For weeks Kat has been standing up without holding on to things. I can tell she has been thinking about walking.
Everyone tells us that when she starts walking, it is all over for any relaxation. She will be everywhere and into everything. So I have been joking that when she stands up, I poke her in the belly to put her off balance and have her sit down.
Well last night while I was working on a meaningless project at work, Kat walked 5 step across the living room floor to the couch so that she could reach a book and throw it on the floor.
She walked! Only the once, and she seemed very surprised when she got to the couch so she sat down. But if she did it once, she can do it again.
Let the adventures continue.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
cake decorating
By the way, I just looked at my post from yesterday (posted at the best western while waiting for a seminar to start because we STILL don't have 'net at home) and realized that 1)that is the ugliest frosting job I have ever seen/done to a cake and 2) I better make sure everyone knows that I did it and not Wife or Mom or MIL or SIL or anyone else. I hope I don't lose my day job 'cuz I will starve to death as a cake decorator.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Happy Birthday!!
A wonderful day with a house full of people and kids running around. Wife's sisters came and brought their fun kids.
Brother came and brought his two kids also. I can assure you that we have never had that many children in our house before. I don't think we have had that many adults in the house before.
Brother came and brought his two kids also. I can assure you that we have never had that many children in our house before. I don't think we have had that many adults in the house before.
Kat was so well behaved, she loved playing with everyone and everything.
The most exciting incident was when one of the cousins tossed the dogs ball
up into the ceiling fan to see if it would ricochet around the room like in the cartoons.
Unfortunately, Kat had had enough just as it was time to have cake. We got a couple of pictures of her with her cake, but the meltdown quickly followed. Everyone else enjoyed cake and ice cream while she took her nap.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
7acresofheaven
I named my blog “7acresofheaven” because it is so peaceful and removed from urban Iowa. Not that urban Iowa is anything like, say, urban CA. But I like being close to nature. Today, I have watched my little girl crawl around the house and explore everything. Again.
I also got to watch a trio of bucks in velvet skitter across my back yard just past the garden. Last weekend I watched mama doe with her dotted fawn drinking down by the gazebo (from the incredibly swollen flooded pond). The fawn was pretty typical for what we have come to expect. Jumpy, brainless, all leg, and absolutely adorable.
Yesterday I watched a pair of parent wrens carrying food into my clothespin bag that is hung on the back deck. It seems they made their nest inside the clothespin bag this spring. The benefit of them doing such a thing is that I get to listen to the wrens sing just outside my back door pretty much every morning I eat my cereal. And all day on weekends. (as I type this, the mama wren is outside my door twittering away)
All spring I have been watching three families of ducks that have been paddling around my pond with their baby ducklings. People should know that baby ducklings are INCREDIBLY cute. Especially when they are paddling along behind their parents across the pond. Strangely enough the ducks are three different types. There is a family of common ghetto mallards. Then there is a family of the most beautiful wood ducks. Then the strange family; a family of blue winged teal are raising a clutch on my pond. This is the first year for the mallards or the teal. I like it. It is really nice having the ducks stay for the spring and part of the summer.
Mowing the grass yesterday down along the ponds edge I spotted at least a dozen hundred bullfrogs trying to hide or jumping into the water to avoid me. And last night I went to sleep to the chorus of bullfrog Gregorian chant music. Which doesn’t do much for me but I guess it is the only thing bullfrogs know.
Anyway, this is all much more enjoyable than finding someone chucked a golfball at my house hard enough to leave a ¼” deep impression. Or coming home and finding 400 tulips cut down and left to lay in the beds. Or even going to sleep to the chorus of straight pipes leaving the biker bar.
This may not be heaven, but it sure is peaceful and relaxing.
I also got to watch a trio of bucks in velvet skitter across my back yard just past the garden. Last weekend I watched mama doe with her dotted fawn drinking down by the gazebo (from the incredibly swollen flooded pond). The fawn was pretty typical for what we have come to expect. Jumpy, brainless, all leg, and absolutely adorable.
Yesterday I watched a pair of parent wrens carrying food into my clothespin bag that is hung on the back deck. It seems they made their nest inside the clothespin bag this spring. The benefit of them doing such a thing is that I get to listen to the wrens sing just outside my back door pretty much every morning I eat my cereal. And all day on weekends. (as I type this, the mama wren is outside my door twittering away)
All spring I have been watching three families of ducks that have been paddling around my pond with their baby ducklings. People should know that baby ducklings are INCREDIBLY cute. Especially when they are paddling along behind their parents across the pond. Strangely enough the ducks are three different types. There is a family of common ghetto mallards. Then there is a family of the most beautiful wood ducks. Then the strange family; a family of blue winged teal are raising a clutch on my pond. This is the first year for the mallards or the teal. I like it. It is really nice having the ducks stay for the spring and part of the summer.
Mowing the grass yesterday down along the ponds edge I spotted at least a dozen hundred bullfrogs trying to hide or jumping into the water to avoid me. And last night I went to sleep to the chorus of bullfrog Gregorian chant music. Which doesn’t do much for me but I guess it is the only thing bullfrogs know.
Anyway, this is all much more enjoyable than finding someone chucked a golfball at my house hard enough to leave a ¼” deep impression. Or coming home and finding 400 tulips cut down and left to lay in the beds. Or even going to sleep to the chorus of straight pipes leaving the biker bar.
This may not be heaven, but it sure is peaceful and relaxing.
Scolded!?
Scolded?!
I got scolded yesterday from my Mother.
She had discovered that I allowed Maddie to play with one of Kat’s dolls. I hadn’t noticed Kat playing with it prior to Maddie discovering that it had bells and they rang when she shook it and tossed it. Maddie really got quite a bit of enjoyment out of that little doll. She would grab it by an arm or Let and shake it, then while shaking it she would open her mouth and that little curly blond haired doll would go flying across the room. Whereupon Maddie would take a step or two, then pounce on it. Only to repeat the process. Sometimes she would shake it and drop it at my feet. “Play, Dad, play! You throw the little noisemaker and I will catch it and shake it to death! Try it! It is great fun, you will see!”
And I would. I would give it a toss across the room and Maddie would play her version of fetch.
Over a few weeks time, the hat that this little BoPeep doll had one had torn from its stitches and hung on by a thread. And the wig was starting to separate as well. If you looked closely, you would notice a pair of holes in one leg.
To her credit, Wife said to me, “that is Kat’s doll, Maddie shouldn’t be allowed to play with it. Don’t encourage her.”
I scoffed in response. Kat doesn’t play with it, someone should get some enjoyment out of it. I did notice this week, however, that Kat had started playing with that little abused doll. Kat would crawl over to it and shake it, listening to the bells jingle. Then she would toss it a couple of feet and crawl over to pick it up and shake it again. She had watched Maddie play with her little doll and was playing with it the same way. Maddie was teaching Kat!
I have to ask myself, do I want Kat picking up habits and mannerisms from our ferocious little dog? When it comes to self defense, probably. When it comes to social skills, definitely NOT.
Anyway, Mom discovered the abused little doll in the corner and rescued her by taking her home to repair her. Before she left, she scolded me and explained, “I bought that little doll for my granddaughter! That is the first little doll that she ever had and it will be taken care of! You will not let your dog ravage and tear apart your daughter’s first doll!”
Well. She set me straight.
But as you look at my little puppy, could you deny her a doll to ‘play’ with?
I got scolded yesterday from my Mother.
She had discovered that I allowed Maddie to play with one of Kat’s dolls. I hadn’t noticed Kat playing with it prior to Maddie discovering that it had bells and they rang when she shook it and tossed it. Maddie really got quite a bit of enjoyment out of that little doll. She would grab it by an arm or Let and shake it, then while shaking it she would open her mouth and that little curly blond haired doll would go flying across the room. Whereupon Maddie would take a step or two, then pounce on it. Only to repeat the process. Sometimes she would shake it and drop it at my feet. “Play, Dad, play! You throw the little noisemaker and I will catch it and shake it to death! Try it! It is great fun, you will see!”
And I would. I would give it a toss across the room and Maddie would play her version of fetch.
Over a few weeks time, the hat that this little BoPeep doll had one had torn from its stitches and hung on by a thread. And the wig was starting to separate as well. If you looked closely, you would notice a pair of holes in one leg.
To her credit, Wife said to me, “that is Kat’s doll, Maddie shouldn’t be allowed to play with it. Don’t encourage her.”
I scoffed in response. Kat doesn’t play with it, someone should get some enjoyment out of it. I did notice this week, however, that Kat had started playing with that little abused doll. Kat would crawl over to it and shake it, listening to the bells jingle. Then she would toss it a couple of feet and crawl over to pick it up and shake it again. She had watched Maddie play with her little doll and was playing with it the same way. Maddie was teaching Kat!
I have to ask myself, do I want Kat picking up habits and mannerisms from our ferocious little dog? When it comes to self defense, probably. When it comes to social skills, definitely NOT.
Anyway, Mom discovered the abused little doll in the corner and rescued her by taking her home to repair her. Before she left, she scolded me and explained, “I bought that little doll for my granddaughter! That is the first little doll that she ever had and it will be taken care of! You will not let your dog ravage and tear apart your daughter’s first doll!”
Well. She set me straight.
But as you look at my little puppy, could you deny her a doll to ‘play’ with?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Grew UP?!?
I am always excited when I get a comment to a post. It confirms that for whatever reason, someone happened on to this site.
Loren posted that my trip to the middle of TREES was a half hour from where she grew up. I put it to you, readers, go to her site at www.sweetenedtaters.blogspot.com and read her last 4 or 5 posts. I may admit that perhaps her parents raised her in Treeville, WI, I don't think I can agree that she grew UP!!!!
I will say that reading her site encourages me as a parent. So far, her adorable daughters haven't done anything that has made me want to move to Mexico or Canada. So keep up the good work, Loren.
Loren posted that my trip to the middle of TREES was a half hour from where she grew up. I put it to you, readers, go to her site at www.sweetenedtaters.blogspot.com and read her last 4 or 5 posts. I may admit that perhaps her parents raised her in Treeville, WI, I don't think I can agree that she grew UP!!!!
I will say that reading her site encourages me as a parent. So far, her adorable daughters haven't done anything that has made me want to move to Mexico or Canada. So keep up the good work, Loren.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
picture post
Here I sit in a hotel room in Steven's Point, WI. I still don't have 'net access back home, so I came up here to see if I could find it.
Really, Wife and I are here for the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. We came her last time in 2003. Or '04. We aren't sure. Regardless, it is every bit as interesting this time as it was last time. Last time we were here, Wife discovered my new hobby. It took her a while to sell me on it, but I must admit, I am glad she did. We saw the guys from Azure Biodiesel out of Sully, Iowa show how easy it is to make biodiesel in the comfort of your own kitchen. Sure, they overlooked a few details and glossed over one or two other issues, but by and large making our own fuel is very rewarding.
This year, we are zeroing in on Solar Hot Water and GeoThermal. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with our own collector sometime in the next couple of years.
More importantly, my Godsend of a Mother is watching our precious little action adventure while we are away this weekend. This is complicated by the fact that Thursday, Kat decided she was done with the FAKE TEETHING and decided to push out two top teeth. Not that we have seen them, she waited until G'ma took her home to get a fever, sickly, and cut two top teeth. So G'ma has been having a wonderful time.
Since I have been lax about posting, here are some Kat pictures.
This last picture is her most recent. She is displaying the attitude that lets me know that the next 17 years are going to be a real treat.
Really, Wife and I are here for the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. We came her last time in 2003. Or '04. We aren't sure. Regardless, it is every bit as interesting this time as it was last time. Last time we were here, Wife discovered my new hobby. It took her a while to sell me on it, but I must admit, I am glad she did. We saw the guys from Azure Biodiesel out of Sully, Iowa show how easy it is to make biodiesel in the comfort of your own kitchen. Sure, they overlooked a few details and glossed over one or two other issues, but by and large making our own fuel is very rewarding.
This year, we are zeroing in on Solar Hot Water and GeoThermal. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with our own collector sometime in the next couple of years.
More importantly, my Godsend of a Mother is watching our precious little action adventure while we are away this weekend. This is complicated by the fact that Thursday, Kat decided she was done with the FAKE TEETHING and decided to push out two top teeth. Not that we have seen them, she waited until G'ma took her home to get a fever, sickly, and cut two top teeth. So G'ma has been having a wonderful time.
Since I have been lax about posting, here are some Kat pictures.
This last picture is her most recent. She is displaying the attitude that lets me know that the next 17 years are going to be a real treat.
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