Well after the utterly pedestrian obsessions over dishwashing strategies (still a work in progress, but progressing), I promised I'd update the world on the life of Chai (and Wright) in more detail.
But then life happened! And Andrew's been off (and thus off Chaya-tending duties) a bit more during the times I ordinarily put this pitter-patter palaver to page.
And thus...
Too much has happened to (1) have allowed time to cover it, (2) sum up here.
So a rabid rapid-fire tour of the Wright's last couple of months
Easter
Many moons and several suns ago, there was Easter. We had a party at Claudia's house. Chaya's participation in the egg hunt was limited to ignoring eggs and gallivanting around the play
set.
It was fun.
We also had dinner with my Dad.
Lunch at the COA
The COA Mexican Eatery is a Mexican restaurant owned by the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. It is well renowned and for good reason. The food is sceumdiddlyumptious by all reports. Andrew and I hadn't been. Jen and her family hadn't been. Claudia had and endorsed it heartily. And thus we decided we'd all like to meet there for lunch. Well, originally dinner, but the COA wasn't open at a time that worked for us for dinner. It gets complicated with the moving pieces of three families and a restaurant. Claudia was fully engaged in her farewell-before-baby-chaos tour. Andrew and I have had quite the booked May. Chaya and Alex and Sebastian all have varying nap and sleep schedules....
So finally we found a time to schedule all of us for brunch. All ten of us. Needless to say (six parents, three babies and a six year old), we made reservations because you just don't know. The reservations were for Sunday at 11:00 and all was set.
Except the COA isn't open then. It's not listed anywhere at being open on Sunday period.
Except, Andrew was off on some morning ride that ran long.
Except Jen and Joe's car started smoking on their approach to Mount Vernon.
The survivors met up in the parking lot while half the group went to the auto parts store and Andrew busted butt bustling there from Burlington. He met us there and changed into clothes I'd brought him. Eventually the restaurant opened without much ado. A reservation was obviously unnecessary, as we were the only patrons for the entire ninety minutes we were there, except for one takeout order.
But the food was good. And everyone made it home alive and relatively well fed. I endorse the COA, but don't bother making reservations. And it really is open on Sundays. Really. Just maybe not when you've arranged to be there. And maybe not at night either.
So finally we found a time to schedule all of us for brunch. All ten of us. Needless to say (six parents, three babies and a six year old), we made reservations because you just don't know. The reservations were for Sunday at 11:00 and all was set.
Except the COA isn't open then. It's not listed anywhere at being open on Sunday period.
Except, Andrew was off on some morning ride that ran long.
Except Jen and Joe's car started smoking on their approach to Mount Vernon.
The survivors met up in the parking lot while half the group went to the auto parts store and Andrew busted butt bustling there from Burlington. He met us there and changed into clothes I'd brought him. Eventually the restaurant opened without much ado. A reservation was obviously unnecessary, as we were the only patrons for the entire ninety minutes we were there, except for one takeout order.
But the food was good. And everyone made it home alive and relatively well fed. I endorse the COA, but don't bother making reservations. And it really is open on Sundays. Really. Just maybe not when you've arranged to be there. And maybe not at night either.
Mother's Day weekend.
Nothing big for me personally other than an express haircut at JC Penny. I know how to splurge for myself, I know. Nearly double my usual hair-cutting budget there.
Now that my hair is shorter and Chaya's longer, we almost are at the point of having matching mother-daughter 'dos. I'd say she resembles me more and more every day. Especially in my slippers.
But it was a big weekend. Chaya's Gramma Lisa came to visit us first and then invited us to join her at the culinary adventure known as The Willow's Inn.
Forager chic James Beard Award (and/or James Bond, I never quite remember) winning prixe fixe plus a toddler in a bright pink t-shirt blowing her nose on a buckwheat crepe and spooning scoops of creme freche onto the floor with a dayglo yellow toddler spoon.
We spent the rest of the morning on the beach with Lisa's friends' dog (and various adults of varying significance relative to the dog) before heading back on the afternoon ferry.
Chaya was so excited by the day she declined to drink or nurse much all morning. And then she took a piddling half hour car nap on the way home.
I knew after such a big day (plus a poor nap and a cold to start) Chaya was due to crash hard. I didn't realize that it would be quite so literal when she did. After being a bit of a momma's girl during the afternoon, Chaya had finally located her daddy. He was changing out laundry and decided a fun way to keep her safe would be to put her in the laundry basket. An old tradition. She loves the laundry. This time, it was on top of the dryer. Back in the day, one could do this while leaving her on a tall surface. As you may predict, that day is long gone.
Lauging laughing laughing... I saw her up on top of the dryer. I even hovered a bit and did that preemptive jumpy thing when it looked like she was near the edge. Then I went back to the kitchen to handle a boiling pot. And... CRASH. First time it was actually just the recycling bin that Andrew tipped over. Second time, however, CRASH WAAAAAAAAAH.
Chaya was shaken: an oozing puddle of shriek in daddy's arms. She leapt to me, occasionally breaking from her howls to comment on the dinner I was still tending (of course this was the day I decided to use the stove instead of the far more independent instant pot, and of course it was just when things were boiling over - a condition Chaya described as warm in a quivering sotto voce). Shudder, shiver, howl, and "waaarm" with a whimper.
I repeated how brave she had been, and what a clean fall she'd made. I cooed that that must have been very scary and what a big day she'd had. How amazing she'd been. I showed her pictures of the dog she'd met. This helped. We looked at pictures of her friend. She mellowed. She did not want to be released for anything though. And by dinner we were in such full meltdown that she could not eat, and demanded "stories" (beginning of her bedtime routine). She was crashed before I could put her down. And drank a small ocean of liquid the next two days.
I repeated how brave she had been, and what a clean fall she'd made. I cooed that that must have been very scary and what a big day she'd had. How amazing she'd been. I showed her pictures of the dog she'd met. This helped. We looked at pictures of her friend. She mellowed. She did not want to be released for anything though. And by dinner we were in such full meltdown that she could not eat, and demanded "stories" (beginning of her bedtime routine). She was crashed before I could put her down. And drank a small ocean of liquid the next two days.
She has subsequently fallen off several platforms and surfaces of various degrees. Without similar meltdown or bedtime crashes, so we suspect that exhaustion was the greater motivator in her reaction. Which I'll remember the next time we plan to do something fun and highly stimulating, because I'm lame like that. But I'll also let it happen and won't be surprised at the end.
Car death
In the meantime, Andrew's car has been in and out of various shops with a variety of dead end diagnostics.
Until Monday. Would have been its fourth time at the shop? Something like that.
Tuesday we pulled the (spark) plug. Andrew spent the day shopping around various dealerships, and doing complicated spreadsheets to find the Subaru Impreza to rule them all. He thought he'd get one from a place in Burlington. They gave him a loaner, which he's been driving the last couple of days. Then they couldn't. But there was another one waiting in the wings in Shoreline. A better, stronger redder Subarooooooorooo. All is well? I think?
House Sale
We are pending! We accepted a conditional offer at the beginning of the month. The buyer just accepted an offer on his house. As I understand it, that means we may actually close on our house someday. But we're still waiting to do some agreed repairs on our condo and waiting on the buyer's home inspection etc. Some day, we may actually not be carrying two mortgages. And very soon, we'll be relocating a ton of furniture and the like that remained there for "staging."
In the meantime, my dad sold his downtown mansion on what felt like a whim. He's got an apartment in Bellingham and is planning to buy a palace or something in Florida. Surreal to say goodbye to that much of my youth all at once.
Daddy's Birthday
Andrew tipped the scales past mid-thirties into the uncharted lands of 36 years last week. Chaya, hearing about his car troubles, wanted to make sure he had a sweet new ride.
Andrew celebrated by doing some kind of ride in Bellingham (because we're up there every weekend it seems since we moved, har har). Then he got up obscenely early on Sunday in order to volunteer at his team's big stage race in Enumclaw (far far away farmland). He didn't get back home until after bedtime. But I'm told her had fun.
Ski to Sea
That annual tradition is back upon us for the bajillionth time. Andrew's team of Embrace the Dadbod is possibly even competitive. In order to manage the "downhill" (read "slog up a mountain with your skis for a half hour and then ski down for a few minutes") portion of the relay, he'll have to get up at 3 a.m. or so tomorrow "morning." And we probably won't see him until dinner time. Today, we're going to go to the initial stirrings of a team potluck, but probably won't stay for the whole time because we want to be available for...
Daddy's Birthday
Andrew tipped the scales past mid-thirties into the uncharted lands of 36 years last week. Chaya, hearing about his car troubles, wanted to make sure he had a sweet new ride.
Andrew celebrated by doing some kind of ride in Bellingham (because we're up there every weekend it seems since we moved, har har). Then he got up obscenely early on Sunday in order to volunteer at his team's big stage race in Enumclaw (far far away farmland). He didn't get back home until after bedtime. But I'm told her had fun.
Ski to Sea
That annual tradition is back upon us for the bajillionth time. Andrew's team of Embrace the Dadbod is possibly even competitive. In order to manage the "downhill" (read "slog up a mountain with your skis for a half hour and then ski down for a few minutes") portion of the relay, he'll have to get up at 3 a.m. or so tomorrow "morning." And we probably won't see him until dinner time. Today, we're going to go to the initial stirrings of a team potluck, but probably won't stay for the whole time because we want to be available for...
The looming birth Bonanza.
Claudia is"due" on the 30th. I've offered to watch Sebastian while she's in labor if he's born before her mom comes on the 28th. This has been a fairly likely outcome, but of course you can't predict labor. I've been on double-trouble alert for the last fortunight or so. Andrew was away part of last weekend, but he did stay home from any additional birthday trips just in case, which I appreciate to the moon and back.
It's going to be interesting. We've had Sebastian for many playdates, but for much shorter durations. I haven't ever had him long enough to juggle baby nap and sleep schedules, and sleep is incredibly variable compared with Chaya's routine. I suspect they just won't sleep much. Baby slumber party! And I'll get to play with being a mom of twins! Almost twins! I'm sure I'll learn a lot. Like I'm glad I am not the mom of twins? But, truly, I adore Sebastian and he and Chaya are BFFs. Chaya even speaks his language! He likes to repeat something like DAH DAH DAH as one of his main means of communicating. Chaya imitates him when he's here and when he isn't, she says "'Bastion! BAH BAH! NOISE!"
At any rate, we have a pack and play for him and a bag of essentials. Chaya is enjoying the pack and play.
Life, Actually
In the meantime, Miss Thang continues to grow and evolve and become ever more Chayaesque. I continue to chase after as best I can.
We've got our routines. She knows them down pat and narrates the next step for them as we go along. Before meals we put on a get-ready song. She knows this is time ot run amok and pick out a friend from her Fisher Price farm animals "trackter" set to join us at the table.
After meals, is "wash" and then "brush teeth" and then the optional "bathroom" to brush some more and flush her baby toilet, and then - if it's nap or bed time - "stories!" Sometimes she sings along with Daddy when he sings to her. Other times she leaps out of his arms yelling "MAMA!" when I come in to nurse her before bed. She doesn't fall asleep after I put her down as often these days. But she does have a fun little roll and chant around in her crib while the parents have some pre-bed downtime. She seems to like it. Fingers crossed!
She knows we need shoes and a coat (optional now) to go to the garage, get in the carseat, and go to the store. Or to walk.
She knows a bajillion words and more every day. She is now pairing them obsessively.
She knows she is Miss Thang.
And that about wraps up our magical month of May...
This could be quite the weekend, but we are turning several pages forward regardless. And with the kind of indiscriminate excitement that Miss Bae gets with any several books (all of which have names now for her, which is also convenient).
Enjoy or avoid the summer heat as it alights, y'all! And catch ya in the June Jungle.
No comments:
Post a Comment