4/20/08 The Series

A nasty headache tonight belies an otherwise marvelous day, highlighted by our first letterbox "series." We went to a nearby winery, with historic farm buildings and a wine-tasting barn, and famous resident peacocks, then followed a trail to an attached open space preserve. A kind letterboxer planted three letterboxes there, and it was easy to go from one to the next.

We encountered beautiful, varied scenery.


and lots and lots of beautiful spring wildflowers.



..and lots of this. Aww, so pretty, these three shiny red leaves -- doesn't it just make you want to rub it between your fingers? EEEK!


Julian, Gabriel and Aunt Laura each found a letterbox.


Thank goodness, Dad was home with Katrina, or this would have been difficult to impossible -- some parts of the trail were much too narrow and with a major dropoff to accomodate a jogging stroller, and I was very glad to be free of it anyway. The dropoff made us enforce a "no running" rule, which Aunt Laura creatively implemented by playing a rotating game of Follow The Leader.

The crew, having scored 3 out of 3.


It seemed like a long walk back, though it really wasn't, and Julian was getting tired, but on the whole, it went great and we all had a wonderful time. And I got to see a place that is SO closeby, but I'd never fully explored. Wow! I'm definitely going back.

Speaking of series: Katrina put her first words together yesterday: "My SIH!!" which was her demanding to sit in the booster seat in the pickup when one of her brothers dared to reclaim his rightful place. Today she was putting together more words, though most of the time one of those words is "MY!"

I sure look forward to when "My sit" isn't on the program for letterboxing!

4/20/08

4/19/08 The Find

Aunt Laura's here!!

Sleep foiled grand plans for a gruyere fritatta for breakfast, so we went to Bobbi's.

Katrina didn't object to the lower-brow fare. This was one of the few opportunities I had for a photo without her stuffing eggs, pancake, waffle, and bacon into her mouth.

We went back to this lovely nature preserve for another shot at the letterbox we missed last weekend. Thinking about it and talking to the resident expert letterboxer, I had a good idea what my mistake was and was determined to correct it.

This time, the place had been seriously weed-whacked and was much easier to traverse. Based on last week's experience, I brought the backpack instead of the stroller, unnecessary as it turned out, since Dad insisted on carrying Katrina when she didn't insist on walking.

So we set out on the newly shorn trail.


We mingled with wildlife (most of it was alive).


We made our way through forests and along creeks.


We pushed through jungles of tall grasses.


We surmounted obstacles.


We sailed along the clear parts.


Then, much more easily thanks to the reduction of flora, we navigated our way toward the letterbox, which Julian found, much to his delight.


An easy trip back and a quick check in with the local blacksmith (really a replica that's about to be torn down -- not up to code!).


Once back at home, Katrina was out for the count. After sharing a yummy un-foodie lunch with my foodie sister-in-law (Dave went out for a burger), it was time to decorate cookies. The Plan had been to do this with the boys, but they were having too much fun playing with Aunt Laura and talking to Uncle Ryan on the phone. So I got started myself.

Gabriel and Laura joined us, and it came out during this activity that Laura has never decorated cookies!! What a waste of talent! But what a huge opportunity for me! I will take it on as a personal mission to correct this egregious injustice.

We made an appearance at a luau party, so I could say goodbye to the hostess, a 2004/2006 Mom friend who's moving down South. What a day for a luau -- this weekend is as unseasonably bitingly cold as last weekend was balmy warm. We left when it was time to feed children more easily than can be done at a grownup outdoor freezing buffet (though the food looked great).

It was too late to cook, so we bailed and went straight to our favorite Japanese restaurant, where Katrina had her favorite fried rice. She's doing so, so well with a spoon that I have to think back to the last time she let me just feed her. I still have to help her a lot, but we're well on our way toward feeding independence. She even tried my chopsticks.


(I remember discovering that my sister dared to put a bowl of cereal with milk in front of my 23-month-old nephew, and had been for some time. I wouldn't have dreamed of doing that with Gabriel then! Much of that was due to his inclination to throw food, but also his spoon-handling skills were poor, and also I was inexperienced (and tired of wiping milk off the walls). Julian I let have a milk bowl much younger, and Katrina, I've been doing that with for some time. Actually, cold cereal and milk is among the easier things for them to handle -- but no fun if you have a thrower, or if their spoon-handling skills aren't there yet. I'm glad Katrina doesn't take after older brother on this one.)

Since we went to the restaurant impulsively, I braced myself to make do without any toddler accoutrements from home....except one: the sippy-cup of milk. We stopped at home just long enough for me to grab one, but that was all. I didn't even think to grab a bib -- no matter, since Katrina was covered head-to-toe front-and-back in rice by the end anyway.

Maybe tomorrow I'll make a big breakfast....or not. Visits don't get more relaxed than those from our SoCal family!

4/19/08

4/18/08 Recess Day

I took the day off today from work, for a Very Important Date -- a playdate! Gabriel and I joined the Las Madres 2004 group for a park day, since this was the last day of his spring recess. It was really nice just hanging around outside -- being outside -- chatting with friends, watching Gabriel play on swings and in the sandbox. When he was a baby, these park playdates were a lifeline! It almost felt like one today too.

A very energetic and kind Dad spun kids on the tire swing tirelessly (no pun, really!). But not as tirelessly as Gina, who was on that swing for well over an hour, and who never got scared and cried out "stop!" as Gabriel did. Mean Mom Me, I hate standing at swings and pushing, so with some help from an energetic and kind grandma, Gabriel got pumping on a swing himself.


Katrina took her nap today with the big kids, on a mat on the floor! She did pretty well for a new experience like this. I'm glad, because when we move out for remodelling, I'm thinking that's when the crib goes. And when Julian gets a real bed and Katrina inherits Julian's tiny toddler bed.

Also, when we travel back East in July, I sure as heck won't be lugging a pack'n'play around, so it'll be good if she's already used to a mat on the floor. She's pretty -- dary I say this about her? -- agreeable about changes like this. As long as she has her Mimi!

Gabriel and I went to Whole Foods after the park, then after we got home and I unpacked groceries and had a long-overdue lunch, I lay down (I take every chance to rest my back) while he played happily with Legos, singing to himself. I felt so nice having so much downtime with him; interestingly, it seemed like far higher-quality downtime for me than if I'd been alone. I guess because I was really making good use of my day off from work today, just by being with and enjoying my firstborn son.

It turns out that Julian's school has a 4-day-a-week option. I'm starting to seriously consider it for Katrina too. The appeal of having them in the same place, and such a close same place, is very high. But even though I always get a slight "ew" feeling whenever I walk in and see the place, there are many things about it that mitigate my misgivings about daycare centers. It's small. There aren't a lot of kids. There isn't much turnover of caretakers -- some of them there remember Gabriel. The outside play area is ample and shaded, and the kids seem happy entertained, and well-cared for.

One of my problems with Gabriel's experience at a center (a much brighter cheerier one) when he was a baby was that I could never predict who would be taking care of him. The continuity of caretakers at any center can't match that of family daycare, but it's better at Julian's school than most. There's one lady in charge of the 18-month-olds (the youngest they take), and she's there every day, and all day, though of course she has help.

And, of course, it's close, inexpensive, available, they provide lunch, and Julian and Katrina would be together (though not in the same room) -- good for them, good for me. I'm rationalizing, of course; it will be very hard to get through toddlerhood without Tonya or Melissa.

But just the idea of having Katrina closer has put new spring in my step and made my whole work/commute situation seem much more manageable. I searched through the fog for a long time trying to figure out what had to change, and I'm almost certain now that the biggest problem is being too tired from getting up too early and trying to beat traffic. This whole past week, I've been deliberately getting up later (thanks to Katrina happily playing in the crib, or not waking up herself), spending time with her in the morning, and getting to work later. It makes an astounding difference in my attitude the whole day -- I'm so much more relaxed, I feel like a normal grownup, I'm more productive and in a better mood, and even look forward to getting home with everyone. Partly, Katrina has been easier to deal with when we get home, and the later sunlight goes a long way toward mood improvement. But mostly, I'm not hating life from being desperate for sleep all day long.

Aunt Laura's visiting this weekend -- I think I hear Dave's car pulling up now with our ultra-special arrivee! Yay!

4/18/08

4/18/08 Where the trees are

Julian asked me today, on our way to his last skating lesson, "Do trees have addresses?"

Katrina had to share Melissa today with a crawling, pulling-to-stand baby girl who just turned 7 months old (wow!). Katrina's fine with the boys at Melissa's, but not the baby. Not only was she crawling again, but when the baby pulled up to a stand on Melissa's leg, Katrina took the baby's hand off Melissa's leg and said "Mine!" What a brat -- I'm sure glad she's my youngest!

4/18/08

4/16/08 The Morning

Dave had an 8am meeting this morning, so whisked the boys to school early...which left me and Katrina behind to sleep peacefully! At 8:05am, I figured I really had to get up. Ahh. I got ready, then woke Katrina out of a sound sleep at 8:20pm.

At that hour, I wouldn't dream of taking her to daycare in PJs and without breakfast, so I dressed her and took her through the usual rounds of offer, reject, offer, reject. A few bites of banana, a few bites of Joe's O's; then oatmeal was the ticket.

I caught the most interesting little mannerism: she'd scoop a spoonful of oatmeal, then gently tap the spoon on the edge of the bowl, then put it in her mouth. I guessed she was imitating a grownup wiping the bottom of the spoon on the bowl, which Melissa later confirmed. You can see it in the first second of this video.

She's getting pretty good with a spoon!

Then it turned out that we'd blown Wheels Day at the CDC -- horrors! So I brought Gabriel his bicycle and helmet to the CDC, took Katrina to Melissa's, and arrived at work at 9:30am.

How civilized. I wasn't drop-dead dragging wasted all day, I was far more alert and productive and in a good mood and looking forward to picking everyone up. What a difference, sleeping until 8am. And I didn't go to sleep the night before until 1am!!! It's no different than it has been for years for me: I can do fine on less than 8 hours of sleep, as long as that sleep comes when I need it, and I don't have to get up too early in the morning.

But perhaps the most important factor is that I had some nice time alone with my youngest child, alone, and when she was in a great mood. That makes it.

4/18/08

4/15/08 The Tantrum

I picked Katrina up from Melissa's a little early today, and since Dave was picking up the boys, I was looking forward to a little quiet time at home with just Katrina before the onslaught.

Hah!

She was having a great time in the backyard, having recovered from a loss of a tricycle. She tipped over on this one twice, then Melissa put it away and Katrina had a major fit. She got over it with the little push-wagon, which she would not be parted with when I took her home. She was seriously PO'd about being put in the car, and fussed much of the way home. Then, just as she was getting used to being in the car (which usually she's fine about), we got home and I had to take her out of the car.

OH! WELL!! EX>>CUSE<< ME!! The calamity! The disaster! The pestilence!

She threw a full-on tantrum once inside. Nothing would console her. Not her sippy-cup of milk, not Life cereal on her tray, not going back outside to be reunited with her tricycles. Every time I approached her, she'd get madder.

Not knowing what else to do, I took some video.

This actually calmed her down, though she clearly didn't want to be recorded (how does she know?!) and even made some baby-threatening moves toward me. This is about 10 minutes into the fit after we got home (though arguably it was a continuation of the fit that started when I took her from Melissa's):


I tried giving her a choice favorite of Life cereal. This just offended her more.

(Again she calms down when the camera comes out -- what you see is calm.)

I finally gave up and set her in the family room, asking myself, "at what age do timeouts start again?" Not knowing what else to do, I figured she just needed to freak out a while longer, and anxiously left her to flail on the family room rug while I checked email.

"She's got to get tired of this after a while," I told myself.

Nope. After another 10 minutes, I got tired of it and started reading a book. She paused when an interesting flap got turned in the book, and I threw in some counting of items in the book. More silence, more attention. I counted six moons, and as I was about to turn the page, I heard "...sehben..." Seven! OK, I have an inroad now. More reading, more waiting, then I was able to put her on my lap. A hug was out of the question, though I sure could have used one!

Finally the storm was over. Then she bopped around happily on her own for about 45 minutes before I sat her down for dinner. During that time, I played a silly-sounds game with her, and she was all giggles.

Tantrums seem to last a lot longer than they actually do, but between knowing what time we got home (4:20), the timestamps on the videos (4:42), and fretting that it was after 5pm and I needed to start dinner, I know that the full-on flipping-out part of this tantrum lasted well over half an hour, and wasn't fully over for an hour.

Oh brother, shades of Gabriel! These toddler highs and lows really put me on edge. Thank goodness that was over, I was done with conflict for the day. Or so I thought.

I called the boys inside for dinner, and Julian came in first to go to the bathroom and wash his hands. But Julian apparently had done something that angered Gabriel, and Gabriel came in looking for blood. He stalked into the bathroom, I heard some sort of impact sound, then a shriek of pain and surprise from Julian. Most of the time, Julian has a hand in the conflict, but this was a flagrant unprovoked offense. I was infuriated, rushed over and swatted Gabriel's rear end and sent him upstairs. ("Oh god it's no wonder where he gets that..." I thought with alarm, "I'll think about that later.)

As usual, it didn't end there. Dave went up to talk to him, and when Dave came back, Gabriel was in his room hollering his head off. Apparently, as Dave left, Gabriel raised his hand to threaten Dave, and Dave hit his hand down. The screaming and crying continued as I served dinner and settled a now bubbly-sweet Katrina in with a bowl of rice and a spoon. How long would this go on?

"He's got to get tired of this after a while," Dave said.

Oh SH*T.

I'm still traumatized from Gabriel's toddlerhood, and any sign of it from Katrina panics me. To get it from The Master himself in the same day is too much!!!

Thankfully, some reason does exist in a 6-year-old. I went up to talk to him, and he resisted at first, but I said he'd be very sad upstairs crying in his room alone instead of coming downstairs, having dinner, and decorating cookies after dinner with me and Julian. Then, very unlike his sister, I hugged and rocked him and he cried on me for a while. Gabriel, for all his tough-cookie-ness, and bony body, is still the huggiest of all three.

I said to him that the secret about crying is that you cry because you feel bad, but it makes you feel better, and that crying is like a storm -- all windy and wet and scary -- but afterward, the clouds go away, the sun comes out, and everything is fresh and bright. He was as comforted by our moment alone as he was the actual words, and I held his hand as we walked downstairs for him to deliver his apologies, wondering how much longer in his life that my little boy would hold his mommy's hand.

Gabriel did apologize, sincerely and without petulance, but the amazing thing is that he was shaking and started to cry again afterward, and turned to me for more hugs. I don't think he really was sorry, but I think it was very, very hard for him to apologize, and he seemed to need my support. I was fascinated as I was touched, and encouraged for my long-term future with Katrina, even though the short-term has high potential to be rocky.

Now it was my turn.

Seriously PO'd myself about the enormous time and energy investment it takes to do our relatively straightforward taxes, then having to pay a fair amount to e-file, I threw my own little tantrum and MAILED PAPER to the government this year. If you're going to create a ton of work for me, then by golly, you can do your part too -- I'm not going to pay to make it easier for you! Then I flipped the bird at the mailbox. Hah, take that! I think I deserve a timeout -- in bed.

4/15/08

4/14/08 Musical Monday

Now this is the way to start the week. First, I got to sleep until 7:20, then snooze until 8am -- and for once, I wasn't tired all day. Then I had some nice time alone with Katrina in the morning, then to music class, always a highlight for me.

Well, usually a highlight for me, anyway. Katrina was animated and playful, but punchy -- at any moment her energy could tip negative if things didn't go her way. She sure is klutzy though, tripping and hitting her face on my shoulderbone twice.

After arriving late at work, I left early to take Gabriel to his piano lesson. I might not mind this chauffer business after all! I watched the beginning of the class, but none of the other parents waited in the class, so I left too. I had about 35 minutes, so I went home and started dinner defrosting, picked up Julian, and returned in plenty of time to see the end of Gabriel's class.

One thing I noticed in piano class, in addition to other times, is that Gabriel is having trouble hearing again. He wouldn't say so when I asked, but Dave said this morning he said so. He has a slight cold, so his ears probably have fluid in them. If this keeps up, then I'll take him to the ear doctor again. Summer's coming up; I hope we don't have to deal with ear tubes.

Today Katrina had to share Melissa -- with two 3-year-old boys! Melissa said that during some outside playtime, one of the boys was on the new riding toy, and Katrina went over to him, stood in front, and then SCREAMED. I've seen this before too, where she makes a stand, and then goes red-faced and hands-shakey and darn near pops a vein with the force of her shriek. The poor boy handed it right over.

At home, she could not be persuaded to come inside, even though it was pretty cold and windy outside (what a change from yesterday!). She went from tricycle to truck to lawnmower, screeching in protest when I tried to take pictures. Well, exCUSE me!

Katrina and Julian have been playing together more and more, not yet as peers, but they entertain each other a lot and make up games together.

After Katrina's bath, she and Julian played this "my mimi" game, which I captured some of:

Normally I wouldn't condone throwing pillows at my baby's head, but this game was well established before I investigated all the giggling. Katrina didn't mind at all, and I'm quite sure she'd have said so if she did. ("Mimi" is her satin blankie that she sucks on to go to sleep.) I love how happy she is when she sees her brothers in the car, on the occasions they're with me when I pick her up.

Gabriel's having a grand time with the ukelele, when he's not banging around on the piano. Even though playing a note isn't nearly as straightforward as on a piano, he's working hard at playing familiar songs on it. I'm pretty sure I heard Mary Had a Little Lamb in two keys tonight.

Music is definitely the way to soften the blow of Monday.

4/14/08

4/13/08 The Open House

I took Katrina to an open house this afternoon -- not for her, obviously, but to convince myself one last time that we're doing the right thing by not moving. This house was very unusual, with a huge lot right on a creek, with beautiful views and in a nice location. Also, I know the realtor, I met her at my first Las Madres playgroup, and she's expecting her third baby. She sells real estate with her mother, who I've met and like. So I also wanted to say hi.

But the house itself...I'm ready for an upgrade. Indeed, it'd be a step backward from what we have now, in terms of all the "finishes." Stuff I never even knew existed 8 years ago, but now, a vinyl bathroom floor or aluminum windows jump out at me. I didn't make any observations aloud while other potential buyers were milling around, instead extolling the fabulous virtues of this house.

Not that any of this bothered Katrina, once we were there. But first, man was she was !!Oh!!MAN!!P-O'd!! when I put her in the car, because I intercepted her on her way to the tricycles. WHAT a fit! But she likes new experiences, and liked it when I let her out of the backpack to chat with my friend. To my surprise she sat right down and got to work on the buckles.

After some time, it became remarkable to my friend and her mother that this young toddler was so focused, and I launched into my usual explanation that that's standard fare for Doudna babies.

But a new behavior emerged too: showing off. Katrina started getting really silly, walking around and making faces, putting her head on the floor, making eye contact and giggling, grabbing my hands and trying to lead me places or rolling on the floor and laughing. This while I was telling my friend that she doesn't fit the "easy" third child thing:
"Oh brother, can she ever put up a fuss..." teeheehehehee! "She doesn't recover from setbacks well..." blblbll-hah hah! "If something doesn't go her way, she can be awful...." WHEEE!!!! She wasn't supporting my case at all. "Yeah, too bad she's so unhappy," cracked my friend's mother as Katrina jumped out from behind my legs with a "boo!"

Julian sometimes amps it up around other people, but that's recent. Gabriel never did anything like that at all. This was the Katrina show, with her front and center, and us as the unwitting audience.

And when we got home, she was reunited with the driving force in her life.

During dinner, another first: Katrina played in the backyard by herself, and for a really really long time: "mowing" the lawn, pushing tricycles around with her feet, hiding in the playhouse, chasing "boOO?!" (birds). We could see her outside from the dining room, mostly, but still, this is a big step into kid-world for her, as playing outside all evening is SOP around here. Dave and I both dreaded bringing her inside, knowing it was going to be ugly (and it was).

It's supposed to cool down to normal April weather here, but I was thrilled with the unusually warm and summery weekend. Julian summed up summer's advantages: "Because then I can wear T-shirts and don't have to roll up my sleeves when I wash my hands!" Just my kind of thinking.

4/13/08

4/12/08 The Hunt

I took The Three letterboxing today, at a place we actually haven't been to yet. I've driven by the place for years, and had always wanted to go see it, and now we had a perfect excuse. It's a preserve that used to be a horse ranch in the 1930s and 40s, and has a nature museum, community garden, an original ranch house, a blacksmith shop replica, a small barn, plus a nature shop with volunteers to ask questions.

And, a sundial! We started here, at 10:30 on the dial.


We were supposed to go across a meadow, but it was really overgrown. Fortunately, a trail guide from the nature shop helped us piece together the letterbox clues, and we got on track, mostly.

Only a little of our route was this clear.

Much of it was more like this, and often even worse. This was not stroller-friendly! Not only was it overgrown with some unfriendly vegetation, but the "trail" was really bumpy. Also, it appears that the clues were written just after a serious bush-hogging, because it called upon cutting across fields that weren't really passable, and were hard to see across.

Katrina surprised me, and I really shouldn't be surprised by this anymore, in that the bumping and shoving the stroller through the undergrowth didn't bother her at all -- indeed she was making sounds akin to singing on the bumpiest parts. It was the stops that bugged her. I'm glad I didn't invest in an expensive jogging stroller with suspension.

Ultimately, we reached the spot where the box should be found....and didn't find it. We looked hard, in the short amount of time Katrina tolerated this stop, but it was nowhere. Odd, since it was found recently. This might just be inexperience on our part, but we really did look.

Still, letterboxing being what it is, the experience of the hunt was the big fun, and there will be times that the box isn't found. It was a beautiful, unusually warm day, and the boys had a fabulous time on the trail that followed a creek, and went through meadows and bushes and tree tunnels and groves -- and a little log ampitheatre.

After we returned from the futile hunt, we played by the creek for a few minutes. The boys had a great time throwing rocks into the water.


The uneven terrain was a bit much for Katrina, who immediately got down on all fours and went straight for the water (shades of Mam!). After holding her hand a little, she got a little more confident and was happy walking around on the side, looking at flowers and picking up rocks, and mostly accepted my gentle guidance not to douse herself. I tried to show her how to throw rocks into the water, but, nothing doing.


The boys were hot, tired and thirsty when we got home -- I'd sorely underestimated the effort of our trip and hadn't brought any food or drink for them. A picnic lunch, on our little table reclaimed from its tenure as a ladder, was in order!


After Katrina's nap, I had some reason I can't remember anymore to try shoes other than her sneakers (no socks perhaps?). She cried and rejected a really nice pair of brown Stride Rite sandals we'd been handed down (more shades of Mam), but did allow the Crocs that Bonne Maman got her last summer -- and now fit!

She wasn't too happy about an attempted self-time to commemorate the occasion. I'll spare you the pain of the outtakes, you'd think I was torturing the child. She's really been fun lately, but still reminds us clearly and often that she absolutely will not fit the "easy 3rd child" role.

(This is nuts, but I find it weird to see photos of me and my daughter with such different-colored hair. The few photos of me and my mother have us both with very dark hair, and somehow I always thought of that as making me her own. That came back to me when Katrina was born with black hair, like, "oh wow, just like me!" This is all very silly because most of her is different from me, and should be, but for some odd reason it takes me aback when our hair doesn't match, as my mother's and mine did.)

Even though I had to work on taxes this afternoon, I couldn't bring myself to go inside. I just love this warm weather! I spent some time tackling our woeful garage and loaded up some things to give away to Good Will. Meantime, Katrina amused herself with the tricycles.

It cinches it for me -- 18 months really is a milestone of freedom. Last summer, I couldn't go through things in the garage and load them in the back of my car with the baby around. But an 18-month-old can bop around on their own, being watched closely, but you can still move from place to place and do things.

And now, there are the brothers.

I took a moment to bring Julian to the bathroom and wash his hands, since Dave was taking the boys to a music store and had to leave right away to have time before it closed (Julian can pee and wash up on his own but he is SLOW). Gabriel was ready, and I asked him to make sure Katrina didn't walk out to the street while I was out of sight with Julian. Am I insane, leaving a 6-year-old to mind a toddler?

Well, I got my answer. Dave came out and didn't realize that Gabriel was on duty, and told him to get in the car right away to go to the music store -- a very, very important errand to Gabriel. But Gabriel would not leave her side, even after Dave urged him again. Gabriel refused again, and it was about to escalate until I cottoned on and rushed out to release Gabriel, who was standing right next to Katrina in the driveway. I was out of sight for too short a time for her even to have made it to the street, but I was still impressed with Gabriel's diligence.

They returned from the music store with a nifty height-adjustable piano stool, headphones for Gabriel's piano class, and, of all things, a green ukelele. Gabriel is beside himself, wanting to tune the instrument (neither he nor Julian can say it), asking how the frets and octaves work, telling me which note each string plays, glued to a Web site Dave found that describes how to play a ukelele. Really, I'm not making this up. A green ukelele.

A beautiful day, I was able to wear one layer instead of my usual three, and best of all, no foot troubles until sitting down to work on those darned taxes.

4/12/08

4/11/08 Twice a year

I get it wrong twice a year. For months, long sleeves are perfect, sometimes not even enough. Then one day, it's suddenly 25 degrees warmer, and everyone swelters in their heavily-overdressed clothes.

Today was that day. Balmy, beautiful, warm, almost summery. Yay!

At least I had Katrina in layers, so she was able to enjoy the afternoon in short sleeves. Especially on the new little push-wagon that Melissa got for her daycare's backyard.

(Naturally, Katrina's beside herself about this toy, and objects strenuously when it's time to come in. Geez, her haircut looks worse every day. She looks more and more like a boy!)

Then there will come a day, sometime in late October or early November, when the T-shirts they've been wearing for months will suddenly be completely inadequate, and everyone will be cold all day. Fortunately, I only make these dressing errors twice a year.

Melissa's daycare business is picking up -- she's got two new full-timers starting next week, and has had interviews all week long. Katrina's going to have to learn to share -- toys and Melissa! She's not at all good about sharing toys with babies (especially not her coveted school bus), but she plays great with a 3-year-old boy who will soon be her daily companion. No surprise there!

I went swimming tonight, and for once it wasn't absolutely freezing as I was about to get in the water. But I got cold while I was swimming, which I never do when it's much colder outside! And the water felt colder. Go figure.

I wonder how my ankles and feet will react to the swim (1600 yards, all freestyle). Unfortunately, sitting here momentarily, I think I already know. Bzzzt.

4/11/08

4/10/08 "Cyyyy???"

Katrina overloads the sound "cy???" to mean "outSIDE?" and also "CY?cle." This evening she and Julian were having a grand time looking through an I Spy Wheels book, and she was pointing to pictures of bicycles and motorcycles and saying excitedly, "cy? CY????".

Of course, as soon as I pulled out the camera, the scene diverged...she and Julian got into some other goofy-sounds game, but I did catch a few of her "cy?" inquiries.



Later, she insisted on eating her own spaghetti (really angel hair). Brave Mom!

She probably actually swallows a third of the food on her own than she would if I feed her, but this is an independence I definitely want to -- need to --encourage. Besides, she's 18 months old, plenty old enough to be handling a spoon on her own.

Yesterday at dinner, Gabriel asked me what the difference between a violin and a kitter is. After some probing, I translated "kitter" to "guitar." "Yeah, a guitar! ...so, what's the difference?" To my amazement, the answer came from an unlikely source. Julian piped in clearly and without hesitation or stumbling, "A ki-tar you use your fingers to play it, and the violin, you use a stick." Julian wants to play a musical instrument too: the trumpet. Hmm, where's our soundproof music room in our remodeling plans?!

4/10/08

4/9/08 Goodbye G/S

It's official. I'm no longer a G/S rider. Or, owner, that is.

For those not in the moto-world, which I guess includes me now, "GS" is BMW's term for "turf and street" motorcycles, suitable for dirt and pavement. Or, not so good at either, depending on how you look at it. Just like me. I was never that good a rider either, though few matched my persistence and endurance in the face of constant adversity. (Sound like any other wheel-obsessed Doudna?)

Tweety Bike and I had many, many adventures over the years, travelled many states, countries, mountains, deserts, dustpiles, rivers, rockbeds, stairs, logs, patchy twisty dirty bumpy roads (yeah!), long flat boring highways. It tolerated many, many a tipover, spills into bodies of water, clutch burnouts, gas shortages and much terrified shrieking and lousy input from me. While much of its tenure as my motorcycle was spent horizontal, we never had any street incidents or tangles with cars.

I wish my dear old bike luck. It is now in the possession of Calamity Charles, famous for fast healing, and whose similar R80ST was wrecked recently in a head-on with two Harleys. Charles is a talented rider who lives verrry close to the edge...and of late, has gone over the edge just far enough. Hence his need for a new bike. Mine hadn't run in years, so it's a good fit for everyone. Except, perhaps, for Charles' insurance company.

Ironic, isn't it, that so much of what appealed to me about riding motorcycles carried over to running -- but running triggered far worse and longer-lasting injuries than motorcycles ever did.

Keyword there is "triggered." Two days ago, I was stuck in a really boring training session at work. The day afterward, my ankles were buzzing badly, and my feet were falling asleep at the slightest provocation -- or non-provocation -- and my heels and arches alternatively ached. This foot-manifested problem not only won't go away, it keeps getting worse or coming back strong even after a brief lull. It started with running, but something else is chronically irritating it. Tuesday's training added to the mounting evidence that it's related to extended periods of sitting. And seriously aggravated by any impact, and I mean anything. I don't dare even stamp my foot once in anger when the boys procrastinate getting ready for dinner!!

This can't go on. But I also can't lead my life not sitting! Sure, sometimes one's calling can't be fulfilled because of a physical limitation (such as, I'm as flexible as a block of concrete and would never make it as a dancer), but few injuries prevent writing!

I also can't lead my life without any impact. While few people understand why I'm so heartbroken about running, a relatively new aspect to my life, everyone will understand that not being able to dance is unthinkable. I even notice some extra buzzing after swimming or stationary weights exercises. There is just something wrong.

Speaking of sitting...or not. Melissa sent this photo today, of Katrina enjoying her favorite snack: grapes. The family daycare licensing doesn't allow high chairs (?!?!?!!!!???), so Katrina now sits in a regular chair at the table at Melissa's. I think she has a booster, but like Gabriel, I doubt it would bother her if she didn't.


I met with another contractor early this morning, took care of a few essential errands at home ("is the quote on the bay window in yet?" that sort of thing), took a short nap, then went to work feeling refreshed and cheerful and didn't even freeze to death all day. What a difference!

4/9/08

4/8/08 The Pickup

A sucky, depressing day. So blue that it's making me nervous...are these the rumblings of another....oh no.

It didn't help that I was stuck in a really boring and mostly useless (for me) training session all day. Which, I remembered later, forced me to miss an Open House at Gabriel's school. Oh, I know it's not the end of the world, but it still makes me sad to think of him looking around for one of his parents when all the others were milling around his classroom looking over their kids' work.

But I did have Internet access during the training, and Melissa's new little "service" of sending me a little update about Katrina's day in email.

I kept a little window with this photo up on my computer all day.

4/8/08

4/7/08 Musical Monday

First day of Music Together -- Maracas!

We were late, because Katrina blew out all over the cute outfit I'd picked carefully for the occasion. Who notices cute or feminine clothes the most? Brothers! Julian liked the pink corduoroy overalls she had on and said, "ohh, how cute!" Yeah, adorable -- for about half an hour.

As I went upstairs to get more clothes, I left her bare in the bathroom. When I returned, she'd opened the lid to the baby potty, sat on it, and peed in it! And, was handily splashing around in it. Well, maybe that helps her get the idea that she made it happen. This turned into a bath for her, the potty and the floor.

For the most part, she had a good time in music class. She didn't like it when we all sat back down after a train song, and was very insistent about pulling my hand to get me to stand up again. She went through fits and starts, but was pretty distractable out of the fits, thank heavens. Overall a win.

I took the day off work because I had two meetings with contractors today. The first meeting was late, but went well, and I was feeling encouraged, if still apprehensive, about the daunting task ahead.

While I waited for the second, I pondered again how to get Gabriel into piano lessons. The Parks & Rec session starts this week; could I manage Thursday afternoons at 3:30? Despite the conflict with Julian's remaining two skating lessons? There's also a Monday class starting at 3:30pm. Too bad I didn't think of this before, it's already Monday and it's 3pm, and I have a meeting.

3:10, contractor's not here. Maybe I can sign Gabriel up for the Monday class and ask if we can attend this coming Thursday's class to make up for the first one he'd miss today. Call Cupertino, left a message for the person in charge.

3:20pm, I worked on the online registration for the 3:30pm Monday class. Let's do it! I'll figure it out, worst case, we miss the first class.

3:25pm, call contractor. Oops, he thought it was at 4pm. We reschedule.

3:31pm...hell, we can do this!!! So what if the class started a minute ago? I called CDC and asked them to get Gabriel ready -- I was picking him up for a piano lesson!! I arrived at 3:38, we got to the community center at 3:46. He missed the first third of his class, but he made it!!

Who signs a kid up for piano lessons minutes before it starts?! Only someone who completely overcommits and pushes to the edge. And this was the hairy edge.

But it was worth it. We arrived at the end of the music theory part (whole notes, half notes, etc), then came the playing part. Mostly this class was introduction and calibration for the kids, getting used to the concept of a music book, a teacher, clapping along to a simple rhythm that they'd "read" from what the teacher wrote on the board, handling the keyboard.


After the playing practice (some kids had never touched a piano), the kids went back to the whiteboard to play a music tic-tac-toe in which they reviewed what they'd learned. Gabriel was calm but very, very alert and focused during this class, and later said it was AWESOME. It was great, exactly what he needs, and a nice palateable introduction to piano lessons.

I'm so excited I found a way (by deciding to miss yet more work) to make this happen! Mondays will be my new favorite day, between Music Together with Katrina in the morning and Gabriel's piano lesson in the afternoon.

Gabriel helped me with Katrina when we picked her up from Melissa's (clutching his new music book, from which he would not be parted). I'm happy to say she's much better now about being guided by hand, both from me and from her brothers. She's turned new corners at home too, being much more interactive and explorative too; getting into all sorts of new things in new ways (opening boxes, unwrapping stuff).

Back to the grind tomorrow, but I can go into it happily knowing I had one of the best Mondays possible!

4/7/08

4/6/08 Questions, questions

I took Julian and Katrina to the Y this morning. As we were crossing the parking lot on the way in, Julian asked:

"How do babies start out?"

You sure pick your moments, kid!

Gabriel asked me a good question today that brings up an odd situation that most Moms don't have: my own children can't pronounce my name!

Since second grade, I learned to live with the fact that most people would call me No-Amy, and that's fine. But it never sounded right coming from a family member. I have no problem with Dave calling me that, but my kids? It just sounds off.

So Gabriel asked me how to pronounce my name in French today. What's really funny is that I have trouble pronouncing my own name correctly! I said my name in my best French, and he repeated it pretty well. That's a lot closer.

I wonder what made him ask me that. I've never explained that my name is French. He has no reason to believe my name is unusual, in fact; I doubt he has enough experience with names to know what's common and what's unusual -- especially given all the foreign names of his classmates. Maybe he heard a friend visiting this afternoon call me No-Amy.

Said friend visiting this afternoon bought one of my motorcycles today. Sniff. Sigh.

4/6/08