After temperatures in the mid-70s on Saturday, we're currently under a winter storm warning. Zuzu's school was canceled today, and my university pushed back the start of classes so that none of mine is actually meeting today, which is a relief since I don't know what I'd do with Zuzu. David's school is in session because his district is at the edge of this storm, so they're getting rain while we're getting blanketed with thick, wet, slushy snow that's making a disaster of the roads and taking out power lines. Fortunately, we were not affected by that at our house.
What I am affected by? My neck hurts from sleeping on it wrong and my back hurts from picking up a 22 pound baby to haul her downstairs this morning. I need to wear one of those support belts that dudes who work in warehouses lifting heavy things wear. Also I need more core strength, more yoga, and a massage. Working on it!
The girls are in a sweet spot for playing together (dress up in Elsa and Anna dresses) but also in a shit spot for hitting each other. It's so irritating. Coco has a temper and throws things when she's angry; meanwhile, Zuzu has a TERRIBLE habit of making an ugly, loud hissing/growling sound when she gets in trouble and it drives me crazy. I'd throw them both outside to play in the snow, but it's so wet and slushy that it's not even fun. Also Zuzu's snowpants are at her school. And my back hurts.
Update: Coco has changed out of her Princess Anna dress. She wants to be totally naked all the time. She takes off her clothes and then tries to rip off her diaper. WHY??? It's not that I'm a prude about nakedness. I'm just afraid she'll pee on the new carpet.
Update on Little House in the Big Woods: Not only have we learned about making bullets and shooting guns, we've also been taught that blonde hair is preferable to brown, that naughty girls get whipped with a switch, that baby calves must be killed in order to make cheese with their stomach lining, and we've seen naughty cousin Charley get stung by an entire nest of bees (Zuzu was already terrified of bees, so thanks, Laura Ingalls Wilder, for solidifying that anxiety). Basically, I'm rethinking my first chapter book choice, but we only have two chapters left, so we will move on to something a little less, uh, violent? (I actually skipped over the calf-slaughtering part of cheese making AND the sister-rivalry over hair color.)
This re-read has really made me want to read Pioneer Girl, so I may bribe myself with that as incentive for my next session of grading. First, though, I need to finish Better Than Before, When Breath Becomes Air, and Between the World and Me. I'm really excited about all three books, but there's some heavy stuff in there, so I think I'll be ready for some fiction.
I went to a housewarming party last Saturday for friends who are married with no kids and their house was SO lovely. The kind of lovely that includes a white sofa and breakables at toddler-height. I had a good time at the party--although their rum punch was wicked and my head hurt the next day!
It's nice to go to someone's house and then see your own space with fresh eyes. It made me realize what a difference light fixtures make. I've looked online at light fixtures and the prices have made me put that change on the back burner of home improvement, but it really makes such an enormous difference! And all of their light fixtures were from Ikea except for one awesome vintage piece in the dining room. So it doesn't have to break the bank.
Looking around their house also made me envy their white trim... I'm still not ready to paint mine, but I'm thinking about it hard, particularly because we don't have crown moulding and our baseboards aren't in awesome shape--they've been paint splattered and knicked and scuffed a lot over the years.
Coco had her 18-month check up yesterday. She weighted 22 pounds 1 ounce and was 30.5 inches tall. This put her in the 40th percentile for weight and the 10th percentile for height. Her head circumference was in the 79th percentile, so she's just a wee bit top-heavy. But off the charts adorable! Her doctor also remarked on her gross motor skills and speech being good, and it's always nice to hear that baby is on track, especially because I pay so much less attention to developmental milestones than I did with Zuzu.
Okay--I'm off to finish the last two chapters of LHITBW and try to keep the the sister-smacking to a minimum. I'm also accepting recommendations for good places for reasonably-priced light fixtures, fiction I should read next, and chapter books that will hold the interest of a 3.5 year old without traumatizing her. I may take Crafty Cousin Amanda's recommendation and try Heidi next.
I can't help you on lighting. My taste runs too expensive. ;)
ReplyDeleteIf you are asking for an order on the books (you aren't), start with Coates'. Required reading (even if Toni Morrison already said it).
Chapter Books. Hmm. Too early for Ramona?
Don't get me started on the snow day. The roads are fine. Ugh.
We are probably ready for Ramona the Pest! I'll put it in the queue. Ramona was my all-time favorite as a kid. I seriously felt like Beverly Clearly knew my heart.
DeleteI don't need more help with expensive taste--I found my all-time-favorite-ever-perfect-for-the-dining-room chandelier and it was $36,000. Thirty-six THOUSAND.
The roads were really bad at 6am when D left for work. But when he called at noon to see how things were, I was like, "Uh, it's all melted." Winter in St. Louis is crazy!
I read my kids The Wizard of Oz, skipped a couple chapters because I did not know how violent it was!! Then I tried Charlotte's web but there was too much about slaughter in the first few chapters! I am thinking about Winnie-the-Pooh next!
ReplyDeleteHave they seen the movie? My friend Monica's daughter is six months older than Zuzu, but I think she's much more mature. She loves the Wizard of Oz, but I feel like it would freak Zuzu out. Maybe because it freaked (freaks?) me out a little!
DeleteI'm clearly interrupting here, but I'm not above it. Wizard of Oz terrified my mother when she was a child, so she never let me watch it. EVER. I'm now a legit grown up and still haven't seen it.
DeleteI've found light fixtures I love for pretty reasonable prices on Amazon. And if you're willing to put in a little elbow grease, you can get fixtures from thrift shops or church sales or Craigslist for SUPER cheap and work a little magic with spray paint! I've also found really cool, ridiculously cheap floor and table lamps at Christmas Tree Shops and just slightly pricier but ever cooler ones at Target. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteTarget does have some sweet floor lamps right now. I just need to make the time to do some thrift store browsing...
DeleteSo Mark made life half our light fixtures! Will have to show them to you sometime. They were cheap too. They're a rustic modern look with Edison bulbs. His dream is to sell them on Etsy someday. There's a lot you can do on a lighting budget if you're creative. Oddly enough, they're our faves!
ReplyDeleteShut UP. Okay, another reason I need to fanangle an invitation to your house. I want to scope out these light fixtures and perhaps place a custom order!
DeleteI looooved Heidi as a kid. Loved.
ReplyDeleteFor preschooler chapter books, I second Winnie-the-Pooh. My Father's Dragon is also wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHave you read "the Language of Flowers"'yet? It's fiction, though not peppy and upbeat if that's what you're looking for. I'm finally getting around to reading Orphan Train, though I think you've read it.
ReplyDeleteHope the weather improves. If you need a reprieve, always welcome to head south!
Also, have you looked at Amazon for lights? Some sort of reasonably priced cute Edison lights, like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ICXRTK6/ref=s9_top_hm_awbw_bFg53_g60_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_r=17WSWF9W4EPFF7V7QTAR&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=4478b9a0-c148-5849-808d-03e563a5360b&pf_rd_i=3736681
Try the Junie B. Jones series - they are funny and light hearted.
ReplyDeleteJunie B books are funny but the terrible grammar might drive you crazy. I'm excited for Beverly Cleary.
ReplyDeleteMathilda went over well with G, I'm considering James and the Giant Peach, but G is sexist and doesn't do well with boy stuff. Caddie Woodlawn is up there too, plus they share a name.
ReplyDeleteI love Matilda, but I think it might be too advanced for Zuzu? I think my copy of Caddie Woodlawn is at my mom's! I actually wanted to call Zuzu Caddie, but David nixed it. Maybe I could still get it going... It's adorable.
DeleteNate the Great books! And then have pancakes for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteI heart the name Caddie.
Charlotte's Web was Eleanor's favorite book starting at about age 4, though I sobbed every time I read the death scene. I think that worried Eleanor more than the actual death. When Zuzu gets a little older, Kate DiCamillo has a lot of great chapter books.
ReplyDeleteReading the Little House books really made me realize how protected our kids are. The books do provide inspiration for talks on racism and sexism and that sort of thing, but sometimes you just want a happy fairytale at bed, you know?
I second the comment above about Winnie the Pooh. My Dad read it to me when I was little and I loved it. I can't wait to read it to B.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Better than Before I loved (I'm secretly obsessed with Gretchen Rubin and think we are destined to be soul mates ;) ), but When Breath Becomes Air... wow. It is heavy, but so so good.
I had to order "Pioneer Girl" online because for the longest time it simply was not available in any Canadian bookstore. :p It was worth every penny. If you like to read footnotes, this is the book for you!! The editors took Laura Ingalls' Wilder's original manuscript that became the Little House books and researched and documented just about every single detail mentioned -- names, events, songs. The different characters mentioned, and what happened to them. Just an amazing amount of research & detail.
ReplyDeleteBefore our house went on the market, the agent recommended we go to Home Depot & replace the ceiling fans in the bedroom (inherited from the previous owners, 26 years ago...!) with a couple of cheap fixtures. We did, and Sam said, "Now WHY didn't we do this for OURSELVES, YEARS ago??!" Homeowners' inertia, I guess. :p I do need some new lamps for the living room -- we couldn't agree on any, so we compromised & got new shades for the old lamps. They were OK for showings, but I do want to get something different for the new place.
Oh, and Heidi? Maybe the book, but I remember having nightmares after seeing the Shirley Temple movie when I was about Zuzu's age. Especially the part where the wicked governess tries to sell Shirley to the gypsies...!