Can You Hear Me Now?

I'll admit that in the past I often talked on my cell phone while driving. I knew it wasn't ideal but the commute to and from work was boring and a good time to catch up with friends and family. Besides, with all those free nights and weekend minutes who could resist?

After we switched to a minimal Tracfone plan to use a cell phone only when travelling, I started to notice how many near accidents involved a driver on a cell phone. In my personal experience, risky drivers who swerved into my lane, ran a red light, or nearly rear ended me were almost always talking on cell phones.

A few months ago I started doing a little online research about the actual risks of driving and cell phone usage. Today's Salon article here does a fairly good round up of all the latest data. Unless you live in one of the states where driving and dialing is now illegal, it is up to you to decide how much of a risk you want to take. But please consider this post my official request to all friends and family not to call me while driving anymore. You are too precious to me!

Graduation Day

Xavier and I officially completed our Parent & Tot swim lessons today. It wasn't easy, it was relatively chilly this morning (about 75 degrees) and raining through most of the lesson. Without any lightening though, we had the okay to finish up our class by the swim director.

When we started lessons, I thought our instructor, Reed, was being unrealistic with some of the things he asked of Xavier. But sure enough, after an hour of practice for two weeks Xavier can now:

• climb out of the pool with a small boost on one of his feet


• walk in water up to his shoulders


• jump into the pool into my arms upon prompting


• hang onto a noodle and float with his legs behind him (with me spotting him)


• straddle a noodle and sit up straight (with me spotting him)


• occasionally blow bubbles (rare!)


• reach for toys or people when being held on his tummy in the water


• occasionally kick with the noodle or when being held on his tummy


• be passed underwater from me to the instructor while holding his breath


• move along the wall doing a hand-to-hand monkey walk (with me spotting him)

He still needs to work on bubble blowing, scooping and kicking but I'm very proud of his accomplishments thus far.

Well that's one way to clean the bathroom floor

Xavier and I have been attending Mommy & Me swim lessons for the last week and a half. Class runs from 8-9 a.m. By the time we get back home, Xavier usually is sacked out and I hop into the shower quickly before taking a nap myself. I'm usually in a mad dash to get something to eat, get clean, and get in bed so I can actually sleep before Xavier wakes up.

This morning I put my bathing suit in the sink, ran the water, grabbed a muffin, hopped in the shower, and...did you catch it? Thank goodness I take short showers in general. I turned off the water and heard the ominous sound of MORE water running. Yep. I left the sink on and managed to flood the bathroom with a half inch of water.

I threw on my bathrobe and dashed to the garage where we keep about a dozen extra bath towels in various stages of decrepitude. About fifteen minutes later I had a laundry basket filled with soggy towels to bring back to the garage.

My bathroom floor has never been so sparkly.

Some Things Just Don't Photograph

There are so many times during each day that I am tickled by something Xavier does or "says" (still no "mama") or a beautiful sunrise outsid the kitchen window, or the golden goodness of a homemade loaf of bread, that I'm tempted to grab the camera to take a video or snapshot. But the act of getting up, taking out the camera, turning it on, and aiming it would ruin the very moment I was trying to capture. So you must take my word for it that what you see on this blog is just a smidgen of the loveliness that fills our lives.

The latest unphotographed event worth mentioning is Xavier's habit of imitating Tim and me doing everyday activities. Monday I was clearing off the the kitchen countertops and scrubbing them with hot water and bleach. Xavier grabbed a dishtowel off the tabletop and started wiping down his cabinet where we store his dishes and cups. Later that day when I was emptying the dishwasher, he would put his dishes away in his newly wiped cabinet.

But the cutest example by far is his imitation of Dad leaving for work in the morning. He slings Tim's thermal lunch bag over his shoulder, kisses Mommy, waves goodbye and walks out the room. Then he does this again. And again. And again. Once he did it eight times in a row before tiring of the game. Adorable.

Up, Up and Away

Xavier has started to try to climb things. Here he is on a small workout step that I use as a stool in the bath and kitchen. He is so proud of himself! Thankfully we have a few more days before he able to climb up on chairs, sofas or beds. We've already had to reinforce that coffee tables are not for climbing either. I just wish there was a toddler playground nearby to let him burn off all this climbing energy. Sadly, all the parks have "big kid" equipment that is still too advanced for him to use on his own.

The Useful Backyard

Our backyard has been earning its keep lately. While it is considered small (50x15) it certainly has plenty of room for fun, beauty and work. We have a few flowering beds here and there for asthetics and a lovely patio and grilling pad safely away from the house.

My square foot garden raised bed is just outside my kitchen window so I can easily see what needs to be harvested or watered. This year I didn't manage to plant veggies in all of the 16 square feet. The zucchini and hooked yellow squash didn't seem to be very happy there. I think I will try to plant those seeds again in the fall in another place. I have two types of tomato plants both of which are producing fruit as fast as we can eat it. It is a relief that we don't have to worry about somenella from our tomatoes. I've had a few bell peppers this summer, but not nearly as many as last year. In an open spot I planted some cosmos seeds that came free in the mail. I had no idea how tall they would get but they have provided us with cut flowers all summer.

In one corner, partially hidden from the neighbors by a sumac tree, I have my lovely new clothesline that my husband gave me for Mother's Day. I was all excited to start saving money on our electric bills by air drying laundry as much as possible. About two weeks into the project I realized that while our dryer is powered by electricity it is heated with natural gas. I am still saving energy but not quite as much money on power bills as I had hoped. You can't beat that line-dried frangrance though.

In the far corner of the yard I keep a compost pile. I made it about two years ago with $5 worht of chicken wire. I would love to have a more attractive container like this or this, but I can't really justify the expense. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a few pallets to create a two-bin wooden composting station that is beautiful too.

When I first started putting our backyard to work, I was a bit embarrassed to have people see it. It certainly wouldn't be the sort of yard featured in a issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I've been amazed though at how many people admire the work elements of our backyard. At least half a dozen times I've had visitors tell me that they wish they had a clothesline/vegetable garden/compost pile or whatever but they were afraid of what their neighbors or spouse would think.

It has made me realize that there is a certain beauty in a functional outdoor space. It is the outdoor equivalent of homebaked bread or simply furnished but tidy home. It indicates a lifestyle that goes against the tide of "aspirational" decor that dominates home improvement shows and magazines that I find so tempting but that always seem to make me feel a bit shabby(I'm looking at you HGTV!). Instead, it seems to reflect a well ordered home (or homestead).

My backyard is still a work in progress. I'd like to create another bed behind the clothesline for larger climbing vegetables, grow a few herbs in pots on the patio, repaint and repair our two metal patio chairs and perhaps add a table to make the space a little more inviting for relaxing and entertaining. But now I'm thinking in terms of what is useful and beautiful instead of just worrying about how things will look.

Strike One for Freedom

While Xavier and Dad were down at the university, I took advantage of the kid-free opportunity to put a few more safety latches around the house. With my first round of childproofing several months ago, I installed latches on anything that contained dangerous or heavy items. I left the other cabinets latch-free in part in an effort to apply some Montessori principles to our home. He was safe and I could count on him entertaining himself for a while pulling stuff out of the "safe cabinets." The only drawback was that I had to throw things back in each cabinet at the end of the day.

However, Xavier's new mobility plus my ever-expanding waistline has necessitated a change. I was finding pot lids in the bathroom and my hair dryer in the kitchen on a regular basis. The sheer amount of random stuff laying about was getting exhausting to look at much less pick up and put away.

I thought Xavier would protest about his newfound lack of of exploratory opportunities. He seems to be taking it in stride though and just turns his attention to other things. I think he, like his mother, actually feels more peaceful with the reduction of clutter.

At First Glance

While some of you may already have heard the news, I'd like to officially announce that we are awaiting the newest addition to our family in mid-December. Like last time, we are going to let the sex of the baby be a surprise.

This photo is a bit old...two and half weeks to be exact. When I went in for a check up the nurse couldn't locate the heartbeat so they opted for an ultrasound. While the half hour I waited to confirm the babe's wellbeing was nerve wracking to say the least, getting an earlier than usual photograph was a nice recompense.

My OB swears that the photo is "adorable" but I think he's just used to saying nice things to moms in their first trimester. I'm just glad he or she has two legs, two arms and one head. Adorable indeed.

Today I celebrate my entrance into the second trimester. No more nausea!

New Skillz

Xavier has been picking up news skills left and right from his big sister. He's starting to "draw" using his magnetic/erase board. I think crayons aren't far behind. I fear for my walls.

He's also been practicing his war cries. This is a neat little trick to get him to stop fussing and start laughing after a minor bump or scrape.

Hunter finishes up her first week of basketball camp today. She and I have a park date tomorrow so she can show me her new tricks around the hoop.

Eating as a Family

We've been having lots of fun these past two weeks with my step-daughter, Hunter, here for her 4-week summer stay. She's a real sport about adjusting to the separate traditions and rules from her Kansas home and her Texas home. A big stumbling block lately has been food.

As most of you know, Tim and I do our best to eat a healthy, whole foods diet most of the time. (Not to be confused with an expesive Whole Foods diet!) We like to cook from scratch when possible, prefer fresh veggies to frozen to canned, and avoid products with transfat, artificial coloring or high fructose corn syrup. We're not terribly strict about it -- we've been known to have a soda, bag of chips or spicy buffalo wings from the freezer section from time to time.

Hunter's favorite foods are speghetti (no sauce), ramen noodles, Sunny Delight (which has no juice in it by the way), and rice with butter. "Gross" foods include lettuce, tomatoes, fish, chicken with bones, cucumbers, etc.

In an effort to get her more enthusiastic about nutrition, Wednesday night is her night to plan and prepare dinner. I blanched when I saw her shopping list: two cans of cherry pie filling, two cans of pineapple, one can of mandarin oranges, one can of creamy corn, a package of hot dogs, and a box of mac and cheese. I gently suggested that she should add a green vegetable to round out the meal so she added a can of peas to her list. I prayed that the cherry pie filling would not find its way into the same dish as the hot dogs. I hoped for the best and was determined to be a good example of being open to new foods.

She made a fruit salad with the cans of fruit, split and sauteed the hotdogs (I cheated a little and bought kosher beef franks), and served corn, pasta and peas for the sides. All in all it was a yummy meal. I can't wait to see what's on the menu for next Wednesday.

Walking Man

We have honest to goodness walking over here now. For weeks Xavier has been teasing us with nonchalant cruising with one hand and the occaisional lunge from the coffee table to the sofa. On Saturday he was regularly pulling up and then taking several steps out into the middle of the room.

He is such an independent little dude. He refuses to walk upon command (or encouragement) but if you leave him be, he's walking like a little champ.

The timing of his walking is probably related to having his big sister around for the past week. Hunter is the object of his affection these days. This is particularly sweet since during her stay with us last summer, she missed witnessing her younger sister's transition from crawling to walking with her family in Kansas.

As a direct result of Xavier's new mobility, our 19-year-old cat has taken up permenant residence behind the couch unless Xavier is in a high chair or napping. Poor dear.

Wild Kingdom Presents:

a one-year-old toddler in his natural habitat:

And at the watering hole eating Chef-boy-ardee:

Meet the (Grand)Parents

Xavier got to meet his Grandma and Grandpa McNicholl this weekend. While he's "spoken" to them on the phone several times, this was the first time he got to see them face to face. As usual, Xavier worked his usual charm and showed them all his tricks: bear crawling, chasing the cat, drinking out of a cup, etc.
Xavier opens one of his birthday gifts.

Grandma and Grandpa gave Xavier the rocker that his Dad used to sit in to watch Sesame Street.
Three generations of McNicholl men.

Grandma gets a smile out of baby Xavier.

And Then We Were One

It's hard to believe that it was just a year ago today when I got to meet baby Xavier face-to-face for the very first time. He was born via c-section and I still remember his face as they lifted him up and over the drape. His arms were outstretched to the sides and his fingers were splayed wide. His little mouth was in the shape of a tiny 'O' and his eyes were wide open. It was as if he were saying, "Wow! Now this is something different!"

Today we celebrated his birth by inviting his friends from the neighborhood over for a wading pool party. Five families were represented and we had kids ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years. In addition to the pool, they enjoyed blowing bubbles, eating carrot cupcakes, and playing with Xavier's playhouse.

Here are some photos and video...enjoy!

Ethan in the playhouse.

Brook and Kiara.

The babies hung back and watched the "big kids" play in the pool.

Renee and Niona compare swimming costumes.

Ethan says hello to James.
Christopher takes a few steps.
David and Renee enjoy their carrot cupcakes.

The Good Life

A few things have had me thinking about the Good Life these days. First of all, my friend Angie lent me her copy of Crunchy Conservatives, a book written by a fellow alum of LSMSA, conservative journalist, and lover of many things crunchy (organic foods, less suburban sprawl, natural living, etc.) I found myself agreeing with many of the author's personal convictions and came to the conclusion that I didn't really know what a political conservative WAS anymore. I grew up in the Regan era. Conservatism IS Regan, right? No regulation. Low taxes. Trickle-down-economics. Anti-communist. What I'm beginning to realize is that what I thought was conservatism was actually mostly partisan Republican sentiment. So I've started reading up on Russell Kirk and other "fathers of modern conservatism" to get a better understanding more of the theory that informs conservative thought.

With thoughts of what makes up the Good Life swirled in my head, I heard a broadcast on Oprah and Friends XM radio about the Law of Attraction. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it is a loose synthesis of various philosophies and religious traditions boiled down to a single principle: What happens to you is the direct result of what kind of energy you put out in the universe. On the surface that doesn't seem too controversial -- sort of a New Age karma. But in practice a lot of LoAs (as its followers call themselves) apply this principle to tangible things like building a business clientelle, making more money, having better relationships. That's where it makes me a bit uncomfortable. Its a little too much like the Gospel of Prosperity theology for my tastes. Utilitarianism and spirituality are a touchy combination.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, and I can find some inspiration in listening to a radio show about LoA. Specifically, the host mentioned that when we talk about what we want in life, we tend to frame it negatively or in terms of what we don't want. For example we tend to say things like "I don't want to be so stressed out all the time." instead of "I want my life to be carefree and peaceful." So as an exercise the host suggested focusing on one area in your life that is important to you and try to describe what you want in positive terms. Try it, it is a little tricky at first.

So I started thinking about my position as a homemaker. What do I want our home life to be like? I came up with five things:

• Welcoming. I want guests to feel like they belong the minute they walk in the door. I want to be able to offer a cup of tea of plate of sliced fruit to unexpected visitors.
  
• Calm. Some people love boisterous, noisy fun. So do I. Just outside. I've been moving toward creating more calm by limiting television and playing soft music.
  
• Orderly. A simple, clean environment makes me feel at peace. I work hard at making sure there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. It frees up the mind to focus on enjoying life.
  
• Enriching. Thoughtful books, nutritious and delicious food, good conversation. These are the things that truely bring color into life.
  
• Haven. Most of all, I want those in our home to feel as if they can drop their worries and insecurities at the door and find a place to rest in the here and now. If everything is working right, this is our little bit of paradise here on earth.

If I can make progress toward those goals, I will indeed be living the Good Life.

Happy Birthday Pan!

Xavier is lucky enough to have four (count 'em, four) grandmas and two living great grandmas. There's MaMere, MoMo, MiMi, Grandmother, Granny McBurney, and MaMa. In addition to that, Xavier has a very special lady in his life: Pan! Happy Birthday Pan! We love you!

Communication!

Last night we had our very first spontaneous clapping...or signing for more. Or both. It was brought on by the joys of cantaloupe for dessert. As Tim said, I thinks few more synapses just got connected. He seemed to be thrilled that if he signed more, he got more melon. The squeals and heavy breathing were adorable. May he always be so easy to please!

Is there anything sweeter?

Is there anything sweeter than sloppy, open-mouthed baby kisses? Lately Xavier will kiss his lovey or a stuffed animal when I suggest it but balks when I request kisses for myself. My theory was that since we spend almost every waking moment together, Mom-kisses got old quickly.

Well, Saturday afternoon and evening I was away from home and the babe while I participated in our Texas County Caucus (72% for Obama by the way). Xavier and Tim had some quality father and son time while I got to know some of my neighbors much better over the course of seven hours of mostly sitting and waiting.

The reward the next morning was priceless. Tim usually brings Xavier into bed with us in the morning so we can all get a few more minutes of sleep. This Sunday though, Xavier was so excited to see me that he kept kissing my cheeks until I woke up. Sloppy and adorable all at the same time.

Oh, and yesterday, he gave me a zerbert on my shoulder and we both giggled and giggled until he did it again.

Last Day of Lent and Easter

Xavier and I took a quick trip to Lafayette last Wednesday to visit with his two great grandmothers and have an extended play date with cousin Matthew. Granny McBurney gave him a chocolate covered graham cracker which he promptly made a mess with.

It was so cute to see the two little boys together. Xavier wanted to do everything that his older cousin was doing. When Momo and I walked them to the park, instead of looking ahead in the stroller, Xavier just gazed at his older cousin on his tricycle the entire time.

Matthew was a big helper too. He enjoyed bringing diapers to My Susan (his moniker for me) when I changed the baby. He is also an amazing little mimic. You really have to watch your words when around a two-year-old.

Here's a photo of the boys enjoying some otter pops in the kitchen:

Easter went well here in Beaumont. Xavier wore his much-too-big-at-the-time "christening" outfit. He made all the ladies in church swoon with his coos and smiles during Easter morning mass. When it came time to renew our baptismal vows and get sprinkled with water, I realized that it was very fitting that Xavier was wearing his little outfit.

At home, Xavier enjoyed riffling through his Easter basket and goodies. Mom and Dad helped him eat his chocolate bunny and he chowed down on some peach puffs found inside his plastic eggs. With 50 days of Easter to celebrate, I fill an egg each morning with puffs and let him "find" it around the house to enjoy.

More Vacation Photos

I had high hopes of narrating the remainder of our family spring break to Corpus Christi but Holy Week and a quick trip to Lafayette have scuttled those plans. So in the interest of grandmas waiting with baited breath for more baby pics, I give you the following: