tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80297961015427060522024-02-19T08:38:56.198-05:00paper[bullet]--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.comBlogger585125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-31203160603730121232015-08-18T12:23:00.001-04:002015-08-18T12:23:22.490-04:00the lucy project—3 years old<div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">what can i say about three-year-old lucy? in a word, lucy is spunky. there is so much spunk, so much independence, so much sass that it oozes out when i give her a squeeze. hello kitty bows and sparkly shoes one day, demands to be batman (and NOT batgirl or batwoman) the next, she keeps life interesting and hones my diplomatic skills constantly. she will determinedly take a stand that is completely wrong and will defend it to the death, with no other evidence than "it is how i say it is!" but then there are times when she knows a losing battle, and will give in with a dramatic, "alriiiiiight..." you never know what you're going to get. never.</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy can turn on her sweetness, particularly when dealing with her "babies", but she can also turn it off just as easily. she loves all her animals and dolls and takes care of them with lots of love and hugs (when she's not throwing them in the air or slamming them into the ground).</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she loves to sing and dance and will make up songs and dance around in the most charming way. her version of "let it go" always makes me smile.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy's favorite foods are: pizza (with pepperoni), noodles that she can dip in sauce, cheesy tacos, carrots, and fruit. though, if you try to predict what she will or won't eat on any day, you will surely fail. when her plate is completely emptied without a battle, i feel as though i ought to buy a lottery ticket.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">we are still trying to convince her to use the potty without success. i feel like she will do it in her own time, but in the meantime i am anxious to have it happen. it's the kind of thing that i think can only be successful if she's really on board, and lucy is rarely on board for the long haul, even when m&ms are involved.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">no matter what she throws my way, i'm always glad we've got a lucy. she is a treasure.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the stats:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">height - 37 inches (50th percentile)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">weight - 27.19 lbs (15th percentile)</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-41994783518180798992014-08-28T15:47:00.000-04:002014-08-28T15:48:09.126-04:00project sam—kindergarten!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AgO0sxUv1lA9gEAyqHAY6aRwKeXd1weDnaMzvqJR8ViTw1PXL5jKfyCqoa9s50GtFEdQ1pPd8iHlK566cg9VkWA88mHkou78dBHk5i_riXwK6I2r6z4WoIeyics-Gkg2qykvLnIR5Fc/s1600/firstday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AgO0sxUv1lA9gEAyqHAY6aRwKeXd1weDnaMzvqJR8ViTw1PXL5jKfyCqoa9s50GtFEdQ1pPd8iHlK566cg9VkWA88mHkou78dBHk5i_riXwK6I2r6z4WoIeyics-Gkg2qykvLnIR5Fc/s1600/firstday1.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">sam and his plastic "i know you want me to smile and look 'normal'" smile (also our nice, new fence and awful weeds)</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the real sam</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;">sam and his good buddy </span></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">remond | sam and his teacher, mrs. smith (you can tell who he was most excited to see)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">sam started his first day of kindergarten today! it was just a half day (we don't start in to full days until after the labor day holiday—they like to ease the kids in), but sam was so ready. while other kids were clinging onto parents for dear life or shedding tears, i asked sam if he wanted me to stand in line with him and his response was "no. i'm okay with my friends." that's my sam. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">at noon, we picked him up and heard that he had lost another tooth while he was there, and several classmates commented about the fact that he got a tiny "tooth box" to keep his tooth in. it was a very exciting day. sam's report: "it was good."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #999999;">sam and his tiny "</span></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">tooth box"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">in honor of sam heading off to his first day of kindergarten, i made him a little sign (full disclosure: i saw one like this on pinterest, but i like a diy, so...). too bad he probably can't read all of this yet. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he's getting dangerously close to being able to, though. he's about to break the "let's spell whatever it is so he won't know what we're talking about code (dang!) he already figured out "i c e c r e a m", and "d e s s e r t". (actually, even lucy knows what "d e s s e r t" is at this point. if it's mentioned, she will ask for "drt".)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #444444;">anywho, in case you need a reminder/motivator for your mornings, you can get a pdf </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yv34OEuHKOLUxGM2xWZUJDZkE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">here</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> to print out one of your own.</span></span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-77736183999378817432014-08-27T22:44:00.001-04:002014-08-27T22:45:23.182-04:00pooh boots, for posterity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxtknNkp7aYgsqjE1pW5Kq0glwb7PJF0zhTksRSfUkdQw8iMoObqkllE2d-SjBCBYZ8WF3UNlIX8r_Un9gjjw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-5281425514831778602014-08-27T22:34:00.001-04:002014-08-27T22:47:24.351-04:00the lucy project—lucy @ 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiY2Tv-MR2xEezndO_PODDG3-v2iJik2P5wo2zPe_oAhIrVpaMR_hscFk7zafVmTw-iDDn6MpaqmGgmALD41fyGiK8_dt_WgPBSB51h28IejLGLbj0G2pLbQWq5ZZS0VQPuixyRNn4fg/s1600/pinkhat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiY2Tv-MR2xEezndO_PODDG3-v2iJik2P5wo2zPe_oAhIrVpaMR_hscFk7zafVmTw-iDDn6MpaqmGgmALD41fyGiK8_dt_WgPBSB51h28IejLGLbj0G2pLbQWq5ZZS0VQPuixyRNn4fg/s1600/pinkhat.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #444444;">for the past month or so i've been thinking about </span><a href="http://fuzzylizards.blogspot.com/2011/02/sam-at-two.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">the post i wrote about sam when he was two</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, and the list of all the fun, quirky things that he was doing at that age. i've been thinking that i wanted to do the same for lucy, but every time i sat down to the computer, i just didn't know how to put lucy into words. or maybe it was that there just seemed to be a lot of words, because even though lu is a small person, she's got a lot of personality, and trying to cram all that into one list felt like trying to cram a whale into a tin can (not easy). however, i've decided to make an attempt, if only because </span></span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">not</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> making an attempt means that i'd have nothing to reminisce over later on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">things i want to remember about lucy at two:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- the sparkly shoes. the red sparkly shoes that came from cousin alice are the footwear of choice these days and are definitely a hallmark of lucy's style. sometimes she adds a hat (sometimes daddy's so she can be "tiny daddy", sometimes mommy's, sometimes the felt bucket that she refers to as the "toothpaste hat"), or her pink blanket (if she's a "cold princess"), and frequently there are sunglasses involved, but mostly it's all about the shoes. and they are so VERY important. also adding to the girly factor, her favorite color is pink. if we can't find the "happy airplane" shirt, the "daddy angel" onesie, a buckeye shirt, or the darth vader tee, i better be able to dig up something pink, otherwise "naked" will be the outfit of the day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- the puzzles. we are puzzled daily. she's very fond of one or two in particular, and as soon as she gets the last piece in we have to break it apart so we can do it again (and again, and again). my favorite part is the "ta-da!" at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- speaking of ta-da's, there are lots of words. i'd do a count of her vocabulary, but there are really too many to keep track of. several people have commented on her verbal-ness, but considering the company she keeps (sam), it's no wonder that she's got a lot to say. also, one does not get the nickname "tiny tyrant" without being able to instruct her subjects about what they should (or shouldn't) be doing. the girl knows what she wants, and for better or worse, she will let you know what that is.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- that when lucy plays with action figures, everyone gives hugs and kisses. sure, they also knock each other down (they ARE action figures), but it's also likely that there will be a few hugs and kisses thrown in, and it makes me smile every time i see the riddler or doctor doom giving robin a nice wet one. i don't know if it's a "girl" thing or a lucy thing, but there is a lot of lovin' to be had with this little lady.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- that funny thing where she puts rubber bands on her hands and calls them lucy duck and sammy duck (and she's very specific which one is lucy and which is sammy, i tried mixing them up and was sternly corrected). then i have to be mommy and daddy ducks with my hands.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- that she likes to draw people. her people have heads, eyes, mouths, legs (she often calls them "foots"), and usually one arm, and hair. sometimes you can even tell what she's been drawing. i am also instructed regularly to draw family portraits. most recently it was a family portrait of everyone as turtles.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- that she is determined. lucy likes to do things on her own and in her own way. when she got her doll and pink stroller at oglegay, she declared that she was going to walk from our cabin to the playground (which was a walk that i couldn't get sam to do without complains), and darned if she didn't walk all the way there, pushing the little stroller, by herself. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- lucy is all about the do-it-yourself attitude. she handles a spoon and fork almost as well as sam (sometimes better), and is very close to being able to dress herself (possibly with everything being backwards). she prefers to brush her own teeth (but we force her to get help anyway), and she has figured out how to go up and down the stairs standing up (which occasionally freaks me out). she can definitely do enough climbing to get herself into trouble if not watched, and i have to keep an eye on her at the playground, lest she get in over her head.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #444444;">- like sam, lucy loves to sing and dance. favorite songs include, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LEYwoooVfw" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">"elmo ducks"</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, </span><a href="http://youtu.be/lk5_OSsawz4" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">"man sing"</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, itsy-bitsy spider, baa baa black sheep (sometimes "baa baa pink sheep"), twinkle twinkle little star, and </span><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFeFsUTr2JI" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">the voltron theme song</span></a></u><span style="color: #444444;">. i'm sure there are others, including those she makes up on her own.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she has taken to building cities and playgrounds with wood blocks and sometimes make spaceships with legos that she will zoom around. when she does, i definitely feel like i've been here before. i do believe the ends of her jump rope were rockets this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">all in all, lucy is about as awesome as can be. she may be little, but she's definitely a force to be reckoned with. happy second birthday, little lu. you are a precious, precocious, little bear and i love you so!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy's stats at two:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">height - 34.25 inches (59th percentile)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">weight - 21.06lbs (below 3rd percentile)</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-80627385785664136132014-06-13T09:30:00.000-04:002014-06-13T09:30:39.694-04:00"the dishes will always be there..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlLAqeLiKWcuiD_P9BQqA50VlaM5TMWyA_vBbpXxwaIonAEjg64CJ4a-gp4ZF7kkIHe5nhfAiMOjIdAvVuOpIXhEoLjGcDt12PW4eXiw-FotpkeSExV_tOweVylDp2srYGgayg1tJrLc/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlLAqeLiKWcuiD_P9BQqA50VlaM5TMWyA_vBbpXxwaIonAEjg64CJ4a-gp4ZF7kkIHe5nhfAiMOjIdAvVuOpIXhEoLjGcDt12PW4eXiw-FotpkeSExV_tOweVylDp2srYGgayg1tJrLc/s1600/photo-2.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the after-effects of "spiderman ice cream" on the tongue (i was also informed this morning that it makes "green poop")</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you're on facebook at all, i'm sure you've seen a ton of those little, witty quotes typeset in boxes, sometimes with the little vintage illustrations? yeah? well, there are a specific bunch that always drive me bonkers, the ones that have sayings to the tune of "the dirty dishes will still be there, your kids won't." arrgh. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">as if i don't have enough guilt while working from home (and letting my kids watch a few too many episodes of power rangers), or for taking the time to peruse facebook (and instagram, oh instragram how i adore thee) while the kids are scarfing down their meals, now i have to feel guilty for cleaning? that's just...crazy talk. seriously.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">it's not like i'm little miss clean-y pants with my spotless house that i don't let anyone make messes in. on the contrary, the kids are constantly eating "meals on the go" as they run around the house spreading crumbs like a plague. but once they're done (okay, maybe a few days later, that's AFTER), yeah, i totally go around with my broom and dustpan and do my best to, at the very least, keep the house from being a total shambles (also, we have an ant problem, and double also, i hate the feeling of dirt stuck to the bottoms of my feet).</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">so to those who post all that kind of nonsense about my kids are growing up and i should be enjoying them, thanks for the reminder to appreciate my kids, BUT (and this is a big, fat but) i think my kids are learning at least two valuable lessons from seeing me tiding up around the house (yes, despite the look of it, i actually do clean):</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1) <b>everyone has responsibilities.</b> when i'm doing dishes (or laundry, or sweeping the floor, or putting things away), i hope my kids don't see that as "gee, mom really likes to clean. look at her go!", but that people (grown-ups and kids) have to do a lot of things that aren't fun, but that need doing. laundry is not my greatest joy, vacuuming toast crumbs out of the living room rug is not my definition of a good time, but like a lot of things in life, they need to be done. and though it looks like a small thing (though you should have SEEN the dirt that came out of the rug by the side door, it was impressive, people), if all these small, boring things didn't get done, the house would soon be a much less pleasant place to wreak havoc.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">2) <b>sometimes we need to be patient.</b> i totally want my kids to know that they're important to me, much more important than things (like the walls they keep trying to put holes in), but to a certain degree they need to realize that life isn't all about them. sometimes i need them to color by themselves or push the pause button on the thirteenth diatribe about power rangers ("but not jungle fury power rangers, but the other kind, and i'm the gold one and my friend is the green one..."), because sometimes, just sometimes, other things need to be my priority. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and this is where those those sayings about "the dishes will always be there..." really get to me, because, yes, the dishes WILL be there, and heck if i'm going to take space out of the two hours after the kids go to bed that i get for "my own" to do that kind of stuff. no way. most of the time that's dedicated to working on freelance anyway, so it's already taken, yo. so thanks for the guilt. thanks for the reminders about childhood is fleeting (yes, i know that, and that's why i spend an extra ten minutes after lu falls asleep to hold her and give her a few kisses on her "only little once" cheeks), but i can't always let the passage of time be like some rabid beast chasing me into stressing that i'm missing every precious moment. not all moments are precious, or at least, not all moments need to be witnessed and appreciated by me to be precious. stop trying to make me crazy. unless you haven't noticed, i'm already there.</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-45127506270174542992014-06-08T14:41:00.000-04:002014-06-08T14:58:24.212-04:00project sam—a quick, or perhaps lengthy, update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXg0fDITRy4/U5ShMrFClqI/AAAAAAAACbM/1zZKaP94sZk/s1600/IMG_0001.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxszo_gUgZYmkPW6vBa0TSRX5N4uq0rFbJGuiIk1ut-Q4h4oW5nDfIG6067R6m7b7djMDG1PwRLTo4aJHLVUQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">it's hard to know exactly what to say about sam, there's really so much to say. so much. really, there's too much. sam is sometimes just too much. too awesome, too exasperating. just generally a lot. (as you can see in the video, sam is an instigator of loud and silly, and lucy reaps the benefits regularly.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">things that sam is really into doing as of now: </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- making stuff. we have so many papers and things sitting around the house that sam has made that it's completely ridiculous. not only does he bring creations home from school, but i think it the last four months or so he's gone through at least a ream of paper (most of which mike pulled from the recycle bin at work) making all kinds of things for everyone. some of the things are given away to friends, but lots seem to have accumulated all over the house. sometimes i wish i could keep everything, but most of the time i feel a little drowned in all of his artwork. a few examples of sam's prolific creativity:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> the strawberry gum drawing for his friend in honor of the fact that his friend had given him a piece of gum</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> illustration of a glass of water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo of sam with a tie bomber (or perhaps a tie interceptor) that he crafted in honor of mike's birthday</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i should also mention that sam is also a bit of a creativity instigator at school, which has resulted in a proliferation of artwork sent home for the express purpose of being given to lucy. i can think of at least three friends who have made things to come home to lucy. this is enough of a thing that sam's teacher has mentioned it multiple times in his daily reports!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- the new friends. sam recently discovered that over the long, cold winter two boys have moved into the house that backs on to our newly purchased empty lot. the boys (ages six and four) have quickly become his reason for getting up in the morning (or at the very least, a reason to put on clothes). and though i'm really glad that sam now has playmates in close proximity, it also means that there is a lot of distress when the new friends aren't able to play (or we have plans that would conflict with playtime). hopefully the fact that his friends will "still be there tomorrow" will soon take hold, and the fact that they're not together all the time won't be such a cause for alarm.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- riding his bike. we recently came into possession of a hand-me-down bike with training wheels. it was a long time in coming, as sam was loathe to be too grown for his beloved big wheel, but he could no longer pedal in comfort, as his knees were constantly bumping into the handlebars. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">we were really lucky that there was a bike to be handed down, and though there were a few issues at the outset, he's become quite fond of pedaling up and down the driveway and on short walks to the playground. there have been several excited exclamations about him being able to ride his bike to school next year. which means a) we're going to have to build some time into our commute to school come fall, and b) we either have to get sam a bike lock, or i need to figure out how i'm going to get lucy and a bike home from school each day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- and speaking of school. wednesday will be sam's last day of preschool. i think this year of preschool has been about the best as i could have imagined. sam has made several really good friends, and has learned a lot. we're looking forward to attending his open house this tuesday. at the conference with his teacher, i got a sneak peek of his journal that he's been talking about all year. it is definitely something for the "keepsake box". his teacher was specifically impressed with the "detail" in his drawings, and it was interesting to hear about sam from her perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- writing. for the past couple months sam has been working on sounding out words and writing things down. he's still not all that interested in reading books, but he does enjoy sitting down and trying to write out things that he's drawing or are of particular interest to him (mostly making books dedicated to the different kinds of star wars ships). one of these days i hope he'll find reading to be of more interest, but his teacher said that doing things this way works too, and at this point not to put a lot of pressure on him. still, i'm working on encouraging him in any way possible.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- t-ball. we signed sam up to play t-ball this summer. right now we're struggling with the fact that games and practices take away from "hanging out with neighbors" time, but i'm really hoping he'll warm up to it a little bit more as the summer goes on. once he's there, i think he's generally glad to be out with other kids, but the fact that some of the kids have more skill than he does right now is frustrating for him. i'm also hoping that he'll realize that sometimes just doing your best and having fun is good enough and not everything has to be about winning and being the best. that lesson is a hard one, even for grown-ups.</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-95104017548987962014-06-08T13:36:00.000-04:002014-06-08T13:36:25.562-04:00back at it—the new addition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy5dm_w_0kKGF1qrsngrBrt-yAMzjlYDuz8_WOKcydm5PCfh9Y6rkdsX1a5PPsuehd0Sb7JdL1LJiBKgfnirYDJ01gXlKoRykdTIHi3H9k5vMsf1g3AEytTpXX9FASUcatUoDTuDN8Fc/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy5dm_w_0kKGF1qrsngrBrt-yAMzjlYDuz8_WOKcydm5PCfh9Y6rkdsX1a5PPsuehd0Sb7JdL1LJiBKgfnirYDJ01gXlKoRykdTIHi3H9k5vMsf1g3AEytTpXX9FASUcatUoDTuDN8Fc/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">after a little break (or a big break, whatever, let's not judge), i've decided that i really need to make time for doing this blog thing. not because anyone out in the world really needs to read my ramblings, but because i need to put them here. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i've totally realized that i miss having a spot to go back and look at what was going on in our family life, what the kids were up to, what kind of projects i was working on (or more likely, that sam was working on), etc. i missed all that stuff and nonsense. i also realized that a lot of times, i was trying to compose blog posts in my head, but was never making the time to put them somewhere for keeps. they need to be somewhere for keeps. i need this.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">so, i might as well get back to it. even in my regularly irregular way. because it's okay to be messy, particularly if all this is supposed to be a reflection of myself and what life is like right now, it's messy and cluttered. but it's also good, and totally worth remembering.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">it's all okay. it'll be okay. and let's get on with it, already.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">to start off with, last friday we finally signed the platt and paid for the empty lot on the south side of our house. right now it's basically a big patch of weeds with two large trees in it, but we've basically just doubled the size of our property. it seemed like it took forever to get to this point (lots of submitting of papers to the city, lots of waiting, needing to get surveys done, and mike attending several city planning meetings of one kind and another). but now it's basically ours, and we can get on with the actual, physical doing involved.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">step one is going to be getting the trees checked out and having two trees removed from the back property line. i've always been a little wary of the big trees on the lot for the simple reason that they seemed to be constantly dropping large branches all over the place, and since i've never in my life been responsible for a large tree (or really anything bigger than a shrub), i assumed this wasn't exactly a good sign. so mike contacted a company that's going to check and trim the trees, and hopefully will determine that they're sound enough to leave in place. the trees at the back of the property seem to be fine, but they're right on the property line, and so are an issue when it comes to the fence we want to build around our new, bigger yard. once we have our tree issues resolved, we'll move on to step two, (hopefully) regrading.</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-31584081030460618472013-10-18T11:19:00.000-04:002013-10-18T11:19:36.945-04:00sometimes words are more than i can handle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i've been working on a post about some exciting news, but finding the words is more than i can seem to handle right now. so i'm posting some photos of what we've been up to lately (and some captions, because i guess i have enough words for that). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFvt2rNIOHs_mgb_w2LMTXyGWttcvMlB404cGrxKEgvoZOlrwfr9vfTmwZWZ1Q2LPJdee7jrLaMpJS6tDqQb9Btmy8qoU8oh59xEJaECkwD9m7oBDwW-qluRQKRfC1n9mCRBNdCHP-Ec/s1600/IMG_20131009_174942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFvt2rNIOHs_mgb_w2LMTXyGWttcvMlB404cGrxKEgvoZOlrwfr9vfTmwZWZ1Q2LPJdee7jrLaMpJS6tDqQb9Btmy8qoU8oh59xEJaECkwD9m7oBDwW-qluRQKRfC1n9mCRBNdCHP-Ec/s1600/IMG_20131009_174942.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> about a week and a half ago lucy started walking for real. she still seems to prefer crawling most of the time because she's still unsteady on her feet (and her crawl is a lot faster), but she definitely can go around on her own two feet without assistance. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYZuhSDuFgwtbFWDByf6GEBLjasVErttmeT0k2rSGQ2YXv_8I1Eh8EBtbZdX9wdPxOGGfWZyUAz6mkPDNWwjbC6VA4lM0yhk_PgDTztcJK5FsSevARftw6ChT5AYxWEANkDuO46-TEAc/s1600/IMG_20131009_125834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYZuhSDuFgwtbFWDByf6GEBLjasVErttmeT0k2rSGQ2YXv_8I1Eh8EBtbZdX9wdPxOGGfWZyUAz6mkPDNWwjbC6VA4lM0yhk_PgDTztcJK5FsSevARftw6ChT5AYxWEANkDuO46-TEAc/s1600/IMG_20131009_125834.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> sam has been working on his list of sight words, and has them pretty firmly under his belt (though he occasionally has trouble with short a and short i words, like "it" and "at" or "in" and "an"). since he was able to do most of the words on his flashcards, i started to string them together into short sentences for him to read. these are a few he was able to do. i'm hoping he'll realize that reading isn't too far from his grasp, though i'm not sure that he's all that interested in reading on his own. perhaps we need different reading materials.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-KzprWH3lIvlvroJVaNVUMMFmN0xe1LhyphenhyphenH0-NqEydP2KJtdIH4_lMQ1ceNvyszjQSn_pkXxwEvwKWxs8PVMiyzC3ea0sA-GUNVWId9C2MMiM52RnZOaEpjNmyqGbsR5KLCrXIO7Y7Mg/s1600/IMG_20131010_103500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-KzprWH3lIvlvroJVaNVUMMFmN0xe1LhyphenhyphenH0-NqEydP2KJtdIH4_lMQ1ceNvyszjQSn_pkXxwEvwKWxs8PVMiyzC3ea0sA-GUNVWId9C2MMiM52RnZOaEpjNmyqGbsR5KLCrXIO7Y7Mg/s1600/IMG_20131010_103500.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">air-popped popcorn is tasty AND entertaining,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTI9akTnRJXr6iuqOoSJJnYc2AYmhka_TJ9FjqAQf9xLBUMH87aeJrW58S7i7W1X24cLAR3a7ummQSJShJ6fnYaHnchHWegJLZSU86_xv-Cx6dGNukKkcr0kPWGMB_rndmqB-0cownpQM/s1600/IMG_20131010_103637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTI9akTnRJXr6iuqOoSJJnYc2AYmhka_TJ9FjqAQf9xLBUMH87aeJrW58S7i7W1X24cLAR3a7ummQSJShJ6fnYaHnchHWegJLZSU86_xv-Cx6dGNukKkcr0kPWGMB_rndmqB-0cownpQM/s1600/IMG_20131010_103637.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> and great for sharing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OUfNEN_KnhZYnl0KhDGIGZd_PJUCf1cDAVDHwwoC0PyKXSkTyN02N1rzwHPoMjNGEJPGqDqofw_s03IRnef9-N-Lbv3DJpWjvkfPeIG3_zDEyQj1ZuRao3qhMF0Wd14Dcf7clEF2zBc/s1600/IMG_20131010_181449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OUfNEN_KnhZYnl0KhDGIGZd_PJUCf1cDAVDHwwoC0PyKXSkTyN02N1rzwHPoMjNGEJPGqDqofw_s03IRnef9-N-Lbv3DJpWjvkfPeIG3_zDEyQj1ZuRao3qhMF0Wd14Dcf7clEF2zBc/s1600/IMG_20131010_181449.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> road trip view</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD8sNyvIP9o7PHsCDidTOH1sygDPPGbE0qgJAeP1s8AEBYDgciveyrViifWyBlODNVb0EO5Ggzd2flVluMPN7v3r1D0GoWzZAR7xIXK0tpHWsOyt1o0Hxy6hoSF7NxkdZ-_bziQj1b9k/s1600/IMG_20131011_134810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD8sNyvIP9o7PHsCDidTOH1sygDPPGbE0qgJAeP1s8AEBYDgciveyrViifWyBlODNVb0EO5Ggzd2flVluMPN7v3r1D0GoWzZAR7xIXK0tpHWsOyt1o0Hxy6hoSF7NxkdZ-_bziQj1b9k/s1600/IMG_20131011_134810.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and a few of niagara falls through a fence.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jCSZJd7cSuN0aRhXYTH63htCOjj8U9hqOyUI803pMqLC26N8mbReGtjNn18AJ3wOK9OcQrrs5TS0BJVnvIoMQsiw4YUp02T78VSJkqeoFFDvYZXpagGXmnTR0lP7-8AhyphenhyphenuXbDosBzAw/s1600/IMG_20131011_141239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jCSZJd7cSuN0aRhXYTH63htCOjj8U9hqOyUI803pMqLC26N8mbReGtjNn18AJ3wOK9OcQrrs5TS0BJVnvIoMQsiw4YUp02T78VSJkqeoFFDvYZXpagGXmnTR0lP7-8AhyphenhyphenuXbDosBzAw/s1600/IMG_20131011_141239.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> a ride around the state park is a good time to relax.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisssdunVJxR1wJHinUPRxOk4zwJaRk40X-PsMPUi4rmeAkRy4WlzdVmBm5VYFyhjK9o6UD2Yiz9-U0l7M-TngZJo9Qh0V9v5jfVg4FecfUuRCFiTIjycELhG-aHUdKPh9Cw9mxWd_lYmU/s1600/IMG_20131011_141518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisssdunVJxR1wJHinUPRxOk4zwJaRk40X-PsMPUi4rmeAkRy4WlzdVmBm5VYFyhjK9o6UD2Yiz9-U0l7M-TngZJo9Qh0V9v5jfVg4FecfUuRCFiTIjycELhG-aHUdKPh9Cw9mxWd_lYmU/s1600/IMG_20131011_141518.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">but sometimes it's better get out and walk.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAAr4iJyNhjBh9DlrUOCHUvEeGo8I9y6vQ9EMe3Z8Dc4IjZX9K5YURC6y7nIuX3VFNvyRzjSo_Ar5_nZo43dzOKy75DbLFu9jK0r3OH7CENFeAqNzBNP_rdqIHJynBubJhG0eh8fTu9c/s1600/IMG_20131011_150843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAAr4iJyNhjBh9DlrUOCHUvEeGo8I9y6vQ9EMe3Z8Dc4IjZX9K5YURC6y7nIuX3VFNvyRzjSo_Ar5_nZo43dzOKy75DbLFu9jK0r3OH7CENFeAqNzBNP_rdqIHJynBubJhG0eh8fTu9c/s1600/IMG_20131011_150843.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> perfect weather really makes everything feel grand.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_4bLMQGx-NiX7GreIZVWXSh0CdnfO-2sz_gzbwtyAIi6J2_F0fFeDTvk0Em5w4my5m380fW3EPTnQIZon55_iJfrC8xufT46ZUO7IwsgREdmeIEjOfRu1-tcYxCBdy63EDVVTMHkTsU/s1600/IMG_20131011_151316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_4bLMQGx-NiX7GreIZVWXSh0CdnfO-2sz_gzbwtyAIi6J2_F0fFeDTvk0Em5w4my5m380fW3EPTnQIZon55_iJfrC8xufT46ZUO7IwsgREdmeIEjOfRu1-tcYxCBdy63EDVVTMHkTsU/s1600/IMG_20131011_151316.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> but the water had places to go and things to do.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRrwneJi9YQ5f0_QeGn1PlWhxx6fcjf-41fJ2G7mMjDT-EmKVBHqrTnNZ5u7aK23MIgJbDFTtoRqXhmcV6ZUXjqQoQB-J7VnBAzrq05y89wWGm-MeikjgiFHeP5S-xmuyqvohhBdkb8E/s1600/IMG_20131011_151945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRrwneJi9YQ5f0_QeGn1PlWhxx6fcjf-41fJ2G7mMjDT-EmKVBHqrTnNZ5u7aK23MIgJbDFTtoRqXhmcV6ZUXjqQoQB-J7VnBAzrq05y89wWGm-MeikjgiFHeP5S-xmuyqvohhBdkb8E/s1600/IMG_20131011_151945.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> and we got a hitchhiker.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoD0PmxXQdlSBeyVeA-YxLIlzfNF5t6X2vzjFuA1EKmz32p6yLkwEsrkq0lPPpG1etlQdDGMcQO6gU3xijFkGR8kIBzfwTJaZsmVfni4hDBWV0wM6BwjxyKTBOkwy3virMWDAFiRynmg/s1600/IMG_20131011_190118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoD0PmxXQdlSBeyVeA-YxLIlzfNF5t6X2vzjFuA1EKmz32p6yLkwEsrkq0lPPpG1etlQdDGMcQO6gU3xijFkGR8kIBzfwTJaZsmVfni4hDBWV0wM6BwjxyKTBOkwy3virMWDAFiRynmg/s1600/IMG_20131011_190118.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> but then it was over.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVudccttbw4WYmGHbf5xkXXQhEgKvGeLjg8RkJuJaB9DHWDpF8IwpeoML0P5hIm2_pyOeY_x11ueHeF8fuXnjEosZ_oEnZigmNaXNDCwm6yPOfAyu8Qf1HNGeIm5pvV6tB8NNN6XjplvU/s1600/IMG_20131012_110800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVudccttbw4WYmGHbf5xkXXQhEgKvGeLjg8RkJuJaB9DHWDpF8IwpeoML0P5hIm2_pyOeY_x11ueHeF8fuXnjEosZ_oEnZigmNaXNDCwm6yPOfAyu8Qf1HNGeIm5pvV6tB8NNN6XjplvU/s1600/IMG_20131012_110800.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> and we drove back home.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtbPcLcc2bhTTbTkd0qgNNBu-Oerv4RE1WnCT44f-pH1MCtopshHg5Xcm7wWPAmCRoZ89_bt_nF_WbgJz82HDe2keo25wYfm1u6J_kIAaKxqjH0eC2n6p_5uQrzh-NEe3svZ3Iayz9Ps/s1600/IMG_20131012_150500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtbPcLcc2bhTTbTkd0qgNNBu-Oerv4RE1WnCT44f-pH1MCtopshHg5Xcm7wWPAmCRoZ89_bt_nF_WbgJz82HDe2keo25wYfm1u6J_kIAaKxqjH0eC2n6p_5uQrzh-NEe3svZ3Iayz9Ps/s1600/IMG_20131012_150500.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> to find that the halloween mask had arrived! brilliant!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFlMO9f_BKu8kwobgseDXAYnUBxM0k99WZ3ye4378S55JjDQW-xFJs9U2Jz0_rcYx3UrDlBFHfWeHNo6s5oDuq5aRTOECUSTbvaisN6y4dGuiVBwNNMk0QaLVIuzD8eCwULu2sXpFuDA/s1600/IMG_20131014_143739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFlMO9f_BKu8kwobgseDXAYnUBxM0k99WZ3ye4378S55JjDQW-xFJs9U2Jz0_rcYx3UrDlBFHfWeHNo6s5oDuq5aRTOECUSTbvaisN6y4dGuiVBwNNMk0QaLVIuzD8eCwULu2sXpFuDA/s1600/IMG_20131014_143739.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> there was a lot of picking up sam from school. and girly time with me and my little moviestar.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8vcJdW9XfBRnEew9vSNrBx99W3vgNPD7YV9y7jXps6uqphKKbW0s7k83Qbh2euEXdulUilq1EXk9hkoTq-TwOGSzqbwJ_Gwy3Ch5BQXsHKrxHt6g8p7H5GLoLCtwBp1ekuwUgvnp_3U/s1600/IMG_20131015_145605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8vcJdW9XfBRnEew9vSNrBx99W3vgNPD7YV9y7jXps6uqphKKbW0s7k83Qbh2euEXdulUilq1EXk9hkoTq-TwOGSzqbwJ_Gwy3Ch5BQXsHKrxHt6g8p7H5GLoLCtwBp1ekuwUgvnp_3U/s1600/IMG_20131015_145605.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">who was infatuated with daddy's stack of novels.</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-83622425867880999482013-09-27T23:50:00.001-04:002013-09-27T23:51:07.905-04:00life is happening, right here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq8hwUenpOx1JbI9bPl6lNfZtNMtejso4yNmm67uAcYjexYsUEuWNf_pT_lrCXB-n47Kp2-r2o5vSCPu9QTnjx8-AvV3V1DqmyXTxwi-Z9wZbAn86BIlNYdKLkFfVMnS9jpCvoJAb2-4/s1600/IMG_20130829_102750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq8hwUenpOx1JbI9bPl6lNfZtNMtejso4yNmm67uAcYjexYsUEuWNf_pT_lrCXB-n47Kp2-r2o5vSCPu9QTnjx8-AvV3V1DqmyXTxwi-Z9wZbAn86BIlNYdKLkFfVMnS9jpCvoJAb2-4/s320/IMG_20130829_102750.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">american dagger moth caterpillar crawling up the side of our house</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">here it is, nearly october, and it's been ages since anything has been put down in the blog. not a word about lucy's birthday parties (she had two), about me quitting my job (i did, and then i didn't), or about sam's adventures in preschool (he started the tuesday after labor day). so, in an effort to catch up, here are the highlights from the past two months:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggu-ZBQkAIKQydtLYV-gJzGNgephwgGcwB4f99KeDBUMYKkJzX5FLgdcQeSujvIH89mKI49lNMOuIbUQcJqsH5lUrIEIn-jJyaLQmogfM7YK_e-NblXnf_FR33zo3Xm2x2Zpd_USQk7Mk/s1600/IMG_20130811_205437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggu-ZBQkAIKQydtLYV-gJzGNgephwgGcwB4f99KeDBUMYKkJzX5FLgdcQeSujvIH89mKI49lNMOuIbUQcJqsH5lUrIEIn-jJyaLQmogfM7YK_e-NblXnf_FR33zo3Xm2x2Zpd_USQk7Mk/s320/IMG_20130811_205437.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lu's second birthday cake + </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lu successfully avoiding the token "messy first birthday cake" photos by using a fork </span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(seriously? what one-year-old does this? mine, apparently.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- the day after lu's first birthday, we packed up the car and left for the family reunion in minnesota. considering the length of the drive (and the ages of our little people), it was relatively painless. we enjoyed a week of playing and cooking and eating and hanging out (and more partying). the worst part of all that travel was having to leave after a week of reveling in the company of all that family (and easy access to lots and lots of swimming), and having to return to real life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the view from my new office window, right before i quit</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- but that's what we did. on monday after returning from vacation, mike and i headed back to work, leaving the kids in the hands of my very capable (and very tired, because they had also driven home from minnesota) parents. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">when i got to work, i officially gave notice that i would be leaving my job at the end of august. it was really hard for me to throw in the towel after being there for twelve years, but it seemed to be the best option for our family (not having to find a new sitter that would meet all of our requirements and still not cost an arm and a leg was the main consideration, of course). so, notice was given, and I spent the day unpacking my office (they had just relocated me to a better office with a great view *sigh*), and trying to wrap up a few projects that needed to be completed before the end of the month. the next day, my boss called to let me know that my resignation was rejected, and that her boss wanted to know if there was some arrangement we could come up with that would still allow me to work for them. i ended up signing an independent contractor agreement which allows me to work from home ten hours a week and i end up having more take-home pay (even with setting aside money for taxes at the end of the year) than i had when i was working twice as many hours and had to pay for childcare and transportation. i did lose any benefits i had retained when going to part-time, but since we are already paying into mike's benefits, it's not a huge loss. i'm still making out better than i would have if i'd simply gone to stay-at-home status. bonus.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the only hitch to working as a contractor was having to buy my own mac and software, but we figured if it needed to be done to continue working, it needed to be done, and we put down the chunk of change (though we'll easily make up the cost within the first few months of my contract) and bought a mac and software. of course we found out a week later that i was going to get my beloved work computer back (they wouldn't allow my personal computer access to the network, and i had network access written in as part of the contract). i now have two macs on my desk, and have done at least one (paid) project on each, so having spent the money wasn't so bad. huzzah.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i started my contract on september ninth, and have yet to have a ten-hours-only week, but i'm enjoying being home (for the most part), and that i still get to be a "working mom" if only in a very small capacity.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYSdJRbu6phnZrPTOccRhgLKzSA8K219W9mnxVM9s-VHfLPxb4DqmSGy9CqsCiKcF1FENxVx_ZHWRw7_Bue5_N-85wHcis0h7bx1DWlHdsJ_PD9N-CnRf9aCM1-SUfaI_yNaQBqyxtWc/s1600/IMG_20130831_194432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYSdJRbu6phnZrPTOccRhgLKzSA8K219W9mnxVM9s-VHfLPxb4DqmSGy9CqsCiKcF1FENxVx_ZHWRw7_Bue5_N-85wHcis0h7bx1DWlHdsJ_PD9N-CnRf9aCM1-SUfaI_yNaQBqyxtWc/s320/IMG_20130831_194432.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lu and grandparents + sam and mike at the concert (packed tight amongst the sea of concert goers)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- the last weekend in august, we took my parents out to the pixar concert at blossom as belated birthday gifts. it was a great night with good music and the foggiest, most surreal-looking fireworks display i've ever seen. i think john williams would have been more suited to our family (sam knows that music better, particularly star wars), but still, it was a lot of fun.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">obligatory first day of school photo</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- sam started at the onaway preschool the tuesday after labor day. his teacher, the awesome mrs. k, has sent home good reports so far, and sam seems to really be enjoying his time there and making new friends. we did have one report of too much talking (not surprising), but overall, preschool seems to have been a good decision and sam looks forward to the days he has school.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy flipping through her books</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- lucy, for her part, is enjoying a little bit of only-child time during the two and a half hours that sam spends at school. most of the time she will play quietly by herself (something she doesn't get to do very often when sam is around), and i'm able to put in an hour or so of work. her two favorite pastimes are looking through her books (it's better if someone reads to her, but she will spend lots of time just looking on her own), and going through the box of hand-me-down shoes that came from cousin alice.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">this morning we read our way through a stack of books and would probably have kept going if i hadn't popped some baby einstein in the vcr so that i could go make breakfast. i'm pretty sure that if having a kid that won't let me stop reading to them is my biggest problem, then life is pretty good.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy's favorite book right now is "brown bear, brown bear" and we've read it so many times that i can just recite it to her (which lucy thinks is almost as good, and likes that best when she's feeling fussy). i think it's the rhythm that she likes, and we often see her rocking back and forth to the words, but i can also see her mouth trying to imitate what she sees my mouth doing when i say the words. if she finds my recitation fascinating, i find her watching me just as much so.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy has also gotten to the point where she is easily cruising around the furniture and seems a bit disappointed when she gets to the end, but not confident enough to try to step out on her own. she can (and frequently does) stand up in the middle of the room without holding on to anything, and she can sway and dance and bop there before sitting down (or more likely plopping down) on her bottom.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she is obsessed with babies, and any book that has a baby in it. since baby is one of her few words, she uses it frequently for things that are clearly not babies (like daddy, for instance). she also enjoys giving lots (and lots) of kisses (which i find incredibly endearing, to say the least).</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">her new word for today was "stinky", which she heard sam say and then kept trying to repeat over and over. she can also say "taco" and "apple" quite well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">so that, basically, is the wrap-up of the last month and a half (or so). we're looking forward to october (though i'm getting anxious about the impending halloween costume making part of the month—ack!) and the candy corn it will bring. we have a few adventures on the horizon, and hopefully there will be more (timely) updates in the near future.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">sam in goggles (because, when all is said and done, who doesn't enjoy a photo of a kid in ridiculously over-sized goggles?)</span></div>
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--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-30764033732825737312013-08-27T22:04:00.000-04:002013-08-27T22:04:41.705-04:00project lucy—12 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">things i want to remember about one-year-old lucy:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she will eat a mountain of peas or green beans while waiting for dinner as if it was chocolate chips, or fishy crackers, or grapes. she is my all-star veggie eater and seems to be reinforcing sam's hypothesis that girls eat vegetables and boys eat sausage (except that she eats sausage too).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she dances to everything (and nothing), and it's awesome. she will also sing if sam is singing, and sometimes for no reason at all.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she loves stuffed animals, particularly her bear "ed" who gets lots of hugs and kisses on his fuzzy little head.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she is currently obsessed with babies and loves to point out any "beebees" she sees (this includes sam's ironman action figure and a lego robot that sam made, and sometimes daddy).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she also enjoys pointing out windows ("dow") and doors ("dow") as well as lights now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she also enjoys pointing out daddy (and grandpa).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- i could've sworn she said spongebob today when the tv was on.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she likes to unload things (toys out of her basket or recycling out of the bin, it doesn't matter), and sometimes she even puts it back when she's done (or at least a little bit).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she still puts all kinds of crazy stuff in her mouth, but i think she's getting a little better about it, at least, she pauses now if we say "no".</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- in the last few weeks since she turned one she's been doing new things by leaps and bounds. she climbs stairs (and the step-stool) with ease and confidence (but she can't get down, so she'll sit and yell until someone comes to the rescue). she will shake her head yes, and make the sign for more, and "peas, peas" in response to my asking "yes, please?" it's kind of adorable.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she definitely has opinions on things, and she will let us know if things are not happening in the way she wants them to happen (and loudly). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- she is the perfect person to snuggle up with in the evening, and my favorite person to be out and about with as she is very easy going and enjoys being charming for others.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">- and speaking of charming, she crawled up to me today, planted a kiss on my shoulder, and then gave me a mega-watt smile and a hug. she knows how to capture my heart, bigtime.</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-45567605617449852302013-07-30T14:28:00.000-04:002013-07-30T14:28:03.752-04:00my little hero—or how sam saved a damsel in distress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">shortly after mike picked the kiddos up from the sitter's yesterday, he messaged me to let me know that sam's good friend tabitha (whom he has been spending his mondays and wednesdays with over the summer) was in the hospital. apparently tabitha had swallowed some small, round magnets that were part of a toy (sam said they looked like gobstoppers). sam, after seeing her swallow one in his presence, immediately went and informed tabitha's mom about what she had done. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">it turns out that tabitha had swallowed a total of 13 magnets over the last few days and without sam's report, no one would have known. we were relieved to hear that she is in good spirits today and that it appears that no permanent damage was done (and i guess those magnets have the potential to do some serious damage). they had to go in with a scope, but it appears that they were able to remove them all, and she is now in recovery.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">besides being thankful that tabitha will be fine, i was so glad that sam a) didn't get talked into trying to "taste" any magnets himself, and b) that he knew enough to go and tell an adult what had happened. appropriately, the boy who plays "knights and princess-knights" was able to help rescue his princess-knight friend. my hero!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">in other sam news, we had our registration appointment this morning. sam is now an official shaker heights preschool student! we also received his session assignment (he'll be in the afternoon class), and found out his teacher will be mrs. k. there are two pre-preschool events at the end of august, and he will officially start on tuesday, september 3rd!</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-81073360730736213122013-07-13T09:23:00.000-04:002013-07-13T09:23:00.918-04:00the lucy project—month 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">month 11 was a big one for lucy. in the last four weeks, she has:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">gotten three more top teeth, which followed the first one on the left one after the other toward the right. they all seemed to be coming in almost at the same time, which didn't seem to bother her much during the day, but made sleeping a bit difficult for a few nights. we actually fed her tylenol once when she was particularly miserable, but beyond that, it wasn't so bad. so now she's got a total of six working chompers (all the better to eat birthday cake with, right?) unfortunately, she still thinks that she ought to be putting anything and everything into her mouth (gross!) she particularly enjoys finding my hairs (or pulling them out of my head) and putting them in her mouth (double gross). i can't figure out why anyone would want to put hairs in their mouth, i'm constantly trying to keep from getting them in mine.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">started crawling—for real. she can get around really well now, which means we're living in a baby-gate environment again. she hasn't attempted going up the stairs yet, so that's a plus. the biggest issue is sam moving the gates and not telling anyone that they're not secured anymore. so far we haven't had any incidents. i'm hoping our luck holds out. in the meantime, she enjoys traveling around the house on her own, and following us around as we do things here and there.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">started pulling up to stand on her own. it took her a while to feel confident enough to give this a shot, but now she does it really well. convincing sam that she doesn't need helping all the time is still a bit of an issue (such a helpful older brother!), but she handles all the assistance with grace (screeching at the top of her lungs).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">become obsessed with the remotes. i think i need to locate sam's remote (the one with no batteries that doesn't work a single thing).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">started pointing out the lights and saying "aye". yesterday we were shopping for groceries and she randomly started pointing and saying "aye!" i think she feels very clever for having figured this out.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i'm pretty sure she was trying to say baby the other day (just like sam with the yo-baby yogurt). she kept saying, "beee beee beee." it was pretty cute (of course).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">started to make this grin when she thinks something is funny where she opens her mouth and crinkles her nose. i tried to get a photo of it, but she's so wiggly that getting a clear shot is practically impossible.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">we're now counting down the days until she turns into a "years kid" (as sam puts it). i'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that she's almost a year old. it seems like just a few weeks ago that i brought her little, tiny self home. a few weeks and a million diapers ago, that is.</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-20625840965936439462013-06-17T15:53:00.002-04:002013-06-17T15:53:21.693-04:00tunnel of fudge cake—a cautionary tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlk8dl-Cej8kAjeEI6eP21lZbPwUNsBuY42p8V27mP6RWE-anKFHYGh36E_KNcNdR3NfIuRwZspIPQH-k_RNYbRQRpVEkR_snKAwunORUWC-w0yj5e9HFPtpFC2AV3aB5kZeZTY0JCV4/s1600/IMG_20130609_083252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlk8dl-Cej8kAjeEI6eP21lZbPwUNsBuY42p8V27mP6RWE-anKFHYGh36E_KNcNdR3NfIuRwZspIPQH-k_RNYbRQRpVEkR_snKAwunORUWC-w0yj5e9HFPtpFC2AV3aB5kZeZTY0JCV4/s640/IMG_20130609_083252.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">as a general rule, i'm not a cake person (i like to save my calories for more important things, like </span><a href="http://fuzzylizards.blogspot.com/2008/10/more-football.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">hot pretzels</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> and </span><a href="http://fuzzylizards.blogspot.com/2009/10/friday-pieday.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">pie</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">). but there are times when i make an exception, and mom's birthday is one of them.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">mom used to make this recipe for aunt margy on her birthday, but now i make it for her on her birthday. it's totally rich and completely delicious. it's also really dangerous (<i>do not</i> keep this cake in your possession unless you have people around to help you eat it. because you'll want to eat it all. you'll try not to, and <i>you'll fail</i>.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><u><b>tunnel of fudge cake</b></u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>cake:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 1 3/4 cups margarine or butter, softened</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 6 eggs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 2 cups powdered sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour*</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 2 cups chopped nuts (we use walnuts)**</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>glaze:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 3/4 cup powdered sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>directions:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">heat oven to 350°F. grease and flour fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. in large bowl, beat margarine and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. gradually add powdered sugar; blend well. by hand, stir in remaining cake ingredients until well blended. spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. bake at 350°F for 58 to 62 minutes.*** cool upright in pan on wire rack 1 hour; invert onto serving plate. cool completely.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">in small bowl, combine glaze ingredients until well blended. spoon over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. store tightly covered.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">*last year i attempted to make this cake while watching sam, forgot to put in the flour, and had to do a total re-do after the inversion was an epic fail. do not forget the flour. it is not optional. this year i waited until the kids went to bed to bake and got it right on the first try. rock.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">**nuts are also essential. do not omit. if you don't like nuts, make something else. also, you're crazy. if you're allergic to nuts, you're not necessarily crazy, but you should probably avoid contact with us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">***since this cake has a soft tunnel of fudge, ordinary doneness tests do not apply. accurate oven temperature and bake time are essential. prayers to the baking gods are good too. no burnt offerings.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">makes 16 servings</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">nutrition (1/16th of cake): 540 calories, 8g protein, 58g carbs, 33g fat, 100mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 300 mg sodium, 160mg potassium, 4% calcium US RDA, 10% iron US RDA</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-78416509481367073012013-06-11T17:16:00.000-04:002013-06-11T17:16:20.299-04:00the lucy project—month 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy at 10 months old:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">likes to snack on rice krispies. yes, plain old rice krispies. she's figured out that if she gets her fingers wet, they stick. so she'll put out her little pointer finger and catch one on the tip and then put it in her mouth. she'll sit and eat a whole pile of them this way. it's very cute. plus it makes a great distraction while i'm trying to get dinner made.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">is still eating like a champ. she consistently amazes me with her willingness to try just about anything i dangle in front of her little mouth. last weekend she ate a bunch of mom's three bean salad, despite the vingary dressing (i don't think sam would've done that at her age). and the tuesday before that she put a ginormous (well, relatively ginormous) piece of watermelon in her mouth before i could cut it up for her. i thought maybe she'd have a little trouble with it, but no, she handled it. and quickly too! her most recent favorites: chocolate chip cookies (duh), ice cream (double duh, and there might be some crying when it's gone), and raisins (i believe she would eat raisins all day long if i let her).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">is recently doing this yoga move where she puts her head down on the floor while sitting with her legs in front of her, and then gives a great big smile. my little yogi. it reminds me of sam tilting his head and giving his "i'm turning on my cuteness" smile.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">has discovered the "let's drop this on the floor and see if someone will pick it up for me" game. she loves it. me, not so much.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">has started to roll a ball back and forth with me</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">can turn off her own light switch (as long as someone is holding her there to do it, of course)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">likes to brush her own teeth (she recently got her own real toothbrush)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and speaking of teeth, is attempting to sprout a third one on top (though oddly, it doesn't appear to be one of the front two)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">every once in a while will make motions like she's going to go crawling across the floor, or pull herself up to stand holding onto the coffee table. i've never actually seen her do it yet though.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">will start clapping her hands when she hears me start to sing "if you're happy and you know it" and will click her tongue if she hears me sing the "bingo" song (that's the noise i make when i leave out letters)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">has actually been going to bed in her very own crib and will typically stay there until 1 or 2am, but i have to put her down on her side. i almost always find her on her back when she wakes up.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">will sit and play and play as long as sam is in the same room with her (he doesn't even have to be playing with her, just there making noises or describing the "game" he's made up in excruciating detail. that boy is magic. also his imagination is tremendous.)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">is overall such a sweet, charming little person. i'm still not sure how i got so lucky to have TWO amazing children. probably better not to question it, but just enjoy.</span></li>
</ul>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-85194764516122956462013-05-20T16:44:00.000-04:002013-05-20T16:44:35.804-04:00happy monday—a few videos to perk up your day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i know i've posted this one of sam on facebook, but i want to spread it around <i>because it's awesome.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxqAdcNexu37GN4KP-giFSDQCkoxDXZfzdQ1Jl5Ed21f4nX3Jkg_dl4ZEjIgqJI7Vu9eKJ16x-hbtX-8nVm' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and here's one of sam speeding off on his bike. i want to remember him with his legs pumping like crazy. every time he goes zooming off, i think it's the cutest thing ever. (i don't usually worry about the zooming because he's been trained to stop at the corners and wait for a grown-up. sometimes he gets off his bike and stands with his arms out waiting for a hug.)</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxIAZyK8XGpsU76Y_f_a6Y5SxUbzLs5GNW_R8znvbgmUaPnA170rDEm0MLZQBKBOu9hGfPX52bWrfCaUgMyPg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and here are a couple of videos of lucy being lucy. i love how she does that hop and slide thing in the jumpster. she doesn't get a whole lot of time in there much anymore (i even took it down last week so we could build a tent in the doorway).</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyWIqTkV8nYFRvC3b2jMBIxHN8_zVCUYknILX2AmJ8tDMZEjw2b08P9kWOvyIlWHWF6Dbe2c350BDKXs_2zYw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyaWMKTZ1vBd-Wl7i3As8y6jCL2cCjDcraYm8dgP8_osWS1bzEqR4IVlcLG-xZu8xraG7N_m5NTAvcPMD9s1w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-15391381242305335032013-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:002013-05-17T11:34:38.638-04:00salad days—black bean and corn salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKrO9JzyAnMOShKp7sY_ea7k3JgaTFYAhrO8tTRTDBP4fhWWlSG2ruo8bP-Dz8xPsrWNQbnYi4-48jFiBB_TYoXBEew9GSyhNN2pHNuM_Hrw4Gx6M7I7t4OSN159D1gxQZvpHMLR-WNs/s1600/blackbeansalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKrO9JzyAnMOShKp7sY_ea7k3JgaTFYAhrO8tTRTDBP4fhWWlSG2ruo8bP-Dz8xPsrWNQbnYi4-48jFiBB_TYoXBEew9GSyhNN2pHNuM_Hrw4Gx6M7I7t4OSN159D1gxQZvpHMLR-WNs/s400/blackbeansalad.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">this is another salad i like to throw together regularly. it's got a lot of my favorite things in it, and again, it's made with things that i usually have on hand.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><u>ingredients</u>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1 can black beans <i>(i like goya best)</i> drained and rinsed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup frozen corn lightly zapped in the microwave <i>(if i had real corn, like corn on the cob that i've cooked and is left over from another meal, i'd totally use that, but normally all i've got is frozen, so that's what i use)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1 plum tomato, chopped with seeds removed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cucumber, chopped with seeds removed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">about 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper <i>(green is what i normally have, but sometimes i'm fancy and i buy a red one)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">2-3 green onions, chopped</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">handful of cilantro, chopped <i>(i would consider this optional because i don't always have it on hand, but when i do you bet it's in there)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">baby spinach</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><u>for dressing</u> <i>(i don't really have measurements for this, i just eyeball it)</i>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lime juice <i>(fresh if you have it, bottled if you're me)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">cumin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">garlic powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">dried oregano</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">green tobasco <i>(if you're into that kind of thing. i totally am.)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">pepper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><u>instructions</u>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1) chop your veg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">2) put in bowl with beans</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">3) mix up your dressing, pour into bowl</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">4) toss with spinach</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">5) eat!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-46864609963296715342013-05-16T11:30:00.000-04:002013-05-16T11:30:27.958-04:00salad days—bulgar and lentil salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrT6_ICH-dN4TBL2SVbvs3r6vlevqXAg8sfRYZbrp5MuxSnD9Fb7lWRuv2ZYe4T3JyDnE_rlyKM7WolR0hFOZLEpsxtr2bBtghppmuSWQ3dKZvmCLeGRo9sMeYbq-O5-0iHB4zilBgUPs/s1600/bulgarlentilsalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrT6_ICH-dN4TBL2SVbvs3r6vlevqXAg8sfRYZbrp5MuxSnD9Fb7lWRuv2ZYe4T3JyDnE_rlyKM7WolR0hFOZLEpsxtr2bBtghppmuSWQ3dKZvmCLeGRo9sMeYbq-O5-0iHB4zilBgUPs/s400/bulgarlentilsalad.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the weather here has finally been warming up a bit, which means instead of soups i've been making loads of salads. this is one that i make a lot because it requires things i usually have in the house, it's quick to throw together, and it's tasty. it might even be healthy <i>(though my portions probably negate the "healthiness" factor)</i>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">anywho, on with the ingredients:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup bulgar wheat <i>(i use bob's red mill bulgar)</i> + 1/2 cup water for cooking</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1/4 cup lentils + 3 cups water for cooking</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cucumber, chopped and seeds removed <i>(i usually get a pretty big cucumber so that there's some to snack on)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1 plum tomato, chopped and seeds removed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1 green onion, chopped <i>(optional, i don't always remember to put this in)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">garlic powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">pepper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lemon juice <i>(fresh is probably best, and if you've got lemons in the house, more power to you. i don't.)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">baby spinach</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and the instructions <i>(for people who follow instructions—i.e. not me)</i>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1) cook your bulgar wheat <i>(i've forgotten what it says on the package, but i just cook it about 1:1 like i would couscous—bring water to a boil, pour in wheat, cover, remove from heat—by the time i'm done with everything else, it's ready to go)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">2) cook your lentils <i>(bring water to a boil, dump in your lentils, turn heat down to a low boil and let them cook away for about 20 minutes, drain and rinse)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">3) chop your veg (don't forget to test your cucumber, or have your taste-tester help with this part)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">4) once everything is chopped and cooked, throw it all in a bowl <i>(well, not THROW, but dump carefully so that you don't get your counter all messy like mine)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">5) sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">6) drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil <i>(i don't measure, but i'm guessing about a tablespoon of each)</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">7) give that mess a big stir to make sure it's all mixed up and thoroughly confused</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">8) serve over baby spinach</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i could totally go for a big bowl of this right now. i'm kind of obsessed.</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-85135337343715781642013-05-10T17:04:00.000-04:002013-05-10T17:04:01.482-04:00project sam—update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrKaeFG7PDMCSzq6DEeJ297R4B0wVP9u20VwXz4o0Wn9cSnBaXHx8NxheejsEIBP5CwT0Mt5OQXzq6txx8ifueJw06wgSFoSWIp9jmw4Rx2NvdlzLKkQlbm6yK4FGjI6aIvFCZ26v_HM/s1600/samupdate1_5.2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrKaeFG7PDMCSzq6DEeJ297R4B0wVP9u20VwXz4o0Wn9cSnBaXHx8NxheejsEIBP5CwT0Mt5OQXzq6txx8ifueJw06wgSFoSWIp9jmw4Rx2NvdlzLKkQlbm6yK4FGjI6aIvFCZ26v_HM/s640/samupdate1_5.2013.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsefBGzVRBlJCifyZ0aoI0lEZC55g9hn7xiKI24qKEQcZt7J4tbns2MM-WAG71dsnt9M5TPoHVRxZBk3t4TDo8BiZQBayVweh9l56uOUoolX7IbyKbtLKnDzMAYYt-xWXs-PbcvbcYxo/s1600/samupdate3_5.2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsefBGzVRBlJCifyZ0aoI0lEZC55g9hn7xiKI24qKEQcZt7J4tbns2MM-WAG71dsnt9M5TPoHVRxZBk3t4TDo8BiZQBayVweh9l56uOUoolX7IbyKbtLKnDzMAYYt-xWXs-PbcvbcYxo/s640/samupdate3_5.2013.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">sam and lucy playing airport</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOihiYmNoEuM-g3tRql1DxcJkRWgwOICYXnO-Sqo7EaIROTmBrTT6bDu51RJo2WGPd19U0j2zvm_7AIQyJkwjryOmJbkf1Pe1zSdYKkxRsSQbI_FdX0_e9Pz6RrwtX-qODGtEsd0nd82Q/s1600/samupdate2_5.2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOihiYmNoEuM-g3tRql1DxcJkRWgwOICYXnO-Sqo7EaIROTmBrTT6bDu51RJo2WGPd19U0j2zvm_7AIQyJkwjryOmJbkf1Pe1zSdYKkxRsSQbI_FdX0_e9Pz6RrwtX-qODGtEsd0nd82Q/s640/samupdate2_5.2013.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">sam singing "itsy-bitsy spider" to lucy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">sam's also had some new developments as of late:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he's now started doing a little basic math with mike (mostly addition), which he seems to enjoy. he's also reading more every day and looks forward to words that mike will sometimes leave on the white board for him before leaving for work. we've also started regular letter writing practice, and before sam is allowed to play with the ipad each day he has to practice letters. he's able to write his name, so enjoys doing that more than anything else. we've started to introduce other letters, and he's doing pretty well with most of them.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he's becoming a bit more adventurous when it comes to foods and is now asking for celery and even tried some sweet red pepper recently (though he didn't really like it). he's had kale chips (like) and cucumber (like), and requested broccoli as his vegetable last night. perhaps i'll make him into a veggie-lover afterall.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he's been honing his drawing skills and has done some impressive drawings of "angry birds" recently. he's also been doing a lot better at coloring in the lines when he's asked to (i don't normally give him things to color in, i prefer to just give him blank paper, but we do have some coloring books around).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">this week he had two days of preschool screening to be a "peer model". yesterday they said we would find out by the end of the day monday if he was accepted, but they called earlier today to let us know that he was. we're pretty excited, though this will mean a drastic change to our daily schedule. sam was very enthusiastic when we picked him up both days, and i think it will be good for him to experience what classes are like, and it will be fun for him to meet new kids and make new friends.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">on tuesday i finally pulled out the fisher-price airport toy that i've been holding in reserve. sam has commented over and over again how much fun it is, and i'm having a blast watching him and lucy play with toys that i had so much fun with when i was younger. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">i'm sorry that i haven't had time for more posts lately, but if you want to see what we're up to daily, feel free to check out my </span><a href="http://instagram.com/rhnordstrom?ref=badge" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">instagram feed</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">. there are new photos <i>almost</i> daily.</span></span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-20595946087656004012013-05-10T15:13:00.000-04:002013-05-10T15:13:53.626-04:00project lucy—month 9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">9 month stats for bitty bean: 14lbs 15oz (5.4%) and 26.75in (18.02%)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy, despite her bitty stature is shaping up to be just as big a personality as her big brother. bullet points for the little miss at 9 months:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">eats like cah-razy. seriously. even our daycare provider has commented on her ability to pack it in. and she is still eating anything and everything. each day is a taste adventure, and she is totally in. she has had guac and beans from chipotle, and decided they were awesome (we train early). i'm amazed at what she can manage with her one, lonely, little tooth.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and speaking of eating, she has discovered how to stuff her own face in the last week or so. her favorite finger foods are cheerios, bread, pieces of waffle, cinnamon teddy grahams, and pieces of pear.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she has discovered that she can scoot around on her bottom on the hardwood and linoleum floors by pushing with her hands or grabbing onto things and pulling, so she's slightly more mobile these days. i am trying to curb her enthusiasm for harassing the plants. she has also tried pulling up to stand using the coffee (and ended up bonking her head, silly little bear).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she still loves to be sung to, and will do some of the motions to itsy-bitsy spider on occassion </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>(see above photo)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she's a hot sleeper. she wakes from naps with a sweaty little head, my "sweaty spaghetti".</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">is just getting over her first bout of croup, which has left us all a little more sleep deprived than normal (except for sam, who is as rambunctious as ever).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">does a lot of talking and makes lots of sounds. we frequently hear "dada", "mama", "buhbuh", "goodgood", and something that sounds a lot like sam's rocket noise (she likes to use this noise when flying transformers around, or just about any other toy).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy also can wave hi and bye, though she rarely does it on command. she usually reserves this skill for sammy, daddy, her mirror friend, and occasionally grandparents. smiles are also a little bit reserved, but she passes out curious glances by the ton (lots of people comment on her "big eyes" as she examines the world around her).</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy is such a wonderful, curious, cheerful little person. a little sunshine in a rosy-cheeked package!</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-77423855080443179962013-04-11T10:25:00.001-04:002013-04-11T10:25:07.293-04:00project lucy—month 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">this is lucy at eight months old. she's quite the awesome little person (despite the fact that she's a lousy sleeper). there haven't been big, monumental changes since my last update (probably because i waited so long to do her seven month post), but she's definitely keeping us busy (at three o'clock in the morning, no less).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i'm constantly marveling at the differences between sam and lucy (well, not in the looks department, of course). at eight months sam was all over the place crawling and cruising around the furniture. for the most part, lucy is fairly content to stay where she's put. i tried getting her down on all fours the other day, but despite the fact that she rocked back and forth, she was not happy about that situation. at eight months sam had at least four teeth, but lucy has only sprouted one so far (and even that one is taking it's time poking it's way up). she's also not exactly huge in the size department and can easily fit into 3–6 month onesies (depending on how stuffed her diaper is). i think lucy is just interested in doing things in her own time. i keep telling her that it's okay to not grow up too quickly, i really don't mind.</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-78975898360366735752013-04-04T16:31:00.001-04:002013-04-11T09:53:07.864-04:00first tooth!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy's first tooth is finally sprouting! after months of anticipation i can finally see (and feel) the little white ridges on her little gums. one little tooth is poking through, and if i hadn't randomly stuck my finger in her mouth to feel about, i would have been none the wiser (ie there hasn't been any extra fussing on its account). there has been, however, a new sound effect today which is somewhere between a kissing and popping noise. I tried to get video but she keeps stopping each time i try. figures, eh? </span><br />
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--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-78457915192811821102013-04-02T13:47:00.001-04:002013-04-03T08:01:34.416-04:00project lucy—month 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">at seven months old lucy can now sit confidently and is making attempts to try to scoot or crawl (mostly ending up with her face-first or falling over on the floor). she will happily sit and play on her own for 20 minutes at a time (or until she decides to make an unsuccessful attempt at an escape). she still has no interest in being on her tummy, so the occasional flops onto her belly leave her rather upset, and she will do her best to roll over asap.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">her favorite toy is her xylophone, though she is also highly entertained by rattles and trucks, but watching sam turn on his silly makes her smile and laugh more than any toy can. she is still tasting everything, and typically has a plethora of chew toys </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(or a star wars action figure) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">at her disposal . </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she is definitely a fan of music and likes being sung to (particularly at diaper change times when she needs a bit of distraction). she's also very talkative and will babble loudly (often in church).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she is still eating everything she can wrap her little toothless mouth around, so figuring out what her favorite food is is basically impossible. so far she has tried: pears, peaches, apples, prunes, bananas, avocados, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, black beans, red beans, green beans, yogurt, lentils, cheerios and oatmeal. if only she could get beyond the spitting up. i'm still waiting hopefully for the end of that phase.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she likes being read to, and playing with her friend in the mirror. yesterday we read a book with little mirrors in it, and each time i turned the page, she leaned forward toward the mirror and put her mouth on it, and then sat back up. i think she was giving the cute baby kisses. it was adorable.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">she still doesn't sleep through the night, but she does spend several hours a night in her own bed. our pre-bedtime snuggles is one of my favorite parts of the day, so i usually hold and feed her until she drops off to sleep and then put her down. i suppose i could sleep train her and let her cry, but i figure she's going to be too old for snuggles soon, and i'd much rather enjoy this time with her instead.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">lucy is extremely curious and enjoys being part of the action. i think this is one of her main obstacles to sleeping, as she doesn't really want to miss anything. her best naps happen when she's riding around in the ergo, and i'm fine with that, since having her near makes me just about as happy as can be.</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-33988029837177521752013-04-02T12:18:00.000-04:002013-04-02T12:20:29.367-04:00project lucy—month 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xng5z0PqCTQfBmYt5-N1l1-KzMpVT0cn5lgY0kKPkR4QsPBSuAG4dr7WvvEjBsh3vmpWLKlF0WRwFlqDm4JXXvtefAJZDG5Wq99HIHHIaym6GsRTVgzgcqnz_xLF7t6jBhTKPhpdfPY/s1600/6%E2%80%93months%E2%80%93old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xng5z0PqCTQfBmYt5-N1l1-KzMpVT0cn5lgY0kKPkR4QsPBSuAG4dr7WvvEjBsh3vmpWLKlF0WRwFlqDm4JXXvtefAJZDG5Wq99HIHHIaym6GsRTVgzgcqnz_xLF7t6jBhTKPhpdfPY/s640/6%E2%80%93months%E2%80%93old.jpg" width="425" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">6 month old lucy is focused on two things: sitting and eating. at 6 months lucy is just starting to really work on sitting on her own. she enjoys being plopped down in the middle of a pile of toys (with the boppy around her for when she eventually falls over) and spending some quality time tasting them all.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">and speaking of tasting, lucy is taking to solids like a duck to water. despite the fact that she still has no teeth, lucy is becoming quite a good little eater, and enjoys everything that's put in her adorable, little mouth.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">stats: weight 13lbs 4oz (5.84%), height 25.75 (45.54%)</span>--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-52209282635978959312013-04-02T11:16:00.000-04:002013-04-02T12:19:49.109-04:00project sam—4 years old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiG1_GnHKjDfA_zBC9ktDFRl1dw839uHMfP04RRaySgdQl_nyStZkdQMUa4JcIU9M9uslUZ1Swsxoxbm0q7mJq0tTkFYgITdH9W9pXEIor5Wp_CNVlOuvXHkHFPahm5XEGxiCgtiVXds/s1600/sam_4yearsold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiG1_GnHKjDfA_zBC9ktDFRl1dw839uHMfP04RRaySgdQl_nyStZkdQMUa4JcIU9M9uslUZ1Swsxoxbm0q7mJq0tTkFYgITdH9W9pXEIor5Wp_CNVlOuvXHkHFPahm5XEGxiCgtiVXds/s640/sam_4yearsold.jpg" width="473" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">i know this post comes a bit late, but it seems to me that "better late than never" is a good motto to go by. in any case, here are some bullet points for sam now that he's had four whole years of awesomeness:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">star wars is still VERY important. a day without star wars is a day that has not been lived to it's full potential.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">angry birds (and angry birds—star wars) are also key in a life worth living. and if he can manage to convince us that he deserves to use the ipad, then he is one happy fellow. also, he cannot be trusted to not explore via the ipad (this boy is a clicking maniac), so he needs to be watched like a hawk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he has opened his own diner (with his sister as sous chef). it's a great place to grab a slice of pizza and an ice cream cone. he also makes a mean grilled cheese, and lots of interesting salads.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he is not above playing with trains and cars still. this sometimes surprises me. i thought perhaps he'd outgrown that phase, but every once in a while it shows up with a vengeance.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he's great at sharing toys with his sister (provided she doesn't put them in her mouth). </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he still gets frustrated when he thinks he ought to be able to do something and can't. this includes playing lego games on the playstation as well as daddy does. i keep telling him daddy has had lots of practice (LOTS and LOTS of practice). he will be way too good at it before long.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he has learned how to work the vcr, including what channel to put the tv on and enjoys picking out features to watch (particularly baby einstein and yellow submarine). he still hasn't mastered the idea of having to be patient while a video tape rewinds (he is the child of a dvd/netflix age).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he likes to bake with mommy.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">despite the fact that he can dress himself perfectly well on his own, he enjoys having someone dress him (which basically means being in the room while he dresses himself).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you can survive all the lightsabering, bad-guy shooting, and general boyishness, he's a really sweet kid.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">he is learning how to sound out words. he calls it spelling. he gets super excited when daddy leaves new words for him to sound out on his little white board.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">is really starting to be interested in swimming. he can touch in most parts of the indoor pool at the gym, and enjoys jumping in and putting his face under the water. for a while it was a trauma to get his whole head wet, but not anymore! he has also starting practicing his kicking and moving his arms (not exactly successfully, but he's finally making the effort).</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">every day with sam is a great adventure, and i'm sure this year is going to be chock-full of new accomplishments!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the stats: weight 35lbs, 7oz (50.28%) and height 39.5" (37.62%)</span></div>
--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8029796101542706052.post-33859284755794648442013-02-07T16:48:00.000-05:002013-02-07T19:01:41.257-05:00two videos<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">because i just figured out how to get them off my phone. and because my kids are cute.</span></div>
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<br />--rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397304709781014898noreply@blogger.com0