Speechless

This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I'm completely in awe. It caused a truly emotional reaction for me, and I don't know what else to say.

If you're curious, it is an artist, who creates works of art that are TINY. As in, the Statue of Liberty in the head of a pin.

If you haven't seen it before, click the link. It's mind-boggling. I have found another human being who I would be in awe of.

Staying home for Halloween

but feeling really guilty about it.

Started thinking about it this weekend. Eric has his long day on Tuesdays - goes to work by 8 in the morning and doesn't get home until after 7, so I'd be trying to do the whole trick-or-treat, or take the boys to the community center, by myself. Not impossible, but not exactly fun either.

Guthrie has no interest in Halloween. I've tried to get him excited about it, but he doesn't get it at all. I've told him he goes door to door getting candy, and he said, "I already had some." The library had a "practice run" at Story Hour last week, but after he went to the first station, that was all the candy he wanted. When someone tried to give him some more, he actually threw it out of his basket. He doesn't want to put on a costume, either.

Turner obviously doesn't care one lick about Halloween, or anything else. I've always thought it as pretty lame, too, when parents take tiny babies trick-or-treating. If they can't eat the candy, they shouldn't get any.

So, I think we've decided we're going to stay home and pass out candy tomorrow night. We're carving a pumpkin tonight, going to make some sort of Halloween treat, and after Story Hour this morning I'm taking the boys to buy candy. (We also have to get some long PJs and pants for Guthrie. It's still in the 70s and 80s during the day, but at night it drops into the 50s and gets downright chilly. If we keep the windows open at night, we don't need the a/c during the day.)

I love Halloween. I really, really do. I love dressing up in costumes, eating pumpkin seeds. So I feel bad about the fact that we're staying home, which is silly when these kids Just. Don't. Care.

I'm also very curious to see the celebrations for Days of the Dead. Always fascinated by the holiday, and looking forward to seeing it for myself.

Guthrie the jumper

Blogger won't let me embed video. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. So here's the link:

Okay, it still won't let me embed the video in a post. Don't know what the deal is - I'm copying the code straight from YouTube. But, it will let me add it to my template, so I did that. Just scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and the video should be there.

The little dude is absolutely fearless. The top step of the stool is 2 1/2 feet off the ground. I would jump from that high!

Turner, of course, thinks it's just about the funniest thing in the whole world, and totally cracks up at Guthrie jumping. The scary part will be when Turner can climb up the stool and tries to jump off, too.

What's My Age Again?

Maybe I need to keep this in mind for my marriage. We both took this quiz. Keep in mind, my husband is 17 years older than me. I'm 28, he's 45. My answers probably would have been mostly the same when I was 19, though, so I guess I've been about 30 for a long time.

My results:

You Are 29 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Eric's results.

You Are 20 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Beach bums

Ah, yes, it is a little chilly here today (chilly of course being a relative, subjective term. 64 degrees when I was in Alaska was often a rather warm day). But yesterday, Turner turned 6 months old, and we spent the day at the beach. After thinking about it, I realized it wasn't really worth going to Houston with Eric, spending 18 or so hours in the van with the boys over a 3 day period, and then spending half the weekend in the hotel room. So he's on his way to Houston, and I'm home with the boys (again).

But yesterday the beach was a blast, as always. My new goal in life is a beach house. Or a beach trailer. Or a beach cardboard box. I don't care.

Brrrr.

Did you see my little weather pixie over there? ---------------------------->

Yeah, she's not wearing a bikini. She's wearing JEANS!!!!

Woke up this morning and stepped out to get the paper and it was downright chilly. We have all our windows open, and the PJ shorts I slept in are almost too cold. Pulled down Guthrie's old wintery clothes for Turner, so he'll have some long pants, and realized I need to get Guthrie some jeans and sweats and things. And maybe I can wear some of my clothes from my closet.

And my motto was starting to be "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the Valley!"

I must confess

Eric makes the world's best cookies. Like crack on a cookie sheet. To make up for the fact that he left me alone with the kids for three days while he was hanging out with famous people and having his portrait done, he made cookies tonight, after replacing the van's battery (yes, he's SuperHusband and all that - you can't have him. You really wouldn't want him anyway, especially when he's in WriterMan mode).

A few weeks ago, our neighbors across the street brought us over a plate of cookies, a new recipe the wife had just tried. Being the neighborly type, we realized that since we had freshly made cookies, we should reciprocate. We had also borrowed their jumper cables, and needed to return those, so Eric took the plate of cookies over with the cables.

The confession? I asked him *not* to admit that he made the cookies.

(Where's a blushing emoticon would you need it?)

I don't know how the whole exchange went, but Eric assured me they think I'm a wonderful cookie maker.

Okay, really, we live on the Texas/Mexico border. The culture is a *little* different down here. Eric has repeatedly said he thinks I'm the whitest person in The Valley (which is not true - with his blue eyes, Guthrie definitely is). I don't think a working class Mexican family would get it that my husband comes home from his hard (3 hour) work day and makes cookies. So, they can think I make great cookies.

Because I did make some great cookies with Guthrie this weekend. With the help of this guy:

We're still stuck

My totally stupid "mechanical failure" of the weekend?

Battery is totally fried, needs to be replaced.

Died on Saturday, when we got home from the grocery story. Discovered on Sunday, when we were going to go to the park. Monday evening, friends came over to try to jump-start, but couldn't locate jumper cables. (Turns out they're in Eric's Volkswagen - in MISSOURI!!!!) Eric got home yesterday morning, borrowed some cables and tried to jump it this morning, but got nothing. On his way home from work he's going to get a new battery.

This means that I've been at home, with the boys, since Saturday afternoon. Between the weather (alternating between it raining out of nowhere and 100+ degree heat index), plus the fact that there really isn't anywhere close enough to walk (the library and park on a nice day, but not in this weather), and the mosquito problem which makes it miserable to be outside and makes it impossible to take walks along the canal by our house (and the fact that our lawn needs cut and we have a giant fire ant mound in it), we're going a little crazy. I also have overdue library books. :(

The van has to be fixed by this weekend, since we're going to Houston. Eric has a reading, Roz is coming, and it's just good to get out of The Valley sometimes.

Oh, and Karrie, as I've been unable to get to the post office, your package is going in the mail this afternoon, after Eric's class.

I'm adding this guy to the blogroll. I disagree with a lot of what he has to say, but I've found some of it interesting, especially his thoughts on homeschool.

I miss about Missouri

What (not who) I miss:

The Korean restaurant in Knob Noster, 'cause gods do I want me some kimchi right now. My mouth is watering like Pavlov's dogs just thinking about it. No Korean food in the Valley.

Korma Sutra. Yes it was an hour's drive, but so worth it. The Indian restaurant here (only one in the Valley) is mediocre at best.

Fall weather, because while I like warm weather and stuff, it's 80 degrees, right now, at almost 10 at night, and starting to feel kind of ridiculous.

Fall foliage, because palm trees don't turn orange and red and pretty. They just stay looking like palm trees.

Ummmm, I'm thinking really hard here to see if there's anything else I miss about Missouri ... still thinking ...

Yeah, without listing people I miss (which would be a shorter list than some might imagine, and is therefore why I won't list it), that's about it. Mostly, though, it's the kimchi.

Wasting time

since we're stuck at home.

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Absolutely accurate.

You Are 40% Paranoid Schizophrenic

You're pretty grounded, though you have your occasional paranoid moments. Just make sure to ignore those voices in your head!

Are You A Paranoid Schizophrenic?

Eh, okay.

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

20% Dixie

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Funny, for a Midwesterner.

You Are Most Like George W. Bush

So what if you're not exactly popular? You still rule the free world. And while you may be quite conservative now, you knew how to party back in the day!

What Modern US President Are You Most Like?

WTF?

You Are 84% Bipolar

You have some serious ups and downs, maybe to the point of endangering your own life. Consult a doctor to see if you may truly have bipolar disorder.

Are You Bipolar?

Nothing like diagnosing mental illness through an online quiz. Lithium anyone?

D'oh!

I got all of us all ready to go to the park, diapers packed, cold water bottle, clothes changed, faces washed, kids strapped into their car seats in the van, keys in the ignition, started to turn it over, and ... Nothing. Nothing. Van won't start.

I immediately realized ... between the infant screaming as though a tiger were attacking, the sleeping toddler I wanted to get in the house without waking up, the groceries I had to unpack before they thawed out or otherwise spoiled, I totally forgot to turn the lights on the van off when we got home from the grocery store yesterday.

*sigh* I called Eric to tell him what a dumb-arse I am, and he suggested I ask Sam from across the street, the only neighbor we really know, to help. They're gone for the weekend. I might call friends later, but right now, we're going to make some cookies and stay home and I might let Guthrie watch a movie while I listen to the Chiefs game

*sigh*

Single Parenthood

I've rather suddenly become a single parent.

No, I didn't leave my husband. Rather, my husband left me.




















Okay, he's only left me for 3 days, but still. Did I have you going there? I didn't think so.

Eric is currently sitting on a flight to Los Angeles, where he'll be spending the next three days. What's he doing in LA? Going to parties. Hanging out with his oldest dearest childhood friends. Having his portrait done. And mostly, from what I can tell, not having two drooling, crying, diaper-wearing, puking, pooping, "Mommy please may I play the train game?" little ones hanging off of him. Which is exactly what I'm going to be doing all weekend.

Oh, yes, it's all technically "business," and "job-related," and all that jazz, but I think I want a job where I get to go to LA and hang out with famous people, and generally be child-free for a weekend.

Did I mention he was having his portrait done? By the artist who recently did the portrait of one rather well known, very hot new mama?

(Okay, I'm just jealous that he's going to be hanging out with someone who got to see Angelina Jolie naked. There's my confession.)

And the highlight of my weekend will be ... I was thinking of taking the boys to the zoo, but it's going to rain, and none of really slept well last night - Guthrie woke up at 4 in the morning asking me to change his diaper (!), and then Turner peed through his diaper and all over his onesie, the bedclothes, and I woke up in baby pee. Eric will be having cocktails, with friends and without babies, on Hollywood and Vine, and I will be eating El Pollo Loco and watching Wallace and Gromit (I promised Gutrie we would). Tomorrow, Eric will be at the Huntington Library with movie stars while I'm changing diapers and cutting grapes.

Is there no justice in the world?

When he gets home, I'm taking a nap. Yeah, that's right. He goes for a weekend without the family, and what do I ask for in return? A nap. A long nap, all by myself. Maybe even a long bath. Seems fair, huh?

Wish me luck.

Karma Chameleon

When I couldn't find Guthrie today, I located him in my bathroom, very quietly applying blush with an eyeshadow brush all over himself. He was very proud. Sweet little thing. I figure why not - we've painted his toenails too!



And then he thought Turner needed his done, too, so he did Turner's with a marker.

More Cars.

To continue:

This is Mack:

And here, left to right, are The King, Lightning McQueen, some random race car, Thomas the Tank Engine (he needs gas too!), another random race car, Chick Hicks, and Luigi. They are all at the gas station, filling up before the big race. They also all take their turns on the train set in the background.


Sally is apparently lost somewhere in this giant mess of a car collection. This big bin is almost completely full of cars, mostly thanks to his Uncle Mitch.

Cars!

We try, for a variety of reasons, to avoid too much commercialism, especially for the kids, and to limit exposure to licensed, branded, franchised toys and characters. I could go into depth explaining why, but that's not my point right now, and if you're really curious, I'll direct you here. My guess is you're either already on board with this idea, or you don't really care and it wouldn't make much of a difference anyway, so I'm not going to waste my virtual breath right now.

One of our reasons, though, is that we believe it encourages imagination and creativity. Toys with too specific of a purpose, or very strong associations can be very limiting - you only play with it in the way you are "supposed to," and that doesn't really require much thought. The more simple and basic the toy, the more things you can do with it, the more creative you're going to be with it.

We've seen lots of evidence this seems to be working with Guthrie lately. This past summer, we took him to see the Disney movie Cars. While he does have a little tiny actual toy model of both Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson, he loses them a lot, and is really much more interested in the models he's found in his own giant box of cars (thanks Mitch!). He does ask for the licensed stuff when we see it in the stores, but he doesn't go overboard, and it's not a battle at all.

What he has done is find, in the box of cars he already had, models that he has assigned to be the cars from the movie. It started with a blue race car that actually did look amazingly like The King. Then he found other race cars, and one became Lightning, and another - a green one - Chick Hicks. His model VW bus, when not being called "Uncle Mitchell's Bus," is Fillmore. A green car with flames is Ramone, an older silver car is Doc. His red Coca-Cola truck is Mack, and my personal favorite, the tow-truck we bought him in Mexico, is Tow-Mater. There is also a black Porsche that has been assigned to be Sally, although I think Eric helped him figure that one out. And the big plastic car is Luigi. My favorite, though, without a doubt is his "gas station." It's part of his train set, and is supposed to be, I assume, a platform for waiting for the trains. I never would have thought to make it a gas station, but that's exactly what it is, and what he did.

Unfortunately, for some reason, I can't get all the pics to load into this post. So, see the post above, or below, or however it ends up showing on the page, to get it all figured out.

Ramone and Doc:

Tow-Mater:

Fillmore:

Pictures

Check out what we got from our tree. Yes, it's a lemon. From our lemon tree. How cool is that? Course, we can't actually eat it, because the white flies got to it first, but we did at least get a lemon.

This is amazing. Check him out. He sleeps. By himself. Alone. For more than 15 minutes. He obviously didn't learn this from his brother.

And I took about a thousand great pictures of Eric and Turner yesterday, but since I can't post them all, here are 3 of my favorites:

Feeling like a bad mom

I know I'm not actually a bad mom, but sometimes I feel like a total bum.

Right now, Guthrie is playing Thomas the Tank Engine games on the laptop, while I work at the computer. (Yes, I know blogging isn't really working, but I did have actual work to do, I'm just done now. Just because I SAH doesn't mean I don't have actual work to do on the computer.) Turner is napping.

I've been letting Guthrie play on the computer too much lately, but he hasn't been watching any movies at all, and I do figure the computer is the lesser of two evils, because it's not entirely passive. Yes, he's on a commercial site, and is getting addicted to Thomas (I realized why we were so dead-set against licensed toys walking through Wal-Mart the other day - "Look Mom, there's Thomas! It's Dora! Lightning McQueen!").

The mosquitoes are so bad right now it's miserable to play outside. This September was apparently one of the wettest on record here, and there were several individual rainfalls that set records. And areas were flooded, there is lots and lots of standing water, which of course equals mosquitoes.

Unlike the mosquitoes that I'm used to in Missouri, these things bite all day and night. Doesn't matter when you leave the house, you are going to get eaten. Just walking to and from the van to go to the store I've had 10 bites! It's worse on the boys, too, because Turner obviously can't swat them off, and Guthrie usually doesn't realize they're there, and then he scratches his bites until they bleed!

I don't want to cover them in insect repellant, either, even though I have some Burt's Bees. So, we haven't really been going outside. It's not worth it to come inside covered in bites (and I do mean covered - I've counted 20 or 30 on myself at any given time lately).

I hope this is going to end soon, but it's been really rainy lately, and the forecast is calling for rain just about every day. It's so bad that I've found mosquitoes living, flying around in the house. I sat down to use the bathroom and heard that buzz! I'm certain that's what wakes Turner up from his naps sometimes - there are almost always a couple in the bedroom lately.

Maybe we should cover the whole house in a giant mosquito net?

I'm going to get off the computer and try to steal the laptop away from Guthrie. He really would play on it all day if I let him. We've got to figure out ways to be more "active" while staying inside, or at least not getting eaten alive!

Lost without Lost

We don't have cable. Haven't in the whole time Eric and I have been together. Don't really miss it at all. I'm glad we don't have a TV where we can watch it (it's in the garage, unplugged.)

I do have one TV show I'm slightly addicted to though - Lost. Stupid, lame, cheesy as all hell, but I love it. It's pure escapism, and that's what I want out of TV. Samantha and I used to sit together on Wednesday nights, tuen out the rest of the world, and get caught up in Sawyer, Hurley, Jack, Claire, Kate, and Sayid (aw ... swoon ... Sayid).

My computer can tune TV stations, so we bought a little set of rabbit ears to try to tune it in. But, I don't get enough of a signal to really be able to watch. I tried last week, and could make out enough to be able to tell what's going on, except in the dark scenes with Jack. This week, though, I was putting the boys to bed, and didn't get enough of a signal for the computer to record. So I'm sitting here with no clue what happened to any of them. Where are Locke and Desmond? How's the baby? And Sayid - where's Sayid? (With his much older girlfriend?)

I'm debating whether I should buy it from iTunes. I don't really like their policy with video downloads, that there is no way to burn it and watch it anywhere other than on your computer. But at the same time, I really want to watch Lost, and don't want to wait for the whole thing to come out on DVD.

I think I remember hearing you can watch it on ABC's website, and I might try that. My only concern there is whether I have to just watch it all, then, at once, which is darn near impossible with 2 little ones, or if I can download it to watch later, or how it works. I'll check it out.

In the meantime, NO SPOILERS PLEASE!!!!!!!! If I can't get to watch it, then I'll ask for an update. For now, I'll survive.

The Sweetest Thing

Yesterday morning, as I was trying to get all ready to leave for the store, Guthrie was playing in his room, and I laid Turner down on the living room floor to go do a couple things in the kitchen. I was unloading the dishwasher when Turner started fussing, and since I was almost done I thought I'd just go ahead and see if I could finish before he had a total meltdown. He was terribly fussy yesterday anyway, and it really didn't seem to matter what I did.

Guthrie apparently heard Turner fussing and ran in from his bedroom. He lay down on the floor next to Turner, put his arms around him, talked to him softly, and Turner calmed down. They lay there together for a few minutes, Turner staring and smiling at his big brother, Guthrie smiling and making faces at his little brother, holding hands, completely unaware that anyone was watching them. I wished I'd been able to get it on camera, but then Guthrie would have known I was watching, and gone after the camera instead.

It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life.

Guthrie is, mostly, an amazing big brother to Turner. Yes, he gets mad when Turner wants to play with his toys, or when he wants on my lap when I'm nursing Turner. Mostly, though, he wants to calm him down when he's upset, and is careful not to let him get anything he could hurt himself on, and if Turner is playing with a toy Guthrie wants or shouldn't have, Guthrie will take it away (sometimes gently, sometimes not) and replace it with something more appropriate.

He also wants to share with everyone. When he's eating his food, he'll try to feed me bites, or when we make a meat and cheese tray he'll fix up little sandwiches for Eric and me. And the other day when Turner and I were napping, Eric said it was all he could do to keep Guthrie out of the bedroom, because he found one of Turner's toys and was certain Turner needed it right that second.

He's a sweet, sweet kid. We must be doing something right.

Those Un-Socialized, Miseducated Homeschooled Freaks

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2510880

I'll have lots more to say about the whole homeschooling issue when I have a chance, but here's an article talking about how many colleges are actively recruiting homeschoolers. And I'm sure that's because they don't have adequate social skills and are getting an inferior education. @@

Yes, I'm planning to homeschool my two little boys. My husband, the college English professor, is just as enthusiastic about this as I am. We have researched it. We already know what our plan is, and have since before Guthrie was born. We feel confident that we can do it. I'm not worried about "not having a life" or my boys not having friends. My only concern, honestly, is finding other homeschoolers in this area who are not doing so for religious reasons.

?

And can anyone tell me why the wireless internet connection using the laptop is SO MUCH FASTER than the connection on my computer? It all goes through the same thing. But the laptop just FLIES! I think Gus can have my computer, and I'm taking this one. Better screen, faster speed. And I can use it anywhere.

Another quiet Sunday

I'm starting to rather enjoy our relatively quiet, uneventful Sundays. Eric and Guthrie are currently at the grocery store, getting some sushi (Sushi Sundays!), fruit, and miscellaneous other goodies to stock the cabinets and fridge. Turner is doing the most amazing thing, which he has been doing all week - napping. All. By. Himself! And he has been, for over 4 HOURS!!!!!! Yes, this kid is certainly a gift from one of the gods (is there a god of sleep?) to make up for the little sleep demon who is the Guthrie. I even took a long nap with him - about 2 hours - while Eric took care of Guthrie, finished writing his book review, and even picked up all the toys and straightened up the living room! Is it my birthday?

I'm sitting and listening to the Chiefs (down 17-10 at halftime) and typing away on the laptop. Why the laptop? We pulled it out to the living room so Gus could bomb around on it while Eric and I tried to get stuff done, but instead Guthrie wanted to use my computer, and so I'm using this one. Whatever works.

I've been having the most bizarre dreams lately. I've always been one to have weird dreams, but I think I haven't been getting enough regular long stretches of sleep to have that many strange dreams. The night before last I dreamt of a horse giving birth (very scary, actually - my Chinese zodiac animal is the horse), dreamt last night of giant boxes of Goldfish crackers and of our lawn, which we just had mowed a few days ago, being 3 feet tall in places. And the weirdest - I was Kate Hudson, had just been on a date with Burt Reynolds, and was driving back into Warrensburg from our old house when I realized Burt was following me, and so decided to pick up my cell phone to call my good friend George Clooney to see what I should do.

WTF?

If I'm going to dream of celebrities, couldn't I at least have been on the date with George Clooney? Or even better - Joaquin Phoenix or Johnny Depp?

Our nights now - bedtime -are much better. I take the boys in and lay down (lie down? never can get those right) between them and we read stories. Turner nurses, listens to stories, inevitably fusses a little bit, but then falls asleep, and I curl up to Guthrie and keep reading stories for awhile. Some nights we read for two hours, but I don't mind, and Guthrie loves it. He does the funniest thing though - if I turn to look at one of the boys while I'm reading, and keep talking and finish the sentence I'm reading, he'll get mad at me and say "I'm not a word!" Too, too funny.

And since bedtime has gotten easier, and better, and Guthrie at the age of 2 1/2 finally sleeps mostly through the night by himself, and Turner sleeps long stretches without needing anyone there, I've started to be able to stay up at night and spend some time with my husband, like a grownup. Last night I think it was 1:30 before I went to bed, after Turner woke up and when I picked him up he pooped all over both of us. It's not so bad - before the poopfest I got to have two whole glasses of wine (Yellow Tail Shiraz if you're curious) with my husband, and I finally got him to agree with me on a point I've been arguing for, oh, almost the entire 5 years we've been together.

Turner is awake, I'm not doing enough of my part to root on the Chiefs, so I must go.

Luna-tic

Eric is now convinced, and almost has me convinced, that I go a little crazy with the full moon. Because I was, uh, a little crazy yesterday. Like as in the pile of dishes in the sink seemed like an insurmountable task, and the fact that Guthrie took two hours to go to sleep seemed like some sort of punishment from the gods. And today I am totally fine. Well, mostly. I was a little bonkers that Guthrie, after going to bed at 10:00, woke up at 5:30, but other than that - fine!

So I'm going to have to pay attention for this, and see if there's any truth to it. After all, I am a Cancer, and the ruling planet is the Moon.

Goodbye, Buck

Kansas City's finest citizen, Negro League star and all around fine man Buck O'Neil has passed. He fell one vote short of the Baseball Hall of Fame in this past year's vote. Thank you, Buck, and you will be missed.

Brotherly Love

Aren't they sweet? Doesn't Guthrie look like a great big brother?

Ah, yes. Of course, this was snapped immediately before Guthrie decided to let go of Turner, who then proceeded to fall flat on his face on the carpet, and then roll over with that look of, "What the heck just happened?" Which is why we have no intention of putting in the nice tile flooring until the boys are much, much older.

Duh, duh duh duh, dumb

Okay, so apparently I'm an idiot and the video I tried to embed didn't work. And I was so freakin' proud of myself for figuring out how to do it.

Anyone want to give me some tech tips and tell me what I did wrong? Really, I'm not that computer illiterate.

UPDATE: I got it to work, sort of. Now it's huge, though, and screwing up my template.

Ah, well. It's not that exciting. I'll leave it up for now, then take it back down to fix mylayout.

I swear I'm doing it right - Eric and I are having a very bad tech week.

Go Chiefs

I'm managing to have a chance to sit down and update this thing right now because Guthrie has been begging me all morning to watch The Pink Panther, and I've told him all morning that as soon as the football game started, he could watch it. So, as soon as I got my computer all ready and tuned to the Kansas City station so I could listen to the Chiefs game, he asked again for The Pink Panther. And so I told him I'd get in ready for him in just a second, and he ran off. I went looking for him, and found him - playing happily in his room!!!!! While I will certainly let him watch the Panther when he asks again, because I said he could, I'm sure as hell not going to remind him he wanted to watch TV. Especially when he's playing. Happily. In His Room!

Did I mention that I love love love my high-speed internet, so I can listen to my football team playing when it's not going to be on any local radio? So what if the Chiefs are 0-for so far, and Trent Green is out for now - I'm still going to listen. And Turner, Guthrie and I are all wearing our Chiefs gear today, too. (I married an Oakland man, who won't wear Chiefs red. Meanie.)

And now, less than 10 real-time minutes into the game, KC is up 7-0. Maybe that's the secret - I just need to blog about the game for them to win.

So, sing it with me now:

"O'er the land of the free, and the home of the CHIEFS!"