Bob Loblaw's Law Blog

January Project Wrap Up

2012-02-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

It seems like after Christmas I always find myself with a void of projects, events, and general busyness. Put that together with the cold weather and January can be a pretty slow month. Having remembered this from years past, I decided to pick up some new projects and try to learn a few things. Here they are:

#1- Wrap skirt: Inspiration- picture below that I saw on Pinterest.

How I did it: Found a remnant at the fabric store for $1.30 and used every inch to make this cute thing that she will fit for a long time.

#2- Master Yoda

How I did it: Foam and elastic from craft store, $2.25 for tan sheet and $0.75 for brown pillow case from thrift store. Oh and don't forget the connected marker saber.

#3 Apron Dress: Inspiration-This unbelievably adorable dress that Carrie bought for Gwen.

How I did it: Leftover fabric from my table (humming the sound of music in my head), liner from a skirt I don't wear, front of a shirt I don't wear.

#4 Table redo: Inspiration- I had/have an ugly table and asked Dad and Kathy for some ideas. They gave me the idea to cover it with fabric. And I found this one online.

How I did it: Fabric on sale from store $5, shower curtain $5, borrowed an electric screwdriver and staple gun from a friend and went to work. Still have to do something with the bottom part of the table and the chairs (dumpster find). You may be able to see in this picture that one of the chairs and one of the table legs are sanded.

#5 Pinwheel painting: Inspiration- I'm not sure where I first saw this, but I liked it a lot and knew I could do it.

How I did it: My biggest budget project so far as $25 for a large piece of stretched canvas and $9 of paint. I drew out the lines lightly with a pencil then filled them in, going in and out of the lines. It is finished, although I like this picture of me working on it. I still need to cover it with something like polyurethane or some other finisher to protect it from jedi fights.

#6 homemade pizza. Some people do it well, I do not.

How I'm doing it: this one is a work in progress. I've tried 5 times with 3 different recipes and 3 different pan preparation strategies I've gone from one end of the soggy spectrum to crispy cracker pizza on the other. I think I've got a few more miles to go on my pizza quest.

#7 Another ongoing project is this high chair. I found it for $10 and it took some serious work to get it to this stage. I removed lot of old crusty lace and also recovered the tray the same way I did the table top. I think I need spring to come so I can take it outside and give it some new paint.

So there you have it, the january wrap-up. Next up: Finishing the table, decorating the toy room, more pizza, more costumes. Hopefully I won't have to wait until next January to do some more projects.

Human Genome

2012-01-23T20:43:00.002-05:00

Attention please, it has been determined by a very reliable test that these two children are in fact related.

Hey Baby

2012-01-16T08:11:00.002-05:00

Nov/Dec 2011

2012-01-10T11:30:00.000-05:00

Gwen Faces

2011-12-16T10:34:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-04T22:23:00.001-05:00

A collection of family memories from our 2011 thanksgiving trip to California. I know at least a few people who wanted to see these again. Enjoy.

Breaking News!

2011-12-04T12:46:00.001-05:00

Our otherwise uneventful Saturday was rudely interrupted right before bedtime with a trip to the emergency room.

Levi was sliding around the kitchen floor with some new slippery flannel pajama pants that are big enough to hang over his feet. I think he was enjoying the ice-skating like sensation when suddenly the ground came up and attacked him. Completely unprovoked. I heard the thud and looked over to find him on his belly with his arms out in front of him. Even before he started crying it was obvious something was wrong with his right forearm. It wasn't anything too bad but definitely something was broken.

So we dropped everything (even left the cookie dough on pans waiting to go in the oven) and drove the 1 mile to the hospital. I guess it is times like these that we're happy to live right next to the hospital, and to have an ER that wasn't busy, and to have competent doctors. And in the interest of full disclosure it may have been a bit difficult for me to hold back the tears while carrying my own wounded kid through triage.

The diagnosis was pretty obvious, but the X-rays confirmed two broken bones in his right forearm.

You can see in the second X-ray how his arm was bent a bit. I'm still having flashbacks to the time my brother TJ broke his arm while we were roller skating. Same thing, except this time I was a tiny bit more help than to just say "Uh Dad, TJ won't stop crying."

After the X-ray Viv and Gwen went back home, and Levi was distracted enough by the movies on my phone to stop thinking about how much he doesn't like hospitals.

Levi held up pretty well. He didn't like any of it (you could see it on his face) but he was silent while they helped him. They gave him the medication (ketamine, I think, so he was awake but not aware) and then had me step out so as not to faint while they did the reduction (seriously though, why does the medical field insist on using these counter-intuitive terms that force me to have to ask yet another question just to figure out that you're just aligning the bones). And when I got back this was what I saw.

Within minutes he was aware again, and they took another X-ray to make sure everything was ok and we went home (only 2.5 hours in total at the ER which was shorter than I expected). Once I got Levi in the car he was noticeably happier, and he wasn't tired even after giving him some pain medication so we watched movies until 1am like this.

Notice the smile. He was definitely in pain until the cast was on, but it also seems like the hospital was the main cause of the sadness. I don't blame him. By the time we were home he was back to his normal, talkative self. He slept well, and except for the obvious inconvenience of the cast he is doing fine.

In other news, Gwen learned how to roll over and snuck out two little teeth while nobody was looking.

Also, a few hours earlier when Levi still had two functional arms we discovered the grocery store now has kid grocery carts. Levi loved it. OK, I think that is the end of this long post.

Gwen, 5 months old

2011-11-15T13:46:00.001-05:00

pros:
-finally getting on a nap schedule
-happy as a clam in her car seat (woowooo)
-thinks Levi is hilarious
-likes carrots, oatmeal, and pears

cons:
-retains a strong suspicion of the general populace
-quite opinionated when tired

Big Person, Little Person

2011-11-05T21:15:00.000-04:00

"I love baby Gwen, can we keep her forever?"
Yes, yes I think we can.

Halloween Fun

2011-10-31T21:47:00.001-04:00

We had a lot of halloween fun this year. A party at work, a party at church, a party with work friends, a party at preschool, a party in town, and finally some good ol' trick or treating around the neighborhood, which I think was my favorite part. Although the party at preschool was awfully cute.

I'm also quite proud of the photo booth I set up at the church party (see below).
And yes, we did walk through snow to get to people's houses to trick or treat.

The inner circle

2011-10-29T22:34:00.001-04:00

Two years ago, I decided I wanted to put ads on some of my youtube videos just to see what kind of revenue they generated. Come to find out, you have to get invited in to the revenue sharing program and before you do that, you have to have a video that people, other than your friends and family, actually watch. No problem, Rachel and I set about making a wildly popular youtube video called "How to make perfect princess Leia hair". Which has a been more like "mildly" popular. THEN fast forward to the present (2 years and 45,000 views later) and I recieve an email with this heading: "Invitation to earn revenue from your YouTube videos". Whaaat?? I am in! We did it! Lets start earning the big bucks!

Rachel and I said back when we posted this that we would take any money it made use it for a noble purpose. But now we can't remember what that was, so any suggestions? So far we've come up with: ice cream.

Here's the video in case you want to watch and up our view count:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls2k3QdkiCQ&feature=email&email=comment_received

Gwen's movie debut

2011-10-26T20:03:00.001-04:00

Here's a few clips from the first few months of baby Gwen's life. Some clips of her and some of what you might have seen if you were her.

Sarah and Rachel visit New England

2011-10-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

After spending some time in Nova Scotia, Sarah and Rachel stopped by New England on their way home.

Gwen

2011-09-24T21:50:00.000-04:00

Here's an update for you on everyone's favorite 3.5 month old.
Pros:
1. She sleeps all night, every night.
2. Her funny hair and surprised expression gives people a good laugh in the grocery store.
3. She is generally good-natured, and will even nap on the fly, when being carried around all over the place in the moby wrap.
4. Has not yet had any major or even minor health issues.
5. Unlike her chubby older brother, is in just the 50th percentile for weight. (See Cons #2)

Cons:
1. Thinks being in the car seat is how they get answers at Guantanamo.
2. Isn't too keen on being put down.
3. Emphatically refuses to be bottle fed
4. Seems to have developed early-onset stranger anxiety. This includes such "strangers" as friends that we see almost every day.

2011-09-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

Claire and Gordon visit New England: 3 states, 2 countries, 6 varieties of apples, 18 kinds of cheese, 4 kinds of maple syrup, 5 flavors of ice cream, 1 birthday cake

Hair Accessory

2011-09-13T17:52:00.001-04:00

Today I did something I wouldn't have guessed I would do. I MADE a hair accessory and put it on my baby. Surprising, that I had fun doing it and not surprising that she looks so cute.

"Make a Gwen face"

The Roommate

2011-09-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

Since moving to our new apartment, Baby Gwen is no longer sleeping in the kitchen, but is trying out sharing a room with her big brother. After the first night sleeping together, the conversation went like this. Me: So, did you know that Gwen slept in the same room as you last night?Levi: (surly) Yes.Me: Oh really? How?Levi: "She was making noises ALL NIGHT. Like this "eh eh eh". In the panic I had to hide under my blanket! "So, last night was night #6 and she woke him up at 5am and I'm pretty sure he did not fall back asleep, while the rest of us had no problems.

A casualty of the hurricane

2011-08-29T20:51:00.001-04:00

I'll be honest with you, at first I thought this hurricane was wimpy. The news coverage was overdone, people were panicked, and the hurricane was never going to be able to live up to the hype. We watched it rain a lot on Sunday and at times it would get a little windy, but that was it. I might have even said at one point, "Is this all you got?"

When I got to work this morning you can imagine my surprise when people were talking about how Vermont got pounded and all the roads were closed. But yes, somehow we were fine here and 3 miles away there was widespread flooding. For the most part people are ok, but on the VT/NH border the Connecticut river flooded a bunch of big retail stores. And many, many covered bridges were destroyed. Including my favorite one so far in Quechee (pronounced kwee-chee).

Here it is before the storm (doesn't it seem so high up)?

It is right next to a little dam, and a fancy restaurant/glass-blowing place. (and yes, I think Levi kinda wanted to jump in)

We went there for the balloon festival.

And now a storm made it look like this.

Here is a video of the craziness. I'm amazed that water filled the whole waterfall/dam, and flooded the restaurant, and wiped away that walkway we were standing on. I'm sure things will get rebuilt but right now it just looks like a battle zone. Was it because I mocked you, Irene?

Do you see what I see?

2011-08-23T18:05:00.002-04:00

I'm excited for fall time to come. We'll be in a new apartment, Levi will start preschool 3 days a week, and I am going to make as many apple pies as is reasonably possible.

good morning

2011-08-13T20:15:00.001-04:00

one more

2011-08-09T09:48:00.001-04:00

July catch up

2011-08-08T11:58:00.002-04:00

We've been fully taking advantage of summer. Going to lakes, rivers, and pools. Eating ice cream cones and roasting marshmallows. We even saw Cars 2 at the drive-in.

What's in a name?

2011-07-21T16:44:00.004-04:00

Thought you might like to hear a little background on the name.

Gwen: We spent a lot of time thinking about a name for our baby girl. There was a list of requirements and frequent trips to this website to analyze popularity trends. In the end, it turned out to be the only name that fit all our search criteria and that we both really liked. It means "white, fair, blessed". As an added bonus, one of my Grandma Brown's very best friends was named Gwen.

Sophronia: meaning: wise. Levi Orlando is named after Jerry's grandfather, Jerry Orlando Mortensen. So, we thought it a good trend to stick with a family name for the middle name. So Gwen's middle is after my Grandpa Brown's great-great grandmother Sophronia Kelley. Sophronia Kelley was a Mormon pioneer who joined the church and traveled to Salt Lake City with the saints. She was present when Brigham Young assumed leadership of the church. I found the following story about her on a genealogy website (told by her daughter).

"The next incident I must refer to was while crossing the Missouri River. My mother was driving her own team and wagon of supplies with her baby on her lap. The water was so deep the box on the wagon she was riding in floated off the wagon and tipped over, throwing her and her baby into the water. Her brother, who had crossed the river just ahead, ran down the stream, climbed out on some willows that reached out over the water. Reaching down from this position, he caught her clothes as she went under and held her until help arrived. She was unconscious as they dragged her onto the bank, but was still holding the baby."

As an added bonus, Joseph Smith had a sister named Sophronia. She was born in Tunbridge, Vermont, which is about 30 miles from where we are now living.

Pictured: Sophronia Kelley

some good ones

2011-07-21T15:01:00.003-04:00

In case you didn't recognize it, that is Krissie being a Tyrannosaurus for Levi. What a good friend she is.

Siblings

2011-07-15T13:58:00.002-04:00

These pictures make me happy.

The Help

2011-07-08T11:31:00.003-04:00

I have some amazing parents. After a visit from dad and kathy and then from mom, I felt so lucky and more than a bit spoiled. And Levi, well he soaked up every minute of the grandparent attention. Here's just a sampling of our good times together.

Bath Time

2011-07-05T21:11:00.000-04:00

4 weeks old

2011-07-03T15:34:00.001-04:00

I can't do magic with the camera or post production like Viv can, but I tried to snap a few when Gwen had her eyes open this morning. Here ya go grandparents. She'll be 4 weeks old on tuesday.

Inadvertent smile?

Spooked or suspicious? I can never tell and this seems to be her preferred look when she's just hanging around.

Freeze/Thaw

2011-07-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

I know a bunch of you probably just want to see baby pics but too bad. Instead I wanted to show you a little demo of our seasons.

Exhibit A: Our visit to Mascoma lake this morning.

Exhibit B: The same lake and roughly the same spot 6 months ago.

Note: If you interested in perfoming miracles, it is considerably easier to walk on water in January.

We're trying our best to enjoy the season (summer season, and newborn season) we are in right now, without getting too anxious about whatever freezes might come our way again.

And I guess I'll put a bonus pic at the end again as a reward for making it to the end of the post. I think they'll be good friends.

3 weeks old

2011-06-28T21:18:00.001-04:00

For my birthday I got myself one of these flashes for our camera, and it is so easy to use I was able to get that pic above. In reality Viv will be the true owner of this gift but at least I got the first taste.

MBA Hood

2011-06-21T15:09:00.003-04:00

It took a number of miracles to get me to my Norwich University hooding ceremony last Thursday evening. Dad and Kathy were a huge huge help in making it happen and it was so nice to have them there to celebrate with me. Jerry had to talk Levi out of a total meltdown during the ceremony, which is just a representation in miniature of how he's been supporting me all along.

If you're wondering, I am not actually all the way done, but am in the middle of my final semester right now, which will end in 9 weeks, 8 assignments, and 1 thesis. Still, the end is in sight and I feel quite proud of what I have accomplished thus far. It was great to visit the beautiful campus and meet my classmates that I have been working with for so long.

Baby Pics

2011-06-10T14:14:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics to enjoy. We're all home now and everybody seems to be doing good. Nothing much beyond that to report.

Gwen Sophronia Thomas born June 7, 2011

2011-06-07T22:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the family, Gwen. 7 lbs 10 oz and 20.5 inches. Born at 6am.

Just like Levi she's just a few days on the early side, calm, and healthy. The good news is there isn't much to report. With such a sensitive process where so many things can go wrong, we're grateful that there haven't been any problems. The cord was wrapped at least twice around her neck (probably from all those in utero somersaults), but luckily it wasn't an issue. Both she and Viv are doing well and hopefully they'll get some sleep tonight.

Here is the before picture. Making labor look fun.

Here is the after picture. Ready for a nap.

Levi was excited to go visit the hospital this afternoon. I showed him some pics before we drove over and he said "She's so cute!" and then after we came back he said "I love my new baby sister." At least he has room in his heart for one little girl in this world. We'll see how it goes when Gwen comes home tomorrow.

In other news, I tried to cook for myself and Levi tonight and burned the taquitos. Yeah those premade type in the frozen food aisle. I could blame the oven with the misleading temp scale, or the lack of sleep, or maybe even feeling the weight of parenting el nino all by myself. But let's face it I'm lost without Vivian. I'm glad she's healthy and healing.

random April/May pictures

2011-05-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

36 weeks

2011-05-23T14:43:00.005-04:00

No more icebergs, just a lot of green grass and trees.

Boston

2011-05-15T20:29:00.005-04:00

Trip stats:
Seafood eaten: lobster, stuffed clams, clam chowder, atlantic salmon, cod, scrod ("I can't believe I just ordered scrod."), crab, tuna, shrimp, mussels
Transportation utilized: bus, subway, walking, boat, taxi, carousel
Best hotel amenity: hot tub
Best mother's day present: Jerry and Chris played with the kids in the park and Carrie and I took a nap
Cost of giant vat of pho at Le's vietnamese restaurant in Cambridge of which Rachel and I together could only eat 65%: $6.75
Best ice cream flavor: tie between "chocolate therapy" and "maple walnut"
Best historical item: Ship biscuit saved by one of the original sailors on the USS Constitution
Worst historical item: the Plymouth rock. Which, according to the disclaimer on the signpost: may or may not be the original rock, if there even was a single rock, which we're not sure of, and if there were, it probably would have been a lot bigger than this, etc, etc.

Viewer beware: I put 70 pictures in this slideshow.

Spring Forward!

2011-04-28T22:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday (april 27) was the day the glacier died. A few days of warm rain was all it took. Levi gets up bright and early lately and then refuses to change out of his pajamas so this is the pic you get. Vivian and I were debating whether the leftover ice back in the corner still counts but by the afternoon it was 80 degrees outside and it was gone. All gone.

April 27 is right in between Beth's guess of 4/26 and Claire's at 4/28. Maybe you two should fight over who gets the global warming juice. The question is what kind of fight? Arm wrestling? Spelling bee? Left-handed, one-footed beer pong? I'm open to suggestions.

Glacier update #3

2011-04-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

As you can see the northern hemispheric warming is taking its toll on the recalcitrant glaciers. But as of this morning they have still not fully receded. Maybe this week?

Although Easter this year was very late, New England apparently still didn't want to play along. On Saturday we awoke to inane snain which doesn't really mix well with kids, joy, easter eggs, or frolicking in fields.

Instead the party was moved indoors, and the kids didn't seem to notice. It's almost like all they really care about is the candy. Who knew?

Like watching paint dry

2011-04-18T22:43:00.000-04:00

Here is the update on the glacier as of yesterday (one week later). Feel free to edit your guesses. And if you're as good at predicting this as I am at predicting college basketball winners you'll probably still be wrong.

And here is another bonus pic. Just don't bug him, because he is currently "plugged in" writing code. At least that is what it looks like to me when I see what he has typed.

If you gave a thousand Levis a thousand typewriters and a thousand years what would he type?

When will the snow go?

2011-04-10T21:03:00.000-04:00

This is a question I ask every day. Sadly, the only thing I can say with certainty is that the snow is not gone yet.

Right in front of our apartment doesn't get much sun and in the picture you can see the glacier that has formed on our walkway. I took this picture in disgust on April Fools' Day during yet another snow storm (that is two Aprils in a row that we've been snowed on... some sort of punishment for leaving Santa Barbara I presume).

While we wait impatiently for spring to actually arrive maybe we can play a little game. Does anybody out there have a good guess for when the snow will melt completely?

If you can guess the day right maybe we could send you some melted snow as a reward.

Here are some clues to help your guesses. First, it has rained a bit this evening, and below is one additional picture of the same glacier from this morning (9 days later). What do you think? Gone tomorrow?

And as a bonus for getting to the end of the post, here is one more picture from this morning of them both looking awesome.

3.75 yrs

2011-03-27T20:09:00.000-04:00

In primary, they were introducing all the new 3yr olds by singing a little song that included the kid's name and something that they like to do. They would bring up each kid and ask them to name a favorite activity, then sing a little song "hello to ___, who likes to___". So the song leader was going through the kids and they were saying things like, I like to read books and I like to play trains. When they brought Levi up they sang the first part of the song and said, Levi, what do you like? His response - "I like turning light switches on and off."

Good job kid, I bet all those other guys were wishing they could change their answer.

You can tell Georgia

2011-03-25T15:36:00.000-04:00

The snows of march took us south for the winter, all the way to Atlanta. We enjoyed family, food, and being outdoors. A highlight of the trip, for which there are few pictures, was the REI garage sale. This involved standing in line for an hour with other outdoorsy folks listening to Bob Marley, then a mad hunt of a shopping trip to get winter outerwear and footwear at 50-80% off its original price.
Carrie, Lucy, and Theo were great hosts, giving up their beds and sharing their toys.
Oh and we even got to enjoy a short visit from Krissie, Stellan, and Rochelle. All said it was a great vacation. And the weather in NH had improved while we were away, making it much easier to come back... and put on our new coats.

Winter Styles

2011-02-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

You might want to click on this to make it bigger. Trust me it is worth it.

Enjoying winter - part 2

2011-02-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

It all started with a question. "You guys don't have snow shoes, do you?" Thanks to my nice sister who gave her snowshoes to my other nice sister who then gave the snowshoes to me for Christmas, I was able to answer "Yes" to that question.
The event was "Full Moon Fiesta" which involved a 1/4 moon and no salsa. What it did involve was a 45 hike up a hill to a farm. The farm had a field with a 1/2 mile circle lit by tiki torches. At 6 different stations around the trail, local restaurants were sponsoring food tables. So, we would trek to the first station and have hot cider then to the next station for chili, the next for cinnamon sticks, etc. Each station had it own little campfire. The end was a big campfire for making s'mores. It was great wintertime fun. Being outside, trekking through the woods, feeling like the snow made this event more enjoyable instead of less.

Friends who invited us.

Here I am trying to figure out if I can get in there without taking my snowshoes all the way off.

Enjoying Winter

2011-02-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

Basketball game

2011-02-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

Its almost March Madness! And although our home team at Dartmouth College will not likely be going to the big dance this year or ever... we thought it would be fun to go out to see a game. Levi had a good time, however, he did not appreciate the melodious sound of the marching band. And after a while decided to just plug his ears for the rest of the game, whether the band was playing or not. Even pizza didn't change his mind.

Preschool

2011-01-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

While preschool is a big part of our life, I haven't posted any pictures because, well, I try my best to avoid posting pictures of other people's kids online. At least ones that don't have blogs themselves. So here are some unidentifiable kids in photos from some of our activities.

Being in charge preschool has been a challenge and a stress for me. It definitely isn't something that has come naturally. The first few sessions I felt like I was holding my breath for 2.5 hours, worrying about what might go wrong or annoyed that I totally misjudged what would be interesting. But over time, I am getting to know the kids and am becoming better at judging what/how many activities to plan.
Best activities so far:
- building a volcano
- talking about hot/cold then making popsicles and popping pop corn.
- reading the 3 little pigs then acting out the story with puppets
- "sensory tank" See #3 picture above.

Worst so far:
- Painting noodles
- Learning parts of a tree
- Nature walk in which one kid hit another kid in head with large stick
- Cleaning pennies with a toothbrush. I got this idea from a book and even with the salt/vinegar solution they proposed, the pennies did NOT come clean. Loss of interest in 9.2 seconds.

New Little Girl

2011-01-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

We found out Monday that we're expecting a little GIRL in June. The only thing that makes me less nervous about having a girl is the hope that she might be just a little bit as funny, smart, and adventurous as her amazing girl cousins already are.

Gordon and Claire - a few favorites

2011-01-16T22:16:00.001-05:00

On December 18th, 2010 my beautiful sister Claire married Gordon Rees for time and all eternity in the Fresno Temple. I shared a room with Claire for some 16 years of my life, and I just have to say, Gordon is one lucky guy, because Claire is good company.

Sorry Amanda, had to put this one in here.

Heavy Snow Freezing Fog?

2011-01-12T12:46:00.000-05:00

The current conditions now are "Heavy Snow Freezing Fog". As if freezing fog wasn't confusing enough? So how do I distinguish the freezing fog from the heavy snow?

Or maybe the heavy snow *is* the freezing fog. Either way I'll be sure to grab a handful.

Forecast

2011-01-11T12:10:00.000-05:00

You know how a 5-day forecast will have a temperature, an icon, and a short description of the day's weather? Well around these parts, the forecast doesn't just say "snow" or "chance of rain". Its more like this (these are all real):

Monday: Ice pellets
Tuesday: Freezing fog
Wednesday: Flurries
Thursday: Freezing drizzle
Friday: Wintry mix

So better watch out for that freezing fog. And what kind of cop-out is "wintry-mix"? To me its still just "cold".

Christmas Vacation part 2: Good times in Virginia

2011-01-10T12:12:00.000-05:00

Rochelle and JohnE were great hosts at their place in Virginia. We played lots of games, watched movies, opened so many fun presents, ate really good food, and laughed a lot. We visited the Smithsonian in DC and even made it to Mount Vernon.

Christmas part 1: A journey to the West

2011-01-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

In 6 short days I reconnected with the land of my birth by
-Hiking in the foothills of the Sierras
-Eating Mexican food good enough to make you cry
-Listening to my beautiful aunt Gail sing my very favorite Christmas song in church
-Reuniting the Stellan and Levi dynamic duo for about 16 glorious hours.
-Participating in the surprise flash mob dance at my sister's wedding.
-Eating huge tasty oranges right off my dad's tree.

Christmas past, Christmas present

2010-12-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

Past: My little sister Rachel 2.25 yrs old, Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

Present: Levi 3.5yrs old, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Selections

grinch selections from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

Recently

2010-12-08T15:24:00.001-05:00

Snowflakes for the window.

Christmas tree made from one of our last moving boxes. A tribute to 2010.

A visit to the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial. Its about 25 miles away and is all decorated up for Christmas.

quotent quotables

2010-11-21T10:04:00.000-05:00

Levi has been trying to incorporate new vocabulary into his repertoire, with varying degrees of success. I find myself chuckling and the sentences he puts together.

"Mom, can you certainly get up?"

"Don't come in here, just go on eating your dinner"

"Oof, these bananas are quite heavy"

While looking at a postcard from Krissie, "Looks like a pretty classy neighborhood" (a direct movie quote)

"Mmm, I smell a delicious aroma"

"Dad, you need to put on your pajamas and go to bed too. It's impossible. No, uh... it's urgent!"

Update November 2010

2010-11-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

Here's what we've been up to:
Jerry is really enjoying his new job and new coworkers. Perks include interesting work, first class facilities, and quiche. Also swimming at the River Valley Club, where his work pays for his membership.

Vivian is in the middle of a tough course in school with group projects every other week. Also, trying (and failing) to upgrade our apartment from college dumpster to... whatever the next step is.

Levi goes to preschool Monday and Tuesday mornings. It is a co-op with 2 boys and two girls. He also enjoys when I babysit for our neighbors. He and their 4 year old, Molly, play really well together. He likes to act out stories from a book we've been reading. Stories like the gingerbread man, 3 little pigs, and goldilocks.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T11:02:00.000-04:00

Quebec City

2010-10-19T21:49:00.001-04:00

What a beautiful city! None of use could stop taking pictures.

First look at New England + the Cooks come to visit

2010-10-19T21:45:00.000-04:00

Road Trip of the West

2010-09-13T22:34:00.001-04:00

Finally getting around to putting up some pictures. Here are our travels around the wild west.

Best of Times, Worst of Times

2010-09-03T20:44:00.000-04:00

Vacation is always a mixed bag. First pic is this morning, second pic is this evening. We'll post some more soon.

packed up

2010-08-27T17:55:00.001-04:00

Its strange to look at all your possessions in one spot. This is our home packed into a 8'x 10 x 6' space. We depart tomorrow for a grand tour of some beautiful western states including Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah.

Faux Chinese Wisdom

2010-08-15T00:40:00.000-04:00

Before the fateful job interview a few weeks ago we all went out to a chinese restaurant and afterward each got a fortune cookie. The fortunes above were what we found (transcribed again below).

Jerry - There are many new opportunities that are being presented to you.
Vivian - Many pleasurable and memorable adventures are in store for you!
Levi - Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

I know it is probably not advisable to read too much into faux wisdom, but I find it interesting that I'm headed for some "new opportunities" (new job), and Vivian will certainly have some memorable adventures (with an exclamation point!). And... well... I guess Levi is just gonna have to deal with it (quit your whining kid, this is supposed to be fun).

New Hampshire: Live Free or Die!

2010-08-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

Just for some perspective...

Sales Tax By State

California: 8.25%

New Mexico: 5.125%

New Hampshire: 0.0%

Are we moving in the right direction? Kinda feels like it. And did I mention NH doesn't have any state income tax either? I'm sure they must compensate for this with a little in property tax, but who needs property?

Its not me, its you

2010-08-06T00:23:00.000-04:00

Sorry New Mexico, I liked you, I really did. But you weren't ready to commit to a long term relationship. I picked up on this when you told me you were planning to forget about me at the end of the year.

Well guess what, I've found someone new. Someone who isn't putting limits on their feelings for me. I'm not saying you weren't good to us. It's just that a lot of my belongings have been in boxes for over a year and well, New Hampshire is talking real nice. It isn't too painful to look at either.

June and July adventures

2010-08-03T15:44:00.000-04:00

Singing Random Sampler

2010-07-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

singing july2010 from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

3 years old!

2010-07-16T18:04:00.000-04:00

Visit Home Part 1

2010-06-27T22:38:00.001-04:00

Visit Home Part 2

2010-06-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

april/may photos

2010-05-24T00:14:00.000-04:00

No captions needed for these photos. They would pretty much all say "went on a hike".

2 yrs, 9 months

2010-04-20T19:08:00.000-04:00

Cars (the movie) Explanation

2010-04-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

cars explanation from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

Is it springtime yet?

2010-04-11T17:45:00.000-04:00

Spring Slopes from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

Feb/March pictures

2010-03-23T22:45:00.000-04:00

We're number 1*

2010-03-15T21:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, the rumors are true. My pie plus Jerry's equation=first place in "non-fruit" pie category! There were points awarded for "appearance" so I think Jerry definitely gets credit in this win. I'd like to thank my sponsors Ghirardelli and *Jeannie Sprague.

I say, if you can't beat them maybe you should steal their recipe and enter it in a different contest. If anyone from Santa Barbara was at the Pi(e) contest they may have recognized a copycat version of Jeannie's chocolate cheesecake entry from the elite 8 round of the SB dessert contest. Is it cheating? or just learning my lesson?

Pie for Pi Day

2010-03-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow our ward is celebrating Pi day (one day early because 3.14 is on sunday). Here is my entry into the pi(e) competition. A chocolate cheesecake pie. Can you figure out the equation on the top is for? Can someone at least review it for accuracy before the big day?

Artisan

2010-03-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pieces of high art produced by a 2yr old with a camera.

Breaking News - Back to School Special

2010-03-01T14:16:00.000-05:00

Interviewer: Hi, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. So you're about to have a major change in your life, would you like to share it with the folks?
V. Thomas: Yes, I've applied and been accepted into the MBA program at Norwich University.

Interviewer: But you don't live in Vermont.
V. Thomas: They have a program that can be done remotely.

Interviewer: Like an "online" program? Will you really learn anything?
V. Thomas: The program consists of online lectures, reading assignments, online discussions, conference calls for group projects, and a research paper due at the end of every week.

Interviewer: How did you decide on this program?
V. Thomas: I read a lot of reviews of programs and I liked this one the most. It is a university with a campus instead of just being an online entity, the class sizes are small, and they offer an emphasis that interests me (Organizational Leadership). I also like that they require an on campus "residency" at the end of the program where you go to the school and meet your classmates and professors before you graduate.

Interviewer: How do you plan on making time for the work?
V. Thomas: Well the program is designed for working professionals. So I'm going to try to complete it after my mom work hours, during naps, and sigh...Saturdays. If that doesn't work, I might have to do some serious work to get Rachel a job out here.

Interviewer: OK, so the real question on everone's mind is - what if you have another baby? What then?
V. Thomas: The program cycle starts 4 times a year, so if I need to take some time off and then go back it should work.

Interviewer: Thanks for meeting with us, and good luck.

Recreating the Past

2010-02-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

One great toddler picture of me that has survived is from a snowy day when I was around 20 months old (see below). One day my mom found a jacket for sale that reminded her so much of that picture that she had to buy it, and a year ago she gave it to Levi for Christmas. For the last 14 months we've been trying to convince Levi to help us recreate the past (much like this) by posing for a picture in the jacket. But with Santa Barbara palm trees in the background the picture never looked quite right and the project stalled.

Once we moved here and after receiving buckets of snow the project resumed with only one little hurdle to overcome. I took this video so you can appreciate this little hurdle in all his "terrible two" glory.

We have this same conversation a lot, and for the last two months he has refused to touch the coat. But eventually with a bit of coaxing we were able to get him in costume and outside. And here is the result.

And with a little help from photoshop here is an enhanced version.

What do you think? Levi seems to think it is funny.

In the bath

2010-02-27T16:16:00.001-05:00

I've been having an increasingly difficult time getting Levi to play along with the movie making. I had to catch him in a small corner to give you an update. Its not cinematography genius, but its a fair sampling of his current stage in life.

in the bath from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

The Black Hole - Atomic Surplus

2010-02-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

For Sale at the Black Hole
1. Missile casings
2. Cryogenic container
3. Centrifuges
4. 4 ft long slide rule
5. 100 hard hats
6. Radiation monitors
7. Surveillance equipment
8. 6ft x 10ft chalkboards
9. forklift
10. A photoplethysmograph and bi-directional doppler (2 in 1!)
11. And much much more!

Snow Day.... Again.

2010-02-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

This is the view from our front kitchen window this morning. At least this time I get a few hours off of work.

Notice they have already plowed the road at least once, and I already brushed 8 inches off the car last night thinking it was done. And you can see our nice neighbor trying to figure out where to shovel the snow. It's kinda like bailing out a boat that is under water and far from land.

Anybody want to go sledding? Maybe Jen again?

Jen Jen in Twenty-Ten

2010-01-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

And here's the link to the photos from Jen's camera - http://jenurena.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-mexico.html

January

2010-01-24T19:35:00.000-05:00

Wintertime fun

2010-01-24T19:21:00.000-05:00

A shout out to Carrie who was the major benefactor of Levi's outfit. All except the 80's retro snow pants (are there any other kind? seriously...), which we found at the thrift store.

Does it look like we shop at the same stores?

2010-01-23T19:16:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday we decided to take another trip down to Santa Fe to do some shopping. We decided to go to REI first since that is the one we both wanted to visit most. Accidentally we got there right when it opened, and we were really confused that people were lining up at the door. We knew something was up and hurried in to find that we had stumbled into their biggest sale of the year (Scratch and Dent Sale) where a bunch of barely used gear was being resold. It was like a thrift store dedicated to good quality outdoor goods (which is surely one of Viv's favorite fantasies). 90 minutes later we came out with big grins and a bunch of cheap stuff. The picture above kinda shows the end result. Do we look like we really like each other?

SNOW DAY!!

2010-01-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

Santa Barbara never gets out of work early for SNOW DAY!!

One of the perks of living in a place that actually has seasons.

But Viv has shoveled the walkway about 6 times in the last week, do you think it will be the last?

Quote

2010-01-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Me: You need to get back in bed, its bedtime.
Levi: I want to talk about the options.

Me (from the couch): Do you have a stinky diaper? Get over here so I can check.
Levi: Mom, go to sleep.

My spidey senses

2010-01-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

We were in shock for a few days when we first got here. I think they call it "cold shock" and our Santa Barbara all-weather gear (equipped for such weather extremes as 65deg and partly cloudy) wasn't quite cutting it. We took an emergency trip to the Target in Santa Fe to look for some warm gear, but I guess I wasn't desperate enough because the $18 leather gloves just didn't seem like they were worth it. Especially not when I found this $3 pair in the kids section.

Sure, I kinda have webbed fingers now and maybe they don't quite cover all of my wrist. But, these gloves give me a sixth sense. A Spidey sense. Wouldn't you pay $3 for some spiderman gear?

Stinkface Cousins

2010-01-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

Levi will often times give you a stinkface on cue. It looks kinda like this.

After seeing this picture we were reminded of another great stinkface caught on camera from Levi's cousin, Lucy, a few years back. Enjoy.

10 Things I like so far

2010-01-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

1. Sun- everyday, all day.
2. Friendly, healthy, happy people who all seem to love living here.
3. The water comes out of the tap ice cold and tastes so good.
4. High per capita income remarkably paired with very very little consumerism.
5. Low humidity - Jerry's allergies are much better, there is no mold growing in the corners of our house, and it takes me 2.5 minutes to dry my hair.
6. Trails everywhere. Most are under snow right now, more on this in coming months.
7. Dishwashered clean sippy cups
8. Our neighbors/landlords are beyond nice and helpful.
9. Jerry looks good in sweaters.
10. There is a free activity for kids somewhere in town every morning except Monday.

Road Trip and Arrival

2010-01-06T18:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas Good Times

2010-01-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

Last days in SB

2010-01-04T00:10:00.000-05:00

OK, I know I've got some catching up to do. We're here in Los Alamos and our stuff arrived, and its pretty much put away. Here are some photos from our last days in Santa Barbara.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

2009-12-28T01:24:00.001-05:00

More pictures coming soon...

Two baby thumbs up

2009-12-15T19:15:00.000-05:00

Here is baby John watching Levi. I think he gives it 5 stars.

John watching Levi from Daniel Tuutau on Vimeo.

2yr old random sampler

2009-12-07T02:24:00.000-05:00

2yr old sampler from Jerry Thomas on Vimeo.

thank you rachel for the sports jams.

Thanksgiving photos

2009-12-03T14:32:00.000-05:00

a few random ones and some thanksgiving ones.