you can fly

"Sometimes, just sometimes, when no one is looking you fly" N said to me with all sincerity, and yet with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. Did I dispute this statement, nope... I just couldn't bring myself to say it wasn't true.

In a world where children seem to grow up faster then ever before, I like the fact that my kids believe in Santa Claus, think their toys enjoy listening to bedtime stories as much as they do, want to play games that require their imagination as much as watch tv, and yes think I can fly.

Bunk beds and a ghost named Tiki

We got bunk beds this weekend and the kids have adjusted very well. L, as I predicted, has mastered the ladder to the top bunk and would spend all day climbing up and down if we would only let her. She doesn’t want to sleep up top, mind you, she just wants to climb up and down. I thought perhaps there would need to be a period of adjustment, L would stay in the crib for a few more days and N would slowly warm up to the top bunk. Nope, everyone moved in one day one and except for one evening where I found L blanket and all curled up on the floor next to her crib, it’s been smooth sailing. It probably helps that there’s the cute contraption that my sister, the crafty-wonder-mom (I say that with great love and admiration, I wish I could do what she can do. Hell, I wish I wanted to do what she can do ...lol) made for her boys when they had the crib. It makes the beds feel like a little house. N loves sleeping on the "roof" and says, ‘L can sleep in my house’. Notice it’s HIS house and not her bed. Ownership is a big deal these days.

L mastered opening doors with doorknobs this week. So now, in addition to being able to climb in and out of bed at will, she can leave the bedroom and wander pretty much anywhere she wants in the house now. So far she's wandered into our room to climb into bed with us.(Yes, Supernanny we encourage her to go back to her own bed) I will, however, not be surprised to hear her in the kitchen looking for a 'nack' or attempting to put a movie into the vcr one night. She is very independent this girl, and I see a long future of tongue biting in my future.

N has a new friend named"Tiki" (inspired by the "Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" song on our Classic Disney Songs cd, I am sure) Tiki is a ghost who is very nice and just hangs out in the house. He was living in the hall closet at first, but decided that he liked sleeping on the top bunk with N better. He also really likes to hear, "Francis the Talking Alligator" stories (rule 472:if you make up a stories to tell your kid, you'd better remember them, because they will). N tells me that sometimes Tiki gets up at night and wanders the house, but mostly he just sleeps alot. We don't know what Tiki looks like, but I can tell you he is small enough to sit in N's hand when being introduced to people.

That's it from the peanut farm. We'll have reports on the progress in the veggie garden soon.

guest posting - Noah

Hello all:

What a busy year it's been since I turned three. Now I am four and life is good. I can use the potty and do so with glee. "I have to go pee!", is what I yell (every time!) before dashing off to the bathroom. What's really fun is that Lucy wants to do everything I do, so she often tags along after me and goes potty, too. I think Mommy and Daddy are very excited about this. At first I didn't like the company in the bathroom, but then Daddy told me that it was because Lucy loves me so much and wants to do all the big things that I do. That makes me proud, so now I encourage her to go potty too.

I still love dinosaurs and all things wheels. I like to pretend I am a train and chug around the house. I have a vivid imagination. I am always pretending to be a dinosaur or a jungle cat. Today I am a praying mantis. I got a new puppet theater for my birthday and am spending lots of time with my finger puppets (lucy loves them too!) I love to play with my train set and read all my books.

I really want a puppy, but Mommy says we don't have room for one. I really wanted 101 dalmatians, but, was willing to settle for just one. Mommy says there still isn't room. Maybe when we get a house with a fenced yard. I don't think Mommy really wants a puppy, but I know Daddy and I do.

When I grow up I don't want to be a fire fighter, a policeman or an astronaut, I would like to be a parent. When Daddy asked me why I said, 'Because then I get to take care of of little boys" Mommy thought that was awesome.

I had fun birthday party with my family with lots of presents and a lighting McQueen cake. The party was on Sunday, even though my b-day was Monday. When I woke up Monday I thought I would get to have another cake, since it was my real birthday. I also thought I was five..,. but Mommy explained that one day was a celebration and one day was the remembering day.

I will never forget my 4th birthday, for lots of reasons. But the big reason is that Mommy and I were playing beach volleyball in the house with a balloon and I tripped and fell and cut my forehead open on the edge of my new truck. I bled a lot. (Mommy says to tell you she remained very calm) I went to the hospital and they glued my cut shut! I was very brave and because it was my birthday they gave me a toy chameleon. I also read a book to the Dr, he was very impressed. What a day.

Mommy says I should also tell you I love being a big brother.... whatever....

Love, Noah

It comes without warning

In the movies and on tv there is alway a warning of some kind, usually "Mommy, I don't feel so good," before it happens. Let me tell you hear and now, in real life there is no warning. It just happens, out of the blue.

It can happen when you are sitting down in a restaurant to eat. Everyone smiling, laughing and happy with what they have in front of them. And then your sweet girl will open her mouth and things will come spewing out that you know must have been organic in nature once upon a time, but now only represent toxic waste from the sewers seen in a b-movie. Quick like a bunny everyone springs into action Daddy grabs the napkins and deals with the table. Mommy takes the child high chair and all (thank God for wheels) and heads to the bathroom, only to be foiled by the sign that says, "restrooms for paying customers only. Please see manager for a key" Really!?! Are you kidding me!?!? Quickly, Mommy zips back to the front trying to protect the appitites of all other shielding her child from their view. Requesting a key calmly, Mommy tries to pretend she can't see that ooze dripping off her precious child's chin and leg. After all the two year old thinks it's all a game, so Mommy does, too.

Finally secure in the bathroom Mommy begins the task of getting clothes off wiggly giggly two year old all the while trying to keep any more from getting on herself. Miraculously there is a change of clothes in the backpack! Rinse, wash, wipe and repeat. Stuff the clothes in the empty baggie. Slink out of bathroom hoping most, if not all , of the contents of the stomach made it into the garbage and not on the floor.

Pack up family and head home. Does Mommy want the rest of her dinner, ummm no thanks.

You go about the rest of the weekend, everyone seems fine. And then it happens again. And AGAIN without warning. Now it's the soon to be 4 year old stating quite firmly he does not want to eat his asparagus. "So eat your chicken first and then try your asparagus", Mommy says. And just as Mommy knows there's another protest to come, history repeats itself. A wild torent, a river of ooze comes spewing forth. This time onto the lovely dinner table set for company. Again parents leap into action. Only this child is not done, he has another river of ooze to deposit... on the carpet....

It always comes without warning..

The love you feel for your husband, when you know that a few short years ago he couldn't even change a poopy diaper without gagging, and yet there he is on his hands and knees scooping puke off the floor as easily as if he were digging sand for a sand castle.

It always comes without warning...

The love you feel for your child when he/she looks at you with sweet relief and gratitude as you clean them up.

It always comes without warning...

Miss L and her birthday "blaloon"

One Helium "blaloon" +

One Pastrygirl original +

One roomful of family =

A happy birthday girl...priceless

Miss L turns two

L turned two on Jan 23, 2009. Don’t tell her that , we’ve got her and N convinced that her birthday is on Saturday. Okay, okay, I don’t think she’s paying any attention, but N is pretty excited that we are having a party for her. He thinks she would like a Stanley or a James for her birthday (friends of Thomas the Tank Engine for the uninitiated). He’s probably right, she loves playing with the trains and the hammers and anything else that Noah might have in his possession. If N has it then it must be the greatest thing ever, and must be had now... ah the joys of navigating sharing and personal space.

L is a delight to watch these days. She can spend long periods of time put her doll to bed over and over again. First she rocks her and sings "rock a bye baby" then kisses her, puts her in her little bed and says ‘sweet dreams". Then mere minutes later its "rise and shine baby" grab the doll and start all over again. Before you know it she’s done this for 20 minutes over and over and each time with the sweetest "rise and shine" as if it’s the first time she’s ever said it. Next thing you know she’s tossed the doll to the floor, with its clothes half off, and is off to the next thing. What will it be? A rousing game of hide and seek with N and Mommy? (L tends to like to cover her eyes count to 3 and then watch you hide for the last 7 numbers. I wouldn’t say it was cheating, just the best strategy) She loves to be "n-ked girl" (naked girl) and run thru the house at full speed giggling the whole way. She loves to sit on the potty for about 3 seconds stand up and announce "I went potty" whether anything happens or not. And this is followed by a routine of ‘dumping’ the potty into the toilet, trying to flush and saying ‘bye-bye pee’. Like the doll scenario she can repeat this over and over with great delight.

L loves to draw, she loves to point out letters everywhere we go and counts to 14. She sings songs all day long and thinks her brother is delightful (unless he’s not sharing then the meltdown begins) She can be stubborn and clearly is independent. She would rather sit down on the sidewalk and not move before holding your hand to cross the street. If you peel the banana for her you are likely to be greeted with a great wails of "Do it self! Do it self!" She has opinions about just about everything, from what she’ll eat to what she’ll wear. Wails of "Jammies back on, jammies back on" can be heard daily in our household. (This one she learned from her brother N, who is always negotiating keeping his Pjs on for just a ‘few more minutes, please’)

Happy Birthday L. Welcome to the world of twos. These days will be wonderful and exasperating, triumphant and frustrating, endless and instantaneous. They will be amazing days.

I promise to try and remember that these are your twos and not your brothers. I promise to try and carve out more time for just you and me. We’ll go out with out purses and hats one day and the next we’ll race N’s cars down the sidewalk. I’ll begin to let you have a little more independence and you’ll push my buttons... we’ll both do our jobs. But at the end of each night I’ll sing you your lullabies, kiss your sweet face with ‘earring’ kisses, fish kisses and cheek kisses. I will tell you, "I love you. Sweet dreams" and turn out the light. Silently I’ll shut the door and just as I get on the other side, I’ll pause and say a little prayer of thanksgiving for you. G’night sweet pea.

Please come back, next week

Hello dear readers:

It's been awhile, I know. I hope to get back in the saddle next week, I've survived being snow bound with the kids, kids with the flu, a show opening, my own bout with a head cold and now the arrival of my parental units. All of these things = stress in my life.... And while I have literally started 4 blog posts I have been unable to finish a single one. But my show closes Sunday (see shameless plug below) and my head cold will soon be gone. My parents can only stress me out as much as I allow them to, so I'm going to nip that in the bud too.

SO look for a lovely piece on the joys of being Two starring Ms. L or a piece on cabin fever, starring me! Or maybe both.

Meanwhile enjoy the sun!

VITRIOL AND VIOLETS

Music & Lyrics by: Dave FrishbergBook by: Shelly Lipkin, Louanne Moldovan, Sherry Lamoreaux
Directors: Louanne Moldovan & Shelly LipkinMusical Director: Bill Wells

Vitriol & Violets celebrates the Algonquin Round Table, a group of writers and their friends who gathered daily in the 1920s at the Algonquin Hotel. During the course of their “ten-year lunch,” table associates Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott, Robert Benchley, George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber, Heywood Broun, Harold Ross, Harpo Marx and Jane Grant gained fame and fortune as much for their widely quoted bon mots as for their significant achievements. The stage play, which Cygnet Productions premiered at Russell Street Theatre, won an Oregon Book Award (2004) and has been rewritten as a musical in collaboration with Dave Frishberg, one of the nation's foremost jazz composers (and a Portland resident).

The ensemble cast includes Lauren Bair, Adair Chappell, Rae Kraemer, Isaac Lamb, Mark Schwahn, Ted Roisum, James Sullivan, Michael Teufel and Joe Theissen.

Vitriol & Violets is produced by Rainy Day Productions and presented by Artists Repertory Theatre as part of Fertile Ground: The City-Wide Festival of New Works presented by the Portland Area Theatre Alliance (PATA).
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Tickets are available through the Artists Rep Box Office at 503-241-1278

Read more about Artists Rep's other festival entry, Gracie and the Atom.