Thoughts on Early Mornings

Posted on 03/10/2016 by chick

I woke up at 5:30 this morning. I could not fall back asleep, courtesy of Mr. Squeakers, whose scritchings and scratchings in the wall were grating on my nerves. I couldn’t stand to listen to him anymore, so I got up and came downstairs. I thought I’d do some writing and get an early start on breakfast.

I didn’t get much writing done, but the early breakfast was a success. The kids and I enjoyed the relaxed pace. I should always get up a little early.

But not too early. The early morning hours seem so cold and dark and mean. I prefer the nighttime hours, which are darker and yet so much more welcoming. I should not rise before the sun.

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How My Hubby Helps

Posted on 03/07/2016 by chick

Sometimes I construct puzzles during my spare time. There is one particular puzzle that I like to work on when I have nothing better to do, such as when I’m riding in the car. All I need to make the puzzle is a piece of paper, something to write with, and some brain power. If I can finish one of these puzzles during time that would otherwise have been wasted, it’s like finding a $20 bill.

One day, we were on a longish drive. My hubby was at the wheel, so I had nothing better to do than construct one of these puzzles. But I was having some trouble coming up with the entries. I needed a word that could precede ALE, like GINGER or PALE. Naturally, I asked my hubby for some help. He said, “I ate some bad fish, and now I feel ALE.”

Smart-ass!

But that’s how my hubby helps, by infuriating me and making me laugh at the same time! 🙂

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Cuckoo for Coconuts and Other Stories

Posted on 03/06/2016 by chick

Dear Kids,

Here are some stories about you.

You both like pop music. This is sometimes a source of frustration for your father and me, because we don’t particularly care for pop music. Whenever we’re looking for a good radio station in the car, we always dial right past the pop stations, and you always pester us to go back. One of Livia’s favorite songs is “Animals” by Maroon 5. It’s sort of disturbing, given the subject of the song, and that’s one of the reasons I dislike your music preference so much. A lot of pop songs are about the same thing, and not only is it adult subject matter, but it gets tiresome. However, since you don’t understand what the lyrics mean, and because I think you should be able to listen to your favorite music occasionally, I downloaded the song for you. We listen to it (and other songs) while we’re coloring together.

Though your musical tastes differ from ours, you often deliberately imitate us. For example, when I make instant oatmeal, I always smack each oatmeal packet against my body a few times before I rip it open. That gets all the oatmeal into the bottom of the bag. It used to be a totally unconscious habit, but Livia thought it was great. Now, whenever we have instant oatmeal, she insists on being the one to smack the packet, just the way Mommy does.

Speaking of oatmeal, I have a few cute stories to share from when you were younger.

  • Back when Marshall spoke Martian, he use to say “blueberry oatmeal” in a way that sounded like “blue-belly windmill.” He also used to say “wango” for mango and “bandanna” for banana.
  • We used to have a Family Train. Every night at bedtime, your dad and I would meet at the bottom of the stairs and holler, “Family Train!” The two of you would come running. Then we would all go up the stairs together, shouting, “Chugga-chugga chugga-chugga, Choo Choo!”

The last story is about a coconut that your father bought for us. You were both fascinated with it, even though it was just sitting on the counter. One day I told you that his name was Senor Coconut and that if you touched him you’d become his slaves. Of course, neither of your could resist touching him. You went into servitude willingly, providing him with everything he asked for, including a throne, swimming pool, bicycle, and pyramid. You sang him lullabies and served him tea. You were actually sad when I told you that he was sleeping and done ordering you around. But that wasn’t the end of it. Now he sits on his throne in the dining room, and almost every day you ask me what else Senor Coconut wants. The guy has money, wallets, a pet unicorn with a collar and leash, a bed with a pillow, a carpet, pajamas, and all sorts of other luxuries. I hope you will get tired of this game soon, because I don’t know what else Senor Coconut could possibly want!

Love,

Mom

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G Words. Or Gee, Words!

Posted on 03/05/2016 by chick
  • Galumph
  • Gurgle. Gargle. Giggle. Goggle.
  • Gargantuan
  • Gravlax
  • Gadabout
  • Gunge. Glop. Goo.
  • Gaffe
  • Gonfalon
  • Gasp
  • Gumbo
  • Ghastly. Grisly. Gruesome.
  • Gobstopper

What are your favorite G words?

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It’s So Easy

Posted on 02/26/2016 by chick

I like to look back on old posts, particularly when I’m feeling lost, because they are proof that I really do exist. Unfortunately, I don’t have nearly as many old posts as I’d like. I want to believe that the problem lies in the past (i.e., I didn’t write enough back then), but the real trouble is in the here and now. The only time one can write is in the present. If I don’t write a blog post now, it won’t be there later. This is true every hour of every day, and there’s no getting around it.

So why don’t I post more often? Sometimes I don’t have much to talk about. I go looking for an idea and there’s nothing there. Other times, the idea is there, but I can’t seem to find the words for it.

Today, I have very little to say for myself. I worked. I took care of the kids. I stressed over some meaningless stuff. So what is there say?

Nothing. That’s what makes writing this post extra hard. But I’ve got an idea on how to deal with that.

You see, I’ve been thinking about piano-playing and how nonplayers hear a piece of music and think that it must be so hard to play. Sometimes they’re even right. But if anyone were ever to ask me the secret to playing difficult pieces, I would tell them, “First you pretend that it’s easy. Then you play it over and over again until it really is easy.” And it has occurred to me that this method could be applied to most things in life. It’s hard to start anything if you’re worried about how hard it will be. It’s best to just pretend you can handle it, and then make it so.

So, let me tell you about how easy blog-posting is. It’s so very, very easy. And the proof is in this post. Because if it weren’t easy to write it, I would never have finished it. Obviously 😉

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This Was My Day

Posted on 02/25/2016 by chick

Today…

  • Marshall’s bus was late again. Normally there’s at least 40 minutes between his bus and Livia’s, but today he arrived just before she did. So I had to wait outside in the rain for almost an hour. I already had a cold (yes, another one), which had me talking like a frog all day. Now I feel like I’m coming down with pneumonia. Thanks, bus.
  • I cooked broccoli as part of dinner tonight. That probably sounds unexciting, but if you knew how much I have always hated broccoli (the taste, texture, and smell of it), then you would also know how weird it is that I deliberately cooked some. I did it for the kids, who don’t eat enough veggies. I used frozen broccoli, because it comes prechopped. I opted to steam it, because I’ve always particularly hated boiled veggies. Then I ate some to test it, and it actually wasn’t bad. I have never in my life had any reaction to broccoli other than gagging, so it was kind of exciting. I only cooked a tiny bit, but since Marshall ate his small portion without complaint, and because I didn’t throw up after consuming mine, I will definitely prepare more next time. It wasn’t a 100% success, though, because Livia refused to touch it, and even got mad at me for putting a tiny piece on her plate. She is stubborn, just like her mother.
  • I played my piano today. I’m making good progress on one of the pieces that I started learning a few months ago. I can play it all the way through now, and I’ve started to memorize it. It’s got some tricky staccato triplets in it that I haven’t quite mastered yet, but they sounded better today.
  • I watched a movie (“Robot Overlords”) while I was working. I really shouldn’t have, but that’s part of why it was so much fun.
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Makeup Matters

Posted on 02/20/2016 by chick

I don’t care much about makeup personally. I only wear it for social occasions, and I do it mostly to make my husband happy. But if I ever wondered about how much of a difference it makes to my appearance, or if it was really worth the effort, I now have an answer. One day, after I put on my eyeliner and mascara, Livia asked me, “Why do your eyes look so much prettier?” And when I told her it was makeup, she said, “Can you do that to my eyes?”

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A Thought for Today About Tomorrow

Posted on 02/18/2016 by chick

What you create today, even if it seems disappointing to you now, will have great meaning to you in the future.

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Just Like “The Lorax”

Posted on 02/15/2016 by chick

As I was driving to CT a few months ago, I was surprised to see piles of trees along the side of the highway.

trees1

I was awed by the scope of the destruction. It went on and on. And then, finally, the instrument of destruction was revealed.

trees2

I had never seen anything like it before, except those tree-chopping machines that take down the beautiful Truffula trees in “The Lorax.” I had always thought that machines like that were just make-believe. I was wrong, and this machine was so much more terrifying, because it was real!

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Pine Needles & Pearly Whites

Posted on 02/13/2016 by chick

Dear Kids,

Here are some stories about you.

The Christmas tree dropped a lot of needles as it dried. You liked playing with the loose pine needles. You collected them in old Harney & Sons tea tins and Ziploc bags, and Livia even made some pine-needle art. You couldn’t seem to get enough of them, even though there was a shocking amount on the floor every day. You denied shaking the tree or brushing the needles off the branches deliberately. But the tree became nearly bare on its lower half, while its upper half was still full. Hmm. Suspicious.

You used to fight over our Kindle Fire, because you both liked playing video games on it. So we bought two new ones just for you. They have parental controls which allow us to limit you to one hour of play per day. This has changed the way you behave toward each other during video-game time. There’s no more fighting. Instead you discuss what’s going on in your respective games, share strategies, etc. It’s nice to see you cooperating! Your favorite game is “Plants vs. Zombies.” In this game, zombies are attacking your house, and you have to grow special plants and fungi to fight off the zombies. You often bring your tablets to me so that I can see your new plants and read the notes that the zombies leave for you. While you’re playing, our house is filled with the sounds and music of the game, and periodically I overhear strange comments, like Marshall saying, “Aw! Why do the zombies have to go on a real rampage?!” It’s surreal.

Huggie-hugs have become very popular around here. I used to give them only to Livia, but now everyone is doing huggie-hugs. I can’t speak for anyone else, but they cheer me up immensely. One morning, before I hit the road for a long day of work in CT, you both gave me huggie-hugs, and it made me feel so much more optimistic about the day. When I told Marshall that his huggie-hugs made me feel better, he said proudly, “I make you feel like a million bucks!” It’s true. You both do!

A delightful bit from a conversation between Marshall and Daddy while waiting for the morning bus to school:

  • Marshall: Why did the chicken cross the road?
  • Daddy: Why?
  • Marshall: So it could poop on your head.

Back in 2009, when we were trying to pick a name for our new baby boy, part of the appeal of the name “Marshall” was that it was uncommon but not unknown. We figured he’d be the only Marshall in his class, but that no one would think the name was weird. But lately we’ve been hearing the name all over the place. For example, Peyton Manning was just on TV with his son Marshall. And recently Marshall brought home a book from school. It is “Catch That Cookie” by Hallie Durand. The main character is named Marshall. Our Marshall was thrilled to see his name in print for the first time. So I guess I’m glad that the name made its way into “Catch That Cookie,” but it hope that it will continue to stay under the radar for most new parents (and authors), so that it will stay at the perfect level of rarity.

Livia has a great set of pearly whites. When she pretends to be a shark or a monster about to bite, she shows off those teeth, and wow! They are beautiful. She hasn’t lost a single one yet. This doesn’t surprise me. She was slow growing them, so it makes sense that she’d be slow to lose them. I’m glad she’s taking her time, because I will miss them once they’re gone.

Love,

Mom

Posted in Dear Livia, Dear Marshall, Marshall Says | Leave a comment