splash time

Over to Emile's yesterday for a wonderful BBQ. And while we normally make fun of him for not having lots of furniture in the years he lives in the house, yesterday it was perfect as less things for an active 10 month old to try and grab. Wee man crawled around to his hearts content - very proud of himself for going up the one step into kitchen area and afterwards had a good splash in the pool. It was sunny out but a bit chilly in pool at 82 degrees, however wee man didnt mind with his baby wetsuit on and he was quickly asleep when we went home after all that workout splashing..

make that 4 teeth

make that 4 teeth - i didnt realize was both top ones. I figured out though when he started sawing them against each other - like fingernails on a chalkboard. My sisters probably think its sweet revenge since i grinded my teeth all the way through the nights of their childhood.

Standing up now against everything he can. Looks like trying to get out of jail here...

new wii balance game

So I unlocked a new wii balance board game. Its sitting on the board - zen pose style and staring at a candle trying to be as still as possible. more you move the more candle shakes and can go out. Mine burnt down to the end.

I rock at this. I might have been a troll in some old world sitting as still as a rock.. Seriously. Just saying.. It amuses me that the game I am the best at involves sitting as still as possible. I knew it was a talent I could use someday... now hand me that book - I have to practice some more..

tall boy

So wee lad pulled my hand into his mouth today, to proudly show off his new tooth coming down from top of his gum. We had figured one was on way with the extra st Bernard drooling going on but I was expecting could be a while since he was drooling from month 3 and month 9 is when we got the bottom two. So looks like one on way now and other one breaking through. I also brushed his teeth last night with baby toothbrush - its one you wear on your finger. Too funny and he loved it. I'm sure he'll be eating steak soon...

So went to the doctors and wee lad is 75% percentile for height and head circumference. So he does have a Christy head. The height - well we hope he's taller than his Mum and Dad. Which of course wont be hard but hopefully he's version 2.0 and taller. We were all taller than my parents but that wasn't hard either ;-) I and the baby Maeve are the smallest ones with the bell curve of heights in middle with my other sisters and brother getting the taller gene.
he is in bottom 25% for weight which I know is just his stretch phase, he puts on weight - gets a fatter face then does stretch and then gets skinner and then repeats. Like a slinky growing up. He's in size 18 months clothes and age 2 toddler socks. Even the doc said he has large feet.

What impressed the doc was his social skills, he waved hello, tried to say hello, then sang along with his attempt at O MacDonald farm, it even sounds like the song - just not all the words. She handed him a paper towel saying for you and he handed back again saying U. This game went on for a wee while. So he's all healthy which is a blessing and she said he's very advanced for his age. She said most boys dont have that many words or try to use them till later. Wee Wizard is from a family of talkers so guess he is starting early.

I cant compare him to any other wee lad as he's all we have. All I know folks is that he's a lot of fun and loves to interact and sing. I find myself singing to him and him singing to me all day. Which is kinda funny if you know how much I hate musicals...

the world of blog

So I blog for many reasons

one : because the wall no matter how much I talk to it wont talk back..
two : because my family and friends live in far flung places and can keep up on the world of Borg
three: because I love writing, and my storytelling style of writing seems to fit well with blogging
four : because I get to chat and find out about others with their blogs and find out common interests, even things like hereditary spherocytosis..

So Friday I got to meet S and her husband who I had first contacted when I read her blog writing about her HS. I don't know anyone with HS outside of my family, my Mum, my sister and her two kids. S came to the bay area to have a spleenectomy and ended up having a partial one and through her bellybutton with hardly any scarring. Mine was taken out as a child and I have a 8 inch scar along my belly (which I'm sure was smaller but has stretched as I have, leading to another reason NEVER to get a tattoo... ) It was like meeting a pen pal and brilliant for putting a face to the words and stories on her blog. We had a lovely lunch and wee man roared and did his lalalalala enjoying all the attention.

Now through the blog I have been able to chat to many folks with HS, even find a yahoo group thanks to S. I found my husband with the Internet, why should I be surprised I find new friends and also folks who have our rare blood disorder as well. Its a much smaller world thanks to dot com :-)

choo choo

So next week we embark on a first for us, a train trip on Amtrak. We are heading down to friends in Santa Barbara and we're excited. Firstly because these friends are wonderful and have been asking us to visit Santa Barbara and see their house and land and the canyon for last couple of years - they have two wonderful wee boys and another baby on way.

But also because we get to go on the train. The wee lad is grand in a car now for about an hour - maybe two. So the thoughts of a 5 hour car journey was enough for us to reach for medication. Then I got to thinking - flights are expensive but how about the train.

So booked on Amtrak and not only are we going now directly there and can walk around - but we also have a bedette room booked. So we have our own little room, that converts into a bottom and top bunk, so wee lad can nap, so we can we and he can crawl around to his hearts content! Also included on the train is parlor room for eating and sightseeing and wine tasting. Gotta love trains in California. Also it will be following the coast for about 100 miles so scenery is supposed to be amazing.

All meals are included, theres your own steward and while its not the Orient express its a LOT better than 5 hour driving which would be 7 hours with stops for baby or a crowded airplane ride for twice the money. Also our local light rail goes to the station so we can go there and back without hassle (although I have to investigate that a little bit better as I'm sure when we get back home we would want to get back to our house quickly than light rail but we'll see!)

So all going well this wont be our last train ride I'm thinking. It might even end up being our July 4th tradition.

Of course in googling about the train and journey found a lot of web postings (and sites) about Amtrak. I cant say we'll be as well - lets say keen as those folks who write about the cars and history of trains, but then again its a bit too warm here in California for my trench coat and train binoculars...

words

So wee man has been talking up a storm, pointing at objects and sometimes shocking us by saying a word crystal clear, which of course we don't hear again for another week.

Said bye bye when waving bye to Catherine his wonderful caretaker, said hello and light for Dad and myself. Book yesterday for Catherine's son and my favorite - when we were at Standford and they were singing O MacDonald farm - they said the cow says and Fionn said Moo... Which floored us all and of course was probably a complete coincidence.

He loves pointing to lights and tries to say light and fan (which comes out ban) - most of the time its bada bada dor and he looks at you quite seriously while he says this expecting you to go - but of course - that makes that whole string theory of the cosmos finally fit the general theory of relativity..

Anyways fun times, his new game is also roaring like a lion while crawling around and if you crawl around too and roar he laughs out loud.

Although the church folks on Sunday probably didn't get the lion reference while he decided to do it after the choir finished a song. He loves to sing so was busy going la la la and waving his hand in a musical way when the song finished and he brought it to a crescendo by going ROAR.. Maybe he's a hand clapping arm throwing Baptist.... Although I'm going for a funny 10 month old kid who has a wicked sense of humor. Wonder where he got that from...

i'm a penguin - on the wii anyway

So just finished a good 30 minute workout on Wii balance board
- in that 30 minutes I skied down a hill (as badly as I do in real life has to be said),
was a penguin balancing on an ice floe trying to eat fish diving side to side,
did a boxing workout,
floated down a river in a bubble like bubble boy leaning forward and sidewards trying not to burst bubble on rocks,
did a ski jump,
did 4 yoga poses,
3 strength poses,
headed soccer balls and also some soccer shoes that the other wiis threw at me and
also did a good heart pumping run on an island... phew... The island run also has a neat trick of last leg being downhill so you feel like you're getting to end easier..

So since we opened it at our Wii party I've got on that balance board every night 10 days in a row and done some activity even if its only for 10 minutes. The Wii party was pizza and beer so not the most calorie friendly though hah, plus hubbies cell phone was knocked accidentally by a friend from sofa arm in a pint of beer (although that now opens up way for a new iPhone in July... so a mishap? perhaps...)

Anyway - its very motivating - would be great for kids as well if it didn't ask to weigh you every time. What I like though is that it concentrates more on your Wii Fit Age - so how fit you are but it does weigh you and show your BMI as well as weight and tracks it on a chart. I made hubbie go into kitchen when I was weighing myself - also the wii characters that are you then look as heavy as you are after you get weighed.

Hopefully I'll keep up daily and watch my wii figure as well as my real one go down...

for the geek who has it all

So my sister Grainne gets me.. She may make copious amounts of fun at my expense for my geekish ways but she does get me. Her hubbie is in same camp as myself and mine. One time at work he told boss that he had to take a religious holiday, sure said his boss, you never take any time off but I have to say I know that you're an aethist - you told me so. Yep said Chris - new release of the old Star Wars movies starts today.. So yep they get us

So big parcel came last week and inside was my VERY OWN Doctor Who Dalek Voice Changer Helmet.

From the advertising - Now you can speak like a Dalek, play Dalek phrases or the exterminator sound effect using the 3 activation buttons.

*Button 1- Dalek Phrases

*Button 2- Exterminator sound effect

*Button 3- Dalek voice changer

Excellent ! And of course I put it on while talking to hubbie and baby who laughed as I said peek a boo in a Dalek voice... How much fun is that! How sad and geeky and am I... Of course now we have to get a Dr Who Tom Baker scarf made for the wee man for Halloween and a Cyber Man Costume for Daddy...

amazing weight loss

http://www.pastaqueen.com/halfofme/archives/2008/06/how_to_lose_192.html

Amazing blog that I read every week of how this girl Jennette lost 192 pounds - the hard way and is still blogging about it. I love her sense of humor, her acknowledgement that its not over just because you lost some weight and how every day is just another decision between a salad and a more tasty bagel.. (if carbs were money I'd be very rich...)

older no wiser

So had a lovely birthday on Thursday - hubbie got me cards from himself and wee lad, some great new books and I got a new wii fit board - haven't used it as yet but plan to later today

We had a lovely night in Thursday - watched PS I love you that my wee sister Maevers bought me (who is currently leaving Australia after 6 months and will be backpacking around Asia for another 3 months before heading back to Ireland ..) The book was much better but grand movie to sit in with and have a nice big glass of wine. Gerald Butler keeps slipping into his Scottish accent in movie but since hes nice on eyes I'm not protesting too much.. Hubbie had brought home food and more importantly a huge slice of Strawberry Napoleon cake from Flames - slices of puff pastry, fresh cream and strawberry jam.. Yummm

Friday I cleaned around house after music with wee lad and went down to my mate Ciaras for Friday girls night. Once a month she has a girls night where about 10-15 girls from a wide range of life and ages pile into her house, have a grand chat, few laughs, some soda, wine, tea and nibbles.

So Thursday I sent out a reminder to folks that the girls night was happening as theres a few of my friends who come to it. Ciara jokes that my emails remind her about it

Then I get an email and the subject of it is..

Surprise party for S on Friday at girls night - shes not on this email list....

So I laugh as the email is bcc to everyone from Ciara but only person on the cc list is well me and my email address...

Classic..

So I laugh and think I wont say anything but sure everyone and their mother who was bcc.. said are you sure S wasn't on that as her email was.. doouhh!

So Ciara calls me up, have you seen your email yet.. I just laugh and she says I hate you laughing.. She then says well sure wont be a party - that will be surprise

So nice to even think of it and Friday hubbie dropped us off so I could have a drink and there was a tiara waiting for me and some wine and I got a lovely bubble wand as a pressie and even cake with a candle.. You can't get much better then a tiara and your own bubbles to wave around like a princess :-) Was a lovely night and Annie dropped me off home. I think was even better for the story around my not so surprise party ;-)

Then Saturday morning I drove down to Ciaras and we went for a short hike around a local trial for an hour and half with her neighbor. She had come up to my neck of woods last week. We're meeting every Saturday morning for a quick walk. Perfect to catch up and get fit.

Then myself and hubbie went off to the movies while Catherine our lovely daycare lady took wee lad for a few hours babysitting him. We're so lucky to have her minding wee lad as you can tell he's not a job to them but a pleasure. He loves going there and doing his little shriek when he sees their so patient cat who lets wee lad pet him while hes all excited about this furry animal.

We saw Indiana Jones and it was a grand movie - not as bad as I had heard. Yep the Alien theme is a little out there (like the Ark etc wasn't ?) and I heard Stephen Spielberg had to talk George Lucas down from even more crazy ideas.. So I would have loved to known what Lucas was thinking as it was pretty out there even for that..

So today off to Half Moon Bay - nice drive by the sea for a friends 14th birthday. Then back home for tonight where we have about 10 mates coming over to play Wii games and have some pizza and some beer from the new IPA keg hubbie picked up yesterday.

I laughed at friends who sent birthday wishes for my 29th birthday - truth is I LOVE being in my 30's. Is so much better than my 20's and I cant wait to see what my 40's will bring. I am comfortable being myself more now than ever. I have even started looking into a MLS masters program (masters of library science..) for next year. Those who know me know of my childhood dream of being a librarian. Yes I know that I cant sit and read books all day (although a friend of mine Gina who is a librarian says that's what they pretty much do... )

So lovely birthday weekend - I am still receiving pressies in the mail and cards so feel super spoiled. Also shared it with my sisterchick Shelia in NY who is missed but I know loving her new city. And sure now I have tons of new books to read and with the wee man and hubbie I have everything I ever wanted...

So older, no wiser but very happy :-)

sex and the city

One brave man was alone in a sea of women last Friday at screening of Sex in the City at 8pm. One Y chromosome bopping among feather boas, cocktail glasses (we could hear glasses tinkling each other) with cheers and whoops from all corners of the cinema at one character's Dante's lovely form in the outdoor shower. A passerby to my remarks that he was one brave bast&*% to come to the movie and be the only lad, let us in on the secret - One, that he came with his wife and Two - that he's a bigger fan than she is..

Now that's funny...