GBAtT Year in Review 2010

I actually was able to read 24 books in 2010.

I didn’t write 100,000 words, without counting NaNoWriMo. But I did write about 82 thousand words, plus successfully completed NaNoWriMo.

I averaged three blog entries a week. (Actually 3.1 per week, averaging 187 words per entry.)

I am happy to say, that I have written, either blog entry or one of my silly novels, every single day since Oct 31st! TheGoogle says it takes somewhere between 21 and 66 days to form a new habit. So I think this makes me a writer, although, slow since I’m averaging only 300 words per day. I think in 2011 I’ll start working on quality, much to your delight, Sportsfans!

And…the most exciting new thing…remember, exciting also means scary…I began teaching Sunday school.

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to down the town

MsSqueaky’s first words this morning, after MrGrunty went back into their room to turn on the lights, because he thought that he heard MrCuddles.

Ms S – “Grunty, do you want to go to down the town and ride on the carousel? OK lets get ready to go.”

MrGrunty turned to me, “Papa! Cuddles is awake”

So, we rode the crowded bus down town, were very cold on the freezing (28F) carousel. Then, we did something I hadn’t done before, we rode the monorail.

And back home by lunchtime. I think they had fun riding the different modes of transportation, we’ll see if they keep talking about it.

Right now, MrCuddles is going around the house, looking for something, looking under the couch, “I-doe-know.  Where are dey?”

MrGrunty is reading a book on the sofa, counting pages, and reciting the letters.

MsSqueaky is packing stuffed animals into her baby stroller.

song of the now & movie madness

GBAtT Song of the Now, thanks to my wonderful niece-K, “It’s Getting Boring By The Sea” by the Blood Red Shoes.

Last night I watched, Undead, the Australian zombie comedy from 2003. It was bad.

Tonight, Aliens vs Predator – Requiem, which was a lot better than Alien -vs- Predator, so AVP-R comes in with a solid mediocre rating.

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades – Steve Solomon

I liked it.

I appreciated that he approached the subject as this is what he’s learned from trial and error, and other sources.

I’ve recommended it to people, though, most people have too many gardening (or cooking) books, and so don’t want another on their shelves.

His writing about the deliciousness of fresh lettuce, has inspired me to try growing it.

The Grand Design

The Grand Design byHawking & Mlodinow

eh…it was a quick read.

And started with “philosophy is dead.” (pg 5)

I suspect, before I could agree or disagree with the physics, I would need to know a lot more mathematics. So, I’ll leave you with a spoiler for the book:

“Bodies such as stars or black holes cannot just appear out of nothing. But a whole universe can.”  (pg 180)

I feel there’s something that I don’t understand.

 

today

MsSqueaky was very helpful, helping me assemble a stroller for her baby.

MrGrunty and MsSqueaky were having a contest for me & MyBetterhalf, they were singing and hopping up and down, MrCuddles was watching, swaying side to side, clapping when they finished a song.

The other day I bought parsnips, and asked the childrens who wanted one. They all three did. When I cooked them up, the only person to eat one was MrCudldles, but that was only if he was eating them off of my plate.

X-mas eve 2010

Today we took a bus, as MsSqueaky says, “to down the town”. The childrens loved riding the bus, as usual. When we got there we went for a ride on the carousel.  MrG asked his sister, “you want to sit on a pink horse?” She did, and she got to.  The twins were excited when the carousel started going around, MrCuddles after a few cycles of his horse going up and down, wanted to be held.

After, we went to MyBetterHalf’s favorite Chinese restaurant.  The childrens were freakishly well behaved.

After, we went to a street vendor and got hot fresh mini donuts. MrCuddles, after taking one bite, smiled, stuck his chest and face frontwards, swung his arms back, and said, “MMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!”

Tonight, we went to Christmas Eve worship at our church.

 

TV favorites

My television viewing favorites through the ages

• When a smile child, growing up in Missouri, I believe there was a show called “Grape Ape”, or maybe that was a character in a cartoon. Anyway, my mommy made me a T-shirt with Grape Ape on it, and I loved it.

• Also, I loved the show Grizzly Adams. It made we want to grow up and live the pioneer lifestyle.
• Later, I was very excited when there where mini-series, such as “Shogun”.
• In elementary school, I remember enjoying “Star Blazers” it would be on in the indoor play area when I showed up at school.
• Moonlighting and Miami Vice were alright, but by far Remington Steele was the best.
• in college… StarTrek the next generation, and then X-files was a big social event.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Veronica Mars
• Lost…originally, then it bored me, then I was curious on the wrap up, but figured out they had no plan and glad it finished
• and currently, The Walking Dead

Squeaky stories

In an effort to keep the childrens from mangling their fingers in the door, we toss a towel over the top of the door to make it impossible to shut all the way. Yes, I’m paranoid, but one of the worst sounds I’ve heard was when MrGrunty when his little fingers got caught in the door when he was a toddler. Well, MsSqueaky & MrGrunty don’t like that,  because they don’t like MrCuddles going into their “house” when they are playing “momma & the baby”  or “the two babies”, with all their blankets on their floor. For a week, I would catch MsS hanging on the door knob, trying to climb up the door and reach for the towel. And then, one morning, I saw her get a big chair, push it to her room, and a moment later push the big chair back to the living room with the towel on it. I was pleased at her persistence, at her problem solving, but we had to have a talk. I told them that I didn’t want them standing on chairs, and in the future, if they wanted the towel down, that they needed to ask, and if the door closes, they need to close it gently because we don’t want any people or kitties to get an owie.

Tonight, the childrens wanted to ride a motorcycle. I lay down, tuck my knees up, grasp my knees and they ride on my shins holding onto my thumbs. I asked MsSqueaky if she wanted a BMW (quiet hum), a Kowasaki (high pitch whine) or a Harley (low loud rumbling). She tried each one, but liked it best when the motorcycle was bouncing over little hills.

Right before bed, MsS with a sketch-toy in her hand, shouted out, “Papa, I drew a ‘J’!”  and then a moment later, “Mommy, I drew an ‘H’!”

…and I almost forgot… other evening, MsS put blankets in her pajammas, and said, “Papa, I have a baby in my belly.”  (She and MyBetterHalf had been looking at photos from MyBetterHalf’s pregnancy)

 

 

stuck in the mud

MrGrunty & MsSqueaky spread blankets out on their floor. One is a slide, one is water, one is a sand castle.

Tonight, we heard MrG yelling “help mommy, I’m stuck” but with more happy than fear in his voice. I went to ‘vestigate. He was stuck in the mud (a pink blanket), and he was being the “baby” and MsS was being the mommy. I grabbed one of their broom sticks, to help them out of the mud. And then all three of us fell in the mud. We called out for MrCuddles. He helped me out. Then MsS and MrG fell in again, and MrCuddles, liking to play along with his cool older siblings, flopped down on the pink blanket.