At this time last year, I was sitting at my computer, reliving 2007, smiling to myself, and tearing up a little since I was sort of bummed to say good-bye to such a good year. This year... um... not so much. It's true that 2008 brought some great moments (most noticeably awesome trips to St. Croix and New York City... I'm sure you're all shocked that my highlights this year were vacations), but it's also very true that 2008 was a difficult year for our family. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm not terribly sad to see it go.
I don't want to be all negative and re-stress over things that have already caused me stress, so as I look back over the year I have to remember that each of the things that went "wrong" has already started going back "right" for us. Also, that in hindsight, some of this stuff is kind of funny. Kind of. Here's how 2008 will go down in the Goettsch family history.
The year of the hive. Bad news: the urticaria that started as hives in May grew worse and worse through the summer and eventually became angioedema (speaking of ways to make me look hot... lips and eyes all swollen up), which I battled almost once a week through the fall. The results of being itchy for six months, and gaining lots of weight due to steroid overexposure and edema, and being exhausted due to a constant stream of antihistamine in my blood have caused no shortage of stress in our lives. Good news: I finally stopped doing the same steroid taper over and over again as directed by the allergist, did what made sense to me, and I am now completely off the prednisone, with nary a hive in sight. Now to address that whole weight gain issue...
The year of marriage counseling. Bad news: Mark and I work really, really hard to make our marriage work. Good news: I have no shame in the fact that Mark and I work really, really hard to make our marriage work. Most good things in life require hard work. And in this case, the hard work is totally worth it. My husband rocks.
The year of FTT. Bad news: Nathan was diagnosed with failure to thrive in February and was hospitalized shortly thereafter due to rapid weight loss. Afterwards, we spent months calorie-counting to make sure he was taking in enough. It was all a bit asinine since you can't count calories or measure ounces of milk coming from a boob. And while Nathan was busy surviving (instead of developing normally), his body set himself up for a fairly significant gross motor delay. Good news: the ftt was fixable with more fat and protein, Nathan is back on the chart and growing well, and although he's still "behind" on motor skills, he has taken his first steps and is on a steady course of improvement. And the verbal/cognitive/social skills are right on track, if not a little ahead. Which brings me to...
The year of what's that. Bad news: Nathan thinks it's fun to ask what's that? approximately a million times a day, and is showing no signs of outgrowing the trend. It's exhausting, and mildly annoying (don't judge me, I still love him). Good news: He can talk, and I love to have conversations with him, and at least he's not asking why? yet.
The year of the pay cut. Bad news: I have taken a series of pay cuts at work (like everyone else in America), which means I can either do the same amount of work for less money, or do more work for the same amount of money. Neither of which is ideal. Good news: I still have a job. I like my job. They let me do it part-time, and they let me do it from home. Considering the economic climate in our country right now, this is actually one of the better parts of 2008. Which says something about 2008. When a pay cut is something to see the "glad" side of.... it's not been a super year.
I can mostly laugh about these things now, since we really did enjoy many parts of this past year, and in hindsight it's pretty easy to focus on the positive. Also, I have full confidence that 2009 will be healthier and more prosperous for our family, and for our country. Things might get worse before they get better, but they will get better. I hope that 2009 will be the year of reading good books, and the year of triathlons, and the year of laughing with my son, and the year of sex, and the year of camping, and the year of snuggling with my pups, and the year of no hives.
Yep, mostly that no hive thing.
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
I'm Noticing a Theme Here
After our great family get-together in Millers Creek, and a too-short visit with Lucas Church and family (who also live there... it's a small small world indeed), we headed to Huntersville to celebrate Christmas with mom and that side of the family. And to have my roots done, and get Nathan a much-needed mullet trim. But mostly to celebrate Christmas. (With fabulous new hair highlights.) 
Brad and Nikki say 'Merry Christmas' from St. Croix!
Once again it was strange without "baby" Brad around. Even stranger that he sent a stack of Christmas presents home with mom (who spent Christmas with him in St. Croix). And even stranger that they were wrapped. In actual wrapping paper. (I'm convinced mom secretly did it.) In past years he's been famous for "wrapping" Christmas presents in brown paper bags which might or might not have been stapled shut. (Remember how my dad is a bow nazi? Yeah I'm pretty sure the brown bag thing drove him nuts.) Or maybe he only did that once, and Ashley and I decided to make it Bumgarner family legend by retelling the story every year. Yep, that sounds more likely. Anyhow, enough about Brad, he wasn't even there (but thanks for the presents and we really did miss you!)....
Know what was there?
A harmonica. And a tambourine. And a triangle. And a handle castanet. And a kazoo.
Anyone else noticing a theme here?
If we add this to the drum Nathan got this weekend, the singing drum and rolling electric piano he got earlier in December, the spanish maracas he got for his birthday, the recorder in his Easter basket, and the tiger xylophone/piano Mark desperately wanted him to have when he first showed interest in musical toys (did I forget any?).... then we would have a full orchestra, I'm pretty sure. Can Nathan be a one-man band like Bert from Mary Poppins?
Now he just needs a trombone and some organ lessons to round out the holidays. (Grandparents, I am very much kidding.)
It's a good thing Nathan really, really likes musical toys. (He got it honest, after all.) He takes such pride in picking up an instrument and seeing what sounds he can make. Sometimes he can hardly play for giggling when he does it right. He truly is making a joyful noise every time he plays with these things (yes, even the drum is joyful). As a parent, it's amazing to see his face shining with so much pleasure as he figures out and then masters these little instruments. I guess these are all the same reasons Mark and I liked music as kids (and still do!)... It encourages creativity, and instills confidence. Plus, it's loud. (Trying to think like a toddler here.)
And don't worry, he did get stuff besides instruments. Like a great (silent!) puzzle from Ashley, and some monkey slippers for his monkey feet (I have monkey slippers too!) and some mandarin oranges with their own spoon (my mom has a fetish about providing snack foods complete with utensils... don't ask).
When we got home we split his current toys into three batches, which we can rotate out every few weeks so the stuff stays new and stimulating. One doesn't need to be the whole orchestra every time, after all. (Don't worry, there are shaking toys and blowing toys and banging toys in every batch; the band geek in me "orchestrated" that very carefully.)
Anyway we had a great time with mom and my grandpa, and my sister and her beau, John. And mom's trainer Michael was also there with his wife and sister-in-law... we claim ourselves as their American family, especially around the holidays. Nice to have Germans around, for me anyway. Makes me a little Germany-nostalgic, but in a good way.
And thus ends our holiday celebrations. I love my joyful, loud, chaotic family. :)
For more pictures of Christmas at my mom's, click here.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Oh What Fun it is to Ride (on a Tractor)
We spent the day in Millers Creek, visiting my grandpa and my dad's extended family for Christmas. This gathering was always one of my favorites as a child. I only have two cousins and our Christmas gathering is one of the few times we're all together. (And by all, these days I mean most... this year my brother and one of my stepbrothers were both noticeably absent... Brad due to living in the Virgin Islands, and Collin due to work.)
Cousins Meredith and Brandon, sister Ashley, stepbrother Sean, me, Nathan and Mark
This year's visit was in some ways exactly like it has been for a decade. Kids (kids meaning the younger generation of grownups.... and now Nathan too) all sitting at one table in the den, three kinds of meat, fourteen kinds of dessert, canned cranberry sauce, two kinds of iced tea (sweet with sugar, and sweet with artificial sweetener... yeah welcome to NC), the re-telling of cousin Brandon's first candy cane (he still hasn't managed to get one into Nathan to pass the story on to the next generation), the Panthers game on TV, and lots of loud conversation (my grandpa is hard of hearing).
The "kids" table... full of adults!
Cousins Meredith and Brandon, sister Ashley, stepbrother Sean, me, Nathan and MarkThis year's visit was in some ways exactly like it has been for a decade. Kids (kids meaning the younger generation of grownups.... and now Nathan too) all sitting at one table in the den, three kinds of meat, fourteen kinds of dessert, canned cranberry sauce, two kinds of iced tea (sweet with sugar, and sweet with artificial sweetener... yeah welcome to NC), the re-telling of cousin Brandon's first candy cane (he still hasn't managed to get one into Nathan to pass the story on to the next generation), the Panthers game on TV, and lots of loud conversation (my grandpa is hard of hearing).
The "kids" table... full of adults!
But there were a couple of new features this year, too. One was a new drum for Nathan, a gift from my dad.... you know, since he was sorely lacking in loud musical toys [shakes head not].
Also, Nathan got to take his first tractor ride!! If you remember, he's been a big fan of tractors ever since he got a toy one for his birthday in July. He talks about them constantly. When he hears a lawn mower or blower (or, let's be honest... a plane) he crawls straight to the window to proclaim Tractor! See it! Tractor! Tractor!! So his grandpa (my dad) taking him for his first ride was sort of monumental.
Here's a short video of his ride (don't judge the way my dad waves, my family just waves weird, something Mark has been making fun of me about for years):
Also funny is the post-ride interview. As I watch this I can't help but notice how truly southern this family is! (Barely-intelligible commentary on normal events, from colorful characters of course, is part of a standard southern news broadcast, if you've never seen one. We even have the token southern grandpa chuckling along.)
He seemed sort of overwhelmed by his tractor ride at the time, but he has not stopped talking about it since then (four days later; I'm finishing this post on 1/1). It has been big tractor this and big tractor that, taking few breaks to talk about other things (just to drum, mainly).
Oh, he's becoming more southern all the time.
For more pictures of our Christmas in Millers Creek, click on Nathan and his Great-Grandpa, below.
by mgoetts
Also, Nathan got to take his first tractor ride!! If you remember, he's been a big fan of tractors ever since he got a toy one for his birthday in July. He talks about them constantly. When he hears a lawn mower or blower (or, let's be honest... a plane) he crawls straight to the window to proclaim Tractor! See it! Tractor! Tractor!! So his grandpa (my dad) taking him for his first ride was sort of monumental.
Here's a short video of his ride (don't judge the way my dad waves, my family just waves weird, something Mark has been making fun of me about for years):
Also funny is the post-ride interview. As I watch this I can't help but notice how truly southern this family is! (Barely-intelligible commentary on normal events, from colorful characters of course, is part of a standard southern news broadcast, if you've never seen one. We even have the token southern grandpa chuckling along.)
He seemed sort of overwhelmed by his tractor ride at the time, but he has not stopped talking about it since then (four days later; I'm finishing this post on 1/1). It has been big tractor this and big tractor that, taking few breaks to talk about other things (just to drum, mainly).
Oh, he's becoming more southern all the time.
For more pictures of our Christmas in Millers Creek, click on Nathan and his Great-Grandpa, below.
by mgoetts
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Santa Came! (Better Late than Never)
In our house we worked out a special deal with Santa Claus this year, to come on the night of the 26th, instead of Christmas Eve. He knew how much Daddy wanted to be around to see what Santa brought, so this was the best morning for us to have him come visit.
So Santa came... and he brought BLOCKS!!! So fun!
And he's pretty crafty, too, since he was able to spell Nathan's name with them before he left them under the tree. He must have the mind of an engineer. ;-)
Last year, Christmas morning was fun with Nathan, but this year was way better since Nathan is old enough (and mobile enough) to be excited about the holiday. Watching his little bum as he speed-crawled across the floor to the tree to see what he could see... well it was just precious. And he loved the blocks.
For more pictures of our family's Christmas morning at home, click on the stockings below.
by mgoetts
So Santa came... and he brought BLOCKS!!! So fun!
And he's pretty crafty, too, since he was able to spell Nathan's name with them before he left them under the tree. He must have the mind of an engineer. ;-)
Last year, Christmas morning was fun with Nathan, but this year was way better since Nathan is old enough (and mobile enough) to be excited about the holiday. Watching his little bum as he speed-crawled across the floor to the tree to see what he could see... well it was just precious. And he loved the blocks.
For more pictures of our family's Christmas morning at home, click on the stockings below.
by mgoetts
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The 25 Questions of Christmas
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. With a bow. My dad was a real santa-nazi (yeah, I said it) about making sure every present has a bow! when I was growing up. I admit it does make the gifts look nicer under the tree. No thanks to his kind of bow... he totally uses (and reuses) those ghetto 200-for-$1 bows that might or might not match the present's paper, and definitely aren't sticky anymore. Love you, Dad.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real. Duh.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually right after Thanksgiving, avoiding Mark's work schedule and birthday (which, contrary to what he used to think, is not always on Thanksgiving).
4. When do you take the tree down? When Mark finally convinces me it's time. We try to last until Epiphany if it's not dying by that point.
5. Do you like eggnog? If you don't like eggnog, you are a scrooge. There, I said it. This question shouldn't be do you like it, but how you you like it best? Put some in my starbucks latte, please. :)
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Becky. My first baby. (Yes, even before Nathan. And Bowden.) She and her cousin Ginny has some rockin' awesome days with their rockin' awesome moms in the late 80s. Good times, good times.
7. Hardest person to buy for? my grandpas. seriously, what do they need? or want? no, really -- your help/ideas are appreciated.
8. Easiest person to buy for? mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Do I own one? No. But I claim the variety of options in my church's sanctuary windowsills as mine during the advent season. I don't want one in the house since toddler Nathan choking on a wise man would totally kill the Christmas spirit, am I right?
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, usually. I email some people. And I'll post it on this blog for people I don't know in 'real life' (cause don't you know if I don't know you in real life, you're sort of an imaginary person to me, like a tv character? ) who I still want to share good tidings of great joy with.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of anything worse than this right now: I found out this morning that my sister got an (unwrapped) cactus candle from her boyfriend's grandmother. Don't tell me that wasn't regifted. For today at least, nothing will beat the cactus candle.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I can't choose! Elf, Love Actually, and Rudolph are the ones I sort of need to watch every year to feel Christmasy.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year, but in earnest on Black Friday.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. Just last night I gave my sitter a bottle of her favorite wine, which Mark and I don't like at all. A gift that someone else will like is still a great gift, even if it's free or has been re-gifted. (Note to grandmas everywhere: no one likes cactus candles. Do not regift cactus candles.)
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? whatever chocolate comes out of my stocking.
16. Lights on the tree? We have white this year, but when Nathan is old enough to choose, I'm gunning for colored!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Mary Did You Know, Feliz Navidad, and all the verses of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (yes, I have to include the exclamation point). And So This is Christmas. And more. Man do I love Christmas music.
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? At home for Christmas Eve and morning, but we'll visit with family this weekend.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes, can't you? (Scrooge.) Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen. Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. And Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. It's beautiful. Made of (fake) wood branches, with lights.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We'll do one each on Christmas Eve, then the rest tomorrow.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Scrooges who complain about eggnog. Seriously, you're killing my Christmas high.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? The non-theme. Who wants a tree that looks like it goes in a store? I love that all our ornaments mean something, and that we get to relive great memories while we go through them.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Growing up, my family usually did a big breakfast, which was nice. This year we're having lobster ravioli. (Don't be impressed, it came frozen from BJ's.) The only must-have is sparkling grape juice. Goes with anything.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I know this sounds clichéed, but I just want my family to be healthy and happy. And no more hives. And my new stroller to be put together without any arguing. And the raincoat I ask for every year and never get. And a new toaster that won't beat up my poptarts. Oh! And peace on earth.
I tag anyone reading this, since that's the Christmas spirit! (Thanks to Jill for this idea.)
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real. Duh.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually right after Thanksgiving, avoiding Mark's work schedule and birthday (which, contrary to what he used to think, is not always on Thanksgiving).
4. When do you take the tree down? When Mark finally convinces me it's time. We try to last until Epiphany if it's not dying by that point.
5. Do you like eggnog? If you don't like eggnog, you are a scrooge. There, I said it. This question shouldn't be do you like it, but how you you like it best? Put some in my starbucks latte, please. :)
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Becky. My first baby. (Yes, even before Nathan. And Bowden.) She and her cousin Ginny has some rockin' awesome days with their rockin' awesome moms in the late 80s. Good times, good times.
7. Hardest person to buy for? my grandpas. seriously, what do they need? or want? no, really -- your help/ideas are appreciated.
8. Easiest person to buy for? mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Do I own one? No. But I claim the variety of options in my church's sanctuary windowsills as mine during the advent season. I don't want one in the house since toddler Nathan choking on a wise man would totally kill the Christmas spirit, am I right?
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, usually. I email some people. And I'll post it on this blog for people I don't know in 'real life' (cause don't you know if I don't know you in real life, you're sort of an imaginary person to me, like a tv character? ) who I still want to share good tidings of great joy with.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of anything worse than this right now: I found out this morning that my sister got an (unwrapped) cactus candle from her boyfriend's grandmother. Don't tell me that wasn't regifted. For today at least, nothing will beat the cactus candle.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I can't choose! Elf, Love Actually, and Rudolph are the ones I sort of need to watch every year to feel Christmasy.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year, but in earnest on Black Friday.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. Just last night I gave my sitter a bottle of her favorite wine, which Mark and I don't like at all. A gift that someone else will like is still a great gift, even if it's free or has been re-gifted. (Note to grandmas everywhere: no one likes cactus candles. Do not regift cactus candles.)
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? whatever chocolate comes out of my stocking.
16. Lights on the tree? We have white this year, but when Nathan is old enough to choose, I'm gunning for colored!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Mary Did You Know, Feliz Navidad, and all the verses of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (yes, I have to include the exclamation point). And So This is Christmas. And more. Man do I love Christmas music.
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? At home for Christmas Eve and morning, but we'll visit with family this weekend.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes, can't you? (Scrooge.) Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen. Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. And Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. It's beautiful. Made of (fake) wood branches, with lights.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We'll do one each on Christmas Eve, then the rest tomorrow.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Scrooges who complain about eggnog. Seriously, you're killing my Christmas high.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? The non-theme. Who wants a tree that looks like it goes in a store? I love that all our ornaments mean something, and that we get to relive great memories while we go through them.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Growing up, my family usually did a big breakfast, which was nice. This year we're having lobster ravioli. (Don't be impressed, it came frozen from BJ's.) The only must-have is sparkling grape juice. Goes with anything.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I know this sounds clichéed, but I just want my family to be healthy and happy. And no more hives. And my new stroller to be put together without any arguing. And the raincoat I ask for every year and never get. And a new toaster that won't beat up my poptarts. Oh! And peace on earth.
I tag anyone reading this, since that's the Christmas spirit! (Thanks to Jill for this idea.)
Monday, December 22, 2008
More Fun with Strollers
So speaking of Christmawesome, my mom has decided to get Nathan (and by Nathan I mean me, since he doesn't really care about having convenient baby stuff.... sorry mom) some great shoes and a new stroller for Christmas. And by decided, I mean responded to an emailed idea list that said she'd like to give these things to Nathan and for me to order it and put it on her card. Which I have on file because I also make all her travel arrangements. Don't you love it when your parents have so much confidence in their own parenting skills that they trust they've raised competent enough kids to just make things happen for them so they don't have to worry about it? I do. (However, we can't remember to bring their paper tickets to the airport for them... ahem... mom. She did make it to St Croix today safely, despite the forgotten ticket, for the record. But even the best of parents who raise the most competent of kids can't do every step.)
But I digress.
The shoes are rockin' awesome and he will be able to wear them outside. Remember my good fortune with Bobux? Yeah we're going that route again (third pair in his life). At their prices he will get exactly one pair, so I picked these that can pass as dress shoes or athletic shoes. And if we don't like this style as much as we've liked our other Bobux shoes, I have no shame in returning them in favor of some very acceptable second-choices I scouted out.
The stroller... not so simple. Remember how I lost my umbrella stroller back in the fall? Well I need to replace it with something small, but with several conveniences that umbrella strollers don't have (like being tall enough for Daddy to push comfortably, having at least a little cargo space, and maybe even a cupholder for me). I did a bunch of research, found the one I wanted, did even more research, found who had it for cheapest, and then realized no one has them in stock. At all. They're all completely backordered. Until who knows when. Nothing like a bunch of research done in vain, right? Because I have time for that. [shakes head]
So we went all over town, doing more (yes! more!) lightweight stroller research. Wal-mart, Babies-R-Us (oh how I cringe to type that), Target, and eventually Burlington Coat Factory. After much back-and-forthing and indecision (I involved Mark), and after Nathan had crawled all over the nasty floors of all these stores (yeah he's totally sick now, by the way), we finally decided on one. And guess what? It's half the price of the one I originally wanted, and I think I like it better.
The whole process exhausted us so much that it's still in its box, in Mark's car, and we might or might not assemble it for Christmas. But in the end, mom's dollars combined with my bargain/value-hunting ended up with a pretty good solution. I hope.
Everyone say a prayer that I won't leave this one in a farmer's market parking lot.
But I digress.
The shoes are rockin' awesome and he will be able to wear them outside. Remember my good fortune with Bobux? Yeah we're going that route again (third pair in his life). At their prices he will get exactly one pair, so I picked these that can pass as dress shoes or athletic shoes. And if we don't like this style as much as we've liked our other Bobux shoes, I have no shame in returning them in favor of some very acceptable second-choices I scouted out.The stroller... not so simple. Remember how I lost my umbrella stroller back in the fall? Well I need to replace it with something small, but with several conveniences that umbrella strollers don't have (like being tall enough for Daddy to push comfortably, having at least a little cargo space, and maybe even a cupholder for me). I did a bunch of research, found the one I wanted, did even more research, found who had it for cheapest, and then realized no one has them in stock. At all. They're all completely backordered. Until who knows when. Nothing like a bunch of research done in vain, right? Because I have time for that. [shakes head]
So we went all over town, doing more (yes! more!) lightweight stroller research. Wal-mart, Babies-R-Us (oh how I cringe to type that), Target, and eventually Burlington Coat Factory. After much back-and-forthing and indecision (I involved Mark), and after Nathan had crawled all over the nasty floors of all these stores (yeah he's totally sick now, by the way), we finally decided on one. And guess what? It's half the price of the one I originally wanted, and I think I like it better.
The whole process exhausted us so much that it's still in its box, in Mark's car, and we might or might not assemble it for Christmas. But in the end, mom's dollars combined with my bargain/value-hunting ended up with a pretty good solution. I hope.
Everyone say a prayer that I won't leave this one in a farmer's market parking lot.
Friday, December 19, 2008
I'm in Love with a PE
I am not ashamed to admit that I have always been drawn to people whom others might consider slightly, um... dorky. Those lanky glasses-wearing boys, with brains for days, have always had my attention. I don't know why, but that's who I am. Give me Clark Kent's brains and wit (and tie and glasses!) any day over Superman's brawn and bravery (and tights... ick).
Some of the nerds I have crushed on through the years:
1.) Clark Kent, as I mentioned above. Probably my first nerd love. Don't make me pick my favorite actor who's played him... I love them all.
2.) Doogie Howser, MD. How could you not have loved Neil Patrick Harris in this role when you were a kid? Smarter than his parents, has his own money, and cute! Oh and he can sing, too. Mmmm NPH, why can't I quit you?
3.) Harry Potter. Dark, handsome, again with the glasses. I'm drunk with his power. And Daniel Radcliffe is just as hott as I pictured Harry in the books.
4.) The ultimate nerd... Henry Grubstick. I do not know what it is about this geek that makes my heart race, but something does. Maybe that he always does the right thing. Maybe that he's smart. Maybe that he loves an imperfect woman. Christopher Gorham is not geeky at all in real life, which is unfortunate... I find him infinitely hotter playing the role of nerdy Henry.
5.) And of course... my own Mark. I'm sure the rest of you just see a handsome successful man taking care of his family, but I want to let you in on a little secret: he has kind of a dorky past. (Not judging, I do too. And as we've established, it totally works for me.) Amazing brain, chess club, senior math award, band geek, multiple degrees in engineering... my man has all the geek potential but twice the hotness of all these others. He's really grown into his hotness over the years, don't you think?
Way to go Mark!!
Some of the nerds I have crushed on through the years:
1.) Clark Kent, as I mentioned above. Probably my first nerd love. Don't make me pick my favorite actor who's played him... I love them all.
2.) Doogie Howser, MD. How could you not have loved Neil Patrick Harris in this role when you were a kid? Smarter than his parents, has his own money, and cute! Oh and he can sing, too. Mmmm NPH, why can't I quit you?
3.) Harry Potter. Dark, handsome, again with the glasses. I'm drunk with his power. And Daniel Radcliffe is just as hott as I pictured Harry in the books.
4.) The ultimate nerd... Henry Grubstick. I do not know what it is about this geek that makes my heart race, but something does. Maybe that he always does the right thing. Maybe that he's smart. Maybe that he loves an imperfect woman. Christopher Gorham is not geeky at all in real life, which is unfortunate... I find him infinitely hotter playing the role of nerdy Henry.
5.) And of course... my own Mark. I'm sure the rest of you just see a handsome successful man taking care of his family, but I want to let you in on a little secret: he has kind of a dorky past. (Not judging, I do too. And as we've established, it totally works for me.) Amazing brain, chess club, senior math award, band geek, multiple degrees in engineering... my man has all the geek potential but twice the hotness of all these others. He's really grown into his hotness over the years, don't you think?
His 'amazing brain' factor just got upped this week when he got news that he has passed the PE Exam, making him officially a Professional Engineer. I mean, he was already employed in his profession as an engineer, but now he has this title to go with it. It means that not only can he be an engineer for his company, he can take legal responsibility for other engineering work, if he signs off on it. (Which sounds only moderately useful, actually.)
But I am crazy proud of him, since the exam he sat for (in October) took like nine hours, and years of preparation. (He actually passed the first half of the certification, Fundamentals of Engineering or something, back in 2003... it was equally as hard, apparently.) This is kind of like the engineering equivalent of an attorney passing the bar exam, or a doctor passing board certification.
Anyway he's amazing, actually far less nerdy than I pretend he is (I need to believe I'm the cooler half of the marriage), and I love him more than I ever thought I could.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Now That's Tired
When I came home from church tonight, I found the tv (tuned to espn, of course) blaring to no one, the dogs sprawled on various pieces of furniture, and Mark totally knocked out on the couch himself, his legs propped up on one of the couch's arms... wearing only one shoe. I'll say that again: wearing only one shoe.
Have you ever been so (soberly) tired that you took one shoe off and were asleep before you could do the second one? Yeah me neither.
Mark said he thinks it was something about kicking one of them off in his sleep due to an itchy foot, but I don't buy it. Because that doesn't explain how there was also one (not homemade, but home-baked) cookie left uneaten on the table next to him. Who leaves one warm cookie, chocolate chips melting in the center, uneaten? It's just unnatural. Unless you're half-asleep that is, and tired enough to nod off in the middle of taking off your shoes.
Which is why I'm pretty sure he really was that tired.
Have you ever been so (soberly) tired that you took one shoe off and were asleep before you could do the second one? Yeah me neither.Mark said he thinks it was something about kicking one of them off in his sleep due to an itchy foot, but I don't buy it. Because that doesn't explain how there was also one (not homemade, but home-baked) cookie left uneaten on the table next to him. Who leaves one warm cookie, chocolate chips melting in the center, uneaten? It's just unnatural. Unless you're half-asleep that is, and tired enough to nod off in the middle of taking off your shoes.
Which is why I'm pretty sure he really was that tired.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
All I Want for Christmas is Lights on the House
I've mentioned before how Mark dreads putting the lights on the outside of our house. He hates the ladder, the fact that there are always some burned out, the clips to hook them to the shingles, etc., etc.
But as much as he hates putting them up, that's how much I love having them. Times two. So I win. And the lights are now up!
No, I have not set our lights to Wizards in Winter like this guy from a few years back. (If you want to see an even better video of that song, revisit my Raleigh Ringers post from last year.) Because apparently All I Want for Christmas is You is the new Wizards in Winter, as evidenced by this video (and a thousand others like it on youtube).
Our lights are normal and still. And it makes our little house look pretty even without special effects, don't you think?
But as much as he hates putting them up, that's how much I love having them. Times two. So I win. And the lights are now up!
No, I have not set our lights to Wizards in Winter like this guy from a few years back. (If you want to see an even better video of that song, revisit my Raleigh Ringers post from last year.) Because apparently All I Want for Christmas is You is the new Wizards in Winter, as evidenced by this video (and a thousand others like it on youtube).
Our lights are normal and still. And it makes our little house look pretty even without special effects, don't you think?
Friday, December 12, 2008
First Steps!
So, it turns out our hunch was right, 2008 is indeed (after all) The Year of the Walk! Nathan took his first steps tonight, at 16 1/2 months old. Yaaaaay Nathan!
My friend Sally from church mentioned that her grandson had a particular push toy that he loved when he was learning to walk, and suggested Nathan give it a try. I thought, why not? Can't hurt, and if it already has a real toddler's (as opposed to a catalog's) seal of approval, then Nathan might like it too. And like it he did. It lights up and has a play phone on it (who doesn't need a phone in a push toy?) and playes Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in bell tones far more often than any parent should ever need to hear it in one day.
This afternoon was the first time we gave it to him to play with, and he pushed and pushed and pushed for almost an hour. An hour. That's like, a lifetime in toddler years. When he got to a wall and couldn't turn around, he would just stand there and sey "help please" (hep-eez) until we'd come and get him... typical Nathan), and seemed very pleased with himself.
So then tonight we brought dinner (African chicken peanut soup, since you asked) to some friends from church who had a baby on Monday. And then Nathan totally stole the show from new baby Sam and big brother Gordie by taking his first steps. Thankfully the new parents (being new parents and all) were right on hand with their camcorder. So... congrats to Neil and Betsy, and THANKS for the video footage!!
[Ed note: I just got the video today, 12/16, and he has not really done any walking since then. So maybe this will be the year of the step instead!]
Thursday, December 11, 2008
How to Text Like a Seventh Grader
Have you ever noticed how fast middle schoolers can text? Seriously. They can text faster than I can type. (And considering I went to college in the prime years of AIM, I can type pretty quickly.)
Well, my sister changed my texting life a few weeks ago, and since it's her birthday today, I thought I would honor her by sharing this with all of you.
I will preface this by saying you probably all knew about this already, and I'm a terrible old fogey, and you will enjoy a good laugh at my out-of-touchness. Y'all, even my dad texts this way. Yes, my dad can text like a seventh grader. Which just makes me all the more grateful for Ashley being 13 months younger (and a whole generation closer to today's adolescents) than I am, so she can teach me these things.
So there's this thing called T9. It apparently means text on 9 keys. Basically, when you choose this option in your cell phone (I promise, your cell phone has it) instead of the normal ABC or abc or Abc that old fogeys use, you can type each number only once per letter (instead of scrolling through each number to find the right character) and your phone will recognize what you're trying to type. Apparently there are only so many logical words that can come out of typing each number combination. And if it gets it wrong (don't will always come out foot the first time, as Ashley proved), just hit zero ("next") until it suggests the word you want.
(Please don't ask me how to type zero in T9. I haven't figured that out yet. If you know, leave me a comment and I will be forever grateful.)
It's a little annoying at first, but it's so much faster once you get used to it. I feel like I can officially welcome myself to the year 2005 now that I have figured this out. Since Mark just got us a bigger text plan for our phones (250/month, not unlimited like I originally thought... oops), I plan to make much use of my T9 option.
Happy Birthday Ashley!! Your bloggity present is this fabulous bag (electronic, of course, since that's how our family does it) of extra crispy (remember?) tater tots. Enjoy!
Well, my sister changed my texting life a few weeks ago, and since it's her birthday today, I thought I would honor her by sharing this with all of you.
I will preface this by saying you probably all knew about this already, and I'm a terrible old fogey, and you will enjoy a good laugh at my out-of-touchness. Y'all, even my dad texts this way. Yes, my dad can text like a seventh grader. Which just makes me all the more grateful for Ashley being 13 months younger (and a whole generation closer to today's adolescents) than I am, so she can teach me these things.
So there's this thing called T9. It apparently means text on 9 keys. Basically, when you choose this option in your cell phone (I promise, your cell phone has it) instead of the normal ABC or abc or Abc that old fogeys use, you can type each number only once per letter (instead of scrolling through each number to find the right character) and your phone will recognize what you're trying to type. Apparently there are only so many logical words that can come out of typing each number combination. And if it gets it wrong (don't will always come out foot the first time, as Ashley proved), just hit zero ("next") until it suggests the word you want.
(Please don't ask me how to type zero in T9. I haven't figured that out yet. If you know, leave me a comment and I will be forever grateful.)
It's a little annoying at first, but it's so much faster once you get used to it. I feel like I can officially welcome myself to the year 2005 now that I have figured this out. Since Mark just got us a bigger text plan for our phones (250/month, not unlimited like I originally thought... oops), I plan to make much use of my T9 option.
Happy Birthday Ashley!! Your bloggity present is this fabulous bag (electronic, of course, since that's how our family does it) of extra crispy (remember?) tater tots. Enjoy!
Monday, December 8, 2008
N&B's Crab Au Gratin
Remember how Barbara made an awesome dinner for us on Mark's birthday? Well I have the recipe now and it's definitely worth sharing. This was so good. You could eat it as an entree, or make half (or a third) of the recipe and serve it with bread as a crab dip appetizer. I'm definitely going to try to make it sometime before the year is out.
Nick and Barbara's Crab Au Gratin
1 stalk celery chopped fine
1 cup onion chopped fine
1 stick butter
2-3 tbsp flour
1 and 3/4 cup half and half
2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb crab (doesn't have to be fancy jumbo lump, but not imitation either)
1/2 lb grated cheese (pick your favorite kind, I think Barbara used cheddar)
Saute onions and celery in butter until wilted. Blend flour in well. Pour in half and half gradually on low heat, stirring constantly. Add egg yolks, salt, red and black pepper. Cook for five minutes.
Rinse crabmeat and press out excess water. Put crabmeat in to a lightly greased casserole. Pour sauce over the crabmeat and add half the cheese and blend well. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the mixture. Bake at 375 for 15 min. or until light brown.
(Apparently you can add green onions somewhere in there if that sounds good to you, but Barbara didn't do it that way for us.)
Happy crabbing!
Nick and Barbara's Crab Au Gratin
1 stalk celery chopped fine
1 cup onion chopped fine
1 stick butter
2-3 tbsp flour
1 and 3/4 cup half and half
2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb crab (doesn't have to be fancy jumbo lump, but not imitation either)
1/2 lb grated cheese (pick your favorite kind, I think Barbara used cheddar)
Saute onions and celery in butter until wilted. Blend flour in well. Pour in half and half gradually on low heat, stirring constantly. Add egg yolks, salt, red and black pepper. Cook for five minutes.
Rinse crabmeat and press out excess water. Put crabmeat in to a lightly greased casserole. Pour sauce over the crabmeat and add half the cheese and blend well. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the mixture. Bake at 375 for 15 min. or until light brown.
(Apparently you can add green onions somewhere in there if that sounds good to you, but Barbara didn't do it that way for us.)
Happy crabbing!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Don't Touch the Tree!
Does anyone else find it absolutely impossible to pick out and decorate a tree without having O Christmas Tree running through your head? (Only up to the second line, of course, since the lyrics after that part are one of life's great unsolved mysteries.) ...no? Just me then? ...ok.
So we picked out our tree today, a good sturdy NC-grown tree from the farmer's market. Nathan wore one of two (two!) designer coats (from Marshall's) that my mom picked out last summer on super-clearance. This is his Timberland coat, and while it's incredibly warm (albeit slightly too big) and incredibly well made, Nathan does have some trouble seeing around the hood. Which makes it hard for him to see every "big truck" that goes by. Which means when he wears it, there is a significant reduction in the amount of times I hear the phrase "big truck." In short, I love this coat.
It was supposed to be a relaxing day with just our little family, as recovery from our crazy weekend. But of course it's never quite as relaxing as we intend it to be. We made a huge mess in the den during the decorating process (Nathan scattering toys all over the house doesn't help). Boxes of Christmas stuff, tree twine, branches, ladders... well you can see. With two pups and a toddler in the middle of it. Although this is exactly the kind of chaos I can handle. It makes me happy, even. Especially with Christmas music in the background. Christmas music of the Chipmunk variety. (Just kidding dad, put down the noose.)
Overall it was a very pleasant afternoon, made even easier by the fact that our outside icicle lights are burned out so we need to replace them...
which means Mark didn't have to hang them today after all (that makes him happy, he hates hanging those things as much as I love having them there). Somehow not hanging the lights was still exhausting for him, as you can see (Simon too).
When all was said and done, we have a very nice-looking tree (although I lost the colored-lights argument again), and we've relived lots of memories by exploring through our ornaments, and we drank some really good apple cider (the farmer's market did us up right today) and actually relaxed, which was the goal.
And although the tree has been up for a very short period of time, I have already perfected what is apparently the oldest saying in the grand tradition of toddlers at Christmastime: Don't touch the tree! Think he'll have it down pat by the end of 31 days? Somehow I doubt it.
So we picked out our tree today, a good sturdy NC-grown tree from the farmer's market. Nathan wore one of two (two!) designer coats (from Marshall's) that my mom picked out last summer on super-clearance. This is his Timberland coat, and while it's incredibly warm (albeit slightly too big) and incredibly well made, Nathan does have some trouble seeing around the hood. Which makes it hard for him to see every "big truck" that goes by. Which means when he wears it, there is a significant reduction in the amount of times I hear the phrase "big truck." In short, I love this coat.
It was supposed to be a relaxing day with just our little family, as recovery from our crazy weekend. But of course it's never quite as relaxing as we intend it to be. We made a huge mess in the den during the decorating process (Nathan scattering toys all over the house doesn't help). Boxes of Christmas stuff, tree twine, branches, ladders... well you can see. With two pups and a toddler in the middle of it. Although this is exactly the kind of chaos I can handle. It makes me happy, even. Especially with Christmas music in the background. Christmas music of the Chipmunk variety. (Just kidding dad, put down the noose.)Overall it was a very pleasant afternoon, made even easier by the fact that our outside icicle lights are burned out so we need to replace them...
which means Mark didn't have to hang them today after all (that makes him happy, he hates hanging those things as much as I love having them there). Somehow not hanging the lights was still exhausting for him, as you can see (Simon too).When all was said and done, we have a very nice-looking tree (although I lost the colored-lights argument again), and we've relived lots of memories by exploring through our ornaments, and we drank some really good apple cider (the farmer's market did us up right today) and actually relaxed, which was the goal.
And although the tree has been up for a very short period of time, I have already perfected what is apparently the oldest saying in the grand tradition of toddlers at Christmastime: Don't touch the tree! Think he'll have it down pat by the end of 31 days? Somehow I doubt it.
Seriously, don't touch the tree.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A Holiday Record
This weekend, Mark and I presented ourselves at celebrations for four Thanksgivings, one Christmas and a birthday. Which is a record, even for us.
To be fair, some of those celebrations were combined, and one of them was so fast it was almost a drive-through celebration, but our weekend was jam-packed nonetheless.
Wednesday - we loaded up the creatures (canine and human alike) and more stuff than anyone should ever need for 5 days on the road, but that's parenthood right?... and hit the road. Even though the car eventually smelled like dog and diaper, I couldn't help but feel thankful for my little family, scooting away down the highway. And for the cheap gas (down to about $1.65 here). And for no wait at Cracker Barrel (amazing). And for my sister's warning about a 20-mile traffic jam on southbound 85. And for Nathan's sweet voice, which did not stop during the entire five-hour journey between our house and Dad's.
Thursday - we had Thanksgiving "lunch" with my stepmom's family in Fort Mill SC, and then stopped by my aunt's place in Charlotte, since my Grandpa B was visiting there and wanted to see us (read: Nathan) for a few minutes. By the time we got home it was well after dark and we all just crashed. And Nathan finally figured out that Dad's cats are not puppies, and call them cat! So... yay for progress. Bad holidaygoer moment: I got away with no turkey and I am not ashamed to admit I am happy about that. I had a great meal of venison stew with mushroom gravy, salad, broccoli casserole, hawaiian roles, deviled eggs, and root beer. And a few bites of cranberry sauce. Not the real stuff, but the canned stuff. Which I am also not ashamed to admit that I love.
Friday - We spent the morning visiting at my mom's house, since I had really been missing my pups who were staying there. 
(Well, that wasn't the whole reason, but it was part.) Nathan called Grandpa S's toy poodle a cat. So much for that progress, huh? Then we had lunch with my sister, ran into an old friend from high school (Mark's constant fear in Huntersville... although he remembered this friend!) , and made our way to my MIL's house to celebrate Mark's birthday. And Thanksgiving. And Christmas. (Well, St Nick's day, a week early.) Barbara made us an amah-zing crab meat au gratin for dinner (for which I will post the recipe if I ever get it) and we had two birthday cakes for dessert. We opened presents and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. Bad wife moment: I forgot Mark's birthday presents in Raleigh, so he opened nothing -- nothing -- from me or Nathan on his birthday.
(Well, that wasn't the whole reason, but it was part.) Nathan called Grandpa S's toy poodle a cat. So much for that progress, huh? Then we had lunch with my sister, ran into an old friend from high school (Mark's constant fear in Huntersville... although he remembered this friend!) , and made our way to my MIL's house to celebrate Mark's birthday. And Thanksgiving. And Christmas. (Well, St Nick's day, a week early.) Barbara made us an amah-zing crab meat au gratin for dinner (for which I will post the recipe if I ever get it) and we had two birthday cakes for dessert. We opened presents and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. Bad wife moment: I forgot Mark's birthday presents in Raleigh, so he opened nothing -- nothing -- from me or Nathan on his birthday.Saturday - While Mark drove down to Clemson for their big rivalry game, Nathan and I rode to Lake Wateree with Nick and Barbara, for Thanksgiving in the double-wide. Except for a short visit to the new house to see how the building is coming, we pretty much just ate all day. 
Bad mom moment: I fed Nathan a jalapeno (in the hopes of deterring his begging me for bites of my food) and while it didn't seem to faze him in the moment, he was up pretty much all night, groaning and trying to find ways to sleep with his butt in the air. Poor kid. His head probably hurt, too, from saying boat three hundred times over the course of the afternoon (mine did). Seriously, enough with boat.
Bad mom moment: I fed Nathan a jalapeno (in the hopes of deterring his begging me for bites of my food) and while it didn't seem to faze him in the moment, he was up pretty much all night, groaning and trying to find ways to sleep with his butt in the air. Poor kid. His head probably hurt, too, from saying boat three hundred times over the course of the afternoon (mine did). Seriously, enough with boat.
Sunday - Mark's stepsister Emily and her husband Trey joined us for one more feast. I escaped turkey once again when the double-wide served up sauerkraut and sausages and three kinds of pie instead. Yum! Mark's family calls it choucroute since it became a favorite during their summers in the Vosges in France. But really, it's sauerkraut. (Don't tell them it's German though.) 
A friend of a friend, who lives in France, happened to post a recipe for it today, so if you want to try the "French" version (it's the same), check it out. Bad family member moment: we didn't take any group pictures, even though we were all together. The stars (meaning Emily's, Mark's, and Barbara's rotating work schedules) so rarely align to put us all in one place at one time that we were really dumb to let this photo-op slip by. But in unrelated good news, Nathan finally did pass that jalapeno.
A friend of a friend, who lives in France, happened to post a recipe for it today, so if you want to try the "French" version (it's the same), check it out. Bad family member moment: we didn't take any group pictures, even though we were all together. The stars (meaning Emily's, Mark's, and Barbara's rotating work schedules) so rarely align to put us all in one place at one time that we were really dumb to let this photo-op slip by. But in unrelated good news, Nathan finally did pass that jalapeno.We had planned to spend the night again in the double-wide, but with Nathan notoriously sleeping so poorly there, and with us wanting to break up the drive some, we opted to head back as far as my mom's for the night. But then when we got there, Nathan was sleeping so we ended up coming back to Raleigh anyway. 
One more bad mom moment: Nathan's diaper got so full on the way home that it leaked not only through his long-johns and corduroy pants, but also the blanket in his car seat and into the car seat itself. Clearly we need to plan better for longer-than-expected car rides. But now he's clean(ish) and dry and we're at home in our house, which is exactly the right combinations of peaceful and chaotic, clean and messy, empty and crowded, chilly and blanketed, and full of love. And the fact that I have such a place to call home makes me truly thankful.
One more bad mom moment: Nathan's diaper got so full on the way home that it leaked not only through his long-johns and corduroy pants, but also the blanket in his car seat and into the car seat itself. Clearly we need to plan better for longer-than-expected car rides. But now he's clean(ish) and dry and we're at home in our house, which is exactly the right combinations of peaceful and chaotic, clean and messy, empty and crowded, chilly and blanketed, and full of love. And the fact that I have such a place to call home makes me truly thankful.For more pictures of our record-setting holiday weekend, click here.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Handy Man
I don't usually give credit to Mark for being particularly handy. Maybe it's because I grew up with my mom, who is pretty much the handiest woman I have ever met, and she set the bar for handiness kind of high. Maybe it's because part of being handy, for me, means being efficient (read: fast), and speed isn't really Mark's forte. I don't really know why, honestly. Especially since he has proven his handiness once and for all with this awesome baby gate at the base of our stairs.
He built the whole thing, one piece at a time. From spindles to rails to hinges to latch, including the stain work on the wood and installing a matching half-banister to the wall to hold the other side of the gate up. It looks like it was always there, huh? 
He even had to cut out part of the baseboard to make it flush with the wall. A delicate task, using a not-so-delicate saw.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm impressed. Nathan and I both thank you for preventing a fall! We love you!
He built the whole thing, one piece at a time. From spindles to rails to hinges to latch, including the stain work on the wood and installing a matching half-banister to the wall to hold the other side of the gate up. It looks like it was always there, huh? 
Yaaaay hinges!
He even had to cut out part of the baseboard to make it flush with the wall. A delicate task, using a not-so-delicate saw.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm impressed. Nathan and I both thank you for preventing a fall! We love you!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Requisite TP Picture
Doesn't every toddler have to do this before graduation to bigboyhood?
(Try to ignore how disgusting my carpet is. I don't know where we keep the vacuum. And I wish I were kidding about that.)
(Try to ignore how disgusting my carpet is. I don't know where we keep the vacuum. And I wish I were kidding about that.)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pretty Much Mozart (For Real)
Remember that recorder Nathan got in his Easter basket this past spring? This and this were his first tries at it, and since then he has mostly been using it as a big yellow drumstick.
But today, after months and months of "encouragement" from Mark, Nathan played that recorder all by himself.
Even though I know it says more about his lack of walking skills than plethora of musical talent, I still think it's cool that from now on and forever more, we get to say that our son has been playing the recorder since before he could walk.
(If you want to watch this in higher quality, just click on the video and it will take you directly to the youtube site, where you can select "view in high quality" in the bottom right corner of the video.)
It's a good thing we like this one note, since he hasn't figured out that mashing his fingers down the right way will change the pitch. I think my parents used to call this little ditty "the monotone march" when I was first learning to play. I like it. In a way that only a parent can.
But today, after months and months of "encouragement" from Mark, Nathan played that recorder all by himself.
Even though I know it says more about his lack of walking skills than plethora of musical talent, I still think it's cool that from now on and forever more, we get to say that our son has been playing the recorder since before he could walk.
(If you want to watch this in higher quality, just click on the video and it will take you directly to the youtube site, where you can select "view in high quality" in the bottom right corner of the video.)
It's a good thing we like this one note, since he hasn't figured out that mashing his fingers down the right way will change the pitch. I think my parents used to call this little ditty "the monotone march" when I was first learning to play. I like it. In a way that only a parent can.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Nathan's "Hat"
Some of Nathan's new favorite words are clothing words. Every day while we get dressed he says shoe and sock over and over again since those are the two he knows best. (I'm trying to hold off on teaching him shirt because of this problem.)
He also knows hat and he thinks that everything on anyone's head is a hat. (Including Mark's hair. At some point someone is going to see Nathan grab a fistful of Mark's hair and yell hat! and they'll think Mark is wearing a toupee or something!)
So guess what he kept saying when he found these orange cones to play with?
He also knows hat and he thinks that everything on anyone's head is a hat. (Including Mark's hair. At some point someone is going to see Nathan grab a fistful of Mark's hair and yell hat! and they'll think Mark is wearing a toupee or something!)
So guess what he kept saying when he found these orange cones to play with?
Hat!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
New Green Jacket
Want to know what I spent (part of) my birthday money on? Of course you do: a new jacket! I needed something that was casual and sort of lightweight, but still warmer than just a hoodie. The last jacket I had like that was what I wore around Germany in the fall of 2000, and suffice it to say it was not warm enough. Anyway that thing doesn't fit anymore and I have no qualms about admitting it!
So when I went shopping this time, I found a rack of jackets that I really liked... windbreaker, fold-away hoodie, fleece lining, and reversible to boot! I had it narrowed down to the brown, gray, and black (typical Erin jacket colors) when I decided to make Merritt proud and throw caution to the wind and get a really fun coat. I don't know if it's really a statement coat or not, but for me anyway, it's a fun jacket.
So when I went shopping this time, I found a rack of jackets that I really liked... windbreaker, fold-away hoodie, fleece lining, and reversible to boot! I had it narrowed down to the brown, gray, and black (typical Erin jacket colors) when I decided to make Merritt proud and throw caution to the wind and get a really fun coat. I don't know if it's really a statement coat or not, but for me anyway, it's a fun jacket.
I promise I don't look like a linebacker in real life. I hope not anyway.
Mark laughed when he saw that this was my idea of throwing fashion-caution to the wind. What can I say, I'm boring. Except in my new fun jacket!
If you want to see more Merritt-inspired ideas on how to look nice, even if you're a fashion dunce who rarely puts on legitimate clothing and strictly adheres to a once-a-week hair-brushing policy (like, um... me), then head over here for practical and budget-friendly ideas. And in the meantime try not to be too "green" about my new jacket. Happy Birthday, me!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Read & Ring
If you're not prepared to embrace that I am still a full-on band geek, read no further.
Remember how I told you about the Raleigh Ringers last December, when we went to their Christmas concert and it was amazing? Well, since then I have become sort of a groupie. Listening to their CD's (yes I own all of them), watching their tour schedule online, preparing to order my early-bird tickets for their Christmas concert again, etc.
So when they offered the opportunity for community members to come ring with them one after noon, I jumped on it. They called it an event for "advanced ringers." Now I will say that I am not a ringing dunce... I can sightread better than most, and quick bell changes don't intimidate me. But I can officially tell you, after spending the afternoon with RR, that I am officially not an "advanced" ringer. Who knows, maybe other people messed up as much as I did. Maybe other people were lost as much as I was. But honestly I only got about 75% of the notes that flew by. I think if we had rung anything through even a second time, I would have nailed some of those parts. But for a read-only event.... yeah I'm pretty much intermediate. :)
That being said, no one cared that we didn't play perfectly, and there were times the whole group was totally lost too, and I learned a lot. And at the end of the day, I have had a great toddler-free afternoon, doing something I really enjoy, with other dorks/groupies that I could totally relate to. And I learned that I'm fine putting my (not-so-) secret dream of being a Raleigh Ringer on hold for another year or two.
Remember how I told you about the Raleigh Ringers last December, when we went to their Christmas concert and it was amazing? Well, since then I have become sort of a groupie. Listening to their CD's (yes I own all of them), watching their tour schedule online, preparing to order my early-bird tickets for their Christmas concert again, etc.
So when they offered the opportunity for community members to come ring with them one after noon, I jumped on it. They called it an event for "advanced ringers." Now I will say that I am not a ringing dunce... I can sightread better than most, and quick bell changes don't intimidate me. But I can officially tell you, after spending the afternoon with RR, that I am officially not an "advanced" ringer. Who knows, maybe other people messed up as much as I did. Maybe other people were lost as much as I was. But honestly I only got about 75% of the notes that flew by. I think if we had rung anything through even a second time, I would have nailed some of those parts. But for a read-only event.... yeah I'm pretty much intermediate. :)
That being said, no one cared that we didn't play perfectly, and there were times the whole group was totally lost too, and I learned a lot. And at the end of the day, I have had a great toddler-free afternoon, doing something I really enjoy, with other dorks/groupies that I could totally relate to. And I learned that I'm fine putting my (not-so-) secret dream of being a Raleigh Ringer on hold for another year or two.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Yes, He's Always Been This Loud
Nathan came to choir with me this morning and since the childcare people didn't show up, he got to stay in the rehearsal with me. He had on his new "Yes, I've always been this loud" t-shirt that is super-cute (I love waffle weave) and was super-cheap (thanks, friends and family sale). And let me tell you, he lived up to his shirt.
He spent most of the rehearsal trying to "sing" along with the choir (really it was close to a yell), he flapped his arms when Karl directed, he clapped his hands when Karl clapped rhythms, he showed everyone his fake laugh, and he crawled all over the room asking for "daddy" and his "tractor" (as you can see in the picture above it's one of his favorite toys, and therefore also one of his favorite words), neither of which were present, obviously. But he was a good sport and no one seemed to mind... too much (insert denial here).
At least he looked cute. (And yes, I did look for a matching shirt for Ashley but small as she is, even she won't fit into a onesie.)
He spent most of the rehearsal trying to "sing" along with the choir (really it was close to a yell), he flapped his arms when Karl directed, he clapped his hands when Karl clapped rhythms, he showed everyone his fake laugh, and he crawled all over the room asking for "daddy" and his "tractor" (as you can see in the picture above it's one of his favorite toys, and therefore also one of his favorite words), neither of which were present, obviously. But he was a good sport and no one seemed to mind... too much (insert denial here).At least he looked cute. (And yes, I did look for a matching shirt for Ashley but small as she is, even she won't fit into a onesie.)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Carolina Fall
I don't know if these pictures Mark took are actually good or not, since I'm not a real photogropher (nor do I have the eye of one). But I do know that they really capture what a fall day in North Carolina looks like, for me at least. And therefore I like them evenif they're not actually art. Which is how I feel about most art, by the way. And wine. But I digress.
Enjoy the fall pictures.
Enjoy the fall pictures.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Fork, or ....?
As I've mentioned before, Nathan is a talkative little kid. Seriously, it's nonstop chatter with him. He's either talking or sleeping. (I stand by my statement that I don't know where he gets it. Really. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
We stopped counting words he knows a while ago. Around fourteen months, I counted up the fourteen words he was using the most at that point, but since then it's been close to four or five new words a week. He learns them really fast now since he can repeat (or try to) most simple sounds we offer him (and some complicated ones, like our last name... but that's a video for another day). Which means it's really fun to teach him new words right now. For instance, I had a bad mommy moment today when, while changing his diaper, I said the word poop and he repeated it and I cracked up and then we said it to each other over and over again for the next ten minutes, laughing all the way. (I'm sorry but Nathan saying poop is just funny. Yeah I am mature like that.)
And a couple of weeks ago at a church dinner, we were trying to get Nathan to say the words of things on the table... cup, spoon, juice, bread, noodle, etc. He was yelling them out (did I mention he yells a lot? Have I thanked Ashley for that yet today?) and laughing and having a grand old time. So we move on... "Ok Nathan, now say fork."
Can you imagine how a toddler, who speaks well but far from perfectly, would say the word fork? Go ahead, try it in your head.
And that's the story of how my son (loudly and multiple times) dropped the f-bomb at church.
We stopped counting words he knows a while ago. Around fourteen months, I counted up the fourteen words he was using the most at that point, but since then it's been close to four or five new words a week. He learns them really fast now since he can repeat (or try to) most simple sounds we offer him (and some complicated ones, like our last name... but that's a video for another day). Which means it's really fun to teach him new words right now. For instance, I had a bad mommy moment today when, while changing his diaper, I said the word poop and he repeated it and I cracked up and then we said it to each other over and over again for the next ten minutes, laughing all the way. (I'm sorry but Nathan saying poop is just funny. Yeah I am mature like that.)
And a couple of weeks ago at a church dinner, we were trying to get Nathan to say the words of things on the table... cup, spoon, juice, bread, noodle, etc. He was yelling them out (did I mention he yells a lot? Have I thanked Ashley for that yet today?) and laughing and having a grand old time. So we move on... "Ok Nathan, now say fork."
Can you imagine how a toddler, who speaks well but far from perfectly, would say the word fork? Go ahead, try it in your head.
And that's the story of how my son (loudly and multiple times) dropped the f-bomb at church.
Friday, November 7, 2008
RSS Reader = YAY
I have finally really joined the blogging world by making the decision to read blog posts by way of RSS feeds instead of hopping to each site individually. I feel so, like, technical-savvy or something.
Now I can see on one screen who has updated, and if the update applies to me (which is handy for coupon/financial/parenting blogs), and I don't have to do so much clicking around and waiting for pages to load. Which not only saves me a lot of energy (mouse clicking is exhausting, y'all; I played enough solitaire in college to know that), it frees up more of my hard-to-find blogging time for one of my favorite things: commenting!
(You know I have always had a somewhat-skewed idea of how much the world needs my opinions on things. I make myself feel better about this with the reminder that all bloggers love commenters.)
To sum it up: there's a difference between like and love. I like reading all your blogs. But I love reading them through my new Google Reader.
(Should I be getting paid to say that? ...Yeah right like Google needs my endorsement for anything.)
Now I can see on one screen who has updated, and if the update applies to me (which is handy for coupon/financial/parenting blogs), and I don't have to do so much clicking around and waiting for pages to load. Which not only saves me a lot of energy (mouse clicking is exhausting, y'all; I played enough solitaire in college to know that), it frees up more of my hard-to-find blogging time for one of my favorite things: commenting!
(You know I have always had a somewhat-skewed idea of how much the world needs my opinions on things. I make myself feel better about this with the reminder that all bloggers love commenters.)To sum it up: there's a difference between like and love. I like reading all your blogs. But I love reading them through my new Google Reader.
(Should I be getting paid to say that? ...Yeah right like Google needs my endorsement for anything.)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Red, Blue, Purple... Whatever
I saw today on NPR's website that after being "too close to call" for almost 48 hours, North Carolina has officially put our electoral votes toward Sen. Barack Obama.
So after more than three decades of being a red state, we are officially blue.
But wait! On the NPR site, when you click on NC, it takes you to this site which says we went 50% and 50% for McCain and Obama. That's as close as you can get, people! So why are we blue then?
Maybe our electoral votes go to Obama since he's already been declared President-Elect? Nope, apparently someone from the Associated Press has hunted down every county's election board and determined that there are not enough outstanding ballots to make up the votes McCain would need to pass Obama here (that's 13,693 for those of you counting at home). Less than a percentage point. Amazing.
Wake (and Mecklenburg) counties are pretty blue, though.
I really thought the election would be over by Tuesday. HA!! Funny how we're all still thinking and talking (and blogging) about it. I'm ready to move on already, and I promise that after I hit "publish post" I am going to chalk up my losses, get on board with all the newly elected politicians, and hope they can help us regroup, as a nation. I also promise to smack the next person who says "yes we can" to me. Seriously. Don't test me.
I really do love North Carolina, indecisive as we are.
So after more than three decades of being a red state, we are officially blue.
But wait! On the NPR site, when you click on NC, it takes you to this site which says we went 50% and 50% for McCain and Obama. That's as close as you can get, people! So why are we blue then?
Maybe our electoral votes go to Obama since he's already been declared President-Elect? Nope, apparently someone from the Associated Press has hunted down every county's election board and determined that there are not enough outstanding ballots to make up the votes McCain would need to pass Obama here (that's 13,693 for those of you counting at home). Less than a percentage point. Amazing.
Wake (and Mecklenburg) counties are pretty blue, though.
I really thought the election would be over by Tuesday. HA!! Funny how we're all still thinking and talking (and blogging) about it. I'm ready to move on already, and I promise that after I hit "publish post" I am going to chalk up my losses, get on board with all the newly elected politicians, and hope they can help us regroup, as a nation. I also promise to smack the next person who says "yes we can" to me. Seriously. Don't test me.I really do love North Carolina, indecisive as we are.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Not So Much Sick
I had such a relaxing weekend! Here are some random updates:
1.) We had very few trick-or-treaters this year. We built a fire in the fire pit with Amy and Drew (our neighbors) at the end of the driveway and had some pizza and (ahem) beverages while we handed out candy, but there just weren't too many takers. Which is sort of surprising, considering it was a Friday night and the weather was gorgeous.
2.) Since my mom's hip is injured again, she opted to only (only!) do the swim and bike portions of her ironman in Wilmington this weekend. So while I had planned to spend the weekend at the beach with her, instead I was at home. Which might sound boring but it was actually rockin' awesome since I got to spend my birthday with Mark and Nathan, and I still got to see my mom when she came through Raleigh on her way home from the event.
3.) I had Pei Wei takeout on Saturday night for my birthday (extra spicy, Justin if you're reading this you should be proud) and then we had a restaurant dinner with my mom last night at Bonefish, complete with bang-bang shrimp for an appetizer and the nice fish dinner I had been hankering for for so long. When you add in the Halloween candy, this was a very culinarily appealing weekend for me!
4.) Nathan is feeling much better from the sniffles he had last week. I made the mistake of mentioning to Jenny when I was visiting her with the pumpkins a few weeks ago that Nathan had never really been sick (besides the whole hospitalized-due-to-weight-loss thing, but who's counting that? not me), and I think that was just tempting fate. Sure enough, Nathan has a little fever and runny nose and chest cough for much of last week. I was feeling really bad for him, he seemed so puny and was having trouble sleeping. But both the MMO director at church and his doctor (when he went for his 15-month checkup, he wasn't sick enough to take in for a sick visit or anything), after taking one look at him chattering and laughing away, sort of laughed at me and told me I didn't know what sick was. So. Here's hoping I never have to learn firsthand the frustrations of a miserable sick baby. And in the meantime, I'm glad the cough has cleared up and he's in a better mood.
5.) After an infuriating hive and allergy month in October, this month is off to a better start. I have successfully tapered off the steroid without a big flareup for the first time since this summer. I'm cautiously optimistic that this means I won't have to be on a steroid (or completely drugged with antihistamine or covered in hives with a swollen face, neither of which are better) for the rest of my life after all!
I'm almost scared to write that, though. Don't want to tempt fate like with Nathan's "sickness" last week. But I'm not really superstitious so... there it is.
1.) We had very few trick-or-treaters this year. We built a fire in the fire pit with Amy and Drew (our neighbors) at the end of the driveway and had some pizza and (ahem) beverages while we handed out candy, but there just weren't too many takers. Which is sort of surprising, considering it was a Friday night and the weather was gorgeous.
2.) Since my mom's hip is injured again, she opted to only (only!) do the swim and bike portions of her ironman in Wilmington this weekend. So while I had planned to spend the weekend at the beach with her, instead I was at home. Which might sound boring but it was actually rockin' awesome since I got to spend my birthday with Mark and Nathan, and I still got to see my mom when she came through Raleigh on her way home from the event.
3.) I had Pei Wei takeout on Saturday night for my birthday (extra spicy, Justin if you're reading this you should be proud) and then we had a restaurant dinner with my mom last night at Bonefish, complete with bang-bang shrimp for an appetizer and the nice fish dinner I had been hankering for for so long. When you add in the Halloween candy, this was a very culinarily appealing weekend for me!
4.) Nathan is feeling much better from the sniffles he had last week. I made the mistake of mentioning to Jenny when I was visiting her with the pumpkins a few weeks ago that Nathan had never really been sick (besides the whole hospitalized-due-to-weight-loss thing, but who's counting that? not me), and I think that was just tempting fate. Sure enough, Nathan has a little fever and runny nose and chest cough for much of last week. I was feeling really bad for him, he seemed so puny and was having trouble sleeping. But both the MMO director at church and his doctor (when he went for his 15-month checkup, he wasn't sick enough to take in for a sick visit or anything), after taking one look at him chattering and laughing away, sort of laughed at me and told me I didn't know what sick was. So. Here's hoping I never have to learn firsthand the frustrations of a miserable sick baby. And in the meantime, I'm glad the cough has cleared up and he's in a better mood.
5.) After an infuriating hive and allergy month in October, this month is off to a better start. I have successfully tapered off the steroid without a big flareup for the first time since this summer. I'm cautiously optimistic that this means I won't have to be on a steroid (or completely drugged with antihistamine or covered in hives with a swollen face, neither of which are better) for the rest of my life after all!
I'm almost scared to write that, though. Don't want to tempt fate like with Nathan's "sickness" last week. But I'm not really superstitious so... there it is.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Now That's (Chocolate) Amore
Mark made a birthday cake for me, with chocolate cake and chocolate icing and two (count 'em... two!) layers! I'm betting not that many husbands out there can make multi-layer cakes.
And I'm betting the ones that do wouldn't make a crust of mini-chocolate chips on the outer wall. Or pipe icing flowers in a ring around the top. Or write your name in cursive with an icing pen. Now that is love.
(And I also got to eat lots of pretzels dipped in the leftover icing. Mmmm.) Thanks Mark!
And I'm betting the ones that do wouldn't make a crust of mini-chocolate chips on the outer wall. Or pipe icing flowers in a ring around the top. Or write your name in cursive with an icing pen. Now that is love.
(And I also got to eat lots of pretzels dipped in the leftover icing. Mmmm.) Thanks Mark!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
As you can see, Nathan decided to be a giraffe for his first* Halloween. Why a giraffe, you ask? Well, that's because the free costume in Nathan's size that Mommy found on freepeats just happened to be a giraffe costume. Once again, frugality makes the decision. He's a cute giraffe, though, don't you think? Sort of appropriate for his build, anyway.
You should know that he's been pointing to these pictures and saying "puppy." Not only does he think that all animals are puppies (we have known that for a while), he is fooled by his own costume and thinks this is a picture of an animal!
*Yes, I know that technically Nathan has already been alive for one Halloween. But this is his first to dress up... he was too young (and I too exhausted) to participate last year, so we're not counting it. This year won't include any "real" trick-or-treating either, but we will stop by the church and the Raleigh office for my company, and to see a few friends. And then Mark and I will eat the candy. (Don't judge. Nathan would rather have mandarin oranges anyway.)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
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