Category: family life

Porch Swing Bliss

Last week I got the bug for some basic home improvement.  We have a lovely front porch on our house and for the longest time had a couple of folding chairs, a plastic picnic table (kid-sized) and several pint-sized . . . mmmmmmmm pint . . . chairs.  There were hooks already installed in the ceiling of the porch but they were of questionable descent.  So, after removing the old, scary hooks I realized that there was acceptable safety in what the hooks were installed in.

I ran to the home improvement store and picked up some eye-hooks, springs, quicklinks and a porch swing.  What a difference a porch swing makes!  We have sat upon that thing everyday since the installation.  The weather here is not oppressively hot yet so it has been enjoyable to be on our front porch.  With the occasional waves and “How ya doin’?”‘s with the people who live on our street it has been a different world.

Then there is the other side of front porch livin’.  We observe the traffic patterns on our street better from our perch.  It’s looking like there might be some drug/prostitution activity farther down on our street.  Ah, gotta love life in East Nashville.  We hope things might change for the better since we’re outside more.  And with the Young Extroverted One playing with the neighboor’s son there is more of a presence of children and family life.  Hopefully, a family with children will move in on the other side of our house to further encourage community.

In the meantime, Bosco (90 pound mixed breed of BIG ancestry) will be on the porch with us during this lovely stretch of weather.  It also won’t hurt to make a courtesy call to the East Precinct‘s non-emergency phone number.

Crossdressing Wabbits and Cartoon Physics

The Young Extroverted One received her latest disc from Netflix yesterday. It was The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1 and it was as funny to me now as it was to me when I was a kid. Luckily for me it was funny for her too.

I have always wondered if the old cartoons can make a youngin’ laugh now and they do.  Sure, there were some things that they wouldn’t put in a cartoon nowadays but I think it was way over YEO’s head.  Plus, I think I turned out alright after watching all of those cartoons as a kid.  Right?

**UPDATED: Peter Rabbit vs. Jesus Christ*

*But not that vampire hunter version. That wouldn’t be fair for that poor rabbit.

The other day the crew (Young Extroverted One, Elder Extroverted Holy One and I) went to the 12th South Taproom to attend the CD release party of Leslie McClure. We got there a little too early but we sort of planned to eat before the show. After finishing our meal the YEO started to get restless and began singing Easter songs which mostly consisted of bunnies and stuff.

While we aren’t freaky and fundamental about it we do try to be intentional about the Christian holidays. So, EEHO brought up that we also, and mostly, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of year. “So, why don’t we sing songs about Jesus instead of Easter?”** thus spake the YEO. Because in her mind Easter is the candy and bunnies and chicks and that annoying fake grass you put in baskets.

It’s kind of difficult to keep a balance between the secular, commercial side of holidays and the other religious side. For Pete’s sake (ya like that don’t ya?), the YEO is a potential preacher’s kid. She shouldn’t go through life just celebrating the Roman-pagan holidays. I think she needs to see both sides of the festivities (while not demanding the double-up of goodies).

Not only do we like to be religiously appropriate but also historically appropriate. It’ll make for a nice clash of ideals for teachers/authoritarian figures to deal with later. Maybe we’ll send her to a private Christian academy of some sort in Kansas.

**UPDATE: Apparently, my recollections of the YEO’s quote were clouded by the many Highland Brewing Company’s Gaelic Ales that I consumed. I suppose the EEHO should be my editor before I publish my posts. But that would take way too long.

The Young Extroverted One actually said, “Why would we sing songs about Jesus at Easter?” I apologize for my misquoting of the YEO lest she sue me for libel.

The Joys of Cooking, Baking and Shaving Dogs

I made the realization the other day, as I was preparing a grilled shrimp over black bean and corn salad for the farm adventure, that I really miss cooking and baking.  The Elder Extroverted Holy One and I used to cook a lot before the Young Extroverted One made herself known.  When we were doing the vegetarian thing (up until the polish sausage incident during pregnancy) we made some extravagant meals.  Heck, I used to bake bread every week!

I’m not blaming the YEO for our lack of homecooked meals.  It’s just that now the dynamics are a little different.  In order for a more reasonable bedtime we need to have dinner at a certain time.  And I am usually wiped out from work. That leaves the EEHO, who is usually wiped out from schoolin’, picking up the YEO and keeping her entertained with snacks and whatever else fits her fancy at the time.  So, lately it’s been boxed prepared meals and Schwan’s(which is surpisingly good, by the way).

You see, I’m just a little more domestic than the EEHO.  If I were a stay-at-home dad like I was for YEO’s first year of life I’d be all domesticated.  The dishes would be done, laundry washed, dried and folded and our house would be clean (either that or I’d be wearing pearls, drinking wine, watching soaps and eating bon-bons.  Hmmm . . . that sounds kind of cool too).  Of course, in order for our house to be clean I would have to shave our two dogs and two cats but I’m up for that!

I guess I find some sort of meditative properties in the acts of domesticity.  Kind of Zen and the Art of Archery but I wouldn’t be shooting stuff.  It’s the process of prepping ingredients that go in to a meal or washing dishes by hand or even folding laundry.  All of these activities seem to center me.  It just seems I can find more meaning (?) in these things that I can do for my family and friends than I can in hanging chain motors, wrapping truss and raising said truss to show height for a Wal-Mart corporate gig.

I guess the EEHO needs to find some wealthy church to pay her so she can support my homely habits of housekeeping.