Monday, December 29, 2008

So close

It is amazing that we are so close to the end of all of our upheaval! By the end of the week we will be living in our new apartment (back in Ames) and Matt will begin work as a post-doctoral researcher. He's been job hunting and sending out lots of resumes. He had one phone interview and it went well. He should here back after the first of the year if they want to interview him in person.

Chi is teething. He has all the symptoms, but it's been two days and no sign of an actual tooth (this will be the second; he does have one now). It is so frustrating. We really thought that once he finally got one, they would just all come in, but I guess that is not how it's going to work. He is still a happy little boy though. He walks around and points or holds up something and says, "Dih!" Which I am taking to mean "this" or possibly "what?" so I have taken to labeling things for him. If he holds up a sock, I say "sock," etc.

Gabe is tired of the way things are which makes him grumpy and whiny a lot of the time, but I try to remember that he is just four years old. And come to think of it, sometimes our situation makes me grumpy and whiny too. :) But he's doing okay. He's been enjoying his Christmas haul. We went down to the Children's Museum in Indy with Mike and Kathy and their girls. Gabe had a blast. All the kids did. They had the Yule Slide up. They convert the main staircase to a slide from the second floor down to the first. Gabe flew down the thing, laughing all the way. We all loved it (Matt and I couldn't resist going down either!)

So, while everyone is gearing up to celebrate the new year, we are gearing up to go home. We can't wait.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

We have colds

Life is stuffy right now. Malachi, Gabe and I all have colds with stuffy, runny noses. The boys look like they have been punching each other because their eyes have such dark circles. Niether is sleeping well. Hopefully this will pass soon.

Matt turned in his dissertation yesterday -- finally! He still may have to make corrections after his defense, but basically he's done. He is now working on his talk for the defense, but by Dec. 2 we should all by calling him Dr. Vannette.

We had a good time at my sister's wedding. The boys did a good job and every one thought they were wonderful. Gabe had his first milkshake and thinks that drinkable ice cream is a great idea.

We are back in Des Moines for the week and then it's off to my parents for Thanksgiving. I hope they get over their colds before we leave, but oh well, I guess. After that we are back here again, Matt defends. Gabe's preschool session wraps up and we head off to Ft. Wayne. We are looking for apartments so that we have someplace by Jan. 1 in Ames. Matt will stay for the next 6 months while job hunting. Things are moving fast.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Stuff and lists

Well, I don't write as often as I like anymore -- I hope you haven't all given up on me completely! We are doing fine. Gabe is loving preschool and would go every single day if he could. Malachi is walking, sort of more tottering, but he can get about half way across the room before he falls. Still no teeth...grr. Matt is still high stress, but in one sense doing better because he now has an official date for his dissertation defense, Dec. 2 and he has the paperwork signed for his job as a postdoc at ISU starting in Jan. Me, well, I guess I am just trying to hold everything and everyone together.

So, I have already had several conversations with people about Christmas gifts so here are a few ideas:
Gabe
Geotrax (he has Grand Central and would love extension packs or the airplane)
Imanginext Batcave (by Fisher Price)
Shake and Go cars
Soccer ball
Aqua doodle
Play dough
Hullabaloo game
He wears 4T

Chi
Any toys that have things to manipulate, things to fit together
Parents brand Cell phone and Car keys (this brand is more realistic which is fun)
Little Tykes Handle Haulers
Really, just anything that looks cool...
He wears 12 month right now, but I would probably just buy 18 month clothes and he really needs 12-18 month size socks

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Still here

So I actually have a few minutes to myself to write some updates. Malachi has taken some steps on his own. He's not very brave about it yet; it just sort of happens so I am not sure how long before he will be walking but we are not very far away. Each day he shows more and more control. He is getting most of his food from real "people" food. He hardly ever has a bottle anymore. And he is finally cutting a tooth, but it's still not visible.

Gabe started school this week. It's a preschool program through the parks and rec and he goes every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. He loves saying that he goes to school now. He's doing well and having fun. His teachers enjoy him. He's the one with a busy schedule. He has school, then library story time on Wednesday and Sunday school on Sunday.

I have a few minutes because for the first time in many years I opted not to go to church. Any time I have not gone in 3 and half years has been because I was visiting someplace where there was not a regular church people attended...and right after the Chi was born, now that I think about it. It's weirdly liberating to just stay home while the rest go. They all had that option before and exercised it a couple times, but I always had to go. It is still very important to me, but it feels that way since I have a choice now.

Right now my life has just been about trying to hold us together and our situation is starting to wear on everyone. Matt was on track for defending on Nov. 21, but now one advisor is trying to push it off...past the deadline for graduation. I am begging Matt to fight back, but I don't know what is going to happen. I guess either way he's going to take a semester postdoc position at ISU and they'll let him do that at full pay even if he doesn't defend until later, as long as it is before the end of the semester. I don't like this. I don't trust any of these people at this point though. I don't know; if you pray, now is a time we can use all the prayers we can get.

So, that's our life right now.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Gabe...

Chase wanted to play Rock, Paper, Scissors with Gabe and was trying to teach him the rules, but Gabe informed Chase that his mommy doesn't let him play with scissors. Chase didn't know what to say to that. After I was done cracking up when they told me the story, I explained that they were pretend scissors. Gabe is still not sure he likes the game because he wants more time to think about which to choose.

Gabe has also read five simple books designed for beginner readers. He is working on sounding out words. He is doing a good job.

Chi is growing and now standing independently. He does it multiple times a day.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

It's been awhile...

It's been hard to find time to write. So here's the scoop. Matt hasn't been able to finish this month because the committee decided he needed to collect more data. Lots of frustration all around, but now that is done and he's close to finishing the writing. His date is set for Nov. 21st, which of course is much later than we had hoped.

So the boys and I are still at my aunt and uncle's house because it is so much closer to Matt and we can see him for about half the week each week. We are weary of not having our own place, but this is working out well. Our goal is to have someplace to call home by the beginning of December.

No luck on the job front. It's a possibility that Matt can stay put and just transition to a post doc position, which is not ideal for any of us, but we'll make it work. There are just two jobs we are still waiting on that start in January, so keep your fingers crossed.

Malachi can crawl and pull up. He spends much of his life vertical now and sometimes cruises along the furniture. He also gave up baby food. He still has no teeth so finding food for him to eat a well balanced diet has been challenging, but I think we are managing.

Gabe and I are doing "school time" each day and that is fun. We just practice pre-reading and math skills and do art projects. We walk on the trails around here most days and go to the library once a week. I gave up on the hand washing after using the bathroom and bought hand sanitizer so he wouldn't be stuck at the sink. He loves using it, but the best part is that he has his own name for it. It is called "hanitizer."

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Mobile Malachi

Malachi is on the move! He can crawl, but he gets around with a combo of crawling, scooting, bouncing and rolling. What he is really getting good at is getting up into a sitting position. He can usually do that from any position (unless he's really tired). My favorite is that he sits up and then kind-of bounces on his butt in an effort to move himself.

The other thing he is already doing is trying to pull himself up. He gets about half way there, so that is not long off. He now has his first pair of shoes in anticipation of all the places out of the house he'll want to put his feet down.

Gabe said...

Before we left Ames, we were all in the car, I don't remember where we were going, and we passed by a utility box. It was a large rectangular box that was up on a concrete block. Gabe said, "Look! A statue of a box!"

Again in the car. I was driving us to my grandma's in St. Louis and I decided to approach the city so that Gabe could see the Arch. I tried to explain to him why the Arch was there, how it was where the pioneers set off from, the "Gateway to the West," and all. I knew he wouldn't get it all, but he always needs to know why. So, we could see the Arch and he was uspet that he couldn't see the bottom. I told him we were still very far away and when we got closer he would see the whole thing. We cross the Mississippi (very exciting) and I say, "Can you see the bottom now?" He said he could and then he said, "But Mommy, I can't see the gate."

Monday, August 4, 2008

Travelin'

Our travels have begun. We are now at Bobbie and Dano's. It is quite the full house right now, there is me, two kids, two grandparents, three cats, two dogs, an Aunt Amanda and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, maybe not the partridge. But you get the idea. It is a full house. It has been good though. Gabe has been glued to Amanda's side most of the day.

So far we are just settling in, trying to make the kids feel at home. It's easier with Chi. Gabe feels good today because we put some pictures up on his wall. The Post-It note people have done it again. They now make white sketch pads with the sticky strip on the back so we can stick some pictures up on the wall to make it look like his space and then just pull them right back down again when it's time to go, so no push pin holes.

Chi is teething. He has had a sour stomach and I wonder if it isn't related to the extra drool from teething. He's clearly been in some pain lately, but still nothing is coming through.

Matt came with us here, but he is now back in Ames. He'll stay with friends while he finishes up. He'll spend most of his time throwing himself into work. And as much as he will miss us, this amount of time to just work is something he relishes when he can get it. He is still looking for work. He has sent off resumes, had a phone interview with a guy at Ohio State and has a professor that is making some calls on his behalf, so something is bound to come up soon. Even if the start date isn't until later, it would be nice to at least know where we are going.

I am doing fine. I am sure the boys are going to exhaust me. I am not used to be with them all the time! But I think it is good. I know I'll get to be here with Chi when he crawls (and he's close) and help Gabe with all the things he is trying to learn. The last day at the church was very emotional. I miss them already. But overall I am okay with moving on. It was more than a job though, so it will take time.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Packing

I hate packing. But I have discovered a whole new level of abhorring in packing -- the triple pack. I can't just throw stuff in boxes and label what it has in it and what room it goes to, I have to separate. I have to pack stuff to store for however long that will be, pack stuff that I will want if we are settled somewhere for months or going overseas, and keep stuff that I will need immediately. I think I have perpetual headache. I am pretty good at packing (Lord knows I've had enough practice), but this is tough. It just takes more time than regular packing.

Gabe is stressed out by the process (probably due to the level of stress Matt and I have been at in addition to the stuff going in boxes). He is handling things as well as I can expect though. He also has a pretty good grasp at what is going on; the down side being that although we haven't made a big deal about it, he knows he's not going to be with Daddy all the time. For all of us, that is the worst part of this situation.

So, what exactly is going on, you may ask. Well, Matt is not quite done, but my job is a school year, by school year sort of thing, so I will be leaving my job shortly and this coincides with our lease ending. Matt will defend his dissertation in September but stay on at the university until he has a job so that he's still getting a paycheck. Unfortunately that's not really enough for us to live on here, so while we wait to determine what job Matt gets and will accept, I am going to take advantage of my free time and visit people. I am going to start out at Bobbi and Dano's for a couple weeks, then perhaps, see Mike and Kathy. I will stop at my grandma's on the way to my parents, and round out the whole thing with a short stay at my brother's which would put me back in Iowa, so we'll go see Matt and give him some support before he defends.

Whether we go to the Netherlands or to another job, we'll still have some time to kill, so the boys and I will be going to live with Bobbi and Dano from about September to whenever we are ready to move to our new home.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Coconut Cup

Matt is back. His trip was good. He enjoyed the conference in Germany and made contacts with other younger scientists that he may be able to work with in the future. He ate dinner with a count too. And of course, everyone brings back souvenirs of their travels and Matt is no different. However, his souvenir is a bit odd, while in Bavaria he decided the best thing to remember the trip by was a coconut cup. He went to a bar with some people that had a tropical theme. The pretzels were in these really cool coconut cups so he bought one from them. I'm sure if he went some place tropical he'd come home with winter gear or something.

Anyway. His interview in the Netherlands went well, but we still don't have enough information to know whether or not this will happen. He is expecting a formal job offer to come next week, if there will be one. The ballpark salary is not perfect. It's a nice figure, but with the expense of relocating to another country and the expense of living in that area, it may not be enough. But he was told there would be benefits, so we just need to know the details to see if it will work or not. He really liked the lab and the job they offered is ideal. He would be like a staff scientist and get the freedom to pursue his own research while checking up on all the other groups and getting involved with all the other research going on.

I am leaving tomorrow for our youth trip. We are going to South Carolina to do home repairs through a youth work camp. I am looking forward to the experience but I just got Matt back home and I will miss the boys terribly. Hopefully the traveling will be easy. I just went to visit my sister and there wasn't a lot of traffic. I am thinking that the gas prices really are limiting some people's travel.

The boys are good. Gabe has been quite the little helper while we were on our own. He is so good with Chi. He has been glued to Matt's side since he has been home. Chi is fine. He just had a check up and is as healthy as can be. He is now sitting very well. He still falls over easily, but he is much more stable than he was.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Just another Thursday

Matt is in D.C. He left this morning and he had already met up with his group that is going to the conference. They will all travel to Lindau together. Bobbie is here to help with the boys, but since we made her get up so early to get Matt to the airport, she has today to recooperate from the travels and such. So the boys are at daycare. Today is normal for them although Gabe does know Matt is gone.

Bobbie tells me that Chi is actually bigger than Slyvie. He is a big kid, but I find that amazing. He is getting better at sitting up on his own. He is strong, but he hasn't coordinated everything for crawling yet. He is such a happy kid. I love getting him in the morning because he just looks up at you and then when he realizes you are there to get him out of his crib his face just breaks into the biggest smile.

Gabe has been learning the story of Moses at daycare. He made a staff/serpent and acts out the part where Pharoh wants a sign and Moses throws down his walking stick and it becomes a snake. Oh, he was thrilled by the idea of a burning bush and wanted to know if he could see one. (Personally I thought whenever God has spoken directly to someone they got roped into doing something that they didn't really want to do, so I wouldn't want to run into a burning bush, but I saved that thought for me. I just told him, I don't know if he'll see one. He'll just have to keep his eyes open.) He also sings the song "Pharoh, Pharoh" which is to the tune of "Louie, Louie" so that's fun. I think they are parting the Red Sea today. I hope that works out for them. :)

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Why we need to pay attention

George Bush is not dumb. He's calculating and he uses his "dumbness" as a wall to hide behind and we've been letting him. Have you had enough war yet? Are we any safer? Ha. Well, pay attention folks because Bush has been gunning for Iran and he is following a plan we were blindly ignoring.

Did you ever ask yourself, why after all this time did Bush want to get involved int the "peace process" with Israel and Palestine? Bush is so very clever. What is the only thing Americans pay attention to in an election year? The election. Bush has a great excuse for closed door meetings with the Israelis that dosen't raise suspicion because it's all about peace with Palestine.

Our country has been pretty clear that we don't want to go to war with Iran too. (By the way, if we do forget driving anywhere, gas will be for the rich only.) Congress may actually wake up and not give it's consent. So, Bush has planned the way around that. Make Israel do it. It hasn't consistently made top news, though it should have, but Israel is threatening to bomb Iran to take out their nuclear infrastructure. If they do that, Iran fights back and as Israel's ally it will be our responsibility to go to war with Iran.

It's the perfect plan really. That truce right now. It's only in Israel's interest to have a truce so that it can focus it's attention on Iran. And yes, Iran's leader is a nutjob who hates Israel, but the people of Iran don't want to go to war. Are we really morally prepared to kill innocent people because one guy likes to strut and talk big? Are bombs really the only solution. No one is under direct threat right now and Ahjmadimijad is an elected leader who won't be in office forever.

Our president loves being a war time president and why not? Everyone he's tied to is getting super rich. His administration has not been a failure as so often said lately. It's been a tremendous success if you care more for corporate power and money than actual living and breathing people who make up the majority of this country. It's time to say no more. Don't pretend he can't do anything as a lame duck.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Whaaat?!!?

Bobbie sent some info about preschools in Ft. Wayne should we be staying there for awhile. The church affliation was Missouri Synod Lutheran. (We are ELCA, I'm not going to hash out the differences here. Suffice to say, it makes more of a difference for an adult than a child.) So I said to Matt, "I don't mind if he goes to a Missouri Synod preschool..." "Whaat?!?!" yells Gabe. Very incredulous, as if, how dare you send me to a Missouri synod preschool. It is hard to convey the funny-ness of the moment with words. (I think he thought I wanted to send him to Missouri.)

Last night a couple of the guys from youth group wanted to play Monopoly. We started at 7 pm. I finally kicked them out at 11 pm, but we weren't finished, so we had to pick the game up where we left off this morning. I actually won! I never win Monopoly. And I never play long enough for someone to actually win the whole board and knock everyone out, but that's what happened. I must say, that I am feeling fantasticly cool today.

Chi has this thing now where he sticks his toungue out a little and curls it over his upper lip. Haven't managed to catch it on camera yet, but it is so cute. It's as if he is always saying, "Hmm. Think. Think. Think."

Monday, June 16, 2008

Lenny Kravitz can come to dinner

Matt introduced Gabe to Lenny Kravitz (a musician, in case you don't know) while riding in the car. Gabe particularly liked "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and likes to sing the guitar riffs. When Matt asked if he liked Lenny Kravitz, Gabe responded, "Yes. He can come to dinner."

What else are they doing? It's funny. Something happens during the day and we find it so humorous we say, I should put that on the blog, but then by the time they go to sleep and I can type in peace, everything just goes right out of my head. Malachi just grows and grows. He is now wearing 6-9 month clothes; I guess it's only a month early and that is not unusual, but he was so small when he was born sometimes it amazes me.He is capable of moving himself around, he just can't be bothered to do it most of the time. Last night Matt put him down in his crib with his head at one end, and in the morning his head was at the other end. He can sit on his own very briefly, but he's improving each day.

Last week Gabe went to Vacation Bible School. Our church and another church partnered for it, so he went to a different church each day. He really liked it, but was so tired and whiny each day. It was a lot for him. He was upset that it was only a week long, but somehow got it into his head that the reason it was short was that it was just a practice for preschool. He decided that he is ready for preschool. The kid really cracks me up. Where does he come up with this stuff?

Matt leaves in a week and a half for his European adventure. First to Germany for the conference and then to the Netherlands for his job interview. We just rented a storage unit. We are going to start moving stuff that we don't use into the unit this week. Our goal is to move stuff so that it isn't a mad rush to figure out where we need to stick everything at the end of July. Matt gets back July 9 and I leave on the 12th for a week trip with the youth group. Once I am back, there just isn't a lot of time before our lease is up. And no, we don't know what happens at that point. And yes, we are stressed out about that, but it is what it is.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Boys

Yesterday Gabe rode on a float in a parade. Every year Story City celebrates Scandinavian Days which means I had to learn to spell Scandinavian :) But more importantly, they always have a parade and the church always has something in the parade, so Gabe rode his first float. It is a long parade route and he was loving it at first, then he got a bit tired and then he just broke down when he wanted off. In all fairness, I told him the end was at the church and we got to the church and went right past. The parade was over but we had to take the float back to the garage. So anyways, he just started crying when we didn't stop at the church. But now he remembers the event fondly.

We were going to take in some of the events today, but the rainy weather has kept us home. We are not personally dealing with flooding, but there has been flooding in the area and it is going to be a problem again. All the rivers around us are already above flood stage and it keeps raining. Today we questioned whether we would be able to get to the church because of the water, but we made it. I have to go back tonight for youth group, so hopefully I'll get through all right. I have two spots to get through that have the potential to flood.

Chi, Gabe and I have all been fighting a particularly nasty cold. I have been sick for a full week now and Gabe is just over a week. Chi is at about a week as well. We are just so stuffed up and having a hard time breathing.

Otherwise Chi is doing well. He has decided that rice cereal and even oatmeal is not that great, but vegetables and fruits are fantastic. His favorites are peas, green beans and bananas. He stares jealously any time anyone is eating. He is so ready for regular food; too bad he can't actually eat it yet. He can roll, but doesn't do it much. He seems to think there isn't much to be gained in rolling. He also enjoyed his first experience at the swimming pool. He liked kicking and he also liked floating on his back.

Oh, and speaking of the pool, Gabe is growing up. He now jumps off the edge into the shallow end with no help. He doesn't want to be caught anymore. It's a little hard to adjust to him not needing me, but it is nice to see him so brave and independent and confident about it.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Politics

Okay, so you know Gabe has been proud of his political knowledge. If you ask him he can tell you mommy and daddy like Barack Obama, which sounds more like a-rock Obama. So we asked him who he liked and he promptly replied, "John McCain."

Later McCain was giving a speech and Matt said, "Look, it's John McCain." Gabe ran over to look and said, "That's John McCain?" So, I think his choice had more to do with the name than the man.

Well, then Matt had on C-SPAN and Ralph Nader was on. Malachi was enthralled. He got mad if you got in the way.

It seems we have things covered. 2 for the dems, 1 for the republicans, and 1 independent. Our own slice of America. :)

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Another post finally

We've been having some trouble lately with our internet, so it's been awhile since I have had time to write and been able to get online at the same time.

Both boys have stuffy noses. Gabe is considerably worse than Chi, but on the plus side, I stay home with them on Fridays anyway, so they will be able to stay home and rest. I don't expect it to turn into anything serious. One of the kids at daycare had a cold and now it's just going around as these things do.

Matt has a promising lead on a possible post-doc with NIST which I can never quite remember what it stands for but it's something like National Institute of Science and Technology, in other words, a national lab. It is located in Boulder, CO. We are okay with this. Colorado is expensive, but national labs usually pay well and offer good benefits. The only downside is that it wouldn't start until January so that causes some headaches. He's been in contact with the lab and was encouraged to apply to multiple groups, so we will see where that leads. He is still interviewing in the Netherlands, but that isn't until July and we are also waiting on Los Alamos. A friend has a connection and is passing along Matt's info with an attached recommendation. So keep your fingers crossed that something just falls into place for us.

As for me, not much is going on. I am wrapping up my job. I have a summer discussion group to lead and youth group and the summer trip, which is basically already planned. The kids are leading worship Sunday because Pastor will be out of town.

Last night we went on a walk and stopped at our neighborhood playground. While Matt and Gabe ran around, Chi explored the grass for the first time. He really liked it. He sat all by himself and looked and pulled.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Rice and Beyond!

Malachi is eating solids! Yea! So far just rice, but I can tell he's itching for more flavors. He gets annoyed with us when we eat and he can't have what we are having. But he didn't seem to handle rice in the morning too well, so we'll get that established before we add peas, probably this weekend. He eats rice cereal like a champ in the evening and did okay having it at lunchtime today. There is no need for coaxing. The spoon is held up and he opens his mouth.

I don't want to say we talk a lot of politics in our house, but Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain are recognizable names for Gabe. On the radio this morning he heard them talking about Clinton's win in W. Virginia. "Mommy, they said Hillary Clinton won." So, I replied, "Yes, she won one state yesterday, but it's not over yet." And Gabe responded, "Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama." Then I said, "Yes, that's right. Do you know who Mommy and Daddy like?" He promptly replied, "Barack Obama." It's cute. He's so proud of himself for knowing the names.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Wish on Gabe's Star

Gabe got a Star Friend stuffed animal from Aunt Amanda which meant he could go online to the international star registry and name his very own real star. First, he had to name his friend, which is a monkey. He named it Friend of Dog. Then he picked the constellation Pegasus for the location of his star and he named it The Gorilla. So, now when you gaze at the stars, The Gorilla is shining on you.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Don't brush your brother

It's funny the things you say when you have kids. I had finished Gabe's haircut and was working on Matt's and I turned around and Gabe is using the hair whisk to brush Chi, and I said, "Don't brush your brother." Then not five minutes later I turn around and say, "Where's your underwear?" He had been down to his underwear because his clothes had hair all over them, but then there he was running around, doing somersaults, naked as a jay-bird. Kids may say the darndest things, but they definitely get you to say some weird things too.

Both boys had their check-ups today; each had shots. Chi took his better, calmed down faster, but was still wanted to be held and cuddled all day long. Gabe cried and cried and cried, and said he never wanted to go to the doctors office again, but by the time he finished his hearing test which he thought was a fun game, he was fine. Not fun overall, but the doctor's office gave Gabe a book, sticker and sucker. Both boys are short, but otherwise healthy.

Our house keeps getting more and more labeled. We have words on everything so Gabe can learn how to spell/read. So our walls say wall, doors say door, etc. Each night lately Gabe adds about five or six more words. The room I'm a bit worried about is the bathroom, you know, water hazard. I suppose we could laminate them. But in any case, it seems to be working. We point out the words and ask what they say and he tells us, then later we write the word down and see if he knows. He's getting a few of them.


Thursday, May 1, 2008

Almost Four

Gabe's birthday is just around the corner. For those interested, here is a birthday list.
puzzles
Ants in the Pants game
Elefun game
Don't Break the Ice game
bucket and shovel for sandbox
model magic
Legos
pool toys
and books
I can't really make a list of books. yes, he has a lot, but there are a lot he doesn't have and I am afraid if I made a list it would be too limiting. If you are concerned that he already has a book, just ask.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wisdom from Michael Moore?

I don't agree with Michael Moore's typical tactics, but when he is just talking, he says a lot of things that I agree with. This is one of the best things I have ever heard about health care. This came from an interview with Larry King.

"Health care is one of the basic services society needs to function. You wouldn't have a police department if it needed to turn a profit every year. You wouldn't have a fire department if it needed to turn a profit every year. We shouldn't have a health care system that needs to turn a profit."

Friday, April 25, 2008

Good Idea

ICE (In Case of Emergency) is a campaign to help paramedics and hospital staff know who to contact in case of an emergency in which you are unresponsive. Most people now have cell phones, but how does anyone, but us, determine quickly which person in our contacts to call? So a paramedic came up with the idea of ICE. All you do is program your emergency contact in your cell phone under ICE. If you have more than one number or contact list them as ICE1, ICE2, etc. As this grows nationally, we will be able to help medical professionals find the right contact, saving time and stress for them and us.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Not just your imagination

I did change the title. I never liked my title, but I had to pick something, and I wanted something that reflected the imperfections in life. Not because that is all I want to talk about, but because life isn't perfect and those imperfections can be some of the most interesting moments.

So, now it's "Sometimes it's a Boat." Which plays into my love of a good obscure reference. It's a line from Winnie-the-Pooh. The whole passage is:
"I ought to say," explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, "that it isn't just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it's a Boat, and sometimes it's more of an Accident. It all depends."
"Depends on what?"
"On whether I'm on the top of it or underneath it."
I realize that most people probably wouldn't worry too much about their title, but I like words. Finding the right ones is very satisfactory. By the way, if you have never actually read Winnie-the-Pooh or House at Pooh Corner, you really should. The language is brilliantly simple and they really are just as much for adults as children.

Friday, April 18, 2008

New car

We have a new car. The little blue car was totaled and we traded the truck. It's funny how used to things we get. It's a little sad to let the cars go. But we are happy with our new car; it's a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The Freestyle is a crossover between a wagon and an SUV. It's made on a car chassis not a truck like the SUV, so it handles very well. It's loaded up with power everything, something neither of our old cars had, and it can seat seven. The third row folds down flat, sort of like the "stow and go" seating you see advertised.

Gabe sometimes likes it because it's big and it can play his favorite CD, but sometimes he says he doesn't like it. He can't get in by himself, it's too high off the ground and there's not good hand holds for him. Plus we yell at him more than usual for kicking the back of the seat with his muddy shoes. :) It's a bit confusing for him. Sometimes he thinks we are getting the blue car back when they fix it, so we have to tell him again that the car can't come back. He actually cried when he finally understood that we don't have the truck anymore either. I feel bad for him. He's had a lot of drastic changes in his life lately. It must be hard to keep adjusting when you are only three years old. It makes me worry about the move this summer.

We still don't know where we are going. Matt's been sending out info and talking to people all over. The people in the Netherlands have asked him to come give a talk (which is an interview), but that wouldn't happen until June. I hope to know before then. The reason it may happen in June is that Matt will already be in Europe. He has been accepted to the conference in Germany for grad students and Nobel Laureates.

I am starting the end of the school year craziness. I have parties to plan for all the different age groups. I have done some great parties for the junior high kids and they want me to recreate the magic. :) I know I sound full of myself, but they really were fun parties. Two years ago I created a Fear Factor themed party. They ate gross stuff and got messy. Last year was even better though. I did a Survivor theme and divided them into tribes: Benjamin and Judah (two of the seven tribes of Israel). Matt even made a contraption that they had to fill with water to a certain level to drop the bag of puzzle tiles that they then had to solve. It's going to be hard to top that. I'm considering using The Amazing Race somehow, but I haven't figured it out yet.

Chi is fine. He seems to be fearless. Nothing seems to faze him. He's a happy little guy (most of the time), who so wishes he could move on his own. But, boy, does he demand attention. He wants all eyes on him. And so does his brother. We are going to be exhausted all the time at this rate!

Monday, March 31, 2008

I'm alive!


What a week. It was a bit rough, but then Thursday happened. I was going home from work and a truck with a snow plow on it pulled out in front of me and hit my front passenger side. The car is a wreck. The hood is all folded up and the side is dented in. The passenger window was completely smashed and the side mirror was folded into the car. It was a big mess.

I walked away with a sore shoulder and an abrasion on my neck. And I was alone, so I am thankful for that. And a big yea! for Toyota's safety features all working properly!

We haven't received the official word yet, but we think they are just going to total the car, so we are going to have to go car shopping soon. It is not exactly the timing we would have wanted, but we were wanting to go down to one car and have that car be larger than the Corolla, so I guess we just have to move up our time table.

Monday, March 17, 2008

I'm back

Well, it's been a long hiatus, but I will work at getting back to posting weekly. Malachi is now 2 months old and he is starting to show some personality. He smiles a lot, especially when you smile at him. He really responds to Gabe and I think he already wishes he could keep up with Gabe. Oh, in case you don't know or recall, Chi was only 5 lbs. 7 oz. when he was born; he is now up to 11 lbs. 12 oz! Growing like a weed. In two months we have gone from needing the "newborn" size clothes to being able to fit some 3-6 months clothes. Crazy.

Gabe loves being a big brother. I think he sometimes gets frustrated when we are focused more on Chi, but he really doesn't get that jealous. He calls Chi his baby. And one of the great side benefits for us, and I have no idea why now, but Gabe now just goes to sleep at night. No more needing us in the doorway or anything. It's fantastic. Now if I could just get the other one to sleep through the night... :)

Easter is fast approaching which means I am really busy at work. Maybe I am just getting the hang of things or maybe I am mellowing out, but I don't feel very stressed about it, just busy. Actually, I know what I want to get for Gabe's basket and so I am kind of excited. He likes the PBS show "Word World" and they now have toys. Everything in the show is made out of the word so the cow is made out of letters that spell cow. It sounds weird, but it's cute and well done. So I am going to get him a "Word World" toy. And I get to put Cadbury Eggs in his basket this year. Finally he likes something other than just plain chocolate and it turns out to be Cadbury -- he is definitely my child.

Matt just got back from the APS meeting, but unfortunately there are no job prospects. We hoped his network and his advisers would make this round easier, but I guess it is going to just be good old-fashioned job hunting.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Matt is Mad

Matt asked me to blog about this. As most of you know, I love NPR. It is what is usually on when I am in the car. So on my way to pick up Gabe from daycare, I was listening to "Fresh Air" as usual, and there was an interview with a guy (I forget his name) who wrote the book "Free Lunch" which is about why the rich get richer, the middle class can't catch a break and the poor get poorer. His perspective is that we can point a finger to the government's tax policies.

In this interview he pointed out that the middle class has suffered continually since deregulation, which was supposed to be so great for the little people because it would make government smaller and encourage the market to regulate itself. We'd all be better off. A generation later, we are worse off. Deregulation didn't achieve what it promised and in fact, it's only real contribution was to strip away consumer protection. There is more money in the this country, but it is all in the pockets of the already rich. The average person does not have the buying power they once had and more and more people are going into debt not for luxuries, but for necessities. A huge percentage of our population can't afford and does not have health insurance and pensions are a thing of the past. We work for less money and have fewer benefits.

What angered Matt so much that he wanted me to blog about this, is the tax benefits that huge corporations get. All those big box retail stores that are so prevalent now, get crazy perks. For example, sales tax. We have no choice in paying sales tax and most of believe that it is going to things like the police department or fire department or schools, so we are okay with it. But the large retailers like Wal-mart, Cabela's, etc. get to keep the sales tax. It's part of the deal they make when they go into an area. They have to publish this fact, but it is couched in economic terms that most of us don't understand so we never know. These corporations come in and say they'll build and bring all sorts of benefits to the area, but they aren't going to pay property tax and they are going to keep the sales tax. So when you go into Wal-mart and purchase something and pay your sales tax, you just handed an extra chunk of change directly to the Walton family. This is how most of the larger retailers make their money, not actually through the sale of merchandise. Also, smaller businesses are not granted these perks.

Think about Target's ads for a minute. They like to tell you how much money they give back to the community for schools and so on. But they keep the sales tax, so they are really not doing a extra service, they are just giving back money they should have given up in the first place; not only that, they are not giving back the level of the sales tax, so they are still ripping off the community all they while telling us how great they are for helping us. Kind of makes you see red, huh?

I can also tell you that he explained how Bush used this to make his fortune. He didn't do with oil, he did it be playing these exact tax games when he and his partners bought the Texas Rangers. There is more to it that would probably make you even angrier, but at this point I would say, go listen to the interview or go buy the book. I can only type so much. Matt is so mad. He does get worked up about the injustices he sees in the world, but man is he angry about this. He says he not really certain what to do about it, but that he wants to make sure everyone knows about this.