List making

As I mentioned yesterday I've been thinking in half-completed lists lately. So here is another one.

In college I remember having to write a response to a chapter of Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen about unquestioned beliefs. In the book the author writes a list of 10 of her unquestioned beliefs. Our teacher asked us to do the same. Like the absolutely annoying/over-thinking college student that I was I didn't write a list and instead wrote about how I don't want to have any unquestioned beliefs and il wanted to be a person who questions everything.  Kill me now right?  I vaguely remember my teacher rolling her eyes (as she should have.)

That history behind me I don't know that I'd call the following list "unquestioned beliefs" but they'd probably be something close.

1. Children have an allotment of snuggling and physical affection that they need every day. If you fill it they behave better and things go easier.

2. Just because you're texting doesn't mean you can forget grammar.

3. Chocolate is Diet Coke's perfect companion

4. But be wary because feelings you squash away with diet coke and chocolate because they will come back to haunt you later.

5. Cursing at jerky drivers isn't going to change their behavior but it does help you feel better.

6. Leave the dishes for the morning (unless you have ants).

7. Try to make something grow.  One of the ways that we can save our planet is by each of us taking a part of the growing of agriculture into our own hands.  Even if it's a small container of basil in the window it makes a difference. 

So I've only got 7 right now.  

Oh wait, I just thought of #8. It's gonna be a long 3 weeks until this comes off.  Yes, that's what a radial fracture looks like on a very little boy.

A little of this and a little of that

For the past couple of weeks I've had a couple of half-clever half-thought-out blog posts running through my head.  Most of them center around half-completed lists (that's actually a really good metaphore for my entire life right now--half-completed lists).  Here are two examples:

New York Facts:

Having lived here in New York for coming on two years (how can that even be possible?) I feel like I have some wisdom to share with those of you who are thinking of visiting or who are planning a move.

1. New York drivers are a-holes.  You may think that it's just the punk kids who double park or who pull into the left-hand turn lane at a red light and then zip into the front of the people headed straight but it's not.  It's everyone--the old man down the street and the soccer mom who lives next door.  You can't take it personally.  I actually don't think they see those as jerky moves--they simply think they're being clever and agressive.  Try not to take it personally (I'm still working on that--I haven't gotten too far)

2. You may think that only tourists wear I {heart} NY merchandise but that is not the case.  Lots and lots of locals sport I {heart} NY t-shirts or carry the reusable shopping bag.  I theorize that this is because more than 60% of people who live in NY are either G0, G1 or G2.  That means that either they were not born in this country, their parents were not born in this country or their grandparents were not born in this country.  In a way, so many of the people who live here are just as proud of NY as your average tourist.

3.  There isn't anything that people don't know about.  You may hear people talking about some undiscovered something or other {restaurant, road, awesome activity to do with you kids.}  That is simply something that doesn't exist in NY.  Did you know that if the state of Texas were as densly populated as NYC the WHOLE WORLD'S POPULATION could live there.  True story.  In that kind of situation there just isn't anything that no one knows about. 

That's it for the New York list.  I know I could make it longer but....I won't.  And may as well get it down as a 3-part list. 

This post has already turned a little wordy so I'll save you my "basic belief list" for tomorrow.  After all, it's been a long day and I assure you that I will be leaving the dishes for tomorrow as well.

Know what that is?  It's 3 things at least.  1. a good photo bomb. 2. A hilarous little boy and 3. Someone wearing a soft cast.  We spent 3 hours at urgent care today (where we had some of the best doctoring I have ever had--that's not me being scarcastic--seriously the best doctor in the world was at the WestMed Urgent Care today).  I feel like I've entered a new phase of parenting--Sunday trips to Urgent Care for fractured wrists.

Holy Weekend

This morning we went to a public garden estate called Wave Hill Manor for their free entrance day and Eco craft. We walked through the entrance gates and the view of the palisades and the sprawling grass and gardens brought me to tears. Claire danced around the greenhouse saying, "Anna (she calls everyone in the family by their 'Frozen' name. I'm Anna, she's Elsa, Noah is Olaf and Nathan is either Hans or Christoff.) this is my castle and these are my flowers but you can come and visit me anytime and smell my flowers."

Don't mind that I already look 7 months pregnant when I'm only 4. There is something about that third baby that my body is rejecting. I've already busted out the compression pantyhose because of the swollen ankles and bursting blood veins and been packing around lavender rice hot packs to help with the shooting hip pain. Dang. 

Then this evening we dyed Easter eggs. 

As you can see we had two color schemes. Purple/pink for Claire and green/blue for Noah. Please also note that there isn't a single egg that is not broken.  

And also please note that nothing brings family togetherness like trying to have fun holiday traditions.  

Just wait till we make empty tomb rolls tomorrow!

Just How Do I Get Myself Into This Kind of Mess?

When we moved to NY about 18 months ago I was desperate to find friends. In the past I had typically started out any time in a new city by becoming friends with people in my religious community.  Due to some weird things about my religious community here that wasn't really an option here. I met a couple of friends there but really needed to find more friends.  So I did what anyone in my situation might do.  I turned to one of my best friends--the internet.

I joined meetup and started going out to meet friends.  I didn't meet any dear dear friends online but I did meet plenty of people who had kids my age and who I could hang out with.  One of my meetup groups did a co-op summer camp which was one of the best things I have ever done for my kids...ever.  

Last fall the organizer of that group told us that she would be moving in the next year and wanted to find someone to take over the group.  Before I could even stop myself I said, "if you can't find anyone else I could do it."

Guess what.

No one else volunteered.  So now I'm the organizer of the group.  When I volunteered I didn't know that I would be expecting and that we would be trying to move into a new house right at the exact same time that I would need to take over the group.  I also forgot that I don't really like organizing parties and play dates and events and having to meet new people.  (I am thinking of cross stitching this and hanging it on my wall)

But I've been trying to take a more Buddhist view of life (hello closing on our house being delayed and every Monday they tell us that we should know more by the end of the week--we never do) and am trying to accept that it is what it is.  That's my new chant.  It is what it is.  So today was the Playgroup Easter egg hunt.  

It was totally fun and the kids went crazy.

Noah did not collect a single egg but did collect sticks and handfuls of soil. He picked up an egg at one point but put it back down because he saw some soil that looked good. 

Of course I did eat two bowls of ice cream after we got home but hey...it is what it is.

*p.s.  I have not downloaded Goldfinch yet but I will.  I'm planning on having it read in the next month. Okay maybe 6 weeks.  It is more than 750 pages long people

A Reading Assignement?

  

They just announced the winner for this year's Pulitzer for fiction and its Donna Tartt's book Goldfinch.  I haven't read it and it's a doozy (more than 750 pages) but how can we not support a woman who wins the Pulitzer?  We have to.  It's our moral obligation.

Anyone want to read it with me?  Now that I'm out of the haze of reading the Divergent series (loved it) I'm ready to tackle a little more hefty read.

Anyone?

An announcement

Someone gave us this shirt in a pile of hand-me-downs. I'd say we're making this announcement just in the nick of time because in a week or two there is no way that shirt is going to go over that belly.

Baby girl Mathews coming this fall