I've Never Had Trouble Flying Before

It's that time of year when grades are due. I'm frantically reading papers trying to say something meaningful in my feedback but let's face it, the work is done already and we all just want to focus on the grade. Five more to go. I have Sam watching Netflix cartoons on the couch while I read papers. I'm not going to win any parenting (or blogging) awards here, but I am going to finish those five papers.

Not Even a Mouse

We had a full house this week. The quiet today is nice, but I sure do miss having this dynamic duo around.

Hold the Phone

Along with the Christmas festivities we managed to celebrate the birth of our girl, Eloise, two years ago that very day. There was giving and receiving, carols and lights, and this Elmo cake to mark the occasion. 

The Reading Life: 2015 Edition

I was inspired by Word Savvy to read more in 2015. I had missed my reading life and this goal was one worth the effort. I read in many formats this year. Print, digital, and audio. Sometimes I had a single book in all three formats. Most of the time I had a different book in each format. 32 books in all. That's a book every 1.6 weeks. I'm pretty proud of this accomplishment, so let's just try to maintain in 2016. Here's the rundown.

Adult Fiction

Attachments

The Imposter Bride

State of Wonder

Dept. of Speculation

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Station Eleven

A Spool of Blue Thread

The Summer Book

The Round House

The Paying Guests

Young Adult Fiction

The Impossible Knife of Memory

The Good Braider

Brown Girl Dreaming

El Deafo

Crossover

We Were Liars

Echo

Audio Books

A Tale for the Time Being

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

The Invention of Wings

All the Light We Cannot See

Everything I Never Told You

Far from the Tree

Yes Please

BossyPants

Between the World and Me

Course Texts (these count, too!)

Make Me

Discourse Analysis: An Introduction

Discourse and Social Change

Discourses in Place

Critical Discourse Analysis in Education

Discourse in Action

Let's Do This

We're moving into the home stretch here. 7 emails to send out. 16 papers to grade. I'm working from home. The kids are downstairs with my sister. I might have some hot cocoa after completing a few tasks. The family arrives tomorrow. Vacation brain is creeping in. Must. Focus.

Maybe It Just Needs a Little Love

Sam and I had to talk Dave into this Chistmas Movie Night idea. Later it sold itself. 

In a Positive Light

It's pretty clear to some people (named Dave) that I have a post-nasal drip. He's actually in a pretty good position to make this diagnosis. Not so much because he's a doctor but because he's literally positioned next to me when I'm sleeping and--apparently--snoring loudly.

Side note: Amy Poehler also snores loudly. I learned this in her book, Yes Please. We all know that Amy Poehler is hilarious and probably great fun to hang out with. So snoring is obviously not a character flaw.

Back to the story: Dave's been trying for a couple of years to get me to use the neti pot regularly. I'm usually too tired to bother. And am fairly unconvinced that it could make a difference.

Recently Dave brought home an alternative nasal rinse device that doesn't require bending over the sink in discomfort and anger. With this nasal rinse, I remain upright while distilled water quickly and efficiently clears my passages.

As a result, I haven't snored in two whole weeks. And what's more, I sleep 100 times better than before. Like, I actually feel rested and am pleasant in the morning.

I can't really figure out how to end this post except to say that I might be a new woman. I mean, if I weren't overworked, stressed out, lacking in physical activity, and the mother of toddlers, I could probably do anything.

A Nice Sharp Turn

Sam has what we like to call The Pukies. Now that he's almost five, The Pukies are surprisingly manageable. Sam just grabs his bowl and takes care of business. He was a bit of a lump on the couch, but I appreciated this low-energy change-of-pace. When his sister came over to bother him, he just said, "Please leave me alone, Eloise." And she walked away.

I do hope he feels better tomorrow. But only a little.

Poised and Professional

Here we are in December, and truth be told, I'm finding it really hard to remember to write on the blog. The toddlers are a mess of emotions lately. That's part of the problem. A couple of days ago, for example, Dave and I stared at each other in awe as both of our children wailed over some breakfast detail that we had gotten wrong. I mean, inconsolable over the oatmeal. In tandem.

And that garage. It has stolen my husband. I'm admittedly resentful. Dave suggested that we skip giving each other gifts this year because our gift to each other is the garage. I'm trying really hard to see it that way.

Despite these first world challenges, I do plan to post 12 times in December. Never fear. Some things are just that important.

Thanksgiving Brag

It may not seem like a brag, but I do feel exceedingly proud of the fact that we have relaxed to the max while visiting my family in Montana. We have filled our days with eating, talking, game playing, drinking, eating again, and sitting around. I'll need to do some major detoxing when we get back tomorrow, but overall, this trip has been just what our on-the-go family needed.

He Draws

The holiday chalkboard is ready. It's spectacular as usual.

Hard Brag

I've been standing my ground today as my hardworking and beloved partner talks about how much work he needs to do on the garage this weekend and do I really need to be at that conference all day? 

The conference that I've had on my calendar since May? I ask. Yes. I'll be going to that all day tomorrow. 

This is the hard stuff that marriages are made of. I'm not backing down. 

He Cooks

 

I am very sorry that you were not able to have this delicious Bahn Mi for dinner tonight. I ate the whole thing. It feels like bragging to say that. It was a lot of food after all. 

Foundation

For a hearty breakfast, Sam recommends yogurt, oatmeal, and cereal. I mean, come on. He's so smart. 

Braggadocio

Dave worked today and I was so chill about it. I took the kids to the zoo, the library, the grocery store, and Choo Choo Bob's. And I didn't yell at or rush my children once. SuperMom? I think so.

Come On In

I took Sam to his swimming class for the first time tonight. Dave has been talking up Sam's progress, and I was excited to see what he'd been up to.

You might recall that we used to hold Sam's hand while he watched his own swimming class in action. But now the boy is doing it!

He puts his head in the water, floats on his back, and even kicks and paddles his way across the lane. I mean, it's sort of a flailing motion and the untrained observer might think he's actually struggling quite a bit, but believe me, he's doing it!

I almost cried.

On the way home I told Sam, "I'm proud of you." And he replied, "I am too."

We Built This City

We've been working on the new garage forever now (and by we, I mean Dave, of course). Today he had his dad and brother over to put something that may or may not have been sheetrock (I don't really know what any of the materials are called) onto the ceiling (I'm also not certain that I can all where they put the material the ceiling). While they worked I took care of Sam, Eloise, and my awesome nephew, O (which is, let's be clear, helping with the garage).

Taking care of three children wasn't so hard, I found, especially when I put on some Okee Dokee Brothers and gave everyone an instrument.

I mean, parts of it were hard. But only when one of my own children cried incessantly over not being able to ride a bicycle twice her size (Eloise) or continued to knock over the smaller children (Sam).

Bon Retour

We're back now and recovering well from a lovely, lovely weekend away. The kids stayed with Nana and Papa, and the best sign we could have that they loved every minute was this morning when Eloise ran after Dave on his way out the door yelling, "Nana! Nana!" As in, please take me to Nana's house immediately. Things are decidedly less fun at our house, but you're stuck here, kid. I'm not leaving you again for a long time.

Beau Parc

Dave and I are in Montreal. It's quite lovely. Mont Royal, for which the city is named, is spectacular. There's a short cut to the top of the mountain but somehow we missed that turn. In the end, that was the best way to go.

Big Brother

Eloise won't go anywhere without Bear-Bear. Today on our fall hike at the cabin, Sam had this covered. 

Ebb. Flow.

What a week. What a week! There were fevers, runny noses, and sneezes. There were confusing conversations and deadlines missed. There were new teacher breakdowns; mistakes, both large and small; late night phone meetings; team brainstorming; tentative solutions; and the need for follow-up. There was missed sleep and early mornings. And then new fevers, runny noses, and sneezes. 

Some weeks are like this. I'm trying not to overthink or dramatize it. 

It's Saturday and we're moving on. 

Race Day

It's a week late, but here are the results of our marathon weekend last.

Dave: He ran the marathon. Nobody was overly surprised by this, but there was a legit concern that his injured calf would either hurt too much or that the absence of a real training regimen would do him in. In the end, he was just 20 minutes slower than his usual pace but still faster than any marathon I've ever run. He plans to run it again next year.

Sam: He ran a spirited half mile. It's clear that Sam really loves being cheered for. He gets a little air when someone calls his name. It's adorable. I plan to cheer for him for the rest of his life.

Eloise: She ran the toddler trot. And I mean she ran the toddler trot like she knew it was a race and planned to win it. Also, adorable. And a little alarming.

Me: I didn't run anything, but I did support all of the runners and hosted various other supporters who came for the whole weekend (thanks Mom and Dad!) or for a few hours. I loved it. Next year I'll hope to have my name drawn again for the 10-mile. But our family marathon weekend was full enough this year.

And None of Them Are Mine

Dave and I just spent 45 minutes looking for a bag of cumin that we used earlier this evening to make dinner. It was a tense search and we never found it. For the love of god, where could the cumin have gone?

The Hideout

This is where Sam likes to hide out. Just FYI. But what's that smile all about? I mean, it's kind of painful to look at. The kid, though? He's pretty great.

Cookie Is for Me

Even though Sam is almost five we've been hanging onto his quiet time each afternoon. Six days of the week he reads books for 30 to 40 minutes until it's time to "wake up." On Mondays, though, when Cassie is here, Sam naps. Without out fail.

We're glad for these naps. And Sam is too. But they do draw out the Monday night bedtime routine. Tonight, for example, it took Sam over an hour to finally fall asleep and in the meantime he came to check on us six or seven times. He's pretty chill when he comes down. Just wants to know what we're watching or what we're working on or what we think might be going on with a hangnail he has.

Sometimes, though, we have to be really sly about what we're up to. Tonight we were baking cookies. The aroma was a giveaway, but Dave intercepted Sam on the stairs and tried to take him back up.

"Dad, can I smell your breath?" Sam asked.

"No," Dave replied.

Sam put his chin up and sniffed. Then he asked for me. He didn't ask to smell my breath when I arrived, but he did try to snuggle in. I kept my distance and walked him back to his room.

It was a close one. But Sam has to learn sometime that grownups can eat cookies at 8:45 pm if they really want to.

Spinjitzu

I have some fluid in my ear that's been driving me crazy. I'm dizzy most of the time. There must be some fix for this fluid; I am sure of it. Dave thinks I just need to keep taking the nasal spray and eventually the room will stop moving. I'm going on four weeks of this disequilibrium. It might be time to get a second opinion. One outside of my own living room, for example.

Frog and Toad

Of course Sam already has his first cold of the school year. He told me over and over this morning, though, that he didn't feel sick and that he reeeeeeally needed to attend his schoolmate Max's birthday party. Who was I to keep him from his friend Max's celebration? I couldn't do it. 

So I took the sickish but pleased child to Max's party. 

"Okay," I said when we arrived, "I'll put the gift down and you can run over and wish Max a happy birthday."

"Okay," Sam replied. "Which one is Max?"

Workspace

The first week of classes went well. I had meeting after meeting and taught class and it all felt like I knew what I was doing. The second year at the same job has resulted in knowing some things. Hoo. Ray.

Now I'm working a writing project that I've had all summer to work on but only sort of worked on. The project is due tomorrow, of course. I'm teaming on it with a colleague who was really busy keeping her university together this summer (not even exaggerating) and couldn't get back to me until a couple of weeks ago. As such, we're behind and spinning our wheels and truth be told, I'm not sure where this project is going. But here I am plugging away. I think I need to read a few more articles to really know what I'm talking about, but there's no time for that, people. No time at all. I just need to wing it and hope for the best.

In conclusion, week two is upon me and I'm feeling decidedly less stellar going in.

What Sunshine Is to Flowers

I ordered some pencil cases to hold my pencils and various other supplies. These pencil cases are bringing me immense joy. Once they arrived I felt calm and prepared for the new semester. Bring on the doctoral level course! I have my pencils in place.

Zed

It's been a pretty good alphabet challenge over here at Slapdash. Sure, I skipped a letter and sometimes my headings had nothing to do with anything (rather Slapdash, don't you think?), but I did post something here a fair number of times during August. That was the whole point, after all.

Now it's September and things are getting busier. I'm back at work and struggling as usual to juggle everything required of my part-time gig while also trying to be with the kids as much as possible. Dave has decided to wire the new garage himself, so he's been drawing a lot of colorful diagrams, ordering various parts, and drilling here and there. It seems to be a second full-time job. Sam starts school this week. He's heading to preschool every morning now. And Eloise? She will be taking on ECFE and music class with mom. 

As you can see, there's plenty to write about.

Yosemite Sam

Deep thoughts from the Four-Year-Old:

Since John Denver was in charge of protecting the mountains and he's not here anymore, I think that we should do it for him. We can make signs about it and write 'from John Denver's helpers'.

Water

While I was in a faculty meeting brainstorming grand solutions to grand challenges, the kids were enjoying the last threads of summer.

Vacuum

Like her brother was at her age, Eloise is afraid of loud noises. I always warn her when I am about to use a loud appliance so she can mentally prepare herself. Lately she's been physically preparing herself as well. Today after vacuuming, for example, I found her like this.

Titian and van Utrecht

Sam

Running

A few weeks back Dave tore his calf jumping over a dog on one of those long leashes that just should not be allowed on a biking or running path. He's tried to run several times since and it's just too painful. So this is the first year in 15 or more that he hasn't been able to train for the Twin Cities Marathon. We like having him around Sunday mornings when he'd otherwise be running for three hours, but we're all hoping he can run again soon. He's just a little bit grumpier when he can't run, which he'd be the first to admit.

Ps and Qs

Eloise is really into Curious George (she calls him Elmo, but whatever). She was very upset yesterday when reading Curious George Rides a Bike because George was not wearing a helmet as he pedaled around.

"Hat? Hat?" she said over and over with her hands turned up.

It's great that she's safety conscious for others, because later she did this to her nose just walking along the sidewalk:

Optical

Sam on my new glasses:

"Mom, I think you have to return those glasses. They are just too big for the size of your eyes."

I did ask what he thought, after all. 

Nature

There's a lot of dirt in our yard. And due the availability of dirt, there's also a record number of weeds. Not just your run of the mill small, dandelion-like weeds but weeds as tall and hearty as my children.

So it was quite satisfying to dig and pull them all out today. It took almost two hours, and I neglected my actual children while I was in the weeding zone. They had the hose and some gardening tools to keep them busy. No one was hurt. 

And the most exciting part of the project? Tomato plants! I had no idea they could grow "wild," but I found two of them on the berm that no one who lives here planted. Now that they are no longer being strangled by an ivy and can actually get sunlight we may even get some ripe tomatoes. Ah, nature. What will you think of next?

Jamboree?

At dinner I asked Sam if he knew any words that started with M.

"Jamboree?" he asked.

"No," I replied, "that starts with a J."

"Oh! There's an M at the end of my name," he continued.

"Yeah! There is!" I enthusiastically confirmed.

Then I looked at Eloise.

"Any M ideas?" I asked her. "Mmmm."

She smiled and said, "Mama."

Freakin' genius on our hands.

And then she threw her plate of food on the floor.

Lines

I had to draw several of these today. And Sam crossed them all.

This consequence was ineffective. "Oh, that's not very long at all," he said. 

Kamchatka

We visited Kamchatka today (courtesy of the Minnesota Zoo). It's on Russia's eastern coast and has more brown bears per square mile than any other place in the world.

The Joneses

Our energy company has notified us that our energy usage far exceeds that of other homes in our area. Obviously this is unacceptable. It's like we're getting the worst grade in the class.

So Sam and I went around the house and unplugged every possible electrical device that wasn't being used. ("Why aren't any of these lamps working?" Dave keeps asking.) We've also been hanging our clothes to dry, taking shorter showers, turning out the lights in empty rooms, keeping the blinds closed on hot days, shutting down our computers at night, and later this week we plan to vacuum the refrigerator coils.

We live in a pretty old and big house, so I'm not sure these adjustments will move us very far in the neighborhood standings, but it does feel pretty good to be using less energy. As Sam says, "we're so green now!"

iMovie

Sam wanted to make a movie about his week at soccer camp. So, we did.

Healing

I had coffee yesterday with the mother of a dear friend who committed suicide almost two years ago. She brought pictures and we reminisced about our funny, smart, loyal, and compassionate daughter and friend. It was a healing and joyful experience. One that I didn't know I needed as much as I did.

Game Day

Today was Game Day at soccer camp. Not like a soccer match but a review of all the games that the kids played throughout the week. The games included characters like Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dora the Explorer, and other childhood favorites that Sam has never heard of and calls by the wrong name later ("Sponge Bob Fancy Pants!"). My favorite one isn't really a game so much as a chant that I've been singing all week.

Bananas unite!

       Repeat: Bananas unite!

Bananas split!

       Repeat: Bananas split!

Banana peel to the left.

       Repeat: Banana peel to the left. 

Banana peel to the right.

      Repeat: Banana peel to the right.

Peel it down the middle and take a bite.

      Repeat: Peel it down he middle and take a bite.

Go bananas, go, go bananas!

There are actions for each line and at the end you do a crazy dance. I imagine that if you take one second to think about it, you actually know this chant from your own childhood. I recommend singing it and doing the actions several times a day. Life is decidedly better when you do. 

Foss

Remember how much Sam hated swimming lessons when he was almost three? Remember how we had to hold his hand and walk around the pool watching the other kids in his class play games and sing songs and swim in the pool?

Well, that happened, and we had to take some time away from swimming to get over the trauma.

But yesterday the most amazing thing happened when Dave took Sam for a swim assessment at the Foss Swim School. Sam was Mr. Cool In the Pool. He paddled, he kicked, he jumped into the water, and even submerged his head.

We're still shocked.

But now our Little 1 is looking forward to swimming every week this fall. We know because he told us this three or four times yesterday and as many times today as well.

Eloise

Our little girl a walking bruise. She's convinced she can do anything her brother does. Sometimes that's true. And other times, like during couch gymnastics today, it turns out that she's less coordinated than she thinks.

This wasn't even the last time she needed an ice pack today. We're thinking about having her wear a helmet. At least while she's awake anyway.

Dribble

"Dad, now I can Dribble the soccer ball and stop it, too." Soccer Camp Day One = Total Success.

Car

Somehow our 3-hour Car trip to south western Minnesota was actually a 5-hour Car trip. We should have done more preparation to figure out this key detail ahead of time. Instead we complained and some of us cried. In the end we made it to our destination.

Boxes

"Only two today!"

That's what our awesome UPS man said when he delivered the Boxes yesterday.

It might be time to cut back on the online shopping.

August

It's August now. A week into it even. So I'm thinking about doing an alphabet sort of theme to jump start blogging for the month. A is for August, obviously. But it's also for Apprehension and Avoidance, which is what I'm feeling and doing about having to start work again in four weeks. Apprehension and Avoidance is Apropos to this particular month given my line of work, so there's nothing really new to it.

TAL Challenge: Blogging

Act One: Goal

Basically, I'm pretty proud of this blog. It's had it's off years and on years, but what I like most about it now is that through the process of writing on it over 10 years, I've grown to care less and less about what I post here and enjoy more and more the act of just writing. I think that was the whole point of starting Slapdash in the beginning. Slowly, I have arrived.

Act Two: Archive

I love re-reading my own blog. Every now and then I'll browse through old posts and remember the details of a life that's different from the one I'm living now. I appreciate having this archive. It's a particular framing of my life that makes me happy.

Act Three: Future

I don't really know what I'm going to write about tomorrow or the next day or the next, but I can't wait to find out. That's how it goes with blogging. Just one day (or week or month, in my case) at a time. Read on!

TAL Challenge: Community Action

Act One: The Call

At the start of the summer one of our neighbors alerted us to a community meeting about a bike lane proposal on our street. Dave, who was better versed in the details of the proposal, decided to attend the meeting. It turned out that there were some major changes to our street on the table, changes that would significantly affect access and safety right on our corner. While we supported the general idea of the bike lane, the details were just too problematic to ignore.

Act Two: The Action

So we attended all of the possible follow-up meetings, wrote emails, and made phone calls. At first, our approach was just to try to get the bike lane onto the other side of the street, but eventually, after meeting and talking with our neighbors and learning from them, it became clear that we didn't have to settle for the bike lane as proposed. It had all been presented as a "this-is-going-to-happen-in-this-way" sort of deal with a "which-of-these-options-do-you-like-best" sort of approach. But our community-minded neighbors who didn't want to settle for a "not-my-side-of-the-street" debate, convinced us that we needed to change the designers' plans and come to a solution that benefitted us all.

Act Three: The Solution

And this worked. Sort-of. We convinced the city that any plan had to take traffic flows into consideration, slow down the speed of cars on our street, preserve the greatest amount of green space, and not privilege a city-wide bike initiative over the safety, access, and livability for the community already in the proposed area. The bike lane is still coming, but it won't be as intrusive as planned.

Oh, and the city won't have the money to finalize the project for 10 to 15 years.

As such, I'm tempted to say that all of our work was for nothing, but it really wasn't. We know our neighbors better than we did before, we became politically active in support of our neighborhood and involved our children in this process, and we moved away from focusing on our own best interests to thinking about those of the neighborhood. It wasn't for nothing at all. In fact, we gained a great deal from engaging in this process. In the end, our small victory was a huge win for our family.

TAL Challenge: The Cabin

Act One: Vacation Settings

Even though the cabin has all of the modern amenities that keep us connected to the world, I didn't even look at my email for 5 days and it was glorious. 

Act Two: Sun

I was determined to get a tan at the cabin. It seemed like a good idea to forego sunscreen to achieve this goal. It was a mistake. A mistake that even aloe vera cannot fix. 

Act Three: Boy

When Sam was two and had fewer words he used to run around the cabin saying, "Happy. Happy." He has more words now but he doesn't need them because he just looks like this for days on end. 

TAL Challenge: Conditions

Act One: Ahem

I have post-nasal drip. I can't stop clearing my throat during the day. And at night, I snore. One is annoying to me and the other to Dave.

Act Two: Attractive

Five or more years ago I had this condition where the corners of my mouth cracked open and stayed that way for three or four months. It's happening again.

Act Three: Ache

Did you know you can get a bunion on the pinky-toe side of your foot? It's true. I'm living proof.

TAL Challenge: Mama Days

Act One: The Build Up

Every morning Sam asks, "Who's staying with me today?" No matter how I answer that question, the kid's got it pretty good. It's either his aunt, his grandma, the nanny who has known him since he was a baby, or me. The first three are super fun and like to take Sam on adventures, real and made up. But his favorite answer to that question is, undoubtedly, Mama. Exclamations of joy and fist pumping typically follow that response.

Act Two: The Reality

I'm not really sure why Sam loves Mama Days so much. I mean, I get that I'm his mom and all, but Mama Days usually entail some combination of house cleaning, laundry, weeding, grocery shopping, email answering, and cooking. And by that I mean that I am doing the above while Sam and his sister play, fight, cry, snack, watch Doc McStuffins, or nap/fight napping. Sure, we also go to the park or the library or out to lunch or just stay home and play pirates, but those things happen with less frequency than when he is with any of his other caregivers.

Act Three: The Melt Down

Another key feature of Mama Days is the melt down. One of us will at some point (or at several points) lose it. Especially if--like today--it's the third Mama Day in a row. I might, for example, raise my voice or even swear when Eloise drops her plate A G A I N before she's even eaten a single thing. And Sam might then start to cry because "that's too loud" for him and "why are you so mad?" And Eloise, well, none of that gets her going, but she will cry incessantly when she doesn't agree with the shoes you've chosen for her or give her a cup with, god forbid, a lid on it.

So, in conclusion, three things:

1) Mama Days are hella hard;
2) work outside the home is a gift; and
3) you couldn't tell it from this post, but I actually wouldn't trade Mama Days for anything.

Some things you just can't even begin to explain.

TAL Challenge: Summer Teaching

Act One: Grades

No one should have to teach in the summer, or worse, grade papers in the summer. This just feels wrong. I'd like to give everyone an A to make this process easier, but that doesn't always happen. It turns out that I have expectations even in the summer.

Act Two: Teaming

No one should have to teach in the summer, but if one does, team teaching is the way to do it. Not only does it cut the grading right in half, but it also makes the process quite enjoyable. I'm lucky to team with good pal, SR. We're basically teaching twins. It's scary sometimes (like how we drive the same car and have nearly the same birthday), but mostly it rocks.

Act Three: Digital Stories

No one should have to teach in the summer, but if one does, creative projects are the way to go. Today I led a session on digital storytelling and, if I do say so myself, it was great. Teaching at any time of year is meaningful when people get to tell their stories. I love it, which means of course, I'll do it all again next summer.

TAL Challenge: Meals

I set the bar high for July blogging (in my head, at least), and I just haven't followed through. So, I'm joining WordSavvy on her This American Life Challenge. Unlike WordSavvy, I won't post every day. She's pretty spectacular, as many of you know. Instead, I'll do 12 posts in July. That seems reasonable, and I'm shooting for reasonable.

Act One: Taste

We're in a cooking rut. Basically we're in the mode of just getting any old thing on the plate to feed our bellies. Last night I actually put pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on a hot dog bun and called it pizza. My children weren't fooled. We could use some easy summer recipes that also happen to taste good. I'm on a mission. Starting now.

Act Two: Health

Forty has kicked in, and it's harder and harder to stay fit. As such, I'm also looking to revamp the meal plans in terms of health content. I mean, we do okay, but we could do better. Always better.

Act Three: Flying Objects

Eloise continues to be a disaster during meal times. Tonight I had to remove her plate before she had even consumed anything because she was throwing everything on the floor. You might be thinking that faux pizza probably deserves to get thrown, but this was a real meal. Pork chops, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. When I gave the plate back to Eloise to try again, Sam covered his eyes and said, "I can't look." It's like that every night. But she's growing, so we carry on.

Gratitude X

We're celebrating this lady's life this weekend. Mamo was the happiest person I've ever met, and I feel very grateful to have known her for nine of her 93 years. We could all learn a thing or two about living from Julia Glenn Weaver Salmen. She did it right.

Gratitude IX

Cousins. Summer. The Surly Brewing patio. These are some of the best things in life.

Gratitude VIII

This is probably cheating on the Gratitude Image Challenge, but look! This year is 5th for the all time number of blog posts by Slapdash in one year! 

It's been a busy June, but I'm even hoping to pick up the blogging pace in July. Buckle up. 

Gratitude VII

The tantrums have started. This morning's was prompted by Eloise's displeasure with the bowl selection. She simply refused to have her cereal in any except the red one. The red one has a crack in it, of course.

The gratitude part of this experience is that Eloise is our second child, and we have some perspective on tantrums. Sure, we still try to get her to stop crying. But when everything fails to do that, we get out the camera and take a few shots while we ride it out.

Gratitude VI

Everything about this picture makes me grateful.

Gratitude V

Sam had his first t-ball game of the season (and of his life) this week. He took it very seriously, of course, and ran for the ball every time it made its way onto the field anywhere. The kid's not very laid back about anything, so that wasn't really a surprise. For some reason, though, we never thought to give him any water despite how red and sweaty he was looking. So later when he was waiting for his food to arrive at a nearby restaurant, he chugged his chocolate milk. And about two minutes after that, he complained of a tummy ache and vomited his chocolate milk into a malt cup.

We're planning to work with Sam on dialing it back at t-ball next week. But other than that, I'm pretty grateful to be spending a handful of summer evenings watching him play.

Gratitude IV

Watching Sam watch Peter Pan on stage was one of the highlights of my parenting life. The boy was nothing short of enthralled. He held his sword and spyglass through the entire play and swung at imaginary enemies in front of him. He also made loud exclamations during quiet parts of the play ("I think Peter Pan is going to come!") and turned to smile at me at the end of each musical number.

When the play was over we had a chance to meet the cast of characters and get autographs. Sam had them each sign his sword, and Captain Hook, who remained in character, scared the bejeezus out of Sam with a simple motion of his hook. Later Sam said to himself in the backseat of the car, "Hook wasn't real." 

I was thinking it would  be nice to bottle up that afternoon and open it up every once in a while to experience it again and again, but then I realized that Sam will be reenacting the event every 15 minutes for weeks to come. And I'm grateful for that. 

Gratitude III

I'm just so thankful whenever someone else is in charge of feeding this moving target.

Gratitude II

Thanks to a team of hard and careful workers, the new garage (well, its spot anyway) is coming along nicely.

Birthday Morning High

"Dad, I have to wake my mom and show her how much happy you have from my present."

Which was, of course, the John Denver piano anthology.

I sure do love my folk-singin' boys. Young and old.

Gratitude I

Here's the first of several images for a little photography and gratitude challenge suggested by blogging pal, MM. Today I'm grateful that my dad replanted the flowers that were washed out by a deluge made worse by our clogged gutters. I'm also grateful that Dave cleaned out those clogged gutters later in the day. And finally, I'm grateful that Sam took this picture for me upon request. With a snazzy filter no less.

So there you have it. Three expressions of gratitude for three helpful fellas.   

Fishing with Opa

Same Old Same Old

My parents arrive for a long overdue visit tomorrow morning. Hooray to that!

But before then I have a large project to complete that I've known about for months and only now have had a chance to really work on. It used to be that I would procrastinate until a project became imminent. Now I just can't get to a project until the deadline is near. I suppose I prefer it this second way. It feels less like the delay is my own fault.

But the scrambling to get things done is pretty much the same.

A Photo Essay

We're building a new garage to replace the one we had from 1920. Dave has spent months sorting out the details of this colossal undertaking that so far has involved a couple of approvals from the city and much negotiation with the neighbors over a sewer line that isn't ours. We learned that we'd have to remove six trees to make this whole thing happen and today the last three came out. I've included this photo essay to offer a glimpse of the goings-on over the past week. The change is exciting and, of course, so hard.

Number 44

I was so pleased to spend my evening last with none other than The SavvyMom and Miscellaneous Missives. Those are two fine human beings. I love reading about their lives on the blogosphere, but it's a real treat to be face-to-face now and then. We texted A Little Leeway since we were thinking and talking about her greatness. Her reply made us all laugh heartily. 

Now I'm ready to enter this last day of the long weekend with a sense of purpose and calm.

Well, this is crazy.

Eloise had another scary episode while sleeping, and we had to have the tall and friendly folks from fire and rescue here again. We actually have no idea what happened and are not even sure we needed to call the emergency responders, but in the moment when she just wasn't responding to us, it seemed like the only thing to do.

Basically, I think she had a seizure related to a viral infection. It's fairly common. But terrifying. The other possible story is that she was just freaking out in her sleep and we couldn't wake her. Either way, she was fine within minutes and just stared at everyone like,"What the hell's going on here, people. Put me back to bed." She never had to make the trip to the hospital, which was a relief, but I can't say I slept very well with the monitor on volume level a million.

We're all hoping for a better night tonight.

E I E I . . . Oh

Since I'm not teaching right now, I don't have anything behind-the-scenesy to share during the month of May, but I did get to hear a school story from one of Sam's teachers today.

During a rousing rendition of Old MacDonald. . . "with an oink, oink here and an oink, oink there . . ." Sam raised his hand. When the teacher called on him, he said in all earnestness, "Mrs. M, you kind of look like a pig."

And there you have it.

Lulu Bean

I recommend looking at this picture 30 to 40 times a day. That's what I do, anyway.

8:30 pm

I can't stay up any longer. This is probably because:

1) We let Sam eat a lot of cheese curds at the cabin yesterday. He was up several times in the night with a bellyache.

2) My head is so full of fluid from my allergies that it took me a while to find a proper sleeping angle each time Sam woke me up.

3) I have so much work to do that just thinking about it makes me want to sleep.

It's pretty clear what needs to be done. Why fight it?

Weeza Weeza

I've been writing a lot about Sam lately, but you should also know a few things about my daughter, Eloise. Basically, she's a crazy child. Where Sam is overly cautious, she's overly adventurous and stubborn. O M G, the stubbornness. She's only 16 months old, but I swear she knows exactly how we'd like her to act and purposefully does the opposite to make a point and have her way. Sit down while I brush my teeth? Not a chance. Eat one raspberry at a time? No way. Turn around to back my way off the couch? I think I'll just leap.

And here's the thing. She's also SO smart and funny and adorable that I'm kind of thrilled that she's a spitfire to boot. I mean, it's going to drive me insane, but she'll be just fine in this mad world. 

Just fine. 

How Do You Spell Targaryen?

Dave and I just had an epic miscommunication.

He thought I was working and I thought he was working and neither of us bothered to tell the other person how much we really wanted to watch the DVR'd Game of Thrones episode when really we were both just toodling around online.

This is probably a scenario in some self-help marriage book, and it's clear that we've failed.

Two If By Boat

Wouldn't you know it. Sam was sad as could be that he had to return home from Nana and Papa's today. "I just like it better there," he told us. He also said he'd prefer never to go on any trips with us so he can stay with them and that we should let him spend the night when we go out to dinner or a play, too.

On our end, Dave and I walked around historic Boston, visited the storied Harvard campus, viewed some fine art at the MFA, and ate several glorious meals at renowned eateries. And one day we even slept in. 

All in all, the weekend away from our children was a resounding success. 

Blues Traveler

I'm probably not helping with Sam's separation issues by leaving for Boston tomorrow. Or maybe that is helping? Either way, I had to comfort Sam a great deal at bedtime tonight. And just when I thought he was finally asleep, he whispered, "If I can't see you, I will think about you."

So, obviously, I burst into tears and left the room. 

The Darndest

Last night during our picnic at a local park Dave told Sam all about the winter carnival, how they hide a medallion in a city park, and how he used to follow the clues and search for it every year.

"You're old enough now that we can search for the medallion together," Dave told Sam.

"What happens if you find it?" Sam asked. 

"You get a year's supply of groceries and plane tickets," Dave answered. 

"And medical supplies?" Sam followed. 

"Huh?" Dave asked.

"Do you get any medical supplies?" Sam asked again. 

"No," Dave replied. "Just groceries and tickets."

"Oh," Sam said. "Maybe we can search this year anyway."

It's Good for Him

Sam has this thing about ALWAYS wanting me to put him to bed. "Is it a Mama night?" he asks hopefully each evening. When it is a Mama night, he looks at his dad and says, "Dad, it's a Mama night. You can go and relax now." When it's a Dada night, he looks at me and says, "Well, maybe you and Dad should team up." Sometimes we do team up, but most of the time we just remind Sam of the routine. On those occasions he likes to say to me, a little whimper in his voice, "Well, it's just that I love you more than I love my dad." Oh, please.

Last night was not a Mama night. It was, in fact, a book club night. Which is like the best night of the month for this mom. Sam seemed fine with this fact when I left. He hugged me, cheerfully said goodbye, and told me to kiss him on his sleeping head when I returned. Easy peasy. 

But when I got home Dave shared that Sam had had a difficult night. At one point, Dave found Sam with the lights on sobbing while hugging a picture of the two of us that he keeps on his desk.

And all I did was go to book club, folks. Book club!

You don't even want to know how he reacted the time I scheduled an evening haircut. 

Child of Mine

I'm listening to this fascinating book right now called Far From the Tree (plus some subtitle about identity) by Andrew Solomon. My book club read it a while back, and while I'm sure I have some great excuse for it, the fact is I never read it. So, OF COURSE, at every book club since someone makes some connection to the book. And I totally get it now. 

It's basically about what it's like to be the parent of a child whose horizontal identity marks them as different. I've been astounded by a myriad of details during my listening. Today I learned that some children have actually filed "wrongful life" suits against their parents for, well, giving them life despite knowing about a condition that might make life a struggle. Parents have also sued genetic testers when they've been given misinformation or no information about a genetic condition. What these children and parents must argue in order to win these suits is that they would have preferred that they or their child had never been born. And while that idea makes my heart hurt, the book is so good that it reminds me that I'm not one of those children or parents, and I can't really know what I would feel or do. So, I keep listening and learning. 

If you're interested, you should totally check out this book. Don't be alarmed by the fact that it's like a million pages long. You can choose which chapters you'd like to read. I'm listening to it for the long haul, though. Just 38 more hours to go. 

Mama's Girl

I'm leaving for a conference tomorrow, and I swear Eloise can sense it. She refuses to let me put her down for a nap today--just c l i n g s to my arm and buries her head into my shoulder. Secretly, I love it, but I'm not looking forward to being away for five days. Five days! Eloise does appear to have growing affection for her father, though, so that's good. She swings her arms a little less frantically to ward him off when he comes near her lately. Progress.

Get Away, Get Better

A trip to the cabin is just what the doctor ordered to get this family over our three-weeks-of-illness blues.

I let Sam play with the camera on my phone to capture the fun we were having in the beautiful evening light. Here's what he got:

And one of the adorable photographer himself: