The Telemnars

Bargain Shopping

2011-02-15T21:51:00.000-05:00

My daughters both said they wanted to play basketball. I ended up as the coach of their team. At this moment, I am telling this from a coach's perspective. Neither of them has much talent for the sport, mostly because they haven't had much exposure to it. (Mom mode: There are too many other things for kids to learn besides sports!) Inwe takes coaching well. Larien? She takes any tips on how to improve her athletic ability as an insult. While she could swat a ball away, she didn't understand anything else in a way that could be useful in a game.

Now, I'm mom again.

Larien complained about it to our friend T, who offered to help her with basketball in exchange for study time for the college courses T is taking. Larien accepted. We hit a bump in the road when Larien freaked out about too much going on in her life. In an unlikely change of opinion, I told her she could stop playing basketball. After some hemming and hawing, she agreed that it would be best to not play the sport. I'd had another girl added to my team, which meant that I could afford to lose a player.

Tonight, Larien asked T if she needed help studying for a test. Being the nice young woman that she is, T said she could and made a statement kind of like, "That's what we agreed upon. I would help you with basketball, and you'd help me with my classes."

"Except, you don't have to help me anymore. You should just buy me Reese's peanut butter cups for my help."

Someone in the room asked (honestly, I don't know who said this, because the place was packed with family), "Larien, do you think you're smarter than T?"

"Well--," she put her finger to her mouth as she thought of a response, "I'm probably smarter than she was when she was in first grade."

Those Commercials!

2011-01-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

Larien felt poorly last night, but not so much that we worried. We knew T could handle it, so we left for dinner out, which is a complete necessity after I coach my girls basketball team. I get amped up that making me walk a few blocks in order to eat saves me from indigestion.

While we walked, we remembered that we hadn't given Larien medicine. I texted T. She sent me this account.

"Advil? I can't take Advil!!!!!"

"Why not, Larien?"

"BECAUSE! I heard on a TV commercial that if you take Advil you could suffer from DEATH!"

I'll have to coach T to call it ibuprofen next time.

Read This

2011-01-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

My kindergartener, Finwe, now has homework. Don't freak. It's simple and rarely consumes more than five or ten minutes.

The first night he had to talk to his family about the weather. Easy.

Tuesday he had to use a ruler to measure things around the house and decide if they were smaller or larger than the ruler. Easy and fun for all of us. We kept bringing him different things to measure. How about Mom's foot? Ooooo, Larien suggested, measure Ida Bad Dog's tail.

Tonight, he had to practice reading the words the, is, and no. No problem. He did, however have to read a book, but we got so distracted due to the addition of the Fabulous T to our family (a whole 'nother story!) that we didn't get to that.

To remedy this, I wrote some words on the chalk board squares on his wall. The first three were the homework words. Easy. (When I say easy, this isn't to imply that he's a wiz at reading. He proved to be the most difficult to keep on task while I taught him to read. It is mixing with other kids his age that read which really spurred him forward. Easy is relative and doesn't covey my excitement that he does read and wants to read.)

I wrote mask, because he was wearing the Zorro mask we bought him some time ago. He hasn't a clue who Zorro is. He read the word.

I wrote shirt to see if he could figure out the dipthong. He got it.

I scribbled buzz, because we as a society don't put enough emphasis on words that are fun to read. Buzz tickles the lips and is an onomatopoeia. Cool. He read it and giggled.

Then, I drew four letters with precision. F A R T

"Mom! You wrote a potty word!" Whatever he said next was covered in so much laughter that it could have been anything.

My husband joined in the mirth but added, "Don't tell your teacher what your mother had you read."

He's only being half-serious.

Honesty

2010-12-29T22:11:00.000-05:00

"Wait, Mom. I have to fart," says my son.

"Thanks for telling me," I reply.

He giggles so much that bubbles of spit form at his lips. "I had to hold my peni$."

I didn't ask why.

The family that stargazes together

2010-12-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

gets to see Jupiter and three of its 61 moons. Larien could have looked at the stars for much longer, but the wind got to her.

Something the boy learned at the beach

2010-11-29T17:54:00.000-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving week on Dauphin Island. My son, having a mother who didn't look at the weather report, didn't have any shorts to wear. We let him wear his underwear as outerwear. This meant that he had no shame about peeing wherever he wanted, like the post where the poodles had lifted their legs.

The one tidbit that my mother taught him--make sure that his back is to the wind. He tested the wind each time. My mother should be so proud.

Late night request

2010-11-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

"Moooooommmmm. Mooooooommmmmm."

I heard the plaintive cry from Larien's room. She should have been asleep. She met me halfway down the stairs. I asked her what she needed. I assumed she'd beg for a drink or a snack. She already knew she could leave her light on to read.

"Where's my multiplication table?"

I'd introduced it to her a few days earlier to help her with some math problems. "It's in your notebook."

"You mean my binder," she said with her eyes rolled up in her head. My inability to call her school things by the proper term annoys her. She stomped off to get the slip of paper from her bag.

"Why do you need this right now?"

"I need to do more math, Mom, right now."

I'm so proud of my nerd.

School Feast

2010-11-17T15:14:00.000-05:00

Today, Finwe's kindergarten class held their Thanksgiving Feast. All the parents brought in food, from bread to desserts. The kids recited a poem and sang two songs. Then, we ate. The vests are made from tea dyed pillowcases and decorated with paint. The kids designed the headdresses with foam pieces in patterns. The feather colors signify the project pride rules: kindness, do your best work, be responsible, and respect others.

Maybe posting again

2010-11-16T23:02:00.002-05:00

And, it will not matter if no one reads it. I love the memories I get with this online journal. I'll try to do this once a week.

There's a right time for everything

2009-05-22T16:16:00.002-05:00

As it has been a long day for me because of kid things, end of year parties, and just life of a mom of three, I jokingly asked Finwe at 3:30 if it was time for wine.

"Yeah," he answered, nodding his head. As he pulled his monster truck from the bowl of dog water, he added, "But it's not time for vegetables."

Because Pictures Say 1000 Words

2009-05-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

It's pool weather here already, and we've taken advantage of the pool. Inwe has lungs of steel and can stay underwater a long time.

Living so close to my mother allows us to drive off to Pensacola for no better reason than just to say hello to her for a few days. This is Larien on the beach. I believe that she grows everyday.

Finwe as a superhero. He has decided that he likes the waves, which is good. I dunked him, head first, when he got sand in his eye. We'd left the beach the day before because of not being able to get the sand out of his eye. When we got home and had finished flushing the eye with sterile eye wash, I said, "Dad would have just dunked him in the water." So, that's what I did the next day.

It appears that Larien is much shorter than Inwe, but in reality, maybe two inches separate them. Inwe has a bucket of seaweed, much of which she brought home.

Finwe featured on local blog

2009-04-28T22:39:00.002-05:00

Yummyfun.com

Worth your time to take a look. The link for Finwe's photo with his candy bug is here.

The Girls Try Crawfish

2009-04-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

Larien, who is on a kick to try different foods, asked to try crawfish. Here, there is a grocery store that markets itself as having the Bayou Boys foor cooks. On Friday-Sunday during the height of crawfish season, you can buy fresh boiled crawfish. Phill and I indulged for lunch (not really an indulgence as 1/2 a cup of crawfish tails is 1 WeightWatchers point, which translates to about 15 crawfish). We peeled one for Larien. She ate it and asked for more. Yeah, baby, we'll get her to like seafood.

Inwe, however, while brave enough to try a bite (and it is bravery, mudbugs are rather ugly), didn't like the taste at all. We give her thumbs up for the effort.

We are here. Are you here?

2009-02-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

So, I'm a very big slacker lately on this blog and even on the other one. My focus shifted to writing and caring more for my kids. Plus, the kids are pretty easy lately. School, ballet, gymnastics, art and friends take up our time and give us lots of laughs and smiles and a few tears. I'm also busier than I've been in recent years with planning two large events, one massive vacation, and learning to run the house more efficiently without Phill around much. If you add in Carnival, ending on Mardi Gras, I haven't much energy to even post photos much less stories. Heck, it is getting to the point that I can't remember the cute, interesting, astouding sentences the kids utter. Today, Finwe told one of our neighbors that he loved her and gave her a huge hug. How cute is that?

So, I'm bad. You are, too. I've not gotten any comments in ages and ages, which is fine. We don't all have time to write, "Heard that! How Cute! Fabulous." There are days that petting the dog seems like a monumental chore. (Don't worry, she gets lots and lots of love. She's awesome and currently on a play date at the Sully Mansion.)

Is it possible for you to leave a comment? Tell me that you are still reading? If I don't get any, I'm going to put the blog in the attic for a bit. It's like when I cycle out toys for my kids. A few months later, they think they have new toys. Works for them.

Mummified frog we found on Prytania St. Yep, still in my house. I'm only grossed out when I accidentally touch it.

At the beach on a February day while visiting my mom.

The girls and I play Old Maid, which Larien lost every time, and that is no exaggeration.

Now that we have a piano

2009-01-28T11:49:00.001-05:00

From The Telemnars

Matching

2009-01-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

They came downstairs like this on Sunday.

Larien at BooKoo Bounce for a Birthday Party

2009-01-11T22:33:00.001-05:00

From Movies

Short Story: Full of Holes

2009-01-06T15:48:00.003-05:00

Saturday, we took the kids to an outlet mall to gear up. Their growing bodies, especially Larien's, have exhausted their pants. Phill got some time to shop alone as did I. The girls enjoyed choosing their own clothes, and even Finwe got into the spirit of looking for something new (he's the only one not in need of clothes).

After a snack, we split the kids: the girls with me and the boy with Phill. Inwe, Larien, and I shopped for pants at The Children's Place while Phill tried on pants somewhere.

Phill tried on pants as Finwe watched. In a loud voice, Finwe announced, "Oh, my gosh, Daddy. Your underwear is full of holes!"

By the trains

2008-12-29T10:38:00.001-05:00

We visited the Celebration Under the Oaks at City Park last night. This photo is taken at the large model train display. The conductor stopped the two trains so I could get a photo. See the splotch of red on the right side? That's one of the trains.

Presents and Poses

2008-12-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

Although we don't do Santa, we left out unwrapped presents so we could eat breakfast and have a shower before opening the other presents. Finwe enjoys a truck with other trucks and brings it to Phill to open.

This porcelain doll caught Inwe's eye when we visited Destrehan Plantation in October. She didn't think she would get it and was pleased when she opened it as the last present.

Larien posing with a headband.

Round 2 of Cookie Making

2008-12-22T23:23:00.000-05:00

We made cutout cookies for the neighbors, but for us we did simple drop cookies. A friend helped us decorate them with simple icing, the kind bought at a store. We had a good time.

I Once Was HP

2008-12-21T17:59:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A Trio of Photos

2008-12-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

At a front yard fire neighborhood party, Larien swung on the rope for as long as she could.

Inwe began making a friendship bracelet, one of many crafty projects on her list for Xmas break.

On Thursday, our babysitter brought her puppy (5 mos.). Finwe got to walk it around the neighborhood.

Pride (In the Name of Love)

2008-12-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

Despite the blank look on Larien's face, she was quite proud of her Lego alligator floating on a blue swamp.

Inwe donated 11 inches to Locks of Love

2008-12-10T17:23:00.000-05:00

The Birthday Girl

2008-12-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

She's wearing half of her pinata. She requested the football cake. By my estimationg, the party and the day turned out well.

Happy Birthday, Inwe!

2008-12-06T09:12:00.001-05:00

She's 7. 7! Although it doesn't seem like yesterday that she was this baby, the years are passing too quickly.

Inwe

2008-12-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

Please note the jaw breaker causing the bulge in her cheek. Despite that, it's a lovely photo.

Decorating the 2.7M tree

2008-11-24T10:39:00.000-05:00

My mother declared that our six foot tree looked puny in the house here in NOLA with the tall ceilings. She granted us the 2.7M tree, which is close to 9 feet. We've set it up already as we won't be home for Thanksgiving. The kids helped put on the lights and the paltry amount of ornaments we have. Luckily, Mom is giving us some more of her ornaments.

The funny thing about this photo is that Finwe is wearing nothing on the bottom. He said his pants were bothering him. I'm wondering when the day will come that the girls yell at him to PUT ON HIS PANTS.

Our Saturday

2008-11-23T17:09:00.000-05:00

Both girls can start, stop, and turn really well on their bikes. We think we will now get Finwe a small two wheel bike meant for little kids to learn earlier to ride on two wheels. The day was full but good.

Tugging with White Dragon: A study in Stills

2008-11-21T11:04:00.000-05:00

From Movies

I have no idea

2008-11-16T22:07:00.000-05:00

I think the green stuff on Inwe's hands is icing from cupcakes. Notice Finwe's "popped up" hair. I am guessing about the stuff on the hands, though. I was still asleep or digging in mom's attic.

Reading with Larien and Art with Inwe

2008-11-13T11:37:00.002-05:00

In all my ups and downs with teaching Inwe to read, I learned that you can't make a kid into a reader. You can teach them to read and give them a love of stories. I'm sure many would disagree with me, but as much as I might try, Inwe only reads the books she gets at school. She never picks up a book at home with the intent of reading it for entertainment.

This is not true of Larien. At bedtime, if she isn't sleepy, we leave the light on for her so she can peruse her stack of books. The ones she likes to read are non fiction books about weather, planets, and animals. She doesn't mind the fictional tales, though. Her default is always the nature books.

Recently, she has wanted to read to us at bedtime. Two nights ago, I picked up The Cat in the Hat. She told me that the foot book was easier. I suggested that she try the first page. She made it through those few sentences and surprised me by having the desire to read all of the story. I had to help her on a few words, but after a while she recognized even those. She read part of it again last night. The reason she didn't finish it was because I fell asleep. My Larien is a reader.

My Inwe is the creator. I bought, at Larien's request, a spin art machine. At $10, the price was right and I remember doing some spin art as a child. Larien, Finwe, and I spent some time making some art. When Inwe came home, she took over and not in a bad way. She took my suggestions and tweaked them to make her own unique style. I could see her working on ideas as she added paint and glitter. Her creations topped ours.

Tomato Soup

2008-11-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

We had the classic dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Both Larien and Finwe enjoy tomato soup, although for both the spoon poses a challenge. Finwe wanted a second bowl, and as I had already gone through five napkins I gave him a straw.

Bikes

2008-11-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

We ventured out as a family to ride bikes, deciding that Larien could learn to balance on two wheels. Inwe and Finwe rode around as Phill taught Larien. Each time I helped she couldn't steer. I kept away after a few attempts.

Inwe took two spills in the parking lot and one on the bike trail. Phill won the day of injuries as he gave himself a concussion by closing the bike rack onto his head. He's still laying in the bed.

Larien got the hang of riding without anyone helping. She can nearly start herself as well. After a few more tries at bike riding, she'll be able to do the Audubon Park loop with Inwe and Phill. Me? I'll either tow Finwe or play with him on the playground. Biking as a family is getting to be more of a possibility.

Finwe would like to remind you that he's number one boy.

Voitng at a Fire House

2008-11-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure that climbing on the fire truck was the highlight of Finwe's two hour wait with us. He did wonderfully, though. No fits, very little fussing, and he didn't press the "Cast Your Vote" button before I was through marking the ballot.

Before we headed out for the night

2008-11-01T08:48:00.000-05:00

An hour of trick or treating with mounted policemen watching over the crowd, a hour of a garden party with Voodoo barbeque, and two hours at a neighbor's cozy gathering. That was our night. Inwe spent the night with a friend.

Tricks, Treats, and Writing

2008-10-30T13:53:00.001-05:00

I know I should be writing more about the kids and what we have been doing lately. With Halloween so close, there has been much to do. We carved pumpkins with friends visiting. Thankfully, Aunt Maverick was with us to help out. There was one puppy, two ghouls, a creepy face, and one scary face carved. If we had had candles, the day would have been perfect as we lit the jack o'lanterns that evening. Oh, well. We'll get some by tomorrow night for sure.

Finwe's class at preschool had a pumpkin decorating day with faux trick or treating. One of the handouts was a whoopee cushion. There are only three boys in his class, and each one of them had to sit on the cushion three times. At home, I inflated that thing so many times that I nearly passed out from lack of oxygen. He adores it. Farting and pooping are big deals for this boy. (insert eye roll)

This is the pumpkin he decorated, mostly without my help. It's an untouched up photo, but with two kids home ill today, that's all you are going to get.

At the party, the assistant director painted their faces. Finwe began completely upright. The more she drew on his face the more he leaned to the left. He also played in the pile of hay. He threw it at me, too. I picked straw from my hair and shirt for about four hours.

On our way home we walked with another of the little boys in his class and that child's grandparents. The boys greeted each other like this, "Hey there, butthead." I'm not kidding. They repeated this greeting with some embellishments for the next two blocks. The grandmother and I agreed that ignoring it might make it go away sooner. I'm rethinking that idea.

The "butthead" walk reminded me of my daughters at this age, who would come home crying if someone called them something as innocuous as "dress-wearer."

Because I didn't get a photo of the middle one

2008-10-27T15:43:00.000-05:00

Training Wheels Off

2008-10-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

The bad part about living in a city is that riding bikes with children takes serious precautions, like where to ride. We try the path around Audubon Park, but one of us has to walk with Finwe while he rides his trike. If the weather isn't perfect and the stars aren't aligned, Larien can't make it around the whole thing either. So, I end up lingering while Inwe rides ahead with whomever is with me.

Today, I decided that my eldest needed to learn to ride without the training wheels. Phill took her to some parking lot to learn. She's got it. Of course, this only increases the difficulty of taking the kids to ride bikes as I'll want to keep giving her practice. Can someone clone me and grow me instantly to an adult--to at least the age of 20.

Apologies for the cruddy resolution of the camera phone shot.

Choosing Pumpkins for Carving

2008-10-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

Two of the Three

2008-10-24T10:44:00.000-05:00

Inwe wanted curly hair.

Finwe just wanted to have his photo taken.

LEGO Ghosts

2008-10-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

By Inwe

By Inwe and Larien

From the black clothes day

2008-10-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Doesn't this look like a before prom picture?

Nighttime Parade

2008-10-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

All three kids were invovled in hitching together the tricycles and trucks for a parade. I even got a bruise from a heartily thrown string of beads.

With the Hoberman Sphere

2008-10-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

Not Sleepy At All

2008-10-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

As I've written before, we went to the beach each day that we could, many times pushing Finwe to him limit. He asked to leave on Sunday, but as we were with friends, I told him he had to wait. He rested on the sheet with a towel over his head for a short time. That allowed us to stay longer.

When we arrived home, we had to force the kids to take a bath. They insisted that since they hadn't gone in the water that they weren't dirty. Apparently, sandy from head to in between the toes does not qualify as dirty. The girls got a shower while Finwe had his much desired sink bath. He loves a sink bath.

After, the girls headed to the playroom for some television and Lunchables (a grandmother's solution to a group of hungry, but disagreeing kids). Finwe took his spot on Mom Mom's bed, which I'm sure he considers his own. Mom had on BMX racing. Finwe liked it, settled in to eating, and told us we could leave.

Phill and I finished getting dressed for our date. When I checked on Finwe, I saw him sitting, eating a chunk of cheese. One, maybe two, minutes later, Mom went to her room to get something. She backtracked to the kitchen, begging us to come look. The above photo demonstrates what we witnessed.

Thursday to Monday

2008-10-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

Finwe asked to have his hair cut last week. He constantly complained about the hair in his eyes. I took him to the woman who cut my hair, Phill's, and Larien's. She cut it short like we asked. Finwe obviously liked her as he smiled the entire time, never needing me to reassure him. Maybe the M&Ms helped. Near the end, Kieu (the stylist) laughed at the cowlick near his part. She said, "You might need to put some gel in it to keep that down." Finwe heard her and asked if he could have some hair stuff. She agreed. As she worked it into his hair, parts stuck up, spiky, like many young men like to wear their hair. Finwe liked this, telling my mother, "Kieu put in the white stuff and my hair POPPED UP!" We spent the weekend, popping up his hair.

With Halloween approaching, Inwe has been interested in being a vampire. She has a costume, but Phill hid it. At my mom's house, she asked for some black clothes. I wasn't there, but I imagine she said, "I know you have lots of black clothes." My gathered some clothes and this is what resulted. Inwe performing as a vampire. Larien being something. Finwe . . . well, I'll tell you more later.

If you asked me what we did this weekend, I would use one word, Beach. Beach, beach, and more beach. Oh, and catching some crabs and fish to put in a small tank to watch for the days we were in Florida. We released them today. Nearly as much fun as catching them. We'll do this again. The weather was perfect. No one got burned, and we got to visit with a friend and her family. Whoooo, are we going to do that again!

So, Finwe became a bat quite by accident. He is wearing a long sleeved t-shirt. I tied the ribbons attached to the shoulders behind his neck so that the shirt didn't fall from his shoulders. Since Inwe had something on her head, he wanted something on his head. He reached behind him and pulled the flap of fabric from his back. As he turned around, we noticed tha the shoulder pads stuck up like bat ears. Voila! A bat.

Impromptu Play Date

2008-10-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, we saw our neighbors getting out of their truck. Since they have a new dog, we went to meet Fannie, a mutt of lovely markings. The mom looked frazzled. Trust me, I know that look. Oh, how I know it. Although I had a headach of monumental proportions, I invited her three kids to my house.

See, in a strange way, six kids are easier than three. The boys attacked the bikes in the back, ramming into the gate and each other. The girls drug out every Mardi Gras decoration we had in Larien's room. They played happily and, most importantly, harmoniously as I supervised.

Our youngest neighbor had to be drug from our house for his dinner. It's a compliment when kids don't want to leave your house.

Running, Tackling, Gonna Get You

2008-10-06T21:33:00.000-05:00

At Spirit Night on Friday, Finwe pushed himself to his utmost limit. He hadn't taken a nap. He didn't have a proper dinner. He rode every ride he could and pushed away all adult hands that attempted to keep him from flopping around. I knew he wouldn't last much longer when he only wanted me, even with Mom Mom around. Only Mommy, the sun, the moon, his world. We danced to the music and practiced running at each other. This is what we are doing in the photo above. That's the carousel in the background.

Silly

2008-10-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

Many days there's not a serious one among them. At this bike rack outside an optometrist's shop, that was certainly the case. I blame it on the breeze that cooled us through the open windows of the St. Charles streetcar. A good lunch helped as well.

I'll Have

2008-10-04T15:03:00.002-05:00

An adventure for our family is to get on the streetcar (any direction), find a restaurant (not difficult in NOLA), and eat lunch or dinner. Today, we visited a place we'd been before--Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. (Italian food in New Orleans? It's not a far stretch as lots of Italians and Sicilians immigrated here.)

We got our menus, which Finwe began to read. He at least knows that letters make words and that he should read those. He told us what he wanted, so we let him order. Just as the waiter arrived at the table, Finwe unwrapped his utensils. As he usually does, he waved his knife around; it's his way of asking for us to take it. The waiter said with panache, "I'll take that."

Finwe thanked the waiter and ordered. "I'll have noodles, and cheese pizza, and chicken nuggets."

Jason, the waiter, leaned close to my son. "Which one would you like most?"

"Ummm, chicken nuggets."

"And, would you like barbeque sauce or ketchup with your chicken nuggets?"

"Ketchup, please."

By the end of the meal, Finwe had some of Inwe's noodles, Larien's pizza, and his own chicken nuggets.

After Spirit Night

2008-10-03T22:04:00.000-05:00

I'm too tired to write much, but the girls' school had spirit night at City Park. Aunt Maverick and Mom Mom joined us. The girls had their faces painted. Finwe made the entire night, but after two minutes in the car he fell asleep. As Phill said, he lasted until the very last ATP molecule was metabolized.

Fireman

2008-10-01T22:35:00.002-05:00

Dress up, role playing, and Halloween costume all in one, thanks to Daddy. The extinguisher squirts water. My computer felt it. Apparently, I was on fire.

Party for Finwe

2008-09-29T22:10:00.000-05:00

As a rule, we don't do parties with other children outside our family until our kids reach the age of 5. It's some line we drew in the sand. Our neighbors in C'ville counted as family, so they always came. We began with pre-gifts, thinks around the house that Inwe and Larien wrapped for Finwe. Very nice. Dinner followed with cake, homemade, so don't laugh.

"Mommy, are you going to put fire on my cake?" is what Finwe asked as soon as we put the candles on the banana cake with a type of meringue icing. "I want fire on my cake."

Here is the fire on his cake. Three candles. Three puffs of air.

Finwe enjoyed the icing more than the cake, but that's to be expected. I put him in a button down shirt. He exclaimed at the end of the evening that he didn't like the button type of shirt. Noted, my dear three year old who has fabulous table manners during our family style dinners. Really. You have to visit to hear him and watch him dish out his own meals. I'm so proud, people. So proud.

We opened presents. The kids played as a group as I mucked out the kitchen from making dinner and cake. I have more photos, but I'll load them tomorrow. I need some Sarabeth time. I've not gotten much Sarabeth time.

Happy Birthday, Finwe!

2008-09-29T10:53:00.000-05:00

Three years of age. Very much a boy. Still likes to snuggle.

Finwe's Rorhshack Test

2008-09-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

Today, we painted, mostly for a poster for Larien, but Finwe wanted to do his own. He didn't tell me what he painted. What do you see?

Before the Haircut

2008-09-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

At school during baby week, the girs set up a children's hospital.

Time at the Zoo

2008-09-25T21:09:00.000-05:00

With the girls in school, I needed something to do with both my mother-in-law and Finwe. I opted for the zoo. We made it a short trip, not because of hot weather (oh was it lovely, lovely, lovely), but because of my MILs inability to walk long distances. We took time to play as well as watch the gorillas getting lunch.

Time for Chopping

2008-09-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

Larien, whose hair had grown quite past her shoulders, requested a haircut. Her reasons were simple, she got hot and she hated me pulling out the tangles. I did it as gently as possible, but this is the princess that can feel the pea under a hundred mattresses. If you touch one hair on her head, she knows and feels each whisper-light touch.

I took her to a swanky salon. At least, it looked swanky. The price wasn't swanky. She told the stylist what she wanted. Instead of getting a straight cut, the lady gave her gentle layers and shaped her hair nicely with selective cuts. Towards the end, Larien requested bangs. She got them.

I couldn't get a pretty shot because Larien wanted to be very silly. So, I settled for a plain face shot. Let's see what her hair looks like after she's flopped a thousand times tonight. And, after a day of humidity. And, after climbing out of the pool. Let's just see.

Bubble Machine

2008-09-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

Part of Larien's interrupted but awesome birthday was a bubble machine. We first used it during the passing winds of Hurricane Ike, which caused bubbles to reach all the way to St. Charles Avenue. While that was an ugly day, and soon to be uglier for Texas and the lower parishes of Louisiana, the bubbles brought some levity to the day. This isn't the greatest photo, but it manages to convey Larien's joy.

A backlog of stories

2008-09-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

I've been lax writing about the children. Please accept my apologies. Also, don't expect it to get better, because I have discovered with three days completely to myself I have lots and lots to do. That gets in the way of writing about the kids.

The picture above portrays all three doing their favorite activity and their newly discovered playplace--the library. I'm not unhappy about the expanded play area as when Finwe is home with just me, he sits beside the desk playing with legos, train tracks, or colors. I can accomplish a few things using the computer while he still gets attention. Nice. Not so nice when we have to pick up the teeny tiny blocks so that I don't step on them with my perpetually bare feet. I'll learn, though.

All of the kids love building with the smaller blocks. We've had a set of the larger Lego blocks since Inwe reached the age of 1. They still use the big ones, too. I suspect one day I'll buy a set of K'nex with an entire rollercoaster ringing the desk.

Finwe at School Photos

2008-09-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

The preschool shares photos using Kodak Easy Share. These are lifted from there, so the quality isn't that wonderful. The above picture is him today. I forget which day he wore all blue, but it was this week.

The beginning of homework

2008-09-16T16:04:00.000-05:00

Inwe's Wall

2008-09-12T10:26:00.000-05:00

Inwe went through a phase of coloring peace signs and turning every animal I printed from the computer into a peace-nik. At the end of it all, she pasted them onto part of her wall. My favorite is the sign in the upper right hand corner. It's so elaborate and of her making.

Zoobilation

2008-09-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the Audubon Zoo presented a member night, with crafts, music, special animal shows, demonstrations, and a discount on all food and merchandise in the place. We took the kids and had an enjoyable three hours.

Near the entrance were zoo employees and volunteers holding different animals, from birds to reptiles. The kids touched snakes, a pretty large lizard, and a tortoise that was doing his best to walk all over the zoo. Grant was a tortoise on a mission to explore or hide or escape from the children. Finwe asked if he could touch the birds, but the keeper declined saying that these particular birds like to taste little boys. The bird did lean towards Finwe, so we kept walking to see the elephant show.

I always have a difficult time with large animals at a zoo, but what I heard from one of the handlers encouraged me. Each day (and I think evening) the pachyderms get a romp around the zoo grounds. They walk the entire zoo and get to play in a yard meant especially for them. The kids also got to pet one of the elephants, although Inwe must not have been feeling well. She got supremely scared so much that she screeched.

We also watched the komodo dragon eat beef hearts and the white alligator get some chicken. There's a white snapping turtle that had a snack in front of us. We ate dinner at the Cypress Knee cafe, which specializes in Cajun food. As we listened to Zydeco, we ate a good dinner of seafood gumbo and red beans and rice. After eating, we danced to a few songs before taking the train back to the entrance.

The evening ended too early for Finwe, but I think it was just right.

Homecoming

2008-09-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

Greeting me after a day at school.

Banner up there

2008-09-04T22:45:00.002-05:00

The new banner is courtesy of Inwe's art. She draws and paints so many pieces that I take photos of them instead of storing every single sheet of paper. We tried to give her a large folder for storage, but she never used it. So, we keep a stack, photograph the best ones, and recycle most of them. One day she'll move to canvases. You people will have to begin hanging them on your walls when you get a surprise package, courtesy of Inwe.

One of the reasons I love my son

2008-09-04T20:44:00.002-05:00

While walking our very unsatisfied dog around my sister's neighborhood, Finwe saw a neighbor on his front porch.

"Mommy," he asked, "can I go talk to that man there?" I said yes, because I had said hello to the octogenarian a few days prior. He seemed like a nice man. Finwe is feeling the effects of being a place where people don't walk places and talk to each other. He really wanted to talk to someone. He'd pestered the man doing some work in my sister's house for a few days. It was time for someone new.

Such a simple action, making small talk with an older man living alone. That 20 minutes brought many smiles to his face. We talked about storms, cities, the 2nd world war, and children. Finwe showed him White Dragon, told the man about his temporary tatoos, and about riding in his aunt's convertible.

Finwe's friendliness is one of the reasons that I love him. It reminds me of my father.

Genuine Smile

2008-09-03T22:10:00.004-05:00

My sister worked through lunch so she could leave early to help celebrate Larien's birthday. We took in a movie and met our cousins, Good4Water and BabyA, at a pizza place. After, we revealed her presents that made it to Madison with us. That made three. The others await us in NOLA. We can return tomorrow, but we will wait until our power is restored. Or, it will be Sunday--the day before school begins again.

Five Years and Counting

2008-09-03T10:19:00.000-05:00

Dear Larien,

We decided to have another child when your father’s health improved. In a way, you are the embodiment of hope and belief that life would return to normal.

Well, my dear girl, your idea of normal challenged us as parents, particularly at night. You clung to me, never really wanting to arms of your dad, which we viewed as alright as your sister decided that your dad helped her best. Oh, we loved you during the day, your giggles, your smiles, your large brown eyes sparkled.

Then night would arrive. For a reason we never discovered, you woke angry. No matter what we tried, you wailed. We are pretty sure the connection you forged with Molly, the super old Golden Retriever of indeterminate age, happened on the floor of the sunroom as she waited for you to exhaust yourself. Most mornings your dad or I would wake near you (yes, dear, we slept on the floor as well) as you slumbered next to her warm body. You still ask for that snaggle-toothed dog. I think you will always want a Golden Retriever because of the patience she showed you for over a year.

By your second year you grew out of those night wakings. You learned how to pout, but you also figured out I was all yours with your sister at pre-school. We gained a pretty good understanding of each other just as your brother made his way into the world. You took his addition pretty well, as you had only ever known life with another kid in the family.

I was so proud when you knew to use the potty at two and a half. That blip that happened that May, well, let’s just ignore that. None of us fared well that summer. Still, you dealt with my deep sadness the best. Your age helped you. So much you couldn’t remember, until Molly said goodbye to this world. Oh, those tears of yours were so real for that sweet dog. You did transfer your affections and penchant for using a dog belly as a pillow to the White Dragon. I think you made her a better dog because of it.

By the age of three, you found a love for preschool and gymnastics. You tried to swim on your own, pretty successfully. Honestly, I enjoyed watching you fall in love with a teacher, running to her in the mornings. Three was a good year for you, Larien. A really good year. You scaled back on the pouts and rewarded everyone with as much love as you could muster. There was that one time that I had to stay at summer camp for nap when you told the ladies that you “didn’t believe in naps.” Again, I’ll ignore that. I adored that. You know yourself and what you will and won’t do.

I wish I could say four was a good age, but in some ways it wasn’t. That is when you truly became the child of night and day, capable of quite a bit but willing to only do so much. Your dad and I called you the child of Kobayashi Maru. Watch Wrath of Kahn when you’re older. You’ll get it and agree with us.

Perhaps you sensed the upheaval soon to happen. We thought that you would make the transition from Charlottesville to New Orleans well, that Inwe would be the problematic child. You surprised us by withdrawing into yourself around others. The bubbly personality got lost. Mardi Gras helped you find it. You loved the jubilant atmosphere with all the neighbors offering you food, cups, and whatever throws they thought you might want. Your teachers told us that they didn’t recognize you the next week. I noticed the change, too. I think, one day, you’ll love New Orleans. You might become one of those people who never want to leave.

I don’t like to say that I cannot believe that you are five years of age. Yet, it is true. My mind keeps you at the age of four. Perhaps I see all of my children growing at an accelerated rate, and I’ve picked you, my snuggliest one, to remain young. In truth, juxtaposed with Inwe, you act younger than she did at the age of five. That’s alright, Larien. Youth passes all too quickly.

I adore you, my middle child. I love your yin and yang. I love that you take this disruption of your special day in stride. Instead of focusing on the loss of a pool party with friends, you embrace being able to snuggle with your aunt. Do you know how mature that is?

So, my daughter of light and dark, my child that changes the parameters, you are loved. We’ll get that party rescheduled. In the meantime, enjoy the movie, the dinner with family, and the presents I brought with us from New Orleans. You’ll have more in our undamaged house once we find our way back. You are worth the extra work.

Happy Birthday.

Love,

Mommy

Larien is 5

2008-09-03T09:40:00.001-05:00

In exile, waiting to go home, but five years of age. When I have time I will write more about my enigma, my lovely, lovely enigma.

Art in Exile

2008-09-02T09:42:00.000-05:00

My kids are happy at their aunt's house. Inwe even got a chance to have a sleep over with her 2nd cousin. I love that kids are so resilient. Even so, my Inwe said, "Mom, I enjoy Aunt Maverick's house, but I want to be back in New Orleans."

Call her a Shrimp

2008-08-27T09:13:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been big into having dinner family style, with all the offerings in their own serving dishes being passed clockwise around the table. Serving this way is a departure from setting a loaded plate in front of the kids, which is what we used to do as I didn't want to bother with the extra dishes.

We passed around the dishes last night when Inwe decided to take a boiled shrimp. She peeled it herself. She popped the entire spicy morsel into her mouth. She gave it a chew, chew, chew, pronouncing it not that good. "And a bit too spicy." Still, she ate it. Cool.

Excitement for School (and even naps)

2008-08-26T11:25:00.002-05:00

For whatever reason, Finwe went to school on Friday, but not on Monday. I know the reason, but egads it's a bad idea to have 1/2 the class come for one day and the other 1/2 come the next day, then mix them on the day in the far future. For the kids that got to go on Monday, that's not so bad. For Finwe, someone help me! He wants to go to school. He sagged on the way home from dropping the girls at school on Monday. Today, he's chomping at the bit just to go somewhere. He settled for the farmers' market.

Larien attends school every day, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays she'll only be going half day. My plan was to reduce the stress of the nap. When I told her this morning, she exclaimed, "But I have to be there for rest, because if I'm the best rester I get to rest in the lady bug sleeping bag."

Umm, didn't see that coming.

First Day of School: Finwe

2008-08-22T21:22:00.002-05:00

My mom and I walked Finwe to school. He rode his tricycle, parked it at the door, ascended the steps, and waited for me to open the door. He rushed into his room, going directly to the toy he noticed during his orientation. I gave him a kiss after saying hello to the each of the teachers. I left.

During the day he did well, only having a fit during lunch and just before nap. He didn't eat. The teachers suspected the day's activities tired him excessively. He completed an entire day. Oh, I loved how his face glowed when he sighted me this afternoon. School will be good for him.

First Day of School: Larien

2008-08-21T11:04:00.003-05:00

"Mom, can we leave now?"

With a less than three minute walk to school, my answer was not yet.

"Are you sure?"

I caved. We walked to school early.

As we entered the building, Larien told me that she knew the location of her classroom. I don't know how she did, but she went to the correct place. When the teacher asked her how are you, she responded, "Great. How are you?"

No worries for that one today.

First Day of School: Inwe

2008-08-21T10:58:00.002-05:00

I expected Inwe to run to her friends in the play yard, one of the privileges of being in first grade is playing on the grounds before school. She hid behind me as some of her classmates rushed to greet her.

Play dough dragon

2008-08-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

Last week, the kids requested red ("Really red, Mommy. Like, squeeze the entire tube of food coloring in it.") and yellow play dough. We made some.

Inwe and Larien collaborated on this dragon. Inwe constructed the body, complete with horn and breastplates. Larien scultped the tail. they added wings later, but those ruined the sculpture for me. I like the land dragon.

We'll be showing this when he graduates from high school

2008-08-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

I believe that Inwe perpetrated this crime against boyhood.

Hands of Time

2008-08-08T14:50:00.000-05:00

Oh, those last few weeks of summer vacation have crept ever so slowly. I can tell that the kids are eager for school. Inwe asked to wear her McGehee uniform today, which I refused. She'll wear it all year. The real problem is that she had no clothes that she wanted to wear.

Larien keeps asking to do more reading lessons than her brain can handle. The more complex words require more attention and coaching on my part. By the end of the story, she's excited to discover something new, but she doesn't last long. We stop at one lesson now. She received a letter from her teachers that contained a drawing of a ladybug, the class mascot. She colored it and only needs to write a sentence about a ladybug on the sheet of paper. These will be put in the classroom on the first day.

Finwe knows that he'll start school, too. I asked him what he'll like about school. He replied so quickly that I suspect he's been thinking about it. "Other boys." Methinks he's weary of the overbearing, controlling sisters?

One of the reasons the kids are ready for organized learning is that they've only had one organized summer camp, which was only two hours focused on music appreciation. This is more about how I spent summers than any financial restraints. My summer camps were always only a week at most and only for the mornings. We played at home and on the beach and in the park. Summer camp? Ick! That resembled school way too much. While I liked school immensely, summer meant time for renewal of that excitement, not time away from mom and dad.

At the camp the kids did attend, they also did art. Two of the projects I enjoyed so much that I'm displaying them in the front of the house, a watercolor painting of flowers in a vase and these hand prints mounted on canvas frames.

Broken Moon

2008-08-06T20:32:00.002-05:00

Oh a Skype conversation with my mom:

"MomMom, I see the moon."

"What does it look like, Finwe?"

"It's only part of the moon."

"Oh."

"MomMom, maybe someone can climb up the tree into the dark and fix the moon."

I'm too tempted by the thoughts in his head. I have to ask, "What's wrong with the moon?"

Finwe looks at me as he points at the crescent moon through the window. "It's broken. Someone needs to put it back together."

Ignore That

2008-08-05T20:33:00.003-05:00

The kids played outside yesterday morning as New Orleans got some blow by winds of TS Eduardo making the normally hot and humid city windy and not so humid. My kids have gotten good at using water as a play item, much like I did when I was a child. The backyard had two hoses and three spigots (why we need that many water spigots? Ask another of the house's owners.), which is awesome when three children all want access to the water.

I, however, had something very important to do inside that probably had something to do with paying bills or blowing all the snot out of my nose. As I said, of the upmost importance. As I watch them out of the windows, I rap to tell them stop that or just make them bring down the squirting a bit. Mrs. H doesn't need that much water in her yard.

Larien comes in the back door to ask for a squirt bottle. I give it to her. As she leaves, she says, "Just ignore all the yelling. It's only us having fun."

Detailing Life

2008-07-31T12:15:00.003-05:00

In recent times Phill has been working more and more at the hospital. Returned are the days of being a fellow when he'd leave before I'd wake and return after I had fallen asleep. There are various reasons for this with just one being that the neonatal intensive care unit is incredibly full and busy. The other reasons are complicated and unnecessary to relate. As this is the kids' blog, which I hope they read one day, I wanted to preserve the time that Daddy couldn't do nearly as much with them as he'd like.

The days and nights are mine to fill with activities. For most of the summer, that has consisted of visiting the pool, eating dinner there, showering there, and then falling into bed with a request to have "Daddy give me a kiss when he gets home". We've not visited half of what there is to do here in NOLA, much of that due to me only having so many hands. With the 90 degree days with smothering humidity, the zoo has been mostly off limits. We seem to have a curse over us regarding City Park's Storyland Amusement Park; rain clouds shed their contents whenever we are near.

Our neighbor's granddaugthers visited this past week, allowing both Inwe and Larien to have two vibrant children as play companions. I'm pretty sure that the doors have been opened and closed more times these past five days than they have in our entire time in New Orleans. The girls like each other so much that a few nights we had to forcibly put them in their separate houses. I should add that taking all of them to the pool certainly made being a mom at the pool easier. My presence wasn't required for entertainment. That didn't mean I kept out of the water, though. I just didn't play with them as I wasn't invited.

Just a few houses away are three children that are the same ages as my kids. The other, older neighbors on the street confess that they like hearing children yelling to each other as they run along the sidewalk to play with their friends. The other mom and I attempt to keep them quiet, but our efforts usually are thwarted by six children being children.

I volunteered to take the eldest child, a girl of 6, to the pool with us. Her mom, Em, asked if Finwe wanted to play with her boys, ages 4 and nearly 3. Before I could answer, Finwe said he would and followed Em to her house. Before he turned into their gate he spun to face me, both index fingers pointed at me. "You be good now."

OK, Finwe. I will. I'll be good about blogging so that your Dad can open up this site at night or at work while he's waiting on a lab result before feeing confident about coming home. He can read my words about how you told me to be good just before I would have told you the same thing. I will make sure that he knows how inviting and polite his daughters have been to others lately, perhaps finally learning that exclusion isn't the best way, that life isn't boring simply because you cannot set the artificial Christmas tree in your sister's room so it can be decorated. Maybe he'll like hearing that his kids don't mind the heat and know when to call it a day at the pool. So while Inwe perfects her artistic skills, and Larien sits happily beside me to complete two reading lessons after begging to read one of the books on our favorite reading website (www.starfall.com), and while Finwe discovers how to calm himself after massive frustration, Phill can know that his kids are growing and doing well this summer.

Packing on the Plush Toys

2008-07-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

Inwe and Larien decorated Finwe with plush toys one evening at my mother's house. Finwe smiled and made exclamatory noises when I entered the house after walking the dogs. The girls were quite proud of themselves, too.

Waiting for Dalmatians

2008-07-27T22:14:00.003-05:00

Phill and I arrived home from a night at the movies around 10PM. I expected to see our babysitter in the family room. Nope.

I climbed the back stairs where I met Larien halfway with an exasperated babysitter behind her.

"Larien," I asked, "why are you still awake?"

Babysitter answered, "She said she couldn't sleep until her dad read 101 Damatians to her."

"Oh." My eyes widened in recognition. "Poor Phill," I added, "he's about to fall over from being on call all weekend."

Phill did read one chapter to her as he had done for the week before. Our leaving to see Mom Mom got in the way.

Healthy Food

2008-07-25T15:23:00.002-05:00

As Phill has embarked on an every other night call schedule, the kids, dog, and I escaped to Florida for a very long weekend. We treated my mother to pizza the first night. Last night, my mother made dinner for us. Good sturdy fare with way too many carbs and fat.

I wish I had been in the kitchen when Inwe loaded her plate and let loose this statement. "Mom Mom, you cook less healthier than Mommy."

We are family

2008-07-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

When Trixie, Wawa, and Andrew visited we took a few trips to the pool. She managed to get all five of us in a picture. Sure, Finwe looks annoyed at having been corralled, even temporarily. Still, it's all of us. Not that this one is going to go on the yearly holiday card, though.

Poolside

2008-07-16T19:32:00.000-05:00

Sorry for just the photo. My body has decided to dislike some pollen, mold, smog, or what not. I'm full of snot and aching of head. Still, I take the kids to the pool. We have to escape the heat, sinus headache or not. When we arrived yesterday afternoon, not one of the other 50 families who share the pool were there. We had it all to ourselves until a hour later.

There's a Lesson In Here Somewhere

2008-07-15T21:28:00.000-05:00

This summer I have pulled out the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book to use with Larien. We've done 14 lessons. She's already made huge leaps, often skipping ahead of me in the lessons to read a word instead of doing the practice exercises like rhyming or drawing out the sounds of letters. I find teaching her easier than teaching Inwe, which could be explained by the fact that I have done this before. However, it is more complicated than that.

For Inwe, I began the lessons because I thought she could handle them. She understood letters had sounds and that they made words. While she could do the lessons, what should have taken 20 minutes, took 10-15 minutes longer. Inwe, for all her amazing abilities with language, began too young.

I didn't repeat that mistake with Larien. Of course, she had the benefit of listening to Inwe and I rhyming non-sense words in the car and watching her sister develop her reading skills. Larien also notices the time that both Phill and I take with Inwe to help her read. She's eager to have some of that time herself.

Larien amazes me with how quickly she's catching the reading train.

Baring his Independence

2008-07-14T18:55:00.002-05:00

Now that Finwe has mastered the art of going potty on the potty, he's showing amazing independence during the day. I no longer pester him with the question, "Do you need to go?" He knows and will remove his shorts and underwear without help.

One problem. He can't (or won't) put them back on. He begins the day fully clothed. After a few hours, he's bare from the waist down. The girls see no problem with this as we're romping inside the house. He's accepting of his pants when we go somewhere at least.

Today, he went for a nap. Sometime during his falling asleep period, he must have taken a trip to his bathroom. I know because I peek at him on occasion through a crack in the door. Finwe slept on his side half-covered by the sheet. His lily white bum greeted me.

School should be so much fun.

Jumping into the Pool

2008-07-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

With water wings, Finwe will jump into the pool without me catching him. Here, Inwe is "catching" him, but she doesn't really. He's super happy to have his sisters in the pool with him. Today, Phill and I were able to eat lunch as we watched the kids swim. WooooooHooooo! Of course, the weather is so hot that we eventually took cover into the water. Mmmmmm, water. Mmmmmm.

Pool Shot!

2008-07-11T21:41:00.000-05:00

I remembered to take my camera to the pool this afternoon. This is Larien.

If you give my kids some freedom,

2008-07-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

they are going to dress up.

As I cooked dinner, I heard the kids upstairs. Their position can be marked by the creak of the floors above my head. Old houses are good for that type of kid radar. They were quiet, but not too stealthy, which meant that they had kept out of the things that should not be touched, like my cosmetics.

Their timing impeccable, they arrived just as I drained the pasta. A chorus of "TA DA"s greeted me. When I turned I saw this. Larien in a dress that she wore to ring in the 2007 New Year, Inwe in her preppy shorts, and Finwe in New Orleans casual. Somehow, they managed to find Phill's ties, convince Finwe to wear a button-down shirt with the tie. Beware if you are around my daughters. They can talk you into nearly anything.

See-wa would have loved this. Of course, her nickname is Trixie, but forever she will be remembered as See-wa. WaWa, See-wa's husband will be "That Boy", although Finwe does remember his name as he asked specifically for WaWa this evening.

What do you think? Should we get Finwe a clip-on little boy tie?

Let the Tantrums Begin

2008-07-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

I've gone through this twice. The third shouldn't be too bad. Bring 'em on, Finwe. I can outlast your screams because you did not get what you want!

Visitors!

2008-07-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

Adorable Andrew, ten months older than the last time we saw him, is visiting our home with his parents, Trixie and WaWa. We have covered as much as the city as we can in the heat and relaxed when the heat overwhelmed our senses. Inwe likes it that she can pick him up. He's quite happy to have her do it.

His Idea of a Smile

2008-06-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

When asked to smile, Finwe does the above. I am reminded of him as a newborn. The pediatricians wanted to examine his eyes, but he kept one closed most of the time. We called him One-Eyed Finwe. He could open his eye, he chose not for some reason.

My friend did her best to show him a proper, not squinched smile. He can do it. This, this full teeth smile, is his favorite.

It's Hip to Be Square

2008-06-24T12:04:00.003-05:00

Finwe got to be star of the doctor's office this morning.

I asked about his spot on the growth chart. Dr. K. answered me as he plotted it on the computer.

"His height is around the 75%. His weight, well, that's at the 90%."

I replied, "That's about right. He's always been that way. Big, I mean."

"Yep," Dr. K nodded. "He's rather square."

Like Weeds

2008-06-23T11:53:00.002-05:00

Perhaps the second most difficult transition regarding the children has been choosing a pediatrician. Ours in C'ville set the bar high as he understood me and watched the children grow from day old infants. I trusted Phill with the choosing of the pediatrician we'd use as he choose such a wonderful one the first time.

Today, Inwe and Larien had a visit for school physicals. If the school didn't require health forms, we wouldn't be going for visits. The kids are healthy. Nothing lurks threatening their health. However, it is always good to check, right? Right.

Inwe is proportional for height and weight at 75%. She can see and hear fine. She's healthy. Good.

Larien also registers at the 75th percentile for weight, but she's at 90% for height. Everyone that sees her says she is tall. The data backs up those observations. Phill and I always remarked that she was our baby who weighed lots at birth but quickly settled right in the middle of the growth charts. We thought she'd be petite. Maybe not.

Rain on Me

2008-06-21T15:47:00.004-05:00

We had the idea of spending some time at City Park today, which would have been a fabulous idea if the rain had not fallen long and hard. It did. We made the best of it, getting in some rides at Storyland Amusement Park before ligthning drove us inside to the carousel. We lunched under the shelter of the train stop. Inwe and Findarato played in the rain. Apparently, wet isn't a problem.