stone

fat pants

2008-09-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'm running out of room on blogger!
Meet me over here.

(Mom- move your mouse over the words on this page. See how they have lines under them now? Okay, now click on them. Trust me, it works.)

Io Faraday Shepard

2008-09-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Pronounced "eye-oh"

Stone has a new Cousin!
She was born late last night at her house in Fall City.
Everyone is happy and healthy.

a thousand words

2008-09-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

this pretty much says it all about my parenting style.
thanks, Christi, for capturing this one perfect moment. we'll enjoy it even more on prom night, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday, Sophie!

2008-09-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

awesome

2008-08-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

stone loves this.
But.
How creepy is this guy?
Especially once he gets to "L".

I think that's Uncle Jerry.
Where's Grandma Evette?

Hope.

2008-08-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day, Stone Sparrow.
I'm glad we watched it happen together,
even though you had to stay up past your bedtime.
Even though I had to bribe you with raisins and goldfish after you'd already brushed your teeth. Even though you'd rather have been watching "Super Why", and you suggested several times that we change the channel.

Because, this time?
This time, it's for you.

Fingers crossed.

it's in his blood

2008-08-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

The first step is for Stone to acknowledge that he is powerless over the purple van.Some days he wakes up whimpering. I go in to grab him and cuddle and wake up softly.
He pushes my hands away and mumbles "purple van" under his morning breath.
I know the rules, believe me. I'm not supposed to get it for him, but I'm not supposed to hide it either.
I will be neither the enabler nor the codependent.
Karma's a bitch.

august afternoon

2008-08-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sir Elton

2008-08-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

the best part is that he's on the toilet.

NSFW trouble in paradise?

2008-08-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Stone and Millie did little to disguise their affections for each other this weekend. I guess they're taking cues from Sienna and that ugly married dude she's hanging out with.
What has Sophie Jane done to deserve this blatant disregard for their relationship?
A romantic romp in the woods. A picnic dinner. Skinny dipping.
Have we seen the end of Stophie?

Grant Wilson Lenox

2008-08-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

"because Clinton Clinton Lenox doesn't have the same ring to it"
We had a little visitor last week!

Stone was less than thrilled; he spent a lot of time crawling on his hands and knees and doing a bunch of fake crying.
Jealous much?

stealthy

2008-08-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Stone loves to hide behind a specific bush in the corner of the backyard.
We wonder aloud about his whereabouts, and then he collapses into giggles and screams "I SEE YOU!".

bright smile

2008-08-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Mama: Stone, what color is Mama's shirt?
Stone: Purple!
M: That's right! What color is Grandma's car?
S: Bah-wooo!
M: That's right! It's Blue! What color is Puck?
S: bwackk.
M: Right! What color are Mama's teeth?
S: Beige.

True story.

"Nonna GRANDAD Airplane Leif"

2008-07-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

We're off to Boulder in the morning.
I'll get to preboard on the way back, because I'm pretty sure that being ancient is a qualifier. Hope I don't break a hip.

2008-07-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

we drank champagne...

2008-07-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

...while the kids played in the yard.
After about 2 hours of ignoring them, we all went inside for a photo op.
Here is Neely pretending to read the kids a book:

I took tons of pictures of Caden.
He's a handsome boy with lots of blonde hair like his Mama.
BUT.
This was by far my favorite (mug)shot.

Clearly over the legal limit.

I see you

2008-07-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

sunday

2008-07-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

corresponding shapes

2008-07-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

Love became a baby and now our baby has become a kid.
He started out as a piece of our puzzle.
Not a corner piece, or even an edge.
Nothing that obvious.
Something to fill a void that was small, but important.
Someone to make us solid and whole. More definite. Complete.
Before he was born we believed that our picture would be fully realized. We were all set to welcome our baby into our life, surely a perfect fit, and nestle him snugly, smugly, into his proper place.
Then Stone was born.
He grabbed our puzzle in his chubby little fists and tore it apart. He covered the bits in drool and dirty diapers and contented sighs. We found the pieces everywhere- they were under our pillows at night as we took turns during those first endless weeks. They were in each other's smiles, hidden under Stone's perfect little toes, caught in our heavy eyelids and tangled in his dark brown hair.
Now, as we rebuild our puzzle together, we are finding the shape, the texture, and the pattern has changed. The once-smooth boundaries have become ragged, waiting to be filled with new experiences, new friends, and places in our hearts that we never knew existed.
We know now that we'll never be complete.
He will continue to stretch our boundaries and raise the expectations for what love can be.

Thank you, Stone, for changing our world.
It is so much more than your Papa and I could have pieced together without you.

not a fan of NPR

2008-07-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yet.

he'll thank me someday

2008-07-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

So, it's a billion degrees in the Bay Area right now, and my mommy-guilt prevents me from using the a/c.
Garin and I just watched this crazy show on the history channel that talks all about how the earth is just waiting for the right opportunity to turn into a toxic, toddler-murdering fire-ball and HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING.
The weight of the world, indeed.
So, no air conditioning for us.
Stone is- right this very minute- looking at me with the expression that I used to wear when my mom wouldn't let me watch "Married...With Children" because it was sexist.
He is sweaty and crabby. He can't sleep.
He is completely unimpressed by the energy crisis.
I told him about the summer when I was pregnant with him and how it was so hot and how his father and I couldn't afford air conditioning and how we just lived with the heat and slept in the bathtub and hated each other for 3 months.
But he sneered at me and I know he's just thinking about how
Caden's parents let him have air conditioning. In fact, he's almost positive that Caden has a poster of Kelly Bundy on the wall of his nursury.

he's generally a very happy boy

2008-07-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

in spite of the chalk/nail clippers/expensive sunglasses situation.

sensing a theme?

2008-07-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

you guessed it.
I wouldn't let him eat the blue chalk.
will the tyranny never end?

thinks he's two

2008-07-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

This was because I wouldn't let him play with the nail clippers.
What a bitch, right? Call CPS.

tree hugger

2008-06-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Scorecard:
Mama 1, The Man 0.

Tahoe

2008-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

We ventured again to the Dunlap's Tahoe digs this week.
This time Stoney and I left Garin at home and had Kit as our wing man. Stone and Soph had a blast, per usual.
The adults made sure to stay hydrated in the high altitude with lots of white wine and beer. Safety first!

I took WAY too many pictures-the gremlins were in rare form.
I'll post the cute ones as I sift through them over the next few days.

on the boat

2008-06-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

napping with Kit.

just because

2008-06-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

I love this little girl.

too many elbows to scrub

2008-06-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Stophie gets clean.

hey, Zayde?

2008-06-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

See that thing up there in the sky? You don't?
Get your glasses on, old man.
Yes, that's it.
It's Stone's freak flag.
Still flying.

wait, WHAT?!?

2008-06-22T21:41:00.001-07:00

We were both fed up with the fair skin/fine hair/sunscreen dilemma, and it's just been so damn hot lately. He wakes up from his naps with this matted, sweaty mess on his head.
Soooo....

It seems like just days ago that the thought of cutting his hair brought tears to my eyes. So did getting out of bed in the morning, but this isn't another nod to the miracles of anti-depressants. Or coffee.
Also, please note the impressive bruise on his forehead. He took a swan dive off of the sofa onto our fantastically dangerous coffee table. I should have known better than to try to have furniture and a toddler.

bubbles etc.

2008-06-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Father's day was great.
No big deal; just the three of us hanging out in the yard. I slept in until 9:30. We went out to breakfast. Papa took a killer nap. Stone got his first bee-sting, and he didn't die. You wouldn't believe the horror stories that come up when you google
"bee+sting+toddler+allergy+shock+death+symptoms".

Domestic bliss.

summer

2008-06-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

dirt!

2008-06-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

warm weather + backyard = Mama gets time to read again.
It's like riding a bike, let me tell you.
Not that I've had time to ride a bike- that's just what I've heard.

sidewalk chalk

2008-06-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

makes for a colorful footprint.

Tita C

2008-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Stone will just assume that we've been friends forever.
Little does he know that she's one of the many reasons that I'm thankful that he came into my life when he did.
A village, indeed.

Happy Birthday, Kit!

2008-06-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

You draw the best dolphins, and you never get sick of pee-oh.
We all love you to the moon and back.

102 stupid things to do...

2008-06-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

leaving your toddler alone with a bowl of yogurt.

one more

2008-05-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

monkey's got the main line sewed up tight

2008-05-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

not thrilled

2008-05-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

helping

2008-05-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

like the first morning

2008-05-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

"Keep it on the paper, Stone."

2008-05-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

"No, no, no honey...on the paper. ON THE PAPER!"

This post brought to you by the makers of Prozac.
I mean Windex.

morning read

2008-05-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

lizard

2008-04-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jeb

2008-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Garin might start getting suspicious if he wasn't my brother.

supersize me

2008-04-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Durham is gone and we now have Puck. I really like the little guy- he's sweet, cute, and he adores Stone. I love how he licks my feet, and it's great to hear toenails clicking on the floors again, but let's be honest. He's no Goose.
It's kind of like we were served filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes every night for 10 years, and, suddenly, we're forced to go hungry for over a month.
Then someone offers us a greasy bag of McDonald's,
and yeah, we eat it.
Yes, it fills us up and it even tastes pretty good,
but it isn't as fulfilling and we're slightly embarrassed to be seen with it in public.
This is precisely how it has been with Puck.
I mean, he weighs 15 pounds for God's sake. Have a little dignity.
And Goose was just so debonair.

So, tonight I'm giving Stone his bath. There are bubbles involved and it's really cute. I just happen to have my camera with me (shocking, I know) and I'm capturing some precious moments such as this:

Puck is hovering around being kind of annoying, per usual, and screwing up super adorable pictures of Stone blowing on the bubbles stuck to his hand like this:

The next thing I know... well, you see where this is going:

As of tonight, I officially love the little guy. All 15 pounds of him.
He is so clearly devoted to Stone, and that's the quickest way to my heart.My little McFlurry.
Besides, we're parents now. Who has time for filet mignon?

unfiltered

2008-04-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

twins

2008-04-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

of the heart, that is.
Though they do look remarkably similar.

is it just me, or does it seem like she's up to something?

30 minutes my ass

2008-04-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Pesach on Saturday night at Zayde and Babu's house. By the way, Stone is obsessed with Babu lately. He says her name all the time and then kind of looks off into the distance. Dreaming, perhaps, of her cinnamon kugal.
In any case, the evening was WAY too long for Stone, despite everyone's best efforts to rush it along.
He ended up sleeping through most of the Seder, but we woke him up for "the festive meal".

Floaters!
Everyone's favorite substitute for drywall. This beautiful matzah cover is something I look forward to admiring every year.
How long have we been using this cup? Garin remembered the Hebrew hand washing prayer without any prompting from me. Not bad for a Catholic boy from Colorado!
Passover is my favorite holiday. I love the tradition, the story, the focus on gratitude and forgiveness.

Clockwise from left:
wise, simple, wicked, too young to ask.
Lots of wine, good food, and a lighthearted discussion about slavery, plauge, and the ongoing persecution of an entire race.
Oy.

Jack the Dripper

2008-04-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

He had to start somewhere, right?

love, Stone

2008-04-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday.

Dean and Memphis

2008-04-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

so much to say

2008-04-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

no
doggy
kitty cat
Puck
bubbles
Up!
down
please (woo-hoo! I get a prize for this one, right?)
truck
car
NO!
cheese
applesauce
basketball
blocks
vegetables
No No No NO NONONONO
yes
book
shoes
outside
bath
toys
duck
ball
butt (does this cancel out the "please"?)
Wow!
Cool!
Grandma
Babu (sorry, Zayde)
Kit
Tita
Papa
Obama... or was that Mama?

I am loving this phase of his life.
It is so damn much FUN.

wide open spaces

2008-04-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Loving the new backyard.

full circle

2008-04-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Same carousel, 25 years apart. I knew I should have worn my sweater with a peter pan collar!

photo credit: Daddy/Zayde

shadow

2008-04-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Puck follows him everywhere.

Spring!

2008-04-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a beautiful Thursday with a trip to Happy Hollow.
Stone had fun walking, walking, walking all over the park.
He rode the carousel, laughed at the lemurs and fed the goats.
Zayde and Babu tagged along.

Up! Up! Truck! Truck!
Lemurs are cool.
Who's who?

get a room

2008-04-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

Also, if you're wondering, the biggest boy in the world?
Yep, it's still Stoney Bologna.

reaction

2008-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

He just heard about the rumored NKOTB reunion tour.

35

2008-03-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, Papa!
Thanks for always being there,
catching us both with your open arms and loving heart.
with love,
your wife and son

don't you ever KNOCK?

2008-03-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

So, I really tried to restrain myself from posting this picture.
I realize that someday Stone will see this and it will add months to his therapy sessions and he'll become a serial killer or a republican or something equally horrible and it will be all my fault.
But if you know of anything cuter than a naked baby pouring water out of a pink teacup onto another naked baby's butt, then your life is too charmed to be reading this anyway. Go back to your unicorn castle built on a hill of marshmallows and surrounded by candy-cane forests, and leave me and my kid alone.
Besides, I already posted a picture of his bare ass with pink leg warmers. I think we can all agree that the damage has been done.

peace

2008-03-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

No, Zayde, his feet aren't cold.

Introducing...

2008-03-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Puck Shepard!
Yes, he's small. Yes, I'm getting a dog purse.
No, he doesn't have any clothes. Yet.
Puck weighs 15 pounds, has black hair with reddish highlights and brown eyes. His hobbies include digging holes in the lawn, chasing Toby, and treating Stone with a tenderness that makes his embarrassing lack of girth completely forgivable.
He's not into yoga, and he has half a brain.

oh, dear

2008-03-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

you see what I'm up against here, people?

by the power of greyskull...

2008-03-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

I HAVE THE POWER!!!!

Easter

2008-03-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

We spent the day with Sophie's family. It was an amazing day for all of us.
We haven't been so realxed for quite some time.
Like 16 months and 3 days.
The kids all hung out around the pool in various states of undress, and the parents drank beer made fun of the kids and eachother.
We did an egg hunt. Tita won the medal of nerdery by stuffing plastic eggs with dried cranberries instead of candy. Stone more than made up for it by gagging on a Rolo later in the afternoon after powering down a pack of smarties for breakfast.
What do we want?
CANDY!
When do we want it?
NOW!

Stone Sparrow, P.I.

2008-03-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

If those flowers thought for one minute they could pull one over on my boy, they were sadly mistaken.
He's onto them, alright.
Like the proverbial fat kid on cake.

those plaid skirts

2008-03-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

happy birthday, homeskillet.
with love from the littlest longhorn and his mama.

buns!

2008-03-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

A perfectly reasonable outfit for a garden party, no?

little man

2008-03-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

Note the new bangs. It was what is known in law enforcement as a "back-alley hair cut", done hastily in the hallway at Mama's work. My mom used these same tactics with me as a kid, with questionable results. She used to put scotch tape across the front of my head so she could get a nice, even line.
Masterful.

mini me

2008-03-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

a friend to every falcon, shark and bee

2008-03-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

When Stone was inside of me, he loved hip-hop. My pre-mommy-mobile had a box in the back that made the windows shake, and Stone would, forgive the pun, rock out every time I turned up the bass. “Can I kick it” by Tribe Called Quest was an obvious favorite.
Now that he’s an air-breather, his tastes have changed. He likes The Beatles, Bebel Gilberto, Bob Dylan. He likes Raffi, too, but we balance it out with a hearty dose of Amy Winehouse to keep him from going soft. He adores anything that resembles bluegrass, and reggae really puts him in the mood for a rousing game of pull-all-of-the-baby-wipes-out-of-the-container-and-then-shove-them-in-the-bookshelves.
I’m sure it does the same for you.
It thrills me to see his tastes developing. He points to the stereo and looks at me expectantly.
“Do you want music?”
“Yessss”
Well, okay then.
I turn it on. We dance.
My general tastes haven’t changed much in the past 15 months, but my playlists have. I can’t tolerate violence anymore, lyrical or otherwise, so my collection of NWA is gathering virtual dust.
I have no patience for The Cure. Robert Smith is clearly a wuss who wouldn’t last 10 minutes with a newborn and a breast-pump.
I’ve always loved the way that some songs are so wrapped up in a certain person that you can’t hear them without seeing that person’s face. Sometimes it’s mutual- you know they think of you, too- and sometimes it’s one-sided. Sometimes the meaning evolves as your life changes.
For my brother, “We are the Champions” will conjure up both the experience of beating me at monopoly and the pride-filled moment of being introduced as husband to his beautiful wife. I can’t even get past the first note of “Like a Prayer” (God?) without thinking of Mandy’s birthday, and God Only Knows what I would do without my husband.
So, on that note, here’s a list of 19 songs that, for reasons obvious and not-so, will always remind me of my most recent love affair.

“Tattoo” Petra Hayden
“Strangers” The Kinks
“The Lion This Time” Van Morrison
“Honey and the Moon” Joseph Arthur
“Through Any Window” Wisley
“Just Like Honey” Jesus and Mary Chain
“Zousan” Elizabeth Mitchell
“Roly Poly” The Little Willies
“The Birds and the Bees” Patrick and Eugene
“I Do It For Your Love” Paul Simon (this song was playing the moment Stone was born)
“Little Wing” Jimi Hendrix
“The Seed” The Roots (He should be grateful that I didn’t name him ‘Rock and Roll’)
“Born Into the World” Supersystem
“Float On” Modest Mouse
“Levon” Elton John
“You’re in My Heart” Rod Stewart
“Helplessly Hoping” Crosby, Stills and Nash
“I Was Born” Billy Bragg and Wilco
“With a Little Help From My Friends” Joe Cocker (amen, my brother)

Please note the absence of “Beat on the Brat” by The Ramones.
Proof that I’m a good mother.

Happy Birthday, Tita

2008-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

with love from Stone, Lindsey, Garin and Uncle Spader

Updates

2008-02-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Today is Stoney's 15th monthaversary of life.
Yeah for Stone!

-Walking. Crawling is so January. He is fully bipedal at this point.
-Eating. Nobody is allowed to try to assist in feeding Stone. He prefers to handle all of his own food, including soup, yogurt, and anything else that splatters nicely on the floor. He is planning on attending culinary school, specializing in lardery.

-Daycare. Once a week. Awesome.
-Runny nose. Once a week. Not so awesome.

-Talking. Some favorites:
Mama (but, naturally, only when disaster strikes ie: he ran out of beans)
Cheese
Doggy
Toys
Zoltz (Stonese for "anything but cheese, mama, doggy, or toys")

-Play. Sandbox rules, as does pretending to feed anything and everything. Including the sandbox. Stone is also a fan of playing with spoons. Are you sensing a pattern?
He loves trucks and trains. He is crazy about music and loves to dance.
Stone is such a joy to be with. He is silly and funny and loves to learn new things.

Physically, Stone is developing nicely. Despite his love affair with all things edible, he is starting to look more like his Papa every day- long and lean. The only exception to this is his big round head. So if anyone sees a giant talking owl licking his face, that's why.
Look out, Stone!

2 highlights from the past week:
Stone and I are sitting in the kitchen with Uncle Britton. There are people everywhere in the house, and Stoney is quivering with excitement.
Just then, Grandma opens the front door and walks in.
Stone sees her and says "Oh my GOD!", clear as a bell.

Stone is in the bath. Papa and I are giving him the daily drill.
"Where is your nose? Where is your ear? Where is your leg?"
He obliges us by pointing to the his various bits.
Then Mama asks "Where is your butt?".
Stone reaches back as if to grab it, and then pauses.
He cocks his left eyebrow, smiles, and lets out a blaster of a fart. Stone, Mama and Papa all dissolve into giggles.

Blasphemy and fart jokes. What more could a mother ask for?

you talkin' ta me?

2008-02-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

Stone tried out running for the first time, and it didn't go so well.

Have I mentioned that he's walking yet? Oh, I haven't?

Maybe that's because OH MY GOD DON"T TOUCH THAT!

ahem.

Shepard Invasion

2008-02-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

The Shepards of Fall City, Boulder and San Francisco visited this weekend. We all had a great time, but the real highlight for me was watching the boys play.
Watching the boys play, followed closely by kicking G and B's asses at cribbage.
A superb weekend all around.

table manners

2008-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

oh blah dee, oh blah dah

2008-02-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

The pond around the corner from our house.

bottle of white

2008-02-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

The kids celebrated the announcement of Angie and Brad's latest pregnancy with a romantic lunch.

Stone wasn't too keen on sharing at first,
but who could resist this face?

goodbye, old friend

2008-02-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Durham was sick in a way we couldn't cure.
This morning we let him go.
We put him to sleep; to rest.
Because of him, my son will always love dogs the way I do.
Thank you, Goosey. I miss you already.

legos!

2008-01-30T21:58:00.000-08:00

when the dog bites, when the bee stings

2008-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

The counter in the kitchen was installed when the house was built in the 50's.
Some might call it ugly. I think it's boss.
In the 50 years she lived here, she never used the other side.
I flipped it over and it's brand-new.
I found these in the very back of a drawer in the bathroom.
It's so much fun to let this house tell us it's story.

now everything is easy 'cause of you

2008-01-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

living room
TV, Music
Dining room
Teeny tiny kitchen
He's grounded until he cleans up this mess.
This is why he can't have nice things.
We're almost done moving in.
Now it's all about finding a place for the little things
that transform house into Home.
I'd post more, but I'm busy making my cardboard cut-out of a picket fence for this Sunday. Garin, naturally, is the "D".
I can only hope to find something to distract me
from the grief of the end of the football season.
*sigh*

Once upon a time...

2008-01-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Stone's story began 5 years ago today.
It was love at first sight.
And second.
And third.And we lived happily ever after.

Happy anniversary, honey.

first bath

2008-01-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

in the new house, that is.

We're working on it.

2008-01-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

So, we're in the new digs.
Stone is adjusting nicely, and he celebrated today by pooping a staggering 7 times.
His favorite spot is in the kitchen, where I painted a chalkboard on the wall for his amusement.

He also enjoys gazing out the picture windows, praying for a giant light switch with a cat's head and trucks for hands to cruise by and save him from his crabby mother.

Garin and I are doing our best to get the place in order, but moving is so much work! That week without TV or internet was pretty dicey (I almost missed out on Britney's British personality entirely), but we limped along with the help of Natural Light (me) and a Blackberry (him). We all have our vices.

Oregon, finally

2008-01-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

We are crazy busy with moving to the new house.
Here is Cliff's version of our trip to Seaside.

Aquarium. Stone was scared of the seals. Zayde saves the day.

A walk on the beach with Papa

Bath time!

This pretty much sums up the Stone Sparrow Dining Experience
Changing clothes. Those eyes!
Aquarium, outside.
He was riding a sea horse.

Through the looking glass. I spy Mama!

We had a good time. Stone got loads of attention, and Tita did the shabuya after a bottle of Cakebread. Roll call!
We celebrated Zayde's birthday with a fantastic cake (Tita, of course) and a rousing reading from King Lear. Stone is doomed to nerdery, I'm afraid. Unless he inherits his Grandad's love of maps. Maps are what get all the fine ladies...
It was cold and wet, as Oregon often is in January. We had fun dodging the raindrops, but next year I'm pulling for Mexico.

happy birthday, dear Zayde!

2008-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

We love you!

Details on our trip to follow as soon
as I get all of the spackle out of my hair.
So, like, March-ish.

Yes, the new house has a chimney.

2007-12-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

We spent the morning at Grandma's.
Mrs. Peterson's angel.
Stone and Tita are in love.

We came home at around 2:00, took a family nap, and went walking outside. It was a beautiful evening- crisp, but not too cold.
Stone got lots of great loot from his many admirers. Books and games and pretty things. What a lucky little boy!
Papa and I decided to splurge- we bought him new home in a great neighborhood. We pick up the keys on Friday, and then we leave for a four day adventure with Zayde and Babu in Portland.
Happy Holidays!

bright eyed

2007-12-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

bushy tailed!

do over

2007-12-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

Washing away a tough afternoon of teething and boredom.
Tomorrow is a new day.

Rain

2007-12-18T13:45:00.000-08:00

It's a rainy day in our neck of the woods.
Stone doesn't quite see the appeal of staying in bed and reading all day, so we had to get creative.

The morning started with the usual books, games and singing. When Stone got antsy we went to the hardware store and looked at the display of drawer pulls. They are kind enough to have all of the colorful knobs mounted about 30" off the floor, so that was a really good time. Next we looked at ceiling fans, toilets and doorbells. Mindblowing fun, let me tell you.

Later, Zayde babysat while I had lunch with Sophie's mom, and now Stone is napping.
Maybe when he wakes up we'll check out the patio furniture at home depot.

guest starring

2007-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

Dean and Memphis Planchon, spreading a little Christmas cheer...
Clearly, they both work retail.

oh, puh-leese

2007-12-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Just $5 a day could make a difference in this child's life...
Note the pink eye and the crusty boogers. Dee-licious.
I think I'll wear my diamond tiara today, because you really can't be over dressed for times like these. It's just one fabulous gala after another...

special beet

2007-12-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

sick mama + sick Stone = double duty for Papa.
They sleep in a little nest on the couch, referred to as a "special beet" in our family. It has a better ring to it than "sick bed" or "swamp".

sick

2007-12-07T16:53:00.001-08:00

Poor Stoney.
He'll be better soon, but for now it's all wimpers and moans and sleepless nights.

and speaking of food...

2007-12-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

We heart farmer's markets. This Sunday was no exception.

Brussel Sprouts. Every kid's favorite.

Tomatoes are an effective form of terrorism this time of year.
They suck big time.
Funny, he's usually so discerning...
We headed home with lots of cheese and a few basics.
In California, farmer's markets go all year round. I figure it's a way to chum you in... You go in hope of a good winter crop even though it only dropped below 50 once for like 30 seconds.
But, when you get there, there are only those crappy beeswax candles, the guy playing the steel drums, and persimmons.
Persimmons look pretty, but we all know the ugly truth.
The persimmon. Worthless in any form but "cookie".

How does he get so juicy?

2007-12-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

What does our little Sparrow eat?

yogurt with wheat grass and ground flax seed (nasty)
cheese
plain steamed broccoli
tofu
pinto beans
pickles (dill, of course)
pumpkin
tomato
banana
cheerios (duh)
mandarin oranges
pomegranate seeds
cheese
cheese
chedder bunnies (baby crack)

Moms are obsessed with this type of information.
The food obsession rivals the poop obsession.
That's a powerful statement.