Nico is pretty much adorable these days. Sometimes he gets in these very funny moods where he is making noises. This video is mostly him laughing and making funny sounds. Bless his little heart, a lot of times, he laughs when I laugh. Sometimes, I try to copy the noises and mimmick them back to him. Sometimes I make up my own and we have our own little conversation. You might catch my replica "Nerd Laugh". You will recognize this from "Revenge of the Nerds."
Not much going on around here. NSF (The News Service of Florida) wrote a story today that got national play (about Charlie Crist running as an independent) so that is pretty good. Dave was floored about that.
Me- I got nothin for ya! Currently, I have a dresser dedicated to crafting stuff- knitting, scrapbooking, sewing, etc. I am currently going through it trying to get rid of stuff for the move. I am not even joking about this move- I am seriously trying to get rid of 1/4 of all the stuff that I have. Having been putting stuff on TallyFree Cycle. I would do Craigslist- but its too much work. I dont want people emailing me all the time with stupid questions.
Last night, Nico and I drove down to the county to see the girls play in the Regional Quarter Finals. Our pitcher MM (one of our B-A seniors) threw a no-hitter. One of our forwards BT stole all the way home (from first). MR knocked one out of the park for a 7-0 win. Which was nice. I would link to a story the Tallahassee Democrat did on MR, but apparently the Democrat's website is serving up viruses these days.... so lets just pretend you clicked on the article.
The dissertation is going. I am trying to figure out my county-level variables. Trying to figure out what they are saying and if it's important for the story of my research. Also trying to figure out a MAJOR methodological situation- so that I can proceed at full speed a head.
Mom and JJ are coming up next week. Nico's school is closed when FSU is closed- which means all of next week. So, its just going to be and Nico hanging- so Mom thought she would come up- so that we can do some crafty things (like working on a wonky log cabin baby quilt).
I have started watching the series "Bones". See, when LOST goes off the air this season, I will be losing some of my "TV Friends." Sure, we will see each other for a while. Matthew Fox shows up in random movies, but it will never be the same... he is supposed to be Dr. Jack Shepherd. And while Terry Quinn had probably the most established film career of anyone in the cast before the show started, I will always know him as Locke. So it is with a heavy heart that I watch this final season.
In any case- you would have thought that I would have been all over Bones from the get-go. In case any of you dont know, Bones is about a forensic anthropologist that helps solve murder mysteries with the FBI. This is pretty much the job I wanted to have before my junior year in college. While I had originally gotten interested in the field after seeing Silence of the Lambs, much of my own interest and research into crime, psychology, and deviance helped fuel the fire for this area of inquisition. But I became anti back in my "anti-bandwagon" days. And because the heroine looks almost exactly like the most annoying person I know of.
In any case, I started watching the first season on Netflix while I pump (because you kind of need your hands to pump and so you cant be real productive). And its okay. Different in the sense that you're not completely lost if you miss an episode (those are called serial dramas, right?) So, its okay. I have something like 5 seasons I can busy myself with- so I got that going for me.
All for now. Hope you are well.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Done.
So.... I dont think I can hide it much longer. So I am not... I resigned from my position at work. The reasons why are a bit too complicated and unrelated to this medium, so we're just gonna gloss on over that and head on to how I am treating it as VACATION.
And by vacation, I mean, working on my dissertation, cleaning the house, doing chores and going on job interviews (one last week, one next week). So maybe not quite "vacation". It comes at a good time, because we are getting ready to move. And by that, I mean, we're signing the lease and whatnot. Our getting ready to move thus far has been a half-hearted attempt at a yard sale at LJ's place and taking unsold items to good will. I also have been trying to free cycle stuff. I have come to the conclusion that our stuff reproduces. Whenever we are away from the house, it's sexy time for all of our stuff... turns out somebody is always pregnant and giving birth to more healthy stuff. Actually, I feel a bit like that this:
Only instead of "Bad 509!" I am saying, "Bad stuff!!"
In any case... that is what we've been consumed with lately... and the session. Turns out, the session doesnt get any easier when you have a kid... you would think that the legislators would realize that I have a kid and that keeping Dave Royse at the capital all week is unacceptable. Who knew?
In an unrelated matter: We have interpreted Nico's nursing strike as his deciding to wean himself. I am still pumping breastmilk and giving him bottles of it. Dont know how long that will last... although to be honest, I have plenty of reasons to stop, not the least of which, is that I could start taking adderall again. Although, to be fair, I haven't taken it in a year and half... and have been more productive in the year and half since I stopped taking it (although, one could argue this is due to momentum that I have built up). I was speaking with a lady in another division at work (before I left) about it... she said to be happy about it, because that way I wont have to put the muscle on him to wean... which can be very hard, I hear. So we'll just chalk this one up as Nico is done. He doesnt seem to be to stressed about it. I just wish that I had known that that last time was going to be his last.
Nico's sleeping is all jacked up. He had been waking up only once usually between 2-4, but it seems like this weekend, he had a somewhat regular pattern of sleeping from 830 ish pm, till somewhere between 2 and 5 and then going back to sleep. This probably confirms the fact that he will be walking soon (word on the street is that often babies will regress in one area when they are about to achieve a pretty big milestone- like walking). Nico is getting pretty close... he cruises around his crib and likes to stand as much as possible. Also, he has an(other) tooth coming in... making the total for this month=4. WOWZERS!
He is starting to reciprocate verbally... there were several times this weekend when I thought he said words. Like "Daddy" "Mama" and "Okay". Of course, I guess we arent really counting these, because I think he is just babbling. But he is getting pretty fun.
And by vacation, I mean, working on my dissertation, cleaning the house, doing chores and going on job interviews (one last week, one next week). So maybe not quite "vacation". It comes at a good time, because we are getting ready to move. And by that, I mean, we're signing the lease and whatnot. Our getting ready to move thus far has been a half-hearted attempt at a yard sale at LJ's place and taking unsold items to good will. I also have been trying to free cycle stuff. I have come to the conclusion that our stuff reproduces. Whenever we are away from the house, it's sexy time for all of our stuff... turns out somebody is always pregnant and giving birth to more healthy stuff. Actually, I feel a bit like that this:
Only instead of "Bad 509!" I am saying, "Bad stuff!!"
In any case... that is what we've been consumed with lately... and the session. Turns out, the session doesnt get any easier when you have a kid... you would think that the legislators would realize that I have a kid and that keeping Dave Royse at the capital all week is unacceptable. Who knew?
In an unrelated matter: We have interpreted Nico's nursing strike as his deciding to wean himself. I am still pumping breastmilk and giving him bottles of it. Dont know how long that will last... although to be honest, I have plenty of reasons to stop, not the least of which, is that I could start taking adderall again. Although, to be fair, I haven't taken it in a year and half... and have been more productive in the year and half since I stopped taking it (although, one could argue this is due to momentum that I have built up). I was speaking with a lady in another division at work (before I left) about it... she said to be happy about it, because that way I wont have to put the muscle on him to wean... which can be very hard, I hear. So we'll just chalk this one up as Nico is done. He doesnt seem to be to stressed about it. I just wish that I had known that that last time was going to be his last.
Nico's sleeping is all jacked up. He had been waking up only once usually between 2-4, but it seems like this weekend, he had a somewhat regular pattern of sleeping from 830 ish pm, till somewhere between 2 and 5 and then going back to sleep. This probably confirms the fact that he will be walking soon (word on the street is that often babies will regress in one area when they are about to achieve a pretty big milestone- like walking). Nico is getting pretty close... he cruises around his crib and likes to stand as much as possible. Also, he has an(other) tooth coming in... making the total for this month=4. WOWZERS!
He is starting to reciprocate verbally... there were several times this weekend when I thought he said words. Like "Daddy" "Mama" and "Okay". Of course, I guess we arent really counting these, because I think he is just babbling. But he is getting pretty fun.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Copying Nicole-leah- Currents.
Noms I want RIGHT NOW:
1. grilled oysters from Acme Oyster House (NOLA).
2. Tyler's ultimate Arnold Palmer Iced tea.
3. Boudain balls from that place in Lafayette.
Songs I like today:
1. Jamie All Over (Mayday Parade).
2. Brilliant Disguise (Elvis Costello Cover)
3. Godspeed (Dixie Chicks)
On my DVR:
1. 24 (old)
2. Lost (old)
3. NCIS (which records accidentally).
Next in my moview queue:
1. In America.
2. World Cup Soccer Highlights (Disk 3)
3. Funny Ha-ha. ** Note only the second was added by me...
Books I have checked out from the library/on Kindle:
1. Half the Sky
2. Soccernomics
3. War of the Worlds.
Magazines waiting to be read:
1. Latest NY Times Weekend Magazine
2. Parenting: The Early Years.
3. Back Issue of Outside.
Current favorite Blogs:
1. Young House Love.
2. How about Orange.
3. Mighty Girl.
Current most used Iphone app:
1. Facebook
2. FML.
3. Hipstamatic.
Current favorite timewasters (not blogs) :
1. Food Channel.
2. Lucy and Leo's cupcakery (be jealous).
3. Appliqueing onesies.
Wearing right now:
1. grown up jean skirt.
2. light blue tshirt.
3. leather flipflops that were abandoned by one of the soccer girls and which were adopted by me.
Things on today’s to-do list:
1. Target.
2. Nico to doctor.
3. Sign new lease.
The last 3 things added to my bucket list:
1. Hike Kilamanjaro.
2. Foster good relationships between my kids and their grandparents.
3. Acquire the taste for wine.
1. grilled oysters from Acme Oyster House (NOLA).
2. Tyler's ultimate Arnold Palmer Iced tea.
3. Boudain balls from that place in Lafayette.
Songs I like today:
1. Jamie All Over (Mayday Parade).
2. Brilliant Disguise (Elvis Costello Cover)
3. Godspeed (Dixie Chicks)
On my DVR:
1. 24 (old)
2. Lost (old)
3. NCIS (which records accidentally).
Next in my moview queue:
1. In America.
2. World Cup Soccer Highlights (Disk 3)
3. Funny Ha-ha. ** Note only the second was added by me...
Books I have checked out from the library/on Kindle:
1. Half the Sky
2. Soccernomics
3. War of the Worlds.
Magazines waiting to be read:
1. Latest NY Times Weekend Magazine
2. Parenting: The Early Years.
3. Back Issue of Outside.
Current favorite Blogs:
1. Young House Love.
2. How about Orange.
3. Mighty Girl.
Current most used Iphone app:
1. Facebook
2. FML.
3. Hipstamatic.
Current favorite timewasters (not blogs) :
1. Food Channel.
2. Lucy and Leo's cupcakery (be jealous).
3. Appliqueing onesies.
Wearing right now:
1. grown up jean skirt.
2. light blue tshirt.
3. leather flipflops that were abandoned by one of the soccer girls and which were adopted by me.
Things on today’s to-do list:
1. Target.
2. Nico to doctor.
3. Sign new lease.
The last 3 things added to my bucket list:
1. Hike Kilamanjaro.
2. Foster good relationships between my kids and their grandparents.
3. Acquire the taste for wine.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Something to think about...
Nico figuring out the door.
Nico hasn't nursed since Monday afternoon.
I dont know how I feel about this. On one level, I guess its a good thing. If he has, indeed decided to wean himself, then I guess I ought to be like, Woo hoo! But on another level, I guess I thought I would have longer to deal with it. Don't get me wrong, I never intended to be nursing a toddler Nico. My plan was to go 12 months and be done with it. So it's a little abrupt for me, that at the age of 8 and half moths- this may be the end. This is even weirder, because I am not sure that this is his decision. Is that the kind of Mom I am going to be? I know I should be all like,"It's his choice, yada yada yada..." but is it? And if it is, shouldn't I be supporting it? Like, "Alright kid- good for you... you're stepping up your game... now if I could just get you to change your own diaper, that would be great." Are we ready for this next step?
But on another level, it was kind of nice. I will admit it... I am a little bit of an oxytocin junkie. I will own it. I am telling you guys- do you know how much better the world would be if everyone could have a shot of oxytocin in the morning before work and then a bit more at night before you go to bed. I am not even joking... it just chilled me out.
I know that there are people who dont understand it... who never did it, who advocate for not doing it at all. But I am really glad that we did. And in one sense, I worry about it... then in another, when he is thrashing about and I catch a glimpse of that tooth coming in on the top (along with his two on the bottom) I wonder if I should just leave well enough alone.
In any case, all the breastfeeding lit says that a nursing strike can be caused by illness, specifically ear infections. I have an appointment for Nico on Friday to check him out. He has been kind of grumpy lately... prone to fits of absolute.OH.MY.GOD.MY.LIFE.SUCKS.SO.BAD.BUT.I.AM.A.BABY.AND.I.CANT.DO.ANYTHING.ABOUT.IT screaming of late. Plus he has been pulling on his ears more than usual... ear infections are more prevalent in daycare kids and when pollen season is in full swing (as it is now). But he hasn't been running a fever and he doesnt have anything dripping from his ears. So I doubt that is the cause.
Maybe it's just time.
Nico hasn't nursed since Monday afternoon.
I dont know how I feel about this. On one level, I guess its a good thing. If he has, indeed decided to wean himself, then I guess I ought to be like, Woo hoo! But on another level, I guess I thought I would have longer to deal with it. Don't get me wrong, I never intended to be nursing a toddler Nico. My plan was to go 12 months and be done with it. So it's a little abrupt for me, that at the age of 8 and half moths- this may be the end. This is even weirder, because I am not sure that this is his decision. Is that the kind of Mom I am going to be? I know I should be all like,"It's his choice, yada yada yada..." but is it? And if it is, shouldn't I be supporting it? Like, "Alright kid- good for you... you're stepping up your game... now if I could just get you to change your own diaper, that would be great." Are we ready for this next step?
But on another level, it was kind of nice. I will admit it... I am a little bit of an oxytocin junkie. I will own it. I am telling you guys- do you know how much better the world would be if everyone could have a shot of oxytocin in the morning before work and then a bit more at night before you go to bed. I am not even joking... it just chilled me out.
I know that there are people who dont understand it... who never did it, who advocate for not doing it at all. But I am really glad that we did. And in one sense, I worry about it... then in another, when he is thrashing about and I catch a glimpse of that tooth coming in on the top (along with his two on the bottom) I wonder if I should just leave well enough alone.
In any case, all the breastfeeding lit says that a nursing strike can be caused by illness, specifically ear infections. I have an appointment for Nico on Friday to check him out. He has been kind of grumpy lately... prone to fits of absolute.OH.MY.GOD.MY.LIFE.SUCKS.SO.BAD.BUT.I.AM.A.BABY.AND.I.CANT.DO.ANYTHING.ABOUT.IT screaming of late. Plus he has been pulling on his ears more than usual... ear infections are more prevalent in daycare kids and when pollen season is in full swing (as it is now). But he hasn't been running a fever and he doesnt have anything dripping from his ears. So I doubt that is the cause.
Maybe it's just time.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
"Release the Cracken!"
I didnt mention it in yesterday's post- but we have a new development around here.
Nico <3 Food-Food.
Wha-what?
Yeah, the kid I thought wanted nothing to do with eating is actually an eating MONSTER. Seriously- peaches, apricots, sweet potatoes, green beans, yellow squash, blueberries, apples, strawberries. You name it, he is all about it. And not just little nibbles... he is eating a lot. JL (one of his teachers at school) thinks he is going through a growth spurt. He has been napping like a champ and eating a lot too at school.
Before, I would sit him in the bumpo seat on the kitchen table and he would be a lot more interested in trying to escape than actually eating. Now the bumpo seat sits on a chair and he is diving forward to get noms. It is pretty awesome!
What is not awesome is that I think he is going through a nursing strike. I think. I dont know. He wouldn't nurse this morning and after being bitten yesterday afternoon, I gave him a bottle last night. He has taken to biting a lot lately- and not just when nursing. He sometimes tries to stick my fingers in his mouth and bite them. He bites the bottle now. Yesterday he bit himself while eating dinner (which I have to admit is funny). The first time he did it (about a week ago, I yelped and ended the session- which is bad- you're not really supposed to yell- but it hurt). He has done it a couple of time since, and I try the whole, "No biting!" etc. Yesterday evening I tried the nuclear option (holding him closer so it's harder to breathe) right after he did it.
They say that one way to counteract it is to pay close attention when you're nursing, and if you feel/see him thinking about it to be ready and not to give him the chance. The consequence of that is that I am a little gunshy now and I know he is picking up on that.
For the most part, he has been the LeBron James of sleeping. He has been going in the crib at 830-900 and staying there till 445-500. Then nursing for a bit as he dozes in the morning till 6am, then waking up and telling everyone how it is (he sure is bossy.... I wonder who he got that from?) Except for last night, of course. Last night, he woke up around 11 REALLY REALLY REALLY mad and upset. He was doing his "Cracken" thing (when he thrashes about throwing his head back and yelling). I may have had something to do with that, because at dinner he ate a LOT of rice cereal mixed with this stuff:
Nico <3 Food-Food.
Wha-what?
Yeah, the kid I thought wanted nothing to do with eating is actually an eating MONSTER. Seriously- peaches, apricots, sweet potatoes, green beans, yellow squash, blueberries, apples, strawberries. You name it, he is all about it. And not just little nibbles... he is eating a lot. JL (one of his teachers at school) thinks he is going through a growth spurt. He has been napping like a champ and eating a lot too at school.
Before, I would sit him in the bumpo seat on the kitchen table and he would be a lot more interested in trying to escape than actually eating. Now the bumpo seat sits on a chair and he is diving forward to get noms. It is pretty awesome!
What is not awesome is that I think he is going through a nursing strike. I think. I dont know. He wouldn't nurse this morning and after being bitten yesterday afternoon, I gave him a bottle last night. He has taken to biting a lot lately- and not just when nursing. He sometimes tries to stick my fingers in his mouth and bite them. He bites the bottle now. Yesterday he bit himself while eating dinner (which I have to admit is funny). The first time he did it (about a week ago, I yelped and ended the session- which is bad- you're not really supposed to yell- but it hurt). He has done it a couple of time since, and I try the whole, "No biting!" etc. Yesterday evening I tried the nuclear option (holding him closer so it's harder to breathe) right after he did it.
They say that one way to counteract it is to pay close attention when you're nursing, and if you feel/see him thinking about it to be ready and not to give him the chance. The consequence of that is that I am a little gunshy now and I know he is picking up on that.
For the most part, he has been the LeBron James of sleeping. He has been going in the crib at 830-900 and staying there till 445-500. Then nursing for a bit as he dozes in the morning till 6am, then waking up and telling everyone how it is (he sure is bossy.... I wonder who he got that from?) Except for last night, of course. Last night, he woke up around 11 REALLY REALLY REALLY mad and upset. He was doing his "Cracken" thing (when he thrashes about throwing his head back and yelling). I may have had something to do with that, because at dinner he ate a LOT of rice cereal mixed with this stuff:
So I found this company at Target when I went for dogfood the other day... its a British Organic babyfood company. I absolutely love the little envelope thing... you could hold it in your hand and knead it around to warm it up (instead of microwaving). And it's delicious!! So for dinner I mixed half of this package with rice ceral. Then, about 45 minutes later I fed him a 7 ounce bottle to go to sleep. So the Cracken may have been out because his belly hurt. Or his teeth hurt. I wish that babies could give more clues as to why they are pissed off. You would think that almost 9 months in, I would be a little better about figuring it out.
On a completely unrelated matter- Dave and I are moving. The house is about half a mile away in Indian Head. The photo is hard, because I took it from the car down on the street. It is a 3/2 with a fireplace. No dishwasher (I know, I know). But it is like 400 squarefeet more than our house now. Plus the backyard is AMAZING!
So we are going to sign the lease in the middle of next month- and have two weeks to move out of the Apakin house and move into the other house. All for now!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
In the D-F-Dub
Had a really fantastic last couple of days.
I want to go on the record: I have a problem. Sometimes when I am doing something out of the ordinary (like traveling), I like to, because I am crazy, know when I am leaving... weeks in advance- because our life needs weeks notice for things out of the ordinary. The thing is, that sometimes I am so convinced of something that I dont bother to check on the minute details. For example, I was so convinced that my flight left Tallahassee for Dallas at 4:55 pm Wednesday, that I didnt bother to check it... in the run up to PAA. I knew I was leaving 4:55 pm like I know my social security number. Imagine my shock and dismay when I couldnt check into the flight in Tallahassee at 4:10 because the flight had already closed. Wha-What? It takes 10 minutes to go through security under the worst of circumstances in Tallahassee... so what is with this situation? Apparently the flight was actually scheduled for 425... and since the world doesnt revolve around me and my schedule, the flight actually left at 425. So that was annoying... I got rebooked for the next day- and can say that I actually had a positive experience with American Airlines. I know... weird.
In any case, I got in on Thursday and had to automatically go straight to the hotel because the conference was in full swing. I <3 PAA. I really do. They take nerdery to a whole other level there. Its so intellectually interesting to see sessions where people present their research... on topics that range from Asian Population Data to Marriage and Unions to the Census (BTW, Quote of the Conference: "The 2010 Census: Easier than your girlfriend and Faster than your boyfriend!" Whoot!!)
.jpg)
My poster went well- had a great conversation with someone from Austin about it. May have been insightful for my dissertation... which was the point of going.
I didnt get too spend much time with the Bishop-Bains... but oh! How adorable Maddox and Emme are. Maddox was so excited when he saw me that he couldnt talk...he started like five different thoughts all at once, spinning them out one after another without completing the prior one. He is so talkative and just really good. We had a conversation about these little mini oreo cookies that are covered in chocolate whereby he proclaimed them to be a "choking hazard." Awesome.
And Emme is just so juicy... she is starting to get the "eyebrows of judgement" where she looks at you with her eyebrows raised like, "Dude, what are you doing? You're an idiot!"
Nicole and Cody amaze me with their house... they have done a lot of the big ticket items (updating kitchen, remodeling bathrooms, etc.) It was really cool to see all the effort all over the house.
I had lunch with JCD on Friday... it was great to catch up. She seems to be doing well at her job... I think it wont be long till she is running the whole show. She seems to be pretty happy with the job. Going to and from lunch, I got a little foot tour of the Downtown area (I even got to take the DART around Dallas for a bit -rather than trying to drive in downtown with the interstates and the interchanges (BARF!)). It is funny, I have been to Dallas several times and this was the first time I rode the DART!
.jpg)
I flew back with no problems (BTW- I love not having connections- its pretty rad).
Saturday was pretty cool- Dave, Nico and I hit up the Springtime Arts festival in downtown and even got out to the Meadows to see several of our girls play CSA (Capital City Soccer League). I had no idea so many of them were playing. Its great to see!
Then Sunday, I went for a bike ride with LRM on the St. Marks Bike trail. We parked at the bottom and did 6 miles out and back, followed by lunch at the Riverside. It is training for the Muddy Buddy down in Orlando (a bike/running race complete with a wade through mud at the end). I made it back in time for Dave to go play soccer. Nico and I chilled at the house... till he got too cranky.... then he had to get an attitude readjustment (a forced nap).
When he woke up we drove out to the Meadows to see Dave play. Altogether a pretty great weekend!
I leave you with this:
Isn't he adorable?!!
I want to go on the record: I have a problem. Sometimes when I am doing something out of the ordinary (like traveling), I like to, because I am crazy, know when I am leaving... weeks in advance- because our life needs weeks notice for things out of the ordinary. The thing is, that sometimes I am so convinced of something that I dont bother to check on the minute details. For example, I was so convinced that my flight left Tallahassee for Dallas at 4:55 pm Wednesday, that I didnt bother to check it... in the run up to PAA. I knew I was leaving 4:55 pm like I know my social security number. Imagine my shock and dismay when I couldnt check into the flight in Tallahassee at 4:10 because the flight had already closed. Wha-What? It takes 10 minutes to go through security under the worst of circumstances in Tallahassee... so what is with this situation? Apparently the flight was actually scheduled for 425... and since the world doesnt revolve around me and my schedule, the flight actually left at 425. So that was annoying... I got rebooked for the next day- and can say that I actually had a positive experience with American Airlines. I know... weird.
In any case, I got in on Thursday and had to automatically go straight to the hotel because the conference was in full swing. I <3 PAA. I really do. They take nerdery to a whole other level there. Its so intellectually interesting to see sessions where people present their research... on topics that range from Asian Population Data to Marriage and Unions to the Census (BTW, Quote of the Conference: "The 2010 Census: Easier than your girlfriend and Faster than your boyfriend!" Whoot!!)
.jpg)
I didnt get too spend much time with the Bishop-Bains... but oh! How adorable Maddox and Emme are. Maddox was so excited when he saw me that he couldnt talk...he started like five different thoughts all at once, spinning them out one after another without completing the prior one. He is so talkative and just really good. We had a conversation about these little mini oreo cookies that are covered in chocolate whereby he proclaimed them to be a "choking hazard." Awesome.
And Emme is just so juicy... she is starting to get the "eyebrows of judgement" where she looks at you with her eyebrows raised like, "Dude, what are you doing? You're an idiot!"
Nicole and Cody amaze me with their house... they have done a lot of the big ticket items (updating kitchen, remodeling bathrooms, etc.) It was really cool to see all the effort all over the house.
I had lunch with JCD on Friday... it was great to catch up. She seems to be doing well at her job... I think it wont be long till she is running the whole show. She seems to be pretty happy with the job. Going to and from lunch, I got a little foot tour of the Downtown area (I even got to take the DART around Dallas for a bit -rather than trying to drive in downtown with the interstates and the interchanges (BARF!)). It is funny, I have been to Dallas several times and this was the first time I rode the DART!
.jpg)
I flew back with no problems (BTW- I love not having connections- its pretty rad).
Saturday was pretty cool- Dave, Nico and I hit up the Springtime Arts festival in downtown and even got out to the Meadows to see several of our girls play CSA (Capital City Soccer League). I had no idea so many of them were playing. Its great to see!
When he woke up we drove out to the Meadows to see Dave play. Altogether a pretty great weekend!
I leave you with this:
Isn't he adorable?!!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Grabide Sidibe
Not much going on around here. Things are busy. Per usual, I have way too much to do tonight- packing, washing clothes and whatnot. Plus, I wanted to set Dave and Nico up with some pre-prepared food for Wednesday and Thursday nights, so they dont have to do a lot of cooking. But I wanted to go see the softball girls play at Chiles tonight... so maybe a mad dash home to do some cooking then out to the game?
Speaking of the girls. I dont think I have mentioned it, but as of now, we have two girls who are going to be playing college ball. One is playing softball (the pitcher) at Waycross (Georgia). Our goalkeeper is going to play at Thomas next season (they offered her scholarship money). Plus, we have one more who has been going on tryouts and has been offered spots on teams (she is just looking for scholarship money at this point). Isn't that awesome? I am pretty stoked. While I am floored for the pitcher (she has been awesome for us for the last couple of years, even taking a turn in the back to play as a defender, till we decided we needed her in the midfield), I am not really that surprised. She is the kind of kid that you knew when she was a sophomore that she would. But our GK? Even awesomer, because I am not sure that she really ever believed that she could until recently. Her attitude as a sophomore was, "Yeah, that would be cool." I dont think she believed that she could until I told her she could... when she started playing club ball and saw how much she improved in the last year and a half.
As it is now, all 7 of our 7 seniors are going to college (2 year or 4 year school). One is playing softball, one is playing soccer (so far). Will find out more in the next couple of weeks. I am pretty impressed. I was in a meeting a couple of weeks ago and started writing down our potential roster for next year... about three quarters of our squad will be juniors. Wha-What? So not this year, but next, we will have the same problem we had this year: huge turnover. That is crazy talk!
In any case, Big Bend starts up in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to it. I think it will be good. We are going to try to do three times a week- two normal practices and one that is an optional fitness/pickup practice. I am not really sure what we are going to do with Nico. Maybe take him and the pack and play and let him play by himself? Although, he really starts to get cranktastic right around 7...
Speaking of cranktastic- we have this baby backpack thing that a friend gave us, that is essentially, a baby pack with a frame. Its great because you can set it on the floor/ground like a chair. Nico seems to like being in it-the only problem is, that he think is Grabide Sidibe lately... which means that he likes to grab my hair and pull. When do they start understanding "No!"?
Monday, April 12, 2010
Caber Toss, Stone Put, and Sheaf Toss...
Had a great weekend around here. Saturday was the Highland Games. I had originally planned to send Dave with Nico to listen to Scottish music and watch the caber toss while I did some stuff at home. But my presence was requested, so I went. Dave and I have decided on a modified classical physical education for Nico. So in addition to teaching him to shoot and ride horses, I think he will need to learn the caber toss (where the athlete attempts to throw a giant pole end over end), the stone put (like the shot put) and the sheaf toss (like tossing a bundle of hay over a bar). For more, click HERE. We also got to hear some Scottish Rock music as well as bagpipes. Dave had haggis (obviously) while I had some authentic highland chocolate and peanut butter cookies (think smaller, less fluffy pancakes). It was pretty fun.
Dave's parents are coming up this week to help with Nico while I am in Dallas for PAA. So we're working on cleaning. We also decided that we are going to move into the house that we looked at last week (in Indian Head). Yes, we will be moving about a quarter of a mile away. So we're starting to go through stuff, decide what needs to be moved, and what needs to be sold at the yard sale at Optimist park next week.
We finished off yesterday afternoon with Dave playing coed. I had originally planned to take Nico for a walk at Lake Ella and get some groceries. But then Nico fell asleep in the car and I wanted him to keep napping (because he hadn't gotten a good afternoon nap). So I drove to the Starbucks on the North Side... and figured I would swing by the Meadows. He played well and Nico had a blast just hanging out trying to eat grass and leaves. A pretty good weekend.
And now: A confession.
I love old pictures. While I absolutely love digital pictures- the fact that they can be sent around the world in an instant... cropped and edited and manipulated... I realize that the connection and interest in digital photos is different than for the paper copies. We dont print pictures anymore. It is now possible to have a picture taken, saved, cropped and uploaded without ever printing it out. So we typically dont have albums of photos anymore. Also, our collections of pictures tend to resemble our preferences for pictures. Where as, 20, 30, 40 years ago, you took a picture not knowing if it would turn out well or not... consequently, many people ended up with badly posed pictures that could have stood to be zoomed in a little more or cropped. And you didnt throw those pictures away because they were expensive- film was expensive to buy and shoot, and expensive to develop. The days of having albums full of yellowed photos that capture the era and history are essentially over, giving way to a system where the photos never age. The only clues as to the time and era of a picture are what the people in the picture are wearing, the clothes they are driving, what they are doing.
Dave's parents are coming up this week to help with Nico while I am in Dallas for PAA. So we're working on cleaning. We also decided that we are going to move into the house that we looked at last week (in Indian Head). Yes, we will be moving about a quarter of a mile away. So we're starting to go through stuff, decide what needs to be moved, and what needs to be sold at the yard sale at Optimist park next week.
We finished off yesterday afternoon with Dave playing coed. I had originally planned to take Nico for a walk at Lake Ella and get some groceries. But then Nico fell asleep in the car and I wanted him to keep napping (because he hadn't gotten a good afternoon nap). So I drove to the Starbucks on the North Side... and figured I would swing by the Meadows. He played well and Nico had a blast just hanging out trying to eat grass and leaves. A pretty good weekend.
And now: A confession.
I love old pictures. While I absolutely love digital pictures- the fact that they can be sent around the world in an instant... cropped and edited and manipulated... I realize that the connection and interest in digital photos is different than for the paper copies. We dont print pictures anymore. It is now possible to have a picture taken, saved, cropped and uploaded without ever printing it out. So we typically dont have albums of photos anymore. Also, our collections of pictures tend to resemble our preferences for pictures. Where as, 20, 30, 40 years ago, you took a picture not knowing if it would turn out well or not... consequently, many people ended up with badly posed pictures that could have stood to be zoomed in a little more or cropped. And you didnt throw those pictures away because they were expensive- film was expensive to buy and shoot, and expensive to develop. The days of having albums full of yellowed photos that capture the era and history are essentially over, giving way to a system where the photos never age. The only clues as to the time and era of a picture are what the people in the picture are wearing, the clothes they are driving, what they are doing.
So Heather Armstrong (aka Dooce), posted about this new iphone app called Hipstamtic. Basically it modifies photos you take to make them look like they are older... And I am obsessed.
I know that technically, this is cheating. That by virtue of the fact that I came of age during the age of advanced technology I therefore lose the right to have cool aged photos (because its not fair that a generation would get to have the awe inspiring digital photos AND aged photos). I also suspect that years from now, there will be a new off shoot of anthropology called "digital anthropology" that won't exactly know how to deal with this image (the clues to the age of the image being mixed up). But I don't care. I love playing with this app.
This app has several different lenses, film and flashes to chose from. They allow you to customaize "the look" of different kinds of photos. I think they also help frame the picture in interesting ways.
In any case, Nico's second tooth has come in. I found this out the hard way when he bit me while nursing on Sunday morning. Yeah. I guess it was my fault, I dont think he was really interested in continuing to nurse, but I was still really sleepy, hoping that he would go back to sleep and let me get a few more minutes of shut-eye. So he fixed my wagon. Drew blood.
He is really starting to get mobile. He is figuring out how to cruise around the crib. Doesnt seem to be really intersted in learning to crawl. I will be really surprised if he weren't walking before a year old. He's amazing... sometimes he gets this look on his face like he wants to talk. This morning, he had just woken up and was hanging out with Dave. I came into the bedroom and the look on his face was wonderful. It said, "Ohai, Mama! I was wondering where you were. Did you have a good shower? Have you eaten breakfast yet? I slept well last night. I think I am going to have a good day today."
Friday, April 9, 2010
8 months...
Nico is 8 months old today. WOW. 8 months old. That is so weird.
He is a lot of fun lately. He has been sleeping better at night... now it's just a battle to get to bed sooner (for Dave and me). The legislature is in full-on idiot mode: the House was in session all night last night debating the teacher merrit pay bill. Seriously? All-night? Yet, they took time out of their busy schedule a couple of weeks ago to recognize and honor the Rickards High School Basketball Team for winning the State Title. Awesome. But I digress.
It seems like he is starting to figure things out. He is sooooo close to crawling-crawling, like pushing up onto his knees to crawl. And he pretty much has the alligator crawl figured out. I think he really likes hanging out on the floor at the house because the hardwood floor is so easy to pull himself along on.
He still isnt very interested in his own food. He would rather have "bites" of our food, whatever it is. Piece of scone? Yes, please. Pizza crust? Thank you very much!! Orange? Gimme some of that orange!! He isn't really "eating" it... mostly just biting his gums down on it. But in all, he is pretty cool.
We have a fun weekend on deck. The Highland Games on Saturday... I am hoping to get some cleaning done on Sunday, and maybe some sewing. Who knows?
He is a lot of fun lately. He has been sleeping better at night... now it's just a battle to get to bed sooner (for Dave and me). The legislature is in full-on idiot mode: the House was in session all night last night debating the teacher merrit pay bill. Seriously? All-night? Yet, they took time out of their busy schedule a couple of weeks ago to recognize and honor the Rickards High School Basketball Team for winning the State Title. Awesome. But I digress.
It seems like he is starting to figure things out. He is sooooo close to crawling-crawling, like pushing up onto his knees to crawl. And he pretty much has the alligator crawl figured out. I think he really likes hanging out on the floor at the house because the hardwood floor is so easy to pull himself along on.
He still isnt very interested in his own food. He would rather have "bites" of our food, whatever it is. Piece of scone? Yes, please. Pizza crust? Thank you very much!! Orange? Gimme some of that orange!! He isn't really "eating" it... mostly just biting his gums down on it. But in all, he is pretty cool.
We have a fun weekend on deck. The Highland Games on Saturday... I am hoping to get some cleaning done on Sunday, and maybe some sewing. Who knows?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Five o'clock somewhere...
I know that technically, I have only been working for about four months, but is it okay that I need a vacation? I know that there are people out there who work years on end without having a day off (according to Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson's song "5 o'clock somewhere": I ain't had a day off now in over a year, my Jamican Vacation is gonna start right here...). That doesn't help me feel any better about needing a day off. Like, the more I work, the more a cruise sounds like awesome. JD is a big fan. Apparently on cruises, you dont do anything except eat, drink, sleep, swim and hang out. I had always been anti- because I didn't understand that was the point. If I only had 7 days of vacation and I could go anywhere... I want to go to South America, outwest, down to Mexico, over to England to see a Prem game... but with cruises, you just relax. I could get on board with that (*<-- pun INTENDED!!)
On the upside, it seems like the weeks go by pretty quickly these days. So I just have to suck it up and next thing you know, the weekend will be here.
I think my poster is done- so that is good. Just have to get it printed now. While it is my sense that paper presentations are a little more prestigous, I am glad to have a poster this go round at PAA. What it means is that I can go and relax and have a good time at the conference, drop in on all the sessions that interest me, and be intellectually engaged, as opposed to what its like when you have a paper presentation, which is stressing out about it until you give the talk then being relieved that its finally over.
While I am definitely looking forward to the conference (PAA always has interesting sessions), and seeing The Bishop/Bains, and Julia, I am definitely NOT looking forward to leaving Dave and Nico behind. I knew intellectually that this day would come... I just didnt think it would come "so soon" (yes, I am perfectly aware that Nico is 8 months old and that he can probably handle it. But still.)
On the upside, it seems like the weeks go by pretty quickly these days. So I just have to suck it up and next thing you know, the weekend will be here.
I think my poster is done- so that is good. Just have to get it printed now. While it is my sense that paper presentations are a little more prestigous, I am glad to have a poster this go round at PAA. What it means is that I can go and relax and have a good time at the conference, drop in on all the sessions that interest me, and be intellectually engaged, as opposed to what its like when you have a paper presentation, which is stressing out about it until you give the talk then being relieved that its finally over.
While I am definitely looking forward to the conference (PAA always has interesting sessions), and seeing The Bishop/Bains, and Julia, I am definitely NOT looking forward to leaving Dave and Nico behind. I knew intellectually that this day would come... I just didnt think it would come "so soon" (yes, I am perfectly aware that Nico is 8 months old and that he can probably handle it. But still.)
In any case, the Highland Games are this weekend, apparently. Dave wanted us all to go- but I think I am going to opt to say home and clean... put stuff away, etc. I am also fighting the itch to make a wonky log cabin baby quilt. Seriously, how could you NOT want to make something like this:
Isn't that cool?
In any case, Dave and I may have found a house. Wha-What? Yeah. It's in Indian Head. Probably less than half a mile from where we live now. Very cute. Has this terraced back yard that is absolutely loverly. I can totally picture the joint, "Nico is 1 and his Mama is now Dr. Mama" party at this place. So the outside is pretty awesome... we just need to have a look-see around the inside. Sadly, if this place doesnt have a dishwasher- that may be a deal breaker (lesson learned from moving from the Longview house... Jessi Bishop did enough dishes as a kid... she is not washing dishes by hand anymore!)
Also, discovered this random little neighborhood over BY the student ghettos (Lake Bradford/Jackson Bluff, etc.) It doesnt look like student ghetto (definition: neighborhoods punctuated by random couches on front porches, kegs out by the street, random drunkards passed out in your drive way). The neighborhood is "Indian Head Lite", I think. So we've got an appointment to check that out tomorrow.
That is all I have. Sorry its not more entertaining, but it is what it is.
Hope you're well**.
**I want a jazzy send off. Like Paula Deen, who says, "Wishin' you love and best dishes, from my kitchen to yours." Any suggestions?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Mimosas and Friends
Easter!! ZOMG!!
Nico and I dyed Easter eggs on Saturday. In the Bishop family, this usually entailed several dozen eggs (what- we like deviled eggs... and egg salad!!) But since Nico is so little and because he is into EVERYTHING we only dyed about 10 eggs. At first he was pretty into it- I think he was interested in what we were doing. I tried to explain to him that he wanted to keep his hands out of the dye (the water was pretty warm) but he insisted. Consequently he got his little fingers hot and managed to dye them a lovely shade of brown (which is what happens when little baby fingers dunk into red, blue, green and yellow dye). Then he decided he was done with the whole dying of the eggs thing... and commenced trying to eat the paper towells, trying to get away (we were sitting on the floor) and trying to eat the eggs. Oh, babies!
We spent the rest of Saturday hanging around the house. We ended up at a coworker's party on Saturday night (in honor of the Final Four), which was pretty fun. I have decided that the coworker's wife is pretty much amazing. I am thinking about asking her to join my wolf pack (its pretty exclusive). She is a PhD student in Communications and is pretty badass... so she was fun to hang out with. Plus, Nico was a peach.
Here he is standing up in his crib. We have two big windows in the house, both on the front- one in the living room and one in Nico's room. I have a bird feeder hanging out side of it, and so, he really likes just standing up in the crib and looking out. Sometimes there are birds in the bird feeder, sometimes squirrels int the yard or dogs and their people walking by. I think he might end up being a busy body.
The easter egg hunt on Sunday!! It was pretty fun. I think Nico had a blast.
Sunday morning, we went to a brunch at one of Dave's other coworker's houses. They have an amazing house- which Dave and I have decided we are going to steal. The Easter Bunny brought Nico this little outfit for Easter- it is a onesie with a tie appliqued on it. So Nico got a little dressed up to go. In the word's of the infamous Snoop Doggie Dog: "Pimp's in the crib, ma, Drop like it's hot!" HA!
In all, it was a pretty good time. We hashed out the problems of the world, including race and gender. So that was good. I have decided that Mimosas made with champagne and passion fruit juice are delicious.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Mental Bandwidth
*It is 125 am and I just finished a draft of the poster I am presenting at PAA in Dallas. To be honest, I hate MS Office. I hate publisher and powerpoint. I hate the fact that I keep dragging tables to resize but Publisher wants to act like I didn't. Oh no you did not! In any case, I am feeling pretty good about the poster. It's funny, this process has helped me realize how much I have evolved as a grad student since my first poster many a semester ago. I now realize that the less on the poster, the better. Text only for intro/purpose and a discussion. Tables and figures for everything else. Seriously, if you cant say it in a table for a poster, you don't need to be saying it.
*I liked this staying up late working thing a lot better when I would drink regular mountain dew and consume little Debbie Snack cakes. Mmmmm... swiss cake rolls.
*Speaking of sweets: If any of you were looking for a Happy Easter gift for me. Here is something:
These are called Marshmallow Eggs. I want to go to there. I love them. So when you all do your grocery shopping in the next couple of weeks, keep your eyes peeled for them... usually they are on clearance after Easter. I love them. I will buy them off you. And no... you can't have too many.
*I am very motivated to get this poster done, so I can have a weekend of productive cleaning. Seriously, I have PILES of clean laundry that need to be put away. Not to mention several crafts projects (want to do a couple of newborn knit hats for Newborns in Need). I feel like my soul needs to be spring cleaned. If that makes any sense!?
*New running shoes came today... hoping to get to the trail a couple of times this weekend... so that I can train for the Muddy Buddy. Whoot!!
*Nico is prolly going to wake up soon. REALLY miss watching good tv at 2 in the morning. Boo!
* Looking forward to dying some eggs on Saturday. Whoot!
*Nico's Easter outfit came today!! You will love it!! He is just a whole basket of cute!!
*Why the hell am I so jazzed about Easter? I am 30 years old!
*I liked this staying up late working thing a lot better when I would drink regular mountain dew and consume little Debbie Snack cakes. Mmmmm... swiss cake rolls.
*Speaking of sweets: If any of you were looking for a Happy Easter gift for me. Here is something:
These are called Marshmallow Eggs. I want to go to there. I love them. So when you all do your grocery shopping in the next couple of weeks, keep your eyes peeled for them... usually they are on clearance after Easter. I love them. I will buy them off you. And no... you can't have too many.
*I am very motivated to get this poster done, so I can have a weekend of productive cleaning. Seriously, I have PILES of clean laundry that need to be put away. Not to mention several crafts projects (want to do a couple of newborn knit hats for Newborns in Need). I feel like my soul needs to be spring cleaned. If that makes any sense!?
*New running shoes came today... hoping to get to the trail a couple of times this weekend... so that I can train for the Muddy Buddy. Whoot!!
*Nico is prolly going to wake up soon. REALLY miss watching good tv at 2 in the morning. Boo!
* Looking forward to dying some eggs on Saturday. Whoot!
*Nico's Easter outfit came today!! You will love it!! He is just a whole basket of cute!!
*Why the hell am I so jazzed about Easter? I am 30 years old!
Gettin some sleeps!
Dave and I fell in love with the house that we looked at yesterday. It was a 4/2 "in mid-town" (which was really close to downtown and not really what I would call mid-town.) It had this ridiculously large master bedroom that we saw and immediately decided would be a great office/playroom/hanging out room. It had a hot tub, and front and back yards with beautiful plush grass (decrease the amount of dirt tracked in by the dogs). It had three other rooms aside from the office/play room. Guest bedroom anyone? We could actually have people stay with us!! When Dave ran by the house this weekend, he wasn't impressed with the size of the house... it didnt look much bigger than our house. But once we got inside, it just kept going and going and going. It was pretty much amazing. We didnt even need to think about this place... we want it. BADLY.
However, there were people who looked at it just before us yesterday who decided THEY wanted it. They turned in their application already... so we will see. I am hoping that it falls through for them (it would suck for them yes.... but it would rule for us). I did realize that our new strategy when it comes to looking at houses is that I ought to have a wad of cash to offer whoever is showing us the house. That way if they say, well, someone else just turned in an application I can say, "I will give you $100 to lose their application."
So we are still looking. Although, it is hard for me to be really excited about the search. I have a problem in that I could live anywhere. So my range of places that are acceptable is a lot broader than Dave's. That is how we ended up in a house that is 2/3 of the size of the house on Longview, with no-dishwasher and a power bill that is twice what it was with Talquin Electric. Because I am impulsive. So rather than getting my panties all in a twist and browbeating Dave into moving I am trying to take it a little slower... don't get too excited about any place till Dave sees it. Slowin' my roll, if you will.
But it's hard in Tallahassee- you would think with so many damn houses not selling because the market fell through itself last year that more houses would be for rent. But they aren't. So that is kind of annoying. But I just wish that people would be honest when they list houses. If a house is on a street that turns south off of Pensacola street just be honest and call it the Student Ghetto. If it is a house with a county name (with the exception of Broward) or a state name, be honest and call it The Real Ghetto. If the house is north of I-10 be honest and call it Way the Hell out There. It would save me a lot of time. Also, I understand that business is business and everything. But I would also rather have someone tell me ahead of time that the house is taken. I understand that its her job to fill the house- so she is lining up potential tennants (Dave and me) in case the others fall through. It's annoying to waste the time, make Dave leave his job to go look at a house that is off the market.
On a completely unrelated matter... I am lothe to even breath mention of this, because I dont want to jinx us. But Nico slept in his cribfor 9 hours last night. Milka-what? Whooo-hooo!! I put him to bed at 9pm... he woke up at 130 to nurse for about an hour, but then I took him back to his room where he slept till 7 this morning. HOLY WHAT!! Isn't that awesome?? Now we just have to work on mama not staying up till 1230 playing bedazzled on Facebook.
However, there were people who looked at it just before us yesterday who decided THEY wanted it. They turned in their application already... so we will see. I am hoping that it falls through for them (it would suck for them yes.... but it would rule for us). I did realize that our new strategy when it comes to looking at houses is that I ought to have a wad of cash to offer whoever is showing us the house. That way if they say, well, someone else just turned in an application I can say, "I will give you $100 to lose their application."
So we are still looking. Although, it is hard for me to be really excited about the search. I have a problem in that I could live anywhere. So my range of places that are acceptable is a lot broader than Dave's. That is how we ended up in a house that is 2/3 of the size of the house on Longview, with no-dishwasher and a power bill that is twice what it was with Talquin Electric. Because I am impulsive. So rather than getting my panties all in a twist and browbeating Dave into moving I am trying to take it a little slower... don't get too excited about any place till Dave sees it. Slowin' my roll, if you will.
But it's hard in Tallahassee- you would think with so many damn houses not selling because the market fell through itself last year that more houses would be for rent. But they aren't. So that is kind of annoying. But I just wish that people would be honest when they list houses. If a house is on a street that turns south off of Pensacola street just be honest and call it the Student Ghetto. If it is a house with a county name (with the exception of Broward) or a state name, be honest and call it The Real Ghetto. If the house is north of I-10 be honest and call it Way the Hell out There. It would save me a lot of time. Also, I understand that business is business and everything. But I would also rather have someone tell me ahead of time that the house is taken. I understand that its her job to fill the house- so she is lining up potential tennants (Dave and me) in case the others fall through. It's annoying to waste the time, make Dave leave his job to go look at a house that is off the market.
On a completely unrelated matter... I am lothe to even breath mention of this, because I dont want to jinx us. But Nico slept in his cribfor 9 hours last night. Milka-what? Whooo-hooo!! I put him to bed at 9pm... he woke up at 130 to nurse for about an hour, but then I took him back to his room where he slept till 7 this morning. HOLY WHAT!! Isn't that awesome?? Now we just have to work on mama not staying up till 1230 playing bedazzled on Facebook.
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