Sunday, March 28, 2010

How to Train Your Dragon




On Sunday we got up and made breakfast. No matter what I'm cooking Noah asks to help, and if Noah asks to help then it follows that Isaiah will ask. Sometimes they don't even ask. Noah grabs the stool of of the bathroom which is smaller and easy to handle. Since Isaiah follows Noah's lead he gets stuck with the bigger stool by the front door. It takes all his strength to move the two step stool into the kitchen. Most times I'm so worried he's going to trip or drop it on his fat, little square foot that I carry it the rest of the way. They both have to wash their hands which they do with only one asking, because they love cooking. They put on their aprons and if I'm not wearing mine, Noah bugs me until I put it on. Isaiah usually gets a bowl with a whisk and some flour or rice in it to mix and he will mix until you drag him from it. This Sunday we were making a breakfast pie. I've discovered the delicious beauty of pie crust and make a lot of vegetable pie. Since we are decorating hollowed out eggs on Wednesday night I had to carefully break the top part of the egg off and slowly let it drizzle out. Noah whisked the eggs and broke up a piece of sliced cheese into bits. She washed the asparagus and hung out with me until the pie was ready to go in the oven. Broderick claimed it was his favorite of my breakfast pies. It contained eggs, cheese (of course,) garlic (of course, of course,) greens and onions, of and halved cherry tomatoes around the edges for even more color. And he was right, it was delicious. After I out the pie int he oven I hustled to get the kids dressed for Alastair's birthday party. While I was int he shower Isaiah and Noah started wrestling, which was sweet and loving BUT, he started wheezing which meant he had to sit with his "breathing machine" which made us 30 minutes late for the party. We were already 30 minutes late because I can't manage time and always HAVE to do something at the last minute. The kids had a blast at the party and ate vegan cupcakes, jumped on the bouncy, snuck and ate cookies, and played with their friends. it was incredibly hot and Isaiah's little cheeks with flush and he took his shoes and socks off because "I'm hot!" We stayed an hour longer than the evite suggested and stopped at The Farmer's Market on the way home to pick up some produce. This farmer's market is one of the best things to happen to our neighborhood. I'm thrilled there is fresh organic produce every Sunday a stone's throw from my front door. Isaiah fell asleep in the 2 minutes it took to get home and Noah had to be threatened before she finally conceded to sleep which just made he sleep later than I wanted. When they woke up we had a quick dinner of my dad's frozen beef stew. Noah decorated the bags for the home made popcorn which Broderick didn't eat. Isaiah just walked into my bedroom at 10pm and said looked worried because, "I can't find Noah." She was asleep at the end of her bed tucked in pink heart pillows and a soft pink blanket from grandma Pam. I have to convert Isaiah's crib into a toddler bed. I HAVE TO DO IT!! Anyway Broderick and I took the kids to see "How to Train Your Dragon." If anyone has ever wondered who all that outdoor advertising is for - it's for my kids. They know all the movies. Not because they watch TV (which they hardly do,) but because they are suckers for a billboard. Anyway they were as cute as two children could be. We all help hands as we walked in and it make me so happy to be a part of our family. I'm happy a lot, but I was also proud. Everyone was happy and excited and just so darn cute. They both talked throughout the entire movie - but I didn't mind because I know they cant help it, they're my kids and we love to talk and too because they were so excited to share what they were seeing and thinking. Noah thanked her daddy a bunch and just kept saying "Whoever made that movie is an awesome movie maker." She was very proud to have come up with this on her own. We'll see if she remembers that they are called "producers." While they were getting ready for bed, they each took a phone and put it on speaker and recounted every detail and most of the lines from the movie to my mom, John and Jessica. It was one of those moments I hope to etch in my mind and heart forever. It was a perfect time with them.

Depressing


It's depressing how fast time is zooming by me, and I guess the rest of us too. It's picking up speed each day I add to my life. it seems as if the distance between minutes, hours, weeks and the rest of it are closing in. It's depressing to me that I feel like I just got settled from Christmas and it's Easter, about to be summer. Everything I do is an effort to be more in the moment. All the scheduling, the managing of Ms. Martha's time and energy, the persistent pleas for family to visit is all about cherishing these precious times. I can't tell if I'm living in fear or in consciousness. I can't tell if the awareness that we are all dangling on strings and it's all just a blink is either good for me or detrimental to my peace of mind. This awareness forces me to let go of the petty small stuff and remember some book of rules for life that had two rules; #1. Don't sweat the small stuff. #2 It's all small stuff. So on one hand it's good, but on the other hand I'm sick with worry that I'm not being in the moment enough. I do feel distracted less since this crisis of faith or rather, that the inevitable just dawned on me. It inspired me to see Yellowstone, well that and something the yoga teacher, Clio said. She explained how time seems to be speeding up as we age and that some scientists have researched this and discovered our perception of time is really just the brain's way of recording new information. So when we are encountering something for the first time, the brain slows down to record all the shiny, new details - but by 35 or 40, we are in auto-pilot and our brains have seen everything we do everyday - there's no new information to record. So I thought then, that I need to go someplace new. And I thought about how the kids need space to run around and fresh air, and how I'd love to have a picnic every day on this vacation and just sit in beauty and talk to my family am watch the kids look at beauty. I'm trying to slow down time. I'm trying to go to bed earlier so I'm not a zombie. I'm trying to record these experiences with pictures and this blog is to document the regular stuff we do everyday, because I know someday soon that this moment too will be ancient history. I love life, and I love this life so much - it's just depressing it's going so fast. I am thankful for every moment and pray (more like beg God, for long lives for everyone I love - which is about everyone and that we are healthy and happy and in peace.


This picture was taken yesterday when Broderick caved in and took the family to a nursery and we bought trees for our back yard. Isaiah is a funny critter and Noah is clever and strong.