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Bits and Pieces of Midwinter Action

lieslf — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:35:38 +0000

That headline is a bit misleading, but I had to write something to lure you guys in, no? We haven’t had any action of the big exciting event variety (except for Kiri, who just learned to jump and is over-the-moon excited about that!) but we’ve had lots of little things going on, so it’s time for one of my Bits and Pieces posts.

Kevin went to The Netherlands on a business trip for a week, during which the boys and I were extremely happy to welcome Gran-Gran to the Menagerie House. I just remembered that I did post about her toy-induced trip to the ER, but really, other than that one bad night, we all had a wonderful visit. Our only complaint is that it was too short, but the good news is that she will return, hopefully for Kiri’s birthday party at the end of March.

Since Kiri is a bit young to care much about the specifics of his party, his brother was happy to step in and take charge of the situation. He was more than happy to instruct Kiri as to the importance of a desirable theme for his party, and he came up with two themes. He couldn’t decide which one, robots (since “Kieran needs to learn about robots”) or food (since Kiri has yet to meet a food he dislikes), was best, so I asserted my maternal rights and picked a Spring theme.

That was partly because I’ve had enough Winter, and partly because I want to make the cake. I’ve gotten all into decorating cookies this winter, and I would like to expand my horizons a bit and try a fancy cake. I’ve had my eye on this bunny cake pan for a while, and with a recent sale at my favorite baking store, Fancy Flours, I was able to finally able to fit it into our budget. I think I will have to make two bunnies for his party, and then possibly I’ll make some egg and baby bunny shaped cookies for the children to take home. I thought it would be cute to make carrot cakes, but they are so moist I don’t know if they’d really make stable 3-dimensional bunnies. I may punt and make one chocolate and one French vanilla, or possibly lemon. Perhaps I will think about how to decorate them and draw inspiration from that. Also, I’d best got on the mission of consulting a calendar and picking a date for the fiesta.

While I’m on a creative segment here, I’ll mention that I have joined Chichimama’s latest knit-a-long. I would love a pair of nice warm mittens, so these will be for me. Since being frugal is so very necessary chic these days, I turned to my stash for yarn and found a nice variegated purple-pink heavy cotton yarn. My only concern is that the colors are so busy that the main artistic point of the mittens, a long cable running from wrist to fingertip, will be hidden. Then again, I want to make this “Just Enough Ruffles” scarf at some point, so maybe I’ll go ahead with the pink and purple first for fun and to get mitten knitting experience, and then pick up a pretty solid color color later to make a second pair of cable mittens and a JER scarf in the same color. I’m almost finished with my gauge swatch and it looks like it’ll be spot on, which rarely happens for me, so clearly the variegated yarn would be quite usable for this pattern. I just have to sew together the sweater I’m working on for Kiri to wear this Spring and then I’m free to make the mittens.

Speaking of creative pursuits, Santa left an easel for Liam this year. He loves to use it on days when he is willing to stay still for a few minutes, and Kiri has taken quite a shine to painting himself. When I chose the word “himself” I didn’t mean it in the literal sense…

..but Kiri took it that way.

The statement, “Kiri, we only paint paper!”

…does not stop Kieran, the All-Surface Painter.

Now, of course, if one is decorating cookies with frosting then one obviously has edible media on hand…

…and on face. How amazing is that???

But the best part – the most exciting artistic discovery ever…

…is that a loyal dog makes such a huggable canvas!

In other news, we are seeing the beginnings of sibling rivalry these days. It is clear that the boys adore each other. When he is unaware of adult eyes Liam will not uncommonly watch Kiri play for a few minutes and then walk over, give him a big kiss, and whisper “I love you, Kiri K!” And every day at 8:30 A.M. the saddest boy in the world is Kieran. That’s because Liam’s kindergarten starts then and we have to leave him at school for a few hours. As we get into the car, Kieran will point to Liam’s car seat and shout, “Yee-Yee! Yee-Yee! Mommy! Yee-Yee! Now!” (He hasn’t gotten the hang of the “L” sound yet.) And the tears, they flow. On days when Kiri is inconsolable I will turn into the driveway of the house immediately behind the school. It belongs to one of the faculty members, and it affords a good view of the kindergarten play yard where Liam and his classmates are at play. We watch for a few minutes until I am able to calm Kiri enough to make it through the morning.

On the other hand, however, there are loud and screechy daily battles over my lap because neither child will share that spot with the other. And when Kiri misbehaves, Liam is not above reminding me that whatever the crime (large or minute) in question is, well of course, it is most certainly not his doing.

“Mommy, good job cleaning Kiri up. You see, I am old enough to know that painting my face is wrong, wrong, wrong. And Kiri…is not.”"

Point taken, kiddo. Now, enough crowing already.

Valentine’s day is upon us. It’s not a holiday I pay much attention to, but it is a big one with the grade school set. Liam’s class had a Valentine’s Day celebration today. Each child brought in a Valentine of his or her making, and then they had a swap…

..and Liam got to bring home this beauty.

And then, after snack…

…they made heart necklaces from felt and wool roving…

(not the best photo with part of Kiri’s head there, but it shows off the hearts the best of the ones I took)

…and made Valentine’s Day ornaments. I have never seen an ornament like this, and I think it’s gorgeous.

Liam was especially proud of this one since he made all of it himself with the exception of tying the knot on the thread. “I even sewed the ribbon into a loop by myself, Mommy!”

And here it is in its place of honor on our “Valentine’s Day tree.” The boys and I made Valentines and hung them on the tree while whiling away our Snow Day last week.

The Snow Day was also a great time to play with the ferrets…

…get them all rowdy…

…and more than ready for a nap!

This is Pippi enjoying an afternoon siesta.

I’ve spent way too much time on this post already, so I will end it here. These, my friends, have been the highlights of the last couple of Menagerie House weeks. Lots of everyday fun and games about sums it up, and I am not complaining one bit. So come back soon, ya’ll, and I’ll give you a knitting update (with pictures) and a collection of Cute Conversations.

Happy Valentine’s day!

18 Weeks Of Brotherhood

lieslf — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:52:00 +0000

I was just looking at my stats page, and it seems someone found my blog with the search phrase “puddle of pee under the table.” Which is apropos in that we are submerged in the world of potty training here, and well, thanks for asking, it’s going so-so. I’m not going to write about it just yet because a) I’m afraid of jinxing the minor successes we’ve had this far, and b) my nerves have had it for tonight.

Anyway, I’m way late with the biweekly Brotherhood post, so here you go…

~~No Name Diesel Engine~~ Leaping Lemur gets down and rocks with his “kintar.”

Here’s Kieran attempting his new trick, the roll-over.

Pets are great for kids. See how much Pippi and Liam love each other? (Ignore the fact that Pippi’s eyeballs are bulging from being hugged.)

Kieran still loves his spoon!

Gran-Gran and Pop-Pop were up here for a few days before we went to Chicago. Here are Kieran and Pop-Pop enjoying a visit.

Two brothers together.

And my favorite picture, GG (Great-Grandma) and the boys. They all look so gorgeous! And thanks to Gran-Gran for all the pictures!

Coming soon (I think) ~~Misadventures in Parenting~~ “How to Potty Train a Lemur in Thirty-ish Days.”

Imagine the bizarre search terms I’ll be seeing from that title…

14 Weeks Of Brotherhood

lieslf — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 01:29:00 +0000

It’s the usual bimonthly round-up of brotherhood pictures…

We are all about bad humor around here, so I must show you my “bug-eyed” son…

And look! The Super-Bug glasses open for indoor use!

Last weekend we went to the 1st birthday party of Violet, the little sister of one of Liam’s best friends. Her mom, Lisa, is one amazing cake maker. The theme of the party was “drums”, and look at the drum cake!

I’d show you a picture of the birthday girl, but I have a self-imposed rule against posting pictures of other folks’ kids. Trust me, though, Violet was as cute as a button and had a great time.

This was the biggest gathering of people Kieran’s ever seen. He alternated between being happy…

…and being a bit freaked out.

Last week, Liam, Kieran, and I took Stormy and Houdini down for their Lupron shots. As you can see, Kieran was perfectly dressed for the occasion.

The white ferret in the picture is Stormy. She’s doing much better since we started her on theophylline for her heart block. She’s got a lot of energy now that her heart’s pumping in a more normal fashion. Here she is with Pippi, spending some time grooming.

And here is Houdini. Note two things about her – her hair is back! And I am able to hold her without being bitten. Clearly she’s doing better as well.

More of the bad humor…say “Cheese”, guys! (Kevin asked me to crop him out of this picture because he didn’t like the expression on his face. But if I did, his mom might get mad at me, and I don’t want that!

(Just kidding, Mom!)

Kieran is all into holding things these days. Here he is with his favorite toy, a wooden spoon. It’s clearly The Best Thing Ever, and woe befall the person who separates boy and spoon.

This is a great shot I got of Liam at a local park. Doesn’t he look like a junior coach with that sweat jacket and the whistle?

We spied this mommy duck and her babies as we were crossing over a bridge on our way home from the park. I took this picture from up on the bridge with the zoom lens, but without the zoom, those babies just disappear into the bank of the stream.

**********

And that’s it from around here. Coming soon – exclusive coverage of the Maple Tree Take-Down!

Bits and Pieces of Mommy’s First Week Alone With Two Kids

lieslf — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 02:35:00 +0000

Well, well, well, I managed to get both kids to sleep at the same time. Since we know it’s not safe to let a young sibling co-sleep alone with a newborn, I’ll have to sit here beside them with my laptop and ~~make use of unexpected blogging time~~ keep an eagle eye on the kids.

It’s our first week without either Gran-Gran or Kevin at home with us, and we’ve managed to survive quite well. It’s helped that Kieran likes to sleep for large parts of the morning so I can give Leonard some well-deserved one-on-one time. We’ve played a lot of train games, bathed all of the ferrets, cleaned out the ferrets’ house, weeded a flower bed, played trains, read some books, played trains, filled the bird feeders, played trains….you get the idea. So we’re settling in well, I think.

Leonard had a lot of tantrums the last few weeks of my pregnancy and right after Kieran was born, but they largely died away this week, so I think it was as much the disruption in everyday life as anything else that gave rise to them. And I’m glad thinkgs have settled out so well – I was pretty worried about my ability to cope with two. So far, so good!

The two sleeping boys. Actually, Leonard has informed me that he is still a Big Doggie Who Goes Woof and Kieran is a Baby Puppy, so in truth I guess this is a picture of two sleeping canines.

Kieran had his first Waldorf School experience this morning. He came along with us to Liam’s Parent-Child class, where he hung out collecting admiring fans, nursing, and sleeping. You’ll notice he is wearing a hand-knitted sweater, and he looks absolutely adorable in it. In Waldorf schools, all the kids learn to knit in the lower grades. That means there is a community appreciation for the hard work that goes into handmade garments, and the sweater was a big hit. Thank you so much for making it, Chichimama! I just wish I could fit into it, it’s so soft and fuzzy!

I haven’t been to school with Liam in several weeks now, and he’s starting to really play with the big kids – previously, he had been hanging out with me for most of the morning. We have him registered for the nursery next fall, and Kevin and I had both been concerned he woldn’t be ready to make the separation from me for the morning, but I think that’s no longer an issue. He’s clearly ready for more active play with small people who have a chance of keeping up with him!

Here’s a shot of Kieran wrangling the Great Doggler…

We had Casey to the vet this week for his annual check-up and shots. It turns out he’s got a low grade fungal infection in his ears, so we get the fun of cleaning them every day with a special wash. It’s not as bad as one might expect – the Great Doggler groans and generally loves us massaging the goop into his ear canals. Evidently this infection is itchy, although he never gave us any signs of discomfort.

Of course, Leonard the Great Big Doggie has decided that he has “dirt and fungus and mushrooms” in his ears, so here he is lined up waiting for me to clean his ears, too. And evidently his ears are itchy, too, as he has asked me to “clean” his ears three times already today!

This is actually from last week, but it’s a milestone, so I’m throwing it in…

Liam went to school last week with Gran-Gran, and brought home his first craft project. He picked out the colors and everything “because yellow is the best color.” So now it’s hanging up in our room – the first art project from our first baby!

And that’s the run-down from this week. Now that I’ve managed my first week of solo parenting, hopefully I’ll be able to refine my skills a bit and actually do some blogging next week. That’s the plan, anyway!

What Does Donald the Great Big Tickling Shark Buy At The Pet Store?

lieslf — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:33:00 +0000

This morning I suggested to Donald that we should go to the pet store to get some more aquatic plants for our fish tank. He agreed this was a good idea and grabbed his wallet and pretend car keys. We got to the store and picked out a couple of plants to provide some cover for our shyer fish. And then we reached another milestone in childraising. My son declared he had enough money to buy himself a pet.

Now, I fully expected any child of mine to ask for a pet of his own sooner or later, but I didn’t expect it to happen this soon, and I didn’t foresee the offer of financial responsibility, either. Unsure as to how best to proceed, I asked Liam what kind of pet he wanted to purchase.

“I want to buy one of those teeny-tiny goldfish over there, Mommy!”

Liam pointed to a tank of feeder goldfish – you know, the kind that become dinner for other, bigger pets, and are sold for about a dime apiece. My heart began to melt, and I would have agreed immediately, but I just had to find out how he was planning to pay for the fish. He started rooting around in his wallet, opening various zippers and pulling out several pretend credit cards. Then he clearly was struck by inspiration and opened the center compartment to reveal two quarters- “Look, Mommy! Actually, I have money! I have coins! Can I pay with coins and not a toy credit card?”

I looked at the price of the goldfish and told him he could buy three goldfish with his two quarters. I have never seen such happiness – he wanted to buy one fish, and ended up able to buy three. He carefully told the sales associate exactly which fish he wanted. He paid for his fish, we brought them home, and he put them in our tank with only a little help from me.

My son may exist primarily in he dreamy world of imagination that 3-year-olds are known for, but today I got a glimpse of things to come – independence, self-assurance, and admirable problem-solving ability. I just hope I get to spend a bit more time with Donald the Great Big Shark Who Tickles People before he decides to morph into a mature boy.