So, today I needed to work approximately 7 hours to have a wonderfully high billing month. And tonight, I was going to the summer Shakespeare festival with my somewhat brilliant friend (and Ph.D. in Lit student), Joseph.

And last night, while out with friends for “wings and beer” I started feeling ill., and had to come home. The fever got up to nearly 103 before it calmed down. So, I missed work today and missed going to Shakespeare.

Bah.

Beat Georgia Tech!

Will we get to see Jimmy Clausen’s debut as quarterback tomorrow???

guilt, harass, pester, and annoy certain people into updating their blog.

You know who you are.

But this is what we got her for her birthday.

Yes, that is truly a band in a box. I don’t know what we were I was thinking exactly….but I know she’ll love it. I pray for my sanity and my hearing.

And this…

It’s a wooden birthday cake set. The girl is obsessed with “birthday parties” so now she can have one of her own anytime. The toppings all velcro on to the top of the cake.

Melissa & Doug make such cool wooden toys. And there’s no danger of lead paint, which is an added bonus for sure.

We’re having her birthday party on September 8th at the local elementary school playground. They have a really nice pavilion that we rented, or rather reserved (it was free!). She’ll share her party with her cousins Nora and Kyle who all have September birthdays as well. Pray for a nice day!

I can’t believe my little baby is going to be 3…..

I just read Jonathan’s Sunday night post.  Someone asked me at work this morning what we did this weekend and I said…”hum..not much.  We went to the church picnic. I sang in the choir.”  LOL

I don’t know if I’ve lost braincells from child birth or just have selective memory issues.

On another note…I got a new cell phone today.  It’s a Motorola Krzr.   And it’s red.  And pretty…..

This weekend was extraordinarily busy. I am not sure I remember Saturday, but I do know that I got up and went to a 7:30 a.m. eyedoctor appointment. Anne went to a baby shower somewhere in there, and I mowed the lawn, and then Anne went to cantor at Church.

Today, I got up and went to early Mass (7:00), then came home. We played with the kids, etc., until Anne left at 9:45 to go to prepare to sing with the St. Pius Festival Choir - today was the annual Church picnic. Anne came back around 10 mins after 1:00 - at that point I was kidded out, as both Claire and Mads were rather…high-energy…today. Fortunately, Mads took a nice nap from 1:00 - 2:30, so she was well rested when we went back to the picnic from 2:30 - 4:00. Then we went shopping and came home. Anne wasn’t feeling well, so she took a catnap and I played with and fed the girls. She got up, and I gave Claire a bath (she was diiiirty) - then I read Claire some stories and I put her in bed while Anne was putting Mads in bed. Claire proceeded to be up and down for the next hour, until I finally went up and snuggled her, told her she had to be good and stay in bed. So, she did. (I have to remember to ask first, threaten later.)

–Jonathan

I brought my camera to work today to download the picture of the hat that I knitted (yes, I knit…stop with the shock and surprise), and I found a few more gems on the disk that I didn’t know were there….and I had to share.

So anyway, here’s the hat….pardon the model. It was supposed to be for Claire, but it’s a bit too small for her head, so now it’s Madeline’s hat. (although it fits the squash rather nice I think)

Now for the other gems. Claire is going to be so embarassed some day that I posted this picture of her “getting milk”. Apparently she does get the whole idea of a pump.

But, I did save the best for last. This truly is better than words can describe.

Ok ok, one more for kicks.

Anne has once again complained that her blog is the Anne show, and that people need to know she has a husband (and that Claire and Madeline have a father, etc.).

This is my look today (though the picture is from the past). Every Thursday, to break up the monotony of the week a bit, I wear a bow-tie. I have been doing this for about 6 months now, and to my recollection, I haven’t missed a day. It gets talked about in the local law community, and I have “permission” from the local city bar to do it, in light of the fact that my ties aren’t “clip-ons,” but self-tied. (That took some work.) Th only issue is that good ties (like that one from Jos. A. Bank) are expensive, so I must save up to buy them (or find them on Ebay). On the positive side, if I get one I don’t like, they usually go on Ebay for good prices.

–Jonathan

With all the toy recalls from China? Why in the world do people use LEAD paint anywhere in this world for Children’s Toys. Ugh! Luckily we haven’t been affected directly, but tons of my friends have had to turn in Dora toys and Thomas Trains galore. It’s starting to make me sort of paranoid about buying things that are made in China for my kids. Gosh, am I getting more green as I get older?

On the home front, Madeline has slept through the night TWICE this week. I’m trying not to jinx anything. Apparently just getting the sleep book from the library has helped, even though I’m only through about 100 pages. Of course Madeline is sleeping so Claire has been getting up, but what can you do. We just have to awake from our slumber long enough to get Claire to the bathroom and then she usually goes back to sleep without a problem. Madeline is also standing on her own for longer periods of time and taking eeensy tiny baby steps. It’s really very sweet. Her vocabulary is expanding too…she says MMMM when you’re eating something, DADA, GEE (which is her word for all things happy), Kikikiki which is Cookie, but still no MAMA.

Claire has her “orientation” for her preschool this week. She starts on September 5 and will go three days a week. I think she’s excited. Well, somewhere between excitement and not knowing what the heck I’m talking about when I tell her she’s going to a new school. Hard to tell. This morning she drew the most adorable picture of a “frog” on her magna doodle that actually looked like a frog.

Her 3rd birthday is coming up pretty quickly — anyone have any good ideas for gifts for a 3 year old girl that don’t involve Barbies or Bratz (both of which I can’t stand!!)

This is totally spot on for me:

http://friends.imagini.net/@1321106-78e9

Try it!

1.  Claire will in fact be going on an airplane. (She’s been telling everyone since Cookie got here and left that SHE gets to ride on an airplane).  We just booked our tickets this morning for Thanksgiving in the Outer Banks Washington DC with Jonathan’s Family!!  We are very excited to go back for a decent period of time! (Wed - Monday!)

2. I WILL be spending my 30th birthday in Notre Dame Stadium with my Dad.  Thanks Erika/Mr. Foo for the USC tickets!

3.  My NSI Security seminar WILL have 100 attendees so help me God.

4.  Madeline will be walking.  Soon.  She is taking very wobbly steps unassisted on occasion already.  She’s not totally ready — but I give her two weeks.  It’s very exciting and a bit scary at the same time.  Claire was 13 months before she started walking and Madeline just turned 9 months this past week.

This afternoon has been one of those days that just has dragged on and on and on. It started so well too with Mass at lunchtime, but I’ve been hurting to get anything accomplished this afternoon. Maybe it’s just a Wednesday thing.

Hello!

Anne has told me that the blog is becoming the Anne show (really - how many people’s husbands post regularly on their blogs?), and so I must make a post. I post more here, where I locate my musings on boring stuff.

At any rate, my life recently has been mostly work and work-related stuff, except for the occasional foray to Lake Michigan. I still find time to read, and just finished Diary of a Country Priest, by Georges Bernanos. He’s one of those writers somewhat ignored by the modern academy, but who is well worth the time to read. (I am looking for books by Robert Hugh Benson, next, but that’s another story.)

I have also been cooking. I harvested quite a few chilis from the garden in the past two days, and yesterday made up two hot sauces. One is on the rather mild side, and has raisins, tamarind, lemon, onion, a hot pepper, garlic, tomato, etc. in it, along with a healthy dose of apple cider vinegar. Another is a Tobasco “knock-off”, which is mostly peppers and garlic boiled in vinegar (with apologies to Anne for smelling the kitchen up excessively). I canned them both, to open in a month or so after they’ve aged and (hopefully) not taken on any nasty critters (to use Alton Brown’s phrase).

I also checked out quite a few books from the library on Indian, Persian, Middle Eastern, and Thai cuisine, and hope to expand my repertoire in those directions soon.

-Jonathan

Madeline is officially a giant. She just had her 9 month checkup and is 21 pounds 8 ounces and 30 inches long. That puts her in the 80th percentile for weight and off the growth charts in height. Our doctor recommended Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child as a resource since she is such a stinky sleeper. I can’t wait to read it. I’m hoping it helps!! Has anyone ever read it?