Thursday, August 30, 2007

plus two, minus two


I decided that Baby C really loves Abby and Cookie on Sesame Street, so I bought her a couple more presents for her birthday, and have relegated two of the things I bought her towards Christmas total.
I feel a tinge of spoiling guilt, but I think the evidence is clear as to what a good girl she is.
It's not like I bought her a pony...or a donkey (which she likes more :) )

the perfect mini-truck accessory

awesome.

I may have blue tape holding my bumper together

but look out modern world, here I come!




In approximately one month, I will have a brand new, newedly newitty new new, Apple laptop.

Our friend that works at Apple who's facilitating an employee discount tried to convince Kevin to buy me an iPod too, but the ol' boy wouldn't take the bait.
Dangit!

Hey look colors...

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Baby Tuesday


He, like the dogs, is almost always ready to be photographed in Sears portrait poses. Baby C brought him that bear-baby. She's a giver.



It was even better when she donned the electric orange cowboy hat.
(But the camera batteries went kaput after I took this pic.)
Andy Warhol, eat your heart out.


There is nothing in the world Baby C likes more than watching pug and baby videos on YouTube. And Baby R wants to get in on Baby C's action whenever he can.


contento, si?





Viewing comprehension test:

1. Which of the following did you NOT see on the bedroom floor?
a. an embarrassing tangle of wires
b. a fan, covered in drywall dust
c. vacuum lines in the carpet
d. a poorly framed photo of San Francisco

2. Fill in the blank. Charlie needs to _____ her hallway.
a. paint
b. illuminate
c. rip the filthy carpet out of
d. all of the above

3. Baby(C + R) + Charlie = x
a. x = compulsory falsetto
b. x = awkward diction and sentence structure
c. both a & b
d. none of the above

(answers, c, d, c)

Saturday, August 25, 2007

long term goal

I'm not a good negotiator and I don't have a law degree but I've always wanted to work for Amnesty International or the International Justice Mission.


I can't think of a better job than professional hero/rescuer.

Obviously at this point, I'm not qualified or able to move to Washington DC, New York, South America, Africa or Asia.

They do have a job opening at the A.I. San Francisco branch office but here's what they want for the job opening:

QUALIFICATIONS: Requirements include: BA degree... check!
or equivalent experience (3-5 years) in a grassroots organization, ...check!
minimum 2-3 experience in organizing,...if "office girl" counts, then check!
a commitment to multiculturalism,...check!
ability to travel 25% of the time...um, no
and work on weekends and evenings as needed...definitely not
excellent oral and written communication skills,..jury's still out on oral communications
and intermediate computer skills...check!
Training, facilitation, troubleshooting...vague but sure!
and conflict resolution skills are a plus...nope
Foreign language skills desired. Spanish? Si!


So then, if they hold the job open for me for another say, 5 years, I think I could land it!

Did I mention I'm a new super-helper to the Living Center?
Mama's got a brand new bag!

That'll have to tide me over until I can graduate to amnesty-hero.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

If I had my own variety show, these guys would be my first guests

Youtube finding credit goes to Bennett.



If you don't think that's funny, you need to see a doctor, something is wrong with you.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

two more books

I haven't finished a book in about 6 months, I just keep accumulating ones I'm currently reading.

I was really anticipating reading Under the Banner of Heaven until on like page two it gives graphic detail of a horrible double murder.
Great.
Just what I needed.
Now I can't get it out of my mind, and I don't really want to read anymore about it. Apparently it's a major theme of the book. Gah.

I'll just read the other book: the one that I bought in the Honolulu airport that I thought was titled "Eat Fire Hazzard" but is in fact The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard.
I'm going to give the book designer a C- for that artistic liberty on the cover.

It's a very well written book, but I'm half way through it and have yet to encounter anything figuratively or literally about a fire. Just alot of post-WWII wandering.
What's the fire? Where's the fire? Who's the fire? Am I the fire?

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Baby Tuesday



I bought her crayons and a coloring book. I'm still not sure if that was a good decision.
So we color outside so if she marks up the porch, I don't care as much.


Naked babies in the bath together.
Or as Baby C says it "Nake!"


The "warthog" finger maneuver is even tastier in the bath.


Pool party! Don't they look...confused? Baby C got the hang of it after a while but Baby R had had enough after about 20 minutes.
He had milk on his mind.



**baby nudity, avert your eyes if you're squeemish**
First double-bathing operation! It didn't last very long, nor did it take Baby C very long to dump water on his head.


**more fat baby nudity**
Singular splashing-- in peace.


Until I brought out the camera we had watched videos of Scout on Youtube for half an hour or so. She loves to watch Scout eat cake and swing.


Baby R loves the guitar. Baby C kinda liked it at this age, but he will stop what he is doing and go into a happy trace when Kevin or I play.
So cute!

Monday, August 20, 2007

darn you, Ronnie Milsap!

Does anyone else have an unconscious library of songs in your head that pop up when a certain phrase is spoken or an event happens?

I do, and the songs are weird.

For instance, this evening Kevin was cooking some black eyed peas (nothing to do with these guys) and I asked, "how long until it's ready?"
And the song "Any day now" by Ronnie Milsap started playing in my head.



How random is Ronnie Milsap!?

Get out of my head!

Some other greatest hits from my brain's B side:
(watching these videos was cathartic for me)

Anytime it's bright-
Blinded by the Light

California gold rush
All the Gold in California

Anytime there's a queen in conversation-
Killer

Jasmine landscaping-
Summer Breeze

Bakersfield, California-
Streets of Bakersfield

I may add some later, I often forget them until they pop up again...

Sunday, August 19, 2007

'End of the pee road, boys.

I've tried EVERYTHING I could think of to stop our dogs from peeing on stuff in our house. Sprays, cloth diapers, various punishments, isolation and even a web cam sting operation to catch the culprit in the act (I was never sure who the ring leader is, or rather who pees first).

Nothing can stop them, or so it seemed.



But after a visit to Franklin's (a.k.a. "Frankie the Sprinkler") old orphanage website, I saw an advertisement for "Belly Bands."

And I ordered some today, matching dragon print loin cloths, for my little furry kids.

It ends now.**

**Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipping and handling.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

I'm Yin, this is my husband Yang

How can it be that I look at all of my old CD's and think, "What a load of crap! What was I thinking buying/liking all this?!"

And Kevin looks at all of his old CD's and thinks, "Man, I love these songs! How could I forget I had these?!"

Incredible.


And sharing iTunes with him is painful.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

which one?

Baby C's birthday is one month away, and I am way more excited than she is about it. Her presents are bought, the celebration location has been chosen, and now I'm trying to choose what sort of cake to make for her.
Do I make a "cupcake cake", line up a bunch of cupcakes in the shape of 2 and frost the whole thing like a coral reef?

(imagine this in the shape of a 2!)

OR!

Do I buy one of these super pans and make a stand up teddy bear?


I call a vote! What do we think?

Monday, August 13, 2007

Baby Tuesday

I hate being a clockwatcher. I was a chronic clockwatcher at every job I ever had. And I'm pretty good about not doing it with the babies. But on Friday the forecast was hot with a chance of no-nappies, and I started watchin' the clock about 11AM. So I loaded us in the car and we went to Happy Hollow. Baby R and I sweated, and Baby C frolicked. After we saw all the animals, she got a carousel ride, ice cream and a puppet show. Not a bad haul for a toddler on a weekday.


The safari hat Aurora gave me couldn't have been more appropriate for Baby R at a zoo.


She's leering at another little girl, watching where she was going.


Hither and thither through the brush.


I started to feel bad for the farm animals, and then I realized that if they were on an real farm, they'd be "used up" by now. Not a bad gig after all.


How many times can I express how cute I think he is?


Whadya know? She can say "lemurs." She liked Lemur Land.




I think many of you will remember this flashback scene from last Halloween:



Well lookie what she found in her closet and insisted she wear!?
I had to pull Baby R's bee suit for him to wear too.

If my job required an ID badge, I would suggest this photo of me be used.


I'm kinda scary here, I admit it. The kids look worried as usual.


10 more days and then those teeth will never look the same!


Lift off from the Vietnamese pig habitat! Onward to the guinea pigs!



Why do I film sideway? I don't know.
And I tried to film Baby R in the 2nd film, towards the end, but it was too shady.

What about sea stars? Can I eat them?

I have two fish lists here, one environmental, the other physiological.




Fish can be so complicated!

And I think we can all agree on one thing:

Don't eat sharks.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

get a receipt, or your next knick-knack's on us!

If garage sales gave receipts, today's purchases would read as follows:

Illustrated map of San Francisco Bay Area, cheaply framed
Ansel Adams poster, also cheaply framed
monkey, rhinoceros and Elmo beanie babies
plush Piglet
Navy/White Adidas badminton bag
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
roll of vintage 1960's emerald green gift wrap
bag of salon rollers
10 mid-century floral linen napkins
1976 Prentice Hall Cosmetology textbook
Heat, Electricity and Energy & Fuels, all 3 children's books
The Everything Book
A strange print from 1969 of children flying a kite, good frame
Sassafras
And more children's books

good day at sea

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

a 26 yr old junior high'er

About 15 years ago, my dentist told me I would need braces. And when I didn't get them, I was grateful, I thought I dodged the social stigma bullet.

But then I really started to dislike my teeth a few years ago. I even went so far as to buy Teef to cover them up for photos. (But they didn't look right, they looked like I was about to step into the ring with George Foreman). I tell the dental hygienist that I don't floss because I don't like them. I'm embarrassed to smile around family members that are dentists.

I realize they could be alot worse, alot worse. And many people, including my mom, says that they're fine.

But they are messed up, my current dentist even said so.

So in two weeks, I'm taking the plunge! Two year commitment to straight, gap-free teeth.

I hereby swear, I will replace my bands when they break! I will wear my retainer! And I will floss!


Tuesday, August 07, 2007

3 years, 2 kids


3 years of marriage. This is the first one in which I haven't been pregnant.
(here's my hair, hair fans.)

Baby Tuesday...after dark

My apologies for this being extremely late. It was a busy day, we went to the beach today. Lots of sand-water fun followed by sand-water clean-up services for everyone and everything involved. And then it's also our 3 yr anniversary today, so we went out to din din. (Thanks Grandparents Thayer for tending our flock while we dined!)



This outfit felt very Ellie Mae anyway, and then that pose by the weedy yard and the pumpkin patch, all the more appropriate.


Grandpa Phil and Baby R. Clearly, the same head.


I love "set up" shots.


Auntie Sandi, Grandpa Phil and los Babies. Baby C looks ready to make a run for the swing.


"Sunshine happy days, and rainbows..."


"Wait, so are you gonna pick me up off this bed, 'cause that's why I was so happy to see you before."



This is Baby R's bathtub, courtsey of Auntie Dianne. But she thinks it's her personal reading duck.


Yep, shoeless, carrying a silk scarf and a napkin ring and wearing a pink feathery tiara, running through the backyard.


I couldn't remember if I had posted this photo before. If so, have an extra helpin.'


I love this shirt, it's like vintage golfy-leisurey shirt.

And she's matchy-matchy poo poo with her shoes and socks.


Get a load of that little mug, will ya? Man, he's cute!

One news flash:
Baby C climbed up her dresser and it fell over on her. 'Could'a been really bad, but I'm so thankful that after her emergency clinic visit[fiasco] that she's totally fine except for a scrape/bump over her eyebrow. When Kevin got home that night, he strapped it to the wall.

On a lighter note, Baby C loves photos and videos of herself now. She refers to herself as "ticka." So cute. In the past couple of days I've gone to Flickr and searched for "cute bunnies" or "cute puppies" and set it up to run a slideshow of the search results. She LOVES it. If you have a toddler, you gotta do it, parents, it's a hit.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

we adopted a guinea pig


I think I'll call him Harry.

I found him in my sink after I cut my hair tonight.

He's soft and furry, and he obviously loves my new 'do.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

hawaii trip illuminated

Man, it's late, but I gotta post about Hawaii before I forget about everything.

Our resort was totally plush, the interesting taxi driver said it's where the Pro Bowl'ers stay when they're in Hawaii. The area of the island was kinda strange, big oil refinery, radio towers and electric plant. But the way the resort was laid out, you couldn't see any of that stuff unless you left the "set."


View from our lanai, to the left.


I decorated the fine marble bathroom with tacky birthday decorations as a surprise Friday morning. In hindsight, I don't know why I chose the bathroom instead of the bedroom. Can you see the little paper hula girls?


Speaking of hula, here's a little hula dance goin' on by the pool.


This was all Kevin wanted to do for his birthday, sit on the beach and read. So by golly, that's what he did. I bought that book for him about a double agent in the CIA, true story, and that guy had issues.


This is his flaming pineapple birthday tart. That's a bundle of 24 candles and then 6 more festive candle for a total of 30. The old folks at the table next to us were concerned for their safety.
And no, I didn't have the waitstaff do the cake, I followed the Golden Rule, because I hate when the waiter sings to me. I just busted out my prepacked candles and some matches I appropriated from the hotel bar.

Here's a view of our hotel from the catamaran we sailed on. It made me laugh that the brochure said "dolphins or whales guaranteed or your money back."
And lo, we saw dolphins.
They must get a cut of the profits.


Here's what our captain referred to as "the pirate ship."
It was a replica 18th century trade ship, complete with cannon, that they fired at us as we passed. Yar.


Look, there it is again, sneaky up on my booty.


And again, sailing into the sunset like One Eyed Willie.


Do you like my leisurely repose?


We often opted not to take the automatic rotating door. It was like trying to jump in on a game of double dutch.

We went snorkeling at Kahe point, which according to this guy on the internet, it's the best place to snorkel in all of Hawaii.
It just happen to be .2 miles from our hotel! Kismet!
We heard it was called "Electric Beach" because it's next to the power plant (which is why the sea life hangs out there, because it's warm and cozy.)



On our walk there we saw some scenes in which Dog the Bounty Hunter might have come looking for ice heads.
Just keep walking.
Pay no attention to the men living under the tarps.
Then later, we learned that the real locals call it "Tricks Beach."
Yeah...I can see that.


H-O-T! Haven't looked this cool since 10th grade chemistry class.

Normally, I really really hate swimming in natural bodies of water. I'm like the Woody Allen of water sports. I have bad dreams about getting stuck in the ocean, etc, I fear aquatic snakes, etc-- you get the picture.
But the water was clear and warm and the marine life book I checked out assured me there were no human-eating animals or sea snakes. So swam way way out to where the fish hung out. I was so proud of myself.




Fish fish and more fish. They don't like to be petted, such a shame.
I spotted a sea turtle, but we didn't capture him on film.
Imagine a big turtle swimming, and that's what it looked like.


See that guy in the background? No, it isn't Kevin. It was this little hawaiian kid's dad. And shortly after I took these, he jumped.
He jumped into the not-that-deep water with big rocks. He didn't die, do I guess those natives know what they're doing.
How cute is that boy, c'mon! He brought his cat to the beach too.

Did I mention I got an hour long massage at the Spa? Yeah I did, and it was worth every penny.