This post is way late, but you're just gonna have to take it.
This is for the 101 Things to do in 1001 days. It started as a list of general things that I wanted to do and ended up becoming a bucket list, only one that I will finish in a little less than two years. You can see the full list here.
My friend Jen and I went to Great Taste in Madison in August. It was spectacular. Over two hundred breweries and over five hundred brews... there were tents and tents of beer, music, food, water fountains, and about five hundred people on the beautiful summer day on the lake at Olin Park. Really an amazing day and an event that I will attend every year that I live in Madison.
It is, of course, drinking. Five hours of drinking in the middle of the afternoon. We walked home.
Yesterday was a dark day for the Democrats of Wisconsin... it changes the Country for us and I can only hope for the future.
Tonight I found a letter that one of my favorite authors, Toni Morrison, had written to Barack Obama. It is beautiful and a touching letter to keep in mind as we move forward in these next two years of Obama's term.
Dear Senator Obama,
This letter represents a first for me—a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.
May I describe to you my thoughts?
I have admired Senator Clinton for years. Her knowledge always seemed to me exhaustive; her negotiation of politics expert. However I am more compelled by the quality of mind (as far as I can measure it) of a candidate. I cared little for her gender as a source of my admiration, and the little I did care was based on the fact that no liberal woman has ever ruled in America. Only conservative or "new-centrist" ones are allowed into that realm. Nor do I care very much for your race[s]. I would not support you if that was all you had to offer or because it might make me "proud."
In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it. Wisdom is a gift; you can't train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace—that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but not wisdom.
When, I wondered, was the last time this country was guided by such a leader? Someone whose moral center was un-embargoed? Someone with courage instead of mere ambition? Someone who truly thinks of his country's citizens as "we," not "they"? Someone who understands what it will take to help America realize the virtues it fancies about itself, what it desperately needs to become in the world?
Our future is ripe, outrageously rich in its possibilities. Yet unleashing the glory of that future will require a difficult labor, and some may be so frightened of its birth they will refuse to abandon their nostalgia for the womb.
There have been a few prescient leaders in our past, but you are the man for this time.
Went to Door Creek Family Orchard last week. Got 25 pounds of apples for sauce, pies, bread, and tarts.
It was one of those times that I wanted to freeze in my memory forever. Running up and down the orchard aisles, learning to pull apples off the tree, the sun hitting his hair, and the huge smiles and laughs that we had.
The Madison Symphony and Orchestra is one of the few orchestras in the nation that allows the public to attend its dress rehearsals free of charge. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to experience a working symphony in action. And be sure to bring the young musicians in your life to see what happens behind the scenes.
2010-2011 SEASON OPEN DRESS REHEARSALS
A limited number of reservations are available here beginning one month before each event. Space is limited, and we usually fill up.
Thurs Nov 11 at 7:00 PM in Overture Hall
HARBISON, STRAUSS, DVOŘÁK John DeMain, Conductor Alisa Weilerstein, Cello
I'm super behind. These are from a few weeks ago, when we walked to Olbrich Gardens together.
In case you were wondering, this is what a tantrum at the gardens look like.
Recovering
Later that day, Liam and I went to our family potluck that we are in. We all met at a park and had too much fun chasing the ducks (duck-ducks), going down the slide (lide), and PUSH!!!ing on the swing (wing).
And a little video - sorry, in the beginning I forgot that I can't take vertical video...
Hey ya'll! This one will be fast, because it's finally GORGEOUS outside and there's no time to write when you're digging out the stroller for the first big walk to the playground!
This week we added some frames to the house, a few adult decorative things that we intend on keeping (unbroken) and at his level. It's been...interesting. Liam likes to visit the pictures, pick them up, and talk to them. He had a different favorite picture everyday and would often kiss them.
We also LOVE the mirror. Especially when he feels like being testy and seeing if Mommy will in fact say no to pulling it off the wall every time or just once in a while. When he's feeling especially feisty, he'll shoot me a smirk, put his hand on it, and wait until he's sure I'm looking and running over before he yanks on it.
Ah, I look forward to those delightful twos coming my way.
I also put away the high chair and got a booster seat. He loved it immediately! He visits it during the day and often buckles and unbuckles the straps.
He loves his new placemat too. Liam will often take a bite, chew for a minute, then start roaring like a lion while pointing frantically at the picture. Like, LOOK it's STILL HERE! LION! ROAAAAAAAR!!!!!
Then, back to eating.
We love animals lately, and spend most of the day reading about or playing with them.
A little nap wakeup fun with the Littlest Man:
We returned to Grand Rapids to see Joanna Newsom, one of our favorites. She plays the harp and plucks the strings more like a bass than the traditional strumming, and it's really incredible how she manipulates her face and voice to make such interesting sounds.
I was also able to grab a bite with friends. I love watching Liam, Cosette, and Theo together.
On Saturday, it was Dylan's 22 birthday, so we all met for a little drink before his night started.
Good to buy your bro a shot, right?
Totally. And look how he takes it like a man.
Nice job, bud. Nice job.
The next morning, it was my cousin Camille's wedding shower. It was vintage beautiful and really great to see everyone! I cannot wait for the wedding in May; it will break all of my wedding records for best of... everything!
Then the drive home. A sweet sweet six hour drive with a toddler. Liam usually does well, but this time he would only fall asleep if I was holding his little hand. For two hours, he clutched my finger like this. And if I managed to slide it out of his little paw, he stretched and searched in his sleep to get it back. So sweet.
I love that little boy. Speaking of, he's up! So, I'm off!
This week Liam's vocabulary really exploded. It was a few new words everyday! Some examples are feet, sausage, and horse.
About a half an hour after Liam wakes up, he is the biggest cuddler. He is so loving, gentle, and sweet as he kisses everything. When he woke up Thursday afternoon from his nap and I brought him downstairs, he kissed everything in the
room. And I mean everything. He kissed his red monkey, the chair, the
tupperware top that was next to the chair. It was really nine or ten
things that he kissed with a big "mmmmmmuah."
Liam is a very funny eater lately. He has his preferences, "turkey," "cracker," and "brea" (bread), but is also branching out to new things. This week I made a spicy ginger and curry lentil stew and Liam really loved it! Hopefully this love of food continues through the picky years that lie ahead!
It's fun to share the food making process with Liam now. I've been pulling out a stool for him to stand on while I chop veggies or stir things. It allows him to taste a few new foods and watch the process. He rejected the raw green pepper, but loved the chicken empanadas that we ate when it was all finished!
Also, here is Liam in his finest "please." The more he wants something, the farther his head will tilt. I don't even remember what he wanted here, but man, it must have been important...
We LOVE LOVE LOVE dancing to Feist's song 1234 and spun and played to it for over an hour.
If we weren't dancing to Feist, we were reading our favorite book Goodnight Gorilla. It is a great book with no words so you can change and morph the story with each reading or as the child gets older. It combines Liam's great loves - monkeys, bananas, and just this week we noticed that one of the animals that the silly gorilla lets loose is the armadillo. And what does the armadillo have in his cage? Why, a paci and Ernie doll of course! We now have to furiously flip through the book and point to it with unbridled enthusiasm. He points to the paci and then points to his own paci (that we only use at naptime/nightime now) and says "paci." It's so sweet, I can hardly stand it.
We love to play our sleeping game, where we pretend snore with an "ahchew, ahchew," then "waking up" with a big smile.
This Friday we went to a local toddler gym. Oh my goodness was that THE TIME OF OUR LIVES! Liam absolutely loved it with all of the slides, balls, balance beams, kids, and our super duper favorite DUCKS! Wherever we are, Liam finds the ducks. Consider it a talent. :) But really, we got to a friend's house and he collects them from all over the house and plays with them all. We went to this gym and lo and behold, he finds it -
On Fridays we have also been having playdates with some friends from the Mom potluck. It's been great to see all of the babies together and have some adult interaction at the same time (what is thatanyway???)
It's great to see friends, but it's even better to eat their toys and look guilty.
See that glint in his eye? He has this right before he throws himself off the couch or tears up the stairs before you even know he's gone. This boy is fast.
This morning Liam and I went to the Olbrich gardens spring garden show, where he enjoyed looking at all the flowers and climbing on all the benches. This didn't last long, however, with naptime coming Liam shut down fast.
See this? This is one wiped out little man.
Now it's naptime and time for Mommy to make a big ol cuppa coffee for the afternoon! Grocery shopping and Oscar Night! Woo!
And here, told in acts, is the story of our last month:
Act One: In Which John is Done With School and We Have Fun
Going to the Park
Helping Mommy with the Groceries
Running Away from Mommy as We Change into Pajamas
Showing off Big Baby Belly after He Got into the Chair All By Himself For the First Time
And Lastly, Destroying the Kitchen (Notice the Cabinet Door Hanging Off It's Hinges)
Act Two: Where We Travel to Chicago for a Night, then continue to Grand Rapids
We stayed at the Embassy Suites with my Dad, and it has the coolest
design. Deep stripes and glass balconies pull you to the center, where
you can stare down to the lobby below. While some people may have
developed a fear of heights, Liam took full advantage of it.
Then Liam and John continued to Grand Rapids, while My Dad, Suzy and her kids and I stayed in town to see the musical In the Heights. We shopped, walked up and down Michigan Avenue, and visited the Lego Store.
Act Three: In Which We Celebrate Christmas Eve, Drink Too Much and Set Things on Fire
Act Four: In Which We Celebrate Christmas
Liam LOVED opening the presents and the boxes way more than the
actual gifts. This is an improvement from last year, however, since he
slept through the morning while Mommy opened the gifts.
He loved the Christmas tree and would carefully take off the bottom
ornaments, examine them, and place them back in their spot. As the
days went on, Liam was more used to the tree and then took off the
ornaments and gave them to people.
We spent the morning at John's parents house, the afternoon with my
Mom's side of the family, and the evening with my Dad and Suzy.
At my Dad's house, Liam learned valuable skills like putting things inside the VCR and feeding the dog.
It was a really great day and we felt so good to be able to spend
the time with our families. We are so lucky that we could come back
for it.
Act Five: Where we Slow Down and Enjoy Our Vacation (well, slow down as much as a toddler can)
Our little boy came to Grand Rapids a baby, but left a toddler in all his running, climbing, talking, signing glory.
Whether it's food or an action, Liam has strong preferences. He
started doing the "eat" sign to signify more, food, or really anything
that he wanted. One afternoon, he was doing the eat sign to show that
he wanted Grandpa Powers' blackberry. So, Grandpa shut it off and
handed it to him. Liam looked at it, noticed that the screen was
black, paused for a second, and looked back at him doing the eat sign.
As if to say, 'You're kidding me, right? You think you can fool me?'
He'll also deposit a book, puzzle, or toy in your hands and make the
sign.
Doing "eat" sign to mean "turn the radio back on!"
Liam
really developed his climbing skills and got into the armchairs and his
very own rocking chair over and over again. After he would get into
them, he would rub his face into the corners getting his hair all fuzzy and big and then clap for himself. It's so amazing to see him doing these things on his own and feeling so proud.
We saw all of our friends, and got pictures of some:
And pictures of one, John Powers:
Dad and I also took Liam sledding. I was more nervous than Liam, who took the big hill like a champ!
We ended our vacation with a trip to my friend Audrey's parents
cottage. That was really a special trip and it was so great to relax
and spend time with friends. It was so amazing to see our children
playing together. There are pictures below, and you may want to turn
down your volume for the video (excited children running!)
Finally, Act Six: In Which We Return the Madison, Spend the Whole Week Unpacking and Finally Get Around to Blogging.
