My mom is here for a brief visit. She has been here for about two hours. In the first five minutes she was here she said, in front of my 4 year old, "ay Chingao, I hit myself with this stupid door, I hate it." My kids think stupid and hate are bad words, so chingar, they don't know. Then she proceeded to tell Tallulah that the reason she tripped is because she was being bad and her angel made her fall down. She then explained to my toddler child that everyone has an angel and the reason you fall or trip is because they make you do it, especially when you are being bad.
In short, my mom has taught Tallulah fuck in Spanish, and made her scared of angels.
She is calling for toilet paper now. No one is bringing it to her. She is threatening to wipe herself with a towel. And she says she won't tell us which one.
They are headed to New Orleans so god only knows what she is going to come back teaching her....
Monday, March 23, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
In love
Have you even fallen in love?
Not fallen,
Struck.
Have you ever been struck by love?
San Antonio,
You have my heart.
Houston,
You have my loyalty.
Big Bend has my soul.
Not fallen,
Struck.
Have you ever been struck by love?
San Antonio,
You have my heart.
Houston,
You have my loyalty.
Big Bend has my soul.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Daylight savings time
This is the time of year when all of us moms are grousing about daylight savings time and the hangover it gives our kids. Including me. Annabelle woke up at 4 in the morning, terrified because she hadn't finished her homework. Her homework was to draw a picture of a Texas day in the springtime. Her hand got tired so she hadn't finished coloring the tree on her picture of a picnic in the bluebonnets. So I let her sleep in until seven. Normally she needs to get up at 6:30 to get ready by seven, to have time to eat breakfast and then brush teeth, do hair, get jacket and backpack and head out the door by 7:40. Yes, it takes that long. Then, she is in school. There are lines and bells and classes, and nouns and verbs, and all that crap. Then she comes home. And depending on the day, she may have to do homework, eat dinner and go to some activity. Then, bath, brush teeth, spend some time with dad, read books, bed. Notice that play is not always part of her schedule. Her life is highly scripted and is almost completely dictated by school.
Tallulah's life in preschool is very different than her sister's. She is learning to be a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper. She sings songs almost all the time, songs that she learned at school. When she is at home, she plays or helps me. She is little chef, and I am big chef. Excpet she can't say chef, so she says "cheft." Little cheft can make chicken pot pie, chili, quiche and banana bread. She really shines at sautéing things. She likes me to read the same book over and over again. She plays by herself a fair amount. She is super awesome at folding clothes. She is a Ngyuen, so she has that weird way they fold shirts down. She was explaining it to me today. "you fold it in haf, den you fold de ahms, in den fold it again, and den it is a skuwayah mommy. Like dis." Ok. Whatever.
She helped me cook supper tonight, as a matter of fact. One of Annabelle's classmates came over for supper. His dad dropped him off and I told him annabelle was out back. She had just came home from ballet and changed clothes and headed straight for the back door. Tell A________ I'm outside mommy". I finished up the corn bread and kept an eye on them-- this boy seemed content to be bossed around by two girls, one whom was covered in mud. I am not really sure what they were doing, but Tallulah's guardian angel told me to check on her just as she was trying to use the toy wheel barrow as a step ladder, whereby saving me a trip to the er. Thanks, GMS.
I glanced up at the fridge and saw my favorite magnet, a picture of the girls, from the time summer when annabelle was three and Tallulah was 8 months, or so. It was when Annabelle was in her " I only wear my underwear and no other clothes" phase. She had a tan line to match. My pippi longstocking girl who liked to draw cat whiskers on her face, and cover her arms and legs in marker. The ultimate free spirit. I wish school would give her back
And now she was outside, and was going to need a bath before dinner, and in all likelihood so was her friend. No homework done and it was almost 630. But it felt early, because it was still light out. And for a second, I could feel the warmth and promise of summer, just around the corner.
The hazy, crazy, lazy days, as the song says. The promise that is worth the hangover.
Tallulah's life in preschool is very different than her sister's. She is learning to be a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper. She sings songs almost all the time, songs that she learned at school. When she is at home, she plays or helps me. She is little chef, and I am big chef. Excpet she can't say chef, so she says "cheft." Little cheft can make chicken pot pie, chili, quiche and banana bread. She really shines at sautéing things. She likes me to read the same book over and over again. She plays by herself a fair amount. She is super awesome at folding clothes. She is a Ngyuen, so she has that weird way they fold shirts down. She was explaining it to me today. "you fold it in haf, den you fold de ahms, in den fold it again, and den it is a skuwayah mommy. Like dis." Ok. Whatever.
She helped me cook supper tonight, as a matter of fact. One of Annabelle's classmates came over for supper. His dad dropped him off and I told him annabelle was out back. She had just came home from ballet and changed clothes and headed straight for the back door. Tell A________ I'm outside mommy". I finished up the corn bread and kept an eye on them-- this boy seemed content to be bossed around by two girls, one whom was covered in mud. I am not really sure what they were doing, but Tallulah's guardian angel told me to check on her just as she was trying to use the toy wheel barrow as a step ladder, whereby saving me a trip to the er. Thanks, GMS.
I glanced up at the fridge and saw my favorite magnet, a picture of the girls, from the time summer when annabelle was three and Tallulah was 8 months, or so. It was when Annabelle was in her " I only wear my underwear and no other clothes" phase. She had a tan line to match. My pippi longstocking girl who liked to draw cat whiskers on her face, and cover her arms and legs in marker. The ultimate free spirit. I wish school would give her back
And now she was outside, and was going to need a bath before dinner, and in all likelihood so was her friend. No homework done and it was almost 630. But it felt early, because it was still light out. And for a second, I could feel the warmth and promise of summer, just around the corner.
The hazy, crazy, lazy days, as the song says. The promise that is worth the hangover.
Friday, March 6, 2015
It is my kind of town
We went to Chicago last weekend. We had a wonderful time, apart from a run in with a misanthropic Korean man who hates the sound of childhood joy. But that is another story. Tallulah we discovered, well , not really discovered as much an a reinforcement of her strangeness, has an optimal temperature. It's about 74. If she is any colder, she is miserable and if she is any hotter she is miserable. And so is everyone else around her. Coats make her hot. 20 degree temps make her cold. She was not a happy camper. Neither was her dad, who can't ride in taxis because they make him car sick. So we walked, she complained and tried to hail her own cab. She also almost touched the most famous painting in the art institute and fell into a statute of the bhudda. The docents suggested a stroller.... Hyphen said she had to stay home until she became a grown up.
But Annabelle and I had fun. Until the Korean guy at the restaurant got after her for whistling. The f bombs at the table next to us--those were ok.
We were joined by a favorite aunt, so that was an added bonus. And we saw a lovely city. And despite all the craziness I would go back. I would even take Tallulah.
But Annabelle and I had fun. Until the Korean guy at the restaurant got after her for whistling. The f bombs at the table next to us--those were ok.
We were joined by a favorite aunt, so that was an added bonus. And we saw a lovely city. And despite all the craziness I would go back. I would even take Tallulah.
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