Savages: A Field Journal

May 27, 2009: A crazy day, the savages were wild. I can only hope with a little rest it will be better tomorrow.

6:33 I am awoken by the smallest female, I'll call her subject Z, when I explain to her that, in the civilized world, "morning time" does not start until 7:00 and that now is the time to rest, she lays down on the floor next to my bed. I scoop her up and snuggle with her, rubbing her hair and talking softly. A nice way to greet the morning.
7:15 Subject Z, now fully awake, successfully goes on the potty. Meanwhile her older sister, Subject A, wakes up with a dry pull-up. There is much celebration and as is tradition in this tribe, both get to pick a prize from the magical basket....rainbow slinkys.
8:11 The littlest one, subject JP wakes up hungry. While I'm feeding him Z puts her whole mouth on him arm. After a lengthy discussion about what you can and cannot bite, Z declares "You can't bite babies but you can suck on them."
8:50 An incident occurs at breakfast. It is tough to tell who is to blame.
8:55 Z brings me a calculator and tells me to speak to the pizza man
9:19 Round up the savages to dress, brush hair and find shoes
9:40 To sedate subject Z, and buy some time, I put on Diego and feed JP
9:59 A is missing and abnormally quiet. I go to investigate.
10:02 Find A in her room with crayons all over and seriously contemplate changing plans and staying home.
10:19 A, Z and JP are fastened in to the transport and en route to a hot dog party.
10:35 Arrive at hot dog party and greet friends.
10:55 Z steps on a bee, I administer first aid, ice and kisses.
11:35 A leads a pack of little girls running from tree to tree on the lawn, I take a moment to enjoy her red cheeked laughing face with hair blowing in the wind.
11:46 Z is found covered in chocolate.
12:33 A ran away from me when I told her it was time to go.
12:39 Back in transport I had to pull over to tell A to keep her hands and feet to herself.
12:45 Now at home, A must spend some time to herself for running away from me and misbehaving in the car. Z, JP and I refresh ourselves with a change of clothes, diapers and washing our hands and faces.
12:53 A and Z look through the craft area to choose an activity. They chose oversized coloring books and big crayons.
12:55 I settle down on the couch for a long nursing session with JP.
1:01 Z peculiarly spits on her big crayons. Crayons are taken away.
1:20 JP falls asleep in my arms and I put him in bed for his afternoon nap
1:30 I gather Z's woobie and milk and lay her down for a nap
1:35 Got A settled for quiet time of a Calliou DVD and chocolate milk on the couch.
1:40 Some blessed “me time”
2:00 I crash on the couch and wake up drooling
2:35 A is awake and bored. I attempt a clean up and start to plan the evening meal.
4:11 JP wakes up hungry, I change him and commence the feeding
4:30 Z stumbles awake demanding milk and Diego, as is her usual routine
5:30 The witching hour, when dinner must be cooked and all the savages go wild. A and Z have fashioned their earlier presents into weapons and lash out at each other, then on their brother. Both are admonished and toys are taken away.
5:44 I hear a tribal beat and find A & Z using JP's belly like a bongo.
6:11 JP begins his hourly feeding evening schedule
6:15 A kicking incident occurs without the subjects knowing I was observing. Subject A did not tell the absolute truth about the incident and when being sent to solitary she dodged and evaded me. The punishment is escalated and she is sent to her room until reinforcements arrive.
6:17 Crying. Lots and lots of crying.
6:32 Reinforcements arrive and they are informed of the ongoing situation. They are dispatched to release A from her imprisonment after a long talk.
6:47 Dinner is without incident.
7:15 I pass on my supervision of the savages to the adult male and feed, change and bathe the littlest one, secretly whispering to him my plans to run away with just him. He kicks in his bath and stares deep into my eyes.
8:02 I hear distant screaming as I feed JP in a reclined position on the couch.
8:11 A and Z appear freshly bathed with wet hair and cute jammies.
8:34 I am summoned to the room for "Momma Song" a snuggle and a kiss, I ask both A and Z what they are going to dream about and tell them that I love them more than words.
9:05 All is quiet. Too quiet...

One Year

What a difference a year can make.

We moved here exactly one year ago.

A jam packed busy chaotic tumultuous fast paced crazy year that included moving to a new city sight unseen, celebrating a few weddings, announcing a big surprise, a trip to Greece, buying a house, the holidays, having a baby and here we are: a very different family than the one that arrived at our witness protection program apartment with ten boxes and three suitcases.

Last year, everything was new and uncertain now I feel like we are really settling down, making friends, reconnecting with old ones, growing roots and I can envision a lovely future here. It feels pretty good.

Exhibit A

So we're working on potty training Zoe these days. The deal is when she uh...produces...she gets to pick a present from a big basket of dollar store goodies. Her sister, not to be left out, also gets a present when she "assists" which is encouraging her to sit on the potty or waiting with her and just generally providing guidance.

Here you will find the latest evolution of that little arrangement. Zoe, who had just gone on the potty an hour earlier, is seen sitting on the potty while her sister fills cups up with water and forces her to drink it in order to make her "go".

They are determined to succeed.

That smile

That smile! That elusive first smile captured on film!

For a couple of weeks now and with more and more regularity, John Patrick has been giving us this wonderful open mouthed goofy smile. He smiles at the fan over our heads, at the sunlight in the window, while pooping and when he's tickled and sung too. The girls are always trying to make him smile but their exuberance kinda scares him and then whenever the camera comes out he's a deer in headlights.

Today I was determined and brought on all the tricks with a camera perched under my chin so that he could look at my face. I took a hundred photos and capture one cheesy grin (and several more where he looks like Elvis).

Isn't he just the cutest! Gush gush gush.

Mother's Day

This whole celebrating Mother's Day as a mother is still kind of new to me, we haven't really figured out what our family tradition is yet. Chris has been asking me all week what do I want, what do I want to do. I had no idea. All I knew was that I wanted my family around me and that I wanted to sleep in. That to me is a good day.

So I didn't get up until 9:30. I slept so long and hard that when I woke up my arms and legs were numb. Then Chris lured me out of bed with a delicious breakfast, coffee and the promise of presents. Yesterday, Chris took the girls shopping to pick out gifts for Mommy. He let them choose the gifts. Athena chose a lovely sterling silver earring and necklace set (see above) and Zoe inexplicably choose a vegetable peeler that you wear on your finger. Chris and John Patrick got me a new waffle maker and Athena also wrapped up my favorite pair of shoes (taken from my closet) in a shoe box and gave those to me too. And, Mimi bought me the first book of the Twilight series.

Then we went on a lovely picnic in the park. Mimi prepared a feast of cheese, pate, grapes, French bread, chocolate and white wine. Before snacking though, we took a ton of photos. The girls were less than cooperative and actually some of the outtakes were the funniest pictures. But I'm really thrilled with how many great shots we got.

I think this may be a new tradition.

All Yiayia's babies.

Little Dude hung out on Daddy's lap.

What do you think about Chris' beard?
and can you tell the JP has older sisters (check the bottle ring)?

Zoe and Daddy portrait.
The best shot we got of girls.
Athena relaxing in the shade.

Wow a picture without our kids in it!

Athena and her Mimi

After the picnic Zoe played in the creek.
Those pants will never be the same.

Kisses

John Patrick gets kissed about a thousand times a day. Mostly from Athena. She plants her lips on him and just smooches away repeatedly kissing his soft fuzzy head. I have to watch her so that she doesn't squeeze him too hard and make him spit up. Her love is mighty.

The worst thing about her sickness last week was that she wasn't allowed to kiss the baby. Every day she told me she was better and asked could she "kiss the baby now?" She was so happy when I finally gave her the go ahead.

Now she's making up for lost time.

White Jeans?

Zoe hated it when I made her wear this hat too!

Today I went through all the girls old clothes to see if I could find some non-girlie items that John Patrick could wear. I found a surprisingly good number of things that are transferable. Boys can wear aqua track pants, can't they? And white jeans?

A couple times now I have tried unsuccessfully to root through the girls clothes and get rid of some of them. Each little item has so many visceral memories, I just can't do it. They are physical reminders of how tiny they were not so long ago. I'm probably going to carrying these four bins of clothes around with me for a long, long time.

Swine Flu

One of the benefits of being sick is watching tv
and napping on Mommy's and Daddy's bed.

The girls have been so sick all week, the only time we have ventured out is to go to the Doctor's office. They did test us for Swine Flu, but we are not in an "at risk" category, whatever that means, so we are clear.

Today, Athena is feeling much better. Zoe still has a low grade fever but nearly healed. And luckily, thanks to copious amounts of Purell, John Patrick and I have not gotten it but Chris did start to feel yucky this morning.

Mimi left for NY on Monday, so it has just been me and the babies quarantined and bumping around in our pajamas all day and Chris coming home to be a "Daddy Bed". Now I am frantically packing to go down for Aunt Mavi's funeral.

Needless to say, it's been a long, rough week with no relief coming this weekend.

For my Chris

Nine years ago today we had a small wedding with
a gathering of friends and family in an
old haunted mansion in San Francisco.
Rebecca performed the service and we took
lines from a Princess Bride for our vows
which were barely heard over the click of disposable cameras.
I treasure that day because it made you completely mine.
Some day our babies will look at this picture and say
"Were Mom and Dad really ever that young?"
It feels like yesterday and forever ago.
I love you more with each passing year.
Yes.
I will spend another nine years with you.
(after that we'll have to talk)

The Little Dude

The little Dude is six weeks already, er actually almost seven. I am constantly amazed at how quickly time flies when measured by a little life.

At John Patrick's six week well baby check up he was in the 97th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight at 24 inches and 12 pounds 10 ounces. He is, basically, the size of a three month old. And practically perfect in every way.

He is starting to settle into a schedule. Even though he still wakes up three and four times a night, he goes back to sleep quickly and is much less fussy and uncomfortable. He's also almost holding his head up and smiling just a little bit, especially when he recognizes his people.

Here's some photos of our little chunk...