hair-raising good time

Haircuts and kids are always an adventure. Oliver has gotten better about it over the years, which is a very good thing since his hair grows fast and looks best very short. Eleanor mostly gets hysterical when I even mention cutting her hair. We've done a few bang trims at home without much of a scene but otherwise it's been kind of uh, hairy. There's a place around the corner that does a passable job so that's where we go most of the time.

Once or twice a year we go to Little Snips, a really cool hair salon specializing in kid hair cuts. Most of the chairs look like vehicles such as tractors or taxis or firetrucks. Each station has a TV and toys that help kids look down, or up, as needed. Their prices are very reasonable and we'd go there for every cut if the place were closer and I had more time.

A trip to Little Snips was on our agenda for this morning. I talked to Oliver before we left and asked if he was okay going first, so he could show Eleanor not to be scared. He was cool with that. Going first is always his preference anyway. The opportunity to display a little bravery was just a bonus.

Oliver's haircut went mostly without incident. He declined sitting in the tractor, opting for one of the non-vehicular chairs. He looked very grown up. I had to say, "No, shorter. You can't get it too short. Really." a few times but he ended up looking good and didn't complain. Eleanor was next. She chose the taxi to sit in and Dora on TV. That was a rare treat for her since Oliver has mostly lost interest in Dora (praise the deity or whatever of your choice). Her cut went well too. It was just a trim to clean up her ends and bangs so it didn't take long.

I sent the kids to the play area while I paid the bill. They got so absorbed in playing with the toys that it was hard to pry them away. It was snowing harder than when we arrived and I knew the traffic back into the city would be ugly so I really needed to get them moving. One threat to leave without them was all it took. The put on their jackets and we headed towards the door but before we left Oliver stopped to hug Eleanor. He said, "I'm so proud of you," and I melted into a big puddle of goo.

baby, look at you now

Two years ago Eleanor had just mastered sitting up on her own and was rocking the turkey bib. She may have had a tooth or two but the turkey came out of a jar. I'm pretty sure she was still preferring her mum's milk and yogurt to turkey back then.

Now, she's still not eating much turkey, but she walks, talks, and has lots more teeth. The hair is a bit longer too, though it's still not entirely sure what it wants to do.

(Many thanks to Peter Su for taking the current photo and letting me use it here.)

Toddler vs Cupcake

On Friday I saw Eleanor for about fifteen minutes. Total. She was asleep when I left for work in the morning, and Mr C and I left for the symphony right after he brought her home after work. She was also howling when we left. I felt awful.

Today wasn't much different. This morning I took Oliver to lacrosse and then to watch the Williams - Amherst football game with a bunch of alums, while Mr C took Eleanor shopping with him. I was determined to have some time with my girl when she woke from her nap. We headed out to Coco's for a cupcake and as it was post-nap, she was a very happy little girl.

All through the drive she asked if we were going to Coco's house so it's not surprising she kept asking, "Where's Coco?" while eating the cupcake.

Why does she keep turning around? Workmen were hanging holiday decorations on the street lights. Fascinating stuff, if you're two.

EDITED to change video to a MUCH shorter version.

equal time

I've been a bit too Oliver-centric lately so let's try to give Eleanor equal time, shall we? The trouble is, I hardly see her. Since the big shift in schedule, necessitated by Oliver changing schools and the whole one car thing, there are mornings I leave before Eleanor wakes up. In the evening we get about 2 hours before she goes to sleep. I miss her.

Conversely, I get at least two hours with Oliver in the morning (whether I want them or not...). And some afternoons I am with him for four more hours. I'm not complaining. A lot of that time is just the two of us and it is very special, it is just all out of balance and may not change for about two years.

I got a bonus hour today. Eleanor's school had some open studio time and I jumped at the chance to take her. She adores the studio, especially painting and clay. Today it was all about the clay. We made a snowman, complete with a top hat and a little bag, like the one she likes to carry. It was the best hour of the week so far, without question.

Just look at that face. Who wouldn't want to spend more time with that?

one oh oh oh

Here it is. Post 1000. I should look back and do a quick review but I really just want to move forward (and drink!). But a bit of looking back is apparently required. I offer here just a little. We're not going to be doing any of that wallowing thing. Ahem.

I started this blog on a whim a couple of months after the birth of my first child. Our families don't get to see the kids much so I thought it would be a fun way for them to keep up with Oliver (and later, Eleanor). It has evolved into something far less focussed than I planned, for better and worse, with more ranting and complaining than I ever anticipated.

Numbers seem to figure prominently around here. I offer just a few examples.

Here we have Oliver's weight chart (of misery and insanity). We were crazy enough to weigh him every day for far too long. Kids, DO NOT try this at home. No breastfeeding woman should have to do this. I was far too wrapped up in how many ounces I pumped and how many Oliver did or did not gain that I felt a lot of needless stress in my life. Once a week or two is plenty. Seriously.

In 2008 I did Blog365 and we experienced the 24 days of Daboo family Christmas. More insanity, on both counts, yet fun. There have been lists like this one, this one, and another one.

So, moving forward (feel free to drink again) is what we'll be doing around here, forward by getting back to where I started. Growing kids wait for no one.

a gorilla and the best banana ever

a gorilla and the best banana ever
Originally uploaded by clumberkim

Here's the annual photo of the kids on the front lawn, just prior to embarking on a little Halloween fun. (see also last year's photo, and the year before that)

Once again, Oliver chose the costumes back in August, but I think it is the last year he is going to choose for his sister. For the last few days Eleanor has been telling me she wants to be a spider again and I should put that banana thing in a bag. We had a couple of traumatic attempts to try it on and I was sure she was going to have none of it when the moment of truth came.

Trooper that she is, she let Mr C get it on her, then I took over with some encouragement. I told her how cute it looked and took her up to a large mirror so she could see. Wide eyed, she liked what she saw. I told her she was the best banana ever and she ate it up with a spoon. Just another parenting problem solved.

are you ready for some...rugby?

I renewed my strange and wonderful relationship with rugby yesterday, as Eleanor and I caught the second half of the Pittsburgh Angels' decimation of their opponent in the Midwest Division II tournament. We had to cross two of Pittsburgh's three rivers to get there, multiple times even, but get there we did. Founder's Field is a very nice venue. Much nicer than anywhere I ever played.

I played rugby (badly) in college. In six seasons I racked up a very long list of injuries, including three concussions, and never once scored. I was marginally better in the third half of competition. Let me know if you ever need an anchor for your boat races or a dirty limerick that contains the phrases "concave or convex" or "iambic pentameter". I am definitely your girl.

After graduation I moved to take a job where my boss just happened to be the faculty advisor to the women's rugby club, a club who had been coached by a couple of guys who had just graduated. I wasn't any better as a coach than I was as a player. Fortunately, they didn't really need me. The two captains were outstanding and there was a lot of talent on the team. They needed me to drive and be the grown up. Ha!!!

In the twelve years I have been in Pittsburgh, the only rugby I have seen has been on tv. Going to see the Angels seemed like such an occasion I even got out my old jersey And.It.Fit!!! I will admit it was much baggier back in the day (it was purchased in 1985, for goodness sakes! twenty four years, two babies, and a hell of a lot of nutella ago) but it was comfy, like I remembered.

Many things about the game, however, were very different. What is this business of lifting in the line outs? That was illegal and dangerous in the olden days when I was playing. Now it is normal and, seemingly, expected. There were a few other things that seemed odd (no, not the scrumcaps but I still wouldn't wear one!) but in general, the experience left me feeling awfully nostalgic. I have no interest in ever playing again, unless someone comes up with a wheelchair league, but I'd still be all over that third half. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine....

As for Eleanor, she LOVED rugby. Tonight at dinner she was still talking about it. Maybe love is too strong a word. She loved rearranging the gravel and thought seeing the women running around and clapping for them was cool. I told her she could play some day but asked that she please wait until after I'm dead.

oh how they tease

It was a full family assault at PNC Park on Sunday. We bought two tickets (Oliver and the parent to be named later) to eight Pirate games, and bravely bought four tickets to the last Sunday game of the season, hoping Eleanor would be old enough to make it through to the end. Wow, did she surprise all of us.

To be fair, we cheated a little. With all the rain we were getting Sunday morning I was sure the start would be delayed a little. We gave the kids an early lunch and got them down for naps. Letting Eleanor sleep until the very last minute meant she got just over an hour for nap and woke up happy. We got to our seats at the start of the second inning. Other than a one-inning wander around with Mr C, Eleanor was remarkable. It was Oliver who declared he was bored at the beginning of the seventh and asked to go to the playground. We held him off though, reminding him of the approaching opportunity to stretch and sing. Good thing, too, Oliver soon spotted Manny loosening up in the dugout, about to pinch hit.

For the second time in a month, we missed a ninth inning walk-off 6-5 victory for the Pirates because we were in line to run the bases, but that's okay. MLB at Bat enabled us to watch the video highlights on the drive home. And the look on Eleanor's face as she ran down the first base line hand in hand with her brother was worth it.

So the Buccos of Suckitude took three out of four from the division-leading Dodgers. They love to tease us into thinking they might actually have a clue. Good thing we know better. Now what ticket package shall we buy for 2010?

recovered

Much as I wanted to hold them hostage in my backyard (with beer, of course), Sarah and Devra went on their merry way to Canton this morning. Last night's meet up at AlphaLab, hosted by iTwixie with produce donated by Isidore Foods, cupcakes from kdiddy, blueberry zucchini fabulousness from Abby, and pastries from....I dunno. The HoHos and lemon meringues must have put me into a sugar coma.

Having my own private little BlogHer actually helped to ease some of the bitterness. I didn't have to fret about packing, what to wear, who I was or was not seen with, or which parties to go to. I got swag, and the only cute shoes I thought about were Eleanor's.

As we walked to the bus stop this morning Oliver was asking why our guests were getting in their car. "I want them to stay for 10 years!" he said. Me too, Bunny, me too.

milestones

We hit two milestones today. Eleanor started talking about bedtime while we were in the car tonight. That should have been my first clue. When she starts says, "No bath! No bath! Brush teeth!" she is thinking about bedtime. She said she didn't want any dinner. She says a lot of things that are not true these days so I didn't think a lot about it. Then she barfed. No biggie. Every few months she barfs, usually at school. She falls asleep soon after and is fine when she wakes up. I tried to get a little dry toast into her but she was having none of it. I put her to bed and she conked out immediately, without any of her usual chattering.

She woke up when I checked on her about 90 minutes later. And promptly barfed again, all over her bed. As I was trying to comfort her, she barfed one more time. All.Over.Me. That's our milestone, the first barf on mom or dad. Since we have six kid years under our belts, we should probably consider ourselves lucky. The funniest moment? Eleanor telling me to clean up the "crumbs". No, dear, those are "chunks" but close enough.

Within a couple of minutes she was asking to go to the dinosaur playground so I'm thinking she's got it all out of her system.

And the second milestone? That's easier. This blog is 4 years old today.

dippy kids

Stay tuned. I'll be back to blogging tomorrow. For now, enjoy a shot of the kids while CD was away. We amused ourselves one morning with a visit to Dippy the Dinosaur.

can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

Long time. No blog. Anyway.

It's hardly a newsflash but Sesame Street is on YouTube. This was handy with Oliver when he was younger, as in the days before iPhone. He would watch videos of Elmo singing with a wide variety of celebrities, from Andrea Bocelli to the Goo Goo Dolls. Oliver killed one screen on my laptop but I still thanked MetroDad every day for the tip. (Are you not reading him? Go. NOW! I'll wait, though I know you may not be back for days and you'll probably laugh so hard you'll need at least one wardrobe change.)

Eleanor has now made the discovery. Her favorite for the last couple of weeks has been Put Down the Ducky, also a favorite of Oliver's. Then today we discovered this:

Hysterical. If my kids start asking for celery, I'll know why. And I'll do a little happy dance.

make it stop

Last Saturday, during which Verizon decided three days without internet would be good for me, Oliver turned 4. Four. Years. Old. It couldn't be possible. And tomorrow Eleanor turns 2. It's not surprising I have been waxing nostalgic about their births. The good, the bad, and the war zone. I get even more nostalgic knowing I'll never do it again. Not sorry, as I think out family is perfect as it is (could use a bit more cowbell clumber though) just nostalgic, and maybe a little bit weepy.

So far, four has been a lot like three, with quite a bit more back talk. We seem to have gone from zero to every other word in a matter of hours. Oliver seems to be saying "NO!!" constantly, and the rudeness has kicked up a notch or twelve. He's also showing us glimmers of the switch being flipped, something I keep hearing usually happens between four and five. He's just teasing me, I know, but it's better than the lip and attitude he's showing more frequently.

As for Eleanor, she hit the terrible twos a couple of months ago so I'm not expecting much to change. And she's looked two for quite a while. The only mystery is how far above the 95th percentile is her weight and how far down on the chart did her height go. At least she won't need any shots at the doctor this time.

All this is not to say we are not seeing milestones. Just today Oliver finally rode a tricycle all.by.himself. CD captured it with his camera at pick-up time.

click clack coma

It's been forever since I posted a picture of the kids. Bubba got in there as a bonus. Eleanor's hair is long enough for pigtails now, and Oliver looks more grown up every day.

Tuesday nights require Scholastic DVD since CD has a conference call during the time he usually amuses the kids while I cook. Tonight I left the job to Randy Travis and his excellent narration of Click Clack Moo. I wish I had audio of Oliver's imitation. "Cows that type? Hens on strike? Whoever heard of such a thing?!"

HoHoNo

Today was not the Christmas any of us had in mind. Oliver woke up miserable, with a temp over 104. Motrin brings it down but he just wanted to curl up on the couch with mum or dad and watch Cars and Finding Nemo. He isn't interested in food and only will drink under protest. He gets sick rarely, and I don't recall him ever having a temp this high, so he just has no idea how to handle feeling crappy.

Despite a living room filled with presents, neither kid showed any interest. Eleanor didn't even look at the play kitchen until late afternoon. We got through the stockings but the presents remain under tree. Maybe we will get to them tomorrow, if we are not at the doctor with Oliver.

seriously, ANYTHING can be a hat

Eleanor and her love of hats are making yet another appearance today. In this photo she has just helped me open my ornament in the 24 days of Christmas and has decided to turn the box into a hat. She's also having a little iChat with Aunt Suzy. 

The hat is practical as well as stylish. It has ear flaps for winter and a neck flap to keep that pesky sunburn at bay.

Head over to Flickr to see the beautiful glass penguin ornament that came in the box. I keep saying I'm going to do a second tree with just penguin ornaments. We really have more than enough to pull it off. I think a second tree might just qualify us for a little Christmas Crazy. Maybe.

nom nom nom

My boss shared Wilbur Buds with us at our holiday party on Wednesday. Wilbur's is an interesting story. I look forward to taking the kids to the factory in Lititz, PA someday.

helpful

Sorry for the lack of photographic evidence tonight. I was too busy trying to figure out how to properly adjust my MacBook so Aunt Suzy could witness local events. Oh how I long for the old iSight cameras that clipped on and were nicely adjustable. What the heck am I going to do at Christmas? But I digress...

It was the dogs' turn for a present tonight and Oliver was sure they needed lots of help. Bubba slept through the whole thing but Penguin was sniffing around. Still, she wasn't interested enough to dive in so Oliver happily did the honors. He's such a helpful boy.

In lieu of photos from tonight, I offer an interesting comparison: Oliver and Eleanor pictured at the same age, or as close to it as possible. In this case, both kids are about 19 months old. Eleanor is significantly bigger but both know how to enjoy themselves.

unwrapping

Eleanor's turn on day 17 of the 24 days of Christmas. She is such a bookworm that all the new books are a huge hit with her. She about jumped out of her jacket on the bus this morning when the dad who rides with his 4 year old daughter sat down next to us and took out a book. They usually sit across the aisle and she tries to see the books he reads. Today she had no trouble seeing and hearing.

At school she will frequently get a book and look for a teacher sitting on the floor. She then backs into them, sits on their lap, and waits. She rarely waits long.

slam dunk

Day nine of the 24 days of Christmas brought another book and CD from Aunt Suzy. Little Quack's New Friend was definitely a slam dunk for both kids. We had to read it twice after dinner. As usual, there are a few more pics on Flickr.

Eleanor had another sort of slam today, in the "backpack to the head" variety. We were on a crowded bus this morning and, as usual, there were students who seem to have no sense of how large their backpacks are and no concern for what might be in the path of said backpack. Eleanor didn't cry. She just kept patting the spot on her head and saying, "bump, bump." The culprit stood next to us for more than 10 minutes yet couldn't manage to apologize.

I must be getting old and crotchety. Get off my lawn.