Our hot date!

So when you have two small children, there are not many Saturday nights spent away from home, taking your time, just enjoying each other's company. That's what we had last night, Kade and I. Dan had to get ready for a photoshoot today so he volunteered to stay home with Avram.

I took Kade down to campus, to hear a night of American Indian storytellers at the Wisconsin Union Theater. It is an annual event, hosted by the American Indian Studies program which is very strong at UW. In fact, the ability to attend cultural events like this is one of the big reasons we live here. Having my son identify himself as a Native person is extremely important to me, even if he is actually a big mix of races. So I had told Kade that we were going to go all by ourselves. He thought that was really cool. He told Dan he had to stay home because he was not an Indian. :)

On the drive there, Kade not used to being in the car alone with Mom, talked all the way there of course. He made a lot of interesting observations and as usual, wandered from one unrelated topic to another than found some odd way of connecting them. Like when he asked if Indian people ate Italian food? When told, yes, and they also eat Indian food he asked if bald people eat baldian food. What a nut! We reviewed the usual questions, like what tribe he is and what clan he is and why we are going to hear stories and why stories are only told in the winter.

We arrived and parked in the garage. Walking toward the Union on the theater side, the night air was rhythmically shook by the distant, deep bass of the drum. As we jumped up the slushy curb, we stopped to let Kade absorb the drumbeat before proceding inside. We sat frozen for just a moment, feet on the icy pavement, straining our ears but feeling the drum where it actually hits you, somewhere between your heart and stomach.

In the theater we found a seat toward the back and listened to storytellers from around the US. All were elders and told their stories in their Native tongue with translation. It was really cool. We did not stay for the last speaker, instead sneaking out to take a little walk around the union, hand in hand. We made our way downstairs to the main level, and I bought us some icecream. Kade picked his by the shade, of course. I was suprised to find out that he actually likes pistachio ice cream. We took our ice cream back upstairs, climbing the old marble steps, up away from the noisy clammer of college students and the live band playing in the rathskeller. We found some cozy chairs in one of the old, grand halls. It was relatively empty except for a few studiers. As we sat, we recalled the stories and talked about UW. I told him that I used to study in the very room we were sitting, which made him laugh. He asked if I could sign him up. I told him that he would have to go to kindergarden first.

With the last of the ice cream gone, we strolled back to the car. On the drive home we told each other how much we loved each other and what fun we had on our "hot date." I really relish times like this. Childhood is so, so fleeting and never again will he love me so outwardly as he does now. We have made some financially difficult decisions to stay home with our kids as much as we do but the rewards are immense! I can only hope to establish children with a strong foundation of love and security on which to become strong, successful adults.

After tucking him in bed, I laid with him, telling stories of our own and for once, I actually fell asleep right there in his little twin bed with him. On waking a couple hours later, I kissed his forehead and went off to my own bed. What a lovely night!

Watch out slopes! Here I come!

One of Kade's Christmas presents. He might need some practice!

Happy New Year?

So it is January and so technically, it is a new year, although it does not quite feel like it yet. Even though we spent the last few days filling grey bins with red ribbons, twinkly lights and colorful ornaments; even though our Christmas trees wait patiently at the curb for their less than cheery final destination; even though the TV is littered with commercials for exercise equipment for those short lived resolutions. Every indication is that it is New Year's but as I warm my 9 month old's chubby feet in my hands, damp and wrinkled from the bathtub, my New Years will be 3 months from now when he turns 1 year old!

It really does seem like our year began last April when we were blessed with our sweet dispositioned Avram. He was born the day before Easter, we had even gone to an Easter egg hunt that morning.


Shortly after he arrived, we sold our house in Chicago in just 6 short weeks when house after house was sitting on the idling real estate market. We managed to find a new house in Madison on just one trip, bought it and planned our move. We moved when Avram was just 2 months old and Dan and I both started new jobs! For me that meant, relicensing in another state, acquiring hospital privileges and learning a whole new clinic, 3 different hospitals and a whole medical system. Whew! Our lives really have been filled with tremendous blessings and equally tremendous stresses this "year". Each step was a true test of "give it to God," as he opened each door and traversed what seemed at times to be insurmountable odds.


As for Avram, what a wonderful baby to have when our lives were in such turmoil! He is the King of "go with the flow", even tempered, self reliant and always with a ready smile for anyone in sight. As things start to finally calm and we are finding our routines, he has developed a very strong mama attachment. He is at his rosy cheek happiest when slung on my hip. He does not really have stranger anxiety but definitely has the separation part. He seems to be fine after a few moments but it is often easier to pick up my little cling monkey than hear that very sad, remorseful wail!


So for the rest of our "year", I really don't have that much planned! We are still in recovery mode! Of course, we will be busy as usual and we will have some travels. We are looking forward to a trip to Virginia to see Dan's family later this month. We will also be heading back to Florida again in late March. We like to travel, however, after returning from our last trip, it finally felt like we were "home" when we walked into the house which was really nice.


Come April, when that baby digs in his cake with those short, fat fingers and scoops mounds of frosting into his mouth, we will also celebrate our new year! Kade and I will turn out our lovely large garden plot, the smell of damp soil around us. We will begin to transplant raspberry canes and strawberry runners. We will plant our cool weather seeds and watch the tiny pea tendrills reach up to grasp their trellis. Maybe we will even get some work done on our house!

Trouble!

And you thought I was kidding when I said he was into everything!







And for this nut- this is what he said out of the blue yesterday in the car on the way out to eat!

All I can say is that I guess he watches too many commercials! When we got to the restaurant he really wanted to say it to our waitor. We were hoping he had actually seen the Burger King commercial so he did not just think we had a bossy kid (even though we do :) ) He finally got up the courage to say it but then said it so quiet that no one heard him! What a goof!