Dry Spell

I have hit a dry spell in my blogging life. Why then, I hear you ask, are you bothering me now with idle pratter? Because I can. And as I recently encouraged my friend Aimee Jo, I am going to say something, even if it lacks entertainment value.

So what's been going on with me lately? Two words: perinatal depression (think: what you've heard about post-partum depression, but during pregnancy). And, get this...while I was sobbing and being generally pathetic this last week, my lowest point so far, my husband was on a business trip to Florida. He worked incredibly hard, for sure, but good grief, the place was a luxury spa and resort. I even noticed they provide maternity massage! And why was I not there?? I think Trinity and Connor would have done just fine on their own. They're pretty scrappy kids! Actually, now that I think about it, Trinity might have done a better job at keeping the house cleaned had I been gone.

Allan picks up something off of the table, giving a grunt of disgust, Is this honey all over the table?

Oh, no, it's syrup. I covered it with a napkin and forgot about it.

How long has it been here??

If you'll excuse me...I have some housework to catch up on.

New Blog

A minute aspect of my personality that I do not adore is that I have trouble formulating the foundation for my opinions. I can say, "I like it" or "I despise it", but I often cannot express the reason why. It is a characteristic of myself in which I would like to see improvement. So, I recently started an exercise to force myself to decide how I feel about what I see and read, in the form of a review blog. Looking over what I have written thus far, I tend to highlight the facts regarding what it is I am reviewing, while the actual review remains fairly lean. But, hey, it is a work in progress. In the meantime, you may find something you'd like to read or watch based on my little musings.

To the Humane Society!

You would think by now that I would fully comprehend that I am a mother. Sometimes, though, a new event happens and it takes you right back to your childhood and how you viewed your mom. It is those moments when I feel so perfectly...motherly. Yesterday I got to go on my first field trip as a mom-escort. I had my little charges listed on an index card and we were off to the Humane Society. It was a fun afternoon, filled with loud, barking dogs and cute little kittens (and a creepy rat!). No tears or throwing up or bathroom accidents -- a very succesful day with a small troop of four- and five-year-olds!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just spent the evening with the three greatest loves of my life. First, I took the two shorter ones to the library, where we enjoyed playing on the computer and meandering. We took a few extra rides on the elevator just for hoots. Then we all geared up for a rousing movie experience with Curious George. I adore all three of these precious gifts more than words can express. Good day of love!

Let's The Games Begin!

The opening ceremonies of the Torino Olympics did not disappoint. They had me choking back the tears in the first few minutes, with the amazing footage of Italy, a country that I dearly love and long to see again. The mountains, the piazzas, the castles -- amazing!

Olympics opening ceremonies are always a bit odd. There's always some theme that they are supposedly following, but it usually comes across like a psychedelic dream performed by Cirque de Soleil. Not a big fan of the dancing cows or the ladies who wore the mountain range dresses. I'm already tired of hearing about Bode and Michelle Kwan - I think we have a few other athletes whom we can focus the cameras on. And what was with the American 1980s soundtrack? YMCA??

Ah, but there were so many good things about this opening event...the masses that made up the ski jumper in flight...the Spiderman acrobats on wire who formed a dove...the lighting of the flame. The parade of nations, although very long, is always cool. I love seeing the warm climate countries who send one delegate over - Kenya, the Bahamas, Brazil. All of the athletes seem so authentically proud and excited, and I continue to be amazed at the collection of the world in one place. Where else does North and South Korea march together under one banner? The evening ended on a very high note, with Pavarotti singing one of the most beautiful songs ever, "Nessun Dorma" from Puccinii's Turandot.

An unexpected plus of the opening ceremonies was the commercials. In my opinion, far better than the much-hyped Superbowl collection!

Grace...Lily...Abby...Dylan...Caleb...

When little girls play house, there is great joy in choosing the name for one's baby. I had Mandy and Annie amongst my little girls. As a girl daydreams in her high school English class, she may plan her perfect wedding or she may doodle possible names for her future children. Let's see...I remember that I was going to name my son Andrew "Drew" Cole or Daniel "Danny" Reid. My daughter was going to be Lily or Abby (not bad!).

Then you get pregnant and the burden of giving a person the perfect name is upon you. Most of the names we have as the "perfect" choice when we are younger become outdated or over-popular. You may also get a new last name along the way that ruins a few of your great options -- Lily White just isn't nice; Willow White is out, as well.

Everyone has a different set of criteria for choosing a baby name. Some want all of their family to start with the same letter. Some want all Biblical names; others use family names. Some like to go with what's popular; some make up a name no one has ever heard or could ever pronounce or spell. Certain number of syllables. Alliteration or not. Ancestry. Personality evoked.

So for the next five-and-a-half months or so you can help us with this process! I'll share with you our criteria and some of our favorites and you can chime in with ideas. My brother, Jeff, is great at thinking of all of the ways a name can be made fun of (probably out of practice) - which I totally appreciate! It doesn't matter to me that your third-grade nemesis had a name that is on my list, but if it makes you think of eating donuts (Duncan - still on my list) or an industrial town in New Jersey (Camden - also still on my list), I want to know! Life is hard enough sometimes; I don't want to burden my child further by providing him or her with fodder for bullies!

Stay tuned...

I Need a Win!

The Olympics start this Friday evening. I LOVE the Olympics! More importantly, right now I need the Olympics. Oregon lost in a heart-breaking football game to Oklahoma. Seattle lost the big game that I was sure we were slated to win against Pittsburgh. And just the other night, in one of the few regular season games that I will probably watch entirely, the Blazers lost to Denver, after having led throughout. I'm feeling a little deflated by sports these days.

I am looking forward to the swelling with pride (and a little jealousy) at seeing my team in red, white & blue march into the stadium, the Olympic flame overlooking the ceremonies in the background. I anticipate the lump in my throat at hearing our national anthem at the countless medal ceremonies. I love the emotional catharsis of weeping as sports announcers recount, with the obligatory slow-mo and soft-focus effects, the stories of the athletes' determination and sacrifice that brought them to these games. The Games.

I feel better already.

The Luxury of Owning a Car

These days my life has been simplified by the absence of an available car in my life. Allan works out in Beaverton, so it makes sense for him to drive most days. It is a whole lot easier for me to walk to Woodlawn Elementary & PUMP than for him to have to trek it to the west side. To his credit, the guy does bike & max it one or two days each week nowadays. Life without a car means that I don't make a lot of plans during the day. If I am absolutely desperate to go to the store, I can always hoof it over to Safeway or Walgreens. Many of my friends are within walking distance, so I don't feel isolated. Allan keeps talking about getting a second car, because he feels guilty to leave me without one, but I am defiant (It's good for me to walk! I don't want to pay all the extra expenses! We're killing the environment enough with our one SUV!).

Anyway...today I have the car. It is about 1:30 in the afternoon. You know what I have done today? Driven and driven and driven. I'm not sure if I really went much of anywhere. I know that I turtled it along driving Allan to work (long story why I needed to take him), and then I sat completed still for a long while come back this way. After our crawl out to Beaverton and back, we kept going on the freeway up to Ridgefield, WA to visit with a friend & her kids (now only a thirty minute visit because of the traffic delays). Drive east on SR500 for lunch at a McD's with a playland. Drive back to Northeast to get Trinity to school after lunch. Connor fell asleep in the car at some point in the last leg of the journey. I don't want to lug his huge body inside - and he always wakes up when I move him anyway. I happen to have my computer and realized that I have internet connection in my driveway! So, here I sit. I have been in this particular seat for, what?...ten hours or something today?

I think I'll have Allan take the car on Monday...

Why Have Children (or borrow mine) - Reason #278

It had been a long day of getting kids dressed and fed, playing hard with Connor, performing household chores, helping in Trinity's pre-K class and a gaggle of other parental duties, all under the sleeping potion of growing a little one. I took a long, hot shower, but needed a little rest before I could tackle the job of getting myself redressed. So I laid on the couch in my robe while the kids noisily played around me, aware of how much more comfortable I would be if I would dry my hair and put on warm socks. I was dwelling in the middle land of awake and asleep when I heard the voices turn to whispers. The kids' babies were put to bed in the laundry baskets. Their own beds were fashioned out of the clean clothes that they had scattered around the living room. It was time to play "rest time". Then I felt a little body leaning up against me on the couch. I sighed as I recognized the perfect sensation of having a warm blanket draped over my cold self, little fingers carefully and methodically tucking it in around my feet and hands. Soon I was able to give in and drift over to the dimension of slumber. Two angels from heaven live in my house in the form of a little boy and a little girl who know that even mommy sometimes needs a little extra care.