Saturday at the IMAX

The grandparents (a.k.a. trusted babysitters) were visiting yesterday, so Tom and I go to go out on a date!

I have wanted to see Avatar for a long time, and I didn't really care to see it at the IMAX or in 3-D, but we missed it at the regular theater, so there you go. But now, I'm glad it worked out that way. A movie with such epic special effects should really be seen on the big screen, the big, big screen, that is. And the 3-D aspect was really very nice. It wasn't the in-your-face kind of 3-D, rather, the make-you-feel-like-you-are-in-the-scene kind of 3-D.

Visually, Avatar, is stunningly beautiful. It is worth the price of admission simply for that fact alone. The special effects are way cool, possibly the best I have ever seen of computer animation. The story is perhaps not the most original, but it is well told, and informed by mythology (in my opinion) with a definite moral message. And the message is a timely one.

So, there you have my two cents. If you are one of the few who have not seen Avatar, I would emphatically suggest you not wait to see it on DVD, even if you are lucky enough to have access to a home theater. Go see it in on the big screen. The big, big screen, if you can.

September Doily Cont'd

I'm still plugging away at the doily. I sometimes forget that I am the mother of a two-year-old. I forget that with a toddler everything can be so unpredictable. Eating, napping, bedtimes. We have a good routine going, but even so. This is such an intense time of transition and nurturing. And it is such a precious time, honestly. I want to hold onto each day, each cuddle, each adorable little phrase and gesture.

I'd also like to finish this doily.

One of the fun things about crocheting a doily is how with each additional round added, it's like a beautiful new snowflake. I am often tempted to stop right where I am. Like where I was last week...


or where I was a few days ago...


or where I am this morning...


But I'll see it through to the end, though probably not today. I need to clean the bathroom for the grandparents' visit. (Woohoo--that means date night with Tom to see Avatar at the IMAX!) Oh, and my darling Andrew just dropped his toy drill bit into my cup of coffee.

Saturday on DVD: Adam Sandler

OK, Adam Sandler is not a movie. But if you ask me, besides being an actor and comedian, Adam Sandler is also a movie genre.

I mostly go for dramas when I watch films, with the exception of Mr. Sandler's flicks. They just crack me up.

My favorites, so far, are The Wedding Singer (I'm such an 80s nerd), Mr. Deeds, Happy Gilmore, (the darker) Punch Drunk Love, and 50 First Dates. I haven't seen all his movies, but I'll get to them. Lucky for me, they make Tom laugh, too (can you say "date night?").

I like that these movies are silly, but have a sweetness, too. Let me know if you get a kick out of Adam Sandler movies.

Post-Vacation Post

We just got back from 6 days at the beach. It was a late summer beach vacation. We had been waiting all summer, and finally it came. Boy were we ready. I was ready.

We stayed with family and they took such good care of us. Cooked and cleaned, played with the kids. We are so very lucky.

The kids love the beach. Valerie and I went swimming and I had forgotten how much fun that is. The waves! And sharing it with my girl. Andrew is a water baby. We can't keep him out of the surf. He just smiles and laughs and runs. I'm still getting the sand out of his ears!

Tom and I got to go on a long walk together. We got to go on a dinner date. And we got to cuddle together under a blanket, looking out at the ocean just before sunset. Heavenly.

After a long drive Tuesday, we got back late at night. The house felt cool and strange. But familiar, too.

So here we are, home again. But can I still hear the soft sound of the rushing waves.

Home Again

We were out-of-town last week for four days, staying at my parents' house. A relative of mine passed away (but that is another story), so I wanted to attend the funeral services. They were midweek, and Tom was able to take a few days off work. So, even though the reason for the trip was unfortunate, it turned into a mini-vacation of sorts.

The drive was the easiest since Andrew was born. Hopefully that is going to be the trend, but I know better than to plan on it. The accommodations were excellent. No cooking, cleaning, or clutter to deal with. The kids had a ball playing and soaked up the extra attention of all the extended family. Tom and I got to sit back and watch. We got to take a breather. And we got to take a short nap!

We also went out for coffee with a friend. Just three adults having a nice discussion. Mostly about our kids. Of course. (It is so good to talk to another parent and understand that many of the issues you face with your own kids are shared by other parents!) I realized shortly after that it was the first time Tom and I had been out with a friend, without our kids, since Valerie was born. Whoa. Then we took a drive by our childhood homes, grabbed burgers for lunch, and picked up a pack of diapers on the way back. So, you know, technically it was a date.

The drive home went pretty well. It even worked out that we arrived with an hour to spare before bedtime. Valerie went right to sleep. It took Andrew a while because he had a late nap in the car, but all in all, things went smoothly.

But the next day, not so much. I think it must be some sort of attention withdrawal. We all had it. The kids were quite used to having non-stop playmates. And Tom and I were quite used to having lots of help. Plus, everyone was tired. Even with coffee, it was hard to muster the energy needed to get through that long three-ring circus of a day. But we made it.

Then came Monday morning. Tom went off to work, and it was just me again. Alone with the kids. I actually have a mini-attention withdrawal every Monday morning, I think. But yesterday was a little rough around the edges energy-wise. It will take a few days for all of us to feel more rested and back to our regular routine.

But still, it is always good to be home again.

Devotional Parenting

As Tom and I walked hand-in-hand to the grocery store last Friday afternoon, I knew that we were in fact on a date. This because we were by ourselves. It occurred to me that running errands with your spouse while the grandparents are at home with the kids constitutes an actual date when you are someone who "practices devotional parenting".

Since I began writing this blog, I've been asked by a number of people what I mean by "devotional parenting" as mentioned in my profile at right [text changed 9-18-09]. One friend even Googled it, and much to my happy surprise, came up with nothing. So folks, you heard it here first!

I came up with the term a while back when I began reconnecting with many old friends on facebook. I found myself describing my life as a SAHM (stay at home mom) who had "surrendered to motherhood" (a term introduced to me by a teacher at a parents' group). I explained that becoming a mother had been a monumental task for me, and that for Tom and I, our children are the center of our universe. Therefore, we make choices that allow us to spend as much time as possible caring for our kids.

You see, not long (hours maybe) after Valerie was born, I knew I had quite clearly discovered the meaning of life. Life for Life's sake. We are here to make and love babies. It's not a religious view. It is more evolutionary than anything else. Perpetuation of the species. Simple.

"Practicing devotional parenting": I use "practice" because it sounds almost like following a religion (see entry 4). I use "devotional" because I am totally devoted to my kids. Just about everything Tom and I do is in some way, if not directly, related to the well being of our children.

Our date last Friday was the first time I had been away from home without the kids in over three months. I had that feeling, at first, like I had forgotten something. Like, was I missing my purse? My keys? My left arm?? Yes, I start going a little nuts when it has been a while since I was out alone. Tom does take the kids out for a couple of hours now and then, but I usually stay home on the couch and try not to notice all the ten thousand things around me that need to be tended to, and instead relax with with some chocolate and a Neil Finn album. Or nap.

It might be different for us if we lived closer than 5 hours away from family. The only people who have ever babysat our kids are relatives. We don't have the means to afford a nanny, nor do we want to take the chance on hiring a babysitter whom we simply do not know. We are the ones who look after the kids. All the time. Mostly me.

To "practice devotional parenting" by always being there for my children is my choice. (It also involves breastfeeding and co-sleeping and renting vs. owning a home, and myriad other things, but those are other stories.) I spend the bulk of my energy on my kids. "Me time" (and "me and Tom time") is at night when they have gone to sleep, before I decide I really must get to bed before 6 a.m. hits and it is time to start all over again. I do have other aspirations and dreams for myself, but I have accepted that this is just how it is for now. And I love Valerie and Andrew so much, I wouldn't have it any other way.