We were in Indy lasts weekend. David went to a reading of a new play of his which will be produced in the spring or fall of 2008. This is a first reading and I wanted to be there. Unfortunately, the material is not child friendly. David was pleased with the reading, saw places to work on in the script, and the weather held pretty well for our drive home. It was hectic but we did it.
We stayed with Marcia and Matthew and Julia enjoy the christmas tree that they already have set up. On Sunday, Julia and I went to the kids’ museum and I got to visit with Lisa and Hannah, and Julia was able to see the magnificent dino exhibit that is her favorite. She still knows the building from a block away, and on seeing the dinosaurs bursting out of the building, she uttered a rare, "O-Yo," which used to be what she said when she was amazed by something. I think that the Indy kids’ museum will always be O-Yo for Julia.
On Saturday morning I asked if Julia wanted oatmeal or a waffle and she answered with "a waffle." She has not used articles before but the little books that she "reads" use articles repeatedly and she may be picking that up. Also, on Friday David made a little book called "The BUT book." It is made up of sentences that say, "I like . . . BUT I don’t like . . . " Julia looked at the pages and said, "I like" and the thing that was in the picture on the page. We think she recognized those two words.
Julia now knows that she is scared of sirens. She has always been afraid of them and we live near by a hospital so there is no avoiding the sounds. She still runs for comfort when she hears the slightest siren sound (from incredibly far away) but she is acclimatizing. I think that now that she can name what the sound is and knows what it comes from her fears have diminished some. We have no idea if she is scared because the sound doesn’t feel good to her or if she associates it with something. Maybe someday she will be able to tell us.
Today is the anniversary of my father’s death. It is strange to even write that sentence and stranger still to think of this year of changes and adjustments and experiences and growth and to think that none of it was shared with my father. From the weather report today, I will be spending lots of time shoveling outside and I will think of all the shoveling, winter times, sledding and skating, that I spent with my Dad and Grandpa. I have been thinking when I’ve been outside working that this is the kind of winter I remember from my childhood in Jersey when the sound of scraping shovels and ice pics punctuated my days and echoed in my dreams. My Dad and I were both winter babies and a snowy winter day is a good day for remembrance.
Winter concessions: I almost hate to admit this but no more composting until the snow melts. Our compost pile which we inherited and I was very happy about is in our back yard, no where near as far as where our Indy pile was; however, we can’t get there! Too much snow. I will figure something out for next year because the idea of throwing out all our vegie matter for an entire winter really offends my gardening sensibilities, but for now, it is the garbage. I am learning when to give up.
I am also using salt on the sidewalk and driveway. Many years ago – many, many years ago – when Ches was in Sycamore School, she did a science fair project about ice melters and we really found out how bad salt was for grass (and other garden plants). I vowed at that time never, ever to use it. Oh, the gods laugh! Shovel and salt is the only way to deal with Wisconsin ice and snow, and with the snow coming down multiple times a week there is no way I can use the expensive ice melters that do not harm the vegetation. Maybe I should be looking for plants that are not effected by the salt – then again, that just might be astroturf!
Small victories: The Wisconsin Board of Examiners are allowing me to proceed with my application for admission to the bar. I have a list of documents to submit to the board that would make an impressive adoption dossier. Lots of certification but no authentication. Hopefully, I will have it all to the board by the end of the year, and I’ll become a Wisconsin lawyer in early 2008.
It is snowing again. And I better get out there and shovel and salt!
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