Travelogue

To visit New Orleans while pregnant and with a toddler at times seemed to miss the whole point. I could neither leave the hotel past 8:30pm (when, from the sounds outside our window, things actually got started) nor could I hop from bar to bar drinking Hurricanes or "huge ass beers" even if I could get out at night. More than any other city I've visited (and remember, I'm from Las Vegas) this city seems dedicated to the sole pursuit of getting bombed out of one's skull. Oh yes, people talk about the wonderful music and Cajun food, the beignets, the muffulatas, the pralines. But I know the truth - if you are a tourist in New Orleans and you can't join the party, you might as well be a eunuch in a whorehouse.

In the French Quarter in particular the street is lined with bar after bar blasting fantastic live music or horrible Brittney Spears remixes - and music choice doesn't seem to matter because neither kind of establishment wants for customers. Every place we passed by (we can't go in, remember: toddler) advertises "Cocktails and Beer to Go," even the restaurants that look like you might need a tie and a reservation to get in. No one wants to miss the opportunity to sell cheep beer or mixed drinks to the throngs of college students and tourists who are looking for god at the bottom of a plastic cup. And I'd like to be one of them - at least for a little while. It looks like fun to spend the afternoon strolling down brick-lined streets with no agenda but to find the next Hurricane. It's the kind of escapism I could enjoy for a day or two until my liver screamed out in protest and my throbbing head told me to STOP! PLEASE STOP!

But there were definite advantages to experiencing what I view as "Bizarro New Orleans" this past weekend. We stayed at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, situated at the corner of Bourbon and Orleans Street, and our room was a lovely suite on the corner of those two illustrious streets which, if you've been there, you know is the epicenter of party town. So after a long day of travel as we were anticipating the sweet sleep to come, we were affronted on all sides with music that hasn't been popular since Regan was president. And someone had told them to crank it up to 11. Below that was the sound of wild revelers, broken bottles, and lost inebriates. How River and Thom slept that first night, I'll never know, but I got by with one ear plug and my head against the pillow.

But back to the advantages of Bizarro Nola - when I woke up the next morning at an unthinkable 6:30am, I made myself a cup of tea and took advantage of the beautiful deck we had overlooking the street (which I'm sure is typically engaged by people drinking something much stronger than tea) and watched what goes on The Morning After. On the next patio over were a couple of ladies - and I use the term loosely - finishing some beer and cigarettes before heading in for the night. Down below, the street cleaning crews were busy at work hosing down the wreckage of the streets, emptying the overflowing trash cans, and attempting to scrub the party stink off the sidewalks (though never entirely successfully). The bars across the street were quiet, though not empty, and I gave thanks for the hangover I would not have later that day.

River woke up shortly after and this moment of calm was about my last for the weekend. The next two and a half days were spent in a flurry of activity, roaming the city and seeing sites that had nothing to do with Mardi Gras or deadly blood alcohol levels. I occasionally experienced a sting of jealousy watching those giant "To Go" cups wander down the street, but mostly I was thankful to get to experience a part of the city I might have otherwise ignored.

River and I started our first day off riding the streetcar to the New Orleans Zoo. We took a long walk through the Audubon park, enjoying the stretches of green and the waves of sticky heat. River fell in love with the zoo and could have watched the elephants for hours if there weren't so many other things to see. Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Gators and flamingos and monkeys, whoopee! We fed the turtles and took the zoo train and wandered well past River's nap time.

Thom played hooky from his conference that afternoon and we snacked on fried pickles and Cajun eggrolls at Jackson Square. Afterward we walked along the river's edge and into the French Market. River ate a fresh peach and mommy tried to keep herself from attacking the flea market booths. Since I couldn't drink, I was determined to sample as much of the local culinary delights as I could, so we spent the evening wandering the French Quarter in search of a restaurant that could accommodate a toddler and a vegetarian. We found a gem in Cafe Amelie, and though River only took two bites of dinner and tried to swim in the fountain it was a lovely evening.

Once again the revelers were out that night, but this time I was supplied with TWO earplugs and I slept like a dream. We had a fantastic breakfast at The Coffee Pot, complete with surly waitress. Since it was Monday and most of the sights we wanted to see were closed, the three of us took a morning carriage ride through the French Quarter. River was enamored of the mules, but less so by our friendly driver Joe's description of the history of Nawlin's. Thom and I were unsurprised to discover we'd been unknowingly walking past sites of historical import the entire trip. My favorite was the shop of Marie Laveau who, Joe tells us, was the creole con-lady who invented voodoo. After the ride we wandered over to Cafe du Monde for some heavenly biegnets and coffee and Thom headed off to do some work.

River and I had a great afternoon in the hotel swimming pool, eating panini and gelato at La Davina Gelateria, and walking in a sprinkling rain to dinner. Thom met us at El Gato Negro across from the French Market - a fantastic Mexican restaurant serving fresh guacamole and homemade tortillas.

That night I looked out our balcony to see a giant hand grenade mascot advertising the bar's signature drink. Later, I dreamt of spilling decadent cocktails on my large pregnant belly.

Our last morning in New Orleans was spent wandering the boardwalk and playing with the fishes at the Aquarium. This was absolutely fantastic! We watched sharks and rays and turtles through giant windows. River played in the Amazon Rainforest and pet a baby shark. By the time we left it was hot, my legs were seizing from all the walking, and I was worried about getting to our flight on time. Still, the stars were with us and River and I caught a streetcar back to the hotel just as we walked up to the stop, and we left the city with smiles on our faces.

I can't remember the last time I was a tourist in a city. Amsterdam and Bielefeld in 2003? Every vacation since then has been spent with family for the holidays or on a beach relaxing. And I loved it. I'm glad I didn't spend the trip in a drunken stupor - there was so much I would have missed! I loved looking at maps and charting our course everyday (even if it rarely ended up being the course we actually took). I loved sharing a new place with River and Thom and walking around proudly with a giant TOURIST sign stamped on my forehead. I loved having no obligations to anyone, the absolute freedom to do anything or nothing. And I love Bizarro New Orleans. It's a beautiful, rich city, and I know we've only scratched the surface of it. I hope I can go back someday (and maybe spend a little time seeing how the other half lives).

Good times in New Orleans

Checking out the wildlife at the Audubon Park Zoo - awesome hat courtesy of mommy forgetting his baseball cap at home.

Riding the Zoo Train (nice and sweaty by this point)

Bathing in the fountain at Cafe Amelie - gotta wash up somehow, right?

Petting (Oscar? Denny? Obediah? - what was his name?) the mule before we got on for a carriage ride.

River, bored out of his skull halfway through the ride. This could be a Madonna and Child pic, right? I'm actually giving my best "listening face" at the moment.

Playing in yet another fountain outside of Cafe du Monde. There are like a million of these in this city. I've discovered New Orleans does not want my son to stay dry.

We're having a fantastic time with more adventures to come!

feeling gloomy

I don't know if it was the 3am wake up call from River, the rough start to the morning, or just plain pregnancy hormones wrecking havoc, but I just can't seem to get out of this funk today. I even had a rare few hours to myself this morning as River was with a friend for a playdate exchange. And what did I do with that time? Bought some pretty shirts and a dress to accommodate the growing belly in the hot weather. Fun, right? Still, I feel like locking myself in my room and sleeping all afternoon. Or growling at strangers. Or crushing some happy daffodils.

I guess I'll have to satisfy myself with snuggling with River and vegging out for a little while.

I'd like to get off now please

The unfortunate downside of riding the subway all morning to entertain your pre-schooler is the queezy feeling you get from the stop-start-side-to-side-nausea-inducing momentum of the train. We were about 20 stops out before I realized I couldn't take it much longer; which meant we got to turn around and do the whole 20 again before I could make my escape. On a positive note: happy kid, so there's that.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

• I'm really ready to be done traveling now. So far in 2009 we've been to Mexico, Las Vegas, Nebraska, Las Vegas, Las Vegas again, and Colorado. And it's only May! Next week we go to New Orleans, and after that will be Italy, Florida, Dominican Republic, and finally Maryland. Now I am in no way complaining about the wonderful opportunities we've had to see family and - HELLO? ITALY! - but I am sick of planes, tired of sleeping in a bed that isn't my own, and starting to miss home. Thankfully, by the end of September, I will be physically unable to get on a plane with my big pregnant belly, so people will have to start coming to us.
• I am so happy spring is here.
  
• We've joined a fitness club that has a pool. I wish you could see the crazed look of joy on River's face when he gets in. He couldn't be happier if you offered him a gallon of ice cream and a day at the playground.
  
• Something must be done about Edgar. Something must be done about my lovely, fluffy, sweet, incontinent fat cat. Okay, he's not really incontinent, but from his inability to hit the letter box, he might as well be. He's a huge cat with a history of bowel problems (one of the reasons my parents finally said Thom and I needed to take him from their home in Vegas back to Boston with us - their carpet just couldn't take him any more). And today he's much better about attempting to go where he's supposed to, but instead of standing in the litter box and doing business there, he hovers on the edge and pees directly outside of the box. We have the box set up in a little-used second bathroom shower, so clean up is easy, but unless we go in there and hose it out multiple times a day, the pervasive smell of rank ammonia takes over the entire house. And this pregnancy has not made my nose any less sensitive. It's driving me crazy and I don't see any solution that we haven't already tried. Maybe we should get the Dog Whisperer out here and see if he can work some magic.
• Have I mentioned I'm REALLY happy spring is here?
• River has started sleeping in his big boy bed. Four nights and two naps have all been successfully attempted and I can't tell you how proud I am of him! We have his crib set up in an upstairs room that will eventually be the new nursery. Downstairs is a bunk bed (the bottom bed is directly on the ground) in what has been a playroom up until now. Of his own accord he asked to sleep down there one night a few weeks ago, and though that attempt didn't work out, he asked again recently and he's made it through the night every single time since then. So far it's been such an easy move I think I should be prepared for the rough part to kick in. I mean we can't really get off this easy, can we? Like, when will he realize he doesn't have to wait for us to come get him out of the bed and come jump on us at 4am? But it's all awesome now, so I'm just enjoying watching my boy experience such a confidence-inspiring transition.
• I have the sweetest little boy snuggling in my lap right now. We're gonna go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Have a nice random Tuesday!

Visit Keely at the UnMom for more random goodness.

what's that? my head exploding.

We've entered the stage of the eternal question. The question around here isn't, "Why?" as you might expect, but rather some variation on, "What's that?" I hear, "What's that?" and "What happened?" about as often as I breath in and out. After a phone call in which the other party is on speaker phone and River can hear the entire exchange, he asks, "What say?" What do you think we said, kid? You heard the whole thing!

Sometimes he asks when we've encountered something new, like a strange truck or a weird plant, and I'll try to do my best to explain. Other times he's reading a story and doesn't quite follow the plot. Much of the time, however, he seems to have his mouth on autopilot and asks about things he knows perfectly well.

"What's that?"
"What do you think it is, honey?"
"Airplane."
"Exactly."

"What say?"
"Well, I told your dad we're on our way home."

I haven't quite reached the exasperated point yet, mainly because I know his ever-expanding curiosity has found a new form of expression and I love that. I love that he wants to understand, that he thinks I have all the answers, that he's constantly in the process of learning. But someday soon, I may have to answer "What's that?" with an explanation of how mommy's brains exploded onto the floor after the millionth time I heard that question.

a new addition

I can no longer zip my pants, morning vitamins have me running for the bathroom, and my #1 activity after eating is sleeping. I guess I can't keep it from you any longer: I'm pregnant!

I'm almost 11 weeks along which means the horrible morning (noon and night) sickness should be coming to a close before too long, and I hope my energy levels will rise above zombie soon as well. I shared the happy news with my family quite a while ago, but I've felt the need to keep this pregnancy private from, you know, the whole world for a little while. More than anything, I really just liked the idea of having a little secret.

And it's been wonderful. I have less time to ponder the new little one than I did in my first pregnancy, but I still find ways to ogle itty bitty clothes and fondly imagine how squishy and alien-looking this one will be when born. I talk to my little sweet pea, explaining how awesome our family is, and River has a growing sense that he will be a big brother in the days to come.

And you know that sign I was looking for? Well I was already pregnant when I asked, so I guess I got my answer. I'm glad that it was a bit of an unexpected surprise - I imagine I could have dragged my feet getting pregnant until River had kids of his own, and then I'd be the grandma with an infant and that would just be weird. And of course, the doubts are still there. I occasionally break out in cold sweats wondering what have we done?! But more often than not I am filled with a sense of purpose, of wonder, of overwhelming joy. Yes, even when I'm praying to the porcelain gods, I am pretty excited I have the chance to do this amazing thing all over again.

So that should explain a bit of why I have been somewhat absent from here lately. I'd pretty much rather sleep than do anything these days. But I expect finally having this news out in the open will inspire a whole slew of posts on the weighty days (har har) of pregnancy.

Happy Mother's Day

These boys are the best present ever.

oh.

River is just soaking up knowledge these days and he loves when I explain things to him. Yesterday we were sitting in his glider reading a book and I asked if he wanted to sit up so he could see better. He said, "No. River like it here," pointing to where his head had been laying on the chair. I said, "You like the armrest. That part of the chair is called an armrest." Then, matter of factly, as though he were filing that little bit of information away in his brain, he said, "Oh." Not an insincere, whatever mom, kind of "oh." It was a fully engaged, I totally get it "oh." He was quiet for a second, then just to show he had understood he chewed out the new words, "River like head arm-rest."

I wish I could convey the wealth of meaning that that little "oh" seems to have. He says it all the time, punctuating his certainty with one sweet little syllable. It's even more adorable when he switches it up and says, "Ah." I can just see the spark of insight as though he were Sherlock Holmes saying, "Ah ha! Watson, the game is afoot!"

He's also taken to demanding, "Mommy talk." We'll be sitting in the sandbox playing with a toy airport and he wants me to tell him all about the planes and the tower, how the baggage works, and where the people go. Instead of learning principally through visuals, he understands so much language now, and he likes to hear me teach him about his world with words. I love hearing him say, "Mommy talk," watching him follow along a discussion of traffic lights or cooking eggs, and wrap it all up with a bright little, "Oh."

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Photo Edition!

I have a ton of pictures I haven't shared, so I'm giving you a special treat and including photos with my RTT today. Most of these are from our trip to Vegas this weekend, but I think I can keep the randomness intact anyhow. Here we go...

* Edit: I didn't realize what a difference there is between medium and large photos, so it might behoove you to click on them for larger versions



Figuring out what to call this monstrosity has almost been harder than building it. I know they're supposed to be "playscapes" these days but what happened to the swingsets and jungle gyms of yore? Playground is a little too grand and playscape is too yuppie, so I think I'll stick with "The Beast." That seems fitting, right?


Corn is always better when you can wrestle it from your cousin with a choke hold.


It is impossible not to be proud of your child when he does something new, no matter how mundane. I look at this picture and I think, "My kid is a genius! Look how well he can make bubbles!"


My friend, Mikey, the handsome guy on the arm of lovely Jane, has the best memory of anyone I know. Ask him to tell you Dave Mathew's entire catalog and he'll throw in B-sides and live recordings. Want to remember that random guy from freshman English (and I'm talking high school here) and he'll tell you where he sat and what his Shakespeare presentation was. Five years ago Michael hosted a tasting dinner with multiple courses and accompanying wines. We were recounting that great dinner at his wedding and he remembered every course down to the balsamic reduction and dessert wine we had. I can't remember half of the people I've kissed in my lifetime, where the heck does he get it?!


Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person ever. How many people are still close with their friends from high school? We've gone away to college, moved across the country, traveled the world. We've had marriages, meltdowns, new babies, identity crises, divorces. One of us even has an Emmy nomination (you rock, Doug!). Through it all we've managed to maintain that fantastic bond that holds us together. I love you guys.


Feeding animals is FUN! We went to Bonnie Springs on Saturday and River got to feed a deer, peacocks, swans, ducks, and chickens. He really wanted to lose a finger to this guy, but mommy saved him from disaster.


Usually it's my dad that blinks or makes a funny face in an otherwise perfect picture. Good one mom! I guess we shouldn't have given her that lemon before boarding the train. (Click to enlarge this one - it's totally worth it.)


Trains? Still the best thing ever.


I wonder if previous generations liked to dress up as people from the past as much as we do. I can just see a Medieval king talking his wife into dressing up like a cave family for their portrait sitting with the royal painter. Look honey! I'm wearing an animal skin! Ug ug!


In case you were wondering, it is possible to eat enough soft fruit candy to turn your teeth, tongue, and poop blue.

There you go, kids. Head over to Keely's place for more randomness.

River News: Month Twenty-Four

Dear River,

I've known for a while that this would be your last River News, and I think that's why I've put off writing it for so long. You really are becoming a big boy now and though you still learn something new everyday, the milestones you reach are definitely fewer and further between. It doesn't make sense to collect funny anecdotes about you in my head for a month and not just write them down immediately. Twenty-four months - TWO YEARS! - also just feels like a nice round number to wrap this up. So though I plan to meticulously chronicle your ever-changing self (at least until you're teenager and tell me to knock it off), I won't be doing it in a monthly newsletter.


I want to start with some of my favorite moments from these past two months, mostly revolving around bedtime. We have had a pretty solid bedtime routine since you were six months old (bath, stories, songs), but you always like to add a new twist to the evening. Mostly these additions last a week or two (like hiding under the sheets or reading stories in your crib), sometimes they turn into permanent fixtures (ONLY daddy can dry you off after bath and bear HAS to sit with you through stories and songs). Lately you've been testing out some words to add to the bedtime routine. One night you asked daddy for "extra kisses" before we walked out of your room. The other night you MELTED MY HEART when you said for the first time, unprompted, "Wuv you." Mostly, though, the phrase that has stuck is, "Goo night, mommy. Goo night, daddy."

I love hearing you say these things because it shows how secure you are with bedtime, how all of our work to build a consistent routine these past two years has paid off. But mostly I just love hearing your sweet voice say happy things before you drift off to sleep.


As you get older, you become more aware of some of the dangers around you. You're careful in parking lots, saying, "Watch out. Cars," you don't attempt to go down the stairs on your own, and you know that ovens are hot. While it certainly makes life easier that you're not constantly attempting to do yourself physical harm, I'm a little sad to see some of your innocence go. Some of these dangers are trickling into your dreams and imaginary life as a way for you to process it all. The biggest way it's manifested lately is in monsters. You've had a growing fascination with them for the past two months, largely in a friendly, happy capacity. You crave monster books (they all turn out to be big, silly, and not that scary) and you created a couple monster imaginary friends you could carry around with you.


But after a couple weeks of seeing only happy monsters, you started to discover some scary monsters. You play games where monsters are coming up the stairs, hiding under the bed, or waiting for us behind a door. I know it's a healthy way for you to express your fears, and instead of telling you they're not real, I try to give you the means to get rid of them (mommy escorts the unwanted monsters out of the house or you tell them to leave). You have such a huge imagination which delights me to no end. I don't want to quell that, but I don't want you to powerless against your fears either.


March is a big month for birthdays (uncle Nelse, daddy, Finn, mommy, and you all celebrate March birthdays). So you got lots of practice with the birthday song and candles before it was your turn. We went to Las Vegas for a long weekend and had a great party with Nanu, Dadu, Oma, Opa, Nelse, and Sydney. You were showered with presents and knew just what to do when presented with a flaming bunny cake (blow out the candles and make everyone sing again, of course).


Back at home we had a huge party with all of your friends, and your auntie Melissa came to help mommy celebrate her 30th birthday. Your party was held a day early to coincide with the normal playgroup day, so on your actual birthday, mommy took you for a long train ride. We got on the subway in Central Square and just rode and rode. We switched cars, rode an above-ground line, and spent some time in the Boston Commons playground. We had a fantastic time and you were just thrilled with everything you saw.


Since then we've done a couple more train trips to nowhere and though they haven't inspired quite the same level of glee, I'm pretty sure they're becoming a regular fixture for us. I like just being with you, having no agenda, riding wherever the train takes us, and people watching.


Every weekend for this past month your father and I have been diligently working to finish your play structure. We finished last weekend, and though there's new grass seed in the yard (which means we can't really run around on it for a month) there has been no keeping you from your "orange playground." You love the sandbox, the climbing wall, the fort from which you can spray mommy with water and say "no girls!" You love the steering wheel and telescope, the swings and picnic table. You love the time outdoors with your dad, picking up worms and snails, and soaking in the sun. All of the work to put it up has been more than paid for with your happiness.


Your cousin Finn also loves following you around on your playground and burying himself in sand. You two are having great adventures together these days, and when you're not putting him into a choke hold or attempting to stuff him in the kitchen cabinets you seem to get along great. But if you had asked your uncle and aunt how things were going a month ago, they might have said something else entirely. Finn was still having a hard time standing on his own, so he would often use something - like your arm - to pull himself up. When he did this you complained, pointing at him and saying, "Finn pinch." Of course, that's not how it sounded to the grownups who burst into laughter and kept wondering why you were calling Finn a female dog.


As I write this your dad has taken you out to the playground and I am still in my pajamas recovering from a couple visits to the porcelain bowl last night. I was afraid I had caught this horrible bug going around which would have me wedded to the bed and the bathroom for a week. But I've managed to keep half a glass of water and piece of toast down, so I'm optimistic.

I'm still wary of giving you any illness, so I'm trying to keep my distance. It's incredibly difficult for me, since hugging and kissing you are highlights of my day and make me feel like nothing in this world could go wrong. I know there's a million more things to report, I'm leaving out telling about how intuitive you've become, how your language is growing, your compassion. I could talk about the great friendships you're developing, or some more of the fun places we've been together, but there will be more time for all of that.


As I close this last letter, I want you to know that I love you more than I ever imagined I could love someone, and that love is growing more each day. I am so proud of the little man you are becoming and so happy that I am lucky enough to be a part of your life. You are amazing, my River.

I love you love you love you,
Mommy

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Hello, and welcome to my random thoughts...

• Bath time tonight featured a mushroom and two fireman stickers - stickers which say, "I visit fire sashun," according to River. The mushroom came from the fridge, a treasure pilfered while Thom got the cat food out to give the beasts their evening meal. River clung to the mushroom while brushing his teeth then put it on top of the stickers on the edge of the tub when he got in. The mushroom made it through the end of the bath and naked hide-and-seek and the pajama wrestle. It met an untimely end just before bedtime when River took a large bite and immediately spit it out saying, "Yucky."
• A plant in our house seems to be thriving in spite of the fact that I don't remember watering it since February.
• I really have to be careful about what I wish for. During a wicked bout of insomnia last night I thought, "I'd really like to snuggle River right now." Cue the immediate, intense cries from his room. After I brought him to bed for "just a little while", he proceeded to roll around for an hour and a half while I wobbled in and out of a delirious fog. Needless to say, nobody got enough sleep last night.
• I'm craving fast food lately - horrible things like Taco Bell and Wendy's - and I think it mainly stems from my lack of sleep and even greater lack of exercise. It's like the fat cells in my body are lonely and want to create more friends. Tonight I turned my urge for a Wendy's baked potato with broccoli and cheese-like-substance into a much healthier homemade version. I also realized that River would never eat a baked potato, but he doesn't know the difference between a french fry cooked in a bucket of fat and a french fry baked with cooking spray. One round goes to The Mom!
• Spring is here, leading to thoughts of BBQs, lounging on the deck, and soaking in the sun. It's funny, but none of those dreams feature the rusted bistro set that comprises the whole of our patio furniture. In order to make space for our imaginary new outdoor furniture we have to clear off the detritus from the deck - an ugly and overwhelming collection of junk we moved from our old house to the new one because we were too lazy to deal with it at the time. I feel embarrassed every time I walk out there, imagining we look like the Cambridge version of the Beverly Hillbillies with computer parts, empty sewing machine boxes, and hippy baby paraphernalia stacked near to the roof. Add it to the never-ending list of projects. Thom's folks have owned their home for almost 30 years now and they still have projects to work on just about every weekend. I guess I don't mind the idea of constantly working on the house as long as we get to enjoy it a little bit too.
• The Monstrosity is complete. Now I never want to look at it again. Just tell that to the little boy who now has a playground in his back yard. Does that kid have any clue how good he has it?
  

Keely has the good stuff at The UnMom

Progress

Thanks entirely to Thom and Kevin, the giant monstrosity in the backyard has seen some real progress this weekend. If all goes well with the weather for the next two weeks, we may be able to finish it before the end of April. Here are some pics of the boys scampering around on it.


Since this was taken, they got all the supports up for the lower-level deck and Thom built most of the roof for the upper level.


River is showing off his swinging skills here although it looks like he's trying to do a pull up. The pile of wood in the background is about 1/4 of the original. Seriously. What made us think we could do this by ourselves?


"I want YOU to come play with us."

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Welcome to this week's edition of Random Tuesday Thoughts....

• River has become a little voice recorder, playing back sound bites I don't even know I've uttered. Last week we were getting ready to go to brunch and in the spirit of helping us get out the door, River told us to, "Hit the road." Really? Okay, maybe we'll "put the pedal to the metal" too. At Thom's soccer game on Saturday I was explaining to River that we should cheer for daddy by saying, "Go Daddy!" I got distracted watching the game for a little while, but I must have been giving River more words of encouragement to use because the next thing I hear is, "Kick butt Daddy!"
• I think I'm going to get into quilting. I'm slightly worried that I'll have to start wearing white nursing shoes and dye my hair blue, but I'm going to fight the granny image of quilting. I'm going to make it cool! You know, like knitting is all the rage these days - quilting is the next big thing. Watch out hipsters, you'll all be wearing quilted skinny pants and ironic quilted T-shirts soon!
• Every time Thom tries to back up my computer or make it run more efficiently, I lose some capability - like my itunes library goes missing, my address book disintegrates (that was NOT cool), or today, my calendar suddenly says I can't open it because I "do not have the appropriate access privileges." Seriously, you're MY COMPUTER. I have all the privileges I want, you *(^$*(*%%^#$%^!!! I'm sure it's a simple solution, but for me fixing this stuff is like watching a monkey try to operate a microwave. I might get lucky and make popcorn, but chances are greater I'll explode a can of pork n beans.
• Our kitty, Poe, has been making attempted prison breaks all week. She's an indoor cat (as have all my pets been since I lost two outdoor kitties in one week while I was in high school) and has never shown a great interest in getting out. In our current place she has tons of room to explore and lots spaces to hide, but maybe the horrible smell of her brother's missed kitty litter attempts are driving her away. I can empathize. It's driving me crazy too. Edgar stands in the box and just shoots a stream straight behind him onto the tiled floor. Thanks for that wonderful ammonia smell wafting through the house, Edgar. So Poe has taken to sneaking out any open door she finds. Usually, she has to build up the courage to make a break for it with a door standing open for more than thirty seconds and no humans nearby. But last night she zipped out between Thom's legs as he walked in from work. She got freaked out and hid on the first landing in the stairwell, but these bold moves are making me nervous. Stop trying to escape, Poe! If I promise you more playtime and brushing will you stay?
• I brought River to the sewing shop yesterday and aside from encouraging me to buy a few spools of thread I didn't need, he did amazingly well. The secret is iphone applications. We have two great ones that are perfect for about 5 minutes of distraction: Peek-a-Boo Barn and Build an Alien. They're good for short trips to the bank or post office, waiting in the car while daddy gets his dry cleaning, or quick conversations with store clerks. I've also started carrying around crayons, paper, and stickers for times when we need more extended entertainment like daddy's soccer games, meals out, or waiting in doctor offices. We're good at the grocery store as long as River has a snack and he gets to help hold some things. That's what's working this week, at least. I'm sure next week we'll be back to square one.

Check out Keely for more random goodness at The UnMom

in the buff

River and I are in his playroom when I remember that he hasn't had a change since he woke up from his nap, oh, about an hour ago. He is very cooperative; he lays down on the floor for me and lets me get to work without complaint. I get through wiping and taking away the old diaper, the new one still under his bum, when the phone rings. Usually I would ignore it - not only because telemarketers have our number on speed dial, but I generally have this weird phone aversion - but at this particular moment I'm expecting a call from River's aunt and uncle. So I tell River to stay right there, I'll be right back, and I run to the other room to answer the phone.

At that exact moment, Thom walks into River's playroom from the back door and finds his son alone on the floor, pants splayed around his ankles, bits and pieces out for the world to see. He hears me in the other room, figures out what has happened, and chuckles to himself. River, however, wants to leave no doubt that this is not a situation of his own making and explains, "Diaper change."