We were over at Mango's the other day (where Little Guy and Dash had a great time playing together....and Sweetling and Violet disappeared into Violet's room for a few hours). At lunch, Mango asked Sweetling if everyone in our family was a jedi. Sweetling said, everyone but Mommy....because the Force is not always with Mommy.
I'm taking a break in reading the Anne of Green Gables series. I got up to the eigth book...Rilla of Ingleside, and I know that WWI is going to break upon the idyllic lifes of the Blythe family. I'm not quite ready to face that, so a short break from the books is in order.
Transitions here have been going really well for Sweetling and Little Guy. Little Guy is a bit more in need of near constant attention and interaction than I'm used to. He just loves to share the wonderful things in his life with his Mommy and Daddy.
Sweetling wants to have a Fourth of July party. She had summer Sunset Camp every evening last week, and I think that was really good for her.
Little Guy went to the Newport Aquarium a couple of weeks ago. He liked it, but was a bit overwhelmed by the length of the outing. (Sweetling, of course, had to read and digest every informational sign in the building). We all got to touch sharks! *That* was totally cool.
As you can tell, I'm not in a very, um, yeah...I'm struggling with writing today. But its been forever since I updated, so I'm pushing through my block.
Little Guy brought a stuffed octopus home from the aquarium. He pronounces "octopus" in something that sounds closer to "apple toes". Its very cute. He also has a super sling shot monky with elastic arms that can be stretched and sent flying across the room, howling its jungle monkey war cry as it goes. Daddy brought that lovely gift home for him. Daddy also ordered one for himself to "dispense monkey justice" upon the occupants of neighboring cubicles at work. Sweetling got an elastic frog of the same design. Fortunately, it's ribbet isn't nearly as loud or annoying as the monkey war cry. Super Monkey lives in a bug box, suspended by its handle from a hook in the wall. The box is now Super Monkey's treehouse.
We're down to one car for a week. Now, I didn't have any plans or desire to go somewhere today, but the very fact that I can't makes me feel restless, coped up, and bored. Its too hot and humid to go on a walk. At best I'll send to little children through the sprinkler in the back yard.
The 30 minute PBS program has come to an end. Maybe I'll just chase the children around the yard with a garden hose. Till later.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Peas and friends
Let me begin with the pea funeral at dinner last night. Little Guy sat at the table. He picked up a pea with his fingers, squished out its middle, then ate both the squishy middle and the skin. Sweetling sat pushing her food around her plate while alternating disbelieving looks at Little Guy and reproachful glances at her terrible mother, who had so unlovingly set a wholesome dinner of chicken, rice, and peas before her. Sweetling claims that what happened next was an accident. Her spoon, which was not at all busy conveying food to her mouth, squished a pea flat. She was distraught by the tragedy. I kindly suggested she eat her pea, so that its death might not be in vain. She maintained that she couldn't eat the pea now that its middle was all popped out. I pointed out that the middles come out in her mouth anyway, but that was an irrelevent point apparantly. All the other peas had to gather around the squished pea, forming a nice circle so that they could have a funeral for the dearly departed.
(Little Guy, meanwhile, had transitioned from eating his peas individually, to cramming every last bite of chicken in his mouth at the same time. I didn't think he's mouth would close enough to allow his teeth to meet so that he might chew. I was debating the advisability of suggesting he take a sip of milk. On the one hand, adding any further mass to the overload of substance in his mouth seemed like a bad, bad, idea. On the other, his glands couldn't possibly produce enough saliva to masticate that mess, so perhaps a little fluid would assist in producing a swallowable substance. In the end, he wound up storing portions of his chicken in cheek pouches I never knew existed on humans while he chewed and swallowed the rest in sections.)
At this point, Sweetling decided that the peas were entirely "too sad to be eaten". Dinner concluded with Sweetling gathering her peas off of her plate to take them to the garden where they could have a proper funeral for their late comrade. Sweetling wanted to know if the peas would all grow into new peas. I told her that peas would at the very least go back into "the circle of life".
After dinner, we all watched Finding Nemo together. Then I stayed up till midnight (or later) reading Anne of Avonlea. I have decided that Anne Shirley is my favorite fictional heroine. First, because she is such an imaginative dreamer. She lives and moves in a fantasy world, which only occasionally intercects with the reality of others, most often with uniquely amusing results. Second, because I understand and sympathize with how it feels to have one's beautifully dreamt up vision go so awry sometime between its conceptualization and actuallization. In short and in Anne's own phrasing, I find in Anne a "kindred spirit."
Here are two passages that I think illustrate my favorite Anne qualities admirably:
The second passage is considerably longer, for its really more of a typical Anne escapade. To provide the setting, Anne has borrowed an old and rare platter from an elderly friend. In a chapter titled "A Chapter of Accidents", the platter is broken. Anne's good friend Diana has located two other possible families who have similar platters, that Anne might try to purchase to replace the original. Anne and Diana arrive at the first such family farm only to find the two grown sisters who own the property gone. Not sure whether to wait in hopes that the absent sisters will return soon and do indeed have a platter in question, or whether to drive to the second, further own location, Anne and Diana decide it is permissable, under the circumstances, for Anne to climb up on an old duck house in order to peer through the pantry window in hopes of espying the platter.
Now, lest I leave you thinking that Anne is fated to be a perpetual victem of unfortunate circumstances, and worse, that I indentify and idolize her because of that, let me assure you that this is not at all the case. Anne is my favorite heroine because of her imagination, her ability to see beauty in the mundane, and for her tireless efforts to work to bring her ideals to fruitition, despite many setbacks and hardships she endures. Yes, I am entertained by the humor inherit in those setbacks, but Anne is in no way a comic figure. Neither is she in any way a perpetual victim, despite the fact that she occasionally wonders if she wasn't born under an ill-fated star. Rather, Anne is a woman of sensitivity and compassion balanced by vision and ambition. She works hard and acheives many academic honors as a teen. Yet, as important as these achievements are to her, as a young woman, she sacrifices a scholarship in order to stay near home and care for her adopted 'mother' who's eyesight is failing her. There she takes up a position as a teacher, eager to "make an impression for good" in the lives of her pupils. I admire her for both the ambition as well as the ability to prioritize and adjust her goals based on the real needs of those she loves. In Anne's words, " 'I'd like to add some beauty to life....I don't exactly want to make people know more....but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me..to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.' " In L.M. Montgomery's words, "Anne was one of the children of light by birthright. After she had passed through a life with a smile or a word thrown across it like a gleam of sunshine the owner of that life saw it, for the time being at least, as hopeful and lovely and of good report."
So, enough of my mini essays. I'm going to go paint my toenails corral pink. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd be picking up a bottle of sunless tanning lotion. But you know that any attempt I make in that regard is bound to turn out dissastrous. I can just imagine me *streaked* in an unnatural orange color, with my fingernails stained an ugly brown. No, thank you. I'll keep to my sad pale self, and avoid the humilation of the later.
(Little Guy, meanwhile, had transitioned from eating his peas individually, to cramming every last bite of chicken in his mouth at the same time. I didn't think he's mouth would close enough to allow his teeth to meet so that he might chew. I was debating the advisability of suggesting he take a sip of milk. On the one hand, adding any further mass to the overload of substance in his mouth seemed like a bad, bad, idea. On the other, his glands couldn't possibly produce enough saliva to masticate that mess, so perhaps a little fluid would assist in producing a swallowable substance. In the end, he wound up storing portions of his chicken in cheek pouches I never knew existed on humans while he chewed and swallowed the rest in sections.)
At this point, Sweetling decided that the peas were entirely "too sad to be eaten". Dinner concluded with Sweetling gathering her peas off of her plate to take them to the garden where they could have a proper funeral for their late comrade. Sweetling wanted to know if the peas would all grow into new peas. I told her that peas would at the very least go back into "the circle of life".
After dinner, we all watched Finding Nemo together. Then I stayed up till midnight (or later) reading Anne of Avonlea. I have decided that Anne Shirley is my favorite fictional heroine. First, because she is such an imaginative dreamer. She lives and moves in a fantasy world, which only occasionally intercects with the reality of others, most often with uniquely amusing results. Second, because I understand and sympathize with how it feels to have one's beautifully dreamt up vision go so awry sometime between its conceptualization and actuallization. In short and in Anne's own phrasing, I find in Anne a "kindred spirit."
Here are two passages that I think illustrate my favorite Anne qualities admirably:
"...Anne keenly enjoyed her walk througt the great gray maze of the beechlands; though alone she never found it lonely; her imagination peopled her path with merry companions, and with these she carried on a gay, pretended conversation that was wittier and more fascinating than conversations are at to be in real life, where people sometimes fail most lamentably to talk u to the requirements."
The second passage is considerably longer, for its really more of a typical Anne escapade. To provide the setting, Anne has borrowed an old and rare platter from an elderly friend. In a chapter titled "A Chapter of Accidents", the platter is broken. Anne's good friend Diana has located two other possible families who have similar platters, that Anne might try to purchase to replace the original. Anne and Diana arrive at the first such family farm only to find the two grown sisters who own the property gone. Not sure whether to wait in hopes that the absent sisters will return soon and do indeed have a platter in question, or whether to drive to the second, further own location, Anne and Diana decide it is permissable, under the circumstances, for Anne to climb up on an old duck house in order to peer through the pantry window in hopes of espying the platter.
Much to her delight, she saw, as she peered through the pane, a willow-ware platter, exactly such as she was in quest of, on the shelf in front of the window. So much she saw before the catastrophe came. In her joy Anne forgot the precarious nature of her footing, incautiously ceased to lean on the window sill, gave an impulsive little hop of pleasure...and the next moment she had crashed through the roof up to her armpits, and there she hung, quite unable to exticate herself...[There follows several paragraphs of the girls unsuccessful efforts to free Anne from her predicament as well as whether or not Diana should leave Anne to drive for help. Then, as Anne is speaking...]
...'Fancy what the Copp girls will think when they drive into their yard and see a girl's head and shoulders sticking out of the roof of one of their outhouses. Listen...is that a wagon? No, Diana, I believe it is thunder.'
Thunder it was undoubtably, and Diana, having made a hasty pilgrimage around the house, returned to announce that a very black cloud was rising rapidly in the northwest.
Now, lest I leave you thinking that Anne is fated to be a perpetual victem of unfortunate circumstances, and worse, that I indentify and idolize her because of that, let me assure you that this is not at all the case. Anne is my favorite heroine because of her imagination, her ability to see beauty in the mundane, and for her tireless efforts to work to bring her ideals to fruitition, despite many setbacks and hardships she endures. Yes, I am entertained by the humor inherit in those setbacks, but Anne is in no way a comic figure. Neither is she in any way a perpetual victim, despite the fact that she occasionally wonders if she wasn't born under an ill-fated star. Rather, Anne is a woman of sensitivity and compassion balanced by vision and ambition. She works hard and acheives many academic honors as a teen. Yet, as important as these achievements are to her, as a young woman, she sacrifices a scholarship in order to stay near home and care for her adopted 'mother' who's eyesight is failing her. There she takes up a position as a teacher, eager to "make an impression for good" in the lives of her pupils. I admire her for both the ambition as well as the ability to prioritize and adjust her goals based on the real needs of those she loves. In Anne's words, " 'I'd like to add some beauty to life....I don't exactly want to make people know more....but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me..to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.' " In L.M. Montgomery's words, "Anne was one of the children of light by birthright. After she had passed through a life with a smile or a word thrown across it like a gleam of sunshine the owner of that life saw it, for the time being at least, as hopeful and lovely and of good report."
So, enough of my mini essays. I'm going to go paint my toenails corral pink. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd be picking up a bottle of sunless tanning lotion. But you know that any attempt I make in that regard is bound to turn out dissastrous. I can just imagine me *streaked* in an unnatural orange color, with my fingernails stained an ugly brown. No, thank you. I'll keep to my sad pale self, and avoid the humilation of the later.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Nemo update-- Nemo came down with a mystery rash. Mystery because I can't for the life of me figure out what caused it. Between waking up in the middle of the night with it, and taking benedryl before nap to help clear it up (which results in an extra long nap) his sleep schedule for the past couple of days is totally thrown off. We called the Jedi's mom about it (she's a pediatric nurse.) Its looking much better now, but it bothers me that I can't figure out what caused it. I'm afraid to let him have any more strawberries, in case those were the culprit.
Sweetling update-- Sweetling is a little stressed by the changes in her life. She hasn't complained, but she's been spending a lot of time (even for Sweetling) alone in her room and her appetite has been pretty depressed. Tonight was the first night since Saturday lunch when she cleared her plate. I'm taking Sweetling out for a mother-daughter dinner at the metling pot (along with Telephone and her daughter) on Thursday. The Jedi took her out for lunch and a shopping trip at Borders yesterday. (Sweetling used a birthday gift card to get Codebreaker: The History of Codes and Ciphers.)
Me update--I've been spending most of my days with nearly all of my focus and attention on Little Guy when he's awake. During his naptimes, I've been either doing housework or doing soemthing with Sweetling. Last night, the Jedi and I watched "Planet Earth: elusive animals of the world's deserts", just because the Jedi was channel surfing and neither of us had the energy to pick something more interesting from our dvds. Sweetling gave me a new Webkinz, so now I have two of these little guys. I spent Little Guy's nap time yesterday adopting Genevieve the Unicorn and letting Sweetling help me decorate Genevieve's room. So...essentially, there isn't much to put in a "me" update. It's been all about the Little Guy recently, with some efforts to make it all about the Sweetling as well.
Sweetling update-- Sweetling is a little stressed by the changes in her life. She hasn't complained, but she's been spending a lot of time (even for Sweetling) alone in her room and her appetite has been pretty depressed. Tonight was the first night since Saturday lunch when she cleared her plate. I'm taking Sweetling out for a mother-daughter dinner at the metling pot (along with Telephone and her daughter) on Thursday. The Jedi took her out for lunch and a shopping trip at Borders yesterday. (Sweetling used a birthday gift card to get Codebreaker: The History of Codes and Ciphers.)
Me update--I've been spending most of my days with nearly all of my focus and attention on Little Guy when he's awake. During his naptimes, I've been either doing housework or doing soemthing with Sweetling. Last night, the Jedi and I watched "Planet Earth: elusive animals of the world's deserts", just because the Jedi was channel surfing and neither of us had the energy to pick something more interesting from our dvds. Sweetling gave me a new Webkinz, so now I have two of these little guys. I spent Little Guy's nap time yesterday adopting Genevieve the Unicorn and letting Sweetling help me decorate Genevieve's room. So...essentially, there isn't much to put in a "me" update. It's been all about the Little Guy recently, with some efforts to make it all about the Sweetling as well.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Smurf the "Ant"
I have more blog entries from Guatemala, but I'll have to wait till I'm motivated enough to fire up the laptop and pull them off of there. That motivation is obviously not hitting me today.
We got back on Saturday. The Jedi videotaped Little Guy coming into his new room. "Look it! Look it!" said Little Guy, as he kept turning around in his room and finding something else really cool that exited him. I had been very concerned that one of the biggest causes of sibling rivalry between Little Guy and Sweetling was going to be centered around the sacredness of Sweetling's room and Sweetling's stuff. But Little Guy had already demonstrated respect for Sweelting's things in Guatemala, and he quickly transferred that ability here. In his room for the first time, he needed to establish for sure that these were his things. So he'd extend his arms and hands over something and ask, "Mine?" I'd assure him that those were his stuffed animals. "My books?" Yes, those are Little Guy's books. "My toys?" Yes, those are Little Guy's toys. "My trucks?" Yes, those are Little Guy's trucks. "Wanna play with my trucks."
The rest of the evening was spent with Little Guy going from one activity to the other. He needed to get everything out, establish what was and wasn't his, examine the things that were his, then put that thing back and move on to the next thing. The good thing was that he was careful to put his things neatly back before getting something else down. The Jedi, after having seen the haul I brought home from the shower Telephone threw for me, had had the foresight to put about half of his toys up for now. That way, said the Jedi, Little Guy wouldn't be overwhelmed with stuff when he first got home. The Jedi, as usuall, was totally right. Even with just the few, by comparison, things down, Little Guy was in new toys and new things overload. He couldn't even sit still long enough to eat his dinner at one time. Instead, he'd take a few bites of pizza (alfredo, no tomatoes), then hop down and explore. Then he come back to the table later for a few more bites. He did really, really well going to bed and going to sleep that night. I was worried that our first night might be rough, but Little Guy was absolutely comfortable, more than comfortable, going to bed with his Nemo pillow and Nemo blanket.
Sunday we went to church, which was a little overwhelming for Nemo, but totally needed by the rest of the family. Nemo stayed right with us in the sanctuary for the first part of the service, then the Jedi and I went up to preschool and stayed there with Nemo, who made a craft and had a snack, and played with toys and enjoyed himself. Sweetling, of course, went to Hiz Kidz with her friends.
We had our first real conflict of wills Sunday evening. Sweetling and Nemo were watching a video together in the living room. The Jedi and I were sitting on the floor of the school room talking. We heard, from the other room, that the video had ended, and Sweetling was trying to explain to Nemo that it was too close to his bedtime to watch another video. So, we went on in there. I told Nemo that there wasn't time to watch another video, but that he could do a puzzle or play with his dinosaurs for a few minutes before bedtime. Nemo was not happy with this decision and began to cry. I said I was sorry, and that we could watch another video tomorrow. More tears. I suggested, one at a time, other fun activities Nemo could choose. Nemo shook his head at each one and continued to cry. I told Nemo, he could choose to cry if he wanted to, or he could pick something fun to play with. Nemo chose to cry. I said ok, and went to the school room to work on my monthly dinner menu and grocery list. Nemo crawled down the hall so that he could cry outside the open school door. I suggested again to Nemo that he come in and play a puzzle. More head shaking and tears. I put on some music. Nemo would calm down, so I'd look up at him to see if he was ready to do something else. As soon as he had my attention, Nemo would cry again. I put a toy next to him, in case he decided to make better use of his remaining play time. He crawled into the school room to sit and cry near me, since crying in the hall wasn't producing the desired result. After 15 minutes of this, I told him he had two more minutes until bedtime. He cried through them. I picked him up, told him very nicely that it was time to brush his teeth, and carried him into the bathroom where the Jedi brushed his teeth while Nemo sat on my lap and cried. I continued to talk to him nicely while we got the teeth brushed and psuedo rinsed and while I sat him on the toilet to go potty. Carried him, still crying, into bed and read him his two bedtime stories. We said prayers and gave kisses to the still crying boy and tucked him into bed. he went to sleep not too long after that. Since then, we haven't had any more issues about only watching one video before nap and one video before bed.
Yesterday the Incredibles visited. Violet and Sweetling quickly disappeared into Sweetling's room to discuss and play all things Webkinz. After a failed bubble blowing time in the driveway, Nemo, Mango, Dash, Jack-Jack and I went to the back yard where there is a swing set and a sandbox. Nemo wanted his bucket filled with water so that he could fill up his little watering can and then wash off the swings and slides. I did that. That eventually turned into, lets splash Mommy, to Dash's great delight. That turned into, let's Nemo and Dash both splash Nemo's Mommy. Nemo decided he was far to dry for this game, so he dumped his watering can down the front of his body. Then the game became, Nemo and Dash throw water at each other. The Jedi came to the door and looked out. He said, "At this point, do you want me to just hook up the sprinkler?" Mango and I decided this sounded like a capital idea. We then stood in the sandbox (the only part of the yard not hit by the sprinkler) and took pictures and videos while Nemo and Dash ran back and forth yelling and screaming, getting drenched, and having a great time. At one point, Sweetling and Violet emerged, took one look at the dirty, wet, boisterous playtime, and decided it definitely wasn't for them. So the first meeting between Dash and Nemo went really well.
Later, on Monday afternoon, Smurf came over. She gave Sweetling two Little Kinz and three packs of Webkinz trading cards (ooooooooo). Then I dragged her to the grocery store with me while Nemo was napping. After Nemo had woken up from nap, I introduced my sister as Nemo's aunt...Nemo shook his head and I, thinking he was still tired, decided to leave off the rest of the explanation until later. Well, by later, I was busy skinning chicken and getting meats packaged up to go in the freezer. Nemo and Smurf were playing happily together in the school room, so finishing the explanation of who Smurf was just sort of slipped my mind. She called me today to tell me that Nemo had been calling her something in Spanish while they were playing together. She looked up "aunt" today, thinking maybe that was it. No, "aunt" is "tilla", and that wasn't what Nemo was calling her. A light bulb went on. Realizing Nemo didn't have a lot of experience with family relationships, Smurf looked up "ant" in Spanish. "Hormiga." Yes, that is exactly what Nemo called her numerous times yesterday.
Now, understand, that I am *not* laughing at Nemo. It isn't his fault I didn't explain things well to him. I am, however, laughing at Smurf. You see, when Sweetling was a little girl, and her vocabulary was very limited, she had about 4 words that she could use to refer to any creature in the animal kingdom. Mommy, and only Mommy, was "Mama". Daddy, and only Daddy, was "Dada". Every other human being on the face of the planet was "fren" (friend). (Including the teletubbies, which aren't human, but you know). Sheeba our 80lb German shepherd was "dog" as was every other 4 legged creature. Smurf was also "dog". No one knows why to this day, but Sweetling was very insistent about it and refused to be swayed from this appellation and categorization of Smurf as "dog". So, the fact that once again, one of my children has been calling Smurf by an animal name is highly ironic and amusing.
Don't worry, I'm not so amused by this that I won't make sure Nemo understands. As tempting as it is to let him call her "Hormiga" for a while longer, I've got a book in Spanish about Los Famillas that we'll read together this afternoon. It has a page with aunts, uncles, and cousins on it. We'll not poke fun at Smurf at Little Guy's expense. At Smurf's expense? Absolutely. Any chance I get. But not at Nemo's expense.
We got back on Saturday. The Jedi videotaped Little Guy coming into his new room. "Look it! Look it!" said Little Guy, as he kept turning around in his room and finding something else really cool that exited him. I had been very concerned that one of the biggest causes of sibling rivalry between Little Guy and Sweetling was going to be centered around the sacredness of Sweetling's room and Sweetling's stuff. But Little Guy had already demonstrated respect for Sweelting's things in Guatemala, and he quickly transferred that ability here. In his room for the first time, he needed to establish for sure that these were his things. So he'd extend his arms and hands over something and ask, "Mine?" I'd assure him that those were his stuffed animals. "My books?" Yes, those are Little Guy's books. "My toys?" Yes, those are Little Guy's toys. "My trucks?" Yes, those are Little Guy's trucks. "Wanna play with my trucks."
The rest of the evening was spent with Little Guy going from one activity to the other. He needed to get everything out, establish what was and wasn't his, examine the things that were his, then put that thing back and move on to the next thing. The good thing was that he was careful to put his things neatly back before getting something else down. The Jedi, after having seen the haul I brought home from the shower Telephone threw for me, had had the foresight to put about half of his toys up for now. That way, said the Jedi, Little Guy wouldn't be overwhelmed with stuff when he first got home. The Jedi, as usuall, was totally right. Even with just the few, by comparison, things down, Little Guy was in new toys and new things overload. He couldn't even sit still long enough to eat his dinner at one time. Instead, he'd take a few bites of pizza (alfredo, no tomatoes), then hop down and explore. Then he come back to the table later for a few more bites. He did really, really well going to bed and going to sleep that night. I was worried that our first night might be rough, but Little Guy was absolutely comfortable, more than comfortable, going to bed with his Nemo pillow and Nemo blanket.
Sunday we went to church, which was a little overwhelming for Nemo, but totally needed by the rest of the family. Nemo stayed right with us in the sanctuary for the first part of the service, then the Jedi and I went up to preschool and stayed there with Nemo, who made a craft and had a snack, and played with toys and enjoyed himself. Sweetling, of course, went to Hiz Kidz with her friends.
We had our first real conflict of wills Sunday evening. Sweetling and Nemo were watching a video together in the living room. The Jedi and I were sitting on the floor of the school room talking. We heard, from the other room, that the video had ended, and Sweetling was trying to explain to Nemo that it was too close to his bedtime to watch another video. So, we went on in there. I told Nemo that there wasn't time to watch another video, but that he could do a puzzle or play with his dinosaurs for a few minutes before bedtime. Nemo was not happy with this decision and began to cry. I said I was sorry, and that we could watch another video tomorrow. More tears. I suggested, one at a time, other fun activities Nemo could choose. Nemo shook his head at each one and continued to cry. I told Nemo, he could choose to cry if he wanted to, or he could pick something fun to play with. Nemo chose to cry. I said ok, and went to the school room to work on my monthly dinner menu and grocery list. Nemo crawled down the hall so that he could cry outside the open school door. I suggested again to Nemo that he come in and play a puzzle. More head shaking and tears. I put on some music. Nemo would calm down, so I'd look up at him to see if he was ready to do something else. As soon as he had my attention, Nemo would cry again. I put a toy next to him, in case he decided to make better use of his remaining play time. He crawled into the school room to sit and cry near me, since crying in the hall wasn't producing the desired result. After 15 minutes of this, I told him he had two more minutes until bedtime. He cried through them. I picked him up, told him very nicely that it was time to brush his teeth, and carried him into the bathroom where the Jedi brushed his teeth while Nemo sat on my lap and cried. I continued to talk to him nicely while we got the teeth brushed and psuedo rinsed and while I sat him on the toilet to go potty. Carried him, still crying, into bed and read him his two bedtime stories. We said prayers and gave kisses to the still crying boy and tucked him into bed. he went to sleep not too long after that. Since then, we haven't had any more issues about only watching one video before nap and one video before bed.
Yesterday the Incredibles visited. Violet and Sweetling quickly disappeared into Sweetling's room to discuss and play all things Webkinz. After a failed bubble blowing time in the driveway, Nemo, Mango, Dash, Jack-Jack and I went to the back yard where there is a swing set and a sandbox. Nemo wanted his bucket filled with water so that he could fill up his little watering can and then wash off the swings and slides. I did that. That eventually turned into, lets splash Mommy, to Dash's great delight. That turned into, let's Nemo and Dash both splash Nemo's Mommy. Nemo decided he was far to dry for this game, so he dumped his watering can down the front of his body. Then the game became, Nemo and Dash throw water at each other. The Jedi came to the door and looked out. He said, "At this point, do you want me to just hook up the sprinkler?" Mango and I decided this sounded like a capital idea. We then stood in the sandbox (the only part of the yard not hit by the sprinkler) and took pictures and videos while Nemo and Dash ran back and forth yelling and screaming, getting drenched, and having a great time. At one point, Sweetling and Violet emerged, took one look at the dirty, wet, boisterous playtime, and decided it definitely wasn't for them. So the first meeting between Dash and Nemo went really well.
Later, on Monday afternoon, Smurf came over. She gave Sweetling two Little Kinz and three packs of Webkinz trading cards (ooooooooo). Then I dragged her to the grocery store with me while Nemo was napping. After Nemo had woken up from nap, I introduced my sister as Nemo's aunt...Nemo shook his head and I, thinking he was still tired, decided to leave off the rest of the explanation until later. Well, by later, I was busy skinning chicken and getting meats packaged up to go in the freezer. Nemo and Smurf were playing happily together in the school room, so finishing the explanation of who Smurf was just sort of slipped my mind. She called me today to tell me that Nemo had been calling her something in Spanish while they were playing together. She looked up "aunt" today, thinking maybe that was it. No, "aunt" is "tilla", and that wasn't what Nemo was calling her. A light bulb went on. Realizing Nemo didn't have a lot of experience with family relationships, Smurf looked up "ant" in Spanish. "Hormiga." Yes, that is exactly what Nemo called her numerous times yesterday.
Now, understand, that I am *not* laughing at Nemo. It isn't his fault I didn't explain things well to him. I am, however, laughing at Smurf. You see, when Sweetling was a little girl, and her vocabulary was very limited, she had about 4 words that she could use to refer to any creature in the animal kingdom. Mommy, and only Mommy, was "Mama". Daddy, and only Daddy, was "Dada". Every other human being on the face of the planet was "fren" (friend). (Including the teletubbies, which aren't human, but you know). Sheeba our 80lb German shepherd was "dog" as was every other 4 legged creature. Smurf was also "dog". No one knows why to this day, but Sweetling was very insistent about it and refused to be swayed from this appellation and categorization of Smurf as "dog". So, the fact that once again, one of my children has been calling Smurf by an animal name is highly ironic and amusing.
Don't worry, I'm not so amused by this that I won't make sure Nemo understands. As tempting as it is to let him call her "Hormiga" for a while longer, I've got a book in Spanish about Los Famillas that we'll read together this afternoon. It has a page with aunts, uncles, and cousins on it. We'll not poke fun at Smurf at Little Guy's expense. At Smurf's expense? Absolutely. Any chance I get. But not at Nemo's expense.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Finding Nemo
My good friend wrote this in her blog. I read it and cried, so I'm sharing it here:
We got back from Guatemala on Saturday, June 2nd. I kept a blog on the laptop in Guatemala, but of course couldn't post it. Its way too long to put into one post on Blogspot (I think). So here it is.
"Finding Nemo"
Once upon a time, there was a the sweetest, cutest little fishie named Nemo. Nemo had a problem: he needed a family. Nemo lived in a school of fish where there were some very nice grownups who took care of him, but sometimes late at night, Nemo would lie in his little bed and wish that he could have a mommy and a daddy all his own. Beyond that, though, Nemo had a secret wish... that when he got his family, it woul dbe a family that had a sister just for him. Nemo had always wanted a big sister to love him and take care of him, who would play with him and smile at him and make him giggle.
One day, the grownup fishies who took care of Nemo gave him a picture of a family. They said, "Nemo, this is a picture of the family who is coming to get you. They are going to be your very own family, but you will have to wait a while to see them." Nemo looked at the picture. There was a beautiful mommy with lovely, long hair , big brown kind eyes full of love, and a kind smile. There was a daddy who looked like he would take very good care of Nemo no matter what. Nemo liked the tiny hint of mischief in his eyes, thinking that he would be a lot of fun to play with! And..... best of all, there was... a LITTLE GIRL! A SISTER! She looked just like Nemo had dreamed her. She had big, beautiful eyes and a great big smile. She looked ready to play! Nemo loved them right away. He wouldn't wait to see them, for them to be his.... but how long would he have to wait?
Oh, for two year old Nemo, it seemed like forever! Then one day, Nemo turned three. And then another year, and it was close to Nemo's fourth birthday. Still he dreamed about them and wondered, would they ever come?
Meanwhile, across the world, the family in the picture was longing for Nemo! They had many pictures of him, even a couple video clips of him playing. They had been waiting to be able to get him so long. every day, his mommy and daddy and his big sister prayed for Nemo, that he would be safe and healthy, and that they would be able to go to get him soon. But, sometimes deep down, they wondered if the day would ever come when they would be allowed to travel to find Nemo and bring him home.
Just a couple weeks before Nemo's fourth birthday, the news came to Mommy and Daddy: They would be able to go get Nemo soon! They flew into action, and travel was set up for just after Nemo's birthday! All of their friends and family got so excited, that they decided to have a great big "birthday party" for Nemo to shower his family with gifts for Nemo so that he would have everything he needed when he got home!
The day to travel finally came, and Nemo's family traveled across the world. When they got to Nemo's town, the grownup fishies met them... and they were surprised to see a sweet, shy, cute little fishie with a very familiar face there too... it was NEMO! They had found him!
Nemo loved them right away. His mommy and daddy were everything he had hoped for, and his sister was even more so! She was so loving and kind, fun and giggly, and took such good care of him that Nemo's heart was fairly bursting with joy.... and the feeling was mutual on her part!
The next few days passed quickly as they took time to get to know each other and play together. then they got to go finish the paperwork, and Nemo was officially part of their family! They had a very rocky time getting home, because Mommy, Daddy and Big Sister got sick on the way and Nemo was very nervous, but they made it home.
Tonight, Nemo is going to bed (what else... his Nemo bed in his Nemo room!) in his new home with his new family. He has a forever family, and they have a forever boy. And their friends the Incredibles could not be happier for them (or more impatient to meet Nemo!) :)
And they all lived happily ever after.
Congratulations to Chocolateer (whose name on my blog will forevermore be Mary Poppins, because I think she is "practically perfect in every way" ), the Jedi, and Sweetling on Finding their little Nemo!
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