MamaMoo(n)Pi(e)

That's my girl! A truck and a bow...

2008-06-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Recent Pi-isms

2008-04-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Pi was in one of her crazy girl moods this morning, where she wasn't actually doing anything wrong but she was definitely looking for trouble - ALMOST stealing Our Hero's cup off the night stand, ALMOST getting in the baby swing, ALMOST ...etc...finally she got on the kitchen table, stole a piece of junk mail, tore it and said, "Ohhhhh, Pi (sigh)".

Later she was found actually sitting (much like a frog given that she is way to big for it) in the baby swing singing rock-a-bye to herself.

The day is young I am sure there will be more. There is no shortage of personality with this one!

Mini Me and the "Larger" Mini

2008-04-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Our friend Aaron is a car reviewer for About.com and gets to drive all sorts of different cars, last weekend he brought by the new Mini Clubman (the "larger" Mini) so show off.

Easter

2008-03-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

A day at the park with her cousin

2008-03-24T08:32:00.001-07:00

The Pi and WW (Wonder Will) hung out for an afternoon with Uncle Toasty aka Dada...

The Negligent Poster returns: Pi Day

2008-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

March 14 (3.14) is Pi Day and in keeping with tradition we all went out for Pizza (pie)! Here are pics of The Pi with Pop-Pop and Daddy...we didn't manage to capture a picture when she moved her straw from her water into Pop-Pop's beer but that was a memorable moment of the evening!

And afternoon of books and bubbles

2008-02-24T15:40:00.001-08:00

Hanging out:

Reading up on Mastiffs:

It looks like Daddy is getting the bubbles out!

And he was...see video above!

Bowling

2008-02-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Uncle D's Bowling Birthday - with Daddy's help she bowled a spare on her first try.

Hanging with UD and Pop-Pop.
Waiting her turn.
Tossing back a cold one at the bowling alley.

Piggies!

2008-01-28T14:33:00.001-08:00

Grandpa's Visit

2008-01-14T12:17:00.001-08:00

Grandpa, Moo and The PiReady for her first trip to the Zoo
Pi and Daddy at Longboards for lunch.
The USS Ronald Reagan which was parked off the shore in Santa Barbara
A zoo goer
A resident...

I've got rhythm, I've got music...

2008-01-04T12:43:00.001-08:00

New Haircut

2008-01-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

What's the big deal?
Standing by Jessie aka "Jeh-Jeh" showing her inner hip hop style with one leg up on her sweats.

Pretty much sums it all up....

2007-12-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

Taking care of those teeth!

2007-12-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

She is getting two new ones in and she is really getting into taking care of them. She now asks (Baby Sign) to brush them at night as well as in the morning.

Our Annual Trip to the North Pole

2007-12-17T13:09:00.001-08:00

We boarded the North Pole Express at Fillmore on Saturday night...and headed to the North Pole...we saw all sorts of magical things, pretty lights, "snow" and elves. We had chocolate milk, sugar cookies and candy canes and sang REALLY LOUD Christmas carols with some very yell-y elves. When we got to the North Pole, which surprisingly is only about 20 minutes out of Fillmore, the Jolly Ol' Elf himself boarded the train and spread some holiday cheer!

Jack-In-The-Box, pssaw!

2007-12-12T19:10:00.001-08:00

Dog Dog Jammies

2007-12-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

P2 at the Park!

2007-11-25T21:22:00.002-08:00

In a drawer, in a chair, with piggies in her hair!

2007-11-24T14:17:00.001-08:00

Quelle sportif!

2007-11-18T13:13:00.001-08:00

Mmmmm, Sushi!

2007-11-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

Bee-u-tiful Baby!

2007-10-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Ladybug!

2007-10-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Smarty

2007-10-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Update

2007-09-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking on the posts. Let's see, P2 is going to be 11 months old on Monday! The sleeping through the night thing stopped a while back when more teeth came to visit. She now points to things and knows what different toys are called. She doesn't have any new words yet. She doesn't walk yet. She stands or does a Sasquatch impersonation (see video above).

She laughs a lot, she loves peek-a-boo. She will happily push a chair around the kitchen for hours. She really likes to sit on the floor of her room and look through her books, she loves going to the park with Jessi and going down the slide and swinging on the swings.

Its really fun to start to see her independent personality coming out. She doesn't give up easily on things, loves to figure out how they work and tells stories about things to the other toys that will listen.

Peek-A-Boo

2007-09-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

And as some of you will note she has her jeans on in some shots and not in others...this was a two part adventure. She love hanging out in there! :)

Cake Cake Cake

2007-09-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

It was Mama's Birthday a few days ago. It was a lovely day. She read magazines, watched the US Open and had dinner with Uncle D & Auntie Cupcake. The cake was delish.

Speaking of cake, Mama is always gullible for an ad gimmick or a good PR pitch...its her business. So today's news about a new ink being used by the LA Times sounds divine...mmmm, cake.

We found Nemo!

2007-08-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

P2, Our Hero, Uncle D, Auntie Cupcake, The Astronomer and Our Favorite Kentucky Native (OFKN) joined me on a visit to the Magic Kingdom yesterday. We had a great time. We went on Space Mountain, Pirates, The Buzz Lightyear ride (see below) and ....Finding Nemo. The weather was perfect - warm, not hot, exactly what you want a day like that to be.

We also went over to California Adventure where OFKN knew one of the cast members for the Aladdin show so we got in the VIP line and had spectacular seats.

P2 is definitely maturing. She was taking in the sights, enjoying the rides, napping in her stoller and clapping her hands with delight at appropriate times. She LOVED the Nemo ride - she was talking to the fish. She and I shared a car on the Buzz ride...her score was hardly lower than mine.

Oh dear, life is about to get complicated!

2007-08-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

P2 just took several steps beside me only holding one hand.

It's a miracle!!

2007-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

P2 slept ten hours straight! Through the night!!!!!! Previous record was five and a half! I finished Harry Potter AND got eight hours of sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smile...say cheese...

2007-08-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

P2 has a special nose wrinkling grin she saves for the camera! As soon as she sees it she flashes a big smile...

Hide and Go Seek

2007-08-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

Caught on "tape"!

2007-07-28T11:48:00.001-07:00

The very first time she has clapped!! The 2,943,633rd time she has opened the closet door!

Sweet Potato Pi-casso

2007-07-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

Nine Months OUT!

2007-07-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is P2's Nine Month Birthday! Today we had a nice visit with Dr. Chambers...

She is 27.5 inches tall, weighs 19.5 pounds and has a 17.75 inch head! :) He said she has very advanced communications skills. She is using them right now to tell me that I should pay attention to her and not the computer...............

A day in the life

2007-07-22T09:56:00.001-07:00

Tooth Ferry

2007-07-20T15:54:00.001-07:00

P2 and Lulu

2007-07-20T09:58:00.001-07:00

Labor of Love

2007-07-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

Our friend Cindy gave us this little rocking chair, it had been through two generations of her family already and she thought P2 might enjoy it so... this is what it looked like when we received it:

And this is how it looked after P2's Pop-Pop did his magic for his granddaughter:

Chores

2007-07-19T07:57:00.001-07:00

I was raised to do my own laundry. I am sure there was a point at which my mom still did it for me, I just don't remember that very well...so I put P2 to work yesterday!

Cruising

2007-07-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

P2 or Pi-cula (like dracula...because of suddenly appearing teeth, more on that in a minutes) is EVERYWHERE!

In the curtains...

Under a desk...

On the stairs...

With her dogs in the livingroom...

In her tunnel...

In a box...

Suddenly she can get almost anywhere - it's as though she split into six babies and they are all around. Actually, its really fun because there is enough room in our new house for her to play and roam and be fenced in. She is really thinking hard about walking, for now she pulls herself up on everything and cruises from place to place.

She got a new top tooth two weeks ago (no pictures yet) but remained fussy and sleeping poorly until last night. Today when I was tickling her and watching her giggle I noticed that THREE new top teeth have come in since Saturday! Such a big girl!

Love the Lovely Lovey!

2007-06-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Pirates and Mice and P2, oh my!

2007-06-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Captain Evan, First Mate Pi and Mama!

Our Hero's Disney Brick!

Waiting for the parade to start

Groovy New Activity Table

2007-05-30T17:25:00.001-07:00

Growing little bean!

2007-05-24T22:33:00.001-07:00

At one month!

At seven months!

Shopping for the new house

2007-05-23T18:11:00.001-07:00

P2 is finally getting her own room at the new house. Today we made a purchase that she was very pleased with. Auntie Andi had some ideas for improving the shade...so keep an eye out for a future post.

F"erry" Princess

2007-05-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

I think we figured out what that odd chromosome was!

Magical princesses only wear ONE sock!

Crawling precedes flying by a few months, generally!

Practicing her spells, on the dog!

Splish Splash

2007-05-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

The get-up set-up for Christy's Birthday Party!

Mama and P2 ready for a swim! Thank goodness for spray on sunscreen!

Not sure who liked it more! P2's first "swim" was a great success!

Great Grandpa Harry turned 97!

2007-05-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is taken a minute after Great Grandpa Harry saw Piper for the first time!

By day two they were best buddies!

The whole weekend was a big adventure, P2's first flight - she was a champ - no crying, lots of friends and relatives, Mama's first Mothers' Day, and a day trip to Boulder!

P2 got to meet some of her girl cousins, it was fun to see how differently she plays with them than the boys.

P2 and her younger man

2007-05-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of P2's friends - they were four months old in this picture...he is four days younger than her.
This is the two of them today! Learning a little about sharing. He smiles a lot when he sees her...but then again, don't we all.

Dog Days of Spring

2007-05-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

A little creative license (PUN!) but its been HOT here and isn't that what the dog days are all about? 98/97/ today is a cool 92...

Apparently P2 loves all dogs not just her own. Here are a few pictures her sitter snapped today with Tallulah the Bassett Hound.

And speaking of dogs...here's the logo for my new petsitting business...

Okay...and one picture that might be a glance into the future...by looking back 37 years...

Bowl Full of Kidlet

2007-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ferry Grandmother is busy getting things together for the Grand Opening of her internet store, My Little Red House. While she was shooting some pictures of merchandise, P2 and I stopped by to see what was happening. I couldn't resist sticking her in this bowl!

Holy Slacker Batman!

2007-04-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Oh dear! It's been way too long since I last posted (this feels like some sort of confession...).

Well, to bring you up to speed, P2 had another cold and her first ear infection and that took two weeks out of our lives. Now that that is over she has reached some new milestones! Sitting for long periods of time, eating more new foods and crawling!

My mom was just here for a visit. It was fun to see the girls interacting - P2 was only two months old last visit.

But, what you all really want is pictures so here you have it...

P2 reading a story to Moo

One, make that THREE reasons I don't get enough sleep...

Starting to outgrow the little plushy car!

P2's Rock Star Pop-Pop

2007-04-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

That's him on the cover of his band's new album, upper right hand corner.

Here's p2 with her Pop-Pop and Uncle D!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

P2's first Easter!

Flashback picture from Moo's first Easter! (2004)

A - Z Easter Weekend Addition

2007-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

brought to you courtesy of sleyed...

A - Available or Single - Neither.

B - Best Friends - My brother, my fiance, my dog - the order thereof moves around in a VERY fair pattern.

C - Cake or Pie - Yes! Okay, chocolate cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting.

D - Drink of Choice - What time is it? 7 am - coffee with a splash of vanilla creamer, 10 am black coffee, noon - Diet Coke, afternoon - ice water, 4 pm - wine - red, 6 pm - water...weekend evening - martini.

E - Essential Item - My dog.

F - Favorite Color - Blue in general and one specific shade of apple green.

G - Gummi Bears or Worms - Bears.

H - Hometown - Despite what my brother says and how little I care to admit it...Salem, Oregon.

I - Indulgence - When gainfully employed...iTunes and Chanel lipgloss. When laid-off-during-maternity-leave...snuggling my baby.

J - January or February - January – it's a fresh beginning and unladen with hoopla besides my dad and brother's birthdays.

K - Kids and Names - I have a kid, she has a name. I have two dogs, they are also named. I think its easier that way.

L - Life is incomplete without - Adventure. Small world, lots of places, lots of things, lots of people. Good and evil. Interesting, odd, dull, happy, creepy, divine...so many adventures to be had.

M - Marriage Date - I do have a date and a Date for my marriage...this time...

N - Number of Siblings - One brother, one sister-in-law...after the above DATE it will be three of each...

O - Oranges or Apples - Depends. Blood oranges & galas, mikan & Fujis: All of these make me happy. Navels and Granny Smiths? OK, but in a recipe. (keeping Sleyed's answer)

P - Phobias/Fears - Clowns and birds.

Q - Favorite Quote - I am a quote whore, I have no favorite.

R - Reasons to smile - Far outweigh my reasons not to.

S - Season - Autumn, August and April. I realize those aren't all seasons but they are my favorite times of year.

T - Tag 3 People - I did indeed tag myself as Sleyed expected I would. I will tag Whistle Pigs, Toasty and Auntie Wombat.

U - Unknown Fact About Me - If I share it, it will no longer be unknown and then it will be a misnomer that it is unknown. Ah, I found a "work around" - the unknown fact is where I got the earrings that I always wear.

V - Vegetable You Hate - BEETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

W - Worst Habit - Being impatient with people.

X - X-rays You've Had - Teeth and Left Knee.

Y - Your Favorite Foods - Keeping Sleyed's answers as they are correct, accurate and RIGHT. "We're talking premium versions here: Bacon, olives, peanut butter, licorice, chocolate, waffles, bananas, tomatoes, cheese... I will stop there because this list will never end otherwise." Basically, I love food, good food.

Z - Zodiac - Virgo/Monkey.

Sweet Potato Pi

2007-04-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

For weeks P2 has been watching very carefully as anyone is eating. We have been having her sit at the table with us and giving her an empty bowl and spoon to play with while we eat. Today was a big day...she got to eat her first foods - rice cereal and sweet potatoes. She loved them both. She has been so excited and happy for the past hour, she can't believe she got to eat!!!

Here are a few pictures...first bite of cereal...not sure what to think...

Okay, I will have some more please!

I have seen the got milk commercials, think they could use me?

And then we moved to sweet potatoes...she liked them a lot!

Hmmm, this eating thing is interesting, I am feeling kind of full.

Okay, now it's better, I have the spoon, I can do it myself!

Sit, Sat, Sit, Tip, Sit, Grab, Sit, Sit, Sit

2007-04-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

I can sit up and play with my toys instead of lay down and nap!

Pooh, would a binkie make you feel better?

Mommy didn't have time to set the camera up properly but she did catch me sitting!

Spring Break! Got milk?

2007-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

Sharing a blanket and a secret!

2007-03-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hey, Mama!

Oh, yeah! That is a good idea! Don't tell Mama!

It was where?

2007-03-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

It was a bad morning.

Baby was good. Dog was good. The weather was great, mild, springlike. The coffee was made before I got up. It was still a bad morning. I spent four and a half hours looking for my engagement ring.

I take it off sometimes because P2 likes to kick me when I am changing her and it can jab her and cut up her legs. I remembered taking it off yesterday during a emergency changing session and setting it on the file cabinet. I also remember thinking "that is NOT a good place for it." I usually put the ring on my little crystal ring stand.

Anyway - P2 is teething and was having a very diapery day so there were lots of things going on. I lost track of the ring, I lost track that I had even lost track until this morning...

I was dressing P2 for the day when I noticed a little cut on her ankle - probably made by my ring...which was NOT on my hand. I finished dressing her, then walked to the shelf with the ring stand...where the ring was NOT!!!!!! Then I began to vaguely remember the file cabinet scenario but not what came after it.

I IMed all my friends (for moral support) and posted to my Mommy message board. I turned the room upside down...at one point literally - removing the mattresses from the bed. I ultimately dusted every surface, vacuumed every nook and cranny, went through the garbage, the diaper pail, the laundry (where I found the spider from the Spa Night Incident), the bedding, the bathroom cabinets, sink, under the toilet. My lovely MIL even took the pooper scooper and a hoe and checked through the Moo doo and that of The Terrorists (her Pom-Mix mutts) to no avail.

I ate a whole package of double stuff oreos and I cried. It was awful. It wouldn't have been so bad except that the ring is made of one of Our Hero's Grandmother's diamonds, we haven't gotten it insured yet and I kept thinking how my own mother had waited until this very year to give me My Grandmother's diamond ring because my mother wasn't sure I was responsible enough - even at this advanced maternal age - to keep track of it.

It was a horrible morning. I didn't really eat breakfast - Oreos do not count - my coffee was cold because I spent all my time hunting. My baby was wonderful and took a three hour nap during which time I did not get research, paperwork or client work done because I was looking for my ring.

The whole thing gave me a headache...I went to get some Advil from the medicine cabinet and look what I found!....

Hanging out!

2007-03-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Jumping Junior the Spa BABY!

2007-03-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Baby went in the spa tonight - P2 donned her Lil' Swimmer diapers and joined Our Hero and Ferry Godmother for a splash in the hot tub. Don't worry, it wasn't that hot - 99 degrees to be good for baby.

She was very apprehensive at first but by the end of five minutes she was kicking and splashing and smiling. She has a cold so we thought it might help relieve some of her stuffiness. She is sacked out now so I am pretty sure it worked.

Tomorrow she turns five months old!P2's favorite activity these days is the jumperoo but she always looks surprised when she first gets in it. She is really trying to jump up to the moon!

Green Beer and Waffles

2007-03-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! (almost) Last year at this time I was nine weeks pregnant, couldn't drink green beer, couldn't stay awake more than two hours in a row and always was running to the bathroom. I had just started telling people about my pregnancy and I was having MAJOR waffle cravings! Major.

This year I am hiring a sitter for my little lephrechan, skipping the waffles, the naps and heading straight for the pub...and probably a few trips to loo, too.

Results of the Pi Trivia Competition

2007-03-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

JB - 6.5!!
DF - 5.5 (who happens to be from the state that voted incorrectly for pi = 9.2376)
SD - 5.5 - Pierce College and Moorpark College

And those who played via email (not at the party)...graduates of...

Harvard 5 (the only one to get the names of Higgins dogs correct)
University of Colorado 5
Yale 3
University of Oregon 4
Whitman College 2.5 (edited! wants even more credit for having seen Tom Selleck in person in Montana...)
Rutgers 2

Willamette University refused to play
No word yet from University of Alberta
pending results from University of Wisconsin

Pi Day Coloring "Contest" Winners

2007-03-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Mom-Kid Tandem Coloring Winner

The 8-12 Year-Old Winner

The Over 13 Winner

The 3-7 Winner

Happy Pi Day!

2007-03-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

It really is a day! 3.14 is the date so...its Pi Day! We are having a few people over for Pizza and Apple Pie to celebrate. There will be games, too, of course!

Mama and "her Moo" back in the day

2007-03-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

I, too, loved my canine companion when I was a little bug like P2 is now. Here is a picture of me with Hasdrupl (Hazz-droop-ul) on some lovely 1960's carpeting!

Mama's Book List

2007-03-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

You know that if I see a book tag on someone's blog, I am going to have to do it. This one was on Lulu’s. Here is a list of 100 books. Cut and paste, and then BOLD the books you have read, and Italicize the ones you want to read.   Naturally there are books that I highly recommend that are not on this list...like the His Dark Materials Trilogy which you should read before the movies start coming out and ...well you know what happens then.

Here's the list:
1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown) 
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) 
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) 
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) 
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) 
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) 
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) 
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) 
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) 
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) 
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) 
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) 
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) 
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) 
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) 
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling) 
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald) 
18. The Stand (Stephen King) 
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling) 
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) 
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) 
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) 
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) 
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) 
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) 
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) 
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) 
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) 
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) 
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) 
31. Dune (Frank Herbert) 
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) 
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell) 
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) 
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett) 
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) 
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) 
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) 
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) 
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) 
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) 
45. The Bible 
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) 
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) 
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) 
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) 
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) 
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) 
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)  <-----this was really good and I forgotten it until I saw the list, I don't usually like Sci Fi
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) 
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
 56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence) 
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) 
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) 
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) 
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger) 
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) 
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) 
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) 
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis) 
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) 
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares) 
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) 
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) 
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) 
73. Shogun (James Clavell) 
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) 
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
 76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay) 
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving) 
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence) 
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) 
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley) 
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) 
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) 
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind) 
85. Emma (Jane Austen) 
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams) 
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) 
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields) 
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago) 
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer) 
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje) 
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) 
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck) 
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) 
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) 
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) 
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) 
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford) 
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) 
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Water Baby! Mini Mermaid!

2007-03-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

In water related news...P2 had a bath in the little seat thing in the sink today. Ferry Grandmother took her there after an unfortunate diaper incident. She loved it...the days of the weird blue plastic minitub may be over.

As any self-respecting California girl would do. P2 gave her new suits a try before premiering them at the beach. The bikini was a gift from her "Aunt" Jodi.

Kickin Back in My Ride

2007-03-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

After the adventure yesterday in her cousin's play car, Mama decided it was time to break out the Christmas presents again...here is P2 taking her plushy K's Kids car for a spin.

First she looks both ways before pulling out of the driveway...Then she tests the gas and steering....

....stops by a friend's [dog] house to show off her new wheels...

...speeding down the big hill makes her nervous as she frantically pumps the brakes...

...and finally she parks the car and leans back to take in the view!

P2 Behind the Wheel

2007-03-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

Mama's Papa and The Pi

2007-03-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

My dad (The Professor) flew in from the Hot Foods Conference in New Mexico to finally meet his first grandchild. The two hit it off right away. One of the adventures we took was a trip to the Huntington (much less crowded than our visit with Caelyn's Mom)...where The Pi, Our Hero and The Professor donned their respective sunglasses and posed for a group pic.

A letter from The Pi's Maternal Great-Grandpa!

2007-03-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

You can click on each letter to read it in larger form!

Get a little bit closer!

2007-02-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

The Moo wanted to be sure she was in the loop. She planted herself under my desk and in the diaper bag so I wouldn't go anywhere without her today!

Message Board Mommies!

2007-02-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

Caelyn's mom and I met in person today for the first time...after meeting sort of, a year ago. She was one of the other October expecting mom's on my iVillage message board. We journeyed through pregnancy and delivery and the early months of mommyhood together. So, today we packed our strollers and diaper bags and headed to the Huntington. The usually tranquil grounds were a sea of humanity - a vast portion of LA's population seemed to have congrated for The Chinese New Year Family Festival. After a brief stroll[er] down to the overlooked, ungroomed "Australia" garden, where we sat on a quiet bench to nurse our tots. After that we fled for......Marie Callander's and had lunch and a photo op! :) Oh...and YES that is formula in the middle photo by Pi's carrier. Sometimes she has "fast food" too...its all good.

Cyber Jargon for Mommies

2007-02-22T18:12:00.000-08:00

There are new buzzwords these days, about every ten minutes some new swanky term comes out. Between the words, acronyms, siggys, smileys, avatars, screen names, blog sites one can get discombobulated. But this is about ME and one that I use with pride. When I am typing one handed - holding The Pi while she breastfeeds I am nursing at my keyboard...in cyber speak that is "NAK." As a writer, blogger and active message board poster I am at my computer whenever possible during the day and sometimes the baby needs to eat in the middle of something "important" so...I NAK proudly.

Now, Our Hero who is an IT guy and Mr. Computer stuff will tell you that NAK means something else in his world.

A few years back (okay, more than a few but less than many) in the pre-cyber buzzword days there were Big Mac Daddies (Sean "Puffy, Diddy, Etc." Combs for example)...so I came up with a little play on words - h0noring my marketing/publicity roots and my new status as Mama. And...honoring my OTHER roots in the apparel industry, I believe I have come up with a great way to wear my pride!

Votre bébé parle-t-il français ?

2007-02-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

I realize that P2 is only four months old but she listens intently to people when they are talking. She turns her head to look at whomever is speaking in a conversation. I already bought a baby signing DVD and book so we can start developing her "vocabulary" early on. I was happy to discover that her Baby Einstein videos can be played in English, Spanish and French. Hopefully I can raise a multilingual baby! I am already plotting our first trip to Switzerland (my fifth time, her first) so she can see a place where people speak multiple languages.

Oh yeah! Disneyland!

2007-02-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Mama and Our Hero went to Disneyland yesterday! ALONE, no kidlet. P2 went to Auntie Tracy's daycare where there was another baby just her age (well, four days younger...).
Scott and Hunter came along as well. Here are a few shots from the Buzz Lightyear ride!

The Pi in Action

2007-02-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

A little light reading before...
Heading out on a walk with Mama and The Moo (who did NOT wear an olive bucket hat but does have a lovely olive green collar with her digits on it, in case we come across a handsome male Mastiff who is looking for a serious relationship but doesn't want puppies). And then, finishing up the extravaganza with a well deserved bottle of Mommy Milk! Yum.

Miss Personality....test hater

2007-02-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

Usually I won't do these things. Almost everyone has at this point heard about the GREAT job I gave up because having been offered the position, told and accepted the salary, I was told that the final step was to take a Myers-Briggs test...the LONG version. My answer was - I am the personality type that hates taking those things...and thus ended what naturally would have been an illustrious career in the high end tile business.

SIL - PhD2B, posted a shorter version on her blog and I decided to bite...and hey, it sounds like ME, what a surprise! :) And the Cynical Chef will remind me if this is the same answer I had a few years back when I succumbed to one of these tests.

You Are An INFP

The Idealist

You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.
Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.
It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.
But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.

You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

What's Your Personality Type?

Dixie Chick-lette

2007-02-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

In honor of the girl's Grand Slam at the Grammys...here's a pic of my own little Dixie Chick! I bet their mamas are as proud as this one is!

The Hose Zone!

2007-02-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

You know, the hose zone...like the Twighlight Zone for footwear...that place that one sock in a pair goes when you do the laundry. I have heard theories and explanations that some socks actually make themselves small enough to go through that big pipe in the back of the washer and flush out to sea. This explains all the socks...you see...washed up on the beach......wait, I never see socks washed up on the shore. Hmmm...anyway, baby socks have a hose zone of their own. They survive the washer just fine (oddly, since they truly are tiny and I could actually believe the afore mentioned theory applying to them) but...if you put a baby wearing TWO socks in a stroller facing away from you - you will return home, having had the stroller and any possibly "leavings" in sight the whole time - with a uni-socked baby. Considering that I take the same route every day soon the path should be littered with miniature socks, a sort of knit Hansel and Gretel trail but no...no errant socks. In fact the only thing we find on walks are LOTS of tennis balls and the occasional apple.

Accessorize!

2007-02-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Things are really getting fun in Pi Land!

No native Californian (which the Pi IS!) is complete until she's got a pair of shades! These are the ones that her Auntie Jodi gave her.

Oh and sometimes the baby is something to be worn! Here's she is in her cool new sling! She really likes it. The first time I put her in it she was NOT happy but now she really grooves on it!

Food!! (another Meme)

2007-02-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

Oh, and since everyone but me already knew this..."meme" rhymes with theme!

Feeding the Family:

Breakfast or Brunch? Brunch - more choices.
Lunch - Brown Bag, Vending Machine or the Deli by the office? I work from home so I am going to go with refrigerator on this one.
Dinner or Supper? Funny how no one says supper anymore.
Best last minute dinner? One of those already baked chickens at the deli section of the grocery, a bagged casear salad and a bottle of wine.
Take-Out - Chinese or Thai? Thai (just like Cynical Chef's UJ!)
Major stock-up store - Costco, Sam's Club, 7/11? I am a Costco girl myself.
Produce - Fresh, Frozen, Farmers' Market? Farmers' Market is my first choice.
Best "Oops, I forgot the [blank] when I was at the store" solution - 7/11, Famima, call spouse? Try to find a substitute.
Favorite Celebrity Chef: Paula Dean - her show makes my mouth water, always. I really like that Semi-Homemade lady too, she cracks me up with her kitchen coordinated to her outfits and I like that she always tries the alcoholic beverages that she makes.
At a potluck I can usually be counted on to bring? My famous broccoli salad or my equally famous peach and blueberry cobbler (but only in season)
At a potluck I hope someone else brings? An apple pie.
Favorite Winter Dish to make? Taco Soup
Favorite Summer Dish to make? Chicken Salad sandwiches to take to the beach for supper picnic.
Your favorite recipe of your mom's? Lamb Curry.
Your favorite recipe, period? Lizzy's Raspberry-Chipolte Chicken Candy...not really candy, its just that the skin cooks in the sauce to a sweet, crispy, buttery deliciousness that we gave the moniker of Chicken Candy.
Favorite food magazine? Gourmet.
Guilty pleasure food? I used to buy those small frosted cakes from the grocery when I was having a really stressful time and ask the baker to write Happy Birthday and make up a name on the cake so that no one would "know" that I was going to go home and eat the whole thing.
What's for dinner tonight? Dinner? It's not even 9 am...

PS I will take any recipes you want to share!!!

PS2 going to go pour another mug of coffee now.

Mama's Bragbook

2007-02-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Walk in our footsteps

2007-02-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

An Ah Ha Moment

2007-02-11T22:49:00.000-08:00

For the fifth night in a row - FIFTH!!! - I am getting into bed with the February issue of Oprah magazine. For the fifth night in a row, it is my goal to look at the article about shoes. For the fifth night I may fall asleep before I get to it. Shoes...previous to P2...were my obsession. Shoes. Sleep. Shoes. Sleep. Shhhhhhoo...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Why I Would Make A Bad Scientist

2007-02-09T22:41:00.000-08:00

A closing remark this evening...The Pi has slept for six straight hours and counting. This is good news. The problem is - I don't know if its the Little Gym workout this morning, the fantastic new diapers with "caterpillar flex" or the Cushi Puppy massaging pillow that encouraged this rest. A good scientist would only change one variable at a time.

My conclusion is though that I am a good mom for having done all three things (done? well, implimented) and I can sleep on that.

Irons in the Fire (which is where I believe they belong)

2007-02-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who knew me PP (pre-Pregnancy) you know that I am never only doing one thing...I LOVE projects. 2006 was consumed with the project of being pregnant and the project of beginning a life with the Princess. Now that 2007 is underway and I discover that my quasi-employer has become my entirely-former employer I have embarked on some new projects and tangents...I also have a list of unprojects...things I will NOT be doing again soon.

The Going Forward With List:

Macabrekins - developing and marketing an off-kilter collection of plush toys and writing stories of their adventures
Magazine articles - took a course at UCLA, made a list of mags I want to write for and a list of topics - traveling with small kids, traveling with LARGE pets, cooking in a small kitchen, becoming a parent at "an advanced maternal age," unique roadtrips and realistic wardrobe planning
Writing clients - ONLY THE KIND THAT CAN PAY and that have something interesting to promote like E-Spec
Exercise - daily walks plus getting back into yoga and maybe doing some pilates!!
Foodie Pursuits - Solstice Supper Club (more on that soon), Wine Geek Club - perhaps should be Grape Geek for sake of illeration and some classes at Sur La Table (if only for the in-store discount you get on the day of the course)
Mastering the Martini - searching for the perfect one

And the Anti-Projects:

No more book clubs for a while - I literally have 45 books waiting to be read (including the five I checked out from the TO Library today) - but if I did have a book club - it would be for new moms only and the first book we would read would be this one! Actually any of these!
Writing Clients - that don't or can't pay...no pro bono unless its Bono and then we can talk because Pro Bono is different on so many levels that pro bono
Stressing out - its overrated and I am over it!

Oh, and ironing...I don't do it, won't do it, hate it...irons = ick.

Pi Day!

2007-02-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

You better believe this will be a "holiday" in this household for sure!!! Who knew? If you are in LA that day, come to the party! There are so many things to do and learn in relation to the big day!

Moo's Vacation

2007-02-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

While we humans went up to Mammoth for the weekend, Moo went to stay with her very favorite Fetch Petcare sitter aka Marzipan and family...and the pugslies! For once , Mama was not the only one with a "mini-me." Life is good for the mutts!

All about books - another TAG!

2007-02-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Another great "meme" (W.T.Heck does that word mean?) from Uncle Alabaster's blog via Lulu I believe!

Hardback or trade paperback or mass-market paperback? Hardback at home, paperbacks on vacation.
Amazon or brick and mortar? Amazon is very convenient, I must say. I have no problem ordering $200 of books from Amazon, I am not similarly inclined in person in a real bookstore. That being said, I do like the idea of quaint, non-chain bookstores, the reality is though, they don’t have what I am looking for. Sadly.
Barnes & Noble or Borders? BARNES & NOBLE! There is something not quite right about Borders, lurking under the surface I feel like they are secretly a “Christian” book store. I have no basis for this, just a hair on the back of my neck feeling I get when I walk in the store.
Bookmark or dog-ear? Bookmark! Have you met my father?!
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? Are you serious? Categorize – maybe…which is to say, no non-cookbooks in the kitchen and that is about the only rule.
Keep, throw away, or sell? Yes.
Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep it! Why would you throw it out? (Lulu answered it well, why change it?)  
Read with dustjacket or remove it? Leave it on…part of the tactile experience of reading the book is holding the book in such a way that you don’t bend or dent the dust cover…some people play video games, I read really long books and “win” if no pages are damaged during the reading…extra points for not cracking the binding.
Short story or novel? I find short stories very unappealing, they are over before they really get going. My definition of a short story is any book thinner than an inch.
Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? Ugh, I guess anthology.   
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? His Dark Materials! But HP and LS are good too.
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? ASLEEP…not tired, actually asleep.
"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"? It was a dark and stormy night, the windshield wipers on the patrol car squeaked rhythmically as Dectective Roberts reached for his coffee. No one told him before he joined the academy that stake-outs would be this tedious or that the coffee would taste like it had been strained through socks…
Buy or Borrow? Buy or…there is always the library…
New or used? New or used…Costco for hardbacks.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Browse…maybe recommendation but not that many people I know share my taste in books.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Depends on my mood. I love detective fiction because everything is resolved and the bad guy gets caught, but I recognize that life is rarely like that, so I can appreciate messy endings as well.  (Keeping Lulu’s answer, it is perfect – as usual)
Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Yes. A new “time” has materialized for me – breastfeeding time – more reading done then than anyother time.
Stand alone or series? Both – I do like certain detective series otherwise I don’t mind stand alones.
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Any of the Penny Vincenzi books, she is the European Danielle Steele.
Favorite book(s) read last year: Beach Road by James Patterson.
Favorite books of all time? Geez…like favorite movies of all time. I am not much for re-reading anything so this is tough…I guess the His Dark Material series and Patricia Cornwall and Tom Clancy and whats his name who wrote all those really FAT books (not Phat, FAT, thick, long) like Hawaii and The Source.
Tag? Cynical Chef and someone who knows me but that I don’t know reads much (that is to say, surprise me!)

I got it!

2007-02-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, P2 was holding her own [bottle]! :)

More Mammoth Adventures...

2007-02-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

What a fun weekend! Snuggling, hiking, snowboarding (well, aspiring to it), taking breathing treatments (and making it look fun), sitting at the big people table for breakfast...its good being P2!

Mammoth!

2007-02-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Our first big family vacation! We all piled into Ferry Godmother's Honda CRV and headed to Mammoth Mountain. It was unseasonably warm so we avoided snow sports and stuck to walking around town and shopping. Baby's first trip to the snow didn't actually involve her getting in any snow but next winter will be a whole different story!

P2 and Mama had a good bonding experience using the Baby Bjorn. We hiked all around town, P2 showed off her groovy new snow boots that Auntie S-Bar gave her.

The drive up was lovely and uneventful, we stopped off at the World's Best Jerky Shop where Papa Steve bought dried papaya or something like it. We passed The Hubcap Capital of the World without stopping...but its good to know about should you ever be in the market (I suppose).

We stayed in the Chateau Montagne...very impressive name, perfectly adequate accomodations. We had some great meals including Ferry Godmother's famous lasagna and two great meals at The Stove.

We had a gondola ride and did some shopping - I will post those pictures later on tonight, they are in Our Hero's camera.

Rollin' rollin'

2007-01-31T14:10:00.000-08:00

BIG NEWS!! P2 rolled over today - twice - from her back to her front!!! both times she found herself the other side up and was none to happy, perhaps just none to sure...but she did it! :)

Clever "NEW" places to store things...AREN'T!

2007-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:00

As my mother and mother-in-law could have told you in December after seperate but very similar treasure hunts for diamond rings...when we move things to a better place to store them its rarely actually a better place.

I have been looking for the battery charger for my camera for four days now - I know where I used to keep it...it was clever, odd but clever. Then I went on a cleaning fit and decided to reorganize. As a result the charger now resides in a much more "practical" place...I just have absolutely NO IDEA where that might be.

It not in the bathroom, its not with the other electronics, its not in the bag with my laptop, its not in my desk drawer, its not in the nightstand drawers, its not under my bed, its not in the diaper bags, its really just vanished.

I welcome suggestions on where to look...even if you aren't familiar with my environs you may have a helpful hint...

ARGH!

**********************NEWSFLASH**************************************
I found it and I even...sort of....see the logic of where I put it. Its not worth the long story but suffice it to say, it is now back where it "belongs" plugged into the lower socket of the bathroom wall outlet.

A Graduation!

2007-01-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

Piper slept last night in her crib instead of her bassinet!!! Sorry the picture quality is so horrible...I shot it on my Blackberry because I have temporarily misplaced the battery charger for my digital camera!

Things I didn't know I didn't have...

2007-01-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

My dad used to (perhaps still does) describe the Lillian Vernon catalog as "solutions to problems you didn't know you had." I have a new variation on that...baby gear! I posted my top ten must have list not long ago. I have been thinking about it some more and I have more to say. I realize that this doesn't exactly go to Professor Papa's theorem...because the items I will describe actually address real "problems" that I really face.

When it comes to baby gear - toys - clothes and such there are several schools of thought.

Some people, it would seem, want to have to do as little as possible themselves to amuse, educate and soothe their babies - there are videos (for home, car, iPod), toys that make noise, things that buzz and sing and light up, colors, swirls, patterns, vibrations, jiggles, Wiggles, whirls, its madness...the toys do all the work.

Other people are very minimalist - cloth diapers, wooden pull toys, organic fibers, no binkies, no formula, no TV...there are even people who have adopted a diaper-free attitude towards child rearing (I am looking for a comment from Don't Trust Snakes...I know there is one lurking in there!).

Most people I am sure fall well in the middle...and I don't want to offend any of my readers so I will leave it at that...but where I am headed with this topic is a very short list of things that I had NO IDEA about prior to pregnancy, childbirth and early child-rearing but that actually DO solve problems I didn't know I had.

(1) Voice Activated Crib Lights - these go onto the crib and play soothing music and lights when the baby wakes up and cries...this one even can play your own voice.

(2) Gripe Water - herbal "cure" for colic and upset tummy, appropriately named...and quite tasty (had to check it out for myself).

(3)Oh, and speaking of binkies...because we were, sort of...here is the greatest invention...if you have a sick kid who takes a binkie!