We dropped Andrew off at the airport Friday morning along with my camera.
The lines went so fast he was out of sight before we could really say goodbye, but we did try. So much for needing to arrive 2 hours early. In retrospect, with lines moving that quickly we should have sat down for a cup of coffee (or herbal tea for me) and enjoyed our last moments together for the weekend.
Søren and I ducked out of line at the last moment hoping not to make Andrew a suspected terrorist, as I think I remember reading that we were not even supposed to be in the line without a boarding pass. I'm a rebel.
As Søren blew daddy kisses and we stood by watching him as long as we could as he unloaded his small bag of loved carry on items (including three hidden love notes that he didn't pack) onto the cold, ever-moving, impersonal machine that declared him clean and permitted to board - save of course, removal and inspection of his Mephistos (you never know what hides inside leather souls - oops soles) - I think we quelled any worries in the boarding-pass-equipped passengers surrounding him. Søren even made the day of the grandmother next in line behind our bread winner because it is just too cute to watch a 19-month-old boy try in earnest to blow kisses to his father who is of course enthralled, but also trying to play the part of a grown-up, mature, 38-year-old man on a business trip.
I had hoped that paying to park and send off Andrew from inside the airport would help Søren understand that Daddy had gone on a trip and wouldn't be back until we picked him up again. Now, don't get me wrong, my son is bright, but he also thinks that Daddy is magic. So naturally, he could be dropped off anywhere on the planet and make it home in time to read bed-time books, or at the least be home when we wake up. When Andrew was a no show this morning, Søren was a little dismayed, but has not lost faith in Daddy's abilities. Rather he has accepted that his Dad is not choosing to use them at the moment. To cope with this he has requested every framed photo of his Dad he knows exists around the house and spent a good part of the evening setting them up on his Little People garage and sitting in front of them pointing to Dad and calling his name gleefully in between hugging and kissing them. He even brought a couple to bed with him. During bed-time books he made sure that Photo-Dad even gave kisses to my belly for he was sure that Elliott would be missing Daddy's rendition of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," too.
Meanwhile, my husband is working long hours and loving it as he learns all about "The Great Alaskan Sportsman Show" which he will eventually be overseeing when he is the GM of my parents company - Lord willing and whenever that may be.
I think this is the 3rd airplane trip my husband has even been on. He actually consulted me before leaving as to whether or not he should bring the heavy men's coat my aunt loaned to him because it was going to take up so much room in his suitcase. While I have never been to Alaska, I did insist that he take it and gave him a look of unbelief that he was really considering travelling to Alaska in March with nothing more than a light-weight golf jacket. He now informs me that the temperature is ranging from about 1 to 31 degrees. Hmmm.
Anyhow, I miss him, and I think our house misses him, because somehow when he's gone the clutter just adds up and makes you think that there is no homemaker here, or that she has five kids instead of one. Anyhow, the clutter coup will end tomorrow when I become conscious of the fact that a overworked, travel-stressed, loving provider will be returning to a home that ought to be inviting enough that he doesn't want to fly away again any time soon.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tranquilities
Somehow the noise of the dishwasher at night calms my spirit...
Perhaps it is the whirring noise of a machine processing the events of the day for me so that I don't have to. Or perhaps it is like the busy noises of a cafe that somehow allow the mind to focus or rest. Whatever it is, it seems to hold the promise that today's work is done, tomorrow is fresh, and that I can spend my moments in the moment rather than constantly cleaning up after the past.
Perhaps it is the whirring noise of a machine processing the events of the day for me so that I don't have to. Or perhaps it is like the busy noises of a cafe that somehow allow the mind to focus or rest. Whatever it is, it seems to hold the promise that today's work is done, tomorrow is fresh, and that I can spend my moments in the moment rather than constantly cleaning up after the past.
Liking and Loving
Despair comes and goes so suddenly.
For a simple moment last night I decided that I didn't like my husband, his job, my
family, or my current position in life. My usually solid perspective assaulted by a wave of emotions. Then I sat at the kitchen counter making the "unliked" husband tea for bed and soaking our oats for today's breakfast and turning the down the bed and doing some last minute tidying to make the morning rituals go easier.
The loving sometimes feels easier in marriage than the liking.
Of course, my sensitive and loving husband made sure we chatted out whatever it was that had managed to turn me on my head. For the most part, I was letting my imagination tell me that the last two weeks (of far too much business and very little quality time) were going to be the rest of my life.
I realized that the loving only felt easier for me because of the liking. I think when I was younger I thought that passion and "being in love" were essential to a relationship. Now with an extra decade behind me, I think that the liking is the crucial element. Liking my husband is what allows us to hold onto each other amidst winds and waves of outrageous fortune. Liking helps me choose to be loving, even in those small moments when the liking is on pause.
For a simple moment last night I decided that I didn't like my husband, his job, my
family, or my current position in life. My usually solid perspective assaulted by a wave of emotions. Then I sat at the kitchen counter making the "unliked" husband tea for bed and soaking our oats for today's breakfast and turning the down the bed and doing some last minute tidying to make the morning rituals go easier.
The loving sometimes feels easier in marriage than the liking.
Of course, my sensitive and loving husband made sure we chatted out whatever it was that had managed to turn me on my head. For the most part, I was letting my imagination tell me that the last two weeks (of far too much business and very little quality time) were going to be the rest of my life.
I realized that the loving only felt easier for me because of the liking. I think when I was younger I thought that passion and "being in love" were essential to a relationship. Now with an extra decade behind me, I think that the liking is the crucial element. Liking my husband is what allows us to hold onto each other amidst winds and waves of outrageous fortune. Liking helps me choose to be loving, even in those small moments when the liking is on pause.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Dear Søren
My little man, you are 19 months old today! The transition to being 1 1/2 has been a marked one. You are CONSTANTLY reminding me that you are looking for a fearless leader, and so you test and test and test to make sure Daddy and I qualify. We are trying believe me!
This has been a month of discovery for you. Since turning 18 months old you have realized new physical capabilities, and I regularly find that you have pulled out my office chair and seated yourself at the computer to do some "work", or just look at the screen saver of you and Daddy.
You are also able to get into just about any cabinet to study the mysterious contents. I capture these moments not because I want to humiliate you later in life, but mainly because I love the innocent wonder in all of your explorations. But in the event that as a teenage boy I need something to show your baseball team or girlfriend because you have forgotten where you came from, I will have ammo. I assure you, this is out of love.
You are increasingly participating in all aspects of family life, and now regularly want to sit at the table with me and have tea and "chat" during the day or after dinner as we sit around and decompress the day with auntie Kim.
You have also begun to give us real big hugs. I love this. Typically one is not enough and you have to give us 5-10 big squeezes in a row.
Yesterday a gentleman stopped by and you greeted him with a "hi", followed by introducing Daddy and I and then came to stand by us and welcome this man into the house. We never cease to be impressed with your capabilities physically, socially, and mentally. In the last month you have mastered identifying basic colors and shapes, and have even been known to count to 6! Not to mention a growing vocabulary too long for us to pretend to count.
You continue to love my growing belly and like to say hi to your baby brother, Elliott, inside and give him some fun noises to listen to as you give me zerberts. When we read you like to rest your hand on the belly and make sure Elliott is included. He seems to notice and appreciate this as he kicks and moves happily inside. I think you are greatly looking forward to meeting your little brother, as you frequently ask for him to come "out out out" and then sadly repeat "2 more months". I can't wait to see how you welcome him in June!
This has been a month of discovery for you. Since turning 18 months old you have realized new physical capabilities, and I regularly find that you have pulled out my office chair and seated yourself at the computer to do some "work", or just look at the screen saver of you and Daddy.
You are also able to get into just about any cabinet to study the mysterious contents. I capture these moments not because I want to humiliate you later in life, but mainly because I love the innocent wonder in all of your explorations. But in the event that as a teenage boy I need something to show your baseball team or girlfriend because you have forgotten where you came from, I will have ammo. I assure you, this is out of love.
You are increasingly participating in all aspects of family life, and now regularly want to sit at the table with me and have tea and "chat" during the day or after dinner as we sit around and decompress the day with auntie Kim.
You have also begun to give us real big hugs. I love this. Typically one is not enough and you have to give us 5-10 big squeezes in a row.
Yesterday a gentleman stopped by and you greeted him with a "hi", followed by introducing Daddy and I and then came to stand by us and welcome this man into the house. We never cease to be impressed with your capabilities physically, socially, and mentally. In the last month you have mastered identifying basic colors and shapes, and have even been known to count to 6! Not to mention a growing vocabulary too long for us to pretend to count.
You continue to love my growing belly and like to say hi to your baby brother, Elliott, inside and give him some fun noises to listen to as you give me zerberts. When we read you like to rest your hand on the belly and make sure Elliott is included. He seems to notice and appreciate this as he kicks and moves happily inside. I think you are greatly looking forward to meeting your little brother, as you frequently ask for him to come "out out out" and then sadly repeat "2 more months". I can't wait to see how you welcome him in June!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Paved Paradise
Early morning driving gives the illusion of slow meandering as I steer our big white truck west toward the large glass towers which are undoubtedly filling with impeccably dressed men and women sipping lattes and preparing for another day of small victories, compromises, and global communication that somehow manages to shrink rather than expand worldviews.
Strangely, the idea of all that coffee, leather, silk, and beautifully inked letterhead has a place of almost fondness within me when the glass towers are illuminated not from the lights of the work-addicts inside, but rather from the glory of the rising sun, who would be sending its warmth into the earth even if the hills alone were here to receive it.
As I meander closer, I pass by an old apartment building that once held years of my childhood. Leaving it behind me in the rear view mirror echos how I've also left behind the childish thoughts and childish dreams that took play there. I am reminded of growth and progress and a sense of destination as I pull into the empty parking lot that precedes my early morning appointment.
Stepping out of the car I am greeted by the song of a bird learned thousands of years ago to bless the day, and in turn the sound of a woman's voice joins the bird with an early morning song of her own as she comes to open the office. I reflect on how divine our moments are and how many signals of transcendence I undoubtedly encounter each day - but sometimes forget to notice.
Strangely, the idea of all that coffee, leather, silk, and beautifully inked letterhead has a place of almost fondness within me when the glass towers are illuminated not from the lights of the work-addicts inside, but rather from the glory of the rising sun, who would be sending its warmth into the earth even if the hills alone were here to receive it.
As I meander closer, I pass by an old apartment building that once held years of my childhood. Leaving it behind me in the rear view mirror echos how I've also left behind the childish thoughts and childish dreams that took play there. I am reminded of growth and progress and a sense of destination as I pull into the empty parking lot that precedes my early morning appointment.
Stepping out of the car I am greeted by the song of a bird learned thousands of years ago to bless the day, and in turn the sound of a woman's voice joins the bird with an early morning song of her own as she comes to open the office. I reflect on how divine our moments are and how many signals of transcendence I undoubtedly encounter each day - but sometimes forget to notice.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
This sick house
So, as I feared, getting sick with whatever fluy thing Soren had has opened the floodgates for this crazy house (which we are leaving in a month!) to attack me again. I now have the beginning of a respiratory infection much like the one that led to bed rest and walking pneumonia at the beginning of my pregnancy. Gratefully, this is a better season for my family to help, so I think I will take a small bed rest this weekend and try to be aggressive in rebuilding my immune system.
The frustrating thing is that I really only have myself to blame. We got sick on the tail end of eating many compromised meals due to travel and exhaustion from travel, and an attempt at a date night. Lack of good food, combined with lack of rest, led to a dip in my immune system's ability to fight off the scourge that is our house. Not to mention, my body is fairly preoccupied with building a baby, and less concerned about whatever leftovers there are for me. Note to self - leave more space between 2nd and 3rd child so that my body has time to rebuild.
An additional frustration, is that I really need to cut out all phlegm producing foods - which means I have to cut out my milk (not to mention bananas and oranges)- which happens to be one of the best things for my immune system! Luckily I can substitute with Chicken broth, Pineapple, and lemons which should have a similar rebuilding effect.
I am really looking forward to getting out of this place and leaving this chapter behind us to look back at with laughter.
The frustrating thing is that I really only have myself to blame. We got sick on the tail end of eating many compromised meals due to travel and exhaustion from travel, and an attempt at a date night. Lack of good food, combined with lack of rest, led to a dip in my immune system's ability to fight off the scourge that is our house. Not to mention, my body is fairly preoccupied with building a baby, and less concerned about whatever leftovers there are for me. Note to self - leave more space between 2nd and 3rd child so that my body has time to rebuild.
An additional frustration, is that I really need to cut out all phlegm producing foods - which means I have to cut out my milk (not to mention bananas and oranges)- which happens to be one of the best things for my immune system! Luckily I can substitute with Chicken broth, Pineapple, and lemons which should have a similar rebuilding effect.
I am really looking forward to getting out of this place and leaving this chapter behind us to look back at with laughter.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wife of a salesman
The reality of my husbands sales skills are just starting to sink in on me.
I really should have figured this out by now.
Rewind nearly 4 years ago: Andrew, a then stranger, but regular at my coffee shop, asks me out, I tell him he would need to check back in 5 months, and he waits about 5 days, and somehow I am happy to be sharing dinner with him.
He quickly convinces me, despite my undying - though quite tired - love for another and refusal to "date" in any traditional manner, that I am going to like him. I keep going out with him despite my refusal to give him my phone number, and my insistence that I do not want to be dating anyone at the time.
After barely 6 weeks of "not dating" he proposes and I say yes!??! What in the world?
Then we marry 7 1/2 months later, and 9 months into it, he somehow convinces me I want to start having his children before I've even finished my education - and somehow, I feel like it's all my idea. Now I am bearing him his second child barely into our 3rd year of marriage...
...the crazy thing about his sales skills, is that you love him for it. I feel like he's the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and that his "sales" were the absolute best deals around!
So...the point of this blog is not so much to serve as a resume for my husband - who I am now convinced could probably be a millionaire sales man for some irreputable company living in luxury if he didn't have the sweet soul that he does - nor to give a short history of our life together, but rather to celebrate/bemoan the latest "sale".
We are moving in less than 6 weeks, and had hopes of getting the cheapest 2 bedroom in the nice apartment complex across from my husband's office. We heard that they are changing management companies and raising rents, so Andrew popped in there yesterday to try to squeeze in under the old regime, which he did...but the only thing they have available is a ground level 3 bedroom. Okay, had it been me, I would have shrugged my shoulders and kept looking for another small affordable 2 bedroom.
Instead, he writes me a lovely email about how much he really wants to live there, how confident he is that we will be able to afford it with the new $$ opportunity he has, how nice it will be to have my piano in the apartment since it's ground floor (are you starting to see the sales pitch), how much money it will save us in gas, how easy it will be for him to spend his lunches with us and the new baby, how we'll have room to grow so we won't have to move until we can afford to buy our own house, etc etc etc, please please please, can we take the apartment ('cause I already told them we would), I'll even go without cable and Sports center.
So...now what can I do? I am thrilled of course...the piano thing was near enough, the cable promise sent me over, and despite that all...I LOVE the floor plan. I sat for 30 minutes last night looking over it and imagining where I will place all of our loving handed down pieces. Figuring out where to showcase my books has been the hard part, but I think we will find a suitable place. I then daydreamed about art projects on the ground level "porch" with my art desk out there, doing laundry without leaving the house, and cooking in a FULL cooks kitchen with ample shelving, counter space, and a pantry!
After all of this it somehow hit me that it's no wonder my husband is the best salesmen his company has ever seen, and my life began to rewind before my eyes seeing sale after sale after sale, and then I smiled, because he can be my personal shopper anytime.
I really should have figured this out by now.
Rewind nearly 4 years ago: Andrew, a then stranger, but regular at my coffee shop, asks me out, I tell him he would need to check back in 5 months, and he waits about 5 days, and somehow I am happy to be sharing dinner with him.
He quickly convinces me, despite my undying - though quite tired - love for another and refusal to "date" in any traditional manner, that I am going to like him. I keep going out with him despite my refusal to give him my phone number, and my insistence that I do not want to be dating anyone at the time.
After barely 6 weeks of "not dating" he proposes and I say yes!??! What in the world?
Then we marry 7 1/2 months later, and 9 months into it, he somehow convinces me I want to start having his children before I've even finished my education - and somehow, I feel like it's all my idea. Now I am bearing him his second child barely into our 3rd year of marriage...
...the crazy thing about his sales skills, is that you love him for it. I feel like he's the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and that his "sales" were the absolute best deals around!
So...the point of this blog is not so much to serve as a resume for my husband - who I am now convinced could probably be a millionaire sales man for some irreputable company living in luxury if he didn't have the sweet soul that he does - nor to give a short history of our life together, but rather to celebrate/bemoan the latest "sale".
We are moving in less than 6 weeks, and had hopes of getting the cheapest 2 bedroom in the nice apartment complex across from my husband's office. We heard that they are changing management companies and raising rents, so Andrew popped in there yesterday to try to squeeze in under the old regime, which he did...but the only thing they have available is a ground level 3 bedroom. Okay, had it been me, I would have shrugged my shoulders and kept looking for another small affordable 2 bedroom.
Instead, he writes me a lovely email about how much he really wants to live there, how confident he is that we will be able to afford it with the new $$ opportunity he has, how nice it will be to have my piano in the apartment since it's ground floor (are you starting to see the sales pitch), how much money it will save us in gas, how easy it will be for him to spend his lunches with us and the new baby, how we'll have room to grow so we won't have to move until we can afford to buy our own house, etc etc etc, please please please, can we take the apartment ('cause I already told them we would), I'll even go without cable and Sports center.
So...now what can I do? I am thrilled of course...the piano thing was near enough, the cable promise sent me over, and despite that all...I LOVE the floor plan. I sat for 30 minutes last night looking over it and imagining where I will place all of our loving handed down pieces. Figuring out where to showcase my books has been the hard part, but I think we will find a suitable place. I then daydreamed about art projects on the ground level "porch" with my art desk out there, doing laundry without leaving the house, and cooking in a FULL cooks kitchen with ample shelving, counter space, and a pantry!
After all of this it somehow hit me that it's no wonder my husband is the best salesmen his company has ever seen, and my life began to rewind before my eyes seeing sale after sale after sale, and then I smiled, because he can be my personal shopper anytime.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The week in review
Quotes from the last week:
Tuesday:
"Oops, I forgot your 18 month well baby visit this morning"
"Okay little man, help me make a quick card for daddy because we got married 3 years ago today!"
Wednesday:
"Want to go to the mall and see Summer and Indy and play on the boats and ride the escalators?"
Thursday:
"Today we have to go see our midwife and hear your baby brother's heartbeat."
Friday:
"Hi Honey, I know you're leaving for work, but could you help me get Søren and myself in the bath; he just threw up all over me in the kitchen."
"It's interesting to hear you say, 'F***! I left my bible at work'"
"Have fun with Gigi, mommy and daddy are going to have a date!"
Saturday:
"That shirt and tie would make you look like a SportsCenter announcer"
"My head really hurts"
Sunday:
"I think I overdid it on our walk"
Monday:
"I need you to stay home from work today, I was up all night waiting to throw up, which I accomplished at about 6 am"
"Thanks for playing homemaker so I could sleep all day, I love you"
Tuesday:
"Oops, I forgot your 18 month well baby visit this morning"
"Okay little man, help me make a quick card for daddy because we got married 3 years ago today!"
Wednesday:
"Want to go to the mall and see Summer and Indy and play on the boats and ride the escalators?"
Thursday:
"Today we have to go see our midwife and hear your baby brother's heartbeat."
Friday:
"Hi Honey, I know you're leaving for work, but could you help me get Søren and myself in the bath; he just threw up all over me in the kitchen."
"It's interesting to hear you say, 'F***! I left my bible at work'"
"Have fun with Gigi, mommy and daddy are going to have a date!"
Saturday:
"That shirt and tie would make you look like a SportsCenter announcer"
"My head really hurts"
Sunday:
"I think I overdid it on our walk"
Monday:
"I need you to stay home from work today, I was up all night waiting to throw up, which I accomplished at about 6 am"
"Thanks for playing homemaker so I could sleep all day, I love you"
Monday, March 12, 2007
So in love
This weekend I got to hear my professionally trained husband of three years (tomorrow) sing for the first time. Sure, he sings a little in the shower, or to the radio, or with Soren, but nothing more than everyone else. This weekend I was able to hear him perform for real. We went down to Chahalis (sp?) as a favor to a long time friend who is the executive director of the Miss Lewis County Pageant (I know, I know, a pageant...worse than that would be the story of when I actually ENTERED a pageant in high school). The theme for the pageant was James Bond because it is the year two "double O seven". So Andrew performed "Goldfinger" on stage between two pageant components. It was really good, and then I got to spend the rest of the evening hearing women (especially older Connery-era-Bond women) praise him and tell him he could serenade them any time, and have all the ladies ask me if he sings like this at home for me...which, if you refer to the first sentence of this blog, you will already know my response. Well that was fun. And we got to meet the scandalous Miss Washington, who actually asked if we named Søren after Kierkegaard...so I like her.
The next day Andrew helped out on the worship team at this friends church and they did a special number together - think Gaither Gospel train. As cheesy as this could have been, they were having so much fun, and my husband was belting out lyrics and improvising like a holy black southern gospel choir member. That was fun to see.
So, now I know it's really true that my husband can sing.
I found myself being more lovey with him, and Andrew accused me of being more interested in him because he could sing. I was trying to figure out what had come over me, because truthfully, musicians turn me off and I think I vowed (okay, not vowed, but you know what I mean) never to date a musician when I was 14. But, something had sparked a new affection. I figured it out late last night. After 3 1/2 years together I got to see a part of my husband I've never known before, and got to see a little more of who he is, and what his past was. I was also able to see him reunited with many people from his past life in Portland - some of which have known him since he was 9 years old. I was really grateful that he allowed me to hear him sing and perform, because it was another level of intimacy for us, even though it was shared with a room of 500+ people. Marriage is such an amazing thing. It is a continual unfolding and becoming one. I can see how this process could take decades, and can also see how the spark doesn't really fade, it just has to slow down so that it can pop up intermittently over the next 50 years. I am so in love with my husband, and so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life (or his...not to be morbid or anything) getting to know him more. He is quite fascinating to me.
I can't help but mention my other little lover man, Søren. He was ADORABLE at the pageant. It was way past bedtime, but every time there was applause he would bolt himself off my shoulder and clap and smile like mad and then collapse back into a heap onto my chest. It was hilarious. He LOVED watching his daddy sing, and I had to try to keep quiet because he kept yelling "Dad" from our seats. He also really enjoyed watching the reining "Miss Lewis County" do some belly dancing acts. He was rolling his head from side to side and circling his wrists around trying to imitate her. SO cute. All in all he was a gem and made us look like good parents, which is always nice...but the truth of the matter is that we just happened to get a darn good kid. I am a little nervous about this next one as everyone assures me that they balance each other out. That said, Søren is definitely entering the "terrible" two's, and I am trying desperately to keep up my energy to be consistent with the boundaries on our daily battlefield. He seems to reward me for my wins, so I'm keeping it up for now.
The next day Andrew helped out on the worship team at this friends church and they did a special number together - think Gaither Gospel train. As cheesy as this could have been, they were having so much fun, and my husband was belting out lyrics and improvising like a holy black southern gospel choir member. That was fun to see.
So, now I know it's really true that my husband can sing.
I found myself being more lovey with him, and Andrew accused me of being more interested in him because he could sing. I was trying to figure out what had come over me, because truthfully, musicians turn me off and I think I vowed (okay, not vowed, but you know what I mean) never to date a musician when I was 14. But, something had sparked a new affection. I figured it out late last night. After 3 1/2 years together I got to see a part of my husband I've never known before, and got to see a little more of who he is, and what his past was. I was also able to see him reunited with many people from his past life in Portland - some of which have known him since he was 9 years old. I was really grateful that he allowed me to hear him sing and perform, because it was another level of intimacy for us, even though it was shared with a room of 500+ people. Marriage is such an amazing thing. It is a continual unfolding and becoming one. I can see how this process could take decades, and can also see how the spark doesn't really fade, it just has to slow down so that it can pop up intermittently over the next 50 years. I am so in love with my husband, and so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life (or his...not to be morbid or anything) getting to know him more. He is quite fascinating to me.
I can't help but mention my other little lover man, Søren. He was ADORABLE at the pageant. It was way past bedtime, but every time there was applause he would bolt himself off my shoulder and clap and smile like mad and then collapse back into a heap onto my chest. It was hilarious. He LOVED watching his daddy sing, and I had to try to keep quiet because he kept yelling "Dad" from our seats. He also really enjoyed watching the reining "Miss Lewis County" do some belly dancing acts. He was rolling his head from side to side and circling his wrists around trying to imitate her. SO cute. All in all he was a gem and made us look like good parents, which is always nice...but the truth of the matter is that we just happened to get a darn good kid. I am a little nervous about this next one as everyone assures me that they balance each other out. That said, Søren is definitely entering the "terrible" two's, and I am trying desperately to keep up my energy to be consistent with the boundaries on our daily battlefield. He seems to reward me for my wins, so I'm keeping it up for now.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Projects underway!
Yea! Cassie wrote and is ready to start collaborating on our book. So I decided to try my hand at a poem for the future book...it's on "Ode to Milk".
I also just finished the book I was reading and decided to pick "Sickness unto Death" back up and work on the paper I want to write for the Roof Tile.
Last but not least, I think I may have stumbled across a narrator/voice for the novel I would like to write about my dad's life last night as I was drifting to sleep.
Of course, these moments of clarity and motivation come and go, so we'll see how long it takes me to really get anything done, but for the moment I am excited for the progress, and grateful Summer got me writing again.
I also just finished the book I was reading and decided to pick "Sickness unto Death" back up and work on the paper I want to write for the Roof Tile.
Last but not least, I think I may have stumbled across a narrator/voice for the novel I would like to write about my dad's life last night as I was drifting to sleep.
Of course, these moments of clarity and motivation come and go, so we'll see how long it takes me to really get anything done, but for the moment I am excited for the progress, and grateful Summer got me writing again.
Miscellany
To begin, three nights ago I made my first really good pie crust. This may seem trivial, but I have been making pie crust for about 3 years now, and I have never been able to get it to stick together as dough for fear of overdoing it and having tough crust rather that flaky crust. So, what usually happens is that I have a mess of a time piecing together little sections of "dough" and making it do. I think that part of my problem is that I am following a recipe that requires using a food processor when I am doing it by hand. So I've been tweaking things over time, and a couple nights ago it all came together!
I know that my husband didn't fully share my joy in this accomplishment because he didn't understand it's significance for me as a chef. I also know that most people won't appreciate it's significance...but I share my pictures for my own sake, and you can all go on thinking I am a little crazy...because, really, I probably am.
Another treat happened yesterday when Søren and I went for a LONG walk through the blueberry fields and around the lake - we didn't wear jackets! It was warm and sunny and we just soaked up the Vitamin D. The less lovely part, was that when we got home our house was 76 degrees! It felt downright hot, and I was grateful that we will not be spending another summer in this oven. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the camera for the walk, so I can show no pictures of the ducks and turtles we caught sunbathing, nor the nice fluffy dog that Søren met.
In other news, by specifics I am not at liberty to share, God has blessed us with an opportunity for Andrew to supplement his income in way that could let us finally play catch up. It is truly a joy to rest in the knowledge that God is the one meeting our needs, and to just try our best everyday with what we have letting God take care of the big picture and all of the what-if's of tomorrow.
I also have spent a great deal of time in the last few days watching my son and husband love each other. It is far to wonderful to describe, but I know that other mothers with wonderful husbands know what I am talking about. They adore each other, and I can't get enough of it.
A nice conversation: Andrew had a dream last night that Søren was falling off a very tall building and screaming and crying the whole way down and there was nothing Andrew could do. That isn't the nice part. After telling me about this dream he said that he woke up and was praying for the safety of our children, and he had an epiphany about how they are not really ours. They are just intrusted to our care for a time, and have their own story written out that we cannot change. This caused Andrew to reflect on how he responds to Søren's blunders and frustrations realizing that we have been picked out to take care of this little soul for a short time, and that we ought to do that with the full measure of love and patience available to us. It made me grateful for a spouse who understands what it is to grapple through this parenting thing together as a team, and helps me keep my perspective where it needs to be in order to parent with any measure of grace and success.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Eggs
I am so excited that the dairy that drops our milk is now able to provide farm fresh eggs as well! Not to mention they look like Easter eggs because the different chickens lay different colored shells! I so want to have my own chickens now.
Last week we went through a dozen eggs in 6 days. This week we went through a dozen in 2 days. Sure, it was slightly unusual for me to make pancakes and eggs for breakfast, followed this evening with cake, but still....what am I going to eat for my second breakfast tomorrow?
Well, I mainly wanted to post the pictures of these eggs. One more shout out for the eggs: they are organic pastured chickens that people have at their homes in Sequim, and they only cost $2.75 a dozen. Organic, free-range eggs at QFC are $3.99. That makes me doubly happy. Aren't they pretty!?!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Nap Time
Ling
Søren
MaestroNow I can fix a snack and sit down to plan our meals and make a shopping list!
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