I know it's dangerous to introduce politics to my sweet, family-oriented blog, but I cannot resist. My nightly TV snack has changed from the calm smug observation of superperforming Olympic athletes to a literal maelstrom of democratic convention speeches, pix of friends and crowds at the convention being thrust into my facebook account, the absolute high I had while listening to Obama's acceptance speech (I was in tears, literally, through most of the last half), and then the shock and awe at McCain's choice of running mate. And now, we have New Orleans being evacuated and the RNC looking like it's going to be mostly canceled.
The fireworks on top of the Invesco stadium underscored the new reality - this is a show, just as much as the Olympics was, and suddenly it has gotten really interesting. The new VEEP candidate is, let's be honest, amazing eye-candy and the addition of national disaster into the branding each side is trying to do about putting Americans first - well, it's heady stuff. For someone who has been ignoring politics and news for quite some time now, it's piqued my interest again and I imagine that must be the case for others as well. If all this helps a few more people to pay attention and make a more informed choice, so much the better. (Though my heart goes out to all those people in New Orleans and surrounding areas.)
And now I urge you to read my favorite post of the last few days, from Maureen Dowd: Vice in Go Go Boots.
Last, I will share one personal, heartfelt, and VERY politically incorrect sentiment, especially for someone as liberal and feminist-minded as me. This lady had a baby 2 months after I did, and a special needs baby at that. I find the idea that she is running for VP under these circumstances appalling. If she is successful, she will likely not see this child much over the next 4 years. I know, her husband can watch the child, and she has extended family behind her, etc. But seriously, folks, there are some things even superhuman achievers cannot do at the same time. And learning to serve as a potential president of the US given her background, AND nursing and breastpumping every few hours, AND looking after the needs of a child with Down's Syndrome, AND moving your entire extended family to DC are just several here that seem mighty incompatible to me.
I simply cannot see why American women are supposed to admire her for this decision. The decision to keep the baby, ok, OR the decision to run for Veep. But not both.
Luckily for her, she doesn't seem to know what she's gotten herself into (watch this clip from minute 2:30 to the end), from a few weeks ago, where she asks, What does the Veep do every day, anyway? and says she'll only take the job if it's good for Alaska. That's putting Country First?!?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Sweetest Gift
I was putting Jake down for a nap the other day, which I don't do that often any more, and he asked for something very cute. He wanted me to sing the "Happy Present" song. It took me a few minutes, and then I realized he wanted me to sing a song I used to sing for him when he was 2, and old folksong, redone by nearly everyone but written by Dolly Parton, called "the Sweetest Gift."
The refrain:
She did not bring to him a parole or pardon.
She brought no silver, no pomp or style.
It was a halo, sent down from heaven's light
The sweetest gift - a mother's smile.
I sang him the song, gave him the smile and got blown a kiss goodnight by my lovely boy. The sweetest gift, indeed.
Here's a version of the song, by the Judd sisters, I found just now. It does make a sweet lullaby.
The refrain:
She did not bring to him a parole or pardon.
She brought no silver, no pomp or style.
It was a halo, sent down from heaven's light
The sweetest gift - a mother's smile.
I sang him the song, gave him the smile and got blown a kiss goodnight by my lovely boy. The sweetest gift, indeed.
Here's a version of the song, by the Judd sisters, I found just now. It does make a sweet lullaby.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Day at the Discovery Musuem
Last week we had a family day in downtown Charlottesville. We took the kids to the Discovery Museum and then we all had a buffet lunch at the Himalayan Fusion. Top it off with a ride on the Merry Go Round and a visit with a cute puppy, and a good time was had by all!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Jake's New Bike
Mike bought Jake a new bike over the weekend. It has training wheels, is very stable, and Jake adores it! He rode for an hour the first day, 2 hours yesterday and an hour and a half already today. He's getting used to coasting without pedaling and loves the reverse to brake feature. So far, he's riding only on the tennis court of a nearby playground, where it is totally flat.
I took him to Derby Day today to ride with the other kids on their smaller ride toys but he decided he preferred his own private terrain so we went back to his favorite playground instead.
Good job, Daddy! Such a happy boy!
I took him to Derby Day today to ride with the other kids on their smaller ride toys but he decided he preferred his own private terrain so we went back to his favorite playground instead.
Good job, Daddy! Such a happy boy!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Abby Olympics
Abby and I have been watching the Olympics together all week. She uses the time to do her own gymnastics on the floor, rolling, pushing, rocking, and some nice belly lifting!
Playing with Blocks
We had a quiet morning at home, and managed to find an activity that both Jake and Abby could enjoy. Jake made towers, and Abby chewed on blocks and knocked the towers down.
Jake was very proud of this tower!
Jake was very proud of this tower!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Happiness is a new Babysitter
Our new babysitter came over today to meet the kids and play and learn about how we do things. She is a delight and Jake and Abby took to her immediately. I actually got to eat my lunch today uninterrupted and now I'm answering email while she and Abby play downstairs and Jake is in his room pretending to nap. It feels a little strange and a lot good.
If you're reading this, Tara, we are SO GLAD you are here!!
If you're reading this, Tara, we are SO GLAD you are here!!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Day in Staunton
We spent a very nice day in Staunton, VA today. We went to their Saturday food market and tasted the wares. Bratwurst sandwiches, banana zucchini bread, fennel bread, colby cheese, iced tea and m&m peanut butter oatmeal cookies all made their way into our sticky fingers and mouths.
Then we spent a lot of time at Pufferbellies, a fabulous toy store. The mother and daughter owner team and their enthusiastic staff are amazingly nice and helpful. Though it's small you can see they select things very carefully - they have great toys!
Jake and Abby were VERY happy in the toystore!
Abby made her choice very clear:
We also had lunch at a lovely sandwich shop downtown and ended up doing some unforeseen furniture shopping at an antique/junk shop on the sroll back to the car. We got home very tired but it was a great day.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Gearing Up For Work
Just a note that summer is slipping away and it's becoming sadly clear that my nice long maternity leave is about to actually end. I've really enjoyed it this time!! My syllabus and readings for Duke were due this week, and I've begun work on a new project at Duke that has, gasp, real deadlines and milestones. We've put together a job description for a research associate and will be hiring one soon. The Columbia teaching will start in January.
People are inviting me to conferences, to do other contract work, and I have to admit to them that I am, in fact, working again. Ack! Though in fact, I will be doing to part-time dance I've been doing for well, um, about 7 years now, wow. Working 2 days a week and taking care of the kids 3 days a week. Though it will be a much tighter division of time now, made possible by a new babysitter who starts next week. The good news is that I will get to travel again - weekly to Duke and to other locales from time to time, and I really do love that. Someone invited me to speak at an event outside of Portsmouth, NH in December and I noticed today that the incredible hotel they're putting us up in has a day spa. I think I need to reserve my massage now!!! (and yes, I WILL be scheduling my flights around the spa's hours.)
So here's to working. The satisfaction and identity that comes from doing what you love is good for me, and ultimately, good for my family. Not to mention that income! And just as important, here's to great hotel spas (and great babysitters!)!!
People are inviting me to conferences, to do other contract work, and I have to admit to them that I am, in fact, working again. Ack! Though in fact, I will be doing to part-time dance I've been doing for well, um, about 7 years now, wow. Working 2 days a week and taking care of the kids 3 days a week. Though it will be a much tighter division of time now, made possible by a new babysitter who starts next week. The good news is that I will get to travel again - weekly to Duke and to other locales from time to time, and I really do love that. Someone invited me to speak at an event outside of Portsmouth, NH in December and I noticed today that the incredible hotel they're putting us up in has a day spa. I think I need to reserve my massage now!!! (and yes, I WILL be scheduling my flights around the spa's hours.)
So here's to working. The satisfaction and identity that comes from doing what you love is good for me, and ultimately, good for my family. Not to mention that income! And just as important, here's to great hotel spas (and great babysitters!)!!
Abby is 7 Months Old!
And she's very busy all of a sudden! She gets impatient now sitting in her high chair, or exersaucer - there's just so much else to do! Her favorite things are sitting and playing on the floor surrounded by toys, or when that gets boring, she leans over, lies down and starts to roll around and explore. Anything in her path is fair game for some sucking and chewing.
She has another very funny new trick. One day last week she started shaking her head at us, kind of like a Stevie Wonder head bob, except with her chin down and to the side instead of up. She always has a huge grin when she does it. She did it about 10 times that day and we wondered what it meant. Wanting to get out? Fatigue? Early signs of autism? Well, it's become clear, she does it when she's REALLY happy. She does it whenever we greet her in the morning, when she likes something we've just done, when we're playing peek-a-boo etc. I call it her happy dance. It's so cute!
She'd really like to get around faster but is not crawling yet. She's lifted her tummy a few times but that's about it. And her only direction while on her tummy is backwards, and sometimes she howls to find herself going that way. Oh, a word on the howling, she's gotten much more impatient and more vocal in the last week. Today she said "hee" clearly a few times and gave me a big breathy "hi" as a greeting. Jake asked whether it was her first word - who knows?
I've been teaching her the sign for milk and she's been doing it to herself every time she drinks her bottle. I don't know if that is coincidence or what but I'm trying to reinforce it often. Someday, it will mean something to her, I'm sure!
More on cognitive skills - last week she actually pointed to or hit Clifford in our "Where's the Big Red Doggie" book - three pages in a row!
Her favorite game is peek-a-boo, especially with Daddy on the couch. Her favorite foods are chicken and sweet potatoes, and her veggie turkey dinner. Her favorite playmate is Jake. Her favorite stuffed animal is a toss up between wormie, which she got from Jake, and Mimi, the yellow stuffed bear she got from Grandma Lynne. Though I threw Jake's stuffed chimp across the floor to her today and I got the happy dance, and then she chomped on him for a good 3-5 minutes, so maybe there's competition there.
In any case, she sure is a cutie and we adore her!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Siblings at Play
Jake and Abby really are cute together. They both seem to really enjoy each other's company. She lunges at his hair or feet or shoes any chance she gets, and tries to pull or eat them. He talks to her, kisses her, and rubs his head into her belly to make her smile or laugh, which he's clearly good at. This comes in especially handy when we're in the car! Many a time Mike and I have been SO grateful for his abilities to distract and amuse. He's certainly much better at that than at being quiet so she can sleep! In any case, we love watching them interact.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Jake's 4 Year Dr Report
Jake was so grown up at his 4 year old check-up last week! He sat on the examination table all by himself and answered the dr's questions like a slightly wary adult. He even got his blood pressure taken with a real cuff by the nurse.
His weight: 40 pounds. His height: 41 inches. From what I can tell from charts online this puts him in 60-75th percentiles.
They also gave him a hearing test, and he missed some of the beeps, but all of us were convinced it was because he either didn't quite absorb or didn't want to follow the instructions about handraising. We've never noticed any problem whatsoever with his hearing (he hears us whispering about him from the other room all the time), so Dr. N decided to repeat the test when he's 5 and not worry about it.
We talked about his dry skin, agreeing to slip him a fish oil supplement, the blisters in between his toes (use vaseline or baby powder, his new shoes fit fine), and once he and Mike had left the room, Abby and I stayed to talk about our impending removal of his crib. He's had a big boy bed in his room since a few months before Abby was born but has refused to sleep in it because he likes rocking and banging his head against the crib to self-soothe at night. We wanted to wait until camp was over but before school starts again, which is now, so we feel the moment is right. Dr. N's advice was to do as we planned. Go cold turkey (just remove the crib and set up the bed however he likes) and make sure he's got everything he wants (in this case, his teddy bear, some music he can turn on close to the bed, and a nightlight for reading). And hope for the best.
We removed the crib 2 days later and Jake did great! He asked Mike if he could have the crib one more day, and when Mike said no, saying we'd already given him a lot of extra time after he turned 4, he actually acknowledged that we had and thanked Mike for that! He was so happy setting up his bed in the place where the crib had been with his crib animals and even asked Mike to put the new Diego sheets on the bed ("because Didi liked sheets at Grandma's house").
His new bed is like a big soft mass of friends. He's got a huge Dora pillow, a normal Diego pillow, a blue firetruck pillow, 4 stuffed animals (Clifford from Grandma Lynne, Froggie from Grandma Fran, Marie the monkey from Marie, and "Yaya" the snowman from us), sheets covered with baby jaguar, Diego's sidekick, among leaves and vines, his baby blanket from Aunt Linda, his baby busy box that was on his crib, and, of course, his prized teddy bear companion, Didi. I need to take a picture of him in it to give the full effect. It's quite a sight. The vibes from all those people that love him must be working!
He invited Abby and me in later to "keep him company" while he "rested" in his new bed, and later at dinner said that was his favorite part of the day. He got up a few times that night before going to sleep and got up in the middle of the night, peed and pooped, turned out the lights in the hall, and put himself back to sleep without waking anyone! (I was awake anyway, so I heard the whole thing). Amazing. He still says it's taking a bit of time to get used to his bed, and last night he came out a few times and woke Mike up, losing his TV privileges for today (bummer - I had wanted to show him some Olympics), but he is doing incredibly well for someone who resisted for so long.
That's about it. We went to Lowe's today and got some new lamps and are ready to install a nighlight for reading to the wall above his bed. He should be all set!
One little change, and all of a sudden he seems SO much more grown up!
His weight: 40 pounds. His height: 41 inches. From what I can tell from charts online this puts him in 60-75th percentiles.
They also gave him a hearing test, and he missed some of the beeps, but all of us were convinced it was because he either didn't quite absorb or didn't want to follow the instructions about handraising. We've never noticed any problem whatsoever with his hearing (he hears us whispering about him from the other room all the time), so Dr. N decided to repeat the test when he's 5 and not worry about it.
We talked about his dry skin, agreeing to slip him a fish oil supplement, the blisters in between his toes (use vaseline or baby powder, his new shoes fit fine), and once he and Mike had left the room, Abby and I stayed to talk about our impending removal of his crib. He's had a big boy bed in his room since a few months before Abby was born but has refused to sleep in it because he likes rocking and banging his head against the crib to self-soothe at night. We wanted to wait until camp was over but before school starts again, which is now, so we feel the moment is right. Dr. N's advice was to do as we planned. Go cold turkey (just remove the crib and set up the bed however he likes) and make sure he's got everything he wants (in this case, his teddy bear, some music he can turn on close to the bed, and a nightlight for reading). And hope for the best.
We removed the crib 2 days later and Jake did great! He asked Mike if he could have the crib one more day, and when Mike said no, saying we'd already given him a lot of extra time after he turned 4, he actually acknowledged that we had and thanked Mike for that! He was so happy setting up his bed in the place where the crib had been with his crib animals and even asked Mike to put the new Diego sheets on the bed ("because Didi liked sheets at Grandma's house").
His new bed is like a big soft mass of friends. He's got a huge Dora pillow, a normal Diego pillow, a blue firetruck pillow, 4 stuffed animals (Clifford from Grandma Lynne, Froggie from Grandma Fran, Marie the monkey from Marie, and "Yaya" the snowman from us), sheets covered with baby jaguar, Diego's sidekick, among leaves and vines, his baby blanket from Aunt Linda, his baby busy box that was on his crib, and, of course, his prized teddy bear companion, Didi. I need to take a picture of him in it to give the full effect. It's quite a sight. The vibes from all those people that love him must be working!
He invited Abby and me in later to "keep him company" while he "rested" in his new bed, and later at dinner said that was his favorite part of the day. He got up a few times that night before going to sleep and got up in the middle of the night, peed and pooped, turned out the lights in the hall, and put himself back to sleep without waking anyone! (I was awake anyway, so I heard the whole thing). Amazing. He still says it's taking a bit of time to get used to his bed, and last night he came out a few times and woke Mike up, losing his TV privileges for today (bummer - I had wanted to show him some Olympics), but he is doing incredibly well for someone who resisted for so long.
That's about it. We went to Lowe's today and got some new lamps and are ready to install a nighlight for reading to the wall above his bed. He should be all set!
One little change, and all of a sudden he seems SO much more grown up!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Showing Off
Abby has been practicing with her sippy cup for a while, but last week we gave her tiny bits of solid graham cracker for the first time (and caught it on tape)! Now she wants to gum them and sip water all by herself at the end of every meal.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Jake Goes to Camp
I love this series of shots Jake took on his way to camp yesterday.
The one of him by the Rivanna River, in a park across from his school, are the only ones Mike took. The rest are all Jake's.
Leaving the house.
Waving bye to Mommy from the backseat of the car (we do this every morning)
Driving out of the Lake
The view of Daddy from the backseat
Passing farmland
At the river, with Daddy
The fountain with strangely red algae
More wooded areas
Today is Jake's last day of camp. He LOVED camp and wishes it continued all summer. We have lots of fun things planned for the next few weeks and hope he'll be as excited to return to school at the end of August!
Abby Rolls Around
Abby rolled around on the floor one morning while Jake was at camp last week, having a blast. She loves being mobile! She hunkers down, rolls and then lifts her arms to see where she is. Then repeats.
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