This girl can't get enough of Bounce Town and it seems like every time we go, she acts a little different. This time she announced "I dump boons!" every time she started jumping. She must have said that 100 during the 1 hour there.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. To give you a taste of how exciting the idea of jumping on balloons is, follow the following steps:
1. Hold only your index finger in an upright position (all other fingers are down) on both hands.
2. Throw your arms straight in front of you.
3. Exclaim "Dump weeeeee!" (dump = jump) at the same time.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with the words "Side weeeeee!" (side = slide)
5. Repeat steps 1-5 with more and more excitement each time you throw your hands in front of you.
6. Repeat.
7. Repeat.
That was Ellie on the car ride to Bounce Town.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Slacking at the home front
Ellie went to daycare without her Bun Bun. You heard that right. No Bun Bun AT ALL. Apparently she went almost an entire week where she never asked for her, not even for nap time. NOT EVEN FOR NAP???? I just can't fathom that!
So we've decided that we're slacking at home. New rules. She can have Bun Bun only in bed. If she wants Bun Bun then she can get into her crib for her. I'm also hoping to start leaving Bun Bun at home so that the rides to and from daycare (short ones) will begin the process of her being used to not having Bun Bun in the car. But I might be optimistic.
Maybe I should take things slow and start with the "no Bun Bun at home unless in the crib" rule. Yeah, I'll do that. I'm too scared to do more.
So we've decided that we're slacking at home. New rules. She can have Bun Bun only in bed. If she wants Bun Bun then she can get into her crib for her. I'm also hoping to start leaving Bun Bun at home so that the rides to and from daycare (short ones) will begin the process of her being used to not having Bun Bun in the car. But I might be optimistic.
Maybe I should take things slow and start with the "no Bun Bun at home unless in the crib" rule. Yeah, I'll do that. I'm too scared to do more.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pin-Up Niffer
Take a look at my pin-up session!Monday, February 23, 2009
Weird dreams
I've been having weird dreams lately, and though I won't share all them them until later, I will mention this one.
Daycare was teaching the little kids to hate Canada. They were being taught that the Canadians were planning on attacking the USA and since we didn't know when that would be, we had to prepare ourselves. The little toddlers were learning how to draw Canadian flags burning in fire. They learned how to rip maple leaves to shreds, but leave the aspen leaves alone. They were even having mock battle scenes where some of the toddlers were wearing berets and the others were wearing US Flag capes.
And how did I find out? Ellie came home saying things like "Go home, nanada geese!" and "Dirty Nanadian rooster sucker." Keep in mind that Canada is bilingual, so this second one really isn't meant to come out of a toddler's mouth.
Weird stuff. Yet it seemed so real at the time.
Daycare was teaching the little kids to hate Canada. They were being taught that the Canadians were planning on attacking the USA and since we didn't know when that would be, we had to prepare ourselves. The little toddlers were learning how to draw Canadian flags burning in fire. They learned how to rip maple leaves to shreds, but leave the aspen leaves alone. They were even having mock battle scenes where some of the toddlers were wearing berets and the others were wearing US Flag capes.
And how did I find out? Ellie came home saying things like "Go home, nanada geese!" and "Dirty Nanadian rooster sucker." Keep in mind that Canada is bilingual, so this second one really isn't meant to come out of a toddler's mouth.
Weird stuff. Yet it seemed so real at the time.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The best sound EVER
Not too long ago we were in a store and Ellie was squealing with delight as she played with Daddy in the aisles. Around the corner comes a guy who looks at Ellie and says, "Did that sound come from her?" At first we were afraid to answer. Surely he was going to tell us to calm her down, right? Wrong. Instead he said, "That's the BEST sound EVER! I remember when my kids were like that."
I hope that years from now when I hear a kid laughing and playing at the store, I will remember to say the same thing. Hopefully I can make some new parents feel just as blessed as we did in that moment.
I hope that years from now when I hear a kid laughing and playing at the store, I will remember to say the same thing. Hopefully I can make some new parents feel just as blessed as we did in that moment.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Zut Alors!
I've been in a bit of a writing funk in the last week. Part of me wants to write so badly, but another of me wants to stop for a while. Weird, I know, because it's not like Ellie has stopped being amazing.
So, here is a story I should have written a week ago...
We went to French class again. We go every week, but last week was different. We were the only ones there. Usually there are a couple other older children and so the teacher's attention is split amongst the kids. But this time, we had her all to ourselves!
Oh la la! Zut alors! Sacre bleu! Ma babe parle francais!
I kid you not, here are just some of the results of last weeks class:
Teacher: Bonjour, Ellie. Comment ca va? (Hi, Ellie. How is it going?)
Ellie: Ca va! (It's going!)
Teacher: Tu es pret pour un chanson? (Are you ready for a song?)
Ellie: Oui! (gets up and starts dancing)
Teacher: Il fait foid aujourd'hui. (it is cold today)
Ellie: Il fait foid jour dui!
Teacher: Ou va le bonnet? (where does the hat go?)
Ellie: Tete! (pointing to her head)
Teacher: Coute avec moi. (count with me)
Ellie: Un... duex... trois... quatre... cinque... six... sept... huit... neuf... dix! (RIGHT ALONG WITH THE TEACHER.... NO DELAY!!!!)
Teacher: Combien de yeux a tu? (how many eyes do you have?)
Ellie: Deux!
Teacher: Combien de nez a tu? (how many noses do you have?)
Ellie: Un!
Teacher: Au revoir, Ellie!
Ellie: Revoir!
Meanwhile Mommy is just about having a heart attack! I try so hard not to brag about her being the most amazing girl ever, but come on... How many 22 month old girls do you know who can count in TWO languages! When did that insanity start? She's been counting everything since, in both English and French... all on her own.
So, here is a story I should have written a week ago...
We went to French class again. We go every week, but last week was different. We were the only ones there. Usually there are a couple other older children and so the teacher's attention is split amongst the kids. But this time, we had her all to ourselves!
Oh la la! Zut alors! Sacre bleu! Ma babe parle francais!
I kid you not, here are just some of the results of last weeks class:
Teacher: Bonjour, Ellie. Comment ca va? (Hi, Ellie. How is it going?)
Ellie: Ca va! (It's going!)
Teacher: Tu es pret pour un chanson? (Are you ready for a song?)
Ellie: Oui! (gets up and starts dancing)
Teacher: Il fait foid aujourd'hui. (it is cold today)
Ellie: Il fait foid jour dui!
Teacher: Ou va le bonnet? (where does the hat go?)
Ellie: Tete! (pointing to her head)
Teacher: Coute avec moi. (count with me)
Ellie: Un... duex... trois... quatre... cinque... six... sept... huit... neuf... dix! (RIGHT ALONG WITH THE TEACHER.... NO DELAY!!!!)
Teacher: Combien de yeux a tu? (how many eyes do you have?)
Ellie: Deux!
Teacher: Combien de nez a tu? (how many noses do you have?)
Ellie: Un!
Teacher: Au revoir, Ellie!
Ellie: Revoir!
Meanwhile Mommy is just about having a heart attack! I try so hard not to brag about her being the most amazing girl ever, but come on... How many 22 month old girls do you know who can count in TWO languages! When did that insanity start? She's been counting everything since, in both English and French... all on her own.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
A giss from Ellie
Whenever someone says "ouch," regardless of whether Ellie is to blame (for accidentally hurting someone) or not, she will come running saying "A giss! A giss!"
Next thing you know, she's planted you a quick kiss to make it better. Keep your eye out for it because it's easily missed. One blink of an eye and you'll wonder what was going on. You also might want to prepare for the approaching Ellie. Sometimes she can do more damage than the original ouch.
But her intentions are good. And sweet.
Next thing you know, she's planted you a quick kiss to make it better. Keep your eye out for it because it's easily missed. One blink of an eye and you'll wonder what was going on. You also might want to prepare for the approaching Ellie. Sometimes she can do more damage than the original ouch.
But her intentions are good. And sweet.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Bounce Town III
Tonight we're going to Bounce Town for the third time, but this time we're going with Ellie's best friend, B___. B___ is adorable and is always excited to see Ellie show up at daycare. She always gives La La a hug and a big smile. It's so nice to see.
But Ellie has become "that child" who teaches the other kids bad (or at least strange) habits. Since she is now a bouncing expert, she has been showing B___ how to jump and land on her butt. Normally I would say this is a bad idea. Don't try it at home. Leave it to the professionals. But Ellie seems to know what she's doing. Maybe it's a combination of them being so close to the ground, and their diapers providing enough padding, but landing on their butts seems to be no issue for them. Mind you, we're talking about the normal ground here.
Apparently B____'s mom has been wondering where she learned that from. B____ has been landing on her butt and practicing for the last few days.
Hehehe... that makes me giggle.
But Ellie has become "that child" who teaches the other kids bad (or at least strange) habits. Since she is now a bouncing expert, she has been showing B___ how to jump and land on her butt. Normally I would say this is a bad idea. Don't try it at home. Leave it to the professionals. But Ellie seems to know what she's doing. Maybe it's a combination of them being so close to the ground, and their diapers providing enough padding, but landing on their butts seems to be no issue for them. Mind you, we're talking about the normal ground here.
Apparently B____'s mom has been wondering where she learned that from. B____ has been landing on her butt and practicing for the last few days.
Hehehe... that makes me giggle.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Ellie visits Great Gapa
And Great Gama too, but who's keeping track?
Ok, so this is a couple weeks old, but I finally ran out of stored-up blog entries.
Ellie, Daddy and Nana went to Green Bay a couple weekends ago to visit Michael's grandparents. It was the second time that they were able to see Ellie.
Apparently, sticking to her reputation she's made with our couple trips, Ellie was quite the trooper. She is a pleasure to travel with and was pretty easy to deal with, even if she was exhausted the whole trip.
They stayed with Great Aunt Pat and Great Uncle Gus. Great Uncle Gus is an adorable old man, who is the definition of fantastic sweet grandpa, and he kept saying "Pat, we've got to get us one of these!" in response to anything that Ellie did.
Great Aunt Pat tried to teach Ellie to say "and smart too" after anyone commented on how cute she was. I think I'm going to carry that on and see if she'll start saying it herself. I think it's cute.
Their dog's name was Kirby, and though Ellie knew that, she apparently kept calling him Mer Mer. Many of our family members think we should change Merlin's name to be Mer Mer. I think it's a cute idea, but I like the name Merlin.
Great Gama played peek-a-boo with Ellie around the couch and enjoyed showing her off during lunch. Apparently Ellie was the hit of the place. I bet it's bitter-sweet for the elderly to see a young child running around.
Great Gapa is really losing it mentally and it's hard to watch. Apparently he would start to say something and words about WWII would come out of his mouth. When Michael said "I love you, Grandpa" he was pretty sure Great Gapa wanted to say that in return, only WWII stories came out instead. It brought tears to both of their eyes. But Great Gapa had to go to the hospital and while the paramedics were strapping him onto the gurney, Ellie kept patting him and saying "S'ok, Gapa. S'ok."
OH MY GOD!!! It's a good thing I wasn't there to see that. I would have just broke down.
When Ellie got back she told me all about her trip, filled with airplanes and trains and Gapas and Gamas and Gus and "Gapa oww-ie" and "Mer Mer ball". I am guessing that over all it was a good trip for everyone, considering the circumstances.
Ok, so this is a couple weeks old, but I finally ran out of stored-up blog entries.
Ellie, Daddy and Nana went to Green Bay a couple weekends ago to visit Michael's grandparents. It was the second time that they were able to see Ellie.
Apparently, sticking to her reputation she's made with our couple trips, Ellie was quite the trooper. She is a pleasure to travel with and was pretty easy to deal with, even if she was exhausted the whole trip.
They stayed with Great Aunt Pat and Great Uncle Gus. Great Uncle Gus is an adorable old man, who is the definition of fantastic sweet grandpa, and he kept saying "Pat, we've got to get us one of these!" in response to anything that Ellie did.
Great Aunt Pat tried to teach Ellie to say "and smart too" after anyone commented on how cute she was. I think I'm going to carry that on and see if she'll start saying it herself. I think it's cute.
Their dog's name was Kirby, and though Ellie knew that, she apparently kept calling him Mer Mer. Many of our family members think we should change Merlin's name to be Mer Mer. I think it's a cute idea, but I like the name Merlin.
Great Gama played peek-a-boo with Ellie around the couch and enjoyed showing her off during lunch. Apparently Ellie was the hit of the place. I bet it's bitter-sweet for the elderly to see a young child running around.
Great Gapa is really losing it mentally and it's hard to watch. Apparently he would start to say something and words about WWII would come out of his mouth. When Michael said "I love you, Grandpa" he was pretty sure Great Gapa wanted to say that in return, only WWII stories came out instead. It brought tears to both of their eyes. But Great Gapa had to go to the hospital and while the paramedics were strapping him onto the gurney, Ellie kept patting him and saying "S'ok, Gapa. S'ok."
OH MY GOD!!! It's a good thing I wasn't there to see that. I would have just broke down.
When Ellie got back she told me all about her trip, filled with airplanes and trains and Gapas and Gamas and Gus and "Gapa oww-ie" and "Mer Mer ball". I am guessing that over all it was a good trip for everyone, considering the circumstances.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The big one!
Ellie went down the big slide last Saturday all by herself! And of course, Mommy did not have the camera. As much as I think I go overboard on the pictures, I still fail to get the ones I really want.
But let's focus on the good. Ellie went down the big slide all by herself! I have tried so many times to get her to do it, and she has always chickened out or insisted that I go down with her (which, by the way, is not as easy as it looks... they didn't design the slides for grown-up sized people).
The secret to how Saturday was different? Mr. Bear! We brought a teddy bear to the park and I talked to him (while Ellie stared at me like I'm crazy, of course) and Mr. Bear told me himself that he really wanted to go down the big slide.
Mommy: What's that, Mr. Bear? You want to go down the big slide? Maybe Ellie can take you. Ellie, would you like to take Mr. Bear down the big slide?
Ellie: Umm... yeah. (her new "yes")
She climbed up the jungle gym to get to the big slide, with Mr. Bear in her arms the whole time. Then at the top, she threw him down the slide. When she saw that Mommy caught Mr. Bear, and asked "Ellie's turn?" then she threw herself down the slide.
We spent quite a bit of time taking turns. Mr. Bear first. Ellie verifies he made it safely. Then Ellie's turn. It was perfect. Well, perfect except with no camera.
But let's focus on the good. Ellie went down the big slide all by herself! I have tried so many times to get her to do it, and she has always chickened out or insisted that I go down with her (which, by the way, is not as easy as it looks... they didn't design the slides for grown-up sized people).
The secret to how Saturday was different? Mr. Bear! We brought a teddy bear to the park and I talked to him (while Ellie stared at me like I'm crazy, of course) and Mr. Bear told me himself that he really wanted to go down the big slide.
Mommy: What's that, Mr. Bear? You want to go down the big slide? Maybe Ellie can take you. Ellie, would you like to take Mr. Bear down the big slide?
Ellie: Umm... yeah. (her new "yes")
She climbed up the jungle gym to get to the big slide, with Mr. Bear in her arms the whole time. Then at the top, she threw him down the slide. When she saw that Mommy caught Mr. Bear, and asked "Ellie's turn?" then she threw herself down the slide.
We spent quite a bit of time taking turns. Mr. Bear first. Ellie verifies he made it safely. Then Ellie's turn. It was perfect. Well, perfect except with no camera.
Monday, February 09, 2009
It's not a good sign when
The first thought that crosses your mind is "Oh my God! We were robbed!" when you walk into a clean kitchen.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Warning Label
Found on a box containing 2.5 inch blocks with pictures on the side (you put the cubes together to form different picture puzzles):
WARNING: May not be suitable for children under the age of 3 because of small parts.
Uh... seriously? Exactly which parts are you referring to???
WARNING: May not be suitable for children under the age of 3 because of small parts.
Uh... seriously? Exactly which parts are you referring to???
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Nursery Rhymes My @$$!!!
I've already complained about Rock-a-by-baby but I am appalled to learn that it doesn't stop there.
Some words from Ellie's latest favorite book of "well-loved" nursery rhymes:
See-Saw, Margery Daw
See-saw, Margery Daw,
Johnny shall have a new master;
He shall have but a penny a day,
because he can't work any faster.
Goosey, Goosey, Gander
Goosey, goosey, gander,
whither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who would not say his prayers.
I took him by the left leg
and threw him down the stairs.
Georgie Porgie
Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
when the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.
Little Tommy Tucker
Little Tommy Tucker
sings for his supper:
What shall we give him?
White bread and butter.
How shall he cut it
without a knife?
How will he be married
without a wife?
Some words from Ellie's latest favorite book of "well-loved" nursery rhymes:
See-Saw, Margery Daw
See-saw, Margery Daw,
Johnny shall have a new master;
He shall have but a penny a day,
because he can't work any faster.
Goosey, Goosey, Gander
Goosey, goosey, gander,
whither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who would not say his prayers.
I took him by the left leg
and threw him down the stairs.
Georgie Porgie
Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
when the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.
Little Tommy Tucker
Little Tommy Tucker
sings for his supper:
What shall we give him?
White bread and butter.
How shall he cut it
without a knife?
How will he be married
without a wife?
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The name game
On trying to expand the name game beyond the typical list of people in Ellie's life:
Mommy: Sock socks bo bocks. Banana fana fo focks. Fee fi mo mocks. Socks!
Ellie: Mor!
...
Mommy: (looks for something else) Shoes shoes bo boes. Banana fana fo fooes. Fee fi mo moos. Shoes!
Ellie: Mor!
...
Mommy: (what else do I see?) Chair chair bo bair. Banana fana fo fair. Fee fi mo mear. Chair!
Ellie: Mor!
...
Mommy: (starting to run out of items) Bucket bucket bo bucket. Banana fana fo ...
(GAME OVER)
Mommy: Sock socks bo bocks. Banana fana fo focks. Fee fi mo mocks. Socks!
Ellie: Mor!
...
Mommy: (looks for something else) Shoes shoes bo boes. Banana fana fo fooes. Fee fi mo moos. Shoes!
Ellie: Mor!
...
Mommy: (what else do I see?) Chair chair bo bair. Banana fana fo fair. Fee fi mo mear. Chair!
Ellie: Mor!
...
Mommy: (starting to run out of items) Bucket bucket bo bucket. Banana fana fo ...
(GAME OVER)
Today's deep thoughts: Tickling
Ever wonder at what age it stops being fun to be tickled? Do you think it is when you are potty trained thus only now do you have to worry about peeing your pants?
25 Things
Here you go, MJH. This is what I ended up posting on Facebook. I was tagged by too many people to continue saying no...
1. Although I love reading these kinds of lists, I have never done one before. I got close once when Spleeness wrote 100 things about herself on her blog. I have a partial list still saved in my email draft folder. I think I started it 6 months ago and I'm on #39.
2. I am married to the most amazing person ever and I selfishly think that our "story" is the best story I've heard yet. He's my soul mate and I now know that a great relationship isn't about being able to compromise. It's about finding someone who wants the same things you do... no compromising needed.
3. Along the same lines as #2 I think our proposal story is incredible, though I LOVE to hear other people's stories on how they got engaged.
4. I want a tattoo but I don't think I'll ever get the courage to get one. They're so permanent! I haven't been able to shake the desire, though. Maybe my problem is that the design I want and the location varies from year to year. I want to be certain!
5. I love jewelry and sparkling things (which girl doesn't?) but I am just as happy receiving brightly colored leaf or odd shaped, smooth rock. I guess you could say that I appreciate beautiful things, both man-made and not.
6. I have an incredibly soul-full daughter who makes me smile so much it hurts my heart. In a good way. I am so lucky to have her in my life and I love seeing the world through her eyes. I can learn a lot from her.
7. My husband and I love to travel, though we haven't done so since Ellie was born. We love Europe the most, and have been to England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy and France together. It's hard to pick a favorite location since they were all do different, but I can honestly say that my favorite thing to see is churches.
8. I LOVE churches. Put me in a cute old church and I'm at peace. Put me in an old cathedral and I'm at awe. I find this a little strange because I wouldn't consider myself very religious. I can spend hours sitting in a church and just looking around, regardless of the size.
9. I wouldn't consider myself very religious but I do believe in God and Heaven, but I believe that there are many ways to get there. I find it hard to imagine that a loving God would condemn an entire group of good people for believing the wrong thing.
10. I loved being pregnant. I recall being able to touch my belly when I was stressed and I would calm down instantly. I wish I could say the same thing about the baby. She was a monster for the first 9 months of her life and I'm convinced she was more difficult than the average baby. If you asked me now, I would say it was worth the effort, but that doesn't mean I want to repeat it.
11. I do not cook but I did make my daughter's baby food. There will never be another time when she thinks highly of my food. Cooking baby food... that's easy. I like recipes that include "put veggies into blender and pour into ice cubes."
12. I am in Electrical Engineer by trade but it is not my passion. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in some incredible programs that will help a lot of people (both in preventing pain and improving the quality of their lives). I like applying my degree towards medical-related applications because I would never have the guts to be a doctor but I still want to help those who need it.
13. I used to write poetry. It was my form of medicine. I would write and it would make me feel better about anything that was bothering me. I haven't written a poem since writing my wedding vows. I guess I've just been too happy. I now keep a blog that is obsessed about my daughter instead.
14. I have recently come to the conclusion that it's not worth my time and effort to try to maintain old friendships or relationships with people I don't really like. Obligation or not, I have a hard enough time keeping up with those who I enjoy spending time with and who feel the same about me.
15. I am a scrapaholic. I swore I would never get into scrap booking but now there is no stopping me. It seems to go well with my need to have some aspect of my life be just perfect. I'm obsessed about making every page just right. It's an illness really. I recently took up card-making to help combat the effects of scrap booking.
16. I have very few friends. Hah! You may think differently based on how many Facebook friends I have. In the end, no matter how many great people I've met in the past and wish I could see more often, I really only have a few GOOD friends. I think I like it that way, which is good because the older I get the harder it is to find a good friend.
17. I'd like to consider myself as open-minded, but I admit that I have a problem judging those who I assume will judge me first. It's a vicious cycle, but I don't even like the THOUGHT of someone being judgmental.
18. I lived in Maryland for almost 8 years and always considered Colorado to be my home. However, since moving back to Colorado I have found myself missing Maryland more than I expected because that's where all of my memories with my husband (who happens to be from Colorado too) and family are.
19. One of my favorite things to do with my husband is to go searching for a cute town. A perfect cute town has a great old church, a town clock, old banks, train station and a bakery. So far I haven't found a better town than Ellicott City, MD.
20. My husband and I keep a global treasure hunt list of all the places we want to go. Some of the items we have gotten include a cow bell from Switzerland, a tea set from England and a glass rose from Venice.
21. I used to think I could keep a secret. My two biggest weaknesses are my husband and my sister. I can't think of anything that I haven't shared with my husband. If you don't want him to know, then please don't tell me.
22. I have always prided myself in being able to see past difference of opinions. I understand that not everyone thinks like I do because they have different experiences than me. Who am I to say their opinion isn’t valid? However, I have recently discovered the limit to this, mostly in regards to childhood vaccinations. Who would have known?
23. I've appreciated the small things in the world: snow, water, dew drops on leaves, the rustling of leaves in the wind, the tiny flowers above tree line, the patterns that you can find in rocks. In fact, it's literally one of the key reasons my husband fell for me. However, my daughter puts me to shame. She forces me to notice things I’ve forgotten about: how fun it feels to be out of control in an air castle, how rain feels like sprinklers and how tiny and active ants are.
24. I do not drink. Let me take that back... I might have an amaretto every month or so. Mostly it's because I don't like the taste of alcohol. And yes, that includes the foo-foo drink you claim tastes like juice. Same goes for coffee. Yuck.
25. End big, Jen. End big! Ummm... I don't work well under pressure, but I don't get pressured easily. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff.
1. Although I love reading these kinds of lists, I have never done one before. I got close once when Spleeness wrote 100 things about herself on her blog. I have a partial list still saved in my email draft folder. I think I started it 6 months ago and I'm on #39.
2. I am married to the most amazing person ever and I selfishly think that our "story" is the best story I've heard yet. He's my soul mate and I now know that a great relationship isn't about being able to compromise. It's about finding someone who wants the same things you do... no compromising needed.
3. Along the same lines as #2 I think our proposal story is incredible, though I LOVE to hear other people's stories on how they got engaged.
4. I want a tattoo but I don't think I'll ever get the courage to get one. They're so permanent! I haven't been able to shake the desire, though. Maybe my problem is that the design I want and the location varies from year to year. I want to be certain!
5. I love jewelry and sparkling things (which girl doesn't?) but I am just as happy receiving brightly colored leaf or odd shaped, smooth rock. I guess you could say that I appreciate beautiful things, both man-made and not.
6. I have an incredibly soul-full daughter who makes me smile so much it hurts my heart. In a good way. I am so lucky to have her in my life and I love seeing the world through her eyes. I can learn a lot from her.
7. My husband and I love to travel, though we haven't done so since Ellie was born. We love Europe the most, and have been to England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy and France together. It's hard to pick a favorite location since they were all do different, but I can honestly say that my favorite thing to see is churches.
8. I LOVE churches. Put me in a cute old church and I'm at peace. Put me in an old cathedral and I'm at awe. I find this a little strange because I wouldn't consider myself very religious. I can spend hours sitting in a church and just looking around, regardless of the size.
9. I wouldn't consider myself very religious but I do believe in God and Heaven, but I believe that there are many ways to get there. I find it hard to imagine that a loving God would condemn an entire group of good people for believing the wrong thing.
10. I loved being pregnant. I recall being able to touch my belly when I was stressed and I would calm down instantly. I wish I could say the same thing about the baby. She was a monster for the first 9 months of her life and I'm convinced she was more difficult than the average baby. If you asked me now, I would say it was worth the effort, but that doesn't mean I want to repeat it.
11. I do not cook but I did make my daughter's baby food. There will never be another time when she thinks highly of my food. Cooking baby food... that's easy. I like recipes that include "put veggies into blender and pour into ice cubes."
12. I am in Electrical Engineer by trade but it is not my passion. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in some incredible programs that will help a lot of people (both in preventing pain and improving the quality of their lives). I like applying my degree towards medical-related applications because I would never have the guts to be a doctor but I still want to help those who need it.
13. I used to write poetry. It was my form of medicine. I would write and it would make me feel better about anything that was bothering me. I haven't written a poem since writing my wedding vows. I guess I've just been too happy. I now keep a blog that is obsessed about my daughter instead.
14. I have recently come to the conclusion that it's not worth my time and effort to try to maintain old friendships or relationships with people I don't really like. Obligation or not, I have a hard enough time keeping up with those who I enjoy spending time with and who feel the same about me.
15. I am a scrapaholic. I swore I would never get into scrap booking but now there is no stopping me. It seems to go well with my need to have some aspect of my life be just perfect. I'm obsessed about making every page just right. It's an illness really. I recently took up card-making to help combat the effects of scrap booking.
16. I have very few friends. Hah! You may think differently based on how many Facebook friends I have. In the end, no matter how many great people I've met in the past and wish I could see more often, I really only have a few GOOD friends. I think I like it that way, which is good because the older I get the harder it is to find a good friend.
17. I'd like to consider myself as open-minded, but I admit that I have a problem judging those who I assume will judge me first. It's a vicious cycle, but I don't even like the THOUGHT of someone being judgmental.
18. I lived in Maryland for almost 8 years and always considered Colorado to be my home. However, since moving back to Colorado I have found myself missing Maryland more than I expected because that's where all of my memories with my husband (who happens to be from Colorado too) and family are.
19. One of my favorite things to do with my husband is to go searching for a cute town. A perfect cute town has a great old church, a town clock, old banks, train station and a bakery. So far I haven't found a better town than Ellicott City, MD.
20. My husband and I keep a global treasure hunt list of all the places we want to go. Some of the items we have gotten include a cow bell from Switzerland, a tea set from England and a glass rose from Venice.
21. I used to think I could keep a secret. My two biggest weaknesses are my husband and my sister. I can't think of anything that I haven't shared with my husband. If you don't want him to know, then please don't tell me.
22. I have always prided myself in being able to see past difference of opinions. I understand that not everyone thinks like I do because they have different experiences than me. Who am I to say their opinion isn’t valid? However, I have recently discovered the limit to this, mostly in regards to childhood vaccinations. Who would have known?
23. I've appreciated the small things in the world: snow, water, dew drops on leaves, the rustling of leaves in the wind, the tiny flowers above tree line, the patterns that you can find in rocks. In fact, it's literally one of the key reasons my husband fell for me. However, my daughter puts me to shame. She forces me to notice things I’ve forgotten about: how fun it feels to be out of control in an air castle, how rain feels like sprinklers and how tiny and active ants are.
24. I do not drink. Let me take that back... I might have an amaretto every month or so. Mostly it's because I don't like the taste of alcohol. And yes, that includes the foo-foo drink you claim tastes like juice. Same goes for coffee. Yuck.
25. End big, Jen. End big! Ummm... I don't work well under pressure, but I don't get pressured easily. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Gila monster
Way out in the desert where the cactus bloom and thrive
lived a mother gila monster and her little monsters five.
"Burrow!" said the mother, "We burrow!" said the five,
so they burrowed and they dug where the cactus bloom and thrive.
This is one of the pages from Way Out in the Desert, a book that Cracker's Mom gave us once.
I love the book. I just get tired of this page. I don't know what it is about Gila Monsters, but it takes A LOT of convincing to get her to let you read ANY of the other pages in the book. Mor Monter!
In searching for the link on Amazon, I found out that it's actually written so that you can read it to the tune of "Over in the Meadow". Interesting. That would be fun to "sing" the book instead of just reading it. It's too bad I've never even heard of that song before!!! Why don't you try to put the words to a more song, oh, like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, maybe???
PS. Now is the time for all you readers to comment on how I'm an idiot and EVERYONE knows the song "Over in the Meadow".
lived a mother gila monster and her little monsters five.
"Burrow!" said the mother, "We burrow!" said the five,
so they burrowed and they dug where the cactus bloom and thrive.
This is one of the pages from Way Out in the Desert, a book that Cracker's Mom gave us once.
I love the book. I just get tired of this page. I don't know what it is about Gila Monsters, but it takes A LOT of convincing to get her to let you read ANY of the other pages in the book. Mor Monter!
In searching for the link on Amazon, I found out that it's actually written so that you can read it to the tune of "Over in the Meadow". Interesting. That would be fun to "sing" the book instead of just reading it. It's too bad I've never even heard of that song before!!! Why don't you try to put the words to a more song, oh, like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, maybe???
PS. Now is the time for all you readers to comment on how I'm an idiot and EVERYONE knows the song "Over in the Meadow".
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