We've had another power outage already. I'm getting closer to prepared. His Majesty brought by an emergency stash of firewood, which the ducklings had put away in about five minutes flat. (Let's just say an emergency supply is a lot more fun to stack than an entire winter's.) I bought some lovely glass gallon dispensers for water storage, although we haven't gotten the taps tightened enough to actually put water in them. Still, closer.
********************
I have totally messed up with Harry Potter. I let Duchess read the first four books and told her she could read the last three when she was thirteen. Only as soon as she had read them, Deux had to, also. (And since they are by far the thickest books he has ever attempted and finished, I wasn't going to stop him.) Then they wanted to get them on CD to share with the twins.
But . . . Duchess will be 13 before everyone else. And they'll all be clamoring for it. Oh dear. I should have doled them out one a year for everybody or something. DOB has insisted that it's what we'll do with the movies.
Meanwhile, our house has been turned into Hogwarts and sorted into houses (stuffed animals included).
*******************
We are almost finished with our first term of school. I am always astounded that we actually do this: we set out a plan and we stick to it, come hell or high water. I'm not sure where this is coming from, honestly, because I never really thought I could be that consistent. The big kids and I have finished reading A Midsummer Night's Dream together, Duchess with the graphic novel version. We're almost to the end of Robinson Crusoe, which started slow but has definitely picked up the pace with the arrival of cannibals. (In our curriculum discussion boards, people are always expressing concerns about the maturity of content as the years progress--in my experience, there is nothing to excite an interest in history and literature like mature content.) We also had due encounters with witch-burning, pirates, and battles of all sorts.
Teaching the twins is very different from the big kids--they take to listening and telling back the stories much more readily and pick up on the ideas very easily, but their progress in basic skills is more slow and steady. I'm not used to having to actually teach basic reading and math, so it's a change. Kind of fun, though.
Teaching everybody at once is usually totally insane.
******************
Maybe if I think of four more items by tomorrow I can turn this into a quick takes Friday. But I probably won't.
Showing posts with label quick takes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quick takes. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Sunday, April 06, 2014
Slow Takes
Because it's been a long time since Friday. But there might be more than seven.
******
On Friday I decided I had better file the tax extension. (The thing about filing a tax extension is that it's almost as hard as filing taxes, because you have to estimate if you owe any taxes, but you don't have to actually be able to find the paperwork to prove it. Since the filing cabinet only arrived yesterday and the files are still all out in the garage, this was looking like the better option.)
I couldn't put my hands on the kids' social security numbers, but I plugged all the other numbers and a wild estimate on medical fees into the software. To my horror, it showed us owing thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. I emailed DOB to see if this was correct, but he was out of the office most of the day. When he was around later in the afternoon, I messaged him and we both freaked out for awhile. I remembered that I had a digital copy of last year's tax return, so I pulled it up for comparison to see if I could find my error.
Aha! There were the kids' social security numbers. Might as well plug those in while I was at it. As I did it, I noticed our owed taxes melting away. Pretty soon it was replaced with a modest refund. Apparently the software calculated the children as dependents for a modest tax reduction based on just their birthdates, but we had to enter social security numbers for the full Child Tax Credit.
Whew.
******
In addition to moving in over here, we're still working on getting my grandparents' house ready for the market. I'm about cleaned and organized out. On the plus side, I got me a comfy old recliner which is *my* chair and no child is allowed to touch. (This is horribly cruel, in their estimation.) And a nice end table next to it which is now full of books and notebooks and pens and a spot for a tea mug. It's next to the heater for winter and the window for summer. I am very happy about this.
*****
On Wednesday Rocketboy brought the truck to the cedar lumberyard and we got the wood for the rail around the ramp. (A large part of everybody's life lately seems to be calling up Rocketboy and saying, "Hey, can you bring the truck over for . . . " But he has started actual college classes now, in addition to baking his own casseroles, so we are trying to tone it down.) Nothing in the world smells as good as a cedar lumberyad. (At least, nothing without calories.)
We still don't have it up, though, so DOB continues to risk life and limb on the ramp. But hopefully we are at least past the last frost.
*****
The new house setup is amazingly better on game nights. Before, we had eight people eating in a very small kitchen, and then all cleanup and setup for the game had to happen in the same kitchen (where every dish in and out of the cupboard required rearranging half the chairs) and then seven people all trying to fit around the same small table to actually play. Now the kids eat at the kitchen bar, the grownups eat in the living/dining room, and then kitchen cleanup can go on without having to move anyone's chair. And some people can even sit on the couch. It's a whole new world, and none of us have yet died of the disease that turned everyone to flourescent green goo.
*****
It's time to get back to normal life. Which means we need to start school on Monday. I am so not ready for this. I did spend a couple of afternoons last week planning school. (This was because I sat down and discovered I was too tired to get up again, and it felt more productive than playing Faster Than Light.) But that was for next term, and we still have nearly three weeks left of this term, and I have *no idea* where we were. Better find out tonight. At least I can do it without tripping over everyone!
*****
I may be speaking too soon. But so far the neighborhood seems very nice. There's a boy next door who plays very well with the ducklings, and his mom is very friendly and reasonable and even though last week was spring break things fell into a nice reasonable pattern of playtime a couple of hours every afternoon, mostly outside when it wasn't pouring down rain. There are a lot of teenagers in the neighborhood at large, but so far as I can tell they mostly engage in Wholesome Recreations like walking the dog and tossing footballs and digging in the garden, and not in Obnoxious Pastimes like revving cars blaring loud music at ungodly hours of the night. And there's a teenage girl just up the road who has horses that she has invited Duchess to come and help her curry tomorrow.
*****
Deux probably hates moving the most, as he always has. (For some time after we moved from Cincinnati when he was 5 he insisted that his real family had died and though he was grateful to us for taking him in, it wasn't quite the same.) However, the availability of a room on which he can set up a game and leave it out all weekend (or all spring break) is beginning to bring him around. The twins seem to be adjusting pretty well, and Dash is even having a few less irrational food aversions. Duchess, of course, is totally thrilled.
*****
The piano tuner's appointment software messed up and so he did not come last week, but he is coming on Tuesday, and thereafter I can hopefully start teaching the kids music at last. (We've had the piano for some time, but it was out in an outbuilding. Now it's in the entry.) I have actually started on rhythm. As I feared, they have little more aptitude for it than I, but I persevere.
******
On Friday I decided I had better file the tax extension. (The thing about filing a tax extension is that it's almost as hard as filing taxes, because you have to estimate if you owe any taxes, but you don't have to actually be able to find the paperwork to prove it. Since the filing cabinet only arrived yesterday and the files are still all out in the garage, this was looking like the better option.)
I couldn't put my hands on the kids' social security numbers, but I plugged all the other numbers and a wild estimate on medical fees into the software. To my horror, it showed us owing thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. I emailed DOB to see if this was correct, but he was out of the office most of the day. When he was around later in the afternoon, I messaged him and we both freaked out for awhile. I remembered that I had a digital copy of last year's tax return, so I pulled it up for comparison to see if I could find my error.
Aha! There were the kids' social security numbers. Might as well plug those in while I was at it. As I did it, I noticed our owed taxes melting away. Pretty soon it was replaced with a modest refund. Apparently the software calculated the children as dependents for a modest tax reduction based on just their birthdates, but we had to enter social security numbers for the full Child Tax Credit.
Whew.
******
In addition to moving in over here, we're still working on getting my grandparents' house ready for the market. I'm about cleaned and organized out. On the plus side, I got me a comfy old recliner which is *my* chair and no child is allowed to touch. (This is horribly cruel, in their estimation.) And a nice end table next to it which is now full of books and notebooks and pens and a spot for a tea mug. It's next to the heater for winter and the window for summer. I am very happy about this.
*****
On Wednesday Rocketboy brought the truck to the cedar lumberyard and we got the wood for the rail around the ramp. (A large part of everybody's life lately seems to be calling up Rocketboy and saying, "Hey, can you bring the truck over for . . . " But he has started actual college classes now, in addition to baking his own casseroles, so we are trying to tone it down.) Nothing in the world smells as good as a cedar lumberyad. (At least, nothing without calories.)
We still don't have it up, though, so DOB continues to risk life and limb on the ramp. But hopefully we are at least past the last frost.
*****
The new house setup is amazingly better on game nights. Before, we had eight people eating in a very small kitchen, and then all cleanup and setup for the game had to happen in the same kitchen (where every dish in and out of the cupboard required rearranging half the chairs) and then seven people all trying to fit around the same small table to actually play. Now the kids eat at the kitchen bar, the grownups eat in the living/dining room, and then kitchen cleanup can go on without having to move anyone's chair. And some people can even sit on the couch. It's a whole new world, and none of us have yet died of the disease that turned everyone to flourescent green goo.
*****
It's time to get back to normal life. Which means we need to start school on Monday. I am so not ready for this. I did spend a couple of afternoons last week planning school. (This was because I sat down and discovered I was too tired to get up again, and it felt more productive than playing Faster Than Light.) But that was for next term, and we still have nearly three weeks left of this term, and I have *no idea* where we were. Better find out tonight. At least I can do it without tripping over everyone!
*****
I may be speaking too soon. But so far the neighborhood seems very nice. There's a boy next door who plays very well with the ducklings, and his mom is very friendly and reasonable and even though last week was spring break things fell into a nice reasonable pattern of playtime a couple of hours every afternoon, mostly outside when it wasn't pouring down rain. There are a lot of teenagers in the neighborhood at large, but so far as I can tell they mostly engage in Wholesome Recreations like walking the dog and tossing footballs and digging in the garden, and not in Obnoxious Pastimes like revving cars blaring loud music at ungodly hours of the night. And there's a teenage girl just up the road who has horses that she has invited Duchess to come and help her curry tomorrow.
*****
Deux probably hates moving the most, as he always has. (For some time after we moved from Cincinnati when he was 5 he insisted that his real family had died and though he was grateful to us for taking him in, it wasn't quite the same.) However, the availability of a room on which he can set up a game and leave it out all weekend (or all spring break) is beginning to bring him around. The twins seem to be adjusting pretty well, and Dash is even having a few less irrational food aversions. Duchess, of course, is totally thrilled.
*****
The piano tuner's appointment software messed up and so he did not come last week, but he is coming on Tuesday, and thereafter I can hopefully start teaching the kids music at last. (We've had the piano for some time, but it was out in an outbuilding. Now it's in the entry.) I have actually started on rhythm. As I feared, they have little more aptitude for it than I, but I persevere.
Friday, August 02, 2013
7 Quick Takes (Maybe)
1. The local neurologist is stumped as to what's wrong with DOB. We have successfully eliminated everything he's ever heard of. So next stop is the university clinic. Fortunately he got an appointment in just a few weeks. A long appointment, presumably with lots of tests. But we're hoping it won't ever involve a hospital stay with lengthy observation, because as tenth anniversary trips go, a hospital stay with 24-hour video surveillance would pretty much be the worst possible option.
He is allowed to drive when he feels safe doing so. He interprets that like an attorney obsessed with liability. So maybe twice a week. On the plus side, I can even *park* the truck now. I feel very accomplished.
2. Last weekend our church had VBS. This week was Their Majesties' VBS. So that's eight straight days of VBS. Today I have finally gotten caught up enough on errand running that I am just sitting at home with my feet up. The kids are well stocked with craft projects.
3. The other day I made pasta salad. (Actually it was the night after the neurologist said it wasn't the potassium issue, so carbs were irrelevant.) Dash sat there eating it with his eyes closed, putting each bite into his mouth and then identifying what was in it. This morning he was trying to walk with his arms and his legs both crossed. He's a walking experiment. Or not walking, as the case may be.
4. One of the things I did this week was file papers. I found papers from last March. I think maybe I should do filing more often. Thanks to repeated efforts by Wondergirl, I have a very simple filing system that only requires me to figure out what month the paper dates from. Even this is difficult for me. With a typical bill, there's a start date and an end date and a due date, and I can't for the life of me figure out which month it belongs in. I know I should just pick something and stick with it, but I can't remember what I picked. So I just hope for the best and figure if I have things sorted to the point where I only have to look in three or four folders, I'm doing pretty well.
5. We watched Inception last week. (Why yes, we watch everything several years late when it is available at the public library on DVD.) It was awesome and engrossing and fascinating. I didn't complain about implausibility like I usually do in action movies because it's all a dream. (DOB suggests I should apply this principle to all action movies and then maybe I could watch them.) And Leonardo DiCaprio is pretty good to watch, now that he looks like a grownup.
Then afterward I thought of a way he could have prevented his wife's death and avoided the problem that set up the whole movie. It sort of ruined it retroactively for me. I hate it when I do that.
6. See? Coming up with seven is just too hard.
He is allowed to drive when he feels safe doing so. He interprets that like an attorney obsessed with liability. So maybe twice a week. On the plus side, I can even *park* the truck now. I feel very accomplished.
2. Last weekend our church had VBS. This week was Their Majesties' VBS. So that's eight straight days of VBS. Today I have finally gotten caught up enough on errand running that I am just sitting at home with my feet up. The kids are well stocked with craft projects.
3. The other day I made pasta salad. (Actually it was the night after the neurologist said it wasn't the potassium issue, so carbs were irrelevant.) Dash sat there eating it with his eyes closed, putting each bite into his mouth and then identifying what was in it. This morning he was trying to walk with his arms and his legs both crossed. He's a walking experiment. Or not walking, as the case may be.
4. One of the things I did this week was file papers. I found papers from last March. I think maybe I should do filing more often. Thanks to repeated efforts by Wondergirl, I have a very simple filing system that only requires me to figure out what month the paper dates from. Even this is difficult for me. With a typical bill, there's a start date and an end date and a due date, and I can't for the life of me figure out which month it belongs in. I know I should just pick something and stick with it, but I can't remember what I picked. So I just hope for the best and figure if I have things sorted to the point where I only have to look in three or four folders, I'm doing pretty well.
5. We watched Inception last week. (Why yes, we watch everything several years late when it is available at the public library on DVD.) It was awesome and engrossing and fascinating. I didn't complain about implausibility like I usually do in action movies because it's all a dream. (DOB suggests I should apply this principle to all action movies and then maybe I could watch them.) And Leonardo DiCaprio is pretty good to watch, now that he looks like a grownup.
Then afterward I thought of a way he could have prevented his wife's death and avoided the problem that set up the whole movie. It sort of ruined it retroactively for me. I hate it when I do that.
6. See? Coming up with seven is just too hard.
Friday, August 12, 2011
7 Quick Takes: Catching Up
1. DOB's parents were here for two weeks. Toolboy loaned us his fifth wheel for them to stay in, which worked out well for everyone, including Toolboy who has now installed a proper septic hookup for parking the fifth wheel. He does things like that, while I am still trying to figure out how to get my bulletin boards to stay on the wall. The ducklings were very sad when we finished filling back in the dirt piles from the pipes.
We all had a lovely visit, and we went to the zoo and to the park and spent a lot of time just hanging around the house, which still needs a lot of hanging.
2. Our church has done its VBS as a series of Wednesday-night events for everybody in the church and including a potluck supper. This has been pretty fun and it's nice to have the whole church involved (and a big draw for me to only have to fix one dish instead of a whole supper). It has the big disadvantage of people taking vacations right in the middle, so the mix of people doing stuff changes every week.
3. Wondergirl and I started work on the basement this week. I had the babysitter come and watch the kids all day while we burrowed in. It took us until 4:30 in the afternoon to find the shelf supports that we needed to assemble the shelves to start putting stuff away. We were quite emotional over the discovery.
4. I got called up for jury duty this week. I was really hoping to get to serve, as I've always wanted to serve on a jury. (Plus a quiet day sitting while the kids play at Their Majesties'.) And I lucked out and had never even met the judge or the prosecutor. However, the defendant (representing himself) quite definitely did not want any lawyers or police officers on the jury, so I got stricken on the first strike. And had to come home and do the dishes instead of finding out how he was going to defend against the charge of Refusing to Give Name.
I was also very, very lucky as I completely forgot about it until 8:45 Monday morning, but when I called in my group had not been called for that day. I didn't actually get called up until Wednesday.
5. DOB has figured out the feasible solution to our daily morning crisis: snacks. Duh. I'm just not a snack person. Thinking about food three times a day is way more than enough. However, having something for everyone to munch on whenever they happen to awake does make things more mellow until a real breakfast can be served. And provides a convenient way to clean out the fridge.
I still wouldn't say no to the well-staffed country estate, though.
6. I have Three Big Things I want to do before school starts: Organize the basement (hah!); finish painting the trim, and wash the windows. I've given up on starting a fall garden--first I have to figure out what to do about the rabbits. I have made a beautiful, shiny chore schedule and school schedule which I haven't yet given up on.
7. Duchess and Deux are thrilled that I have reached enough terms with the ambient mess levels to tolerate them getting out Clue: Master Detective again. I have no idea what they are doing with it, but I'm pretty sure it bears no resemblance to the actual rules. It may simply be a lengthy game of living-in-a country-estate with lots of murder weapons. It keeps them busy for hours, though.
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
We all had a lovely visit, and we went to the zoo and to the park and spent a lot of time just hanging around the house, which still needs a lot of hanging.
2. Our church has done its VBS as a series of Wednesday-night events for everybody in the church and including a potluck supper. This has been pretty fun and it's nice to have the whole church involved (and a big draw for me to only have to fix one dish instead of a whole supper). It has the big disadvantage of people taking vacations right in the middle, so the mix of people doing stuff changes every week.
3. Wondergirl and I started work on the basement this week. I had the babysitter come and watch the kids all day while we burrowed in. It took us until 4:30 in the afternoon to find the shelf supports that we needed to assemble the shelves to start putting stuff away. We were quite emotional over the discovery.
4. I got called up for jury duty this week. I was really hoping to get to serve, as I've always wanted to serve on a jury. (Plus a quiet day sitting while the kids play at Their Majesties'.) And I lucked out and had never even met the judge or the prosecutor. However, the defendant (representing himself) quite definitely did not want any lawyers or police officers on the jury, so I got stricken on the first strike. And had to come home and do the dishes instead of finding out how he was going to defend against the charge of Refusing to Give Name.
I was also very, very lucky as I completely forgot about it until 8:45 Monday morning, but when I called in my group had not been called for that day. I didn't actually get called up until Wednesday.
5. DOB has figured out the feasible solution to our daily morning crisis: snacks. Duh. I'm just not a snack person. Thinking about food three times a day is way more than enough. However, having something for everyone to munch on whenever they happen to awake does make things more mellow until a real breakfast can be served. And provides a convenient way to clean out the fridge.
I still wouldn't say no to the well-staffed country estate, though.
6. I have Three Big Things I want to do before school starts: Organize the basement (hah!); finish painting the trim, and wash the windows. I've given up on starting a fall garden--first I have to figure out what to do about the rabbits. I have made a beautiful, shiny chore schedule and school schedule which I haven't yet given up on.
7. Duchess and Deux are thrilled that I have reached enough terms with the ambient mess levels to tolerate them getting out Clue: Master Detective again. I have no idea what they are doing with it, but I'm pretty sure it bears no resemblance to the actual rules. It may simply be a lengthy game of living-in-a country-estate with lots of murder weapons. It keeps them busy for hours, though.
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
Friday, May 06, 2011
7 Quick Takes: The Potty Training Edition
1. I had a GREAT plan for potty training the twins. We were going to wait until July. They'd both be three. The weather would be warm and sunny for minimal clothing. Grandma R., a seasoned potty trainer, would be visiting. We'd be all moved and settled in. The floor plan of the house has a large kitchen/dining area with vinyl flooring and a toilet and washing machine right off them. It was going to be great.
2. D3 decided on Sunday that wearing diapers hurts, and just like with sucking her fingers a month ago, that was the end of that. Being a little girl who likes to wear dresses makes it much easier. She doesn't even need reminders anymore.
3. D4 believes anything she can do, he can do better. Only he can't. But he won't believe me. Nor will he accept the idea of wearing diapers again. Or of training pants. "No! I won't wear those round diapers!" I am doing a lot of laundry.
4. Just because I feel it necessary to counterpoint conventional wisdom, I will point out that girls are not necessarily easier to train than boys, since D1 was approximately 23 times harder (counting by months) or 750 times harder (counting by accidents) than D2.
5. And my kids never read the potty training books about never trying to potty train right before a big, stressful event. They have a radar for big, stressful events. Which is why D2 decided to potty train right before the twins were born. On the plus side, this meant that Grandma R. and Wondergirl did all the work, because I couldn't reach the ground.
6. That bit about cloth diapers helping children potty train sooner because they feel wet is hogwash, too, as far as my kids are concerned. They just get used to feeling wet. Maybe I should have changed them more often. Oops.
7. D4 has all the pieces, he's just having trouble putting them together. I think going bottomless for a few days would do the trick. He's not inherently opposed, just finds it too chilly. And he did not welcome the suggestion of wearing D3's dresses. However, Her Majesty has had a brainstorm: she's persuaded him that several grown-up sized old t-shirts (especially with military themes) are in fact knight costumes. Clothed in such manly attire that will keep his legs warm and still allow for airflow, I'm hopeful that it will all click. Soon. 'Cause otherwise I'm going to be doing a lot of laundry for an awfully long time.
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
What manly men wear for potty-training. Even though it's Grandma's.
2. D3 decided on Sunday that wearing diapers hurts, and just like with sucking her fingers a month ago, that was the end of that. Being a little girl who likes to wear dresses makes it much easier. She doesn't even need reminders anymore.
3. D4 believes anything she can do, he can do better. Only he can't. But he won't believe me. Nor will he accept the idea of wearing diapers again. Or of training pants. "No! I won't wear those round diapers!" I am doing a lot of laundry.
4. Just because I feel it necessary to counterpoint conventional wisdom, I will point out that girls are not necessarily easier to train than boys, since D1 was approximately 23 times harder (counting by months) or 750 times harder (counting by accidents) than D2.
5. And my kids never read the potty training books about never trying to potty train right before a big, stressful event. They have a radar for big, stressful events. Which is why D2 decided to potty train right before the twins were born. On the plus side, this meant that Grandma R. and Wondergirl did all the work, because I couldn't reach the ground.
6. That bit about cloth diapers helping children potty train sooner because they feel wet is hogwash, too, as far as my kids are concerned. They just get used to feeling wet. Maybe I should have changed them more often. Oops.
7. D4 has all the pieces, he's just having trouble putting them together. I think going bottomless for a few days would do the trick. He's not inherently opposed, just finds it too chilly. And he did not welcome the suggestion of wearing D3's dresses. However, Her Majesty has had a brainstorm: she's persuaded him that several grown-up sized old t-shirts (especially with military themes) are in fact knight costumes. Clothed in such manly attire that will keep his legs warm and still allow for airflow, I'm hopeful that it will all click. Soon. 'Cause otherwise I'm going to be doing a lot of laundry for an awfully long time.
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
What manly men wear for potty-training. Even though it's Grandma's.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Seven Quick Takes Friday
1. The other grandparents are visiting, which means we've been running around a little bit more and I've been hiding out in my room a little bit more because other people are interacting with the children.
All the grandparents and the older two took a trip to Mt. Rainier one day, while I stayed home and had a relaxing day with only two two-year-olds to contend with. I always wonder if having only two children would really be that much easier, or if it only seems easier because they are better behaved in novel situations.
2. We also went to the zoo. Wondergirl has gotten a zoo pass for trips for everyone's birthdays, so we only took in a few exhibits and then watched the animal show at lunchtime. The polar bears and walruses were quite popular, as usual, and we all got a kick out of the musk ox who was charging a plastic barrel repeatedly while his compatriots mildly chewed the grass and looked at him as if to say, "Why *are* you rushing about in all this heat?" D3, who loves to stand and watch the rabbits and chipmunks at home, was entranced with all the different animals.
3. Conversation with D3, retrieving a dropped grape: "Watch out for the table!" D3: "Watch out for me coming out from the table with a grape!"
4. Speaking of the twins and eating and rabbits and chipmunks, it is strawberry and raspberry season, which means the rabbits and chipmunks are hard at work finding ways to break into the berry gardens, and so are the twins.
5. Rabbit and chipmunk mothers are lucky they never have to try to get strawberry juice and ground-in sand out of their babies' fur.
6. Another thing D1 is taking advantage of with Grandma R. here is learning to sew--she is nearly finished with her first project, a sleeping bag for one of her stuffed animals.
7. D2, however, is obsessed with being a large predator. Except the small, cuddly version of the large predator. So our conversations go like this:
D2: "Hey, Mama, I'm a little bobcat. What's for lunch, Mama Bobcat?"
QOC (if necessary, dashing off to Wikipedia): "Hmm, how about some nice young rabbits, little bobcat?"
D2: "Oooh, yes, I love rabbits."
D2: "Actually, I think I want to eat giraffes. Is that a tiger?"
QOC: "No, tigers don't live where giraffes do. Lions might eat giraffes."
D2: "OK, then I'm a lion."
And thus we discovered that cold mac and cheese with bread crumbs does look kind of like giraffe hide.
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Seven Quick Takes Friday
1. I'm not sure I have seven quick takes, but I can feel through the interwebs the longing and pleading to please get that slug picture off the top of the page. The older ducklings and I are reading with considerable interest a book about slugs, although I was grateful that they were somewhat distracted by how long their nap time would be when we got to the bit about reproduction. (Slugs are hermaphrodites--try explaining that to a 4-year-old. I did have an explanation worked out, in case they asked, but they admired the eggs and moved on.)
2. We got hand controls installed in the van last Thursday. And then panicked briefly when the combination of driving by hand and pushing himself in a wheelchair put DOB's shoulders out. However, he's decided to upgrade himself to a walker to give the shoulders a break and is now getting around pretty much on his own, much to everyone's relief. What the doctor would think about the risk to his knee and foot we don't know, as we haven't yet found a doctor whose opinion seems worth consulting.
3. This makes no sense with my life right now, but it is so geekishly cool I wish it did: Chore Buster. You put in all your people (with how much they get to do), chores (with how hard they are and how often they are) and it randomly and equitably assigns the chores. DOB thinks it would take all the fun out of it. I guess what would really be cool would be writing the system myself. Still, it's a fun thought.
4. Today we had a minor crisis at naptime when Doll-Doll could not be found. I scoured the house, inside and out, upstairs and down. I was finally trying to sing to D3 and persuade her that we would find Doll-Doll after naps, when Her Majesty came into the room carrying a Honeycomb box. She had been about to take out the recycling and discovered Doll-Doll stashed inside. It's a good thing she has a rattle.
5. D1 and D2 are greatly anticipating the Borders summer reading program. You have to read ten books. In case you need help planning this feat, they have calculated that you can do that by reading two books for five days, or five books on two days, or four books for two days and then two books on the third day. I'm guessing whichever approach they take, they will be done before the library program starts in the middle of June.
6. D2 was drawing a picture for a birthday card. He told me it was a slide with a ladder. He came back a few minutes later, having drawn in the rungs on the ladder, but given his limited understanding of perspective, the rungs went straight down and looked more like legs. "See what it looks like now?" he said. "Oh yes," I said encouragingly, "You drew all the rungs in so it really looks like a ladder." "No it doesn't," he laughed, "It looks more like a pig!" I guess kind lies aren't going to work with this kid.
7. See, I told you I didn't really have seven things.
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
2. We got hand controls installed in the van last Thursday. And then panicked briefly when the combination of driving by hand and pushing himself in a wheelchair put DOB's shoulders out. However, he's decided to upgrade himself to a walker to give the shoulders a break and is now getting around pretty much on his own, much to everyone's relief. What the doctor would think about the risk to his knee and foot we don't know, as we haven't yet found a doctor whose opinion seems worth consulting.
3. This makes no sense with my life right now, but it is so geekishly cool I wish it did: Chore Buster. You put in all your people (with how much they get to do), chores (with how hard they are and how often they are) and it randomly and equitably assigns the chores. DOB thinks it would take all the fun out of it. I guess what would really be cool would be writing the system myself. Still, it's a fun thought.
4. Today we had a minor crisis at naptime when Doll-Doll could not be found. I scoured the house, inside and out, upstairs and down. I was finally trying to sing to D3 and persuade her that we would find Doll-Doll after naps, when Her Majesty came into the room carrying a Honeycomb box. She had been about to take out the recycling and discovered Doll-Doll stashed inside. It's a good thing she has a rattle.
5. D1 and D2 are greatly anticipating the Borders summer reading program. You have to read ten books. In case you need help planning this feat, they have calculated that you can do that by reading two books for five days, or five books on two days, or four books for two days and then two books on the third day. I'm guessing whichever approach they take, they will be done before the library program starts in the middle of June.
6. D2 was drawing a picture for a birthday card. He told me it was a slide with a ladder. He came back a few minutes later, having drawn in the rungs on the ladder, but given his limited understanding of perspective, the rungs went straight down and looked more like legs. "See what it looks like now?" he said. "Oh yes," I said encouragingly, "You drew all the rungs in so it really looks like a ladder." "No it doesn't," he laughed, "It looks more like a pig!" I guess kind lies aren't going to work with this kid.
7. See, I told you I didn't really have seven things.
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Seven Quick Takes Friday
1. DOB got sworn in yesterday. They don't have a general swearing-in ceremony here like in the bigger counties--you just call the courthouse and they have a judge with a quiet calendar do it. You get to practice actually walking up to the bar. Just in case you found that hard. Now he just has to finish all the rest of the paperwork and wait for his card.
2. The twins are far more keyed in to their surroundings than the older kids, and so they are having a great time watching animals outside. (While D2 just stands there--"Where? Where is it? I don't see it!"--and yes, I have informally checked his vision, he can see distant things fine, it just takes him a loooong time to switch gears or make sense of the outside world.) Their favorite, by far, is the slug. Any time they see one, they stop and watch it, fascinated, pointing "That way! There it goes! Bye-bye, slug!" Since there are banana slugs, D1 has concluded that the darker-colored ones are chocolate slugs.
3. Rocketboy (or should he now be Copterboy?) is home for a week or so before he heads out to Afghanistan. He came over for spaghetti last night and I think three out of four of the ducklings out-ate him. This is not encouraging.
4. Techboy and family close on the sale of their house next week, and are moving to the Farm until they get their house built. This should make it even easier for the cousins to get together.
5. D2 has been having outbreaks of random itchiness. I have been trying to write down what he eats to see if I can find a cause, but I have also tried cutting way back on his sugar consumption, which had been creeping upwards, and he hasn't had any since. So I'm going to suspect it is excess sugar, which is nice because it doesn't require reworking everyone's menus to avoid.
6. However, in defense of D2's ability to make sense of the outside world, he discovered gravity the other day. "Why is it," he asked, "that when I let go of things, they always fall down? Why don't they fly up in the air, instead?" We then had a discussion on things that do fly up in the air, but I tried to refrain from giving him any pat answers. I still have hopes of seeing him turn into a physicist. Or something.
7. We had to take the blind down in the duckling's room because it had a string we could not make safe. This was fine in the winter, but now that sunrise is at five-thirty or thereabouts, the kids were waking up WAY too early. Her majesty improvised a curtain out of shower rings, safety pins, and denim, which keeps the room adequately dark and can be taken apart into component parts once the children are no longer in that room. And now blissful silence reigns until 7 or 8 again.
Oh, and bonus points: Happy Birthday to DOB! Also it's Law Day! Coincidence?
More Quick Takes.
2. The twins are far more keyed in to their surroundings than the older kids, and so they are having a great time watching animals outside. (While D2 just stands there--"Where? Where is it? I don't see it!"--and yes, I have informally checked his vision, he can see distant things fine, it just takes him a loooong time to switch gears or make sense of the outside world.) Their favorite, by far, is the slug. Any time they see one, they stop and watch it, fascinated, pointing "That way! There it goes! Bye-bye, slug!" Since there are banana slugs, D1 has concluded that the darker-colored ones are chocolate slugs.
3. Rocketboy (or should he now be Copterboy?) is home for a week or so before he heads out to Afghanistan. He came over for spaghetti last night and I think three out of four of the ducklings out-ate him. This is not encouraging.
4. Techboy and family close on the sale of their house next week, and are moving to the Farm until they get their house built. This should make it even easier for the cousins to get together.
5. D2 has been having outbreaks of random itchiness. I have been trying to write down what he eats to see if I can find a cause, but I have also tried cutting way back on his sugar consumption, which had been creeping upwards, and he hasn't had any since. So I'm going to suspect it is excess sugar, which is nice because it doesn't require reworking everyone's menus to avoid.
6. However, in defense of D2's ability to make sense of the outside world, he discovered gravity the other day. "Why is it," he asked, "that when I let go of things, they always fall down? Why don't they fly up in the air, instead?" We then had a discussion on things that do fly up in the air, but I tried to refrain from giving him any pat answers. I still have hopes of seeing him turn into a physicist. Or something.
7. We had to take the blind down in the duckling's room because it had a string we could not make safe. This was fine in the winter, but now that sunrise is at five-thirty or thereabouts, the kids were waking up WAY too early. Her majesty improvised a curtain out of shower rings, safety pins, and denim, which keeps the room adequately dark and can be taken apart into component parts once the children are no longer in that room. And now blissful silence reigns until 7 or 8 again.
Oh, and bonus points: Happy Birthday to DOB! Also it's Law Day! Coincidence?
More Quick Takes.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Seven Quick Takes Friday
From Conversion Diary.
Consisting mostly of duckling sayings, since I don't seem to have much to say lately.
D1: When I grow up, I want to be a person who does *everything.*
QOC: I wouldn't put it past you.
**************************
D2: So I can count up to 199!
QOC: What comes after 199?
D2: I think . . . a billion!
(Guess I should have said, "What natural number is next in sequence after 199?")
**************************
D2 has started really reading, and walks about with stacks of "Dr. Seuss books" (P.D. Eastman also represented.) However, he seldom actually reads a book through. He reads them backwards. He reads a couple pages and picks another book. He reads off all the titles of a stack of books.
************************
D1: "Now we'll both bow our heads, and then you can read the prayer." D2 (bowing his head, and flipping through the book on his lap, which happens to be *Mr. Brown Can Moo*): "But this is a *silly* book!"
************************
D1 has finished all of her AWANA book, except for the one section where she has to demonstrate obedience in four different areas on five different days. One of the areas listed is, "I came right away when I was called for meals." So as I was setting up lunch yesterday, she stood at the table, pen and book ready, asking, "When are you going to remember to call us?"
After that she just went through and marked all the "came when called for food" squares ahead of time. Which is just as well, since I'm not sure we ever call her to eat--she's in the kitchen ten minutes in advance, asking when it's going to be ready.
************************
D3 is obsessed with wearing Her Majesty's knit hats, even though they come down over her eyes and make her look like a perambulating mushroom in pink snow boots. D4 has hit the lining-everything-up stage and thus embarked on a probably-lifelong quest to take over D2's cars anytime they are left within reach.
************************
And a brief note on the rest of us, who do not say or do cute, repeatable things. DOB gets his bar results back at the beginning of May and is hanging out around the courthouse a lot until then. I'm trying to line up some free-lance research work.
Consisting mostly of duckling sayings, since I don't seem to have much to say lately.
D1: When I grow up, I want to be a person who does *everything.*
QOC: I wouldn't put it past you.
**************************
D2: So I can count up to 199!
QOC: What comes after 199?
D2: I think . . . a billion!
(Guess I should have said, "What natural number is next in sequence after 199?")
**************************
D2 has started really reading, and walks about with stacks of "Dr. Seuss books" (P.D. Eastman also represented.) However, he seldom actually reads a book through. He reads them backwards. He reads a couple pages and picks another book. He reads off all the titles of a stack of books.
************************
D1: "Now we'll both bow our heads, and then you can read the prayer." D2 (bowing his head, and flipping through the book on his lap, which happens to be *Mr. Brown Can Moo*): "But this is a *silly* book!"
************************
D1 has finished all of her AWANA book, except for the one section where she has to demonstrate obedience in four different areas on five different days. One of the areas listed is, "I came right away when I was called for meals." So as I was setting up lunch yesterday, she stood at the table, pen and book ready, asking, "When are you going to remember to call us?"
After that she just went through and marked all the "came when called for food" squares ahead of time. Which is just as well, since I'm not sure we ever call her to eat--she's in the kitchen ten minutes in advance, asking when it's going to be ready.
************************
D3 is obsessed with wearing Her Majesty's knit hats, even though they come down over her eyes and make her look like a perambulating mushroom in pink snow boots. D4 has hit the lining-everything-up stage and thus embarked on a probably-lifelong quest to take over D2's cars anytime they are left within reach.
************************
And a brief note on the rest of us, who do not say or do cute, repeatable things. DOB gets his bar results back at the beginning of May and is hanging out around the courthouse a lot until then. I'm trying to line up some free-lance research work.
Friday, January 15, 2010
7 Quick Takes Friday
Because this blog feels sorely neglected . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. DOB has entered the essay-writing stage of bar preparations and is trying to get his wrists in shape for twenty-four essays in three days. I watch over his shoulder and hope and pray the state bar changes the rules on inactive status so I don't have to take it this summer. It's not all gone, though. I don't remember a blessed thing about Commercial Paper (I don't even remember what it is!) but I knew about the Dormant Commerce Clause without skipping a beat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. DOB invented a great game with giant balls--the downhill people try to throw them onto the driveway, and the driveway people try to get them all down the hill at once. This was followed by Giant Ball Golf, which is much the same as Frisbee Golf. Yes, it rains every day here, but not all day. And when it doesn't, out we go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Two great card games: Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot (a game I have yet to win, but it's great fun anyway) and Illuminati. Both require a slightly twisted sense of humor to enjoy. In Killer Bunnies, you try to keep your bunnies alive, slay everyone else's, and collect enough carrots to have the Magic Carrot at the end. In Illuminati, you are a secret power group trying to gain control over various subsidiary groups and their money and power.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. D2 has started teaching himself to read, which is most unfair. Perhaps the twins will wait long enough for me to teach them. He goes about it the opposite way from D1, though. She memorizes the book first, then figures out the words, then works out how they are put together. He spends his days analyzing sounds and rules and blurts out things in the middle of church: "Hey! Is that a silent 'E'?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Have I ever mentioned the virtue of bread pudding as a breakfast food? I butter a 9x13 pan and fill it with crumbled up bread of any variety: plain, sweet, biscuits, cornbread. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and raisins. Mix up four or five eggs in a quart measuring cup and add milk until full; pour over the top. Bake it at 350 for forty-five minutes. Mix it up the night before, slip it in the oven before the kids get up, breakfast is ready to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. The older two have started going to AWANA with Their Majesties (who run the show). They came home Tuesday night and D1 was bouncing around the room chattering about everything while D2 sat on the couch with a dazed expression on his face. You could take a picture and caption it: "Which child is the introvert?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. I'm finally starting to see some improvement from exercise in being able to walk a mile without getting winded and not being completely wiped out by ten in the morning. Hurrah!
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. DOB has entered the essay-writing stage of bar preparations and is trying to get his wrists in shape for twenty-four essays in three days. I watch over his shoulder and hope and pray the state bar changes the rules on inactive status so I don't have to take it this summer. It's not all gone, though. I don't remember a blessed thing about Commercial Paper (I don't even remember what it is!) but I knew about the Dormant Commerce Clause without skipping a beat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. DOB invented a great game with giant balls--the downhill people try to throw them onto the driveway, and the driveway people try to get them all down the hill at once. This was followed by Giant Ball Golf, which is much the same as Frisbee Golf. Yes, it rains every day here, but not all day. And when it doesn't, out we go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Two great card games: Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot (a game I have yet to win, but it's great fun anyway) and Illuminati. Both require a slightly twisted sense of humor to enjoy. In Killer Bunnies, you try to keep your bunnies alive, slay everyone else's, and collect enough carrots to have the Magic Carrot at the end. In Illuminati, you are a secret power group trying to gain control over various subsidiary groups and their money and power.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. D2 has started teaching himself to read, which is most unfair. Perhaps the twins will wait long enough for me to teach them. He goes about it the opposite way from D1, though. She memorizes the book first, then figures out the words, then works out how they are put together. He spends his days analyzing sounds and rules and blurts out things in the middle of church: "Hey! Is that a silent 'E'?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Have I ever mentioned the virtue of bread pudding as a breakfast food? I butter a 9x13 pan and fill it with crumbled up bread of any variety: plain, sweet, biscuits, cornbread. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and raisins. Mix up four or five eggs in a quart measuring cup and add milk until full; pour over the top. Bake it at 350 for forty-five minutes. Mix it up the night before, slip it in the oven before the kids get up, breakfast is ready to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. The older two have started going to AWANA with Their Majesties (who run the show). They came home Tuesday night and D1 was bouncing around the room chattering about everything while D2 sat on the couch with a dazed expression on his face. You could take a picture and caption it: "Which child is the introvert?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. I'm finally starting to see some improvement from exercise in being able to walk a mile without getting winded and not being completely wiped out by ten in the morning. Hurrah!
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Friday
1. Thanks to a very generous person, the babies' early bedtime, the big kids being at Grandma's and Cicero keeping an ear out for the babies, DOB and I actually got out of the house last night! And had a conversation that didn't even bring up the question of, "Why can't we get to bed any sooner?"
2. I think D4 has a complex about being the youngest. Why else would he have the most teeth the soonest, be the earliest crawler, and on track to be the earliest walker? He'll show everyone that those ninety minutes mean nothing!
3. D3 has this weird habit of pulling her own hair while she's nursing. At least it's not D4's hair. He bit her toe while she was nursing this morning. It's never dull.
4. I love rainy days when the big kids are at Grandma's. I have no guilt about not bothering to take the babies outside and can just get caught up on housework and read for once.
5. I love sunny days when the big kids are here. They're so much bigger and noisier and wilder and more full of ideas than they were even a year ago, and they have so much fun outside together. D1 usually has hauled off a stock of kitchen implements and is making some concoction with mud and water and leaves. They race bikes down the minuscule slope in the driveway, or send the wagon spinning wildly out of control, or just stomp in the mud and then complain when I have to scrub their feet. Catching up on the dishes is a lot more fun when they're playing in the back yard.
6. I'm worried that my raised beds are not raised high enough. It's still awfully soggy out there, and the only place to stand to work on the beds is in three inches of muddy water. Of course, it's still very early for planting. Maybe I will still manage to grow something this summer. Or maybe I will just spend all summer pulling dirt out of the babies' mouths.
7. While out last night I saw shoes that looked like I might want them. I didn't actually buy any, of course. But I am getting tired of always wearing ugly (or at best, plain and clunky) shoes, yet unwilling to give up comfort for any consideration. The thought that there might be shoes out there that are cute yet comfortable gives me hope. Unfortunately I can't remember the brand name, but hopefully the store will still be in the same place when I make up my mind that I'm really ready to buy shoes.
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
2. I think D4 has a complex about being the youngest. Why else would he have the most teeth the soonest, be the earliest crawler, and on track to be the earliest walker? He'll show everyone that those ninety minutes mean nothing!
3. D3 has this weird habit of pulling her own hair while she's nursing. At least it's not D4's hair. He bit her toe while she was nursing this morning. It's never dull.
4. I love rainy days when the big kids are at Grandma's. I have no guilt about not bothering to take the babies outside and can just get caught up on housework and read for once.
5. I love sunny days when the big kids are here. They're so much bigger and noisier and wilder and more full of ideas than they were even a year ago, and they have so much fun outside together. D1 usually has hauled off a stock of kitchen implements and is making some concoction with mud and water and leaves. They race bikes down the minuscule slope in the driveway, or send the wagon spinning wildly out of control, or just stomp in the mud and then complain when I have to scrub their feet. Catching up on the dishes is a lot more fun when they're playing in the back yard.
6. I'm worried that my raised beds are not raised high enough. It's still awfully soggy out there, and the only place to stand to work on the beds is in three inches of muddy water. Of course, it's still very early for planting. Maybe I will still manage to grow something this summer. Or maybe I will just spend all summer pulling dirt out of the babies' mouths.
7. While out last night I saw shoes that looked like I might want them. I didn't actually buy any, of course. But I am getting tired of always wearing ugly (or at best, plain and clunky) shoes, yet unwilling to give up comfort for any consideration. The thought that there might be shoes out there that are cute yet comfortable gives me hope. Unfortunately I can't remember the brand name, but hopefully the store will still be in the same place when I make up my mind that I'm really ready to buy shoes.
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Friday
I just realized that D3 is allergic to egg yolk. I wish I had realized it on Tuesday, when she spent all day throwing up, but I thought it might be a bug. Now I'm sure about the eggs. Very, very sure.
Bummer.
Also, putting a baby in a backpack carrier is a really good way to get them to vomit. If they're waiting to vomit.
******************************
DOB has dubbed our mid-winter vacation last weekend the "Little Girl with a Curl" trip. Two days were very, very good. We visited friends, napped, played at the park with the kids, and read.
And the last day was horrid, because I woke up too sick (or tired, it comes to the same thing) to get out of bed, leaving him to deal with everything, leaving both of us utterly exhausted by the time we made it home.
******************************
A duckling hymn: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wrench like me."
I don't know whether screwdrivers can be saved or not.
*****************************
This recipe is from The Tightwad Gazette. It's really easy, and really good. Faster than the bread machine or most "quick" breads.
Cuban Bread
5-6 cups all purpose flour (I use nearly all whole wheat)
2 T dry yeast
2 T sugar
1 T salt
2 cups hot weater
1 T sesame or poppy seeds (opt.)
Mix 4 cups of flour with yeast, sugar and salt. Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let rise 15 minutes. Punch down. Divide into two pieces. Shape into two round loaves, and place on a baking sheet. Cut an X ½ inch deep on top with a sharp knife. Brush with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Place on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown.
*******************************
D4 is now crawling on all fours. He's still kind of stiff, though, so he looks like Frakenbaby. D3 gets up on her knees and rocks, and seems pretty pleased with herself about it.
******************************
And as a follow up to the first quick take: D3 has finished throwing up, taken a long nap, and is now back to normal. Exactly like on Tuesday. I'm going to have to think of something besides soft-boiled egg yolks to serve her for breakfast.
*******************************
The Christmas chocolate is nearly gone.
More Quick takes at Conversion Diary.
Bummer.
Also, putting a baby in a backpack carrier is a really good way to get them to vomit. If they're waiting to vomit.
******************************
DOB has dubbed our mid-winter vacation last weekend the "Little Girl with a Curl" trip. Two days were very, very good. We visited friends, napped, played at the park with the kids, and read.
And the last day was horrid, because I woke up too sick (or tired, it comes to the same thing) to get out of bed, leaving him to deal with everything, leaving both of us utterly exhausted by the time we made it home.
******************************
A duckling hymn: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wrench like me."
I don't know whether screwdrivers can be saved or not.
*****************************
This recipe is from The Tightwad Gazette. It's really easy, and really good. Faster than the bread machine or most "quick" breads.
Cuban Bread
5-6 cups all purpose flour (I use nearly all whole wheat)
2 T dry yeast
2 T sugar
1 T salt
2 cups hot weater
1 T sesame or poppy seeds (opt.)
Mix 4 cups of flour with yeast, sugar and salt. Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let rise 15 minutes. Punch down. Divide into two pieces. Shape into two round loaves, and place on a baking sheet. Cut an X ½ inch deep on top with a sharp knife. Brush with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Place on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown.
*******************************
D4 is now crawling on all fours. He's still kind of stiff, though, so he looks like Frakenbaby. D3 gets up on her knees and rocks, and seems pretty pleased with herself about it.
******************************
And as a follow up to the first quick take: D3 has finished throwing up, taken a long nap, and is now back to normal. Exactly like on Tuesday. I'm going to have to think of something besides soft-boiled egg yolks to serve her for breakfast.
*******************************
The Christmas chocolate is nearly gone.
More Quick takes at Conversion Diary.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Miscellaneous
There is no better cure for the winter blues than sixty degrees and sunshine.
On the other hand, there's no worse inducer of the winter blues than a houseful of runny noses.
So I guess we're at least breaking even.
*********************************
One of D2's birthday gifts last year came with a free subscription to a parenting magazine. So I signed up for it, figuring it would at least be good for the picture file. It also gives me a monthly chance to be astonished at the world outside my bubble.
For instance: Did you know that they now have a juice that comes with extra water already added? So you can give your kids less sugary diluted juice without the trouble of pouring water in yourself.
First I'm horrified and think that if anyone does not have time to pour water into juice they really need to reevaluate their life. Then I think, "You know, that probably sounds wonderful to someone who has to have it diluted exactly right and they'll think I'm really mean for mocking it."
But then, if you're mean like me you can never give your kids juice at all.
****************************************
I hate those hyper-real dreams where you dream you're in a park during an earthquake and there's a chilly breeze blowing and then you wake up and find the covers have all come off and someone is shaking the bed.
****************************************
The babies slept beautifully last night, which would lend credence to my theory that it's church that messes up their sleep cycles every week and it takes us all week to get them back on track, except that even though we stayed home from church on Sunday they still wouldn't take their proper naps on time. But I will still take what I can get.
****************************************
What do you do with a child who loves to play in the mud and freaks out whenever he gets mud on him?
On the other hand, there's no worse inducer of the winter blues than a houseful of runny noses.
So I guess we're at least breaking even.
*********************************
One of D2's birthday gifts last year came with a free subscription to a parenting magazine. So I signed up for it, figuring it would at least be good for the picture file. It also gives me a monthly chance to be astonished at the world outside my bubble.
For instance: Did you know that they now have a juice that comes with extra water already added? So you can give your kids less sugary diluted juice without the trouble of pouring water in yourself.
First I'm horrified and think that if anyone does not have time to pour water into juice they really need to reevaluate their life. Then I think, "You know, that probably sounds wonderful to someone who has to have it diluted exactly right and they'll think I'm really mean for mocking it."
But then, if you're mean like me you can never give your kids juice at all.
****************************************
I hate those hyper-real dreams where you dream you're in a park during an earthquake and there's a chilly breeze blowing and then you wake up and find the covers have all come off and someone is shaking the bed.
****************************************
The babies slept beautifully last night, which would lend credence to my theory that it's church that messes up their sleep cycles every week and it takes us all week to get them back on track, except that even though we stayed home from church on Sunday they still wouldn't take their proper naps on time. But I will still take what I can get.
****************************************
What do you do with a child who loves to play in the mud and freaks out whenever he gets mud on him?
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Sunday
Because I'm perpetually behind.
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As expected, the bet over whether D4 would be crawling by the end of January wound up in a debate over technicalities (like most Duchy discussions). Is an army crawl a crawl? He's getting up on all fours, but still seems uncertain as to whether to use this power for mere crawling or as a platform for rocket-launching.
D3, meanwhile, has finally figured out rolling both ways but is most impressed with her ability to say, "Mama," although she's still not quite sure what it means.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today is the annual holiday known as I'm Glad We Don't Have a TV day. I know the internet can be just as bad in some ways, but at least the internet is QUIET. I hate background noise. And in another hour or two, the Superbowl will be over and peace (punctuated by screams) will return.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A quotation from the Duckling Revised Standard: "And the Lord God commanded them to duke it out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around here we have these sandwich storms: several inches of snow, then an inch or two of ice, then several more inches of snow, then some more ice. Then a few thaw/freeze cycles. It makes for interesting walking. Which makes for a lot of staying inside if everyone has short legs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, aka Candlemas, aka as the midway point of winter. I made a paper chain countdown to the first day of spring and immediately got depressed by how many days there were left. But at least now we have something to do on each of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken-Broccoli Curry Soup. Yum. (Except I left out the rice and used potatoes and carrots and didn't have cream so I made thick powdered milk. Still just right, especially for a cold and sniffly day.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As expected, the bet over whether D4 would be crawling by the end of January wound up in a debate over technicalities (like most Duchy discussions). Is an army crawl a crawl? He's getting up on all fours, but still seems uncertain as to whether to use this power for mere crawling or as a platform for rocket-launching.
D3, meanwhile, has finally figured out rolling both ways but is most impressed with her ability to say, "Mama," although she's still not quite sure what it means.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today is the annual holiday known as I'm Glad We Don't Have a TV day. I know the internet can be just as bad in some ways, but at least the internet is QUIET. I hate background noise. And in another hour or two, the Superbowl will be over and peace (punctuated by screams) will return.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A quotation from the Duckling Revised Standard: "And the Lord God commanded them to duke it out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around here we have these sandwich storms: several inches of snow, then an inch or two of ice, then several more inches of snow, then some more ice. Then a few thaw/freeze cycles. It makes for interesting walking. Which makes for a lot of staying inside if everyone has short legs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, aka Candlemas, aka as the midway point of winter. I made a paper chain countdown to the first day of spring and immediately got depressed by how many days there were left. But at least now we have something to do on each of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken-Broccoli Curry Soup. Yum. (Except I left out the rice and used potatoes and carrots and didn't have cream so I made thick powdered milk. Still just right, especially for a cold and sniffly day.)
Friday, January 09, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Friday: The Interview Edition
It is Seven Quick Takes Friday over at Conversion Diary. It is also the twins' six month birthday, at which time it is our custom to interview the children for the first and last time. (After this age, we might not like their answers).
So in the interests of blogging efficiency, we combine the two with Seven Quick Questions for the Babies.
1. What do you each think of the world, as a whole, now that you've been here so long?
D3: The world is full of fascinating things to watch.
D4: The world is full of fascinating things to grab and drool on.
2. What's the most exciting thing you might see in the course of a day?
D3: Papa! Hey, over here! See my special Papa grin!
D4: D2 left his toys behind. Woo-hoo!
3. How do you get along with your twin sibling?
D3: He's fun to watch.
D4: She's great to chew on.
4. How do you get along with your older siblings?
D3: They play games and talk to me.
D4: They leave toys lying around. I like that.
5. Solid foods: Yea or Nay?
D3: Umm, OK I guess. If I must.
D4: Really? Was this necessary? What was wrong with milk? I like milk. I can drink milk all night long!
6. Any particular skills you're especially proud of?
D3: I can cross my fingers. This will come in handy once I figure out how to talk.
D4: I can pull toys out of toy bins up on shelves.
7. What worries you these days?
D3: I overheard Mama talking about us getting itchy red spots soon and I'm worried about its effect on my flawless complexion.
D4: Forward movement. I can go sideways. I can go backwards. Why not forwards?
So in the interests of blogging efficiency, we combine the two with Seven Quick Questions for the Babies.
1. What do you each think of the world, as a whole, now that you've been here so long?
D3: The world is full of fascinating things to watch.
D4: The world is full of fascinating things to grab and drool on.
2. What's the most exciting thing you might see in the course of a day?
D3: Papa! Hey, over here! See my special Papa grin!
D4: D2 left his toys behind. Woo-hoo!
3. How do you get along with your twin sibling?
D3: He's fun to watch.
D4: She's great to chew on.
4. How do you get along with your older siblings?
D3: They play games and talk to me.
D4: They leave toys lying around. I like that.
5. Solid foods: Yea or Nay?
D3: Umm, OK I guess. If I must.
D4: Really? Was this necessary? What was wrong with milk? I like milk. I can drink milk all night long!
6. Any particular skills you're especially proud of?
D3: I can cross my fingers. This will come in handy once I figure out how to talk.
D4: I can pull toys out of toy bins up on shelves.
7. What worries you these days?
D3: I overheard Mama talking about us getting itchy red spots soon and I'm worried about its effect on my flawless complexion.
D4: Forward movement. I can go sideways. I can go backwards. Why not forwards?
Friday, December 19, 2008
Seven Quick Takes Friday
You'll notice that I always spell out the first number, even though nobody else does. This is because the Grammar Commando won't let me use a numeral to begin a sentence, or even a phrase. The Grammar Commando is strict that way.
*********************
I'm not one to bash on insurance companies too much, but last week I got an envelope from them with a special message on living with Type 2 diabetes. Interesting, because I don't have Type 2 diabetes, or Type 1 diabetes, or Gestational Diabetes, or Leprosy. I think this, along with the Creepy Nurse who called up every month while I was pregnant, is part of their general wellness programs, and I really think they could spend less money on that and more money paying off claims.
*********************
Wondergirl arrives this afternoon. It should have been this morning, but the flight from Cleveland was canceled.
*********************
That means I have more time to clean the bathrooms and sweep the floor. Which I clearly am not doing right now. I'm waiting for the babies to go down for their nap. Yes.
*********************
They got six inches of snow in Washington last night, and ours all melted this morning. Quite unfair.
*********************
Have you tried Pandora? You really must. Forget that favorite Christmas CD business, you can just sign up to listen to all of your favorite style of Christmas music all day long. (HT to the Deputy Headmistress, I think.) I wonder what it would give me if I told it to design a radio station based on Pigorian Chant?
*********************
The older ducklings have wormed the full tale of Santa Claus out of us now and spent all morning yesterday playing elves, packing up gifts to distribute. Except they pronounce it "Elles." Why is it that every creative thing they think of to play involves dragging out all the toys they can find and mixing them together? Why do they never decide to play Impoverished Children With No Toys?
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
*********************
I'm not one to bash on insurance companies too much, but last week I got an envelope from them with a special message on living with Type 2 diabetes. Interesting, because I don't have Type 2 diabetes, or Type 1 diabetes, or Gestational Diabetes, or Leprosy. I think this, along with the Creepy Nurse who called up every month while I was pregnant, is part of their general wellness programs, and I really think they could spend less money on that and more money paying off claims.
*********************
Wondergirl arrives this afternoon. It should have been this morning, but the flight from Cleveland was canceled.
*********************
That means I have more time to clean the bathrooms and sweep the floor. Which I clearly am not doing right now. I'm waiting for the babies to go down for their nap. Yes.
*********************
They got six inches of snow in Washington last night, and ours all melted this morning. Quite unfair.
*********************
Have you tried Pandora? You really must. Forget that favorite Christmas CD business, you can just sign up to listen to all of your favorite style of Christmas music all day long. (HT to the Deputy Headmistress, I think.) I wonder what it would give me if I told it to design a radio station based on Pigorian Chant?
*********************
The older ducklings have wormed the full tale of Santa Claus out of us now and spent all morning yesterday playing elves, packing up gifts to distribute. Except they pronounce it "Elles." Why is it that every creative thing they think of to play involves dragging out all the toys they can find and mixing them together? Why do they never decide to play Impoverished Children With No Toys?
More quick takes at Conversion Diary.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Seven Quick Takes Friday
1. It would, of course, be the night we were finally making progress at Teaching the Babies About Bedtime and Getting to Bed on Time that we would be awakened every hour by a malfunctioning CO detector (which we THOUGHT was a malfunctioning smoke detector), resulting finally in dragging everyone out of the house at 3 a.m. while the fire department visited (too late to go back to bed, too early to get up). The kids, of course, had a great time, and it provided a nice rehearsal for our safety plans we've been discussing lately; the babies were thrilled that we all recognized the need for some activity at 3 a.m. But the parents, they were not pleased.
2. The older ducklings also had a wonderful time last night at a Christmas party complete with magician and balloon-tier. And I declared today a Pajama Pancake Party. And there's another party tonight. It's a good time of year to be 3 and 4.
3. Making pancakes reminds me why I declared I would not make pancakes again until the babies were much older. This takes forever. It also reminds me of my sole pregnancy craving: the day I made and ate an entire batch of pancakes. Why do I never get to eat like that any more when the babies are about eight times as big? Probably because I actually get to keep down my normal meals.
4. I wonder if there's a Guinness Book of World Records entry for Most Pounds of Baby Exclusively Breastfed. I bet we're getting close. Well past 35 pounds already, although I haven't measured in a month.
5. I'm in no hurry about that solid food business, either. Having had babies before gives better perspective. Yes, it's nice to fantasize about sleeping through the night, getting away for more than ninety minutes, and seeing those fat little legs develop self-propulsion. But it's also easier to remember that it will never be this easy to feed them again (until they learn to cook) or this easy to find them.
6. D2 is already stressing out over the babies touching his toys. It was my experience with D1 and D2, and I think it's going to be true again, that the older child doesn't have any trouble with the newborn but starts feeling threatened when the baby gets mobile.
7. D1 has started experimenting with different ways to spell and write her name. I thought we had another decade for that.
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
2. The older ducklings also had a wonderful time last night at a Christmas party complete with magician and balloon-tier. And I declared today a Pajama Pancake Party. And there's another party tonight. It's a good time of year to be 3 and 4.
3. Making pancakes reminds me why I declared I would not make pancakes again until the babies were much older. This takes forever. It also reminds me of my sole pregnancy craving: the day I made and ate an entire batch of pancakes. Why do I never get to eat like that any more when the babies are about eight times as big? Probably because I actually get to keep down my normal meals.
4. I wonder if there's a Guinness Book of World Records entry for Most Pounds of Baby Exclusively Breastfed. I bet we're getting close. Well past 35 pounds already, although I haven't measured in a month.
5. I'm in no hurry about that solid food business, either. Having had babies before gives better perspective. Yes, it's nice to fantasize about sleeping through the night, getting away for more than ninety minutes, and seeing those fat little legs develop self-propulsion. But it's also easier to remember that it will never be this easy to feed them again (until they learn to cook) or this easy to find them.
6. D2 is already stressing out over the babies touching his toys. It was my experience with D1 and D2, and I think it's going to be true again, that the older child doesn't have any trouble with the newborn but starts feeling threatened when the baby gets mobile.
7. D1 has started experimenting with different ways to spell and write her name. I thought we had another decade for that.
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
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