thinks and thanks
Nov. 24th, 2005 04:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamagotchaso much for keeping this journal up to date.
linc has finally learned how to crawl down the stairs, in addition to up. he says "down, down, down," as he slides down on his belly. he's also pointing at stars everywhere and saying "tar!" he was very patient with me during our thanksgiving procurement run. still no teeth, though he has several that seem ready to pop through any second. gums of leather, this child has!
julia is struggling with math, and has decided that it is my fault for not forcing her to drill math when she was younger. it's hard not to argue with her... she knows, if she thinks about it, that she would have balked and fought any drills (in fact, she DID), but i am biting my tongue and letting her work it out. i had shitty math teachers through high school and was convinced i couldn't do math at all... but when i got a good teacher, in college, i took to it like a duck to water and even considered working towards becoming a math teacher myself. i don't know for sure if it was the teacher, or if i was just finally ready to do the mental manipulations that math requires, but i do know that having bad teachers early on reinforced my self-description of being bad at math and that this was the hardest thing to overcome. she will realize this eventually but for now, it stings.
cordell was still in bed today after i got home from shopping and running errands and bringing bill home, at 5 p.m. i yelled at him and told him not to bother getting up, just stay in bed, no computer, no video games, no food, no nothing, and see if he could get up at a decent time in the morning and participate in our family.
clay missed all this by sleeping over at his friend's house. they really had a great time at bowling yesterday and didn't want the fun to end.
bill had a few breakthroughs yesterday, plus a major success as a pastry chef by bringing in chocolate eclairs to the lab (i got one for breakfast... mmmm!). julia watched linc last night so we could go out for dinner and celebrate. it was wonderful to hang out with him, and when we got back, the baby had just fallen asleep, so we go to let the evening continue... and oh, did it! we wound up with a pretty hefty case of the giggles. i'm a very lucky lady!
i am furiously knitting on several projects, and wondering how the heck i'm gonna get everything done and shipped in time. ack! bill watched linc on saturday while i visited a homeschool friend and taught her how to knit a little felted ball (she was so entranced with her creation that i pulled the stuffing from one of my balls and gave it to her so she could finish it that night!). sunday i took julia to a party and did some christmas (and birthday) shopping with clayton and linc, and that night wound up at another homeschooling friend's house, knitting and chatting again until late. monday night i was out late again, with the singing group. four nights out in a row!
the "voices of gaia" singing group is doing a solstice ritual on december 18 (email me if you want details... all are welcome). we're learning some really pretty songs and intricate rounds, and they're trusting me with the tenor parts (often tricky harmonies). yay! i'm a little nervous about how quickly the performance is coming up, but it'll work out. i just wish there were more than one other tenor...
i tripped over the baby gate monday and came down really hard on my knees. for a few seconds, i had visions of double casts and wheelchairs... but it gradually got better with ice and arnica. i really did a number on my poor knees, though, and am trying to be gentle to them for a while. i keep forgetting and kneeling on the bed, toppling over with moans and gasps of pain. it's not too bruised yet, but i suspect there will be some very colorful pictures blossoming on them soon.
our thanksgiving feast this year: warm spiced pecans with rum glaze, crackers and two kinds of goat cheese, greek olives, Celebration ale, brined and roasted organic turkey, tofurkey, bacon and apple stuffing (with a vegan version), sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes (with a vegan version), green beans with shallots and vermouth, gravy, parker house rolls, cranberry-orange sauce, peach and raspberry sparkling ciders, a german reisling, a spanish white wine, pumpkin cheesecake, brown sugar and bourbon cream, vegan pumpkin pie, eggnog with brandy.
i made the pecans, the cranberry sauce, and the vegan pie already, and the turkey is in the fridge brining. bill is making the cheesecake and rolls now. everything else we make tomorrow!
we'll do the Jones Soda tasting first... i hope to take pictures and provide a report on our experience. should be interesting...
i hope everyone reading this has a wonderful holiday, filled with much laughter and merriment, plenty of delicious treats, and a few surprises to make this year's gathering memorable.
i'm thankful for each and every one of you!
linc has finally learned how to crawl down the stairs, in addition to up. he says "down, down, down," as he slides down on his belly. he's also pointing at stars everywhere and saying "tar!" he was very patient with me during our thanksgiving procurement run. still no teeth, though he has several that seem ready to pop through any second. gums of leather, this child has!
julia is struggling with math, and has decided that it is my fault for not forcing her to drill math when she was younger. it's hard not to argue with her... she knows, if she thinks about it, that she would have balked and fought any drills (in fact, she DID), but i am biting my tongue and letting her work it out. i had shitty math teachers through high school and was convinced i couldn't do math at all... but when i got a good teacher, in college, i took to it like a duck to water and even considered working towards becoming a math teacher myself. i don't know for sure if it was the teacher, or if i was just finally ready to do the mental manipulations that math requires, but i do know that having bad teachers early on reinforced my self-description of being bad at math and that this was the hardest thing to overcome. she will realize this eventually but for now, it stings.
cordell was still in bed today after i got home from shopping and running errands and bringing bill home, at 5 p.m. i yelled at him and told him not to bother getting up, just stay in bed, no computer, no video games, no food, no nothing, and see if he could get up at a decent time in the morning and participate in our family.
clay missed all this by sleeping over at his friend's house. they really had a great time at bowling yesterday and didn't want the fun to end.
bill had a few breakthroughs yesterday, plus a major success as a pastry chef by bringing in chocolate eclairs to the lab (i got one for breakfast... mmmm!). julia watched linc last night so we could go out for dinner and celebrate. it was wonderful to hang out with him, and when we got back, the baby had just fallen asleep, so we go to let the evening continue... and oh, did it! we wound up with a pretty hefty case of the giggles. i'm a very lucky lady!
i am furiously knitting on several projects, and wondering how the heck i'm gonna get everything done and shipped in time. ack! bill watched linc on saturday while i visited a homeschool friend and taught her how to knit a little felted ball (she was so entranced with her creation that i pulled the stuffing from one of my balls and gave it to her so she could finish it that night!). sunday i took julia to a party and did some christmas (and birthday) shopping with clayton and linc, and that night wound up at another homeschooling friend's house, knitting and chatting again until late. monday night i was out late again, with the singing group. four nights out in a row!
the "voices of gaia" singing group is doing a solstice ritual on december 18 (email me if you want details... all are welcome). we're learning some really pretty songs and intricate rounds, and they're trusting me with the tenor parts (often tricky harmonies). yay! i'm a little nervous about how quickly the performance is coming up, but it'll work out. i just wish there were more than one other tenor...
i tripped over the baby gate monday and came down really hard on my knees. for a few seconds, i had visions of double casts and wheelchairs... but it gradually got better with ice and arnica. i really did a number on my poor knees, though, and am trying to be gentle to them for a while. i keep forgetting and kneeling on the bed, toppling over with moans and gasps of pain. it's not too bruised yet, but i suspect there will be some very colorful pictures blossoming on them soon.
our thanksgiving feast this year: warm spiced pecans with rum glaze, crackers and two kinds of goat cheese, greek olives, Celebration ale, brined and roasted organic turkey, tofurkey, bacon and apple stuffing (with a vegan version), sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes (with a vegan version), green beans with shallots and vermouth, gravy, parker house rolls, cranberry-orange sauce, peach and raspberry sparkling ciders, a german reisling, a spanish white wine, pumpkin cheesecake, brown sugar and bourbon cream, vegan pumpkin pie, eggnog with brandy.
i made the pecans, the cranberry sauce, and the vegan pie already, and the turkey is in the fridge brining. bill is making the cheesecake and rolls now. everything else we make tomorrow!
we'll do the Jones Soda tasting first... i hope to take pictures and provide a report on our experience. should be interesting...
i hope everyone reading this has a wonderful holiday, filled with much laughter and merriment, plenty of delicious treats, and a few surprises to make this year's gathering memorable.
i'm thankful for each and every one of you!
