bah humbug

I wanted you all to know, I AM mailing holiday cards this year---NEW YEAR'S holiday cards!! They're all ready to go, and you should be recieving yours very soon!!

I am in my usual spacy, daydreamy place--and I'm doing all the holiday things, just with what feels like 25% of my pre-baby energy level!!

We hosted a fun party early this month, for the families in Isaac's playgroup. It was controlled chaos--and it went way past the time we said it was over, so I think everyone had fun. Miraculously, there were no accidents--not even a spill! It was great because it was like instant Christmas the first week of December!

I thought I'd be so on top of the game this year--I started my planning in October! (But, alas--my cards are late anyway!!) In my Richard Linkletter-esque, SLACKER-esque movie plot of a life, I seem to just do what's right in front of me!

Isaac said his first sentence yesterday! It was very cute. He said, "Bye, bye Daddy!" when we dropped Dave off at the Metro station. He is beginning to have the terrible twos--getting frustrated if I have to take away a dangerous toy, or remove him from something that could hurt him. He can walk up and down the stairs--holding onto the rail (with mommy close by to prevent tumbles). And he's starting to mimic songs and sounds...Dave even thinks he has good pitch!

Dave finished this semester last week. He is like 50 years younger and 70 pounds lighter, just enjoying this 2 weeks of freedom. When school is in session, our house is a bit like a somber library when daddy is home. He's either sleeping or studying. I feel sooo bad that his load is so heavy. And he reminds me always, that he wanted to do this! And, all those he-man tasks go undone around the house--because there is NO Honey-Do list!! No chores at all for him! So--this two weeks is like "WOO HOO!!" We may even go to the movies when we're visiting family next week. What a concept!

My friend Brittany and I began painting in our house (don't ask why it was so important to begin in December!) The colors were exactly as I pictured in my mind's eye, but, of course, I want to tweak them and re-do everything we did. Yah. Fun.

Isaac and I got to see the sweetest production of the Nutcracker. The Southwestern Virginia Ballet company performed in Roanoke this month, along with participants from 19 different elementary schools in the area. My niece, Elise Candelario was a performer, and she was featured on the local news channel TWICE! Elise did beautifully, and the whole show was wonderful--the sets, the costumes, the performers. Everyone was outstanding. I was thoroughly impressed!

It's been a very special (and very rough!) holiday season this year...the first when my mom and uncle are looking on from above. :( It's a very weird feeling.

Miss you all! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com. And, look for our annual HOLIDAY letter, coming soon!

xoox

allie bleeping carroll

Our photographer Allie did such a wonderful job on our photos! We're deliriously happy with them and it was such a fun day. She made it so easy!!

Take a look at the pictures on her gallery website:
www.alliecarrollphotography.com

- Scroll just a bit and you will see our name "The Schleifer Family"
- Click there and you will be prompted for a password
- The password is TaraandIssac12
(Please note that the password is case sensitive
so be sure to cap the "T" in Tara and the "I" in Issac)

So much fun! We hope to have annual sessions with Allie because she's so darn talented!!!

:)

the winery at la grange

Peeps, this is just a gorgeous place with delicious wine. As, are many many places where we live. What, you ask, are the three of us doing there on a Sunday morning at 10:00 am? Getting Isaac tipsy on the fumes from the fermenting casks? Naw, silly! (Though, I should say, those fumes were pretty strong, and for days I did smell like and feel like I had just drank 16 margaritas. Why margaritas, and not wine?! Dunno. Don't ask me.)

No! We were having HOLIDAY PICTURE DAY!!! We dressed up in festive colors and looked like TEAM SCHLEIFER! I don't have all the photos yet, but here's a sneek peek!! :)






More soon! In the meantime, check out the AWESOME photographer's website! She rules!
http://alliecarrollphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/normi-parker-ferris-a-family-session/

employee of the month

Hi, it's been awhile since I posted, so today, I'm catching up. With three posts in as many minutes.

Anyway, my husband, whom I love dearly, for many many many reasons, keeps winning the bleeping Employee of the Month award.

It appears everytime he changes his underwear, his company awards him Employee of the Month. But, actually, he changes it everyday, it just SEEMS like he wins an award all the bleeping time.

So, that's great, yeah? Job security, high self esteem and what not. Yes? Yes.

Except, I'm starting to get really, really jealous. Surprise!

Because, just as his career is beginning anew, with finishing law school on the horizon, he gets to leave his old career on a high note, with his employer thinking he's a veritable rock star and all. It's all peaches and cream. For him.

Then, there's me. Dressed in grown up clothes sometimes. Showered, sometimes. Makeup, sometimes. Nails, sometimes. Hair, sometimes. Everything all together at the same time? Never. And, if so, with stains. Green beans, milk, mococos (spanish euphemism), all kinds of delightfulness.

Gaby on the fifth season of Desperate Housewives sums it up quite well when she tries to explain the changes motherhood brings to her dear husband.

I have A LOT to say about all of this. And I'm reading a really really really good book about it called The Truth Behind the Mommy Wars, which explores women's identities and possibilities once they become mothers. Fascinating.

For the time being, I will just say this (because Isaac is awake and wanting to play), I decided I was Employee of the Month! I cleaned my garage so much that you can park TWO cars in it (photos and proof forthcoming). And, my neighbors and father-in-law noticed too!

So, for my EotM award, Dave gave me this:
, the fuzziest pillow in the world!

'aunt' debbie's (and mineo's mmmmm)

A couple weeks back, Isaac and I travelled to Pittsburgh, to visit "Aunt" Debbie and "Uncle" Doug. Debbie and Doug are really my mom's cousins, so does that make them second cousins to me? Dunno.

But, to Isaac, they are Aunt Debbie and Uncle Doug. And, as usual, I'm terrible with pictures!!

Aunt Debbie and Uncle Doug are awesome and they have a gorgeous home with land in Pittsburgh. They were graciously storing things from my grama's house for me while my family and I made the move to Virginia. They wouldn't let me pay rent either. :(

They have always gone out of their way to help me and my family in times of need, like when my mom needed to move or my grama needed help with home maintenance after grampa died. They are very enthusiastic and available. So kind and generous. I have really appreciated everything they have done for us over the years.

We had a very nice time visiting and I got to meet Aunt Debbie's sister's and their family's too because it was Aunt Debbie's birthday and we had a party. The 20th anniversary of her 30th birthday...no...that's not quite right :) Delicious food, wonderful conversation, and the cutest doggie! Isaac got to play with Nathan, Debbie's grandnephew and we all had a great time.

I was enjoying the family visit so much, I didn't visit with any friends and neighbors from my time in Pittsburgh. It's so easy to get to Pittsburgh from here, that will just have to be for next time!

And, just for Dave, I brought home award-winning, super, ultra amazing and delicious (and FEDEX-able) Mineo's pizza: http://mineospizza.com/index.html. Those of you who have had this, understand. And, those of you who haven't, I might suggest giving it a try!

halloween at aunt Stephanie's!

Isaac and I are super lucky! We have lots of family closeby, including, Aunt Stephanie and her sweet family. Isaac and I left daddy at home, because he had to study, and we went Trick or Treating with Aunt Stephanie, Cousin Ethan, and Cousin Evan at Stephanie's house. It was very exciting. Isaac had never been trick or treating before, but he quickly became accustomed to reaching his hand out for yummy candies!

And, it was also marked with sadness. Cousin Elise, sadly, could not come trick or treating with us! She was sick with the Swine Flu, and very, very sad to miss out on all the fun.

Stephanie is Dave's sister! And she lives about 3 hours South of us. So, we had a lovely weekend with Steph and Uncle Joe, and grama and grampa and Aunt Jan! It's nice to be able to visit family, although, it would have been even more fun if Dave could've come too!

We'll be back for Thanksgiving, and then again at Christmas! And, Dave (aka, Mr. 5 times winning employee of the month) gets like 3 weeks off of work AND school in December, so we're very much looking forward to the break!

Isaac is very very sad right now, because mommy isn't playing with him, so more later!! xoxoxo.

THE HORROR

To all of my graphic designer friends,
IKEA is ditching Futura, a beautiful, classic, iconic font FAMILY,
for Verdana?!!!? A font developed by Microsoft to work with computer screens.
It has 3 variations, to Futura's infinite ones.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

??????

Folks, IKEA's logo is set in Futura. Every single sign, catalog, business card, web graphic, and promotional item will eventually have to be re-branded.

What is the world coming to?

Fortunately, the design community is speaking out. There is even a Facebook group dedicated to the cause...

the whirlwind

Hi-wow, did an entire month just go by with no posts from me!?! Sheesh!

WT%--how does that happen? I mean, OK, I know I have ADD, (and so do you because I remind you constantly), and I know that part of that is not being completely connected to the 'real' world, and the whole 'time' thing. And, I know, I can be in my own daydreamy world. But, seriously? Over one month?!!

I tell Dave and Dr. G (my ADD person) that I have two speeds: ON and OFF.

ON is really good, because I zoom around and do a million things and feel CONNECTED to reality...TUNED IN...participating, getting stuff done.

OFF, yeah, not so good! I mean, I'm having fun, doing the daily things that HAVE TO HAPPEN--Isaac things, doggy things, flossing. I started walking my neighbor's little girl to the bus stop in the mornings because her parents need to leave early for work, and I can do that, on-time and everything, because it HAS TO HAPPEN.

But, during OFF, I generally feel very 'out of it.' Spaced out. Happy, not sad, just somewhere else. Isaac and I play together, as do the doggies and I, but many things that are not immediately pressing get delayed. And, delayed.

I read a book recently called "The Gift of Adult ADD". The author's premise was that once you're in the system, so to speak, with a DSM IV diagnosis, you go from being a quirky, creative, off beat eccentric person with many charming qualities, to someone who's impaired and defective in your own opinion of yourself. You go from focusing on what you're good at, to just shoring up weaknesses, and then lose your moorings.

And, in a way, that's true! I very, very deliberately crafted the person I am now early in life--to be CREATIVE. To be a good artist and graphic designer. And, I was! Many of the qualities I struggle with now were essential and valuable to success in those fields. Specifically, the ability to zone out of reality to come up with new and original visual ideas. And then, to work for hours at a time on one project that had a start, middle and end.

However, the rigor of bills, cleaning, and keeping a home do not work well with my natural BATCH processing mode and desire to zone out and do just one thing for a large block of time. The skills I need now are about consistency, attentiveness and small amounts of attention on many things day after day after day.

It's TOUGH making the transition! I don't know if it's possible!

So--anyway, that's where I've been. In the daily minutae of everyday life. Thinking only about the next moment or the next few hours. I have not even given thought to the blog at all!! Like it may as well have not ever existed.

That all said, many, many things have happened in the last month!!

Isaac is now WALKING! He started on August 16th, 5 days after his FIRST birthday! (I have photos and videos to post--very soon!) He says stuff like "Ut ohh" if he drops something and "Ahhhh" after drinking a delicious beverage. Just like daddy. (Check out the video at the end of this blog) It's hilarious. Today he ate an entire chicken nugget by carefully removing small pieces and I was impressed.

He wears little running shoes. (Also hilarious) and he calls every dog Daisy (our lab's name). He says mama and dada, and very very emphatically he says NI NI which, I assume means "MORE NOW!" because he is very animated when he says it.

In the last week or so, he has become very possessive of me and HIS things. I once picked up my friend's little boy because he had fallen and was crying. Isaac immediately started to cry, so I picked him up too and had both. Isaac started pushing Julian away and it was obvious he was like "this is MY mother! Get your own!"

Ditto with crackers at the playgroup. I'll offer him some, and he's completely uninterested. Then, when the other children take some, he begins to get very upset and tries to take them from me. Like, in case he wants them for later? Dunno. It's funny and I know I need to begin teaching about sharing very soon!

I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much positive stuff to say, about so many dear lovely people I'm fortunate to have in my life...and I want to dedicate entire blog posts to each of them (my Dr. G would say that's my ADD making simple things complicated...). And I could certainly gush and gush at length about them...

Really, really fast, for now though:
Cousins Doug and Debbie were SOOOOOOOOOOOO awesome to let us stay at their beautiful house in Pittsburgh during my mom's memorial service. They were so gracious and welcoming. They let our doggies run around on their property and we all had such a nice visit. They took great care of Isaac when Dave and I had special meetings with the pastor. They just go out of their way to do anything and everything they can to help me. I am so thankful. They ROCK.

My DH Dave...I realize, aside from just making jokes about our list of requisite argument topics, and how we each have our own very unique skill set, I say very little about my DH. Part of that is Dave is super private and gets embarrassed easily, and hates when I write about him on the blog. Part is that I think all the time about posting and then my attention is focused 1-inch in front of my face in the daily minutae of my life. So--anyway DAVE. There's a reason I wore a sticker of Michaelangelo's statue of David when I first met him. After almost 10 years, I still think he's the greatest! We just have so much fun together and laugh all the time. I'm so grateful to have my one and only husband.

AND my deep sadness about leaving Seattle and my former running mate Helena (miss you, love you!) is mitigated a SMIDGE now because God saw fit to answer my prayers for a new chiquita banana, Virginia-based running pal: Brittany! Brittany is like Christmas, the winning the lottery, and manna from Heaven all in one. SHE HELPS ME CLEAN THE GARAGE. And, she helps me with my backlog of MAIL and administrative to-dos. I have never seen anyone be more decisive or work faster. It's amazing. I'm so thankful.

So--I could go on and on, about each one of you, my dear readers!! I will spare you all for tonight, and promise, again to post pictures and videos very soon. Some of many future post topics:

Seriously, when did I get really old?! No, a Polaroid is not an OLD camera. I just, just bought that.

And, yes, there are BEARS at our swimming pool. Complete with photos to prove it.

I am so weird.

In a good way, of course!

Incidentally, I am supposed to be packing and getting ready to head out to mom's memorial service! Why be responsible, when you can blog? The internet is a daunting obstacle to my ADD-daydreamy mind.

I digress.

Since having Isaac, I have developed a life-long love of long, fancy, patterned knee socks. Here are my latest acquisitions:



It started when I was about to give birth to Isaac. I must be the only woman in the world who wanted to wear a long sleeve shirt and thigh-high socks. I did not want all my private parts flapping about in the wind, and I wished to cover myself with a modicum of modesty and civility.

And I wanted to have a sheet hanging between my dear husband who was holding my hand and the live-action, Sigourney Weaver-esque Alien emergence. I did not want to scar my husband for life. I wanted civility and order. I wanted to keep the romance and the home fires burning. I was afraid that the blood and gore would be too much. I love 1950s movies. What can I say?

It slipped my mind that guys think gore-y, disgusting things are COOL.

So--anyway, I got shot down with my fashion plans. The only things the hospital would allow me to wear was their ghastly and dreary hospital gown and they said I could have socks if I wanted. All the time warning me that they would get trashed.

So--I was excited. I purchased pink and white striped with magenta seahorse patterns running up and down the left and right sides. They became my power socks. My theory was that I can do this, as long as I have David there and my socks.

David was afraid of my power socks. He said they looked like pantomime socks. He didn't understand the comfort and serenity I derived from them. I didn't care.

There is something empowering to me about bizarre and random socks. They have become my new love. A way to complete an outfit with verve and cache. I mini celebration every time I see them.

So, now, he's equally horrified at my latest acquisitions. And, I, cavalierly casual, like or as a dandy, flaunt them anyway.

And my power-pink-pantomime-seahorse patterned socks emerged from the birth unscathed. {I wish I could say the same for my parts-is-parts.}

{Oh, and all my dreams of being covered and shielding Dave from the alien all vanished in a sea of contractions, nurses, and poo in the amniotic fluid. I really lost control of directing the experience, and surrendered to the professionals I hired. Funny how my early 20s bohemian notions of a home water birth wisped away as I realized the potential risks inherent to the situation.}

OK--OFF TO PACKING. Kisses and hugs!

:)

more requisite argument topics

When you become a parent with someone, and you have known them a half of your adult life, you just have to liven things up from time to time.

Dave and I have been making delicious new cocktails from a Food & Wine book I gave him for his 41st. So far we've made Ernest Hemingway Daquiris...delicious. Kind of like a cross between a margarita and a pina colada. And a Mucho Picchu (I think)...also yummy. We split one drink and we're loopy. It's a testiment to our sleep deprivation!

Sometimes we inject swearwords randomly into our bucolic, ordinary conversation, for no reason with feigned, thunderous, emotional emphasis. No one is mad, just hoping for a laugh.

We thought of another requisite argument topic...(see my earlier post about Garrison Keillor's sage marital advice about the importance of arguing continuously about senseless things)

Which is better? Down pillows or fiber fill?

Obviously fiber fill. But then again, I'm a side sleeper. Fetal position.

Dave on the other hand is a FLIPPER. And a very light sleeper. He loves the malliability of the down. I think it like not having any pillow. It just LOOKS like a real pillow. Nice idea, no support.

Um, soon I will post the tastiest recipes we've been having all week from our delicious $4 Spanish cookbook. And photos, always more photos!

Ciao!

making up for lost time!

These are those photos--long overdue from last March and April.

Isaac was 7 - 8 months old!










More current ones coming soon :)

back to life...

Back to reality...I bet you didn't know who sang those lyrics, but you had heard the song. Yes? It was Soul II Soul. Not that it matters!

So--I am sure you have felt those sentiments. After a vacation, back to work on a Monday morning. Usually it's a bittersweet thing. You may be glad to be back home, to sleep in your own bed and get back to your normal routines, but you're also sad the vacation or the weekend is over.

In my case, I'm coming back to life and back to reality in a happy way. For the first time in a very long time, I just have decisions like "what should we have for dinner?" to think about. There are some points in life where the complexity and responsibilities let up, and one can breathe a (momentary?) sigh of relief.



This is one of those times. For many years I was so focused on providing, for my mom, for any future children, for Dave and I. Both financially and in our home lives. And, for my mom, providing care and assistance with everyday things.

As I've said before, caregiving is no fun, for either the giver or the receiver. On one level, it's the easiest thing in the world. Some extra laundry, help loading a wheelchair into a car. Walking slow to pace my mom's breath.

On the other, watching mom struggle--mightily--with ordinary things I take for granted like breathing, or reading, or dressing, broke my heart every moment of every day. I knew things will continue to decline and it wasn't getting any easier for her.

Then there was the emotional side. Preserving her dignity became the most important thing. Navigating the gauntlet of how to achieve that was very, very dicey. Do I intervene and help? Do I let her struggle in frustration? For how long?

I lost the ability to share the happy, vital parts of my life with her. She couldn't participate and I didn't want her to feel left out. I felt guilty for being young, fortunate, healthy and vital. I know she loved me, and was happy for me, but I didn't want to intensify her feelings of loss.



Add to that the stress of everyday life, and the mystery of not knowing what we were in for... financially,... emotionally. How long would we all sit by helpless against her disease process? It was just sad, sad, sad. And draining for everyone.

I could only imagine the depth of my mom's frustration, her vulnerability, her grief. She was mostly cheerful, and I could see how much effort she put into trying to keep a stiff upper lip. And, sure, because I was the person who was there, I also bore the brunt of her stress, mostly during times when she had to walk. Which, I understand, feels like drowning or suffocating when you can't breathe. So, it was absolutely understandable. I could empathize. Still, it was very hard.

So--yes, I wish things could have been very, very different for my mom. In just about every aspect of her life. I am relieved that I could provide as much comfort, love and dignity as possible for her. And that I got to be there during her final moments. I am also relieved that all of our suffering is over.

And, with the recent losses in the family, I'm thinking about how much time I have left on earth and wanting to make the most of the time. And, I am ready to savor life. To enjoy things as much as I possibly can.



When I am so focused on acheivement and providing, I tend to neglect the homefires. It just feels like no one is home. I do the minimum of homemaking, but the joy and enjoyment is lost. Everything and everyone feels rushed. I'm exhausted when I try to do both.

It's a new moment. I can let go of mom with love. I can accept my limitations on my time, energy and focus. I can accept that most people sacrifice something in life--be it time, money, quality of life, time with children, or time with parents and family. No choice is perfect or easy. There's always wondering "What if...?"



I'm looking forward to life with my new concept: SAVORING. Enjoying all of what life has to offer. Savoring pre-supposes wholesomeness, health and moderation. Savoring leaves nothing behind. Savoring is being fully present and 100% on board. No pre- occupation. No regrets.

I was taught well by my family to savor. Dave's family takes it to an art form. They are at the virtuoso level. For so long, with all the stress and emotion, I was in an abyss of anxiety, discomfort and fear. No more.

That's my take-away. The gifts from the losses.

For my mom, my uncle Lance, and for Isaac, I will SAVOR--very deliberately so.

With love,
xoxoxo
Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.

the thousand year old egg

Yum! Don't you just want to dig right in? It seems every culture has their bizarre relic foods that attest to the history of food preservation. Lutefisk, kæstur hákarl, kimchee...and, that outside their native culture, they're considered (to say it nicely) a delicacy.

When I think about how long I've been away from my blog, it's kind of like the amount of time it takes to incubate some of these foods! Please accept my apologies, it's been an eventful summer.

Isaac and I just returned from the memorial service of my uncle Lance. He would have been 60 this October. He lost his life suddenly last June, in very sad and difficult circumstances.

Normally I like to keep this blog upbeat and happy. So--amidst all of the losses we've had recently in the family, I haven't known how to bridge the reality of what's going on with the happy tone of my blog! So, I have stayed away.

However, with all of the loss, it's been wonderful to see family members, to visit the places where my entire family is from in Upstate NY, and best of all to be re-energized by the beautiful mountain and lake scenery which helps mitigate how much I miss the Pacific Northwest.

At one point I had a campaign going to get all my family to move to Seattle. Now, having visited central Pennsylvania and upstate NY as a grown-up, I see why that campaign failed. It's so stunningly gorgeous.

So, can we hang in and establish ourselves on the East Coast after all? I don't know. Time will tell. But, at least we have some more possibilities now.

Oh, yeah, and Dave goes back to school this month. He is already feeling the stress. He thinks on the eve of his 41st birthday, that he lost more hair. Post-baby, it's hard to tell! Our shower drain gets bombarded.

No matter. It's just so important to savor the time, and enjoy everything you possibly can while you're here. Take care and talk soon! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.

still a roller coaster!

Hi!

I didn't say a whole lot about taking care of my mom while she was living with us, except for the occasional allusions that it was really really difficult! It was!

I will post more as I clean up the messes--paperwork, moving things, donating her medical equipment.

In the meantime, Isaac is almost walking! He can stand up and not hold on to anything. He is able to ease himself back to sitting without falling. He got his two lower teeth in right around his 9 month check up, and he is eating all sorts of new exciting things.

He loves the pool and splashing! Aunt Stephanie gave him the coolest blow-up ducky bath--which is super fun and safe.

So--life is just rolling along :) Talk soon.

one chapter closes...

Linda Kay Stryker McCarthy
August 25, 1946 ~ June 14, 2009

I haven't been posting for a while, because my mom's health started seriously declining around March 25th.

And, as most of you know, she passed away last Sunday evening. I got to sit with her as she took her last breaths. I hugged her and told her about all the people who loved her, and I said The Lord's Prayer.

No one wants to pass away, but if you have to, and we all do, I for one want to go just like that. With the person I love most in the world holding my hand.

All of you who knew her, and knew us, knew, that things had been very hard for her for a long time. So, none of us wanted her to experience that, and I know, things were especially hard after March 25th.

Goodbye mom! I hope where you are is much more fun and easy and happy for you! We will miss the generosity of your spirit and the courageousness you showed in the face of such difficulty.

We will have a celebration in your honor later this summer.

Love,
Tara

argument topics

Well, it took us two days, but we thought of some possible argument topics:

Which is better? Disgusting peanut butter? Or delicious peanut butter?

This one is fun because I think Jif is disgusting what with Carnauba wax and all. And Dave thinks Smuckers All Natural is gross because it distinctly LACKS the sugar and wax. So, each of us defines disgusting and delicious differently...thus, the never ending nature of this one.

Is Dave always right? Or just sometimes?

This one is also fun because Dave is the most mild-mannered, kind, gentle and diplomatic person you could ever meet. But, he DOES have his stubborn side. Each of us enjoys being right--that tiny jolt of energy that comes with the satisfaction. So, at our house, we make a special point to pause in the conversation, whenever any person is right, and we jokingly allow that person to revel in the momentary moral superiority. Even on the most trivial of matters.

And lastly,

Should our dog be named Merlin Hecubus, Spawn of Satan (Dave's choice) or Barclay Cornelius (my choice)?

This one isn't AS fun as the others, since, Merlin is Dave's dog, and he selected the name Merlin from the get-go. However, I have always been slightly disturbed by the schizophrenic nature of Merlin's name, it seeming to cast a long shadow on Merlin's personality prospects for the future. And, sure enough, Merlin HAS lived up to his name. Not to mention the internal psychological battle of good and evil on a supernatural scale.

I have always thought a more benign, and easy-going name for him could have just been Barclay. It has an Australian ring to it. And, the Planet of the Apes reference--grounding the dog squarely to the animal world. Generally, just pleasant.

Those of you who know Dave know, that his secret world is filled with epic, supernatural battles. (Hence his stellar performance at law school.)

So, while this argument is generally resolved, and I've lost, I still like to bring it up and point out the wisdom of my line of thinking. Especially when Merlin is a bad dog. Then the argument becomes, "YOUR dog is being a bad dog." He is only my dog when he is behaving.

the requisite argument

Dave and I never argue. Well, OK, possibly rarely argue. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I'm super happy and he says he is as well. Today, I heard a story on Garrison Keillor's show (normally I would be very embarrassed to admit to listening, BUT--see earlier posts about how there is only one radio station -- NPR -- in the suburban DC area hence my great consternation) about how he was friends with a couple who never fought, until one day, much like a little league baseball game,* they had a really raucous argument, and things unravelled quickly from there.

So, he said, naturally, most wise couples instead have the 'requisite' argument. A common argument, that never gets resolved that usually is about something trivial. It comes up from time to time instead of actual communication.

* these games go along smoothly until one player makes a spectacular error, and then the game spirals quickly downward--apparently this is observable and predictable. I wouldn't know! I guess I'll soon find out :)

As a preventative measure, Dave and I are trying to decide on the subject matter for our requisite argument. Possibilities include: (um...)

In other news, Isaac is climbing--on the stairs! Of course, with very close supervision. He can easily go up the stairs. Down is a bigger challenge. He still hasn't connected that it's really bad to go face first. I've been trying to get him to shimmy down backwards, but he still wants to just lead with his head.

He also has pink eye. It's illness #3, in a quick succession that began as soon as he started to put things in his mouth--around March 1st.

Dave is doing really well. He had a review recently which resulted in a bonus and a raise! And some comment about 98 of 100% performance rating. Wow! Go Dave!

In other Dave news, they had a Moot Court competition at his school. Of 350 1Ls (one-ells = first year law students), Dave presented oral arguements at a {very seriously scary} courthouse downtown {where they had only law enforcement vehicles and parking for "expert witnesses" YIKES!}, and he was one of 140 to go to the second round, one of 50 to go to the 3rd round, and we're waiting to hear if he's one of 16 to continue to the final round. Go Dave!! Nice job.

As far as my career accomplishments, I now know the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. I am very close to resolving my paper backlog, and I'm learning more about plumbing and home maintenance than anyone would ever care to know. NOTE: baby wipes are the best dust cloths, and they're great on stainless appliances. All a far cry from the glamourous life I was leading before, but there is nothing to compare to spending time with Isaac and the puppies all day :)

I still enjoy every single second of my time with Isaac. He is really sweet and wonderful and it's fun to watch his world come to life. He likes laughing, he HATES bananas, and he loves the doggies. It's all very sweet.

I am so looking forward to taking Isaac to the baby pool in our neighborhood. Dave also wants to buy a little one for our deck. The only bad thing is the wind gusts here somethin' crazy--and who wants to be outside with that going on?!!

I joined a mom's group--and then, I met lots of ladies who suggested I join their groups. So--I joined a second one, and am considering a third! Despite knowing a lot of friends and family here, it can't hurt to make new friends.

We miss you--and we have TONS of photos--and I'm waiting for Dave to finish school to post them--more soon!

Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com. :)

if you're happy and you know it...

Clap your hands!

Isaac is clapping! We still don't have any teeth, but we do drool a lot and say things like "ta, ta, ta." I think Isaac has said "da da" but we don't know if he knows what it means.

He loves playing peek-a-boo and mimicking games like stick-out-your-tongue. And he loves to eat cereal and vegetables in his new high chair.

We have TONS of photos--like I mentioned, but Dave is the consummate FOAT-HOG and he knows about all the wires and such, and HEY, I'm just LAZY sometimes, let's just be perfectly honest?

Dave has been nose to the grindstone with his studies and writing papers and briefs, so, no time for things like the BLOG. Soon, very soon.

In other news, I've joined TWO mom's groups, and it's nice to meet moms in the neighborhood. Isaac is also enjoying our outings. And, it's been super fun reconnecting with my BFF from 8th grade.

Take care and more soon :)
Moi!

isaac is crawling!

He's wearing clothes for an 18 month old.

He turns 7 months tomorrow.

I have tons of pictures to post. More soon!

I don't often mention it...

...BUT!

Since my friend Susan said she felt trapped by a sick child at home in her blog-- and she survived...I am emboldened.

OMG! While I love being a parent to an infant, I hate being a caregiver.

There, I said it.

DISCLAIMER: My mom said yesterday her life is a 9 out of 10. She said she loves living with us, enjoys getting to know me better, and loves seeing Isaac everyday. She loves the food I cook and the chance to visit with the steady stream of family and friends. Her doctors would say I'm doing an excellent job, and her improving health is a testiment to the care she's receiving.

I help her send emails, write letters, do all of her paperwork and medications, and keep a steady flow of coffee, pepsi, ice, cheese, crackers, cookies and sandwiches coming, and I clean everything. I take her to all of her appointments and I help her with activities of daily living that we will not mention here.

I know more about oxygen tanks and concentrators and walkers and wheelchairs than I would ever care to know.


So--obviously she and I are having very different experiences.

Caregiving is no fun. Not because the work itself is difficult, but because of the trapped feeling. I can't leave the house overnight without an emotional firestorm, and I always have to be reachable by cell. There is no 'time off.' Even if I'm away, I am still 'on-call.'

I'm trying to do my best to accept the situation gracefully and know that it's temporary. I just wish I had a few siblings to share this with. (Or, at times, that I could fake my own death. Was that my outside voice?)

And for those of you who have not purchased Long Term Care insurance for yourselves and your parents--the clock is TICKING, tick tock, tick tock. Get it as early as possible while you still qualify and it's cheap. These events can drain your savings amazingly fast. Money is not a total solution, but the not-enough-money situation is even more stressful. Just my soapbox.

Ciao for now. Miss you!

shopping with Isaac

Isaac is quite the little boy now! For the last 4 times we've gone shopping, he's been riding in the cart! It's very exciting. He absolutely loves it. He looks around and around and we talk about all the tantalizing things on the store shelves.

(Now, yes, those of you germ-a-phobes WILL notice, he doesn't have a THINGIE. A shopping cart cover THINGIE. Yes, money is TIGHT! Law school is expensive! But, mommy always wipes down the cart with the anti-bacterial wipes first, so don't you worry now. We won't even start to discuss the doggie situation at home, because I know there's only so much you can take. Just know that the entire line of Lysol cleaners has become my new best friend.)

And, on the eve of turning 40, I think I've finally figured out how to keep the house continuously clean and straightened, the bills up to date, and the laundry and food coming. How sad that it took me this long. But, I guess when you're a working girl, you aren't just focused on the homestead. How freeing it is though! How much more able I am to enjoy time with Isaac, and how much more I'm able to be present with my mom and the dogs.

Today Dave and I are off to the asian market. Oh, how we miss the Uwajimaya. The asian markets around here are a little more 'authentic' then Dave and I are truly comfortable venturing into. Yes, we like pretty branding, and businesses that invest in marketing, interior decor, lighting and cleanliness. We are like Meg and Hamilton Swan from Best in Show--*so* lucky to have been raised amongst catalogs.

We are making delicious Thai and Malaysian food because we live in the MOUNTAINS and there is only Chinese out here.

no sleep til brooklyn

OMG.

Isaac stopped sleeping through the night around the first of the month. I am having trouble doing ordinary things.

And Dave's school is in high gear. Many weekends he wakes up, goes to the computer and doesn't leave except for bathroom breaks. He stays there until 2 am.

During the week, we drive him to the subway station at 8 am and then pick him up at 9 pm in downtown DC. And he studies until midnight.

So--it's like having 3 kids and two dogs--and no help. And no REM sleep.

My house is pretty clean and straightened--and I do a fair job keeping the food and laundry coming. But if I step away from any of the routines for a moment, things degrade rapidly to chaos.

There are tons of doctor's appointments--and non-stop errands and shopping, and running hither and tither to fetch things for my mom. So there's not a real feeling of accomplishing any kind of projects--like writing thank you notes for example. That stuff just gets delayed indefinitely.

There is definitely no planning--or being READY for what's coming next. There is just THIS CONTINUOUS MOMENT.

It's very different from the satisfaction of working and getting paid. I describe it to Dave as being like 200,000 leagues under the sea. And being interrupted constantly.

It's our life during school. I can't wait until early May. Dave will be 25% done with law school.

Ciao for now.

valentine's kisses

For Valentine's Day, Dave and I went to a couple of wineries in the area. We planned on going to 6 right around our house, but we didn't realize they give you the equivalent of a glass of wine at each one. I thought you tasted one or two wines, but it's closer to 10! YIKES!

We could visit 2 wineries every weekend, for several years and still not visit them all because there are so many in this area. It's cool!

It was an absolutely beautiful day. I haven't gotten to spend that much time with Dave having a fun day since his Christmas break, and then before that it was early August! So--it was really nice.

The landscape in the Virginia mountains is breathtaking. It reminds me of my trips to the United Kingdom. The rolling hills, the little historic towns, the boutique farmlands. It's captivating. It was exactly what the doctor ordered to boost my spirits and remind me of why I wanted to live here so much.

Dave often says that as soon as we can afford it, he wants 200 acres in Montana. We absolutely love Montana, but as I've said before, we would be (almost) THE ONLY ONES in our respective families that would be away from this area. Unpopular. And, doubtful that it would ever come to pass. But, over the weekend, Dave started saying perhaps we could just have a farm around here. That works! And we came home and decided this would do nicely: http://www.thomasandtalbot.com/welbourne/index.htm

He took lots of pictures of cows, grape vines, sheep and barns. He is quite the amateur photographer.



In Isaac news, he was so excited to visit with Grama Carolyn & Grampa Fred earlier this month. We were so lucky, they came to stay with us for a weekend. They brought fun books and toys for Isaac, and Isaac showed them all the fun new things he can do now, including, of course the raspberry noise, standing up for several seconds unassisted, almost crawling, and laughing a lot at games like peek-a-boo. Everyone really enjoyed visiting.

Then, the next Monday, we went to Isaac's 6 month check-up. He is still in the 90th percentile for everything. The doctor noticed several of his new skills and said that he's about 3 months early for many of those things. That was reassuring. He said he thought Isaac was thriving, so mommy was very happy and relieved.

He really is like a little boy now. He wants to reach out and grab everything and he wants so badly to crawl and walk. We just started feeding him vegetables. He has already had all of the grains. So far, no allergies.

And, possibly the cutest news...two days ago when he was getting his daily bath, he discovered his winkie. It was sooooo funny. I had to call Dave at work.

Speaking of Dave, he is all excited to be 3/4 through is first year of law school. So far, he is finding it to be a lot of work, but nothing like the severe warnings he received from just about everyone we know about how impossible law school is, especially the first year. Either he's really really smart, or everyone is overly dramatic.

His professors can be heard on NPR. They know Eric Holder and other (lesser known) presidential advisors. They routinely testify at congressional hearings and they share their experiences in class with students. It's a very inspiring place to study the law.

He's planning on taking a special bar exam this summer to become a patent officer. He's really excited about his new vocation and all the possibilities.

Speaking of inspiring places, I read in the Washington Parent magazine how diverse the public school classrooms are here. Parents commented on how impressive it is that 87 countries are represented in their child's primary school, for example, and how often they have cultural exchanges and celebrations. Many of the parents work for the UN or the IMF, so it's pretty common for kids in the local school districts to be from all over the world.

And field trips are to places like The Smithsonian. So there you have it.

If I had gotten to design my ideal childhood, my parents would have been diplomats for the UN and I would have gotten to travel the world and become fluent in 8 languages. I actually have 3 friends who had that childhood and they have the coolest stories of things like dinner at Imelda Marco's house for example. They spend their family's Christmastime skiing in the Alps.

So, even though Dave and I are not currently diplomats, and we don't how Isaac defines his ideal childhood, I personally think it's cool that we can offer him the next best thing: the chance to go to school with children of actual diplomats, and the opportunity to learn about the world at a very early age.

So--my sadness for the West Coast is still very strong, but my appreciation for this area is growing. Thank God, because, we are going to live here for the forseeable future.

Speaking of the forseeable future, we are very much looking forward to a visit from my Aunt Susan and Uncle Andy. Andy LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES to golf, as does Dave, and there are a million places around here. Maybe Dave can make some time!

Miss you. Love you! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.

soooooooooo tired

Hi! I haven't been posting much because Isaac has gone back to not sleeping again! January was so blissful. He would sleep for like 12 hours at a time at night.

Now he's been up starting at 1:00 am many nights, or 3:00 am. If I can't settle him down with his pacifier, I bring him into bed with me, hoping at least he will be quiet. But he KICKS and KICKS and squirms and makes frustrated sounds. All night. At least when he used to be in our bed, he would at least sleep. Now, no.

So--I am like a zombie. I look awake, and it looks like I'm cooking and cleaning, and playing with Isaac and walking dogs, but truly, I am sleeping while I walk and drive.

Sad.

OH--and no one believes me because Dave's mom and dad were here over the weekend and the baby slept through the night and took several long naps during the day. I managed to convince them that my house is clean and there's food and things are just rolling along like normal. So--no one is sympathetic to my pleas for REM sleep.

Must vegetate now.

raspberries and bananas

Today Isaac learned how to make the raspberry noise. He's been doing it all day. It's very cute!

And, today we also learned that he doesn't like bananas. (How could anyone NOT like bananas?!!) You should see the look on his face. It's pretty funny. He spits them out.

And, he's become quite the KICKER. He just kicks and kicks. If I set him somewhere far away from me, he finds his way back so he can kick me. No fun!

He likes to hold things in his hands. It's fascinating.

consolidations

Hi! We're feeling more and more settled. And it's a great feeling. I was performing at a high level before Isaac came along---clean house, cooked meals, house & affairs completely organized and the dogs got 4-5 mile walks every day 5 times a week. I thought, I can do this stay-at-home thing with my eyes closed! HA!

Then Isaac came along, we moved, Dave started school, and my caregiving role with my mom kicked into high gear.

Things kind of fell apart while I was recovering from childbirth and adjusting to all the changes.

So, even though I've boasted about how 'together' I've been able to be, it's been on an 'event'-type basis. Hosting guests, entertaining for Christmas, and what not.

Everything has been very ad-hoc otherwise. Sometimes I'm great at keeping the food coming, the laundry done, OR the house clean, but not all everything at the same time. This has been really annoying to me, and I'm sure it's been less than comfortable for Dave and my mom. It's like it was the same as when I worked all the time. For me to be a stay-at-home person, it's been really frustrating.

HOWEVER, I am happy to report, that since the end of the holiday season, things have gotten much much better. That happens to coincide with when Isaac started sleeping through the night...could there be a link? Possibly.

Another contributing factor is that Dave's stress level is palpable. I can just look at him and see how tired he is. I feel SOOOOOOOOOOOO bad that he's got such a heavy load. He always is reminding me that this is what he has wanted to do ever since he graduated college--to get an advanced degree and a professional career of some sort.

And that is true, it just happens to be that it was now or never for us to have a family that would be genetically related to us. And, it just happens to be the time that my mom's health is faltering. So--those were real life considerations that weren't always factors, but now they are.

None-the-less, Dave's stress is painful to witness. So--I'm uber-motivated to make life here as smooth, easy, comfortable and beautiful as possible for Dave. So--when he is home and has one minute to relax, there's food, clean laundry, and freshly clean, sweet-smelling rooms.

I've kept our 3rd floor spotless and immaculate since New Years. Like a photographer could come over and take pictures for a magazine. With, clean laundry every day and home cooked meals. This weekend I was able to get the 2nd floor to be that way! And, I know I can keep it together from my experience.

It sounds so stupid and ordinary--but just remember, I'm the only one who can work on it. Dave literally studies or works 100% of his time, and so I do EVERYTHING else. Everything. Those of you who know me well know that I struggle with consistency and following through on new habits.

I even started getting photo albums together on Facebook! I can email links to anyone who wants to see more than what we have here on the blog. You don't have to join Facebook to see them. Just let me know.

I'm not quite back to the level of pre-baby--but things are soooo much better than they were. It feels really good. Maybe we could handle a second child after all?!

Love you and miss you. Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com. OR--better yet, JOIN FACEBOOK!

myface

OK--I am officially obsessed with Facebook. My friend Claire calls it MYFACE, which, I think is hilarious. The feeling of being able to keep tabs on all of your important relationships is pretty incredible. I even think it's more significant in some ways, than visiting on the phone or even in person. You can see photos of your friends significant others, children, their pets, their hobbies--and you don't always get to see that in real life. People post interesting things about themselves that you may not ever know about them. It really is fascinating.

My friend Pam is living in Germany right now. Despite the 3000+ geographical difference, it feels like she's right here, because there is a chat feature. Sometimes when you're juggling dogs, children, an infirm parent, there isn't time for talking on the phone, but you can always respond to an email when it's convenient.

The only DOWNSIDE is that it's not good for one's self to be on Facebook continuously. It is possible to lose your grasp on your responsibilities or your sleep schedule!

But--it sure is FUN!

my long lost friend

Hi everyone!

Facebook (aka MYFACE if you're old and crusty like me) is really cool! Today, my dear friend from 8th grade contacted me! Her family moved to a different school district when we were entering high school and we lost track of one another for various and sundry reasons.

HOWEVER, I always thought about her. And wondered how she was doing. And hoped she was OK. The move seemed traumatic for her at the time--moving when you're that age is a BIG deal, so I know it was hard for her.

ANYWHO----despite the fact that life has taken her from Pennsylvania, to Florida, Kansas, and Ohio, and my life has taken me to North Carolina and Washington state, SHE NOW LIVES 30 minutes NORTH of my house in DC.

!!!!!

What are the odds? Is that crazy or what? So--she and I are going to get together next weekend. Thank GOD because I'm going stircrazy here cooped up with my mom (bless her heart) and my dear Snuffles.

And, in Snuffles news, in addition to him being A LITTLE BOY now, no longer a baby, he is sleeping through the night most every night. He is eating SOOOOOOOOO much, all the time and he has a doctor's appointment coming up very soon. Six months. We are almost past the major SIDS risk period, and soon, we will only have to worry about Autism. It seems to strike seemingly healthy, normal toddlers, with no explanation. Hopefully life will not just be a succession of scary things to worry about.

In Dave news, he got his grades back for the first semester. He is bummed that he didn't make the top 30, but is determined to redouble his efforts and excel overall. Go Dave, more power to you! We bought some clothes for him to wear to a career fair coming up. He looks like such a grown-up in a suit and tie.

In mom news, she is enjoying corresponding with her friends and email is fascinating to her. I think she's BORED SILLY here, because I am HERE but not really HERE since I have so much work to do all the time. But, this is still vastly preferable to being in a facility.

And, in family news--Dave's parents are coming! I can't wait! We have the guest room all set up--we got some new pillows and a soft mattress cover so it's ultra-luxe and cozy in our guest room. I have been reading Dave's book called Baking with Julia and I'm excited to try to make croissants for the first time. And Dave's mom is an EXCELLENT baker. Maybe we can bake stuff together while she's here. (Could she just stay with us all the time please? We would enjoy that)

In other family news, my mom's favorite cousin of all time got some reassuring news about her health recently, so everyone is a lot more relaxed and relieved.

And, mmfc's daughter and I are getting together soon (see my earlier post about lunch with the deputy director) --THANK THE LORD--again, because, like I said, I am bored to tears, and not excited to do some of what lies ahead--clearing boxes from the garage, recaulking the bathroom shower, ya know. I need a little inspiration.

And I'm certainly not going to get it from WORKING anywhere these days. There can be no JOB outside the home for me until we restructure our lives...and that's not going to happen anytime soon.

So--that's life, in a nutshell. Love you, miss you. Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.

I have cooties

OK, well, maybe not.

But, maybe I do have De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. I don't know, I would need a Finklestein test to confirm. It could just be Intersection Syndrome.

i miss my baby

Where did he go? And when did this ACTIVE LITTLE BOY show up?

He is loud, he talks continuously, he jumps on his exer-saucer and all he wants to do is touch everything and put it in his mouth. When did this happen?

It seems all of the sudden.

I miss my baby.

donde esta?

Hola amigos!

I can't believe it's already January 15th! My goodness, time flies when you drive 4 hours a day and care for an ill parent, a newborn, 2 dogs and a husband in school who works full time!

Who has time to BLOG anyway!?

The doggies and Snuffles and I went on a very long walk (off-leash) today. There are acres and acres of woods all around our house, so everyone really enjoyed themselves. I picked lots of beautiful, dried foliage to decorate our house. So--that was fun for me.

Aunt Mary is here! She is lovely and wonderful. She is here attending a conference for the leadership of the Catholic Church. She is a high-level person within the national leadership of the church. (So--like my descriptions of my other relative's jobs--I try to be vague enough so as to not reveal too much about them--not everyone likes a web presence--anyhoo.)

So--yes, she's here attending the conference and she stayed at our house until it started, and she may visit with us after it's over. She has lots of family in the area, and she's very popular, so we don't know her exact plans. :) Though, she has said how much she enjoys spending time at our house, because of Isaac, and because it's very comfortable and we have delicious meals. :)

I like when she visits because she babysits the whole time and helps me to GET OFF MY DUFF and get some longstanding, outstanding, large icky projects done. Like filing. I hate to file. Ms. Mary is an office manager, so filing for her is a piece of cake. So, it rocks. She can come here anytime and stay as long as she likes as far as I'm concerned.

So---other than Dave working and studying and being in school 100% of the time, the only new excitement around here is attending my mom's doctors appointments (woo-wee, dream big!) and trying to lose weight so I can get pregnant again. I was serious about wanting Irish Triplets like Aunt Mary. Fun for the kids and fun for mommy! After all, I am AMA. (advance maternal age).

Seriously, motherhood is the best. Especially when you can SLEEP! Isaac has had 4 nights in the last 7 where he slept from 10:30 pm to 7:30 am without a peep. He is much more like a little boy now and less like a baby. He likes to play in his exer-saucer. He can roll over and grab on to things now.

So--we're just rolling along. Still missing everything west of the Rockys. Especially since it's ski season!

K. Miss you! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.

it's true

It's official.

Dave and I loathe the East Coast.

It's very sad actually. Many friends are here. All of our family members are here. That part is very nice. It's been thoroughly wonderful to see Dave's family a bunch, and reconnect with my uncle Adam and cousin Becca and her significant other, and her parents. And, there is a chance that my cousins Ethan and Rebecca and their sweet family will return here after a stint in England.

And--we've hosted my dad's sister Mary and I've gotten to see his brother Bob, and meet another cousin named Becky who lives here--so all of that is completely wonderful.

Dave has a cousin here who we keep intending to get together with, and his aunt and uncle have a townhome here--so we would love to see them all when they're in town.

But---make no mistake. And I am very sorry to say this, and at the risk of offending my many family members who are here: It totally SUCKS here. I could go on and on. If you read my earlier blogs, you will get to read just a couple of the many, many reasons why I think so. Seriously. So much so I'm not really sure why anyone lives here.

The weird thing is most everyone in the various families has visited or lived on the West Coast. I just don't get it!! Again, I am sorry, and please forgive me.

No one followed me during my campaign several years back to get people to move to Seattle. I guess the overcast sky and rain trumps all the good stuff it has to offer. And, I don't have much influence! I don't know.

Dave says to think of this time as just a really long, really bad vacation.

Anyhow. How to balance our enthusiasm for our family--with feeling inspired and happy about living everyday life? We may just have to be like Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim and do our best with beach vacations and holiday visits.

All I know is Dave's favorite songs are "Home, Home on the Range" and "Don't Fence Me In."

THAT SAID---we are going to devote ourselves to finding things to LOVE about living here. We did choose to be here on purpose, for Dave's school primarily, and for Isaac to connect with the family secondarily. So--we are going to RALLY and give it the old college try. And--speaking of RALLY--there is always RALEIGH--which would have excellent career prospects for Dave and we could hang with some of our favorite people in the entire world: Eric and Susan Stevens.

In Isaac news, he is able to roll over, roll onto his side and he can almost sit up by himself! He's eating 5 kinds of cereal, and he has had 2 nights where he slept the entire night (6-8 hours) by himself and a couple of times where he woke up, cried a bit and got himself back to sleep! Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel? Mommy is going to teach him baby sign language because she is sooo excited to hear what he has to say!

In other news, we are sending our love and condolences to Dave's mom and aunts and uncles who are grieving the loss of Dave's grandmother, Esther Dawson--"Bubby." Bubby was very sweet and made delicious cookies and we so enjoyed visiting with her during the family reunion, many holidays and the Corolla beach vacation. Our thoughts are with you all, and we wish we could be with you now.

And, Aunt Mary is coming, Aunt Mary is coming!! For the inauguration. Could it be that she will meet the Pope? Stay tuned!! (You know, Salt Lake sure is pretty...)

K. Bye! Love you, miss you. Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.

happy new year!

Hi everyone!

Today Dave started his SECOND semester of law school! I can't believe how quickly the holiday break went by. I'm surprised on one hand, and not surprised on the other. It seemed like so much time, but we were both so tired, we rested a lot. And there is nothing better under the sun than relaxing at home with your favorite person in the world. Especially now that we have a huge sectional sofa! And, now that we have Isaac, we each have TWO favorite people in the world.

Speaking of Isaac, he is magnificent and wonderful...still. He is becoming very very active. He can stand and walk when you hold his hands. He is almost able to put his pacifier back in his mouth if he looses it. He likes to jump and play in his exer-saucer. He is not a little tiny baby anymore. He is more like a little boy than a baby. He still really does not like to sleep though!

He had such a nice time at Christmas. We had two celebrations, one here at home and then a second one at Dave's parents house. I'm not sure Isaac understood anything about Christmas or gift-exchanging, or trees or cookies, but he sure did enjoy meeting his cousin Evan. Evan and Isaac are 8 months apart in age. A big difference now, but not so much in a couple of years. They're super cute and they enjoyed playing with toys together.

We continue to watch Cesar Milan religiously. I learn so much from him about managing energy. Creating calm and reassurance is the job of the leader of the pack. It is a constant reminder to me to be very present and available with the dogs. I am sporadic at this point with walks, but we make up for that with lots of playtime and excrutiatingly long hand-feeding sessions to teach the dogs discipline and engage their minds. With Daisy--she's soooo energetic, her task is to sit quietly and let me put small bits of food near her nose and wait for me to let her eat it. It takes forever when she eats 2 cups of food. And with Merlin, he is very engaged by a game called 'Find it!' I put small amounts of food in little bowls and hide them throughout the house. Then I say "Find it!" and he runs round and round the house until he finds everything. It's fun.

At this point, it feels like BACK TO THE GRIND. But then I remember how everything about this is temporary. And then, I can enjoy it. Our life was really rich and happy before, and after this, Dave will feel more fulfilled in his work and we can maybe step back from the intensity for a while. Perhaps that is a fantasy--we are planning on having Isaac's little brother or sister as soon as possible. So--whatever. I guess, that's life!

Love you, miss you! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.