Saturday, June 10, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Dress Up Day Category: Parties and Nightlife
Yesterday we had three main events: redo the floors, attend Corbyn's 3rd birthday (Costume theme), and go to the St. Martin's Luau (since many of Trish's chair massage clients are part of the Hawaiian club).
The saga of the floors goes back about a year, I think. Trish REALLY wanted to remove the carpet and have laminate wood put in. She argued that the carpet was trapping mold and dust. I argued that it was helping to trap HEAT and sound. She negotiated with our landlord and made a tentative plan to get it done and deducted from our rent. Then he changed his mind and decided he would do it himself. Trish volunteered to help so she could learn. Since this was mainly her project my role was to be childcare: keep Orion out of harms way. We initially discussed doing both the living room and office but fortunately decided to do them on separate occasions.
We settled on the date over a month ago, and landlord Jeff confirmed by phone early yesterday morning. We had moved most of the furniture together, but as Trish had a morning massage I was left with the futon couch (to go in the dining room), the dining room set (to go outside), and the media center (to go in the dining room). I was also in charge of Orion care.
Orion has been making progress learning to use the potty. Since the weather was so warm I let him run around naked. If he says, "I need a new diaper" I offer to let him sit on the potty first.
All morning, no poop. We're getting psyched up for the party by wearing our construction helmets. Naked construction worker ~ make a good calendar.
Landlord Jeff arrives. He's wearing full fatigues and army boots. I resist the urge to salute. I resist the urge to shake his hand, cautious of his kung-fu grip, GI Jeff. I resist the urge to flash him the peace sign. Orion simply flashes him.
Trish says, "I didn't know you were in the reserves." GI Jeff says, "Oh, yeah, for a long time now." We usually think of him as a substitute teacher up North. Somehow he doesn't seem out of place, and I just figure that he's gonna be approaching our floor with military intelligence and a martial plan. It's supposed to get done this afternoon. He's our Army of One. It's dress-up day, why not?
GI Jeff starts measuring. He's brought a 10' tape measure. He's doing mental addition. I offer my 25-footer. Yay, Jusby! The room is only about 11' x 17'. Things might have gone much worse if we'd left them completely to military intelligence.
I switch to Orion-mode. I get him dressed and we head off to the playground as Trish and Jeff head to buy the flooring at Costco.
Orion's practicing pedaling his tricycle. I'm practicing with my double-axeled clown bike (courtesy the Evergreen bike shop). We get fascinated with the skateboarding dudes. We go on all the big toys. We start to head home. On previous trips, Orion had pooped and continued to ride. Ewww. That makes for an Owie-butt. Today he just gets tired of riding, so again I'm portaging his tricycle on the handlebars of my clown bike while he walks the last 3 blocks. Then he starts whining, "Hold you, Daddy." It means he wants to be carried. I don't have that many hands. He wants raisins too and water. We push on.
We arrive safely home, and the back of GI Jeff's truck is full of our old carpet. They're going over the procedure about installing. Orion's ready for a nap. It's about 1pm. The party starts at 2pm. Either we cut our nap short or we arrive late. Plus we're risking no nap at all with the construction noise. I turn on the air purifier and lullaby CD. He falls asleep, and I don't notice any hammering at all. Then I doze off.
Trish comes in and beckons me out. Wow! That was fast and quiet! I follow, not noticing the stack of unopened flooring. We're in the living room. I see collateral damage all over. There's a hammer, a drill, a skill saw, a broom, and a crowbar. There are chunks of the old batting still stuck to the floor. There's up pointing nails and staples all over. It's like the land the landlord forgot.
I'm not sure what she's showing me. Where's Jeff? He's been 'Called Up'. When did this happen? Trish has known since Costco, but they tore up the floor anyway. Okay, it's not a coincidence that he arrives dressed for war and then creates a war zone in his wake. I start to get very ANGRY! The floor won't be done for a week!? Trish has called a professional for a consultation that she will then negotiate off the rent. GI Jeff's last words were something along the lines of "Follow the directions on the box."
Trish wants to point out the positive synchronistic opportunity we now have. She says that now we can paint those accent walls like I wanted. Indeed, I had mentioned painting before the new floors went in.
Orion wakes up. He still hasn't pooped. He promptly falls into an open heat vent and twists his ankle. I almost 'Go Mental', but quickly get him an ice pack. Trish checks it carefully for swelling, lacerations, contusions, fractures, etc. He can still walk fine. Okay, we get dressed and leave mom to pull staples.
We're off to the party. There's only an hour left. We arrive, and there are big and little people everywhere dressed up and playing. We give Corbyn the present Trish picked out: a Chef's costume. He barely notices. Guests and treats overwhelm him. Orion gets the last slice of wheat-free cake with a strawberry on top. He promptly drops it. "One, two, three, four, five," I count as I scoop it up off the ground. Mmm. He loves it. Corbyn also gets a new bike that he barely notices. Orion, however, notices it, and tries to ride with marginal success. There's also a plastic tricycle he rides.
Then I get a whiff. I take a peek. The little stinker saved it up until now. I'd wisely put him in a disposable. I change him in the bedroom. There's a mom there with a baby girl. She gives Orion some encouragement about using the potty. She says, "It takes less time to use the potty, and you have more time to play."
They have a chicken pen at Corbyn's house, and Orion gets in and chasing them. He shouts, "Bad guy!" and points at them like he's shooting. Oh, dear. He's been doing that to Buck and to Blue. I don't know where it came from.
We see Finn from day care, and in a struggle over a toy school bus, Orion accidentally beans him in the face with it. Finn cries, and his mom holds him. Orion doesn't seem interested in showing compassion and making him feel better. He's overstimulated and would just as soon move on to a Thomas Train. At 5 we bail.
Trish has mostly cleared the pokies from the floor. Orion starts to act like he wants another nap. I fully support that sentiment, or maybe it's the other way around, but we both lay down and look at books while Trish gets gussied up. Then I put on my Blue Hawaiian shirt and Blue Fijian sarong (over bicycle shorts, can't be too careful). I top it off with my orange camouflage bandana. Then I whip us up a couple of frappucinos. I'm getting hungry for LUAU food.
We arrive at the St. Martin's Pavilion around 7. Trish sees a client who hooks her up with 2Lbs of Kona coffee. Good thing too, we're down to about 7Lbs in the freezer. It's festive. People in Leis. Live ukelele music. We find our table and get in line for food. Theyve got lomi-lomi salmon, macaroni salad, shredded pork, teriyaki chicken, beef ribs, and white rice. For desert: cake and coconut jello. Orion wont eat a bite of it. Well, he does want the cake. We try to get him to have some protein, and were willing to risk a wheat reaction if he will, but he just recoils in disgust at every offer. Trish lets him have some bug juice, and the next thing I know hes running off. Im in hot pursuit. He wants to go upstairs. We start doing laps and getting a head of steam going. We jump off steps for a while. Then laps again. He circles the entire pavilion about three times. I feel a little gross running on a full stomach. We catch some of the dancing as we go around and around. Pretty soon, hes sweaty and sort of tired. Downstairs again he has a few sprints left in him. By 8:30 were both ready to leave. Trish wants one of the pineapple centerpieces. Shes sure theyre meant as gifts. She left the coffee at our table, so I fetch it and grab a pineapple too. She also stops to pick a bouquet of exotic flowers from giant buckets near the door.
All this island culture makes me nostalgic for Indonesia. I miss Opa & Oma and the summers with the Indo cousins. I want a bowl of Bakmi Goreng (Fried Noodles) with Sambal (red chili paste) and Krupuks (shrimp crackers), Gamelan on the stereo, followed by a cup of Java and a Kretek (clove cigarette).
I think weve decided to paint the walls "Sunny Side Up" with an accent of "Stella dOro".
Dress Up Day Category: Parties and Nightlife
Yesterday we had three main events: redo the floors, attend Corbyn's 3rd birthday (Costume theme), and go to the St. Martin's Luau (since many of Trish's chair massage clients are part of the Hawaiian club).
The saga of the floors goes back about a year, I think. Trish REALLY wanted to remove the carpet and have laminate wood put in. She argued that the carpet was trapping mold and dust. I argued that it was helping to trap HEAT and sound. She negotiated with our landlord and made a tentative plan to get it done and deducted from our rent. Then he changed his mind and decided he would do it himself. Trish volunteered to help so she could learn. Since this was mainly her project my role was to be childcare: keep Orion out of harms way. We initially discussed doing both the living room and office but fortunately decided to do them on separate occasions.
We settled on the date over a month ago, and landlord Jeff confirmed by phone early yesterday morning. We had moved most of the furniture together, but as Trish had a morning massage I was left with the futon couch (to go in the dining room), the dining room set (to go outside), and the media center (to go in the dining room). I was also in charge of Orion care.
Orion has been making progress learning to use the potty. Since the weather was so warm I let him run around naked. If he says, "I need a new diaper" I offer to let him sit on the potty first.
All morning, no poop. We're getting psyched up for the party by wearing our construction helmets. Naked construction worker ~ make a good calendar.
Landlord Jeff arrives. He's wearing full fatigues and army boots. I resist the urge to salute. I resist the urge to shake his hand, cautious of his kung-fu grip, GI Jeff. I resist the urge to flash him the peace sign. Orion simply flashes him.
Trish says, "I didn't know you were in the reserves." GI Jeff says, "Oh, yeah, for a long time now." We usually think of him as a substitute teacher up North. Somehow he doesn't seem out of place, and I just figure that he's gonna be approaching our floor with military intelligence and a martial plan. It's supposed to get done this afternoon. He's our Army of One. It's dress-up day, why not?
GI Jeff starts measuring. He's brought a 10' tape measure. He's doing mental addition. I offer my 25-footer. Yay, Jusby! The room is only about 11' x 17'. Things might have gone much worse if we'd left them completely to military intelligence.
I switch to Orion-mode. I get him dressed and we head off to the playground as Trish and Jeff head to buy the flooring at Costco.
Orion's practicing pedaling his tricycle. I'm practicing with my double-axeled clown bike (courtesy the Evergreen bike shop). We get fascinated with the skateboarding dudes. We go on all the big toys. We start to head home. On previous trips, Orion had pooped and continued to ride. Ewww. That makes for an Owie-butt. Today he just gets tired of riding, so again I'm portaging his tricycle on the handlebars of my clown bike while he walks the last 3 blocks. Then he starts whining, "Hold you, Daddy." It means he wants to be carried. I don't have that many hands. He wants raisins too and water. We push on.
We arrive safely home, and the back of GI Jeff's truck is full of our old carpet. They're going over the procedure about installing. Orion's ready for a nap. It's about 1pm. The party starts at 2pm. Either we cut our nap short or we arrive late. Plus we're risking no nap at all with the construction noise. I turn on the air purifier and lullaby CD. He falls asleep, and I don't notice any hammering at all. Then I doze off.
Trish comes in and beckons me out. Wow! That was fast and quiet! I follow, not noticing the stack of unopened flooring. We're in the living room. I see collateral damage all over. There's a hammer, a drill, a skill saw, a broom, and a crowbar. There are chunks of the old batting still stuck to the floor. There's up pointing nails and staples all over. It's like the land the landlord forgot.
I'm not sure what she's showing me. Where's Jeff? He's been 'Called Up'. When did this happen? Trish has known since Costco, but they tore up the floor anyway. Okay, it's not a coincidence that he arrives dressed for war and then creates a war zone in his wake. I start to get very ANGRY! The floor won't be done for a week!? Trish has called a professional for a consultation that she will then negotiate off the rent. GI Jeff's last words were something along the lines of "Follow the directions on the box."
Trish wants to point out the positive synchronistic opportunity we now have. She says that now we can paint those accent walls like I wanted. Indeed, I had mentioned painting before the new floors went in.
Orion wakes up. He still hasn't pooped. He promptly falls into an open heat vent and twists his ankle. I almost 'Go Mental', but quickly get him an ice pack. Trish checks it carefully for swelling, lacerations, contusions, fractures, etc. He can still walk fine. Okay, we get dressed and leave mom to pull staples.
We're off to the party. There's only an hour left. We arrive, and there are big and little people everywhere dressed up and playing. We give Corbyn the present Trish picked out: a Chef's costume. He barely notices. Guests and treats overwhelm him. Orion gets the last slice of wheat-free cake with a strawberry on top. He promptly drops it. "One, two, three, four, five," I count as I scoop it up off the ground. Mmm. He loves it. Corbyn also gets a new bike that he barely notices. Orion, however, notices it, and tries to ride with marginal success. There's also a plastic tricycle he rides.
Then I get a whiff. I take a peek. The little stinker saved it up until now. I'd wisely put him in a disposable. I change him in the bedroom. There's a mom there with a baby girl. She gives Orion some encouragement about using the potty. She says, "It takes less time to use the potty, and you have more time to play."
They have a chicken pen at Corbyn's house, and Orion gets in and chasing them. He shouts, "Bad guy!" and points at them like he's shooting. Oh, dear. He's been doing that to Buck and to Blue. I don't know where it came from.
We see Finn from day care, and in a struggle over a toy school bus, Orion accidentally beans him in the face with it. Finn cries, and his mom holds him. Orion doesn't seem interested in showing compassion and making him feel better. He's overstimulated and would just as soon move on to a Thomas Train. At 5 we bail.
Trish has mostly cleared the pokies from the floor. Orion starts to act like he wants another nap. I fully support that sentiment, or maybe it's the other way around, but we both lay down and look at books while Trish gets gussied up. Then I put on my Blue Hawaiian shirt and Blue Fijian sarong (over bicycle shorts, can't be too careful). I top it off with my orange camouflage bandana. Then I whip us up a couple of frappucinos. I'm getting hungry for LUAU food.
We arrive at the St. Martin's Pavilion around 7. Trish sees a client who hooks her up with 2Lbs of Kona coffee. Good thing too, we're down to about 7Lbs in the freezer. It's festive. People in Leis. Live ukelele music. We find our table and get in line for food. Theyve got lomi-lomi salmon, macaroni salad, shredded pork, teriyaki chicken, beef ribs, and white rice. For desert: cake and coconut jello. Orion wont eat a bite of it. Well, he does want the cake. We try to get him to have some protein, and were willing to risk a wheat reaction if he will, but he just recoils in disgust at every offer. Trish lets him have some bug juice, and the next thing I know hes running off. Im in hot pursuit. He wants to go upstairs. We start doing laps and getting a head of steam going. We jump off steps for a while. Then laps again. He circles the entire pavilion about three times. I feel a little gross running on a full stomach. We catch some of the dancing as we go around and around. Pretty soon, hes sweaty and sort of tired. Downstairs again he has a few sprints left in him. By 8:30 were both ready to leave. Trish wants one of the pineapple centerpieces. Shes sure theyre meant as gifts. She left the coffee at our table, so I fetch it and grab a pineapple too. She also stops to pick a bouquet of exotic flowers from giant buckets near the door.
All this island culture makes me nostalgic for Indonesia. I miss Opa & Oma and the summers with the Indo cousins. I want a bowl of Bakmi Goreng (Fried Noodles) with Sambal (red chili paste) and Krupuks (shrimp crackers), Gamelan on the stereo, followed by a cup of Java and a Kretek (clove cigarette).
I think weve decided to paint the walls "Sunny Side Up" with an accent of "Stella dOro".
// posted by daddy @ 8:22 AM 
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