Sunday, November 30, 2008

Theme Week: Exotic Instruments

Tonight, at dinner, we were (nerdily) listening to a radio program about Nicola Tesla. At some point, there was a theramin theme song. We asked Fezzik if he knew which instrument it was. Negative. We reminded him that he'd played one once, at the Science Center.

He replied, "Am I supposed to remember every exotic instrument I see?"

Yes, Fezzik, yes you are.

I bring you EXOTIC INSTRUMENT WEEK. Don't forget them, these instruments rule the world.

Day 1: Theramin

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Project Time

It's that time of year again, when thoughts turn to cheap but meaningful gifts. Using up what I already have is a plus, too.

Spoiler alert: it's rather difficult to make soap with Tiny Viking getting into everything these days.

Knitting projects have their appeal. I have tons of yarn (if not tons, maybe pounds), needles, and there are a million free patterns on the interwebs. I enjoy knitting, the design element, the ability to customize a gift to a loved-one's personality. And most people appreciate the time and effort put into it (and non-knitters are sufficiently amazed by my skills), so it pays off. I wonder if it's a bit hokey, though, and if the actual item is appreciated as much as the sentiment, or in equal relation to the efforts I put into creating it.

I just finished a headband for my friend Heidi's (belated) birthday. It only took about an hour and a half to make. Then I came home from her brunch, and swiftly made my friend Jessica one that she can use for a wedding headband, if she wishes. Then, after I finished that one, I started on a hat for Fezzik. I finished the hat this morning. Now it's time to find a pattern and start one for Tiny Viking. This is appealing, I must say, but perhaps a bit too difficult for this time of year. And, well, it is ridiculous.

Lawnboy's ever-more hairless pate is in need of a nice forest green watchcap, too. Yarn has been procured, all that's left is finding the right pattern.

I know I'm crazy, and what's worse is that these are just the ones I could mention; there are a dozen or so more ideas floating in my head, what to make for my friends. We'll see if I get my shit together in time to pull them all off. Don't hold your breath.

Friday, November 21, 2008

The Never-ending Coral Maze

This post is for Brooks and Dave; I hope you already have tickets, dudes:

http://www.phish.com/news/index.php?year=2008#story409

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Timing is Everything

Heh. Right, so the whole family has been running on empty for about a week. I'm exhausted, and I don't know why. I think it's me fighting off the flu (and succeeding, dammit!), but today Lawnboy asked me if I thought I might be, you know, maybe, pregnant?

WHAT THE EFF?! Oh hell no. Lawnboy, have you blocked that trip we took to Dr. Snip? Because even though they weren't my vas deferens, I remember it. Don't get teste with me. (Oh god, I can't believe I just wrote that. It's staying, though. I love puns. Especially dorky ones like "teste.")

Well, this whole post is way more than you needed to know, so I think I'll just keep on going. Here's the deal, the secret behind that question: Dr. Snip told Lawnboy that he doesn't have a green light yet. Something went wrong with that surgery. And he might have to repeat the whole procedure.

If there's one thing that trying to get pregnant for two-and-a-half years taught me, that thing is timing. It's everything. And, since there are only a few live swimmers in any given "deposit" (I'm so sorry, there's no delicate way to put it, and please rest assured I'm blushing right now, prude that I am), we've been mostly careful since his surgery, so the odds are slim to none, so don't get your hopes up.

Although, there's a sick, sick part of me who would really enjoy having another baby in the house. Tiny Viking is not a little baby any more, and holding our friends' baby Sadie last weekend reminded me that I might have agreed to the vasectomy a little too soon. Not that we could afford another child. That's another post in itself, although I'm sure most of you can relate. However, two in daycare almost completely mitigate my salary, so perhaps it's not such a terrible accident after all. Perhaps I'm not hoping I'm fighting the flu. PERHAPS I REALLY AM PREGNANT!

Whoa, is that hormones? Was I just yelling at my audience?!? Time to get an EPT.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Chronic Overachiever

In my endless quest for attention, I've ventured into the world of online craft and vintage crap sales.

Hooray for the internets, and hooray for me!

I need a better camera, obviously, but that will have to wait for a while. Until, you know, we pay off the kitchen remodel. Unless anyone out there has a Canon EOS Rebel they want to get rid of. Anyone? Anyone? Email me & I'll send you our home address...

So, anywhoodle, go here and buy my thing. There are more things to come. But as you know, I'm busy, so please be patient.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

The Shiner




My boys have not yet broken any bones, or required any stitches. Before yesterday, in my 8+ years as a parent, I'd only been to the emergency room once, for pneumonia when Fezzik was about 2.

I'm not a freaker-outer, so there may have been instances in past that could have been borderline E.R. material. But my usual routine is to slap some hydrogen peroxide (or magic bubbles) and a bandage on their owies and call it good.

Yesterday, while I was in a meeting (at the job that pays me to stay there and do stuff), I got a call on my cell phone from Tiny Viking's teacher. I knew it would be bad when I saw the caller ID, because they NEVER chase me down on my cell phone. I excused myself from the meeting and picked up the call, and found out that Tiny Viking had hit his face on a window sill and required my attention. Immediately.

These are the moments in which I'm glad we pay and arm and a leg to have him onsite at my work. I was able to run to his class and get there while he was still crying. He had a cold wash cloth on his face, and whimpered when I reached out for him. I pulled the wash cloth back to see the damage, and I knew that it wasn't great. Head wounds bleed, y'all. A lot.

After I saw that the cut was pretty deep, I decided to err on the side of caution this time, and take him to the hospital. I felt a little silly, because there were no protruding bones or hanging body parts, but still.

Do you know that they super glue now, instead of stitching? It's so cool! They washed it out, and glued his face back together, and all he has is a little owie and a shiner now. Very dangerous, very mysterious. See?

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Victory is Ours!

Oh happy day!

Monday, November 03, 2008

How Not To Parent


The budget doesn't have room in it for studio portraits of the boys in their (ADORABLE! CREATIVE! MOSTLY HOME MADE!) Halloween costumes, but do you think I could take a damn picture with MY OWN CAMERA? Nope.

Not of both of them, anyway.

I did capture the Tiny Viking in all his precocious glory. This was pre-pillage, so he's not all tuckered out in his stroller like he was when we went trick-or-treating. Fezzik did the door-to-door stuff. I figured we didn't need any more candy, and the small one doesn't know he missed out anyway.

By the way, the small one will henceforth be referred to as TINY VIKING. Because it's cute. And he's Swedish. And he dressed up as a Viking. And it's much, much easier to type than "The Amazing So and So."