larger than a 5 x 7 picture frame
like the song, mazie has a few favorite things. however, her favorite things do not include girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on her nose and eyelashes, and brown paper packages tied up in strings. instead mazie likes shoes, watermelon, banana bread, cats and dogs. the watermelon and banana bread are just temporary likes. she doesn’t stay with a particular food interest very long. next week apples could be the new banana bread and crackers the new watermelon. but shoes, cats and dogs, these items have staying power.
shoes would have to top the list. the child loves shoes. my shoes, her shoes, stranger’s shoes, her dad’s shoes, she isn’t picky. she likes to say the word “shoe”, she likes to play with shoes, she likes to put the shoes on and walk around in them, she likes to take them off, she likes to de-lace and lace them. she loves shoes. i don’t know what this says about her or me or the world, but i’m sure it says something. i’ve asked other people with kids and it seems the whole shoe obsession is not a normal toddler phase. it’s a mazie thing and i’ve come to appreciate it.
mazie lives with two cats. she’s been interested in them since the day she realized they existed. she pets them, waves to them, hugs them, offers greetings and generally makes their lives miserable. i think it’s typical for kids to like animals, but i do think mazie likes or loves them more than most. she fares better with the dog world as dogs are more accepting of the sort of smothering love that mazie offers to members of the animal kingdom. so far she has exhibited no fear whatsoever of any dog or cat. they can hiss, growl, bark, bat, and she just keeps on loving. have no fear, sooner or later she will learn that she needs to be careful and cautious around animals, but for now the adults in her life can bare that burden for her.
that’s all folks…
part of something
today at 8:05am the husband, the kid and myself walked into target to get some wii action. (for those of you not in the know, which would be me if not for the husband, the wii is the latest console game thingy from nintendo which was released today.) we didn’t know what to expect. what we found was a long line about 120 people deep and a bunch of people with tickets. it seems that the tickets were handed out around 7am to the many people who had either spent the night or shown up in the wee hours of the morning. since we had arrived at 8:05am, we were way past any chance of finding wii action. we stayed in line anyway, just cause, and after a couple of minutes this dude walks by and asks the people in our part of the line if anyone needs a ticket. no one responds except me, which i still don’t understand, cause none of the other people around us had tickets either. so the dude hands me a ticket with a number 9 on it, we walk up to the front of the line, pick out a couple of games and in a few minutes we’ve bought a wii. a crazy stroke of luck.
we made our way home and ever since the husband has been glued to the tv learning the ins and outs of the wii. this is the fun part for him. he has verbalized his fascination and joy many times with “look at this” and “cool” and “ohh, ahh”, but for the most part he has been silently taking it in. he has played a couple of games and i have played a couple of games. it’s a very different type of video game and i think i will enjoy it much more than a typical video game system, but for me the real fun happened at the store.
the feeling of driving to the store not knowing what to expect, walking in and seeing all of the people, learning what’s going on from others and just being a part of something that exists for only a few moments in time and place, no matter how trivial, is fun for me. once the hunt is over, i’m less interested. i wonder if this is a me thing, a female thing, a lots of people thing or what?
Doggone it
Guest post: this is my lovely sister angie. she is quite a bit younger than me and quite a bit taller than me and almost always in a sunshiney mood. she is a nice sister to have.
If I was a dog, I would want to celebrate Christmas with my family. I would like to unwrap a bone or new squeaky toy wearing a new Santa hat my mommie gave me. But I am not a dog. I am the mommie.
I want to bring our dog, Louie, to our immediate family Christmas get-together. I am not one of those crazy people who thinks that Louie is a human–although I’ll be honest that I dress him up for Halloween and we celebrate his birthday. I just think he’s part of the family.
I am not advocating bringing your dog to formal dinner parties, family reunions, wedding, funerals or even your friend’s house, but a casual family get-together seems innocent enough to me. Our dog Louie is very cute and cuddly. He also licks, sheds and eats everything he can get his paws on. We try to control him as best we can, and I think the more exposure he gets to being around big groups of people, the better his behavior gets. To me, family Christmas celebrations shouldn’t be peaceful, boring times of mundane conversation. Kids, animals and crazy mommies make it more fun!
If I was a dog, I would want to celebrate Christmas with my family
all grown-up
i remember watching the made for television movie “the day after” when i was 10 or so. it was a movie about an atomic bomb being dropped somewhere in america and what would happen in the days following such an event. mainly, lots of people died and it was all quite horrible.
i think of that night as a small turning point in my life. up until then i had believed that people older than myself had all of the answers and pretty much knew everything. after the movie i asked my very old and mature 14 year old sister lots of questions, expecting her to have all of the answers, but she didn’t. older people didn’t know everything. i’m sure to some kids this would have come as a relief, but to me it was a very disheartening realization. i ended up feeling more troubled by the realization than the movie.
now i’m 35 and i don’t feel much more informed than i did at 10. adults don’t have all of the answers, yet we are supposed to make the decisions. i never thought i would be one of the grown-ups and it’s still hard to think of myself that way. yet, here i am…all grown-up.
larger than a mushroom
that’s what my kid is. she’s a crazy one year old that can’t sit still and is in a state of constant flux. she’s great and she drives me crazy. for the most part people always described parenthood to me as this amazing and awesome experience that was the “hardest job you’ll ever love”. i wasn’t one of those people that fell in instant love with my kid the second she was born. i didn’t suffer from post pardom depression, but i did suffer from a post pardom reality shift. it’s still really difficult for me to have the selflessness needed to be a mom. not being able to do what i want when i want sucks a lot of the time, but this crazy experience of raising a kid is something that i’m ultimately glad i signed up for.
yeah, that's right, i'm smaller than a redwood...
and so is my landscaper friend, Ann. We came to this realization while talking on the phone, and poof a blog was born.
From the Mouth of Babes or Tammy's as it were...
Jamie asked me to write something on this blogity-blog and so here I am. I asked what he wanted me to write and he asked for reflections about the last three weeks.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a place not really made for me. It’s fine and everything and lots of people live there and like it, but it tended to make me angry and I always felt dumb cause my license plate said Minnesota and my accent said Minnesota and I felt this sense that everyone was always thinking of me as a poor, country bumpkin. Perhaps this all says more about my own “issues” and less about New Jersey, but these are my reflections.
I got the feeling while in New Jersey that most of the state was a forest, field or grassland not that long ago and that when development needed to happen, it just happened without much thought. Maybe the zoning laws are just different than in the Midwest. There is so much country mixed in with so much sprawl and the mix cast a very disjointed pallor on the landscape for little miss me.
The Apartment
For what it was, the apartment was pretty nice. I’m really glad not to be there anymore, but it wasn’t a bad place. The overall look of the place was good, but underneath the good there was some cheap and some dirty.
Favorites
Just a few miles from where we stayed is the New Jersey Garden For Sculpture. It is a very cool place. Jamie’s boss and his wife took us there and then I took my mom and sister there. I enjoyed both of my visits and would recommend checking it out if you are ever in the area. I hate to say it, but it sorta kicks the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden’s butt. The grounds are very well landscaped so that you come upon most of the sculptures one at a time. It has a very intimate feel even though it is quite large.
The Jersey Shore was also lots of fun. We visited a town called Spring Lake which had a two-mile boardwalk along the ocean and a cute little downtown. The shore had a very different feel than the rest of New Jersey I visited. The streets were wide and tree-lined, the houses were huge, old and cool and the beach had baby’s-butt-soft sand, big waves crashing into the shore and very few people.
My new favorite restaurant is El Vez. It’s in Philadelphia and it’s super yummy. The food was spicy, interesting and packed with flavor and the mojitos were oh so mmmmmm. Jamie and I ordered about half of the menu, but we would have liked to order so much more. As it was we had way too much food, but it was worth it. I think I would come back to this area just to eat there again.
Jamie’s Work
Going to the Dow Jones campus in New Jersey was a trip. There is a security gate that you have to get through in the car. Once you park and walk to the visitor’s entrance you have to buzz to be let in the door. Once inside they take your driver’s license, put your stuff through a metal detector, take your picture, have you sign in and give you a visitor pass with your picture on it. Crazy stuff. The inside of Dow Jones is pretty much as one would expect. Big, big, big, with lots of cubicles and out-of-date decor.
The first two weeks that we were in New Jersey, Jamie spent a fair amount of his awake hours working. I found this to be annoying and let him know so on perhaps a few too many occasions. We even had a fight about it. All is well that ends well they say, and so all is well. The last week had Jamie back to a regular schedule and me very much happier for it. Sometimes I am a little less than understanding. I try and work on it from time to time, but so far I haven’t gotten very far in my search for understanding. Sometimes it’s difficult not to be selfish and only see the world through your own eyes.
The Ear Infection
It’s Sunday and my ear has been hurting since Wednesday. It’s lame and I’m hoping to turn the corner any day now. I got some water caught in my ear in the shower on Wednesday and that somehow turned into a very painful, outer and middle ear infection. My empathy level for those suffering from ear infections on a regular basis has greatly increased in the last few days.
Vacation
It officially begins tomorrow. Woo-hoo! See all of you crazy MinnEsotans back there in MinnEsota land in a few weeks.
ARR!
Tammy here again…
One week ago today, Mazie had a blast at her very first birthday party. All of our family that lives in town were invited and everyone did their best to dress and act like the pirates that they know they are. We beat at a parrot until it spilled its guts, made clothespin people walk the plank and dive into a shark pail, and were merciless in our pinning of an eye patch on a poor pirate over and over again. Mazie’s friends from across the street came to help with the fun.
After all of the fun and games we sat down to our spoils and enjoyed the very best pirate cake ever! Mazie blew out her candle (with a little help from her friends) and got involved good and dirty-like with her cake. She squished and gushed chocolate frosting all over her little self just like a good pirate would do. Presents were next and Mazie was pleased with all of the treasures she received. She balanced on top of her new rocking chair like a circus star, flipped the pages of some stellar books, and reveled in the beauty of her new fashions.
In true Pirate fashion we then kicked everyone out! See the pictures!
Mazie's Birthday
Hello, Tammy here. It was Mazie’s first birthday today! Whee… I have been looking forward to this day since before she was born. I finally have a kid that’s one. I don’t know why that matters, but to me it is a big milestone. Jamie took the day off of work to help celebrate. There were pancakes and a visit from the neighbors and our favorite landscaper, a trip to the beach where Mazie found her sea legs in preparation for her pirate party on Saturday, lunch with my mom, her friend and her friend’s granddaughter, and then off to the Minnesota Zoo. Mazie thought that all of the animals at the zoo were interesting, but the pigs were her favorite. I think she fancied the snorts and other fun noises they made.
After Mazie hit the sack, Jamie and I headed over to our neighbor’s house for an evening of ART! We met a local artist that our neighbors know, saw and helped in the hanging of the really cool paintings that they purchased from him, and had lots of fun talking and looking at art. It was a great way for the two of us to celebrate the passing of our first year with little Mazie.
Thanks to everyone who emailed, called, visited and sent Miss Mazie birthday wishes. She very much appreciated all of the love that she felt today. Mazie’s first birthday rocked! Jamie uploaded some of the pictures from the day which include several shots of Mazie wearing her fabulous birthday hat.
Tammy over and OUT
Tammy Speaks
Jamie is always clicking and clacking away at this thing and that’s great…the man can’t get enough of the ‘puter. I decided that perhaps I should take a spin at the keys and finally speak on the bloggity-blog-blog too. So, here is my take on all things tripish.
Le Plane
The flight over was uneventful, scary, but somehow manageable. I did a much better job managing the flying fear than I’ve been able to muster in my adult past. I didn’t stomp my feet or talk fast or beg to get off; I calmly accepted my fate and fear as best I could. Jamie was most thankful; the last (and only other flight he’s ever been on with me) was a taste of my flying medicine that he didn’t want to ever take again. I think the saying goes: quite a handful. They now have these groovy things on the international planes where each seat has their own little screen where you can rent movies and play games. The games are free and quite entertaining. I’m sure that most of you are aware of this, but the last time I flew internationally no such thing existed. Enough about the plane already…
Le Tour
I must say that I enjoy watching the tour much better on T.V. There are far too many people milling about in the world of live tour coverage and all of the coverage is in French. It’s hard to figure out what is going on. And the French, they don’t know their junk food very well either. Missing in action at the finish line was any sight of cheese curd, mini-doughnut, or other fried creation. There were usually two or three food stands in total at each finish that serviced a huge multitude of folks. They sold weird hamburger and hot dog things, french fries and beverages (most of the French bring their own food to the tour stages). It was a far cry from the commercialism that I’m sure would have been present if Le Tour de France was Le Tour De America. So it goes. Tis both a blessing and a curse. The French seem very different to me as a people. They seem more content, more able and willing to experience life and not have to control it.
Being at the tour stages in person was not as big a thrill for me as it was for Jamie. I had imagined being able to stand right by the side of the road and watch the tour come through, but you have to arrive at least a day in advance and be willing to sit by the side of the road for all of the those hours to do that and I was not willing. So, for the most part, Jamie and I watched the tour come by 8 deep in a pack of tour-loving folks from all over the world who were excited just to be there and didn’t care that they were seeing the peloton through a crack in the crowd.
For me the great part about the tour part of our vacation was bicycling. I’ve never had a better time on a bike. The scenery was so beautiful I was ready to move to the French countryside. The whole experience was like something you would see in a movie and think I want to go there. The tiny towns dotted the landscape every couple of kilometers and they were quaint and peaceful and so pretty with flowers, flowers everywhere. The landscape rolled and the mountains were big and everything was grand and wonderful. The motorists make you feel secure on the bike; you know that they aren’t going to hit you. They love the bike. Riding on the tour routes was also a very special thing. That is where I felt the excitement of the tour and felt most at home at the tour.
Pizza
The French make some good pizza. If you are in France, give it a try. Mmmmm.
Art
We got an Art yesterday and I love it. It’s sooo perfect and lovely and divine. I think Jamie has put a picture of said Art up on this bloggie so that all can see how friendly and happy it is. It might be my favorite painting ever.
Ice Cream
The French eat a lot of it and so do I. I love menthe (peppermint bon-bon).
Paris
I dunno. I feel like I could take it or leave it. I loved the countryside and in comparison Paris was not a shining star. Our hotel was great, shiny and modern and comfortable with lots of rich woods and warm tones, a bathroom to die for and it was just the right size. The housekeeping people were amazing; we never saw them, but they were in our room all of the time cleaning things and giving us towels. The gallery where we got our art was also a highlight. The rest of the place was alright, but nothing to write home about. Okay, I know that’s a harsh thing to say about such a lovely city, but it’s kinda dirty and loud. I’m not really a big city sort of girl.
Switzerland
This is the part of the trip that I was most excited about initially. Hiking through the Swiss Alps and staying at nice inns along the way sounds like a good trip to me. We officially start hiking in two days, until then we are hitching rides on trains to get where we need to go.
The End
Guess that’s all I have to say. Jamie is much better at this writing stuff than I, which is why I leave it to him most of the time. Thanks for the ride, see you at school.