Rock To Wind A String Around

for the holiday card, but it did for the blog.  How non-discriminating of me–so few things do make the cut here these days.  Not sure what happened–I think life has gotten too full with kids and school and fencing and EOR and 180 workouts this year.

Should I not pop back in for another 4 months, a brief recap:

Super time on our mini-vacation to Cincinnati.  Who knew it was full of art museums just right for us?

School started for both tots–Astrid Meklit loves her last year of preschool–she’s quite confident as she struts off each day.  Albert dropped her off rather than walking her in last month and now that’s how she rolls.  I can’t believe how grownup she seems as she waves me away.  Swim lessons (she’s an amazing mermaid in the pool) and tennis lessons fill her afternoons.  She remains incredibly fond of pandas and celebrated turning 5 with a panda party.

Elliott is as studly as any man in 7th grade has a right to be.  New reading glasses (green-framed wayfarers) and the second round of braces only accentuate his maturity.  He still  loves school (but works a little less than he did last year) and has become the fencing king of the universe.  He’s won every tournament he’s been in this year, fanning the flames of our hopes for a full athletic scholarship to an excellent college a shot at Olympic glory in 2020 or 2024.

Enkutatash 2011 was amazing–I’m glad I need not work on version.2012 for another 4 months or so because A Night of Warmth (EOR’s Columbus fundraiser scheduled for February 25) is 3 short months away and there is still much to do.  Looking forward to a robust guest list AND a big donation for our partner, Children’s Heaven by the end of that event.

A separate post needed to discuss my second trip to Ethiopia.  I am still overwhelmed by all that we saw and did while we were there for 11 hectic days.  My little one has almost forgiven me for going, and most days I’ve almost forgiven myself for not doing more.   A Thanksgiving trip to Florida 2 days after I returned to the states was welcome.  Time spent with cousins, eating delicious gluten free food and soaking up sunshine made for a gentle re-entry in to real life.

Still chipping away at my 180 workouts–20 left for the year, yay me!

Fingers crossed that I’ll be back here in less than 4 months–I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

I should be packing for our imminent trip to FL, but I can’t let this blog languish another moment (good excuse, no?)

This post is actually a thinly-veiled attempt to show you how famous we are.  if you look carefully, you can see Elliott in the second photo.  So glad I dressed to clean the school that day!

News of note:

Elliott finishes week three of fencing camp today, setting him on the path to national greatness.  Really?  Who knows, but it’s been a good three weeks, two together, a week off, another week for DC, and then this last week.  Never strong at self-assessment, he will admit that he is a better fencer now than he was in May, in a tone that suggests I’m a FOOL to consider otherwise.  Oh snarling tone–how I adore thee!

Plodding on with our Enkutatash plans.  Our team is small this year, but we’re starting to make real progress for the event, which will take place on September 17th from 10-6pm.  Please think about attending if you’re in the area–great food included in the ticket price, amazing music, some dancing, and a really cool Ethiopian-style auction  (try typing ‘Ethiopian auction.’  Waves of ick will wash right over you).  Ethiopian-style auctions make a good deal of money, and they are fun to watch/participate in.

Had a kickoff meeting for EOR’s Ohio event.  No longer called ‘The Dead of Winter Bash’ (because we’ve done away with dressing like famous dead people,  we opted for a more positive moniker) Night of Warmth will be held on February 25th, 2012.  We’ve put together an amazing team this year–so many hardworking people who want to make this night a success for the children of Ethiopia.

Summer is melting away faster than my favorite popsicle–we’re on our way to FL for a few weeks.  We’ll be back for a week or so (jumping right into a harrowing schedule of fencing several nights a week), and then we’ll do a mini-weekend vacation (so that Albert can join us–he missed most of the fun in DC while at work all day, and he’ll only visit FL during the weekends that we are there) toward the end of August and then, voila–we are back to fall, and school and all of that jazz.  A whirlwind, I tell you!  Someday, I dream that Albert will be home with us for a summer, and we can enjoy quiet evenings on the deck, concerts in the park, but for now, we’ll drive to fencing quite often, and squish gardening into odd weekends.

Mountains of clothing are waiting to be squished into Rick Steves’ packing cubes, but I’ll try to check in from much-too-sunny for my alabaster pasty-white complexion Florida.

I leave you with a picture of my little dumpling, with her 4th of July black-eye (I know, I know, it was on FB–I really do need to pack instead of updating photos though)

Wow–7 weeks.  Every time I think I’ve recommitted to this venture, something happens, like 7 weeks. Why this surprises me, I have no idea.  My FSU friends and I are lamenting the passing of 20 years on FB, on this, the anniversary of the day our friend Marshall broke into the capitol building, barricaded himself inside for several hours, managing to implicate more than a few of us by mentioning our student government party in his list of demands.  Before that weekend was over, I had been in several national newspapers (thanks AP) and on CNN, and developed a terrible case of chicken pox (which, it seems, I managed to share with all of Leon County, thanks to hours spent at the sheriff’s department, the courthouse, and the press conferences). Ultimately, the most unforgettable of all of the days spent in Tallahassee–take that, wedding day!

So, my mom came back with us from DC and then stayed for the next 6 weeks, which was fabulous.  She was here to sit the kids while Albert & I took a week in Portland and Seattle, which was also fabulous.  We flew out for Ethiopian Orphan Relief’s Lights of Hope event ($96,000 for the tots–woo hoo!) and then drove up to Seattle for a few days of fun.  We walked like mad fools, visited famous Seattle landmarks, and ate heavenly gluten free food all over the city.  Ten Mercer was definitely our favorite, but yam tacos during happy hour at Poquitos on Capitol Hill made the sun-soaked patio that much more incredible.

Other notable happenings in the last 7 weeks:

We celebrated the first anniversary (which also happened to be Mother’s Day) of my dad’s death, by planting a beautiful birch tree.  It was a sad day, but manageable for all of us, I think.

Preschool ended for my sweet gal.  She loved her class, her teachers (especially Madame), and her friends, and can’t wait to go back next year @ 4 mornings a week.

Similarly, school ended for my big kid, who declared, “I’m a 7th grader!” as he raced out of school on the last day.  Most of you remember how anxious I was about sending Elliott to school, but it’s been amazing–he has grown as a learner and as a person.  GEMS has been a terrific fit for my homeschooled kid, and we are eager for the start of 7th grade (see above…).

We are also excited to know that the Graham Family of Schools will be opening a charter elementary school in the fall of 2012 (you know, the year Astrid Meklit starts kindergarten).  I’ve spent countless hours this spring focusing on AM’s school career.  As incredible as the local schools are, they aren’t diverse enough for my kids, and to be honest, a traditional classroom seems less than the ideal setting for any learner, but especially my own sweet petunia. I longed for a hands-on, in-depth learning environment with small class sizes, and a diverse population, and those experiences do seem to exist in Cowtown, but only in the spendy private schools.  Finding exactly what I’m looking for in a free charter school, you know, the one my big kid already attends has been a huge boon.  I can’t tell you how excited I am.  This should also serve as notice to all of the people I know with preschool-aged kids.  I want you all to join us–it’s going to be fabulous!

Last week, we said goodbye to Elliott’s incredible fencing coach, John.  Selfishly, John graduated from OSU and has now returned to Kansas City to run the family business.  We are happy for him, but feel his absence keenly–he was so good at motivating Elliott who really did adore him. Starting on Thursday, Elliott will be coached by the best, aka Vladimir Nazylmov, OSU’s head coach.  He agrees that this should be Elliott’s growth year, his first in regional and national competitions in preparation for Summer Nationals in 2012.  Vladimir was John’s coach for the last 15 years, so we know Elliott’s in good hands, but Elliott is anxious about working hard enough for Vladimir.  I’m not worried–Elliott tends to rise to the level of expectation.  I see good things in his future

Speaking of Elliott, he left with my mom last Sunday, for her drive back to Florida.  He’s enjoyed this 12 day window of junk food, and swimming, and theme parks, and cousins, but the part of the journey he likes the most is the trip back home.  You know, when he flies back from Tampa as an unaccompanied minor.  Saints preserve me–tomorrow will be a grey hair-making day.

Lots of other items to discuss–maybe I’ll blog about them again in less than 7 weeks.  In the meantime, a photo for you!

We’re back from Pippi Longstocking’s vacation aka Spring Break in DC.  Elliott was so happy to be on a real vacation (after years of homeschooling with no “real” break to speak of) and we all had a great time.  My mom drove up to meet us on Monday night and the kids were thrilled to show her all of our favorite haunts, despite the cold that left her fatigued.  We dragged her up and down the mall, to the National Building Museum, the Postal Museum, Fredericksburg (a new spot for all of us!) and finally, on Easter–Mount Vernon.

We also made time for a birthday celebration (my mom’s), IKEA, egg-dying and hunting, and on Friday night–a Bach concert and delicious Indian food for the parents of Elliott & Astrid Meklit.

While we tried to adhere to bedtimes and 3 squares and basic hygiene, etc. it was awfully nice to step away from real life for a bit.

Here are some fabulous pictures of fabulous children, and then a not-so-fabulous picture for sake of comparison:

Um, grow much, kids?  No wonder Elliott seems so devilishly tall these days.  Please ignore the fact that Easter 2011 isn’t a particularly stirring image (what with the dandelion-eating daughter and the husband with the missing head)–it was the best of the lot.  I included it for comparison to 2009, not for it’s artistic rendering!

My favorite son at not-quite-6-months old.  His ‘do was just beginning it’s climb to Lyle Lovett levels of greatness.  He looked fabulous in sunny colors, especially orange. This outfit was a particular favorite (which is undoubtedly why I had him in it despite the 100+ degree temperature).  Albert was away from our new Chicago home (the first of many, many trips to come while working for this company) for a 2 week training, so I hopped a plane to spend the time with my parents while they camped in Pennsylvania Dutch country.   Although a fairly large camper, quarters were tight with three adults and an infant who wasn’t sleeping through the night, but we made do, and my dad (another insomniac) joined me on more than one occasion for a late-night viewing of The Big Lebowski while Elliott enjoyed a 2 am bottle.

Although my mom and grandmother had been to visit in the spring, this was my dad’s first visit with the first grandchild.  Like all little people, Elliott was smitten with my dad almost instantly and the two of them enjoyed fabulous adventures in that short window.  Despite my protests, my dad scooped Elliott up whenever there was a lull, for a golf cart ride “to cool him off.”  He also introduced Elliott to his first otter pop.  Elliott was teething so badly, I was buying otter pops for him to chew on (while still encased in the bpa-riddled plastic).  My dad missed the encased in plastic part, thrilling my son with his first taste of red dye #40!

So much from one little picture.  It feels like it might have been yesterday.

As wistful as I might be for Elliott’s babyhood, I actually enjoy the march of time that marks Astrid Meklit’s childhood.  She grows more delightful with each passing day and in an attempt to recollect what she was like at not-quite-4.5, I thought I’d write down a few gems, so that I can look back, lie to myself, and say, “oh yeah, I remember when she loved doing that.”

Currently, Astrid Meklit is obsessed with doing things like grownups.  She keeps a calendar, marking off each day, and she has a pretty clear picture of what comes next.  She loves to write messages, signs, letters, and bills, and when Albert works from home, she sits in the office with him on her own laptop.  Earlier today, she wrote me a ticket for working at the computer for too long, and tonight she blocked the powder room door with a chair and a note that said “stay out, there are alligators in the toilet and no soap or clean towels.”  Actually, it all looked like this:  RRTTTTHALE PEAEWEWWEEJSAKK but she let us know what it said.

AM loves to play games of all sorts.  Triominoes and Chutes & Ladders are two favorites, although she also enjoys card games, memory, 4 seasons (the best out of print Ravensburger game) and an old favorite of Elliott’s Felix ab die Post–but she is up for any game, any time.  Her favorite way to play with us is by playing a game or two (or 7), she prefers this to building or pretend, or anything else.

When I’m heartlessly ignoring her, she will do all sorts of art (lots of people with great details–eyebrows, ears, knee wrinkles, fingers),  or play pretend games, or will dance.  The girl remains a dancing fool–lots of tricks and strong arm movements–a little hip hop, a little break dancing–she has no patience for ballet, although I’ve offered lessons several times.  She really wants break dancing classes, but those need to wait for a few more years, no one will teach her yet.  In the meantime, she works on her headspins and spiders solo, and seems poised for another broken limb in the not-too-distant future.

Astrid Meklit won’t read on her own for very long, but we still read all sorts of stories during the day, and she’s willing to listen to really long picture books now.  She also enjoys books on CD in the car, and while I often assume that much of the story floats over her head, she clearly thinks a great deal about the characters, and will ask all sorts of questions about them and the story (recommended for ages 8-14 indeed!).  Current read-to faves include all of the Stupids, the George and Martha stories, Millions of Cats, and the Sleep Book,  although we drag dozens of new books home from the library each week and we devour those too.

A few other tidbits to remember:  she is crazy about Shaun the Sheep, working out with me, feeding her fish, and riding her scooter.  She’s a bit intimidated by her big girl bike, hates bugs, and doesn’t care for the color green.  She’s looking forward to riding on a plane again, “so I can help my brain, which is the boss of my body, remember how it felt when I flied the last time” and she loves to be told the story of how we met her over and over again.  A real sense of security seems to wash over her during the retelling of the tale, and it makes it a little easier to hear some of the sadder parts knowing that the ending remains the same.

A few photos of my girl, who’s somber outside in no way matches the joy she seems to feel:

After posting the baby picture of Elliott last week, I was wistful for his babyhood.   Things were so much easier when he was tiny.  He certainly wasn’t leaving socks in the hall, or all the lights on, or talking, talking, talking back every.single.minute.of.the.day.

But then last night occurred.  Elliott woke with an earache sometime after midnight.  After medicating him, there was little we could do, but he woke us 7 times between 12:30 and 6:30 anyway.  After a night like this, I remember suddenly that Elliott woke up a lot as a tiny baby, and while he wasn’t talking back, he also wasn’t talking. I do miss the baby version of Elliott, since we  rarely see eye-to-eye, but I have to admit, he’s awfully fun anyway–much more so than when he was an infant, no matter how sweet he seemed.

After dragging around all day, I realize there’s much to be said for parenting (the usually healthy )12 year old.  Today I’ve replaced wistfulness with exhaustion, but tomorrow, when I’m less muddle-headed, I’ll remember to be grateful for big kids who sleep through the night.

version 12.0

This is the logo to my friends’  brand new Etsy shop.  This talented group of ladies produces fabulous handicrafts.  Unlike most Etsy shops, 100% of the proceeds from each sale will benefit a charity.  Lucky us, they chose Ethiopian Orphan Relief as the first quarter recipient!

Every bit of money raised through the handmade hope shop will go toward meeting the “Buy a Brick, Build a Legacy” goal of 100,000 bricks for FOVC.  Today is handmade hope’s launch day. I hope you’ll join me there to make it a grand success!

Thanks ladies–you rock a million ways!!!

Albert pulled out the box of photos labeled ‘1999′ and decided to scan a few last weekend.  This one is from the same week in March, exactly 12 years ago.  I remember the photo session so well.  Pops took the picture.  It was his last day visiting the first grandchild.  My mom and grandmom arrived before Pops had to fly out, so we all had lunch together in the concourse (in the olden days, when you could be airside without flying).

It was a pretty spring day, so before we left for the airport, we sat on the steps of our crooked little house and snapped a roll or so.  Look at my fabulous Elliott–wasn’t he a gorgeous specimen of babyhood?

I was 5 milliseconds away from my 30th birthday and so very happy to be Elliott’s mother.  Wowza–time really does fly…

in the water.  After 5 weeks, it seemed harder to come back than not to, but I’m not quite ready to give up this little space.  Posts swirl all of the time–especially yesterday, the 4th anniversary of meeting my daughter.  With EOR’s Dead of Winter Bash mostly put to bed, I’m hoping to spend a little more time being rather than doing.  I imagine that will mean more blogging.  I hope so.  I miss this outlet.

In an effort to jump back into the swing of things, I’ve included a picture of Elliott…swinging.  And well, one of the sweet girl too–photos from last week’s staycation.  A weekend full of movies, board games, skee ball, frozen treats, and trips to the waterfall.  Exactly what we needed after such a busy Dead-of-Winter focused 3 months!

Take that, lethargy!