Heads!!!

Journal highlights:

On St. Patrick’s Day Dangerboy made a leprechaun trap.  It was a cup baited with dried garbanzo beans and lentils(?!?) with a ladder made of straws and pencils leaning against it.  After they went to sleep, I tipped the cup over and left a trail of St. Patrick’s Day confetti around the house ending in a pile of gold chocolate coins behind a bookcase.  DB was thrilled (though a little disappointed it wasn’t real gold)!  He was so excited, he drew a really cute picture of a leprechaun and taped it up on the wall, hoping the leprechaun would leave more gold.  Unfortunately, I was fresh out, and he was disappointed again.  But it was fun.

PDaniel and I made it to New York!  (Many thanks to my parents, who watched our kids for us!)  PDan's conference went great.  I wrote about the trip lots in my journal, but here are some things we did:  The NY Public Library, the Empire State Building, The Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim, MOMA, Central Park (two gorgeous walks), saw Memphis and Freud's Last Session (about the hypothetical meeting of CS Lewis and Freud), saw The Daily Show taped, walked up Lexington avenue for, like, 60 blocks, visited 30 Rock and St. Patrick's Cathedral, had pizza in the Village, had amazing Greek food, had tea and scones in a shop called Alice's Tea Cup Chapter Two, walked through Times Square (once was enough).  Had my first creme brulee doughnut.  Had mediocre barbecue (felt sick, went to see The Hunger Games afterward.  Made PDaniel more sick.) Hung out in The Strand Bookstore on a rainy afternoon for, like, three hours.  Ate pie for breakfast.

Loved it, had so much fun.  I can't wait to go back!  PDan may go to this conference every two years, so I've already planned some of it...the Cloisters, more of the Village, I can see it all now...

We went to a live Radiolab performance in Salt Lake a couple of weeks ago.  Radiolab is a podcast I listen to on NPR…it’s science-tainment.  Amazing stories, and Dmitri Martin was HI-larious. It was great, but just as great because my brother Shaun and his friend Mandy went with us, and PDan’s friend Matt from BYU.  We drove to SLC together and went out for delicious pizza afterwards.  It was just fun to spend a night with friends, laughing lots.

Now all my music stuff is over.  Last week was spring break, and PDan had a conference in Dallas.  He had a blast there, ate some really good BBQ (WAY better than what we had in NYC, apparently).  He also found a painting he thought I’d love, and I do.  It’s beautiful…of two birds, with collage pieces of music notation and other pages, but it’s non-cheesy.  I really like it.

I’ve been trying to work on flower and veggie gardening.  I’m determined to get something to grow.   

Cutenesses:

 

Cookie-Nut:  Mom, can you balance books on your head?  (Yes).  Like the ladies in New York?  (I had images of beautiful models practicing runway walking.)  With food on their head?  (Turns out she was getting New York mixed up with Africa…we talk a lot about travel in our family!  It’s easy to get places mixed up.)

 

In a very (eerily) quiet Primary in my mom’s ward: 

Teacher:  (holds up a bicycle helmet for an object lesson)  Now, what’s this for, boys and girls? (I think she was looking for "protection" or something.)

Clara:  (at the top of her lungs) HEADS!!

 

My boy

Dangerboy graduated from preschool today. His class sang to all the parents, then his teacher Miss Lori handed out certificates and said something she liked about each student. DB's was patience. She said he always has lots to tell her and sing for her (?!), and she can't always listen just then. So she often needs to ask him to tell her later, and he is always patient enough to comply.

I thought this was nice and stuff. I'm glad that he's learning patience--he is at home too--but I mean, did he really have any other option in these situations?

Here's something I liked better:

While one of the other girls was getting her certificate, DB turned to me and said, "Mom, look at Riley. She is so beautiful. I really want to marry her."

So I told Riley's mom, because I thought it was cute, and she knew all about it. "Oh yes, DB's so sweet," she said. "Last week Riley was sick and DB made her a beautiful get-well card with sparkly flowers and hearts. And he's sent home hearts for her before on pieces of paper. I say he's a sweetheart--she can go ahead and marry him!"

"Oh yes, DB's a sweetheart," another mom chimed in. "Jack's brought home things from DB before."

I didn't know DB was doing this, but it wasn't surprising. DB is always making stuff for us at home. It's one of the many ways he shows love--making us cards. He also makes our beds for us sometimes, or cleans up a room. The other day he tried to give PDaniel one of his precious dollars, "so Dad won't be poor." He did give another dollar to a person collecting money at Target for a homeless shelter.

So while I'm glad DB is learning patience, if I had to pick one of my favorite things about my son today, I'd pick his big heart. He loves his friends and family so much, and is not afraid to show it. And we love him too!

PS, did I mention we watched Bye Bye Birdie the other day and DB developed a crush on Ann Margaret (see the link)? He totally wants to go see it when I play for it next week, but I think that's why! He totally sings the title song now (CN does too!).

The past week or so

A week or two back, the kids got into one of my jewelry boxes, which happened to be full of shiny red heart-shaped confetti. I managed to contain a lot of it, but have found it scattered around the house ever since. It's cute, really. I found one in the bottom of the laundry basket. On my collarbone the next morning. Next to the bathroom sink. On the bottom of DB's foot during a tickle fight. Just little reminders of love at home.

Went to Mary Poppins in LA last week with a couple of other women in the ward. It was pretty cool! The effects were the most memorable aspect, I think...my favorite parts were when Burt tap-danced on the ceiling (though I thought he must be so uncomfortable) and when Mary Poppins rose up over the audience with her umbrella at the end and flew away. She flew from the stage all the way over to the balcony and up into the ceiling. It was pretty impressive! The audience in the balcony went crazy when she reached them--so happy to finally get some attention!

DB and CN have been sick. CN has another cold/sinus infection, and they're both getting over hand-foot-and-mouth disease. It's not quite as bad as it sounds--a common childhood illness--but the worst part is that DB has had sores in his mouth and it hurts him to eat. And he's been QUITE grouchy. I guess you can't blame him, but he really has reverted to quasi-toddler-like arguments at times, throwing enormous tantrums when I can't reattach the crusts to his bread after I cut them off, and stuff like that.

One sweet regression: I was lying with him on his bed after his bedtime routine, and he asked me to stay. It was so sweet: he was getting drowsy, so I got up to leave as I usually do, but he'd wrapped his hands in my hair, just like he did as a little little guy, and said softly, "I don't want you to go." Well, of course I couldn't after that! So I stayed until he was almost asleep, the little charmer.

I'm having fun with my new iPod and iPod-friendly boom box in the kitchen (Christmas windfall, along with the shows I've been to recently). I haven't bought much new music yet--poor, poor, poor--but I listened to all the U2's Joshua Tree album yesterday. I'm going to get rid of most of my old CDs next time I do a purge, but that album is still good. I also got a special on an audiobook on Audible.com, which I highly recommend, and have loved being able to "read" which I do other stuff--driving, the dishes. It's like a dream come true.

Cookie-Nut has enjoyed getting into my bedside drawer lately and loves to bring me things from it. She proudly brought me a handful of cough drops, and gave them to me, saying "Meh-shee, meh-shee," and shaking her head. That means, "Medicine, and I'm not supposed to eat it." Smart girl! Every time she does things like that, it reminds me of this song, which I love, and the lyrics "I love it when you give me things,\ and you could give me anything."

A postscript: the song referenced in the last paragraph is the Peter Gabriel version of "The Book of Love." I linked the song as it appears in the finale on Scrubs, which is on in our house sometimes. Was anyone else annoyed that JD's baby was NOWHERE in that finale slideshow, or even the walk-through of the hospital at the end with all the memorable faces? Hel-lo!?!

Easter fun

I don't think I've posted about Easter yet--alas, what a procrastinator's journal misses. We went to Arizona; it rained on our Easter egg hunt, but Dangerboy had a blast nonetheless; PDaniel and I had a fun dinner-and-a-show date (Wildflower Bread Company, then The Merchant of Venice by Southwest Shakespeare Company); DB and Cookie-Nut ran wild with their fun cousins, uncles, and aunts; Cookie Nut took her first steps; I went prom dress shopping with Bonnie and the girls...all that we could ask for in an Easter weekend. And more.

And here are some pics to prove it:
In a moment of weakness, I got way too excited about buying my first daughter's first Easter dress. So I bought two (on sale, of course). Here's the other one.Not the greatest picture (we were in a hurry--late to church as usual), but cute, right?

Orpheus Swims!

This is the only opera I've attended where there was a lifeguard present, in a tower, with a whistle...

A couple of weeks ago, P. and I went to see Long Beach Opera's production of Orpheus and Euridice. I'd really wanted to go, since it's a new work by Ricky Ian Gordon, a young composer whose work I've liked, and as luck would have it, I was able to get free tickets from this awesome website (every so often they have giveaways especially for people under 40)!

Gordon was actually there the night of the production. The music, like other works I've heard by him, was "ear-stretching" while still being pleasant to listen to; it was sung in English with supertitles, and both soloists were amazing (the music playing on the video clip is part of the opening to the work, which is a song cycle). Our favorite was the aria "Part of Something Now." I've heard that Gordon's opera Grapes of Wrath will be performed around here sometime in the coming year, and I'm really looking forward to that, as it's one of my favorite novels.

The other "wow" factor was that the production--scored for soprano (narrator/Euridice), clarinet (Orpheus), strings and piano--was set at an Olmpic-sized swimming pool. That part of the production was actually very cool and memorable...the soprano and clarinetist were often in boats, floating or being pushed around by "dancers," who acted out the parts of Orpheus and Euridice, as well as other characters. They were in swimsuits (often). When Euridice was sucked back into the underworld, she literally disappeared under the water, leaving behind a cloudful of white guaze, while lonely floating candles drifted at the other end of the pool, and Orpheus sang, "I am not part of anything now...."

We had just a couple of criticisms...Gordon did write the libretto himself; I've been told that composers shouldn't do this. P. and I definitely both thought he needed an editor. Also, those actors doing the miming should have been professional dancers, not actor/vocalists. The stylized movements they were required to do could have been carried off more gracefully by dancers.

But a fun evening was had by all! It was actually closing night, so after the show, the whole cast and crew jumped into the water (instruments being safely stowed away).

(Thanks to our friends J. and B. for babysitting!)

What I did last summer

I never wrote down anywhere what we did. Here's a brief description:

1. Cursed Jiffy Lube. Got a simple oil change; they didn't screw on the filter tight enough; we drove to Arizona...wham! Our engine was ruined. Luckily, they had the engine replaced for us with not too much hassle, though it took a month. Our insurance company AND the dealership both said they get about four engine replacement requests every year because of oil shops like Jiffy Lube. Take caution, all.

2. Went to AZ to visit P.'s family...hot but fun!

3. Went on a rare all-day date with P. thanks to some "extreme babysitting" (patent pending). We went on a hike, played on the beach, saw the latest Harry Potter movie, bought new shoes, and had dinner at an Italian place by South Coast Plaza. That night we watched Sweet Home Alabama and ate mochi ice cream. If only
more days could be like that one!

4. Took Dangerboy to the Getty museum. DB wasn't terribly interested in most of the exhibits, but he likes the children's room (I did too) and the "King's Menagerie" and made a cool mask, which he put on so he could run around and scare strangers. The museum itself is beautiful, as are the gardens.


5. Spent a night at my Auntie Eva's near San Diego, reconnecting with some cousins, and hanging out at the downtown Escondido vintage car show, which is a fun place in the summertime--quirky places to eat, cool cars, old people, young punk-types, families, and 50's music: Mom and Eva swing-danced on a street corner for a while as the rest of us pretended we didn't know them (but secretly it looked like fun).

5. Went with a group of very fun friends to see Wicked playing at the Pantages in LA. I really enjoyed it--the talent was amazing--I especially loved the first act closer "Defying Gravity."

6. P. got to present a paper at a conference in Vancouver, which went really well. He made some good contacts, and people seemed to be really interested in what he had to say.

7. While P. globetrotted, Dangerboy and I headed up to Utah and Idaho to visit family. DB's favorite part of Grandma and Grandpa's was picking green apples off their tree and playing with them in the kiddie pool or the sandbox. We went to the zoo while there, and also had an adventurous canoe trip, which I will write about separately. He loved playing with his cousins too--we got to spend a day on the "beach" of a random deserted Utah lake with them. Again, hot but fun!

10/22/06

New words I have heard Dangerboy say recently(some may be repeats):

Paci (his favorite--he pronounces it "pass" or "bass" (like the fish) or "my pass" or sometimes just "my".)

Pleeeeeeeease (repeated after something he saw on TV).

Baby (really clear! But only on one occasion, repeated several times).

Bubble (repeated after me).

Balloon ("Oon")

Car ("Ka-Ka")

Truck ("Uck"--he has jammies with cars and trucks on them and he always notices when they show up on his body)

Beep (whenever he hears a horn--I don't remember teaching him this)

Uh-oh (old word, new meanings: says it pitifully when he is upset, or obsessively when something has been dropped--he'll say it over and over and over until someone picks it up).

Other stuff: He has a little tradition of running away whenever I bring him into the bathroom to take a bath. Usually he is naked, and he runs knowing I'm going to chase him. He's been sick (bad cold) since about Wednesday and probably has sickened all the other kids we know. Consequently he has been SUPER GROUCHY for much of recent days. Today, not even going outside could cheer him up--he just cried. Usually that works! Poor kid.

As for P. and I--P.'s plugging along in school with not enough time to get everything done. I've had a cough for a week now and it's driving me nuts! Fun stuff: we saw a play (for free!) on Thursday--"To Kill a Mockingbird." Good, but not great. The kids were good but Attucus could have been a little better. On a positive note though, he reminded me of P.'s dad Tom! (He didn't to P. because he could only think of Gregory Peck.) But something about this actor's voice, carriage, and gruff expressions of affection reminded me of Tom. As well as his determination to do the right thing.

P. cleaned the house for me last night. I was sooooooo happy. I was away babysitting and chatting, having had enough of a grouchy baby and a sink full of dishes. Thanks P. the Sweetie!

10/19/06

Tonight was Free Night of Theatre, a lovely evening when lots of theatre companies in the LA area open their doors for free, but you have to get a reservation online. Lovely! P. and I saw To Kill A Mockingbird in Long Beach at the International City theatre. It was a pretty good production, though we had our critiques as usual. I told my friends about the event, and they're going to see a couple of things. Hope they like the shows...none of them are in Irvine, and I'd hate to think that they thought the drive wasn't worth it.

Dangerboy is worse today, so I was going to go with him to Utah tomorrow, but the tickets are changed so that we'll go in a couple of weeks. He was super grouchy today, so he just watched lots of TV and dripped from his nose and mouth. :( Poor little buddy. Hope he feels better soon. I'm fine, just had this stupid cough since Sunday. Thought I'd cough all through the play, but luckily didn't.