Archive for family
July 8, 2005 at 10:18 am · Filed under moon (rachel)
This little munchkin arrived and changed our lives forever. Although it would have been a lot easier if we’d have been able to communicate right from the start, it was interesting and rewarding getting to know her and figuring out her special ways.
She’s still as opinionated as she was back then. (And trust me, babies can be opinionated. Even when they are 2 hours old, like she was in this picture.)
Sometimes it floors me how quickly the time has gone. Back when I was a new mom, I would ask other parents to please tell me again that thing about how babies grow up so fast. Maybe I just figured that once Moon was talking, she could give me some pointers or something. When she started forming words at about 8 months or so, I extracted every bit of meaning that I could.
Can I even begin to say how amazing it’s been getting to hang with this kid for the past 14 years?
Even if I weren’t her mom, I’d be compelled to point out how beautiful, intelligent, funny, talented and kind she is. Being 14 and all, she has a hard time seeing all of that in herself, but it’s there.
Happy birthday, Moon. I’m so glad that you joined us here on earth.
July 4, 2005 at 5:10 pm · Filed under animals, family, knit/crochet, shopping
- Dragging Pete and the kids to War of the Worlds (despite it not being a Pete-friendly movie). Overlooking my current distaste for Tom Cruise enough to enjoy the kickbutt alien tripods.
- Being sung to by restaurant employees and hoarding my free birthday mug.
- Unwrapping the book I wanted
and a gift certificate to Lakeside Fibers.
- Accompanying Patti (with Peter) to Petsmart to look at the shelter kitties there. Falling in love with a cat named Morty, who is going to come home with Patti in two weeks (yay!).
- Driving around trying to find a good spot to watch Rhythm & Booms. Pulling over and putting the hazard lights on next to James Madison Park. (We weren’t the only ones.)
- Taking my parents to Hubbard Avenue Diner and Olbrich Gardens.
- Trying yet another spectacularly good flavor of Michael’s Frozen Custard (PB Crisp).
- Starting a new knitting project. Ripping a huge chunk after losing my place and creating an inadvertent jog in the lace border.
- Getting the nerve to wash my recently completed T3 sweater, after looking at it nicely folded on the sofa for several days.
- Working on web stuff but obviously not updating my own site.
- Deciding that a lame list will have to do.
June 30, 2005 at 10:31 pm · Filed under family
At precisely 2:07 a.m., I will be 43 years old. Wacky.
Pete took the day off, so we’ll all be enjoying a four-day weekend together. In keeping with my determination to experience all things Madisonian, we’ll be having dinner at the Nitty Gritty. I’ve been talking about going to Rhythm and Booms Saturday, but I’m not sure my enthusiasm is shared by the rest of the family.
Oh, happy Canada Day.
June 24, 2005 at 9:51 am · Filed under family, moon (rachel)
After Moon’s initial experience with contact lenses last Friday, she hasn’t even attempted to get them back onto her eyeballs again. In fact, she has pretty much decided they’re not for her. Later today, we’ll be going back to Eye Contact to give them the news (and look at new glasses frames).
In the meantime, we succeeded in distracting Foxxi from her empty tummy this morning, and she’s spending the day at the vet’s office getting her teeth cleaned. It’s eerily quiet around here now. All week the temperature has been in the 90s, so we’re not planning on outdoor activity today. Nope, we’re going to the movies.
Friday isn’t just my day off anymore. It’s the kids’ day off, too. Moon has been cooking dinner for us every night, and Peter is responsible for setting the table and making sure the living room is picked up before Pete and I get home from work. They each get daily chores as well. Yes, we are paying them, but it’s less (far less) than what we used to pay for summer day care.
Sweet deal, eh?
In other news, my oldest nephew turned 23 yesterday. I’ll say it again: 23. I still remember the day he was born… his mom had a c-section, and I was in the waiting room with my dad. Brother #1 had been pretty shaken up by the way things had gone. He called us as soon as he found out the surgery was going to take place, and we came right over to offer support.
Of course, I had no clue what potentially comforting words I could say. But I do remember how incredible it was to see my nephew for the first time. He was my initiation into the wonderful world of newborns.
Update: Moon made a last-ditch effort to put on her contacts right before we left for her appointment, and she succeeded. So it looks like she’ll be ditching the glasses after all. We also didn’t make it to the movies, but Foxxi sailed through her teeth cleaning like a trouper.
June 19, 2005 at 9:11 am · Filed under family, movies
The first Friday fun day of the summer was…. exhausting. But on the up side, we saw “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” which had a great storyline and wonderful chemistry between the two leads. I have a total girlcrush on Angelina Jolie. Sooo cool.
Before the movie, I:
- Took the doggie to her appointment to have her teeth cleaned. Discovered that her insistence on breakfast meant that we’d need to reschedule. Made mental note to remind Pete that doggie should not be fed after 7 pm next Thursday. (Good luck, Pete!)
- Picked up Peter for his dentist appointment. Now that Moon is done with every-other-week visits, it’s time for Peter to start. Knitted a few rows on my current project while waiting.
- Took Peter home. Went to Lands’ End to do an exchange, then stopped by Bath & Body Works to spend far more than I had originally intended. (New sheets for the kids! A Shark hand vac!)
- Picked up Moon — time for her eye appointment. She has been asking for contacts, so I figured we’d look into it.
- Left Moon at Eye Contact and went back home to get Pete, who needed to go to the Red Cross. (Yes, this was one of those comical One-Car-Family days.) Dropped him off so he could make his blood donation, then went back to Eye Contact to check on Moon.
- Sat with Moon while the technician coached her on contact lens insertion. Went into other room to avoid giving too much backseat advice. Realized an hour had gone by, and Pete would probably be eating cookies at the Red Cross and looking out the window.
- Picked up Pete. Took him home for lunch. Drove back to Eye Contact to check on Moon.
- One contact lens in! And it’s only taken an hour and 15 minutes!
- Left Moon at Eye Contact because getting them in is just half the struggle. She can’t leave until she’s removed and reinserted one. Good luck!
- Picked up Pete and Peter; returned Pete to work. Drove to Eye Contact, where Moon had finished her task mere minutes after I’d left and was waiting crabbily for me to pull up in the Priusmobile.
- Thank God for KFC drive-through. Movie time.
June 12, 2005 at 10:04 pm · Filed under family
… and as soon as Nephew #4 saw Pete, he shrieked “yayyyyyyyyyy!” and jumped into his arms. It was a bit hot for outdoor activity, but there were games of catch to be played, and walks to the woods to be taken. I didn’t do any of that stuff, of course. I would have melted. But I did proceed to the ribbing of my One Skein Wonder, and we played a nice game (indoors, yes!) of Apples to Apples.
Anyway, as I gaze upon the chicken-and-apple stained face of my youngest nephew, I wonder whether it would make sense to just go ahead and use his actual name. Even I get confused by the numbering system sometimes. I mean, Jodi talks about her nieces and nephews without fear of non-anonymity. And some of their names are as unusual as the ones in our family.
What do you think? The boy in the picture, he shares his name with a city in New Jersey.
June 9, 2005 at 9:01 pm · Filed under moon (rachel), peter
Moon’s 8th grade class trip to Six Flags Great America was apparently great fun, but the heat and sun took a toll. (That’s what happens when you inherit the genes from the Irish/German side of the family, along with the red hair and milk-white skin.)
While she was enjoying roller coasters and a cushy charter bus ride, Pete and I went to Peter’s school to watch him get his 5th grade completion certificate. I kept thinking about how we’ve been involved with the elementary school for nine years in a row, and now it’s over.
Next fall, I’ll have a high schooler and a middle schooler. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around that.
Peter to friend, while waiting in line for cake and punch: “This year, we’re like gods. Next year, we’re at the bottom of the food chain.”
May 31, 2005 at 9:16 pm · Filed under movies, pete
Must admit, I don’t do much memorializing on Memorial Day. All the veterans I know are alive and well. Mostly, I lounge around and hope for good weather.
So. The Saturday Farmer’s Market is quickly becoming a habit. The market is more than just food. This time Pete and I took time away from the pastries to visit the guy in the Green Party booth. I was so impressed with their literature that our car now sports one of their bumper stickers. (A Prius with a Green Party sticker? Yeah, what a surprise.)
On Sunday, Pete had to work at the Brat Fest (his employer was a sponsor), so I took the kids to see Revenge of the Sith. Six thumbs up. It made us want to see the original three movies, which to me is exactly what it was supposed to do. I was horrified when I went to our DVD collection to pull out the trilogy and realized we didn’t own it. Now we do. The bonus disk was especially amusing because we got to see what everyone looks like 25 years later. Moon practially jumped when Mark Hamil appeared on screen. “Ahhh, what happened?! He was so pretty!”
Two interesting things happened on Monday. (1) Pete and I went to the UW Arboretum for the first time ever. (2) We then went to Target for a printer cartridge, where we ran into a guy from my high school graduating class. Actually, I’ve known him a lot longer than that — I think we started going to school together when we were nine.
The bizarre thing is that I almost didn’t recognize him. He waved toward us, and my first thought was that he must be a co-worker of Pete’s or something. When he stopped and talked to us, his voice and mannerisms were the same as always, but I kept looking at his face and thinking that he looks like any other dad I would see at a school concert or something. Like a middle-aged man.
It’s times like this that I think, My gawd, I must be getting old. Freeeee-ky.
May 22, 2005 at 7:38 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
Pete and I went to the Farmer’s Market again on Saturday — two weeks in a row, can you believe it? This time Angelica tagged along. We bought more bakery items, which kind of cancels out my 45-minute daily walks. But life is short, and you’ve gotta support people who leave their farms at 2 a.m. to make a three-hour drive to Madison. Especially when they make scrumptious twisted cinnamon pastries with maple frosting. (See more farmer’s market pics here.)
Saturday night was the Pride Prom at Shabazz, and Nicole invited Moon. They went as a group with Nicole’s sister Aimee and a few other friends. (No, not a date.) Earlier in the day I took Moon shopping, and she ended up with black pants, a black blazer, a narrow red tie and a black pinstriped fedora. Very cool. I like her style.
May 10, 2005 at 10:25 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
It was an early birthday present for Moon: her first rock concert. As soon as tickets were on sale for last night’s Green Day concert, I nabbed three. One for Moon, one for her friend and one for a parental chaperone (me). The concert was sold out, and it was general admission, so we arrived a half hour before the doors opened. After we were searched and all that jazz, we went into the coliseum where I grabbed a few seats while the girls went to talk to a friend in the mosh pit.
The opening act was My Chemical Romance, which is another one of Moon’s favorites. Moon and Nicole ended up about 15 feet away from the stage — I stayed in the old people’s section, where I could see everything without getting kicked in the face.
I have to say, it was an incredible show. And it seems to have opened a whole new world for Moon. I think she’s going to be one of those people who go to a LOT of concerts.
She wore her new Green Day shirt to school today, and has been spreading the gospel of Billie Jo to anyone who will listen.
May 4, 2005 at 9:35 pm · Filed under family
Birthdays at the in-laws’ are always fun, and lord knows I needed a break. Work is filled with drama and trauma. Of course that’s all I can really say about it. Just trust me on that.
Anyway, Moon and I taught the sisters how to play Blink and there was much laughter. I think we nearly sent Sister #4 into labor, because she was so thrilled to beat Moon at the game. The nieces were interested in what we were doing, so I played a slower version with them. Niece #2 said, “I love this game so much.” Niece #1 is a year older and caught on more quickly, and Niece #2 started to get frustrated. So #1 would say, “Let’s play again, and we’ll go really REALLY slow this time.”
And then of course she’d get competitive and end up winning.
Fun stuff, really. My old (as in long-term) buddy Deb was there, too, which just added to the fun.
April 24, 2005 at 8:48 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
A lot of other stuff happened this weekend, including Peter’s birthday (he’s 11) and a related visit to JM and Nichole’s for games, but today was a day for loud music, and lots of it. Pete offered up his voice (including a surprisingly effective rendition of “Back in Black”), and inspired me to get up to the mic for “I Love Rock and Roll.”
Yes, I guess it was kind of like karoke for parents.
One kid who must have been around 9 or 10 not only played guitar, he also got up and sang. We couldn’t believe how much confidence he had — and he wailed. I probably should have taken more pictures, because in 10 years when he’s on tour, they might be worth something.
April 3, 2005 at 9:17 pm · Filed under family
Yeah, it was a beautiful weekend. I’m glad I was of a mind to enjoy it. (There are other pictures too.)
March 4, 2005 at 2:22 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
So Moon calls me the other day when I’m at work, and tells me, “Guess what? I’m wearing makeup.” I’d bought her some eyeliner and eyeshadow (at her request), so I assumed, okay, she’s getting interested in girly things.
“I took a few pictures of myself with the digital camera,” she said.
She was over at her friend’s house when I came home, so I peeked at the camera’s preview window.
Huh. Not so inspired by Marilyn Monroe. More like Marilyn Manson. That’s my girl.
February 16, 2005 at 9:59 am · Filed under family
Today’s horoscope:
You might wake up this morning, look around you, and decide that you want to spend as much time as possible working on your home. You could well be bored with your decor, and want to make some changes. Spend the day coming up with ideas, then in the evening try to analyze the situation and see what’s feasible at this time. Most likely you’ll be able to do some of what you want, but not all.
Well, I think they’re a day late. Yesterday after everyone left at 7:15, I did not go back to bed… I cleaned the kitchen. And I put various mislocated items back where they belonged. (Open door to kids’ rooms — avert eyes and toss item inside the black hole.) In the evening, Pete and I moved our dresser to the opposite side of our room, revealing about a half inch of dust underneath. Vacuuming it was strangely satisfying, which shouldn’t be surprising to those of you who know how fascinated I am by earwax.
We decided to move on to the storage area, where everything is covered in a thin layer of drywall residue. After digging out the bookcase, we wiped off all the scrapbooks in it and relocated the whole thing to where the dresser used to be. Now we probably need to paint, but I’m not thinking about that right now. Nope.
February 10, 2005 at 4:19 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
When Peter was two years old, he was running around in the nursery room at the YMCA and whacked his chin on a table. I was teaching water aerobics at the time, and had to cut class short so I could take him to the clinic and stop the bleeding. Since he was such a squirmy little guy, he had to be strapped to a papoose board before the doctor could do the stitches. He was not happy about it; in fact, he screamed more about being restrained than he did about the needle.
And, oh my God, it was as if someone punched me in the stomach. I wanted so badly to change places with him, and I guess that’s part of what being a parent is all about. Your kids’ pain hurts you more than anything you ever imagined.
I went through the same thing when Moon was tested for insulin problems. My baby, who rarely cries (because she apparently used up most of her tears during her first three months of life), broke down sobbing when the second draw missed her vein.
It was horrible, but watching her suffer emotional pain is even worse. She had a horrible day this week, one which made her doubt herself and worry that she might never be loved (parents don’t count). It was heart-rending, and I eventually succumbed to my own tears. Was that bad? I just felt for her, because adolescent angst is still so fresh for me. The years just roll away from my mind and heart.
The bad day is behind her now, and I daresay things are even better than they were before. But I know there will be more roller coaster rides ahead, and as much as I’d love to spare her (and Peter) from life’s pains, all I can really do is just be there on the ground, waiting.
January 24, 2005 at 12:03 am · Filed under family
As the snow piled up on Saturday, necessitating not one, but two visits from the snowplows (gotta love ‘em!), I baked a batch of spritz cookies and continued my knitting. Pete and Peter went to our psychic friend for angel readings in the afternoon (Moon and I came along for the ride). There’s nothing quite like hearing about your children’s past lives.
Today was Nephew #2b’s baptism, and we had a rollicking good time with the extended family at the Homestead. Pete had instructed everyone to bring their snow gear, as the hill in the backyard is perfect for sledding. The snow was deep enough that some of the children had to be carried, lest we lose them in a snowdrift. Peter had a great time rolling around, but Moon fell asleep on the sofa, curled up under an afghan. (She had slept over at Nicole’s last night, except that the sleeping didn’t actually take place until 7 this morning.)
I finished Moon’s other armwarmer this evening, and the alien scarf has a second face now. Four more to go.
January 6, 2005 at 9:55 am · Filed under peter
Finally, it look like Wisconsin around here. Moon had been trying to manifest a snow day, but it didn’t happen…the buses were running on schedule, etc. etc. Peter announced that he was Not Going to School Without Boots, because he would be forced to stay in for recess and would not be able to bear it, for snow is made for frolic.
(Why was he bootless? you ask. Because his feet have grown about a size and a half since last year. And we kind of overlooked the need for new footwear, because it’s often such an ordeal to find what he wants.)
I saved the day when I suggested shopping. Why not? Wal-Mart is always open, and just a few blocks away. I didn’t need to be at work until 9. The store was virtually devoid of customers, which was surreal after the whole Christmas experience. We found boots and snowpants, which I insisted Peter put on as I was paying for them.
“Who’s the best mom in the world?” I prompted him, lest he forget my awesomeness. “You are,” he answered, before shutting the car door and trudging up to the school building.
Later, I got stuck trying to get into the Campus parking lot, but that’s another story. Winter is here.
January 4, 2005 at 11:03 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
Moon has been working on a biographical report for her language arts class. Although she’s doing a marvelous job on it, she won’t be surprised if she gets an F. See, when her teacher explained the assignment, she said, “…and of course, some people would be inappropriate choices as subject matter for this.” When a student asked, “Like who?” the teacher answered, “Well, like Kurt Cobain.”
Moon was stunned, because she had actually been thinking about doing her report on him. During Christmas break, she looked at various other possibilities but kept coming back to him. Her teacher hadn’t mentioned anyone else by name, and hadn’t explained her reasoning.
Anyway, Moon decided to go ahead and do her research. She felt her teacher was being unfair, and Pete and I told her we would support her as long as she does the work. Well, Moon talked with her teacher, and the decision was that Moon could study Cobain but not present her material to the class. She’d be marked down for not presenting. But today, her teacher approached her and said that she had changed her mind. I decided to email her…
Read the rest of this entry »
December 27, 2004 at 10:58 am · Filed under family
All in all, it was a pretty awesome Christmas. With all the shopping miracles (and not just the ones I’ve already documented), how could it not be? We finished our baking on Christmas Eve, with a break for tofurky in the afternoon. We went to see the holiday lights before church.
On Christmas morning, we awoke and flung open the blinds to discover that it was snowing. Pristine, fluffy snow. Gorgeous. After presents and a mishap involving a large box of Nerds candies (which Peter had picked up by the wrong end, instantly distributing tiny sugar pebbles ALL OVER the living room and kitchen), we set off for the in-laws’. Despite a huge traffic jam on the Interstate, we made it there smiling.
Because everything seemed like a blessing. Everything. The Nerds? Foxxi’s Christmas miracle. (Manna from the sky.) The traffic jam? More time to knit and talk.
And of course we had fun with all the siblings and little ones and their commotion and noise.
My holiday pictures are here. If you look carefully you can see what Santa and various helpers brought for me. The only thing that isn’t in a photo, I think, is my Buddha charm. (Thanks, Moon!) And now, back to our regularly scheduled chaos. 
« Previous entries ·
Next entries »
