The Resident Parrot gets more verbal every day. This is how she counts to twenty:
fee
tyoo
wunn
thikth
then
eet
nine
ten
weven
twev
beteen
beteen
beteen
beteen
beteen
E-I-E-I-E-I-E-I-Nnnnnnn....
What I find funny is that she counts 3-2-1 -- I guess she hears us counting backwards (as in "Miriam, you have three seconds to come here! Three! Two!") more than forwards!
I'm not exactly sure why Old MacDonald has a part though...
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Diary of a Bathroom II
Here is an updated agenda for redoing one's bathroom:
#1. Ensure that the bathroom in the basement, and NOT the utility room with the floor drain, is the lowest point of the basement floor. This is crucial.
#2. Own an ancient sump pump that will fail during a heavy rainstorm so the basement is flooded. This produces two effects: a) the insurance will cover the flood, due to a failed drain, and not simply excessive rain water; and b) due to item #1, a majority of the floodwater will pool in the bathroom, thereby ruining the adhesive of the gosh-awful floor tile, requiring it all to be replaced. (oh, darn.)
#3. Call contractors and schedule a time for them to come.
#4. Acquire a sample of the desired floor tile and new wall paint color from Lowe's. This will cost you $0.88.
#5. Let contractors purchase all materials.
#6. Sit on your couch with a novel and a cup of tea while the contractors remove the baseboards, the old tile, and the toilet.
#7. Recline on a lounge chair and sip a martini while the contractors place the new floor tile, cut it, caulk it, paint the walls (two coats), put in new baseboards, and replace the toilet.
#8. Offer the contractors a glass of ice water while they sweat in the heat and humidity of a Virginia summer, despite the A/C.
And....
voila!
Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
I like this method of redoing a bathroom much better, don't you?
#1. Ensure that the bathroom in the basement, and NOT the utility room with the floor drain, is the lowest point of the basement floor. This is crucial.
#2. Own an ancient sump pump that will fail during a heavy rainstorm so the basement is flooded. This produces two effects: a) the insurance will cover the flood, due to a failed drain, and not simply excessive rain water; and b) due to item #1, a majority of the floodwater will pool in the bathroom, thereby ruining the adhesive of the gosh-awful floor tile, requiring it all to be replaced. (oh, darn.)
#3. Call contractors and schedule a time for them to come.
#4. Acquire a sample of the desired floor tile and new wall paint color from Lowe's. This will cost you $0.88.
#5. Let contractors purchase all materials.
#6. Sit on your couch with a novel and a cup of tea while the contractors remove the baseboards, the old tile, and the toilet.
#7. Recline on a lounge chair and sip a martini while the contractors place the new floor tile, cut it, caulk it, paint the walls (two coats), put in new baseboards, and replace the toilet.
#8. Offer the contractors a glass of ice water while they sweat in the heat and humidity of a Virginia summer, despite the A/C.
And....
voila!
Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
I like this method of redoing a bathroom much better, don't you?
Let's hear it for wanton breeding and pious sanctimony!
Recently saw this on the blog of a dear friend.
In the past WSJ has also commented on the "Roe Effect."
In the past WSJ has also commented on the "Roe Effect."
Thursday, August 10, 2006
I am Super Mom today
Today I:
-washed my hair, got dressed, & made my bed
-supervised Miriam's morning chores
-made French Toast for breakfast
-washed the breakfast dishes and tidied the kitchen
-made a couch cushion fort with the girls
-brushed three sets of teeth
-did three loads of laundry and hand washed two items
-reorganized the linen closet
-scrubbed the bathtub
-cleaned the other bathroom fixtures and all the mirrors upstairs
-swept and mopped the bathroom floor
-vacuumed the upstairs
...and then we had lunch!
Why do I always feel like I have more energy when I get less than 5 hours of sleep?
-washed my hair, got dressed, & made my bed
-supervised Miriam's morning chores
-made French Toast for breakfast
-washed the breakfast dishes and tidied the kitchen
-made a couch cushion fort with the girls
-brushed three sets of teeth
-did three loads of laundry and hand washed two items
-reorganized the linen closet
-scrubbed the bathtub
-cleaned the other bathroom fixtures and all the mirrors upstairs
-swept and mopped the bathroom floor
-vacuumed the upstairs
...and then we had lunch!
Why do I always feel like I have more energy when I get less than 5 hours of sleep?
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The Resident Parrot
Katie is into that "repeat everything you say" phase. I'll say something to Miriam, and Katie will repeat the last couple words. It's so funny hearing things coming out of her little baby mouth! Just now as Miriam was eating a cookie, she bit out part of it and told me that it looked like a C. Not wanting to pass up a Learning Moment I said, "Yes, and C is for cookie." Then from Katie we hear, "C for dookie! C for dookie! C for dookie!"
When it comes to her words, she still needs occasional translating, but she's getting so much clearer. She no longer drops final consonants. I make a point of enunciating things very carefully so she can hear well how they're supposed to sound. This is really a fun phase. (I think I say that about every phase Katie's going through....)
When it comes to her words, she still needs occasional translating, but she's getting so much clearer. She no longer drops final consonants. I make a point of enunciating things very carefully so she can hear well how they're supposed to sound. This is really a fun phase. (I think I say that about every phase Katie's going through....)
Sunday, August 06, 2006
If You Give a Mom a Muffin
For all my mom friends who have ever had One of Those Days... (found this in the comments of this blog post)
If you give a Mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do some laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
she’ll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan dinner for tonight.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She will look for her cookbook (101 Things to Make With a Pound of Hamburger).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two year old.
While she is changing the two year old, the phone will ring.
Her four year old will answer it and hang up.
She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee on Friday.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are……
If she has a cup of coffee……
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
If you give a Mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do some laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
she’ll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan dinner for tonight.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She will look for her cookbook (101 Things to Make With a Pound of Hamburger).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two year old.
While she is changing the two year old, the phone will ring.
Her four year old will answer it and hang up.
She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee on Friday.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are……
If she has a cup of coffee……
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Life Goes On
Mercifully, it's impossible to wallow in self-pity when home life continues to revolve around you. Meals still need to be planned and made, dishes need to be washed, laundry needs to be attended to, children need hugs and kisses and storytime, regardless of whether or not you feel like doing anything. There is a comfort in doing ordinary things in the midst of tragedy -- even if you feel like your world is falling to pieces, it's soothing to engage in the everyday physical tasks of running a home. When we lost Gabriella, it was in the midst of preparing for a family wedding, so I had that joyful occasion to distract me and keep the focus off myself. This time, there's nothing so grand, just my two oblivious little girls who need me and drive me crazy and give me lovin's.
I think they're really ready for a sibling.
reading "Baby Blues" together
practicing to be a big sis?
Miriam: "Mommy, how many kids are you going to have?"
Me: "I don't know. How many SHOULD we have?"
Miriam: "Mm, I think a hundred!"
Yikes!
For a while I was really worried about trying to take care of THREE little ones, but Miriam has been so helpful lately. She LOVES getting Katie dressed. And miracle of miracles, Katie LETS her! (for the most part) Now if only we could get Katie to keep her clothes ON...
nakie!
----------
"Mommy, could you put my hair in a hot cross bun today?"
"hot cross bun"
Shortly after this I trimmed her hair to keep it cool for these gosh-awful VA summer days, so no more hot cross buns for a while!
----------
Miriam: "How do you take your head off?"
Me: "You can't."
Miriam: "Why, is it glued on?"
----------
Katie's new favortie word is "HI!!!!" Often Mr. Pickles will be blasted with that as he tries to tiptoe quietly downstairs in the early morning. Katie seems to be trying her hand as an early riser, so on the days Daddy is home she gets to help him make breakfast.
helping Daddy cook
flour face
who's a ham?
----------
Katie loves plums.
oh the carnage!
----------
Fashion maven and her agent.
no comment! no pictures!
Another shot of the fashion maven.
dancing gypsy princess
----------
being cute is such hard work
being cute (and reading) is such hard work II
being cute is such hard work III
----------
This potato head horror scene courtesy of Katie:
oh the carnage! II
I think they're really ready for a sibling.
reading "Baby Blues" together
practicing to be a big sis?
Miriam: "Mommy, how many kids are you going to have?"
Me: "I don't know. How many SHOULD we have?"
Miriam: "Mm, I think a hundred!"
Yikes!
For a while I was really worried about trying to take care of THREE little ones, but Miriam has been so helpful lately. She LOVES getting Katie dressed. And miracle of miracles, Katie LETS her! (for the most part) Now if only we could get Katie to keep her clothes ON...
nakie!
----------
"Mommy, could you put my hair in a hot cross bun today?"
"hot cross bun"
Shortly after this I trimmed her hair to keep it cool for these gosh-awful VA summer days, so no more hot cross buns for a while!
----------
Miriam: "How do you take your head off?"
Me: "You can't."
Miriam: "Why, is it glued on?"
----------
Katie's new favortie word is "HI!!!!" Often Mr. Pickles will be blasted with that as he tries to tiptoe quietly downstairs in the early morning. Katie seems to be trying her hand as an early riser, so on the days Daddy is home she gets to help him make breakfast.
helping Daddy cook
flour face
who's a ham?
----------
Katie loves plums.
oh the carnage!
----------
Fashion maven and her agent.
no comment! no pictures!
Another shot of the fashion maven.
dancing gypsy princess
----------
being cute is such hard work
being cute (and reading) is such hard work II
being cute is such hard work III
----------
This potato head horror scene courtesy of Katie:
oh the carnage! II
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