olympic memories, revisited

it's crazy to realize that we have had this blog for so long that i remember writing a post about the  summer olympics the last time they hit the scene four years ago.  seeing as how much olympic fever is coursing through the veins of our children these days, i felt compelled to find my entry from 2008 and read it to them as we took a trip down memory lane.

the crazy thing?  a few hours prior to finding the post, i had our ipad in my lap, with liam and susanna on either side of me, crouched over the screen as we watched players from some of the most obscure countries on the planet battle it out in table tennis.  in case you didn't know, liam tends to become obsessed with things, and devotes probably 90% of his waking hours to thinking and dreaming and discussing ad nauseum whatever his current obsession may be.  this summer's obsession?  ping-pong.  way back in june -- eight long weeks ago -- he played it with his cousin down in atlanta, and has talked non-stop ever since about getting his own set for his birthday.  after i explained to him that we have nowhere to put a ping-pong table, he looked up the measurements in one of his sports encyclopedias, canvassed the house with a measuring tape, and declared the kitchen to be the perfect spot for this new addition.  which, let's face it, is exactly what i had in mind when we renovated.  ("just make sure," i told the architect, "that you leave enough floor space between the island and the pantry so we can put up a ping-pong table.  i think our green walls will coordinate nicely.")

i guess what they say is true -- the more things change, the more things stay the same.

olympic memories 

posted tuesday, august 5, 2008

as all the hype of 8/8/08 approaches (if you've been living under a rock, that's the day the summer olympics begin), chris and i are reminded of the special connection we have with this four-year event. last time around, we were sitting in our family room in asheville enjoying the festivities of the opening ceremonies (or, rather, chris was sitting, while i was kind of sprawled out all over the floor, as i was nine months pregnant.) right around the time zimbabwe took center stage, i turned to chris and told him that i really wasn't feeling great, and left to go take a warm bath.

four hours later, liam was born.

so many of our first memories of liam are actually tied to the olympics, since it was the only thing of any interest on television for the first two weeks of his life. i remember nursing him at 2 a.m. shortly after arriving home, wide awake since i had no idea what i was doing, while listening to table tennis in the background. (that was back in the day when i was sure the glare from the tube would fry his brain, so i actually had it on with the doors of the entertainment center closed.) note: it's unbelievable how serious some people can get about ping-pong. also note: it's rather boring if you can't see it.

assuming we can figure out how to hook up our television in our new family room and that we can locate the necessary remote (two rather big assumptions, given the state of chaos our house will be in due to the move), we're hoping that we can sit down with the kids and catch some of this year's opening ceremonies. i really do love how the world comes together and celebrates the incredible achievements of such amazing individuals.

in case you're interested, table tennis competition begins at 10 p.m. on august 12. and this time, we'll be watching.

doggone it

for two straight years our pediatrician has declared liam to be the worst case of seasonal allergies that has darkened her doorway.  hacking cough, runny nose, watery eyes ... come early spring, he is miserable. 

so i finally took him to an allergist, who conducted a series of tests on his sweet little back.

we figured he had to share chris's allergy of cats, but other than that, we didn't know what to expect.  now we wonder no more.  in no particular order, poor liam is allergic to the following: white birch, red cedar, hickory, white oak, bahia, bermuda, fescue, kentucky blue, cocklebur, english plantain, lambs quarters, ragweed mix, rough pigweed, alternaria, stemphlyium, tree mix, grass mix, and weed mix.  (cat, ironically, was one of the few that did not make the list.)  whew.  good thing we don't have any of those around us.  oh!  and i neglected to mention one last one.  dog.

ever the skeptic, i tried to shrug off the dog thing.  "we've had a dog ever since we brought liam home from the hospital," i told the doctor.  "surely if he really had a problem, we'd be seeing signs."

"oh, there are definite signs," the doctor replied.  "i knew just by looking at him that there was a non-seasonal issue going on."  he pointed out the area under liam's eyes and proceeded to explain what dennie-morgan folds are.  (interested?  click here.) 

"well, i don't think we're quite ready to get rid of the pooch," i said.  "so what do we need to do?"

"the good news is, liam's dog allergy isn't nearly as severe as the others.  so i would just maybe ramp up the number of baths you give your dog. that will go a long way."

please, i thought, trying to telepathically instill silence into my children.  please don't admit to this medical professional that you have never seen us give super a bath.

liam was apparently not tuned into my same telepathic channel.  "mommy, i don't think we've ever --"

i interrupted him and turned back to the doctor.  "well, you see, we have a boxer.  she's short-haired and i've read that they have sensitive skin ..." i trailed off.

"i'm sure you can find some mild shampoo," he replied.  "or, really, just water is fine, if you don't mind smelling a wet dog."

this made me feel better -- no soap was necessary.  "you know, boxers are funny.  they're like cats; they really lick themselves clean.  so i honestly think we're okay."

"actually," said mr. smarty-pants-doctor-who-had-a-response-for-everything, "saliva is where most of the allergens are located.  so that's probably making it worse."

oh.  crud.

we walked out of the office a few minutes later, armed with a boatload of information and a plan.  liam will begin allergy shots that will continue for the next five years, weekly for the first year and tapering off slowly after that.  we will also track down some special, very likely expensive, dog shampoo (since, call me crazy, i do mind smelling a wet dog) and introduce super to the wonderful concept of baths.

and somehow, we will teach our senior citizen canine, who has never even mastered how to freakin' sit, to buck her genetic tendency to self-clean. 

you want me to do what?

what's that phrase about teaching an old dog new tricks?

wordless wednesday: beach style

yippee!  we're back at the beach!

not since we moved back to raleigh (where we're a mere two hours away) have we ever gone until july before getting down to topsail.  but weddings and babies this year have prevented us from driving down any sooner, unfortunately.  we finally made it for the week of the fourth of july with our frequent traveling companions: my best friend lainey, her husband bill, and sons web and marshall.  (in fact, we spent last year's fourth of july with them in the mountains.)

i have to admit that during my first venture across that humming bridge to the island each summer, i feel like i'm whole again.  there's just something about the beach that seems like it's a part of my soul or something.  cheesy, i know.  but with a week like we had, creating amazing memories with family and good friends, it's no wonder why i feel this way.

topsail does its fireworks show on the third of july in an effort to save money, so the kids and i watched them over the sound while waiting for everyone else to arrive

extreme boogie boarding

all that boogie boarding wore out some people

checking out the pier after a hot day on the putt putt course

shell dentures: bill's brilliant idea

for hours each day, susanna and marshall canvassed the wooded lot next door as they created a membership-only club.  you're looking at the president and vice-president, natch

i'm honored to have been given my very own membership card!  (although i suppose i shouldn't be publicizing my secret password on the internet)

skimboarding was a debacle, but paddleboarding and kayaking i could handle

liam figured out how to hold his paddle eventually

a rousing game of badminton with our new net

thankful yet again for huge noggins ... liam's wearing a hat of my dad's since it was the only one we had with a strap

my beach glass collection finally has a home in my kitchen -- on the island, of course

what a difference a vowel makes

at 8:55 a.m. on a monday morning way back in march, i logged onto my computer and readied myself for battle.  online registration for the highly popular local program called "science in the summer" began at 9:00, and i'd been warned that by 9:02, all the slots were usually full.  it sounded like something totally up liam's alley -- and did i mention it's totally free, as it's sponsored by glaxo? -- so i was going to do whatever i could to get him in.  thankfully, he made it.

the theme for this year's program is "simple machines", and when i picked him up today, he handed me a notecard on which he'd written a short synopsis of his morning:

"Dear Mommy and Daddy," i read. "We learned about lovers."

then i turned over the card and, at first glance, was surprised to find the following:

now, i try not to have my mind in the gutter, but am i the only one seeing what i'm seeing?   it seemed that we were getting a lot more than we bargained for with this free week-long camp.  

i just had to giggle.  upon further scrutiny, obviously i realized that there was an "e" and not an "o" ... meaning, that the campers had not learned about lovers, but about LEVERS.  and when i took a moment to really look at his picture, this is the drawing in its entirety:

aah, yes.  there's a fulcrum in that drawing.  and even the word "effort".  if only i'd exerted more of that when looking at the thing in the first place.

teddy

i've always wanted to be an aunt.  even more importantly, i've always wanted my kids to have cousins.  for years i've watched liam and susanna forge amazing relationships with their second-cousins (my cousin's two children) at the beach at our annual family reunion, and have waited patiently for the day to arrive when one of my siblings had a baby of their own.

anyone who knows me knows that patience is not one of my virtues.  so, thankfully on may 25, my dream came true.  theodore grant atkins joined our family, and i can now finally embrace the title of Aunt Sara.

he might be the spitting image of my sister-in-law, but at least the onesie is all me

our aforementioned family reunion is taking place in early august this year, but i just couldn't fathom waiting until then to meet my little nephew, who lives about seven hours away.  and besides, aren't older sisters who've been around the parenting block supposed to pitch in and help in the early weeks?  isn't that part of the job description, as penance of sorts for bossing around and mothering younger siblings throughout their childhood?  if that's indeed the case, i owed my brother big time.

so i drove up to maryland a few weeks ago to love on little teddy.  and i tell you what, i'm grateful that he didn't enter the world before my two, because i learned just how good a baby can be.  i had flashbacks to my colic-ridden daughter who pretty much screamed non-stop for the first twelve weeks of her life, and marveled at how quiet and agreeable and chill my nephew was.  (perhaps if susanna had had some of these traits, we might have had a third.)

newborns sleep.  a lot.  but i still had lots of opportunities to hold him and rock him and feed him and burp him and comfort him and yes, even change a few diapers.  i was honored to be his first-ever babysitter, while my brother and sister-in-law enjoyed a much-deserved night out.  (incidentally, the little booger chose the majority of those five hours as his longest stretch of being awake all week.  i think he just wanted to bond with me.)   i sang him susanna's lullaby, swapping out her name for his; but since i have a history of writing my own lyrics, i figure i should get cracking on writing one for teddy.  it's just what a good aunt does.

i miss him terribly already ... that sweet baby smell and that soft smooth skin and those fluttering eyelids while he sleeps.  i cannot wait for liam and susanna to meet him; i'm sure we'll take pictures of them carefully holding him in their laps on the couch, much like pictures i have of me holding my younger cousins decades ago.  and i'm especially hopeful that by august, he just might give me a knowing smile.  for we've got a special connection.  a nephew-aunt connection.

Aunt Sara.  oh my, do i like the sound of that.

in the interest of full disclosure, my lips are closed to hide my purple-stained teeth.  but i asked teddy if he minded if his babysitter drank a lot little red wine, and he said it wasn't a problem

how i'm just like usain bolt

i was feeling quite adventurous yesterday at the beach.  already i had paddleboarded for the first time, kayaked, and braved a very rough surf with liam and a boogie board.  so as i sat and watched my best friend lainey try to master the art of skimboarding, i thought to myself, why not?  when jumping on a slick board in just a few inches of water, i figured that the worst that could happen was that i might trip or stumble off the edge.  i would be mere centimeters from land.  really, what could possibly go wrong?

oh my.

i neglected to consider a few key points.  for one, i'm not in the least bit athletic; anything that requires gross motor skills has never come easily to me.   for another, i'm not exactly a spring chicken.  i'm slowly approaching forty and i'm already at the point that as soon as i wake up each morning, i stretch in bed to see if any ailments have reared their ugly head overnight.   and for a third, my body does not react well to mishaps.  i was already sporting a rather nasty bruise on my left thigh and had no idea how i acquired it.  it obviously wasn't anything memorable and yet, there i was, trying to position myself in photos so that i didn't look like a battered housewife.

but Lord have mercy, that bruise pales in comparison to what's going on with my right hip now.  or, should i say, the entire right side of my lower body, stretching from my waist to the back of my knee. 

but i digress.  so yes, i tried skimboarding.  i listened to the advice lainey had culled from a friendly beach neighbor who was looking all sorts of professional on her skimboard after apparently only one day of using it.  "just throw it out a few feet ahead of you and then jump on," lainey relayed to me.  "use your back foot to stabilize yourself and just ride it as long as you can."

so i did it.  and it went sort of well.  i probably skimmed a few feet before awkwardly disembarking and retrieving the board for another go at it.  my confidence was up; it was actually fun.  so i geared up for my second run, chucking the board into the shallow surf.  i ran, jumped, and made brief contact with the board.  enough contact, at least, so that i was leaning back on my right foot just like i was supposed to be.  but then, somehow, the board kept going ... and my feet did not.  almost in slow motion, i wound up in mid-air, and then crashed onto my right hip.  hard. the shock of the impact sent my sunglasses flying a few feet in one direction and my visor, which had been fairly tightly affixed to my head, a few feet in another.  lainey scrambled for both as i sat, stunned, in the wet sand.

i may be one of the most emotionally sensitive people i know -- but one thing i pride myself on is my crazily high threshold for physical pain.  i just don't hurt easily, and i hardly ever take any kind of pain medication.  i got through two natural childbirths without so much as an advil and never even once considered an epidural.

but.

this pain was like nothing i've ever experienced.  and as i sat in the surf, actually laughing (mostly from embarrassment),  i also cried a few tears from the pain.  i began to bleed a little -- i think from slamming into some rough sand -- but i knew the real bleeding was taking place below the surface, as i began to swell.

and now, a day later, it is so bad that i literally cannot walk.  i can't really even sit.  as i type this post, i am leaning on my left hipbone, not only to avoid putting pressure on my right side, but also because i am literally protruding about three inches and i'm severely off balance. lainey, bill, and chris, in between rounds of handing me ice packs, have begun to joke that i seem to have a third cheek (and i don't mean of the facial variety.)

it should  make perfect sense that at some point during my first few stages of pain, i likened myself to usain bolt. on our two-hour drive down to the beach earlier this week, liam entertained me by reading out snippets from the olympics cover story of his latest issue of sports illustrated for kids.  one interesting fact was that while most runners hit the track with two times their body weight, usain hits at a force of five times his body weight.  they've somehow analyzed his running, and determined that with each stride, his foot hits the ground with an impact of about a thousand pounds.

with my unfortunate experience today, i am certain that i am just like usain bolt.  i have no doubt that i slammed down onto that sand with about six hundred pounds of force, all concentrated in a small area on my right hip.  i shudder to think about how long it will take my body to completely heal.  i anticipate having to relive this event many times over the course of the next few weeks as i venture to the pool and then back to the beach, because there is no way anyone will take one look at me in a swimsuit without seeing this new part of my body that really should have its own zipcode and wanting to know how it came to be.

so there you have it.  my long and dramatic (but quite accurate) account of how i'm just like usain bolt.  let's just hope he fares a bit better in london than i did in the shallow waters of topsail island.