tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26334384793970591462012-02-16T03:01:50.651-08:00Jennienoreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-13814909863517251952010-04-21T21:26:00.000-07:002010-04-21T21:26:18.189-07:00

It has been quite some time since I have clicked on the New Post button around here.  When I started this blog, I had just moved to a new town.  It was winter.  I was lonely. Fast forward 14 months, and things have changed.  In a good way.  But also in a way that leaves less time for blogging. Here's a thing I've learned about the way I operate: if I plan to do something, I usually do it.  If

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-66619501046174481482010-03-15T08:11:00.000-07:002010-03-15T08:11:29.647-07:00

Dinner Menu for March 15-March 21 Monday: Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs and salad Tuesday: Dino Nuggets, Tater Tots and Peas* Wednesday: Broiled salmon, rice, and broccoli Thursday: Roast chicken with roasted fennel and carrots Friday: Pizza Saturday: Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani), basmati rice, yellow dal, naan Sunday: Leftovers *J has to work until 10pm on Tuesday, so this is a

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-33288143242986103712010-03-11T11:57:00.000-08:002010-03-11T11:57:21.856-08:00

Lunch, for me, is a major headache.  The early morning lunch packing for the BKs.  The preparation of Little's lunch, which he wants at 11:00 am.  And then, my lunch.  The after thought. Some days, I end up eating leftovers or kid food (mac and cheese, quesadilla, almond butter sandwich, etc).  Other days, I don't really eat lunch and then I'm hungry and snackish all afternoon.  The only

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-10087698708338578042010-03-09T12:55:00.000-08:002010-03-09T12:57:33.803-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, J and I took Little for a speech evaluation.  The results told us what we already knew: his receptive language is just fine.  In fact, he's ahead in that area.  He does, however, have a mild expressive language delay. The specialist who did the evaluation told us that, due to staffing issues, they wouldn't be able to schedule him for any therapy sessions for a few weeks.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-63516818078873372972010-03-07T17:49:00.000-08:002010-03-07T17:49:23.617-08:00

Every Sunday, I write the calendar for the week on our white-board calendar that hangs on the kitchen wall.  If I'm really on top of things, I include a dinner menu for each night of the week.  I enjoy cooking, but I mostly hate coming up with menus.  Several years ago, I planned menus using recipes from my vast collection of cookbooks.  These days, though, I rarely use recipes.  At least not for

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-42578228618432674512010-03-05T13:06:00.000-08:002010-03-05T13:06:08.334-08:00

There is something about spring that spurs me to bring order to my little world.  I am not talking about beating rugs or washing draperies.  When it comes to cleaning, I do the minimum necessary to keep us all in clean underwear and to keep vermin at bay.  Sometimes more.  Sometimes less. I was not born to be an orderly person.  My mother is orderly.  Chuck, it turns out, is somewhat orderly.  

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-647680865742179522010-02-08T12:53:00.000-08:002010-02-08T12:55:42.930-08:00

Having two kids in elementary school has been a learning experience.  For them, yes.  But also for me.  At the beginning of the year, we deliberated about how to handle Dude's peanut allergy.  I stressed about the rumors swirling around about Chuck's teacher. During the last couple of weeks, there has been more school drama.  Dude came home every day last week complaining that he was "allergic

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-44822715112866308482010-02-06T10:03:00.000-08:002010-02-06T10:03:56.850-08:00

Hard to believe it has been nearly six weeks since I posted something here.  I don't really know where to start, so how about some bullets? I'm still training for the Half Marathon in May.  Tomorrow, the training plan says to run 6.5 miles.  I'm nervous about that.  I've never run that far before.  But, it's half of the race distance.  And if I can do that, the goal of 13.1 miles might seem more

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-49812881601744166822009-12-16T12:25:00.000-08:002009-12-16T12:25:30.647-08:00

It turns out that December is not a good month for daily blogging.  Throw in a week away from home, and it is an even worse month for blogging, much less poetry blogging. Every time I log into Blogger, I avoid that "New Post" button.  I just can't face it.  So, I am officially suspending the December Poem a Day Plan.  Maybe I will try again some day.  Maybe I won't.  But for now, I am busy

Jennienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-34058225143524143652009-12-06T09:33:00.000-08:002009-12-06T09:33:50.608-08:00

What exactly was I thinking with this poem-a-day business?  It is hard to write a blog entry, much less a poem, with three children and their wants and needs getting in the way. J has been working all weekend.  No poem yesterday.  Lame excuse for a poem today. And I'm headed out of town for a week, starting tomorrow morning.  I will attempt to post from my iPhone, but I've never done that

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-69232909591612860222009-12-06T09:29:00.001-08:002009-12-06T09:34:52.224-08:00

She rode home wrapped in a white towel, tiny golden puppy leaving behind her mother and brother and sisters, traveling in a minivan toward a new life. She was a sleepy baby for one day. And then she woke up. She frolicked and tumbled in the yard, crawling under the deck to rest in the cool dirt there. We worried about raccoons at night when she went outside to pee. But she grew fast, outpacing 

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-56542020965250570212009-12-04T19:19:00.000-08:002009-12-06T09:34:36.343-08:00

You know how some people order take out instead of cooking dinner on Friday?  Well, tonight we heated up leftovers, and I'm posting a poem by Galway Kinnell.  Because in this week's freezing cold, blackberry season is at once a distant and a recent memory. Blackberry Eating by Galway Kinnell I love to go out in late September among fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries to eat blackberries for

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-58835587154214521062009-12-03T11:23:00.000-08:002009-12-03T11:30:51.018-08:00

Civil War Padded players rush onto the field Under bright lights and the crowd’s deafening roar Focus and strength, what will they yield? Yellow and green with feathers on their sleeves, A silly Disney duck strutting his stuff, Fifty thousand fans shout winning pleas. The coaches don their visors and tuck their dreams Under sturdy metal clipboard springs Fathers, mentors, shapers

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-52404193563767440842009-12-02T11:52:00.000-08:002009-12-03T11:24:18.764-08:00

early december stark and fuzzy morning run breathe in breathe out breathe *** on the walk to school trying to explain jesus to unchurched children baby crib of hay what does crucify mean, mom? and resurrection? *** is coffee drive thru a topic for poetry? ah, steaming latte

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-60010874588784792692009-12-01T13:10:00.000-08:002009-12-02T11:52:29.973-08:00

Celery root walks to school all creamy white swan in ugly duckling skin cradled by grubby seven-year-old hands through the cold misty morning air into the hot, close school room. Children shrugging off jackets like molting birds shedding feathers; flinging backpacks and lunches into cubbies; settling into the familiar routine of pencil lead on paper. Celery root lurks on the table with mounds

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-17272726105409356772009-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:002009-11-30T09:00:00.143-08:00

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo, and I made it!  Thirty posts in November, although there was some cheating involved. There are five weeks to go before I reach the Couch to 5k "finish line".  This week, the workouts suddenly got harder.  Instead of running just 90 seconds at a time, I'm running up to 5 minutes at a time.  It doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot more than 90 seconds, right?

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-70773433159487821492009-11-29T14:43:00.000-08:002009-11-29T14:48:48.396-08:00

While we were in Seattle, Little's cousin handed down a LeapFrog Ride-On School Bus.  The product description on Amazon says, "Perfect for motor skill development, this LeapFrog School Bus Ride-On ...features delightful learning songs that introduce the letters A to Z. Colorful letter buttons encourage your child to explore letter names and sounds." Wow!  Not only will my child develop his motor

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-67921033299846508852009-11-28T18:04:00.000-08:002009-11-28T18:08:33.434-08:00

I think I know now why the word "errands" contains the word "err." J has worked the past two days.  We left Thanksgiving dinner in a hurry and drove until 11:30pm so that he could work yesterday.  He worked again today in the after hours clinic, which has the benefit of a 9-5 schedule, as opposed to his usual 8-6. The kids and I headed to Sears this morning to pick up the portraits and holiday

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-90809071005367747292009-11-27T19:03:00.000-08:002009-11-27T19:03:59.311-08:00

Last night, we drove home from Seattle, since J had to work today.  We hoped the traffic would be light.  It wasn't, but for the first three hours of the trip, there were no traffic jams.  The road was crowded, but everyone kept moving.  Until, south of Portland, we saw a sign that said "Traffic congestion ahead." "Oh, that must be for tomorrow morning," I said. As we drove along the interstate

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-84521580736376270362009-11-26T19:12:00.000-08:002009-11-27T19:13:12.085-08:00

Does anyone have one of those rosy Thanksgivings where everyone gets along, the turkey turns out perfectly, and they don't have to drive home right after eating a giant meal? All in all, we had a good Thanksgiving.  But it involved a lot of driving (10 hours round trip for a visit that lasted less than 48 hours).  And Little got his first virus of the season while we were there. Despite the

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-20666530744550626032009-11-25T16:38:00.000-08:002009-11-27T16:43:07.931-08:00

We spent Wednesday in Seattle, playing with cousins at a park with a zip line (!), riding the elevator to the top of the Space Needle, and even visiting the Pacific Science Center. There was a delicious burrito bar dinner. The kids got along.  The dogs, not so much.  Next time, Lexie will stay home. I am going to cheat and date this as if I had written in Wednesday.  So there. Top of the

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-46729759349985615052009-11-24T12:47:00.000-08:002009-11-24T12:49:16.018-08:00

Our washer was fixed this morning. Hallelujia!  Finally, something to say I'm thankful for at the Thanksgiving table (I jest, of course). I am three loads in to the pile of clothes that accumulated while the washer was broken.  It is a beautiful, rare, sunny November day and I am inside doing laundry. At least I am not outside climbing on the roof. We are driving five hours to visit family

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-74668289996556674522009-11-23T18:00:00.000-08:002009-11-23T18:03:25.172-08:00

Several years ago, I asked my friend A if she ever mowed the lawn. "No," she said.  "That's why I got married." Now, for the record, I do mow the lawn.  In fact, my side of the story is that I mow the lawn MOST of the time.  I will let J defend his side of the story on his neglected blog. But there are many things I do not do.  I do not attempt to rewire outlets in our house.  I rarely even

Jennienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-81908953874931083012009-11-22T07:37:00.000-08:002009-11-22T07:37:49.344-08:00

I have 22 posts for November.  But I no longer have one post per day.  Oops.  The last couple of days have gotten a little bit out of control. Normally, I have three or four, or even five things on our calendar.  Friday I had about 23.  Okay, maybe only seven.  Let's see: 6:30: Wake up, get kids breakfast, pack lunch for Chuck, prod kids to get dressed, make sure homework folders are in

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-77885516430783457452009-11-19T09:42:00.000-08:002009-11-19T09:42:22.469-08:00

I am going to have to accept a few things about myself: I am physically incapable of returning library books on time.  When I die, the library will have to erect a bench or something with my name on it due to the fact that I have paid so many fines. When we have to leave for school in five minutes and a certain girl child starts freaking out about wearing appropriate footwear, I tend to fly off

Jennienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-83601244005630306412009-11-18T12:31:00.000-08:002009-11-18T12:31:14.252-08:00

The pump on our washing machine has gone out.  My friendly neighborhood appliance repairman told me so.  He also told me it would cost $250 to fix and the part won't be in for a few days. Let's see.  It's Wednesday.  I'm guessing I won't have a working washer until Monday at the earliest. I have a Mt. Everest of laundry at my house.  Four loads of darks.  One load of whites.  One load of

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-12763809921227870512009-11-17T18:46:00.000-08:002009-11-17T18:50:34.063-08:00

The year before Dude was born was my last year of teaching.  I couldn't wait to quit my teaching job and become a stay-at-home mom.  There were things I liked about teaching: relationships with students; designing curriculum; summers off; the feeling of hope that came with a new school year.  But mostly, it was stressful and it wore me down.  I had a headache almost all the time. Maybe my

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-84204478221292127712009-11-16T16:57:00.000-08:002009-11-16T16:59:22.516-08:00

Little and I were just looking at the photos from Sears.  As I went through each one, he named the people in the picture.  First, a picture of him.  "Baby!"  Then a picture of Dude.  "Deedo!"  Then Chuck.  "LaLa!"  (These are the names he calls his siblings). Then, one of the three of them together.  Each one is holding a toy (you can see this photo in the previous post.  Little is holding a

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-57962751322533695642009-11-15T18:39:00.000-08:002009-11-15T18:39:09.459-08:00

I remember my parents trying to get a good photo of three kids every year for their Christmas cards.  We all had to get dressed up in itchy clothes and stand and/or sit still while my dad snapped photo after photo.  As the photo session wore on, we kids would get sillier and sillier, and my dad's patience would wear thin. Since digital cameras didn't yet exist, my parents had to take the roll of

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-65271714261016016772009-11-15T14:04:00.000-08:002009-11-15T14:04:44.803-08:00

This morning, Bianca and I went on our first bike ride in three weeks.  First we were tired, then Dude was sick, then Bianca was sick. Today we did one of our favorite rides.  It involved a pretty steep hill from mile 4-5.  I decided that we needed a treat at the top of the hill, so I packed a couple of these rice crispy treats in the back pocket of my jersey.  Sometimes I bring along an energy

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-55039235751235035662009-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:002009-11-14T18:21:05.238-08:00

My good friend Kitty and her husband Mitten visited last night and today.  All the way from points southeast.  They patiently waited with us for two hours last night for a table at our favorite (and recently outed!) restaurant.  There was beer involved in the wait, which was good. Kitty and I both have husbands who learned to ski at the insanely young age of three.  Mitten is Swiss, which gives

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-54870882909207242822009-11-13T15:40:00.000-08:002009-11-13T15:40:02.146-08:00

I have five kids at my house and friends coming from out of town in a couple of hours.  So, this will be quick. When Dude started at his new school in December of last year, he came home nearly every day complaining about his interactions with a certain classmate.  This child was the cause of much angst for Dude. As I type this, the same child is here for a play date.  It seems that they have

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-72912336706517058482009-11-12T10:31:00.000-08:002009-11-12T10:31:29.884-08:00

I am beginning to think there is a reason that kids start formal schooling at age five or six.  Beyond the obvious need to learn something.  The reason, I am fairly certain, is that if children did not attend school, they would drive their parents crazy.  And then, the mental institutions would be full to bursting.  And so would the orphanages.  Better to fund schools.  As a preventive measure.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-84002803917208269982009-11-11T11:05:00.000-08:002009-11-11T11:05:48.202-08:00

J and I were talking the other night about the gigantic mess that our house has become.  So much stuff.  Everywhere.  Ahhhhhh! "I think I know what my problem is," I said. "Yeah?" "I'm good at getting things organized.  But then, I am never patient enough to put things back in the right place.  So stuff ends up everywhere." I am always in a hurry.  When I get home from the grocery store, I am

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-57276079179797371282009-11-11T10:49:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:49:20.040-08:00

The kids don't have school today, so we have been enjoying a lazy, rainy morning.  The BKs (big kids) are watching Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I am, apparently, trying to desensitize them to media violence.  Little is getting into varying degrees of mischief, as usual.  I have been cleaning out the pantry. Here's the conversation Dude and I had a couple of minutes ago: "Hey Dude," I

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-34866417542681113762009-11-11T07:39:00.000-08:002009-11-11T07:42:28.041-08:00

J started a new blog recently, and his first post was about the minivan paradox.  I thought it was pretty funny.  But then again, I married the man.  In honor of our beloved minivan (which had to be jump-started by AAA yet again yesterday), I bring you another edition of What I Found in My Honda Odyssey. I did a quick clean-out of the minivan today.  It was mostly full of stuff from our

Jennienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-7301422904525136392009-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:002009-11-10T12:16:19.336-08:00

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I have a tendency to go overboard at Christmas.  Maybe it's my inner child.  I don't know.  I'm not normally a super materialistic person.  At least I don't think I am.  I think it boils down to the secrecy of it all.  You know, the Santa part. At our house, we open family gifts on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas morning, the kids wake up and come into the living

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-79045387882658143922009-11-09T16:11:00.000-08:002009-11-09T16:11:59.489-08:00

This morning, I did the second workout in the Couch to 5K program.  The starting slow thing is working really well for me, especially this morning when I was running in the rain with a jogging stroller and a six-month-old puppy*.  I'm using the term "running" lightly, since today's workout involved twenty minutes of Run 60 seconds, Walk 90 seconds intervals.  Add in five minutes of walking to

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-21322263880147111322009-11-08T16:50:00.000-08:002009-11-08T16:50:58.240-08:00

Fall has always brought thoughts of cooking for me.  The weather turns cold and turning on the oven seems like a good idea.  Summer is a time for grilling and salads and quick, easy cooking.  But fall invites slower, more complicated fare. For the past several years, we have belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  At the beginning of the season, we buy a "share" in a local farm.  

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-4911452510798845752009-11-07T17:29:00.000-08:002009-11-07T17:33:58.206-08:00

This is what we have done today: Eaten apple frangipane tart for breakfast (me) Eaten copious amounts of Halloween candy (kids) Raked leaves (me) Loaded leaves into wheelbarrow (Chuck, Little and me) Dumped leaves in street (Chuck and me) Napped (Little and J) Run around like wild things (kids and Lexie) Watched Mulan (kids and J) Listened to the Oregon vs. Stanford football game on the radio (J

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-48546746707263174032009-11-06T21:05:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:30:34.532-08:00

My aunt, a Spanish professor who lives on the east coast, was in town today to give a talk at the local university.  The conference she came for deals with a very specialized segment of Spanish poetry.  Apparently most academics are highly specialized.  Anyway, I decided that it would be fun to sit in on her talk and observe her in her element. I had forgotten about the challenges of parking on

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-87830262389719411662009-11-05T11:56:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:31:19.045-08:00

In this post, I wrote about my sordid athletic history.  Through it all, my most fraught athletic relationship has been with running.  In early 2007, I set out to conquer running once and for all.  I had gotten to the point where I could run a 5k or a sprint triathlon, but running still felt so difficult.  Every mile was hard-won.  So, I decided to start training for a 1/2 marathon.  If I could

Jennienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-53166095584747024512009-11-04T06:38:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:31:37.399-08:00

As we all know, puppies grow up really fast.  Much faster than people.  Our Lexie has been part of the family for four months now (she is six months old) and she is already considered an adult! Last week, we took her to the vet to get spayed.  She also got her first rabies shot and started heartworm pills.  In return, we got a very large vet bill. The vet told us that she should be confined to

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-38091568764533533682009-11-04T05:58:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:32:03.814-08:00

I fully intended to type this post last night. But then I went to bed instead. Oops. But since this post is about how early we've been up these days, I think it's appropriate that I'm typing it before 6am with no coffee. Actually, I am going to start the coffee maker before I continue.... Okay. Coffee started. So last night, J and I were talking about the change from daylight savings time

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-7028097306347660502009-11-02T19:02:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:32:22.007-08:00

Dude has had a (mild) case of swine flu the last couple of days, and J is working late tonight. I just got all three kids to bed. And I have the dinner dishes waiting for me in the kitchen. So, this will be short. I don't have any official "after" photos of the kitchen yet, since we aren't totally finished. We only have the counter top edges to tile, and three cabinet doors to paint. We

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-18143767875666940482009-11-01T09:20:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:47:19.963-08:00

I'm going to take the plunge. A post every day for a month. Does this count as #1?

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-60350960412977994822009-10-12T09:11:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:46:05.717-08:00

When we bought this house, we knew it needed some work. Nothing major. Structurally, it was just fine. But it was built in 1973 and most recently occupied by a very elderly couple who had made some funky decorating choices. Before we moved in, we had all of the flooring replaced. Goodbye light blue carpet and hideous plastic flooring, hello wood floors and neutral carpet. We also painted

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-58493272364576880502009-10-04T08:17:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:46:31.099-08:00

Fall soccer is upon us. Last weekend, J braved two jamborees alone with three children while I rode my bike. This weekend, Dude and Chuck had their first games. Chuck's was Friday night at 6:00pm and I missed it (someone has to cook dinner around here). She actually scored a goal! Dude's first game was yesterday morning. It was cold, but not rainy. In kindergarten and first grade, they

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-20397898489925970702009-10-02T12:28:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:46:58.437-08:00

And today, we have Little's birthday. He is two. And how. Some days I am not sure how I am going to survive two again. And some days, it seems like the sweetest age. The lightning fast learning, the heart-bursting cuteness of hearing him say words like "moon" for the first time. The insatiable curiosity. The way he says, "Huggin" when he wants a hug. He is a most peculiar two-year-old (

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-31328322478464448982009-09-30T11:41:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:44:18.115-08:00

My baby girl is six years old today. To celebrate, she and her friend K got kiddie manicures and pedicures on Saturday afternoon. Everyone says it, but it is so hard to believe how fast she's growing up. Happy birthday to my funny, smart, strong, stubborn, generous, artistic, lovely girl!

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-36952001979346666662009-09-30T08:24:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:44:42.441-08:00

Fall always brings thoughts of school for me. As a child, of course, I was a student. Okay, I was a student for many years, through five years of college (I did a double major) and then graduate school. And then, I was a teacher. Now my children are in school, and the fall-school association continues. Before school started this year, I was nervous about Chuck's teacher. The rumors weren't

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-27361980949571918692009-09-29T16:16:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:45:04.226-08:00

When I was in middle school, the PE teacher made us run at the start of class. Every day. In theory, this was a great idea. Running is good exercise. Running helps kids become fit. It burns off all the energy that kids seem to have stored up inside them at all times. Running, for me, was misery. I had asthma. Exercise-induced, allergy-induced, cold-air-induced, laughing-induced asthma.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-59456442053100916542009-09-27T19:58:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:44:01.298-08:00

Today was the Peach of a Century. The ride organizers provided three ride options: 62 mile (metric century), 75 mile, and 100 mile. R and I chose the first option. It was still a very long ride. We had a great time. On the ride, we decided that R needed a nickname. From now on, we will call her Bianca, because her bike is a Bianchi. I'm tired right now, so I'm not going to do a full ride

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-86709013813684596982009-09-25T15:43:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:45:28.245-08:00

Fall is here, and in public school land, that means Jog-a-Thon season. Today was the PTC Jog-a-Thon at Dude and Chuck's school. It was a typical fall day: cool in the morning, with a promise of afternoon warmth. Chuck's class ran first thing in the morning. J and I volunteered to help. Our first task was to pin tally sheets on each child's back to keep track of their laps. Then, we headed

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-33054311849678666152009-09-24T11:32:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:43:21.915-08:00

I was reading one of Dawn's posts today about letting her children feel their feelings, even the negative ones. I must admit, I struggle with this. In theory, I am a huge advocate of validating kids' feelings, helping them name them, hugging them through the rough times. The only problem is that I am a very impatient person. I am willing to let my children FEEL for a certain amount of time.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-54484107562331839742009-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:42:51.753-08:00

Yesterday, my friend R and I went on one of our favorite bike rides. We ride along a quiet country road for about three miles before turning left on Briggs Hill Road, which climbs 462 feet in a little over a mile. The descent on the other side is fast and technical--the road winds down down down in tight curves. R always beats me to the bottom because I am not very brave. I will do anything

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-36130590981048646132009-09-11T16:27:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:42:24.183-08:00

School started this week. Dude is in first grade. Chuck is in kindergarten. Little is home with me. Last September, when Dude started kindergarten, we were getting our house ready to sell and I was president of Chuck's cooperative preschool. Little had only been home for three months. I was busy. I didn't have time to dwell on my baby growing up. And really, I have never been the most

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-22268687060948738202009-08-24T16:39:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:41:13.814-08:00

J's 20th high school reunion took place last weekend. He did not attend. He did, however, meet up with some of his high school friends after the fact (we only live an hour from the town where he grew up). It must have been old-high-school-friend week, because last week one of my high school friends was playing music in the same town. J and I and one of my--wait for it--high school friends

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-80861140634383989782009-08-20T13:07:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:41:36.619-08:00

Summer is winding down. The puppy has gained almost 20 pounds in less than two months. Half our cabinet doors are painted and I have no idea how to muster the energy to paint the rest. It has been 100 degrees for the past two days. We have one last summer trip to the coastal town where I grew up. And then, summer will end. School will start. I am ready and yet, it's hard to let go of this

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-77808895240083319612009-06-27T05:50:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:40:58.736-08:00

In our little family of five, we like to bring changes in waves.  Tsunamis, even.  In 2001-2002, J and I moved cross country, changed jobs (both of us), bought a house (necessitating a second move), got pregnant, got married, and had Dude.  In 2003, Chuck was born.  In 2004, we moved again.  Then, we took a good, long break from upheaval.  We deserved it. In 2007, we started to feel restless.  J

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-7648000760988349192009-05-26T22:05:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:38:53.865-08:00

We got the keys to the new house today, and oh what a lot of keys there are!  We have no idea what most of them open.  Since the previous owners are deceased, and the sale was being handled by their stock broker, I'd imagine that many of the keys we received today are obsolete. After receiving the keys, the kids and I headed over to the house with wallpaper remover and painting supplies.  The

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-50468559122398400462009-05-21T15:30:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:39:16.536-08:00

Dude lost his first tooth on Tuesday night.  He was eating applesauce.  Oddly, I remember losing a tooth while eating applesauce as a kid.  Needless to say, we were all very excited. It makes me sad, though, this rite of passage.  That was the first tooth he got as a baby.  And now it's gone.  Soon, there will be a big, permanent tooth in its place. In other news, we signed for the new house

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-56969548650640806322009-05-14T21:24:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:39:49.079-08:00

Watching the film Marley and Me a week after losing a pet is not a good idea.  The big kids and I watched it this evening after Little was in bed and while J was working after hours. Just before Dude went to sleep he said, "Mom, don't tell Dad about the movie." "Why not?" I asked. "It might make him too sad."

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-30586572526606770932009-05-12T13:28:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:40:13.462-08:00

We said goodbye to our ten-year-old German Shepherd, Max, last week.  He was a very large dog (100 pounds) and was suffering from bad hips.  It was sad to see him faltering as he tried to walk around the house.  When I went out running, he always wanted to come along.  But when he did, he dragged his paws and stumbled.  For the past several months, I didn't try to take him along at all.  He just

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-86485173459486900412009-05-03T09:40:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:40:39.211-08:00

Dude is playing spring soccer for his school's kindergarten team.  He played fall soccer before we moved.  I am biased, but he is actually pretty good at playing soccer.  Physically, that is, he is pretty good at playing soccer.  He can run fast.  He can dribble.  He can get the ball away from his opponents.  He can score.  Dude's personality, however, presents some challenges on the soccer field

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-89468442552181252182009-04-30T20:23:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:38:07.673-08:00

When we moved to this town in December, we signed a one year lease for a house.  We had just been through the traumatic experience of selling our old house in November 2008--probably the worst housing market in a decade.  We were in no hurry to buy another house. Fast forward five months, and interest rates are at all-time lows as are home prices.  We would be stupid to sell at the lowest

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-70931004502985548652009-04-21T16:06:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:38:30.882-08:00

I just realized I haven't posted in over two weeks.  Make that three weeks.  I am still here.  Life is crazy right now, and I've been busy with triathlon training (sort of), house buying, kindergarten roundup, sick toddler, spring soccer, and other mundane activities.  And, we are having beautiful weather, which makes computer time unattractive.  So there.  I'll post more soon.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-85191103606327622262009-03-31T15:03:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:37:43.654-08:00

Two mornings a week, the boys and I drop Chuck off at preschool and then head down to the pathway along the river.  I run/walk (waddle?) while pushing Little in the jogging stroller.  Dude rides his bike or his scooter.  Once, he tried running with me, but never again.  The last thing I need while huffing along pushing a stroller is to coax a six-year-old who is complaining of chest pain.  Oy.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-21921338061801319202009-03-30T20:49:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:37:18.908-08:00

About a month ago, I decided that it would be a good idea to drive to California for spring break.  Alone.  With three children. I spend all day with them anyway, I reasoned.  How bad could it be to spend all day with them in the car? The answer is that it really wasn't bad at all.  There was bribery involved.  And videos.  And Color Wonder.  And a few hairy moments.  But, overall, it was

Jennienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-73079721455459032752009-03-18T19:16:00.001-07:002009-11-07T14:36:48.843-08:00

Before Little came home, one of the things I looked forward to was parenting a baby/toddler with perspective.  Dude and Chuck are so close in age (14 months apart), that when I was in the baby/toddler trenches with them, I never had the chance to look up and see how far we had come.  I rarely had the luxury of knowing that "this too shall pass" when they were in particularly irritating phases.  

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-78836404893912673082009-03-08T20:22:00.000-07:002009-11-07T14:36:22.312-08:00

The clock says 8:23pm, but it feels like 7:23pm.  Damn daylight savings time.  Luckily, Little was exhausted from our busy weekend and his latest virus, so he crashed at the usual time (7:30pm).  The big kids are still up.  We'll see how that goes. We had a busy weekend, for us. Part One--Ballet Saturday morning, Chuck tried out a ballet class at one of the ballet schools in town.  Last

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-53310519118403197612009-03-04T08:59:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:35:41.848-08:00

Little turned 17 months a couple days ago.  For the past week or so, I've been telling people that he's "almost 17 months."  Today I realized that the actual milestone passed without notice.  Oh well.  I guess that's the plight of the third child. Eight months ago yesterday, J and I arrived home from Korea with Little.  It seems like he's been here forever, and it seems like he just arrived

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-51472749559564458712009-02-28T13:04:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:35:12.263-08:00

One of the nice things about J's new job is that the group he joined organizes outings for all of the providers and their families.  A couple of weeks ago, J and Dude went skiing with the group.  Today, we went to an art museum that specializes in Asian art.  The older kids were all taken on a special tour of the museum during which they hunted for dragons.  Meanwhile, the adults made small talk

Jennienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-15915801781073558762009-02-27T14:07:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:34:29.820-08:00

Our little family of five recently moved to a new town.  Logically, the move was the right thing.  Better job, better schools, bigger town.  But, my heart wasn't in it.  I had spent seven years in our last town building friendships, putting down roots, making a home for myself.  Making connections for my kids.  Feeling like a part of something.  And then, on a crisp, cold December day, we left

Jennienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2633438479397059146.post-85862631923824682482009-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:002009-11-07T14:34:04.053-08:00

This isn't the first time I've had a blog.  Years ago, I had a blog called ferris wheel that very few people read.  It was on Typepad.  During a very busy month in my life, Typepad contacted me to say that my credit card had expired.  I didn't deal with it, and then one day, I was unable to access my blog.  So I gave up on the whole thing. Today, though, I suddenly became inspired to try again.

Jennienoreply@blogger.com0