now fortified with impotent fury!risperdal

“Mom, will you do puzzles with me?”
“Yes sweetie, just let me finish typing this. Why don’t you get out the puzzle and turn all the pieces right side up?”
“OK.”

So, the annual start-of-summer-wench-matilda-king-of-hill-people birthday party weekend is comin up. I’m doing menu planning and musing. Looking through about 40 cookbooks and slowly making a complicated grocery list is far more interesting than actually doing my work for the day.

This is possibly my most boring entry ever.

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Is sort of lost in the mad swirl of one toddler meltdown plus trip to whole foods in the same grand swing. But, as best I can remember without getting off my ass and looking in the fridge

Organic eggs
‘Bunny carrots’
Green garlic
purple spring onions
beautiful red potatoes
2 different kinds of summer squash plants
one basil plant
2 kinds of heirloom french lettuce plants
one mint plant, to be potted the fuck away from everything else
rapini
organic wild strawberries
more strawberries
peaches (yes, I know, brought up from Georgia, Sean insisted)
asparagus
the wonderful women who sell 6 wee heads of lettuce for $1.50 were there today. YAY
sugar snap peas
tiny tomatoes

It slams with a reverberating thud as you are forced to contend with the fact your child is now a little force of personality and will who can express himself in ways beyond bodily fluids.

After months of gently priming him to give up the crib (I’m serious, yo, he was big league attached to that thing), yesterday we had a breakthrough. He turned to me and said clear as day, “Mom, time for a big boy bed.” Who the fuck am I to argue with the clearly enunciated contextually appropriate (love of God will I be happy when I can stop tracking these things) verbalizations of the little man?

Let no one say we’re afraid of color in this house:

(For the peanut gallery: yes, that’s an Ernie, courtesy of client, Ice Bat from the Uglidolls line, and the butt of Zaboo the lemur in the bed (and, one random teddy bear, he does own something normal). And yes, that’s a purple duvet cover and a yellow pillow case, purely coincidental, I assure you, we have a non aggression pact about stumping for our respective alma maters in this house. Betsy, that is the blanket you crocheted for him over the end of the bed, despite it being 9 bajillion degrees out he insists on having it in bed.)

Plus, bonus contemplative little man!

The Lad and I spent 4.5 hours in each other’s company last night. At no point were we interrupted by colleagues calling, a small child informing us he had poopie, demands to kiss a lemur, orders to play puzzles or trains, the lure of the laptop or WoW.

The fact that the food was fucking awesome didn’t hurt, either. C, if you’re reading this, Bluestem now officially leaps from the ‘2 f-bombs’ to the ‘4 bleepin f-bombs’ on the wench scale.

Readers who enjoy good food pr0n, click below.

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Do you enjoy living in a country with a decent basic research base? Like having all of the advantages research science can afford you? Time to make a phonecall. and FAST. This is being marked up TOMORROW. Please read the following and, if you live in an appropriate state, take the time to call today. I’m pondering if people from other states contacting the senators would help.

ACTION ALERT: TELL SENATORS TO SUPPORT ALL SCIENCE AT NSF

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has announced that it intends to “mark-up” S. 2802 on Thursday, May 18, 2006. S. 2802 is the “American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2006.” A “mark-up” is when the committee considers amendments to legislation prior to sending a measure to the full Senate for a vote.

We have learned that Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) plans to offer an amendment to S. 2802 during the Committee’s scheduled mark-up on Thursday, May 18. The Hutchison amendment would direct the National Science Foundation to ensure that the assessment of research awards and grant proposals submitted to the Foundation, and research activities initiated by the Foundation, include consideration of the degree to which such awards and activities contribute to the enhancement of the Nation’s capacities in the areas of “physical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” THE AMENDMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE BIOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL OR SOCIAL
SCIENCES, NOR DOES IT INCLUDE SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS. If adopted, this amendment could limit funding for these important disciplines, all of which play a critical role in our nation’s scientific enterprise and contribute to economic opportunities and global competitiveness.

ACTION: Scientists (ed note: and educators and concerned citizens!) from the states listed below need to call or fax their Senator today to encourage them to OPPOSE THE HUTCHISON AMENDMENT TO S. 2802. The Hutchison amendment arbitrarily excludes areas of scientific research that are vital to our national interest. S. 2802 SHOULD SUPPORT ALL OF NSF, NOT MICROMANAGE NSF.

Members of the Committee are listed below, please contact your Senator and encourage your colleagues to do so as well.

Senator/State/Phone/Fax

Republicans:
Sen. Ted Stevens, Chair, Alaska, Ph. 202-224-1251, Fax. 202-224-1259
Sen. John McCain, AZ, Ph. 202-224-2235, Fax. 202-228-2862
Sen. Conrad Burns, MT, Ph. 202-224-2644, Fax. 202-224-8594
Sen. Trent Lott, MS, Ph. 202-224-6253, Fax. 202-224-2262
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, TX, Ph. 202-224-5922, Fax. 202-224-0776
Sen. Olympia Snowe, ME, Ph. 202-224-5344, Fax 202-224-1946
Sen. Gordon Smith, OR, Ph. 202-224-3753, Fax 202-228-3937
Sen. John Ensign, NV, Ph. 202-224-6244, Fax 202-228-2193
Sen. George Allen, VA, Ph. 202-224-4024, Fax 202-224-5462
Sen. John E. Sununu, NH, Ph. 202-225-2841, Fax 202-228-4131
Sen. Jim DeMint, SC, Ph. 202-224-6121, Fax 202-228-5143
Sen. David Vitter, LA, Ph. 202-224-4623, Fax 202-224-6747

Democrats:

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, HI, Ranking Member, Ph. 202-224-3934, Fax
202-224-6747
Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, WV, Ph. 202-224-6472, Fax 202-224-7665
Sen. John F. Kerry, MA, Ph. 202-224-2742, Fax 202-224-8525
Sen. Byron Dorgan, ND, Ph. 202-224-2551, Fax 202-224-1193
Sen. Barbara Boxer, CA, Ph. 202-224-3553, Fax 415-956-6701
Sen. Bill Nelson, FL, Ph. 202-224-5274, Fax 202-228-2183
Sen. Maria Cantwell, WA, Ph. 202-224-3441, Fax 202-228-0514
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, NJ, Ph. 202-224-3224, Fax 202-228-4054
Sen. Ben Nelson, NE, Ph. 202-224-6551, Fax 202-228-0012
Sen. Mark Pryor, AR, Ph. 202-224-2353, Fax 202-228-0908

dinner out. tomorrow night.
SON OF BITCH, ACTING LIKE REAL ADULTS.

shocking, no?

child continues to identify things as mammals. unfortunately, attemptin to convince me all of his favorite things are mammals. Examples from today:
“lemurs mammal.” “Yes.” “busses mammals.” “No.” “Why.” “Busses are machines, not animals. They’re not alive.” “Hrmph. Trains mammals.” “No.” “Why.” “*sigh*. Trains are machines, not animals. Only animals can be mammals, and then only some kinds of animals are mammals. Remember your book?” “Hrmph. Dogs mammals.” “Yes.” “Monkey mammal.” “Yes, but that on the tv is a chimpanzee, which is not a monkey, it’s an ape. Say chimpanzee.” “Chimp-pan-zeeeee.” “Good.” “Chimp mammal.” “Yes.” “Cat mammal.” “Yes.” “Goat mammal.’ “Yes.” “Goat cheese mammal.”

…..

Last night, as we got Sean ready for bed, he poked at his chest, and said, “Uhoh, boo boo.”

“No Sean, those are normal. Everyone has them. Mammals have them.” He has a board book from the zoo about mammals, and suddenly, it all clicked for him.

There was a pause. “Sean’s a mammal?” Yes, we assured him. “Mommy mammal.” Yep. “Daddy’s a mammal.” Yes indeedy, our little zoologist. “Lemurs mammal.” Um, yes. He is now mammal obsessed, and as I went in to check on him and give him water and meds through the night, he would sleepily inform me, “Mom, Sean’s a mammal.” or “Mommy, doggie mammal” or “Mom, bug no mammal.”

Much as I rant about the pervasive attitudes here in suburban middle America hell, I have to give credit where credit is due.

When the Lad and I moved down here, our first afternoon here (the weekend we moved our wine cellar, not when we moved down here for real), we met our neighbors 2 doors down. They invited us into their home, chatted with us, plied us with beer and sodas and were to a T that trope of small town middle America goodness. When we got down here for real a few weeks later, their children were thrilled to discover we have our own personal library. We have helped them navigate the treacherous waters of having freakishly intelligent children. They have helped us feel that we do have a place here. I have gone to their kids’ plays and run a book group for one of the children; they have helped us out when I’ve been disasterously ill. They’ve laughed and cursed and helped through the infamous New Faucet and oh shit A Sink Too incident. They have opened their hearts and their home to us, without question. In the face of having no parents, aunts, or uncles here, having them be a part of a lives is, not to be sappy about it, a blessing. LPG is here as well (though when we moved here, she wasn’t and did not move here till Sean was several months old) and is a key part of our family- but LPG and I have a shorthand born of being a part of each other’s lives since we were 19. These people simply took us into their sphere, no questions asked, with no such personal history.

Today was such a small gesture. Hoping to salvage our ability to go out this coming Wednesday, I called to ask if their daughter could babysit from 9:30 until we get home (our sitter can only sit till 9:30 that night). Their daughter has a school function, and without even thinking about it, the mom offered to stay over here. I tried to argue with her about it. Been there, done that she informed me as the mother of 3. It’ll be a pleasure. You just need someone in the house, it’s no big deal

I think I’m getting them a clematis. It seems such a pale, small thank you, for helping me know that no matter what, we have someone footsteps away we can count on for anything.

Green garlic
Purple spring onions
One enormous canteloupe
Early corn from southern MO
wild strawberries
chinese cabbage
baby carrots
hothouse tomatoes
spinach
asparagus
melon plants, squash plants
3 bbq sandwiches and applewood for smoking

Tonight’s dinner: grilled chicken breasts, marinaded in garlic, olive oil, dijon, and lime. I’ll throw the cast iron pan on the grill and fill it with sweet potatoes from last week’s market, tiny red potatoes, asparagus, spring garlic, onions, and carrots, with some bacon fat for lube and a spritz of kosher salt.
Berries for dessert.