Mon - December 4, 2006
Marcia Brady Hair
Dana has gorgeous hair. The kind of hair my
friends and I used to refer to as "Marcia-Brady-Hair." It's long and blondish
and silky and shiny and perfectly straight. Even when it is tangled, it doesn't
look tangled. She looks like a walking shampoo
commercial.
She appears to have acquired the genes for this hair from my mother's side of the family (many women with beautiful hair over there.) It also appears to be a generation-skipping-gene, seeing that I have somehow ended up with Bobby-Brady-Hair. (coarse and neither straight nor curly and always tangled.)
So, when Dana came home from school last week and announced that she was going to donate her hair to Locks of Love, one can perhaps maybe understand that my first reaction was "Are you sure????" Me, if I had Marcia-Brady-Hair, I think I would keep it all to myself. I'm not sure I'd share it with anyone. I've wanted hair like that my whole life.
So she showed me the website. And being the sap I am, I started crying, and hugged her tightly and told her it was a fantastic thing to do. She needs a 10 inch pony tail. Right now, she is at about 8 1/2 inches. We measure regularly.
One of the older students at Dana's school donated her hair, which is how Dana found out about the program. I ran into this young girl last night at the grocery store with her father. She had the cutest little pixie cut peeking out from under her winter hat. I thanked her for being the inspiration for us.
So, soon we'll be saying good-bye to the Marcia-Brady-Hair - but I'm prouder than ever of the Dana-Nelson-Heart.
She appears to have acquired the genes for this hair from my mother's side of the family (many women with beautiful hair over there.) It also appears to be a generation-skipping-gene, seeing that I have somehow ended up with Bobby-Brady-Hair. (coarse and neither straight nor curly and always tangled.)
So, when Dana came home from school last week and announced that she was going to donate her hair to Locks of Love, one can perhaps maybe understand that my first reaction was "Are you sure????" Me, if I had Marcia-Brady-Hair, I think I would keep it all to myself. I'm not sure I'd share it with anyone. I've wanted hair like that my whole life.
So she showed me the website. And being the sap I am, I started crying, and hugged her tightly and told her it was a fantastic thing to do. She needs a 10 inch pony tail. Right now, she is at about 8 1/2 inches. We measure regularly.
One of the older students at Dana's school donated her hair, which is how Dana found out about the program. I ran into this young girl last night at the grocery store with her father. She had the cutest little pixie cut peeking out from under her winter hat. I thanked her for being the inspiration for us.
So, soon we'll be saying good-bye to the Marcia-Brady-Hair - but I'm prouder than ever of the Dana-Nelson-Heart.
Posted at 09:10 PM
Sun - September 3, 2006
Big Day
Big day
today.
First, Davis decided to take his training wheels off his bike. He's wanted to do it for a while, but I had him convinced that you had to be FOUR to take your training wheels off. Lucky for him, his father and grandfather hadn't heard of that rule, so off they came today. Three weeks short of four.
I couldn't believe it - he could ride his bike. Certainly he had more crashes than his sister did, but he was riding. Wow.
Then, we had 50 people over for dinner tonight. Normally, you'd need to take any number like that from me and divide it by 2, or even 3. I have a slight tendency to exaggerate. But my parents are here this weekend, and they can confirm that I did, in fact, invite 50 people over for dinner tonight. And they all came.
In my defense, it was sort-of a pot-luck - so plenty of people brought a dessert or a side dish or beer. And really, who knew that so many people would stay home on Labor Day weekend? I assumed that most would go out of town and we'd have about 20 over. So, we decided to hold a big "back to school" party tonight.
Isn't that why the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a law prohibiting school to start before September 1? So that more people would go out of town on Labor Day weekend and keep our tourism business alive and happy. Not our crowd, evidently.
But it went well. Everyone had enough to eat and drink. (Mostly thanks to my mom, who made the most amazing chili....and my dad who bought all the beer.) It didn't start to rain until the end of the party, so we could do a good portion of the entertaining outside. (We do not have a large house.) And the house was *not* destroyed. (Did I mention that 29 of the people were 5, 6 & 7 year olds?)
All-in-all, a big day. Only two more days until First Grade. Unbelievable.
First, Davis decided to take his training wheels off his bike. He's wanted to do it for a while, but I had him convinced that you had to be FOUR to take your training wheels off. Lucky for him, his father and grandfather hadn't heard of that rule, so off they came today. Three weeks short of four.
I couldn't believe it - he could ride his bike. Certainly he had more crashes than his sister did, but he was riding. Wow.
Then, we had 50 people over for dinner tonight. Normally, you'd need to take any number like that from me and divide it by 2, or even 3. I have a slight tendency to exaggerate. But my parents are here this weekend, and they can confirm that I did, in fact, invite 50 people over for dinner tonight. And they all came.
In my defense, it was sort-of a pot-luck - so plenty of people brought a dessert or a side dish or beer. And really, who knew that so many people would stay home on Labor Day weekend? I assumed that most would go out of town and we'd have about 20 over. So, we decided to hold a big "back to school" party tonight.
Isn't that why the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a law prohibiting school to start before September 1? So that more people would go out of town on Labor Day weekend and keep our tourism business alive and happy. Not our crowd, evidently.
But it went well. Everyone had enough to eat and drink. (Mostly thanks to my mom, who made the most amazing chili....and my dad who bought all the beer.) It didn't start to rain until the end of the party, so we could do a good portion of the entertaining outside. (We do not have a large house.) And the house was *not* destroyed. (Did I mention that 29 of the people were 5, 6 & 7 year olds?)
All-in-all, a big day. Only two more days until First Grade. Unbelievable.
Posted at 10:08 PM
Tue - August 29, 2006
The good, the bad, and the ugly
The
good:
When Davis was born, I felt a tiny pang of sadness for Dana. She'd never get to have a sister. I struck gold in the sister department, and it saddened me that she wouldn't get to have that experience.
But somehow, someway, it appears that having a brother is pretty cool too. Most days, the kids get along so well that it scares me. This can't last forever. Today, they were apart for the very first day since June 9 (when school got out.) They've been together all summer long - almost every minute of the entire summer. They did nothing apart. Swimming lessons? together. Neighborhood camp? together. Playdates? together.
But today, they had to be at different childcare arrangements. (long story - the school-age program at the church preschool shuts down for the week before school.) You would have thought the world ended.
Davis wailed and wailed all morning. "I want to be with someone who loves me. I want Dana." over and over and over again. He also would have accepted going to work with either Douglas or I, but was most upset about facing a day without Dana.
The babysitter who watched Dana reported that she spent most of the morning crying. Why? "Because I miss Davis" was the reply.
The bad:
4th D. moves tomorrow. tomorrow!!!!! I'm in denial. I'm taking her out to lunch and for back-to-school shopping tomorrow morning. And then she leaves tomorrow afternoon. sigh.
The ugly:
This is my kid's gymnastic teacher:
http://www.channel3000.com/news/9758151/detail.html
Ickity, ick, ick, ick.
He seemed like such a wholesome and nice man. I swear! My children adore him.
The kids are supposed to start gymnastics again on Saturday (together, of course.) I wonder if they will even be able to keep the program going? Obviously the other teachers are not implicated in this...but he owns the place. Ick.
When Davis was born, I felt a tiny pang of sadness for Dana. She'd never get to have a sister. I struck gold in the sister department, and it saddened me that she wouldn't get to have that experience.
But somehow, someway, it appears that having a brother is pretty cool too. Most days, the kids get along so well that it scares me. This can't last forever. Today, they were apart for the very first day since June 9 (when school got out.) They've been together all summer long - almost every minute of the entire summer. They did nothing apart. Swimming lessons? together. Neighborhood camp? together. Playdates? together.
But today, they had to be at different childcare arrangements. (long story - the school-age program at the church preschool shuts down for the week before school.) You would have thought the world ended.
Davis wailed and wailed all morning. "I want to be with someone who loves me. I want Dana." over and over and over again. He also would have accepted going to work with either Douglas or I, but was most upset about facing a day without Dana.
The babysitter who watched Dana reported that she spent most of the morning crying. Why? "Because I miss Davis" was the reply.
The bad:
4th D. moves tomorrow. tomorrow!!!!! I'm in denial. I'm taking her out to lunch and for back-to-school shopping tomorrow morning. And then she leaves tomorrow afternoon. sigh.
The ugly:
This is my kid's gymnastic teacher:
http://www.channel3000.com/news/9758151/detail.html
Ickity, ick, ick, ick.
He seemed like such a wholesome and nice man. I swear! My children adore him.
The kids are supposed to start gymnastics again on Saturday (together, of course.) I wonder if they will even be able to keep the program going? Obviously the other teachers are not implicated in this...but he owns the place. Ick.
Posted at 09:15 PM
Fri - July 28, 2006
Good thing we live on a hill
This was downtown Madison yesterday. Lots and lots of rain.
But we are getting out of this hot, muggy place for the weekend to go to DC. (wait, that's another hot muggy place, isn't it?) But at least they are used to it! Out here, everyone acts like a few 90+ days are the end of the world....Me, I love them. I just want to yell, "People - it will be 20 below in 5 short months! Enjoy the fact that you don't have to put 17 layer of clothing on!"
Posted at 06:11 AM
Wed - July 26, 2006
Snip Snip
Andrea shared this
link:
http://www.therandommuse.com/trm/2006/04/snip_snip_snip.html
I have no idea why it struck me as so hilarious. But I was laughing so hard I was crying. Someone should do that for all those strange little educational booklets we've been handed throughout the years...
http://www.therandommuse.com/trm/2006/04/snip_snip_snip.html
I have no idea why it struck me as so hilarious. But I was laughing so hard I was crying. Someone should do that for all those strange little educational booklets we've been handed throughout the years...
Posted at 08:50 PM
Tue - July 25, 2006
SnuggleBug
Davis has requested that I call him "SnuggleBug."
Seriously, he made this request. Who ever heard of a child making up his own
nickname? Does this mean that I don't get to call him "pumpkin" or "champ" or
whatever else my tired brain could come up
with?
I suspect it has something to do with the fact that every other sentence out of his mouth is "snuggle me, mama" Again, not kidding.
Davis and I are both early risers. Most mornings, he comes and gets me at the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m. and I go into his bed for some quality morning snuggles.
If he happens to wake up after I leave for my morning run, he has a colossal fit and demands that I change back into my pajamas to get back into bed and snuggle him. (I do not do this - but it does not stop him from demanding.)
His incessant need for "snuggles" has even caused a redecoration of our house. We brought the 2nd queen size bed up from the basement guest room and put it in his room. I could no longer snuggle in a twin. Especially when Doug was out of town and the snuggling demands went up by a multiple of 10.
If I sit down, he immediately jumps in my lap. If I stand up, he runs to me and says "uppy, mama, uppy." (baby-talk and all.) He's almost 4! When Dana was his age, she was lucky if she got picked up once a month. (There was a newborn to deal with and all...)
This weekend, he was on my lap (surprise!) as I was reading the paper. I read the cover story of the NYTimes magazine:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23welfare.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
For some reason, this one hit me hard. I was crying so hard I was having to choke back sobs. It's all so unnecessary - no one wins. Not the children, not the mother, not the agency. The saddest part to me is how preventable it could be. If only we could get more people involved. The 4th D and I have been matched up for 10 years now through the Big Sisters Program. I'm on a one-woman crusade to get every single person I know involved in a hands-on mentoring program. There are so many good ones out there and they are desperate for committed volunteers. You can't change the world - but you can make an enormous difference in the world of one person. Not to mention the tremendous effect that one person will have on you. I shudder to think of how shallow and self-centered my world would be without the 4th D. (I have those tendencies, you see.)
OK, off my soapbox. She turns 16 in a month. When we met, she was 6. For some reason the 16th birthday has turned me a bit emotional. Where did the time go? I'm so very proud of her - she's grown up to be a remarkable young woman. But just yesterday, she was 6. I swear it was yesterday.
Anyway, as I was reading the NYTimes article and choking back the tears, Davis turned to me and said, "Mama, I think you need a snuggle now."
That's my SnuggleBug.
I suspect it has something to do with the fact that every other sentence out of his mouth is "snuggle me, mama" Again, not kidding.
Davis and I are both early risers. Most mornings, he comes and gets me at the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m. and I go into his bed for some quality morning snuggles.
If he happens to wake up after I leave for my morning run, he has a colossal fit and demands that I change back into my pajamas to get back into bed and snuggle him. (I do not do this - but it does not stop him from demanding.)
His incessant need for "snuggles" has even caused a redecoration of our house. We brought the 2nd queen size bed up from the basement guest room and put it in his room. I could no longer snuggle in a twin. Especially when Doug was out of town and the snuggling demands went up by a multiple of 10.
If I sit down, he immediately jumps in my lap. If I stand up, he runs to me and says "uppy, mama, uppy." (baby-talk and all.) He's almost 4! When Dana was his age, she was lucky if she got picked up once a month. (There was a newborn to deal with and all...)
This weekend, he was on my lap (surprise!) as I was reading the paper. I read the cover story of the NYTimes magazine:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23welfare.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
For some reason, this one hit me hard. I was crying so hard I was having to choke back sobs. It's all so unnecessary - no one wins. Not the children, not the mother, not the agency. The saddest part to me is how preventable it could be. If only we could get more people involved. The 4th D and I have been matched up for 10 years now through the Big Sisters Program. I'm on a one-woman crusade to get every single person I know involved in a hands-on mentoring program. There are so many good ones out there and they are desperate for committed volunteers. You can't change the world - but you can make an enormous difference in the world of one person. Not to mention the tremendous effect that one person will have on you. I shudder to think of how shallow and self-centered my world would be without the 4th D. (I have those tendencies, you see.)
OK, off my soapbox. She turns 16 in a month. When we met, she was 6. For some reason the 16th birthday has turned me a bit emotional. Where did the time go? I'm so very proud of her - she's grown up to be a remarkable young woman. But just yesterday, she was 6. I swear it was yesterday.
Anyway, as I was reading the NYTimes article and choking back the tears, Davis turned to me and said, "Mama, I think you need a snuggle now."
That's my SnuggleBug.
Posted at 09:30 PM
Wed - July 19, 2006
Stitches!
I went to the Doctor yesterday afternoon on my
way to pick up the kids. I had a weird mole on my shoulder and figured I should
get it checked out. I figured he would say, "Don't worry so much, you crazy
hypochondriac, go home."
But no, the Doc took one look and said, "that's coming out immediately" and ran to get his razor-sharp instruments. A few cuts later, and it was out.
The cool thing is that I have stitches. I'm not sure I've ever had stitches before. I keep looking at them. I go back next week to get them out and to check the rest of my body for evil moles.
At least this gives me more ammo for the daily sunscreen-application-battle. "Put your sunscreen on or you'll get an evil mutating mole like Mommy had!"
But no, the Doc took one look and said, "that's coming out immediately" and ran to get his razor-sharp instruments. A few cuts later, and it was out.
The cool thing is that I have stitches. I'm not sure I've ever had stitches before. I keep looking at them. I go back next week to get them out and to check the rest of my body for evil moles.
At least this gives me more ammo for the daily sunscreen-application-battle. "Put your sunscreen on or you'll get an evil mutating mole like Mommy had!"
Posted at 07:41 AM
Mon - July 3, 2006
Bop to the Top and Get your Head in the Game.
I now know every word to every song and every
dance move in "High School Musical."
We've bought the soundtrack.
We've downloaded the videos.
So far, we've only rented the DVD...but I see that purchase in our near future as well.
Why?
Dana is obsessed. She heard about the made-for-TV Disney movie from one of the second grade girls on the bus, and asked if we could watch it. I dutifully added it to the netflix que. Weeks ago. And last week, it arrived. And we watched. And an obsession was born.
Think "Grease" but marketed to the pre-teen crowd. No swearing, no sex (no kissing, even), completely G rated. Popular jock meets beautiful but shy brain. "Hey, let's put on a musical!" And so it goes....
For me, it was Shaun Cassidy. For Dana - Troy and Gabriella.
30 years later....and the music isn't any better. I still can't get it out of my head. (or my car, or my living room, or my computer.)
Dah Do Ron Ron, anyone? or perhaps another round of "We're all in this together...."
We've bought the soundtrack.
We've downloaded the videos.
So far, we've only rented the DVD...but I see that purchase in our near future as well.
Why?
Dana is obsessed. She heard about the made-for-TV Disney movie from one of the second grade girls on the bus, and asked if we could watch it. I dutifully added it to the netflix que. Weeks ago. And last week, it arrived. And we watched. And an obsession was born.
Think "Grease" but marketed to the pre-teen crowd. No swearing, no sex (no kissing, even), completely G rated. Popular jock meets beautiful but shy brain. "Hey, let's put on a musical!" And so it goes....
For me, it was Shaun Cassidy. For Dana - Troy and Gabriella.
30 years later....and the music isn't any better. I still can't get it out of my head. (or my car, or my living room, or my computer.)
Dah Do Ron Ron, anyone? or perhaps another round of "We're all in this together...."
Posted at 09:28 PM
Thu - June 8, 2006
Wonk'ed
What could possibly be more exciting for a
political junkie? That her father testified for the
Senate?
http://www.senate.gov/~govt-aff/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=362
(He's at hour 2:25ish...it was a loooong hearing.)
Or that said event made in into Wonkette ?
I don't really know what GreenPeace was doing at a Senate Committee Hearing on Homeland Security, or what they were doing giving out sneakers but they are funny pictures.
Somehow, Dad managed to give me a complete run down of the event without once mentioning the sneakers. Fathers. They completely miss the footwear aspect, always.
In the questioning section at the end, Senator Warner said that we were fortunate to have people of his "capacity and intellect" in this field serving the country. (Of course, Senator Warner voted for a constitutional amendment ban to gay marriage yesterday, so one could question his judgement, in general.)
And has anyone else noticed the physical similarities between Chertoff and Casper the Ghost? Scary.
http://www.senate.gov/~govt-aff/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=362
(He's at hour 2:25ish...it was a loooong hearing.)
Or that said event made in into Wonkette ?
I don't really know what GreenPeace was doing at a Senate Committee Hearing on Homeland Security, or what they were doing giving out sneakers but they are funny pictures.
Somehow, Dad managed to give me a complete run down of the event without once mentioning the sneakers. Fathers. They completely miss the footwear aspect, always.
In the questioning section at the end, Senator Warner said that we were fortunate to have people of his "capacity and intellect" in this field serving the country. (Of course, Senator Warner voted for a constitutional amendment ban to gay marriage yesterday, so one could question his judgement, in general.)
And has anyone else noticed the physical similarities between Chertoff and Casper the Ghost? Scary.
Posted at 08:41 PM
Tue - June 6, 2006
We just can't keep our opinions to ourselves
NYTimes printed my silly letter
here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/science/06letters.html
(Please note that the original 400+ word version was much better. Or more long winded. Depending.)
And tune in on Thursday morning to watch my dad take on Chertoff:
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=362
That one ought to be good. I still remember the day my dad caught the 12-year-old me smoking (my first and last cigarette.) If he can channel even one tenth of that diatribe of acrimonious disappointment, then Chertoff is in deep trouble, indeed.
I wonder if I can get TiVO to record C-SPAN? The inner 12-year-old in me would find great joy in watching that.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/science/06letters.html
(Please note that the original 400+ word version was much better. Or more long winded. Depending.)
And tune in on Thursday morning to watch my dad take on Chertoff:
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=362
That one ought to be good. I still remember the day my dad caught the 12-year-old me smoking (my first and last cigarette.) If he can channel even one tenth of that diatribe of acrimonious disappointment, then Chertoff is in deep trouble, indeed.
I wonder if I can get TiVO to record C-SPAN? The inner 12-year-old in me would find great joy in watching that.
Posted at 01:00 PM
Sun - May 21, 2006
random weekend moments
Dana's "half birthday" was Saturday. We did not
know about the existence of half birthdays until Dana met a neighbor in
Kindergarten who celebrates them...she brought the idea home and declared that
henceforth, half birthdays would be a
Nelson Family
Tradition.
She didn't want a half-cake. She wanted Rhubarb Bread. Our CSA box has started and this week it was chock full 'o fresh rhubarb. I can't imagine a child who would chose rhubarb over cake. Did she not inherit my sweet tooth?
Davis continued his church trend. The last 4 times we have gone to church, a total stranger has approached us after the service to ask, "Is he always that cuddly?" (well, sometimes they say, "Snuggly").
Every week, I attempt to place him in his appropriate Sunday School class, down the hall from Dana's. And every week, he replies, "No mama, I want to snuggle with you at church." So back we go. He takes out "lambie " (a stuffed animal-blanket hybrid thing my dad gave him that Davis will not let out of his sight under any circumstance. It goes to preschool...it goes in the car....it goes to church....) and he sits on my lap and puts his arms around me and lays his head on my chest, right under my neck. And stays there for the next hour.
Dana has always preferred Sunday School over sitting with me in "boring" church. (Friends! Veggie-tales videos! Computer games about Jesus! Snacks!) But not Davis.
And, god help us if we ever lose Lambie. I tried to buy another one - a back-up Lambie. But he can tell the difference. He calls the one my dad got him, "soft Lambie" and the one I got him has been christened "bumpy Lambie." And Bumpy Lambie does not suffice, ever.
Doug has started us on our World Cup Soccer viewing training. We went to a live soccer game yesterday...then watched some TV MLS soccer last night. And today, of course, we played soccer.
Davis will soon be the only 3 1/2 year old boy in all of Wisconsin who can name more of the World Cup team than the Green Bay Packer team. He wears his soccer shirt and shin guards constantly (Davis, not Doug). He has asked us to call him by his number, not his name. Depending on the shirt he is wearing, he is now "16" or "23" or "38" or "the son formally known as Davis."
Yes, I'm the mother in the mini-van yelling "let's go 23" to the little boy in shin guards, clinging to a lamb.
She didn't want a half-cake. She wanted Rhubarb Bread. Our CSA box has started and this week it was chock full 'o fresh rhubarb. I can't imagine a child who would chose rhubarb over cake. Did she not inherit my sweet tooth?
Davis continued his church trend. The last 4 times we have gone to church, a total stranger has approached us after the service to ask, "Is he always that cuddly?" (well, sometimes they say, "Snuggly").
Every week, I attempt to place him in his appropriate Sunday School class, down the hall from Dana's. And every week, he replies, "No mama, I want to snuggle with you at church." So back we go. He takes out "lambie " (a stuffed animal-blanket hybrid thing my dad gave him that Davis will not let out of his sight under any circumstance. It goes to preschool...it goes in the car....it goes to church....) and he sits on my lap and puts his arms around me and lays his head on my chest, right under my neck. And stays there for the next hour.
Dana has always preferred Sunday School over sitting with me in "boring" church. (Friends! Veggie-tales videos! Computer games about Jesus! Snacks!) But not Davis.
And, god help us if we ever lose Lambie. I tried to buy another one - a back-up Lambie. But he can tell the difference. He calls the one my dad got him, "soft Lambie" and the one I got him has been christened "bumpy Lambie." And Bumpy Lambie does not suffice, ever.
Doug has started us on our World Cup Soccer viewing training. We went to a live soccer game yesterday...then watched some TV MLS soccer last night. And today, of course, we played soccer.
Davis will soon be the only 3 1/2 year old boy in all of Wisconsin who can name more of the World Cup team than the Green Bay Packer team. He wears his soccer shirt and shin guards constantly (Davis, not Doug). He has asked us to call him by his number, not his name. Depending on the shirt he is wearing, he is now "16" or "23" or "38" or "the son formally known as Davis."
Yes, I'm the mother in the mini-van yelling "let's go 23" to the little boy in shin guards, clinging to a lamb.
Posted at 08:33 PM
Sat - April 1, 2006
It's gonna be a loooong day
Evidently, it is at the age of 6 1/2 when you
fully grasp the concept of April Fools Day. It is only 8 am, and I've already
had seventeen "Mama! there is a spider on your head" proclamations.
Poor Davis is trying hard to keep up. But he doesn't quite have a grasp on the subtlety of a lie that people might actually fall for. His latest attempt: "Mama! The pond is full of Kiwi!"
There are no ponds nearby and we haven't had Kiwi in months. Poor guy. But for his sake, I pretended to be very concerned about the Kiwi infested pond.
Poor Davis is trying hard to keep up. But he doesn't quite have a grasp on the subtlety of a lie that people might actually fall for. His latest attempt: "Mama! The pond is full of Kiwi!"
There are no ponds nearby and we haven't had Kiwi in months. Poor guy. But for his sake, I pretended to be very concerned about the Kiwi infested pond.
Posted at 08:08 AM
Tue - February 14, 2006
Back to the mundane
My friend's daughter is fine - 7 1/2 hours of
surgery and they think they got it all out. They aren't sure of all the side
affects of having a brain tumor that will emerge, but for now, she is fine. She
made it through the surgery. Phew. I think I checked my email every 2 minutes
all day long. Thanks for the prayers.
Everything else is plugging along just fine. The school Silent Auction was great - we raised much more money than we expected and it was very fun. Tons of people were there to help and it was a successful event. Valentine's day was fantastic. It was an unseasonable 52 degrees and sunny here so the whole family spent the afternoon at the park. I managed to send the M&Ms/lollipops/fruit punch to the public school Kindergarten and the homemade organic stuff to the cooperative preschool.
Really, today nothing much matters other than the fact that the kids are both healthy and my friend's daughter made it through the day alive and well.
The world isn't such a sad place, after all - sometimes.
Everything else is plugging along just fine. The school Silent Auction was great - we raised much more money than we expected and it was very fun. Tons of people were there to help and it was a successful event. Valentine's day was fantastic. It was an unseasonable 52 degrees and sunny here so the whole family spent the afternoon at the park. I managed to send the M&Ms/lollipops/fruit punch to the public school Kindergarten and the homemade organic stuff to the cooperative preschool.
Really, today nothing much matters other than the fact that the kids are both healthy and my friend's daughter made it through the day alive and well.
The world isn't such a sad place, after all - sometimes.
Posted at 08:31 PM
Sat - January 28, 2006
long week
Highlights of the week include: vomit, coughs,
more vomit, runny noses and finally, more
vomit.
Yes, minor illness hit everyone this week chez Nelson. But everyone seems to be on the mend now.
Lots going on in the political arena this week.
Note to the Democratic Party: Please, please, please stop sending me emails about Alito. You may not have noticed, but we lost the election. The guy who won gets to pick the nominee. When he picks someone absolutely incompetent, a la Harriet, I'm more than happy to stand up and protest. But when he picks someone reasonably qualified....well, then, it really doesn't matter whether or not I agree with his political views. You win - you pick. If we want to fill the Supreme Court with better nominees, then we need to win an election. (i.e. ship Hillary somewhere far, far, far away....but that's another post.)
Note to the President: I hear that you are going to talk a lot about "thrift" in the State of the Union. You are going to tell us that we need to spend less and save more. It's going to take every ounce of my self restraint not to burst into laughter (or more likely, tears.) It seems to me that you've spent more than any post-war president. According to Newsweek, spending has gone up over 20% under your first term, and it looks like it will go up a total of 30% over your 8 years in office. Can we have your Father back? Just for the next 2 years? When he realized that the budget deficit was going out of control, he raised taxes. (I think he cut spending too, but I'd have to check on that.) His own party criticized him terribly for the tax increase. But you - you want to cut taxes and raise spending. I don't see how that fiscal policy will result in anything but a spiraling budget deficit.
Note to the Independent Party: Isn't there anyway to get John McCain (or anyone else with any sane approach to fiscal policy) to run an independent campaign? There are more of us fiscal conservatives out here than you think, on both sides of the party lines.
Don't even get me started on the elections and Hamas. Things are about to get even more complicated over there. Now that I think about it, why in the world would anyone even want to be President of the US in 2008?
Yes, minor illness hit everyone this week chez Nelson. But everyone seems to be on the mend now.
Lots going on in the political arena this week.
Note to the Democratic Party: Please, please, please stop sending me emails about Alito. You may not have noticed, but we lost the election. The guy who won gets to pick the nominee. When he picks someone absolutely incompetent, a la Harriet, I'm more than happy to stand up and protest. But when he picks someone reasonably qualified....well, then, it really doesn't matter whether or not I agree with his political views. You win - you pick. If we want to fill the Supreme Court with better nominees, then we need to win an election. (i.e. ship Hillary somewhere far, far, far away....but that's another post.)
Note to the President: I hear that you are going to talk a lot about "thrift" in the State of the Union. You are going to tell us that we need to spend less and save more. It's going to take every ounce of my self restraint not to burst into laughter (or more likely, tears.) It seems to me that you've spent more than any post-war president. According to Newsweek, spending has gone up over 20% under your first term, and it looks like it will go up a total of 30% over your 8 years in office. Can we have your Father back? Just for the next 2 years? When he realized that the budget deficit was going out of control, he raised taxes. (I think he cut spending too, but I'd have to check on that.) His own party criticized him terribly for the tax increase. But you - you want to cut taxes and raise spending. I don't see how that fiscal policy will result in anything but a spiraling budget deficit.
Note to the Independent Party: Isn't there anyway to get John McCain (or anyone else with any sane approach to fiscal policy) to run an independent campaign? There are more of us fiscal conservatives out here than you think, on both sides of the party lines.
Don't even get me started on the elections and Hamas. Things are about to get even more complicated over there. Now that I think about it, why in the world would anyone even want to be President of the US in 2008?
Posted at 12:17 PM
Thu - December 22, 2005
Oh, the Irony
I snuck over to the store to get a math workbook
for Dana. If it's the only thing she asked for, I'm going to supply
it.
The only one they had left? - a BARBIE math workbook.
Barbie? Math?
Yes. I can see the Marketing Meeting at Mattel now: "Parents are criticizing the doll we produce that says 'Math is Hard.' - we need to come up with Barbie math accessories immediately!"
(And yet, I bought it. )
The only one they had left? - a BARBIE math workbook.
Barbie? Math?
Yes. I can see the Marketing Meeting at Mattel now: "Parents are criticizing the doll we produce that says 'Math is Hard.' - we need to come up with Barbie math accessories immediately!"
(And yet, I bought it. )
Posted at 12:29 PM
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Published On: Dec 04, 2006 09:10 PM
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Published On: Dec 04, 2006 09:10 PM