avocado8

The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Mon, 12 May 2008 22:20:48 -0500

One summer Sunday when I was about 8 years old, our friends Anne and Peggy and their two kids, Lee and John, came over to our house. I'm not sure what the adults were doing—sitting in the house or the yard talking or cooking, probably—but the four of us kids were playing outside. We had a GMC pickup truck with a cap on the back at the time, and my father had tricked it out with carpet remnants and curtains. (My sister and I had slept back there during the long drive from Boston to Disney World the summer before, if I have my timeline right.) Because the back was separate from the front, my father had also installed an intercom system in the truck. We could push a button on a little controller and ring my parents up front to tell them that we had to pee or whatever. (We didn't have to tell them we were hungry, because my mom packed a great big grocery bag of snacks for us.)

Gas Prices Are Up, and I Can't Say I'm Sad

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:05:09 -0500

I might be the only person in the U.S. who's happy that gas prices are nearing $4 a gallon. Yes, I wince when I have to fill up my own gas tank, and I have sympathy for those who drive for a living, but I still can't help smiling whenever the news reports that people are walking, using public transit, and bicycling more, or that sales of small cars are up among those who must drive.

A Day in Which We All Needed a Nap

Sun, 11 May 2008 23:29:57 -0500

Short summary of today: golf lessons for Cousin H and the Beaner (the latter's first, and he loved it), a shopping walk for me (woo, three pairs of workout pants from Gap Body!) that ended in a migraine (OW!), a lunch of leftovers from Graciela's (yum!), a nap for Al (so he'd be awake enough to drive home) and for me (so the icepicks in my left eyebrow would relent a bit), a tantrum by the Beaner when we told him it was time to leave, a 45-minute nap by the Beaner begun in the Lincoln Tunnel, barely civil behavior after he woke up (from him to us, not the other way around; favorite quote: "I wish you'd gotten more milk in that cup," said in the most ungrateful tone I've yet heard from him, after I told him that the vanilla milk I'd bought him at Starbucks was gone), a bonanza at the Gymboree at Cherry Hill Mall (three pairs of PJs, a jacket, and some shorts for $60!), buckets, chicken wire, and lettuce seeds from Home Depot, dinner at Wegmans, laundry, a short struggle at bathtime followed by endless avowals that I was loved soooo much (I suspect in an effort to postpone sleep), and then peace.

In NYC

Sat, 10 May 2008 21:26:16 -0500

I'm writing this longhand (because blogging from my iPhone when the post is longer than a Twitter entry is tedious) and will post it when I get home tomorrow night. We're in NYC visiting Al's brother's family for the weekend; Cousin H's school fair was this afternoon, and we drove up to join in the fun. The roasted corn was tasty, the fishing in the Little Mermaid blow-up pool was fruitful, the cupcake decorating was a sparkly, sugary hit, and we came home with two toys that I would have said were a little young for the Beaner, but that he and Cousin H have been playing with ever since.

A Peanut Butter Birthday

Fri, 09 May 2008 14:31:15 -0500

Today was Grandparents & Special Friends Day at the Beaner's school, so both Al's parents and my mom drove up to attend (my dad had to work). It's also my mom's 61st birthday today, so after school the Beaner, Grandma, and I walked/bused to More Than Just Ice Cream for a birthday lunch.

Give and Take

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:50:50 -0500

We had a rough lunchtime today. Well, lunchtime itself wasn't rough—we played at the playground, sat down to eat together, shared some yogurt, read a book twice. It was when I got up to go back to work that things got bad.

Interruptions

Wed, 07 May 2008 19:50:06 -0500

A sure sign that we're actually paying more attention to the Beaner now: I'm getting irritated when someone interrupts my lunchtime conversations with the Beaner, and Al's getting irritated when I try to talk to him while he's having playtime with the Beaner. Ah yes, I remember this!

A New Schedule, A New Tack

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:57:25 -0500

I mentioned a few days ago that we were trying to rearrange our daily schedule, and that I intended to get input from the Beaner about it. In the end there was really only one option that worked, so he was not consulted. He was informed, however, and though it wouldn't be his choice—his choice would be for Mommy to do everything... except when he wants Daddy to do it—he's adapted pretty well. Al's now in charge of the morning routine so I can leave between 7:30 and 7:40 for the gym, and I'm now in charge of the nighttime routine. We've basically swapped. I still put the Beaner to bed as I always did (again, unless the Beaner begs for Daddy), Al still drops him off at school, and I still pick him up at 11:45am and feed him lunch. (This is the main reason we swapped; with me having to pick him up at midday, being in charge of a morning routine that was dragging on past 8:15am meant that either my workout or my working hours had to go. I didn't want to give up the former, and I can't give up the latter.)

The Sunflowers Never Had a Chance

Mon, 05 May 2008 09:52:55 -0500

I'm now kicking myself for not photographing the sunflower seedlings that sprouted in the compost bin (where I'd planted them about 10 days ago) this weekend. I went out to survey my kingdom this morning and found every seedling save one (that apparently just came up last night, in a divot) looked like it had beheaded by a weed whacker. Some stems where broken cleanly in two places, and it looked like something had been digging a bit in the corner.

Fly Away

Sun, 04 May 2008 22:59:17 -0500

Despite my reluctance to discuss the details of the current parenting nightmare, I've apparently been clear enough here that the Beaner's been on a Bad Behavior tear lately that it prompted my sister to call and offer her sympathies today. And with that opening I proceeded to write four paragraphs on the Beaner's behavior... only to decide against publishing them. It's too complicated, with too many threads leading into dangerous places, to talk about in detail publicly. Instead I offer this brief glipse into our day today:

It's Amazing What a Bottle of Wine, a Polaroid Camera, and Some Good Conversation Can Do

Sat, 03 May 2008 21:49:12 -0500

I started the day sleep-deprived (on account of staying up late to see the west-coast Sharks beat the Dallas Stars in overtime—woot!) and a bit depressed, and there was a moment where I almost burst into tears for no particular reason except that I was sad and not liking the feeling. BUT! things improved as the day went on, mostly due to three important factors: (1) Al recognized the malaise and most generously offered to stop the car along Lancaster Avenue so I could get out and take photos (I'd mentioned that I'd like to do that sometime, but I didn't think we had the time or he'd have the inclination to do it today); (2) after a shaky end to the school picnic, I opened a bottle of really yummy wine and ordered pizza for me and the Beaner; and (3) HeatherB came over to share the wine and hang out for a few hours.

Management Style

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:03:44 -0500

Today's post will be a short one, mainly to report that after two atrocious days at school (where sending the Beaner home was considered but rejected because it would be seen as a reward, because Mommy works at home) and a slightly longer stretch of disrespect, defiance, distraction, and disruptive behavior at home, the Beaner had a better day today. As Mrs. Bennett once said in reference to Mr. Collins' marriage, "I only hope it will last." Unlike Mrs. Bennett, however, I am being sincere.

The Garden

Thu, 01 May 2008 18:09:35 -0500

I'll start May's NaBloPoMo effort with an update on my garden, if for no other reason than to remember it later. (Wait, that's pretty much 90% of the reason I write *anything* here.) After planting the tomato and pepper seeds back in March, I discovered, via an incredibly helpful post at You Grow Girl, the difference betweeen determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. It turns out I've been growing the wrong kinds of tomatoes for years. Determinates = smaller, usually bushier plants (thought not necessarily smaller tomatoes—the Sweet 100s that I grew a couple years ago and that volunteered in the compost pot last year were indeterminates), whereas indeterminates = monstrosities that require a ton of space and water. Once I determined that my beefsteak-variety seedlings fit into the latter category, I set about scouring the seed racks for determinate varieties... and came up empty.

Untitled

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:38:12 -0500

I have so many things to say, but for one reason or another—discretion, a desire for privacy, laziness, technological hurdles, lack of time, guilt that I should be doing work/playing with my kid/tending my garden instead of blogging—I'm not saying them here. I've been Twittering some of my observations because sometimes it's easier to blurt out a thought in 140 characters or fewer than it is to expound on it (with photographs!) here, but other observations are just stuck inside because they need more time, attention, and mulling-over than I'm willing to give right now.

I Voted

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:54:55 -0500

I did it. I voted.