Gaaack?!?

And, whaaaa? After staring at the graphic for several minutes and trying to glean a deeper meaning from the British 2012 Olympics' new logo, I have come to a conclusion. There is none. The hot pink disaster is a jaggy, "extreme," stacked-and-teetering version of the numerals 2,0,1, and 2.

No epilepsy here, but the ick-factor is hurts mi brain.

CUTIES!

AJS caught Rosie and Dash sharing a chair at the dinner table.

They love each other, the cuties! I hope they keep it up forever.



As a side note, my orchid (on the kitchen windowsill) is about to bloom! This is not my orchid, but it is pretty close to what mine looked like last year:

A couple of movie reviews

This weekend, (TMI) we were all sick with various odd symptoms. Rosie had pinkeye, fluid in her ears and wheezing; AJS had nasty coughs that make him gag; Dash had a cough and sore throat; and I lost my voice with deep chest coughs and nasal congestion [update: I have a sinus infection]. SO, all that said, we stayed in a lot and watched movies.

AJS bought the winner of the weekend, Mulan. Rosie loved that it was about CHINA!, the father-daughter connection, all the action sequences, and that Mulan was probably going to marry Chang at the end. She said that she especially liked the "fat soldier" because he could lift a horse with people on it! Tien-Po was a mountain of a man, full of sweetness and strength. AJS thought it was hilarious that the voice of Yao, the fiercest, manliest warrior was performed by Harvey Fierstein (hee, hee). Dash would rather watch Thomas the Tank Engine, but not this one...

The bust of the weekend was my purchase (c'mon, how can you resist $8 at CVS?) of Thomas and the Magic Railroad. It had a cast of interesting characters, most notably Peter Fonda and Alec Baldwin and I recall it getting some press, I just couldn't remember whether it was good or bad. My rationalization was that Dash liked Thomas' TV shows, he was only two, so how could they screw it up? Here's how: it just dragged on and on with a pointless story that had no end in sight. I couldn't bear to sit through the whole 84 minutes. There were subtexts about lost childhood and magic draining away, and Peter Fonda just sulked through his part with no expression. Alec Baldwin was not loveable and why everyone was so excited to see him whenever he arrived on the scene was beyond me. Sigh. Dash wandered off after the first fifteen minutes. I'm surprised he lasted that long.

Blogging for LGBT family equality

I met Chris and John while collaborating on a project with the company Chris and I work for about 12 years ago. Their son, Kendall, is adopted and has various serious health issues, like severe asthma; also, Kendall is a different race than his adopted parents. They are all the same gender. It tickles me that Kendall calls Chris "Daddy" and John "Pop-Pop".

They are a happy, supportive family and the first that I'd met with same-sex parents. While I was delighted for them that they had adopted, there was a bit of a dark cloud over the adoption process that they went through back in 1995. Because they weren't a "traditional" family, their priority was shunted to lowest. In order to receive a child, they were left to choose from children that had been passed over by everone else. With expensive health issues and being born of a drug-addicted mother, Kendall was not a easy choice. Chris and John wanted to be a family and looked past all the negatives with Kendall and just saw his beautiful smile. They chose him, and despite the hardships, are a family to look up to, full of love.

I haven't done the research, but I certainly hope that adopting a child is easier for LGBT families these days. With all the other inequalities that are associated with same-sex couples, my hopes aren't high, but my heart goes out to all of the couples out there trying to adopt or start a non-traditional family. You deserve it!

Brotherly love!

Here is a lovely photo circa 1942 of my dad at age 20 months or so with his big brother, Bob, who was probably 9 years. I just am touched by the way Jimmy is holding Bob's wrist and how Bob is snuggled up to his little bro.

To this day, despite troubles within the Daley clan, my dad and Uncle Bob are still in touch and phone regularly.

I'll be sure to scan pics of their twin younger brothers (Uncles Bill and Tom) soon.

Morning ritual with Dash

Scene: 7:45 a.m., the four of us, all packed in the car, pulling away from the house.

Dash: Bye-bye house! Hi, Dad-da! Hi, Mam-ma! Hi, Dju-Dju! (we all answer, Hi, Dash!)

Driving through the neighborhood:

Dash: Woof, woof, dog-ga! Hi, squirrel! Hi, car! Hi tree! (and so on. But, not to be forgotten:) Bye-bye creek! (which is a favorite place to throw rocks and make big splashes.)

Just sharing the sweetness. He is so full of joy!

Playset design for beyond preschool

Our kids love our playset right now, as all the research and development for its particular design and function is for ages 3 to 10 years. We had friends over for a Memorial Day barbecue yesterday, and our friends brought their children. With the exception of Daniel (6 months), all the kids that were over were in the optimal age range for enjoyment of our swingset/slide playset, although at 8-almost 9-years, the entertainment factor is pushing it for Kira. In fact, at 18 months (and not officially in the bracket) Liam was arguably having the most fun of all! Dash just marched around and claimed ownership of everything ("mine swing!"), kind of spoiling his own enjoyment, but that's part of being two years old, right? Lila figured out how to flip around on the trapeeze, which Rosie has been happy to just dangle from; kudos, you coordinated little flower!

So, what is there when your 8 to 12 year-old is bored with your playset that was designed to keep a 4 year-old entertained? Some architects and conceptual artists envision "new spaces to stimulate the imagination (and the metabolism) by encouraging exploration and free play."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/opinion/29arieff.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The writer mentions that she has asked other designers for input. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Asleep

Dash is 23 months today

Here's a photo from my new phone of my sweet little Dash in his carseat, eating his favorite treat, chocolate. He's 23 months today, which means that we need to start sending invites out for his birthday party!

At 23 months, Dash is cheerful, very active, and is right on track with his verbal skills. He is putting together multi-word sentences, like "car, go, Mama, store!" when he wants to take a trip (probably to a store with chocolate for sale). He's quite the artist, using paints, crayons and tape, on all sorts of media (like the walls AND carpeting).

He loves his sister, Dju-Dju, and follows her around everywhere. Their favorite game is "hide" where they find a hiding place (especially Rosie's closet) giggle until AJS or I come to find them. In daycare when he's upset, his teachers know that a visit to Dju-Dju will cheer him up—I think he's over in Preschool visiting daily.

He's very empathetic when he hears a baby crying, letting me know, "sad baby, Mama." His favorite things right now are going outside, visiting our neighbor, James (5 years), stacking tall block-towers, trying out his potty, throwing balls, running, dancing, and counting (two, four, six, nine). He loves hot-doggas for dinner with tay-tos, noodles, chicken nuggets (nugga!), peas, and all kinds of beans.

When he does have tantrums, he's pretty easy to redirect. I managed to curtail diaper-changing meltdowns by pretending that his toes are my most treasured things in the world. :-D He now will offer his toes up for kisses with a huge smile instead of fighting for his life.

What will his birthday party theme be? His most loved toys are still ducks and Elmo, but Thomas the Tank Engine is rising in the ranks...

Pushing my buttons (a rant)

Why do bedtime and waking up have to be such a struggle? I am mostly talking about Rosie here. Dash has, so far, been a pretty easy guy to get down and wake. Rosie though, requires many pre-sleep steps before we are released from her domain.

First, there's the "just one TV show".

Second, AJS usually reads her books until I'm finished with Dash.

Third, when I get to her room, we read three books; last night she had the same books from the night before. I suggested we get fresh books, but no (weeping ensued); whatever. She was tired, so she wanted to flop on me and then demanded that I hold the books at strange angles where I couldn't even read the words, so I made her cry by holding them so I could actually read. Then she claimed I was reading them wrong and insisted that I re-read several pages. This went horribly awry with me running out of the room several times to get tissues for her tears and runny nose (note to self: bring tissue box in Rosie's room). Somehow, I read the books, managed to get her in bed and left, but it was well after 9:30. [As an aside, someone was outside playing basketball until 9 p.m., which in the state I was in with Rosie, was like someone slamming the ball into the side of my head everytime it hit the pavement.]

Last, when I leave, she asks for me to send AJS in one more time for a kiss. Then Igive her kisses, hugs, wish her peaceful sleep and tell her I love her. Despite all the struggles, she is a beautiful girl and can be very sweet.

And, ugh, it's not even worth it to really get into what I went through this morning. Suffice to say that setting up her clothes the night before and getting her buy-in is time very, very well spent. I will be doing my super-best to keep that ritual going. Whew.

I'll try to come back later and write about the nicer parts of the weekend. That's just not what I'm focusing on at the moment.

Dash Potty!

Last night, for the first time, Dash tried out his potty! Before now, he has only identified it as "potty" and pointed, but when we asked if he wanted to sit, we heard a big "NO!" Yesterday, however, he sat for a while, said, "Dash poop," and got up a few times (however, the potty remained unsoiled). He received plenty of positive reinforcement from AJS and me!

The part I thought was hilarious was that he wanted to be completely naked before he sat down. Will he be one of *those* people?

Now we know who did it!

Me (feeling sandpapery grains on scalp): "Dash, did you throw sand in your hair?"

Dash: "Djeah!"

AJS: "Oh, he'll say yes to anything. Dash, did you shoot McKinley?

Dash: "Djeah!"

And here's a video of our little man, for your viewing pleasure:

Top ten music challenge

Kelly O set a music query out to her readers: "Here are ten of my all-time favs. What are yours?"

While most of these tunes never made it on the radio, my criteria are: that the song sends those lovely chills up the spine, I loved the tune enough to buy it and play it over and over, I actually know the words and occasionally sing along at the highest volume allowed, and —if appropriate— sends me running out on the dance floor without any prodding. So here goes (I added some lyrics and oddly, found that many of my favorite songs have birds mentioned; funny.):

Dead Can Dance: "As the Bell Rings, the Maypole Spins"

David Sylvian: "September"
The sun shines high above / The sounds of laughter / The birds swoop down upon / The crosses of old grey churches

Depeche Mode: "Dream On"

Sinead O'Connor: "Troy"
Oh, I love you / God, I love you / I'd kill a dragon for you / I’ll die / But I will rise / And I will return / The Phoenix from the flame

Violent Femmes: "Blister in the Sun"
When I'm out walkin' I strut my stuff / Man, I'm so strung out / I'm high as a kite and I just might stop to check you out

Ministry: "We Believe"
In the east where the bear is dancing / In the west where the eagle flies / In the middle we stand our ground / The forces pull us down, down, down / We believe

Peter Murphy: "Cuts You Up"
I find you in the morning / After dreams of distant signs / You pour yourself over me / Like the sun through the blinds / You lift me up

Tones on Tail: "Lions"

Love and Rockets: "Rain Bird"
Rain bird flies to the edge of a gilded cage / Hiding in the spotlights / Of a famous stage / He tries to become invisible / Whilst stealing the front page

Yann Tiersen: "Les Jours Tristes"

If you clean your plate...

Dash is learning the rules. Rosie knows, if she wants to have a treat after dinner, she has to eat everything on her plate; it's usually not a large amount, it's just different foods that she's too picky to try. It's her choice to make the effort or not. Dash has been learning from Rosie. He likes treats too (especially chocolate: boc-boc!) and asks for them well before he's eaten much dinner.

Until yesterday, he seemed to think that we'd be fooled if he just pushed his extra food off the plate onto the table, or gave it away to us. (Ha! Not quite, Dash.) But last night, he finally got it. He heard Rosie was talking about chocolate, then grabbed all his food in two fists and shoved it all into his mouth at once, moistly yelling, "BOC-BOC!!"

His plate was clean (he held it up for us to examine), so he got one Hershey's kiss.

"Was it good, Dash?" "Gud."

(P.S. tonight's dinner: all he wanted/ate was oranges and didn't ask for any treats.)

More storage, courtesy IKEA

We went on our IKEA trip on Saturday exactly when it opened, with both kids in tow. Since there are 2 IKEAs about equidistant from our house, we opted to alternate and went to Woodbridge. I had carefully measured the two spaces where we wanted to add shelving, and so felt prepared: we would buy 2 or 3 shelving units, no more.

Of course, that place is like a beehive with winding paths, incredible amounts of distractingly fun stuff, so while wandering, we found about 4 or 5 small odds and ends, mostly for the kids. When we found the storage area, none of the shelving on display was the exact size I wanted, but I identified 2 units that would be close enough.

When we got to the warehouse area, we were all ready to leave and the kids were getting antsy. AJS couldn't understand why I was staring frantically at stacks and stacks of what looked like the same thing, but each had different measurements, and so I was not immediately reaching for any one item. After some indecision, I grabbed a few things that looked right (they weren't) and loaded them on the pallet. We located the second item and after a glance, decided it wouldn't fit in the wagon. Sigh.

A small victory: we did build one unit of the shelves we bought (not the best size, but will do) and loaded it with some goods. We also donated three boxes of books to the local AmVets donation site. I know there are book drives all over, but these were all very odd books about Celtic mythology, wedding/fertility/pregnancy planning, outdated software & travel guides, and other fiction miscelleny.

Back into mildly freaking out about bird flu

About a year and a half ago, I was totally obsessed with avian influenza. I checked the World Health Organization updates regularly, read online disaster scenarios (that predict an 8-week recovery period, best-case), and researched what I could do to be prepared. And more importantly, I wanted to know what my community, my County, and the state of Virginia was doing. I contacted regional health officials, got them on the calendar, and they gave a moving presentation at my neighborhood association's monthly meeting.

I purchased some books and some large water/food storage containers. I went to Costco and started buying some instutional-size quantities of odds and ends. I considered becoming trained by the Medical Reserve Corps and volunteer during an emergency (the incentive here is, as a volunteer, you and your family get first dips at vaccinations).

But, after a few months of this at some point, I just couldn't sustain the sense of urgency. The information about the outbreaks started fading from the headlines and buying the extra supplies was hurting my wallet. And, a major hurdle to creating a workable storage system was to actually be able to store supplies. We have a perfect place in our basement, but it's full of other stuff; finding time to clear it out (which would involve many trash bags, recycling, donations to charity, giving stuff to friends, eBay sales, and/or a yard sale) hasn't been a priority with the kiddies taking up all our time and energy during waking hours.

All this to say, my Mother's Day wish is to have the storage area ready. I have AJS on board to help clear the junk out this weekend. We will make those donations, give stuff away, and move the remaining items chosen for future disposal to the attic. The next step is to go to IKEA (or similar place) and buy some cheap-ish but usable shelving.

Then I can move onto the next stage: stocking the space with supplies.

Proofs are here!

Picture Day at daycare was three weeks ago and we just got the proofs back. I grabbed the copyrighted images from www.images4kids.com and wish to let them know that I don't intend to alter or print these images (nor should you). I fully intend to buy packages.

Here are my picks; tell me what you think:

Dash and Rosie like duckpins!

We went to a duckpin bowling alley in Baltimore on Sunday for Alan's birthday party. Dash loves duckpins!
Rosie made a friend named Cori. I think her father works as a mechanic there, so Cori knew all the bowling rules and kept my kids out of trouble. She was very happy to have other kids around (and the good snacks that accompany them).





Dash was almost, but not entirely, conked out on the way home.

Our little circus

On Saturday morning, our yelling kids and shrieking bird were sending AJS up the bricks, so I suggested I take them all for a walk. Bird included. Out came the radio flyer wagon from the shed, insert pillow and blanket, Rosie in the back, Dash between her legs, and Weegee in his carrier between Dash's legs. Off we rolled, down the street (cue circus music).

Dash loves Weegee; he helps feed him and gives him hearty pats while I keep the pointy beak away from his tender mitts. Weegee is a Senegal parrot and is nine years old; in good health, his breed will live to be 35 years or more. AJS and Weegee didn't get off to the best start (discipline issues), so Weegee thinks he's the Alpha male and succeeds in dominating AJS with shrieks and bites. I get preened and kissed. Rosie mirrors AJS with Weegee: she'll make chatter-noises with him, but doesn't want him out of his cage. Dash wants Weegee "out" and "up"!

Before kids, Weegee was the baby. I'm most certain that he dearly misses all the attention and playtime he used to get.

Weird Art Collage

The kids' daycare requested, oh maybe a week ago, that each family take home a scrap of paper and decorate it "to represent your family." It was due on Tuesday, so of course I completed mine during my lunch hour on Wednesday. Thanks to Dover's weekly free clip art sampler (that I love and download every image) I had all sorts of wacky images to print out, trim (I used my x-acto!) and glue in. Unfortunately (or bonus to those of you who loved those neon marker poster art kits in the 70s & 80s), all I had to color with was highlighter pens.


Enjoy!

And the fear begins.

Dash has been such an easygoing, take-it-in-stride little guy, but I knew this was coming. He has rarely expressed fear, at least not strongly. One episode I can think of is when Tina, Kelly's puppy, rushed up and licked his face; he was upset and mildly afraid. (But that's just what puppies do. We need to give him more time with Tina to acclimate him better!)

So, yesterday evening, we went outside to play on our playset (what else? Yay!) and it had an interesting selection of springtime bugs on it. Ants, inchworms, caterpillars, some kind of beetle. Rosie is afraid of everything, so I was trying to empower her to use a stick to knock ants off the slide instead of me coming over every 30 seconds to remove bugs.

Dash was watching Rosie, like usual, and pointing out "bug" and a new word, "worm" for caterpillar. I was showing him a small caterpillar on the canopy over the slide (above his head), and then saw that he was scooting away from the slide, toward me. I asked, "Don't you want to slide, honey?" no answer, more scooting. Then I asked, "Are you scared of the worm?" and it was like I set off a siren. Bloodcurdling SCREAMING! Dash was rigid, practically jumped into my arms and gripped me with his entire body for dear life.

It was sweet later; he was telling AJS "worm" with big eyes. We called Auntie M. and he told her "worm" with the most serious expression (um, that's all he would say into the phone, so it was pretty hilarious!).

Have I introduced you to "Ghostie?"

Hi, my name is John, but Rosie likes to call me "Ghostie." I am very small and live in Rosie's pocket. Nobody else can see me, so I like to follow Rosie around. My favorite foods are fried chicken wings and rice. Rosie says I snore while I'm sleeping.

Sometimes I tell Rosie not to listen to her mommy. This weekend, when Rosie was running away from her mommy, I scared Rosie's mommy by pushing Rosie really fast toward a busy street. That was funny, but Rosie's mommy didn't think so. Rosie ratted me out, but that's okay; we were just having fun.

Anyway, I'll check in with you later.

Signed,
John (a/k/a Ghostie)

We are officially play-equipped!

Here is our fabulous new playset, in OUR yard, in beautiful afternoon light. BIG THANKS go out to Bill E., Jeff C., and Phil H.!! You all are the greatest—you enthusiastically brought your entire tool boxes to my house (including dremel tools, just in case) and took care of your power-tool joneses to our benefit. I appreciate the help Chalin and Cheryl gave, keeping the kids out of the danger zone, and special, enormous thanks go as always to AJS. He cooked a beef brisket on our smoker that he started yesterday and tended through the night; it was mouth-wateringly delicious.

As soon as the playset was staked (what Phil is doing in this phone-photo) our 9 and 10 year-old neighbors, who were checking up on us periodically (the chosen spot for it is in full view of the street), the two of them were swinging while Rosie, Dash and Matthew all bustled up the ladder and down the slide as quickly as toddlerly possible, complete with happy screaming.

This 2nd phone-photo (thanks, Bill!) shows all 3 of our tots crowded at at the top of the slide, while Cheryl and Phil keep them from falling off.

A quote from Rosie, which I wholeheartly endorsed, "WOO HOO!"

In support of Earth Day, I recycled all the packaging from the playset as well as a large amount of cardboard that had been taking up space in our shed. I intend to buy some pansies or small plantings and plant them with the kids; I hope Earth Day will give us a rain check.

Rosie and Dash's Great-Great-Grandparents

Mariah Havens Daley and her husband Owen Daley are pictured here in this photo taken circa 1890(?). James and Bridget Daly emigrated from Ireland's County Westmeath in 1872 with their 15 children (including Owen) and settled in central Connecticut. Owen's son Edward is Rosie and Dash's great-grandfather, and father of Granddaddy Jim.

When I traveled to Ireland with Jim and Auntie M. in 1999 on a cycling tour of the southwestern coast, we took a side trip and did a bit of family history research. We actually met up with some Havens and Daly relations!

Here is another photo of Mariah Daley, later in life (the handwritten date on the photo's margin says 1922-3):

Dash loves Boo, too

This post is just a cute vignette, to get my mind off the more serious worldly (and personal) matters.

Back when we saw Pixar's Monsters, Inc. for the first time in 2003, we were amazed at how much Rosie looked like Boo. She noticed right away, too, asking, "Where'd the Rodie go?" (her name for herself) whenever Boo went hiding in the movie. So we bought her a Boo doll, which was quite a hit for her. For a while anyway; she got her face crayoned, like most of Rosie's dolls (and lately the furniture in her room: she is making it "beautiful" with colored markers and who am I to curb her urge to creatively decorate, as long as it's not an item I care about. But I digress.)

That Boo doll now lives in Dash's crib. He loves her. He carries her around and covers her in blankets (just as he sees Rosie do with her dolls). All his other favorite toys are birds (like our parrot?), but my theory on why Boo is one of the most precious of his toys is that it looks like his beloved big sister, Djo-Djo. (His pronounciation changes daily, that's the latest.)

A note from daycare

I love the messages we get from Dash's teacher Ewa at the bottom of his daily sheet. Here was today's:

"Hello Mommy and Daddy. Today NO! is my favorite word. I've been establishing my independence by playfully running away from my teachers when they ask me to do something. I am showing that I am very close to age 2!"

It's going to happen. This Sunday. I mean it.

On April 22, Earth Day 2007, we will have our playset assembled. Dammit.

A recap: our swingset was delivered on April 2nd, and we invited many of our friends over to have a playdate & assembly party for that Sunday, April 8th. And, I know, I could pay someone to do it for us or I could drop the kids with my parents and AJS and I could make a valiant attempt to do it ourselves, but some of the folks we know have powertools and WANT to use them!

The kicker is that the instructions require several tools that I don't own and the online description of two hours for assembly was off by four to ten hours. The printed instructions say "assembly will take two people 6 to 12 hours, depending on experience". THAT'S what made me call in the troops.

So, Sunday April 8th, it snowed. SNOWED! We still had everyone over. It was a fun time, AJS grilled burgers and we had an egg hunt for the kids. But nobody wanted to be outside building anything; it was just too wet and cold. Last weekend, we invited fewer friends over, but had to call it off again because very, very early Saturday morning, AJS came down with a nasty stomach bug.

I'm making the calls today. We will do this! By the end of this weekend, there will be swings, ladders, and a slide in our yard!!

Picture Day Today!

Today was yet another picture day at daycare. I picked out outfits for Rosie and Dash the night before (it was important to get prior approval from Rosie, to avoid the usual morning's outfit struggle), and even performed a hasty haircut on Dash in the bathtub. I hope the cut looks okay in the photos—it was a bit choppy. For the past year or so, I am the only one in the household who pays for a haircut. I've been cutting everyone else's, without any training I might add.

Rosie is wearing a cute top that I love (brown cotton with a pink panel and a profusion of glittery, faceted rhinestones) and gray swing pants also with rhinestones (both a gift from Auntie M.), and Dash is wearing a rugby shirt with wide white, green, and brown stripes and brown plaid pants. I'm counting on them having a photo together!

Anyway, when we saw Rosie's teacher for the first time this morning, she asked me, "It's picture day today; is Rosie wearing that?" Not a glowing reaction. However, when the next child arrived, she gushed and went on and on about how cute, how ADORABLE, the child looked in HER special picture day outfit. I had to look. It was a white t-shirt and a plain, black leather vest with denim jeans. I don't get it? Best I figure is that she was trying to bolster the child's self-esteem?

Reading about Virginia Tech...

I'm horrified and at a loss of words regarding the shooting deaths of the 33 students and teachers at Virginia Tech; I'm also with this commenter from the Situation Room blog on CNN:

Gun control laws aren't the problem. Please tell me, what's the current ideal body count to get CNN's patented 24-hour Bloodstained Hallway Coverage? Dead-end, no-life psychos all over America will want to be sure they've murdered enough innocent people to have their death in a hail of police gunfire properly glamorized. - Dave, Ontario

I don't know why yesterday's shooter did what he did. I'm more than a little worried that this guy is right in accusing the media of glamorizing the horror, encouraging others to join the fray. Look, do this and you'll get on TV!!

A note: AJS just told me that a woman he used to work with was the mother of one of the female students killed at Virginia Tech. My heart goes out to her.

Our tasty little man

When bitings occur, daycare is very careful to not let us know which of our children's "friends" did the biting. Their discretion is getting undermined by Dash, as he becomes more verbal every day. When we asked him who bit him (he's had two bites in the last week — that scrumptious boy!), he smiled and clearly answered, "Molly bite."

Not that we are thinking of retaliating at all; daycare has a biting-control process that works. I'm just amused that Dash is so forthcoming. :-)

Jimmy, as a toddler

Isn't this a happy scene? It speaks of youth, carefree summers, and fun times with family.

The little boy in the front, who probably isn't more than two years old, is my dad, Jim. His older siblings, Bob and Dot, are playfully supporting him on what is likely their front yard, circa 1943 in central Connecticut.

In 2007, Grandaddy Jim takes Rosie and Dash on weekend walks to a local Alexandria park and focused on giving them a solid social foundation with extended family connections. Having several generations of relatives around was something taken for granted when Jimmy was growing up. I'm very grateful that my parents are available to my children and are so willing to visit and care for them. It's pretty uncommon these days.

Thanks, Dad and Mom!

Dash ADORES "Dju-Dju"

At 22 months, Dash wants to do everything that Rosie's doing. If she's painting, he wants to be painting, too. If she's hiding in her room, he wants to squeeze right next to her, giggling, until somebody finds them. It only gets frustrating when Rosie becomes annoyed by all this love and attention and begs us to "take Dash away!" But otherwise, I know she is just as enamored of him!

Dash came up with his version of Rosie's name, which sounds something like "Dju-Dju." It took us a while to figure out that he was trying to say Rosie, go figure. When I asked Rosie what she thought of being called Dju-Dju, she said, "I like it! It means he loves me."

Happy birthday, sis!

It's my sister's birthday today & she'll be, um, continue to be 21 months younger than me!

I wish you the chillest b'day today, Auntie M. Hope your spa adventure is everything you envisioned.
:-)

if today is your birthday... click this link.

Cool Cookie!

Hey, I discovered this new magazine that looks just darling!

It's a cute little mag for "smart, sexy, stylish" moms, which of course is a club I want to join.

My subscription card is in the mail.

(and it doesn't have anything to do with the 2.5 yr girl pictured in the promo who is named "Dashiell")

Thanks! To all my devoted fans... (Kelly, that's you.)

Yay! I was nominated! WOO!

In light of this, I think I'm going to try to step up my content...

For a sickie, he's got energy.

Last Friday, I stayed home with Dash because he had a fever recorded on Thursday and daycare won't let kids back in till they're fever-free for 24 hours. Despite the fever, he was otherwise symptom-free, which lasted through the weekend and ended early Wednesday morning, when he hurled Tuesday night's dinner all over his sheets. Bleagh. A quick cleanup, two more rounds of hurling, fresh sheets, new pajamas, and a trip to the laundry room later, I was back in bed by 4 a.m. We dressed both kids for daycare at 6:30 and headed in, hoping that it was an isolated incident, but more hurling happened on the car ride. So, AJS stayed home with Dash yesterday.

According to AJS, Dash was cranky, didn't eat all day, but was otherwise symptom-free. Again. He even became cheerful when AJS took him down to the creek across the street to toss rocks in the water. (Who doesn't love a satisfying ker-sploosh!?) After I came home, Dash and Rosie started the silliest antics, prompting AJS to record some video of them singing at the top of their lungs and dancing/spinning in the kitchen. I'm sure there's some great footage of my butt, because they were right behind me while I was doing dishes.

Dash is back at school today, despite grand protests this morning. He's really figured out the power of "NO!" Here's a transcript from this morning:

ME: morning, Dash! let's get you a fresh diaper.
DASH: no! no! no! no! (swatting at me with his closest hand)
ME: all right, now let's get your pajamas off.
DASH: no! no! no! no! (trying to pull pajamas back on)
ME: okay, now it's time to get your morning clothes on!
DASH: no! no! no! no! NO!!! (pulling new clothes off as soon as I get them on)
ME: all dressed! let's go see Daddee now, okay?
DASH: da. (think of the Russian da, here, like "yes", sweetly, with a smile.)

cherry blossom walk (that was nicer than AJS thought it would be!)

Color me surprised when AJS volunteered to go on a family outing to *gasp* downtown D.C. *eeek!* to view the Cherry Blossoms and see the Kite Festival on Saturday, all the while intermingling with the hordes of tourists and otherwise repellent examples of humankind. Even when we lived in D.C., he would avoid any type of ethnic festival, chili cook-off, or large gathering like a pestilence and virtually refuse to leave the house.

Then, I learned that our dear friend Mel, who has been very unavailable for the last several months had agreed to meet us there, along with her dog, Walter. So, AJS was not going to miss this fleeting opportunity!

The only way this would work for AJS was to get to D.C. before 8 a.m. so we could get a parking spot and so avoid the other repulsive congregation of the unwashed, the Metro. We found a space just in time at one of the Hains Point area parking lots and have an easy walk to the Tidal Basin. Another sacrifice that was necessary for this to be a workable outing was NO STROLLERS. In order to navigate the sidewalks that are choked with tourists mesmerized by the beauty of the fragile blossom petals, walking in slow motion, taking photos in the middle of thoroughfares, we would have to allow our children to walk or carry them. This worked out to mostly carrying them.

It was truly a beautiful day! The weather was sunny and brisk, the blossoms were in full, white-and-pink fluffy loveliness, and Dash and Rosie were in good moods. We saw the signage with the silly safety mascot of the festival, a beaver named "Paddles" who advised that we refrain from picking the blossoms. Hee! Oh, so badly drawn...


As we walked through the Jefferson Memorial, Dash cheerfully circumambulated the statue (at high speed), pointing and yelling "MAN! MAN!" Thankfully, most of the other folks there seemed to find it endearing (except when we were in their camera's viewfinder). Rosie chased him around or wandered on her own path, taking in the views, watching the paddleboats make their way across the water.

From there we walked to the FDR Memorial (well at this point, AJS and I were personal transports), where Dash also yelled and pointed, "MAN! MAN!" at all the statues of Mr. Roosevelt. Rosie got up close and personal with Fala, while AJS took some nice video of her gently patting her bronze, spiky fur. Dash and Rosie both enjoyed the waterfalls, which I found to be serene and violent at once as they crashed over the geometrically carved stones; I wondered if this effect was considered by the architect/sculptor?

We all ran across the grassy field and then I carried Dash up the steep steps at the Lincoln Memorial. Again he had an opportunity to yell at The Man, although by this time of day (9:40?), the tourists were quite thick at this popular site and we wandered down to rest at the less-populated reflecting pool. Rosie and Dash tried to locate rocks to hurl in and make ripples; hopeful ducks occasionally glided over to see if we'd feed them. Another baby that was ahead of us toddled waaaay too close to the edge for my comfort, but set a bad example for Dash, so both her parent and I struggled to keep our toddlers from dumping into the drink as they barreled ahead. We passed them, as the wee lass distracted easily and my boy can be focused, once on a path. As we headed toward the Washington Monument, a loudspeaker started playing music to announce the kick-off of the Kite Festival.

We were crossing 17th Street as a quavering, older, female voice, possibly of Japanese origin, came on the PA, launching into our National Anthem. As soon as we crossed, I took a call from Mel, who was nearby and wanted to establish a meeting spot. We had been pointing out the different kites to Rosie and asking her what they looked like; Dash just pointed, except when he saw Elmo and then couldn't stop talking about his beloved little red monster. I recall there was a pretty well made upper-half of a soccer player (torso, head & arms) reaching for a soccer ball that was the kite's tail! There were some speedy and tricky stunt kites, some beautiful birds and butterflies, and plenty of scary pirates, spidermen and sharks. The wind was very strong, so many, many kites were in the air.

Mel and Walter appeared and we walked with her all the way back to the car, which seemed to be soooo very far away, especially since Dash was cranky, trying to twist out the carrier. He fell asleep when we were almost to the parking lot. Mel tried valiantly to catch up with me, but I was tired and concentrating too much on walking and my aching shoulders to really keep up my end of the chatter. I learned that she's enjoying her new job, is considering leaving her second job, is doing consulting work for her previous job, and also that academia is calling to her: is another degree in the making?

We drove to an Irish pub in her neighborhood, and while we were in the car, Walter gave Mel and AJS happy-dog kisses, then looked expectantly into the back seat, where kisses weren't welcome. Sorry, Walter. At the pub we learned that they served deep-fried tater tots and that the waitress was indulgent enough to give our kids slices of cheddar cheese and crispy bacon (no bread, please) for their lunches. Sorry, no milk. Mel tried to advise Rosie that once you pass 22 years, you'll want to cut back on the bacon and cheese unless you know a good cardiologist.

After parting ways, I fell asleep in the car, then dropped the kids off at my parents' house for a few hours. I went back home, took some Advil, crawled into bed and took a serious nap. Oh, I didn't mention that on Friday afternoon, I took a turbo-step aerobics class? I was tired. But it was a nice outing overall!

Feng Shui is a good idea

A tenet of Feng Shui: rearrange furniture in rooms regularly; this helps release the good chi and disturb the bad wa.

In reality, this is a recommended plan because when moving heavy dressers periodically, you also disturb nasty bug colonies, such as, say carpet beetles, that take up residence under furniture.

Ick.

BTW, despite all the information on the bug-page linked above (they eat dead skin and animal fibers), I am 99% certain that these bugs have been biting Dash on the head over the past few months. I don't know what else would have been causing the bites and I usually found the beetles in the carpet or on the wall near the head of his crib. Ew.

House & Buffy: connected?

So, a couple times a week I stay up late to watch T.V. while I fold laundry. Right now, I'm primarily watching House M.D., Gray's Anatomy, and Bones. Particularly in House, I've been noticing that several actors who were regulars on the Buffy/Angel series have been cast as patients on House. Of course Bones has David Boreanaz as a main character, so I see plenty of him, and I think that Gray's Anatomy may have had a cameo or two by Buffy ex-pats.

In this week's House, the main patient was Marc Blucas, or "Finn", reprising his role as a sickly military-type. Other actors I've noticed from Buffy: "Glory", "Andrew", "Warren", "Dawn" and that's all I can think of right now.

Does this mean I'm a geek? More importantly, does this mean that one of the producers/casting directors for House liked the Buffy series?

Whaaaa? Odd photo find of the day.

I know that if Dash finds a sock, he'll put it on his hand and start dusting the T.V. (I have no earthly idea where this idea occurred to him, truly.) Now, if I gave him a sponge on a stick, like this little fellow has, would Dash try scrubbing a U-2 Dragon Lady? I do not know for sure, but he'll likely never have the chance to demonstrate.

Just to get an idea of the surface area this boy will have to swab to get this plane clean, here are the specs for the U-2:

Length: 63 feet (19.2 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Wingspan: 105 feet (32 meters)

Okay, yes, this is a photo I came across doing work-related research, but isn't it silly?

Equipping playtime

For the last several days, Rosie, Dash and I have been making a daily trip down the street to my neighbor's yard for some quality trampoline time! Rosie loves to see Emily, who at 9yrs, is the youngest of the three children who live there. We all scamper over to their yard, get Emily's attention (and I feel slightly badly that I'm dragging her away from her homework), and go out back to flop around on the trampoline.

Both kids really didn't like the bouncing at first, but now are addicted! Rosie likes to jump and fall (slapstick, with legs in the air), where Dash is just happy to giggle and run around at high speed. Something I've noticed yesterday about how the three are interacting: Rosie worships Emily and yells to her, "Watch me, Emily! Watch me!", while Emily is much more interested in Dash, calling with arms outstretched, "Give me a hug, Dash!", and Dash ignores Emily and just runs to me. Is it human nature to want to attract someone whose attention is elsewhere?

Also, I haven't told the kids yet, but our new playset is being delivered on Monday!! I'm sure that we won't even be able to think about assembling it untli the weekend, but how exciting!!!

Playdump.

When you're a parent, you learn about being flexible, because kids have their own agendas that often conflict with yours. When you try to coordinate with other parents, this gets compounded. For example, for the second time, I tried to organize a lunchtime playdate with four former coworkers (I know, "former coworker" just adds to the flaky mix) who all have children under two. They all live in NoVA like us, so it seemed to be a great idea! Nobody was available for the first date I tried to organize, so I thought I'd give it another shot. We all agreed on a date two weeks out, Saturday March 24; I had a book group meeting scheduled, but I thought that I could be flexible about their schedules if they were all available that day and so I bowed out of the book group. To make a long story short, nobody showed up. Again. AND, we didn't make it to the book group because AJS already drove out to PG County that morning to see his mother and didn't want to make another trip. Aside from that, we had all sorts of partially prepared extra food in the house (to accomodate our assumed guests: 8 adults and 4 kids) and didn't want it to go to waste.

Just to assuage your curiousity, here are the excuses: family one had to go out of town unexpectedly; family two had a sick kid, coughing and tugging her ear, so a doc appt interfered; family three, um, wife had to work (? lame.); family four, well, just forgot, haven't been checking emails, haven't been checking phone messages. And, we didn't even get a day's notice from them. AJS started shopping and cooking for the lunch the day before.

AARRGH. I think I'll let somebody else organize next time.

Dash's first sentence!

Well, if you don't count that it doesn't technically have a verb, he managed to string these three words together to get AJS to do his bidding:

"Nuk, pleesh, Daddee?"

What a cutie. But, we do need to wean him off his paci pretty soon—he's pretty much an addict. Sometimes he tries to fit two or more nuks in his mouth at the same time.

On to marketing: I'm a Board Member at the kids' daycare, and we're having a book sale with Usborne books, which really has a great selection of quality books! Dash and Rosie especially have enjoyed the touchable "That's Not My [insert possession here]" series. All sales at the Usborne Booksale link (specific to our CDC) support the Center's fundraising efforts.

Where did Rosie get her curls?

This question has come up many a time, since, for those of you who know AJS and I, we both have very straight hair and Rosie has curly-curls.

Here's a 1940s era photo of my Uncle Bob and Aunt Dot at a Connecticut swimming hole. Later in life, Dot wore her hair very short, so I didn't know it was curly; however, this old photo may reveal at least one genetic source of curls!

Well, really, I just wanted an excuse to post some old family photos that I scanned. :-)

1913 Sears House $683?!?

I just received this bit of clip art in an email today. This kit house was something unique and amazing. Sears Roebuck & Co. would send you the materials so you (and hopefully some well-trained friends) could build your own house. For $683 1913-era dollars.

I'm not a CPA, so I have no idea how that values out in today's money, but I don't think there's anything like this in 2007. It sounds like somebody's fantasy fiction.

In College Park, MD, my SIL's inlaws owned a Sears kit house that I think was just sold recently(w/i the last 5yrs)—it was in an historical register. I visited there once around 1998, but wasn't aware of its significance at the time; it looked and felt like any other two-story, single-family home.

Hangin' out

Well, part of my wish for the warmer weather came true yesterday: the landscapers came and cleared out all the leaves and dead brush; then, AJS and I drank some wine spritzers (woo!) and sat on the deck while Dash and Rosie frolicked in the yard. Dash was grinning ear-to-ear the whole time! They both played in the little house (which will need to find a new home when the playset comes) and slid on the slide. We supervised from the patio chairs. I am so glad they are becoming less dependent on us! (Yikes, will I regret saying that later?)

After reviewing the landscaper's work, I noticed that there were some grasses that were sticking out from an area near a cement walkway and wondered why the lawn crew hadn't cleared them. On closer examination, I found that said grasses were full of a large amount of dirt (about six square feet), most likely moved there by some extremely industrious ants. When I decided to get a trowel and move the dirt, I found that I had two very interested helpers! Two more trowels were found, but after a while, Dash scooped a shovelful of dirt into my shoes and we were done. On a related note, I was disappointed to discover that all our raspberry bushes had been completely removed, despite my specific direction to save them. [A phone call to the landscapers revealed that the bushes were not salvageable, i.e. completely dead, so we'll have to replace them. 3/16]

Maybe I'll actually try to plant more things this year, so we can eat what we grow. Important lessons for the kiddies!

NEW PLAYSET!!!

This is the playset that I just purchased today, online! I'm not sure of the delivery date, but the weather is getting warmer around here and I am itching for a nice playset with SWINGS! For some reason, swings are a hard thing to locate around here—local parks just don't have them. Liability issues maybe?

Anyway, I know Rosie and Dash and all of their friends will love it! Here are all the features:

Two playground-style swings, an 8-foot wave slide, ladders, monkey bars and a lookout tower
Front ladder doubles as a rock climbing wall with bolted-on handholds
Canopied, 4'-high playdeck is 54"L x 18"W
Setup dimensions: 17'L x 7'9"W x 8'4"H (Allow 6' safety perimeter around playset)
Easy Setup in 2 hours estimated time when 2 adults participate in construction
Includes pre-assembled ladders and floor panels for easy set-up
Fort Assembly has Pre-Drilled Holes
Safety handgrips at top of ladders provide added security
Customer is required to drill some holes for hand grips and to mount ladders and slides
Angled leg design increases stability
Set includes stakes to secure the play set into the ground after assembly

AJS got a write up on "Five Bites"!

Five Bites on Friday
For this week's installment of Five Bites, the mind behind monkeyerotica.com offers the top five sandwiches in DC.

1. The Big G Man at Mangialardo and Son

2. The reuben at Deli City

3. The roast beef at Hodges Sandwich Shop

4. The Ahab burger (bacon, bleu cheese and mushrooms) at Sign of the Whale

5. The New York strip sandwich at Stoney's

Have a top five you swear by? Or just five great things you've eaten recently? Five Bites is your opportunity to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. Send your list and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean@gmail.com.
Posted by Amanda at 10:53 AM

BTW, that's monkeyrotica to you.

Quote of the day

I belong to a designers' listserve where there was a discussion today starting with a designer who wanted advice about what sort of digital camera she should buy for an important client shoot of a home's interior. She thought she wanted a fish-eye lens and maybe a wide angle lens, but she really didn't know much about cameras.

A witty designer posted this quote:

“Amateurs worry about gear.
Professionals worry about money.
Masters worry about light.”

Heh. But seriously, if it's that important, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL.

AJS got fan mail for this quip on DCist.com...

"Increasingly, high home prices, declining public services, and serious congestion issues are pushing individuals and families out of suburbs and back into cities."

Because in DC, home prices are going down, public services are improving dramatically, and congestion is no longer an issue, he said, while waiting in gridlock on M Street on his way back to his $800 mil Foggy Bottom efficiency condo having waited in line at DMV for 4 hours.

You dcists always get the primo reefer. Who's your supplier?

Show of hands: If the District were going to blow up the Reeves Center [pictured] to make way for a multileveled Costco with a parking garage, how many would show up to protest and how many would offer to donate dynamite?

[17] Posted by: monkeyrotica

March 5, 2007 1:44 PM

A follow-up to the choking incident

So, if you recall, dear readers, back in January, a "friend" from Rosie's class tried to choke her over a trivial incident. I was informed by the daycare director yesterday that the boy's behavior had not improved adequately over the past month-plus, and he had been disenrolled. Whew.

AJS can take his boxing gloves off now! His first response when he heard about the choking was, "can I punch the kid out?"

Dash tells knock-knock jokes! And the snowlady.

Well, almost. We were trying to get him to tell us his name for Rosie this weekend, but he just kept saying "na--na". Before committing to this as his name for Rosie, I remembered that Rosie and James Michael, a neighbor, were telling each other knock-knock jokes and Dash may have overheard. AJS investigated this theory, asking, "Who's there?" to get the satisfying answer of "Dad-da!"

Rosie and I made a snow-lady yesterday! Dash almost helped, but really mostly stood there crying to be picked up. Rosie and I had a great time, though. The lady had the traditionally tri-segmented snowball body, with oatmeal-raisin cookies for eyes (thanks to AJS for repurposing those tasty cookies, Kelly!) and a carrot for a nose. I gave her stick arms, a red berry scarf, and a black wool hat; AJS gave her a curved-stick smile. And Rosie didn't want to go back inside, despite the wetness, a thoroughly chilled mother, and dwindling light. Fun times.

Thinking about nicer weather...

Even though we're just in a mini-thaw and there's plenty of winter-weather to come, I'm starting to think about springtime, playing in the backyard with the kids, and making our yard a nicer place to hang. It has a lot going for it, so far: excellent multi-level deck with built-in slide, a large grassy area, a patio set with a canopied gazebo, a kamado grill, a kiddie swing, and a small kiddie playhouse (a super-basic version of this).

What it desperately needs is more regular yard care (so weeds aren't growing through the kiddie playhouse), maybe a mosquito magnet, a less-dilapidated sandbox (or at least new sand), and a playset with more activities for our growing kids. Something like the Little Tikes playset my neighbors have, I think.

I just recall many, many times during last summer that I didn't go outside because there were too many weeds, too many mosquitos, and lack of fun things to play on. I'd really like to while away the summer evenings while sittin and sipping wine with AJS on the deck while the kids wear themselves out on the playset, KWIM?!?

Hey, Bulldog!

Yesterday's mini-vignette: Rosie says, "Hey daddy, listen: it's the Submarine song! [singing] You can talk to me, you can talk to me-ee, if you're lonely you can talk to me! [trails off, comes back strong] You can talk to me, you can talk to me-ee, if you're lonely you can talk to me!" [repeat until insane]

And so, now what's in my head and won't go away? The worst thing is, I'm horrible with remembering lyrics, so I can't remember any other words to this song, either...

Happy Birthday Rowan! And Dash is a sweet, demanding boy.

[portrait of Rowan, courtesy AJS]

Today we went to Rowan's birthday party, where we all had a great time! A rockabilly-style musician played kid-friendly music and all the kids (and some parents) were rocking out to it. He calls himself "Uncle Rock" and used to play for the Fleshtones, from what I understand. Dash was just mesmerised by "Uncle Rock" and would just walk up within 5 to 10 feet of him and stare (as with yesterday's event, my kids didn't really participate by dancing or following along with others). Again, excellent cake!!! At the party, Dash found a juice box with Elmo (a latest favorite) pictured on it and I found him shortly afterwards expressing his love by giving the icon fervent kisses. What a sweetie!

After we were home, Dash crashed out for a few hours and when he woke up he called for Dad-da! Dad-da! He and I met up with AJS in the kitchen, but Dash wasn't interested in a hug. He looked at AJS, and pointed at the oven, saying without words, the OVEN. NOW. COOK FOR ME. And then wanted to monitor the entire cooking process to be sure that his food was on its way. What a darling boy!

My kids aren't joiners...(neither is AJS)

We just came back from a "Gymboree" birthday party for a classmate of Dash's. Rosie warmed up to the place right away, surprisingly, and we were more shocked that Dash (Mr. fun & happiness) was clingy and took his time before trying out the play equipment. AJS was horrified when an employee came out, put on some loud music and organized everyone to sing along and follow choreographed hand movements. When they brought out the clown, it took all of my persuasiveness (and calculated evasion) to keep him from bolting.

The highlight of the afternoon, IMO, was the cake! The birthday boy's parents are N'Awlins transplants and they had an authentic Mardi Gras King Cake for dessert... Oooooh, heaven!

Both kids really enjoyed the running around and climbing on soft play shapes; despite not participating in the sing-a-longs, they did have a lot of fun. We were not the first to leave, but may send regrets on the next invite to a Gymboree event.

Valentine's Day. Gotta love it!

Yesterday, daycare was closed, the roads were nasty and icy (no plows in our neighborhood), so AJS and I had quality time with the kids and could watch them under a microscope. Dash is now a week shy of 20 months and Rosie is 4 years, 3 months.

Rosie likes to have animated playtime, where she makes up dialogues between her toys; I've been wondering about some of her catch-phrases, like, "his eyes were bigger than flashlights!" or "then, we'll have to slice off your head"? (Me: shaking head.) She loves to play with Dash and we hear a lot of "c'mon Dash!" and "follow me!", but we also hear a fair amount of "get Dash away!" One of her favorite shows on Noggin is "Little Bear," which we watched yesterday. There was a very sweet episode in which Little Bear was making drawings of all the things he loved about his mother, and during the show, I got plenty of hugs and kisses! One of the special favorites of Little Bear is Mother Bear's chocolate cake, so we spent some of the afternoon making guess what? Chocolate cupcakes. Yummy.

Dash is picking up lots of new words. Using "please" is something we've been drilling into Rosie for months, and while it's not sinking in much with her, Dash has started to say "peesh" which is the cutest. Other words are mom-ma, dad-da, duck, car, up, on, off, book, boot (all shoes), boown (balloon), booboo, BYE!!! (at top volume), ree (read), baish (water), moo (milk), laliesh (olives), heesh (cheese), caak (clock), cack (crackers), cowk (chocolate), haaiiee (in a whisper, means quiet), Momo (Elmo), Bawa (Dora), and a few more that I'm not remembering right now. Somehow, a name for Rosie hasn't materialized. Maybe since she is available for him most of the time, he hasn't needed to identify her with his words?

Yesterday, Rosie and Dash had several campouts (lights out, flashlights on), colored and painted together, and watched a little television together. Later on, Rosie and I went to her grandparents' house for some one-on-one playtime with Grandma. Quite a busy Valentine's Day. Romantic, though? Not by most definitions.

Counterpoint, in a fashion

During college, I began to be frustrated with the dating scene. And, it may come as a surprise to my parents, but I was becoming aware that my dad worked with several young men, good-looking, well-paid engineer types who were single, and also had contact with the upstanding well-educated male children of his colleagues.

After some frustratingly bad dates, I started thinking, wouldn't all this be easier if there were arranged marriages? My parents could identify a good match for me, I'd be set financially (potentially), and I'd have much less worry and effort to put into the whole soul-mate-searching thing.

Then, I put that out of my head. I had the right to marry whom I wanted, and I ought to exercise that priviledge! I found my life partner, and later this year, we will be celebrating 10 years of marriage, 15 years together.

I'm saddened that the government isn't allowing a random selection of Americans (10%?) the same choices and options that I have.

Freedom to marry week

If you know me at all, you know that I don't pay much attention to the politics stuff, despite living in DC and metro area. So, this just comes straight from the heart.

I married who I wanted to marry. If somebody had suggested to me that I couldn't marry my chosen, I would have been righteously pissed off. The fact that people are doing just that today does upset me a great deal. Are we in the dark ages? In India or other third-world country, with
arranged marriages? Just where do all these people come from, that they think they have the right to keep other human beings, Americans even, from pursuing happiness? Married couples have different rights to benefits than singles; why shouldn't any couple who are living together and committed to each other get those rights and benefits? Seriously?

I don't think it's right or fair. I could say more, but I know that I'm not being terribly eloquent here and I haven't read other essays or brilliant rhetoric on the topic to bolster the range of my argument. So let's just hope that I do just that and if I post again on this topic, I'll have something more, um, thought-provoking to say.

Weird incident of the day

I was wearing my 1960's-era vintage faux cheetah coat to work today, mostly because it's warmer and longer than my regular coat. And because it was so cold, I decided to ride Metro for one stop instead of walk the exposed 15 minutes across the pentagon reservation.

Anyway, as I was walking down the escalator onto the train platform, this guy was giving me an odd look that made me wonder if I knew him. As I passed him, he muttered, "can't breathe!" and then hawked phlegm loudly and acted like he was going to spit on my coat! (I'm pretty sure he kept it in.) Gross.

It's faux, dammit! Get a clue.

Who does more?

AJS and I are working parents and both feel like we are contributing equally to the household; wait, I think we actually both think we are doing MORE than the other. But, because it's been on my mind a lot lately, and I do think it's worth having on the record, here's my take.

AJS daily/weekly/periodic tasks:
packing breakfasts & lunches
driving our carpool weekdays
grocery shopping/meal planning
ALL THE COOKING ALL THE TIME (gold star!)
taking bagged trash & recycling out
shoveling snow
washing cars
mowing the lawn

Nylonthread's daily/weekly/periodic tasks:
dressing the kids
putting both kids to bed
diapering Dash (every diaper)
washing dishes
laundering clothes
feeding/entertaining/bathing the parrot
bathing both kids
picking up after kids
paying bills/budgeting
driving on weekends
bagging trash for garbage day
cleaning all of the house
arranging for babysitters
shopping for kids' clothing
filing mail & paperwork
cleaning birdcage
taking parrot to vet
handling investments
weeding & watering plants

Shared tasks:
entertaining the kids
taking kids to doctor's appointments
picking up prescriptions/administering meds
shopping for household items

Now I grant that while AJS's task list is shorter, many of AJS's tasks are daily and time-intensive, albiet my longer list has its share of daily items, more items are bi-weekly or periodic. Still, is it even? Hard to say. My guess is that we'll still both think that we are doing more than the other.

I LOVE SNOW!!

This morning was a wonderful change from most mornings with Rosie. The usual scene is: I wake Rosie up, she whines about wanting more sleep, she whines about wanting to wear a different outfit; outright cries about not being able to bring favorite toy X to school; you get the picture. Also, put in mind that we wake her at 6:30 a.m. which, in a perfect world, is much too early.

I woke her up today by saying, "Rosie, it snowed last night! You wanna go and see?" She popped right up, smiling, and said, "I LOVE SNOW!!" She hopped out of her room and happily greeted AJS, who was shoveling outside the front door.

Kenmore ovens use shatterglass!

And, why do I know this, you ask? Well, under the most understandable circumstances, AJS accidentally dropped his freshly made, lovingly toasted, eagerly anticipated sandwich face down on the floor, which in turn caused him to grab the closest large object and throw it. This was of course after making sure no small humans were in range, I'm sure. In the sandwich's case, it was a metal stepstool which connected squarely and at close range with our stove door. Crash! Smash! Neatly cubed glass. (Well, with pointy shards, too.)

The replacement costs $214.97 directly from Sears; I found it elsewhere online for $147.62. We won't be using the oven until this weekend, at best. :-(

Better late than never?

Here are photos of Rosie and Dash from their, um, October 2006 photo session. I know, I know, where have they been? I think the proofs showed up in November, then pics arrived in December, then I was handing them out to relatives, and I finally brought them into work to scan them in January, so, now it's February and they're scanned. Whew!!

I almost didn't buy this print of Rosie and Dash, mostly because Dash looks half-comatose; but then I DID buy it because he looks half-comatose! It just makes me laugh so much every time I look at it! I crack up and think, couldn't SOMEBODY have helped him shut his mouth? or pulled his socks up? In one of the proofs, Rosie was actually helping hold him up. The teachers told me that he was about to go down for a nap when they pulled him for the shoot. He's dead tired, poor little guy...

And Rosie just looks gorgeous by herself!

you already knew this, but it's official...