Elan on the pumpkin pile, October 2011Halloween was a very big deal at our house this year. First, we went to our neighborhood's version of a pumpkin patch, which is more a pumpkin pile, a huge hill of pumpkins at Monterey Market. The kids (and brave adults) scramble all over the pumpkins, including some that must weigh 100 pounders (pumpkins, not people, well, people too, but that's nothing extraordinary).Someone should have taken a picture of the maneuvers I had to make in order to get myself, Emry and my camera onto the pumpkin pile, not to mention position the boys and get the shot, while balancing in my clogs on pumpkins. They're not so stable, pumpkins. Kinda round and slippery.But it was worth it.Then, on Halloween, we had a robot.Elan came up with the idea. This is the second year that I've been surprised by how definite he's been about his costume. Execution was carried out by Mikhail, on box duty, and Grandma, on decoration duty. ... more
On the hunt for stuff to get into, October 2011Today, I am sorry to admit, my baby ate his own poop.Need I say more?He has become a total squirmy monkey during diaper changes, and this morning, he almost managed to kick the dirty diaper off the edge of the changing table. I caught it, but a tiny bit of poop must have fallen onto the floor, because after I had cleaned him up and re-diapered him and set him down and washed my hands, ... more
Emry's first birthday was on October 22.The birthday boy is seriously into his thumb these days.He is seriously into his brother too.The birthday hat has stick-on numbers from 1-5. Elan's worn it for 3 out of his 4 birthdays. I like that it's now an official family tradition, even if I did drop the ball on Elan wearing it last year, when he turned 4.And of ... more
Fall spiderweb, Berkeley, September 2011I'm having one of those weeks when a cold turns into laryngitis, turns into a sinus infection that feels like someone's sticking knives into my cheekbones, turns into a night spent alternatively shivering and roasting with fever, turns into the nurse practitioner saying I have the flu on top of the cold/sinus infection, turns into Emry taking Tamiflu preventatively just in case I do have the flu, turns into Mikhail going away for an overnight trip I didn't know he ... more
A year ago, I was pregnant.I went to the pool a lot. Sometimes with my pregnant friends.Elan was already telling the baby jokes.Did I mention? I was VERY pregnant.But soon not to be.At 2 a.m., I woke up. It was pouring. First I heard the rain, then I felt the sensation of the contraction. It was the baby's due date ... more
Tomorrow, Emry turns one year old. While I try to process this fact, a hit of Mama nostalgia is putting me in a photo kind of mood. So I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of Emry's first beach experiences, way back in July when he was only a wee 8-month-old (sniff).Did you know that beach rocks make excellent teething toys?Of course, sand tastes pretty yummy on its own.Right?What?<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47587511@N03/6031543244/" title="DSC_0551 by ... more
Comfort food in progress, October 20111. When all else fails, cook a brisket. With lots of roasted carrots and potatoes to soak in the briskety juices. Do not expect your 4-going-on-5-year-old, the source of The Trouble, to touch it, but the baby, who still has no teeth yet loves chicken sausage and pesto pasta, might gobble it up.2. Do not allow your husband, plumbing novice, to try to replace the garbage disposal, even though you asked him to do it just last night. Understand ... more
Ocean and sunlight, San Diego, July 2011*A friend who had been on dialysis got a new kidney from a living donor, a woman who is a friend of a friend but not someone she had ever met before the transplant process began. Recipient and donor, both young women, are doing well post-surgery. I am blown away by the generosity.*Emry can crawl.*Elan can read.*Both my children slept until 6 a.m. this morning, drank some milk, and went back to sleep until after 7:30.*I went to ... more
My guys, from left: little one, big one, medium oneSemiahmoo, Washington, September 2011I jetted down to southern California for a friend's wedding BY MYSELF. I can hardly remember the last time I spent flights reading a book and working on a photo album on my computer rather than juggling a grabby baby on my lap and a preschooler who invariably needs to poop just as the baby falls asleep nursing. I alternated between reveling in the luxury and sending slightly longing glances at other ... more