Hearing

It's not every day that you sit down with your child and hear yourself coming back to you. Not your words of praise or admonishment. Not your 'catch phrases', humorous anecdotes, or words of wisdom. Not those typical queries and exchanges of travelling through a lifetime. This is something different.

Usually you hear tales of woe and wonder as seen through their eyes. You hear about how life isn't fair. You hear about how they don't get to do things 'everyone else' gets to do. You hear pleadings and ploys, and frustrations and facts. And laughter.

But then. Then you hear them say something that they've brought up from the deep dark. Something that they approach you with hesitantly, not wishing to cause offense. Something they are very serious about. They search your face for pre-approval. And you hear those words that you once thought but didn't dare utter. From thoughts so remote, from a soul on a quest.

And you sit. Stunned. Because you realise two things:
1. Possibly he's mentioned it because he came from you and it's embedded somewhere deep in his genes.
2. He said it. You never did, but he did. Just now. To you.

And you think perhaps you're doing something right after all.


Today's conundrum: When double-checking fails, is triple-checking warranted the next time? And if triple-checking fails, then what?
Future conundrum: Who will buy this wonderful morning?


Thanks for perusing this blog. See you again soon.  tIO x

The Advent Book

As you might have guessed from this post, we celebrate Advent. I love looking for a new Advent calendar each year and may, in fact, have several waiting in the wings for future use or to give to friends. But our favorite way to observe Advent is with this wonderful book:

The authors, Jack and Kathy Stockman, have created a gorgeous way to celebrate the Christmas story. Truly appropriate for the coffee-table, 'the Advent Book' contains original illustrations by Jack and features 25 doors which open to reveal a picture and segment of the Christmas story. It's told chronologically, beginning with Gabriel's revelation to Mary and ending with Jesus' birth. 'The Advent Book' has become a tradition in our house with our boys taking turns reading even and odd pages. (Amazingly, they seem to remember from year-to-year who read which pages last year and switch accordingly.)

  

 

Some screencaps from the Advent Book site

If you are interested in ordering, click through here to shop the Stockmans 'Celebrations and Traditions' site.

Hope you have a happy, healthy holiday season - and enjoy this 'most wonderful time of the year!'

Thanks for perusing; blog you again soon!  tIO x

PS: If you do buy the book and have little ones, I suggest playing the 'hidden animal hunt'. On each page, Jack has 'hidden' an animal - some easy to spot, others not so.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Turkey, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2007 (Getty Images)

"O Lord, we thank Thee for this food,

For every blessing, every good.

For earthly sustenance and love

Bestowed on us from heaven above.

Be present at our table, Lord.

Be here and everywhere adored.

Thy children bless and grant that we

May feast in paradise with Thee."

Happy Thanksgiving

Baby Peach

Our nightly post-dinner habit of MarioKart for Wii has turned ugly. My sons (and husband) demand to know how this:


driving this (shown here with Baby Luigi):


continuously bests them in this race:



My response: Baby Peach is an Italian (with English, Scottish, and German heritage as well) who majored in physics at university. And no one drifts like she does on the Bullet Bike.

Hang in there, Karters; Friday's coming.   tIO x

PS: As regards this post, I did not lose a bet; I simply asked my children what I should post. This was their mutual - and immediate - response.

PPS: Please consult the time before you phone us in the evenings. If it's between 6:30-7:30pm EST, I encourage you to wait a bit. Having to pause the game really messes with the Peach's mojo.

(All images via MarioWiki.)

In the Meantime

My father had knee surgery; my stomach decided it didn't like food; and my mini-break turned into a 10-day blogging hiatus. As I've not fully returned to 'normal' (no comments from the peanut gallery), please bear with me. In-the-meantime, hear this:



(youtube embed from soimayvent)

In case you need something else to occupy the time, please enjoy this little science activity my younger son has recently enjoyed: http://www.edheads.org/activities/knee/

Yes - it is a 'virtual knee replacement surgery'. After his 43rd successful "replacement", he was convinced that he had the training to perform "Grandpa's surgery" and offered himself as a consult. Perhaps he can consult on the rehab, which he's decided should include Wii MarioKart.

Today's conundrum: Are semi-colons ever really necessary? If so, when?

Future conundrum: Will every word which begins with 'c' be rewritten/degraded with a 'k' at some point? E.g. cool = 'kool' and crazy = 'krazy' and my personal favorite classy = 'klassy'. Any others katch your eye?


Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!  tIO x

PS: I've labelled this with a "Yankees" tag in honor of my dad's recovery. And in case he reads this.

Five days and counting...

The anticipation is ramping-up in our house.

Carols are the random song-of-choice, and daily we hear the exclamation: it's almost here! Indeed.

Our shopping might be finished, but the chore of keeping the presents hidden remains. We don't have snoopers, which is a good thing; but it is tiring.

And I end up having weird dreams about camels traipsing through the field and into our back garden.

Today's conundrum: Will the traditional 'Christmas pajamas' arrive this year? Or will we be left with a "ships after Christmas" promise?

Future conundrum: Is the idiom 'happy is as happy does' legitimate? Is it, in fact, an idiom?


Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon! And happy Christmas, kringles!  tIO x

Mid-week Music: Sara Groves "Toy Packaging"

Another Wednesday is here! And it's time for some mid-week cheer, courtesy of the lovely Sara Groves. (And it's set to flashing Christmas lights! Ooohh... But don't get too distracted by the shiny lights; these lyrics are inspired. Sara speaks words of wisdom yet again!) OK, now press play:



Christmas Lights PBL - Sara Groves ~ Toy Packaging from robogeek on Vimeo.

Best line: "Honey!"

Happy Christmas! And may your toys be easily opened. tIO x

PS:  Last year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos echoed the "wrap rage" described in this song. This year, Amazon is offering "frustation-free packaging" on many items. Visit the previous link for the F-FP homepage on amazon.com, and do notice the offer's sub-title: "Reducing wrap rage since 2008." Clever, Mr Bezos; and thank you so very much.

Deck the Halls!

We went tree-hunting today. Huzzah! We have the best time, and the best luck, finding amazing trees at Wintergreen Tree Farm in Mantua. It's a short drive (approx 20 minutes) and their acres and acres of fraser firs make it unbeatable. Wintergreen is a no-fuss operation; parking is adequate and someone meets you at your cardoor with a saw. Then, they turn you loose into the wilds. (Perhaps it's due to the fact that we have sons but watching boot-clad, wind-chapped boys trudging through the fields is pure joy for me. And don't fret; liberal application of face cream will occur at bedtime.)

I didn't take any photos whilst there - silly me. But we quickly found five contenders, each one full and dense and with a sturdy 'topper' branch to brace the star. And we were home within the hour with this beauty:



As soon as the bale was off, our younger son hugged our "this-year tree" and our older son promptly sat-down at the piano to play some carols.

'Tis the season, lovelies! Hope you and yours enjoy this "most wonderful time of the year"!

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon! tIO x

Thankful

I'm thankful for many things. And that I was introduced to this book when my older son was one:



Buy it at your local bookshop, or online at amazon.com.

Be thankful to be able to read, and support your local chapter of

Pun intended.

Gobble, gobble.

Good Gravy!

With Thanksgiving upon us, I feel the need to share: I am enamored with gravy boats, also known as saucieres. In fact, any vessel with a spout, really, will capture my attention. Here are some beauties:

Match Pewter gravy boat, available at Manor Home & Gifts 

Emma Bridgewater "Polka Dot" gravy boat, available at Joanne Hudson Basics

19thC Tiffany Repousse Sterling Silver gravy boat, available through GoAntiques.com

Spode 'Stafford White' sauce boat and plate, available online at The Kitchen Clique

The 'Royal White Gravy Boat', available at Target stores and online

I hope these were inspiring; I can't wait to fill our 'boats' tomorrow!
That's all for now, lovelies. Enjoy your Thanksgiving! And know that I am thankful for you.

Today's conundrum: My mother, with the broken shoulder, is bringing seven pies to the meal tomorrow. Seven. Is she seriously baking from scratch today? And if so, how does one roll crust with the use of only one arm?

Future conundrum: Will this be the year that we get through Squanto and the football game without anyone falling asleep?

PS  A 'spouted vessel' bonus for your (or perhaps just my) enjoyment:
   "Tuscan pitcher" from Southern Living at Home
Red melamine mixing bowls from Nigella

Happy Thanksgiving! *tIO x

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

So, how enamored am I of the holidays? Plenty! This morning, my husband brought me a gingerbread bagel (with low-fat hazelnut cream cheese) and a half-decaf-half-hot-chocolate. Divine. "City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style..."

Now I know that I talk/type a good game and tell you after each long drought of posts that I'm back, but truth is...I sometimes have no idea what to write.

And I have long arguments with my body about my health which also distracts me from writing.

I haven't posted about this because it is just not interesting to me. I live it every day. But I broke my ankle just over three years ago and the impact it has had on my life has been unfortunately dramatic.

I have 10 screws and a plate in my right ankle. They are daily nuisances, and yes - I can predict the weather. My rehab was suspect, or so my new physical therapist tells me, and I can no longer run or 'go to my left'. My rehab surgeon assured me that I would be doing windsprints within weeks; my reumatologist assured me that my tennis days were over. Oh - and I should count-out ever 'running to greet my grandchildren'.

First, I have no grandchildren. Second, that's a pretty harsh statement to make to a 30-something mother of two young boys, both of whom depend on their mother to be, well, mobile.

These three years have taught me a lot more than I think I learned in the previous three decades. And at the end of all of it, I have a wonderful family, and a loving God.

OK. That's the first installment. Possibly the last. Rehashing my ankle-drama feels trite to me. Again, I have been living with it. So maybe, if you read this and you have questions, I can respond to them through the comments.

Time to sit back and listen to 'Carmen, Ohio'. After I pull the boys up out-of the rumpus room where they are engaged in StarWars Legos battles and humming the theme from 'the Price is Right', my husband's new Wii game.

It's in your head now, too, isn't it?

Current conundrum: Is the turkey baster used for basting turkeys any longer? Or is it used more for syphoning gas from the mower to use in the snowblower?

Future conundrum: Will the real President-elect please stand up? I re-watched the speech from the 2004 DNC. He seems a different - totally different - person to me now. Why?

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!

One Giant Leap for tIO...

It's not that I can't commit. I'm married. I have children. I have a mortgage and furniture that cannot be moved under cover of darkness or without assistance.

It's not that I won't adapt. I have a whole set of adapters to use whereever I am with whatever appliance I choose. And I know what Bluetooth is and how to use it.

It's not that I haven't tried. I have this blog, don't I?

Too many technological demands are required of us these days. Should I post on my blog? Should I create a space on My Space? Should I finish that draft for the web site? Should I read "the Borrowers" to my children? We've just finished reading "Farmer Boy" and it certainly does something to you to be reminded of "the simpler times" when "free time" was not some arbitrary concept of a much-sought-after way to live. They may not have jetted cross-country in hours, but those who had less access then weren't bombarded with minute-by-minute reminders of what they were missing just five miles away. We, on the other hand, feel left out if we don't know what's going on in Namibia or can't connect with someone - anyone - within seconds 3500 miles away. This passion to connect (and to be connected, both literally and figuratively) drives us to desperation and distraction. It seems to me that "in the olden days", people put their heads down and did what was necessary to exist - hopefully happily and well - right where they were. We are admonished to "live in the present" and "spend quality AND quantity" time and "have it all" NOW! Reading anything historic leads me to believe that their lives were very present indeed. See Bedel for further reference.

This is my struggle: to put my head down and do what is necessary, both happily and well. I've been deemed an "early adopter" by the neural networks, and - while a but impressed with myself for that - wonder what I did to merit the moniker. I just can't get my head around the best uses of our time. It's a tough spot to be in, especially when I'm charged with raising children who need to learn the value of spending your time wisely. Inevitably, I return to what I know - reading, making music, throwing a ball into a glove or through a hoop, cooking and baking, knitting and sewing - and less to what has come to be, e.g. anything that plugs in. Not very savvy, if you ask me. My children are entering into a new world, one that I'm not sure of and not fully a part of, and I want them to not only be active but succeed. Perhaps it boils down to my needing to be brave, and go into this new world. So, here I am taking the leap. Look out...

Today's conundrum: Aside from our faith, how do we inject a sense of permanence into a "world gone disposable"? Perhaps the permanence we seek isn't found without our faith that this world will pass away and all things will be made new. They will be made new. They will be made.

Future conundrum: I have these tiny bugs - springtails - which are neither harmful nor destructive. I have yet to uncover their purpose. How is it that something is not harmful, not destructive, and seemingly without purpose? Why are we wired to need a purpose? He is clever, non?

Thanks for perusing this blog. Blog you again soon!

The first "post-game analysis"

Blogging, blogging. blogging. It can be a full-time job (not that I would know).

Here we are in the full bloom of May. Anyone else out there under water? My older son stated very matter-of-factly: "God must have plans for all of this rain. But do you think He wants to rain-out ALL of my games?"

We are a Little League family. Given my adoration of the sport, you must imagine how I feel when it hits me every game day that I have a Little Leaguer. Jubilation! I worried about what kind of sports parent I would be. Would I be the one screaming from the sidelines, or pacing behind the bench, or throwing the first punch?

I needn't have been concerned. I was raised by two people who love sports, and who, more importantly, are sportsmen. (PLEASE NOTE: Gender neutrality is observed in all TIO blogs.) My father was a coach - who also instilled a love of the game in his players. Do your best. Have fun. Run it out. Hustle on and off the field. Cut your hair and wipe the dirt off your lip. My mother was the consumate fan - who also kept those around her both informed of the count and the best stain removers and hand sanitizers. Cheer for your team. Never boo anyone. Bring snacks. Don't leave before it's over. They both believed in writing on home-run balls, hot showers for sore muscles, and rewarding effort with kindness and a pat-on-the-back - but rarely ice cream.

So where do I fall? I surprised myself. During the first game, I video-taped my older son's first Little League at-bat, which resulted in a run. I set-up chairs for my younger son and myself, and sat - cheering for each player on both teams - until the game was called for darkness. Then, as it was our turn to bring them, I got up and handed out the snacks to the team. More accurately, I opened the boxes of rice-crispy-treats and CapriSun Sport drinks and stood back to avoid being trampled. The surprise for me was this: I wasn't nervous for him. I didn't think that he was succeeding or failing - regardless of what I did. It's not about me. Further, I don't want to go out there and do it for him. I thought I might. This is his sport to learn - and love - now.

Post-game, my son was giddy, and his younger brother asked him repeatedly how baseball was (to play). "Is it good, John? Is it fun? Is baseball good?" His reply made me misty: "It's the best fun ever, Teddy."

Today's conundrum: Have we become a "my way or the highway" society? Parenting is rough when you're fighting against this societal phenomenon. We all struggle with pride. We all want to feel/be important. But when your child is astute enough to question the difference between obedience and a need to control, where do you go for back-up? I don't want every moment, every decision to be a battle. That's just silly. But, I do want a balance between their "coming to heel" and becoming responsible people. I think back on my life and wonder how I made it this far. Stupidity is sometimes masked by youth and inexperience, you know. But still, how do you govern your home without vascilating between being a Shrek and a pollyanna? The "Golden Rule" still rules as a better way to live, I think.

Future conundrum: Is it possible to have a meal entirely comprised of food with the word "pop" in the names, e.g. popcorn, Poptarts, popovers, soda pop? Is this responsible? Is this healthy? Comment to your heart's content.

Thanks for perusing this blog. Blog you again soon!

Mommies are cool (among other things)

Congratulations to Ben! - and that team from Pittsburgh, too. The recovery post-XL was short and sweet. Unfortunately, the hacking-cough-sinister-sinus-slime virus hit shortly thereafter, and our fight, while valiant and vigilant, is ongoing. Thanks to a little something called the immune system, and a little something else called antibiotics, recovery is imminent. Amazing, isn't it, how wonderfully we are made?

So, I piled the family into the car this morning, and trekked off to the Starbucks for a latte. (I really should buy a stove-top espresso-maker. Much cheaper to "make-your-own".) Then, we walked, scootered, and tricycled through the green, and stopped at the shops. BTW - I'm always thankful for those establishments that buck the trend on opening/closing times. For me, part of the thrill of shopping is to have the impression that the world is completely unaware that you are getting something wonderful. Then, you have the thrill of springing it on them later at a most amazing and opportune time. At a lovely little shop two doors from the toys and trains, I bought a ring. Well, it's a ring to me; others more likely use it to whip unruly locks into a chignon. Now, my children think I can grow a flower on my finger. "One of my many talents," I tell them. Mommys are so cool.

Today's conundrum: At what point do you have enough? I've been giving considerable thought to the book "The Number". I haven't read it yet, but its concept thoroughly intrigues me. You should know that I believe money to be the root of all evil. Having it - and any form of it - bears great responsibility. I worry about stepping-back and gaining perspective on what it means for my children, and raising them to be respectful stewards of all that's been given to us by God. Apart from Him we are - and have - nothing.

Future conundrum: Although I love them, are EZ-Passes, IPasses, or whatever they've named them in your area really tools used by the government to track your every move? Are we being lulled into denial by convenience and our obvious excitement about all-things-tech?

Thanks for perusing this blog. Blog you again soon!