A Deviated Path

Thursday, May 04, 2006

A visit with Popi and Grandma G.

Popi was through town working today. We saw him after work. Emma went straight to him today. She actually preferred that Popi hold her over everyone else. She found the hat that he's wearing and insisted he wear it. Then Popi passed it to Grandma G. to wear. Eventually Emma persuaded Popi to take her outside, so he took her on a visit to another customer up the street. She really works the men in her life.

Written at 8:39 PM by Highlandgal.

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It's here..."no"

Although when she says it, it's more like "ooooh, no, no." She doesn't use it strongly yet, thank goodness. She's just trying it out, I think.

Written at 8:35 PM by Highlandgal.

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Big shoes!

Noni picked up some sandals for me and sent them over via Popi express. I was trying them out and Emma insisted on having them. She was very, very serious about having them. When I decided it was time to move on I wanted to put her shoes back on so she could run around the yard again. This upset her so badly she had a catastrophic meltdown. She cried for at least 25 minutes. She got tears on the new sandals.

Written at 8:28 PM by Highlandgal.

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Wednesday, May 03, 2006

He's Here!

Congratulations Jen and Greg! Welcome to the world, baby Gabriel Joseph!

He was born at 6:25 p.m. weighing in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. and he is 20" long. Jen says he has curly hair and he does look like Hunter. She did it with pitocin and without an epidural, my hero (seriously). He's also breastfeeding like a champ.

I'm sure they'll post pics when they can. If you're interested in following up later and seeing him you can find Jen at My Random Ramblings...

Written at 9:53 PM by Highlandgal.

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Another first

You get a lot of these when you raise a kid from scratch. We baked cookies together today. Chocolate chip. I pulled a step stool right up next to me at the counter and she watched the whole process. I described everything as I did it, named all the ingredients and the measuring devices. I gave her a chance to stir but she was more interested in dipping. And tasting. Imagine that, she likes cookie dough, I wonder where she got that from? She also liked the chocolate chips. Once we got to the actual baking part she lost interest. Like I do. But I did finish the baking. Daddy was really pleased; it's been a LONG time since we've baked cookies in this house.

Written at 8:54 PM by Highlandgal.

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Purple Rain

Another album that I'll always enjoy. I remember buying this one on LP with my own money. This was when I was first becoming a consumer of music, around 13 years old. It was the beginning of a lifetime love affair, not just this album, but music in general. I can even remember the day I got it. This album doesn't recall a period of my life so much as distinct memories...

Listening to "When Doves Cry" on the radio while camping out in a tent in my best friends yard.

Someone playing the album on the back of the bus on a French field trip. "Darling Nikki" came on and the French teacher was right there. Would they dare play it? We were all scandalized that the teacher was hearing those salacious lyrics. When the song was over he was very blase about it. A serious anticlimax.

The rumors about Wendy and Lisa. Naughty, naughty.

I did see the movie. It's as good as most rock movies, which isn't saying that much. But Jay and Silent Bob were right, Morris Day and the Time made that movie.

Prince himself has done some pretty wacked out stuff over his career, but I've always respected him for being a musician first and then taking care of his own business.

I'm adding the wikipedia link on this album, and going back and adding it to The Smiths too. I know wikipedia can't be trusted for scholarly stuff, but for background and interesting factoids on these albums it's quite interesting.

Written at 8:31 PM by Highlandgal.

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New/Old Table

Emma got a new table for her room today. It's new to her. But, it's actually at least 50 years old. It was Noni's when she was little. But it's pretty cool, if you ask me. It's got the retro 50's diner look that I enjoy so much. Emma took right to it. The chairs are still a little tall for her, it's a struggle to climb up, but once she gets there she's as pleased as punch. First we played puzzle and then she went and got some of her favorite books and flipped through them, pointing at objects while I named them.

Written at 8:18 PM by Highlandgal.

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Language explosion and getting her way

We've definitely hit the language explosion. I've lost track of all the new words she's tried out. She loves to mimic us now, trying out new words. I continue to be astounded at what she understands too. She can follow instructions so well. Her newest "trick" is to come to you, grab your finger and try to lead you around. She has definite ideas of how she wants things to go.

I was sitting in the glider while she was playing at her new table. She came around and grabbed my finger and pulled till I got up. She lead me to the empty chair at the table and then looked at me and pointed to the seat. I certainly understood my orders. Thank goodness it's a chair that will support adults.

Written at 8:13 PM by Highlandgal.

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Old habits die hard

After playing with her new table for a while she ended up using it for the exact same thing the trunk that used to occupy that spot was used for, to pile up her stuffed toys. I really think she likes the table though, and she especially likes the chair that's her size.

Written at 8:07 PM by Highlandgal.

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Walt, B., Slacker Mom and RM,

Sue (a mutual friend) reports that the hospital kept Jen this morning. She's at 3 cm at last report. We probably won't hear from her again till she has Gabe in her arms. I'll keep you posted!

Update: At 4:00 p.m. Sue reported that she was still at only 3 cm. But by 7:00 p.m. she was at 6, so things might be happening now. Will update as I can.

Written at 1:49 PM by Highlandgal.

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Fear of flying

It's irrational. I know. I'm more likely to die on the trip to the airport. But I think it's the spectacular WAY you die that fixes it so large in the imagination. And it's not like it doesn't happen on a regular basis. Like, just yesterday:

Armenian plane crashes into Black Sea, killing 113

I know that seasoned travellers find us scaredy-cats amusing. The lady in the seat next to me on our first flight to Detroit seemed bemused at my VERY MILD ;) distress on take-off. Hello!?! This is completely unnatural! Planes weighing tons taking to the air? It's madness!

I was seriously uncomfortable at the thought of the six flights that would comprise our vacation. I was even preparing to write a holographic will, just in case. Which I never did, because good old laziness usually wins out.

I did pretty well. On all of the flights. Once we reach altitude, and the minutes pass by uneventfully, I reach a certain level of comfort. Of course any turbulence ruins my complacency and I immediately go back on alert. And then the stupid thoughts creep in, "what if we're in a midair collision?" Hey, it happened to that Russian plane years ago!

At the airport at Karlsruhe-Baden Baden I looked around the gate area where we were waiting to board. I noted the faces of the people around me. Old people, babies, toddlers, students, couples and families, and found that there is a feeling of safety in numbers. But that's irrational too. If the plane goes down we all go down. So then I think, well, these look like nice people to die with.

It's pretty scary in my head.

Written at 11:45 AM by Highlandgal.

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Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Going out on a limb here...

Mexico's Fox to OK drug decriminalization law

I'm betting Mexico will become the undisputed Spring Break mecca. Any way we can make money on this? Bueller? Bueller?

Written at 9:54 PM by Highlandgal.

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Lots going on in my head

I think I've decided I want to buy a house. I've always wanted to, I just never figured it would be attainable. And there was no real incentive to. See, we only paid $175 in monthly rent on the house we live in. Who would want to walk away from that? The reason the rent was so low is because the house is heated primarily by wood heat. Which means each summer we buy a tandem-load of wood, M. cuts it, splits it and stacks it. Then he stokes the fire all fall, winter and spring. When we want to go somewhere in the winter someone has to stoke the fire for us. So we make sacrifices for such a low rent. Plus, the house isn't exactly a winner.

Anyway, we just got a letter that rent is going to $250 in July and $300 in January 2007. Now, if we're going to be paying something more like real rent, maybe I'd rather take that money and build some equity. Based on our income, we won't be able to buy much of a house, especially in this area, where prices are inflated by retirees and people buying second homes. The bottom line is that it will take us several years to save enough for a downpayment, but the time to start is now, right?

On the other side of the equation is "are we going to have another kid?" Right now I'm losing hope. I feel like I want to, but I don't feel I'm getting a lot of cooperation in making it happen. Meanwhile, I agonize over it every single day. Should we? Should we not? I honestly feel like the constant agonizing is distracting me from full enjoyment of Emma's early years. That's not fair to her. Or me.

So it comes down to this...I think having a house or having another child is going to be an either/or. And that makes me sad. I just know I won't be able to afford a mortgage payment and the increased health insurance payment for a second child. The out of pocket expense for each would be almost exactly the same. I guess this is what "they" mean when they talk about the sacrifices you have to make in life. Which will it be? Honestly, I don't know yet.

Written at 8:12 PM by Highlandgal.

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Playing on the big stump

Written at 8:09 PM by Highlandgal.

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Any fans?

Strangeways, Here We Come

This one is one of my favorites. Not in a squeeeeee! way. It's just so familiar and comforting. It was my first Smiths album. I tried it out blindly. I used to do that when I belonged to the BMG music club. If you're not familiar with with Morrissey's vocal stylings his singing is often somewhat dissonant, seeming to have little relation to the music, but somehow he makes it work. I went on to buy all of the rest of their albums and continued to follow Morrissey's solo career. He once played Charlottesville and I really wanted to go, but I knew no other Morrissey fan and I wouldn't go alone.

Most albums that I have recall a certain period in my life. I got this one in the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in college. The same summer I met my first husband. You would think that association would spoil my enjoyment, but it doesn't. He never liked Morrissey and I continued to listen to the Smiths whether he liked it or not. It was one of the few ways I defied him. People who knew me then will tell you that I changed completely for him. I was spineless, compliant and not at all myself. I think I knew deep down that if I provided any real conflict he would leave me. Yes, I was that desperate for someone.

Listening to this album would be my "happy place." At one point my copy of it disappeared. So, on a shopping trip, with him, I bought another one. This was before I realized that my missing things, money, etc. were actually taken by him. Did I mention that he was a sociopath? Sigh.

Nineteen years later I still love this album. When I put it on, the words come right back to me. I still feel like I'm the only Morrissey fan I know, but I'm OK with that. Now that I can communicate with a wider world maybe I'll find a fellow fan.

Written at 7:46 PM by Highlandgal.

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Monday, May 01, 2006

Today's outfit

It's been a bit cooler for the last few days.

Written at 8:26 PM by Highlandgal.

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Lookee!

I loved this cool little toy we found in Germany while shopping in Triberg. When you pull the toy along the pink wheels turn and the little balls go around.

Labels: Germany

Written at 8:23 PM by Highlandgal.

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The true measure of my love...

for all to see. Some of you may remember that I characterize myself as a pen-aholic. I love pens, I love collecting pens, I love the colors, the inks, the styles. Those of you who have been with me a while may remember my post when I "came out." This pen set is the one that is mentioned and pictured at the end of that post. And today...I let Emma have her way with it. That's how much I love her.

Written at 8:17 PM by Highlandgal.

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Sunday, April 30, 2006