A little catch up

So first of all, does everyone know that Penelope is taking flute lessons?  And Diego is taking piano?  Below is a picture that P's teacher took for her classroom bulletin board.  The dress, I got at a flea market in Clark Park.  It had belonged to a woman my age when she was a little girl...it's showing it's age a little, but my girl loves it.  I don't have any pictures of Diego at the piano, but he's doing really well with it--much better than I might have expected.  We have a fairly complex incentive system for practicing, but he actually seems to be getting a little bit of reinforcement just out of seeing his improvement himself.

And here are some before pictures of the new house:

The second floor landing:
The 'sunroom'--not so sunny because of the dark paneling and the windows that have been 'smallened' and (in one case) bricked over...
The dining room, looking towards the kitchen.
The kitchen.  Ahem.

Some in progress pictures: 

third floor bedroom, formerly paneled in dark faux wood. 

Leaded glass in one of the bathrooms...
Windows and french doors in the living room...
Oh, Penelope is taking ballet too...

So, 

Every now and then I find out that more people than I expect actually read my blog, and then I feel bad for these long absences where I totally give up the blog (often along with exercise, home-cooked meals and some basic hygiene) when I get overwhelmed with something or other that is going on in my life.

As usual, Al and I have veered from a long period of normal every day humdrum to a million things happening all at once.  I've started my new job at CHOP (did I mention I walk to work every day--how awesome is that!), our house is for sale, we're buying the big monster of a project house down the street (closing on the 19th) and we're buried under 2 feet of snow with no likelihood of getting plowed out or the kids going back to school ever in the near future.

Hence my lack of blogging.

Sorry for the loyal few readers...

Hopefully I'll be back soon with pictures, house renovation news, gossip, crafts, etc. 

Holiday tidings

It's been nothing but Winter wonderland and holiday cheer around these parts.  Not much to say, but lots of pictures.  Happy holidays friends.  

Tra lalalala

The big birthday blow-out is behind us, and holiday preparations are in full swing.  So no time for blogging, just some pictures.  The bike was Diego's main b-day present.  Al and I were more excited than he was (the banana seat!  the  chopper handlebars!).  The dolls are some of the group that are for sale over at Vix.  Two have already sold!  That's it for now.

Birthday a day late...

Six seems really old to me...

But then, it also seems like a really long time ago that he was this small...

 

The family dinner

If there's one thing everybody seems to agree on, it's that families ought to sit down together to eat a family meal most nights.  It's healthier to cook at home; it's a good time to catch up on your days; children whose families eat dinner together are smarter, less likely to do drugs and more likely to graduate from college, right?  You must have all heard this.

Easier said than done.  We have several barriers to the family meal.  My kids go to bed at 7pm at the latest.  This means we need to sit down for dinner by 5:30, at the latest.  Al usually walks in the door at around 6:30, so already we have problem #1 with 'the family meal.'  Also, he walks in the door and wants to change clothes, have a beer, tidy the kitchen (God I love that man), and the put the kids to bed.  Notice I didn't say that he wants to sit down and eat at any point there.   If I eat dinner at 5:30, then my metabolic demands require that I eat second dinner around 9 pm (Al kindly reminds me that this is a technique sumo wrestlers use to put one weight).  Also, Al and I share a deep and (for me, slightly shameful) love of eating dinner in front of the television.  Really.  I love nothing more than sitting down with a giant plate of something (preferably chinese take-out) and watching trashy tv or movies while drinking white wine and spending quality time with my man.  I've never read anywhere that the family meal in front of the tv is wholesome or beneficial...

We have tried several variations of the family meal.  I've tried cooking food that everyone will like (this basically limits us to burritos).  I've tried bullying Al to sit down to dinner the instant he walks in the door (which means holding the kids off with endless snacks and usually television).  I've tried eating a nice meal with the kids and pretending that I'm a single mom.  Let Al fend for himself...

Lately we've gone to a 2 step meal plan.  This means the kids sit down to a nice, home-cooked meal almost every night, at about 5 o'clock.  Shortly after dinner, the bedtime machine is activated and they are usually in the bath or pyjamas by the time Al comes home.  He then helps me with stories and bedtime or cleans the kitchen from dinner #1 while I finish putting them to bed.  Then he and I sit down to a nice home cooked meal while watching Lost or Mad Men or even Nova or Frontline.  

This has provided me with a good opportunity to practice letting go.  Letting go of what I think we 'ought' to be doing, letting go of what other people say we should be doing, letting go of an ideal of family life, and just embracing what works right now.  

Now I have to go watch 'Star Trek' (the latest movie) and eat dinner...

Also, just because this used to be a craft blog, and not just a place for me to rant about parenting issues, I've been in a doll-making frenzy and I will have pictures soon...

The real reason I want Diego to play soccer...

No, it's not Penelope dressed in her new poncho and Jane Eyre bonnet (although I like that).

And it's not Claudia cheering them on in her own handknits (though I like that too).
It's not all the cute little rugrats running around after the ball and eating the healthy snack we provided either...
It's this:

Honest Tom's taco truck.  Yummm.

I think I have potential as a soccer mom.  I really like it all...