Unanchored Thoughts

Bits and pieces of musings about family, friends, social issues, and whatever else travels through my head without a purpose.

Friday, November 14, 2008

I'll try not to say that word

About 6 months ago Graeme picked up on a 3-year-old curse word....poop. I don't know where he got it. It's not like the adults in our lives go around calling each other Mr. Poop or Poopie head, or I'm going to poop on you. I can come up with a long list of words I wish I hadn't used around my kids, but poop-head isn't one of them. Anyway, I've kept a poker face when he (daily) uses these words, only mildly reprimanding him when he uses them towards someone directly, like the sweet neighborhood girl on Halloween night ("Bye, poop head.").

I finally decided that this wasn't working and it was grating on me. So, yesterday I sat him down calmly and explained that we don't use those words unless we are referring to our own need to poop. So, you may say, "mommy, I have to poop," but you don't call anyone a poop. It isn't nice and makes people feel bad. He seemed to get it. Or, maybe he understood too well.

However, the rest of the evening went like this.

"Sorry, Mommy, I said poop. I won't say poop again."

"Oops, I said poop."


"I won't use that word, poop."

"I won't say poop again."

"It's not nice to say poop."

"I won't call anyone poop."

"Tomorrow I won't say poop."


"Bloop. I can say bloop, right."

"You're a bloop."


"I have to bloop. Oh, I can say poop then, right. I have to poop. I won't say poop again."

You get the point. ALL NIGHT LONG we talked about not talking about poop. I wasn't sure if he was seeking reassurance about the rules of the game, or pulling one over on me. I'm beginning to think it may have been the latter.....again. Poop, I mean shit.

Friday, November 07, 2008

They Will be Lovely

As we prepare for our big move to the new house I find myself wistfully walking around our place and Fairlington, in general. It is so hard to imagine leaving this place. I love the new house, but the truth is that I’ve only seen it twice and so the details are either vague or unknown. Where exactly are the closets? Is there a mirror in the bedroom? Exactly how small is the laundry room? I walk around our current house thinking about all the things I’m going to miss, namely the beautiful crown molding, amazing laundry room and fabulous closet space/basement renovation.

I’m also a bit despondent over leaving the neighbors. These are my bus friends, run into on a walk peeps, pool acquaintances, shoot the breeze on the stoop buddies. Will we exchange holiday cards and visit each other in the nursing home? No. Are these people an integral part of my every day life? Most definitely. Am I going to miss them? Without a doubt. (Oh, except for the asshole who lives next door.)

Yesterday I took Graeme to the local barber for his semi-annual cut. This is an old-fashioned hole-in-the-wall barber shop and “Pat” is the only person who has ever trimmed my son’s red locks. As is often the case I ran into a neighbor at the shop and he expressed his regret that we were leaving. When it came Graeme’s turn for a cut Pat asked about the move. I relayed that I was sad to leave because of the wonderful neighbors and he relayed this little story.

A farmer was sitting on the fencepost when a couple drove up and said, “We are thinking of moving into the neighborhood. How are the neighbors?”

Farmer: Well, how are they where you currently live?

Couple: Oh, they’re lousy. We can’t wait to move.

Farmer: Well, they are pretty lousy here too.

The next week the farmer was sitting on the same fencepost (BTW, how does one sit on a post without inflicting some serious pain?) and another couple drove up and said, “We are thinking of moving into the neighborhood. How are the neighbors?”

Farmer: Well, how are they where you currently live?

Couple: Oh, they’re wonderful. We hate to move.

Farmer
: Well, they will be wonderful here too.

When I saw where the story was headed I practically shed a tear there in the Bradlee Barber Shop. I hope this is true. We want lovely neighbors and we will hopefully create a situation where that wish is fulfilled.

Regardless, I’m sad about moving on from this place I call home.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Things I've Done to Get My Kids to Sleep That Don't Work

It's been a while since I've had a sleep-related post. Lest you think my sunny disposition means I'm getting 8 uninterrupted hours of slumber a night, or even 5 or 6 uninterrupted hours let me share with you some of my techniques that don't work.

* Let them fall asleep in my bed and then prop pillows around them and hope they don't roll off (they do).

* Replace pacifiers no fewer than 75 dozen times throughout the night.

* Put 2 dozen pacifiers in the crib so that they can replace them on their own and learn independence (they don't).

* Put the nicest stereo equipment in the house in their room and buy beautiful, soothing lullaby music.

* Rock them to a deep slumber, slide then into the bed and slither out of the room on my belly.

* Same thing, only tip toe and swing from the door frame to avoid the squeaky floors.

* Bring them into bed with me and then return them screaming two hours later after being hit, punched, slapped and kneed by wayward limbs.

* Swear.

* Give them tylenol.

* Shut the door and wear earplugs.

* And, my all time favorite, climb into the crib with them. (This one sort of works but feels humiliating and isn't good for the back.)

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Sold...

...but you can read about the pre-sale jitters here.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Moving on Up

After years of passively seeking a bigger house, we found a place. I would say it is close to being our dream house. It meets almost all of our space requirements (no bathroom on the main level is probably the biggest compromise we are making....Graeme will continue to pee off the front stoop, I'm afraid). Plus is has a few features that make us happy like the neighborhood is now on the historical registry and all of the woodwork is custom made and historically accurate. Oh, and it has "good flow." The lion's share of the housing in Arlington County was built in 1942 and features "center-hall colonial" style homes....i.e., you walk in the front door and the stairs are directly in front of you. It kind of chops up the living space (I couldn't a good link to this style, so you'll have to go with my inadequate description). This house is a center-hall style, but more of a side-hall in that the stairs and front door are on the left of the house so that the living space flows to my liking. This place also retains its original footprint. No one has put some god-awful, architecturally inconsistent addition onto it. I'll refrain from posting pictures until we (well, really the bank) have the title.

We have now set out to sell our place in Fairlington. I'm a bit despondent about it. This house and our neighborhood has been a fabulous place for Steve and me to put a foundation on our lives together. It's been an almost exclusively positive experience and I've made great friends that I hate to leave. Yes, I'm not going far. But, in this time of busy lives and busy days I see my neighbors more than anyone else and I'll miss having them part of my daily life. But, it's time to move on. So, while I am so sad to leave this little home I'm excited to make a new home in another part of Arlington.

In the meantime, if you're looking for a house, won't you come by and take a look!