I'm planning to in between school drop offs this morning. My polling place is a synagog on Main Street. Before I lived here, I thought they only used schools as polling places. I can't really complain about voting here, we have older machines, but there's no wait (when I voted in Boston, I waited 2 hours to vote in a presidential election once).
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Monday, November 01, 2010
Halloween Redux
My two little witches had a great weekend. Lauren played hard at her soccer game (nearly 3 1/2 quarters!) although they were defeated by the Angels on Saturday. We spent an evening with our favorite hockey family and enjoyed grilled chicken, roasted veggies from the farm and apricot cream cheese bars that were even good without the eggs. Yesterday, Lauren sang in church, while hubs cleaned the house (!), and then we hung out until it was time for the trick or treating. Girlies went out with hubs, I passed out Laffy Taffy, and when the witches returned we had dinner, and then watched The Goonies together. Best. Halloween. Ever.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Being human
I wonder what it is about the human experience that we must see destruction for ourselves. The rain left the corners of our basement damp for the first time since we've moved into our house. It also blew in the nearly rotted off side door to our garage. Amazingly, all 16 of the trees on our property stayed standing (our lot is 60 by 100, and yes, that is a crazy amount of trees). Our neighbors with pine trees didn't fare as well. This morning, I noticed that the house up the street we made an offer on before we saw this one lost the giant pine tree in its front yard - it broke in two and fell over into their driveway onto their car. We tried to imagine the sound a tree falling on one's roof must make, and the structural damage it might cause.
We had to reroute several times yesterday because the roads along the Raritan River were flooded. We saw several houses with trees fallen onto them. The mom of one of Lauren's friends posted this picture to Facebook:
And went down to Donaldson Park to see how high the Raritan was. It was pretty damn high:
You can see that the new baseball fields are under about 3 feet of water. The edge of the river about a half mile from where it usually is.
The playground we were just playing on last week. The picnic table we were sitting at is submerged. It is still raining today, but it looked like the Raritan had receded a bit and the downed trees are fewer as they get cleaned up.
We had to reroute several times yesterday because the roads along the Raritan River were flooded. We saw several houses with trees fallen onto them. The mom of one of Lauren's friends posted this picture to Facebook:
And went down to Donaldson Park to see how high the Raritan was. It was pretty damn high:
You can see that the new baseball fields are under about 3 feet of water. The edge of the river about a half mile from where it usually is.
The playground we were just playing on last week. The picnic table we were sitting at is submerged. It is still raining today, but it looked like the Raritan had receded a bit and the downed trees are fewer as they get cleaned up.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Working on it
I'm working on far too much stuff right now to enumerate, and blogging has been far from my mind. I thought I'd share a couple of blurry pictures of my progress.
My friend Kimberly bought a house in November, and has been working on it furiously. Literally, every time I am at her house, something is completely redone or a different color. She said, "I'm trying to take advantage of my momentum, because I know once you've been in your house a certain amount of time, you stop working on it."
We had such plans when we moved into our house, and bought so many cans of paint. Once we'd painted the dining room and Lauren's room, we lost our steam. We were both working full-time in jobs where we had to travel, had a very long commute, and a munchkin. Just making dinner those days was exhausting. I don't recall having plans to work on the house when I left my job, I was pregnant with Lindsay pretty shortly after that, and the little time I had was spent doing freelance work. And now that was almost 4 years ago.
But, I thought, I can grab hold of that momentum and be inspired to pick up a paint brush, even though I am not very good at it. As Kimberly pointed out, "It can't look WORSE than it does." But also, I get frustrated with Lauren when she gives up on learning something new because the feeling of not knowing how to do something is scary. I so often hear myself say, "You'll never learn if you don't try..." So, I gave myself permission to make a big mess of painting the vestibule from the back door.
I should have taken a before picture so you could see the terrible blue paint they'd used for the door frames and the coat hooks. I've hated it since we moved in. But before we'd redone the kitchen, it didn't look so bad. Once the kitchen was finished, it became clear that it should be painted to look like an extension of the kitchen, so it has the same green wall paint and white trim. We are hoping that we have enough VCT left to tile the floor the same as the pantry, and plan to buy the same curtain as the kitchen for the door.
Planning the next house-venture, repainting the dining room. It's going to be blue-gray. Whee!
My friend Kimberly bought a house in November, and has been working on it furiously. Literally, every time I am at her house, something is completely redone or a different color. She said, "I'm trying to take advantage of my momentum, because I know once you've been in your house a certain amount of time, you stop working on it."
We had such plans when we moved into our house, and bought so many cans of paint. Once we'd painted the dining room and Lauren's room, we lost our steam. We were both working full-time in jobs where we had to travel, had a very long commute, and a munchkin. Just making dinner those days was exhausting. I don't recall having plans to work on the house when I left my job, I was pregnant with Lindsay pretty shortly after that, and the little time I had was spent doing freelance work. And now that was almost 4 years ago.
But, I thought, I can grab hold of that momentum and be inspired to pick up a paint brush, even though I am not very good at it. As Kimberly pointed out, "It can't look WORSE than it does." But also, I get frustrated with Lauren when she gives up on learning something new because the feeling of not knowing how to do something is scary. I so often hear myself say, "You'll never learn if you don't try..." So, I gave myself permission to make a big mess of painting the vestibule from the back door.
I should have taken a before picture so you could see the terrible blue paint they'd used for the door frames and the coat hooks. I've hated it since we moved in. But before we'd redone the kitchen, it didn't look so bad. Once the kitchen was finished, it became clear that it should be painted to look like an extension of the kitchen, so it has the same green wall paint and white trim. We are hoping that we have enough VCT left to tile the floor the same as the pantry, and plan to buy the same curtain as the kitchen for the door.
Planning the next house-venture, repainting the dining room. It's going to be blue-gray. Whee!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
First tooth
Just before dinner last night, Lauren wiggled out her first tooth. She is the last person in her class to have lost a tooth, and we joked often that her teeth really like it in there. No more, though. The adult tooth is already on its way in...
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Brought to you by the letter S
"What makes the sound ka?" Lindsay asked from the back seat of the car.
"The letter K?" I offered.
"No," she said, "The letter C."
"Ohhh! The letter C."
"What makes the sound sssss?"
"The letter C?"
"No," she said, a touch of impatience creeping into her voice. "The letter S."
"Oh! The letter S."
"What makes the sound sssss?"
"The letter S?"
"No!" she said loudly. "A snake."
"Ohh, right. A snake." I chuckled.
"What makes the sound ROOOOAR?"
"A lion?"
"No!!" she shouted. "A tiger."
"The letter K?" I offered.
"No," she said, "The letter C."
"Ohhh! The letter C."
"What makes the sound sssss?"
"The letter C?"
"No," she said, a touch of impatience creeping into her voice. "The letter S."
"Oh! The letter S."
"What makes the sound sssss?"
"The letter S?"
"No!" she said loudly. "A snake."
"Ohh, right. A snake." I chuckled.
"What makes the sound ROOOOAR?"
"A lion?"
"No!!" she shouted. "A tiger."
Friday, December 11, 2009
Little sister logic
"I guess you're not going to learn Spanish then, if you won't repeat what I said..."
"I guess it's just too hard for me. Oh, well."
"I guess it's just too hard for me. Oh, well."
Thursday, December 03, 2009
And I thought the cheese stood alone
"What letter does your name start with?" I asked Lindsay at dinner last night.
"S," she replied, chomping dramatically into her grilled (girl) cheese sandwich.
"Well," I said, "Our last name starts with S. But what does Lindsay start with?"
"Cheese!" she replied.
"S," she replied, chomping dramatically into her grilled (girl) cheese sandwich.
"Well," I said, "Our last name starts with S. But what does Lindsay start with?"
"Cheese!" she replied.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Serving up tragedy
Several years ago, Mudda bought Lauren an aromatherapy bear for Christmas. Lauren was probably about 3 at the time, and loved that her snuggly bear smelled nice and was warm. Years passed, and it ended up in a trunk in our sun porch. The same sun porch we're currently reorganizing as a playroom where the family Wii will live.
Bear-y surfaced. Lindsay fell instantly in love.
I thought, oh! I bet she'll love him if I make him all warm and scented. I plucked him up, and put him in the microwave for a minute.
Lindsay sobbed, "You are turning my bear into DINNER!"
"Oh no!" I interjected.
"First he is a lovey and now he is going to be food." Giant tears splashed down her face.
I looked from her crying face, to the turnstile of the microwave, spinning round and round with Bear-y on it. I opened the door, grabbed Bear-y out, and handed him to Lindsay.
"See, he is ok!" I said.
She sniffed.
"He's warm now, right?"
She felt him, looking a little confused, she nodded.
"And he smells nice?"
"Yes." She said. "Don't do that again."
Bear-y surfaced. Lindsay fell instantly in love.
I thought, oh! I bet she'll love him if I make him all warm and scented. I plucked him up, and put him in the microwave for a minute.
Lindsay sobbed, "You are turning my bear into DINNER!"
"Oh no!" I interjected.
"First he is a lovey and now he is going to be food." Giant tears splashed down her face.
I looked from her crying face, to the turnstile of the microwave, spinning round and round with Bear-y on it. I opened the door, grabbed Bear-y out, and handed him to Lindsay.
"See, he is ok!" I said.
She sniffed.
"He's warm now, right?"
She felt him, looking a little confused, she nodded.
"And he smells nice?"
"Yes." She said. "Don't do that again."
Saturday, November 28, 2009
What I want for Christmas (and it's not teeth)
It is practically a car payment for this attachment. Our Kitchen Aid itself was probably about the same price when we bought it 10 years ago. It makes our sandwich bread weekly - even despite the hiatus while our kitchen was being worked on, more of our baked goods were homemade than not this year. I'm pretty proud of that. The baking station has already seen several batches of biscuits and a couple of pie crusts prepared on it in the couple of weeks we've been back to business.This attachment, exclusive from Williams Sonoma, makes macaroni noodles, fusilli, and spaghetti. I'll admit it - pasta is a standby meal in our house. A box of macaroni noodles makes two meals worth of mac 'n' cheese and stowed in my freezer is quicker than delivery. I can't even imagine how much better it would be with Fresh Homemade Pasta.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tantrum Season
When you hang out with a 3 1/2 year old person, things are volatile. Especially if you're doing stuff that doesn't directly benefit that 3 1/2 year old person, like say, going to older sister's Thanksgiving play and feast at school.
Lindsay was great for the short, 4-act play. She even managed to sit patiently while every other table in the classroom was dismissed to get the snack - the yellow table was last. She navigated the line, retrieved her snack, and sat proudly next to big sister eating.
It should've occurred to me when snack was finished, and the teacher began playing a number game with the second graders that this was a fast track ticket to boredom for our heroine. She began playing on the map of the United States carpet behind where Lauren sits, running from East coast to West, and back again. When I asked her to sit, she refused. The second time she refused, I said we would have to leave if she couldn't sit. She began to protest loudly, so I slung my bag on my shoulder, whispered to Lauren, "See you outside after dismissal," and ran out the nearest door with the little person secured like a sack of flour at my hip. A caterwauling, kicking sack of flour. Of course, I was 3 doors away from the dismissal door, so I set Lindsay down and said, as calmly as I could muster, "Are you ready to listen?"
"No." she shouted.
"Ok, then I will have to carry you again." I made my way over with a kicking and screaming Lindsay. When we arrived, I sat her down between my ankles, holding her firmly so that she couldn't run off, as she screamed.
"Wow." Kimberly said. "Good party?"
"It was good." I replied thoughtfully, "but a little too long."
"I can see that."
"You just never know when it will be too long."
Kimberly nodded. "You just never know," she repeated.
Lindsay was great for the short, 4-act play. She even managed to sit patiently while every other table in the classroom was dismissed to get the snack - the yellow table was last. She navigated the line, retrieved her snack, and sat proudly next to big sister eating.
It should've occurred to me when snack was finished, and the teacher began playing a number game with the second graders that this was a fast track ticket to boredom for our heroine. She began playing on the map of the United States carpet behind where Lauren sits, running from East coast to West, and back again. When I asked her to sit, she refused. The second time she refused, I said we would have to leave if she couldn't sit. She began to protest loudly, so I slung my bag on my shoulder, whispered to Lauren, "See you outside after dismissal," and ran out the nearest door with the little person secured like a sack of flour at my hip. A caterwauling, kicking sack of flour. Of course, I was 3 doors away from the dismissal door, so I set Lindsay down and said, as calmly as I could muster, "Are you ready to listen?"
"No." she shouted.
"Ok, then I will have to carry you again." I made my way over with a kicking and screaming Lindsay. When we arrived, I sat her down between my ankles, holding her firmly so that she couldn't run off, as she screamed.
"Wow." Kimberly said. "Good party?"
"It was good." I replied thoughtfully, "but a little too long."
"I can see that."
"You just never know when it will be too long."
Kimberly nodded. "You just never know," she repeated.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Conversations
Me: Will you say hi to my grandmother on the phone?
Lindsay: Mom (putting her hand up), I can't. Rockstars don't talk on the phone.
Me (talking into the phone): Sorry, Mimi. Lindsay won't say hi.
Lauren: There's this thing that bugs do.
Me: What's that?
Lauren: Well, with people we call it marrying. But with bugs it's called mating. You know what else?
Me (cringing inwardly): What else?
Lauren: Bugs can't mate with their mama bugs, just like I can't marry my mama.
Lindsay: Mom (putting her hand up), I can't. Rockstars don't talk on the phone.
Me (talking into the phone): Sorry, Mimi. Lindsay won't say hi.
Lauren: There's this thing that bugs do.
Me: What's that?
Lauren: Well, with people we call it marrying. But with bugs it's called mating. You know what else?
Me (cringing inwardly): What else?
Lauren: Bugs can't mate with their mama bugs, just like I can't marry my mama.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I guess it's better than 'I saw it on TV'
"Mom, come meet our new ladybug!"
"Oh, you found a ladybug? How old is it?"
"It is 12 years old," Lauren replied, as she counted its spots. "And it is yellow."
"Cool. A yellow ladybug."
"I am just glad it is not white."
"Oh?"
"Because white ladybugs are cursed."
"They are?"
"Yes. I read it in a book."
"Oh, you found a ladybug? How old is it?"
"It is 12 years old," Lauren replied, as she counted its spots. "And it is yellow."
"Cool. A yellow ladybug."
"I am just glad it is not white."
"Oh?"
"Because white ladybugs are cursed."
"They are?"
"Yes. I read it in a book."
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Master Negotiator
"So, we wanted to know if we swept off the steps and the front porch, will we earn a quarter?" Lauren asked.
I closed my eyes, thinking about this. "You each want a quarter?"
Lauren nodded.
"Well...ok. I suppose it is worth 50 cents..."
Lindsay piped up, "Actually, I want four dollars."
I laughed.
Lauren added. "Wow. I didn't think to ask for four dollars..."
Lindsay said nothing and continued to stare at me earnestly.
"I'm going with 50 cents..."
"Ok," Lauren said happily.
Lindsay scowled and picked up her broom. Glancing over her shoulder, she muttered, "I'm going with four dollars."
I closed my eyes, thinking about this. "You each want a quarter?"
Lauren nodded.
"Well...ok. I suppose it is worth 50 cents..."
Lindsay piped up, "Actually, I want four dollars."
I laughed.
Lauren added. "Wow. I didn't think to ask for four dollars..."
Lindsay said nothing and continued to stare at me earnestly.
"I'm going with 50 cents..."
"Ok," Lauren said happily.
Lindsay scowled and picked up her broom. Glancing over her shoulder, she muttered, "I'm going with four dollars."
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Of course my first post in forever is about poop
After months of "She'll do it when she's ready" to reading every potty preparation resource on the Internets, to knock down drag out fights to get this little person to at least try to go potty, Lindsay decided it was worth going for the promise of toys. Little miss thing has been in dry "pantalettes" for the entire day.
I was beginning to sweat sending my daughter to college in Princess Pull-Ups.
I was beginning to sweat sending my daughter to college in Princess Pull-Ups.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Omnious milestones
Here's Lindsay having her post vaccination treat - a strawberry frosted donut with rainbow sprinkles. She felt the Ming Ming sticker didn't match up with her pain and suffering, and hey, I can always go for an iced coffee.
At 3 years old, Lindsay weighs 26 pounds and is 35 inches tall. The doctor tells me that is just shy of the 10th percentile for both height and weight. She stubbornly refused to speak to or in front of the doc, he had to go out of the room to observe her language skills (which are considerable) and laughed when the answer to all his questions was "when she feels like it" (eg, Does she use the potty? When she feels like it. Does she eat well? When she feels like it.) The nurse batted an eye at "She doesn't drink milk" (why are they so obsessed with milk?), but the doctor did not. He also diagnosed the angry itchy patch inside her elbow as eczema, which was a relief because we thought it might be ringworm and it just won't go away. It was doing better for a while with tea tree oil, but now it isn't. He recommended hydrocortizone cream, which also seems for crap.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)