We’ve been working today, getting ready for Asher’s birthday tomorrow. The bunting I made is hung, the pillowcase I sewed for him is done, the birthday crown I decided just yesterday to make for him is done but for the final fitting and seam. The cake is baked and cooling, and it will be ready for decorating tomorrow morning.
I took a ton of photos today, but here are a few of my favorites.
It was a great weekend! Ian and I got to go to see Eddie Izzard play Oakland’s Oracle Arena with some friends. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a bigger venue for anything. We had nosebleed seats way up top, but it didn’t much matter. We so enjoyed him. Anybody who does Latin jokes is my hands-down favorite. I took a pic with my cell phone, but I don’t know how to get the picture to my computer…
Yesterday we moved Lucas’s bed into Asher’s room. Well, Lucas and Ian moved the bed. I performed support tasks and kept Asher out of the way. It’s quite an adventure taking Ikea furniture apart and putting it back together again. Good think my hubby’s so handy! Both of the boys seem very excited about this new arrangement. Last night at bedtime there was a kind of slumber-party feeling in the air. I expect it will take some getting used to, but I think they will adapt nicely. Asher’s bed is now beneath Lucas’s bed, which gives Asher a kind of cubbyhole to sleep in. I think he will come to really like that, at least for a time. We’ll leave things like this awhile and eventually move my office into Lucas’s old bedroom. I feel a little guilty taking his room from him—it’s been his since his birth. But the new arrangement will give my office a door (a blessed, beautiful door!) that I can close to keep out family noise while I’m working. I look at it as a short- to medium-term investment in my sanity and my business, and possibly in my kids’ relationship. Perhaps sharing a room will promote brotherly closeness. Or perhaps that’s my wishful thinking.
I got to share a meal with some girlfriends last night and I’m more determined than ever to make that a more regular occurrence. I just need to get out more and my kids can now handle it better.
We’re getting ready for Asher’s birthday party next weekend. I’m excited!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars seeps into my home via the playground—a Waldorf playground, mind you. Neither of my children have seen any Star Wars movies, and yet …
Asher: “I’m R2D2. I say ‘beepboopbopbeep’ and I have no arms. You want to be Yoda?”
Me: “No, thanks.”
Asher: “You want to be a guywalker?”
Me: “No.”
Lucas: “What about Leia Skywalker? She’s Luke’s sister. Do you want to be her?”
Me: “Not really.”
Lucas: “What about Ahsoka?”
Me: “Who is Ahsoka?”
Lucas: “YOU DON’T KNOW WHO AHSOKA IS?!?!?”
Me: “Nope.”
Lucas: “She’s Anakin’s PADDYWON.”
Me: “What’s a paddywon?”
Lucas: “I don’t know.”
Asher: “I’m R2D2firefighterStarWarsCloneWarsdoctor! Beepboopbopbeep! Yoda fights a creepy bad buy named nofing. I’m cooking dinner. Meatballs and getti. You want to come to my factory?”
“I Captain Baby Asher. You Captain Mommy.”
“You want to buy something from my store? Like a chocolate milkshake?”
“Whatchu doing, Lucas?”
“I want to watch a program.”
“I need a nack (snack).”
“You like my daddy? You like my brother? You like a baby? Me?”
“I don’t like this dinner.”
“Baby use your red phone?”
“Can we eat at a restaurant?”
“Leave me alone. I need to work.”
“I a superguy. A superhero!”
“Look out! Aliens are coming!”
“I need water. One ice. Two ice.”
“Baby touch your nipples GENTLY?”
An elfin warrior and a good soldier koala man fight the evil emperor, who threatens the kingdom of cuddly Oo Ah Ee creatures!
No toys in this house are played with as much as these colorful silk scarves, except perhaps for Legos. Lucas never tires of inventing stories and now that Asher is almost 3-years-old, he has plenty to add to the games. Their play is far more imaginative, interactive, and involves more role-playing than it was just six months ago. This is a beautiful thing because the more they play imagination games, the more they are cooperating instead of competing for resources. Fortunately, we have plenty of play silks.
My mud monster with eyes like the sea. Lucas spent this day sliding in the mud at school. Because on a muddy December play yard at a Waldorf school, nobody is going to stop you from doing it. I’m grateful for that. And then at home, after this photo was taken, Lucas learned how to put a load of laundry into the washer. I’m grateful for that, too.
We got to spend some time alone together Thursday night and it was so good. Lucas and I attended the Las Posadas celebration at his school, saw some friends, ate a churro, and he got to hit the piñata. At first, it was a little stilted; we were in our own two worlds with our own distractions. But some satsumas and a candy from the piñata, and then some salad, yummy pizza, and conversation helped. We played a few games of Connect Four at the pizza parlor, and then we puzzled our way through a face-guessing game without any instructions. It was fun and got us all warmed up and connected. At home, still just the two of us, we got Lucas ready for bed and read some Christmas stories. We even sang the “Twelve Days of Christmas” with gusto along with the picture book. And we snuggled.
I’m struck by how much my relationship to this boy has changed since his brother arrived. There was a time when Lucas and I were completely inseparable. I love him completely and am reminded that there needs to be time for just us.
Just sayin’.
Lucas received a new Lego kit from the Candy Fairy (AKA Halloween Fairy). Photo by Ian.
My 7-year-old really wanted to decorate for the holiday. So, although I’ve never been one for fake spiderwebs and seasonal flags and Mylar balloons, I made some concessions this year.
First, we put those fake spiderwebs all over our home’s entry.
Then we got to crafting. I bought about 15 small pieces of felt (25¢ each) at the craft store yesterday, white and black puffy fabric paint, some tacky glue, and a bag of googly eyes. The boys and I sat at the kitchen table today for about an hour and a half cutting shapes out of felt and gluing them together. It was really fun! Asher had a hard time working the scissors, but liked the part with the glue!
Lucas made a ghost, skull, vampire bat, orange goblin, and Dracula. I made a bat, three jack-o’-lanterns, haunted house and a witch. Ian came home from work in time to join us, and he made the light orange ghoulie in the middle. I wish I had a good picture of the piece of yellow felt that Asher completely covered with googly eyes! But such things are fleeting with a 2-year-old around. All the googly eyes ended up on the kitchen floor.
When they are dry, I’ll thread them and hang them.
Much better than any preprinted cardboard decorations from the dollar store, I think!
