Thursday, May 27, 2010

No one here gets out alive

I keep meaning to get away from the recap-style post, but here I go again....

In happy news, Three and I hung out with some new friends this week (Stephanie and Ruby and baby Nicholas). We both had fun getting to know our new friends. When we left, Three asked if he could have a sleepover with Ruby sometime. What do you think, Stephanie? :)

I bribed Three to go on a field trip with Two's class today -- promised him a new toy from Woodmans, of all places. We went to a farm that has been providing healthy snacks for all of Two's school all year long. Each Wednesday, local farms provide produce (carrots, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, spinach, apples, etc) for the school. Farmers from various farms have come to do presentations about their food and farm, and now this field trip cumulated the entire experience. It was a very sweet farm - 13 hoop houses full of veggies and flowers, and many chickens roaming the yard. The kids seemed most intrigued by the chickens and farm doggy and cats. We brought home little plantings of lettuce and tomatoes that the kids all transplanted. Three begged to go home NOW the entire time until lunch time. After that, his mood seriously improved (ahh, hunger, you get me every time!) and he even participated in the duck-duck-goose game.

Speaking of hunger, I'm on this new diet that's working so far. I'm not sure I buy all the "activating the skinny gene" business, but surely there's no harm done by seriously cutting calories every other day. The down days (today, ferinstance) can get a little long, but I chew lots of ice and drink lots and lots of water. So, we'll see... So far, so good.

And then the sad news... Bob's aunt, who is the closest thing he has to a mom and is definitely Grandma to our kids, is dying of pancreatic cancer. Bob is leaving - DRIVING - to visit her one final time in Phoenix this weekend. He and his cousin will go together. We have had lots of family cries over this one. This is a tough loss for us all.

So, the title of the post is definitely inspired by this situation, but it's also a lyric to a song by The Doors. I've been singing Doors songs ever since I saw a documentary on PBS about them a couple of weeks ago. As I was watching the documentary, I realized the my little Three has Jim Morrison's hair - and a bit of his attitude. I kissed his naked little body sleeping next to me and hoped for a better life for him.

Off to get the guys from school!


Monday, May 17, 2010

Pictures from our farm trip yesterday


tomatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers, basil -- awaiting their new home

Two, sporting a new haircut AND a bloody face, courtesy of a certain brother after wrestling
didn't slow him down much, though, as he pulls One around on the wagon...
...Three, running to catch up
Tomatoes planted!

moments from the weekend

You know how you have those days when NOTHING seems to go your way? When EVERYTHING is hard? Well, I had one of those weekends - except the exact opposite. It was an easy, happy weekend chez mooncrawl. We all got along. The kids liked each other. WE liked each other.

Here are some of my favorite moments:
  • Friday night, going out with One and Two to do some shopping. (They have money that is burning a hole in their pockets.). Two decided he wanted sunglasses and he decided Woodmans was the only place to get them. So, there we were, 8:15 on a Friday night, trying on sunglasses and laughing and being silly. One said the music at Woodmans was SO GREAT he just HAD to dance. Two ended up with these mirrored, yellow and grey glasses which are perfect for a 6 year old (and a bit ridiculous for anyone older). I kissed their heads and told them there is nowhere else I'd rather be than right there, right then, with them.
  • Saturday morning football games.
  • Saturday afternoon spent with an old friend while Bob tended to the boys. We had a leisurely lunch, drank a beer, walked and talked, and later went to her home to sit and talk (and drink some wine). I was so relaxed and rejuvenated that it felt like I had spent the day at a spa.
  • Returning home Saturday night to hugs and smiles from my boys and to hear the news of the day. The fence was completed in the backyard! Dash found an escape route, but that has since been blocked! We went to the beach! Now we're having smores at the campfire!
  • Sunday trip to the farm to plant 37 tomato plants, 6 green peppers, 6 eggplants, 3 brussell sprouts, and basil. Kids rode around on the wagon we brought out there. Grown ups had fun and interesting conversation. We shared a pot of chili for lunch.
  • Sunday night watching the finale of Survivor with my boys. They were up obscenely late (which we'll probably pay the price for later today) but it was so fun watching it with them this season and I HAD to let them watch it in real time.
I also read Push by Sapphire, which was the book the movie Precious was based from. I haven't seen the movie, but boy oh boy that book is sad. But also so good.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

job offer

Conversation today:

Three: "When I grow up, I'm going to be a zoo keeper."

Me: "oh honey, that sounds like a GREAT job!"

3: "when YOU grow up, mom, you can join me and we can be zoo keepers together!"

me: "Well, I'm already grown up, and I don't think zoo keeping is the job for me."

3: "Oh, that's right. You already have a job. It's to make dinner."

me: sigh.............

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

mother's day

I feel like I have so much to say, and then nothing at all - all at the same time. Let's see where this post goes.

Mother's Day was very lovely and sweet. We decided to stick around the homestead and get some stuff done around here. Now that spring is here, we spend a lot of our time at our friends' farm (more on this later), which is so very great, but it means things around here just don't get done. So, Bob worked on completing the fence for the backyard for doggy Dash, and I weeded our flower gardens and planted tomato plants and one pepper plant in 5 gallon jugs.

I also bought a couple of hanging flower baskets - having just discovered two hooks that have been here the whole time we have lived here (coming up on five years already - can't believe THAT!). One of the hooks is in front of the house, and the other is on the corner of the shed in the side yard. I love that one, because I can see it when at my command post (the kitchen) but it otherwise goes unnoticed. Feels like my own private flowers, just for me.

We ended the day by cuddling under blankets on the couch, eating take-out chinese, and watching the finale to The Amazing Race.

So, back to the farm... We are starting the third year of gardening there, and this past Saturday was my first day getting into the dirt. Bob and I moved a bean trellis and planted pole beans. B+B already have planted onions, potatoes and salad greens. This coming weekend, we'll hopefully get some tomatoes and peppers and peas planted. We'll also eventually plant eggplant, corn, basil, pumpkins, cukes, winter squash. I will vote for planting popcorn instead of regular, eating corn. Our popcorn from a couple of years ago was soooo good, but I may be outvoted in that one. And then there are the annuals -- asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries, apples. And eggs from our chickens. Nothing beats farm eggs. The kids love to go into the coop and gather the eggs.

I am so thankful for these fabulous friends of ours -- inviting us to garden with them. It has taught all of us so much, about where our food comes from and how hard work has great pay-off. The kids and dog get to run free and explore, gathering confidence and experience in the woods that they just don't get with our city living. They bring friends out and are so proud to show off the farm - the hilltop, the tree swing, the chickens, the overgrown christmas tree farm. It's beautiful and peaceful and we are always happy and tired when we come home.

I planted the extra 4 plants here because I am greedy when it comes to the tomatoes. The last two years, I have gone to the farmers' market to buy seconds to can with, as I felt like I took (probably more than) my share from our garden. So, for a little bit of effort, hopefully these plants will bloom and produce enough extra tomatoes for a few more cans of sauce, chutney, etc.

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Swim lessons yesterday were a breeze. Three repeated to himself, "I'm NOT going to cry, I'm NOT going to cry" and sure enough, he didn't! He asked me to walk him to the edge of the pool with the teacher, but after a couple of steps, he turned and said, "I'm ok mom, I don't need you anymore." We happily waved to each other a couple of times during the class, and he proudly showed off what he learned afterwards. Now the problem is that he has a little too much confidence, saying, "I don't need help!" as he struggles to keep his head above water.

Two, as has been the case, jumped right into his lessons and got to work. For the first time, he didn't use a swim belt to help him float. He struggled a bit but was able to get back and forth the length of the pool several times during his 45 minute class. They also practiced diving. I'm just tickled that his swimming will be that much more improved before summer comes. I anticipate lots of time for him in the deep end.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

words AND pictures!

Gee, how is it May already?

Took Dash to the vet today for annual check-up/vax. She taught me how to brush his teeth. Uhhh, right. It's all I can do to make sure my kids and I have brushed teeth. She was cool about it and confessed she doesn't brush her dog's teeth either. Which, in turn, does not inspire me to try to brush MY dog's teeth. Funny how that works.

We went to my nephew's first communion on Sunday. Tis the season -- seems like everyone went to first communions last weekend. The girls were dressed as little child-brides (complete with veils) which pretty much creeped me out, but maybe that's just me. My kids were all wide-eyed at the sights in church (life-sized Jesus nailed to the cross!) and listened to grandma's explanation (and then later confided that they will have nightmares now after hearing that story). Two asked me which god he is the son of. I chuckled, and he said, "you know, Poseiden? Zeus? Which one??!!" (this is thanks to the Lightening Thief series his big brother just finished reading) I admit I had trouble explaining that THOSE gods were not real, but the god they were talking about in church IS real, at least to the people in that building. "But I believe in the Greek gods, mom!" he responded. I didn't have the energy to continue the conversation. Mark, I'm still waiting for your help in this matter... Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Swim lessons yesterday went as predicted -- lots and lots of refusing (yelling, running away, clinging onto the doorway) by Three, but once in the water, he calmed down quickly and seemed to truly enjoy it. Two hopped right in and did his thing. I think he, in particular, is going to make some nice gains after this class. Deep end swimming, here he comes!
***
Just got back from speech for Three/volunteering in Two's class, and the teacher (happily) announced that there is only about a month left in school. The other parent volunteer and I looked at each other with a bit of panic. We have good things in the works this summer (Goodman Pool, tennis lessons, wrestling camp, football camp, Door County vacation (!!), a bit of camping) plus I have some ideas for field trips in the back of my head (jelly belly factory in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co Zoo, Devils Lake and other nearby state parks, long bike rides around Madison). But I am a bit concerned about every day downtime and the bickering/arguing/fighting that can/will occur between the boys. I need to come up with a plan. Any suggestions?

I didn't use my car last week from Monday afternoon until Thursday evening. It's handy to live near enough to school, the library, the Memorial Union, the grocery store to bike or walk everywhere.

Speaking of the Memorial Union, Three and I met our little buddies there for a picnic last week. It was a sunny but breezy day. Three and his friends were dangling sticks in the water. I warned him about the water temps and to be careful. You can probably guess where this is going. Next thing I noticed, Three was quickly scampering out of the lake, head to toe wet.




I had a very small kitchen towel in my lunch bag. My friend had a beach towel in her burley, which I wrapped around him, but really, the sun did most of the drying work. He proudly told every he saw for the rest of the day "I fell in the LAKE!"

Saturday, both older boys had football. Two's team is in a rebuilding season, I would say. They were totally outplayed by the opposing team. It was fun to watch, and no one seemed too upset by it all. Here he is, playing center:


And this is the machine that is One's team:

Might not look like much, but these kids are amazing together. They have been together for 4 years now (One has been on the team for the last 3) and it is so fun to watch them play. I have privately struggled a little with the coaches, but I'm glad we followed Bob's suggestion and stayed the course. The head coach is a little more intense than I would like, but, as Bob has maintained, it is a great experience for our kids to be exposed to all types. And his tactics have worked. These kids play great together, have a great time, and are very, very successful.

Lately, I will leave you with a cute snapshot of Three and two of his close buddies on a playdate at our house last week. Their moms (two of MY close buddies) and I chatted for hours in the kitchen while they amused themselves. After a while, they were very quiet, and this is what we found:



They were watching Scooby Doo. Three put the DVD in and got his friends all cozied up together under a blanket on his trampoline, while he, ever the gentleman, took the floor right next to them.