Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Baby Translation: I like cake.

We all had a great time at Noella's party- it was surprisingly easy, given the 14 children and 15 adult guests.  Lots of snacks, a craft project and a game, many cupcakes, juiceboxes, and one monkey cake later, the party was over... and I barely took any pictures.  I should be better tomorrow on the actual day without so many distractions.  So- more birthday girl pictures to come.  In the meantime, here are some of Noella enjoying her birthday cupcake. 

Friday, December 18, 2009

A year ago today, I was in the emergency room at Children's Hospital waiting to get Mariel's head stitched up.  It was also Noella's due date, which gave many of the doctors (and nurses, and custodians) reason to pause and look a little worried.  As we now know, there was no need- just like Mariel, Noella was coerced into being born five days after her due date.

Her first birthday party is tomorrow, with far more people than should be allowed to attend a baby's party.  Since she is my "chunky monkey" she is having a monkey themed party.  Here are the cake and cupcakes.

They are being stored VERY high overnight, to prevent any interested dogs from taking a taste.
And now I must go work on my strategies for entertaining 14 children and their respective adults.  I'm thinking pin the banana on the monkey.  I'll report tomorrow...
Michael Jackson...
is still a part of our dinner conversation. At some point this summer, Mariel picked up on the whole Michael Jackson craze after his death.  My best guess is that she overheard it on the radio as we drove around NY/ New England, and then heard people talking about it.  And of course, this summer was high Peter Pan fan time, so once she heard that Michael lived at Neverland Ranch, well, she was hooked.  So she would do things like wake up and play in her room and tell Patrick and I that she was playing with Peter Pan and Michael.  "Michael?" We would ask.  "Michael Jackson," she would say, smiling.
So today, at dinner, she asks me: "Mom, is Michael sad or dead?"   "WHAT?"  I reply.  "Michael Jackson.  Is he sad or dead?"  (I avoid answering the question, because the real answer is both and that seems like it would get complicated).  "Why are you thinking about him, Mariel?"  She shrugs.  From what I can gather, there was no reason or conversation that drew her attention to Michael.  She just was thinking about him.  I wonder if she thinks about him often?  Bizarre.  Another indication that I have NO idea what is going on in her head.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Its been a good day.  Actually, a good week.  And I want to recognize that, because often I get caught up in the tired/ stressed/ busy/ annoyed mode and forget that there are days when it really feels good to be in my life. I aspire to the whole idea of living gratefully, thoughtfully, and optimistically, but I rarely even being to incorporate that into my day.  So I will work on that- but at least (continuing in the positive tone), I did so today!
On a different topic, I also wanted to point to some of Mariel's new skills with letters:

She decorated these trees for Christmas.  The little one in the middle spells her name (just not quite in order).  You can make out all of the letters- the R is upside down.  The big tree is for Mia (darling Mia, I will mail it to you!) and has her name on there twice.  Just in case.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Breakfast conversation with Mariel
(discussing what Noella is eating)
Mariel: Does she have peanut butter waffles?
Patrick: She has plain waffles.  Remember, there are things babies can't eat, like peanut butter or honey.
Mariel: I like waffles with syrup.
Me: You are a big girl, so you can eat anything.
Mariel (after thinking a few minutes): I can't eat bees.
Me (not really hearing her as I get my coffee): Beans?  Honey, you can eat beans.
Mariel: No, mom, BEES.  I can't eat BEES.
Me: Like buzz buzz bees?
Mariel nods and smiles.
Hmm... I guess she's right- she can't eat anything!  Is it bad that she is catching me in linguistic traps at 3?

Saturday, November 28, 2009

"Dear Santa
I have been very good this year.  Please can I have a princess suitcase.  Noella would like a baby dress up.  Please take care of the kids we are going to help this year.  Please bring my daddy and mommy dress ups.  Love, Mariel
PS Please be nice to my doggies."
She thinks email would be the fastest way to send the letter, but Patrick was concerned that Santa would miss her drawings.  Also her "word" of BAW1 on the top of the letter (she is not too clear on what she thinks she is spelling).  As a compromise between email and regular mail (which she doubts will get it to Santa with due speed) we left it in one of the fireplaces for the elves to come pick up. 

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Holidays...
I am thankful for many things.  On the list is a week "off" (not driving to Edwardsville counts as vacation, even if I am working from home!), parents willing to regularly drive 1800 miles to come visit us, kids who are healthy, bright, and generally well behaved (I did consider boarding preschool earlier this week, but we are doing well today), and a very fortunate life.  I am also thankful for a successful portrait session earlier this week- somehow the photographer managed to capture a number of very sweet pictures.  Here are some highlights!



Sunday, November 22, 2009

Its been a good weekend- busy in an unusual combination of being both fun and productive.
We had friends over for dinner on Friday night.  They brought delicious pizza, some mozzerella sausage roll creation that makes me wonder how I ever lived as a vegetarian, and one of Mariel's favorite friends and playmates.  The two "princesses" had great fun in their imaginary world, spending a lot of time spinning in circles, falling on the floor, and laughing hysterically.
After dinner, I got to go out with more friends to a karaoke night downtown (I was an excellent wallflower).
Saturday was incredibly warm and nice, and we managed to rake up 10 yard bags of leaves, clear the backyard and driveway of all of the piles of construction debris (some of which predated us), and Patrick fixed a rotted windowsill.  He got to go out to dinner with Tim and then to a Blues game, which they won (the Blues, not Patrick and Tim). 

Sunday has been a good day, too- our basement is all organized and relatively clean.  Patrick and Mariel put together an early Christmas present from Aunt Carla and got to sit outside after dinner and make smores (Noella got graham crackers) under the stars.  There are some advantages to daylight savings and having dark outside at 5:30!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Budding Picasso, Part 2

One of the (many) things that I never thought about before having kids of my own was how suddenly they move into new phases.  And how quickly this becomes so normal that it is easy to forget that it was ever any other way.  So I wanted to put up an example of Mariel's new art phase, since I had blogged about her artistry before.  For just a few weeks now she has been making little stick people when she draws.  I have no idea how it happened or where she got this skill from (maybe Babci showed her?  It wasn't me!).  Truly, they just started popping up every so often.  Here is one portion of her epic, poster board sized drawing from this afternoon.  That is her, and on another part of the board was Noella, the tiniest little stick figure and face that I ever saw.
She is also starting with limited letters and numbers- right now, she can write M and W and the number 1 (which I suppose we could also count as the letter I or lowercase L, but she insists that it is a 1).  Today we practiced A, so we'll see if that comes up again.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Mariel's wedding

Mariel has been looking forward to this weekend a very long time.  Officially, it was to celebrate the marriage of my brother, John, and my new sister in law, Kate, but we really all know that it was Mariel's wedding.  She enjoyed the attention, the flowers, and her beautiful dress.  The candy bribes were also quite popular (during rehearsal, she got an M&M everytime she walked nicely down the aisle) as well as the fact that she got to watch TV all morning in the bridal suite while the bridal party got our hair and makeup done.  She even got to go to the grown up party (aka reception) for a little bit. 
I am sure that others have much better pictures- between my own role as bridesmaid and messenger and balancing Mariel and Noella (who did not get to go to any festivities but remains blissfully unaware) I only took a handful.  I had good intentions at the reception, but after a few glasses of wine my recollection of those intentions faded a bit.

First Limo Ride
Flowers


And those other people who seemed to think it was their wedding

Another weekend excitement was Noella's first true word- and perhaps her first boyfriend.  She seems to have fallen in love with John's best man, Bob. Lucky for Bob, he also has a very easy name to say.  So "Bob" it is!

Sunday, November 01, 2009

We're too old for this!


Patrick and I had a lot of fun celebrating Jim and Rori's wedding in New Jersey.  Too much fun.  Two days later, I am still worn out!
We loved getting to see old friends, not just Jim and his new bride, but also Brian, Abby and John, and others. 
We flew home Saturday afternoon and made it just in time for Halloween with the girls and Ray and Charlene.  Mariel and Noella went to all of four houses, then we settled back home and let the flood of children come and trade jokes for candy.  In my opinion, one of the best traditions in all of St Louis (or at least Webster Groves- I have no idea how widespread this is).  Instead of "trick or treat" kids tell jokes or riddles.  Mariel's was "What do witches learn in school?" Answer: "Spelling"

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Stalkers
I now have tech savvy students trying to find me on facebook and online.  Lets see how they do.  I will say that I checked to make sure that my privacy settings were secure for all things on Facebook, including pictures and videos (they were not).  So I fixed this VERY quickly.  And deleted posts, just in case.
Now I guess we will see if they find the blog.  I will check and see if there is anything that I need to edit for them.... what a world. I should be getting ready to go to New Jersey for Jim's wedding, not wondering if someone in one of my classes is looking at a picture of me in a bikini.... although maybe I will get a better student evalaution that way...

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Daddy's big day(s) and our little carnivores
Yesterday was Patrick's birthday- we made it a full one!  The morning was spent at the Zoo for "Boo at the Zoo" with Emily, Freddie and Aidan. Noella was the only one to dress up, but she was also the only one little enough to not have an opinion. 


After Noella's nap, his parents took us out to Schlafly's brewery for a lovely lunch and a few beers.
Patrick and I even got to go out to celebrate his birthday (Vin de Set, a nice rooftop restaurant downtown followed by a St Louis Blues Hockey game) - many thanks to our babysitters, Ray and Charlene! 
Since we were out last night, he got his special at home dinner today.  He made a massive amount of ribs, slow cooked on our grill.  They were delicious, and loved by adults and children alike.  In fact, it appears that rib bones make an excellent teether for Noella.   The former vegan/ vegetarian had to cringe a little, but I also have to admit that my love for all things barbeque has never faded.  It looks like the girls have inherited their parents' tastes!


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Still Here...
So I am still here.  Actually all of us are.  Just not up to date with blogging, and certainly not with taking pictures.  Noella has yet to break into a run, but she is very strong at standing.  She walks very happily holding on to a finger or hand; she is about where Mariel was on Mariel's first birthday. 
Mariel is practicing her jumping, dancing, and directing.  As in, trying to direct everything that Patrick and I do.  She also listens to EVERYTHING that we say and thinks far more deeply about pretty much everything than we realize.  The other day Patrick and I were joking and I said something about feeling pride in myself.  Mariel overhears and asks: "Are you talking about the girl?"  "What girl?" I say.  "The girl at your school, mom."  At my blank look: "The girl in your class."  "The girl at my school?" (I am really confused at this point).  She gives me the look that I am sure all children- although usually teenagers- must master, the look of sheer wonder that someone so very stupid could qualify as an adult.  "Mom.  The girl.  X (now censored due to online stalkers among my student population).  You have a girl named X.  In your class."  Well, she is right.  I do.  Her name is X Pride.  And I mentioned this to Mariel about a month ago, because X is her favorite name. And had not mentioned it to her since.  But she remembers.  Amazing!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Here she goes!

Monday, October 12, 2009

First Steps!
Noella is starting to take independent steps.  My parents were visiting over the weekend (a very quick trip- they were in St Louis approximately 27 hours!).  They timed it right though, as they got to see her first steps.  This means that my mother even has pictures, so I can post one if she will send it to me. 
Noella decided to perform even without her audience, and did some walking for me this evening while we played. So apparently we have a walker at 9 1/2 months.  It is still amusing to me that with all of these milestones I was so excited for with Mariel and just waited desparately  for them... and now I am somehow surprised, a little dismayed (really?  you want to walk now?  can't you just be content to sit around?)  and certainly unprepared!
 

Friday, October 09, 2009

A new "normal"
After two weeks of Pat and I taking time off and having the help of our friends Sarah and Emily to care for the girls, we are moving into a time when another friend will be a more permanent fixture in our daily lives.   Hooray for "Brookie Poppins" and her built in playmates.  Margot and Nash, her two kids, have already been featured in some posts and pictures.  It is SO nice to know that the girls will be in a very comfortable environment, cared for by someone whose creativity, energy and general love of small children often amaze me.  Here is a shot that she sent during the day of the stamping project, when the babies were napping:

We will be working on figuring out our new routine, which will involve a bit more travel time than I am used to.  It should also involve a lot less worry, which seems like a very good trade.
Happy weekend everyone-
A quick sartorial comment:
Its been raining here.  A lot.  And cold.  So I broke out some blazers, sweaters and cool weather clothes.  Yesterday I wore a lovely professorial looking jacket, gray and brown wool tweed, nice and warm.  It fits perfectly.  It belonged to my mom and my aunt way back when and is probably from the early 1970s.  This summer I had some conversations with the same aunt about how sizing has changed over the past decade (she and I often wear similar sizes).  So I checked the tags on the jacket- size 9/10.  All of the jackets and blazers in my closet, which fit well and were purchased over the last 5 years?  Size 4.  The only exceptions are the two that I bought for interviews when Noella was 5 weeks old- they are a whopping size 6.  I guess I have some evidence to go along with all of those news stories about everything in American life getting bigger, from our dinner plates to our clothes!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

My worldly girl
Earlier today, Mariel and I were playing a game of "guess how much I love you."  She topped my "I love you all the way up to the sky" with "I love you all the way down the pipes to the ground."
As I was getting her to bed, she kept interrupting my lullabies with slobbery kisses, laughing "I love you so much!"  So we played again, and this time she won with the farthest away thing that she could possibly think of. "I love you all the way to.... New Hampshire!" 

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

And the answer is NO.
Patrick and I had to fire our nanny today, for reasons I won't go into.  We are so thankful that we will have some help from our friend Sarah while we try and figure this out again.  I guess I feel a bit of relief right now.  I can start a new round of worrying again tomorrow, when I start my new search.
Anyone know a good nanny in St Louis?

Monday, September 28, 2009

Daddy's back!
After a week away (split between Kansas City and Las Vegas) Patrick is home.  We all did fine without him, although we did miss him and I was getting pretty tired by the end of the week. 
We had a fun girls' weekend, with trips to the farmers market, halloween decorating and crafts, lots of cooking (and the accompanying eating), and shopping.
Mariel set up a "store" in the kitchen which she spent much of Saturday tending.  She has interesting sales technique. She offered to sell me some toys for $45, and when I said I did not have enough money she gave me imaginary money to use. I bought the butterfly, and then she took it back, saying it really cost $55. Hmf.

Sunday morning we skipped church (its not so fun to go with Noella at this age) and went to a new sculpture park in the city, Citygarden.  Not only is it beautiful, it is also intentionally designed for interaction, making it a great place to bring kids.

Mariel got to climb, swing, splash all over, and by the end even decided to find a place for a little rest (it looks a little like she is a homeless kid in this picture, but I thought it was an interesting view of the sculpture!)

And Miss Noella is getting bigger and bigger- here are two shots of her for her 9 month post, a little late:
She really loves this toy, pushing herself all over.  It is fortunate that we have a sunken living room, because it helps to keep her somewhat contained!

This is just before she attempted to dive off of the bed.  I wonder if I should just start taking pictures of her while she is asleep?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Noella- 9 months
Noella is still a big girl- 20 lbs (90th percentile) and 29 inches (75th percentile).  One and  a half teeth (on the bottom).  Crawling all over, cruising while standing, putting everything in her mouth.  She now knows the word "no" (and, as my mom asked, can distinguish between the "No" sound as part of "Noella" and as part of "NO NO"), although she doesn't really like it.  She does put on a very funny pout in response, though.  She LOVES eating, particularly anything she is allowed to feed herself.  Also cups of all sorts.  In other words, she is right on track. 
I would take a picture but 1) she won't stay still (unless, perhaps, she is chewing on something forbidden, like a camera or cell phone) and 2) Patrick too my camera to Kansas City.  So my attempt at a picture may come soon.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Can we start over?
Day One of having our nanny come without her son.  Its been an intense (and stressful, and exhausting) month as his behavior deteriorates into more severe autistic tendencies.  Mariel's crayon colored carpet incident was a relatively benign example, but it was become clear that his very constant and immediate needs were really interfering with her ability to take care of, supervise, and be fully attentive to my kids.  So he is going elswehere for now, and after he turns three will be in more intensive therapies.
This has not been what any of us thought we were getting into.  So she and I talked this morning, at great length, about what I have been unhappy with and what I am hoping to see.  We both seem to agree that about 90% of my concerns relate to his presence and how her attention has been compromised more and more. I guess we have a starting point, an idea of what I don't think was going right.  Now we have a new situation, and are figuring out what to work in order for to feel good, confident, and fully comfortable.
It is such a strange experience, trusting your children to someone else.  You are never (or at least I have never met anyone who is) completely happy with everything.  And you don't want to be too over the top controlling, even if you would rather do everything yourself, your way.  So maybe I let too much go unsaid- and after today I have probably said too much.  In this, as in everything else, I think I have to let go of the idea of finding a balance. 
I hope we can start over, try this again, reevaluate.  I want this to work out, want to feel as comfortable and happy as I did when I hired her in May, before her son's problems really went downhill.  But am I stretching too much? Hoping for too much?  Its a relationship as much as an employment situation.  So we will see how this week goes.
I am so tired.  I spent most of the weekend wrestling with what I was going to say to her and trying to figure out the framework for my concerns (its not easy to tell another mother you are not confident in her judgment about supervisions or discipline!).  It was a fairly emotionally stressful morning (coupled with a VERY wierd meeting on campus today).  But I have work to do (after not getting anything done this morning).... and miles to go before I sleep...

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Little Bunny Foo Foo, a la Mariel:
Little Bunny Foo Foo went hopping through the forest
scooping up the mice-field and bopping them on the head
Down came the Good Fairy, and she said:
Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don't like your aptitude
scooping up the mice-field and bopping them on the head
I'll give you three chances, and if you dont stop
I will turn you into a lagoon.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Apple and the Tree, or What Goes Around?
I came home from a reasonably low key day at work today, caught up with our nanny before she left, nursed Noella, played with Mariel, and eventually made it upstairs to put my work bag away.  Hudson had puked all over the floor in my bedroom (red and chunky) so I was less than pleased.  I went into the bathroom to find a roll of paper towels and cleaner, and discovered that Mariel had been in there and left clothes on the floor.  When I went into Mariel's room, I found crayons, a coloring book, and a large patch of newly blue carpet (our carpets, so you know, are beige). 
I called the nanny to find out if Hudson had been given anything to eat during the day (it turns out that while kids napped and she cleaned the kitchen, the dog may have snatched a grape or two from their lunch leftovers- not enough to be poisonous, but apparently enough to come back up).   I also (oh so casually, as I am sure you can imagine) mentioned the crayon colored carpet.  Mariel had asked the nanny if she could go upstairs to color in her room, away from Noella and the nanny's son.  Since Mariel was quite emphatic that this was normal and allowed, is often allowed to have quiet play in her room on her own, is generally pretty good, and (as the last post reveals) is big into coloring, the nanny quite reasonable let her go.  This was NOT normal, has NEVER been allowed, and apparently the freedom just got away from her. 
I was pretty mad, but can't help but recall some stories from my childhood... such as when I convinced a babysitter that the pet guinea pig was always allowed to roam the house freely.  Lets just say the guinea pig took advantage of the newfound liberty to find a place to hide.  And stay hidden.  Bye Bye guinea pig! 
I told this story to Mariel at dinner, who wisely noted that this was not a good thing for a kid to do and "you were just like me, Mom."  
I consider myself warned.
PS- Thanks to Patrick, the carpets are all clean again.  Ready for tomorrow.

Monday, September 14, 2009

A budding Picasso
We are in a new artistic phase- it happened very suddenly.  Mariel is spending more time in her own made up world these days without needing our interaction as much.  Her drawings and "writing" have become much more deliberate and planned out and sometimes have elaborate story lines to go with them.  She tells me that the top picture is one of the sky and the bottom picture is one of a dinosaur. 

Friday, September 11, 2009

Conversation with Mariel
At dinner, Patrick commented that our neighbor, Cassie, was in the paper for her role on the high school softball team. Since Cassie is Mariel's hero, the conversation quickly turned to the idea that if Cassie plays on the "big girl" team, Mariel wants to play on a "little girl" team.
Me: Well, you could maybe play Little League in a few years. Or T ball. T ball is for little girls.
Mariel: T ball? I could play that.
Me: Sure. I don't know how old you have to be, but we can find out.
Mariel: When do I get the cups for the tea?
Maybe we are not talking about the same thing here...

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Mariel's first day of pre-school, 2009.
She's all grown up. She has been excited to go back for weeks, so this was a big day! It will be strange for me, as the nanny will usually be the one taking her and picking her up. Major control issues at play here, and I am not used to relinquishing any of my control over my kids... or, well, anything. So, we'll see how I do.
The nanny asked (as we listened to another preschooler scream non-stop for the entire 10 minutes we were on the school campus) if Mariel ever had trouble being dropped off at school. I chuckled a little. Does Mariel have problems being dropped off anywhere? Going with someone else? Um, no. She's pretty much ready to be as independent as she can get away with (at the ripe old age of 3 and a half, as of tomorrow).
Oh right, so I guess I probably do need to work on this letting go problem of mine...

Monday, September 07, 2009

Post Toronto
I made it home yesterday, surprisingly tired after my "holiday." Something about having early morning meetings, days packed with paper presentations and other events, early morning flights, and doing my best to stay out late with friends I rarely see anymore. And for those doubters, I did manage to stay up until about 2:30 on Thursday night :) I did sneak away one afternoon for a long walk along the gorgeous Toronto harbor, watching sailboats and plane flyovers from an airshow. It made me nostalgic for Sydney, perhaps because of the relaxing feeling of walking around a city, by the water and through parks with no place special to go- and noone waiting for me anywhere. Of course, when I lived in Sydney I walked everywhere not only because I enjoyed it (or learned to), but primarily because I actually could often not afford the extra few dollars for an impromptu bus or subway ride.
I came home to happy kids and a tired Patrick. Noella is now free-standing for about 10 or more seconds, which seems a little ominous. She does it best when she forgets what she is doing. I brought Mariel home a dinosaur print umbrella, which is a big deal. And I brought myself home a long to do list for work, which I now turn to....

Monday, August 31, 2009

Long weeks...
The first week of school was pretty exhausting. Lots going on at school, lots at home. Marley has made a temporary relocation to my parents' because of issues with our nanny's son, who has lots of his own issues to deal with. The short story is, it is all too much and he is going to start going to daycare somewhere else. And my parents are wonderful for going well beyond the call to duty to make sure that both Marley and Tyler stay safe.
In the meantime, my pups are separated and I am a little sad (Hudson too). I will not have to clean my floors so much, though, which will be nice. But, lets just say this stress had contributed greatly to the fact that the first week was, as I said, exhausting.
This week will be even more so, with the annual American Political Science Assn. conference in Toronto. The good news is that I am not presenting any work, the bad news is that I am discussing other peoples'. There are some who have not yet gotten their papers to me to review. I leave at 6 am Thursday, so here's hoping they decide to step it up soon! Nasty emails have been sent.
I do admit that I am looking forward to getting to fly and sleep in a hotel room all by myself. And going out as late as I want without having to pay a babysitter. Lets keep our fingers crossed for Patrick- it will be Noella's first nights without me!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The weekend and Noella's 8 month photo shoot
We had a very busy, very enjoyable weekend. It was filled with friends and different activities. The weather has been great, which is always encouraging. It also feels like we are very settled here, like we know people and even have a vague sense of what we are doing, which also feels wonderful.
Friday afternoon I took Mariel, Noella, and our neighbor Beatrice to the playground. When we came home, Noella napped and Beatrice and Mariel went to play at their house (2 houses down). It is a strange sensation to be down one kid, although I had no problem filling my hour of free time! Saturday we started with Tower Grove farmer's market with Emily and the twins, a trip which included a fountain and playground.
Noella loved the swing, and I swear she was trying to pump her legs. Big difference from Mariel, who refused to go on swings at this age.
This is Mariel, deciding maybe it is a little colder than she thought.
This was followed by errands and cleaning, then an impromptu happy hour with neigbors that turned into dinner with four crazed kids (there were a lot of cheerios consumed). Sunday has been filled with church, a long walk with Mariel and the dogs, a trip to the pool, snowcones for Mariel and Patrick, and then a meeting for Mariel's school.

Part 2-
Noella's photoshoot- far less successful. Most of my pictures look like this:
Although I did get this one.
And this one chould have been good, but for some reason I had my camera on video. The strange noises are me trying to get her attention.


Not to be outdone, here is the masked princess.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

As Noella's 8th month approaches, some new things that entertain her:
trying to pull off her diaper
sticking her hands in the toilet
eating anything that she is not supposed to (bark or sticks, paper, and dog fur are favorites)
pulling cords out of outlets
taking as many books as she can off of the shelf (and chewing on them, of course)
sticking her fingers in her mouth and smearing food everywhere
going down stairs (surprisingly adept at this, even head first)
playing with the DVD/ stereo buttons
and trying to stand and/or climb me while nursing.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I am Jack's sense of deep indignation
I need to get a little off topic here. No kids or cute pictures in this post. Just had a VERY intense conversation with a new friend about her treatment in her PhD program. Or, as she calls her discipline (this is not an affectionate nickname), "the academy." After several years of graduate work and some questionable guidance, she was subject to repeated harassment by someone in a position of power. Her attempts to deal with things by working with other members of the department lead her to believe that they were aware of the situation, but didn't really care. Certainly no actions were taken to support or protect her in any way. University avenues also did not offer her any assistance, and her attempts to hire an attorney failed because, as they told her, she had no evidence. A classic "he said/ she said", and given what she was up against (and the massive amount of resources that could be brought to bear against her) there was no chance.
The thing that just blows me away- she finished. She is a PhD. She is a deeply scarred PhD with a whole lot of understandable issues to deal with. But she remained in the program and completed it and managed to get a job as a professor despite what could not have been very sound or sincere references or any support from her department. If there is anything that speaks to the ability of a person to act under adversity, this is it.
Not sure what else to share- I just wanted others to share in my sense of outrage.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Now for my official faculty portrait from SIUE. At least I look friendly.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Here are some shots from Noella's long overdue photoshoot (pardon my scanner work- I am trying to entertain two small children at the same time as I am doing this):


I did try to get pictures with Mariel, but her current "smile" for the camera looks more like she is a rabid cat baring her teeth at the camera. It is a shame, because she is such a beautiful girl but puts on such a crazy face if she knows you are taking a picture. We'll hope for good preschool shots when they do school pics in the fall.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

On tattoos and kiddie pools...
It has been a lovely week in St Louis- humid (of course) but in the high 80s as opposed to 90s. A lovely time to be outside. I took the girls to the pool yesterday since it was an early day for me and we could take advantage of the afternoon. The crowd at the Webster Groves pool is fairly standard for what I would expect of a community pool in a relatively affluent urban/suburban area- lots of well-toned soccer moms, suntanned teenagers, goofy kids, and a handful of unsteady toddlers in very well coordinated outfits. As one would also expect at a pool, there is a lot of exposed flesh.
In the kiddie pool there were a few dads that I would NOT have expected to see in this environment. Upper bodies and a few lower portions covered in tattoos (I am talking torso, neck, back, full arm and leg sleeves). One relatively large man had the word CONDEMNED across the back of his shoulders and DEVIANT across his chest, along with the many designs on the rest of his body (no, I did not look closely enough to see what those designs actually were). He was there with twin boys, maybe around 2 years old.
So, here's my question. Is that wierd? Inappropriate? Should he have worn a shirt? For those who don't know, I have tattoos of my own on my shoulder and back (two African symbols and a Celtic symbol). While they are covered by most clothing, they certainly show when I am wearing a bathing suit or particular tops. I like them, and I like showing them- they are "body art" after all, as well as a form of self-expression. So I certainly support the idea that tattoos are a social thing, an art form (when done well), and meant to be exposed. But I felt somewhat uncomfortable about THOSE tattoos in THAT space, and confess that I was glad Mariel can't read. And this discomfort gave me further discomfort, because then I felt like I was being too conservative about it and perhaps unfair and (gulp) even judgmental.
So what do YOU think?

Sunday, August 09, 2009

The (literal) fruits of my labor...
It was was a busy weekend of cleaning, organizing, catching up after a month away, and getting ready to start work. I organized toys, sorted Noella's closet and clothes (she outgrows things so fast!), and did the dusting, floors, etc. I also weeded the front "gardens" (I use the term loosely) as the vines and weeds in our yard were overgrown to the point that I started to feel that our house looks like it belongs to a crazy person, making me something of a Miss Havisham without the wedding dress.
I took advantage of other peoples growing skills and made baby food all weekend- Noella will not be going hungry. Here are the results of my ice cube trays: chicken, turkey, bananas, peaches, applesauce, sweet potatoes, squash, broccoli, peas, green beans, and avocado.
It was a somewhat challenging parenting weekend, as Mariel was overtired and cranky and Patrick and I were trying to get so much done. Noella was also exhausting, crawling or climbing into or up everything she can reach.
As a result of all of this, the poor dogs have been very neglected this weekend. Marley spent an hour today (I think) waiting patiently at the back door to come in. Sorry!

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Random updates on the past few days...
I started getting my office together and finishing some of the details of my employment (ID cards, HR forms, etc)- still have one VERY large bookcase/ desk/ torture device/storage piece from the 1960s to have removed, and then I will be settled into the office. It is a very large room, and surprisingly cozy for a former basement bomb shelter. I will post pictures soon.
We were supposed to go to get Noella's portrait taken yesterday (before the ugly tooth pokes through even more- I admit that I do not like the baby grin with one tooth). Unfortunately her forehead is covered with scratches and bruises from her fingers and falling over all of the time. So I decided to cancel and instead took the girls to the Webster Groves pool. It was a great facility- multiple pools, aquatic playground areas, perfect for kids... I was beyond impressed. Yet another plus mark for Webster Groves... I wonder when I find out that all of the residents are really alien pod people or something.
While not yet on their best behavior for the nanny, my children are eating incredible amounts of food while I am gone. Noella drank an 8 oz bottle along with a lunch of about 6 oz of sweet potatoes and turkey and several oz of oatmeal. Mariel yesterday ate nearly an entire box of mac and cheese, then hummus and crackers, and other snacks that I cannot remember. So maybe they will just eat themselves into a food coma and calm down soon.
The bottle thing does instill a little fear into me as a breastfeeding/ pumping mother- I am wondering how much I will need to pump in order to get enough for a 3 1/2 day work trip in a month. When am I supposed to do this? Can my body make that much extra milk over the next few weeks? Not sure if it will be possible to really do this, or if she will have to go to formula for some of the weekend. One of those times when breastfeeding does NOT make life easier!

Monday, August 03, 2009

Conversation of the day
Mariel, holding a paint tray with indentations for mixing paint: "Mom, can we make ice in this?"
Me (thinking of the paint remnants in the tray): "Why don't we use an ice cube tray?"
Mariel: "Why? Is this one a mean cube tray?"
It took me a minute to get it, but I've been smiling ever since.
6 years
As of Sunday, Patrick and I have been married for 6 years.

6 years of Anne and Patrick =
2 Masters Degrees
+ 1 PhD
+ 2 dogs
+ 2 kids
+ 3 houses
+ 3 states
+ 3 corporate mergers

and we are still married :)

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Two pictures that make me smile:
The "goofy" family portrait of Patrick's family in Cape Cod.
And Noella's picture on the wall at the beach house in Westport, where we celebrated Mo's birthday.
No babies were harmed in the staging of this photograph.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Back at home in St Louis after a month away, 1200 miles in my brother's old Jeep, three states, one funeral, several birthday celebrations, a graduation party, family gatherings, and uncountable other activities. The girls and I survived flying without assistance between Syracuse, Chicago, and St Louis last night, arriving around 10 PM. We did need to rely on the kindness of strangers to exit the plane, however, as I had two girls who both fell asleep about 5 minutes before landing. One of those girls (guess which one) absolutely refused to wake up, responding to my yelling, poking, and other attempts by curling up in a ball on the floor of the plane. So another passenger carried off our backpack while I carried both girls and Mariel's "pack yack" off and then deposited them in the stroller.
Our first day home involved lots of coffee on my part, unpacking, cleaning, cooking, napping (sadly, only Noella got in on that one) a walk with two girls and the dogs (who seem pretty happy to see us), more cleaning and cooking, laundry, lots of dress up clothes for Mariel, Noella scaling the steps to the kitchen without a second thought, a playdate with our neigbors, and more laundry. Now I am online, and suddenly wondering why I am not sleeping instead! Tomorrow, babyproofing.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Back by popular demand...
I had no idea that people were actually reading this blog, but have recently heard several complaints about the absence of posts in the past week and a half. Now that I know I have an audience, I shall be more conscious of my timing!
The girls and I had a nice visit to New Hampshire. They got in lots of time with Grampy and Babci. Even better, Noella began taking 2 hour long naps there. Maybe there is something in the New Hampshire air?
The next stop was a trip to Westport, Mass on Friday to surprise my friend Monisha for her birthday. Patrick met us there, so we all got to spend the weekend together (along with 10 other adults). It was a beautiful area, gorgeous house, and a great time with lots of old (you can use whichever definition of that word you prefer) friends.
Below are a group of us that have survived many years of late nights, less than wise decisions, and a lot of great times. Here's to Mo, Cathy, (me), Katy, and Laura!

And finally- we are now in Cape Cod, at Patrick's Aunt Jay's house. Our last leg of vacation will end tomorrow, and then it will be back to land locked St Louis.
In other news- Noella's first tooth is poking through! Just in time for her 7 month milestones!