tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11140732012-01-25T20:58:24.355-08:00Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.comBlogger7841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-3584562842373201792012-01-25T20:58:00.000-08:002012-01-25T20:58:24.368-08:00

Oh, Dylan. Poor, sweet Dylan. I feel like I'm reliving all the anguishes of my own childhood (that feeling when you realize you've let go of the balloon, and it's out of reach, and it's too late, it's gone). He wanted to get a book about dolphins at the school book fair. I said, okay, get out your piggy bank. We pulled out a $5, which he tucked into the pocket of his lunch box so that he

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-20113709355874500482012-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-23T10:00:00.431-08:00

Conrad is big on imaginary play. When he's not pushing his cars around and inventing elaborate plots for them, he likes to make-believe. Food service is a big one. He likes offering us food, taking our orders, presenting us with the imaginary item. He loves listing off all the options, too. The other night he offered me an ice cream cone, and reeled off a long list of flavors that included the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-61653462055022036182012-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-21T10:00:00.611-08:00

I'm slowly taking the Christmas ornaments down. REALLY slowly. At the rate I'm going, they will all be down in June. I'm trying to shame Jonny into helping me. The kids are firmly against the undecorating project. I feel like the Grinch. "Mommy, why? Why are you taking down the candles? Why are you taking down the lights? I want them to stay up!" Dylan has reached a DELIGHTFUL age. It gives me

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-81337773262374310512012-01-20T19:58:00.000-08:002012-01-20T19:58:14.379-08:00

We did our semi-regular weigh and measure tonight, after marveling at how much spaghetti everyone put away. Here's how they both stacked up: Dylan: 52" tall (73rd percentile) 58.5 lb (92nd percentile) Height Predictor Gizmo says: 6'4" by 18 Conrad: 42" tall (75th percentile) 40.5 lb (78th percenile) Height Predictor Gizmo says: 6'3" by 18

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-7728557262398528012012-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-20T19:55:56.599-08:00

Santa Claus brought us a weekend at the Skagit Eagle Festival in Skagit County for the first weekend in January. We stayed in some funky little cabins that were constructed for mill workers in the 1940s. The kids were hysterical (in that they were funny, not that they were literally in the grips of hysteria). They wanted to stay there forever. We realized that this was their first quasi-hotel

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-37938424233206774492012-01-17T15:59:00.000-08:002012-01-18T08:28:34.077-08:00

We're having our first snowfall of the season. It's coming down steadily today, and Dylan is out building a snowman. He just asked me for a carrot for the nose. I sent him back out with his camera, so I will try to post documentation later. Yesterday he built a big snowball/chair named Big Snowy. I am terrible about taking and downloading pictures. Other people post a picture at every post.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-8647543248989259772012-01-12T20:50:00.000-08:002012-01-12T20:50:54.102-08:00

I'm back from my annual year-end reader alienation period, where I fail to post for months on end and everyone gives up on me. And now I'll start trying to win you all over again with my verve and wit!  Soon I'll write more about the holidays and all the funny things the kids have been doing, and how I sometimes feel like my job consists of dragging a millstone up a hill while various

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-65770062127384881992011-11-25T19:40:00.001-08:002011-11-26T09:21:40.970-08:00

To: Northwest Hospital From: Erica M. I am writing on behalf of my son, Conrad M. (age 4). We were talking about Thanksgiving, and how it's about giving thanks for the important things in our lives. Conrad wanted to know who he should thank for his beloved Bear. In May 2009, we brought Conrad to the emergency room because he'd fallen and gashed his forehead. He needed two stitches, and ER staff

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-45321933916402714792011-11-22T21:53:00.001-08:002011-11-30T16:30:46.456-08:00

[This was written just before Thanksgiving, and I intended to post a picture of my fabulous engraved pumpkin centerpiece, but I didn't get any pics of it. My sis did, but has not emailed them to me yet. So alas, I do not have documentation of the triumph, but it looked pretty darn good. Martha Stewart's is shown here]. I've become a little obsessed with squats. I know, that sounds unbelievably

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-17841861845410376792011-11-21T08:52:00.001-08:002011-11-21T09:05:51.665-08:00

I was going to post a different song by James McMurtry -- he's got so many that I love -- but I thought this one was timely. McMurtry is one of my favorites, and I can't believe he's not more well-known. He's got a sizable body of work, and he has a flair for lyrics that are poetic and incisive at the same time. His music runs the gamut as far as themes -- love songs, drinking songs, heartbreak

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-74213264037449345922011-11-11T11:06:00.001-08:002011-11-11T11:11:08.871-08:00

It's 11 AM, two out of three of us are still wearing jammies, and the other one is the birthday boy. Conrad is 4 today. Somewhere between 3 and 4, they go from being this squishy, lovable little accessory to being their own goddamn people, and they will let you know if they need anything, thank you very much.  Dylan has been hearing a lot about Veteran's Day at school. They have a special

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-10859111609433732932011-11-11T09:35:00.001-08:002011-11-13T18:43:22.077-08:00

Jonny and I spent about 3 hours on Sunday changing all our banking information over from Chase to BECU. I have been very careful about this transition, because we don't have a lot of extra money to play with, and I know that if we make an error, it's going to be pricey. On Nov 7, USBank took our payment of $295 out of our Chase account. On Nov 8, they took $295 out of our BECU account, just for

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-29201632746244660092011-11-08T10:53:00.000-08:002011-11-08T10:53:00.682-08:00

I'm sure you've been wondering to yourself, I wonder what music is tickling Erica's fancy these day? And why won't that bitch post on her blog from time to time?" Well, I haven't posted lately for the usual reasons: I'm busy, I'm stressed out, I'm lazy, I have too much to say, I have nothing to say. Etc. And also, the dark of winter is descending and it's getting colder and all I want to do is

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-85235331411571395502011-10-29T12:30:00.000-07:002011-10-29T12:31:49.800-07:00

A small rant: I love my staff, but I am so tired of being in charge of stupid shit. Can't someone else handle the stupid shit decisions so I can focus on other stuff? Case in point: I came in this morning and found an email that said, "Loretta left me website info for sprucing up our Santa suit for the December 3rd Open House. She measured Michael and his waist is 62”. He feels very strongly

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-37261022240984744252011-10-03T09:44:00.000-07:002011-10-03T15:24:55.752-07:00

Bear is missing. I hate it when the kids lose their lovies. It doesn't happen very often, but it drives me completely batshit. Bear was last sited yesterday morning, and disappeared sometime between breakfast and 10 AM when we left for Dylan's birthday party. We are as certain as we can be that Bear did not go outside with Conrad (although I walked up and down the street with a flashlight

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-47666360036503383552011-10-02T09:37:00.000-07:002011-10-02T09:37:45.623-07:00

I'm behind again, dear me. Jonny and I went away to the Lake Quinault Lodge for our tenth anniversary. Without the kids! We were trying to figure out when we'd been away sans kids, and came up with 2005, for a wedding in California. We spent too much money and ate too much food, but it was a lot of fun. * * * * * * * * * * Dylan can't find his library book at school and he wants me to come in

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-70652870167324519172011-09-18T20:19:00.000-07:002011-09-18T20:19:51.229-07:00

Fall seems to be here. The pellet stove came on this morning, and it's been raining off and on. I've been hovering anxiously over my tomatoes, wringing my hands and wondering if I should pick all of them and let them ripen indoors, or wait and see what else they might do on the vine. The weather is supposed to get warm and sunny again, so maybe there is hope. Fall lettuce Speaking of the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-12154105613178938642011-09-15T21:38:00.000-07:002011-09-15T21:38:45.925-07:00

I wasn't really sure what to do with myself tonight. I'm taking a break from Ben; we need a little time apart. Working on the web site for work was seriously in the running, for about 10 seconds. Now I'm drinking a white russian and writing here. The garden update really needs photos, and it's dark now, so I'll finally finish the "What I Did With My Summer Vacation" triptych. We took a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-11246316722867448152011-09-13T17:58:00.000-07:002011-09-13T17:58:15.720-07:00

I'm behind on updating on lots of little things, like: * Dylan's burgeoning soccer career * Garden update * Part III of our family vacation. We'll see how many of these I can write about before I have to get up off my ass and start making dinner (during which I will attempt to fool my ENTIRE ZUCCHINI HATING FAMILY into eating zucchini fritters, bwah ha ha ha!). Dylan started first grade

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-51331889972306634592011-09-11T10:02:00.000-07:002011-09-11T12:47:51.974-07:00

This morning I reread the following post from the first anniversary of 9/11, and I find that I don't have anything new to add to my ponderings, except to say that this cartoon really resonated with me this morning. It is September 11. Today many, if not most, of us are caught up in remembering and commemorating. I’ve volunteered to keep the museums open late tonight, and that is where I

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-17306645362972257172011-09-01T15:29:00.000-07:002011-09-01T15:29:41.086-07:00

Yesterday I went and spent four mostly-blissful hours squinting at documents at Special Collections. I've realized that I shouldn't plan on staying at the archives long than about 2.5 hours because I start getting grumpy and headache-y after a while. I went through the papers of Anna Louise Strong, a child welfare expert and labor activist. I'd bumped into one of her letters to Governor Ernest

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-43069062294730922422011-08-29T20:24:00.000-07:002011-08-29T20:41:20.763-07:00

I'm currently struggling with adjustments to my happy pills, so I haven't felt very chatty. And I'm not really feeling chatty now, but I finally scanned a photo of Olive Conners Legg (wife of Benjamin S.) and wanted to do something with it. So here she is: She looks like she knew how to have fun, doesn't she? And I can also report that one of the new hens (it's weird to call them hens; we

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-12228135596108215332011-08-25T20:50:00.000-07:002011-08-25T20:50:00.434-07:00

The garden is hovering between stages 4 and 5 right now; I still have some lettuce going, the beans and zucchini are producing, and most of the squash looks great. One cuke is almost ready to pick. I'm tentatively optimistic about the tomatoes, although I have been so disappointed, almost every year. I had low expectations for the peppers, but I planted a ton of them, so I figure if I only get

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-56505168228403216762011-08-23T21:18:00.001-07:002011-08-24T11:37:04.179-07:00

We just got home from a weekend in Corvallis, Oregon, with the in-laws. Going to stay with my mother-in-law is always an anxiety-producing event. I think of it as being on a game show called "Judged by Jan!" Only there are no fabulous prizes. The worst visit we've had involved a long tirade about how Jonny and I were too wrapped up in our individual pursuits and didn't spend enough time with the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-36118959950078038772011-08-19T21:14:00.000-07:002011-08-19T08:03:15.815-07:00

I spend so much time with the Legg family, in my mind, that they seem like people I know. I found this article in the Seattle Times treasure trove I just discovered. On the one hand, I was excited to find more documented history about the family, particularly descriptive history like this. But the content is so sad. Newspapers at that time wrote with a flair for the dramatic, so there's no

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-63256772532438791672011-08-18T19:22:00.000-07:002011-08-18T19:22:00.479-07:00

I stumbled over Cyphert while researching the Wobblies who were arrested after the Everett Massacre. I was seeking out their WWI draft registration forms, curious about how many of them claimed exemption, and on what grounds. As noted earlier, Jack Leonard Miller failed to register until compelled by the courts. On his draft notice, some official has scrawled "Slacker." And Cyphert, I learned,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-28579711287532578772011-08-17T08:29:00.000-07:002011-08-17T08:36:23.540-07:00

Dylan had a playdate with his friend Caden on Sunday. I so wish I'd had my camera with me. We went to the Boeing Creek Park in Shoreline, which I'd never been to before, and Dylan and Caden had a ball. It's probably a good idea to become better acquainted with Caden and his family, because if kindergarten is any indicator, the two of them will be getting in trouble together on a regular basis

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-7794826677192750132011-08-16T09:35:00.000-07:002011-08-17T07:54:23.551-07:00

So, if I decide to do a juice fast today, can I count sangria and iced coffee with (fat-free!) sweetened condensed milk as juices? I am having a mini-vacation. The kids are at my mom's house for three glorious days. I've spent the last two days in blissful research (and also eating a lot and drinking iced coffee and sangria). My big discovery this week? Ben and Olive Legg lived on a houseboat

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-51076723269233430882011-08-15T08:50:00.000-07:002011-08-15T09:16:17.516-07:00

I hadn't planned to feature Jonathan Coulton again so soon, but I can't help it. When I haven't had things like the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song stuck in my head, my brain has been playing back a lot of this song. I keep unintentionally evoking the song by working on the new IHM web page. It's extremely detail-oriented, tedious work, involving opening up the source code of each page and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-44885030784539626882011-08-09T18:01:00.000-07:002011-08-09T18:34:57.649-07:00

Oh, dear. I missed musical monday. I hope no one was too disappointed. I thought about it quite a bit while I was at the gym Monday afternoon, but I never really settled on a song. Random thoughts...Today is my half birthday! Which is more fun when you're 7. "Hi, I'm forty-and-a-half!" Nevertheless, I always observe that it is my half birthday on August 9 (which is not the same as observing my

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-85243783651629266562011-08-07T21:02:00.000-07:002011-08-07T21:02:06.308-07:00

Issaquah History Museums volunteer Stephen Grate dies in hiking accidentI still feel his loss deeply.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-4632440198019360842011-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:002011-08-05T16:51:00.245-07:00

1. I am wasting much, much less time on Plants vs Zombies.2. I'm much better at staying on-program with Weight Watchers, although still far from perfect.3. Ditto the gym.4. I'm blogging and writing letters and working on the research project.5. Dylan hasn't been a complete monster very much lately. Either he's playing off Conrad (who has been a BEAST -- even the very reserved daycare worker

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-5095413072584774212011-08-04T17:54:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:54:00.412-07:00

Conrad has been a beast of late. Dylan was a beast at this age, too, but that was a few years ago and this is now and I'm not sure if I can do another year or so of this. But right now? Conrad is killing me with the cute right now. I heard him bustling around in his room, and I was just thinking about checking on him when he came striding purposefully down the hall, wheeling his duck backpack (

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-54908223741849287252011-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:002011-08-03T08:26:01.690-07:00

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-16641024178482276442011-08-02T08:16:00.000-07:002011-08-02T08:16:00.345-07:00

Conrad: You know what, Dylan?Dylan: ------Conrad: Hey! You didn't say, "What?"* * * * * * * * * * Me: The salmon swim up the river to mate and lay eggs. And then they die.Dylan: They die?Me: Well, yeah. That's the end of their life cycle.Dylan: So you could go fishing somewhere and see a bunch dead salmon in the water?Me: Yeah.Dylan: Geez, that's disgusting.* * * * * * * * * * We were encouraging

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-67661958229543815522011-08-01T08:45:00.001-07:002011-08-01T09:37:39.092-07:00

The song IKEA was my introduction to Jonathan Coulton. I was already familiar with his work, although I didn't realize it. Coulton wrote the brilliant closing song for the equally brilliant game Portal. I would post that song, but the song itself is only partially brilliant if you don't know the plot of the game. (Although I will recommend that you give the game a try as well).Coulton writes

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-78349492397546524222011-07-31T16:41:00.000-07:002011-07-31T17:12:13.595-07:00

I can totally relate to the mouse (and the moose, and whatever other animals they have incorporated into the series) who gets a cookie and then proceeds to lurch spastically all over the hours, going from one activity to the next. It's something I've been battling for at least the last 15 years. I get enthused about something, throw myself into it, and then don't understand why I don't have time

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-10238638681468210932011-07-28T13:29:00.000-07:002011-07-28T13:29:00.301-07:00

"Mommy, I was telling Caden and Shannon about my ocelot suit. They want ocelot suits, too. So you should probably get out your thread so you can start on them after we go to bed, because I don't want to disappoint them."

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-2174690801309287192011-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-28T07:44:08.666-07:00

I've gotten spoiled a bit by Facebook, since it not only let's me post a link, but also posts and image and excerpt from the site, in order to tantalize you into following the link. But alas. But look! I posted a linked screen shot for you.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-13010136389589521752011-07-27T12:53:00.000-07:002011-07-27T12:53:00.888-07:00

I continue to be torn between my passion for research and the need to refocus my energies on turning what I have already gathered it into a narrative. I continue to have limited success, although I can't necessarily claim that the ongoing research has not been helpful.One of my theories about Ben Legg is that the media attention he gained for, basically, being drunk and disorderly, was due more

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-11448839241539661212011-07-26T10:04:00.000-07:002011-07-27T21:52:35.439-07:00

Scary Trend Alert!Last week a friend of mine mentioned in passing that her nephew was going to a church summer camp at one of the huge, conservative mega-churches. And the camp is FREE!Also last week, I was driving from Dylan's summer camp (not free, not at a mega-church) when I passed another local church offering FREE summer camp.And then a Facebook friend posted about a Tea Party group

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-70052761597192970142011-07-25T10:51:00.000-07:002011-07-25T10:51:00.441-07:00

Hello, blog-readers. You might remember, back at the beginning of the month when I enthusiastically announced my rededication to bloggage, that I promised to pick up and continue the abandoned 37 x 365 project, redubbed 40 x 365.Yeah, I'm not going to do that. It seemed like a good idea, but my inspiration for the project has already waned, and I only managed to make three new entries. Maybe 41

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-55697403310497656352011-07-21T21:15:00.000-07:002011-07-30T16:29:47.868-07:00

Hey, look y'all! I cleaned the cat puke off my scanner in order to document and share an artistic artifact. Or maybe it's just artifacty art. In any case:I created this sometime circa 2002, while visiting my pal Howard. Inspired by some long, convoluted conversation about exes (and dope), we decided to draw a picture of everyone we'd had sex with. We both got really engrossed in the project. I

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-10954038698740382132011-07-20T08:12:00.000-07:002011-07-20T08:16:20.675-07:00

I always thought I would have daughters, so I never really counted on having a daughter-in-law. I'm pretty sure that I will end up with at least one daughter-in-law, since Dylan is already showing signs of being a serial monogamist. For starters, he is, frankly, popular (which sort of rankles to write, because I don't think I was ever as popular as he already is).At one of our parent-teacher

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-10379893691873647662011-07-15T09:17:00.000-07:002011-07-15T09:17:01.025-07:00

Yesterday was Bastille Day, time for the mostly-annual Bastille Day dinner.I've been observing Bastille Day since 1999, although I haven't really been *celebrating* it every year since then. Some years things have been BIG - anywhere from 6-10 guests, seven courses, lots of wine, hours of talking and eating, etc. Some years we just buy some brie and call it a day. For the past two years, I've

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-12285969394556872532011-07-14T22:56:00.000-07:002011-07-26T10:32:56.050-07:00

STP follow-upRemember all those Weight Watchers 2-point bars that Conrad and Dylan consumed the morning we were to leave for Portland? Half-way between Tacoma and Olympia, Conrad started vomiting. The next hour or so of driving was this horrible blur of stopping and starting the car, standing on the sides of various small roads off I-5 while cleaning up vomit, finding a discrete place for Dylan

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-17795738380857462332011-07-13T15:56:00.001-07:002011-07-13T22:56:12.634-07:00

Today, while saving some history, I found myself researching daredevils of the early 1920s (I was working on a write-up of an upcoming program about a local dare devil). This led to a page about all the people who have ridden over the falls -- not all of them successfully. The first person to ride over the falls in a barrel was the 63-year-old Annie Edson Taylor. One account of her ride reported

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-58541036756535691062011-07-11T21:01:00.000-07:002011-07-11T21:01:07.699-07:00

I cannot completely explain how Dylan's mind works, but here's how this came to be...Dylan: Mommy, what does a bear have to do before he can hibernate?Me: Ummm, well, he has to eat a lot so he's ready to sleep for a long time. And then he needs to find somewhere to make his den. And then he goes to sleep.Dylan: Can you draw those things here? In these boxes?Me: Uh. Sure.After I drew the pictures,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-13878532579767615822011-07-10T10:27:00.000-07:002011-07-10T10:27:00.760-07:00

As a small scale poultry farmer (or is 5 chickens too small to even be considered a poultry farmer?), I've been following the progress of Initiative 1130. For the last decade or so, I've purchased cage-free eggs whenever possible, and for the past three years, I've consumed mostly eggs from my own backyard chickens. My chickens are ridiculously happy. They free range, the take dust baths, they

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-17236529019910581362011-07-09T08:01:00.000-07:002011-07-09T08:27:02.620-07:00

I am seriously getting my grump on. The fact that I have PMS AND I'm switching anti-depressants AND I feel like I've been in a hamster wheel since Dylan got out of school doesn't help. I keep running, but I'm not getting anywhere.And I'm very tired. I stayed up way too late reading last night, because I'm reading a great book and I felt like I deserved to treat myself. I paid for that at 5:43

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-69047004560230633582011-07-07T21:45:00.001-07:002011-07-07T21:52:48.860-07:00

I just thanked someone for warm fuzzies, then I wondered if I was the only person my age who read "T.A. for Tots!" Wherein T.A. stands for Transactional Analysis. Which seems very jarring and weird, because my parents don't really seem to be fans of transactional analysis, as far as I've observed. The book seemed way beyond their capacity for woo.So, am I the only person who recalls something

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-21705775130055904582011-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:002011-07-08T10:49:37.039-07:00

Today's Good Parenting Moment: putting sunblock on the kids before we left the house. I have some kind of mental block about doing this. It seems so onerous for some reason. I try to rationalize skipping it with the thought that they will get slathered up after lunch, and it's really the afternoon sun that's the worst, right?Today's Bad Parenting Moment: turning into a shrieking harpy when it's

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-63953435335023371002011-07-05T17:06:00.000-07:002011-07-05T17:07:01.818-07:00

Every three or four months, a retirement/assisted living facility in Issaquah has me come do one of my presentations. Maybe they are just being nice, but everyone gushes to me about how wonderful my presentations are. They're an enthusiastic audience, although there's usually one or two who fall asleep. Which I don't hold against them. But anyway. I was giving my Cast of Characters presentation,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-41403262018836262452011-07-04T07:23:00.000-07:002011-07-04T07:48:02.652-07:00

I'm off to work today. I'm trying very hard to be positive about it, but I continue to be grumpy about having to work on July 4, even though I got last year off. To make matters worse? Yesterday I woke up with a raging case of pink-eye. All last year, I had recurring pink eye. But I've had a year off, and I guess I've gotten complacent about rubbing my eyes. So I'm off to our biggest family

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-61662926501962449422011-07-02T20:52:00.000-07:002011-07-02T20:52:00.092-07:00

Every week, without fail, Dylan drags the step stool over to the fridge and adds gum to the shopping list. The first time he did it, I thought Jonny had written it. It cracks me up every time.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-45161483216060740752011-07-01T21:36:00.000-07:002011-07-01T21:36:00.335-07:00

My assistant is on vacation for three weeks, my collections manager is on vacation for two weeks, my archives assistant is out on maternity leave. I'm feeling a little hard-pressed. And the guy from the fire extinguisher-checking service is chastising me for not checking the fire extinguisher on a monthly basis. Dude, seriously? I don't know how to check a fire extinguisher.Aren't there a few

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-27946202799682530172011-06-30T20:44:00.000-07:002011-07-04T15:06:18.794-07:00

I was too lazy to scan this, and too lazy to even get out the digital camera. So you get a visual aid and a self-portrait all in one.I found this scrap of paper while I was cleaning my bedroom. Jonny and I had been working on teaching Dylan exactly when his birthday is. He seems to have the date down, but the month floats around. Jonny told him that he could use 9 as a substitute for "September,"

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-73771657617284906462011-06-28T14:28:00.001-07:002011-06-28T15:02:44.078-07:00

Okay, this whole providing-enriching-experiences-for-your-kids thing? It's fucking expensive. I probably blow more money on less valuable things from time to time, but in the last four days I have spent more than $125 entertaining my children. And they don't even seem that enriched! Today's adventure was to go to Pike Place Market to buy stuff to make for dinner. We bought flowers ($5) and snap

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-2947936760517974192011-06-27T20:21:00.000-07:002011-06-27T20:31:51.931-07:00

Today's big adventure: fried plantains. Well, low-fat fried plantains. Or plantains cooked in water and a minimal amount of oil. They were a big hit with the whole family. They are sweeter and starchier than bananas. Two weeks ago, the kids and I went to a fruit stand in Edmonds (it got rave reviews on Yelp, and I'm getting tired of the one closer to our house) and bought a bunch of random things

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-53303525540810088992011-06-26T19:47:00.000-07:002011-06-26T21:18:09.861-07:00

Ta da! The birthday tattoo finally happened today. In case you wonder, that is my shoulder, NOT my bum, as one of my Facebook friends asked. Jonny is a bit put off by the size. He was not excited about my getting a tattoo in the first place. He's a one-tattoo-per-person kind of guy. He has asked me several times, "This is the last one, right?" It's not like I'm sleeved or something, sheesh.It is

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-33303652832074551272011-06-25T21:26:00.000-07:002011-06-23T21:28:44.600-07:00

A high school friend of Jonny's, you dispersed valuable parenting advice. When a [childless] friend opined that Friend A should parent like Friend B, who was laid back, you said "Dude, we've all got our own freak shows going on."

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-72266915323613112742011-06-24T21:25:00.000-07:002011-06-24T21:25:00.643-07:00

You died 11 years before I was born. Apparently, I'm obsessed. And evidently, I'm writing a book about you. A friend calls you my history crush. If we knew each other in real life, I would probably not sympathize with you.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-45242885394321207752011-06-23T21:00:00.001-07:002011-06-23T21:23:37.251-07:00

There is no point in planting any other kind of basil besides sweet basil. I've failed several times at Thai basil, and this year I went wild with lemon, lime, and cinnamon basil. The sweet basil is looking good, but all the others are somewhere on the scale between defunct and ailing slightly.* * * * * * * * *I could save myself a lot of agony if I would just follow one rule: Thou shalt empty

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-70469548123356379102011-06-22T21:09:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:09:01.037-07:00

I just came in from the garden. I have a ridiculous amount of basil. I decided to actually count the basil plants, and there are over 100. They are all kind of pale and spindly because it's been a shitty excuse for a spring around here, but there better damn well be plenty of pesto this summer.I think my gardening has gotten a little out of hand. When Howard was here in April, we cleared out the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-10603240693535608572011-06-20T20:48:00.000-07:002011-06-21T10:48:38.137-07:00

I've been going through that avoidance/guilt/procrastination cycle. I want to write a blog post, really I do. I've been writing lots of blog posts in my head, but haven't gotten motivated to actually record one. And the longer the lethargy lasts, the harder it is to finally break it.I turned 40, but did not color my hair blue (my stylist was not enthused, and she has more sense than I do). I *did

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-15287249798075670952011-03-26T11:44:00.000-07:002011-03-26T11:50:36.619-07:00

Someone in California has been peppering me with questions about a family in the Issaquah area, and I have spent a ridiculous amount of time finding information for her in the Issaquah Press archives, the Seattle Times archives, and our own obit files. I've been patiently answering questions. In response to death date and marriage information I provided, she replied:I'm not really interested in

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-83995825000435546082011-02-17T21:37:00.000-08:002011-02-17T21:47:14.524-08:00

I was just reading an article about bird while I waited for the computer to boot up. The article is about attracting nesting birds to your yard. I was interested, because we had a bird family living in the house two summers ago. Only one of their eggs hatched, but we got to watch the parents flying in and out, and later feeding him under the bird feeder. And then they all flew away. A little

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-66287533410903264392011-02-08T21:16:00.001-08:002011-06-27T20:35:34.103-07:00

So, I'm going to be 40. I am feeling ambivalent about 40. On the one hand, it's the end of a lot of things. I'm not in my thirties, I'm moving into middle life, my hair is getting gray, I'm done having babies. When Jonny turned 40, he talked a lot about senescence, the growth phase in plants between full maturity and death. And biologically, we're pretty much done. In terms of natural selection,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-83657110635835942172010-11-24T21:01:00.001-08:002010-11-24T21:08:14.637-08:00

Right now Conrad is being very insistent about everyone's identity. I am Big Bird, Dylan is Ernie and Conrad is Bert. Jonny is Grover. We've done this before -- for a while there, we were being assigned an identity from Thomas the Tank Engine every night during dinner. But he decided we were Sesame Street characters early in the afternoon and didn't deviate from his conviction.I was impressed at

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-67112588226888347552010-11-21T18:54:00.000-08:002012-01-20T19:58:43.420-08:00

Conrad: 32 lbs (53rd percentile) 38" tall (62th percentile) Dylan: 49.5 lbs (63th percentile) 48.75" tall (91nd percentile) Their potential height is apparently decreasing. The height predictor gizmo predicted that Conrad will be 5'11" at age 18 and Dylan will be 6'4".

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-87441261999704218482010-09-29T12:45:00.000-07:002010-09-29T12:46:04.228-07:00

The title of the SPAM was: 6 Reasons Why You Can't Leave a LoserMy brain saw: 6 Reasons Why You Can't Leave a Lobster

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-7877680763887693642010-09-28T11:43:00.000-07:002010-09-28T11:43:49.225-07:00

Council agrees to museum dealI stand by my prior statements regarding McGinn and most of the people who comment on news stories online. I.e they are moronic turds.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-48757105924261882982010-09-26T23:13:00.000-07:002010-09-27T16:45:28.090-07:00

Night before last I asked Dylan, "Have I ever told you the story of how you were born?"Given a choice between reading the next chapter in The Black Cauldron or hearing the rest of the story of how he was born, he went with the birth story. At the time I found it a little surprising, but I guess that everyone's inner narcissist would rather hear a story that involves one's special self. When I

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-46746633256889409092010-09-23T21:25:00.000-07:002010-09-23T21:55:17.475-07:00

I'm sure you are wondering to yourself, what is eating Erica lately? What is really ticking her off?Well, I'm glad you asked. Aside from the missing O on the keyboard and the fact that my cat won't get her ass out of my face, I've run into three different situations in the last two weeks where the underlying message is that the value of all things must be measured by it's monetary value,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-53637491821435393572010-09-21T08:50:00.000-07:002010-09-21T16:59:04.521-07:00

I am ready for the season of the gigantimous garden spider to be over. I am not afraid of spiders and don't feel the need to kill them, but I don't particularly want them in my hair, either. Right now legions of them are outside, building massive structures to catch hapless insects. Since they favor open spaces, there are often large webs built across walkways. You can usually spot them if their

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-34221254376264657882010-09-18T13:16:00.000-07:002010-09-18T13:17:12.062-07:00

So I had this song stuck in my head all day yesterday. This guy is sort a combination of They Might be Giants and Bare Naked Ladies and some other people that I can't think of right now. I have been listening to an entire CD of his.My other favorite song can be heard here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iob2_8eyMK8. The narrator is an evil genius who woos his beloved thusly:I made this half-pony

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-18864712136987164732010-09-13T10:16:00.000-07:002010-09-13T10:21:09.973-07:00

So far, Dylan loves kindergarten. There are a few challenges, none of which are completely surprising if you know Dylan. Forgetting his lunch in the before-care room, leaving his lunch and backpack in the classroom, etc. Generally getting Dylan and all his stuff from place to place on a regular basis is hard. And the listening thing -- sometimes he doesn't listen because he is goofing around or

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-59147552845434163172010-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:002010-09-13T09:47:24.924-07:00

I can't tell if I like cooking anymore or not. I think I like entertaining, and cooking when it's associated with entertaining. And I like food. But standing in the kitchen making things? Not as much, and I think it's because I'm always conscious of the other things I could be doing with my time.I tend to cook in spasms. I'll suddenly get a yen to do three or four different things at once. A

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-32077766244099267952010-09-05T10:25:00.000-07:002010-09-05T10:26:21.693-07:00

On the way out of the Bio-Rad parking lot two weeks ago....Dylan: Daddy sure works with a lot of people. They have a lot of cars here.Me: Yup.Dylan: I wonder which one belongs to his bully.Me: His what?Dylan: His bully.Me: His WHAT?Dylan: BULLY!Me: What do you mean, his bully?Dylan: The person who's in charge of him.Me: I think you mean his boss.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-80633331632722334202010-09-05T10:24:00.000-07:002010-09-05T10:31:14.602-07:00

I've gotten sort of addicted to Swagbucks. I resisted for a long time, but kept hearing about all the fabulous things people were redeeming their swag points for. I haven't cashed any in yet, but I'm stockpiling them in hopes of using them for Christmas. As a search engine, it's not great, but if you are lazy like me and use the search engine to find sites you are already familiar with, it

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-28121067845872651452010-09-02T17:18:00.000-07:002010-09-02T18:10:49.169-07:00

I was all excited to spend my vacation doing research. Tons of research! I was going to spend at least three days doing research, one day at the archives, one at the Seattle Public Library, and one at the UW. I spent 6.5 hours at the archives on my first day of vacation. Other than finding one tidbit of interesting history on his older brother (who ran away from reform school in 1902), I didn't

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-50794424778074544942010-08-10T09:23:00.000-07:002010-08-12T20:48:27.030-07:00

Longtime Issaquah History Museums volunteer dies in hiking accident : The Issaquah PressSo most of yesterday was spent ignoring the children while they watched TV and tried to get a rise out of me, communicating back and forth with my assistant and the local newspaper and members, and crying. Part of me wonders if my grief is out of proportion with my relationship with Steve. The other part of me

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-54332432795799711762010-08-06T20:36:00.000-07:002010-08-11T08:26:14.242-07:00

We took a hike with the boys two weeks ago. I was surprised as how much walking Conrad was willing to do on his own.This picture:For some reason reminds me of this statue of Charles de Gaulle; maybe it's the look of determination:We also captured live footage of our exciting trek:

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-58178248848989303612010-07-30T08:43:00.000-07:002010-08-15T17:26:34.337-07:00

...and also with Dylan.Conrad: I want peanut buttah on my spoon.Me: Yeah? I want a little sugar in my bowl.* * * * * * * * * * * (Jonny has been encouraging Conrad to say "Good Morning!" in the morning.)Me: Good morning, Conrad!Conrad: I PEED!Me: ...* * * * * * * * * * * Dylan and I have been reading a chapter book together. At the end of each chapter I tell him the title of the next one before

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-43919868312500112402010-07-28T13:12:00.001-07:002010-07-28T13:13:26.460-07:00

Well, that last post was supposed to go on my work blog. But I'll leave it here because it's fun and it's part of a project that I'm really proud of.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-21661088254537266862010-07-28T13:12:00.000-07:002010-07-28T13:12:01.103-07:00

Rob Pickering, Donna Pedegana Arndt, and Dick Campbell reminisce about the childhood chores they were responsible for, growing up in Issaquah during the 1930s-1950s. This is yet another clip from the two-DVD set produced as part of Issaquah's Oral History Video Project. You can purchase the video here.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-28424668024784371982010-07-21T19:39:00.000-07:002010-07-21T20:54:40.732-07:00

The garden is charging along, full force. There are five stages of gardening:1. Seeded, no outward sign of life.2. Tiny sprouts.3. Small plants and the promise of complete, verdant explosion.4. Flourishing, with four or five or different things being harvested on a regular basis.5. Decline (this is typically the phase where I just start ignoring the whole project.Right now we are poised between

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-91203066637643567602010-07-19T08:53:00.000-07:002010-07-19T09:09:53.837-07:00

Dylan and I are in the kitchen cleaning up the cheerios he spilled while trying to open a new bag of them. The doorbell rings.ME: Oh, shoot, that's the Cascade Pest Control guy. Dylan, can you go downstairs and talk to him?DYLAN: Why?ME: Because he's here to spray and he just wants to let us know. I'm still in my nightgown. Can you go downstairs and talk to him?DYLAN: Why can't you go?ME: Because

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-33628752270632740212010-06-15T20:57:00.000-07:002010-06-15T20:57:29.631-07:00

ConstitutionalFights.org Repeal Adam Walsh Act Laws !: Social Networking Ban on Sex Offenders Could be UnconstitutionalI would so love to post this on my Facebook page for a bit of balance, but my balls are not that big.It's not so much that I have a soft spot for sex offenders, nor do I want to minimize the horror of their crime. But if they have been returned to society, we have an obligation

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-25961068718491918292010-05-24T08:55:00.000-07:002012-01-20T19:59:34.509-08:00

I weighed and measured the boys this morning. Conrad: 31 lbs (63rd percentile) 36.5" tall (64th percentile) Dylan: 45 lbs (60th percentile) 47.5" tall (92nd percentile) Then I ran the stats through this here gizmo. It predicted that Conrad will be 6' at age 18 and Dylan will be 6'5". I will be the shortest person in the house. And I'm 5'11".

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-10893157046755997942010-05-21T11:03:00.001-07:002010-05-21T11:27:21.144-07:00

Readers, I dreamed about him. Ben Legg, that is. I figured it would happen sooner or later, and was actually surprised that it took this long, given the amount of mental real estate Benjamin S. has been taking up over the course of the last year or so. The dream was a little murky - I was interviewing people who knew him and he was darting in and out of the edges of the dream. Which is sort of

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-32805076702534983982010-05-12T08:47:00.000-07:002010-05-12T09:03:32.551-07:00

I am sitting here drinking Earl Grey Green and watching a little nuthatch busily lining the old chickadee nest that resides in Dylan's birdhouse. Last year two chickadees built a nest in the house and laid three eggs, only one of which hatched. Two days ago we noticed a nuthatch inspecting the house and hopping in and out. Yesterday she was on duty full-time, bringing beakfuls of nest building

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-18908652376391223982010-03-23T21:48:00.000-07:002010-03-23T21:50:33.298-07:00

Yesterday while the kids napped, I went out to the shed in my work boots and cleaned things up. And I found myself thinking, "Yep, reckon I'll stack my 'coon trap over here next to Jonny's golf clubs."

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-16949470012227357702010-03-15T09:28:00.000-07:002010-03-15T09:31:07.907-07:00

Last night Conrad and Dylan were sitting on the sofa watching Bob the Builder and Conrad decided he wanted to do some wrestling. He launched himself at Dylan, whacked his nose on Dylan's skull, and ended up with a gushing nosebleed. He cried for about three minutes and then returned to his normal sunny self immediately. He wandered around cheerfully for the rest of the evening, dripping blood

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-50689330342419206362010-03-03T16:03:00.000-08:002010-03-08T14:27:20.189-08:00

This has been languishing in my draft file, and I need to just post it already...Conrad CutenessConrad has started stringing together words, three and four at a time, rather than just using single words to identify what he sees. He can use words and gestures to narrate now.To wit:He finally has a name for my mom - "Gwah." Although he has decided (perhaps thanks to his brother's example) that Gwah

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-25906521663982808302010-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:002010-01-31T18:28:19.642-08:00

* laundry* more laundry* put away laundry* yoga - DONE* PT shoulder exercises - postponed* dinner* prep hummus and falafel for tomorrow* bills & banking - DONE (as much as it can be, since we ran out of money before I got to the part where you pay the bills)* find dining room table* mending* fresh water for chickens - DONE* hot bath with epsom salts for ongoing sciatic nerve tortureMONDAY* wash

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-43545072728835396192010-01-25T09:12:00.000-08:002010-01-25T09:31:23.527-08:00

Dylan is still building his vocabulary, and making some rather sophisticated word choices. Frieda sleeps in his room occasionally (much to her irritation, but I have explained to her that she has to pay her dues somewhere) and the other night he asked me, as I was tucking him in, "Is Frieda available?"At dinner last week, we were talking about eye color and who had what color eyes. "Speaking of

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-25197990562576669702010-01-21T08:33:00.000-08:002010-01-21T08:55:10.835-08:00

Last week I had coffee with the editor of the Issaquah Press, to talk about history stories they could run. I agreed to generate content for the paper, or at least to suggest stories for them to run. I started telling her (with the caveat that I'm not done figuring out this story) Ben Legg's history. I thought she might plead to use the information in the paper, but instead she said, "You should

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-14734069765228790152010-01-17T08:34:00.000-08:002010-01-17T08:35:28.719-08:00

And in other news... I finally updated my links to reflect web sites that are functional, not private, and which I actually read.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1114073.post-54023025898903324992010-01-17T08:03:00.000-08:002010-01-17T08:24:51.935-08:00

So now I'm blogging at work, which makes blogging here feel redundant, even though I'm writing about completely different things. And I'm expending crazy amounts of time and energy meeting all my New Years' Resolutions. Most of my resolutions are the usual -- exercise more, eat less, floss teeth. I'm also trying to read more and dink on the computer less. I keep bemoaning that I hardly ever read

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363301070952544977noreply@blogger.com4