Maggie discovers the joys of the growl:
http://youtu.be/bDo8cmGLx24The Magic Song
When Griffin was a baby and he would start to lose it, I would sing to him to try to calm him down. The song that seemed to work best was “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” I would start singing that song and he would stop his crying and start to smile. It worked nearly every time! I posited that since I was teaching kindergarten while he was in the womb, he had grown fond of the songs I played guitar to and sung to my students which naturally felt calming to him.
Unfortunately, now that Griffin is nearly four, the magic has worn off. However, it is now the magic song for Maggie! If she starts to lose it, we all break out the song and start clapping our hands, and next thing you know, she’s happy (fake it til you make it?)! I don’t know why it works for her, but it is the one thing that will stop her in her tracks. It has now become a participatory song for her, as well:
http://youtu.be/zXix-17kz8QBook Review: “The Story of America” by Jill Lepore
The Story of America: Essays on Origins by Jill Lepore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The best parts of this book were wild romps through American history, opening my eyes to things I didn’t know much about (Kit Carson, Clarence Darrow beyond the monkey trial, etc.). I loved Lepore’s focus on historiography—detailing the role historians have played in generating, transforming, and debunking fundamental American myths. Some of the chapters, especially early on, strayed a bit from my expectations, but most were spot on. The book picks up steam as it goes and I read the final chapters in a breathless rush; I turned the last page with the regret of finishing a gripping novel. No mean feat for a collection of historical essays!
How wonderful it is
“Daddy, should we play blocks and choo-choo trains? I want to see how wonderful it is.”
A Minute in the Life of Griffin and Maggie
Griffin and Maggie love each other! Griffin is 3 1/2 and Maggie is 7 months.
http://youtu.be/7Yb395CCGuYThanksgiving, Griffin Style
Turkey?
No thank you.
Ham?
Nope.
Stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc?
No, no, no…
Ok, Griffin, what would you like?
A pickle and some cranberry sauce!
Not Every Day is Magical, but Today…
Let’s be honest: being a stay-at-home parent is hard. And tiring. With colleagues who throw tantrums, pin you to the couch demanding milk, want you to pay attention to them every minute you are awake, and very infrequently express gratitude for your efforts, it can get a little deflating.
We’ve been having a hard few weeks. Griffin is…well…three and a half. This equals riding a roller coaster of emotions on an hourly basis. One minute, he’s delightful and pointing out amazing observations about the world, the next minute, he’s throwing a screaming tantrum because I dared to open the garage door without him. Maggie has evolved past the take-anywhere-do-anything ease of newborn-hood and entered babyhood, which for her, consists of being quite content as long as I am within 12 inches of her at all times, most preferably holding or touching her. God help us if I leave her line of sight. She’s sitting up now, which is awesome, but Griffin’s favorite thing to do is tip her over, because, you know, he “just wanted to.” This past weekend we added a family cold to the mix, which left us all a little more cranky and a lot more tired. With Andrew’s demanding school schedule this year and my recent daily challenges with the kids, it’s probably safe to say the parental reserves are starting to run a little low.
Today, though, had some magic in it. It started in the morning when Griffin sneaked into my room and loudly whispered that he needed help putting on his underwear. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but there was something about the way he crept in and was trying so hard to follow all of the morning time rules of being quiet and gentle that made my heart burst for him. <loud whisper> “THANKS, MAMA. GOOD MORNING, TOO. I LOVE YOU, TOO!” and back to his bed to read books until his orange sun lit up. We made apple waffles together after Maggie woke up, and then decided it was a good day to go to the sculpture garden and then a park. And that’s exactly what we did, and it was…magic. The weather was stupendous, everyone was in good spirits, I was fully present and fully loving my job. Days like today help fill me up, and I’m thankful to get a gift like this, especially when I most needed it.
http://youtu.be/62r2yBFA5ycLatest from Griffin
They’re coming fast and hard these days, folks! Griffin is saying some pretty wonderful stuff:
On our way home from the park, with the sun setting and a giant full moon on the horizon, Griffin says, “Wow! What a nice moon! I just want to give it a big hug!”
With two weeks of preschool under his belt, Griffin declares, “I think I’m ready for first grade!”
Having not eaten very much for breakfast, I said, “Griffin, are you sure you’re done with breakfast?” to which he replied, “YES! I’m just so ex-kited for preschool!!!”
In the car:
Griffin: “When will I be a baby again?”
Sarah: “Oh, honey. You will never be a baby again. You will keep growing and growing and become a man, like Daddy. And then someday maybe you will be a daddy, too.”
Griffin: “And then I will make pumpkin soup!!”
At lunch, eating a piece of Halloween candy:
“What’s this one called?”
“A Butterfinger.”
“Is it a finger or a butt?”
Hilarious Brother
Maggie laughs a lot these days, and the one person who can make her laugh more than anyone is her big brother. He also managed to make me laugh pretty hard today, too.
http://youtu.be/jhHMLe6a2csFirst Fire
Two winters later, we finally have a swept and inspected chimney, bringing our cozyness potential up at least three more points. To Griffin and Maggie’s delight, we built our first crackling blaze tonight.
