Being around these kids is hilarious and some day they will be whiney unreasonable teenagers with somewhat more adult behaviors so I'd like to write down some of the sillies that they do just being at home on a Thursday and Friday without school.....
*Sylvie has covered her legs, arms, and fingers slowly with bandaids over the past 2 days. Every time she walks by she has more.....
*Logan randomly got bored, rolled the legs up on his jammies, then rolled them down and walked around like a duck with his jammies and undies around his ankles.
*They both fought over who would get to keep the yellow power ranger (with a skirt) long-term. As in their house when they are adults.
*Sylvie put makeup all over Logan. Logan tied Sylvie's dress. Sylvie got Logan's silverware. Logan got Sylvie a snack.
*Incessant fart jokes.
*Sylvie was showing me a castle she said belonged to mermaids. She flipped it around and showed me the living room, the bedroom for mermen and mermaids and the bathroom. Then she giggled and said she wondered how the mermaids pulled their tails down to pee. Then she said maybe there is a special hole on their tails for that. She's smart as a whip I tell you.
*We were watching a scene from Epcot where they have a globe and Sylvie wanted to know how we can tell what the earth looks like when we're standing on it. Logan and I said the astronauts see it. Logan said "but, that earth on tv is made of lights. The astronauts see the earth that is green and blue." So I asked him to clarify why it looks green and blue for Sylvie. He said the green is trees and grass, but "the astronauts are so far away they can't tell the difference between grass and trees." And then I explained the Ozone Layer to the kids. And then Sylvie told me she absolutely positively needs to go back to the Apricot (Epcot ball) and do the ride there. Soon.
*We're going away to a hotel with bunk beds and I showed the kids so they would be prepared. Logan helped me ease her mind about not being the kid to sleep on the top by reassuring her that all the ocean dreams happen on the bottom. Then Sylvie decided that princesses sleep on the bottom and Mermen hang out on top.
I love these kiddos!!!!! And as a side note, how the heck did they go from looking young to old in 6 months since the Disney trip!!!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
School-ish Evening
After a very physical day of running, playing, ballet and los Abuelitos, the kids played here and then easily transitioned into school-time. I found a great Kumon workbook for numbers and Sylvie flew through it. It's great practice writing and recognizing the numbers, with connect the dots up to 20. She did really well!
Logan found his Transformer Sight Words workbook and the tasks are complex but he's doing well with them. We also have some flashcards and he matched up all the upper and lower case letters. Dd, Pp, Qq and Bb gave him a bit of trouble, but to his credit, they all looked the same in this font to me as well!
Anyway, I love when they are feeling engaged in an activity, and if it's a learning one, even better. And since I took my thyroid pill later today my attention span is still here at 8 pm. Kinda crazy how much I notice the difference!
Logan found his Transformer Sight Words workbook and the tasks are complex but he's doing well with them. We also have some flashcards and he matched up all the upper and lower case letters. Dd, Pp, Qq and Bb gave him a bit of trouble, but to his credit, they all looked the same in this font to me as well!
Anyway, I love when they are feeling engaged in an activity, and if it's a learning one, even better. And since I took my thyroid pill later today my attention span is still here at 8 pm. Kinda crazy how much I notice the difference!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Feeling Sappy
.....and sad to see different phases of my kids' lives pass. They are growing up so quickly. Their awake hours are not 100% ours so they come home with all these things to tell us, show us, and make us laugh. Tonight both kids were showing us how they can do cartwheels, splits while in a handstand, and walk on their hands!!!!! After years of "My Gym" they are moving quickly through the ranks of Flying High Gym. Sylvie is in the kinder-stars class already, and Logan is moving up to the next level as well.
Miss Sylvie had her ballet recital that was just adorable and Logan is getting so good at golf. A huge piece of all these extracurriculars is my in-laws doing. They are doing the legwork, the signing-up, the paying and keeping the kids' spirits up about attending all of these lessons. It feels like the world is in front of them, they are being exposed to all these amazing things. In school they are just learning so much, given so many opportunities to better themselves, and push themselves. Even religion is coming into their vocabulary. And we are getting all the million "how does the world work" type questions from our free-thinkers.
They are real little people with real personalities and real goals. Things like "do I push for them to go to college or be happy with them following their dreams" and "Do I help them with their homework" are entering my mind. Today we were talking amongst the moms about when they get married and that person entering our families as "daughter- and son- inlaws." Not that these things are anytime soon, we have a virtual lifetime ahead of us. And so many experiences.
I was reading an article about the experiences of 2 French High School exchange students. They were saying in America we are pushed to think, to have ideas, to have an opinion. We have clubs, teams and so many ways to form the hours of our lives. I got Logan's yearbook and there are so many clubs to be joined as early as this upcoming year! The French students also spoke of America not having as strong of an educational base. I know it's not as important for life or all jobs, but I think having a general knowledge of life, culture, other places, other people, and current events, is important. I was at lunch with co-workers and some new interns and felt like I was discussing things others had never even considered experiencing. And they were all right here in Chicago. Maybe it's the fact that I lived elsewhere before, I appreciate what Chicago has, just as I voraciously ingested what Seattle had to offer, I want to soak it all in here as well. We got a list from the art department on what there is to do in the area and I plan to bring the kids to many of the places.
I feel our kids are lucky and blessed to have so many people, places, experiences and so much love in their lives daily.
Miss Sylvie had her ballet recital that was just adorable and Logan is getting so good at golf. A huge piece of all these extracurriculars is my in-laws doing. They are doing the legwork, the signing-up, the paying and keeping the kids' spirits up about attending all of these lessons. It feels like the world is in front of them, they are being exposed to all these amazing things. In school they are just learning so much, given so many opportunities to better themselves, and push themselves. Even religion is coming into their vocabulary. And we are getting all the million "how does the world work" type questions from our free-thinkers.
They are real little people with real personalities and real goals. Things like "do I push for them to go to college or be happy with them following their dreams" and "Do I help them with their homework" are entering my mind. Today we were talking amongst the moms about when they get married and that person entering our families as "daughter- and son- inlaws." Not that these things are anytime soon, we have a virtual lifetime ahead of us. And so many experiences.
I was reading an article about the experiences of 2 French High School exchange students. They were saying in America we are pushed to think, to have ideas, to have an opinion. We have clubs, teams and so many ways to form the hours of our lives. I got Logan's yearbook and there are so many clubs to be joined as early as this upcoming year! The French students also spoke of America not having as strong of an educational base. I know it's not as important for life or all jobs, but I think having a general knowledge of life, culture, other places, other people, and current events, is important. I was at lunch with co-workers and some new interns and felt like I was discussing things others had never even considered experiencing. And they were all right here in Chicago. Maybe it's the fact that I lived elsewhere before, I appreciate what Chicago has, just as I voraciously ingested what Seattle had to offer, I want to soak it all in here as well. We got a list from the art department on what there is to do in the area and I plan to bring the kids to many of the places.
I feel our kids are lucky and blessed to have so many people, places, experiences and so much love in their lives daily.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Silly-Inquisitive-isms
Sylvie: "Mom, why don't people feel that the earth is moving?"
"Oh, you know what? I know why the clouds are moving, because the earth is moving!"
Sylvie: "When I grow up, where will we all sleep in this house?"
Logan: "When I grow up, I'm going to live here."
S:"When I am a princess, I will live in Disney World."
L:"I'm not going to live in Disney, I'm just going to visit. I'm not going to work when I'm an adult." Me: "What are you going to do for money?"
L: "I'm going to work at Legoland."
Sylvie: "Logan, how does the juice get out of the battery?"
"Oh, you know what? I know why the clouds are moving, because the earth is moving!"
Sylvie: "When I grow up, where will we all sleep in this house?"
Logan: "When I grow up, I'm going to live here."
S:"When I am a princess, I will live in Disney World."
L:"I'm not going to live in Disney, I'm just going to visit. I'm not going to work when I'm an adult." Me: "What are you going to do for money?"
L: "I'm going to work at Legoland."
Sylvie: "Logan, how does the juice get out of the battery?"
Letters and Reading
With the school year coming to a close, I'm focused on keeping those brain cells alive with not only a love of the outdoors and all things physical, but school things as well. Logan has really made strides this year and is on the cusp of actually reading, I do not want to lose this! So I bought the "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons." For Sylvie, the first 50 seem to make sense, going over letters and sounds. So far she has proclaimed this all "boring" but we shall see on another day. Perhaps I should skip her ahead to lesson 20?:)
Logan was all gung-ho to do this book and we did approximately 12 lessons in a very short time, just reading sounds he was interested in reading, and then reading the corresponding words right after that, and then the sentence.
When I opened the book I thought it looked a bit silly and jibberish but what it does have going for it for Logan's skill set is he is at that point where all words starting with a "th" are automatically "The", and the literature at the front of the book talks about getting past that habit. It might be perfect timing!
Each letter has a dot, and a long line if the vowel is long. This will be great for his speech as well, this is exactly the sort of activity his teacher recommended. He really took the time to sound out each word, put it together in the sentence, still sounding it out, and was quick to recognize some of his sight words from school. Also, the letters are rather large, about the size he writes them himself.
All in all, I recommend it highly for your 6 year old between words and sentences!
Logan was all gung-ho to do this book and we did approximately 12 lessons in a very short time, just reading sounds he was interested in reading, and then reading the corresponding words right after that, and then the sentence.
When I opened the book I thought it looked a bit silly and jibberish but what it does have going for it for Logan's skill set is he is at that point where all words starting with a "th" are automatically "The", and the literature at the front of the book talks about getting past that habit. It might be perfect timing!
Each letter has a dot, and a long line if the vowel is long. This will be great for his speech as well, this is exactly the sort of activity his teacher recommended. He really took the time to sound out each word, put it together in the sentence, still sounding it out, and was quick to recognize some of his sight words from school. Also, the letters are rather large, about the size he writes them himself.
All in all, I recommend it highly for your 6 year old between words and sentences!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A day of sports
Logan and Jorge went out golfing with Bill, their "private trainer" this morning. Jorge said Logan's improving quite a bit, and Bill (friend of his mom's) has helped him correct his own swing as well.
We spent a lot of the day outside on this hot hot spring day and finally by evening, the kids were running amuck again the house. Time to go outside once again. It was still 89 or so degrees, but we went over to the park hauling some equipment.
Logan was super intense with the tennis balls and his metal bat, throwing, catching, hitting, enjoying. Sylvie joined in and using a plastic bat and tennis balls, really started getting the hang of things. Now I think I need a "personal trainer" to teach me to throw so I can pitch to my two cuties!
We headed over to the tennis courts and both kids practiced swinging a racket and Logan worked on a back and forth game with Jorge.
Logan gets so keyed up, working hard, concentrating, listening to your advice, and not giving up. If anything, it's hard to keep up with his intensity. Sylvie did pretty well for herself, kept at it even when things didn't go easily. I'm impressed! It was a lot of fun but very sweaty and humid. It's fun to have more sports in our lives.
We spent a lot of the day outside on this hot hot spring day and finally by evening, the kids were running amuck again the house. Time to go outside once again. It was still 89 or so degrees, but we went over to the park hauling some equipment.
Logan was super intense with the tennis balls and his metal bat, throwing, catching, hitting, enjoying. Sylvie joined in and using a plastic bat and tennis balls, really started getting the hang of things. Now I think I need a "personal trainer" to teach me to throw so I can pitch to my two cuties!
We headed over to the tennis courts and both kids practiced swinging a racket and Logan worked on a back and forth game with Jorge.
Logan gets so keyed up, working hard, concentrating, listening to your advice, and not giving up. If anything, it's hard to keep up with his intensity. Sylvie did pretty well for herself, kept at it even when things didn't go easily. I'm impressed! It was a lot of fun but very sweaty and humid. It's fun to have more sports in our lives.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Parisian
I know I haven't posted on our Paris trip. It was an amazing experience for so many reasons, and I feel like I'm trying to blend my experiences into my current life and see where it all fits in.
I keep having this image come back to my head of the last full day. It was rainy, chilly and a great day to be hopping in and out of shops wearing a raincoat and an umbrella. We settled down for lunch at an indoor cafe. Dark wood interior, wall of windows closed against the weather, old tin signs for Coca-Cola. I ordered a salad I had wanted to try since reading about it in Rick Steve's- egg, tomato, proscuitto and some additional things. Goodness.
As we filled our tummies and warmed ourselves, I couldn't help but look around at our fellow cafe-goers. On either side of us were two women and I was fascinated. What was their story. They looked like locals. One looked to be about 50. She sat and drank an espresso out of an impossibly small cup, book in hand, facing the window and us coincidentally. I couldn't actually tell if she was listening to our conversation, but she looked happy. Content. I don't know if she was retired, on break from work, alone or enjoying a moment of peace in life of chaos back home.
The whole time we were in the upper end of the Latin Quarter, I tried to picture who lived here, how did they live. They stopped at the fresh corner store, picked up flowers and groceries, opened their windows to let in the social noises in the street below. These women seemed to fit that life. Enjoying the little moments.
The older woman at the window drank a mid-day glass of wine. She ate steak and frites and had walking shoes on. She probably walked the park all day, every day, she looked hearty but was not eating low-fat, low-carb, low-taste food. She even ordered a mousse, and this huge smile spread across her face as she took that first bite.
I think what struck me was the lack of reaching out. I find myself in solitude looking for everyone around me, they are happy, they are with their friends, enjoying their children, judging my own experience of the moment on what I am NOT doing that everyone else IS doing. I would like to keep that image of the other women in my mind as a reminder to enjoy my quiet moments, enjoy the solitude, the routine and the daily moments that make up our life, and not always be looking for the newer, bigger, next, better and more fulfilling. The stuff of life is what makes the happy moments. And, I would like to remind myself that sometimes, it is okay to order dessert. Or drink wine at 1:00 in the afternoon. Because, really, the endorphins it releases must at some point outweigh the damage it does to our figure, especially if we walk more and drive less.
The
I keep having this image come back to my head of the last full day. It was rainy, chilly and a great day to be hopping in and out of shops wearing a raincoat and an umbrella. We settled down for lunch at an indoor cafe. Dark wood interior, wall of windows closed against the weather, old tin signs for Coca-Cola. I ordered a salad I had wanted to try since reading about it in Rick Steve's- egg, tomato, proscuitto and some additional things. Goodness.
As we filled our tummies and warmed ourselves, I couldn't help but look around at our fellow cafe-goers. On either side of us were two women and I was fascinated. What was their story. They looked like locals. One looked to be about 50. She sat and drank an espresso out of an impossibly small cup, book in hand, facing the window and us coincidentally. I couldn't actually tell if she was listening to our conversation, but she looked happy. Content. I don't know if she was retired, on break from work, alone or enjoying a moment of peace in life of chaos back home.
The whole time we were in the upper end of the Latin Quarter, I tried to picture who lived here, how did they live. They stopped at the fresh corner store, picked up flowers and groceries, opened their windows to let in the social noises in the street below. These women seemed to fit that life. Enjoying the little moments.
The older woman at the window drank a mid-day glass of wine. She ate steak and frites and had walking shoes on. She probably walked the park all day, every day, she looked hearty but was not eating low-fat, low-carb, low-taste food. She even ordered a mousse, and this huge smile spread across her face as she took that first bite.
I think what struck me was the lack of reaching out. I find myself in solitude looking for everyone around me, they are happy, they are with their friends, enjoying their children, judging my own experience of the moment on what I am NOT doing that everyone else IS doing. I would like to keep that image of the other women in my mind as a reminder to enjoy my quiet moments, enjoy the solitude, the routine and the daily moments that make up our life, and not always be looking for the newer, bigger, next, better and more fulfilling. The stuff of life is what makes the happy moments. And, I would like to remind myself that sometimes, it is okay to order dessert. Or drink wine at 1:00 in the afternoon. Because, really, the endorphins it releases must at some point outweigh the damage it does to our figure, especially if we walk more and drive less.
The
Logan's conversation.....
typed as I'm listening to it....
Logan: "Mom, want to know what kind of superhero I'm going to be? I'm going to be one that flies."
Logan: "I'm going to live with you forever mom."
Me: "Logan what will you do when you're an adult?"
Logan: "Mom, when I'm an adult I'll feed Abby (the dog) her food whenever it runs out."
Logan:" I'm going to do what Abby does. Relax at home while you and daddy are at work."
Logan: "When I'm at school, can you drop me off?" (we always walk in together)
Me: "What kind of job will you have?"
Logan: "The job is to take care of Abby at home. I'm going to do all the Abby work. Clean up her toys, get her something to eat and something to drink. When I'm an adult. Hey Sylvie, you don't have to do any work when you're an adult. Sylvie, will you live with mom when you're an adult?"
Sylvie: "Yes."
Me: "Sylvie, what about when you are an adult"
Sylvie: "I'm going to be Melody (a character from a Barbie movie)."
Logan: "Mom, want to know what kind of superhero I'm going to be? I'm going to be one that flies."
Logan: "I'm going to live with you forever mom."
Me: "Logan what will you do when you're an adult?"
Logan: "Mom, when I'm an adult I'll feed Abby (the dog) her food whenever it runs out."
Logan:" I'm going to do what Abby does. Relax at home while you and daddy are at work."
Logan: "When I'm at school, can you drop me off?" (we always walk in together)
Me: "What kind of job will you have?"
Logan: "The job is to take care of Abby at home. I'm going to do all the Abby work. Clean up her toys, get her something to eat and something to drink. When I'm an adult. Hey Sylvie, you don't have to do any work when you're an adult. Sylvie, will you live with mom when you're an adult?"
Sylvie: "Yes."
Me: "Sylvie, what about when you are an adult"
Sylvie: "I'm going to be Melody (a character from a Barbie movie)."
Friday Evening Playtime
Busy day Friday filled with a backyard birthday party with the meetup moms, school, a bit of running around and plenty of outside time. Friday evening the kids were ready for mom-time so we set down with the box of barbies and had at it. I started flipping my barbie up in a twist and so Logan started getting interested, trying to copy my moves with a flick of the wrist. Then he found a red bandana in the barbie box and started doing his karate moves. My very own Ralph Machio...swoon! hehehe. Sylvie, ever the princess, wore through 2 pairs of tights today caking them with mud at parks, and still found time to glitter her face and accessorize with a necklace.
This morning has been a lego/ pancake-making/ mermaid-watching kinda morning. I made a lego ship, which Logan asked to "borrow." Sylvie, after a bit of moaning about wanting to play Barbies again instead of legos, built her first lego house.
And seriously, when did we get this many barbies? Last summer if seems we were picking up a few at a garage sale so we had enough to fill one barbie car. Now we have a plethora!
This morning has been a lego/ pancake-making/ mermaid-watching kinda morning. I made a lego ship, which Logan asked to "borrow." Sylvie, after a bit of moaning about wanting to play Barbies again instead of legos, built her first lego house.
And seriously, when did we get this many barbies? Last summer if seems we were picking up a few at a garage sale so we had enough to fill one barbie car. Now we have a plethora!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Paris Preparation
We're going to Paris in 14 days- eeek and oooh-la-la!
So I've been surfing the web to see what to wear besides the obvious advice I keep seeing "don't wear white tennis shoes." I have some of my current wardrobe set aside but I feel like my coat is just blech and my shoes that I have relied on are falling apart (including for my work days). So I checked out a few stores online and saw what the price ranges and styles were nowadays and ended up at Target for a few new key pieces.....
The image of the shoes is small, but you get the idea. The dress I got is in black and has a lining underneath and looks really nice. Logan said I should wear it tomorrow.
So I've been surfing the web to see what to wear besides the obvious advice I keep seeing "don't wear white tennis shoes." I have some of my current wardrobe set aside but I feel like my coat is just blech and my shoes that I have relied on are falling apart (including for my work days). So I checked out a few stores online and saw what the price ranges and styles were nowadays and ended up at Target for a few new key pieces.....
The image of the shoes is small, but you get the idea. The dress I got is in black and has a lining underneath and looks really nice. Logan said I should wear it tomorrow.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
I Recommend.....
Today the kids were planning lunch in the car ride home from school. So I decided we would have a "Taste Test Lunch." I put bowls of the 2 soups they requested with a bit of soup in each one, their sandwiches and some rice I had on hand that I wanted to eat myself.
Sylvie was the announcer, telling us what was available, Logan dove into the taste testing immediately. I taught them that after tasting, we could "Recommend" something to others based on what we liked.
So, I officially recommend the
Tomato and Rice soup with extra rice and a dab of fat free sour cream.
Sylvie recommends the
Chicken soup with Arroz (rice) on the side. She liked the grilled cheese but her favorite was the soup.
Logan recommends
Everything. He liked it all. And ate it all!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Guardian Angels
Alongside the power of Google image, I was explaining Guardian Angels to the kids and was reassuring Sylvie (who was on my lap) about how we have all these "magical" powers of spirituality watching over them who are powerful enough to help them in ways even mom and dad can't. We were talking about prayer and such.
So Sylvie said "I've never seen my guardian angel" and Logan, who I didn't think was listening, came over and said "I see my Guardian Angel all the time. It's a 'He' and he gives me funny dreams."
Kids are hilarious, that's all I can say about that.
I've been into Angels and spirituality lately and read a book about Angels by Sylvia Brown. It was fascinating and I think it's pretty interesting to me. I personally feel like I have NOT felt the power of my guardian angel. I don't know if I shut out the idea of it or haven't really come into harm's way, but as often as I feel a "6th sense" about someone, I really do not feel like I have someone leading me on my path towards what is right. Not sure if I'm not just open to the idea or if it's something else, but it would be exciting to have a sixth sense about a few things on my mind for the future. Actually, maybe it's my Spirit Guide that I need to connect with, the Guardian Angel has kept me safe whichever way I go. So, Guardian Angel and Spiritual Advisor or Guide, if you're around, you are welcome to come drop greetings my way on the next way to turn.
On a side note, I had a really rough day with work and with Jorge out of town I probably slip a bit more to the kids today than I need to. So I was talking and joking with the kids during brushing teeth and joked with Logan "Logan, if you see your Guardian Angel tonight, ask them what I should do about my job." and Logan said "Oh, that's easy, you should have no job. You should just play with your kids all the time. "
My bank account vetoes the idea but my heart is definitely on board with my sweet Logan. It's a good thing he has so many other adults that love him in the interim. You know, while Mommy still has a job.
So Sylvie said "I've never seen my guardian angel" and Logan, who I didn't think was listening, came over and said "I see my Guardian Angel all the time. It's a 'He' and he gives me funny dreams."
Kids are hilarious, that's all I can say about that.
I've been into Angels and spirituality lately and read a book about Angels by Sylvia Brown. It was fascinating and I think it's pretty interesting to me. I personally feel like I have NOT felt the power of my guardian angel. I don't know if I shut out the idea of it or haven't really come into harm's way, but as often as I feel a "6th sense" about someone, I really do not feel like I have someone leading me on my path towards what is right. Not sure if I'm not just open to the idea or if it's something else, but it would be exciting to have a sixth sense about a few things on my mind for the future. Actually, maybe it's my Spirit Guide that I need to connect with, the Guardian Angel has kept me safe whichever way I go. So, Guardian Angel and Spiritual Advisor or Guide, if you're around, you are welcome to come drop greetings my way on the next way to turn.
On a side note, I had a really rough day with work and with Jorge out of town I probably slip a bit more to the kids today than I need to. So I was talking and joking with the kids during brushing teeth and joked with Logan "Logan, if you see your Guardian Angel tonight, ask them what I should do about my job." and Logan said "Oh, that's easy, you should have no job. You should just play with your kids all the time. "
My bank account vetoes the idea but my heart is definitely on board with my sweet Logan. It's a good thing he has so many other adults that love him in the interim. You know, while Mommy still has a job.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
A 50's kinda kid
Just when I thought I'd had it with this generation and its commercials that seem to lure my children incessantly (I know because they come over and repeat them verbatim for me, just in case I missed them), the kids surprise me.
We had our first warm day. This weekend is the Easter Holiday weekend and the kids are completely and totally jazzed up for the candy and toys to come. They have spring fever, are on spring break and in general, are intense to the max.
So we got outside for two 80-degree days in a row! Logan had me laughing because he had this whole agenda of what he wanted to do. He wanted to rotate through all the toys in the garage and you could see his brain clicking a few more notches and he started asking for some random things. Like his baseball tee. Only he didn't use it as a tee, he started inventing. What could a 6 year old do with a tee? Well let me tell you, there is "Make it into a star wars blaster." And then there is "Sit on it and make it a rocket ship." oh, and then let's grab mom's sunscreen and drop it in the back of the rocket as "fuel." He had me cracking up with his intense missions so I had to snap some pics to remember this phase of my son's life. The inventor, the intensity, and the fact that this worn-out tee has been turned into new uses like they would have in the "Good old days" of past generations when children didn't own 1000 different toys all to play in their backyards.
Friday, March 26, 2010
How to get a child to morning kindergarten by 8:00.
First, you must be a morning person by nature. Or else your child is doomed to be late at least a few times.
Then you must wake up quite a bit before all the rest of the members of your household, shower, dress, and do whatever it takes to gather all of your wits about you. On the days I skip this step, those are the days I'm running back into the house gathering up the 20 things we forgot.
You wake up your kindergartener who jumps out of bed and starts telling you the story of the dreams he had for the last 10 hours in detail.
Then you wake up your 4 year old who whines incessantly about everything for the next 3 hours because she is not a morning person. She will insist upon being carried down the stairs. With her big blanket. And her little one. And 3 stuffed animals. And oh no! We lost Polly Pocket's shoes- tragedy has struck. So you will now be digging around in a toddler bed in your work clothing working up a sweat before the day has begun.
Then you must wake up quite a bit before all the rest of the members of your household, shower, dress, and do whatever it takes to gather all of your wits about you. On the days I skip this step, those are the days I'm running back into the house gathering up the 20 things we forgot.
You wake up your kindergartener who jumps out of bed and starts telling you the story of the dreams he had for the last 10 hours in detail.
Then you wake up your 4 year old who whines incessantly about everything for the next 3 hours because she is not a morning person. She will insist upon being carried down the stairs. With her big blanket. And her little one. And 3 stuffed animals. And oh no! We lost Polly Pocket's shoes- tragedy has struck. So you will now be digging around in a toddler bed in your work clothing working up a sweat before the day has begun.
Provide cups of milk and television refreshment.
Check the clock while you get yourself ready, the dog ready, the house ready, and breakfast ready for the kids and pack a lunch for myself.
7:15: hand your kindergartener breakfast. Put it on a kid's chair so he can eat on the family room floor in comfort and not spill.
7:18: run upstairs to grab clothing for both kids and at least 2 outfit selections for the fickle 4 year old.
7:20: show kids clothing. Give kindergartener breakfast #2 as the dog has eaten breakfast #1. Shove the dog outside and run upstairs to get another outfit as the kindergartener now only wears "skinny jeans and size 6 shirts."
7:22: Try to get the 4 year old dressed in vain. Plug ears to the drama that ensues. Threaten preschooler that she will stay at the house alone if she does not get dressed. Get 4-year-old dressed.
7:24: After third trip upstairs, and 4th trip up and down family rm. stairs, let dog back in, finish getting ready for work. Make sure all weather-appropriate outerwear is by the back door for 3 family member and the backpack is ready to go.
7:35: Tell kids to get coats and shoes on.
7:37: Tell kids to get coats and shoes on.
7:40: Tell kids to get coats and shoes on. Turn tv off. Listen to whining kids.
7:42: Tell kids to get coats and shoes on.
7:42 Blockade the couch so the dog doesn't sleep on and ruin the cushions all day long.
7:45: Tell kindergartener and preschooler to please hush for just a moment so mommy can think and make sure we have everything.Try to remember everything, listen to the kids freaking out about who is first and who gets to press the garage door opener. Sigh and be happy that you all made it out the door.
7:49: Get the kids out of the car. Do a daily check of "How many degrees is it today?" Remind kindergartener 4 times to grab his backpack. Take forever to walk to the school, and across the playground to the line. Listen to both kids complain if it's too hot, wet, stinky, snowy, cold, etc. End up carrying the preschooler half of the time. Smile knowingly at the other moms ushering their kindergarteners into school carrying their whining preschool girls. Another busy morning under your belt. Go to work. Go to bed. Start all over in the morning. Mornings were 10 times more difficult when the kids were babies, but some days it's the incessant banter that makes it feel more like climbing a mountain to get out the door.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Bilingual Dog?
Me: (playing with the dog) "Abby, why are you licking your paw? Is is a worry spot? Are you worried about Jorge being gone. He's coming back, it's okay Abby."
(Sylvie looks concerned) Me: "It's okay Sylvie, I'm just telling Abby that daddy will come back in a happy voice because she doesn't speak english so she doesn't know when I'm telling you how many days til he gets back."
Logan: "Abby speaks spanish?"
(Sylvie looks concerned) Me: "It's okay Sylvie, I'm just telling Abby that daddy will come back in a happy voice because she doesn't speak english so she doesn't know when I'm telling you how many days til he gets back."
Logan: "Abby speaks spanish?"
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The naming of a plush toy
Conversation at the checkout line at IKEA. Both kids were purchasing a stuffed hampster
Logan:"Mine is named Hampster-y"
Sylvie:"Mine is named Hampster"
(2 minutes)
Sylvie:"Hampster-y is a girl."
Logan crying and whining
Me:"Sylvie, do you mean your hampster is a girl? Logan's can still be a boy?"
Sylvie: "I mean, mine isn't named Hampster-y anymore. I am naming him 'Uno.'"
Me: "That's such a fun name Sylvie."
Sylvie: "No, I am changing his name. His name is Yellow-y."
(5 minutes pass, we get in the car)
Me: "Sylvie, maybe your hampster fits inside the new i-carly purse from McDonalds"
Sylvie: "My hampster is a girl and her name is I-Carly. And she does NOT want to be inside my purse."
Update:
Logan:"Sylvie, get I-Carly off of Hampster-y's house."
Sylvie of course does not
Logan: "Grrr! I-Carly! You are in a time- out!"
Logan:"Mine is named Hampster-y"
Sylvie:"Mine is named Hampster"
(2 minutes)
Sylvie:"Hampster-y is a girl."
Logan crying and whining
Me:"Sylvie, do you mean your hampster is a girl? Logan's can still be a boy?"
Sylvie: "I mean, mine isn't named Hampster-y anymore. I am naming him 'Uno.'"
Me: "That's such a fun name Sylvie."
Sylvie: "No, I am changing his name. His name is Yellow-y."
(5 minutes pass, we get in the car)
Me: "Sylvie, maybe your hampster fits inside the new i-carly purse from McDonalds"
Sylvie: "My hampster is a girl and her name is I-Carly. And she does NOT want to be inside my purse."
Update:
Logan:"Sylvie, get I-Carly off of Hampster-y's house."
Sylvie of course does not
Logan: "Grrr! I-Carly! You are in a time- out!"
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Parti-Party
Sometimes I forget. I forget that once Parti was pronounced "Par-Tea". Way back when, as in, my pre-kids life. As in, when there was no client and my brain was on fire trying to further my own ideas to the max. Back when I got less sleep than a new mom. Back when I met Jorge and our lives were ablaze with sheer determination, drive, and willingness to redo and redesign towards perfection. Where ink pens were refilled in expensive doses and models were constructed one small piece at a time, and I listened to cd's. On a "portable cd player" with huge headphones. All night long to meet that 8 am deadline.
A Parti or Parti pris [1] / from the French Prendre parti meaning " to make a decision " [2], often referred to as the big idea [3] , is the chief organizing thought or decision behind an Architect's design presented in the form of a basic diagram and / or a simple statement.
In school we did a few projects where we drew the floor plan emphasizing the main axis, the main ideas, the main gestures, with bolder lines. The diagram if you wish. But Parti sounded way cooler.
This week my friend is interviewing off in Seattle. I wish her luck. I saw the website for the firm she is interviewing and it brought back a flood of emotions. About what design was like in the great Pacific Northwest where you work hard to make your imprint on the earth small. . Where you color your house bright so it brings a smile to your face on even the dreariest of days. Reading the website reminded me of design in the school setting. About ideas and concepts, about parti's and perfection. Not that my current firm who does not strive for this, I guess in a way it's the nature of home additions and remodels. We work hard to fit into what is existing. And what is existing is suburban Chicago. And while plumbing fixtures bring their own sense of intrigue and satisfaction, there is no wow factor involved. Not to mention the day to day of correspondence, selections, permits, office politics. You know, the other side of what it takes to get something built.
I know there are a lot of unemployed architects right now. And more that are "settling" for projects and jobs. I guess I'm just not ready to drop the idealism that 7 years of college afforded me. After all, I'm still paying for school, why should that chapter be over? In a way I'm happy I haven't found that ideal job yet, it's a recession, the really amazing projects are only a glimmer in someone's eye. I'm just going to wait patiently until the economy turns for real, and I'll be the first in line ready and eager with my idealistic shoulders held high and my inspiration binder at my side.
A multi-family housing unit in Chicago's bulldozed Washington Park
An elevated train station. Wouldn't you like to start your morning commute with something fun and inspiring to look at?
A sculpture with one name "Contact" to be placed in a local body of water.
A Parti or Parti pris [1] / from the French Prendre parti meaning " to make a decision " [2], often referred to as the big idea [3] , is the chief organizing thought or decision behind an Architect's design presented in the form of a basic diagram and / or a simple statement.
In school we did a few projects where we drew the floor plan emphasizing the main axis, the main ideas, the main gestures, with bolder lines. The diagram if you wish. But Parti sounded way cooler.
This week my friend is interviewing off in Seattle. I wish her luck. I saw the website for the firm she is interviewing and it brought back a flood of emotions. About what design was like in the great Pacific Northwest where you work hard to make your imprint on the earth small. . Where you color your house bright so it brings a smile to your face on even the dreariest of days. Reading the website reminded me of design in the school setting. About ideas and concepts, about parti's and perfection. Not that my current firm who does not strive for this, I guess in a way it's the nature of home additions and remodels. We work hard to fit into what is existing. And what is existing is suburban Chicago. And while plumbing fixtures bring their own sense of intrigue and satisfaction, there is no wow factor involved. Not to mention the day to day of correspondence, selections, permits, office politics. You know, the other side of what it takes to get something built.
I know there are a lot of unemployed architects right now. And more that are "settling" for projects and jobs. I guess I'm just not ready to drop the idealism that 7 years of college afforded me. After all, I'm still paying for school, why should that chapter be over? In a way I'm happy I haven't found that ideal job yet, it's a recession, the really amazing projects are only a glimmer in someone's eye. I'm just going to wait patiently until the economy turns for real, and I'll be the first in line ready and eager with my idealistic shoulders held high and my inspiration binder at my side.
A childcare center
A multi-family housing unit in Chicago's bulldozed Washington Park
An elevated train station. Wouldn't you like to start your morning commute with something fun and inspiring to look at?
A kiosk for information for architecture students.
A sculpture with one name "Contact" to be placed in a local body of water.
Small gestures sometimes can be wonderful moments of inspiration.
Monday, March 8, 2010
New Vocabulary words
Sylvie learned a new vocabulary word which she shared with us this evening. "Brain."
Sylvie: "Knock knock."
Logan: "Who's there?"
Sylvie: "Brain."
Logan: "Brain who?"
Sylvie: "Aaah! My brain fell out of my head!"
Logan's new word involves a human body part and starts with a W and ends with an -einer. You can imagine the line of knock knock jokes that had to be stopped once that word got involved. Ah, parenhood, never a dull moment.
Sylvie: "Knock knock."
Logan: "Who's there?"
Sylvie: "Brain."
Logan: "Brain who?"
Sylvie: "Aaah! My brain fell out of my head!"
Logan's new word involves a human body part and starts with a W and ends with an -einer. You can imagine the line of knock knock jokes that had to be stopped once that word got involved. Ah, parenhood, never a dull moment.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Logan's "First" Dinner
Yesterday was one of those days where Logan just could not get enough food to stay satisfied. He wasn't eating too much all morning, just often. And then we got home and I made cornbread. I'm sure the yummy smell and long wait while it cooked aided in the hunger factor just a bit.
He's sitting eating hot dog (no bun) #2 and has already eaten a huge hunk of cornbread and he says:
"Mom, can this be my first dinner?" and I ask "What would you like for your second dinner?" He says "I need to think about it......" and then later he says "Mom! We forgot to eat lunch!" No Logan, you ate lunch, breakfast, 3 snacks, dinner and then a late evening snack- good grief!
He's sitting eating hot dog (no bun) #2 and has already eaten a huge hunk of cornbread and he says:
"Mom, can this be my first dinner?" and I ask "What would you like for your second dinner?" He says "I need to think about it......" and then later he says "Mom! We forgot to eat lunch!" No Logan, you ate lunch, breakfast, 3 snacks, dinner and then a late evening snack- good grief!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Lunchtime Banter
Ever one for attention Sylvie was chattering away about anything and everything.....
"Mom, if our ceiling had a hole in it, we would have air inside. And we could see the sky and the roof. And that would not be good."
"Mom there is this guy, and he's scary and he comes into our room and takes stuff. I had a dream about him and he came into your room and took your things mom!" She's been telling me some version of this story every few hours for days now. Turns out today, when we were in Trader Joe's and they were hanging shamrocks, and discussed St. Patrick's Day, we found the culprit. Apparently at preschool they have a song about a leprechaun and this has morphed into this dreadful little man who comes and moves our things about in her head. Needless to say, we won't be introducing leprechaun shenanigans into our home this year!
"Mom, if our ceiling had a hole in it, we would have air inside. And we could see the sky and the roof. And that would not be good."
"Mom there is this guy, and he's scary and he comes into our room and takes stuff. I had a dream about him and he came into your room and took your things mom!" She's been telling me some version of this story every few hours for days now. Turns out today, when we were in Trader Joe's and they were hanging shamrocks, and discussed St. Patrick's Day, we found the culprit. Apparently at preschool they have a song about a leprechaun and this has morphed into this dreadful little man who comes and moves our things about in her head. Needless to say, we won't be introducing leprechaun shenanigans into our home this year!
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