Thursday, February 26, 2009

A Photo Dump

Some recent pictures of my kid. Ok the first one isn't so recent, but I just discovered it on the camera and I love it.


Friday, February 20, 2009

I Don't Have a Title Today

Memory is a Fickle Thing
After months and months of reading to her at least once a day, Tamsin has started recognizing her books. When you open the book, she giggles. And then she giggles at each page as you go through the story. So far, we know she likes Goodnight, Moon and 8 Silly Monkeys. She isn't showing the love for The Very Hungry Caterpillar or One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. It's a lot of fun reading to her now, knowing that she enjoys it and isn't just enduring it until I finally let her go to sleep.

It's Not Me, It's You
I seem to be very angry today. I'm seeing a lot of stupidity and one-sidedness all around me. It started early while watching the morning news. I saw a commercial for Energy Solutions - this company is evil, in my opinion. They basically want to make Utah into the world's radioactive garbage can and are currently running an ad campaign to paint themselves in a positive light. I'm not having any of it. I hate them. Later in the day, I basically told a message board person that she's racist. But I think people can be really narrow-minded sometimes and it makes my blood boil. I can't keep quiet. Especially today.

Monday, February 16, 2009

How Does One Punctuate Presidents' Day?

I’m pretty sure the last non-gifted white child was born in 1962 in Reseda, CA.
I had an obsessive parenting spell last week. I was half-convinced Tamsin was saying "Yeah" when we asked her questions. I have since realized that she is just making a noise that sounds suspiciously like "yeah" but has no real meaning. Anyway, during the spell, I posted on a Mothering magazine message board* asking when other babies said their first words. Well, it turns out, Tamsin is the dunce of group with her first maybe-possibly-probably-not word at 8 months old. According to a rough scan of the replies, the average age for first word is about 5 months and by 8 months she should have a pretty extensive vocabulary. But, seriously, people, if your 2-month-old happens to make the "Ma-ma" sound**, she's not calling to you. She's just trying out a new sound.

*The people who post on Mothering are an interesting mix. Generally, I get some good advice there. And I really admire the efforts these women make to live naturally, but there are some real whack-a-dos on that site.

**Tamsin refuses to say "Ma-ma." When I try to prompt her to say it, she just laughs at me.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
I really love the word conundrum today. I keep coming up with scenarios in my head just so I can say, "It's a conundrum." It started with the message board inspired question of whether to post my Facebook status in first person or third person? It's a conundrum. And has escalated to, "Do I eat my soup first? Or my cottage cheese? It's a conundrum." I'm sure I will encounter many more conundrums throughout the day.

You like me. You really like me. Or not?
So last week, I waxed poetic on my love for message boards. What I didn't tell you is how obsessive I am about checking them - especially when I've written something. I'm always checking to see if someone has read and commented on something I've written. This is also the source of my Facebook addiction: I want people to read and comment on my status. I also want them to tell me my kid is cute*. I apparently seek personal validation from random internet people.

*Because she is cute. Anyone who denies it is blind.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Where Irrationality and Rationality Meet in Perfect Harmony

Will it lower her cholesterol by 4%?
Finally, we've found a solid food that Tamsin will actually eat. Cheerios. She won't eat more than about 5 bites of any puree or baby cereal. She spit out the avacado pieces we gave her. She's gagged on banana chunks and carrots, but she seems to like them OK. But she ate every Cheerio I gave her last night. Maybe this means she's a carb-person like her mommy?

My Own Private Focus Group
I have an irrational hatred of a commercial. I can't find it online, so here's a brief description:
I think it's for Chase. A man and a woman go into a restuarant and she starts reading the menu. He focuses in on the "cash-only" notice. So he runs outside and defies death trying to get to an ATM for cash. Meanwhile, she's just reading every. single. item on the menu, never looking up. She finishes the menu just as he gets back to his seat. Every time I see it (which is often since Chase seems to a major sponser of my local morning news), I can't help mentally tearing it apart. Why can't the guy just *tell* his date he doesn't have cash? And what restaurant only accepts cash in the first place? And who reads a menu, out loud, like it's a book, without ever looking at the person their talking to? Gah! I get angry just thinking about it.

From Hate to Love
I have an irrational love for online message boards. I've been a regular message board user since 2002. I met my husband on one. I am proficient in multiple message board formats. I spend an extraordinary amount of time browsing the boards I frequent. Yes, that is multiple boards. Did I not just say "irrational love" and "extraordinary amount of time?" If I have a problem, I go to message board land to solve it. If the problem can't be addressed by one of the boards I currently frequent, I go out and find one. When we bought our Nissan in November and I had questions, did I go to Nissan for answers? No. I went and joined a Nissan message board. I'm thinking another 12-step program may be in order here.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Here We Go Again

7 Days and Counting
I have worked out every night for a week now. I don't think I've ever actually done 7 days in a row before. Starting to feel it in my upper abs. Haven't seen any weight loss, yet, but working out has more benefits than losing inches, right? Right?

One Hand. Two Hands. Three Hands?
Tamsin has this toy that came with about 5 million little balls. The other day we were playing and I held three of the balls in front of her. She took one in each hand and banged them together. She looked at the third ball, still in my hand, looked at each of her hands and then leaned forward to pick up the ball with her mouth? To taste the third ball? I don't know but it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Nest Step: World Domination
I have followers. Four of them, in fact. Or this blog has followers. Nothing like totally whoring out the link all over Facebook to gain readers, huh? Anyway, I think I need to figure out what to do with these followers. Do you think if I start putting subliminal messages in here they'll eventually all bow to my will and do what I want?

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

And the Beat Goes On...

Making Do
Tamsin has learned how to move the blanket for peek-a-boo. She starts smiling as soon as she sees I have a blanket to put over her head. She promptly tries to eat it before pulling it down to start play. Then she puts it up and down and up and down. Now, though, if I'm not fast enough with the blanket, she'll use her dress - lifting it up and down and up and down. I hope she's not still doing this in 15 years.

No Pain No Gain?
After years (4 years? 5?) of wanting it, I finally purchased the Yoga Booty Ballet exercise DVDs. I've done a different workout every night this week and I don't hurt. Well not much. How is that possible? Hopefully the lack of pain is a sign of a well-designed workout with sufficient warm up and cool down periods and not an indication that I'm not working hard enough.

I Think I Need an Intervention
I can't stay away from Facebook. It's becoming a serious addiction. So far this morning, I've changed my status twice, reconnected with 2 new friends and made probably half a dozen comments. And today is actually a good day. Is there a Facebook 12-step program?

Tamsin's Firsts
I don't have a baby book. This is the closest thing I've got to a journal. So, I'm going to record her milestones here before I forget them.

  • First smile: 17 days
  • First laugh: About 8 weeks? I almost missed it. I got out of the shower and heard her laughing in the other room. The Ocean Wonders Aquarium was really funny.
  • First Rollover: She rolled both directions on the same day. Front to back in the morning, back to front that night. September 26, 3.5 months old.
  • First tooth: The day before her 7-month birthday.
  • First thing she "watched" on TV: Obama's nomination acceptance speech. She thought the faces on TV were really interesting. (Yes, I know this isn't a "real" first, but it's cool just the same. She also watched the inauguration with me.)
  • What firsts am I still missing?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

25 Random Things About Me

This is from Facebook. Thought I'd put it here, too.

1 - When I read or hear a sentence (online, in a book, TV, radio, etc.) that is grammatically incorrect, I have to mentally correct it before I can go on.

2 - When I read a sentence that seems awkward, I mentally diagram it to make sure it it grammatically correct.

3 - When I read a sentence and just flat out don't like the wording, I mentally rewrite it.

4 - Apparently, I'm a sentence nerd.

5 - I always dress Tamsin in her cutest outfits on the days I'm home with her so that I can enjoy the cuteness. She can wear the other stuff on days when I'm at work.

6 - I spent 7 months living in Italy and speak virtually no Italian. It's rather sad, really.

7 - Speaking of Tamsin's clothing, she was in a cute dress for baby story time this morning while I was dressed like schlub in jeans and a stained t-shirt (didn't realize it was stained until I was on my way). What happened to the days when I actually took pride in my appearance?

8 - I don't really want to be a stay-at-home mom, but I don't want to work either.

9 - I have the most amazing husband. Seriously. He puts up with so much crap from me.

10 - I love the smell of wood. I don't know why but it's the best smell in the world sometimes.

11 - My house is almost never truly clean. Once in a while I'll clean a room or two, but most of the time it's pretty cluttered.

12 - I'm not a natural germaphobe - couldn't care less about germs really. But now that I have a baby who gets sick all. the. time. I have become super paranoid. I've even become one of *those* moms who puts a cover on the grocery cart before putting her baby in it. But you'd do it too if you're kid got strep at 6 months old!

13 - I have an irrational fear of those semis that carry cars - I refuse to be behind one at a red light. I just know that last car on the top - the one that's angled slightly downward - is going to come loose and crash through my windshield.

14 - I've started probably 30 blogs (maybe not *quite* that many) in the past 5 years. They each have maybe 2 entries. Whenever I get the blogging (or journaling) itch, I just start a new one.

15 - I don't think I'll ever get my ugly entryway painted - I just cannot decide on a color.

16 - I really don't think I'm interesting enough to come up with 25 random things. Honest.

17 - I went to law school for one year. Now I think I know everything there is to know about how the world works.

18 - When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fashion designer. Based on #7 above, that's really funny.

19 - After I wanted to be a fashion designer, I wanted to be an archeaologist. I seriously thought I would discover Atlantis or something.

20 - I have a degree in Public Relations. When I picked my major, I went with something "I could use." Now that I'm not using it, I wish I would have done anthropology or something more interesting.

21 - Whenever I buy a lottery ticket I really think I have a chance of winning and am disappointed when I don't.

22 - I just entered HGTV's dream home sweepstakes. Again, I think I have a real chance of winning and will probably look up schools and job prospects in Sonoma at some point.

23 - Along the lines of truly improbable, when I was a teenager, I wanted to be "discovered" by a modelling scout. Because modeling scouts are regularly in Huntington, UT.

24 - I watch a lot of TV online these days. This is what I do during Tamsin's naps rather than cleaning my ever-dirty house.

25 - I got nothing. But I finally reached 25.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Monday Monday

Do you know any gypsies?
I've got a whiny baby who refuses to sleep and I'm considering selling her. Any buyers?

The Greatest Invention since Sliced Bread
I love the internet. I can satisfy my need to watch Super Bowl commercials without actually watching, you know, football. CareerBuilder won hands down.

Seeing Double
So, I just logged into Facebook, as I do several times a day. It's an addiction. The 2 most recent status updates are almost exactly the same. These are 2 friends who have no idea the other even exists. It's very bizarre.

Jennifer is back at work, wondering where the weekend
went. 8 minutes ago
Michelle is here, back at work, wondering WTF happened
to the weekend????? 19 minutes ago