MY First Explosion

Yesterday I brought in a bottle of soda that had frozen from outside. I put it on the kitchen counter, turned my back to it, and started working on something on another counter. About thirty seconds later there was a tremendous BANG! and I turned around to find the entire kitchen and ceiling covered with soda. The bottle was nowhere to be found. Nate came rushing in, white faced, and asked if I was okay. It took us ten minutes to find the bottle, which had exploded with such force and speed that we only heard the one bang, i.e. the bang of the initial explosion, and NOT the impact of the bottle against the far wall. Yikes! Luckily I was alone in the kitchen, and no one was hit by soda shrapnel.

Do I Need to Worry About Uly?

The other day I came home and found that Uly had made himself a scrapbook page--as a momento marking a major milestone in his young life:



I guess while I was gone, Uly got an entire box of snaps--you know the kind you throw on the ground on the Fourth of July--and combined all the snaps into one package, and then somehow detonated it. Nate was in the basement and came rushing upstairs when he heard noise like a gunshot. Nate said that at least Uly was smart about it and made sure the package was a safe distance away in the backyard. Anyway Uly was so pleased with the results, he saved the packaging, and commemorated the event with his scrapbook page (for the non-existent scrapbooks I keep).

Then today I got an email from Uly's teacher:

Uly, during the spelling test asked, “Why doesn’t everyone be naughty so we would all get coal and solve our fuel crisis?” Too smart for his own britches?

Well, I guess I won't really worry until he asks for the Anarchist's Cookbook for Christmas.

Threepio! Threepio! Where could he be?

Lucy puts so many toys in the tub with her it looks like the trash compactor scene from Star Wars. We've learned which of her stuffed animals can go through the dryer. (Note to prospective parents: stick to washable stuffed animals.)

Lucy Skis

I feel very lucky to be able to take my kids skiing. I don't take them as often as I'd like, but that I can take them at all is a real blessing. Thanks to Layna for taking these pictures and for always getting us access to tiny, tiny skis.

Half Moon Pose (I Think)

I just missed getting a picture of her doing Tree Pose.

P.S. You'll see that I finally got my own account and am posting under my name. Nate has not, in fact, been managing this blog. It's been me this whole time--Mwa-ha-ha!

Clever Uly

The other day I was watching a show where one character was tutoring another in math. Uly passed through the room and overheard the show:

Show: It's simple, really. See, 'The bisector of a vertex is the line that divides the angle at that vertex into two equal parts.'

Uly: What are they talking about, Mom?

Me (a little dismissively, trying to pay attention to what I’m watching): Oh, nothing. Just some math prob…

Uly: Is it lines of symmetry?

Me (taken aback): Yes, Uly. Yes it is.

I was surprised, though I guess I shouldn’t have been, that Uly understood and was able to visualize what a couple of (fictional) high-school kids were talking about. That dialog went by fast! It’s the kind of line that I tune out—it’s white noise. It’s a reminder that kids hear and understand more than we realize sometimes.

What a Difference a Year Makes

We've had Pepper a year now. Here are some before and after shots. The vet tells me she will continue growing for another several months.

Hooray for Dinos!

Look past the glare--you'll see Nate's book. A few of the local Barnes and Nobles have chosen Dinosaur's Night before Christmas as their holiday title. Also, it was mentioned in an AP story on children's Christmas books, and it's selling well across the nation. It's pretty exciting. Nate's doing a Dino-Advent on his blog. A dino a day until Christmas. It's fantastic! Check it out.

Sad Little Pilgrim

Gerry's Commercial

My brother-in-law Gerry made a commercial for a Doritos contest. (He's the guy in the Sinclair shirt.) I think it is fantastic and should definitely win. Click on the TV to watch it.

Ranch-giving '08

Not the best Ranch-giving (early Thanksgiving) ever. The kids went early with Linda and Cody, but Nate and I were late and missed the meal altogether. Then our car broke down and we were stranded for an extra day at the Ranch with nothing to eat but nachos and pumpkin cheesecake. (The menu this year was Mexican. Next year: Luau!) There are certainly worse places to be stranded though, and we had a good time--I'm sure forced idleness is good for us every once in a while. Uly and Pepper hiked to the top of a really big hill with Nate. Lucy made it two-thirds of the way up on her own steam and I carried her (and her stuffed animals) back down.

Uly spent last Saturday doing experiments with cornstarch and water (with a little food coloring thrown in). What a mess! He learned about non-newtonian fluids and how to mop a floor. I must say he did a great job with both endeavors--even if the kitchen was covered in a thin film of cornstarch for a few days after.

Monkey Bar Mishap

Our family has had its first broken bone. Little Uly fell off the monkey bars at school and got a buckle fracture. He was in good company: His cousin Daniel broke both his wrists (he fell off a swing), and his Aunt Lindsey broke her arm snowboarding on the very last day of the season. Everyone has recovered well.

Birthday Girl

Now, I know I'm late putting this up. That's just my modus operandi, so I suppose this kind of thing will happen a lot. So here's a picture from Lucy's birthday, and if you don't know how belated it is, I'm not gonna tell you.

Do You Remember This Doll?

I just dug up this old gem. Thought I'd remind you all.

It's NOT for babies! It's for ME!

You think she's maybe grown out of this?

Nathan Hale: Children's Book Author, Revolutionary War Hero

Nate got a call from the Orem Library, asking if he'd do a presentation. The librarian mentioned she'd looked Nate up in the National Library Database and found listed next to his published works that he was no longer living, having died in the Revolutionary War. "I only regret that I have but one life..." and all that.

One side benefit of Nate's presenting at the library--he gets volunteer status, which means no more late fines and free media! I really think the library's coming out badly in this deal, though. We probably funded the new wing of the with our late fines alone.

Street Fighting Man

Who knew Superman was a Jagger fan?