@ rock and star

Location, location...

2007-03-22T19:43:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I've moved our blog over to http://www.lizandchris.com. It's not finished yet, but please do not post any new comments here, as they will be lost forever and ever...and we do love comments so! Please visit us at our new location, update your bookmarks, and watch that space for improvements in the coming days.

Thanks!

Wheaton Park

2007-03-22T14:29:00.000-04:00

We had a fun time this morning playing at Wheaton Regional Park with Alexander and Ya Ya. Everyone got lots of exercise, so should be napping well right about now!

Treelessness

2007-03-22T14:10:00.000-04:00

This morning the county came to take down our tree. Unfortunately, our tree has been on its way out ever since they installed the new sidewalks a few summers ago, and destroyed some major roots in the process.

They came in like gangbusters, and after narrowly missing a car driving by with the first limb to come down, had the rest of the tree down within 25 minutes.

We are hoping to not only accept the county's replacement tree, but to also add another new tree of our own. Hopefully we will not be treeless for long.

Someone stop me!

2007-03-22T13:42:00.000-04:00

So I've got a wild hair and I'm thinking about moving our blog to our own domain, so I can have more control over it and such...www.lizandchris.com already has everything I need to use WordPress, so it would not involve needing a new host or anything. I just need to decide what the URL should be (should it be the main lizandchris.com site, or a subdomain?) and what to call it...and what 25 things I should be doing instead are going to have to wait so I can set it all up, just they way I like it.

The artist discusses his work

2007-03-21T19:08:00.000-04:00

Jasper took a few minutes this morning to share some insights into his latest work. He pointed out that it has a gorilla and some giraffes. Of course, I already knew this, having cut the pictures out of the magazine, but nonetheless it was enlightening to hear his point of view.

Jasper and me #16 (kind of)

2007-03-21T18:56:00.000-04:00

I had a hard time today getting a good picture of us together. We spent a fair amount of time dancing to the pre-programmed "Killing Me Softly" on our electronic keyboard this morning (the new favorite replacing "Down By The Riverside"), and he seemed interested in the flashing red light on the camera, but all of the pictures were either of my large butt (obscuring the view of my son), or like this one where he ran away from the camera.

Keep on bloggin'

2007-03-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

I came across a great little (free) tool that will allow you to create a local mirror (backup) of any website. This is a fantastic way to make a backup of your blog, if you're like me and would hate to lose it to the cosmic void. If, on the other hand, you are hoping yours might get sucked down, then you will not need this tool.

If you do give it a whirl, make sure to choose options > spider > do not follow robots .txt while you are creating the project. Otherwise, you will get a nice copy of the index page, but nothing else! Oh, and remember if you are copying a blog to also make a local copy of your template if you've made any changes to it...who wants to do it all over again? Not me!

The satellite dish is gone!

2007-03-21T08:08:00.000-04:00

Much to my amazement, yesterday afternoon while we were out walking, I noticed that one of our official Rock and Star landmarks was gone. Finally. This satellite dish, which got tossed and turned in every decent storm, and clearly had not been in use for decades, disappeared over the last few days. Perhaps the owner is getting ready to sell. Perhaps it was Spring cleaning. I don't care. It's gone!

Our daily constitutional

2007-03-20T19:42:00.000-04:00

Jasper and me #14 and 15

Real Moms...

2007-03-20T14:33:00.001-04:00

Kara tagged me to post a Real Moms meme.

Real Moms do too much of this:

and this:

and too little of this:

and this:

Real Moms eat too much of this:

and this:

and too little of this:

and this:

when really, most of the time, we just need this:

I tag Amanda, and anyone else who's interested in procrastinating with the rest of us!

1, 2, 3, GO!

2007-03-20T13:14:00.000-04:00

We had a great time having playgroup over at our house this morning. Thanks, everyone, for coming! (Sorry you couldn't stay longer Woody...we missed you!)

A tender moment...

Playing nicely together...

The acoustics in here are great!

1, 2, 3, Gooooo!

Zoo class

2007-03-19T13:37:00.000-04:00

We had our last Zoo class of the session this morning. We learned about birds. We dressed up like a colorful bird, made birdfeeders, and then went to visit the Emu (and his roommates the Wallabies). Next class will be all about spots and stripes!

Jappa dance 'round

2007-03-19T08:33:00.000-04:00

Jasper and me #13

2007-03-18T11:08:00.000-04:00

It's hard to ignore the paparazzi, even when you're dancing.

I scream! (warning: Haagen Dazs spoiler)

2007-03-16T19:16:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Sarah, we got hooked up with a "preview" of Haagen-Dazs' new line of ice creams—Haagen-Dazs Reserve Series. Today we received a large box with 2 pints of Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream, 2 pints of Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle, and 3 Pomegranate and Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Bars.

Jasper and I sampled the Honey and Sweet Cream, and we both loved it. Chris sampled the Coconut Sesame Brittle, and said it was really good too. We are saving the ice cream bars for after dinner tonight. At least we got one thing with chocolate!

Wearable art/Jasper and me #12

2007-03-16T13:05:00.000-04:00

Na Na gave Jasper these Thomas stickers this morning, and as you can see he spared no time in using them. In keeping with his exploration of various media, he created a temporary wearable piece.

I am also finding it interesting that I did not see that ketchup on his face until I looked at these pictures.

Tom Jones, Asian-style

2007-03-16T12:42:00.000-04:00

My sister had the good fortune of attending a Tom Jones show for her birthday. Ok, as you can see from the photos, it wasn't really Tom Jones, but a Malaysian Tom Jones named Mark Sylvester.

Excellent.

Super seeds

2007-03-15T13:17:00.000-04:00

It's another lovely day here, so it was a perfect day for the "Super Seeds" program at Croydon Creek Nature Center. We got there a few minutes early so we could visit the fish and the turtles. This turtle will come say hello if you show him a finger.

Then we learned all about seeds and how they grow, and then we made our own little pot to grow some grass. (A fun project for a future playgroup, perhaps...) Jasper took very good care of his pot. He wore it all the way home in the car, and there was even some soil and seeds left in it when we got home.

New work on paper

2007-03-15T13:05:00.000-04:00

Dichotomy
Jasper Leo Lester
March 14, 2007

pen, crayon, glitter glue, buttons, and finger-stamping on drawing paper

Things I've learned from Jasper

2007-03-14T15:15:00.000-04:00

Today my son taught me that yes, indeed, our car has an alarm system.

I'm sure this will come in handy someday, once I figure out how to operate it. I had no idea it was there. I mean, I can see the red blinking light on the dashboard, but until today there was no proof of any alarm attached.

I'll have to watch him closely the next time I let him hold the keys.

Jasper and me at Brookside Gardens

2007-03-14T13:15:00.000-04:00

Jasper and me #10 and 11

Brookside Gardens

2007-03-14T13:05:00.000-04:00

It is beautiful here—mid 70s—so we made our first trip of the season to Brookside Gardens this morning. They have a cool sculpture exhibit up, but that did nothing to slow Jasper down. He ran laps in the Conservatory for about 45 minutes, then we went for pancakes. A totally indulgent morning!

Here's a slideshow with a few additional pics.

Playgroup at Ya Ya's house

2007-03-13T13:50:00.000-04:00

We all had fun at Ya Ya's house this morning, and we loved the yummy treats (pumpkin cake especially), but boy are those group shots exhausting! Whew.

Outside Zoo class

2007-03-12T13:29:00.000-04:00

Down by the riverside

2007-03-12T08:42:00.000-04:00

"Down By the Riverside" is Jasper's current pre-programmed favorite on the electronic keyboard. Turn up that tempo and dance!

aka: Jasper and me #8 and 9

Mugging for the camera

2007-03-12T08:40:00.000-04:00

aka: Jasper and me #7

The latest Jasper-pieces

2007-03-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

Puffy stickers with glitter glue and stamps, #1-4

Next time won't you sing with me?

2007-03-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

Jasper and me #6

2007-03-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

Penguins! (Also, Jasper and me #5)

2007-03-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

Grandma Juli arrived at our house this afternoon, fresh from her Antarctic exploration. She brought penguins!

A penny for your thoughts

2007-03-09T13:29:00.000-05:00

No idea what he's thinking here (probably something like "Gee, I'm really tired, but I can't let Mom know."), but I thought it was so sweet the way he needed to clutch the wet wipes all the way home. Nothing needed wiping, he just wanted to lovingly hold them.

A multimedia morning

2007-03-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

Left: Watercolor and glitter glue (for Grandma Juli)

Right: Watercolor and star stickers (for Na Na)

These projects necessitated a trip to Michael's for more supplies. Jasper's been quite prolific with the paint lately, and keeps asking for blue paper, which our stash did not include. Luckily, we were able to make good on both of those at the store (along with several additional items that Jasper and Mommy felt might not be completely necessary, but were cool).

Music class/Jasper and me #4

2007-03-08T14:14:00.000-05:00

Today was the last music class of the session, so a good photo op. I am actually in 3 of the 4 of these, so I think that qualifies as today's Jasper and me shot, don't you?

Times, they are a changin'

2007-03-08T07:44:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder to everyone that the time change got moved up this year, and we will be changing our clocks ahead this weekend.

If you do not have your computer set to automatically update the OS, you will probably want to get the patch that corrects this:

PC patch Mac patches PDAs will need this too

Feel free to post here if you have questions, and I can try to answer them.

Jasper and me #3

2007-03-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

Today's pics. Got to learn to use the auto timer one of these days really soon.

Capybara Love

2007-03-07T16:59:00.000-05:00

One of Jasper's favorite animals at the National Zoo is the capybara. They currently reside in the Elephant House, so we visit them a lot. Jasper has been asking for some pictures of them, so I finally took some. For the uninitiated: The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, found in Central and South America, and can hold it's breath underwater for up to 5 minutes. They are going to be moving when they rebuild the Elephant House—I can only hope they stay somewhere near parking lot B, because I don't think we will be forgetting about them any time soon!

My bag is finished!

2007-03-06T22:53:00.000-05:00

My Jayne's AP bag is finished! It turned out a tad smaller than I anticipated (that will teach me to be overzealous with the felting), but it's very cute. I just need to add a clasp and it's completely finished! It will be a great going-out bag.

Thanks again to Jayne for posting the free pattern.

Jasper and me #1 and #2

2007-03-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

I've been inspired by Kara's 365 project, where she has taken 100 self-portraits. My goal is to take at least 100 pictures of Jasper and me. We have so few pics of the two of us together, and far fewer than that are decent ones...and pretty soon I'll turn around and he'll be leaving for college, so I want a lot of documentation of our early days together.

I started thinking about this yesterday when our Zoo class teacher took this pic of us (not so great, and it's unfortunate we couldn't be crouched in front of one of the cool animal murals on the opposite walls—but we have 2 more weeks of class to aim for that pic). Today's picture was actually taken by Chuck E. Cheese, but it's just so cheesy, I have to include it. I mean, if I actually manage to take 100 pictures of the 2 of us, some of them have got to turn out cool, right? (At least once his zipperhead haircut grows out a bit.)

The Tot Lot does Chuck E. Cheese

2007-03-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

We had lots of fun this morning at Chuck E. Cheese with Ya Ya, Xander, and Brennan. There's still lots to do there, even if Jasper won't get near anything that vacillates or leaves the ground.

The machine where Chuck E. sketches your picture was a major attraction. (See my next post for this goofiness.)

If the shoes fit...

2007-03-06T13:14:00.000-05:00

This morning, within a matter of minutes, Jasper tried on 3 different pairs of my shoes. I also got a video of him walking in one pair, but for some reason I keep forgetting that if I take a video sideways with my camera, it will be forever sideways! Argh.

Alligators all around

2007-03-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

Today's Zoo class was about alligators. We got to touch alligator skin and hold a small alligator head (eesh). Then we made our own "working" alligator with paint, brads, and little poppy things (not quite sure what those were supposed to represent—the texture of the skin, perhaps), which Jasper opted to attach perpendicularly, just to be unique. Then we went to visit the alligators and the rest of his reptilian friends.

My bag is almost finished!

2007-03-04T19:32:00.000-05:00

My Jayne's AP bag is almost finished! Here are some pics of it before felting. I opted to knit the strap in the same color as the bottom, which I hope to finish tonight so I can felt tomorrow—yay!

Another beautiful day

2007-03-03T16:29:00.000-05:00

The sidewalk chalk and glue stick artist takes a moment to strike a pose for Daddy outside his studio.

Glitter glue with buttons #1

2007-03-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

This one kept us busy for almost 45 minutes this morning.

For Aunt Emmy, of course!

Out enjoying the day

2007-03-03T00:35:00.000-05:00

It was lovely here today (Friday), so we strapped on our boots and went out walking and playing in the wet. Spring must be right around the corner!

When you just can't wait for trash day...

2007-03-03T00:28:00.000-05:00

This is what it looked like in the backyard around the corner after the fire engine showed up to ask them to put out their backyard shed bonfire.

Nice.

Our resident school bus

2007-03-01T12:34:00.000-05:00

So, every weekday this school bus parks down my street. It doesn't really bother me, but I think it probably would if I were the person who just moved into the house right across the street from it's parking spot...yesterday there were 2 police cars camped out right behind it, and I thought the driver would be getting a talking to, but here it is right back there today. I think the driver hangs with a friend around the corner in between morning and afternoon shifts. Of course, he wouldn't want to trouble his friend with parking in front of his house...

Bird countin', muffin eatin'

2007-03-01T06:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday it was so nice outside, after Jasper's haircut we rewarded ourselves with some Starbucks snacks and some bird counting. (We had been planning on the Pancake House, but after Jasper heard another boy in the toy store talking about muffins, it was all about the muffin idea.)

Hallelujah!

2007-02-28T13:26:00.000-05:00

Tooth brushing is never a toddler's favorite thing, and we'd been doing as well as we could, but Jasper had gotten to the point where he would only let Daddy brush his teeth for about 5 seconds.

We needed a new approach for his "crusty choppers," as Chris put it. The other day I found this electric toothbrush w/ Elmo, Zoe, and Cookie Monster on it (Jasper chose the purple one). Jasper already had a Sesame Street toothbrush, but it was a manual one, so required a little more brushing action than he was willing to supply.

We tried the electric one this morning, and he loves it! I had to ask him to stop brushing so we could leave the house. Who knows how long it will last, but it's bound to get some of the crud off his teeth before he gets tired of it, right? I don't care how many batteries he uses up. Whoo hoo!

Playgroup at Brennan and Clayton's house

2007-02-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

The kids had a lot of fun making paper lanterns at Brennan's (and Clayton and Abbey's) house this morning.

During our attempts at a group shot, Xander kept crawling out, so you can see he's just been "helped" back into the frame in this shot.

Jasper is annoyed with me b/c I wouldn't show him the pictures on my camera until I got this one!

Thanks for having us Abbey!

A snow...zebra?

2007-02-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

This morning, on our way to Zoo class, we went to say hello to the zebra, who, apparently enjoyed the snow very much. As you can see, he was working on his snowman. (I would've thought he would have made a snow zebra, but perhaps he was trying to amuse his visitors.)

The latest from Cambodia

2007-02-26T13:12:00.000-05:00

Just when we are starting to worry about Emily b/c we haven't heard from her in a while, she comes through with this recommendation for a moving company, should any of you ever move to or within Phnom Penh.

Thanks Em!

The view from rock and star

2007-02-25T17:43:00.000-05:00

Jasper's latest work of art

2007-02-25T17:35:00.000-05:00

Two views of Elmer's with Googly Eyes #2. (Soon to be part of the not-so-permanent collection of Aunt Ga Ga.)

Hillel's party

2007-02-25T09:52:00.000-05:00

These pictures are crap b/c I forgot my camera and had to use my Treo, which has a sad excuse for a camera, but at least we were able to capture a bit of Barry the Magician and the sense of the party last night. The young ones especially liked the birds, and even after they were hidden away, kept sneaking around the back of the "stage" to look for them and hug them. Thanks Michael and Catherine, and congratulations Hillel!

Hillel's Bar Mitzvah

2007-02-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

This morning we went to synagogue for cousin Hillel's Bar Mitzvah. From the look of this picture, you'd think Jasper already knew the service would be a long one before we even entered the sanctuary...luckily Na Na came with a pop-up book (Jasper's parents brought food, but didn't really think through the toy idea) that helped everyone to make it though.

Hillel did a great job, and tonight we will continue the celebration with Barry the Magician at dinner (don't tell Jasper he won't get to see that part—I know he'd really enjoy it)!

Preschool update

2007-02-23T19:20:00.000-05:00

We heard today that Jasper has a spot in Garrett Park Nursery School. Yay! We will be holding his spot until we hear from the JCC and then make a final decision...Garrett Park Nursery School is walking distance from our house, which would be great! And the fact that it's less than 1/2 the cost doesn't hurt either...of course it's 2 vs. 3 mornings a week, and co-op vs. drop-off, so all of that could affect Mom's weight-lifting schedule, so we'll see how it pans out!

Saving their pennies

2007-02-23T15:04:00.000-05:00

Micah (and baby Sara too, but she didn't really play, just looked around) came over this morning to play, and they had a great time. Jasper even showed Micah how to use one of his prized possessions—his trick dog bank that Na Na gave him for Hanukkah. (This photo is a rarity because it shows two 2-year-olds using the same toy at the same time without trying to maul each other.) The boys get along really well. In return for the trick bank penny-entering session, Micah led Jasper in a chase around the upstairs, complete with shrieking embraces.

This guy?

2007-02-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

So, Jasper has this puzzle of Endangered Species. He's loves, loves, loves this puzzle, and we do it every day. (I say "we" because I am usually ordered to sit with him on the floor, but he really does the puzzle himself.) Many of these animals we know from the Zoo, or can otherwise determine what they are—all except the one in the lower right-hand corner.

One of the first times we did the puzzle together, we were naming all of the animals, and when I got to that one, I said "and then there's this guy," so this poor soul is now known in our house as "this guy." I would love to know what animal he is so we can address him properly. Any ideas? (Click on the pic for a larger image.)

Jasper's first babysitter?

2007-02-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

The other day I picked up this paperback in the Target $1 aisle. Jasper has taken a particular interest in it, and we have been reading it for each nap/bed time—at least once, sometimes more.

Might this bode well for his allowing me to leave him home with someone other than one of us, my siblings, or my mother? Of course, in the book the babysitter's name is Emily, which might have him thinking all of his babysitters will be his Aunt Emmy (but there's really no resemblance at all :))!

Whoo hoo!

Jasper's new favorite toy

2007-02-21T19:46:00.000-05:00

This is Jasper's new favorite thing. It doesn't matter whether there is anything to glue down, simply squirting the glue in delicate lines all over a piece of construction paper is pleasure enough.

After dinner tonight he spent 1/2 an hour gluing googly eyes onto a picture he declared was for Aunt Ga Ga. The amount of glue required was totally disproportionate to the number of googly eyes affixed, but it's art, after all.

Zoo class

2007-02-21T13:09:00.000-05:00

After our shock and dismay at being turned away from the Zoo on Monday, we got lucky today and had lovely weather for our Zoo make-up class. We learned about the elephants and hippos, and then we paid them a visit.

It was so nice outside, we didn't even need our jackets by the end of the morning!

Mixmaster Jasper

2007-02-20T19:09:00.000-05:00

These videos are large, so they may take a while to download...go get a coffee, then come back and enjoy!

Countdown to the red carpet

2007-02-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

Anyone else looking forward to Sunday night? Even though I've probably seen only one, well, actually none of the nominated movies this year, I love watching the potential train wreck of it all. Last year brought us Ryan Phillipe's drunken slap on the back (followed by a separation from Reese—yay Reese!). Oh, okay, maybe that was the Golden Globes, but nonetheless...it should be great entertainment!

What will this year bring? I can't wait!

Oldies but goodies

2007-02-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

This morning we were all excited to go to Zoo class, and Daddy was even coming with us, but we got to the Zoo and it was closed! So we stopped by to say hi to Na Na and Pop Pop. Jasper loves the Fisher Price Play House and Farm that Na Na wisely held onto for future generations...the working doorbell on the house is a big hit! The barn door that moos when you open it is pretty cool too, but today it was all about the house.

Then we went out to lunch and got to watch the tortilla machine, so in the end maybe it wasn't so bad the Zoo was closed. We'll get to go back on a warmer day!

Out and about some more

2007-02-18T19:42:00.000-05:00

More fun out in the snow...keen on his girlfriends Emma and Nicole—not so sure about the dog though.

(And if you take a close look at most of these, you can see that Jasper is actually wearing the scarf I made him. It's a rare appearance. It must have really been cold out. Or maybe he just prefers when Daddy dresses him.)

Are you kidding me?

2007-02-18T16:18:00.000-05:00

In my search for some more fun Play-Doh accessories, I keep finding the selection very limited. So I just made a visit to the website—Who knew that Hasbro had annual and seasonal releases of gadgets? One of the new 2007 items (this is one of the few items I keep seeing in the stores) is this "Confetti Maker." Hunh? Would someone actually spend money on a toy that's only use is to make thousands of miniscule pieces of Play-Doh to strew about your house? Seriously. Jasper does that on his own anyway, so I guess I just saved $16.99.

Happy Birthday William!

2007-02-18T08:27:00.000-05:00

Cousin William is 5 years old today. His party was last weekend, and even though we couldn't be there, it looks like it was fun!

We hope you have a great day William, and we hope to see you all again soon!

Erica, Brand Manager

2007-02-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

We were visiting with Aunt Abby this morning and learned that cousin Erica was promoted to Brand Manager at Kraft, overseeing Breakstone's sour cream and Kraft Dips. (I should not be writing this before lunch, as it is making me very hungry!) Congratulations Erica! You'll be a great brand manager, but don't forget to let us know if you need any help taste testing...

Oh, happy day!

2007-02-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

Not only did I get to sleep in this morning, but I awakened to the delivery of our Girl Scout cookies! This year we got thin mints (of course), tagalongs (aka peanut butter patties), and little brownies. Yummy! These will be a welcome accompaniment to, well, to everything for the next couple of days.

LibraryThing

2007-02-16T17:47:00.000-05:00

Today I finished entering all of our books into the LibraryThing (including the 2 books Jasper received today in the mail—thanks Uncle Larry, Aunt Carole, Dan, and Arielle!). I am thinking we'll turn up a few more as we empty the storage unit, but the bulk of our library comes to 631 books—218 of which are children's books!

Cha ching!

2007-02-16T12:57:00.000-05:00

Well, our taxes are completed and on the way to the IRS. I received a yucky papercut in the process, but it was worth it b/c we are getting a chunk of change back this year (one of the side-benefits to being unemployed, so-to-speak). I can't wait to get my diamonds, um, I mean, dinner out when the checks come in!

Move over Laurie

2007-02-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

Oh boy. Tonight we met Na Na for dinner out and she brought Jasper a Valentine's Day gift from Pop Pop's nurses (they are SO good to J)--this Barney DVD. It is serendipity b/c Jasper just discovered Barney like a week ago, and since then has been asking about the purple dinosaur...so, I have a feeling this video might be vying with Laurie for the top spot, starting, um, tomorrow.

It's out of my hands now...

2007-02-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

We received our JCC preschool application two days ago. I stopped in there this morning to turn it in, where I was able to hand it directly to one of the preschool folks, who checked it and blessed me for having it all in order. So, now we wait (potentially until after Passover, I am told, which is, well, I'm not sure when, but more than a month away) to hear about his placement for the Fall.

Out and about

2007-02-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

Jasper and I had a nice long walk outside this afternoon, which only ended when Mommy got cold and hungry. He was determined to go all the way to the train tracks. Worked up such an appetite that when we got home he promptly asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which he ate in about 30 seconds. Here's to good sleep tonight!

Jasper's new socks

2007-02-14T12:58:00.000-05:00

I just finished these socks for Jasper. There's a picture of the fancy treads on the bottom here. They actually seem to work--he was running all around this morning in them on the hard wood with no wipe-outs. :)

I think the socks turned out pretty well, which is good because I have enough yarn left over for another pair for him or another lucky kiddo.

Cool blog stats

2007-02-13T22:04:00.000-05:00

10% of my visitors are from Cambodia...hmm...I wonder who that could be? We miss you Aunt Emmy!

Jasper, meet Chuck E.

2007-02-13T13:43:00.000-05:00

Jasper had his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese this morning. It is snowing, and we got there early, so he had free reign over the toddler area for awhile. He couldn't have been happier. Micah came too, and the boys had a great time shrieking and playing with each other. With the realization that they have salad and serve alcohol, I can only imagine how often we will be coming back!

Car wash art

2007-02-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

LibraryThing

2007-02-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

Because it's just too perfect a project not to try, I have started cataloging all of our books on LibraryThing. So far I have added all of the books from the office (not too many), the bedroom (not too many there either), and Jasper's books from the living room (pretty many). I still have to add the rest of Jasper's books that are in his room, and all of Chris's and my books on the built-in bookshelf in the living room. Shortly after starting this project I realized that I would have to upgrade to a paid account (free accounts are limited to 200 books), so I am now committed to completing the list. Although nowhere near Mara's list (thank you, Mara, for the inspiration), our catalog is currently up to 138 books. Scroll to see some random books from our library in the sidebar. :)

To the parents of Jasper Lester

2007-02-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, Jasper received his first preschool admissions letter this morning. Actually, it was addressed to his parents, but nonetheless...He's on the waiting list at Beth El. This was not entirely unexpected b/c we are not members there, but it would be nice to have the option--especially b/c we don't know of any other acceptances yet. We have yet to even receive the application from the JCC, which is starting to make me a little unsure about them for next year too...this leaves us with Garrett Park Nursery School, which we should be hearing from soon. Here's hoping one of those works out! Mommy needs to get back in the gym.

Radio Slack

2007-02-09T17:53:00.000-05:00

Just got back from running to Radio Shack, among other places, b/c the adapter on J's sound machine crapped out. I know it's the cord and not the machine 'cause the batteries still work...anyway, run over to Radio Shack, dead adapter in hand. Wait for about 20 minutes while other customers are helped and an employee seemingly on break walks back and forth about 5 times with his Campbell's Soup-in-hand. Jasper is taken with some sort of reptile robot-type thing they have on clearance. Finally get helped, only to come home with the new adapter and it doesn't fit. And even if it did, the part that goes into the wall is so big, it won't even stay in. It falls right out. Of course, I happily handed over the old one to the guy behind the counter. It didn't even occur to me to compare the plugs. You would think maybe it would have, b/c this kind of thing seems to happen to me every time I go to Radio Shack. Guess I'll be visiting them again tomorrow!

Sugar Momma

2007-02-09T08:21:00.000-05:00

I no longer have any worries. The fortuneteller told Emily that she would be rich. I can only assume that there will be some trickle-down economics in the family, and I will never have to work again.

My heroes

2007-02-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

My heroes of the day are Davis & Davis, who came when they said they would and fixed our furnace for the low, low price of $400, and my son (pictured here watching Elmo while almost freezing to death). Jasper was a great sport, and continued to pretend like everything was ok while we waited for heat. Then we headed back over to Na Na and Pop Pop's where he took a marathon nap to regain his strength for returning to business as usual tomorrow. Phew!

Brrr!

2007-02-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

It's 43 degrees in our house right now. We spent the night at Na Na and Pop Pop's, but unfortunately the furnace did not miraculously start up again in our absence. The life savers over at Davis & Davis are supposed to be here in the next few hours...meanwhile, Jasper is getting free reign over what he wants on the TV. I'd write more, but I can't feel my fingers.

Snow day

2007-02-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

So we are home this morning while the snow melts, making Valentines for Na Na, Pop Pop, Grandma Juli, and Aunt Emmy. Grandma Juli got the motherlode of animal stickers. Others more closely resemble actual valentines, but he made those first, so perhaps he just got tired of hearts.

K-Fed

2007-02-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I think I need to cancel my subscription to US Magazine b/c last night I had a dream involving K-Fed. He and I were at a bar, and he was not being very good at ordering any drinks for me, so I decided to give him the boot. Wow.

You want me to check your what?

2007-02-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

For want of a drive-thru

2007-02-06T14:40:00.000-05:00

So, this morning I would have really liked to go get myself a mocha at Starbucks, but I just couldn't face the balancing act of getting myself and Jasper in and out of the car in a crowded parking lot while I couldn't feel my hands (it's SO cold)...why are there no drive-thru coffee places around here? I am sensing a serious business opportunity. Starbucks claims to have them in 48 states, but none closer to me than College Park, which at 11 miles away makes it a little too far for excuses to stop by...I am on the hunt for a drive-thru coffee place that can give me a mocha!

'Ups with Daddy

2007-02-05T19:31:00.000-05:00

In search of a fishing cat

2007-02-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

This was the scene on the way back from the Zoo this morning. Apparently our failed hunt for the fishing cats was more than Jasper could take. Only 1/2 our class showed up in the single-digit temperatures, and of those, only a couple actually made the Zoo walk down the Asia Trail, but we were there! In lieu of the fishing cats, we had to make do with the cheetahs, red pandas, and zebra. The fishing cats were wise and decided it was too cold to be outside. I don't think the fishing would have been that great in the ice anyway...Now here's hoping for a long nap so I can work on his socks!

Happy Birthday Ann! (aka: Or maybe it can)

2007-02-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

We just returned from Ann's birthday party, where Curt and Dave were the penultimate hosts, as usual...delicious food, and fun had by all. (This is not the birthday girl in the photo, btw, for those who are unsure.)

Jasper hearts Laurie

2007-02-04T12:57:00.000-05:00

My son has always gone for older women, preferably ones over the age of 4. At Kara's suggestion (thanks Kara--I think) long ago we got him this video. We now watch it at least once a day, with requests much more frequent than that. It comes with a short CD that we now listen to in the car--every time we are in it. The only drawback is that the CD only has 5 songs on it, so any time we drive anywhere that's further than say, about 5 miles, I start to go insane. But Jasper couldn't be happier that his "singing icic" keeps on. Ah, the suffering we endure for our children.

The holidays in Cambodia

2007-02-03T18:13:00.000-05:00

My sister is living in Cambodia, where she rides a motor-scooter, and is working at a daily English-language newspaper. Around holiday time, she sent us this glamour shot. It took me several minutes to recognize her. We are hopeful that this was for fun, and is not actually her wedding photo.

The cutest thing ever

2007-02-03T18:06:00.000-05:00

Tania sent me this adorable picture of Madeleine wearing my sweater and hat. Isn't she the cutest thing ever? She also stars in my knitting blog, but no one will see her over there, so here she is!

RIP Molitor

2007-02-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my parents' dog, Molly (named for Paul Molitor of the Brewers, of course), died peacefully while lying under my Dad's bed. How to tell a 2-year-old the dog is dead? He is always very concerned about her whereabouts when we are at their house, so he will be looking high and low for her.

(She is not actually deceased in this picture, just resting.)