Ripples in the Sky

I know I complain a lot about the wind around these parts.  It is constant.  And it is a year-long threat.  And I wonder if people think I’m exaggerating and then Reno will get on the news with the wind or a truck will blow off the interstate, all but landing in our backyard.  And no, not exaggerating.

It gets really tiresome, especially when it keeps you up at night.

Even MORE so when it keeps the kids up at night.

But the other day, I just had to take a picture of the sky because the wind was doing some really cool things to the clouds.

It’s not often that I can say anything even remotely nice about the wind, so you better enjoy it while it lasts.  The next post I write that references the wind will surely be a scathing diatribe.

I'm still alive, I promise

Wow.  What is WRONG with me?  My blog is starting to think I don’t like it anymore.  And OF COURSE I like my blog.  I LOVE my blog.  No, it’s me.  I’m just… weird.  I hope to get back into the blogging swing, but I’ve been rather uninspired lately.  And I’ve been more inspired by other endeavors.  Such as knitting.  And the last day or two I’ve tried a little yarn dying.  Oh yes.  I’m ALL KINDS of crafty around here.  I’m getting my knitting biz more and more off the ground (I posted a thread over at Diaper Swappers, offering up my needles) and have had all sorts of inquiries.  My attention has been fractured by completely awesome MacBook (*purr*) and my new camera.

I realize I forgot to tell you more about my new camera.  I got this one (from Sam’s Club, remember?).  Sure, it’s no DSLR.  But I think it’s a good step towards one.  It has a full manual mode (as well as shutter and aperture priority modes) with some manual focus options as well.  It’s really full featured for what it is and how much it cost.  And at 9 megapixels and 10x optical zoom, I’LL TAKE IT.  I’m very in love with it.  So in love with it that I’m going to share some more pictures with you.  This will turn into a photoblog before you know it. (That or a craft blog. *snort*)

I plan to eat her for dessert, in case you’re wondering

He’s just too cool to have his picture taken, you know.

Oooh.  Eyeball (you can see the reflection of the camera and my hands… freaky!).

Some yarn I dyed with Kool-Aid.  Turned out kinda meh but it’ll be a nice soaker.

Evie, modeling a new diaper.  Also:  Looking adorable.

(don’t look at her dirty socks, please)

Tippie Toes (and yes, I placed her there, she does not pull up)

More dyed yarn.  I like this a LOT better.

This n' That: TGIF Edition

I’m trying so hard to put my best foot forward and be positive and will myself to be upbeat but… am having a hard time feeling it.  At best, I feel pretty mellow.  Not sad but not happy either.  Just… meh.  At worst?  Very depressed.  Though I am very happy that it’s finally the weekend.  Was it just me or was this week just awful?  Getting back to regular life just sucked.  The days were long and the children were ornery.  Well, mostly it was Liam who was ornery.  I know.  Big surprise.

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I’ve also had a hard time focusing on blogging lately.  I’m even waaaaay behind in reading blogs.  I’ve been spending a lot of time on a cloth diapering message board (where cloth diapers only account for maybe 20% of the conversation) and also knitting up a storm.   As fun as all that is, I really would like to get back to regular blog life, ya know?

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I also would really like Evie to take a nap that is longer than a half hour.

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The weather here in Reno is sucking a duck right now.  Today the high is supposed to be 48, but this whole next week we’re looking at temperatures closer to 60!  What the HECK?  I mean, it is winter.  And it IS January.  January is usually the nastiest weather month for this area and to have it be so mild?  Well, it just ain’t right.  So you all can just go ahead and keep complaining about your snow and rain and whatever, but I wish we had a little of that over here.  Because this stuff just ain’t right.

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What would a randomness post be without pictures?  NOTHING, I tell ya.  So here we go…

My two vices this last week (is the plural of vice, vices?).  Message board and knitting.

Moon through clouds at sunset = awesome.

I just love taking pictures of sunsets.  It’s about the only good thing about living here. Evie mugs for the camera, wearing her new knit (by me!) pants.

The shirt was also made by us: iron-on applique and sewn-on sleeves

*cough* Does one of these legs look bigger than the other?  Ah well, I’m still pretty proud of my accomplishment with these pants.

Wordless Weekend

Quick! I need your opinion!

Okay, every week the site that I love to buy cloth diapers off of has a photo contest.  And most weeks, the contest involves a specific diaper.  Since I only have a handful of diapers, it’s pretty rare that I have the diaper in question.  This week?  I DO!  The idea here is to take a picture of your child with or in the diaper being featured and submit it.  That following week, submitted photos are featured on the different pages of the site.  The winning photo is featured on the front page and the winner recieves a FREE DIAPER.

Now, I never really expect to actually win the contest as my photography skillz are mediocre at best.  BUT I would like to be featured on the site someday.

This week, the diaper is called “1981“, since it’s cheery little rainbows evoke images of the early 80’s.  It’s a pretty diaper and Evie rocks it.  I took a monster amount of pictures of her with and in the diaper this afternoon but now I can’t pick which one to submit to the contest.  I have until 12:00am MST tonight to submit.

So in the meantime, I need ya’ll to help me pick.  Which one is your favorite?  Leave a comment below and you’ll have my eternal gratitude!

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You Need to Read – September 13

I have to apologize for this week’s short list.  For some reason, I’ve had a very hard time keeping up with the blogs in my reader.  What this says about me, I’m not sure.  Probably that I am a slacker.  But why this would be news to anyone, I have no idea (dudes, it’s in my blog title).  So if I missed some awesome reads, I apologize in advance.  If you came across any great reads this week that I have left off this list, please feel free to list them in the comments.  Come to think of it, feel free to do that any week.  I would love for my YNTR lists to become collaborative, community efforts.

• Those batty old wives can suck it from Parental Discretion Advised.  Oh happy day!  Even though my childbearing years are behind me, I still get excited when I see someone go through the joys of pregnancy and finding out the gender of your little bundle is one of the best joys there is. Congrats, Bree!
• How To Take Photos With A Blurry Background from Dutch Blitz.  I wonder if these tips work as well for a point-and-shoot as they do for a DSLR?  What she says makes amazing sense, moreso than anything I’ve read before about the “blurry background” phenomenon.  I’m going to have to try her tips!
• Thanks from loraleeslooneytunes.com.  It is so good to hear from Loralee.  I was starting to worry about her when she vanished this last week.  I hope this month starts taking it easy on her soon, because it sounds like she’s having some hard times.  Go send her some virtual hugs.
• Top 10 Most Useless Baby Items from Baby Cheapskate.  While I can’t agree with the entire list (a Boppy pillow has been essential for us!), I have to agree with most of it.  The point that’s most important is that you really don’t need a lot of gadgets when you have a baby. 
  
• Seven from Ask Moxie.  Moxie gave a great 9/11 anniversary post this week.  If you haven’t already, you really should go read it.  Her “been there” perspective really hit home for me.
• Under The Blanket from Her Bad Mother.  I’m outraged for Catherine and I’m outraged for me.  Nursing mothers shouldn’t be made to feel this way.  I’m not sure how to fix it, what the answer is.  But something has to change because we can’t keep going this way, as a society.  Nursing is not “dirty”.  Shame on this airline.
• Liz Goodman Logelin Memorial 5k Walk/Run from matt, liz and madeline.  Whether you are a runner or even if you aren’t, consider taking part in this 5k on the 21^st at 1pm in your time zone.   Take some pictures, post them to flickr, and consider making a donation that will benefit a VERY good cause.

And that, as they say, is that.  I’m SO glad it is a Saturday.  I wish more days could be Saturday.  This week really kicked my hiney and I’m more than ready for a few mellow days.  Are you just as ready for the weekend as I am?

Would someone get this woman a decent camera already?

Because obviously she fancies herself some sort of photographer or something.  AS IF.  Still, I make no secret that I enjoy taking pictures and my favorite subjects are my little rugrats.  And someday, someday, I will have a “real” camera with which to take pictures.  When that day comes, we shall all be in great trouble.  Because there will be pictures like no body’s business.  But until that day (which, frankly, may or may not exist), you’ll all have to put up with her lousy point-and-shoot pictures that she fuxes with in Photoshop until they look “quasi-fancy”.  That’s my word for it and I’m sticking to it.

So I treat you all, this fine Friday (while I’m trying to ignore my annoyingly runny nose, scratchy throat, pounding head and general state of craptasticness), to a sort of “day in the life” photo blog.  Because I like these pictures, that’s why.

This here is Pup/Poptart/Holly and she’s chewing on a paper towel.  This is the look she gave me when I threatened to eat her if she didn’t knock it off.  I get no respect.

This is “Happy” Liam after he was not-so-happy and I cheered him up on my lap…

And now he’s not-so-happy again.  Welcome to Toddlerhood!  Have you seen my sanity?

It was short-lived, the not-so-happiness because he soon saw “Wow Wow Wubsy” was on Noggin. He loves that stupid show.

Meanwhile, Evie watches from her bouncer seat.  Approximately two seconds after I took this, she insisted I feed her and hold her and generally attach her somehow to my person.

When Harry got home from work school (duh) he said (and I quote), “Hi, I don’t have any homework today can I play Wii?”  Care to take a breath first?  Here he is, honing his golfing skillz.

Liam gets a kick out of watching Harry play the Wii.  As long as he doesn’t stand in front of the TV, no one gets hurt.

My Girl

It was a year ago, give or take a couple days, that I found out I was pregnant.  By total surprise.  After I had written myself off as an infertile mess.  Huh.  Then, just before New Years, I was surprised yet again to find out I was going to be having a girl.

I’d gotten rather used to having boys.  I sort of just expected that I would have boys.  That was the “default answer” and I was pretty okay with that.  There’s something so sweet about boys.  I’ve always said (and still do) that if I had to have children of only one gender, that I would rather have all boys than all girls.  I think, honestly, that it would be easier.  Girls, particularly more than one girl at a time, freak me out.  There’s a sort of “pack” thing that goes on with girls and I would fear for my sanity especially during the teenage years.

Not that boys aren’t a challenge.  But I’ve always felt that I could probably handle boys a lot easier than I could girls.  And at least I wouldn’t have to explain what a “period” is to a boy, right?

All of this said, I am really enjoying having a daughter.  I am truly amazed that it is a little different.  For me, at least.  She seems to have a different sort of temperment than either of the boys ever had.  Which isn’t to say she is a perfect angel.  Because she can be a needy, clingy, sharp (OMG the fingernails) little creature.  But, oh my stars, I just love her to death.  And I spend a lot of time looking into her eyes and trying to imagine the girl and woman she will become.  I’m truly humbled by her.

Taken with my cellphone after a nursing session in the van, she was interested in anything other than eating.

She has learned about the joy that is the ‘saucer this last week.

Liam tries to show Evie how to play with his old ‘saucer.

Evie tries to grab the camera from me.

The lace on this dress just KILLS me.  I love it so much.

Taking a wee snooze on the boppy.

OMG, that’s it.  I want to eat her.

I want to hold onto these days forever.

Hot Rods (and other subjects)

Each August Reno has this thing called “Hot August Nights“.  Most years we are out of town for the festivities as they tend to coincide with our anniversary and we’re often down in the Bay Area visiting my family.  But this year, we were down there in July for BlogHer and (gas costing what it does) we weren’t going to be going back.  So, we figured if we had to be in Reno during “Hot August Nights”, we may as well join ’em.

First, we thought we’d go catch a “Show n’ Shine” at the Grand Sierra Resort.  That was an Epic Fail on our part because the place was a ginormous clusterfuck.  No one could get into the parking lots unless they were driving a classic automobile (but people in normal cars were leaving?  I have NO idea.)  There were cops there directing (or trying to direct) traffic and there were no signs telling anyone where to go and the best we could figure out was that people had to find somewhere else to park and then WALK in.  Which, if you’ve ever seen the Grand Sierra Resort (formerly the Reno Hilton), you realize that’s about a JOKE.  So yeah… no.

We headed southwards towards the Atlantis.  As luck would have it, we found an AWESOME spot very close to the casino doors (this was after some assholes seriously stole a spot out from under our noses and then we were able to get one just as good so it ended up being a FACE ON YOU sort of moment).  We were all feeling a little stressed at that moment because OMG, there were so many people and they were all OBNOXIOUS.  But before we knew it, we were over at the other lot ogling at nifty cars so it was all good.  Here are some of my favorite pictures, you can see the rest of the set here.

Truly, “Hot August Nights” is for anyone that can appreciate a shiny car.  Oh, and who doesn’t mind crowds of OBNOXIOUS people.

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I drank the Kool Aid and bought “Twilight” the other night.  As soon as I finish the book I’m reading (“Born in Death” by JD Robb), I’ll start in on it.  I’m a little worried that I’m going to find it wholly ridiculous.  That or incredibly addictive.  I’m not sure which would be worse.

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I kinda love Laurie Berkner.  This is what Noggin has done to me.  I’m seriously having to prevent myself from downloading some of her stuff on iTunes in favor of using that $ for “Dr. Horrible” instead (which I haven’t seen yet.  I KNOW.).  What would I do without Jack’s Big Music Show, Blues Clues and The Backyardigans?  I might have to watch Oswald or Yo Gabba Gabba (or horror of all horrors: Nickelodeon).

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Okay, I just got “Dr. Horrible” off of iTunes.  It’s about time I watched it, don’t you think?  Now here’s the question: can I resist watching it until I get my iPhone or should I just watch it now and be done with it?  Also: why am I wanting to wait until I get my iPhone to watch it anyhow?  Does that make me painfully nerdy?

Wait.  Don’t answer that.

***

I saw a quick blurb on The Today Show this morning about Hillary Clinton’s campaign against Obama and how her advisors wanted to portray him as so foreign because he spent so much of his youth in Indonesia and… ahem… HAWAII.

Now, I’m sorry, I don’t often get political on this here blog and all but… SERIOUSLY???

Yes, Indonesia I get… but Hawaii?  Uhm, last I checked, Hawaii was one of the 50 states in the United States of America so how does having roots there (and taking a vacation there, to boot) make him either elitest (according to McCain’s campaign) or unAmerican?

It’s crap like that that seriously makes my brain want to turn to jelly and dribble out my ear.  I’d like to think that we’re all smart enough not to buy such crap but then considering the 2000 and 2004 elections, I’m having my doubts.

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Lordy, is it Tuesday already?  What the heck, yo?

Marilyn in Pictures

1. Coma Black ~ Marilyn Manson, 2. Baby Shrimp Scampi, 3. can you tie it in a knot – can you tie it in a bow, 4. Purple fingers, 5. YEE-HAWW!!, 6. Appletini Week, 7. Sunset Beach, 8. Cherry Cobbler, 9. Day 106 – I am a librarian, 10. Autumn walk, 11. Bell(AHHHH)gio, 12. Test photo

I’d like to thank Rhi for doing this and causing me to waste nearly an entire hour working on this. All the other tasks I neglected during that time thank her too.

What you do:

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page, pick an image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

My Answers:

1. What is your first name? Marilyn
2. What is your favorite food? shrimp scampi
3. What high school did you go to? Presentation
4. What is your favorite color? purple
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Owen Wilson
6. Favorite drink? appletini
7. Dream vacation? New Zealand
8. Favorite dessert? cherry crisp
9. What you want to be when you grow up? writer
10. What do you love most in life? My children
11. One Word to describe you. busy
12. Your flickr name. callistawolf

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In other news: I have a review up over at my new review blog. But it’s not just a review, it’s a giveaway too (thanks to PBN!). GO CHECK IT OUT. You too can be considered a rockstar in your child’s eyes!

Also, this is the last day to enter to win the FREE BlogHer ’08 registration. Better get on that!