Miranda has moved!

I'm experimenting with having a separate blog for Miranda and keeping this blog solely for other things. Let's see how it goes.

Anyway, you can visit Miranda's very own blog, Chronicles of Wunchie, by clicking on the sidebar on the right.

... and Mommy's heart melts

We were reading books tonight, assembling puzzles and generally relaxing before bed. As I stretched out on the floor, Miranda scrambled on top of me and laid her head against mine. "Oh, my Mommy..." she sighed, "...let's always be together."

July 30, 2005 -- Addendum

Ok, I realized that I needed to unpack the last post just a bit. In honor of Miranda's 3rd birthday, I wanted to do something that I haven't done since her birth, which was create a slideshow of the actual event.

It was a long labor, just under 24 hours (the first 21 hours were drug-free, then we had the epidural), and we were fortunate to have a professional photographer there for the last half of the event. The Lexington Herald-Leader was doing a story on our midwife and wanted to get coverage of a "natural" birth. So, they asked if they could be present, and we said yes. Sure, not everyone would have wanted to have them there, but we've always been grateful for the photos of that incredible day. I especially love how they show Billy's involvement in the whole process; he was definitely not sitting on the sidelines!

The pics really are not that graphic (although they are realistic), and are a beautiful way of commemorating what to me is a somewhat dreamlike few hours. Anyway, feel free to watch it or not, whatever you prefer!

July 30, 2005 (i.e. the long-awaited sequel to the last post)

Someone asked why I'd waited so long for the followup post about Miranda's birth. I told her, "I just wanted everyone to feel like it took as long to get through it as I did when it happened." ;-) No, it just took me a while to create a slideshow I actually liked.

So here it is -- a pictoral journey through the very first minutes of Miranda's life. Enjoy!

(PS -- Ok, I just ran through the show, and it tends to drag a bit. Try using the right arrow to advance the slide every few seconds. Wow -- a self-serve slide show!)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

July 29, 2005

The beautiful belly!

After 12 hours, I'm... only 4 centimeters???


Many an hour was spent in the tub.

18 hours and 7 centimeters later...

Relying on support from Billy and our doula, Anita

Our midwife Nancy, who's had 5 children, can see the lighter side of it all.

And, we await July 30th...

Summertime Pics, vol.3 -- Berry Pickin'

We spent the morning picking blueberries with Sherry, Isaac, Asher & Jodie at Reed Valley Orchard. They have pick-your-own prices, as well as pre-picked berries and all manner of yummy jams & spreads inside. (I'm dying to try the pumpkin butter.) We spent about an hour amidst the bushes, enjoying the sunshine and the peacefulness of being outside.

As relaxing as it sounds (and it was), I have a new respect for folks who grow and pick produce for a living. This hearty berry crop didn't just spring up overnight, like green beans or squash. These bushes took several years to reach full bearing potential, and must be covered with fine mesh to keep snacking birds away. (This grove of bushes was grown inside a huge mesh tent.) And after the bushes fruit, someone has to pick the gorgeous berries, and this takes a little longer than picking a squash.

I don't say this to complain; it just bring the price of food a bit more into perspective. I realized that when I go to Krogers, or even to the farmers' market, I tend to get a little judgmental and dissatisfied with the prices. "Why does a pint of blueberries cost so much?" After sweating in the sun for an hour picking berries, I began to wonder why they don't cost more. And it became more apparent at the register -- you save $2 a quart picking your own. No question, it was worth it.

We ended up with almost a gallon of blueberries (picked by us), a quart of blackberries (pre-picked), and a jar of pear preserves that Sherry highly recommended. Plans for the fruit include a batch of jam and at least one pie. Sherry was telling me how to freeze them, but I didn't pay much attention -- I'm fairly sure none will make it that far.

Miranda assesses the crop. At first, she didn't distinguish between green and blue berries, but after a while she would come up to me with a handful of gorgeous ripe berries. (I don't want to know how many she ate on the sly.)
Sherry displays her harvest.

Isaac and Miranda take a well-deserved rest in the shade. Ah, the life of the preschooler.

Praying, I guess.

Summertime Pics, vol 2. -- The First Tree Climb!

Summer outings with friends: Flushed Away

Miranda & I spent yesterday morning at the movies with her buddy, Isaac. (Here's a great post Billy did about their blossoming friendship.) We saw Flushed Away, a fun film about a posh pet rat from the royal London suburb of Kensington who gets swept down the toilet and into the hubbub of the rat city in the sewer. It was clever at several levels, a trend which I've seen growing in children's movies, I suppose in an attempt to also appeal to the parents who take their kids to those movies. Below are some awesome quotes from the film.

• (spoken by the large, albino rat) Yeah, curry affects me the same way, guv'nor. I've got a bum today like the Japanese Flag.

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• Whitey: [after spotting the ruby in Rita'a back pocket] The booty's in the booty!

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• Tadpole: Is it the Glorious Amphibian Dawn, Dad?


• Toad: Anything for you, my little man.


• Tadpole: Can I have a pony?


• Toad: No.


• Tadpole: A puppy?


• Toad: We'll talk about it.


• Tadpole: Can we talk about it now?


• Toad: No! [All the tadpoles start asking for puppies]


• Toad: No, you can't all have puppies! Please, daddy's working!

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• Toad: You find my pain amusing?


• Le Frog: I find everyone's pain amusing, except my own... I'm French!

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• Le Frog: We leave immediately!


• Henchfrog: What about dinner?


• Le Frog: We leave... in five hours.

More amazing exploits of Wunchie

Here's the latest from Radio Free Wunchie:

• She sounds a lot like Winston Churchill when she says the word "never." It comes out "nevah." And she's saying it a lot now, for emphasis of her points. As in, "I don't take a nap! Nevah! Nevah!"

• (handing me a stick) "Mama, you break this in half for me, please?"


• (looking at a Central American plaque of Saint Francis and the animals) "Miranda, what's that?" "A bird... and a peagog." "A peacock?" "Yes, a peagog." "Miranda, where did we hear about peacocks?" "From Grover!" "And where did Grover see peacocks?" "In... Africa."


• "Where are the worms? Where are the WORMS???"


• "Mommy, I want to ride in the truck." "Well, the truck is a little sick right now, so we have to take the car." (deep sigh) "I nevah get to ride in the truck... nevah." (And the Oscar goes to...)

Pics from last year's garden Wunchie

Helping dig the rhubarb bed, which was hard work!

Does this big shovel work any better?

Getting instruction from a friend (and his owner).

At home in the rows.

Sampling a fresh cuke from Three Springs Farm.

A butternut squash from our garden!

Wunchie-sized pumpkin

The Chronicles of Wunchie

Time for some catch-up posting on the Wunchie. As has happened before, her verbal skills took a major leap while I was in England (or maybe it's just being away that makes the change seem so abrupt!). Billy & I have recorded some wonderful little conversations and observations.

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(Billy) Miranda, is Bambi finished?

(Miranda) Not quite yet.

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(Maria) Hey there, big girl!

(Miranda) I'm not a big girl.

(Maria) Then what are you?

(Miranda) I'm a munchie!

(Maria) Ok, and what am I?

(Miranda) You're Momma Mia!

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Billy and Miranda had just finished watching a Bugs Bunny cartoon, where Yosemite Sam is harrassing Bugs. Bugs rescues Sam from a shark, but won't pull him into the boat until they "make a deal." Sam says, "No deal!", but changes his mind after Bugs lowers him back into the water. With the stage thus set, and amidst cries of protest, Billy turns off the TV...

(Billy) Ok, wunchie, time for a bath.

(Miranda) No deal!!!

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Miranda and Marie are out walking in our neighborhood...

(Miranda) Look, Marie, a bird's nest.

(Marie) Yes, Mirada, thats a bird's nest.

(Miranda) I want the nest, please?

(Marie) No, honey, the birds need that nest to stay there.

(Miranda) ... that's ok, my daddy will come get the nest for me, and take it home and put it in my room.

...What???? how many clauses does that sentence have??

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And perhaps the best yet... on Easter morning, Billy greeted Miranda with the following...

(Billy) Happy Easter, Munchie! He is risen!

(Miranda) Daddy, are you risen? (...pause...) You're not risen.

Dance to the beat of a different (ok, the same) drummer

My mom was visiting last week from Denver, and we did a ton of fun things, both with and without Miranda. The day after she arrived, we took the Wunchie to the PB&J Concert Series of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra. They provide pb&j fixins', apple juice, and a kid-friendly venue to participate in music. This month was a drum circle at the Lexington Children's Theater. They had congos, tambourines, and dozens of homemade noisemakers. It was cacophanous but very, very fun. Miranda enjoyed acquiring and trying out lots of different instruments. We're sure to be there next month!

My mom (front right) shakes a spice-rack noisemaker while the Wunchie tries a tambourine.

You mean, it's not all about me? Then why am I out here, center stage???

You pumpkin-pie haircutted freak

Ok, I know this is a rude title for a post about your darling daughter's first haircut... but tell the truth, doesn't she look just a little bit like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber?





You be the judge!!!









No, she really looks darling. Here's how it went down.

We're not sure about this whole situation, but we'll be cool about it, for now.



Good call providing the lollipop, although things did get a little sticky.

It's difficult to get that look just right.

It's starting to look like a haircut!

Honey, I promise you'll like the free blowdry. Plus, it's always easier to have someone else style your hair for you.

Hanging in there.

The finished product! It's amazing how she's moving from toddler to little girl!

The first picture aside, her new haircut looks great.

"I Cook With Mommy"

Our little missional, feminist, classically trained, philosophically postmodern wunchie

As a 2 yr old, Miranda is presently doing all sorts of things she shouldn't do -- mashing her food, trying to flush things down the toilet, taking off her diaper and peeing in her crib, etc etc. However, one thing she doesn't usually do is mess with the many, many books that we have in the house. With the exception of the shelf that holds her books, she tends to leave the rest alone. So, I took notice yesterday morning when she began to remove books from "Mommy and Daddy's books". I was reluctant to stymie her interest in anything literary, so I just asked her to not rip the pages, and to stack them up for me when she was done. She happily complied, and everyone was happy.

After she moved on to another activity, I started to replace the books when, intrigued by the ones she had chosen, I lined them up on the shelf and took this picture:



Here are the titles she selected, not necessarily in order of importance:

• The Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America


• Promiscuities: A Secret History of Female Sexual Desire


• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman


• A History of Sexuality: An Introduction


• To the Lighthouse

Yes, we're expecting the call from Bryn Mawr any day now.

Hide 'n Seek: An Artistic Study

We heart Boogies Bees

For about a year, we have been going to this great singing group at a branch library here in Lexington. The Village Branch is located adjacent to a growing hispanic neighborhood, has a completely bilingual staff, and is a major source of bilingual reading and spoken materials for that community. They conduct English as a Second Language classes, homework assistance, computer tutorials, and other great stuff.

Their children's librarian, Amy (pictured below in the black) has conducted a singing group called Bilingual Boogie Bees. They dance and play instruments, and sing songs in both English and Spanish. Here's an article that the local public channel wrote on Boogie Bees.

It's really great. It meets in the evening, so there are lots of fathers and mom-dad sets. It's pretty diverse: there are many native Spanish speakers (from Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba), an Indian family from London, and lots of age diversity. We can't make it every week, but we love it when we're there. Here are some pics from last week's class.

Singing "5 little monkeys" and using shakers while they jump around. Miranda is is the foreground in a brown shirt and pink pants.

playing clean-up after the fun

playing ring-around-the-rosy with pals Sarianna and Meena

We all fall down!!


These are the sugar skulls we made last month to commemorate Dia de los Muertos. It was a great time, and I'm looking forward to explaining it all in more detail as Miranda gets older.

Smash the Capitalist Tithe System!

We've always feared that Miranda would eventually be co-opted by the radical anarchists in our midst, like these hooligans. But who knew that her convictions would lead her to take such direct action? And at such a young age? Darin, did you take her aside during your visit and give her a tutorial?

Last night at the fellowship gathering, she decisively smashed the wooden box which has, faithfully and over many years, collected the modest but earnestly given tithes of our community. So... underestimate the power and ideals of the young at your peril. And keep all your breakables at a level that her ever-growing arms can't reach.

Absolutely freakin' adorable

Here's Miranda dancing with Mary Margaret, the daughter of some dear friends of ours from the ASP community. This was taken at the commitment celebration of two other ASP friends, Jeff and Ashley. It was a lovely and moving time spent celebrating the love and journey of two people. Plus the hot cider and pumpkin cookies were excellent. And the music was awesome, as clearly shown!