James and Katherine Moes

January was a busy month for Brian and me. Now that I am done working and just sitting around waiting for our baby to come, I am catching up on some blogging.

One of the highlights of January was attending our friend James's wedding. Brian went to Trinity Western University with James. They were both art majors and put on their first non-school related art show collaboratively.

Although this was the 27th wedding Brian and I have attended together(!), it was our first Orthodox wedding. Separate from our own journey, James and Katherine recently joined the Orthodox church. You can read more about Orthodox weddings on our other blog, Liminal Incense.

Congratulations James and Katherine!

May God grant you many years, health and salvation!

Conversations from the School Bus

I think driving school buses is training me to parent in those unusual situations you can't fully anticipate. At least I hope there's some transference from one situation to the other. With my primary responsibility being to get these kids safely home in a timely manner, It's often challenging to respond to some of their concerns as quickly as I need to but still be sensitive and fair. I can imagine that parenting, especially with multiple children, will demand similarly expedient, on-the-ball responses.

Everyday the younger kids say things like, "Billy said the B-word!" or "Katrina stuck her tongue out at me." I'm getting better at quickly defusing these standard situations but I still get thrown for a loop on a regular basis with more bizarre comments and situations.

A few weeks ago, a scrawny 11-year-old decked in camouflage was riddling me with adultish clichés like, "It's been really rainy this week, huh?" and "The flu bug is really gettin' around these days." Then, he was quiet for a while--perhaps he ran out of stereotypical small-talk topics. Finally, out of the blue, he says:

"I have huge tonsils."



Yesterday, most of the kids were loaded on the bus already and we were just waiting for our departure time when the sweetest little kindergarten girl walks up to me and says, "Bus driver, Julie is sad."

Me: "Why is she sad?"

Little Girl: "Here." She grabs my hand. "Come with me."

We walk down the aisle hand in hand.

Little Girl: "Tina told Julie she wasn't her friend any more."

How do you deal with this!? I would not make a good kindergarten teacher.



Later, mid-drive with the same wee ones, amidst the uproar of 3 o'clock juveniles, I hear what sounds like tiny English-speaking kittens. Some of them, because there's a placard up front inscribed with their previous driver's name, are calling me "Jim." The others are just saying "bus driver." I look in my rearview mirror and single out one of the smallest kittens who looks like she's about to cry.

Me: What's wrong?

Teary-eyed Kitten: Megan says she won't let me look at her imaginary guinea pig.

I am dead serious. She said this.

Me: Her imaginary guinea pig??

TEK: Yeah, she won't let me look at it.

Completely baffled that someone would shed real tears over an imaginary guinea pig and seeing what I thought was a fairly simple solution I told her that she should have an imaginary guinea pig too. I couldn't hear her response. I hope I didn't add to her sorrow.

What?!

I have yet to experience the common pregnancy complaint of strangers touching my belly, but every time I go out I do have at least one stranger ask about my pregnancy.  Lately, I have been having a lot of fun answering the question "When are you due?" with one word "Thursday." Shocked, people usually say "What?! Wow!" and then continue excitedly with various other questions and comments like "And you're still driving!" 

Today, I tried my doctor's recommendation of Raspberry Tea to jump start labor.  Nothing yet. Maybe for dinner I will try his other recommendation: Eggplant Parmesan. Any other ideas?

Rest in Peace, Faithful Servants

We now salute these fallen soldiers, who endured insufferable working conditions; who were never lauded publicly; who got dragged through the mud on a daily basis; who will never be the hero, yet never failed to steadfastly maintain their post and unflinchingly uphold the other members of their team. 

In this ruthless war of attrition you have done your region proud.

Mambo and Improv

Brian and I rotate who takes the lead in planning Valentine's Day each year. This year it was Brian's turn and since our baby is due on Valentine's Day we decided to celebrate early just in case we are a little busy next week.

So, last night Brian took me to a cute Italian place in Fairhaven (an area of Bellingham) called Mambo Italiano Cafe. He had won a gift certificate from a local radio contest awhile back--Brian wins a lot of these--and we had heard great things about it. My dinner was delicious and I would recommend it if you are looking for Italian in Bellingham.

Next, we went to Village Books to look for a fun (non-baby related) book for me to read while I'm passing the time, followed by a relaxing dessert at Mallard Ice Cream playing Outburst on their couch.

Finally, we ended the evening at the UpFront Theatre, a comedy improv place owned by Ryan Stiles of The Drew Carey Show and Who's Line is it Anyway? The show was called Hellingham, a murder mystery where the players randomly pick characters created by the audience and a role (killer, victim or townsperson) and then improv the story without revealing their role. At intermission the audience gets a chance to vote for their guess of the identity of the murderer. Brian and I didn't guess correctly, but we laughed pretty hard. It was a nice twist on improv. If you are in Bellingham with nothing to do, they have one more show at 9:30 tonight. But buy your tickets in advance because they sold out last night.

A first taste of babysitting

Due to Brian's continued sickness, my very pregnant state, and Otis's daily need to go to the dog park--we don't have a yard--I decided to seek out a responsible high school student to hire to take Otis for us. I quickly found one that enthusiastically accepted and we arranged to start today.

While waiting for her to pick him up after school, I gathered his leash, a poop-bag, and some treats, reassuring Otis that he was going to meet a new friend today. Then I decided I should make her a list of commands that he knows. When she got here I gave her the run down on our park routine including strategies on getting him back in the car when he is not ready to stop playing. As she left I reminded her to feel free to call my cell phone if she had any questions.

Walking back into the house, I started thinking about what I would do if Otis ran away on her and other far-fetched emergency scenarios. Then it hit me: I am a dork. I just gave this high schooler the equivalant of what I got when I was babysitting numerous small children for the first time. What am I going to be like when I am actually leaving my child with a babysitter! This is just a dog for crying out loud.

Needless to say, it sure was nice to rest at home instead of taking him to the park in our continuous Northwest rain! And Otis and his new friend had a blast at the park!

The Information You Really Want

Still no baby yet. Sorry to disappoint all you eager readers who don't care about my haircut and just want to hear some big news.

I'm sick again (for a record third time this year--grrrr), so we're happy to wait a few days.

Let me rephrase: I'm okay waiting a few days, since I'm not the one with a giant protuberance on my torso, chronic back pain, shortened breath, diminished appetite, uncomfortable ribs, heartburn, swollen appendages, spontaneous nausea, and extreme uncontrollable emotions, among other things. Shannon just wants a healthy husband/coach that will definitely be allowed in the delivery room.

Haircuts by Children

I posted this as my profile picture on facebook recently and a lot of people have been asking if there is a story behind the blue beard.

Here it is:

Two Sundays ago I went up to the Push International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver and attended a performance/event called Haircuts by Children.

The title really does explain it. A handful of 10 year olds, trained by local professional hair stylists over the span of a week, give free haircuts to anyone brave enough (or foolish enough?) to risk their vanity and trust an unknown child with scissors.

I had to do it! Not only did it sound like a blast, I LOVE the concept. It gently raises so many questions about us as individuals and about our social boundaries and power structures. I love the generosity of it. Can you remember a time in your young life when an adult trusted you with something important? Do you remember how empowering that was?

Before I went, I read everything I could get my hands on about the performance, its creator Darren O'Donnell, and his Toronto-based experimental theater company Mammalian Diving Reflex. So, I thought I knew what to expect when I arrived. O'Donnell had written:

I'd expected the scene to be relatively anarchic, with hair flying all over the place, but, in reality, with kids taking the responsibility so seriously, the mood becomes almost somber.

That's definitely not what I experienced when I walked in to the little Vancouver salon. The mood was anything but somber; it was positively jubilant. The back wall was lined with spectators giggling at their friends' new 'dos and cheering loudly any time a cut was finished. Many of the participants' hair looked jubilant too. Or at least a little more colorful.

I really don't care what my hair looks like. Shy of shaving genitalia into my mop, I don't think there's any haircut that would really embarrass me (at least short term). I also don't usually get stage fright, but I started getting a little nervous as I entered.

When I found Hazel--one of the organizers whom I had previously met only in my inbox--she ushered me down to the third chair where I waited for Daisy and Chance to finish up with their current victim--er, client.

Chance finished rubbing violet coloring into the man's newly acquired bald spots and then invited me to sit.

I gulped and did as I was told.

"So what can we do for you today?"

I told them they could do whatever they wanted with my hair, which I had been growing specially for the occasion, but I wanted to keep the beard.

"We'll turn it blue then!"

The two of them ended up dividing my head exactly in half, with Daisy timidly but conscientiously buzzing the left side. Chance, however, for all his gusto, seemed a little too eager to get to the beard coloration and did a slightly less ideal job shearing the right.

Now, in the mornings, since I haven't rectified the situation yet, I wake up with localized bed head. I look something like a mangy, lopsided macaroni penguin.

Aside from a few missed spots, they did fine. I'm not sure why though, after being given 100% artistic license with my hair, they opted to merely buzz it. There were a lot of crazier cuts going on, including "soccer ball head" and what I will affectionately refer to as "sporadic technicolor rat tails."

Not all of them were bizarre though. I hung around afterward and watched several women get straight up trims or "normal" haircuts (that turned out really well!). I think that's where the somberness O'Donnell mentioned comes in. Any time an adult requested something very specific and un-flamboyant the kids got really focused and took their job seriously.

Not too seriously though. Almost without exception, they couldn't resist adding at least a little color.

Tick, tick, tick...

I feel like a walking time-bomb, but I can't read the timer. It could be any day or it could be weeks away. Any moms out there feel that way at the end of your pregnancy?

Every plan made is tentative. Everyone comments on how it could be anytime and it might be the last time I see them without our baby. I don't mind these comments; I even make them myself. But it does intensify the feeling of impending explosion!

Clayton Beach

Brian and I decided to take advantage of the semi-sunny day and get stir-crazy Otis out of the house as well as some good exercise for the rest of us.
Our destination was Clayton Beach: a not-too-strenuous hike for a nine month pregnant lady, a great view of the sound and a perfect playground for dogs. All of us feel very refreshed!

Mid-air collision - Trudella was in true form!

She even chased Otis up this hill and pinned him there.

"Hey guys! Whatcha doing? Taking a nature shot?"

A rare sight -- Otis actually trying to play tug with Trudy!