Holiday Tea: The tulips are fabulous.

My mother in law Donna's Church holds a Holiday tea every year. It's quite a production, hostess volunteer to decorate individual tables, and there is some friendly competition to see who has the best one. All the tables have themes, and people really go all out, china and guest gifts and so on.  Lots and lots of fancy.

So, since everything is so fancy, I felt like I should dress for the occasion. I'm not a member of the church but my mother in Law is; and this is the only time of year that I see these people so I feel like I should make a reasonable, not embarrassing impression for Donna's sake. So I dress, I flat iron the crap out of my hair, do the make up, a fitted top and skirt, and in some fit of masochism don the highest heels I own.

Now these might not look like much to you, but imagine that you're the type of girl that wore chucks with your wedding dress, is barefoot most of the summer, and also is a complete and utter klutz. Just standing up in these things for me is akin to walking a very painful high wire over a pit of broken glass and social embarrassment. I've only worn them about three times since purchase, so I'm not exactly practiced. But, they do give me a considerable height advantage over the husband, and generally make me feel like a librarian that does pinup on the side. 

So walking in these things is a bit like walking on stilts. It requires lots of concentration and resolutely refusing to look at your feet while you walk. So, I'm wobbling gracelessly out in the reception area, looking for a few friends that were running late. There are about three hundred fancy ladies sitting at the tables in the main room, but out there a few people were milling around the christmasy decorations, but I'm not really looking, since not falling down requires me staring at a point in the middle distance and willing my ankles to steel. Suddenly and tiny older woman appears at my elbow, she leans in conspiratorially and asks; 

"Has anyone ever grabbed those to see if their real?"

There are no words nuanced enough. I made, what I'm sure was the weirdest face she'd ever seen, and clapped my hand over my mouth. She smiled the way you imagine Ms. Claus smiling, and said, "The tulips, they sure look real don't they?"

Oh. 

The Tulips. 

These Tulips. 

Apparently she had assumed I was watching her test the 'freshness' of the table setting, and came to explain herself. I've never been so self conscious of my chest in my entire life.

Amy, who lives across the street of course had the best response. "Oh honey, whenever anyone says that to you, you always say, 'Of course they're real, and they are fabulous'."

So the rest of the night went well. The programing was much more personal than it's been in previous years, and much more brief. The food and company were excellent. Next year we hope to have two whole tables, that is to have twenty women attend. 

Thank you girls for coming, and remember ladies; these tulips are real, and they are fabulous. 

The winter sick.

Cold enough for coats

Hello there Blogger.

We always catch something, or several somethings this time of year, just as the cold starts to hit. So far Quinn, Genna and Cody have caught what ever it is. Genna has bonus points from her adventure with 'head foot and mouth'.

The current plan is to subsist entirely on chicken noodle soup and vitamin C. It's not been entirely successful.

We are also watching Lady, Thax's canine companion, for the weekend.  She is old enough that that the hairs on her face and snout have gone gray. She doesn't quite know how to handle the smallish humans that live here.

She does love the scritches though.

I've been working on this insane appliqued tunic, that just cannot be less rock and roll. All the symbols are on fire, and the phoenix that is on the chest will be playing a purple flying V guitar.

It will also take forever to finish, my sewing machine was so frighted by the prospect that it promptly broke right as I started. Had to take to the shop.

The phoenix its self is several different colors, and I have the pieces cut out, but nothing attached yet. It's the most complicated thing I've tried since I made that tunic for Kelly's master Rose.

Today I've got Genna and Quinn bundled on the couch, and some prep work to do for Holiday Tea tomorrow. I'm making little bags for the snow globes that will act as the hostess gifts for Donna's Table.  Back to the grind. 

Day in pictures;

Stayed after school today on the playground, here are all the kids watching the turtles in the lobby of Old Town.

Genna having a snack of Cantaloupe, which she is very good at pronouncing, whilst in her princess git-up. Which she feels she must wear all of, at one time. Curse you Joe.

Cody explaining to Nicoli were the food was hiding. Coley kept trying to make me open the pantry, leading me over there to get dinner.

Mister Quinn, the mighty, getting taller by the minute.

This his self portrait from art class. All the other kids have smiling or at least, bland faces. Not my boy. He wants to scream.

Epitaph

Feb. 2nd, 2010


I was in a hurry to leave. Cody was waiting downstairs, with the all kids. Ready to go back to Texas. I picked up my stuff, checking to make sure I had everything; and rushed over to kiss Gram's forehead. She was sitting up in bed, and gave me a very pointed look. 

"You just quit it with that mushy stuff."

"Oh suck it Gram." 

We both smiled. It's not the perfect goodbye. There were no 'I love you's; but it was a good one for us. 

I can only be grateful for the time I had with her; cantankerous, funny, and brave, as she was. 


My Grandmother, Joel Marie Growden passed away this morning at 7:20 from complications of lung cancer.

In today's episode;

July 26th 2006


C: It’s a survival skill.
K: a survival skill?
C: Yeah, what if you had to... um, drive out of a burning building?
K: If I have to drive out of a burning building, I think I’d have more immediate troubles than learning to drive a manual. 
C: It’s still good to know. 
K: Heh, I’m gonna put this in my journal. 
C:…
C: I get editorial and veto powers.
K: How do you figure?
C: Because I said it. It’s my intellectual property. 
K: But you said it to me, that makes it mine. Information wants to be free.
C: *Pout*
C: Information does not want to be anthropomorphized.

conversations out of context; the Coley edition

Nov. 17th, 2007 

C:"Juan!" 

K: "Why?, Coley? did you just say ... Why?"

C: "Won!"

K: "ONE?" 

C:"Too!"

K: "Two?!"

C:"Preeeeeeee!" *Pounce*

K: "Three!!! You said three!!!" 

He wasn't imitating anyone, He wasn't repeating anything. He was playing a game, just playing a game. You count to three and then you pounce. 

He talked to me!

EDIT: Also, we played this game for the rest of the afternoon. I even got to show it to Cody when he got home from work. not only is it a game, but it's a repeatable game.

A dissagreement on torso coverings, via Genevieve Dec 17th 2007

K: "SH-Ur-T."
G:*Plucks at her clothes* 
K:"Yes! That is Genna's 'Shhhhh-ur-t'." 
G:"Shhhhit."
K:*winces*No honey, 'shhhhurt', can you say 'shirt'?"
G*nods vigorously, and her sweetest voice says* "shit!". 
K:"Okay, that was closer, can you say 'Shhhh uuuuurr T'"
G:"Shit, moh-mee. Babee shit."*She smiles indulgently* 
K:"You are gonna get me in so much trouble with your grandma."

She's a big girl now; Nov 7th 2007

Now that Genna's mouth has caught up to her speech she is talking a lot more like a grown up. So the words that she does mispronounce or misuse are becoming cuter and more precious to me. Little bits of her babyhood she has yet to shed. 

Top favorites currently 
*'De-De-De' = DVD
*'Balley Puttun' = Belly Button
*'Olive you dahee!' = I love you daddy.
*'Pease can I have soon? = Please can I have a spoon? 

Misused Phrases
*"I waan Momee help you, Peaese." = Mom help me, please 

Conversations out of context 
G:"Ow, my penis."
K:*Shocked* "Genna, you haven't got a penis."
G:*Patronizing*"Penis rhye dare Mommy, owiee penis."*Indicates imaginary penis*
K:"Genna you have a... um, *Searching* "you have a.."
C:*Stepping in* "Vagina."
K:"Right." *ahem* "You have a 'vagina' Genna. Not a 'penis'."
G:"Giiiina!"" *Laughing* "Silly Mommy! Dis is jus penis!"


*Headdesk*

Busy bees; June 22nd 2008

This weekend was so full, but it feels like I haven't gotten anything useful done. 

Swimming in the quarry was defiantly fun, but sore muscles making. It's been a very long time since I've gone swimming in a live lake. There were turtles monitoring our progress, and in the shallows fish swam around legs and nibbled my toes. Cody held still trying to lure the fish to him, but he was resolutely avoided much to his irritation. 

K: You have to hold still. 
C: I am holding still. They're just not coming over. 
K: look, see? They like me just fine. 
C: That's because you have disney princess jeans. I'm surprised they aren't singing. 

We didn't make it all the way around the half mile course. Not even half way. Swimming a lap isn't like running one. If you get too tired, or if your leg cramps up you can just stop running. Heck, you can sit your ass down on the course if you like. You might be an obstacle of others but you won't say accidently breathe unbreathable stuff and die. That is a sort of an issue with water. 

But we, and Asyslus who took us out there, survived. Despite Chris's attempts to give himself another heart attack on the final leg. 

Afterward we hightailed it back to the house, covered in lake, to clean the house before the star trek guys showed up to make boffers for summit. Why are the star trek guys making boffers for their convention you ask? They are 'star trek' guys right? Well. Let's just say it's sort complicated. Instead of ten being the highest number of people to expect, I think we ended up with 15. Which is sort of a lot to fit in our wee little house. Swords were made, then we they played rock band until like, eleven. Which is a bit a stretch considering that they arrived at 2pm. As a result we missed out of seeing Thax and E, which I am regretful about. But as a consolation prize I did get to watch Cody take up the mic and sing Metallica. Enter the Sandman has never been so comical. You see, Cody has a theory that to properly sing like James Hetfeild you have put a 'RrrrrAA!' noise on the end of each stanza. So the song went something like this.

"Say your prayers little one. Don't forget, my son, To include everyone RrrrrrAAA!"

Tuck you in, warm within, Keep you free from sin, Till the sandman he comes RrrrA! 

I think I might be in love. =)

conversations out of context; Whoops

Q : Mom! look I found dis neat thing outside! 
K : I see. 
Q : Look mom! it comes apart! 
K : Neat. 
Q : *Pushes forward* Look! See it! 
K : I see it Quinn. 
Q : But mom, look! *Splash* Uh-Oh. 
K : That. *Sigh* was your avocado seed wasn't it. 
Q : Yeah, *peers in to the suddenly fuller coffee cup*. 
K : The one you buried in the lawn?
Q : *Uncertainly* yeah. 
K : And now it's in my coffee. 
Q : I'm sorry mom. 
K : Me too. Can you put my cup in the sink please?

Conversations out of context; Flying

K: But mom, I'm afraid to fly. 
M: Oh, come on Kristin. 
K: But I am! Plus these are like rickety little planes! 
M: My Daddy used to say flying was safer than driving a car. 
K: Well, that's not exactly comforting mom. 
M: It is safer. 
K: Mom, Grandpa died in a plane crash. 

*Headdesk*

Conversations out of context; roadsters are girl cars.

K: They just are. 
C: I believe that your judgment on this point is suspect. 
K: Why?
C: Because you are wrong.

conversations out of context; concerning immortality

T: How are you?

K: Excellent; recovering. And that is just slightly glorious.

T: I'm glad you're feeling better. Seems like you're sick most of the time.

K: Children are germ farms.

T: I believe you.

K: They get it from all the other kids at school, combine it, and take it home. My consolation is that I will soon be immortal.

Flow charts

C: Is Shatner in it?
K: Yes. 
C: Nimoy?
K: Uhhh, yeah. 
C: Does it suck?
K: (Thinks) I don't think so. 
C: Was it funny? 
K: Yep. 
C: Apart from Doc Emmet Brown the Killer Klingon? 
K: What? No he wasn't in it. 
C: Star Trek 4:The voyage home. 
K: That is truly uncanny. 

Fertility rights of spring, super update. Easter; 2009

So right easter. It was very.... Orange.

The kids next store, Audrey and Sabrina and our set hunted wily eggs and generally ate too much sugar.

The kids went to Sunday school with their Nana in the morning, this being the first time that they had either of them been in a church, except when I took baby sized Quinn to Sam and Pricilla's Wedding. Quinn has expressed interest in both Judaism and Christianity. Having had a brush with both, I explained some of tenets and he seems to not care much for the structure of either. He wants to be jewish be cause his dad is jewish. An understandable reasoning for a six year old. I'm trying to give him opportunity to explore on his own, with out giving him my biased opinion. Answering questions and giving information as I can. Even though I'm what amounts to an atheist now religion was very comforting to me as a child and interesting as an adolescent. Quinn seems like he needs the grounding of something greater than himself.

His reading has improved, and his handwriting, Cody's diligence to thank for that.

Genevieve has been herself. Very nonplussed by authority, very precocious, very uninterested in learning things which have nothing to do with Dora the Explorer.

She is three going on 18. She seems to have been struggling with some jealousy issues now that Nicoli's voice has appeared. The parental attentions have been reallocated and it seems she feels like she has drawn a shorter straw than she deserves.

Our wee garden is growing well. What started as an accidental potato patch has grown into a tiny plot of life. Now we have tomatoes and some peppers, the lemon tree mom gave us when we moved in. Quinn planted the lima bean he sprouted at school all by himself.

These Cantaloupe sprouts, (yes, I know the sign is misspelled =P) surprised us this evening. They popped up after the last hard rain. Genna realized that the things I scooped out of her delicious melon were seeds and she wanted to plant them. So we did. I never imagined that it would work. I wonder if I can sprout Papaya the same way.

Nicoli had a difficult easter, the schedule was all mucked up and there was lots of the aforementioned sugar. He spent the day trying to get his hands into food that didn't belong to him and flinging his shoes in protest.

But he just won't stop talking; Up, Car, Shoe, bye bye, Food, Bath, Socks, I want, water, Squeeze me tight, and Mommy, are all in his regular repertoire now. He puts his plate in the sink after dinner. He will go get his own shoes and socks. He helps dressing himself. He puts on his own pull up. It's amazing. He has been having more fits lately and he gets tired easily as if all this new mental exercise is exhausting.  Which I'm sure, that to him, it is.

Now that the weather is fine I've gone back to my chalk drawings, Nicoli really liked his nemo.

And so did one of the neighborhood cats, Momo,  She rolled in the dust until she was quite multi colored. Julie brought over some great bright color chalk with the kids easter goodies. Little did she know that she was feeding my addictions.

Worn Thin May 22nd 2009

So much has happened. Little things stack. Brain fills up. An endless cycle. Then I can't sleep again. 

Nicoli's ARD was today. Cody came home from work early and went with me. Coley's new teachers from next year's school came too. I feel more comfortable now that I have seen them interact with him. He was so happy to have us all there, fawning attention on him. The grin could have split his face. We have plans to meet the rest of the staff and visit the school over the summer to get him acclimated. He has made so much progress. I hope that he doesn't hate me for sitting on him over the summer, drilling lessons and trying to keep him at least on the same level. To go back to him not speaking again, I don't think I could bear it. 

Genna woke up a little while ago, and came to bed with us. Then Coley. And now there is no more room for me. Genna was talking in her sleep a bit. 

G: Where is my mommy?
K: What Honey?
G: (sleepy) Mommy, I want to not be lost. 
K: You aren't lost silly girl, I'm right here. 
G: But you are always lost mommy. 
K: Okay, uh, point conceded. But we're home, and you, you're asleep.
G: *clutches more of my pillow, eyes closed* No I not. Also, I do not want to have a big giant chicken eat me. 
K: Right, well that's an understandable thing, to not... want to happen. You know you are bigger than chickens now, don't you? Higher on the food chain an all?
G: *Snores*

Heres hoping that works out happily, minus giant baby eating chickens. 

I cleared out some of the garden today. The cantaloupe has taken over. So far as to have killed half the potatoes and Quinn's lima bean. It's a good thing the tomatoes are still in pots or they would have also been swallowed. Never had it occurred to me that sweet yet bland cantaloupe would viscously destroy my garden, I guess all life has a deeply honed survival instinct. Even melons. 

Please, I pray you, greater being of some type; let me not make any more plain black tunics. Ever evAR again. Really it's my own fault for not having been satisfied with the first one I made, the second one being too big, and the third having the wrong neckline. Fourth time is the charm? /headdesk

Dad is still moody and refusing to speak to his live in girlfriend Judy or his Quasi-girlfriend, Moms. On the bonus female avoidy, he is also not speaking to Tia Juana, for whom he was supposed to be installing kitchen cabinets, like yesterday. He is so losing his driving and TV privileges for this one.

My birthday is almost here. I'll be 28 on the 28th of May. Some folks call that a 'golden birthday', turning the age that corresponds with the day. They are heavily celebrated by the Louisiana cousins. There are so many of us that having a supers special one time birthday happens once every couple months. They tend to go all out if they can help it. Left on my own, I try to down play. Pretend I don't want to be bothered over. But truly, I think I'm mostly afraid to want to be celebrated, and then to not be. Fear of 'party rejection'? Generally I don't like the spotlight, it's tinged with scrutiny. Mostly I'd rather do what needs doing, off to the side, and watch the fun from a safe distance. But this time, a modicum of fuss wouldn't be too bad. I've told Cody that I don't want to cook dinner, he deems that a reasonable request. So anybody wanna come out to eat with us? Sushi, Kerby, Pho, .... consensus?

Genna's Turkish outfit; August 1st; 2009

I've been experimenting with different style and periods of garb. So this is a loose interpretation of Ottoman style clothing, in late period. An undershirt, with belled sleeves for fun, baggie gored pants, and a sleeved jacket.

I wanted to baby-fy it a bit, so I changed the neckline, raised the buttons, and pasteled the color pallet. The fabric all came from my stash.

This is the same style for an adult (not my work)

The jacket is made from an old tufted velvet, s an old upholstery fabric with flowers and leaves in tufted velvet. I crocheted the sergeant pepper frogs for the buttons out of chenille cord and hand stitched them on. The whole thing is lined with this green sagey poly crap that looks shiny but has an odd feel to it.

By rights I should have made at least a chirka under layer, but just two felt like pushing patience in this climate.

Here are even more pictures of the project.

Coley: Are you alright?

February 27, 2008

I made comfort food for dinner. Mashed potatoes with honey, sausage, and corn. This is comfort food for Coleys, Codys and Kristins and we were all having a sort of unfun day.

Que: dinner backfire.

Serve. Silverware. Water. Eat.

Cody and I try to teach Quinn to hold his fork correctly, to avoid eating his fingers. Quinn disagrees. Quinn cries because he's bitten his fingers again. Genna cackles cutely at his pain.

Nicoli is sitting in his chair, is as close to ball shape as he can mange. "What's the matter buddy?". He ignores me. I touch his face to get his attention. He looks at me sadly and puts his arms out to be held. I set him in my lap and offer him some water. He whines. "Okay, not drink time, got it." I hold him a bit longer. He starts coughing.  I cover his mouth with my hand, one to stop him from couching in my food, and also to remind him that he needs to cover his mouth. He keeps coughing. Then the coughs increase in speed and volume. Coley grabs my  hand and pressed it to his open coughing mouth.

Then he vomited. In my hand.

I made it to the tile by the door before my hand reached maximum capacity.

*shudder*

Nothing will make you wanna yak more, than some one yaking on you.

Fortunately; I did not personally add to the pile on the tile, and took Coley to the bath tub to clean him up and calm him down. I rubbed his back, and rised him off with warm water until he was playing with the toys and not keening. I changed Clothes and asked Cody to call Asylus and ask him not to come over for chess. I cleaned the tile with disinfectant. Washed my hands and face and sat in front of my blank computer screen trying to settle my tummy and get my head back to right.

I hate it when he is sick. He can't tell us when he feels bad, so it's almost always a surprise. And it it takes so long for him to get over. Classically, when he gets a stomach virus we spend at least one day in the emergency room, with him on an IV putting the fluids he wont drink back in manually.

Chris came over anyway. And since he was for warned about the possibility of spreadable illness I let him. We didn't play chess, but we did play with babies. And it was good.

Coley tossed cookies in the boy's bed while we were asleep, handily missing the rubber sheet and going straight to the mattress. Lots of laundry to do today.

A day in pictures, 3/27/08

Yesterday, was terribly busy, how busy you ask oh best beloved? So busy, I feel still feel harried now. 

8:00 am; We meet with Nicoli and his teacher in cafeteria. He was happy to see us.

Coley received  an award for best student of the month in his class. The kids who win these things get extra breakfast, juice and muffins for free.  Coley thought that all the cups should be lined up according to how much juice they had in them, not according to who they belonged too. This caused some conflict. Then, just before his name was called he bolted to the other side of the cafeteria. All while the principle is trying to say 'Pomerantz' correctly and louder. I was in hot pursuit, but the munchkin is rather light on his feet. And while all the other kids laughed at the spectacle Ms Oakley and I chased him around tables and finally got him up to the front to get his paper and a bumpersticker.

 We walked him back to his class. He was noticeably happy to see us, glancing back at us and smiling. It was good to see him happy. Until we had to leave, and he tossed his customary fit. 

The house inspection revealed what I had feared. The big tree in the front yard is a problem. A carpenter ants kind of problem. And it will have to eventually come out. It's not leaning up against the house yet, but it will. But other than that the guy gave us a mostly clean bill of health. And the closing is going forward, we have an appointment with our lender to finish it all out on the 4th of April. Then we will start the move May 13. 

The yard is bigger than I remember, and I have lots of planting ideas. I don't want to grown ornamentals. My mother says that she will haul a 2 year old lemon tree and blueberry bush up when she comes for the wedding. The blueberries seem like they might get iffy in this climate, but they grew just fine for Grams until the goats ate them all. 

When asked Genna asserted that this grasshopper was dinosaur colored. =)

After giving the inspection guy a lot money we had some lunch and went home. Waiting for the boys to arrive by bus. Quick dinner and then off to the Kindergarden Circus. Coley was not pleased by the change in schedule.

Quinn looked smashing in his costume, which was really just tiny amtgard garb. What do Tightrope Walkers wear anyways?

When the time came Quinn did really well. Balance and all.

I almost missed the moment; Coley had been trowing a happy running fit for the entire performance and I spent a lot of it outside trying to calm him down, or at least not yell at everyone else. Cody snapped the only good picture of him up on the beam. 

Everything else was fuzzy. Coley literally grabbed my face an shook it during Quinn's second and more spectacular pass, he walked backwards for a moment, and the spun back the right way, extra skilled for my genetics but Child's play for his father's; heres hoping that his win in the end. 

The lady next too me smiled indulgently at Coley, writhing in my lap after yet another escape attempt. "Terriable Twos?" 

"No," I replied, "autisim". She half smiled awkwardly, and leaned away. Then I took my son back outside, where he  wouldn't take all the attention from the kids on stage.   

For the rest of the performance I hung out outside with the Coley and Genna, and waited for them to let us have Quinn back. 

Coley nomming on his arm.