I had a dream that prominently featured my Midwifery Care instructor standing over my shoulder, marking my LOs so that the questions were more difficult, and cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Yikes.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Overwhelmed
So my school started, which is nearly overwhelming enough.
Then there's the kids' school, which yeah, is all about me too. They had these irritating things called SLPs due (the learning plan for the year), in order to secure all things good and paid-for about our homeschoolingness, that took up precious time that I should have spent on my own school work this week.
Then there is the fact that this place is just.too.small for us, but we can't afford anything bigger. Seriously, we can't, not with my school and at Fran's income. There is a house we're interested in buying but because it is manufactured, they want a downpayment, which we don't have. And I'm feeling very frustrated with the confined space, and stressed-out about how the kids bounce back and forth and into each other all day.
*Sigh*
A frustrating, overwhelmed kind of day. And I'm going to go try to write an essay for school now.
Then there's the kids' school, which yeah, is all about me too. They had these irritating things called SLPs due (the learning plan for the year), in order to secure all things good and paid-for about our homeschoolingness, that took up precious time that I should have spent on my own school work this week.
Then there is the fact that this place is just.too.small for us, but we can't afford anything bigger. Seriously, we can't, not with my school and at Fran's income. There is a house we're interested in buying but because it is manufactured, they want a downpayment, which we don't have. And I'm feeling very frustrated with the confined space, and stressed-out about how the kids bounce back and forth and into each other all day.
*Sigh*
A frustrating, overwhelmed kind of day. And I'm going to go try to write an essay for school now.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Math Before Breakfast
At the park with Marie last week, someone asked us if we sit the kids down at certain hours and do "school."
HA.
Note PJs, witch hat, bedhead.
Math Manipulatives (bucket full of small farm animals) - $1 at Target
Math Cards (this is all one set they're playing with) - $1.27 at Target
Kids having fun learning math while I make breakfast - PRICELESS
HA.
Note PJs, witch hat, bedhead.
Math Manipulatives (bucket full of small farm animals) - $1 at Target
Math Cards (this is all one set they're playing with) - $1.27 at Target
Kids having fun learning math while I make breakfast - PRICELESS
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Wild Waves!
Picture-heavy blog to ensue. On Saturday, we went to Wild Waves! The kids had a BLAST! Tony finally inched his way over the minimum-height line and made it onto the big coasters. This was a HUGE adventure and it took some warming up - he spent the first half of his first ride in terror - but by the time we went (at his request) for a second ride, he was screaming happily and waving his hands in the air. There was no turning back. We rode every big ride twice :) Meanwhile, Toddlerness spent some time with Nana and Nanu riding the kiddie rides.
Toddlerness' favorite thing! The carousel! She found a pink beribboned horse-on-a-stick that used to be Girliness' and has been riding it around the house ever since.
The cars were WAY FUN too.
Boyness liked the Scrambler more than he liked the coasters! Or maybe he liked the coasters more! Or maybe the Scrambler!! OH, why were we picking again?
And this ride looked SO TAME sitting there...with little umbrella thingies...
Oh, I think somebody's Nanu was feeling spoilrific:
Meanwhile:
The waterslides looked WAY TOO COOL to resist, despite the cool weather:
Now, most of the attractions were at least a little heated (Toddlerness' favorite spot was the HOT TUB, of course), but Boyness wanted to try out the one spot that WASN'T heated. It was as cold as the Sound, I swear. At least as cold. Physically painful to enter. He (and a smattering of other children) tried anyway, because the water features there were just.that.cool. But this is what we ended up with after about, oh, 80 seconds:
AH, much better!
Meanwhile, Girliness and Toddlerness were discovering the cruising circuit and wave pools (Toddlerness) and the big slides (Girliness). Oh the fun! We topped it off by eating out, since we were an hour from home at 6:45 when we finally left the park. Why, I do believe this will be a "remember mom and dad took us to the water park every year!" memory.
Toddlerness' favorite thing! The carousel! She found a pink beribboned horse-on-a-stick that used to be Girliness' and has been riding it around the house ever since.
The cars were WAY FUN too.
Boyness liked the Scrambler more than he liked the coasters! Or maybe he liked the coasters more! Or maybe the Scrambler!! OH, why were we picking again?
And this ride looked SO TAME sitting there...with little umbrella thingies...
Oh, I think somebody's Nanu was feeling spoilrific:
Meanwhile:
The waterslides looked WAY TOO COOL to resist, despite the cool weather:
Now, most of the attractions were at least a little heated (Toddlerness' favorite spot was the HOT TUB, of course), but Boyness wanted to try out the one spot that WASN'T heated. It was as cold as the Sound, I swear. At least as cold. Physically painful to enter. He (and a smattering of other children) tried anyway, because the water features there were just.that.cool. But this is what we ended up with after about, oh, 80 seconds:
AH, much better!
Meanwhile, Girliness and Toddlerness were discovering the cruising circuit and wave pools (Toddlerness) and the big slides (Girliness). Oh the fun! We topped it off by eating out, since we were an hour from home at 6:45 when we finally left the park. Why, I do believe this will be a "remember mom and dad took us to the water park every year!" memory.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Super Soccer Girliness
On her day to be goalie (they get one half as goalie per season):
She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES soccer. I'm way happy she has an active outlet that she's reasonably good at and willing to really go for.
She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES soccer. I'm way happy she has an active outlet that she's reasonably good at and willing to really go for.
School Issues
I couldn't have written much better, so I'll refer you here:
http://mamamidwifemadness.blogspot.com/2007/09/reno-student-midwife-seeks-financial.html
In the off chance that there are millionaires, very large-hearted midwifery supporters of any income, etc. lurking somewhere amongst the few readers of my blog, I can say that there are few people more worthy of a tuition leg-up than Tiffany. She's the most awesome woman I know, seriously.
Seattle Midwifery School does a great job of covering my rear tuition-wise; my family is really pretty poor, and we qualify for the full range of government help as well as a need-based scholarship that pays the final bit of my tuition. As someone who has never earned a degree beyond high school, I qualify for all kinds of fun stuff that people who have already "accomplished" this level of education can't get. As someone with a crystal-clear income situation, my aid situation is equally crystal-clear.
Tiffany has none of these benefits. Single, a business owner, holder of an MA, out-of-state student...all of these things take separate hits on her ability both to pay for school and to qualify for financial aid. She gets a fraction of the help that I do.
It seems that in order to successfully attend Seattle Midwifery School, you either have to have nothing going for you at all or have enough going for you that you are able to pay the huge tuition on your own. The people who fall in between, which unfortunately covers a huge range of women who would like to be midwives and would make excellent midwives, are prevented from attending because of MONEY. There is something hugely wrong about that, but can we please start by taking care of this one woman, this one wonderful person who will someday make an incredible midwife?
http://mamamidwifemadness.blogspot.com/2007/09/reno-student-midwife-seeks-financial.html
In the off chance that there are millionaires, very large-hearted midwifery supporters of any income, etc. lurking somewhere amongst the few readers of my blog, I can say that there are few people more worthy of a tuition leg-up than Tiffany. She's the most awesome woman I know, seriously.
Seattle Midwifery School does a great job of covering my rear tuition-wise; my family is really pretty poor, and we qualify for the full range of government help as well as a need-based scholarship that pays the final bit of my tuition. As someone who has never earned a degree beyond high school, I qualify for all kinds of fun stuff that people who have already "accomplished" this level of education can't get. As someone with a crystal-clear income situation, my aid situation is equally crystal-clear.
Tiffany has none of these benefits. Single, a business owner, holder of an MA, out-of-state student...all of these things take separate hits on her ability both to pay for school and to qualify for financial aid. She gets a fraction of the help that I do.
It seems that in order to successfully attend Seattle Midwifery School, you either have to have nothing going for you at all or have enough going for you that you are able to pay the huge tuition on your own. The people who fall in between, which unfortunately covers a huge range of women who would like to be midwives and would make excellent midwives, are prevented from attending because of MONEY. There is something hugely wrong about that, but can we please start by taking care of this one woman, this one wonderful person who will someday make an incredible midwife?
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Husband's Packrat Switch
Fran has inherited something really obnoxious from his mother's side of the family. Oh, holy packratness. Recall this post, which shows the apartment we took over from MIL *after my MIL moved out of it.* My MIL is not the biggest packrat in her family, either, although by some stroke of good fortune slovenliness does not also run in the family, so while there is an abundance of *stuff,* it is at least *clean stuff,* and even, for most of them (8 kids in that family, most but not all of them affected by the packrat genes) well-organized stuff.
So it has been horribly difficult to thow things out in our household. "We can use that" and "I have something in mind for that" and "but that's still good" and "that's still worth something" come up over and over and over again.
Did I mention I live in a TEEEEENY space? We're trying to make 525sqft work here. So for the most part it goes in the shed. And gets dusty and jumbled. Or it goes in one of his stashing-spots (a large box in the bookshelf, the area on top of the kids' clothing/toy closet), which have been overflowing lately.
This is becoming horribly frustrating because I need more space for my own textbooks and clinical supplies, and because I can use every spare inch to create spaces for my children to feel like they can do activities easily and comfortably - a really important thing when you're trying to allow them to direct their own homeschooling.
Now, from time to time he's flirted with turning off his packrat tendencies. Usually it is an itty bitty *blip* ON/OFF "just kidding" kind of flirtation. But on Friday he walked out of the house to see me with a massive "give away" pile on the grass, and said - "you know, normally I'd see that and be all - we can use those motors in those vaccuum cleaners...but I think I'm done."
Those of you who live with packrats (or have or whatever) will know how completely odd these words were, falling out of my husband's mouth. I covered the give-away pile with a large tarp, awaiting the day that I can drive them off to donate them (today or Monday, haven't decided yet), and he still hasn't rescued anything, even the perfectly good rotary fan or the really neat-looking garage door opener parts. YAY PERSONAL PROGRESS. YAY CLEANING OUT THE SHED!
So it has been horribly difficult to thow things out in our household. "We can use that" and "I have something in mind for that" and "but that's still good" and "that's still worth something" come up over and over and over again.
Did I mention I live in a TEEEEENY space? We're trying to make 525sqft work here. So for the most part it goes in the shed. And gets dusty and jumbled. Or it goes in one of his stashing-spots (a large box in the bookshelf, the area on top of the kids' clothing/toy closet), which have been overflowing lately.
This is becoming horribly frustrating because I need more space for my own textbooks and clinical supplies, and because I can use every spare inch to create spaces for my children to feel like they can do activities easily and comfortably - a really important thing when you're trying to allow them to direct their own homeschooling.
Now, from time to time he's flirted with turning off his packrat tendencies. Usually it is an itty bitty *blip* ON/OFF "just kidding" kind of flirtation. But on Friday he walked out of the house to see me with a massive "give away" pile on the grass, and said - "you know, normally I'd see that and be all - we can use those motors in those vaccuum cleaners...but I think I'm done."
Those of you who live with packrats (or have or whatever) will know how completely odd these words were, falling out of my husband's mouth. I covered the give-away pile with a large tarp, awaiting the day that I can drive them off to donate them (today or Monday, haven't decided yet), and he still hasn't rescued anything, even the perfectly good rotary fan or the really neat-looking garage door opener parts. YAY PERSONAL PROGRESS. YAY CLEANING OUT THE SHED!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Princess Shopping
Today was a fateful day. A dreadful day. One of those days that you know is coming, but avoid the very thought...allowing the anticipation to build slowly and stealthily in the background, somewhere just beyond your conscious notice. One of those days that are simply too horrific to envision in advance.
One of our twice-monthly grocery shopping trips.
The hell begins, fittingly, before we even leave the house. You see, my children hate oatmeal (apparently they'll lift this rule if ~L~ both makes and serves it for them, but me making it or even ~L~ making it and me serving it doesn't do the trick), and this was pretty much all that was left in the house to eat (I said I dread the shopping trips...). So the children are *hungry.*
Toddlerness wants to wear a particular shirt. But doesn't want to wear a skirt. Or pants. Or underwear.
Um, no.
After a screaming fit that lasts half an hour and means unlocking and reentering the house twice for alternate clothing, she happily locks herself - now wearing an ENTIRELY different outfit (both shirt and pants pronounced "princess") - into her carseat.
Unlock the house again and get the cell phone.
Um, repeat for the wallet.
The laundry is done, might as well haul that in before we leave.
Shit, the kids got out of the car.
Well, we eventually get ourselves, all of ourselves, clothed and with all the necessary shopping supplies, into the van and off towards the store. We find a package of crackers - unopened even! - in the car, and the kids dig in. We even listen to a new CD - "Live, Live" Sister Hazel - on the way. I arrive with only slightly elevated blood pressure. And get a parking space near the front of the store!
Toddlerness decides that the cart isn't very princess. Luckily the carts at Winco are roomy and I can stick her in the basket even while she is kicking and screaming. Double-lucky: the patrons at Winco tend to be the sort that understands this bit of necessary expediency, and smile knowingly as I stuff her (still kicking and screaming) into the cart. At this point I become happy that I can't afford to shop at Whole Foods.
Shit, they don't do the sample thing at Winco. Nobody will notice if she eats a few grapes on the way, right?
We are (predictably) on the exact.complete.total.opposite.corner of the store when Toddlerness begins to hop up and down in the cart "I NEEDA MAKEA PEEEEEEEEEEE". Daddy with a baby in a mei tai (I guess there ARE some crunchies in Winco...) looks at me like I'm the oddest being on earth when, instead of scooping her up and RUNNINGLIKEMAD, I let Girliness continue to write the numerical labels for our bulk food items while Toddlerness does the potty dance.
He doesn't see Toddlerness stop potty dancing and start grabbing magazines as we high-tail it through the check-line to the restrooms. So he gets to take a quick but knowing glance at us once more as we arrive in the meat section.
Cheap roast! Cheap pork! Score! Let's go get some chick...what's that smell?!!!...OMG FORGET THE CHICKEN.
Boyness and Girliness start to play tag and run into an old lady, who looks totally bewildered at this turn of events. I yell and separate.
We positively dash through the final portion of the store, halted by Girliness' pathetic request for some bread (so I can make some sandwiches maaaamaaa we never get bread anymorrrrre).
Winco does not carry ANY BREAD AT ALL that doesn't have milk in it. Oh, no, not a single loaf. A whole aisle of bread. A whole...hell, it felt like half an hour, maybe it was really 15 minutes?...of label reading. No bread.
Fuuuuuuck.
Meanwhile, the kids decide to amuse themselves by seeing how fast they can run circles around the cart.
I begin to contemplate buying large volumes of alcohol. That's on the opposite side of the store. I judge it not worth it.
We go through the checkout. Boyness begins a game where he runs full-speed from one end of the register belt to the other, tags Girliness' hand with his foot, and then repeats.
I separate and yell.
The label has fallen off the vegetable oil. The checker asks "was it $2.18?" This sounds too high but if it gets me out of the store...whatever.
I tell the kids to just use the damn plastic bags.
We leave. I put on Linkin Park, eat a bagel, and try to breathe.
We arrive at Trader Joes (yes, we do require two stops).
The kids whine and ask to stay in the car. This will probably take me about half an hour. NO.
The kids throw 10 (not kidding) boxes of cereal in the cart. I threaten not to buy any cereal at all. They return 5 boxes. *Breathe* I can handle that *breathe.*
Trader Joes doesn't have milk-free chocolate chips in stock.
The kids begin to play a game of tag. The store is crowded. They run into someone who runs into a display and boxes go flying.
I pick up a six-pack of amber ale.
I tell the children that whoever is the quietest gets the first cookie when we get home.
They stare at each other, completely silent, for about 10 seconds. Boyness snorts. Girliness yells that Boyness has lost. Boyness yells that Girliness is being louder. They begin a full-blown-punching-kicking-slapping fight in the checkout aisle.
I separate them physically, placing them on opposite sides of the cart, and tell them that if they look at each other again before we get out the door they can forget everything they've ever known about dessert.
And then I put some chocolate in the cart. No, kids, it's for me.
We obviously survived, since I'm here typing. The kids have done some crazy thing in the living room for the past half hour, I don't care anymore.
One of our twice-monthly grocery shopping trips.
The hell begins, fittingly, before we even leave the house. You see, my children hate oatmeal (apparently they'll lift this rule if ~L~ both makes and serves it for them, but me making it or even ~L~ making it and me serving it doesn't do the trick), and this was pretty much all that was left in the house to eat (I said I dread the shopping trips...). So the children are *hungry.*
Toddlerness wants to wear a particular shirt. But doesn't want to wear a skirt. Or pants. Or underwear.
Um, no.
After a screaming fit that lasts half an hour and means unlocking and reentering the house twice for alternate clothing, she happily locks herself - now wearing an ENTIRELY different outfit (both shirt and pants pronounced "princess") - into her carseat.
Unlock the house again and get the cell phone.
Um, repeat for the wallet.
The laundry is done, might as well haul that in before we leave.
Shit, the kids got out of the car.
Well, we eventually get ourselves, all of ourselves, clothed and with all the necessary shopping supplies, into the van and off towards the store. We find a package of crackers - unopened even! - in the car, and the kids dig in. We even listen to a new CD - "Live, Live" Sister Hazel - on the way. I arrive with only slightly elevated blood pressure. And get a parking space near the front of the store!
Toddlerness decides that the cart isn't very princess. Luckily the carts at Winco are roomy and I can stick her in the basket even while she is kicking and screaming. Double-lucky: the patrons at Winco tend to be the sort that understands this bit of necessary expediency, and smile knowingly as I stuff her (still kicking and screaming) into the cart. At this point I become happy that I can't afford to shop at Whole Foods.
Shit, they don't do the sample thing at Winco. Nobody will notice if she eats a few grapes on the way, right?
We are (predictably) on the exact.complete.total.opposite.corner of the store when Toddlerness begins to hop up and down in the cart "I NEEDA MAKEA PEEEEEEEEEEE". Daddy with a baby in a mei tai (I guess there ARE some crunchies in Winco...) looks at me like I'm the oddest being on earth when, instead of scooping her up and RUNNINGLIKEMAD, I let Girliness continue to write the numerical labels for our bulk food items while Toddlerness does the potty dance.
He doesn't see Toddlerness stop potty dancing and start grabbing magazines as we high-tail it through the check-line to the restrooms. So he gets to take a quick but knowing glance at us once more as we arrive in the meat section.
Cheap roast! Cheap pork! Score! Let's go get some chick...what's that smell?!!!...OMG FORGET THE CHICKEN.
Boyness and Girliness start to play tag and run into an old lady, who looks totally bewildered at this turn of events. I yell and separate.
We positively dash through the final portion of the store, halted by Girliness' pathetic request for some bread (so I can make some sandwiches maaaamaaa we never get bread anymorrrrre).
Winco does not carry ANY BREAD AT ALL that doesn't have milk in it. Oh, no, not a single loaf. A whole aisle of bread. A whole...hell, it felt like half an hour, maybe it was really 15 minutes?...of label reading. No bread.
Fuuuuuuck.
Meanwhile, the kids decide to amuse themselves by seeing how fast they can run circles around the cart.
I begin to contemplate buying large volumes of alcohol. That's on the opposite side of the store. I judge it not worth it.
We go through the checkout. Boyness begins a game where he runs full-speed from one end of the register belt to the other, tags Girliness' hand with his foot, and then repeats.
I separate and yell.
The label has fallen off the vegetable oil. The checker asks "was it $2.18?" This sounds too high but if it gets me out of the store...whatever.
I tell the kids to just use the damn plastic bags.
We leave. I put on Linkin Park, eat a bagel, and try to breathe.
We arrive at Trader Joes (yes, we do require two stops).
The kids whine and ask to stay in the car. This will probably take me about half an hour. NO.
The kids throw 10 (not kidding) boxes of cereal in the cart. I threaten not to buy any cereal at all. They return 5 boxes. *Breathe* I can handle that *breathe.*
Trader Joes doesn't have milk-free chocolate chips in stock.
The kids begin to play a game of tag. The store is crowded. They run into someone who runs into a display and boxes go flying.
I pick up a six-pack of amber ale.
I tell the children that whoever is the quietest gets the first cookie when we get home.
They stare at each other, completely silent, for about 10 seconds. Boyness snorts. Girliness yells that Boyness has lost. Boyness yells that Girliness is being louder. They begin a full-blown-punching-kicking-slapping fight in the checkout aisle.
I separate them physically, placing them on opposite sides of the cart, and tell them that if they look at each other again before we get out the door they can forget everything they've ever known about dessert.
And then I put some chocolate in the cart. No, kids, it's for me.
We obviously survived, since I'm here typing. The kids have done some crazy thing in the living room for the past half hour, I don't care anymore.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
And the Rain Rain Rain...
So I did eventually get Toddlerness to sleep last night, but not nearly right away. We were just settling in to our beds at 11pm-ish, silence all around, drifting off...
KABLAMMMM the house rattles, literally rattles, wood makes creaking noises, pots and pans jingle, assorted pieces of glass clank against other assorted pieces of glass.
No bombs, just a sudden and violent mountain thunderstorm. The kids could obviously not sleep through something so exciting, and sat in the darkened living room counting the seconds between lightning and thunder. I heard the rain coming from afar, a massive dumping of water from the sky, with almost no wind to modulate it...just DUMPED water. The storm ended as abruptly as it began, but left some raininess in its wake. The rain is still falling, heavy for Seattle but a normal "rainshower" in Hawaii. The kids are sure we're going to go have fun today anyway, and have picked IKEA as our destination. I have no beef with that.
KABLAMMMM the house rattles, literally rattles, wood makes creaking noises, pots and pans jingle, assorted pieces of glass clank against other assorted pieces of glass.
No bombs, just a sudden and violent mountain thunderstorm. The kids could obviously not sleep through something so exciting, and sat in the darkened living room counting the seconds between lightning and thunder. I heard the rain coming from afar, a massive dumping of water from the sky, with almost no wind to modulate it...just DUMPED water. The storm ended as abruptly as it began, but left some raininess in its wake. The rain is still falling, heavy for Seattle but a normal "rainshower" in Hawaii. The kids are sure we're going to go have fun today anyway, and have picked IKEA as our destination. I have no beef with that.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Non-Catness
So, let's do the other-stuff update rounds, shall we?
I need some happy healthy healing vibes sent in the direction of my mother (who lives in HI), because she crashed her bike a couple days before my birthday and is healing but still hurting pretty bad. Going from her level of super-activity to not being able to tie back her own hair for weeks at a time must be super rough.
I went and hung out at Marie's earlier this week, and that was very nice. Except that Boyness was having issues. Total mystery but it was really bad and I'm pretty sure he had dairy at some point, especially since he can't hear again. I really like hanging with Marie, but damn Boyness has a way of trying to get us not-invited-back.
Went to ~L~s today, and we had a fire on the beach. That was fun. She taught me how to knit!!! Well, mostly. I'm happy with how nice my little swatchy-thing looks (it doesn't look nice at all, really, but the fact that it isn't horribly messy is really reassuring). I have no clue how to cast on and am not really sure how it was I managed to add/take away stitches on a few rows, but I know how to create a stitch now. I am sure that between ~L~ and Marie (I've seen Marie knit, blurry needles and all...), I'll be able to extract all the knitting advice I need to figure this whole thing out.
We brought Tony-safe chocolate chips to ~L~s and she made cookies for the beach. Cookies, saltine crackers, marshmallows....sugar OVERLOAD. The kids crashed on the way home and - you guessed it - are now up at 10:30 watching a movie. I might get Toddlerness to sleep some time tonight. Maybe.
I need some happy healthy healing vibes sent in the direction of my mother (who lives in HI), because she crashed her bike a couple days before my birthday and is healing but still hurting pretty bad. Going from her level of super-activity to not being able to tie back her own hair for weeks at a time must be super rough.
I went and hung out at Marie's earlier this week, and that was very nice. Except that Boyness was having issues. Total mystery but it was really bad and I'm pretty sure he had dairy at some point, especially since he can't hear again. I really like hanging with Marie, but damn Boyness has a way of trying to get us not-invited-back.
Went to ~L~s today, and we had a fire on the beach. That was fun. She taught me how to knit!!! Well, mostly. I'm happy with how nice my little swatchy-thing looks (it doesn't look nice at all, really, but the fact that it isn't horribly messy is really reassuring). I have no clue how to cast on and am not really sure how it was I managed to add/take away stitches on a few rows, but I know how to create a stitch now. I am sure that between ~L~ and Marie (I've seen Marie knit, blurry needles and all...), I'll be able to extract all the knitting advice I need to figure this whole thing out.
We brought Tony-safe chocolate chips to ~L~s and she made cookies for the beach. Cookies, saltine crackers, marshmallows....sugar OVERLOAD. The kids crashed on the way home and - you guessed it - are now up at 10:30 watching a movie. I might get Toddlerness to sleep some time tonight. Maybe.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Shit
Well, I'm feeling like several kinds of shit. I'm taking the cat over to Marie's, and I know they'll be great parents and all...I feel like shit because Girliness is feeling crushed. Oh, how to make this up to her? She is so unhappy, and I so feel like shit. But I'm sure that Fran and I cannot live with this cat. Damn it, damn it, damn it. And damn it some more. So unfair what we did to Girliness. So unfair.
ACK, Allergies!
Well, we're allergic to the cat. Me, Fran, and probably Nomi as well (who was rubbing her eyes in a very my-eyes-are-itchy way after petting the cat today).
I've used a roll of toilet paper a day in nose-blowing activities since picking the cat up.
We're going to be looking for another family for the cat.
Damnit, I've owned cats before without this problem, and Fran has been fine with cats when we were dating (his reaction is really pretty severe, although he was in denial the first day, he liked this cuddly cat so much...). But no dice. Cat's gotta go, 'cause I'm not popping claritin every day for the next 12 years.
The kids adore the cat and he seems very happy and comfortable in our home. I'm sad about taking him away from Girliness and Boyness, who are both not allergic and very happy about having a pet. Damnit.
I've used a roll of toilet paper a day in nose-blowing activities since picking the cat up.
We're going to be looking for another family for the cat.
Damnit, I've owned cats before without this problem, and Fran has been fine with cats when we were dating (his reaction is really pretty severe, although he was in denial the first day, he liked this cuddly cat so much...). But no dice. Cat's gotta go, 'cause I'm not popping claritin every day for the next 12 years.
The kids adore the cat and he seems very happy and comfortable in our home. I'm sad about taking him away from Girliness and Boyness, who are both not allergic and very happy about having a pet. Damnit.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
CAT!
Of course, he likes to lie down in the messiest spots in the house. We haven't named him yet. Ideas?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Still Obsessed
With un-coloring (is there a term for it? changing pictures taken in color to black and white).
I love how it changes where the focus of the photo is. And noticing strange things like the fact that your eyes do battle with your brain when deciding where to focus in this photo:
And that it is easier to resolve (but the problem is still there) in black and white:
Anyway, I am very much not an artistic type, and have no idea what on earth I'm talking about, so this little bitty obsession (taking place entirely with already-taken photos, so I'm pretty sure it isn't about *photography* in particular...will have to think about that) is a little surprising. A few more recent conversions:
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
I've been threatened
Threatened. Because I haven't updated my blog. Petty, people. Petty.
To oblige:
Boyness has another loose tooth, about to come out.
Girliness went to Oregon with MIL and had an absolute spoiled-rotten BLAST.
Toddlerness has been challenging as usual.
I had my last day of GYN clinic yesterday. I have all my observe numbers, and I've seen interesting stuff and learned quite a bit, but I am very anxious to start doing hands-on things. This has been a good, but somewhat boring because of my very limited role, placement. It is interesting but it is not what I want to do, which is probably the biggest reason I was ready to be done with it. I am glad to be leaving the rotation with a fairly decent grasp on the wide array of birth control that is currently on the market and how one decides/counsels between the various methods. And I did get to see some quite interesting pregnancy/miscarriage visits, only one of which would have been possible within the normal scope of midwifery care.
I am enrolling Boyness and Girliness in CVA, a public-school-enrollment program where you get to pick your curriculum and they pay for it. In exchange, you write up your child's learning goals for the year and keep a "teacher" updated about whether they're making progress or not. And now I'm curriculum shopping. Calvert, maybe? Saxon math? Lots of options out there. I am dizzied by it all, and particularly by the fact that I have to find something that is accomplish-able while doing my school and without neglecting Toddlerness. Not that she'd let me get away with neglecting her. Just...if she felt neglected she'd make our lives hell.
We're starting up a membership at the Y. This is mostly about *me,* actually. I want exercise and I want someone to watch my kids while I'm doing it, without taking away from family time (ie Fran at home time). But the kids aren't exactly going to suffer. The play-room at the Y isn't your average converted closet...it's got a multi-level obstacle course, play mats, slides, all kinds of books and art stuff...it looks awesome and the kids are really stoked about getting to play there on a regular basis.
Speaking of the kids (again) they've been bickering and fighting relentlessly. It is driving me BEYOND bonkers. I had to put the nix on a berry-picking trip with the cousins today because they we so busy bickering this morning that they made *everyone* miserable. Anyone know where I can get kid-sized remote-controlled shock collars? Please?
To oblige:
Boyness has another loose tooth, about to come out.
Girliness went to Oregon with MIL and had an absolute spoiled-rotten BLAST.
Toddlerness has been challenging as usual.
I had my last day of GYN clinic yesterday. I have all my observe numbers, and I've seen interesting stuff and learned quite a bit, but I am very anxious to start doing hands-on things. This has been a good, but somewhat boring because of my very limited role, placement. It is interesting but it is not what I want to do, which is probably the biggest reason I was ready to be done with it. I am glad to be leaving the rotation with a fairly decent grasp on the wide array of birth control that is currently on the market and how one decides/counsels between the various methods. And I did get to see some quite interesting pregnancy/miscarriage visits, only one of which would have been possible within the normal scope of midwifery care.
I am enrolling Boyness and Girliness in CVA, a public-school-enrollment program where you get to pick your curriculum and they pay for it. In exchange, you write up your child's learning goals for the year and keep a "teacher" updated about whether they're making progress or not. And now I'm curriculum shopping. Calvert, maybe? Saxon math? Lots of options out there. I am dizzied by it all, and particularly by the fact that I have to find something that is accomplish-able while doing my school and without neglecting Toddlerness. Not that she'd let me get away with neglecting her. Just...if she felt neglected she'd make our lives hell.
We're starting up a membership at the Y. This is mostly about *me,* actually. I want exercise and I want someone to watch my kids while I'm doing it, without taking away from family time (ie Fran at home time). But the kids aren't exactly going to suffer. The play-room at the Y isn't your average converted closet...it's got a multi-level obstacle course, play mats, slides, all kinds of books and art stuff...it looks awesome and the kids are really stoked about getting to play there on a regular basis.
Speaking of the kids (again) they've been bickering and fighting relentlessly. It is driving me BEYOND bonkers. I had to put the nix on a berry-picking trip with the cousins today because they we so busy bickering this morning that they made *everyone* miserable. Anyone know where I can get kid-sized remote-controlled shock collars? Please?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
8 Things Tag
I've been tagged!!! Louisa over at Mamamidwifemadness got me. I'm really not so great with these types of things, because I never know what to say, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
RULES - Post rules before giving the facts - Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves - People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules - At the end of the your blog you need to tag eight people and list their names - Leave them a comment on their blog, telling them they have been tagged and not to forget to read your blog.
1. I love that my kids grow and change and get bigger and older. This does not make me sad, like it seems to do for so many other mamas I know. I do not know if I will regret this later (this lack of feeling like I have to hold on to what is/what was) but somehow I think that it enriches, rather than takes away from, my current parenting experience.
2. I detest being wet in my clothing. This doesn't exactly make me a model Seattle citizen. Fran makes fun of this all the time - yes, I do need to change when a bit of my shirt gets wet. Getting my socks wet sends a shiver of revulsion up my spine. Yes, I love to swim. I just want to be DRY when I'm supposed to be DRY. I love the sound of rain, but standing in it? notsomuch.
3. I am terrified that I don't have the interpersonal and networking skills that I need to be a midwife. That I lack adequate and acceptable personality. I'm pretty certain I can cut it academically, but if nobody would want to be my client at the end of it, what good is that? Sometimes I feel like I've got all the personality of a rock, and am utterly astounded that I have friends at all.
4. I have always been sure that I wasn't cut out to be all womanly-like. And here I am enjoying wearing skirts, reasonably good at sewing, cooking-cleaning-folding, and getting ready to be a midwife. I'm seriously considering learning how to knit. Holy hell, what happened?
5. I actually enjoy getting up before everyone else in the house. Getting coffee in peace and quiet. Sitting at the computer and not thinking about kids for a few minutes. If I don't get up before the kids, I feel frazzled and out of sorts at least until noon. If I do get up before them, we can usually get out of the house by 9 or so without stressing anyone out too badly.
6. I love sweaters. And socks. Especially nice high ones that come to my knees, and are soft but not fluffy. Mmmmm comfy.
7. Um, I'm one of the friends in this competition:
It's true. One of my greatest accomplishments was spending 15 cents for two bags of stuff at Staples back-to-school sale last year. I pretty much have no money, 'cause we're damn poor, but we like Hanna Andersson and wouldn't be caught dead in cheap shoes...so yeah, this requires a certain level of creativity. It looks, sometimes, like I shop impulsively. But what I really do is take a mental inventory of the things that I want/kinda-need and then sit on it for MONTHS, until I happen upon the exact thing at the exact price I need. And then I just buy it with little more to-do about it. The only thing that I'd change is that I'm pretty certain there's nothing I want that I feel embarrassed about wanting. Which feels all good and non-materialistic and shit. Or maybe it just means I'm shameless. Or good at justifying stuff. Whatever.
8. I often sit down in front of the computer when I feel overwhelmed. Which means that all my digital-format schoolwork is nice and organized, but my kitchen counter is a phenomenal disaster. I mean, seriously, a huge disaster. It would probably take me a good half-hour to clean the thing off, an hour if I found appropriate places for all the bits of electronic equiptment Fran has dumped on the portion of the counter adjacent to the computer desk. *Sigh*
I can't tag anyone, because it looks like others have beat me to the punch on all the blogs I read regularly. That's what I get for stalling on this one.
Oooh, wait, I don't think Aimee has done this one yet. Aimee, you're tagged :).
RULES - Post rules before giving the facts - Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves - People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules - At the end of the your blog you need to tag eight people and list their names - Leave them a comment on their blog, telling them they have been tagged and not to forget to read your blog.
1. I love that my kids grow and change and get bigger and older. This does not make me sad, like it seems to do for so many other mamas I know. I do not know if I will regret this later (this lack of feeling like I have to hold on to what is/what was) but somehow I think that it enriches, rather than takes away from, my current parenting experience.
2. I detest being wet in my clothing. This doesn't exactly make me a model Seattle citizen. Fran makes fun of this all the time - yes, I do need to change when a bit of my shirt gets wet. Getting my socks wet sends a shiver of revulsion up my spine. Yes, I love to swim. I just want to be DRY when I'm supposed to be DRY. I love the sound of rain, but standing in it? notsomuch.
3. I am terrified that I don't have the interpersonal and networking skills that I need to be a midwife. That I lack adequate and acceptable personality. I'm pretty certain I can cut it academically, but if nobody would want to be my client at the end of it, what good is that? Sometimes I feel like I've got all the personality of a rock, and am utterly astounded that I have friends at all.
4. I have always been sure that I wasn't cut out to be all womanly-like. And here I am enjoying wearing skirts, reasonably good at sewing, cooking-cleaning-folding, and getting ready to be a midwife. I'm seriously considering learning how to knit. Holy hell, what happened?
5. I actually enjoy getting up before everyone else in the house. Getting coffee in peace and quiet. Sitting at the computer and not thinking about kids for a few minutes. If I don't get up before the kids, I feel frazzled and out of sorts at least until noon. If I do get up before them, we can usually get out of the house by 9 or so without stressing anyone out too badly.
6. I love sweaters. And socks. Especially nice high ones that come to my knees, and are soft but not fluffy. Mmmmm comfy.
7. Um, I'm one of the friends in this competition:
I'm a cheapskate who has a fondness for expensive things (like Jane), but I have turned frugality into a competitive sport. Unlike the average American, my family and friends and I compare notes on how little we paid for the things we bring into our homes. I am embarrassed sometimes by the things I badly want, but I also know I won't spend the money for those things.
It's true. One of my greatest accomplishments was spending 15 cents for two bags of stuff at Staples back-to-school sale last year. I pretty much have no money, 'cause we're damn poor, but we like Hanna Andersson and wouldn't be caught dead in cheap shoes...so yeah, this requires a certain level of creativity. It looks, sometimes, like I shop impulsively. But what I really do is take a mental inventory of the things that I want/kinda-need and then sit on it for MONTHS, until I happen upon the exact thing at the exact price I need. And then I just buy it with little more to-do about it. The only thing that I'd change is that I'm pretty certain there's nothing I want that I feel embarrassed about wanting. Which feels all good and non-materialistic and shit. Or maybe it just means I'm shameless. Or good at justifying stuff. Whatever.
8. I often sit down in front of the computer when I feel overwhelmed. Which means that all my digital-format schoolwork is nice and organized, but my kitchen counter is a phenomenal disaster. I mean, seriously, a huge disaster. It would probably take me a good half-hour to clean the thing off, an hour if I found appropriate places for all the bits of electronic equiptment Fran has dumped on the portion of the counter adjacent to the computer desk. *Sigh*
I can't tag anyone, because it looks like others have beat me to the punch on all the blogs I read regularly. That's what I get for stalling on this one.
Oooh, wait, I don't think Aimee has done this one yet. Aimee, you're tagged :).
Sunday, August 19, 2007
My Turn
To have too much to sensibly update. But I'm going to go ahead and try anyway.
We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on the 12th.
Clinic on the 13th.
I had an interview with a possible preceptor on the 14th. It went well but she has three other students to interview, all of them with more experience than I have.
One gloriously empty day - I think - on Wednesday. I may have squandered it by going to Target with three children. Definitely more stress than my new shirt - which Toddlerness stole before we even got out of the store - was worth. Although I did manage to get the necessities purchased. I also tried on Wednesday to reorganize my coursework from last year - the Midwifery Care learning objectives are now in a nice outlined and indexed format.
On Thursday (16th) I left early and babysat ~L~s kids all day. Slept over in a tent, watched them again the next day. The kids were great. I was tired and crabby on Friday. Left ~L~s and met Fran at the Rose Garden at Point Defiance. If my local peoples haven't been there, they should - it is beautiful. We had a nice lunch right in the middle of one of the gardens, and then walked around the zoo.
And then, as if I hadn't had enough driving for one week, we (~L~, Mack and I) decided on the spur of the moment to go to the Renaissance Faire in Gig Harbor. It was SO WORTH IT. The kids had a blast and all they could talk about coming home was how much they wanted to go back next year and how cool it would be to go in costumes next time. When Fran got home from work, the kids stayed up with him and jabbered away about all the things they'd seen. Until like 11pm, because they're nuts like that. I got piteously few photos because it was crowded and we had excited kids to keep track of (um, no offense ladies, but I think I'm doing this one as a family and not a herd next year), but here they are:
The two in red right up front are Girliness and Boyness. This guy was hillarious.
This was Boyness' favorite part of the whole experience - the mock battle. Boyness was actually really good at this, and was a really good sport (which made me very happy, because a year ago he'd have tried to ignore rules and thrown fits over not winning every match). Facing off Mack's 7yo boy:
Girliness and Boyness battle!
Girliness' favorite part of the day - a storytelling troupe!
Toddlerness' favorite part of the day - dancing to the bagpipes in the grotto!
A link to the faire's website: http://www.washingtonrenfaire.com/
A link to the band that the kids liked so much: http://www.therogues.com/
The whole thing was highly entertaining and I will definitely be dragging Fran to this next year.
We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on the 12th.
Clinic on the 13th.
I had an interview with a possible preceptor on the 14th. It went well but she has three other students to interview, all of them with more experience than I have.
One gloriously empty day - I think - on Wednesday. I may have squandered it by going to Target with three children. Definitely more stress than my new shirt - which Toddlerness stole before we even got out of the store - was worth. Although I did manage to get the necessities purchased. I also tried on Wednesday to reorganize my coursework from last year - the Midwifery Care learning objectives are now in a nice outlined and indexed format.On Thursday (16th) I left early and babysat ~L~s kids all day. Slept over in a tent, watched them again the next day. The kids were great. I was tired and crabby on Friday. Left ~L~s and met Fran at the Rose Garden at Point Defiance. If my local peoples haven't been there, they should - it is beautiful. We had a nice lunch right in the middle of one of the gardens, and then walked around the zoo.
And then, as if I hadn't had enough driving for one week, we (~L~, Mack and I) decided on the spur of the moment to go to the Renaissance Faire in Gig Harbor. It was SO WORTH IT. The kids had a blast and all they could talk about coming home was how much they wanted to go back next year and how cool it would be to go in costumes next time. When Fran got home from work, the kids stayed up with him and jabbered away about all the things they'd seen. Until like 11pm, because they're nuts like that. I got piteously few photos because it was crowded and we had excited kids to keep track of (um, no offense ladies, but I think I'm doing this one as a family and not a herd next year), but here they are:
The two in red right up front are Girliness and Boyness. This guy was hillarious.
This was Boyness' favorite part of the whole experience - the mock battle. Boyness was actually really good at this, and was a really good sport (which made me very happy, because a year ago he'd have tried to ignore rules and thrown fits over not winning every match). Facing off Mack's 7yo boy:
Girliness and Boyness battle!
Girliness' favorite part of the day - a storytelling troupe!
Toddlerness' favorite part of the day - dancing to the bagpipes in the grotto!
A link to the faire's website: http://www.washingtonrenfaire.com/
A link to the band that the kids liked so much: http://www.therogues.com/
The whole thing was highly entertaining and I will definitely be dragging Fran to this next year.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Pictures
I've been semi-obsessed today with turning favorite photos black-and-white and seeing the results. A few random ones (click on them, please, I like them much better full-screen than in these little boxes):
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Boyness?!
So while I was busy obsessing over Girliness growing up, look what Boyness went and did!
No, no big accidents or fistfights here - pure all-natural loss of a primary tooth. *Sigh* big Boyness.
In other news, he was violently ill last night for reasons unknown. Painted the top of the bunk (and blankets and pillows and face and hair and clothing and...you get the idea, but I'm serious about him hitting the bunk above him) in rice and salmon. OMG it was so gross. I'm usually pretty good at cleaning this stuff without losing it, but I had a seriously difficult time of it last night. He proceeded to empty his stomach completely over the course of the next hour and a half or so (thankfully, these episodes took place with the aid of a bowl and the involvment of his daddy instead of me) before passing out again. This morning, he woke up completely normal and happy and all that crap, so I remain clueless as to what happened. Clueless *and tired.* And still not done with all the barf-covered laundry.
No, no big accidents or fistfights here - pure all-natural loss of a primary tooth. *Sigh* big Boyness.
In other news, he was violently ill last night for reasons unknown. Painted the top of the bunk (and blankets and pillows and face and hair and clothing and...you get the idea, but I'm serious about him hitting the bunk above him) in rice and salmon. OMG it was so gross. I'm usually pretty good at cleaning this stuff without losing it, but I had a seriously difficult time of it last night. He proceeded to empty his stomach completely over the course of the next hour and a half or so (thankfully, these episodes took place with the aid of a bowl and the involvment of his daddy instead of me) before passing out again. This morning, he woke up completely normal and happy and all that crap, so I remain clueless as to what happened. Clueless *and tired.* And still not done with all the barf-covered laundry.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Girliness
So Girliness is getting big. Growth spurting. Looking pre-teenish a tad early, but I see it there.
And she made dinner tonight. *sigh* my big Girliness. Put it in bowls and brought it out to everyone and didn't even act like it was extraordinary - in fact, she just kind of *did* it without announcing it or anything. Girliness has never been super interested in cooking or place-setting or even in food - sure she enjoys it but she's always been really casual about it with no passionate likes or dislikes. She's never really been a tea party and play kitchen kinda kid. So this feels like the very grown-up action of taking care of dinner, particularly with this whole attitude of no-big-deal she's got going. I'm trying to communicate that this feels different and mature even though it is nothing extraordinary for someone her age to be able to make and place a meal, and it isn't coming out right. And I'm probably just reading more into it than I should simply because I'm feeling happy/sad about her growing out of her little-girl looks.
And she made dinner tonight. *sigh* my big Girliness. Put it in bowls and brought it out to everyone and didn't even act like it was extraordinary - in fact, she just kind of *did* it without announcing it or anything. Girliness has never been super interested in cooking or place-setting or even in food - sure she enjoys it but she's always been really casual about it with no passionate likes or dislikes. She's never really been a tea party and play kitchen kinda kid. So this feels like the very grown-up action of taking care of dinner, particularly with this whole attitude of no-big-deal she's got going. I'm trying to communicate that this feels different and mature even though it is nothing extraordinary for someone her age to be able to make and place a meal, and it isn't coming out right. And I'm probably just reading more into it than I should simply because I'm feeling happy/sad about her growing out of her little-girl looks.
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