Boop’s Christmas List. 11-15-14

Conversation last night:

Me: What do you want for Christmas?

Boop: Presents!

Me: What kind of presents?

Boop: Pink! Pink Presents! <pause> And Purple Presents!

Me: What kind of presents? What do you want inside the present?

Boop: Uhhhh… Bendy! I want bendy!

Me: What’s bendy?

Boop: Bendy! <in other words, just messing with you, Mommy.>

Me: A dolly? A pink and purple dolly?

Boop: Yeah, a pink dolly and a purple dolly.

Conversation this morning:

Me: Have you thought any more about what you want for Christmas?

Boop: Uh, Things! I want Things!

Me: Bendies?

Boop: Yeah, bendies.

Me: What are bendies?

Boop: <laughing> I want a happy face.

<In other words, surprise me, but it better be good.>

Even My Toys Were Rejected. 12-17-13

Tomorrow, Boop will be 23 months old. I guess I should feel some accomplishment in that, handful that she is. It won’t be any easier with the turmoil of the holidays. I have that chaos to look forward to, but I need to focus on positive things.

Today has been such a downer. I woke up and was reminded by FB that it is my cousin’s birthday. That’s good. Then, I remember that my dad would have been 64. I don’t let myself think about it. I got to work, sent a proposal for a class I’m teaching next year, but then found out that I need to re-do. Next, I found out that neither of my grants will be funded. Just typing it is painful. Such great news right before the holidays, groan. And yesterday, I submitted another smaller one, which I know has no chance. It was down to the wire, and one of the folks didn’t come through. It’s sunk, too. And over the last 3 weeks or so, I’ve gotten 3 manuscripts with revisions needed; some I don’t know if I can manage. One of the manuscripts is on its FOURTH revision. Honestly, just publish it already. We had about 5 people working on the last revision, and I just don’t understand it.

Okay, and so here is the crown jewel. I took some of Boop’s old toys to the firehouse to give to the less fortunate, and they wouldn’t take them. Apparently, this firehouse does not take toy donations. So, it wasn’t exactly as if they were rejecting the toys, but it could have so thrown me over the edge. Very awkward. They at least suggested some other places that might be interested. I want this stuff out of my way. Coming home to my toy-packed house is even more overwhelming. Every time I think about moving, I look at all of this stuff, and it seems insurmountable.

And so tonight, I’m meeting some friends, with little Boop in tow, to have a bit of dinner and hopefully a glass of wine. Then, tomorrow, I get to try to regroup and then be apologetic to those who were optimistic, to those who had also put some effort into this. Maybe I’ll devote a little more time than usual to finding a new career.   

Winnie's Present. 12-25-12

The Christmas Pig

Snow White. 12-25-12

The Little Princess

Catching On. 12-25-12

It's amazing how quickly they catch on...

Christmas Cards. 12-2-12

I tried to write out a few Christmas cards today. My card list is *very* limited because I simply don’t have the time or energy with busy Boop and grants due. So, I had a few photos to include, and I had to hunt down a few addresses. Oh my goodness! It was a bit like wrestling a monkey, I think. There were hands and feet everywhere, grabbing and kicking. I tried to nurse Boop, which usually gives me a little time, but the distraction of the paper everywhere was too much for her.

Boop with a present from Ireland. Thanks!

She loves to eat paper. I’m not sure if she really means to eat it, but she likes to suck on it and chew it. Every little thing she finds goes into her mouth, and when I see her chewing, I know I need to do a quick finger sweep of her mouth. Unfortunately, I have found paper in there more often than I like.  And so, I really didn’t want the cards and envelopes to be a casualty. I wound up having to put her on the floor and pushing everything just out of her reach. Everything survived, except my handwriting. Not so hot to start with, but grabbing hands and bumping feet made for a very shaky hand. I just hope the USPS can figure out the addresses. I’m sure the recipients will either deduce it’s from someone with Parkinson’s (can’t think of anyone in the family with Parkinson’s) or their relation with a busy Boop. 

New Kitchen. 10-18-12

Well, my kitchen is near being complete after a couple of years. A friend of A’s at work told me about her friend that does odd jobs. Mainly, I needed the trim work done. The trim I want for around my counters is in a different state; so that needs to be done, but otherwise, the trim is almost done. I’m going to need to caulk and paint/repaint some, and install the door knobs. I was concerned about Boop and the pantry. I was just imagining a can of corn falling on her head. The work wasn’t without a few bumps in the road. The contractor had decided that I wanted folding doors, which I definitely didn’t want. The original person who did the work had offered to put them in for free, but I knew I didn’t want those. Now especially with the baby, I was imagining her fingers getting squished and pinched.

This was all happening in the backdrop of trying to get my grant out. It finally went in to the university on Thursday. I still have a few minor things left to do, but I’ve met my deadlines. It’s due at the agency on the 25^th. All told, I think I got 8 or 10 hours of sleep in the last 3 nights before the grant was due. Fortunately, I was able to find sitters to help me out. Now, I’m just trying to get caught up on my other work and stuff around the house. There’s still some trim work in the kitchen; so I’ll wait till then before trying to wrap up.

And then, there was another kitchen I needed to worry about: Boop’s. I was thinking I would get her a kitchen NEXT Christmas, but someone had one for sale on a Facebook mommy group. It was a decent price, local, and easy—except that I was trying to coordinate it in the midst of grant and remodeling. The woman delivered it to my house. I don’t know whether I should cover it with a sheet to ‘hide’ it from her. She can’t exactly use it, yet. She can’t even stand up, but it’s coming.

Last Weekend. 10-6-12

Occasionally, I try to do something nice for the new students. However, I don’t want to do it too frequently—or else I’ll lose my ‘rep’ as a mean old lady! I feel a bit like a Pharisee talking about the event last weekend, but here goes.

Boop having a little 'nightcap'...

We have a couple of new international students this year, and I invited them out for lunch. So, we went to a local pizza place, which I thought would be informal enough for families. The little ones were so cute, if not a bit bashful and uncomfortable speaking English. I tried to get a little bit of everything for them to try and hopefully find something that they would like. Thankfully, most things they seemed to like and seemed to enjoy themselves.

Of course, the best things were the glorified gumball machines that had toys in them on the way out the door. They must have thought it was like a lottery where you put a quarter in and may not get anything; so they were thrilled when actual toys came out. Had I known that they would have been so excited with a quarter toy, I would have started it earlier in the visit!

Thai Time. 9-13-12

Taken at my house before the trip.
Motivation to crawl? Telephone and Remote

After having a bit of a visit at my dad's aunt D's, <Did I mention that she's in her 90's? She's in her 90's. She does so well to be in her 90's.> I went back to the house to get ready to go pick up Mom at work. I had gotten duck sauce all over Boop, and had to find a new outfit for her. I have put Mom in charge of selecting outfits; so I wondered what she would think of what I picked out. Fortunately, Mom wasn't too upset with Boop's outfit, and we headed to meet my dad's cousin S and his wife S for dinner. They had picked Thai, which I had hoped wouldn't be too spicy for Boop.

S and S hadn't really seen Boop before and were excited to see her. S had a present of a Nuby teether and a little outfit. She said she didn't know what size to get and hoped 6-9 months would be okay. I couldn't help but smile. Then, Mom and I looked at each other. 'Well, she's a little bigger than that.' She asked her size, and I explained that she was in 12 months, if not bigger. I explained that I would just exchange it for a bigger size. We all had a little chuckle at my big girl.

While Mom and I finished eating, S carried Boop around a little bit. The whole time he carried her, she was as quiet as a church mouse, taking it all in. He wanted to find her something special to eat--some frozen yogurt or something, but I don't think he realized her age in relation to her size. He also mentioned that it had been a while since he had a little one. <Their son, my cousin J is a couple of years older than me, and his kids are teens, I think. K was just having a birthday.> So, Boop enjoyed her baby food instead; maybe next time :). 

We had a nice visit; it was good to see them again. When we got home, Boop was totally wired. Not sure if it was the spice from the masamun curry in my milk, but she was bopping around, full of energy. It took us a while to get her calmed down for the night.

It's a party. 8-23-12

We wound up going to a new local Mexican restaurant instead of swimming last week. I ran into a few people I knew while there. One of the folks was the friend from work who got Miss Boop the portable crib. She was there with her husband and little boy. I was thinking that I had met her husband before; I've seen him around work enough. But when he didn't recognize me, I realized I knew him better than he knew me. I waited a few minutes for her to come back, but I decided I would go on back to my table. She arrived a little later and invited Boop and I to her son's 1st birthday this weekend.

Her cheeks look like photos of my dad as a tot.

Instead of gifts, they requested school supplies for the local shelter. I know he's only 1, but it feels a little awkward getting shelter supplies in his name. I would like to do something special for the little fella for his first birthday, but I'm short on creativity (no sleep) and time. I still need to get out at some point to get those supplies. Maybe my helper will come on Saturday morning.  

Verklempt. 5-13-12

Oy, I’ve been on the verge of tears for the last couple of days. Mommy tears. I didn’t think it was possible for me to be more sentimental than I already was, but then I became a Mom. Well, maybe I’m the same amount of sentimental but just react more to the sentimental things.  

Mom called me back, and I was fighting tears. Mom asked, “What’s the matter?” “I’m just on the verge of tears.” Mom replied, “I knew I should’ve come up this weekend!” “No, it’s not that at all. I just got a message after I called you. It was G-, and she said that Boop and G wanted to take me out to dinner for Mother’s Day.” Mom laughed, “Well, if that’s the case, then you’re best to just get it out.” My aunts S and D were with her, and she put me on speaker phone. She continued, “Tell them what you got.” “I posted it on the blog this morning.” She went on, “She got a picture from Cecilly and flowers from me.” “I got flowers from S and S, too!” Then, Mom got confused about Boop’s artwork, and I was telling them about the poem on the flower pot—at which point my voice cracked.--"Talk amongst yourselves!"

That’s not to mention the nice notes and well-wishes folks have been giving me, especially this morning. It’s been coming on for a few days and building. I had pretty much been looking forward to a quiet day today, but if Boop and G want to go out, why not? It’s my first Mother’s Day. 

First Mother's Day. 5-11-12

This is a very strange turn of events. It's kind of like bizarro world. I'm a mother, and I'm getting things on Mother's Day. All of these years, it's been me trying to do something nice for the ladies in my family. My grandmas and great grandmas have passed, and I still try to do little things for my aunts as I can. However, most of my energy and dollars these days go to my little Boop. I did remember my mother with flowers, but I wasn't expecting anything for myself at this stage.

From S and S

From Mom

I was thinking about what it might be like for Boop to get me presents. And then I thought back about how I thought I was such a big girl getting my parents presents. My parents gave me a few dollars when I was 5 or 6 years old, and they gave me so long (maybe a half hour) alone in the drugstore to pick out presents. You can't really do that now because there are so many crazies, but back then I was very excited. I felt such a responsibility, and the longer I looked, the more stressed I got. I had to find just the right thing! I came away with a hot pink feather duster for my mom. I thought it was so pretty, so soft, and it looked like the mommies I saw on TV. I knew she would love it! My dad took one look at it and cracked up; my dad generally thought everything I did was adorable at that age. "Are you sure that's what you want to get your mommy?" "Yes, Daddy, I looked all over the WHOLE store, and I want her to have this." My dad knew this would go over like a lead balloon. Of course, she opened the hot pink feather duster and LOVED it. But strangely enough, it seems like not long after that, Mom made a rule that she was to get nothing for the house as a present. It had to be a personal present. So the next year, she got some stinky perfume that I thought was just fabulous! 

From Boop

And so, yesterday, I got my first Mother's Day present. Some lovely daisy's from my friends S and S, and Boop watched as I put them into the vase. That was so nice and so unexpected! Mom said she got her flowers from me yesterday, too. She also hinted that I would be receiving more flowers :) What a lucky mommy I am! What's more, at daycare, they had a special breakfast this morning for mommies. And then I got my first art project from my little girl, a bit misty-eyed as I relate. It was a paper with orange and purple finger paint flowers in a red pot. There was a photo of my Boop making it, a photo of me holding her, with a sweet little poem. It was laminated, too. Onto the fridge it will go, but after that, I'm going to need to do some thinking about what's best to do with it. It's her first one; so I may have to frame it :)

Strolling Along. 3-20-12

No relation to the post--just wanted to show the letter from my  peeps the Obamas (thanx  M)

So much beautiful weather: warm and sunny. And an antsy dog that is trying hard to ‘be a good girl.’ On Sunday, I decided it was time to try the stroller. We’re going to have to have it for our upcoming trip to NOLA, anyway; so, I needed to figure it out. We had used the box for something else long ago; so I was afraid the instructions were long gone. Fortunately, when I opened the stroller bag, I found the manual attached to a rail. Setting up the stroller wasn’t intuitive but manageable with instructions.

The next trick was to use it. That means I had to get stroller, attached car seat, baby and dog outside—one a bit awkward and heavy, one requiring much care, and one gunning and straining against her leash. I sat the stroller outside and then tried to manage Boop and Winnie. The shorter leash was handy <and so, to state the obvious, I have to keep Winnie on a short leash>. The short leash was a good idea in retrospect; otherwise she would have made the stroller impossible—zigzagging in front and stopping short right in front. I double checked that I had my keys. When I got to the bottom of the driveway, I realized that I forgot my camera and bags to clean up after Winnie. As for the camera, you’ll have to trust me that the tulip poplars are lovely, and the bags, Winnie had been in and out of the house all afternoon and surely had done enough of her business by now. <You know where this going.>

We wound our way around the neighborhood, not going too far in case Boop got upset or the dark clouds brought rain sooner than expected. Winnie kept jerking on her leash, but we managed. Then, we stopped at the stop sign in front of the home of Pomeranian-in-umbrella-stroller-man’s house, and Winnie went and went and went. Folks were passing by us. No bags. Boop was starting to cry. With that, we went home. Then, I got a bag, carried Boop the two blocks, and recovered Winnie’s little present.

St. Patrick's Day. 3-17-12

Wishing you a St. Patrick's Day that treats you well tomorrow morning!

Bib sent from the land of Leprechauns
Thanks, Ms. M!

Leprechaun Training: 

• The content of Lucky Charms are red hearts, yellow moons, green clovers, and orange stars. 
• Stay away from Darby O'Gill and Daniel O'Grady
• Consider pesticide for 4 leaf clovers

The Wrap. 2-25-12

My student and his wife came by yesterday morning. She was dressed in a burka and head scarf. I remember in my Middle East classes in college, there was so much push back about the meaning of being a liberated woman. Folks in the West think that wearing a burka is so repressive, but women in the Middle East often see it as liberating. Head scarf=no worries about how your hair looks. Burka=no worries about your clothes underneath. As his wife stepped up the stair to enter my house, her jeaned leg peeped out. What type of jeans? It doesn’t matter. Very easy. And so I totally get the liberation of a burka.

Outfit from my student and his wife
This one goes out to my peeps in da 'hood

And so it is with babies being swaddled. Being swaddled means freedom from flailing arms and worries about being unsupported. Talking to my middle/high school friend, M, on the phone about FMLA, she mentioned how her middle son didn’t want to be put down. She was also concerned about the Bjorn for newborns and suggested a Moby. I figured it was worth a shot, and I found one on craiglist.com. For $20, it was half what they are in the stores and in very good shape. Having small children, the seller and I both agreed to meet at Starbucks and made a quick exchange in the freezing parking lot. It kinda felt like making a drug deal. I hear that all sorts of deals go down at the Starbucks these days.

After a good wash and dry and after viewing the videos for the Moby multiple times, I decided to dig in. Basically, the Moby is a long piece of fabric about 20 feet long, but the trick is in the tying. When I first put her partially in, Boop wasn’t thrilled. So, I gave her some formula in the Moby, took her out, and changed her diaper. Then, I put her back in little by little, and eventually, I got her all the way in. I know I’m feeling liberated, being able to use both arms! Boop is sound asleep, and I feel like I should be wandering through a village carrying a jug of water on my head, or something.

Letterbox. 2-20-12

"Never know what you'll find when you open up your letterbox tomorrow..."--They Might Be Giants

Here are some recent things that the mailman has left on my doorstep for my little Boop:

From my college friends--lots of books to read! We almost got through Dr. Seuss. It won't be long!

From my grad school friend, M. More pretty clothes! Mom is so excited about all of the Christmas clothes :)

From my Irish penpal and family. Not too many "mummies" in the States :) 

A First Time for Everything, Part II. 1-7-12

So 1^st baby doll was high on my priority list for Boop. B, a friend at work that just had a little boy, apparently had a whole list of things that she wanted as 1^st for her little E. She had planned to get E’s 1^st sunrise, which was nearly squelched by her C-section, but her husband was able to get the shot. I don’t know if I will make the effort, and it really wasn’t on my radar. And my aunt S had talked to my Mom about something for the hospital, baby’s first outfit or pajamas for me. I’m not too worried about pajamas that I will only wear once or twice for me. But I have put a bit of thought into Boop’s attire, which brings me to a phone call last night.

My great aunt, M, is continuing to have trouble. And I thought I would check in with my Grandma’s other sister, great aunt R and uncle J, the people who gave me my first doll. R had a terrible aneurysm a few years back, and we didn’t think she would make it. She’s pulled through and has improved in leaps and bounds, but she still has trouble with time and finding words. But her personality hasn’t changed much; so I have a pretty good idea of what she means.

And so she also wanted to know what the baby was going to wear at the hospital. And I was trying to explain to her that my great aunt, A, on my dad’s side had recently passed away, and I was planning to dress Boop in the outfit that A had given her. Only, she jumped in when I was talking about A passing away and told me not to think about that—not wanting me to be stressed. But then she understood that I was planning for Boop to wear the outfit that A gave me. So, she is planning to talk to my mom about something else to get the baby. Not sure what she will come up with J