All in a Ten Minute Conversation

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Shoes

While driving to Cody’s physical therapy this morning, Cody asked me why the dump truck in front of us kept breaking.  We were driving down a hill at the time so I explained to him about momentum and used his train track set at home as an analogy.  The train goes faster down a hill because it has mass and velocity.  I have a BS in Microbiology and, of the handful of C’s I got in college, my physic classes were two of them.  We were heading into murky waters.  We then turned right and went up a hill.  Cody asked if momentum was helping us up the hill like it did when we were going down the hill.  So then I busted out the concept of gravity.

Cody learned about the solar system in his preschool last year and he loved it.  He even has a favorite planet, Uranus, which makes me snicker a little.  Juvenile, I know, but I can’t help it.  He does not know why it makes me laugh, he likes Uranus because it has 27 moons and that is pretty neat.  Anyway, he knows about gravity and our atmosphere and how it keeps us from floating into space.  So after thinking about this for a while he asked me how much gravity we have and if the gravity ever leaks away.  Hum.  I have no idea how much gravity we have (is this something I should know?) but I am pretty sure it does not leak out of our atmosphere.  I fumbled my way along answering as best I could until, lucky for me, the conversation turned to “that stuff plants put into the atmosphere” – his words, not mine.  So we discussed the Krebs cycle in the most basic of terms.

Back in the day, if you gave me a blank piece of paper and asked, I could map the TCA or Krebs Cycle from memory. Today I could not tell you with certainty what I ate for breakfast.

I was happily talking about O2 and CO2 and the relationships between different living things when we turned into the parking lot.  Cody was asking how plants get carbon dioxide and get rid of oxygen since “they don’t have mouths”.  I started to tell him about stomata, these tiny holes that open and close in the leaves of plants, when Carter hollered out “LOOK – A ‘STRUCTION SITE!!”.  The office building where we were going was getting a new roof and there were three guys with drills and various power tools.

Well, as far as the boys were concerned, that was the end of the conversation.  Me and my geeky science facts were no competition for what was up on that roof.

Posted in Little Feet | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Goodbye Dear Sunscreen, May We Meet Again Soon

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Shoes

I am officially calling it; summer is over.  I know, I know the first official day of fall was September 23rd.  On that day there was still some lingering warmth and dusty sunrays to trick the mind into thoughts of ice cream and flip-flops.  But today is the day I removed the bottles of sunscreen from the entryway table where they sat, ever hopeful.  I have purged the boys closets of shorts and sandals and replaced them with sweaters and fleece lined jeans.  It is time to think cozy thoughts of woolen socks, flannel pajamas and crock pot stews followed by apple crisp and cider.

The embers of the first fire of the season are glowing in our fireplace and the smell of candles freshly blown out, still linger in the air.

Dance with me by the light of the candles, my love.

Posted in Random Thoughts | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Rut? You Say That Like It’s a Dirty Word.

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Shoes

I am not a fan of change which is a bummer since change tends to happen.  A lot.  I know, I know, it is not cool to say you don’t like change.  Change is suppose to be embraced, it helps you grow and learn, it keeps you from getting in a rut, yada, yada, yada.  I for one rather like my rut, thank you very much.

Routine and his sidekick Consistency are friends of mine.  They are trustworthy, kind, solid, and supportive.  And while they don’t often surprise with flowers and a card, they never do actually since that is not their style, you know what you are going to get.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not a total bore.  At least I don’t think so.  I like random road trips, spontaneous trips to the park, and surprise bouquets of flowers.  I just want the ebb and flow of my days to be more or less the same.  No rip tides or undercurrent for me please.

I think I am finally finding my stride now that we are a few weeks into the new school year and there haven’t been any catastrophic events, like lost lunch boxes or one of the boys getting on the wrong bus.  The boys have taken to their new routine well.  Both of them seem to enjoy school and come home with little tidbits of their school day to share with us.  Carter insists that he painted a brown robot in school the other day and not a brown bear, like the book they are currently working on.  Cody informed me that during afternoon snack last week, he helped himself to a second granola bar because they were really, really good.

I am adjusting to having some time to myself and have gotten used to going grocery shopping alone.  I have incorporated lunch making into an after dinner thing so that we are ready to roll the following morning.  I have been meal planning crock pot dinners for Tuesdays and Thursdays so dinner is ready when Carter and I get home from his evening swimming lessons.  Monday afternoons are set aside for speech therapy for Carter.  Friday mornings are Cody’s physical therapy, either in the pool or at the clinic, followed by the weekly visit from his occupational therapist.  I will be helping out in the classroom on Tuesday morning in Carter’s class and Wednesday or Thursday mornings in Cody’s.  I have signed up to be “Room Mom” in Cody’s classroom and it is a bit more than I expected but I am just rolling with it and trying to keep it simple.

As busy as it is, I think I can live with this rut for a while.

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Simple Sunday – Cherry Tomatoes

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Shoes

Life is just a bowl of cherry, umm, tomatoes?

Our one little cherry tomato plant in the corner of our garden has had an amazing year.  It may officially be fall, but the tomatoes just keep coming.  Hooray for these sweet little treats from mother earth!

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My WordPress Therapy – Session One

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Shoes

Yesterday I was reduced to gut wrenching sobs and mindless pacing in the back corner of our local Office Depot.  I was planning to make a quick trip to pick up colored laser printer paper while both boys were at school.  Then my phone rang and I saw it was my mom who rarely calls because she worries that she will call at the wrong time.  I hesitated, my finger over the answer button, but in the end I answered the call.  If I would have told her I was not at home I am sure she would not have asked me to talk to him.  I am sure of it.  She asked if I had a minute to which I replied that I did.  She explained the situation and handed the phone over to dad.

My dad was in a panic, worried and scared.  He was buying a house and was afraid that the nice people who were at his house were trying to rip him off.  He did not recognize my mom, his wife of almost forty-six years.  In his mind she was the seller of the house, the house I grew up in where he still lives with my mom.  In his mind she was a man (just to add insult to injury here, my mom had a mastectomy and went through chemo, loosing her hair, in the spring of this year.  This may add to his confusion, or not.  We don’t know.)  He wanted to talk to a lawyer but settled for me since I am named executor on their will and he still remembers who I am.  And he still trusts me.

I am not sure I deserve his trust but when we tell the truth it quite often makes it so much worse...

So I tried my best to hold back the pain and tears and I talked in a reassuring but hopefully not condescending voice.  And I lied.  Over and over I lied.  And it was awful.  I told him I was actively involved in their finances and that I would make sure everything would be alright.  I told him I would look over the papers to make sure everything was in order.  He kindly offered to pay for my phone calls if I needed to call any lawyers.  He did not want to hear that the house he thought he was buying was the same one he had bought over forty years ago.  He did not want to talk about mom, but he did want to know where she was.  He thanked me for talking to him and told me he loved me.  I told him that I loved him too.  I told him over and over throughout the conversation that he was with people who loved him and that he was safe.  At least that was not a lie.  I spoke to my mom for a few minutes and then hung up and completely lost it.

I don’t know what to do about all this but it helps to write about it and put it out there.  My life is big and great and more than Alzheimer’s and the sense of hopelessness it brings me.  But it is a part of my life.  So I will dedicate a category to it, My WordPress Therapy Couch, and title them My WordPress Therapy with session numbers.  Humor and grief, if just the right mix, sometimes go well together   If you are looking for a fun story about my boys and you see this title, well, I suggest you check back another day.  There will be more hilarity and crazy to share with you, how could there not be with two little boys, two dogs and a stuffed animal named Kissy Shrimp?

Posted in My WordPress Therapy Couch | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Dusting Off the Extra Silverware

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Shoes

As some of you may know, last Saturday my family celebrated the 11th Annual Practice Thanksgiving.  I wish I could tell you some amazing story about how such a holiday came about but the details are lost in the fog of history.  I know that it was eleven years ago in our house in Phoenix.  It was two years before Husband and I got married and six years before we had our first child.  Husband was working and I was going to college and working part time.  One hot Arizona fall day, I realized that I had no idea how to cook a turkey and that someday I would probably have to host a Thanksgiving.  My parents were visiting from Washington and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to practice.  We invited family and friends and prepared an entire Thanksgiving meal for practice.  And so began the tradition  we now think of simply as Practice Thanksgiving.

To make sure I have enough serving dishes, I set out what I have and place the recipe card for each item in its' corresponding bowl.

Practice Thanksgiving is a holiday of convenience.  It is a floating holiday which tends to fall around late September or early to mid October.  I first call my parents and a couple of close friends and find out what day would work best for them.  Then I invite others; people I have met over the past year or people I have wanted to invite but for some reason or another have not.  Our house is small and I always over invite so sometimes it gets crazy.  Usually someone has to cancel at the last minute, which used to freak me out but does not anymore.  The most we ever had around our tables (yes that is plural) was sixteen.  That year we had to bring in the lawn chairs to accommodate the group all gathered around three tables.

Carter helping me clean the table before we set it.

The menu stays pretty much the same from year to year (except for that one year when I decided to shake it up and serve grilled cedar plank salmon instead of turkey).  On the table you will find a large turkey stuffed with homemade stuffing.  Mashed potatoes with gravy made from the turkey drippings, fresh cranberry sauce (frozen berries if the fresh are not yet in season), green bean casserole, homemade rolls, deviled eggs, wine, and at least two kinds of pie, are served.  Sweet potatoes are usually made but somehow were neglected this year.  Sometimes we get fancy and bust out a jar of pickled asparagus.  The year of the picked asparagus was also the year we had to use our green plastic lawn chairs so I guess it was not that fancy.

My homemade rolls waiting for the oven to preheat.

 

Mmmm, stuffing...

The acorn squash was wonderful grilled with butter and a hint of brown sugar.

Anyone want a slice of apple pie?

Over the years I have learned a lot by asking questions and getting plenty of help.  And I have learned to embrace the chaos of hosting a dinner party.  My mom usually brings the rolls but this year she could not leave dad alone so I made them and we talked on the phone.  Our friend Amy usually brings the cranberries and helps with the making of the gravy but her son had a soccer game and they had to miss the feast.  My mother-in-law did a great job with the gravy this year, grilled some amazing acorn squash and I learned how to make the cranberries.  Our friend Diana and her twin five-year olds came for the first time and brought a delicious ambrosia salad.  Our friends Christine and Chris make a fantastic pumpkin pie from scratch.  On the fifth year they were living out of state but managed to attend anyway.  The following year they moved about an hour drive from us.  I would like to think it was the delicious meal that inspired their move but perhaps there were other forces at work too.

Friends and family around the table before eating.

After the meal.

The four kids played so well together. They made a bit of a mess in Cody's room but they also spend lots of time outside riding bikes and jumping on the trampoline.

After the fifth year, I started taking notes and writing down tips to help me for future ones.  It is fun to look back on them and see what the menu and guest list looks like.  It is always a bit different from year to year.  Something will inevitably go wrong and if you accept that and learn to flow with it you will be ok.  Practice Thanksgiving is a lot like life in that respect.

Carter holding hands with his friend on our traditional after dinner but before pie walk in the neighborhood.

Oh, by the way, I have yet to host an actual Thanksgiving but with all this practice I just might be ready.

Posted in Food Glorious Food, Random Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Simple Sunday – Stairs to a Garden

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Shoes

Our neighbor's garden path.

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Happy Practice Thanksgiving Everyone!

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Shoes

The floors have been scrubbed, the carpet vacuumed.  The piles of life’s clutter – magazines, bills to pay, important school paperwork – have all been hidden in the back bedroom.  The extra leaf to the table has been added and a festive table runner placed on top.  We have enough chairs and plates for everyone, mishmash as they may be.  It is that time of year again, hooray!

The rolls were made yesterday in the large ceramic bread bowl of my childhood – the bread bowl my mom made countless batches of homemade bread in.  The cranberries are made and tucked in the fridge along with the deviled eggs.  The apple pie, made a few days ago from the freshly picked gravenstein apples from my parents apple orchard, came out of the oven a couple of hours ago.  The stuffing, my mom’s recipe, resides inside the butter massaged turkey and is currently in the oven slowing cooking.  The green bean casserole and mashed potatoes with gravy will be made at the very end and the acorn squash still needs to be prepared and placed on the grill.

Husband, my mother-in-law, and the boys are out running last-minute errands and instead of running around in a panic getting nothing done anyway I thought I would type up a quick post.  Procrastination at it’s best.

Hope you all have a wonderful day, whatever you have planned.

Posted in Food Glorious Food | Tagged , | 3 Comments

A Brief Interruption in Blogging

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Shoes

I may not be blogging much for the next week so please feel free to go about your normal business until I return.  My mother in law is arriving from Tucson this evening for a week long stay.  My MIL is wonderful and if I could have my pick of them, she would be right up there in the top five (since I have not actually interviewed for the position of MIL, I felt I should leave some room at the top for the competition).  And well she is not that type of houseguest who needs to be entertained, we will be very busy preparing for the 11th Annual Practice Thanksgiving which is this Saturday.  Don’t worry I will fill you in on all the festivities, include some pictures, and perhaps, if there is demand, I can give you a brief history of our family holiday so you are not left wondering if I have completely lost my mind.

There is no real topic to my blog, no neatly tied package, wrapping paper creased just so.  It is my life and the ramblings I choose to share with you all.  I am thrilled that I actually have people who read my words, who subscribe and I love, love, love getting comments.  When I first started blogging I was so tempted to tell everyone about it; I so wanted feedback.  But now I am very glad I didn’t.  I do not want to write to a certain audience.  Because of that I have not told my family about it (except Husband and the boys) and have only told a small handful of friends.  I find it easier to write, vent, express, anguish and lament to a certain few friends and the occasional kind stranger out there who happens to have stumbled across Shoes On The Wrong Feet.  If I want to drop the f-bomb, as I have been known to do from time to time in real life, then I can and I should because I know my mom is not reading this.  It is more than that and I am having a really hard time putting into words what it is so lets just say that mums the word in order to keep my freedom of speech.

So there you go.  I shall be around and try to post when I can.

Posted in Blogging/Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Ahoy My Hearties!!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Shoes

Well, according to the buzz on my Facebook News Feed, (and really what’s a more reliable source of news than that?) it is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.  So let us smartly raise up our mugs of grog and let out a mean and fearful Arrrr!

ARRRRR!!!

I did not know just how ahead of the curve I was with all this pirate business when I wrote this about two months ago (please focus on the vast source of pirate knowledge and not the embarrassing story about swimming).

Well maties, I be off to ‘rill up some rats to go with me sea biscuits and grog ‘fore I head off for some jolly good swashbucklin’!

Posted in Random Thoughts | Tagged , , | 2 Comments