The Farm Report – Page 85 – Archiving the early years

The Tooth Fairy

October 17, 2008

Last night was super-fun, but there was a little wrinkle in the evening. Neko finally lost her tooth, and we weren't there to oversee the lost tooth ritual.

Barb was there for the actual loss of the tooth, which I have a feeling was filled with lots of excitement. My mom then took over to handle bedtime when Barb needed to go home. Right before bedtime was when the anxiety set in.

Suddenly Neko was in tears. She didn't want to give up her tooth—she wanted to keep it. And then she didn't want the tooth fairy in her room. She didn't like the idea of someone she didn't know in her bedroom. I don't blame her. Upon reflection, the whole idea is a little creepy.

My mom helped her write the note in the first photo, which they taped to the front door, asking the Tooth Fairy to please leave her tooth. So when we arrived home, we had some punting to do. If I've learned one thing about parenting, it's that curveballs fly out of left field when you least expect them.

I've never been one for perpetuating this sort of mythology, but I felt she deserved an answer that would quell her fears. So I grabbed the digital Tooth Fairy pen, and composed a note. The Tooth Fairy assured her that she could keep her teeth, but maybe she could leave her tooth pillow right outside the front door, and the Tooth Fairy would leave something special.

This morning Neko was thrilled with this solution. She happily carried around her dollar and talked about the Tooth Fairy's new plan.

Of course, I almost got totally busted when she saw these photos on my laptop. I am in so much trouble when she learns to read.
18 days

October 16, 2008

And counting.

We attended a rally for Obama last night. A fabulous chance to sneak away from parenthood and sit in the middle of civilization. The National and the Breeders played a live show, which is a dreamy double-header, as they both have roots that grow close to our own.

I love that we ran into so many good friends, many who managed to escape the camera, due to the fact that dusk was rapidly approaching. I feel like we're rallying for something good in this world, and I'm hoping it's just around the corner.
A boy and his Kitchen-Aid

October 15, 2008

A few weeks back, I blogged about Neko helping me make apple sauce by using my new Kitchen-Aid attachment. Today I put Shep to work, and he helped me start tomato sauce by running the tomatoes through.

Now, I think Neko enjoyed herself. But Shep? He was downright giddy.

As he worked, he was singing a little song to himself about being the best tomato squasher ever. "I am doing a great job!" he would declare. That kid sang his way through 20 pounds of tomatoes.

Tom loves to cook, and I see Shep might be following in his footsteps.
Playgroup…revised

October 12, 2008

With half our playgroup shuffling off to kindergarten at three different schools and the other half in three different preschools, it's been tough to find a time where our schedules jive.

So we've settled on every other Sunday night, alternating between mom's night out and family potluck playgroup. If I can't have playgroup, this seems to be a great compromise. Plus, the Dads get to join in, which is always a bonus.

Jodi hosted last night, and for one of the few times in my parenting career I actually relaxed during one of these events. The kids ran and played and the parents actually had time to talk and catch up.

I'm not sure if it's the alignment of the stars or our children getting older that makes these events easier, but I will happily take more of this kind of thing.

(And, yes, Shep was there, but the only photo I have of him is fuzzy and his face is buried in a bag of tortilla chips.)
Has anyone seen my new pot?

October 12, 2008
Generational

October 11, 2008

I was re-potting a jade plant yesterday, when Neko came out of quiet time to "ask me a question", which means she was thinking of reasons to not be in quiet time anymore.

She chatted me up while I finished, and after I scooted her off to her bedroom, I noticed she had been playing with some of the lost leaves, carefully placing them in order from largest to smallest. All I could do was just shake my head and laugh.

There are never stranger moments in parenthood than when you see all the things you do, the weird little things that make you who you are, reflected back through your children.
Foot smile

October 9, 2008

I adore this kid.

(Inspired by the video for Steve Malkmus' song, Jo Jo's Jacket, which we watched months ago but is clearly deeply embedded in her head.)
Tooth pillow

October 7, 2008

A while back, Neko's friend Mary Beth lost her first tooth. Ever since then, Neko has insisted that she had a loose tooth. Which really was a bunch of hogwash, because they were all as tightly packed in as ever.

Then a few days ago, she insisted I put my finger in and check on her "loose tooth" and I was shocked to discover that it really was, in fact, LOOSE. Quite loose. Which sort of sent me into a panic, because I wasn't prepared.

Mary Beth's mom, Nancy H., who is quite crafty in her own right, had made a tooth pillow based on an excerpt from SouleMama's book, The Creative Family. I have a love/hate relationship with SouleMama. I'm incredibly inspired by her amazing zest for life and craftiness, but she sometimes makes me depressed. Like the other day she canned tomato sauce and then made three skirts for her daughter, all before dinner. This past weekend they chopped wood and made, like, 100 homemade apple pies. Oh, and she homeschools, too. All while she's about twelve months pregnant.

But she has great ideas, and if I can shove aside my feelings of inadequacy, she inspires me to do good stuff.

Anyway, Mary Beth's pillow was ridiculously cute, and I thought it would be a great way for Neko to go through the ritual of placing her tooth out for the tooth fairy.

So instead of nervously twiddling my thumbs through the presidential debate, I sewed. And let me tell you, it's all much less stressfull when the dialog sounds something like, "Well, thank you for your question. The economic (whirrr…whirrr) and when I say stimulus (whirrr….whirrr…beep!) which is what I'll do when I become President."

And, no, the robots don't have any significance other than I thought they were super-fun and PINK which is what everything must be now. Except, you know, maybe the tooth fairy is using robots these days to collect teeth. It is the 21st century, right?
Happy dinner to you

October 7, 2008

I need to get better about meal planning. It's one of my major downfalls. Suddenly it's 4:30pm and I'm in a complete state of panic about the forthcoming meal.

Some days Tom comes in to find I have a furrowed brow and elevated blood pressure, and he throws together a meal for the kids while I peruse the take-out menus for us.

He always does fun things for dinner that I never would have thought of. Letter sandwiches (or pancakes) are a big favorite of his, but this was our first dinner with candles. We all sang "happy dinner to you" and blew out candles. Which made me think, why don't we do candles more often? Why do we just reserve that fun for birthdays?

So go light some candles and sing a rousing round of Happy Tuesday. It's bound to put everyone in a good mood.
Illness

October 6, 2008

Shep has a cold, so I spent the whole day catering to the whims of a cranky and indecisive 3-year-old.

I have some ideas for the government if they need some techniques for their torture and interrogation department. I mean, not that, our country would ever think of participating in such acts. But, you know, just in case they did, I think a big army of sick three-year-olds could get them pretty far.