W: This is a good painting that I'm making.
D: I think it's a good picture, too. What makes you say it's a good picture?
W: (after thinking a bit) All the love comes out of me and into my picture.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
From the Department of Awwwww
W: I want to be a man.
M: Why? having thoughts that ohmygod, she's already interalizing cultural images that women are inferior!
W: I don't want to be a girler. I want to be a man. Then, with the sincere desparation of a 3 year old, I want whiskers.
M: Oh, you like whiskers whew!
W: I want to be like Daddy.
M: Why? having thoughts that ohmygod, she's already interalizing cultural images that women are inferior!
W: I don't want to be a girler. I want to be a man. Then, with the sincere desparation of a 3 year old, I want whiskers.
M: Oh, you like whiskers whew!
W: I want to be like Daddy.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Can you ... Buy Nothing?
"For 24 hours, millions of people around the world do not participate -- in the doomsday economy, the marketing mind-games, and the frantic consumer-binge that's become our culture. We pause. We make a small choice not to shop. We shrink our footprint and gain some calm. Together we say to Exxon, Nike, Coke and the rest: enough is enough. " adbusters.org
Buy Nothing Day is Friday. We plan to go for a hike to find pinecones for ornament making and bird feeder making. We'll also make paper ornaments and decorate the tree. What do you plan to do?
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Give
Here toward the end of the year, I'd like to share with you a list of the groups we enjoy giving to. Perhaps you'll find one you'd like to support as well. In no particular order:
Growing Gardens - http://www.growing-gardens.org/ They help low income families, communities and schools start food producing gardens with expertise, materials, plants and money.
Commercial Alert - http://www.commercialalert.org/ a national organization based here in Portland with a grassroots campaign to establish a culture that can't be bought. They are particularly concerned about the aggressive way advertisers target children.
Center for a New American Dream - http://www.newdream.org/ They help Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice.
Oregon Cultural Trust - http://www.culturaltrust.org/home/index.php Give money to the cultural trust AND to your favorite participating arts organization and get an Oregon tax credit. See their site, but if we give a $100 to the Trust and $100 to an arts organization, we get a $100 credit. So you give $200, but it only costs $100.
Jefferson Dancers - http://www.pps.k12.or.us/depts/arts/dance/ We give money every so often to this great group that does a whole lot for a decent sized group of kids, many of whom don't have many advantages.
The Dougy Center - http://www.dougy.org/ - They help families deal with the death of a family member. Ed has had some students significantly helped by this organization, and a couple counselors from the organization gave a presentation at a preschool meeting last year, and they do good things for really very sad children.
The Haven Project - http://www.havenproject.org/ This isn't quite the baby project it was when we first learned about it, but boy is it neat! They get a group of underserved kids together with a group of professional actors and writers, send them off to camp to write and produce short skits that are generated from the kids' ideas. They've grown, and now they're able to give kids even more significant theater experiences. Everything they do is pretty cool!
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund - http://www.fanconi.org/aboutfa/FA.htm A crummy hereditary bone marrow disease that impacted Ed's extended family. Recent advances give an excellent prognosis for Ed's family, but always more research is needed and support for families.
Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital - http://www.dovelewis.org/ They were very helpful in the treatment of Taz many years ago, and with many such organizations it seems always in desperate need of money!
Community of Writers - http://www.communityofwriters.com/ A cool organization with an unfortunate acronym, that brings writers and teachers together to improve the writing skills of students.
NW Earth Institute - http://www.nwei.org/ - they develop programs that empower individuals and organizations to protect the earth. They focus on encouraging individuals to take responsibly for the earth help them to make changes in their practices to tread more lightly. They have developed curriculum and a mentoring program for six discussion courses designed to build community and raise environmental awareness. I am pretty darn excited to begin my first discussion course through them this weekend, Healthy Planet, Healthy Children. They have a national network, http://www.nwei.org/pages/national.html, so you may lave a local group where you can take your own discussion course.
Friends of Trees - A Portland/Vancouver organization that plants, cares for and teaches about urban trees. They have numerous community tree planting events every spring and fall. http://www.friendsoftrees.org/home/index.php
Tell us about some of the groups you are passionate about.
Growing Gardens - http://www.growing-gardens.org/ They help low income families, communities and schools start food producing gardens with expertise, materials, plants and money.
Commercial Alert - http://www.commercialalert.org/ a national organization based here in Portland with a grassroots campaign to establish a culture that can't be bought. They are particularly concerned about the aggressive way advertisers target children.
Center for a New American Dream - http://www.newdream.org/ They help Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice.
Oregon Cultural Trust - http://www.culturaltrust.org/home/index.php Give money to the cultural trust AND to your favorite participating arts organization and get an Oregon tax credit. See their site, but if we give a $100 to the Trust and $100 to an arts organization, we get a $100 credit. So you give $200, but it only costs $100.
Jefferson Dancers - http://www.pps.k12.or.us/depts/arts/dance/ We give money every so often to this great group that does a whole lot for a decent sized group of kids, many of whom don't have many advantages.
The Dougy Center - http://www.dougy.org/ - They help families deal with the death of a family member. Ed has had some students significantly helped by this organization, and a couple counselors from the organization gave a presentation at a preschool meeting last year, and they do good things for really very sad children.
The Haven Project - http://www.havenproject.org/ This isn't quite the baby project it was when we first learned about it, but boy is it neat! They get a group of underserved kids together with a group of professional actors and writers, send them off to camp to write and produce short skits that are generated from the kids' ideas. They've grown, and now they're able to give kids even more significant theater experiences. Everything they do is pretty cool!
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund - http://www.fanconi.org/aboutfa/FA.htm A crummy hereditary bone marrow disease that impacted Ed's extended family. Recent advances give an excellent prognosis for Ed's family, but always more research is needed and support for families.
Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital - http://www.dovelewis.org/ They were very helpful in the treatment of Taz many years ago, and with many such organizations it seems always in desperate need of money!
Community of Writers - http://www.communityofwriters.com/ A cool organization with an unfortunate acronym, that brings writers and teachers together to improve the writing skills of students.
NW Earth Institute - http://www.nwei.org/ - they develop programs that empower individuals and organizations to protect the earth. They focus on encouraging individuals to take responsibly for the earth help them to make changes in their practices to tread more lightly. They have developed curriculum and a mentoring program for six discussion courses designed to build community and raise environmental awareness. I am pretty darn excited to begin my first discussion course through them this weekend, Healthy Planet, Healthy Children. They have a national network, http://www.nwei.org/pages/national.html, so you may lave a local group where you can take your own discussion course.
Friends of Trees - A Portland/Vancouver organization that plants, cares for and teaches about urban trees. They have numerous community tree planting events every spring and fall. http://www.friendsoftrees.org/home/index.php
Tell us about some of the groups you are passionate about.
Friday, November 19, 2004
From the Department of Woo Hoo!
Ed's poem Leftovers won 2nd place in the Arizona State Poetry Society contest! http://grumo.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_grumo_archive.html#109142756241590486
and I sold a dress! Not counting all the costs (why would I do that?) I made $6 on it!
front
back
A Mom really tried to get her daughter to want this one, but the kid had no taste!
front
back
and I sold a dress! Not counting all the costs (why would I do that?) I made $6 on it!
front
back
A Mom really tried to get her daughter to want this one, but the kid had no taste!
front
back
Friday, November 12, 2004
Hard to Capture
It's hard to capture the entire story, but here's the gist:
Once upon a time there were two liiiiiitle ambulances. And they lived in the country. And there were two firetrucks. The firetrucks crashed into the tree. And the tires popped. So the liiiiitle ambulances came to help them. A big ambulance came to help the big people. And they took them to the hospital where the hospital people took care of them. Then the ambulances went back home. That's the end.
And it's even harder to capture the visuals, but here's the gist:
Wrig is in the tub, up to her chin in bubbles, telling a story to a duck hand puppet (because the duck told a story first and that's the deal: if the duck - or the mommy or the daddy - tells you a story, you have to tell a story back). While she is telling the story, she makes zero eye contact. She is either looking at her feet or the ceiling or the bubbles - anywhere but at the duck or the daddy (who happens to cramping up from holding the duck in an attentive posture). And while she is telling the story, it is physically impossible for her to sit still. She kicks her feet, squirms her bottom. At one point, she turned so her back was to me, dipped her hair back into the water and did the upside-down splits, exactly like those swimming ballet movies from the 50's. At another point in the story, she went into a prolonged series of yoga movements: downward dog to plank, downward dog to plank, again and again.
I'm not sure if her squirminess was self-consciousness or simply a physical manifestation of the agonies ofthe creative process, but it was simultaneously acrobatic, awe-inspiring, and funny as all hell.
Once upon a time there were two liiiiiitle ambulances. And they lived in the country. And there were two firetrucks. The firetrucks crashed into the tree. And the tires popped. So the liiiiitle ambulances came to help them. A big ambulance came to help the big people. And they took them to the hospital where the hospital people took care of them. Then the ambulances went back home. That's the end.
And it's even harder to capture the visuals, but here's the gist:
Wrig is in the tub, up to her chin in bubbles, telling a story to a duck hand puppet (because the duck told a story first and that's the deal: if the duck - or the mommy or the daddy - tells you a story, you have to tell a story back). While she is telling the story, she makes zero eye contact. She is either looking at her feet or the ceiling or the bubbles - anywhere but at the duck or the daddy (who happens to cramping up from holding the duck in an attentive posture). And while she is telling the story, it is physically impossible for her to sit still. She kicks her feet, squirms her bottom. At one point, she turned so her back was to me, dipped her hair back into the water and did the upside-down splits, exactly like those swimming ballet movies from the 50's. At another point in the story, she went into a prolonged series of yoga movements: downward dog to plank, downward dog to plank, again and again.
I'm not sure if her squirminess was self-consciousness or simply a physical manifestation of the agonies ofthe creative process, but it was simultaneously acrobatic, awe-inspiring, and funny as all hell.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Poker Face
We have begun to play games with Wrigley. We play bingo and Candyland and a game that's almost exactly like Candyland called Hurry Home. Hurry Home comes with a die, which is very exciting (and can be dangerous in the hands of an excited three year old).
So here's the thing: when we play Candyland or Hurry Home, Wrigley cheats. Sometimes she'll "accidentally" skip a colored square and jump ahead to the next one. Sometimes she'll take two or three cards off the top of the pile and pick the one that suits her best. At its most flagrant, when she draws a card that forces her to go backwards - especially way, way, way backwards - she doesn't want to go. She can be cajoled, but sometimes she just won't go.
The funny thing is that, even though we've introduced games, we haven't talked much about winning. In fact, in Candyland, "winning" sucks; once you've made it to the castle, it's never your turn again. It's always the other players' turn until they make it to the castle too. In spite of all that, she knows it's important to get to the castle first, even if you have to bend the rules.
I'm not sure what to make of all this. Do we blame it on human nature? Do we blame it on parenting? Do we blame it on the poisonous, divisive political climate? I just don't know.
I do know this: when I teach Wrig how to play poker, I'm keepin' an eye or her sleeve.
So here's the thing: when we play Candyland or Hurry Home, Wrigley cheats. Sometimes she'll "accidentally" skip a colored square and jump ahead to the next one. Sometimes she'll take two or three cards off the top of the pile and pick the one that suits her best. At its most flagrant, when she draws a card that forces her to go backwards - especially way, way, way backwards - she doesn't want to go. She can be cajoled, but sometimes she just won't go.
The funny thing is that, even though we've introduced games, we haven't talked much about winning. In fact, in Candyland, "winning" sucks; once you've made it to the castle, it's never your turn again. It's always the other players' turn until they make it to the castle too. In spite of all that, she knows it's important to get to the castle first, even if you have to bend the rules.
I'm not sure what to make of all this. Do we blame it on human nature? Do we blame it on parenting? Do we blame it on the poisonous, divisive political climate? I just don't know.
I do know this: when I teach Wrig how to play poker, I'm keepin' an eye or her sleeve.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Such big words
The other day Wrigley said to Ed, "I am embarrassed by the way you did that." Ed and I were puzzled until it dawned on us that she meant to say impressed.
Procrastinosaurus
In case you didn't know, Wrigley had a birthday last month. I am finally getting a couple pictures up from the grand celebration. Thank-you cards will make it out before the year in review letters!After saying - since July - that she wanted a firefighter birthday party, Wrigley mentioned a month before the big event that she didn't want a firefighter party after all. She just wanted her "friends to come over and hang out." I kid you not. I have no idea where she learned the phrase "hang out." So I scrapped all the research I did on firefighter parties (planning parties is not something that comes naturally to me, so I had to do a lot of work on it), and thought up just good generic party ideas. I had it all planned out, when I thought I should confirm with the birthday girl that her plans had in fact changed. She now wanted a dinosaur party. With gritted teeth and studied lack of profanity I asked, "Are you sure? You cannot change your mind after this." Wrigley was sure and she didn't change her mind again.We invited 4 friends, which seemed to be a perfectly manageable number. We had a dino cave, dino feet, dino egg hunting (the eggs hatched glow in the dark dinosaurs!), and dino painting. When the dino pretending lost steam we brought out balloons which were, as always, popular. If I recall correctly, the birthday girl didn't cry (which always seemed to be a requirement when I was a kid!), though as a good Mom I may have already blocked that part out. Wrigley is very pleased with having reached three. She tells us matter-a-factly sometimes things like, "three years olds don't mind loud noises" or "three years olds eat asparagus," or "three year olds can open tall cabinets."
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
WWSD?
My friend Stephanie is pretty creative. She just seems to come up with some pretty cool projects and solves problems really interestingly. I have a lot of friends that make and do a lot of things. It makes me wonder why I don't get off the computer and do more, but I suppose I do a lot of interesting things as well. Stephanie has that artistic talent which gives her projects and solutions a particular flair. For Wrigley's birthday she managed to figure out how to give her those race car tights that Wrigley desired. She sewed buttons on to tights, then made cute little felt race cars that buttoned onto them. The race car wheels are the buttons!
This morning Wrigley and I walked 14 blocks to preschool in the pouring rain. Her back and front were soaked, her tights were soaked and water pooled in her boots! She had a coat on, a blanket and the hood to her stroller, I swear! We put her in her preschool change of clothes before school started. Ed usually takes the car to his school, so I had to figure out a way to keep us stroller mobile despite any weather. When Wrigley was younger, we would just stay home when it rained really hard. But we can't really do that any more. She's three, we've got to go out. I shopped for a poncho for Wrigley, couldn't find one. I looked for one of those kinda creepy plastic stroller covers. No such luck. I had to pick up Wrigley in an hour, and I didn't want her crying 8 blocks into our walk home. What to do? What would Stephanie do? Ah ha! I took a long piece of vinyl that we already had, some big drafting clips and came up with a cover far better than the one I might have bought if I had more time and a car to search the Baby Stores. Stephanie probably would have painting great pictures or sewn on beads, but I was awfully pleased that Wrigley came home without a drop of water on her or her rain coat! And she loved the contraption!
This morning Wrigley and I walked 14 blocks to preschool in the pouring rain. Her back and front were soaked, her tights were soaked and water pooled in her boots! She had a coat on, a blanket and the hood to her stroller, I swear! We put her in her preschool change of clothes before school started. Ed usually takes the car to his school, so I had to figure out a way to keep us stroller mobile despite any weather. When Wrigley was younger, we would just stay home when it rained really hard. But we can't really do that any more. She's three, we've got to go out. I shopped for a poncho for Wrigley, couldn't find one. I looked for one of those kinda creepy plastic stroller covers. No such luck. I had to pick up Wrigley in an hour, and I didn't want her crying 8 blocks into our walk home. What to do? What would Stephanie do? Ah ha! I took a long piece of vinyl that we already had, some big drafting clips and came up with a cover far better than the one I might have bought if I had more time and a car to search the Baby Stores. Stephanie probably would have painting great pictures or sewn on beads, but I was awfully pleased that Wrigley came home without a drop of water on her or her rain coat! And she loved the contraption!
Monday, November 01, 2004
Toasty and Salty
Last week I was sick on the designated pumpkin carving night, so we had plain pumpkins on our porch for Halloween. It was okay, though, because we also had our porch light off. We headed over to friends for Halloween dinner and trick or treating. I was missing toasted pumpkins seeds, though, so today Wrigley and I sliced open the tops of two pumpkins and cleaned them of seeds. After the first one went well and Wrigley still wanted to dig up more seeds, we went ahead and started on the second. A three-year old's attention can turn at a moments notice, however, so twelve seeds into the second pumpkin Wrigley decides she is all done. To keep her attention, we started talking about how some people sell toasted pumpkin seeds and how do we suppose they get them out. Eventually we were talking about a great pumpkin seed separating machine. Wrigley elaborated on how people feed whole pumpkins into the machine and the seeds are yanked out and waaaashed and put in the oven all by a machine called a Spitredator (spit-red-ator).
The seeds came out great. It seems that the manual Spitredator works just fine.
Wrigley adds, "I liked taking out the seeds. Taking out the seeds. We're going to carve pumpkins next year. I like carving pumpkins. I got my little white one. I love pumpkins, and I brought my white one inside. Some people have their pumpkins on their stairs. Now can you read a book?"
The seeds came out great. It seems that the manual Spitredator works just fine.
Wrigley adds, "I liked taking out the seeds. Taking out the seeds. We're going to carve pumpkins next year. I like carving pumpkins. I got my little white one. I love pumpkins, and I brought my white one inside. Some people have their pumpkins on their stairs. Now can you read a book?"
The pay ain't much, but the benefits....
I got a, "you're the best Mommy in the worlerd," today. What did I do to earn such a title? I put on shoes and socks and gave a hug.
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