So why haven't I been blogging lately? It could be the 5 day camping trip to Seattle. Or maybe the fact that our air conditioner went out over the weekend and we've been doing everything we can to keep the kids cool. Or Dylan's updating of the XBox's operating system and of his ipod, effectively monopolizing the computer in the only free time I usually have...after the kids go to bed.
Or maybe it's the fact that we've decided that it's about time to buy a house. Our rent is going up at the end of August and we think that that money could be better be spent paying our own mortgage instead of someone else's. So all my free time is now spent with a search engine. I've been searching for mortgage lenders, houses, agents...you name it. It's pretty exhausting. It's like shopping for a prom dress and accessories. Except much more expensive and much more difficult. Maybe it's nothing like shopping for a prom dress.
Dylan uses a program that slurps his voicemails and notifies him by email that someone has left him a message. Included in this message is the audio from the voicemail. Recently, that program added a service where it transcribes the voicemail for you and includes the message in the notification. I thought this sounded really neat, but when I randomly saw a voicemail transcription today I thought it might take a little more effort to decipher the computer's interpretation than it'd take actually listening to the voicemail. Here's an example with the important facts/names starred out, but everything else is the same:
"Hi they'll in Dylan is *(name)* for more been on that work. I've just sent to on email. Could you please look at it. Apparently *(name)* wanted the domain name d-e-t-t-c. Taught or bill network dot com. Registered imported to 100068. So he claims he told me about that I. Believe it but. Anyway I don't believe it's been done. Um could you see what you could do to get that done as soon as possible I sent you an email. With information up please confirm that you got to see the female or. Call my cell phone horribly 555-****. Um thanks a lot bye."
I'd like to call someone's cell phone horribly. And Dylan had better not confirm that he got to see the female or he's in big, big trouble. This transcription reminds me of
Engrish, but less logical, if that's possible.
We've weaned Shay off of binkies this week and it hasn't been a picnic. Still, a firm disposition on my part has made it easier. We decided that "binkies are only for bedtimes". This for the kid who uses binkies all day every day. We had a few days of mini-tantrums and now everything seems to be fine. Occasionally during the day he'll tell me he needs to run to his room and suck on his binkie for a minute. He runs back there, he's gone for maybe 15 seconds, then he throws his binkie back in the room and shuts the door. One time I snuck back there and heard him talking to the binkies. And pretending they were talking back in a cute, high pitched voice:
Binkies: "Hi, Seamus, we're so glad to see you! Is it naptimes yet?"
Shay: "No, binkies, it's not naptimes yet, I just came to say hi!"
Binkies: "Ok, well come back soon and play with us, we miss you."
I knew he was attached to them...but really? :) I've noticed his speech improving since he doesn't have them in his mouth all the time anymore. And we never have to search for one now that they're always in his bed.
A few more expressions. Sometimes his words sound the same as other words and it's been fun trying to decipher what he's saying. Here are a few of the sound-alikes. See if you can figure them out.
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This kid is so much fun to be around. I love the person he's growing up to be.
I've been watching a few "What not to wear" on TLC episodes today and they all seem to have the same theme: A low-cut blouse and some $260 pastel shoes will give you all the self esteem you need.
It's true that you can derive some confidence from your clothes. I know that the mornings that I get up and take a shower and get dressed in actual clothes (not pjs or sweats) I feel more like going out and doing things than otherwise. Still, the hosts I think expect people to dress up waaaaay too often. A linen skirt and silk top just isn't going to cut it when you have a 10-month old whose fingers are covered with applesauce and bananas.
I've always thought it'd be easy to clean up nicely when you have the money to burn. The hosts give the lucky person $5000 to spend on clothes. That's pretty amazing. It was fun to watch a Salt Lake City woman they dressed. It was interesting to see that all of her clothes covered garment lines...even though I'm not sure if she'd been to the temple or not.
I think if these hosts came to my closet they'd strangle me with my pre-pregnancy jeans and my 12 year old sweaters. For heaven's sake I'm going to be 28 this year and I'm still wearing clothes and shoes from high school. There's got to be something wrong with that.
Anyone want to give me $5000 to update my wardrobe?
I don't usually delve into politics or serious issues on this blog, but today is an exception.
I don't care who you are or what state you live in, if you don't love your country on this day then maybe you don't deserve to live here. Sure we've got problems...what society doesn't? (excepting the city of Enoch, of course) But I think the perks of living here vastly outweigh the drawbacks. Vastly. We're free to elect whomever we want, unlike some African and South American countries. We're free to travel wherever we want without presenting papers. We're free to marry who we want when we want (even more so in CA now!) and if we don't want to marry we don't have to. We can raise our families how we want. We can take any job offered to us.
This country is pretty great and I think some people would do well to remember that when they're bashing everything we're all about. This is the land of promise, even if it is heading to hell in a handbasket. It's a pretty nice handbasket.
I love freedom, and I love America!!
Hooray. I would be an awesome wife in the 30's. Even though I cook breakfast in my pajamas and don't always "rejoice in marital congress." Yay for me.
