today you...

• Read the Dougal the Digger book that the neighbors kindly brought over last night several times before breakfast.
• Ate WeetBix with banana for breakfast.
• Read lots and lots of books in the basement, including a book about mammals, Why do Cats have Whiskers? and naturally more Dougal the Digger.
• Whined periodically to make sure your Mama doesn't forget that you're two.
• Took a few deep breaths, upon Mama's request.
• Fit random toys together like a puzzle on an old tennis racket...the racket doubles as a leaf blower and a helicopter.

• Ate baked beans, the cream cheese off of a bagel, and macadamia nuts for lunch.
• Put on your gumboots (mostly) by yourself for the first time, on the wrong feet.
• Transformed via the gumboots into Dougal’s driver.

• Enjoyed an after-lunch bath and wanted to wear the gumboots in the bath but settled for putting them back on immediately after.
• Held the shower nozzle and became “fighter (fire) fighter Dougal driver.”
• Didn't want to get dried off.
• Hung out in your robe in your room,

• while stalling before naptime,

• but you were definitely ready for one.

• Read Dougal the Digger three more times and begged unsuccessfully for one more book before your nap.
• Took a three-and-a-half hour nap.
• Looked forward to “Papa coming home soon” and once he arrived, you screamed "Papa" over and over in the sweetest, highest-pitched voice.
• Ate beans and rice for dinner.
• Had a little tantrum after dinner that involved throwing a basket of magnetic letters.
• Opened up a surprise package from your far away friend, Eliot, first saying, "Eliot come home soon. LOVE it." And then in your best authoritarian voice, "COME HERE Eliot."
  

• Read five digger-themed books with Papa at bedtime.
• Talked about the owl and possum that you insist are in the trees outside your window after dark, saying unconvincingly , “Owl flew away. Possum ran away.”
• And finally, went off to dreamland, soundly for 12 hours.

our famous pups

Well, the show is behind us and the humans were thankfully upstaged by the cute canines. I just hope it doesn't go to their heads.

In the green room with the slightly kooky host...

And on set...

Q's reaction to seeing us on TV...

A few shots of the TV since my fam can't watch. (Because of licensing issues, it is only possible to view the segment on their site if you live in NZ.)

I swear I'm not wearing shoulder pads! I know I have broad shoulders, but...

Oh and Q did more than okay with the babysitter. Not only did he not notice when I left, but he also didn't notice when I returned.

the dogs' five seconds of fame

Tomorrow they are doing a segment on beagles on the Good Morning Show. The dogs and I are going to be on! They want me to do a trick to show that beagles do more than just get into mischief. So we had a little practice session tonight.

I think they're good to go.

Meanwhile, Q will be dropped off at a babysitter's for the first time. He's going to our friends' house down the street and he's SO excited.

always learning

A lot of very important discoveries this week. First and foremost...

Also the first time using chopsticks. He might take after his mother in this department, but he did enjoy being fed by the chopsticks. Besides, happiness isn't always preceded by success. It's in the process.

Milk 'n cookies. He discovered this magic combination all on his own.

warning

If you ever come to our house, you should probably avoid the spreads.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

fog

Today we awoke covered in a blanket of fog.

Initially we couldn't see past our neighbor's house.

But it gradually lifted throughout the morning,

leaving a lot of low-lying cloud behind.

We wanted to all go down to the beach in the fog, but we didn't get our act together in time. Still Quincy and I had a perfect camera-free morning, throwing rocks in the sea, making stone soup, and playing in and around a washed-up tire. Meanwhile, Jeremy took the dogs on a long walk around the bays.

Note: We already have our Christmas lights up for December 09. I can't believe how organized we are!

riding the toddler roller coaster

Yesterday I felt like this...

But today my patience for the aforementioned "incredible human being" was exhausted before breakfast.

happy birthday to my better half!

When I asked him what he wanted, he said, "not to spend any money." He wants no fuss whatsoever. Not if Q and I have anything to do about it!

peace through music

Have you heard of Playing for Change?

"Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music."

I can't stop watching the "episodes" on their site. They are literally songs around the world.

Again from their site, "Four years ago while walking down the street in Santa Monica, CA the voice of Roger Ridley singing “Stand By me” was heard from a block away. His voice, soul and passion set us on a course around the world to add other musicians to his performance. This song transformed Playing For Change from a small group of individuals to a global movement for peace and understanding. This track features over 35 musicians collaborating from all over the world. They may have never met in person, but in this case, the music does the talking."

So here is Stand By Me...

Cool, eh? And another for good measure...

Man, do I miss New Orleans.

The world sure is getting smaller and smaller. Thanks, Ollie, for introducing me.

a skateboarder is born

This video is super cool and makes me long for summer.

This is Quincy watching the video. It makes him long to be a skateboarder.

Ever since watching this for the first time last week, he is "Skateboarder. No Tinty. Skateboarder." He has fashioned several things into a skateboard, the least successful being a long skinny clipboard.

mickey mouse.

In Q's much-loved birthday card from my parents, there were some Mickey Mouse finger puppets. I punched them out over the weekend and he really digs them. He always chooses Mickey Mouse and then gives Donald Duck to papa and Minnie Mouse and Goofy to me. He likes to say, "Mickey Mouse a boy. Minnie Mouse a girl. ..."

This morning while I showered, he read in his crib like usual and Mickey kept him company. The. whole. time.

he's in there by choice. i swear.

He's just mixin' up storytime. He has to be closed in. He reads one book while Jeremy or I read another, of his choosing. He is, however, flexible about whether or not the dogs join him in their home.

Oh and Jeremy isn't trying to be a trendsetter, he's just doing his best to stay warm.

In other news...

Over the (very cold) holiday weekend, the fuse that powers half our house blew. It's a rare fuse, the kind that can only be purchased at a not-open-on-the-weekend specialty store.

Our garage door only closes some of the time.

And the ABS system in the car we've had for three months is freaking out. Warning lights flashing, making the occasional crunching noise, and even nearly leaving me stranded in an intersection yesterday. Yah, we should probably get that checked out!

And so as not to leave on a sour note, a random memory from a grocery shopping trip a few weeks back... As Q and I were getting out of the car, the employee who was gathering carts went way out of his way to bring me a cart. To my car. And he proceeded to help with the straps so that I could get Q in easier.

Life is good, even when it's kinda bad.

jekyll & hyde

This kid is bugging me, and I only feel mildly guilty for saying that.

(photos taken in a span of a couple minutes)

All the tender moments today were overshadowed by the whiny ones.

In his defense, he does have the first of his two-year molars just barely poking through. But still, chill out boy!

Did you notice his skinny jeans? I tried to put on comfy pants, but, no, he wanted to wear "big papa jeans".

Today was the Queen's birthday, so Jeremy was home. I'm not sure how many times Q said with bright eyes and a smile, "the whole family's here" while tapping our legs.

OK, so I guess he's still a sweetheart.

Maybe I'm the one that needs to chill out! And that is just what I did...I went shopping. Alone.

My aged winter wardrobe is in need of a little spruce up. I made a good start today.

Jeremy, if you're reading, you'll surely choke on the word "start". But don't even get me started on your whisky collection. :)