Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog

Good Lord, if you haven’t watched the first two episode’s…well, just go watch them, then we can talk.

I love my new Snow Blower

I took delivery of my new, Craftsman 5.5 hp Gas Snow Thrower (Model #31AS6BCE799) from Sears, and I have to say...I'm in love. I cleaned up my shovelled drive way (my shoulders have literally been stiff for close to a week) in a very short time, and proceeded to take on the end of the driveway mounds that were threatening to block off access to my mailbox...well, no more.

I have to take on a serious snow fall, but I know that I’m prepared.  I also walked Sara through it’s use in case she needs it this week while I’m at work, but here’s hoping the snow holds off until at LEAST next Thursday, so that I can ride triumphant again on my 5.5 horse powered steed.

ok, ok, I don’t ride it, I kind of waddle along behind it, but seriously, the only thing that makes you feel more like a man than one of these is probably grinding/welding steel or driving one of those HUGE dump trucks in an open pit mine.

Or maybe being an explosives expert…but there’s WAY too much study involved.  In this case, the curricula consists of following the pictures on the front of the blower and remembering to point the stack AWAY from yourself and nearby cars.

Corn Dog

Seriously...

How cute is she?

Anniversary

Three Years.

Has it really been three years? *boggle* Every minute has been an adventure and no matter what befalls us, I know that we're partners.

This past year has been a serious shift in lifestyle. Rachel proves to be one of the greatest gifts I have ever received, and she continues to change my point of view on EVERYTHING.

Moving closer to Sara's family has taught me about house hunting, home ownership, furnaces, water softeners, lawn care and being a neighbor. Moving away from my family has shown me exactly how much Sara has sacrificed for me the last six years and proved to me, once again, how much she loves me.

I only hope that I have been half the partner to her that she has been to me.

I love you, Sara.

Time Flies

It has almost been a year.

Just a few more minutes, and it will be a year since we finished cookies and got in the car to head to the hospital, in what would be the beginning of one of the most amazing journeys imaginable.

She’s just as beautiful now as she was that morning, all wrinkly and pink, crying for all the universe to hear of her arrival.  Our little lamb.  Our little Rachel.  She is still attacking the world with joy and wide-eyed wonder. 

Now she just has a cooler hat.

more cute things Rachel is saying now

5. "Hi Mook." (translation: "Hi Milk." She says this nearly every time we sit down to nurse.)
4. "Caw Aaty Co-ty." (translation: "Call Aunty Courtenay." She's in love with her Aunty Courtenay.)
3. "In ying." (translation: "In sling." Rachel love to hang out with Mamma.)
2. "Hab tea on Pooh yap." (translation: "Have tea on Pooh's lap." Rachel's new favorite thing to do is have a teddy bear tea party and she takes turns sitting on all the bears' laps.)
1. "Good yiwky on Bobby." (translation: "Good silky on Bobby." Daddy always tells Rachel "There's still some good silky left on this [blanket]" and rubs the silky edge on her cheeks.)

by the way, we're in a show...

a family portrait

cute things the girl is saying now

5. How 'bout Elmo?
4. coffee pot (Dad's so proud.)
3. screwdriver
2. Hold Ginny! (meaning she want to hold the picture of Aunt Gillian.)
1. Tuck in toes.

a month gone by

Time sure flies when I'm chasing my girl.

Rachel's had a very busy month. We had her 18 month check up a couple of weeks ago and all is well. She's off the charts in height. The doctor said if she keeps growing the way she has, she's likely to be about 5'9" tall. Her language is exploding and I stopped keeping track of new words because her vocabulary is already well ahead of most kids her age. She can speak in three (sometimes four) word sentences. She sings, dances, turns in circles and likes to hop.

A week ago, Chuck and I set out to finally night-wean Rachel. It's working. She no longer expects milk when she wakes and is sleeping through the night most nights. (Knock on Wood) Of course this has only been going on for a week. The same time we started night-weaning, Rachel decided that she wanted to start sitting on the potty. So we've been potty training. We already had a seat and step-stool for her, but other than that, I was unprepared. I wasn't expecting to start toilet learning for another six months or so. We'll see how this goes. Maybe it's a phase. Anyway, we got some pull-on pants and a cool potty book that Rachel likes. Wish us luck.

Magoo has been pretty clingy lately (even before the night-weaning) so I called my sister-in-law and she's making me a new sling that should be easier to use with Rachel now that she is heavier. She also encouraged me to get out the Mei Tai sling and use it on my back. We tried it a couple of times and Rachel seems to enjoy it although she still doesn't have a very long attention span to be carried around in it. She's rather be running around.

Stuff she's really into right now:
Her motorcycle from Grandma M
Going downstairs
Abby Cadabby
Bunnies, Birdies and everything outside!!!
The teeter-totter at Kids Coulee
The Back-Hoe working in the lot behind our house
Books, always books

new pink shoes

the motorcycle

my sweet girl