Wrap-up

Today is the last day of the Nabloblowsmo. I didn't do it perfectly, but that wasn't the point for me. The point was writing more, and in this I succeeded. What's even better is that I hated it less this year than last. That's really all I have to say tonight. My husband is home for the evening, which is lovely, we have pictures tomorrow (rescheduled from our rain-out Tuesday) and I need to go get some beauty sleep.

See you in December. I love December--my birthday, Christmas, holiday baking, family, parties, buying gifts for people, the dream of snow...

Nablopomo day 28

Pea spent much of today wandering about the house with her tambourine, playing a very loud, insistent rhythm as she sang at the top of her lungs. I wish I knew what all her funny little words meant. It was amazing.

She is starting to speak more clearly. "Apple" and "bowl" and "yellow" and "help", for instance. She loves to sit in front of the computer with the mouse, scrolling up and down my Outlook, pointing with the other hand and jabbering the whole time.

We had her first appointment with a naturopathic pediatrician today. Penelope is still measuring 95th percentile height, 50th percentile weight. Long and lean, we call her.

I asked Pea if one day she would like a baby to come live with Mama and Daddoo and Pea and she nodded, said "uh huh" and then kissed my belly. Does this kid know something? I've never discussed anything like this with her before. (For the record, the plan is to start thinking more about this sort of thing sometime early next year...)

The house could really use a good vacuuming. And dusting. Instead of working on this, I made a big pot roast, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Do you know how much I love (good) gravy? Gravy is to me what hot fudge sauce is to normal peoples.

Pea is still working on those 2-yr molars. They're finally somewhat visible under her gums. She's only had moments of pain, so far, but this kid is pretty tough. Did I tell you that she got a flu bug a couple of weeks ago? It was the first time she's been sick for anything other than teeth and the first time she's ever thrown up. She threw up three times and in between she was running around the house like she was perfectly fine. Somehow Jeffrey's and my bad immune system genes combined to create our own little Iron Woman. And maybe it has a tiny bit to do with her never having had corn syrup (evil! evil!) Who knows?

The air today smelled like snow.

Red wagon

I forgot to blog yesterday. Again, I know. Once you fall off the wagon once it just gets easier and easier to slip on over those red wooden sides...

Nothing really happened yesterday. Pea and I did get to see an old friend of mine, which was lovely, but then it was just house stuff like cleaning and laundry and loading and unloading the dishwasher and who wants to read about my daily chore list? (not I!)

Today we might be having photos taken--depends on the weather, which is looking awfully gloomy and soggy at present. And I'm awaiting a UPS package which contains a certain sweater I was hoping to be wearing in the photos and which was supposed to have arrived yesterday but didn't. Pea looks adorable in her new outfit and I suppose that's all that really matters--once you have children no one really cares what you're wearing.

I should go take a shower.

Long weekend

It's been so wonderful having Jeffrey around. 4 whole days with us, and he hasn't had to be on call either. Let me tell you--this does not always happen.

Thursday was so much fun. The pictures are in the post below, but they pretty much end as we're sitting down to eat and include almost none of the family that was here with us. I meant to take photos the whole day and night but somewhere around 3pm I set the camera down and completely forgot about it till the next morning. When I was loading photos onto Flickr and wondering where all the shots were of Pea and her grandparents... Good job, mom. But anyway, the day was full and yet relaxing, even though Jeffrey and I woke up at 6:30 to get the 22-lb turkey out of the cooler full of ice where it had been brining in salt, Riesling, juniper berries, fennel seed, sweet onions, whole coriander, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and thyme. I love to be irritated at (and with) Martha Stewart, but this turkey was the best we've ever made or had. Juicy from skin to bone--completely done (it was actually done an hour early!) and completely moist, something that's hard to do with a turkey. As the turkey rested, waiting for the oven and the butter and wine mixture it was to be basted with, I made a big pan of eggs scrambled with cheese and mushrooms and my arrived and we had breakfast together. My mom brought pumpkin muffins, and there was coffee and eating and catching up, and Penelope was running all over the house, so excited to see her aunt and uncle and Grammi, and so excited to see the two dogs that came with her auntie (her own dog and one she was dog-sitting). Then my mom drove over to Jeffrey's parents' house and picked them up and brought them over (they no longer drive). It was so good to have almost a whole day with them--we don't see them enough, even though they're not really that far.

After dinner (which my mom and Diehl cleaned up after, bless them) and creative minds working out how to store all the leftovers as the one thing I forgot at the store was more storage containers/bags, we sat around and talked and laughed and took Penelope for a walk, and then Penelope helped take the dogs for a walk. I wish I had gotten a picture of it--it was hilarious, with Tiff holding the leash of the bigger dog and Pea holding on for dear life to little Charlie Boy, as he ran back and forth to smell this and nip at that. So funny. Then there was pie, one big apple pie and two pumpkin pies and lots of real cream whipped up with vanilla and sugar and more coffee, and we pulled our chairs back around the table and played Apples to Apples, which is so much fun, and laughed and told stories and laughed some more as the sky outside got dark and candles were lit and the fire turned on... I had skipped Pea's nap because she was having so much fun and we never skip naps, so by 6:30 she was in desperate need of her bed and went right down. That was sort of nice, though, because the evening felt so much longer without our usual hour of bath time, reading, milk, etc.

On Friday our framily (they're friends! they're like family!) Todd, Angie, Zion, and Brennan came over and had lunch with us, and we were able to unload some of the copious leftovers on them. I felt almost hungover from all the dairy, salt and sugar of the day before, puffy and lethargic even though I was really good this year and didn't overeat too badly and didn't even finish my piece of pie. I really need to stay off gluten and dairy as much as possible, as I truly feel better when I'm off them. Anyway, Pea and her cousins ran around and played and everyone had a great time. That was pretty much Friday--the rest of the day we spent lazily getting out of and into bed. Oh, and while I napped with Pea Jeffrey worked on the garage. It's finally starting to look like there's hope in that big wasteland of boxes and moving debris and extra flooring for the house and all of the stuff we managed to accumulate in 4 years of marriage. I'm glad we're getting organized now, because I can already tell that with children it only gets worse.

Saturday we got up and had brunch at our very favorite breakfast place in town and then took Pea to the Children's Museum. Any day that starts with steak and eggs (with a nice Bernaise sauce) and crispy fried potatoes is a good one, I think. Jeffrey and I had our weekly date night that evening and did a little bit of Christmas shopping (thank you early sales!) and ran a few errands and ended it with a stop at our favorite Thai joint. Nothing like a big bowl of spicy Tom Kha soup with tofu and fresh tomatoes and mushrooms to warm you up after being out in the wintry cold we're having. We had accidentally skipped lunch, so we also dug into big plates of red curry noodles with chicken and veggies, and my favorite stir-fry of broccoli, crisp celery, chicken, and a black pepper, soy, and ginger sauce. I could eat Thai food 5 days a week and not get tired of it. If it's good, fresh Thai food, that is. I need to learn how to cook this properly--all the recipes I've tried so far have been disappointing.

So now it's Sunday. Jeffrey took Penelope to the park for a while so I could rest this morning. Then I finally went and got my tattoo touched-up and dropped by the library to update my request list and then came home, made dinner, played with Pea, got her ready for bed, red to her... the usual. But having Jeffrey here for all of it, all 4 days, has been wonderful. He's an amazing Daddoo, and has always helped out with anything and everything that he can, but he also works very hard and very long hours--so whenever we get him all to ourselves Pea and I are very happy!

And yes, I know I fell off the Nablopomo wagon on Thanksgiving, but I decided that I cared less about winning a random prize drawing and more about focusing the whole day on family and shtuff like that. I've still blogged a LOT more than I usually do and this time, this time (hopefully) it's gonna stick.

Thanksgiving in pictures

Sneak Peak

I'll have the Thanksgiving post up in a few hours. I just don't feel like sitting at the computer at the moment. But here's a sneak peek of our Christmas card photos. We have our first family photo shoot (not counting the semi-disastrous one we had last year) with Katie Kelly next week but we needed to get the card order into Shutterfly right away (mostly to have it off my long holiday prep list) so my sister took these last night after Thanksgiving dinner. I think they're pretty good!

Prep

Pea and I spent the morning with her cousins Zion and Brennan at the coffee shop where their mom works (and happens to roast the best coffee I've ever had--and which I'm happy to send to anyone trapped in lands of no-good joe if you shoot me an email). It's another coffee shop that's set up for kids and there's tons of room for Pea to run around and explore. We met a really nice dad who was there with his little girl who was almost exactly Pea's age. I always seem to meet really nice stay-at-home dads--really laid-back, friendly sorts--whereas meeting other moms seems to be largely hit and miss. I feel like I'm really easy to talk toand pretty open and accommodating and I know that somewhere there are LOTS of other mamas like that--they just don't show up when I do, or something....

I have a feeling, however, that the nice man who made my coffee gave me caf instead of decaf--a feeling that runs from my shaky hands all the way up to my shoulders, racing heart, and woozy head. I do have caffeine from time to time but usually just when I'm SO very tired that it brings me back to normal. I feel like I was just made a part of some really awful medical experiment...





Pea's napping and for once I have skipped my normal rest/reading time so I can start prepping a few things for tomorrow. Family is coming for breakfast so we're starting things off early! (Why wait?)

I have hummus and a cheese ball to make tonight and bread to prep for stuffing. And yes, I know that no one makes cheese balls anymore and most people have very bad ideas of what they stand for and my brother thinks that calling them "cheese logs" is somehow nicer (though I strongly disagree!). But I make one particular cheese ball that is so very good that I dream that it could turn the snobbiest foodie into a lover. The funny thing is that when people find out what's in it, they can't believe that it's that particular blend of three ingredients because, "like, isn't that, like, really, like something only your grandmother would eat and this is (like) so good...." It's that good.

I also have bread to prep for the stuffing and I'm going to try and get all the onion and celery and herbs chopped up tonight so I can enjoy the day and not be constantly in the kitchen. And there will be several other who will need to use it, anyway. I think I will also give the house a good vacuuming and mop the kitchen and wipe down the downstairs bathroom. I always feel more festive when the house has a bit of sparkle, the elbow-grease kind.

Jeffrey got the 22-lb turkey into an amazing brine this morning and it's currently sitting in 7 quarts of water, spicy brining solution, onions and herbs in our big cooler with two bags of ice around it. I think it will be easier to turn it this way, tonight, than if we'd managed to find room in the fridge.

Hope you all have fun and relaxing plans tomorrow and wherever you go, please take care and drive safe! Can't wait to hear all about your holidays tomorrow!

New

Today Pea and I got to meet this lovely girl and her equally lovely (and funny) daughter. I think this might be my first official "Meeting via Blogging". I've reconnected here with people I used to know, even casually know, but I believe this is the first time I've met someone new through this medium. We met at a local coffee shop that has an amazing play area for kids. (I had taken Pea there before, but it was in the spring and she was not at all into playing with other small kids or playing while I talked.) It's really fun to meet another friend in this city--I'm used to having to drive into the larger city next door to do most social things with other mamas and kidlets.

Thanks, Amanda! Pea and I can't wait to hang out again!

Good Things

My brother got out of the hospital this morning. THIS time, hopefully, is the last time to say that. Ever.


Our friends who have been trying to get a house built (since, I don't know--February?) and our other friends who have been waiting to move into it, all just got the good news that the city is finally signing off on the final product. So one set is finally going to have that HUGE situation off their plate and the other set can finally move and have a home and have somewhere to be a family in with enough room for when the new baby arrives in the summer. Our fair city has been rather problematic about this whole situation--in fact, all requirements were originally fulfilled by the friends who are doing the building, but the city....the city decided to add more and more rules and stipulations and complicate and extend the process by many months and thousands and thousands of dollars. So this is more good news.




Penelope and I got most of our Thanksgiving dinner shopping done today. Just a few more things to find. The menu is all planned out: Jeffrey is doing another big, brined turkey with the yummy gravy that has a touch of cognac and cream; I'm doing the Marsala-fig-sausage stuffing and some pre-dinner snacks in lieu of lunch (we're eating mid-afternoon); other family members are making braised Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash with rosemary and garlic, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (always homemade), and pies. My brother makes a mean pie crust. It may not be high on the list of what he tells his dates, but it's worth mentioning for sure.





Jeffrey hung up this shelf for me over the weekend, and I now have somewhere to display part of my pitcher collection. It's above the computer desk in the dining area and I love to look up, mid-thought while writing, and think of the memories connected with each one.


Jeffrey and I finally get to spend some time together tonight and it's been a while. Normally we are about as regular as a clock with date nights. We are so lucky to have safe family close by that love to watch Pea and who are happy to send us on our way. But with my brother being in the hospital a lot and all of us going out to keep him company or spend the night, everyone has had more important things to worry about. Add to that Jeffrey's already full-to-max work schedule and our church responsibilities and we've spent so many evenings the last month crashing into bed around midnight, with little to no energy for actual communication. I just pulled a sheet of cookies out of the oven, too.


I made a pretty good chicken curry with peaches for dinner. It's an old recipe of my mom's (I think it came from her Australian Women's cookbook?) and I think that with another try or two and a couple of changes it will be ready to post here with photos. It's very close to being very, very yummy but I think it needs some tinkering.





Today, while Penelope and I were walking out of a store, she started pointing vigorously and saying, "Wunnn, wunnn!" I looked over to where she was gesturing and saw it--on the door across the way was a big number 1. Amazing. She held up her index finger triumphantly. And then, as we continued to walk, she pointed again, this time saying, "Doooo, doooo!" Once again I looked over my shoulder and there, on another door, was a big number 2. Then, while were settling in for a nap, she suddenly sat up in bed and pointed at the lamps Jeffrey and I each have on our bedside table. "Dooo!" she said. Two. Yes, Pea, there are two lamps. What a kid.


I started playing some Christmas music this weekend. This is not like me--I usually like to keep my holidays separate and wait till Thanksgiving is over before beginning December celebrations. But the Sarah McLachlan CD that came out last year is almost more wintery in mood than Christmasy, and it's fit my mood perfectly the last few days. Melancholy in a good way, if that makes sense. Thoughtful. Grateful. Thankful that my brother is doing better and that this time everything should heal properly....

Perfect

A cold, dreary, rain-soaked day out of doors, but a perfect day to be inside. A perfect day to stay in cozy blue fleece pants and a pullover. A perfect day to play Legos by the warm fireplace with Penelope and to color on big sheets of butcher paper spread across the kitchen floor. All of her toys strewn through the house and today we're not bothering to pick up as we go. Baking German pancakes for breakfast, our favorite winter soup for lunch (which is even better after sitting a few days in the fridge). Birds swarming the feeder hanging from the front porch, more birds flying in raggedy shapes across the grey sky. Reading books with her while curled up in the big bed with her George and Kitty. Penelope opening the big books on my nightstand and pretending to read them out loud, turning the pages as carefully as any adult and laughing from time to time at the funny, jabbering story she is telling. The smell of coffee.

Listening to music while she lies in my arms, almost like when she was tiny.

Marimba girl

Another way she's like her Daddoo--a born percussionist.

Day 16

Bad. Very bad at times it was. My brother was taken into emergency last night, had a hellish night of incompetent night nurses and confusion re the doctors orders and no help with his severe pain. Pea and I rushed over there this morning, only minutes after I got a hold of him and hung out for about 6 hours of waiting and getting scanned and ultrasounded (it's a word somewhere) and then he was finally taken into surgery this afternoon. He's finally sleeping, now at 8:30pm--only 36 hours since his last night's sleep. My drive home from my mom's house (I had finally taken Pea to have a nap at 3:30) to take Pea over to a friend's who is watching her for us, should have taken maybe 20 minutes. It took over 3 hours. 3 hours of a hungry kid with a very wet diaper who cried miserably for a good half of it. 3 hours of her mother saying some very naughty things to god because she could have used a trip to the ladies' herself, and her feet were numb with cold because she had walked through what she thought was a puddle in the hospital parking lot and instead was an 8-inch lake of oily water and automotive discharge and her shoes had an inch of water in them. And she drives a stick.

I know I shouldn't complain--I'm not the one having surgery for the second time and being admitted to the hospital for the third time in just a few weeks. I'm not the one whose car was stolen. But I'm tired beyond belief and fighting a cold and trying to stay strong and alert for Jeremy and my daughter (who is always very emotional at seeing her uncle connected to tubes and wires) and I have friends in all sorts of stressful places right now (emergency surgery for cancer on someone my age, the city holding up final permitting for the house our friends were supposed to move into the end of last month, another friend's car breaking down on the way home tonight, a friend being investigated for missing money that she did not lose, etc. etc.) and so the drive home, in all it's amazing and magical glory, was absolutely my last straw. Oh yes, I'm sure I'll feel better after some sleep.

And how was your day?

Adding insult to injury. Literally.

What a day. It started off as a pretty normal one, per se. I wasn't feeling that good--headache behind my eyes and the feeling of a cold starting to hang around my shoulders--but I managed to get Penelope and myself out the door on the early side to head into town and meet my sister and two of the children she nannies. We all had a great time together at this amazing (amazing!) place.

Then, as we were finishing up eating lunch, the news came.

My brother, the same brother who just got out of the hospital for the second time in a month and who is still recovering from major surgery and trying to get back on his feet in all kinds of ways, this brother walked out into the parking lot of the apartments where he is living to find his car gone. Gone. Stolen. It's a Honda, it's the east side of the city, this is not unheard of (at all) but this is not some souped-up racing machine, this is an older, dented, well-used and well-loved Honda. The police have supposedly opened a file, which hopefully entails a LOT more than the phrase implies, but I have some teeny, tiny doubts (as Anne Lamott would say) about what passes for fighting crime these days. The good news? His insurance company has set him up with a nice rental and should also cover the myriad of things that were in his car due to his having just moved.

Oh man.... this kid officially has a LOT going on. And last night he had a fever and as of tonight his incision area is swelling up a bit like the last time, when he had a huge abscess. I know I keep asking for prayers and thoughts of health and strength but holy shit, would you please keep it up? I am not at ALL sure of the divine motive for all of this....

Playtime with Miss B

Some shots from our time with Pea's cousin last Friday.

Molars

Day 12

Went to bed late after Jeffrey and I got the organizing bug. We just got two sets of these shelves and so we spent a few hours emptying out our overloaded closet, putting summer clothes in Rubbermaids, and sorting and folding the non-hanging clothes.

We watched Brothers and Sisters while we worked and of course I cried. I always cry during this show. I know it's often predictable but it always feels so real and intimate.

Woke up around 4 am to gusts of wind hitting the side of the house and the sound of driving rain. I fell back asleep dreaming that I was running down our early-morning dark street trying to catch the two planters of rosemary and lavender that I'd forgotten to bring inside (and need to anyway).

Woke up again when Jeffrey came into our room with Pea. She had been sitting in the corner of her crib screaming and her heart rate was through the roof. We couldn't figure out what has scared her so, but she fell back asleep between us.

Woke up for good to a sky heavy with thick, wet clouds and the shadows of tree branches bared by the storm. The streets were silent in the way that Mondays often are, and edged with torn branches and leaves. Jeffrey had been up for a while already and the house was beginning to warm.

Downstairs I opened the blinds that shade the porch window and found my planters stationary and intact.

Pea sat up on the kitchen counter by me as I ground coffee beans and put water on to boil. I held the bag open for her to smell the wonderful aroma of good coffee that doesn't have the ever-living daylights burned out of it, and instead she reached in, took a handful, and popped the beans into her mouth. She refused to spit them out and instead swallowed them all down. It was decaf, thank goodness.

We stayed in our pajamas today and played all sorts of games, colored pictures, and listened to lots of Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker and The Weepies. I realized all over again how stubborn and feisty and determined this small girl-child can be, and at the same time felt so proud of everything I saw her doing and attempting to do.

A weekend of little sleep for both of us meant that I wasn't always at my best, either.

Late-morning brought really good news. I mean really, really, really good news. Another baby will be here next year (second news of this in the last two weeks!) and I honestly couldn't think of anyone who deserves this more than this particular friend.

Then there was nap time, and after 4 days of refusing to sleep as long as she really needs it only took her about 10 minutes to curl around her blankets and babies and fall into deep, silent sleep. I lay beside her reading and thinking, listening to the satisfying sound of the dryer and the daydream-inducing whistles of far-off trains. Through the half-open blinds I could see south and west and the tops of trees and the still-heavy grey sky.

***

I'm off to fold the last of the laundry and curl up in bed with a book.

Sunday

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”

--Frederick Buechner

Particular

Some things that I love.





What I have around me at present is very edited, limited, as I'm currently of the mindset that if I don't absolutely love it than it shouldn't be on display. I've had times in my life where I find it very easy to collect things and objects but I'm currently enjoying having less clutter, less going on. I find I actually notice what IS there and there's a certain calmness.








Most of these things have a story connected-- the grandmother's little tables, the ship his grandfather's friend painstakingly built...





the lantern from our honeymoon on Orcas Island and the amazingly decorated, tiny restaurant that used to be just down the block from where we always stay.














And then other things are just beautiful to me because of a thread of a memory that they conjure up.





This weekend is full of doings with family and friends so I'm off to make breakfast for Pea and let our morning begin. What a beautiful autumn we are having...