Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
For Kate and Johnny: Our Wishes for You
We have been thinking of you so much lately as we wait for our new niece or nephew to arrive. Any day now... any minute now... We can't wait to hear when and to find out who we will welcome with so much love. And as we wait, we thought we'd send out some wishes to you. Daily, David and I are floored by the paradoxical nature of parenthood, its wonders and its frustrations, both--sometimes at the same time.
Ultimately, parenthood is really boring. How many times can you read Dora goes to the Dentist (an inane book); or play at making soup in the backyard with a hose, dirt, bucket, a old croquet stick for stirring, with a sprinkling of grass on top; or sing the "Baa baa black sheep" over and over; or answer the same questions ad nauseum? I mean this is really boring stuff. But you can't get enough of it. I'm sometimes desperate to get away from it, but when you aren't there, you want to be there. I rush home and find myself staring at Kit spitting at me for a good twenty minutes straight communicating with her in that baby way as if our conversation is scintillating. We wish you all the boring fascination in the world.
And we find that parenthood is maddening. Elsie spends a lot of time not listening to us which is a nice way of saying deliberately disobeying us. You can't believe you have to tell her repeatedly to stop sucking on the straw of the broom and not to brush her sister's hair with a broom and to put the broom down, damnit. You can't believe someone can move as slow as she does when you are trying to get in the car for Sesame Street Live with her rainboots, raincoat, Dora umbrella, Salty Dog Hat, and purse with Elmo spinner. You can't believe that she will question the whereabouts of the box turtle that stopped by our yard a year ago every hour of every day. But then, you can't get enough of it. You find that your heart will skip with joy without warning--just at a glimpse of her in your rear view mirror, singing quietly in her carseat. You find yourself naming an imaginary dog "Skillet" just to trick her into saying words that highlight her misprononciation: "skiwet." You find yourself desperate for her to fall asleep and find yourself hungry for her to wake back up. It awakens such an intense passionate love. We wish you all the maddening love in the world.
We find that parenthood is exhausting. Our friend described it as relentless and it is--the sleeplessness, the sheer boredom, the monotony, the impossibility of even using the bathroom without hindrances. But then there is the exhilaration of the firsts--the food, the smiles, the steps. We wish you all the exhausting exhiliration in the world.
We find that as parents we mourn those people we were and those freedoms we had. Parenthood ties you up in so many ways. An upcoming holiday isn't really a break from anything and doesn't necessarily mean more relaxation. It just means that every moment is that much more rich, more intense, the cooped up ones and those where you are free to lay in the grass and dance on the rug, to run in the rain and splash in the sea... to notice the world and all it has to offer and to experience it doubly in the exuberance of your child. We mourn with you what you will lose and are confident you will be consoled by how much more you will gain.
We have been thinking of you so much lately as we wait for our new niece or nephew to arrive. Any day now... any minute now... We can't wait to hear when and to find out who we will welcome with so much love. And as we wait, we thought we'd send out some wishes to you. Daily, David and I are floored by the paradoxical nature of parenthood, its wonders and its frustrations, both--sometimes at the same time.
Ultimately, parenthood is really boring. How many times can you read Dora goes to the Dentist (an inane book); or play at making soup in the backyard with a hose, dirt, bucket, a old croquet stick for stirring, with a sprinkling of grass on top; or sing the "Baa baa black sheep" over and over; or answer the same questions ad nauseum? I mean this is really boring stuff. But you can't get enough of it. I'm sometimes desperate to get away from it, but when you aren't there, you want to be there. I rush home and find myself staring at Kit spitting at me for a good twenty minutes straight communicating with her in that baby way as if our conversation is scintillating. We wish you all the boring fascination in the world.
And we find that parenthood is maddening. Elsie spends a lot of time not listening to us which is a nice way of saying deliberately disobeying us. You can't believe you have to tell her repeatedly to stop sucking on the straw of the broom and not to brush her sister's hair with a broom and to put the broom down, damnit. You can't believe someone can move as slow as she does when you are trying to get in the car for Sesame Street Live with her rainboots, raincoat, Dora umbrella, Salty Dog Hat, and purse with Elmo spinner. You can't believe that she will question the whereabouts of the box turtle that stopped by our yard a year ago every hour of every day. But then, you can't get enough of it. You find that your heart will skip with joy without warning--just at a glimpse of her in your rear view mirror, singing quietly in her carseat. You find yourself naming an imaginary dog "Skillet" just to trick her into saying words that highlight her misprononciation: "skiwet." You find yourself desperate for her to fall asleep and find yourself hungry for her to wake back up. It awakens such an intense passionate love. We wish you all the maddening love in the world.
We find that parenthood is exhausting. Our friend described it as relentless and it is--the sleeplessness, the sheer boredom, the monotony, the impossibility of even using the bathroom without hindrances. But then there is the exhilaration of the firsts--the food, the smiles, the steps. We wish you all the exhausting exhiliration in the world.
We find that as parents we mourn those people we were and those freedoms we had. Parenthood ties you up in so many ways. An upcoming holiday isn't really a break from anything and doesn't necessarily mean more relaxation. It just means that every moment is that much more rich, more intense, the cooped up ones and those where you are free to lay in the grass and dance on the rug, to run in the rain and splash in the sea... to notice the world and all it has to offer and to experience it doubly in the exuberance of your child. We mourn with you what you will lose and are confident you will be consoled by how much more you will gain.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Potty Humor
So, we seemed to have turned a corner with potty training and after various false starts and backslides, false alarms and curse words, Elsie has been in real underwear for a few weeks now. She wakes up and requests her big girl panties first thing. She definitely has got #2 down and will run in from outside and wake up from slumber to get to the potty. And she has had a surprisingly few accidents with tinkling (just 2 or 3), and we have lots of good excuses for those. She even keeps her pull up dry during nap time. Baby diapers have nothing on two year old diapers and we'll gladly relinquish the latter. A few funny potty-related Elsie stories:
1. Her favorite phrase is "let me show you something..." It's a euphemism she uses often for anything and sometimes to get to do something we've outlawed or get at something we don't want her to have. "Hey Daddy let me show you something..." as she attempts to climb on the counter to get at the stashed Easter candy/potty incentives. "Hey Mommy let me show you something..." as she tries to go outside and play in the "soup" she made in a flower pot in the backyard yesterday while I am trying to get her out of the door for school in presentable manner this morning. She also uses it innocently to get our attention. For example, last week, as David was performing his post-work ablutions, Elsie called out, "Hey Daddy, let me show you something..." She pulled down her pants, "Hey Daddy, where are my tinkle parts?" Daddy assured her that her tinkle parts were girl parts like Mommy's and just where they were supposed to be.
2. So, we are in Target yesterday and Elsie is getting to pick out some new big girl panties. I let her choose and she demanded "Hannah Ontana." She then insisted on putting them on immediately upon arriving at home and wearing them to school today. Come on--"Hannah Ontana" at age 2?! What will those preschool teachers think of me? Let me be clear--she has never seen "Hannah Ontana." In fact, when she got home and was ripping into the packaging, she asked me, "What Hannah Ontana do, Mommy?" I told her that she was a singer and she then quizzed David on what she sang. We, of course, haven't a clue. Elsie's only encounter with the teen phenom was a sticker she got at the doctor and some party favor she got at the park. Now, that is all it takes?! They are filming a Hannah Montana movie this summer on Tybee--if Elsie's ardor was flamed from such minor encounters, we fear we'll be stalking Tybee with the screaming hoards before too long. Just look out for the two year old with the "Hannah Ontana" panties.
So, we seemed to have turned a corner with potty training and after various false starts and backslides, false alarms and curse words, Elsie has been in real underwear for a few weeks now. She wakes up and requests her big girl panties first thing. She definitely has got #2 down and will run in from outside and wake up from slumber to get to the potty. And she has had a surprisingly few accidents with tinkling (just 2 or 3), and we have lots of good excuses for those. She even keeps her pull up dry during nap time. Baby diapers have nothing on two year old diapers and we'll gladly relinquish the latter. A few funny potty-related Elsie stories:
1. Her favorite phrase is "let me show you something..." It's a euphemism she uses often for anything and sometimes to get to do something we've outlawed or get at something we don't want her to have. "Hey Daddy let me show you something..." as she attempts to climb on the counter to get at the stashed Easter candy/potty incentives. "Hey Mommy let me show you something..." as she tries to go outside and play in the "soup" she made in a flower pot in the backyard yesterday while I am trying to get her out of the door for school in presentable manner this morning. She also uses it innocently to get our attention. For example, last week, as David was performing his post-work ablutions, Elsie called out, "Hey Daddy, let me show you something..." She pulled down her pants, "Hey Daddy, where are my tinkle parts?" Daddy assured her that her tinkle parts were girl parts like Mommy's and just where they were supposed to be.
2. So, we are in Target yesterday and Elsie is getting to pick out some new big girl panties. I let her choose and she demanded "Hannah Ontana." She then insisted on putting them on immediately upon arriving at home and wearing them to school today. Come on--"Hannah Ontana" at age 2?! What will those preschool teachers think of me? Let me be clear--she has never seen "Hannah Ontana." In fact, when she got home and was ripping into the packaging, she asked me, "What Hannah Ontana do, Mommy?" I told her that she was a singer and she then quizzed David on what she sang. We, of course, haven't a clue. Elsie's only encounter with the teen phenom was a sticker she got at the doctor and some party favor she got at the park. Now, that is all it takes?! They are filming a Hannah Montana movie this summer on Tybee--if Elsie's ardor was flamed from such minor encounters, we fear we'll be stalking Tybee with the screaming hoards before too long. Just look out for the two year old with the "Hannah Ontana" panties.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
happy mother's day!
well it was mommy x2 this year, so double the celebration. e and daddy were up and running (literally) at 7am planning the days festivities. e worked best on the sofa watching the little einsteins with a bowl of grapes and watermelon we found. she did find her way into the kitchen in time to help dad add blueberries to the special mommy's day super waffles. mommy walked in at just the right moment with k in hand. super waffles and fresh picked flowers by e were waiting at the table. next came a handcrafted card by e and dad, and a little token of our appreciation (pictured tunic) for being the most amazing mommy. we love you mommy and are so lucky to have you. d, e, & k
Beach Buddies
Be sure to check out the Boukater blog for the complete pics of
our visit with the cousins at HHI. It was loads of fun for adults and kids alike. Here are some select shots.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Baby Beckham
Yes, if Kit is White Chocolate aka Jason Williams, then Elsie is Baby Beckham.
Some of you have asked about pictures of Elsie's soccer, and really, there is no need for photos. Just imagine Elsie running up to a young boy her age like Hart Tedder and saying "chase me Hart-chase me." Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine her running up to another young boy her age like Andrew and saying "chase me Andrew-chase me." Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine her running up to a random boy her age and saying "chase me Boy-chase me." Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine David telling Elsie to put down the soccer ball and to kick it with her feet. Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine us going home.
This is pretty much how her "soccer practices" went. After our twenty-something combined years of soccer experience, David and I had all sorts of input. After our years of soccer experience, we realized that it didn't matter if Coach Rosie, Coach James, and Coach Katie were SCAD soccer stars. What they really needed was our brief experience with two and a half year olds and no experience with soccer.
And the only connection between Elsie and Beckham is that he is almost certainly the kind of boy she would run up to and say "chase me-chase me." We hope to break this habit before her teen years.
Yes, if Kit is White Chocolate aka Jason Williams, then Elsie is Baby Beckham.
Some of you have asked about pictures of Elsie's soccer, and really, there is no need for photos. Just imagine Elsie running up to a young boy her age like Hart Tedder and saying "chase me Hart-chase me." Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine her running up to another young boy her age like Andrew and saying "chase me Andrew-chase me." Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine her running up to a random boy her age and saying "chase me Boy-chase me." Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine David telling Elsie to put down the soccer ball and to kick it with her feet. Then imagine her taking a water break. Then imagine us going home.
This is pretty much how her "soccer practices" went. After our twenty-something combined years of soccer experience, David and I had all sorts of input. After our years of soccer experience, we realized that it didn't matter if Coach Rosie, Coach James, and Coach Katie were SCAD soccer stars. What they really needed was our brief experience with two and a half year olds and no experience with soccer.
And the only connection between Elsie and Beckham is that he is almost certainly the kind of boy she would run up to and say "chase me-chase me." We hope to break this habit before her teen years.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
White Chocolate
So Mike Boukater pointed out this weekend that Kit bore a surprising resemblance to Jason Williams, aka White Chocolate. We'll let you decide if you agree or if you think Mike should lay off the mint juleps.
If you are keeping track of the numbers, here are Kit's stats at 4 months:
Weight: 14.14 in the 77th %tile
Height: 25.3 in the 83rd %tile
Head: 39.5 in the 13th %tile
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Neighbor Nights
So I know we need to get some pics up of the cousins beach weekend. In the meantime, here are some photos to hold you over.
You will see that I was honored at a recent opening night party for the Sand Gnats thrown by our neighbors/my boss. I got a Half Ass. Dean award from him for my time as Interim Assistant Dean--as did Teresa for her time as Interim Assistant Dean while I was on leave. Together, we added up to an Ass. Dean. It was a prestigious award, and I just hope to live up to Mark Finlay's Big Ass. Dean example. (And for those of you trying to place Mark--you know him as Rubber Man/Double Ds from David's party. Check out his hot-off-the presses book: Growing American Rubber.)
The other photos of the kids are from another Neighbor Night with our old neighbors, the Finlay/Applegates and Lynches. This Sunday, we picnicked in the park. Kit was clearly starving and couldn't relax! ;)
So I know we need to get some pics up of the cousins beach weekend. In the meantime, here are some photos to hold you over.You will see that I was honored at a recent opening night party for the Sand Gnats thrown by our neighbors/my boss. I got a Half Ass. Dean award from him for my time as Interim Assistant Dean--as did Teresa for her time as Interim Assistant Dean while I was on leave. Together, we added up to an Ass. Dean. It was a prestigious award, and I just hope to live up to Mark Finlay's Big Ass. Dean example. (And for those of you trying to place Mark--you know him as Rubber Man/Double Ds from David's party. Check out his hot-off-the presses book: Growing American Rubber.)
The other photos of the kids are from another Neighbor Night with our old neighbors, the Finlay/Applegates and Lynches. This Sunday, we picnicked in the park. Kit was clearly starving and couldn't relax! ;)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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