Wrong guess

This morning e and I tried something new.  We went to the main library for an infant-toddler singing/dancing time.  Since e enjoys music, I assumed she would like this.  Wrong!  She insisted on sitting on my lap and refused even to sit on the floor beside me.  Although the leader sang several songs she knows, like "The Wheels on the Bus," she didn't sing or do the motions.  Was it the large group of maybe 40 adults and children?  Was it sitting on the floor?  Was it coming in late?  Did I not prepare her adequately for the new experience?  Could be any or all of these.  But I think we will try it again next week.

She is currently standing up in her crib, chatting to herself with great expression, not going to sleep.  Since she's been in bed for an hour, I guess there will be no nap again today.  This video monitor is great!  I like to watch and listen to her as she entertains herself.

Advent begins

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas.  Yesterday when I went to practice organ, I saw that the candles and hangings at the church have been changed to blue; for a very long time purple was the color of this season, but now it's blue, at least in this Lutheran church.  The focus of Scripture and music will be the coming of Christ into the world.  Christmas is five weeks from today; in two weeks Liz will celebrate her 35th birthday.

Last night I took off the tablecloth with fall leaves and instead put on the red one with cross-stitched winter scenes made by Randy's grandmother Brown.  Today I will begin to decorate, bit by bit, trying to stay aware of e's presence and curiosity.  We have an alphabet book that tells the Christmas story with wonderful pictures, so I will get that out.  The Advent wreath with its four candles will come to the table so we can light the first one tonight.

Like mother, like daughter

Several years ago when I was visiting my dad, his wife decided to clean out the old garage at the back of their yard.  A filing cabinet which apparently had been in my parents' house held, among other things, treasure!  For instance, all four of Mom's high school yearbooks were there, and since Dad attended the same school, a record of his high school years.  All of her elementary school report cards and most of Dad's.  File folders for each of us kids labeled "letters from Starr" or Cynthia, Mark, or John.  Newspaper clippings, essays Mom wrote for classes at the community college, Dad's evaluations from his department head, bulletins, programs from concerts and plays...all kinds of delightful things that have given me more insight into both of my parents.  I guess I come by this desire to keep memorabilia honestly.

This morning I packaged up the files of letters my brothers had sent our parents (between about 1973 and 1994) and mailed a box to each one.  Letters from college, Air Force days in Germany, early married life, I hope they enjoy reviewing those days.  And it removes a few more pounds of paper from my work room.  😀

Every little bit

In an effort to be frugal and mindful of waste, we decided to use up the little bottles of shampoo accumulated over the years.  When I pulled them out of the cupboard, I noticed a couple that were so old the shampoo had solidified; they got thrown out.  I put 8 or 10 in a small container on the shower caddy, and so far we've emptied 3 or 4.  It feels good to use them.

 A piano teacher friend took my collection of composer busts, thus clearing off the top of the filing cabinet where I keep music.  She also took quite a bit of piano music, both books and sheet music.  Other pieces I had culled were put in the donation pile.  Music will be difficult for me to deal with.  Movies can be found on Netflix, books can be borrowed from the library.  But I have quite a collection of music that I enjoy sampling as the mood strikes.

And the truck came to pick up our donation (our second this year) to the Oakland Museum White Elephant sale.  Although the big sale is in the spring, donations are collected throughout the year.  This batch included Precious Moment figurines, music, Cinderella memorabilia that Liz had collected but no longer wanted, flower vases and pots, a Karaoke machine, CD/tape player, posters, Christmas decorations, five formals from proms and weddings, and a doll's high chair. I'm sure there will be more as we continue to pare down our belongings.

Goodbye, James

Bond, James Bond has left the building.  He had been with us since EeK drove up in mid-July.  In those four months we grew accustomed to having the tuxedo cat around.  He would be sleeping then dashing up and down the stairs.  He would sit on my lap and allow me to pet him, but if Randy joined me on the couch he would mosey over to Randy's lap without looking back.  When I came downstairs each morning he was right there asking to be stroked and wanting a treat.  He left hair on cushions and more than once threw up bits of this and that for me to find in out-of-the-way places.  He was our guard cat, screaming if another cat came on our deck, even getting out a couple of times to confront the gray cat.

Yesterday E and K took him to the new house, which will provide lots of new space for him to explore.  We will miss him, at least a little bit, but we will enjoy being able to leave our bedroom door open.

Here? Or there?

We are still trying decide if it is better for me to watch e at her house or at mine.  At hers, she can become familiar with her new space, she can see her mom during the day, we can explore the new neighborhood.  It is easier for E not to have to drive out here then home again in morning traffic around the schools.  But I find myself wishing I were home so I could do my own things while she naps, or even while she plays, now that she plays more independently.  On the other hand, last week I finished reading a book and knit more on the sock while she slept; at home I probably would have done neither.  At my house, I can do laundry and other chores with e helping, and Randy can see her.  But it can be very distracting for Randy while he is trying to work to have us making noise and passing through his office.  Last week we were here three days and there two days.  If it were just  me, I'd have her here daily, but I imagine we will continue to divide time between the two sites for a while.

Yesterday I made Thanksgiving dinner for E.  They will go to K's family in SoCal for the holiday, and E thought they might not have turkey, so she asked me if I would do a traditional turkey dinner.  Lynn and Jim, Dena and Alan joined us.  K made his famous mashed potatoes, E made succotash, Dena brought salad, and I did the turkey, dressing and gravy, with Brussels sprouts too.  Cranberry cake and date-nut pinwheels rounded out the menu.  On Thursday we will dine at Dena's along with some other friends.  I just realized I forgot to capture last night's event with a picture or two.  😟

My, what a temper!

Yesterday I watched e at her new house.  We walked over to the park, where she enjoyed playing on the new-to-her equipment.  But when it was time to leave she erupted into a tantrum that lasted all the way home and longer, maybe thirty minutes all together.  Crying, grabbing at my ear and spectacles, thrashing around on the concrete deck then in the house, quite impressive.  Finally I thought to offer her a mini peanut butter cup, which caught her attention, and she calmed down.  After lunch, she napped for three hours.

Today we're at my house, and so far have had a peaceful time.  At the park she had me put her in the swing and give her a push, then told me to sit on the nearby bench, perhaps because that's what the other adult present was doing as he watched his charges.  Her head began to droop and her eyes closed as she finished eating lunch, but I guess I didn't get her into bed quickly enough.  That was about 75 minutes ago, and she is still talking to herself, apparently wide awake.

It's ours!

One week ago tonight K, E, Randy and I sat at the dining room table with a notary and spent about an hour signing the papers that made the new house ours!  Tuesday the funds were transferred to an escrow account, Wednesday afternoon we got the keys, and that evening Sarah arrived.  Thursday movers loaded the furniture in Phoenix and then delivered it here Friday afternoon.  Sarah and e "helped" the two young men who delivered the furniture by watching them and offering encouragement.  We ordered Chinese take-out for dinner and ate in the new house.  Our first adventure--when we shut the door into the family room to help e stay put, we couldn't get it open again.  Fortunately E's tool box was on the bar, so Randy took off the door knob.  No, didn't help.  He took out the linch pins from the hinges.  No good.  The bolt was securely holding the door in place.  Finally K began to chisel out that part of the door.  We called Bill and Carol, who live around the corner, and asked if they would come help us, thinking that if they pushed on the door from the other side it would open.  When they arrived Randy dropped the keys out the window to them.  Nope, no good.  Finally K got the bolt out, and we were free!  We invited Bill and Carol to join us in the Chinese dinner, but they had left their meal on the stove and went back home.  The door is nice and sturdy, heavy wood.  But the door handle was either poorly made or poorly installed or I don't know what.  There was simply no way we could get it open.

Saturday and Sunday E and K worked on unpacking, stocking the pantry, that kind of thing.  Today E is working here at our house because the internet is not ready for her to use securely.  She figures it will take maybe a week to completely move their things out of here, but they were able to sleep at the new house last night for the first time.

Oh, dear

Several days ago I pulled out "Sing Hey diddle diddle," a book of 66 nursery rhymes with their traditional tunes.  I played and sang many of the songs while sitting on the piano bench with e.  Now we do this once a day.  Sometimes I just recite the rhymes instead of singing and playing.  Sometimes  I stop before the last word in a phrase, and e finishes the line.  What a memory she has!  One of the songs was familiar to her because I have often sung it as I put her to bed, "Oh, dear, what can the matter be?"  Yesterday as we threw a tennis ball back and forth to each other, it landed in a patch of ivy.  " Oh, dear," said e.  So cute.

While we continue toward closing on the house next week, we still have doubts about the wisdom of this decision.  It will be a huge project to renovate the ground floor unit into livable space.  There are many unknowns, about the foundation in particular.  But the eventual rewards would be great.