Dance performance & what's up

I've kept mum on the dancing front for a
while, I just noticed. To catch you all up,
I'm taking a modern & lyrical dance workshop
Thursday nights and I'm loving it! The other
students are lovely, positive ladies with
no attitude problems and we're just there
to learn and help each other.

Same as last year, there is a holiday performance
with all the advanced classes have a short
choreographed number to demonstrate to
the rest of the studio. All the parents are there,
there are snacks, and it's crowded and hot.

Wanna come? Rosie, my mom & sister came
to watch me last year with my jazz class; this
year, my modern class has a two-minute combo
to perform and we're learning it on Monday nights.
Got that? I'm dancing on Mondays and Thursdays,
Rosie dances ballet on Saturdays, we're throwing
Rosie's birthday party this Saturday afternoon,
and I'm going to a baby shower on Sunday.

Also, I've got two doctor's appointments tomorrow,
both kids have doctor's appointments on Wednesday
and I'm not sure how I'm going to fit any work in
(and I have major deadlines, Hi Ben!). Somehow
I'm open Friday evening. Guess I'll be cleaning.

You know, Monkeyrotica should go out and do
something fun on Friday! He always stays in and
stews in his own juices. Need to air that mess out,
Monkey. Anybody taking out the Monkey?

Nighttime ritual

After two books, I tuck Rosie and Dash in (yes, they are still co-sleeping and we have had NO night-time visits from Dash in weeks; I'll be hunting the Internet for reasons why this is ill-advised and get back to you all), read two books, and then sing three songs. The books are always different, unless we are on a roll with one for a while, but the songs are always the same three:

1. "Jingle Bells" This is at Dash's request. Why, you might ask? Jingle Bells isn't a lullaby. I say, that depends on how you sing it. But the tune is a favorite because the first word of the lyrics is "Dashing." Go figure.
2. "I See the Moon" What? That's a nursery rhyme, not a song, I hear you thinking. I came up with a tune for it a while back and I'm sticking to it.
3. "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" Well, once you sing a song about the moon, you've got to give the stars some props, too.

Good night to you all, and sweet dreams!
XOXO, Nylonthread

Dancing in my fabulous dress!

I loved, loved, LOVED dancing with Monkeyrotica and other dear friends at Karen & Bryce's wedding. Mark Zimin DJ'ed, and I just had the best time ever, dancing to Mousetrap music. I'm wearing the dress that Monkey bought me for our wedding anniversary last month. Isn't it gorgeous?

Oh, heck, I was just beside myself at how awesome it was to be out in downtown DC, in the evening, dining and dancing with my beloved peeps. Monkey had to drag me out of there; I wanted to dance all night.

What's in your fridge?

No cream of failure soup for one in here.

Most everything else though, hm? The way Monkeyrotica cooks, it's hard
to keep up with all the food in the fridge to make sure it's eaten
before it gets wasted. We try to label or list leftovers right after we
pack them away, or else they disappear to the back and are forgotten
before the next meal is stored.

Monkey does all the grocery shopping and all the cooking, and is very
skilled at both. I consider myself very lucky that he has the patience
(sometimes one shopping trip will take him to three separate
supermarkets) and the creativity to bring such wonderful meals to the
table! Until I set eyes on the disaster near the sink & over the stove,
and then I still say even louder, "I'm. Very. Lucky!"

I love you, Monkeyrotica! And I promise, those dishes will be done
by...at least tomorrow afternoon.

I want birthday traditions!

Firstly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSIE!!

When I woke up this morning and it dawned on me that it's my little girl's sixth birthday, I wanted to have something special planned. At six, she'll retain memories of this birthday, won't she? If I had given it a little more thought and had some time to spend on it I could have done something like "The Birthday Fairy" that Susan Lieberman suggests in her book, New Traditions:

Lucy tells her family, "While you are sleeping, waiting to wake up to a happy, happy, birthday, all my very good wishes for you give me magical energy to transform your room and deliver birthday presents." Then she brings the magic in the form of many balloons, large signs, streamers, and the child wakes up to a special day with a special breakfast.

Hm. I wish it were that easy to get some magical energy.

Or I could have done what Meg Cox records in The Book of New Family Traditions:

Construct a "balloon tunnel" with helium balloons tied on the stair-rails. When the birthday girl awakes, she must be the first one to slide downstairs and pick up her wrapped present at the bottom.

Okay, got it. Next year will be more about the balloons and lots of 'em.

What I did do for Rosie was to have a birthday card ready with a crisp $5 bill inside (next step is to get on money management with her, and maybe some regular allowances), I gave her a birthday-girl hug, we put birthday-girl ponytails in her hair, she wore a birthday-girl outfit to school and I gave her a special birthday-girl wave. Did you notice that everything here, excepting the card, is a regular-day thing, but calling it out as birthday-special made it so. Really! Maybe won't work at 7 and up, but maybe I'll have something else worked out by then.

Thanks to Grandma Sheila, Rosie had cupcakes to share at school. And the one other tradition that I almost forgot about, but the wall tells the tale that we've kept it up 3 years running: marking out her birthday height. In pencil, on the corner wall outside the basement office. I do Dash's at the same time, just to keep it balanced.

I still have time, although her party date is creeping up. One belief that I would like to instill is that birthdays shouldn't be necessarily all about receiving gifts; I think this will be the year to choose a charity to donate to together and give in her name. I'll start looking up some charities that would be good ones. Do you all have ones that you like for kids?

Do you all have birthday traditions with your kids? Tell me about them in the comments, I want to know!

Lexeme Meme

While trolling fellow NaBloPoMo-bloggers' posts, I found KellyGO had done this meme. My Wednesday is ending soon, and I just spent all my writing energy on Facebook (shaking fist at Facebook! why are you so addictive!?!) The rules of this meme are to answer the following questions in just one word and then to pass it on to seven others. If you're reading and looking for posting fodder, consider yourself tagged (I know, lazy about tagging, as usual!).

Where is your cell phone? desk
Where is your significant other? bed
Your hair color? sepia
Your mother? nearby
Your father? same
Your favorite thing? friendship
Your dream last night? evaluation
Your dream/goal? fulfillment
The room you’re in? home-office
Your hobby? jewelry
Your fear? separation
Where do you want to be in 6 years? half-way
Where were you last night? home
What you’re not? salacious
One of your wish-list items? vacation
Where you grew up? suburbs
The last thing you did? write
What are you wearing? pajamas
Your TV? projector
Your pet? parrot
Your computer? Mac
Your mood? chill
Missing someone? Nope
Your car? mini-SUV
Something you’re not wearing? socks
Favorite store? variety
Your summer? lively
Love someone? YES
Your favorite color? celadon
When is the last time you laughed? today (Yes, I kept Kelly's: belly-laugher-comments)
Last time you cried? today (If you didn't cry at this link, you are made of stone.)

Planning a birthday party for a 6 year old

Rosie will be six on Thursday. We've been so busy with other family events, entertaining, work, and friends, that I only sent out invitations today. We'll be having her party in our home, same as last year, and I'm taking some lessons I learned from last year's party to heart:

1. We can host 85 people in our house, but that doesn't mean we should.
2. When you have 20 kids in your house under five, you really ought to have structure and planned activites.
3. If you have art as an activity, you need to protect your floors and furniture (and use washable paints)
4. Ask for help. While you're hosting/hostessing, helpers can assist with photography (I love the pics one dad took last year!), helping kids with activites, setting up materials, or keeping track of your own kids (for example, we don't want the birthday girl or boy in tears).
5. Don't let the goody bags get out of hand. One or two items inside is really plenty. I like a mini-notepad and a couple crayons.

This year I'm planning to have a theme (November's all about themes, eh?): Art Party! Rosie fancies herself an artist, and there are plenty of six-year-old friendly activities to set up for art. Here's a few I'm thinking will work.

I'll set up 4 or 5 stations for fingerpainting, chalkboard, clay or playdoh, watercolor (Rosie's favorite!) and then down in the basement, silhouettes! I'm totally excited about this last one! We'll move the screen out of the way and tack paper up on the wall, then I (or a helper) can trace the outline of the child's shadow & then we'll let them fill in the shape. Oh, and cupcake decorating, natch. With prizes for creativity!

If you all have some ideas, post them in the comments. I'd really appreciate your input.

UPDATE: For those of you who are looking for very cheap things to put in goody bags, I just found these $0.60 books of stickers on sale at Dover! There are several other books for the same price; poking around their site is worth it.

Mommy chases me around the beach

I just found this drawing of Rosie's, dated 6/17/08, and remember the event clearly. She caught my expression of anxiety very well! Rosie can sprint, and I learned just how well on our beach trips to Rehoboth. She'd take off down the shoreline and before we knew it, she'd be almost out of sight. I'm so glad my dad & sister were there to watch Dash while I chased Rosie at full speed! I was SO angry at her for taking off without saying anything, but at the same time, I was impressed, thinking, We need to get this girl involved in track events!

Veterans Day

Somehow, Veterans Day doesn't seem to get the prominence that other Federal holidays do. Memorial Day is observed more widely, honoring and remembering our servicemembers that have passed, but honoring those veterans who have served and are still with us is not as fashionable. I say this as somebody who has generally worked at private companies and has never had the day off. And as somebody who has worked with veterans who were mightily cranky about having to work on a day that was meant to honor all military veterans. I will be working tomorrow, and there will be a few unofficial parties at my office (defense contractors employ LOTS of veterans).

How to celebrate this holiday? If you know a veteran, call him or her up on the phone and THANK THEM for their service. If you bump into someone you know who has served in the military at work, while shopping, or happen to stand next to them on the bus, THANK THEM. Feeling a little awkward about it? Here's a script:

"Thank you for serving."

It's just that easy. And that simple phrase will really make a Soldier, Airman, Marine, or Seaman's day. It's a great sacrifice to serve in the military and we owe our rights and freedom to the forces that fight for the United States of America. It's not necessary for you to agree with a particular war that was fought, but you ought to honor those that protected your right to debate and have the option to speak freely about your own beliefs.

My thanks goes out to all veterans. I hope you survived the transition from the battlefield back to civilian life well and are prospering. My heart goes out to you and your families if you have struggled with your health or finances. I honor your service as a gift that I can never fully repay. Thank you for serving.

Video Sunday

Thanks to a animated movie the kids love (and watch over and over) I have the opening credits song stuck in my head. That song, performed in Robin Hood by a strolling rooster with a guitar, was remade in the late 1990s on speed and a simple cartoon was added. For your viewing pleasure, I give you the birthday hampster dance:

Milestone celebrations: cancer-free

Monkeyrotica's nephew is five years cancer free.

It feels so good to say that! I'm so glad we're here. We were all so devastated by the diagnosis (stomach cancer) and how the chemo almost wiped him out. It's been a rough ride for his sister that I wouldn't have wished on any single mom.

His entire family came over to our place this afternoon just to commemorate the occasion and show how happy we are that Alex is still with us, causing trouble. My mother-in-law presided over three huge sushi platters, we toasted Alex over hot sake, and really enjoyed a wonderful meal (including some of Mr. Monkey's smoked ribs & chicken wings).

All ate with the kind of gusto you can only have when stomach cancer isn't wracking your life.

Cheers to Alex! Dude, don't scare us like that again, Ever. Stay happy & healthy.

Easy, Breezy Traditions

A family tradition can be something you do regularly to mark an occasion, anywhere from going on a beach vacation every year in the summer, to celebrating birthdays annually, to making snowmen together in the winter, to just plain having a special family dinner together every Sunday.

Rosie had a fabulous week at school! The behavior contract is really helping her stay accountable daily, even hourly. Our mini-tradition (or reward, if you will) for having a good week at school is a trip to her favorite park, the library, or swimming at the Rec Center. We all are feeling very proud of her!

What kind of mini-traditions does your family have?

How not to celebrate an anniversary

This past September, Monkeyrotica and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary. And by celebrated, I really just mean acknowledged (on my part, mostly). He bought me a gorgeous dress that I was surprised and thrilled about (and he got... [crickets chirping...] get back to you later). But man, this September and October? It was such a total bust. For various reasons (related to the economy, maybe? maybe???) I was absolutely freaked out and cancelled many plans. The anniversary dinner was just one of many things that I promised to reschedule.

We did dress up and go out on October 11 for a black tie wedding and I got to wear the dress!! It was so fabulous, I forgot that going to somebody else's wedding doesn't really count as celebrating your own anniversary.

So (this list assumes you're in charge of your family budget), here are some notes, so you don't screw up like me for your anniversaries to come:

1. Months ahead, put some $$ aside just for your spouse's gift and dinner.
2. Set a date for your dinner, & if you have kids, book a sitter at least four weeks ahead (and put some $$ aside for that too).
3. Make a reservation at least two weeks ahead at a restaurant you both like or are wanting to try.
4. Set a fabulous outfit aside a couple of days ahead, with accessories (if, like me, you are hiding in the bathroom 15 minutes before you're supposed to be leaving while you are making custom jewelry for our outfit, your spouse will not appreciate it).
5. Check with the sitter the night before to confirm; confirm with the restaurant too, while you're at it. Couldn't hurt.
6. Leave enough time to get to the restaurant at a leisurely pace.
7. If you can view the restaurant's menu ahead of time, get an idea of what you'd like to order.
8. Whatever your meal tastes like, DON'T COMPLAIN! If your spouse is anything like Monkeyrotica, any complaining will ruin, RUIN the entire experience, done, game over, try again next time. If it's easily fixed, catch the waiter on your way to powder your nose. If it's really just not right, make up your calories with a fabulous dessert.
9. ABOVE ALL, enjoy being out with each other! If you don't have kids yet, savor your time alone and linger. If you do have kids, try to talk about other things. It's tough, I know. Imagine that you have other personal pursuits, life dreams and goals and focus on them. Listen to your spouse.
10. Pretend you're on a first date. Play footsie! Sit next to each other and neck a bit like teenagers. You deserve it and it's fun!

I'm thinking I'll be able to make this up to him in December, possibly January. I'm working on #1 and #2.

Guy Fawkes Day!

Sorry, I think I was high when I suggested the Moon Festival as my next holiday (maybe later this week). What I really meant was:
HAPPY GUY FAWKES DAY!!

For those of you not familiar with Guy Fawkes, he's known to have conspired to blow up Parliament in London! Here's what Brittania.com's got to say (oops, too boring) Wikipedia's got to say (ugh, too boring too!) Somehow, I thought this was a sexier holiday, mostly because people celebrate by BURNING THINGS IN EFFIGY!! Firefirefirefire!

Okay, continuing: In 1605, Guy Fawkes et. al. tried to blow up Parliament and King James I of England by setting up a room in the basement and filling it with gunpowder. This attempt was foiled on November 5, 1605, and Mr. Fawkes and conspiritors were subsequently hanged, drawn, and quartered (and their heads were put on pikes).

And of course, the CELEBRATION! What do people do on Guy Fawkes Day?

From Wikipedia:

"In the United Kingdom, celebrations take place in towns and villages across the country in the form of both private and civic events. They involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires on which traditionally "guys" are burnt, although this practice is not always observed in modern times. These "guys" are traditionally effigies of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Although the night is celebrated in York (Fawkes' hometown) some there do not burn his effigy, most notably those from his old school. Before the fifth, children traditionally use the "guys" to request a "penny for the guy" in order to raise funds with which to buy fireworks.

In the United Kingdom, there are several foods that are traditionally consumed on Guy Fawkes Night:

• black treacle goods such as bonfire toffee and parkin,
• toffee apples
• baked potatoes, more commonly and traditonally referred to as jacket potatoes in the UK, which are wrapped in foil and cooked in the bonfire or its embers
• black peas with vinegar"

Awesome! So, to you all, go and light a fire tonight in the spirit of Guy Fawkes, or just toast to him, "The only man who entered Parliament with honest intent." If the spirits call, chant this verse:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Happy Birthday Monkeyrotica!

monk-e_41
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

I love you, you crazy mofo. Keep keepin' it weird, straight up.

Oh, and since I used some FSM art, here's the requisite link.

Why celebrate?

What’s the difference between a celebration and a festival? A tradition and a ritual? Why do we crave them? In the next 26 days, I’m looking at celebrations. We want them. We need them. What else have we got to look forward to?

It’s humanity’s need to create order out of chaos, and to create meaning where there is none. We are compelled to set markers, to check the passing of time, to look forward to what’s coming in our near or extended future. With traditions that have intervals, we can compare our growth from point to point and have a reference for tracking our and others’ lives.

Before Hallmark and other religious/secular holiday calendars, the main method of marking time was to follow the path of the moon and stars, tracking seasons and agricultural growth periods. (Monkeyrotica’s sidebar: did you know that ancient man used to think that the moon caused pregnancy? Women’s menstrual cycles coincide with lunar cycles, so why the hell not?) Humans celebrated when the first blooms appeared on trees to show the advent of spring (vernal equinox) and again when it was time to harvest (autumnal equinox). Just when we think we can’t take the long, hot, days of summer and the short, dark days of winter we look forward to the solstices, which are the shortest and longest days of the year.

We celebrate with a prom or debutante ball to mark when young men and women in our community have come of age and are ready to enter society as adults. Marriage ceremonies are elaborate rituals celebrating couples who take vows of commitment, proclaim adherence to laws, and join their two families as a greater whole. Funeral customs honor, remember, and celebrate the lives of the dead and bring together loved ones to reflect on their own lives.

Without tradition, ceremonies, rituals, and festivals, there would be nothing to break the monotony of life. We need something to do while we are waiting to die, you know?

This week, I'm planning to focus on harvest festivals, as they are peculiar to this season and we'll actually hit a few specific ones during NaBloPoMo. Tomorrow, a harvest festival that's recently passed in 2008: China's Moon Festival.

World holidays & festivals, a theme

Native American Museum
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

A few other folks I know who are participating in NaBloPoMo have chosen a theme for their posts this month—this is totally at the blogger's discretion, only suggested as a tool for getting those posts written.

That said, given the content of my last two day's posts and some historical avoidings leanings of mine, my November theme is World Holidays & Festivals. I may or may not stick to it, bear with me.

If you have a favorite holiday/festival that you'd like me to feature, add it into the comments; I'd totally love that!

Some background to this theme idea: years ago, after college—but before marriage and kids—it was just me and my fine arts degree in graphic design. My dad, ever looking ahead, found the perfect way for me to rake in a boatload of cash (a way that I mostly stonewalled). It was a brilliant idea, only it was a lot of work, required an entrepreneurial spirit, and wasn't the direction that I saw my career going.

The Idea: design, illustrate, write, produce, and sell greeting cards for non-Hallmark holidays. Or, not even non-Hallmark but particularly celestial holidays that focus on getting back to seasonal rhythms. For example, a celestial event that would be appropriate (and that coincidentally falls on or near my dad's birthday) is the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox. I bought a few books on the subject of celestial events at the time and even threw an equinox party one year, complete with planting sapling trees and a harvest feast. Anyway, details on those celebrations will be saved for another post. Suffice to say, this is a subject that has been floating in my periphery, though I have not actualized the greeting card concept.

For the world end of things, I have access (through work) to many international projects, holidays, travelers, and customs that I may feature when I'm searching for a good topic. I'm looking forward to this!

I leave you with a delightful image of Rosie, with her gorgeous paper flower that we made at the Smithsonian's Dia de los Muertos Festival.

Day of the dead altar

Welcoming your dead loved ones back to your home.

Taking the train

On our way to the museums!

Happy Dia de los Muertos!

(And happy first day of NaBloPoMo, to all who are participating.)

Growing up in suburban Chicago, I knew nothing of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. My friend Kelly, who has lived all over the place, really brought the holiday out of the periphery for me and showed me what a wondrously joyful tradition it is, shedding a bright light on places other cultures prefer to leave in the shadows, celebrating the lives of the dead.

From Wikipedia:

"Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the period of November 1 and November 2, families usually clean and decorate graves; most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, which often include orange marigolds called "cempasúchitl" (originally named cempoalxochitl, Nahuatl for "twenty (i.e., many) flowers"). In modern Mexico this name is often replaced with the term "Flor de Muerto" ("Flower of the Dead"). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.

Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels), and bottles of tequila, mezcal, pulque or atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto ("bread of the dead") or sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrenda food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives."

Although Monkeyrotica has three relatives that are buried locally, his dad and his paternal grandparents, we have never celebrated this holiday in a cemetery. We've spent it with friends and have had quieter festivities, in a more "spiritual-essence-of-it-all" way.

Tomorrow, we're planning to head over to the National Museum of the American Indian, like we did last year. We'll be getting there early this time! Last year, we were late, missed all the demonstrations and dancing, but enjoyed ourselves anyway. The girls loved the paper flowers and wore them in their hair.