By: Alkelda,
on 2/17/2008
One-third of Lucia's class was out Friday because of the stomach flu. This morning, Lucia succumbed. Despite being sick to her stomach, Lucia is in a relatively cheerful mood. She just told me, "When I grow up, my daughter's name is going to be Trixie and my husband's name is going to be Mo Willems." Then, as an afterthought, she asked, "What's Trixie's mommy's name?" 02/18/08 update: Lucia's
By: Alkelda,
on 2/11/2008
"My name is Georgia. I want to walk alone." --Lucia, rebuffing a hand-shake the day after we read Through Georgia's Eyes, a picture-book biography of Georgia O'Keeffe.
By: Alkelda,
on 1/31/2008
By the time Lucia was two years old, she had given up on naps altogether. I, however, still needed them. Sometimes I get a chance to lie on the couch for a little while to stave off the fatigue and crankiness. Usually, Lucia does not want me to sleep. Once, I asked her why she didn’t want me to sleep, and she said, “I get scared.” I can understand that—if I’m the only adult in the house and I’m
By: Alkelda,
on 1/15/2008
On Saturday, we were all revved up to see Recess Monkey at the central Seattle Public Library branch when we found out Margaret Read MacDonald was telling stories at Island Books. Lucia enjoys the music of Recess Monkey quite a bit, but she has a connection with Margie (as the great Dr. MacDonald introduces herself), and opted to attend the storytelling event instead. Lucia drew a picture of
By: Alkelda,
on 12/26/2007
Lucia's Little One from her kindergarten class is home for the holidays. The Little Ones are not dollies, as Lucia has corrected me a number of times, but friends who have journeyed from the Little One Meadow to visit the kindergarten. Each Little One chooses a kindergartener to be his or her special friend. Lucia waited a long time for her Little One to arrive and choose her, and a few days
By: Alkelda,
on 12/14/2007
Here is the post I wrote last year about Santa Lucia Day. Today, Bede is dropping our own Lucia off at school, and I hope he gets to stay for the singing. The second graders visit each classroom while singing "Santa Lucia" songs, and leave sweet bread (not sweetbread!) for everyone. Last year, I cried during the singing. Lucia's teacher reassured me that this was a normal reaction to the Santa
By: Alkelda,
on 12/11/2007
At the end of the school day, this is the blessing with which Lucia's teacher sends forth her charges: Angel of mine who is guarding me Be thou a shining star above me Be thou a smooth path below me Be thou a kind shepherd behind me Today, tonight, When the stars are shining bright and forever.
By: Alkelda,
on 11/20/2007
Yes, the quarter-sized pink guitar was a partially an impulse purchase,* and no, I didn't wait for a special occasion to give it to Lucia. The guitar is made by a company called Luna Guitars, which specializes in electric, acoustic and bass guitars for women and girls. Sunday night, the House of Glee went over to some friends' house for dinner, and I brought my guitar along. I played a few
By: Alkelda,
on 11/17/2007
Hey! Remember the READ poster generator Sam Riddleburger discovered? I finally made one for myself... or rather, I made one for Lucia. I've been moping about, saying, "My baby! Where did my baby go?" and looking at old photos. Here's one I found of 6 month old Lucia:
By: Alkelda,
on 11/15/2007
The only reason I hadn't made "Shady Grove" a Song of the Week before was because I thought I had already written about the song two years ago. My uncle taught this song to me in the key of E minor from the indespensible Rise Up Singing book. "Who is Shady Grove?" people wonder. "Is it a place or is she a person?" The answer is, "Yes." Some versions of this traditional Appalachian tune refer
By: Alkelda,
on 11/9/2007
St. Martin and the Beggar by El Greco On the evening of Monday, November 12, Lucia's class will take part in her school's annual Lantern Walk. The children and their parents will gather outside to walk through the woods holding homemade lanterns and singing songs. Afterward, we'll gather around a bonfire, drink warm cider, and listen to a story. The Lantern Walk coincides with the feast of St.
By: Alkelda,
on 9/22/2007
Yesterday, Lucia told me, "When I am a woman, and Bhanu is a man, I am going to marry Bhanu" [a boy in her classroom].
I replied, "If you and Bhanu want to get married when you're grown up, you have my blessing. What does getting married mean?" Lucia was quiet. "Does it mean living in the same house?" I asked.
"Yes," Lucia replied.
"Does it mean having babies?"
".... NO!" Lucia replied. She clarified: "I will be the bride and Bhanu will be the groom and Mary will be the flower-girl."
At this point, it's all about the pagentry. After having been one of seven flower-girls at a wedding this spring, Lucia was incredulous that Bede and I did not have a flower-girl at our wedding. Sometimes I suspect that she feels sorry for us.
By: Alkelda,
on 8/9/2007
Lucia the storyteller says,
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Hikaru and he went over to Waya’s house and they played Go. And Hikaru cooked in the kitchen and he saw a paper crane. And it flew up in the air and it say, “I’m orange and I want my mommy.”
And Hikaru say, “I’m Hikaru and I’m orange ding dong golly wally way! Golly golly golly golly golly golly zoom gally golly zoom golly golly.”
Hikaru was at the foot store paying. Hikaru sighed. And they played in the band, and they sang, “Yes I was, I’m Hikaru—oo-oooo.”
Waya said nothing at all.
Spot the literary references... if you dare. Lucia's style reminds me of Gertrude Stein's The World is Round. Here is a link to one of Lucia's earlier stories.
By: Alkelda,
on 8/7/2007
Yesterday afternoon, I was driving home with Lucia when we got caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic around Husky Stadium. That was nothing new. What was different, however, was the white steam that started to spew from the hood of the car. I called Bede and told him what was going on (because hey, I've overreacted in the past to things that looked scary but were really no big deal). He urged me to get out of there and pull over. There was nothing to do but drive over the median and turn right into the No-Right Turns parking lot across the way. Forty-five minutes later, Triple AAA showed up. In the meantime, I had to calm a frightened child and pray that she didn't have to pee (as she'd already had one accident while we were at the bank). I fed her a few yogurt-covered almonds and then told her the story of Why the Tides Ebb and Flow. Afterward, she drew in her sketchpad for awhile, and then started to fret once more. "We're okay," I told her. "We got off the road, help is coming, and soon we'll be home." I quoted Go to Sleep, Gecko: "Some things [we] just have to put up with."
(Years later, Lucia will probably point out that the story didn't quite happen that way. She'll probably say, "Don't you remember that you yelled at me to stop talking? And that you said rude words?" Yes, I do remember them. But I also apologized.)
So far, all that's wrong with the car is that the radiator is cracked. If that's it, then we're looking at hundreds of dollars instead of thousands of dollars. Some things we just have to put up with. Still, I wish this were a city in which public transportation were truly a viable option all the time.
By: Alkelda,
on 8/6/2007
Heh. Well, I must say it's ONLY because she has the 'flu that she forget Trixie's Mommy's name is Medusa...
That's very sweet :)
TadMack: I'm just waiting for the moment MotherReader finds out she has a rival...
Kelly: Hey you! Thanks for stopping by.
Hope she feels better!
I'm so glad Lucia's feeling better. Hope you have a chance to get some rest!