Creature Bug

Time With Dad

Even though we get to spend one-on-one time with Jules every Thursday night while Sydney stays at my parents' house, we don't often get time to just hang out with Syd. Which is a shame, because she is really just such a fabulous kid. She's funny, she's artistic, she's smart...traits that I don't always appreciate as we go through our regular daily routine.

When I made preparations for this weekend, Jason asked if Jules could stay with his parents and if he could have Sydney all weekend. Just the two of them. Hanging out. Playing outside. Going to the beach. Isn't he a brilliant Dad? Yes. Yes, he is.

Honestly, I am a little envious that he's the one who gets to spend all the time with her instead of me, but the envy is softened by the fact that my heart is filled to the brim with joy at knowing they're having a great weekend together. Plus, I'm hanging out here, in Pasadena, with my sister. I can't complain about that.

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

Buying My Own Mother's Day Present

About Mother's Day...

Here's my confession: I bought my own present. And while it was more than what Jason would have spent on me, and I perhaps didn't consult him about it as much as I should have, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

And if you hand me the microphone on Mother's Day and ask me, "What are you going to do now that you're a mom?!"

I'd raise my fist into the air and yell victoriously, "I'm going to Disneyland!"

Okay, maybe I won't actually be going to Disneyland. But I could. Because I'm going to Pasadena, California, to visit my sister and Disneyland is practically right there. I might see if I can't sneak in a short trip just to go on a roller coaster or two. I do love roller coasters.

Technically, I'll be home on Mother's Day because I planned it that way. I do actually want to be around my children on Mother's Day to enjoy the whole Hallmark moment of becoming a mom and having my heart and my life and my hips forever and irrevocably altered. The card, the hugs, the breakfast in bed...yes, please. I want all that. Next Thursday, however, I'll be jumping on a plane and flying south for four days.

Four whole days. Four whole nights. Me and my sister. Hanging out. Having fun.

The last time my sister and I hung out--just the two of us--I was seven months pregnant with Sydney. I flew down to North Ft. Myers, Florida, for a week and it was quite fun and adventurous. Just now, I chuckled to myself when I read my blog excerpt from March 29, 2004:

"Oh little fireant, why did you have to bite my "piggy had none" toe? I realize that perhaps I smashed hundreds of your friends as I trod on your little ant hill, yet there was no reason for you to smite me so harshly. Maybe you felt that my feet had had too much fun in the sand of the beautiful beaches and swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. And true, my feet had quite the time strolling down the fantastic 5th Avenue in Naples. But you may have had some pity for them since they did get a little bit sunburned, and my ankles are swollen too from all the walking. It's bad form to bite the feet of a pregnant lady."

But there are certain limitations to having fun at seven-months-pregnant in Florida. First of all, I went to bed around 9 pm every night. Secondly, my ankles acted like two giant sponges and soaked up all the moisture in the air. Just put me in a room, and I could dehumidify it in two minutes flat. And, of course, the fireants didn't do me any favors either.

This time our visit together will be different. No pregnancy, so I can stay up late, go on roller coasters, and drink a beer if I want. No kids, who I would have to constantly remind my sister to stop harassing ("gentle" is not part of her vocabulary). No fireants, hopefully. Just a whole lot of hanging out, eating food, and having fun doing whatever we'll be doing. What larks, Pip! What larks! (...points to you if you know what book this line is from...)

So, my gift to myself for Mother's Day is a weekend where Jules gets to stay with Jason's parents, and Sydney gets to have her own weekend with her daddy, and I get to hang out with my sister. Sounds like the perfect gift...for the whole family.

Which, as it turns out, sounds very much like the kind of gift a mother would give.

Speaking of gifts...this post was inspired by Johnson and Johnson and their new charitable giving site Johnson's Baby Cause. Thanks to Parent Bloggers Network for hosting the blog event.

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

Week 204: Springing Tulips

For the fourth year in a row, Sarah and I took the girls to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. Per tradition, I got lost on the way there. I was totally NOT going to get lost this year. I had written down directions and had a little compass on the dashboard. In fact, I was going to leave early to make sure that I not only wouldn't get lost, but I also wouldn't be late, like I am every year.

I don't know why I bother with such optimism. I still managed to turn a 35-minute drive into a 70-minute drive. Next year...I promise, Sarah. I absolutely won't get lost. (See. There's that optimism again. I can't help myself.)

And despite the fact that Saturday and Sunday brought us weather that looked like this:

   

Fortunately, our excursion to the tulips a couple days earlier looked a lot more like this:

As sure as winter turns into spring (and then, for spite, might turn back into winter again), we go to the tulip farm. It's so much a part of our springtime adventures, I can't imagine not going with Sarah. Back in 2005, when Sarah and I first took the girls to the tulip farm, they were barely walking.

(2005)

They were, in short, quite easy to photograph. We'd plant them next to a tulip, take a picture, and voila! The perfect picture. In case you don't know, it's easy to take pictures of slow moving children.

Then, the next year--at almost 2 years old--they were moving along at full force. They found every mud puddle, every flower, every smidgen of springtime to be fabulous and amazing. Running, splashing, smooshing the tulips.

(2006)

We two pregnant mommies wondered how we would handle the next year.

But we did.

(2007)

My most vivid memory of last year is taking pictures of Sydney, while I walked down the tulip rows, holding my camera in one hand, and Julianne--as she was nursing--in the other. Totally. How can tulips not be my favorite flower after that? They mark my triumph of multi-tasking.

2008...

This year was a whirlwind trip since I had to teach in the afternoon, which meant the morning had to be snappy. Take the pictures. No time for tantrums. Just enough time for trips down tulip aisles and the slide. Snacks and sippy cups in the car.

Well, okay. Time enough for one tantrum. But that's it.

I find that each year, I have progressively more shots of the girls from behind them. I run to catch up, and hope to snap a glimpse of their face, but they run faster. How is it that these girls can outrun me? Me, nimble as a deer.

 

At least, as nimble as a deer can be with a camera and a baby to haul around. That would be an Olympic event I'd pay to see. Mothers, cameras, babies, sippy cups hanging off their back pockets...sprinting toward the finish line. On second thought, that could be kind of dangerous. Nevermind.

No matter how we handle it, though, we get them there and we always have fun. At the very least, it's such an interesting little experiment to see how little people and little mommies grow up over the course of four years. Plus, tulips make for a fabulous backdrop, no matter what we're photographing. Four little cousins: Julianne and Sydney, Toby and Clover. A tromping, romping, running, laughing, toddlering, mothering, sunrainsnowmudpuddle tradition.

It wouldn't be spring without it.

*****

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

Week 202: You Picked a Fine Time to Read to Me, Lucille (Clifton)

(last Thursday...)
Student: What are you doing on Sunday?
Me: Sunday? Church. Laundry.
Student: Want to go to Powell's and then hear Lucille Clifton?
Me: For real? Totally for real?
Student: Yeah. Some us from my minority lit class are going and Dr. --- has an extra ticket. I asked if I could give it to you.
Me: Rock on.

As an added bonus I got to give my student (photographed here) a tour of Powell's since she hadn't ever really been there. She's a newly minted English major, so of course it was quite a privilege to take her to the book mecca of Oregon. (Sidenote: on our drive to Portland, my student said she was interested in looking at home interior books "if they have any." I chuckled. "Yep, they'll have a few.")

That's what I got to do Sunday afternoon and evening. Wander around Powell's, (where I discovered there's a NEW Mo Willems book, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy. I was crazy with delight!), eat dinner at Old Town Pizza, and listen to Lucille Clifton read poetry.

It was simply amazing.

My confession is that I don't really like to read poetry that much, but oh how I do love to hear it. Ms. Clifton's voice is rich and resonant. She didn't have much of a plan on what poems she was going to read, so she just wandered her way through a couple of her books and loose sheets of paper. She introduced each poem with a story, and naturally she spoke a great deal about race. Certainly I couldn't relate to a lot of the difficulties that she has experienced, but hearing how the world has sometimes unkindly treated her--she a celebrated and honored poet--made me even more determined to teach my children the truth of Ms. Clifton's words: "I want everyone to be noticed."

I loved hearing her talk about her granddaughters, her experiences, and her opinions on education, religion, and politics. I laughed at her story about meeting President Clinton ("What an insult! He didn't once try to seduce me!"). I nodded at her descriptions of motherhood. My eyes filled with tears twice: when she read "lumpectomy eve" (about one breast comforting another before breast cancer surgery) and when she told about her mother burning all of her own (that is, her mother's) poetry because Lucille's father said, "No wife is mine is going to be a poet." Even now, the remembrance of Ms. Clifton talking about those things makes me emotional.

We almost got through the night without her reading "homage to my hips"--and I was growing increasingly worried that I wouldn't hear her read it--but during the question and answer time someone asked her, "Tell us about your hips, Lucille!"

And so she did.

Almost as soon as the last word was out of her mouth, the audience erupted with cheering. Because, honestly, the night wouldn't have been complete without it. I found an audio recording online of Ms. Clifton reading that poem that I was going to link here, but it's her younger voice, and as great as it is it's just not as powerful as the voice she has now at 71 years old.

She also got a question about the writing process, which I was keenly interested in hearing. How does she write poems? "It's a mystery," she said. "Poems know that I will say 'yes' to them, and so they come. They fill my whole body." Isn't that lovely? So perfect.

Oh! even before Lucille Clifton spoke, the night was already a treasure: Portland's own Ursula K. Le Guin gave the introduction. When the Literary Arts director announced who was giving Lucille Clifton's introduction, you could hear an audible gasp and squeal from the audience because, well, Ursula! Ursula K. Le Guin! Do you remember me cheering about her last summer? Or that I have her book Steering the Craft linked on my sidebar? It was already a treat that I was going to hear Lucille Clifton, but then to hear that I was going to hear Le Guin--even if just for a couple minutes--I could not believe it.

Suddenly, I had this image of classic video footage of girls screaming and fainting at Elvis concerts because I totally could relate to that. I had tears in my eyes and my heart was pounding and I actually uttered the words, "Ohmigosh ohmigosh. Ursula Le Guin and Lucille Clifton," and then I was speechless. I was in the presence of Literary Rockstars.

I totally wish I could have had them autograph my left boob. Ah, just kidding.

Clifton and Le Guin autographs on my jeans would have been way cooler. I could have worn them to class tomorrow.

*

homage to my hips

by lucille clifton

these hips are big hips

they need space to

move around in.

they don't fit into little

petty places. these hips

are free hips.

they don't like to be held back.

these hips have never been enslaved,

they go where they want to go

they do what they want to do.

these hips are mighty hips.

these hips are magic hips.

i have known them

to put a spell on a man and

spin him like a top!

*****

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

slow beauty

To breathe in deeply,
Slowing down and being still--
There beauty is found.

(video 1:30)

Absolutely worth watching even if it is an advertisement. Beautiful.

(Thanks to my brother Tyler for giving the link to this. (Update: Ok, so Tyler informs me the link is from our youngest brother Jake, so don't worry Jake. Ty didn't take credit for your brilliance.)...Here's the full-length version of Cinematic Orchestra's "To Build A Home")

*****

(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.

Me + Barn Doors

A year ago I was flipping through the February issue of Sunset magazine--conveniently delivered to my mailbox monthly because I love it and all its celebration of the West (plus it features the fabulous writer Peter Fish). I'm always cutting this and that out of the magazine, usually garden tips. But this time my attention was immediately captured by the article called "Playful Family Farmhouse."

And then I saw them.

Barn doors.

I love them. I adore them. I want to run out and buy barn doors right this instant just to keep under my bed so I can dream about them.

Seriously, though. It was love at first sight. I cut the page out of magazine and swore that no matter what, if I ever built a house it would have these doors. And those floors. And cubed shelving filled with books. And a window seat. But probably not that many pillows because even I have my limits.

Every time we interviewed a designer for the house I would bring out the picture of the barn doors, point and say, "This is what I want." Then I would watch for his reaction, and if ever any designer even thought about rolling his eyes, I was done. When I showed them to Todd, he said, "Cool," and meant it. He was hired. Just to affirm our decision, I noticed that on the house plans he sent us, he has clearly labeled "barn doors" separating the dining room from the office. I'm giddy with joy.

Of all the features the new house is going to have, these doors are high on the list of what I'm most looking forward to. Not only do I just think they are so fantastically cool, the magazine's caption that accompanied the doors made me realize that it was exactly what I wanted.

"Double-duty spaces, inspired by The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live (The Taunton Press, 2001; $23) by Sarah Susanka, make room for everyone’s needs. The Phillipses’ office is also the library and the stage for the kids’ performances (sliding barn doors serve as curtains)."

The doors. The reference to The Not So Big House. The library. And most importantly, the doors serving as curtains for performances. Could there be anything so perfectly suited to my interests?

Yep. Me and barn doors...we're just meant for each other.

*****

(c) 2008 Creature Bug. All rights reserved.

Week 192: iParty

Even though Jason and I usually have a joint birthday party on the weekend between our two birthdays, this year we had thought we might pass on the whole party bit. Not because we don't like people celebrating our birthdays, mind you (mine is Friday...still plenty of time to get me a present, hmm?), but because it would involve us driving the hour up to the Family Farm. Sometimes driving just doesn't seem like too much fun. For Jason's birthday I made shiny top blueberry cobbler, spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese, and called it good.

But then my parents tempted us up to their house on Saturday with the promise of an excellent birthday present.

We have joined the iMasses. It's very exciting. I have a suspicion that the real reason why my parents gave us an iPod is because Sydney was asking for one, and although they kept telling us repeatedly that we really really needed one, we would have none of it. Ultimately my parents couldn't bear the thought of (1) their granddaughters not having every day access to an iPod and (2) these granddaughters being raised by parents who didn't see the immediate need to have one. So, now we have one, and it's fabulous. I've left the task of downloading/uploading/all things iPod related to Jason because I spend enough time on the computer without adding another project. The only thing I'll probably do myself is get all the episodes of This American Life.

Not only did we get an iPod and an iTunes gift card (wee! thanks Cousin!), but my parents also gave us a new desktop computer and external hard drive. If I didn't know better I'd think the new computer was run by a battery because it is as quiet as a mouse. Quieter, in fact, judging from my experience with mice. And if techy stuff doesn't interest you, I got some very shiny earrings and bracelets. Ooh, pretty.

Other birthday party highlights (photos courtesy my dad and Sarah) include:

 

a cake with 32 candles,

blowing out the candles,

 

and the licking of frosting off the candles.

Everything a birthday party should be.

PS: Added birthday bonus: today was a snow day, so no school! Yippee!

*****

(c) 2008 by Creature Bug. All rights reserved.

A Love Project

Leslie got it right in her last comment: I am still on a vacation high. Even through a stuffed up nose, through Jules working on a molar and feeling rather needy since my return, through cold and rainy weather--I am still feeling the love from our weekend back east. At any rate, it's far more interesting to write about that than what I did today, which was watch Sound of Music with Syd and then sing that Cuckoo song for the rest of the day. Don't get me wrong; there's a certain charm to Sound of Music. I'm a big Julie Andrews fan, but I don't know if I could write very much about her. Maybe I could.

Rather than find out, I have one more batch of photos to show you from Camden.

 

If you go to Camden you really ought to stay in a Bed & Breakfast. Sure, there are hotels around (even nice charming ones right in the center of the village), but Camden is full of wonderful B&Bs that treat you to delicious breakfasts, fabulous conversations, and romantic quarters. Both times we've visited Camden, we've stayed at the Windward House, and I know when we go back we'll stay there again.

It's quite a story how we ended up at the Windward House the first time around. I had originally made reservations at the Blue Harbor House, who I found through a Maine Visitor's Guide. The week before our wedding, I called the innkeepers to confirm our reservations. Not sure why I felt compelled to confirm, it just seemed like the thing to do. Probably had it on my Wedding To Do checklist.

Imagine my complete shock when the innkeeper told me, "We have you staying here this weekend."

"This weekend?" My heart sank. "But I don't get married until next weekend."

"So you wouldn't be able to move up your stay?" Not likely.

They were full the weekend of the wedding, and since it was high travel season in Maine, chances were good that every place would be full. I started sobbing on the phone, and the poor lady felt awfully terrible about it all. I couldn't even continue the conversation, so I just hung up and sobbed out the whole story to my mom. It was a week before my wedding, and the honeymoon that I had been planning for months had suddenly fallen apart. If you've ever been around a bride-to-be, you know that this was quite the hysterical moment in our house.

Fortunately, my mom kept her cool and called the Blue Harbor House back. Could they see if any place had any openings? Well, by golly, they had called around, and the Windward House had just had a cancellation in their nicest room and would love to have us. The Windward House innkeeper (at the time) called me personally to assure me that everything would be taken care of. I could have married him right then. Except, you know, not really.

 

So the Windward House saved the day back in 1997, and it saved the day again in 2007 when we were searching for a place to vacation. The innkeepers have changed, but we are just totally smitten with the new owners. Jesse and Kristi are the nicest folks, and have young children themselves so we totally connected with them about eating out, visiting the library, and vacationing. Plus, they were fabulous conversationalists about all sorts of other things too. We hope they stay there for several more years, so we can visit them again.

Loved loved loved the room we stayed in: the Windrose Suite.

Jason had ordered the chocolate covered strawberries (*swoon*), but the chocolate truffles and champagne were an anniversary gift from Jesse and Kristi. I had consumed half the strawberries before euphorically wandering out of the sitting room into the bedroom.

The most comfortable bed I have slept on in my entire life. Worth flying to Maine just to sleep in this bed. Trust me.

No vacation is complete without a soaking tub, which I have promised myself to own one day in our new house. We stayed two nights at the Windward House. I took three baths. And finished two books. And slept in until 9 am. And sat by the fireplace. And ate chocolate. And homemade cookies. And then sat by the fire some more.

 

And when we weren't doing any of those things, we walked down the street to the village where we shopped, and ate seafood, and browsed the stores, and watched the water, and visited the library where I sat in a big beanbag chair in the children's section and read Parenting magazine.

As if that wasn't enough--and it was--we woke up the day we were driving back to Boston for our afternoon flight out to seven inches of new snow. It was everything a dream vacation should be. (Of course, we had a moment of worry about the snow until we saw all the snowplows out clearing the roads. Fabulous New Englanders and their snow preparedness.)

The one final twist to our vacation that was an extra bit of fun was getting to participate in A Love Project. A young couple created this project, traveling all over the country leaving boxes in certain rooms at B&Bs (you should check out their story...quite interesting). The only instructions are to leave a love note in the box, which will be collected at the end of this year and then the love notes are going to be published in a book. Funny thing is, Jason had planned to reserve the same room we had stayed in for our honeymoon, and when he told me about the trip it was available. Then when he went to make reservations, it was booked, so we got a different room--the room participating in the Love Project. Perfect.

We're already talking about going back next December. I suppose there's a good argument for trying out a new destination, but there's just something about Camden that brings out the best in us. It's a special place, and even though there are a dozen B&Bs in Camden, we'll go back to the Windward House. For Jesse and Kristi. For the homemade cookies. For the bathtub and fireplace. For the place that saved the day.

 

Someone in Pasadena loves me

Someone took pity on me that I didn't win anything for NaBloPoMo...

Someone who lives by a Williams-Sonoma...

Someone who knows that chocolate will always comfort me...

I love my sister.

Helping Others

This week my students finished up their final presentations in which they had to deliver a persuasive speech (using the handy dandy Monroe's Motivated Sequence) urging their listeners to take action on some issue. Even though I love listening to almost all of the speeches they deliver over the course of the semester (except the group speech, which is painfully long and unexciting), their final speech is one my favorites. This is when students get to shine, when they get to put a whole semester's worth of knowledge to use and convince their classmates to do something. While not all the students all passionate about their topics, many choose issues that they really care about. They speak about suicide prevention, exercise, the environment, and music education. They speak about the Voice of the Martyrs, Global Expeditions, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Save the Children, and Operation Christmas Child.

As one of the students said, "You can't choose every charity; you can't fix every problem; you can't donate all your money and time. But you can do something. You can make a difference." I am sad to see these two groups of students leave me...they have been good classes.

And they have reminded me to share some of my favorite organizations and links that are doing their best to make a difference in the world. For me, my passion is global hunger. This is a topic I have been reading and praying about for many months, and even though I am just one person who cannot solve the major ills of the world, I am still one person. I can make a difference.

• Free Rice: I shared this link before, as have others all over the Internet. This is a fun and easy way for you to help make a difference in fighting global hunger. Even Jason's students work on Free Rice during their spare time in class. As you learn new words, Free Rice takes their ad revenue and donates money to the UN's World Food Programme, which in turn gives rice to those in need. Make Free Rice a habit, and FYI: there are 29,000 grains of rice in a one-pound bag.
• Food for the Hungry: works in 26 developing countries, providing disaster and emergency relief. They have a powerful interactive story in which you can experience what it is like to make life-and-death decisions in order to survive.
• ECHO: their mission is to "network with community leaders in developing countries to seek hunger solutions for families growing food under difficult solutions." Based in Ft. Myers, Florida, ECHO is one organization I know for certain is making a difference because I had the opportunity to visit the ECHO farm in 2004 when my sister was working there. The work they are doing is amazing. Consider using their Christmas Catalog to give a gift that sustains life.
• Heifer International: give a sustainable gift to a family that will help sustain them. Maybe a flock of chicks. Or a goat. One year for Christmas we gave my grandma the gift of choosing which livestock she'd like to send to a needy family. For someone who has everything, it was definitely more rewarding than a basket of lotion from Bath & Body Works.
• Global Giving: connects you to pre-screened grassroots causes and helps you donate directly to those groups. Want to provide education for AIDS orphans in India? How about supporting a girls' soccer team in Rwanda? Or giving American students access to music education? Global Giving will hook you up! 
• Bread for the World: an excellent resource in identifying what you can do to help fight social injustices as well as the global food crisis. They even have suggestions for things you can do right from your home.
• The Hunger Site: similar to FreeRice in that ad revenue goes to fight world hunger.
• End Hunger Fast: a wonderful resource (developed by Heather, one of my favorite bloggers) that gives excellent ideas on what you can do to end hunger.
• Compassion International: a child sponsorship program that strives to provide food, education, and social opportunities for impoverished children. When Sydney was born we knew that we wanted to sponsor a child, but waited until she was three years old so that we could find a child who was about the same age. We are now the proud sponsors of Gertrude from Tanzania.

And speaking of Compassion Int'l, I want to thank those of you who Commented for a Cause! Thank you Amy, Anachronism, Jen, Kim, Simona, Paige, Becca, Ally, Karen, Gretchen, Kristan, Kimberly, Danielle, Rachelle, Goslyn, Alida, Jess, Becca Banana, Megan, Rach and Liv, Kim, Andrea, Aleece, Leanne, Erin, Margaret, Lee Anderson, Kimberly, Leslie, Inkling, Suzanne, CCAP, Nancy, Katy Lewis, Amy, Molly, Stout, Katrina, Donnelle, Devon, Bananas, Sarah, Heather, Ariadne, Diana, Dad, Jeri, Alison, Kari, Lynette, and Sophie. What a blessing.

Of course, there are innumerable organizations that are making a difference in this world, but these are some of the ones that I hold near and dear to my heart. Nearly all the organizations are four-star charities according to Charity Navigator (an online resource that determines a charity's effectiveness and fiscal responsibility), so that's good to know.

I know this post has a lot of links and maybe you don't have time to look through them all, but I really encourage you to see what some of these organizations are doing. You never know what change you are capable of accomplishing unless you try. We can make a difference.

How about you? What issues speak to your heart?

It's beginning to look a lot like...

...Christmas.

We have officially kicked off the Christmas season. Lights up? Check. Christmas tree? Check. Peppermint candle burning? Check. All the Christmas CDs out and lined up to be rotated through the player? Check.

The last few years we have driven up the mountains to get our Christmas tree (for a view of where we get our tree, check out Karen's pictures--we go to the same place they do), and last Saturday, Jason and his dad trekked up to the wilderness to cut down some trees. The thing is--which we knew ahead of time--we were staying up in Washington over Thanksgiving weekend, and had driven the car up there. Therefore, there was no real way to get the tree home. What we would have had to do is cut the tree, leave it at Jason's parents' house, and then drive the truck up there next weekend. The truck which gets approximately 15 mpg. The gallon of gas which costs approximately an arm and a leg (or just over $3 if you prefer). The drive which is 60 miles one way.

Turns out, we're not that committed to having a wild Christmas tree in our living room. Long story longer: we left the tree with Jason's parents who are going to find a nice home for the tree, and yesterday we went to Tucker's U-Cut Tree Farm (which is about 2 miles from our house) and chopped one down. It's a nice tree, even though I am not used to seeing shaped Christmas trees. They lack a certain character which I usually demand of my trees. Nevertheless, it holds the ornaments just fine and sparkles in a lovely way. Sydney is so funny and adoring of the tree. If she was out of the living room for more than 10 minutes, whenever she would come back in she would exclaim, "Ohhh! Look at our tree! Isn't it beautiful?" That girl has some serious Christmas spirit.

She got to participate in the hanging of the ornaments tradition, and for the first time Jason was not the one to put the angel on the tree. At first Sydney thought that a star should go on the tree, but once she saw the angel she was convinced that it could adorn the top of the tree. "She's beeYOUtiful," sighed Sydney. Once our tree was decorated, then she got to put some ornaments on her very own tabletop tree that is in her room. The favorite ornament? The Winnie the Pooh ornament, circa 1979. We got it from Jason's parents, who had given it to Jason when he was three. And coincidentally, Sydney gets it this year, and she's three. How about that.

Another highlight of the day was being able to give Sydney a gift that has been three years in the making. Way back in November 2004, Devon, Sydney, and I heard Chris Van Allsburg speak in Portland, and I managed to get an autographed copy of The Polar Express for Sydney. I checked back in my blog archives, and was reminded of some things I learned about Mr. Van Allsburg:

"Did you know that he was a sculptor first, and then decided to do children's books? Did you know he has two daughters, one named Sophie, and used them as models for his upcoming book (which is actually about two boys). And the monkeys in Jumanji were modeled after his two neighbor boys. And I especially liked his alphabet book called The Z was Zapped! ... a book about terrible things that happen to the alphabet."

I remember that I really like that alphabet book, but still don't have it. I remember that I loved the way he read his stories. And I remember looking at this tiny little person in my arms and not being able to imagine her ever old enough to appreciate the book, even though I knew the day would come eventually.

Today was the day.

As I was sorting through Sydney's closet, I saw the gift box that held the signed book, a CD of the story being read, and a sleigh bell (from Santa's sleigh, don't you know). I thought, This is the year she gets this book.

I pulled it down, and handed the box to Sydney who opened it with great delight. I turned the page and showed her the "very special page," which she thought was very cool and ran to show Daddy and Rebekah.

I took this photo back in 2004, and here I get to show it off again. Only this time, I can write about Sydney hearing the story for the first time, and ringing her sleigh bell at the end of the book. Add to it a rousing chorus of "Hot Chocolate" from The Polar Express movie soundtrack, and it is crazy exciting around here.

As many of you have commented already, I have to agree that experiencing Christmas with a child in the house is WAY more fun than I thought it would be. If you don't have a kid around for Christmas, you should just find one and read them a Christmas story or make cookies with them or watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with them. I'm not sure if just any child will do--certainly a naughty one will turn you into a Grinch faster than you can say Kris Kringle. But your regular, average, bright-eyed child would be a good pick for some Christmas adventure. I guarantee, their Christmas joy makes everything even merrier.

By the way, that Polar Express gift box came with an audio cassette tape of the book being read, and since we don't do cassette tapes, if you're interested drop me a note in the comments and I'll mail it to you. Going to Alida tonight, when I see her at Becca's Blog Bash!

Sunday afternoon

 

Sunday afternoon in the kitchen
Fingers sticky with molasses
Countertops dusty with flour
The sound of the rolling pin clunking the dough
The oven softly clicking as the temperature rises
Daddy's hands guiding little ones
to press the shapes into the soft dough

She laughs and says, "I'm making gingerbread."

And the kitchen warms even more.

Music for Me...and my kids too

(Before you skip past this post as just another review, I have to tell you that of all the products I've reviewed with Parent Bloggers Network, this is by far one of our favorites. You should at least check out their web page.

PS: Don't forget to Comment for a Cause if you haven't already! Even if you don't regularly visit here, I'd love to have you involved.)

One of the things that I love about teaching is the drive to school. There are very few times I'm in the car without one of the girls, but my drive to school has become my very own. I didn't realize how much I appreciated driving by myself until last January when I started driving to school and was taking Jules along with me. With a baby in the car I would set certain limitations for the kind of music I would listen to. Nothing too crazy. And definitely nothing too loud. In short, the drive to school was nothing spectacular. The highlight of the drive was when I would drop Jules off with a student in the dorms, and then I had approximately 45 seconds to drive from Aagard Hall, up the gym hill, and into the faculty parking lot. In those 45 seconds I would crank the volume on the CD player and play my music. Not children's music. Not talk radio. Not comfortable silence. And then when I was done teaching, I'd pick up Jules and turn down the volume again.

For this fall semester I'm making that drive two times a week, and even though I'm totally digging the teaching time, I also love the 8 minutes I'm in the car, because I get to pick the music. I suppose I could pick the music even when Sydney's in the car, but I usually let her pick. Between listening to the soundtrack for "King Bidgood's in the Bathtub" and selections from "101 Children's Songs to Drive Parents Crazy," I definitely get more than my fair share of children's music. I am not necessarily opposed to it--and it beats listening to whining any day--but I wouldn't exactly pick those songs to listen to if the choice was mine.

So, when Parent Bloggers Network asked me if I wanted to review a children's music CD, I didn't volunteer right away. The thought of having to listen to another rendition of Old MacDonald just didn't sound fun. Heck, even if it was fabulous classical music that would boost Sydney's IQ by 50 points, I still wasn't interested. She's smart enough. Not as smart as me, but you know, she's working on it. But then PBN sent out a second email, and I noticed that the makers of the CD were from Mercer Island, Washington, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I had faith that my fellow Pac Northwesters would come through and bring me something other than Bach.

Well, they definitely brought me something other than Bach. Thanks to That Baby CD and That Baby DVD we have Joni Mitchell, we have Natalie Merchant, and we have Neil Diamond. You don't realize how much it warms my heart to hear Sydney sing Bruce Springsteen. My daughter singing The Boss? Singing in her precious little voice, "Pony Boy, Pony Boy, won't you be my Pony Boy? Giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up, whoa, my Pony Boy." Now, that's priceless.

That Baby CD features acoustic cover versions of mainstream artists--this isn't just a children's CD--sung by Portland artist Stephanie Schneiderman (she sang at Lilith Fair!). Even though the name of the product is kind of tricky to work with (I'm always encouraging Sydney to call things by their proper names, and so it's a bit confusing when we have a CD with a vague article reference), the product itself is certainly not vague or forgettable. I can't tell you how surprised I was about the quality of the music. The producers Rob and Lisi Wolf picked over a dozen songs to remake, and did such an extraordinary job with the music that I literally could listen to the CD all day long. I can't even listen to U2 all day long (shhh...don't tell Jason), but classic rock music, sung by a lovely alto voice? We're all totally addicted to it.

That Baby DVD, which features almost all of the songs from the CD, is beautiful and creative and fun. In short, it's a breath of fresh air when compared to some other music DVDs. The illustrations are well done, and the interaction between the kids and the music has Sydney up and dancing all the time. The website even has a video clip that gives you a taste of what to expect

I asked Sydney what her favorite part is from the DVD, and she said, "The purple tree," (from the video of "Happiness Runs") and "the girl with curls!" There's a little curly-headed blond girl who lip-syncs some of the songs and shakes her curls like it's nobody's business. We're big fans of curly-headed blond girls, naturally. That being said, I think the video does a nice job of making sure that not all the kids who appear in the music videos are blond-haired, blue-eyed kids. I didn't notice any kids with glasses (who we also happen to favor), but that's okay.

I'm already making plans to get the CD/DVD collection for a friend whose wife is expecting a baby because I know he'll love it. And thanks to the PBN campaign, everyone can get 20% off with this code: PBN. Even if you don't have kids, I think the CD is worth having. In fact, my true confession: that drive to school twice a week? I listen to That Baby CD. I've adopted the first song "Happiness Runs" as my personal anthem. Even Jason listens to it just because he likes it. How about that.

Weekend Wonderfuls

Today, we all took a drive up to Portland to visit an old friend from high school. Jessica Poundstone creates the most lovely necklaces and earrings, and since she was having a Jewelry by Jessica Open House today it was the perfect time to go up, visit, eat some cookies, and buy some jewelry.

  It was difficult to choose, but I ended up with this necklace because I've been wanting one like it for a couple years now. I'm just smitten with layered jewelry.

I also got myself a pair of earrings which are similar to these, except the bead on top is red, and the one below is green. Or as Sydney said when she saw them, "There's an apple on top, and pear down below. I like apples! And Jules like pears!" Now I'll always think of my two girls when I wear my apple-pear earrings.

It was such a relaxing afternoon, driving up to Portland and getting to catch up with Jason and talk about different things from the week, chatting with Jessica and Ben, watching Sydney and Sophie (Jessica's daughter) play together. We haven't seen Jess and Ben since our ten-year high school reunion, three years ago. Hopefully it won't be so long before we get to see them again!

By the way, Jess has a great tutorial on making a shrink plastic flower pin. I almost bought one of her flower pins today, but decided to get the earrings instead. I'm thrilled to see this tutorial because now I can make a flower pin of my own. Hooray!

*****

Even though I'm getting Sydney and Jules a pair of Vincent shoes with the gift certificate that I won, Jules still needed a pair of walking shoes now that she wants to walk along with us whenever we go somewhere. Even though I'm generally conservative on how much I'll spend on kids' shoes, I wanted to make sure that Jules had a good transitional pair that will be easy on her feet. That being said, we went to Nordstrom and picked out this pair from See Kai Run.

Oh my goodness gracious, Julianne is just the cutest thing walking around in her big girl shoes. I will have to post a picture when I get the chance. Speaking of pictures, because it was her first pair of walking shoes, then Nordstrom goes all out in celebration. They took her picture, gave her and Syd balloons, and gave Julianne this cute little stuffed animal. I wish I got all that when I bought a pair of shoes!

*****

More than a year ago, our trusty vacuum died and because we were financially crunched we took a free hand-me-down that has proved adequate, although not fantastic. I mean, it picks up the dirt but I don't get much of a thrill from using it. I want a vacuum cleaner that stirs a certain something in my soul, makes me want to spend time with it, is ready to commit to a long-term relationship. Our stand-in vacuum cleaner was a nice fling, but it's definitely not ready for a family, with kids, and a dog.

Yesterday, I mentioned again while we were at Sears that their vacuum cleaners were on sale. Because he is a very good man, who knows how to woo me, he said the magic words: "You can get a new vacuum." I love him.

And I love my new vacuum. I've already vacuumed the house. Twice.

*****

To top it all off, Jason has been working on the backyard. I could cry, I'm so happy about this. He's already changed the fence line, added some new paver stones, and very very soon we will be getting a new shed, tearing up the deck, putting down paver stones, building a retaining wall, and planting sod. I think it might all be finished by Christmas, and so all we'll have to do is put a big bow on our backyard, give each other a nice Christmas card, and call it good.

Vacuums and backyards -- we're such romantics.

a few of my favorite things

:: Autumn in Erie, Pennsylvania. Sure we have orange leaves in Oregon, but there's a reason why people purposely go back east during this time of year ::

:: Making delicious blueberry buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. I'll have to post the recipe someday ::

:: Listening to Sydney play the piano to a new tune she made up ::

:: Watching Jules play peek-a-boo with her blanket in the car ::

:: Sleeping in high-thread count sheets back in Pennsylvania, the window open so I could listen to the wind blowing through the trees, a sound so full of the ocean I dreamed of the beach. I absolutely fell in love with this sound. I could write pages of poetry just on this sound alone. ::

:: Eggnog. Now I'm just waiting for the fresh cranberries to hit the grocery store, and I'll be happy ::

:: Getting Sydney new fleece footie jammies ::

:: Signing up for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Well, this isn't really a favorite thing, but I'm kind of excited about some writing ideas I have. I'm really not crazy about all this writing in November, since really? So many other things to do. But I did it last year, and so I'm back on board this year ::

:: Bubble baths ::

(When I was on vacation, I had the luxury of having a bubble bath in a huge jacuzzi tub. I filled it to the brim with hot water and wonderfully smelling soap, and then turned the jets on.
Having not had a bubble bath in a jacuzzi tub, I quickly discovered that a little bit of soap goes a long way. The bubbles grew and grew. Two inches of bubbles. Such lovely bubbles! Four inches of bubbles. Wow! This is a lot of bubbles! Six inches of bubbles. Um...there are bubbles going up my nose. Eight inches of bubbles. I start to panic a little as the bubbles threaten to overflow the tub. I press the jet button. Nothing. Again. Nothing. Ohmygoodness! Thesebubblesneedtostop! Finally the jets stop and my relaxing bath has kind of freaked me out a little. I did smell really good though.)

:: Did I mention the baked brie with walnuts and brown sugar? Totally worth mentioning again. ::

:: Reading this quote from an article about faculty members keeping "visible" hours on campus:

"Much of my real work takes place outside the classroom and the campus, and is performed during what my first department head referred to as "invisible" time. If a faculty member falls in a forest, or grades papers alone until midnight, and no one sees or hears her, does that accountable time still exist? Does she?"

:: Sarah's Baby Yeti collection. Oh yeah. I have one. Because I'm cool. And, you know, related to her. ::

:: The Menomena poster my brother illustrated. I don't have one, but I'm still cool because he's my brother ::

:: Making chicken vegetable soup for dinner, prompting Sydney to exclaim, "I love carrots! And rice! Oh, and this broccoli is so good too! Makes me strong. Can you see how strong I am? Chicken is my favorite too." ::

:: Going to bed before 11 pm ::

Summer Faves

Even though technically there's still a month left of summer, I have inservice today at the college so it is beginning to feel like the end is near. We still have the State Fair to look forward to, and the weather hasn't completely turned dismal (although it's been so pathetic this summer, with record rain fall), but I thought I'd round up some of my favorite things from the Summer of 2007.

: Favorite Summer Event :

• Earlier this summer I came across the Trash the Dress website, and I was instantly smitten. My mom thinks it's crazy, but I wanted to do. The plan was to do it a few weeks ago when we were staying up at the family farm because my fabulous SIL Sarah would be right next door, making it convenient for the photo session. But then we went to IKEA. And, um, instead of taking pictures we ate meatballs. What can I say? Those Swedish meatballs are delish. It's been a bit tricky to get back up to Washington, but sooner or later we'll get our schedules synced up. SO, all this to say that I am still planning on trashing the dress, and when I do I promise to show pictures. If you're thinking this is the craziest and most bizarre thing you've ever heard of, here's one explanation. The rest I'll share post-TTD.
• The Harry Potter book frenzy. If only every summer there was a book to look forward to. Even a couple weeks after finishing the book, I still have a warm feeling about HP.
• The opening of IKEA. I know it sounds lame and so commercialized that a store opening is a favorite event, but I've visited twice and it's just so much fun.

: Favorite Summer Post (of mine) :

• This one still cracks me up. Especially the picture at the bottom.
• I had it in mind to write something profound for our ten-year anniversary but it's tied to the TTD event. So perhaps you can get your warm, lovely feelings from the anniversary post I wrote two years ago.

: Favorite Summer Products :

• The girls and I made it through the entire summer without any sunburns. This is a major achievement for us fair-skinned Scandinavian girls. (Jason got burned, but I am not responsible for making sure he wears sunscreen.) My nose--that never once started peeling--would like to thank Mary Kay Timewise Moisturizer with SPF 15. I wear it daily and tell myself I don't look a day over 30 (feel free to agree with me). The girls were able to avoid sunburns thanks to Parent Bloggers Network hooking us up with KINeSYS SPF 30 Spray-On Sunscreen for Kids. It's oil-free, alcohol-free, scent-free, and PABA-free. The spray worked fabulously when Sydney was outside in her swimsuit, and all I would have to do was spritz her up and down and she was good to go. The Kids SPF 30 Cream worked wonders too (no itchy rashes), and Sydney was delighted to be able to apply the Sun Protection Stick on her nose. "Like lipstick for my nose!" Exactly.
• Now this is a somewhat embarrassing admission, but *ahem* I sweat. A lot. I'm a sweater. My mom told me back when I was a teenager that I would outgrow my sweat issues, but turns out she was wrong. My sister and I (yes, I'm outing her sweat problems too) can sweat through probably three or four layers of clothing. It's gross. And embarrassing. And depressing sometimes too. I've tried everything. The crystal. The extra strength. Sticks, roll ons, sprays. It all fails. But! There is hope! My grandma bought Certain Dri for my sister, yet I managed to snag it before she got home from China (that's what happens when you live overseas). Even though the directions and warnings are a mile long, let me tell you that Certain Dri has brought me out of the, um, pit of despair. I didn't even know a person could get prescription strength deodorant, but now that I do know I don't think I'll have to go get one because Certain Dri has worked like a charm. I can wear tanktops! I can wear white shirts! Rayon! Sheers! Don't tell me about the potential health hazards of Certain Dri. I don't want to know. I just want to be able to wear my clothes and be blissfully stink-free.

: Favorite Gear :

• I know people swear by their Baby Bjorns and wrappy wraps, but I'm telling you, the Ergo baby carrier is the way to go. We've had ours since Sydney was seven-months old, and now I use it all the time with Jules. I actually could still use it with Syd if I wanted to because she still fits in it, but she's not too keen on it now that it has Jules' slobber all over it. Wear the kid in front; wear them in back. Fabulous padded shoulder straps and lumbar support that makes my body happy.
• Crocs for kids. No shoelaces and they float in the water. Need I say more?

: Favorite Food :

• Our Magic Bullet has become a constant fixture in our kitchen because we have been drinking smoothies like there's no tomorrow. Plus, since Jason spent a week working at his dad's coffee shop he has now become very fond of mocha freezes. I think I could actually move to a totally liquid diet, except that I'm too in love with steak and potatoes. Liquid steak? Not even the Magic Bullet could make that tasty.
• When we were in Kauai this summer we fell in love with an ice cream pie that the Hilton served. We discovered it on the second day we were there, and then had it every. single. night. It was a vanilla and chocolate ice cream concoction on a macadamian nut pie crust. Such goodness.
• However, since making ice cream pie sounds too time consuming for me, we have had to settle for our second favorite dessert: key lime pie. I have an easy and delicious recipe (albeit mostly inauthentic if you're looking for something with that's similar to cheesecake) that I have memorized since I've made it so often. I'm making it tonight, and will post the recipe with a picture.

: Favorite Vacation We Didn't Pay For :

• Absolutely.

A Tradition of Tulips

"Never forget that the subject is as important as your feeling; the mud puddle itself is as important as your pleasure in looking at it or splashing through it. Never let the mud puddle get lost in the poetry--because, in many ways, the mud puddle is the poetry." --Valerie Worth

This is the quote I used last year when I wrote about our trip to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, and I loved it all over again when I read it again tonight. However, it wouldn't completely describe our trip to the tulip fields this year because wouldn't you know it? Not a spot of mud amongst the tulips this year. In terms of weather, it was absolutely perfect. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. In terms of company...well, that was even better. Sarah and her two girls; me and my two girls. Never a dull moment when you get four little cousins together.

When it comes to springtime traditions, I think this is one of my favorites. This is the third year that we have taken the girls to the tulips. The first year, they were just barely walking, and it was all we could do to get them to stand by a tulip without falling down. The next year, we marveled at how quickly they were dashing between the rows of tulips and splashing in mud puddles.

I will say that in a year they have developed considerably more speed. Also, they seemed to have developed a bit more sass