Football Orphan

We are deep into football season and since my husband is a rabid Eagles/NFL fan, we are often watching a game on the weekends or the odd Monday or even Thursday evening. I am used to it by now and have learned to live those hours without him. Typical football widow.

No one here is as intense about watching NFL games. Rather, everyone seems more interested in local college teams, i.e. University of Oregon or Oregon State. Actually, his football fixation has become a little less intense every year we've lived here in the Pacific NW, probably because he has very few people to share/feed that fire.

Anyway, hubs and ESK have developed quite a little routine when it comes to time to turn on that football game. It goes something like this:

Dad: Hey, who wants to watch football?

Dad: Can we watch your show later ESK?
E: Nooooooo!
Dad: Don't you want to watch football with Daddy?
E: No, I want to watch my show!
Dad: Aw, come on ESK, we can watch football for a little, then we can watch your show.
E: No!
Dad: Football is fun! Football is cool!
E: No! My show.

And on and on.... repeat 2-3 times a week. Daddy usually wins out and forces the kiddos to watch football. ESK usually forgets about it and finds something else to play with. I suspect ESK will learn more about football than any other girl her age in Portland. And I suspect, later in life, she will thank her Daddy for making her watch football all those years.

Catch Up

Oh my goodness... has it really been July since I last posted anything? Not that anyone is really paying attention.

A lot has happened since my last post.

First of all, I'm pregnant with #3. A baby girl, due in late April. First trimester this time 'round was awful. Probably explains why I've been so MIA.

ESK has started going to school everyday. A big step for her. She goes to a French immersion program up the street from our home. We like her teachers, but so far, we're not so impressed with her French language skills. She can count to about 7 or 8 in French and has a very small vocabulary that include some colors and random fruits and vegetables.

AMK is now 18 months old already! Hard to believe my little peanut has grown so much! But she has been such a joy. Her personality is really laid-back and just generally happy. A good eater, chubby cheeks, big smiles and giggles all the time. And she loves her big sister. Her favorite word these days is "unni". Unni is the first person she wants to see in the morning and she whimpers and points at the classroom door when we drop off ESK at school in the mornings. Makes me glad we decided to have more than one.

Before #3 arrives, I am hoping to get as much alone time with AMK as possible. She will be in the unenviable position of being middle child, but she certainly has a personality cut out for being stuck in the middle. Must remember not to take advantage of that of course.

I want to be better about posting on this blog. When I realize how quickly AMK has grown up, it makes me want to document things better....

Summer Fun

Lately, I've been trying to avoid cooking as much as possible. I'll put SK to work @ the grill and on the weekends, we go out to eat pretty frequently. Tonight, we went to a Korean restaurant. SK poured some barley tea (bo-ree-cha) for ESK to try.

ESK: What's that?
SK: Bo-ree-cha
ESK: Booty-cha?
SK: No (trying hard not to laugh), BO-REE-CHA (enunciating)
ESK: Oh. Booty-cha...

In other news, ESK has been having a lot of fun this summer at her various camps. It appears she is quite the social butterfly and has no problem adjusting to new situations. At her princess fairytale dance camp, the teacher told me ESK was a riot. Apparently, she was asking a ton of questions and making all kinds of non sequitor comments. (I'm almost positive she was being pretty disruptive, but the teacher was very understanding.) At gymnastics camp, I watched her be the first to volunteer to climb up a high structure and jump into a foam pit without hesitation.

Whose child is this? When I was a child, I barely had the guts to ask my teachers to use the bathroom. And physical stunts? No way! I'm guessing she gets this part of her personality from her dad.

AMK is a very chill, happy baby. She's at that very lovable, interactive stage. She has her screaming moments, but it's so easy to get her to smile and has a tendency to stick her tongue out when she's happy. Very cute, but very drooly and wet.

On the way back from dinner tonight, I told ESK to share her yogurt melt treats with AMK. I watched as ESK carefully reached over and handed AMK a yogurt treat, one by one. After a few times, AMK just left her hand out, palm facing up, happily waiting for her next treat. It was pretty cute and so nice to see them getting along.

Camp and Miscellaneous

It's been awhile. Warning: this will be an especially rambling post.

Summer is officially here (although it's in the 60's and overcast today) and we are always on the lookout for fun outdoor things to do. Last week while ESK was in a summer camp every morning, I was able to go out on a short hike with AMK. It was so nice to get out on my own. At least it felt like I was on my own since AMK fell asleep 10 minutes into the trail.

Halfway through my hike, I walked past a young runner who was being comforted by a group of women. Turns out she had gotten lost in the park and couldn't find her way out. It was a weird scene since the younger woman was in great shape and in full athletic gear and seemed likely to be outdoor-saavy (or at least dressed the part). Yet it was the small group of grannies in their sunhats and leashed dogs that calmed her down and flagged down a car to give her a ride back into town. Yes, the trail ran alongside a road. And did I mention that the park is in the middle of the city? Kinda like Central Park. Anyway, I felt bad for the girl, but it was a weird moment.

Since we live in the Pacific NW, there are lots of opportunities to camp here. I know enough families that have gone camping with their young children to make me think we could do it as well. The hubs is open to the idea, but he'd like to wait until AMK can walk. Otherwise, we'd have her crawling around in the mud or carrying her in a pack the entire trip.

Speaking of crawling, AMK is on the verge of walking. I already have my hands full, so I'm not in any hurry to have her walk and have one more thing to chase down. But she is really at that very cute baby/toddler stage where she is making lots of cute babbling sounds and is very interested in manipulating objects around her. The poor thing also has a moderately bad case of eczema and likes to use things like the rug and her high chair to scratch her back. It's a cute little wiggle, boogie-down move. I suppose it would be even cuter if she wasn't in such agony! I feel so bad for her when she has the itchies.

ESK is starting to grow into her big sister role. She tries to comfort AMK when she is upset by giving hugs, kisses, and fetching AMK's toys and lovies. AMK is also old enough now to start to interact with her in basic ways. Mostly by giggling at ESK's antics. Yesterday morning, the two of them were in bed with us and were making each other laugh. AMK made ESK giggle by putting her little finger up ESK's nose. It was a great way to start off our day, even if it was 6-something-in-the-a.m.

1 year

AMK turned a year old over Memorial Day weekend. We planned a party that took over my life and turned my brain into mush for awhile. I think everyone had fun, but suffice to say, I'm glad it's over! I don't plan on throwing another birthday party for a long time besides the glorified playdate party with a handful of close friends.

Anyway, AMK's first year has been great. She eats with abandon (see evidence to the left) and is a mellow and good-natured baby. Certainly, she has her moments, but all in all, she is content to play by herself and is so easy to laugh and giggle.... So far I think ESK is more like her dad and AMK is more like me in personality and even looks. But it's too early to tell. I'm looking forward to seeing my too little rascals grow up



Some recent photos...














ESK doesn't think she needs an afternoon nap anymore. So, lately, I've been letting her play or read in her room. Inevitably, she falls asleep. Zzzz....


















We made another trip to Seattle to get a taste of the "big" city and watch the Seattle Mariners play. This was AMK's second Major League baseball game. Good fun!

Expecting a Call...

from Child Protective Services any day now. Okay, I exaggerate. But I feel like I yell at ESK so often these days. Sometimes, I grab her arm maybe a little too hard in order to get her full attention. She's only 3 years old and she already knows how to avoid looking me in the eye when I'm disciplining/lecturing her.

I would like to say that I lose my patience more often at the end of the day, but these days, the yelling and time outs can start first thing in the a.m. Some days I wonder how I ended up like this. Some days I wonder what the neighbors must think. Some days I'm just numb to the crying.

The worst thing about the yelling and loss of temper is the affect I see it has on ESK. I can hear her mimicking me. The way she shouts, "I don't care!" or "So what?" These are things I say to her when I hear another excuse for coming out of bed/not cleaning up/pestering her baby sister/dawdling, etc., etc. Am I teaching her that it's okay to resolve issues by yelling and losing one's head?

At the end of the day, I'm learning to pick my battles with ESK. She can wear sundresses on 60-degree-days, as long as she wears tights and warm jacket. She can play quietly in her room or read instead of taking an afternoon nap. She can watch some television, as long as Mommy gets some peace and quiet!

Making Summer Memories

I know, I know... we're still really in the midst of spring. But yesterday we had a taste of summer weather (it's raining again today) and played at the park with friends. Also I've been planning out ESK's summer with fun camps and activities. So far: gymnastics camp and princess dance camp (!!!). I know she'll love both of them and I'm excited for her.

However, I am worried about ESK not having a good time. I have vague memories of summer camps from my own childhood that were not that much fun. Girl Scout camp, in the hot, sticky Pennsylvania heat, with the outhouses and omnipresent gnats swarming about... yuck. Not fun. Our local day camp at a nearby elementary school also evokes humid feelings of discomfort and not much else.

Besides the terrible mid-Atlantic summer humidity however, camp was not a fun experience mostly because I was a really shy girl. Growing up, I was painfully self-aware and conscious of how different I was from the general population. It was hard for me to make friends at regular school, so it was even harder for me to adjust socially to these camps that lasted for a few weeks at most and where I didn't know a soul.

I know ESK is totally different from the girl I was growing up -- loquacious, outgoing, and at times totally not self-aware. So, of course I am projecting my own insecurities on my child. But the point is, that I do want her to have fun at these camps and make some great memories of summer.

Funny thing is that for all the time and forethought I am pouring into this, ESK probably won't remember 90% of it! I need to relax and stop helicoptering.

Envy

So, the little green monster in ESK has been making an appearance quite often these days. Now that her little sister is moving around (did I mention AMK is crawling now?) and doing all kinds of cute baby things, I think ESK is really getting jealous over the attention lil' sis has been getting.

Most recently, the biggest bone of contention has been AMK's naptime. When I go to put AMK down, ESK wants to follow. Of course, this is totally distracting for AMK. Yesterday, I locked the door to the baby's room and ESK had a total meltdown. She was banging on the door, crying, and hollering all kinds of nonsensical things... until I heard her say this:

"I can't stop looking at your cookie out of the corner of my eye -- it looks so much better than my cookie. Boy, I wish it were mine and not yours."

I was in disbelief when I heard this because she was quoting a book we read to her often called "Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons". The entire page reads as such:

"ENVY means, I can't stop looking at your cookie out of the corner of my eye...."

I guess she was envying AMK's time alone with mama and was expressing it the only way she knew how.

Sigh. I do feel sorry for her. And lately, I have been trying to spend extra special time with her while AMK naps. I think I'm going to plan a mommy & me outing together sometime soon.

Thumbsucker

My ESK is a thumbsucker. We probably should have curbed the problem earlier on. But now she's 3 years old and she depends on her thumb to comfort her to sleep. I think I was a thumbsucker as well when I was a little girl. Do you think this is hereditary, like bedwetting?

Anyway, I finally took action and bought an anti-nail-biting nail polish solution. We painted her nails (she's such a girly-girl) and then I applied a little of the solution at the very end as if I was putting on a topcoat. (I also did my nails and put on a real topcoat.)

It sounds like she has finally fallen asleep, but she has repeatedly been coming out of her room saying that her hands are dirty and that they need to be washed. Poor thing. But on the other hand it is quite funny too. She hasn't made the connection with the nail polish and instead is blaming it on the soap she used at church that apparently wasn't washed off properly.

Lol.

Poor thing.

ESK says...

ESK has been cracking me up with some of the stuff she is saying these days...

ESK (shouting from upstairs): Hey mommmy! What are you doing?
Mommy: I'm making dinner!
ESK: Oh, okay. That's cool. Be careful! Don't crack your head open!


ESK: What are you eating? Can I try that?
Mommy (eating salad): Are you sure? Okay...
ESK (after a nibble): Ummm... maybe I can eat this when I'm older.

My Birthday Girl

ESK turned 3 this weekend and we celebrated by throwing her a big birthday party with her friends. I ended up doing a lot more work for it than I imagined. Not to mention the amount of money spent. I don't even want to add up the money spent between the fee for the party space itself, the decor, food, favors... Phew! It is rather obscene considering it was only for a 3-year-old AND she probably won't remember it.

Anyway, fun was had by all. We opted for no gifts and requested that everyone donate to a charity. And it worked out great! I loved not having to deal with more toys, especially after the Christmas bonanza ESK received. She is truly a blessed girl who does not have a lot of wants. Although, you wouldn't know it from the amount of whining the girl generates!

Excessive whining aside, ESK is such a joy. She has been testing her limits these days, but I love listening to her burgeoning verbal skills and watching her become more and more independent each day. These days, she has recaptured her love of "reading" and does a mean hula dance, something she picked up on our recent trip to Hawaii (pics to come). I try to shower her with hugs and kisses as much as possible these days because I know there will soon be a day when she will shy away from these gestures of affection. When I hold her, I try to remember the lightness of her frame and how I easily envelop her whole body. She won't stay this small forever....

Anyway, some pics of her party:














The tablescape, before the kids arrived.


















Getting her feet dipped in paint...














So she could jump on a mattress! Definitely not allowed to do this at home!














Multi-colored feet!


















All together now!














Birthday cake... yum.














Matching pjs. ESK's hair is wet because she had a rare potty accident and had to take a bath. She was really into whatever toy she was playing with and forgot to go to the potty. The band-aid on her head is from the boo-boo she got on her birthday. We put her down for a nap and we suddenly heard a loud bang and then crying. When I got to her room, she had a small gash above her eyebrow and blood streaming down her forehead. We still don't quite know what happened, but we took her to the ER where a doctor glued her back together again. What a birthday.

Bird Poop Happens

We had an indoor playdate at the mall on Thursday with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time. I like doing playdates at the mall because it gives the kids plenty of space to run AND I can get some errands done as well. If only grocery stores worked the same way.

Anyway, after a couple hours, we walked out to our car in the parking lot and got an unpleasant surprise. Our car was covered in bird poop. On top of that, our car was the only one in the parking lot that was affected. The cars next to us didn't have a drop. It was crazy! I wish I had a camera to document it. It was as if our car had a big bulls-eye on it and a flock of seagulls had dive-bombed it and unloaded their nasty payload.

It was funny to see ESK process the situation. In the end, she was a funny mixture of amazed/scared/amused. She has been big into potty humor lately and when I explained that birds had pooped on our car, she said, "P U!" and cackled. We drove straight to the nearest car wash and I swear people were looking at our car as I sped past. Blech.

As we were going through the car wash, I told ESK that we should tell Daddy this story when he got home. And sure enough, as soon as SK got home, ESK came running and started excitedly telling him a story about "poopy on Mommy's car" (which SK first thought meant that ESK had pooped while in the car) and "give the car a bath". When asked who gave the car a bath, ESK answered, "a man". Which was true. The car wash attendant had to do a more vigorous-than-usual preliminary soap scrub because of the bird poop.

I just realized that was the highlight of my Thursday -- sharing a bird poop experience with my daughter and watching her tell the story.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year dear friends... I'm excited for this coming year, are you? AMK is becoming more and more interactive everyday, ESK is heading to real pre-school next fall, and we have several fun trips and family & friends visiting in the next year. Looking forward to it all.

But in the meantime... some things I've been thinking about:

Family:
This last trip back East was tiring but fun and rewarding. For the first time, I feel like SK and I got the hang of shuttling back and forth between two grandparents' homes. It wasn't easy to pack and repack every two days. But at least we feel like we got our fill of family and spent quality time with everyone. We are lucky that they only live 20 minutes apart.

I am glad to be back in Portland, but I was truly sad to say good-bye to everyone. This time more than most. I'm not sure why. Possibly because I had such a good time with everyone? And realizing that now that we are so far away and everyone is scattered, we only get to do this once or twice a year.

Prioritizing:
Somehow, I feel as if I can't keep up with all the little obligations I've committed to. Birthday parties, proofreading for a friend, charity organizations, playdates/groups. Today, I need to write them all down and prioritize. Pre-kids, I did this all in my head, but of course now, it's all a jumble.

Career:
And lately, my career worries have been coming up again. I'm reminded of my wasted education every time I go back East. First, my parents, particularly my dad, always brings up the topics. Secondly, I realize that when I see my old friends (that are with or without kids), conversation always centers around kids and family and that I have very little to contribute to other conversations. Am I just being paranoid? Does that ever happen to any of you moms out there? I do try to keep current by reading newspapers and magazines, but somehow the things I read, don't come up in conversation. Probably because I'm naturally drawn to all things family-oriented! Ha!

Anyway, at quiet moments in the day, I am constantly thinking about what I could be doing. A lot of moms start their own small businesses (mompreneurs), but I don't think I'm really built for that. I'd like to go back to reporting, but am weary of the long hours, crazy deadlines and office politics. Not to mention crappy pay. Pay is part of the equation of course. If I'm going to leave my kids in daycare or with a nanny, I'd like to make enough money to cover at least the childcare costs. And job satisfaction has to be enough to make it worth my while. Otherwise, I'd rather stay at home with my lovely girls.

Anyone have any career ideas for this mama?