neat hair

1st time blogging with google video

The subject, as you can see, is our trip to observe high tide and low tide.

It's for school. They've learned all they wanted to about the moon, and the kids have long been interested in the ocean, and so the interests converged and they decided they all wanted to see the tides and report back with their observations, photos or whatever to memorialize what they learned.

Dad took the photos and video from the car while me and E went out to compared our findings. Besides just noticing visible rocks and sand, we threw rocks out into the water both days, we found exposed seaweed and scavenging seaguls at low tide. Good stuff.

experiencing the en-vi-ron-ment

(I'm enunciating for my sister!) ;)


first, the high tide





same spot at low tide

it was warmer in the car

new bed christmas surprise

we've never had a bed frame, but now we do. see below.

While Christmas shopping, I found this priority display model at the Crate and Barrel outlet store for 370. retail 1299. I honestly hadn't realized the nearest C&B was an outlet or maybe I'd have been inside it before and noticed there is a room in the back of delivery-damaged and floor-model clearance furniture. Lots of couches, tables, mirrors, shelves, whatever... some damaged beyond my tolerance / ability to repair, but plenty are reasonably priced and no more scratched than what your kids would have eventually done anyway :)

and besides, at such a deep discount, in 5 years when you sell it on craigslist you'll get it all back :)

bed assembly

big kids behind the headboard

almost done, E found a good seat to eat the allergy-free breadsticks from his stocking the day before.

almost done, baby is just loving the easy climbing.

Em in bubble wrap

I found two pairs of shoes that feel good. see above.

After just a couple hours a strap broke, but Zappos overnighted me a replacement pair and isn't even making me return the other. I'm really happy with these guys.

Unfortunately, I still have nothing to wear on my feet for hiking, church, or rainy day errands. Several shoe shopping trips failed me, and a steady parade of incoming shipments have failed so far :( the problem is that women's shoes just aren't made for my size, and men ones either fit too tall or wide, or the style just looks bad. any ideas of men's or unisex brands to try next?


(the green lined ones are size M10 W12. the blue ones are sized as "XL" M10-11 W12-14)

Christmas shots

Christams Eve. Here's me, Em wearing her "sweater without arms" that my mom's mom made when I was that age, sitting here with my Abueltia on the other side.

driving with E, late, after this party.

mom, it's good that they gave me a Target card, because now, when I'm a grown up, I won't have to buy one!



*******
Then, excited to get the morning started!

some shipping last week

shoe update

Here is baby M with the Zappos.com shipment I told you about. 8 pairs of shoes. 7 too small, 1 too big :( They were shipped back out the same day but I kept those nice air packets!

sorry, Dansko. Your 42s don't fit, be they mens or womens, narrow or regular, and you have nothing to offer in a 43. alas. If it weren't for the majorly scrunched toes, I really liked you.

At our door the next day. More for me and I picked some for Horn too. He is very much enjoying his first pair of crocs, I am feeling closer to my goal but nothing yet...

mouse report (updated)

mice killed
8

mice known to exist in the kitchen as of last night
0

clearly different sizes/ages of mice involved
2

types of mouse traps bought
4
poison ASAP, I promise!

types of food eaten off the trap without getting caught
4


I swear, I put out the traps and leave and come back an they're open and empty. dumb traps. It's like leaving cookies out for santa. I set a trap with cheese or peanut butter or dried fruit and when I get back home, it's eaten up, proof that someone was home in my absence. ick.

E's voice 1

E told us a while back "google means search" and like his buddy he knows we can google for answers, images, videos, and free games. At a birthday party saturday, a dad described the birthday boy finding a pokemon for the first time, then raced off and independently did a google image search to see more about them.


so this surprised me this morning

mom, your computer doesn't have google

um, i do have google

well, you don't have the typing box. If you had that, you could google games and not only have the reading game.



(not wanting my computer hijaked, the rule is he can use this computer for starfall.com but we'll not be hunting down anything else on this one)

E's voice 2

last night:
mom, your favorite thing is flowers

oh yeah?

yes, because they're pink and purple, and girls like pink and purple.

yeah, some girls do, but everybody's different

everybody's different but girls like pink and purple and boys don't

well, some girls like other colors. I like blue

but most girls like pink and purple

some girls do, and that's cool, but everybody is different

and boys don't like pink or purple, they don't draw with them, they're girl colors

they can draw with them if they want to, it's fine if as boy wants to


and on and on. I know exactly which (girl) friend he got it from.

Meteor showers are one of the greatest hoaxes. It's maddening.

he drew it

zappos.com

oh my gosh.

so you guys, I don't have a lot of shoes. OK, I have one pair of beat up lands end mocs and one pair birkenstocks in a hard-to-find direct-form-Germany print with some wear left in them but the rubber sole is worn away entirely in places so I'm walking on cork. (photo below. it's for posterity. You know, the great-grandkids will be studying this journal for insights on "my day" long after I'm gone) :)

I have a hard time buying shoes for 3 main reasons, in order lesser to greater

1- can't try on shoes with kids

2- I'm a chronic dealhunter. I can't stand to pay retail anywhere but trader joes. Ever. what i need is to know what size/brand works and then go hunt for it. Unfortunately, all the decent brands are in the kind of stores where you have to ask a salesperson to bring sizes and styles. I hate the waiting, hate the unwanted social interaction, hate feeling watched, hate interference, and it doesn't match well at all with just wanting to know if the brand has a size that fits me and leaving without buying anything. I don't want to waste anybody's time, but there is usually no other way to get that information.

3- my feet are big. BIG. Designs for a 7 just don't look right stretched out.

4- many brands don't even make my size. Browsing for cool styles loses its fun when each find brings more rejection. nope, none in my size. nope, can't special order it.
So I have to turn to unisex solutions like my two above. If I find something that fits, great! But it's unlikely to look too stylish and forget about ever finding something feminine, like dressy shoes and boots, in unixsex european or "men's narrow" offerings.


here's my bottom line. after another unfruitful trip, I am trying Zappos.com
it's a really big website, mostly they do shoes but they have clothes and accessories too. here's the thing. I need to try on a lot of size variations, styles and brands. and they have free overnight shipping with prepaid free return shipping.
I am pretty darn excited. I have 8 pairs coming tomorrow, surely something will fit right! Sure, maybe I'll have to send them all back and reorder for color, but that still puts me only 3 days away from actually having new, comfortable shoes, that I can try on at home. Home! At my convenience, not in public, I can wear it inside an hour to really be sure if I need to.



they pricematch for 10 days and the return window is a year. and they had the best company phone message/menu I've heard yet.

so there you go. my experience is only half over but so far I'm very impressed, and I want to pass it along right now b/c with free overnight shipping it's totally not too late for Christmas shopping with them. their prices run high but they do pricematch.


PS to mom- they still make saltwater sandals...


PS- there is a mouse #3 but not for long... :)

if I recall

If I recall, the sandals are from '01 and the shoes from '05. So even cheapskate me can admit a new pair or two is justified. Especially since the shoes are wobbly and hurt my legs after hiking. the sandals are from the days when my only 2 pairs of shoes were these and an identical pair but in plain brown. See, something for every outfit :)

and yes, I'm totally a 1 for you, 1 for me Christmas shopper. I abstain from shopping all year but I totally loosen up for Christmas, and it falls on myself as much as anybody.

RIP New Mouse 2007-2007

Apparently we got the other one today. I'm glad I wasn't there. Yeesh.

RIP Mouse, 2007-2007

After 5 mousetraps and many weeks, our mouse got foolish. The end result was disturbingly violent. C had no trouble, but I was shaken.

Now let's all take a moment to welcome the new mouse.

solitaire: E can play it

Here's a photo of horninF teaching him for the first time. it became his favorite pre-bedtime official activity, and he plays it with anybody who'll agree, and if you deal he can go alone many moves before checking in. good stuff.

 

Em is taking a turn for the better

 

yo ho ho

2 years ago when this blog was new, I addressed the everliving social conversation about "doing" or "not doing" Santa Claus.

If you want to take me on, the fodder is in the links above. We've only had one person express opposition, and that was offline. so I expect this will be tame...

PS- E vividly remembers the night in the photo, when despite being "just a character", Santa really did come over, bringing peanuts.

Ha

don't read too fast or you'll miss the joke

your lucky day

you can see me and the kids "elf" ourselves , thanks to E and my dad.

happy

I am totally excited about my new phone :)

Here it is .

my cost- just $50
provider- AT&T now. Same plan price and minutes. Initial testing of reception in the hills and voice clarity is very exciting. Go ahead and call when I'm home, that should work now. And all you family people with AT&T are in my unlimited network.

I'd been out of Verizon's contract for a while but in no hurry to get a fresher phone by recommitting. Tonight's plan was to see cameras, not cell phones. It's actually from costco, where I am not a member and where their silliness and disorganization prevented me from becoming one tonight even though I did go through regular checkout with the phone and some butter, orange juice, a white board, and grapes. weird.

I just wish I'd done this sooner.

hmmm

forgot to tell you all, but since Thanksgiving, E can read

...


:)

nice

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HMU-wXsgyR8

for the moment, this link is working. It's Sesame Street's classic "how they make crayons" video. Em's loving it.


here's a bonus for you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV9CjHmcEEI

boo

can't ever move here.
our district has lots of this same junk, but it's got to be worse dealing with it all in such a bigger district. The stories from SFUSD parents are always awful.

second chance

guys, I know that link to my interview wanted you to register, and other then my little sister, I bet nobody did. Now that the week-long feature is over, I figure it's OK to copy and paste it here- since it is my own writing and all- at least for a few days.

the setting is an informational website about baby carriers with a big community of enthusiasts in forums and lots of photo sharing, chat, local organizing, etc.

*************************


[me], president of Tender Cargo, talks to us about her business, how she got started babywearing, and her optimism about the future of babywearing.

Tender Cargo Website | Tender Cargo Reviews

Describe your business.
I run a mom and baby shop from a stockroom attached to our house. I carry all sorts of gear, like shoes and health products and organic dolls and wooden toys. In the world of babywearing, I stock: Moby Wrap, Zolowear, Beco, Pikkolo, and Sakura Bloom.

Tell us a bit about where you live.
I am in CA, up in the residential hills above the amazing diversity of opportunities, events, and people that this rich urban setting offers. I've only been here a bit over a year but this is absolutely HOME.

Tell us a bit about your family.
Our family is made of a married mom and dad and three little kids, ages 1, 2 1/2, and 4 1/2.

How long have you been in business?
Tender Cargo is a bit over a year old, but I've been self-employed since '01 in a variety of other pursuits, always things I could do from a home office with a baby around. Before that, I did supply chain analysis for Intel and earned a Bachelor's of Economics in just 2 years.

What is the most rewarding thing about manufacturing/selling babycarriers?
I just love that all my products have such beauty and quality. I pick products that are truly built to last and be loved for many years or by many children, and things that let you express your style and have a personality while meeting a need. So clearly, my selection of quality baby carriers in many types is something I'm very rpoud of. I have something for everybody, and it is so good to help somebody find the style and pattern for them, and to know that their sling or carrier will serve them well for years, and live to be passed on to a friend or family member someday.

The other thing I love is making a true contribution to my own family through my work. We live in an expensive region of the country and it is rewarding to know that I have created a way to stay home and still apply my professional skills to a project of my own design, and if all continues to go well, it may soon be the reason we can afford to buy a home and send our kids to the schools and therapies they need.

Tell us about your personal babywearing journey.
I was pregnant with my oldest in '02 and was already plugged in with natural parenting advocates so I knew I'd be using carriers and breastfeeding and cosleeping and such. Before birth, I was ready with a bjorn and mayawrap. In my boy's first months, we alternated these according to his preference, and before long we had an Ergo too. We used the same maya and ergo for our second, but with the third I totally branched out. as a newborn, he mostly used a KKAFP. Then we switched to
a MT and other brands of slings, and discovered Beco, which is practically all I've used since.

It's funny how parenting goes. My first I planned to BW because I was idealistic that it was better parenting, but I soon realized I had no choice, he required it. And with my 2nd and 3rd, I babywear quite a lot, and I'm glad I do, but again, there is no real alternative. I have 3 little ones too close together and the oldest has special needs. There is no other way to keep up with them and keep everybody safe, and no other way to get out of the house! So thank goodness I know what I'm doing with these carriers!

How do you balance your personal and professional life?
Working makes me feel good, and the harder I work and the more goals I meet, the more energized I am as an individual and as a mom. I thrive on the challenge and on knowing that I do things every day "for me" and not just for other people. My business goals are mine to set and mine to celebrate, and my business experience builds my resume, a priceless protection against future disasters for me individually and my children.

Before launching a full-fledged business, I was working madly on complex special needs issues with my kids. But now there is peace and sanity- I still put lots of my energy there but now my life is structured so some of that energy goes to fueling myself so I can do even more. Even though I have 3 little kids, the decision to launch my company was very easy- I knew I was prepared and I knew it was time.

What do you see for the future of babywearing?
I absolutely do see it catching on. The more people see others using carriers and praising them, the more people will give it a try. I have seen it snowball but this is just the beginning!

Describe your favourite babywearing memory/moment(s).
Our house is right up next to a major regional park, and we often hike just two of us at a time. Last week, we all five went for the first time. Our oldest walked and we carried the others on our backs. My husband had our girl, 2.5 in an Ergo, I had our boy, 1, in the Beco, and we all walked together in the eucalyptus forest. It was so happy and peaceful. We need to do that sort of thing more often!

Describe a typical day in your life.
I wake at 7 and begin getting children dressed and fed and my husband drives our oldest to preschool. I stay home with the little two, working on the laptop while they play and eat and nap, and then we all go downhill to drop off packages and do the preschool pickup. Home again is the same, except it is different children doing the eating, napping, or playing. Most days a therapist comes to play with my oldest, and the others if they want to. Sometimes I play too, sometimes I just try to eat and rest and answer all the phone calls. After that, we get ready for dad to come home. He makes their dinner and tends to everybody up to bedtime most days, because I usually have somewhere to go, like grocery shopping or a seminar or church meeting or getting some take-out. Then I work pretty nonstop from 8PM-midnight on a typical day, if I'm excited it can go later.

Anything else you'd like to add?
So, my boy who is almost 5 is doing very well now but he has been a tough kid since the first days, with a long history of diagnoses, and I want people to know I am happy to chat about that any time. If you're concerned about your kid's development, or if you know they have autism or allergies or heavy metal toxicity or psychiatric issues and you just want to chat, don't hesitate to call or write to me. Seriously! I'm struggling to find a balance with privacy and the internet, so although I am tempted to write a long list of labels here, I think I'd better not.

Oh, I'm passionate about Special Ed rights too and I love to talk about any aspect of that process. I've had to fight long and hard to get the best services, but it is so worth it!

Tender Cargo Website | Tender Cargo Reviews

gardening

this is friday. the girl is his best friend. The boy's mom sometimes walks E out of school when my kids are asleep in the car, and we hung out at the park this weekend, so E is very comfortable with him too.

staff of life

Genesis 30:14
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.

(I had another wheat verse in mind when I started searching but this is better. The runner up was- Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain. blah.)

You wouldn't believe how psyched E is about having wheat back in his diet. It's been a few weeks now of slowly testing at home, and there were no issues at all, so now he has no limits on how much to have, and he can take it to school. It really rounds out his diet so much, and finally I can give him a grain other than rice, rice, rice.

grandparents be advised... in addition to what you see here, he can have regular pasta now. he's not really a fan of the lavash/tortilla in the photo, he would love to find a bread or cracker he can have, but good luck if you try to find one while watching out for soy, corn and milk ingredients!

An aux jack! Woot!

(ETA 3/1 - 3/15 per Mazda)

"he's full of poop!"

direct quote from E's new gastroenterologist, calling with results of his abdominal Xray for what had been years of chronic diahrea, actually. She had a hunch there could be a blockage. good catch!

http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-theory-of-arms.html

K-6

looking at my local public school options, I thought I'd look up my own elementary school info on the state's official "school report card" system. (click photo for PDF)



620 students (OMG!) 25 classrooms


Kids who meet state competence for their grade level:

in math: 66 %
in language: 61 %
(way higher then the district and state averages)

in science 37 %
(about the same as other district schools. state average is actually a chunk lower, 3/4 of CA elementary kids aren't at grade level for science. whoa.)


physical fitness 31%

API index score 828



in summary, it's awful that so many kids don't know the basics, but it is actually a really great school relative to others in town and in other towns, if test scores mean a school is great, and not just an reflection of the fact that it's 70% white, 80% economically not-disadvantaged and 96% not-english-learners


the closest elem here has very similar scores, but because of the forced diversity of the lottery system and not neighborhood schools, 20% are english learners, only 45% white, 40% low income, and seems "big" with 400 students. I am so shocked my old school fits in over 600 now! Old town school spends 3k per student, new town spends 9k. both pay teachers only 30-32k to start. yikes.