Gosh, my boys (that would be Alex and Michael) have been darting around the house, full of glee, shooting dart guns at each other. I had always said, "no guns" for toys as a general rule, but Alex so desired the dart guns, and they're bright orange with sponge darts--not overly similar to real guns. I acquiesced, and now I can't help but laugh as they dash around with such joy.
I know that we need to parent with conscientiousness, but I keep giving in to our culture and finding that I don't actually mind so much. For example, I really wanted to avoid the Barbie syndrome with Fiona. I wanted her to stick with Waldorf dolls and stuffed animals and baby dolls. However, she adores Barbie, and I gave in right away. We've completely succumbed to that whole Mattel thing. We have most of the Barbie major movies, which are quite good!
Oh well. Perhaps moderation is the key here. Dessert isn't good for us, either, but occassionally it is the best thing ever!
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Lillian's Birthday Party
Guess what the theme was? Yep...Kelly's friend made this functional mermaid tail by hand.
The birthday girl, Lillian Soucy.
Lillian with Ken.
Lillian opening presents after their swim session. That's Fiona across from her, and Kelly and I are the floral prints standing behind them.
Kelly just sent me these pics of Lillian's birthday party on Saturday. Lillian just turned six on September 18th. She and Fiona (May 18th) have a trine between their earth sign birthdays--Taurus (Fiona) and Virgo (Lillian). A trine bodes well for a compatible relationship. I have a trine with Michael and my mom. There are just a handful of days in the year that create a trine, and, generally speaking, those days lie in the other signs of the same element. Therefore, generally, all earth signs are compatible, all air signs are compatible, and so forth.
Air signs: Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra
Earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn
Water signs: Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio
Fire signs: Sagittarius, Leo, and Aries
The trine is just one relationship aspect, and, given the complexity of charts, a statement such as 'Aries and Leo are compatible' is a vast over-simplification. However, it does help if there's actually a trine!
Family Pictures
Fiona with her daddy.
Alex with his cousin Nicholas.
Fiona with her cousin Elizabeth.
Nicholas, Fiona, Elizabeth, and Alex.
Fiona and Lillian are practically joined at the hip, and they tell us that they're 'real cousins' (a fact that Alex routinely disputes).
Monday, September 22, 2008
Nearest and Dearest
I was realizing today that I have neglected to blog about my closest current friends. I think that so far I've been remembering special visits with old friends and recounting our history in a nostalgic way. Perhaps the fact that these relationships are more 'history' and not as much daily life make the visits seem special to record, which they are. I love reconnecting and catching up with these wonderful old friends.
Likewise, my local, current, and active friendships are precious to me, but I haven't been as motivated to pull out the camera or mark them as memorable events, perhaps because they occur regularly, rather than as unique occurrences.
Anyhow, please forgive being taken for granted here! Just because I never write about you, never answer my phone, and often seem too wrapped up in my little daily schedule doesn't mean I don't love you dearly!
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Likewise, my local, current, and active friendships are precious to me, but I haven't been as motivated to pull out the camera or mark them as memorable events, perhaps because they occur regularly, rather than as unique occurrences.
Anyhow, please forgive being taken for granted here! Just because I never write about you, never answer my phone, and often seem too wrapped up in my little daily schedule doesn't mean I don't love you dearly!
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Dr. Charlotte Charfen, Adventuress
Charlotte with husband Jaime and daughter Mia
Charlotte and I with our kiddos.Charlotte is another friend of mine since freshman year of college. I've enjoyed our friendship, as Charlotte is a very dynamic and bold, successful woman! She's an extremely self-confident Emergency Room doc, and I believe I'd feel very safe in her hands!
I get to have vicarious adventures when I catch up with Charlotte. She has safaried in Africa, experienced Europe, trekked down the Amazon for a honeymoon, eloped to Mexico, works for a non-profit educating Mexican health care workers in medical technology, functioned as president of her sorority...
Charlotte (then Charlotte Newman) and I spent a lot of time studying together for our physical chemistry classes, in particular. Her focus and drive are amazing!
Daughter Mia is cut from the same mold as Charlotte, it seems. She knows what she wants and will go for it! Long ago, when Charlotte and I chatted about our med school interviews, she had a ready answer for one of the interview questions that comes up frequently, "What one word describes you best?" Charlotte said without hesitation, "Determined!"
Presenting Pediatrician and Mother Extraordinaire, Dr. Ana Arias-Pandey!
Ana with newborn Veejay.
Vinod, Alex, and Fiona. Vinod seems to be very social and quite bright.
Vivek with his reading! This precocious lad was reading the Harry Potter collection when he was 4 years old. Unbelievable! He was also riding a bike without training wheels at that age. I'm in awe of this kid!
Baby Veejay asleep in my lap. He's not falling off, though it looks that way!Ana has been a very good friend of mine for 15 years. We were roommates at the College of Charleston, and we both travelled to Seattle, WA to attend Bastyr University. Ana's naturopathic training was interrupted by her pregnancy with Vivek, her oldest son. I was so excited by her pregnancy, and it was perhaps no coincidence that I got pregnant with Alex at the ovulation following the discovery of her pregnancy!
Ana's the person who introduced the whole idea of naturopathic medicine to me. She taught me about organic food and homeopathy. Charleston is blessed to have her as a pediatrician! She's very sincere and committed to her work and to her family.
Ana now has three children--all boys. Vivek, just turning 10 now, Vinod, perhaps 7, and the new kid on the block, Veejay, who is about 3 months old. Ana graduated from MUSC with a new babe-in-arms this year. She had a month or so off, and then she started her grueling pediatric residency in July... Needless to say, Ana is overwhelmed with work and family. I've barely seen her since she started her M.D. medical education 4 years ago. This visit was during her small break before the residency began.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Laziness confronted!
Just feeling a little guilty here...Master Richard was speaking to the black belt class in taekwondo and said, "there are plenty of talented people out there who are flipping burgers for a living". Why? Because they didn't try. The talent does no good without the effort.
Anyway, he was saying this just as I am in a monumental lull. I am the epitome of laziness this past week. Okay, so I did a few things, like Nordictrack a couple of times and practice the Swedish and piano, attend church and choir and such, but I haven't been willing to work at anything very much.
I've gotten so comfortable with this concept of a mellow life that when I was chatting with Michael and Ken this evening, I said something to the effect of, "working at things just doesn't sound that appealing to me any more"--completely in all seriousness! I didn't even really realize what I'd said until I noticed Ken's raised eyebrows!
A film tonight brought home the power of "working at things". Michael, Alex, and I went to the downtown Trustee's Theatre to see a documentary for the Ocean Film Festival about Jane Yarn, who was a huge environmental advocate for Georgia and the nation. She achieved an incredible amount, although she began as a 40-something housewife. The secret? Tenacity! She was a charming annoyance that wouldn't go away!
While this is somewhat inspiring, the fact is that she died of breast cancer, and I can't help but think how I loathe all the social exertions and feel too sensitive for such work. I fear that I'd die of breast cancer or another disease like that myself. My body reacts so terribly to me not doing exactly what I want to do!
So, while I want to finish this by saying that I'm inspired to work through and show tenacity at worthwhile endeavors, I'm actually kind of happy at not having to, though I do realize that progress and success sort of hinge on that! I'm comfy, though...
I'll think about it--how's that? And, meanwhile, perhaps I'll show some tenacity at following through with a couple more personal goals, like finishing the Pimsleur Swedish course and getting my knee fixed! Maybe I'll improve the school, save the environment, help animals or, most challenging of all, clean my house next year!
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Anyway, he was saying this just as I am in a monumental lull. I am the epitome of laziness this past week. Okay, so I did a few things, like Nordictrack a couple of times and practice the Swedish and piano, attend church and choir and such, but I haven't been willing to work at anything very much.
I've gotten so comfortable with this concept of a mellow life that when I was chatting with Michael and Ken this evening, I said something to the effect of, "working at things just doesn't sound that appealing to me any more"--completely in all seriousness! I didn't even really realize what I'd said until I noticed Ken's raised eyebrows!
A film tonight brought home the power of "working at things". Michael, Alex, and I went to the downtown Trustee's Theatre to see a documentary for the Ocean Film Festival about Jane Yarn, who was a huge environmental advocate for Georgia and the nation. She achieved an incredible amount, although she began as a 40-something housewife. The secret? Tenacity! She was a charming annoyance that wouldn't go away!
While this is somewhat inspiring, the fact is that she died of breast cancer, and I can't help but think how I loathe all the social exertions and feel too sensitive for such work. I fear that I'd die of breast cancer or another disease like that myself. My body reacts so terribly to me not doing exactly what I want to do!
So, while I want to finish this by saying that I'm inspired to work through and show tenacity at worthwhile endeavors, I'm actually kind of happy at not having to, though I do realize that progress and success sort of hinge on that! I'm comfy, though...
I'll think about it--how's that? And, meanwhile, perhaps I'll show some tenacity at following through with a couple more personal goals, like finishing the Pimsleur Swedish course and getting my knee fixed! Maybe I'll improve the school, save the environment, help animals or, most challenging of all, clean my house next year!
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Swedish Linguistic Fun
I've gotten the Pimsleur Swedish language introductory course, and I'm currently on the 3rd CD. It's very simple and has a lot of repetition, which is nice because you get comfortable with just a few basic phrases.
What I'm finding fascinating are the cute similarities to certain words. Of course there are the obvious ones--like for here, you, how, where, etc., but certain ones just make me crack up! Here are some of those:
1. Ain't. Remember hearing that ain't ain't a word? Well, it is! Our "you are not American" sounds something like "Du ar ain'ta Amrikana". When they say it up to speed, the "ar" gets lost and it sounds just like ain't. I was thrilled!
2. Will. Okay, so think Sweden and Vikings, alright? When we would say "I want", the Viking says "I will" or something that actually sounds like "Yog vill" (Jag is "I" and is pronounced yog). If they want to be polite, they say "I will gladly", which brought up images of the Vikings gladly taking whatever they want!
3. Obvious. On the Viking roll, I noticed that listening to "I think" in Swedish sounds a lot like "It's obvious", when they're speaking up-to-speed, although it's actually something like "Jag viet". Imagine the Viking pomposity, where anytime you think something, it's obvious!
4. Prattle! I don't think that the Vikings were known for being terribly loquacious--or, should I say, it's obvious that the Vikings didn't value loquacity, given their reputation as the tall, strong, silent types. Hence, it makes sense that their word for "speak" is "pratar", so "Jag pratar Engelska"..."I prattle English"! Quite in line with my general Viking impression!
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What I'm finding fascinating are the cute similarities to certain words. Of course there are the obvious ones--like for here, you, how, where, etc., but certain ones just make me crack up! Here are some of those:
1. Ain't. Remember hearing that ain't ain't a word? Well, it is! Our "you are not American" sounds something like "Du ar ain'ta Amrikana". When they say it up to speed, the "ar" gets lost and it sounds just like ain't. I was thrilled!
2. Will. Okay, so think Sweden and Vikings, alright? When we would say "I want", the Viking says "I will" or something that actually sounds like "Yog vill" (Jag is "I" and is pronounced yog). If they want to be polite, they say "I will gladly", which brought up images of the Vikings gladly taking whatever they want!
3. Obvious. On the Viking roll, I noticed that listening to "I think" in Swedish sounds a lot like "It's obvious", when they're speaking up-to-speed, although it's actually something like "Jag viet". Imagine the Viking pomposity, where anytime you think something, it's obvious!
4. Prattle! I don't think that the Vikings were known for being terribly loquacious--or, should I say, it's obvious that the Vikings didn't value loquacity, given their reputation as the tall, strong, silent types. Hence, it makes sense that their word for "speak" is "pratar", so "Jag pratar Engelska"..."I prattle English"! Quite in line with my general Viking impression!
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Sunday, September 14, 2008
My Precious Ones!
Fiona came down with a sudden fever again last night, and I spent the night with her while she fought whatever battle was going on inside of her. Her fever was strong, and she was a bit delirious--insisting at one point that she really wanted to play the piano, even though her eyes were closed and she was hardly moving that direction!
As I held my precious little girl, a recurring fear hit me--I've been so incredibly lucky to have two such thoughtful, sweet, lovely children and it sometimes seems 'too good to be true'. What a terrifying thought.
Fiona was much better today, thank goodness.
I know everyone loves their kids, but I feel my love for them growing more and more as their sweetness and thoughtfulness increases. We have both a boy and a girl--both intelligent, beautiful, kind, loving, generally healthy, and incredibly sweet. How fortunate can we be? I am so blessed!
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As I held my precious little girl, a recurring fear hit me--I've been so incredibly lucky to have two such thoughtful, sweet, lovely children and it sometimes seems 'too good to be true'. What a terrifying thought.
Fiona was much better today, thank goodness.
I know everyone loves their kids, but I feel my love for them growing more and more as their sweetness and thoughtfulness increases. We have both a boy and a girl--both intelligent, beautiful, kind, loving, generally healthy, and incredibly sweet. How fortunate can we be? I am so blessed!
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Thursday, September 11, 2008
George's Secret Key is finished
We finished George's Secret Key to the Universe by the Hawkings tonight. I was amazed that the kids really loved it. I actually did learn a little bit myself, though I think I already knew many of the mind-blowing facts--like that we're made of stardust! The kids were very interested in the book--quite surprising me, since I was fully expecting their interest to wane when the story would get bogged down in pages of scientific explanations about the solar system and such. I think it was a great success, really. If anyone knows of other educational fiction, I'd love to hear it--especially as Fiona specifically asked me for another science story for our next chapter book.
I highly recommend The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer as one of the more educational fictional books I've read, but it's extremely violent (with Vikings frothing at the mouth and all). It was really helpful in understanding and learning about some Norse mythology and the whole relationship between the Vikings and their raids on the English coast around 800-1100 A.D. and seeing the growth of Christianity juxtaposed with the older Celtic beliefs. Anyhow, as I said, it's too violent for the kids, but I thought it was absolutely fascinating!
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I highly recommend The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer as one of the more educational fictional books I've read, but it's extremely violent (with Vikings frothing at the mouth and all). It was really helpful in understanding and learning about some Norse mythology and the whole relationship between the Vikings and their raids on the English coast around 800-1100 A.D. and seeing the growth of Christianity juxtaposed with the older Celtic beliefs. Anyhow, as I said, it's too violent for the kids, but I thought it was absolutely fascinating!
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Sunday, September 7, 2008
Choir
Today was the first day for both Fiona and I to sing in the church choirs. Fiona is in the children's choir, and she did a wonderful job. I overheard some church members talking about how "she really belted it out" and sounded great, and they said that they could tell she was enjoying herself. I'm so proud of her, as she wasn't really feeling well, and she developed a fever by the end of church--but she held up for her 'performance' with the other children.
I'm enjoying singing with the Adult Choir. I've never had such an awareness of dynamics and how to shape the sounds with my mouth. It's truly hard work, and I'm incredibly impressed with Kelly's choir directing.
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I'm enjoying singing with the Adult Choir. I've never had such an awareness of dynamics and how to shape the sounds with my mouth. It's truly hard work, and I'm incredibly impressed with Kelly's choir directing.
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Tuesday, September 2, 2008
1st day of school
Whew! The kids are off to school and Michael's off to work. I'm secretly blissed out to have some alone time!
The kids were so cute this morning in their uniforms. I went last-minute, of course, to buy their school supply lists last night, and I found myself buying things like 3-ring binders and composition books for Fiona! I'm used to it with Alex, but I guess 1st grade is serious business!
It was a nice morning and seemed ridiculously laid-back, but I think that's partly because I made their lunches last night. They prefer day-of, the picky little things, but I didn't want any glitches in our morning.
1st and 4th grades--would you believe? They're getting so big!
Alex is now considered 'upper elementary' and has a 4th, 5th, & 6th grade classroom, in which, joy of joys, his best friend Zachary is again with him! Their 2nd-3rd grade teacher, saintly Ms. Anne, actually saw that they were originally set for different classrooms on the roster, and she went in and changed it so they could be together! Kisses for Ms. Anne! Both Zachary's mom, Karen, and I were moved around throughout our childhoods and always wished for the lifelong friendships 'since Kindergarten'--and that's exactly what Alex and Zachary have. They're like 2 peas in a pod. They were only in separate classrooms for 1st grade, and otherwise they're set together from Kindergarten thru 6th grade!
Fiona was also switched on the roster last-minute, and I was surprised to find her in Ms. Laura's class--which is fine by me, as I once requested Ms. Laura for Alex. She has a couple of friends in her class, and I'm sure she'll be fine, as she's so adjustable.
It's a big day for us! Alex's new teacher, Ms. Carol, gave an extra boost to my idealistic views of the Ellis Montessori utopia when she shared, as many other teachers have, how much she loves working at Ellis and how she never wants to work anywhere else. Oh, and best thing? She has the kids wear bedroom slippers in the classroom!:)
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The kids were so cute this morning in their uniforms. I went last-minute, of course, to buy their school supply lists last night, and I found myself buying things like 3-ring binders and composition books for Fiona! I'm used to it with Alex, but I guess 1st grade is serious business!
It was a nice morning and seemed ridiculously laid-back, but I think that's partly because I made their lunches last night. They prefer day-of, the picky little things, but I didn't want any glitches in our morning.
1st and 4th grades--would you believe? They're getting so big!
Alex is now considered 'upper elementary' and has a 4th, 5th, & 6th grade classroom, in which, joy of joys, his best friend Zachary is again with him! Their 2nd-3rd grade teacher, saintly Ms. Anne, actually saw that they were originally set for different classrooms on the roster, and she went in and changed it so they could be together! Kisses for Ms. Anne! Both Zachary's mom, Karen, and I were moved around throughout our childhoods and always wished for the lifelong friendships 'since Kindergarten'--and that's exactly what Alex and Zachary have. They're like 2 peas in a pod. They were only in separate classrooms for 1st grade, and otherwise they're set together from Kindergarten thru 6th grade!
Fiona was also switched on the roster last-minute, and I was surprised to find her in Ms. Laura's class--which is fine by me, as I once requested Ms. Laura for Alex. She has a couple of friends in her class, and I'm sure she'll be fine, as she's so adjustable.
It's a big day for us! Alex's new teacher, Ms. Carol, gave an extra boost to my idealistic views of the Ellis Montessori utopia when she shared, as many other teachers have, how much she loves working at Ellis and how she never wants to work anywhere else. Oh, and best thing? She has the kids wear bedroom slippers in the classroom!:)
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Monday, September 1, 2008
Tea Party!
Fiona's new dress from Strasburg Children was the impetus for this impromptu tea party!I just love the row of little buttons and the big sash on the back...
Isa, Kasi, Fiona, Lillian, and Alyssa sit around the table for the tea party.
Isa, Kasi, Fiona, and Lillian pose for the pictures.
Lillian receiving cream in her tea.
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Isa, Kasi, Fiona, Lillian, and Alyssa sit around the table for the tea party.
Isa, Kasi, Fiona, and Lillian pose for the pictures.
Lillian receiving cream in her tea.We had a lovely tea party today for Fiona and her friends Kasi, Lillian, Isabella, and Alyssa. Alyssa's brother, Zachary, came over to play with Alex.
Fiona wore a gorgeous silk dress from Strasburg Children. Honestly, the dress was the reason for the party! I was so thrilled with our purchase of the dress that I said, "We need to have a tea party!" just to have a special occasion to wear the dress!
For the first time ever, I finally pulled out the beautiful little tea set that my mother gave me 15 years ago. The dainty cups are so tiny! But it was absolutely perfect for the party, and it was so exciting to use the china. The girls did wonderfully, and absolutely nothing was broken.
Scones and crustless sandwiches, grapes and jelly beans were the finger foods at the table. Once the girls finished eating, they played and played. It's amazing how they go non-stop! They went outside, and I managed to stop Isa just seconds before she sat down on the slide in her pretty white dress! Meanwhile, Fiona was flipping on the rings in her silk dress! I convinced them all to come inside and put on Fiona's clothes while they played outside, which they all thought was a great idea (as girls love to try on each other's clothes). Isa was the only one who came down in a matching outfit, surprisingly!
The party was great fun for the girls, and I enjoyed chatting with Karen (Alyssa and Zachary's mom) and Kelly (Lillian's mom). I think I can honestly say that this is the only impromptu party that I've ever hosted for absolutely no good reason (unless we consider a fancy new dress a good reason!). That's a lot of firsts for this weekend!
Fiona wore a gorgeous silk dress from Strasburg Children. Honestly, the dress was the reason for the party! I was so thrilled with our purchase of the dress that I said, "We need to have a tea party!" just to have a special occasion to wear the dress!
For the first time ever, I finally pulled out the beautiful little tea set that my mother gave me 15 years ago. The dainty cups are so tiny! But it was absolutely perfect for the party, and it was so exciting to use the china. The girls did wonderfully, and absolutely nothing was broken.
Scones and crustless sandwiches, grapes and jelly beans were the finger foods at the table. Once the girls finished eating, they played and played. It's amazing how they go non-stop! They went outside, and I managed to stop Isa just seconds before she sat down on the slide in her pretty white dress! Meanwhile, Fiona was flipping on the rings in her silk dress! I convinced them all to come inside and put on Fiona's clothes while they played outside, which they all thought was a great idea (as girls love to try on each other's clothes). Isa was the only one who came down in a matching outfit, surprisingly!
The party was great fun for the girls, and I enjoyed chatting with Karen (Alyssa and Zachary's mom) and Kelly (Lillian's mom). I think I can honestly say that this is the only impromptu party that I've ever hosted for absolutely no good reason (unless we consider a fancy new dress a good reason!). That's a lot of firsts for this weekend!
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