Today, my son spit on another child at school. Low, low, low. This marked the first time the teacher actually called during the school day to talk about behavior. She asked me to talk to Isaac on the spot for a minute, and I did. Strict consequences followed at home (no getting to play with the friend who came over for a playdate), and sadness all around. Stark contrast to yesterday's extravagant fun-daddy-times (an entire afternoon spent on a hiking adventure to Lake Powhatan) and this morning's lazy we'll-watch-the-paving-machines-and-be-late-to-school-because-after-all-they're-theoretically-blocking-the-driveway-or-at-least-they-said-they-would-be event. Perhaps all the extravagance lent to the disastrous behavior today. It's the end of the school year. Our child is growing and changing. One thing's for sure, though--sugar was not to blame, as there was none in evidence today. Oh well.
I'm so glad for:
* a husband who mostly sees eye-to-eye with me on disciplining our son and is a wonderful leader of a father and husband
* Pies in Disguise
* fuzzy baby noggin under my chin as we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and examine the holes in the pages
* the little ones' art group and lovely messy paint!
* my beautiful supportive friends who jump for me when I need to change plans at the last minute
* grace to parent well on hard days
* difficult conversations about religion
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Girly Girl
Cora is a Girl. She loves to crawl around in the grass outside and get good and dirty, and the sandbox is a favorite spot. But her primary focus when we're outside seems to be: flowers. The first yellow dandelions of the season were here first victims. She would point and giggle that fast low giggle of hers and then -pluck!- and into the mouth and shaken around and pulled apart piece by piece. Clover, daisies, and many others have met the same fate.
And how in the world did that child just seem to know that she could brush her own hair. I mean she barely has any! Except for the two sparse tufts that stick up in a way reminiscent of great horned owls, she just has fuzz really. But long ago (maybe she was 10 months old?), I stroked her head with a soft brush just a couple of times, and she was instantly an expert. She grabbed that thing and went to it on her own head. We haven't had many more brush experiences (what's the point?), but I got out the brush tonight, and she brushed her own hair and also enjoyed brushing the "fur" of the animals in her feel-and-read picture book.
Last evidence of the girliness of my girly girl? Jewelry. Already. (Side note: I like the word "bling," but I feel like it's over-used. Hence, it is banished from this entry. I do NOT like the word "blog.") Anyway, I'm being a little exaggerated here on the girl thing--I do remember that Isaac learned very early on to put on and take off necklaces and such and really seemed to enjoy it. But it's just comical to see a child so tiny - not even walking yet - pick up a belt or other long cord of some kind and try to "put it on." Over that big ol' head with those short little arms. Cora has been be-jeweling herself with my nylon belt for the past couple of weeks, so today I braided her a red, blue, and gold "necklace" out of some fabric scraps and sewed it together at the ends. Perfect bling for my beautiful little girl!
And how in the world did that child just seem to know that she could brush her own hair. I mean she barely has any! Except for the two sparse tufts that stick up in a way reminiscent of great horned owls, she just has fuzz really. But long ago (maybe she was 10 months old?), I stroked her head with a soft brush just a couple of times, and she was instantly an expert. She grabbed that thing and went to it on her own head. We haven't had many more brush experiences (what's the point?), but I got out the brush tonight, and she brushed her own hair and also enjoyed brushing the "fur" of the animals in her feel-and-read picture book.
Last evidence of the girliness of my girly girl? Jewelry. Already. (Side note: I like the word "bling," but I feel like it's over-used. Hence, it is banished from this entry. I do NOT like the word "blog.") Anyway, I'm being a little exaggerated here on the girl thing--I do remember that Isaac learned very early on to put on and take off necklaces and such and really seemed to enjoy it. But it's just comical to see a child so tiny - not even walking yet - pick up a belt or other long cord of some kind and try to "put it on." Over that big ol' head with those short little arms. Cora has been be-jeweling herself with my nylon belt for the past couple of weeks, so today I braided her a red, blue, and gold "necklace" out of some fabric scraps and sewed it together at the ends. Perfect bling for my beautiful little girl!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Spring around Asheville
The leaves are starting to appear!
Short sleeves! Yippee!
Fancy Easter duds.
First team soccer experiences!Cora discovered a new game today. After a fussy dinner time, she was excited, as usual, to get into the bath. But I've never seen her do this: after slapping the water a bit, she sat still for a moment, contemplating, and then she lunged into action, sliding and spinning herself around super fast on her butt. It was really funny, and a little scary. She came pretty close to the sharp metal faucet, so here we come, rubber faucet cover! She was giggling like a maniac, and I so so love her delight and no-holding-back splashing in the water. I'm looking forward to seeing what she thinks of the beach in a few weeks!
The past few weeks have seen some exciting learning. Cora has now taken 3 steps on separate occasions, one at home long ago, one in music class a couple of weeks ago and one today. She always takes them sort of falling forward towards her target, and when she really wants to get somewhere or something, she immediately drops to crawl. She's a quick crawler. Thank Goodness, she has been sleeping mostly through the night the past couple of months. She goes down at 6 or 6:15, and she almost always makes it to 5 AM or later. Then, she'll go back down, or if it's close to 6, I'll keep her up and put her down earlier for her morning nap. That's helpful on Monday mornings when I need to take her to MT class with me.
About two weeks ago, she started saying "flower," and it sounds like "fwowhuh." A lot like "water" which she also learned recently: "wahwuh." When we go on walks, we have to stop and look at (and pick, if she gets her way) all the fwowhuhs we see. And pet the "tadts." I LOVE the way she says "mow," more for her flat matter-of-fact inflection (or lack of) rather than the pronunciation.
She loves balls and finds it constantly delightful that they get rolled back to her when she pushes them away. She is starting to figure out the "No" concept, and she'll say "nuh nuh" as she watches us to see if we're going to take away the computer cord or cactus plant or whatever contraband item she's grabbed. Another of her very favorite activities--maybe her top fave--is to drum on things...with hands, with sticks, you name it. She's quite good with her hands, and today, I saw her turn a mallet so that the correct end of it was striking the drum.
Favorite books these days: Grouchy Ladybug, because she enjoys flipping the pages super fast, and she likes the silly animal sounds. That's about all one has time to do as she flips the pages! Also, she has been enjoying Tortillerias de Mama. She'll touch the picture of the prickly pear and say "ahchy!" (ouchy)
We think she's got her "eat" and "all done" signs mixed up. I don't remember who told me they thought that her "all done" actually seemed to mean "more," but I think that's the root of the problem. The one thing that is truly apparent is that when she's feeling well (she's just getting over a yucky cold), she can out-eat Isaac by a long shot. Though he's wanting to snack all the time. Meals are small, but snacks are numerous. I'm hoping to get eating times more structured this summer. Ha, on reflection, THAT doesn't seem likely!
Cora's down to 1 nap a day about a third of the time. I am torn about losing the morning nap. I think she still needs it most of the time, and I like having the extra time to work, but I also like the freedom of having the whole morning open if I need to take her along with me. Now that Matthew's out of school for the summer, we can be a lot more flexible anyway. What a shock it is, to have him say, "Well, why don't you just leave her with me?" I'm so accustomed to planning things for myself and the littles almost entirely without Matthew in the schedule picture that I have a hard time wrapping my mind around being able to leave By Myself! It kind of makes me sad, actually. Cora is my little travel buddy.
Speaking of travel, the kids and I enjoyed a wonderful hike up to Black Balsam Knob last weekend. The nearly-1-hour-drive, however, was not very fun. I'm cringing at the thought of taking that restless baby on a long drive to get to the beach in a few weeks. It's looking like a 2-part drive is going to be the best plan. But still, 3 to 4 hours a day in the car for 2 days? Both ways? Hmmm. I must make plans.
Other things we're doing...Isaac and Matthew building block towers for Cora to knock down ("Booh!" is her way of saying "Boom!") with great gusto. Ooh, and building marble runs: Just this past week, Cora started standing up to put marbles into the little funnel at the top of the marble run. And then she'll applaud herself and say "yay!" But we seem to be starting to exit the stage of her automatically putting EVERYTHING in her mouth. There's still some of that, but not as much. She IS attracted to all things chokable or sharp - coins, marbles, the stick-and-ball building set that Matthew has, straight pins, etc.
I've gotten some sewing done recently, much to my surprise. I was suddenly addicted to it, and I made a couple of pairs of pants for Cora, worked on an outfit I had originally started for Isaac but that will now be for her, nearly finished a pair of pants for Isaac. It's been super fun, and I'm hoping I can find a way to finish these projects and continue to clear out some fabric. I organized my stash, and I have lots of ideas...unfortunately, it's now time to do the Summer Music Together crunch, and I'm just not in the mood.
Lastly, I am reading Ann Voskamp's 1000 Gifts and much much enjoying it. It'll need a couple of re-reads, but mostly, I'm trying to get in the habit of noticing and speaking aloud and writing down the abundant gifts I am given every day!
Today's list:
Isaac's goofy noises (and the exercise of not letting them drive me up the wall)
Giggly babies
Fluffy pastel-colored diapers seen wobbling out of sight as the crawling baby trucks it out of the room
Isaac's beautiful singing, and his seeming inability NOT to join in
A summery day and a nice thunderstorm at Isaac's bedtime to help me cozy in for an evening on my computer
leaves dripping pitter patter and cricket song
Ann Voskamp and her beautiful thought-provoking re-readable book
being SO appreciated for my triangle skills at church...and having Matthew at home offering to keep Cora as she was still asleep when we needed to leave for church
Isaac's surprised declaration as we got back in the car: "I actually enjoyed ALL of church today!" (after he started to complain but realized he didn't have anything to fuss about)
God as my refuge and strength - the mystery of exposure to temptation but God's protection from evil
My continued struggle with food and friends who ask me about it
Humility and being shaken awake
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Hello beautiful friends and family, and Holiday Greetings!
We are now a family of four plus cat, and life is good!
I was 4 months pregnant at the beginning of the year, so frankly, I don’t remember much. Matthew seems to have some amnesia as well, so I’ll just give the general scoop—based on what we gathered from researching our schedule calendars and photos we’ve taken.
2010 started off with…? I know it snowed...
Isaac was in “playschool” and loving it. The as-yet-unborn baby was a major kicker and mover, so I contemplated the novelty of raising a child who might move more quickly than the average 3-toed sloth. Anyway, winter…spring…not much more to relate there.
We could not have asked for better timing for Cora’s birth. She was 4 days late, much to my (then) chagrin, but the extra time allowed me to get Summer Music Together classes all settled so I could turn over the reins for a few weeks. Matthew and Isaac got their semesters all wrapped up before baby arrival. And finally, after miles of walking, hours spent in odd “turning the baby head-end down” positions, many chiropractic appointments, many Braxton Hicks contractions, one failed acupuncture treatment (needles = faint), one eggplant parmesan meal (2 if you count leftovers), and one “membrane sweep,” Cora Gayle Richmond finally made her appearance on June 4. In an early demonstration of her “move it or lose it” personality, she was born at 7:56 AM after just 5 hours of labor, much to the delight of her parents! She weighed 6’13” and was 19” long.
Since Cora was born, we spent a week in Virginia Beach with my sister Julie in July;
Matthew and I saw our first opera as audience members: “Carmen!”; and we saw Cyndi Lauper in concert. Cyndi was way more fun than Carmen. We lost Isaac at the annual farm picnic—he trekked off to the swimming hole with a group of folks…without telling us first. Argh! We found our new favorite restaurant – the best home-cooked German and possibly the best food I’ve ever eaten. Aside from Mama’s, of course.
Matthew had lots of career excitement this year: He wrote and performed his first movie soundtrack for locally made “Flight of the Cardinal.” His jazz group, Like Mind Trio, has been playing a bunch. He spent a lot of time onstage for theatrical productions, playing drums in “Buddy Holly,” “Chicago,” and “Peter Pan” (in costume as an Indian chief!). And he continued to play regularly with the Asheville Symphony and Stephanie’s Id. Matthew was hired full-time at UNCA for the current school year (yippee!). We weren’t sure if the FT position would continue after this school year, but we just heard that he will be re-hired at 3/4 time for 2011-2012—great news!
Music Together is still going strong. I took the summer off from teaching, and once I started back in the fall, it was with reduced MT teaching hours and limited lessons. I’m still managing the Music Together business, but I gave up the High School drum line.
Isaac turned 5 in August and started Kindergarten.
He enjoyed school at first, but he has started saying lately that he doesn’t want to go any more and that he’s been going “for SUCH a long time!” Poor guy. I’m not sure he has any idea that he’s not even halfway through the year. He has recently announced that he wants to be a scientist and possibly study snakes. His favorite sport is bowling, but since the real deal is somewhat physiologically inappropriate at this age, he’ll start soccer this spring. Here he is with his homemade bowling set this summer. He got a "real" set with 10 "real" pins for Christmas.
Isaac loves his little sister, and she adores him. 
Their play together is a treasure. Isaac has never expressed any jealousy of the attention Cora needs--he generally loves to help wash, feed, sing to, and play with her. I love to hear the sounds of their nonsense babbling at each other and especially of Isaac singing and reading to her. The other day, he asked if I was pregnant again...yet. Whoa.
Cora is a delight. Her favorite toys are human hair (attached only), computer power cords and plastic bags and paper – the shinier the better. She’s got two bottom teeth and is in the unpleasant throes of sprouting more. She is sitting up and just starting to crawl! She's eating winter squash, bananas, and a few other "solid" foods quite enthusiastically.
We had a fun Halloween...
So there you have the high points of our year, but I’m struggling to find words to convey a general sense of the beauty and growth we’ve experienced—I want so much to share with you some small portion of the love that has surrounded our family. Through my Bible study group and Matthew’s religion/spirituality discussion group, we have separately enjoyed spiritual and philosophical conversation and fellowship. This enlivens and deepens our conversations with each other as we share our thoughts later.
We have learned to receive this year as so many of our friends and family loved us through their gifts of time, baby gear, food, and more when we welcomed Cora home. It’s surprising how challenging it can be to just accept these gifts of love that have no strings attached. I admit that I like to think I can do it all myself, and I suppose technically I could…maybe…but it is ultimately sweeter to accept love and help from others.
When Cora arrived, I started to think about how the rest of 2010 would proceed. I perceived that the dim 6-months-away future would bring cold weather and long nights, and I really dreaded it. The darkness and cold seemed like challenges to endure. However, as we’ve watched the weather and the light turn winterly, I have found myself embracing, even enjoying, the dark, the cold, the snow. I feel a greater sense of intimacy with the Divine these dark days, not in spite of, but inspired by the Winter, much as candlelight is easier to perceive and appreciate in the dark. Perhaps the gifts of 2010 have been greater than past years, but I suspect that I am far more aware of how blessed we are.
Here’s wishing you a Winter of Light and a 2011 filled with blessings and love.
Much love to you from the Richmonds!
We are now a family of four plus cat, and life is good!
I was 4 months pregnant at the beginning of the year, so frankly, I don’t remember much. Matthew seems to have some amnesia as well, so I’ll just give the general scoop—based on what we gathered from researching our schedule calendars and photos we’ve taken.
2010 started off with…? I know it snowed...
Isaac was in “playschool” and loving it. The as-yet-unborn baby was a major kicker and mover, so I contemplated the novelty of raising a child who might move more quickly than the average 3-toed sloth. Anyway, winter…spring…not much more to relate there.We could not have asked for better timing for Cora’s birth. She was 4 days late, much to my (then) chagrin, but the extra time allowed me to get Summer Music Together classes all settled so I could turn over the reins for a few weeks. Matthew and Isaac got their semesters all wrapped up before baby arrival. And finally, after miles of walking, hours spent in odd “turning the baby head-end down” positions, many chiropractic appointments, many Braxton Hicks contractions, one failed acupuncture treatment (needles = faint), one eggplant parmesan meal (2 if you count leftovers), and one “membrane sweep,” Cora Gayle Richmond finally made her appearance on June 4. In an early demonstration of her “move it or lose it” personality, she was born at 7:56 AM after just 5 hours of labor, much to the delight of her parents! She weighed 6’13” and was 19” long.
Since Cora was born, we spent a week in Virginia Beach with my sister Julie in July;
Matthew and I saw our first opera as audience members: “Carmen!”; and we saw Cyndi Lauper in concert. Cyndi was way more fun than Carmen. We lost Isaac at the annual farm picnic—he trekked off to the swimming hole with a group of folks…without telling us first. Argh! We found our new favorite restaurant – the best home-cooked German and possibly the best food I’ve ever eaten. Aside from Mama’s, of course.Matthew had lots of career excitement this year: He wrote and performed his first movie soundtrack for locally made “Flight of the Cardinal.” His jazz group, Like Mind Trio, has been playing a bunch. He spent a lot of time onstage for theatrical productions, playing drums in “Buddy Holly,” “Chicago,” and “Peter Pan” (in costume as an Indian chief!). And he continued to play regularly with the Asheville Symphony and Stephanie’s Id. Matthew was hired full-time at UNCA for the current school year (yippee!). We weren’t sure if the FT position would continue after this school year, but we just heard that he will be re-hired at 3/4 time for 2011-2012—great news!
Music Together is still going strong. I took the summer off from teaching, and once I started back in the fall, it was with reduced MT teaching hours and limited lessons. I’m still managing the Music Together business, but I gave up the High School drum line.
Isaac turned 5 in August and started Kindergarten.
He enjoyed school at first, but he has started saying lately that he doesn’t want to go any more and that he’s been going “for SUCH a long time!” Poor guy. I’m not sure he has any idea that he’s not even halfway through the year. He has recently announced that he wants to be a scientist and possibly study snakes. His favorite sport is bowling, but since the real deal is somewhat physiologically inappropriate at this age, he’ll start soccer this spring. Here he is with his homemade bowling set this summer. He got a "real" set with 10 "real" pins for Christmas.
Isaac loves his little sister, and she adores him. 
Their play together is a treasure. Isaac has never expressed any jealousy of the attention Cora needs--he generally loves to help wash, feed, sing to, and play with her. I love to hear the sounds of their nonsense babbling at each other and especially of Isaac singing and reading to her. The other day, he asked if I was pregnant again...yet. Whoa.
Cora is a delight. Her favorite toys are human hair (attached only), computer power cords and plastic bags and paper – the shinier the better. She’s got two bottom teeth and is in the unpleasant throes of sprouting more. She is sitting up and just starting to crawl! She's eating winter squash, bananas, and a few other "solid" foods quite enthusiastically.
We had a fun Halloween...
So there you have the high points of our year, but I’m struggling to find words to convey a general sense of the beauty and growth we’ve experienced—I want so much to share with you some small portion of the love that has surrounded our family. Through my Bible study group and Matthew’s religion/spirituality discussion group, we have separately enjoyed spiritual and philosophical conversation and fellowship. This enlivens and deepens our conversations with each other as we share our thoughts later.
We have learned to receive this year as so many of our friends and family loved us through their gifts of time, baby gear, food, and more when we welcomed Cora home. It’s surprising how challenging it can be to just accept these gifts of love that have no strings attached. I admit that I like to think I can do it all myself, and I suppose technically I could…maybe…but it is ultimately sweeter to accept love and help from others.
When Cora arrived, I started to think about how the rest of 2010 would proceed. I perceived that the dim 6-months-away future would bring cold weather and long nights, and I really dreaded it. The darkness and cold seemed like challenges to endure. However, as we’ve watched the weather and the light turn winterly, I have found myself embracing, even enjoying, the dark, the cold, the snow. I feel a greater sense of intimacy with the Divine these dark days, not in spite of, but inspired by the Winter, much as candlelight is easier to perceive and appreciate in the dark. Perhaps the gifts of 2010 have been greater than past years, but I suspect that I am far more aware of how blessed we are.
Here’s wishing you a Winter of Light and a 2011 filled with blessings and love.
Much love to you from the Richmonds!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Isaac's First Limo Ride
Yesterday, Isaac came home from school ALL a-twitter. The friend who dropped him off told me he had some very exciting news, and it was all he could do to get it out:
I: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
I: Ten dollars!
Me: Ten dollars who?
I: I got ten dollars at school!
Several questions later, it came to light that the "pig race" was yesterday, and Isaac won twice! You may well be asking, "Why was there a pig race at school yesterday?" Oddly enough, we're STILL experiencing the ramifications of the selling-stuff-fundraiser from several months ago. The pig race and hotdog lunch yesterday were open to any student who participated in the fundraiser. All I could discover about the pig race is that it involved wind-up toy pigs, and "whoever's pig falls off first wins."
Anyway, so now, because Isaac sold 12 items for the fundraiser, he not only won the various little prizes for selling 1, 2, 5, and 10 items (chocolate milk slime!), he garnered the title "Top seller" in the Kindergarten and thus earned himself a limo ride to downtown for a special lunch with milkshake AND a visit to the Chocolate Lounge for a free piece of chocolate, AND just for participating at all, he got to do the pig race, which he also happened to win. Also, just to kind of cap things off, Isaac got to sit next to the Mayor at the special limo lunch, because her son was a top seller in his grade (they picked 2 from each grade). Here's a photo of (probably) Isaac's favorite reward: getting his free chocolate! It was probably worth at least $2. Chocolate Lounge is very yummy gourmet level stuff.
I find it all pretty funny. Since I did all the selling, I keep thinking along the lines of, "Where's MY limo ride and free piece of chocolate and hot dog and pig race and $10?" But I probably would not have won the pig race. Perhaps with all this long-reaching positive effect, Isaac will be inspired to do more of his own selling next year.
And just for kicks, here's a photo of Isaac on blue-hair day. Also a fundraiser.
I: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
I: Ten dollars!
Me: Ten dollars who?
I: I got ten dollars at school!
Several questions later, it came to light that the "pig race" was yesterday, and Isaac won twice! You may well be asking, "Why was there a pig race at school yesterday?" Oddly enough, we're STILL experiencing the ramifications of the selling-stuff-fundraiser from several months ago. The pig race and hotdog lunch yesterday were open to any student who participated in the fundraiser. All I could discover about the pig race is that it involved wind-up toy pigs, and "whoever's pig falls off first wins."
Anyway, so now, because Isaac sold 12 items for the fundraiser, he not only won the various little prizes for selling 1, 2, 5, and 10 items (chocolate milk slime!), he garnered the title "Top seller" in the Kindergarten and thus earned himself a limo ride to downtown for a special lunch with milkshake AND a visit to the Chocolate Lounge for a free piece of chocolate, AND just for participating at all, he got to do the pig race, which he also happened to win. Also, just to kind of cap things off, Isaac got to sit next to the Mayor at the special limo lunch, because her son was a top seller in his grade (they picked 2 from each grade). Here's a photo of (probably) Isaac's favorite reward: getting his free chocolate! It was probably worth at least $2. Chocolate Lounge is very yummy gourmet level stuff.
I find it all pretty funny. Since I did all the selling, I keep thinking along the lines of, "Where's MY limo ride and free piece of chocolate and hot dog and pig race and $10?" But I probably would not have won the pig race. Perhaps with all this long-reaching positive effect, Isaac will be inspired to do more of his own selling next year.
And just for kicks, here's a photo of Isaac on blue-hair day. Also a fundraiser.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The 4th Snow Day of the Year!
Today was Isaac's 4th snow day and his 6th missed day (two missed 2 weeks ago due to strep). The homeschool thing is becoming reality in spite of his enrollment in the public school! Ha! Yesterday's interest in snakes was gone today, but we cut snowflakes out of coffee filters, had a reprise of Jingle Bells (no mistakes!), played a silly game with bouncy balls in the basement, had friends over to play for a few hours, and cleaned and partially de-cluttered Isaac's room. We did NOT go outside. It didn't get above freezing, and Cora doesn't like her hair (fuzz) to get mussed in the wind.
Cora continues to EAT. We are doing pureed banana or winter squash 2 or 3 times a day.
I continue to be mystified that the contoured changing pad with rails around is the one place where she always flips to her tummy and starts trying to crawl...whereas the wide open carpeted floor is her preferred sit-and-fuss-til-somebody-plays-with-me-or-picks-me-up spot.
School is on a two-hour delay tomorrow, and then the weather is supposed to get ugly again Thursday. Friday is the "last day" before Christmas break. Again, ha!
We made these yummy-smelling ornaments on Isaac's 2nd snow day (last week).
Another 2-hour delay:
Cora's sleeping!
So, I was just looking over Cora's sleep chart tonight and realizing that she, the baby who used to fuss-if-not-scream every time we put her in bed, has cried at bedtime very little in the past week! It seems unbelievable that just 3 weeks ago we were struggling at every nap--rolling her bassinet back and forth for 10 minutes or more, playing the music boxes or humming, and her naps were short and inconsistent. It wasn't ALL bad: bedtime seemed okay, and although she was waking every 2 or 3 hours to nurse, she was going back to bed quietly each time. But I finally got frustrated and tired enough with the napping trouble (Isaac was always such an easy napper!) that I begged a friend to loan me her much-loved copy of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child."
A lot of the author's wisdom is stuff I already knew and common sense, but in my fog of sleep deprivation, I lacked perspective and direction. After reading, I decided to
1) put Cora down at 6 instead of 7 or 7:30 (with Isaac)
2) solidify a regular bedtime routine (which we kind of already had)
3) hardest: let her cry
The first night was rotten. She woke 4 or 5 times and cried for who-knows-how-long each time. Probably not more than 10 minutes per wakening, but an eternity to the unhappy mom. But as with most of the families who give testimonials in the book, the crying period was very brief--for us, just ONE night. In just a couple of days, she was re-trained, the naps settled into place (napping at 9 and 1 for 1.5 to 2 hours each time), and now she rarely cries when we put her in bed! When she wakes at night, she cries for a minute or two and then goes back to sleep. I'm thrilled to "pay" the one hard night in exchange for who-knows-how-many-months of difficulty (and tears from both baby and mama!). Now we're all sleeping so much better, and I'm feeling so much more sane.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Another Snow Day
What a fun day today! Mostly. It was Isaac's 3rd snow day so far this year, and tomorrow will be the 4th. I am feeling more and more like we ought to just go ahead and homeschool. I mean, I'm pretty much there anyway since with his 2 days off for strep and all these snow days, we're more used to hanging out at the house these days.
Today's Highlights:
Being ophiologists (snake scientists) with Isaac this morning. We studied anacondas on the national geographic kids site, which I think actually got a little disturbing for him after we watched the video of people catching them with bare feet and hands.
We colored designs on paper to make gift boxes for the ornaments to give to Mrs. Dowers and Mrs. McIntosh. One of the few bad times of the day came during the attempt at folding, which is difficult for me even.
A quiet snuggly lullaby moment with Cora in which she put the period on the end of my Brahms rendition with a very delicate raspberry into my neck.
Teaching Isaac how to play Jingle Bells on the small set of student bells. Some tension occurred as he (like every dadgummed student I ever have) got antsy about not being able to get the last phrase right, and so instead of working on that phrase alone, thought it best to start over at the beginning.
Feeding Cora. She now gets three portions of solid food a day. Even though she's only eating bananas and winter squash so far, she loves to eat!
My one regret is that I didn't get away from sugar today. The chocolate covered pretzels that one of my MT families gave me are just irresistable...especially since, as they're just pretzels, they're easy to mistake for "healthy," or at least "not that bad." I don't regret that I didn't walk today--it was frigid outside. But between the lack of exercise and the sugar, I'm feeling a bit toxic. There's always tomorrow...
Friday, November 5, 2010
Halloween
Halloween 2010 was awesome! Guess who each Jack-o-Lantern belongs to. You can't get this one wrong. Cora's little pumpkin just had stickers on it, so it doesn't show up in the dark.
Isaac was an adorable (I mean terrifying) little skeleton, Matthew was dapper, Cora was a lobster, and I was a chef.
I had planned the lobster-chef duo ever since Isaac's 1st Halloween. He was a lion, but we saw a mama-baby duo decked out for lobster dinner at a Halloween parade, and I resolved that any future baby of mine would have to be a lobster. The only downer was that Cora was too big for any pot we had (that we could find), so instead of wheeling her around in a pot/stroller rig as I had hoped, I had to carry her for a couple of hours. Matthew helped, but the effect when he carried her wasn't quite as dramatic. I don't know how many times I overheard, "Oh, look at the lobster! How cute!" as we walked Vermont St. And several times: "Oh, and the mom is a chef! That's just wrong! Ha ha!" Lots of people we don't know took our photo.
It was fun, and though I was a little concerned that Isaac would feel bad that his costume wasn't getting noticed, he didn't seem to mind all the attention Cora got. He was mainly stoked about the candy. He did have a pretty impressive scary look, which he showed off when prompted.
Cora finally lost it after nearly two hours of cuteness and flinging her red socks off. She fell asleep in my arms on the way home. Grandma took these photos a couple of days later. AFTER I found the big pot.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Isaac's first school fundraiser
Please consider buying something to support Isaac and his school! The schools are scrambling to deal with serious budget cuts, and Isaac is pretty pumped about the prizes he can win if he sells a certain number of items. If you don't need any more shtuff, but you'd like to donate funds to the school, you can deposit some moolah into my paypal account, and I'll pass it on. Or, you can send a check made out to Vance Elementary School, and we'll pass it along.
If you want to shop online...
I felt a little odd entering your e-mail address in the online account area, so I decided to just tell you how to log in yourself.
1) Go to http://www.gaschoolstore.com/
2) In the window on that page, enter Isaac's online ID number: 2274F72
3) You'll automatically go to the magazine subscription main page. Magazines must be lucrative, because each subscription counts as two items for the selling kid. If magazines aren't your thing, just look at the box on the left for other categories of items.
If you'd rather not buy online, just send me a link to the item(s) you'd like, and we'll enter them on Isaac's paper order form. Most stuff is available through the paper order form, but the personalized things and some other items are only available online.
According to the printed catalog. All the jewelry is made without lead or nickel. Earring posts are stainless steel.
My favorite things are some of the handcrafted jewelry.
Go to the Gifts & Holiday Items.
Click the Helping Hands icon...
Browse jewelry, bags, and fashion items that are handcrafted in Project Centers in places like Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Cambodia, and other places. The mission of the Project Centers is to improve the lives of the workers they serve. Plus they have some really pretty stuff! There is a ton of jewelry in general, with everything from silver or gold plate to sterling silver, or corded beads.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Introducing Cora Gayle Richmond
Adding this post in December, but making the post date June so that it'll be more chronologically accurate in the blog.
May 31 came and went sssssslllloooooooowwwwwwlllllyyy. And at bedtime, when I didn't have a baby, I suddenly got pretty despondent. I tried to remind myself labor could begin without warning at any time, but truthfully, I just hadn't really been open at all to the possibility that I would get to Baby's due date and not have a baby. Second babies usually come early, right?
In an attempt to take some kind of positive action step, I arranged for acupuncture the next day.
Unfortunately, the acupuncture treatment was a bit of a fiasco, because I almost immediately got light-headed near the point of fainting. I did get a really nice shoulder massage out of it, though--Thanks, Briana!
The next day, I succumbed to "wives' tales" and took the family to Nona Mia to have the fabled eggplant parmesan for dinner. The food was good, but no baby.
On June 3, I had an appointment with midwife Alisa. She was very kind during our appointment. She offered to "sweep the membranes," (what others call "stripping the membranes") saying that if the baby and I were basically ready, it might move things along.
My mom arrived in mid-afternoon, much to the surprise and delight of Isaac. She brought a lasagna, a crock pot of beef stew, a loaf of Italian bread, 5 dozen eggs, and a chicken casserole...along with a bunch of various and sundry snack and drink items. And a bag of peanut dark chocolate M&Ms. We pluck a couple of blossoms, and I put them in water next to my bed.
Friday, June 4, I wake at 2 AM with contractions. My first thought is, "Do these feel different? I think so." But I wasn't sure. I sat on the exercise ball and worked on my laptop, finishing up more MT things, again glad for the extra hours to wrap up more details. At about 5 AM, I finish up everything that seems pressing, close my computer, and walk around a bit. I decided that since the contractions seems stronger and more frequent and that this really is labor. I woke Matthew at about 5:30 after a couple of breathtaking contractions. Matthew, bless him, was happy to get up. After seeing me go through a couple of contractions, he called Alisa to meet us at the hospital and started to move with some urgency. I didn't really have a sense of urgency--just in a bit of a fog and knowing that I had to stop and really focus and relax through the contractions. We woke Mom, and as we headed to the car, I did start to feel a sense of urgency.
We went to check in at the emergency room desk as directed during our childbirth tour, and the two employees ask why we're there. Matthew tells them childbirth. The ladies are obviously at the end of their long night shift, as it takes them a couple of more questions and me gasping against the desk for them to discern that I am IN LABOR NOW. You'd think, working at a hospital, that they might anticipate that happening sometimes? Once they figure it out, though, they offer a wheelchair. After initially turning it down, I agree that it's a good idea.
Alisa is waiting for us in labor and delivery. She announces that I am 10 cm and ready to push! Whoa! This is SUCH good news! I'll spare you the details of the next 45 or so minutes, but after only about 15 minutes of pushing, she's HERE...a tiny little cry of protest, and Matthew has touched her first, and the room becomes very busy, and I'm elated and laughing. I look at the scrunched up little face and decide I'll take her home with me soon.
Here she is, after she's had a bit of time to "unscrunch" her face.
May 31 came and went sssssslllloooooooowwwwwwlllllyyy. And at bedtime, when I didn't have a baby, I suddenly got pretty despondent. I tried to remind myself labor could begin without warning at any time, but truthfully, I just hadn't really been open at all to the possibility that I would get to Baby's due date and not have a baby. Second babies usually come early, right?
In an attempt to take some kind of positive action step, I arranged for acupuncture the next day.
Unfortunately, the acupuncture treatment was a bit of a fiasco, because I almost immediately got light-headed near the point of fainting. I did get a really nice shoulder massage out of it, though--Thanks, Briana!
The next day, I succumbed to "wives' tales" and took the family to Nona Mia to have the fabled eggplant parmesan for dinner. The food was good, but no baby.
On June 3, I had an appointment with midwife Alisa. She was very kind during our appointment. She offered to "sweep the membranes," (what others call "stripping the membranes") saying that if the baby and I were basically ready, it might move things along.
My mom arrived in mid-afternoon, much to the surprise and delight of Isaac. She brought a lasagna, a crock pot of beef stew, a loaf of Italian bread, 5 dozen eggs, and a chicken casserole...along with a bunch of various and sundry snack and drink items. And a bag of peanut dark chocolate M&Ms. We pluck a couple of blossoms, and I put them in water next to my bed.
Friday, June 4, I wake at 2 AM with contractions. My first thought is, "Do these feel different? I think so." But I wasn't sure. I sat on the exercise ball and worked on my laptop, finishing up more MT things, again glad for the extra hours to wrap up more details. At about 5 AM, I finish up everything that seems pressing, close my computer, and walk around a bit. I decided that since the contractions seems stronger and more frequent and that this really is labor. I woke Matthew at about 5:30 after a couple of breathtaking contractions. Matthew, bless him, was happy to get up. After seeing me go through a couple of contractions, he called Alisa to meet us at the hospital and started to move with some urgency. I didn't really have a sense of urgency--just in a bit of a fog and knowing that I had to stop and really focus and relax through the contractions. We woke Mom, and as we headed to the car, I did start to feel a sense of urgency.
We went to check in at the emergency room desk as directed during our childbirth tour, and the two employees ask why we're there. Matthew tells them childbirth. The ladies are obviously at the end of their long night shift, as it takes them a couple of more questions and me gasping against the desk for them to discern that I am IN LABOR NOW. You'd think, working at a hospital, that they might anticipate that happening sometimes? Once they figure it out, though, they offer a wheelchair. After initially turning it down, I agree that it's a good idea.
Alisa is waiting for us in labor and delivery. She announces that I am 10 cm and ready to push! Whoa! This is SUCH good news! I'll spare you the details of the next 45 or so minutes, but after only about 15 minutes of pushing, she's HERE...a tiny little cry of protest, and Matthew has touched her first, and the room becomes very busy, and I'm elated and laughing. I look at the scrunched up little face and decide I'll take her home with me soon.
Here she is, after she's had a bit of time to "unscrunch" her face.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Happy Valentime's Day!
*
Where's T-Mo?
There you are!
It was VERRRRRY cold here a little over a week ago. For about a week, we had high temps in the teens, lows in the negatives (!), and bitter wind. I know this is standard issue for northern locales, but we're not used to it in Asheville. It was too cold for snowballs! But not too cold for sledding, though it must be admitted our snow was a little sparse. Check out this video of one of Isaac's first sledding experiences. We took him down hills a couple of times, but the tennis court "slalom" was by far his favorite activity of the day. If you don't count the post-snow hot cocoa...
(Sorry it's a link--I had no luck uploading the video to this blog.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us2YgJb0DM0
Most shockingly, the weather took a sudden turn, and it's been unseasonably WARM for a week now! Highs in the 50s and 60s! It's been nice, but we are bracing ourselves for a return to the cold on our trip to Ithaca. Anyway, it is, after all, WINTER.
In honor of winter, Isaac has been perfecting his "glare." Here are some examples:
(Dig the "bed head" hair...)
We've had lots of fun finding all the baby daffodils coming up (in February...dumb flowers!) around our house. Thanks to the previous owner, there are tons!
Other fun activities of late have included watching movies. Isaac likes to remind me at some point each day in a voice dripping with incredulity and amiability, "Hey mama! I think I haven't watched a movie yet!" T-Mo's current favorites are Veggie Tales and the School House Rock series, particularly America rock and Multiplication rock. Don't worry, he can't multiply yet; it's just his impeccable sense of retro style that demands he study 1970's era Saturday morning cartoons.
But in case you were worried because he doesn't know his times tables yet... Isaac is reading! He can sound out most 3 and 4 letter words with short-vowel sounds, though he does often get confused whether "a" says "aaa" or "ay." Let me assure you we haven't pushed this development at all. Really! Except for reading to him every day because he just loves it. Oh, and well I guess you could count the hour a day we do phonics worksheets before breakfast...and the 2-hour daily rigorous reading-training classes...just kidding! Anyway, T-Mo's just super motivated on his own, and he doesn't get discouraged when he makes mistakes.
Also, you could have knocked me over with a feather the other day when Isaac invited me to the sandbox to observe him WRITE his NAME in the sand with the handle of his shovel. I had no idea he could do this, and neither could Matthew. The letters do not always go in order, of course. I don't know why we started calling him T-Mo, when
A
ISS
CA
is so much obviously cooler. (and yes there's an extra S--don't know how we missed putting that on the birth certificate)
On the other hand, we might just might maybe finally be reaching the last mile of the potty training marathon. Yee gads. Maybe we should write it for him in the sandbox: "When you have to go, use the POTTY!!!!" (He does sort of understand exclamation points.)
We are not sending Isaac to preschool yet, but we have been participating in a wonderful "preschool swap" two mornings a week with several lovely families with similar-aged children. These kids are fun buddies for Isaac, and it is so fun to watch all the kids learn how to really play with each other (as opposed to next to each other). The moms of these kids have become beautiful friends for me, and I feel incredibly blessed to have all of these people in our lives. Isaac will begin attending a 3-day-per-week preschool co-op this fall. I'm simultaneously thrilled for Isaac (and me and Matthew--since it is a co-op) to join a program with good, fun people...and a little sad that we're entering the school years soon and leaving behind baby things.
BUT, not to dwell on weighty topics...
If you ask Isaac to make a smiley face for the camera, this is what you get:
Kari: Awww, how sweet! OK, now give us "surprise!"
Kari: Whoa! That's definitely got surprise taken care of.
OK, T-Mo, do you have a special message for your fans?
Kari: Hey now, try to be serious!
Isaac: snort
Kari: Never mind.
Isaac: The sun smiles upon my quest. I win!
We love you all! Have a wonderful, heart-warming Valentime's (T-Mo's pronunciation) Day!
Where's T-Mo?
There you are!
It was VERRRRRY cold here a little over a week ago. For about a week, we had high temps in the teens, lows in the negatives (!), and bitter wind. I know this is standard issue for northern locales, but we're not used to it in Asheville. It was too cold for snowballs! But not too cold for sledding, though it must be admitted our snow was a little sparse. Check out this video of one of Isaac's first sledding experiences. We took him down hills a couple of times, but the tennis court "slalom" was by far his favorite activity of the day. If you don't count the post-snow hot cocoa...
(Sorry it's a link--I had no luck uploading the video to this blog.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us2YgJb0DM0
Most shockingly, the weather took a sudden turn, and it's been unseasonably WARM for a week now! Highs in the 50s and 60s! It's been nice, but we are bracing ourselves for a return to the cold on our trip to Ithaca. Anyway, it is, after all, WINTER.
In honor of winter, Isaac has been perfecting his "glare." Here are some examples:
(Dig the "bed head" hair...)
We've had lots of fun finding all the baby daffodils coming up (in February...dumb flowers!) around our house. Thanks to the previous owner, there are tons!
Other fun activities of late have included watching movies. Isaac likes to remind me at some point each day in a voice dripping with incredulity and amiability, "Hey mama! I think I haven't watched a movie yet!" T-Mo's current favorites are Veggie Tales and the School House Rock series, particularly America rock and Multiplication rock. Don't worry, he can't multiply yet; it's just his impeccable sense of retro style that demands he study 1970's era Saturday morning cartoons.
But in case you were worried because he doesn't know his times tables yet... Isaac is reading! He can sound out most 3 and 4 letter words with short-vowel sounds, though he does often get confused whether "a" says "aaa" or "ay." Let me assure you we haven't pushed this development at all. Really! Except for reading to him every day because he just loves it. Oh, and well I guess you could count the hour a day we do phonics worksheets before breakfast...and the 2-hour daily rigorous reading-training classes...just kidding! Anyway, T-Mo's just super motivated on his own, and he doesn't get discouraged when he makes mistakes.
Also, you could have knocked me over with a feather the other day when Isaac invited me to the sandbox to observe him WRITE his NAME in the sand with the handle of his shovel. I had no idea he could do this, and neither could Matthew. The letters do not always go in order, of course. I don't know why we started calling him T-Mo, when
A
ISS
CA
is so much obviously cooler. (and yes there's an extra S--don't know how we missed putting that on the birth certificate)
On the other hand, we might just might maybe finally be reaching the last mile of the potty training marathon. Yee gads. Maybe we should write it for him in the sandbox: "When you have to go, use the POTTY!!!!" (He does sort of understand exclamation points.)
We are not sending Isaac to preschool yet, but we have been participating in a wonderful "preschool swap" two mornings a week with several lovely families with similar-aged children. These kids are fun buddies for Isaac, and it is so fun to watch all the kids learn how to really play with each other (as opposed to next to each other). The moms of these kids have become beautiful friends for me, and I feel incredibly blessed to have all of these people in our lives. Isaac will begin attending a 3-day-per-week preschool co-op this fall. I'm simultaneously thrilled for Isaac (and me and Matthew--since it is a co-op) to join a program with good, fun people...and a little sad that we're entering the school years soon and leaving behind baby things.
BUT, not to dwell on weighty topics...
If you ask Isaac to make a smiley face for the camera, this is what you get:
Kari: Awww, how sweet! OK, now give us "surprise!"
Kari: Whoa! That's definitely got surprise taken care of.
OK, T-Mo, do you have a special message for your fans?
Kari: Hey now, try to be serious!
Isaac: snort
Kari: Never mind.
Isaac: The sun smiles upon my quest. I win!
We love you all! Have a wonderful, heart-warming Valentime's (T-Mo's pronunciation) Day!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy 2009!
Happy holidays, everyone!
This has been a wild year of fun, not-so-fun, and busy busy busy! We have found lots of ways to be busy as a family. Additionally, my Music Together business outgrew my personal limits of time and energy back at the beginning of the year, and while we served so many families and had a wonderful time, I'm glad for my own family that things have since scaled back. Matthew has continued teaching at UNCA, and we're both very proud of how well his program has adjusted to Mr. Richmond and his high expectations. I dove into my first full year of teaching a high school percussion program and learned TONS!
Hardest working drumline in NC.
I'm still refining what constitutes "tough enough" but not "too mean" in my teaching style. I had a blast teaching marching drumline, but I lost SOOOO much sleep during band camp. It was like college exams all over again, 3 or 4 all-nighters succeeded each time by day-long adventures in trying to stay focused and ahead of 15 or so teenage musicians. Needless to say, I'm relieved to have a break from marching for a few months.
Matthew and I have really enjoyed playing in our percussion/jazz/rock/avantgarde/wierdo ensemble Eroteme. We've had fun cooking, eating, practicing, jamming, and performing together, and we're looking forward to another year of it!
Brad...musician, friend, budding chef type person.
Jordan, of Eroteme and of marching band assistance. Any friend of T-Mo is a friend of mine.
2008 also marked the marriage of good friends Cameron and Rachael Juroff. Matthew and I were honored to be involved in the festivities and ceremony. Congratulations, homies! We love you! Sorry--I'm kind of ashamed to discover I have no photo of Rachael! She's too good-looking for this blog anyway...
Cameron J.
And while I'm talking of weddings, congratulations to our good friends Tony and Adrienne, who got hitched this year as well! They were beautiful, and Matthew, Isaac, and I were honored to celebrate with them. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the event or after-party. I'm sure Tony does (ha ha!).
This has been a wild year of fun, not-so-fun, and busy busy busy! We have found lots of ways to be busy as a family. Additionally, my Music Together business outgrew my personal limits of time and energy back at the beginning of the year, and while we served so many families and had a wonderful time, I'm glad for my own family that things have since scaled back. Matthew has continued teaching at UNCA, and we're both very proud of how well his program has adjusted to Mr. Richmond and his high expectations. I dove into my first full year of teaching a high school percussion program and learned TONS!
Hardest working drumline in NC.
I'm still refining what constitutes "tough enough" but not "too mean" in my teaching style. I had a blast teaching marching drumline, but I lost SOOOO much sleep during band camp. It was like college exams all over again, 3 or 4 all-nighters succeeded each time by day-long adventures in trying to stay focused and ahead of 15 or so teenage musicians. Needless to say, I'm relieved to have a break from marching for a few months.
Matthew and I have really enjoyed playing in our percussion/jazz/rock/avantgarde/wierdo ensemble Eroteme. We've had fun cooking, eating, practicing, jamming, and performing together, and we're looking forward to another year of it!
Brad...musician, friend, budding chef type person.
Jordan, of Eroteme and of marching band assistance. Any friend of T-Mo is a friend of mine.
2008 also marked the marriage of good friends Cameron and Rachael Juroff. Matthew and I were honored to be involved in the festivities and ceremony. Congratulations, homies! We love you! Sorry--I'm kind of ashamed to discover I have no photo of Rachael! She's too good-looking for this blog anyway...
Cameron J.
And while I'm talking of weddings, congratulations to our good friends Tony and Adrienne, who got hitched this year as well! They were beautiful, and Matthew, Isaac, and I were honored to celebrate with them. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the event or after-party. I'm sure Tony does (ha ha!).
Congratulations to all the other wonderful people we know who got married or welcomed babies this year! We don't know any non-wonderful people.
Matthew and I took a week-long vacation to Ithaca, NY, in July . This year marked our 10th year of marriage and our 15th year of friendship. We spent the first year of our marriage there while Matthew finished his graduate degree at Ithaca College. We spent lots of time with Matthew's percussion teacher and his wife, Gordon and Christy Stout, and had a wonderful time! We also visited my former boss at CTB Appetizers and went back to some of our favorite eateries and hang-out spots.
Matthew and Kari at the overlook for Taughannock Falls. We're blocking the view of the falls, but it was really just a trickle anyway, due to the drought. So, you're not missing much.
We are excited to return this winter for Matthew to play his vibe concerto with students at the Ithaca College percussion department. This time we're taking Isaac, and we hope he'll get to experience some real northern snowfall (though maybe not during the drive...).
While we hope to repeat a fun visit to Ithaca, some 2008 events we hope not to repeat: Kari's bike wreck with broken jaw, stitches, and all; Isaac's 2nd degree burn (courtesy of his mama's loose handling of a hot pan); various and sundry stomach bugs, and tons of poopy diapers. Things we wouldn't mind repeating in 2009: a great bunch of students (for Matthew and Kari both), a happy trip to Ithaca, Matthew playing at Bonnaroo, a fun visit to the Mountain State Fair (Isaac and I love the "Flying Bob!") and the circus (camel ride!) and lots of T-Mo Cuteness and good health.
Isaac with grandpa at the circus, checking out the cool prize...
Camel ride!
The cutest Halloween costume and kid-inside-costume in the universe!
Fun at the park several weeks after "the great wreck of 2008"--mama's jaw is only slightly crooked-er than it was before...
I've loved getting to see all THREE of my sisters a couple of times this year. Check out the sistahs!
Isaac is thriving! He sings ALL the time and is now much more easy-going about us singing in his presence. He is very close to being able to drum along in time with us or music on the radio. He likes to count off for playing duets, but if you're the other musician, watch out! He has a warped sense of humor. He's quite capable of doing a regular One Two Three Four count-off. But, not long ago, he was heard counting off for an Old Mac Donald duet with our friend Brad in the following manner: "One.......Two.......One...Two...OneTwoOneTwoOneTwoThreeCrash!"
Random cool picture of a hawk in our back yard, because why not...? I took this just shot before driving to the first annual Music Together Holiday sing-along and figured it was an omen. A good one, because why not...?
Isaac no longer switches up his pronouns, and he's a precocious English-speaker for his age. He loves books. In fact, a couple of days ago, I was in my own little world putting away laundry. When I suddenly tuned into what he was doing, I realized the funny humming noises he was making were actually his first independent attempts to sound out words. And he wasn't doing half bad! Considering he was trying to read "History Rock." Speaking of that, he is showing impeccable taste in his video preferences--he enjoys old Muppets and Bugs Bunny episodes, and he's now getting into School House Rock tapes. Before long...Monty Python! Well, maybe we'll wait a few more years. But there's always Star Wars IV, V, and VI in the meantime.
Isaac is medium-potty-trained. He CAN do it...he just usually prefers not to. Oh well. He's taking one nap a day (usually). The effect of living with two educators is certainly apparent in his communication habits--he's quite opinionated and bossy, even for a 3-year-old. One of his most recent outlandish instructions to me: "I want you to give me something that is not healthy for me to eat." He loves his buddies (pictured below), and when he's not exhorting them to dance to his new favorite music (Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride), they love to take turns chasing each other and making crafts together.
Bossy!
Thoughtful.
Isaac and The buddies. They're trying to taste snowflakes, in case you're wondering.
Isaac with his beloved Bobbo.
Matthew and I are looking forward to spending the holiday weeks together doing much more "nothing" than usual before we go back to the craziness of classes and lessons in January. We love all of you and hope we have many opportunities to spend time with you this coming year! Have a 2009 full of fun, peace, and good health!
Matthew and Kari at the overlook for Taughannock Falls. We're blocking the view of the falls, but it was really just a trickle anyway, due to the drought. So, you're not missing much.
We are excited to return this winter for Matthew to play his vibe concerto with students at the Ithaca College percussion department. This time we're taking Isaac, and we hope he'll get to experience some real northern snowfall (though maybe not during the drive...).
While we hope to repeat a fun visit to Ithaca, some 2008 events we hope not to repeat: Kari's bike wreck with broken jaw, stitches, and all; Isaac's 2nd degree burn (courtesy of his mama's loose handling of a hot pan); various and sundry stomach bugs, and tons of poopy diapers. Things we wouldn't mind repeating in 2009: a great bunch of students (for Matthew and Kari both), a happy trip to Ithaca, Matthew playing at Bonnaroo, a fun visit to the Mountain State Fair (Isaac and I love the "Flying Bob!") and the circus (camel ride!) and lots of T-Mo Cuteness and good health.
Isaac with grandpa at the circus, checking out the cool prize...
Camel ride!
The cutest Halloween costume and kid-inside-costume in the universe!
Fun at the park several weeks after "the great wreck of 2008"--mama's jaw is only slightly crooked-er than it was before...
I've loved getting to see all THREE of my sisters a couple of times this year. Check out the sistahs!
Isaac is thriving! He sings ALL the time and is now much more easy-going about us singing in his presence. He is very close to being able to drum along in time with us or music on the radio. He likes to count off for playing duets, but if you're the other musician, watch out! He has a warped sense of humor. He's quite capable of doing a regular One Two Three Four count-off. But, not long ago, he was heard counting off for an Old Mac Donald duet with our friend Brad in the following manner: "One.......Two.......One...Two...OneTwoOneTwoOneTwoThreeCrash!"
Random cool picture of a hawk in our back yard, because why not...? I took this just shot before driving to the first annual Music Together Holiday sing-along and figured it was an omen. A good one, because why not...?
Isaac no longer switches up his pronouns, and he's a precocious English-speaker for his age. He loves books. In fact, a couple of days ago, I was in my own little world putting away laundry. When I suddenly tuned into what he was doing, I realized the funny humming noises he was making were actually his first independent attempts to sound out words. And he wasn't doing half bad! Considering he was trying to read "History Rock." Speaking of that, he is showing impeccable taste in his video preferences--he enjoys old Muppets and Bugs Bunny episodes, and he's now getting into School House Rock tapes. Before long...Monty Python! Well, maybe we'll wait a few more years. But there's always Star Wars IV, V, and VI in the meantime.
Isaac is medium-potty-trained. He CAN do it...he just usually prefers not to. Oh well. He's taking one nap a day (usually). The effect of living with two educators is certainly apparent in his communication habits--he's quite opinionated and bossy, even for a 3-year-old. One of his most recent outlandish instructions to me: "I want you to give me something that is not healthy for me to eat." He loves his buddies (pictured below), and when he's not exhorting them to dance to his new favorite music (Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride), they love to take turns chasing each other and making crafts together.
Bossy!
Thoughtful.
Isaac and The buddies. They're trying to taste snowflakes, in case you're wondering.
Isaac with his beloved Bobbo.
Matthew and I are looking forward to spending the holiday weeks together doing much more "nothing" than usual before we go back to the craziness of classes and lessons in January. We love all of you and hope we have many opportunities to spend time with you this coming year! Have a 2009 full of fun, peace, and good health!
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