7 Minutes

This afternoon, our dog, Pippi, escaped. My heart sank as she ran out the door and headed down the street. I tried to coax her back with a treat - a people treat, no less - but she basically thumbed her nose at me and continued her run. [On a side note, she did obey our rules and stayed on the sidewalk, not the street. :)] I realized she didn't even have her collar on (we had given her a flea treatment earlier this week and hadn't put it back on) - so there was no way for anyone to identify her as ours.

I freaked out when all my tried and true methods failed to stop my escaping Pippi. All I could imagine was her being run over or being taken to the animal shelter. A frantic call to my husband confirmed my idea that I needed to get in the car and look for her. I quickly put the boys into their seats and started to drive but couldn't find her. I went around the block and started around again when I saw her in a yard by someone's garage.

I rolled down the window and called to Pippi. She turned toward me and came running. Hooray! Not so much. She came to the car but couldn't/wouldn't jump in and wouldn't let me pick her up. Just then, a mom and her two kids walked by and Pippi went over to them. I explained that I was trying to catch her and the woman said, "Oh, is she yours?" [Another side note: Did I look like I was having a good time? Yeah, frantically chasing dogs that aren't mine is my hobby.] Anyway, she helped distract Pippi as I opened the passenger door and Pippi ran to the door. Finally, I caught her.

Relief flooded over me, as I reported to Andrew that our dog was found and caught. He then told me that the whole, horrible experience had lasted a mere 7 minutes. 7 minutes!!!! How could it have only been 7 minutes? Seemed like at leat 20. :)

Pippi is now curled up and sleeping next to me...right where she belongs.

Larger Pictures

This post could be entitled “Blogging Woes II.” I have been trying to figure out why when we post pictures, sometimes you can click on the photo and see it larger (in a new window) and why sometimes you cannot.

For example, the cool house on the rock photo post last night cannot be enlarged. But the “nail house” ones, and the “dishwasher photos” (scroll down) can be enlarged. Click them each and see for yourself.

I loaded them exactly the same way. It’s not a size issue - there is no significant difference there. I just cannot figure it out, and it really bugs me, especially because the house on the rock has details you can’t see in this small view.

Can anyone out there explain this and help me out? I would be very grateful.

Another Cool View

I’ll try to get off this theme, but after last night, my mind must just be tending this way. Unlike the lonely view and the heart-stoppingly-scary view, this is a view I could get used to in what appears to be a very cool house. As long as you don’t sleep walk or have young children. Oops – I guess I’m disqualified on both grounds! (I also hope they don’t have strong earthquakes or heavy downpour-induced-mudslides wherever this is!)

My Almost-Two-Year-Old

You might think the list below is an exhaustive review of the significant thoughts passing through my head today. But no. After viewing our boys’ blog and seeing that Calvin is about to turn two, a co-worker asked how it felt to be a father of a two-year old. I said I couldn’t believe he was that old.

What I didn’t say, but thought and felt, was that I sure wished I could have been his dad for longer, for more of those early months. But how happy I am that he is ours now! He played very well with Isabel and little Tom tonight at Sawyers, and was so cute almost falling asleep on the way home. What a precious little guy!

On My Mind

Our minds are incredible things. Organs, I guess. Not muscles, definitely: if one’s mind were a muscle, it would either snap from exhaustion or explode our skull from growth due to constant exercise.

I have been thinking about the way our minds work the last day or two, and most recently as I thought back over my day a few minutes ago. As I prepared for work and did a few things in the kitchen this morning, I was thinking about billing hours at work and wondering how many I’d get in during the day . . . driving to work, I laughed as I recalled the guy I’d seen the last two evenings on my way home, sitting on the handle-bars of his bicycle, backwards – and riding no hands – how did he do that? I considered the water in Eagle Creek Reservoir – sometimes it looks so muddy, but I believe we get our drinking water from it (not directly, but still…). All the while, stanzas from Psalm 43 are flowing through my head, which makes me think about the Psalm meditation I had this last Lord’s Day evening (I wasn’t happy with it), but what a beautiful day it is!

Once at work, a few of these things were still mulling around in my mind, plus immediately many new facts, questions, and strategies flooded that already busy ‘thing.’ A few samples: Where should I look and what search terms should I use to find that perfect “smoking gun” document to help us win a multi-million dollar case? What caselaw do I need to find to defeat this pending motion? What a clever ad on this webpage; I wonder who thought of that?! Which projects should I tackle first? How should I sort through and narrow down these 1700 documents to find the most helpful ones for my case? Should I go out to eat with the other associates or work through my lunch? When we design our dream house, how can I fit more usable space and fun little retreats/nooks into it? What should I say to Alaina when she calls and the boys are upset in the background? What in the world is a concrete slump test? If I have time to read tonight, which book will I delve into first? And finally, am I going to make it home in time for dinner?

And so it goes. My mind, I mean, and yours too. What an incredible gift God gave us! And how fun to explore the rabbit trails it takes us on!

Skywalk

Talk about a room with a view! This will give a whole new perspective to visiting the Grand Canyon!

The Nail House

In light of the Supreme Court’s 2005 decision Kelo v. City of New London, property rights and the government’s ability to take one’s land have been much in the news here. A similar fight is also ongoing in China: Yang Wu and Wu Ping are refusing to leave their home, despite the fact that it is now standing isolated and alone in the midst of a huge, deep excavation. The house has become known as the "nail house," in part because of its stature and in part due to the resiliency of its owners.

In September 2004, agreements were reached with the owners of the 280 surrounding homes. Yang Wu and Wu Ping, however, have held out for more. Despite being ordered to evacuate their home by March 22, they have refused. On March 21, Yang Wu, who is a local Kungfu champion, returned to his home through a rather unique and ingenious method: he built an instant staircases with his nunchakus!

As of yesterday, apparently, the house still stood. China, however, has banned any further discussion of the popular issue. I’ve always dreamed of a house with a view, but this might be a bit much!

Blogging Woes

I just drafted a nice little entry on my frustrations with traffic, then lost it all for some unknown reason. I don't have time to retype it now, so you'll just have to wait. Until then, maybe you can tell me some of your frustrations with traffic (or more timely here, blogging!)

Good Morning, Mommy...

This morning started like most but quickly changed. I walked into the boys’ room because they had just started complaining that I wasn’t getting to them fast enough (at least that’s what I thought). I immediately noticed that one of our sons (who will remain nameless) was buck naked from the waist down. I was not thrilled but did not feel concerned until I got a closer look. Unfortunately for me, the diaper was more than wet and had been thrown out of the crib. The room stunk to high heaven.

Upon even closer inspection, I realized that some of the contents had been smeared all over the sheets. I put him on the changing table and started cleaning him up and realized the extent of this mess – all the way down his legs, on his feet, on his arms and all over his hands. I explained to him that this was not okay and he was not to ever take his diaper off – I’m not sure he fully understood but he did understand that he didn’t like the feeling of all the mess. What a good morning greeting…yuck!!! (Oh and I spared you any pictures of said mess – be grateful!)

Dance, Dance

I wish I had a picture of this - the boys have started dancing in their carseats to whatever music is on the radio. They sway side-to-side and put one or both of their hands in the air. I hope you can see this image in your head...it is sooo funny! They also sing along with, "La, la, la..."

Since I don't have a picture of that - I'll post another couple of cute ones instead. :) Calvin was being completely silly with his animal crackers. Patrick is always more serious when it comes to his snacks and toys and life in general. :)

Finally - Results! :) :)

Here are your long awaited quiz results – I know you had all given up and I nearly had as well. Please click on your name to check out your personalized results. Enjoy! :)

Andrew
Katrina
Catherine
Jon
Micah
Rebecca
Amy
Peter

Learning New Things

I had the privilege of being a guest speaker to a group of kindergartners this week. The topic was teeth and I really enjoyed putting together some information, activity books, and dental “goodies” for the kids. The class was almost entirely boys except for one lone girl – poor thing. What I didn’t count on was the things I would learn from them. Here are a few examples:

In response to my questions:

What do we use our teeth for?
B1: Well, birds have beaks that they use to pull strings and then make a nest. They have beaks like this (hand demonstration of beak). (This was actually a MUCH longer explanation – I just can’t remember it all :)
Me: (trying desperately to salvage something from this answer) So, it’s kind of like how we chew our food.
B1: They use their beaks to get string.
Me: Okay.

What do you think teeth are made of?
B2: Metal.

What are some healthy snacks?
B3: Cookies.

What did we say teeth are made of?
B2: Metal.

Oh well…I tried.

And a few general educational statements & questions:

B3: (putting his hand on his forehead after I explained that enamel is the strongest material in the body) This is the strongest bone. Does it have teeth?
B4: We have teeth in our noses.
B5: I have green mint and blue mint toothpaste.
B1: Can I sing you a song? (then proceeded to sing an entire song about how teddy bears are the best friends of all)

It was quite a class period – lots of fun and very funny.

I Love You

Today was a particularly trying day - I felt like it was full of saying no, having timeouts, fighting and crying. As we were eating dinner, Calvin looked at me and said (and motioned), "I love you" for the first time without prompting. We've taught him how to say it and motion it at the same time but he just does it when we are all doing it. Anyway he blessed me so much and reminded me (again!) that no matter how a tough a day is, being a mom is totally worth it! I love my boys!

Hanging Out With Uncles

Uncle Noah & Uncle Wesley with the boys - it was a beautiful day last week!

Patrick to Calvin (overheard), "Be cool like me. Here let me help you."


Double Trouble: Calvin & Patrick conspired together to trap Uncle Wesley in the refrigerator. They started with a gentle push and then pinned him as hard as they could. It delayed their lunch a little but they were quite pleased with themselves. We may be in trouble. :) They proved themselves pretty strong for little guys!

Of Intrigue

It occurs to me that there are two very different uses of the word intrigue (in its noun form). More common, it seems to me, is the “the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.” Actually, now that I look it up, this is the correct noun form. But what we meant when we used intrigue in the subtitle of this blog was a noun-ified version of the verb: “that which arouses the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities” (id., paraphrased). And in particular for us, I believe, we meant the little things in life which arouse our interest.

That having been said, here is something that fascinated me this morning – the pattern of cups, bowls, glasses, and lids in our dishwasher! I’ll post two shots – one showing the overall perspective, and another which focuses on the repeating geometric pattern. Enjoy :)

Go Jayhawks!

Last night I was delighted to be a Kansas Jayhawk fan and wear my KU shirt. I would say I’m proud to be a Kansas fan, but it’s kind of hard to be too proud when you’re blowing out the number 16 seed. Of course – you’re supposed to. No number one seed has ever lost to a 16 seed. (I also enjoyed the PhogBlog’s pre-game reads, which allowed me to know the current players a little. It’s so hard to keep up with the Jayhawks when they’re never on TV here – and when I’m paying attention to another sport during fantasy football season :)

But this game wasn’t even close. (Watch some video highlights under “Related Links” here and photos here – very cool!) I do feel a little bad for Niagara. They must have been excited to make it into the tournament (although I understand they were not real happy about having to play their way in; I believe they thought they should have been in automatically). But coming off the euphoria of beating Florida A&M Tuesday evening and getting to play in the big dance – only to lose by 40 points? I mean, how can you keep playing when it’s like that? Kansas had scored almost double Niagara’s points at half time (52-27). Barring some unimaginable circumstance, there was no way to win at that point.

From a wider perspective, I don’t understand the logic and rationale as to who makes it into the Big Dance. It seems to me that the strongest teams should make it in; we’re trying to crown the best team in the country. I understand it is nice to give some potential Cinderella teams a chance, and that the winners of the smaller conferences deserve a shot. But I don’t understand why we have teams in the Tournament so woeful when a number of the bubble teams such as Kansas State and Syracuse would undoubtedly have played a much tougher game than Niagara.

More Pictures...:)

I just can't help posting more pictures. These are from today - we played outside for a couple of hours. I really think I might have the cutest kids in the whole world!!! (The last 3 are probably my favorites!)

Patrick concentrating very hard.

Calvin's adorable profile. Running in the yard and playing ball.

Calvin following Patrick down to the fence.

Telling secrets.

Cuteness!

More cuteness!

The Sweetest Thing

I'm working late tonight. Alaina just called so I could say goodnight to the boys. I did. Then Alaina asked the boys if they wanted to give me a kiss goodnight. They did: I heard the sound of Calvin giving a kiss, and Patrick gave me one, too. What precious boys!

C & P

We hosted brunch and the boys had a great time! There were about 35 family and friends and they enjoyed playing with their cousins Maddie and Katie and receiving lots of attention from everyone else. They crashed early afternoon and took three hour naps. They posed for these pictures before they went to bed. :)

We took advantage of the gorgeous day and took a walk. Our independent boys definitely wanted to walk by themselves and we obliged for the most part. :)

Us

Here is my honey and me - the other happy couple.

The boys looked adorable but sadly we didn't get pictures other than the professional ones - somehow they just weren't into it. :) They played in the nursery at the reception and gave Daddy and Mommy a break for the evening.

Wedding...

Here are a few snapshots from Liz & Luke's beautiful wedding on Friday:

Handsome Groom

Beautiful Bride


The Happy Couple: Mr. & Mrs. Luke Nelson

SISTERS!

Fun pic before the ceremony. :)

Family

We officially became parents on October 4, 2006 but we became a family on March 8, 2002. 5 years strong, we pray there are many more to come!

Of Love & Years...

On this day, 5 years ago, I married my best friend. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband. When I see the fantastic children we have together (an amazing gift from the Lord) and look around at the home, church, family, and friends He has blessed us with, I rejoice. I love you, Andrew - more than the day we married and I pray that our love only grows deeper over the next 5 years and for the rest of our years together. Happy Anniversary, Honey!

Busy!

We've been extremely busy - thus the lack of posts. We'll try to make up for it later. We did post a new picture on our other blog. We hope you are all well and will check back for more posts later. :) For now, we are doing well and enjoying life. Hopefully after this week, life will return to normal (or at least some semblance of normalcy).

New Family Picture

Here is a recent family picture. We love the boys' outfits - a gift from friends. We have been super busy helping out with wedding plans for my sister - we are hosting the after-wedding brunch for family and out-of-town friends on Saturday. All that to say, we really haven't been posting on our blogs much. We'll try to make up for it later. :)