bellies and giraffes

There's not anything all that exciting to report... you know, the usual: trying for the (gazillionth) time to hit on the magic solution that will change Raelin from pet-torturing toddler to gentle, cause-and-effect-understanding toddler...uh... yeah. I guess that's the usual on tonight's docket.

Our friends who are making their home on the road have launched from our driveway after a fun, 5 week hiatus here on the shores of Chickawaukie. The house is (relatively) quiet again with the daily meanderings of just 3 Callahans and I quite happily washed away the grime from our floors after 5 weeks of 5 people (plus the many, many weeks of 3 people that proceeded it). There is nothing so satisfying as clean floors. Not quite enough to inspire me to do it more than quarterly, but enough so that it remains a rather pleasant chore.

The nutkin appears to be growing quite nicely, as my belly continues to protrude. God(dess) Bless my friend Cara who bequeathed to me (on loan) a couple pairs of uber-chic maternity jeans. Probably about the hippest articles of clothing i've ever owned in my life and what better time to wear them when you are in the midst of a good 40 pound weight gain? I love friends with good fashion taste and enough zen unattachment to understand that they will be returned with a good 6 months of toddler-chasing wear on them.

Also in the preggy news... we attended our first Bellies and Babies potluck at our midwives' home. Our midwives are.... well, wives, and host monthly get-togethers for their new and expecting parents. Its quite a lovely affair in their woods-surrounded, solar powered home; the kitchen island laden with wholesome and delectable goodies, both for the main meal and the sugar round-up to finish us all off right. Children of various ages cavort around while newborns are danced and rocked to begged to last just a little bit longer while the new parents get some much needed social time. a good time is had by all and it happens in the woods in random rural Maine. Gotta love it. One of the coolest things about this is the contrast between this interaction and what we experienced with our midwives in Santa Cruz- who we loved, BUT in one of the various informational leaflets they sent home with us as Raelin's due date was imminent was the reminder that, "you get to keep the baby... not the midwife." Now, I understand where this sentiment came from. When you experience an intense life event such as giving birth, the people who were there become like instant blood relations- you've shared something extrordinary and unique with them, never to be repeated. Shortly after Raelin's birth Kevin suggested the (far-fetched) idea of returning to Santa Cruz to have our second child, just so we could use Kate and Roxanne again. Yes, attached we were. But, instead we moved to Maine and took Raelin with us and left them behind, never to hear from them or contact them again. But here we have new, great midwives who not only value those intense experiences, but build relationships out of them. Too cool.

Just received an invitation to the first of what will become monthly winter potlucks. Themed and with prizes, our first charge is "Garlic Extravaganza... what feeds your passion?" Looking forward to that plus the other creative prompts on the docket. Community occurs here, and its nice to be included. Kevmo garumphed about this cause he has a bad attitude tonight. I sent him to bed with instructions to wake up with an adjustment :)

and... i dunno. thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. raelin and i will head southwest to my dad's while kevin flies out to meet the rest of his family in vancouver to celebrate his uncle graduating with Phd. This will be our first holiday apart in I don't know how long, so I am not particularly looking forward to that. But then we gear up for Christmas, which I know elicits a groan from many people, but I am one of those sadistic elf-types who loves it so I'm all ready. I even have worthy home-made gifts this year that i am particularly pleased with.

so, that's the round up. xz and bartlebee are on safari which i am *so* jealous of, as the closest I get to giraffes and lions is playing with their small, plastic namesakes with Raelin. Not really all that satisfying in the grand scheme of things, so I anxiously await their news.

alrighty... that's all then.