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!).
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
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.
ii
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.
iv
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.
-Brittney Corrigan, copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
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!
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).
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!
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!
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 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.
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!).
