altarflame | Easy Access Beds, and 38 pictures (Reply)

I don't understand households where the beds are made first thing in the morning, and then everybody stays away from them all day.

When I was a kid/teenager, my bedroom was my entire universe, and so my bed was, like, my only chair, my couch, etc, as well as the place that I slept. That was where I read, and pet my cat, and sat talking with friends who came over.

Having a boyfriend meant spending an awful lot of time lying around kissing and wanting or, later, doin' it. But I mean when Grant and I were really young we sat on his bed playing video games and watching movies and talking and having tickle fights, and sometimes just looking up at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling with the blinds shut.

Once I had kids, which if you recall overlaps with when I was a teenager (see boyfriend portion of this entry), I co-slept. And when you have a newborn, they take a lot of naps. I didn't have or know about slings with Ananda or Aaron, and I only ever really mastered side-lying nursing with them, so yeah. We spent a lot of time in bed. They both learned how to sit up and how to roll over on my bed, with me there with a camera. I would lounge near them propped up on pillows, reading books, as they napped.

With my later kids, I did have slings, and a busier house, but there was still always a time or two (or three) spent lying in bed attempting to nurse someone down for a nap during the day.

Now, my kids are older, obviously, and we have way more communal living space. But Jake comes to me begging to have "love in the bed" every day at some point, which means, "curl up under a blanket and snuggle with me and talk, for awhile!" If my kids bring me books, they always want to go dive under a blanket to listen as I read it. Grant and I take afternoon naps together every weekend. And we lay in our bed and watch shows on a laptop a couple of evenings a week.

Something I really love is when people just totally get this. When I go to Kristin's, I end up on her bed with her looking through sewing projects. When Kathy or Gloria comes over here, they don't even hesitate to hug my pillows as they cozy in while we're talking. Years ago, when I would be lying in my bed nursing Elise down to sleep, and Laura would be sitting in my computer chair at the desk in my bedroom nursing Brian, I was like, "this is perfect." Going to Laura's now always means I sit on the edge of her bed while she nurses Isabelle down for a nap and we talk.

All that said, here's

My beautiful curly "love in the bed" Jake.

This is SO MUCH like a picture of him I took as a co-sleeping infant - I have to find the other one to do a comparison...

*sigh*

I found him an old pic of me, sporting his hair, that made him pretty happy.

Here's Isaac, freshly home from school and rolling around with all four cats :)

And Aaron, on Minecraft.

Have you ever in your life seen a CARPET BURN of this magnitude?! This is 48 hours old, from running and skidding in the library O_o

Elisey lost her first tooth :D

And the second, a couple of days later.

With Georgia, on Grant's longboard, at PATH...

Annie's new cello ♥

Recent afternoon....That's Isaac on Reading Plus on a laptop, while Jake and Elise have snacks, and Ananda and Aaron try to figure out what to do for their service learning projects (part of Civics in Florida Virtual School...)

My lovely husband.

This was the night that my publisher sent me to an invite-only Miami Book Fair press party at a club in South Beach. It was not exactly the most literary event in the world - there were tattoo'd women in nothing but kinky lingerie carrying platters of food, and an open bar. I was like, "OOOOoooh MIAMI Book Fair." :p It was fun.

And this was the night of his 31st birthday - look at that conflagration!

This is a project he and Ananda started for me in secret, in the shed. They want to make a whole set of them, and cover them in some food safe glaze :D

After whole-family Saturday afternoon tea in the library, we did this - I don't know if Isaac or Aaron looks more ridiculous. It's a toss up between the wild hamming and the smoldering overly self conscious nonsense.

Ananda and I waiting to see Florence.

My concert dates.

This is the rig-up Grant has "installed" in the Civic since the AC broke. He puts frozen water bottles in the bucket before he leaves in the morning. I don't really understand why the shoe is necessary, I'm just chronicling that THIS CONTRAPTION ACTUALLY WORKS. IT COOLS THE CAR!

Brian and Elizabeth having dinner with cousins...

And little Isabelle with a peeled carrot for "dinner," on Laura's hip.

Random food - one night it was fish, sliced cucumbers, steamed green beans, sauteed mushrooms and cucumbers with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Really, that's what all is in this blurry camera phone pic, just take my word for it :p

The fish is stuff I buy frozen and cook from BJ's, and it is delicious. Parmesean crusted tilapia and honey chipotle salmon, wut.

My leftovers lunch one starving day....arroz con pollo, salsa, avocados, tomatoes and olives.

Breakfast some morning - sliced tomatoes and sauteed shrooms under the fried egg, and peanut butter under the banana slices. MMMMMMmmmmm....

This karate space is the lunch room at Isaac and Elise's school. The windows, I assure you, are beautiful stained glass.

The whole place is so beautiful.

Even if they do make you pay $1 to participate in "Crazy Hair or Hat Day."

And even if they do send home THE WORLD'S STUPIDEST HANDOUTS.

Good Lord, I lol'd forever when I saw that!

So this...this is a thing, apparently.

I have a few of these persistent spots, now, little patches that stay white.

I'm feeling pretty good about myself over all, and sending pictures like this to Grant, thinking "I would do myself RIGHT. NOW."