Damn, it's been crazy. I've barely had any time to myself to write, or anything. Two of my last four days off have been visiting family – always a good time, but being an introvert, it's not re-charging time. Yesterday was a total housework day, and we both worked like we expected the Queen to visit. Fortunately, Calli was in good spirits, so we could do what needed to be done. Then we had the oh-so-clever idea to reward ourselves with a bottle of wine on the patio. With a mix of fatigue and pollution, we weren't too productive today ;)
Calli got us all excited with her standing a couple weeks ago, but now she hardly does it! It's a little disappointing, but I know that once she's walking, there'll be no keeping up with her, so I'm just relishing it while it's relatively easy. When I was talking to my dad about it, he broached the topic of the leash. It seemed that he was trying to be delicate, expecting us to be 'Liberal' and free-range with our parenting. Andrea and I both have a healthy dose of Hippie, and believe she should be free to discover on her own. We also believe that she'll discover more if she doesn't get lost or hit by a car. We're all about the leash.
I was thinking of this when I saw a mother in a store tell her child to hold onto the buggy. I'm pretty confident that even the best-behaved child can get distracted and wander off, so perhaps some handcuffs would be in order. Of course, steel cuffs would be just cruel, we'd need the furry ones.
You may have heard that last week, southern Ontario, and the states in the Great Lake region got a natural hammering. First, there was an earth quake – the first I've heard of in this region. Then that night, tornadoes touched down. Midland, where my parents and sister work lost a car dealership, a factory, and – wait for it – a mobile home park. Really, I didn't just make that up. I'm really glad that we didn't just legalize gay marriage, of pot, or else we'd be hearing from Fundamentalists about how we were being punished, or warned. So, what were we being warned about? Well, it was days before the G8 & G20 Conferences. Then, at the end of the Conferences, Toronto experienced some flooding! They said it was from the rain, but I think it was from fire-hosing so many protesters!
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Great to see you back. always a back log of housework to come too.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Yvonne.
Wow sounds like crisis week for you. Because of the volcano I think we might all see a lot of strange weather patterns for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI see nothing wrong with furry handcuffs.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't they know that mobile home parks attrack tornadoes? Have they learned nothing from the South?
Will, is your family in Midland, Michigan, or is there also a Midland, Ontario? Sorry their community got hit so hard! I'm in Ann Arbor and it missed us, but not by enough that it wasn't a little scary. I remember one other 'earthquake' since we lived here (since 2000) but that one was south, so I'm not surprise this is the first you remember. Detroit was in a panic at what I would call a 'mild jostle'. Tornados though, ARE FREAKY.
ReplyDeleteCalli will walk! My feeling on leashes depends on locations--I'm not enthusiastic, but find them practical if you are somewhere highly populated. In a smaller community, I am more a free-form gal. My kids were born in Portland, Oregon and we moved here when they were 5 and 1.5. My daughter (5) the first time her newly relaxed Ann Arbor mom walked around a corner at a grocery store SHRIEKED "MOM! SOMEONE'S GUNNA TAKE ME!" I had appropriately instilled a paranoia which has never left. My son, on the other hand, is fearless.
Good grief - glad you lived to blog about it!
ReplyDeleteMarvin D Wilson
I heard about that earthquake and thought it seemed kind of unusual.
ReplyDeleteI was always a parent who believed strongly in letting my kids explore and test things out on their own, but I would shadow them carefully to make sure nothing was too dangerous. Of course this never worked too well once they became teenagers and really needed to be watched. Fortunately we all survived and they seem to have emerged fairly unscathed. Now they can take my role as they keep track of their own kids.
Lee
Tossing It Out
I, too think there is a time and place for the leash. Airports...oh, yeah!
ReplyDeleteYes, there are a certain % of us, that love to blame Mother Nature, for our troubles...sad, but true~
Hope you and yours have a Happy 4th~
As a Fundamentalist Wannabe, I'm offended!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Will .. well you achieved something .. and not having children .. I've been told the pre walking period is bliss!! You'll be exhausted shortly running after Calli ..?!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the time .. and please keep your poor weather .. we've had a blissful 2 weeks .. ever since they built a roof for the Centre Court at Wimbledon .. it has hardly been used!
Have fun .. Hilary