Claire, David and I are reading How to Eat Fried Worms.
Jon and I both remember reading it when we were younger.
It's not a terribly well written book but the concept is fascinating. We just read the part where the boy's mom is thinking about making Wormloaf or Wormballs and Spaghetti.
I bought the kids some gummy worms so they could act parts of the story out.
Claire has decided that she would eat 15 worms but only if she could have 10 days in between eating each one.
David says that he would eat all of them in one shot.
Monday, May 25, 2009
He has two noses
Jon convinced David that Jacob now has two noses.
It's a long story.
Two weeks ago, we were talking with our backyard neighbours Trygve and Kristen. They have a dog named Whitby who loves our kids. Our kids love him right back.
Kristen threw a ball for Whitby and it landed right where Jacob was sitting on the grass. In trying to get the ball, Whitby ran right into Jacob, his head hitting Jacob's forehead. Jacob started screaming and so we all focused our attention on him. I picked him up, comforted him and noticed that he had a little bump on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Whitby fell to the ground. None of us noticed it at first but then Tryg and Kristen saw that he was having a seizure and couldn't get up. Scary stuff.
In short though, Jacob stopped crying, the bump on his head went away in a day or so. Whitby ended up being ok (they think he had a concussion...go figure...a dog four times the size of Jacob and Jacob ends up faring better than him!).
A week later, on our neighbor's trampoline, Jacob crashed into David's elbow. Same spot on the forehead as where Whitby hit him. Jacob didn't cry but a goose egg, a huge one, immediately formed on his forehead. There was some bruising on it but it really was so big that it did look like a second nose.
Now, almost a week after the fact, the goose egg is just a nasty looking bruise on his forehead (a conversation piece for anyone who sees Jacob). David, however, is still convinced that Jacob sprouted another nose.
It's a long story.
Two weeks ago, we were talking with our backyard neighbours Trygve and Kristen. They have a dog named Whitby who loves our kids. Our kids love him right back.
Kristen threw a ball for Whitby and it landed right where Jacob was sitting on the grass. In trying to get the ball, Whitby ran right into Jacob, his head hitting Jacob's forehead. Jacob started screaming and so we all focused our attention on him. I picked him up, comforted him and noticed that he had a little bump on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Whitby fell to the ground. None of us noticed it at first but then Tryg and Kristen saw that he was having a seizure and couldn't get up. Scary stuff.
In short though, Jacob stopped crying, the bump on his head went away in a day or so. Whitby ended up being ok (they think he had a concussion...go figure...a dog four times the size of Jacob and Jacob ends up faring better than him!).
A week later, on our neighbor's trampoline, Jacob crashed into David's elbow. Same spot on the forehead as where Whitby hit him. Jacob didn't cry but a goose egg, a huge one, immediately formed on his forehead. There was some bruising on it but it really was so big that it did look like a second nose.
Now, almost a week after the fact, the goose egg is just a nasty looking bruise on his forehead (a conversation piece for anyone who sees Jacob). David, however, is still convinced that Jacob sprouted another nose.
It's official...he's finally walking
Jacob has FINALLY decided to do more walking that crawling.
At 17 months, it's about time.
I've tried so hard to give him the space he needs to be himself. I've given myself pep talks for months now:
He'll walk when he wants to.
Let him decide when he wants to walk.
Kids don't need to fit into a standardized developmental schedule - they are all individuals.
It's easier and faster for him to crawl.
BUT, can I tell you how many pairs of his pants have the knees ripped on them? Can I tell you how frustrating it is when we're at a public restroom and I can't put him on the ground? Can I tell you how filthy he gets from crawling around on the dirt, grass, sand, cement in our backyard?
At 17 months, it's about time.
I've tried so hard to give him the space he needs to be himself. I've given myself pep talks for months now:
He'll walk when he wants to.
Let him decide when he wants to walk.
Kids don't need to fit into a standardized developmental schedule - they are all individuals.
It's easier and faster for him to crawl.
BUT, can I tell you how many pairs of his pants have the knees ripped on them? Can I tell you how frustrating it is when we're at a public restroom and I can't put him on the ground? Can I tell you how filthy he gets from crawling around on the dirt, grass, sand, cement in our backyard?
Saturday, May 23, 2009
"My life is going by so fast" she said
We've been talking a lot about kindergarten lately.
Claire had her last day of preschool yesterday. As she was getting ready for school, she told me that she was feeling happy and sad at the same time. Happy because she's going to kindergarten in the fall. Sad because she will miss her preschool teacher Miss Meghan.
After preschool was over, the kids and I went for a walk. "Mom, my life is going by so fast" Claire declared as we walked down 8th Street. "I can't believe I'm going to kindergarten already."
Yes, my darling girl, your life has gone by quickly.
I remember pushing you in the stroller down 8th Street (when the stroller was much much newer and cleaner), I remember when you didn't want to go in the stroller any more but wanted to walk (oh so very slowly) by yourself, I remember when you found out how fast you could fly on Cappy and I had to run to keep up, I remember when you rode your tricycle, I remember last summer when you learned to ride your two wheeler. And, I will remember this moment. Walking on 8th Street, on a warm May afternoon, with the two boys in the stroller and you beside me contemplating life and your place in the world.
Bonnie Miller-McLemore, in her book In the Midst of Chaos - Caring for Children as a Spiritual Practice, (2007) writes about "mundane grief", about how, if "day-to-day parenting is a practice that is deeply spiritual, and if parenting is filled with loss, then learning to grieve within families is essential to our lives with God and one another".
Parents "inevitably begin losing their children as soon as they are born," remarks historican Anne Higonnet. In fact, the word care, according to poet Kathleen Norris, "derives from an Indo-European word mening to 'cry out' as in a lament." In her poem, "Ascension," written as she thinks about her birthing sister bearing down in labor on the day commemorating Jesus' rising to heaven, she pictures the "new mother, that leaky vessel" nursing her child, "beginning the long good-bye." beginning the long good-bye. (p. 180)
Miller-McLemore importantly points out that these moments of mundane grief, these times of letting go also need to be seen as celebrated moments of blessing. After all, a parent's role is to prepare one's child for these new steps and stages.
And so, Claire-bear, as I struggle with letting go and celebrate what you are excited about and ready for, I guess you could say that I feel sad and happy as well.
Claire had her last day of preschool yesterday. As she was getting ready for school, she told me that she was feeling happy and sad at the same time. Happy because she's going to kindergarten in the fall. Sad because she will miss her preschool teacher Miss Meghan.
After preschool was over, the kids and I went for a walk. "Mom, my life is going by so fast" Claire declared as we walked down 8th Street. "I can't believe I'm going to kindergarten already."
Yes, my darling girl, your life has gone by quickly.
I remember pushing you in the stroller down 8th Street (when the stroller was much much newer and cleaner), I remember when you didn't want to go in the stroller any more but wanted to walk (oh so very slowly) by yourself, I remember when you found out how fast you could fly on Cappy and I had to run to keep up, I remember when you rode your tricycle, I remember last summer when you learned to ride your two wheeler. And, I will remember this moment. Walking on 8th Street, on a warm May afternoon, with the two boys in the stroller and you beside me contemplating life and your place in the world.
Bonnie Miller-McLemore, in her book In the Midst of Chaos - Caring for Children as a Spiritual Practice, (2007) writes about "mundane grief", about how, if "day-to-day parenting is a practice that is deeply spiritual, and if parenting is filled with loss, then learning to grieve within families is essential to our lives with God and one another".
Parents "inevitably begin losing their children as soon as they are born," remarks historican Anne Higonnet. In fact, the word care, according to poet Kathleen Norris, "derives from an Indo-European word mening to 'cry out' as in a lament." In her poem, "Ascension," written as she thinks about her birthing sister bearing down in labor on the day commemorating Jesus' rising to heaven, she pictures the "new mother, that leaky vessel" nursing her child, "beginning the long good-bye." beginning the long good-bye. (p. 180)
Miller-McLemore importantly points out that these moments of mundane grief, these times of letting go also need to be seen as celebrated moments of blessing. After all, a parent's role is to prepare one's child for these new steps and stages.
And so, Claire-bear, as I struggle with letting go and celebrate what you are excited about and ready for, I guess you could say that I feel sad and happy as well.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
what i've been thinking about
i have been in academia long enough to recognize patterns in my behavior.
whenever i get stressed or overly anxious about my school work, i become increasingly interested in any other non-school related topics/issues - all in the effort to procrastinate and fantasize about doing work on other interesting topics.
lately, my interest has been in parenting articles/perspectives. in all honesty, i seem to just stumble across them (an article in our local newspaper, a segment on npr that i listened to while i was driving, casual disscussions with friends).
anyway, here are two of the most recent ones. perhaps some day, i'll do scholarly work on the cultural themes/discourses across these pieces/perspectives and my positionality in relation to them. but first i need to finish (or actually start) my dissertation :)
http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103794433
whenever i get stressed or overly anxious about my school work, i become increasingly interested in any other non-school related topics/issues - all in the effort to procrastinate and fantasize about doing work on other interesting topics.
lately, my interest has been in parenting articles/perspectives. in all honesty, i seem to just stumble across them (an article in our local newspaper, a segment on npr that i listened to while i was driving, casual disscussions with friends).
anyway, here are two of the most recent ones. perhaps some day, i'll do scholarly work on the cultural themes/discourses across these pieces/perspectives and my positionality in relation to them. but first i need to finish (or actually start) my dissertation :)
http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103794433
claire wants her own space
Our three kids all share one bedroom.
This seems to be working well, aside from the hour long parties that they have when we put them to bed. Last night, it was a "rain party". Claire tore up multiple sheets of paper and threw them off her top bunk, making them rain down on David's bed and the floor. Jacob, not to miss out on the fun, stood up in his crib and laughed with delight.
Claire, however, just might need her own space. As I've written about before, her bed has become "her" little world. At first, she kept a few stuffed animals by her pillow. Then she added blankets and little pillows for them. Then it was little boxes of treasures. And now, the head of her bed AND the side of her bed are full of boxes, paper, trinkets, special things, and the list goes on. Have I mentioned that there's also a boom box at the foot of her bed with two buckets full of stuff on top of it?
The other night she told me that she wished she had two beds. She immediately corrected herself and changed the number to three. Why? She has plans to put her entire dresser up in one of her beds "so the boys don't get into it".
I'm thinking we might need to honor her desire for a little more space...
This seems to be working well, aside from the hour long parties that they have when we put them to bed. Last night, it was a "rain party". Claire tore up multiple sheets of paper and threw them off her top bunk, making them rain down on David's bed and the floor. Jacob, not to miss out on the fun, stood up in his crib and laughed with delight.
Claire, however, just might need her own space. As I've written about before, her bed has become "her" little world. At first, she kept a few stuffed animals by her pillow. Then she added blankets and little pillows for them. Then it was little boxes of treasures. And now, the head of her bed AND the side of her bed are full of boxes, paper, trinkets, special things, and the list goes on. Have I mentioned that there's also a boom box at the foot of her bed with two buckets full of stuff on top of it?
The other night she told me that she wished she had two beds. She immediately corrected herself and changed the number to three. Why? She has plans to put her entire dresser up in one of her beds "so the boys don't get into it".
I'm thinking we might need to honor her desire for a little more space...
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