week in review

This week Iris started leaving her own lists lying around the house. (Hmm has that perpetual pile of lists on our counter modeled something for her?) Yes, part of me is oh-so-proud of her early list making abilities (she asks how to spell things so don't get too excited, mom). But, part of me is definitely saying "oh no, she's doomed!" She has a long and exacting line of list-makers in her lineage, some of us trying hard to wrench ourselves from the servitude of the to-do list. But, in these past few years of parenting, I have learned something about list-making. Something you fellow list-makers may have discovered already, but it was a lovely little bit of enlightenment for me.

Sometimes, when one is feeling overwhelmed by the to-do list, re-writing it is really all one has to do to feel better. Ah, release. I'll be sure to share that with her when the time comes.



I don't get overly sentimental about cast-off or outgrown baby things. I'm a purger after-all and generally love to get rid of stuff. But this lovely highchair that I thifted before Iris was born and was used by both our girls has been a hiccup for me. Elsa of course hasn't wanted to sit in it for months, ever since she discovered she is a "big girl". But I can't bring myself to part with it just yet. Sometimes I like to just stare at it in the sun and remember sweet giggling girls with squash smeared all over their faces.

But this week I decided it was at least time to move it out of the house and over to our cabin for storage. I have just a small pile of things I'm saving for our girls should they choose to have families, but the pile just got bigger and much more awkward to pack in the box.


And last but not least, Elsa had the Chicken "pops". We got off the hook pretty easy with probably no more than 100 "pops" and little to no fever. Just some late night itching. Iris has yet to take her turn so we'll keep our fingers crossed that she has an easy run too.

We choose to selectively vaccinate our children, and CP was one of the immunizations we chose to forgo. We trusted that our kids healthy immune systems would handle it fine and that they'd come out on the other side with lifelong immunity. My only concern was if we were ever going to catch it since CP immunization is common now and the disease is kind of on the run. But then Andy kindly generated it for us himself with a not-so-fun round of shingles. Poor guy. He's better now, Elsa is on the mend and Iris is watching for her "pops" to pop. We'll keep you posted.

Happy Monday.