September 6, 2006

Who needs a vacuum when you have a baby?

Seriously. Our carpet has never been cleaner. I figure it’s all Montessori-like to let him practice his fine motor skills, anyway. I'm doing him a favor, right? And of course, everytime he picks something up, I’m all, “Babycakes, you did it! Good job! Thank you!” It’s only polite, after all.

The past weekend was a nice, relaxing one wrapped up in a lovely gossamer of Nothingness. The best kind, frankly. We spent most of the weekend reading, hanging out, getting good food, awesome coffee and playing with Arun.
The weather has been SO gorgeous lately, we went to the park nearly every day the past week. Early on in the spring, we discovered via our GPS a great park near our subdivision. Although it's mere blocks away from us, we would have never found it had it not been for the GPS as it's not near any major crossroads. However, that is precisely what makes it so awesome - it's a fairly large park, but is primarily used by just the neighborhood kids (when the sun goes down, it's so awesome to hear all the mothers yelling for their kids to come home. Ahhhh, the memories!) Anyway, as a bonus, it's a great convergence of all of Arun's current favorite things - dogs, swings, other kids, planes, cars, bikes. Lately, Arun's newest thing is when we are at home and he hears a plane go by, he looks out the BACK door - not sure why he's looking out the back door, but he knows now what a plane is and he is completely in awe of them. All because of the park. You'd think he would have caught on to the whole concept of "air travel" by now, considering the six plane trips we took this year, but um, no. This is a fairly recent "discovery". Too cute. Also, his problem solving skills are kicking into high gear and honestly? I LOVE just watching him play with his bazillion Craptastic Plastic toys, trying to figure out HOW THEY WORK and what the FUCK those buttons are for. Throw in a glass of wine? Who needs television?? ahem

Anyway, I used the weekend to finish up some books AND got through a big ole stack of magazines. I am pretty caught up now on my reading and that sly, slip of a thing Kate Hudson and her Butterscotch Stallion, Owen Wilson (at least you can see HIS FACE, eh?). I haven't done a Rancid Read for awhile because other than Shopgirl by Steve Martin, I hadn't read anything worth mentioning (although, I guess I should mention that the MOVIE really, REALLY sucked. Book? Beautiful, poetic, haunting. Movie? SUCKED!!). Anyway, I hesitate to post negative reviews anymore because what if I turn someone off of a book that they might have liked? Example, I really, really did NOT enjoy Snowflower and the Secret Fan, but I know that Goofy Girl liked the book, so who am I to declare something unreadable, right? Anyway, this is why in the future, I will only be posting about things that I like. Also, I am now in between books! Usually, I am flitting from book to book because of the two book clubs that I am in. So, being between books rarely happens and when it does, it's so very cool. I love the anticipation of just thinking about what I can read next - I am perusing my "UnRead" collection carefully, - since I don't have another book club meeting for two weeks (that one is Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer), I think I will read some FUN things for a change..... I am thinking something by Jane Green since I haven't had any Brit Lit for awhile.

Rancid Reads: In a week's time, I finished off THREE books that had been hanging around, half-read, complaining pitifully that they were incomplete. I read America's Women by Gail Collins (a non-fiction piece that chronicles the history of women in America since colonial times. A book that had a lot of sluggish parts, but it was worth slogging through them. She covers the big names in history, but includes many little names, too. After reading this, you will have a really good feel for what it was like to be an American woman throughout our history. One downside? Heavily slanted towards white women, although she gives great historical due to immigrant women.) I read Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (This is a difficult book to explain, but since Average Jane practically shoved in my hands and commanded that I read it, I knew it must be worth the effort. It WAS. Basically, this author takes many, wacky vacations surrounding all the particulars of the first three presidential assassinations. Her acute political and cultural observations (both historical AND pop) are interesting and at times, HILARIOUS.) Also, I finally, FINALLY finished The Cider House Rules by John Irving (a fiction piece that is too complicated to get into here - in a nutshell, it is an epic saga of an orphan who struggles with the topics of adoption and abortion AND ultimately, Love itself, on so many very, very different levels. Suffice it to say, Irving is such a stunning, masterful storyteller that he had me at page 40. It was a book that made me think ALL THE WAY through and more than once, I was grabbing tissues or thinking to myself "Damn. That's powerful." I had a hard time reading this book because the whole topic of abortion and orphans and adoption and BABIES NOT BEING WANTED just cracks my heart. Sigh.)

Anyway, not much else has been going on. As I reported last Monday, I am anxiously waiting for the Tivo Series 3 launch, so the Tivo Tension is pretty high right. When I know exactly what the price is going to be, then Serious Negotiations can begin - X won't even discuss it until we know a price. A PRICE. Regardless, we are going back to Tivo, but we are waiting for the Series 3 because it has HD. Anyway, to recap - I've already ponied up Christmas 2006 and Birthday 2007, but X doesn't know that Mother's Day 2007 is UP MY SLEEVE. I still think it is funny that we are going BACK to Tivo, but when I was at my mom's on Monday playing with our old Tivo that we had passed on to her, I couldn't help but get excited. Let the games begin..............

Anyway, here is some Simian Snappage.............


I'm Sorry, Babycakes. So very, very sorry.

The Hair. Yo! It taketh OVER........ SO, I thought I would try out a beauty school. Um, yeah. ME. The same sucker who falls for the name brands of Gymboree and Robeez went to a BEAUTY SCHOOL for a haircut to save a total of FOUR bucks. People, I'm an idiot. As evidenced by the next picture.


Haircut #6

This picture does NOT even BEGIN to do this Bad Haircut justice. I will try to get a better angle on the Horror that is now his Hair so that I may fully demonstrate my Stupidity. Because truly, I am Stupid. Hopefully, there will be enough time for it to grow out before his birthday, pleaseohpleaseohPLEASE.

8 comments:

Monkey McWearingChaps said...

First of all, MAJOR props for picking the most despondent baby look picture you could find for the "After" shot-I just snorted water through my nose at the scroll-down reveal.

Second, he is so ridiculously pretty (to be handsome when he grows out of that babyface) that not even the bad haircut can ruin him.

Third, the boy grows hair the way lawns grow weeds. I suspect that even if it isn't in full-on baby emo-shag (as in Picture #1), it will have self-corrected by the birthday.

And OMG...he's almost a year old! I was just going to say in the post below where he's sleeping that he looks like he's suddenly sprung some lanky limbs.

Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...

Monkey,
Maybe, perhaps...I should have mentioned that I have to tuck delicate tendrils of hair BEHIND HIS EARS. Does that help to convey how very wrong and wayward this haircut went? However, as you appropriately observed, the Hair does indeed grow like weeds, so yes, there is Hope. Thank GOD. Or Ganpati, as you wish. :-)

Diana said...

Or, you could go all crazy and see what would happen if you tried to 'fix' his hair after having a glass of wine. Could be fun!

Hey, hair grows, especially his hair, as you have noted.

(I subjected poor Colin to 'Mommy haircuts' until he was about 4. Poor kid.)

Anonymous said...

He has got to be one of the most beautiful babies - I would seriously kill for some thick hair like that.

I am loving the weather also - lots of time outside makes the girls sleep soooo much better and it is nice to have the house open.

Anonymous said...

The haircut really highlights his eyes. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I LOVED Assasination Vacation! And what was the name of the book you showed me at playgroup? I have been trying to remember the title, but without success. Help!

I hope N's first haircut turns out as well as Arun's "bad" one. We're getting out the scissors this weekend....

Cheryl said...

B is for Bad Haircut.

Even though I didn't think it was that bad until I saw that chunk taken out on the right side of his forehead. I think I did something like that to my own hair when I was 4. The day before school pictures. I have a hat on in that picture.

Goofy Girl said...

Give him a week and it will grow back! Hee!