June 30, 2006

Striptease

We had our first book club meeting last night. Five moms, a pitcher of sangria, and a book. I think we spent 20% of our time on the book and the rest just talking and doing our own little striptease.

Women are such strange creatures. I think we are all horribly scarred in childhood when it comes to girlfriends. Everyone has had that horrible maiming moment in the cafeteria when you stand there, holding your tray of food, desperately scanning the table for someone to sit with. Or when the teacher tells you to pair up and your gaze darts around the room watching everyone else pick their friends while you sit there, rooted to the spot, sure you'll end up odd girl out and have to pair with the teacher. We've all been frozen out by a group of girls, kicked out of the "in" club, been the butt of a private joke, or had our hearts and self-esteem stomped on by the Queen Bee and her nasty worker drones.

Unfortunately, I don't think we ever get over those wounds and we learn to erect walls and cover ourselves in layers and layers of protective clothing. But it's hot and stiffling wearing our wool sweaters and scarves year round. Every woman is searching for that best friend who will love our streach marked stomach, veiny thighs, dimply butt and all. I can count on one had the number of friends I can go "go neeked" with. My girls that have seen all my horrible thoughts and petty ways and can still laugh and love me.

Unfortunately, none of them live here in Sherwood. And so, this last year, I've had to begin that dreaded striptease all over again. You meet someone who you like and slowly, every so slowly, you start to shed the layers. Maybe you try shucking off your our coat, then undo a button or two. The whole process is frightening and tiring and nerve-wracking. Usually, at some point, the process stalles out. It so very rare and precious to find someone you can trust with your whole self without reservation.

So on our first meeting, we all took off a layer or two and then squirmed around a bit trying to get comfortable with losing a little of our armor. I don't think any lasting damage was inflicted but we'll see.

I keep going back to sitting on a rock in the Sierra Nevadas during my senior year of high school. Our outdoor ed instructor drew a circle in the dirt and told us all this was where we lived. Our comfort zone. Our friends and family and familiar haunts. Then her drew a bigger circle around that little one. He dared us to step outside our comfort zone and expand our circle, add new friends, new places. He kept drawing circles and told us that a life lived to the fullest meant always expanding our comfort zone. I have such a hard time doing that. I love my little dirt ring. I feel so safe and happy. I'm horrible about expanding my realm. But every now and then, I force myself to re-draw my circle.

And every time I do, it's well worth it.

Posted by Chrissie at 10:22 AM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2006

ARG!

I just finished a new entry. A witty, poignant, revealling entry. And then, the computer ate it. Ate it!

Arg.

I cannot recreate it and I'm too grumpy to try.

Grrr. So I'm going to pointless surf the internet and try to rebuild my mental strength to give it another go.

Arg.

Posted by Chrissie at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2006

Staw Cups

Well, Chrissie's caught something - we're not sure where it's from but she'll be down for several days. I'can't figure out how you can catch a cold at the beginning of summer? Only in the Northwest I suppose.

Chrissie was feeling something coming but decided to take the kids to the zoo anyway - once you let Leina know you're planning a zoo-trip she goes bananas (hee hee). What I don't understand is how she went through all our straw-cups. These are those nice plastic cups that seal well and have a straw. The kids love'em 'cause it's quick access to the milk. The Dad loves'em 'cause there's a gazillion of them in the cupboard so I can always get one when I need one. But not tonight. I went to the cupboard and it was bare. I couldn't believe it. How am I supposed to serve dinner without anything to drink? And where did all those cups go?

So later tonight I started hunting around for them and it became a game of where isn't a straw-cup. Here's the breakdown:

2 in the backpack (from the zoo)
1 on the couch (not fun to sit on)
1 under the couch
1 behind the couch...
1 under a book (Kulia's - she loves those books!)
1 in Kulia's crib
1 in Leina's crib
1 in our bed! (does Mom use the straw cups?)
1 in the bathroom (when you're doin' #1 sometimes you gotta refil)
1 in the dog bowl (even Artie gets tired of his water dish somtimes)
1 in the Candyland game
1 in the musical car
1 in the toy bin
1 by the computer
1 by the train set
1 by the legos

And the list goes on and on... I must have washed 2 dozen cups tonight. You'd think we don't clean up after these kids but I had all but a few of these cups accounted for on Saturday. 48 hours that's all it takes with these kids.

If you don't hear from me in a while you'll know it's 'cause I'm still hunting for the straw cups...

Posted by Kevin at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2006

The Rascal

Some have suggested that Kulia is NOT the world's biggest 1 year old rascal.

Well here's the video to prove it:


Kulia at 1 yr with Mommy (10.6 Mb - WMV)

Posted by Kevin at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2006

Kulia

My sweet baby nugget is one year old. How did that happen? Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was burrito wrapping her, stumbling through night nursings and wondering who she would become.

Well, she's here now! At one, Kulia is so advanced she reminds me of Leina at 18 month. She's running around our house, climbing on and off the sofa, using sign language, and learning new words every day. Of course, MA MA is my favorite but my newest joy is listening to her imitate animals. She can roar like a lion, trumpet like an elephant, and meow like a cat. And the kisses! Oh, the kisses! When you ask for kisses, she puckers up and air kisses all the way over to you and then plants one right on you. It's heaven.

Kulia is that wonderful mix of part baby part toddler. It only lasts a few weeks and it is breath-taking. Every night, I sneak into her room and watch her sleep, snuggled up with her blanket, Patches.

She smells like baby and love.

And she is trouble! Trouble! I take her to Leina's storytime at the library. While Leina sits shyly on my lap or clings to my arm, Kulia jumps up and runs amongst the big kids. She dance to her own music and converses with all the other moms in her own baby babble. She's such a little socialite and loves smiling at anyone who catches her eye.

I have no double that Kulia will tackle every challenge with glee and determination during this next year. She will be a force to reckon with as she grows. I forsee lots of physical activity in her future and a love of books. And I am so torn. I wake up every morning wondering what new trick she'll show me and dreading the passing of another day of her baby-hood.

But in my mind, she'll always stay my sweet nugget baby. Kulia, oh how I love you!

Posted by Chrissie at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)