Thankful for the Big and Small

I never thought we would be thankful for Andy downing ½ a bottle of cough syrup as entertainment on a boring college night, but it has given us just the experience needed to monitor Avery after a morning raid of the medicine bin. We suspect only a drop was consumed (based on the 2 ML syringe she took with her and attempted to use after scaling the kitchen cabinets), but have been hovering ever since. All behavior looks normal so far. And either our daughter has Houdini like abilities or Robituson needs to re-think (and re-design) their child proof caps.

But overall, this was just one final antic after celebrating a long Thanksgiving weekend with a 2 and ½ year old. Alex skipped the terrible twos and gained our attention during the trying (and whining) threes, so we are a bit perplexed and unprepared for what Avery keeps throwing at us. When not imposing danger on herself, she is leaving her mark and a trail of destruction wherever she travels – these past few days it was red chalk on my mom’s freshly painted linen walls and chocolate cupcakes on Margo and Brandon’s newly laid taupe carpet.

So except for this morning's scare, which we know could be very serious and we got off easy, these daily challenges are relatively small and very trivial in the big picture. Overall we do consider ourselves very fortunate and cannot be anymore thankful for family, friends, health, home and happiness.

Click here for more pictures from Thanksgiving 2009.

Click here for more pictures from November 2009.

Something Seems Fishy

A few weeks ago a 95 pound catfish was caught at Lake Isabella. I have been encouraging Andy since we moved to Loveland that he should frequent our local lake to fulfill his fishing habits and further introduce the sport to Alex. However, he has always been reluctant saying he would never stoop to a “stocked” lake. So now I realize he was not being a snobby fisherman (spoiled by his time in the fresh and quaint Colorado waters), but one that was protecting our children from this unnatural (and creepy) phenomenon. Let’s stick to minnows or anything else that is not twice their size. And if we have to fly to out west to do it, then even better.

Mellowing Out with Isenhours

I love routines. I love patterns. I love traditions. And I especially love our Sunday morning trips to Mello Mushroom when we visit the Isenhours in Lexington. The pizza and conversation are always good – my children’s behavior, not so much. But we escaped without any concussions (despite a tipsy toddler on a tipsy chair), which was a nice way to end an already enjoyable trip. You got to love being with friends who like to hang out at the park, dance in the basement, drunk dial and laugh at Brian Fellows just as much as you do. And the fact all the kids get along – even better!

"Can I borrow your dog to trick that goat?"

Boys Like Cars; Girls Like Dolls

After all my feminist writings in college and gender equity rants in my 20s, I cannot believe I am now back pedaling and somewhat apologetically changing my position on the nature vs. nurture debate. Oddly, I have always felt (and my feelings seemed validated by both readings and personal testimonies) that one’s sexual preference is a biological decision, not a choice or a direct result of big sisters dressing up little brothers in skirts, make up and high heels – so I am not addressing that issue today and sticking to my stance – but on the flip side I was always willing to quickly blame the longstanding sexual stereotypes and basic genderization of our society that forces interests, expectations and desires on boys and girls. Sure, this view point stemmed from critically reviewing the major traditions of feminist theory (in Marilyn Fryes The Politics of Reality or Susan Faludi’s Stiffed), but also because I simply stocked shelves at The Children’s Palace Toy Store the summer after my sophomore year in high school and there literally was a “boys” aisle and a “girls” aisle.

However, now that I am a firsthand witness to my own test case (one boy and one girl emerging out of toddlerhood), things are looking a little different. And sadly, I would not be considered an independent researcher, and would even think my biased influence (or general lack of understanding around “girly” things) should be pointing Avery toward Hot Wheels, Baseballs and Transformers. Instead, she is all about baby dolls and princesses. I am still trying to trace the route of these interests (which are turning into obsessions). Is it Disney movies? Is it the “touristy” Saugatuk t-shirt from two summers ago? And since I feel like we have done very little to push her in this direction, I can only assume there is something innate that makes her head spin when we walk down the Princess / Barbie / Dora / Baby Alive aisles at Target (Alex in turn was frothing at the mouth over Star Wars space ships and more Tonka garbage trucks).

Now, I am not going to claim I am fully innocent in this situation as once Avery’s likings of mini nursery items and glittery crowns were apparent, we might have continued to fuel the fire by suggesting a Tinkerbelle costume for Halloween or recommending a new Fisher Price double jog stroller as a birthday gift. But you also want your kids to happy and we already knew those things would do the trick.

So I don’t if I will ever get to the bottom of it. And by no means am I letting society off the hook or even myself (we are now in a bad habit of telling Avery she looks like a princess). But my new theory is that there are some natural tendencies that are further evoked by gender based commentary, media and consumables. I’ll keep looking for the right balance, starting with indoor soccer in December and a new Doll House for Christmas. We’ll see which one prevails.

My Kind of Mess

You do not have to put your toys away as long as you leave them like this. I am starting to grow accustomed to organized clutter …

YES WE COULD! And I Guess We Still Can …

So I just finished watching the documentary "By the People: the Election of Barack Obama." Can't say I was overly impressed from a documentary standpoint, as it felt more like an extended 60 minutes report or a campaign highlights real, but I was crying throughout the final 20 minutes. It’s so hard to believe it was just one year ago. And even harder to believe how quickly we - as suburban (and white) moms - forget what it really means today and what it will mean in history (November 4, 2008 was just noted by Newsweek as one of the top 10 most significant dates this past decade. I am a bit disappointed that it was ranked after December 12, 2000, which was the day the Supreme Court made the decision to stop the recount of the vote in the Bush / Gore hanging chad, campaign debacle). But in looking at the full list, I am sure one day some historian will point out that one was a direct product of the other.

But back to November 2009. By just watching the documentary I started to feel like a pathetic, fair weather fan since I don't even make the time to turn on MSNBC, laugh at Keith Olbermann’s witting (and yes sometimes bias) remarks and follow the healthcare debate. But at the same time, the documentary was the perfect catalyst to re-inspire me to get involved (or at least pay attention) again. I’ll start tomorrow by wearing my Obama t-shirt on my morning run. And then I’ll re-commit myself to universal healthcare and the Iraq troop withdrawal after lunch in a TBD way ...

College Football, Campus Food and Reality 101

Nothing like visiting a college campus to make you feel young again, yet old all that same time. This past weekend we hung out at both UC and Miami – doing our best not to compare and contrast the universities – as let’s face it; we are not talking apples to apples. But in both cases we relished in our youth, especially while tailgating and dressed in all black before UC’s big (yet too close) win over UCONN and while enjoying the greasy spoon at Skippers that next day for lunch (you could still smell the stale beer on the floor and we somehow felt a bond with every college student who walked in to retrieve a credit card they “forgot” and close out a tab from the previous night).

On the flip side, we found ourselves among somewhat naive or smug young adults concerned about whether their Uggs clashed with their NorthFace jackets and determined that Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” is only a product of YouTube. And then, while pushing Alex and Avery down Slant Walk, we made the mistake and did the math. It was exactly 17 years ago I was a freshman at UC, probably walking down Clifton Avenue on an unusually warm November afternoon. We instantly went from being young, hit alumni to feeling like we were in Oxford for parent’s weekend (as parents). Luckily those days are about 17 years away, but it feels too close for comfort.

Overbooked May Be Overrated

I know I like to stay busy and love it when my calendar is full. I sometimes even get mini panic attacks when I am forced to stay inside my house for up to eight hours straight, which happens way to often given my home office. But I have to admit that I over did it this past October, and my health, pocketbook and parenting skills suffered the most.

From mother-daughter fall apple parties to traditional Halloween festivities to take-advantage of it while you can Beavercreek get-togethers, there was little breathing room in our scheduling and little downtime on the couch (I am still about four episodes behind on Weeds and haven’t even had the chance to watch the season premier of 30 Rock). I am now on a permanent rotation of DayQuil and NyQuil, the kids think that every day is a special day (where rules can be broken) and American Express has finally stopped calling me daily to report suspicious activity.

Click here to see more photos from October 2009.

Halloween on Hunterwood

Alex and Dominic as firemen. Georgia as a bumble bee. Kristen’s popular rum punch and against code fire pit. Spooky masks (and scared kids). Sippin' Shiraz in the cul-de-sac. Oregon beats USC. Avery attempts (and completes) two streets. One whole bag of candy left over. Sugar highs. Melt downs. Diego. Dancing Disney fairies and princesses. More football. Smoked salmon and more spooky cocktails by a more contained bonfire (thanks Andy). Daylight saving should have been in our favor (but was not).

Click here for more pictures from Halloween night and Grandma Foley’s party.

Running Like Hell for the Second Time

This is definitely a Halloween tradition I am going to keep. The second year was just as fun and even warmer, and of course, the cause (CF) is something I am very passionate about. As for the slutty referee costumes, the jury is still out. Mine fit more like a shirt, which if worn alone probably would have offended plenty (shorts and tank were not required, but much needed). Luckily the three miles through Xavier's campus and the Walnut Hills Cemetery are not well lit, so no one could really see my half-ass attempt to be provocative.

Click here for more pictures from the 2009 Run Like Hell.