Holiday leftovers

I have some pictures...of moments I didn't have the wherewithal to post about at the time. There were also times that I didn't have the wherewithal to even take pictures. We went up to MA on Christmas morning and spent time with Cap's family, Karen, Brent and the kids, and Jamie. I didn't take a single photo apparently.

An honorable holiday mention goes to (Karen's) Uncle Peter's Christmas bangers and salsa. All you need to know is that they are so sublime, so perfect, that there is no wanting more. Once they are gone for the season, you are happy and sated until next year.

Here are the leftovers:

Some shots taken while we were playing out back.




From the Fiber Arts holiday party.








From the I've-lost-my-mind-and-I'm-going-to-take-a-zillion-shots holiday photo shoot.





Our gingerbread cookies. Kinder is the one who made this happen. They are gluten- and casein-free, were such a pleasure to make, and we have a new tradition in the making, I think.





We paid Cam a birthday visit on his actual birthday. Julie outdid herself with GF pizza and GF birthday cake.


On New Year's day we celebrated Oshougatsu with my family. We feasted on my mom's traditional New Year's dishes, played sudoku, chatted, and ate some more. At the end of the day, my mom pulled the theme ingredient for the Iron Chef competition out of a bag. Apple!

When we got home, Cap and the kids took down the tree.





The first weekend of the new year we gathered with my family again, this time for the Iron Chef competition that Cap had challenged Sandy to. I was too busy eating and having fun to take pictures at Sandy's. Here are some of the pictures from Takai's (where Cap cooked and served).

Sandy made: mulled cider; an apple, Brie, ham and walnut sandwich; apple-butternut squash soup with a swirl of yogurt; apple-potato latkes with applesauce; chicken with apple and carmelized onion with apple-potato torten on the side; and for dessert, apple three ways: apple pie, apple bread and apple crumble with vanilla ice cream.

Cap made: mulled cider with a kebob of apple, smoked gouda, and candied fruit with a drizzle of honey to dip in and slice of candied ginger to chew on; a sushi apple tree (see photo---this was his best dish) comprised of sushi rolls of chicken salad with apple, tuna salad, and peanut butter with apple and a trunk made of brown rice balls with chicken apple sausage; chicken and apple curry with apple chutney and a mini pita with apple butter on the side; and for dessert, apple slices poached with cardomom and brown sugar with vanilla ice cream (unfortunately, his intended dessert, pound cake with the poached apple slices on top was not to be---the pound cake had a mishap in the oven).

It was a blast. The food was great, we all had a good time, the dishes were judged and scored, and Cap won by one point.





The night before Iron Chef, Cap and I went out to hear the symphony. My mom came over to watch the kids and we finished the 600 piece puzzle with her the next morning.

(Last summer, thrilled at the low subscription prices, I went a little crazy and bought three theater subscriptions. Two to the symphony and one to the New Vic. We are reaping the benefits now, especially in the dawn of our new budget. The day after New Year's Day we saw a Chinese acrobatic circus at the New Vic which was amazing. Kinder has been trying his hand at various contortions ever since.)

Quiet, restless

First is sick. Just sick enough that he's been tucked into the living room couch all day. He is snoozing there now. He has mostly been reading comic books, watching some Noggin (my insistence on content having to be "gentle") and nibbling on rice, quinoa and apple sauce. And drinking chamomile tea with honey, and apple juice.

His throat was hurting and when I looked into it this morning it looked swollen. I think it's his tonsils (I had a tonsillectomy in first grade because mine would get repeatedly inflamed and caused me, and my mom no doubt, much trouble.)

Olivia ended up sick last night so Karen and co. canceled their trip down (K&B were supposed to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops tonight in NYC).

I worked on my dresser today. Surprisingly labor intensive for such a finite space. The top of the dresser was like a dusty, old attic overstuffed with generations' worth of treasure and trash. The odd and familiar were both represented. And the dust. Oy vey.

First wanted me close periodically so I read some of the book I started last night, Momo by Michael Ende (well known for penning his other book, The Neverending Story). I'm enjoying it. It has similarities to Stardust, which I loved. Someone posted to one of the Waldorf homeschooling sites about Momo so I got it through the library.

I also read aloud some of the Magic Treehouse book that Kinder got from the library.

Back to the dresser (back and forth went the work today). I ended up going through my clothes because I thought I might be able to make space in one of the drawers for my big, old, vinyl-covered jewelry box from the seventies and my basket of hair things.

I was. But, I need to go through it at some point. There is some old stuff in there. It felt heavy as I placed it in the drawer. I hope the bottom of the drawer doesn't fall out...

The Pats are on tonight. Cap and Kinder went out to the store for supplies. I decided to splurge. Kinder's getting an Amy's frozen pizza and Cap and I will make deluxe nachos with Jack cheese, and guacamole for me. I asked them to get some strawberry applesauce for First.

I realized today that I haven't been outside in days. I do that sometimes. My appt with Dr. Vinny was postponed yesterday so I did not leave the house as planned. It is winter, even if it is 50 degrees out. My instinct is to nest.

But, it explains the restlessness that kicked in last night. Cap and I watched the first two episodes of The Wire's new season and I kept getting up to go to the kitchen. Some cereal here, some nuts there, oh, there's some leftover popcorn. Restless noshing.

Unearth it and they will come

Cap and I have been working on rearranging furniture/shelves, clearing out books, papers, and stuff, and organizing what's left: what we are deeming essential enough (for now) to occupy the precious little space we have in our "cozy" home. It's great to have Cap around during these non-teaching portions of his year (though for him these times come with the challenge of discipline without schedule).

Our financial situation makes things simpler in a way. And that is helpful. Now that I am watching every penny that goes out that door, I am freer to unearth what we have already.

And as it turns out, we have plenty.


This morning I seasoned the chalk board side of the new easel and set out some chalk. After a moment's thought, actually non-thought/instinct, I decided to place the cheap and expensive stuff in the bright red tray. (Interestingly, Kinder reached for the expensive stuff first (I think it is quite visually arresting) but then rejected them immediately---I think it was a tactile reaction.)

Most of the rest of the morning I spent dusting and organizing the shelves that I didn't get to yesterday. I am now done with the living room. I now have a much better idea of what we have and am newly inspired to do some modeling with beeswax and clay, try out some of the experiment kits we have and finally make that dang volcano.

The kids did some rubber stamping with Cap and I enjoyed hearing and observing his gentle and constructivist teaching. They enjoyed making the last of the holiday cards. Cap's are solidly "New Year" this year and they had fun digging out the stamp with the Chinese pictograph for "rat".

Kinder's design was a forest of bare-branched trees with a sun and the "rat" symbol.

First's design was comprised of warm things: a cup of hot tea/coffee, the word "hope", two friends holding hands, a cat, and the symbols for "rat" and "winter".

Cap took them outside for a bit, too. It has been unseasonably mild the last few days and the boys have been enjoying throwing the football around, trying out the new t-ball set and kicking the soccer ball.

After lunch they put their folded laundry away and then came into the living room. The pristine shelves must have beckoned. They swooped in on the math manipulatives (that's my background in elementary ed talking) and set about playing and exploring and asking a question here and there. Those poor materials hadn't felt the warm touch of a child's hand and mind in months.




The bedroom is next. I have a craft area forming in there with my brother's childhood desk upon which sits my virgin sewing machine and a shelf devoted to crafty stuff.

We also want to have a stretching/exercise/meditative space in there.

And my desk. It is covered in piles again (will the piles ever cease their travels from room-to-room?) But, there is lots of hope around here. And promise. And joy.

Sudoku

A few weeks ago, First really enjoyed using an electronic sudoku game at my mom's house. I asked if we could borrow it and she gave it to us. Now First, Kinder and Cap all enjoy a game every day or so.

I've been surprised that Kinder has picked it right up (numeracy has come quite easily to him since he was very young---this is my own "baby" bias popping up).

I've also been surprised that no one has become more obsessed with it.

Putting brush to paper and canvas

Both my kids love to paint. And yet they don't paint very often. Mainly because it was labor intensive for me to set up the wet-on-wet watercolor painting. Which was the only kind of painting the kids did once our easel broke when we moved.

I asked for an easel for Kinder's birthday back in November. When we had one in CA, the kids used it a lot. It was set up in the garage and Sacramento being Sacramento, the garage was a comfortable open-air studio for most of the year.

One of our projects today was putting the new easel together. Of course, as soon as we tightened the last screw they were getting the paints out and starting to mix their colors.


First was finally able to use a canvas he had picked up months ago. He enjoyed mixing colors using the watercolor tubes that Julie sent for Kinder's birthday. He painted for a good half hour and is planning to continue working on it. He filled about half his canvas.


Kinder was eager to use the roll of paper attached to the easel. He was funny---he wanted to sit and paint. He finished his painting. His inspiration was the amazing sunrise sky he observed from the bathroom window this morning. He painted a child doing a sunrise dance in front of a rising sun.

I'm not there and stardust

A couple of weeks ago Cap and I went to see "I'm Not There" directed by Todd Haynes. He reimagines the life of Bob Dylan and uses a variety of wonderful actors to flesh out the many characters of "Bob". I have never been a fan of Dylan or his music, but loved this move. Apparently, you either love it or hate it. Cap didn't like it very much and he had been quite excited to see it. Todd Haynes is a fun director to watch though. His cinematic eye is pristine.

Last night I started "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman. Ooh, I love it. If I hadn't been as tired as I was and determined to try to get eight hours of sleep, I would have stayed up with it for much longer.

I'm in the middle of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and just finished back-to-back pulpier novels Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb and Echo Park by Michael Connelly. Oh, in between those I read Sherman Alexie's new novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" (funny and devastating as usual, that one,...he is one of my favorite writers).

Some catch up

Kinder has coined a term that we're all using. "Fluttering"---which means it is snowing very lightly.

First has concocted some new spins on old faves: ham and Tings sushi rolls and celery and potato chips pizza.

They are playing a lot of board and card games these days. Sorry! (a Christmas gift), Chutes and Ladders, The Cat in the Hat game, I Never Forget A Face, Go Fish, and Uno.

We finished the 600 piece puzzle thanks in part to a surge brought on by mom baby-sitting for us Saturday night.

Last night we had a blast at our first Iron Chef-style family cook-off. Cap challenged my sister to a Battle Apple (drawn from about two dozen suggestions out of a bag). The dishes were varied, interesting and delicious. Cap won by a point. I've challenged my brother for another one to be held possibly over Memorial Day weekend.

Last night I dreamt that I was getting on Cap's case about his wanting to buy a nose hair clipper because of the cost. I'm really trying not to stress about the finances and feel I have been mostly successful. But one cannot control one's dreams (which is a good thing, I say).

"We're going to the closet..."

On the PBS kids' show Zoboomafoo, there's a bit where the Kratt brothers head to their closet to get the gear they need for their next animal adventure. Inevitably, they open the closet door and all the crap they've stuffed in there falls on top and all over them, literally burying them. Mayhem by mirth.

I pulled open my closet door back around Kinder's birthday/Thanksgiving and boy did the crap start tumbling down. Sometime around Christmas and our third trip up to Massachusetts in as many months, I was completely buried.

Today is the second day in a row without any outings planned, with nothing significantly out of the routine in the works. Kinder's got drumming this afternoon. That's it.

So my attention will be turned to sifting through the odds and ends that litter the floor of my mind and my apartment.

Today

Kinder in particular is REALLY into Photobooth. He and Malik had a blast playing with it at Kate's during the Fiber Arts holiday party last week.

Karen and Brent have it on their computer (we stayed with them for a night two nights ago (we stayed up till 1 am to watch Superbad---the perfect antidote to the slurry flurry of holiday pitch). This photo was one of a batch in my e-mail box this morning.


First started the 600 piece puzzle from Wendy, last night. As you can see, Baba and Jiji love a good puzzle, too.

My parents came over to discuss our financial predicament and were incredibly supportive. I wish I could have bottled whatever essence it was that permeated our talk because there was no stress, at all.

2008 will be an experience to simply live through in terms of money. We're having to cut expenses by about $1700/month in order to put a stop to our debt incurring ways (with the gift of a no-interest loan and the realistic and compassionate support of our lenders who really want to see us get out from under the net of the capitalist heavyweights).


My barber's chair was open for business this afternoon and the three guys in my family got shorn. The kids always look older when they get their hair cut. Kinder hated his new look and comforted himself with a good long bath afterwards.


The kids and I went to the toy store to pick something out for Cameron, whose fifth birthday we will be celebrating tomorrow in CT. Kinder and First had some Christmas money to spend and selected some Playmobil toys. They've been getting into these with Anna and Lukas lately.

The figures in the picture are rollerblade kids that came with a ramp and boombox. Once Kinder had them put together (their tiny golden roller wheels and the cap snapped into place), he turned to me in delight and said, "look, Äiti, the Indigo Girls!"

Whew

It has been an intense week or so. Moments of panic, anxiety and stress. But with lots of love and peace in between brought about by children and friends and siblings and Cap.

Last night a breakthrough. It's amazing what it feels like to finally let go of something. The morass suddenly clearing and seeming so simple. Being so simple. Instead of so fracking complicated and impossible.

It wasn't easy and that is acknowledged. But truth is quite lovable when you can make it appear.

So moving on. Loan secured (no interest) and debt due to be wiped out (with high interest). Austerity is locking down. Aiming for more purification and less angst.

Expanding the diaphragm

Trying.

One of the things I'm dealing with these days is keeping a focus on our financial health. And breathing. Because it's really hard to breathe through this sometimes.

Keeping my head out of the sand is so hard, the muscles in my neck and my eyes are not used to working this hard, keeping themselves trained on a posture of perseverance, calmly, with hope.

I'm negotiating the emotional waters of asking family for help, facing huge credit card debt, and remaining positive despite even huger feelings that are so negative.

But, I can do this. And there is a calm and strength. But, the inability to breath deeply, the feeling of weightedness on my limbs and of choking on not enough air, it's scary at times.

Making cards

I decided no 200 holiday picture cards this year. Money is tight in a new way as I try to be more fiscally responsible. It's something we started because that's what my parents did (and still do). People will survive if they don't get one from us this year though I don't know if I'll survive the deep pangs of shame (kidding, kind of).

My all or nothing attitude has mellowed in the days since and yesterday, following an
intense bit of restlessness (literally prowling and pacing the livingroom), I sat down and made some cards.


The kids immediately came over and helped with the stamping. Kinder was into it and explored variations of design.


Then this morning, Kinder sat and made some more pictures (he is insisting they are not cards).


Then he made a flag.

Winter books

There is a basket of seasonal books that is kept within easy reach in the livingroom. The kids and I have been adding to the winter collection the past week or so.

• Christmas in Camelot (Magic Treehouse #29) by Mary Pope Osborne

• Winter of the Ice Wizard (Magic Treehouse #32) by Mary Pope Osborne

• Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Treehouse #7) by Mary Pope Osborne

• Polar Bears Past Bedtime (Magic Treehouse #12) by Mary Pope Osborne

• Magic Treehouse Research Guide Polar Bears and the Arctic by Mary Pope Osborne

• Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson

• The Backyardigans #5 Rescue Patrol

• Nora and the Great Bear by Ute Krause

• Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day

• Nutcracker Noel by Kate McMullan

• Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Day by Robert Frost

• Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky

• Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat by Naomi Howland

• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

• Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett

• The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

• The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett

• Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

• The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett

• Snow by Uri Shulevitz

• Babar and Father Christmas by Jean De Brunhoff

• Santa Calls by William Joyce

• Can You See What I See? Night Before Christmas by Walter Wick

• The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer

• Blue's Clues Chanukah

• A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles Schultz

• How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

As I type this, I am reminded that we have a Kwanzaa book somewhere...

I have exercised restraint and only bought one new book this season. The Shortest Day was recommended here and I couldn't resist. (Incidentally, it was fun to get a glimpse of another family's seasonal reading basket.)

We have a lot of books. I started collecting and buying children's books way before I ever had kids. It's been a longtime personal interest. Back in the days of public school teaching, I got great deals through the Scholastic book club orders that would come through each month. I also inherited quite a bit from Eleanor when she went from first grade to fifth grade.

Holiday train

I snapped this picture as my brother and I headed into the city with the kids to see a holiday train exhibit. Then the battery out symbol started to flash.

It had been one of those mornings. We woke to snow (see previous post---it wasn't November, it was actually December---it's all coming back to me) and of course, it was irresistable. So we had our morning of playing in the snow followed by the requisite hot chocolate. I kept an eye on the forecast because we were due at my brother's where Cap would be meeting up with us after flying home from Texas.

As lovely as the train exhibit sounded, I wasn't optimistic about our actually making it there.

But, the boys' spirits and motivation persevered. They have a quiet confidence that life will happen as their thoughts and wishes unfold and become consciousness. A powerful and simple reminder for me who has feeling not very much that way lately.

Cap's flight was delayed, but not enough to abandon the afternoon with my brother followed by an evening with Lisa, Ellie, Sandy, Mike and my mom. Our drive was just under an hour (very good), though we didn't avoid the inevitable trolling for a parking spot.

We walked into their apartment, the kids said yes they still wanted to see the trains, we figured we had enough time before the rest of the family arrived and so off we went.

The kids really liked the train set. Lots of Lionel trains moving through scenes of Manhattan, the North Pole and a winter wonderland. It was cool just walking through Grand Central terminal, for me. I hadn't been there since my highschool reunion and was eager to be struck by the beauty of the station's interior, again.

We took the 7 train back because First had selected a replica of the 7 train as his souvenir. That was fun, too. I hadn't been on the 7 in many, many years.

Kinder really wants to get back there. Hopefully, we'll make it back there with Cap before the year is up.

First real snow

A couple of weeks ago we had our first real snow. In November, First points out.

The three of us were quiet and pensive for the most part. Our small patch of the world was quite hushed.

Thank you cards

Ahhhhh. That's a sigh of self-criticism.

Generally, it's a challenge to get Kinder's birthday thank you cards out in a timely fashion. His birthday is right around Thanksgiving and a flurry of activity and often, time away from home (at the very least, time away from any semblance of routine).

This year, the kids got five cards made which have already been distributed, and I fear that that's going to be it.

I'm not giving up...yet.

Calendar

It has become a ritual for First to change over the wooden and magnetic calendar at the start of each new month. He looks forward to it.

Mom

When we go to the Japanese supermarket a special treat is the Japanese "botan" candy. I loved this candy growing up. It's soft, sweet, and wrapped in an edible paper which is totally cool.

Part of the fun (but, wait, there's more!) is that you get an "omake", along the lines of the prize one would find in a box of Cracker Jacks.

This is what Kinder got in a recent box of botan candy.

Gettin' the job done

Their spirit and motivation, particularly First's, is what got the tree up yesterday morning. They worked hard and it was really nice to see many of the ornaments and bathe in the memories.

Mmm rice and beans

This is courtesy of Anna who feared they were not kickass, but they totally are. I wish I had a picture. They were so good!

Rice
Basmati in the rice cooker. In the water add two garlic cloves and one cup of
chicken broth, one cup of water (for one cup o' rice). Remove cloves before
serving in order to not freak out kids. If you want to do it the Brazilian way,
you can saute the rice in a saucepan with the garlic and a bit of oil for a
couple of minutes. Then pop it in the rice cooker.

Beans
One large can of black beans. Before you put them in an iron skillet to cook,
saute 1-3 garlic cloves in a little oil. Drain the bean water and keep it. Put
the beans in the skillet. I like to mush some of them, not all. Add about one
teaspoon of cumin. Simmer until you need them, adding bean water as needed.

I did the Brazilian way and then used the same pan to cook the beans in.

I used more garlic and kept all cloves in because I knew my kids were not going try this (at least not this time...they will likely try it after seeing me eat it 20 times).

I also added some salt to the beans while they were simmering. I considered topping with cheese and am glad I didn't. It doesn't need it at all.

I did sprinkle some torn up fresh cilantro on top just before sitting down to feast.

Yum.

So easy and simple and delicious! Abrigado Anna!

Rainy home coming

Yesterday afternoon the kids and I ran a bunch of errands and then I dropped them off at Danielle's and did some more on my own. She and I shared some chocolate cheesecake when I got back over there and my soul soaked up the roasted chicken goodness of the dinner she was making.

The kids reluctantly left with me around 5:30, headed for yet another dinner of salmon rolls for First and Amy's frozen pizza for Kinder (they don't mind our equivalent of fast food---it's me that sometimes feels guilty).

As we got out of the car, Kinder stood still, looking up into the light that had flicked on due to our motion, mesmerized by the falling rain. "Äiti, Äiti, do you have your camera?" he asked.

I grabbed the camera upstairs and was only able to get this one shot before the battery out symbol started flashing (the batteries are barely keeping a charge---is two to three years about how long these batteries last?) I don't know that this captures the wonder he felt.

But, it will serve as a reminder of my wonder.

2007 cd

Completed it today in order to get one in the mail for Holly with the ornaments. Couldn't print the notes for her because we're out of ink in the printer. Here's the songlist and the accompanying notes.

Jump Around (Original Mix)/House Of Pain
Beautiful Enemy/Dar Williams
From Debris/matt pond PA
The Picture/Son Volt
Crazy/Gnarls Barkley
Phantom Limb/The Shins
Asleep On A Sunbeam/Belle and Sebastian
Building A Mystery/Sarah McLachlan
Honestly/matt pond PA
Shine On/Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem
Box of Rain/Grateful Dead
Rhode Island Is Famous for You/Erin McKeown
Locate The Pieces/matt pond PA
C'mon C'mon/The Von Bondies
Hard to Explain/The Strokes
Emblems/matt pond PA
Superior/Girlyman
The Boy Who Never Cried/Steve Earle
One Little Song/Gillian Welch
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You/Dean Martin
Joyful Sign/Girlyman

Jump Around...this song was featured in a hilarious and unforgettable bit on an episode of My Name Is Earl involving Cap’s new gf, Catalina.

Beautiful Enemy...Dar Williams is the only act left on my must-see-live list at the moment. Bopping to lyrics including the word hegemony brings a smile to my face every time.

From Debris...mpPA has dominated my music scene this fall. Cap and I saw them live at Maxwell’s and I was baptized. Within weeks their new cd was in constant rotation and t(he)y were completely under my skin. (I love the cello.) As I was making this cd I finally realized who the beginning of this song reminded me of: Big Country!

The Picture...Cap and I saw Jay Farrar at Maxwell’s this year, too. He performed a stripped down version of this song (it was a solo set) and when I heard this version with the horns, I flipped.

Crazy...this is a song that Cap turned me on to. I love it.

Phantom Limb...The Shins didn’t do anything for me vis-a-vis Garden State, but seeing them on SNL earlier this year, did. I love that these guys are as old as I am.

Asleep On A Moonbeam...this song was on Ben’s 2006 cd. I’d always wanted to hear Belle and Sebastian and was not disappointed. Sunny, seaside driving tune.

Building A Mystery...a throwback. Not my favorite Sarah McLachlan song, but I had a blast singing karaoke to this at Julie’s house this summer during Mike’s 40th b-day party.

Honestly...my favorite song on mpPA’s new cd. It reminds me of The Queen And The Soldier by Suzanne Vega. One of the things I love about mpPA’s songs are that they are set in and reference the natural world.

Shine On...I briefly met the singer and drummer (singer's husband and fellow Wes alum) at Di and Seth’s wedding last summer. The band popped up on an e-mail from Joe’s Pub (I saw Stew’s show at The Public, their sister theater, this summer with Anna based on Barbra’s highest recommendation, which put me on the Joe's Pub e-list automatically) and I took a listen to one of the embedded songs. This one I liked the best.

Box Of Rain...this song was used in an episode of Freaks and Geeks. It gave me my first appreciation of The Dead. Jay gave me the complete series dvd of this show years ago. I plowed through them obsessively, laughing and crying, earlier this year. This year was the year of Apatow if ever there was one.

Rhode Island Is Famous For You...Jay is to thank for this one, too. She mentioned this song during the height of the kids’ interest in the states and state quarters this year. One listen will have you hooked!

Locate The Pieces...my other favorite song from Last Light, mpPA’s new cd.

C’mon C’mon...the perfect opening song to Denis Leary’s great tv show, Rescue Me.

Hard To Explain...another song that Cap turned me on to that I can’t get enough of when I’m listening to it.

Emblems...la la la da da da da la la la da da da...

Superior...this song didn’t move me until Cap and I saw them live last December for our anniversary. The show was actually underwhelming, but their performance of this song stood out. Simple and poignant storytelling with an unassuming glow.

The Boy Who Never Cried...every now and again I’ll go to the cds to pull out stuff I don’t usually listen to for a marathon cooking or cleaning session. Steve Earle is someone who inevitably ends up getting picked. I appreciate his courage and art.

One Little Song...now, Gillian Welch is not someone who inevitably gets picked. But, on one fateful afternoon this year I did pick her and discovered this song anew.

You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You...oh my god. Freaks and Geeks. James Franco. An episode that will break your heart.

Joyful Sign...I downloaded this song when their new cd came out this year. The song was a highlight when we saw them live. This Little Light Of Mine is a song that Kinder loved and I used to sing it to him every night.


And here's the cover art.

Ornaments

The kids and I made some ornaments for Lucia, Holly and Nick today. They have been making their own during their Parisian holiday season and we're doing an exchange with them.

Kinder pulled out Yoko's Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells and tried his hand at folding a crane. He soon enlisted my help and I had to pull out an origami book because the instructions in Yoko had my eyes spinning. It took awhile, but I finally staggered to the finish.

First's muse was Ben 10 and he made an Omnitrix ornament and a Diamondhead ornament. He wanted to keep them both, but with some gentle suggestion decided to send off the Diamondhead to Lucia.

I've been thinking and visualizing various ornaments and ended up going very simple. I wanted to do wreath-shapes, to represent the cycle of life, and remembered I had some sheets of origami in traditional Japanese patterns. And voila.

Tomorrow, a trip to the post office.

(After we were finished, Kinder pulled me aside and stated that he will only decorate the tree with "beautiful" things. So he's not going to make any Ben 10 ornaments, but lots of cranes. Yummy enough to eat, these creatures...)

GI bug

First it was First. Remarkably, he slept for 3-4 hours yesterday afternoon and when we awoke he stated his stomach didn't hurt anymore and has basically been fine ever since.

Cap has been hit much harder. He was up all night losing it from both ends. He just canceled his class today, the last regular meeting of that class. He is sick.

First has been craving apple sauce. I just offered to make him some, but he says he likes the store bought better :-)

Kinder sleeps and sleeps this morning. Makes sense. It is grey and wet, again.

I guess I'm off to the store for some apple sauce.

A picture worth all the words

I wish I had one.

Karen, Brent and the kids came down for the weekend. Karen came to see Vinny with me on Friday, after a pot of tea at the wonderful fair trade tea salon. Kinder just blows me away in drumming class. We had cake and ice cream for Brent's birthday and reveled in the kids' peals of laughter during AFV. On Saturday, we all drove into town and Karen and Will went to see Alvin Ailey. Then we merged into the mass of humanity surrounding the tree in Rockefeller Center. We couldn't even bear getting close enough to watch the skaters. We perused the soon-to-be defunct original Kinokuniya store drawn in by the 1/2 price books. By the time we came out, the tree was differently luminous because dark had fallen. My mom treated us to Thai food from downstairs and it was yummy. This morning, an unexpectedly early departure as First is sick with a GI bug.

Went to a counselor this weekend and though the feeling of absolute...traction....had begun to subside beforehand, it was still quite helpful to dislodge some stuff. Relief and clarity feel good.

The sun is unbelievably low. I am much more aware of it this year. Last year there was excitement about being back in the northeast for the holidays which may have buoyed me.

This year there is a starkness to the red numbers that look back at me when I close my eyelids. I'd decided no holiday cards this year, but am feeling guilty about it now.

...

I'm here, but quiet, quiet, quiet.

The kids and I have had a couple of "screen-free" days here which have added depth to the slowing down and enjoying of our selves and togetherness more.

I've started a new knitting project. We played the Ben 10 board game last night.

Anna and Lukas came over yesterday and the four of them were like peas in a pod. Hide and seek, Playmobil, and trains followed by soccer and chive harvesting out back.

Dentist appts for First (with a new pediatric dentist) and Cap this morning.

First then came food shopping with me. Buying for co-op meal with some thoughts to Will and co. who will be with us this weekend, there were a lot of groceries. First got some learning in: how to navigate a big, heavy cart and how much food costs!

It's been very windy the last 24 hours. I love it. Some light flurries today.