Girl V turned 3 on Jan. 20. She gets so many presents from her paternal grandparents that I have not given her any of the things I bought for Christmas OR Birthday lest she be totally spoiled.
She is very interested in words and letters and we are really hoping she will learn to read this year. She knows the words "up" and "go," we are working on sounding out words. I KNOW that if she could read she would self-amuse a lot more by reading. That's why we are so hot on it.
She likes to look at her Bible story picture books. I got a little worried recently because she was talking about "the three men who went in the hot hot fire but didn't get burned because of God." I worried that she was getting confused about whether or not fire really burns you, since the drawing of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednago in the fire shows that they are just fine! I also had a hard time explaining why David gets to hit Goliath in the head with a rock, when we have a no-hitting rule in our house. Basically, it's like those word games in which you have to get your teammates to guess a concept without using key words that most people would use to explain that concept - since Girl V doesn't get ideas like "Chosen people" or "miracle."
We are thinking about pre-school for next year. Really we should have done it this year but she was not really reliably toilet trained and I would not have been willing to commit in Feb. of last year, which is when you have to sign up. There are 2 options, one is 5 days a week at the Montessori school, which seems like a lot, and of course costs more. The other is only 2 days a week, which might be better, although I am wary because it is a Protestant outfit, and I need that crap like I need a hole in the head. I have not gotten the info for the 2-day option. I just know she was so lonely this winter and was crying that she had no friends, and that made me feel sad.
This week she is excited about finding treasure. One of her babysitters made a treasure map with her and hunted for treasure in our house, and I dug out a book that was about finding treasure, and she thinks it is very exciting. She even made up a little song about it. The lyrics are "I love to find treasure all day! I love to find treasure all day!" and she jumps around singing it. She has no idea that treasure is valuable or what she would do with it once she got it, or why it would be hidden in the first place. But she likes the adventure of finding it.
In the 2 months since I last posted, we also got rid of her remaining nap in favor of her sleeping from about 7 pm to about 8 am (and also being completely cranky after about 5:30 pm). It is not perfect but it gives me some time in the evenings to unwind.
McCain: crazy as hell, statist, interventionist. Like George Bush, but with rabies. But you know, we've only got 300 million people in this country, so I'm sure he is the best possible choice for one of the two options we will have.
The only good thing that has come out of the campaigns is that I have been able to get in a word with my mother about abortion. She is pro-choice because, basically, everyone else in her area is, and my mother thinks any extremism must be wrong, because it is after all so extreme! She defends abortion based on rape and life of the mother cases, though I have explained to her that her view puts her in the position of restricting abortions to 1% of their current rate. She doesn't want to think about it, because she doesn't want to become an extremist or hold an unpopular view.
It is pretty distressing to me that my own mother holds this view. When I was about 13, she told me that if I got pregnant as a teenager, she would make me have an abortion. She was clearly quite proud of herself for having arrived at such a noble and clear-headed view of how such situations should be handled. I told her I didn't think I could go through with something like that. As was (and sometimes IS) typical, it did not occur to her that I might, you know, need to be consulted for my view in such a situation. Frankly, I think the conversation woke me up a little to the reality of sex (that it makes babies) that at that age I had not really thought much about. The idea of being pressured by my own mother to kill my child was pretty terrifying.
Anyway, I mentioned, offhand, that one of the things that is so upsetting about Obama is that he opposed the "Born Alive" bill that aimed to prevent babies surviving abortion from being suffocated or just exposed in the hallway of a hospital until they die. Mom just gasped and said "Oh my God!" So, maybe she will reflect on this a little more. Unfortunately, though, I don't think she will.
The only good thing that has come out of the campaigns is that I have been able to get in a word with my mother about abortion. She is pro-choice because, basically, everyone else in her area is, and my mother thinks any extremism must be wrong, because it is after all so extreme! She defends abortion based on rape and life of the mother cases, though I have explained to her that her view puts her in the position of restricting abortions to 1% of their current rate. She doesn't want to think about it, because she doesn't want to become an extremist or hold an unpopular view.
It is pretty distressing to me that my own mother holds this view. When I was about 13, she told me that if I got pregnant as a teenager, she would make me have an abortion. She was clearly quite proud of herself for having arrived at such a noble and clear-headed view of how such situations should be handled. I told her I didn't think I could go through with something like that. As was (and sometimes IS) typical, it did not occur to her that I might, you know, need to be consulted for my view in such a situation. Frankly, I think the conversation woke me up a little to the reality of sex (that it makes babies) that at that age I had not really thought much about. The idea of being pressured by my own mother to kill my child was pretty terrifying.
Anyway, I mentioned, offhand, that one of the things that is so upsetting about Obama is that he opposed the "Born Alive" bill that aimed to prevent babies surviving abortion from being suffocated or just exposed in the hallway of a hospital until they die. Mom just gasped and said "Oh my God!" So, maybe she will reflect on this a little more. Unfortunately, though, I don't think she will.
This evening O.O. entertained Girl V by watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with her on the TV. She was scared of the Abominable Snowman (AKA the White Monster) and did not want to go to bed. So we had to talk her down.
V: "Where's the monster go? I want to say hi to him!"
O.O. looks and points out the window in the direction of the college where he teaches. "See that light waaaaaaay over there? The monster is waaaay over there."
V: "He's in him office at (College!) Him's working! Him's working at (College!)"
This idea seems to relieve her and she submits to going upstairs to get ready for bed. Then more consoling:
Me: "Do you know who's in charge of the house?"
V: "Daddy!"
Me: "Yes. Daddy and Mommy are in charge." (In an effort to tell her we would keep out the monsters.)
V: "And me too!"
Daddy: "Do you know who can make the monsters go away? Your guardian angel can make the monsters go away."
V: "And Baby Jesus too!"
Daddy: "That's right."
V, rethinking: "No. Him's just a baby. Him can't say 'Go away monsters.' Him just says hi to them."
Daddy: "No, even though Baby Jesus is just a baby, he can make the monsters go away. He is very powerful."
Then we said our goodnight prayer and went to bed peacefully, though wanting more stories.
V: "Where's the monster go? I want to say hi to him!"
O.O. looks and points out the window in the direction of the college where he teaches. "See that light waaaaaaay over there? The monster is waaaay over there."
V: "He's in him office at (College!) Him's working! Him's working at (College!)"
This idea seems to relieve her and she submits to going upstairs to get ready for bed. Then more consoling:
Me: "Do you know who's in charge of the house?"
V: "Daddy!"
Me: "Yes. Daddy and Mommy are in charge." (In an effort to tell her we would keep out the monsters.)
V: "And me too!"
Daddy: "Do you know who can make the monsters go away? Your guardian angel can make the monsters go away."
V: "And Baby Jesus too!"
Daddy: "That's right."
V, rethinking: "No. Him's just a baby. Him can't say 'Go away monsters.' Him just says hi to them."
Daddy: "No, even though Baby Jesus is just a baby, he can make the monsters go away. He is very powerful."
Then we said our goodnight prayer and went to bed peacefully, though wanting more stories.
Today Girl V asked "Why" for the first time.
Wanted to know why she had to finish all the food on her plate. She likes to eat just enough to quell the immediate hunger and then LET'S GO WUN AWOUND!!!
Music liked by Girl V
The Wall, Pt. 3
The Ghostbusters Theme Song
Jingle Bells
Old MacDonald
That Hi-Ho-The-Dairio Song
Bach
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
The Ghostbusters Theme Song
Jingle Bells
Old MacDonald
That Hi-Ho-The-Dairio Song
Bach
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Girl V, 33 months
Taking a bubble bath. Daddy put his feet in the tub once and now she insists I do it every bath. It is nice to soak my feet so I don't mind.
Me: "Do you know what's inside a bubble?"
V.: "No."
Me: "Air. A bubble is soap with air inside."
V.: "Oh!....What else, inside?"
Me: "Nothing else is inside. Just air."
V.: "What about bunnies?"
Me: "Nope, no bunnies. Just air."
V.: "And bunnies too!"
When she cries, she now narrates how sad she is. "Mommy, I'm sad. Not happy, no! I got tiny little tears dripping on me! I'm really sad! Don't make me happy! I not gonna be happy, I'm really sad! I'm crying, Mommy, I'm crying!"
Also, today, slipped and fell (no injuries.) "Mommy, I dropped myself!"
Now understands the concept of preference. "Mommy, which one you like?" She doesn't like it if we both like the same thing sometimes, and tells me that I like a different one so that she can be the only one who likes the item.
V.: "Mommy, I want to get married."
Me: "Who do you want to get married to?"
V.: "To you, Mommy!"
Me: "You can't marry me. You have to find a boy to marry."
V.: "A boy? Where's a boy?"
Me: "You have to go find one that you like."
V.: "Oh Mommy, when you grow up, you('ll) be a boy."
Me: "Do you know what's inside a bubble?"
V.: "No."
Me: "Air. A bubble is soap with air inside."
V.: "Oh!....What else, inside?"
Me: "Nothing else is inside. Just air."
V.: "What about bunnies?"
Me: "Nope, no bunnies. Just air."
V.: "And bunnies too!"
When she cries, she now narrates how sad she is. "Mommy, I'm sad. Not happy, no! I got tiny little tears dripping on me! I'm really sad! Don't make me happy! I not gonna be happy, I'm really sad! I'm crying, Mommy, I'm crying!"
Also, today, slipped and fell (no injuries.) "Mommy, I dropped myself!"
Now understands the concept of preference. "Mommy, which one you like?" She doesn't like it if we both like the same thing sometimes, and tells me that I like a different one so that she can be the only one who likes the item.
V.: "Mommy, I want to get married."
Me: "Who do you want to get married to?"
V.: "To you, Mommy!"
Me: "You can't marry me. You have to find a boy to marry."
V.: "A boy? Where's a boy?"
Me: "You have to go find one that you like."
V.: "Oh Mommy, when you grow up, you('ll) be a boy."
Standing on My Head: What's a Hymn For? Excellent analysis of the problems with a lot of modern hymns.
Drinking stories that put yours to shame - CNN.com: "The record for history's largest cocktail belongs to British Lord Admiral Edward Russell. In 1694, he threw an officer's party that employed a garden's fountain as the punch bowl. The concoction? A mixture that included 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of Malaga wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg. A series of bartenders actually paddled around in a small wooden canoe, filling up guests' cups. Not only that, but they had to work in 15-minute shifts to avoid being overcome by the fumes and falling overboard."
Hi there
Sorry, I forgot my password and did not have time to go hunt around and find it. Today we made jack-o-lanterns (just drew on them, no carving) and Girl V named them Chaneylaney, Taskalaskas, and Tikkitootot. She feeds them sand. She is very interested in skeletons, ghosts, cats, bats, pumpkins, trick or treating and of course CANDY.
She remains super cute and is the center of attention everywhere she goes. This is compounded by her friendliness, she walks down rows of people smiling and waving "Hello everybody! My dress is so prettiful!"
She has recently done something very unusual. She read a book about a little boy who goes to the doctor and gets a checkup, and as part of the checkup he gets a shot. So Girl V wanted a shot too. We were driving around one day and she said "Mommy, I want to go to the doctor and get a shot," totally out of the blue. I remembered that she was scheduled for the flu shot the next week so I said, "Ok, if you are really really good, we can go get one next week." I figured this request was because of the book and that once she got there she would not want the shot but hey, milk it for all it's worth while she still wants to go. The day before her appointment we took her with us while we got our flu shots so she could see what that was all about. Both of us bled but she did not care. Still excited about getting her shot the next day. So we went to her shot and she was still happy to go and happy to wait for the shot. Then we took her in to actually get it, waiting to see when she would finally figure out what was going on and start to cry. Well, she grimaced a little during the shot but did not cry. Then she went out and said "I want to get ANOTHER shot!" Later on in the week when she got frustrated she would cry and say "I want to go to the doctor and get another shot!" in the same tone that she uses for "I want to go to the circus!" So we officially have the weirdest kid in the world, but I am not complaining.
Our theory is that she is just very bored and constantly wants new and different experiences, and that's why she liked the shot. Who knows.
She is very well spoken these days and very interested in the alphabet and words. She seems to understand that letters make words and words convey information and likes to read baby dictionaries. So maybe she will start reading soon. It would not surprise me.
My horrible work situation is for now "in abeyance." It may blow up again later but I think it is basically okay. Waiting to see...
There is a big meeting on Thursday that is stressing me out a lot. If anyone wants to pray for that, and for Stephanie, Betty, Anita, Karen, Phil, and Joseph that would be great. I am just figuring all my readers must like praying for me if they are still reading this blog because it is just kid updates and prayer requests at this point.
Please pray also for Sara F who needs to find a job at which she can succeed.
She remains super cute and is the center of attention everywhere she goes. This is compounded by her friendliness, she walks down rows of people smiling and waving "Hello everybody! My dress is so prettiful!"
She has recently done something very unusual. She read a book about a little boy who goes to the doctor and gets a checkup, and as part of the checkup he gets a shot. So Girl V wanted a shot too. We were driving around one day and she said "Mommy, I want to go to the doctor and get a shot," totally out of the blue. I remembered that she was scheduled for the flu shot the next week so I said, "Ok, if you are really really good, we can go get one next week." I figured this request was because of the book and that once she got there she would not want the shot but hey, milk it for all it's worth while she still wants to go. The day before her appointment we took her with us while we got our flu shots so she could see what that was all about. Both of us bled but she did not care. Still excited about getting her shot the next day. So we went to her shot and she was still happy to go and happy to wait for the shot. Then we took her in to actually get it, waiting to see when she would finally figure out what was going on and start to cry. Well, she grimaced a little during the shot but did not cry. Then she went out and said "I want to get ANOTHER shot!" Later on in the week when she got frustrated she would cry and say "I want to go to the doctor and get another shot!" in the same tone that she uses for "I want to go to the circus!" So we officially have the weirdest kid in the world, but I am not complaining.
Our theory is that she is just very bored and constantly wants new and different experiences, and that's why she liked the shot. Who knows.
She is very well spoken these days and very interested in the alphabet and words. She seems to understand that letters make words and words convey information and likes to read baby dictionaries. So maybe she will start reading soon. It would not surprise me.
My horrible work situation is for now "in abeyance." It may blow up again later but I think it is basically okay. Waiting to see...
There is a big meeting on Thursday that is stressing me out a lot. If anyone wants to pray for that, and for Stephanie, Betty, Anita, Karen, Phil, and Joseph that would be great. I am just figuring all my readers must like praying for me if they are still reading this blog because it is just kid updates and prayer requests at this point.
Please pray also for Sara F who needs to find a job at which she can succeed.
Girl V now 31 months old
Knows her right from her left and tries to tell me where to go in the car - gives directions to the park.
Can ride a baby trike if I push the handle to help her along.
Uses the potty about 90 percent of the time during the day for "both" needs.
Talks a lot, says things like "Daddy, you stay here in Mommy's office, I go downstairs and get some toys for you. Stay here!" (LOVES telling Daddy and Mommy what to do as you can see.)
Amuses herself with books and toys for 10-15 minutes or so, when asked.
Waits patiently while Mommy talks on the phone.
Comes inside the church for Mass, does not talk but does not sit still either.
Knows lots of songs and likes to sing and dance. Makes up her own songs.
When I come in to wake her up she says, "Mommy, have any dreams?" Which means she wants me to ask her if she had any dreams. So I do, and she invariably says "I dream about clowns Mommy!"
She likes to read books especailly new books!
Can ride a baby trike if I push the handle to help her along.
Uses the potty about 90 percent of the time during the day for "both" needs.
Talks a lot, says things like "Daddy, you stay here in Mommy's office, I go downstairs and get some toys for you. Stay here!" (LOVES telling Daddy and Mommy what to do as you can see.)
Amuses herself with books and toys for 10-15 minutes or so, when asked.
Waits patiently while Mommy talks on the phone.
Comes inside the church for Mass, does not talk but does not sit still either.
Knows lots of songs and likes to sing and dance. Makes up her own songs.
When I come in to wake her up she says, "Mommy, have any dreams?" Which means she wants me to ask her if she had any dreams. So I do, and she invariably says "I dream about clowns Mommy!"
She likes to read books especailly new books!
Thanks for your prayers
We are not going to attempt to resolve the situation until after the 18th, so you still have time to pray!!!!
Please pray for me.
I have to deal with a major, major problem. Work-related personnel issue. If anyone is still reading this pitiful blog, I could use your prayers. Even my atheist readers, come on, help a brutha out.
Please pray that I can relax - I do NOT deal with stress well. And that a solution amenable to everyone involved presents itself.
THANKS.
Please pray that I can relax - I do NOT deal with stress well. And that a solution amenable to everyone involved presents itself.
THANKS.
Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships - Yahoo! News
My poor grandfather, God rest his soul, who was a Lutheran pastor as was his own father before him, is not happy about this. He saw this coming ...
My poor grandfather, God rest his soul, who was a Lutheran pastor as was his own father before him, is not happy about this. He saw this coming ...
How I would have ended the Harry Potter series, because I am a very bad person
Then Hermione handed the book to Harry. "The Bible?" he asked, puzzled.
"It's the only perfect book, Harry. A complete handbook for life," she answered.
Harry opened the pages and read for a moment. Then he stopped and looked Hermione right in the eyes. "You're right," he said. "This magic stuff is all washed up."
"Harry," Hermione asked, "won't you make a commitment to Christ?"
"You mean---my personal Lord and Saviour?" Harry smiled. "Absolutely. But let's do it up right. Isn't there a Baptist Church up the street with a full immersion baptismal pool?"
Hermione nodded. She couldn't wait to tell the Hogwarts for Christ prayer team.
"It's the only perfect book, Harry. A complete handbook for life," she answered.
Harry opened the pages and read for a moment. Then he stopped and looked Hermione right in the eyes. "You're right," he said. "This magic stuff is all washed up."
"Harry," Hermione asked, "won't you make a commitment to Christ?"
"You mean---my personal Lord and Saviour?" Harry smiled. "Absolutely. But let's do it up right. Isn't there a Baptist Church up the street with a full immersion baptismal pool?"
Hermione nodded. She couldn't wait to tell the Hogwarts for Christ prayer team.
Girl V, almost 2 & 1/2
She is so busy that I get overwhelmed even trying to think about writing an update. So here are some free form thoughts, best I can do.
She wants to sleep on my lap "like a tiny little baby" or in my pouch the way Roo sleeps in Kanga's pouch (Winnie the Pooh, for those of you not living in Kidworld.)
Has been pretending to be various things. Started by saying, "Name's Gentle Dog!" Then she was Gentle Dog for several days and ran around the house panting and sometimes with a pretend bone in her mouth. Sometimes would cooperate with requests if Gentle Dog was asked to do them, even if Girl V was not cooperating. Since then has been pretending to be just about anything - lion, parrot, penguin, pigeon, prince, cowboy, Christopher Robin, Miss Piggy, butterfly, even several things at once, by saying "Pigeon is a lady cowboy!" Also assigns identities to Mommy and Daddy, so I have been Mommy Tigger, Mommy Cinderella, Mommy Frog, etc. Daddy was Scary Tiger but then she actually got scared so he had to stop that one.
She was "a little bit scared" of the noisy fireworks but did like looking at them. The loud bangs were what scared her. She was very brave and preferred to watch them from inside the car or under a blanket.
I took her to DC briefly and she liked the escalators and even got on them by herself (as opposed to being carried) after riding them a few times. She liked seeing all the statues in Union Station.
She also saw Daddy riding a bike and freaked out. Then she calmed down after seeing it again. We are hoping she will ride in one of those bike seats with him so he can get some exercise. Her head is way to big for the baby helmet though.
Ok, there's your update. Also I have been mowing the lawn since O.O. threw his back out. Who is the patron saint for backs?
She wants to sleep on my lap "like a tiny little baby" or in my pouch the way Roo sleeps in Kanga's pouch (Winnie the Pooh, for those of you not living in Kidworld.)
Has been pretending to be various things. Started by saying, "Name's Gentle Dog!" Then she was Gentle Dog for several days and ran around the house panting and sometimes with a pretend bone in her mouth. Sometimes would cooperate with requests if Gentle Dog was asked to do them, even if Girl V was not cooperating. Since then has been pretending to be just about anything - lion, parrot, penguin, pigeon, prince, cowboy, Christopher Robin, Miss Piggy, butterfly, even several things at once, by saying "Pigeon is a lady cowboy!" Also assigns identities to Mommy and Daddy, so I have been Mommy Tigger, Mommy Cinderella, Mommy Frog, etc. Daddy was Scary Tiger but then she actually got scared so he had to stop that one.
She was "a little bit scared" of the noisy fireworks but did like looking at them. The loud bangs were what scared her. She was very brave and preferred to watch them from inside the car or under a blanket.
I took her to DC briefly and she liked the escalators and even got on them by herself (as opposed to being carried) after riding them a few times. She liked seeing all the statues in Union Station.
She also saw Daddy riding a bike and freaked out. Then she calmed down after seeing it again. We are hoping she will ride in one of those bike seats with him so he can get some exercise. Her head is way to big for the baby helmet though.
Ok, there's your update. Also I have been mowing the lawn since O.O. threw his back out. Who is the patron saint for backs?
In case you're wondering, "Is the MPAA ratings system irreparably broken?"
The new Transformers movie is rated PG-13, in part for "brief sexual humor."
a comment on Mark Shea's blog
Comments: "Dr Bernard Nathanson, the ex-abortionist, suggests that pro-lifers could use the expression 'right to live' because it makes it plain that the person we are talking about already has a life, rather than having a 'potential' life."
What the V can do: age 29 months
She can say:
"I hear a mourning dove."
"I did it!"
"I like that book."
Lots of pronoun use. Some confusion like "There is her." and "Where is she?" said of non-female objects.
Also: "Thomas is crying! Baby's crying!"
Dad: "Yes, Thomas was crying. Is Thomas a baby?"
V: "No."
Dad: "What is Thomas?"
V: "A boy."
Dad: "And what is (Girl V)?"
V: "A GIRL!"
So she finally knows she is a girl. She is starting to understand and answer "or" questions "Is your hair straight or curly?" instead of just repeating the last option.
Likes to pretend that she is scaring me, or a toy is scaring me, or scaring her. Very interested in scariness generally. Also LOVES to pretend that Daddy is "Daddy Cat" and then order the cat around.
"I hear a mourning dove."
"I did it!"
"I like that book."
Lots of pronoun use. Some confusion like "There is her." and "Where is she?" said of non-female objects.
Also: "Thomas is crying! Baby's crying!"
Dad: "Yes, Thomas was crying. Is Thomas a baby?"
V: "No."
Dad: "What is Thomas?"
V: "A boy."
Dad: "And what is (Girl V)?"
V: "A GIRL!"
So she finally knows she is a girl. She is starting to understand and answer "or" questions "Is your hair straight or curly?" instead of just repeating the last option.
Likes to pretend that she is scaring me, or a toy is scaring me, or scaring her. Very interested in scariness generally. Also LOVES to pretend that Daddy is "Daddy Cat" and then order the cat around.
Boovs
Girl V has noticed that ladies have "boovs," and has asked if she can "have boovs too?" (I told her "Yes. Later.") She also wants to get married, drive a car, and use a sword and shield.
Dean urges Dems to court evangelical Christians
"I haven't seen gay marriage in the Bible once."-- Howard Dean
Got it. Would that lack of discussion of gay marriage be in the New Testament, where the Book of Job is reputedly located, or the Old Testament?
Really, I can't think of a more queer-positive personality than the God of the Hebrew Scriptures. Remember all those recommendations that men lay with other men, and condemnations of "breeders?"
Or was that the New York Times I was reading? So hard to keep them straight.
Got it. Would that lack of discussion of gay marriage be in the New Testament, where the Book of Job is reputedly located, or the Old Testament?
Really, I can't think of a more queer-positive personality than the God of the Hebrew Scriptures. Remember all those recommendations that men lay with other men, and condemnations of "breeders?"
Or was that the New York Times I was reading? So hard to keep them straight.
Layout changes
Time to say goodbye to YACCS comments. Sad, sad. Hello Blogger comments and layout. Limited time to update and maintain the blog has led to this change. This new automation should help.
Upon seeing light reflected on the ceiling.
She sees the light on the ceiling. "Whazzat?"
Mommy: "It's light. It's a reflection."
Girl V: "Hi flesshun! ...What are you doing flesshun? (Want to) play in-a Jump-o-lene? Come here!"
Mommy rotates the mirror causing the reflection, showing her that the reflection moves too.
Girl V: "Where are you going flesshun? Come back! It's going away! There it is!"
Girl V gets distracted by the mirror for a minute. Looks in her mouth, makes funny faces. Time to play with Eeyore.
Mommy: "It's light. It's a reflection."
Girl V: "Hi flesshun! ...What are you doing flesshun? (Want to) play in-a Jump-o-lene? Come here!"
Mommy rotates the mirror causing the reflection, showing her that the reflection moves too.
Girl V: "Where are you going flesshun? Come back! It's going away! There it is!"
Girl V gets distracted by the mirror for a minute. Looks in her mouth, makes funny faces. Time to play with Eeyore.
Girl V 28.5 months
Lots of amusing expressions. "Hi one girl!" and "(Girl V) live ons the Eart!" She lately has enjoyed playing with the Little People. The recurring scenario is one starts crying, and another comes over and says "I hep you!" She is just figuring out emotions like sad and angry. We are focusing a lot on discipline right now because she likes to push, push, push the limits. Hmm, wonder where she got that? Actually I was a pretty compliant kid, so was my husband.
Help! Grocery store still overwhelming to men
In a recent report titled "Men in Grocery Stores," Putnam said that men shop inefficiently, which leads to missed sales for retailers.
Many men have difficulty finding items, forego buying rather than risk purchasing a substitute for an item on the grocery list and hesitate to ask for help if they can't find an item, Putnam said in her report.
In a recent report titled "Men in Grocery Stores," Putnam said that men shop inefficiently, which leads to missed sales for retailers.
Many men have difficulty finding items, forego buying rather than risk purchasing a substitute for an item on the grocery list and hesitate to ask for help if they can't find an item, Putnam said in her report.
Peace on Earth - V, 28 months
Today we took Girl V to church and she was GOOD. Really good, sat on my lap and was quiet 99% of the time. AMAZING given we just started the "taking her to Mass" experiment about 6 weeks ago and figured we would be struggling for longer. Of course, we are still sitting out in the narthex, not in the church itself. That is the next big hurdle, because all the people will be very distracting to her. So I think we will wait a while for that. We are just happy we can attend Mass as a family without getting frustrated and bickering.
V also went to the store with me and was again very good. Her favorite place to go is the Post Office and she now requests to go. "Post Office! Post Office!" She is a weird little kid. I am not sure what she likes about it.
We went to a local festival on Saturday which she enjoyed. She got to pet some dogs, see some people jumping on a ride - "Acrobats!" - and get a balloon. Then after we left, she started banging it on the grass, and of course it popped. Her face fell a little but she did not cry. She wanted to fix it, but we told her we couldn't. She talked a lot about how she had popped it.
She really likes her Cinderella DVD and is trying to sing the "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" song. I can't even sing that one.
V also went to the store with me and was again very good. Her favorite place to go is the Post Office and she now requests to go. "Post Office! Post Office!" She is a weird little kid. I am not sure what she likes about it.
We went to a local festival on Saturday which she enjoyed. She got to pet some dogs, see some people jumping on a ride - "Acrobats!" - and get a balloon. Then after we left, she started banging it on the grass, and of course it popped. Her face fell a little but she did not cry. She wanted to fix it, but we told her we couldn't. She talked a lot about how she had popped it.
She really likes her Cinderella DVD and is trying to sing the "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" song. I can't even sing that one.
It is my birthday!
My policy for birthdays (at least those celebrated by me) is that the birthday-celebrator gets to do whatever he wants. I am hoping our family will have a fun dinner, either at a restaurant or at home.
The Annunciation, according to Girl V.
Girl V has a pop-up book on the life of Christ, which includes a scene of the Annunciation. Being a two-year-old girl with two human-looking images before her, Girl V made them talk. Here is what they said.
Mary: "Hi!"
Gabriel: "Hi!"
Mary: "What are you doing?"
Gabriel: "Standing."
Mary: "Ok. Open the door!"
Gabriel: "No. No open the door."
Mary: "Ok. Bye!"
Gabriel: "Bye!"
Yesterday in church, she made her father very happy by announcing loudly that "Jesus is yucky!" Daddy sees it as imposed penance for his sins.
Mary: "Hi!"
Gabriel: "Hi!"
Mary: "What are you doing?"
Gabriel: "Standing."
Mary: "Ok. Open the door!"
Gabriel: "No. No open the door."
Mary: "Ok. Bye!"
Gabriel: "Bye!"
Yesterday in church, she made her father very happy by announcing loudly that "Jesus is yucky!" Daddy sees it as imposed penance for his sins.
Girl V now 27 months old.
She has recently mastered transitive verbs and is now acquiring them rapidly - hear, wear, find, drop, clean, squish.
She is HIGHLY SOCIAL and wants me to do EVERYTHING that she is doing. If she's pouring water - "Mommy, pouring too!" then when I do: "Two pourings!"
She got a sandbox today which she loves despite the fact that we did not put the sand in yet (wanted to sleep on the placement of it before loading it w/ 300 lbs of sand.)
She is very interested in the concept of hiding. Whenever she can't see something, or someone is not around, she says it/they are hiding. My mom came to visit and now that she is gone, she is hiding. But she also knows the real meaning of hiding, she just needs to narrow it down.
She is now learning songs like Baa Baa Black Sheep, Ring Around the Rosey (which she thinks means run a circle around something), ABC song. Loves to dance, likes to go to stores with me but gets frustrated when she can't get out of the card and dance to the music on the loudspeakers.
We drive by a cow pasture on our way to a frequently visited destination, but cows are not out yet despite the nice weather. She remembers that they were there several months ago and now hypothesizes that the cows are not visible because they are playing "Ring Around the Rosey."
She is very ok with someone leaving and does not throw a tantrum, typically, just says, "Bye! See you later! Love you very much!"
Fakes injuries for sympathy, or fakes needing to go potty, particularly when about to be punished. But is pretty good at saying please now. Also says "excuse me" but at weird times, so I am not sure what she thinks it means.
We are starting to try and take her to church, which she does not like. She misbehaves loudly so I have to take her out, which is where she wants to be. So I try to keep "out of church" more boring than church, which is not easy. She just cannot get the concept of not talking at "normal volume" in church. I guess we will just have to wait until she understands it. We are going to short masses and trying to avoid the priest who preaches at length.
She is HIGHLY SOCIAL and wants me to do EVERYTHING that she is doing. If she's pouring water - "Mommy, pouring too!" then when I do: "Two pourings!"
She got a sandbox today which she loves despite the fact that we did not put the sand in yet (wanted to sleep on the placement of it before loading it w/ 300 lbs of sand.)
She is very interested in the concept of hiding. Whenever she can't see something, or someone is not around, she says it/they are hiding. My mom came to visit and now that she is gone, she is hiding. But she also knows the real meaning of hiding, she just needs to narrow it down.
She is now learning songs like Baa Baa Black Sheep, Ring Around the Rosey (which she thinks means run a circle around something), ABC song. Loves to dance, likes to go to stores with me but gets frustrated when she can't get out of the card and dance to the music on the loudspeakers.
We drive by a cow pasture on our way to a frequently visited destination, but cows are not out yet despite the nice weather. She remembers that they were there several months ago and now hypothesizes that the cows are not visible because they are playing "Ring Around the Rosey."
She is very ok with someone leaving and does not throw a tantrum, typically, just says, "Bye! See you later! Love you very much!"
Fakes injuries for sympathy, or fakes needing to go potty, particularly when about to be punished. But is pretty good at saying please now. Also says "excuse me" but at weird times, so I am not sure what she thinks it means.
We are starting to try and take her to church, which she does not like. She misbehaves loudly so I have to take her out, which is where she wants to be. So I try to keep "out of church" more boring than church, which is not easy. She just cannot get the concept of not talking at "normal volume" in church. I guess we will just have to wait until she understands it. We are going to short masses and trying to avoid the priest who preaches at length.
Today we took Girl V to Dinosaur Land with my mom, her husband, his daughter and his parents. We all had a lot of fun watching Girl V marvel at the "an-mals!" She said the 30-ft tall King Kong was "scary" but was very brave and checked him out a few times. There was also a giant praying mantis, cobra, shark and octopus in addition to the dinosaurs. She wanted to ride the dinosaurs but that is not allowed.
The Daily Gut: "But the notion that, when some mildly edgy or tasteless remark makes us cry, we turn to a fat, cheerfully inane clown weatherman for words of healing is proof that we are but characters in an epic satirical novel set in a world of sniveling morons."
Argh
I have to fire a woman twice my age tomorrow, over the phone. Can you pray that I have the right words to do this as professionally as possible. Also, any suggestions for firing someone over the phone? This is not recommended for good reason, but the only option in this case.
THANKS.
THANKS.
CIRCUS!
Today, all 3 of us went to see the Ringling Brothers Circus, thanks to my Mom who sprung for the tickets. Girl V had a great time. We had been reading books and watching a video about the circus for 2 weeks so that she would know about clowns and acrobats. On the way there, we stopped in the parking lot of a McDonald's and she said "here it is circus!" so we had to explain that no, the parking lot was not the circus. So we got inside and sat down at the circus only to have her tell us that she needed to go to the potty. She NEVER tells us she needs to go at home, so I was a little surprised and not really wanting to take her to the strange stadium bathroom. But she kept asking, for about 10 minutes, so I decided to take her. And she went, and was totally unfazed by all the strangeness, and we were done in 2 minutes! WOW. Then later, she asked to go again, and we did, with NO drama. Amazing.
She did a good job at sitting still for a long time - the show was 2.5 hrs, though it did have an intermission. She was a little unnerved by a large, moving, inflatable dragon that breathed smoke, and the confetti that they shot EVERYWHERE (think national party conventions on TV) before intermission, but otherwise everything was cool.
She was pretty overwhelmed by the many clowns, elephants, tigers, dancers, acrobats, horses, etc. She made some comments about the events but I could not hear her. We will see what she says about it tomorrow. They had 7 guys riding mini-motorcycles at high speed inside a spherical steel cage about 15 feet in diameter. It was WILD.
In the car on the way home, she sang the whole "Baa Baa Black Sheep" song. I have been singing it to her but did not realize she knew the whole thing. She has also been tracing letters in her coloring books and making "seahorses" out of playdough. She is 26.5 months now.
She did a good job at sitting still for a long time - the show was 2.5 hrs, though it did have an intermission. She was a little unnerved by a large, moving, inflatable dragon that breathed smoke, and the confetti that they shot EVERYWHERE (think national party conventions on TV) before intermission, but otherwise everything was cool.
She was pretty overwhelmed by the many clowns, elephants, tigers, dancers, acrobats, horses, etc. She made some comments about the events but I could not hear her. We will see what she says about it tomorrow. They had 7 guys riding mini-motorcycles at high speed inside a spherical steel cage about 15 feet in diameter. It was WILD.
In the car on the way home, she sang the whole "Baa Baa Black Sheep" song. I have been singing it to her but did not realize she knew the whole thing. She has also been tracing letters in her coloring books and making "seahorses" out of playdough. She is 26.5 months now.
Try 50%:
Study Finds One-Third in D.C. Illiterate: "About one-third of the people living in the national's capital are functionally illiterate, compared with about one-fifth nationally, according to a report on the District of Columbia. "
Girl V's Drawing of a Face, 25.5 months
She actually did a better one that I saved at age 23 months. She did circles for cheeks on that one, and she still does that sometimes.
Today is my 5-year Blogiversary.
In that time I have created 3007 posts, including this one - an average of about 1.6 per day. Assuming I have spent 1.2 minutes on each post, I have spent 60 hours, or 2.5 24-hr days, writing the blog.
Bright Child or Gifted Learner - EXTREMELY HELPFUL CHART.
Did I mention I am still angry that my Mom did not have me SKIP A GRADE? I was bored out of my mind in first grade.
Did I mention I am still angry that my Mom did not have me SKIP A GRADE? I was bored out of my mind in first grade.
Guess I'll have to start boycotting Cyndi Lauper.
Lauper, others headline gay rights tour - Yahoo! News: "This is supposed to be America, the home of the free and the brave,' she says. 'It can't be free for some and not for others.'"
Ok, Cyndi. But I guess it can be brave for some, and not for others.
Ok, Cyndi. But I guess it can be brave for some, and not for others.
I NEED YOUR HELP.
I need prayers to St. Thomas More for a private, job-related intention.
If anyone is willing to do, like, a whole rosary, I could use it!
To say thank you, I will briefly relate fun Girl V progress. Girl V, now almost 26 months old, continues to improve her verbal skills. We took a car trip yesterday on the highway, and she told me that some of the signs were squares and some were rectangles, as well as counting them and describing their colors. We saw a truck on the side of the road and I told her "The truck is broken." She said "I'll fix the truck!" She also says "I'll get the phone!" Though, she makes no move to actually answer the phone, she just knows that this is what Mommy says when the phone rings.
When she does talk on the phone, she is attempting to have conversations with her grandparents. She asks them "What are you doing, NAME?" and mentions things that happened to her recently, like that she went for a walk in the snow or dropped Mr. Potato Head down the stairs and he got a boo-boo.
She no longer wants to sit in her booster seat, which is blue, but on the regular chairs, which are brown. If I even mention eating, and she wants to, she starts calling "brown chair! brown chair!" before we even go downstairs. She is doing well with drinking from a cup and eating with silverware so usually her desire is accomodated.
She has also begun asking for sweets like "hot coklat" often, and getting more picky about what she eats. But it is not a big deal since she will really eat almost anything.
Probably the funniest thing she does though, is if her head is covered up (like when pulling a turtleneck over her head) she says "Where'd (Girl V) go?"
If anyone is willing to do, like, a whole rosary, I could use it!
To say thank you, I will briefly relate fun Girl V progress. Girl V, now almost 26 months old, continues to improve her verbal skills. We took a car trip yesterday on the highway, and she told me that some of the signs were squares and some were rectangles, as well as counting them and describing their colors. We saw a truck on the side of the road and I told her "The truck is broken." She said "I'll fix the truck!" She also says "I'll get the phone!" Though, she makes no move to actually answer the phone, she just knows that this is what Mommy says when the phone rings.
When she does talk on the phone, she is attempting to have conversations with her grandparents. She asks them "What are you doing, NAME?" and mentions things that happened to her recently, like that she went for a walk in the snow or dropped Mr. Potato Head down the stairs and he got a boo-boo.
She no longer wants to sit in her booster seat, which is blue, but on the regular chairs, which are brown. If I even mention eating, and she wants to, she starts calling "brown chair! brown chair!" before we even go downstairs. She is doing well with drinking from a cup and eating with silverware so usually her desire is accomodated.
She has also begun asking for sweets like "hot coklat" often, and getting more picky about what she eats. But it is not a big deal since she will really eat almost anything.
Probably the funniest thing she does though, is if her head is covered up (like when pulling a turtleneck over her head) she says "Where'd (Girl V) go?"
Appeals Court Overturns D.C. Gun Ban: "In a 2-1 decision, the judges held that the activities protected by the Second Amendment 'are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued intermittent enrollment in the militia.'
The court also ruled the D.C. requirement that registered firearms be kept unloaded, disassembled and under trigger lock was unconstitutional."
Now I know what to get Eve for her birthday! Eve - when is your birthday? I am not getting Lukas a gun though. Sorry Lukas, but with your undiscerning appetite you might just eat it one day.
The court also ruled the D.C. requirement that registered firearms be kept unloaded, disassembled and under trigger lock was unconstitutional."
Now I know what to get Eve for her birthday! Eve - when is your birthday? I am not getting Lukas a gun though. Sorry Lukas, but with your undiscerning appetite you might just eat it one day.
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