This sums it up

This photo is a great way to say a thousand words about our life around here at this point. I love this photo because:

1. Ansel is being held by Jess (which is a very common theme in our house),
2. Jess is sleeping,
3. Ollie is eating his dinner and is as happy as can be, but
4. He is eating alone since I am finishing up making dinner for the rest of us because I got started too late;
5. And finally, it is 6:15pm and it is still very light outside.

These days are uneventful. My mom always said an uneventful day was a good day. She was right.

ah, dumb phone

I don't need a smart phone, at least not yet.  I know my personality, and I would probably waste a bit too much time on it.  Did I ever mention that when email was introduced, I checked my email account ALL OF THE TIME?  It was exhausting.  This leads me to a short anecdote: The other day my brother came over to my house.  He saw Jess' phone (an iPhone 5) sitting on the counter and then mine (an old Samsung), after which he exclaimed, "If Jess has a smart phone, then what do you call yours, Ash?  A dumb phone?" The answer is yes. 

Here are the top 6 reasons you know you have a "dumb phone":

- only four app icons could fit on the screen, that is, if apps could be put on it
- your bro-in-law goes to use it and touches the small (see above) screen to scroll down, nothing happens
- the keyboard slides out
- texts do not come in conversation bubbles, they come in 160 character segments
- photos are the quality of a 7/eleven surveillance video
- your 16-year-old nephew sees your phone and says, "Oh, you've got the free phone."

So until I get a smart phone, my dumb phone will have to do.  And I'm okay with that.

p.s. I came up with this list whilst up in the night feeding the little one.  It's interesting the things you think about at 2am. 

These days

We are resting, not resting, cutting out a lot of letters and numbers (per Oliver's request), watching our babykins grow, and everything in between.

Quork is Spanish...did you know?

Oliver likes to learn how to count in different languages.  His personal favorite is Spanish.  He's got those numbers down, well, until he gets to seven, then he switches to German.

As a result, Oliver likes to make up words in Spanish.

Noodley = Don't know
Quork = No
Yim = yam

The list goes on and is added to each day.

Another thing Ollie does is make up words and then defines them.  A typical conversation goes something like this:
Oliver: Mom, do you know what "slerm" means?
Me: What does it mean?
Oliver: It's a thing (the key phrase in almost every one of his definitions) that makes loud noise.

Having a child 3+ years old is good times.  A great stage.  I often think throughout the day, "Man, this is fun! And this kid is hilarious!" But then again, all stages have their highlights.

Ollie fits inside the same box in which a Louisville Slugger was delivered.

Announcing...

Weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and 19.5 inches long, here's Ansel!

Arriving on February 3rd, he is very cute, much anticipated, and we love him lots.


It truly is amazing that this:

equals this:

Hello February

Lots of change to come our way in February.

January was great and went by fast. It included a new garage, some snow melting inside our house, two speeding tickets (lay off the gas pedal Ash and Jess!), lots of baked goods, Ollie making up words and saying they are Spanish (noodley is "don't know" in Spanish apparently), visits with friends, Sunbeams for Oliver, naps, some good football watching, and playing with the camera.

And now it's Feb. Stay tuned.

Snapshot: 9:20am

Oliver has this morning all figured out. He requests a little music (today it is daft punk's "One More Time"),* we spell out words, dance, ride the scooter, and read. Good times.

*If you are at all worried about Ollie listening to techno beats, Chopin has also been in the mix of the many tunes we listen to lately.

Book Review: The Brenner Assignment: the Untold Story of the Most daring Spy Mission of World War II

The more I read WWII books, the more I realize how crazy, miserable, astonishing, and awful war is. Horrendous is a good word, although I know one word cannot sum war up properly.

Members of the OSS (the precursor to today's CIA), spies, did some wild things, to say the least. This book describes the mission of the brave lot who worked in the Italian mountains to blow bridges and tunnels that were essential to the German's supply route. Surviving day after day behind enemy lines, in the cold and constantly on the run from the enemy, these men suffered but outlasted the enemy and did the impossible.

While this tale is incredibly amazing, the book lacked the speed I thought it was going to offer. Slow at times, but very well researched, this book would be one I suggest for someone who has read a lot of WWII books and would like some more. Still, I always enjoy these books because they remind me how strong the human spirit is and how amazing people can do very big things.

For now, I am taking a break from the war stories. I need some more light-hearted stuff.

Bakin' Time!

Man it's cold (below 20 degrees F).  Last year, we were in DC and the winter was mild.  I don't think we ever broke out our big coats or ever really had the heat running (thank goodness for apartment insulation and ambient heat from the other tenants, we never needed to).  Not this winter.  Coats, hats, and many layers.  Plus, lots o' central heat.  This also means baking is key.  Gotta love starting up the oven and making the house warm and filling it with delicious aroma.  I tell you, I think of baking something every morning.  But I hold back, or else, well, we'd have a calorie problem on our hands.

On Sunday I wanted to make muffins, and Oliver requested chocolate chips.  Add berries and oatmeal, and some muffins were whipped up and  just what the baking lady ordered.  Jess came home from work Monday evening and asked if there were any left.  The answer was no.  We made 12.  See how we could potentially have a calorie problem around here?

See here for the recipe.

Holiday sum up

I've been through all my Christmas photos, and I think I only got one decent pic of us all.  Here we are holding our matching "tube sock" stockings.  We were fans.  They could hold lots of great goodies.

We really had a great holiday with the usual family gatherings, conversation, and jokes.  We also continued the tradition of the film festival.  Oliver and Jess were stars!  They did a great job starring in a silent film called "The Actor," inspired by the 2012  movie, "The Artist."  It was a lot of fun putting together.  These guys are naturals.  Below is the magazine cover we used in the film.

And there you have it.  Time is flying by and before I know it, the snow will be melting and flowers blooming.  But before that happens, baking time reigns.  More on that later :)