August 2004 Archives

School started yesterday and the boys are thrilled. They love the school and the other kids and their teachers. I'll remember this, and remember to remind them, when the newness wears off and they whine about going. For now it's good, though.

I'm spending all my online time trying to win just one damn ebay auction. I'm looking for all in one cloth diapers. I'm finally making the switch back to cloth, but rather than a service I'll wash them my self. I keep getting outbid. Grrrr. The last auction I lost had the cutest diaper that was white with cherries on it. I did order some pretty ones, but if I can get them cheaper that's important these days.

Willow bit me while nursing. Hard. Bleeding hard. Of course the cut won't heal and every time she nurses on that side I see stars and think I'll pass out. Question is, will I be able to resist bringing it up during the awful arguments we're sure to have in twelve years?

I need to go start supper. Looks like we'll have rice, Korean-style baked tofu (thanks to Trader Joe's), broccoli and cauliflower and maybe garlic bread. Chicken nuggets for the meat-eaters. I can tell I'll need some iced coffee first.

John and Willow are out at a barbeque. The big kids and I are home slacking mostly. I did dishes and mopped the kitchen, a little laundry. The place still looks like it was turned upside down and shook really hard. But, I am done for today.

My mom traded my cell phone in for a new one. It is so cute. I'm totally spoiled.

I went to the library all alone! It was too hot for much movement, so nobody wanted to tag along. I took back most of the stuff we had out and got lots of new things. A few videos for the kids, a couple of books on tape for nighttime and three books for me. Usually when we go, John and I don't get to browse because we are chasing the little hellions through the mystery section or something. I got Out, by Natsuo Kirino, Four Souls, by Louise Erdrich, and Mucho Mojo, by Joe Lansdale. I've been reading the Leonard and Hap novels by Joe Lansdale and listening to Townes Van Zandt lately. I think I'm turning into an East Texas man.

We met Nate's kindergarten teachers yesterday. They are both very kind and I think he'll be happy with them. They job share. One is there Mon, Tue and every other Wed, the other is the alternate Wed, Thurs, Fri. The bummer is that the kids don't get to eat lunch. They start at 11:25, and have a snack at 12:30. The teachers aren't wild about it, but it's a district policy for the pm kinders. I won't tell you how many stores I went to and how much I spent on a thermos for Nate that matches his brothers. Oh well. He can use it next year. And for several years after that, if it's as good as its price tag.

Today, I walked Lexy to the school to see what teacher and room he has. It was nice going just the two of us, even though it was nearly a hundred degrees and none too shady a walk.

Oh no. Sophie just came back here with one of those tiny plastic kid cups, holds maybe 2 ounces or so. She's drinking room temperature black coffee and saying, "I a goan-up. I not get sick from this coffee." Combine that with her long long nap this afternoon, and it's safe to say I'll be up late tonight with her, watching some of those videos from the library.

Mmmmm. I made bean soup today. I know that it is still summer. I'll prove it.

I can't get over Willow's cuteness. She puts her fingers to her lips and says, "sshhh." She demands chocolate chips. She brushes her hair. She totally melts my heart. Happy one-and-a-half birthay, Little Willow.

I didn't know the neck adjustment was coming, even though I was face down on the chiropractor's table and she'd been working on my hips and back. She was moving my head into place, I thought, so she could adjust my neck, when, CRUNCH!! she got things back where they are supposed to be. It was so loud I laughed. I feel excellent. After the visit I could turn my head to either side past my shoulders instead of just barely to them. And she only wants to see me once more, next week, for follow up. Not three times a week like some docs I know. I think I'm in love. Serious crush, anyway.

John bought me a skirt that I saw in Bust and inexplicably had to have.

Wanna see more? My birthday is coming up, but he'd have done it anyway because he's the best.

I'm fairly sure that right now my mom is wondering why she got stuck paying for me to go to the chiropractor today. . .

On Wednesday morning, thanks to my generous mom, I am going to the chiropractor. I hurt my neck while pouring some instant oatmeal into a bowl for Sophie (sneaky muscles, strike when you least expect) a week or so ago and can't seem to snap (heh) out of it. I am so looking forward to it.

Look at one of the several things I'm going to make to sell for Christmas with my friend K.

We plan to hit a couple of holiday craft fairs. I also made a little red felt tree ornament with buttons sewn all over it. It's cute and easy and not expensive to make. Hopefully I can make and sell enough to pay for the kids' gifts this year. Of course, I usually have kids with me, so cranking out the product will take some finageling. Usually! Ha! I always do. Tonight, Sophie helped me make angels while Willow sat in the high chair playing with pasta pieces. Sophie saw a finished pile that I made and said, "Did I make all those, mama?" I said, "Yep, and what a good job you did, too!" She was pretending that they were sisters or babies and having lots of fun peeling glue off her fingers. That was my favorite part, too.

Here's Sophie's work:

Today I made some vegan tunaish salad for sandwiches, and the kick-ass vegan black bean chili with cilantro pesto. Yum. It was almost cool here, and breezy. I enjoyed cooking. We watched the mama and baby right outside the sliding glass door while we ate. The dove nest is right near where the hummingbird nest was, but now the hummingbirds are outside the front door. They hang out in the back yard to drink from the feeder, though. A couple of times we had to run of a blue jay (stellar's jay?) that was trying to get the baby dove. Asshole.

This is blurry because I didn't want to flash them. They were spooked enough with me looking at them.

Oh my, guess what Nate did at the library??? We first went about two weeks ago, and the boys each got a card. Lexy already had one for the library in our town, so he got a city one. Anyway, we got LOTS of books and some dvds. We have still not read all the books, but have another week. The dvds are only a one-week checkout. This means that every Saturday we've gone to the library to get fresh dvds. We got a few more books, but we already have more than we can read before they're due. Uh, the point. . . let's see. Last weekend, Nate picked out the Haunted Mansion and Rudolph. This weekend he decided that he'd renew them. The drop off is outside the front door, so the boys returned all the dvds except the ones Nate wanted to renew. Nate carried those in. I helped Sophie on the kids' computer while the boys got new movies (Titan AE is pretty good if your kids are already corrupted like mine and can handle a scene at the beginning where the earth gets blown up by aliens. Plus, you get to see the cartoon character's butt. He's voiced by Matt Damon, so, ya know.). We checked out, while John chased a shrieking Sophie while carrying a crabby Willow. We will not ALL go to the library (OR TARGET) again for awhile. We got home and I was putting the dvds on the shelf that helps me keep track of them, when I noticed that there was no Haunted Mansion or Rudolph. I asked Nate and he said, "Oh, I decided I didn't want them." I asked him if he returned them. "Yeah, mom, I put them right back on the shelf where they go."

D'OOH!!!!!

Remind me to call the library tomorrow and try to dodge the late fee.

I worked in a coffee shop as a barrista, among other things, from about 1989 to 1992 or 3 ish. Ever since the $tarbuk's craze, I have suffered in hugely irritated silence about what people call espresso drinks. When I was a tech writing major (I know!! Who'd ever suspect?) at SF State, I wrote a manual on how to make a cappuccino. I got an A, even. I just want to put this out there for those who are confused:

the drinks go like this:
ESPRESSO -- is just that, no nothin in it or on it Maybe some lemon zest Sugar if you feel you must.
AMERICANA -- espresso with a touch of hot water
MACCIATO -- espresso with a tablespoon of steamed milk
CAPPUCCINO -- espresso with frothy steamed milk (not just the top layer, which is mostly air, but the creamy part, too) and about a tablespoon of hot milk It can be a single (in an 8 oz cup, one shot espresso) or a double (in a 12 oz cup with two shots)
BORGIA -- a cappuccino with a shot of hot chocolate instead of hot milk and garnished with orange zest and freshly grated nutmeg
LATTE -- mostly steamed milk, with espresso poured in, topped with foamy milk It also comes in single (12 oz) or double (16 oz)
MOCHA -- is a latte made with steamed chocolate milk, topped with whipped cream or steamed milk

This is the important part: THERE IS NO GRANDE OR SHORT OR TALL ANYTHING. EVER. You want a 12 oz cup with two shots of espresso and lots of hot milk, topped with a little steamed milk? Order a double flat cappuccino! You want a 16 oz cup with three espresso shots and hot chocolate? Order a triple mocha! NOT TALL or GRANDE. And, a double, decaf, nonfat latte? Double dud.

Behind the counter we called chai (hey! chai means tea, so don't say chai tea!) "Hippy Juice." But only if the manager wasn't listening.

There is no X in eSpresso. And don't even get me started on frappucinomociotto-related offences.

I've been hitting the iced coffee lately because it's hot here. I don't put sugar in my coffee unless it's iced. Then I put lots, so that the ice cubes left at the end are all coated in that good, coarse, organic evaporated cane sugar and when you tilt the cup back you get a silt-like sludge of coffee flavored sugar that will remind you of sitting at your grandmother's kitchen table when you were little, dragging your spoon across the bottom of your cereal bowl to dredge up the extra sugar she sprinkled on your rice crispies. Yum.

Quickly, since Nate is having a bad dream and pissing Lexy off.

The sea monkeys are thriving.

Aggggg, got to run.

In keeping with the random holiday theme:

One jolly season a couple of years ago, the iguana was out sniffing packages and looking for ways to get outside. He forgets that going outside will freak him right the fuck out because it is too big and scary for a guy like him. I then heard the gentle tinkle of the glass bell ornament that I got in the early eighties (late seventies, maybe) and a piney rustling. There he was, proud as could be to finally, finally have found a real live (somewhat) tree to scale. Someday this will be our seasonal card photo. If we ever get that organized.

The boys went with John to the library to return and aquire dvds. (We get books, too, but the dvds are only for a week and we have more books than we can read before they're due. So don't give us that dirty look leaving the library with our kids and only movies. We aren't that evil, really.) They came back with lots of holiday choices, like Rudolph and Teleflubbies Cmas, and (excuse me while I retch) the vejetabull tales. I am not a vegetabull tails supporter, and would totally have done some sort of accidental illegal shelving on the way to the check out if I'd been along. Today the kids watched it while I was in the kitchen doing dishes and I wanted to yell out like a heretic, "No! the true meaning of cmas is NOT that a certain person was born!! It is all about getting the (way cool and interesting) pagans to join the (totally oppressive and controlling and murdering) church by incorporating the pagan's biggest holiday into theirs. Any scholar worth their salt knows that Criste was born in the spring! But, at our house, we split the difference and make it all about TOYS and EATING SUGAR! Yay!"

But I didn't.

Today I took Nate for his kindergarten physical. He had to get a chicken pox shot (which I am not 100% in favor of, but being divorced from his Dad who wants the kids immunized, I gave in to keep us out of family court where I'd be ruled against anyway) and a tb test. He was very brave. When she did the exam and wanted to check out his parts, he got really mad. He said, "MOM! She's looking at my privates!" I said, "Oh, honey, it's okay if it's the doctor. Are you alright?" He answered that she was TOUCHING them, in a very alarmed voice, then yelled, "GET YOUR HANDS OUTTA MY PRIVATES!"

And me?

Totally giggling and trying very hard not to let anyone see me. How stupid is it that I giggled at that like a little kid? Poor Nate. He needed me to help him out and I was laughing. Truth be told, I'm laughing about it again. I'm lame. You had to be there.

I have got to get the kids up earlier in the morning or give them ludes at bedtime. They get in bed and won't sleep and require drinks and trips to the toilet and stories and tapes and me (because one of the dvds was Haunted Mansion -- cause I wasn't on that trip to the library). By the time they are all asleep hours later, I am so tense and pissy that I want to punch a hole in the wall and John is asleep and the whole wonderfullness of him no longer working nights is pretty much null and void. I see the appeal of the "let your baby cry itself to sleep" club. But I can't join.

The neighbors would kill me. The kids are LOUD.

I'm joking. But, seriously, the bedtime thing had best settle down when school starts. I need grownup time at the end of the day. I'm turning into a babbling idiot. More of one, anyway.

Last night we (meaning John and Lex and me) went to see the Cowboy Junkies play. The photo above is from the first time I took Lexy in June of 2000 when he was just a little preschooler. Last night he wore that same hat (so glad I was able to find it when he needed it on the way out the door) and was able to point out where our seats had been the last three times we'd been there, the most recent being in 2002. His memory is frightening.

The show was, as always, amazing and incredible. Willow and the middle kids stayed with my mom, and I was afraid Willow would cry a lot. She is super clingy. But they all had fun eating popcorn and cookies (from Granny) and watching dvds from the library.

Lots has happened the past week, none of it too noteworthy, but lots nonetheless. Just a jumble of playing at the park with friends, errands, and trying to get the computer back in shape (and not having a clue how to do that). So, here are two choice moments from the week that I'd like to record so that I never forget them.

Moment one
Willow had to see the "nutritionist" (ahem. right.) for her last visit in the GI clinic. They thought when she was in the hospital in jan/feb that she might have celiac disease or some kind of food intolerance. She doesn't, but it took a long time to decide that. They are finally happy with her weight. Yay! Last time they felt she wasn't gaining fast enough and gave me a sample pack of Carnation Instant Breakfast to feed her. Seriously. Yes, the "nutritionist" thought that would be good to give my baby to help her gain weight. Of course (rolling eyes) I followed her expert advice and gave Willow the cappucino flavor, with caffeine, as soon as we arrived home. Nutritionist my hiney.

Anyhoo, I could go on for days about how truly evil Sophie was in the office but instead I'll say that everyone in the building was aware that she was there. Willow was petrified. She screamed and clawed at me and turned red and the whole bit. Major post traumatic stress disorder from being in hospital. It was so bad, I started crying. But the point is that the nutritionist woman asked me if I gave Willow formula or cow's milk. I told her that I'm breastfeeding. She said (I still am pissed) that "now would be a good time to wean her from the breast because at this age breast milk is not nutritious and nursing is just for comfort. She should have cow's milk." I stared at her hoping that she got the impression that I thought she was an idiot. I said, "Hmmm. I don't get that at all. I mean, she is a baby HUMAN not a baby COW. I will NOT wean her. In fact, I nurse her three year old sister, too. That is the way that I parent."

The rest of the story is unremarkable. We didn't argue. I think I will gather up some info and drop it off for her. She is spreading stupidity.

Moment two
I was talking to my former husband today. In the course of the conversation he told me that his new girlfriend is very direct and that it is really so much easier to live with someone who isn't passive-aggressive. I laughed. I'm totally passive-aggressive.

Later it hit me that he called me 'passive-aggressive' in a TOTALLY PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE WAY. So, though I try not to discuss him here, that was too funny to let slide. Easier, indeed.

We had a fantastic time coloring eggs. The kids hate eating the yolk, which Sophie calls 'egg cheese,' and yeah, that does sound icky, so I get to eat the yolks myself without having to eat the whites, cause we all know the whites are ewww, gross. Really I think that eggs are just a vehicle for salt. I once told John that we'd be a happier family if we put a salt lick in the kitchen. Lexy wouldn't eat a hard boiled egg for anything, but when Sophie ate one of the ones he colored he was so. pissed. at. her. Ownership issues.

Saturday we finally made it over to the new, semi-local library. We pass it on the way somewhere a couple of times a week, and have been meaning to go for awhile. I remember when that area was a vineyard, and there weren't any houses there at all. (You tend to hear people who have lived here for more than fifteen years say that all the time.) But, the library is very nice and light and the children's section is set up for kids, with lots of intresting seats that are low to the ground and computers with child-friendly internet access. The boys both got library cards and we checked out their twenty or so items at the computer checkout, which they liked. Lexy got some books on the Wright Brothers, inspired by listening to Boomerang. See child, see child want to learn. Feel happy!

After that we headed over the hill to meet friends at the beach for dinner. Shortly before we arrived the fog rolled in and brought its friends, wind and freezingfuckingcold, to play with the tourists. If we didn't have the tiny ones, it would have been fun to hang out and snuggle up. But we had tiny ones with chattering teeth so we hiked back to the van, me with an oversized tote stuffed with towels and suits we didn't need that I smacked into several people walking in the opposite direction who were too cold to notice, and went to our friends' house. We set up camp on the back deck, and sang songs around the outdoor fireplace and ate garlic ice cream from Marianne's. It was surprisingly good. Nathan loved it. Lexy was angry at the lack of vanilla and would not try even the more normal flavors (banana, peanut butter cup). The main thing, though, was that the kids and grown-ups got to reconnect with some favorite friends who live just far enough away to make visiting too infrequent. We plan to take a little weekend vacation together this fall. I really hope it works out.

Here are a couple of things to add to the list of stuff that is very very worrisome indeed:

prozac in the drinking water in britan

california milk contains rocket fuel

Today John cleaned up and vaccumed and washed windows while I sat on my ass reading the paper. Later we got groceries and went to my mom's house to visit (use the printer, yes, but visit, too). They are in the middle of a bathroom remodel. Not fun, but it will be really great when it's done. When we got home I made banana muffins, fake tuna salad for John's lunch the next coupla days, and veggie tofu stir fry with this teriyaki sauce. That stuff makes anything taste good. Lexy and Nate both loved the muffins. Lexy even asked for another. Wow.

School starts in three weeks. I hope that the boys have incredibly patient nice teachers and make some new wonderful friends. They both need that.

I looked out into the back yard and saw Lexy tearfully and gently trying to remove Lucky's water bottle from her cage. I called to him out the window and asked what he was doing. He looked at me, so sad and defeated, and said, "Oh, I'm trying to take her water bottle off." I told him to come in and we both cried. I hate seeing my kids grieve. It's tempting to try and make them feel better or rush off to get a new pet, but it's a sad time so we'll be sad. People need to know how to be sad or they just get angry.

Sophie and I made cookies. Somewhere between the third and fourth dozen, she cranked the oven up to 500. I smelled that batch burning, and took it out. Lots of smoke and stink, but no injuries. So, now the oven is cooling and in a minute I'll finish baking. I took the burned cookies and also the hefty bag of diapers out to the curb for tomorrow's trash pick up. As I walked out, I started thinking that I want a diepur geenee to keep the smell away. I wondered what happened to the mama who used cloth diapers and got hives just thinking about things like diepur geenees. Now that Soph is totally out of diapers, I'll call tiny tots and get our cloth service started up again. Feels better already. Of course I gave away all my diaper wraps. . .

I ought to go put Willow to bed. I'm glad the weekend is coming. Tomorrow we'll give into Sophie's weeks of begging and color easter eggs.

I want to live in one of these. I'm not sure about how it would be to have so little wall space, but I really like the whole idea of something healthy for the planet that looks so damn good.

Also, I doubt there is enough storage there for us. We'll have to go check one out in San Francisco.

I am swooning, SWOONING! over the mr clean magic eraser, just like these people. The ingredients aren't on the box because it must be the result of some unholy deal between the devil and the mr clean people. At first I didn't even look for the ingredients, because I figured I didn't want to know. Now I'm curious. I got pen, marker, and crayon off white flat paint easier than brushing my teeth. Must have more. Get me cases for my birthday.

The boys are heartbroken because Lucky the rat died. They're really tearful and sweet. Tomorrow we'll bury her, poor girl. I'm afraid of rats and had a hard time looking at her teeth (eek!), but she was gentle and the kids thought she was great. Maybe we'll get another around Christmas time. With a new cage. I really want a kitten, but there's no way I could take care of one.

The girls both seem to be finally sleeping. So, off I go to do the same. Night.

Note to self: iced coffee is yummy, but it has just as much caffiene as hot coffee, and even more if it's a large glass. Don't drink it with dinner.

Willow fell asleep last night at 7:30. That was great, until the kids who could not fall asleep woke her up right before they finally crashed at 10:30. So, I started the newest book (borrowed from my sister) on the stack, the devil wears prada, while she played with her school bus and its little people and watched Kipper and Spot and Teletubbies. Now I love to stay up all night reading a well-written fluffy novel as much as the next girl, so given that I had some chocolate in the fridge and had already had too much coffee earlier, I wasn't upset. I even got to do something to commemerate the blue moon that fell on Saturday. I had hoped that we could all celebrate by doing something that we love to do but hardly ever get to do. Of course, like always, things were too hectic to plan anything. Okay then, every once in a blue moon I stay up all night reading and eating candy bars. I made it through twelve chapters before Willow fell asleep. She was so cute. She came over to the end table next to the couch where I was sitting and pointed. I handed her the sippy cup of soy milk there and she shook her head no. Kept pointing. I handed her the book. No. I point to one of the two empty candy wrappers; she flaps her arms, laughs and says yeah yeah yeah!! I went to the kitchen and got her some chocolate and she was so cute while she ate it. So very happy and funny. She kept muttering yum, and yeah to herself. And I thought to grab the camera.

We decided to skip the kite festival so we could take care of some stuff that needs to be dealt with. So, it's after noon and I'm still in my nightclothes, reading blogs. I'd be having that second cup of coffee, but we are out of milk both soybean and cow varities. Wah. But John has unloaded the dishwasher, started laundry, made the bed and is out running errands right now. I'd feel a little guilty, but I'm too lazy and that takes energy. I'll make up for it this afternoon.

I read about an audio magazine for kids on Veggie Mama's site awhile back. It's called Boomerang. I put off ordering it because at 59 bucks a year, ouch. But, the more I thought about it the more I decided that it's not so expensive if you look at what you're getting for those bucks. (Give me a purchase, I will find a way to rationalize it.) So, I called to order it and left a message which was finally returned a week or so later and I gave the guy my bank card number (the visa that links to your checking account kind) hoping that I'd be able to cover the amount. We got our first issue in the mail yesterday, two cds. The only complaint I have is that they're cdrs and don't play too well on the kids' boom box, but I think I can make clean tape copies on the grown up equipment. Okay, now to the point of this all. I totally LOVE Boomerang! Lexy and I listened to it last night (Nate fell asleep partway thru), and we both really enjoyed it. The issue was about Mars, but also had a kid who time traveled to meet and interview Thoreau, a child who went to explore a swamp with their grandfather, kid jokes and news. The part about mars was a very well done history lesson, starting with the earliest astronomers and covering Edgar Rice Burrows, too. They put things into a time line as well, pointing out an event in its proximity to WWII or the moon landing. Totally fun and interesting way to approach history. We started the second cd this morning, which so far has a kids recipe for cinnamon toast and an interview with the Wright brothers. I think my favorite bit so far was when they were discussing astronomy and a girl says to a boy that all the scientists of the day thought the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun revoloved around it. The boy says, uh, wait a minute! And the girl says, I know, this is just another example of how just because everybody agrees on something it doesn't mean that they're right. Yay! Yay for non-conformist childrens' education!

And the boo? Nate and Sophie had a long fight all morning. It sucked. Finally they made up and he gave her one of the gadgets from his spy kit stash because he had another one at his dad's house. This was a huge deal. He hates it when she touches his stuff, and he gave her something. Even though he had another one, I was really impressed by it. I totally praised him for it and thanked him. She was really happy, too. When his dad came to get him he told him what he'd done. Seems that Nate no longer has two of those spy kits, because the other one was sold at his dad's garage sale yesterday without even asking Nate first. But Nate gets to keep the money. What a *&^%^&$#@$%^. There are twelve letters there. Use your imagination.

Time to be productive.

***edited to add that Nate swears he okay'd the sale of his toy. He got to keep the two bucks. Looks like I'm the *&^%^&$#@$%^ for assuming. (but just this one time)