last day of summer

So today was it- the last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow my days as a lady of leisure come to an end, and once again I am back to the life of a working Mom. So, what did we do on this momentous day? I was hoping for a day that screamed "lazy summer day" to top of a great summer. But Jonathan's molars have been inching their way out and so we ALL started by waking up at 3:30 am for a dance party (you hate to waste any time sleeping on the last day of vacation...) We proceeded to have a bouncy, noisy, energetic morning- including a bouncy, screamy hour and a half Jonathan spent for his morning "nap"...

So the day didn't go exactly as I had envisioned. And while I spent an hour crabbing about the fact that I was spending the last day of summer being screamed/whined at over a baby monitor while mopping the floors instead of relaxing at the beach with a book, I got over it. With a toddler, nothing goes as envisioned so today was par for the course. We snuck in a quick trip to the pool before closing time. We splashed, read books, laughed, played chase. A perfect ending to a perfect summer!

unplugging

One of the things I have learned again about myself this summer is that I don't like my brain on technology. I hate the way I feel compulsively checking my email, facebook, blogs, etc- like I am hoping for a tiny affirmation or distraction. I read an article (thank you Rachel) and heard an NPR interview about neuroscientists who go into the wilderness for a trip totally away from technology to test the effects. And I can feel all of the effects they describe in reverse as soon as I boot up the computer in the morning. I am resolved to do something about it. (starting by blogging). Jonathan and I went to the botanical gardens and wandered about in the 'woods' for an hour yesterday morning and it was perfect. So peaceful and calm. I felt complete and good without knowing if anyone 'liked' my fb status. I could feel my brain relax in ways I hadn't felt for weeks and had a good chance to just take a deep breath and settle into the end of summer. And then I noticed that Jonathan was eating pebbles.... (why will he eat pebbles, sand, and acorns, but not touch a blueberry??). Anyway, I'm shutting down now (right after I check my blog list) (and my email again) (and then facebook, just one more time...)

sunroom update

Right before we left for our Minnesota excursion, I bought a rug from Crate and Barrel with the idea of finally toddler-proffing our sunroom so that it is usable space again. We've basically used the space for storing things out of Jonathan's way and as a "hiding" place for to-be-dealt-with-later paperwork. I needed some motivation for spending some serious time tucking away cords and breakables, sorting through piles of paper and junk. The rug seemed like a good motivation- and it was!

I loved its bright look online and even more in person, but when I laid it out, it was obvious that the rest of the room was also going to need an update. So for the past week or so I've been busy sewing new pillow shams in bright colors, consolidating Jonathan's books onto a cute rolling cart, and creating a little artwork!

I love the finished product!! It is light and cheerful and great for cuddling with a toddler and a good book! And such a good feeling to have that room back in use!

table manners

Jonathan is not exactly what you would call "polite company" at the dinner table. As I imagine is the case with most 15 month olds, there is a lot of banging, throwing, spitting out food, whining, dumping, etc. Today was one of those rare moments were I was able to look at him as this tiny little person exploring and engaging his world (instead of being constantly irked by his poor manners) and I was reminded again that he is just so new at all of this. He doesn't know what happens when you bang a sippy cup into a peanut butter sandwich or the noise banana chunks make when they hit the floor. There are a million ways to pick up a waffle- one of the most fun being to stick your finger though the middle and then try to jam the whole thing into your mouth. And while we are at it, doesn't your voice sound funny when your mouth is so full you can barely breathe? How many times in a row will the dog eat the peas thrown to the floor? What happens when you take a big gulp of water without swallowing and then let your mouth hang open?

He is really tremendously engaged in his own series of experiments, and as a science teacher I hate to discourage inquiry. But at some point manners should be learned. Among my top choices for rules to be followed at our table are:

• Once food is in your mouth it stays there and is swallowed.
• Food and utensils are not projectiles.
• The dog's food and the baby's food are not interchangeable.
• "More" and "please" are acceptable ways to make your needs known. "EEEEEH" is not.

I feel like I'm not asking for a lot. My blood pressure would stay considerably lower during mealtime if I had an idea of how and when to teach and enforce these rules. How much is too much to expect from a 1 year old? How much is to little? And what sort of consequences will work when he has such little interest in food to begin with?

Minnesota in Photos (and video)

Here is a recap of our fantastic Minnesota trip:

We played lots of bags. Jonathan got the idea after careful observation, but couldn't figure out why everyone else was took so much longer to get the bags in the hole:

We visited Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun and ate at the Tin Fish:

We read stories with Grampa:

Took rides on the boat:

Played in the Mississippi River:

Rode on Grampa's tractor:

Helped Grandma with cooking and organization:

Played at the park:

And went to the science museum:

At the museum, the adults saw the Dead Sea Scrolls and enjoyed exhibits about earthquakes and dinosaurs. But for Jonathan, the highlight was without a doubt the ball exhibit:

It was a fantastic time! Thanks so much for having us! We cannot wait to visit again!

no smoking

My current reading list includes The World Without Us by Alan Wiesman. The first section was fantastic and fun- a great mix of science, history, archeology, and imagination. But over the past few days I've found myself bogged down in the chapters on plastics, fertilizers and farming, and the petrochemical industry. I have been profoundly disturbed by the insanely naive and selfish way civilized society is destroying the natural world. I've ended up feeling just sick about the ways we are all complicit in the destruction of other living things and the beauty in th world around us.

Strangely enough I found some odd solice on a recent flight. We we on a fairly new jetliner and as we were settling in I noticed the illuminated signs above the seats were both turning on and off. One of those signs was, as always, allerting us to fasten our seatbelts. But the other one was different. For as long as I can remember the other sign was a no-smoking sign and was always illuminated. But last week on this new plane, it was replaced with a "Turn off your Electronics" sign. And this week I am clinging to that change as a sign that society as a whole can change. Smoking was not limited on airplanes until 1987- and then only on flights of 2 hours or less. Now it is so accepted that smoking on an airplane is forbidden that they no longer need the sign. We were watching the Dick Van Dike Show a few weeks ago and seeing actors smoking cigarettes on screen was jarring. Americans have certainly changed our attitudes towards smoking. Maybe we can change our Earth destroying habits as well- and hopefully as quickly. Maybe using 13 mpg Hummers to drive to church, meat at every meal, chemically processed foods, and our disposable society will also one day be a relic.

Most of our friends appreciate enviornmental science, buy (or grow) organic and local food when they can, use reusable bags, and are at least conscious of our energy usage and think before cranking up the air. So maybe. Maybe Jonathan will grow up in a greener world and find it jarring to think that we used to so actively destroy the earth that sustains us. I can only hope.