Adventures with Lorin

We'll Have to Change the Title of the Blog

2012-01-11T09:06:00.005-07:00

Here's a picture of a fetus due the end of May:

A GIRL fetus.

Lorin is beyond excited about having a little sister. She came to the ultrasound, and afterwards her dad took her to school while I visited with the doctor (everything looks good). Apparently, she had to tell everyone in the waiting room and everyone in the school office that we were having a GIRL. The receptionists told me about it when I left 20 minutes later. And her teachers reported that she couldn't even hear them; she just kept repeating that we are having a GIRL. She has already made her sister a card, and she talks to my belly ("Uterus," she would correct me) every night.

We'll see how she feels when she's sharing a room...

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-15T18:50:00.004-07:00

Whew, I'm glad I got that other post in there, or it'd look like I never blog.

Lorin started kindergarten at a Montessori charter school nearby. Her assessment of the first day: "I loved it...oh, it was so wonderful." Let's hope that feeling lasts.

If she really cared, she wouldn't have posed.

2011-06-13T09:23:00.004-07:00

It was "Wacky and Tacky" day at dance camp:

Lorin's only request when I took her picture?

"Just don't put this on the internet."

Besides making me laugh, that line ensured that I'd break my 10-month blogging fast.

Her 2d First Day of Preschool

2010-08-26T10:11:00.005-07:00

Here's the picture I made her take:

Here's the picture she made me take:

Here's the picture that represents how my baby is growing up and moving away from me and blah blah blah I get 2.5 hours three days a week to myself:

It's good to have goals.

2010-08-18T16:00:00.001-07:00

Without discussing whether I approve of the conversation or not, here's what I overheard between Lorin and her Daddy:

Mr. T: Lorin, would you rather be pretty, smart, or funny?

Lorin: Funny!

Mr. T: And then would you rather be pretty or smart?

Lorin: Pretty!

Mr. T: And then what do you want to be?

Lorin: Shiny!

Um, not actually a choice, but I think we got our answer nonetheless. It'll save us money on private school at least...

Funny Faces!

2010-08-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, she certainly has a go-to funny face move.

Oh, screw it.

2010-08-05T22:03:00.002-07:00

So we moved about, oh, 5 months ago. Not long after my last post. And I was all ready to get back to blogging with wonderful pictures of our new house. But life has seriously gotten in the way of house-putting-together-and-blogging-about-it. That means you will just have to visit us if you want to see the house :)

Rather than wait for me to get my act together, I'm just going to start posting random Lorin stuff again.

Starburst Personality Test

2010-02-16T20:09:00.001-07:00

Scene: A moving car. LORIN is enjoying a post-swim class package of Starbursts. MOMMY is driving.

Lorin: What's your favorite flavor? (She rummages through the package, finds a yellow Starburst, and holds it up.)

Mommy: The red ones.

Lorin: (Thinks for a few seconds.) But I thought you liked the yellow ones?

Mommy: Nope, I don't. My favorite are the red ones.

Lorin: (Still holding the yellow one.) But I thought your favorite was the yellow one!

Mommy: Fine. You're right, I like the yellow ones. (Lorin hands over the yellow Starburst and waits for Mommy to eat it.)

************

So here's just one little reason why I love my husband: we had been married for over a year before he finally confessed that his favorite Starbursts also were the red and pink ones; he let me believe that he liked the yellow and orange ones best so I could have all the good ones.

************

And back to the car, where now I am eating yellow Starbursts because I love someone and want them to be happy. Lorin, however, is a better person than me, because a few minutes later I heard, "Mommy, here's a red one for you!"

Want to rent our house? Or know someone who does?

2010-02-08T17:35:00.006-07:00

So it looks like the third time's the charm; we are actually going to close on a house later this month. (For those of you I saw over the holidays - it's a different house.) But first, I'm helping the best landlord ever (my sister-in-law) rent out our current house.

Here are lovely pictures; I tried to crop out the boxes of my crap.

It's in Gilbert near the 202 South Loop; has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a loft; and was upgraded (plantation shutters, 18" tile, 2-tone paint, landscaped yard on a drip system, etc.). We'd feel way better about moving out if we could find someone to move in...

Feel free to get in touch with me/pass along my info, and I can give you/your friend who wants to rent more details and my sister-in-law's phone number. Thanks!

Trying out for the 3d (or 4th?) generation of Mouseketeers*

2009-12-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

*Because it worked out so well for Britney.

Guess who is no longer scared of the Carousel?

2009-12-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Time Warp: Back to November

2009-12-27T07:02:00.001-07:00

What else did I miss putting on the blog in my work haze? Just Lorin's first (out-of-utero) trip ever to the Happiest Place on Earth.

First ride ever: the Matterhorn

First reaction to a ride ever: "It was scary. But just a little bit. The lion [the Abominable Snowman, actually] came out and said "Roar!" [Picture her little arms up in the classic bear pose]

Favorite ride: Dumbo

Favorite activity: Toddler frogger [she and Rowen would run sideways through crowds of people in Downtown Disney trying not to get hit. Parents of the year right here]

Favorite treat: Suckers shaped like Mickey's head

Most exciting thing about staying in a hotel: Her own room with bunkbeds

Most disappointing thing about staying in a hotel: Not being allowed to sleep on the top bunk

Top parenting hints from the trip: Disney's toilets all automatically flush, so bring stickers to cover the eye until completely finished; pull the top bunk's comforter down and sell the bottom bunk as a "cave"; those Mickey suckers occupy kids for a long, long time

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T16:43:00.002-07:00

Christmas Decorator

2009-12-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Because I still firmly believe that we will be moving in the next couple of months, I decided not to pull out all our Christmas decorations (and instead use the time to unclutter all our other stuff). But since I have a 3-year-old who now understands holidays (and, thanks to TV, the traditions surrounding those holidays), I had to give in a little. So Lorin got to help put together the neighbor gifts:

And decorate the "tree":

See that stool? That stays there because apparently decorating the "tree" is an everyday action, rather than a one-time thing. So every morning, we have this:

The 2d-to-last Sunday before Sunbeams

2009-12-20T14:58:00.003-07:00

And in her Christmas Dress from Nana.

Did I forget to mention...

2009-12-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

that Lorin turned 3? Over 2 months ago? And we celebrated it multiple times? Here's proof:

Our realtor is still being nice to us...

2009-12-16T11:20:00.001-07:00

but doesn't protest very quickly or loudly when I make jokes about being tough clients.

So is there any house news? Well, we've:

1) Been out-bid on Dream House #1 (which was the first house we saw so we spent a week looking at crappy houses before deciding to put in an offer the same day someone more "financially secure" did);

2) Decided against putting in an offer on Dream House #2 when we heard that there were already two above-price offers on it (and it was near the top of our budget);

3) Spent several day haggling with an awful seller and listing agent for Eh House #1, finally got under contract, then walked away after the inspection. Our agent said that she'd never seen such a bad inspection report. Of course, the seller was not willing to work with us;

4) Missed out on Dream House #3 when someone put in an offer - and it was accepted - between the time we called the listing agent who said it was available (5 p.m.) and the time we called the listing agent to say we were going to put in an offer (noon the next day);

5) Seen lots and lots and lots of just-not-right houses.

I hear it's a buyer's market (what with the glut of foreclosures, the historic low interest rates, the $8000 first-time home buyer's credit, etc.), but there are very few houses on the market and even fewer nice houses. Anyone who doesn't absolutely have to sell is staying put. But we still have hope...

Saying "Cheese"

2009-12-04T11:26:00.009-07:00

We had our family pictures taken last month by the lovely and talented Wendy of Blue Lily Photography. Here are a few of our favorites:

Lorin Milestone #(whatever we're up to)

2009-12-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

Lorin told her first deliberate poop joke today. Cracked herself up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T14:32:00.001-07:00

We are thankful for our wonderful family and friends!

And for one of the funnest 3-year-olds around:

Bad Halloween Luck

2009-11-04T09:20:00.004-07:00

Last year, we skipped Halloween because of the stomach flu.

This year, it was because of the honest-to-goodness, possibly Swine, flu.

Lorin seemed fine in the morning, but by noon she was a shaking, congested, feverish, red-eyed mess. And her parents weren't feeling that great either. After everyone took a nap, we trooped over to the Urgent Care that told us over the phone that there was only a 15 minute wait (lying liars). Two hours later, we left with prescriptions for Tamiflu. Since we'd heard that Tamiflu can be hard to find, we immediately started calling around for pharmacies that stocked it. And we learned that most pharmacies closed at 6 p.m. on Halloween. Seven minutes earlier. Another two hours later, Lorin was asleep and Mr. T was waiting patiently (at the only open pharmacy in a 5 mile radius that had it in stock) to fork over a $130 co-pay for our prescriptions (thankfully, the Urgent Care had the children's liquid).

But we're all feeling somewhat better, and Tamiflu seems to be worth every penny.

Here's Lorin before going to her Aunt and Uncle's ward's Halloween Carnival on Thursday. Good thing she thinks that was trick-or-treating.

Decoding Real Estate Listings #1

2009-10-26T22:40:00.003-07:00

"Sparkling pool" = that sparkle you see? that's the rusty rebar from the bottom of the pool glinting in the sun

The good news is we found a fantastic home inspector.

2009-10-25T23:18:00.001-07:00

The bad news is the house is 32 years old and not well maintained.

So I think we may pass - we'll talk to our realtor and perhaps some general contractors tomorrow.

I never loved the house, it just seemed like a good deal. Now, not so much.

The perils of having kids in your 30's...

2009-10-12T14:27:00.002-07:00

When your almost 3-year-old raises herself off of the ground, she says "oof," just like you do.

**************

So we're a little bit living in a reality show - one where they say, "Quick - find and close on a house in 6 weeks while also working, raising a child, and celebrating multiple birthdays and holidays." Someone will keep you posted on our progress; I may shoot myself in the head before it's all done.

Indianapolis Colts 31, Arizona Cardinals not so much

2009-09-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

So, uh, the Cardinals didn't win. In fact, they really embarrassed themselves on a nationally televised game. It was like last year never happened.

But we had a great time anyway.

Probably because Lorin did not come. (Thanks, Aunt Maren and Uncle Kevin!)

Glad we got that cleared up.

2009-09-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

Me: Lorin, you're being a little weird.

Lorin (oh so indignant): I'm not! I'm not being weird! I'm being crazy.

So we fed Sam the Giraffe this morning.

2009-09-18T14:02:00.001-07:00

We stopped going to the Zoo once summer hit; now, if we go at 8 a.m., it's not yet too hot to have fun. And they have a new exhibit...

In the car on the way home, Lorin announced that next time she wanted to feed the giraffe its "salad" all by herself. But then she thought about it and decided that she didn't really want the giraffe's tongue to touch her hand.

Let's count the ways I'm a bad parent (and Mormon) in this post.

2009-09-02T14:45:00.002-07:00

I need to take my recycling out more often so there's room to hide my Diet Coke addiction.

P.S. See how I was so desperate one day that I stooped to Diet Dr. Pepper?

********

This morning I got out my cool, refreshing, zero-calorie breakfast, opened it up, and popped in a straw (better for your teeth - right?).

"What's that?" Lorin asked.

I ignored her question and tried redirection: "Why don't I put on Max & Ruby for you?"

She wasn't fooled. "So you can finish your Diet Coke?"

First Day of Preschool + A Rookie Mistake

2009-08-29T09:37:00.002-07:00

Lorin started preschool on Thursday, and we both love the program (the Child Study Lab at ASU). I really like the "emergent learning" (basically, child-directed and play-centered learning) philosophy and the teacher-child ratio (there is a wonderful master teacher and 3-4 college students - for 11 kids). There is also an observation room, which is fascinating.

Last week, during the New Parent Orientation and the Meet-the-Teacher, the teacher outlined a possible separation process for the kids who had problems. I was sure I'd have to use at least a modified process because for the last 6 months or so Lorin has cried (briefly) when we've left her with babysitters or even relatives. I even talked to the teacher about strategies. So when I dropped her off for the first time, I was very deliberate about saying good-bye and telling her that I would be back after they sang the "Good-bye Song." She barely looked up from the rice table to tell me, "Okay, 'bye!" And that was that. I stayed and watched from the observation room and saw that she had a great time.

In my excitement over school and Fall in general (I will never forgive Phoenix for not having a Fall), I might have gone a little overboard during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. But my kid was going to be the best dressed preschooler out there. During New Parent Orientation, however, the teacher explained how they encouraged the kids to be messy - including using multiple art mediums and helping in the school garden. Plus, it'll be 90+ degrees until November. So I'll be taking some very cute clothes back to Nordstrom. And here's my "well-dressed" kid on her very first day of school ever:

So what else did we do in Utah?

2009-08-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ate, played, and shopped at IKEA. Twice.

Drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon to ride the tram at Snowbird. Upon arrival, discovered that they closed the tram for wind between the time we called to make sure they were still operating and the time we showed up.

Attended multiple weddings/receptions.

Got together with my college roommates, their husbands, and all our kids. There are four of us, and ten kids. I'm not really pulling my weight.

Visited with aunts and uncles and cousins.

Played at Liberty Park while wearing long sleeves in the 67-degree and cloudy weather. (Yeah, I slipped that one in for my Arizona friends.)

Learned how to make fondue at a Thanksgiving Point cooking class.

Discovered at Discovery Gateway, the children's museum.

Rode Trax.

Admired the flowers on Temple Square.

Watched Julie and Julia and The Time Traveler's Wife.

Reminisced with old Germany friends - 20 years later. (And learned that people I knew when I was 12 now have kids that age.)

Had a great time!

Picnic in Little Cottonwood Canyon

2009-08-25T21:04:00.004-07:00

Lorin keeps asking to go on another picnic. We could, but she's going to be mighty disappointed when there's no mountain, no cool stream, no Granddad digging up big rocks, no splashing Nana, and the weather is 40 degrees hotter.

The day I realized Lorin is older than I think.

2009-08-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

I was skeptical about whether she would appreciate it, but Lorin loved This Is the Place Heritage Park. All I remember from when I was a kid is being bored, but they've got all kinds of things going on now. Lorin got to

1) Ride a "train"

2) Write on a chalk slate

3) Decorate a cloth bookmark

4) Pet the animals

5) Ride a pony

6) Eat ice cream

7) Tool leather, and

8) Flip out in the public restroom (thanks again, Hogle Zoo)

Ma Famille

2009-08-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I think the humans in Wall-E were on to something...

2009-08-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you, riding is the way to go. This visit to Thanksgiving Point, we rented a golf cart, which made it lovely - especially during the August heat.

The golf cart, however, only really holds four, and we were five and Lorin. So my brother was left out. But don't worry - we found something else for him:

Which reconfirmed, however,

that there is absolutely

positively

no way

to look cool while riding a Segway.

(But he didn't mind. As soon as we got back to the house, he was googling price information and planning a Segway trip through Europe...)

Cute baby giraffe, but why aren't there any photos of Lorin at Hogle Zoo?*

2009-08-15T20:04:00.001-07:00

Say hello to Baby Jamar, who was born four days before I took these pictures:

* Because of the damn bathrooms. The automatic toilet decided to flush on Lorin mid-stream, which scared her so badly that she jumped and peed on her leg, which made her cry. So I'm trying to clean up a sobbing child when I get a blinding shooting pain from the back of my neck to my eyeball because I slept funny on an unfamiliar pillow. It was not a good moment for either of us, and I'm glad no one else was there to silently judge me. Anyway, we left as soon as we could after that. And Lorin still refuses to go in a public toilet, automatic or not.

Adventures in Utah: Lorin's 1st Temple Open House

2009-08-12T15:37:00.001-07:00

On our first morning in Utah, we got up early and braved the gathering crowds to hit the second-to-last day of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was slow going, but Lorin was reasonably well-behaved (and had 6 adults to entertain her), although she did escape into roped-off areas a couple of times. That kid is fast.

A week later, Lorin recounted the highlights: 1) the movie (that they showed before walking through) and 2) the cookie (that they gave her in the hospitality tent afterwards). Reminds me of my visit to the Jordan River Temple open house when I was around her age; all I remember is putting the blue booties over my shoes.

It was too crowded to take any pictures that day, so we went back the next weekend. The immediate grounds were gated, but we found an open patch of grass, where we ran into the daughter of some friends of my parents. She and Lorin had a great time posing for pictures and running back to see them. I think they look like an ad for the world-wide Church.

Look Ma, no hands!

2009-07-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

We're visiting family and friends in Utah for the next couple of weeks, but since I wouldn't want to go too long without a slightly inappropriate and wholly-embarrassing-when-she's-older post, I'll leave with this gem:

"Look, Mom!"

I did, and there was Lorin, who had stripped down stark naked and was holding a Little Person figure. With her bum cheeks.

Should I be worried?

2009-07-25T14:25:00.001-07:00

How many steps are there between tying up and kidnapping Muno

and being that kid who tortures small animals?

The Big Girl Bed, Revisited

2009-07-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

So one week later, let's see how Lorin's settling in to her new bed, shall we?

Look at her, my little napping angel. See how peaceful she is?

Except,

if we pull back a little,

we find this:

When I put her down, the following was in the bed:

- 1 giraffe
- 4 binkies (don't judge)
- 1 Lorin wearing one set of pajamas

When I went to wake her up, I found:

- 4 books
- 4 binkies
- 1 pink storage box, opened
- 1 opened drawer
- 3 sets of pajamas
- 1 Lorin with an extra set of pajama shorts on
- 3 silver jewelry boxes
- 1 baseball display case
- 1 official Dodger game ball
- 1 belt
- 2 ribbons
- 1 headband
- 1 package little hair bands, opened and contents spilled
- 4 giraffes
- 1 briefcase for a Build-A-Bear, and
- 1 wooden stacking elephant

I think that maybe she isn't falling asleep right away.

So how's Gilbert different from LA?

2009-07-18T13:43:00.005-07:00

Well, as I write, we can hear a sheep in our next-door neighbor's yard. And a donkey.

And when we looked out our side window, we saw a horse.

It's Old MacDonald on a 5,000 square-foot lot. I wonder how long before they get a strongly-worded letter from the HOA.

UPDATE: After additional reconnaissance (e.g., looking out of other windows), we counted two sheep, two burros, FIVE goats, and the horse. And the HOA was worried that our "insufficiently canopied" tree would drive down housing values.

I'm a big kid now!

2009-07-15T07:59:00.001-07:00

Sitting in a "big girl" chair rather than a high chair ... check

Wearing "big girl" panties rather than diapers ... check

And now:

Sleeping in a "big girl" bed rather than a crib ... check.

****************************

Lorin's bed was delivered yesterday and so far, so good. We disassembled her crib the night before and just put her on the crib mattress on the floor. The sudden freedom went to her head and we had a HAAAAARRRRDDD time getting her to sleep; the whole "big girl" bed thing was looking mighty foolish. But I think the real bed must feel like a more defined space, because she settled down for her first nap after the delivery just fine. In fact, I had to wake her up after 3.5 hours so she'd go back to sleep at a decent hour. And last night, she climbed right in and stayed there until we got her this morning. I'm still dreading the first time I wake up with a little person staring at me, though.

Pictures of the new room to come...

I always tripped in Docs. I never raised the front of my feet high enough off the ground. I was not the only person with this problem.

2009-07-09T22:40:00.001-07:00

Out of the blue, Lorin ran upstairs, announcing: "I have to get my boots." That puzzled me, since it's 112 degrees outside and she doesn't have boots.

She came down lugging these:

"These" are 12-year-old Docs. I bought them in London the day before flying back to the States - after I lost my passport at the train station but before I realized that I lost my passport.

(Tangent: the nicest people on Earth are the police at Victoria Station. I buzzed them crying when I figured out that I had no passport, it was afternoon, and my flight back was leaving first thing in the morning. They ushered me into the station, made me tea, calmed me down with talk about how helpful the U.S. Embassy could be, called around, and found my passport at the Eurostar desk, where someone had turned it in.)

(Other tangent: The sales guy at Shelly's took one look at my feet and declared that I needed Men's sizing. Thanks.)

Anyway, I haven't worn these for a decade, but who gets rid of awesome shoes they bought in London? It's nice to see that someone else loves them.

I showed her how to check for scorpions before putting them on. You don't see that in England.

You can't ignore tags from pregnant women (they may eat you...)

2009-06-18T14:26:00.002-07:00

So I was tagged, and because I clearly have run out of blog material, here we go:

8 things I did yesterday: (Um, I'm interpreting this as 8 things I did yesterday and the day before that, because I literally did not leave the house yesterday)

1. For the first time in 3 years, splurged on the Tasting Menu at an amazing restaurant - in this case, Kai.
2. Played Boom Blox Bash Party
3. Cleaned the bathroom (see, things go downhill fast)
4. Cleaned the kitchen
5. Unloaded the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, washed a load of whites, folded a load of whites, etc., etc., ad infinitum.
6. Sat on the floor while someone else put together her farm animal puzzle approximately 647 times (give or take).
7. Watched Wipeout
8. Watched Top Chef Masters

8 things I look forward to:

1. Buying a house
2. Decorating a house
3. Having a backyard with grass
4. Traveling the world with older kid(s?)
5. The final season of LOST - will they actually explain it?
6. The final Harry Potter movies
7. Winter
8. Our trip to Utah in August

8 things I wish I could do:

1. Whistle
2. Use my camera in manual mode
3. Blow bubbles in the pool
4. Enjoy working out
5. Refinish furniture
6. Spot amazing deals on Craigslist, Ebay, garage sales, flea markets, etc.
7. Enjoy watching someone put together the same puzzle for the 647th time
8. Eat chocolate and cheese without gaining weight

8 shows I watch on TV: (just 8?)

Current shows:
1. Wipeout
2. Top Chef

During the regular season:
3. The Office
4. LOST
5. Grey's Anatomy
6. Castle
7. Amazing Race
8. Project Runway

(I'm skipping the tagging 8 people thing. If you need blog material, have at it!)

Hey Disney, little girls like the movie Cars too!

2009-06-01T11:06:00.004-07:00

I'm just tempting the potty-training gods by calling this a milestone.

2009-05-29T23:02:00.001-07:00

Lorin peed in the toilet today.

It is a lot less impressive if you know that we started this potty-training adventure 10 days ago.

But this was the first time Lorin felt the urge, got to the toilet in time to take off her panties and climb up, and, after a wait she normally isn't patient enough to make, released her bladder.

It was the release that was the big deal. Lorin has phenomenal control. The second day of training she held it for 9 hours. No accidents at all. By then, however, she couldn't even relax enough to go in a diaper and we had to throw her in a warm bath. After that, we put her in diapers for naps and bedtime, so she just waited until then to go. One day she put herself down for her nap at 10:30 a.m. just so she could pee.

We're hoping that this is the key because I am tired of spending my days inside with a little girl wearing just a shirt and panties. (And don't even get me started on little girl panties. Can I please find something without the Princesses, Barbies, or Dora on it? That's not a hipster brief?) I think we're good enough for preschool, though.

****************************************************************************

In other news, check out your address bar - I am now the proud owner of www.lawtrix.com. The Limey who was squatting on it for the last year finally gave it up. Now I just have to figure out if I want to do anything with it.

Three Years of Tulips at Thanksgiving Point

2009-05-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

6 months:

1.5 years:

2.5 years:

Lorin doesn't like the gnats at the lake.

2009-05-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

Utah Recap (for the next three posts)

2009-05-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

My Dad broke out my old castle Lego. Lorin added her own touch...

the disembodied heads on the castle wall. Which is accidentally somewhat historically accurate.

Secret Service agents are kinda hot.

2009-05-17T22:46:00.001-07:00

"Don't ever stop adding to your body of work."

2009-05-16T15:32:00.015-07:00

We had tickets to the hot (heh) event of the summer - ASU's Commencement with President Obama. We had to arrive 4 hours early and endure a blister-inducing walk to the north side of Sun Devil Stadium, long security lines, 110 degree heat, and the beating sun (we took refuge by sitting on the concrete under the bleachers and drinking $5 bottles of water). But it was worth it. Graduation went off without a hitch, and the President's speech was funny and inspiring.

We had horrible seats to see anything on the platform, but we did get a great view of the snipers and the motorcade.

President Obama was a class act - we expected him to leave after his speech, but he stayed to shake hands with all 250 doctoral candidates, swear in the new officers from the ROTC, and meet the recipients of the newly created "Obama Scholarship."

In fact, he stayed until the very end, unlike the majority of the visitors - and graduates. I figured that he's probably a tiny bit busier than I am, so if he could take the time for the entire ceremony, so could I.

They missed the fireworks. And probably had worse traffic than those of us who waited.

P.S. Here's a link to the text of his speech.

Coming Soon

2009-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Lorin and I are about to return to our home on the Sun. I'll have updates on how we spent our time in Utah and what's coming up for us this week (hint: it involves the Leader of the Free World).

And Happy Mother's Day!

Who doesn't love games and puzzles and songs and coloring and snacks? Especially the snacks.

2009-04-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

So I was called to nursery.

The 2d Counselor kind of held his breath waiting for my response, since it's a pretty heavy "turn-down" calling, but seriously? it's only fair if one uses a service to be willing to put some time into it.

And I'm way better with 2 year-olds than 14 year-olds.

We have four nurseries in our ward, and I'll be in the one with Lorin. Which is fine with me.

Lorin's opinion? Well, I asked her:

"Hey, guess what? I'm going to be your new teacher in nursery! Would you like me to go to nursery with you every week?"

She didn't hesitate.

"Nope."

The Tip-off

2009-04-21T08:20:00.004-07:00

How to tell your kid is sick, if your kid is Lorin:*

Rather than stall bedtime by requesting "one last book" multiple times (which is the best stall of all - do I sacrifice my kid's sleep or her love for reading?), Lorin refused a second book because she "want[ed] to go to sleep." Wish granted.

* In addition to the 256-degree fever, the hours of inconsolable sobbing-crying, the need to be attached to my body at all times, and the waking up in the middle of the night.

Enjoying the last few nice days...

2009-04-17T08:14:00.001-07:00

Someone didn't fall asleep immediately after being put down for a nap...

2009-04-15T08:14:00.002-07:00

Yes, she was wearing clothes when she went to bed. I'm just glad she kept on her diaper.

Yes, my 2.5 year old still wears diapers. You are welcome to come potty-train her anytime.

Please wear your seatbelt.

2009-04-13T17:48:00.001-07:00

Last night, I was startled awake by a - spoiler alert - crash. When I tried to describe it to Mr. T, I said it "sounded like a big truck dumping a load of metal into our backyard." He tried to convince me that it was just our neighbor taking out his trash barrel (which unfortunately is a common 2 a.m. occurrence). But it wasn't trash day, and the dog next door was much more upset than he would be about trash.

I looked out our back bedroom window - which faces a major street - but didn't see anything. Mr. T wandered downstairs and looked out the front. Nothing. We got back into bed, but my Law & Order-saturated mind kept spinning scenarios involving drug runners or illegal immigrants or someone jumping into our yard.

Less than five minutes after I first heard the noise, I heard the sirens.

Two minutes after that, we looked out the window and saw three firetrucks, three ambulances, and a host of police vehicles.

And from our corner bathroom window, we saw an SUV on its side and EMTs running into the drainage ditch with boards. We watched for an hour as they rescued two people, sent one in an ambulance, and worked on another until a helicopter landed on our street to take him to - we assume - a hospital with a Level I trauma center.

I said a prayer for the passengers and their families.

All night, various crews stayed to clean up and take evidence (in fact, the street wasn't reopened until nearly 8 a.m.). We lied in bed listening and talking about how lucky we were that this didn't happen to us. And the main difference was that Mr. T was wearing his seatbelt.

I scoured the news today and eventually learned that the passenger will be fine, but the driver (the one taken away in the helicopter) died. I also saw that, in a separate accident yesterday, two little boys lost their mother when she was ejected from their truck because she wasn't wearing her seatbelt.

I generally keep the tone on this blog light (and Lorin-centered), but I felt the need for a PSA today.

Please wear your seatbelt. All the time.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:25:00.004-07:00

Not-so-well-timed milestone: Lorin chose this morning to demand that she pick out her outfit - pants and a white t-shirt. She got over it.

First Haircut

2009-04-04T19:55:00.002-07:00

Even though Lorin's hair isn't by any definition long, it was getting a little scraggly. So we set an appointment with Sandy (who's been doing my MIL's hair for 24 years now), bravely looking past (1) Lorin's extreme fear of hairdryers, (2) her inability to sit still for longer than 2.6 seconds, and (3) the fact that she sobs every time we cut her nails, and she's never even been nicked.

We each had a role:

(1) Sandy cut very quickly.
(2) Mr. T held Lorin in place.
(3) I took pictures (of course).
(4) Grandma and Aunt Maren cheered (not pictured).
(5) And Lorin sat reasonably still and ate candy.

We were surprised (and happy) that it actually worked, and Lorin's hair looks great. (You'll just have to trust me since she refused to pose for an "after" picture.)

I'm pretty sure she got this F-word from her daddy.

2009-03-28T21:30:00.004-07:00

"Lorin, are you poopy?"

"No, I'm just farty."

How NOT to Play Croquet OR I'm Surprised No One Got Hurt

2009-03-17T13:37:00.003-07:00

One member of the family is looking forward to her 16th birthday ...

2009-03-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

I've been creating.

2009-03-08T12:57:00.002-07:00

I announced before Christmas that I wanted to learn how to sew (since I spent my child/teenhood rebuffing my mother's attempts to teach me). Some wonderful people set me up with a stuffed-full sewing bag, a sewing machine, a gift certificate to here for lessons, and a mini here's-how-you-thread-a-machine-here's-a-bobbin-here's-how-you-sew-a-straight-line lesson (thanks, Mom - I think I listened better than before).

So my first lesson was last Tuesday, and I made a pillow - with a zipper and everything. I'm very proud of my ability to sew several straight lines.

What we've been doing lately...

2009-03-06T12:51:00.002-07:00

(since it clearly hasn't been blogging):

-- We cheered on crazy family members as they ran half a marathon at Schnepf Farms

-- We went to the zoo approximately 1,257 times

-- After Mr. T and I fervently declared that we wouldn't bring treats, our Sunday School class - a dozen 13 and 14 year-olds - broke us in just over a month (and we teach every other week)

-- Lorin refused to look at the camera for a Valentine's Day photo

-- But she did organize an extended family "sleepover"

-- We went to the [brand name I forget] Jam Session that was part of the NBA All-Star Game festivities (we got some great pictures on Mr. T's iPhone, but I got tired of waiting for him to download them so I could write a funny post about our experience. Let's just say that Mr. T was the only person at whom the "Around the World" crowd actually laughed)

-- Lorin discovered Kung Fu Panda; the sentence "I want to watch panda" has been uttered at least once (or 200 times) a day since then

-- We played copious amounts of Guitar Hero now that the broken hand is officially not broken anymore

-- Lorin got into preschool, which means she has an August deadline for going in the potty (although I suggested that since it's only a couple of hours, we could just put her in a pull-up and pray)

Ring Around the Rosy ... (Zoo Edition)

2009-02-22T21:56:00.007-07:00

A pocketful of posies ...

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!

Maybe I'm second. Or third, after Brobee.

2009-02-08T17:41:00.001-07:00

Lorin was still feeling a little under the weather, so we snuggled on the couch early one morning watching a Max and Ruby DVD. Lorin put her arm around my neck and smiled at me.

"I love you," she declared, unprompted.

My heart soared. Is there anything better than your beautiful child, who you've spent over 2 years loving, and caring for, and giving up sleep (and your whole life, it seems) for, recognizing that love and returning it?

"...Max," she finished.

Oh well.

Family Pictures

2009-02-03T20:28:00.006-07:00

We got our pictures from the photo shoot the other week.

While they didn't include my family photo holy grail (i.e., one that makes me look like a supermodel), they weren't awful either.

There were a couple of cute ones of Lorin.

And an adorable cousin hug.

"Sorry, she must have picked it up from one of those R-rated movies we put on for her."

2009-01-25T18:31:00.007-07:00

As usual, Lorin only made it through the sacrament before trying to escape the chapel for nursery. At one point, Mr. T sat with her in the foyer. Also in the foyer was a woman with a very well behaved 5-year-old and a 14-month-old (who was the reason they were out there). Lorin talks a lot now, but probably only half of what she says is intelligible to someone paying close attention. She also tries out new words, plays around with words, and has a typical 2-year-old lisp.

So out in the church foyer, clear as day, she said the "F-word." Twice.

Mr. T tried just to ignore her. The best way to ensure that she would repeat it would be to make a big deal out of it. Plus, he didn't think she'd actually ever heard the word; he assumed she was trying to say something else and just got it wrong.

But the other mother reacted. "What did she just say?" she snapped.

And before Mr. T could brush it off, her 5-year-old helpfully responded: "She said 'F---'!"

Yeah, that lady is not such a fan of ours.

Riding on a train, we're riding on a train. Train ride, a train ride.

2009-01-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday by riding the light rail from downtown Tempe to Chase Field/US Airways Arena and then back for dinner. It was surprisingly crowded on the way out, but we all got seats for the entire return trip (I recommend a seat if you're holding 30 pounds). Lorin loved the train, so we're planning a repeat trip on a real weekend day.

Check out this zoom action. (Warning, may not be suitable for kids who have not yet had "the talk.")

2009-01-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, I totally saw ostriches doing it at the zoo. And took pictures. With my 200 zoom.

After some internet research, I pieced together the mating ritual:

Step 1: The male catches the attention of the female by ruffling his feathers and dancing. "Hey, baby, check out my plumage."

Step 2: "The female crouches down on the ground and is mounted by the male." (Wikipedia)

Step 3: Um, yeah, still going on. The female tries not to look bored.

Step 4: Finished, the male dismounts and rearranges that plumage.

Step 5: The female wonders if the male will call her.

Step 6: The male feels so good he chases some giraffes.

I'm thinking roller coasters are out of the question.

2009-01-16T09:12:00.001-07:00

Maybe...

Maybe...

Maybe...

Nope, still terrified.

Her sobbing was so bad that the operator stopped the ride and refunded our money.

Backstage during the family photo shoot

2009-01-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

All of my in-laws are in town this week, which means family photo time (we used to just do them every other year, but with the recent baby boom we've had to do them more frequently to keep up). The photographer was Michelle Powell (her site here), who was wonderful with the kids (although one kid IN PARTICULAR, LORIN, was not so wonderful with her).

1. Corralling toddlers (thanks, Jax!)

2. Staying not so neat and tidy

3. Nothing's really going on here, I just thought Bridgette's hat was adorable

4. Sisters (I was not the primary photographer - clearly - but I managed to get one glance my way)

5. It takes a village to get a toddler to look at the camera and smile (but worth it in the end)

6. Grandpa pretending to be nine again

7. The reward for being good until right before the photographer pressed the shutter for the shots of the entire group

Dam It

2009-01-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

We've driven over the Hoover Dam four times, and before each time I announced that we would stop and take pictures/marvel at this man-made wonder/etc. Except,

- the first time, we were too worried about running out of gas (and it was dark)
- the second time, I was in the back seat calming a crying baby and talking on the phone and didn't even realize where we were
- the third time, it was raining
- and the fourth time? This had to be the charm. The weather forecast was sunny, we were timed to hit the dam in the afternoon, we narcotized Lorin with a portable DVD player, and I had the camera out and ready to go.

Well, we got pictures, but only after waiting an hour and a half to crawl over the dam while thousands of tourists streamed around the cars. Most of our photos were taken out the car window, and we weren't able to stop until well after the dam (and we stopped then only because we thought Lorin needed to be changed. It was a false alarm, though - she gets that from her daddy).

From our vantage point (i.e. the inside of a car), the most incredible sight was the partially-constructed bypass freeway soaring overhead.

Seriously, why won't she just look at the camera?

2009-01-07T17:05:00.001-07:00

We rarely get a picture of all of us together that I'm willing to share, usually because one of us is taking the photos. Also because I'm always hoping that some photo will magically transform me into a supermodel (none has yet). I tell myself that I must photograph badly because I refuse to believe that's what I actually look like.

But this photo is okay, even if Lorin refused to look at the photographer the entire shoot.

Photograph taken by Annie Howden.

She took this one, too:

(The one photo capturing Lorin's entire face. The photographer snuck [sneaked?] up on her.)

Holiday Photo Dump

2009-01-05T22:08:00.001-07:00

We spent the holidays with my family in Utah, braving the snow (and there was A LOT of it). Here's a smattering of what we did:

1. Lorin checking out Joseph Smith:

2. The lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake City:

3. Lorin opening her presents (she had her own tree at Nana's):

4. Every Christmas morning, we would get a picture of my mom passed out on the couch. The torch has been passed:

5. We were snowed in for almost two days. Here's the driveway before and after the snowblowing and shoveling:

6. A visit to see Mama, my grandmother who is in an Alzheimer's Care Facility. Mama was asleep for most of our visit, during which Lorin was appropriately quiet ("Shhh. Mama sleeping.") when she wasn't exploring the facility's Christmas decorations. But when Mama eventually woke up, Lorin glued herself to the side of the bed, patting Mama's hand and searching her face. She was loving and comfortable in a situation that is generally so hard and awkward for most adults. I am very glad she has had this time with her great-grandmother, brief and imperfect as it is:

7. Lorin playing with the first ornament I picked out myself, when I was her exact same age. It began a decades-long tradition. When Lorin took it off the tree, my mom cautioned her: "Careful, it's an antique." Thanks a lot, Mom.

Merry Christmas.

2008-12-24T21:17:00.003-07:00

First Sledding

2008-12-22T09:39:00.002-07:00

Ready. Set. Go!

"Let's go again!"

Try it - you'll like it!

2008-12-21T09:32:00.002-07:00

What do you mean, I didn't like snow? I love snow!

See?

Now just try to get me back inside...

Adventure #17: Mesa Temple Lights

2008-12-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas Dress

2008-12-17T19:32:00.001-07:00

Lorin wore her Christmas dress on Sunday. Before church, we hit up our usual spot (the backyard) for another fashion photo shoot.

Sorry about your snowstorms.

2008-12-13T20:17:00.001-07:00

After mooching off of Grandma's membership for a year, Lorin and I got our own membership to the Phoenix Zoo. It was a perfect day for the zoo - 60s and slightly overcast, and the place was empty. We started with the lions, which were just lying around ("Shhh. Lions are sleeping," Lorin explained to me), and ended with the elephants. In between, we saw giraffes, ducks, baboons, elephants for the first time, birds (those weren't actually in exhibits, but they were exciting nonetheless), a tiger, some sort of grassland creature with long twisty horns, and a show.

The best part, though, was seeing this with cousins.

(We don't know the kid in the middle. He just wanted to see the elephants too.)

***************************

Side-note: we've been working with Lorin on posing for the camera. As much as I prefer candid shots, sometimes I'd like to get something other than the back of her head or a big blur. She's starting to understand the process of smiling and saying "cheese," and we're working on holding still.

And looking at the camera.

Adventure #16: Organ Stop Pizza

2008-12-01T20:12:00.001-07:00

Technically, this is not Lorin's first time to the home of The Mighty Wurlitzer, but 23 months ago she slept through dinner and the show.

This time she loved it. She screamed in excitement, danced and sang along to the music, and drank way too much root beer. And she very politely applauded after every number.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T11:47:00.001-07:00

I tried to write a post detailing all the many things for which we are thankful, but it started getting unwieldy. Lets just say that we are most thankful for our family, our faith, our friends, and our opportunities.

And super cute matching shoes.

Cool, cool, cool trick! Yeah!

2008-11-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Look what Lorin taught herself to do after seeing it on Yo Gabba Gabba:

I'm pretty impressed, because I can't do it. (I know because she brought two spoons over. I just tilted my head back until it was horizontal and balanced the spoon on my face. She was not fooled.) The trick even inspired a 5-word command sentence: "Put it on your nose!"

He just told people he had to grab his shoes in the dark because I was still asleep. Which was a lie.

2008-11-15T08:00:00.002-07:00

Mr. T. called me one morning last week after his hour commute to work.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Go to the front hall closet." "Yeah." "Can you see my dress shoes?"

"Um, okay. Which ones - oh. oh. AH-HAHAHAHAHAHA."

Later that day I got this photo from his iPhone:

I laughed all day.

Just a note - this happened the day before the accident. I had it ready to post that Friday, but it seemed like piling on once he flipped his car and all. I still think it's funny, though.

This so needs a great caption.

2008-11-13T11:26:00.002-07:00

Back in happier times...

This is from our trip to Mother Nature's Farm. It cracked me up, and I thought it deserved its own post, but I can't think of a funny caption for it. Any ideas?

A Walking Public Service Announcement

2008-11-10T16:19:00.002-07:00

So last Friday I got one of those dreaded phone calls. You know, the "your husband has been in a car accident" phone calls. The good part was that he was the one making the call, so I immediately knew he was more on the "okay" side of the scale (I'm such a lawyer - my first question: "Was it your fault?"). He rolled his SUV while merging onto the freeway and miraculously did not hit anyone else. And just as miraculously, his only injuries were a broken hand and some bruises and stiffness. The car, however, did not fare as well:

(This is at the impound lot when we went to get his personal effects. Even though we have a house where he can store things, he had 3 suit coats, 5 ties, and clean underwear in his car, in addition to the more usual random books and papers and fast food trash. Oh, and 3 umbrellas.)

And here's how he survived:

Maybe Chevy felt bad about making the most roll-over prone car that year, so they reinforced the frame. I am truly impressed with auto structural engineering when I see this. At any rate, this should serve as a testament to the importance of seatbelts. A firefighter passing the scene mentioned to his wife, "that guy's not walking away from that." But he did. And he's well enough to handle all the health and car insurance red tape himself.

She knows how to get my attention.

2008-11-09T13:33:00.001-07:00

Lorin (yelling upstairs to me): "Steph! Steph-a-nie! I want go outside!"

What I am thankful for today:

2008-11-05T07:29:00.006-07:00

I am thankful that the election is over. I am thankful for a decisive win (so that I don't have to pay attention to months of legal wrangling). I am thankful for a democratic society that allows women and minorities to vote. I am thankful for peaceful transitions of political power.

I am thankful for how gracious Senator McCain was in his concession speech - and how inspiring President-elect Obama was in his victory address.

I always get a little thrill seeing democracy in action.

2008-11-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

(Fun fact: here, our polling place was one of the megachurches. In LA, it was the LA Free Clinic.)

Adventure #15: Mother Nature's Farm

2008-11-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Even though we're not celebrities, we know the importance of a good photo op at the pumpkin patch. (And after cancelling Halloween night, I'm even more glad that we got some pictures to represent the holiday.)

So what can one do at Mother Nature's Farm?

1. Summon up all one's courage and pet a cow.

2. Hit a dead end in the hay maze.

3. Pick a pumpkin. (And then another one, and then another one...)

4. Pose for that obligatory pumpkin photo - and remind your parents that you don't look like a baby anymore.

Halloween Cancelled

2008-10-31T17:58:00.002-07:00

Lorin has no idea what Halloween or trick-or-treating is, we don't like her to eat candy, and we didn't get her a costume (last year's still fit). So I don't feel guilty that after I spent all day throwing up, I cancelled Halloween. Mr. T's still giving out candy to neighborhood kids, but Lorin and I are going to bed. We'll catch it next year.

Hope everyone else is having a great time!

To her, they're just big stickers.

2008-10-28T07:14:00.001-07:00

Adventure #14: Blissfest and NieNie Fundraiser Carnival

2008-10-26T20:32:00.002-07:00

Last weekend we spent a (hot) few hours at Blissfest (a craft fair put on by one of the decorating stores in downtown Mesa) with Maren, Kevin, and Bridgette - who were very nice to loan us their stroller when we left ours in the other car. We had great biscuits and gravy at Grandma's Kitchen, looked at lovely - and expensive - crafty items (which only strengthens my resolve to learn how to do something crafty-ish), and we played at the Fundraiser Carnival for the Nielson family, where Lorin charmed the booth volunteers and picked up a purple necklace, a ghost ring, and a giant cupcake. (At the pumpkin bean bag toss, Lorin had a lot of fun throwing the bean bag through the pumpkin mouth. So much so that when they gave her a prize, she tossed it through the mouth as well.)

Maybe if he wore the Devo hat?

2008-10-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Bad Mommy confession - Lorin watches TV while I work (since her nap is no longer long enough). She mostly watches Yo Gabba Gabba! - we TiVo all the episodes and then put one (or two...) on for her when she asks to watch TV. She responds really well to the show - dances, sings the song, holds her plush Brobee up to the TV against the real Brobee - but she hates one part of the show:

Mark, the guy who draws. This is Mark:

And this is Lorin every. single. time. that he shows up:

Adventure #13: Tempe Beach Park

2008-10-19T19:59:00.001-07:00

During the summer, this is a water park (which was frequently closed last summer because of bacteria). No water now, but there are still a couple of slides, some blue whales to ride, and - best of all - a prime location under a flight path for Sky Harbor. Lorin was thrilled about all the "air-panes!"

(Not so easy being ladylike while going down a slide in a skirt.)

(The little boy on the slide behind her kept following her around. He was very cute.)

Carrots want to go to the party in my tummy?

2008-10-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

How cute is Lorin's birthday kitchen?

We moved her table and chairs underneath the window and picked up a couple of these bins for toys. Sometimes she brings her chair over to sit at the kitchen rather than stand. Lazy.

(Apparently she only plays with her kitchen when wearing jammies.)

Thanks Nana and Grand-dad!

Disappointment

2008-10-14T10:01:00.002-07:00

Since her birthday party - when Lorin discovered M&M'S - she's been on something of a chocolate quest (although not for chocolate cupcakes made from scratch). The other day she came out of the kitchen with chocolate smeared all over her mouth and hands and a funny look on her face. I went to the pantry to figure out how she opened the bag of chocolate chips and instead discovered an unwrapped square of unsweetened baking chocolate. That may have cured her obsession.

Not yet aware of birthdays, but definitely aware of chocolate.

2008-10-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

For a variety of boring reasons, we celebrated Lorin's birthday a little early this year. To make things as easy as possible, I rented a pavilion at a community park and served pizza. That didn't ease the days of theme preparation, shopping, and cupcake baking. Oh yeah, we didn't make cupcakes from scratch this year - we made two different kinds of cupcakes from scratch. And decorated them. So given all the planning and the shopping and the baking and the picking up pizzas and the setting up in the wind and the corralling a sugar-highed Lorin for 1.5 hours, when we finally got home and Lorin in bed by 7:30, we collapsed like we'd been walking around Disneyland all day. We are apparently too old to throw a 2-year-old's birthday party.

Oh, and after all that cupcake preparation? Lorin grabbed her cupcake, took a bite, put it down, took off her bib, and ran off. We didn't even get a picture. I guess homemade chocolate cupcakes (seriously, I had to chop chocolate and melt it over a double boiler) can't compete with a half-empty bag of M&M'S.*

It was an "Italian Restaurant" theme - based on some cupcakes I saw in a really-too-ambitious-for-me cupcake decorating book and the idea that pizza is easy. I had a red and white checkered (plastic) tablecloth, pitchers of root beer and water, and a "bread basket" with mini soccer balls for favors.

Here are the decorated cupcakes.

Lorin spent the bulk of her time carefully doling out one M&M to each of us and running away when other children (including some not actually guests at our party) chased her for more.

This was the clapping and Yay! part of "Happy Birthday to You."

She's sad in this picture because we made her let go of "MY truck!" long enough to buckle her in to her car seat.

Thank you to everyone who came and all the wonderful gifts - Lorin couldn't believe her luck the next morning when they were all waiting for her (in the kitchen, where we dropped them before we passed out).

* That's the correct capitalization and punctuation under the trademark. I checked.

I'm probably too old for this.

2008-09-27T20:34:00.001-07:00

So I finally, finally joined Facebook. If you're there too, maybe we can be friends?

She's putting words together now.

2008-09-27T20:28:00.004-07:00

[Scene: The Mall, Wetzel's Pretzels. Daddy is ordering pretzel bites for a visibly upset Lorin.]

Daddy (slightly exasperatedly): Okay, we're getting you a pretzel.

Lorin (stops crying and with perfect diction): And a drink!