Garbage Pail Family

We have 14 of these cards altogether; we found loads of them at an antique store north of Holland a couple years ago! During a search through bins in the basement I found our little collection, and thought I'd share these four (look at the names - you might have to click on the photo).

I never collected them as a kid in the 80's, probably because I found them so creepy (still do!).

here, wabbit wabbit wabbit...

Summer Birthdays

We try to group birthdays and anniversaries together for extended-family gatherings (on my mother's side), and yesterday was a big one! My dad, Jason, Taylor, Brady, Ryan, and Grandpa all had birthdays to celebrate, plus throw in a few anniversaries. It's a lot to keep track of! Anyway, I took lots of photos, mostly of Lucy, but also a lot of my cousin's son, Ryder (5 months old), who I haven't seen in a while!

More Photos

Overheard

Ronnie told me about something he heard during his parents' anniversary party, during the "Not-So-Newlywed Game" they were participating in.

Ron and Sarah were telling the story of how they met, during the introductions of each couple. They met on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. She and her friend saw these two guys who spoke English, so they figured "they'd be safe with them".

"Little did I know, how safe," added Sarah.

Goodness knows I don't understand the intricacies of their relationship, but it works. I guess I don't need to know how. It was a sweet little moment that slipped past a lot of people... including me.

Naps To Energize!

This afternoon I couldn't wait to put Lucy down for a nap, because I could barely keep my eyes open and apparently I needed a nap too.

We went down at 12:30 or so (she in her crib, me in my bed) and it's is now going on 3:00 PM. I just woke up, and Lucy is still napping - that's alright with me, since we're going to the Hiddema's at 5:00 and the more rested she is, the better. It'll help her win all the baby competitions she'll have to undergo. ::sigh::

I think all Lucy is worried about is how she's going to score some more frosting off peoples' cake. Like she even knows what's in store for later this afternoon...

Geez, I can't believe I took a nap! I never take naps.

Who Knew?

I am on a yahoo message board for heterochromia iridium, and get e-mail digests. Today someone's post included some interesting tidbits about the condition. Did you know there is a Heterochromia holiday? Neither did I! Unfortunately we just missed it. Of course, they'll make a "holiday" for anything, but maybe it would be a good way to make Lucy feel special!

There is also a children's book about a little girl with two different colored eyes - one eye "the color of root beer while the other as blue as a lake." Sounds familiar. The book is about a girl who uses her special eyes to look for the (sometimes hidden) beauty in everyday things. It sounds like a nice story for any child!

Surprise!

Today we had a surprise party for Ron's parents - this weekend they celebrate 40 years of marriage, and despite all the ups and downs they've experienced throughout their lives together, they have come through strong and still in love. They were both completely shocked when we pulled up to the pavilion at Johnson Park (after a detour through the scenic drive, just to "kill time" on our way to a nice "lunch"). Even after we parked the car they still had no clue what was going on. The guests were on the side porch waving and it wasn't until we walked up a little closer that they figured out why we were there. They both went on and on about how amazed they were we pulled off such a complete surprise!

Ron did a lot of planning and work, as did my sisters-in-law, but I ended up talking care of a lot of details. It made for a busy last couple of days, but it was definitely worth it, because it was obvious how touched they were that we put this together.


Besides ALL of the kids and grandkids, many of their friends, and extended family made it as well. We had lots of food, music from 1967, and a "Not-So-Newlywed Game" to test 3 couples on how well they knew each other.

It was fun to test out my new camera and I quickly learned one thing: I have a lot to learn about my new camera! I got some good shots, but a lot of not-so. My favorite thing, of course, was to get photos of my nieces and nephews just being themselves.

Proud Owner

I picked up my new Canon Rebel XT today from Circuit City, a trustworthy institution where you can talk to a human being about cameras and accessories, go in empty handed, and walk out with your new purchase!

The guy who was working is a former student of Ron's, and was on the Robotics team back when Ron coached. He's been out of school for a few years, but he remembered me, and we talked a bit. Then he sold me the camera I wanted... he recommended a case that came with some other neat stuff but I passed on that for now, and opted for the cheapest case available. It works fine since I only have the 1 lens, and all the other stuff I need fits in there. I already have one large [diaper] bag to lug around...

Still waiting on my CF (memory) card - 2GB - to come in the mail. eBay was the route for that. Meanwhile, I am trying to familiarize myself with the camera, and I can still take pictures with it, which I can see for a couple seconds before they disappear. This way I can play around a little, and figure out how the heck to use all those neat functions!

Fool Me Once...

With shame, I blog...

As my previous post stated, we ordered a new digital camera the other day - a Canon Rebel XTi. We saw an ad in a digital photography magazine for a company that (obviously) sells cameras. Comparatively, this company: BroadwayPhoto.com, had the best deal. So here's what happened:

Ron placed the order with our bank card. The screen he got said, "ORDER COMPLETE - THANK YOU!" and had the order number, etc. as well as some standard fine print. Little did we know that fine print included something about the company contacting us regarding any adjustments to your order, etc. etc., but since we didn't even see such a message until after the order was submitted, it seemed inconsequential, standard for Internet shopping type stuff. I know, I know...

The next day (today) Ron received an e-mail asking him to call an 800 number to confirm the order. We thought it was processed and shipping via UPS (2-3 days), so immediately red flags went up. This seemed quite strange, so he started Googling the company and quickly found they have a sketchtastic reputation as a "bait-and-switch" scam. They want us to call so they can attempt to sell more accessories, or that our camera is the Japanese version and the US version will be more expensive... and all sorts of other outrageousness. If you refuse, according to other victims, they send you oddball crap anyway, and then charge you a "minimum" 5% restocking fee (which could be as high as %15), and do not refund shipping charges. When it's all said and done, they could charge your account for hundreds, if not thousands, more than you were expecting... Ron, take a deep breath...

Since the e-mail arrived in Ron's inbox too late for him to actually talk with someone at 'customer service' he called National City (24-hour service) and explained the situation. We're not going to be charged, we're not going to call BroadwayPhoto, and if by some chance (slim, but you never know!) we receive a package from them, we'll simply return to sender, unopened. A new bank card has already been ordered.

So, a lot of lessons in this week's blog entries, between the dishwasher thing and this. We're going to a nice big-box store where you get what you pay for. Maybe it's going to cost a bit more, but it's worth not having the headache. I'm going with the "older" Canon Rebel XT kit, which, although the megapixels are lower, is actually an excellent camera. The 2 megapixel difference between the XT (8.0) and the XTi (10.1) is negligible, and only matters for super-large prints, and even at that point most humans cannot detect a difference. Sidenote: For anyone who doesn't work for National Geographic, megapixels start to "plateau" around 7 or 8, and beyond that, it's just a buzzword to convince people that one camera is 'better' than another). The older version (Rebel XT) actually has some nicer features... AND it's slightly cheaper, so between the "downgrade" and the "big-box price" we're going to end up paying about the same. But tomorrow, I should be walking out of Best Buy or Circuit City with my new camera, and no worries. Yay!

Crappy Reviews of Broadway Photo.com

Rebel

Ron has been helping finish our friends' basement, and they paid him yesterday. How much is not important, but let's just say that we now have a couple of new "luxuries": 1) a washing machine and 2) a dishwasher.

I will confess now that we've jumped back into the 20th century, our washing machine's motor broke, and it was going to cost MORE to replace the motor than to just buy a new one. We could never justify it before, but I spotted some used appliances in someone's driveway (one benefit to living in Wyoming) and we checked them out - a washing machine in perfectly good shape for $60!!!. Needless to say we went to my parents' house, got the truck, and I was doing laundry AT HOME that night.

Our dishwasher has been out of order for a while. I can't even remember how long. I think Lucy was still in my belly. Anyway... Ron was sanitizing bottles for a batch of home brew when it started leaking all over the floor. No soap involved in that process, but clearly something was wrong. We bought a bargain corner replacement and that leaked too! Word of advice: used dishwashers probably have a bad gasket because it dries out and becomes brittle. Buy new. So that's what we did... and it works! (Queue the "Hallelujah" chorus of Handel's Messiah). Those two additions should also help our house sell.

The other purchase is a new Canon Rebel XTi, which will be nice for more "professional" looking photos... which I'm hoping to get more into. I still love my handy little Canon PowerShot but this is going to give me some different options, as well as quality. The price listed on that site is not what it cost us, because Ron and I searched around enough to find a great deal, and it's not even a used one! I just wanted to show which one I'm getting. It should be here later this week and I can't wait to test it out! I'm so grateful because this is something that I would never allow myself to get, because there are more "important" things to spend money on, but on the other hand, sometimes it's nice to do something fun and I hope to put it to good use (and maybe even make money someday).

Tooth #1

This afternoon, as I was feeling Lucy's gums (as I often do several times a day), I actually felt a sharp edge! Not like the hard-gums-almost-through that we've had up until today. They have been so close for so long, I was actually starting to wonder if she was born without teeth. Now there is no question that she has at least ONE tooth in there. I felt it, and so did Ron. I think Lucy knows about it too. So, mark it down: July 24, 2007. A week shy of 10 months old. It's about time!!!

Sentiment On Taft Avenue

There are times we really dislike our neighborhood... it is one of the reasons we hope to move soon. Sometimes there are noisy "homemade" vehicles, or hooligans going down the road, there has been graffiti on someones garage door, and a CD player has been stolen out of Ron's car... twice. There are always lots of cars parked on the street (in front of empty driveways), and sometimes people even park in their lawn! Several of the homes are for sale.

We can be negative and focus on all the bad things, but today I'm going to try to be more positive. We can see that our neighborhood has some wonderful people, and so far everyone we've met is extremely friendly. Several homes are being remodeled and made nicer, and for the most part people keep their property looking good (even if they have to paint over gang signs). When it comes down to it, the neighborhood you live in doesn't change the fact that the human experience is playing out, and it really looks similar no matter what your street sign reads. Today when I looked out our front window, I didn't see small houses and lots of cars. I saw this:


...and for a second our neighborhood was actually quite a beautiful place.

Maybe it's because I envision Ron running next to Lucy when she someday graduates from the training wheels (maybe a tad less hunky, tan, and shirtless... but you get the idea). It struck me as so classic and adorable. It's just one of those simple everyday moments that suddenly seems so much more powerful now that we have a child. As they were riding up and down the sidewalk, I couldn't resist snapping a photo from the window. He let go and she rode really far before deciding to put her feet down on the ground to stop... and they were both so proud! Ron said he wanted to go out there and clap for her.

Flight of the Conchords

Ron's brother tipped us off to an HBO series called Flight of the Conchords, and as soon as I get bored, I'm going to check out more hilarious video clips. Anyone seen the show? We're too cheap for HBO, so we'll just have to enjoy it via the Internet!

That 70's House

We were able to walk through the house tonight with our Realtor. What can I say? We love it even more now... so we're definitely what you would call "motivated sellers". The things about the house that were questionable aren't as bad as we thought, and the things that we liked about it, are even better. We still have to sell ours first, of course, but going into the house tonight answered any questions about whether or not it would be a good investment (and we have learned many things about fixing up a house... the hard way).

I didn't take any photos because I had the camera in the diaper bag and didn't feel like getting it out, plus Lucy was really squirmy and tired, and I also felt weird about photographing the house when it isn't ours. It's a bank-owned home, so no one lives there, but I still thought it would be unnecessary. Besides, we saw what we needed to see, and having pictures to stare at would only add to the obsession. Okay, so this is definitely THE house. I hope all the renovating that would be necessary scares off other potential buyers. I don't know what is in store for us, and maybe this house isn't where we're meant to be. I still have faith that we'll find the right place. However, it's all too easy to get caught up in your own desires, and I can't deny the fact that we both love this house. All we can do is wait for an offer on ours!

Shop Till Ya Drop!

Lucy, my mom, and I went to Holland for a very short shopping trip this afternoon. We went to Bumble Bee's in the Outlet Mall and found a couple cute items. Lucy loves touching all the racks of clothes and I love finding such great deals on perfectly good clothing. It's all second-hand, but they only accept items that are in excellent condition, and there is plenty of name-brand, quality stuff. I'd much rather pay a couple bucks for something, rather than full price, since she'll outgrow it before too long. If you haven't discovered this place, it's worth the trip.

Speaking of outgrowing: I wanted Lucy's shoulder straps on her carseat adjusted up a notch, so they were higher up on the back of the seat, and Ron went out to the garage to do it, but the instruction manual said the carseat only allows that to happen if it's in the forward-facing position. So we had to decide, is it better to keep Lucy rear-facing till she is 1 year old, or have the straps fit properly? I guess our tall girl is going to have the be a rebel and face forward. She seems to love the new perspective! Of course, I also love being able to see her in my rear-view mirror and she seems so grown up now, just from facing forward (I know that sounds crazy). My mom took the picture on our way home from Holland today... Lucy was sleeeeeepy.

Open Mind

Today I talked to our Realtor about seeing the house in Grandville I mentioned. When I asked her if she saw the photos, she replied "yeahhh" and I could hear her smiling over there. "I know it looks really really bad, but I think we could fix it up!" I'm just anxious to see whether or not we love it, or if we can rule it out entirely. We crunched some numbers and we'd have the scraps to make the improvements while living there. The biggest issue is (not surprisingly) the kitchen and baths. Oh... and I'll take some photos when we go in so all can enjoy the darker side of the 70's...

...Don't worry, we're not totally nuts, we'll still (if and when our house sells) check out some more "normal" options. No need to be hasty...

And It Has Central Air!

We have found a house that we love! Uh-oh! Now the obsession begins. If this doesn't work out, it won't be more than 36 hours before a new one comes along...

Anyway, I have proclaimed ever since we decided to sell our house that we will move into one that is "turn-key", meaning no work needs to be done to make it the kind of place a normal person would want to live. Just hang your clothes in the closet and pour the wine. Of course, you're paying the price for such luxury. Why not pay much less for a gigantic home in Grandville that needs serious (and I mean serious) updating. Like, the kind of updating that involves tearing out blood-red carpet and enough faux-wood panelling to cover a football field. But the potential! Can't... resist... renovation!

It's on the (long) list of homes we're interested in. We're going to see Saturday night, since online photos and peering into windows only gives you about 50% of reality. If we end up getting this house, we would have a lot of work on our hands, but at the risk of contradicting myself, it might be worth it. I never thought I'd believe that about a fixer-upper again.

I'll remind myself about sleeping in a "bedroom" with nothing but the scraped-off pad on the floor, the countless trips to Lowe's, the drywall dust... but in the end, it is quite something to breathe new life into a great old house. We have many good memories of our remodeling of this one (I know there was plenty of blood, sweat, and tears... and yelling... yet I seem to forget those times). Maybe we'll never learn. Maybe we just gluttons for misery. Or maybe it could be one of the most rewarding projects of our lives. To be continued...

Michigan Outdoorsman

This morning the news anchor informed me that Fred Trost passed away on July 18. It sure seems like he's been around "forever", at least in my mind, so it is strange to know that he is gone. I remember many times groaning in annoyance when my dad wanted to watch Michigan Outdoors or Practical Sportsman, but since I've grown up I could appreciate more what Fred Trost has done to educate and excite Michiganders about the beauty and resources of the Great Lakes State. I think he had an impact on many peoples' lives, (and although this is a sexist assumption), especially young men.


There is a nice article in the Lansing State Journal that talks more about his life and career. I am sure his son Zachary will do all he can to carry on his dad's love of Michigan and the outdoors.

Take Another Look...

The squares "A" and "B" are the same color! Pretty interesting optical illusion, described here.

Fat Lip Slim

We supposedly had a showing tonight at 6:15. Ron had a softball game, so he took Killian over to his parents' apartment, and I went to my parents' to do laundry (side note: our washing machine is on the fritz, so until we buy a new one, my parents' house doubles as a laundromat. I do not enjoy carting our baskets of clothes over there every couple of days, believe me, but at least it's free, so I can't complain. Anyway...) I got home around 7:30 and Ron had also just gotten home. Usually some of the lights would be turned off by the realtor / visitors but all of them were still on. Also, there was no business card left. Huh. I hope these people actually came by! Either way, the house got cleaned... really well.

As for Ron's game, in the first round of playoffs, they played the Team That Shouldn't Be In Their Division, and were ahead in the 7th (final) inning, only to lose by 1 measly run! It would have been the biggest upset of all of Wyoming men's summer softball! When I got home I found Ron with a fat lip, which he acquired during the 3rd inning (d'oh!) and he said he also had a bloody nose. Sweet. I told him to ice it 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Does that sound right? It's definitely going to bruise. Ick. And yes, it was an error in the outfield that caused his injury... not a fistfight or anything cool. Oh well... at least he didn't lose a tooth.

Bummer

The house we love has sold! GRRR...

Although this was a very disappointing discovery, we are focusing on the fact that there is something else out there, and we will be just as excited when we find "the" house for us!

Meanwhile, we have another private showing tomorrow afternoon... so we should get the house looking as nice as possible.

... one might wonder, "Why isn't it always looking nice, on the off chance someone might want to see it?" Well, ideally that would be the case, but alas, we have to live here. This results in the lived-in look that can sometimes escalate to an official mess... as it currently is...

But, we are glad to have had this much interest in the past month or so. We really are doing well in that department, considering the real estate market (at least in our price range) in West Michigan. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that all these private showings will result in an offer soon. So in the meantime, I need to find a new house to pine over.

Baltimore (aka Muffintown) 2007

Last night I got back from my weekend in Maryland. We arrived in Baltimore Thursday afternoon and right through Sunday our weekend was packed with activity. Thursday we ate and had drinks at Olney Ale House (excellent) and went back to Pam and Teri's to relax. An added note: we finally named the "mascot" of our adventures: Muffy (The Beaver), as well as a name for our the weekend, formerly known as "girls weekend", now "Muffintown". At least we didn't go with Ron's suggestion, "Beavertown". A spinoff of his fishing trip, "Salmontown". An honorable mention to Heath's idea... clambake.

Friday was horseback riding - and although it was quite enjoyable, a nice 90 minute ride was plenty. I think that a person's butt has to get used to something like that, but our horses were so well behaved, and they just walked in line through the trails.


Later that day we visited Frederick and wandered in and out of little shops and galleries. We also stopped for a beer at Brewer's Alley.

Saturday we headed to Great Falls National Park, of the Potomac River. We climbed down the rocky hillside to get closer to the water, which was actually quite low. There were plenty of tourists visiting the park, which has an interesting history...

After the hike, we went to Trader Joe's for some snacks, and then back to Pam and Teri's for an early dinner, before heading to the Kennedy Center to see The Phantom of the Opera. We were able to go into the Members' Lounge thanks to Pam and Teri and relax in a quiet area before the show. The musical was wonderful, and I am so thankful we were able to go. That was really the highlight of the weekend for me.


Sunday morning we actually squeezed a couple more things in before heading home: a quick stop at Tom Selleck's house before going to breakfast at the Double - T Diner in Columbia (near Baltimore) where we stuffed ourselves yet again... but that's okay because we went to Baltimore's Inner Harbor afterward and walked it all off.

I found a cute bracelet and a shot glass for Ron's collection. Then Pam and Teri took us to the airport and ... eventually our plane took off back to O'Hare. We went to Potbelly's with Kelly and Heath in Evanston for MORE FOOD, and then Mom, Ginger, and I continued on back to Michigan...

THE GALLERY

Vacation

To all my devoted readers (maybe 7 people or so), I want to let you know that tomorrow I am leaving for a long weekend in Maryland, with my sister, my mom, and my aunts. The six of us are going to go horseback riding, which should be especially fun for Pam, who is a former veterinarian and loves horses very much. Ron and I went horseback riding a couple years ago in SMYRNA, MI (tiny tiny town), and I loved it. Although we were both feeling it the next day. This is why trotting, although slower, is worse than galloping.

We are also going to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. I have been there once before, and it is a very impressive theater. Phantom should be an exciting show. It is the longest-running production in Broadway history, and I love the music. I've seen the movie... it was pretty good. derf. I'm sure the live musical will be amazing.

There are also unofficial plans to visit the Baltimore Inner Harbor (on the Chesapeake Bay) for some fresh seafood (crab!!!!). For as many times as I've been to Maryland (maybe 4 of 5) I've never been there... so I hope we can fit that into our weekend.

I am going to miss Lucy (I'll miss Ron too, of course!), and I will plan on calling maybe once a day to maintain a connection with the homestead. I completely trust Ron to take good care of her, so it's hard to explain my need to touch base. I'm not "checking in" on him, but this will be the first time I've been away from her for more than one night, and since she is such a huge part of my life, that's not something I can just shrug off for a few days. But, I will definitely enjoy the break from my normal routine, and I know I'm going to have a lot of fun. My MIL asked me if I was going to be okay away from Lucy, if I was going to miss her, etc. Of course I will, but I think it makes a person function better as a parent if they're able to get away every now and then, mentally recharge, and come back refreshed, patient, happy, and ready to dive back in. That and a glass of wine...

When I return I will take some time to reunite with my little family, and then I'll get right to blogging. I will have plenty of photos as usual...

Seriously

This is a van we saw on the way home from Grand Haven today. Note the wheels. Good eye, Ron.

Dismissed

Yesterday I went downtown for jury duty... I sat and waited for my number to be called - and on the 3rd round it was... so 40 of us went upstairs to a courtroom to begin "voir dire", where they start asking questions to narrow down prospective jurors. I fit into one of the conflict categories, since I have a flight coming up later this week. My conflict was approved and I was sent home for the day. I did not have to report today... but I am still going to check and see if I have to go in tomorrow. I told the clerk that I will not be able to be there Thursday and she made a note of it, so I'm half-guessing that I won't have to go back at all... what would be the point, since I won't be able to serve as a juror on a case lasting more than one day... and they just can't predict that.

It was really boring but I read a cool article about Blogs in an old issue of New York Magazine. If I have to go again, I am definitely bringing a sudoku bookl. I am just relieved that there won't be a messy conflict with my travel plans!

Interest

Yesterday we got out of the house for a little while because a different couple wanted to see it. We're still awaiting feedback. Tomorrow (Monday) is another couple - actually the husband won't be there - but we're hoping that one of these people will perhaps place a bid... Maybe we'll sell the house while I'm in Maryland!

Sippy

Lucy has started using a sippy cup successfully. My mom put chocolate milk in one and when Lucy figured out that she's suppsed to suck - not bite - the spout... she got the chocolate milk! An "ah - ha!" moment...

After The Swim

Jury Duty

I have been selected for Jury Duty! I postponed my Jury Duty service last year, as my appearance date was going to be right around my due date. I chose a random week the following summer to appear, and this coming Monday is the beginning of that week. Little did I know at the time that next Thursday is the day I am leaving for Maryland for our 3rd annual _____ weekend. We still haven't named it. Kelly. Anyway, my term runs through Thursday, as I have to be available for 1 trial or 1 week (if I'm not selected by Wednesday evening). If my trial ends Monday, I'm done. On the other hand, I could be a juror for the next "Trial of the Century" if something major happens in Kent County - but that's not likely.

From what I understand, most people appear for one day, and then they're off the hook. Perhaps their case is settled immediately, and there isn't even a trial to sit through. I'm hoping it's a one-day obligation, but I'm willing to "serve" through Wednesday. However, I am going to inform someone that there is absolutely no way I can serve Thursday. I hope that They are understanding about it, and don't threaten to fine or arrest me for contempt of court (both, according to my summons, they could do). I understand why random samplings of people are needed to serve as jurors (as opposed to only those who are a) desperate for money; b) have nothing else to do), but I'm not thrilled about it. Here's hoping it doesn't interfere with my plans for next weekend.

JURY SERVICE - A VITAL FUNCTION OF DEMOCRACY
Jurty Duty is one of the most important duties that members of a free society are called upon to perform. The jury is an expression of the democtratic idea that authority can be exercised most equitably only if people participate. We think you will find jury duty to be a very interesting experience and will give you the opportunity to learn more about our system of justice and how it works.

This message is on my instructions. It is meant to make me feel all warm and fuzzy about jury duty.

House Update

Our Realtor called today to let us know that someone saw our house and called about it, and wants to see it tomorrow night. I saw a vehicle in our driveway today and wondered if it was someone taking a look [as I quickly straightened up the dining room table, just in case]. They drove off... Our Realtor said they are a young couple, with a baby, and they do not have a Realtor of their own (so I'm guessing they are first-time buyers - which is a good thing, since we wouldn't have to wait for them to sell their house... see?). We envisioned our buyers to be young people, who might like some of the decorating / renovations we've made... looking for a starter home. More in a sense of 'who are we marketing this to'... and our Realtor(s) agree that will most likely be the case. Or old people downsizing.

We're trying not to get our hopes up, but I'm excited about there being interest in our home! We're already thinking, in the back of our minds, about when/if to lower our price, and I really don't want to have to do that. Maybe we won't have to.

Ron and I are going to get the house looking as nice as possible. It's SO hard not to get our hopes up. We are very interested in a certain home in Allendale and it feels like a race against time to try to get it. I know they had an offer which they accepted, but it fell through at the last minute because the buyer backed out! Close call! Well, back down to earth - I know when ours does sell we'll find something. Whatever is in the cards for us, I'm sure, is for a reason. Prospective buyers make us crazy! Can't help it! ** Note - they rescheduled for Monday because the husband is working super late tonight. GRRRRR. The house is super-clean and we're going to have to just keep it that way for the rest of the weekend. Oh well!

No Easy Feet

I gave Lucy her first pedicure. It's not the neatest job, but considering she was moving her feet constantly... I'm happy with how it turned out!

Now We're Even!

In the previous post, you see Lucy and Lauren playing with some colorful noisy gizmo with moving parts. Lucy got a finger underneath one of those moving parts, and Lauren happened to put all her weight on it, pinching Lucy's finger. It was one of those times when Lucy had her mouth wide open for a few seconds before the actual screams began. Awww.... accidents happen, though! It's hard to let them play together too much because neither one understands that they can inflict pain.

Later on, they were playing with the same toy, and Lucy was determined to grab Lauren's lovely locks! She smiles and squeals when she "pets" things - and before we could stop her, her two fists were latched onto Lauren's hair, just like Lennie in Of Mice and Men! By the time we pried her fingers open, Lauren was crying.

.... I'm not gonna hurt him, George, honest!

I'm posting photos of them on Smugmug. Hopefully I get some more good ones this afternoon. Right now they're both down for a nap! Yeah!!!!

2 Babies

Today we are babysitting Lucy's buddy Lauren. I swear this morning Lucy was in her walker looking out the front window, waiting for her friend! We have her today and tomorrow (although Lauren's mom is picking her up at 5:30 tonight). Lucy and Lauren are the same age, and therefore we are forcing them to be friends! Ha ha ha. So we expect them to play nice, but it's quite clear that they have very different personalities. Lucy is the agressor. I could not imagine placing them both in the playpen and turning my back, because it would become a cage-match. Then Lucy would use Lauren as a step stool to escape.


No, but really Lauren is a wonderful baby, and very content to play for long periods of time, wherever you put her (walker, exersaucer, etc.). She makes different sounds, has different gestures, and it's just really highlighting how different all babies are! We just put them both down for a nap and poor Lauren is trying to sleep in Lucy's playpen in the guest room. I don't think she is completely comfortable in a strange place, but Lisa said that she will sleep 3 hours in the morning, so I'm going to let her fall asleep. I gave her a stuffed kitty that rattles and she seems to be calming down. I'm going to try to take some "nice" photos of her at some point, maybe outside or something, to practice on someone else's baby. If Lucy can behave, I might be able to get a couple of them together.

Best Friends

Lucy taking a nap with her Irish doll. I had to snap a photo...