Pioneer Days

So it's not often we get hit with inches of ice up here in these parts. A week ago we got to experience the full brunt of an ice storm and were kept up all night as trees surrounding our house shattered and fell apart under the weight, convinced that our big silver maple was about to fall upon our bedroom. It was impressive how many trees and branches came down over night. Significant cleanup ensued. A lot more firewood!

Also our power went out. As did most of the power in our state--half a million homes. Shelters opened for people who lost their heat. And we cranked up our wood stove and fed it around the clock--for 5 days! That's a long time to be without power, as some can attest. In retrospect, it was a bit surreal, spending that long like we were winter camping. We went to bed and rose pretty close to when the sun did, making for short days and a lot of sleep. We played cribbage, Sudokued and perfected toasting bread on our wood stove. We dug out our hand-crank radio. And we got a Christmas tree (but didn't decorate it). And I think we all got a bit of cabin fever, perhaps Myrick most of all. But despite the toting buckets of water up from the creek to flush the toilets and depending on our wonderful neighbors for their generator-driven shower, the enforced break from work was appreciated; we couldn't have done much school planning if we'd tried. And it makes for a good story.

Wood-Pile Woes

Even though the price of oil is in free-fall these days, a cord of wood remains significantly more expensive than last year.  A temporary solution (while we work on weatherproofing our venerable house) is cutting our own wood from "out back."  With the limited size of our work force (Whidbey and I), this isn't the most time-effective solution possible, but it does help a little bit.

So at this point, most of our cord wood is bought and delivered.  Either way, harvested or delivered, a fair amount of stacking is involved in getting this wood out of the way and seasoned.  The new wood shed (this summer's project) is a wonderful addition, but apparently I'm still getting the hang of stacking.  Despite growing up with the annual wood-stacking chores and practicing the cross-hatching necessary to provide stability to the ends of the stack, my talents in this department seem to be still under development; my wood pile fell over.  Fortunately, it happened when no small people were around, but it's always a bit frustrating to be sent back to "Go" without collecting $200.  I guess more practice isn't such a bad thing.

Best Pals

Wearing Many Hats

Although I don't have time to write a proper entry, I just couldn't resist posting some recent pictures of Myrick. She has so much personality that I've been compelled to try to capture some of it in photos. Here are some taken on a day when we were at home sick (but enjoying our time together, nonetheless!). What can I say except that my girl loves hats?!

Shutting down the garden

Despite the balmy, non-autumnal weather of late (70 degrees?), the last of our tomato plants has thrown in the towel. It was a memorable gardening experience this year. Way too many tomato plants to keep up with, but not enough peas. It'll be nice to try it differently next year.

Since we're planning to create a new garden closer to the house, this is the end of the line for this plot. We're going to mow it, till all the weeds under, and re-seed it with grass. There are a few volunteer maple trees that have appeared and several balsam firs that I planted in the spring (in the middle of the garden, of course!) that are doing quite well. So before too long, it will hopefully lose all semblance of a garden.

As I was hacking back the waist-high weeds from the older part of the garden and planting stakes to mark the nascent balsam-fir christmas trees, I apparently disturbed a nest of rather grumpy yellow jackets. So the operation is on hold for the moment, but after 5 or 6 stings I was looking forward to the first hard frost that much more....

Dump Days

Saturdays are dump days here in town.  Some might count themselves lucky that their town trash collectors obviate the need to make regular excursions to the dump.  But here we all have a pretty swell time dropping off our refuse and recyclables.  The highlight might just be the pile of free compost soil (good for transplanting trees).  Or perhaps it's the swap shop (good for finding little wooden turtles and well-loved copies of Turgenev).  Either way, it's well worth the trip.

As I made the trip today I considered the conundrum facing us from behind our house.  Randomly distributed throughout the woods is a lovely assortment of odds and ends that someone obviously once considered valuable.  In our woods we have no less than two deer stands, a life-sized foam deer that's good for target practice, a trap-shooting trap, a rusty iron foothold trap and an enormous pile of tires (backstop for a shooting range)!  It seems a previous owner was into hunting.  Think the swap shop would take a big foam deer?

The Cold before the Cold

We had our first frost last night; it was a bit spotty, but there was enough to warrant pulling the rest of the peppers out of the garden today. I've had it with the tomatoes so I'm not even bothering to grab those. N.B.: Do not ever plant 10 cherry tomato plants in one season for a family of 3 tomato eaters, no matter how much you like them. Oh my, the lessons the land is teaching me! Despite the obscene number of tomatoes, we did well with our cukes, peppers, and basil, and even managed to pull in one good-sized watermelon. Lessons of the season: plant broccoli and peas early, stagger the lettuce planting, and again, it is worth repeating: never plant that many tomatoes. Next year's hopes: peas and broccoli that we can actually eat and maybe a pumpkin or two.

We've lived in our home just long enough to know that fall and spring are the two coldest seasons inside of our house. It feels colder inside than outside. Right now it is cool enough at night (~40 degrees) that it's time to put all of our storm windows down, pull the slippers out from the back of the closet, and throw an extra layer on at night and in the morning. I love this time of year - breaking out the flannel sheets and tossing another blanket on the bed are some of my favorite chores. For Myrick, it means pulling out the zip-up footie pajamas. I swear there is nothing cuter than my blond-haired toddler running around the house in polka-dot footie pjs. Tonight, though, before we've had our chimney swept or cord wood delivered, we put an extra layer on for bedtime. The house will be warmer as soon as we get the wood stove going - which probably won't be for awhile, really. It's just one of those things I am eagerly anticipating. The picture is of Myr and I snuggling in the rocking chair for story time right before bed tonight.

Pushing Buttons

This is the first night all week long that I have completed my school work before 11 pm, and what do I find myself doing? Not going to bed like I should be... but here, writing. Hhmm. After only 8 posts on this blog Nate referred to me tonight as an "addict." I'm not sure I agree with him, but it is kind of fun. This will be short, though, because I do have to make it through a Friday school day tomorrow. I think my longest night of sleep totalled 6.5 hours this week. Last night I only had time for 5 hours - ugh.

For those of you who don't know, I am not a proponent of toys for Myrick that require batteries or that have fancy flashing lights and sounds. I prefer the old-fashioned kinds of toys that require imagination and can be used in many, creative different ways - blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs, balls, books, those sorts of things. However, Myrick seems to have her own ideas (and a strong will, too) about the kinds of things she is currently interested in playing with. Take buttons, for instance. Anything that has a button to push, like the stereo, the t.v. remote, the DVD player, her baby monitor, her humidifier, etc. (you get the picture?) absolutely enthrall her. And it's not a pretty scene when you take said item away from her. She recently discovered me using the blender up on the counter to puree some sweet potato, and now she stands below the counter, looking up at the blender pointing and plaintively saying "dis" over and over and over. So I pick her up, flip the blender switch so that it makes the fun, loud buzzing noise, and she looks at me wide-eyed, fascinated, and with a touch of fear behind her eyes. Mostly though, she is curious as to how all of these things work. She gets quite and very focused for a long time as she manipulates the buttons and makes things flash and beep (blender excluded, by the way). So much for boycotting battery-operated toys. Looks like she found them despite our best efforts!

Wonderful Words

My girl is talking - not in words or sentences that I necessarily understand, but she thinks we're having full conversations. It catches my heart to watch her adorable expressions and gestures match the inflection in her sentences. If I'm busy in the kitchen, she's likely to have a dialogue with Whidbey in the mudroom! They really make the cutest playmates. Whidbey is so gentle with Myrick, and I think Whidbey appreciates the attention from yet another adoring fan. So some of Myrick's words that we do understand and their translations:

nigh-nigh = Night Night!
baa = ball
nah nah = banana
tee tee = tee tee (as in "I tinkled on the floor when you took off my diaper, mommy.")
goh-bee = dirty or garbage
dah-bee = diaper
bah-bee = Whidbey

And then there are three words that she says clear as a bell: Mommy, Daddy, and baby! She smiles and points to pictures of babies every time she sees one, herself included. I can't tell if she can distinguish herself in pictures from other babies. Anyhow, I am very much enjoying listening to her learn language - her voice is so beautiful to my ears.

Beach Baby

Despite Myrick having a cold, we headed out near Odiorne State Park for her first day at the beach on Saturday. Beautiful day - 70's, sunny and breezy. We found a small cove without big, splashing waves, and spread out the blanket. I hadn't anticipated her going into the water so much so I didn't pack her suit or even swim diapers, but she just loved wading into the cold water! We ended up taking off her shorts, and she waded around in her saggy diapers grabbing and throwing all of the small rocks she could get her hands on. It was a perfect kid-beach: clear water you could see through, rocks and stuff to pick up and explore (in Myrick-speak "explore" means to taste, by the way), and plenty of room to roam. There were only a few other people there. She loved squealing at the water's edge. Nate told her that someday she'd love this beach because of the tide-pooling to be done. It certainly reminded me of all the tide-pooling I did in Seattle. I can't wait to get her out there for some Olympic Coast tide-pooling.

Will the Real Lamby Please Stand Up?

So my mom sent Myrick a new, "replacement" lamby in the unfortunate event that the original bites the dust, gets lost, or isn't otherwise available when needed. We've heard that it is good to have two of your child's comfort object so that you can rotate them in and out like when one needs to be washed, etc. The only problem with the new one is that it isn't pink but white and much, much softer having never been subjected to drool, spit-up, boogers, and countless washings. That being said, when we opened the box of goodies that mom and dad sent, Myrick was understandably not so sure of this new and "improved" lamby. She played with the little soft nubs for a few minutes, wrinkled her nose, and tossed it back in the box, all the while holding the real lamby.

Just a bit of background on lamby: lamby is the go-to when it is time to comfort or settle down for naps or nighttime routine. She picks it up, feels around for the soft nubs, and then puts her ring and middle finger into her mouth. This is her typical, comfort and sleepy-time routine, and she's pretty good at calming herself once we hand her lamby.

Well, the test came a little sooner than we had hoped. My plan had been to leave the new one sitting around her room and let her get used to it slowly, but oh no! Poor peanut got into another coughing spell yesterday night which ended in a vomiting fit... all over old lamby. There wasn't time to wash it before bedtime, so under the cover of a darkened room with only a smidge of night-light, I snuck "new" lamby into her hands and crossed my fingers. She felt around to get just the right position and then into her mouth went her fingers! Success! And she slept like a baby and so did we. This is a photo from this summer of Myrick sleeping curled up next to lamby.

Grateful

As I was writing my previous post the other night about feeling overwhelmed by our busy schedules and not enough sleep, little did I know that Myrick was about to wake up at 11 pm as I was headed to bed. She woke up with a terrible coughing fit; it was so bad that the little peanut threw-up several times from the force of her coughs. It was a long and tiring night for all three of us. Only Whidbey slept through it all. After trying different things to help quiet her cough and a call to the urgent-care nurse on duty at 2 am, we finally got a little shut-eye - about 4 or 5 hours worth. Needless to say, Tuesday was a tough day to get through on such a tiny amount of sleep, and it was an especially long day for Myrick.

In light of all that, it must sound like an odd time to say how grateful I am, but its true. As I was lying awake with Myrick in my arms (that's how she finally fell asleep), I got the chance to just watch - to see all of her sweet expressions and hear her tiny little snores. I haven't spent that much time watching her sleep in what seems like a long time. Lately it's been all about teaching her to fall asleep on her own, so I haven't had the opportunity to just sit and admire her tiny perfection.

When Wednesday night rolled around, we took a long, steamy shower and bath which helped set the stage for a solid night of sleep for our whole family. Myrick woke up so refreshed this morning and in the best mood - she's really at her cutest first thing in the morning.

As for the rest of our busy schedule that I complained about, I am grateful for it, too. Not only do I have a job in this tough economy, but I have a job that I love - yes, teaching teenagers truly is a heap of fun to me! And I feel grateful to have a home that needs to be cleaned and enough food on the table to prepare. I am grateful for these things and so many more - like the family who've helped get us here and who've supported us through some challenging times in the past couple of years. Too many blessings to count in one short post - guess I'll have to include more later.

Keeping Up

I feel like a three ring circus - too many balls in the air at once, and I'm just waiting for one to drop. By the way, this is only Day 5 of school. So here's the typical daily grind:

• 5:30 alarm goes off, time to shower
• 6:00 wake up Myrick if she isn't already up (she is!)
• 6-7 get Myr and myself dressed, fed, and packed up
• 7:00 kisses all around and out the door - Nate with Myrick to Terri's and me in the opposite direction to school
• 7-4 work my tail off at school trying to keep up with one hundred 12/13 year olds
• 4:00 highlight of my day: picking up Myr and finally hearing "Mommy!" again after 9 hours
• 4-7:30 playtime, dinnertime, bathtime, bedtime routine all with my girl
• 7:30-11:30 clean kitchen, and plan, prep, and grade to get ready for tomorrow
• 11:30 drop into a deep slumber for 6 hours unless Myrick has other ideas

Ready, set, repeat. Here's hoping I can keep this pace for the remaining 9 months of school. Want to get complicated? Drop Nate's schedule on top of mine and see what happens!

The Case of the Mysterious Spots

So Myrick is "sick." She's had a small cold for the past two weeks which is dissipating, but two nights ago she suddenly got a fever, a stream of unpleasant vomit last night, and then there are these mysterious spots all over her tiny but stout legs - but only on the back from the knee down. Not chicken pox, possibly mosquito bites? I'm so upset by it - they are driving her crazy, and I can't seem to find the thing that will soothe her itches. And she wakes up each morning with new ones - what gives? I find it hard to believe a mosquito is feasting on her just at night and only on her legs. We even took her bed apart to look for clues but came up with nothing. Her bedroom window screens are all safe - no holes to speak of. I've resisted putting chemicals on her little body, but am I going to have to put bug repellent on her before bedtime? Ughh. Hopefully tonight will prove more restful for her (and us!) than last night.

"Life in the slow lane...?"

I was at a teacher training last week preparing for a new school year when a professional speaker said, "As a teacher, you don't have the option of easing into the day in this career field. You hit the ground running the minute the kiddos come through the door, and you don't stop until they leave" - or something to that effect. I couldn't agree more.

Today was the first day of school and already I am running. Two cups of coffee today might've been fine enough to get me through 6 class periods full of middle schoolers and then a church council meeting tonight, but I have a feeling it won't be enough tomorrow - might be a 3 cuppa' day. I always forget that it takes my body a bit of time to adjust to the physicality of teaching. I am exhausted and my brain is pooped! But this is my favorite time of the school year because the possibility of improving my teaching always feels greatest at the beginning. Sustaining it is, of course, the challenge.

Plans to make, to-do lists to write, and lunches to pack - gotta go so I can make it in bed before 11pm. Goodnight!

And so it begins...

After taking a short class on the educational uses of blogging in the classroom, I was inspired to try it out, but at the moment I am feeling a bit shy about this. Being new to this whole blogging business, I can't quite imagine who else would read this. I guess this is mostly for my family who are all far away and for those long-distance friends who are curious as to the daily "highlights" of life in NH with baby and dog. Hopefully I can figure out how to get Nate as an author as well, and someday when she's old enough and interested, perhaps Myrick will write.

I should be preparing for the start of school instead of doing this, but I find that extricating myself from setting up this blog is a bit difficult with so many decisions to make. I think I'll call it a night and save the fancy details of making a slideshow for another evening.

PS - If you're reading this then I guess you can surmise where the title came from - Nate always chasing our standard poodle, Whidbey, though the back 18. It's a thread that I'm certain will weave its way in and out of many posts to come!