Life with Monster(s)

The most fun happens with the biggest messes

2012-01-13T20:12:00.001-05:00

Sophie's first finger painting experience....

Great gran

2011-12-21T17:36:00.001-05:00

That distance of generations is just right. There's a special magic that happens between the very young and the very old. We are so fortunate to be so close to my grandmother. Great gran is an everyday part of my children's lives. And we are all the better for it!

To see the dinosaurs

2011-10-03T21:26:00.001-04:00

We are enjoying our three week break from school, gliding through our days at a snail's pace. Slowing down gives us the time to explore and experience so thoroughly in a way that our regular, clock-driven schedule does not. What difference it makes for the kids when they do not have to be herded constantly, and how much more peaceful my state of mind remains as we permit ourselves to meander! Today, we strolled through the new Darwin exhibit at Fernbank, marveling at the skeletons, bugs, and other natural wonders. Totally delightful! Here's to slowing down and throwing out schedules!

Water park bliss

2011-09-29T11:29:00.001-04:00

Three days at the indoor water park = three tired, happy children + one zonked happy mama!

Another reason I love our little school

2011-09-28T20:19:00.001-04:00

Where else on earth would 14 year old boys fight over who gets to hold Sophie?

And Sophie turns 1!

2011-09-28T20:12:00.001-04:00

No better way than chocolate on a stick, ridiculous bow on head, and indoor water park to spend the day celebrating your birth!

Ready for war....

2011-01-25T19:15:00.001-05:00

...or playing with brothers.

Nature deficit

2011-01-01T17:07:00.005-05:00

Okay, so one of our resolutions this year is to spend more time outside (as a family). Thus, the donning of the camo clothes and the smearing of the eyeshadow (WAR PAINT, Mommy!) and the gathering of the arsenal for some fort building. Start off the new year right: preparing for attack from the bad army.

Rain set in not so long after we headed out for battle (and right after Speedy got the fire good and ready for ribs), so the little armies came in for a nice hot shower while the big armies huddled under the roof with the grill. I made the mistake of leaving the weary soldiers to their own devices in my shower; when I came back, several bottles of body wash and conditioner were tossed empty on the floor.

So, all in all, a great start to the year - we survived battle, Mariano learned the key to rad ribs, and everyone is nice and clean.

Perfect way to spend the last day of last year (yes, it has been awhile. I promise to catch up)...

2010-12-31T16:50:00.003-05:00

Conspiracy of the grandmothers

2010-12-31T16:45:00.001-05:00

Yes, that is actually my daughter. Holy crap.

World, meet baby Sophie

2010-10-17T19:27:00.002-04:00

Fall Fun

2010-10-17T19:14:00.004-04:00

Time to get out in the woods when it starts cooling off....The first (of many, hopefully) climbing trips with the kids.

Hi Stranger....

2010-10-14T15:23:00.002-04:00

Sorry, been on a bit of a break. We have moved, Mommy has finished school and given birth. Meanwhile, the boys are learning to swim, and are often tempted to hop in, pajamas or not. Be back soon, with pictures of our newest family member.

A month ago....

2010-05-21T19:24:00.004-04:00

we went to an island then an airshow. it was rad. here are pictures.

James Brown has this effect on me, too.

2010-02-14T17:25:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RksVj8tF6rE

Snow Day fun

2010-02-14T12:47:00.005-05:00

We discovered that we don't yet have the patience for snowmen, and that Dadu throws a mean snowball. More at:
http://gallery.me.com/fliatrevisan#100067

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T22:58:00.006-05:00

In keeping with tradition, I would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving by speaking for my kids and their personal appreciation lists. Looking back on Milo's list of things he is thankful for, I realize that they haven't changed much in 2 years. We could add a few things to his list:
1. A little brother to steal toys from, make official pusher of the car or bicycle, drag around in circles for accompaniment in song, and generally torture.
2. Popalollies.
3. Fire, fire, fire.
4. Airplanes, helicopters, airports, golf carts, and gas trucks.
5. Grandparents he can sucker into getting him toys, treats, ba-ba's, movie time, and generally anything he might possibly want.
6. Parents who are almost as easily suckered.
7. A cooking stand, a cupboard full of spices and flour, and family members who have decided it is easier to clean up disasters in the kitchen than to argue with him.
8. That he has learned the phrases, "Don't be ridiculous!" and "Don't be impossible!" They work well for him when negotiating bedtime, treats, and anything else.
9. Sour cream.
10. Party Confetti.

Now for Luki's favorites:
1. A big brother to head butt and torture by destroying Lego creations and airplane arrangements.
2. Ice, ice, ice.
3. Raisins in tiny boxes.
4. See Milo's # 4,#5, and #6 above.
5. Tio Lucas.
6. Midnight bed switching, wherein he patters screaming from his bed into his mommy's arms, knowing she is too lazy to carry him back to his own bed and thus can spend the rest of the night gradually turning sideways and pushing his parents to the very outside edges of the bed.
7. Skin to pinch with little pointy fingers when he is tired.
8. The Yellow Submarine song.
9. Party Confetti.

They have so much to be thankful for.
And, of course, we are thankful for them.

I'm glad this wasn't at my house :)

2009-11-27T22:52:00.004-05:00

Morning Conversation, 7:00 am

2009-11-23T07:58:00.001-05:00

Milo struts into our room, and leans over Luki, who is still (mostly) sleeping).

Milo: Luki, wanna do the naked dance?
Luki (without opening eyes): No!
Milo: No Luki, you say, "Yes Milo, sweet Milo." Try again.

Our first family school concert.....

2009-11-21T08:35:00.003-05:00

Here he is, for my favorite song of the night. He's the stunned one in the middle. The handsome one trying to figure out what was happening. Makes me wanna make a sandwich!

Messes

2009-08-10T14:36:00.006-04:00

, accidental or on purpose, are best made in the summertime, when hosing down the kids is a valid option. If you have the stomach for it, here is some live action.

On the dock, with push-ups

2009-06-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

Favorite things to share: heat, dogs, harvest, nakedness.

2009-06-03T22:50:00.006-04:00

The transformation...

2009-05-17T20:43:00.002-04:00

...that takes place sometime around 18 months is a difficult one. From darling baby to devilish toddler. Ciao, baby Luki; hello, monstruguito dos.

Special Foot Bath

2009-05-04T22:33:00.005-04:00

For the first time since birth, Milo gave up his spot at the center of the universe. For his little brother, of all people. I am not sure what magic was performed to change "Mean-o" (as Luki calls him) into a considerate being, but whatever it is, I'm liking it. While my suspicions are that he does it for the positive reinforcement (read: chocolate), we'll take what we can get. After a day of praise and rewards, I wanted to do something particularly special for Milo that didn't involve sugar. Something that he would remember, that would make him feel extra-special, and bonus if I could use it to coax him into behaving well in the future. Thus the foot bath. Warm water, cinnamon and sage, and Mommy's undivided attention, praise, and foot rubbing. While the little king soaked his feet, we talked about all of the ways that he had behaved well today. I only had to mention one thing, and he was on a roll. He quickly rattled off a list of things that he had done for his brother, like sharing the car and a chocolate cookie. It even included a few that I am quite sure he did not do. He then wanted to do even more sharing, this time of his foot bath with Dadu. After some soaking and celebrating, nice and relaxed and into bed. I could see this becoming a ritual - picking fresh herbs and flowers from the garden for special foot baths...my kind of reward!

Short and Sweet...

2009-04-11T23:02:00.003-04:00

was the life of Pelusa. She was so good. We will miss her terribly.

Boys and bichos

2009-04-06T23:28:00.005-04:00

Spring at our House

2009-04-06T23:20:00.007-04:00

Reasons We are Glad to Have Pelu

2009-03-30T16:49:00.002-04:00

1. Instead of torturing his little brother, Milo now has Pelu to bother. Fortunately, she is faster and better at crawling under cars.
2. When Luki is a little hungry, he can just grab one of Pelusa's food balls, dunk it in her water, and go to town. Mommy doesn't have to make any more snacks!
3. Dadu has an excuse for napping on the couch, and Mommy gets a little lap warmer for car drives and watching movies..
4. Pelu can potty train the boys this summer; I'll open the door and they can all run out to pee.

Bienvenido, Pelu

2009-03-29T01:56:00.004-04:00

Our new addition to the family...better pictures to come later!

For Luki

2009-03-03T15:22:00.003-05:00

Inspired by the art of the city and the life of leisure, breakfast and coffee and books, I decided to write a poem. Since it is about Luki, I thought I would share it here:

Knowing that we are really one,
i contemplate the exchange that must have occurred
a sodium ion that once assisted in the movement of my left foot
now moves in and out of a neuron in you,
allowing you to shut your eye when you giggle
from the pleasure of me kissing under your chin.

Wondering at the facade of our separateness,
i imagine the water molecule
that once circulated in a pool around the capillary bed of my heart
and was swept away through the vessels that connected us
to bob in the ocean of your pancreatic cells, one to another
before being excreted onto the bathroom floor as you get naked for bath.

Laughing at our closeness,
my face close to yours as you nurse happily
i follow the oxygen that you breathe out and i breathe in,
watching it in my lungs attach to its carrier,
transported to my forearm muscle that wrestles with your wiggles.

Knowing that we are one,
i marvel at the blood in my veins that is also in yours,
the air in my lungs that also fills yours,
and the beat of my heart that also propels yours.
Flesh of my flesh, you are me,
and your child will be you
and me
and so it will be until the end of time.

Of cake and seeds

2009-02-23T16:35:00.001-05:00

Mommy's starting seeds (artichoke, basil, peppers, squash, eggplant, chives, and a few others) and Milo's eating cake. What a way to welcome spring!

Plumber Luki

2009-02-19T08:49:00.001-05:00

Strage Precipitation

2009-02-18T21:37:00.008-05:00

Today we experienced, as a slightly taken aback family huddled on the back porch, the craziest hail shower I have ever seen. Milo and Luki, both a bit scared and excited, stared as the huge stones pelted our house, cars, and the ground. As soon as it passed, we had a family contest to see who could find the largest hailstone. Milo and Luki also had a hail eating contest, in which the number of small hailstones that they could fit into their mouths was limited by both size and brain freeze.

Building

2009-02-08T19:30:00.002-05:00

In addition to getting really excited about DESTROYING things, Milo is starting to get a kick out of being able to build things. He builds only one thing, over and over. It doesn't matter what it is made out of, or what shape it ends up taking - it is a rocket. And once the building is done, he screams the countdown at the top of his lungs, and then blasts off. Luki participates by grabbing pieces, grinning and running behind either me or Dadu. The look that comes over his face is like none other, a pleasure that he derives unlike any other, simply to irritate his brother. Ah, the days to come!

Of good Dadus..

2009-02-08T19:26:00.002-05:00

...who entertain babies by letting them "help"
water and brush in hand,
wherein they wet the entire kitchen;
to dry it we'll need the fan.

The Working Question...

2009-01-13T08:36:00.002-05:00

As I am still struggling with finding a balance between motherhood and my own personal pursuits, I thought I would revisit this piece that I started to write some time ago. Not much has changed since its inception; currently, I am out of the home part-time, with the assistance of a great babysitter and my mother. Without the trauma of leaving the boys at (insert ominous and gloomy music here: dah dah dah) daycare, I am a bit more relaxed about being gone. Anyways, here is what I wrestle with:

"The Value of our Work"

Before I became a mom, I devoured every book about motherhood I could find. After I became a mom, I read them again, and somehow they said something different. So far (and really I’m only at the base of the mountain since I have many, many years ahead of me) the most difficult decision I have had to make was whether or not to “stay home” with the kids. Every one of those books I read had some variation of the “do what’s best for you and your family” line of advice, which, to me, was kind of useless. If I could figure out what was best for me and my family, I wouldn’t be reading those silly books. So I turned to magazines (good ones for smart women, not the silly mother versions of Cosmo that have as their main article a review of products currently in use by the hottest celebrities. Not that I am opposed to flipping through a fashion magazine at times, but when you are still combating baby weight and looking for advice as to how to make some of the most important decisions in your child-rearing experience, those just aren’t the ideal place to turn.)

What I found in the magazines (Brain, Child and Mothering are my favorites, but be forewarned, they can seem a bit radical at times. Then again, so can I.) were well-researched articles that told me to do everything from realize my feminist potential and lock my kids in a closet while I pursued my every dream (okay, not really, but it seemed like it at the time) to strapping my son on my body like an African woman (they really do this in Mali, I saw it) and not putting him down, ever, until he can give me a well-reasoned argument as to why I should do so. They were all persuasive articles, and all of them resonated with my way of thinking on some level. So, the decision just became harder the more that I read. I muddled through the first year or so of my son’s life trying to figure out what to do - I was a stay at home mom for a bit, I worked a bit, he went to daycare a bit, and I was miserable with every one of my decisions. I kept “figuring it out,” and then changing my mind a matter of weeks later.

We (as in the women of my generation) were raised, after all, to think that we could have careers every bit as successful as our husbands, and that the gender roles of our grandparents had disappeared. And things have changed, for sure. However, I think that the women of my generation who choose to be mothers are often in a particularly hard situation. We are pressured by a part of society that dictates that we are financial and intellectual failures if all we do is stay home to roll Play-dough balls and hunt the raisins that our toddler has so generously hidden all over the house for us. But we know that staying at home is more than disaster management and sanitation (although this is an essential part of it) - our children are going through a critical period in their development when they learn more than ANY OTHER time in their lives. On some level, who wouldn’t want to be there to oversee their kids’ growth. It seems that society and nature then works to pit us against our kids in a way. Either take care of their needs (Mommy at beck and call to kiss boo-boos and teach the alphabet forwards and backwards by age 2.5) or ours (adult conversations for more than 10 minutes a day, pursuing our dreams and career potential, developing ourselves professionally and personally). To complicate matters, often those of us that do not pursue at least some of our own interests then become very bad (or at least very miserable) at inventing silly games and reading the same book 10,007 times.

So, rather than write another well-researched article that concludes that my way of doing things is essentially the only way to raise happy, well-adjusted kids that will not only get into but also get a scholarship to ____________ (insert the ivy league school of your dreams here), I wanted to put on paper some of my thoughts the angles from which I analyze this decision.

Financially
Almost all of us have to include money in our decision about whether or not to stay at home with our kids, and it is often the single most important factor. Interestingly, some can’t afford to not work, and due to rising costs of quality daycare, some can’t afford to go to work. I have spoken with many mothers that did the math (earning potential - daycare costs = real value of salary) and realized that she was bringing home way less than minimum wage, despite her many years of university and even post-graduate degree(s).
A survey was released at Survey.com in 2007 to assign a theoretical monetary value to the work done by a stay-at-home mother: a family would have to pay $138,095 for the services rendered by Mom. This value seems high at first glance, but given that home moms are on call 27 hours a day and work an average of 52 hours overtime each week, it is easy to see where the money would add up. The job titles that seem to fit how women describe their work include housekeeper, cook, daycare center teacher, laundry operator, computer operator, facilities manager, van driver, and psychologist (among others).
Curious about my “worth” in economic terms, I decided to do my own calculations using the local rate of pay:

Childcare (Nanny) 91 (this is a low estimate) $12 per hour (I actually pay $15 when I get help) $1,092
Laundry 3 (again, this is on the low side), or 10 loads at 7 lbs. each $1.40 per pound, washed and folded $98
Picking up 5.25 hours (about 45 minutes per day) $8.50 per hour $44.63
Cooking, cleaning the kitchen, and grocery shopping 18 hours, including three meals per day with lunch packed and snacks served $15 per hour, averaging cook, dishwasher, and personal chef rates $270
Van Driver / Errand Runner 3 hours at dry-cleaners, doctor visits, post office, etc. $12 per hour $36
Personal Therapist 2 hours reading self-help and meditation books to keep me sane $75 $150
Office Manager/ Organizational Consultant 1.5 hours per week paying bills, opening and organizing mail, paperwork, etc. $30 per hour $45
TOTAL WEEKLY $1,735.63
That means my annual salary should be somewhere around $90,252, if I do not consider overtime pay. Granted, I do quite a bit of multi-tasking like keeping an eye on my son while I clean the kitchen, which explains why I do such a shoddy job. But still, if stay at home mothers were paid for all of their work at the market rate, they would be bringing home A LOT of the bacon. Alas, who to collect from?
Not that working mothers do not have all of these jobs as well. They often have to delegate and pay market rate for at least some of them, since it is virtually inconceivable that someone who works full time outside of the home could then put in 92 hours of the above-mentioned jobs. And farming out even part of motherhood duties puts a big dent in bring home pay.
Many mothers I know have struck some sort of balance by working part-time, or working from home. Thus, they manage to not have to pay out so much for child care, etc., and end up bringing in some money as well.

Emotionally
As if figuring out whether or not working makes sense financially isn’t complicated enough, there is another side to the issue. Parenting takes its toll on mothers emotionally just trying to juggle all of the jobs mentioned above. Working or not, running a household and doing the best for your children can leave you energetically drained and time-poor. With little left to pursue personal interests and stress-relieving activities, many moms feel run down and overwhelmed constantly. As a working mom, it is possible to feel like you don’t do a good job at either realm of your life, short-cutting work and mothering just to get everything done. And, moms specialize in guilt, which they take on from their own mental checklist not getting done, as well as an inherent comparison with other moms (they all seem so composed and together, after all). I learned after trying out all of my options that there was ALWAYS something to feel bad about, and ALWAYS a reason to be stressed. I worked part-time and was miserable. I worked full-time and was miserable. I stayed at home all day and was miserable. I worked part-time again and was miserable.
The reality of the situation was not that none of my options were good options, but that I was having a hard time adjusting to motherhood. Which is really what it’s all about, in the end.

Tricky Mommy

2009-01-08T15:47:00.002-05:00

I have decided to use the power of sibling jealousy to my advantage, and am rather proud of myself; hence the need to brag in this post. After noticing that Milo practically gives himself a heart attack with envy of anything that his little brother happens to have in his hand, I decided to give Luki things that I wanted Milo to take that he previously wouldn't. Don't want your vegetables, Milo? Okay, here you go Luki....oh, are you rethinking that, Milo? Like that.
I have gotten Milo to eat vitamins, (some) vegetables, wear shoes, get in bed, and play with educational toys in this way. As long as I have two of whatever it is, and as long as Luki is okay playing trade, this is working for us for now.
So, since potty training isn't going so well for the big monster, little monster can be seen here modeling underwear.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T20:25:00.005-05:00

...some pictures from our New Year celebration with the Scharkos at their place, which included firecrackers and roasted marshmallows, making snow, and playing "twinkle, twinkle" rock band style. The boys also got to play with dolls and pink things, which they both enjoyed more than Mariano liked....
Reflecting on the year together, we rejoiced in our good fortune to have spent lots of time with family and friends, opportunities to travel, and the evolution of our home. It seemed strange, but also relaxing, that we didn't move or have a new baby, both things we did in 2006 and 2007.
We have a few resolutions for the coming year, which involve the usual healthier lifestyle-related items (food and exercise), further schooling for both Mommy and Dadu, and lots of house projects. Milo's resolution is to learn the perfect whine pitch that will simultaneously drive Mommy crazy AND get him exactly what he wants, while Luki resolves to stop saying "Bullshit!"

Christmas is.....

2008-12-30T06:38:00.007-05:00

...time spent with family, relaxed and enjoyable; the time of the year that we set aside our "to do" list and focus on what we should be doing every day - having meaningful interactions with each other.

...not about presents, except for the occasion that Milo finds one that happens to not belong to him, and then it is all about THAT present and when he can open it. And if you think you have removed it from the situation and hidden it, and he has forgotten it, you are wrong. He will remember at the most inopportune time that there is a present in that closet (thus commencing with the whining and other un-pleasantries).

...the time of the year that we make and eat sweet things with no remorse, because after all, New Year is around the corner and we can work on our eating habits then.

...so much more fun with little ones in the house.

Good pictures, great trip

2008-12-20T12:55:00.006-05:00

After being inspired by the professional photographers roaming the beaches and taking casual pics with minimal editing for only $10per jpg, we decided to shoot some of our own professional-style pictures of our awesome vacation in the Dominican Republic. Here are a few of the good ones.

Viaje Buenos Aires

2008-12-01T08:14:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful (short) trip, which included meeting up with the cousins from Australia, spending time with the abuelos and the tios, and generally relaxing and enjoying the good weather. During these 10 days, Luke started crawling and speaking Spanish, and Milo started putting together entire sentences in Spanish. He transitions effortlessly between the two languages, and knows who to speak to in what language. Now if only he would potty train as easily!
It is a good thing that we have such a nice, relaxing time while we are down there, or we would NEVER go back due to the airplane ride. The trip down this time wasn't bad, because Milo fell asleep about 5 hours in and slept until we landed. However, the trip back was the worst yet. At roughly 5 hours into the flight, with 5 HOURS LEFT TO GO, Milo started crying hysterically. I knew what was coming and couldn't even move because of the HORROR. Luckily, Dadu acted quickly and unbuckled him from his seat just as the puking began. I knew his stomach was very full of food and milk, and from past experience that we would have a significant amount of vomit to clean up, so I covered him in a blanket (Thanks, Delta!) and carried him into the tiny bathroom before he made too much of a mess in our seats that we were stuck in for the next several hours. In the bathroom, I tried to aim him at the sink, which quickly overflowed, because it wasn't draining, and because it is the size of four thimbles. The odor was overpowering, so I succumbed, and we were both puking in the sink - I think that must have been the low point in my life as a mother. Once the puking stopped, Milo shook and cried pathetically, begging me to hold him. I peeled off his vomit clothes as quickly as possible and wrapped him in a clean blanket, and carried him out of there. Luckily, Dadu is the kind of man that can be sent into vomit-strewn bathrooms to clean up, so he did (Yeah, Dadu!). I clutched a pathetic Milo while Dadu did his best in the carnage. By the way, we learned from the flight attendant that coffee is an excellent deodorizer for vomit smell. Once Dadu had the evidence cleaned, she brought out a bag of ground coffee and left it on the counter, and no more puke smell, really. I couldn't believe how well it worked - I had been sending passengers to the other bathroom, with a casual "I wouldn't go in that one if I were you!" as they approached. A few minutes later, I tried for myself, and the only smell I noticed was coffee. Good trick for times when you are confined in small spaces and have some coffee readily available.
Back to Milo. Unfortunately, that was the dirtying of the third set of clothes for him (set one went down due to a juice spill in the lounge before boarding the plane; set two was a casualty of Milo's drinking by himself on the plane shortly after takeoff), so he spent the next three hours naked in a blanket laying on the floor. One flight attendant came by and told me he couldn't lay down on the floor (I knew that was coming); I told her that unless she wanted to clean up vomit for the rest of the trip, she best let us stay there. She was persistent, and brought her leader over to tell us that when the seat-belt sign came on, we had to get up. We agreed, but no one came back to get us up when it came on; I guess no one wants to argue with a desperate mother and a naked sick baby.
As I write this account, I think of how horrible that was and I am so glad that it is a story now. A couple of holiday wishes for ya'll out there - may you have peace, love, and happiness; and may you NEVER have to ride in an airplane for 10 hours with two sick babies who vomit on you.

Planting Ajo

2008-11-25T07:56:00.005-05:00

A couple of Sundays back, the weather was beautifully clear, fresh but not cold. I have a list of garden tasks at least a mile long; at the top was to plant some garlic for next year. I had pre-ordered it from Seeds of Change, and it came sometime in October. So, the boys (Mariano, Big Luki, and Little Luki) gathered shovel, wheelbarrow, hoe, and some good dirt and got to work. The result will be (hopefully) 180 heads of garlic to harvest sometime next summer, or half a garlic each day for the following year. Yeah for garlic, which, by the way, has antibiotic, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties! I am seriously considering a garlic shake for myself and the boys as we battle our winter colds.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-11-12T15:29:00.002-05:00

I have to say that the past week or so, Milo has been changing so much, and has reached the age where he says and does things that are utterly hilarious (really!) all the time. Just in the last week, here is what made me giggle the most (and, incidentally, the moments I want to save for retelling later):
1. The other day, he put himself in time-out. We have been using time-out for about a month now, reserved for times that he displays violence towards Luki. Milo usually threatens to hit Luki, by raring his little arm back as far as he can and looking at me with a big grin. He waits for me to say no, and then hauls off and hits (I usually intercept and send him directly to time-out.) This day was full of battles, and he waited for me to be out of reaching distance and whacked his brother in the head. Then he marched himself to his seat on the steps and declared "TIME OUT!" very loudly. He even faked his pouting face, and sat there a minute. He released himself from time-out about a minute later by saying he was sorry and hugging his brother. Guess he figured it was worth it.
2. The day after he put himself in time out, he put his juice box there. He sat his half-full box on the second step and wagged his pointer finger at it, saying "Time out! No hitting Luki." He then walked away a few paces and turned around, breaking out the pointer again, and said "Stay there!" He lectured the box a bit, and repeated his orders not to hit Luki. Bad juice box!
3. He has always been one to tell me what to do and make demands, but he started awfully early in the morning on Monday. I entered his room with is warm milk "baba" after he woke up, and he rubbed his little eyes while handing me his "old baba" from the night before. He instructed me then and there to "wash it." Then, as soon as he had taken his first drag from his nice warm morning baba, he looked around his messy room (from a session of wrestling the night before with his Dadu) and declared "Mess! Mommy clean it." He has become quite the little dictator.

Appropriate Toys

2008-10-26T12:26:00.002-04:00

I was torn - stop the boys from playing with beer bottles and interrupt the first real interaction in which Milo actually included his brother without hitting or stealing toys ("Here Wuki!"), or allow the brotherly love to continue? We opted for the latter. Our shame was balanced with the thrilling sensation of playing siblings.

Halloweeny

2008-10-26T12:16:00.005-04:00

Ah, the fun to be had with a yard full of toddlers and parents! There was skeleton dancing, foot painting, bounce-house jumping, car sliding, wagon riding, and fire burning for all. The boys loved having folks over, and Mommy was happy with so little clean up. Since it all went so well, we have a new house rule: all enterytaining, partying, gatherings, and get-togethers shall from this day forward take place ouside of the house! For more photos of the event, click here.

A big shout out to the new Mrs. Watkins!

2008-10-15T08:19:00.005-04:00

A sincere and huge congrats to Steph and Jonny, Atlanta-style. We are thrilled to see one of the ladies take on the next step in life. And thanks for the opportunity to travel to the beautiful coast! Luki had his first experience with beach, and he loved the feel of the sand in his fingers. He swam, buried his little hands in the sand, and basked in the shade of the umbrella. The big people in the party enjoyed themselves, too. Yeah for road trips!

Double the goodness.

2008-09-30T09:27:00.002-04:00

Luki gets the Best Baby Ever award multiple times daily, complete with the winnings of too many kisses to every part of his face and fingers. This is usually inspired by a tantrum or disaster with Milo, wherein I turn to the Good Son and praise his saintliness. Yeah for Luki!

Milo Helps

2008-09-30T09:20:00.004-04:00

Any time a tool is utilized in our house, Milo absolutely has to be involved. He cannot be distracted with food, sugar, George, or any of our usual ploys. In these photos, he can be found giving his invaluable assistance to Tio Lucas and Dadu in putting together the basketball goal. Thanks to Milo, the basketball goal project was a cinch, and only took 6 hours!

Happy Baby.

2008-09-19T15:40:00.006-04:00

Luki ate his first jar of baby meal-like substance, some organic stuff I picked up at the grocery when we were out of town. Since he has only ever eaten my milk and home-made fruit and veggie baby food, this was a shock to his system. And he was super excited by his jar of junk food! He smiled and did muscle poses (wherein he puts on a serious face, pops his lips out in a huge pucker, and flexes his tiny arms in front of his body) for a good half hour after he ate to demonstrate his delight!

Civilized Milo...

2008-09-19T15:40:00.002-04:00

...at a play date with one of his friends. He SAT STILL for about 8 whole minutes and ate at the table with Tristan. We think Tristan should come over more often, since he is obviously a good influence. Who says parents can't choose their kids' friends?

August Showers

2008-08-25T08:04:00.006-04:00

Our Sunday afternoon goes like this: We wake up from nap , and drink a baba (or a booby). We wiggle and squirm away from our diaper change, making the process take 30 minutes. It starts raining, so we learn to use an umbrella, which we ditch for putting "boats" in the stream. Which means we get really wet in the storm. And then we get bathed and check ourselves out in the mirror for a LONG time. 'Cause we're so good looking, we just can't get enough. We eat, and squirm again when it's time to put on PJ's. We stall for an hour while Mommy tries to put us to bed. Then we sleep, finally.

Los Banditos: Buenos Aires, the trip in pictures

2008-08-25T07:50:00.007-04:00

Mommy's New Obsession....

2008-07-31T14:14:00.005-04:00

....is hunting mushrooms in our woods. Here are my most recent victims, ringless honey mushrooms, with Dadu and Luki surveying the carcasses suspiciously. Ever the supportive husband, I have actually been able to talk Mariano into eating these things that I find, and he doesn't complain even a little bit. Now that's a good husband! We cooked these up using one of Wildman Steve Brill's recipes, and they were awesome (but too spicy for anyone but me, thanks to my heavy hand with the red pepper).

We spend quality family time together exploring our new land and searching out the little buggers. Dadu has a great eye for the mushrooms, and Luki gets a nice ride through the woods.

And here you can see Milo's contribution to the mushroom hunting expedition - that's right, he pitched in and created the MUDDIEST CLOTHES EVER FOUND ON A 2 YEAR OLD, and thus that ever passed through my washing machine.

Summer Bounty

2008-07-31T14:10:00.002-04:00

We have been harvesting from our garden quite a bit over the spring and summer, but haven't been good about taking pictures. Here Luki can be seen trying desperately to will the veggies into his mouth, since he hadn't quite figured out how to maneuver his hands and mouth to accomplish this. In the basket are tomatoes, golden chard, purple pole beans, and lemon cucumber. Yeah for home grown (food and babies)!

Thanks a lot, Pops!

2008-07-23T21:17:00.004-04:00

This is not the first case of Grandparent-gift-gone-bad, nor, I'm sure, will it be the last. These Grandparent folks have a knack for choosing just the gift for children to make the largest mess, or the most annoying noise, etc. The dark side of my mind wonders if it is not an attempt to make me pay for some dastardly deeds they are imagining I committed (since I was the perfect child and teenager, these supposed horrible acts that deserve retribution exist only in my parents' distorted and aging memories:).
Milo approached the super sized ink pads with glee. (Who in the hell decides to make GIANT ink pad for children - shouldn't they be tee tiny so as to prevent these very disasters?) It was only a matter of seconds before he was pushing on it with his whole hand to discover where the ink was coming from. I winced a bit (but not as much as Nano did, so there was some poetic justice to the present they brought). He covered his fingers with the blue liquid. It wasn't until he LAID HIS WHOLE FACE on the ink pad that I began to get an idea of the terrible mess I would have to clean up. Two days and at least as many baths later, he still has blue in the creases around his nose.

While we weren't looking,

2008-07-19T15:57:00.003-04:00

Luki swiped the last empanada. He deftly maneuvers it towards his mouth, and tries to cram the whole thing in, which does not work. He gets a bit frustrated, bangs the empanada on his leg a few times, and, having forgotten the previous results, tries again. Rather than console our frustrated son, we stand around and laugh and take pictures.

Finally....

2008-07-19T15:47:00.004-04:00

Here we have our before and after shots of the paint job that took us almost 2 months. But it is done now, and we have been profusely thanked by our neighbors. Though I am sure they were wondering why the heck we didn't get around to it sooner, they were kind and even complimented our red door.

Ready for anything

2008-07-15T14:17:00.006-04:00

Milo wields paintbrush and popsicle, ready to take on the HOT afternoon. He delights in painting on his new easel and paper, and equally on his stomach. Only twice does he confuse hands, swiping popsicle on painting and licking his brush. Still, he refuses to relinquish either one. Meanwhile, Luki polishes off his first popsicle ever in a recordbreaking 12 seconds (Dadu helped a little bit).

Guest appearance....

2008-07-14T15:20:00.003-04:00

...by the Pritikin family, aka - the big-haired doll and his parents. I never get to see my friends, and they are here for a couple of weeks, so we met up at the kids museum. Nano chased Milo around while he whirling-deviled his way through the place, and I got to relax in the flower bed and "chat" while attempting to nurse a very distracted Luke. Noam (the small big haired one with fat thighs on the right of the picture) wiggles and puts things in his mouth and generally maneuvers impressively, and even shared a stick of celery with his father. Rina swears he has a tooth, but it evaded me. Perhaps next time I can spot it.

Foraging

2008-07-14T15:12:00.004-04:00

My first ever encounter with a chanterelle came about a week ago, when I found a funky orange thing growing under an oak tree in the yard. Thinking that perhaps it might be a chanterelle, but not sure, I picked it and set it aside for identification. After reading and looking at pictures, I was fairly certain of what I had found, and had discovered that the look-a-likes were not poisonous but merely potentially yucky tasting. So, my mind was made up that I would eat them, and Mariano is such a supportive husband that he joined me (now that's a good partner!). I chopped them up, cooked them with a bit of butter, and put them on crackers with shaved parmesan. Boy were they good! And neither of us got sick. It has since rained a few times, and I have served us wild mushrooms in an omelet, and intended to put them on a pizza, but accidentally knocked the pan on the floor. I heard a big sigh of relief from my dinner guests that they would not have to try eating something I found in the forest. Better luck next time!

Some pics from Milo's Birthday

2008-07-11T09:33:00.005-04:00

We had fun, and Milo got his first ever head-butting from a goat (here he can be spotted attempting to feed from their trough); Luki got his first ever taste of chocolate cupcake. Good times!

Farmer's Market, Round 2

2008-07-10T09:33:00.005-04:00

I guess three solid days in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago was just not enough for me. Tomatillos galore were calling my name, amplified by the fact that we had already eaten half of the salsa that we put up within two weeks. They screamed, louder and louder as my personal supply dwindled, until I could hear them from the farmer's market. And since I was making the drive to get tomatillos, I thought I might as well grab a few tomatoes while the prices are still so low. This time, I went in with my mom and Carolyn (step-sister for those of ya'll who are not part of my family but fortunate enough to have found this blog), and we caught the stock-up sickness when we got to the market. Combined with the fact that Milo was begging to be chased, which hastened my buying decisions, we went a bit overboard. This is what we bought:

100 pounds of ripe tomatoes
75 pounds of tomatillos
50 pounds of vidallia onions
50 pounds of red and green bell peppers
50 pounds of zucchini
25 pounds of yellow summer squash
25 pounds of jalapeno peppers (enough to scorch all of the Southside)
30 pounds of peaches
35 heads of garlic
2 watermelons
...for a grand total of more than 300 pounds of produce.

This is how long it took us to put ourselves in this situation:
20 minutes

This is how much of that time I spent chasing a halfway-barefoot Milo through aisles of produce rather than thinking about what I would do with all of those veggies:
18 minutes

This is what we paid for it all:
$137

This is what we put up for later:
90+ cups of diced onion
80+ cups of diced bell pepper
15 quarts of yummy tomato sauce for pizza and pasta
54 pints of tomatillo salsa, which will be gone long before the tomatillos are in season again :(
90+ cups of diced tomatoes
90+ cups of vegetable stock for cooking this winter
mountains of grated zucchini
more mountains of sliced squash
peaches for 20 cobblers, and then some
1 pint of the hottest hot sauce I have ever put near my lips

This is how long it took us:
3 days

This is what I still have left to process:
~20 pounds of jalapenos

This is how long it will be before I buy more bulk produce:
about an hour or so (I am headed out to hunt for corn!)

This is what we put in the compost pile:
~50 pounds of skins, cores, and ends

This is what we threw away:
nothing!

Good times to come

2008-07-03T16:13:00.002-04:00

I thought this picture might be appropriate to accompany the news that we have a signed contract for the land next to us - another 5 acres! While visions of free range chickens and mountains of veggies dance in my head, we are busy trying to figure out how and what portion of it all to clear, the ins and outs of biodynamic gardening, and what tractor to get:) Milo is already honing his tractor control skills (nevermind that this is a mere forklift, it's a good place to start practicing).

Stolen Goods

2008-07-01T20:07:00.004-04:00

We ate this food from as "local" as it gets - out of our neighbor's yard. Across the street from our house is a cleared strip of land that stretches as far as you can see, under which run gas lines for the area. I assumed that the land was public, and had my eye on a peach tree. We went to check it out and found a beautiful old blueberry bush dripping with fat juicy gems just a few feet away. I had convinced myself that the fruits were available to anyone who wanted them, and I took my cue from the rotting goodness on the ground below - I picked as much as I could carry. Then I made a cobbler out of the peaches and the blueberries, and it was WONDERFUL. It was later that I found out that the land actually belongs to our neighbor. I was a little bit sorry about stealing their fruit. I plan on knocking on their door tomorrow, and I am hoping that my apology with Luke looking cute on my hip will elicit an offer to let me pick more.

Birthday Monster likes candles better than he likes cookies

2008-06-30T13:54:00.004-04:00

He picked a few of the sprinkles off and fed them to various willing recipients while announcing their colors. He ate exactly one red sprinkle, and asked for "more fire" at least 764 times.

Welcoming new guests

2008-06-30T08:25:00.004-04:00

Instead of managing different blogs, I decided that we would invite our food and garden posts to come live here with us. Those of you visitors who are only interested in looking at adorable photos of my offspring, don't despair. There will still be plenty of those. To help make the other posts more at home, I will set the tone for you: my other blog was about the food realm of our lives. We believe in eating as locally as possible and as healthily as possible. To make that happen, we are growing some things in our garden, and we have a membership to a CSA at Serenbe Farms, where we go to pick up our veggies every Tuesday evening. More about it all later.

Hot Tub Baby

2008-06-23T14:42:00.004-04:00

Something Dadu and I indulged in while the large monster was sleeping. Little monster got to accompany us, and splashed until his little arms could no longer move and his little raisin feet couldn't kick anymore.

This is what we do on Wednesdays:

2008-06-18T08:55:00.007-04:00

We rock out at Tiny Tunes music class. And I mean really ROCK OUT! Milo runs around with an energy level higher than anything I ever experienced at any punk rock show (which I have now decided is only for wimps. Want a really hard core expierence? Go to music class with a bunch of RIIIIdiculous toddlers!) He occasionally accosts the teacher with a hug or two (she's hot, apparently!) and the rest of the time prances with his arms blasting up and down to show his excitement.

Luki and Dadu "meditating"

2008-06-18T08:43:00.002-04:00

Father's Day at the Water Park

2008-06-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

Big fun, except for the part where I almost had to beat up a five year old for smashing Milo's finger in a metal water bin (he did it ON PURPOSE, the mean little boy!)

What to do when it is 5,000 degrees on a Saturday afternoon.....

2008-06-09T14:16:00.001-04:00

Ready for the sun....

2008-06-09T14:13:00.004-04:00

Here Luki can be spotted after having endured a thorough rub-down (bath might be more accurate, since Mommy fears for his pretty white skin) with sunscreen and ready to enter the water at Calloway Gardens. Just 15 minutes after this shot, we were packing up to go home, due to Big Monster's unusual fussiness. No playing in man-made lake beach for us......

Luki's Ode to Papaya

2008-06-04T15:23:00.006-04:00

O papaya, papaya O
how do you get those little black seeds to grow
and stop before they become tadpoles
bursting from your mushy flesh?

o papaya, papaya O
soft puree of you in my belly i blow
little bubbly kisses so
my mommy will smile at me.

He he.

2008-06-03T08:31:00.002-04:00

Why do we get such a kick out of putting adult accessories on babies? Though I can't answer that question, I can provide this photo as a testament to the fact that it is hilarious!

Add this to the list of things that we never tell my Gran about

2008-06-03T08:26:00.003-04:00

This picture was taken just minutes before Dadu won the award for falling off the slowest moving jetski ever. At a full 2.5 miles per hour, somehow Uncle Justin managed to throw him off the back of it. And Dadu managed to keep the camera above water. Yeah Dadu!

First Matching Outfits

2008-06-03T08:24:00.002-04:00

I swore I would never do matching outfits. But these shirts were too cool.

Rain Dance on the Dock

2008-06-03T08:17:00.003-04:00

I should have known better than to start the rain dance with Milo. The first time it rained and he was big enough to run around on his own, I encouraged him to head outside and feel the rain. He ran around squealing with delight "Raining! Raining!" The next time we got a good pour, I headed out and proceeded to do my best imitation of an Indian rain dance, complete with hopping around on one leg and my made up version of the chant. Milo ran around me as fast as he could and laughed. Since we are suckers for the sound of our own kid's laughter, I did it until he got good and tired of it (at least 30 minutes). Now every time it rains, he looks at me and asks me to head out into it and dance. Which I usually do. Here he can be witnessed at Grandpap's boat, having talked Grandpap and Dadu into heading with him out into the rain - the best toy ever. And after, cuddling his Dadu for warmth.

Such a Big Help

2008-05-28T14:47:00.001-04:00

Milo "helps fix it," thereby extending Pop's job of putting up the fan by at least 30 minutes.

Abominable Snow Dadu

2008-05-28T09:37:00.002-04:00

Mariano spent Memorial Day day blowing recycled newsprint insulation into our attic. Poor Dadu, but yeah for greening the home.

Lazy Summer Days

2008-05-28T09:28:00.004-04:00

Okay, so we're not really lazy. But you wouldn't know that to look at our lounging pictures, where we enjoy the hammock that Tio Lucas thoughtfully brought us. How nice it is to lay and look up at the leaves in the trees. Milo stayed in one place for a very long time (10 minutes is like infinity for the wiggly man), and Mommy would have stayed 10 years if she could.

Picky Nicky

2008-05-28T09:18:00.005-04:00

We celebrated Memorial Day with a potluck picnic. Milo stepped on and stole everyone else's food, but other than that we had fun. Given license to choose his own food, Milo ate ONLY chocolate chip cookies and one bite of pork roast for dinner. He then played chicken soccer with Dadu while Mommy lounged with Luke.

Bathtime

2008-05-24T08:39:00.003-04:00

Milo likes to sit in the "baby chair," whether it is the swing, the little bouncer, or the bathtub. We needed desperately to bathe them both (Milo insisted on feeding himself some of Luke's applesauce and ended up playing with it like playdough. Just curious - How do you make a snowman out of applesauce?), and since Milo wasn't giving up his baby seat, this was Dadu's solution. Interestingly, Milo screamed like the emotionally inept toddler that he is when Dadu rescued Luke from the increasingly tight hold. He didn't want Luke to go, probably just because he was having fun squeezing as tight as his little arms could, but I prefer to think that he was loving on Luke.

Chaos, outside.

2008-05-22T14:06:00.005-04:00

We had a blast with our playgroup outside this morning! I got up early and dragged out half of Milo's toy collection, along with some sidewalk chalks and paint, and we had 15 (I think) kids over to help us decorate the driveway and move stuff around. Luke was perfect (as always) and Milo was in heaven, with all those folks to watch him perform. He blew kisses and said "Ciao, amigos!" as the last kids were leaving. When I changed his diaper before nap, he was asking for his "amigos, amigos," so we will be doing that again soon! Thanks everyone for helping us to enjoy the lovely morning!

Monster pushes monster....

2008-05-20T14:15:00.001-04:00

...or the first time playing together, ever. Milo looked at Luke and smiled and Luke looked back and smiled. The beginning of a lifetime of (hopefully mostly) positive interaction.

Rare Together Time

2008-05-12T16:28:00.003-04:00

Milo is coming around, finally. Today, for instance, he generously fed Luki a piece of his cherished chicken. Which is a big deal, since he usually only feeds other people the parts of food that he doesn't like (either by picking it out of his meal or first placing it in his mouth and then deciding - it's always a real treat to be fed a masticated raisin!). We caught some brief moments of the boys together, when Milo only play bites Luke, and seems to even enjoy his company. All in all, I am beginning to think there is hope for brotherly love.

Too bad I didn't catch the soundtrack for this one.

2008-05-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

Sunset, just the way it should be...

2008-05-09T14:22:00.000-04:00

Honorary Monster....

2008-05-08T15:07:00.003-04:00

Welcome little Guido to the world! Milo and Luke's first cousin, Mommy and Dadu's first nephew... We're excited to have you in the family!

Milo adjusts Mommy's poses...

2008-05-08T13:39:00.004-04:00

Just when I thought I had snagged 90 seconds to myself to do a few yoga poses and relax, the Monster decided that he needed to help. We will hereafter rename Downward Dog to Milo in the Crotch and Child's Pose to Milo Climbs On Your Back and Bites You in the Ass pose.

What the heck!?!

2008-05-04T12:09:00.001-04:00

At first sight, I thought these huge water rats were part of the zoological exhibit. Upon further inspection and exploration (ie- they waddled right out of the exhibit and to our feet), I discovered that they are instead part of the local fauna, like the stray cats that wander the zoo. Milo had fun giving them zoo-animal food (no idea what is in those pressed pellets) and allowed them to crawl all over him. A bit stricken by the protective mother urge to shield him from the attack, I suppressed my instincts and we reveled in the encounter with the strange, surely disease-carrying rats. Fortunately, no one was bitten and everyone (including Milo, who snuck a pellet before I could get it from him and then would only fake spitting it out) left a bit fuller.

Al paseo....

2008-05-04T12:06:00.002-04:00

"Varones!"

2008-05-04T11:30:00.004-04:00

I cannot count the number of times Milo's horrible behavior has been attributed to his possession of testicles.
For instance, the other day in the sandbox, after watching Milo hit her child in the head with a plastic shovel and then throw sand in her own tea, a mother of an obviously calm girl toddler shrugged and said "Varones!" (aka "Boys!"for the non-Spanish speaking readers of this blog). She said it lightly and with a half smile of amusement that all at once forgave Milo's atrocious behavior, expressed relief that her own child would never behave that way, and pitied my pathetic attempts to reign him in.
Interestingly, boy children are excused from any degree of civilization that seems to come naturally to girl children. But us women, the mothers of these wild boys, are not. We feel pain and horror as we watch the absurd displays of temper and destructiveness, while our little sons revel in their monstrousness. We hang our heads in shame, or are driven to hysterical laughing when we cannot face the reality that our boys are true little devils.
Last week, we took Milo to the book fair and bought him a map, which rolled up to become a 5-foot bonking stick, which he wielded in front of him as a person magnet. It seemed to lead his little body to the perfect whacking spot of whichever most malhumorous person was close. While those poor victims were not so permissive, each of the two awful times he made contact with someone, inevitably there was a bystander to giggle at me (pitiful wreck that I was, trying to contain him with little Luke attached to a boob only partially concealed by my clothes) and give me a knowing look, "Boys!" escaping from the tension present while Milo hit his target.
Since the rest of the world is able to understand his behavior only in terms of his gender, I too have started wielding the powerful word as my defense against the embarassement I might otherwise feel in the presence of his displays. I am, after all, the mom of said monster, and should contain him to some degree. With "Boys!" as my weapon I can once again venture forth, impervious to any shame that might befall me, and expose the world to my little devil.

First Poo!

2008-04-14T08:50:00.004-04:00

I will spare you the picture, but Milo used the potty for the first time EVER yesterday. Bye bye diapers, hello nasty public toilets.

Busted!

2008-04-14T08:22:00.002-04:00

I have learned that whenever Milo rounds a corner and is silent for more than 3 or 4 seconds, chances are quite high that he is doing something naughty. Here, his destructiveness was caught on film (and no doubt reinforced by the appearance of the camera) as he helped to reshape Grandpap's door.

First Popcorn

2008-04-09T20:53:00.004-04:00

Milo ate his first ever popcorn, given to him by William at the duck pond. Like any good manipulator, Milo looked interested and then downright mournful until William (a genuinely sweet kid) shared. He wasn't happy with just one, and followed William staring at his popcorn until he had eaten quite a bit of it. I was finally shamed into leaving the pond for the grocery to buy our own popcorn, lest we become pesky scavengers!

Lunch without the big one...

2008-04-09T19:44:00.002-04:00

While Great Gran won't admit it, she doesn't like to eat out with Milo. (If you saw Dadu's video of Milo's eating behavior, you really wouldn't blame her). So, we snuck out without the large one for a bite and a bit of fawning over Luke. Like his big brother, Luke is a charmer with the ladies, and had our waitress wrapped around his little pointy finger within seconds - one juicy pthththththtththth was all it took.

Ridiculous....

2008-04-04T00:39:00.002-04:00

...to think I could hand Milo a spoon and cup of yogurt. See Dadu's video for more of the mess.

Look what Mommy made.....

2008-04-03T18:29:00.005-04:00

...the boys AND the hats!

YouTube rocks...and so does Milo.

2008-03-31T14:50:00.003-04:00

Here he can be seen absorbing every movement, every note of this amazing unconventional guitar piece on YouTube. Milo loves to play with his Dadu's guitar - maybe he'll turn out to be the rock star I always wanted to be.....no pressure or anything.