choir and books

Slane loves a good book. She asks us to read many books before bed, and is starting to ask for the story two or three times. Sometimes she even "reads" part of the book to us. She can quote all of "Five Little Monkeys" and almost has "Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing" down.

Q and I have been fortunate enough to continue to participate in the church choir even though we have a busy toddler to entertain. When she was first born, we took a break but then managed to stick with it last year. This year it has been more difficult, due in large part to the fact that Slane is fully mobile and verbal. At first it looked like one of us was just chasing her around during rehearsals. It got to the point that I told Q that maybe one of us should not do choir because we weren't getting much out of it (or contributing much). Just a few days after I said that the church hired a nursery worker to watch Slane while we were in rehearsal. It has been wonderful! Slane loves to play and we love to sing, so it works out.

But, what about actually singing during church? Well.....at first it was easy to just hand a tiny, social, baby to anyone who had free hands. Then it got a little bit harder, and sometimes Slane didn't take being passed off very well. We tend to give her to the same person, Karla, who sits near our spots (yes, we are that kind of church, where we all sit in basically the same locations each week).

This week when I passed Slane off to Karla, Karla showed me that she had been coming prepared to church. She has been bringing Slane appropriate books to church in her purse! Brilliant. Slane is occupied, Karla gets to enjoy the anthem (not always the case with Slane), and we get to sing.

a walk outside

It was warm enough yesterday that much of our neighborhood had escaped their houses and were enjoying the weather. I could smell several grills going, lots of dogs were being walked, runners were out, and everyone was in a good mood. It was muddy, and messy, but no one cared.

Slane and I took two walks. First she wanted to walk, and we did. There was a little boy (littler than Slane anyway) down the block and first we went to say hi to him. As is her way lately, she slightly accosted the poor child with hugs and her constant flow of commentary about life and babies. We then walked back home and cleaned up our driveway a bit (the recyclers did not pick up our stuff, instead I found it upside down in the middle of the driveway).

We went into the sunroom, opened a couple of windows, and played kitchen and cars for a bit before Slane discovered her strollers, and begged to go for a ride. So I packed her up in a stroller and we walked the neighborhood until we came to impassable mud and turned around.

It felt so good to get outside. We have been just going, going, going lately and it was great to slow down and enjoy life outside our house for a bit.

There are several pictures on the camera that I would love to get up soon, but I need to find batteries for the camera first, and then install the new computer mouse, and take care of a few other things first. Pics to come!

healthy

Last year in January, illness held us down, and this year, it looked like it might happen again.

We got home from Ohio. We started our week like normal. Monday night, Slane threw up in bed around 10:30 p.m. And over and over and over until a mostly naked baby and I were wrapped in blankets on the bathroom floor so the clean up would be easier. We eventually transitioned back into her room and I texted in sick for Tuesday. I woke Q up around 4:30 so that I could get some sleep. I stayed home Tuesday. She went to daycare on Wednesday and came back home with Q about an hour later when she threw up again.

Wednesday night we thought we were in the clear, until I threw up. And over and over and over before I texted in sick again. By Thursday night I felt better.

Sunday morning Slane was very cuddly during church, took an extended nap, and developed a fever. At 5 a.m. we had the argument I'm sure many working parents have: who is calling in sick this time. Whose work projects need the most attention. I had grades due at the end of the week; Q was supposed to give a morning presentation at an all-staff meeting. We split the day. I took morning, and he took afternoon. He also got to do the doctor appointment to figure out what was going on. Double ear infection. Slane was so upset during the examination that she threw up multiple times. Great. She was up most of the night screaming in pain because her ears hurt so much. She would kick. And hit. Me and herself. We finally found sleep sitting up in a chair. But not much sleep. Add to that a snowstorm, and me having issues on the road, and there went yet another sick day.

But now we all appear to be healthy. Hopefully this sickness thing swerves around us for a while.

Juicebox

Besides being into Baby Jesus, Slane is into hockey. Anything hockey excites her. When she sees players, sticks, ice, pucks, billboards, logos, etc. she points out the "hockey" to us. Last week we went to two Columbus Blue Jackets games and a practice, which she was very excited about.

At the first game, early in the week, Q happened to get into a conversation with the lady next to him. She is the wife of Kristian Huselius. She had their two daughters with her and I think his brother and dad. She was so sweet and kind, and was telling Q that her youngest daughter goes to preschool with the daughter of another player and the girls were comparing their dads' nicknames one day. So, the other girl says that her dad is called "Clarky," and the Huselius girl said that her dad is called "Juicebox." His nickname is actually Juice, but I think he will be referred to as Juicebox in our house.

Slane also likes juiceboxes, though we try to limit them. We keep hiding the case we received from a grandparent in various places around the house (I found an 8-pack under the couch last week). Slane especially likes Elmo juice, as she calls it.

Baby Jesus

MamaCue's family joined us Christmas Eve for supper, gift exchanging, and stories and carols at our church. One of Slane's great-grandparents got Slane a new doll for Christmas, clad in lavender clothes. Up to now, Slane's babies have never had names, but she has named her new doll Baby Jesus.

An acquaintance of mine warned us about this. As a little girl, she had named one of her dolls Jesus. Then she lost that doll. She went looking for it, calling out, "Where is Jesus?"

I hope we do not lose this doll because I am not ready for the deep theological discussions with Slane that may spring from figuring out where Jesus is.

I NEEEEED Baby Jesus!!!

Lately Slane NEEEEEEEEDS things. She can put a lot of emotion behind that. "I neeeeed fruit snacks!" "I neeeeeeeed Street!" "I neeeeeeeed yogurt!"

Lately Slane has also been into Baby Jesus and the Christmas story. We read it in her rhyming story Bible every night, multiple times. She skips ahead to the baby part every time. Last week at church while we were in the nursery she found the Little People nativity and grabbed baby Jesus, trying to give him to various people. Last night she discovered two nativity scenes at my parents' church, and had to go check out the baby Jesus in each one. She even snagged a doll from the nursery and named it baby Jesus.

Our nativity scene at home is a very small ceramic set with all characters connected together and connected to the base. Slane was upset recently when she wanted baby Jesus and couldn't have him, because I could just picture the whole thing being thrown and shattered. So to tell me how upset she was by this, she yelled, "I NEEEEEED baby Jesus!!!" If I were a pastor, there would so be a sermon here, but since I'm not, well, doesn't this seem like a lesson for us?

All I want for Christmas is a cardboard box

Did you know that the lowly cardboard box is a member of the National Toy Hall of Fame? Jason at Dad-o-Matic says the cardboard box is the best gift "Because it leaves a little to the imagination." The box is a palette for possibility.

Slane does have toys that flash and beep, but lately she has been most interested in art, dolls, physical play (dancing and climbing) and reading. Yes, she requests Yo Gabba Gabba!, Sesame Street, and hockey, but those seem to the soundtrack to her play. 

Because Slane does not know this blog exists, I can share that she will get gifts that encourage her creativity and curiosity: building blocks, duplos, and art supplies will be coming Christmas morning. I don't think we will give her a cardboard box for Christmas, but we did save the large box from her new car seat. It's a Slane-sized playhouse. With the latest blast of cold and the arrival of plastic sheeting, our other Christmas gift, a backyard rink, just needs water.

(Photo credit: Buddhalabs.)