Random Feet

At some point in the past year, I started letting E carry the GPS unit when we geocached. She just loves having it around her neck, and looking at the computer display. It makes it hard to find the treasure, because I'm constantly looking over her shoulder and guiding her in the right direction...but it's fun to watch her exploring. The funniest thing is if you ask her how far to the treasure she always says the same thing..."A hundred and sixty feet." I have no idea where she got that particular number. I do call out the distances as we approach the geocache, but it's not like a hundred and sixty is anything special! Oh, and when you step on the scale, she will announce that you weigh, you guessed it, "A hundred and sixty pounds."

Bad Medicine

I admit it...I give my children cold medicine. Even after it had been pulled off the shelves, I had some stashed away for emergencies. I believe that the children's decongestants DO work, and I never worried that I would give them too much...I'm careful with reading the labels and spacing out their dosages. But I had a little moment of panic the other night after giving E a teaspoon of "Little Colds"...

She was sitting on the couch watching Blue's Clues, and from the kitchen I heard her say, "I can't see." I shut off the sink and said, "What, honey?" "I can't see, Mommy." I tried to stay calm as I walked into the living room and looked her over. I turned her face towards mine and I stared in her eyes thinking, Ohmigod. Did I ignore some news bulletin about cold medicine causing toddlers to go blind? "E, are you okay? Can you see now?" "No, Mommy, look!" she replied, pointing at the blank TV screen. The satellite was out....

Phew...that's all I have to say about that.

Unplugged Project - White

We decided to focus on white pine, Michigan's state tree, for our Unplugged Project this week. We have a nice white pine in our yard, so I collected some needles and brought them inside for us to work with. Guided by an artsy website, E and I put some needles into envelopes for crayon rubbings...I have to say that for a toddler, the envelope was a great idea! You could do this with fall leaves, too, and you don't have to worry about everything slipping all over the table. Also, you can shake the contents around and do rubbings of different colors. Of course, E wanted to put ALL of the needles I collected into her envelope, so her rubbing was a little messy!We also made a bird's nest by pouring some Elmer's glue onto a pile of needles, then pressing them between two small bowls. I used wax paper to keep the "nest" from sticking to the bowls. Once it dried, it really did look like a nest...now we just have to find some little fake bird to live in it. I knew E would like this one because she is obsessed with a tiny nest that G'ma has in her living room. But ask E what she remembers about the white pine theme, and I'm sure she'll say "Chocolate!" I melted some green candy and poured chow mein noodles into the bowl, then we tried some different ways of making pine trees. E just wanted to eat the tree trunks, but we did manage to form some trees! Both the flat free-form and Dixie cup varieties came out looking very tree-like, and they definitely passed the taste test!

To cap off the week, we took a side trip up north to Hartwick Pines State Park, one of the few areas of virgin white pine left in the state. It was a cold and damp day, but cousins and friends of the family all joined us for a walk through the visitor's center and a hike through the old forest. E was in her glory, running back and forth on the trail, laughing and chasing the older kids.

I don't know if E can recall the theme, but I'd have to say that the projects we did were fun and successful! Just look at that smile! (You can see Daddy's foot in the picture too...he was just out of reach, making sure that we didn't need any Unplugged First Aid!)

Baby Got Lip

Here are some snippets of life in the last few days:

E: I don't like dat corn lady.
Me: But I made her for you! (It's my first try at a corn husk doll, admittedly, not beautiful.)
E: But I don't like her.
Me: Why?
E: Because she's naughty, and chuchily, and orgily. (Wow. Harsh critic.)

E: Mommy, can you get me some milk?
Me: Honey, I'm trying to get dinner ready, and I don't have enough hands right now.
E: Daddy, do you have enough hands to get me some milk?

E: Mommy, when are we going to start our project?
Me: As soon as I'm ready.
E: But I'm ready.
Me: But I'm not ready.
E: But I'm ready.
Me: Honey, I'm not ready.
E: But I'm ready. (I believe we would still be going back and forth if I hadn't just decided to stop answering her.)

Me: E, you need to go brush your teeth.
E: Mommy, dat hurts my feelings.
Me: Well, you still need to brush your teeth.
E: You need to be nice to me. You should say you're sorry.
Me: But I'm not sorry.
E: Dat REALLY makes me sad.

I'm asking you, how do you argue with such a child? Most of the time, I leave the conversation quite sure that she has won and I have lost...and there's only one cure for that. "E, go to your room." At least then I can falsely believe that I have some power left.

100 Things About Me

Yippee! It's hard to believe, but is my 100th post. In the tradition of the blogosphere, here is a giant list about me. I have to be honest...after I got on a roll, I think it would have been pretty easy to continue on to about 2000. That reminds me of something I forgot to put on the list...I like to be the center of attention. :)

1. I like very tiny things…especially tiny food.


2. My favorite tiny thing is a set of carved ivory animals called “Noah’s Ark in a Seed.”


3. Whenever I vote, I get teary eyed.


4. I don’t mind peeing in the woods.


5. Once when I was peeing in the woods I didn’t know how close I was to the road and a truck went by. I couldn’t stop, so I waved.


6. I had to have about 6 baby teeth and 3 adult teeth pulled when I was in elementary school.


7. I’m afraid of the dentist.


8. My dreams are vivid and in color.


9. Sometimes I can change my dreams and do whatever I want. Once I flew into the clouds and ate asparagus…I could actually taste it.


10. When I was very young I had a recurring dream about a cartoon boy chasing me around the house. Eventually he would explode and I would see the word “Pow!”


11. I have run 4 marathons. They were so slow and so long ago that I think I’ve lost bragging rights.


12. I panic in deep water. I imagine that something is going to grab me from below.


13. I used to have 4 piercings in one of my ears. Now I wear no earrings at all.


14. I hate watching TV shows or commercials with hidden cameras. I feel sorry for the people who are embarrassed.


15. I don’t understand calculus.


16. I love the song, “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow.


17. Someday I would like to sit at the piano and play a song while someone else sings along with me.


18. I get angry when people try to get on the elevator before they give me the chance to get off.


19. I almost got fired from my internship at Seney Wildlife Refuge because a visitor brought my boss’s dog to the pound…it was running loose in the marsh chasing geese and it was so muddy I didn’t recognize it.


20. I’ve hunted grouse, woodcock and rabbit, but I’ll probably never do it again.


21. I was a vegetarian for about two years.


22. I like to scoop up handfuls of coins and pour them out.


23. I like to sort coins into little towers.


24. My dad used to bring me grading books home from his job and I would play school.


25. There was always a kid in my pretend class called “Missy” and she would always fail.


26. A real girl named Missy lived down the road and she had a pet squirrel in the cage. If you tried to pet it, it would bite you.


27. Growing up we had a guinea pig named John Boy. When we found out it was a girl, we renamed it John Girl.


28. I love genealogy. I think if I could make a living at it, I would quit my job and research family trees for other people.


29. Sometimes genealogy makes me sad because I think about all of the information I will never know.


30. In Kenya, I laid awake for an entire night because a lion was roaring very close to our lodge. I was both petrified and in awe.


31. I’m rarely late for anything.


32. When I was about 8, I wiped out on a neighbor’s skateboard while trying to prove to my parents that I was responsible enough to own one.


33. I take a shower every morning. I am not happy if I don’t shower.


34. When I got married, I took my maiden name as a second middle name. That makes it hard to fill out forms, but it’s legal.


35. I was born in Peekskill, New York.


36. When I was young I liked to tell people that “The Facts of Life” was set in Peekskill…then I would tell them that in actuality the girls’ school didn’t exist.


37. In 8th grade, I got a 100% on the algebra Regents Exam.


38. When I wear turtlenecks, I feel like I’m choking.


39. Once when I was teaching, the door to the classroom got stuck and we couldn’t get out. I had to calmly call the office and ask them to come let us out. Inside, I was panicked.


40. I think I’m a little claustrophobic.


41. With M, I managed to squeeze through a 14 inch space between two rocks as part of a guided hike. I consider this a huge accomplishment.


42. I love reality shows…even the REALLY bad ones.


43. I watch more television than I’d like to admit.


44. I hate being tickled, even by my daughter.


45. I was in many musicals in middle school and high school.


46. I wanted to win “Most Dramatic” my senior year, but I didn’t.


47. In high school, I attended an Episcopal Youth Event in San Antonio, Texas.


48. Once I got to college, I stopped going to church.


49. My least favorite foods are broccoli and mushrooms.


50. When I was in high school, I went to a computer programming competition where I was the only girl. If I had known that beforehand, I wouldn’t have worn a dress.


51. I do things in sets of 5 or 15.


52. While walking, I either count, spell, or sing (in my head) along with each step I take. Always.


53. When I’m trying to learn something, I try to place it in a “slot” in my brain.


54. Until I took a learning style test in college, I thought everyone had slots.


55. Driving to Michigan to start graduate school, I witnessed a rollover accident on the highway. I stopped my car and as I approached the scene, I was sure I would find fatalities. All four people in the minivan were fine and were able to walk away.


56. I always wear my seat belt.


57. After I graduated from MSU, I would wake up in a cold sweat every day, thinking that I had forgotten to study for my exams. That lasted for about 6 months.


58. I’m not a team player.


59. I’m not a good boss.


60. I am, however, a pretty good teacher.


61. I grew up believing in my heart that I could be anything I wanted to be.


62. We had a dog named Puppy Wiggles…we called her that because the family couldn’t agree on a name. I wanted to call her Cinnamon.


63. I clearly remember the day my parents had to put my first dog, Ginger, to sleep.


64. Once I carved an “M” on a table in our playroom and blamed it on my sister.


65. I let my daughter eat too much junk food.


66. My wedding day was the happiest day of my life.


67. There was a “hole” in the hedges between our neighbors’ house and ours. As a kid, I would stand at that spot and yell “Can I come over?” because my mom said I couldn’t go over unless I was invited.


68. My first job was at Waldbaum’s as a supermarket clerk.


69. At that job, a lady yelled at me for ringing up her rolls as $6 each instead of 6 for a dollar.


70. I have worked at two different pet shops.


71. I was promoted to assistant manager of a pet shop at age 18 because the manager didn’t want to stay at work late enough to lock up.


72. I have worked at two different veterinarian’s offices.


73. One time, a man asked me to come to his car because his dog was very sick and he needed help to carry it. When I got to the car, the dog was dead. I decided shortly after that that I could never be a vet.


74. I cry when I hear “Amazing Grace”, “Ode to Joy”, and most Easter and Christmas Hymns.


75. I cry at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Fifty First Dates”, and “Love Actually.”


76. I consider myself a morning person.


77. For an entire year, I lived almost exclusively on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Ramen Noodles.


78. Sometimes I buy things for my daughter not because I think she will like them, but because I think I will like them.


79. I hate having my picture taken.


80. There are some people who really, really don’t like me…for good reason. That drives me crazy.


81. When I was little there was a tame crow in my neighborhood named Amos. I liked to feed him from my hand.


82. Computer glitches make me very, very stressed.


83. Sometimes I fantasize about having a job at a coffee shop.


84. I was in the Girl Scouts for 5 years.


85. I got in trouble on a Girl Scout field trip when I flushed a bowl of cereal down the toilet.


86. I’m not that responsible.


87. But I love making lists…especially checklists.


88. If there’s ice cream in the house, I will eat it.


89. If there’s an open can of frosting in the house, I will eat it.


90. I am the youngest child in my family by 11 years.


91. I don’t wear a watch but I always need to know what time it is.


92. I love to entertain. I want the kind of house where people just “stop over” and stay awhile.


93. I don’t know how to put on make-up.


94. I sometimes worry about who will teach my daughter the “girlie” things.


95. In college I dropped my second major (computer programming) when it became “too hard.”


96. I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if I had dropped Zoology and kept Computer Programming.


97. About 10 years ago, I earned a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do.


98. “I love the whole world, it’s such a brilliant place…boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada.”


99. I think my family is a little crazy…I think they think I’m a little crazy.


100. I consider myself a very lucky person.

Questionable Parenting

Days like today, I look back at my decisions and wonder how I ever got my license to parent. When I picked up E, she wanted to stay for a few minutes so that she could visit the Pre-K room. No problem. We walked down the hall and entered chaos...in retrospect, I should have known that she would be overwhelmed with the energy of a dozen four-year-olds. She really wanted to play with the harvest corn on the sensory table, but the 2-foot tall queen of the classroom stated, "No. Only two friends at a time." She then grabbed the corn out of E's hand, and threw a few kernels in her general direction. In my defense of my child, I took E aside and said (loud enough for the queen to hear), "That's okay, honey! We'll go to a farm on the way home and get you some corn all for yourself." I thought I saw the queen wince a little as we left the room.

Yes, on the way home we did stop by a farm (it's practically on the way) and I bought a few ears with purple and orange kernels. At home, I put a cookie sheet on the kitchen table and E had a great time picking off one kernel at a time. So the question is, is she young enough that it's okay just to protect her and heal hurt feelings with corn? Or did this call for some sort of pep talk, encouraging words, empowerment, yada yada yada? Why did I feel proud that I had bullied the bully? Is this success, being snarkier than a four year old? Sadly, that's the most successful I've felt in a week.

Unplugged - Fruit

This week's Unplugged Project theme was fruit. Thankfully I have never had a problem coaxing E to eat plenty of apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, you name it. So we raided the fridge for a "Fruit Face" snack.

I set out a plate of sliced fruit, raisins, peanut butter, and baby marshmallows and called E into the dining room for some unplugged fun. I had a design in mind, having read an online suggestion to use apples and marshmallows as a mouth. With Baby m safely out of reach in his high chair, I gave E a bare plate and we got started.

I used my plate as a model. First I took an apple slice and spread some peanut butter on it. I showed E how, but she wanted me to do hers for her. Then I placed the other apple on top, making a pair of lips. E followed my lead, and then we placed some marshmallow teeth in between. Then we used the bananas and raisins for eyes. All by herself, E came up with the idea to glue the eyes and nose to the plate using the peanut butter. The results on E's plate were pretty, um, hmm...what's the word...strange? But she was VERY proud.

She ate the apples, peanut butter and raisins, and Baby m ate the bananas. As expected, I had all of the marshmallows to myself. Then we went outside and played a game of "Guess the Fruit" with sidewalk chalk. She guessed all of the fruit correctly except for the grapes, which she called "Purple bubbles!" When it got to be her turn, she would only draw asparagus...little pink and purple lines. I decided not to distinguish between vegetables and fruit (or to say that I've never seen pink asparagus), since we were just having so much fun.

I'm glad that E is of the age where she can and wants to play in the kitchen. She wants to stir, mix, measure, and pour...so we're going to have to come up with a lot of ideas to get Unplugged in the Kitchen!