Story Time is Politically Correct

Every Wednesday, Ela and I go to story time at a library near our house. It's good for us in several ways. 1) It gets us both out of the house. 2) It gets me exercise, since we walk there. 3) It allows Ela to meet people her size. 4) It reinforces for Ela that books really are fun (not that she really needs it, but it doesn't hurt). 5) It teaches me, or reteaches me, the fun little rhymes and songs that people use with their babies. I have a pretty good memory, but most of what we sang as kids is gone from my head now. When I hear it in story time, it comes back pretty quickly, but I need that jump start to get to it. I'm growing a pretty good list of hand games and songs that Ela likes.
Once in awhile, though, I hear a song and I think "I know this" but discover it's been changed in the almost thirty (yikes!) years since I was young enough to appreciate it. Sometimes, it's an improvement. This was the case for "Ten Little Indians." It's a pretty basic counting song. When I was little, we held up our fingers and sang "one little two little three little indians" and so on up to ten. The library story time doesn't count indians. Most days, they count bubbles. At the end of the song, "Ten little bubbles go pop pop pop!" and we all clap our hands. This makes a little more sense than counting indians, in my opinion. In the other version, which can be sung in either Spanish or English, we sing "two little hands and ten little fingers" first, and then we count the fingers, which makes even more sense. Also, it gives kids a chance to practice a little bit of Spanish, and I'm always for encouraging multi-lingualism.
However, there are other songs that should have been left alone, and one of those is Little Bunny Foo Foo. I'll be honest, I can't remember all the words to this song as we sang it back in the day, but I do remember, quite clearly, that it involved scooping up some imaginary creature and boping it on the head. That part was fun. It was a story song about a bunny wandering around and being naughty. Occasionally the good fairy would come by and tell him to cut out the naughtiness. The song had a moral, too. The bunny eventually got turned into a goon for boping things on the head because hitting is wrong, right? And we all said that cheesy phrase, "Hare today, goon tomorrow." Not anymore. Now, the story is that Little Bunny Foo Foo wanders through the forest to play. No naughty behavior at all. Occasionally, for no apparent reason, the good fairy stops by and tells the Bunny to hurry up, so he wanders a bit faster. Finally, his mother calls him home, and off he goes.
I'm totally annoyed by this adjustment. For one thing, it's not nearly as fun. Sure, the kids get to walk, hop and run in place, but it just doesn't seem nearly as cool as the fun boping motion we used to have. I don't know why. May be that's just my perception because I like the old one better. The bigger issue, though, is that the story doesn't make sense any more. Also, I don't really know what was wrong with the old version. Sure, the kids used to practice that naughty behavior (and enjoy it) but 1) how naughty was it really? and 2) they were taught that this was wrong as they were listening. I can't figure out why it was changed, and I think it was changed for the worse. May be someone reading this will disagree and explain it to me.
My mom works at a church that has a preschool, and she assures me that Little Bunny Foo Foo is still sung in the old way there, so that makes me feel better, but I still feel a little irked every time we sing it at story time. I'll have to look up the old words and teach it to Ela the right way when she's old enough to enjoy it. In the mean time, we enjoy the other songs and games at story time. It's a good break in the middle of our week, and always educational!

Easter

I posted about the cherry blossoms, and then I lost all desire to blog for a week. I think part of the reason I was so lazy was I went to North Carolina to visit family, and I was out of my routine. It’s hard to get motivated when I’m on vacation.

But Easter was very nice. We got up and went to the 10:30 service at our church. It was super packed, so we couldn’t even all sit together, but it was a good service. Minjee was kind enough to take Ela out when she ran out of church steam, and they played with the Easter Bunny. Apparently, Ela thinks the Easter Bunny is pretty awesome. I’m guessing this is due to the fact he looks like a really big dog (from her perspective).

Once we got home, we put together a yummy lunch consisting of ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, salad, pasta salad, and the traditional lamb cake. My cousins came over and we all smooshed into our dining area and had a very nice meal.

Dad had to leave after lunch, and that kind of set us all of on our own directions. Minjee and her boyfriend went out to do some sightseeing, and Mom went into full cleaning mode. I packed up my bags for my trip to North Carolina, and Zack mowed the lawn, so it was a productive day. We traded off on baby duty so we could all accomplish our goals.

Late in the evening by our usual standards, we went out for Korean dinner. Then Ela passed out and Minjee took over baby duty again and we got in one last game of Rock Band with my cousins, who were preparing to move. (We miss them already!) So we had a good time all day with family and friends.

The next day I headed to North Carolina for the week, and now I’m back and Zack’s heading out, so we’re still keeping pretty busy. I’ll try to keep things updated.

Hanami in DC

One of the things I am going to miss about Japan is the cherry blossoms in the spring. They are just beautiful. There are parks filled with the cherry trees, and when they bloom it’s like having warm snow in seventy degree weather. I will miss seeing them all, and I will miss the lovely Hanami (Flower Viewing) picnics that take place there every year.
Luckily, we moved to a place that has cherry blossoms, so this year we decided to have a Hanami party just like we would have in Japan. Mom, Dad, my sister Minjee and her boyfriend Tristan came up for Easter, and on Saturday we got together a nice little crowd for our picnic.
I spent the morning making rice and onigiri (rice balls). Mom and Minjee made sushi. We also put together some raw vegetables and edamame and fruit and packed it all up to go to eat under a blossoming tree with a few cousins.
Our original plan was to have the picnic actually down at the tidal basin where the most trees are. Thankfully, we decided that it would be a long way to go with all our food, so we went to a park nearer to our house where we knew there were cherry trees. Unfortunately, only one was still in bloom, but it was enough.

Our cousins brought mochi (sweet rice paste) and the food was all delicious. We had a good time chatting.

Ela decided that it was a good day for a walk. At first, she only wanted to walk on the sidewalk, and she took off around the park without the slightest concern for whether anyone was following. Then she set to work learning to walk on the uneven terrain of the grass. This is still a work in progress,but she got to the point where she didn’t need a finger for moral support.

After our picnic, we sent the blankets and food home with our cousins and headed out on a very ambitious walk to the tidal basin to see a few more blossoms. We quickly discovered just how good it was that we didn’t try to picnic there. It was super crowded. All the same the flowers were beautiful.

It wasn’t quite Japan, but it felt great to be out and see the flowers. We were exhausted by the time we made it home, but it was worth it.

Off to the Ball

The Supply Corps Ball was held here recently. Zack and I managed to get a babysitter and go. It was Ela’s first non-family babysitter in the States. It was our second Supply Corps Ball, and a bit bigger of deal than the one in Sasebo could be.
The ball was held at a lovely place just outside of the city, called the Sunset Room at National Harbor. We got a great view of the sun setting over the river as we enjoyed a pre-dinner drink or two.

We were seated for dinner with a bunch of Zack’s friends from work. We were supposed to be joined by an admiral, but he had something else come up at the last minute and couldn’t make it. We had a fun time at our table anyway.

There was a lovely speech by a Lt General from the Army about all the usual things. She said she was going to try to make it different from the usual speeches at these events. I’m not convinced she succeeded, but I appreciate her efforts. Then there was a superb dinner. I felt a little tiny bit homesick for the food that was always served at the Harbor View for these events (which was predictable and good) and for Louis, who ran things there. Then I tasted my steak. Harbor View is good, but this was heavenly.
So we enjoyed our meal, then a lovely cake, and then we returned home to find our miracle worker of a babysitter had managed to get the princess to bed. So it was a very successful and pleasant evening.

Bloody Monday

Last week we got a recall notice from Toyota about our Prius. I was a bit busy what with finding a babysitter for the Supply Corps Ball (post about that soon to come) and taking Ela for her one year check up. So yesterday, I tracked down a Toyota dealer and got an appointment. The fix was supposed to take an hour, so I gathered up books and toys to occupy a one year old and we headed off.

We managed to find the dealership, and most of the hour wait was completely uneventful. Ela charmed the other customers and toodled around doing her thing. We had enjoyed 40 normal minutes when I noticed Ela looking at something on the floor. I looked closer at the something and discovered it was a razor blade. I immediately got up to grab it and set it on a counter, out of range of little fingers.

I was too slow.

Ela picked up the blade without cutting herself, miracle of miracles. I grabbed it and tried to pull it from her hand and somewhere in the struggle, she sliced open her right index finger.

She only cried for a second. I pulled baby wipes from my diaper bag and started wiping her up, but she was bleeding pretty bad. A Toyota employee noticed my plight, and went for a first aid kit. Together we made several attempts to put a band aid over the cut, but 1) it was a bloody mess and 2) Ela kept pulling away or pulling off our attempts. Four band aids and a lot of blood later, I decided that I was going to have to take her to a doctor, and the sooner the better.

By this time, my car was done. The guy who had serviced the car took up the cause of helping me with my bloody baby, and I think the manager even came over to survey the damage. I figured I was close enough to the clinic where Ela had gone for her one year check up, I’d just go by and ask for a consult on the finger. They don’t do emergency care there, but I didn’t know for sure that she’d need stitches. What little I could see of the cut didn’t look super bad, I just wanted to make sure.

So I paper toweled the back seat so that the blood would be contained, and got Ela into her seat. The drive was probably the worst part of my day. I was frantic with worry and I didn’t really know where I was going, so I got lost twice before I found the place. Every time I’d look back to check on Ela, I’d see all the drying blood on her hand and get even more worried. Thankfully, Ela was completely calm when we weren’t messing with her hand. In fact, having smeared blood all over her face and arms, she fell asleep in the car (which only worried me more).

She was awake again when we got to the clinic and I took her in. Unfortunately, the doctor was not in, but the two nurses who were in the pediatrics were happy to have a look. Ela played happily as the nurse took her vitals. I had way too much nervous energy, so I worked on cleaning the blood off of her (and everything she touched) while they worked. The first nurse thought she’d be okay with just a bandage, but then the head nurse took over and, an hour now since it was actually cut, the darn thing was still bleeding pretty constantly. This, she said, was not a good sign. So she bandaged it up and gave me directions to the nearest hospital.

This whole mess started at 2:00ish. By now it’s 3:30, so I call Zack to tell him we probably won’t be home when he gets there. Zack doesn’t do blood. Period. He hates the stuff. So I mention bleeding and he kind of loses perspective. Despite my assurances that the baby will survive, he begins worrying himself silly. Ela falls asleep in the car again. Still completely unphased. I love that little girl.

She’s still asleep when I arrive a the hospital, so I enter the emergency room in a bloody shirt carrying a comatose child. The nurse in triage didn’t even let me get the registration form, she called me over to make sure the baby was okay. Ela opened her eyes to see what was going on, and sat up for me, which reassured the nurse.

We filled out some forms and then we waited. The triage nurse got us registered complete with hospital bracelet. Then we waited some more. We called my Mom to pass the time. Zack called us to lower his blood pressure and make sure Ela still had some blood left. At 4:40 we finally were taken in to see a doctor.

By this time, Ela is cranky from lack of afternoon nap. I’m a little wiped out from the adrenaline rush that is long gone. The doctor takes the band aid off, and miracle of miracles, it’s not bleeding any more. She suggests some Dermabond. For those of you who don’t take regular trips to the ER for bleeding wounds, it’s like glue for skin. I was delighted that no stitching would be necessary. She went to get the stuff to stick the cut back together.

Of course by the time she returned, the cut was bleeding again, and if it’s too bloody, they can’t glue. Ela was wiggling like crazy trying not to pass out, and nursing her to get her to hold still wasn’t working anymore. Somehow, we managed to get her locked into a still enough position to wipe her cut clean again and glue it. They put on 3 layers of the stuff and then set me to the task of keeping her still for 10 or so minutes until it could dry.

It was a long ten minutes.

Finally, the glue was set and we were ready to go. The doctor said we didn’t need a band aid, which was good news since it’s hard to keep Ela in them. However, she also wanted me to keep the finger out of Ela’s mouth. Yeah, right. She told me just to do my best and go with whatever worked.

So we got back in the car and Ela screamed for most of the ride home through rush hour traffic. Five minutes before we arrived at home, which was right around 6:30, she fell asleep again.

Completely drained, I arrived home to the smell of dinner cooking. That was when things started getting better. Zack had made us steak, potato and broccoli. Ela woke up when I got her out of the car, but was quite happy to sit in her high chair and eat a late dinner. Because the dermabond isn’t supposed to get too wet, we skipped bath time and she went to bed fairly easily all things considered.

Zack told me about how he had to call the help desk at work because there’s a mouse living in his desk. It would have been funny any day, but on this day it was hysterical. I laughed and laughed and laughed, so I didn’t cry.

Lots of deep breaths, and one strong drink, later, I finally calmed down and we all slept really well.

This morning, Ela was picking on her Dermabond, so I put a band aid over it. The glue is supposed to last about a week. I called the doctor to make her a follow up appointment. She pulled the band aid off. Before I could get another one on her, she pulled the Dermabond off, too. That stuff lasted 16 hours. Sigh.

The cut started bleeding again and I got to practice more calming techniques as I put another band aid over it. I needed a shower, so I decided to do that, then investigate. By the time I got dressed, the bleeding had stopped. The nurse, who called to follow up on our visit, said that as long as it’s not looking wide open or bleeding too bad, we don’t have to go back to get more glue. So that’s a relief.

So for the next few days, I get to try to convince a one year old not to keep her right index finger in her mouth or to take off her band aids. It should be good fun.

Just another chapter in the parenting saga.

Ela has a birthday

Last week, Ela turned one. I can't believe how fast the last year has gone! We had a lot of fun celebrating with Ela in a variety of ways. On Ela's actual birthday, her godfather, Rob, was around. We went out to do some sightseeing with him.

Rob also gave Ela some presents. The book about Dogs is her favorite for the moment, but the monkey made for better photo ops...

On Saturday, all the grandparents and some other family came up for Ela's first birthday party. Since Ela is a little young to be choosing her own theme, I decided to go for a Japanese theme. The hardest part was attempting cherry blossoms on the cake (and the picture refuses to rotate, sorry about that).

I also did a little bit of origami to decorate the house. I didn't expect this to be interesting to Ela, but it turns out she loves it. We still have it hanging, and I'll probably turn it into a mobile for her room sometime soon.

Even though it's two months early, I put out our decorations for Children's Day, since it's a Japanese thing.

And, of course, there was Japanese food to be had: onigiri (rice balls), sushi, pocky sticks, some baby cookies, and Miso soup (not pictured). We took a trip to the Eastern Market the morning of the party, and Zack bought chips and salsa, so we served that, too.

Ela, of course, was all dressed up, and seemed to enjoy all the grown ups giving her attention.

She only had one friend under the age of 17 at the party, her second cousin, who is a pro at this birthday stuff and helped her with the present opening process. I'm pretty sure we couldn't have done that bit without her help!

We got the cake eating ceremony on video, but by that time Ela was more interested in napping than eating. She really does like cake, though.

After cake, Ela took a good nap and the party broke up pretty naturally. I think the adults all had a good time, too. I certainly enjoyed having everyone around to celebrate the big day.

Ski Trip

Zack and his family have been trying to get together for a ski trip for about a month ago. We finally managed to get it together this weekend. So Saturday morning, we headed out to Virginia to meet his family. We met up in the early afternoon at the bed and breakfast where we were spending the night. We spent the afternoon walking around outside it, enjoying the nice weather and the animals who call the area home. This, according to Ela, says "Woof woof", just like all the animals at the museum.

We gathered on the porch in the evening for a family picture.

We went for dinner at a brewery recommended by the B&B owners. They were super busy, so they put us in a quiet area in the back, and Ela practiced her waitressing skills in the available space.

The next day, Zack, his sister, and his dad went skiing. Ela, her grandma and I took a shuttle to the lodge and relaxed.

It was a very relaxing weekend trip. We hope to repeat the experience next year. May be by then Ela will be up for a little sledding or tubing!