousin-in-law whose name was drawn by my infant son (who has, as far as we can tell, no concept of holiday gift exchanges).

I think we can all agree I need an attitude adjustment about this. Even I can see that.

And It's Only 9:18

Two things of note are going on at the coffee shop right now. First, Tim Pawlenty is sitting just 20 feet from me. He's wearing a full suit and is working away on his iPad. What does a former governor do with his time once his bid for the presidency is over? Maybe I'll get up the nerve to ask.

Second, a man at the table next to me is being interviewed about an acquaintance who is seeking employment at the CIA. I know this because I was once interviewed about a friend who was doing the same. I would say more, but the details are highly confidential. Actually, they're not. She got the job and did our country proud. You're welcome, America.

He Was Born in a Polar Vortex

We thought it would be fun to bundle Sam up, take him out in the snow, and pull him around on the sled.

At first, it looked like he was going to love it.

But once we got moving, it looked something like this.

Wonderland

We had a fabulous Saturday over here. It started with brunch at the Egg and I with my college pals and their kiddos. Then we lazed away the afternoon with books and soup and views of the falling snow. In the late afternoon, we trekked out to the Midwest Home Show where Dave refused to talk to anyone who might try to sell him something. I figured that was the whole point, so I gave my email freely and signed up for lots of drawings. Sam met a puppy at one booth and said "Dog!" quite clearly as we walked away. Back home, we threw together a dinner of brats and fancy mac n' cheese, which, I fear, is all Sam will ever want to eat again. Once he was down for the night, Dave and I watched an episode of The Wire and I managed to stay calm about the corruption and devastation by drinking two glasses of wine.

All in all, a perfect day.

Blogging Challenge

I have exciting news. A new blogging challenge begins this Saturday and ends sometime near the start of 2012. The challenge is to write about something that happens each day, good or bad, but mostly good, and comment on the blogs of others. That last part wasn't stated in the challenge post, but I think it's implied that you should comment too. That's just good blogging. Right, Pronto?

So, here goes. 

Today I removed a live mouse from a glue trap under our stove. I really can't say more than that because I'm pretty shaken up. Tomorrow I'll be ridding our house of glue traps because I never want to go through that again. And neither does the mouse. 

Okay. That was a good warm up. Look for more exciting (or mundane) posts starting Saturday!

Priority

I had to admit to a writing group yesterday that the dissertation has taken a backseat to other things in my life. The house, the living with in-laws, the other short-term writing project deadlines, and the job applications have occupied my mind of late. I'm not happy about this. But I do think things will be looking up after this week. And I'm already half way through Monday.

DIY

The new house has come with a few fix-up projects, most of which Dave has handled because, well, he's handy. I offered to tackle the purchase and install of a new dishwasher, though, because it required only a visit to Sears and being around for the install. No problem.

Last week the new dishwasher gave us this message (on the display screen?!): NOT ENOUGH WATER TO FINISH THE CYCLE. SEE USER GUIDE.

Being in charge of the dishwasher and all, I saw that user guide. And found nothing related to this message. Hmm. Being in charge of the dishwasher and all (still!), I called Sears, described our problem (twice, actually, because I got disconnected), and scheduled service for the next day. No problem.

Keith, our friendly service man (who wasn't the artsy-type we wanted to befriend), stared at that dishwasher for 30 minutes waiting for it to display the same error message. Then he looked through the user guide for five minutes trying to find something (anything!) about this message. Needless to say, Keith left without finding a problem or making a friend.

Last night, when the dishwasher stopped mid-cycle and the display screen gave us the NOT ENOUGH WATER message, I told Dave I would handle it. I jumped online, searched for "Bosch dishwasher not enough water" and found that several other people had had the same problem. After reading about the problem and its possible solutions for twenty minutes, I shared my fine detective work.

"Dave," I said,"I think we may have purchased the wrong dishwasher. I've been doing some research and I found this." I showed him the screen.

"Nice work," he replied. "But why don't you just call and set up service?"

"Because I'm going to be informed when I call this time," I told him.

"Then you should look up Kenmore dishwashers because that's what we have," he offered.

How dare he commandeer MY house project like that? The NERVE.

So. We have a serviceperson coming Tuesday. You know. FOUR days from now. And in the meantime, for that little bit of attitude, Dave will be handling the dishes.

Tuck Point Blank

We had this guy, Micah, do some tuckpointing on our front steps yesterday. He was really cool in an artsy way and said "thank you" in a genuine way when I complimented his work. Taking pride. I like that.

Later, I decided that Dave and I should be friends with Micah, his wife, and their three kids. Dave laughed at this, but I think he secretly liked Micah too because he emailed him to say that the steps looked great and to thank him again. This was code, I think, for "please be our friend."

This morning, while he checked his email, Dave said, "Hey, Micah wants to have us over for dinner."

"Really? Awesome!" I replied. "When?"

Dave laughed again. Micah didn't invite us to dinner. I guess he was just in it for the money.

Write On

There is some excellent blogging going on here and here. And we're not even in the middle of a blogging challenge! I'm going to prove to myself that I can keep up with a blog and maintain some level of quality as well. I'm also going to prove to myself that I can write this dissertation. It's going slowly so far, but IT IS GOING. Let's be clear on that.

Hello and Goodbye

This is Marie Martell. She was born January 18, 1919 and died September 8, 2011. She lived most of her life in Wishek, ND where she raised five children. She gave birth to one of those children, Idella, in a boxcar. Marie's mom, Katharina, a midwife, delivered Idella. Idella is my mom.

This weekend we all gathered to celebrate the life of Marie Martell. She was a feisty lady with a great sense of humor. She loved her five children, her twelve grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. And they loved her.

Rest in peace, Grandma. I will miss you.

Z: Zone of Proximal Development

I've heard people say before that babies are sponges, and it turns out it's true. Sam has been watching and listening all this time, and now he just throws things out at us as if he's known how to do them all along. Crawling? No problem. Eating finger foods? Done. Saying goodnight to Nana? Sure. "Nigh, nigh." Signing "gorilla" when we read Good Night, Gorilla? Of course. 

The only thing Sam can't figure out is why his parents look so surprised all the time. 

Y: Yawn

Prepare yourselves for a thrilling blog post, folks. 

Y a w n. That's how I feel. Like one big yawn.

But we successfully moved across town and now live in a new house! Tomorrow we begin the great unpack.

For now, let's all get some rest. 

X: Sign at the X

Given the current housing situation, is it still funny for a closing executive to say over and over, "You're signing your life away!"?

W: Worn Out

The packing has really done me in, folks. I'm plum worn out. 

V: Volition

U: Under One Roof

I mentioned that we're moving, right? Did I also mention that we're buying Dave's parents' house? Well, we are. It's perfect for us, and we're super excited about it. It has the combination of location, yard, and overall space that we've been searching for. And it's a good thing for the space because Nana and Grandpa don't move into their new house until November. Sam is thrilled about this situation because he adores Nana and Grandpa. And also because he just might be able to convince them to give him a few of those electronic gadgets that Mama and Dada have been keeping out of his reach. 

T: Tool

S: Sign

R: Record

61 posts on this blog in 2011! That's the highest number since 2006. I can't really speak to the quality of those 61 posts, but this feels like a small accomplishment.

Q: Quaker

When I Googled "words that start with q" (not an uncommon approach here at Slapdash), I found the word Quaker and was reminded of the year in college when I worked childcare for the weekly Quaker meetings. I liked their pacifist philosophy and thought I should become a Quaker. I never did that though. And now I am reminded of a boy named Luke who spent those Quaker mornings with me. His dad and two brothers would pick me up each Sunday and drive me over to the Quaker meetings. They were all quality people, but I enjoyed Luke most of all. He was four then and insisted on wearing a bow tie to the meetings. Also, Luke once saw a dog outside the car window and yelled, "Run, Lassie, run!" Yes, that boy was funny. He's twenty now. And this is my post for Q.

P: Piano Series

O: Oma

This is Oma reading to the kids at Cassie Care. Greysen (on the floor) is her grandson, but they all call her Oma because she's a grandma to all. Cassie has been in town visiting us so Oma has been taking care of Greysen and Bennett (in the red shirt). Let's just say that Oma is exhausted now. Thanks, Oma! 

N: Nail

I did this to my nail over a month ago. Will it ever go away?

M: Moving

It's official. We're moving. It took a miracle, but we managed to sell our house. And we have just nine days to pack everything before the moving truck arrives. I'm not very good with change, so this all has me in quite a tizzy.

L: Language

I'm amazed by how much Sam is learning these days. He says "Dada" when Dave walks in the door, waves bye-bye, signs for milk when he's hungry, and says he is "all done" when he wants to get out of his high chair. And if I prompt him heavily for an entire day, he might say what sounds remotely like "Mama."

K: Kraft

From the NY Times

I've been thinking about K for a good chunk of the day, but the ideas have not been flowing. At dinner, Dave suggested that I write about the great debate about whether Kraft mac n' cheese is better than Emily's mac n' cheese. 

"Emily's?" Cassie and I asked. 

"Barbara's," Dave answered. 

"Do you mean Annie's?" Cassie followed. 

"Yes, Annie's," Dave answered. "Write about the great debate about Kraft and Annie's." 

"Uh, huh," I said. "What's there to say about that well-known debate?" 

"Obviously, that Annie's is subtle and smooth while Kraft is bold and grainy." 

"OK, yes," I replied. "That could do." 

J: Jump Your Jiggles Out

One unexpected Joy of motherhood is being able to put my middle school swing choir experience to good use. Almost daily, Sam and I Jump our Jiggles, stomp our sillies, and clap our crazies out. Alternately, we might put Tiny Tim, the turtle, in the bath to see if he can swim. (He can. He just swallows a lot of bubbles in the process.) Or, I demonstrate to Sam in song and dance that I would like to be his Personal Penguin (this is my personal favorite).

Another unexpected Joy has been learning that, should my Ph.D. not work out, I might have a career writing and performing children's songs. So far, my song list includes:

He's a Bear (and Bears are Fierce)
Sam Quinn, Where'd You Get That Chin?
Air It Out Now
If You Just Burp (You Will Feel Much Better)
I Once Knew Boy Named Samuel Quinnagin

And there's no telling when another song will pop up! Dave sings great backup, and if we ever go on the road, we're going to call ourselves Hoot Hoot and the Moose.

I: It's Time

I'm going back to work!  And I'm thrilled about it.  It took 7 months to feel like Sam might be okay without me -- or that I might be okay without Sam.  I've been lucky to get to spend this time with him; I have loved every minute.  But now I'm looking forward to some Independent time and to finishing this degree.  It's time.  As LH would say, I'm going in.  Cover me.

H: Hat

Nana Peck has this awesome Handmade Hat that she likes to put on Sam when we're at her house. Apparently Sam's uncle Mookie, now 24, used to wear it. I'm not sure why, but Nana calls Sam Spanky every time she puts it on him. 

I tried to get a better picture than this one, but that boy won't sit still for one second.  Oh, Spanky!

G: Generations

Sam met his Great Grandma Betty this summer. He was taken with her instantly. You can probably see why. 

F: Felony

Dear Thief,

I don't really understand why you stole the leeks from our garden. Sure, leeks are delicious, but so is the basil, mint, rosemary and thyme you left behind. Maybe herbs aren't your thing. If you had a recipe that required leeks and were out of your own, you should have knocked on the door. We would have given you some. That's what neighbors do. Also, are you the same person who stole the tomato plant last month? I hope so. I hate to think there are two of you.

Anyway, be careful not to choke on the leeks or anything. I would hate for that to happen.

Your Frustrated neighbor,
Slapdash

E: Every Third Day

Sam is Eating solid foods now and is therefore totally plugged up. He manages to Eke out a solid nugget Every third day, but it's quite an Excruciating Experience for all those involved.

(photo credit: Internet)

D: Dog Days

We're at the cabin. And it is undeniably summer. I wish I had taken a picture of Otis, my Dog nephew, jumping off the Dock, but I don't know how to add an image from the iPad anyway. I'll try to remedy that tomorrow.

(photo credit: Internet)

C: Correspondence

I'm not very good at keeping this up, but I did put some Cards in the mail today.  So that feels pretty good. If you've been waiting to hear from me for some time, you might want to stop doing that. There's a chance it won't happen soon.

Also, these guys are Cousins.  I could look at this picture all day.

B: Breasts

Sam woke up three times a night in Montana and to spare the rest of the house from his crying, I nursed him each time he woke.  He's back to waking just once, and I'm looking forward to having my B's at a respectable size again.

I don't have an image to accompany my B topic (and wouldn't post one if I did).  Instead, here's a picture of my adorable nephew, Greysen.  You can see he's getting to be quite a Big Guy.