We put up the tree this week. I was really sick, so I sat in the chair and gave the kids directions on how to set everything up. As you can see, they did a really good job.
:)
I have a few funny stories I like to tell about John. But the latest Remy family laughable is on me, not him.
This morning Tobycat decided to give herself a bath on the kitchen table. Kind of odd, actually, because she’s usually a reclusive kitty–opting for high out-of-the-way places or under beds for her incessant grooming.
We were all trying to get out of the door this morning when John pointed out her odd behavior. Then he also realized that this was no ordinary grooming–this was a very thorough licking of her nether regions. And it was accompanied by John’s observation that she she still had a bit of her morning poo stuck in her fur.
Of course, me–being the Mom that I am–I grabbed a paper napkin, cleaned off her fur and solved the problem in a matter of seconds as John was still standing there giggling. When I shot him a nasty look he replied:
“Do you realize that of all the places in the house where she could have gone to “clean up”…she chose your placemat?”
Of course I then reminded him of all the times she’s done the same thing on his pillow.
:)
I love our home. We modeled it on our favorite Paris bookshop [Don’t miss the virtual tour of Shakespeare & Co–it’s almost as good as being there.]
It’s nice to know that Dora is at home in our house, too. :)
I love it when my kids are sick.
Not that I like them being sick–I wish I could take away their fevers and coughs and icky green-snotty noses.
But I like them staying home from school and wearing cozy PJs and sleeping on my lap. And I kiss their foreheads and bring them juice with straws and popsicles. And they let me fuss over them.
And I cancel all of my appointments and sit and watch them sleep. Like E is doing right now. Curled up on John’s side of our big bed with her favorite quilt.
Tomorrow we are off to Aunt Susan’s house to celebrate “Anti-Consumer Day.”
This festive event is always the Friday after Thanksgiving. We gather and play games for much of the day. We do crafts. We jump on the trampoline and look at photos. We eat good food. The one thing we don’t do is shop.
Chris MacMurdo started this tradition a few years ago and each year it gains momentum–the circle of celebrants widens. So my challenge to each of you is to join in the fun. Even if you can’t be with us at Suz’s house, you can be with us “in spirit” as you commemorate AC Day in your own home.
:)
halloween
Originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.
Here’s a picture of the family at the local “Trunk or Treat” party. E is dressed as Hermione and C is dressed as a mage from the DragonLance book series. At almost every car C was identified as Harry Potter (even tho he wasn’t wearing his glasses!!). But then he slowly and mthodically explained that he was a mage [note the staff w/the jewel on top–not from Harry Potter].
When the rather dumbfounded parent looked at me for clarification about the mage thing (why is it that no Moms who drive large SUVs in OC know what mages are?), C would then add:
“It’s like a powerful wizard. You know what that is, don’t you?”
Sandra takes E
Originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.
A picture of E with her joy (Toby Joy).
Today E got her expander removed. Her expander was a medieval torture device that was wired onto her upper palate. It expanded her upper jaw to make room for her adult teeth to grow in. It undid the damage from years of thumb-sucking. And it cost a small fortune.
Well, today after she got the appliance-thing sawed off (and, yes, I sat in the waiting room cringing at the sound of the saw), she got her whistle back. I’m not talking about the regular kind of whistle that most people do when they pucker up their lips and blow. E’s is the kind of sweet little whistle that blows gently each time she says a word with an ‘s.’ I’d thought it was gone forever, and I really missed it.
But it’s back, and I couldn’t be happier!
:)
Sometimes I think my kids aren’t for real. Like twice this week when they’ve been given candy at school and they’ve brought it home to share. E got some candy in her orcehstra class. She got 4 pieces and said the Twix for me (knowing it was my favorite ) and did the same with everyone else’s favorite treat. Today C’s sub gave him dumdums and tootsie rolls. He brought me the tootsie (yum) and figured out which flavor of dumdum that everyone else would most like. As I savored my tootsie roll I thought to myself about all the times I’d been given cookies & candies at school. And I knew that NOT ONCE did I ever bring any home to share with my sibs, much less my parents. The thought wouldn’t even have ever occurred to me. Instead, I stashed away any extras in places where I was sure only I would ever find them.
Yet for my kids, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy such bounty without sharing it with the rest of us.
Can you see why I wonder if: a) C&E aren’t really real children, but are aliens modeled on child characters from 50’s sitcoms, or b) they are deities incarnate?
We go to a local music store.
We’ve been customers there for six years or so. The place is crazy with long-haired geeky musician guys–most of whom are still wearing the same favorite rock band T-shirts they loved in high school (and for them high school was in the ’70s). But Jim’s is a totally cool place–wizened rockers included.
Today C’s cello need new fine tuners, two new strings and a repair to a tuning peg (the D string, I think). I cringed when I brought it in. I’d been putting it off for weeks because I didn’t want to have to pay for the fixes.
But Randy, the repair guy, took a quick look and mumbled a few numbers. We chatted a bit about how old the cello is and how much C uses it (which is a lot). He said he’d have it fixed in 2 hours and it’d cost $55 bucks.
How cool is that?
:)