Wow, you guys are a very obedient lot, aren't you? Thanks for all the nice comments yesterday. The birthday was pretty fantastic. We had pancakes for breakfast! And an afternoon nap! And a very yummy dinner! With an ice cream cake! And a fantastic gift from Chip (along with the new crackberry phone, which is awesome)! So, in summary: #35, very nice. Looking foward to #36.
Let's talk about something very important, shall we? Like the fact that I don't remember the last time I was able to go to the bathroom by myself before 7pm? How come no one warned me about that particular little gem of motherhood? (They should have a special section in your childbirth class: Steps to a Successful Bathroom Trip When You Are a Mother.) Now that Alice is mobile, gone are the days when I could sit her in a bouncy seat while I took care of business. Now I'm carting sixteen different toys in there, along with the baby. And I don't even know what happened yesterday except to say that Alice thinks she can walk by osmosis or something. If she's surrounded by things that are her same height (say, for instance, the bathtub, my knees, and the hamper) - she's all about just letting go of a stablizer and just free-wheeling it, which inevitably leaves her careening into the wall. My favorite part of the bathroom trip? Comforting a crying baby on my lap, my pants in a little heap around my ankles. Makes me feel like a real grown-up, let me tell you.
So, duders. I'm looking forward to the weekend. Tonight we'll be watching BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA (oh how I've missed it SO). And tomorrow we'll be organizing the garage. Exciting, right? How about you? What fantastic plans do you have in the works?
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
thirty-five
Thirty-four years ago today, this picture was taken of me. The picture would look very similar today, except I won't be wearing those rockin' pants, my hair is slightly longer, and I like to think I usually avoid getting the ice cream AND cake all over my face. Nowadays it's just bits of cake.(Now, as a birthday present, I demand that you comment. And tell me that my daughter looks just like me, even if she doesn't.)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
ten
Dear Alice,
I'm writing to you (and, well, the INTERNET) for no real reason. No, that isn't exactly correct. I'm writing to you (and yes, the INTERNET) because you're getting bigger. Okay, that isn't exactly right either. I'm writing to you (whatever, and THE INTERNET) because you turned 10 months old on the 3rd and I missed writing about it and quite frankly, I missed writing your 9-month journal entry or whatever as well and I'm feeling all kinds of squishy about you getting older and I'll have nothing to show for it because I have all these pictures and not a single one of them has been printed out or stuck in any sort of a book. But that last reason sounds so horrible that let's just stick with the first one: I'm writing to you for no real reason.
Lately, one of my favorite things to do is to secretly watch you play by yourself. I love to see that look of contented concentration as you carefully examine your froggy, or one of your blocks, or your chewy cell phone-- and after a few moments pass, you'll quickly throw the froggy or the block or the chewy cell phone onto the ground as you see something else worth careful examination (Clyde the crocodile, for instance). Usually I can be found during this time dumbstruck in the kitchen, thinking about how you're this real live PERSON inside a tiny Alice-shaped body, and you have all these thoughts and feelings and desires that are your very own. Like how you really adore chewing on Monty Bear's nose, but for some inexplicable reason poor Zeke the zebra is so totally boring and not worth even a single nibble.
In a few day's time, you went from finally hands-and-knees crawling to pulling up on furniture to cruising around a room faster than the mama can say "head injury". Nowadays you go from chair to laundry basket to chair to couch to coffee table to chair to toy basket. Sometimes you mix things up and throw in some Pant Leg (whomever's pant leg is handy). Please be careful about the Pant Leg because sometimes Mama is wearing what we call SWEATPANTS or even a SKIRT and those things tend to give way when tugged on by a little carpet nipper like yourself. (Note: Please don't expose the mama, thanks.) But I do love watching you move. Your legs are getting stronger and stronger and we think you'll be walking (heaven help us) before you're a year old.
After months of teething and waiting, and waiting and teething, we have sight of teeth. Or, as I am fond of calling a particular set of them, THE TEETH. Sorry about that, baby girl, but you're our first little one and we aren't so used to seeing such big chompers inside your mouth. We know they're going to be gorgeous one day. But for now, I am doing my best not to get my fingers any where near there.
On the communication front, I am proud to decipher the following words: daddy (da-da-da-da-da-da) and goodbye (b-b-b-b-buuu-buuu). If anyone else was to listen to these sounds, they might argue that you make them even when The Daddy is not present, and when we aren't exactly leaving - but a mama is supposed to be proud and also fiercely protective. So I stand by my assertions. Besides the words, you are clapping and waving. The clapping is just awesome. Sometimes you clap so hard you fall over, which is my favorite. Last night when daddy walked in the door you nearly gave yourself a black eye you were clapping with such wild abandon. Don't give up that passion, little one.
Other things I hope you won't give up:
- Your independence, as much as it pains me. I love how you are starting to want to do things by yourself (oh my holy moly - like EATING)
- Your sense of adventure, again, as much as it pains me. You get this from your father and I just know that we're thisclose to you becoming a climber. But seriously, one of my deepest wishes for you was for you to be BRAVE. Because this world can be very scary and dangerous - and fortune favors the brave ones, my little pumpkin head. I have faith in you. You're going to set the world on fire, in all the best ways.
- Your joy. Oh dear, the THRILL of you! Your face breaks into the happiest, the most clear, the most instense look of WONDER for the world and everything in it! And I love that about you. Don't ever let that go.
My little bean head, I know that I tell you all the time how amazing you are, but I want to do it again and again so you'll never forget. You take my breath away with your beauty. You are the greatest example of Heavenly Father's love that I know. How else to show us what heaven looks like, then to send us a piece of it?
I love you always,
Mama
I'm writing to you (and, well, the INTERNET) for no real reason. No, that isn't exactly correct. I'm writing to you (and yes, the INTERNET) because you're getting bigger. Okay, that isn't exactly right either. I'm writing to you (whatever, and THE INTERNET) because you turned 10 months old on the 3rd and I missed writing about it and quite frankly, I missed writing your 9-month journal entry or whatever as well and I'm feeling all kinds of squishy about you getting older and I'll have nothing to show for it because I have all these pictures and not a single one of them has been printed out or stuck in any sort of a book. But that last reason sounds so horrible that let's just stick with the first one: I'm writing to you for no real reason.
Lately, one of my favorite things to do is to secretly watch you play by yourself. I love to see that look of contented concentration as you carefully examine your froggy, or one of your blocks, or your chewy cell phone-- and after a few moments pass, you'll quickly throw the froggy or the block or the chewy cell phone onto the ground as you see something else worth careful examination (Clyde the crocodile, for instance). Usually I can be found during this time dumbstruck in the kitchen, thinking about how you're this real live PERSON inside a tiny Alice-shaped body, and you have all these thoughts and feelings and desires that are your very own. Like how you really adore chewing on Monty Bear's nose, but for some inexplicable reason poor Zeke the zebra is so totally boring and not worth even a single nibble.
In a few day's time, you went from finally hands-and-knees crawling to pulling up on furniture to cruising around a room faster than the mama can say "head injury". Nowadays you go from chair to laundry basket to chair to couch to coffee table to chair to toy basket. Sometimes you mix things up and throw in some Pant Leg (whomever's pant leg is handy). Please be careful about the Pant Leg because sometimes Mama is wearing what we call SWEATPANTS or even a SKIRT and those things tend to give way when tugged on by a little carpet nipper like yourself. (Note: Please don't expose the mama, thanks.) But I do love watching you move. Your legs are getting stronger and stronger and we think you'll be walking (heaven help us) before you're a year old.
After months of teething and waiting, and waiting and teething, we have sight of teeth. Or, as I am fond of calling a particular set of them, THE TEETH. Sorry about that, baby girl, but you're our first little one and we aren't so used to seeing such big chompers inside your mouth. We know they're going to be gorgeous one day. But for now, I am doing my best not to get my fingers any where near there.
On the communication front, I am proud to decipher the following words: daddy (da-da-da-da-da-da) and goodbye (b-b-b-b-buuu-buuu). If anyone else was to listen to these sounds, they might argue that you make them even when The Daddy is not present, and when we aren't exactly leaving - but a mama is supposed to be proud and also fiercely protective. So I stand by my assertions. Besides the words, you are clapping and waving. The clapping is just awesome. Sometimes you clap so hard you fall over, which is my favorite. Last night when daddy walked in the door you nearly gave yourself a black eye you were clapping with such wild abandon. Don't give up that passion, little one.
Other things I hope you won't give up:
- Your independence, as much as it pains me. I love how you are starting to want to do things by yourself (oh my holy moly - like EATING)
- Your sense of adventure, again, as much as it pains me. You get this from your father and I just know that we're thisclose to you becoming a climber. But seriously, one of my deepest wishes for you was for you to be BRAVE. Because this world can be very scary and dangerous - and fortune favors the brave ones, my little pumpkin head. I have faith in you. You're going to set the world on fire, in all the best ways.
- Your joy. Oh dear, the THRILL of you! Your face breaks into the happiest, the most clear, the most instense look of WONDER for the world and everything in it! And I love that about you. Don't ever let that go.
My little bean head, I know that I tell you all the time how amazing you are, but I want to do it again and again so you'll never forget. You take my breath away with your beauty. You are the greatest example of Heavenly Father's love that I know. How else to show us what heaven looks like, then to send us a piece of it?
I love you always,
Mama
Sunday, January 11, 2009
whimsy is...
Home. After the Portland Excitement, we got home earlier than expected: Saturday afternoon. It's good to be here.
In extreme pain. Because of some mystery sinus migraine thingy. Very hurty.
The last person on the planet to join Facebook. See how I'm getting into the spirit of writing in third person?
When I'm feeling better, I'll be telling you about my upcoming THIRTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY, dude. And now, excuse me, I am going to go take massive amounts of Excedrin, Tylenol Sinus, and possibly Benedryl. I'm sure there's no problem with med mixing, right?
In extreme pain. Because of some mystery sinus migraine thingy. Very hurty.
The last person on the planet to join Facebook. See how I'm getting into the spirit of writing in third person?
When I'm feeling better, I'll be telling you about my upcoming THIRTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY, dude. And now, excuse me, I am going to go take massive amounts of Excedrin, Tylenol Sinus, and possibly Benedryl. I'm sure there's no problem with med mixing, right?
Friday, January 9, 2009
swimmingly
You know what we're good at? Getting stuck in random places.
When we were coming back from Utah after Christmas, it was the picturesque town of La Grande, Oregon - way up in the wily wildlands of Eastern Oregon. The story you never heard involved a Holiday Inn (regarded to be the best hotel in town, "Even better than The Sandman Motel, because The Sandman allows pets and if you're not into pets then eww" -La Grande Holiday Inn Night Manager Cindy), Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Chip instructing a woman the next morning how to make a waffle on a make-your-own-waffle-maker ("you need to flip it over or the timer will never start").
This week it's Portland, Oregon. What is it about Oregon?, you ask. Well, it goes something like this: The Whimsy promised The Chip that she and The Alice would travel with The Chip at least once per month when he goes away for business and The Whimsy hasn't been so good on keeping that particular promise and she vowed to be better about it in 2009. And The Chip was coming down here to Portland this week. So The Alice and The Whimsy packed up and here we are. We were supposed to be here Tuesday through Friday. Until the skies opened up and rained down The Rain to End All Rains (since 2007 at least) and The Powers That Be saw fit to CLOSE I-5, the one and only real north-south highway between Portland and Seattle. It's closed due to flooding. The whole freeway is sort of underwater. LIKE THAT WOULD STOP US! But unless we decide to run through the police barricades, it would appear that we are Portland-ers for the time beling. (Best estimates are saying Monday...)
I need to learn my lesson and stop packing Just Enough. Whenever I pack Just Enough there is some kind of Pee Emergency (involving Alice, not me - unless you count the times she has peed ON me, and then I guess the pee involves both of us); or else we get stuck in a city for an Undisclosed Period of Time due to massive flooding - you know, the usual things. I bought some detergent today (because there's a TARGET across the street from our hotel - and seriously, how lucky am I?). I will be washing everyone's three outfits tomorrow so as to extend our clothing options for another few days. Luckily even though I only packed Just Enough, I did have the foresight to pack Just Enough things in all the same colors - so at least we can mix and match.
Don't feel sorry for us. We're safe. We're together. Our hotel room has TWO rooms - which means that we can actually keep the light on and watch TV even after Alice has gone down for the night. There's a Target across the street. And Chip's company is footing the hotel bill. Also - and this is mighty important - the sweet sweet (and very good friend) Wandering Nana is looking in on the cats. Guess how she'll be getting into the house? WE HAD TO OVERNIGHT OUR GARAGE OPENER TO HER. How's that for some nice problem-solving, eh? We originally left enough crunchies and water out for the cats to comfortably last until Friday, but seeing as how we'll be gone longer than that, another solution was in order. Wandering Nana to the rescue. We owe her BIG, yo.
Happy weekend, y'all.
When we were coming back from Utah after Christmas, it was the picturesque town of La Grande, Oregon - way up in the wily wildlands of Eastern Oregon. The story you never heard involved a Holiday Inn (regarded to be the best hotel in town, "Even better than The Sandman Motel, because The Sandman allows pets and if you're not into pets then eww" -La Grande Holiday Inn Night Manager Cindy), Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Chip instructing a woman the next morning how to make a waffle on a make-your-own-waffle-maker ("you need to flip it over or the timer will never start").
This week it's Portland, Oregon. What is it about Oregon?, you ask. Well, it goes something like this: The Whimsy promised The Chip that she and The Alice would travel with The Chip at least once per month when he goes away for business and The Whimsy hasn't been so good on keeping that particular promise and she vowed to be better about it in 2009. And The Chip was coming down here to Portland this week. So The Alice and The Whimsy packed up and here we are. We were supposed to be here Tuesday through Friday. Until the skies opened up and rained down The Rain to End All Rains (since 2007 at least) and The Powers That Be saw fit to CLOSE I-5, the one and only real north-south highway between Portland and Seattle. It's closed due to flooding. The whole freeway is sort of underwater. LIKE THAT WOULD STOP US! But unless we decide to run through the police barricades, it would appear that we are Portland-ers for the time beling. (Best estimates are saying Monday...)
I need to learn my lesson and stop packing Just Enough. Whenever I pack Just Enough there is some kind of Pee Emergency (involving Alice, not me - unless you count the times she has peed ON me, and then I guess the pee involves both of us); or else we get stuck in a city for an Undisclosed Period of Time due to massive flooding - you know, the usual things. I bought some detergent today (because there's a TARGET across the street from our hotel - and seriously, how lucky am I?). I will be washing everyone's three outfits tomorrow so as to extend our clothing options for another few days. Luckily even though I only packed Just Enough, I did have the foresight to pack Just Enough things in all the same colors - so at least we can mix and match.
Don't feel sorry for us. We're safe. We're together. Our hotel room has TWO rooms - which means that we can actually keep the light on and watch TV even after Alice has gone down for the night. There's a Target across the street. And Chip's company is footing the hotel bill. Also - and this is mighty important - the sweet sweet (and very good friend) Wandering Nana is looking in on the cats. Guess how she'll be getting into the house? WE HAD TO OVERNIGHT OUR GARAGE OPENER TO HER. How's that for some nice problem-solving, eh? We originally left enough crunchies and water out for the cats to comfortably last until Friday, but seeing as how we'll be gone longer than that, another solution was in order. Wandering Nana to the rescue. We owe her BIG, yo.
Happy weekend, y'all.
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