1. A friend gives Connor a birthday gift at the bus stop on Monday afternoon. He was sick on Sunday and couldn't make it to the party. Two big, strapping boys. Pushing and shoving each other a moment earlier. As he hands it to Connor, what do I hear:
"Oh, my, Danny! You shouldn't have!!
What? Suddenly he's turned into Scarlett O'Hara? I expected him to whip out a fan and swoon.
2. Working on the new obsession: a Lego set. We have firm rules around these. Actually, one firm rule: FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF. You know, Connor gets so frustrated so easily. This new fixation is a good way to help him through that. No crying, no whining---if you do, it gets taken away. If you get stuck, go back three moves and rebuild and try to figure out what you did wrong. Only then can you come ask for help. So, he's adapting to that. And it's crystal clear that he'll get no help at all if he acts like a baby. I hear him in the family room. There are sighs. There are low moans--even a few grunts. But no baby sounds. These are grown up frustration vents and I'm fine with that. A few moments later, he appears. Half of a Star Wars imperial walker leg in his hand. What does he say?
"Mother! I think I have detected a flaw."
Wow. Now that's what I call a calm presentation of an issue.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Birthday Fun At School
Today I had the pleasure of spending lunchtime with Connor at his school in order to share birthday cupcakes with his classmates. I needed a nap immediately following. The cafeteria is possibly one of the LOUDEST places I have ever been in my life. But, it did solve some mysteries for me about how lunch with first graders actually works. My observations:
1. He sits with his class--at the non-peanut boys end of the table.
2. Its a constant rotating schedule. As one class leaves one table, another is filing in to fill it. This is very different than my elementary school where lunch was in two or three blocks of time for everyone.
3. He goes BACK to class for awhile before heading out to Recess. That's just stupid. They are so wound up after the freedom of that 30 minute lunch zoo, I don't know how they learn ANYTHING in that next 25 minutes.
4. The cafeteria team told me that they estimate that about 60-75% of the food brought by the kids or purchased for lunch is actually just thrown away. Frightening. But looking around, I believe that to be true.
5. My friend Karina was there to have lunch with her daughter Megan at the other end of the table. She told me that every single day (she goes alot) is major DRAMA with the girls having to do with "Today you are not my friend." "Today I will sit with X and Y and not with you." etc. None of that went on at the boys end of the table. They just pile into the seats and then see who can do the grossest thing with their food.
6. The girls have better manners than the boys. WAY. As Connor handed out the cupcakes, almost every single girl thanked him, thanked me, and asked what they were and complimented them. Not one boy said thank you. They just shoved them straight down their gullets. I don't care. I'd rather not get a thank you and know that they are nice to each other vs. all those girls saying thank you and then treating each other like crap. Ugh.
But, the treats were a major hit. We made Pebbles Cupcake treats and iced them with real buttercream icing in Connor's choice of blue. (Bob said that it looked like Avatar poop.) And Connor was so proud to hand them out and to walk me around the cafeteria to all his friends and staff and pat my belly and tell everyone "She's not fat. She's "pregnit". Too cute. And despite his hyperactivity, it seemed to me that all of the adults really like him. This is no surprise---he's always engaged above his age group!
1. He sits with his class--at the non-peanut boys end of the table.
2. Its a constant rotating schedule. As one class leaves one table, another is filing in to fill it. This is very different than my elementary school where lunch was in two or three blocks of time for everyone.
3. He goes BACK to class for awhile before heading out to Recess. That's just stupid. They are so wound up after the freedom of that 30 minute lunch zoo, I don't know how they learn ANYTHING in that next 25 minutes.
4. The cafeteria team told me that they estimate that about 60-75% of the food brought by the kids or purchased for lunch is actually just thrown away. Frightening. But looking around, I believe that to be true.
5. My friend Karina was there to have lunch with her daughter Megan at the other end of the table. She told me that every single day (she goes alot) is major DRAMA with the girls having to do with "Today you are not my friend." "Today I will sit with X and Y and not with you." etc. None of that went on at the boys end of the table. They just pile into the seats and then see who can do the grossest thing with their food.
6. The girls have better manners than the boys. WAY. As Connor handed out the cupcakes, almost every single girl thanked him, thanked me, and asked what they were and complimented them. Not one boy said thank you. They just shoved them straight down their gullets. I don't care. I'd rather not get a thank you and know that they are nice to each other vs. all those girls saying thank you and then treating each other like crap. Ugh.
But, the treats were a major hit. We made Pebbles Cupcake treats and iced them with real buttercream icing in Connor's choice of blue. (Bob said that it looked like Avatar poop.) And Connor was so proud to hand them out and to walk me around the cafeteria to all his friends and staff and pat my belly and tell everyone "She's not fat. She's "pregnit". Too cute. And despite his hyperactivity, it seemed to me that all of the adults really like him. This is no surprise---he's always engaged above his age group!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Seventh
Whew. What a day.
I hate meterologists. All of them. I think we should take all of the money that we spend on college programs for them, for all their Doppler and NexRad crap, for all the TV channels, for all the jobs, computers, and sattelites and use it to pay for a public health insurance option for migrant workers. Seriously. What a waste of time and resources. They are wrong so much more often then they are right. Nationalize meteorology--one government agency to do it all. I'm all about socializing THAT.
Today, wild thunderstorms with tornadoes and hail were predicted for right in the middle of Connor's outdoor birthday party. But, at 10am when we said we'd make the "game time decision" to go or not go, the forecasts were all looking invalid and as if the really awful stuff would come later. So, rather than cancel, we decided to hedge our bets and move it up an hour and half.
What happened? It was a beautiful day. All day. We didn't even need to move it up. But it was fine that we did because it actually made the evening a bit more relaxing. The boys played miniature golf and hit the batting cages. After the party, a bunch of them were able to stay and use their tokens for a small bucket of balls and we hit the driving range together. They all seemed to really enjoy it and it was nice to meet a few of Connor's friends from school that I did not know.
Happy Birthday, Handsome!
Parity
Today, Connor becomes a seven-year old. Its shocking, really. Just shocking. He's still our baby in so many ways---but soon that will change, too. I tell him all the time, though, that he'll always be my FIRST baby.
I went through his baby memory box the other day because I am trying to organize my hospital bag and thought that I might want to bring his baby brother home from the hospital in Connor's baby kimono set. But, after I opened it and looked at all the things in that box, I decided to leave it. Those are Connor's special things and I want them to stay that way.
It struck me that this new baby's arrival will be documented here in Tatertown, but that Connor's was not. On the other hand, Connor has a beautiful baby book and memory box that I'll be hard pressed to live up to for his brother!
Here's our first family picture right after he was born. And his footprints and birth announcement:
When we finally got things moving along, it went quickly. There was an ARMY of people in the OR--I was shocked by how many nurses and staff were there. And I was tremendously impressed with the very very organized and well-coordinated way that things happened. My anesthesiologist was charming and my spinal block / epidural application was great--even though we had to move it up one vertebrae because the first one was funky. I didn't want nor need any kind of tranquilizer and I was able to be totally aware of what was going on and talk to Bob and my doctor the whole time. It was just as I would have wanted it to be--not dramatic, calm, and very deliberate. They took him out (after having to make my incision a bit bigger because the doctor could not fit him through the original!), we got a quick few pictures and then off he went with Daddy for his first bath while the doctor closed me back up.
I got to see him again when I was in the recovery room and Bob wheeled him in in the plastic bassinet thing. I was shaking from the anesthesia like a crazy woman at the top of Mount Everest in winter and couldn't hold him until later when I was in my room. I don't remember too much after that--I was sleepy and Bob was sleepy and they took Connor to the nursery for a few hours so that we could get some rest.
After that, the rest of our lives together began. But I do remember one thing--our first family hug that night. And just like in Lilo and Stitch, during the hug, my silly, crazy husband said "Ohana means family". And it does.
I went through his baby memory box the other day because I am trying to organize my hospital bag and thought that I might want to bring his baby brother home from the hospital in Connor's baby kimono set. But, after I opened it and looked at all the things in that box, I decided to leave it. Those are Connor's special things and I want them to stay that way.
It struck me that this new baby's arrival will be documented here in Tatertown, but that Connor's was not. On the other hand, Connor has a beautiful baby book and memory box that I'll be hard pressed to live up to for his brother!
Here's our first family picture right after he was born. And his footprints and birth announcement:
It was a long day. We got to the hospital around 10am for a scheduled 12:30 pm c-section. But...as fate would have it we had to wait until around 4:30 to go into the OR. First, my doctor had another patient in hard labor at 11 am--so we had to wait until that one gave birth. Thankfully, she moved it along and we cleared that hurdle around 1pm. Then, just as we were about to head in to the OR, an ambulance radioed that they were bringing in a pregnant automobile accident victim. So, they needed to hold my OR space in case of an emergency with that woman. We stayed in pretty good spirits in a tiny little room with me hooked up to a fetal monitor. I was glad that I was not either one of those other moms---neither in a car crash nor in labor.
When we finally got things moving along, it went quickly. There was an ARMY of people in the OR--I was shocked by how many nurses and staff were there. And I was tremendously impressed with the very very organized and well-coordinated way that things happened. My anesthesiologist was charming and my spinal block / epidural application was great--even though we had to move it up one vertebrae because the first one was funky. I didn't want nor need any kind of tranquilizer and I was able to be totally aware of what was going on and talk to Bob and my doctor the whole time. It was just as I would have wanted it to be--not dramatic, calm, and very deliberate. They took him out (after having to make my incision a bit bigger because the doctor could not fit him through the original!), we got a quick few pictures and then off he went with Daddy for his first bath while the doctor closed me back up.
I got to see him again when I was in the recovery room and Bob wheeled him in in the plastic bassinet thing. I was shaking from the anesthesia like a crazy woman at the top of Mount Everest in winter and couldn't hold him until later when I was in my room. I don't remember too much after that--I was sleepy and Bob was sleepy and they took Connor to the nursery for a few hours so that we could get some rest.
After that, the rest of our lives together began. But I do remember one thing--our first family hug that night. And just like in Lilo and Stitch, during the hug, my silly, crazy husband said "Ohana means family". And it does.
Friday, April 23, 2010
That Was Then, This Is Now
My friend Lisa came to town for a Spring Break visit and we had a great day at the park. She sent a bunch of photos from their visit and the one of Mason and Connor playing in the creek remined me that somewhere in the Tate Archives I had a picture of them in the same left>right position. They were 5 months old. 7 years later, look how they've changed!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Nesting-New Paint
Last week we had pretty much all of the common areas in the house repainted. Major nesting underway! They did a great job and the colors are unusual and awesome. As we get each room reloaded, I'll post a picture of how they look.
Here's the kitchen. Dark orangey-brown called Chestnut Stallion on all the walls except the one back, accent wall. That one is called Spring Moss and its an awesome drenched green. We also reorganized and moved things off center a bit rather than have the table and sideboard all be at perfect right angles. We went with three shelves instead of four of them in a grid as we had them before. Its really opened up the eat in kitchen area. But now the light has to go and we have to find someting flush or semi-flush mounted.
Here's the kitchen. Dark orangey-brown called Chestnut Stallion on all the walls except the one back, accent wall. That one is called Spring Moss and its an awesome drenched green. We also reorganized and moved things off center a bit rather than have the table and sideboard all be at perfect right angles. We went with three shelves instead of four of them in a grid as we had them before. Its really opened up the eat in kitchen area. But now the light has to go and we have to find someting flush or semi-flush mounted.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
You Know You're Big and Pregnant When...
You arrive for a business meetng a few minutes early and a other participants are in the room. You put down your notebook, pen, and Blackberry and say "Hi everyone. I'll be right back. I just need to run to the Ladies Room". And someone quickly says....."YOU CAN RUN??"
Yes. Yes I can. But only in cases of impending death by fire or a major predator. And even then, its not pretty.
Yes. Yes I can. But only in cases of impending death by fire or a major predator. And even then, its not pretty.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Dinner Down East
We had three, delicious "straight from Maine" lobsters for dinner tonite courtesy of our friend Kim who went up there for the weekend and brought back 60lbs of them. We hadn't planned on it, but she had extras and for $12 bucks a bug, how would we say no?
Connor liked playing with them, just like I did when I was a kid. In fact, I distinctly remember putting my dog's leash on one once and taking it for a 'drag' in the backyard. I also remember my Dad putting cigarettes in the claws of one. Smoking kills---about 5 minutes later in that lobster's case!
And in case you were wondering, Connor had a PBJ and some corn on the cob. Wouldn't even take a bite of the lobster and Bob and I were fine with that!
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Nana 21
So, after a week with Nana, I thought it would be interesting to see how Connor answers the questions he answered about me a year or so ago.
Nana--Sorry. But I didn't edit this ONE BIT. Not one bit. We love you and thanks for a great week. We'll talk to you once you forgive us for this blog post.
1. What is something your Nana always says to you?
I love you.
2. What makes your Nana happy?
When you’re always good and no screaming or yelling when you’re in like a quiet place.
3. What makes your Nana sad?
The dead cats in the yard.
4. How does your Nana make you laugh?
April Fool’s jokes
5. What do you think Nana was like as child?
She was always nagging about stuff and she always wanted what she wanted.
6. How old is Nana?
58
7. How tall is Nana?
8 Feet, 8 Inches tall
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Just lay around
9. What does Nana do when you’re not around?
She just lays around or goes to the baby cousin’s house
10. If Nana becomes famous, what would it be for?
For telling people to do what she wants them to do. But she’s mostly my slave.
11. What is your Nana really good at?
Sleeping
12. What is your Nana not very good at?
Staying up
13. What does your Nana do for her job?
She prints papers for the hospital
14. What is your Nana’s favorite food?
Chicken
15. What makes you proud of your Nana?
She’s always nice and she always lays around
16. If Nana was a cartoon character which one would she be?
Velma from Scooby Doo because she wears glasses and she’s smart
17. What do you and Nana like to do together?
Play putt-putt and go on the computer
18. How are you and your Nana the same?
She always wants what she wants and I always want what I want
19. How are you and your Nana different?
She is old and I am young
20. How do you know your Nana loves you?
‘Cause she says it
21. Where is your Nana’s favorite place to go?
Home
Nana--Sorry. But I didn't edit this ONE BIT. Not one bit. We love you and thanks for a great week. We'll talk to you once you forgive us for this blog post.
1. What is something your Nana always says to you?
I love you.
2. What makes your Nana happy?
When you’re always good and no screaming or yelling when you’re in like a quiet place.
3. What makes your Nana sad?
The dead cats in the yard.
4. How does your Nana make you laugh?
April Fool’s jokes
5. What do you think Nana was like as child?
She was always nagging about stuff and she always wanted what she wanted.
6. How old is Nana?
58
7. How tall is Nana?
8 Feet, 8 Inches tall
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Just lay around
9. What does Nana do when you’re not around?
She just lays around or goes to the baby cousin’s house
10. If Nana becomes famous, what would it be for?
For telling people to do what she wants them to do. But she’s mostly my slave.
11. What is your Nana really good at?
Sleeping
12. What is your Nana not very good at?
Staying up
13. What does your Nana do for her job?
She prints papers for the hospital
14. What is your Nana’s favorite food?
Chicken
15. What makes you proud of your Nana?
She’s always nice and she always lays around
16. If Nana was a cartoon character which one would she be?
Velma from Scooby Doo because she wears glasses and she’s smart
17. What do you and Nana like to do together?
Play putt-putt and go on the computer
18. How are you and your Nana the same?
She always wants what she wants and I always want what I want
19. How are you and your Nana different?
She is old and I am young
20. How do you know your Nana loves you?
‘Cause she says it
21. Where is your Nana’s favorite place to go?
Home
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Anybody Want A Bunny Cake Pan???
I AM EXHAUSTED BY THIS HASSENPFEFFER. 3 SOLID HOURS THIS MORNING!!
But, I'm sure he's going to taste heavenly when he's brought to the slaughterhouse later. Something is wrong with my mechanical cake decorator and I had to exert far more pressure to get the icing out than usual. I think it might be missing a piece--an inner cylinder--but I'm not sure.
Anyway, the cake is almond flavored and the icing is vanilla. Happy Easter. And let me know if you want the damn pan!!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Bunny Cake
I made this cake in 2008 and for some reason skipped last year. But, I'm going to give it a shot this year. I might not get to it until Easter Sunday morning, but let's see if I'm up to the same level of commitment!
No matter what I do, its bound to look better than any of these!
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