time out is fun!

(Yes, we were up early again. Bleh.)

Jonah doesn't really disobey much. Well, he doesn't really obey much either since all he does is play and run around. He is getting to the point, however, where he can do simple things that we ask (yay!) and has obvious moments of rebellion (boo!). The first time Josh tried to put Jonah in time-out I laughed at him and Jonah just crawled away. Since then, we've developed a new system that involves holding him there for 5 seconds (which is long enough to get the point across to a 16-month old). It's a work in progress, for sure, but the funniest thing happened the other day.

Jonah bit Josh. That's not the funny thing, but that's what started it. It wasn't a playful bite, either. It was a red-in-the-face-mad-becasuse-you-told-me-no bite on bare flesh. So Josh took Jonah to the designated corner, held him there, and told him why he was in trouble. After it was all over, Jonah crawled back to the corner and started playing there. He now thinks his time-out corner is all kinds of fun.

Considering we use it all of twice a month (so far), I don't really mind.

brrr

I woke up early this morning (not my favorite) and took the trash out (again, not a favorite) to discover it was cold outside. It is probably 70 or something, but my first thought was "ooo, I need a jacket!" So I rushed inside and opened all the windows. If I was feeling really awesome I'd make some bread or something too, to celebrate a cool-ish kitchen. I probably won't, though, since it is still only 6:30 and I don't usually wake up for another hour.

I've been looking at the websites of various Fish & Game agencies around the country and realized that although I am a smart gal, I have a few embarrassing things to admit:
-I can't name all 50 states on the first try (I finally just got a list because I kept missing some of those New Englanders)
-It may have taken me longer than I'd like to admit to spell Connecticut and Massachusetts

Still, at least I know there are 50 stars on the flag, right Q?

raspberries

Just in the last few days, Jonah has started giving raspberries. Well, trying to. So if you come to visit and he pulls up your shirt, slobbers on your belly and then starts to laugh, that's what's going on.

This is not to be confused with biting, which begins with an open mouth as he descends upon your neck, arm, or leg. Biting is not as cute, but it results in just as much spit, it seems. One is definitely more fun than the other.

exploding dinner

So I was reading an article about exploding chicken (or really, and exploding casserole dish) and it reminded me of making dinner earlier today. I went for my square casserole dish and was reminded, once again, that one of my two is gone forever. You see, it blew up in my broiler a few months ago. I have other dishes that are roughly the same size and I have two 9x13 casserole dishes that get even more use than the square one, but I still miss it. This article made me laugh and feel a little better about myself, even if it didn't bring the dish back.

Curious? I was making this Chicken Masala (which is delicious) which I'd made before successfully in the very same dish. The exploding pan slowed down dinner but luckily didn't keep us from eating it. The chicken comes out so moist I could eat it plain for the rest of my life. Now, I just roast it on the tray-like thing in the broiler. Before you mock (since I'm sure it really is a tray intended for that very purpose) consider that this was the first time I braved the under-the-oven broiler of a gas stove. They are very broiler-y and a bit scary. So, if anyone is curious (since I used the broiler in Tempe to store pans since my mom stores pans under her electric oven) it can be done without blowing up the house. Just not without blowing up a pan.

grandparent's day

Yesterday was Grandparent's day. I took a minute to think about my grandparents and what I know about them, what I remember about the grandmas, and what I've inherited. Then I took a long moment to think about Jonah's grandparents and how great they are. All 6! are fabulously supportive and adore their boy.

"More pictures, less text!" Sorry, Josh (and JC):
This is my favorite picture of my mom and Jonah. There are many pictures where they both look more polished, but this was early in the morning one of those days I was so glad to have her help!Again, I just love the earliest pictures with the grandmas cause they were so ga-ga over him.
Then, of course, fishing is always a favorite pastime.
And I have no idea what the men are looking at in this picture, but it certainly isn't the camera! Whatever it was, it must have been intense!

Thanks for being so great. We love you all.

parenting question

Is running with a fork as bad as scissors?

math equations

Running alone with iPod > Running with stroller not made for jogging and tempermental right wheel.

Running alone + evening time + beautiful sunset = time reflecting on running history and friends I learned to love running with.

I love you, K & E!

not my poll question

Today's poll question on a local news site (my homepage) reads:

Should a wife take her husband's name?

-Yes, it's tradition
-No, it doesn't matter anymore

I don't know why it bugged me so much, but I did not choose to take Josh's name because it was merely tradition, nor did I consider not taking it because it "doesn't matter anymore". There are far more important and complex reasons at work and the answer choices irritate me. I'd rather just see it say "yes" and "no" than try to boil it down like that. Too sensitive? Probably.

a few more

A few other things I've "discovered" (in quotes because apparently the soap lid discovery was not so ground breaking):

-Four pieces of paper taped to the ground make a great canvas for a 1-year old. It's not so small nor so wiggly.
-Project Runway. As a rule, I avoid most reality competition shows, but Josh and I watch Top Chef together every week. Now, on Thursdays, I sneak off to watch the cutthroat sewing action. Mmm.
-Breyer's ice cream is $1.88 at Fry's this week. Anyone who thinks their Rocky Road is the best ice cream ever made (me) should take notice.
-Overtired babies do not good sleepers make. In fact, at least in this house, it makes for a sleep strike.
-Texting Q while he hikes up the RB stairs makes me miss it. Almost. (Miss BYU, yes. Miss that particular staircase? Not likely)
-Osh Kosh makes adjustable waist pants that are actually adjustable more than 1/4 inch.

follow up and yard work

So, when I received a text message trying to set up an appointment, I was mostly appalled (no, we are not really friends, so the relationship is not to that point). The more I think about it, though, I use email to make VT appointments all the time, so I guess as long as it's not trying to substitute for the visit itself I'll get un-offended. It is nice for leaving messages, I guess.

Now, unable to believe that it's actually September, I need to go work in my yard if we're going to have a garden at all this fall. I just browsed my Washington pictures for some green inspiration. For anyone else dying in the heat, this is what we can look forward to in just a few months!Well, it's never going to be as green here as in WA, but it will be 80 degrees again someday.