Stuff of the Month! - January

Book: On China by Henry Kissenger.  A real eye-opening description of the historic and philosophic factors driving China's relations with the outside world from a master of foreign policy. 

Movie (theater): Not sure it quite counts, but we had a fun group for Downton Abbey, Season 2 (now, with World War I!).  A well written and acted story with engaging personal interactions, hard choices, and a bit of getting shot and blown up.

Movie (home viewing): Captain America, The First Avenger.  Action packed story about the kind of hero we want.  Complete with Nazis.

Music: A Mad and Faithful Telling by DeVotchKa. Mostly fun and a bit wild.  They do a decent job of ignoring the rules of music to good effect.

Low point: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, audio recording by Lloyd James.  I enjoy many of Heinlein's books, and am a fan of this one.  This audio recording manages to get everything wrong, though.  Even aside from technical issues such as bad audio mixing and levels and leaving in long blank pauses, the voicing is just wrong.  I am sure Mr. James would do a good job for most sci-fi stories, where his wonder and enthusiasm would fit with the exploration of new worlds, but this story involves the hardening of soldiers in the crucible of a brutal boot camp and even less forgiving combat drops, and this performance lacks the edge to make it convincing.

Snot Sucker

Our happy little man has a cold.  So, we have been using the snot sucker (thanks to friend Meg and her mother for the name) on his nose several time a day.

Edmund is not terribly keen on how we like to use it, but he loves it as a mallet.  Nothing like hammering away with the tool your parents use to change the pressure and liquidity of your nose.  

Lent to a Friend

This is Mark, he is a friend of ours.  He, his brother, and mother, and some other friends of ours, and Edmund and I went for a long walk today.  Edmund was very pleased to let Mark borrow his hat.  We think it looks quite charming on him.  Both Edmund and Mark enjoyed a snooze while their mothers pushed them all over town.  Let's just say, the boys will not have sore legs tomorrow.  

Sleeping in the Big Bed

Edmund still loves to sleep in our bed.  Since we rather like it too I guess I can understand.  Only, I wish his little feet would sleep and not kick out so much.

Dinner with the Men

                                                                                                                                                                          

John & Mark invited us to join them for dinner this evening.  They made an amazing meal and even indulged us with sweet tea (and wine and whiskey - but not together).

After dinner we taught them our new favorite game, Dominion.  All our poor friends have been subjected to it lately.  Edmund was a big hit, and their house-mate's dog liked him enough to eat his little shoe.  We put the dog on the porch and did not feel at all sorry for it.

Sunday Afternoon

Play Group

Cheerful

Praying for Grandma

She is in Colombia on her annual missions trip. This pouch with embroidered parrot came to us from one of her previous trips. We have it hanging at the diaper changing station, so we see it and remember to pray for her quite a few times each day.

A Fire Station and Other New Toys

Some friends from church gave us a batch of toys for Edmund.  Most notably is the wooden Fire Station and Truck.  It is like a doll house, but since he is man child we cannot call it that.  My brothers would never let me call their little men "dolls", though they regularly dated my Barbies (they also regularly kidnapped and tortured my Barbies).  There are four ethnically and gender sensitive fire fighters, and an array of furniture and fixtures.  

Edmund was fascinated by the new toys and I am sure will have many happy hours ahead of him.  I plan to make up some bedding for the bunks on the top floor of the station, and I may try to find some miniature gear to add for the lockers and tables when he is past the choking hazard stage.

There were some dress up clothes in the cache.  Being parents we only have a little imagination, but we could not resist trying on Edmund's new hats.

Canopy

Holding onto the canopy or the handle of the carrier has become a new pastime for our small traveler.  We think that means he will want to take the world by the reigns.  Right now, this is what he can reach.

This beautiful chair cover was made for us by Miss Marcy, from material from Mr. and Mrs. R.  This is the chair that my parents used to rock me some number of years ago.  It was old even then, coming down in the family from a great-uncle of my mother.  Needless to say, the fabric exterior needed to be updated rather badly.  We are very blessed by such talented and generous friends.

Laundry Helper

I think he munches more than he folds, but he is a cheerful companion!

Watching Downton

I am addicted to Downton Abbey.  If you don't know what it is then get yourself over to PBS online and watch Season 1 right away.  Then you can catch up on Season 2 which is being released this winter.

Bonnie has been having us poor TV-less people over on Sunday evenings to watch with her. Otherwise, we would have to wait until Mondays to find out what happens to all our favorite characters.

Winter Snow

 We got a bit of snow today.  Thankfully, it came on a weekend (we know what a weekend is at our house, being middle class and all).  Snow fell and then we had a light ice crust on top.  It was not hard work and took barely an hour to get the driveway clear.  Have we mentioned how much we love our garage?  Not having to clean off cars is a boon on cold mornings.    

Edmund and Jonathan played in the snow for a bit and then into the pack went the boy so the parents could finish the shoveling.

The Small Man was not content to watch his father's back muscles do all the work, he wanted to see the snow for himself.  So, we switched him to the front and he was much happier.

Eat your veggies

So you can grow big and strong like me!
(Trying green beans for the first time)

Hi Y'all

Aren't I cute?

Camelbak Boy

Bright pink, soft cap, filled with water.  My camelbak is one of the best baby toys out there.  Edmund has not yet been able to work the cap to get water out of it, and I am not inclined to teach him since it combines biting and sucking.  Perhaps that is self-serving, or maybe I should say, self-preserving.  Either way, he will have to sort that one out for himself.

Bathing is better than scrubbing

Edmund does not like to have his face washed after meals.  Sometimes, there is so much of the meal on his face that a bath seems like a better option.  Since he does not object to baths it is much more fun (and time consuming) than simply washing up.  He can almost sit by himself and loves his boats.  As of now he has not figured out how to use the boats for squirting.  But that will come all too soon I am sure.

Sound Effects

Edmund has started with sound effects.  He blows raspberries when he holds a truck.  But he only makes noise when the truck is moving.  When the truck stops moving then the noise (and spit) stops too!  How do boys know these things?

Little Drummer Boy

New member of the praise team

Party Time

Clearing out old Bio notes

"I think teaching, the best teaching, teaches you to learn."

"I think everyone is born with intellectual curiosity, you only loose it when you go to school."

"The activation energy to transform matter into energy is very high, thankfully."
(On why the universe will last a long time, and why people don't spontaneously combust)

~Dr. Gruenke

Dad's Extra Hands

Eating Papa's Favoriate Veggies

1. Peas!

Sleeping with a Pup

There is nothing like snuggling with your dog to make you sleep well.

Unconditional love is just peaceful like that. 

Also,being cute does not hurt.

Hittin' Up the Bottle

This will make the night better!

Hopefully, we will all sleep well.

Hostage

Get me out of this bed or the Piglet goes over the rails!

Econ Exam I Fall 2002

And of exams, do your work only; do not lean to the one side to the other, or cast your eyes on the exams of others.  I say again to, do not do it.  if you deceive by such false actions, you will fall into iniquity.  And I will know, and your grade will be reduced to zero, and you will be cut off from your people. 

-Dr. Brandley 

(It is amazing what professors put on exams, and also what you find when you are cleaning out the office in your house.)

Collecting Ornaments

We finally took the tree down and put the Christmas stuff away.

Where is my dinner?

   Edmund definitely knows his own mind!

Not Sure

Would you ask that question again?

Waiting for Church to Start

First Donut

We enjoyed our first trip to Dunkin Donuts with Edmund.  He devoured his Old Fashioned donut.  About a quarter of it ended up all over me, the floor, the table, and Edmund.  The rest was eaten.  He was a very happy little fellow.

Thanks to Aunt Jenn for the picture!

Train

The Jumping Sleeper

Bath Boats

My New Year's Resolution

Get as messy as possible!
Also, eat my weight in banana muffins!

Happy New Year!