Any ideas?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Mystery plant
Oh how I wish I could remember the names of the plants I put in the ground. This is in bloom and I have no idea what it is.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Our newest addition!
I've dithered long enough!
A bad picture of our new addition:
Welcome to the family Grape!
I finally decided on the car I wanted after spending time test driving cars and talking to people and just plain procrastinating on the whole thing. After test driving the Fit again on Friday I told Ben I had decided on the car I wanted and that the timing and color was up to him.
Ben is bad at waiting.
That same day we took it home. And it's been rained on every day since.
This car isn't as nice as the Camry was when it was new. It's a little noisy and not as smooth. But given the amount I drive, it'll be fine. It met my main criteria: hatchback, fuel efficient, comfortable. It's kind of cute in its own snub-nosed way. I can fit a lot of stuff in that itty bitty back end and it'll certainly be sufficient for groceries especially with the ingenious seat configuration options.
And just think, given how long I keep cars Sam will likely learn to drive on this thing! Scary thought.
A bad picture of our new addition:
Welcome to the family Grape!
I finally decided on the car I wanted after spending time test driving cars and talking to people and just plain procrastinating on the whole thing. After test driving the Fit again on Friday I told Ben I had decided on the car I wanted and that the timing and color was up to him.
Ben is bad at waiting.
That same day we took it home. And it's been rained on every day since.
This car isn't as nice as the Camry was when it was new. It's a little noisy and not as smooth. But given the amount I drive, it'll be fine. It met my main criteria: hatchback, fuel efficient, comfortable. It's kind of cute in its own snub-nosed way. I can fit a lot of stuff in that itty bitty back end and it'll certainly be sufficient for groceries especially with the ingenious seat configuration options.
And just think, given how long I keep cars Sam will likely learn to drive on this thing! Scary thought.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
The rocket's red glare, the rain bursting in air
Happy Soggy Day...er Fourth of July.
Last night we hiked up onto the cliffs behind our house to see if we could see the fireworks. We brought sparklers to keep Sam entertained while we waited. We brought headlamps so we could see the rocks.
I brought an umbrella.
It sprinkled the second we walked out our front door. It sprinkled while we climbed up the rocks. It sprinkled while I lit a candle to be used to like the sparklers.
Then it started to pour.
We huddled under the umbrella hoping it would stop but we weren't alone. There was an army of cat-sized mosquitoes happy to be out of the rain with three tasty targets.
We fled the scene before we were bloody wet masses of wildly scratching goo.
We watched what we could see from our windows - very little.
This morning we headed out to the Hinesburg parade. As we drove there, you guessed it, it started to rain. It stopped as we parked the car. It started again as we waited for the parade to begin. We'd forgotten our umbrellas of course.
Luckily, it slowed sufficiently for the parade to go on. Check out the clouds!
And a perfect small-town parade it was. Balloons accidentally set loose by small crying children, horses,
firetrucks,
kids on bikes,
kids without driving licenses driving miscellaneous motorized vehicles,
people handing out tomato plants,
karate showdowns,
pizza delivery,
bleeding signs,
stuffed animals and motorcycles,
Hummers,
goats,
a Master of Ceremony I didn't recognize, etc. The crowd was friendly and big, such a nice change from last year at a different parade.
But then, as the parade ended, it started to rain yet again....
We're all a little water shy at the moment and don't want to go out to do all the wonderful things scheduled for this soggy unpredictable weekend.
Last night we hiked up onto the cliffs behind our house to see if we could see the fireworks. We brought sparklers to keep Sam entertained while we waited. We brought headlamps so we could see the rocks.
I brought an umbrella.
It sprinkled the second we walked out our front door. It sprinkled while we climbed up the rocks. It sprinkled while I lit a candle to be used to like the sparklers.
Then it started to pour.
We huddled under the umbrella hoping it would stop but we weren't alone. There was an army of cat-sized mosquitoes happy to be out of the rain with three tasty targets.
We fled the scene before we were bloody wet masses of wildly scratching goo.
We watched what we could see from our windows - very little.
This morning we headed out to the Hinesburg parade. As we drove there, you guessed it, it started to rain. It stopped as we parked the car. It started again as we waited for the parade to begin. We'd forgotten our umbrellas of course.
Luckily, it slowed sufficiently for the parade to go on. Check out the clouds!
And a perfect small-town parade it was. Balloons accidentally set loose by small crying children, horses,
firetrucks,
kids on bikes,
kids without driving licenses driving miscellaneous motorized vehicles,
people handing out tomato plants,
karate showdowns,
pizza delivery,
bleeding signs,
stuffed animals and motorcycles,
Hummers,
goats,
a Master of Ceremony I didn't recognize, etc. The crowd was friendly and big, such a nice change from last year at a different parade.
But then, as the parade ended, it started to rain yet again....
We're all a little water shy at the moment and don't want to go out to do all the wonderful things scheduled for this soggy unpredictable weekend.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
This just in
Tranquil morning on the river.
Boy goes fishing with his mother.
Boy lands his first-ever fish!
But what is it? We know not.
Equipment: Dora the Explorer floating fishing rod, bobber, sinker, small hook
Bait: Just dug domestic dirt crawlers
Location: Sam's secret fishing hole
After this fish boy reeled in another one, this time a perch about five inches long. Boy released both into the river.
And what does boy do when he runs out of bait? Net fishing!
Boy goes fishing with his mother.
Boy lands his first-ever fish!
But what is it? We know not.
Equipment: Dora the Explorer floating fishing rod, bobber, sinker, small hook
Bait: Just dug domestic dirt crawlers
Location: Sam's secret fishing hole
After this fish boy reeled in another one, this time a perch about five inches long. Boy released both into the river.
And what does boy do when he runs out of bait? Net fishing!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A link brought to you by my sister
This is from the Atlantic Online
February 1997
by Ian Frazier
Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father
Of the beasts of the field, and of the fishes of the sea, and of all foods that are acceptable in my sight you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the hoofed animals, broiled or ground into burgers, you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the cloven-hoofed animal, plain or with cheese, you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the cereal grains, of the corn and of the wheat and of the oats, and of all the cereals that are of bright color and unknown provenance you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the quiescently frozen dessert and of all frozen after-meal treats you may eat, but absolutely not in the living room. Of the juices and other beverages, yes, even of those in sippy-cups, you may drink, but not in the living room, neither may you carry such therein. Indeed, when you reach the place where the living room carpet begins, of any food or beverage there you may not eat, neither may you drink.
But if you are sick, and are lying down and watching something, then may you eat in the living room.
And if you are seated in your high chair, or in a chair such as a greater person might use, keep your legs and feet below you as they were. Neither raise up your knees, nor place your feet upon the table, for that is an abomination to me. Yes, even when you have an interesting bandage to show, your feet upon the table are an abomination, and worthy of rebuke. Drink your milk as it is given you, neither use on it any utensils, nor fork, nor knife, nor spoon, for that is not what they are for; if you will dip your blocks in the milk, and lick it off, you will be sent away. When you have drunk, let the empty cup then remain upon the table, and do not bite it upon its edge and by your teeth hold it to your face in order to make noises in it sounding like a duck; for you will be sent away.
When you chew your food, keep your mouth closed until you have swallowed, and do not open it to show your brother or your sister what is within; I say to you, do not so, even if your brother or your sister has done the same to you. Eat your food only; do not eat that which is not food; neither seize the table between your jaws, nor use the raiment of the table to wipe your lips. I say again to you, do not touch it, but leave it as it is. And though your stick of carrot does indeed resemble a marker, draw not with it upon the table, even in pretend, for we do not do that, that is why. And though the pieces of broccoli are very like small trees, do not stand them upright to make a forest, because we do not do that, that is why. Sit just as I have told you, and do not lean to one side or the other, nor slide down until you are nearly slid away. Heed me; for if you sit like that, your hair will go into the syrup. And now behold, even as I have said, it has come to pass.
Laws Pertaining to Dessert
For we judge between the plate that is unclean and the plate that is clean, saying first, if the plate is clean, then you shall have dessert. But of the unclean plate, the laws are these: If you have eaten most of your meat, and two bites of your peas with each bite consisting of not less than three peas each, or in total six peas, eaten where I can see, and you have also eaten enough of your potatoes to fill two forks, both forkfuls eaten where I can see, then you shall have dessert. But if you eat a lesser number of peas, and yet you eat the potatoes, still you shall not have dessert; and if you eat the peas, yet leave the potatoes uneaten, you shall not have dessert, no, not even a small portion thereof. And if you try to deceive by moving the potatoes or peas around with a fork, that it may appear you have eaten what you have not, you will fall into iniquity. And I will know, and you shall have no dessert.
On Screaming
Do not scream; for it is as if you scream all the time. If you are given a plate on which two foods you do not wish to touch each other are touching each other, your voice rises up even to the ceiling, while you point to the offense with the finger of your right hand; but I say to you, scream not, only remonstrate gently with the server, that the server may correct the fault. Likewise if you receive a portion of fish from which every piece of herbal seasoning has not been scraped off, and the herbal seasoning is loathsome to you, and steeped in vileness, again I say, refrain from screaming. Though the vileness overwhelm you, and cause you a faint unto death, make not that sound from within your throat, neither cover your face, nor press your fingers to your nose. For even now I have made the fish as it should be; behold, I eat of it myself, yet do not die.
Concerning Face and Hands
Cast your countenance upward to the light, and lift your eyes to the hills, that I may more easily wash you off. For the stains are upon you; even to the very back of your head, there is rice thereon. And in the breast pocket of your garment, and upon the tie of your shoe, rice and other fragments are distributed in a manner wonderful to see. Only hold yourself still; hold still, I say. Give each finger in its turn for my examination thereof, and also each thumb. Lo, how iniquitous they appear. What I do is as it must be; and you shall not go hence until I have done.
Various Other Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances
Bite not, lest you be cast into quiet time. Neither drink of your own bath water, nor of bath water of any kind; nor rub your feet on bread, even if it be in the package; nor rub yourself against cars, nor against any building; nor eat sand.
Leave the cat alone, for what has the cat done, that you should so afflict it with tape? And hum not that humming in your nose as I read, nor stand between the light and the book. Indeed, you will drive me to madness. Nor forget what I said about the tape.
Complaints and Lamentations
O my children, you are disobedient. For when I tell you what you must do, you argue and dispute hotly even to the littlest detail; and when I do not accede, you cry out, and hit and kick. Yes, and even sometimes do you spit, and shout "stupid-head" and other blasphemies, and hit and kick the wall and the molding thereof when you are sent to the corner. And though the law teaches that no one shall be sent to the corner for more minutes than he has years of age, yet I would leave you there all day, so mighty am I in anger. But upon being sent to the corner you ask straightaway, "Can I come out?" and I reply, "No, you may not come out." And again you ask, and again I give the same reply. But when you ask again a third time, then you may come out.
Hear me, O my children, for the bills they kill me. I pay and pay again, even to the twelfth time in a year, and yet again they mount higher than before. For our health, that we may be covered, I give six hundred and twenty talents twelve times in a year; but even this covers not the fifteen hundred deductible for each member of the family within a calendar year. And yet for ordinary visits we still are not covered, nor for many medicines, nor for the teeth within our mouths. Guess not at what rage is in my mind, for surely you cannot know.
For I will come to you at the first of the month and at the fifteenth of the month with the bills and a great whining and moan. And when the month of taxes comes, I will decry the wrong and unfairness of it, and mourn with wine and ashtrays, and rend my receipts. And you shall remember that I am that I am: before, after, and until you are twenty-one. Hear me then, and avoid me in my wrath, O children of me.
February 1997
by Ian Frazier
Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father
Of the beasts of the field, and of the fishes of the sea, and of all foods that are acceptable in my sight you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the hoofed animals, broiled or ground into burgers, you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the cloven-hoofed animal, plain or with cheese, you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the cereal grains, of the corn and of the wheat and of the oats, and of all the cereals that are of bright color and unknown provenance you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the quiescently frozen dessert and of all frozen after-meal treats you may eat, but absolutely not in the living room. Of the juices and other beverages, yes, even of those in sippy-cups, you may drink, but not in the living room, neither may you carry such therein. Indeed, when you reach the place where the living room carpet begins, of any food or beverage there you may not eat, neither may you drink.
But if you are sick, and are lying down and watching something, then may you eat in the living room.
And if you are seated in your high chair, or in a chair such as a greater person might use, keep your legs and feet below you as they were. Neither raise up your knees, nor place your feet upon the table, for that is an abomination to me. Yes, even when you have an interesting bandage to show, your feet upon the table are an abomination, and worthy of rebuke. Drink your milk as it is given you, neither use on it any utensils, nor fork, nor knife, nor spoon, for that is not what they are for; if you will dip your blocks in the milk, and lick it off, you will be sent away. When you have drunk, let the empty cup then remain upon the table, and do not bite it upon its edge and by your teeth hold it to your face in order to make noises in it sounding like a duck; for you will be sent away.
When you chew your food, keep your mouth closed until you have swallowed, and do not open it to show your brother or your sister what is within; I say to you, do not so, even if your brother or your sister has done the same to you. Eat your food only; do not eat that which is not food; neither seize the table between your jaws, nor use the raiment of the table to wipe your lips. I say again to you, do not touch it, but leave it as it is. And though your stick of carrot does indeed resemble a marker, draw not with it upon the table, even in pretend, for we do not do that, that is why. And though the pieces of broccoli are very like small trees, do not stand them upright to make a forest, because we do not do that, that is why. Sit just as I have told you, and do not lean to one side or the other, nor slide down until you are nearly slid away. Heed me; for if you sit like that, your hair will go into the syrup. And now behold, even as I have said, it has come to pass.
Laws Pertaining to Dessert
For we judge between the plate that is unclean and the plate that is clean, saying first, if the plate is clean, then you shall have dessert. But of the unclean plate, the laws are these: If you have eaten most of your meat, and two bites of your peas with each bite consisting of not less than three peas each, or in total six peas, eaten where I can see, and you have also eaten enough of your potatoes to fill two forks, both forkfuls eaten where I can see, then you shall have dessert. But if you eat a lesser number of peas, and yet you eat the potatoes, still you shall not have dessert; and if you eat the peas, yet leave the potatoes uneaten, you shall not have dessert, no, not even a small portion thereof. And if you try to deceive by moving the potatoes or peas around with a fork, that it may appear you have eaten what you have not, you will fall into iniquity. And I will know, and you shall have no dessert.
On Screaming
Do not scream; for it is as if you scream all the time. If you are given a plate on which two foods you do not wish to touch each other are touching each other, your voice rises up even to the ceiling, while you point to the offense with the finger of your right hand; but I say to you, scream not, only remonstrate gently with the server, that the server may correct the fault. Likewise if you receive a portion of fish from which every piece of herbal seasoning has not been scraped off, and the herbal seasoning is loathsome to you, and steeped in vileness, again I say, refrain from screaming. Though the vileness overwhelm you, and cause you a faint unto death, make not that sound from within your throat, neither cover your face, nor press your fingers to your nose. For even now I have made the fish as it should be; behold, I eat of it myself, yet do not die.
Concerning Face and Hands
Cast your countenance upward to the light, and lift your eyes to the hills, that I may more easily wash you off. For the stains are upon you; even to the very back of your head, there is rice thereon. And in the breast pocket of your garment, and upon the tie of your shoe, rice and other fragments are distributed in a manner wonderful to see. Only hold yourself still; hold still, I say. Give each finger in its turn for my examination thereof, and also each thumb. Lo, how iniquitous they appear. What I do is as it must be; and you shall not go hence until I have done.
Various Other Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances
Bite not, lest you be cast into quiet time. Neither drink of your own bath water, nor of bath water of any kind; nor rub your feet on bread, even if it be in the package; nor rub yourself against cars, nor against any building; nor eat sand.
Leave the cat alone, for what has the cat done, that you should so afflict it with tape? And hum not that humming in your nose as I read, nor stand between the light and the book. Indeed, you will drive me to madness. Nor forget what I said about the tape.
Complaints and Lamentations
O my children, you are disobedient. For when I tell you what you must do, you argue and dispute hotly even to the littlest detail; and when I do not accede, you cry out, and hit and kick. Yes, and even sometimes do you spit, and shout "stupid-head" and other blasphemies, and hit and kick the wall and the molding thereof when you are sent to the corner. And though the law teaches that no one shall be sent to the corner for more minutes than he has years of age, yet I would leave you there all day, so mighty am I in anger. But upon being sent to the corner you ask straightaway, "Can I come out?" and I reply, "No, you may not come out." And again you ask, and again I give the same reply. But when you ask again a third time, then you may come out.
Hear me, O my children, for the bills they kill me. I pay and pay again, even to the twelfth time in a year, and yet again they mount higher than before. For our health, that we may be covered, I give six hundred and twenty talents twelve times in a year; but even this covers not the fifteen hundred deductible for each member of the family within a calendar year. And yet for ordinary visits we still are not covered, nor for many medicines, nor for the teeth within our mouths. Guess not at what rage is in my mind, for surely you cannot know.
For I will come to you at the first of the month and at the fifteenth of the month with the bills and a great whining and moan. And when the month of taxes comes, I will decry the wrong and unfairness of it, and mourn with wine and ashtrays, and rend my receipts. And you shall remember that I am that I am: before, after, and until you are twenty-one. Hear me then, and avoid me in my wrath, O children of me.
How many years has it been?
Ben bought my last fishing license for me because, well, because he could. He had to fill out the basics: height, weight, eye color.
I looked closely...he said my eyes were brown. Except they're not, they're blue. And after 12 years of marriage I really thought he'd be aware of that small fact.
I looked closely...he said my eyes were brown. Except they're not, they're blue. And after 12 years of marriage I really thought he'd be aware of that small fact.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Do you know the money man?
His name is Sam. He lives on Adams Lane (or something like that).
We have decided to give Sam an allowance of $3 a week. I thought this would help stop the continual begging for toys and treats and make him realize that there is a sacrifice, a cost, associated with getting the items he wants. I love telling him he can have xyz if he wants to buy it himself. He is allowed to use the money however he’d like; no forced savings at this point.
I thought the moment he had his grubby little hands on the $3 he’d be asking to go buy gum and candy. I thought that when the ice cream truck passed by he’d be out there waving the green to stop the truck. But no, this boy is saving for something he wants.
I’m not quite sure what that is because he won’t tell me.
But he wants money, lots of money. We cashed in his cans and bottles and added $4.83 (strangely, the redemption center was giving 6 cents for a 5 cent deposit container) to his bank. He scavenged another dollar or two by digging deep beneath the couch cushions.
He’s counting down the days until Friday, allowance day, so he can get another $3….
We have decided to give Sam an allowance of $3 a week. I thought this would help stop the continual begging for toys and treats and make him realize that there is a sacrifice, a cost, associated with getting the items he wants. I love telling him he can have xyz if he wants to buy it himself. He is allowed to use the money however he’d like; no forced savings at this point.
I thought the moment he had his grubby little hands on the $3 he’d be asking to go buy gum and candy. I thought that when the ice cream truck passed by he’d be out there waving the green to stop the truck. But no, this boy is saving for something he wants.
I’m not quite sure what that is because he won’t tell me.
But he wants money, lots of money. We cashed in his cans and bottles and added $4.83 (strangely, the redemption center was giving 6 cents for a 5 cent deposit container) to his bank. He scavenged another dollar or two by digging deep beneath the couch cushions.
He’s counting down the days until Friday, allowance day, so he can get another $3….
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Snapshot of a 3-day weekend
- Sam's eye exam - no glasses needed
- Feed old people
- Super duper modern version of a big wheel
- Pick strawberries
- Play with friends
- Dinner party - lots of grilled goodies
- Strawberry shortcake with whipped cream
- Fish in Lake Champlain - one bite, no fish
- Digging in the couch for change
- Father's Day breakfast in a greasy spoon
- Lots of gardening
- Chipmonk hunt
- Cash in all the bottles and cans
- Hike Mt. Philo
- Picking leaves, including poison ivy. Sam fortunately doesn't seem overly sensitive to it.
- Lobster
- Littleneck clams
- Lots of butter
- Strawberry rhubarb pie
- Ben & Jerry's ice cream with chocolate sauce
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
We interrupt this bedtime
To bring you Morris dancing!
It was time for bedtime stories when we heard music from outside. A glance up the street showed us this:
The costumes!
The impromptu dance and the combination of the sounds of the bells and sticks was enough to bring out nearly everyone on the street.
Alas, they finished and packed up, leaving us to continue the bedtime routine a little happier and a little more tired.
It was time for bedtime stories when we heard music from outside. A glance up the street showed us this:
The costumes!
The impromptu dance and the combination of the sounds of the bells and sticks was enough to bring out nearly everyone on the street.
Alas, they finished and packed up, leaving us to continue the bedtime routine a little happier and a little more tired.
Neighborhood Neuton
Grass. It always needs to be mowed. I laugh at my friends who tell me they are mowing an acre or more and point out all the things they could be doing with their time instead. I am mean.
We've got an old gas mower that is miserable to start, has a left rear wheel that always gets loose during mowing which means that all mowing must be done with a wrench in my back pocket, and is loud and stinky. Mowing falls to me unless I tell Ben he must do it so I'm the one fighting this miserable machine.
When my neighbor mentioned that he wanted to buy a Neuton and was looking for people in the neighborhood interested in a Neuton-share I jumped on the opportunity. We've got five families using the mower. We each have our own battery and will soon have our own charger -- they're currently on back order. I've mowed the lawn a couple of times with it and it's fairly equivalent to our other mower in weight and maneuverability but it's much quieter and doesn't stink. The battery lasts long enough to do our lawn which was a concern...that may not have been true of earlier versions.
Gary also got the edger for the mower but that doesn't work very well; it's hard to maneuver an entire lawnmower to get around all the oddball edges we've got around rocks and such in our yard so that quickly was categorized as not worth the bother which means that we're back to our normal process....no edging, just mowing as close as possible.
The community Neuton is still very new and we're all being very careful about not abusing it too much (our yards are all full of rocks though so the blades are bound to get fairly wrecked) so I'm optimistic that this will work out to be a very positive experience. But if it doesn't, perhaps I should just replace the entire lawn with AstroTurf.
We've got an old gas mower that is miserable to start, has a left rear wheel that always gets loose during mowing which means that all mowing must be done with a wrench in my back pocket, and is loud and stinky. Mowing falls to me unless I tell Ben he must do it so I'm the one fighting this miserable machine.
When my neighbor mentioned that he wanted to buy a Neuton and was looking for people in the neighborhood interested in a Neuton-share I jumped on the opportunity. We've got five families using the mower. We each have our own battery and will soon have our own charger -- they're currently on back order. I've mowed the lawn a couple of times with it and it's fairly equivalent to our other mower in weight and maneuverability but it's much quieter and doesn't stink. The battery lasts long enough to do our lawn which was a concern...that may not have been true of earlier versions.
Gary also got the edger for the mower but that doesn't work very well; it's hard to maneuver an entire lawnmower to get around all the oddball edges we've got around rocks and such in our yard so that quickly was categorized as not worth the bother which means that we're back to our normal process....no edging, just mowing as close as possible.
The community Neuton is still very new and we're all being very careful about not abusing it too much (our yards are all full of rocks though so the blades are bound to get fairly wrecked) so I'm optimistic that this will work out to be a very positive experience. But if it doesn't, perhaps I should just replace the entire lawn with AstroTurf.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A glimpse of summer
Brunch at the Inn at Shelburne Farms and a nice little stroll through the children's barnyard.
Susu and Sam.
Pig Snout.
Proud Sammy!
Susu and Sam.
Pig Snout.
Proud Sammy!
Decisions decisions
Time for new glasses because I have entered the point of my life which is known as no longer to proud for progressive lenses. Reading is much too important to me.
Which should it be.
I made the decision after much hand-wringing. Which was it?
Which should it be.
I made the decision after much hand-wringing. Which was it?
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Tee ball cuteness
Assess Sam's level of interest in tee ball based on these observations:
- When Sam is on base and another kid hits the ball, he doesn't move. He stands there until the other kid runs into him on base.
- At the end of the inning when his team is playing the outfield, all the kids run in to bat. Sam is still standing on the field while the other team is sorting out positions.
- When the ball comes near him he stands there, not having noticed the ball is anywhere near him.
- Sam asks "When can I go home?"
- The highlight of the day is the snack bar.
Assess Anne's level of interest in tee ball based on these observations:
- There are lice going around the schools and one of the parents mentioned their kid had probably gotten lice from the batting helmets.
- It's always too hot or too cold or too rainy to be comfortable watching them play.
- Getting a kid fed and delivered for a 6:15 practice makes the evening feel rushed.
I suspect that families that actually watch, and care about, baseball have kids with a much greater interest in playing. When I asked Sam his favorite baseball team he told me the Tigers. As in his friend Ronan's tee ball team.
Still, these younguns are adorable out there. And Sam sure does like the uniform.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Garden Tour
I've been working in the yard lately in an attempt to reclaim the wilderness caused by the post-Sam years of neglect coupled with the destruction of the beds I'd already done when we put on the addition. The yard is only 50 feet wide but it's about 260 feet long and would make a lovely bowling alley if only it were level and not full of rocks. I have no intention of turning everything along the fence line into gardens because I'm just not that ambitious. Last year I removed trees along the fence line and did other general clearing and this year I can finally do a little planting. I'm also trying to solve a couple of problems we have in the yard. The lack of gutters on the addition means that lots of dirt splashed back up on the house and back porch so I'm placing some of the very plentiful rocks where the water hits the ground. Another problem is that the front yard gets baked by the sun and many things can't take that much sun. I suspect that at some point I'll pull out the grass that doesn't like it up there and replace it with drought-tolerant flowers but it sounds a bit more ambitious than I'd like to be. I've done some experimental planting to see if it's feasible but I know that in order to really have it look nice, I'll have to put in a retaining wall.
I'm generally somewhat ambitious with my gardening in the spring but as the summer moves forward, the weather gets hot, and Sam gets more demanding my energy gets redirected and my gardens get neglected. This year my neighbor and I are working on a vegetable garden together but it's located at a third neighbor's yard so I haven't taken any pictures. Another time perhaps.
And now, on to the tour!
At the very back of the property where I toss all my compost, some plants have self seeded over the years. Last year I pulled out lots of trees and bushes and this year I have this!
They smell amazing! 
Mixed in with the flowers is burdock, invasive weeds, and tree trucks sprouting undesirable branches but it's so nice that I can't see them at the moment.
I've been thinning out some of the shade gardens on the west side of the yard. I've got some beautiful stuff in there. My favorite bleeding heart, a lovely hosta, some ferns.
The problem is that as things have grown, that bed is unbalanced -- some areas are empty where I've pulled out the aggressive ferns while other plants are huge and need to be split. It needs more work.
Around the corner from this bed is a lovely bed of bugloss. An ugly name for some pretty flowers.
They self seed to a certain extent and I traded them for other plants. The tall plant in the back is a turtlehead. It blooms a bit later in the summer, beautiful pink flowers.
I've been working on the shady area on the east side of the house. There is a rock wall of sorts between our yard and our neighbor's driveway and that wall sets things off nicely. I've been splitting a lot of the plants I've got so there is a lot of repetition in the garden.
Hostas and bugloss. One of the trees here is a redbud tree that is beautiful when in bloom.
One of my favorite plants is this Japanese ginger. I love the shiny leaves and the way it grows in clumps. I've split these over and and so they're all over my shade gardens.
See the wall? This picture is overexposed but it does show the wall. I should see if I can grow things in the crevices.
Sweet woodruff and Solomon's Seal.
Solomon's Seal close up.
Near the house is where the water is splashing back. Here is one of my test solutions. The lanium seems very happy there.
I've also been planting some short sweet little plants that I'm hoping with turn into a ground cover between the rocks and the house. I've got lily of the valley, sweet woodruff, and moss in there.
The front and east side of the house has lots and lots of peonies that were here when we bought the house. They don't bloom very much and I attribute that to compacted soil and lack of light. At some point I could make a bed elsewhere in the yard and transplant them but that's so far in the future I can't even contemplate that right now.
Next to the driveway I've got several rugosa with dianthus boarders. Some of the rugosa are about to bloom.
I also made the mistake of planting this stuff along the driveway. I don't know what it's called but it spreads like mad.
Between the garage (the woodchuck lives under the garage and ate my tomatoes, zucchini blossoms, and cilantro last year) and the fence is an area with gravel but there are some determined plants that happily live there anyway.
Lily of the valley, some sort of vine I cut back repeatedly and this columbine that self seeds in the gravel.
The front is a mess though. When my Mom was here we planted some geraniums my boss gave me that she claimed could survive anything between the sidewalk and the street. They've grown considerably and I have high hopes they'll be happy there, especially when they're so thick I won't have to weed. There is also a little snow in summer and something else I can't remember.
I planted a few sun and drought tolerant plants along the walk to the front steps.
They look better in real life than they look in this picture. Really! I like the alternating textures and colors and threw in the annuals to perk it up a bit until it fills in a bit. It would help if I swept the dirt back into the flowers.
As a reward for all my hard work my garden cart gave me a flat tire.
I'm generally somewhat ambitious with my gardening in the spring but as the summer moves forward, the weather gets hot, and Sam gets more demanding my energy gets redirected and my gardens get neglected. This year my neighbor and I are working on a vegetable garden together but it's located at a third neighbor's yard so I haven't taken any pictures. Another time perhaps.
And now, on to the tour!
At the very back of the property where I toss all my compost, some plants have self seeded over the years. Last year I pulled out lots of trees and bushes and this year I have this!
They smell amazing! Mixed in with the flowers is burdock, invasive weeds, and tree trucks sprouting undesirable branches but it's so nice that I can't see them at the moment.
I've been thinning out some of the shade gardens on the west side of the yard. I've got some beautiful stuff in there. My favorite bleeding heart, a lovely hosta, some ferns.
The problem is that as things have grown, that bed is unbalanced -- some areas are empty where I've pulled out the aggressive ferns while other plants are huge and need to be split. It needs more work.
Around the corner from this bed is a lovely bed of bugloss. An ugly name for some pretty flowers.
They self seed to a certain extent and I traded them for other plants. The tall plant in the back is a turtlehead. It blooms a bit later in the summer, beautiful pink flowers.
I've been working on the shady area on the east side of the house. There is a rock wall of sorts between our yard and our neighbor's driveway and that wall sets things off nicely. I've been splitting a lot of the plants I've got so there is a lot of repetition in the garden.
Hostas and bugloss. One of the trees here is a redbud tree that is beautiful when in bloom.
One of my favorite plants is this Japanese ginger. I love the shiny leaves and the way it grows in clumps. I've split these over and and so they're all over my shade gardens.
See the wall? This picture is overexposed but it does show the wall. I should see if I can grow things in the crevices.
Sweet woodruff and Solomon's Seal.
Solomon's Seal close up.
Near the house is where the water is splashing back. Here is one of my test solutions. The lanium seems very happy there.
I've also been planting some short sweet little plants that I'm hoping with turn into a ground cover between the rocks and the house. I've got lily of the valley, sweet woodruff, and moss in there.
The front and east side of the house has lots and lots of peonies that were here when we bought the house. They don't bloom very much and I attribute that to compacted soil and lack of light. At some point I could make a bed elsewhere in the yard and transplant them but that's so far in the future I can't even contemplate that right now.
Next to the driveway I've got several rugosa with dianthus boarders. Some of the rugosa are about to bloom.
I also made the mistake of planting this stuff along the driveway. I don't know what it's called but it spreads like mad.
Between the garage (the woodchuck lives under the garage and ate my tomatoes, zucchini blossoms, and cilantro last year) and the fence is an area with gravel but there are some determined plants that happily live there anyway.
Lily of the valley, some sort of vine I cut back repeatedly and this columbine that self seeds in the gravel.The front is a mess though. When my Mom was here we planted some geraniums my boss gave me that she claimed could survive anything between the sidewalk and the street. They've grown considerably and I have high hopes they'll be happy there, especially when they're so thick I won't have to weed. There is also a little snow in summer and something else I can't remember.
I planted a few sun and drought tolerant plants along the walk to the front steps.
They look better in real life than they look in this picture. Really! I like the alternating textures and colors and threw in the annuals to perk it up a bit until it fills in a bit. It would help if I swept the dirt back into the flowers.
As a reward for all my hard work my garden cart gave me a flat tire.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Important information
The pea-like cottonwood seeds survive a trip through the washing machine and dryer without exploding and depositing little white cotton all over the clothes.
That is all.
That is all.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Menu control
When I was a kid we ate the same meals frequently. There wasn’t a set schedule that I remember, but it wasn’t a huge variety of foods.
Things I remember having often:
In the “orange grease” category, there were sloppy Joes, spaghetti and meat sauce, and
Chili. While all these foods were great eating, it led to the dreaded “orange grease” dishes which caused the person doing dishes to whine “Why do I always get orange grease nights?”
We sometimes had prepared heat and eat food such as frozen pizzas, chop suey from a can, potpies, and mock chicken legs which were breaded meat food on a stick in the shape of a chicken leg. We loved that stuff and considered it a special treat.
Then there were the usual things: roasts, burgers, bratwurst, baked chicken, pork chops, etc.
And I remember looking forward to dinner on the days we had my favorites which were pizza and things in the orange grease category.
I’ve been thinking about how that compares to what we make for Sam. The poor kid never knows what’s going to be plopped on his plate because so much of it is based on what’s in the house, what we get in the share, and the whims of his parents. I’m trying to think back on the dinner meals for the past week for instance:
Today: Homemade chicken pot pie
Yesterday: Venison and white bean soup, cheese rollups, spinach salad
Sunday: Baked chicken, spinach salad, wheat berry salad
Saturday: Pasta w bacon and asparagus.
Friday: Spaghetti and meatballs and whatever with it
Thursday: Fish, scallops, cod. Asparagus tart
Wednesday: ?? I can’t remember that far back.
Ok, I know that’s not complete but my point is that we throw all sorts of things at Sam and most of the time it’s something he’s not had before because we’re just making it up as we go along.
Last week when he asked for spaghetti and meatballs it occurred to me that he might like a bit more standardization of the dinner menu although I suspect I wouldn’t care much for his desired rotation as it would be heavy on typical kid favorites, pizza, spaghetti, hotdogs, hamburgers, chili, etc. But I think I’m going to let him pick one night a week where he gets to set the menu because I don’t think I’d like to always have someone else dictating what I eat.
Things I remember having often:
In the “orange grease” category, there were sloppy Joes, spaghetti and meat sauce, and
Chili. While all these foods were great eating, it led to the dreaded “orange grease” dishes which caused the person doing dishes to whine “Why do I always get orange grease nights?”
We sometimes had prepared heat and eat food such as frozen pizzas, chop suey from a can, potpies, and mock chicken legs which were breaded meat food on a stick in the shape of a chicken leg. We loved that stuff and considered it a special treat.
Then there were the usual things: roasts, burgers, bratwurst, baked chicken, pork chops, etc.
And I remember looking forward to dinner on the days we had my favorites which were pizza and things in the orange grease category.
I’ve been thinking about how that compares to what we make for Sam. The poor kid never knows what’s going to be plopped on his plate because so much of it is based on what’s in the house, what we get in the share, and the whims of his parents. I’m trying to think back on the dinner meals for the past week for instance:
Today: Homemade chicken pot pie
Yesterday: Venison and white bean soup, cheese rollups, spinach salad
Sunday: Baked chicken, spinach salad, wheat berry salad
Saturday: Pasta w bacon and asparagus.
Friday: Spaghetti and meatballs and whatever with it
Thursday: Fish, scallops, cod. Asparagus tart
Wednesday: ?? I can’t remember that far back.
Ok, I know that’s not complete but my point is that we throw all sorts of things at Sam and most of the time it’s something he’s not had before because we’re just making it up as we go along.
Last week when he asked for spaghetti and meatballs it occurred to me that he might like a bit more standardization of the dinner menu although I suspect I wouldn’t care much for his desired rotation as it would be heavy on typical kid favorites, pizza, spaghetti, hotdogs, hamburgers, chili, etc. But I think I’m going to let him pick one night a week where he gets to set the menu because I don’t think I’d like to always have someone else dictating what I eat.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
What say you?
Sam told me he wants a "geranium" to keep all his animals. He's five, he can't remember to eat his breakfast without a reminder. I can't help seeing a terrarium full of dead toads and other assorted yard wildlife....
The ecstacy and agony
The Burlington City Marathon is this weekend, they're likely running close to my house as I type this. There is also a kid's race, over 600 total runners, associated with the marathon and Sam and his good buddies all ran in the 1/2 mile race. See how happy and excited they were before the race? 
Sam was that happy even though when his red balloon took flight.
There were opening ceremonies including a race announcer who seemed to have no experience with kids. Talk about your own credentials for announcing races, since young kids are always impressed by such things. Be very wordy. He was trying to herd the kids around the too short stage. Come on up here kiddies...but no parents. Yup, we love the idea of leaving our young kids in a sea of children surrounded by a huge mob of adults, especially the three and four year olds.
A few token warm up jumps and toe touches and they line up at the starting line.
With the toot of an air horn, the race began with great excitement. Sam was running with his two buddies and the mother of one of his friends. Sam pulled way ahead and disappeared into the crowd of runners. I went to the finish line to see if I could get a picture of Sam's big finish. The first kids came flying to the finish line. Then lots of other kids finished. The first of his buddies, with his mom, showed up but still no Sam. She told me Sam had taken off ahead of her. More kids finished. I figured I must have missed him in the crowd. I finally found him with Ben...they'd finished the race together but way later than his friend.
Apparently there had been a few glitches in the whole process. Sam got ahead of his friends but they hadn't seen him when they passed him again. Ben saw Sam standing forlorn on the course about halfway through and ran the rest of the way with him. His third buddy fell down somewhere on the course and was carried off for a bit of TLC and a band aid.
Sam told me he'd "run out of smoke" and had to stop and catch his breath.
Sam enjoyed some post race refreshments.
And then headed down to the water for some post-race entertainment.
Then we were off to his next activity of the day, his t-ball game. Sam wore his "gold" metal.
Sam was that happy even though when his red balloon took flight.
There were opening ceremonies including a race announcer who seemed to have no experience with kids. Talk about your own credentials for announcing races, since young kids are always impressed by such things. Be very wordy. He was trying to herd the kids around the too short stage. Come on up here kiddies...but no parents. Yup, we love the idea of leaving our young kids in a sea of children surrounded by a huge mob of adults, especially the three and four year olds.
A few token warm up jumps and toe touches and they line up at the starting line.
With the toot of an air horn, the race began with great excitement. Sam was running with his two buddies and the mother of one of his friends. Sam pulled way ahead and disappeared into the crowd of runners. I went to the finish line to see if I could get a picture of Sam's big finish. The first kids came flying to the finish line. Then lots of other kids finished. The first of his buddies, with his mom, showed up but still no Sam. She told me Sam had taken off ahead of her. More kids finished. I figured I must have missed him in the crowd. I finally found him with Ben...they'd finished the race together but way later than his friend.
Apparently there had been a few glitches in the whole process. Sam got ahead of his friends but they hadn't seen him when they passed him again. Ben saw Sam standing forlorn on the course about halfway through and ran the rest of the way with him. His third buddy fell down somewhere on the course and was carried off for a bit of TLC and a band aid.
Sam told me he'd "run out of smoke" and had to stop and catch his breath.
Sam enjoyed some post race refreshments.
And then headed down to the water for some post-race entertainment.
Then we were off to his next activity of the day, his t-ball game. Sam wore his "gold" metal.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Gram visits!
My mom comes out and what do I do? I put her to work! Mandatory gardening in Vermont. We built some small flower beds between the sidewalk and the curb and did some mulching.
We dragged her to swimming lessons and t-ball. She dragged us downtown to Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream but there were no complaints about that.
Sam loved having her here as a willing playmate and I loved having her here as Sam's willing playmate too.....
But we did take a break from that to do other things. We headed to the Shelburne Museum for their lilac festival. Check out the view behind mom.
I tried to get a picture of mom and Sam together but Sam's been into making horrible faces so I didn't succeed. I got this shot though.
One of the exhibits this year is a motorcycle exhibit. Check out this bike.
I wouldn't want to fall on that one with all those pointed ends I'm sure I'd be impaled.
I do think she should move here. All in favor say AYE!
We dragged her to swimming lessons and t-ball. She dragged us downtown to Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream but there were no complaints about that.
Sam loved having her here as a willing playmate and I loved having her here as Sam's willing playmate too.....
But we did take a break from that to do other things. We headed to the Shelburne Museum for their lilac festival. Check out the view behind mom.
I tried to get a picture of mom and Sam together but Sam's been into making horrible faces so I didn't succeed. I got this shot though.
One of the exhibits this year is a motorcycle exhibit. Check out this bike.
I wouldn't want to fall on that one with all those pointed ends I'm sure I'd be impaled.I do think she should move here. All in favor say AYE!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Did you know
- It's possible to play catch and weed at the same time? It is, but only if someone throws badly enough that fetching the ball from the other side of the fence keeps the person throwing the ball poorly busy for a bit
- Cats will eat newly-spouted corn plants
- When an official picture (such as Sam's t-ball one) turns out to be very amusing, it might somehow end up being a Father's Day gift
- When someone comes to visit, my mom in this case, I don't post?
Saturday, May 16, 2009
I must agree with Sam's assessment
We were at a party today and Sam had a piece of cake with a big frosting flower on it. He told us "It tasted like Play-doh!"
I have to concur....
I have to concur....
Must she also sign on the dotted line?
Our neighbor, Sophie, stopped by the other day. She admired Sam's butterflies, all five of them, in their little mesh cage....and wanted one. I told her she needed to speak to Sam about it and he nicely consented to give her one. There was a complication; she didn't have a container in which to house a butterfly.
We all headed out for a bit and a little while later Sophie told Sam she's buy his butterflies for $20. He agreed. She then mentioned something about two dimes which isn't exactly the same as $20 so that deal fell through.
A little while later Sam came back to me with $1.20 in his hands and told me that he needed to bring the butterflies to Sophie's house. It seems they'd brokered their own deal where Sophie would keep them at her house for an unspecified period of time or maybe a day, they weren't clear on the details. He's got time, he'll figure it out. Apparently he's trying to live up to this look.
We all headed out for a bit and a little while later Sophie told Sam she's buy his butterflies for $20. He agreed. She then mentioned something about two dimes which isn't exactly the same as $20 so that deal fell through.
A little while later Sam came back to me with $1.20 in his hands and told me that he needed to bring the butterflies to Sophie's house. It seems they'd brokered their own deal where Sophie would keep them at her house for an unspecified period of time or maybe a day, they weren't clear on the details. He's got time, he'll figure it out. Apparently he's trying to live up to this look.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
'tis the field trip season
Sam's school does field trips when the weather gets nice. I volunteered to chaperon a trip to the Audubon Vermont frog pond and, of course, took lots of pictures.
I drove these two friendly monsters.
We saw a puppet show where the relative merits of dragonfly and froggie baby pictures were debated.
Then the leader somehow turned a very cute, but somewhat surprised, little girl into a frog.
We followed the Pied Piper of Audubon out to the pond.
We stopped on the way to admire the work of the resident beavers.
We viewed the pond for signs of life.
Found a lazy and not very bright frog.
Then the kids each grabbed a net and got to work.
We found salamander eggs.
3 kids fell in the water but I only got a picture of one of them.
Sam played scientist.
We caught lots of creepy crawly things including salamanders, a giant tadpole, and a bunch of dragonfly larvae.
The kids were fascinated.
And then it was time to head home.
I drove these two friendly monsters.
We saw a puppet show where the relative merits of dragonfly and froggie baby pictures were debated.
Then the leader somehow turned a very cute, but somewhat surprised, little girl into a frog.
We followed the Pied Piper of Audubon out to the pond.
We stopped on the way to admire the work of the resident beavers.
We viewed the pond for signs of life.
Found a lazy and not very bright frog.
Then the kids each grabbed a net and got to work.
We found salamander eggs.
3 kids fell in the water but I only got a picture of one of them.
Sam played scientist.
We caught lots of creepy crawly things including salamanders, a giant tadpole, and a bunch of dragonfly larvae.
The kids were fascinated.
And then it was time to head home.
Kindegarten bound
In preparation for kindergarten, the school holds a "treasure hunt." It's an opportunity for the kids to see the school and for teachers to do a quick evaluation of the skills and abilities of the incoming class. We rushed in, running late because of Sam's swimming lesson, to find that they'd nearly written us off as no-shows. I wonder if parental timeliness is one of the criteria used to place kids in particular classes?
They started off with a "treasure map" with pictures of the teachers he'd meet along the way. It starts out very easily with a very simple art project then off for a disguised test of his ability to recognize letters. They sat down with the kids for a letters game where the letters were all mixed on a page and to check letter recognition. Sam recognized all the upper case letters but mixed up some of the lower case ones, the "b,d,p,q" series, "f & t" and "u & n." I'm surprised there was no number recognition section. He met the first kindergarten teacher after that, the youngest of the three in the smallest windowless room. Based on what I saw there, I have to assume that rooms are assigned based on seniority. I never noticed the politics of room assignments when I was a kid but I bet it's a big deal to teachers when they get to move to a nicer room.
The next stop was the computer lab where listened to the school song on the computer. I'm surprised he didn't start punching keys doing his "work."
Off to see the next two kindergarten teachers, one of whom invited him to write his name on a poster board, and then to the gym for a quick look, then to the science center. It was a whirlwind tour of the school. I wonder how much the teachers learn about the kids in such a quick and chaotic visit?
They started off with a "treasure map" with pictures of the teachers he'd meet along the way. It starts out very easily with a very simple art project then off for a disguised test of his ability to recognize letters. They sat down with the kids for a letters game where the letters were all mixed on a page and to check letter recognition. Sam recognized all the upper case letters but mixed up some of the lower case ones, the "b,d,p,q" series, "f & t" and "u & n." I'm surprised there was no number recognition section. He met the first kindergarten teacher after that, the youngest of the three in the smallest windowless room. Based on what I saw there, I have to assume that rooms are assigned based on seniority. I never noticed the politics of room assignments when I was a kid but I bet it's a big deal to teachers when they get to move to a nicer room.
The next stop was the computer lab where listened to the school song on the computer. I'm surprised he didn't start punching keys doing his "work."
Off to see the next two kindergarten teachers, one of whom invited him to write his name on a poster board, and then to the gym for a quick look, then to the science center. It was a whirlwind tour of the school. I wonder how much the teachers learn about the kids in such a quick and chaotic visit?
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
And so it begins
Conversation this evening.
Sam: Can I have a cell phone?
Me: No.
Sam: But why? Marissa has one and she's only 4!
Sam: Can I have a cell phone?
Me: No.
Sam: But why? Marissa has one and she's only 4!
Monday, May 04, 2009
Urban Wildlife
Sam is fascinated with living things which seems like a very nice thing. But at one point this weekend I had in my living room:
- Butterfly cocoons (4) and one live butterfly. Two other cocoons have since, er, hatched.
- One small toad in a jar. This was my fault because I spotted it while mowing and Sam then decided it must be kept. Then we got to fight about when we were going to let it go.
- Toad eggs in the process of turning into teeny tiny tadpoles.
This is all well and good but the associated spills and feeding are time consuming. Sam brought the tadpoles to school today and left them there so tomorrow we're bringing fresh frog pond water to refresh the container. I'm not sure if it's better to do maintenance from afar or have the tadpoles in the house.
We've been busy around here. Sam's t-ball is more time consuming than I'd expected with games and practices and opening day and requests for volunteers at the snack shop. Saturday was opening day and Sam's team was the first team of all the Burlington teams introduced. Bewildered five year olds ran onto the field when their names were called and then stood staring at all the people looking at them.
Sam is on the blue team, for t-ball they're all Lake Monsters of various colors. He loves his hat and tee shirt and wants to wear them each and every day without regard to laundry. I put my foot down because I don't want him to be known as the stinky kid and he gets that way what with all the toad juice and such.
He's also been learning to use my sewing machine which is my fault because I've been too lazy to put it away. He made a sleeping bag for his new bear Ronan
Look, here he is combining two of his recent interests -- baseball and sewing.
Ronan looks very comfy in his new sleeping bag. 
In case tee ball and sewing won't keep him busy enough, he's also taking swimming lessons on Wednesday evenings. Actually, that's my fault. I really think he needs to know how to swim and by the time I thought about it, it was too late to sign him up for the last session but for future reference I want him to be involved in only ONE activity at a time.
But what a difference a couple of years makes! He actually listens to the teacher and he loves it! I love that I don't have to be in the water with him too....
Let's see, other time consuming but not overly interesting things that are happening here. Ben's birthday is on Friday and I'm trying to organize a small party for him and get some things done early so I'm not trying to do everything on one day. I've got seedlings ready to go into the ground as soon as we're sure we aren't going to get another freeze. I'm continuing my yard clean up and planting but given that, why don't things look fabulous? My grass is growing although there seems to be large spots where nothing is coming up for some largely known reason. Porches are scrubbed of their winter dirt layer which makes them strikingly more attractive. I'm also thinking about joining the board of directors for a non-profit organization just to get outside my comfort zone a bit. Throw in a couple of pot luck lunches and dinners and I'm feeling a tad busy but it's a good busy.
My goal for this summer is to have some leisure time to sit in the sun with a good book. Apparently I'm not off to a very good start on that but I'm trying. I'm not sure how to get Sam to see my goal as his priority.
Ben updates? He's lost about 40(!) lbs in two months and is taking two writing classes. I barely see him. He's also in the midst of turkey hunting season and got a turkey on opening day. Things are busy busy busy around here.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Toad world
The toads are getting busy!
Sam and his friend Sophie were terrorizing the toads and yet they stayed stuck firmly together. We went home with a jar of toad eggs to see if the tadpoles will grow.
The noise is amazing!
Sam and his friend Sophie were terrorizing the toads and yet they stayed stuck firmly together. We went home with a jar of toad eggs to see if the tadpoles will grow.
The noise is amazing!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
One of those days
I am, once more, trying to grow grass in our front yard. Remember our last attempt? That died. It made it through that summer with frequent watering but didn't come back last summer. So this year I'm trying again. Death theories: not enough organic material to hold moisture, grubs, too hot and dry. This year, I dug in a yard of compost and bought seeds that have some sort of coating that in theory, will keep it from drying out too quickly. I put down some sort of decomposing ugly green sheet that is supposed to hold in moisture and decompose naturally. I watered it.
Sam asked if he could help so I let him water while I went to bring some stuff to the compost area. When I got back Sam had been having fun walking all over the green sheeting, making holes in it. He was having great fun making tunnels under the green sheets, washing the soil and seeds onto the sidewalk.
I lost my cool. I was ready to throttle him. When do kids develop COMMON SENSE??????
Sam asked if he could help so I let him water while I went to bring some stuff to the compost area. When I got back Sam had been having fun walking all over the green sheeting, making holes in it. He was having great fun making tunnels under the green sheets, washing the soil and seeds onto the sidewalk.
I lost my cool. I was ready to throttle him. When do kids develop COMMON SENSE??????
T-ball practice
First day out. May I introduce the Blue team? Sam didn't even bother wearing a baseball cap. 
Throwing practice.
Batting practice.
Go Sam go!
Shall we start a t-ball betting pool?
Throwing practice.
Batting practice.
Go Sam go!
Shall we start a t-ball betting pool?
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A day with the boy
8:30 am - Dentist -- 2 cavities filled
9:30 am - Shop for wrapping paper for a birthday present.
10:00 am - Kill time drinking coffee or hot chocolate while practicing math problems (addition and subtraction using shells to assist)
11:00 am - Haircut
12:00 noon - Lunch downtown
12:30 pm - Art exhibit. New bugs, just for Beth:
But made out of balloons. Another bug:
Want to look in it's mouth?
The Artist is Jason Hackenwerth and the exhibit is called MICRO-MACRO. Why don't the balloons leak?
1:00 pm - Hanging out with the Mayor in front of the fountains. What is this trying to eat Sam's ear?
Oh, it's a deer!
Sam didn't swim in the newly renovated fountains but there were a couple of kids in the water while their Dad whined at them ineffectively.
2:00 pm - We walked down to Echo Center. Sam's finally getting to the age where he's interested in the exhibits rather than just the play areas. There was a mud fling off the third floor balcony in honor of mud season.
4:00 pm - Hang out at the lake, toss sticks in the water.
4:30 pm - Home again home again. Exhaustion. Me, not him.
9:30 am - Shop for wrapping paper for a birthday present.
10:00 am - Kill time drinking coffee or hot chocolate while practicing math problems (addition and subtraction using shells to assist)
11:00 am - Haircut
12:00 noon - Lunch downtown
12:30 pm - Art exhibit. New bugs, just for Beth:
But made out of balloons. Another bug:
Want to look in it's mouth?
The Artist is Jason Hackenwerth and the exhibit is called MICRO-MACRO. Why don't the balloons leak?
1:00 pm - Hanging out with the Mayor in front of the fountains. What is this trying to eat Sam's ear?
Oh, it's a deer!
Sam didn't swim in the newly renovated fountains but there were a couple of kids in the water while their Dad whined at them ineffectively.
2:00 pm - We walked down to Echo Center. Sam's finally getting to the age where he's interested in the exhibits rather than just the play areas. There was a mud fling off the third floor balcony in honor of mud season.
4:00 pm - Hang out at the lake, toss sticks in the water.
4:30 pm - Home again home again. Exhaustion. Me, not him.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sam's going to be a Daddy!
Beautiful, eh? A Christmas gift from Auntie Lisa, delayed until there is at least a remote possibility of letting them go. When we got them, they were tiny little larva and now they're at least an inch long. The brown stuff at the bottom is food but all the little pieces of stuff everywhere is caterpillar poo. Poor housekeeping. They're going to turn into painted lady butterflies -- if they survive their caterpillarhood.
Sam's taken them to school twice now. The first day was soon after he got them and they spent the day in his pocket, the poor things. He brought them in today as well but he was under strict instructions that they must NOT be pocketed.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sam's homework
Last night Sam told me he had to go upstairs to do his homework. I imagine this is his version of a book report.
Sam at work:
Page 1:
Page 2:
Contest: How many titles do you recognize?
Sam at work:
Page 1:
Page 2:
Contest: How many titles do you recognize?
Saturday, April 11, 2009
'twas the night before Easter
And Sam is excited. Today I primed the excitement by taking him to an Easter egg hunt at Vermont Teddy Bear. When we got there, we spotted this guy: 
Aw, he's so cute! Sam, though, did whatever he could to stay away from him, even hiding behind me.
Oh how I would have loved to get a picture as good as the one from when he was two and we happened upon the Easter Bunny, but he's too big to bunny-handl now.
There was a pretty standard egg hunt where he got some candy that he decided he wouldn't eat; he wanted to wait until tomorrow because that's really Easter. Who is this child?
After the hunt we went inside and watched people making bears. Sam asked for one and I realized that I'd never gotten him a stuffed animal of any type. Sam selected a Holstein-spotted bear. Sam added a heart and then the woman helped Sam fill the bear with bear guts.
After the bear was stuffed, he was sewn up. Here the woman asked Sam if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord. I chuckled, he was nonplussed but complied.
Sam filled out the bear's birth certificate. What you can't see here is that he named his bear Ronan, after his friend, although at first he wanted to call him Sam.
Then off for a tour of the factory. Nothing too exciting here but they've got this on display. It's HUGE!
Then it's home with a bear in a box.
Isn't he cute?
Aw, he's so cute! Sam, though, did whatever he could to stay away from him, even hiding behind me.
Oh how I would have loved to get a picture as good as the one from when he was two and we happened upon the Easter Bunny, but he's too big to bunny-handl now.
There was a pretty standard egg hunt where he got some candy that he decided he wouldn't eat; he wanted to wait until tomorrow because that's really Easter. Who is this child?
After the hunt we went inside and watched people making bears. Sam asked for one and I realized that I'd never gotten him a stuffed animal of any type. Sam selected a Holstein-spotted bear. Sam added a heart and then the woman helped Sam fill the bear with bear guts.
After the bear was stuffed, he was sewn up. Here the woman asked Sam if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord. I chuckled, he was nonplussed but complied.
Sam filled out the bear's birth certificate. What you can't see here is that he named his bear Ronan, after his friend, although at first he wanted to call him Sam.
Then off for a tour of the factory. Nothing too exciting here but they've got this on display. It's HUGE!
Then it's home with a bear in a box.
Isn't he cute?
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
What should I drop?
When I first met Ben he had a cat, a little fluffy white cat named Sluggo. Sluggo was a cat with personality and you always knew how he felt about things. For instance, Ben isn't very observant in general and when menial but important task needs to be done, he's very good at overlooking that task. Sluggo responded to Ben's inattention to an overflowing litter box by taking a dump outside the box and suddenly, Sluggo's needs were met.
When I came into Sluggo's life I ended up taking over that menial task and we never had the problem again. At this point, I end up with almost all the menial but important tasks; some because it's more important to me that it get done than to the others in the house, and some because it's easier to do it than to nag others in this house to get it done.
I need to stop that.
The other day Sam dropped some food on the floor and when I told him to clean it up, he said "But you do all the cleaning."
Wrong answer kid! Now Ben and Sam both need to suffer as the result of your statement. It's time for me to crack the whip and make them get to work.
Sam is responsible for a few small tasks around the house. He has to set the table which means he has to put silverware on the table. When I ask him to do it he whines "Why do I have to do everything?" I also make him clear his dishes from the table and put them in the dishwasher because I'm mean. I expect him to put his dirty clothes in the laundry room.
The other day he was complaining because he didn't have any pajamas. And why was that? Because he'd decided to put all his dirty clothes under his bed rather than putting them in the laundry room. I'd noticed it happening but pretended I didn't because I knew if I said something it wouldn't change his behavior, it would just make him whine.
"Sam, where are all your pajamas? I've been doing laundry and haven't seen them."
....
"Where are they? Have you been putting them in the laundry room?"
"No."
"Well, if you put them in the laundry room I'll wash them."
He's been much better about it since then.
Getting all the stupid little tasks of day to day life done takes up an inordinate amount of time and most of the time it isn't as easy as solving the problem of Sam's pajamas. I think I need to find the adult equivalent of pooping outside the litter box to get the attention of the other people living in this house.
When I came into Sluggo's life I ended up taking over that menial task and we never had the problem again. At this point, I end up with almost all the menial but important tasks; some because it's more important to me that it get done than to the others in the house, and some because it's easier to do it than to nag others in this house to get it done.
I need to stop that.
The other day Sam dropped some food on the floor and when I told him to clean it up, he said "But you do all the cleaning."
Wrong answer kid! Now Ben and Sam both need to suffer as the result of your statement. It's time for me to crack the whip and make them get to work.
Sam is responsible for a few small tasks around the house. He has to set the table which means he has to put silverware on the table. When I ask him to do it he whines "Why do I have to do everything?" I also make him clear his dishes from the table and put them in the dishwasher because I'm mean. I expect him to put his dirty clothes in the laundry room.
The other day he was complaining because he didn't have any pajamas. And why was that? Because he'd decided to put all his dirty clothes under his bed rather than putting them in the laundry room. I'd noticed it happening but pretended I didn't because I knew if I said something it wouldn't change his behavior, it would just make him whine.
"Sam, where are all your pajamas? I've been doing laundry and haven't seen them."
....
"Where are they? Have you been putting them in the laundry room?"
"No."
"Well, if you put them in the laundry room I'll wash them."
He's been much better about it since then.
Getting all the stupid little tasks of day to day life done takes up an inordinate amount of time and most of the time it isn't as easy as solving the problem of Sam's pajamas. I think I need to find the adult equivalent of pooping outside the litter box to get the attention of the other people living in this house.
Monday, April 06, 2009
You've come a long way baby!
I was thinking back to Sam's first year. They year where he catnapped during the day, usually for less than 30 minutes at a time and work up at the slightest jostle. He didn't sleep through the night until he was about 16 months. Before that he was awake awake every couple of hours. Naps were an exercise in futility because it would take longer for him to go to sleep than he'd actually sleep so my frustration level was extremely high.
His current sleep patterns are a long way from perfect but we've come a long way. If he sleeps in for an extra half hour in the morning it takes an extra hour for him to get to sleep at night. If he for some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reason falls asleep during the day he'll be awake until 11 pm.
But look at him while he sleeps. I love to check on him before I go to bed and when I do I see this:
Or this:
Or even this:
Each night it's a little different but it's all better than way back when.
His current sleep patterns are a long way from perfect but we've come a long way. If he sleeps in for an extra half hour in the morning it takes an extra hour for him to get to sleep at night. If he for some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reason falls asleep during the day he'll be awake until 11 pm.
But look at him while he sleeps. I love to check on him before I go to bed and when I do I see this:
Or this:
Or even this:
Each night it's a little different but it's all better than way back when.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sam experimented at school today
He came home in pants belonging to his school, two sizes too large, carrying this:
The note said that Sam was practicing his scissor skills with the result above. Not only that, apparently the spare pants in his cubby were so small that he couldn't even wear them. This kid needs to stop growing!
He now has a pair of short shorts for summer.
The note said that Sam was practicing his scissor skills with the result above. Not only that, apparently the spare pants in his cubby were so small that he couldn't even wear them. This kid needs to stop growing!
He now has a pair of short shorts for summer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
