text:
Double checking…
If you posted a comment or sent me an email asking for the password but never received a response please comment or email again! Astral, Kathy, I saw your comment but there was no email address to reply to!
If you posted a comment or sent me an email asking for the password but never received a response please comment or email again! Astral, Kathy, I saw your comment but there was no email address to reply to!
I am still trying to figure out this blogging thing… I've password protected my other blog, Starlit Dreams. Any readers are welcome to join me, just let me know if you want the password. :)
I think this blog will stay up as a reference, but I will likely not be using it any more.
I missed Ember's 17 months and now I am already in anticipation of 18 months! Yikes! She has been doing so much this past month.
On the teeth front she has 7 of her front teeth and the eighth is sitting right below the surface. Her molars are all poking through now, we're just waiting for them to come in completely. Thankfully the worst of the teething night issues are done and she is sleeping much better! I've mostly night-weaned her by picking her up and singing to her instead of nursing her. She was unhappy with that arrangement at first, and some nights she still throws a fit at me because she wants her milkies for whatever reason, but generally a short song and she's back in her crib, she complains for a couple minutes then is back to sleep. She's sleeping great! … Too bad she's sharing a room with her sister, who has started having bad dreams every night. Ember may sleep through Kate's sobbing, but when I open the door she wakes up and then I have both of them crying at me. Oh how I wish I had a bedroom for each of them. :/ I really hope Kate starts sleeping better soon, both of them are quite tired from interrupted sleep. So while Ember has never had the chance yet to actually sleep all the way through the night there have been several ocassions where she woke once when Kate did, she went straight back down, and then continued sleeping in until 7 or 8 in her crib! That's pretty huge here. Generally she ends up in our bed around 6am because that's when Kate gets up and things get really hairy past that point so I'll keep them asleep any way I can.
The other major thing that she's been doing is speaking with actual real words. As it so often goes, I was starting to get a bit concerned because at 17 months she still had only 2 words: "Yay!" and "Ba" (bye). She was showing no interest in more words, though she was babbling at us in toddler-ese all the time. I asked a few friends when I should mention it to the doctor or get her evaluated, just to be on the safe side (I'd rather she get help sooner than later, if it is warranted). So of course the very next day she added a new word, then another and another. Now she is repeating pretty much everything I prompt her and she's pointing out everything wanting to know what the word is. She loves to say "titty!" (kitty), she tries to say her name as "Memer," she can say "roar!" and "tikka-tikka" (tickle-tickle). Sheep says "ba", cow says "moo," pig says "knk," duck says "cack," and roosters say "ca-ca-doo-doo."
Along with this new-found knowledge of words has come with a big interest in books! She used to mimic us reading books, so she'd sit on the floor and flip through the book, pointing at pictures and mumbling in toddler-ese. Now suddenly she realizes that books have WORDS and she is just so excited! She's constantly bringing me books and wanting me to read them so she can repeat everything. Her favorite book is Farm Peekaboo! which combines farm animal sounds with lift the flaps. It is just so fun to see her start to get it!
Personality wise she's really showing her spunk now. Tantrums? Oh yes. The other night she was having a prolonged tantrum so I walked away. She stopped, got up, followed me into the other room, then layed back down and continued screaming, kicking her legs, and rolling around on the floor. Putting her in her car seat has turned into a fight because she doesn't want to sit down, she arches her back and screams and kicks. And oh the looks we get! This child has a very expressive face, she has a sulky angry look down, any time we say "No" to her she scowls at us and pouts. It is so hilarious, I need to catch it on video. There are many ocassions now when in public she tries to lay down wherever (like a parking lot) to do her rolling-and-kicking tantrum thing so I end up picking her up and carrying her under my arm like a football while she screeches. Yep. I am now that mom.
With food I don't even know what to think now. I thought it was her teeth causing her to stop eating most things but it continues when the teething does not. She throws most food on the floor. She still likes meats (sometimes) and some fruits (sometimes). She loves yogurt and cheese. Grapes she gobbles up. But it seems that any meal I make at least half of it ends up on the floor – even when it's things I know she likes! (Like this morning's eggs. She ate a few bites, then threw the rest.) She's only nursing three times a day but she barely nibbles at food! I hope this is just a phase. Well, everything is just a phase… I hope this is a short phase.
8 years ago, when we got married, I couldn't have pictured this life we have now. 5 years ago, after Devin died, I certainly couldn't conceive of a future in which I was happy and full, pleasantly busy, days filled with little joys. I remember when I was pregnant with Devin, looking around my house thinking that we were going to have a baby in here. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. And yet here I sit, day after day. I am exhausted every single day because one or the other one wakes me, but I somehow survive on just enough. There are tantrums and whining and "why?" three thousand times a day. There is food spilled every time I turn around and toys are littered across the floor no matter how many times I pick them up. Getting shoes on, coats on, everyone outside and strapped into the car seems to take me over 15 minutes each time I attempt it every day.
And I love it. Oh, I don't always love it, and evenings have become a very slow countdown to bedtime so I can eat some chocolate and do something by myself for more than 10 seconds. But the big picture is just so good. I marvel at all these things they learn, I delight in the many hugs and kisses I get. I love watching them grow. I love watching them become who they are. I love being here as they figure it all out.
I love having two of them. I wasn't sure for a while, when Ember was a baby, I wasn't sure if I was done or if there was a big part of me that wanted to do it all over again. Two is hard though. They are each very different, they each go through different yet equally frustrating moods and stages, and they both take turns waking up at night. I'm not quite sure how I would juggle three. Not saying that I couldn't, just that… two is good. Two is enough for me. My heart is so full. (My arms are also very full, as both generally want to sit on my lap at the same time.)
They both are getting just so big, legs hanging off my lap. I'm glad I'm still nursing Ember, it's some nice quiet cuddle time with her, makes me feel all soft and content. I wish I had some way of getting Kate to chill out and stop wiggling and climbing!
Kate. Oh Kate, how much I can say about her. She is fabulous and fun and frustrating all in the same breath. She is absolutely hilarious and yet so often during the day I just some space.
I erroneously thought that a child's road to independence was more or less a straight line. It is not. It circles and leads straight back to Mama, every time. When she was a newborn and she was in my arms all day long I would get very "touched out" by the end of the day. Here I am 3 years later and it is different but the same. Kate wants my (our) attention ALL the time. And recently we are back to needing to be on top of me ALL the time. Constantly climbing on my back, my head, my lap, hanging off my leg. It drives me a little crazy. Maybe more than a little – I am not a rough and tumble kind of person – that is what Daddies are for! She has figured out how to work it, though. She'll slide around in front of my face and settle herself on my lap and give me a kiss on the lips and say, "I love you Mama! I want a hug." And who can argue with that? No one. Certainly not me. I drop everything and give her hugs and cuddles. (And honestly if it were hugs and kisses all day long I think I could handle that. It's the knees and elbows and unintentional kicks to the chest that are pushing my buttons!)
She is developing some attitude and sass, but in her quiet, understated kind of way. I'll say we need to so something, like put on her shoes. She acts 3 and says no and runs off. When I repeat myself she says to me, "But I said no." Thankfully after that display of willpower she'll then listen, it's almost like she just has to test it out and see what happens, to see what things she can get away with and what she can't. In a way it's fascinating because she's pushing the boundaries in exactly the same way that Ember does when she stares at me and steps closer to the doorway, but Kate does it with words and willpower. And Kate can be talked to, which is a huge benefit. Generally I call her over to me and quietly explain that I need her to do something and she needs to do it – unless I'm pressed for time at which point I regret to find myself raising my voice.
She loves school. She tells everybody she meets (including random strangers) who her teacher is and what she does at school. She runs straight in there and yells "Bye Mama!" and doesn't even look up. They are learning about the days of the week, months of the year, how to write letters and numbers. They sing songs, read books, make art, play. They have swim class where they are learning to kick and float, music class where they learn new songs, and gym class where she learned that we have bones that make us strong. It really is so fun watching her bring home new art, sing songs that I don't even recognize, and tell me things like that May is her month. She's still not very good at telling me what they did, there's a lot of "Ummmm, I dunno…" but I'll keep prompting until I get something right and it sparks a memory. Her teacher mentioned to me one day that Kate is always singing, including songs that she (the teacher) doesn't even know. (I assume she is singing songs that I sing to her, otherwise she's some sort of child genius, ha.)
An unexpected [to me] side effect of school is that Kate goes slightly psycho afterward. She is well behaved and normal before school, during, and on the way home, maybe even through lunch and quiet time. But in the evening and the next day she acts like she just ate a store full of sugar and lost any ability to listen to directions. She's just crazy, spazzing out and being loud and obnoxious. It does make sense, though, a kind of de-compressing from being in a structured environment for a few hours… but ugh it sucks.
Naps are also in a weird state of flux. She doesn't nap after school – she seems to be too wired – but the following day she falls asleep mid-day. A few times I put her to bed in our bed and told her to just try to sleep and she fell asleep all right – for 2 hours. I welcomed that break in my day heartily until I realized that it meant she would not sleep at bedtime. Considering the girls are now sharing a room it's extra bad to have Kate yelling and singing for an hour and a half in bed. So unfortunately the lesser of the two is letting her stay up all day, she tolerates that pretty well with very few signs of being tired, and then she and Ember fall asleep immediately at 8pm, which is glorious. She will still fall asleep in the car if I take any long-ish rides mid-day or later. (She tends to fall asleep as soon as I start moving, meanwhile her sister who I want to take a good nap is awake and babbling for half an hour before falling asleep directly before we arrive at our destination.)
Her love of art continues, she's always asking for paint or glue and I pretty much give her free reign with the crayons (unless she lets them fall on the floor where Ember then eats them). She loves to color pictures and we go through a lot of paper. I love the ability to find coloring pages online and print out whichever one Kate wants! She also has some workbooks that I photocopy pages from (so she can do them over and over). She can draw all the letters with varying degrees of success and is now at the point of copying any words she sees.
She reads her books alone less than she used to (well, she does anything alone less than she used to) but is very into getting books from the library to read with me in the evening. Our libraries have a large network and the ability to search and request any book I want and pick it up at our local library has been great! I keep a running list of kids books that I've seen recommended and every couple weeks I return what we have and get another few ones out. Our ability to actually stand there and browse in the library is severely limited by Ember's propensity for running away every time her feet touch the floor, so I'm relying on requests right now. Kate likes to go pick them up but she'll take pretty much any new book! Rotating books like this has also helped with the boredom (hers and ours!) with what we have in the house. I'm trying to streamline a little bit; I still want to keep a sizable library of books, of course, but getting rid of (or hiding) the ones that annoy us or that she has no interest in. I'd leave them all available except for Ember's love of pulling down every book off the shelf. Every day I have to pick up all the books and toys and put them back so I try to make that a little easier on myself! (I can't wait until the girls are both old enough where I can organize a bit better without it all being destroyed in 10 seconds!) Our latest favorite is Where The Wild Things Are – a book that, I admit, I had never read that I can recall. As an adult it seems a lot shorter and simpler than I expected it to be (both Den and I were all "That's it? I thought there'd be more.") but Kate really likes it. It may be one I end up buying. (The movie, however, was just weird.)
She is big into jumping right now… on her bed, mine, the couch, oh and sometimes the actual trampoline. She's just now trying out jumping off of things (which she's never done before!), right now jumping off the arm of the couch onto the couch cushions. She finds this great fun and Ember tries to follow along after. She uses her bed as a trampoline, and while I remind her to use her trampoline and not the bed I also pretend not to notice and don't make a huge issue of it… I remember being a kid and how fun that was. (Just don't push your sister off or slam into walls or anything.)
Verbally she talks so well… and so very much. We've just hit the "Why?" stage, also the "What's that?" I try to give her explanations but her responses illustrate that though she may know a word she doesn't necessarily get the concept. I wouldn't mind the "Why?" questions if the answers I give were actually listened to, but in reality she just keeps repeating "Why?" until I make up a silly answer or ask her what she thinks. She also loves games like her quizzing me on what something is. ("Is it a book?" "No!" "Is it a ball?" "No!" "Is it a cat?" "Yeah!!") She likes to point out to me what something is not. ("Mama, that is NOT a roller coaster." "You are right, the car is not a roller coaster.")
She wants to help with everything – no, she demands to help with everything. She drags her little chair into the kitchen to stand at the counter to help me with whatever I'm doing, which is sometimes only moderately unhelpful and other times downright dangerous – I try to keep her away from the knives. But, using a plastic knife, she can and does spread peanut butter and jam on her own sandwich, she attempts to cut things but that never actually works. She loves to stir things and add things. I've found she's more likely to eat dinner if she's helped me make it, though it's just as likely that she'll help me make something and then say, "I don't like it," when we're serving to eat. She's gotten very picky about texture of foods and if anything is the least bit unfamiliar she'll declare she doesn't like it and refuse to touch it. I'm trying to do a "one bite" rule with her but it really doesn't do much other than causing her to drool and gag in a dramatic fashion. She still will eat very very few fruits and vegetables, even the ones she used to eat (strawberries, watermelon). Once in a while she'll ask for and eat a vegetable off of Den's plate, and I found that she will eat mashed potato and corn (of course two that have little nutritional value). On the plus side she continues to eat most meats you can name: pork, steak, hamburger, chili (with beans!), chicken, turkey, salmon, trout. So I guess that's the trade-off with the no fruit thing. She'd still prefer to live off of yogurt, crackers and cheese.
This weekend I took Kate out without Ember to visit an apple orchard and pumpkin patch with a friend. It was just so nice to be able to focus on just her! It also highlights how easy 3 is in so many ways: she holds my hands in parking lots (proclaiming "Cars are dangerous!"), doesn't run off, helped pick apples off the trees (and refused to take a bite), picked out a pumpkin for daddy. Then we sat at a table at a deli and ate sandwiches. She's a little chatter-box and listening to her and her friend have actual conversations, telling each other about random things, was so cute.
We have had a huge transition in sleep with Ember! I felt like she just wasn't able to settle in the crib with me sleeping right there so we made the leap and moved her into Kate's room. We waited until after our vacation, assuming that being away would mess up any progress anyways, and then prepared ourselves for a few really rough nights. I was so nervous, thinking about how Ember wakes up crying frequently and how Kate would wake up Ember or Ember would wake up Kate. How would they go to sleep if they were both in the room? I decided to put them to sleep at the same time (8:00), which is basically what I was doing anyways. We get PJs and diapers on, bring them both into the bedroom, read one story, turn off the lights, sing Morningtown Ride, then give hugs and kisses all the way around. Then I put Ember in the crib and leave. Now I had been putting her down and walking out in my bedroom – once she got to a point where she didn't need me to do anything except lay there I started walking out and she'd cry briefly and go to sleep. So that's what I did in Kate's room. I swear there was one cry, Kate said, "Shhh Ember! I'm right here!" and then there was silence. Den and I just turned and looked at each other with shocked expressions!
Ember does wake up but it sounds like she's crying a couple times, looking around, and laying back down to sleep. If she keeps crying I go and get her and sing to her, hold her, then put her back in the crib again – and that seems to work quite well, at least until around 1:00am. She still expects to nurse 2-3 times a night and I'm trying to dissuade her from that gently. She was starting to wake to nurse just twice (1:00 and 5:00) but then this week we are back in teething hell so it's all messed up again. But still, so much progress! We are giddy to have our own room back so we can read, talk (quietly), and I don't have to hold my breath every time I roll over. It is just going really well and I'm shocked how well the girls have taken to room-sharing! There have been a couple bumps, like when Kate is wired at bedtime she does tend to wake Ember up a couple times.
Now if only I could get Ember night weaned so I could actually get a full night's sleep! I wouldn't know what to do with myself. (Actually I tend to lay awake after midnight, just waiting for her to wake up and cry. Not so helpful!)
Ember really is turning into such an awesome little person, I can't even describe it. The funny thing is that I was reading back in my journal about Kate at this age and so many of the little mannerisms and sounds and personalities are the same, even things like putting her arms behind her as she leans forward and walks, looking like superman. She's so sweet, she loves to lean forward and give little lip-smacking kisses to the cats, her friends, her sister, me.
She's climbing everything now. The girls have been having this shrieking, bouncing playtimes where they climb up and somersault onto the couch, over and over, sometimes landing on each other, sometimes sliding off onto the floor. It's quite nerve-wracking to watch and I thought I had a couple more years before they did stuff like that in concert! She's also climbing up onto the little kid-sized chairs and the step-stool in the bathroom – but then she gets stuck and can't get down so she stands there whining until I rescue her.
Her favorite toys are the dragon ball-drop, play food, drawing pads, xylophone, trains, and just yesterday she figured out how to use the cash register (drop coins in, push the button to make them go down into the tray). She loves closing doors over and over again. The girls also like to use objects like pool noodles and long paper tubes to make noises into, as if they are playing the obo. Ember picked that up from her sister. It's quite cute! The girls also run up and down the house giggling and laughing, and they like to hold onto the ends of the jump rope and shake it. Oh and she LOVES to color with crayons, she's a big scribbler. (But she also eats the crayons so she has to be supervised, though she keeps getting ahold of Kate's crayons, grr.) This week at a playgroup a older girl had a coloring book and crayons and Ember gave a little shriek of joy and ran straight over to help, ha. She seems to have a favorite TV show on Netflix: Color Crew. It's this silly Baby First animated segment where different color crayons color pictures. Every time it comes on she gives a scream and claps with "Day!!" and then she bounce-dances to the music. She also freaks out with excitement over a lullabye on YouTube (Sweet Dreams – Goodnight Song); something about the bears makes her squeal at them every time.
Words are coming slowly. She say "day!" (yay) while clapping. She may have said "bye-bye" and "hi" a couple of times, but it's hard to discern. She is definitely increasing fast on the receptive language, though, and she's picking up new signs really quickly, like milk and bath. If I ask if she needs a diaper she bends forward to look at her diaper and pats it. When I am changing her diaper she grabs a wipe and reaches down to wipe her bum. She can point to her nose. She brushed her hair when she gets ahold of a brush. I love how at this age you can just see all these new ideas forming and connections being made. She's figured out that she can point to or tap things that she wants, so she runs over to the highchair and pats it with an "eehhh!" if she's hungry, she has started not-so-gently patted my chest saying "Ehhh! Ehh!" when she wants to nurse. Yesterday she ran over to the closed bathroom door and started banging on it while she bounced up and down and said "eehhh!" and when I asked her what she wanted she leaned over and rubbed her legs, which I assume was her attempt at the newly-learned sign for "bath".
On the other side her new grasp of asking for things is leading to her being Very Upset if she does not get what she wants. She does a lot of crying in frustration, some flopping on the floor when it's something she really wants but can't have.
She is eating a lot lately, always seems to be hungry. She's pickier than Kate was at this age – she likes some fruits and a couple of veggies but she is just as likely to drop them on the ground. She likes crackers (duh, what child doesn't) and she, like her sister, love meats! I've recently started getting her some of the little Chobani yogurts and she likes that, and she loves cheese… which is good because she still won't drink milk, it's just water and nursing. I wonder if that will change when she weans, whenever that may be. I am trying to get her night-weaned so she and I can actually get some full nights of sleep but she's still waking twice to eat (around 12:30 and 5) and I think this eating less often at night is what's leading to her eating all day long. That's fine, I just try to make sure she gets enough (healthy stuff) so she'll sleep well!
Of course after I wrote this a couple weeks ago we have had Teething come back for another visit – more front incisors and the lovely molars! So sleep has gone to hell again. Though she goes to sleep really well and easily in her crib, not a peep, will actually stand and watch me give kisses and hugs to Kate, turn on the music, I say "Good night girls, I love you!" and then she lays down and goes to sleep. I know this because I frequently have to go back in multiple times to answer Kate's ongoing stall tactics and Ember will either stay laying down or sit up to watch and then lay down when I leave. This may sound like a small thing months down the road or to other people who have kids who sleep regularly in their crib but to go from a month ago barely being able to get her to sleep in the crib at all to this… it's pretty amazing!
The teeth are also messing up her eating – she's throwing more things on the floor than she is putting in her mouth – and is back to nursing frequently. And it hurts too, because she is doing weird things with her teeth. I'd like to just skip this teething bit. Or, since clearly it is going to happen whether or not I want it to, I would like to just have all her teeth pop out at once so we are done with it.
Kate is starting preschool. I feel like I should be sad in some way but I admit, I was just really excited for her. We bought her a backpack (purple with owls on it), some clothes, I still need to buy her some new sneakers since her feet have grown. I used to love starting each year of school, the fresh new binders and pens, the prospect of new classes and things to learn. Of course she has no school supplies and is too young to really understand what's coming, but she knows enough that she's going to school and she thinks that is awesome.
Today was orientation – an hour in her school so she can get to know the setting and teacher while I and the other parents were shown around. They have a classroom with art supplies and alphabet decorations and a throw rug with the solar system on it. They will have swim lessons, music lessons, and physical education, in addition to learning their letters and numbers and colors and such (which Kate already knows). Play time is incorporated every day, some indoors, some on the playground. There will be a winter and spring music concert. They'll take field trips, including to the pumpkin patch. I mean, seriously, it sounds freaking awesome. I truly think Kate is going to love every minute of it. She ran straight into the classroom and took a seat at the table to color with the others. Nope, no concerns about this one.
I will be able to be the parent helper for some of the swim classes during the year, so I'll get to watch her progress. They apparently get all the kids swimming independently by the end of the year. Which would be so awesome! Right now Kate can swim with her puddle jumper on, but she's extremely hesitant and takes a long time every time we go to the pool for her to work herself back up to swimming without holding on to me. And considering I have to have a grip on Ember 100% of the time it's a little difficult for me to manage both! I would love to see her confidence go up in a few things, really. This time away from me is going to be really good for her, I think. She wants to be independent in that three-year-old I-do-it-myself way, but she is always looking to me.
And of course I'm really excited about having a couple hours where someone else is occupying her. She's a bright kid, she's happy and energetic. I do love to watch and listen but man it's exhausting (especially since she hasn't been napping except in the car). I don't want much, but just a couple hours for someone else to handle the reins while I catch my breath, maybe go to a store with just the quiet one.
Ember seems like such a toddler now! She has figured out how to climb onto the couch (using her chair to climb over the couch arm), climb and sit on the kid chairs in the house, and thankfully also how to get off furniture feet-first without injury – though there was a spectacular roll off the couch the other day that landed her flat on her back. She's turning into a monkey, and as she gets taller she can reach more too; every time I turn around my computer mouse is missing.
I've noticed big change is in her language skills. She doesn't have a whole lot of actual words yet, she says "Mama" and "Da-dye" which stands for bye-bye and/or night-night. But she understands so much more. I ask her if she wants to eat and she runs to her highchair. She'll run over to her daddy when I ask her where he is. She blows kisses on command. I ask her if she wants more food and she makes the sign for more and waits expectantly. I need to brush up on some signing words to teach her, as she's picking things up pretty quickly now.
We are also in transition with her sleep. She still ends up in bed with me in the middle of the night but she's starting the night in the crib. We've gone from refusing to settle in the crib at all, to laying down on my hand and gripping it while she falls asleep, to laying down without any help from me. Now we're working on her falling asleep without me in the room, but it is being slightly complicated by the dreaded molars. (I knew I wouldn't have a long time between teething episodes so I am not surprised, just full of sighs for stupid teeth.) Along with falling asleep on her own she's putting herself back to sleep on her own, which is pretty huge. Also huge: Den was able to put her to bed while I was out one evening last week. Huge! For over a year I have had to come home and put her to bed, no matter what time it was I knew I had to hurry home because she'd be tired and cranky and refusing to sleep until I nursed her to sleep. The night I came home to find both kids in their beds I did a little dance!
At some point I'm going to need to night wean her so that she and I can actually sleep all night long – I am not even sure my body would know what to do without being woken up every couple hours. Night is really the only time she actually nurses a lot, she's down to nursing just a couple times during the day, she's just too busy and distracted. Kate at this age was very needy (from what I remember), nursing often. Ember's just totally fine without it. She doesn't dive or tug at my shirt at all. If she's hurt or sad she just hugs me and nuzzles onto my shoulder. If she's tired she'll flop around on my lap until I nurse her, but then won't actually nurse more than a couple seconds until I take her in a dark room. Once in a great while I'll nurse her in public, usually when it's past her nap time and she's starting to lose it, but it's a pain in the butt and doesn't really accomplish much.
She's taken over one of Kate's nalgene no-spill water bottles and drinks water all day long when she feels like it. She won't drink milk at all still – takes a mouthful and then lets it all dribble out of her mouth. I'm hoping that someday she actually decides to drink some, but I got tired of putting milk in a sippy cup just to have it spit all over. Food at least is going much better than the milk! Once she figured out chewing and textures she's been doing just fine with table food and can handle most things without issue. She's definitely not a kid who will eat anything and everything, she has her preferences and will drop food over the side of the highchair if she's not keen on it. She loves meat, I can pretty much count on her eating whatever meat is with the meal. Fruits and veggies are more hit or miss. Grapes and blueberries are completely rejected. Banana, strawberry, watermelon and such are all eaten though it's clearly not her favorite thing ever. Actually I'm not sure she really has a food that she totally loves, she's just very measured in her appreciation.
She has continued bonding with Den. When she's mildly upset by some bump or disappointment, if I'm not immediately available she runs right over to him for a hug and a cuddle – and sometimes after going to me she goes to him as well, double the consolation I guess! She loves to play with him, I always tell the girls that he is the fun guy (so go jump on him, not me!).
Maybe our memory is blurry, but it seems like Ember is really good at figuring things out. She's solid on her feet and trying to jump already. She has really good fine motor skills and is always doing things that surprises us. She uses the toy vacuum around the living room, puts the balls in the dragon toy so they come out the various chutes, threads sticks through holes. I know none of this seems amazing to other people, but she just seems to pick things up really quickly after watching, and she experiments and figures things out herself. I guess watching babies grow and learn will just never get boring!
Kate has been testing my patience lately by sheer force of the whines, but she can also be so damn sweet. It was a bit of a rough week, my truck was in the shop for 3 days so we were stuck at home with nothing much to do except drive me crazy. She was just hyper and not listening at all. Getting out these last few days has helped a ton, she needs to get that energy out!
Today in the afternoon we sat at the table so she could go through a sticker book – stickers, a crossword puzzle, some connect-the-dots. She was really into it, she's been enjoying matching things and was even starting to look for matching words in the crossword… but then she saw me circle some words and decided that was far more fun. She'd circle things like "APCAWODQ," she'd read each letter outloud and then say, "What word is that?!" She did not like my answer that it, umm, wasn't a word. She was so adorably earnest, and she did a really great job of circling the words with her markers.
When we were done and I got up to clean the kitchen she said, "Thank you for helping me, Mama!" So. Damn. Sweet.
Before bed I set out the TV remote and some cereal and water for when she wakes up in the morning. The last few days I've also put out a coloring page and the cup of crayons. It was so sweet to come walking out to see her bent over the table, coloring away, TV still off. And look at this, pretty good for a barely 3 years old. This is the kid who would not color anything, she would whine that she couldn't and beg me to do it. Now that she figured it out she's really taken off.
And this from a few weeks ago, tracing letters:
She is very fond right now of saying NEVER. Today she was lagging behind her cousins at the park and when I encouraged her to hurry it up she wailed, "I never catch them again!" Other new favorite words are either, as in, "I don't know either!"
She is also all about HELPING… which is not often actually helpful. The wanting to help is really adorable; however, screaming, "I WANT HELP YOOUUU!!" while I attempt to do anything at all in the kitchen gets a bit twitch-worthy. She actually is good at helping me unload the dishwasher, just a little slow at it. And she knows she can't help with knives. But she really really loves to help me cook and it drives her nuts to have to stand aside at the stove. I let her stand on her step-stool and watch, but she has to stay off to the side out of reach. Her attempts at helping me sweep and vacuum only slow me down, but it's a great place to start!
For being a 3 year old girl she's not very combative at all, my biggest complaint is the constant way everything is expressed as a whine. She's still super sensitive and needs a lot of hugs and reassurances. I often think I give her too much praise though, typical oldest child, needs that constant attention and praise… it's hard not to say "Good job!" especially given that I am frequently amazed at everything she can do! She is so big and capable, she loves to do things herself and I try to remind myself to give her lots of opportunities to be self-sufficient.
And one thing I can absolutely, positively say about Kate is that she loves her little sister. She gets upset if Ember grabs her things, but other than that she is still always holding her hand (pulling her along), giving her hugs (knocking her over), giving her toys and food and kisses and love. She frequently exclaims "I love my sister!" The two of them are almost always together. It makes my heart so happy.
Did I say something about how Ember walking made my life easier? Well it does in certain ways, like being able to put her down without having her rolling all over the dirty floor. The downside? She keeps running off on me now. She doesn't technically run yet, but I would say she's very very good at speedwalking. She sees an open gate, open door, open stairs, and she is there. Not just once… but every single time I put her down. And then if I don't put her down she ends up being a struggling, squawking octopus on my lap. She is obsessed with going up and down stairs – and has the scraped knee to prove it. We were at a party last weekend and we were exhausted having to herd her away from the deck stairs, run after her to grab mulch out of her mouth every time she went to the playground, and then spotting her up and down the stairs over and over and over. It is boring, slightly terrifying (see the comment about the skinned knee), and just really tiring. We were really kicking ourselves for not bringing the stroller with us just so we could strap her in so we could eat dinner.
The other thing Ember is developing is tantrums. She has a spunky little temper now that she has realized that she wants things and can get things… but sometimes people don't let her. She doesn't understand what is wrong with these horrible people who don't let her do fun things like dive off couches and grab the computer mouse to run off with, but she is going to illustrate her disapproval with a full range of acting skills. So far she has the back arch, kicking legs, rolling around, flailing arms, and screaming. It's hilarious – and ear-piercing. Once distracted or otherwise calmed down it's all immediately forgotten, though, so it's kind of funny.
She is understanding a lot more and starting to speak some words. I can say, "Ember, can you go get a book?" and she'll grin at me and (usually) go get a book. The sounds she makes at pretty vague and I'm still not 100% sure I can call them words, but she will say "Kate" (but everything kind of sounds like Kate right now), "Mama" (the usual unhappy "Mamamama!"), she'll repeat "Daddy" if I ask her to say it (and will look around and find him), and the other day she said "Ba" while waving. She seems a little behind other kids her age in speech, but it doesn't concern me at all since she's really solid on her gross and fine motor skills. Also Kate doesn't give her a huge opportunity to talk. (Lots of opportunities for screaming, though!) She's pretty quiet during the day but really babbles at us a lot if she's awake after Kate goes to bed. I'm really looking forward to having alone time with her when Kate starts preschool in September!
She spends a lot of time playing with objects: blocks in and out of buckets, putting balls in holes, turning pages on board books, dumping out cups of sister's water all over the floor. She likes to carry things around and hand them to me or whomever is nearby. No fancy toys for this kid. It's funny how the expensive, musical toys are only interesting for a short while until she knows how to work it, then it's ignored. It's the bowls and blocks and sticks that are endlessly fascinating!
One new thing that makes me get all mushy is that since her birthday she is becoming increasingly bonded to Denis. She was always very very much a mama's girl, which I think is part due to personality and part due to the natural division of kids, Den gets Kate and I get the nursing baby. So it was normal and expected but it still made me a little sad when she just wanted mama. Now she seems to be realizing that he's a pretty fun guy, he seems to also live here and provides good tickles. When Den gets home from work Kate immediately pops up and runs over to him, and just recently Ember has started doing the same thing! It's really really adorable, she goes speed-walking over there and lets out a happy screech, arms up until he picks her up. Then she looks at me with this big happy grin on her face. So adorable.
She is still nursing, though she doesn't nurse too often during the day.. but every couple hours at night still. I would like to nurse her until 18 months like I did Kate, but I'll just do whatever works for her. She still refuses to drink cow's milk – she spits it out like it's something entirely weird. Of course I bought Ember her own special sippy cup for her birthday, while Kate got a water bottle; turns out Ember much prefers drinking from the water bottle. I got a second one, intending one color to be Ember's and one to be Kate's, but they swapped around so much I gave up trying to enforce anything. Whatever, they are sisters, they share germs anyways. As far as sleep goes… she is still in our bed. I consider a good night to be two wake-ups (of her crying, nursing, falling back to sleep). Bad nights are every hour. I really don't like bad nights, and I'm not quite sure how I'm still functional after a few days in a row. I am going to try again to get her into her crib, which is right next to our bed. Fingers crossed that it goes well. I really would love to have my own bed space for at least part of the night, and getting more than 3 hours sleep in a stretch wouldn't suck. What holds me (and her) back is my love of having her close. She's probably my last baby. I love snuggling up and sniffing her baby-wash hair at night while she nurses. Yeah I'm tired, but once she's in her crib it will all change so fast. Every time we have horrible nights and I think I'm done and ready then things shift back and I think well, it's okay, I can wait. Sigh. Conflicting emotions.


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I went in at 16 weeks to a friend of the family who is a tech and she said she was 90% sure. There was a clear shot of looking down or up (not sure which) between the legs and definitely no boy parts and the 3 lines were showing up. I'm totally in love with my girl so I really hope it doesnt change! We go back on Valentines Day for the anatomy scan and I will be 18 weeks 2 days.
me(26) & hubby(30)
together 6yrs, married Jan 2012
New England born & raised, now living in paradise
mama to 4 furbabies
Exp. Our Baby girl 7.16.13 :)
Matt (27) & Ty (26) = 10/6/12
Expecting our first little bandit July 1st :)
Mommy Since July 22, 2013!
I am on countdown! 2 more days until we find out gender. Pray everything is well with baby and he shows us his goods! :)
Mr. (44) + Mrs. (37) married April 1st, 2011
Pregnant w/ Baby #1 - Our Coconut! (EDD 07.10.13)

subset: commoncrawl


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My name is Jaletha Howard, I'm a licensed/certified massage therapist, I been practicing massage therapy for over 10+ years. I learned early in my career that massage therapy was a passion for me with the gift of a healing touch.
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The Application Gallery features COMSOL Multiphysics tutorial and demo app files pertinent to the electrical, mechanical, fluid, and chemical disciplines. You can download ready-to-use tutorial models and demo apps with step-by-step instructions for how to create them yourself. The examples in the gallery serve as a great starting point for your own simulation work.
Use the Quick Search to find tutorials and apps relevant to your area of expertise. Log in or create a COMSOL Access account that is associated with a valid COMSOL license to download the MPH-files.
Process Control Using a PID Controller
This model shows how a flow model can be coupled to a process control mechanism. Controlling application parameters according to other application parameters is important within process engineering. Most control mechanisms use the data at a wall or an outlet to control inlet parameters. More accurate control can occur if you can control inlet parameters due to data found within a component ...
Steady-State 1D Heat Transfer with Radiation
The example shows a 1D steady-state thermal analysis including radiation to a prescribed ambient temperature. The temperature field from the solution of this benchmark model is compared with a NAFEMS benchmark solution.
Pacemaker Electrode
This model illustrates the use of COMSOL Multiphysics for modeling of ionic current distribution problems in electrolytes, in this case in human tissue. The problem is exemplified on a pacemaker electrode, but it can be applied in electrochemical cells like fuel cells, batteries, corrosion protection, or any other process where ionic conduction takes place in the absence of concentration ...
An Integro-Partial Differential Equation
The heat distribution in a hollow pipe, whose ends are held at two different temperatures, is studied. The outside surface is assumed to be thermally isolated and the inner surfaces have radiation boundary conditions. The role of convection in the heat transfer is taken to be negligible. The temperature is assumed to be constant along the thickness of the pipe and rotational symmetry is also ...
Electrical Signals in a Heart
Modeling the electrical activity in cardiac tissue is an important step in understanding the patterns of contractions and dilations in the heart. The heart produces rhythmic electrical pulses, which trigger the mechanical contractions of the muscle. A number of heart conditions involve an elevated risk of re-entry of the signals. This means that the normal steady pulse is disturbed, a severe and ...
Micromixer - Cluster Version
This example studies a laminar static micromixer with two parallel sets of split-reshape-recombine mixing elements. The mixer works through lamination of the streams without any moving parts and the mixing is obtained through diffusion. The purpose of this model is to demonstrate how to access the cluster computing functionality in COMSOL from COMSOL Desktop and use it to submit a batch job to ...
Implementing a Point Source
This model solves the Poisson equation on a unit disk with a point source in the origin. The easiest way to describe a point source in COMSOL Multiphysics is by using an extra weak term. To obtain the weak formulation of the general Poisson equation, we multiply it with a test function u_test and integrate over the domain. The mesh density is dense, close to the origin, so as to resolve the ...
Virtual Operation on a Wheel Rim Geometry
This tutorial shows how to perform virtual geometry operations on an imported CAD geometry. These virtual operations, such as form composite entities or ignore entities can help to improve the mesh and reduce the total element number.
Free Tetrahedral Meshing of a Piston Geometry
This is a tutorial model that demonstrates how to use mesh parameters such as Minimum element size Resolution of curvature Resolution of narrow regions Maximum element growth rate The instructions also detail how to access the mesh statistics and how to create a mesh plot.
Automotive Muffler
This model simulates the pressure wave propagation in a muffler for a combustion engine. It uses a general approach for analysis of damping of the propagation of harmonic pressure waves. The model is solved in the frequency domain and provides efficient damping in a frequency range of 100-1000 Hz.


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OSCE States Not Fulfilling Pledge On Hate Crimes
New York, November 18, 2010: The vast majority of the 56 participating governments in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are failing to adequately address the problem of hate crime and anti-Semitic incidents, according to the latest analysis by ADL and Human Rights First.
Many OSCE Nations Broke Promises to Fight Hate Crime
An ADL and Human Rights First report found that of 56 participating governments in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 23 nations have failed to adequately gather and report data on hate crimes and anti-Semitic incidents.
OSCE Urged to Counter Internet Inspired Hate Crimes
New York, March 22, 2010: ADL submitted recommendations to the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to address hate crimes motivated by hate on the Internet.
Report on Hate Crimes Reveals Broad Gaps
New York, November 16, 2009: An ADL and Human Rights First analysis of the findings of the annual hate crime report released by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights reveals the failure of too many governments to recognize the unique problem of hate crime.
Member States Urged to Combat Anti-Semitism
Warsaw – October 7, 2009: The League urged the 56 states of the OSCE to make good on their pledge to respond to growing anti-Semitism and hate violence across the region.
Recommendations for Countering Hate Crime
Vienna – May 5, 2009: ADL presented recommendations to the OSCE on how countries can more effectively address hate crimes by implementing existing legislation, and translating law into action.
© 2013 Anti-Defamation League. All rights reserved. The Anti-Defamation League is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).


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"I'm from a map dot," Tim McGraw sang shortly after taking the stage at the Susquehanna Bank Center on Friday night, "a stop sign on a blacktop." But McGraw, who took the stage to the decidedly un-countryish sounds of Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," is defined as much by big-tent showmanship as small-town sentiment, sometimes to the latter's detriment.
Two Lanes of Freedom, McGraw's 12th studio album, is his first since extricating himself from a contract with Nashville's Curb Records, his home for the previous two decades. But while McGraw may be free to plot his own course, the album sticks to the main roads; it offers many sounds, but they're all familiar ones.


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ACC Week 10 Wrap Up
Becoming bowl-eligible for the 30th consecutive year, visiting Florida State (6-3, 4-2) easily managed Boston College (2-7, 1-5), 38-7, Thursday night at Alumni Stadium. Noles' QB E.J. Manuel didn't make any big mistakes, playing smartly and with efficiency. He completed 12 of 16 for 180 yards and three scores, which put the game away in the first half. The Seminoles defense continued to be phenomenal holding BC to 94 yards rushing and creating four turnovers – 2 lost fumbles and 2 INT's. The Eagles are now guaranteed their first losing season since 1998 and were eliminated from bowl contention.
UVA (6-3, 3-2) traveled to College Park and beat host Maryland (2-7, 1-5), 31-13, Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers have won four of their last five and become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2007. RB Perry Jones ran for 139 yards (100 in the first half) and two scores while QB Mike Rocco threw for 2 TD's tallying 307 yards on 23 of 36 passes. The Cavs finished with 527 total yards to 353 for the Terps, who lost their fifth in a row under new head coach Randy Edsall. MD committed five turnovers – 2 fumbles lost and three picks.
Host NC State (5-4, 2-3) made it five in a row, shutting out archrival UNC (6-4, 2-4), 13-0, Saturday afternoon in Raleigh. The Pack defense was outstanding, harassing the Tar Heel QB's (4 sacks) and holding their runners to 3 net yards. Starting Heels' hurler, Bryn Renner, was knocked out of the game (literally) in the third quarter and was relieved by Braden Hanson who faired a bit better but produced no points. State only mustered 290 total yards, with RB James Washington carrying the load finishing with 110. It was the Wolfpack D who stole the show, completely neutralizing the Tar Heel offense to secure the first in-state shut out since 1960.
The Miami Hurricanes (5-4, 3-3) hosted Duke (3-6, 1-4) Saturday afternoon in Sun Life Stadium and rolled past the Blue Devils, 49-14. The Canes scored on their first five possessions. RB Lamar Miller ran for two touchdowns with147 yards, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark – the first Hurricane runner to reach that mark since Willis McGahee in 2002. QB Jacory Harris played well, going 14 of 20 for 202 and three TD's, For Duke, QB Sean Renfree completed 19 of 25 for 181 yards and a touchdown but the Devil's D had no answer for Miller & Co.
Getting shutout in the second half, host Wake Forest (5-4, 4-2) fell to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Saturday night, 24-17. Twice in the second half the Deacs had the ball at or inside the ND 10 and came away with no points. Wake QB Tanner Price went 17 of 24 for 187 and one TD, but a costly fumble during a scoring drive and the tenacious Irish offense in the 3rd period were more than WF could overcome. This was the first meeting ever between the schools and the smallest venue (36,307) to host Notre Dame since 1945.


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A Day at the Seashoreby Kathryn Jackson Byron Jackson
Nancy and Tim and their dog spend the day at the seashore with many activities.
Nurse Nancyby Kathryn Jackson
Many people fondly remember this book. Nancy loves to play Nurse, but her older brothers are always too busy with their big boy games to play with her. One day, when brother Billy falls and hurts himself, Nurse Nancy is at the ready to help him with real plastic bandages! This lively, charming book from the 1950s is still fresh today Picture descriptions present.
Nurse Nancyby Kathryn Jackson Corinne Malvern
Many people fondly remember this book. Nancy loves to play Nurse, but her older brothers are always too busy with their big boy games to play with her. One day, when brother Billy falls and hurts himself, Nurse Nancy is at the ready to help him with real plastic bandages! This lively, charming book from the 1950s is still fresh today.
Pantaloonby Kathryn Jackson
Pantaloon is a poodle with a sweet tooth. He adores cookies and yummy pastries. So when the Baker is looking for a helper, Pantaloon applies for the job."Oh, no, Pantaloon!" says the Baker. "You look to me as if you'd eat more than you'd bake." But Pantaloon proves him wrong in this charming Golden classic, brilliantly reillustrated by Steven Salerno.From the Hardcover edition.
Pirates, Ships, and Sailorsby Gustaf Tenggren Kathryn Jackson Byron Jackson
Ahoy! First published in 1950, Golden Books is pleased to reissue this delightful hardcover collection of 24 stories and poems, including Pirate's Cove, The Little Lost Island, and The Careful, Cheerful Sailor by Kathyrn and Byron Jackson. All sea-loving children--and their parents--will be wowed by Gustaf Tenggren's beautiful illustrations.
Puss in Bootsby Kathryn Jackson
Puss in Boots is a clever cat who won't settle for having a poor master. So he dupes a wicked giant out of his grand castle, claims the surrounding land as his master Caraba's, and charms the king, who lets his daughter marry Caraba. And Puss in Boots lives happily ever after!
The Saggy Baggy Elephantby Kathryn Jackson Byron Jackson
After a parrot makes fun of Sooki's big ears, long nose, and wrinkled skin, the "saggy baggy" elephant isn't too sure of himself. But once he meets some beautiful creatures who look just like him, Sooki celebrates with a joyful "one-two-three-kick." For over 50 years, parents and children have treasured this tale, with gorgeous art by Gustaf Tenggren, the illustrator of The Poky Little Puppy.From the Hardcover edition.
Tawny Scrawny Lionby Kathryn Jackson
"Once there was a tawny scrawny lion who chased monkeys on Monday--kangaroos on Tuesday--zebras on Wednesday--bears on Thursday--camels on Friday--and on Saturday, elephants!" So begins the funny, classic Golden story of a family of ten fat rabbits that teaches the hungry lion to eat carrot stew--so that he doesn't eat "them!" "From the Hardcover edition. "
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I have a true Suriname red tail boa for sale not sure if it is male or female he/she is a beautiful snake. He/she is about 3ft roughly so not very big yet.
I also have the terrarium which is very nice. I'm not trying to make any money or even break even he/she just doesn't get the attention it deserves anymore
And I want him/her to go to a good home. I'm asking 350.00 or best offer for the ...
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If you made a goal to be fiscally fit this year, we have some resources to help keep you on track or help you get on track. Now that we're halfway into the year, it's a good time to evaluate … Continue reading
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Helping Long Beach recover
Posted by lazlow | Filed under Uncategorized
As many of you know the town I live in was underwater during Hurricane Sandy. It's 9 months later and many homes are empty, storefronts bleak, restaurants closed. As part of an effort to revitalize the community we're building an arts studio to be used primarily by kids.
Watch the video and contribute here
If you contribute at the $100 level, leave a note that you learned about it from this site and I'll kick in something extra in your thank you package.
Thanks everyone
12 Responses to "Helping Long Beach recover"
The Janitor Says:
July 22, 2013 at 5:38 am
I'm sort of surprised Long Beach hasn't gotten more cleanup help. It still looks like it's only been a week or two. I'm Swedish, so I have no real concept of natural disasters beyond trees knocking over and opening a can of surströmming.
Being unemployed, I'll see if I can scrounge up some and chip in 25.
Matt Says:
July 26, 2013 at 4:26 am
Great to see you supporting your city! I donated and left a comment linking back to lazlow.com (you may have to log in to see it. Don't worry about kicking in anything extra though, the podcast is more than enough.
Jorge Says:
July 29, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Holy shit man…. That's terrible. I thought things would be normalized by now.
Guess the only thing the current administration (obama) is better than bush at is pretending he's doing something. You could say bush was more "honest"… which is very depressing.
Also, the cost of a couple of tanks from any of your phony wars would clean up that city in a heartbeat.
Best ways i can come up with a WordPress Theme without using WordPress at my desktop computer?
Brendan Says:
September 28, 2013 at 12:07 am
Dude, Lazlow, huge fan. I've been a fan since GTA san andreas (sad I never realized you were on Krock before those pop losers took it over). Either way, I cannot believe the lack of recovery down in Long Beach as well as the entire southern coast in general. It's a damn shame. Here we are almost a year later with zero progress to show for it, and I saw on news12 yesterday that they were JUST beginning to replace the dunes on the south shore. Lets hope there aren't any major storms this year!
I will see if i can scrounge up some money when I get paid on monday, and why the hell aren't you on one of the local radio stations? I mean seriously kick out those 'roger and jp' losers on the lets play the same three foreigner songs in a row for four hours and talk about shit we don't understand station. What a trip it'd be if I got into my car and heard your voice instead of those idiots. I might go on a rampage. On second thought, maybe you should stick to the video games, its hard to tell between an acid trip, lucid dreams and real life sometimes!
Good luck with your tour, hope your getting paid well for GTA, keep up the good work, and if your ever in Huntington hit me up!
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After tragedies and disaster that comes, our best act is to help and show kindness.


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Hi! My name is Angel
I am an American Shorthair from spring hill, FL
Nicknames: no nicknames for me, just plain old angel.
Age: 13 years old
Gender: F
Coat: short haired
Education: of course not im just a normal cat.
My favorite tricks and treats are: i said no already, just let me nap. and tuna, good night.
Where I hang out: i like my owners bed the most.
My favorite grubs: tuna, Mmmmmm.
My pet peeves: i hate dogs, squirels, and pecking pesky birds.
What I love about my owners: everything, just let me sleep already.
My cat hobbies: i love to sleep, da.
Pet motto: when we are together we will live forever.
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ok i can't sleep now. well her dad's girlfriend gave me to her. there ya happy? oh yah we aren't together anymore the same thing happen to me that happen to Rainbow.
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Slow Cooker Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oats
Throw the ingredients in your slow cooker before bed and you'll have warm overnight apple cinnamon oats ready when you wake up.
It seems as if I have "themes" every week, but I swear I don't plan them out on purpose. I literally have an editorial calendar and as dishes I make are photographed, I plop them in the calendar with no rhyme or reason.
Last week was pizza week and this week is apparently crockpot week. But since it's pretty much fall and we've already whipped out our crockpots, I have for you an amazing breakfast that cooks while you sleep so you get to wake up to a stick-to-your-bones breakfast! Not to mention, this will make your entire house smell like fall.
I kept waking up in the middle of the night from the apple cinnamon smell but it didn't bother me – my stomach was what was bothering me! It was wanting some of that oatmeal!
I'm going to be making more varieties of this in my crockpot because of all the leftovers I get with it. I love scooping a hefty amount in Tupperware and bringing it into work for a warm breakfast. It's filling too so I'm not starving by 11am.
Rachel of Baked by Rachel is hosting an apple a day month (rightfully so considering September is the start of apple season!) and I've brought a large bowl of this over to her table! There's been some mouthwatering recipes this month so far so be sure to check out what everyone else has brought!
Click here or the image to get to the recipe! You won't want to miss it :)
Posted on September 14, 2012


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Solutions for Chapter KinS5
(A) We have to find out the time at which the car has a velocity of 75 mph.
Rewrite for time duration.
Substitute 75 mph for final velocity, 20 mph for initial velocity, and for acceleration.
Therefore, the time duration is.
(B) We need to find out the velocity of car going at 3:50:02.
Rewrite the equation for final velocity.
Therefore, the final velocity is.
(C) Yes.
We need to find out the displacement of the car travelled between 3:49:55 and 3:50:00.
The time duration = 5 seconds.
The velocity of the car travelled between 3:49:55 and 3:50:00 = 20 mphThe distance is.
(D) No. We cannot determine how far the car travelled between 3:50:00 and 3:50:05. In this time duration, the velocity increases uniformly. The car is accelerating. But, acceleration does not give any idea about the position of the car.
(E) The following sketch shows the graph between time and velocity.
We need to find the slope of the inclined section of the graph. We can see the graph is plotted between velocity and time. Up to some duration (3:50:00), the velocity is constant, and after that, there is a uniformly increasing velocity. This part is represented by the inclined section. The slope of this section gives the acceleration.
Therefore, the slope of the inclined section is.


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Oklahoma Gunsmithing Technical Schools:
The courses required to become a gunsmith are interesting and informative. The profession usually appeals to those individuals with a keen interest in firearms, hunting and firearm safety. Choosing to attend a gunsmith school in Oklahoma prepares students to repair, restore and even modify a firearm. Students receive training in courses that introduce them to professional gunsmithing tools and procedures.
Gunsmithing schools in Oklahoma train students in the basics of gunsmithing and familiarize them with the tools of the gunsmithing trade. They are taught practical courses and receive hands-on training using real firearms. They learn how to repair all types of firearms and how to customize handguns. They also receive specialized training in working with different gun metal finishes, making stocks and altering and fitting barrels.
Gunsmithing schools in Oklahoma offer individuals the opportunity to train for a professional gunsmithing career. In addition to offering coursework in gunsmithing, many trade schools in the state give students the option of taking classes in business practices as well. Students attending gunsmith schools in Oklahoma receive a combination of education and experience that better prepares them for employment.
Additional Oklahoma Technical Schools and Colleges
Technical Schools Guide makes finding the right gunsmithing schools in Oklahoma simple. We list both large and small gunsmithing schools throughout the United States. Whether you are planning on attending a 2-year college, 4-year college, vocational college, purely technical gunsmith school, or just single college courses, the listings above should contain each type of trade school, college, or university. Financial aid is available for many of these colleges but visitors will need to contact each school directly to get assistance. Technical Schools Guide does not maintain specific course, tuition, application, accreditation or records of information on specific schools. All inquiries should be made directly with such schools. All information contained above is believed to be accurate and reputable. If a discrepancy is found, please contact the Technical Schools Guide staff by clicking on the "contact us" link below. We are also able to update college information and locations through this contact address. Featured listings on Technical Schools Guide are generally for-profit school listings. These listings help pay for bandwidth and maintenance of the Technical Schools Guide site. Thanks for visiting Technical Schools Guide and good luck in your gunsmithing schools in Oklahoma experience!
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on March 10, 2013 - 12:01 AM
, updated March 11, 2013 at 10:56 AM
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is to be praised for proposing an amendment to his 2013 budget plan that would extend the tax credit for owner-occupied historic homes for five years. Cuomo earlier proposed extending and enhancing the state's tax credit for rehabilitating historic commercial properties.
The State Legislature must now act to support the proposal, by committing to include both programs in the final budget agreement. Without that action, both programs will expire at the end of 2014.
New economic development in New York, job creation and a revitalized tax base will more than make up for state monies paid out in tax credits.
The governor's proposal to make the commercial credit refundable is a significant advance for the program, and attracting interest from developers across the country. But as this page said earlier, a further change is needed: the cap on the commercial credits should be raised from $5 million to $12 million, which would allow developers to handle bigger projects, such as the old AM&A's store on Main Street. Sen. Mark. J. Grisanti, R-Buffalo, is pushing for such an increase.
Homeowners in the newly designated Elmwood West Historic District in Buffalo have begun to take advantage of the homeowner tax credit. Hamlin Park historic homes may be next, pending listing on the State Register later this month. Homeowners in those historic districts need the program extended so they can renew their homes and their neighborhoods.
The possibility of a 2014 sunset puts homeowners in the difficult position of either rushing through a project, if they can manage, or not doing the work at all. That's no way to revitalize a neighborhood or put contractors to work.
Cuomo's proposal to extend the historic home tax credit is significant as it represents the first time this economic tool has been a part of a governor's executive budget proposal. Now, the Legislature has to deliver its support and ensure the continued success of this program.


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Created in this Craftsy class
Join cake designer Jessica Harris as she creates sleek, stylish cakes with her simple waxed-paper transfer method.
Other projects made as part of this class:
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
wow , this is clean and neat
I love it!!!
wow,i just love it!!could you please,share what you used for lace border?
Thanks of course is a lace mold 207
oh,thank you very much for your answer.i should give it a try,because the effect is stunning on your cake,as well as your magnolia!!!do you recommend me a supplier on line?
I have the phone number for the seller is 718 545 4600 I think they are in ny I don't remember the seller name letme know if you find it and a try to find mi invoice from them. The name is self trimming lace wrap mold 201 it's cost me like 35 dollars is very pretty
thank you again lolitamarti for the references and the link,i think it should be all right to join them.this is really pretty,i would be very happy to use it for my next cake.happy decorating!!


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The United Nations and two high-profile human rights groups are calling on the Obama administration to investigate reports of civilians killed and injured by drone attacks in Pakistan and Yemen.
Two reports released Tuesday provide more evidence that points to civilian deaths.
Is enough being done to avoid civilian casualties when these strikes are carried out? Cliff May, president of the foundation for defense of democracies, answers this and more, on CBN Newswatch, Oct 22.
In Pakistan, Amnesty International investigated nine suspected U.S. drone strikes since May 2012 and says it found strong evidence that four of the attacks killed 30 civilians.
In Yemen, Human Rights Watch investigated six airstrikes since 2009 and concluded that they killed 57 civilians. On their website, a video shows the places where the attacks occurred and features interviews with family members of those killed or injured.
A mother laments the death of her son, a taxi driver, who she says innocently transported suspected militants.
Another woman shows the stomach injury of a little girl, hit by flying shrapnel from missiles.
"She's ill," the woman says. "She vomits and screams because of her stomach."
The two reports coincide with a report released by the United Nations on Friday that calls on the United States to reveal the number of civilians killed by American drone strikes targeting Islamic militants.
"The single greatest obstacle to an evaluation of the civilian impact of drone strikes is lack of transparency," the report by U.N. Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson said. "Which makes it extremely difficult to assess claims of precision targeting objectively."
The Obama administration has not responded so far to the new reports.
The United States carried out its first drone strike in Pakistan in 2004 and has authorized more than 300 since then. In the last several years, the frequency has declined as tensions between the United Statse and Pakistan have grown.
In May, the president addressed the use of drones in a speech. While noting their efficiency he also emphasized that the United States does not conduct such strikes unless there is "near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured."
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- Score:
- rated 3.91 / 5 stars
- Views:
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- Genre:
- Comedy - Parody
- mario
- sprites
- nintendo
- vgdc
Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Dec 31, 2002 | 12:16 AM EST
- Daily 2nd Place December 31, 2002
If you liked this, check these out!
Plenty more like this here!
Author Comments
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Mario ➡
Rated 3.5 / 5 stars
Not too bad, but this is alittle explicit for an E rating. More like a T rating, but better than mack daddy mario 3. My ratings are strict so 3.5 is actually means "Pretty good"
Good humor, nice jokes, first music somehow made me laugh XD
Cons: Repetitive, but not too much!
Good Job!
Rated 5 / 5 stars
lol snoop dogg would be soooooo JELLESS 900000000000000000000 stars! (i love you even tough im a male:P<3)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Yes!!! I am so happy I found this! I remembered it from years ago!!! Ahh so many memories hahaha
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
The best ever!
The best song was at the end with the "Heaven" song. I also really enjoyed the "Can't Touch This" part, so it's too bad it didn't show the whole song. It's great to see how much this series has evolved. I think the most elaborate part has got to be when you show all those different dance moves at the end. It's stuff that this that makes me wish you would come back to do more stuff. It's amazing how much rythum you can put into sprite figures.
The best example is probably when Mario is pointing his finger around. You can see the definition of every block of the pixel but it still works. I also like how you don't know where this is taking place or what's going on. It's great to see Mario show that he has the biggest butt of all! That's a song that will simply never get old.


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Dallas police officer's gun, uniform and badge among items stolen from his car
A Dallas police officer's equipment — including his uniform, badge and gun — was stolen last night from his car on Londonderry Lane near Jim Miller Road Monday night, according to a police report.
The officer, 27-year-old Gregory White, parked his maroon Acura on the street near a home, though it was not his. Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., an unknown suspect stole the following:
A green duffel bag
A Sig Sauer pistol and 46 9 mm rounds
A Sam Browne outer and inner belt
Three 15-round magazines and a holster
A collapsible baton
A Motorola hand radio
2 pairs of handcuffs
4 Sam Browne belt keepers
A ballistic vest and trauma plate
Mace with a belt holder
The officer's badge and name tag
A class B uniform
and 50 CDs


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A busy Citrus Heights intersection was flooded Thursday evening, causing some street closures, after a vehicle hit a fire hydrant during the afternoon commute.
Citrus Heights police said a vehicle hit a fire hydrant at the intersection of Sunrise Boulevard and Woodmore Oaks Drive just before 5 p.m.
Officers said traffic driving north on Sunrise Boulevard was closed for several hours because of street flooding.
It is not known what caused the vehicle to crash into the fire hydrant.


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'Grandmaster' a revelation
"The Grandmaster" is a deliriously beautiful martial-arts saga, a mix of exuberant violence and restrained eroticism.
Meticulously directed by art-house master Wong Kar-wai, its fluid, bruising, occasionally lethal battles are choreographed like ballet romance.
The famously meticulous Wong spent a decade preparing for this film and three years in production. It shows.
Even if you don't give a fig for roundhouse kicks, this is an unmissable film, and an intoxicating exercise in punch-drunk love.
Ip (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), the product of a well-to-do family who devoted his life to the martial art of wing chun, survived the Japanese occupation and escaped the communist revolution by relocating to Hong Kong. In later years, Ip taught the young Bruce Lee, a distinction that brought him his greatest measure of Western fame.
The film opens in 1936, with Ip entering middle age -- the end of his life's springtime, as he puts it in a typically philosophical voice-over.
A revered martial-arts virtuoso, he's also a dutiful but distant family man whose wife and children have little emotional claim on him.
He's recruited by northern grandmaster Gong Baosen (Wang Qingxiang) to represent the southern fighting style in an all-China conclave intended to heal rifts in a nation that is divided.
The gorgeous Zhang Ziyi plays the northern grandmaster's daughter, Gong Er, who violated tradition to train in martial arts as a girl.
The pair's sparring is as charged with seduction as any tango.
Here is a woman who can understand Ip's devotion to his calling. Fate seemingly made them for each other, then capriciously erected impassable barriers to keep them apart.
When Japanese officials pressure Ip to become a collaborator, he declares, "I'd rather starve than eat Japanese rice."


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Clark-Atlanta University Athletics Director Tamica Smith Jones shares a laugh with newly appointed head football coach Kevin Weston during ceremonies this week. Weston served eight years on the coaching staff at Tusculum College. (Courtesy photo).
Stories this photo appears in:
Thousands to attend LGBT conference Jan. 23-27
More than 3,500 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates from across the country will converge on Atlanta for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's National Conference on LGBT Equality Jan. 23-27 at the Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland St.


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9/22/2016National Credit Union Foundation Board nominations open
9/22/2016CU Insight: Are you ready to protect and grow your loan portfolio in 2017?
9/22/2016Carolinas Foundation announces 2016 state-level CUNA award winners
9/27/2016Teller Workshop
9/27/2016Columbia Chapter of CUs - September 27 Meeting
10/5/2016Mid-Size Credit Union Roundtable
10/6/2016 » 10/7/2016MACCU 2016 Fall Conference
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248 CU Members to Receive Funds Raised by NCUF
Madison, Wis. – Since activating its online disaster relief
system CUAid.coop a month ago, the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) has
distributed over $208,000 in grants to 248 credit union members in Colorado
affected by recent flooding. NCUF is working with the Mountain West Credit
Union Foundation and credit unions in the area to distribute the funds.
CUAid funds have been granted from NCUF to assist credit
union members as they rebuild their lives after the flooding. Even after they
recover what they can from insurance payouts, credit union members need
assistance rebuilding or relocating to a new home, replacing lost vehicles and
household items such as appliances, furniture, clothes, and more.
"I would like to thank all the credit union and individual
donors for their generous and ongoing response to the needs of Colorado credit
union staff and members," said Dan Santangelo, Executive Director of the
Mountain West Credit Union Foundation. "This flood has taken a huge toll on the
lives of many and the relief provided is really making a difference for them.
The need is still strong and scores of folks still need assistance. I would
like to encourage our community to continue to donate so we can continue to
provide much-needed relief."
here to make a donation
"The response by the credit union community to the call for
donations has been amazing," said Gigi Hyland, NCUF Executive Director. "Credit
unions are supporting each other when they need it most, which is even more
evidence of the credit union difference."
Contributions are still needed as more grant applications by
credit union members in Colorado are expected. Credit union supporters in every
state can still make donations at cuaid.coop.
CUAid is the only program of its kind that enables credit union employees,
volunteers, and members, as well as credit unions and credit union
organizations across the U.S., to contribute directly to support other credit
union people.
100% of the donations through CUAid goes to credit union
disaster relief. In the event that all donations are not used for Colorado
Flooding relief, NCUF will transfer any and all unused funds to its
"General Disaster Relief fund" for future disaster relief efforts.


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We take them for granted. Driving down East Bay Street or across Calhoun, we don't really notice the greenery. We keep our eyes on the road.
Speaking of trees ...
Mayo Read isn't Charleston's only tree fanatic. Civic leader Jimmy Bailey also has gotten into the business of urban beautification.
Bailey leads a volunteer group of amateur arborists (that includes Read, of course) in an effort titled "10,000 Trees for Charleston."
The group's goal is to plant that many trees along entryways to the city: Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, the Glenn McConnell Parkway, Savannah Highway, St. Andrews Boulevard, Old Towne Road, Folly Road and Upper Meeting Street.
Initially, the project will focus on Savannah Highway and Upper Meeting Street, transforming grassy knolls into miniature timberlands, according to Bailey.
The project got a boost in December when Charleston Mayor Joe Riley delivered a $25,000 check into Bailey's hands at a city council meeting.
Also last month, Tommy Baker, president and CEO of Baker Motor Company, showed his support for the initiative by purchasing 100 oak trees (at about $300 a pop) to give as gifts to businesses and private property owners along Savannah Highway.
Adam Parker
When we stroll along historic Tradd Street, south of Broad, we assume it has always been that way.
When we make our way through the residential areas near Hampton Park or in Waggoner Terrace, it never occurs to us that these neighborhoods now boast more trees than they once did.
The greening of Charleston is no mistake; it's the result of planning and commitment. And perhaps no one has been more influential in purposefully sprucing up the urban landscape than Mayo Read. The Charleston peninsula benefits from around 1,000 trees, mostly live oaks, that Read has planted over the past 35 years, trees that will provide residents with beauty and shade for centuries to come.
Serious hobby
Read is no arborist. He's a trained accountant. The 78-year-old spent the first part of his professional life working as an investment banker, first in Columbia (where he married his wife, Ellen) then in his native Charleston. He earned a certificate in public accounting and spent years managing corporate books, raising two children and admiring nature's gifts. He was a charter member of the local chapter of the Sierra Club.
Always an outdoorsman and adventurer, Read launched a second career in 1984 when he purchased a small travel agency on Liberty Street. He ran Palmetto Travel for 15 years before selling it.
His career wasn't the only thing he changed in the first part of the 1980s. The Reads were living on Tradd Street at the time, and Mayo Read thought it too barren. A couple of crape myrtles stood at the corner of Orange Street, but that was about it.
So he called Danny Burbage, the city's urban forester, who suggested planting more. Read would have to raise the money, of course, $100-$150 per tree. He would need to collect less than $100 per person along the stretch of Tradd he wanted to make greener.
"I started knocking on doors; we easily raised enough money to start planting those trees," he said.
Myrtles are good street trees, not too big, unlikely to uproot sidewalks. But they don't provide a lot of shade, and they're not indigenous to Charleston, something that bothered Read. From now on he would plant mostly oaks.
"That was putting my little toe in the water," he said of the Tradd Street project. "Then I put my big toe in the water as a result of a conversation with Pug Ravenel."
Boulevard of oaks
In the late 1980s, Charles "Pug" Ravenel was a recovering politician who ran unsuccessfully for governor (in 1974) and the U.S. Senate (in 1978, against Strom Thurmond). He had returned to his previous career in financial services and remained an influential voice in Charleston.
Ravenel told Read that he didn't much enjoy driving down East Bay Street. It was too empty, too industrial. Read flew into action, securing support from the mayor's office and other backers.
It would cost $250 per live oak, and Read intended to plant hundreds of them, from Market Street to Mount Pleasant Street.
"It caught on," he said of the effort. "People were more than willing to green that barren strip." In all, about 340 oaks were planted. They are still there, growing.
Burbage thinks back with fondness on that effort, recalling the poetry expressed by Read and Ravenel at the time.
"We know that we will never live to see it, but we would like for our grandchildren to drive down East Bay Street and see live oaks with their limbs meeting in the middle," Read had said.
The project took three years and raised $156,000 in private and corporate donations, according to Burbage.
"It added dramatically to the character of Easy Bay Street-Morrison Drive," he said. "These live oaks really soften the view."
The project led to the formation of the Charles- ton Tree Foundation, which was spearheaded by fellow tree enthusiast John Winthrop and maintained close ties to Burbage.
During the 1990s, the organization planted trees in the "pocket parks" along the Crosstown, the triangular patches of earth adjacent to the roadway that were too small to build on.
When Winthrop stepped aside, Read stepped up and, with help from Peter McGee, ran the foundation.
Together they oversaw the planting of several oaks along Calhoun Street, opposite Roper Hospital, but the Department of Transportation, citing road and sidewalk safety and maintenance issues, stopped the planting project, Read said.
In 2004, the foundation was absorbed by the Charleston Horticultural Society, became a committee of that organization and changed its name to Charleston Trees. In the years since, Charleston Trees has worked with neighborhood associations in Waggoner Terrace, Elliotborough, Cannonborough and Radcliffeborough, providing matching funds for the planting of trees.
"In local government, you come in contact with lots of volunteers, and it's a great thing. It helps the community tremendously. But never in my 30 years ... have I come across an individual who was so dedicated to his goal of planting as many trees in the city of Charleston as possible," Burbage said.
Anne Moise, a member of the Charleston Trees committee, said Read was a natural leader, offering direction that no one could dispute.
"When it was time for us to undertake an activity, he gave clear guidance as to what was to be done. Not in a pushy way; he just said it, and it was so," Moise said. "When we would have our annual oyster roast to earn money for the trees, he would simply say, 'Each of you sell or buy six tickets.' And it was done."
Baseball and pyramids
McGee said Read's organizational skills are not only applied to tree-planting. They are put to use among friends. "He has organized a group of us: the Baseball Boys," McGee said.
They go off to a major league game each year, spending a weekend away, "but never across the Mississippi River."
The group often has included Mayor Joe Riley, Alex Sanders and other prominent baseball fans. "Mayo's fascinated with baseball architecture," McGee said. His friend likes to study the park: its structure, its amenities, its location and orientation.
In the 1990s, as the millennium approached, McGee and Read decided they'd like to welcome the new century while looking at the Egyptian pyramids. Read owned a travel agency, after all, and he could make it happen.
They arrived with their spouses on New Year's Eve, toured Cairo, then headed through Giza to the desert border where the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure stood, protected by the Great Sphinx.
"When the hour approached, we were all inside the ... hotel ballroom, and we all raised Cain about it," McGee said. "Mayo opened the back door, and we stood with the workers."
They looked back more than 4,500 years at the remains of ancient history as the new epoch arrived.
Riley, citing Read's environmentalism, membership on the Charleston Symphony Orchestra board and business acumen, called his friend "a renaissance man."
"He's interested in a wide range of things, from the wonderful intricacies of the art of baseball to horticulture and the arts," Riley said. "He's a great guy, pleasant company, a wonderful citizen, thoughtful, civic-minded, positive and progressive in his thinking." And once was a good tennis player to boot, Riley added.
The mayor, once a client of Read's travel agency, still possesses his Palmetto Travel coffee mug, he said.
Ever active
About 18 years ago, the Reads moved to Wadmalaw Island, where they were engulfed by trees. About three years ago, they settled at Bishop Gadsden, where Mayo Read advises the administration on a tree project the retirement community has undertaken. A bunch of maples haven't been faring well in the damp, sandy soil and warm air of the Lowcountry, so Bishop Gadsden is in the process of replacing them with oaks and other indigenous varieties.
Read, 78, who once walked door to door, convincing residents and small-business owners to chip in a few dollars to line their streets with trees, now suffers from a bit of arthritis in his left foot that has reduced his mobility.
But he's still an active member of the Charleston Trees committee, and he's as eager as ever to improve Charleston's cityscape.
Trees, he pointed out, offer substantial benefits. They sequester carbon dioxide, provide shade and reduce the heat island effect (which is the tendency for urban areas to become hotter than their immediate surroundings). They improve the aesthetics of the urban environment. They absorb rainfall and inhibit storm-water runoff. They diversify and help retain the soil.
Yvonne Evans, chairwoman of Charleston Trees, said the committee continues to have designs on Calhoun Street, the eastern end of which could use a few crape myrtles.
"In the eyes of DOT, crape myrtles are not trees," she said. DOT, therefore, will not object to their planting.
And the group plans to add trees to the East Side, the West Side and the upper Meeting Street and Upper King Street areas. All of the work is a consequence of Read's initial commitment, Evans said.
"He has a passion you don't find easily. ... He cares a lot for his community."
Reach Adam Parker at 937-5902. Follow him at www.facebook/aparkerwriter.
Yvonne Evans (left), chairwoman of Charleston Trees, with Mayo Read and Danny Burbage at the Nathaniel Russell House, where an oak recently was planted in Read's honor.×
Shovelers Ellen Read (from left), Mollie Fair, Sis Marshall and Mayo Read smile for the camera during the recent Arbor Day planting at the Nathaniel Russell House.×