Amusements

Here's a diverting pastime for a Sunday afternoon: have the house man lift you into the toy bucket and pile everything onto you. Remove everything one item at a time. Once you've dumped all the toys out the bucket, just call for the house man to come and refill the bucket.

So much for her dreams of running for office.

Best cure for a little diaper rash is some time hanging out in the nudie-rudie. Just be sure to put several layers of blanket and beach towel between the baby and the living room carpet.

At Drumlin Farm. Again.

Here I am trying to get Audrey's hat-- which we call The Pink Napoleon-- back on her head and asking her to not immediately remove it again. She did not comply.

Scott and Audrey check out the cows and ponies in the barn. Smells better in the here than it did in the pig barn.

Audrey is often wearing enough sunscreen to be slightly greasy to the touch. Gross? Yes. But what are you going to do if you are as pale as the three of us?

Go, Aggs

Thanks, Gramma Jean. T-shirt is wearing well, and accesorizes nicely with these pink shorts and DVD remote.

This floor has no give to it.

She bounces whenever her feet hit something solid, so her first attempts at walking might look more like someone trying to use a pogo stick... except without the pogo stick.

Fishface, Bed-head, Snarfie

'Tis Scott's 38th birthday today. Please send him a note to tell him how youthful he still is.; I think he finds my assurances too biased to be convincing.
She came up with this new trick all by herself. Look closely at the mouth...

This easy, breezy I-just-rolled-out-of-bed look was achieved with no styling products!

Shirtless? The better to tickle you, my dear.

Blurry shot from this weekend

Getting a kiss from Chickpea is like having a small squid wrap its arms around you and suction your face. She also likes to look deeply into your eyes-- by peeling back your eyelids.

Gonzo's Games

Gone are the days when Audrey thought that lying on her back watching the ceiling fan was a facinating pastime. Now she likes to play. Here are her two favorite games. Parents: you may recognize these classics.

Game #1
A simple game of strategy, in which Audrey drops an object-- toy, spoon, washcloth, digital camera, what-have-you-- onto the floor from her highchair, and Mom leans down to pick it up. Audrey drops the object again. Mom picks it up. Audrey drops. Mom picks up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up. Drop. Pick up....

And it you get tired of that one, there's always...

Game #2
Another brain teaser, in which Audrey pulls all of her toys out of the plastic bin on the living room floor and Mom puts them all back in. Audrey dumps the toys back out. Mom puts them in. Audrey tips them out. Mom puts them in. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In.

Got that? Good. Oh, and if anyone's wondering what happened to her hair? I attempted to trim her bangs just a little and achieved this "Fraggle Rock" look by accident. Scott took one look at her and said, "Please don't give her any more gonzo haircuts, okay?"

A rare all-three-of-us picture, at our neighbors' house

I promised Scott daily Chickpea updates while he's in San Diego this week, then I went and let the camera battery run down. I'm smart like that. Yesterday I turned too sharply coming out of our driveway and blew a tire, had to get it towed to the shop, etc. I briefly considered just going to the RMV to turn in my license for being such a dope. Oh, and the baby monitor barely works because I let that battery wear out, too. If Audrey has any common sense, she will be getting it from her father, not from me.

Love to Scott from your girls; we miss you very much. And not just because you know how to change a flat tire.

First entry of the real summer (in which I whine about how hot it is...)

Okay, okay-- no whining (but it is really hot in our house. Truly. I think our thermostat must be set on "High Broil.") Here are some pictures of Audrey in her summer wardrobe. And one picture in which we captured her newest trick: waving. She often waves when she hears Scott coming into the house at the end of the day, which melts him, as you can imagine. It's this wild, arm-flailing, joyful, out-of-control gesture. But when we prompt her to wave for other people so they can see it, she just stares, as if we have fabricated the whole thing.

Anyway. I'd better just post these photos before the computer overheats.




Until now you thought it was a figment of our imagination-- but look! It's real waving! It is!!!

Flop on pop.

I will regret having typed these words.

I really should know better by now. If I say it, it'll never happen again. But I can't resist. I just have to shout it to the rafters. It's too good to be true. I thought we would never get there.

My friends: Audrey is sleeping through the night about 50% of the time now, and the other 50%, she's up one time for a quick feeding and back down to sleep without a struggle.

There. Now I've done it. Audrey will be up all night tonight, tuning her electric guitar, calling her friends, raiding the fridge and generally trashing the place. But oh, it feels so good to brag a teensy bit. Just this once. I don't care what the price is. And I forgive you for hating my guts right now if your baby is not sleeping through the night-- frankly, I deserve it. I'll get my comeuppance soon enough.

Oh, and I have to thank those who offered teething tips and tricks, which we will surely benefit from soon, but it looks like we were wrong that Audrey is getting a tooth. She doesn't seem to be teething yet, but she is munching, chewing, gumming and drooling on a very aggressive training schedule to get ready for the Real Thing. And when that first tooth does show its razor sharp edges, we are ready with the baby motrin and the oragel and the little mesh bag with frozen fruit. Bring it, baby!

Here's why I love the summer weather:

The short-sleeved onesies really show off the dimpled elbows and that delicious crease of baby fat at the wrist. Can you stand it? I can't stand it. I could eat this child up. (What has happened to me? Who took my cynicism?? Someone help me relocate my dark side!!)

Class of 1938, meet the Class of 2029

Our friend Dorothy stopped by on her way home from her 70th Reunion at Simmons College to say hello to Kris and Audrey. We were very glad to see her, and glad that Audrey behaved well.

Dad, why does it say "access denied" when I try to read your e-mail?

Audrey is taking advantage of the summer to start her memoirs. Chapter 1: tijsflkjnlokjhsdfhnjk!! E4#FJIJ@#$&@*.