A Giant Short Story

By Rowan Lucas Miller

Once upon a time there were three bears: a Rowan bear, a G-Daddy bear, a mommy bear, a baby bear, a G-Ma bear, a Daddy bear... [Me: Hey, that's more like 6 bears. R: Mommy, listen.] They were playing outside on a playground. Little did they know that a large, tall, huge, big Giant was looking at them.  He does not like it when people talk about him so he was going to SMASH the whole town. Then, he smashed the whole town and no one talked about him anymore. The end.

Me: Wow! That was a really good story. I think I should write it down.
R: No, don't write it down. Write it up! And I can draw some pictures to go with it.


I'll speak with the author/illustrator about when we can expect the pictures.

Good Gracious!

That was one of Raleigh's exclamations, accompanied by hands on cheeks, Christmas morning and we laughed every time. I think it nicely sums up our 2011 experience. This year's celebration was overflowing with hugs and kisses, laughs, good food, and lots of presents. I hope your Christmas was just as good, if not better. 


Enjoy these last few days of the year and remember the good times and teachable moments it has brought. I am grateful for another year of learning and loving and am hungry for more. What will 2012 bring? There's no telling for sure but I am curious to discover the treasures and delights it has to offer. 


Cheers to a Happy New Year!

Countdown to Year 4

Oh, the interesting places a preschooler can take you!


Interests
Caillou and Curious George, while still household favorites, have been replaced by Batman and Transformers. Superheroes are all the rage. He likes to play with his matchbox cars and trains at home. At school, his favorite place to play is in the housekeeping area or swinging in the tire swing with his good friends Mitchell and Alex.


Skills
Rowan can manage a lot of personal chores on his own, like hand washing, tooth brushing, and getting dressed. Sometimes he prefers help with these things, but most of the time he likes to do them himself. He can write his first name consistently well, though “N” is still tricky if he’s in a hurry. He can count to 100. He can buckle himself into his car seat and secure the straps all by himself. Something he likes to do lately is make up new words. When we ask what it is he will provide a definition. I think he would be great at the board game Balderdash.


So Big!
Rowan is wearing 4T clothes and size 11-toddler shoes.


Adventures
Stone Mountain turns the laser show lawn into Snow Mountain, a winter wonderland, from late November to February. You can slide down a snow-covered “mountain” in tubes and play in the snow. We went for the first time earlier this month. It was a lot of fun! Rowan had a good time and the Floridians did, too. My parents, Rowan, and I went down 4 times. Jeremy offered to watch Raleigh in the snow area since she is too little to sled and he grew up doing it.


Rowan participated in a child development study at Emory. They are studying how children categorize unfamiliar objects. It was neat to watch him, not only to see his brain at work but to marvel at his confidence and ease with the researcher. I remember being shy around adults when I was kid. Heck, I get nervous ordering at a restaurant even now! It’s nice to see him so comfortable and sure of himself. He told me that he liked college and would like to go back. I told him that was good since he would definitely be spending a good chunk of time there in the future.


Last week, Rowan’s class had a holiday celebration. The class sang a trio of holiday favorites, including Jingle Bells, The Dreidel Song, and Rudolph. That sure was good stuff. The group had lots of energy for the first song, not as much for the second, and the even less for the third. It was very cute nonetheless.


In just two months we will parents of a 4-year-old boy. It’s almost too much for me! Where, oh where, did my little boy go? Just so you know, I am certain this will be a common refrain on this blog for the next 40 years. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Happy mirthday to my sweet, sweet boy!

From the Backseat

Recently heard from the backseat


Rowan: Mommy, do you know why Raleigh's seat faces backward?
Me: Yes, I do. It's to keep her safe in case we crash.
R: No, it's so she can look out for cars that might hit us.


R: Marion (his classmate) makes bad decisions.
Me: She does? Like what?
R: She cries when her mom leaves her in the classroom and then hits her! That's a bad decision.


We saw a man dressed as a slice of pizza standing by the road. He was advertising for a pizza buffet place.
R: Hey! Do you see that? It's a runaway pizza just like the Runaway Pancake!

New item at Publix

Rowan and I were shopping at the Publix when he saw some interesting in the dairy case. I was a little distracted hoarding all the coconut Liberte yogurts that I thought I misheard what Rowan said. I asked him to repeat it.

"Yuck! Bellybutton yogurt. That's gross."

When I saw the offending item I started laughing. Then I had to snap a quick photo.

Raleigh is 20 months old!

The weeks and months pass so quickly. In four months my baby will be 2 years old. How can that be possible? 

• Likes:  bubble baths, reading books (It’s one of the first things she asks for in the morning.), Ring Around the Rosie (Ashes)
• Dislikes: Lately she does not want to eat dinner in her own chair. She wimpers, cries, moans, and throws food and utensils on the floor in protest. Dinners have not been peaceful in our house.
• Communication: Her favorite phrases are: “I did it!” “All done. Get down.” “No splashing, Bub.” “Help!” “Breakfast?” “Sorry, mommy (or Bub).” She has started hitting and pinching more often when she doesn’t get her way. Sometimes she is more willing to apologize than others.
• Skills: She is singing a lot more these days, especially “Jingle Bells” (Bingle Bells). She likes to put things in the trash can. She also likes to get lots of tissues to wipe her nose. I have to put the Kleenex box where she can’t reach it. I keep offering the potty and she’s gone pee-pee twice. Mostly she likes to sit down (with or without clothes on) and then jump up real quick to look in the bowl.
• So big!: Shirts and pants: 18 mos. Shoes: size 6 Diaper: size 3

Happy mirthday, sweet baby girl.

Turkey Day 2011

There were turkeys galore at my parents’ house this Thanksgiving. There were others present but they were not caught on camera this time.

 I am so thankful for silliness.

Did you know that a group of turkeys is called a rafter or a gang? I find this most hilarious since I often refer to the kids as “gang”, as in “It’s time for a bath, gang.” Love it.

Boo who?

Raleigh's version of the knock-knock joke about Boo.


Me: Knock knock!
R: Who dare? (Who's there?)
Me: Boo.
R: STAH CRY-EEN! (stop crying, yelled)

Savannah Report

You get a double feature today, folks - a Raleigh update and a report on my girls' trip to Savannah. I'll keep this one short and sweet.


4 friends + Savannah + 2 tutus + 13.1 miles + tasty beverages + Wienermobile = 1 rockin’ good time

The tutus were a big hit during the event. 

The Wienermobile staffers were staying at the Thunderbird Inn, too.

All I want to know is when are we doing this again? Good times, y'all. Good times.

Raleigh is 19 months old!

• Height: 32.25 inches
• Weight: 22.7lbs
• Development: According to the doctor's note Raleigh is "growing great and everything looks great!" She impressed the doctor with her verbal skills and saved her loudest yowls for the nurse with the immunizations.
• Likes: reading Curious George stories; going for walks/stroller rides
• Dislikes: the usual stuff – being told no, having her hands washed before and after meals, putting on a diaper after bath
• Communication: She’s talking up a storm and can repeat almost any word she hears. Her favorite phrases are “Mommy, look!” “No want that.” “Go outside*.” “Mine.” “Me!” “No!” Monday night I said “awesome” during bath time and she repeated it. It was, well, awesome. :-)
• Skills: The hopping is getting a little better. Her spoon/fork movements are more controlled so she doesn’t spill as much food when feeding herself. She likes to help clean up and knows where things should go. Last night, Raleigh sang “Happy Birthday” spontaneously in the car. Magic, I tells ya.

Happy mirthday, sweet baby getting-bigger-every-day girl! (That makes me happy and sad at the same time.)

* Outside can mean literally outside but often she means she wants go “outside” the bedroom to the living room.

Yes, please!

Old Gringo Boots. Bonnie, Ellie, Eden… Any and all of you are welcome to come live with me. I just need to sell an organ or win the lottery to pay for you. *sigh*

Run For Your Lives! A Zombie Infested 5K Obstacle Course Race

I’m totally doing this. So far I have talked my coworker, Heather, into joining me. There’s a possibility that my cousin, Emily, and her husband will come down for the race, too. If you want in on the action, let me know.

Ruche. Feminine, vintage-y, girly-girl stuff. They’ve got an Anthropologie vibe that’s more in line with my spending sensibilities. Andie Walsh could be one of their buyers.  (Um, did you just wonder who Andie Walsh is? For shame! Stop everything and watch Pretty in Pink right this moment. Go on, now. I’ll wait for you.) 


Side note: I do not like the feature model on the website right now. She looks like she might be 14 at the oldest. These are not teeny bopper kids’ clothes, y’all. This isn’t Urban Outfitters. I can see a woman of my age in some of these clothes. Can’t you? Granted, some of the skirts are a bit short. I wasn’t including those… unless paired with some cool leg-hiding tights - patterned or fuschia perhaps. Please let me know if I am a complete deludinoid, people. You’ve got to help me with these things!


Colombina Coffee Candy. One of Raleigh’s teachers, who is from Colombia, started a new job and gave these to all the families in farewell goody bags. It’s not too sweet, it’s not too bitter, and they’re the perfect size.

Bert’s Bees Lip Shimmer. I have one of these cuties in Watermelon and it’s awesome. It has a minty undertone that doesn’t overpower or irritate and it lasts a good amount of time. I’m a minimal make-up user, especially when it comes to lip color. This stuff gives you a little more polish without feeling high maintenance. I like to think I’m not. High maintenance, that is. Hey! Here’s another opportunity to indulge in a When Harry Met Sally moment!

Harry:  There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.

Sally : Which one am I?

Harry: You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.

Sally: I don’t see that.

Another mirthday for Rowan

Four months until Rowan turns 4. Yeehaw! 


We've all moved past the broken arm incident. It's like that month was a lifetime ago. Time marches on.


One of my favorite things about Rowan lately is his regular expression of love toward Jeremy and me. There's nothing that compares to a big hug along with "I love you very much, Mommy." The day he voluntarily gives Raleigh a big hug and "love you" is one of the only things that could top that.


Sure, we're working on regular pre-schooler issues (patience, listening skills, the golden rule, etc.). Yes, it's aggravating sometimes. Despite those things, maybe because of them, I find parenting to be such a thrill!


What does the next month bring? Who knows. I do know this: It's gonna be an interesting ride.


Happy mirthday sweet boy!

Raleigh is 18 months old!

Hooray! Raleigh has reached the 18-month milestone. Her check-up is scheduled for the end of next week so I will have physical stats after then. For now, you will have to make do with other updates. 

• Likes: singing, beans of all kinds, cleaning up, shoes, taking off her diaper (yar!), playing with Rowan - when he's in the mood
• Dislikes: being told no, diaper changes, putting on a new diaper, brushing teeth
• Communication: She is starting to say 2-3 word phrases and sentences. Examples: "I ate it." "Thank you, Raleigh." "No, mommy!" "All done!" "Go outside?" Her favorite word right now is G-Daddy. She says it all the time. She can also say G-Ma (sounds like Nina) but prefers the sound of G-Daddy. It is a fun word I suppose. 
• Skills: She's got some pretty good dance moves. She really likes to walk in a tight circle as fast as she can go. She's still working on a hop. She can drink from a regular cup when she feels like it. Sometimes she gets cheeky and lets the milk fall back out of her mouth instead of swallowing but I don't think that's really a cup issue. She feeds herself 95% of the time and will accept food from others only if she wants to or if you are offering something irresistible. She can point to just about anything you ask her to and her vocabulary expands weekly.
• So big! Shirts and pants: 18 mos. Shoes: 5 or 6 depending on the brand and style. 

We went up to north Georgia today to visit the pumpkin and apple farms. At the apple farm they had a small petting zoo with goats, sheep, kittens, chickens, a calf, a pig, and bunnies. Raleigh was beside herself with glee. She loved the goats, especially the babies. She would reach out to pet one and then get so excited she would totally miss them. Then she would put both hands up to her face and squeal with delight. When she finally made contact with this one baby goat she started ooh-ing and aah-ing. There was an older girl there, around 10, who was holding one of the babies. The girl bent down so Raleigh could pet the goat and Raleigh thought she was going to get to hold it. She reached right for it and started to pull him on to her lap! She did the same thing with one of the kittens. She truly likes animals, even ones on TV. 

Jeremy has called her our Elly May. I guess we should see how her wrastlin' skills develop as she gets older before we let that nickname stick.

Stories from the Road

Yarrr!

I saw a black truck with dark window tint on the highway this past weekend. On the back window, the owner had applied a white skull sticker. I pointed this out to Rowan because he likes to see interesting vehicles.

   Me: Hey, look at that truck over there.

   R: (matter-of-factly) They must be pirates.

AKA Dave Matthews

On that same trip, we encountered some road construction and slow moving traffic.

   Me: Uh oh. Traffic jam.

   R: Got more cars than a beach got sand. (For those of you who don’t know, those are lyrics from “Too Much” by DMB.)

On my mind...

I was watching When Harry Met Sally for about the 198^th time last Friday night. Love that movie – Nora Ephron is a masterful storyteller. But I digress… So I jump in near the beginning when Harry and Sally are on their way to NYC and stop for a bite to eat. As they are squaring up the bill, the song playing is The Right Time of the Night by Jennifer Warnes. I have not been able to get that song out of my head since then. Jennifer Warnes has an awesome voice. Yes, An Officer and a Gentleman and Dirty Dancing would not be the same without her. But there’s more to her than that. Incidentally, I saw a little bit of “New Girl” on Fox last night. Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel (who looks a lot like Debra Winger to me), was watching the end of “Dirty Dancing” and singing along. Coincidence? I think not.

You know who else I can’t get out my head? Ryan Gosling. I finally saw Blue Valentine a couple of weeks ago and it haunts me – especially RG’s character. Then last week at the hair salon I read an article about him in Esquire while waiting for the chemicals in my hair to produce the perfect shade of “natural” blonde highlights. I did not know that he was a Mouseketeer along with Britney, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. (That was a little after my time.) He’s an odd fellow. Eccentric and kind of dark.  

Which leads me to the next preoccupation of mine: coffee. I think it started about a month ago when I read The Girl Who Played With Fire. There’s a lot of coffee drinking and sandwich eating going on in that series. I find my tastes highly susceptible to the power of suggestion. Maybe it’s because of the cooler weather and overcast skies we’ve been enjoying here lately. I don’t know. But I do know that coffee is yummy!

The Savannah Half-Marathon is about 6 weeks away and my bestest childhood friend, Andrea, and I are going to wear tutus while we walk/run it. In my search for adult-sized tutus, I found a neat site called glamrunner. They make super cute glamwear (i.e., tutus) to raise money for Girls on the Run of San Diego. Girls on the Run is an interesting education/development program for girls aged 8-13 years with councils all across the country.

What are you obsessing about these days?

Happy Mirthday Rowan!

Rowan is now officially closer to 4 years old than 3. Oh, the adventures we have had this past month! But, we’ve had a lot of fun, too.

• Likes: big boy Legos, superheroes, Disney shows (Handy Manny, Super Agent Oso, Little Einsteins, Jake and the Pirates)
• Dislikes: Sharing things with Raleigh, bed time
• So big: Shirts and pants, 4T; Shoes, 11T
• Arm status: He is coping really well with his cast. It doesn’t seem to slow him down any. He has maintained a lot of his independence and only requires help with a few things. Bath time has been somewhat challenging but we’ve worked out an okay system.
• Skills: Writing is improving, still having some troubles with N and W. Drawing is getting better, too. He’s adding more details. He’s great at using scissors and coloring within the lines. We’ve been working on some basic addition and subtraction. I think he is getting concept and not just regurgitating information we’ve fed him. He has an amazing memory and will mention events from months ago (e.g., trick-or-treating last year, going off with Jeremy and my dad) with vivid details. I love his mind and the watching the way it works.   

Speaking of his beautiful mind, here are a couple of anecdotes from the past month.

Sweet Dreams

Hey, Mommy. Know what I dreamed about while I was sleeping? Not a witch, not the bad girl on Spiderman, not monsters. It was pancakes and waffles! I dreamed about breakfast! [lots of giggles]

Dr. Rowan

[with gentle authority and a serious tone] G-Ma, sit down. I am going to give you thorough check-up.

Original Jokester

This is a joke Rowan made up all by himself, a clever riff on the classic orange-banana one.

   Knock knock.

   Who’s there?

   George.

   George who?

   George you glad I didn’t say the man in the yellow hat!

Table Talk

This was a completely unscripted and uncoached exchange with the waiter at dinner Saturday.

   Waiter: Can I answer any questions for you about the menu?

   Rowan: [very mature and serious] I have a question. Can I have a grilled cheese with French fries?

Happy, happy birthday to my sweet boy!

Raleigh's 17th Mirthday

Seventeen months! Our little baby is getting to be such a big girl.

• Likes: helping clean up toys, animals, doing big kid things, walks, shoes
• Dislikes: Having things taken away, especially by Rowan
• Skills: She is trying to jump but ends up standing on her toes and lifting her arms. She can sing "Caillou" (It's so sweet!) and likes to sing/hum to other songs. She is also getting to be a pretty fast runner.
• Vocab: buh tee (brush teeth), brocka (broccoli), duh (done), kellkotter (helicopter), eee-beee (airplane), outsigh (outside), cuh-cake (cupcake), puh-cake (pancake), shoes, yuck
• So big! shirts/dresses and pants - 18mos. shoes - size 5; The last tooth in this latest set has come in all the way making the grand total 16. Somehow I got ahead of myself with the tooth counting. We're back on track, though!

Raleigh Stories

Now that Raleigh is communicating in a way that we can better understand, she's starting to have some funny stories like big brother.

We were eating dinner at my parents' house a couple of weeks ago and the topic of conversation got a little disorderly. 

   My mom: Let's talk about something nice. What would that be?

   Raleigh: burp!

Driving to the library we were talking about why it's not a good idea for Rowan to get his cast wet. We were talking about how it would make his skin yucky and would probably start to smell pretty awful.

   Rowan: It would be like stinky cheese! Stinky cheese man!

   Me: You're probably right about that.

   Raleigh: Nas-tay! Ooooh-weeee! 

Happy belated birthday, sweet baby. 

Labor Day 2011: A different kind of break

Yesterday's break from work turned into a different sort. 


Rowan was trying to dismount his bike yesterday morning and took a spill. I thought he had probably scraped his knees or elbow. Then I saw his left arm and the strange bend just above his wrist. My adrenaline took over and I hustled Rowan and my dad into the car so we could get to Children's Healthcare asap. 


He cried when it first happened but was easily soothed. He said his arm did not hurt. He was quiet for the whole ride to the emergency room.


By the time we had checked in at front desk Jeremy had arrived. Rowan was still cool and collected. He talked with the triage nurse and didn't seem too upset by anything until she suggested that he ride in a wheelchair to our room. He started to get a little nervous at that point so Jeremy carried him. The nurse said it was okay; she thought he would think the wheelchair was fun.


We got to Room 24 and within minutes were headed to x-ray. Still no crying from Mr. Brave. He keeps telling us that his arm is okay and that it's not broken. They check his vital signs and everything is great.


The orthopaedist said that there was a hairline fracture in the radius and his ulna was just sort of bent. Kids' bones are rubbery (thank goodness!) so the injury was not as bad as it would have been for an older kid or an adult. The angle of the break was just at the upper limit of normal so the ortho decided to set the bones. He said that they would probably heal just fine on their own but he wanted to be on the safe side.


They had to sedate him for the reduction. Which means they had to insert an IV, hook him up to heart and lung monitors, and have oxygen ready. Rowan was awesome during the prep process. He was fine with the IV and the "robot buttons" (electrodes). The whole time he was talking with us and the medical staff. They were very impressed with his attitude and humor. Several of them remarked how brave he was. 


When they injected the sedative into his IV it burned and he started to cry for the first time since he first fell. After about 5 seconds he was out. The ortho worked fast to set his bones and wrap his arm in a splint. The whole process took maybe 15 minutes.


He woke up shortly after that after some foot tickling and head rubbing. The first thing he said was "Why did that man put that milk in my hand? It was hot." (Propofol, the sedative they used, is white.) We were on our way home about 30 minutes later. 


We will go to see another ortho next week for Rowan's hard cast. He'll have to wear it 2 or 3 weeks.  He may end up with a removable hard cast or the traditional sort. I hope it's the removable kind. I can't begin to imagine how we are going to be able to keep his left hand clean for the next month.


This Labor Day weekend will definitely be one to remember!