Bowling prodigy?

We are on spring break this week and in an effort to keep the boys occupied, we went bowling. We went to Elsie's in NE Minneapolis after a friend told us that they had put the bumpers up and had ramps for the balls to roll down for the little ones. It was a fun and inexpensive outing. Aidan wore his madras pants (he picked this morning, so it was purely by chance) and they looked too perfect with the neon green, read and cream bowling shoes. The shoes were new(ish) and had velcro--a major improvement from the ones I used with two strands of lace left.

And Coleman loved loved pushing the ball down that ramp. "Go, ball, go!!" he exclaimed each and every time. And then he clap for himself, all proud. Aidan used the ramp a few times and then started to throw in freehand a few sets in. He was an ace! He got two spares and one STRIKE!! He always rises to the occasion, that first born of mine. Even when, of all things, bowling.

I didn't like bowling when I was growing up. Well, I didn't like bowling alleys, actually. The bowling I could take or leave. The smoke, the general smell, the undesirables, the bathrooms, I simply couldn't take it all. Maybe one at a time, but not all at one time. At 10am, the alley wasn't bad at all. Some overnighters from a local manufacturing plant were there winding down, but everything was clean, and thanks to the ban, smoke free. FYI: We didn't use the bathroom.

Dishwasher love

Since we have moved into our new home (2 years now), we have been mourning the loss of the super-awesome (lacking a better description) dishwasher we had at our old home. The whole kitchen was better there, but that's another post entirely. I have been dealing with scale-y build up, unclean dishes, and having to run it half full just to get the dished partially clean. Yuck. Needless to say, dishes have been a sore point and somewhat depressing. And having had a wicked case of depression after A.P. was born, I do not use this term lightly.

I never gave up hope, and right before Christmas, I was dutifully rewarded. I bought a bottle of Cascade Complete. As if to say, this will get your dishes Completely clean. Well, I'll be damned, they are right on! This stuff is worth every penny--I would pay double. The dishes are shiny, sparkly if you will, and not a speck of hard water scale or food to be found. I don't even have to rinse! Hoo-expletive-ray.

This has been a recent highlight of my really, really, really exciting life.

A word (or two) on escaping daily craziness

I am currently reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Although I usually eschew picks that Oprah makes for her book club, I had read about this book before she picked it and it piqued my interest. If you want to accuse me of something, feel free to do so now. It is a novel, and has historical bit and pieces. Perfect combination.

The main character experiences a fellow classmate dying from an aneurysm in the middle of the school play and her crush runs into her arms. She said in the midst of the terrifying ordeal, that she had never been happier because "The Object" was in her arms.

The last book I finished also had a similar vibe in how the main character needed and hung on to goodness in bleak circumstances.

...people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it.

--From Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Love, Pray

The character in that book is going through a really ugly divorce. Reading is one of things that I can do to stay sane. I read books, magazines, the Northeaster (a local newspaper), love the NY Times, once in a while, on a really bad day, I pick up an US Weekly, for pure brainless entertainment. I seldom get more than a few pages during the day, but at night, suddenly, I remember: the book on my nightstand or the half-read Allure that sits on my pillow, and I try to get to it as soon as possible. I do my night time stuff, settle in our cozy bedroom, and let go into a world that varies from new lip gloss and fashion stakeouts to a lovely coming-of-age story involving a gender-identified young woman that also includes historical references to the Detroit race-riots and the Turkish attacks on Greece. How's that for variety?

And sanity for me right now, today, is anything that does not include two small boys for a couple of hours.

Down One Splint, Plus One Mobile Boy

We took Coleman's cast off and off he went. He looks a bit like a side-winding crab, but we'll take what we can get. When we went for the follow up, there was no bone overgrowth, which makes it a very minor fracture. Yay! Good news! The pediatrician we saw for our follow up was no Dr. Waller, however.

He was disputing the fact, after three weeks with a twelve month old in a KNEE TO TOE SPLINT that it was even necessary to have it on him. Hi, can we move into the future please? There is nothing I can do now to reverse the sleepless nights, the metric ton of Infant Motrin, the blister-over-blister that developed from the back of his heel rubbing the cast, the stress of having nary a Super Saucer nor a Johnny Jump Up to use to assist me in my mothering, need I go on? This guy might as well have been turned the other way in the chair, talking to his flat screen, trying to get it to connect with what he is saying. Regret! Misdiagnoses? STFU. I do not like you and I never will. No...no need to try.

Which brings me to a new realization: I intensely dislike when the obvious is stated and overstated, when information that needs not be is shared, and general I know this so I must say it-ism. Please stop this passive negativity from spreading. Your work to do so will not go unnoticed.

Can I just get this off my chest and be done with it?

1. Food poisoning
2. Shingles
3. One year old breaks leg
4. Degenerative disease in beloved dog
5. Four year old revisits biting


If you answered "What are five inconvenient things that happen in life but happened to happen to that lovely Hillesheim clan in the last 30 days?" you'd be right. DING DING DING DING!!! We have a winner!

If I used the Lord's name in print, I'd do it right now. I mean, fer lan sakes, cheese and rice, and for gunny saks. That's enough OK?!!!! Are you getting my message, loud and clear? Ok, thanks, great, no, sorry, no offense.

I am ending the streak. Right here and now.

Whew. That feels better. Now I am going back to bed.



Isn't today going to rock, Kate?
--the Universe

Independence Day: Do you want more or less?

Coleman wouldn't go down tonight. Which is saying a lot, since he has never (I mean it) had a problem going into his crib awake and falling asleep.

Joel and I are perplexed. I even nursed him. He hasn't nursed at night in months. Joel just came out of his room and said "He's still awake!" He just talked and talked until about 9:30, at which point he was silent; finally asleep. Approaching one, he is learning about decisions, choices, and downright rebellion.

He screamed bloody murder at Aidan the other day for switching out a toy, which in weeks past would have meant a kind-hearted murmur of delight. This happens as we age; wanting more and more independence in our decision making. And then somewhere around 30 we realize it is actually nice to have someone make the decisions, the choices once in a while. In fact, now I really prefer it.

December 10th, 2006

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! This season leaves me nothing short of giddy. I love it, soak it in, spread cheer like peanut butter and can't help but sing carols all day. Aidan recently shushed me during the refrain of "Angels We Have Heard on High" he had heard so much of it. So far, I can only get him to sing Jingle Bells and 12 Days of Christmas with me. And he sings "almost fun" instead of "oh what fun" in Jingle Bells! Need I point out the irony?

Speaking of the irony of the holidays, I am doing pretty well on my commitment to not do one "should" this holiday season. We have been sleeping in, staying in jammies, and saying no. We did however, go to the Holidazzle parade tonight. I loved the group we went with, I could have fun if I were part of a chain gang with them, but it really was something we could have skipped. About 1/3 of the characters scared the bejeesus out of Aidan with their lit-up eyes. Now we know!

Hmmm. Let me see. In the realm of years, this one was an A+. We moved into our lovely home in the NE Minneapolis outcropping of St Anthony Village one year ago! When we moved in, we knew we had a lot to do in the house aesthetically. So far, we have painted every room but the laundry room, added crown moulding in the family room, gutted the first floor bathroom and renovated it, completed expansive gardening and landscaping projects, wallpapered the dining room, and replaced all of the window coverings. Although there is more, I'll move on! We love being home and now we can enjoy ourselves without looking around thinking of what needs to be done.

The boys are flourishing. Aidan is pushing 3 and a half, and Coleman will be 6 months old on New Year's Day. Coleman is just about to sit up and is long and lean, just like Aidan always was. Aidan and he are starting to "play" a bit and Aidan is realizing the fun that having a brother will be. Coleman is the definition of an easy baby, which is not to say it is easy, but he is SO laid back. He smiles thorough the cries! Cole cut two teeth at about 4 months--the two bottom ones in the middle. Today he started to buzz with his lips and he initiates games of this with Aidan--amazing to think five months ago he was still all curled up just after being born, sleeping 22 hours a day.

Aidan started preschool this fall and is doing well. He loves the structure of it and is especially fond of being the line leader and helper. His teachers, Miss Katie and Miss Lisa, comment on his vocabulary and his joke-telling capabilities. I have heard no such jokes, so I wonder what on earth he is saying. And that is the most surreal part of parenting: letting them go and hoping you did a good job to get them ready for the world! He loves trains and plays with them almost exclusively. Oh, and he reads books. About trains. We are thrilled that he picked that, with all of the junk that is out there. He also loves to play on the computer, roll his marbles down the stairs through a wrapping paper tube and basket contraption, and can't get enough spaghetti and meatballs to eat. Artichokes and sugar snap peas are also favorites.

Stats on the boys:
Cole 15lbs, 26 inches
Aidan 37 lbs, 40 inches

Joel and I feel blessed to have such a healthy family. Having all of our immediate family in the Twin Cities is really exceptional. And they are all exceptional people, too! They have all been so supportive and are all a big part of our kid's lives. Aidan loves his overnights with Grandma and Grandpa Hillesheim. And his trips to Nana and Baba O'Reilly's house are always so much fun he doesn't want to leave. My Dad found a Mac-based game called Alphababy that mesmerizes Aidan. They love to play it together.

Joel is coming up on his eighth year working for GE Water and Process Technologies (formerly Osmonics) in Minnetonka. His close friend Don, who is Coleman's godfather, just left the company after working there 12 years. Most, if not all, of his responsibilities have fallen to Joel for the time being. Joel was promoted this year, which sounds good in theory, but in practice means much more work and a "shorter fuse", to use a quote from Don. He enjoys cycling and gets out to do so as often as possible (which like all extra curricular activities when you have children is seldom). He started commuting to work by bike one or two days a week this summer and really enjoyed it. He had a few paved-path mishaps, but for the most part it was a great way to get the rides in an not make his wife pull her hair out.

I am full force into the motherhood. After the adjustment that all mothers go through, but especially the stay at home ones, we are settled nicely in to it. And I think we are doing well. I take myself and my job very seriously, and well I should (no change there for those who know me well). I always have something on the side to do when I feel overwhelmed by mothering, I have a couple of odd jobs, including childcare and home organizing, and I always have the movies. The movies are a huge respite for me. I love going alone, and I am secretly always trying to figure out when my next movie will be! It is an escape in the truest form. Most recently, I saw Marie Antoinette. And last weekend I broke my own rule and took Aidan along to see Happy Feet. Liked both movies. Happy Feet was a bit over Robin-Williamsed, but great otherwise and is essentially an animated March of the Penguins. Marie Antionette has a modern soundtrack, which is au current and well chosen.

We are so glad to have such a great group of friends that we have met since we had children. These are families that we love to get together with to have pizza. Not that we plan it that way, but we always end up eating pizza.

We hope you and your family have a healthy start to the New Year and we wish you a very Merry Christmas! Click here to see our family pictures taken last week.