First of all, I’d like to thank Miz S for awarding me a Perfect Post award for last week’s rambling post. The award meant a lot to me because I adore Miz S. I believe she must be somehow related to me we have so many things in common, like having two daughters and interfaith marriages. She’s naughty and nice all wrapped up in one sweetheart of a funny package. It touches me that my post touched her.

Being acknowledged for that particular post was also special because it was a ramble and many of you indicated last week that you like my rambles, which means you like me I think. I also expressed an opinion, somewhat awkwardly, in that post and if I hadn’t gotton the perfect post button I probably would have obsessed about not having articulated what I was trying to say clearly enough. I get like that.

You are all so accepting of me, it’s amazing. What a loving environment you’ve created for me here. So thanks to Miz S and to all of you for liking me as I am without the bells and whistles or a cool sophistication factor. What a gift you give me.

(My editing voice says: “Geesh, that speech was long. How embarassing.”)

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Take a look at my family tree and you’ll see good, stocky, no-nonsense German-Catholic roots (on one side intense, on the other side Prairie-Home-Companion-ish) and not much else except a bit of suppressed German Lutheranism. I had many aunts and uncles growing up. Some I knew very well. Others not so much. In the “not so much” category, were my Aunt LEFT and Uncle RIGHT, as in positioned to the left and right of me at a table. Having a conversation with them was an intense experience. They competed. Your attention was the prize. I was not aware of this tendency of theirs when I sat down to dinner with them at about 10 years old. I don’t remember how the conversation started, but at some point it became clear that LEFT and RIGHT were not having the same conversation with me. In fact, they were having two different conversations and speaking at the same time, willing me to focus on them. My eyes darted, unsure who I should settle on. Their voices grew louder and stronger. Neither one would back down. The stressful part of this was that they were competing for my eyes, trying to lock me in with intense eye contact. They were from my Dad’s side of the family. The intense side.

Anyway, I was reminded of Aunt LEFT and Uncle RIGHT the other day as I sat and ate with my two girls. Mr. Raehan was late from work so he didn’t have the pleasure of helping to manage this conversation.

Rachel: I am having a dream. I am at school and walking to the bathroom with two other girls.

(I ponder this and wonder how one responds to such a statement. Then Hannah chimes in.)

Hannah: I’m a girl. (Pause) I’m not a boy.

Me: Yes, you’re a girl.

Rachel: (Continues to talk about this dream she is having.)

Me: So, Rachel, did you have this dream last night or are you having it right now?

Rachel: I’m having it right now.

Me: (Again, wondering how to respond to such a statement.)

Hannah: I a big girl. I sleep in a big bed.

Me: So you must be imagining this is happening. It’s not really a dream.

Rachel: No, it’s a dream.

Hannah: I want a girl party. Not a boy party. (Hannah’s birthday is in October).

These two were no help.

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Hannah’s transition to the bed has been going much more smoothly than I anticipated. In fact, I am quite tickled by it.

The day we went to IKEA we let Hannah pick out her bedding. She chose bunny bedding—a much better choice than I would have made. I would have gone for the bold colors, but the bunnies are much more subtle, much sweeter. We got a few yellow pillows to match the yellow in her curtains and that satisfied me. I am all about color.

Anyway, the first night of the bed transition was very exciting. Hannah, who had been quite attached to her crib, took immediately to her bed. Her excitement was contagious. Rachel was so excited she was in tears by the end of the night. It was hard for her to part from Hannah’s experience and go to her own bed. Hannah was wired. We got her all snug in her bed with her bunny pillow and comforter and said goodnight. Hannah’s hug and kiss routine is quite serious and succinct now. She requires one kiss and one hug, but the kiss has to be just so. She is very serious about it and if the lips don’t meet just perfectly, she takes your head in her hands and tries again, satisfied once a proper kiss has been administered. Anyway, I sat outside her room with my laptop. She sat in her bed for about five minutes and then the fun started. In and out of her bed. Giggles on her part. I had to threaten to put her into her crib. Tears. Then finally, after about an hour and a half she fell asleep. And slept….pretty much through the night (except for one diaper change) and late the next morning). When she woke up she didn’t want to get out of bed. Sitting up with her bunny comforter over her lap she kept saying, “I don’t want anybody to take my bed away.”

The following night was pretty rough, but generally she’s doing great in her bed and we all are sleeping better. The opposite happened with Rachel’s transition to bed so we know how lucky we are and are knocking on wood here.

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On a whim we went to the zoo today. I found myself craving a good yoga session.

This Gorilla was meditating on an old tire for quite a long time.

This rhinoceros stretched out in the down dog position.

These flamingos were doing some forward bending.

We thought this polar bear was coming to say hello….

But it gave Hannah a lesson in potty training instead.

Beautiful foliage anyway.

We ended the day with a carousel ride. Hannah chose to ride on a bunny.

And that last section folks, was me trying to be funny, which is why I don’t attempt it very often. As I’ve mentioned before, me trying to be funny is funny in all the wrong ways. In general, yoga humor is terrible. If you want to make me unhappy, start telling bad yoga jokes when you’ve just led me into Warrior One position. Raehan yoga humor is even worse. If there is such a thing as a yoga geek, I think I’ve become one.

But we did go to the zoo, and those are my photos. The gorilla really did appear to be meditating, and the polar bear did take a dump right in front of us. Nice scenery, eh?