Members of FUS

So, as regular readers of our blog will know, we've been attending the local Unitarian-Universalist church for just under a year now, and two Sundays ago we took the last step in the process of becoming full members. And when I say local, I mean local, FUS (First Unitarian Society of Madison) is the closest building to us that isn't a part of the hospital that is across the big field from us, about a 10 minute walk.

I remember the first Sunday we were here, we were debating whether to go to FUS or to go to Mormon church, and for a number of reasons we chose Mormon church. We left a little bit late and passed FUS right around nine, which was when both Mormon services and the early FUS services begin, we almost went in, but instead, made a very hot and a surprisingly long walk down to Mormon church, and along the way, Lulah somehow lost her favorite toy, Sofie. Subsequently, next week, we just went to FUS instead, this time for their 11am service. I still think, sometimes, what would have happened if the churches were in different places. If they switched places now, we would probably still go out to FUS, because on bikes, its not really that far, but in thosse first few weeks, iit might have made a difference. If there are some eternal consequences to which church you choose (which I now highly doubt), it will be something to ponder over for millenia. We did go to both churches for a long time, but as I kind of felt would happen, we ended up become more and more regular at FUS Sunday morning services, and now we feel like it really is our home.

I could list a lot of specific reasons while we really like FUS, but so many of them would simply be critiques of what we felt was missing at LDS church. So let's just say that we really feel at home there. There's merit to sticking with a group that makes you uncomfortable and trying to help shape a beloved organization into a better place for everyone and I honor those who are doing it, and I also recognize that the vast majority of people in the LDS church feel perfectly at home there; I did once too. However, for us, we feel best in a spiritual home that reflects our deepest held beliefs and values in the most consistent and clearest way, and we've found that fully in FUS.

Here's us the day we signed the book to become members:

Here's us in the member recognition ceremony:

Here's us with two of the three pastors after the member recognition (sorry for the finger in the photo):

Week of May 6

I have a really hard time being consistent about whether I start these reports on Monday or Sunday. Deep dilemma.

Monday:

I took the kids on a great run out on Picnic Point and on the lakeshore path in the morning.

In the afternoon we went to the bookmobile and Cait met us at the park behind it where we played for a long time. Yummy tacos at night.

Tuesday:

Preschool for Atticus in the morning.

Lulah and I played up at one of the play structures near the community center. The whole family went to a park near the Mormon church in the afternoon where we met some friends to play.

I had my last patience class at night.

Wednesday:

Playgroup in the morning a a park on the way to the library.

Then I took Atticus and had a meeting with the community police officer, Officer Mike, about a project I'm working on as Assembly Chair to get carseats in the community center so that we can use them in the Community Cars that are available there for people to rent so that they don't have to get both kids and carseats up to the community center in order to use the cars. Anyway, complicated and kind of boring, but it seems cool to me that we can get something like that done.

In the afternoon we watched our friends the twins while their mom Allison was on a conference call.

That night we had a barbecue with our friends Nina and Juve, which was really nice.

Then I went and talked to some Spanish friends of ours in preparation for an interview I had the next day in Spanish for a job working in some random South American embassy.

Thursday:

I had my Spanish interview in the morning. It did not go as well as I hoped. A lack of professional vocabulary (I was asked to speak on illegal immigration and workers unions) combined with rusty Spanish made for an awkward twenty minutes. They let me know on Friday that I did not pass.

Atticus's preschool had a mother's day celebration the late morning, but Cait had class, so I went instead. It was fun being the only dad there.

We hosted story time that afternoon, but rainy weather kept a lot of people away. I ran to Whole Foods partway through story time to pick up the compact stroller we are taking to Europe/Morocco.

Here's a video of Atticus giving me his mother's day present. I was trying to hide so he would have to find me. Didn't work.

Lulah brushes hair at Atticus's school

Friday:

A big day. A speech therapist came over in the morning to talk about how Atticus's speech is coming along.

We went to the doctors office and got a bunch of vaccinations for the kids a little bit after that.

Then we went to FUS to help set up for Cabaret, the big yearly party/fundraiser that is apparently a really big deal. By volunteering (Cait setting up and greeting and me cleaning up after) we got in for free, rather than having to pay $40.

I had a meeting with my "reduce gun violence" chalice group (a chalice group is any FUS group that meets about a specific issue, whether social or spiritual) and we planned on setting up a film and lunch after the big gun violence sermon that is coming up on the 26th. It was great how responsive the representative of the staff was to our ideas and proposals.

That night we went to Cabaret, but that probably deserves its own post.

Saturday:

There was a big going away fundraiser for Atticus's preschool, and we were at that for 5 or so hours in the morning, but again, it's own post is needed.

After some naps, we went to FUS for a potluck, which was really good, as usual.

Then, after playing in the childcare room at FUS for a while, we walked up to our friends' Steel and Laurel's house, and then transferred to our friend Marci and Alan's house for a movie night. Atticus fell asleep on the way there and Lulah fell asleep halfway through the movie, after being cute for a while. It was nice that everyone was being interactive enough with the movie that she didn't seem disruptive. We watched I Wish, a Japanese film about family ties in a stagnantly modernizing Japan. It was really nice and we all walked home late at night satisfied and sleepy.

Sunday:

As usual, we were terrible at celebrating the official holiday of this day, Mother's Day. Cait did stir up the obligatory Facebook controversy by questioning society's true support of motherhood and if Mother's Day was just a front to conceal how little we really support our society's mothers the other 364 days of the year. I stayed out of it. I did try to make her an omelet, which is not one of my forte's and she got lots of time with the kids, which can be really nice for a working mother (Cait at least said it was for her). We called our mother's although we waited too long to Skype my mom and the University's internet was all clogged up. Sorry, Mother's Day. One day we might be great at celebrating holidays, but probably not.

Also this day, we went to FUS in the morning, where they had the "Coming of Age" ceremony where children ages 13 and 14 are given a meeting to talk about what they feel are the core principles of their life and faith, if they have any, and what really matters to them as the make the transition from "children" to "youth," which are different programs at FUS. There were some very interesting responses, although few got into any sort of cosmological beliefs about heaven or God, it was surprising to me how deep they could be and made me think about how flawed the idea is that we can only obtain wisdom in the late years of our lives. There was also a public pledge of support from the congregation and a pledge of continued exploration from the youth. It was nice.

Also this week: Lulah finally accepted her genetic inheritance as an upright mammal and is now walking all over the place. But again, that gets its own post. We also finalized some more Morocco trip details and will find out on Monday if we are able to sublet our apartment to the parents of students who want to stay here for the summer.

So yeah, not too many pictures either, but there should be a lot in some of the individual posts. Anyway, here's Boon's at the bottom of a slide and Early 90's Atticus.

Eliza's Party

Our friend Eliza had a birthday party on a lovely Sunday afternoon. Here are some lovely pictures. We had a really great time, with brats brauts and cake. And then we played in some delightful Sunday afternoon sun. These are the days.

We start off with a photo series by Atticus of our trip down the stairs and to the stroller.

At the party:

Eliza's daughter N. attended to by her groupies after she falls down. Lulah wants her own groupies.

Atticus's friend M. tries to get out of the photo

Rearranging Atticus's room/Apartment pics

I realize that most people couldn't care less ("could care less" is one of my favorite English slips BTW. "I could care less about your favorite band" Well...okay) about what our apartment looks like, but I know there are at least a few people out there who do. I'm looking at you Anna Konneker. It was a cool bed, but he never really liked playing under it, and it just became a collecting place for junk and lost toys. They also really wanted the bins that were in his room (and were willing to pay a lot for them), so we sold them too. We threw our old queen sized mattress down in the room and now it has a much simpler feel that I like. I always get a kick out of rearranging and especially simplifying furniture. So here's a panorama of what the room looks like now. I realize these aren't great, but taking pictures of rooms with a real camera is deceptively difficult (I used links so they wouldn't slow down the blog.

Guy's room.

As a bonus, here are photos of the rest of our apartment.

Pre-furniture, during an Austin visit.

Post-furniture, pretty much as it is now.

Week of April 28

This week was full of Cait getting a final paper done and organizing our trip to Morocco. It seems like both are fully completed, and we'll blog about both (if I can convince Cait to blog about what is really an interesting paper) in the coming days. Also, Lulah is teething her molars and putting up a good fight against grumpiness.

Monday:

We had a big day playing outside and then taking the kids for a walk at night.

Lulah was so tired after a tough night of teething that she just crawled up into my lap and fell asleep for her nap. Sorry for the awkward arm.

Observing from our back porch

Walk in the community gardens.

Success

Tuesday:

Lulah and I went to a park and played in the sun with our friends Nina and Juna until it was time to go get brother. Then we went to the ENT where they said Atticus still had one of the tubes in his ears that we put in a few years ago to help with ear infections. Patience class at night, where we did a lot of meditation.

Lulah guarding the door so mommy can't leave. Also a dirty diaper. Sorry.

Crab pool, Juna and bike ride 

Pasta for lunch + hangover?

Wednesday:

Story time in the morning at Eliza's house. Cait took the kids to the community center for Atticus's ballet class and then we all went to the international potluck at the center. Another night of walking the kids to sleep.

Another picture of the gardens. We are sad that we are not going to be able to do one this summer.

This time the held hands as they fell asleep.

Thursday:

I was parent helper at Atticus's school in the morning and Cait had a late day in the afternoon getting a final paper done.

Lulah loves her bear

Atticus is the orange dot running away from me in the huge field across from our house. It's still astounding to me that all this grass can grow without sprinklers. But we're not in Utah anymore.

Lulah watches the geese.

Friday:

Our new babysitter (provided by the university for 3 hours a week) came to watch the kids. That was really nice. It was also nice that Lulah slept for most of her visit. I ventured out in the rain for a piano and vocal performance at FUS and did some work writing online. Then I came home, loaded up the bike with the kids and then went shopping for groceries. By the time we were done, I was pretty wet.

Saturday:

In the morning we went to a bikefest at the community center. It was a really nice idea with free bike helmets, tuneups and seminars as well as information booths. Predictably with all that great stuff, it was overcrowded and being 15 minutes late, we got nothing but bagels and some bike maps. Oh well, Atticus saw some friends. Atticus and I went to about half a softball game and Cait met me with Lulah, and I took the two kids downtown to the children's museum. Because it was kind of impromptu, we didn't bring a stroller and I walked a good two miles with Atticus on my shoulders and Lulah in the wrap. My back was tired after, but it was a lot of fun. State Street, a pedestrian and bike only (mostly) street, which takes us from our free bus to downtown is really a beautiful stretch of shops and small parks. And it was lively on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Cait, during this time, was finishing her paper. Anyway, we came home really tired, but we eventually made it. At night, I went out with some of Cait's friends to a Star Wars trivia night at a local restaurant. It was a lot of fun, even if I felt left out of some of the dynamics of a trivia team that has been going strong for a few years now, entering tournaments and whatnot.

The big male Turkey that seems to be the alpha male of the group of Turkeys (a "rafter" or "gang" apparently) that lives in Eagle Heights/U Houses

At the softball game they handed out the foam fingers, but Atticus was so scared to get his signed by Bucky the Badger

He loves it. Can't you tell?

Sunday:

In the morning, we went to FUS and took the pledge in front of the congregation that makes us full members of the society and had a lunch with other new members. It was nice and should get its own post. We spent the rest of the day playing outside, with the home teachers coming over later in the afternoon, and I had a good discussion with them. Atticus and I also explored the local dirt pile for a few hours and he picked dandelions all day.

He was doing a funny walk in this photo. Also, his hair is getting awesome.

This would have been a super awesome place to play if it wasn't so close to the road, which while it isn't too busy, is still a road.

Dirty feet=good day