Allison has been very into dictating stories, which I write down for her and we staple into a book, which she can decorate. She's a very creative child, so I've been trying to nurture that. In fact, I signed her up for a fine arts preschool in the fall, at a local art school in Austin.
Anyway, I thought she might like to write a blog post. So I said hey, Allison. Let's write a post for our blog! Here's what came of that:
Me: Okay Allison. What do you want to say?
Allison: I don't know. I just want to say People! Stop! And nothing else.
Me: Really. That's all you want to say? You don't want to say hi? Or tell them about how Jose painted your room?
Allison: I wanted him to pain my walls pink. I mean my room. I just wanted it like that.
Me: Uh huh. So what do you think of the color?
Allison: I don't think it's good.
Me: Why?
Allison: Just because it's not good. When I say it's not good, it's not good. Okay!
Me: You're silly.
Allison: I don't know but you might be silly.
Allison: FROSTY THE SNOW MAN WAS A JOLLY HAPPY SOUL. WITH A SOMETHING PIPE AND A CHILDREN'S NOSE....
She wandered into the backyard so that's going to have to be the end.
Wait, she just busted in here and said WE'RE PIRATES! We're going to take you down! Apparently my pirate is also hungry for lunch so this is really going to have to be the end.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The celery makeover takes a left turn
I can't find my camera--I can't find much of anything, if I'm being honest with you--but the celery makeover is coming along. Except not celery. The realtor came over and we looked at colors together. We chose three and painted swaths on the wall in four different places. After looking at them for a day, we landed on Compatible Cream. I keep misspeaking and saying Contemptible Cream. It's actually a pretty nice color. It looks sort of golden, like the top of a creme brulee.
I'll post pictures ummm when I find the camera. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the fact that I have the interior of my house back. They have been painting for a few days and we actually stayed at a motel one night, which is not a lot of fun with kids but neither is following them around saying No, baby! Don't touch the walls! NO! STOP IT!
Now, I'm sitting here doing this and working a little bit on my dissertation work when I should be cleaning up after the painters. Because honestly, it has become quite the dusty mess in here.
The paint does brighten everything up. We're going to move some furniture around, I think, and only hang a few of our paintings. We've got a lot of work to do in the next week or so before we put this thing on the market.
I need a little St. Joseph to bury in the yard or something?
I'll post pictures ummm when I find the camera. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the fact that I have the interior of my house back. They have been painting for a few days and we actually stayed at a motel one night, which is not a lot of fun with kids but neither is following them around saying No, baby! Don't touch the walls! NO! STOP IT!
Now, I'm sitting here doing this and working a little bit on my dissertation work when I should be cleaning up after the painters. Because honestly, it has become quite the dusty mess in here.
The paint does brighten everything up. We're going to move some furniture around, I think, and only hang a few of our paintings. We've got a lot of work to do in the next week or so before we put this thing on the market.
I need a little St. Joseph to bury in the yard or something?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Check it out.
Did you see this story? A Chinese police officer breastfeeds babies orphaned by the quake or whose mothers were unable to keep their milk supply because of trauma and insufficient nutrition. It's a really beautiful story.
If you raised 'em right.....
The Scene: In the parking lot of Publix. We stopped to get some limes at about 8pm. The kids were really too tired but we decided to risk it.
Dramatis Personae: Me, Joe (my husband), Allison, Frances, Some Random Woman (SRW)
Joe: Come on Allison. Hold my hand.
Allison: I want to hold Mama's hand.
Joe: Okay, she's right there.
Me: Come on, Chicky.
Allison: I want to ride in the big cart!
Me: Well, if we're going to use a cart, let's use this one right here.
Allison: No, the other kind!
Me: Come on, Allison. This one is good enough.
Me: Here, sit next to Frances..
Frances: Goo!
Allison: No! WAAAAAAHHH.
Me: Okay, dude. Knock it off. Listen. Stop crying now, or we'll go home and you're not going to get to play with your puzzle. (Aside: I promised her she could play with the puzzle)
Allison: I wanna do my puzzle! WAAAAAHHH.
Me: Last chance. Stop crying or we go home.
Allison: Huh uhuh uhuh uhuh. *we talk about five feet*
Allison: WAHHHHHH.
*Two women walking by roll their eyes at us*
Joe: I'll just take her back to the car.
Joe: Allison, you are being very naughty.
Joe: No bedtime treat and no puzzle when we get home.
Allison: NOOOO! I WANNA GO TO THE STORE! WAAAHHH!
Frances: uhhhhh waaaaa! waaaaa!
Me: O my goodness.
Me: Let's all just go. *putting the baby on my hip*
Enter, SRW, putting groceries in her car. She looks at me, then at Allison.
SRW: Hmmmph!
SRW: Shut. Up.
Me: Um. Excuse me?
Me: What did you just say?
SRW: Well!
Me: No. You do not tell my child to shut up.
Me: We are taking her back to the car.
Me: What else do you want?
SRW: Well, if you raised 'em right!
Me: *now in an elevated tone of voice* What are you talking about?
Me: We are taking her back to the car because she's having a tantrum.
SRW: but..
Me: No, I don't think people in the store should have to deal with this, which is why we aren't even going into the store.
Me: We're taking her to our car.
Me: We're in the parking lot, for crying out loud.
Me: *now in a very elevated tone of voice* I have a right to be here.
SRW: OMG, What is wrong with you?
SRW: Why are you yelling at me?
Me: *now in both an elevated voice and pointing a finger* Because you do NOT get to tell my CHILD to SHUT UP.
SRW: *muttering*
Me: *Returning cart with baby still on hip* No, you do not tell my child to shut up.
The scene ends as SRW moves toward the store to get away from me, seeming very shaken and a little frightened. She stands at a distance and watches to see what I'll do next. I get in the car and drive away. As we're pulling away, I see SRW in the rearview moving slowly toward her car.
I think she'll think twice before she does something like that again.
This is the lesson for everyone. Hold your tongue. Every mother you meet bears the weight of every eyeroll, every snarky comment, every time she's been escorted to a public restroom to breastfeed, every friend, family member, and every stranger who feels s/he has the right to judge. We remember all of it. Keep that in mind the next time you feel like rolling your eyes, sighing, huffing, making a comment, giving unsolicited advice or otherwise judging a mother's competence based on a single interaction. Just don't. You never know when one of us might snap and ream you out in a public place.
My mama raised me right.
Dramatis Personae: Me, Joe (my husband), Allison, Frances, Some Random Woman (SRW)
Joe: Come on Allison. Hold my hand.
Allison: I want to hold Mama's hand.
Joe: Okay, she's right there.
Me: Come on, Chicky.
Allison: I want to ride in the big cart!
Me: Well, if we're going to use a cart, let's use this one right here.
Allison: No, the other kind!
Me: Come on, Allison. This one is good enough.
Me: Here, sit next to Frances..
Frances: Goo!
Allison: No! WAAAAAAHHH.
Me: Okay, dude. Knock it off. Listen. Stop crying now, or we'll go home and you're not going to get to play with your puzzle. (Aside: I promised her she could play with the puzzle)
Allison: I wanna do my puzzle! WAAAAAHHH.
Me: Last chance. Stop crying or we go home.
Allison: Huh uhuh uhuh uhuh. *we talk about five feet*
Allison: WAHHHHHH.
*Two women walking by roll their eyes at us*
Joe: I'll just take her back to the car.
Joe: Allison, you are being very naughty.
Joe: No bedtime treat and no puzzle when we get home.
Allison: NOOOO! I WANNA GO TO THE STORE! WAAAHHH!
Frances: uhhhhh waaaaa! waaaaa!
Me: O my goodness.
Me: Let's all just go. *putting the baby on my hip*
Enter, SRW, putting groceries in her car. She looks at me, then at Allison.
SRW: Hmmmph!
SRW: Shut. Up.
Me: Um. Excuse me?
Me: What did you just say?
SRW: Well!
Me: No. You do not tell my child to shut up.
Me: We are taking her back to the car.
Me: What else do you want?
SRW: Well, if you raised 'em right!
Me: *now in an elevated tone of voice* What are you talking about?
Me: We are taking her back to the car because she's having a tantrum.
SRW: but..
Me: No, I don't think people in the store should have to deal with this, which is why we aren't even going into the store.
Me: We're taking her to our car.
Me: We're in the parking lot, for crying out loud.
Me: *now in a very elevated tone of voice* I have a right to be here.
SRW: OMG, What is wrong with you?
SRW: Why are you yelling at me?
Me: *now in both an elevated voice and pointing a finger* Because you do NOT get to tell my CHILD to SHUT UP.
SRW: *muttering*
Me: *Returning cart with baby still on hip* No, you do not tell my child to shut up.
The scene ends as SRW moves toward the store to get away from me, seeming very shaken and a little frightened. She stands at a distance and watches to see what I'll do next. I get in the car and drive away. As we're pulling away, I see SRW in the rearview moving slowly toward her car.
I think she'll think twice before she does something like that again.
This is the lesson for everyone. Hold your tongue. Every mother you meet bears the weight of every eyeroll, every snarky comment, every time she's been escorted to a public restroom to breastfeed, every friend, family member, and every stranger who feels s/he has the right to judge. We remember all of it. Keep that in mind the next time you feel like rolling your eyes, sighing, huffing, making a comment, giving unsolicited advice or otherwise judging a mother's competence based on a single interaction. Just don't. You never know when one of us might snap and ream you out in a public place.
My mama raised me right.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I should have taken a picture. Maybe I will.
Whilst Jessica traipses off to the natural history museum with her kid in a bowtie, what do you think I sent mine to school today wearing?
a. the same skirt she wore to school yesterday
b. a string of fake pearls
c. two different shoes
d. a tiara
e. all of the above.
The answer, of course, is e. All of the above.
a. the same skirt she wore to school yesterday
b. a string of fake pearls
c. two different shoes
d. a tiara
e. all of the above.
The answer, of course, is e. All of the above.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Wish me luck
I'm trying to get an adjunct job in the hopes of it turning into a visiting position or something more permanent. I have a decent lead on a job at a college in Austin. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes.
Loser parenting moment
As long as you aren't lying, everybody has those parenting moments where you think wow, I am *such* a loser parent, I can't believe I just did that/let my kid do that/stood by whilst that took place.
Today I had just such a moment.
I was in the used cd store picking out some cds for my birthday. I got some money from my mother in law. I was pretty absorbed in looking at music while Frances was on the floor, playing with my keys. Allison was at school. There was no one else in the store, so it was pretty low key and that. I'm watching the baby out of the corner of my eye. It's all good.
Suddenly, I realize the keys sound farther away, right? Frances is right quick and she's way adventurous, so I get concerned. Sure enough, I look up and there she is, out the front door of the shop, taking off down the sidewalk. She still has my keys, so she's looking for all the world like she's off the take a drive somewhere. I take off to chase her down and realize there are some people out there and they're looking at her with an expression that says, Um...whose baby? Seriously? Does this child have a mother?
Yes, she does. It's me. This is a pretty mild loser parenting moment but yeah, I still felt like a loser. Put a leash on that baby!
Today I had just such a moment.
I was in the used cd store picking out some cds for my birthday. I got some money from my mother in law. I was pretty absorbed in looking at music while Frances was on the floor, playing with my keys. Allison was at school. There was no one else in the store, so it was pretty low key and that. I'm watching the baby out of the corner of my eye. It's all good.
Suddenly, I realize the keys sound farther away, right? Frances is right quick and she's way adventurous, so I get concerned. Sure enough, I look up and there she is, out the front door of the shop, taking off down the sidewalk. She still has my keys, so she's looking for all the world like she's off the take a drive somewhere. I take off to chase her down and realize there are some people out there and they're looking at her with an expression that says, Um...whose baby? Seriously? Does this child have a mother?
Yes, she does. It's me. This is a pretty mild loser parenting moment but yeah, I still felt like a loser. Put a leash on that baby!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Selling the house
It's awful. Really awful. But Joe is going to grad school, so we're moving to Texas.
Now, I like the house. It's pretty.
Our realtor hates some things about it. She hates the light fixtures, which are super retro, I admit.
And the cornices in the kitchen are just a little bit country.
She also hates the paneling but it's solid wood and it's a nice color and we're not letting her paint it.
We'll probably paint the rest of the house, though. I should do before and after pictures.
This post is dull, isn't it?
Now, I like the house. It's pretty.
Our realtor hates some things about it. She hates the light fixtures, which are super retro, I admit.
And the cornices in the kitchen are just a little bit country.
She also hates the paneling but it's solid wood and it's a nice color and we're not letting her paint it.
We'll probably paint the rest of the house, though. I should do before and after pictures.
This post is dull, isn't it?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Birthday Party
As I'm looking at what I have, I realize I didn't take that many pictures but I should be able to get some more from my mom. In the meantime, I do have some shots of Frances enjoying her first birthday cake:
Here we have the younger sister of one of Allison's classmates. She explores the world by tasting everything, starting with Francie's tender little finger. After this little nip, she reached out and bit Frances on the cheek. There's still a mark. Maybe I'll take a picture of it.
The children weren't there for ten minutes before the princess dresses came out. This is Allison and a group of her favorite little girls, dressed as princesses. I don't know what they're doing. Princess huddle. Important matters of state to address.
Here we have the younger sister of one of Allison's classmates. She explores the world by tasting everything, starting with Francie's tender little finger. After this little nip, she reached out and bit Frances on the cheek. There's still a mark. Maybe I'll take a picture of it.
The children weren't there for ten minutes before the princess dresses came out. This is Allison and a group of her favorite little girls, dressed as princesses. I don't know what they're doing. Princess huddle. Important matters of state to address.
Hi Friends
Jessica inspired me to try keeping a blog so that family and friends can stay updated on our day to day happenings a little more easily. And so here we are. Welcome!
The news:
We're moving (you knew that)
Selling the house is a nightmare so far.
I have one dissertation chapter drafted but I don't really want to talk about it.
The chickadees turned 1 and 4. We had a birthday party last Saturday featuring 12 of their closest friends, which was absolute madness and I still haven't recovered.
I'll post pictures when I figure it out. Meanwhile, peace out.
The news:
We're moving (you knew that)
Selling the house is a nightmare so far.
I have one dissertation chapter drafted but I don't really want to talk about it.
The chickadees turned 1 and 4. We had a birthday party last Saturday featuring 12 of their closest friends, which was absolute madness and I still haven't recovered.
I'll post pictures when I figure it out. Meanwhile, peace out.
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