Stroller Giveaway

Well friends, I'm caving in. I'm posting about a giveaway simply in order to have a better chance (10 extra chances) to win it. Although there are 790 comments already and the contest doesn't close until next Friday, you will see that this has not stopped me.

So here's the fabulous item:



Wish me luck my friends.

A-Roo

So tonight when I told Michael I had an idea for my next blog post, he guessed, "A Roo?"

So even though that wasn't it, I guess I get to share the story: As some of you may know, I have a chronic nickname habit. It started when Nathanael was born and I went through the high-pitched-voice phase of early motherhood. (To those of you who endured my video-posts when Nathanael was tiny, I offer my deepest regrets. I had no idea what I was subjecting you to!)

So, as I discussed in an earlier post, I came up with a lot of nonsense names. This has now expanded to all words. I especially like to make up songs and new lyrics to old tunes. Frequently, I attempt to rhyme.

However, I am usually quite tired when these songs are created and it usually ends up that in order to rhyme I either use the same word again, or I use a nonsense syllable.

An excerpt from a song to Nathanael:

I love you, my sweet Baboo
I love you, a roo

(And because I sing the word 'you' quite often, the nonsense syllables usually end in 'oo'. Also, I usually need some filler, because my line lengths tend to be off. That's where the 'a' comes in. Thus: a roo.)

These syllables (a roo currently being the most prominent) are becoming quite a fluent part of our idiolects*. So much so that when Michael is trying to emphasize something, or agree emphatically, he will say, "a roo!" I've even caught myself just in time before punctuating an adult conversation with this sort of creative tidbit.

Well, I really can't say anything else after that kind of a confession. So I'll post pictures instead.













*idiolect: a variety of a language unique to an individual. It is manifested by patterns of word selection, vocabulary and word lexicon, grammar, or words, phrases, idioms, or pronunciations that are unique to that individual. Every individual has an idiolect; the grouping of words and phrases is unique, rather than an individual using specific words that nobody else uses. An idiolect can easily evolve into an ecolect—a dialect variant specific to a household. (from Wikipedia)

Memory Lane

Here is a fun little game I found on Melissa'a blog (thanks!)

If you're reading this, please leave a comment on this post of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything that you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

I'm excited to drum up some comments as I've been absent for awhile in both reading and writing blog posts.

...but I came back! (Michael, are you reading this?)

Anyway, have fun with this. I'm looking forward to hearing the goofy things you all remember about me!

Also, if you leave a memory about me, I'll go to your blog and leave one about you.

On your mark... get set... comment!

Milestones

Nathanael has now fully entered the world of walking. Yesterday he was doing laps around the living room for entertainment. :)

His most recent accomplishment was standing up without an object to lean on. We were playing in the front yard in the morning, and he just stood up. He has yet to repeat the feat, he prefers to use his old method when there is furniture around.

I love being present for all these tiny yet exhilarating milestones. We celebrate every day!

Well, I have come to acknowledge my fixed belief: all blog entries without photographs are in some way lesser. I don't know if I'll ever move past this belief, but for now, a totally unrelated picture of Nathanael and his cousin in their sweet shades (April 2008).

Screeching Thoughts

When I sit at the computer my sewing machine inspiration is gone. Ah, here it is again! My thoughts merrily roll along as I go throughout my day (this evening it was at the sewing machine) and the moment I plop down in front of the computer to capture these brilliant and snappy thoughts they screech to a halt, leaving my brain feeling fuzzy and asking, "What am I doing on this computer?"

However, I have learned (and it worked tonight too) that as I type the very words to describe my blockage, my mental flow is at least partially restored. This time, it resulted in this little postlet, and I feel quite resolved that I have given the subject my full attention, even for so brief a time.

Now, I seemed destined to meta-blog as an introduction to each post; however, please don't delete your bookmark of my site just yet--I intend to curb this habit as soon as I get out a few festering concepts. (Among them: privacy, site design, and this one: mental composition.)

A new (and very exciting) idea just came to me: shorter, more frequent posts! [Humor me, I know this isn't really novel or exciting.] That way, you, the reader, can skip the ones about blogging and read only the interesting ones about baby food and the mental derangement of motherhood. Hmmm.

Well, I have myriad thoughts to develop, but church is at 9 in the morning tomorrow, which will come as quite a shock after our usual 1 PM schedule. Toodle-Pip.