1.31.2011
Power outage
"Hey, can someone get this fire going?"
Wendy's, pears, candles and a hot bath in the dark... once in a lifetime.
After a couple hours of heavy snow, the power went off Wednesday around dinnertime. We broke out our candles (thank goodness for my candle fetish- we had a stockpile), our flashlights and waited expectantly for the heat to come back on. It didn't. We bundled up in hats, mittens and sweaters, and went to bed. We got up Thursday morning to a chilly house (50's) and immediately got a fire going. At first there's something exhilarating about no heat; having to snap into survival mode meant skillet fried eggs, toasted english muffins, hot chocolate and coffee over an open fire. Fun! Right?
It started to be not so fun around 3 pm. My romantic vision of a pioneer's life (yes, we pioneers with hot running water) disintegrated as a hollow, sick feeling developed in the pit of my chest from breathing in smoke. The temperature was dipping lower as the day wore on, so hanging out in cold rooms away from the fire became less of an option. We wimped out. Thank goodness for family with power nearby. We hopped into our wagon, err, Lexus, and headed to hotel Farr for two lovely nights (thanks Mom and Dad!). Our power came back on Friday night (at midnight). By that point our house was in the 40's. I found out when we got home that other neighbors had to brave the cold with children; a reminder what a gift it is to have family nearby.
1.17.2011
Musings
Doing a sounding-it-out exercise.
Me: "What's that word?"
Frankie: "f.... a.... t..... Fff-aaa-ttt."
Me: "What does that word mean?"
Frankie: "Daddy. Daddy's fat."
On another note, today I experienced a feeling I've never had. Frankie saw a few neighborhood girls across the street playing together, one of whom she knows from a few brief interactions. They're all about 10 years old. Upon seeing them, Frankie said, "Mom, I want to go outside and play with Daniella!" Not sure how this would proceed, I said ok, provided she bundle up and not go near the street. I watched her walk outside and stand in the front yard, looking at the girls, who were pretty oblivious to the three year old peering at them. No real interaction followed, besides Frankie looking at them and wandering around the front yard. I didn't exactly want her bounding over to our neighbor's yard to play with these older girls I didn't know, but I did feel a pang realizing that every child, mine included, is bound to feel the awkwardness of being left out at some point in their lives. On paper it doesn't seem like a big deal; children need to learn to deal with disappointments, shyness, and unkind peers in a healthy way. That's life. However, seeing my own child, someone I think I know inside-out, looking somewhat bewildered because she wants to play with children who are ignoring her, gave me a sense of sadness and foreboding. Would she grow to be sociable, friendly, confident and able to make friends? How will she respond to unkind children? It struck me at that moment how beautiful it is to have multiple siblings. If life with peers outside the home isn't sunny (which happens to the best of us), what a gift to have siblings to confide in and affirm us at home.
She sauntered back inside eventually, her cheerful self, oblivious to any disappointment, much less awkwardness, that an older child might have felt (though admittedly I'd probably let an older child go across the street to introduce herself...). That's just Frankie; seldom gloomy with a quick bounce-back from all ills. She's got a good dose of sanguine, and that will always be a mystery and a joy to her melancholic mother.
Me: "What's that word?"
Frankie: "f.... a.... t..... Fff-aaa-ttt."
Me: "What does that word mean?"
Frankie: "Daddy. Daddy's fat."
On another note, today I experienced a feeling I've never had. Frankie saw a few neighborhood girls across the street playing together, one of whom she knows from a few brief interactions. They're all about 10 years old. Upon seeing them, Frankie said, "Mom, I want to go outside and play with Daniella!" Not sure how this would proceed, I said ok, provided she bundle up and not go near the street. I watched her walk outside and stand in the front yard, looking at the girls, who were pretty oblivious to the three year old peering at them. No real interaction followed, besides Frankie looking at them and wandering around the front yard. I didn't exactly want her bounding over to our neighbor's yard to play with these older girls I didn't know, but I did feel a pang realizing that every child, mine included, is bound to feel the awkwardness of being left out at some point in their lives. On paper it doesn't seem like a big deal; children need to learn to deal with disappointments, shyness, and unkind peers in a healthy way. That's life. However, seeing my own child, someone I think I know inside-out, looking somewhat bewildered because she wants to play with children who are ignoring her, gave me a sense of sadness and foreboding. Would she grow to be sociable, friendly, confident and able to make friends? How will she respond to unkind children? It struck me at that moment how beautiful it is to have multiple siblings. If life with peers outside the home isn't sunny (which happens to the best of us), what a gift to have siblings to confide in and affirm us at home.
She sauntered back inside eventually, her cheerful self, oblivious to any disappointment, much less awkwardness, that an older child might have felt (though admittedly I'd probably let an older child go across the street to introduce herself...). That's just Frankie; seldom gloomy with a quick bounce-back from all ills. She's got a good dose of sanguine, and that will always be a mystery and a joy to her melancholic mother.
1.16.2011
1.04.2011
Stuff and fluff
Of the various and sundry phobias that enter the toddler heart, wolves seem to be our present challenge. Frankie and Teresa have pretended, of late, to run from wolves hiding in our house. In the kitchen I'll hear, "A wolf! A wolf! Run!" followed by the patter of small feet back and forth through the hallway and rooms.
This morning Frankie came up to me wide-eyed. "The wolves are coming. We need to lock all the doors."
"Ok," I said, "go ahead and lock the doors." Why not.
"Mommy," she adds, "they're going to eat ALL our decorations. And... (pause)... your COFFEE."
I believe I speak for all mothers out there: these wolves need to go.
On another note, we were busy bakers yesterday. Frankie and I cranked out several batches of mini cupcakes with her new baking set. Thanks Lolo! We've got lots of leftovers-visitors welcome anytime.1.03.2011
Photos by Frankie
She's available for weddings and other events, folks, using her state of the art Discovery Kids camera equipment.
1.02.2011
Christmas at the Farrs
Grandmommy's beautiful art-nouveau tree- always a surprise and a delight.
It's Clara! Great gift idea from Hilary for the budding ballerina.
Teresa in pink leopard skin print of course, with five bows in her hair to celebrate baby Jesus.
Photo op with the look-alikes!
The Christmas nap.
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