Off the Pan, Into the Fire

My journey into the realm of raising our sons...

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Caveman grammar

Hmm. Ugh. Ohh. But there's more, there's also a plethora of "B" words, balloon, ball, Boris and Beast (as in our cat). It almost seems like everyday that Liam exhibits another hint of the ability to speak, the flowering of the next developmental step. It's so wonderful. And his GeGe for Galen brings smiles.

I don't think there's much he doesn't understand; all those grunts, groans, and simple pronunciations are a touching exchange.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

I took Galen to the 4th celebrations: or, how I wanted to pass out and sleep

Galen and I went to Chanhassen's 4th of July celebration. It started out simply enough, some lunch, the kid's roller coaster, and then the play ground for 45 minutes. Then it got muggy & hot. Then Galen wanted to ride the Tilt-a-whirl. Now as a kid, this was one of my favorites. I found that it is no longer true. The first rotation was innocuous, but then it got up to speed, and wooooosh, we were a twirling.

No, lunch did not come up, or even threaten to do so. But I got a headache, queasy and never quite recovered until I got home and into the comfort of AC.

I know what you are thinking - wimp. That's OK, but I stuck it out. After the Tilt-a-headache he road the kid-coaster yet again and went back to the playground. Then it was time for a snow cone (raspberry) and the parade.

Galen can now say he likes parades. There were horses, motorcycles, clowns, candy, dancers, cars, and even a airplane flyover.

I am ready for bed, but now it's time to go see the fireworks. Kabang.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The chaos of summer

What does one do with two young rascals that; a) need to burn off excess energy, b) can't always perform the same activity, c) sometimes don't want to perform the same activity, d) need naps, e) don't always want a snack until it's too late, f) will let the TV suck them through an entire day, g) will only, sometimes give a 2-minute warning prior to a bathroom movement, h) love to climb things marked "off limits" by the authorities, i) when only one can scooter along, j) one is too heavy to carry distances, k) are way too enthused to play in the street, l) will terrorize a library if the stay is too long, m) can't climb trees, n) can't pump on the swing, o) won't pose for photos, p) think a hammer is a gentle instrument, q) walk at entirely different speeds, r) dislike charred marshmallows, s) think sailing requires no money, t) will stack almost anything into a building, u) think Grandma O'Brien's porch is the best place on earth, v) want to roam the entire neighborhood, unescorted, w) will eat anything from a restaurant but nothing from home, x) are too shy to shake Clifford the Big Red Dog's hand, y) go in different directions in the woods, and z) will go until restrained?

I know, most of those items are good things. Today we went to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. We saw the big red cherry (without the snow) and the crane, ducks (not sure of the type), and a multitudes of other items. The big red cherry and crane were Galen's interpretive names. Over the course of the summer we will also visit (multitude of times) both zoos, the Arboretum, and the Children's Museum. Galen will also spend some time at the Little Gym and YMCA summer camps.

My, I'm exhausted already. I hope they get that way too.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Graduation, sorta

Galen's preschool presentation/graduation ceremony was tonight. Goodness, he's come along way. He participated, sang, and enjoyed the ice cream afterward. How far he has come, and it's still only the beginning.

This fall he'll be a few months shy of the kindergarten cut off so he'll be back in preschool. That's OK: 1) he's out of the house for awhile, 2) he likes it, and 3) he learns things (and some are things I wish he hadn't). I look forward to next year's changes.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Growth rings

Trees come with growth rings - kids should. What do we get instead? We get birthdays and milestones. Galen is now 4 1/2, and Liam just turned 2. So much for the birthday. What about the milestones?

Galen can read. He's been getting some of it for awhile, but he needed a critical mass of vocabulary and confidence before doing much for us. He still is hesitant, we all like being read to, be he can follow along much better now. He's also getting good balancing skills. The Razor so handily gifted by Grandma O'Brien has been zooming up and down the street. He no longed scoots with every push, he now glides.

Liam is on the verge of speech. More words are cropping up, Beast and doggie being the newest. He babbles and gestures directly at ya, he has things to say. And today I found him standing on the dinning room table swinging the chandelier - smiling. At least he wasn't swinging from it. He has finally conquered all couch and chairs. For awhile he has been able to climb when his feet & legs were uncovered, skin is great for traction. However, get him dressed and the climbing was thwarted. No more. His high chair should be next, in a month or three...

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Natasha has passed away yesterday...


Natasha was the messenger, whenever Rocky would alert, she would run back-n-forth to us and Rocky until we acknowledged him. You could see it in her eyes, "Did you hear him? He sees something, come check it out." She was quick, in a sprint she would fly across the earth.

When the kids arrived she transformed into the hovering nanny. She would watch over the kids, hardly interrupting. When she did, it was to nuzzle and get some loving. Galen never really tested her, but Liam did. He would tug at those ears - and she would push his face away with her tongue, licking his face to get him to stop. She had such a gentle kiss.

She passed away too early. We will always remember her prancing, speed, the quite gentle presence, the great joy and companionship. She was a loved member of our pack, one that will be missed. Rest in peace Girlie.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Lee! Could you help me?

It was a beautiful spring evening and I was in the middle of the cul-de-sac, walking Boris around while watching Galen play with "his kids." I heard a voice from behind, "Lee! Could you help me?" I turned to Shanna and she started about the washing machine and water softener hoses being...

At this point I must relate back to last Friday evening. My latest batch of Irish Stout is about ready to bottle, a few cases worth of bottles needed to be sanitized. A few batches ago I realized that the utility sink in the laundry room would hold about half the bottles at a time - it greatly eased & sped up the time needed to sanitized batches of bottles. However, while doing so I move the washing machine and water softener hoses out of the sink.

Yep, you know where this is going. I had forgotten to replace the hoses, probably a result of drinking home brew while cleaning bottles.

So, instead of watching the glorious interaction of children I was moving a freezer, shelves, and the detritus that collects in a laundry room. I hope I learned something.