Jana's Radical Weblog 3

It's "let those you love know just how much you love them day"

I couldn't bring myself to think about the 9-11 anniversary this year. The baby I held in my arms the morning the towers collapsed (I was up feeding little 3 mo old K and watching CNN when it happened) and is now ten. TEN! The reason I couldn't think about it today was because we were flying home from my sister-in-law's wedding in San Diego and I couldn't let my mind go there.

We arrived home safely (although I will admit to scanning the crowd for anyone who looked evil enough to carry box cutters aboard) and my son grabbed the Sunday Comics out of today's paper.

"Mom, what is September 11th?" I looked at the comic he was asking about... and then my eye roamed to more comics until my eyes started leaking in front of the kids. "Mom, you're crying." Sad news story after sad news story of 911 tales all week the comics of all places was what triggered the tears for me.

I tried to suppress the memory for a bit today but really I will never forget. I hugged the family closer today and told them I loved them. Terrorists can't win with us all hugging so tightly.

 

 

Happy birthday Britta!

Here's the image for the invitation to Britta's pajama party. I was impressed by all of the details she thought of when planning her sixth birthday party, down to having a basket for the girls to put their stuffed animals into once they arrived. They were to take their stuffed animals out of the basket once the movie started. No cake was to be had, only ice cream sundaes where the girls could pick their own toppings. The ice cream choices needed to be vanilla, chocolate and orange sherbet.

 

The party was to be in our cabana (maybe because the best tv we own happens to be out there?) Or because the girl knows a good party location when she sees it. In my opinion the party was a huge success. I hope she feels the same way! Here are all the girls right when the party started. No ice cream faces yet.

 

Cousins Heidi and Hannah gave her an outfit with a doll with a matching outfit. This lead to a tea party in a park. And yes, a photo opp for mom! 

And speaking of photo opps, Britta's one request for her birthday present was a camera of her own, preferably pink, but she'd be happy with any color. (She scored a purple one! Thanks Nikon.) 

So when the girl wanted to take a photo with me in my jammies after I woke up this morning (and looking far from my best), who was I to decline? Pay backs are a bitch! Later she said she decided to delete it because she wanted a photo of me when I was looking prettier. Okay! I'm down with that. Later in the day I guess I looked better (only marginally in my opinion) so she asked me to pose again. "Move this way. Now hold the cat. Say cheese! Smile!" KARMA!! But I'm not one to discourage my daughter from pursuing her dream of being a "fafafrafer" (aka photographer) so I am happy to oblige. Imagine how good she'll be by age 7 if she keeps this up? Very exciting for me. And her... I hope. She might even be able to pronounce "photographer" before she needs business cards.

Another big accomplishment this year is her new found joy of swimming, along with the skills to kick a for a few yards without looking like she's drowning. I'm aiming for her to be a Speedy Sixer next year but am not sure she'll go for it. The speedy sixers get donuts a lot so I'm hoping that might lure her.

Here is a photo from our spring break trip to Palm Desert. She was hesitant to go into the pool without her "floaty suit" or any sort of flotation device, so you can imagine my pride when I saw her JUMP off the diving board today during swimming lessons. Hurrah! (Refer to this post to see what I was dealing with last summer and you'll really know why I'm celebrating.) I tried getting a photo today but got the "no memory card" message as oy, my memory card was in my card reader at home. Drat.

On the topic of accomplishments I can't help but mention that my girl is reading! The public school system really does work because they have  taught both my kids to read and do some crazy weird math stuff that makes me scratch my head. I just know she's going to be hooked in just a matter of time, or I will have to stop references to her being my mini-me. I am just so excited for the world that reading is going to open her up to. I am fully planning to read all the Anne of Green Gables series along with her, and maybe even teen vampire novels.

And lastly I should mention that Britta is not quite satisfied with her name. Why did I not name her "Diamond" or "Jewel"? Aren't those the prettiest names ever? I told her that her middle name means "star" in Norwegian in an attempt for her to be satisfied with the names I gave her, but nope, that is just silly. 

Happy birthday to my sweet girl whom I love so dearly! I am one lucky mom.

The softie

I am out of practice with blog writing! I forgot to mention Karsten's love for animals in my last post. This is a theme with him I've been taking notice of a lot lately.

Here he is in what appears to be a make out session with the neighbor's dog Skipper:

Britta didn't want anything to do with that:

Here's a friend he met during our visit to Joshua Tree:

They were instant friends

Now my parent's cat, Milo is staying with us for awhile and Karsten is taking great care of him. He was very concerned for Milo's well being. Makes me proud to be raising a compassionate little dude! Sorry folks, I couldn't find any Milo photos but I'm sure with Milo in our lives right now he'll be in some photos soon enough.

Good night!

Look who is 9!

Hello sadly neglected blog. We've had some birthdays around here that I'd like to commemorate, the first being this cutie pie's:

I've been really proud of my big guy this year. For the sake of preservation I am archiving the voice mail message still on my machine from the music teacher for when he taught the first grade music class (I won this at the school auction as he knew he'd love it).

"Hi, I'm the music teacher at the school and I wanted to say that when Karsten came in to the 1st grade class to teach it yesterday he did an outstanding job. It was absolutely delightful and the class really enjoyed him. I'm sure you heard that he and I talked last Friday about what he would do and he just carried it through so smoothly. I would say he's going to be a natural leader, even a teacher. He just did so well and I'm so happy. I just wanted you to know that. You can be really proud of your son. I'm glad for the opportunity for him to do that. Bye!"

He was also asked to co-MC the pinewood derby contest with his dad:

His car didn't fair so well and either did his bad jokes, but he didn't care as long as he had time on the mic.

The PTSA asked him to help MC the Family Bingo night as well (no photos as I was sick that night). I'd say for a second grader he's off to a great start as a spokesperson for something... say for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Nintendo DS, Calvin and Hobbes or LEGOS. I'm inserting this photo

just to show he's more concerned with looking like Tony Hawk than being like Tony Hawk. To him, life is a stage. I told him I will always be his biggest fan. I love you Karsten!

New friends

The highlight of Britta's day is riding the bus home from school. She is only in half day kindergarten so she and two girlfriends have the (short) bus to themselves. The other girls are not in her kindergarten class so I am not sure who they are.

Today Britta asked me, "Mom, can I go to my new friend's house?" I replied, "I don't know who your new friend is or who her parents are. Give them my business card so they can call me." Then Britta dropped a bomb on me, "(friend's name)'s Dad is in jail!"

OY! My mind thought, "must transfer to private school immediately!" But then I remembered all the episodes of 90210 and the OC where the rich parents go to jail too. Plus Martha Stewart went to jail and I'd be okay with Britta hanging out with her daughter. Yeah, I know, not the same.

I really didn't know what to say when Britta said her friend's dad is in jail so I asked, "how do you feel about her dad being in jail?" Britta said, "my friend and I are sad about it."

Still, I don't know. I don't think I can ever bring myself to let Britta go over to her house, even if the convicted dad is behind bars and I don't know what to say to Britta. Maybe it isn't true. I hope not.

"Mom, where do babies come from"

As I woke up my son this morning some of the first words out of his mouth were, "Mom, where do babies come from?"

I froze. I hadn't even had my morning caffeine and I'd worked on my freelance project until midnight last night. No way was my brain agile enough for this so early in the morning.

"Um, I am going to order you a book about this!"

Him, "mom, just tell me now."

Me, "I can have the book overnighted!"

Then I thought for a second and said, "Where do you think babies come from?"

My eight year old son, "Well babies are found on the street by doctors and then the doctor opens up the mommy's tummy and puts the babies in there with a bunch of wires and tubes. Then he puts a tube in for the milk."

Say what?!

"Well, there is a lot more nature and a lot less tubes. Many years ago babies were born and there weren't doctors around to put in any tubes." My son's response, "so the babies died because there wasn't proper care?" "You would have died because your lungs didn't work when you were born but most babies survived." That seemed to end the conversation. For now.

I am so ordering that book!

BTW, I am thinking Karsten's misguided interpretation of how babies are made stems from the fully sterilized, medically guided births of both of my kids. I can't even find any photos of Karsten's birth because looking at my 3 pounder hooked up to wires, tubes, alarms and oxygen was too painful to recall for a few years after his birth. Here is a photo of Karsten peering into Britta's isolet. No wonder my kids do not connect nature and birthing as the same process!

Grass fed

Andy and I watched Food Inc a few nights ago so my next trip to the grocery store netted some new food products. Instead of wheat or corn tortillas I founds some gluten free rice tortillas. Karsten had recently had bean and cheese burritos at school so he was excited for burritos at home too.

But not Mom's burritos. "Why aren't these the same as the school burritos?"

I launched into a spiel about the craziness of government corn subsidies and the manufacturing of American food and let him know we're going to eat differently now.

"I just want to eat the food like they serve at school!" (In my opinion, the nastiest stuff ever.)

"I can't eat the food I want because of the government? Is this the president's fault?!"

Uh oh, what have I done? Raising an anti-government raving child is not what I had intended. I am going to try to keep him grass fed. It will be interesting to see how this goes down.

How is this for your rainy Seattle day?

Ahhh, remembering Palm Desert, originally uploaded by B-TownMom.

Kinda makes you want to hop a plane, huh? Well, at least it makes me think about researching airfare prices and making some plans.

I got the "hard drive full" message and was going through files when I ran across this photo. Ahhh.

Happy Belated Holidays!

_DSC0221, originally uploaded by B-TownMom.

Here is a photo of Britta and stuffed reindeer riding the ferry to Bestemor and FarFar's house on Christmas Day. Minus brother and Daddy. Sadly they both stayed home sick.

Oh don't worry, us girls took our turns at being sick too. Britta and I were homebound and quarantined New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. I guess it is all fair, huh?

I'll post more photos soon but I'll cut to the chase and spill with the fact that Britta got her pink Nintendo DS from Santa. A DS that she has played um, ZERO times. I have to admit, Karsten has no shame in playing a pink DS hours and hours per day though. Regrets on the purchase? Nah, she was happy. Now she wants a Pokemon shirt, like her brother's of course. I never knew he'd be such a trend setter. Fortunately Pokemon shirts are cheaper than electronic products so we'll try and keep it going in that direction.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2010!

The Santa Chronoicles

photo.jpg, originally uploaded by B-TownMom.

"Mommy, that Santa has the wrong beard!" Well kids, mommy screwed up and took you out of school (thinking she was so organized) to see the black santa this year. That's right! There is a black Santa! "Why is there a black Santa?" Me, "Well, some of Santas, um, brothers, are black."

We all loved this Santa. He was wonderfully kind and looked awesome, aside from his fake-not-white beard.

Karsten asked for games for his Nintendo and everything Bakugan. Britta, darn her, asked Santa for a pink Nintendo DS, Littlest Pet Shop game and a doll.

To date we've gotten off cheap with Britta in comparison to her brother. That Thomas the Tank Engine phase set us back mucho dinero. And the video game phase is equally, if not more expensive. All of Britta's Webkinz and dolls that talk and pee don't add up to much.

So the big question is, do I buck up for the pink Nintendo DS? First of all, I don't think she really wants a Nintendo DS other than to impress her brother. And frankly, I am sick of all the electronics in this house (aside from my really super awesome electronics) so I'd rather not fork over the bucks for a pink DS.

Off I go to shopping. We'll see if I come back with that pink DS ...or just a shitload of Webkinz.