Who knew?

I promise I'm not procrastinating. I'm researching possible headlines for the people I met with last week. Somehow that led me here.

Really? People collect slide rules? All over the world?

Amazing.

Annie Q: Future Miss America

Annie now knows how to wave, Miss America-style. Thanks to Adrienne and Billy, she can wave back at people now! It's the cutest thing. If someone waves at her, she stares at them a minute, then starts waving her little hand at them. Of course, she waves for at least five minutes...

In other news, Ike's 48 Hour Film Project was screened tonight. I'm sure Woody will give a somewhat unbiased account of today's screenings on his blog, but since I have no reason to pretend to be unbiased...

WOW, it rocked! It totally kicked the butts of the other films. At least in the screening I went to, no one else even came close. During the Q&A afterward, someone in the audience said that Ike's team had the best 48 Hour film they'd ever seen.

Heck yeah. I'm married to the man from the team who WASN'T standing in front of an auditorium full of people in a kilt. That good-looking man in the blue shirt is MINE and comes home to ME.

:) I'm proud.

Let Me Show You My Deliverables...

So I'm working on a proposal (actually, it's a "scope of work." I have a very knowledgable Anonymous helping me with these terms...) for my first paying (I hope) client with my business. If I haven't told you about it and you're curious, buy me coffee and I'll tell you all about it...(Did I mention this is my first paying client? I can't buy your coffee yet...)

Anyway, I just had to stop to take a break and say this. Doesn't a "deliverable" sound dirty to you? I feel like I'm offering something I shouldn't offer to a person I don't know very well...

Ike's in the paper!

If you read Woody's blog like I told you to, you know that they had a reporter with them last weekend for the 48 Hour Film Project. The article the reporter is now online at GoTriad.com, though I'm assuming the print version will have more pictures. It comes out tomorrow, and we'll be taking as many of them as we can.
Here's the article about Team Underexposed.

My favorite part? This line: "Quigley exudes nothing but cool persistence."

Annie's first word?

Ok, I don't believe Annie is really saying "Daddy" when she says "Da da da da da." If she is, she thinks everything she sees is Daddy, since she says it all the time. However, we do seem to have a word, though it may not be clear enough to consider the "Official In-The-Baby-Book First Word." All day yesterday we practiced this. She holds her arms up in the air and says, "Yayyyy!"

Ike says that's not a real word. But I think he's just holding out for "Da da da da da."

What makes Papa special + A new picture of Annie & me

Today we went to a birthday party for a friend in playgroup. The party was in Kernersville, so since we were close, we dropped in to see Granny & Papa. I didn't mention this while we were there, but Jake said something on the way to their house that I thought was very sweet. He was talking about going to see Granny & Papa, and he said, "And you know what Papa will say when I walk in? He'll say 'There's my boy!' He always says that." And then he giggled.

Just thought Papa should know. Jake loves it when you say that. :)

I don't have many pictures of just Annie and me, so I thought I would post this one that Tracy took at the birthday party. Thanks, Tracy!

48 Hour Film Project Updates

For anyone interested in how things are going with Ike's 48HFP crew (mostly our families), you can get updates from Woody on his blog. As of this post, he's written one entry Friday night and one Saturday morning. I'm checking obsessively, as my husband, my sister, and several of my good friends are all involved.

Whew, let's all take a collective nap in their exhausted honor...

Drowning Bunnies & Other Baby Games

Today is Annie's 7-month birthday. Can you believe it? She's over halfway to one, and I swear she was just born yesterday! Anyway, I thought I would celebrate her month-day with a description of her three current favorite games.

She's at that age that is so much fun. I'd forgotten about this with Jake. She's sitting up on her own and giggling at things that she finds funny. I mean, not just when she's being tickled, but when something strikes her as funny, she laughs. It's adorable.

At any rate, game 1: Drown The Bunny. Annie loves her bath. Loves it. When she sees the water running, she starts babbling and reaching for it. She's a water baby for sure. AND she loves reaching for anything she can while she's in the tub. To keep her in one place as much as possible, I've taken to giving her a little squeaky bunny toy that can go in the water. Her favorite thing to do with said bunny? Drown it. She holds it up high with one hand, then pushes it into the water and holds it down with both hands. After the bubbles stop, she pulls it back up and babbles at it. I'm sure she's saying, "Are you ready to talk or do you want some more, buddy?"

Game 2: Spitting Veggies. New trick. Tonight Annie discovered that if she blows out instead of swallowing her baby food, food goes everywhere. Everywhere. She blows it out then jumps when she feels food land on her face. She giggles when she sees it land on my face. And then she blows it out again. I think she's figured this much out about life: she knows I'll feed her even if she spits on me. Yes, major lesson here: Mommy is a sucker.

Game 3: Stealing Glasses. As I mentioned, Annie loves to grab for anything she can these days. Her favorite target? My face. When my nose won't come off and she can't pull out my hair, she goes for the glasses. Almost immediately now, actually. If I have on glasses, she grabs, pulls, and holds them away from me. I think she's trying to play keep away, but you know what? Mommy may be a sucker, but she has a longer reach than the baby.

Just imagine the fun she could have if I'd wear earrings...ouch.

Another On-The-Way-Home Conversation

Today Jake brought home an eye patch and a hook from Pirate Camp, but he's disappointed because they told him they won't be making swords. Man, that kid is hard to please...

Anyway, so yesterday on the way home from camp, Jake fired then re-hired me. Today he claims that I have no theological knowledge. At least not as much as he does.

J: Mommy, when we die does God die too?
B: No, honey, God never dies.
J: Oh man! I wish I didn't have to die.
B: Well, you don't have to think about that until you are very, very old, and you've lived a good life. Then you won't mind because when you die, you'll get to live with God.
J: Do I get to come back here?
B: Some people think we do come back, and some people believe we stay with God.
J: I want to come back. I don't want to stay dead with God.
B: Well, some people believe that death is a new kind of life. You'll get to meet God and it might be so great you don't want to come back.
J: No, you can't meet God.
B: Why do you think that?
J: Hello?? You're dead. You can't open your eyes and start talking to God when you're dead.

Sigh...Why can't my son be one of those accepting kids? You know, the kind that doesn't think about things, just accepts them the way they are...
(I don't really wish for that. I've learned a lot listening to Jake...)

Looking for a job

Well, I narrowly missed having to find a new job today. On his way home from pirate camp (by the way, he brought home a sea turtle shield, a pirate hat, a treasure map and a pirate flag...what in the world do they have left to make??), Jake fired me. Here's how it went.

J: Mommy, you're fired.
B: Uh...what?
J: You're fired. You lost your job.
B: Jake? What is my job?
J: You know, taking care of us.
B: So...I can't take care of you anymore? Who is going to do that?
J: Nobody.
B: Whose going to take care of Annie?
J: Me.
B: (thinking hard) Well, you can't breastfeed her, though.
J: (eye rolling, "duh" attitude) I can give her a bottle.
B: Well, what about her dirty diapers? Are you going to change those?
J: (obviously not expecting this) No, I'll just leave her in them.
B: But Jake, she'll be really fussy and get sick if you leave her in dirty diapers.
J: (quiet for five minutes or so) Okay, you can keep your job.
B: Oh yeah? What made you change your mind?
J: I'd miss you and stuff.
B: (big smile, wiping tears from eyes) Thanks, sweetie.
J: Yeah. And plus, I can't drive yet.

So that's why he keeps me around...

Pictures from the surprise party

The surprise party went well yesterday. Apparently Jake's face was priceless (I was behind him, so didn't get to see it). Here are a few pictures (thanks, Tracy!).

You just try sleeping like a baby

"Sleeping like a baby" has to be the stupidest phrase out there. Ignorant people say it as if babies sleep peacefully. The reality is that many babies don't sleep. And those that do find the weirdest positions in which to sleep.

For example, try to do this. This is how we found Annie sleeping tonight:

1. Sit with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Bend your upper body all the way to the mattress (so that your upper body is now resting flat between your stretched-out legs).
3. Put your arms back, with palms facing up.
4. Sleep.

...Comfy?

It just doesn't make sense, that phrase...

Surprise!

This afternoon Jake's playgroup (which is as much mine as his, since I love the moms in it...and I'm not just saying that because some of them read this...) is having a surprise birthday party for him at my house. I'm getting so excited! The cupcakes are in the oven and the toy is on hold for Tracy to pick up at Toys R Us. Life was so easy before Jake got into specific toys. Now it must be THIS Transformer of THIS size with THIS mini-con, or whatever.

At any rate, I'm hoping some of my playgroup friends will bring their fancy digital cameras (ahem!), so I can post pictures after the party.

Time to clean the house...

Ah, and those of you who are more pirate than ninja will appreciate this: Jake is in PIRATE CAMP this week. Very cool, he's very excited. Those of you who prefer ninjas might like this website that Caitlin (my incredible sister) showed me over the weekend. Click on the review of "Pirates of The Carribean." Funny funny waste of time.

Happy Birthday, Jake!

I've created a picture "thingy" from Jake's first five years. It's displayed here. I've also made an album with more pictures that is password-protected, so if you're interested in that please comment or send me an email and I'll send you the link.

Jake is now asleep on his fifth birthday. I can't believe my baby boy is five... I've learned so much from him. In so many ways he's just like me, then he's also just like Ike. I think God took the best of each of us and put it all into a beautiful little boy.

He took our stubbornest parts and tossed them into the kid too.

Happy Birthday, son.

Welcome to Your 30's, Tummy

It's just how I feel after swimming with playgroup today. My friend Dawn sent this, and I have to agree.

Then Jake Said...

I just overheard Jake talking to his pirate skull. Yes, he has a pirate skull. It's not from a real pirate...

He told the pirate, "I'm a really special boy, you know. I'm lucky, I'm rich, I have a lot of money."

Hmm...he has high hopes for the bad word jar...

The Bad Word Jar

It seems that my slips of the tongue have become Jake's slips of the tongue. This morning he let a word fly that I honestly don't think I've said (no, I will not share it here). When my jaw dropped, he started bawling.

I asked him where he'd heard the word, but really, where else would he have heard it? He said he didn't know (protecting me), but when I asked if he'd heard me say it, he replied, "When you say bad words, Mommy, it makes me say bad words."

No guilt here...

So we've started a bad word jar. Jake put in a quarter this morning (because it was a doozy of a word), and each time one of us catches the other cursing, we put a coin in the jar. I told Jake that when the jar is full, we'll give the money to someone who needs it. Anyone have suggestions on an organization that takes loose change? I know I could convert it to a check or bigger bills, but I think Jake would really get more out of it if we take the jar itself.

Of course, I can't wait for him to tell them, "We have all this money for you because Mommy cusses so damn much."

...

Something New (new to me, anyway)

Last night at midnight I discovered a wonderful thing. Online grocery shopping with Harris Teeter! I hate going to the store with both kids, especially since Jake finds 5 or 6 things he has to have every time we go. So last night I went through my entire grocery list, found it all online, and we're going to pick it up now. I don't even have to get out of the car! Woohoo! The first time you try it, it's free, after that it's $4.95 per time. But I spend at least that much on extras for Jake (okay, or for me...), so it's well-worth it.

I'm pretty sure Lowe's Foods does this, too, and their first time is also probably free. Guess where I'm shopping next week...

A mother most definitely came up with this idea...

Our 4th and More Food

Well, our 4th of July was uneventful, which is pretty much how we planned it. We all sat around doing nothing until dinnertime. We went to Rum Monkey, the restaurant that replaced the now defunct Charleston Crabhouse. When the Rum Monkey closes, which it most definitely will, maybe something that can last will move into that space beside the theater... Skip the Rum Monkey: the menu was boring, the food mediocre, the wait staff way too eager to please (example: our waiter stood over Ike, hovering, while saying, "Try the dried tomato, we just started making it. Do you like it? Do you? Do you?" The tomato was awful, by the way. Our waiter also checked on us every 2 minutes...), and the decor...what decor? A few pictures of various lemurs and orangutans, but no actual monkeys.

One positive about the place (and it's a stretch). When the sad little building was Charleston Crabhouse, Jake used to say, "Crabs don't wear shoes," every time we passed. Well, now he can keep up the tradition: the monkey (actually an oragutan) on the side has a bottle of beer in his hand. As soon as Jake got out of the car, he looked up and said, "Wait. Monkeys don't drink soda."

We went from dinner to find a spot to watch fireworks. When we'd settled on a place, a woman told us that they were delaying the fireworks until at least 10pm to see if it stormed. We decided to go home, as lightning was everywhere and we figured they'd be cancelled. They were not cancelled after all, so we listened to them and even saw a few from the front porch. Oh well. Maybe we'll see fireworks next year.

By the way, I found a great website for making baby food. I don't think anyone who reads this cares right now, but maybe someday one or two of you will...

And a note on Annie. Suddenly she absolutely hates naps and bedtime. She's fussing right now, and if I didn't know better, I'd think she was being tortured. But she's not...I am.

Happy Fourth!

Hope everyone has a great Fourth! We're planning to teach Jake the importance of Freedom by making him do all the work around the house all day. You know, like a slave.

(Or some might argue like a mom.)

I made it myself!

I've always felt like baby food is a little bit of a rip-off. It's not super-expensive by any means, especially when you catch sales and coupons. But it seems like it should be so easy to just make your own food for a baby. I mean, the goal here is to get the kid to eat like normal people eventually, right?

Well, tonight I finally did it. I made my own baby food! It was cheaper and took about 15 minutes. I probably made enough for 5 meals.

I made Annie oatmeal and peaches. I cooked the oatmeal, blanched the peaches to peel and soften them, cut up the peaches, then pureed it all. I tasted it...and if I were a baby, I'd like it. As it is, I'd rather add a little sugar. Or just have a waffle.

At any rate, Annie will have a homemade meal in the morning. Next I think I'll puree the plums I got yesterday at the farmer's market...

6 Month Check Up (and all is well)

Annie had her 6-month-checkup this morning. I had a friend who was willing to watch Jake for me, but for some crazy reason I decided it'd be easier to just take him with me.

It's never easier with two children. What was I thinking??

No, it really wasn't too bad, despite the urgent bathroom trip Jake almost didn't make in time and the fact that the doctor was ready for us at just about the same time as the trip and the fact that wiping his own bottom is not something he's mastered and the fact that I was holding Annie while trying to help Jake on the potty... Otherwise, it was fine. Fun, even.

Jake especially liked the part where the shots weren't for him. He told everyone we saw from the minute we walked into the waiting room, "My sister is getting shots, but I'm not." I really thought he'd be worried about her or upset when she cried. But no. When Delora (the best pediatric nurse in the world) came in with the needles, Jake was right there between us, taking it all in. He loved the shots. Know why? They weren't for him. I have no idea how I'll break it to him that I scheduled his flu shot for October while we were there...

Anyway, back to the reason for the visit. Annabelle is a healthy, happy baby girl. She's 15lbs, 12oz, which puts her in the 50% for weight. She's 25.5 inches long, which puts her at 25% for height. (Which means she's been consistent percentile-wise since 4 months. I'm feeling pretty rotten right now because I just realized I didn't post an entry about her 4-month appt.) Her head is 17 inches, which is 75%. Which means she has a big head for her little body.

Mary Lou is right. She does look like me.