Life in the Cookie Jar

We watched a Charlie Chaplin movie with my class last year, and I was struck by the constant motion and the constant mishaps that ensued. 
As I write this, Ruby has just entered the room with a tube of diaper rash ointment in each hand.  I had just put those tubes away in the drawer where they go.  Prior to that, they were sitting on top of the toilet in the bathroom.  As I walked into her room to put them away, she was busily walking out with a jar of baby lotion. I don't know where she put it, but I'm sure I'll find it soon.  A few moments before that, she started carrying off dirty laundry that I was trying to put in the washer. 
Now she has knocked over a pile of papers for my class, systematically flung them around her, and looked up at me and said, "No, no!"  in exactly the tone of voice I would use to correct her. 
To be fair, she did pick them up for me (although this necessitated putting down the tubes of lotion in the middle of the floor.) 
There is…

What a treat! Last night I got to go to a crop!  A crop, in case you don't know, is kind of the scrapbooking equivalent of a quilting bee. People go with their scrapbooks and spread out and work companionably on their own stuff.  I've been meaning to go for a while but things always came up.  But last night, Andy and Allen took turns watching Ruby so I could go.  I got several pages done and enjoyed being in the company of other ladies (several of whom had little kids, too). One of the best hings about a crop is that the consultant who holds it usually has a lot of Creative Memories tools (punches, cutting tools, fancy scissors, etc.) that she lets us use.  Good deal! 
Yesterday I also had an ultrasound.  The tech said that it would be too soon to tell the sex of the baby...darn!  I kept my eyes peeled as I watched the screen, and for a fleeting second I thought I saw some, ah, boy parts.  But I certainly couldn't swear to it.  But the baby is definitely looking more lik…

My brother-in-law is getting married in a few months and I'm in a frenzy of wanting to help with their wedding planning.  I know.  NOT MY JOB.  I already had my wedding. 
But...it's the creative crafter in me that just wants to jump in and do cool things.  They, like us, are working on a tight budget.  I think we spent between $2500- $3000 on our wedding (that is including contributions from my parents for things like hiring a photographer, which I'm thankful for).  In this day and age, where it is considered a "budget" wedding to be under $10,000, that's pretty good.  I think they are shooting for a $500 wedding.  So, it will require a lot of creativity and friends pitching in.  I find myself looking at things in Goodwill or browsing online for ideas and getting excited for them. 
But I also don't want to step on their toes, particularly the bride-to-be's. After all, planning a wedding is very personal and something you only get one shot at (usually…

[Thanks to Eleanor Clark for bringing this to my attention on Facebook.]
Watch the trailer, but be forewarned that there is offensive material in it. Alas, that is the whole point.  It's about how nearly everything the media portrays about women is OFFENSIVE.  When we're not being cast as promiscuous, sex-crazed nymphs, we're either "bitches" or "dykes" or "hags" or somehow all of the above.  Women in politics can't catch a break.  They're evaluated on how they do their hair or what they wear as much as what they say.  Their tone of voice is measured and found "nagging" or "mom-like."  God forbid we have a female president, because then what would happen to the country when PMS or mood swings hit her? Because men are never irrational and always get things done in government...ha!  Look, women aren't perfect and they have flaws; and men certainly aren't portrayed as perfect by the media.  Men are told by the m…

And it has been here for over a week, but what of that?  I thought I would update you all on Ruby's growing lexicon.  Here are words she says:
up (pick me up!)
ball (used for balls, pumpkins, and anything round)
hi (greetings, used sparingly)
bye (also used sparingly)
ba (book)
huff (the sound a dog makes, and also the word for dog)
mao (the sound a cat makes)
guk (duck)
gak (quack)
no (nose, but also no)
eye (eyes)
mo (mole, like on your body)
mama (although she never says it to me, only when we are reading a book with a mama in it!)
dada (same as with mama)

She can also point to her (or other people's) nose, eyes, mouth, teeth, ears, hair, toes, feet, fingers, and bellybutton.  When Daddy's not wearing a shirt, she can point to his moles and nipple. Useful, I know.
Right now she is holding the screen of the laptop and trying to close it, then saying, "No, no!"  (anticipating what Mommy is going to say, no doubt!)
That's what our little talker is doing now.…