Six Cousins and a Funeral

Jumping Rope

With the advent of Annabelle's new rope jumping skills has come a slough of songs and rhymes to jump to. (She can jump forty jumps in a row now and is practicing how to jump backwards!) Some rhymes she makes up, others she learns in kindergarten, and still others she learns from children in aftercare.

Handy spandy sugardy candy, french almond rock

Bread and butter for your supper's all your mother's got!

Today she was eager to get home to say her latest rhyme:


Mommy's in the tree, eat-ing porridge!
Here comes a baby in a baby carriage!

That's not all! That's not all!

Baby's drinking alcohol!

I rested my forehead in my hand and begged God not to let her say that in kindergarten tomorrow.

Juice

I have begun to juice. 


It is probably one of the nicest things I have done for myself. And far easier than I ever expected, including all the prep of washing vegetables and cleaning the juicer afterward. I enthusiastically recommend it for everyone and can hardly think about how I made it through so many years without juicing.


And though I've ventured into juicing mustard greens, collard greens, celery, and lettuce, I find that I gravitate towards a carrot / spinach / beet / apple combination most of the time. Which probably isn't too adventurous. But it tastes really yummy. Way yummier than a cup of coffee. I make some in the evening and include enough for an extra bottle to take with me to school in the morning to drink during recess. It works well.


The motivation to juice comes along with many recent changes in an effort to become healthier. I've given up caffeine. And wheat. And dairy (except for a occasional slice of cheese on my sandwich). I've stopped eating meat in the evenings. And I'm going to bed early. And I'm spending some time being unproductive, which is nearly the most productive thing I've ever done.


Annabelle shows avid interest in juicing, though is less committed to actually drinking the juice. I sent in a bag full of the leftover pulp and fiber to her kindergarten and they dropped it into the big stock pot of kindergarten soup. Annabelle came home calling it Fairy Food. Cute.


It's not a perfect science, and there are more changes coming soon. But the effect is very good: I am calmer and more easily living in the moment. I've also had some pretty surprising thoughts, like "I want to go camping." When I said that out loud Dave stared at me with wide eyes. "I'm serious" I said, "Look!" And I showed him my newly acquired membership card for REI. The last time I was in REI was seven or eight years ago when Dave got a rain jacket. And that was the first time.


So last night, after our anniversary dinner, we went to REI and looked at tents and sleeping bags. I looked at every single sleeping bag until I found one I liked. I thought it was perfect for me, a red-orange color combo with flowers on the inside. Then Dave pointed out it was a child's sleeping bag. Oh. So I have a lot to learn.


But so far so good. 

Twelve Years

I was married to my husband on this day nine years ago in a little chapel in Oakland.


It was a very good day.


This morning we listened to this and it made us cry, maybe you might like it too: Click here.