A surprising universal language

I brought the kids to the park yesterday afternoon.  And since I had had enough of their shenanigans for one day, I brought my knitting project.  That way if they wanted something, I could lift up my knitting and they would know I was busy and they had to figure it out themselves. 

Many of the usual suspects were there, including the Chinese grandmother of one of the younger boys.  I see her all the time, I try my best to say hello in Chinese and she nods a nice hello and smiles.  But yesterday when I had my knitting out, she came over to the bench, sat down, looked it over, along with the pattern and then took it out of my hands and started working on it.   

She got to a point where she stopped and showed me what she had done, how it was different than mine and then how to do it.  As she was showing me she was explaining everything in Chinese while I was answering in English, oh how I wish I had had my camera mounted on the monkey bars to catch the view. 

Her gesture was so sweet and touching and grandmotherly, how lucky I am to have experienced that moment with her.  I should bring my knitting down more often.

So many spiders

Is it the rain?

The time of year?

They are all over the place.

Raised by wolves (or a 5 & 7 year old)

It has only taken me one day to figure out that I have done KP a complete disservice by having him third in the line up. However, it’s not like there is anything I could really do about it. 

You see, after he came along, it was all about keeping my head above water.  So the other two played with him and taught him “stuff” and cut him a bunch of slack for being the baby.  And me, well hell, I just let it go unless someone was bleeding.

And now…now this kid is in for 100% mama.  It might be a little hard toeing the company line in the beginning, you know things like: not hitting, not ripping books to shreds, not putting play dough in the baby pool, not licking cds, not helping clean up around the house, not wanting to wear big boy pants, not chewing dart tops off and spitting the pieces up all over the family room, not using your words, stuff like that.

Well it’s over my little pretty, because now I have nothing but time FOR YOU!

This year’s picks

When CT started Kindergarten the principal of the school sat us down and told us about their family’s yearly ritual.  At the beginning of every year she would buy each of her kids a special book picked out just for them.  So each new school year, on the first day of school, she would give them the gift of words and add a book to each child’s library. 

We loved this idea and decided to incorporate it.

When I started off on the search for CT’s first book I had no idea which direction I wanted to go.  After reading through several books I came across Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg.  I loved his pencil renderings and the fact that there was adventure and suspense riddled throughout the book. 

The “adventure theme” continued on into first grade with the Jungle Gym Jitters by Chuck Richards .  CT seemed a bit nervous about being such a big kid and the lesson of the story is about courage and “acting in spite of your fright” which seemed to be a nice way to start the year.

This year, for second grade, I took the plunge and bought him The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden. This will be a book that will live on for many years in our house.  It’s amazing from a parent’s as well as a child’s perspective.  Page through it if you can, my guess is you won’t leave the store without it. 

And today PJ got her first book.  It was a hard decision to find something that fit her personality, chutzpah and touched on the wonderfully exciting experience that she was about to embark on.  I found Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth.  The illustrations are fabulous and the stories thought-provoking. 

Here’s to raising kids who love books, there are so many good ones out there.  What are some of your favorites?

Ummm…I’m a little nervous

First day of school, 2nd grade.

Our little pioneer

Last night we got to visit PJ’s new school.  We saw her new classrooms, met her new teachers, checked out her table and all the wonderful things that the teachers have put up on the walls.

To be honest, my heart started beating a lot faster when we walked in and everything was in Chinese.  The teachers spoke to the kids only in Chinese.  And then they spoke to us with VERY thick accents.   I still don’t know how to pronounce her teacher’s names.

At one point, PJ walked up to me with a book in hand and asked me to read it to her, I opened it up and realized I couldn’t.  I DON’T KNOW CHINESE. 

Of course having all the Chinese in the room should have been a “no brainer”.  What was I expecting?  But seeing it written, being surrounded by the unfamiliar shapes and sounds caught me a little off guard. 

I am nervous for her, for her long days, for her experience, for her new friends, for her different school, her different bus, the distance she must travel, the things she will know that I will not and can not help her with and for everything else that I can’t think here to mention.

But what I know is this…she will embrace this wonderful experience with everything shes got, make it her own and amaze us all.

Daddy’s little girl

I love this photo.

Don’t let your kids do this

Yesterday I felt the need to clean the shower…while I showered…me naked with a bottle of Comet and a scrubber.

I’m pretty sure that’s not real good for your skin, but damn if I didn’t get that shower clean.

OUT

Target was out of school supplies.

Yes, I know.  I couldn’t believe it either, fucking out!  Erika had warned me that this happened to her last year (I didn’t believe it would happen to me).  Not with my waxing poetic and lovely thoughts of the Trapper Keeper gone by.

Out of what you ask, let me check my list:  plastic folders with pockets in red and green, pink erasers, large Elmer’s glue sticks (10 thank you, what the hell are they gluing in 2nd grade anyway?), dry erase markers and pencil sharpeners.  Yup that about covers it.

Target can’t pay me enough to go back with three kids to try and find the remaining goods.

I wish I was walking in a snow covered forest alone, only hearing my feet crunch across the ground and taking deep breaths of fresh air.  Yeah, that’s where I could find some calm right now.

Thanks Peggy

About a month ago my friend Peggy emailed me an Ina Garten recipe that I had never even taken a second look at in the cookbook.  But since it came so highly recommended by her, I thought I’d give it a shot. 

The recipe is the Barefoot Contessas Panzanella.  After trying it for the first time, I fell in love.  That recipe will now be a staple in our home.  Not only is it incredibly delicious but it takes very little time to prepare. 

So if you get the chance, try it before the summer veggies are gone.  You’ll be so glad you did.