First day of summer...

It's the first day of summer vacation! Remember that feeling from when you were a kid?
Today is a little rainy, muggy, and overcast. Not much going on other than Azumanga Daioh (her) and coffee (me). And.. what's Ivy doing? At the moment, playing with blocks and chewing on his hands. Ah, the complicated life of a baby. He also enjoys a good game of "Up/Down." Which is, pull up on anything and everything, then let yourself fall down on your diaper-butt while shrieking, "Whoa!" Hours of entertainment.
Anyway, back to summer. Last year we were stuck inside for the bulk of it, with a newborn and no car. This year will be different - I want to get out there. I'm inspired by my brother's blog to get out and bike this year. I've lived here for almost 6 years, and still have never been to the Katy Trail. I'd like to plan a little trip. Need to enlist friends to go with.
Another main goal of the summer is to get Maxine swimming. At this point she doesn't know how, we just haven't been around pools that much. So my goal for summer is to seek them out. Try out all the area pools that don't require memberships (and bum guest passes of my friends that have them. )
Finally, we want to go camping at least a couple of times. And do summer reading book club at the library. And eat ice cream four to five times a week. Anyone have any other great ideas for us? What are your favorite summer memories?

More Poetry

File under: My Daughter Freakin Rocks. Just looking over the book of poetry her class made, and I love hers. It's called:

I know...

I know a puzzle piece spins like a merry-go-round.
It can do a cartwheel.
It has something I'm afraid of on it.
The puzzle piece looks like a merry-go-round
because it has different colors.

Two octopuses got married...

You may or may not know I'm obsessed with books. Especially children's picture books. Lately I've had this book in my head, which was my favorite picture book from my childhood. I couldn't have told you what it was called, who wrote it, or anything else concrete about it, just talked vaguely about its loose structure, style, and how it made me feel. Actually, I have a specific memory of lying on my lavender canopy bed, flipping through this book alone in my room, thinking, "I love this book."
So yesterday, in Family Thrift, there it was. This one:


Arm in Arm, by Remy Charlip. I was so excited to see it, and for 66 cents no less. Maxine was delighted by it, too. Now I find you can read a preview on Google books:
here.

TWO OCTOPUSES GOT MARRIED AND WALKED DOWN THE AISLE ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM IN ARM.

What are your favorite picture books, blogland readers?

babies are fun

Ivan's reaching that totally adorable and funny age. More depth in his smiling eyes. Initiating games. Baby guffawing. Trying to talk ( is it my imagination or is it within the realm of possibility that "bubbubbub" meant blueberry?) Here are some pics from this month:


bubbubbub.


Sometimes a guy's gotta pass out in his high chair.


Engaging Sissy.


He's pulling up everywhere he can now, practicing those standing skillz.


Like a little puppy, I tell ya!

Free Range Kids

Awhile back a writer named Lenore Skenazy apparently wrote a piece called something like (I'm quoting this from memory, not really doing my homework here) "Why I Let My 10-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone." I missed it when it aired on NPR, but caught it during the GIANT media storm that followed. People loving it. People thinking she's Satan, or as she was actually called, America's Worst Mom. The basic idea is that we, as a culture, have gone overboard on safety with our kids, are obsessed with it at the expense of childhood.
Within my own group of friends it created a great conversation. Initially, the thought of letting Maxine ride around our city neighborhood alone on her bike filled me with fear and panic, but I began to reevaluate other things. Does she really need to be within my sight range at all times in a safe public space, such as the public library? This thought came along at just the right time. Right when she was transitioning to "big kid," I realized I don't need to be outside watching her when she's outside (she knows her boundaries are the end of the street.) And in the city parks we go to, I don't feel like she needs to be within eyesight anymore. She needs a place to be a kid, ride her bike around, and as long as I know the general area she's in, I'm OK with it.
Anyway, the columnist sparked a movement which seems to be a household term these days among progressive parents, called "Free Range Kids." Thought I'd share her blog with you all, just in case anyone's missed this. It's great parenting food for thought.

Free Range Kids

Mother's Day Poem

Yesterday evening I was feeling stressed out and bitter about life, and it showed, so Maxine decided to give me my Mother's Day present early. It's a poem she wrote called

My Mom Is Cool

You are as pretty as the sun.
you make me happy.
You dro as delikit as a fether.
I wish mothers day was every day.
i love you mother.
I wish you wer every mom.
Your hair is beautiful like a root.

Love, Maxine.

My OCD Child, Future Accountant

No offense to someone whose child actually is OCD, but wait a minute, maybe mine actually is too. I could blame our comfort with lack of structure in her formative years. Or lack of structure now. Well, anyway, Maxine is obsessed with order. She must wear her clothes in the order they appear in her drawer, been doing this for years now. Also, when faced with any choice at all, she picks the first one. Then hopes for repeated opportunities to work through the list. In order. I was trying to explain to her why this might be a problem, using my course registration guide.

me: I'm worried that you won't learn how to make decisions, and that you always just choose the first one. What if, when you go to college, you just choose the first class in the book instead of thinking about what you want to do? Then you just have to be an accountant, because it starts with A.
her: What's an accountant?
me: someone who counts other people's money, and figures out their taxes.
her: (pause.) Well, that doesn't sound too bad. It's better than working in a hospital.

So, its decided. Future accountant. Or Advertising executive. Air traffic controller?

Maxine grabs the camera and gets artistic.

First off, some portraits of her family:




I have to say, I really like blurry pictures. Maybe more than in-focus ones. I know that's strange, but what do you expect, I'm an artiste. Once you get past the lack of skill, and the fact that they look like all the ones you should be deleting, they really are interesting, don't you think? Maybe I'll do another post soon of my own favorite blurry - I mean, long exposure - pictures.


Oh, Apple, the center of our universe. Ohhhmmmmmmmm.


I finally have one to post on that "Hey, Facebook! Breastfeeding is not obscene!" page.