My own little Everest

This cannot possibly be as cool to anybody else as it is to me.

I have been reeeally discouraged for the last, oh, year, about the progress, or lack thereof, of Anna's Irish. Mind you, I believe she understands everything I say, but she wouldn't ever use it with me. We have always had bilingual conversations in which I speak Irish to her and she replies in English, minus the odd Irish noun tossed into an otherwise English sentence.
"Mommy, can I have some bainne?" (milk)
"I'm not tuirseach." (tired-adjective, I know)
"Look at that puiscin!" (kitten)

I was just about to get downright depressed about it. I knew many people at the University of Toronto who had been raised with their parents speaking something else to them (Mandarin, Arabic, Bengali, you name it), but they always answered in English. They all reported understanding the parent language but being unable to use it themselves. I did not want this for my girls! I wanted them to SPEAK it.

Not wanting to give up, I tried to find ways to be more proactive. I joined an online group for parents raising their children with Irish (to which my brother-in-law said, "Wow, there really is an online group for EVERYthing."). I've gotten some great ideas and most importantly, encouragement, from other parents in there. I sought out Irish blogs to read, worked on my own Irish blog more which was surprisingly helpful, and made the general daily effort to be as exclusively Irish speaking to them as possible. In some literature I got from another parenting resource in Ireland, when it is only one parent seeking to pass on the language, it is recommended that that parent uses the language exclusively with the children. Ouch, I said to myself. Not possible, but I'm trying!

WELL! It has happened! Finally! Anna started using it with me all the time and I am simply ecstatic! That is part of her motivation I'm sure, that she has seen it gets her approval and some big mommy smiles, even when she might have been about to get in trouble. (no, it doesn't get her out of trouble, try as she might).

I don't think I can communicate why or how thrilled I am at this, but it feels so huge to me. Growing up in purebred mono-lingual anglophone Midwestern USA, bilingualism seemed so exotic, foreign and untouchably elite to me. I never imagined it for myself (even though I am not calling myself fully bilingual yet, since I'm not fluent at all in Irish) and to be passing it onto my kids is just thrilling. It feels like I have conquered a huge personal mountain.

Cool. :)

Memory Lane #1

For Auld Lang Syne, or old time's sake, as the song recommends, I'm making a new recurring segment, which may or may not recur more frequently than the other recurring segment which is yet to recur.

This segment is A Walk Down Memory Lane, in which I tell some old story from my life that you may or may not know or be bored with hearing, and you can chalk it up to either having nothing of interest to report in my current life, or having genuinely exciting stories from earlier in my life than bear repeating, y'know, just like old people. Which is, by the way, a category I now fit into, depending on whom you ask. High school and uni kids now think I'm old cause, I mean really, I have kids and EVERYthing... I must be at least thirty, right?

Anyway, we won't go there.

Today's story is from my summer in Ireland. I spent a couple months there, lived with an Irish speaking family for a month doing Irish immersion. This host family put up students wanting to immerse from all over the world. In the house while I was there were also 2 Polish girls, a German lady, a Dubliner and an old guy (no really, he had turned 30 more than once... working on his 3rd round) from Texas. It was interesting, to say the least.

I had been looking for a copy of the Bible in Irish to no avail. Finally after one mass I approached the parish priest to ask him if he had any idea where one could be obtained. I thought it would be great for me to be able to combine my Bible study with my language study. He seemed quite surprised to meet a young lady who actually read the Bible, and who was so interested in both God and Irish. He had no information on how to locate an Irish Bible, because, as he said, it has been out of print for some time. He saw my disappointment, but we agreed that I could keep trying the used bookstores.

A few days later, our transcontinental crew was all sitting around in lazy recovery mode after the satiating supper, and there was a knock at the door. The woman of the house answered the door and after talking a moment came in and quietly called for me to come to the door.

"Jennifer, the priest is here to see you."

However, between her soft tone and the blaring Gaelic football game on the television, she was misheard by us all, and with huge eyes and gaping gobs all the girls were looking at me, "the POLICE??!?!" What did you DO?!?!?"

What?? I didn't do anything!!! I swear! I can't think of anything anyway!

Of course my fear was alleviated when I saw the priest at the door and understood the misunderstanding.

The others, however, continued to whisper furiously back in the living room theorizing about what trouble I might be in.

The priest had come, believe it or not, to give me his own personal copy of the Biobla Naofa . (I didn't know about this site at the time) I could not believe it. I argued with him about it, but he had made up his mind.

To this day, it is one of my most prized possessions. I still want to track him down and tell him that it is actually in use, it isn't just some expensive souvenir, or token that has gone to dusty waste on a shelf somewhere. That little girl still is pursuing both God and Irish.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Everybody!!!!!

monkey see, monkey dance

I saw my friend do this, and I couldn't resist.

If you want to see the girls and me dance around in elf costumes, click this link.

It took me about nine million tries before the site decided to save my pictures, and by the nine million and oneth time, my patience was waning and my skepticism was flourishing, so the photo edit was better on any number of the early tries, as I got sloppy later on, thinking, it won't save anyway.... oh well.

Tao of Poo

not Pooh.. but poo. Oh, you thought I meant this cute book? ha.. ha.. no.

you've been a SAHM not getting out enough when you start pontificating on waste.

There's that whole, 'the natural speaks of the invisible' principle, and observations in that vein teach me most about life, and well, I happen to be dealing with a lot of poo, as any mother does, and I can't turn off my observations, soooo... here I am with readers dropping like flies...
(she's not really going to talk about poo is she??)

2 things I've noticed:

The intensity/strength/potency/foulness of what comes out of us increases as we get older. The more impure that goes in, the more impure that comes out. Literally and figuratively. A newborn babes waste has virtually no odor. The more foods are introduced however, the more stink, with an exponential jump when meat is introduced. Then as adults we eat all manner of processed and unhealthy stuff and watch out - phew!

I want to say it is the same with our mind/soul. We have and continue to take in more and more impure things, and our output becomes more and more foul. I am thinking of all the sinful things of the world we are exposed to - and commit ourselves - that corrupt and pollute us spiritually.
Is it too much of a stretch if I liken the meat to our conscious, informed and still sinful choices? Wouldn't those constitute some of the real moral 'stinkers'?

I know for myself, I remember when I was younger, in grade school, and first learned about someone calculating a manipulative argument with me. They knew how I would respond to something, and lied to get a desired response. I was absolutely floored, as I couldn't even imagine thinking that way. That wasn't honest. It would not have even occurred to me to behave that way. Now, unfortunately, it does occur to me. I have to choose not to act on the sinful ideas that are now in me. Yuck. My corruption has gotten more stinky.

This one is less universal but still on the poo theme.
I know a child whom I won't overtly incriminate, but who really doesn't like to have their diaper changed. She hates hates being dirty, but the actual laying down and cleaning process she has a serious aversion to. She will lay there and cry through the whole thing. Let me go! Let me get up! And I thought, y'know, metaphysically, I can relate. I'm like that with God. I don't like my crap, but I don't like having to get it cleaned either. I wish it were as easy as wiping a wet rag over me to rid me of sinful habits/thoughts/motives/actions. But nooooo. These have ingrained for years and they are right in my nature. That doesn't excuse any of it, but gives one reason why they are not easy to get rid of. The other being that we are stubborn and evil and part of us loves our sin.

Thank God (literally!) that this is not the end, and HE doesn't leave us stranded with our poop. He will wipe our preternatural bottoms clean.. again and again. He is a good God and Father. He is patient with us while we make big mountains out of all our little molehills.

changing with the times... Christmas times!

Niamh , aka Spitty Gonzales, is 6 months now. How my life has changed:

*Sweeping the floor has become a game of keep away, as she is crawling, and chases the pile wherever I scoot it to. I have to pretty well keep it with me as I go.

*what I might have lost in laundry from poopy messes, I have gained in meal messes, as she is eating solids, and shares her meals with her shirt sleeves, because, of course, fingers make a perfect complement to any pureed veggie or grain.

*I can no longer take a step without looking to see that it is safe, as someone is always ending up under my feet, or even intentionally following my feet around, so as to enjoy hanging on my pantlegs, or pulling on my socks. Who wouldn't, really!

*I have to make rounds examining each room of the house a few times a day, to both locate her and certify that she has not found anything she shouldn't have.

This is turning out to be such a cool holiday season. I am FINALLY settling in to living here, feeling more at home. I'm not feeling like I'm stuck somewhere weird when I should be home with my family... I am home with my family. A good feeling.

We have had insane snow lately, and made snowmen, baked cookies, decorated trees, fire burning in the stove, you name it. It has been so festive and fun.

The girls c r a c k m e u p.

Anna plays with Niamh, gets her laughing and vice versa. Anna is sooo good with ehr, I kinda can't believe it. Niamh is so happy and good too. Loves to laugh. Now that she is crawling she will play on the floor by herself with toys. Yay for entertaining one's self!!! My arms are getting a few more breaks (HALLelujah!) and she is more content, longer.

Here she is in her Christmas dress:

I think she looks so much more grown up dressed up like that. Beautiful!

and here we are decorating the other day:

I love this season! Ignore the vacuum and holloween chip box that had th Christmas balls in it.

A very merry season to you all!

Thanks, Anna

last night in conversation:

*while patting my tummy* "Mommy, are you going to have more babies?"
*confused, replies* "Not that I know of, Sweety. Why?"
"Cause your belly is so BIG!"

...

Gee, thanks for noticing, Anna. Maybe Niamh was an inconsiderate tenant and left a bunch of her stuff behind when she moved out.
Or maybe I had too many candybars. Naaah. Can't be. You can never have too many candybars. :P

A video on education

Heya-

for anyone interested in education, your own or your children's, or the future of the world, I think that this is a super video. It is 20 minutes long, but there is a lot of good humour, and is also stimulating intellectually. A must-see for teachers and recommended for parents. I really enjoyed it, obviously, if I'm blogging it. I must think there is something of import there. The only downside is the BMW commercial at the end.

creepy coincidence

So I know these 2 ladies. One of them is from Nova Scotia, one is from Kansas. They don't know each other at all. I am their Kevin Bacon.
They have the same name.
They are both singers, both altos.
They are both blonde.
They have remarkably similar personalities, in my opinion. Remarkably.
They both had a terrible 1st marraige.
They divorced.
They remarried and had the marriage that people dream of, love love love, and were the envy of most all their friends because of it.
Their 2nd husbands were diagnosed with really similar fatal diseases, giving them 2 years to live, within a couple years of being married. One of these husbands has already died. The other is still in the 2 yr window.

I mean really. Is that not freaky? The universe is a vellly intellesting place. Creepy too, sometimes.

Any sugar daddies out there??

This is a shameless plug. My hypocritical apologies for the fishing.

Follow this here link to the Litriocht (Every Irish book in print) website, to a wishlist I have compiled. It is kinda like registering for a wedding or something... if you happen to want to buy something for Anna for Christmas or just in general, here are a few great ideas! This is a bunch of Irish books, to further the cause of bilingualism. You can pick something off my wishlist and buy it for me - er, her. There are something like 400 more books on the site in that age category. I sifted through to the 10 or so that I thought best. Although, I'm sure there are 100 others just as nice.

For Christmas delivery, time is running out! Hurry! Make a rash decision! Prices starting at only 3 Euros!

No one understands me.

Maybe I should paint my nails black.
Watch this if you don't get what I mean by that. Don't watch it with young children around. But from my background, that is hilarious.

I should clarify, since I am yet to make any sense so far this post. Some people understand me and my extremely small audience jokes, just no one with whom I'm regularly in contact.

When I'm running around the yard with Anna, I find myself making all these jokes that I crack up at, but no else gets, because they are referring to things like :

-my Grandpa's made-up language
-expressions excessively used to the point of humor by one of the sports announcers on Ireland's Raidi0 na Gaeltachta.

and other things that would just confuse the vast majority of people. Oh well.

Niamh doesn't care. She laughs with/at me even when I make these inacessible jokes. Usually. Sometimes even she gives me the blank stare.

A River Runs Through It

Did you know I had a river in my back yard?
ya, me neither.




Anna found it. You see, we have kinda clay-ish soil, and after a bunch of rain, which we have had the past week, any holes or in this case, trenches, become reservoirs. So Chris dug this trench around our garden a couple years ago to help with drainage. It was a great help to the garden. Anna calls it "the river."













These holes-come-puddles are the finest features of the yard, if you are 3. Funny, they were kinda one of my least favourite parts. While I fastidiously avoid them, she makes a bee-line for them as soon as she is released into the yard, and will spend most of her time outside jumping in them.




See exibit A:

This is her rear about half-way through this escapade.
It got a lot worse. I suppose this is just normal kids, but I always tried to stay so clean, it is funny to me.

Now all this running and play in a water-logged yard would have been great, if the bottom of my boots didn't look like this:

For your benefit and clarification, I have circled the areas on the soles where there is no longer any rubber. These shoes have served me faithfully, year round, for approximately 7 years though, so I am not criticizing. But still. I have tromped over the globe and danced many's the dance in them, but I think they have now had the biscuit (a local expression).

If anyone has about $200 burning a hole in their pocket, these would do me nicely for a replacement. :)

Mommy Superpowers

So far as I can tell, there are a few special dispensations that God gives mothers upon the birth of their children, like Lactation. But there are others.

I've seen in myself, a super power to catch dangerous flying objects, including the child themself.

Once, a wine bottle came flying off the top of our fridge headed straight for Anna's wee head. I turned, lept and *pak* - caught the flying bottle in mid-air, just like some great wide-receiver or something. Everyone looked at me with gaping mouths, in disbelief. If you know me, you know that I am NO athlete, which made this all the more difficult to swallow.

Another time Anna was rough housing with Chris on the bed, and she took a leap, and her lil' head was headed straight for the footboard. I spun around from a couple feet away, apparently having seen and perceived from the eyes on the back of my head, and shot my hand out, intercepting her head just before it bashed, like something from a superhero movie.

We can only call on these powers when they are needed. They are not just there all the time to show off with or anything.

God also gives us the ability to see invisible things. We can find lost things that take on an invisible cloak to the rest of the family. "Where's my ____?" The seeker can look and look and look to no end, staring at the desired item even, repeatedly, and not see it. Moms, however, can find these invisible things. It's a gift.

On another note, my Dad is here visiting! So if you find me absentee, that is largely why, for the next 2 weeks. Yeah! So nice for my family to meet my family, my kids, esp. with a new baby! This is the first anyone on my side has met her. :( Distance can stink. Poor Dad, this is the first time he has been to visit since 2 years ago, when Anna was only 19 months old. Crazy, eh?

Autumn Fun

The weather is soooo gorgeous... no bugs, not hot, not cold.. I'm in my glory. We had a lot of fun running around this afternoon. Here are a couple of the photo ops. And no, the world isn't tilted... I was. Well, it IS tilted.. but.. nevermind.

bet you can't stand on your head like meee!!

for "fun"

If you happen to be a grammar goose like me, you might enjoy this blog as much I did.

By grammar goose, I mean someone who thinks grammar is a perfectly reasonable subject for comedy. It is, isn't it? Loaded with surprises and unforeseen turns that keep one on the edge of their seat! Grammar! Somebody needs to turn Chris Rock onto the topic of the future- it's where stand-up is going, I'm convinced.

mmm... fingers...

I think she's gonna be tall.

Deep thoughts, #1

this foot


is the same foot as was felt and described in this, and in this prenatal post ? That was little Niamh stretching her yet-to-be-exposed-to-the-world legs.

How totally amazing. Just hit me. Life is so amazing.

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I'm starting a new segment that will recur in this blog. Here is the first installment.

Deep Thoughts, with Jen Dandy*

"According to research from Columbia University, children who eat dinner with their family on a regular basis are 60% less likely to smoke cigarettes, 50% less likely to use drugs, and 66% less likely to drink alcohol."
Interesting. I don't think this is the whole picture by any means, or full reason behind these children leading healthier, less substance-abusive lives. I wonder what else was different and common among these homes, in the lifestyles and beliefs of the parents, who all ate together. What else did they do differently than the other half-ish of the population? What fundamental belief systems, of which eating together was just one expression, were in place, and what other habits were factors? Hmmm...
-------------------------------

*I've noticed two major components to humour. Timing, and understatement. Don't overexplain something. Leave some tidbit to be assumed by the reader. I'm about to drain any potential humour out of this by ignoring that. Jen Dandy is a double reference. It rhymes with Jack Handy, from SNL, and sounds a lot like jim dandy, an expression we always used back home, which means something that is notable and exceptional. Aren't I witty? It's awe-inspiring. Where do I come up with them, I really don't know.

WEEE!!!

I have this crazy hankering to spend a day at Lake Jacomo water slides, or riding the Fury of the Nile over and over and over as nauseum.

or go roller or ice skating.

This sounds like more fun to me than... I dunno. It sounds really really fun!

Aren't you better off for knowing this?

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians!

I am definitely joining in the thankfulness. Only fair, since I'm definitely joining in on the turkey, veggies and pie.

CHEESE WARNING: if you can't handle it, quickly find another page to read, cause it's comin.

I have been experiencing this absolutely giddy joy over my kids. I could just giggle, I can't get over it. Having a baby in the house is so amazing. It's almost like it is just sinking in, 4 months after the fact. It is so amazing and wonderful. God graced with me an understanding of how FAST this time will fly by, and it really helps me enjoy it, and not wish it away. I will be no time at all, and she will be talking, learning to read and having totally different requirements, like Anna, and I will have to look at pictures to try and remember these baby days. Each phase is so engrossing with its own new developments, whatever came before passes into inactive memory so quickly. I'm so enjoying every moment. With this kind of perspective I find it isn't taxing when she wakes up AGAIN, or needs to be picked up again... I can sleep later. I can't carry those chubby cheeks and legs around for long. That gorgeous toothless smile, the wide-eyed look of intense excitement and thrill when you hold her hands and she can stand up. The way they contentedly, and with great focus, settle into nursing, all business-like and no messing around.

more simple pleasures:
a steamy washcloth on my face when I wash before bed
hugs
golden glistens on hair in the sun
smiles
music, beautiful sounds
nature's vibrant and pure colors (God's painting :)
delicious smells
the warmth of fire
the refreshing splash of clean water
a fresh breeze with the smell of chlorophyll

I'm just having a hefty portion of thanksgiving this year. Thank You, God. Life is amazing. Full of drama (that's our fault), but amazing. You made one heck of an awesome world. I love it.

nuttin much

What's with nouns strangely becoming verbs that don't really seem to match up?

I noticed there are a few nouns that got imported to mean, move fast. Among them: jet, boot, and book. Jet I can see. "I gotta jet." Jets move fast. That makes sense.

Boot, well, I can at least see a reference to kicking up ones heels, or move your boots with speed. "I gotta boot'er."

But then there's book. "You better book'er!" Meaning, of course, hurry up!

?

Isn't a book maybe one of the slowest things you can think of? You are generally required to sit still and not move to read one. Or referring to the book itself, it certainly isn't going anywhere, especially not fast.

Just silliness from English. It's full of that silly stuff. Probably cause it was made by people, who are silly.

-----------------------

Repeat after me: Chocolate is not god

I guess I'm having some trouble with this one.

What makes me think I'm apotheosizing a sugared bean powder? you may ask.

Well, I find myself saying: ooh, it's time for some chocoalte :
-when I am depressed or stressed
-when I want to celebrate
-when I'm lonely
-when I want to relax

all times that, to me, sound like a good time for prayer or communion with God. Not a time to eat. A good time to eat is when you are HUNGRY. mmm... fascinating. That reason, however, was not included on my list. I'll be addressing this issue with myself. Don't worry.

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I'm contemplating what I'm calling the principle of reflection.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

"Bad company corrupts good morals."

"A little leaven leavens the whole lump."

There is a fact of the company one keeps influencing them, for good or for bad.

I've also been thinking about perspectives, and how we project our perception onto the world, and read what we see through our imposed lens. I'm wondering to what extent we endeavor to find ourselves in other things, or how we presume our own qualities in other things/people. For example when Chris assumes that I would not enjoy a potluck at church just because he wouldn't. There is more to this, I had all these thoughts, but someone seems to have pulled the plug on my brain, and everything ran out. I can't find it now. Maybe later.
Besides, Anna says, "Mommy, you're writing too much letters."