http://www.kindheartedwomen.com/ has shealoe butter again! i LOVE that stuff. it's shea oil and aloe. i just ordered it in gardenia scent. i also love their african black soap, but have one in use and a spare still, so didn't get any of that this time.
i finished piecing the center of the quilt this morning and am working on borders. once i cut out the huge corner squares from the turquoise fabric, i realized that i didn't like that much of that fabric in such an exposed place. i might use the lava/peacock for the big squares.
also, being a dodo, i made nine of the nine-patch blocks. i had it so clear in my head that i needed nine of them. i kept working and counting the pile until i had nine.
i only needed seven.
i'll take them apart and use them for the stripes around the edge, but yeesh. like i said to my mil, i should have had the kids help me count, because 7 is obviously too hard a number for me. actually, i might leave them and put them with some sort of border in the corners instead of the turquoise. hmmmmm. but then i'd have to make two more nine-patch blocks and do i have enough of the light colored fabric? double-hmmmm.
mil is vacuuming. i love my mil! she also babysat the kids last night and dh and i went out to a vietnamese restaurant. we didn't order appetizers, the service was really quick, and all their desserts have coconut milk (yuck!), so we weren't there very long. dh suggested we go for a walk. it's not the prettiest area, but there's a baskin robbins a couple of blocks up...
my chiropractor got a new table! it splits in the middle and rocks your legs down and up to stretch the lower back while the chiro is leaning on you. sort of ouchy when he was doing it, but it made my back feel fabulous.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
more blablabla
i am typing with one hand, ignoring capital letters and misspelling all over the place - thank goodness for auto spell check that underlines misspelled words for me. at least i am back to holding her with my left hand and typing with my right.
i've been on the computer off and on for quite a bit now. DD keeps wanting to eat and fall asleep in my lap. she took a good, long nap alone earlier (which is why i was getting somewhere on the quilt), but she wasn't letting me put her down again.
the boys are home - DH got them from school and took them to karate. i forgot that it was "bring your mom to class" day and dh wanted to do a couple of errands on the way to get them so i didn't go. i think they're doing it tomorrow, too actually.
i think DS2 is ready to take a break from karate - he at least needs a break from the classes right after school. he'll be in the intermediate class with DS1 in a few weeks, which makes it easier for us to take both boys at the same time, so we can go other days when there's a bit of a break between school and karate. but hey, if he wants a break that's fine. he was talking last week like he would not go except on days that they test for belts. um.... doesn't quite work like that. you kinda hafta know the moves before they test you.
DH and I are going out to eat, dragging the baby with us. MIL is babysitting and fixing the boys' supper. i will suggest leftover pizza and broccoli. we don't know where we're going yet. we had sushi last week and chinese on sunday, so we'll have to think of something else.
i've been on the computer off and on for quite a bit now. DD keeps wanting to eat and fall asleep in my lap. she took a good, long nap alone earlier (which is why i was getting somewhere on the quilt), but she wasn't letting me put her down again.
the boys are home - DH got them from school and took them to karate. i forgot that it was "bring your mom to class" day and dh wanted to do a couple of errands on the way to get them so i didn't go. i think they're doing it tomorrow, too actually.
i think DS2 is ready to take a break from karate - he at least needs a break from the classes right after school. he'll be in the intermediate class with DS1 in a few weeks, which makes it easier for us to take both boys at the same time, so we can go other days when there's a bit of a break between school and karate. but hey, if he wants a break that's fine. he was talking last week like he would not go except on days that they test for belts. um.... doesn't quite work like that. you kinda hafta know the moves before they test you.
DH and I are going out to eat, dragging the baby with us. MIL is babysitting and fixing the boys' supper. i will suggest leftover pizza and broccoli. we don't know where we're going yet. we had sushi last week and chinese on sunday, so we'll have to think of something else.
getting somewhere
not always sure where, but it must be somewhere.
oh, i mean on the quilt i'm working on. i've done nine-patch blocks and have started cutting out the large sqaures and even piecing the center of the top. i have done the first two rows of the center part and need to cut out more big squares to keep going.
i should scan in my sketch, because i don't think my brother and his wife are reading my blog anyway.
ok, here it is:
the small, dark squares are indigo, the parts left white are actually white with purple and turquoise squiggles (some of the large outer areas will be white with only turquoise squiggles because there wasn't enough fabric with the purple). the darker large squares is a fabulous blue/turquoise/purple/shiny lava lamp peacock-ish print that i bought the last 2+ yards of a few months ago at Hancock's. the corner squares and the lighter shaded squares are turquoise with small white dots.
but wait there's more!
some of the small squares are random fun or meaningful-to-D&K prints like dogs nd chickens and dragons and sushi. well, i don't know if sushi is meaningful to them, i just know that the first time i ate sushi was with my brother. anyway, it's ever so slightly a grown-up I-Spy quilt (like this or that). i still have more novelty fabrics that will go in the rows of small squares around the sides.
i'm still deciding if the finished quilt would work as a square or if i really should make it a rectangle.
and my original idea was to use a lot of my extensive fabric stash, but not a lot of it really goes together, plus i needed solids and more subtle prints to go with the lava/peacock. it's going to be rather busy as it is.
oh, i mean on the quilt i'm working on. i've done nine-patch blocks and have started cutting out the large sqaures and even piecing the center of the top. i have done the first two rows of the center part and need to cut out more big squares to keep going.
i should scan in my sketch, because i don't think my brother and his wife are reading my blog anyway.
ok, here it is:
the small, dark squares are indigo, the parts left white are actually white with purple and turquoise squiggles (some of the large outer areas will be white with only turquoise squiggles because there wasn't enough fabric with the purple). the darker large squares is a fabulous blue/turquoise/purple/shiny lava lamp peacock-ish print that i bought the last 2+ yards of a few months ago at Hancock's. the corner squares and the lighter shaded squares are turquoise with small white dots.
but wait there's more!
some of the small squares are random fun or meaningful-to-D&K prints like dogs nd chickens and dragons and sushi. well, i don't know if sushi is meaningful to them, i just know that the first time i ate sushi was with my brother. anyway, it's ever so slightly a grown-up I-Spy quilt (like this or that). i still have more novelty fabrics that will go in the rows of small squares around the sides.
i'm still deciding if the finished quilt would work as a square or if i really should make it a rectangle.
and my original idea was to use a lot of my extensive fabric stash, but not a lot of it really goes together, plus i needed solids and more subtle prints to go with the lava/peacock. it's going to be rather busy as it is.
can my toddler get a nose job?
ok. i can appreciate that mommy's nose job and face lift and, what, maybe removal of bags under her eyes might scare her small child. but is it scarier than a parent who gets glasses or grows or shaves a beard when away for a few days/weeks/months?
it is good, i'm sure, that the kids know why mommy has to stay in bed and not be allowed to pick you up for a few weeks after she has a tummy tuck.
i have a friend who had a boob job and tummy tuck. she had twins a couple of years before that and her abs were permanently separated and she had about an acre of spare skin, apparently. i didn't agree that she or anyone needs it, but am very glad that she is happier with her body as it is.
and hey, if they did tummy tucks and liposuction without pain or risk, maybe i'd indulge, too. or maybe i could eat less and exercise more. maybe we could all run out and get corsets.
i can't help but think that this book is a symptom of our youth- and celebrity- and perfection-obsessed world. but to be directly marketing it to small children so they can understand the big, wide world of body-image-hatred at the age of 3 is just too much.
for a few pages of "my beautiful mommy" click here.
this is all over the land o' blogs and i hope that's not increasing sales...
it is good, i'm sure, that the kids know why mommy has to stay in bed and not be allowed to pick you up for a few weeks after she has a tummy tuck.
i have a friend who had a boob job and tummy tuck. she had twins a couple of years before that and her abs were permanently separated and she had about an acre of spare skin, apparently. i didn't agree that she or anyone needs it, but am very glad that she is happier with her body as it is.
and hey, if they did tummy tucks and liposuction without pain or risk, maybe i'd indulge, too. or maybe i could eat less and exercise more. maybe we could all run out and get corsets.
i can't help but think that this book is a symptom of our youth- and celebrity- and perfection-obsessed world. but to be directly marketing it to small children so they can understand the big, wide world of body-image-hatred at the age of 3 is just too much.
for a few pages of "my beautiful mommy" click here.
this is all over the land o' blogs and i hope that's not increasing sales...
Monday, April 21, 2008
*splutter*
Here's a book that I didn't even know we needed. A kid's book about mommy recovering from extensive plastic surgery. And I wish I were joking.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
disappointment and griping
A few weeks ago, I read The Stolen Princess by Anne Gracie (which I bought on a whim from amazon with a bunch of other books after a recommendation from who-knows-where - it wasn't at my library yet). I liked it OK, but I'm not shouting from the rooftops over it. I decided I would wait for the library to get the sequels, but will request them as soon as the library system allows, if that makes sense to anyone other than me.
But then yesterday, I started reading Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney (which I did get from the library based on some recommendation from somewhere) and suddenly I'm not feeling so in charity with that Princess.
Shattered Rainbows came out in the mid-90's, though it has been re-issued within the last few years. It is the 4th in a series about 4 men who have been friends since childhood and at least some of them served together in the army - two have angel names (this book's hero is Michael) and two have devil-like names (Lucien=Lucifer, Nicholas=Old Nick). They call themselves the "Fallen Angels". I'm not sure about the other heroes, but this story starts out right before the battle of Waterloo and Michael is an experienced officer in the Napoleonic Wars.
The Stolen Princess came out this January. It is the 1st in a planned 4-part series about 4 men who were in the army (in the Napoleonic Wars) together - and I think some of them grew up together, at least this one's hero has a half brother that he grew up with. Three have angel names (this book's hero is Gabriel) and the other has a devil name (Lucas, I think? Maybe another Lucien). They are called the "Devil Riders" and "Wellington's Angels."
And many other parallels. To the point where I had to look up the Princess book (waiting to be donated to the library) to be sure that it was by a different author and I was just getting the heroes muddled up in my head, thinking it was a different series and not the same one.
OK, so Gracie is also a good writer and built a good story and - I hope - the rest of her series will be good as well. She certainly writes more and better than I do. It's just a bit... blatant.
And I am also now trying to remember another Regency romance/Napoleonic conflict book that I read quite a few months ago which also starts in the Napoleonic Wars and also has a widow who is secretly in love with her husband's army buddy and it also starts out in Brussels during the battle of Waterloo, where she also nurses the friend back to health. In that one, the husband dies in the battle, and in the Putney book, the husband dies a few months later. It was part of a series and I read most or all of the books. I really can't remember what book it is.
But sometimes it seems like some of the Regency romance authors do their research solely by reading other Regency novels...
But then yesterday, I started reading Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney (which I did get from the library based on some recommendation from somewhere) and suddenly I'm not feeling so in charity with that Princess.
Shattered Rainbows came out in the mid-90's, though it has been re-issued within the last few years. It is the 4th in a series about 4 men who have been friends since childhood and at least some of them served together in the army - two have angel names (this book's hero is Michael) and two have devil-like names (Lucien=Lucifer, Nicholas=Old Nick). They call themselves the "Fallen Angels". I'm not sure about the other heroes, but this story starts out right before the battle of Waterloo and Michael is an experienced officer in the Napoleonic Wars.
The Stolen Princess came out this January. It is the 1st in a planned 4-part series about 4 men who were in the army (in the Napoleonic Wars) together - and I think some of them grew up together, at least this one's hero has a half brother that he grew up with. Three have angel names (this book's hero is Gabriel) and the other has a devil name (Lucas, I think? Maybe another Lucien). They are called the "Devil Riders" and "Wellington's Angels."
And many other parallels. To the point where I had to look up the Princess book (waiting to be donated to the library) to be sure that it was by a different author and I was just getting the heroes muddled up in my head, thinking it was a different series and not the same one.
OK, so Gracie is also a good writer and built a good story and - I hope - the rest of her series will be good as well. She certainly writes more and better than I do. It's just a bit... blatant.
And I am also now trying to remember another Regency romance/Napoleonic conflict book that I read quite a few months ago which also starts in the Napoleonic Wars and also has a widow who is secretly in love with her husband's army buddy and it also starts out in Brussels during the battle of Waterloo, where she also nurses the friend back to health. In that one, the husband dies in the battle, and in the Putney book, the husband dies a few months later. It was part of a series and I read most or all of the books. I really can't remember what book it is.
But sometimes it seems like some of the Regency romance authors do their research solely by reading other Regency novels...
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
NO PICTURES. Oh bother. Other stuff.
Blogger won't let me upload pictures today, but it tells me this: "bX-r4l10y". I had a couple of the baby that I was going to post. You'll just have to wait.
An online friend's husband does wood art. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5640182 Looks good to me. I especially like the dragon puzzles and the bird of paradise framed picture.
The post on Romancing the Blog today is worth a read. http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/ It's about the life skills he has learned by reading romance novels. Eric Selinger is a college professor who also contributes regularly to http://teachmetonight.blogspot.com And yes, some academics talk about romance novels as literature.
Oh, and another fabulous book that I read a few days ago, called The Duke of Shadows. SB Sarah reviewed it recently and while I don't completely agree with her assessment and I would have given it a better grade, she says most of what I would say. I *got* Emma - though I didn't necessarily like her all the time - and she says flat out that she didn't.
And I am thinking of starting karate again soon. It'll be rough on the baby and on everyone who has to hear her during fussy time in the evening without her favorite pacifier (AKA me), so I might wait another month or so. I just miss it and desperately need the exercise.
An online friend's husband does wood art. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5640182 Looks good to me. I especially like the dragon puzzles and the bird of paradise framed picture.
The post on Romancing the Blog today is worth a read. http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/ It's about the life skills he has learned by reading romance novels. Eric Selinger is a college professor who also contributes regularly to http://teachmetonight.blogspot.com And yes, some academics talk about romance novels as literature.
Oh, and another fabulous book that I read a few days ago, called The Duke of Shadows. SB Sarah reviewed it recently and while I don't completely agree with her assessment and I would have given it a better grade, she says most of what I would say. I *got* Emma - though I didn't necessarily like her all the time - and she says flat out that she didn't.
And I am thinking of starting karate again soon. It'll be rough on the baby and on everyone who has to hear her during fussy time in the evening without her favorite pacifier (AKA me), so I might wait another month or so. I just miss it and desperately need the exercise.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
miracle
mil was carrying isabelle around while i yanked some weeds out of the garden. pretty soon, i went in to find that isa (zab? belle? izzy?) had fallen asleep on mil, who had set her down. here's the miraculous part: she stayed asleep! unfortunately, in the sewing room on the couch, so i didn't want to wake her up by firing up my very noisy sewing machine.
i pinned the rest of a quilt i am putting together for someone (she sent the squares, i just slapped them together and am adding batting and backing and sewing along seams). i also pulled out that butterfly/breast cancer quilt i started last year and had only done half the quilting on.
i drew a picture of the overdue quilt for my brother and his wife. it should be ready by fall. maybe even by fall of this year ;) i will dig through my fabric again to determine what i still need/want to buy. i have ten tons of fabulous novelty and accent fabric, but if i use only that. we'll be talking major eyesore, so i'll need some solids and/or subtle prints for at least some of it.
now would be the time for my brother to tell me the colors they like. no worries. no hurries. i'll just wait here...
i seem to have lost the rest of my safety pins when picking up quickly a few days ago. i'm sure they'll turn up. i guess this is my opportunity to buy the bigger ones that i should have bought in the first place.
i pinned the rest of a quilt i am putting together for someone (she sent the squares, i just slapped them together and am adding batting and backing and sewing along seams). i also pulled out that butterfly/breast cancer quilt i started last year and had only done half the quilting on.
i drew a picture of the overdue quilt for my brother and his wife. it should be ready by fall. maybe even by fall of this year ;) i will dig through my fabric again to determine what i still need/want to buy. i have ten tons of fabulous novelty and accent fabric, but if i use only that. we'll be talking major eyesore, so i'll need some solids and/or subtle prints for at least some of it.
now would be the time for my brother to tell me the colors they like. no worries. no hurries. i'll just wait here...
i seem to have lost the rest of my safety pins when picking up quickly a few days ago. i'm sure they'll turn up. i guess this is my opportunity to buy the bigger ones that i should have bought in the first place.
Monday, April 14, 2008
One darn good book
I just finished Caprice Crane's Stupid and Contagious and wow - great book. Most of all - very funny book. I don't often actually laugh out loud at things, but I was grinning through so many scenes. And then when Marco was proposing and she was imagining what her life would be like with him.... I was trying to get the baby to sleep, but managed to shake her awake, holding the laugh in.
The title's from a Nirvana song (Here we are now. Entertain us. Hello hello hello he-el-lo. Oh sorry.) and the fact that Kurt Cobain died at the age of 27 is very important to the lead female character, Heaven, who has decided that she will die if she's not married by 27. Though Kurt was married and it didn't help him, which the lead male character, Brady, thinks but doesn't point out to her.
The book is narrated through their points of view, starting when Brady moves into the apartment next door to Heaven's. He's a record producer with no records and she's been fired from her PR job and is always about to be fired from her waitress job. They barely get along for a while, but keep discovering more that they have in common, even though they drive each other crazy. Then she gets fired and tags along when he flies out to LA to hear a band he wants to sign and then to Seattle where he's trying to sell his idea for Cinnamilk to the CEO of Starbucks. And they get arrested.
It's hip without being poser-ish, drastically funny, and has very strong language, so my mom wouldn't like it (sorry, Mom). Most of it is the way young people talk these days, though a lot heavier on the F-bomb than I ever was. They're in New York, too, and a friend of mine from near NYC claims that she grew up launching F bombs several times in each sentence. Until we have kids and they start repeating stuff, at which point we flinch every time anything more than "golly" slips out.
I feel a bit, well, stupid reading it, because the protagonists are about a million times hipper than I ever have been. I mean, I could recognize a couple of Nirvana's songs, probably. The author is/was a writer for MTV and grew up in LA, so she's much cooler than I ever will be.
She has another novel out, so I've just requested it from the library. And if I didn't have this one from the library, I probably would keep it. I'm going to want to re-read it, so I guess I will buy it then.
The title's from a Nirvana song (Here we are now. Entertain us. Hello hello hello he-el-lo. Oh sorry.) and the fact that Kurt Cobain died at the age of 27 is very important to the lead female character, Heaven, who has decided that she will die if she's not married by 27. Though Kurt was married and it didn't help him, which the lead male character, Brady, thinks but doesn't point out to her.
The book is narrated through their points of view, starting when Brady moves into the apartment next door to Heaven's. He's a record producer with no records and she's been fired from her PR job and is always about to be fired from her waitress job. They barely get along for a while, but keep discovering more that they have in common, even though they drive each other crazy. Then she gets fired and tags along when he flies out to LA to hear a band he wants to sign and then to Seattle where he's trying to sell his idea for Cinnamilk to the CEO of Starbucks. And they get arrested.
It's hip without being poser-ish, drastically funny, and has very strong language, so my mom wouldn't like it (sorry, Mom). Most of it is the way young people talk these days, though a lot heavier on the F-bomb than I ever was. They're in New York, too, and a friend of mine from near NYC claims that she grew up launching F bombs several times in each sentence. Until we have kids and they start repeating stuff, at which point we flinch every time anything more than "golly" slips out.
I feel a bit, well, stupid reading it, because the protagonists are about a million times hipper than I ever have been. I mean, I could recognize a couple of Nirvana's songs, probably. The author is/was a writer for MTV and grew up in LA, so she's much cooler than I ever will be.
She has another novel out, so I've just requested it from the library. And if I didn't have this one from the library, I probably would keep it. I'm going to want to re-read it, so I guess I will buy it then.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
awwwwwww!
dh took his mom and the boys into the city to do.... something.
dd's been asleep for most of the afternoon, off and on. a little while ago, she woke up again, so i changed her diaper then fed her then she wasn't going back to sleep, so i got up and took her with me to get a snack. i really wanted cold leftover coffee (no, really. i like cold coffee), but i have mostly milk and a little coffee and we're all out of milk.
so i juggled her and got a glass of water to go with candy corn left from halloween. health food!
i came in here and sat down with her on my lap leaning back against me. she was looking around and making snuffly noises for a while, then i realized she was awfully calm and not snuffling. she's asleep. she doesn't usually conk out that easily.
i need to take a shower, but she doesn't transfer well and sleep is more important than greasy hair, especially when there's noone here to see it.
dd's been asleep for most of the afternoon, off and on. a little while ago, she woke up again, so i changed her diaper then fed her then she wasn't going back to sleep, so i got up and took her with me to get a snack. i really wanted cold leftover coffee (no, really. i like cold coffee), but i have mostly milk and a little coffee and we're all out of milk.
so i juggled her and got a glass of water to go with candy corn left from halloween. health food!
i came in here and sat down with her on my lap leaning back against me. she was looking around and making snuffly noises for a while, then i realized she was awfully calm and not snuffling. she's asleep. she doesn't usually conk out that easily.
i need to take a shower, but she doesn't transfer well and sleep is more important than greasy hair, especially when there's noone here to see it.
random roaming
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
Isabella was #4 last year, Isabelle #85, Isabel #87.
She's doomed to being "Isabelle W." her whole life, isn't she?
Though I guess that's better than being "Phyllis? Oh, I was expecting someone much older!"
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/
Jen didn't feel the earthquake near her, but it got me clicking around on the usgs website. Like this part where you can look up the most recent earthquake in your state (Ohio this January outside of Ashtabula)
And I'm giving in and ordering velour - 2 yards each of fuchsia, berry, and navy. Sort of last minute, which limited the choices to mainly the ones I wanted anyway. I need to sew more to make room for it.
Isabella was #4 last year, Isabelle #85, Isabel #87.
She's doomed to being "Isabelle W." her whole life, isn't she?
Though I guess that's better than being "Phyllis? Oh, I was expecting someone much older!"
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/
Jen didn't feel the earthquake near her, but it got me clicking around on the usgs website. Like this part where you can look up the most recent earthquake in your state (Ohio this January outside of Ashtabula)
And I'm giving in and ordering velour - 2 yards each of fuchsia, berry, and navy. Sort of last minute, which limited the choices to mainly the ones I wanted anyway. I need to sew more to make room for it.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Baby update
The midwives came by for the 6 week visit - their last one *sniff* - yesterday.
Isabelle weighs a whopping 10 lbs 4 oz. She has gained 20 ounces in 2 weeks. Porker!
She's also gone up by more than an inch around her head and chest (some of the head is surely the skull expanding, since it was measured right after I squeezed her out) and she's about an inch longer than she was before.
She's very alert and tends to stare (how rude!). She can hold her head up for longer times every day. The hair is starting to grow back in on the top of her head, but she's getting a bald ring around the sides and back where she lies on it.
She woke up right before the alarm went off at 7 this morning, so I nursed her through a couple of snooze alarms and she went back to sleep. I got the big kids ready and took them to school and she still wasn't awake when I got back. She just woke up a few minutes before 9 and woke DH up, who wandered up the hall and tried to hand her off wet diaper and all. Nuh-uh!
So now she's eating again with her super cute pink outfit on.... backwards. It snaps down the back, you see. DH claims it's because she's just learning to dress herself. Just looking at her front, it looks fairly normal. It wouldn't be so obvious if the real front didn't look like overalls with a huge embroidered picture of strawberry cake, and if the feet weren't now pointing backwards and if... ah heck, it's extremely obvious and can't be all that comfortable with her toes catching constantly. There, it's loose enough that I twisted the legs (of the outfit, not hers!) so her feet are in the foot places.
And yes, I'll take a picture before I strip her and start over ;)
ETA: Poor DH. Yes, I made him hold her while I took pictures. MIL wasn't ready for her closeup.
Isabelle weighs a whopping 10 lbs 4 oz. She has gained 20 ounces in 2 weeks. Porker!
She's also gone up by more than an inch around her head and chest (some of the head is surely the skull expanding, since it was measured right after I squeezed her out) and she's about an inch longer than she was before.
She's very alert and tends to stare (how rude!). She can hold her head up for longer times every day. The hair is starting to grow back in on the top of her head, but she's getting a bald ring around the sides and back where she lies on it.
She woke up right before the alarm went off at 7 this morning, so I nursed her through a couple of snooze alarms and she went back to sleep. I got the big kids ready and took them to school and she still wasn't awake when I got back. She just woke up a few minutes before 9 and woke DH up, who wandered up the hall and tried to hand her off wet diaper and all. Nuh-uh!
So now she's eating again with her super cute pink outfit on.... backwards. It snaps down the back, you see. DH claims it's because she's just learning to dress herself. Just looking at her front, it looks fairly normal. It wouldn't be so obvious if the real front didn't look like overalls with a huge embroidered picture of strawberry cake, and if the feet weren't now pointing backwards and if... ah heck, it's extremely obvious and can't be all that comfortable with her toes catching constantly. There, it's loose enough that I twisted the legs (of the outfit, not hers!) so her feet are in the foot places.
And yes, I'll take a picture before I strip her and start over ;)
ETA: Poor DH. Yes, I made him hold her while I took pictures. MIL wasn't ready for her closeup.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Is it us? Or just grandmothers?
DH took DS2 to the airport this evening to pick up MIL.
She was supposed to get here TWO DAYS AGO.
Her first flight from the Basel-Mulhouse airport was delayed so she missed her flight in Paris. They put her up for the night.
Her flight from Paris to Chicago was delayed. She missed her flight in Chicago. They moved her to a later flight that got later and later and later.... and then was canceled. They put her up for the night.
So first available from Chicago to Sacto was this evening. Which is late, but at least seems to have taken off. Hopefully, with MIL inside. No word from her or DH, so I am assuming they'll be here any minute now.
And this is all on United whose flights weren't all being canceled.
My mom got shunted all over the place trying to get here this summer, then they couldn't find her luggage, then the baggage delivery person delivered it to heaven-only-kn0ws-where and he had to go back and get it, luckily before the people whose house he left it at - or their neighbors - decided to go through it to see what she had that was worth something.
Ah, I hear the garage door. Hold on. I haven't seen the whites of her eyes yet....
She's here! With her suitcases! Will miracles never cease?
She was supposed to get here TWO DAYS AGO.
Her first flight from the Basel-Mulhouse airport was delayed so she missed her flight in Paris. They put her up for the night.
Her flight from Paris to Chicago was delayed. She missed her flight in Chicago. They moved her to a later flight that got later and later and later.... and then was canceled. They put her up for the night.
So first available from Chicago to Sacto was this evening. Which is late, but at least seems to have taken off. Hopefully, with MIL inside. No word from her or DH, so I am assuming they'll be here any minute now.
And this is all on United whose flights weren't all being canceled.
My mom got shunted all over the place trying to get here this summer, then they couldn't find her luggage, then the baggage delivery person delivered it to heaven-only-kn0ws-where and he had to go back and get it, luckily before the people whose house he left it at - or their neighbors - decided to go through it to see what she had that was worth something.
Ah, I hear the garage door. Hold on. I haven't seen the whites of her eyes yet....
She's here! With her suitcases! Will miracles never cease?
Monday, April 7, 2008
back to school
FINALLY! 3 weeks of spring break is ridiculous!
I even got up and took them in this morning, which is a first since the baby was born. DD cried off and on during the ride there, then I went to a grocery store and got a cup of coffee and a donut and sat down and read the newspaper while she slept in a sling. I had thought she was still hungry even though she had nursed for a bit before we left, but she slept there for an hour or so. I was thinking of getting a pedicure at the little shop with massaging chairs, but it was still closed by the time I finished my coffee, so I didn't do it. There's not much polish left on my toes after about 2 months.
So it was quiet around here, not that I really got much done. But the peace was niiiiiice. Summer vacation's in 2 months. I'm thinking lots and lots of day camps.
I did clean the toilet in the kids'/guest bathroom. We need to move all the tub toys, which are currently piled around the sink, then I'll clean the sink.
Oh. I guess I could clean the tub before I put the tub toys back in. I hate cleaning the tub.
Anyway. Quiet day, then DH picked the boys up and took them to karate. DS1 is about to test for a new belt. Purple, I think? Whatever's just above green. They've been learning Iron Horse, a series of blocks and steps (trying to find a link with pictures, but Google comes up with the name over and over, but the only video or pics I found is of one of the more complicated Iron Horse forms, not what they're doing), and a 6-count Doce Pares series with a stick.
DS1 is good with forms (kata, to be all nerdish about it). Something about sequencing that slips right into his brain. I haven't learned Iron Horse (the intermediates were doing it just before I promoted to intermediate last year, then I quit to grow the baby), but something about its use of right, left, left, right and sometimes stepping backwards, sometimes forward that just won't twig in my brain until I practice it, I guess.
Or maybe it'll be like when I was working with the roku shoku (6 foot staff) and never really did get the long form down, though I managed it well enough to pass -- just barely, if I had someone else doing it with me. It's a black belt level form and I am years away from black belt, so I wasn't too worried, it was just frustrating to not be able to get it into my head.
And now the kids have been eating lots of snacks. They are supposed to get approval for snacks and I even told DS2 as he asked for an orange a few minutes after 5 (after having cheez-its and a cheese stick) that it was almost supper time and he couldn't have anything more (we usually eat at about 6:30 or 7), then 10 minutes later, he was back in here asking for more snacks, smelling suspiciously of strawberries - which they had conveniently forgotten to ask if they could have and then eaten ALL of. Grrrrrrr.
No idea what's for supper, but I guess that I should think about it for Dh and me. I doubt the kids will be very hungry.
And I guess we won't have strawberries for dessert.
I even got up and took them in this morning, which is a first since the baby was born. DD cried off and on during the ride there, then I went to a grocery store and got a cup of coffee and a donut and sat down and read the newspaper while she slept in a sling. I had thought she was still hungry even though she had nursed for a bit before we left, but she slept there for an hour or so. I was thinking of getting a pedicure at the little shop with massaging chairs, but it was still closed by the time I finished my coffee, so I didn't do it. There's not much polish left on my toes after about 2 months.
So it was quiet around here, not that I really got much done. But the peace was niiiiiice. Summer vacation's in 2 months. I'm thinking lots and lots of day camps.
I did clean the toilet in the kids'/guest bathroom. We need to move all the tub toys, which are currently piled around the sink, then I'll clean the sink.
Oh. I guess I could clean the tub before I put the tub toys back in. I hate cleaning the tub.
Anyway. Quiet day, then DH picked the boys up and took them to karate. DS1 is about to test for a new belt. Purple, I think? Whatever's just above green. They've been learning Iron Horse, a series of blocks and steps (trying to find a link with pictures, but Google comes up with the name over and over, but the only video or pics I found is of one of the more complicated Iron Horse forms, not what they're doing), and a 6-count Doce Pares series with a stick.
DS1 is good with forms (kata, to be all nerdish about it). Something about sequencing that slips right into his brain. I haven't learned Iron Horse (the intermediates were doing it just before I promoted to intermediate last year, then I quit to grow the baby), but something about its use of right, left, left, right and sometimes stepping backwards, sometimes forward that just won't twig in my brain until I practice it, I guess.
Or maybe it'll be like when I was working with the roku shoku (6 foot staff) and never really did get the long form down, though I managed it well enough to pass -- just barely, if I had someone else doing it with me. It's a black belt level form and I am years away from black belt, so I wasn't too worried, it was just frustrating to not be able to get it into my head.
And now the kids have been eating lots of snacks. They are supposed to get approval for snacks and I even told DS2 as he asked for an orange a few minutes after 5 (after having cheez-its and a cheese stick) that it was almost supper time and he couldn't have anything more (we usually eat at about 6:30 or 7), then 10 minutes later, he was back in here asking for more snacks, smelling suspiciously of strawberries - which they had conveniently forgotten to ask if they could have and then eaten ALL of. Grrrrrrr.
No idea what's for supper, but I guess that I should think about it for Dh and me. I doubt the kids will be very hungry.
And I guess we won't have strawberries for dessert.
slap my hands
there's a cotton velour co-op going on right now on a fabric co-op group (the one i joined to get organic velour). she has some fabulous colors coming. oh, i so don't need more velour or sherpa or anything of the sort. i have a heap of it already. but oh, i do love velour. maybe yellow. or navy because i can't work out how to get things to dye as dark as i want them. i have some turquoise sherpa, so won't get that in velour. hmmmm....
no! stop me! someone freeze my paypal account for me!
no! stop me! someone freeze my paypal account for me!
Friday, April 4, 2008
game - because Kirsty tagged me
The Rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 (or more) pages.
the Intellectual Devotional (the only book near the computer)
2. Open the book to page 123 and find the 5th sentence.
3. Post the next 3 sentences.
"We refer to them today as photons. This was the theory that won Einstein the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. Einstein's second paper provided some of the first empirical evidence for the existence of atoms."
4. Tag 5 people.
Liza, Jen R, and... am I really so lame that I can't think of 3 more people whose blogs I read on a regular basis? I read a lot of them, but not personal blogs. So if you have one and want me to read it, let me know :)
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 (or more) pages.
the Intellectual Devotional (the only book near the computer)
2. Open the book to page 123 and find the 5th sentence.
3. Post the next 3 sentences.
"We refer to them today as photons. This was the theory that won Einstein the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. Einstein's second paper provided some of the first empirical evidence for the existence of atoms."
4. Tag 5 people.
Liza, Jen R, and... am I really so lame that I can't think of 3 more people whose blogs I read on a regular basis? I read a lot of them, but not personal blogs. So if you have one and want me to read it, let me know :)
Need music help
can you name that tune?
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
BUM BUM BUM BUM
ba-pa-daaaaa diddly da-pa-daaaa
BUM BUM BUM BUM
i don't even know if my college concert band-mates even read my blog. i'm thinking either late freshman or sophomore year. E. is most likely to know it. Maybe A. But they're both flautists and back in the trumpet section, we were bouncing like the lone ranger as we counted the rests. one nice thing about trumpets is that we didn't have to sit in the front row.
something-vetsian dances maybe, though that might be another piece we did another time.
i need to turn on a computer with speakers and search youtube.
and then i start thinking of the one we did freshman year in 5/4 time. (or alternating 2/4, 3/4 time?). And i want my trumpet and a band to play with. and why can't i think of the band director's name? he was my trumpet teacher, too. fleming, that's it. i wonder how he is these days.
why yes, i am having one of those random-firing synapse days, why do you ask?
ETA:
OK. I found it: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CT25bivysJI&feature=related
Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor by Borodin. I'm not sure i knew it was a choral piece, though i did figure it was a ballet. oh duh; it's from the opera Prince Igor. i had just never heard it sung, i guess.
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
ba-dum
BUM BUM BUM BUM
ba-pa-daaaaa diddly da-pa-daaaa
BUM BUM BUM BUM
i don't even know if my college concert band-mates even read my blog. i'm thinking either late freshman or sophomore year. E. is most likely to know it. Maybe A. But they're both flautists and back in the trumpet section, we were bouncing like the lone ranger as we counted the rests. one nice thing about trumpets is that we didn't have to sit in the front row.
something-vetsian dances maybe, though that might be another piece we did another time.
i need to turn on a computer with speakers and search youtube.
and then i start thinking of the one we did freshman year in 5/4 time. (or alternating 2/4, 3/4 time?). And i want my trumpet and a band to play with. and why can't i think of the band director's name? he was my trumpet teacher, too. fleming, that's it. i wonder how he is these days.
why yes, i am having one of those random-firing synapse days, why do you ask?
ETA:
OK. I found it: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CT25bivysJI&feature=related
Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor by Borodin. I'm not sure i knew it was a choral piece, though i did figure it was a ballet. oh duh; it's from the opera Prince Igor. i had just never heard it sung, i guess.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
What is "fair" ?
100 times a day: "That's not faiiiiiiir!"
What is "truth" ? What is "quality" ?
We're on our 3rd week of spring break and the lack of direction is getting to all of us. They have spent too much time over the last few days on YouTube watching old Warner Brothers cartoons. And yes, I insist that either DH or I be present when they're on YouTube, as random clicking around on it would be... inadvisable.
Baby's fine, though currently sleeping in a sling. Not that I needed to ever straighten my back again, after all. The chiropractor will be rich rich rich. He'll be even richer as she gains more double chins and enlarges her thunder thighs. I took a couple of pictures of her male-pattern baldness the other day and will have to download them.
But much more importantly, she's been smiling more and more. She was completely enchanted by her brothers this morning when I was changing her diaper and was doing that lopsided toothless grin thing. She even let out a "huh!" which we will now claim to be her first laugh.
What is "truth" ? What is "quality" ?
We're on our 3rd week of spring break and the lack of direction is getting to all of us. They have spent too much time over the last few days on YouTube watching old Warner Brothers cartoons. And yes, I insist that either DH or I be present when they're on YouTube, as random clicking around on it would be... inadvisable.
Baby's fine, though currently sleeping in a sling. Not that I needed to ever straighten my back again, after all. The chiropractor will be rich rich rich. He'll be even richer as she gains more double chins and enlarges her thunder thighs. I took a couple of pictures of her male-pattern baldness the other day and will have to download them.
But much more importantly, she's been smiling more and more. She was completely enchanted by her brothers this morning when I was changing her diaper and was doing that lopsided toothless grin thing. She even let out a "huh!" which we will now claim to be her first laugh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)