the ups and downs, as lived by Zoralee

a new game with Uncle Dan

You are seeing there actual distress that the bouncing horsey needed a break.

She hung there on his leg for quite a while. It was a little embarrassing.

eating a treat of processed cheese with Grandma Rena

being told by Mama that that's enough of the crap-ola

(I LOVE this new "o" mouth. It's almost worth her getting sad.)

egg intrigue

fear of approaching chickens

(these shots were taken a couple weeks ago - I happily report their relationship is improving)

I mentioned that Zoralee had the measles. At least, that's the best we could figure from the flow charts in the old medical books my mom raised us kids on. Those flow charts are rad! Brought back some good memories too, of searching through to try and find naked people. Sure, they usually had some sort of disease, deformity, or broken or missing part, but if you weren't used to seeing much nudity, hey hey.

*

Anyway, Zoralee had several days of an up and down fever, and I initially thought she could be teething harder than usual. But as soon as the fever died down, little pink bumps appeared on her head, neck, and torso. She had teensy white dots on her tongue too, like flecks of salt. All of this was classic measles. She was needy and fussy, and wanted to nurse lots and eat less solid food. The body bumps stayed for a few days, and one or two migrated to her legs; they weren't especially bright and didn't seem to bother her or itch. Then it was over. She has recuperated beautifully, and I am thankful.

Today Zoralee has a bright red mark below her eye and several tiny red scratches, from falling on the icy path leading to the chicken coop. Maybe she had seen one too many winter sports crashes and wanted to feel the pain herself. She'd landed on her bum, then sort of konked over onto her face from there, into the tiny razor-like crystals that the snow has become with all the melting and freezing. But, like a true Olympian, no amount of falling keeps her from the ice.

And speaking of falling, I shall end on this NEWS FLASH of an up: I think I witnessed Zoralee falling in love today. She wasn't going to sleep for her afternoon nap very easily by nursing, so I asked if she wanted her kitty. After a moment of pondering, she shook her head yes. Keep in mind that Zoralee has not formed an attachment to any specific item whatsoever, including pacifiers, bottles, blankets, toys, or dolls. When I tucked her kitty into bed and put the blanket over them both, she looked at it with fresh eyes. She nuzzled and kissed it, and then hung on to it while she stared up at the window in a serious lovestruck delirium. Then she cuddled it a bit more, looked into its eyes, and smiled.

This is later, after we'd given up on the nap.

(As time goes by, we'll see if this is true love or a one nap stand.)

fourteen months, going on fourteen years

a fancy old hat at Aunt Leah's birthday tea luncheonUnc Luke's shoes

Grandpa Gene's redneck teeth

gaming with the big boys Valentine's surprise from G&G - a little tea set

girl time

Mama Joanna, baby Cecelia, Chloe, Zoralee, and Zoey

Notice the traveling green bowl in that series.

It is so great for Zoralee to hang with Zoey and Chloe and begin to see that other children are interested in the same toy she is, at the same time. Zoey and Chloe swap toys continually and think nothing of it. When they try that trick on Zoralee, she looks at them in disbelief and wails. She's glad for an open cup policy though - everybody drinks from whatever sippy is around.

ohhh, books, stressors, earthquakes, measles, and the Olympics

Boy, do I ever wish I could whip blogs out as fast as they come to mind. I have about 40 things to say, and 40 pictures to display. I've been reading a couple of books about using Montessori methods in the home with small children (there are so many awesome principles that just make sense to me, you know?) and I want to tell you how neat they are! Just started this book by Po Bronson called Why Do I Love These People? about families. It makes you fall in love with your family all over again, faults, freckles, and all. And then there's a book called Reimagining Church by Frank Viola that I bet a lot of you would dig if you have questions about the established institutional church and wonder where's the genuineness and where's the community in all of it. But I didn't start this entry to really write about any of that. This is a fly over entry about major themes.

In self-revelatory news, I have lately felt like my insides are full of spaghetti with battery acid on top. I see myself as living quite a fortunate and simple life, so it irritates me to feel that way. When I think about it though, there are a couple of hearty stressors looming about, between extended family pain and anguish, a good friend who's on her death bed, being away from Jason, contemplating how to deal with our blasted worldly possessions (I sometimes fantasize about a house fire taking everything out in one lump sum, leaving exactly enough time for me to grab our photo albums and paraphernalia), and planning for how to live in three different states over the next year and a half. It's all a matter of knowing which things to take on and which things to let loose of, isn't it?

It came to me the other day how I could've drawn "earthquake" in Pictionary at Nikki's birthday party a month ago. A terrible word to pick in light of Haiti, but a word picked nonetheless. I could've drawn it like a world, and when somebody eventually said "earth" I would've nodded yes, yes yes! and then made little lines at the edges, to indicate shaking. At the time, I was stuck on more of a local scene, like making the trees shake and a room shake. That wouldn't have worked. Truth is, I didn't have to draw it, because when I looked closer at the card, "earthquake" was in the wrong category. But still, what a dilemma.

Looks like Zoralee's wrapping up a nice case of the measles. I'd like to post a bunch of pictures of her and tell you things about her! Each day she grows into a more and more beautiful little Pickle. We've been getting outside for her to walk around. She loves going from ice patch to mud hole and back again and is very distressed when she realizes it's time to go inside.

I told my brother, Luke, that we've been "enjoying watching the Olympics." He said that sounds like a brochure for something, which is true. But we have been. We watch the events every day. I have to be honest that I cheer for the Americans. I always wish for the Canadians to come in a close second, and if the USA isn't in the competition anymore, I always root for Canada. And then, sadly, I pretty well don't care what happens to everybody else, but I'd be glad for them to get very pretty green ribbons of participation. It irks me how well those North Koreans have been speed skating in their dark blue suits. They hang around at the back of the pack, and then when there are a few laps to go, they zoom to the front like blue raspberry Popsicles. Frustrating!

I am realizing about blogging these days that I can't seem to write anything that I really care about. I much prefer to use this as a family journal of sorts, showing Zoralee and the chickens and photographs and telling a random thought. But I like reading your meaningful discussions, including everyone's comments, and joining in! That's where I really get jazzed.

So, there it is. There a few things are.