Monthly Archives: October 2007

Flotsam / Jetsam

Time capsule

And our love is in a time capsule
Let’s dig it up …
(Matthew Sweet, “Time Capsule”)

Whenever we move, we end up with one or two boxes of “stuff” — those last boxes thrown together in the kitchen the night before it’s time to go. They’re usually the last boxes to be unpacked, too, because they rarely hold anything essential. They’re full of the stuff that we probably should have just thrown away but for one reason or another never did.

We opened one such box today. It had remained unpacked for far longer than it should have. It was the random stuff box from the duplex we lived in in Missouri. That was at least three moves ago.

Among the box’s contents:

  • an unopened straw from Subway.
  • a container of paper clips.
  • a Tribune employee newsletter from February 2003.
  • a packet of photos of baby Poppy.
  • one baby booty.
  • a Polly Pocket doll that our niece left at our house in 2003.
  • scissors and pens.
  • several letters and drawings from Sam and Sophie, including the following missive, dated September 18, 2001:
    Continue reading Time capsule →
    • blessings

    Today was a good day

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    Rockford announced yesterday that he had scheduled an appointment for me for a prenatal massage. I’d never had a massage of any sort before, and I was a little nervous. But after a lovely, slow morning, I gathered up my courage and headed out for my first massage.

    An hour later, I was so relaxed I couldn’t figure out how to get out of the department store where the salon/spa is located. (I really wasn’t that out of it; the store has a very confusing layout). Once I finally found my way out, I stopped in to Yankee Candle for something to freshen the house.

    I checked my phone when I got to the car and discovered that Rockford had tried to call five times over about 15 minutes. Still a little massage-bleary, it didn’t occur to me to panic.

    I called, and he said, “Can you get home as quickly as possible? I really need some help.”

    Once the fog lifted, I did start to panic a little. So I called back, and he reassured me that there was no need to panic, he was just overwhelmed. And no, I didn’t need to bring him anything for lunch.

    Why do you suppose my always-hungry husband didn’t want any lunch?

    Because he and his sister had planned a surprise baby shower for me, and the guests were waiting. And they were getting hungry and a little restless.

    We moved to this area too recently to have really made any connections, so the guest list was on the small side. But our friends and family far and wide were kind enough to participate in a “virtual” party, and they showered Pete (and us) with generosity. I feel so blessed that there are so many people out there who care about us.

    Family matters

    Messes and meltdowns: A potty story

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    We tried to potty train Poppy a few months ago using the method that my mother-in-law used on two of her three children and on our niece. The book she used is called “Toilet Training in Less Than a Day” by Nathan Azrin. The basic premise calls for a pottying doll to show the child the general concept. Once they get what you’re trying to accomplish, you ply the child with whatever beverages and snacks they love the most and have a frantic afternoon of running to and from the potty. And in just hours, your child is potty trained.

    With the help of copious amounts of M&Ms, my mother-in-law’s children were potty trained by naptime. Sophie took a bit longer, but she was also trained at 18 months — pretty darned early and a fact in which Sophie takes a considerable amount of pride. We were enthusiastic and had no doubt that Poppy would have similar success.

    Alas, there was no joy in Mudville.

    Continue reading Messes and meltdowns: A potty story →