Monkey Feet

The other night, I was trying to put Delphinium to bed.  She has trouble going to sleep on her own (surprise, surprise) so I usually nurse her and rock her at bedtime.  This evening she was wearing a little sleeper printed with monkeys and the feet were monkey faces.  She looked so cute as I put her in her crib.  As I put her down, she started to shuffle and wake up a bit.  I covered her with blankets and then sat down in the rocker to see if she would sooth herself back to sleep.  For a while all was quiet, and I thought she might have have gone down on her own, but then I saw two monkey faces bobbing around above the level of the bumper.  She was wide awake and amusing herself by waving both feet in the air.  One of those sweet pictures I won't soon forget.

Bird Battle

A few days ago we ate lunch at a restaurant with a deck that looked out over the ocean.  It was an amazing spot due to the views, but it did have one small problem.  The local birds viewed this outdoor dining area as a wonderful snack bar.  Having been fed by hundreds of stupid tourists, they were bold as brass about coming on to your table, getting right up next to you, and stealing things off your very plate (if you let them).  Some might find this amusing, but I do not think we should feed wild birds or encourage them to be so familiar.  Therefore, armed with a drinking straw I whacked any bird that can within arms reach.  Okay, so maybe "whack" is too strong a word.  I wasn't trying to hurt them, but I did want to encourage them to head elsewhere.  Unfortunately, the striped mice were too fast for me.  It was a most memorable meal.

South Africa Part 2

This computer sucks, so I'm keeping this short (soorry for the errors)

Yesterday and the day before were our outings from the valley where M's mom lives and into the city of Capetown.  Our first stop was Kerstenbosch gardens where we met up with an old school friend of M's and his family.  We had a wonderful time doing lunch and wandering the acres upon acres of flower s, trees, and artwork.  Delphinium was especially happy due to her passionate love of trees.  I could visit the gardens weekly and never be bored.

The next stop was the suburb of Simon's Town.  We stayed in a sun-washed guest house with the most impressive view of the bay and the navy yards.   At one point we heard the boom of a ships horn, and the battleship glided out to sea.  We kept trying to drink up the sun and the setting as much as possible.  After one night there, we set off for more sights.

Still in Simon's Town we headed down to one special beach where we could view the penguins.  Yes, yes, there are penguins in South Africa.  Jack Ass Penguins enjoy the warm water, and many of them come to the sunny beach to molt and breed.  They are very sweet in their black and white suits, but the smell is a bit like a hen house. 

Lastly, we drove the winding road to the Cape Point Reserve.  This is the point where the Indian and Atlantic ocean currents meet.  The point itself is a startling piece of rock jutting up out of the surrounding water.  A classic lighthouse perches on the edge, and visitors can take the "Funicular" tram up to the highest point.  The views were quite startling.  It certainly didn't hurt that the sky was brilliant blue, and the cormerants were screaming over head.  A good time was had by all.

News from South Africa

Please pardon the mistakes.  I'm typing this on a trying computer.
What a long strange trip it's been.  However, it's really been a very good one.  We left Seattle on Sunday afternoon, flew for nine hours to Amsterdam, and then took a twelve hour flight to Cape Town.  During the entire trip, Delphinium barely cried at all.  When getting on each of the planes, you could see the people around us staring and glaring at being seated near a baby.  By the end, we were getting compliments about what a good passenger she was.  I was completely floored.  The air part of this trip has been worrying me for months, and it was no problem at all.  She ate, slept, played, and charmed others and did not really cry at all.  May it please continue on our flight home.
We've been at M's mom's house for several days now, and the time change is what is really effecting us.  The first "night" the baby did not want to go to sleep at all, and then when she did, she was up again four hours later.  From 4am on, we drank tea and played with her.  Now, a few more days in, she is still struggling to adjust.  We're a bit tired, but otherwise doing just fine.As far as activities, we've been taking it pretty easy.  We've had some very nice meals out, and we got the chance to visit a vineyard and goat dairy the other day.  We tried about ten different kinds of cheese as well as olives, candied fruit, salads, and crusty bread.  Mmmmm.  Aside from the beautiful formal garden, they also had an impressive veggie patch including a scarecrow dressed in world cup finery.  In many ways it doesn't feel very different here, but then you notice the springbok in among the goats.

Travel Prep

I am officially beginning to freak out.  Our trip is just a few days away, and that means we have to face the realities of flying with an infant for TWENTY hours!  Usually I make a deal with myself that if I can't do anything to change a situation I might as well skip getting upset about it.  Somehow the zen approach just isn't working this time.  I feel like there is something I ought to be doing to prepare.  What can it be?  Then I go around and around trying to imagine the possibilities. 

Packing is another challenge.  I've accepted that we will not be going lightly now that we have the baby, but I'm still trying not to let it get too ridiculous.  M bought us two new hard-sided suitcases, so we have plenty of space, but the trick is not to exceed the weight limit.  Fortunately, we have access to a washer once we get there, so we don't have to pack too crazy much.  The part that's most confusing me is packing for the baby.

What does a baby really need for a long trip?  We use so many different toys, swings, bouncers, strollers, rockers, cribs, etc. during the course of our day that I can't quite imagine not having them.  However, we can't take it all, so we'll just have to make do.  I'm also trying to figure out which things need to come in our carry-on for the actual plane flight.  The only thing I'm sure of right now is the need for lots of diapers and changes of clothes.  If you've flown with an infant before, feel free to leave me your advice. 

Five Months of Baby

Better late than never!

At five months old, Delphinium is working on many of the same skills she started on last month:

-she can really control and coordinate her movements now, so reaching and grabbing is far more successful

-she shows preferences for certain toys such as Green Bunny, raspberry binkies, Gerald the Giraffe, and Miss Mousey

-she can now actively throw away toys she no longer wants

-she can roll over but mostly chooses not too

-she loves to do situps which consists of pulling her head and shoulder and feet and legs off the ground in an attempt to sit up

-she loves to put her feet up in the air and sometimes grab them with her hands, and shoes quickly become chew toys

-she's still drooling waterfalls, but no teeth in sight

-she turns to the sound of her name, and will happily chat with you through long conversations

-she loves to read stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I am a Bunny, and Great Day for Up

-she sleeps through the night very well, but does not like to nap during the day

-she NO LONGER hates the stroller!  Woot!

-she NO LONGER hates the carseat!  (unless she's really tired)

she is about to become a world traveler, so wish us luck!

Basic Vaccines Done!

I took my poor little miss to the doctor again today.  She's not due for her six month check-up for another couple of weeks, but the doctor wanted to make sure she got her full course of regular shots before we head off to the third world.  Therefore, we made a special "jabs only" visit today.  It makes my heart turn over to see her smiling and giggling while we wait.  Little does she know.  Luckily this was not such a tramatic visit.  I was playing with her and tickling her while the nurse gave the shots and she didn't even cry until the second one went in.  Even then, it was only a moment or two.  Now she's sleeping off the effects (was there ever a sweeter picture than a sleeping baby?), and hopefully by tomorrow she'll be all better.   

Banned Books Week 2010

Banned books week is here once again, and I almost missed it!  It seems that requests to remove literature from American libraries and schools are once again on the rise.  The American Library Association keeps track of official challenges and tabulates the most frequently challenged titles for each year.  This year's list includes Twilight, The Color Purple, and The Chocolate War.  Interestingly, many of these titles were challenged on the grounds of "religious perspective" which must mean that of the challenger because Twilight does not include a religious perspective as far as I can tell.

Tomato Funeral

The blight has come to our tomato patch.  It seems that the large amount of summer rain encouraged the growth of a fungus, and all the tomato plants are paying the price.  The vines died from the ground up, and all the fruit that was still green has now turned black.  We salvaged about one more pound from the wreckage.  That makes maybe five pounds of tomatoes in all this year.  We spent $36 for plants plus perhaps $6 for soil  this year, so we put in $42 in total.  $42/5 pounds is $8.40 per pound for organic home-grown tomatoes.  That's even more expensive than the farmers' market!  Still when you factor in the hundred times the baby and I went out to watch them grow it comes out all right. 

Gold Stars

Hello everybody, my name is Joy, and I'm a gold star addict.  No, no, gold star is not the latest designer gin or raver drug.  It is that rush many of us get from being patted on the back.  I think it starts out very young when our parents say things like "Good job Joy!  You went pee in the potty!" or "Wow!  I'm so impressed by how much you ate of that mashed banana!" Praise!  Validation!  A warm, happy feeling spreads through your tummy.  You eat it up, and another gold star addict is born. 

And there's really nothing wrong  with gold stars and kids.  It helps them to make good choices, and to feel happy about their accomplishments.  A good mark (and maybe some praise from teachers and parents?) on a paper at school makes you feel so good that you want to work hard on the next paper too.  All through childhood I really do not see a problem, but at some point we have to be weaned away from this habit.

Once you're an adult it just doesn't work so well.  Sometimes, at work, you can find that kind of validation, but even there it's not going to be consistent.  Most of the time at work people simply expect you to do what needs to be done (or not but that's a whole other topic).  At home you really aren't going to get a lot of back patting.  You empty the dish washer and, hey presto, the crowd goes wild!  Not so much.  The key is to learn to do things for the sake of getting them done.

Becoming a mom has really brought this home to me.  M. is very good about helping out and offering encouragement.  However, most of the time it is just the two of us here at home, and the baby is really not capable of being a cheerleader.  At this point you just have to dig in and do the laundry, diapering, dishes, vacuuming, etc because you are the mommy and that's what mommies do.  Suddenly the gold stars seem to matter less.  A clean (ish!) house and a happy baby are their own rewards.  Most of the time.

It Gets Better

The gay rights movement has had an up and down week. In Florida, gays and lesbians are now able to adopt children after the state supreme court found the ban to be unconstitutional. On the other hand, Don't Ask Don't Tell remains in effect in the U.S. military. How some of this can still be allowed to stand in 2010 is beyond me. 

The challenges experienced by gay adults are nothing compared to those faced by children and teens. The suicide rates for homosexual (or even just those perceived as gay) teens are far above the norm. This type of abuse remains one of the most accepted forms of harassment because many parents still believe that homosexuality is wrong. School administrators and teachers often feel hog-tied in their ability to help because parents object to anything that might be deemed "pro-gay". Or at least that's the excuse.

Many students report feeling hopeless as their peers and even their families reject or abuse them.  For some it must seem as though a normal life may never be possible.  In response to the suicide of 15 year old Billy Lucas, Dan Savage made the video, It Gets Better.  You've got to see it.

Swaddler No More

Yesterday, we went to the store to purchase yet another box of diapers (go ahead judge me). We needed the next size up, but for some reason I just couldn't find our preferred brand in the correct size. Then M pointed out that the box I was looking for was right there on the shelf in front of me. Why couldn't I see it? It seems that size three diapers are a new category, and so the name and packaging change. I was used to looking for those nice green and teal "swaddler" boxes, but no, it seems that we are now purple "cruisers." I know this is a silly little thing, but it made me sniff a little. My baby is tiny no more.

The Hunger Games

Just a quick plug for my favorite series of late, The Hunger Games. While this author can be found in the Young Adult section, her stories are quite readable by all ages so long as you enjoy sci. fi. dystopian future stuff. All three books deal with issues around authoritarian governments, poverty, and human rights. However, the main theme in all three is actually the power of media to shape opinion. The Hunger Games themselves are the world's worst reality TV show where young people from all over the country are forced to fight to the death in a giant arena. The cameras are always on, and the rest of the population gets to enjoy the spectacle. Of course there's always that one person who can't seem to play by the rules. Just do your best to ignore the love triangle which is trite and unnecesarry.

Elder Niece Grows Up

Our first little girl (of her generation anyway) is really and truly growing up. Elder Niece turned twelve a few weeks ago, and I can hardly pick my jaw up off the floor. She is tall, graceful, well-spoken, and self-possessed these days; a far cry from the little kid she was about five minutes ago. I can so clearly remember that solemn little face, and I am very glad to notice that she smiles much more than in earlier times. She might even be, dare I say it, a tolerable teen when the time comes. Happy birthday big girl!

Corn and Blueberry Salad

I've been meaning to post this for ages. I saw a recipe like this one in a magazine, and I couldn't believe corn and blueberries would be a nice combo. Provided you get good ingrediants, it is an incredible (and pretty) salad. Red pepper and cucumber are nice additions too:

Ingredients
6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (preferably whole, toasted, and then ground)

Try it out I dare you!

Ten Years Since 9/11

It was my second week of teaching (in my whole career) when I heard about the first plane. I remember going into my principal's office and watching the smoke pour from the first tower. I wish I'd kept a blog back then to remember the rest of the details. I do remember the kids having lots of questions. It was probably quite different then because most kids didn't have cel phones. If something like that happened today; it would be a different story. I saw a TV piece about how many of the soldiers who are currently in Afghanistan can barely remember 9/11 since so many of them were elementary kids at the time that it happened. The world will never be the same.

Rolling Over

Delphinium did it! She rolled over! She's been doing a lot of almost sit-ups and side curls for some time now, and today, just after her dad got home from work, she rolled all the way over. She seemed truly surprised to find herself on her tummy all of a sudden. Then she proceeded to do it again just for good measure. M tried very hard to capture it on video, but she refused to perform. Next up, crawling, and then the world!

First Day of School

Yesterday was Elder Niece's first day of middle school! She was really, really nervous about going, but I have no doubt it will be a good transition. She is, of course, in the high performing program which is a great fit for her intelligence and her dedication (but I'm not biased!). Proof that she's in the right place? She took herself to the bookstore over the summer and bought a middle school prep book and a spelling book. She spent a portion of her summer studying up (not that she needed it) and it was all of her own free will. I wish she could be in my class!

Rainy Walk

Ever since Delphinium was very tiny, we've struggled over walks. This is due to the fact that I like them and she doesn't. It seems to stem from her dislike of most baby carrying methods such as strollers, baby packs, and other strollers. Were I willing to carry her in my arms the whole way, she would be a big fan of the walk. Unfortunately, after about the first half mile, this gets very tiring for maternal backs.

Then we hit on something big. We've been using the Baby Bjorn since she was born, but it was not until Delphinium was strong enough to face out that it became popular. Now you can put her in it, and she will remain happy for an hour or more. This is exciting for all kinds of reasons.

Yesterday, we decided to put the Bjorn to good use by going for a walk. We'd been cooped up in the car during the morning, so it seems like a good idea to get out and move around. I'd never taken her out in the rain before, but since she's so close to me while in the Bjorn I knew an umbrella would work well. We bundled up a little, grabbed our sunny yellow umbrella, and headed out into the world.

The umbrella turned out to be half the fun. She kept looking up at it (do admire the color?) and chatting out loud about it. We looked at flowers of all colors, watched crows hopping around in the road, and admired the big kids who were playing in the yard at the school. The best part, though, was the deer. She was standing in a forested spot near the school, and she did not seem in the least worried about our presence. She calmly stood there eating dripping blackberries about twenty feet from where we were standing.

Camping at Penrose Point

For the past five years, a sub-set of the family has used the last weekend of August for our traditional camping weekend. We love to pitch our tents in some beautiful site, build fires, cook our meals over the coals, and then sit around singing songs and trading puns and word play. It's a great chance to catch up with one another before the craziness of the school year hits. This year, everything seems to have changed, but we still didn't want to miss out on this chance.

This year, we had a few more challenges than before. Not only do we have a new baby to think about, but my broken tailbone is still bothering me too. Nevertheless, we remained undaunted, so off we set for Penrose State Park near Purdy. The car trip was a bit uncomfortable for me, but the baby did a fabulous job and did not cry even once. After about an hour and a half of driving, we crossed over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This was very exciting for all of us (having never been) since we've seen the old video of "galloping Gertie" many times. Luckily she stayed safely aloft for our trip over.

A little more driving brought us to the park where the rest of the family was already waiting. It is a beautiful park set on the water with the camp sites back in the woods. Sites are close together, but if you went on a less popular weekend, the might not be an issue. For us, it turned out to be a bad thing because the 50-something lady in the campsite next to ours decided to stay up late drinking boxed wine and talking, talking, talking about anything and everything. We heard her opinion on dozens of topics, but we did not hear quiet until two or three in the morning.

It was also a bit anxious to camp with the baby because the temperature got down into the low 50s, and it was very tough to be sure that she was staying warm enough. At one point in the night I found that she'd poked her little hand out of the blankets, and it felt as cold as a popsicle. I kept waking up to check that she was warm enough all night long. It was not what you would call a restful night.

The next day we did get the chance to enjoy the dramatic scenery. The park is surrounded on two sides by water, so there are many impressive views. Rocky beaches and mud flats are also common, and the girls had a wonderful time cruising the edge of the mud flats looking for sand dollars and tiny fish. There were kayaking and fishing opportunities as well, but we never got that far.

As much as we enjoyed ourselves on Saturday, as it got closer to bedtime, I just couldn't face another night in the tent. Our noisy neighbor was still in residence next door, and the overnight temperatures were not supposed to be any warmer. Thus we admitted defeat. After a lovely campfire dinner, we headed for home. Next time maybe we'll last the whole weekend. Still, I'm very glad we went.