It's 7:35 am and I am up. This is early for me these days. It has, after all, been summer break and for the first time in my post college life, that has meant a break for me as well. Working an even more revised schedule during the summer months, in combination with no early morning school preparations, has offered me a much appreciated opportunity to sleep in at least 3 days per week. Those of you with small children know that sleeping in means until 8:00 or 8:30 and on the very rare, cool and dark August morning, with the early chill of Fall in the air, maybe even 9:00! I know, Gasp!
This morning, all cuddled up under my covers, subconsciously knowing that this could be one of those 8:30 days, I slept fitfully and comfortably. Then, like someone opened a door in the middle of January and let all the cold air in, there it was. Right beside my head there was the morning breath of Mack saying "Mama, I peed in my bed!". I shot straight up knowing full well that when the brand new bunk beds were put together last weekend the waterproof mattress pad was not put back on the top bunk, aka, Mack's new favorite place to sleep. I just looked at him and said "You're kidding me!" and then realizing my tone was slightly sharper than I expected it to be, especially since those were the first words spoken for the day, I jumped up and gave him a hug and said "How bad?". His answer of "I didn't try!" was enough to tell me it was going to be bad. Not to mention the way his shoulders slumped as he said it was enough to break my heart. So, together, we trodded into his room and up the ladder to the top bunk I went. Hmm, that's funny, it's not wet at all! Since Mack doesn't actually sleep under the covers I had to do a swipe of the entire bed and sure enough, not wet, anywhere. I looked down at Mack from perch high atop the top bunk and said, "buddy, are you sure you peed in your bed?" to which he replied, kind of frantically, "yes, and I still have some more to give!". As he ran off to the bathroom I decided to feel up the top bunk one last time to make sure I wasn't missing anything but it was still dry and I was feeling much better. Mack came back and announced a little bit must have snuck out because only his underpants were wet. Phew! And then, in true Kristin form, once I realized the crisis was averted, and that he had been hugged and made to feel better, I started to realize what this all meant. It meant that I was now awake at 7:20, on one of those days I could have still been sleeping, and one of those days when I forgot to set the coffee pot the night before.
So, here I sit, back in my own warm bed typing away on the computer, listening to Mack repeatedly say "burrrrr" from the living room where the windows were left open last night, despite being buried under at least 2 blankets. He's watching Pokemon and I'm considering finishing up my summer read, "Pillars of the Earth" before Pierson wakes up. Great book, but enormous. So big that I dedicated my entire summer to it and now with Labor Day looming I feel a bit like I have a deadline to meet. And as I say that I realize that it's more than finishing the book that I feel pressured to do before Labor Day. We need to get to the beach again and maybe Crystal Mountain water park. We need to make s'mores at least one more time and I need to get to the Farmer's Market. And then I stop and realize that just because Labor Day is next week, and school starts up again, doesn't mean that summer is over and we can't do these things anymore. Living at the mercy of the school year calender for the first time (Kindergarten doesn't really count because he didn't go all day every day) is a trip and brings a finality to summer so much earlier than when we just look at a calendar and know that September is beautiful in Northern Michigan and we still have plenty of warm weather opportunities to enjoy all that is good about where we live.
Mack and I are dropping off Pierson at daycare for a couple of hours this morning and heading to Target to finish up some Back to School shopping. I think we will stop at Good Harbor and get a Latte for me and maybe a Warm Chocolate with lots of whipped cream and sprinkles for him. Maybe we'll even head down to the Wednesday Farmers Market downtown and check at least one thing off my "still to do this summer" list. I hope you all do something fun and memorable this weekend to mark the end of summer vacation but make some plans while you're at it to still enjoy summer fun right on through September and if we're lucky, maybe even a little bit of October too!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Pier Pier
When Peter and I decided to name our second son Pierson we thought of all the ways one might shorten his name. Nowhere on our list of possibilities was Pier Pier, however, this is the name that has affectionately stuck. It's funny to me that my "all boy" wonder would have such a wussy nick name. This boy who recently said "Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about" as we passed a parking lot full of Four Wheelers in town. The same boy who can run like the wind, pumping his arms to go faster and faster, and who can name every construction truck out there easily responds to Pier Pier. I have visions of him running down a football field some day and all the cheerleaders shouting "Go Pier Pier" and I laugh at how ironic it all is. And then I laugh at the thought of one my children playing football because you know I'd never allow it..they could get hurt! :) Of course I am kidding, sort of.
So my little Pier Pier turns 3 today. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is in fact just turning 3..and not 5. I have to remember that just because he can do so much and has such an extensive vocabulary doesn't mean I should expect so much out of him. He has moved on from being a baby but is still in that toddler purgatory of not quite being a "kid" yet. He absolutely refuses to sit on the potty and becomes so disgusted at the mere mention that I'm pretty sure I'll be inventing a size 7 diaper just so he can leave the house. There is no incentive big enough to get him to do it. I have promised him a pony and a trip to Disney but alas... Bottom line: This kid does things when he wants to and not at the suggestion of others. I know when he's ready he'll tell me and hopefully that will be that.
When Peter and I look at photos of Mack right before Pierson was born (Mack was 3 and a couple of months) we agree that Mack seemed so much bigger and older than Pierson does right now. I chalk it up to him being an only child up to that point and getting constant attention from everyone in his life. He was the only child and only grandchild (at least in Michigan) so he had uninterrupted conversations with the adults in his life and uninterrupted play time as well. Pierson has always had to vie for a spot in the lineup and believe me, he made his presence known from day one and has never had a hard time fitting in. It's just that he has had an older brother to contend with and has often been told, "hang on just a second buddy".
In a couple of weeks Mack will start first grade and will be in school all day every day and that will leave 2 1/2 days per week for just me and Pierson. I am really looking forward to this time with him. His first 3 years have absolutely flown by and I'm starting to realize that he'll be in school before I know it and I really want to cherish some alone time with him. He plays so differently than Mack did at this age. He entertains himself beautifully and keep himself busy for hours. He says some of the goofiest things and has the face expressions to match. He is so stinkin' cute and boy does he know it. He knows this about himself the same way I know that I need chocolate to get thru most days. A couple of weeks ago we were at the beach and a delightful little boy with Downs Syndrome (Will was his name) wondered over to where my boys were playing and started to dig with one of Pierson's shovels. The boys showed him all the goodies in their sand toy bag and before long they were playing together famously. I was talking to Will's mom and watching the interaction between the 3 boys as she told me that Will was very social and knew exactly what people were saying to him and what he was trying to say back but that sometimes his vocabulary couldn't keep up and therefore people had a difficult time understanding him. At that very moment Will said something to Pierson that none of us could understand but Pierson just looked at him and without flinching said "You are? Well I'm cute!".
And that pretty much sums it up. My boy with the wussy nick name who knows he's cute is 3 years old today and I love him 3 times more today than I did the day he was born and 3 times less than I will 3 years from now.
So my little Pier Pier turns 3 today. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is in fact just turning 3..and not 5. I have to remember that just because he can do so much and has such an extensive vocabulary doesn't mean I should expect so much out of him. He has moved on from being a baby but is still in that toddler purgatory of not quite being a "kid" yet. He absolutely refuses to sit on the potty and becomes so disgusted at the mere mention that I'm pretty sure I'll be inventing a size 7 diaper just so he can leave the house. There is no incentive big enough to get him to do it. I have promised him a pony and a trip to Disney but alas... Bottom line: This kid does things when he wants to and not at the suggestion of others. I know when he's ready he'll tell me and hopefully that will be that.
When Peter and I look at photos of Mack right before Pierson was born (Mack was 3 and a couple of months) we agree that Mack seemed so much bigger and older than Pierson does right now. I chalk it up to him being an only child up to that point and getting constant attention from everyone in his life. He was the only child and only grandchild (at least in Michigan) so he had uninterrupted conversations with the adults in his life and uninterrupted play time as well. Pierson has always had to vie for a spot in the lineup and believe me, he made his presence known from day one and has never had a hard time fitting in. It's just that he has had an older brother to contend with and has often been told, "hang on just a second buddy".
In a couple of weeks Mack will start first grade and will be in school all day every day and that will leave 2 1/2 days per week for just me and Pierson. I am really looking forward to this time with him. His first 3 years have absolutely flown by and I'm starting to realize that he'll be in school before I know it and I really want to cherish some alone time with him. He plays so differently than Mack did at this age. He entertains himself beautifully and keep himself busy for hours. He says some of the goofiest things and has the face expressions to match. He is so stinkin' cute and boy does he know it. He knows this about himself the same way I know that I need chocolate to get thru most days. A couple of weeks ago we were at the beach and a delightful little boy with Downs Syndrome (Will was his name) wondered over to where my boys were playing and started to dig with one of Pierson's shovels. The boys showed him all the goodies in their sand toy bag and before long they were playing together famously. I was talking to Will's mom and watching the interaction between the 3 boys as she told me that Will was very social and knew exactly what people were saying to him and what he was trying to say back but that sometimes his vocabulary couldn't keep up and therefore people had a difficult time understanding him. At that very moment Will said something to Pierson that none of us could understand but Pierson just looked at him and without flinching said "You are? Well I'm cute!".
And that pretty much sums it up. My boy with the wussy nick name who knows he's cute is 3 years old today and I love him 3 times more today than I did the day he was born and 3 times less than I will 3 years from now.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Expect the Unexpected
My father has always told me that I am one of his most favorite human beings. He cites my consistency as one of my best attributes. I'm one of those "what you see is what you get" kind of gals. A good thing, yes...but perhaps a little boring. But even I have a bag of tricks and surprises that I sometimes pull from. A hanky up my sleeve of sorts that keeps people guessing. I recall one of the first times I tugged on that hanky and the reaction it got from people. I was 17 and it was the fall of my senior year of high school. I was playing Powder Puff football and I picked number 69 for my jersey. I had no idea what it meant at the time but I knew it was something scandalous. I walked in the homecoming parade alongside our float and then into the stands of our football "stadium" preparing to take the field for the big game. I remember the look on the face of one of my mom's friends when she saw my shirt and the way she lifted her eyebrows when asking my mom, "Number 69?". Again, I had no idea what it meant but I could see that it was getting a reaction. That must have been the beginning of my week of rebellion as a teen because it was about the same time that I took interest in a football player (incidentally our powder puff coach) who was a bit of a redneck and drove a red pick up truck. He asked me to go to a party after the game and I agreed. It was when I realized he expected me to sit right next to him in his pickup..you know..in the middle of the bench seat..that I drew the line and retreated to my prior life of goody goody preppy girl.
I think about this every once in a while when I feel the need to step out of my comfort zone as that good girl and do something just a little bit unexpected. And sometimes I find myself in the middle of a seemingly harmless and routine activity for myself that is attracting attention from someone else as unusual. For example, those of you who know and love me understand that I like wine. But sometimes I like to kick it up a notch and mix up a martini. The other night I was on the phone with my mother, making dinner for my family and a cocktail for myself. I asked her to hang on a second and proceeded to shake my martini until it was chilled and frothy and when I said, "Ok..go ahead" she wanted to know what the noise was. I nonchalantly mentioned that I was making a martini and had to shake it up real quick. There was a pause and then a little laugh and I heard her say to my dad "Your daughter is making herself a martini!". Now I must say that she was not saying it in an incredulous or judgemental way. She was, I think, pleasantly surprised to find that on a routine night, one where I was not entertaining anyone but myself, I was making myself a drink. I realized that to her it was quite unexpected and I felt that familiar thrill of taking someone by surprise.
Last night I went with my girlfriends to see Mamma Mia. I have loved this show and the music since I saw it with Peter in Toronto 4 years ago. I could not have been more thrilled then when I found out they were making it into a movie. Last night was the second time I have seen it in the theater and I wouldn't hesitate to pay $8.50 to see it again. There is a character in the cast named Tanya who is the close friend of Donna. She has been married 3 times, has had extensive plastic surgery and the young men (particularly one, named Pepper) think she's hot stuff. There is a scene in the show where she sings a song to Pepper called "Does your Mother know?" (Listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi05Su7jX6k). I have told Peter, repeatedly, that if the Old Town Playhouse ever took a stab at Mamma Mia, I would totally take voice lessons and audition for the role of Tanya. I think this surprises him. It could not be more out of character for me. Me, the girl who didn't need the "which sex in the city character are you" quiz to tell me that I was totally Charlotte. One might think I would want the role of Sophie, the daughter in Mamma Mia given her girly, girl, bride to be character. But no, if given the chance I would pick Tanya because playing Tanya would be the unexpected thing to do and sometimes doing the unexpected is doing what's fun, and fulfilling expectations you have of yourself to step outside the box and live a little more freely than you may allow yourself to do on a daily basis.
I think about this every once in a while when I feel the need to step out of my comfort zone as that good girl and do something just a little bit unexpected. And sometimes I find myself in the middle of a seemingly harmless and routine activity for myself that is attracting attention from someone else as unusual. For example, those of you who know and love me understand that I like wine. But sometimes I like to kick it up a notch and mix up a martini. The other night I was on the phone with my mother, making dinner for my family and a cocktail for myself. I asked her to hang on a second and proceeded to shake my martini until it was chilled and frothy and when I said, "Ok..go ahead" she wanted to know what the noise was. I nonchalantly mentioned that I was making a martini and had to shake it up real quick. There was a pause and then a little laugh and I heard her say to my dad "Your daughter is making herself a martini!". Now I must say that she was not saying it in an incredulous or judgemental way. She was, I think, pleasantly surprised to find that on a routine night, one where I was not entertaining anyone but myself, I was making myself a drink. I realized that to her it was quite unexpected and I felt that familiar thrill of taking someone by surprise.
Last night I went with my girlfriends to see Mamma Mia. I have loved this show and the music since I saw it with Peter in Toronto 4 years ago. I could not have been more thrilled then when I found out they were making it into a movie. Last night was the second time I have seen it in the theater and I wouldn't hesitate to pay $8.50 to see it again. There is a character in the cast named Tanya who is the close friend of Donna. She has been married 3 times, has had extensive plastic surgery and the young men (particularly one, named Pepper) think she's hot stuff. There is a scene in the show where she sings a song to Pepper called "Does your Mother know?" (Listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi05Su7jX6k). I have told Peter, repeatedly, that if the Old Town Playhouse ever took a stab at Mamma Mia, I would totally take voice lessons and audition for the role of Tanya. I think this surprises him. It could not be more out of character for me. Me, the girl who didn't need the "which sex in the city character are you" quiz to tell me that I was totally Charlotte. One might think I would want the role of Sophie, the daughter in Mamma Mia given her girly, girl, bride to be character. But no, if given the chance I would pick Tanya because playing Tanya would be the unexpected thing to do and sometimes doing the unexpected is doing what's fun, and fulfilling expectations you have of yourself to step outside the box and live a little more freely than you may allow yourself to do on a daily basis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
