circles in my mind and in the exersaucer

WHY?

this commonly asked question comes up when you choose a university simply because it was the one place your boyfriend got accepted, when you decide to hold your wedding in your parent's hometown, and a host of other situations.

so i shouldn't be surprised when i ask myself and others pipe in:

WHY DO YOU BLOG?

1) i need to write. writing events down helps me see the bigger picture. writing things down also helps me see what counts and if i have been, heaven help us, overreacting. i have always written. why stop now.

2) i don't have much of a short term memory. apparently i can blame part of that on my head injury, and probably the other half on genetics. this is an incredible time in my life, and sometimes while you are in the middle of living it, you don't commit it to memory. it's gone, like kaiser sauze blowing out a match. i want to remember this. i want to remember the magnifecence of charles, the joy and challenges of tiny children, some of their sweetest habits and activities. words they mispronounced and how i reacted to them. so i write.

3) and i share it because people have asked me to. so many people have supported me in prayer for so many years, and especially our family this past year. they want to hear about our family. i could just put the bare bones: babies awoke 6.45, 6.45, 6.55, 7am. ate (seb) toast and cheerios with partly skimmed milk, babies+ 130ml, 150ml, 140ml. seb wore long sleeve uniform and long pants caught bus at 8.02am.

i mean, how boring are the facts? but when you get our reactions, that's when you get our family.

4) it's good practice for the book i want to write. you're never going to be a better writer if you don't practise your writing.

SOOOOO, if you write it for you, and not for other people, do you tone down articles that might offend?

not so much. while i am pretty open with my feelings and reactions, i won't share my thoughts on someone else's activities/husband/choices. (unless they are a celebrity.) they can do that on their blog.  if i have an event that i would have to tone down for my blog, then it belongs in my diary.

you can't please everyone all the time. friend paul could have done without the article i did on CD1. another friend of a relative was "disconcerted" by the blog. this isn't a popularity contest, it is my life.

moving on....

when sebastian was four months old we put him in our newly acquired exersaucer. immediately, sebastian began bouncing and circling around, arms akimbo, legs pushing off the plastic to allow for a greater vertical jump. if he had had hair, it would have blown in the wind. he could stay in there for hours, playing with the toys, and if he wasn't IN the exersaucer, he was standing against it, his drool etching his initials and a heart into the plastic exersaucer bark. on sebastian's first overseas flight i was tempted to call and ask if we could bring that predecessor of the exersaucer, the jolly jumper, and hang it in the doorway between business and economy class. sebastian would have been THRILLED. and quiet. in hindsight, i am sure they wish we had taken the jolly jumper on with us.

jasper most resembles sebastian in the jolly jumper. he bounces up and down happily, and if i make a statement

"jasper are you a hungry boy?"

he lowers his head, opens his eyes and mouth really wide and bounces up and down loudly, as if to say

I-CON-CUR! I-CON-CUR!!

jasper can be distracted by the blue plastic (butterfly?) figure that extends out of the exersaucer. jasper will grab the butterfly with both hands, lower his head, open his mouth, and push the butterfly in and commence chewing. sometimes, he will push the butterfly to the side of his mouth and it looks like a huge exclamation point of blue crawling its way up his chin, culminating in a big side pocket of blue chewing tobacco.

sela loves being in the exersaucer when the room is full of people. what better way to see (and be seen by) everyone? she whirrs around, eyebrows dancing, her mouth curved upwards. unless of course, she wanted to be picked up and thought that she was going to be held instead of being plonked into the exersaucer. if that is the scenario, be afraid, be very afraid.

carys doesn't get the joy out of the exersaucer that her siblings have.  she doesn't bounce in the exersaucer, she stands in it, because she likes standing. her hands will play with the toys, but she doesn't move around too much. she occasionally chews on the butterfly, but mainly she stands looking drooly and serious, dreaming of the day she can stand unassisted. for carys, the exersaucer is inspirational, soul food. for jasper, replacement food. for sela, ego feeding.

Comments

[Maddy]

You write girl. Write YOUR truth. It is your blog and I admire your honesty and approach to life. I love you!!!!!

[Auntie Pammie]

Tess, Dont you ever change the style of your writings for anyone but yourself. If someone finds certain subjects "disconcernful", they can easily take the little mouse attached to their computer and scroll down to another part of your blog. You write honestly, openly and you allow those of us who enjoy reading your blogs to see what your life is like.
I am so sorry that I cannot be there to share in these times with you. These blogs are my additional connection to my sister, my sister in law, and my darling sweet little nephew and neices.
Keep on writing , It is the first page I go to in the mornings before I leave for work, and I am either laughing or crying afterwards,,, all for good reasons.
Love you !
P

[Maggaggie]

Tess, good blog today. I have had writers block for 2 months and haven't updated mine. You've given me that push to start writing again. Thank you!!!

[Amber]

I love that thru your exceptional writing, I feel like I "know" all 4 of your children...even better than I know my neighbors kid who I talk to & see almost every day.

Thank you.

I just adore this blog!

[Auntie Pammie]

oops, sorry about the "sister in law" Charles, I meant my wonderful brother in law. I shouldn't write that early in the morning.
Auntie Pammie

[Julie]

I, for one, love your blog! I love reading about all your children, and I can tell that you REALLY know your children. You are SUCH a good Mommy!!! (And I am overly addicted to the exclamation point... *sighs*)

Keep up your writing, please!

Hugs
Julie