Sorry for the long delay. With the advent of my new job, i had to give my wireless access thingie back to my old job. And I just now got around to buying a new one. So here I am, back on the web, wasting precious time i could be spending with my mullet-haired babe-zilla.
Lots has been happening. First and foremost, the job is going well so far. I'm settling in pretty well. I like my teammates, they're all young and three of them are just as book/word obsessed as i am. And the graphic designers are fun too. The work isn't scintillating or anything but I think that's a rarity in any profession.
Secondly, Ben's sister got married. The wedding was really beautiful. It was the perfect, picturesque small wedding. Jes was beautiful in her mermaid dress. Very 1940s. And Eric, you were beautiful too (I just want to say again how incredibly awesome your tie was. If you die before me can you will your tie to me?). We got to see lots of family that we usually only see around Christmas time. Hi Ryan, Stacia and Olivia!!! The happy couple is honeymooning as we speak in an isolated cabin in the woods. What better place to make loud-hot-monkey-love than that??
Let's see, what else. Ben is now a stay at home daddy. By far the cutest one i've ever seen. He and Esther play outside almost all day. Yesterday I came home to the two of them digging holes outback for the footers for the new addition. Esther armed with a soup spoon. And I guess that brings us to the next thing. We're building an addition, albeit a small one, but we are going to finally have our own room... yippie! I'm so excited. We hope to have it done by early fall. This winter promises to be an interesting one and more on that later.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
New Job...
Tomorrow is my last day at the Crisis Center. I'm so sad. (Hi CRS FOLKS!!!) I have loved working here. And as some of you may know i have accepted a job doing something that is sort of morally questionable (my morals, not everyones...HI FRED!).
However, it is with the hope that I will gain enough experience and expertise so that i may re-enter the non-profit industry and make it count. I start on Monday and am knee-knocking nervous. I think if it weren't for my over-all fear of Alzheimer's I would buy stock in super wetness protection deodorant, as it is i'm going to have to stick a roll of paper towels under each arm.
That said, this job is a fantastic opportunity for me and my family (and my motorcycle, HI IVY!) and will help the Jones-Matthews trio finally settle into a place financial security. However, this also means less time with Esther, less time in the garden, less time in the woods, less time everywhere....
What can i say, i'm a whore.... please don't hate me.
However, it is with the hope that I will gain enough experience and expertise so that i may re-enter the non-profit industry and make it count. I start on Monday and am knee-knocking nervous. I think if it weren't for my over-all fear of Alzheimer's I would buy stock in super wetness protection deodorant, as it is i'm going to have to stick a roll of paper towels under each arm.
That said, this job is a fantastic opportunity for me and my family (and my motorcycle, HI IVY!) and will help the Jones-Matthews trio finally settle into a place financial security. However, this also means less time with Esther, less time in the garden, less time in the woods, less time everywhere....
What can i say, i'm a whore.... please don't hate me.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Oma's Pictures from the Weekend.
These last two are from Jes's Bridal Shower (Hi Jes!). I have to say that Bridal Showers are strange things to me. I, having never had a wedding myself, feel that even as sweet as everyone is to a bride and as generous as they are to the soon-to-be-newlyweds, it's not worth it. It's far too much money, headache, backache, organizing, and socializing for me. That said, Jes and Eric I'm excited to come to your wedding! Let me know if there's anything i can do to help.
(perhaps everyone should just elope in the far off reaches of Alaska...)
Monday, April 07, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tardy as always...
And on par with my consistent tardiness, Easter Pictures:
We spent Easter weekend at the Eastern Shore with Oma, Ben's Mama. Esther got to hang out with Oma's menagerie of fish and finches and Ben and I got a nice baby-break/date in to boot.
On our date we bought new sun glasses for the whole family...
This is our Easter morning dog pile on the sofa.
Check out the sticks in her hands...
This is her hot pink Easter dress... i don't know if i'm becoming more girlie in my old age or what but pink doesn't seem to bother me much these days... huh...
This bunny was a gift from Ben's Aunt Beth and quickly became inseparable from E.
Under the fish table is a mirror which Esther liked to look into while singing
Esther would only hunt for the Easter eggs after she watched me open one up and put rocks and sticks in it. Every time we go outside be it for 30 seconds or a few hours, Esther picks up an odd assortment of rocks and sticks which she MUST carry around in her hands and will only put down when it's time to go back inside...
We spent Easter weekend at the Eastern Shore with Oma, Ben's Mama. Esther got to hang out with Oma's menagerie of fish and finches and Ben and I got a nice baby-break/date in to boot.
On our date we bought new sun glasses for the whole family...
This is our Easter morning dog pile on the sofa.
Check out the sticks in her hands...
This is her hot pink Easter dress... i don't know if i'm becoming more girlie in my old age or what but pink doesn't seem to bother me much these days... huh...
This bunny was a gift from Ben's Aunt Beth and quickly became inseparable from E.
Under the fish table is a mirror which Esther liked to look into while singing
Esther would only hunt for the Easter eggs after she watched me open one up and put rocks and sticks in it. Every time we go outside be it for 30 seconds or a few hours, Esther picks up an odd assortment of rocks and sticks which she MUST carry around in her hands and will only put down when it's time to go back inside...
Monday, March 24, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
More on Art Night
So Art Night is a gathering of folks one night a month where we share art that we've all done around a certain theme (which is picked out of a hat at each Art Night).
So go to the Art Night link and check out the Art Night blog.
You can see a crappy essay that i wrote. Whooo hooo!
You can also, hopefully, get in on it too. Look forward to seeing some of you at the next Art Night.
So go to the Art Night link and check out the Art Night blog.
You can see a crappy essay that i wrote. Whooo hooo!
You can also, hopefully, get in on it too. Look forward to seeing some of you at the next Art Night.
Monday, March 17, 2008
A return of the Jedi... i mean Jones
It occurs to me that i used to write more and post pictures less. Not that one is better than the other. I, myself, being of a more visually attracted person enjoy pictures, they tend to send a truer message about my life...
But ultimately, i do miss writing and to be completely honest about my narcissism, it's nice to have a record of what i was feeling this time last year.
March, to steal from a friend of mine, brings the wind and the wind makes me (like aurora) crazy. Not to mention the weather being unable to make up it's mind. "Oh i'm March Weather, i can't decide if i'm all happy and sunny and beautiful and warm, or a cold hearted bitch!" yeesh.
So i'm working hard on trying not to be too crazy and on trying to put together a life for myself. When we had Esther we kind of dropped everything and holed up with her, communing as a family and all getting to know each other and love each other, and catch up on sleep. I think the "catching up on sleep" thing is a perpetual side effect of being a parent of any age children. And now that Esther is older (17 months next week to be exact) it's time we had some more hobbies other than bickering, cooking lavish meals and aimlessly wandering the woods around the house.
Friday March 7th was "Art Night" (i'll post more about this when i get the link). I wrote the first essay i've written since Esther was born and read it to a group of people whom i do not know particularly well. Needless to say, it was horrifying but mostly consequence-less (aside from the headache i had the next day from drinking far too much wine, which i had hoped would stop the stage fright). All ramifications aside, i'm looking forward to our next "Art Night"...
And now in attempt to keep this short so as not to bore all 2 of my readers, I will leave you with one final question: what the crap? Easter is far too early this year...
But ultimately, i do miss writing and to be completely honest about my narcissism, it's nice to have a record of what i was feeling this time last year.
March, to steal from a friend of mine, brings the wind and the wind makes me (like aurora) crazy. Not to mention the weather being unable to make up it's mind. "Oh i'm March Weather, i can't decide if i'm all happy and sunny and beautiful and warm, or a cold hearted bitch!" yeesh.
So i'm working hard on trying not to be too crazy and on trying to put together a life for myself. When we had Esther we kind of dropped everything and holed up with her, communing as a family and all getting to know each other and love each other, and catch up on sleep. I think the "catching up on sleep" thing is a perpetual side effect of being a parent of any age children. And now that Esther is older (17 months next week to be exact) it's time we had some more hobbies other than bickering, cooking lavish meals and aimlessly wandering the woods around the house.
Friday March 7th was "Art Night" (i'll post more about this when i get the link). I wrote the first essay i've written since Esther was born and read it to a group of people whom i do not know particularly well. Needless to say, it was horrifying but mostly consequence-less (aside from the headache i had the next day from drinking far too much wine, which i had hoped would stop the stage fright). All ramifications aside, i'm looking forward to our next "Art Night"...
And now in attempt to keep this short so as not to bore all 2 of my readers, I will leave you with one final question: what the crap? Easter is far too early this year...
New Cousin!!
I have a new First Cousin Once Removed!
Welcome to the world Ruby Maude Toole-Jardeleza.
Well done! Nick and Julie.
or if i were Stephen "goodonya", (not Ruby's Uncle Stephen, but Stephen, you know who you are Stephen)
Welcome to the world Ruby Maude Toole-Jardeleza.
Well done! Nick and Julie.
or if i were Stephen "goodonya", (not Ruby's Uncle Stephen, but Stephen, you know who you are Stephen)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Power to the people...
Our power came back on late Monday afternoon. We're all showered, shaved, laundered, and media soaked. We're also a little better prepared for the next time it happens (because our power goes out for at least 4 hours, at least once a month).
Meanwhile, a list of fun things to do when the power goes out:
-tattoo the baby (pictures to follow)
-play cards for coins you can't see
-play hide the baby in the dirty laundry
-cook all the food in your fridge so it won't go bad
-eat all said cooked food
-feel like a fat-ass after eating all food
Meanwhile, a list of fun things to do when the power goes out:
-tattoo the baby (pictures to follow)
-play cards for coins you can't see
-play hide the baby in the dirty laundry
-cook all the food in your fridge so it won't go bad
-eat all said cooked food
-feel like a fat-ass after eating all food
Monday, March 10, 2008
At first it was fun.
A big, crazy storm blew through on Saturday afternoon and knocked trees down all over. Including a few that happened to be standing sentinel above the power lines up the road. Needless to say, they abandoned their posts, turned on their charges and took them out, blocking the road and creating havoc all over the place.
We've been without power/water for 42 hours now. Last i saw, no one was even attempting to rectify the situation. We've been hauling water from the spring, using the outhouse, running the freezers off the generator (that's where we keep all our meat for the year from hunting -- since it's the only meat we eat), playing Uno by oil lamp light, and begging our relatives to let us shower at their house. It was all fine and good for the first 36 hours but i'm getting a bit tired of it, and i didn't do the laundry when i had a chance Saturday morning and it is now breeding and beginning to take over the bathroom and a corner of our bedroom. Does anyone have an old ringer washer they wanna loan us?
We've been without power/water for 42 hours now. Last i saw, no one was even attempting to rectify the situation. We've been hauling water from the spring, using the outhouse, running the freezers off the generator (that's where we keep all our meat for the year from hunting -- since it's the only meat we eat), playing Uno by oil lamp light, and begging our relatives to let us shower at their house. It was all fine and good for the first 36 hours but i'm getting a bit tired of it, and i didn't do the laundry when i had a chance Saturday morning and it is now breeding and beginning to take over the bathroom and a corner of our bedroom. Does anyone have an old ringer washer they wanna loan us?
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Sheenanigans
When Esther is old enough, do you think she will protest to having her entire baby album online for all to see?
This is her kissie face. She hasn't quite learned to pucker so she sticks her lower lip out.
mmm mmm. Baby-licious
This is my husband looking like a convict, and me looking resigned to the fact that my husband is a convict.
I think that this is turned sideways and she's actually standing on her head on Ben's chest, but i like it better this way cause it looks like shes punching and head butting him at the same time.
Please divert your eyes away from the low neckline (not that there's much to see there) and instead marvel at my amazingly huge and crooked teeth.
This is her thinking face.
being attacked by her mother
and being squashed by her mother
no wonder she has nightmares...
A very real family photo...
Eating grapes..
Spitting out the grapes...
And her beloved "Mimi" which Kirstin (HI WEST!!) made for her. She was calling it "Lamby" but Ben and I thought she was saying Mimi and we started calling it Mimi and so it is now Mimi.
This is her kissie face. She hasn't quite learned to pucker so she sticks her lower lip out.
mmm mmm. Baby-licious
This is my husband looking like a convict, and me looking resigned to the fact that my husband is a convict.
I think that this is turned sideways and she's actually standing on her head on Ben's chest, but i like it better this way cause it looks like shes punching and head butting him at the same time.
Please divert your eyes away from the low neckline (not that there's much to see there) and instead marvel at my amazingly huge and crooked teeth.
This is her thinking face.
being attacked by her mother
and being squashed by her mother
no wonder she has nightmares...
A very real family photo...
Eating grapes..
Spitting out the grapes...
And her beloved "Mimi" which Kirstin (HI WEST!!) made for her. She was calling it "Lamby" but Ben and I thought she was saying Mimi and we started calling it Mimi and so it is now Mimi.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Our Little Podling
This morning i gave Esther morningstar veggie sausage links for the first time. She takes a tentative bite, then goes "yum, yum... mmmm mmm. Deeelicious!" and proceeds to shove the whole sausage into her mouth.
A little later, i go to hit play on the remote for the CD player and she comes running over and goes "mama, ready, set, gooooo!" just as the music starts to play.
In other news: It's a bit premature, but i'm ready for spring.
And I keep vainly hoping that my dream job is going to walk in, grab me by the lapels and say "Let's go kid." And we'd be off to live in some wonderful land where i don't feel like hiding under the bed every morning before going to work.
A little later, i go to hit play on the remote for the CD player and she comes running over and goes "mama, ready, set, gooooo!" just as the music starts to play.
In other news: It's a bit premature, but i'm ready for spring.
And I keep vainly hoping that my dream job is going to walk in, grab me by the lapels and say "Let's go kid." And we'd be off to live in some wonderful land where i don't feel like hiding under the bed every morning before going to work.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
And Happy Valen-Times Day!
I know valentimes is for saps and people who believe in cliches... and well... i'm one of them.
One time i got my roommates presents for valentimes and also made them heart shaped pancakes. What can i say i love to tell people that i love them.
I made banana-apple muffins and an omelet for Ben this morning before i left for work.
On the front seat of my car this morning i found that Ben packed me a lunch. I'm not allowed to look in the bag until lunch time but something tells me it's full of brie!!
One time i got my roommates presents for valentimes and also made them heart shaped pancakes. What can i say i love to tell people that i love them.
I made banana-apple muffins and an omelet for Ben this morning before i left for work.
On the front seat of my car this morning i found that Ben packed me a lunch. I'm not allowed to look in the bag until lunch time but something tells me it's full of brie!!
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