The Makings of a Martini

David and I were just talking in the kitchen while he fixed himself a martini. He meticulously placed two olives in a cocktail glass, put three ice cubes into the shaker, added some vermouth and gin, admired the beauty of the bottles. Then he put the lid on the shaker and agitated it. Uncapping it, he poured its contents into the glass.

"What is that"

I had seen it too. Something had fallen from the shaker into the glass. Something that wasn't intended to be in there.

David fished it out. It was one of Daisy's little purple hair ties.

My mind zoomed back to this morning when Perry informed me that Daisy had poured the leftover contents of David's shaker from the night before (just water at this point) onto his bed.

The Letter or the Spirit of the Law

I've been held fast in the grip of my enemy Morning Sickness for the past two weeks. Yesterday and today were much better, but before that, I was basically reduced to a lump on the sofa, watching the world swirl around me. David did most of the cooking for me. He's been wonderful!

He's been gone this week painting a house and so dinner tonight fell to me. Thankfully, I was feeling somewhat up to the challenge. Not wanting to heat me or the kitchen up any more than necessary, I resorted to carrot spears dipped in homemade salad dressing. I figure that if I'm going to look for something to simply fill our stomachs, at least this was healthy. I always feel guilty when I don't serve a complete meal. I sit at the table and think We don't have a green vegetable. That means the kids aren't getting enough, um, whatever it is that's supposed to make green vegetables magic. I'm such a horrible mom!

So I just rationalize tonight by saying that we were making up for a lack of beta carotene. Yeah, that's it, beta carotene!

Wishing to dirty as few dishes as possible, I set out a paper plate with carrot spears and a bowl of dressing in the middle of the table. The rule in our house, as I'm sure it is in yours is: (unless you're the type to throw all germ caution to the wind and live a commune-like existence--in which case, more power to you)

No Double Dipping!

Perry has pretty much got this skill mastered. But Daisy, who really just asks for carrots so she can get dressing, is still somewhat lacking it. For the first part of dinner I watched her closely and patiently (see patiently, aren't you proud of me!) corrected her. After a while I figured she had it figured out so I turned my attention toward Calvin who was shoving leftover spaghetti noodles into his mouth like there was no tomorrow. I looked back over at the plate of carrots and noticed that one of them had a little spot of dressing on the end. No big deal, some must have dripped on it from...somewhere. I looked back over at Calvin for a second, then back at the plate of carrots. This time there were three carrots upon it with dressing only on their very tips. I sat silently and observed. Daisy picked up a carrot from the plate, dipped it into the dressing, sucked all the dressing from it (except what was on the very end), placed it back on the plate, then proceeded to do it again with another carrot.

But hey, at least she wasn't double dipping.

New Page Element

I've added a new page element. I saw one on somebody else's blog, liked it and thought I'd add it to my own. I hope it's not too strange for you folks. Let me know, honestly!

For Those of You That Don't Already Know...

...Yesterday morning we confirmed my longtime nauseated stomach's suspicion that we are expecting our fourth little blessing. Most of yesterday was spent phoning our family and so I didn't get time to write anything for whomever else is still out there.

I had been feeling unusually tired and nauseated for a couple of weeks now, but was putting off finding out until I pretty much knew this had to be the only reason for it. I hate taking a pregnancy test and getting my hopes up only to have it turn out negative.

I don't know what it is, but it seems like the moment I discover I'm pregnant, whatever morning sickness and tiredness I felt before suddenly comes in even stronger. It's as if my body says Wow, you're really tired and sick. You should just rest. After all, you've got a good reason! So this morning I got up with Calvin around 6am. A little early for him, but I guess I shouldn't complain, it could have been earlier. Perry got up a half hour later which was wonderful because I sent the two of them to play together in the living room. Daisy woke up really grumpy around 6:45 and so I finally had to drag my lazy body out of bed for good. A few hours later, when we had all finished breakfast and Calvin laid down for his nap, I napped on the sofa. I just couldn't keep my eyes open! I don't think I got more than thirty minutes, but it helped. I mention all this because I did go to bed the night before somewhere between 9:30 and 10:00, which ought to have afforded me enough sleep to stay awake--but then again let me remind you that Calvin is still waking up three times in the middle of the night to nurse.

Anyhow, the kids played today and I kind of puttered around the house, not really getting much of anything done. Am I really expected to? I'm exhausted and sick. Most of my day was consumed with looking for something to eat, finally finding and eating it, suddenly feeling like I have amazing energy and the ability to be Supermom, and then 10-15 minutes later feeling sick again and looking for something else to eat. How can I get anything done when this takes up my waking day? And yet each chore left undone pushes the house a little further down the hill toward The Valley of No Return. From which it takes the miracle working power of St. David to come in and make right what I have so utterly made wrong.

David decided to celebrate the new baby by taking the entire family out to Karin's Kustard. We had a wonderful time eating frozen custard, of which the children ate an amazing amount--but hey, it's not every day we get news like this, right? I have a feeling the kids are going to want to start celebrating all kinds of things now. Mom, we saw the first fireflies of the year. Can we celebrate by getting custard?

After visiting Karin's, we went to the park. It was lovely and the kids had a good time running all that sugar out of their systems. The only problem was that it was very hot (in the 90s today) and it really wiped me out. So home we went and I got another catnap on the sofa while David prepared to go out this evening to his weekly artist's meeting. Wanting to do something quick and easy for dinner, we would up with popcorn and plain yogurt.

There, that's more than I'm sure you ever wanted to know about my day. Have a good one!

Our Little Calvin Pt. 2

Yesterday I thought Calvin had something in his mouth so I fished in there to pull it out. But the only thing I found was the beginnings of his first tooth. I'm really surprised since he's only almost 11 months and both Perry and Daisy were 14 months before they got their first teeth. David, however, is quick to remind me that Calvin, though earlier than his siblings, is still lagging behind others his age.

That's only when it comes to teeth, though. The other day David was playing with Daisy and said "Where's Daisy?" in a sing-song tone. Calvin repeated it! He really did. We were amazed and I kind of thought it was one of those flukes that wouldn't happen again. He's said it a couple of times since, just to prove me wrong, and is trying to say all kinds of other words.

At the risk of sounding cliched: He's just growing up so fast!

Nursery Rhymes

When I was a little girl my mother used to read nursery rhymes to us. There was one, though, that she had a problem with. She would recite it like this:

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater
Had a wife and couldn't keeper her
Put her in a pumpkin shell
And went to jail for wife abuse

I'll say no more about my poor mother and the feminist movement.

Now that I've started reading nursery rhymes to my children, I've found one I don't much like either. I've taken the liberty to rewrite it. Let me know what you think.

There was a blessed woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children she knew just what to do
She gave them some hugs, some kisses too
Then sent them to bed, loved through and through

Our Little Calvin

For a couple of weeks now Calvin has been pulling up onto his knees. But yesterday he pull all the way up onto his feet for the first time. Since discovering he can do this, he's been trying to climb onto anything just low enough to succeed at. Look out, here he comes!

He's been saying Da da for a little while now, and more recently been saying uh oh. This morning he put the two together as he crawled over David in our bed, "Uh oh, Da da. Uh oh, Da da." Over and over again. I thought it was cute, but at 6am I guess David didn't think so :)

Not Yet

The other day Perry and I were sitting on the sofa together. He was looking through a book and I was nursing Calvin. "Oh" said he with a sigh, "I just want a dog."

"A dog?"

"Yeah."

Mind you, he doesn't even really like dogs. They make him nervous.

"Well, we're not getting a dog."

"Oh, I just want another baby."

"Really?" I said.

"Yeah."

"Did you hear somebody else say that?"

"No, I just want another baby."

"Well, I'm sure God will probably give us another baby at some point."



Frequently one or another of my extended family members will tell me that people come up to them all the time and ask if I'm pregnant yet.

Nope, not yet.

Don't misunderstand me, we still believe in letting God choose when to give us children and how many to give us. I guess He just feels this is not the right time. It's strange, really--since we've been married, this is the longest space of time we've been without expecting a little blessing. I'm earnestly looking forward to the next baby--but I'm thrilled I've been able to nurse Calvin this long! My hope is that God will give us another baby shortly after Calvin turns a year, in July. But if He, as He did with Daisy and Calvin, chooses to bless us before we've weaned the previous baby, we will count ourselves incredibly blessed and praise Him for the new little life. I wouldn't trade or wish away any of my wonderful little ones.

And in case you're wondering, we will never get a dog.