Saturday, August 26, 2006
My master's voice...
...sounds an awful lot like a dryer buzzer. The sound elicits a Pavlovian response as I. Must. Go. Fold. Clothes. NOW. Many an IM conversation has languished while I folded my warm laundry. Can I get a witness?

I hate ironing; I have no ironing routine. My iron gets pulled out less than ten times a year. The key to working with this aversion, without us looking like we sleep in our clothes, is to fold the clothes as soon as the dryer stops, while everything is still warm. And hang lots of things on hangers. If clothes sit too long in the finished dryer I'm forced to run it a while longer to fluff everything. We don't want to waste energy like that, do we? I didn't think so. Excuse me while I go fold some clothes.
Written at 10:23 PM by Highlandgal.
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"Bless you"
Emma told me that twice tonight. I sneezed twice and she said it both times. I'm not used to hearing that in my own home. Anyone who lives with me knows that I sneeze a lot and they would wear themselves out with the "bless yous." I give them a special "bless you" dispensation and that covers it in perpetuity. However, hearing it her sweet little voice was kinda special. I may let her continue ;)
Written at 9:21 PM by Highlandgal.
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Thursday, August 24, 2006
Welcome to the world, Baby Ainsley!
Congratulations to the Murwin family! Avery has a little sister, 6 lbs. 11 oz., 19.5 inches. She was born yesterday at 3:30 p.m. PST. We're anticipating pictures soon at Running With Scissors!

Written at 8:32 PM by Highlandgal.
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Talking to Noni on the phone
I thought you might enjoy some perspective of what's happening on the other end of the line...

Written at 8:28 PM by Highlandgal.
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Emma gets her way
But it took trans-generational intervention. When she goes to the store she wants to sit on the front steps. Then she wants to cross the street and go to the courthouse. We were waiting for Popi and we didn't want to leave our post...



Written at 8:18 PM by Highlandgal.
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Sunflower Towers
This would be a sunflower jungle if the critters hadn't killed so many. But they sure are tall flowers.


Emma greets Mr. Turtle, who's been sitting on that rock for nearly ten years now. She always says "Hi, Turtle."

Written at 8:13 PM by Highlandgal.
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Rail fence
It's there for climbing, right?

Written at 8:11 PM by Highlandgal.
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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK

I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I eat my lunch,
I go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays I go shopping,
And have buttered scones for tea.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

He cuts down trees, eats his lunch,
Goes to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays he goes shopping,
And has buttered scones for tea.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I skip and jump,
I like to press wild flowers,
I put on women's clothing,
And hang around in bars.

He cuts down trees, he skips and jumps,
He likes to press wild flowers,
He put on women's clothing,
And hang around in bars.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I wear high heels,
Suspenders and a bra,
I wish I were a girlie,
Just like my dear papa.

He cuts down trees, he wears high heels,
Suspenders and a bra,
He wants to be a girlie,
Just like his dear papa????

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

The Lumberjack Song by Monty Python
Written at 8:17 PM by Highlandgal.
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Today's project
This is how I spent my afternoon. Boxing up Emma's clothes, from newborn through twelve months. I put away a few heavyweight 18 month outfits too. Birthday is coming and then Christmas and we need to empty the place out to make room for more. Plus, I wanted to do an inventory of the 2T/24 mo. outfits she'd inherited and I needed to get the old stuff out of the way first. After inventory I can tell you I think she has a dozen pairs of jeans, no kidding. I hope something fits her well. A girl's gotta have a good pair of jeans!

The bonus is that I exposed a whole wall. Now I need to decide what to do with that space. All of those boxes will go into storage at the store, just in case ;)

Written at 8:12 PM by Highlandgal.
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Noni, this was the outfit I was talking about
Written at 8:11 PM by Highlandgal.
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Pumpkin Check
Emma's checking out her miniature pumpkins.


Written at 8:08 PM by Highlandgal.
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Just a swangin'
Now that M. has been forced to clear his ten tons of crap off the porch we get much nicer swinging pictures. Don't you think?



Written at 8:00 PM by Highlandgal.
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
It finally happened
It was inevitable really...

Emma is to the point where she pretty much says whatever you say. We are beyond lists, there are new words every day. Last night when I was dressing her I had a problem with the snaps.

Me: Damnit (pretty quietly and with too much emphasis)

Emma: Damnit...Damnit...Damn it.

Me: Shamed silence.

I figured my best bet was to keep a poker face and not react whatsoever. She wouldn't realize the word had any import and I wouldn't be likely to hear it again. I think it worked. Now the trick is to avoid slipping up again anytime soon.
Written at 9:37 PM by Highlandgal.
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Monday, August 21, 2006
No pictures of Emma tonight
My camera battery died again. Maybe you'll settle for one of me?

Written at 9:22 PM by Highlandgal.
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Here is one of my salmon gladiolas

Written at 9:11 PM by Highlandgal.
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Sad day
When I dropped Emma off at Mary's this morning the place was practically empty. All her boyfriends have gone off to school, except Caleb. Alex and Clay are in Headstart, Colby is in Kindergarten and Avery is in first grade. Sniff! They're growing up. Emma went into the back bedroom and found Caleb and they both came out toting toy tractors, so they were making the best of a bad situation. There is one other little girl that will probably be there half the time. Other than that it's slim pickens for playmates. I don't know how Emma felt about it, but it made me sad.
Written at 9:07 PM by Highlandgal.
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Easter 1982
Me and my mom. I'm 12 and she's 32.

At 32 I had no children. Mom had a 12 year-old and an 8 year-old. She looks so mature and grown-up in that picture. She's always been a grown-up. I'm 36 and I still watch cartoons and collect music and like to play with my "toys" (computer, iPod, Palm Pilot, digital camera, etc.) I think it a generational thing. Most of my peers seem to be like me. We work, vote, raise children, but still hang on to what we enjoy, instead of growing up.

Written at 6:51 PM by Highlandgal.
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One of my regrets...
Was that I took band. I started in fifth grade with the clarinet. It got me out of classes for two years. Then when I went to Jr. High the same teacher was teaching the band so I took it. My big goal was to join the marching band and get my varsity letter. That was it, that was all I was in it for. I didn't particularly like the clarinet, I hardly ever practiced, and thank goodness the high school band teacher was lazy and didn't even make us memorize the songs. It was a big unmotivated clusterfarg.

I got my letter, by golly, and then I quit. I lettered as a freshman and hung up the clarinet. Years later my worthless first husband hocked the thing unbeknownst to me. Not one of the more glorious chapters of my life.

Written at 6:15 PM by Highlandgal.
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Sunday, August 20, 2006
Mythbusters Anti-Disclaimer: DO try this at home!
We tried the Mentos in the Diet Coke experiment. It works best with mint mentos. I wasn't sure how close we should get so the first try was more of a distant shot. You can see our first try here. There is more on the Mentos/Coke experiments on this web site.



Emma thought it was really funny and wanted to do it too. She was grabbing rocks and dropping them in the bottle, but it didn't quite seem to work. Daddy went inside and got two more bottles and more Mentos and let Emma do it herself the next time. You can see her try in the second video.






UPDATE

We had one more bottle to try and our friend was here. Since it takes a second or two for the nucleation effect to begin M. and K. thought they could drop in three Mentos and screw on a cap with a smaller hole drilled in it. Watch what happens...

Written at 4:26 PM by Highlandgal.
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Sunday is pool day
This morning Emma went to the outbuilding and found the pool herself and made Daddy drag it out. It usually takes about six giant buckets full of hot water to bring the water to reasonable temperature. Emma was taking the opportunity to practice her jumping with a soft landing.



Written at 4:12 PM by Highlandgal.
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Hot Stuff circa 1979
I'm pretty sure I thought I was hot stuff in this outfit, the overalls tucked into the boots. Sizzlin'

Mom let me borrow a bunch of my childhood pics to scan to digital format so I'll be playing with them this week. I may have a few I can't resist sharing...

Written at 4:08 PM by Highlandgal.
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HGal and Ladykiller
Here I am wearing my favorite long dress. I'm sure I wore it to at least one birthday party. Uncle B is wearing his ladykiller outfit. Chicks would stop us on the street to ooh and aah over him in that outfit. Note that he was towheaded too.

Written at 1:43 PM by Highlandgal.
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