life with preschooler
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Mikhail got a new job! Many happy dances were done.He started a little over a week ago, and it's a one of those jobs that you can characterize as a really great opportunity. He is really excited about it, and I'm really excited about it. Even our houseplants are excited about it.Gift from Mikhail's new boss, a money tree -- a houseplant we're really going to try not to kill!And now, it's time for me to figure out how to to arrange all the pieces - Elan's preschool, childcare for Emry, napping schedules and household schedules, bedtime routines and get-out-the-door routines, and all the millions of little tasks that make up the days of mamas the world round, so that Mikhail can be working his new job, which will involve a lot of travel, and so that I can continue to work part-time. I've currently got two different grantwriting clients, which complicates things, deadlines and schedules (more schedules!) that I committed to before Mikhail got this job. I'm smack dab in the middle of the process of finding a new babysitter, training a new ... more
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Rebecca - - No responses
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Rebecca - - One responseShortly after Emry was born and our various familial helpers went home, I became afraid of the amount of television Elan was likely to consume now that we had a baby in the mix. Since Elan is such an early riser and Mikhail and I are barely functional before 7 a.m., morning TV and videos have long been a survival tactic for us. When he started dropping his nap around age 3, I was determined not to resort to videos to help him have a little recharge time. I thought ... more
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Rebecca - - No responsesNew Year's Resolution: Lose 20 pounds. Months 3-4.I've been thinking a lot about patience. Before I became a mother, I knew that patience would likely be one of my biggest challenges once I had kids (that, and getting up early in the morning). And lo and behold, I was right! (A plus to having children in your 30s instead of in your bounce-back, energetic, can-get-no-sleep-and-still-function-just-fine-thank you very much 20s: you know yourself better).There's having patience with my kids, which some days is hard, and then there's having patience with myself, ... more
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Rebecca - - No responsesMaking "soup" in his "soup-making machine."We ran Elan around a lot in San Diego. Even with a few days of rain and some chilly wind, he spent a lot of time outdoors - at the pool, the beach, the zoo, riding bikes and playing with friends. And the result was: no bedtime battles. With all the sleep-related struggles we've had with Elan, and there have been many, going to sleep at night hadn't generally been one of them until recently. Sometimes when it's taking an hour for him to ... more
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Rebecca - - No responsesBefore breakfast:I nursed Emry at 3 a.m., 4:30 a.m., and 6 a.m. By 6:20 a.m., his cheeks were the size of small cantaloupes.Also at 6:20, Emry started working on perfecting his teradacytle shriek. The happy kind.I waited for my mom to wake up so that I could hand off the adorable, shrieking-with-delight baby to her and go back to sleep.I cursed the light streaming into the bedroom, cueing the baby's brain that he should start waking up at 6:00. What happened to 7 a.m., my dear babykins? On that ... more
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Rebecca - - One responseIn the country, there are dirt roads and muddy puddles perfect for stomping.A wooden swing at Grandma's house.A barn full of baby goats.Who turn riotous when we enter.They're looking for milk.Elan tries feeding them hay, but they prefer the real thing.This makes me glad I have only one baby.And look, here he is (with his handsome Dada).There are other adventures to be found in the country, too -- like rock-hopping in the creek.He was fearless about climbing over the rocks and wading through the water. It was just the ... more
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Rebecca - - One responseGonzo Photo credit: svensonsan, flickrRecently, we borrowed my sister-in-law's copy of Muppets Take Manhattan. The picture on the cover made me nostalgic, remembering happy hours with the characters of Fraggle Rock with my sister when we were small (she was particularly obsessed with Fraggles).But Elan had a different take on the movie. After watching it, he proclaimed, "That's not a funny movie! That's a scary movie!"I had never thought of Muppets as scary before, even if they are ... more
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Rebecca - - 2 responsesWalking home from preschool, we passed a restaurant that specializes in roast chicken. The smell wafting out of the open door was garlicky, roasty, almost carmelized -- great comfort food for a rainy afternoon.I stopped and said, “Elan, do you smell that chicken? Doesn’t it smell good?”“Mama, stop doin' that!”“What?”“Telling me what it smells like all the time.”Is it possible that, at four years old, he's already finding me embarrassing?And then last night, I dreamt that Elan had a book report due, and I had forgotten all about it ... more
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Rebecca - - One responsePeople ask how Elan is adjusting to being a big brother.It's a hard question to answer. He loves his baby brother.And sometimes wants to bonk him.Emry is fascinated by his big brother.And sometimes alarmed by him.It's complicated and ever-changing, as I assume it will be for the rest of their lives. Both Mikhail and I have had moments of sadness for Elan as he struggles through this, the biggest transition of his life thus far. Learning to share the most precious thing: the love and attention of his ... more
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Rebecca - - One response
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it’s a boy!We are so thrilled to welcome our baby boy to our family! Emry Isaiah Brams Davis October 22, 2010 7 lbs 15 oz, 20.5 inches Emry is a Welsh name…
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the end of an eraToday my grandfather, Popa Al Alper, passed away. He was 101 and a half. June 2008 Back when he turned 99, many of you sent him postcards in the mail.…
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new story published!New story in print for the first time in a looonnng time I am happy to say that I had a story published in The Stonecoast Review, Issue 8. It’s… -
In DecemberIt is December now, and I notice that for the past several months I have maintained silence here on my blog about how I have continued to deal with the…
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a goalYesterday I spent a lot of time thinking and writing about what kinds of habits or practices I could put in place that will support my vision of myself as…
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All The Rest Is Just Icing30 weeks Warning: this post involves vomit. You might want to put down your sandwich. I might have mentioned before that I am not a puker. I have not vomited…
