Care-free Sundays

Except for choir, there were no post-church activities. The day was unusually wide open. A relaxing afternoon morphed into a relaxing evening. Taking advantage of our private resort amenities, we all jumped into the back-deck hot tub. Syd was so tired from her hit-and-miss naps that the warm water lulled her right to sleep by 6 p.m. (until 10:30 p.m. ... now what?).

Talmage, on the other hand, is a different creature when it comes to sleep. He's immune. Despite the curative sleep-powers of the hot tub, he was still raring to go. Sometimes (a lot of times) I prefer it when he entertains himself. But today we were just hanging out, going with the flow, doing whatever.

The video (from a few days ago) is of the T and B driving the car to Costco. Leaning back, they go up the hill. Right after our fancy camera cuts them off, they lean forward and "crash" the car. Then T runs to the cupboard to fetch the "toolbox" to fix the car. Repeat.

Their other car routine occurs on the other couch/bus. They both pretend they're asleep on the bus. Talmage says, "Wake up! It's time for school!" They wake up, run around the house, jump on the couch, Talmage commands, "Go to sleep on the bus!", compliance. Repeat.

Rassling with him tonight, we discovered a new game. Briton was the dump truck (on all fours), I was the dirt, and Talmage was the digger. He'd scoop at me with a little bowl and dump the bowl on Briton's back whilst I simultaneously threw a limb o' dirt on to the dump truck. Once the pile of dirt was completely loaded on top of the dumb truck, it'd get dumped back on the ground (next time you can be the dirt). Anything involving vehicles, especially diggers and dump trucks, is a hit with the T-ball. But also, sometimes, I wonder when he will discover his parents are weird.

Seeing

Sometimes, when the Light is just so, you see things as they really are. These I swept away:
These, I'll keep:

Details of a Dental Visit or Slippery Teeth

This morning I went to the dentist.

1) How many of you out there start flossing religiously, and I mean, religiously, the week or so preceding your scheduled visit? The truth is, you didn’t even know where the dental floss was hiding until now. But here you are, trying to harden up those gums in hopes you can trick the dentist into thinking all along you’ve been a daily flosser. Dental Visit Eve you may even floss twice a day. Your gums bleed from the frantic sawing. But it’s okay because you know it’s bleed now or in the chair when they poke that sharp tool against the edge of your gums, i.e. the periodontal data collection. You start reading your scriptures every day, too.

2) The hygienist, Joyce, taps her appointment book and asks me if Briton is two-timing them. “Is your husband … seeing someone else?” she asked, peering over her appointment book through her designer glasses. Apparently she’d last seen his molars eleven years ago. I explained that he wasn’t being unfaithful, but that semiannual checkups weren’t his thing. She asked if I would make an appointment for him. I did a double-take before giving her a resounding, “No!” Maybe y’all have different ideas about “taking care” of your husbands, but for me and my house, I figure they are his teeth and it’s his job to take care of them. I don’t brush them. I don’t floss them. I don’t make dentist appointments for them. Joyce appeared a little dismayed and then asked if it was okay with me if the dentist office called him. When I got home, Briton said they’d already called.

3) It seems like every time I go to the dentist, technology has been there before me. The newest gadget this time was how Joyce documented the periodontal thingy. Instead of calling out the numbers to a scribe as she pressed each tooth, she tapped her foot on a pedal on the ground that recorded the numbers on the computer screen. It was kind of like Dance Revolution at the dentist.

4) A. had asked who my dentist was and I told her. Awhile later I received a letter in the mail thanking me for my “referral” and as proof, they were crediting my account with so many clams. When the receptionist calculated my bill, minus the credit, the balance came to a whopping 10 cents. Ten cents! What a deal.

5) If you live in an area without fluoride in the water, start giving your kids fluoride drops at age six months. Supplement until the are 6 or 7 years old. This is not a conspiracy.

Here's the Kicker(s)

Have wanted to post this for a while, finally figured out our Mac: the kids, each at around 3 months old, showing off what little legs can really do.

Little T, tracing the tuners:


Syd, following in her brother's footsteps:

Underwear and Boys

In elementary school, I walked home for lunch every day. One afternoon, upon returning to the playground, I inadvertently walked past the basketball court where my fellow BOY third-graders were playing basketball. In their underroos. They gave me a shout out and I wanted to die.

Remember underroos? [start jingle]: "Underroos are fun to wear. You can wear them anywhere." They took that to mean, anywhere, even without pants. I don't remember where their pants were. I do remember feeling acutely embarrassed and scurrying past them as quickly as possible.

Now, with a boy o' my own, I am starting to understand that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Boys, it seems, just like their underwear. The more, the merrier. Lately, Talmage has been real keen about wearing multiple underwears at a time.

Case in point:
Setting: Today, mid-morning. In bedroom, folding laundry. Enter, Talmage.

Talmage: Mommy, I did it!
Me: [aware he had been busy putting on underwear in his room]. That's great! How many underwears do you have on?
Talmage: [without skipping a beat] Three!
Me: Let's count them.
[bending over his backside, filing through each level of underwear elastic band]
One, two, three, ... four, five! You've got five underwears on!
Talmage: Yeah!

He was so happy about wearing five pairs of underwear that I tossed him two more from the laundry pile. He put those on, too. I mean, seven. One benefit to multiple layers is the insulation factor. Briton came home for a run at lunchtime and took him out in the jogging stroller. His buns were toasty warm the whole time.

"I dinosaur."

As requested:


(The tail kills me):

If You Chance To Meet A Frown

The outside drizzliness reflected my inside gloominess. The day dragged on and on. Boredom and such. What do you do when you feel sad and it's raining? Ah, the distraction served by Consumerism. I took Talmage to Target and said, waving my hand airily, "Buy anything you want." He certainly wasn't feeling sad as he clutched his Matchbox cars, jiggity-jog, all the way home. My glumness remained, though.

Then, soon after arriving home, H. and H. called, one after the other, and they helped break the spell. You can't put a price on a good chat. Especially on rainy days. Heid - you're right, that talk helped ("Finding Joy in the Journey"); and I hear, Heather, you found your cat. And your mittens. That makes me smile.
Other things that make me smile:

Talmage Gems, like:
"Helicockter" and "Torque-a-tee-a" (tortilla)
"May I have some more [insert requested object]? ... Puh-leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese?"
"It's time for school!"
"Mommy, I'm so proud of you!" (when I go on the potty).

Sydney Gems, like:
Enthusiastically raising both hands above her head and giving her toothy grin
The Razz Game, back and forth
When she crawls on her hands and knees
Going to bed every night at 7:30 without ever crying

Briton Gems, like:
Right now he's wearing the same green/blue tartan plaid pajamas that he wore in high school
He gets excited when the Lego magazine comes
His nightly "Fix" (Adam's PB and Bread/Tortilla and milk).

The Envelope, Please

For the second general election in a row, I forgot to place my ballot in the secrecy envelope before sealing it in the outer envelope. Does not using the secrecy envelope invalidate your vote? My Help Line told me how I could tamper with my ballot without making it look like it was tampered with. Steaming.

B and I laughed to tears over one of the candidate's write-ups. Some people are so ... paranoid.

Anyway, the deed is done. On a local level, please, please, please let the Parks and Recs measure pass. On a federal level ... tomorrow will tell. And tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. Steady as she goes, America.

First Homophone. Sort of.

Setting: On couch. Briton reading a book about instruments to Talmage.

Briton, pointing to an oboe: This is an oboe.
Talmage: It's a oboe. (pause, then, pointing to his elbow) I got an oboe on this.

Update

(Note: we kept losing and finding and losing our camera this past week; not many pics to document an action-packed week)

Last Thursday we experienced Trunk or Treat for the first time. Talmage, once he got the procedural rules down, walked from trunk to trunk voicing the obligatory, "Trick or Treat!". Then, between cars he shouted to no one and everyone, "Thank you everybody! Thank you!" Such exultant jubilation. A kid's first Halloween must be incredibly mind-boggling. All of a sudden, people are handing you fistfuls of candy. Not only that, but then your parents turn a blind eye to it's unrestrained consumption. Now that's sweet.

On Halloween, Talmage and Joseph paid their oblations to the Halloween Gods again. I got a kick out of T's dinosaur tail bobbing behind him. Yep. No picture. Watching T's delight in the festivities, I learned what lots of you already know: holidays with kids are the best.

Saturday morning, Sydney and I drove to Quincy, Washington for an Apple Smashing party. After 5 1/2 hours in the car, we arrived at the resplendent, tidy apple orchard of the Yeates family. They're Mark and Marianne's aunt and uncle. HAYRIDE with KA, Hazel, Emma, Kate

Every year the cousins get together to glean apples and make apple juice with an Amish cider press. Uncle Carl drove the tractor up and down the rows of trees, pulling the wooden box behind him. All the cousins poured buckets and buckets of Fuji apples into the box. A box holds 900 pounds of apples. We filled it in about 20-30 minutes. The apples got a cold wash, then we threw them into a huge metal tub where they got a hot water bath. The rest of the afternoon was spent turning the grinder on the press. Thirty seconds on the wheel did me in. It was hard work, but everyone took turns, as it were. I wish I had pictures of the step-by-steps. The result, anyway, was a thick, rich, dark brown, apple juice. The sweetest, purest juice I've ever tasted. We brought home 8 gallons. The juicing was followed by a large chili and sandwich dinner and Halloween games. Sydney and I cut out around 7:30 p.m. for the long drive back home. I loved getting to know the Yeates and Marianne's side o' the family. Thanks, M&M, for the invite.

The Hall: When a Hallway Is Not a Hall

Dinesh and Anu came for a visit this past weekend. We love this couple. I wasn't sure how comfortable the air mattress would be for Anu, who is 22 weeks pregnant (yeay!). While rattling off the other options (couch, maybe?), Dinesh casually shook his head and said not to worry, they could sleep in the hall. What!? The hall?? I imagined them stretched out the length of our hallway, perhaps stepping over them during the night en route for a midnight snack. No, that wouldn't do. What sort of hosts are we anyway??? Dinesh insisted the hall would be perfectly fine and I continued to tsk my head.

The plot thickens.

Later that night we were chatting about growing up in India. Dinesh described the layout of his childhood home (built in the late 1940's). He said that he slept in "the Hall" with his siblings. The light started to click. Yep. "The Hall" to Dinesh and Anu is what we call, in our house, the front room. Which would have been a lot more comfortable than the hallway. More room to stretch out, at least (although, turns out the air mattress worked just fine).

Fall leaves we saw on our walk, Saturday afternoon.

Happy Birthday, Hed

We had a rocky start, there, in childhood: the Chocolate Mousse Fight, the "I don't show my list to liars" episodes, the Foot in Your Face Fiasco. Do you remember any of those? Maybe that's why I love you so much now. Sorta like Newton's Third Law of Motion.

Your intensity of spirit has allowed you to accomplish astounding feats: swimming under Dan's coaching, West Point, marathons, crazy sports (bungee jumping, kayaking, mountaineering, biking east...to name a few). I admire your resting heart rate talents, too: The Wedding Ring quilts and numerous other projects for others, your listening ear, your interest in people, how you analyze things, your smile. I like your soft side, too: your tenderness for your family and friends; soaking up your "Aunt" role. I'm really glad we're sisters.

Happy Birthday, Syd

As someone pointed out, nine months old is a major milestone. Syd has been on the outside now, longer than she was on the inside. But she still fills me. Sydney, you are a delight! We love you so much! And you've got 8 teeth.

Closets: The Source for all Things Halloween

It was a dark and moist night ...

... time to start making our Halloween costumes. The Bowden Halloween Party is not a party to be trifled with. As it says on the evite: "From The Book of Bowden Halloween Costume Party Law, we read the following:

1) Costumes are required. Period. "

Six other official rules follow. We take this party very seriously. As seriously as you can when the your main costuming material derives from your closets.

Over the past four years, we've been refining our costume criteria based on trial and error.

2005:

ICE PRINCESS AND HER THRONE

Lessons Learned:
1) Do not spend exorbitant amounts of money on material, even if it is pink, shiny, and furry. You'll end up with mounds of pink, shiny, furry material to store after Halloween is over. Plus, it's HOT. The costume is inevitably discarded by round two of the Cake Walk.

2) Avoid Costumes that are so awkward they require a stool strapped to your bum underneath the costume.

2006:THREE PEAS IN A POD (not a boat)

LESSONS LEARNED:

1) Costumes requiring three people to remain strapped together come apart about five minutes after entering the Party. Especially if one of the Peas is a baby in a bjorn.
2) Leave Petite Peas at home.

2007:Chopsticks in Wrapper and Take-Out Box o' Rice

LESSONS LEARNED:

1) Pay attention to box dimensions. Hallway and crowded-room-navigational-abilities severely limited.
2) Where is my Chinese dictionary???

2008:Can You Guess What We Is?

We're getting the hang of it, here. We were not stuck together (a la 2006), unless someone wondered why Briton was a zipper. My box was smaller (a la 2007). Except for yellow paint, this costume was free (a la 2005). Given the Bowden's throw a Sixth Annual, my goal is not to be in a box. Think outside the box. Think "Win the Cake Walk."

Essay Questions (optional)
What are you going to be for Halloween?
What is your most memorable Halloween?

Back Porch: A Study in Procrastination

BEFORE:
Two bedside tables purchased at a 2007 estate sale for $60.DURING:
A lot of sanding.

AFTER:
(I'll take a picture ... later)

Over the past year and a half, I've worked on and off (mostly off) on sanding/staining these bedside tables. They spent the rainy season warping on the back deck.

Tonight we've been projeckting like madmen, including finishing the second bedside table. Literally. Except for the drawers.

Unfinished Project #2 completed (mostly). Check.

Front Porch: A Study in Purple

Winter Pansies, a Heuchera, and unknown 8" plant.
(tho' this photo doesn't quite capture the prettiness of the plants ... perhaps defying the FPP ;)

Unfinished project #1 completed. Check.

I went running this morning.

The end.

Scrabble Rabble

When I said Briton beat me at Scrabble the other night, we had not yet played this game. This game made the prior one seem like a friendly spar. "Arrestee" and "Ungentle" are both his plays. "Ungentle" was particularly so, since he not only played over both Triple Word Scores, but it was also a bingo. I set him up with my "ruin", to my ruin ...and utter annihilation. His final score? 465. Qoph.

Dear Dad,

Hi! I wanted to tell you about my day.

After breakfast, mom put me in the carseat. I never know where I'm going to end up when I'm strapped in the bucket. Today we ended up somewhere I'd never been before. It was this humongous indoor playground with lots of bright colors. Mom let me slide down the long slide all by myself. It was fast! She took me to the top and just let me slip away. The slide was bouncy and full of air, so it didn't hurt when I wiped out at the bottom. I smiled and laughed and wanted to do it again. So I did. Once on my back and once on my tummy. Feet first ... because that's the rule. I hope mom takes us there a lot when it starts raining all the time.

After the playground, I got put back in the carseat. Mom had just fed me, so I slept until we stopped again. When I opened my eyes, we were at my favorite store. They have free samples there. I didn't get any, but Talmage and Joseph did. They had a cobbler, chili beans, yoplait smoothie, and fake mashed potatoes. Mom bought me some size 3 diapers. I'm glad she finally noticed that the size 2's have been getting kinda tight.

I slept for almost 2 hours in the afternoon. Then, mom put me back in the carseat. Maybe she was taking us back to the playground! We ended up at the church instead. Mom helped set up a quilt. I slid around on the gym floor with Lila. Talmage played cars with Jed. My favorite part, though, was when mom held me underneath the yellow quilt and swung me upside down like a bat.

For dinner I got sweet potatoes and rice cakes. I love them. They just, mmm, melt in your mouth. I was getting tired and so mom let me sleep a little bit before waking me up to get back in the carseat. Talmage stayed at home with Joseph and Isaac and Dave. Mom and I had a Girls' Night Out. We went to Honey Jo's house. It smelled so good. I hope mom buys lots of Scentsy Candles for our house so it will smell good and not like stale people. I saw Stephanie at Honey Jo's and she held me. I like her. We left after an hour. I hope when I go to sleep tonight it will be until the morning.

I love you, Dad. I'm excited for you to come home tomorrow. We miss you very much.
Love,
Sydney
p.s. Don't be mad about the carpet. Talmage did it.

"Innocence...

...is the spirit's unself-conscious state at any moment of pure devotion to any object. It is at once a receptiveness and total concentration" (Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, 82).

Root Toot Boot Scootin' Sydney

TAKE ONE:


Syd only scooted backwards for awhile. A couple weeks ago she started experimenting with forward propulsion. This past week she's really picked up the pace.

TAKE TWO:

.

Horsetail Falls in the Fall

What Economic Downturn?

Last night, before Briton soundly beat me at Scrabble (“chez” was the turning point; “bu” is not a word), we were reviewing a document we’d written as starry-eyed newlyweds. I’m talking one-month-behind-our-belts-the-world-is-our-oyster-type starry-eyed newlyweds. The questions covered a wide array of topics related to how we envisioned our future lives together. Below are two of the more temporal questions:

10. How much money do we need to have?

"1 million dollars"

11. What things would we like to own?

"grand piano, harpsichord, new bike for robin, our own vehicles, a place to call home, kitchen aid, industrial blender, really good stereo system with great speakers (possibly surround sound). Flat screen monitor? good furniture down the road. nice house stuff (washer and dryer---quiet dishwasher too). sewing machine. serger. loom. quilting table (2x4s), pair of skates, and a pony, 1 milk cow, 1 goat for trash, 7 chickens, garden w/ rhubarb, a tire swing, big trees, yard big enough for catch and badminton and a zipline. a bandsaw, drill press, table saw, miter saw, glass grinder. good work bench,,outdoor freezer, a bucket from Tillamook, incidentals, and lots of good camping equipment, and a cooler, and some lawn chairs, garden hose, lawn mower, garden implements, tools, a couple four wheelers (sweet!), an OED, just for show. a television, a VCR, a DVD player, a video camera, -the latest gizmo."

They say if you write your goals down they will happen. Four years into our marriage, I can see how that is true. Not that we have a million dollars; but we do have one chicken and a bucket from Tillamook (50 cents!).

Home Decorating Angst

The cornices (cornici?) will be in this fabric, with a darker blue fabric trim.

Paisley is a beautiful word, anyway. Paaaaisley.

Whidbey Island

... has a Navy Base (i.e. cheap cereal at the commissary and a "free air" pump that doesn't pump air) and Deception Pass (i.e. jaw-dropping scenary). The only reason I know about Whidbey Island, though, is because Keriann and Tom moved there this year. Since Briton is working in Dupont this week, I pre-empted his departure with my own by making a second visit to see my cuz' from the 'hood. Guaranteed good conversation and some walks down memory lane. As a bonus, Mark and Marianne and kids were there, too. And just as a little advertisement - if any of you want your house cleaned in a flash (not that yours was dirty, KA), just invite Marianne over.

Second Cousins in the backyard playground.

A quick pose before resuming trampoline warfare.

Kate (second from left) took watchful care of Talmage.

"Hey, Sydney...

...where's your mom? Why doesn't she put socks on your feet so they don't turn blue?"We left Whidbey via the ferry to Port Townsend. Just for kicks. We rendezvoused with Briton in Dupont, much later than expected. After a gross Mexican meal, it was late enough that we decided to spend the night in Dupont, courtesy of Intel. Sydney had a room all to herself.

Date Night

Friday nights are the highly anticipated Date Nights. We're in a babysitting swap group with three other families. Three out of four Fridays we have the evening to ourselves; but when it's your turn to watch, you're jumping over 6 kids (that's 12 eyeballs) under age 3. Totally worth it.

Last week we went on a bike ride. Tonight we did the traditional dinner/movie. We watched "Fireproof" based on Mrs. M's recommendation. Very wholesome movie; solid message about marriage. We recommend it, too.

It's a Potty Around Here

Talmage's time has come. Potty-training time! Let's get down and boogie.

Saturday, Sept 27: Special trip with Talmage to Kohl's. He picked out Lightning McQueen and Friends underwear. I bless the name of Pixar.
Sunday, Sept 28: Remind Talmage that tomorrow is the big day to start wearing underwear and using the toilet. He gets candy for staying dry and clean. He seems game.
Monday, Sept 29: Details below.

I pumped him full of juice in the morning. He got as much as he wanted. The goal was to get him to urinate a lot so he could practice a lot. And boy, did Talmage have ample opportunity to practice! (Notation: I=input; O=output).

Day One:
8:39-9:22 am
On toilet, putting stickers on back of toilet seat. Morale: HIGH
I=8 oz juice; O=zero

9:23 am.
Playing with cars
O=in pants, onto carpet.

9:30 am.
I=8 oz juice

9:55 am.
O=in pants, onto carpet
Jo comes over and saves Sydney, who is being neglected

10:25 am.
I=8 oz juice
Playing outside. O=goes #1 and #2 in pants.
He understands when he urinates he gets wet. He doesn't like it. He walks wide-legged to the bathroom.

11 am.
On toilet for 26 min. Watching movie. Urinates in toilet for the first time!!!! He is rewarded with fistfuls of candy. He loves the potty party: juice, stickers, movies, candy, mom's undivided attention.

11:45 am.
O=in pants

12:15 pm.
I decide to cut down on the juice.
I=zero, O=in pants

12:40 pm
I=zero, O=in pants (again).
Morale: LOW (I ask my help-line, "Is this normal?" Answer: "Yes.")

12:42 pm.
Sitting on toilet.
O=zero.

12:53 pm.
O=in pants (grrr! He was just on the toilet. Argh!)

1:23 pm.
Sitting on toilet (12 minutes).
O=in toilet!!!!! Tremendous praise and more candy. Beaming Talmage. OK. This is worth it!

1:45 pm.
Naptime (1 hour, 15 min). We both need a break.
T wears a pull-up.

3:15 pm.
O=in pants. But ... a breakthrough. I was outside mowing the lawn. I had told him to come get me if he had to urinate. He came outside and told me he had to go and then peed on the sidewalk. Which meant he had recognized the sensation and was able to hold it long enough to come outside. I felt bad for not helping him be more successful. But I see that he's getting it. Good Job!

4:19 pm.
O=urinates in toilet!!! Talmage beams ear to ear. Me, too.

4:35 pm.
O=in pants.

4:40 pm.
Went for a walk.
O=in pants, on sidewalk.

5:40 pm. Sitting on toilet. O=zero
6:32 pm. Sitting on toilet (25 min) O=zero. I guess he was all emptied out.

Wore pull-up to bed.

DAY TWO:
Yesterday's cumulative efforts started to pay off. Sat on toilet first thing in the morning and urinated right away. Only one "accident" today- and it happened at the playground... so that's cool.

DAY THREE:
7: 30 a.m. Without being asked, Talmage pipes up, "Mommy, I need to go potty!"
O=In toilet. LOTS OF PRAISE.

I'll stop the detail here. Generally speaking, I think he's getting it. I ask him frequently "Are you dry and clean?" and take the initiative to put him on the toilet (you see he prefers the big toilet, sitting backwards. So he needs a boost). But he's off to a good start. There's no going back. We're committed to Lightning McQueen. I'm really pleased with him and his willingness to give toilet training a go. Have another Reese's Pieces, Talmage.

Pink is for Girls, Blue is for Boys

The big-bosomed Egyptian boaba's used to pinch my cheeks (hard) and tell my mom what a cute boy I was. Except I wasn't a newborn. I was in second grade. Old enough to feel indignant.

Can you guess which picture is our girl-child and which is our boy-child?