"Mama, can we put on our shoes and give everyone on our street uh.... coconuts?"
"What?" I mean really, what else can you say here?
"I want to share my coconuts. We can give every house on our street one."
"What coconuts, Willa?"
"You know! The ones daddy put in my pocket..."
she runs away and returns out of breath with her hand clasped
"These coconuts!"
"Sweetie, that's a peanut. Where did you get that?"
Apparently she (or maybe Jim) loaded up her pockets before we left a restaurant with a barrel of peanuts out. Glad we figured this out before laundry day.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Kid chats
I posted earlier this month that Willa had some nightmares that sounded pretty darned scary. A few mornings ago she snuggled up to me and gave me the dream report: "I dreamed that alligators and lizards and dinosaurs were chasing me." I reassured her saying it was only a dream, and those animals weren't real. She looked at me with (I'm pretty sure) pity. "Mom, they were nice animals. We were playing."
Henry is really communicating well. He says "uh-uh" for no, and nods (in one slow move of chin touching chest) for yes. He's an agreeable chap, for the most part. We had a disagreement over picking Willa up from school the other day.
Henry is really communicating well. He says "uh-uh" for no, and nods (in one slow move of chin touching chest) for yes. He's an agreeable chap, for the most part. We had a disagreement over picking Willa up from school the other day.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Catching up
It's been a pretty busy month, friends. Our family continues to adjust to the changes that happened when I lost my job. Willa's doing well with 2-1/2 days of school a week. We were sad to say goodbye to Whitney her teacher, but know she's doing what's right for her own career plans. Henry and I are getting a lot of quality time in. I absolutely love having this time to be with the kids more. It's going to be rough when the right job comes along.
Jim is being wonderful with me learning the ropes of not working for anyone but our family. There have been no extra expectations of dinners made or a clean house from him. I'm getting better at juggling time and attention.
I knew this change would be for the better for me, but I didn't know how much better. I was getting pretty worn down - in all aspects - at my job. I am feeling like I'm doing exactly what I should be right now. I'm looking for the next step, but enjoying the "right nowness" of my life. Anyhow, some photos of Sinkiland:
the first hair cut. 
Happy boys.
Happy girls.
In early summer we planted 4 pumpkin plants. This is the harvest: two small ones for our small ones. The universe provides just what you need.
The bosses.
I asked her to pose for this photo. A few seconds into the shoot, she said, "uh... I'm starting to be uncomfortable."
Willa on swing.
Henry on slide.
Jim is being wonderful with me learning the ropes of not working for anyone but our family. There have been no extra expectations of dinners made or a clean house from him. I'm getting better at juggling time and attention.
I knew this change would be for the better for me, but I didn't know how much better. I was getting pretty worn down - in all aspects - at my job. I am feeling like I'm doing exactly what I should be right now. I'm looking for the next step, but enjoying the "right nowness" of my life. Anyhow, some photos of Sinkiland:
the first hair cut. 
Happy boys.
Happy girls.
In early summer we planted 4 pumpkin plants. This is the harvest: two small ones for our small ones. The universe provides just what you need. 
The bosses.
I asked her to pose for this photo. A few seconds into the shoot, she said, "uh... I'm starting to be uncomfortable."
Willa on swing.
Henry on slide.Friday, November 13, 2009
she got me
While in the shoe section:
"How about those, mommy?"
"No, I don't want you to have shoes with characters. No people on your shoes."
"But mom... Ariel is a mermaid, not a person."
"How about those, mommy?"
"No, I don't want you to have shoes with characters. No people on your shoes."
"But mom... Ariel is a mermaid, not a person."
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
against killing killers
I am against the death penalty.
I have conflicting feelings about religion and those 10 commandments, but "thou shalt not kill" seems pretty straight forward to me. As far as I know, Moses didn't bring down tablets with small print on them; no exclusions apply, no seeing stores for details. Don't kill people: got it, Chief.
Someone in Virginia has a pretty awful "to do" list today. John Allen Muhammad is going to be executed today, unless there are last minute stays.
I was in DC when Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo made people fearful to stop for gas and had schools (including the one I was working at) on lock down for three weeks. I remember standing on a street corner with my friends - wide eyed and pulse skyrocketed - as we watched a white windowless van come speeding down the wrong way of a one way street and disappear around the corner on 2 wheels. What if one of us was next?
That was the general feeling in the metro area for too long a time. Paralyzing fear.
I was there. I was affected. I do not want a government official to kill this man.
There is the opportunity here, to explore the affect of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Muhammad served in the first Gulf War. There is the link to another recent monsterous news event in Texas. But not for today.
I have conflicting feelings about religion and those 10 commandments, but "thou shalt not kill" seems pretty straight forward to me. As far as I know, Moses didn't bring down tablets with small print on them; no exclusions apply, no seeing stores for details. Don't kill people: got it, Chief.
Someone in Virginia has a pretty awful "to do" list today. John Allen Muhammad is going to be executed today, unless there are last minute stays.
I was in DC when Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo made people fearful to stop for gas and had schools (including the one I was working at) on lock down for three weeks. I remember standing on a street corner with my friends - wide eyed and pulse skyrocketed - as we watched a white windowless van come speeding down the wrong way of a one way street and disappear around the corner on 2 wheels. What if one of us was next?
That was the general feeling in the metro area for too long a time. Paralyzing fear.
I was there. I was affected. I do not want a government official to kill this man.
There is the opportunity here, to explore the affect of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Muhammad served in the first Gulf War. There is the link to another recent monsterous news event in Texas. But not for today.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
totally helpless moment in Mom-hood
Last week, Willa had a nightmare about a bear chasing her. She got impatient with me because I didn't remember this in the morning. It seems the bear was also chasing the rest of her family. She came down crying, and I couldn't make it better.
Two days ago she started talking about her dream from the night before. "There were two mean ladies, and they locked me in a cage. And I was waiting for you to come and help me. Mama, where were you? You didn't come help me." She was crying. I was tearing up.
This life of hers while sleeping is troubling. I laugh with her when she tells me about the one hundred thousand and nine kitties in her house. But this chasing, and fear and waiting for help... these nightmares must be awful for her. They are for me.
Two days ago she started talking about her dream from the night before. "There were two mean ladies, and they locked me in a cage. And I was waiting for you to come and help me. Mama, where were you? You didn't come help me." She was crying. I was tearing up.
This life of hers while sleeping is troubling. I laugh with her when she tells me about the one hundred thousand and nine kitties in her house. But this chasing, and fear and waiting for help... these nightmares must be awful for her. They are for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)