Nebraska Mama

Winter’s End

The first three weeks in April we had snow every Monday. There always enough accumulation for Max to use his manly snow plow. Sometimes, I think Max’s alter ego is Tim Taylor-He will stand at a window and sip coffee and ask me, “do you think there is enough snow for me to use the snow blower?” And pretty much every weekend we have at least three discussions about tools he needs to do this or that. I will say that the snowblower is so nice to have when you get 11 inches of the wet, cold stuff.

Over time there was enough snow to create a small sled hill in the back yard.

Sometimes it was a little too cold or too ice-y to play outside so in my desperation as a parent at then end of the long winter things got a little crazy.  We painted.  A lot. Henry chose to paint on paper while Vivien prefered herself:

We also got really creative with household items.  Skirts became hats.

And the old cafeteria orange mouth was updated by Henry (or Hemmy as Vivien calls him):

We also filled the long winter days with Peek-a-boo/Hide and Seek.  Henry and Vivien play by their own sets of rules.  Henry is never it (he is always the one to hide). He occasionally finds some very good spots and surprises me.   VIvien never quite hides.  She stands only four feet from where me or Max are counting and just turns around and starts giggling when you say, “Ready or Not, Here I come.” She also loves Peek-a-boo but she can’t quite say that, instead she yells, “Boo Koo!” when she pops into view from behind a curtain or blanket.

Henry has taken a really great interest in Batman (in addition to letter writing…Zorro has returned. We are now finding not just H’s around the house but nearly all the letters to “Henry”)  and is watching cartoons on Netflix and I think that is slightly altering the way he sees the world. On a recent outing to the local Quizno’s we drove by the courthouse.  When Henry saw all of the cop cars Henry exclaimed, “Somebody must of robbed this place.  The cops are there!”

And two minutes later we rolled into the Quizno’s parking lot and Henry asked, “Is this Gizmos?” 

It is those moments that remind my that we made the right call to become parents and that we were really fucking lucky to get two of the craziest most lovable kiddos. By the way, Max argues you can use the data to make a decision.  I disagree.  It is a leap of faith or technically an epistemically-transformative experience.

P.S. I have been really slow to write more on my blog because of this New Yorker essay about a mommy blog.   Max thought it was hilarious. So did I.  But it was cause for some reflection.  

My Duck and Goose

My little people rock.  Occasionally, when they are tired, hungry or haven’t been able play outside for weeks months (now) they can become a little impish. In those moments, I struggle to overcome my tendencies to spoil them or fight back my temper and channel my energy into re-directing them from chasing each other up and down and around the stairs or throwing sharp or hard objects or in Henry’s case WHINING and in Vivien’s case BITING. I will admit I fail but sometimes I succeed and we produce wonderful things and memories like the: SUPER SECRET ADVENTURE CLUBHOUSE (two levels):

And sometimes we create more permanent items like  Hawk-eye’s Henry’s Quiver out of a mail package, felt,  and red duct tape.

Henry is training to be a member of the Nick Fury’s Avengers Squad or is planning on doing a little urban homesteading:

Henry’s inspiration for requesting for a long bow for Christmas was an episode of Max and Ruby (a delightful cartoon based children’s books by Rosemary Well-Ruby is the “responsible” sometimes overbearing ever patient older bunny sister to Max, an energetic and for most of a story is stubborn about something) in which Max hunted down a wind-up lobster that had runaway with the last piece of Ruby’s puzzle.

The most hilarious book I have read in last year was Max and Ruby:  Max’s Chocolate Chicken.  If you have not read it, do it, it will take two minutes but brighten your week, maybe even your month-I will not spoil it for you by describing it.  The first time I read it to Henry I started laughing so hard I cried, Henry did too once I got the words out.  We read it over and over and laughed at it again and again. Henry enjoyed it so much he asked to share it at school,  it was well received.

It is on the rare day that I drive Henry to school.  We often end up philosophizing or planning grand things in those eight minutes it takes to get there. Most recently on one of those precious mornings, I let Henry roll his window down to push the snow off it.  He kept it down. As we were driving down the street Henry turned and put his head out the window and yelled, “I love you world!”

Moved, I asked, “Henry why did you yell that?”

Henry, matter of fact, “Because I love-ed the world.”

This is also the kid that while playing a game of would you rather said he would build a trap with wire and tape but “not for deers because I love deers and because deers are pretty and some deer die and are shot by people for the meat but not by Dada because Dada likes deers.”

Sometimes I forgot what an imp he can be…but usually not for long.

Vivien, Imp #2, also known as “Mad, Bitey Baby” when she is in time out is starting to talk in two and three word statements-she has to keep up with Henry even when it is a challenge.

One of her first fifty words was “Army”-likely due to the large number of green and brown army guys found about the house.   

Vivien also loves reading.  She loves baby books and animal books. She loves to read Goodnight Moon to point out the mouse as he moves about the room and slowly all the little items in the room. “Mou”  “Clock” “Moon”  She follows “One” with “Two” and follows “More” with “Please.” When she says “Yes” to a question her response if full bodied, she marches her feet up and down and nods her and shakes her hands as if she were a cheerleader. 

Vivien loves taking care of babies.  She shushes them.  She rocks them.  She takes them for walks.  She covers them and hugs them. 

She cares for us too.  She will bring us our things like slippers and bags, tooth brush, etc.  A born nurturer.

Vivien has inherited or learned to laugh like me.  She has an enchanting borderline raucous full throated, head up, mouth wide open belly shaking laugh.  She laughs at taking items out of grocery bags, she laughs at Henry, at bottoms, she laughs belly buttons and pressing them and saying “Ding-Dong”.

She also gets really excited about things she understands.  We talk about going swimming at the Y or going to the Family Play Center.  She will turn her head up to us and say, “ME, ME” excitedly. Or when something is hers, “MINE, MINE” and at daycare gets into arguments with the other two little ones and just repeats over and over with venom (as venomouss as a one year old can be) “My Mama.  NO. My Mama.  NO. My Dada.” 

When she sees animals she knows the noises to she will make them.  Her bird and owl are spot on, “Tweet” or “Hoo.” Her pig is funky, it is like she needs to hock a loogie. She is particularly loud with sheep, she nearly yells, “BAAA, BAAA!” 

She also yells, “BUBBLE!  BUBBLE!” when there are bubbles.

Both love a good bubble bath. 

Henry is my Goose and Vivien is my Duck-I love them even when the imp is in fifth gear.

Goodreads, a little Netflix, a little Facebook for Bookworms.

In need of a laugh, read the description for Outlander (which was recommended to me) and then the review by Eric, represented as a sock puppet.  Made my day and saved me from 800+ mistake.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10964.Outlander

Tales of My Band of Rascals

We are a small band but we cover a lot of territory (the same routes over and over again but it is always different) which is exciting but tiring…hence the extended time between posts. 

We had fun with Halloween:

Henry was Commander Rex of the Clone Wars through and through.  He walked the walk, he took his position seriously. Blasting clones.  Running to hide when cover was poor. Vivien was Cuteness clothed in tulle and shiny red Tom’s. (just a little plug-I made their outfits with my friend Heidi’s help on Viv’s dress)

While the Star Wars masks are totally cool they are the cause for eerie during the middle of the night at our house.  They will spontaneous bark out orders or threats or battle cries. It never fails to wake up Max, who then goes in search of the masks in the dark, blundering around Henry’s room, stepping on LEGOs and failing to find it or quiet it without wounding himself by stubbing a toe. This could be the beginning of howcertain things go missing(ideas include burying under the concrete when we lay the new driveway, stuffing in the old chair in the basement and topping with pillows), but for now the masks are safe.

While Halloween was still fresh in Henry’s mind in the week following we were discussing while cuddling before bed what he wanted to be next year.  He threw out a myriad of ideas: A horse, A power ranger (how does he know about them?), A Lion, etc.  Then he followed the list with:

“Mama,  I want you to be a princess for Halloween next year.”

“Oh, Henry.” I replied.

“I will be your guard.” He proclaimed.

“That is so sweet.” I responded, honestly, I was feeling and thinking, I have an amazing four year old.  I then added, “Well, I guess I will have to get you a sword.”

To which he aptly replied, “With blood on it?!”

Amazing? Yes.  Even to me. 

Henry was already introduced Vivien to the Nerf dart game:

A little timid at first, now Vivien is an enthusiast.

And while playing Nerf with our family friends, I was told Henry ran into the twelve year old boy, Hobie.  Hobie apparently declared, “I surrender.”  To which Henry replied, “Hi Surrender.” That is my boy, AKA Abbott.

You can see why a twelve year would in the image below.  Henry is prepared for anything, day or night.

Henry was recently introduced to MacGuvyer on Netflix given his interest in building contraptions:

Our house is not safe.  Our possessions are no longer safe.  If Max and I want something to not end up tied to a string and attached to a toy or taped to paper airplanes or hanging from something, we have to hide it very well. 

While Henry was watching MacGuyver for the very first time, he asked a perfectly normal question in our house, “Is he human?” (Maybe we watch a little too much DOCTOR WHO-but is soooooo good)

On watching MacGuyver set his first trap, he told Max, “It is so such an easy trap. I could do that”

On watching the first chase scene Henry stared at Max and declared, “Dada, this is so cool.” 

While in the car to his YMCA daycare, Henry and I were having a discussion about cool music (apparently only boys can sing cool music, not girls or boys that sound like girls (Henry’s definition)), we suddenly needed to be invisible (Henry’s imagination at work).  I told him that if I pressed the Hazard light button we would turn the CR-V invisible.  I pressed it twice.  Henry waited and then said, “Mama, it did not work!” 

I replied, “Henry, we can still see the inside.  It works by making the outside invisible.”

He stopped talking and really started thinking and then said, “Mama, we could build a button that does work.”

He then followed it with, “Mama, I think we will need some wires. Yeah, we will.”

And then quietly to himself was muttering, “I  don’t have much buttons.”

My boy.  Loads of creativity.  Sometimes it is so heartwarming other times it is so surprising it kind of makes me wonder if there are cracks in my parenting I was unaware of. 

Case in point we were home on a Saturday.  Max was working like a madman on the bathroom shower stall. Vivien, Henry and I were playing chaotically about the house.  I thought lets clam things down so I can actually drink my coffee.  Let’s play the make a map game.  We got out colors and paper and started drawing.  Well, to Vivien drawing means tracing body parts.  To Henry it means bridges and bad guy hideouts and mountains.  Henry was a little annoyed that I could really help him develop his map into something really great as I was tracing hands. 

So I guess in an effort to make things interesting?  Henry suggested while looking at a green outline of Vivien’s oxymoronic hand that is chubby but at the same time dainty, “Hey, Mama. How about, how about that is the Hand of Doom?”

I lost my bearing after that question.  My mind started trying to deduce how he would even be able to combine those words together to give them such meaning, such imagery. I mean, really, he is just four?! WTF.  Then I started thinking I am over thinking this. 

He looks so sweet. Maybe it wasn’t only his idea.  Vivien has a bit of vinegar in her.

(Hand of Doom?  Maybe. Middle right.)

More tales to come.