How to walk the cat

We've had a pretty mellow two weeks.  I've been sick (twice!) during that time, (after a health-filled pregnancy I had to ask my midwife this week WTF?!  She mentioned that slowing down could be the key at this late point in the party...  d'oh;) but we've still been having fun in the sun.  Just the sun that hits closer to home...

The garden is making us smile.  Except for the weeds that (also) continue to grow with gusto, taunting me and my new inability to bend beyond halfway.  (I think the baby has dropped?  My midwife said this week that her head is waaay low (NOT breech!!! yay!!!) and my waddle has gone comically over the top.)  So, if we ignore the weeds, we're all smiles.  Especially since the tomatoes started turning and the child wanders in during the day, scented of that lovely earthy tomato vine scent, cheeks puffed out with cherry tomatoes, juice spilling down his chin...  P picked this bounty last week and then set it up all pretty for a photo shoot.  Cracks me up.

That's Bob, in the front.  The photo doesn't really show it, but this tomato grew an enormous looking schnoz, perfectly complimented by the toupee-like top greenery and the Phoenix inspired green bean gams.  Unfortunately, I'm guessing Bob will rot before he is eaten...

Our big news right now has to do with the cat.  P has pleaded for a harness since achieving a backyard.  Having had the cat on a harness before, we have been, erm, reluctant.  But finally relented.  The cat and the child couldn't be happier.  While I know most families would let the wild feline wander at will (as proven by the numerous fat cats that frequent our yard and leave behind their kitty presents...), living on a really busy street with a very old but very adventurous kitty seems like a short term solution.  We told P this was an option, if he so desired.  But warned him that this would, in all likelihood, shorten her life.  (After she zoomed out the door one night, unbeknownst to us till bedtime, and I walked the dark with a wailing child  looking for our frisky cat, I was even more assured that we couldn't handle his nightly worry for her safety...)  Long story short, he came up with the idea of a leash and she actually likes it.  Well, she likes that it gets her outside... ;)  And the child loves that he can have his dearest beloved beside him in the yard.

 She chills in her chains in the shade while he burns things...

 Being non-dog, she sometimes required more intense, erm, leash leading.  Especially when her walker isn't very patient.

 Proof positive that "she just adores it, Mama."

After all, how many felines are so doted upon?  And given flower ringed necklaces?

Ethan has been a savior these last two weeks. Being sick so much and this pregnant kinda sucks, and he has really stepped up his already good game.  Dishes, vacuuming, carryout, kid care, you name it, he's conquered it, and all after his 12 hour work days.  P, loving to make and craft and E, not loving this so much, have found a happy medium in origami.  One part brain puzzle, one part creation, they have made some lovely cranes and about a zillion paper airplanes.  I've heard talk of an origami dragon....

We've also been reading a good deal when my throat cooperates.  And sewing.  I started some wool diaper covers from recycled sweaters and after achieving one, the child quickly decided he needed something sewn for him, too ;)  And so it begins ;)))

And, of course, with warm weather but no trips to the pool , the hose and sprinkler have been a godsend (no, we have no water shortage issues here in the Pacific Northwest;).  Here he climbs the porch, attempting to get away from his imaginary attacker.  One lovely thing about being sick and pregnant is that he has very, very low expectations of me, occasionally leaving me the time to just sit and eavesdrop on his imaginings.  Totally one of my favorite parenting past-times and worth every sniffle.

"Bad" Words.

 Water war over the wall.

Paper airplane making bonanza.

These three little blonde boys are so fond of each other its funny.  And they are busy enough on different schedules (and school camp and travel for the neighbor boys) that their time together is just sparse enough to stay special.  Special enough that P asks if he can go see them. every. day :)

And after the mum and I sat giggling at the boys' water war, waged over the fence, she pointed out to me, again, how fab P is.  The water was off, the boys were wet rats rolled in mud and P (hoping to keep the good times going) quickly quipped, "Wanna try and melt some glue sticks with magnifying glasses?"

"See?"  She nodded at me as the whirling mudballs moved back towards our backyard, "storybook character."  Which is sweet to hear, since I sometimes miss the, erm, romanticism inherent in his messes....

And while there are plenty of differences between the boys to keep us all on our toes, their mutual appreciation of fun projects keeps them busy and, mostly, out of trouble ;)

Meanwhile, I'm still getting used to P disappearing for periods of time, sans Mama.  They'll all flit over to their house for 15 minutes, then back to ours, then whir out front... and the house is So Quiet at these times, its just... weird.

But it gives P a chance to have, not only anonymity and independence, but stories.  As they go their separate ways, he's so excited to tell me what's been happening, what he's seen, what they did...  And then, the other night he said, "Mama, Abe said a really bad word."

This seemed a little shocking to me, as the child says "fuck" pretty regularly (at least for a 6 year old....)  We've mentioned to him the words he uses that probably won't be so well received by general society and occasionally encouraged him to reconsider his word choices when we're out in the wide world, but otherwise haven't sweated the stuff.  E and I have had long (sans child) chats concerning the subject and the general hypocrisy of it all, not to mention our seeming inability to occasionally curb our own curses....

At any rate, the child reported that he was worried I wouldn't let him play with Abe anymore if he shared, but he wanted to share.  (I'm assuming this came from our chat about how the wide world would possibly receive P's profanities;)  I assured him I was not worried and that his friendship was totally safe.  And so he told me, the horrible, awful thing his friend said.

"Stupid.  He called Emil stupid."  

This, from the child who, thinking he had forgotten the grocery list just that afternoon had said, "Oh fuck.  I forgot the list."  I was so glad  I was facing the sink when he shared :)

But also kinda tickled that he'd discerned the difference between personal expression (his forte in the fuck realm) and name calling (something he never hears at home.)

As the boys played on the floor yesterday, I heard P politely say, "Abe, could you please not call someone dumb?  It feels so unkind."  Abe, "Yah, ok."  LOL.

Then, as we lay waking up this morning, he told me his plans.  "If anyone ever calls my sister a scaredy-cat or crybaby (two things Abe has called his younger brother) I'll..."  And then a long, drawn out description of the planned atrocities were described.

So, name calling, not looked upon highly, tar and feathering, fervently appreciated....  I'm fascinated to see how this actually plays out, once the baby isn't just an imagined ideal :)

Project Runway...

Here we come ;)

Getting to talk to those I love is one of the (only) things I most miss (from pre-child days).  The child does not  like me on the phone.  The typical response to this dismay is inappropriate behavior (pity the cat) combined with loud noise (a real challenge for phone calls;)  So, generally, I just skip the phone... and figure real friends will still love me... in a few more years ;)

But today, I got a chance to talk to my folks and P actually busied himself... quietly!  I love having our crafting stuff organized where he can independently get to it (ahhh, that extra bit of space actually does make life easier ;) and he loves getting into it and making stuff.  Today, after weeks of (unsuccessfully) trying baby clothes and diapers on his oddly proportioned pink friend, he decided to just make the monster some clothes.  I was so tickled with the result.  Can you say  haberdasher ;))))

Could you possibly...

Seth, Alicia and P on the beach.

Pack more Joy into one week?  For this six year old, no way. The child basked in the attention and love of his Aunt and Uncle, while having fun adventures, equalling the end all be all of his existence :)

First, the weekend getaways.  (After the previous week's trek to the mountain lake left me so swollen and slightly grumpy, E and I agreed that more than my rock climbing days were over.  Thus, much to my dismay, (but undoubtedly to the comfort of everyone else;) I stayed behind for both road trips...)

Saturday brought blue skies and Mount Hood hiking.  I have no stories for this, but the kid said he had a blast :)

Sunday saw a foggy beach day with the same lovely hike we had conquered the month before and the same solitary beauty of Crescent Beach - but this time with the added bonus of Seth and Alicia :)))

One day, Seth and Alicia escaped for a romantic drive down the coast.  The child was moved to melancholy ;)  But ever the optimist, he grabbed the cat tightly after breakfast and declared, "Well, at least I can cuddle the cat today!"  (Uncle Seth, being highly allergic to our Feline Wonder, can't tussle with the Little Man after he's held the cat.  And the child, loving to tussle, begrudgingly gave the long suffering kitty a week's reprieve... except for that Tuesday;)  He also found solace in his jewelry collection, creating masterpieces of bling...

We hit the river one afternoon.  P quickly found some wood to set sail for BB's boat.  And then took to launching rocks at it.  Uncle Seth aided the attack.

We hiked a little in Forest Park one afternoon, too.  Per usual, the child was consumed with the ginormous slugs (yes, there was one gruesome SPLAT!), the fallen trees and speeeeeeeed (racing Uncle Seth down the trail was a supremely satisfying way to satiate that particular need:)

After Uncle Seth flew away (sob) we had one lucky afternoon left with Aunt Alicia - yay!  We traipsed around the Japanese Gardens, loving the shade on such a sunny day.  Turns out, these gardens have a little sculpture based treasure hunt for their wee-est visitors. They also mentioned the word "prize" for completing said hunt.  Well, the child typically likes to visit gardens just for the joy of the garden, and they certainly screwed that with their ulterior motives and prize!  He was obsessed with finding the next item on his map and checking it off... but he did have fun ;)

 As soon as he discovered a hidden treasure, he'd drop to the ground and mark it ;)

All in all, the child's week was short on sleep and long on fun.  (There were lots of other adventures that... his mommy failed to photograph....)  He awoke (early) every morning, So Very Excited to see his Aunt and Uncle.  And every night he felt sleep a time-wasting curse :)  E and I just hoped and prayed they had a good visit - that he didn't smother them with the intensity of his love (combined with his unbelievably strong need to be physically touching (or squishing, as is often the case...) those he connects with)!  But thank goodness they did visit, because I dont' think the child could have gone much longer without them - the distance from his beloved Uncles (and Aunt:) being the only thing he claims to not LOVE about Oregon.

Happiness is...

The attention of those you love.  And dirt.  

Seth and Alicia watch P's dirt show on Mount Tabor.

The sheer glee of tossing tons of dirt into the air.  He scooped and flipped, over and over again...

And was very impressed with his dust clouds.

A few minor injuries required even more undivided attention.  That inevitably transitioned to tickling ;)  The child has been in a state of sleep deprived bliss for three days running now.  Because there is nuthin' like fabulous family!

Insanely Excited

Its finally arrived.  Uncle Seth's and Aunt Alicia's visit.  P knew they were flying in Friday night (post bedtime) and that he would see them Saturday morning.  What did this mean (beyond an hourly countdown for the last week)?

It meant rolling around in bed, attempting to get to sleep for over an hour.

Then, it meant waking up at 2 AM and rolling around, unable to sleep until 7 AM.  Then a light doze for 2 and a half hours and the declaration that he couldn't possibly consider staying in bed another second :)

When he got up, he counted his hours.  3 + 2 1/2 = 5 1/2.  He figured this sufficient ;)  Then he provided me with his theory on why the night had been so terribly difficult.

"What it was, Mama, is I don't think I was adequately hydrated and so my eyes were dry and they kept popping open.  I just couldn't even keep them closed!"

I was going to go with plain ol' excited, but I like his explanation better :)

Tidbits

I plugged my phone in to charge and realized I have some pics on it...

The drive back through the Gorge from Lost Lake.  E and I just can't get used to the natural beauty here...

The Little Man, enjoying the view, playing with shadows (or something - honestly, who knows what the 6 year old is thinking here!:)

He catches me catching him and gives me his fierce look :)

I heart Oregon!

We picked a couple zucs the other day and left the plant alone for 3 days.  Went back and holy moly - this is what we found.  In just three days the babies had grown to giants.  I can't wait to slice them into zuc chips and dehydrate them tomorrow!

P was pretty impressed with our accidental monstrosities.

As we got dinner together tonight, P busied himself, first in the garden and then in the cabinet and then arranged this as our centerpiece.  I love fresh flowers and he was pretty pleased with himself.  He explained his Master Plan for centerpiece design when his Aunt and Uncle come for their visit this weekend :)

And three little tidbits.  As I was brushing my teeth this morning, P lay on the floor, singing a song to BB.  I couldn't make it all out, but I heard the refrain of, "Two of my favorite things in the world, dear BB, is my baby sister and mama's neeneeeeee."  Hhahahahahaah.

And Ethan, upon seeing me Saturday morning, (I swear, he concentrates so hard on his work all week that he doesn't actually "see" us sometimes until the weekend!) blurted out, "Wow - you're HUGE!"  Yes, he tried to cover it.  Yes, he tried to make it sound sweet.  But, well :)

It wasn't anything new, really, Phoenix tells me how enormous my belly is.  Daily :)   This morning's revelation.  "Mama!  I know why your belly is soooo sooo big!"  And here he came up to me and swept his sweet little hand down my sore, swayed back.  "Because part of your back has disappeared into it!"   Oh. my. gawd.  I love kids!

Shame and some shots

P took some shots with my phone when we were delayed by that wreck last month.  I keep meaning to toss them up here...

Just a quick story for tonight, before I forget.  The strangest thing happened!  P found a little ball in the backyard and gleefully brought it in for me to wash.  He took to bouncing it around and asked if he could bounce it off of the walls.  I requested he play with it outside, it was too hard of a bouncy ball for indoors.  But the momentum wasn't there, it was nearing bedtime, and I knew he had been wanting me to read to him,  so I suggested I grab a chair to read on the porch while he smacked the ball against the house.  Happiness!  

So I stepped out back, grabbed the chair, walked through the house and when I hit the front door I could hear him.  Bawling.  Like, seriously, horribly, crying.  I was instantly in the front, calling to him, worried, I couldn't even see where he was.  He crept out of the bushes and covered his face.  Still crying.  So hard, I haven't seen him cry like this in forever.  

Typically, when he's crying, I just hold him. I don't bother asking him what happened or anything, because me needing to know, sans blood flow, what's going on isn't as important as him being supported right then.  But it was so out of left field and he was So Distraught, I begged him to tell me if he was hurt.  "No," he choked back and looked at me.  "You're going to kill me," he moaned and sputtered and covered his face, bawling again.  Shame.  I recognized it, finally.  He felt awful about something.  

I rocked him and held him and kissed him and reassured him and still he cried.  It lasted a long time.  I coaxed him inside (ok, I carried him;) and cradled him some more, my heart breaking that he would think I could be that upset with him.  About anything!  

I'm not an idiot, and I was once a child ;) So I'd quickly assessed the fact that there was ball play and now tears and shame.  Something must be broken somewhere ;) But he didn't want to tell me what was broken.  But yet he did.  But yet he reeeally didn't.  Each time he tried to start, he absolutely fell apart again.  "A window?" I ventured?  He looked at me in shock and hiccuped, "Noooo!"

Long story, and lots of reassurance (and time:) later, and we looked at the mirror above the couch that now wears a jagged break in the glass :)

He wanted to know how the mirror stacked up against this object and then that and then this object and then that lamp, in my heart.  How important was it?  And, he was very, very sorry.  And maybe we could glue it?  Or tape?

Honestly, I could care less about the mirror by then.  I mean, I like our stuff, some of it quite a bit more than my Buddhist leanings mean to, but the only thing that really upset me was that he was so scared to tell me.  I think I'm good, or at least ok, with accidents.  I mean, they happen.  And, typically, I grab a towel or the vacuum or the glue and we just fix what we can.  Granted, I think I scowl when the accident is a direct reaction to something I've just requested stop happening, but still...  I mean, who exploded the raw egg on the floor this morning?  If any(clumsy)one knows that accidents happen, its me...

But, obviously, I need to work on it somehow.  Because when he was trying to get up the courage to tell me his story, he looked up at me with his big, teary eyes and said, "Promise not to do anything I don't like?"  And I thought, like what?!?!  Beat you?  Time-out you?  Send you to your room??  We have no punishments here, no "consequences."  Apparently, much like research has shown, those really, truly aren't necessary...

After realizing I wasn't in tears or mad or whatever he feared, he settled onto his stool, with his eyes all puffy, and ate his evening snack.  Peppered with lots of questions.  I reassured him, again, that as long as the people (and cat! and BB! he added) in the family were safe, I was all good.  And that parents actually kinda appreciate these sorts of events.  Because we've had lots of chats about throwing stuff in the house, and none of them could be nearly as effective as tonight's real life lesson ;)  But, hopefully, he learned something even more important?  That he can come to me, no matter what...  cuz I can't think of anything more important for him to learn....  

And I certainly learned that I have to... shit!  I'm not exactly sure what I have to...  But, obviously, something needs some work here on my end. Off to figure out how to be a better parent...  

Lost Lake

P had his first lake experience this weekend!  Unfortunately, we, uhm, didn't realize it was a lake experience sort of expedition (yah, which one of us do you think did the research on this jaunt, eh?) and were completely unprepared to enjoy said jaunt, but that's another story ;)

We thought we were going to hike in the mountains by a lake.  So we packed the picnic, the hiking boots (which, lo and behold, come to find out, as of this week can no longer stretch to fit swollen pregnant feet!), the polar fleeces.... Ya know, mountain hiking stuff.  A little car sickness, a few pee breaks (I'm fairly certain I have now peed along more mossy roadsides in the last two months than many woman do in a lifetime...) and a very cranky (due to immense hunger and previously mentioned problems) pregnant lady later, we pulled into a... whathef*@#?  A lakeside retreat.  With boats and bathing suits.

Expectations are a bitch, really.  E and I were immediately disappointed, having hoped for cool mountain air, conifers and quiet.  Of course, this all has to be relayed through eye movements and sneaky sighs, so that the kid can translate his day without our bitchy baggage ;)  The child, still fabulously living in the moment, popped out of the car, all vim and vigor, happy as a lakeside clam.  Some picnic munchies later and our balancing blood sugar was able to try and meet the kid's happiness.

He actually said, "I am So happy!" When he jumped out of the car.

A little walk around the lake (to call it a hike would be blasphemy) and a little playtime by a tree base was all we could fit in before the child's extreme excitement about the boats he'd spied became the focus of the afternoon.  So, we went to see a man about a boat.

The child was so excited, he walked this ledge all the way back, tapping his stick in time to a little ditty he made up.  Something along the lines of "we're going to rent a boat!"  Chanted over and over and over again ;)

They rented per hour and that sounded like about as long as E and I were interested in ;)  But once we got out onto the lake, everything melted away into the peaceful mountain getaway we had originally hoped for.  The weather was fabulous, the sun low enough for comfort, the backdrop really beautiful.  Not to mention that the kid was t-h-r-i-l-l-e-d.  He sat, completely captivated, watching his father, carefully looking over the edge for snakes or salamanders, barking out directions...

I am a geek.  Family portrait ;)

After watching E row us for half an hour, the kid wanted a go.  Oh my lord, that was one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever seen.  Talk about unschooling in action.  He set to it and worked it until he was actually moving the boat the way he wanted to.  Granted, we did lots and lots of circles before reaching that point, but determination paid off.  He paddled us back to shore, turning and angling like a mini-pro.  I snuck a little video of him (see below) and his mouth movements when he's concentrating crack me up.

As do a couple of comments (that have been covered by the music - the sound quality was really shoddy.)  First, after struggling in circles, he tries turning his body the other direction.  He quickly realized this didn't work so well and turned back around, saying, "Getting the right position is weally twicky."  Then, he asks "which direction are we going?"  My ever supportive response, "Ummm, well, kinda circular..."  :)  And then, after he started nailing a rhythm, he asked if he was doing an even better job than Papa had ;)

On the way home (for which he sat, completely contentedly in his carseat - again -still blowing my mind!  Is this the same baby boy that couldn't stand his carseat for 3 seconds when he was little?  I keep expecting requests for DVDs or entertainment, but he seems to love to look out the window and watch the scenery fly past.  Score for worry number one in moving out of the city...)  At any rate, on the way home, he asked three times, when can we go back to Lost Lake???  Hehe, next time we'll know to bring water shoes, bathing suits and towels ;)