Thursday, December 20, 2012

Life imitating art

Oh, this one is so good, you won't believe me.

"Surely she jests," you'll say aloud. (Because that's how I imagine my readers speak to their phones/computer screens.)

I almost forgot about this story because, well, a year is a LONG time, and a lot happens! But, as I set the scene, it was almost exactly one year ago. My mom sent us a book, as she often does. She loves to dig and find awesome, creativity-boosting books that get our little thinkers thinking. (Love that!)

(Quit scrolling ahead! It'll be worth it. Wait for it!)

This time, in addition to the normal hustle and bustle, we were packing, getting ready to take our four- and six-year-old cross-country. We planned to celebrate Christmas with all our California relatives and, while we were hopeful, we were dreading the hours in planes, airports and hotels.

Don't forget: I was about halfway through my pregnancy, and it hadn't been easy to that point. I'd had a number of miscarriage scares, and the demands of family travel were weighing on me.

So, enter this book.

You might just die when you learn what it was.

My prenatal health ended up being fine (as soon as my placenta checked itself and migrated to the right place!), but both Elliott and Patrick came down with Christmas colds. (SO fun when you're a kid with a cold, and your ears won't pop on a cross-country flight! Ahhhh, to relive those moments with the flight attendants and everyone in every row in sight!)

At any rate, that book my mom sent really helped us keep the boys calm and engaged. They loved it! It was a fanciful book, full of imagination and ideas. And it's just so great when you're reading and feel like you're almost watching seeds plant. Like the ideas are jumping out of the book and right into these little sponges we call our children.

So, ready to know what we read?

Seriously.

You won't believe it!

Ready?

Boom--
 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Have a holly, jolly Christmas!

Last week, we packed our minivan sleigh and headed over to my old office to spread some holiday cheer.
 
How'd we do??? :D
This was the first year we didn't hand Santa a "list" (cut-out toy pictures from catalogs), so the boys made requests from memory. Elliott basically blanked. All he could think of was Monopoly Millionaire. He said what he REALLY needed to say: Don't forget you have to SHARE the cookies with the elves. (After all, a man with a gut that round can't receive too many reminders.)
Luckily, Patrick--who straight-up HID from Santa last year--was right on top of it! He rattled off a list of gift ideas, namely a Wii gaming console with assorted video games and a magic pen so he can write messages directly to the North Pole.


 

The lovely gal snapping photos was GUSHING that Santa and James looked like a Norman Rockwell painting--
 
...but here's what REALLY happened. James grabbed a stunned Santa, and in a clear, low voice, told the Big Guy how it was all gonna go down.
 
You can have all the cookies you want, but nobody--and I mean nobody--steals milk from MY house. Got that, Jingles? 
 
 

Friday, December 14, 2012

My wish is my command

All I can do is smile when you confess to me that you enjoy this blog. Is Scully Space your guilty pleasure? Is my photo/commentary combination like your Honey Boo Boo or Real Housewife or something??
 
Or are you worried about who you might run into here? Shady bouncer-types? 'Cause that's a real danger--
Is Scully Space down a back alley in the under belly of the cyber world?? Believe me or not, I've actually had two random friends connect because of--you guessed it!--this blog!  
 
Scully Space is for lovers!
 
No, wait. That's West Virginia. Yeah, that one makes WAY more sense.
 
Anyway, the fact that Scully Space readers largely prefer to remain anonymous and in the shadows is fine by me. It means...my wish is my command! So! Back to the photos of James trying new foods!!! :D Ahahaha! You know you love it, too!
 
Here goes...bananas! This should go well! 
 
Hmmmm, seems like a solid contender, Mom...
 
Wait! Am I THE ONLY ONE eating this crap???
 
Look into my eyes. Would you tell me if you're mentally unstable, Mother?
 
 
 
 
A few days later, I switched the lineup. Sweet potatoes! Every baby likes sweet potatoes! (And P.S. Jill, this bib's for you.)
 
Oh, hello again, Nemesis. What is it this time?
 
[after self-directing the spoon...] Mom! I have the best idea! Let's just put a dollop over here and say I tried it!
 
No, huh? Guess we're doing this thing...
 
How do you THINK I'm going to react?
 
Wait a jig!
 
I'm swirling..., slurping..., considering...
 
I LIKE IT!!! Isn't this great news? FINALLY, you can start shoveling food down my gullet, and I can start gaining some much-needed LBs!
 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Bittersweet

I've had this post as a draft for a while now. It got longer and longer, and I stressed about doing it right. So, I deleted most of it. I went with "short and sweet" for this "bittersweet" post.

It was a Thursday when James took his first breath. Just four days later, one of my most favorite people took her last.

Because these two events happened in such close proximity, I can't seem to disconnect my son from my grandmother. Every time I calculate his age, I instantly know how long it's been since she died. 

So, Grandma, if you're reading--and I think you are because I can clearly picture a large, user-friendly computer kiosk next to the boxed Chardonnay in the sky--I miss you.

And that baby you never got to meet (but were very concerned about in the last months of your time here) is doing just great.

I hope you're having one HELLUVA reunion up there with your husband, your sister, your son and more!

That's Grandma holding baby Patrick in 2007. Every stinkin' day, she prayed that this little dude would eat more food. (Grandma, it hasn't worked yet! He's still as skinny as a rail! Can't you pull some strings up there??)
 

 
This one of GiGi (or great-grandma) and Elliott in 2010 is one of my favorites. She always wanted stories about the things this precocious child would say and do. Always good for a laugh!
 
I know I'm just one of a zillion people who loved this lady, but I always felt we shared a special connection.
 
Now, in the quiet moments with James--for better or worse--I remember her.   
 
Love you, Grandma!
 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The faces of James

Send my regards to the big boys. I've decided to devote all my time and attention to feeding James new foods and documenting his reactions.
 
Can you blame me?
 
I followed rice cereal with one that was a favorite of Elliott and Patrick: oatmeal!
 
Roll it around on your tongue, son. What do you think??
 
[shudders]
 
Hmm! Not your favorite, huh?
 
[shows his I-thought-I-could-expect-more-from-you face]
Fast forward a day or two, and--no joke--THIS is the reaction he NOW gives to oatmeal comin' at him on a spoon!
 
Who ARE you?? I mean, you think you KNOW a kid!
 
Okaaaaaaaay, so let's try a water cup! See what you think of this, big boy!
 
Cool and refreshing, right?
 
The minuscule sip of water slipped out and dribbled down his chin, and James flashed his very bestest how-could-you? eyes. Behold--
 
Good Lord, is this entertaining!!
 
Elliott and Patrick, you'd better seriously step up your game if you want ANY attention at all.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Mr. Elliott D. Schooly

Last night, I caught Elliott (shown here, as if he's a normal child, but the dog knows the truth...) submitting an online application for a legal name change.

(Get it? No? He wanted to change "Scully" to "Schooly." Yeah, well. It was funnier in my head before I typed it out.)

Anyway, he submitted a copy of an extra-credit letter he wrote to his teacher earlier this year--


Here's the transcript:

Dear Miss Lyons,

I would like to know if we could get more homework. Or if we could do a little more during the day. And if we could have some reading challenges in there, I would be very happy. I would also like to have some math and spelling. And I want school to be twenty-four hours a day please. We could bring our sleeping bags to sleep in. And we could brush our teeth in the bathroom. Then no one will ever be tardy again.

Your student,
Elliott

Need I even insert commentary here?

I'm just going to jump straight to the second bit of holy-crap-this-actually-happened evidence on that name-change application. (Yes, I'm sticking with this only mildly successful joke.)

The other day, just prior to lunch, Elliott approached his teacher.

Elliott: "I'm starving!"
Miss Lyons: "Me, too!"
Elliott [with mystery and mischief in his eyes]: "...starving for learning!"

How many times have I wished I was making this stuff up??

Anyway, bet you're just gonna give me the "Schooly" bit now, aren't ya?