GOnelsons

Valley of the Leaves

Jennie Nelson — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:21:13 GMT

This fall, I took over the responsibility of leaf removal. I really didn't mind it, it's kind of relaxing and it's satisfying to see a lawn previously covered in leaves look nice and green. Of course, that satisfaction only lasts for like two seconds until a gust of wind blows a fresh batch onto the lawn.

Over the course of three weeks I mulched and bagged the leaves. One weekend there were so many leaves that we filled the back of Marty's truck and took it to dump instead of putting it in our bin. It felt kind of good to have removed so many, and the yard looked great. Then, we had a few days of strong wind and the rest of the leaves in the neighborhood fell off the trees. Then a new wind pattern was created which dumped them in between our house and the neighbors, filling the small valley that separates our yards.

The kids and I walked through it on our way to the backyard. It was above my knees, almost to the waist for the kids. The leaves made a shushing sound when we walked through it. It kicked up like weightless waves of water when we ran through it. It softened the landing when we jumped in it. It was awesome.

There's something about kids playing in leaves that makes you want to take thousands of pictures. It's the same kind of phenomenon that makes a tourist snap countless photos of mountains, the ocean, or sunsets. They never capture the same feeling as when you were there, and you know they won't, but you can't stop yourself from trying anyway.

My children: They're good with knives.

Jennie Nelson — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:34:00 GMT

I feel like we spend an awful lot of time in the kitchen in various stages of food prep, cooking, eating, and cleaning up from eating. Since we're in there so often, I let the kids help out with some of the tasks. LET is the operative word here, since the HELP is often more work for me than if I just did it myself. Not wanting to be to uptight about the way things are done and wanting to keep everyone occupied, the kids have taken over the primary responsibility for two tasks - putting away the clean silverware, and cutting stuff up. The end result of this busywork is that both of the kids are pretty good with knives. Martin is more precise in his chopping, but Sophie has him on endurance. She'll sit and chop vegetables for me for 45 minutes without losing interest. So this year, I decided to let them do most of the carving on their own.

We started by scooping out the guts. Sophie didn't like putting her hand inside the pumpkin, but she did like picking the seeds out of the guts. She's diligent, this one.

Martin didn't mind putting his arm in the pumpkin. His head either. If he could have fit his entire head inside the pumpkin, I have no doubt that he would have.

Sophie spent probably half an hour picking seeds out of the pumpkin guts. I was glad to pass this job onto someone else, and we ended up with plenty for roasting.

Next year I bet that Martin won't pick such a tall pumpkin. He kept worrying about getting pumpkin slime in his armpits. And that's not a conversation you have every day.

Sophie's pumpkin design included a lot of drawing, and very little cutting. She made a few small cutout circles, and the rest was decorated with ink.

Martin's design had giant cutout spaces including several lost teeth, reflective of his own smile.

The carved pumpkins stayed on our front stoop into the next week where they looked very festive. On the following garbage day I thought about how they should go out with the trash, but that was the same day I brought Marty home from his surgery so it slipped my mind. Each day since, I thought about putting them in the bin when I walked by them on my way to and from the bus stop. But I'm easily distracted, and within seconds of thinking about moving them to the bin, I was already mentally onto something else. Until yesterday when we went to the bus and noticed that the pumpkins had launched themselves off of their spot on the stoop and were slumped into a mushpile on the ground. With the candy all gone and the pumpkins in the bin, Halloween is officially over.

They must be related to Lon Chaney

Jennie Nelson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:07:30 GMT

This year Halloween stretched over days - and between the kids, they attended three parties and went trick-or-treating. They strategized and planned for days about what they'd wear for each event, then made last minute changes before each one.

Sophie started out the season with a party at school. She went as a leopard-like kitty, but knowing how she likes to dismantle costumes, I dressed her in layers. By the time I picked her up at school, her costume had been abandoned and was shoved in her backpack, and she was wearing just her regular clothes. She managed to make it all the way out of the building before ripping into her paper bag of treats. Here she is enjoying some candy with her friend Sage. I feel like I have to explain all of that because without the play-by-play, it looks as though she dressed up as "coffee shop girl" and is enjoying a smoke break behind the building in-between whipping up lattes.

For Martin's school party, he chose a costume that my mom had picked up for him. It was some sort of one-piece suit that was an unidentifiable Transformer/Power Ranger sort of thing. He told me that he was going as "Super Zygote" and without even asking I knew that the name came straight from my dad. It's the same name that he used to call my brother for years, and it wasn't until high school biology that Ryan knew what the term actually meant. Martin will probably have the same experience because I didn't tell him what it meant either.

On Halloween night, we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with Grandma Lou. Minutes before we were ready to head out the door I realized that Super Zygote had been smeared with frosting earlier in the day, and we found ourselves digging through the costume box trying to put something together. It was during this same time that Sophie refused to get dressed, not wanting to wear her carefully assembled costume or the layers to go underneath. I spent the next half hour chasing everyone through the house, silently cursing the sugar that would soon be added to the chaotic mix, and daydreaming of the beer chilling in my fridge. After much deliberation and just a handful of threats, The Little Mermaid and The Beekeeper were ready to go.

We managed to get a family photo before we went out into the neighborhood. This photo was taken about a minute after the previous one, and already Sophie had begun to disassemble her costume.

This photo was taken two seconds after I practically threw Sophie into Grandma Lou's arms - it was the only one we managed to get of the three of them together. Sugar levels were high and Halloween spirit was floating through the air.

After the first few houses and dozens of partially eaten pieces of candy, the kids settled into the trick-or-treating groove. We walked a few blocks near our house then headed home to take inventory of the loot.

All-in-all, it was the best Halloween we've ever had. After the sugar-induced meltdowns were done, the kids had a great time dressing up and walking through the neighborhood. They waved to their friends in the streets, handed out candy to all of the kids who came to the door, and left empty candy wrappers all over the house like a trail of breadcrumbs.

All as it should be.

An open letter to my friend Steph

Jennie Nelson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:48:35 GMT

For a woman without children, let me just say that you did an exceptional job. You weren't phased when the alarm accidentally went off and the sirens sounded outside the house and the police arrived all at the same time that you were getting Martin off the bus. When I didn't answer my cell phone, you figured out where I was and had someone at the hospital track me down. Very detective of you. I think that you've been watching just the right amount of crime and prison shows, they've given you extraordinary tracking skills. You managed to make dinner and give the kids baths and get them to bed, even making it through Martin's meltdown over using the towel that was for "decoration only". Everyone stayed in their own beds through the night, which is more than I can say most mornings. You doled out cough medicine to the one who needed it and then you got everyone off to their respective schools with only one meltdown over which show to watch in the morning.

There are a lot of little things and a handful of big things that go into mothering every day, and you handled all of them without me even telling you where I keep the booze.

I can't thank you enough.

jennie

I was wrong, or WAHOO.

Jennie Nelson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:39:01 GMT

Me: Sophie, We have a new President.
Sophie: Who is it?
Me: Senator Obama won.
Sophie: What did he say.
Me: He gave a really inspiring speech, talking about democracy and the American spirit. He said "Yes we can."
Sophie: Me? I can?
Me: Yes, honey, you can.
Sophie: Just like Bob the Builder.
Me: What's that?
Sophie: Can we do it? Yes we can! That's what Bob the Builder says.
Me: Oh yeah. Well, I guess they are sort of alike.

Political Analysis: The Nelson Picks

Jennie Nelson — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:07:07 GMT

So, I don't want to make anybody panic/celebrate/react prematurely, but I've finished my picks for tomorrow's election. And here's how I think it could shake out:

McCain 270
Obama 268

What's that you say? I KNOW. Not at all the way that the media says it's going to turn out. I'm just a simple small-town momma and not a political analyst by trade, so obviously I may be wrong. But in case you're wondering, here's how I arrived at the numbers:
- I ignored the potential impact of the money and effort spent on this campaign and looked solely at the way in which a state voted over the past four Presidential elections. I'm interested to see if States really do vote in generally the same way that they always do, or if the estimated $1 Billion spent on this election really does have an impact.
- Out of the 51 areas that have votes in the Electoral College (Side note for anyone who is wondering if they missed another State being added to the Union while they were busy changing diapers and making ANOTHER run to Target: Yes, there are still only 50 States. The District of Columbia also has representation in the Electoral College, making the total areas represented 51), 36 States/+District have voted the same way in each of the last four elections. For example, if they have been Blue for the last four elections, I left them Blue for this one.
- That leaves 15 States where in some of the past four elections the state has been Red, and in some it has been Blue. For example, if there was a majority (mostly Red), I marked them down as Red for this election. Or if they were most recently Red, then I figured that if they have consistently voted for President Bush, perhaps they'd feel settled in their Red ways.
- Of those 15, there were only two States that varied from this approach - Colorado and New Mexico. After reading about recent polls in those States, I used the method called "gut reaction" to place my picks.

Want the details? Want to follow along with my picks as you watch the results rolling in? Download the official Nelson Picks.

Want to argue with me? Tell me how wrong I am? Yell at me for posting such projections? Or, maybe you're thrilled to see the numbers aligned in this way? Is there anyone who reads this site that feels that way (other than you, Dad and Marty)? Feel free to leave your thoughts here, or come back later and hand me an "I told you so".

Trust me, I don't mind being wrong. Just ask my husband.

Political Analysis: The Nelson Report

Jennie Nelson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:34:17 GMT

We've been talking a lot about the upcoming Presidential election at our house. I've been trying to teach the kids about how voting is an honor, how it's each citizen's responsibility to learn about and listen to the candidates, and how voting is a private decision that each person can make. Marty has also been talking politics, but his approach is more about creating mini-Republicans.

I've tried to get the kids involved in the election in a few ways. Martin has been collecting and stapling together all of the political flyers that come to the house to create his own book. I'm kind of glad that he can't read yet, or he might wonder why there are so many bad things said about each person in his new very special book.

We've also watched the debates together. For Sophie, the debates worked as a sleeping pill, knocking her out within the first few minutes of each debate. Martin found them more interesting and listened to much of them, asking questions the whole time. So many questions, in fact, that I could barely hear the debates myself. Here is his interpretation of the townhall-style debate.

In our discussions, the kids have both expressed their preference for the same candidate. Neither of them have based this opinion on actual political platforms, backgrounds, or experience. Martin says that he prefers Senator Obama because he is from Chicago. Sophie likes him because she says "He talks a lot." While I don't think that they have fully developed arguments for their positions, but I'd bet that some undecided voters have jumped off the fence for less.

For the third election in a row, I've been creating my own forecast for how things will shake out on election night. Not that anyone is soliciting my opinion, I just like to see if I can call the state before Fox News. I haven't worked out my final picks yet, but am hoping to have it done soon. As part of my self-assigned project, I've been looking at maps and past election results. The kids looked at me with glazed over eyes when I tried to explain it (not an uncommon reaction), but they were really interested in the maps and wanted to make their own. I printed out U.S. maps and gave them some instructions.

Me: You can color in the maps using red and blue. Red represents Senator McCain and blue represents Senator Obama.
Sophie: I am going to use my own colors.
Me: Okay, and what do they mean?
Sophie: It means you can't tell me how to do my map.

According to Sophie's projections, it appears that the South-Central part of the U.S. will have heavy voting that is all over the board. Alaska will also have significant voting, especially in the coastal region, I assume because of their experience in foreign affairs. Wyoming will have pockets of heavy voting while the rest of the state stays home. The remaining states show no interest.

Martin's projections show a split between Senators Obama and McCain. I told him that I would be very surprised if Minnesota, California, Texas, Arizona, and the entire Eastern Seaboard went Republican. He explained that his red marker worked better and it was easier to cover all those little states at one time.

Plus, he said, red is his favorite color. It's hard to argue with that kind of logic. It's the exact same approach I use for football picks.

But here in Topeka

Jennie Nelson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:17:19 GMT

I have a long-standing love for Loretta Lynn. I love her music, her books, the movie about her - all of it. Which is funny really, since on the surface I have very little in common with a woman who is daughter of a coal miner and a famous country music star. But for some reason, Loretta's homey manner and enduring ways really appeal to me. So much so, that I ~~made~~ let Marty take me and some friends to see her.

We cowboyed up. Marty wore his finest cowboy dress shirt and I curled and sprayed my hair like imagined Loretta would want me to do.

Marty put on his cowboy boots.

And I wore a sequined top and my cowgirl belt.

We went out for a great dinner, then settled into our seats at the show, only eleven rows from the stage. Her twins Peggy and Patsy (named after Loretta's good friend Patsy Cline) started out the show, singing and talking about their mama's cookbook.

And before I knew it, there she was. Glittering in a floor-length light pink gown, covered from head to toe in sequins. Her hair just as big as I'd imagined it would be.

She sang a few songs, then was joined by her son Ernest Ray, whom she threatened to fire at least three times during the show.

She told the crowd to yell out what they wanted to hear, telling us that it was our show, and calling everbody honey. I'm pretty sure she was talking right to me.

And in case this isn't enough Loretta for you, here are some lyrics from her song "One's On the Way". It's my current favorite, and no, it's not because I have one on the way.

They say to have her hair done, Liz flies all the way to France
And Jackie's seen in a Discoteque doin' a brand new dance
And the White House social season should be glitterin' in gay
But here in Topeka the rain is a fallin'
The faucet is a drippin' and the kids are a ballin'
One of 'em a toddlin' and one is a crawlin'
And one's on the way
I'm glad Raquel Welch just signed a million dollar pact
And Debbie's out in Vegas workin' up a brand new act
While the t.v.'s showin' newly weds, a real fun game to play
But here in Topeka, the screen door's a bangin'
The coffee's boilin' over and the wash needs a hangin'
One wants a cookie and one wants a changin'
And one's on the way
Now what was I doin'? Jimmy get away from there
Darn, there goes the phone
Hello honey, what's that you say?
You're bringin' a few old army buddies home?
You're callin' from a bar?
Get away from there! No, not you honey
I was talkin' to the baby
Wait a minute, honey, the door bell
Honey, could you stop at the market and...hello?, hello?
Well, I'll be...
The girls in New York City, they all march for women's lib
And better homes and garden shows, the modern way to live
And the pill may change the world tomorrow, but meanwhile, today
Here in Topeka, the flies are a buzzin'
The dog is a barkin' and the floor needs a scrubbin'
One needs a spankin' and one needs a huggin'
Lord, one's on the way
Oh gee, I hope it ain't twins, again!

In Memorium: Twentysomething Dreams

Jennie Nelson — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:12:26 GMT

Last week, with some sadness and much maneuvering, Marty let go of one of the last holdouts of his twentysomething dreams. It was the end of an era. The era called Back in the Day and it was trailered up in our driveway.

A 1969 Volkswagen Bus (or Van, if you prefer) purchased by Marty and his pal Jarrod when they were 26. They bought it together, making plans about how they would restore it, man, and then hit the road. They dreamed of the wind of the open road in their hair, nothing between them and the coast but a cooler of beer. I imagine CCR's Bad Moon Rising playing on the boom box propped up in the back, although that part of the vision is pure fabrication on my part.

But now, thirteen years after the purchase, the bus is still in it's original condition. Marty and Jarrod are now separated by many states, both have full-time jobs and children and RESPONSIBILITIES. And the dream has turned dusty. And rusty. And a little bit smelly. So before Marty hauled her off to her last destination, I took a few photos to try to capture her glory.

There's some beauty in rust like this. More so in photographs than on your actual car, but beauty nonetheless.

Same thing with two-tone paint. It looks kind of interesting here, but becomes LESS interesting when explaining why it's not just all one color to your children.

I'm not sure how many actual miles this van racked up over the years. As I looked at the odometer I imagined that it would spin like a slot machine if I fired up the van. How many miles? Nobody knows!

The inside didn't contain actual seats, but it had plenty of ROOM for seats. Or whatever. Like that table in the back. It came with the van and has a checkerboard printed on the top. I'm sure that's what appealed to Marty and Jarrod, the thought of playing chess on the road. In this photo you can also see that this van was fitted with an aftermarket aromatherapy system - the box of Bounce dryer sheets I threw in the back. I like to think it helped.

The front seat needed a bit of work too. But the seats were THERE, and I think that gave the boys a sense of OPTIMISM.

The van came with a standard air cooling system - the hole in the floor near the gas pedal. It fills the van air with excitement for what might happen. Will the floor hold? WHO KNOWS?

And the hubcap, which Marty could imagine hanging on a wall as a decoration just as easily as he could see it on a wheel. I can hardly blame him, it does look awfully COOL.

And as the bus made its way to the junkyard, carrying with it the end of an era, an email arrived for Marty to let him know that it's okay to let go of those Twentysomething dreams. It's time to focus on the Fortysomething dreams and pre-order the car for the next stage of his life. Only this one won't require any fixing up and goes a whole lot faster than the bus even on its very best day.

The Tooth Fairy shows up unexpectedly

Jennie Nelson — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:20:16 GMT

On Friday afternoon, I was busy trying to get a few things done around the house and from the kitchen, I could hear the kids fighting in the other room. Since this is a fairly normal (as in frequent) occurrence around here, I kept on working with an ear tuned into the chaos in the other room. Then, there was a break in the noise. I lifted my head in time to see Martin walking toward me, hand held to his face. "MOM! I LOST A TOOTH!" He moved his hand to reveal a little gaping space in his big beaming smile.

The good news was that the tooth came out without much pain, the actual yanking done by Sophie as she pulled her pillow out of Martin's mouth, the tooth going along for the ride. The bad news was that the tooth was really lost, as in WE COULD NOT FIND IT.

For almost two hours we searched the family room for the missing tooth. I looked between the cushions of the couch. I felt along the floor, cursing the choice of beige berber that was chosen for it's hiding properties. I looked ALL OVER. And finally, we gave up. Martin and I sat down at the counter so that he could write a letter to the Tooth Fairy explaining his situation. He had much to say, but it was a lot of writing for a guy just learning to write. In the end, he managed to get all the important parts in there, only leaving out the part about Sophie ripping it out of his mouth.

Fall cleaning, or My garbage can overfloweth

Jennie Nelson — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:43:35 GMT

Over the past few weeks we've been doing a lot of cleaning and clearing out. Over time, things have just gotten messy and every available space was fully loaded with loot. I've been going through areas of the house, organizing, moving things to the right places, and throwing away broken things and junk. I've even started an area in the basement for items to have a garage sale or take to the Goodwill, depending on how ambitious I feel in the Spring.

Other than enjoying our not-as-messy space, we've been uncovering all kinds of toys that haven't seen the light in ages. The kids have renewed interest in all of their toys. I suppose it might almost feel like playing at someone else's house it looks so unfamiliar.

I can't blame them really. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm at someone else's house too. A house where everything is clean and they have a waitress and I can just sit around and sip wine and do the crossword.

Gift bag as art

Jennie Nelson — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:34:02 GMT

When it comes to buying gift bags, I am a real disappointment to my children. They beg for the pricey cartoon-laden bags, and I steer us toward the inexpensive single-color models. IT'S BORING they tell me. IT'S FINE I reply.

Recently I hit on the jackpot of ideas - Gift Bag as Art. I gave each of the kids a gift bag and a fat Sharpie and they turned my ~~cheap~~ simple gift bag into very interesting wrapping:

It might tide them over for awhile. If nothing else, they might just agree to the idea so that they get to use a Permanent Marker.

Spinning small tales

Jennie Nelson — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:07:34 GMT

Sometimes, in order to teach or expand on a lesson, I find that I'm inclined to spin a Small Tale. While technically I guess you could call them LIES, they aren't told with ill intent, so to me they don't seem that BAD. Sometimes kind of GOOD, really.

Last night before bedtime, we had a long circular discussion about birthdays. The kids went around and around about why it takes so long to be someone's birthday and why each person's falls where it does in the year. As far as I could tell, the main point to the discussion was that it was a rip that it would take so long to get to a birthday. And as bedtime dragged on and on, I heard a Small Tale come spilling out of my mouth.

If you go to sleep earlier, your birthday comes faster.

Sure, not TECHNICALLY true, but in reality it would APPEAR to come more quickly if you slept more. Right?

Of course, this was nothing compared to the whopper that my dad told Martin last week, about how Johnny Appleseed was his high school classmate and how he had to drop out of school for being a slacker, forced to find work by spreading apple seeds all over the place.

Come to think of it, maybe this isn't a common part of parenting at all. Perhaps it's just something I learned from the very best.

Holding hands across the aisle

Jennie Nelson — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:28:02 GMT

Recently I saw a chart on msnbc.com that described some of the people who advise both presidential candidates. I thought this was fascinating to see the people that they chose to keep close and imagine the kinds of conversations they would have with each one.

It was not long after this time that I had a discussion with my friend Meghan about how we're both closely watching the election, but feel that there is often an air of disrespect when politics are discussed. It just doesn't sit right with us, but at the same time, we both freely admit that running for political office would be a terrible experience. Probably just slightly better than actually holding the office.

It was during this conversation that we decided to form a new political party and throw our hat into the political ring. We've put our entire campaign strategy into one single piece and the only place we're running it is here. Sort of an EXCLUSIVE. Our positions are simple, based on common sense, and can be summed up kind of like this - we're for Wall Street, Main Street, Sesame Street, and the Backstreet Boys. We don't have time to campaign and we don't actually want to have the jobs, but other than that we're fully committed.

Images courtesy of msnbc.com, google images, Meghan, and Sophie who took that shot of my new swoopy bangs.

Edited to add: I should clarify - Meghan and I are running as a united team. If we win, we would be the first ever Co-Presidents because we believe in SHARING. Also, I'd never want to miss out on Tim Gunn and Jenny Craig on my advisory panel. They are ESSENTIAL.

The girl is mine, the doggone girl is mine

Jennie Nelson — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:23:23 GMT

During the weeks when my laptop was in repair, I wasn't able to transfer photos from my camera very easily. So, when I finally did, I had hundreds. It was like having the last half of the summer right at my fingertips. I spent a long time sorting through the images, matching them up with entries, and adding them here. When I was done, I was left with a pile of photos that all featured Sophie. Each photo captured a different side of her. Going through the photos was like watching her grow and change right before my eyes.

Sophie plans her own outfits, sometimes based on which accessories she wants to use that day. I don't have this same kind of fashion sense. But it is much like how I choose entrées based on which side dishes accompany the main course. That's sort of the same thing, isn't it? Except not as cute?

Both of the kids love listening to my iPod shuffle and have each begged to become its next owner. For now, I keep it tucked into my purse and give it to them when they need a little entertainment. Sophie likes to listen to Cha Cha Slide over and over and over again.

I found this dress on clearance and had to talk her into waiting until we got home for her to wear it. She loves it - any dress really. Since she wears dresses so often, we've had a lot of discussions about how to sit and play "like a lady" when wearing a dress, which is code for "keep your underwear covered".

She has a big laugh, this one. Honestly, I don't know where she gets it. Honestly, that's a complete lie because gets it from me. And I think it's maybe one of the best things she inherited from me. There's nothing like a good loud laugh to attract other good loud laughers. And in my experience, loud laughers make some of the best friends.

Sophie has a hard time staying in her own bed all night long. She likes to get up during the night and crawl in next to me and snuggle up close. So close that I usually sleep on a strip of the bed the width of a saltine cracker. After many years of little or interrupted sleep, I'm tired now. So we came up with a ~~bribe~~ plan - if Sophie stays in her own bed all night long for seven nights in a row, we'll buy her a "big girl bed". She has great visions of purple sheets with a new lamp and a clock shaped like a flower, but so far, it's not been enough to get her to meet the requirements of our deal. Three times she has made it to six nights in a row, only to cave on the seventh night. In the meantime, she has decided to turn her toddler bed into a fort. I think she must feel more grown up that way.

Sophie found this frog at my parents house and was thrilled to hold him. I was relieved that she didn't ask if we could keep him as a pet, because I'm pretty sure he'd croak. Get it? Of course you do.

It's a rare day when Sophie lets me do her hair. And by doing her hair I mean anything more than brushing it while we're running down the hallway. On this day, she let me put little looped pigtails in her hair and I took about 20 pictures. Which pretty much guarantees that I'll never get to do it again.

This was the last picture in that series. It was the last one because two seconds later she ripped out the pig tails and shook her head like she'd finally felt freedom and wasn't letting it go. See that look on her face - that's DETERMINATION.

I don't know how many photos I have of the kids on this very swing. Probably hundreds. When they're on it, I just can't help myself from taking pictures. They look so happy and breezy. Also, it gives my arms a brief reprieve from all the pushing. Which can go on FOREVER.

Sophie carries a pen and a notebook with her everywhere she goes. She fills the lines with tiny circles, draws entire pages of bugs, and just recently has taken to writing "ham and cheese" over and over again. Except that it's not the actual words "ham and cheese", it's a symbol that looks a bit like a capital E with extra horizontal lines. Maybe it's shorthand and she's been going to night school without my knowledge.

And just a few weeks ago, on the same morning that Martin started Kindergarten, Sophie started preschool. She walked up to the door filled with confidence. She was only shy for a few moments before settling in with the other girls to play.

The end of summer, and the start of a whole new age.

I suffer from SSD

Jennie Nelson — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:33:11 GMT

As summer shifts to fall, the leaves changing color, the air turning cooler, and the nights getting longer, some people find changes happening within themselves. For those people, this change shows up as the desire to eat and sleep more than normal - commonly called "cabin fever", or also known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

The shift to fall actually has the opposite effect with me. Gloomy days make me feel energized. Longer nights means that the kids go to bed earlier and I am productive, then fall asleep and rest without moving, kind of like a rock. Fall makes me feel great. Except that it's also the time that my Disorder appears.

I suffer from SSD (Seasonal Sugar Disorder). And this is the reason:

I blame the whole thing on a former co-worker, Wendy. One day as I walked back to my desk, I stopped by to see her to catch up on her life. On her desk, was The Mixture. We talked about it:

Me: Hey, what's that?
Wendy: Don't try it.
Me: Why? Is there something wrong with it? Are you trying to poison Engineering?
Wendy: Trust me. Don't try it. You'll hate me.
Me: I won't hate you.
Wendy: It's that good. Oh yes, you'll hate me.

And now I hate her. Because it IS that good. This is the seasonal candy you CANNOT pass up. I can walk past displays of Cadbury eggs without any problems. Candy canes don't lure me in. Reese's Peanut Butter cups disguised as Christmas trees or Easter eggs aren't a problem (okay so that last bit isn't totally true, but I can eat just ONE, of each shape of course, so it's not an EPIDEMIC).

I realize that giving you the recipe after all these warnings would be a bit like making you watch a documentary on the impact of drugs then offering you an assortment pack of doom, but it's just CANDY. So, here's how you do it:
Mix equal parts Candy Corn and peanuts. Enjoy. Gain five pounds. Don't worry, Halloween passes quickly.

Overheard @ The Nelson's, v.23

Jennie Nelson — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:40:19 GMT

Part One
Me: Sophie, I don't want to see you jump on my bed.
Sophie: Then you shouldn't look at me.

Part Two
Me: Sophie, tonight we're going to watch the Presidential debate on TV.
Sophie: Well, I'm going to go in my room. I don't like that show.
Me: Why?
Sophie: It's too scary.
Me: I hear you.

From the Archives: Bednarek Edition

Jennie Nelson — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:56:20 GMT

My friend Danielle sent me a photo this week of her mom. It is an archive TREASURE. If I could figure out a way to turn this into our Christmas card, I would.

The Art of Tanning and the Old Style Tower, 1966

Supporting the arts

Jennie Nelson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:26:06 GMT

I'm a firm believer in the value of the arts. Any time that I hear about schools cutting funding to art and music programs, opting instead to channel those funds to science and math programs, I cringe. I think math and science are important, but schools should not make a choice between them. The argument seems to be centered around innovation and invention - and while I see the role that science and math often play in both of those areas - I don't believe that they can exist without creativity.

Art fosters creativity. It encourages innovation. It makes life more enjoyable. And it communicates.

Take, for example, this mailing that I received in the mail last week. Here's the cover:

My first thought when I saw the cover of the mailer and read the words VOTER ALERT was "DANGER! JOHN MCCAIN IS DANGEROUS!". Then, after seeing that it was PAID for by John McCain, my second thought was "Shouldn't have cut so much art education, eh. Looks like that message didn't come through as intended."

Support the arts - you never know when you might call on an artist to carry your message.

Video created the radio star

Jennie Nelson — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:38:37 GMT

Last week as I was cleaning up the kitchen, I heard Martin in the other room singing to himself. It was a song about all of the jobs a person might have - jobs that all have to do with vehicles and transportation. It was pretty impressive, I'll admit, the number of jobs that Martin could name in the transportation field. I went in and sat down and the performance continued. After awhile, I asked him if he'd mind if I recorded it. He said that he thought that it would be a good idea, because then we could send it to the radio station.

I should give a few disclaimers:
1. I still have not improved my video editing skills.
2. The footage is a bit shaky. I just don't have a steady arm when I'm laughing.
3. If you're watching this at work or if you have sleeping children nearby, you may want to wear headphones. It gets a bit loud in a few places.

I present to you the following short in two parts:
Other People
- and -
You Can Have a Career and the Glory of Jesus

http://gonelsons.com/2008/09/18/video-created-the-radio-star.aspx