The McElroy Chronicles

Catch Up

2009-06-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Somehow, I've managed to keep up on Facebook and my work life, but I am woefully remiss in updating this blog! So much to catch up on!

Since our last episode, we had a wonderful visit with Nana and Atman at the end of May. Thomas was off having a blast in Texas at Flipside for most of their visit, but I had a great time with them and the kids. Much fun was had adventuring around Portland and playing in the backyard.

And we had a wonderful excursion to the top of Rocky Butte to play in Joseph Wood Hill Park and admire the view.

This past week, Imogen turned 21 months old. She talks a blue streak, has tea parties, and has learned to count to 10 from her big brother. And we FINALLY got to turn her car seat around so she can see where we're going! Here are the monthly comparison photos of Imogen and Elliot at 21 months old.

More to come soon, I promise! But now I'm off to take Elliot on a "special Mama and Elliot time" adventure - his pick. To the Hawthorne Fred Meyer to ride the elevator and get popsicles!

What's Your 20?

2009-05-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here I am! I've been a busy bee, working mostly on the Soapstone raffle. But on this fine afternoon I must take a few minutes to update you on the latest McElroy news.

First up, Imogen turned 20 months old this week. She continues to be delightful and opinionated. She is talking in 2 and 3-word phrases now and showers her brother with affection about as much as she tells him "no!". She's still a wee thing, yet to hit 20 pounds, but I'm holding out hope that we'll be able to turn her car seat around before she's two! Here are this month's sibling comparison photos.

After a long, rainy winter and spring, the warm weather is finally making a return to Portland this weekend. The kids and I got outside this morning before school for a little photo shoot.

And some plant inspection...

But the most exciting news around here is that Elliot was accepted to the Creative Science School, a focus program through the Portland Public Schools, for kindergarten this fall. CSS was our top choice of all the charter schools and focus programs we visited, so we are thrilled. We think Elliot is going to do very well with the Storyline methodology they use for teaching, and we're excited about having him among typical peers. We like that the school is K-8, and that 8th graders are paired as mentors with the kindergartners. And it was the only school we visited in which the kindergarten teacher was actually enthusiastic about the prospect of having a child on the autism spectrum in her classroom. There are several kids on the spectrum at the school, and they have done very well. The school is supportive and honors each child's individual strengths, challenges, and learning styles, and we think it will be the perfect place for Elliot for the next nine years.

We are of course sad to leave the most wonderful School of Autism, where Elliot has been a student for the past two years. But it is the work that the staff at SOA have done with Elliot - academically, socially, and sensorily - that has prepared him to enter a mainstream school. Elliot is a master of his academic benchmarks, so now he can spend his transition year working on his social goals and making new friends (though we still plan to see our amazing friends at SOA!). Woo hoo!!

Happy weekend, everyone!

To the Dogs

2009-04-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm an animal person. My very first job as a teenager was cleaning out kennels at a veterinary clinic, and I loved it. As a kid, I rescued strays (well, I still do that) and created a pet cemetery in our backyard for our ridiculous amount of pets - hamsters, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs, newts, snakes, fish, and birds (the dog and cats are not buried there). And anyone who knows me knows that I'm also a cat person (and am probably bound to end up as a crazy cat lady in my old age). But despite my love of animals, I'm not a dog person, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I like that cats, for the most part, take care of themselves, and they don't mind if you take off for a week and leave them with a bowl of food and the toilet open. They purr and kill the mice in the garage (and the house). Dogs, on the other hand, are just way too high maintenance for me. They leave piles of poop all over the yard for you to step in, are always following you around or getting up in your face (I already have two children who do that, thank you very much), they bark and whine if you leave them for a few hours (I have two children who do that, too), and you have to plan ahead if you want to skip town for the weekend without them. Plus they trash hardwood floors.

So I'm a cat person. I've decided that cat people know cats are cats, and that's why we love them. Dog people (and I know and love many of you!) think dogs are people (a la dressing them up in knit sweaters and taking them to the doggie spa). I have a fondness for Cesar Millan (yes, that's the Dog Whisperer) precisely because he's a dog person who knows dogs are dogs, and he loves them for it. (Though I will admit that I loved my childhood poodle-mutt-dog, Mops, and I fell in love with a co-worker's rat terrier, Fred, at my last job. I even let him lick my face - the dog, not the coworker- and that ought to tell you something!)

All that aside, I wanted to officially say a fond farewell to our dog, Oscar. We got Oscar back in 2000, and most of you know that within a year he got hit by a car, which dislocated his back hip and paralyzed his front leg. He was a great dog. He was super smart and could do dozens of cool tricks. And despite the fact that he drove me crazy following me around and barking if we left him out in the yard, I kind of liked him. When I got pregnant with Imogen and we moved to the new house, we decided to find Oscar a home with someone who could give him more attention than we could and who didn't have small children, since the pain in his hip (which developed arthritis) often made him ornery. The last couple of years, he lived with Thomas's former paralegal, her partner, their preteen daughter, and another dog. He was happy. We found out recently that they had to make the heartbreaking decision to put Oscar down after he bit a couple of people, including a young child, when they accidentally touched his hip. He was in a lot of pain. We'll miss you, good buddy.

In unrelated dog news, our gorgeous dogwood tree is in full bloom.

Hooray for Portland in the springtime!

Hyperlexia Journal is Online!

2009-04-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

I hope y'all will take a few minutes to check out the first issue of Hyperlexia, an online journal of poetry and prose celebrating the autism spectrum. My good friend Kerry founded the journal with her friend Phoebe, and they invited me to be the poetry editor. We received a wonderful batch of submissions for our first issue, which has just gone live in time for National Autism Awareness Month. Let me know what you think!

Though today we're back to our usual April weather of 50s, sunbreaks, and rain showers, we had 85 degree weather earlier this week. The kids and I took advantage of the unseasonal sunshine to head for McCoy Park near Elliot's school. Here are a couple of shots of the fun that was had.

This is also my own personal Happy Birthday to Everyone Week! I know more people with birthdays this week than any other week of the year (although the last 2 weeks of September are a close second!). So, happy birthday to Soren, Tanner, Milo (all today!), Erin, Christina (Saturday), Lisa, Christine, and Matt (Sunday). Maybe Connie and Russ will add to this week's birthdays - their baby is due 4/30 - but I'm betting on the full moon on 5/9. What better gift for Mother's Day than a new wee one? I plan to spend Mother's Day weekend painting our currently purple bathroom, sans kids! Stay tuned!

Honey Bunnies

2009-04-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a busy bee these days, mostly preparing for the new job and working on the Soapstone raffle. So please forgive the lack of blogging! But today Thomas has ventured off with both kids while I catch up on all things Soapstone, household, and writing-related.

First up, Imogen turned 19 months old this week. She is talking constantly these days, especially to Elliot. She calls him "brother", repeats anything he says to her, and brings him all sorts of toys to get his opinion. She also is a delightfully willful child (we'll see how I feel about this when she's a teenager), dramatically expressing her wants and desires. Here are this month's sibling comparison photos.

Last weekend, we had a wonderful time at Fez & Christine's 6th annual Easter party. The kids haven't figured it out yet, but Thomas has been playing the Easter bunny at this party since it began. Imogen was scared to death of the giant pink rabbit, but Elliot jumped around him with joy the entire time.

The kids had a great time hunting for Easter eggs and eating delicious treats. And of course showing off their dapper Easter duds.

And here's a rare shot of yours truly!

Now, alas, it's back to work! And then out to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine that is supposed to stick around all week (nanny nanny, boo boo you Coloradans!).

National Autism Poetry Month

2009-04-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

April is National Poetry Month. It's also National Autism Awareness Month. Last year, I spent the month of April posting about autism issues that affect our family as well as sharing some of my poetry about raising a child on the autism spectrum. Today I thought I'd share another one of my autism poems with you. This one is from a couple of years ago - I have to get my act together and write some poems about what things are like for us now!

Sensory Profile

I could pretend I know

what you’re thinking when

you’re spinning wheels, your eyes

intent on the turning, your body

remarkably still. Or spinning

yourself, never dizzying, eyes

tuned to the whirl of the room. You

are running now, back and forth,

circling, colliding your quick

little body over and over into

my body, or any soft thing.

The way you are immobilized

if I remove your shoes on the lawn.

How you hold out your hands

for me to brush off the sand, every grain

too overwhelming to touch.

How this food is not warm enough,

that one is too slimy, this one

is not a perfect rectangle. You melt

before my eyes, we rock and sing,

rock and sing, rock and sing.

iii

My driver’s window opening is acceptable –

fresh air. Your back window opening

sends you panicking like a trapped bird.

Your eyes widen and tear, you try

to lean away in your car seat. You are quiet,

terrified, eye of a storm about to shift.

But then the streetlamps set your eyes

steady, focused. You center and lean

into their glow, their simple illumination

of what a moment ago we couldn’t see,

what gradually moves into our view.

How you love to cross bridges.

Vibration of the steel under the car, lights

in neat, bright lines, the river beneath

a soft rushing, the bridge lifting us

to safe architecture of air. You love

the ones with perfect angles and x’s.

Those lit like a ladder of stars.

And the kind that were built improbably.

Lowered whole from the sky.

As many of you know, Elliot's main interest these days is still elevators. But instead of insisting that we pretend every doorway is an elevator when we move from room to room the way he did a couple of years ago, now he is very creative with his "elevator games," setting up elaborate elevator panels made from numbered blocks and complete with sound effects from his keyboard when the elevator arrives on each floor. He still goes on "elevator adventures" with Papa every weekend, as well. Here he is last weekend having a quiet moment on the Portland Aerial Tram to OHSU (the elevator at OHSU has 14 floors!).

Elliot also loves to draw pictures of elevators and people riding them, as you can see in this picture he drew this morning.

And I'll leave you today with these pictures of the kiddos enjoying the warm, sunny weather we had the last few days (we're back to rain tomorrow, alas!).

Gotta go. I've been instructed by Elliot that it's time to ride the elevator to the first floor!

Ya Gotta Love People

2009-03-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

People are so darn crazy sometimes, you just have to appreciate your silly fellow humans. Two examples from the past few days:

1. The kids and I were sitting in the car in the parking lot of Walgreen's , waiting for Mr. Vic Victor to get a prescription. As I was sitting there, I caught sight in my side view mirror, which had a view of the New Season's parking lot behind me, of a woman standing at the trunk of her car holding a pink hula hoop. She was probably around 60, with bright pink socks peeking out from under her long coat. She didn't appear to be waiting for anyone, or with anyone, or to otherwise have any reason to be hanging out at the back of her car in a crowded parking lot after loading up her groceries. She proceeded to slip the hula hoop over her head and attempt to swivel it with her hips, probably 3-4 times. She then tossed the hoop to the row of cars across from her and tossed her keys into it like she was playing lawn darts. Then she retrieved the hoop and put it into the back of her car with her groceries. It made my day.

2. When I drive Elliot to school, he likes to detour around the park on the way. Yesterday, while driving along the back side of the park, I noticed a man up ahead who had pulled his car to the side of the park and was unloading a large cage from the back. As we got closer, I could see that the cage was full of squirrels. I can only assume he had trapped them in his yard. (Can you really keep squirrels from hanging out in your yard? Futile, me thinks!) As we drove past, he lifted the door on the cage, and the squirrels went darting into the park. I hope they made friends and were accepted in their new neighborhood. And I've been left to wonder, what kind of person is bothered enough by squirrels in his yard that he wants to get rid of them, and yet soft-hearted enough to spend the time trapping them, driving them to a park, and releasing them to a "better" life?

And speaking of funny humans, I leave you with Miss Imogen modeling her new hat I picked up at the consignment sale last weekend for two bucks (and where I spent 1 1/2 hours in line - now who's the crazy one?).

Happy out like a lamb day (though we're getting plenty of rain here today - but the yard is abloom with daffodils, crocuses, camellia, and plum blossoms).

A Very Merry Half-Birthday

2009-03-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Imogen turned 18 months old last weekend. She's a little chatterbox these days, and even people outside of the family are starting to understand what she has to say. She makes animal noises and copies words Elliot says to her. She's also a good little helper, remembering where she stashed items she made off with when I wasn't looking and retrieving them for me when I ask.

So here are this month's sibling comparison photos - Elliot and Imogen each at one and a half years old.

In other news, if you haven't heard through the grapevine already, I have just been hired as the next Executive Director of Soapstone, a women's writing retreat near the Oregon coast. It's my dream job - part time from home, and for an organization I care deeply about - and I'm just thrilled. I'll be starting on June 15. Until then, I'll be getting up to speed on some aspects of the job and running the organization's summer raffle. If you have an item you'd like to donate to the raffle, please let me know (it's tax-deductible!). And I'll let you know when you can buy tickets!

Now back to the kiddos! We're at the end of spring break and everyone's glad school is starting back up tomorrow!

Emerald City Girls

2009-03-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Imogen, who is eating Fritos with apple yogurt as I write this, experienced her third girls' weekend in Seattle last weekend. This time, we were also joined by Tess's practically-daughter, Emilie. And even though the weather was completely dreadful, including snow, wind, rain, and near-freezing temperatures, we still had a fantastic time.

First up, the now-traditional photo of Imogen with the Space Needle (you can see the pictures from the previous two trips here and here - notice that she's wearing the same hat at 6 months, 13 months, and 18 months - such a petite thing!).

We also had Grayson's velociraptor along with us again, and so of course we had to photograph him all over Seattle. First up, here he is having some ice cream with Imogen at the Cold Stone Creamery.

And here he is visiting Pike Place Market.

And of course he had to try on some shoes at Nordstrom's.

And here he is on our last morning in town, posing with the super nice guy from The Crumpet Shop.

Last up, here I am with Emilie and Tess (Imogen is riding on my back, even though she didn't make it into the picture), posing outside the yummy donut shop by our hotel (yummmmm, donuts!).

We're already looking forward to our next trip! And stay tuned in the next couple of days for the 18-month sibling comparison photos. Happy spring!

Nice Try, Kid

2009-03-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Elliot asked if he could have a new baby. He decided he'd like another sister. It was a pretty adorable conversation. (I didn't tell him there was no way it was going to happen in a million years.)

Then, driving home from school one day last week, Elliot looked around the back seat of our Subaru and asked, "Where are we going to put the car seat for the new baby? There's no room back here." Apparently he's still thinking about this whole baby notion. I said we'd need a mini-van like Papa Pat. And then I asked, "Why do you want another baby? Isn't Imogen good enough?"

Elliot considered the question for a moment. Then he said, "She takes things. That's why she's not good enough." I see. Nice try, kid.

What A Long, Strange Week It's Been

2009-03-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

What a week we've had! On the Wednesday morning that Bubba Joe and P. were due to arrive last week, Imogen started puking, which continued in unpredictable increments over the next three days. On Friday morning, Elliot joined his sister in the puking department, and I joined them on Friday night. And while the kids were sick and laying around like lumps, Thomas didn't move from bed for five days, flattened by some sort of cold/flu bug (which he is still fighting, now coupled with the stomach bug). Elliot came down with the cold, which is accompanied by a hacking cough, on Saturday (and he still has the cough). And now I have the cold. We were a joy to visit with, let me tell you.

To my credit, I did call my dad and Pam at 4am while they were getting ready to go to the airport to warn them about the den of sickness they were about to enter in case they wanted to reconsider, but they decided to brave it. Luckily, Pam escaped unscathed, but unfortunately we sent Bubba Joe home with the cold. Don't say I didn't warn you! But we hope you're feeling better, Bubba Joe!

Despite the illnesses, we did have some nice times with Bubba Joe and P.

We even made it out to Ikea one morning.

But most of the time with the kids was spent like this:

And though Thomas stayed home with sick kids, the rest of us made it to the School of Autism auction on Saturday night and had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who attended, entered the raffle, and donated items!

So it's not all gloom and doom around here. To prove it, here are a couple of shots of pure cuteness. First up, Imogen doing her best ballerina impression.

And a rare, happy snuggle between the siblings.

Onward to getting healthy!

Tagline

2009-02-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

The other day, we caught a blurb on the news in passing in which an individual (not sure if it was a victim or the bad guy) was summed up with the line, "Friends say he was a web surfer who liked dogs." Which got me thinking, what would my tagline be? Thomas decided that he would be "divorce attorney and father of two." All true, but definitely not as random and interesting as "web surfer who liked dogs." Thomas also speculated that I would be "housewife and mother of two." This depressed me a little. I mean, I love my kids, and I love that I can be home with them, but I don't think that line sums me up at all. But hopefully I won't need a tagline for the news anytime soon. And by the time I do, it'll probably contain some reference to a crazy cat lady.

In other news, I've been knitting, knitting, knitting for all the new babies being welcomed to the world this winter and spring. First up, here is Idgie modeling the hat I made for baby Cora.

Elliot has been pretty artsy himself, lately. Here is a drawing he made of our family on the trampoline (trampolines make great canvases, by the way). He decided to erase the sad-faced Elliot right away, though. (The sad-faced Little Critter, that is. Elliot has decided that his name is Little Critter now, after the Mercer Mayer character in the books he loves.)

And here is Elliot, apparently getting ready to audition for the Blue Man Group.

And Papa has become quite the hair stylist this week. He was the first to give Imogen her single top-of-the-head ponytail a couple of months back, and now he's moved on to pigtails. Two pigtails are super cute (nostril shot not withstanding)...

...but three pigtails are even cuter. Thomas calls this look "The Bjork".

And here are both kiddos enjoying the unseasonable sunshine we had last weekend. Spring is coming, we can just feel it!!

So, I'm off to work on becoming a more interesting tagline. Then I'll feel worthy of being "mother of two" to "energetic boy who loves elevators" and "impossibly cute girl who loves kitty cats." What would your tagline be?

I Heart

2009-02-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We never make a big deal about the holiday here at the McElroy household (except, of course, for the meatloaf), but this year I just couldn't resist dressing Miss Idgie up for the occasion.

You want to be her Valentine now, don't you? Plus, today is also her 17-month birthday. Imogen has been having a language explosion these last couple of weeks, and most of what comes out of her mouth these days sounds like actual words. When she really wants something, she can be particularly articulate! So, here are this month's sibling comparison photos - Elliot and Imogen at 17 months old.

On another note, many of you may have gotten excited about the release of the movie Coraline this past week. We haven't seen it yet (though we really want to!), but there's an even more exciting Cora to announce this week! My cousin Tim and his wife Elexis had a baby girl, Cora Rhiannon, on Tuesday, February 10th. Hooray! Little Cora is cute as a button, and I wish I was in Colorado to meet her and cook dinner for her parents. Here is the new family.

Welcome to the adventure of parenthood, you guys! Before you know it, little Cora will be donning spectacularly cute girly duds and sitting on your lap to read you a story, like this.

Now I'm off to eat some chocolate. Because that's what Valentine's Day is really all about, right?

One Fish, Blue Fish

2009-02-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Now that I have kiddos, I appreciate many things about my parents that I didn't realize were pretty damn cool when I was growing up. For instance, my mom used to bake bread and create gourmet dinners with inspiration from all corners of the globe, and my sister and I would still beg for Wonder Bread and feed rejected forkfuls of our meals to the dog. Despicable.

My parents also let us have pretty much any pet we wanted (though I never did get that ferret or a horse), and we always had multitudes of them. Despite the fact that my dad was horrified by rodents, we had rats (thanks to Mrs. White, my uber cool first grade teacher who also played the saw for us), gerbils, hamsters, and guinea pigs. We had the usual cats and family dog, but we also had parakeets, a cockatiel, newts, and snakes (thanks to Mrs. Jones, my uber cool fourth grade teacher who kept a live rattlesnake in her basement and left us halfway through the year to become a park ranger).

I still have a herd of cats, and though we no longer have a dog, we keep chickens and a duck. I love being surrounded by animals, and Imogen loves them, too. Elliot, however, has never shown much interest in anything zoologic. He liked our dog Oscar for awhile, but now he is mostly wary of dogs, even though he's also amused by Nancy and Vic's crazy dachsund, Clancy.

But a couple of weeks ago, while out on an adventure with Nona and Mr. Vic Victor (visiting the Pet Smart to get supplies for Clancy), Elliot asked if he could have a fish. Neither Thomas nor I has ever been able to get Elliot into a pet store while out on elevator adventures in malls, but that's what grandparents are for, right? Not to mention that, other than food, Elliot never requests anything. Nona called us up, and Elliot asked Papa if he could please have a fish. So we let Nona buy him a fish.

Elliot named him Blue Fish. Here he is, hanging out in his little bowl in Elliot's room. (Note: it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to take a picture of a fish.)

Blue Fish is very low maintenance. We give him fresh water once a week or so, and he only eats every three days. He's pretty and likes looking at his reflection. And Elliot likes to talk to him while setting up blocks on the desk to use as elevator buttons.

Right along with his sister, Elliot has been having a language explosion these days. It's been wonderful to hear him talk about things he did at school, how he'd like to have friends over to play, what he's thinking about and feeling, and what he wants. What's one more pet when it's such a big step for our boy?

So welcome, Blue Fish. You're a nice addition to our zoo.

Headline: Scientists Successfully Relocate Old Faithful to Portland, Ore.

2009-02-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

'Twas a lovely Thursday morning. Thomas had just headed down the stairs to leave for work. I was in the bathroom changing Imogen's diaper and getting her dressed, and Elliot was entertaining us by singing a song on the ukulele. While standing on the water supply line for the toilet, it turns out. What happened next Elliot describes as follows: "It rained in the bathroom."

Yup. Suddenly, a huge geyser shot out of the base of the toilet, hitting the ceiling directly above the changing table. Elliot escaped, screaming, with only a few drops on the back of his pants. Imogen and I looked like we'd just stepped out of a downpour, however. I scooped up Imogen, naked and soaked, and went screaming out of the bathroom myself, hollering for Thomas. Our hero came dashing up the stairs (he luckily hadn't made it out the door yet), thinking one of the children was hurt. He had more wits about him than I did, and he turned off the water supply to the toilet while the three of us panted and dripped at the bathroom door.

There was water everywhere. On the ceiling, dripping down the walls, inside the photographs, in every bin of diapers and extra toilet paper rolls. It took our entire supply of towels to mop up. Here is a picture of the aftermath, drying everything off while our clothes tumbled about in the dryer.

Thank goodness for husbands who can fix anything. One trip to Home Depot and 5 minutes of bolt tightening, and we were right as rain. So to speak.

In other news, Imogen had her first real fall last weekend. Elliot was never a climber, but I regularly find Imogen on top of chairs and tables, perched precariously and giggling her head off. Last Saturday, she did a flip over the side of a chair and onto the hardwood floor, resulting in a huge goose egg above her left eye and a big scratch next to her nose. She was just fine, but I admit to panicking about the possibility of a concussion for the next 24 hours. Such a daredevil girl.

But as you can see, she has recovered nicely.

And here she is hamming it up, having a bath (she still fits in the sink!), and then snuggling with her papa.

Here's to an uneventful weekend...

Going Once...

2009-01-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

I want to invite all of you here in town to attend the 3rd annual auction at Elliot's school, School of Autism. The school is a private nonprofit, so the proceeds from the annual auction are integral to the school's budget. This year, the school plans to use a portion of the proceeds to buy land and build a larger school so that they can eventually expand to serve children on the autism spectrum aged preschool through 8th grade (the school currently has students in preschool, kindergarten, and 1st/2nd grade).

Here are the details for the auction:

Saturday, February 28th, 2009
6-10pm
Portland Art Museum, Sunken Ballroom

We've received many fabulous donations, which you can read about on the website linked above. Tickets are $75 each, and you can purchase them here. Please tell all your friends! We hope you'll support this worthy cause, even in these tough economic times. The school is the only one of its kind in the region, and it has made a huge difference in the lives of many families with children on the spectrum.

I don't know what we would have done without the school these past couple of years. Elliot has made amazing progress while at the school, and he just loves attending. As proof, I offer you this photograph of Elliot with his best friend, Sammy.

Thanks to all of you who donated items this year:

Thomas - preparation of a simple will through his law firm.
Dad - signed books by Barbara Kingsolver and Larry McMurtry and two limited edition prints by illustrator Shaun Tan.
Vic - original shadowbox mixed media artwork.
Phyllis - framed needlework Holly Hobby picture.
John - gorgeous 1950s earrings and brooch set from Decades Vintage Company.
Kevia - beautiful gold and blue topaz necklace and matching earrings from her collection.
Kate - 4 handmade skirts from Hazel Blue.
Chris - two gift certificates for classes at Lost Arts Kitchen.
Allegra - Feldenkrais session and bodywork from her colleagues at Anisha.
Kent - skateboard deck signed by Tony Hawk.
Christopher & Nancy - Peter Yarrow Puff the Magic Dragon gift basket and model ships from The Monkey & The Rat.
Mitch - hair cut and color from Spank! salon.
Pat - symphony tickets, Opera broadcast tickets, and classical CDs.

We hope to see y'all at the auction! Heck, if nothing else, it's a great excuse to get dolled up, and how often do you get to do that in Portland? I'm already excited about donning my velvet dress and hip stockings. I'm even going to wear heels. Y'all gotta show up to see that!

Handed Down

2009-01-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

Most families have some sort of unique tradition that is handed down from one generation to the next. And I'm not talking about holiday traditions or family recipes. I'm talking about something more unique and unusual. One of the traditions in my family has to do with a sailor suit that belonged to my grandfather (on my mother's side) when he was a boy in the 1920s.

This particular sailor suit has been impeccably preserved. My favorite part about it is the label, which reads, "Jack Tar Togs. Rub 'Em, Tub 'Em, Scrub 'Em. They Come Up Smiling."

Every boy on my mother's side of the family has been photographed in this sailor suit: my grandfather, my uncle Tom, my cousins Rory, Tim, and Peter, my nephew Grayson, and now Elliot. I imagine my cousin Meghann's son Tanner will be next, but he's still too little. My aunt Sandy is in the process of putting together a collection of all of the photos, and I can't wait to see it.

I confess, I had the sailor suit in my possession for more than a year before we photographed Elliot. I was completely overwhelmed by the prospect of getting him to put something unfamiliar on his body and then to sit still in it and hopefully smile. But we promised him Play Doh afterward, and Elliot did an admirable job (especially since we had to tuck the shorts into the elastic of his underwear to hold them up - they were several inches too big!). We managed to get a couple dozen photos in the span of five minutes. Here are some of my favorite shots.

My mother then hand-carried the suit back to Colorado with her (we never ship it or pack it in luggage - it's always accompanied by a chaperone!). My very favorite picture, though not the one that will be used for the compilation, is this in-between poses moment.

You'd never know he was covered in Play Doh and singing Modest Mouse songs at the top of his lungs five minutes later. That's our boy.

Forced Simplicity

2009-01-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

I've recently become acquainted with the term forced simplicity. It's something a lot of us may find ourselves experiencing in this rough economy. Y'all may be familiar with the concept of downshifting, which is a type of voluntary simplicity that pays attention to sustainability and environmental impact in our daily lives. Forced simplicity involves taking a look at how we live our lives and what we can change because, well, we need to pinch some pennies. We're living simpler lives because we have to. And some of us are finding that we kinda like it.

Here are a few ideas our family has implemented or is considering that save us money as well as lessen our impact on the planet.

***Buy locally, and buy in bulk.*** It's cheaper to buy locally, since the cost of transport is not a factor. And no transport means no gas, and that's good for our environment. Supporting your local farmers and business owners also makes for a stronger community and creates jobs in your own neighborhoods. And you don't have to go to Costco to buy in bulk. Many areas have farm delivery services such as Azure Standard which bring local produce, meats, and natural products directly to you. And consider making an investment in a large freezer so you can buy a portion of a cow, pig, lamb, or several fresh chickens directly from the farmer.

***Garden and preserve.*** Even if you don't have space in your own yard to plant a garden, you should be able to find a community garden in your neighborhood. Seeds and starts are cheaper than a weekly trip to the market, and if you're so inclined, you can learn to can and preserve your bounty to last you through the winter months. If this idea strikes your fancy, I highly recommend the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

***Use cloth.*** You don't need to buy lots of paper products when you can use cloth for diapers, napkins, towels, and cleaning rags. And you can recruit your old socks, t-shirts, and other worn-out clothing for this purpose.

***Repurpose.*** Why throw something out when you can turn it into something useful, or into artwork?

***Reduce, Recycle.*** We just switched our garbage service to once monthly instead of weekly. We've cut the cost of our service in half, and we're making less garbage. Our recycling still gets picked up weekly, so we are conscious of recycling as much as possible and keeping what we throw out to a minimum.

***Pass it on!*** Instead of throwing something out that may still be useful to someone, pass it on! Give it to a charitable organization for a tax deduction or sell it on ebay or craigslist if you need some extra moolah. This tactic is especially great when you have kids.

***Buy used.*** Why use more plastic and other resources to create brand spanking new stuff when you can find the same thing used? Utilize ebay, craigslist, and your local consignment and thrift stores.

***Eat in.*** Cook! Invent! Use up all that food you grew yourself. Make your own coffee. Bring your lunch to work. Invite friends over for dinner.

***Cut out.*** Get rid of your land line. Get rid of cable (ok, we're actually not considering that one - I love me my cable). Get rid of a car!

***Make stuff.*** The best presents are the ones you make yourself. Sew, knit, crochet, collage, paint, photograph, sculpt, write, sing and play. Be creative!

***Barter and trade.*** Have a skill or a service to offer? Your friends probably do, too. Trade a massage for a painting, a meal for darning socks. Oh, the possibilities!

***Get a roomie.*** Roommates aren't just for college anymore. They can help with the bills! They can pay part of the mortgage! They can cook! They can babysit!

Happy simplifying!

Ah, Distinctly I Remember...

2009-01-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each McElroy household member was too busy to blog more.
Eagerly our readers waited; - curiosity unabated
For a blog entry much belated -were there McElroys anymore?
Where were the rare and radiant children who appeared herein before?
Quoth the blogger, 'Nevermore!'

But seriously, we're back. Can you ever forgive such a long hiatus, oh best beloveds? And now that I'm mixing my literary references, I'd best get on with it. I have quite a few new photos and videos to share with you today, and then I promise to get back to posting once or twice a week. Hold me to it!

We've had a busy January. First up, the end to the holiday season is here encapsulated in this video of the demise of our Christmas tree.

And here are some shots of the antics Elliot and Imogen have been up to this month. I call this first one "macaroni head".

As you can see here, Imogen has learned to climb into and on top of just about everything in the house, the dining room table and the dishwasher included.

And here's a little dress up fun - Elliot in an outfit he created himself (you can never wear too many hats, I always say), and Imogen in the super cute dress the Mazzaras gave her for Christmas.

This past week we had a fabulous visit with Nana and Atman. After days and days of rain, we finally got a little bit of sunshine.

On their last night in town, Nana and Atman got to enjoy the holiday concert at Elliot's school, which had been rescheduled due to the snow before the break. The kids did a fantastic job, and Elliot loved singing with all of his friends in his first concert ever. Here are a couple of numbers from the grand event.

And last up, here are the 16-month sibling comparison photos. Imogen turned 16 months old this week, and her latest tricks mostly involve climbing (see above) and pointing at things while exclaiming "dat!" until someone gives them to her. Here are Elliot and Imogen, each at 16 months old.

We'll see how Miss Idgie (who Elliot is now calling "Idg", which we just adore) is looking next month, but this may be where the comparison photos diverge a bit, since Elliot got his hair cut for the first time when he was 16 months old, and I just can't bear to snip a hair on Imogen's pretty head. Here is Elliot after his first haircut.

A very Happy New Year to all of you! More to come soon, I promise, promise, promise!

Fa La La La La

2008-12-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas here at the McElroy household. We had an easy-going day, watching the snow, opening presents, and snacking to our hearts' content. Here's a little sample of our holiday.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly.

'Tis the season to be jolly.

Don we now our gay apparel.

Troll the ancient Yule tide carol.

See the blazing Yule before us.

Strike the harp and join the chorus.

Follow me in merry measure.

While I tell of Yuletide treasure.

Fast away the old year passes.

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses.

Sing we joyous, all together.

Heedless of the wind and weather.

Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Take 5

2008-12-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hello from Snowpocalypse 2008! On days like this when I lived in Colorado, I would hunker down with a good book. That's hard to do with two cabin-fevered children running about, but it inspired me to share my top five book lists with you, in case you need some recommended reading for the next time you're snowed in. So, here are my top five top fives (interspersed with new snow photos for you).

Top 5 Novels

1. In the City of Shy Hunters by Tom Spanbauer, a Portland local. It's the story of a gay man who moves to New York City during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and the people he befriends there. But it's oh so much more, and brilliantly written.

2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I think this one is her masterpiece. It's the story of an Evangelical Baptist who takes his family on a mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959 and is told from the perspective of his wife and daughters.

3. The Bone People by Keri Hulme. It's the story of an unusual friendship between a Maori woman artist and a little boy that takes place along the New Zealand Sea.

4. Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie (and it's short story companion, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven). The stories of Thomas-Builds-the-Fire and the other members of the Spokane Indian reservation.

5. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. It's the story of what happens when an opera singer and several other guests are taken hostage by terrorists during a dinner party at the vice-president's home in an unnamed South American country.

I'm cheating. I can't do novels in less than 10. I tried, but I just can't.

6. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. The biblical story of Jacob from the women's points of view.

7. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. The story of a twin sister and brother set in India in the 1960s.

8. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. The story of a newspaperman living on the Newfoundland coast.

9. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water byMichael Dorris. A story of three generations of women, set in Seattle and a reservation in Montana.

10. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. Set in Alabama in the 1930s, the story of Idgie Threadgoode as told through the eyes of a relative at a nursing home to a younger woman at a turning point in her life.

Top 5 Books of Poetry

1. Words Under the Words by Naomi Shihab Nye.
2. In Mad Love and War by Joy Harjo.
3. Vesper Sparrows by Deborah Digges.
4. The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds.
5. Transformations by Anne Sexton.

Top 5 Non-Fiction Books

1. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. His memoir of growing up in Limerick, Ireland.

2. Everyday Acts and Small Subversions by Anndee Hochman. Profiles of women doing extraordinay things with their daily lives.

3. The Autism Trail Guide: Postcards From the Road Less Traveled by Ellen Notbohm. A collection of essays about raising a child on the autism spectrum.

4. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Her account of the year her family spent growing their own food and eating locally and how it permanently and positively impacted their lives.

5. First Comes Love by Marion Winik. Her heartbreaking memoir of her husband who died of AIDS.

Top 5 Young Adult Novels

1. Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye. The story of an Arab-American 14-year old girl who moves from St. Louis back to her father's home in Jerusalem.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. No explanation necessary.

3. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Again, no explanation needed (what is it with young adult novelists and using initials for their first names, anyway?).

4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Part of a sci-fi series I loved as a child.

5. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. A fantastical adventure tale.

Top 5 Children's Book Illustrators
(Again, I'm cheating. I have a huge collection and couldn't pick just five books.)

1. Shaun Tan.
2. Christopher Myers.
3. Lizbeth Zwerger.
4. Gennady Spirin.
5. Barry Moser.

What's missing? Let me know which of your favorites I left out!

Ice, Ice Baby

2008-12-21T17:53:00.000-08:00

Well, perhaps I should not have mocked the weather in my last post. Because now Portland has been blasted with one of those ice storms we get every few years that completely shuts the city down. The last ice storm I remember was 5 years ago, when Elliot was 3 months old. It was the first week of January, 2004, and I was due to go back to work from maternity leave. I went back for one day, and then the ice storm hit. I got to work from home for the rest of the week, which was fantastic.

This time around, though, I'm ready for spring to come to Narnia. It's a bummer to be iced in with two young children. We've already played in the snow, watched Blue's Clues, created fantastic works of art, played on the computer, banged on the drums, and played hide-and-seek more times than I can count. Not to mention endless rounds of the elevator game. I would now like to go somewhere. However, this is what my car currently looks like.

It is snowing again now, and it's supposed to continue snowing for the rest of the week. Looks like those holiday cards I was going to mail tomorrow aren't going to make it to their destinations in time for Christmas (sorry, y'all!). I'm hoping it will at least get warm enough to melt the ice so we can get some groceries for Christmas dinner (and that Nancy, Vic, and Patrick will all make it over here on Christmas Eve - where they may have to spend the night!).

But it is completely gorgeous outside. Here are a few photos for you of our winter wonderland.

And here is Thomas having a little fun with the 1/4 inch thick sheets of snow and ice blanketing our lawn.

Elliot has been having a great time in the snow, though. Here he is bundled up and then making snow angels with Nona.

When we're not out playing in the snow, we're keeping warm and cozy inside. Here is Imogen riding around in Papa's overalls (who needs a baby carrier when you have Carhartt's?).

And last but not least, here is the super fly elevator panel I scored from an elevator repair company to give to Elliot for Christmas.

It is going to completely blow his mind, and I really can't wait to give it to him. The guy at the elevator company (who shall remain nameless) was just fantastic, finagling a way to get a real elevator part for me. Since there are liability issues, the company isn't allowed to give away parts removed from elevators they've worked on, but we of course just found this little puppy by the side of a dumpster (wink, wink). Thomas is going to build some sort of frame around it to make it safe and stable (it's about 2 feet tall and weighs quite a bit). But I'm still on a high from the score. Snow or no snow, ice or no ice, it's going to be the best Christmas ever!

Status Update

2008-12-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

You know you're spending too much time on Facebook when you start thinking in status updates. Maybe you have an interesting interaction with a stranger at the grocery store, or something clever occurs to you out of the blue and you think, wow, that would make a great status update! And then you think about updating your status for the entire drive home until you can get to your computer and log on to Facebook for the umpteenth time that day. It's pathetic, really. But I love it.

So here are a few status updates for you.

First up, a picture of Elliot's stitches. He got them out this morning with a few tears but plenty of cooperation. Here's our little Harry Potter.

We also got our first snow of the season this weekend. Portland completely freaks out when it snows. Sometimes it's warranted, like when we get an ice storm and you can't even walk out your front door without slipping on a 3-inch thick slab of ice. But most of the time it's kind of amusing to listen to the meteorologists talk about less than an inch of snow like it's an apocalyptic blizzard. Being from Colorado, it's annoying to have your kid home from school when the only thing on the street is a few snowflakes and the random patch of ice melting in the sun. Granted, some areas of town get hit harder than others. And believe me, even if you're one of those folks who grew up driving in snow, you do not want to be on the road with the rest of Portland's residents who don't know how to handle a car on ice.

So here's what Elliot did with our inch of snow.

In other news this week, Miss Idgie turned 15 months old. Her newest tricks are climbing up onto chairs and going backwards down the stairs at warp speed. She gets into more trouble than her brother ever did at this age! Here are two sets of 15-month sibling comparison photos.

And I just couldn't resist showing you this last picture, despite the overexposure. This is Imogen reaching for the camera.

We also put up our tree this past weekend and decked the halls - pictures to come soon! And y'all will have to wait a bit longer for video of Elliot's school holiday concert. It was scheduled for tomorrow but has been canceled due to "snow" (seriously, we're supposed to be hit with a doozy tomorrow - I'll believe it when I see it!). Look for storm confirmation in my next status update!

As Seen on TV: Take 2

2008-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

First up, a picture of the internet's next blogger. She may not be talking yet, but she already has plenty to say!

And now the story of the week. Y'all will remember Elliot's ordeal with an abscessed tooth last month and our series of visits to Dr. McDreamy. Well, the saga continues!

I'm a huge fan of TV medical dramas (ER, Grey's Anatomy, and House, specifically), but I don't really feel the need to live them out in my own life. And though I've never personally had to go to the ER, apparently it's part of being a parent.

On Thursday evening, just before bedtime, Elliot went running through the living room in stockinged feet, slipped, and hit his head on the side of the coffee table. There was blood everywhere, and much screaming, as he had a very deep gash about one inch wide over his left eye. While Thomas and a freaked-out Imogen stayed behind, Elliot and I headed off to the emergency room.

The doctor (who has a 16-year old son on the spectrum and was GREAT with Elliot, though alas, she was no McDreamy) took one look at Elliot's head and declared that no mere butterfly bandage or handy-dandy magic glue was going to fix this injury. It would have to be stitches. First, the nurse applied some numbing medicine directly to the cut, which apparently stung like crazy, and the trauma began.

We waited for 20 minutes for the area to be fully numb, and then the doctor tried to flush the wound with "just cooperation" from Elliot. This idea didn't work at all, since he was really freaked out by the water near his face, and at this point it was an hour past his bedtime and he'd had no dinner, so he was an exhausted little guy. In came the troops.

We took off Elliot's shirt, since the nurses warned he was going to get really hot (they were right). They then wrapped his upper body in a sheet so that his arms were immobilized by his sides, which he of course hated (who wouldn't?). Then one nurse held his head still while the other pretty much sat on the lower half of his body to keep him from moving while the doctor flushed the wound again and started the suturing. I was sitting next to him trying to talk to him and keep him calm, but he was completely hysterical. The doctor was fast, but it took FIVE stitches to close up the wound. When she was done, poor Elliot was sobbing and sweating and scared half to death. It was pretty horrible.

We did get to ride an elevator when we were done, though, and then Elliot had some animal crackers and a snack when we got home and cuddled up in bed with Papa to watch some videos on You Tube until he fell asleep (10:30pm!). It was quite an evening, but I'm happy to report that Elliot is doing just fine now and is back to his usual, spunky self. We have to go back to have the stitches removed on Tuesday, so wish us luck!

Before all the excitement this week, I did manage to take a couple of photos in a Santa hat self portrait session with the kids.

We're planning to decorate our tree tomorrow (possibly with a snow or ice storm raging outside), so stay tuned for festive holiday pictures soon!

Nightmare on the 13th Floor

2008-12-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Y'all know how much Elliot loves elevators. Most of the time, it's Thomas who takes him on adventures to ride elevators all over town on Saturday mornings (most recently, they checked out all the elevators on the Reed College campus). But I do my fair share of elevator riding, as well. Before Elliot's obsession began, I usually took the stairs. I'm not at all fond of elevators. They make me slightly dizzy, and I don't like being enclosed, especially in close proximity to strangers. But I've had to look my fear of elevators in the face for the sake of my fabulously quirky son. And, apparently, I'm working out that fear in my dreams.

Over the past few months, I've been having a recurring nightmare. I haven't had one of these since I was a kid. And it's not exactly a nightmare, since it's scary but not too scary, and it always turns out ok. In my dream, I'm in an elevator with various companions (none of which has ever been Elliot). Most recently it was Tess, but it has also been my best friend from elementary school who I haven't seen in a couple of decades. Go figure.

In every dream, the elevator ride seems to be taking much too long, and then the elevator detaches from the building and falls slowly through the air. It always manages to land safely - once in a field of snow, and most recently in the Willamette River (with a gorgeous aerial view of Portland on the way down). The elevator almost always lands with the doors on top and open, the passengers' heads peeking out. And even though I always land safely, the dreams are still disconcerting. I don't think you'd be able to pay me or lure me with any sort of temptation into one of those elevators on the outside of a building with glass all around.

But I do have a new appreciation of elevators, thanks to Elliot's fascination with them. And if ever I'm out and about somewhere with an elevator, Elliot expects that I will take a picture of it for him on my phone to show him when I come back home. We now have a heck of a lot of pictures like the ones below from my trip to Seattle with Tess this past October. They are shots, respectively, of the inside of the elevator at our hotel and the elevators at the large downtown Seattle Old Navy store.

Some kids may be glued to the TV watching Sponge Bob or Barney, but my little guy likes to sit at the computer and look at pictures of elevator control panels on Google Images. I'm in negotiations now with a local elevator repair company to get him a real elevator panel for Christmas, ripped out of some building or another. Stay tuned!

And not to be left out, here is how I found Miss Idgie earlier this week when I turned back around from making my own lunch.

And finally, I want to share with you this super cool picture that Tess took recently of Erin, Grayson, and Willow at the Orcas Island skate park.

Now I'm off to call the guy at the elevator company to see what he turned up! Woo hoo!

Arts & Crafts

2008-12-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

My New Year's resolution back in January, 2007 was to learn to knit socks. Then I found out I was pregnant, and I just didn't get back to knitting for awhile. Now I'm finally taking the plunge! I'm taking a toe-up socks on two circular needles class from my friend Chrissy, sock knitter and designer extraordinaire, at Twisted, one of our local yarn shops. The first class was last night, and it was a blast. We are starting out with baby socks (less intimidating for the first attempt!). I'm hoping these little beauties will fit Imogen. Last night we completed the toe, as you can see here.

I also recently took a class from my friend Chris, who just started a cooking school called Lost Arts Kitchen in her home. I took her cheese making class, in which we learned to make neufchatel, ricotta, mozzarella, and yogurt. Yum! For those of you in Portland interested in cooking and in learning about local foods and slow food traditions, I highly recommend checking out her class offerings.

And if knitting and cheese making weren't enough, I also bought myself a sewing machine for my birthday and am determined to (re)learn to sew. I've managed to set up a table and get it out of the box, but I've yet to crack the instructional DVD and practice on some fabric. I may have to wait until my mom comes to visit in January (sound good, mom?). My first project is going to be curtains for Elliot's room (we'll see if I can find fabric with elevators on it).

And in honor of the gorgeous, sunny day we're having here today, here are some pictures of the kiddos enjoying a day at the park (though this was a couple of weeks ago). The swings were cause for much glee.

Happy December, everyone!

Bountiful

2008-11-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

In these lean times, when we're all trying to figure out how to make the mortgage payments and pay the dental bills, I thought I'd spend today writing about what's bountiful in our lives.

First up, here is the final harvest from our much neglected garden. We winterized our little patch last weekend in the rare November sun, and underneath the weeds and blackberries we found chard, beets, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, and butternut squash.

Here are Elliot and Papa next to the artichokes, which we left in all by their lonesome just in case they decide to bloom for Christmas.

Music is also bountiful in our lives these days. You'll all remember Elliot's infatuation with the song "Under Pressure" by David Bowie and Queen. He's still enamored of the song, and he spends large amounts of each day singing it a cappella at the top of his lungs. He has recently added Freddie Mercury's dance moves from his favorite version of the song on YouTube.

In December, there is going to be a holiday concert at Elliot's school in which the kids sing a handful of songs. I don't think Elliot is going to have any trouble performing. Stay tuned for video!

And we just had a most bountiful Thanksgiving weekend with the Whites (it's much too quiet around here since they left this morning). Plenty of kids and mayhem and food to go around. First up, here is Imogen modeling her Thanksgiving duds.

And here are Willow and Erin holding the kittens.

And finally, here is a little taste of the goings on between turkey and pie on Thanksgiving afternoon.

We hope everyone out there had a lovely Thanksgiving. We're thankful for all of you family and friends in our lives who make us count our blessings instead of worrying about counting our pennies! Happy holidays!

As Seen on TV

2008-11-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

All you Grey's Anatomy fans out there will know exactly who I'm talking about when I say "Dr. McDreamy." Well, I'm here to tell you, he's out there in real life, and even more gorgeous than on TV. But let me start at the beginning.

This has been one heck of a week. On Wednesday, one of the teeth in which Elliot had a cavity filled this past summer got infected and developed an abscess. The dentist drilled a small hole to drain the abscess and we started him on antibiotics Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, Elliot's left cheek had about doubled in size from the day before, and the swelling had spread around his left eye. We headed out the door to an emergency appointment with an oral surgeon.

Elliot did fantastically through the whole ordeal, sitting very still for x-rays and while the surgeon looked in his mouth. And I got to be distracted from the stress of the situation by sneaking extra peeks at said surgeon, who makes Dr. McDreamy look like your average Joe. I'm not one to swoon, but damn. This guy was handsome, ripped, had lovely salt-and-pepper hair, and gorgeous green eyes. Plus the white jacket, of course. And now I'll stop going on and on lest my husband think I don't love him anymore (you're still the most handsome guy out there, my dear!).

But I digress. After a short examination, Elliot was whisked off to surgery to extract the tooth and drain the abscess. He was under general anesthesia (they were able to use gas only and no narcotics or IV), and the procedure only took about 1o minutes. Within half an hour he was awake and ready to ride the building's elevators. I was escorted to the back to find him chatting about elevators with the very friendly male nurse. (Who then informed me that all the nurses get all a-twitter every time this particular surgeon enters the building, and when I said, "Yes, he's very Grey's Anatomy, he told me that they all call him McDreamy. So I'm not the only one. But again, I digress.)

Elliot was back to his peppy self within a couple of hours, but I kept him home from school on Friday to make sure he was ok. He is currently doing great, though his face is still a bit swollen and bruised, as you can see here.

But he's a little champ. He's off riding elevators with Papa right now, and the surgeon said he should be fit as a fiddle by Monday (though I'm already looking forward to our final check-up with the surgeon on Wednesday).

In other news, the latest and greatest activity in the McElroy household is dress-up. I've been slowly stocking the dress-up trunk for the past few months, and the kids have been having a blast. Our good friends from Eugene, Rachael, Ben, Jane, and Hugh, came to visit us last weekend. Hugh came equipped with his own purple fairy dress, and while I'm not sure what Elliot's ensembles were supposed to be, Jane's outfits included a devil bride and the "wife of death". Here's a sample of the fun that was had.

And here is Elliot's outfit from yesterday afternoon, though I couldn't get him to put the monster hands back on for the picture.

Even Imogen is enjoying the possibilities of make-believe.

And I must include this photo for you of Imogen zonked out with Mr. Vic Victor during a babysitting fiesta last weekend.

Couldn't you just melt?

Now we're gearing up for a fantastic Thanksgiving visit from the Whites - stay tuned!

Hello, What's This?

2008-11-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

Oh, that's right. It's the sun. We've been downright drenched all week long, and today it is glorious, warm, and sunny. You'd think we'd been raising these kids in Forks, Washington (yes, that's a nod to all you Twilight fans out there) these past few weeks, what with their reaction to the appearance of the big orange ball in the sky this morning.

We were playing upstairs in Thomas and my south-facing bedroom this morning with the kittens, enjoying the sun coming in through the windows. Imogen spent at least five minutes straight walking around in circles in the middle of the room trying to catch the sunbeams. Elliot then stood up and declared, "I'm soaking HOT." Only a true Oregonian would say something like that.

Today is Imogen's 14-month birthday. She is now a pro at walking, says "kitty" and all sorts of proto-words, dances, has developed a love of Veggie Booty, and copies everything her big brother does. Here are this month's sibling comparison photos of Elliot and Imogen at 14 months of age.

And I couldn't resist posting a second set of photos for you, even though the quality of the pictures is not very good, because when I stumbled across this picture of Elliot, I found it hard to believe that it's not Imogen.

And finally, as an addendum to yesterday's post regarding gay marriage, I urge all of you to watch this video of Keith Olbermann speaking out against the passage of Prop 8 in California and those who voted for it. It's an impassioned and important piece of footage.

Now I'm going to go enjoy some more of that rare November sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest. Happy weekend!

If I Were In Charge of the World

2008-11-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

I'm glad I'm not in charge of the world, because I'm a high-stress individual, and being in charge of the world would really stress me out. And I'll settle for Obama being in charge of our little part of the world, because I think he's going to do a really amazing job. But if I were in charge of the world, and assuming that Obama will take care of a few of the items on my to-do list (prioritizing alternative energy, preserving a woman's right to choose, making sure special needs children have support and opportunities, and making health care affordable - or free), there's one thing I'd take care of pronto.

Gay and lesbian couples should have the right to legally marry. They should have the right to do everything straight people have the right to do, for that matter. I really feel like our country needs to come out of the dark ages in this respect. I don't understand how anyone can not see how passing laws that prevent gay and lesbian couples from getting legally married is discrimination and a violation of basic civil rights.

Dan Savage, a witty and intelligent gay columnist, had a wonderful segment on the Colbert Report this week. I usually fidget through Colbert's interviews with people, as I'm uncomfortable with his entire persona (even though I know it's just an act). But Dan Savage really held his own, and he got in some real doozies. If you're interested, I encourage you to watch this video (Savage's bit is at the end of the segment).

But I'm not in charge of the world, because I'm too busy taking care of these little trouble makers.

Elliot and Imogen are getting along famously these days. Once she started walking, Elliot pretty much stopped trying to pick her up or smoosh her all the time. And he's discovered that she can now play with him and will copy just about anything he does, which he thinks is hilarious. Today at the community center indoor play park, Elliot proceeded to introduce Imogen to every parent who came through the door, saying, "And this is our sister, Imogen." What a sweetie pie.

Elliot was re-evaluated this week by an autism specialist, since we hadn't had him assessed since he was 18 months old. We came away with a diagnosis of Asperger's as opposed to PDD/NOS, which was unsurprising. Aside from his initial language delay, Elliot definitely fits the bill of an Aspie (to which anyone who has ever ridden elevators with him for hours can surely attest). The new diagnosis doesn't really change any of our current treatment plans or therapies, but it's nice to know where he falls on the autism spectrum now that he's five.

And what blog post would be complete without a fashion show from little miss Idgie? Here she is modeling yet another adorable hand-me-down dress. Doesn't she look just dashing in denim?

Our little girl turns 14 months old tomorrow, so stay tuned for those monthly sibling comparison photos!

Callooh! Callay!

2008-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I'm chortling in my joy. Just how happy am I that Barack Obama was elected president? So happy that only made up words from a fabulous nonsense poem can express my elation. Woo hoo!!!!

And now for something completely different.

Today Imogen is dressed all in bubblegum pink with kitty cats. She's wearing her very first jumper today, which was a gift from one of the moms at Elliot's school when she was born (thanks, Cicely!). She's grown into it and can finally wear little girly dresses now that she's walking. Here she is modeling said super cute jumper.

But even cuter is when her big brother loves on her. Elliot greeted Miss Idgie this morning with an outpouring of love and affection. When she wandered into the kitchen after waking up, Elliot rushed up to her and said (approximately), "Oh Imogen, I'm so glad to see you I just love you so much Imogen do you want a hug Imogen? Oh little girl oh little sister that's nice Imogen do you want to hug brother Imogen? Kiss brother, Imogen, awwwwwwww." Couldn't you just melt? Here are the two lovey dovey siblings in action.

Don't be fooled, though. Our sweet little girl is also a trouble maker. She gets into everything. Here she is after stealing Elliot's Veggie Booty out of the cupboard and dumping it all over the office floor while Mama was paying more attention to Facebook than to the baby.

And I'll leave you with this video of the little missy doing one of her favorite things - pretending to talk on the phone.

She'd make a good telemarketer, no? Ok, make that a volunteer for the public television pledge drive or phone banking for Obama! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VOTE!

2008-11-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

Today I just have one word for you: VOTE! I don't care who you vote for (well, actually, I really do - go Obama!), but VOTE!

And of course, a very Happy Birthday to my nephew, Grayson, who turns 10 (wow!) today. Whoop, whoop!

As an added bonus, here are the kiddos posing during Imogen's first car cart ride last week at New Season's.

Now GO VOTE!!

Halloween, McElroy Style

2008-11-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Boo! I hope everyone out there had a fabulous, spooky Halloween. Ours was pretty darn great. First off, I have to introduce you to George. George is a macrame skeleton that my mom made sometime in the 1970s. I have been fond of George since I was a kid, and I looked forward to his emergence from the closet (snicker) each Halloween. A few years ago, I asked my mom if she could make me my own George. She looked all over the internet for the pattern, to no avail. Well, this year, George showed up at my house wrapped up in birthday paper. I can't believe that my mom was willing to part with him, but I was SO excited to see him again! Here he is hanging in a place of honor in the living room, keeping Elliot company. Thanks, mom!

The kids and I carved our pumpkins on Halloween afternoon. Here is Elliot's little "scary" pumpkin hanging out in the graveyard.

And here is the big "silly" pumpkin preparing to welcome trick-or-treaters.

Elliot decided that we should all be characters from Blue's Clues this Halloween. Here we are as Blue (Elliot), Steve (Thomas), Periwinkle the cat (Imogen), and Tickety Tock (me).

And here is Papa preparing to head out trick-or-treating with the kiddos (Elliot wouldn't wear the Blue headpiece after the first 30 seconds!).

Imogen enjoyed trick-or-treating much more than last year.

But once we got her back inside, she was completely immobilized by her costume. Silly kitty forgot how to walk!

We had many more trick-or-treaters visit our spooky abode than last year, and we had a lovely evening with family and friends. I was all set to watch The Changeling, my favorite horror flick which I had finally found after calling 4 video rental places, but my companions for the evening were a bunch of horror movie wimps. Not to worry, I have it for a few more days, and I'm going to force at least Thomas to cowboy up and watch it with me.

It was also an eventful Halloween in that two sets of our good friends tied the knot! A big congratulations to Matt and Sarah (finally, you guys!), and to Keiko and Lisa. For Keiko and Lisa, the timing is particularly significant, since they live in California. That state has a measure on the ballot next week, Prop 8, which would eliminate same-sex marriage. The state will hopefully be honoring all same-sex marriages that took place before November 4th if Prop 8 passes, but even that possibility is in question. I'd like to urge all of you Californians to please vote NO on Prop 8 next Tuesday.

And finally, happy Day of the Dead! Today I'd like to particularly remember my brother-in-law, Michael, who died this July.

And now the countdown to the election! I hope everyone out there is planning to vote!

She Enjoys Being A Girl

2008-10-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Remember how Nancy (aka Nona) came and whisked Imogen off for an adventure yesterday? Well, she took Miss Idgie for her first trip to Nordstrom. I must say, this is something I would never have done myself, and I was completely skeptical of the entertainment value of the entire outing. I could not have been more wrong. While I'm sure if I had taken a 13-month old into Nordstrom and turned her loose in the shoe section, the sales girls would have glared at me while judging my questionable mothering skills, it turns out that when a vivacious, outgoing grandmother shows up with her irrestibly cute granddaughter on her first shopping trip, well, sales girls just eat that s#@t right up.

My daughter is a girly-girl. When I was little, I preferred toy horses to dolls and only put on a dress for the annual Christmas party at the Petroleum Club where my grandfather worked. And though I must admit that I do enjoy having a girl (truly, girl clothes are cuter than boy clothes by a mile, and c'mon, the ponytails alone are almost unbearably adorable), I'd still never take her shopping at Nordstrom. But look what I'll be missing, because Nona and Imogen had a complete blast.

Here is Imogen making her grand entrance into girly-girl department store heaven.

First stop, of course, was the shoe department, where she also got a pink balloon.

Then off to look at purses.

Next stop, admiring and trying on bling.

Then it was on to makeup and hair.

And of course some clothes to go with all the accessories.

A short break from shopping...

...and then Miss Idgie was ready for a nap.

She's only 13-months old, and my daughter is already more fashionable and glamorous than her mama. Hooray for sugar and spice and everything nice!

If I Do Say So Myself

2008-10-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

First off, happy birthday to me! I'm 37 years old today. I've decided I'm ok with 37. So far so good. I spent the morning out adventuring with the kids (and finding a secret elevator!), and now Elliot is at school and Nancy (aka Nona) has whisked Imogen off for a couple of hours. Kid-free time? I'm not sure what to do with myself! Later this evening there will be presents, and then Nancy is outdoing herself and babysitting so Thomas and I can go out to dinner at Equinox, one of my favorite restaurants. Woo hoo!!

So I must show off a couple of projects to you today. This past weekend, Thomas and I finally completed a much-planned but much-procrastinated piece of art. A couple of years ago, Thomas salvaged and old window, and last year he painted it (though it is mostly still in its shabby chic distressed state) in preparation for becoming a picture frame for our kids and all the nieces and nephews. And now, ta-daaaaaaaaaa!

It's hanging in our kitchen nook and looking more amazing than this sun-causing-a-glare picture can relay. Also this week I completed Scat Cat, a knitted doll after the character in Jack's Big Music Show, and companion to the Mel the Dog doll I made for Elliot a couple of years ago. Scat Cat has already been on many wonderful adventures with us, including to the dentist yesterday (one of Elliot's fillings was coming out, and he was a super champ while they fixed him up). Here is Scat Cat herself, posing with our soon-to-be-carved Halloween pumpkin.

And of course, what post would be complete without pictures of my most gorgeous creations to date? First up, here is Imogen with her recently discovered belly button.

And Elliot finally let me take a picture of him this week, while he was elbow-deep in peanut butter (can you believe this is a kid who a little over a year ago wouldn't get his hands dirty for anything?)

So now I'm off to enjoy the rest of my fabulous day. A very merry un-birthday to the rest of you!

October Makes Me Happy

2008-10-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I love October. The colors are gorgeous, the autumn weather is perfect, and it contains three of my favorite days of the year - Elliot's birthday, my birthday, and Halloween. Since my birthday is on a weekday this year, I decided that I deserved this entire weekend to do whatever I wanted. Thomas is currently being the best husband ever and has taken both of the kids to the park. Woo hoo!

We're all getting into the Halloween spirit around here, as you can see.

And here is Miss Idgie absconding with her brother's jack-o-lantern bucket.

Our little girl is now walking like a pro. She's stopped crawling completely, and though she still falls down quite a bit, she picks herself up and keeps going instead of scooting the rest of the way. Here is a little update on her walking prowess.

And here she is yet again posing in brother's Mariner's cap with Mama (I'd have a picture for you of Elliot's new haircut, too, but he is currently refusing to have his picture taken!).

Even though he won't say cheese, Elliot is still quite the card these days. His favorite thing to say when you ask him any question is, "I have no idea." And my favorite Elliot statement this week was when he went upstairs to find Papa, who was sleeping in much too late for a work day, and said, "Papa, you forgot to wake up!". That's my boy.

And I must show you another video of Elliot playing the piano at fun school. He is playing a song that he wrote all by himself! The music teacher, Chase, is quite wonderful. He color-coded all the keys and had the kids write songs using colors for the notes. Pretty ingenious. Here is Elliot's song.

I hope y'all are having as wonderful an October as we are!

Return to the Emerald City

2008-10-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Imogen and I returned to the Emerald City for a girls' weekend with Aunt Tess. We stayed in a more modest hotel this time around, but we did have a great view of the Space Needle from our room (as long as you ignore the apartment building it's sprouting up from!).

We had a fabulous weekend of shopping, eating, and just good ol' relaxing in the big city. We of course had to recreate the "Imogen with the Space Needle" shot from last spring.

We also had a blast with cousin Grayson's stuffed velociraptor, who came with Tess to keep her company and who we took all over Seattle. He also posed with the Space Needle.

And he visited the Pike Place Market, where he ate at the Crumpet Shop.

And he posed with some public art and funky event posters.

He tempted the local leash laws...

...and took a break on the pumpkin display at Whole Foods.

Finally, here he is in a shot for Elliot's benefit, pushing the elevator buttons at our hotel.

Also while in Seattle, Aunt Tess taught Imogen to "give her five."

Hooray for girls' weekend!

In other news, this past week Imogen has finally decided that walking is worth the extra effort. Here's proof.

You go, girl!

Lucky 13

2008-10-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Happy 13 month birthday, Imogen! As a bonus for lucky number 13, here are 2 sets of Elliot and Imogen at 13 months old comparison photos.

And speaking of numerology, this is blog post number 111. And it's a full moon today. So let's be careful out there.

My Own Private Film Festival

2008-10-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have a few videos to share with you today.

First up, here is Elliot playing "chopsticks" on the piano at fun school. The piano was donated to School of Autism by a wonderful woman named Lucy who serendipitously happens to have been the paraprofessional for my dear friend Ellen's son when he was in elementary school. Small world. The school just hired a fabulous man named Chase to teach music to the kids part-time. Elliot especially is loving the music lessons.

Next up, here is Imogen after bath time. Whoever said Casper was the friendliest ghost? He can't hold a candle to Miss Idgie.

Last, I'd like to invite you to view this hilarious but so-true-it's-depressing video about Sarah Palin.

And while we're on the subject of politics, I hope y'all will read this very well-written anti-Palin article written from the perspective of a mother of a special needs child. The author expresses exactly what I've been feeling about Palin since day one but couldn't put into the right words.

I hope everyone out there is planning to vote!

On the First Day of Halloween

2008-10-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite season, and October is my favorite month. In addition to being the month of my birth, it also contains the best holiday ever - Halloween. Perhaps my affinity for Halloween comes from it being two days after my birthday, or maybe it has something to do with my love of horror movies. Either way, I figure if Christmas can have 12 days, then Halloween, being the far superior celebration, can definitely have 31. So, happy 11th day of Halloween!

This morning I hauled all 10 boxes of Halloween decorations out of the basement, and they are now stacked on the dining room table awaiting the decking. A couple of years ago I decided I had entirely too many Halloween decorations, but lately I've come around to thinking that one can never have too much of Halloween. So, bring it on, Atman (he loves to send me Halloweenish things!).

Yesterday was the second annual field trip to the pumpkin patch at Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island with Elliot's school. We had a complete blast. Here are some pictures from the big afternoon.

First up, here is Elliot having a little fun while waiting for the hay ride. An added bonus for the day was the attendance of Elliot's good pal, Fiona (see smootching below).

And here is the whole gang on the hayride out to the pumpkin patch.

Once in the patch, Elliot found the perfect green pumpkin.

And here's me posing with the kiddos with my newly-chopped off hair. (When I came home from the salon, Elliot said, "Wow, you look great! Like Aiden's mom!" All you Rangers out there will know that's a nod to K8.)

More pumpkin (and zucchini!) picking fun with pals AJ, Kerry and Griffin, and Kevin (whom the kids lovingly refer to as "Poppy").

Some shots of the hayride back to the farm store. That's Elliot with his pal Xander.

And here are some of the animals we saw on the farm.

Last up, here is Miss Idgie chewing on a crazy gourd. Imogen had a blast at the pumpkin patch, too. Compare this shot to last year's (she slept through the whole adventure that time!).

Happy, happy autumn, everyone! Now go get those skeletons out of the closet and get started on your costumes!

For All You Queen Fans Out There

2008-10-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

High Five

2008-10-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, Elliot! Our big boy turned five on Saturday. He had a fantastic birthday. Here's a recap of a perfect birthday for Elliot.

1. Sleep in and then get up and open presents from family right away. Favorite presents: stuffed owl from little sister and book about elevators from the Whites.
2. Read elevator book over and over again while Papa gets showered and dressed.
3. Go to Ikea with Papa for breakfast.
4. Go elevator riding with Papa.
5. Eat lunch at Burgerville.
6. Have a birthday party with a bunch of his friends at the community center, complete with loads of indoor play park toys, presents, a Blue's Clues theme, and, of course, cake (a GF/CF success!).
7. Go home and play with new toys. Read elevator book several dozen more times.
8. Go to Burgerville (again!) with Papa for dinner.
9. Get ready for bed. Read elevator book for bedtime story.
10. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Here are some pictures of Elliot's birthday party. (Note the matching Blue's Clues "Steve" shirts on Elliot and Thomas.)

Imogen held her own with the big kids and got lots of rides.

Back at home, Cinnamon the owl modeled one of the party hats.

And Elliot got to try on his Blue's Clues Halloween costume for the first time (and read the elevator book some more).

It will be a hard birthday to beat!

The Unexpected

2008-09-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Remember the high hopes we had for our garden, despite the fact that we got a late start, back in May? It was the first time we had grown a garden from seed, and we were even inspired enough to create artsy garden stakes for our vegetables. It was a fabulous weekend of planting, and we then proceeded to spend the entire summer neglecting our new plot. I think we pulled weeds once, and even then we only got through half the real estate. We watered sporadically, even in the 100-degree weeks, and all of the greens bolted and went to seed on our watch.

Well, despite our woeful neglect, our spunky garden is offering up a respectable bounty. Though the tomato plants were never staked and the vines are creeping along the ground, they are producing a lovely crop of several different varieties of fruit. We have harvested a few enormous and delicious cucumbers. The broccoli is starting to make headway (pun intended), and the melons and pumpkins are ripening in the September sun.

And my favorite beauty is a perfect butternut squash. I am especially proud of having grown a squash (well, I really had little to do with it!), since anyone who knows me knows I have detested the entire squash and zucchini family for my entire life. But I will now eat sweet winter squashes, thanks to having some good cooks for friends and family. Here is this past weekend's harvest.

In another unexpected turn of events, it appears that Imogen is a southpaw. We were thinking she might actually be ambidextrous, but she is definitely not right-handed. As I'm watching her sort small playdoh containers while I write this, she is primarily using her left hand. Thomas doesn't know of any lefties on his side of the family, but both my dad and my nephew, Wolf, are lefties. So Imogen may have the distinction of being the only girl southpaw in the family. Kind of cool. Here she is snuggling with her crazy right-handed Papa and brother this morning.

Also unexpected today was Elliot's coloring spree. He only started scribbling in the last year or so, having had no prior interest in crayons or coloring whatsoever. He mostly likes to finger paint, but when he does put washable marker to paper, it's usually to write letters or numbers, or to write his name. But clearly he is learning all sorts of things in school this year! Today he asked for my Sharpies (not washable, but what are ya gonna do?) and some paper and produced these drawings.

First up, here is his ever-favorite topic of conversation, an elevator. He's actually drawing these all over the place these days - on his doodle pad and with chalk on the trampoline. When he gets really inspired, he also draws the up and down arrows and numbered buttons. (As a side note, a friend sent me a link to an online elevator museum today, and I can't wait to show it to him when he gets home from school!)

But this drawing is my favorite. When I asked him what it was, he said in a tone that clearly indicated that it should be obvious, "It's a person!" I about fell over. I've never seen him draw a picture like this before, and the uber-coolness of his masterpiece was not lost on Mama. I asked him to sign his name (which he did across the person's tummy), and I promptly hung it up on the fridge.

I like days with these kinds of unexpected surprises (as opposed to, say, waking up in the middle of the night to a sick kid). So today I wish on all of you an unexpected, wonderful thing. Let me know what happens!

More Fun Than A Barrel of Monkeys

2008-09-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

We don't need no stinkin' monkeys! We have monkeys of our own to entertain us. Just thought I'd brighten everyone's day with these two videos.

First up, here is Elliot teasing the kittens with a laser flashlight.

And here is Imogen hiding from Mama behind Papa's recliner.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all giggle like this at least once every day?

One Year

2008-09-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Happy anniversary, blog! The McElroy Chronicles turned one on Monday of this week (which is also my dear friend Connie's birthday, so a big shout out to her!). A look back at the milestones from the past 365+ days:

* The birth of Imogen, of course. Our little one year old is now almost walking, has several "almost" words, and is cutting teeth numbers 3, 4, and 5.

* Elliot went GF/CF, learned to write his name, and started kindergarten.

* I started sending my children's book with artist Brett Superstar to publishers (fingers crossed!) and completed a series of 40 pregnancy poems which I hope to publish as a literary pregnancy journal, paired with b&w photography.

* Thomas got a job with Burning Man while simultaneously running his own law firm and being a fabulous hubby and papa.

Thomas also successfully got Imogen to sleep while I went to the So You Think You Can Dance concert on Sunday night. The concert was a blast, though it was entirely too long. Lots of fabulous dancing, but way too much filler! Here is little Miss Idgie passed out on top of her Ergo on the couch, where I found her when I got home at 10:30pm.

And here is the alert girl doing one of her favorite things - climbing into stuff. She is a fearless adventurer, unlike her cautious brother.

And here is the big brother himself, enjoying a snack dipped in mustard that Papa fashioned into his name for him.

Now back to the girl, who continues to huck books onto my keyboard while I'm writing. I think she's trying to tell me something.

Clues

2008-09-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Remember when you could still go into the airport terminal to meet someone coming off a plane? I used to love people watching at the gates. When I was waiting for a plane to arrive, I would look at the people waiting with me and try to guess who they were waiting for. A boyfriend? Grandma? A friend from college? I loved the debarking, when I would find out how many reunions I had guessed correctly.

You can't judge a book by its cover and all that jazz, but there are always clues. I'm the kind of person who likes browsing the bookshelves at people's houses, especially people I've just met, to see what kind of person they might be. Sometimes I look over my own bookshelves and try to see them from an acquaintance's perspective. What kind of person has a book collection that includes reams of poetry, hundreds of illustrated children's books, everything Barbara Kingsolver has ever written, all the Harry Potter books, a library of autism titles, and stacks of folklore and knitting books?

Thomas and I were robbed soon after moving into our house on 10th street in 2000. After that incident, I walked through the house differently for several weeks. Was the thief hasty, noticing only the stereo, jewelry, and power tools? Or did he (I'm assuming he) also notice the wedding photo on the mantel, the plastic fruit hanging from the kitchen ceiling, and the piles of law school books?

This week, as I approached my car in a parking garage, I wondered what someone could tell about me just by looking at my car. I think my car actually gives away a good deal about me. If you made a circle around my car that day, looking inside and out, here is what you would have seen.

1. A mid-nineties Subaru wagon with plenty of scratches and dings and Oregon plates.
2. Three Burning Man and Black Rock City bumper stickers.
3. Two bumper stickers promoting breastfeeding, including nursing in public.
4. One bumper sticker in support of natural childbirth.
5. One bumper sticker promoting autism awareness.
6. A bumper sticker of the Irish flag.
7. Two knitting bumper stickers - one being Knitters for Obama.
8. Window stickers for NPR, OPB, and the Oregon Zoo.
9. Two car seats - one for an older child and one for an infant, and a few baby toys.
10. Buttons over the rear view mirror of American Idol contestants from the past 4 seasons.
11. A clock and compass mounted to the dashboard.
12. A copy of Twilight and a Grey's Anatomy Season 4 DVD on the passenger seat.
13. Cloth grocery bags, a collapsable stroller, blankets, and an emergency kit in the way back.
14. No trash or extraneous items ANYWHERE in the car.

It's me, no? Would I be able to get to know you so well by inspecting your car or bookshelves?

And speaking of clues, here is Elliot, master of all things clue-like. He's posing with his little dog Ebb on the 1921 Parker Carousel at Jantzen Beach. It was Imogen's first carousel ride, and she loved it. She was up in the backpack on my back, though, so I don't have any pictures for you of her glee.

Happy weekend, everyone!

She's (the) One

2008-09-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, Imogen! Little Miss Idgie had a wonderful first birthday yesterday. We had a gorgeous, warm day and hosted a little BBQ in our backyard for the occasion. Here is Elliot giving the birthday girl a hug.

Imogen had her first taste of birthday cake, a GF/CF creation that big brother could eat, too. Here is Elliot helping his little sister blow out her candle (Imogen managed to get her fingers in the icing, sneaky girl), and then mightily enjoying the cake which he had been waiting none too patiently for all day.

There was also much romping and bouncing in the backyard. Here are Imogen and Jasper going for a ride.

And of course there's no excuse like your granddaughter's first birthday to try out a really crazy outfit. Here is Papa Pat in his pink flamingo print ribbon shirt (Burning Man's over, you wacky man!).

And last but not least, here are the monthly sibling comparison photos for you. Here are Elliot and Imogen, both on their first birthdays.

Happy birthday, little girl! Now it's back to playing with all her new baby dolls. The best birthdays involve cake and dollies, I always say.

I Heart The Dollar Store

2008-09-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

First, a couple of shout outs. Happy birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law, Nancy! Last year at this time she was lobbying hard for Imogen to be born on her birthday, but little girl wanted her very own day. Nancy gets to keep her birthday all to herself today, and we hope she has a great one!

Also, a big congratulations to my cousin Tim and his wife, Elexis. They just found out this week that the baby they are expecting on February 1st is a girl. Hooray! Imogen is already looking forward to sending the wee lassie Lamberton her adorable hand-me-downs.

Finally, a giant thank you to Terry, who knit a fabulous sweater and hat set for Imogen. My favorite thing about the super cute sweater is the buttons, which have Beatrix Potter characters on them. I don't know if Terry knows about my love of illustrated children's books, but the sweater is a big hit with both Imogen and Mama! Here it is.

Recently, I have been keeping my eye out for items to build a good dress up collection for the kids. And I must tell you that I love the dollar store. I can't help it. I know, I know, it's full of things that are made in China and plenty of crap-ola. But it's also a ton of fun. I went there this week to get supplies for Miss Idgie's birthday party, and I found a treasure trove of fabulous dress-up items, including:

1. A gigantic pink hat with yellow polka dots.
2. A pair of green plush bear claws (or monster hands, as we like to call them).
3. A blue police helmet.
4. A set of orange fairy wings, fairy skirt, and fairy shoes.

And there was plenty more where those came from. I'm looking forward to going back in the next couple of weeks to stock up for Halloween. The kids have been having a great time with the new dress-up box items. Here is Imogen trying out the polka dot hat and monster hands.

The polka dot hat has also been popular with the kittens. Here is Ismene playing hide-and-seek.

So that's just the kind of girl I am. I get just as excited about a trip to the land of everything's a dollar as I do about a gorgeous hand-made sweater with Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle Duck buttons. Ok, maybe I get more excited about the sweater. But still. That dollar store was my favorite outing of the week.

I'll leave you with this picture of Imogen eating Os. She's finally decided that solid food is ok to swallow.

Stay tuned for birthday pictures soon!

Milestones

2008-09-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Awwwwwwwwww. It is so nice to be loved. You guys are great. In the past few days, I've had several of you dear readers contact me to make sure everything was ok here at the McElroy homestead. And yes, indeed, all is well. Sorry for the long hiatus, sports fans!

On the heels of Thomas being gone for 11 days at Burning Man was a week of Elliot's school being closed in preparation for the new school year, and then both Elliot and Thomas getting sick. So that made for lots of parenting and not a lot of blogging for moi! Also, this is my 100th post! That milestone, and the fact that it is also almost the one year anniversary of this blog, combined to give me a little case of writer's block. But I've finally gotten over myself and decided to just write a post, already. So here's the news.

First up, I must give my dear hubby a hard time for taking very few pictures at Burning Man, despite the fact that he stole my camera for a week and a half. And he has no pictures of himself at the event, either. But here is a fantastic picture of Thomas, aka Ranger @pparatus, in all his Burning Man glory, taken by photographer John Pettitt. You can check out more of his work here. You can also check out photos of this year's event in the Burning Man photo gallery, here.

Next up, Elliot is now a kindergartener! He doesn't officially meet the cutoff date-wise, but he is definitely ready to be in with the older kiddos at School of Autism, having already met the majority of his kindergarten benchmarks (little superstar!). We all love having him go to the afternoon session at the school instead of mornings, and he is doing great. He will most likely do two years of kindergarten at SOA, and then we'll make a decision about mainstreaming. Here is the big boy in a rare moment of stillness.

Also a big shout out to all of you who took your cars to get washed on August 28th for the School of Autism fundraiser through Washman Car Washes. $10,400 was raised for the school that day. Woo hoo!!!!!

And here is Imogen, who is going to turn one year old this weekend (can you believe it?).

Since Elliot hasn't followed the typical developmental milestones, every little thing that Imogen does never ceases to amaze me. I had no idea, for instance, that pretend play started by 11 months old. Here is little Miss Idgie pretending to talk on the phone. I couldn't get her most impressive phone voice on video, though, in which she holds the phone to her ear and says "Herro!" in her best Asian accent, at full volume.

So there you have it. Stay tuned for first birthday pictures this weekend, and I promise to save you the panic and will never neglect my blog for so long again!

Countdown

2008-08-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

We are counting down the hours until Thomas arrives home from Burning Man tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, we have had a very fun week with Bubba Joe. He is the best dad ever for coming to help me out while Thomas has been gone, and special thanks to Pam for loaning him out for the week!

We started out the week with big fun in the backyard on the trampoline and swings.

Oh, and also big fun in the high chair, from which Imogen has recently figured out how to escape (she also got out of Mama's bed this morning by herself, which I was not present to witness - luckily it's only 6 inches off the carpeted floor, and there was no crying involved).

On Thursday, our one very warm afternoon this week, we headed to the little beach near us on the Columbia River with Nona and Papa Mr. Vic Victor. Elliot is no stranger to this beach and had a grand time digging in the sand and running around.

It was Imogen's first time at the beach, and she got herself good and sandy (including the inside of her mouth - remind me when this phase ends?).

And here is the little beach bunny snuggling with Nona and Bubba Joe.

We had an adventure at the zoo on Friday, and then we had a nice dinner picnic yesterday with some good pals. Here is Elliot giving Imogen yet more underdogs on the swings.

We'll be sad to see Bubba Joe head back to Colorado tomorrow (you'd think we'd be sick of him by now, wouldn't you?). But Papa's arrival home will be a good trade. I think Thomas will be glad to be home, too. Apparently there was a giant dust storm on the playa yesterday, just before the burning of the Man. Hurry home, Papa! There's no dust here, and we miss you!

Waxing Nostalgic

2008-08-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

My stinker of a husband has not sent us a message from Burning Man yet, so I have no tales to tell you of his adventures (there had better be a problem with the wireless on the playa, or he has no excuse for ignoring those of us who got left behind!). So I thought I'd share with you some pictures from my adventures at Burning Man in 2001 and 2002.

First up, here I am with my campies from Black Rock Spatial Delivery, a bike messenger service on the playa, in 2001. These photos were taken by the wonderful folks from Supersnail.

My favorite part of Burning Man is the amazing art installations, often of humongous scale. In 2001, my first year going to the event, we arrived in the wee hours of the morning. We were greeted by this incredible, gigantic sculpture being assembled. It is called "Flock", created by Michael Christian.

I also fell in love with the work of the Sunbrothers, who create solar-powered art. This piece is called "Genetically Engineered Corn". The corn cobs lit up in all sorts of colors at night.

And this is the "Bone Tree" by Dana Albany.

Another of my favorite parts of Burning Man is the super fly art cars. Here are a pair of cars, including one that shot flames from the back while playing organ music, Satan's Calliope by Lucy Hosking.

And here is some incredible art from 2002. This is one of my favorite of the smaller-scale installations, "Sunflowers" by Stuart Pawsey.

Here is one of my favorite sculptures, Hippocampus by Mardi Storm, rising out of the playa.

And here is a closeup of my favorite art car of all time, the Ark of the Nereids by Pepe Ozan.

And finally, here is my faraway hubby, aka Ranger @pparatus, admiring the playa in all its glory in 2002.

We love you and miss you, Papa! Send us a message from the desert!

Who Needs Burning Man, Anyway?

2008-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Who needs Burning Man when you've got Aunt Tess, Nona, and Papa Mr. Vic Victor? And Elliot and Imogen, of course. I didn't want to go to that stinkin' festival in the desert, anyway.

Ok, so maybe I'm the fox with sour grapes, but at least my grapes are little cutie pies. And we had a really fun first weekend without Papa (so there!).

First off, here we are bidding Papa adieu as he headed for Burning Man. Elliot is of course running around somewhere off camera, probably examining the wheels on one vehicle or another.

Special thanks to Nona and Papa Mr. Vic Victor both for babysitting on Saturday night so Tess and I could go to my friend Tina's wedding (congrats, girl!) and for lending me their camera so I wouldn't be without one. Here are a few pictures of the antics the kids and grandparents were involved in on Saturday night while I was out.

On Sunday, we spent the morning with Aunt Tess at Peninsula Park - the park that has everything (play structure, baseball diamonds, rose garden, gazebo, and fountain!). The swings were a big hit. Here is Tess giving Elliot a much-requested underdog.

Elliot was a great big brother and gave Imogen some underdogs of her very own.

Then we went over to check out the cool fountain (even though the stinkers don't allow wading) and the gorgeous (and fragrant!) rose garden.

We miss you already, Aunt Tess! Tomorrow Bubba Joe arrives to keep us company for the rest of the week, so stay tuned for more adventures.

Invisible Marauder

2008-08-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

You know how cats (and especially kittens) are prone to suddenly freaking out and running around all crazy like they're possessed? My Gran used to call this phenomenon "the invisible marauder". Having kittens in the house again, I've been reminded about this hilarious and often destructive tendency of felines.

But Imogen can give the invisible marauder a run for his (or her) money. She loves to get into everything and make trouble. Here she is sitting in a basket.

And here she is wrecking havoc on the tupperware drawer. Her favorite activity these days is taking things out of places and putting them back in again (at least she has the cleaning up after herself gene).

Imogen also loves Elliot's school. I let her crawl about at drop-off time, before things get wild. She usually makes a beeline for the baby dolls (again, she's such a girl!). She also has a fondness for the kid-size chair. In a rare moment of sibling peace, here are Elliot and Imogen cuddling in the little chair at fun school (note baby doll) .

Thomas headed out to Burning Man today. Since they now have a wireless cloud at the event and Thomas has his computer and an air-conditioned trailer to stay in, I've made him promise to send me pictures and updates so I'll have something to post on the blog for the next week and a half (he stole my camera and camcorder). So stay tuned! And don't worry about me and the kiddos. We'll have the company of Aunt Tess this weekend and Bubba Joe all next week, so we are in good hands! Even though we'll miss that Papa.

If I Were A Soothsayer

2008-08-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

If I were a soothsayer, or an oracle, a fortune teller or a witch, what would I make of these things that happened this week? Signs? You decide.

1. Remember the coyote I told you about who lives around the corner from our house? I finally saw her this week. The kids and I were driving home from school, and she loped across the street about 20 feet in front of my car. I pulled over to see where she went, and she stopped and turned around on the neighbor's lawn, staring us down. Elliot was completely unimpressed by the cool factor of a wild predator checking us out in our own neighborhood, but I could have sat there watching her all day. She continued on into the hedges as we pulled away (again, no camera on my phone - I have got to update my technology).

2. I almost killed a dog. Again, I was driving the kids home from school, and a cattle dog walked right onto Lombard into 50MPH traffic in front of my car. I was about 30 feet back and slammed on my brakes, hoping the people behind me were paying attention. Even so, my car stopped so close to the dog (who happened to look a heck of a lot like our old dog, Oscar) that I couldn't see it over the hood of my car. Luckily, everyone behind me saw the dog, too, and we all stopped with no rear-ending and no dog-smooshing. The dog continued across the street undeterred and never even looked in my direction.

3. I found my first gray hair. Make that two. They have sprouted right at the front of my hairline, right in the middle of my forehead. Actually, I've always thought I'd make a sexy long, gray-haired woman, but still. I'm only 36. I guess now I have to stop giving Thomas a hard time about his increasingly salt-and-pepper locks (though they only serve to make him look more lawyerly, the stinker).

4. Elliot found a dead bird next to our car. Actually, this occurance isn't that unusual. Rufus has taken to channeling our dear departed cat, Zillah's, huntress energy of late and can bring down the occasional bird or a good-sized rat.

In other news, Imogen turned 11 months old today.

Miss Idgie is still sporting only two teeth, but she's making up for it in spades by growing still more wild and crazy hair. She's cruising plenty but not yet walking (Elliot was walking by 11 months, but he never had any interest in crawling, at which Imogen is a wiz). She's eating all sorts of lovely mashed foods but still gags and sputters on anything vaguely solid, say, a grain of rice. Her sweetest trick these days is babbling, babbling, babbling. She's definitely talking to us now, making all sorts of sounds that are coming pretty close to being words. What will the first one be? Mama? Papa? Elliot? My money is on "kitty".

So here's the best part of the month - the sibling comparison photos. Here are Elliot and Imogen in almost the same pose at 11 months old.

And here is darling Miss Idgie loving on two of her favorite things - a kitty and Mama (well, my shoes anyway - she's such a girl, I swear).

Ok, fingers crossed for no more black cats (or dogs, for that matter) in my path or crows showing up on my doorstep. Or I may have to offer up one of the moles tunneling through our backyard and have its entrails read. Sheesh.

Celebrate Mitch Day

2008-08-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Mitch Day. It's the 9th anniversary of my brother-in-law, Michell's death. Every year on August 11th, we remember Mitch by doing three things he would have done. 1. Do a random act of kindness. 2. Play a practical joke on someone. 3. Make some art or do something creative. I encourage you to do one or all of these things today. Here is a picture of Thomas with his three siblings - Kate, Mitchell, and Michael.

I didn't get to know Mitch as well as I would have liked to, since I really only met him a handful of times before he died. But what I remember about him was his kindness, and his crazy sense of humor. Today I'd like to share with you a poem I wrote in honor of Mitch after he died in 1999.

Birds of Passage

i.

You tell me there's a stunned bird
on the sidewalk by the high rise
people stepping aside
as if it is nothing
but a lost tourist
you are on the 18th floor
maybe thinking
of the brother you lost
how he visits
your sister's rooms
his voice on the wind
you don't know
what kind of bird
some sort of hawk
don't know
if it flew into a window
fell many stories
is this how we are
with our grief
not knowing
building from sky
the police have closed
a lane of traffic
enough before rush hour
that it doesn't make
the news
we hope the phone
will never ring again
to tell us anyone we love
has died
by the end of the day
the bird is gone
and I want to know
where they've taken it
if wherever it is
will ever be safe enough

ii.

several states away
the smoke of your brother
pauses in the air
another hawk flattens
against a window
it is the house next door
to your brother's birthplace
no barriers
only reservation stillness
so much sky to choose from
who is he looking for
forgetting how to pass
through walls
we open and close our palms
blow out candles
burn sage
in the corners of rooms
the sky must be falling
stars smack into our windows
storm clouds spill under
our doors and the birds
double back on the wind
flying feet-forward
to land on our shoulders
whisper into our days
we want to tell you something
but we keep losing our way

iii.

four months to the day
and another
relative dies
we expect a hawk
to land on our windowsill
knocking
it is said
that when someone
we love has died
in twelve days
will come a sign
of safe passage
now all of us are looking
out our windows
through our dreams
into faces of people
we walk past
waiting for the message
hoping they will step
out of a crowd
calling our names

Brittney Corrigan, copyright 1999. All rights reserved.

And I'll leave you today with these pictures of Elliot at the "33rd beach" on the Columbia River last week, when Nona and Papa Mr. Vic Victor took him on an adventure one afternoon.

Now go play that practical joke.

Weekend Update

2008-08-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

We're having a lovely weekend here at the McElroy household. Yesterday, Elliot spent the better part of the afternoon running about in Papa's t-shirt.

There was even lawn mowing involved.

We then went to a fantastic birthday party for Elliot's pal Jasper, aka Huggy the Bunny. Huggy only wears orange, so we all dressed accordingly. Here is Imogen wearing her appropriately orange shirt (with a bunny on it, bonus!) and snuggling with Sally.

Here are all of Elliot's pals lined up eating cake.

While this was going on, Elliot was completely devouring two GF/CF cupcakes that I had brought along for him. These pictures remind me of a child's first birthday party, stripped down and smeared with cake. Everyone should enjoy a good cupcake in his underwear once in awhile, I say!

And here is the birthday boy himself, with a nice cup of orange Jell-O.

Thanks for inviting us to your party, Huggy! We had a great time!

Pass It On

2008-08-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

I've learned two useful things the second time around about having a baby.

1. The amount of gear and other "stuff" you actually need when you have a baby is minimal. If you're breastfeeding, you really only need clothes, a car seat, and a few first aid and hygiene items. (Though I definitely put my Ergo baby carrier in the "need" category!)

2. Nothing beats hand-me-downs.

With Elliot, we bought a bunch of brand-new gear and received a lot of gifts. If I had it to do over again, the only thing I'd buy new (unless I could get it from a trusted friend) is a car seat. We had all sorts of gear and gadgets that didn't get much use, though some (like the bouncy seat and stroller) were nice to have around.

However, most of Elliot's clothes were bought from second-hand and consignment shops (though it's much harder to find used clothes for older boys - they wear them out!). It's pretty nice to spend $50 and walk out of a store with a bag full of an entire season's wardrobe instead of one fancy pair of overalls with a matching shirt. It's an even better feeling to pass things on to someone else when you're done with them.

This week, Thomas got an email from a friend with new baby twins thanking us for the co-sleeper. This is the same co-sleeper that belonged to my nephew Grayson when he was born in 1998. Then it was Elliot's in 2003. Then it was Jacob's in 2004. Then it was Japhy's in 2007. And now it's on to family number five. Elliot's clothes have a similar story. Most of them were used to begin with. Then they were loaned to Jacob, who is a year younger than Elliot. When they came back from Jacob they went to Finn, my cousin's youngest. Now, as they come back from Finn, they are passed on to Japhy, and I'm sure they'll be passed on from him to someone else.

Imogen is now the proud recipient of girl clothes hand-me-downs from at least four different families, going from birth all the way up to size 4T. Here is the bounty, stored in the back of her closet.

The clothes are all cute, and nice, and worn for only a few months. And as she is outgrowing them, they are being passed on to our friends' daughter Asa, who was born this past spring. And if there is anything I'm lacking, I head for a consignment shop or our bi-annual Pass It On children's sale.

It's nice to know that your child's unneeded items are going to someone who will love and use them. This past week, we gave some of the larger gear that Imogen is done with (infant car seat, bouncy chair, swing) to friends (to remain unnamed!) who hope to be pregnant soon. Who needs Babies R Us and Gap Kids when you've got good friends with children older than your own?

I'll leave you with this picture of little miss hand-me-down recipient hanging out in her playpen (soon to be passed on to someone else!) with the kittens.

Pass it on!

It's the Little Things

2008-08-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

My children remind me daily that it's the little things in life that really matter. Stop and smell the roses, after all.

The other day, Imogen was staring intensely at a fly on the porch railing, pointing her little finger at it and cooing at it over and over again. Her fascination with the fly made me lean in closer to examine it, thinking, am I missing something here? It's a fly. And I realized I'd never taken the time to notice how beautiful a fly's wings are - shimmery and translucent in the sun - and how complex of an animal it really is, little legs all working to groom itself and examine the world. Though, to be fair, it was outside and not on my dinner plate, or I might have just shooed it away. Instead, I slowed down and appreciated another living thing with my daughter who talks to insects.

There's something to be said for slowing down to drink in the world around you. Here is Imogen closely examining some grass on the front sidewalk.

She also communes with larger animals.

And I've been taking time this week to appreciate how much progress Elliot has made in the sensory department, one baby step at a time. This week, he sat still for nearly 40 minutes while a dentist put all manner of things in his mouth to repair a cavity. He also covered himself in shaving cream in the bathtub when Nona came to babysit. And here he is having a blast at sensory time at fun school.

Speaking of School of Autism, here's another little thing you can do to support the school. We've set up a shop for SOA on Cafe Press, where you can order apparel, mugs, tote bags, etc. with the school logo on them, and a portion of the proceeds go to the school. Every penny helps.

And on the other end of the spectrum, I slowed down this week to appreciate a little bit of artsy craftsmanship. One of our wonderful local kids' boutiques, Milagros, carries several items by local craftspeople, including hand-sewn dresses. They are the kind of thing you would only buy as gifts, never for yourself. And since Imogen has been the recipient of several bags of hand-me-downs, all the way up to size 4T, I have no excuse for buying her anything. But I just couldn't resist this fabulous creation, which won't fit her for another two years.

Here is a detail of the fabric and the tarot card pockets.

Really, I wish it came in my size.

Finally, today I want to remember that every minute of every day is important, and matters, and is a gift. My grandfather is in the hospital after having a small stroke yesterday. Grandad, those of us who are not there with you are thinking about you. We love you and are thinking good thoughts for your recovery. Every little bit of love counts.

August and Everything After

2008-08-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Happy August, everyone! And most especially, a happy anniversary to Greg and Tess (12 years!) and a happy birthday to Jasper "Huggy the Bunny" (3 years!) this past weekend.

While Thomas was down in the Bay Area this weekend for the last of his Burning Man meetings before the big event this month, the kids and I were hanging out with our good pals Connie and Russ, who are in town on a rare break from Connie's 2nd-year medical residency in Santa Rosa. We are so glad to have them around! On Saturday, the house was filled with friends, and we busted out the croquet set. Here is Elliot learning the finer points of croquet.

What Elliot enjoyed most, however, was making up an Easter egg hunt type game with the balls and Russ Babe. Here is Elliot running back and forth and arranging the balls by color.

We had a splendid afternoon, and then Thomas arrived home safe and sound on Sunday and whisked the boy off to an Ikea adventure.

In Imogen news, the young miss still only has two teeth, but she currently loves finger painting with food. I'll have to get some pictures of the messy girl for you soon, but here she is looking cute and getting ready for an edible art session.

And I'm sure y'all will want an update on the kittens. So here are Antigone and Ismene in their two favorite sleeping spots. On Elliot's chair at the kitchen table...

...and modeling their new collars in the basket in the office.

After a cool weekend we're back to real summer and 90 degrees forecast for today. Hello, August! And now I'm off to check in on Facebook, to which Tess recently got me addicted. I'm such a teenager. If I neglect my blog from now on, you'll know why and who's to blame!

I Make Breastmilk, What's Your Superpower?

2008-08-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have a bumper sticker on my car with that phrase on it. So let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy World Breastfeeding Week, which is August 1-7, 2008.

I believe that every woman who is able to do so should breastfeed her child. If you need convincing, here are 101 Reasons to Breastfeed.

I believe that a woman's right to breastfeed in public should be protected by law. In Oregon, we are lucky enough to have such a law, but mothers in other states (and countries) are not as fortunate. It's time we got over our culture's shame about breastfeeding and obsession with the breast primarily as a sexual organ. Its function, first and foremost, is to provide sustenance for children.

Here is Elliot wearing his MomMA (Mom's Milk Anywhere) t-shirt at a pro-breastfeeding in public event at Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square two summers ago.

I believe in the benefits of long-term breastfeeding. In this area, the United States is seriously lacking. Did you know that internationally, the average age until which children are breastfeed is 4 1/2? Breastfeeding toddlers is important to the health of the child and the mother, and it's important that our society publicly see toddlers breastfeeding so that the stigma surrounding this practice in our country can become a thing of the past.

Elliot nursed until he was 3 1/2, when I was three months pregnant with Imogen. Weaning was mutual, and I plan to let Imogen wean when she is ready, as well. Though I cannot find anyone who has studied this theory, I have no doubt in my mind that the fact that Elliot is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum has to do with the neurological benefits of breastmilk. Here is Elliot, champion nurser at three months old, and again at almost four years old, "helping" his new baby sister nurse.

I believe we have barely begun to understand the benefits of breastmilk. Recently, stem cells were discovered in breastmilk. How cool is that?

I believe that, as a society, we need to educate ourselves about breastfeeding and support nursing mothers. In a world of increasingly limited resources, rising fuel costs, poverty, and environmental devastation, we can still raise healthy children. We can still feed our children with truly miraculous breastmilk, no matter their race, class, or home town.

I applaud the increasing use of the international breastfeeding symbol by businesses and communities who are showing their support of nursing mothers and welcoming their business and presence.

Next time you see a woman nursing her baby or toddler in public, I urge you to give her a friendly smile. Let her know by your actions that you support her choice and know that she is doing the best thing she possibly can for her child. We'll be a better world for it, I promise you.

Children Who Run With the Wolves

2008-07-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

Elliot's school has been closed most of this week so that the teachers can attend the Southeastern Washington Autism Conference and learn lots of great things to bring back to the kiddos. I really can't complain about the school being closed, since it only happens a couple of weeks out of the entire year, but it's always a challenge keeping the boy occupied!

Yesterday, I took the kids to the Oregon Zoo, where we hadn't been for a couple of years. The last time we went, Elliot was obsessed with railroad crossing signs, and we didn't get past the signs that marked the zoo train outside the elephant exhibit. We visited the railroad crossing signs this time, but only briefly.

We did the whole zoo this time around. Imogen was way more interested in the animals than Elliot, but we all had a great time walking around. For comparison, here is Elliot on the John Deere tractor at the farm exhibit yesterday and in January, 2005.

And I know I have another picture of Elliot by this same carving a couple of summers ago, but apparently it's not in digital form, so I can't show it to you here. One of the things I like best about Portland's zoo is the cool art that's all over the grounds.

I've always had conflicted feelings about zoos. I know they play an integral role in species conservation and in educating the public about the importance of the natural world. But I've always thought so many of the animals in the zoo look kind of sad. The polar bear was walking a few steps forward, then back, wagging his head, and looked completely miserable. And there's something just wrong about two bald eagles in a cage, even if it's a really big one. But the meerkats seemed happy enough, even if they were quite a bit chunkier than their wild cousins.

That was the only animal shot I took. The wildlife photographer wannabe in me just can't bring myself to take pictures of animals in enclosures. But we were communing with mister fatty meerkat, so I couldn't resist.

Elliot really wanted to see the wolves, but alas, the zoo just lost its last gray wolf a couple of weeks ago. Elliot was hoping to howl with them. But we did find these cool wolf statues.

We also checked out the kids' sculpture garden, where Imogen finally got to escape the backpack and throw dirt all over her head.

And finally, here is Elliot swinging like a monkey outside the orangutan exhibit.

When I asked Elliot what his favorite thing at the zoo was, he said it was the elevator at the light rail station across from the zoo entrance, even though we didn't get to ride it because it was out of order. The northern spotted owl was a close second, though, since we didn't get to hang out with the wolves. Aroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

It Takes A Village

2008-07-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

First off, here is your daily dose of cuteness. Here are Imogen and her much-beloved kittens (Ismene on the left and Antigone on the right).

This weekend we attended a fence-building work party at our friends Sally and Denny's house. The work party was part of a group we call the Barn Raising Collective. The Collective was started back in 2000 as a group of four households who participated in monthly work parties at each other's houses. We were all new home owners, and we all needed help with numerous projects. It's amazing how an overwhelming task from your to-do list can turn into a fun event that gets knocked out in a few hours when you have a group of friends helping you out.

The Barn Raising Collective has gone through several incarnations in the past eight years, and it now is a group of 18 households. We have work parties as they are needed, and folks attend the work parties that they can, thereby earning points to host their own work parties. The Collective has been a fabulous experiment in the power of community. We'll be having a work party of our own in the fall to take down the enormous arborvitae hedge in our backyard and put up a fence instead, so stay tuned!

Here are some pictures from yesterday's work party. Elliot and Imogen came to hang out in the afternoon (Papa took them for the morning so I could attend the work party - I love fence raising!). The kids had a great time with Sally and Denny's kiddos, Wren and Violet.

There was a delicious mid-day meal of grilled chicken and watermelon (Violet really rivals Imogen for cutest girl on the planet, doesn't she?).

Imogen had her first ride on Papa's shoulders.

And here is a photo I like to call "Mattgate".

And here is the crew at the end of a successful afternoon work party.

I must remember to be thankful daily for the wonderful friends and community we have here in Portland. Once in awhile, some of us talk longingly about buying a huge property out in the woods somewhere someday and building houses for each other all over it. Many days, I think the Amish have it right, and so does Hillary Clinton - it takes a village. We need the help of our friends, family, and other parents to build strong communities and raise our children. The Barn Raising Collective (which inspired a satellite group among our friends in Seattle) is just one step. So let me hear from you - what is the importance of community in your lives? How do you create it for yourselves? What would we do without it?

On Re-Visioning

2008-07-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

I heard the coolest story on NPR's Weekend Edition today. Composer Lee Johnson has written what he calls the Dead Symphony No. 6, which is derived from music by the Grateful Dead, to be performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on what would have been Jerry Garcia's 66th birthday next week. What's fantastic is that the composer wasn't even a Dead Head to begin with, but he's created symphonies on all kinds of topics, and this one is meant to be based on American culture. You can listen to the story (and the music) here. I imagine it will be an interesting opening night - a mix of symphony season ticket holders and tie-dyed Dead fans.

I love the concept of re-visioning. That is, not to revise but rather to vision again, vision anew. Adrienne Rich discusses this concept in her famous feminist essay, "When We Dead Awaken: Writing As Re-Vision," in which she defines re-vision as "the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from a new critical direction." Her essay speaks specifically to the importance of re-vision for women, but I think it's valuable to all of us - women, male composers, and otherwise.

At Reed College way back in 1994, my senior thesis (inspired largely by Anne Sexton's Transformations poems) was a series of poems re-visioning fairy tales, folklore, and myths that have animal transformation motifs as their center. Some of the poems were actual re-tellings of the transformation tales, and some were re-tellings of other tales, using the animal transformation motif to transform the stories into something else. It was an amazing year of writing for me, for in looking anew at these old stories, I was in turn finding my true poetic voice. Here are three poems from my thesis for you (the poems were written in sets of three, but these have been excerpted from their triads). I think you'll recognize the three princesses.

Rapunzel

Wait Mister. Which way is home?
They turned the light out
and the dark is moving in the corner.
-Anne Sexton, "Music Swims Back to Me"

Let down your hair they say to me, those two who crawl about below me. Let down your hair. They mean out the window, but what is a window up here but a suicide door, a black hole, an unmended pocket? It is a kind of mystery how I got here to begin with: I am the chicken, the egg, the single cell. No one will ever say to me Pussy cat, where have you been? I visit the queen of this small round space. I frighten the mouse of myself, chasing my own split ends. I am the crooked cat. I am the last of the Furies, the Banshee of the Attic. They call to me, Let down your hair. And so I do. But not to them. Oh no, not out that window. They howl at me like dogs, hissing in their own poor skins for love of me. But I do not need a mother now the darkness rocks me to sleep. I do not need a lover now the stones wrap me in their arms. Let down your hair. So I do, and I run about shrieking in my own cylindrical space. My hair knows every possibility. It is a noose, a rope, a blanket, a ladder, a nest. I let it choose. It crawls about the space like a school of fish; it is as soft as the wind. I do not need a mother now my body has taken me in. I do not need a lover now my fingers make windows of my self. My hair is like a key, a hand, an infinite expanding space. I do not need a mother now I look through the keyholes of my own eyes. I do not need a lover now my hands expand into universes of skin. Today they call Let down your hair, and I do. It chooses the pocket with the bottomless hole, and today I choose to follow it through the door. Hush. I am not mad. Listen. I am a cat. I bathe myself with my own tongue. I always land on my feet.

Brittney Corrigan, copyright 1994. All rights reserved.

Beauty and the Beast

It really is not so bad, living in the castle.
The ceilings drip a little and the halls are dark
and at night when I am lying in bed
the walls breathe with the wind...
but there is a comfort in the stone
and in the courtyard which is its heart.

Once, the only thing belonging to me was a heart.

And now - somehow - I have always lived in the castle.
I have always been surrounded by stone...
(The hearts of my sisters were always dark
and my father's face was like the wind -
fluttering the petals of an empty flowerbed.)

I came here: to a hidden one's bed.

He would show me only his heart,
only at dinnertime, and its strings would wind
about my fears. All other times, it seemed the castle
was filled with something I could not see. The sun was dark
in the courtyard, dark on the flagstones.

For a long time, my kind eyes were flecked by stone.

Though he never approached my bed
in the nakedness of the unbiased dark,
I believed in the ugliness surrounding his heart
as much as I believed in the magic of the castle
or in the power of a snow-backed wind.

I did not realize at first that his coat was made of wind.

His sharp nails and pointed teeth were carved from stone,
and a curse made a prison of his castle.
He lay in the cell of his bed
and believed in the beating of his heart
as I stumbled about in the dark -

ness. To shift a shape, one must travel though a pillar of dark.

What I learned was to wind
it around me like spun yarn, to cup the heart
of it in my hands like a soup stone,
to lie in it as if breathing miraculously from a riverbed,
to emerge in the courtyard of the castle.

The ceremony of my heart unstatued stone.

I ate up the dark of his skin and his coat of wind.

My heart is an oysterbed: an infinite pearling of castles.

Britney Corrigan, copyright 1994. All rights reserved.

Silkworm Dream

I don't remember how I found it: what room it was in, who led me there, what time it was, or what I was wearing. But I remember the spinning wheel: how it was bent and gray like an old woman, how the old thread hung from it like hair, and how it one eye turned - circling and circling - pedaling itself to me. And how sharp it was... it was like a wasp, a brooch, a shattered cup. I touched its hair, and it laughed and crumbled. I fastened to it, I sipped, and it spun me into dream, into such rooms of sleep. I am eating mulberry like cream. I am spinning like a dreidle, I am twisting like a spindle in my larva house. I am trapped in a circle of thorns, where twelve small women fuss about me like little magdalens - their eyes pasted shut, their palms empty of gifts. But I am a worm. I squirm in my legless skin, I spin from end to end. I coffin myself in silk. I am wiggling about the mulberry bush from morning until dusk until silk drops from me like rain. I am an unwinding spool. I am making myself a shell like a bean, a little white grenade. I am crawling inside, I am dancing at the head of the pin. How I grow wings in here! Soft powdered wings like mouse fur. Do not wake me. I am spinning myself a silk house, I am growing a moth heart. Do not wake me. Do not kiss me with your lips like red cocoons. Oh, do not wake me. I am dreaming. I am spinning straw into gold.

Brittney Corrigan, copyright 1994. All rights reserved.

I haven't visited those princesses in years. It's kind of nice to hang out with them again!

And on a completely different note, I cannot leave you without some pictures. So first up, here is the promised photo of the three American Idols taken by Thomas with his phone in downtown Portland.

And here is Elliot falling asleep while getting his hair cut by Destinie at Clackamas Town Center, where Elliot and Papa go often to ride elevators, eat snacks, and get prettified.

Now maybe I should head off to nap with my own little princess, who's been passed out in the backpack for this entire post. Happy weekend!

Online Writing, Meow Meow, Online Art

2008-07-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce that I am the poetry editor for a new online literary journal being launched in October that will celebrate the autistic spectrum. Here are the details.

Hyperlexia: A Literary Journal Celebrating the Autistic Spectrum is looking for your fiction, poetry, and personal essays. Our inaugural issue, which will be found at www.hyperlexiajournal.com, is planned for October. Send to submissions@hyperlexiajournal.com. Deadline for submissions is August 31st.

Submission guidelines:
* Hyperlexia is interested in honest, thoughtful, well-written poetry and prose about being autistic and loving someone with autism. We want genuine and truthful writing about autism. Our journal is a celebration of real life with autism, both the good and the bad. You can be serious, sad, or funny. We believe in respecting the diversity of the human mind and discriminatory writing or hatred of any kind will not be published.
* Submissions should be 1500 words or less.
* Send submission inside the body of the email, as well as attached as a Word doc.

My co-editors and founders of the journal are Kerry Cohen Hoffmann and Phoebe Gleeson. Please pass the word to anyone you know who might be interested in submitting work, and keep your eye out for the first issue in October!

And speaking of art online, check out my step-father-in-law's (that'd be Papa Mr. Vic Victor) artwork on his page on the Ovation TV website. You can see his artwork on the photos section of his page. Last Christmas, he made us this amazing shadowbox piece, titled "Orange Boots, The Star Hanger." I like the shadow effect created by the sunlight as I photographed it on the back porch this morning.

And I'll leave you with this video of little Miss Idgie playing with the kittens last night.

In the words of Henrietta Pussycat from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood of Make-Believe (as a shout out to Bryce and Ellen!), "Meow meow, cute!, meow meow!".

Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

2008-07-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

First, in a follow up to yesterday's post, here is a link to the piece on KOIN 6 news about Michael Savage and School of Autism. And here is a link to Savage's response on CNN. And that's all the blog time this guy is going to get from me! For those of you in Portland, though, mark your calendars for August 28th. On that day, Washman Car Washes is donating 50% of its sales to School of Autism. We're hoping to raise about $10k, so please consider getting your car washed at one of the Washman locations (check out the link for addresses) on that day.

And here is a picture of Imogen showing off her newest skill this past weekend. She is now free standing for about 10 seconds at a time.

Elliot walked at 11 months old, and I think Imogen is going to be an early walker, too. I can't wait for her to be able to play chase with her brother (or run away from him) and bounce on the trampoline. Go, girl!

Three Unrelated Things

2008-07-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Thing One. (Which is technically two related things.) The kittens have names!

There were several good suggestions, including:

Thelma & Louise (very tempting)
Venus & Serena (if we were sports fans)
Nan & Flossie (can't name a cat after my mother-in-law)
Charlotte & Emily (I know too many toddlers with these names, alas)
Midnight & Snowball (I had a cat named Midnight as a little girl)
LucyFur & Gabriella (can't name a cat after a good friend's daughter - no, not LucyFur)
Glinda & Elphaba (These came close!)
Ophelia & Desdemona (Yes, we were definitely thinking Shakespeare...)
Stella & Maggie (again, a friend's daughter, and also my mom's cat's name)
Salome & Jezebel (oooo, good ones)
Hermione & Cho (I actually wanted to name them Flourish and Blott, after the bookstore in Harry Potter, but, somewhat surprisingly, Thomas nixed it.)
Brian & Setzer (Hmm, boys' names. Interesting idea...)
Dolce & Viva (for international flair)
Salt & Pepper (already taken by a friend's cats)
And various other black-and-white animal and food combinations.

In the end, we picked Antigone and Ismene, the daughters of Oedipus in Greek mythology. Our Reed Humanities 110 professors would be so proud. We're calling them Tiggy and Mene (or Izzy, we'll see what sticks) for short.

Here is Ismene, the runt, checking out the train table.

And this is Antigone.

They are wonderful, lovey kitties. Meow!!

Thing Two. Going to the dentist can be fun. Due to the many sensory issues Elliot has surrounding his mouth, we had not yet taken him, now nearly 5 years old, to the dentist. I just couldn't imagine how it would be successful, on several levels. How would they get him to sit still, open his mouth, and let them put things in it? It seemed impossible, or at the very least traumatic. But Elliot has been complaining of mouth pain these past couple of weeks, and a friend recommended Dr. Allan Pike. As my friend puts it, he is the Mr. Rogers of the dental world. And this turns out to be exactly true.

Dr. Pike's philosophy of pediatric dentistry is "no force, no pain". He believes that it's not the teeth that are the most important thing, but rather that the child develop a positive association with going to the dentist, leading to life-long dental health. Our experience in Dr. Pike's office this morning was amazing. He works with many kids on the autism spectrum, and his many years of experience figuring out what works best is immediately apparent. He spent an hour with us, showing us the office (which includes a "cartoon room" for when kids need a break and some gerbils which Elliot got to feed), the flat tables instead of scary motorized chairs, and the one big room that houses all the stations so the kids can all see each other. The hygienist worked with Elliot while I talked to Dr. Pike, and she was able to clean his teeth with a toothbrush, floss, and give him a fluoride treatment.

Unfortunately, Elliot has four cavities (he is apparently very prone to developing them, and we'll be cutting out sweets and fruit leather). Dr. Pike assessed Elliot just by looking in his mouth - no scary x-rays. Then they did a "trial run" of a filling, using laughing gas and going through the motions of giving him an injection and putting the drill in his mouth. He didn't protest one bit. We'll be going back next week for the actual fillings, so I'll keep you posted! I'm so thankful to have found such a compassionate, understanding, and dedicated dentist.

Thing Three. Yesterday, a right-wing radio host, Michael Savage, spent his show basically calling autism a fraud. The controversy around the show has been immense. As a wise friend tells me, though, that's just what this nut job wants - he thrives on negative attention - and why should we spend our valuable time being angry with someone so clearly insensitive and wrong, thereby giving him the power he craves? On the up side, the controversy led one of our local news stations, KOIN 6, to come to Elliot's school (School of Autism) today to interview teachers and parents about how they feel about Savage's comments. Hopefully the piece, which will air on the 5pm news today, will be good publicity for the school and the autism community and not just more attention for a despicable human being. If the story shows up on their website, I'll post a link to it tomorrow.

Who knew that dentists could be nicer human beings than radio hosts? Though I think the kittens take the top prize today for most fun to be around!

Where the Girls Were

2008-07-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Imogen and I just spent a lovely weekend with the girls for our third annual summer getaway. Instead of the coast, this year we headed to Sandy, Oregon and stayed at a wonderful vacation home, the Riverwoods Lodge. It's a gorgeous log home nestled in the woods on the Sandy River, complete with hot tub, sauna, and all the amenities.

It was a fabulous, relaxing weekend. We even watched Fried Green Tomatoes in honor of Idgie (who was named for the main character). On Saturday we walked down to the river.

The riverbank was a good place for yoga...

...and meditation...

...and a snack.

Imogen loved sitting in the sand and examining leaves and sticks while the water rushed past.

When we got home, it didn't take but three seconds to talk Thomas into adopting two of the stray kittens that our friend Allegra found a couple of weeks ago abandoned in an alley. Here are the newest girls in our family.

Imogen may not like to play in her playpen anymore, but the kittens sure do.

The kitten sisters are still unnamed today, after much discussion last night. Here's your chance to name them! We're taking suggestions. Currently in the running are Billie and Ella (all cats love jazz) and Kodak and Fuji (on the black-and-white theme). Or maybe something from Greek mythology? Or Shakespeare? Or children's literature? Help us out! Name announcement and more pictures to follow soon!

Elliot's BFFs

2008-07-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Elliot started going to preschool at School of Autism five mornings a week. In the fall, he will start in the afternoon kindergarten class, where he'll spend the next two years. He absolutely loves being at school. Here he is getting his hands good and messy, which I never would have thought possible just a year or so ago.

Elliot has always been good at interacting with adults. In recent months, he has also taken an interest in other kids, especially little girls. But his interactions with other kids have still been awkward, since he is very good at invading personal space and doesn't usually listen to what the kids are saying to him - be it asking him to stop touching them or trying to get him to play a game. He recently learned to play hide-and-seek with his cousin Willow, though he always wants to do the counting (which is fine, because Willow likes to hide and giggle when he gets close).

But at fun school, Elliot is really and truly making friends. We were so excited to get these pictures this week of Elliot hanging out with his buddies. Here he is with his friend Xander. He and Xander were apparently inseparable on Wednesday - they walked around the playground holding hands, played Legos together, and wrestled on the bean bags.

And here is Elliot with a pile of cuddly friends.

Doesn't he look happy? We're so excited to see him being so comfortable and making so much progress at school. And we are thrilled that he is making friends who love him, understand him, and enjoy playing with him just the way he is, and just the way he plays.

Now I'm off to finish getting ready for a girls' weekend on Mt. Hood. Little Miss Idgie and I are heading out for the weekend and leaving the boys to have their boy adventures. Stay tuned for pictures of the girls!