Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Green Eggs and Ham

I've owned Green Eggs and Ham for maybe twelve years or so, and there's a story behind that. One summer, I visited my brother in California. While reading stories to Allie and Megan, one of them pulled out Green Eggs and Ham. I said that it was a great book-one of my favorites.

This is true. There are 50 different words in the book, 49 of which are monosyllabic. (Can you recall the one polysyllabic word?) Geisel revolutionized the children's book, for which we are all thankful.

A few months later, Tiffany has my name for Christmas. Allie and Megan insist that she get me Green Eggs and Ham because it's one of my favorite books. So I got the book and it travelled with me lo these many years, from Utah to New Jersey to Portland to California. It's even survived several book purges. Although truth be told, I don't think I ever read it....

Until today.




It's a great thing when your children, nieces, and nephews take those first steps outside of themselves and try to fulfill the needs of other people. Some other time, I'll tell the story of how 7-year old Megan became concerned about my dating life, and tried to marry me off.


-- Post From My iPhone

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

June 21: The Longest Day of the Year

02:30 - Feed Eli
07:00 - Feed Eli
10:00 - Breakfast in bed (Michael)
11:00 - Breakfast in bed (Eli)
11:57 - Diaper change
11:59 - Diaper change
12:20 - Load everyone into the car
12:49 - Dead stop in traffic
12:50 - Realize we didn't know about traffic from 6 Flags and NASCAR event
13:45 - Eli crying, stuck in traffic on a very long overpass
14:05 - Pull off at Chevron station to feed Eli
14:35 - Get gas (Toyota and Eli)
14:50 - Sonic burger for lime slush (Michael)
15:05 - Trapped in parking space by drive-through line
15:15 - Leave Sonic, back on road
15:50 - Arrive at Bothe-Napa state park (normally a 1 hour 20 min drive)
16:00 - Feed Eli
16:40 - Change diaper
16:50 - Start hike
17:55 - Eli crying, stop to feed
18:05 - Realize that mosquitos are swarming all of us
18:06 - Eli bit on face
18:06 - Daddy slaps Eli, but gently
18:08 - Start moving again to keep away bugs, Eli still crying
18:38 - Eli, still crying, is too hot for the wrap
18:40 - Michael carries Eli in his hands, extended to keep him cool, for final mile of hike
18:40 - Continued crying (Eli...mostly)
19:00 - Finish hike
19:01 - Feed Eli
19:45 - Oregon-style pizza in Calistoga
20:45 - Drive home, without incident
22:20 - Arrive home
22:21 - Feed Eli
22:45 - Diaper change
22:47 - Diaper change (C'mon!)
22:50 - Start trying to put Eli to sleep
23:55 - Eli falls asleep

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bath Time!

We gave Eli his first real bath today. No more sponge baths for my boy. The best part, he loved it. After a couple minutes of what looked to me like utter confusion, he settled in and really enjoyed splashing around. Yea!








-- Post From My iPhone

Calming

I can always get Eli to calm down and stop crying. I just hold him in my arms, sit on the yoga ball, and bounce like there's no tomorrow. With only one failure--a truly epic failure--Eli is calm by the fifth bounce. But bouncing on a yoga ball takes a toll on your neck and back. You can't spend the whole day doing it.

I realized that so far, Eli has never soothed himself. At whatever level of agitation he's in, he will only become more agitated, cry even harder, unless we pick him up and soothe him. If he isn't asleep and he isn't being held, you should brush your teeth fast because you do not have much time.

He was fed, diaper changed, well-rested, so I decided tonight was a good time to let him cry for a while. I put him in his swing and let him scream for ten minutes. I calmed him down, then put him in his bassinet, where I let him scream for 7 minutes. Ok, that didn't work. But, I then held him and put him to sleep with virtually no bouncing. That, I think, is progress.

Some babies need to be held; others seem independent from the start. Neither end is perfect, but somewhere in between, for every baby, is the sweet spot. Eli's just so sweet all over, his is a little harder to find.



-- Post From My iPhone

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

AB 324

Allow me to interrupt your regularly scheduled Eli news and pictures to report that the bill that has been the focus of Susie's work for the past two years passed the California Assembly!

To recap, her bill would require that state and local agencies determine eligibility for assitance based on an alternative to the archaic federal poverty line. Her alternative is based on actual cost of living numbers for your county. It doesn't require that the state spend any more or less on public assistance; it changes the metric so those who need help the most will be the ones to receive it.

So we are very proud of Susie getting the bill passes 44-15. Now things move to the Senate where it will probably pass before being vetoed by Arnie.

Well, OK, I can't help myself:




-- Post From My iPhone