The Scary Bits

We went to see The Tale of Desperaux today, Bug and I.

I have a strong respect for Waldorf education, though we do not practice it ourselves. I do protect my children from a lot of media and how we watch a story together is also important to me. But, I digress. On the other side of this Waldorf pull is the fact that I have dealt with Bug in life/death situations due to the severity of his allergies and it always taken by surprise. This experience with Bug has shaped my parenting to be much more practical than most parents I run across. Movies? Drinking toilet water? Games? Swear words? Where do babies come from? These are all things I can handle and want to handle because my son dying is something that has been tangible and something I just, well, I just won't even finish this sentence...

So on the wall there were posters for a very scary movie. The posters had a mask and smoke pictured and when I saw them, I thought, "Right, how do I deal with this one?" The pictures were terrifying for me and all I wanted was an afternoon at a sweet movie with my son. Bug looked at the scary poster and only commented on the letters he knew on the poster. That's it. Then, during the movie, the things that scared him were things that surprised me. Things like the King's sadness, the princess' anger, the mouse falling... I was surprised to find that there is also a motif within the film on fear and how it is learned. Bug has not learned to fear scary nameless things. He knows in his heart that the biggest scares are the real ones, the ones that deal with the lives of your loved ones. Not the imaginary ones dreamed up on some Hollywood set.

I'm learning a lesson from my son. oooo look at the empty mask in smoke....ooooo...Really? Please, Hollywood. Please. There aren't any letter M's at all on the poster...

candy cane

Candy canes are hard to come by, vegan or otherwise, in the UK. They're marketed as the oldworld goodie in the States, but it's not true. I found one out of the way bar that had them at the till, but that's about it.  The bar didn't have the ingredients, so....

We hung vegan candy canes sent by Nana and Bopa in AZ on the tree.  Really, really fun and easy and nice. I'm letting the kids eat them, essentially, for dinner tonight.  It makes me feel like Santa is real.  No harm, no foul should be ammended to little harm, no foul.

Skype

I love skype! Love, love, love skype. Yes, I would marry skype for those of you asking yourselves, "Do you love skype enough to marry it? har har har." We had the best Christmas. We overslept, unheard of for me on Christmas Day, and somewhat surprising for the littles.  We got up and opened presents from friends and family as they woke across the globe, skyping all the while. We saw grandparents, and aunties, and uncles and friends and puppies and kitties.  It was a good, good day. Waiting to open presents on skype also meant that our present-fest lasted allllllll day rather than the 20 minutes it usually takes.  It was just a great day.  I spent loads of time with those I loved and had little time to miss the ones that I didn't talk with or see.  Homesickness was at bay for a whole day! Yay for Skype! We are off to celebrate Post-Crimbo (Christmas in Scots) 

Boxing Day (just to see the spectacle).  xoxo 

Thanksgiving

I really, really came to love Thanksgiving this year. We've hit that magical time when Santa can squeeze through keyholes in chimney-less houses and I don't think horse sedatives could calm the Bug down. This year we also celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Scotland where no one celebrates Thanksgiving. It really is the holiday that marks us as Americans.  This foo-foo of Christmas not being as commercial over here is just unfounded. It is the commercial extravaganza that it is in the States, except with Victorian decorations and dinner parties at restaurants with crackers and paper hats.  The French have Le Pere Foutarde (sp?) who is the "Whipping Father" that rides on the back of Santa's sleigh to keep the silliness just under control as only a Whipping Father could. Otherwise, it's nutty here. American or otherwise. I find that I love Thanksgiving because even though it makes a busy time of year even busier, it also gave a large, audible pause before the Christmas dash. 

Nappies

I had the best day today because I changed the G's "nappie" a la Scottyland English. It was stinky and messy mind you. Usually, my modus operandi is to change the stink-fest as quickly as possible which also includes the G squirming and worries of the yuck getting everywhere. The theory being, the less time exposed, the less risk of, well, a huge mess. But today, M was going to be late home again. We didn't have any plans. It was dark, rainy, cold, and an hour til eats-time. I was a bit mopey, "What else do I do with myself except change yuckie diapers." The internal whining and self-absorption continued as I settled down to a very smelly diaper. G was quiet and calm. Bug helped by getting the wipes and the dipes. I took my time washing her bum.  

We talked about our different body parts. 

Bug said, "You are very gentle with her bagina."  

I said,  "Yes, I am." 

He said, "You are gentle with her because that's how we take care of people."

The G sucked on her fingers and giggled as Bug kissed her cheeks. 

I don't mind messy diapers, though, please don't get me wrong. I also don't want to change ALL of her diapers and I know that the time will come soon when I want her potty-trained "yesterday." But I don't mind changing her diapers. Babies, from the moment they are born are on a slow journey of independence from their parents. These moments of complete innocence when they are close enough for me to teach care and a healthy respect for everyone's body through my actions are limited. Soon, society's vision of what a girl should be and what a boy should be will come crashing in. I had a good day because I had some time to be the parent that I want to be. I think I'll settle down to another messy diaper with care, not speed, in mind today. Provided it doesn't smell too horrible. 

G "helping me clean up" after she's dumped an entire box of cheerios on her bedroom floor.

Dancing nakey with a bagel. 

At my parents' this summer.