Snippets

Here are three recent snippets of Delaney conversations...


Delaney: Mommy, I love you so so much. I don't ever want you to go away.
Me: Well, I might go on a vacation, but I'll never truly go away, I'll stick around if you want me to.
Delaney: And I love Garrett so much too. I want him to stay for at least one more week.


Me: Delaney do you have to go potty?
Delaney: No, I don't.
Me: Then why are you clutching yourself down there and looking down?
Delaney: Because I was hoping that if I looked hard enough I could see my vagina.


Delaney: Mommy am I ever going to have a sister?
Me: No, Delaney, we are done having kids and we are so happy with the two children that we have.
Delaney: I sure wish I could have a sister.
Me: That's nice, bug, but I think you will be a pair with your brother.
Delaney: I wish I had a sister, but I wish she was teeny, teeny, tiny and was the size of my little pinky finger.

Boulder Parking Lot Redux

A while back I posted a rant about the various parking lots in the city of Boulder, and how they nearly drive me to madness on a daily basis. At first I thought it was simply the tight spaces of these lots that was making me so angry.

I'd like to add the traffic flow and exits of these parking lots to be on the same annoying plane as the tight spaces. For some odd reason, the majority of the parking lots in Boulder have one way exits where it's hard to actually get onto the neighboring streets. What is THAT about? Why did they get designed that way?

The worst offender is Target, or at least it seems like the worst offender as I frequent that store so much that getting out of that lot takes a lot of advance planning before you even pull out of your spot. Every exit is only to the right, meaning you have to go to great lengths should you need to go south or west (which I almost always do) after leaving Target.

And there are a host of other stores that can compete well in this category... Safeway, Whole Foods, Michael's, the new 24 Hour Fitness, Wahoo's, McGuckins (and every other store in that area) and so many more. After five years of living in Boulder I have become very accustomed to planning out routes and getting sneaky with my exits. In a town of 100,000 I have to ask myself why it is so hard to go to stores here? I just don't get it.

However I also realize this is just one of those things that I can't control and should stop getting angry about. I think when others come to visit and I hear myself trying to tell them tricks about one-way store parking lot exits is when it all comes to a head.

I would really love to have a conversation with the civil engineers and city planners who designed these parking lots and streets. What the F were you thinking?

New York City Trip Review

I returned yesterday from an all-too-brief visit to Nueva York. I was there for an affiliate conference, and what will no doubt be the last of any kind of real business trip as I move careers to the teaching profession. I packed only a carry-on bag and was able to arrive at the airport only an hour before my departure. I forgot what that was even like!

It was the first time I have left Garrett overnight ever, and it had been a while since I had left Delaney on an overnight trip. I have come to realize that Delaney is at her worst when Kevin leaves town for long trips and secretly I was hoping that the house would meltdown and spontaneously combust as a result of my absence. I was also hoping that the kids were good and he would have an easy time of it, but to be honest I was probably more hoping for the former so that Kevin could have a taste of what it's like to be alone with two kiddos. This was his first extended time with both kids, although two workdays away is nothing compared to two full weeks including weekends. It turns out the little rugrats were great during my absence and reviews of me being gone were positive all around. Hmmm... me thinks I should leave more often. It did get me to thinking about why in the heck I struggle with D so much when Kev is gone and she was a doll for him. I'm sure it has to do with my energy, now I just have to figure out how to get better at that in the future.

New York City was wonderful. The city seemed so alive and full of energy it was like I was getting intravenous injections at every corner. I think that living in Boulder and the slow pace has got me so much more accustomed to living basic that when I get in a real concrete maze with people everywhere it's all I can do to keep walking and not get frozen in one spot to spend time taking it all in. My senses were on complete overload every time I was outside and I loved it. I think part of that has to do with the fact that I've been spending a lot of time inside, with kids, changing diapers and doing the often-boring-as-hell house maintenance routine. I get to NYC and just one building seems fascinating to me, not to mention thousands of buildings, store windows, outside cafes, faces, clothing, construction, cars, traffic, etc. I came to the conclusion that I need to do trips like that more often just to wake up my senses and avoid having them dry up for good.

I stayed in the meat packing district at the new Standard Hotel which is an Andre Balazs property. The hotel was very modern and a bit crazy for a stodgy tech conference but I enjoyed my two nights sleeping in a room by myself. The hotel was right around the corner from the Diane Von Furstenberg office and I found myself walking by that window as much as possible in an attempt to look at the pretty flowing dresses that are so quintessential DVF. If only I had a grand to drop on some clothes.

The hotel was also conveniently located directly over the new High Line walking path in NYC. This was one of the highlights of my trip. I had seen a television piece for this on CBS Sunday morning and was excited to try it out. I had the fortune of re-connecting with an old friend Emilio, and when he picked me up at my hotel for a fun evening dining out and drinking, we were able to walk the entire way to the restaurant on the High Line. It is a fantastic project where the Parks and Rec department in NYC decided to make something of the old railway tracks that were abandoned long ago and were sitting unused. These aren't just any railways, though, it's an above-ground railway that runs north-south along the west side of NYC. The railways are actually still there but they have placed very architecturally pleasing elements all along the way and also added some natural grasses, plants and trees that are also very pleasing to the eye. There are benches where people were camping out for a sunset dinner, a little amphitheater that seems like it mostly meant for kids to look out a the cars underneath, and other spots along the way for people to stop and enjoy the view. It's an understatement to say that this project is cool in concept and execution and it's a testament to the idea that even in NYC where you think every corner has been developed, you can still provide culture and value to the citizens. Well done, NYC.

Emilio and I dined out at the restaurant called The Cookshop, which is very similar in theme and quality to Boulder's The Kitchen restaurant. Fresh and local products are used the menu changes frequently. It was great catching up with an old LA friend and shared stories of our children who are almost exactly the same ages. We had the brilliant idea to possibly do a house swap where he comes to Boulder with hid family and we go to NYC. Of course we are getting the better deal there but given his previous passion for the outdoors and climbing, Boulder could be a nice respite from his concrete world.

The next night I ate with a colleague at Scarpetta, which was recently named "One of the Best New Restaurants In America" by the New York Times magazine. The food did not disappoint at all, and it inspired me to do more experimenting with flavors and cooking given the taste explosion that occurred with every new dish that was presented.

And then it was back to Boulder after two brief days of travel, and I took both kids in the double jogger to the Wednesday night Boulder Farmers Market and purchased some fresh mushrooms, scallions, cherries, arugula, sugar snap peas, grain-fed beef and potato gnocchi. I am excited to do some cooking over the next few days and see what I can do.

Delaney "Goucher" Runner Girl

Last week Delaney completed the Uni Hill Kids 1k race. There is an adults race as well but they kick the event off with kids doing one lap of the 1k course.

Delaney did this race last year and Kevin ended up carrying her for a bunch of it. This year she not only did the whole thing under her own power, but RAN almost all of it. She stopped to say hi to Daddy a couple of times and occasionally stopped because she almost ran into curbs and holes in the road. It is an understatement to say that she was excited about this race, but I imagine her excitement is a direct result of our excitement and fussing over how cute she is in her running clothes and how proud we are of her to.

There are a lot of pics in this post, so bear with me, but I wanted you to feel like you were at the event with us.

Delaney has a snazzy running outfit (from Target) which has had to be pinned due to the fact that it's too big.



First we had a few training runs which were documented on film.





Once we got to the event, there were funny moments of Delaney doing her own stretching routine.



(This one is my favorite)



Kevin getting her ready.





Doing the stretch routine with all the kids.



And finally... the actual run.








The whole thing was a ton of fun for everyone and we will be doing the other two 5430 kid races this summer as well, in the hopes of getting one of the free pair of Crocs that go to the first 100 racers that do all 3. Next up, July 23 West End 1500.

Summer thoughts

I have about two more months of work. Yeah!
It has rained every day for the last 3 weeks. There hasn't been one day where some drops of rain didn't fall, and most days it is a downpour of rain accompanied by lightning, thunder, and sometimes a tornado. I am definitely tiring of not being able to camp out in our backyard a bit more. We have not been able to have one dinner out on our patio and it's mid June. What the heck?!?
Delaney started Gymnastics last week and just loves it. It is in this huge gym with trampolines (multiple kinds), uneven bars, balance beams, ladders, etc. It's a great program and I highly recommend it for kids 3 and up.
Delaney starts soccer this Saturday morning. We'll see how that goes!
She also starts swimming next week. I'm doing my part to keep her busy and active this summer. Now if only the weather would cooperate we could go to the pool with Garrett, the park, and start riding her bike.
It has been so nice to have Kevin around this summer. He leaves for two weeks in July but for now I am enjoying being social and getting things done around the house.
I've got to put D down for her nap (more accurately quiet time) so must run.

Elementary Ed Praxis test

A bunch of my classmates had told me that the test wasn't too bad and that it was nearly impossible to study for given the broad range of materials. To truly study for it you needed to study for almost a year, whereas it would be more helpful to simply take some practice tests and get into the habit of the style of questions.

I took my Praxis test on Saturday and let me tell you, that test was no joke! There are 120 questions, and 30 questions in the categories of language arts, math, science and social studies. So basically it's a content review of everything you learned in grades K-12. It was crazy! The math was very straightforward and easy, and I will say that doing the practice tests was extremely helpful with that section. And language arts was reasonable, although I was a bit muddy on some of my definitions of literacy foundations, but I am pretty sure I got those. But the science and social studies... sheesh! They asked questions about ice and water in a beaker and the temperature of the beaker, finding the density of a cylinder, and a lot more obscure questions that I can't even remember. There were questions where I could not even eliminate a choice because I had no idea what any of the choices were.

I feel like my brain got kicked around for a couple hours and not in a positive way. Ugh. I am reasonably sure that I did not "pass" the test according to my score. But the real test is how I did compared to everyone else. I have no doubt that a student closer to high school is going to do better on that test given that they learned some of those things only 4-8 years back. But for me it is 15-20 years ago! I think I remember hearing that all you need to do to pass is roughly be in the top 2/3 of the test takers.

So keep your fingers crossed for me... I find out in 4 weeks the good or bad news.

General goings-on update

I guess it's true what they say about habits. I have gotten out of the habit of updating this, and lo and behold I've almost stopped posting!

So here is a general update on our life and I have started some writing about various childhood topics like sleeping and discipline. I hope for them to be a "series" of writings with my .02 cents on such tough and interesting topics to me.

The biggest news around here is that I am done breastfeeding. FOREVER! I started weaning Garrett about 3 months ago (yes, you should be laughing) and finally closed the door about a week and a half ago. I don't know why it was so darn hard for me to close this chapter with him but it was.

I will give you a little background on nursing for me. I really struggled to do it with both children for different reasons. In both of my childrens first month I struggled to get through my days, and one of the big reasons was the struggle to nurse. I had almost every breastfeeding problem in the book (undersupply was the only one off the list). But my determination and guilt propelled me to stick with it and persevere. I can't really say I ever LOVED the act of breastfeeding as an act. Pulling up my shirt, unhooking a bra and having a little child tug at a very intimate part of my body was never what I would call "fun". It was satisfying in the sense that I was providing for them and each time it was like I could pat myself on the back because I was providing them with something that was supposedly the best for them. But honestly I get a nice sense of providing by giving my children bottles as well. I see them eating, I am providing it for them, and they are happy. So I guess you would probably ask why would I nurse if I didn't really enjoy it? GUILT. Lots and lots of mom guilt.

I probably could go on and on about the pros and cons of breastfeeding and what I think has happened in our current day to drive the craze and guilt around breastfeeding. I am not saying I am a victim of my guilt, but I definitely admit to having guilt issues around just about everything in my life (one of my personal challenges I hope to work on over the next decade) and when you are prone to guilt it's hard to not get sucked in to the vortex of breastfeeding.

Garrett has been sick for the last 7 weeks with a low grade shitty illness (LGSI). It's not bad enough to warrant a fever, or stomach upset, etc. But crappy enough to make him a little miserable, make him not want to eat or sleep as much, and more fussy and crying behavior. I even put him on antibiotics because the docs were stumped and figured it had to be a sinus infection (which they officially can't tell if you actually have when you're 8 months old). This illness was poorly timed with my weaning and as a result Garrett has been Grade A fussy about taking bottles. Who knows if it's the illness, or the weaning, or both. But then it got me to thinking that maybe he just never really ate that much when he was nursing. He only used to eat on one side at a time and even though I know how much my breasts could produce based on my extensive (i.e. really annoying) pumping schedule. So maybe I think he's rebelling about the bottles but really he's still getting what he used to on a day where he was nursing?!? ONE STRIKE AGAINST NURSING -- you never REALLY know how much your little one is nursing.

But Garrett seems to be slowly improving even though the substances that come out of his nose are terrifyingly gross. And on another note, I AM SO F'ING READY FOR FLUIDS TO START LEAKING OUT OF HIM! He is either spitting up, puking, draining mucous, peeing or pooping. Really. I can list a lot of great things about my baby boy, but the process of cleaning up all of those fluids is not one of them. At the end of the day it's all I can do to not want to rub my body with bleach along with my entire house. I don't even want to tell you how many surfaces (some not cleanable) in my house have been graced with regurgitated milk or formula. So so so much fun. On really good days I am cleaning up his mess and also dealing with Delaney accidentally peeing all over something. Good fun. I had dinner with a friend of mine in the bay area recently and she told me something that absolutely amazed me. Her kids are 5 and 7 and she said she was in a "good stage of life" simply because she had NO IDEA when her kids pooped. Now I know everyone tells me ad nauseum that I am supposed to enjoy the moment. But really. I am really looking forward to that day. Then it's just back to worrying and thinking about my poops. My poops have been so neglected due to the fact that I am forced to clean and think about my childrens poops. Can I say poop ONE more time in this post? Maybe. I'll work on it.

Delaney is still trying and testing us at most turns in life. And she can turn on a dime. One minute she is adorable and without even hesitating she turns into a kid on Super Nanny. Yesterday I was home with both kids and we had an amazing day together despite the weather that kept us inside. But right when Kevin said that dinner was ready she started throwing her toys and came at me with the toy knife she was using to cut her velcro vegetables (Melissa and Doug plus). WTF. One minute nice. The next coming at me with a knife. Some days I really wish there was a boarding school for toddlers. She is running in a kids run race tonight and I hope to post video or pics soon.

I am taking my Praxis teaching certification exam this Saturday and based on some practice tests I muddled through this week, I could be in trouble. I am dusting off my brain and trying to remember things like mitosis, seafloor spreading, zygotes, isotopes, Pythagoreum thereom, allegory, Thomas Paine, protons, neutrons, kinetic energy, fractions, the Magna Carta, and, well, you pretty much get the drift. Better get to some more studying.