"Because I'm the parent" seems a perfectly reasonable thing to say. Benevolent dictatorship and all. However, some of the things that pop out of my mouth truly do surprise me:
"No, you are NOT going to mummify your sister" (to Chana)
"Markers go on the paper, not in your mouth" (to Ilana, after a market went SPLOOSH all over her teeth. She was distraught and wanted to nurse. EWWWW!)
"STOP READING!!!!!!!" (to Batsheva)
"You may not use permanent marker to write on yourself" (to PB)
"You may not use permanent marker to write on another person, especially not a mustache" (ibid)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Oh What a Night (part 2)
Backround info:
our car is in the shop today, so I'm driving my mom's car. Tomorrow (HOORAY!) my parents return from their 7 month self-imposed exile in Florida. At which point they expect to find their car in their driveway so they can do necessary things like go grocery shopping.
The night:
Tonight was supposed to be my big night out with my old friends (not that we're "old"), Heidi and Jodi. We went to elementary school together, and, despite being pretty different people, we have made it through thick and thin and still actually like to hang out with each other. Like it a lot, in fact!
Jodi went to college at UMass Amherst, then moved to Texas, and then lived for a number of years in Singapore (!). She moved back to MA about 1 1/2 years ago with her husband and two children, and now lives about an hour away from Heidi and me. Heidi and I see each other all the time. She and her son came over for dinner last night, in fact.
Last month, after working for what felt like weeks to coordinate schedules to find time for "Ladies Night", we had a great time together and got Heidi ready to testify (in 60 seconds or less) before a State Senate subcommittee on education.
This month, I felt way too swamped with preparations for the holiday of Shavuot and our friends who are coming to stay with us for 5 nights. So I bowed out of dinner but said I would meet up with them at Starbucks. After giving everyone dinner and putting PB to bed, I made it to BJ's with 20 minutes to shop before our meeting time. I even survived the horrendous checkout line without needing store personnel-assistance in self checkout (now THERE'S an accomplishment!).
I got to my mother's car in the lot (ours being in the shop) and the darn thing wouldn't start!
Well, off to put Ilana to bed. Tune in later for the ending....
our car is in the shop today, so I'm driving my mom's car. Tomorrow (HOORAY!) my parents return from their 7 month self-imposed exile in Florida. At which point they expect to find their car in their driveway so they can do necessary things like go grocery shopping.
The night:
Tonight was supposed to be my big night out with my old friends (not that we're "old"), Heidi and Jodi. We went to elementary school together, and, despite being pretty different people, we have made it through thick and thin and still actually like to hang out with each other. Like it a lot, in fact!
Jodi went to college at UMass Amherst, then moved to Texas, and then lived for a number of years in Singapore (!). She moved back to MA about 1 1/2 years ago with her husband and two children, and now lives about an hour away from Heidi and me. Heidi and I see each other all the time. She and her son came over for dinner last night, in fact.
Last month, after working for what felt like weeks to coordinate schedules to find time for "Ladies Night", we had a great time together and got Heidi ready to testify (in 60 seconds or less) before a State Senate subcommittee on education.
This month, I felt way too swamped with preparations for the holiday of Shavuot and our friends who are coming to stay with us for 5 nights. So I bowed out of dinner but said I would meet up with them at Starbucks. After giving everyone dinner and putting PB to bed, I made it to BJ's with 20 minutes to shop before our meeting time. I even survived the horrendous checkout line without needing store personnel-assistance in self checkout (now THERE'S an accomplishment!).
I got to my mother's car in the lot (ours being in the shop) and the darn thing wouldn't start!
Well, off to put Ilana to bed. Tune in later for the ending....
Sunday, May 20, 2007
One small step for baby....one giant step for....well, Ilana.
On Shabbat, Ilana took one teensy tinsy very wobbly little step. Chana and I, of course, flipped out and she fell down BOOM while smiling. Our wonderful friend Janet who was here for Shabbat with her husband, Mark, is our witness that the historic event really did take place :)
B'sha'ah tova to Janet (CLKL--remember her?), who is due with her first in about 3 weeks! SO neat!
B'sha'ah tova to Janet (CLKL--remember her?), who is due with her first in about 3 weeks! SO neat!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
What's new with Ilana?
Why, funny you should ask! Starting Saturday night, she began to stand up on her own without holding on to anything. Soooo cute to see. By the end of her practice time, she was even able to clap for herself for being so clever!
She can walk holding on with one hand.
She can (still) climb like a monkey.
She can do a terrific "Shema": covers eyes and says "ahhhhhh".
She can now say "Eva" for "Batsheva" (her first word was "Ana" for Chana).
Current signs: more, all done, "gotta make", nurse. We also use eat, drink, and "thank you" with her, but she hasn't done those yet.
She can walk holding on with one hand.
She can (still) climb like a monkey.
She can do a terrific "Shema": covers eyes and says "ahhhhhh".
She can now say "Eva" for "Batsheva" (her first word was "Ana" for Chana).
Current signs: more, all done, "gotta make", nurse. We also use eat, drink, and "thank you" with her, but she hasn't done those yet.
"Happy Bratska Fartska Tushka Day"
A card that the "oldest of my girls" made for a certain 4.5 year-old who says that comment raw-ther a lot (actually, what she really yells is "you stupid bratska fartska tushka"). OY.....
Someone please remind me that she will (G-d willing, soon) get out of this phase!
Someone please remind me that she will (G-d willing, soon) get out of this phase!
Monday, May 14, 2007
SCD food as artistic statement
on left: homemade yogurt with a layer of baked apples in the middle and fresh blackberries on top.
next: black bean salad with shredded lettuce and tomatoes on a tortilla made entirely of cheddar cheese
next: the same ingredients, but the cheese is made into a folded tortilla (hint: melt cheese in a nonstick pan. wait for it to cool [put in fridge to speed the process if child is very hungry]. Blot oil off. Fold. Enjoy the fact that, gosh dang it, you finally made something that looks NORMAL.
Next:If child refuses to eat yogurt that took 30-something hours to make, put in fancy shmancy glass and artistically top with honey. Hope for the best....
Last picture: "SCD Mac and Cheese", made with spaghetti squash in place of noodles. Tastes pretty darn good, except nothing like what my kids really crave, which comes in a package and has flourescent orange powdered cheese.
Oh what a night....
It all started way back when, on Mother's Day (i.e. yesterday). Now you have to know that, although our house is really bonkers during most days, once we get the kids wrestled into bed at night, it's pretty calm around here. I've worked darn hard this year to get PB's bedtime to 7 pm. Still working on getting Batsheva and Chana into bed around 9. But I digress. Back to the wonderful day where mothers are feted and their children behave like little angels....
Sam was working on work stuff. I was working on soap company stuff. I needed help. By the time he could help me and we worked out what the heck was the problem with our printer, it was 1 am (hi Fern! Which explains why I was writing to you in Israel then. How could I pass up the opportunity to speak in almost real-time?).
And Batsheva was roaming the upstairs very upset about not being able to sleep well, and would we PLEASE come upstairs (needed her across-the-hall teddy bears, I guess).
So we finished and got into bed. Only to find that Goldilocks, er, PB was already there. And would not leave for love, money or threat of all potential for a goodie the next day being taken away. So Sam and I went into the guest room. But that bed was toooo little, being only a single, and had a lack of pillows. So we made our way back into our room and tried to move PB into her sleeping bag on our floor. Which worked for a little while, until she half woke up and discovered our nefarious scheme....
Then Ilana woke up. It was now 4 am. Nursed her, which took a surprisingly long time (maybe it was close enough to daytime for "first breakfast") and put her back in her crib at the foot of our bed (no room for her to stay since PB was already there). She wasn't having any of it. Have you ever gotten to the point of exhaustion where you find it totally possible to fall asleep with a screaming child less than three feet from you (I bet most of you have, actually....)? She finally stopped screaming and took a different tact. She stood up in her crib, looked over the edge endearingly and said, "All Done" ("Ah Dah"). So we smushed her into our bed and got the final 1.5 hours of sleep until it was time to get Batsheva up for school.
On the bright side: Chana slept the whole night. And the birds.
p.s. from the next day: in a totallyn pathetic display of exhaustion, I fell asleep on the floor of the YMCA during PB's gymnastics lesson (Ilana was having a snooze in her carseat, and Chana was only too happy to take a break from doing her math with me). Sure felt better after, though!
Sam was working on work stuff. I was working on soap company stuff. I needed help. By the time he could help me and we worked out what the heck was the problem with our printer, it was 1 am (hi Fern! Which explains why I was writing to you in Israel then. How could I pass up the opportunity to speak in almost real-time?).
And Batsheva was roaming the upstairs very upset about not being able to sleep well, and would we PLEASE come upstairs (needed her across-the-hall teddy bears, I guess).
So we finished and got into bed. Only to find that Goldilocks, er, PB was already there. And would not leave for love, money or threat of all potential for a goodie the next day being taken away. So Sam and I went into the guest room. But that bed was toooo little, being only a single, and had a lack of pillows. So we made our way back into our room and tried to move PB into her sleeping bag on our floor. Which worked for a little while, until she half woke up and discovered our nefarious scheme....
Then Ilana woke up. It was now 4 am. Nursed her, which took a surprisingly long time (maybe it was close enough to daytime for "first breakfast") and put her back in her crib at the foot of our bed (no room for her to stay since PB was already there). She wasn't having any of it. Have you ever gotten to the point of exhaustion where you find it totally possible to fall asleep with a screaming child less than three feet from you (I bet most of you have, actually....)? She finally stopped screaming and took a different tact. She stood up in her crib, looked over the edge endearingly and said, "All Done" ("Ah Dah"). So we smushed her into our bed and got the final 1.5 hours of sleep until it was time to get Batsheva up for school.
On the bright side: Chana slept the whole night. And the birds.
p.s. from the next day: in a totallyn pathetic display of exhaustion, I fell asleep on the floor of the YMCA during PB's gymnastics lesson (Ilana was having a snooze in her carseat, and Chana was only too happy to take a break from doing her math with me). Sure felt better after, though!
Standing
Saturday night, after working towards it for a few days (getting into a squat, but not being able to stand up), Ilana began to stand! She was so thrilled with her new skill that she did it continually for an hour, even progressing to being able to stand and clap for herself without falling over (at least at that moment).
Batsheva, Chana, Leah and I were there to cheer the big accomplishment on.
Batsheva, Chana, Leah and I were there to cheer the big accomplishment on.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Ilana's busy, busy day
Today, let's see, she spent quite a while pulling out the "baby protective" covers on an electrical socket (and, EEK, trying to put them back in). Maybe I should give her some prescription medicine containers to practice on next....
She helped me unload the dishwasher by standing in it (I'm beginning to see why I can't get a handle on the mess in my house!). Is that a picture of a kid saying "I'm busted" or what?!
Climbed up the stairs a bazillion times.
Helpfully unloaded all the plastic forks onto the floor and then chewed on them (box of plastic utensils is now away inside a cabinet)
Was discovered trying to eat a screw that had come loose from the baby gate at the entrance of our schoolroom (I was only about a foot away from her when it happened, but she was facing away from me). The gate is now fixed :)
Tried to sit on Chana's skateboard scooter and fell off, getting her first-ever facial boo-boos.
Yelled "HIIII" at the appropriate moment at karate so that the teacher stopped what he was doing and asked "did she just 'ki ahp'?!"
Climbed into this small plastic chair that holds kids' books in our bathroom. Did I mention that she did it without taking the books out? That was one precariously-perching toddler!
Spent almost the whole day diaper-free at home (two misses at home [one she crawled into the bathroom and banged on the potty, but I didn't make it in time to help her actually get *on* the potty. I don't think that one really counts as a miss!], one when she was diapered at karate)
She also ate several spoonfuls of homemade organic apple sauce (see SC Diet posts below), opening her mouth reaaaally wide and then smearing it in her hair.
I'm exhausted!
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