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I received this lovely package in a special little swap I love!
Thanks go to blackbiscuits for sending such a sweet package...
I love this swap thing!
About 11 or so years ago, I helped my crazy cat give birth. It was quite an ordeal as she was not quite 6 months old and knocked up... but she was a Hemingway cat and I loved her. It should not have been a surprise that each one of her babies would have the same status of being able to be called a polydactyl. She had five babies... Henry, Moo-Moo, Hannibal, Boadicea and Sir Albert Whitehead. Hannibal was the last cat I had to assist her with in the delivery... she was so little and he was such a big baby kitten that I almost had to do an episiotomy, but we managed to get him out without a tear and any other trauma. He was a shy and quiet little kitty, and was terrorized by his brothers and sister... so that is why I named him Hannibal. He needed a strong name, a fighting name... and I picked Hannibal. Though we always called him Ibbles or Ibbies.
Not really, I suppose one should call it man made ice...
But Squink went with the cousins and while he liked the ice, he loved... no wait, let me rephrase that ... he LOVED the water.
I taught him how to splash in puddles and while he could not exactly jump into them, he could make some awesome splashes!
This is a much better picture taken by my swap recipient.
For Agnes - a swap is a group of people that get together and make presents for someone else int he group along a theme.
For August, the theme was rainbow and I had to include things that I thought my partner would like (she does not know who has her name)... one thing has to be handmade. I looked her up in the pool of women and found out more about her and bought things that I thought she would like. As I am doing this, someone completely different has my name and has to do the same for me (I got the apron in a post below). We have to have everything ready and mailed out by a certain date, and people from all over the world participate. you can click on this link for more information about the swap I sent this item for. But there are many more swaps than this one... you can do a candy swap or a CD swap or a bookmark swap or any kind of swap!
This I received. But there is more...
The apron, which fails to show the very cute one that was along with it for Squink and because my camera batteries are dead, my camera phone must suffice you can go see it here.
And
While I am proud of my swap, the camera pictures suck but if you are curious to see what I sent go here and here for the coloriffic swap-o-rama and here for the Pack it up Small
So, of all things I get a professional artist as my very first swap partner! It is all so lovely and my Blair Necessities tote bag is already my tote of choice for work!
And boy do I preen like a peacock when people ask me where I got it, and then tell me what lovely personalization it has and I have to say it is from my favorite City in Canadia (yes, that is how I pronounce it, on purpose, forgive me)... and a wonderful graphic designer from there does the work and it was a gift and yes I just may send them a card on the very special personalized stationary she made me.
rachael_h, I love it! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Yeah, here is another thing I did(n't) do on vacation!
Via LHJ
Although the plurals 'octopusses' and 'octopi' are acceptable, the word is of Greek etymology and its correct plural is octopata.via Gullible.info
I know that all kids grow at their own pace, but I am starting to wonder if speaking to him in three languages is the best thing. Why, well here is a list of his words:
bye (and bye-bye), ashes (said like asses, a potty mouth already, uhh-ohh... these are the ones he uses with any frequency... I think their may be one or two more intelligible ones (he does babble quite a bit).
So, of course I start worrying about his development, because that is what we are supposed to do as parents, aren't we? So, I looked at where he should be...
Babycentral.com informs me of the following (Squinks are bolded - my comments in Italics)
Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
• Turns the pages of a book
• Has temper tantrums when frustrated
• Becomes attached to a soft toy or other object - for a few days anyway
Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
• Discovers joy of climbing
• Stacks three blocks
• Learns the correct way to use common objects (e.g. the telephone)
Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
• Takes off one piece of clothing by himself
• Gets finicky about food
• Switches from two naps to one – most of the time
Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
• Uses a handful of words regularly
• Enjoys pretend games - what are pretend games?
• Likes riding toys
Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
• Responds to directions (e.g. "Sit down")
• Feeds doll - nope
• Talks more clearly
Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
• Dances to music
• Sorts toys by color, shape, or size
• Kicks ball forward - he does but I think it is on accident
Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
• Will "read" board books on his own - he has always done this
• Can pedal when put on trike
• Scribbles well - Huh?
Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
• Strings words together in phrases - in his own language
• Brushes teeth with help
• Builds a tower of four cubes
Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
• Throws ball overhand
• Takes toys apart and puts them back together
• Shows signs of toilet training readiness
They go on to say:
13 to 18 months
Now your child is using one or more words, and he knows what they mean. He'll even practice inflection, raising his tone when asking a question, saying "Up-py?" when he wants to be carried, for example. He's realizing the importance of language as he taps into the power of communicating his needs.
Some signs to look out for:
13 to 18 months
Your child isn't saying any words by 15 months (including "mama" or "dada"), didn't babble before his first birthday, is unable to point to any body parts, or you still can't understand a word he's saying by 18 months.
I have never done body parts with him, he doesn't know them... was I supposed to? I mean if he looked at my eye and touched it I would, but never played a game of it...
They go on about bilingual situations... and We don't exclusively speak to him in one language... we can't, if it involves the other adult knowing what the one is saying... so we all mix...
Is there a right way to do this?
I HATE feeling like a failure.
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OK, So here is my swap for coloriffic swap-o-rama... I am so hoping that my recipient loves it, or at least likes it. I threw a few things in there that were not "official" colors, but put them inside things that were "official" colors. My hand made items are on the upper right, a kitty pin cushion and some uber large magnets. I sent some fabrics (lower right) and then filled the rest with goodies I thought my swap partner would enjoy and use. This has been an interesting experience, and I enjoyed it very much!
I have been corresponding with an old friend for a while now. Like many friendships, this one had its good points and its amazingly low points. In the end, neither of us were very good friends to the other, though we cared for the others well being very deeply. So, through a certain googled name, we came in contact again… it has been interesting to say the least. It has brought back a lot of the anger, on both our parts I think, on how we treated the other. Which is a shame, but it is a very interesting process. In part, because we are speaking honestly for the first time in a very long time, also, because the process has been very liberating as well as humiliating. Facing ones nastier past is not the easiest of tasks. You are forced through their or ones own dialog to look at ones actions, not from the ego point of view, but from the more global view. Looking at how one behaved as an adolescent, in my case, requires a lot of self forgiveness and exploration of the reasons why I treated some folks so terribly.
There was one friend that I once told she was fat, to her face. In retrospect, she was not fat, (and you don't know how mush I fought to not write "all that" here) though she was most certainly not the nicest person and did hurt many friends of mine... but, frankly, that did not give me license to hurt her feeling so badly. Now, I have to admit, it this occurrence of calling her fat, happened after imbibing a few bottles of champagne while in a hot tub (these do not mix BTW)… but what gave me license to drink that way… for one it was illegal for me to drink (though I did often and well during these years of my life) and it is also, and most importantly, quite contrary to my nature to behave that way. Sadly, that was not the only time I was mean to that girl. And when I think about what I did to her (in absence of what she did to me and any one else), contrition is not enough, I almost feel worthy of a hair shirt and self flagellation.
Now, that is also an interesting idea… that feeling of intense remorse that makes one feel that worthiness is not attainable, unless through acts of contrition. I think my growing up in a South American catholic environment may be the origin of some of this, in addition to trying very hard to be a good person and hating ones failures in that attempt. After all I did join in on a pilgrimage where we crawled on our knees to the church once... I was 6 or so and it was my choosing.
Where can I find solace that the long term repercussions, of these times when I behaved so abominably, are not negative ones to her anymore? Can I assume that she took these situations and turned them into more positive ones? I do not fear damnation, I know in my heart that I try very hard to be a good person; that I try to behave honorably, to be patient with folks who think differently than I, that I work very hard at tempering my tongue when I hear or see things I consider unfair and/or condescending... When I don’t think people are trying to attain a higher standard themselves. Now this may be what some may call my standard, but I think there is a universal ideal on how folks should be treated… that standard is the one to which I am referring. Sure there is a gray area, but all the religions touch on it, the most famous probably being to love thy neighbor or the golden rule…
I guess my point is that it is always hard to face that in the past I was not the nicest of people and that I could sink so very low, and that I allowed a sense of retribution to direct me to behave poorly.
PS I am listening to the Magic Flute - I always get reflective when I listen to Mozart.
| You scored 52% Gryffindor, 24% Ravenclaw, 20% Hufflepuff, and 4% Slytherin! |
| Difficult. Difficult. Plenty of courage. Not a bad set of brains. A good heart. And the determination to prove yourself. But where to put you? BETTER BE - The house with the highest percentage you scored. Ps: If it's the same number, pick the one you think is most right for you. We are not determined by our talents but by our choices-A.D |
My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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| Link: The Hogwarts Sorting Hat Test written by itui on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test |
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and thanks to ::dura:matter:: for sending me there
He tells me it says "I love MOM", he promises it does...
I hope this is not a sign of things to come...
Showing off the magnificent pecs this swimsuit manages to show off so well!!!
