tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57225635402730766662024-02-18T21:33:07.492-05:00The Country Mouserandom thoughts, baby pictures, and some knittingThe Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-62993829432202062722010-02-22T20:03:00.002-05:002010-02-22T20:07:22.535-05:00Such a ReaderI don't know if you can see the headline on the front, there, but I'm sure he picked this magazine on purpose.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKXuRSs4wJCMpFhVWFGITlC_tJBRH0hTUH3diSWZtFZnM_T1sLtcH_jfqewuYyfacWII39lb_X10jzPEBFTcQPITjbbh8-iOQMQepgCziJlXs-dknx_ye-CWW1KPNXJUqhD1AZsTnCEBz/s1600-h/IMG_1023.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKXuRSs4wJCMpFhVWFGITlC_tJBRH0hTUH3diSWZtFZnM_T1sLtcH_jfqewuYyfacWII39lb_X10jzPEBFTcQPITjbbh8-iOQMQepgCziJlXs-dknx_ye-CWW1KPNXJUqhD1AZsTnCEBz/s200/IMG_1023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441238413211834834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tired of Being Good</span>The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-62071135662016210432010-01-02T10:31:00.004-05:002010-01-02T11:06:29.920-05:00Excuse me ... but did you know there's a dead fish on your head?So our family Christmas was last Sunday night, and I can finally show you the presents I was working on so madly.<br /><br />Last winter, the online magazine <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.knitty.com">Knitty</a> published a pattern (Free! All their patterns are free. I love Knitty.) for a unique hat. Originally designed for a young boy who wants to be a sea biologist, it looks like ... well, it looks like a <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTfishy.php">dead fish</a> is eating your head. I was immediately captivated, <span style="font-style: italic;">of course</span>. (You may want to refer back to my first post about these, where I said something about family weirdness.)<br /><br />So, for the last year, off and on, I've been working to produce these (closeups courtesy of the lovely Emma):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx3tp71RgM5EFxTECtomRAqPgFdJ_rlh7_h5dnIOlWmOFPf2g37QhihaJyfM9oE7pbbGwJV_EMb8MfN56pHVgCy8bOGdmn_nQ6mlTtskOl3NXNGRWUqNWpzAFSrC836Ct5vaClx6fbDhV/s1600-h/IMG_0754.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx3tp71RgM5EFxTECtomRAqPgFdJ_rlh7_h5dnIOlWmOFPf2g37QhihaJyfM9oE7pbbGwJV_EMb8MfN56pHVgCy8bOGdmn_nQ6mlTtskOl3NXNGRWUqNWpzAFSrC836Ct5vaClx6fbDhV/s200/IMG_0754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172554098445698" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18IUukxF9LQ8oJ7nuYcwyWxwIOyYqKcg6VmZKqR7-vO-YPtBlDSOWuWFB3HUK8RcfoYZ4ZwHAvC8XAYtMG6tlsP3cTLIzJG1UgRyvkwKsK9LbspgALLvjxWG-SpskGYpoNkMuqrjsrjJy/s1600-h/IMG_0758.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18IUukxF9LQ8oJ7nuYcwyWxwIOyYqKcg6VmZKqR7-vO-YPtBlDSOWuWFB3HUK8RcfoYZ4ZwHAvC8XAYtMG6tlsP3cTLIzJG1UgRyvkwKsK9LbspgALLvjxWG-SpskGYpoNkMuqrjsrjJy/s200/IMG_0758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172540505433314" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqxycQP9t76yMe9xhv0mN2G349u6A7gty2ARj2llNkMjoKUJgFVNubfyStoCq-X3tWaL5stnuSkvAtMasbS4HF-ZfWBIhgVCYIojvvUesVZ2FINtU7dPak0cVcrCiQGE9S3Id-59-lT0b/s1600-h/IMG_0757.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqxycQP9t76yMe9xhv0mN2G349u6A7gty2ARj2llNkMjoKUJgFVNubfyStoCq-X3tWaL5stnuSkvAtMasbS4HF-ZfWBIhgVCYIojvvUesVZ2FINtU7dPak0cVcrCiQGE9S3Id-59-lT0b/s200/IMG_0757.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172544863547106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Because nothing says Merry Christmas like a dead fish.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-45081533078322128952009-12-26T08:42:00.003-05:002009-12-26T08:56:31.638-05:00Mr. PopperLevi didn't get a ton of gifts for Christmas, but we tried to stick with the classics. Along with a Rolf Harris CD set (he loves this guy; if you don't, go look him up on YouTube), he got a Farmer See-n-Say, and a Fisher Price Corn Popper. You had one, remember?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06W_CRai52ymjmKmLJ4ueZvkl3GwxdG65codzKSo2zPZBQUUyYdRe8xWZ2gI_w9za2Z2B79tRcyYF44-c3iH2uKP8WMxc4bfibdwsELaP9SBGICBbNXRqfhk8CyPcu5G1HVv5GJPU7AbK/s1600-h/corn+popper.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06W_CRai52ymjmKmLJ4ueZvkl3GwxdG65codzKSo2zPZBQUUyYdRe8xWZ2gI_w9za2Z2B79tRcyYF44-c3iH2uKP8WMxc4bfibdwsELaP9SBGICBbNXRqfhk8CyPcu5G1HVv5GJPU7AbK/s200/corn+popper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419540994154528562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He is completely delighted with the noise it makes (Also the fact that is filled with balls. Ball? Ball? Ball?), and when he gets it to work, he cackles with glee. Sadly, he hasn't quite figured it out yet - he doesn't get that he has to push it out along in front of him. So it's a little frustrating right now. He's keeping at it, though. Pop. Poppoppoppoppoppop.<br /><br />Just for fun: no one seems to know the official name of this toy (I had to look on the label). What did you think yours was called?<br /><br />And bonus points to anyone - except my sister - who can guess what the title of today's post is an homage to. (Bad sentence. Oh well. Not on the clock.)The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-4416340736309879292009-12-24T10:46:00.002-05:002009-12-24T10:49:57.781-05:00Santa BabyBeen an awful good girl<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNz04nj6bZYlHeuc7W4AosZEUQoU7jPG1YwF2h_83yrSetDbaIUSSUy3l-N4z9yDdSC6asKCw9GcJ6GARvfWubCKXq_NcdAp7TSAVcXg3oTFKI8VaXFyZb4RRQV3_V4-g7qs09YokbnWL/s1600-h/IMG_6638.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNz04nj6bZYlHeuc7W4AosZEUQoU7jPG1YwF2h_83yrSetDbaIUSSUy3l-N4z9yDdSC6asKCw9GcJ6GARvfWubCKXq_NcdAp7TSAVcXg3oTFKI8VaXFyZb4RRQV3_V4-g7qs09YokbnWL/s200/IMG_6638.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418830109690725586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight ...<br /><br />MERRY CHRISTMAS!The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-29495996936193983162009-12-14T23:25:00.004-05:002009-12-15T00:07:25.210-05:00Aaah. There it is.I confess I haven't been feeling very Christmasy. I'd like to say it's because I've been so busy these last few months. I have, but I feel this way every year. In my own defense, I think I'd do better if the Christmas pushers didn't start right after the back-to-school sales get cleared away.<br /><br />That's not going to change, so I usually just keep bobbing along and trying to fake it until something clicks for me. Pretty often, it's a song. Sometimes it's snow. One year, I reread <span style="font-style: italic;">The Very Best Christmas Pageant Ever<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span>and that did it.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Tonight, I came in late from a Christmas party, and all the lights were off, but Paul had left the lights on the tree lit. So I came in and sat in the dark and looked at it for awhile, and there it was.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWRw7rgNP2L-1g5rxdyZIbYe5KbeoaVRUR56T38lH72vZoDO7iF9zHJcj3ORPs0ONNOV9xXQajSCWd0-Bpj-YedP1afFVlj88C-PakXlsz_hWshfXrrPFVT_EPKRqtM_sycGFgF52izdZ/s1600-h/IMG_0675.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWRw7rgNP2L-1g5rxdyZIbYe5KbeoaVRUR56T38lH72vZoDO7iF9zHJcj3ORPs0ONNOV9xXQajSCWd0-Bpj-YedP1afFVlj88C-PakXlsz_hWshfXrrPFVT_EPKRqtM_sycGFgF52izdZ/s200/IMG_0675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415324048282066674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Christmas spirit, big as life.<br /><br />I'm finally ready.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-35681626645049039792009-12-07T00:18:00.004-05:002009-12-07T00:40:45.669-05:00Vested InterestWhen Levi was about three weeks old, we found out that he has cystic fibrosis (CF). There are a number of daily meds and therapies that come with the diagnosis, one of which is chest percussion and drainage (PD). Till now, we've been doing PD by hand, but have been waiting until Levi was big enough for a therapy vest. It came last week, and it was an exciting day for a couple of reasons. We won't be doing it by hand anymore (I know I'm a wimp, but it's kind of tiring), and the vest will do a better, more consistent job than we ever could.<br /><br />It's a pretty funny contraption - the vest itself is black canvas, and contains an air bladder inside. Two hoses run from the vest to a little machine, and when it runs, the air bladder inflates, and then the vest deflates and inflates at a rapid rate - up to 25 times per second. The technical name is high-frequency chest wall oscillation. To an ignorant layman (that would be me), it just looks like the vest is jiggling.<br /><br />We were warned that Levi might really hate this until he got used to it, so we were geared up for a fight. He did cry a little bit the first time, right at the beginning, but he recovered quickly and really doesn't seem to mind at all. I'm so thankful! Paul has worked out that we can put him in his highchair if we take the tray off, pull the highchair up to the computer, and let him watch Rolf Harris videos (if you've never heard of Jake the Peg, do yourself a favor and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJleJbn9G6Y">go watch this</a>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpLVaRkCUzardeH2jRAXigWKAjCi3GyE1KnKLNv3nlL9GadMRzYB41HY_dolINFXkdwmhsy-sh6oaxD9jlaEMGyIcF1pDXFgimTMGfunY7qTIbCuV9UzN0Bak6v6j3ysGOd9Jvm7IPk5r/s1600-h/IMG_0608.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpLVaRkCUzardeH2jRAXigWKAjCi3GyE1KnKLNv3nlL9GadMRzYB41HY_dolINFXkdwmhsy-sh6oaxD9jlaEMGyIcF1pDXFgimTMGfunY7qTIbCuV9UzN0Bak6v6j3ysGOd9Jvm7IPk5r/s200/IMG_0608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412362627615904354" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bonus: The vest makes you sound funny when you talk. Good for cracking yourself up and amusing your mother.<br /><br />P.S. I have about one half project remaining for the Christmas knitting. I'm taking a quick break to knit Levi a pair of good old-fashioned wool mittens with a string attaching them so he can continue to go outside with his papa. We can currently only find one glove at a time, and it is <span style="font-style: italic;">cold </span>out there. Here they are without the string.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW7Skn81WP1GGxPiZuzNiDDJjOjxAx1CI21G-hi9Se0CxDNovisdxsRXzk6VxcAf1cWcN_apb7VS0dn8so2VCRhyQZgBUs8D0Q9uxC7lijpxhSCSmWE3O26xndcf1TQ3oR9Pgk0D5UflA/s1600-h/IMG_0607.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW7Skn81WP1GGxPiZuzNiDDJjOjxAx1CI21G-hi9Se0CxDNovisdxsRXzk6VxcAf1cWcN_apb7VS0dn8so2VCRhyQZgBUs8D0Q9uxC7lijpxhSCSmWE3O26xndcf1TQ3oR9Pgk0D5UflA/s200/IMG_0607.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412364968000568498" border="0" /></a>The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-11030768519506018982009-11-30T23:15:00.003-05:002009-11-30T23:51:42.922-05:00Going Into a SkidSo earlier this year I decided to knit a bunch of Christmas presents. Every niece and nephew on my side of the family is getting the same thing in different colors. I don't love the nieces and nephews on the other side any less, by the way. It just didn't seem appropriate. Maybe because my family is measurably weirder*.<br /><br />Anyway, it's a blessing, because I couldn't handle knitting 14 of the same thing. I'm doing seven as it is. I started in April, fell apart over the summer, picked back up in September and made good progress. During November, I cranked out two complete projects in two weeks. I have about one and one-tenth left, and I have gone into a serious skid.<br /><br />I seem to have a cycle on knit Christmas gifts. I do it every other year. So next year, I'll still remember that I hate knitting on a deadline (It's supposed to be fun. Deadlines are Not Fun.). Then in 2011, I'll decide that it will be <span style="font-style: italic;">fun</span>, and if I start early and stay organized, it will be be <span style="font-style: italic;">easy</span>. And I'll post this very same thing in December.<br /><br />Are there any carols about knitting? I need some inspiration!<br /><br />*That will make more sense after Christmas when I can post a picture. Though if you know us, it probably makes a whole lot of sense right now.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-76703885635304780692009-11-29T01:20:00.003-05:002009-11-29T01:31:45.868-05:00A Brown Howler MonkeyHere are some belated Halloween pictures. Courtesy of Jill, who took a few shots for me when I discovered I had forgotten to check the battery pack in my camera. Whoops. Thanks, Jill!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1aeF36mKDDC3fQcMTRni-iJtGw8BkYNraMvvfVFxQeOXRYCd98i6I0mAz7wjr0hdDM6HZGftMr1ILqiTc6hIhjSe8GQEPZGadkenwZiDsLFKdLL7DFJM97bU1UlpWir6IvnTZeVg4HzW/s1600/091031_+019.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1aeF36mKDDC3fQcMTRni-iJtGw8BkYNraMvvfVFxQeOXRYCd98i6I0mAz7wjr0hdDM6HZGftMr1ILqiTc6hIhjSe8GQEPZGadkenwZiDsLFKdLL7DFJM97bU1UlpWir6IvnTZeVg4HzW/s200/091031_+019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409407371388811234" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOhlUrBLrtMofb-g_mqH13mrGqAgupM4ZrSgdYNs9RWCBzodJBkONCF4oahpWymdV_9VF9VeVUNXsaQP9luPXeKtr6zs6vN0EXyDzj2wNEbLRhHEMEU1spAjlz_lKs8HeAY0GK-9g09jZ/s1600/091031_+021.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOhlUrBLrtMofb-g_mqH13mrGqAgupM4ZrSgdYNs9RWCBzodJBkONCF4oahpWymdV_9VF9VeVUNXsaQP9luPXeKtr6zs6vN0EXyDzj2wNEbLRhHEMEU1spAjlz_lKs8HeAY0GK-9g09jZ/s200/091031_+021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409407376502916962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Levi was blissfully unaware of why he was dressed as a monkey (possibly he was even unaware that he was dressed as anything in particular), but enjoyed himself anyway. He even scored a miniature pumpkin from someone after pointing at it and saying "Ball!" with great joy.<br /><br />In the meantime, he's progressed from the single word to "Whuz za ball?" which means anything from "Where's the ball?" to "More milk, please!" and, possibly, "Good morning!"<br /><br />I know I've been AWOL. We've been busy! Doctor appointments, the county fair, spiky fevers, Tamiflu, just-appearing molars, bonfires, more doctors ... and I got a job. It's 20 hours a week from home (in other words, perfect), but adjusting to it has taken a little longer than I thought. I think I'm settling in, though.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-81704963920836449172009-08-19T16:06:00.004-04:002009-08-19T16:21:44.257-04:00HandsPaul's family had a family picture session a couple of weeks ago. Levi was not so good at smiling that morning, and more of the pictures had little squinchy-faces in them than smiles, but the photographer got a few. When we got the digital files, she also sent some cropped photos of Levi sitting on his grandpa's lap. Very cute. Here's my favorite:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT48Euu2qg0eBrgzub3EsHSZlQ7kVX-wC4iVDaYnBvgZvHRZU3af6LjkYSnN3akRnfP-TOnZzkUrgkkg39wlvuLcZj8gUPFYsNGsIz8CtOH7IGwpotNQoIrAu-yV4jl_id1eeRB9WJUtk2/s1600-h/Aug+07+2009+Grandchildren+%2815%29+2+b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT48Euu2qg0eBrgzub3EsHSZlQ7kVX-wC4iVDaYnBvgZvHRZU3af6LjkYSnN3akRnfP-TOnZzkUrgkkg39wlvuLcZj8gUPFYsNGsIz8CtOH7IGwpotNQoIrAu-yV4jl_id1eeRB9WJUtk2/s200/Aug+07+2009+Grandchildren+%2815%29+2+b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371772181744180898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Isn't that sweet?The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-90720368688229861652009-08-15T10:26:00.002-04:002009-08-15T10:37:40.028-04:00There's a Joke In Here SomewhereI got a notice from the library this morning that a book I have out is due in two days. I haven't read it, so I tried renewing it online, but I've already renewed it once, and the system won't allow me to do it again.<br /><br />It's called <span style="font-style: italic;">Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.</span><br /><br />Oh well.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-83362774163153276352009-08-05T21:17:00.004-04:002009-08-05T22:07:20.227-04:00A Brush With FameSo Levi met a celebrity while we were in North Carolina.<br /><br />Shortly after Levi was diagnosed* with CF my friend Tiffany, who is an avid blog reader (and has <a href="http://amstutzville.blogspot.com/">her own blog</a> as well), told me about a blog she followed called <a href="http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a CF Husband</a>. I googled and found it, and started following too. In fact, the whole family got sucked in. Paul and Levi took to hanging out at the computer and watching videos of the sweet baby girl at the other end of the DSL connection. (We've gone over the difficulties of long-distance relationships with Levi, but he remains entranced.)<br /><br />Turns out we got to meet the CF Husband himself a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time, and Levi even gave him a kiss on the cheek before we left. Here they are together, with grins matching in intensity if not in toothiness.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo6CtZK6Ddzo7MZGWd70O9UFt93Y3vQySZBFdhUWPRODtJo3icjeQ1EL7kuGmGzt34XRgDIAfVVq3QH0wI7r5AJ89C4_vykGlroy9uRn-aFsHVBz1GTDyewUNnpzfMLTYosW4Rlklb7gR/s1600-h/IMG_0063.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo6CtZK6Ddzo7MZGWd70O9UFt93Y3vQySZBFdhUWPRODtJo3icjeQ1EL7kuGmGzt34XRgDIAfVVq3QH0wI7r5AJ89C4_vykGlroy9uRn-aFsHVBz1GTDyewUNnpzfMLTYosW4Rlklb7gR/s200/IMG_0063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366659286968333154" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Thanks for letting us drop by, Nathan! It was one of the highlights of our trip. We hope to see you again.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*Hooray for newborn screening - bringing longer, healthier lives to CF babies everywhere!</span>The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-55264315934515037682009-08-04T18:26:00.003-04:002009-08-04T18:58:59.524-04:00Digging OutWow. I was out of town, then I had houseguests, and I'm working some this week, which I usually don't. It's been a little wild around here. I'm currently digging through all of the papers on my desk and hoping that none of them are badly past their expiration date. Or that I am unable to decipher some of the notes I wrote myself. (Like when I put something valuable in a "safe place." Our passports, for example. I'm sure they'll turn up.)<br /><br />The smallest person in the house has produced four teeth on the top in the last few days, though not without suffering. I feel a little sad about it (and not just because of the grouchiness). I will miss his enormous gummy grin, and I was just getting used to the two on the bottom. I probably need to get a grip, or I'll never survive preschool graduation.<br /><br />I have finally uncovered the camera, and it has lots of really fun pictures on it. I'm sure I'll post some of them soon. Here's one to hold you over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew8PLTFzuLDvJcepTxBKR9edHbSGG_KJajIQdtOjG7q1KNb74UAzXkb58qGkc4PQriisCCsPFew1YnTTwK-Gxx4-1zLVL_nYjeczDx6vU8An4eVreCQsu1uz9QIfOazdD4oviFZdqFY5L/s1600-h/IMG_0148.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew8PLTFzuLDvJcepTxBKR9edHbSGG_KJajIQdtOjG7q1KNb74UAzXkb58qGkc4PQriisCCsPFew1YnTTwK-Gxx4-1zLVL_nYjeczDx6vU8An4eVreCQsu1uz9QIfOazdD4oviFZdqFY5L/s200/IMG_0148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366245798422971602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ice cream. It's what's for dinner.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-38154245837899192892009-06-21T07:49:00.002-04:002009-06-21T08:00:08.647-04:00Happy Father's Day, Papa!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82im96SINliVly2IbNgfa87pbMwEkDkXQ4GicAqv9leMgHVcT__L7qbOx5LaZKq-M-H4vOdMRrCUnSLtGW_IoHqCvxGSy8EmXgqdNIEQZOWim3FYcGyRyELMM59tfmpOWyjIkv3jZOq7r/s1600-h/0613091754a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82im96SINliVly2IbNgfa87pbMwEkDkXQ4GicAqv9leMgHVcT__L7qbOx5LaZKq-M-H4vOdMRrCUnSLtGW_IoHqCvxGSy8EmXgqdNIEQZOWim3FYcGyRyELMM59tfmpOWyjIkv3jZOq7r/s200/0613091754a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349749349096748242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When can I go on the road, you think?The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-83446776417357928482009-06-16T00:49:00.005-04:002009-06-16T01:51:44.864-04:00A Strange Kind of SenseMy mom called the other day, and, after saying hi, asked, "Do you know where my turkey baster is?"<br /><br />After a split-second struggle with a wildly inappropriate joke (I refrained), I said, "Um. No?"<br /><br />She explained. When she's in my kitchen and she's looking for something specific, she can almost always find it. So our kitchens must be organized the same way. So maybe, she said, if I remembered where <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> turkey baster was, I could tell her where <span style="font-style: italic;">hers </span>was.<br /><br />It makes a certain kind of sense.<br /><br />Unfortunately, she'd already looked in the places I thought of. No dice. When she came over this evening to watch The Bean, I forgot to ask whether she'd found it.<br /><br />When I got home, though, <span style="font-style: italic;">the stovetop had been cleaned</span>, which I am pretty sure was not Paul's handiwork, and for which I am willing to buy her a new turkey baster every time she loses it for the rest of her days.<br /><br />And, because I am not over it yet: look what else my image software can do.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5YnPMDFjPtKYbZwmzKzDiRQ4QtcEoxwSVMxweMXe09hQ8WLq00bZpEGBUmv03fdNUMnYU8ygHfx2ZzHkHFca_GPEX1X0MDYubOUWLsjOVzPMbNgJ3ZR6yrfkxs04xqkIeOATzrpvTSDq/s1600-h/goofing+around.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5YnPMDFjPtKYbZwmzKzDiRQ4QtcEoxwSVMxweMXe09hQ8WLq00bZpEGBUmv03fdNUMnYU8ygHfx2ZzHkHFca_GPEX1X0MDYubOUWLsjOVzPMbNgJ3ZR6yrfkxs04xqkIeOATzrpvTSDq/s200/goofing+around.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347788520393118482" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I can't believe I didn't know any of these features existed. I'm not even going to tell you how long I've had this program. It's embarrassing.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-37814213684422022552009-06-12T10:33:00.015-04:002009-06-12T21:45:42.267-04:00About That ToothIt's been quite a while since I mentioned it. I never did get a very good snapshot of it, but Levi did get pictures taken at nine months, and one of them shows it off really well. Here you go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf7Kx_Milm3Sw04dB1jbkyb2-Dp_igNtGdJYr3KGB_u51b00WJlUfBA_EYMcyekOyQoujTv13FSkT0zSyi6dIw0fYvQcs82SdgrMKqvTbuybUwYZ7PPxhpVkBC-SeLdjyODjuuhPwXhCq/s1600-h/levi034.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf7Kx_Milm3Sw04dB1jbkyb2-Dp_igNtGdJYr3KGB_u51b00WJlUfBA_EYMcyekOyQoujTv13FSkT0zSyi6dIw0fYvQcs82SdgrMKqvTbuybUwYZ7PPxhpVkBC-SeLdjyODjuuhPwXhCq/s200/levi034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346553297827077794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnTqfhXkgQLQAXgVnhLoKLwh5v2fegDd-eh4wQPEeMyXsO51hYrwJViRoTRKt2i2OYYR5rDTkdgLJs2VDLMp_YJBn_1qpK440dmpycBqv4hXaB3smLlt-nFkOYb4MX3hoN3Ij5f87MBqe/s1600-h/levi093.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnTqfhXkgQLQAXgVnhLoKLwh5v2fegDd-eh4wQPEeMyXsO51hYrwJViRoTRKt2i2OYYR5rDTkdgLJs2VDLMp_YJBn_1qpK440dmpycBqv4hXaB3smLlt-nFkOYb4MX3hoN3Ij5f87MBqe/s200/levi093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346553300036786658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He now has a tooth and a half - the second of the bottom center two has come in. He seems to suffer the most about 10-14 days before the teeth appear. I gotta say, I hope not all of them come in as hard as these two. We've had some miserable days and fevers up to 104 with each tooth. Yikes.<br /><br />He's a pretty mobile little dude now - above you can see him motoring across the lawn. He's not walking, but he's trying to let go of stuff and balance, with varying degrees of success. Typically, he lands on his bottom. Yesterday morning, he went over like a tower. Sadness ensued. He'll get it one of these days.<br /><br />I've actually been knitting a bit, but everything I'm working on is a surprise, so I can't share. Some are for Christmas, and some are for happy events a little sooner than that. (Hint: the latter are very small and soft.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aEPPmBzoMLgRzuVn1a70sol8WP4url3pYv_g-iVNbPXXhC19OSLXOjwrGtLcACv4jXGK2vfbu3lq_KVfeeWxR6XjwwRz3wqsdu1UJGQuz-mN1P5NxJlRpP0MhtW6l_hSGWLpo0gxgMuF/s1600-h/IMG_1211.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aEPPmBzoMLgRzuVn1a70sol8WP4url3pYv_g-iVNbPXXhC19OSLXOjwrGtLcACv4jXGK2vfbu3lq_KVfeeWxR6XjwwRz3wqsdu1UJGQuz-mN1P5NxJlRpP0MhtW6l_hSGWLpo0gxgMuF/s200/IMG_1211.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346553291382327602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />People keep telling me he's going to hate us for all these bath pictures someday. I'll take my chances. Also, I can tell him with a clear conscience that all those funny hairdos are not my fault. (Auntie, I'm lookin' at YOU.)<br /><br />Paul goes to an old-fashioned barbershop - red and white pole, inappropriate jokes, and everything - for his haircuts. (I am chicken and won't try a flattop; I'm afraid I'll make his head look funny. Er.) He sort of begged me to let Levi go last time. He was having pictures taken the next day, so I relented. Note that I'm not opposed to barbershops as such. I am opposed to paying for haircuts on tiny people who aren't yet mortified that their mothers cut their hair. (I might even be opposed once they <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> mortified. We'll see.) Anyway, he went just this once. They had a great time, and I have to admit, his hair looked really nice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb13_HhSFJBUvxzAMstkCeEooMwbdW6KqdhemRIR6AxBmR62oE1dvb2Y6Em3MQdMl9z8IXUwXHGAGxDsb4oivq0BtG_lTgUD3P8Ovc1XwcONTm2B5b2zErAkLOfPN5P5NbtLJRRZQ0ggu4/s1600-h/2009+05+29+at+Blair+Barbershop.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb13_HhSFJBUvxzAMstkCeEooMwbdW6KqdhemRIR6AxBmR62oE1dvb2Y6Em3MQdMl9z8IXUwXHGAGxDsb4oivq0BtG_lTgUD3P8Ovc1XwcONTm2B5b2zErAkLOfPN5P5NbtLJRRZQ0ggu4/s200/2009+05+29+at+Blair+Barbershop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346553284096978402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Isn't he cute on his papa's lap in that great big cape? And isn't that a lovely toilet in the background with the seat up? I might need to work on my photo composition.<br /><br />One last story before I go - a few days ago, the boys went on a walk while I cooked supper. They were going to see the baby chickens, they said. Half an hour later, I get this picture on my cell phone:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin53NbvfVaShVtFRIF5DJTewn0edACuFzhfYs8LQwck3-J2Aff3YWRbMQ8RXdXHbca5ia1M5K9T_wOYLIEKHRNylN9E7E2Cfx6iZGafnqBuxsjzX-ESV2LYVZUPy2lBcFvbRmqusEZtD_N/s1600-h/2009+06+10+Swimming+at+the+Fountain+-+First+Swim+Censored.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin53NbvfVaShVtFRIF5DJTewn0edACuFzhfYs8LQwck3-J2Aff3YWRbMQ8RXdXHbca5ia1M5K9T_wOYLIEKHRNylN9E7E2Cfx6iZGafnqBuxsjzX-ESV2LYVZUPy2lBcFvbRmqusEZtD_N/s200/2009+06+10+Swimming+at+the+Fountain+-+First+Swim+Censored.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346553279464161506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>Apparently they (I use this term loosely) decided to walk up to the community center next door to us, which has a pond. Nobody was there except two tween* boys who a) wouldn't pay attention and b) couldn't care less anyway, so Paul rolled up his pant legs and the baby stripped off, and in they went.<br /><br />The pond does not in fact have lovely vivid autumn leaves floating in it this spring. I didn't want to post the original photo and face child pornography charges, so I decided to blur it in my photo editing software. Instead, I discovered a feature that allows you paste random things all over your pictures. I have not wasted any time with this at all. Why do you ask?<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSsMTFHvaVvl-mzlRv-wGvtIRUHxmyiimeZ4uTfsg9t2coMNZ_Jwyqv19E-4GwIXgARiZvwJDhags9W2P4bEK3RNlabra1hw1DYo_trrE0PpRmiKcKJyXlihb9k4dXPThkXMykz4LKxgQ/s1600-h/elephant.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSsMTFHvaVvl-mzlRv-wGvtIRUHxmyiimeZ4uTfsg9t2coMNZ_Jwyqv19E-4GwIXgARiZvwJDhags9W2P4bEK3RNlabra1hw1DYo_trrE0PpRmiKcKJyXlihb9k4dXPThkXMykz4LKxgQ/s200/elephant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346563925159097362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ldz9AcA1bLkdQ-PkVe3JgtVAtvl3ARtZyo9QRx2H8yyUlgkzicg4CiaRyIJV6ZNNBR-gzWnJqyVS4wZ9bHrUScS2GZaWzixg0qEWFMQToVIxNFWDd4ZbOqBHbSygaAmxyf2Igr9nvbcZ/s1600-h/spider.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ldz9AcA1bLkdQ-PkVe3JgtVAtvl3ARtZyo9QRx2H8yyUlgkzicg4CiaRyIJV6ZNNBR-gzWnJqyVS4wZ9bHrUScS2GZaWzixg0qEWFMQToVIxNFWDd4ZbOqBHbSygaAmxyf2Igr9nvbcZ/s200/spider.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346565194099809698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVOfqf0aJYZ9G6FFIlKZ1bbJU76mIx4k5zoz-b-ZVtxBk4LkMex755klLBqDPHuxGBBxBL-8zul0qnX33RxrFafdS5GFBldWH7d5t6snbwiLppY2uucRJnGhBjlD05Vpg8smiclRc87in/s1600-h/donut.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVOfqf0aJYZ9G6FFIlKZ1bbJU76mIx4k5zoz-b-ZVtxBk4LkMex755klLBqDPHuxGBBxBL-8zul0qnX33RxrFafdS5GFBldWH7d5t6snbwiLppY2uucRJnGhBjlD05Vpg8smiclRc87in/s200/donut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346567058290442274" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span>The </span><span>spider one frankly freaks me out more than it should, but who doesn't love a giant donut? Also, don't believe any of the photos you see in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Enquirer</span>. Because we do not really have miniature elephants, even though that would be lots of fun.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*I'm deciding whether to leave that in. It has a specific meaning, but I'm not so fond of the word. I can't decide whether it sounds like Tinkerbell on speed or a painful muscle twitch.</span><br /></span>The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-9802857976409151552009-05-13T17:19:00.001-04:002009-05-13T17:20:07.073-04:00A Tooth!Levi has a tooth! (Finally. These teeth have been coming in forever.)<br /><br />Pictures to follow when I can catch a smile.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-8629398040048455062009-05-08T23:42:00.005-04:002009-05-09T00:02:48.280-04:00Yes It's True ... We Are Happy to Be Stuck With You<span style="font-style: italic;">Apologies to Huey Lewis.</span><br /><br />On April 27, our family went to court and finalized Levi's adoption. Woohoo! It was, as we had hoped, a total non-event, except that Levi burped really loudly during the actual decree part, so we don't know what the judge really said. (The papers are all in order, though. We're not worried.)<br /><br />Here's a picture of our family with the judge. Her name is Dixie, which I found completely incongruous with her appearance. I don't know why, but I expected a judge named Dixie to be at least 55 with smoker's voice. Hah!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6JH-HlO6ESuVZaa9BC9yuFH76cq1l6bZI3j9YJAW9xI0ZoK1qc5COrXFqJkkB9j43mNhQlJSj_0Yq557gc-ebnkdkJidq9diBjnmClorQ4dL0XIHtVZRkw6SC5EoywYHdLM_LstBOeGu/s1600-h/IMG_1070.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6JH-HlO6ESuVZaa9BC9yuFH76cq1l6bZI3j9YJAW9xI0ZoK1qc5COrXFqJkkB9j43mNhQlJSj_0Yq557gc-ebnkdkJidq9diBjnmClorQ4dL0XIHtVZRkw6SC5EoywYHdLM_LstBOeGu/s200/IMG_1070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333665882095427314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't know if you can see it, but Levi is holding a little pencil with two erasers, shaped like a gavel. The judge gave them as souvenirs. He was allowed to chew on one, but the other is saved for his memory box.<br /><br />I think I told pretty much everyone I've ever met that the finalization was done, so it didn't surprise me at all the the staff at the CF center knew about it (the social worker up there had in fact asked for a call when it was over). I was surprised, though, when we went up for our regular checkup, the door opened, and everybody on our team came in all at once ... with cake! We saved Levi's for later, and here he is enjoying it at home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoj3pvgwjfEmBSasgEFy5TT_hZWsmM-FsGZ0BOh7SQbnQuEnhVGwaSXRgQIb0To4dpKgFeDexx6hKx1WmxQnfFuETXRa7F50eyIHPPwl9aK0ovTJsfgTloEfo7SFkuNYTUxyHza1Dkths/s1600-h/IMG_1088.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoj3pvgwjfEmBSasgEFy5TT_hZWsmM-FsGZ0BOh7SQbnQuEnhVGwaSXRgQIb0To4dpKgFeDexx6hKx1WmxQnfFuETXRa7F50eyIHPPwl9aK0ovTJsfgTloEfo7SFkuNYTUxyHza1Dkths/s200/IMG_1088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333665891454239426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our little piggy ate about 2/3 of the slice. I didn't let him eat it himself, but I did promise him a nice smash cake on his first birthday.<br /><br />I've been impressed from the beginning with the Cystic Fibrosis team at the hospital, but they just keep getting better and better. Cake was not necessary, but I was very touched that they wanted to celebrate with us. (Has anyone else had a problem as they age with leaky eyes? I think mine are defective.)<br /><br />And speaking of CF ... if you haven't had a chance, take a look at my <a href="http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/carolzollinger">Great Strides site</a> and considering donating if you're able. I'm walking on Sunday May 17 to raise money for CF research. I hope that someday soon CF will stand for Cure Found.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-65083377455084075862009-05-06T00:10:00.005-04:002009-05-06T00:35:10.120-04:00We All Scream For Ice CreamPaul's current favorite baby video. He's asked several times for this one to make it to blog-dom.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsNiiHDLoNFxomrisTQ5DR8i7OhFZtrntWHpi0ZDzfgl_SCxOJR9VgiAJp0h41I0kBp0Eg2S4xZcQZ-5Z9NQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />No, I was not around to supervise bite size. Good heavens!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hmm. I can't figure out what's up with the sound. It's not quite as fun without it. Basically, though, it goes like this:<br /><br />Paul: Hey Beanie. Do you want some ice cream? Do you like ice cream? Here. Ugh, we dropped it. Here. Are you ready? Mmmm. Do you like Papa's ice cream? Hmm? You must have a papa that loooves you to share his ice cream. Huh? Mmmm. Tell Mama, "I like it! I like the ice cream." (fade to "I like the ice cream" song)<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><fade></fade></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-12915433340168621212009-04-24T14:14:00.004-04:002009-04-24T14:56:26.439-04:00Big Boy HaircutI held off for a long time (he's too little to get a haircut!), but I finally had to cave. His hair really was in his eyes most of the time.<br /><br />Here he is before the big moment. Note suspicious presence of combover, and little flyaway wings over ears. Papa really hated those wings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s0hpOdPFWGMkU6k10COcpdjaaz1B8NRp0oLSQsXlks6AYSMkPKCYLHNiAHpeQh5Vuby9ZAl0E2mdveOZohgke5Lrko6_tohVsBQWaB0BzHMtHYcvk5l6IfIZYc0jFtv67rm0FD7pUmbn/s1600-h/IMG_1057.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s0hpOdPFWGMkU6k10COcpdjaaz1B8NRp0oLSQsXlks6AYSMkPKCYLHNiAHpeQh5Vuby9ZAl0E2mdveOZohgke5Lrko6_tohVsBQWaB0BzHMtHYcvk5l6IfIZYc0jFtv67rm0FD7pUmbn/s200/IMG_1057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328324058319900578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And now, in his hillbilly barber cape, with all the hair combed down for display. Yeah, it's probably time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhVv-biXivrQfhBP8A_FQElbYAfpoi6RqArT4deOJz7TjaiUY-ijfKFIwbd11P9a5sZoIYFaimsh29vjLrNNIp51rt4Skdx85SUwgF6M8vcI6uJBW0GOqarYp7MbvyccSuXi49yq4Wlkk/s1600-h/IMG_1059.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhVv-biXivrQfhBP8A_FQElbYAfpoi6RqArT4deOJz7TjaiUY-ijfKFIwbd11P9a5sZoIYFaimsh29vjLrNNIp51rt4Skdx85SUwgF6M8vcI6uJBW0GOqarYp7MbvyccSuXi49yq4Wlkk/s200/IMG_1059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328324062388092114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hooray! Stylin' new big boy hair do, and no tears. At least from him.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-P_k1UZFRtXTbT0V9mcP7RaC8qgdDhc2woSRzaxBokWV8MlUD_axh1Yg5xmXmJMJQ3c6BEIokkkFwXhuywKHQBcoXdaVuOHfrMe9q3Ld5N7oz4Pj-YnFsLg5M0o5XYKkD5M8WviT7_Ia8/s1600-h/IMG_1064.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-P_k1UZFRtXTbT0V9mcP7RaC8qgdDhc2woSRzaxBokWV8MlUD_axh1Yg5xmXmJMJQ3c6BEIokkkFwXhuywKHQBcoXdaVuOHfrMe9q3Ld5N7oz4Pj-YnFsLg5M0o5XYKkD5M8WviT7_Ia8/s200/IMG_1064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328324069397141202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yes, I saved the hair, because I am a sentimental goob. I never used to be. What has happened to me?The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-33949377644268020382009-04-21T20:07:00.002-04:002009-04-21T20:19:29.057-04:00Puppies and Beards and Hay Bales, Oh My!The neighbors brought the new puppy over to say hello. His name is Hobo. He's just four weeks old (and shouldn't be away from his mama yet - he's a rescue). He is just adorable, and Levi <span style="font-style: italic;">loved</span> meeting a puppy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6uan2W0-bTzQeplbWsmbfmP8F4ykOxafhiZ5ng_iXMw6iB4eMLkNTCCk18-z3T7-jJ9jf94Wf-LF2mSTf0EbFmFMbkaREgMTFd2nFn-4uP_ddFK2oE2mddEqgkC4QCwlNuUeLqR4pXFK/s1600-h/IMG_1033.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6uan2W0-bTzQeplbWsmbfmP8F4ykOxafhiZ5ng_iXMw6iB4eMLkNTCCk18-z3T7-jJ9jf94Wf-LF2mSTf0EbFmFMbkaREgMTFd2nFn-4uP_ddFK2oE2mddEqgkC4QCwlNuUeLqR4pXFK/s200/IMG_1033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327301774020034786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And ... there's a goofy bearded man in the house. ("Don't you mean," said my sister, "<span style="font-style: italic;">another </span>goofy bearded man?")<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIw2Yg2yjor8irRpJo4Ym4Z5exbmopUsW47D9ADBby4qKK9hUwJFX5AeMscTvuwPRuvHWjxiwY6gzkQxtU9j0ao2aC6X0AGNm1mr8h7ZH8ubIGNg5Qnb3uix9ag6sofe_waYFLWpCvuGO9/s1600-h/IMG_1050.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIw2Yg2yjor8irRpJo4Ym4Z5exbmopUsW47D9ADBby4qKK9hUwJFX5AeMscTvuwPRuvHWjxiwY6gzkQxtU9j0ao2aC6X0AGNm1mr8h7ZH8ubIGNg5Qnb3uix9ag6sofe_waYFLWpCvuGO9/s200/IMG_1050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327301775950537090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's always a good time when the big boys come around.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsmtcd8mn7PT60AZeciHRmVrjaI9RED5PCrOjy7Y-lwhKDpJbf5sG3mb3GHm1T-E3YGctVF36g7MSTBnD_M9TNt7KO8jDCX6eg2-tMqnmOjn-BbiydRaicrQMIaFzI_n3Bfir6XqqftfX/s1600-h/IMG_1047.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsmtcd8mn7PT60AZeciHRmVrjaI9RED5PCrOjy7Y-lwhKDpJbf5sG3mb3GHm1T-E3YGctVF36g7MSTBnD_M9TNt7KO8jDCX6eg2-tMqnmOjn-BbiydRaicrQMIaFzI_n3Bfir6XqqftfX/s200/IMG_1047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327301774515436610" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That's Matthew, Levi, Logan, and Orin.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-67256821508195617012009-04-21T20:06:00.003-04:002009-04-21T20:31:47.952-04:00New Babies<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyey_K6PlC0P4uvRFyAfuOyPMi6ee1jUgbJkNJSVuHrUoWqLiK7R-x9fkSBpVKL7Fl-OKNDvcYotND0tOXbEw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Ain't they cute? (Too bad they grow up to be chickens.)The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-88351843293065703882009-04-11T09:04:00.003-04:002009-04-11T09:26:06.095-04:00Wedding ShawlI kept promising pictures of the completed wedding shawl. (I'm sure you've been holding your breath.) Here you go.<br /><br />Pinned and being blocked on the spare bed. If I knit anything much bigger than this, I'm going to need a better blocking system.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTbMRBXdUnHi3UtAR-YfKSS5TmuqGZYeoVJiz-V_GO-0mR0KdHme8QsAqfeu6vxfO6qE71Im12BZQsZpdwusPAPTEWHo-8i3fLY70PRrvQr_ga8GHEw_C-mMB46Ae5pYxFBXVDYoK_zXI/s1600-h/IMG_0948.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTbMRBXdUnHi3UtAR-YfKSS5TmuqGZYeoVJiz-V_GO-0mR0KdHme8QsAqfeu6vxfO6qE71Im12BZQsZpdwusPAPTEWHo-8i3fLY70PRrvQr_ga8GHEw_C-mMB46Ae5pYxFBXVDYoK_zXI/s200/IMG_0948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323420490343209794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Closeup of the pattern after blocking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TbjurvyKbeh2JDdGLcvowSgK27oMZp0cKbQL8DL9fwTVZS6SHFw80Zh8fGQSDjVvThOuNsqCNl9hyTBcNoMXYWydqcbQ6pO-NrE8ulvZMwZYPfUWlFVOOBq_i_icYFu_W08MYOJT_k5H/s1600-h/IMG_0950.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TbjurvyKbeh2JDdGLcvowSgK27oMZp0cKbQL8DL9fwTVZS6SHFw80Zh8fGQSDjVvThOuNsqCNl9hyTBcNoMXYWydqcbQ6pO-NrE8ulvZMwZYPfUWlFVOOBq_i_icYFu_W08MYOJT_k5H/s200/IMG_0950.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323420497089504530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I like this picture because the model is wearing black, which shows off how the pattern looks on an actual person.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LEPz9RcCZ7VNkqwzoO09hN8ACjJM4gUMGyWx3s6KRGU5QDvLPYy7euYpTcpBqt0WSzz0tnRmXtc6XXE5t8GelGtS3lEtyBmE_3ov4bHgbEEfLjIPMDD1vHQi7wXr4PmsG4BvjUu4Of7p/s1600-h/IMG_0955.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LEPz9RcCZ7VNkqwzoO09hN8ACjJM4gUMGyWx3s6KRGU5QDvLPYy7euYpTcpBqt0WSzz0tnRmXtc6XXE5t8GelGtS3lEtyBmE_3ov4bHgbEEfLjIPMDD1vHQi7wXr4PmsG4BvjUu4Of7p/s200/IMG_0955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323420498381788338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wedding day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8aU1zZVrSPXJz21_ExScrJmdQoGTU2I3PCmIMDnf1uiooRXmPZhENNbu4y7eDKcYl4M8l-mLfkXqsd77BcZz57_UBfuAycvp7GSkehbaeUSkSQYWM51woBky7_e-zXrUB2QUVMBzWsqv/s1600-h/IMG_0976.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8aU1zZVrSPXJz21_ExScrJmdQoGTU2I3PCmIMDnf1uiooRXmPZhENNbu4y7eDKcYl4M8l-mLfkXqsd77BcZz57_UBfuAycvp7GSkehbaeUSkSQYWM51woBky7_e-zXrUB2QUVMBzWsqv/s200/IMG_0976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323420504344958658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This doesn't have anything to do with the shawl, really, but isn't a cute picture of the bride and the baby?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-9M-7AVNk76_25gNM9F4l35BFPUhJgSxxA-48Fqrc42SRT-Q5ZHG3xW62JUTkOcZ_t0q-D0Q9UL_Jps9ATK4wUgm2k4Ni6X58_-dEZkVtyfNjHyQfMpYuhMj9f-HEoHsXrvLUmmpaSQS/s1600-h/IMG_0977.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-9M-7AVNk76_25gNM9F4l35BFPUhJgSxxA-48Fqrc42SRT-Q5ZHG3xW62JUTkOcZ_t0q-D0Q9UL_Jps9ATK4wUgm2k4Ni6X58_-dEZkVtyfNjHyQfMpYuhMj9f-HEoHsXrvLUmmpaSQS/s200/IMG_0977.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323420507159104738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am proud to say that I finished the shawl a week before the wedding, giving me plenty of time for weaving in ends and blocking. The bride received it on Tuesday before a Saturday wedding. At no point did I have to pull an all-nighter. (Which is good, because in college I could bounce back from those pretty quickly. Not so much anymore.)<br /><br />Special thanks to Gina and Mary Lou for extended knitting time provided by excellent babysitting services. It would not have happened without you.<br /><br />Info for knitters who might want it: this is a Tuscany shawl from <span style="font-style: italic;">No Sheep For You</span> - pattern by Amy Singer of <a href="http://knitty.com/">knitty.com</a>. Yarn is Luscious Silk in Narikama (part of the Spirits collection) from <a href="http://bluemoonfiberarts.com/">Blue Moon Fiber Arts</a>, who hold the current honor of Biggest Single Threat to the Household Budget. Knit on Harmony wood needles from <a href="http://knitpicks.com/">Knit Picks</a> - part of the interchangeable circular set.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-34232121365520229112009-04-11T09:02:00.002-04:002009-04-11T09:04:03.004-04:00Happiness is ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjV-TCelwhMT4kpRODILcXikRSQCyFLu2p62o6JR_U31WPhuWYWkWrm6oSyf6Vn91uH3gzWFgYYRGuPZgHYIicMm3iTtgkiGyb8kPuY6GmPIPjzS4Grjt-a_0inBlHG6trqMzh6IbqhXm/s1600-h/IMG_0988.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjV-TCelwhMT4kpRODILcXikRSQCyFLu2p62o6JR_U31WPhuWYWkWrm6oSyf6Vn91uH3gzWFgYYRGuPZgHYIicMm3iTtgkiGyb8kPuY6GmPIPjzS4Grjt-a_0inBlHG6trqMzh6IbqhXm/s200/IMG_0988.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323418797393325746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />... a papa who shares his ice cream.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-80250589726988575582009-04-11T08:54:00.003-04:002009-04-11T09:02:03.149-04:00Twins!One of our cows had twins yesterday. It's the first time since we've been married that we've had twins, so I'm a bit excited. The cow is mostly Black Angus, and she was bred by a Milking Devon bull. The babies reflect their parentage - one is black and one is red. The black calf is a bull calf, and the red one a heifer.<br /><br />The video is 22 seconds long and zooms in for a better look at about 13 seconds. If you DO NOT want to see a very clear picture of bovine afterbirth, you should click "pause" at 17 seconds. (I don't have video editing software. Sorry.) If you have young boys, though, and want them to go EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW, watch on!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dznanxmBja2fsnrtMwrGLlYMWByhC-nW-5AWhmOlihRn7ew3sQs7wfsujnCiN4UgRuEVy_RiaBu8lo6lLXX0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722563540273076666.post-90315543421816229862009-03-25T08:52:00.003-04:002009-03-25T09:03:28.528-04:00Best Cornbread EverLast night, I pulled chili from the freezer for supper and decided to make cornbread to go with it. I found a recipe I'd printed off the internet a few weeks ago and decided to try it.<br /><br />Oh. My. Goodness.<br /><br />Best cornbread I've ever had. Paul said it's the second best cornbread he's ever had. The best was years ago, made by Grandma Kate (not his grandma, the neighbor's) and from freshly ground field corn plucked from the stalk at just the right time. I can't compete with that and I'm not even going to try.<br /><br />But anyway, good cornbread. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it yourself.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweet Cornbread</span><br /><br />1 c. flour<br />1 c. cornmeal<br />2/3 c. sugar<br />1 tsp. salt<br />3 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />1 egg<br />1 c. milk<br />1/3 c. vegetable oil<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9" round cake pan. (I used a deep dish pie pan.)<br /><br />Combine all dry ingredients. Stir in egg, milk, and oil until well combined. Pour into prepared pan.<br /><br />Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.<br /><br />P.S. If you happen see the shirt that the baby is wearing in the video below, let me know. It has entered the Great Laundry Vortex, and I'm bummed. I like that shirt.The Country Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479189803192938572noreply@blogger.com0