Such Great Heights

Listening to: The Postal Service: "Such Great Heights"

I love this song. Is it overplayed? I don't know, but I don't really care. It always brings back memories of my pregnancy with RE, where I spent many, many days listening to The Garden State Soundtrack. Right now, looking back, those 39 weeks I was pregnant with RE were some of the best weeks of my life. I was still a student, and working, and really feeling like I was contributing not only to society, but to my family. I miss school. And I kind of miss working, too. But I can't imagine passing RE off to someone else to raise her, and missing out on all of the fabulous fun things we do each day. I know she'd be fine, and please, if you're reading this and do send your child/children to daycare, understand that this is not a comment on you or your parenting. This is just my personal choice, and I really want to be able to stay home and be with RE. That said, we don't always get what we want, and I really may have to sort out life and find something else to do to make some money. And I might have to find daycare for RE 3 days a week. And that makes me sad. I'm totally rambling now, and I need to make a card for a friend's birthday this weekend, so I'm off to get gluey and crafty and maybe that'll put me in a better mood.
Maybe I like the song so much because it feels a little encouraging. Cheesy, but it makes me kind of aspire to do good things...it also kind of makes me want to escape to the roof of a building and just look down at everyone and how tiny everyone is and be able to ignore all the little, stupid problems that are so horrifyingly magnified down here on Earth. Maybe from a great height, they don't look so bad.

Worth more dead?

I know that's sort of gross and morbid, but I got my social security statement the other day, and I'm worth more to my family dead. Quite a bit, too. Apparently the Bush administration thinks I'm worth about $2000. I guess that's really how much work I do, between cleaning, folding laundry and raising a toddler. But a horribly morbid thought nonetheless.

Yep, that's the kind of mood I'm in though. I'd say I need a vacation, but I think I need a vacation from vacations. There is such a thing as too much of something good. And as much as I love to travel, I actually LOVE Seattle summers, and I've missed quite a bit of this one.

Oh yeah, and I kind of need to find another job. Anyone know of one? One where I can work parttime and it must pay rather well (like, enough to warrant paying $65/day for daycare). Oh yeah, and it'll have to be M-W-F, because RE is in preschool T-Th. I've been out of the normal everyday workforce for so darn long I don't even know what I'm qualified for anymore...Childbirth Ed is great, but it's infrequent, unfortunately. Crafting and sewing is fun, but it don't pay the bills. So, if you know of something, holler at me!

Sand Castles

I woke up yesterday morning to a pile of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios in my bed. Why? Why was there a pile of sticky, crumbly cereal in my bed? Because RE wanted to build a sand castle. In my bed, with Cheerios. I can only assume she was inspired by something she saw on Sesame Street while I slumbered on the other side of the bed, but in any case, that became a necessary activity for the day.

I really never thought I'd hear myself tell a friend, "RE really wants to build a sand castle, so we need to go to the beach."

Thank goodness we live near the beach!

I totally take it for granted that we live less than 2 miles from a beach. I spent most of my childhood wishing we could live closer to the beach, and spend everyday building castles and digging in the sand, and now that I really can, I don't. Maybe that's why I was so enthusiastic about RE's sudden desire for sand architecture.


She's all of a sudden so creative and fun, and so into building and making things, it's a blast. She loves art stuff and crafty things, and love to help her create fun little projects. My next step is to get her some of those lacing, sewing cards so she can learn to sew. I've thought about just giving her fabric and a needle and thread, but I wonder if 2 and a half is too young and she'll only wind up frustrated. I'm just so struck my her ability to concentrate, and her enjoyment of small, detailed tasks that I want to nurture it. I love to sew and craft and glue and create, and I really want her to as well. I know that's selfish; shoot me.

We're heading off to California in another 10 days, to spend 6 days on the beach in Mendocino for my brother's wedding, and I'm really looking forward to frolicking on the sand, building sand castles and diving into the waves. It's one of my most clear memories of my own childhood, and I can't wait to experience it with RE.

More Chicago Pics

My three favorite kids at the beach in Chicago...Gabe, Ryan and Izzy. I love these pics.





Princess Ryan being hauled up the stairs in her chariot my Michael and Uncle James.


MMmm, yummy Thai food.
Searching for lightening bugs.
Chasing a cute boy during yoga class. Yeppers, she's my kid.
Ryan, Gabe and Izzy, groovin to the tunes.


Rub a dub, dub. Three adorable naked blonde kids in a tub.
A real choo-choo train! Well, the local commuter train to get out to the corn fields where Tammy lives.
At American Place, the American Girls' doll store. Fun for mommy and Ryan. Not so fun for daddy.
Crack kills.
Half asleep at the zoo.
At Starbucks after the Art Institute. Note to self, toddlers DO NOT appreciate 18th century European Art.
Fireworks.
The men setting of said fireworks, and our consummate host, James.