A Deviated Path

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Shot Glass of the Day

M's alma mater. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech. He went there for Engineering and ended up graduating with a degree in Industrial Management. He hasn't been back to Blackburg since he graduated, but he does follow the football team. Both of Popi's parents also graduated from VA Tech so that's something that M. has in common with them.

Written at 8:33 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Images from the afternoon

This is the afternoon outfit. It think it's a little long, but it hasn't been washed yet so that could change.

She's hanging out with Daddy...

Just being cute ;)

Written at 5:28 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Working on Father's Day cards

Spoiler warning to Popi: If you don't want to see your card until tomorrow you'd better wait to watch this.

Written at 5:26 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Sunflower patch

M. decided to plant an extra patch of sunflowers. He put up this little fence around it, assembled out of bamboo. It's pretty cute.

Written at 5:24 PM by Highlandgal.

|

This morning's outfit

It only lasted through the morning because it got saturated, as you can see here...

And here's the reason...

Written at 5:22 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Passed on Redskins season tickets

We put our name on the waiting list in 2001. We signed up on a whim while attending a game, figuring we'd be waiting till retirement for the call. I guess that was the case in the old RFK days. Under Daniel Snyder's regime there seems to be a lot more turnover of seats. Plus, FedEx field is so much larger. Anyway, I got notice that we were near the top of the list in December. I had to send them a $100 deposit to hold the seats and we'd get an invoice in May.

There were some problems with our fascist local post office and it took us forever to get our invoice. Our seats were section 407, seats 3 and 4, row 28. In other words, we were two rows from heaven. There was only one row higher than us in the whole stadium. Frankly, it would have been more appealing to be offered the top row. But I have to admit, seats 3 and 4 were good. Only two people to climb over to go to the bathroom.

We really did consider taking the tickets, mostly because my brother will be living in the area come August. Ultimately we let them go, losing our deposit. It's just bad timing for us. It takes almost five hours to get to the stadium from where we live, so that sucks. Coming and going would be the biggest thrash. If we really have to go to a game there's always eBay.

Written at 5:13 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Friday, June 16, 2006

Here it is...

the famous cattle guard. Our daily destination at the end of the driveway...

And for some action...

Written at 8:23 PM by Highlandgal.

|

A new book!

It has lift-the-flaps AND Elmo! What could be better?

Written at 8:13 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Fussy face

Here is Emma throwing one of her fits.

Take a closer look. This is a faker...

Written at 8:09 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Shot Glass of the Day

My alma mater, the College of William and Mary in Virginia. It's the second oldest university in the United States, behind Harvard. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler went there. It's located in Williamsburg, Virginia. I chose William & Mary because of it's size, compared to my other option, the University of Virginia. I just couldn't see sitting in freshman classes of 500 people so I chose the smaller school. I think I chose well. Even though I was in a school with a lot of exceptionally bright people, I don't think I embarrassed myself. I even made the honor society in my major, government. Other attendees of this school include Glenn Close, Linda Lavin, Jon Stewart, and Patton Oswalt (although I'm not sure Patton graduated) I did meet Patton once when I was a freshman. He went to high school with my freshman roommate at Broad Run in Ashburn. Back then he was a skinny little guy with a 'fro. He was funny. I do remember that.

Written at 7:46 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Push Cart

Now she's more into pushing the cart than pulling it. Pushing definitely requires a lot more coordination. In this video you can hear her say "Beakey" "cow" and "moo"

This video is from the other night. Zippyvideos has been flakey lately so it's taken me a while to be able to upload it.

Written at 7:30 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Shot Glass of the Day

This is probably the oldest one in our collection. M. had it before I came along. It goes back to when he and his friends used to rent a house at the beach and vacation together. They started doing this when they were still single. When I came along it had evolved into families renting together. We vacationed at the beach with friends for probably six or seven summers before the tradition petered out. I've never been to Holden Beach. It's south of Oak Island, where we have stayed together.

This glass goes back to the early eighties. I am assured that many intoxicating substances were enjoyed. As a matter of fact, this shot glass was purchased for the purpose of drinking shots. Weird.

Written at 8:36 PM by Highlandgal.

|

This girl LOVES puzzles!

She does them anywhere she finds them. She's getting better at them all the time.

Written at 8:29 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

New Series - Shot Glasses

I'm beginning a new series so I'll be guaranteed something to blog every day for the forseeable future ;) I'll be featuring our shot glasses. We started collecting them right after we were married. The idea behind them is that we pick one up to represent places we've been. It's a cheap and portable souvenir. We used to have a display of them in our pool room, but since Emma came they've been put away. Some of the glasses we've received as gifts from family or friends when they've traveled.

I'll begin with our most recent acquisition, an etched glass shot glass from Ireland. I got this at Carroll's Irish Gifts on Suffolk Street in Dublin.

Written at 9:08 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Ball Ball

This means big ball. House is the word of the day. When we reach the driveway on the trip home she sees the house and makes the big announcement "House!" When we walk to the end of the driveway and turn around to head back she says "house."

Today Mary asked me if Emma is teething. Could be. She said Em was drooling today, which is a new development. And she thought it might explain her runny nose. If she is teething this would be the second molars. Ouch.

Written at 8:56 PM by Highlandgal.

|

This is how we listen...

I'm having a problem with Emma wanting to spend all her time removing the sand from her box. When I'm supervising I try to stop her. I kept telling her to stop, the sand stays in the box. After she dumped the third shovel-full I took her shovel away...

So then she used the rake. I took that away...

So then she used a boat from the water table...I think she's like her Popi, she has selective hearing.

Written at 8:48 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Who? Me?

Written at 8:46 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Thistle in full bloom

Written at 8:45 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Walking the Driveway

It's pretty much part of the daily routine now. On the way down she paused to rest a minute...

Then she loaded her cart with premium rocks...

Here she's waving at the cows...

Stupid cows...

Labels: cow hate

Written at 8:36 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

A day in the life...

Today would be good to blog because it's fairly typical...

5:30 a.m. Wake up, hear Emma crying out. Go to her room and pop in paci. Go back to bed.

7:00 a.m. Alarm goes off. Get up and great my smiling sweetheart. Change her diaper and bring her downstairs. Set her up with milk, cereal cup and Elmo and head for shower.

7:40 a.m. Pack lunches for me and Emma.

8:00 a.m. Get dressed, grab Emma from her pack n play and get her dressed.

8:25 a.m. Load car with 5 bags (the same every day) My purse, my tote, my lunch bag, her lunch bag, her diaper bag.

8:45 a.m. Drop Emma off at Mary's.

8:50 a.m. Arrive at work, prepare for day.

9:00 a.m. Eat breakfast at desk (since I don't get a lunch hour I eat two meals at my desk)

12:00 p.m. snack and soda time ;)

1:30 p.m. lunch time. Apple, carrots, 1 salty snack (today pretzels), 1 sweet snack (today merigues)

4:35 p.m. Pick Emma up from babysitter's and head home.

4:50 p.m. Hang out with Emma in back yard while she plays. Maybe walk to the cattle guard.

5:30 p.m. Time for Emma's cheese snack.

5:40 p.m. Swing time. Grab up Elmo, hat and tissue and head for front porch swing.

6:00 p.m. Daddy calls and checks if we need anything at home from the store. Stop swinging, come back in and fire up Elmo.

6:25 p.m. Daddy's home. Time to make supper.

6:45 p.m. Supper time!

7:00 p.m. Daddy and Emma play time. They head outside to walk the dogs and do whatever it is that they do. I clean up the dishes.

7:30 p.m. Nakey baby time! I undress Emma and watch her streak through the kitchen to the bathroom for bath time with Daddy. I head up to pick up her room and pull out her jammies.

7:45 p.m. Bedtime for Emma. Leisure time for Mommy and Daddy! From here on out I'll blog or watch TV or both.

11:00 p.m. Bedtime.

Talk about boring! But that's the basic structure of the day. It varies from there. Sometimes I throw in some laundry for excitement. But that's really a typical work day. Good times.

Written at 9:38 PM by Highlandgal.

|

New favorite meal

It's chicken and rice with the canned mushroom soup. She will chase the rice all over the place with her spoon. Here you can see her thinking outside the box...

Now experience has shown her that the spoon works best the proper way...

Written at 8:43 PM by Highlandgal.

|

#2 most fun thing to do

Once we got the sand table it became the most popular item to play with outdoors. Her favorite thing now is to dump sand from her shovel everywhere but in the box. Every once in a while she decides she needs to go for a slide...

Written at 8:40 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Monday, June 12, 2006

Car-Car!

Which actually means motorcycle. Shishoes means tissues. She said that one about fifteen times, me thinking she's talking about her shoes, before she finally added "nose." Then I got it. Sometimes I feel so dense. It's happening more often now. She repeats and repeats something and I just don't understand. Sigh.

Written at 9:06 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Ah luvs me some cheese!

Yes sirree!

Written at 8:53 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Things that make you clench...

Your toddler playing with a pointy stick...

Hey look! A pointy stick AND a hammer! Yippee!

Written at 8:40 PM by Highlandgal.

|

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Tiggers love to bounce!

M. is taking care of the animals of some friends of ours who are on vacation. He asked us to come along for the ride this evening so Emma could try the trampoline at their house. She'd been on it once before but not for very long because the other kids were impatient to get back on. Here are a few clips of Daddy and Emma on the trampoline...