Inwe's Wall

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

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.

Waiting for Dalmatians

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.

Funny Faces

Younger every year

On Tuesday I spent a few hours at the doctor in an attempt to stop the bacteria growing in my face. Phill, although taking care of infants in the NICU, offered to care for Finwe while I did said medical things. Because I nearly fainted while getting an infusion of antibiotics, the procedure took longer, which meant that Phill took Finwe to lunch.

Where Phill works, there is a "Doctors Only" cafeteria. Before you scoff, the reason is so doctors can fraternize, discuss treatment plans, and not get hit up for more information from patients. Phill took Finwe to the "Doctors Only" cafeteria.

The woman at the checkout counter flashed a look at Phill, a clear what is he doing here? To that Phill replied, "These doctors are getting younger every year."

Indoor Camping

Bedtime struggles are always interesting. I have a few "must" rules, but I also understand that we each develop our own bedtime rituals. Kids need to try out a few before deciding that sleeping with Matchbox cars isn't so great.

Last night, Finwe showed reluctance to have his diaper changed. I compromised with him by changing his diaper in the pop-up tent that's in his room. I also managed to change his clothes to pajamas while he remained in the tent. By now, he felt attached to the tent and demandedasked to have books read to him while inside. Easy. I did it after a please was extracted.

Finwe didn't display any signs that he would get in his crib, so I delegated that authority to Phill as Larien needed books. Off I went to read to Larien.

After all the reading, I met up with Phill in the hallway.

"Did you get him into bed?" I asked.

"No."

"So, where is he?"

"In his tent."

"He's sleeping in the tent."

"He is."

"Wait. Did you put down a mat or anything?"

"No, the rug is there, and he has his blankets, all three of them."

"But . . ."

Phill, slightly annoyed that I was questioning him for so long, ended the interrogation. "In a little bit, I'll go in there to put him to bed. He'll be fine."

When Phill checked on him half an hour later, Finwe was asleep in the tent. The transfer to the bed was a success.

Not that kind, Honey

For Valentine's Day, Phill got the kids each a book. Inwe received The Tales of Robin Hood, which she has enjoyed each night that Phill is home to read a few pages. The drawings in this version are very nicely done.

Finwe likes his book about three monsters, although it is above his current comprehension.

Larien is the one the least satisfied with her gift. Phill bought a book of princess stories, and I don't mean the Disney kind. Larien frequently asks to borrow one that my mother-in-law gave Inwe for the story of The Princess and the Pea. However, she wasn't interested in one of her own. She'd much rather play with the planets that my mother sent her.

I told Phill that the next time he should buy her a non-fiction book. Who needs fantasy when you have the wonderful world of science?

Digging Back to July

When I saw this photo, I was amazed to see the glint of Phill's glasses. He no longer wears them as he had corrective eye surgery. Our lives have changed completely. Even the children noticed that mornings and nights are easier without worrying about contacts or glasses.

Daily Calisthetics

For a Christmas present, Phill bought a sword, helmet, and shield set along with an extra sword. The gift was for Finwe, but the girls immediately realized the potential for interaction with dad. At least once each day, the girls or Finwe ask to play swords. We had an extra short sword from some costume allowing at least three to be involved in any mock fighting. A problem arose when all three wanted to duel Phill, which would have made it a quaduel. If you add in White Dragon, a quintuel is just too much.

Therefore, in the name of Family Harmony, I purchased two other plastic play swords, complete with scabbards. In the evenings, just before dinner, one can hear the sounds of thwacking, hacking, and grunting.

Captivated

We had an early family lunch as someone was viewing our house. At 11:15am on a Sunday morning, there is no one in restaurants unless you are us. We go at that time having had no breakfast or no set time to be anywhere or finished with anything.

Inwe was busy coloring the bean on her menu. Finwe was busy being two and trying to fall off his chair. Larien turned to the television hanging over the bar. The movie playing was Jurassic Park 3, not four-year-old friendly. The particular scene of pterodactyls pecking at and carrying off the protagonists scared the squeals out of her.

Amazingly, the waitress noticed Larien burying her head under Phill's arm and changed the channel. I shouted the number of a kids' channel. SpongeBob SquarePants filled the screen. By the time our meal was delivered, the only people noticing anything outside of the TV were me and the waitress. I have proof.

Could She Have Found a Love?

When we hike, Larien fills the air with laments. "I'm too tired. I can't walk. This is too hard." We aren't even hiking uphill most of the time. She'll even whine while we travel downhill.

However, at the beach, she found her stride. Phill took the girls walking along the beach each day. Once he carried Larien on his shoulders, but for most of the walks she skipped and ran along the beach. The pools left by the receding tide were her favorite splashing places.

I understand how she feels at the beach. I feel free when near the ocean. New Orleans will be good for at least two of us.

I said . . .

"Let me ride. Let me ride! Daaaaaaddddyyyyy!"

She Really Wanted A Ride

Handles Would be Handy

Or horns.

Another Pet?

Phill evaded a small terrapin on a busy road today. Of course, this mean that he would pull to the side of the road, rescue the turtle, and, if he had been with me, return it to the side of the road.

He wasn't with me. The turtle is now in a make-shift enclosure next to the fish tank full of fish, sniffed longingly by the large white dog. If I believed in karmic load, I would be over loaded with souls to look after. It's the vertebrates that really get me. Those invertebrates can fend for themselves.

The children were ecstatic. Finwe is happy because he can say turtle. Lots. Over and over. Pointing while saying it. Seeing the real thing while saying the word must be thrilling.

****Update****
Nearly $100 later, Swallowtail the terrapin has a new home. I think I'll whap Phill on the head. I tried to see if the resale shop here had a used tank, but no.

Coyotes

On Saturday, my family and I took a trip to my mother in law's house so that we could camp and bring her with us when we returned to Virginia. We have an obscenely large tent, three rooms. Inwe and Larien sleep in one room; Phill, Finwe and I sleep in another; and White Dragon occupies the middle room so that she can guard the doorways.

Inwe and Larien got the tent giggles. The smallest word or action caused eruptions of laughter from the opposite side of the tent. Phill and I were exhausted, and we didn't want Finwe to awaken as he had gotten himself to sleep. Plus, we really wanted to listen to the whip-o-wills and the owls call in the night.

My MIL's farm is magical at night. Well, it would be magical if her guinea fowl weren't squawking, if all the dogs in Rowan County weren't barking, and if the redneck down the road weren't testing his loud truck's ability to do donuts on the dusty road.

However, one noise helped rid our tent of the giggles. The howls and yips of a coyote pack.

Inwe asked from her side of the tent, "Dad, what is that?"

Phill, getting out of sleeping bag for the third time in less than an hour, replied, "Coyotes."

"Um, Dad?" Inwe's voice trembled. "Do coyotes eat humans?"

"Not if they don't hear you."

Instantly, the girls were silent.

Not as tough as I thought

When Phill and the girls arrived home at 11:20pm last night, I was amazed and shocked that all three of them were perfectly dry. After all, it had rained continuously here; surely, it had rained in Williamsburg.

Apparently not.

While I was worrying that my precious daughters were soaking wet and cold trudging uphill, both ways, to the rides, three-fifths of my family were enjoying themselves. I'm quite glad that I decided not to worry and that I checked Phill's technology drawer so that I knew he hadn't brought his cell phone. Who does that these days? Forgets their mobile phone? Who? My husband. Frequently. Doesn't he know that the world could not revolve correctly if we weren't all talking on our cell phones about absolutely nothing important?

Made them Stronger

It's 9:15pm on a chilly, rainy day. My husband and two eldest children are not yet home from a trip to an amusement park in Williamsburg, a two hours drive from here.

Phill loves taking the girls to Busch Gardens no matter the weather. The delight of the girls at the rides and sights infects him with joy that lasts for weeks. He discovered the park would be open and that as Virginia residents we could get a relatively cheap season's pass. So, despite the forecast of gloomy weather, he took the girls.

They will either be wet, limp rats exhausted from the day when they arrive. Or, they will be so hyper that only a shot of Benadryl will allow them sleep. Not that I'm going to give them Benadryl. I'll just listen to the tales until they yawn one last time before sleep descends upon their heads.

It snowed; we played

Phill, Inwe, and Larien went out very early before most of the snow had fallen. They ate and began throwing snowballs at each other. This only occurred after Inwe pleaded with Phill who was trimming fruit trees, "Daddy, do something fun!"

Larien followed Inwe's lead and ate snow. She didn't last very long outside the first foray. Once we covered her stockinged legs with a snowsuit she remained outside long enough to help make a snowman.

Inwe made multiple snow angels on the slate patio. She really had the most fun and displayed the most excitement with the snow. It's still magical to her.

The snowman. It has purple coneflower seed pods for eyes, a carrot nose, and apple tree limbs for arms. We borrowed Finwe's mittens for the picture. The hat is my summer gardening hat. The scarf is something I got for free.

Where are pictures of Finwe? There aren't any. He's quite ill with an upper respiratory infection. He has super, bright red cheeks and has nearly constant "snot rockets" (Phill's terminology) shooting from his nose to his mouth. He ain't purdy, people. I'll try tomorrow. Maybe the mucus will be lessened.

The best birth control . . .

. . . is turning your daughters into geeks. Phill is starting the process already.
Want proof? Here is what Larien keeps saying: "Can I see another dead baby?"

What began as a conversation about the function of the heart (as in lub-dub, moving blood) as opposed to "the heart" (like when people say "He's in your heart.") turned into a discussion about all the malformations that can occur during human development.

Honestly, it's a full hour past their bedtime, and both of them are glued to the book.