MamaStories

This was Amie’s birthday, on the 18th. Amie was my own birthday present three years ago, so those were my candles as well. And one of our best friends, Tia Tata (which is what Amie calls her), was also born on the 18th, in the same year as me. Tia Tata was our roommate for a while before we moved out of town - unfortunately she couldn’t join us. So we all joined forces. For weeks Amie had practiced blowing out candles and looking very important while the birthday song was being sung, and this was the great moment. She enjoyed it thoroughly. In the evening she said: “All my big friends were here, and my little friends also came!”

Almost.
70% of our stuff, perhaps. We’re moving the rest and ourselves on Saturday. Then comes the tedious job of unpacking…

But Amie loved “driving” the truck! Not as much as her Mama did, though.

Sometimes when Amie is concentrating on something - reading a book, making a drawing, or watching an episode of Caillou - I sneak closer and observe her in detail. I “do the rounds,” check everything. Her eyes work - they see, they blink. Her mouth works, for eating and talking and breathing. Her nose and ears work. Her little hands, every finger on them, do the most amazing things. Her feet keep her upright, and along with her legs and arms allow her climb and jump. Everything on the inside seems to work pretty well too: food goes in, waste comes out, the heart beats strong, and her brain is doing fine too. It’s just amazing! I can’t wrap my head around it…

Anjalika of Middlemonth tagged me. When I read it was an A to Z tag, I felt somewhat anxious: A to Z??!! But then I found out it is a rather short questionnaire. Phew. You could so spot the ex-academic in my reaction: I saw myself despairing over pages of hypotheses, arguments and conclusions.

A-Available?: Nope.

B-Best friend: Lots. DH and DD, and many women - primarily women. Funny, that: in Belgium, in college, I had almost only male friends… [try to keep it short, Mama!]

C-Cake or Pie?: Cake, chocolate, homemade.

D-Drink of choice: Milk, wine.

E-Essential thing used everyday: Glasses, journal.

F-Favorite color: At the moment, a cloudless spring sky blue.

G-Gummi bears or worms: Neither. I grew up with neither.

H-Hometown: Antwerp, Belgium.

I-Indulgence: Books.

J-January or February: February. It’s the shorter of the winter months, closer to Spring.

K-Kids and names: One, Amie.

L-Life: Wha… Am I supposed to keep this one short? I mean… life! Life’s a box of chocolates: it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.

M-Marriage date: August 18, 2001.

N-Number of siblings: 1 sister.

O-Oranges or apples: Apples, for sure. I’m a local eater and I live in New England, so it couldn’t be otherwise.

P-Phobias: None that I can think of… Wait! Being kept waiting. Oh, that’s not a phobia, sorry.

Q-Quote: “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity” - Thoreau.

R-Reason to smile: My daughter. The kindness of others. Things small, simple and beautiful.

S-Season: Fall.

T-Tag three people: Rebecca, Madeline, blueyondergirl.

U-Unknown fact about me: Unknown to whom? To you? To myself? Must be an existential question…

V-Vegetable you do not like: Belgian endive. Too bitter.

W-Worst habit: Too often I get inordinately mad at inanimate things. E.g., the stupid computer. It stems from having no patience - except with children, but they’re excused.

X-X-rays you have had: Leg, chest,teeth.

Y-Your favorite food: Frietjes (frenched fries fried Belgian style, i.e., twice).

Z-Zodiac: Leo.

Phew, that was rather painless. I pass it on.

Filling the sugar pot (great small motor control exercise!):

Stretching the pizza dough with Baba:

Eat:

Here’s my pledge:

After the novel is done,

(I still have a couple of months to go before I release it to the Underworld—I mean, the industry… Cheeze!)

I’m going to make something with my hands!

Dig a garden (if we have one by then).

Make a cob structure for Amie (in the garden, if we have one by then).

If we don’t, I’ll remodel the bathroom.

And make a painting (it’s been a while).

A piece of furniture.

Throw a pot (first learn how to do it).

Look at these pictures of Rick Beerhorst’s studio!

This just in:

Rock-n-Romp, a kid-friendly rock show series, is coming to Boston. R-n-R founder Debbie Lee is coming up from D.C for the Boston kick off and she is bringing Neal Pollack, the author of Alternadad with her.

They will perform with Boston Music Award nominees the Bon Savants and the psychedelic rockers Wonderful Spells, who promise to play for you, live, the kind of music you listened to BEFORE YOU HAD KIDS. This while also keeping your kids engaged: they can watch the band, experiment with instruments, dance or just run around and hang out in a safe and friendly environment.

And Neal Pollack is going to read from his all-too-close-to-home book Alternadad. There will be more literariness from author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka, who won Child’s Magazine “Best Books of the Year” in ‘05 for his book Punk Farm.

WHEN: Sunday, February 24, 2008 from 3pm-6pmWHERE: Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, MA 02134

TICKETS: $8.00* in advance or $10* at the door. *Each ticket admits one adult and one child. NEAT: An adult must accompany child and a child must accompany an adult. Get tickets via Rock-n-Romp Boston or Ticket Web.

See you there, perhaps?

We were on the phone with my parents-in-law and I or DH made a passing reference to watching movies on a big screen tv when at our friends’ place in New York. Amie had been eating her O’s peacefully (more or less), but when she heard that, she piped up:

“We’re gonna need a big screen tv at some point.”

Me: “Where did you get that idea?!”

Baba: “Good girl.”

Really.

The place with the big screen tv also had a three-and-a-half-year-old who received a set of beads for Christmas. Amie with her attention and occasional reverence for what the bigger kids do, was immediately into it.

I got her the same set today and she has the patience for stringing about 15 beads. I am so amazed at her little fingers working like busy bees, the intense concentration on her face!

There is something about this picture… I feel I get a glimpse here of what she might look like in a few years time, maybe even in a decade or two…

Anyway, Amie doesn’t however get the point. All the beads need to be taken off the string and be returned to the box at the end. It’s a relief actually: that one box will last a long time!

Yeah. You are seeing that right.

See, there was no hairband close by. Or close enough by.

We’re no longer wearing summer hats and baggy pajamas when we go outside now, so I am putting away the Fall banner of Amie throwing the stone into Walden Pond.

The new banner honors Amie’s Little Bird, and Winter.

Keep warm, everyone.