Thursday, October 23, 2008

Friday 14 ...

1 -- Iris came out with something this week that I thought I might hear her say when she is a teenager, not at four years-old ... the scene was me telling her sternly that she needed to leave her princess books on the shelf because it was almost dinnertime (she had been very contrary up until this point and I was losing patience ...)

Mommy -- Iris, if you take those books off the shelf I'm going to take them away for a while. I just asked you to leave them there because dinner is almost ready.

Iris -- I want my REAL mother.

Mommy -- Honey, I am your real mother.

Charlotte -- (in a I-hate-to-break-it-to-you voice) Mom, I think she means her birth mother.

Mommy -- (trying very hard not to laugh) Well, Iris needs to know that I'm her real mommy, even when she doesn't like what I'm saying.

2 -- Charlotte has been leaving treats out for the fairies, who in turn leave her notes answering her questions. The note-leaving fairy realized she forgot to leave Charlotte a note last evening ... that is until this fairy wandered half-asleep into the kitchen at 6 a.m. to see a hopeful six year-old face waiting patiently for her note to be read. All was well though ... the note was found in the leaves where it had blown away in the night (that note-leaving fairy is a fast thinker, eh?)

3 -- Josephine had a little competition this week when an American Robin smacked into our front window and stunned itself. The dogwood out front has been mobbed by robins lately, due to the lovely red berries on its boughs. The robin was really knocked for a loop and I got to hold it for a bit before putting it safely in a nearby tree. Concussion or not, she wasn't letting go of that damn berry for anything!







4 -- Only recently was I able to erase from my phone a message that a friend left right before someone we knew passed away. Last April, Andrea died far too early and the loss was great amongst her friends and family. I held onto that message for all these months because it was left when she was still alive and we were all in this terrible but beautiful limbo ... terrible because we couldn't do anything to stop time from passing or death from taking her, but beautiful because she was still with us.

5 -- Last night I had one of those dreams that you try to holler in but can't ... and then you sort of know that you're dreaming but you can't wake up and you try to yell louder so you'll wake yourself up. Thankfully, Eli woke me up ... I had to wake him up earlier this week when he jumped out of bed and nearly ran out of the room. My quiet guy tends to let stress out in his sleep ... I realized this when we started sleeping in the same bed and he sat up one night and hollered, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"

6 -- I have very low blood pressure, as does my mother. We like to trade stories of what people say when they take our blood pressure, after we assure them that, yes, it's always this low. My mom's favorites are, "If we were in a hospital I'd be sounding an alarm!" And ... "Well, at least you're still warm!" My latest one came from a new doctor who I know I will love. She looked at my blood pressure, checked my chart to be sure it was that low last time and said, "Wow! You're just barely alive!"

7 -- Because of this low blood pressure and not having nearly as much "insulation" as I once did, I'm constantly cold. My trick, layers! And Eli is always toasty so I snuggle up to him.

8 -- Right next to Iris' preschool there is a church that lets school parents park while they drop their children off. Across the street from the parking lot is a house where every day there is a new piece of hand-crocheted work hanging on the door knob ... I believe there is a woman who lives there who crochets like crazy and advertises by hanging her work up. I have always wanted to wander over, knock on the door and visit with her, and buy something. Only I haven't yet ... and it has been a while since anything has been hanging out ... so now I'm worried about someone I've never met.

9 -- While snuggling and fooling around with Nell yesterday, I didn't take seriously the curl-of-the-lip she gave me and she bit me on the bridge of my nose. It was my fault and, boy, did it hurt. Now my glasses are resting right on the sore spot. Serves me right!

10 -- Friends of mine, who are big Harry Potter fans, just had baby twins and I knit them a couple of cotton washcloths ... I actually found a pattern for a Harry Potter themed wash cloth online, and (Matt, I seriously doubt you're reading this, since you now have two newborn infants at home ... but if you are, avert thy eyes, man!) if you look closely you can see an H for Harry, a P for Potter, and a winged snitch!



11 -- Every morning before I bring them to the bus stop, the girls insist on watching the trailer for the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. We won't let them watch the actual movie yet, because the battle scenes are pretty intense, but they are loving the trailer.

12 -- Someone put up some new "pedestrian crossing" signs this week on the road to Charlotte's school ... but this person seemed unaware of the fact that these signs are put up so the shape of the sign is a diamond like so:



They attached the sign to the pole so that it's in a square ... which leaves the poor pedestrian leaning in such a way that it looks like he's about to fall into the middle of the street and onto his face. Sigh.

13 -- M is the thirteenth letter in the alphabet. My field hockey number in high school was thirteen. I refuse to accept it as an unlucky number ... although I do pinch spilled salt and toss it over my shoulder, avoid walking under ladders, feel a twinge of fear if I break a mirror. My maternal grandmother thought that my grandfather died because she took her wedding band off. So, as soon as I put mine on I took it back off and then put it back on. I knew that if I didn't take it off immediately, I would fall into that whole fear and superstition.

14 -- It's Friday and we have the movie the Spiderwick Chronicles! Hooray!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Posted by Melissa at 7:10 PM

10 Comments

  • Blogger Miladysa posted at 9:24 AM  
    *squeal*

    1. You are on to her :D
    2. LOL - Do you sprinkle a bit of glitter too?
    3. Wow! Beautiful photographs.
    4. [hugs]
    5. Your both need a Horlicks :D
    6. I wish! I have to warn them of the opposite or else they turn white and run off and of course that reassures me... NOT! LOL
    7. Really? How interesting.
    8. That's something I would do too. Go and knock - you know you want to ;D
    9. Ouch!
    10. What a unique gift!
    11. The first one? E has seen it 10,000 times...
    12. How could they not notice ? :D
    13. I am terribly superstious.
    14. Hooray!

    Have a great weekend.

    I might do one of these myself later :D

  • Blogger laughingwolf posted at 9:49 AM  
    lovely...

    as for #5: i reached a point where if i need to, i bellow in my sleep... and wake up half the apartment building, too ;) lol

  • Blogger Baino posted at 2:45 AM  
    You know when people comment 'you made me cry' or 'you brought a tear to my eye' well you didn't but you moved something. How hard to have an adopted child and convince her that you're her real mum. (sorry Mom sounds strange) You know why I love your blog? You're so sweet and up front and you make the everyday so precious. Ok that's enough warbling. But . .there's something wonderful about holding a wild bird . .all the emotions and fragility and mothering instincts are suddenly sharp and apparent . . .I love that the fairies leave notes and it will be passed on -honestly! Clare sends packages, literally tied with string, each with a little hand written note about where they came from and what they mean and who they are for . .I have them secreted away in my jewelless jewellery box, I love them and I'm 52 and she's 23 . . you're doing so much 'right' Mel (sorry we abreviate everything!)

  • Blogger kj posted at 6:13 AM  
    i so agree with baino's take on that wild bird in your hand. seeing the berry in its mouth made me swallow hard too. only on your blog, melissa.

    it's october and my internal clock is confused about Big Yellow. is yours? :)

  • Blogger Melissa posted at 12:20 PM  
    Ta, Milady! :) I love that you commented on every one -- lol. We're having a nice weekend -- this afternoon we carved pumpkins ... photos to come by the end of the weekend ... now I'm off to check your blog!

    LOL, Laughingwolf -- Eli is normally very quiet and reserved, so when he hollered a string of four-letter words it was quite funny. :D

    Baino -- Thank you -- that means a lot! Something I knew would be very important when adopting was being respectful of the importance of Iris' birth parents and foster parents, so that she would always feel comfortable with her feelings about them. My hope is that keeping the channels open will help her be okay with expressing whatever she's thinking about her past. My heart aches a little knowing that I'm not her "one and only," but I'm incredibly thankful to her fosters for taking good care of her, and to her birth mother who decided she wanted a life for her daughter (there are other tragic alternatives to leaving your baby to be found by a loving family). What hurts most, for me, is that I wasn't there when she was born. But I have her now! :)

    KJ -- I have had the opportunity to hold several wild birds since living here and it's always something special! I'm glad this one made it -- she hit that window *hard*. And my Big Yellow clock is ringing like crazy! Soon ... sooon ...

  • Blogger Rachel posted at 4:46 AM  
    ok, no tears this time, but i had to comment on the low blood pressure thing. i too have it and it's funny that everytime i have mine taken, they tell me the #'s in almost a question. obviously i'm alive! and of course i'm usually chilly, being that my UC has brought me down to a whopping 109!! my poor boobies!;)

  • Blogger Ces posted at 6:43 AM  
    You just listed everything that makes motherhood, marriage, self-actualization and ordinary everyday living special. I know about the adoption matter. It's only an issue when you make it. I have both sides. I had an SIL who told my adopted nephew that he was adopted at the onset. She had to because she is blonde and he is Peruvian. I have a sister who adopted in the Philippines but did not tell until my niece was past twelve years of age. It turned out that my other niece and nephew did not know either. The three of them cried because of the realization that my niece's real mother gave her up (she gave up several children) and then they were happy with the realization that they all loved her.

    It's a sense of well being that I take from your blog and the positive assurance that there are still good parents raising our young children.

    I am curious to know Charlotte's IQ. That girl is as bright as the sun.

  • Blogger Melissa posted at 8:18 AM  
    LOL, Rach -- they do sometimes have that accusatory tone, as if we put our b.p. down that low just to fool with them and we should stop being so silly. :) I'm so sorry about your UC! And the boobies. ;)

    Ces -- thank you for your comment -- it meant a lot. My aunt was adopted and my grandmother didn't tell her for a long time, but eventually her birth mother contacted her and she was able to meet her once or twice. I feel like parenting is the most important thing I've ever done and I don't get it right all the time, but we try really hard. We have some great kids! :) Charlotte is very bright, particularly in the artistic/creativity department. She begged Eli to teach her chess and she wants a Narnia chess set ... oy!

  • Blogger Bill posted at 8:54 AM  
    was that my phone message?

  • Blogger Melissa posted at 7:38 AM  
    Bill -- it was ... I hung onto it for a long time.

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