In-tuned

During the earlier mentioned quarantine Caleb made a discovery: television.

Despite our efforts Caleb has never been prone to zone out in front of the telly. He’d rather do abhorrent things like dancing to music, flipping through books and running around outside while obscenely yelling “BEEP! BEEP!”

When our pediatrician tried to distract Caleb during the15 month appointment and asked Caleb to look at Elmo, our son stared dumbly at him. The gesture was returned by the pediatrician when we explained that Caleb doesn’t watch television ergo he is unfamiliar with the Muppet.

Am I shunning those who let their kids watch television? Absolutely not. In fact, I’m jealous. Like I said “despite our efforts” Caleb has not taken to watching television.

Until recently.

During our stomach flu epidemic, I lounged in my sick nest (a cluster of blankets, pillows and germs on the couch) while Caleb marched around with our broom and dustpan “sweeping.” Sweeping here means celebrating the extended reach a broom gives by knocking things over that otherwise would be safe from a toddler.

Soon, I gave in (I think it was when he started to charge the fireplace mantel) and tried to seduce sedate keep Caleb still by plopping him on the couch and popping in a Veggie Tales movie.

IT. WORKED.

THANK. GOODNESS.

Because I have never been so exhausted in my life! Not being able to keep anything down for an entire day does not fair well when you are pregnant.

Now here comes the downside. He only wants to watch Lyle the Kindly Viking and only that Veggie Tales DVD.

Funny enough Caleb’s desire to watch the same movie over and over again is quite the opposite of his parents’ dilemma- tiring of watching the same ol’ movies but too cheap to buy new ones.

We have tried renting from the library. And yes, I was disappointed when Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets was scratched up, surprised when The Truth About Cats and Dogs wouldn’t play (yes, B-List Romantic Comedies are totally my guilty pleasure)

BUT I WAS OUTRAGED that the Frontier House set I requested was not in decent condition (who else in the state of Massachusetts watches Frontier House? From the DVDs’ gashes I’d guess Freddy Kruger). I could only watch disc two.

DISC TWO?!

Come on!

(If you don’t know what I’m talking about, get on the wagon.)

So, the library movies and I are no longer on speaking viewing terms.

Okay. So. If other New Englanders are willing, I will totally host a movie switch where everyone brings two movies to lend-out (typically one is a “Sunday” friendly movie). You come with two movies and you leave with two movies. We borrow them for two weeks then return. No fees, no fuss. Just make sure your discs and cases are labeled with your surname and that the movies you borrow stay out of reach of little ones and “sweeping”. Send me a message via facebook or e-mail me and let me know if you are interested or know of someone else who may be interested.

Here’s the clue for this week. Clue # 6? Seriously?

Hopefully my wait will be over in two more weeks! I’m running out of clues.

I know many of you are confused but rest assured

that I’ll go back and explain each clue when everything is said and done.

Until then, keep searching.

Sunday Post

To really appreciate a planned Sunday dinner that takes more than 15 minutes to complete, you have to have a two week menu void such as our family has experienced due to the common cold and then the stomach flu.

To understand our admiration for Sunday dinner this week, you have to understand our Saturday repast… consisting of Captain Grandma’s rice dish and tortilla chips and salsa.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE my Great Grandma’s recipe (5 ingredients -awesome), but seriously, after our recent quarantine our kitchen needed to be revisited, mostly by me. A week of condensed soup, spaghetti and fast food, leaves me feeling like a blob, so Sunday I boiled a box of jumbo shells and stuffed them (and froze half of the product for later), made a salad, kool-aid and cookies. Aw. Sunday.

Yesterday was Caleb’s first full-time experience in Nursery and he flew completely SOLO. I was proud and slightly gloomy as Mike deposited Caleb into the room, and our son sat nonchalantly down to await his snack. He didn’t even acknowledge our departure.

As a past Nursery leader I know I couldn’t ask for more, and I also know there will be days of heel-digging, toddler-dragging, and tear-flooding once the novelty wears off.

Still, I was surprised (maybe disappointed?) that I didn’t hear my son’s familiar cry through the classroom wall (yes, the CTR5 classroom is right by the nursery- sheer torture) and I attentively watched the doors during the last hour, the time assigned for Caleb to come to me if needed.

IF. NEEDED.

Apparently, I wasn’t needed.

On the other hand,

just further proof that I’m doing my job well, right?

RIGHT?!

Sweeping Up

Today my post is about joy. And I want to sweep aside some egg shells that may be making me unapproachable.

Yes, what I am “enduring” is a sad (sad, here, meaning any emotion on the spectrum ranging from unfortunate to tragic, depending on the person.)

No matter the circumstance though, I believe that there is always room for joy.

For instance, this week I have been thinking about two friends. If happiness was the color blue, they have felt the deepest of oranges and the most vivid yellows that any woman can perceive in this life. In other words, they have seen a fair an unfair their share of sorrow.

Recently, however, they have had a blue season and I am sincerely overjoyed for them.

These women, not unlike Eve, can genuinely say they have experienced clementine sorrow and denim joy and, although I don’t want to put words in their mouths, I’m sure they would say the sorrow has only heightened the joy.

No offense Vincent, but mother Eve said it best:

This is my season of pumpkins, carrots and lemons, but I have room in my patch for blue, especially others’ blue... despite my distaste for them, I look forward to my own blueberry season.

Until then, please share your carton with me? : )

Here's this week's clue. It says it all, look no further.