Wheaties are in our future

About a week ago we decided it was time to undergo an experiment: Wheat meet Henry. Henry meet wheat. The experiment started with some cornmeal/wheat toast ladened with blueberry jam. At first, he just licked the jam off of the bread. This is typical Henry style. Ketchup first. Chicken nuggets last. Anyway, he eventually got the toast down. And we waited. We waited the four days and had absolutely no eczema flare ups. Yay! Of course, the skeptic in me was like, "It wasn't straight up wheat toast. We need to run the trial again." So we had spaghetti with your average white pasta. Not brown rice pasta. Not spelt pasta. Not quinoa pasta. But just good ol' Creamette. He ate three bowls. Still no reaction... It's so hard to explain how excited we are. A part of me believed he would overcome this allergy. However, I was trying to be realistic and know that there was a possibility a wheat allergy would just be a fact of life. Well, I hope I don't jinx it, but I think we're in the clear. I already have the bread baking.

Three Years Ago

One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One love)
Hear the children crying (One heart)
Sayin', "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
Sayin', "Let's get together and feel all right."
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (One love)
There is one question I'd really love to ask (One heart)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?
Believe me

One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (One love)
So shall it be in the end (One heart)
Alright, "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
"Let's get together and feel all right."
One more thing

Let's get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (One love)
So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (One song)
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
There ain't no hiding place from the Father of Creation

Sayin', "One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right."
I'm pleading to mankind (One love)
Oh, Lord (One heart) Whoa.

"Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
Let's get together and feel all right.

Life update

Not much has been going on in the Thorkelson household lately. We've pretty much just been staring out the window waiting for the days when the temp rises above 22. That's the magic number. We took Henry out for countless walks during the thaw a couple of weeks ago -- this ultimately resulted in only strolling as far as the street corner and watching Henry relentlessly kick the snow piled on the curb. I think he's as sick of winter as we are. I find myself resenting the sunny days. Sun should equal warmth. I'm ready for the change of seasons. The good news is that it is March. That means it truly, really, honestly winter is almost over. Yesterday at ECFE, the facilitator asked what our plans were for the warmer weather. Responses: picnics, puddle jumping, just being outside. *sigh* Our goal this past winter was to not be prisoners of the cold. We invested in the XC ski attachment for our Chariot and had intentions of skiing daily (well, maybe not daily...but often enough to warrant the investment). We did make it out a fair amount, but the frigid temps this winter made us wary of taking Hen out with us. I guess this is the silver lining in a long winter: more opportunities to get out and ski!

I continue to volunteer at the HOPE Center about once a week. Such a great organization and all that they do. Although a lot of my activities are general office support, I feel fortunate to be allowed to "help" them out with their mission. They had an open house for their new facility yesterday. And oh my! The meeting table was full -- FULL -- of sweets. I still feel the sugar seeping through my pores.

Eric is busy being Eric. :) Working hard while away and while at home. Henry associates the phone with "Da Da" and insists on holding it as much and as often as possible. I try to keep it out of sight when Eric is gone. Kind of one of those battles that I'm not sure I want to fight. I lost the so-called battle (read: gave in) the other day and allowed him to man handle the phone. He called our neighbor.

We continue to pass the days by attending play groups, music class, and ECFE. Yesterday's ECFE resulted in me getting censured for leaving Henry to go to the bathroom without properly notifying him of my departure (whatever...I told him I would be back) and then him somehow falling and getting a bloody lip. Never mind the bloody lip...he just wanted his ball.

In other news, we're practicing for Easter and trying to get Henry to raise his hands in the air and say, "Hallelujah!" We're making progress:

Jack-in-the-box

Henry had a love-hate relationship with his Jack-in-the-box. Loved the "pop!" Hated the anticipation. I mistakenly opened the jack-in-the-box in an unorthodox manner the other day: I used the lever to tuck the Jack's arm in when I hadn't completely stuffed him in the box. And since nothing goes unnoticed by a toddler, Henry now just pops open the lid when he feels it's appropriate. 

Now I have a love-hate relationship with the Jack-in-the-box. Love Henry's knack for efficiency. Hate that we can no longer see his sudden change in emotions from the surprise "pop!"

Simple Saturday

Slowly woke up. Drank a pot of coffee. Read the paper. At some point in the day this transitioned to talk radio and rooibos tea with milk. Enjoying the low key day. Looking forward to Eric coming home tonight in time for salmon and our most recent Netflix delivery. 

Henry enjoying the latest Music Together CD. Minutes before this photo, he was aggressively patting his lap. That's what we do in class to the "hello" song. Those CDs are "baby charmers" -- Won't get in your high chair? Put the CD on. Think the wood floors are fire and can't be put down from Mom or Dad's arms? Put the CD on. 

He recently started standing up on his own to walk around. The first few times he did it he clapped and laughed uncontrollably. You could tell he was proud of himself. 

My new end table. Neighbor Camille gave me this antique suitcase over the summer. It's been in my basement just begging to be given a purpose. My morning coffee inspired its new use. We'll see how long it lasts. I can only imagine what Catalog Living would say about this one! Ha.

Chopped!

Now you see it...

Now you don't...

I want to be a toddler

As I sipped my liquid sleep and Henry ate breakfast, I noted a few things about his behavior: he was hungry and he enjoyed watching his actions in the buffet mirror. Then I thought, "Gosh, I want to be a toddler."

I want to scream when I'm mad. I want to shovel food in my mouth when I'm hungry. I want to cry alligator tears when I'm sad (well, I guess I already do that one. Right, Eric?!). I want to lie down on the floor and simultaneously bang my arms and legs on the hardwood when I'm frustrated. I want to watch myself in a mirror for a few seconds every day - not out of vanity, but because I really don't know what I look like when I eat or say "ga." And I want to laugh uncontrollably at nothing.

Ramblings

"Tulips in spring. Tulips in spring. Tulips in spring."

My mantra to get me through these long, cold winter days.

Eric and I will be visiting one of my "family"members across the big pond in The Hague come April/May. *sigh* Looking forward to catching up with an old friend and reminiscing about the good ol' days. Those thoughts alone are enough to warm me up from this arctic chill.

Mirjam and me...sideways

Thirty by 30

Inspired by an old high school friend,  I wrote down some things I would like to accomplish this upcoming year and a half before I turn thirty. Here is my list:

1. Clean out attic room
2. Buy [and wear] red lipstick for a day
3. Organize closet and dresser
4. Tattoo
5. Write Henry's birth story in his journal
6. (on that note) Not be pregnant
7. Seven day cleanse of just local and/or organic fruits & veggies
8. Bike from Cannon Falls to Red Wing...and back
9. Read "Pride & Prejudice"
10. Knit a scarf
11. Make my own place mats and cloth napkins
12. Learn to play a song on the Casio
13. MIA day
14. Tent camp
15. Picnic in Sculpture Garden
16. Bike around Minnehaha Falls...in one of those crazy bikes...while eating an ice cream cone
17. Refinish chair for Henry's playroom
18. Go to local meditation center
19. Fix the swing set
20. Refinish rocking horse for Henry's 2nd birthday
21. Have dinner at Corner Table
22. Waconia day
23. Jog around Lake Harriet and Calhoun
24. Try brussels sprouts again
25. Go sailing
26. Teach Walter and Ardy how to stay
27. Get photo albums up-to-date
28. Vodka gimlet at Moscow on the Hill's patio
29. Go to a drive-in movie
30. Museum of Russian Art

Grand Forks

We had an awesome weekend with the Cutler duo in Grand Forks. The weather was chilly, of course, but we kept ourselves occupied with food, food, and more food (and a cocktail here and there ;). Oh yeah, we also experienced a virtual hurricane:

Thanks to the coaching of the Cutlers, Henry is now up to walking about five or six feet! Perhaps he will be "toddling" by the time we start ECFE (which would be great since the class is actually called "Toddling Toddlers")....