Our Persisting Memories

I say sort of because here is the story of only SOME of our Thanksgiving vacation: I was not home almost all day Monday and Tuesday so I missed a lot of good time to be home doing laundry and packing. It was crammed into Tuesday night and I was busting my butt to get it all done. Shortly before what would have been bedtime for Sophia on Tuesday night, she throws up. She continues to throw up off and on for a little over an hour. It was almost impossible to get any more packing done due to getting in a warm bath with her and snuggling and comforting her on the couch. We know nothing is seriously making her sick because we can see it is the mucus she has been swallowing over the last several days due to an oncoming cold. She stops barfing, I finish packing, and we all go to bed! However, we bring a barf bucket in the car with us just in case. We drive out Wednesday morning, the car drive was not as bad as we thought, albeit long, but not too bad. Thank goodness! We get there...

27693|400 I have said Sophia's middle name to her and around her several times in the past. I didn't ever think she was catching on that "Ruth" was also part of her name. I was talking with her one day and I think I said something like "little girl" or similar to that and she tells me "No! I'm Sophia RUUUTH!" That was the first time I heard her say that, but apparently BJ had heard her weeks before say this. Then again today I addressed her by "young lady" and she says "I no young lady! I'm Sophia RUUUTH!" I guess her name will only suffice for now! We have started trying to teach her her last name as well. At first she was repeating back to us "Actually" but now it sounds more like "At-ech-el-ee". Now BJ is getting all excited about her learning her full name he wants to teach her her phone number and address. I told him he might be getting ahead of himself. I am happy with Sophia Ruth At...

43664|350 So I know I mentioned in my previous post we are holding off on the potty training thing for a bit. We were starting to get nowhere and little frustrated. However, over the last couple weeks Sophia has asked to sit on the potty a few times and has been asking about her training pants. I have put her on and sometimes she goes and sometimes she doesn't--no big deal. Then there was yesterday. She went tinkle in the potty twice and she pooped in it for the first time ever! It was right before bed and I thought, "what the heck I will just offer for her to go." She was willing and then she pooped! She seemed just as surprised as me and a little unsure about what had just happened. But as soon as I smiled and started clapping and jumping up and down she thought it was totally cool. It was so nice not changing a poopy diaper and just flushing the toilet! I think I will continue on this current path of putting her on when she asks, offering occasionally, and s...

I have often stressed and wondered over the last several months if my disciplining and talks to Sophia have been getting through. She gets time outs when she hurts Phoebe or does something she really shouldn't, then we sit and talk about what she did, and then she has to apologize to whomever she insulted (usually Phoebe). Over the last few weeks we have begun a couple new things in our efforts to make Sophia nicer and calmer toward Phoebe and other kids. One, we have started asking her (after she hit or whatever) what she could have done differently or what she should have done instead. She has responded very well and quickly to this with replies like "not hit Phoebe, not Push Phoebe, say sorry" and etc. And two, when Phoebe does bother her but grabbing a toy or her blanket or cup, instead of screaming and crying at her she needs to tell Phoebe in a nice voice to "please not take my blankie, give it back. I want my blankie." and so on. I have been able t...

Here's something I didn't know. Each month the Cato Institute posts an essay to Cato Unbound and invites other political commentators to reply to that essay. They also invite anyone to dive into the debate via their own blogs. The essay this month is Corporations Versus the Market; or, Whip Conflation Now . I've have a reply up within the next week or so. To be completely fair I generally agree with the essayist but have a few comments primarily revolving around international trade. I'll also have notes on the commentary by other essayists. I'll be back soon.

It seems a sad fact that most of my work stories involve some sort of medication, but honestly work isn't normally that exciting. My first day back in the actual office after recovering from pneumonia over the past few weeks, was spent in a large informal meeting with the head of our group in corporate. The members of management who were the stars of this meeting probably oversee thousands. Since it was an informal meeting, we were discussing basically anything. In this case the meeting started out discussing the economy. I won't go into too much detail but suffice it to say I had to say something. After being on an antibiotic strong enough to make me dizzy for the past 10-12 days, I probably shouldn't have started a rant, much less in front of people who are 4 or more degrees separated from me in management. I started out by explaining the nature of regulation and the constant abiilty of investment bankers to find new ways to make money. Primarily the CDS and CDO in t...

This is a piece written for the Weekly Standard by PJ O'Rourke. You can read the original here . I'm posting the entire article here as well. It's absolutely hilarious, and contains more wordplay than a rap battle. We Blew It A look back in remorse on the conservative opportunity that was squandered. by P.J. O'Rourke 11/17/2008, Volume 014, Issue 09 Let us bend over and kiss our ass goodbye. Our 28-year conservative opportunity to fix the moral and practical boundaries of government is gone--gone with the bear market and the Bear Stearns and the bear that's headed off to do you-know-what in the woods on our philosophy. An entire generation has been born, grown up, and had families of its own since Ronald Reagan was elected. And where is the world we promised these children of the Conservative Age? Where is this land of freedom and responsibility, knowledge, opportunity, accomplishment, honor, truth, trust, and one boring hour each week spent in itchy clothes at ch...

BJ had to work at the Allen office today so I seized an opportunity to have Sue, BJ's mom, take Sophia for the day. It worked nicely for BJ to be able to drop her off and pick her up, and I knew she would have a blast with her Nana. I can't believe what I day it has been! I got to visit with a friend and her kids this morning without being worried where Sophia was, what she was doing, was she getting into trouble, etc. Phoebe seemed to enjoy being around other kids that weren't going to hit her or cause her grief. It was very relaxing. I got to go grocery shopping with Phoebe this time (I usually take Sophia or don't take any) and she seemed to enjoy it. I got to nap when she napped (very nice) and we have played a lot. I have been able to show her ways to play with certain toys and do all sorts of fun stuff I haven't really been able to show her because Sophia is around to take over, take the toy, or just intrude in every way possible. Phoebe has been such...

It is actually BJ's fault this is 2 weeks late. I wrote the previous week's post but the pictures for it had not been downloaded off the camera yet (which I don't know how to do) so my words sat there and sat there. I could have just hit the 'publish' button and been on my way. But I hate doing a long post without pictures.....the grandparents need their eye candy! So before we both knew it one week turned into 2 and here we are. Once again, get ready for a LONG post! (BJ Note - I had pneumonia :( ) I think as I mentioned in the previous post we had ended the last week with Sophia and BJ getting a fever. BJ's fever hung on for a few days and other symptoms came on. In the end he went to the doctor and as you saw from his post he had developed pneumonia. Sophia kept fighting an off and on low grade fever all week and seems to still have it. Phoebe had a day here and there with low grade fever as well. I don't know if they have a simple virus or are ...

It's a historic event considering the context. As often as I have expressed dislike for any ideas that his race should play a part in any decision on how to vote, I am glad to acknowledge the step taken by voting him into office. I've read a litany of blogs and commentary on the election and the results of the election. I still echo Radley Balko's sentiments regarding the price the Republican party needed to pay for abandoning any notion of being fiscally responsible/conservative. The distortion of the concept of a laissez faire market into one that is expressly corporatist has led to huge problems in the economic and financial center, all while ballooning false markets into an economically disastrous explosion. My issue with the direction of the Obama Presidency is that it hopes to continue the false expectations put in place by the Bush administration. In some ways he has a difficult road ahead, because to change the nature of the economic downturn he'll either ha...