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Elizabeth's musings
 
Saturday, December 24, 2005  
Merry Christmas! December has been crazy. I made twelve trips to and from Lexington, played nine rehearsals and nine concerts, and survived a weeklong household run-in with a nasty stomach bug.

And now it's Christmas time. Actually, today is Randy's birthday.

Some year, I will actually feel well-rested and full of holiday cheer.

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11:59 AM

(0) comments Wednesday, November 30, 2005  
My kids have been evil villains today. They have mastered the evil villain laugh! Nathan starts it - he throws his head back and lets loose with a big "Bwa ha ha ha haaaaaaa!" Then Lila joins in. Hers is mostly "Ha ha haaaaa!" Have you ever heard a one year old attempt an evil laugh? It's mostly just cute, with not a lot of evil to it.

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10:17 PM

(0) comments Friday, November 18, 2005  
I have to tell you what a great time we've been having on our playdates lately. We have this three-in-one deal - Nathan and Anthony are the same age and buddies at school, Lila and Angelina are just 10 days apart, and Susan and I talk like we've known each other for years.

Today we went to the Louisville Science Center. We have the dual membership with the Zoo, so on sunny days we visit the animals and we spend the inside days at the Science Center. Nathan and Lila both love the KidsZone. We usually just visit the Polar Bears and the Mummy upstairs, but today we had to do the whole Center.

Have you ever noticed that two four year olds combined produce the energy of 10 four year olds?

I made the mistake of telling Lila too early about our plans. She was ready to go, and waiting just infuriated her. I keep forgetting that she has already reached that age! As soon as Randy got home, she presented him with her shoes and demanded that they go out. Once they were out, she demanded to be put in her car seat!
4:38 PM

(0) comments Thursday, November 17, 2005  
OK. It has been a long time since I've posted. Life is just rolling along. By the time I get my computer time at night, I can barely finish a sentence! I fell asleep with both kids at their bedtimes tonight. Lila likes for me to lie down in her crib so she can just drift off as she nurses. I don't usually fall asleep with her - it's a bit cramped.

Nathan likes to fall asleep between Randy and myself. Our "I love you" ritual is getting kind of long. First I say "I sure do love you." Then he says that back to me. Then I'm supposed to say "Good night, Nathan. I love you." And he says that back. For some reason, that wasn't enough tonight. He kept telling me "Say I love you! Say I love you, Nathan."

We did have a rough day today. I was tired, and he was in a mood. Cooperation was hard to come by. I'm not sure we'll be going to Storytime often here in Shepherdsville. After three hours of preschool, an hour of structured good behavior is just too painful. At least it was for me!

Lila was funny at the library. She needed to nurse during Storytime. While we were nursing, Nathan took that opportunity to scoot across the room to sit next to the other rowdy boy. Nathan was actually sitting quietly when Lila finished nursing. She was a concerned by his absence, and set off in search of "Neh neh." When she found him, she reached out to muss his hair and broke that quiet moment.

Nathan was way too happy to see Lila, and pulled her onto his lap. She wasn't thrilled about this confinement. I had to intervene.
8:21 PM

(0) comments Monday, October 31, 2005  
My Dad has been reminding me that I need to write down the funny things that my son says. Nathan cracks us all up, especially my Dad.

We've all had this awful virus - it starts with a headache and then the fever hits. Both kids had already passed it around, and I thought that we were on the mend last weekend. So we went ahead and drove to Mom's for our photography session. Not a wise move. By dusk, we were all in a bad way. I packed up the van to head for home.

Nathan woke up halfway home with the headache. Poor guy. He was in the backseat crying "My head! Make my head stop hurting!" I told him we'd stop in Bardstown so he could take some Tylenol. "No, not the Tylenol! It's yucky and it scares me." Just as we were turning off the ramp at Bardstown, I heard him throw up.

Have I mentioned that I was running a fever, too? While I was peeling Nathan out of his gucky clothes, Lila filled a diaper. There we were in the brand new Lowe's parking lot, all three of us crying.

On Sunday morning, I asked Nathan if he still had his headache. He said "No, I lost it." I mentioned that I still had mine, so Nathan told me "You should just throw up. You'll feel better. That's what I did." Such sage medical advice from a four year old!

Just so you know - anything disruptive that happens in our life almost always happens on a Saturday night. Stomach bugs, food poisoning, baby birthing - all on Saturday night. I think it might be God's way of suggesting that Randy needs to lighten up! Sunday morning worship will go on even if he's not 100% fresh.
5:42 PM

(0) comments Sunday, October 30, 2005  
"Name five foods, dishes or otherwise, that were a part of your childhood, and that you sometimes miss when nostalgia gets to you..."

This might be difficult! As much as I love food, my favorite foods now don't echo back to my childhood. The things I crave now - Pad Thai and Pad See Ew, extreme dark chocolate, latte's with creamy foam - are far removed from my plain Jane childhood food.

1. This one is embarrassing. Chef Boyardee Ravioli. Wouldn't touch the stuff now, but I ate it for lunch every day. Preschool through kindergarten, my lunch came straight from the can. And I loved it. My Mom has always blamed my weight issues on Chef Boyardee.

2. Chocolate milkshakes from Wheeler's Pharmacy. Eating at the counter was one of our big treats growing up. We'd get hamburgers on buttered buns, fries, and a chocolate shake. They used real ice cream. They would pour it into a curvy Coke glass, then serve the extra in the shiny metal mixing cup. I loved it. Drinking a yummy chocolate milkshake and spinning on the counter stool.

3. Meat loaf. My Mom makes a truly yummy meatloaf. We probably ate it every other week. I know this is truly comfort food, since my Mom brought me meat loaf the week after Nathan was born.

4. We didn't come across Chicken Enchiladas until somewhere in high school. It's really an Americanized casserole version of enchiladas. I made it for Randy often right after we got married (before our Weight Watcher days). It's cheesy and saucy, with lots of cumin and chili powder.

5. My Grandmother D's ham bisquits. She made these for every single family function. She doesn't entertain as often now, and my family is usually not invited when she does. But I still love her ham bisquits. She always used county ham, and the bisquits were always tiny and perfect, and always piping hot straight from the oven.
7:41 PM

(1) comments Tuesday, October 25, 2005  
We had the most interesting anniversary celebration today. Randy and I usually go out for a quiet evening when we can schedule it. On our actual anniversary day, we only do cards and maybe flowers. But Nathan needed more of a celebration.

So this afternoon, Nathan found a way for us to commemorate our 8th anniversary. We only had 20 minutes between coming home for the Science Center and Randy's afternoon meeting. But we fit it in!

We found a candle and took it outside. Then we gathered some special toys - a plastic baseball bat and a plastic sword. Nathan found a special spot for the candle in the front yard, and arranged the bat and sword beside it. After we lit the candle, Randy and I danced slow, stately dance. Nathan provided the background music as he rode his Big Wheel around the driveway. For those of you who watch Nick Jr., it sounded kind of like an extended BC Builders commercial.

Then we blew out the candle, and Nathan and Randy had a bit of combat play with the sword and bat. Then we lit the candle again and had some more dancing and Big Wheel riding.

Have you wondered what Lila thought of this? She was asleep in the van. She slept through the entire celebration. But she did get some anniversary cake later.
7:01 PM

(1) comments Monday, October 24, 2005  
7:31 PM

(0) comments  

If we were made of money, we would visit Jennifer's home photography studio every week. She's great with kids!
7:23 PM

(0) comments Sunday, October 23, 2005  
http://Jennifer.smugmug.com/photos/41066285-S.jpg
8:37 AM

(0) comments Friday, October 14, 2005  
We have trouble next door. Trouble that spills out into our lives. I never thought that I'd wish for cold, rainy weather, but we need to see much less of our neighbors. This will probably be a long account, but the events have really bothered me.

Nathan plays with the boys next door fairly often. Their mother (R) left an abusive boyfriend who tried to kill her and moved back in with her Mom and Stepdad (S). Sounds like it would be better, right? I'm not so sure. Stepdad has a drinking problem. Beer brings out an ugly, mean side of him.

We first heard of this problem when R came to our house sobbing, asking to use our phone. S had threatened to "finish what ___ (ex-boyfriend) started." She moved out for a few days, but then came back.

I've tried to keep a better eye on Nathan since hearing about that nastiness. But when the boys play, they run between both houses. The boys have not been playing well together for the last few weeks, either. They can't agree on what to play, and it ends with tackling and hitting. I've been around them enough to know that there isn't ever one lone instigator. They all take turns being bad!

Yesterday the boys came over to see if Nathan could play. I decided to stay outside with them and referee. When a conflict came up, I tried to help Logan and Nathan find an alternative to grabbing and slapping. But their Grandmother heard us their yard and yelled for the boys to get back in their own yard. They went , and Nathan followed. I went with him to keep an eye on things.

S was sitting in his lawn chair guzzling a beer. He tells me what a rotten day he has had, and how we need to limit the boys' time together. I'm in agreement there - dh and I had already talked about that. Then he says "At *our* house, we've been working on not hitting, pushing, or shoving. I just put a poster up that has all of that printed on it." That's good. Never mind that the boys can't read yet. And did you have that in mind when you threatened to kill their Mother not too long ago?

All three boys headed over to the woodpile to play. They all had small sticks in their hands, and ran off to a patch of dirt a few yards away. S told the boys to put the sticks back. Boys continued to run around. While I'm telling Nathan to listen and put the stick back, S starts *yelling* at my son. "I told you to put that stick back on the pile. I'm sick of picking up sticks every time I turn around." His boys weren't included in the rant - it was only directed at my son. With me standing right there.

I gathered up my kids and headed home. As we were leaving, he was yelling at me about how my son doesn't listen to authority and we need to teach him how to listen. Blah, blah, blah. . . While both of these accusations are true to some extent, our son's discipline issues are none of his business.

This incident was just a real eye-opener for me. I knew that they had problems next door, but I had no idea that so much hostility was being directed toward my son. It was apparent to me that S sees my son as the problem when the boys don't play well together. I've spent enough time with all three to know that it's just not a good mix. Nathan has his own agenda for play plans, and they almost never suit Logan. Logan whines and cries, and Nathan just does his own thing. So Logan tackles Nathan, and Nathan pops him one. It isn't pretty, but it isn't any *one* child's fault.

I've already told Nathan that he won't be playing next door. The other kids can play at our house, but they have to stay here. Nathan wasn't a bit upset to hear this, which tells me that visits next door weren't always pleasant.

I hope that R can get herself collected quickly and find an apartment.
1:06 PM

(0) comments Wednesday, October 12, 2005  
Want to hear what Lila's talking about? Sure you do! Here is her vocabulary so far:

Ma ma usually means that she's hungry
Me meeeee sometimes means Mommy, sometimes not!
She calls Randy Da! usually at full screech in the middle of church
Neh neh is Nathan
Cat comes out very clearly
She usually just barks at dogs!
Lila loves to tell people Bye bye
And she always says Eh oh for hello when she picks up the phone

She has also mastered the pursed lip Mm Mm with a vehement head shake. That was her response to every food that was offered yesterday.

I still want to get a sign language book and help her learn some signs. I know that she has a lot to tell me, and gets frustrated with the lack of language.
8:40 PM

(0) comments Thursday, October 06, 2005  
Thursdays are my tired days. My long teaching day away wears me out. Lila misses me, so we have to spend some serious reconnecting time during the night. She was up four times last night.

I always look like something out of a horror movie on Thursdays. No hairdryer, no styling products, usually no makeup, and my baggiest, sloppiest Mom uniform.

So what do we do on Thursdays? We go out and about! Today I met the coolest Mom at Iroqouis Park. I felt like such a slug, but we had a nice conversation and exchanged phone numbers. It was great to talk with someone who shares common interests! That would have been a good stopping place. I could have gone home and gotten some great mileage out of a pleasant park outing. But Randy wanted to meet up at the McDonald's Playland. I can't remember why.

Thursday is the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) day at the huge Baptist megachurch down the road. After their event, a group of Moms meet up at the Playland. I had forgotten this until we got there today. Then I remembered that I looked like hell the last time I met them. Not that it should matter. It really shouldn't. But somehow it does.

At least I know that I'm meeting a whole group of Moms from Nathan's preschool tomorrow. I know that I've been looking forward to this playdate as much as Nathan! I've been feeling really isolated lately.
8:55 PM

(0) comments Wednesday, October 05, 2005  
Tonight when I came home from my long teaching day, Lila was in the tub. I heard her splashing around and singing to her animals from down the hall. But when she saw me, her face wrinkled up with that "oh please, help me" look. She pointed towards her room and told me "Ni ni! Ni ni!"

She definitely meant "night night." That was the first time she had told me that. She was one tired baby!
8:11 PM

(0) comments Wednesday, September 28, 2005  
Last night we took advantage of Fazoli's Tuesday special - kids eat for $1. Fazoli's has always been Nathan's favorite, and Lila's loves it now, too. We ordered penne pasta with marinara sauce for Lila, and a side of sauce for dipping bread sticks. Lila doesn't believe in bibs, so we just mop the sauce off of her when she's done. After she had fed herself just about every last piece of pasta, she lifted her shirt and patted her full belly!
7:28 PM

(1) comments Saturday, September 17, 2005  
Today Nathan came running into the house, hopping up and down he was so excited. He said "People are walking in front of our house! Can I go with them? They said I could!" I asked if we knew them, and he said "No, but that's OK."

We did go hustling out, and caught up with a grandmother from around the corner. She was out for a walk with her six year old grandson and three year old granddaughter. We walked back to their house and Nathan stayed and played for about an hour. Grant and Hannah stay with their grandmother every afternoon after school! We're very excited to meet new friends.

Nathan has always been so outgoing. I know that this is one of his strengths, but it does worry me. How do we warn him of the dangers around him without scaring him away from meeting new people? By the time I met our neighbor today, Nathan had already told her his name and all about our family.

A few months ago, we watched a news clip about Stranger Danger. They took three families and tested three different scenarios. While the parents watched from via hidden camera, reporters went in to lure kids away from their safe environment. In all three situations, the kids either went with the reporters or gave out personal information.

I think the most horrifying moment came when a five year old girl watched a strange man lead her two year old brother away. Then she went on playing by herself for five or six minutes before going to tell a parent that her brother had left.
7:19 PM

(0) comments Tuesday, September 13, 2005  
Oh, I hope this screaming phase passes soon. Lila just wears me out. Where has my easy-going baby gone? Lila wants to be outside. If she's outside, life is good and she's my happy gal. But it's *hot* outside, and buggy. So we've had a lot of screaming lately. And head-banging. Her forehead bruise is turning green now. Today she threw her head down as hard as she could on my shin bone. We both cried.

Lila is my climber. The play set in the backyard has four levels, and she can climb up to the second level by herself. She climbs a ladder that's twice as tall as she is. The step to the top is higher than her leg can reach, so she hooks her fingers around a floorboard and pulls herself up. She is truly determined!

I asked Nathan to keep Lila company over at the plastic slide while I went to the garage for another toy. I walked down the walk, down three steps, into the garage and back again. 45 seconds, a minute and a half tops. . . and Lila had already climbed the small ladder and was wriggling into the tunnel. Nathan was in the tunnel cheering her on.

This past weekend, I told a church member how much Lila loves to be outside. She lives down the street, and knows our house and yard well. She says "I'll bet you love that fenced in area. You can just close the gate and not worry about her." ????? I fished around a bit more, and she *did* envision me leaving my 14 month old baby alone in a fenced in yard. I know it has been awhile since she raised her children, but *my goodness*! I really don't think so!
8:45 PM

(0) comments Sunday, September 11, 2005  
Here is a conversation that I had with Nathan on the way home from his Montessori school last week.

N - "They told me I'm not in charge."
Me - "Who did?"
N - "My teachers. But they're wrong. I am in charge."

I did tell him that he was in charge of his own good behavior, but he wasn't buying that. I tell myself that someday, someone will pay him good money to be the expert!

When we enrolled Nathan, I did give them fair warning. The day before, Nathan let me know that he is a natural born leader. I think that one came from someone at church - Nathan agreed with them!
12:55 PM

(0) comments Wednesday, September 07, 2005  
Poor Lila. She's going through this screaming phase. Different things seem to set her off, then she can scream for hours. Hours.

She has had a cold, and I think she's teething. And getting ready to walk. So many changes! I can only imagine that she's overwhelmed.

Sometimes Hyland's homeopathic tablets help - Teething tablets, C-plus cold tablets, and Calms Forte sleep-well tablets are all in our arsenal. And I've had to get out the Bumps and Bruises arnica tablets, too. When Lila gets really upset, she bangs her forehead on the hardwood floors.

If this wasn't so sad, it would almost be funny. Today Lila screamed for about two hours for Randy. She was just irrate! She insisted on getting down from Randy's lap and crawled out of her room, screaming the whole way. She went to the carpet runner in the hall so she could bang her head there. The bruise on her forehead is turning purple, and I fear CPS will be at our doorstep.

Randy was gracious enough not to call with the news of Lila's difficult day until I was done teaching. We talked over the shrieking several times on my drive home, and I finally came up with the diversion that worked. Randy took her out to the van and let her play with her toys in the back. We sometimes do that in the morning after we wave good-bye to Randy and Nathan.

I wish Lila could still go with me on my teaching day away, but she *really* gets frustrated in my teaching room. She wants to be out and about, not sharing my attention in a tiny, stuffy room. I know this, but I still miss her while I teach.
8:28 PM

(0) comments Sunday, September 04, 2005  
I just read an article with an interview of two New Orleans violists. I know both of them indirectly. Scott Slapin and Tonya Soloman, a married couple, both play (played?) with the Louisiana Philharmonic. They left their home the Saturday night before Katrina hit, thinking that this would be a routine hurricane evacuation - a few days away, then home again.

Now they have no home. They are certain that their home is underwater.

Here is a link to that article:
http://www.violinist.com/gossip/

I can't imagine the horror of losing all of your possesions. All of the Louisiana Philharmonic members have been on my mind. I can't even fathom the magnitude of an entire city lost. But I can imagine the pain and despair of my fellow musicians. And my heart hurts for them.

Take a look at the outpouring of support from across the country:
http://www.artsjournal.com/adaptistration/archives/2005/09/louisiana_phil.html
9:44 PM

(0) comments  
About a month ago, Logan, Jackson, and baby Savannah moved in next door! Logan will be five in October, Jackson is 2 1/2, and Savannah is three months old. Their Mom, Rachel, is getting back on her feet financially, so they are living with MeeMee (Diane) and PopPop (Spencer) for the time being.

That means we have playmates! Right next door! I can't even begin to tell you how exciting that is for Nathan. He spent the entire day playing with his buddies. And cousin Alecia joined them midday. We had to take a few breaks while one kid or another recomposed himself. But they pretty much played all day.

After supper, Spencer built a fire in their back yard (you can do that in Bullitt County) and we roasted marshmallows. It was a first for all of the kids. Alecia was distressed by her burned marshmallows, and Jackson didn't like getting hot. But Nathan and Logan roasted several before they headed back to the dirtpile.

They have lots of dirt next door. There is a huge pile of sandy dirt in the front, ready for a landscaping project. And there is a baby pool full of soupy mulch in the back. Both provided hours of entertainment. Lila got in on some of the mulch action. After Jackson filled his car full of mulch, Lila got in and squished around.

Lila stood by baby Savannah's swing and rocked her. Savannah and Lila both got a kick out of that. Then Lila decided that she needed Savannah's socks. Lila likes to wear socks on her hands - big socks, kid socks, baby socks, really smelly socks. . . Lila loves them all.

I don't know how long Logan, Jackson and Savannah will be next door. But for the time being, we'll enjoy having a gaggle of kids running in and out.
8:15 PM

(0) comments Wednesday, August 31, 2005  
Musical Beds
It's hard to keep track of who is sleeping in which bed lately. Everyone starts off in their own bed, and sometime in the night we all switch.

For the first eight months of her life, Lila slept in a co-sleeper right next to our bed. I loved having her right beside my head. But it was a bit crowded, and rolling over or sneezing sometimes woke her up. So when she started scooting, we moved her to her crib in the adjoining room. And she liked that just fine. It's a sturdy crib, and I can lie down next to her when we feel like nursing and sleeping.

But lately, Lila wants to sleep next to me all night. She'll go back to sleep with our usual nursing and rocking routine, but then she wakes up every 30 minutes needing me. So after Nathan comes to our bed in the middle of the night, Lila and I go to his double bed.

Nathan goes to sleep in our bed, then Randy carries him to his own room. But those pesky closet monsters disturb his sleep. Today I was wondering if it might be easier to just leave Nathan in our bed, and I could just sleep with Lila in Nathan's bed.

If Nathan's bed was as comfortable as ours, I would just do that!

We asked Nathan the other day why he didn't want to sleep in his own bed, and he said "There are CRUMBS in that bed!" Well, yeah. When you eat Ritz crackers in bed, you wind up with crumbs.
7:38 PM

(0) comments Tuesday, August 30, 2005  
I came tonight to write about Nathan, since he just cracks me up. When we leave our house to go anywhere, we have to follow a certain route. Our road makes a big circle, and it only connects to the one road leading out of the subdivision. Shouldn't be that difficult, right? Right. We have to turn right out of the driveway and go the long way around the circle. Every time.

We've asked *why* we have to go this particular route, and Nathan says "I just love it. It's so beautiful." Now imagine that statement with the L's pronounced as W's!

Lila is still Wiwa to us. And now she's Wi part of the time. Or she's Felicia to Nathan's Spiderman and my Mary Jane. If we're the Wild Thornberries, Nathan is Darwin (the chimpanzee) I'm Eliza, and Lila is Donny, the Wild Boy from Borneo.

Today Nathan got up at 6:45. Wide awake. Usually we're struggling to get him out of bed to leave the house at 8:40. I really wasn't thrilled with 6:45. Because I knew that by 2:00 PM, he would be at the end of his rope. Yup. He screamed and cried and raged from 1:40 to 2:10. Nothing was going his way. But as he was having his melt down, I thought "I know my boy!"

That is one of the trickiest things about raising a "spirited" child. You have to think ahead and predict what might set him off. I have to plan ahead and have some sort of strategy ready, since things are rarely ever easy.
8:48 PM

(0) comments Monday, August 29, 2005  
I was going through my Favorite Places list, and I came across my old Blog link. Maybe I'll try again! We've moved, and although we're far from settled I do have a little bit of computer time every day.

Reading my old posts about toddler Nathan makes me realize that I need to keep writing about my kids. They change so much every week! Nathan is four years old now, and very much a big boy. Lila is 13 months old, and on the verge of walking. She is also making her opinions known! She'll shake her head "no" and truly mean it now.

Lila is also my nature girl. She would stay outside all day every day if we would just cooperate. Rain doesn't bother her. Crawling on dead, crunchy grass doesn't bother her.

We have a full acre at our new parsonage, and Lila loves to explore. The apple trees are her current favorite spot. I would rather not play with rotting, bee infested apples, so we don't spend much time there. Today she was bear crawling towards the apples and realized that she had a considerable distance to cover. So she held her little arms up to me, waited to be picked up, then pointed to her apple trees and firmly stated "DAH!"
10:59 PM

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