Catching Up

Mama is making our pre-storm grocery run and so I'm going to catch up on some blogging. Whew, what a week! It started with Bud puking in the car on the way to Christmas with Ma and Gong while simultaneously our alarm company called to say they'd gotten a burglary alert on the house. Ho, ho, ho. That all turned out okay (only carsick and felt better immediately, despite the mess, and the police checked and there was no break-in, probably just a bird hit a window). Then all of our regular activities started, preschool and babysitter, workouts and Chinese class. Except it wasn't regular because a midweek ice storm canceled Chinese class and kept us homebound, though Bud and Sis readjusted to school just fine. And now it's Friday and we're expecting 5-7" tomorrow!

Here are the other things I've been thinking:

• Party planning vs. wedding planning: I love planning a party (though I didn't plan this next one well--I found out today it totally conflicts with a church friend's annual party, which is usually earlier in the month. And she thought mine would be later in February. Oh, well). And while the wedding was an important ceremony to mark a special event, it wasn't a party per se. There wil be a party, later in the spring--probably an outdoor picnic--and that will be a fun party, though, just as I like both parties and weddings, not much to plan beyond guest list and food (and I have a gorgeous new punch bowl as well as a cheese service for it, from the wedding). I have discovered an unfortunate side effect to our casual treatment of our wedding, mainly announcing it parenthetically in a general Christmas letter: lots of people thought they weren't invited. And wondered why. Oh, dear. I am so sorry. That's not what happened. The party is in the spring. You'll be invited. (Oh, an aside: My mom is actually keeping track of who sends gifts. She wants her friends and family to treat it the same way they treated Banana's wedding, even though, you know, Banana had a real wedding with invitations, a party, and guests. It's sweet, though, and we love that she values it the same. But some people in Texas are going to be in trouble. As for us, we're all good with no gifts. Even at the spring party. No worries. Not that we don't like the ones we've gotten, which are great . . . ergh, you understand.).
• Music and my munchkins: The kiddos got kid-style MP3 players from Ma and Gong for Christmas. We loaded them up with about 15 songs they love and they both randomly put them on and just listen, or dance around. When Bud first figured it out, he'd constantly run around saying, "Listen, I got 'Do-Re-Mi'." It was like each song was another gift. Sis's favorite song is Laurie Berkner's "We are the Dinosaurs." Bud likes that and "76 Trombones." They think the players are magic. I don't think they are far wrong. I mean, really, have people ever lived in an age when the fundamental tools of their lives were so far-removed from their understanding? Sure, they didn't understand the science of their bodies or environments, but they knew how a wagon or a hoe worked. Daily, I am amazed at what I can do with a computer or a cell phone or an iPod. I think it's switched: I bet I know more about causes of diseases and cellular reproduction and weather processes and physics than I could ever explain about a microchip or microwave technology. Even the people who work with computers, like Mama, wouldn't be able to, say, make one if by chance the world suffered a catastrophe and we had to start from scratch (which reminds me of all those people who memorized books in Fahrenheit 451. At least that I could do). We'd be back in the dark ages, for all most of us know about the real underpinnings of technology. Marx talked about the separation of people from their labor, well, this is the separation of people from their technologies. And I think the gap will just become wider. And have similarly disastrous consequences.
• Valentine's ideas (for teachers, friends, family, including crafts and cookies): I am so jazzed about the upcoming holiday. Yes, yes, I know, Chinese New Year first, but my magazines and the stores skip that and are on to the holiday of the pink and red hearts. So, for that, I think we will be doing constructiong paper and doily cards for classmates. Yep, there is a Valentine exchange!!! And none of this not-giving-one-to-everybody. You don't even address them! Perfect. And then, for teachers and family, I think we'll be glitter-gluing felt heart decorations. And we're hosting a cookie swap for playgroup--I'm hoping to ice some sugar cookies with Scandinavian folk art-inspired designs (you know, like the woven heart). There will be cookie decorating too. And I will finally distribute the bag of Valentine's playdough I've had for two years that I keep not getting to give out!
• An insight to veg culture: So I've made my first mistake on my WW vegetarian board. I posted a link to an article that contained a picture which happened to have a piece of meat in it. And people got upset. And then people got upset at the upset people. Oooooh. I hadn't even noticed the "piece of piggy in the picture." I know it happens, but I really, really can't imagine being so sensitive to meat that you can't accidentally see a small picture of it. How do they walk around town? Kinda turned me off the board for a bit, if only because it reminded me that I don't ever want to take the board or vegetarianism that seriously. The board is just some entertainment and exchange of information with people I have a few things in common with but absolutely do not "know." Or, sometimes, even understand.
• My goodness, it's snowing again! (wait, that's happening now, I won't post on that later) : Wait, I'm posting on it. Because it's going to snow. Again.
• Motherlode: men and the PTA, moms and budgets, finding mom a job: Mmm, too big for here, must be it's own post, but I give you the links to get started.
• Mothering: post-partum bodies, how to name your child: ditto, too philosophical for now. Wait, oh dear, it wasn't Mothering, it was Brain, Child. Not the same.
• Sis on Bud: "Just tell him what you want and he'll do it." "I will," he concurs: I swear they both said it. It's a good thing he's agreeable! It's hard to be the only guy (right, Dad?). Especially with three mommies!!
• How school changes kids--more clean up, more thank yous: The kids seem older suddenly, in some ways. Sis has been saying "thank you" a lot. They both are cleaning up after themselves better. Bud is desperate to help me out with cooking or vaccuuming or unloading the dishwasher. You name it. It's like somehow over Christmas break they matured just a little bit. She even looks older. I guess they are halfway through the year to four. Oh, and about the chores, though Bud's willingness to do them predated the goat, there is now a goat. Yep, a goat. They are raising money through chores to buy a goat through Heifer International; it's their preschool charitable activity for January (they've done food collection and coat collection too). Bud is desperate to make money doing chores so he can take it to school. Except he doesn't really understand. He knows he takes the money to school and gets a sticker. Sis knows the stickers go on a goat chart. But they are fuzzy about there being a real goat involved; at least they don't think they are getting a goat. Sis thinks they're going to send the goat chart to someone. Bud just wants the money. I'm being fleeced for a good cause (too bad it's not a sheep, or that would have been even more funny).
• Looking for my thing: I want my own thing. Miss T has baking, our friend Miss B is starting her life coach thing by running a personal renewal group (you'll be hearing more about this, maybe, depends on if I'm allowed to post stuff about it), my friend S even started an art blog way better than my other one (which I've temporarily taken offline for retooling). I want my thing. What is my thing? Yes, yes, mothering. And I throw a lot of time and energy into it. More than anything else. But I want a thing. And it's not baking or cooking (though I'm becoming a much more efficient homecook) which I don't do enough or well enough to qualify, it's not art history just because I'm so out of the loop and don't really want to devote the time and energy to be in the loop, and I'm not prepared to start a whole new thing because that takes to much time and energy, and well, I like the little things I have. But I want my thing to be bigger. Is parenting enough of a thing? Is blogging about parenting enough of a thing? I just don't know. But I'm feeling . . . thing-less.
• A questionnaire on their current favorites (Caillou, MP3 players, Santa,): another post
• Sis's intense emotions when people leave (including Mama, Gommie, and one of their student teachers): Poor Sis takes things very hard. Her emotions are so intense. She's either very happy, or not. And right now, she's not a lot because I think she feels left behind. Her favorite student teacher left school for good and she misses her constantly, then Gommie and Pop came and went and she can barely talk about or to Gommie, and finally Mama leaves every morning and is gone all day. And then, sometimes, I even leave for exercise class when the babysitter comes. And then the babysitter leaves. It's all just been too much for Sis, who will then be quiet or cry or just want to sit and cuddle. I'm not even sure how to help, except be there when she needs me.