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You are here: Home / 2010 / Archives for August 2010

Archives for August 2010

Uffda

August 19, 2010 by sue campbell

I’m pretty sure our little trip back to Minnesota could be its own little book.

The novella would begin with Sue, a woman in her thirties who foolishly packs her bathing suit, despite the purple welts on her back. She has just returned from trying an alternative therapy involving glass cups, fire and suction.  

She then boards a plane in a collared shirt with her enthusiatic daughter and less enthusiastic husband, and begins a sixteen hour trip, which could have been six, for a few more hundred dollars.

After deboarding, she stands in a one-deep line at the car rental counter for twenty minutes, while the twenty-year-old counter girl flirts with the customer in front of her.  Turns out, he is the producer of a dreadful reality television show.  Finally, they are summoned to the counter, where fatigue leads her to place her initials next to a dollar amount that is twice as much as the reservation estimated.

Her husband, Ben, lovely and supportive, agrees to drive the 60 miles to their final destination, despite wanting to rest in the fetal position at the nearest hotel.

An enormous thunderstorm forces them to pull over for a dinner of omelettes and pancakes.  The first of many servings of hash browns is devoured.  They listen with delight to the long vowels coming from the tables around them.  The rain stops and they press on.

Family is waiting in the driveway to greet them.  Sue marvels over her nephew, Sameer, the same age as her own daughter.  She wants to gobble him up, but it is too soon.

An infant is placed in her arms.  Tears stream down her cheeks.  She kisses her sister, who suffered much for this little bundle.

It’s off to bed.

Friday brings more infant holding, toddler juggling and some grocery shopping. Sue and Ben cruise through their old grocery store crafting a meal plan for the family.  They do not run into anyone they know, it’s been ten years, after all.

Sue plays the Beatles version of Rockband and cooks with her siblings.  She holds the baby and watches her daughter throw herself into playing with fresh toys and her cousin.  Grandma reads stories.  Grandpa gives them a ride on the lawn mower. 

The new parents are tired, happy and slightly feverish.

Saturday morning, Ben and Sue take the preschoolers to the park.  They run a relay race and feed the ducks.  Sameer jumps and yells while throwing whole pieces of bread.  Nora methodically tears the slices into little pieces and drops them to the ground.

More cooking, Sue makes homemade falafel and others clean up the gigantic mess.  Then, more Rockband, this time, with toddlers fighting over drumsticks.  Nora says Sameer can have a turn with the drumsticks once she goes back to Oregon.  This, despite Sameer’s generosity with the Mickey Mouse truck earlier.

In the middle of the night, Sue wakes to a little voice, “Mama?”

“Yuh?”

“You are my friend.” 

In a few hours Sue wakes to an alarm going off.  Not a clock, it sounds like a smoke detector.  There’s no smell of smoke.  Sue traces the sound to the utility room but cannot find the source.  She races upstairs and wakes her father from a dead sleep, something she has not had to do in fifteen years.  A gas detector has detected the slightest whiff of CO2 from a pipe. It’s thrown into the garage and after assurances of safety, Sue returns to bed, where her family has not stirred.

Sue can’t sleep, so goes upstairs for coffee.  She takes the fussing baby for a diaper change and settles him so mom can get a few more minutes sleep.  She refills the nursing mom’s water bottle and figures out how to use the coffee maker.  She remembers the days of doing tasks the her right arm, and holding an infant with her left.

The grandparents want a family picture, the other grandparents want Nora for the day.  Ben and Nora are sent along.  A few pictures are snapped.  The rest of the family heads to brunch.  More hash browns are consumed.  Sameer sits on Sue’s lap.

Nora has taken to referring to Ben and Sue as “Ben” and “Susie” rather than mom and dad.  Later, she starts calling Ben, “Beardy.”  The three of them rejoin at Ben’s parent’s house and promptly fall asleep.  Later, there is playing outside and discussion of Nora’s brilliance and beauty.

Then it’s back to Sue’s parent’s house.  Suddenly, it’s time to pack and mentally prepare for the return trip.  Sue still longs to sit and talk with her siblings and hold the baby.

The next morning they drive to the airport, stopping for a last breakfast with Ben’s parents.  Sue is feverish and dizzy.  A few Tylenol takes it all away.  Nora sleeps in the car, meaning she will not sleep on the plane.

People on the plane are friendly and willingly change seats so Ben can sit with Sue and Nora.  Despite the relatively trouble free travel, they arrive in Portland exhausted and nauseous.  It is 95 degrees.  The car is waiting the economy lot, Ben drives home in record time.  Nora is asleep when they arrive.  The window air conditioner in the bedroom is turned on and Nora is deposited in the middle of the bed.  They will all sleep together for one more night.

Filed Under: Family Outings Tagged With: airline travel, cupping, feeding ducks, hash browns, Midwestern accents, Minnesota, newborns, rental cars

Cousins

August 18, 2010 by sue campbell

Nora holds her new cousin, Arnav.

Filed Under: Wordless Tagged With: cousins, newborns, preschoolers

Shutterbug

August 11, 2010 by sue campbell

Filed Under: Wordless Tagged With: film photography, Leica, toddlers with expsensive antiques

The Loss of a Secret Weapon

August 10, 2010 by sue campbell

On Saturday, Nora woke from her nap crying.  Ben brought her to me and we lay in bed for awhile, she was comforted just by laying next to me.  “I am a great mom!” I thought. “This little girl only needs me near to make her feel better, that’s how much she loves and trusts me.”

She started squirming a bit and fussing again.  She murmured something unintelligible.  Then cried harder.  She murmured again. 

The third time it was clear, “I want to go to Nana’s.”

Who is this Nana, you ask?  Nana is my secret weapon.  All of you have been reading this blog, thinking what I terrific parent I am; I’m here to tell you, it would be much harder to do what I do without this woman.  Her name is Sandi, she lives across the street — and she is my dear friend. 

When I need a prescription picked up, Sandi gets it.  When I don’t water the plants in my front yard, Sandi does it.  When I am exhausted and burnt out, I come home to find Sandi has done all my laundry.  When I need a good cry, she listens and offers big hugs.  

When toddler antics have me at my wit’s end, Sandi welcomes Nora into her home.  They eat popcorn, put on lip gloss and snuggle.  Nora adores her Nana.  At the peak of her clingy stage, she would still happily go to Nana.

Before you get all jealous I must tell you the sad, horrible, awful news.  Sandi is moving. 

She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and the wet, cold winters (and springs) here are truly miserable for her.  She’s finally headed for Arizona, where she has less pain and more energy in the warm dry climate.  I am happy for her; I would never want to her suffer.  But I will miss her so.  And I can’t bear to think how Nora will make the adjustment.  Nana across the street is a fact of life. 

When Nora told me she wanted to go to Nana’s, we peeked out the dining room window to see if Nana’s truck was in the driveway.  It was, so I called her.  When she answered, Nora asked if she could come over.  Sandi told her that she was watching a movie and would love to have her over in an hour when it was finished.  Nora began to wail.  I told Sandi not to worry, “Finish your movie, we can wait.”

I brought Nora to the sofa and reassured her that Nana wanted to see her, she just wanted to wait until her movie was over so she could really concentrate of playing.  As I was wiping away some tears I looked up.  Sandi was coming across the street.  She appeared at the door and asked Nora if she wanted to come over.  “Boop Boop and I want to see you right now!  Our movie can wait, you’re more important than any old movie, Nana would never want to break your heart!”

There will be many phone calls to AZ and many tears shed, by all of us.  Nana’s presence will be dearly missed, but her love will be felt forever.

Filed Under: Big Themes Tagged With: arizona, friendship, rheumatoid arthritis, secret weapon

Bargaining

August 9, 2010 by sue campbell

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

BEN The father

NORA The toddler

SCENE   Nora’s bedroom.  Dusk.

BEN   Nora, I’m going to give you two choices, you can lay back and close your eyes and try to go to sleep and I’ll send mom in to check on you in ten minutes or you can be noisy and I won’t bother having mom check on you.  Which would you like?

NORA   [Holding index finger to her lips.]  Mmmmmmmm.  Mmmmmm.  Mmmmm. Mmmmmm.  Mmmmmm.  Mmmmmm.  Mmmmmmmm.  Mmmmmm.  Mmm.

BEN    Nora, which do you want?

NORA    Mmmmmm.  I need a minute to think about it.  Mmmmm.  Mmmmmmmm.  Mmmm.  Mmmmmm.  Mmmmmmmmm.  I want mommy in five minutes.

[Fade out]

Filed Under: Scenes Tagged With: bedtime, negotiations

Welcome, Baby Gupta!

August 7, 2010 by sue campbell

This is my nephew, name yet to be determined (actually, name to be re-determined).  He was born on Friday morning.  7lbs, 8 oz. 18 inches.

Isn't he beautiful?

My sister is doing well after a c-section.  Dad and big brother are proud as punch.

I will be traveling to Minnesota on Thursday to see him.  Expect auntie-pride posts in the week to come.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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What kind of blog is this?

This is a blog for PARENTS. True, the writer, Sue Campbell, writes books for kids. But this blog is for grown-ups. It has some swearing and would be super boring for kids. Except for the swearing.

The PODCAST is for KIDS and PARENTS. In fact, my twelve-year-old daughter is my co-host.

If your kids like Sue's books, send them over to suecampbellbooks.com where there's some kid-friendly content. EVEN BETTER, join the mailing list. You get stuff for grown-ups and printable stuff for kids. And sometimes there will be super ill-advised giveaways or coloring contests for free books.

MORE ABOUT SUE: She makes an ACTUAL LIVING from writing words and marketing books and lives with her husband, two daughters, six chickens and one messy house rabbit in Portland, Oregon. And yes, Portland IS that weird. She really couldn't be any luckier.

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