more amusing chatter

Some of the things I've overheard recently:

Isabel:

"Izzie want a cupcake, Izzie want a cupcake" (being chanted over and over after a successful experience on the potty)

"I'm Awake!" (at 6:26 am.)

i: "I see a dinosaur, mama"
me: "oh"
i: "No mama, don't say "oh"!"

me" Izzie, what do you want for christmas?"
i: "ipod touch"
(I had said this once in passing to Jon. I didn't realize she had been listening so intently...)

Elijah:

"Oh my gosh, so many many styles" (as we walked past the shoe department in Target)

"Oh wow, I love that chair" (as we walked past the chair department at Target)

"Oh, I like that" (upon noticing the new valance over our kitchen window)

*I think Elijah might have an impending career in design / decorating. He does have good taste!*


A short conversation between the two of them:

E: "Izzie, stop talkin'"
I: "I cannot"

Children's Book Illustrators for Obama!

You can go to this website to download and print your own free copy!

the politics of tv time

We don't watch a whole lot of television in our house... except for MSNBC. That's pretty much always on in the background.

The other night, I noticed that Monsters Inc. was on tv, and I thought that might be a nice little introduction to children's movies. The twins were rapt, watching the movie for a few minutes, when suddenly Geremu randomly burst into tears and started crying "I want Rachel Maddow".

What can I say, kid. I love her too!

Pittsburgh has "so many many tunnels"

well, really just one, but we sure went through it a lot.

we also saw the house my father grew up in:

Went to the Strip District to procure some Mancini Bread (the best in the universe)

Went to brunch with my cousins whom I haven't seen in about 15 years and played in a fun fountain:

Had a great time at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum:




There was even a special performance:

We sampled some gnocchi, talked with fellow Obama supporters, and caught a rousing game of Bocce at the taste of Italy festival:

and, of course, had some delicious cupcakes!

tagged

I was tagged

1. I have an intense and admittedly irrational fear of tap water. I cannot drink it if I see it coming out of a kitchen tap. this fear began when I saw an exhibit in an art gallery in SoHo that consisted of a large lidded fish tank and a sign that stated "on xx date (only a couple of weeks earlier), this tank was filled with new york city tap water, and nothing else". Inside the tank was all sorts of algae and actual creatures swimming. My fears were bolstered with the recent studies showing that tap water contains an entire apothecary of drugs that the water treatment plants are unable to remove when the water is processed. Intellectually I know that bottled water isn't much better, but on some level, it gives me a little bit of solace.
2. Jack Nicholson and I have one thing in common: we both sleep with our feet outside the sheets.
3. I am desperate to see Bill Maher's new movie. I love him. When I was young, I stayed up every night just so I could watch Politically Incorrect, and am still pissed that it's no longer on the air. Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death is one of my favourite movies. Like I said, I love Bill Maher.
4. I always park near the cart return at the grocery store. I can't stand it when people leave their shopping carts around all willy-nilly.
5. I love geography and can identify almost every country in the world. I miss the show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego"
6. I have sung and danced onstage with George Clinton. And yes, he does have the funk.
7. I used to carry a dictionary, a copy of the constitution, and a copy of the poem "howl" everywhere I went.

I'm not going to specifically tag anyone else, but if you're reading this and you'd like to continue the meme, please do!

my independent little princess

I don't even know where to begin when trying to describe Isabel. She's like a tiny adult in a three foot tall body. She's sassy but sweet, confident but shy when someone else initiates contact, and, above all else, she's fiercely independent. "I do it myself" is her mantra.

We have a rule that whenever we go into stores with lots of breakable items or things that would be extremely hard to resist touching, that the kids may look at everything but they must keep their hands in their pockets. Izzie has really taken this to heart, and decided that while we were in New York, she would walk a couple feet in front of us, hands in her pockets, chest out and head held high. She was quite a sight to behold, and inspired commentary and laughter wherever we went.

Izzie loves life and begins each day with gusto, standing up on the bed and proclaiming "I'm awake!" She (acutally both of the twins) loves to dance, and will drop everything to break out her moves if a good song (or commercial) comes on. (They are especially fond of the "free credit report . com" commercials.)

She remains very cerebral, and catches on to new concepts, words, and songs very quickly. She knows all her shapes and colours, can state her full name and spell "Isabel", she knows her address, and has committed a remarkable number of books and songs to memory.

Iz has a flair for the dramatic, and has an entire repertoire of faces corresponding to different emotions. She can be a little bit bossy, but always does it with a disarming smile, so she seems less threatening. I'm a little bit worried that my 2.5 year old has alreadyfigured out how to play the game..

Despite her independence and can-do attitude, Isabel also has a sweet and compassionate side. If I'm upset about something, she always offers hugs and kisses.

my sweet little prince

I realized from the very first moment we met the twins that Elijah was going to be my sensitive child. Everything, and particularly issues of justice and fairness, effects him just a little bit more. I can totally relate.

As I watch my children grow up and explore our world with a little bit more courage and interest each day, I've become aware of my own concerns for him. I have concerns for Izzie too, but due to their very different natures, I am more worried about what this world might do to him. Isabel's a tough cookie, and I'm reasonably confident that she'll be able to pick herself up, dust herself off, and keep on going when challenges arise.

I am so enjoying spending time with my children these days. Elijah and I have lengthy conversations every day, and I am absolutely stunned by his memory, the depth of his thoughts, and his astute observations. I am also extremely proud of his compassion and his conscientiousness. a few quick examples (mostly so I don't forget them):

1. Any time I say "ouch" he rushes over, gently rubs my owie, and says "are you okay, mama?"
2. If he is the perpetrator of the pain, he asks "I hurt you? I'm sorry mama" and gives hugs and kisses.
3. If we're out and he hears another child crying, he always tries to find out if they're okay.
4. He's always looking out for other people's safety and well-being. While we were riding the subway in New York, he would ask people to sit down so they wouldn't fall when the train began to move.
5. He's already showing evidence of civic responsibility. While we were visiting the Statue of Liberty, we bought a big soft pretzel to snack on. As we were putting mustard on the pretzel, Elijah noticed that someone had spilled some mustard on the stand. He looked at Jon and said "Oh Daddy, that's so sad. Please wipe it up!"

I can't even begin to describe how privileged I feel to have this remarkable little boy in my life.