The Mobilians

School Daze

2009-09-16T09:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since we've updated, but The Mobilians have been busy. Life in the South is a bit more liesurely, and we are taking our leisure very seriously. We put a pool in our backyard and spent most of our summer swimming and entertaining. Sad to say, we overharvested the mint growing in our garden while keeping up with the demand for mojitos.

School starts early in the South. Like, early August early.
I am now a full-time graduate student and graduate assistant at the University of South Alabama. I'm working on a Master's in Community Counseling, but my long-term career goals change weekly.

John and Eleanor are attending the half-day Pre-Kindergarten program at a local Episcopal school, conveniently located next door to Mike's college. A word about schools here: insanity. People put stickers on their cars (really, SUVs) with the name/crest/motto of their children's schools. In some circles, it's a very big deal. We looked at what colleges graduates of these fancy-pants schools attend and were further convinced that Alabama really is a lot like the Hotel California. No one ever leaves. Most graduates go to either the University of Alabama or Auburn.

Mike and I looked half-heartedly at a few schools and picked the one with the nicest fence. (I'm kidding! UMS Wright has a much nicer fence. We toured St. Paul's and it had a very nurturing atmosphere, a program with hours that fit our needs, and most importantly, spots for two more kids.

To reference more classic rock, it's very true that the first days really are the hardest days. Just look at Eleanor's face in the photo above. John missed the first two days of school due to the Swine Flu. He missed another day due to unexplained vomiting, and Eleanor missed a day because she had a cough.

Pre-K is much more intense than day care. John and Eleanor are now judged on how well they color, cut, and follow directions. Each day we receive a folder with their daily work, and while we know that parents should not compare their twins it's very hard not to when you have two identical coloring pages in front of you.

Since the beginning of school Mike and I have had serious talks about John's ability to cut and stay in the lines when he colors. We even talked about it with the teacher and wonder aloud if this will prevent him from entering certain occupations. Each day, Eleanor comes home with three monkey stickers on her papers while John's paper has the obligatory "good try" monkey sticker and suggestions that he follow directions. One paper had the directions underlined in red ink twice.

But, I am happy to report that Mrs. Ritchie says this is typical and that most of the non-repeating boys in her class can't cut, color, or follow directions. We were also thrilled when John came home yesterday with a beautifully colored, cut, and pasted picture with three monkey stickers.

The Mobilians Announce a New Member

2009-05-11T22:14:00.004-04:00

There is a very cute neighborhood kitten who follows us on walks. Bo is so sweet with Eleanor that Mike wondered aloud if we should get a kitten. That was his first mistake.

His second mistake was agreeing to take the kids to a pet adoption day at a local pet store. We come home with a three-month-old orange guy who had never lived with a family. He came with the name Pinto Bean but soon became Oscar.

Eleanor loves Oscar. Perhaps she loves him a little too much. She carries him around the house and finds him no matter where he hides.

John likes Oscar, in theory, but has little time to play with him. John is far too busy being either Peter Parker or Aqua Man these days.

Jack, our eleven-year-old cat, doesn't care for Oscar. There was a showdown at the food bowl the other day. Both hissed, then Jack backed down and the kitten ate the rest of his food. Oscar is now in charge.

A Few Notes on Christmas

2008-12-26T23:48:00.002-05:00

Mike and I feel so smart. We each put some videos on our iPods for the kids to watch on the plane. Mike bought a splitter for our iPods and two sets of children's headphones. Mike and John watched Wall-E on the first flight and Eleanor and I watched an episode of Mickey's Playhouse.

John and Eleanor are having a great time playing with their aunts and uncles. As usual, they received quite a haul. Eleanor now has several horses to play with, including a pegasus that walks. When we put the kids to bed last night we held firm that they could each take one toy that didn't make noise.

Eleanor was upset that she couldn't take her Pegasus, which not only makes noise, but is bilingual. She sniffed, "But it's very mine."

Among John's favorite gifts is a small pick-up truck with a guitar on it.

Eleanor, always one to share, put Hershey's kisses in front of each statue in Grandma's manger. I think that John ate most of them.

Photos with Santa

2008-12-12T21:59:00.003-05:00

Take One: Late November
John was persuaded to stand next to Santa so long as he could clutch the photographer's penguin. After negotiating for a Flying Vee http://www.tachyonlabs.com/veewee.html John took a few steps closer.

Take Two: Mid-December
After mall haircuts and cinnamon pretzels, John and Eleanor wanted to make sure Santa knew who they were. This is the photographic answer to the whole "naughty or nice" issue.

The Trouble with Twins

2008-12-12T21:39:00.002-05:00

John and Eleanor are hot on the birthday party circuit. We attend parties most weekends.

This evening they got into an argument over one of the hot new items in our house:

Breyer Mini Whinnies

They are basically a choking hazard in horse form. Eleanor adores them.

The following exchange took place when John took one:

Ellie: You are not my friend. And you are not invited to my birthday party, my Cinderella birthday party!

John: You can't come to my birthday party.

Dad: Johnny is your friend and he is coming to your birthday party.

Ellie: Well, he isn't getting cake and he isn't getting a goody bag.

We had a similar argument the other day. I tried to explain that they have the same birthday, but they didn't buy it.

I guess we're having two cakes this year. Eleanor, obviously, wants Cinderella. John wants a Superman cake. They even have separate lists of goodies for the goody bags. Both lists include candy, but John also wants to give his friends meatballs and cereal.

Something we can all agree on

2008-11-22T12:02:00.002-05:00

This video is a new favorite at our house.

It has something for everyone: Cute animals for Eleanor and Johnny Cash for John.

October

2008-11-03T22:04:00.002-05:00

Three weeks ago John, Eleanor, and I went to the Little Sisters of the Poor Lawn Party. The Little Sisters had a great party. They had several bouncy slides, a variety of fried foods, and a train ride.

John and Eleanor giving each other a squeeze.
I wouldn't really call it a hug; it was more violent than that.

It ended like this:

Eleanor with my cousin's son, Baby Gabriel. This is at the pumpkin patch that was next door to our house.

To infinery, and beyond!

John can't say "infinity." He tries. But it comes out "infinery" every time.

Dancing Queen

2008-10-06T19:16:00.004-04:00

Eleanor takes dance class at her school on Tuesday afternoons. The class is a half-hour of pre-tap and a half-hour of pre-ballet.

We weren't going to sign her up. She and John go to Tumble Time at school once a week.
After the first day of dance class, when Eleanor stayed in the room and all of the other little girls got to put on their leotards and go to dance, she was devastated. We felt like terrible parents and showed up with check in hand the next day.

Eleanor after dance class.

Small Gains

2008-10-06T19:03:00.004-04:00

John and Eleanor went to the doctor today.
They were both up coughing last night, so I took the day off (hence the multiple posts).

John is clear, just irritated. Eleanor, on the other hand, is full of yuck.
She will start Singulair tonight and see if that helps with the Alabama allergies.

The weigh-in this afternoon has Eleanor at 27 pounds and John at 28 pounds.
They are the size of skinny two-and-a-half year olds. They are three years, eight months.

They drink about 16 ounces of Pediasure a day, which gives them more than half of their daily calories. We are supposed to cut back on Pediasure to 8 ounces a day in an attempt to get them to eat more.

Here they are in the shirts that Flo sent from Africa. These shirts are new favorites.

Dramatic Play

2008-10-06T17:47:00.003-04:00

John is wearing an old army hat that I picked up at a flea market.

Eleanor is scolding one of her dolls for making a mess.
She said, "You need to go to time out. You sit there for a couple minutes, and then say you sorry."

John asked, "What did she do?"

Eleanor responded, "She made a big mess on the ground!"
Then, to the doll, "Stop making a grumpy mess!"

Farmers Market

2008-10-06T12:43:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday was the first day of the Autumn farmers market.
John, Eleanor, and I met some friends at Spot of Tea.

Eleanor wasn't feeling well. She took one look at her waffle and burst into tears.
Mike came to get her and take her home.

John and I continued on to the market where we met up with more friends. Unfortunately, we reversed the order of shopping, then breakfast, so we missed out on eggs and goat cheese. We got sweet potatoes and tomatoes. We bought a praline for Eleanor and Mike. John picked out two little pumpkins. He essentially shoplifted them. He was just so excited at the sight of the pumpkins he carried them over to me.

John loved the girls from the Oakleigh House Museum.
He made his way over to them and did a little dance.

There was a band there, Roman Street. John picked up a stick, stood in front of the guy on guitar, and started playing while tapping his foot. He danced and played his stick guitar for quite awhile. John ended up strumming one of the guitars and had a great time. I gave John money and he bought their cd all on his own.

They were so sweet and commented on John's musical abilities.
When we left the entire band called out, "Bye, Johnny!"

Career Ambitions

2008-10-01T22:42:00.002-04:00

When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Eleanor says, "a mermaid."

We were reading a book about jobs. We asked the kids what they want to do when they grow up. Eleanor told us that she wants to paint pictures when she grows up. A painting mermaid.

John wants to use tools. Hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers. He even talked Mike into getting a blue screwdriver at Lowe's last weekend. When asked what Johnny wants to be when he grows up, he says, "A man like Daddy."

John's First Love Song

2008-09-11T21:16:00.002-04:00

John sleeps with an old acoustic guitar next to his bed. Tonight he picked it up and started singing:

Caroline, Caroline
Caroline, Caroline
Caroline, Caroline
In a pan.

Miss Carolyn is one of his teachers*. There is a girl in his class named Caroline.
He told us that he was singing about his friend Caroline.
He also said that she is cute.

She is a tiny little thing, which is saying something considering John and Eleanor barely weigh 25 pounds. She has dark curls and always says goodbye to us when we leave.

*Miss Michelle is their other teacher. John calls her Miss Chelle.

Dad's Birthday...a little late

2008-08-30T09:42:00.003-04:00

Mike turned 30 the week that the kids arrived with Aunt Sarah and their grandparents. We celebrated in style with oysters and peanut butter pie.

I ordered a gift for Mike to mark the end of his twenties, but it didn't arrive until last week.

The Banjo Men

The issue now is keeping John away from the banjo.

Tropical Weather

2008-08-30T09:34:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we had a tropical storm warning for Faye. My cousin is in the Coast Guard and had to leave for a week, so his wife and new baby spent the weekend with us.

Eleanor loves Baby Gabriel.

Gabriel is not so sure about this.

Mama and Baby Gabriel flew to PA to visit relatives, so we are dog-sitting Dirk.
Eleanor is in love. John likes to drop food on the floor for Dirk, but does not want Dirk to touch him in any way.

We think that we finally found a playmate as energetic as Eleanor.
The pair runs around the house until Eleanor falls and dog licks her.

Personal Playground

2008-08-25T18:46:00.005-04:00

One of the reasons we bought this house was because of that back yard. We are within the city limits, but have a large fenced yard for the kids to play in. We bought a swing set and it was installed last week.

The kids call it their playground.

It has a steering wheel. A very important feature.

It also has a tire swing.

A telescope to watch for pirates.

There are pirates all over the yard.

Eleanor spends a lot of time upside down.

John's New Song

2008-08-18T12:45:00.003-04:00

To the tune of Old Dan Tucker

Old John Albin was a mighty man
Washed his face in a frying tv
Combed his hair with a wagon basket
Died with a toothache in his sink

Get out the way, Old John Albin
You're too late to get your macaroni
Macaroni's over and dinner's cookin'
Old John Albin just stands there holding a big tractor

The song changes based on what is in John's line of sight.
For example, sometimes Old John Albin is standing there washing the dishes or holding a fan. Sometimes he washes his face in a frying sink.

Rainy Day

2008-08-11T17:57:00.004-04:00

It was cloudy most of the day. It rained this morning and again this afternoon.
We suited the kids up , thinking that they could walk to school in a light drizzle. As soon as everyone had their rain gear on it really started to rain, so the kids rode to school.

Eleanor

Superman, ready for the rain.

Eleanor had a great day. When it rains the kids get to play basketball in the gym instead of playground time.

John and Eleanor are much smaller than the other kids in their class. They've mastered most of the outlined curriculum and are the same age as the other kids, but they look like they belong in the class for 18-month-olds. Two little girls referred to Eleanor as a baby this afternoon. Not cool.

I also hear them referred to as "The Twins" quite a bit. I can't stand that. Particularly when people say things like, "Hi, Twins!" They don't respond to that. Maybe we'll have to teach them to tell people their names when this happens.

2008-08-11T17:46:00.003-04:00

Johnny shwimming with construction goggles

First Day of School

Walking to School

Jamming in the kitchen

Eleanor can operate the train now.

Job Limbo...Jimbo?

2008-08-06T22:30:00.002-04:00

I still don't know if I have a job.

The county needs to place all excessed teachers before they can hire me. New hires won't start until after the school year begins.

I'm looking elsewhere and enjoying my extended summer vacation.
If it works out great. If not, something else will come along.

John and Eleanor started their new school and love it. We let them sleep in and pick the up at 3. We went to the local ice cream shop (not a local ice cream shop, but *the* local ice cream shop) and Eleanor was spotted by a classmate. The little girl (named Ella) pointed at Eleanor and yelled, "That girl goes to my school!"

The three kids had a great time sitting on stools at the ice cream bar. This was after Eleanor dropped her cone of rainbow sherbert on the floor.

The South is Really Getting to Me

2008-08-05T17:23:00.002-04:00

At first it was only mildly annoying that so many businesses are closed on Sundays. It was almost cute. I could accept it.

Then there's the place. The unbelievably sticky slow pace at which life moves here. Mike and I don't find it relaxing; it makes us anxious and twitchy.

People don't have voice mail. People with jobs that require them to call other people back. I'm not sure if voice mail would mean that calls would be returned, but at least I could feel that I was doing my part.

I spent most of last week attempting to verify my employment with the local school district. Ten rings and no answer. I spoke with someone yesterday and was told that the best way to get the answer to my question was to come into the office. I did that this morning and waited for an hour and a half, only to be told that I should have had an appointment and that the principal's recommendation for my hire is "in the computer."

This doesn't mean that I am hired. I have to get fingerprints, a drug screen, and submit copies of various documents. But I can't do any of that until someone in their office calls me. There is nothing that I can do other than wait for the call. These are the same people who were supposed to call me in April.

Human Resources is currently busy attempting to fill teacher vacancies with teachers who were excessed last year. Then they can hire new people. They think that they might be ready in two weeks. School starts on Monday.

It's not surprising that the public schools here are among the worst in the country. They look DCPS look downright organized.

Photos by Eleanor

2008-07-30T23:44:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos that Eleanor took awhile back. Most are of her daily life. A few at the end she took at the reception following Mike's graduation ceremony. She still talks about it. She and Johnny called it a parade and talked about the people wearing "funny hats." When they see flags they talk about the parade that Daddy was in.

Photos at Last

2008-07-28T23:22:00.007-04:00

Eleanor loves her new house. When we go out both kids always ask if we are going back to the "new house." The other night Eleanor was talking about our house in DC. She called it our "regular house."

They use the word regular a lot. Regular ice cream means vanilla. There is also chocolate ice cream. All other ice creams are referred to by color. Pink is a favorite of Eleanor's. John prefers regular with sprinkles. Sometimes he calls it regular with sparkles.

Before we moved we told the kids that we were getting a new house in Alabama. John added things to this. It started with a new house and a toy. Then it became a new house, a toy, and a lollipop.

On the trip down Mike and I picked up a few huge lollipops for the kids. We also bought John a new drum set. The plastic one he received from Santa was no match for him. It was tossed during the decluttering phase of our move. John reminded us of this.

We bought Eleanor her own camera. She is actually very gentle with a digital camera. It's hilarious to see the world through her eyes. Turns out it's a lot of knees.

The following picture was not taken by Eleanor. It's a closeup of the curtains that I made for the kids' room.

Getting a Job

2008-07-26T15:24:00.002-04:00

The first week that we were here I had a prescription filled at the local CVS. The pharmacist took my information and commented that she lived up the street. She then invited us to her house for dinner that night to meet some neighbors. One of the neighbors is a chemical engineer turned math teacher at a public high school. I told her that I hadn't heard from Human Resources. She told me that this is the way of Alabama; you have to find a principal who will push your application through.

She called me a few days ago and told me that her school has a special ed position open. I dropped off my resume on Thursday. The principal told me that there is a list of excessed teachers who must be hired before any new teachers can be brought on. I figured that I'd take my time and keep looking. A few hours later he called me back. He told HR that he wants to hire me and not to place an excessed teacher at his school.

I will teach three blocks of special ed math each day and have one block for a planning period. Not bad. Now I just need to brush up on high school math.

This is how things work here. There are rules, but not really.

Now I have to go get fingerprints taken at the local police department and find a doctor to confirm that I don't have TB.

School starts on August 11 here. I wasn't expecting that. It also lets out well before Memorial Day and we get a few days for Mardi Gras.

Dealing with DCPS

2008-07-16T23:08:00.003-04:00

DCPS has no record of my letter of resignation. The one that I sent twice. Because they lost it the first time.

I need to check the exact wording of that letter to determine if I am still covered by their health insurance. If I wrote that I resigned in June (when school ended) my insurance ends tomorrow. If I wrote August then I am covered until August 31.

I predicted that they would do something this stupid, so I wrote "the end of the 2007-08 school year." They need to see the letter. Which they lost. Twice.

I now get to play "Hunting for Files" in the boxes in our office in an attempt to locate my letter of resignation and send it again.

I think that I just need this shirt:

That should cover us.

Bugs

2008-07-14T16:05:00.002-04:00

We found fleas a few days after we moved in. Actually, the fleas found the cat and me. We had an exterminator come, and for the bargain price of $368 he sprayed various chemicals in our yard and house. We vacuum and change linens daily.

The fleas got a little bit better, but my legs got worse. These things sought me out and attacked me. I apparently have an allergy to them because I got all red and angry.

One of our new neighbors is a pharmacist. She took a look at my bites and said that I needed to see a doctor. She also said that post-Katrina this area has a lot of staph. So Mike dropped me off at the Mobile Medical Infirmary with a bottle of Smart Water, a People magazine, and an issue of Domino. Six hours later I had an antibiotic, cortisone, and a lovely anti-anxiety to help with the itch.

Randy, the exterminator, came back today and sprayed again. So far things are better. This is just one of the joys of living in the South. Had I only known.

In Mobile

2008-07-10T22:24:00.002-04:00

Mike and I left our kids in Pennsylvania last Monday and drove to Mobile. We each drove a car, but I had the cat. I listened to two audiobooks: Barrel Fever by David Sedaris and I Like You by Amy Sedaris. Audio books are definitely the way to deal with a long trip. I tend to get sleepy after the first hour driving. Not good for a long trip. Every two hours Mike and I would swap discs. We'd reenact our favorite parts at meals.

We bought our house last Wednesday but didn't move in until Saturday. It's a Southern custom to allow the seller three days to move out. We got to enjoy the fine amenities at the long-term Marriott with the cat. We even saw a baby possum near the pool.

There are lots of critters here. Geckos, armadillos, and lots of bugs. Turns out 95 degree heat with 95 percent humidity is the perfect breeding ground for many insects. The cat has already had a case of fleas and an exterminator treated the house this morning. We aren't messing around with bugs.

I can now drive to both Lowe's and Home Depot. We painted the family room. It's pretty much the same color as our old living room. What can we say, we like that color.

We also want to paint the kids' room. We have until Monday, when they arrive with their grandparents and Sarah.

The Truck is Here

2008-06-25T09:53:00.002-04:00

All of our wordly possessions are currently being carried onto a truck by three men.

I'm feeling a little sick, but am taking solace in the fact that I am not the one loading the truck. I feel like a real adult what with hiring movers. Mike feels like he should be carrying things.

We said goodbye to more friends last night.
The next time we see them they will have a baby! Lucky for us, we were able to gift the new baby with John and Eleanor's nursery items. I loved John and Eleanor's nursery. I'm so happy that such an awesome baby will use it.

Reports from Grandma indicate that John and Eleanor are having a great time in Pennsylvania. Yesterday they had a picnic lunch with Grandma and Pop-pop. Afterward, Eleanor requested a visit with Auntie Pearl, so they took a trip to Carlisle. Auntie Pearl had a car set for Johnny and a doll for Eleanor. True to form, Eleanor ended up with the cars and John carried the doll around.

We have to pick up our car this afternoon.
The mechanic told me that it was freak thing; while Grandma was driving the kids to PA on Sunday, a spring broke and the suspension fell. Better that it happened between DC and PA than on the way to Alabama.

While waiting for the tow truck, Eleanor pointed at each passing car, saying, "Their car not broke. That car not broke. Our car broke."

John was disappointed that he did not get to ride in the tow truck. Instead, Mike and Pop-pop carried the car seats, with the kids strapped inside, from the blue car to Pop-pop's van. Life is always an adventure.

Saying Goodbye

2008-06-23T09:13:00.002-04:00

John and Eleanor are now in Pennsylvania with their grandparents so that we can finish packing. They handled the past few days in their disassembled home well, but we didn't want them to witness their toys being boxed up. Yesterday, John spent a lot of time holding his blanket and sucking his thumb while Eleanor took advantage of distracted parents and played in the garden.

The goodbyes are hard. On Satuday we went to Baltimore to see our good friends, Dan and Melissa, and their new daughter, Ruth. Or Baby Roof as John says. We had a wonderful time.

Last night Mike and I went to Raku with my cousin and his partner. We had so much fun we decided to meet them for dinner again tonight. Jimmy and I spent more time together in the past three years than any other point in my life. It's been wonderful and I'm going to miss him, but I know that he and Andrew will visit.

Moving Right Along

2008-06-01T21:20:00.002-04:00

All inspections on our house are complete.
We do not have radon, for those who are concerned.

The home inspection on the house in Mobile is tomorrow.
We have two moving companies coming on Tuesday to give estimates. I read about moving companies that scam people so I got names from our realtor, checked with the Better Business Bureau, and the Black List on .

My freezer and pantry are proof that I am my father's child.
I cannot purchase any food until we move.

Bought a House (almost)

2008-05-26T11:03:00.003-04:00

I met Michael in Pensacola on Thursday evening.

Within 15 hours of my arrival I was offered a job at a small new school for students with Asperger's and autism. Pending fundung approval. I will work one full-day and leave at one on the others.

That afternoon we toured several houses in Midtown Mobile.
Midtown is described as the Berkeley of the South, only not.

It's pretty accurate.
I am assured that it's the most liberal place in Alabama.
I'm still not sure what that is saying.

Midtown has lots of funky little shops, old cottages, huge oaks, and a few old mansions thrown in. It exudes Southern charm.

We found two independent wine shops.
We are on the mailing list of one already.
They know us by name. We purchased three bottles of wine while in Mobile.

After much debate, we decided to buy a 4-bedroom cottage in a great area of Midtown.

There is no necessary work to do on the house. It's level, something that many of the houses are not. There are things we would like to do, but we can move in and make changes over time.