tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39219292012-02-15T06:23:24.313-05:00Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to conceive!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.comBlogger3551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-70982797226164219792010-03-02T19:58:00.002-05:002010-03-02T19:59:10.701-05:00

TigWeb is moving!ORI have deleted my LAST spam comment EVER. Goodbye, Blogger!Join us here:http://tigweb.wordpress.com

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-47124032799824958912010-02-26T19:52:00.002-05:002010-02-26T20:11:36.589-05:00

The past week has been full of academic highs and lows, fluctuating so rapidly that I hardly have time to find equilibrium enough to just get my work done.The biggest high was presenting at the conference last weekend. It's so rewarding to return to my college and see the new and interesting things my old professors are doing with the department. They're always innovative and trying to rethink

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-14081315121490672192010-02-22T21:39:00.002-05:002010-02-22T21:45:43.438-05:00

Sorry for the long drought. It was unintentional. I (well, we, really...the whole family) left last week Wednesday for a conference in Chicago and had fully intended to post prior to leaving, but the insanity of trying to get everything ready and packed and prepped and washed and diapered and out the door on time was a bit overwhelming. And then the conference and all the travel associated (KS to

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-3190017976960272242010-02-13T23:05:00.001-05:002010-02-13T23:05:54.850-05:00

Breakfast with Charlotte:Gif maker

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-76409332807895377442010-02-12T10:35:00.002-05:002010-02-12T10:54:09.007-05:00

Some recent Charlotte-isms:Charlotte and Jeff are listening to “Lovesick”C: So, Bob Dylan says he’s sick of love.J: That’s what he says. I’m not sure I believe him, though. Do you?C: I believe him.J: Don’t you think he’s being a bit disingenuous? I mean, who really gets sick of love?C: He just doesn’t want anyone to love him anymore. He’s sick. Of love.J: Yeah, but –C: Maybe he just doesn’t want

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-81642871857239001622010-02-09T21:28:00.005-05:002010-02-09T23:06:02.739-05:00

It's probably a bit cliched to note that pregnancy and childbirth take one's body from oneself. I mean, pregnancy features months upon months of symptoms ranging from nausea and vomiting to insomnia to epic flatulence to insane jimmy leg syndrome, not to mention the fact that you've gone from Jana, Party of One to Incubator of Tiny Human. Then you spend anywhere from a few hours to (gulp) days

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-39371369695215836202010-02-04T20:56:00.002-05:002010-02-04T21:37:31.203-05:00

A few posts back, my mother in law (hi, mom!) left a comment asking about my schoolin'. I believe she specifically asked when I would be done (with coursework, I think) (I'm too lazy to go back and check to see what she actually asked, so sorry...no slander intended). And I found that question rather impressive, because it showed a basic understanding of graduate studies that the common person

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-51344115930616249962010-01-29T19:40:00.002-05:002010-01-29T19:56:26.417-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed a little announcement yesterday, that Sam was "walking." I use that term as loosely as I used "crawling" back when Sam was first writhing his way across the carpet with anguished cries of exertion. Sam has taken three unassisted steps, but those steps were as wobbly as those of a rum-soaked sailor, and they ended, dramatically, with a face-plant

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-26341094521712706672010-01-24T22:18:00.001-05:002010-01-24T22:24:53.096-05:00

The kids, January 2010. Man, I love these monkeys.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-79567537492926486732010-01-22T19:47:00.002-05:002010-01-22T20:03:01.556-05:00

This has been a pretty good week. And that's a relief, because it is the first real, full week of the semester...the semester which, you might recall, was supposed to be light-years better than last semester, which was in the toilet (to put it mildly). And if the rest of the semester goes approximately like this week went, then I think this academic year will redeem itself.I'm busy, but

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-13591495561865691822010-01-18T20:38:00.002-05:002010-01-18T20:56:11.943-05:00

Scene: Dinnertime at the Tig house. The family is gathered around the table.Jana: The funniest thing happened to me at school today. I was walking into Wescoe, and...Charlotte: Mama? Mama? Mama? I wanted chocolate milk. Is this chocolate milk?Jana: No, honey. It's just milk.Charlotte: But I wanted chocolate milk!Jana: Chocolate milk has too much sugar, honey. Milk is good for your bones, remember

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-64073655402415109842010-01-16T22:11:00.000-05:002010-01-16T22:12:00.446-05:00

It is time: posting again at TigBlob!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-18233404715245692022010-01-14T20:03:00.003-05:002010-01-15T19:26:55.959-05:00

As much as I've enjoyed this break, the time it afforded me to laze around and play casually with the kids without the looming deadline of grading/reading/writing hanging over my head, I've missed the structure that the academic year forces on my life. Like a toddler, I respond very well to structure. Also like a toddler, I get cranky when I don't get my snack. But that is beside the point.The

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-2274742347904833082010-01-07T21:39:00.002-05:002010-01-07T22:12:11.133-05:00

I know. I haven't been posting lately, at least nothing of import. I guess I've just fallen into that hazy, low-speed mode that characterizes my academic breaks. I always have grand plans for my free time, things like organizing the closets and reading for fun and baking with Charlotte and sorting Sam's outgrown clothes, but instead I somehow end up getting from sunup to sundown without doing

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-63992830124672028392010-01-04T19:27:00.002-05:002010-01-04T19:59:40.143-05:00

The annual end of the year wrap-up! Previous years: 2008, 2007, 20061. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Ran a 5k; parented two children (at once!)2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Once again, my NY resolution was to get in shape. I did great through April, even shedding quite a few of those baby pounds, but my summer and fall

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-83590279131304458752009-12-27T10:43:00.000-05:002009-12-27T16:18:59.819-05:00

One year ago, I was just meeting my favorite little guy for the first time, in all his bruised, brunette glory:Now he's a golden boy, charming and happy and gregarious, and his only bruises are from his tumbles into immobile pieces of furniture as he tries so hard to perambulate:Happy birthday, Sam. I'm so glad you're here.Sam's birth story is here: part one, part two.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-56936884297011686942009-12-26T22:08:00.002-05:002009-12-26T22:43:01.926-05:00

I like to take care of potential danger and inconvenience by worrying them away, crushing them under the weight of my crippling anxiety. And so it was that no doubt because of my fretting and hand-wringing that our plane from Detroit to Kansas City did, in fact, get off the ground, and did not, in fact, suffer from constant turbulence. As we glided to a slightly shaky landing, I heaved a sigh of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-59862991754648430222009-12-20T22:48:00.001-05:002009-12-20T22:49:45.266-05:00

Another video! This one focuses on Sam: Fall 2009.I realized after I had saved and uploaded it that the titles at the beginning are out of order. I didn't care enough to go back and fix it...sorry about that!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-75279743390145814892009-12-18T17:33:00.002-05:002009-12-18T17:43:55.365-05:00

Charlotte's Preschool Christmas Sing-a-long: click here! Sorry the video is so long! If you're pressed for time (or just not interested in watching 9.5 minutes of singing preschoolers), then I recommend you skip to 5.23. The last two songs are really the best.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-11412061944491959042009-12-16T14:08:00.002-05:002009-12-16T14:19:47.606-05:00

Sorry about not posting yesterday. Late Monday night/Tuesday morning, I realized that this paper was simply not going to come together in time. It was coming along, sure, but I've developed to ability in my years of graduate work to project how much work is left before a paper is "done," and in professional opinion, this paper was about 50% potential awesomeness, 25% half-formed thoughts, and 25%

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-88609788105379139092009-12-14T20:15:00.003-05:002009-12-14T20:23:35.586-05:00

Charlotte's preschool Christmas concert was yesterday. While I'm currently in the midst of writing my seminar paper (and therefore have no time to post), I thought I'd throw a few pictures from one of her teachers up on the blog. Enjoy! And watch for a real post sometime tomorrow.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-33324936035193320762009-12-07T18:57:00.002-05:002009-12-07T19:01:40.905-05:00

A couple Charlotte-isms:While I was changing Sam's poopy diaper the other day. Charlotte: OH MY. *gags* Wow, Sam. You made me very unhappy with that poop.Jeff: How do I have such wooonnderful children!?!Charlotte, immediately: Well, Mama got them born, and God gave you them.Also:Charlotte "reading" from Bible Stories for Kids: From Bethlehem to Kansas; From Moses and Mary to the little girl who

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-63640120620177220932009-12-04T19:46:00.002-05:002009-12-04T20:49:47.026-05:00

Last night, I was talking with a classmate about books, and in particular juvenile literature. We were both recalling some of our favorite books from when we were young adults (L.M. Montgomery's books, the Little House series, the Narnia series, etc.) and trying to articulate what the experience of rereading those books was like. I put it this way:When I was very sick at the beginning of both of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-69292981160451944232009-12-01T22:42:00.003-05:002009-12-01T22:49:59.889-05:00

I can't stop! I'm addicted to daily posting! I need an intervention!Just kidding. I just had a Charlotte-ism I had to share.Tonight, when I was giving Sam a bath, Charlotte was getting ready for bed. I gave her her nightly gummy Winnie the Pooh vitamin, and she commented how the different characters were different colors. I thought this might be a nice teaching moment, so I mentioned that in real

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-71745310674174068022009-11-30T23:08:00.002-05:002009-11-30T23:23:54.487-05:00

Wow, I did it! I made it through NaBloPoMo, postin' like a mofo, shootin' out my mojo, keepin' it on the down-low.I apologize for that last bit. I'm just excited to have made it. I promise not to inflict my lame "rhymes" on you again.Like some guy said one time,* my month of daily postings will end not with a bang, but a whimper. I wanted to put together a video of the kids for the last day of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-24310978980534693362009-11-29T21:42:00.004-05:002009-11-30T11:10:09.953-05:00

Last year, at the beginning of December, I was very pregnant with Sam. Although I wanted to find a Christmas tree farm and head out with Charlotte and Jeff to cut down our tree since this was the first time we had space for one (our apartment in Athens was too small), in the end we got a tree from the Morning Optimists Club in the Hy-Vee parking lot. The tree, I recall, was a little under six

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-21640924625512828302009-11-28T19:58:00.003-05:002009-11-28T19:59:31.823-05:00

Video evidence that we were there last night!Santa visits downtown LawrenceWatch for us at 1.43, and again for Charlotte at about 1.52.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-77478852976189976732009-11-27T21:44:00.002-05:002009-11-27T22:02:49.149-05:00

Oh, hey, what's up? Yeah, it's late, and once again, I'm barfing up some totally lame last-minute "content" for my "blog". I'm tired, okay? I was up really early, at 3:45 a.m., so I could go stand in line at Target with a bunch of people. Some, like me, were bemused. Others were Very Serious, as in hand-drawn maps of the store Serious. As in, won't share what items they're looking for Serious.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-70675486445313452892009-11-26T22:42:00.003-05:002009-11-27T21:25:46.120-05:00

Apparently I'm getting up in about six hours to go be trampled by a mob of psychotic shoppers, among whom will be my mother. Can't wait!So I invite you over to flickr to check out some photos of our lovely post-feast walk today out at Clinton Lake.I am thankful for many, many things today, not least among them the amazing food we were privileged to eat together in our comfortable home. I'm glad

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-53128748224206875902009-11-25T20:23:00.000-05:002009-11-25T20:24:13.685-05:00

This is spot-on:Tomorrow, expect a full run-down of Thanksgivingpalooza!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-68503480658955435002009-11-24T21:44:00.002-05:002009-11-24T21:55:50.976-05:00

I briefly mentioned the cake failure in yesterday's post. I tried making a recipe from the always reliable Smitten Kitchen for this chocolate peanut butter cake that sounded divine. She mentioned that this cake was soft (she may have even used the word "tender") and that freezing the layers for a half-hour before frosting them would make them much easier to handle. "No problem," I thought. "I

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-16353691622397022052009-11-23T22:11:00.002-05:002009-11-23T22:28:12.232-05:00

In many ways, today was a pretty crappy day. Really, it began last night, when I went to bed. I had been feeling off all night, but I was busy grading papers so I tried not to notice. As the night progressed, my goal of completing this round of grading before Thanksgiving break slipped away as the grading wasn't going as fast as I had hoped (it never does) and the papers weren't as good as I had

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-66017804416489785772009-11-22T22:26:00.001-05:002009-11-22T22:26:50.022-05:00

What should I make as a veggie side dish for Thanksgiving? (We're already having mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and corn).(online surveys)

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-87960195974060048142009-11-21T20:40:00.000-05:002009-11-21T20:41:43.481-05:00

Date night!That's right: Jeff and I actually get to go out on a date tonight. Woo! See you tomorrow.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-49364921758060030892009-11-20T20:54:00.003-05:002009-11-20T21:25:22.161-05:00

Foto Fridays are Flippin' Fantastic!This photo is one of my favorites. It pictures the author as a young child, weeping while dressed as a Dutch peasant. This was taken in May of 1979, when I was 18 months old.For the sake of comparison, here's a picture of Charlotte at the same age:Here, she is weeping not because she's been costumed as an impoverished 19th-century European, but because her

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-81539368585244229892009-11-19T21:42:00.004-05:002009-11-19T21:48:16.715-05:00

Normally, on Thursday nights, I'm in class right about now. But I wasn't feeling the greatest today, so I'm skipping. I should be spending this time doing either 1. productive things; or 2. sleeping. So I'm going to first do 1, then move on to 2 shortly. So here's a picture of Sam that cracked me up:This is post-bath. When he saw the camera, he sat up, propped his elbow up on his knee (

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-13988343619609101562009-11-18T20:22:00.001-05:002009-11-18T20:32:40.965-05:00

Hey, whaddya know! They didn't turn out so bad after all. In fact, I think they're pretty cute. Of course, Charlotte helped by giving them some of her best smiles. Well done, kiddo.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-62666007058238635562009-11-17T19:41:00.002-05:002009-11-17T19:53:54.678-05:00

Today, November 17, is a day dedicated by the March of Dimes to raising awareness of the crisis of premature birth.Back in the late 1990s, when I was in college, a family I babysat for was expecting their third child. They had two adorable redheaded daughters already, and were excited to round out their family a bit more. Little Ethan was born early--very early. I babysat for his sisters one day

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-17497675128215062122009-11-16T20:19:00.003-05:002009-11-16T20:41:35.583-05:00

I am not the perfect mother. And most of the time, that's completely fine by me. I realize that nobody is the perfect mother, really. But I think there is this idea of a perfect mother, a Platonic Ideal Mom, if you will, that many people have lurking somewhere in the cave of their minds. You know: totally selfless and yet completely put together, fun and funny, encouraging and appropriately

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-65668862943570608192009-11-15T22:53:00.002-05:002009-11-15T23:29:09.959-05:00

This picture is the best way to tell you why I wanted two kids, and why I think having two kids is awesome.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-9891575807304700942009-11-14T23:30:00.002-05:002009-11-15T00:15:36.734-05:00

Okay, I'm a little low on content ideas tonight, so I'm going to do the linky linky thing.To offset my dog and soldier love stories I linked to on veterans day, here are some cat videos that make me embarassed about how many times I watch them:Cat meets empty soda cartons.Same cat, empty box.I miss my kitties. I like to pretend Hobbes and Murdoch are frolicking (who am I kidding? Lolling lazily,

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-62462713693290018812009-11-13T23:03:00.002-05:002009-11-13T23:18:11.852-05:00

A few minutes ago, I clicked "purchase" on our tickets to Michigan for Christmas. Moments before, I had selected two adults, one child 2-17, and one infant in lap as the passengers for this itinerary. I shuddered visibly when I selected that last one, because...well, Sam in my lap for a two-hour flight? It's not the cakewalk it was a few months ago.Sam is really into things. Like, he's both

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-206890683507792602009-11-12T12:26:00.003-05:002009-11-12T12:34:37.541-05:00

Scatalogical Thursdays!To understand this post, you should probably know that our bathmat is brown.Charlotte really labors with her poops. I mean, really. We're talking extended minutes spent on the john, clutching her face and doing this weird moan/whine thing. And when she finally does produce, her face turns red, she does jazz hands, grunts, and SHAZZAM! adult-sized poo. Seriously huge turds

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-49599326821252128622009-11-11T11:08:00.004-05:002009-11-11T11:59:34.403-05:00

Both of my grandfathers were veterans of World War II.My Grandpa Terlouw, my mom's dad, was a plane mechanic in England. He got sick (pneumonia, I think?) and was hospitalized during his service. I've wondered if this illness (coupled of course with his years of smoking) didn't weaken his lungs and contribute to his eventual death from lung cancer. He died in February 1996, during my senior year

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-28154540583371569552009-11-10T23:12:00.001-05:002009-11-10T23:15:39.801-05:00

Today was a big improvement. Charlotte was much more stable, less whiny and prone to crying fits and stomping "NO" and other awful three-year-old behavior. She was her usual witty, fun, inventive, sensitive little self.I think it's the 5:45 p.m. bedtime, personally.And speaking of that bedtime, we're still suffering under the 6 a.m. wake-up call, so I'm going to click "publish" and call it a

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-53212774242368171962009-11-09T23:26:00.000-05:002009-11-30T15:23:29.371-05:00

I always feel a little down the day after my birthday, anniversary, or a major holiday. I love the anticipation that goes into preparing for the big event, whatever it might be. The celebration itself always contains a little disappointment, too, of course--does the reality ever live up to our big expectations? But the day after is especially depressing. The detritus of the day before (in this

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-65372471931624468362009-11-08T20:36:00.003-05:002009-11-08T21:20:39.119-05:00

Hello, internet! Would you like a cupcake? It's delicious--I made them myself.Is it lame that I made my own birthday cupcakes? I hope not.Yes, today is my birthday. I got flatware from my mom, and I was totally excited about it. Both of those things seem appropriate now that I am 32. Getting really worked up about new flatware is a 32-year-old thing.I'm using my new flatware to eat a slice of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-86049836077092490232009-11-07T19:21:00.001-05:002009-11-30T15:22:07.975-05:00

Post post post...Just a quick post before I go out to celebrate my birthday (tomorrow)!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-43724812979219454952009-11-06T23:13:00.002-05:002009-11-06T23:16:38.559-05:00

Man, I hate to be cliched, but this DST time change is kicking our collective butts over here.The kids just can't/won't sleep past 6:15 a.m. And somehow, we can't manage to get them in bed early enough to make that a real full night of sleep. I mean, you try putting kids to bed at 5:30 p.m.And somehow, that extra forty-five minutes of sleep in the morning was apparently what it took to make the

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-56142721764222973562009-11-05T23:21:00.000-05:002009-11-30T15:24:07.812-05:00

Three weird phobias I have:1. Claymation2. Turbines3. FogYour turn! In the comments.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-42508519578367263272009-11-04T21:00:00.002-05:002009-11-04T21:12:51.332-05:00

Today, when I was walking from the library to my car after a couple (excruciating) hours of student conferences, I had a...moment. I saw someone out of the corner of my eye, and for a second I thought it was Jeff. But not Jeff right now--no, Jeff from 1997, when we had been dating for a few months, but were still "fresh" enough that I got butterflies every time I saw him walking around campus. It

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-85559314497369823912009-11-03T23:55:00.001-05:002009-11-04T00:00:44.889-05:00

My brother, Scott, a.k.a. Uncle Awesome, is in town. Rather than typing an entry here, I'm going back downstairs to hang out with him, no doubt so he can gross me out with more stories about making out with girls. Ewww.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-88031809037908779272009-11-02T21:42:00.002-05:002009-11-02T21:55:45.325-05:00

Parenting is sometimes a thankless task, full of endless, repetitive drudgery, diurnal concerns, and little by way of compensation or even positive feedback.Writing, too, is frequently unrewarding. The amount of time a poet spends carefully crafting the perfect alliteration, the right balance of tones and images, the exact word for that feeling is simply not reciprocated. The world doesn't give

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-38888709929021925802009-11-01T19:53:00.000-05:002009-11-01T19:55:46.793-05:00

That's right, I'm doing it! Uh, this counts as the first one, right?

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-47493457229019577652009-10-29T23:56:00.002-04:002009-10-30T00:10:57.822-04:00

One year ago, I was wearing this:And tomorrow, I'll be trying to recreate this with some of my grad school friends: I'll be Stacey McGill.I could write a rather long entry on the formative role the Babysitters Club played in my upbringing, even going so far as to offer a second-year doctoral student analysis of the ways this series works to indoctrinate young girls into their socially acceptable

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-54787331232942884382009-10-28T23:26:00.002-04:002009-10-28T23:33:57.153-04:00

It's late, and I'm tired, and I still have a handful of student papers to grade before I can hit the sack. So I leave you with this fantastic Charlotte-ism that Jeff recorded today:"There's so many orphans! In the Annie movie. There's like hundreds. Hundreds and hundreds. Remember at the end, there's fireworks? What was the doggy's name?"Jeff, of course, didn't remember the doggy's name, so when

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-65717612594671779532009-10-27T21:57:00.005-04:002009-10-27T22:41:59.388-04:00

Sam turned 10 months old today. To celebrate, Charlotte pushed him down the stairs.Okay, okay. We have no proof C was a perp in this instance. In fact, I wasn't even witness to the event. I came home from school this afternoon, all cheerful and happy to see my family, and Jeff shamefacedly broke the news to me that: 1. Sam only took a one-hour nap this afternoon (after an equally short nap this

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-11652330826672621802009-10-26T21:04:00.002-04:002009-10-26T21:12:58.148-04:00

My first memory that I can pinpoint to a specific time is the night before my brother was born. What I remember is not the cute story told about when I met my brother for the first time the next morning (when I saw him, I said "he's ugly" and started to cry...sorry, Scott). What I remember is going to my cousins' house, and getting to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor of my cousin Angie's room

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-84985577284922081392009-10-25T21:11:00.002-04:002009-10-25T21:17:31.931-04:00

Why haven't I been writing?This is a question I have been asked, and that I have asked myself. And the answer is: I don't know.I think I'm going through a bit of a dry spell creatively. It may seem strange to refer to this blog as a creative outlet, but it's true, in many ways. Writing here is a different kind of writing for me than the kind I do for school.So I'm feeling uncreative right now.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-88357898314671929712009-10-14T21:37:00.003-04:002009-10-14T22:15:14.351-04:00

I have two things primarily on my mind, two things that I want to write about. These things will probably not be linked by any kind of coherent, unifying narrative arc, because it is the eve of fall break and I've turned...um, my thinker? What's that thing called? Ah, my brain...my brain off for the duration of break. To that end, I have been reading a best-selling book for pleasure, a book that

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-17368676546430087282009-10-09T22:11:00.003-04:002009-10-09T22:15:42.587-04:00

Wow, two and a half weeks...I think that may be my longest break since starting this blog!I hardly know where to begin. I've been bogged down for the last...oh, two and a half weeks, I guess. That's when I got my first batch of student papers. And, lo, the grading, it was painful. And time-consuming. And painful. Did I mention painful?I like teaching. I think I would love it if it were my

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-91890825886178039832009-09-23T15:14:00.002-04:002009-09-23T15:29:49.119-04:00

Right now, Sam is supposed to be napping, but if I were to read back the transcript of what's been coming over the monitor, it would say "Ehhhhh MA MA MA ma ma ma ba ba BA ba ba..." and so on. He's not crying, just laying in there talking, and so I have no cause to intervene. When Sam naps during Charlotte's preschool afternoons, I get all manner of things accomplished. Laundry, dishes, cleaning,

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-6251639118740733482009-09-16T23:23:00.002-04:002009-09-16T23:45:49.928-04:00

Nine YearsAnimalsby Frank O’HaraHave you forgotten what we were like thenwhen we were still first rateand the day came fat with an apple in its mouthit’s no use worrying about Timebut we did have a few tricks up our sleevesand turned some sharp cornersthe whole pasture looked like our mealwe didn’t need speedometerswe could manage cocktails out of ice and waterI wouldn’t want to be fasteror

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-68241376842044145152009-09-13T23:51:00.001-04:002009-09-13T23:52:45.805-04:00

New video featuring Sam "crawling." I use that term very, very loosely.Sam Can Crawl!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-67982574235061783852009-09-05T22:26:00.004-04:002009-09-05T23:59:42.575-04:00

Because my area of interest is nineteenth-century literature, I sometimes find myself reading texts that can only be described as romantic, sentimental, or even maudlin in their emotional intensity. One thing many nineteenth-century texts have in common is an idealized vision of childhood. While this isn't true across the board (the nineteenth century gave us many memorable, fleshed-out

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-514575303069873792009-09-02T21:25:00.002-04:002009-09-02T21:46:27.231-04:00

So, this happened:Yep, preschool. This picture was actually taken today. The thing on Monday was just a brief, hour-long meet-and-greet, visit the room and teachers sort of thing. We got all dressed up and donned the brand new Hello Kitty backpack anyway. But today was the real thing, so I took my friend Kristen's advice, printed up a sign, and started a tradition. Charlotte takes after her

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-63892565067613736372009-08-30T20:13:00.002-04:002009-08-30T20:21:33.355-04:00

Tomorrow, this tiny little person starts preschool.More to follow, obviously. PS HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-70122709207027527062009-08-25T21:57:00.002-04:002009-08-25T22:04:39.836-04:00

Multiple Choice:1. Jana is exhausted. Is this because:a. School just startedb. She's still working on her papers for her summer coursec. Sam's stopped napping welld. All of the above2. Charlotte started ballet today. How did she look in her leotard?a. Adorableb. Beautifulc. Charmingd. All of the above3. Sam's begun boycotting naps on a daily basis. Could it be that:a. He's teethingb. He's about

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-48714351598926839142009-08-17T23:15:00.002-04:002009-08-17T23:15:59.009-04:00

Catching UpNew video of Charlotte and Sam here. Sorry it's so long...we had a lot of ground to cover!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-43058027012417009822009-08-17T20:27:00.002-04:002009-08-17T20:27:57.134-04:00

To the person who found this website by searching for "fat plumper":Welcome! His given name is Sam!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-43735810008370674192009-08-12T00:42:00.002-04:002009-08-12T01:04:00.507-04:00

We went on vacation! To Michigan! And to say I was terrified that going on vacation would disrupt the perfect schedule we'd managed to carve out with our kids would be an understatement. I think I've emphasized in this blog how much I like my sleep, my sweet, sweet uninterrupted sleep. I'm one of those people who needs something more in the neighborhood of nine hours a night to feel refreshed and

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-27985061613175180052009-08-03T21:28:00.004-04:002009-08-03T21:42:33.957-04:00

Yes, Michigan!We're in GR for the next few days. I'll be posting lots of pictures to flickr (link at right), so be sure to check them out. Here's just a sampling: Jeff and Sam on the hammock Charlotte takes a tractor ride with Papa T. The kids, enjoying the sunshine.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-83915771705808223212009-07-31T00:50:00.003-04:002009-07-31T00:54:27.705-04:00

You know, we say we're done, that we're happy with two, especially these two. But, as my mother-in-law said, "you guys make such cute kids...don't you ever wonder?" Well, no. But she has a point.I mean, look at them.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-76906075687938210892009-07-27T20:18:00.002-04:002009-07-27T21:09:24.787-04:00

Sam at seven months. What can I say? He's a dream baby, the baby I always hoped I would get after Charlotte, to help balance out the things that made her babyhood stressful. In a word: sleep.Sam sleeps well. And I cannot tell you what a huge difference that has made. I look back on some of the things I wrote when Charlotte was this age, and remember what it was like--the nightly stress of not

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-57710146159729625832009-07-20T20:23:00.002-04:002009-07-20T20:55:27.552-04:00

You guys had some good suggestions, and I'll probably glean from them over the coming weeks. My summer class started today, which means my summer essentially ended. I'm on campus every afternoon for the next two weeks (well, M-F), and then we're off to Michigan for a week, and then my TA training starts, and then the maelstrom that will be my fall semester begins churning and spinning, with me

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-43189628156194448152009-07-16T21:02:00.002-04:002009-07-16T21:04:18.072-04:00

I've lost it. And by "it," I mean, of course, any semblence of an interesting idea, one about which I might post on my blog.So, I'm asking you: What do you want me to write about? Leave suggestions in the comments.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-64330133125160935972009-07-09T20:41:00.002-04:002009-07-09T21:02:12.851-04:00

I've been longing to travel quite a bit lately. I've always loved traveling. Some of my fondest memories are the annual summer vacations my family would take when I was younger. We rarely went anywhere too far from Iowa, so our destinations were typically Midwestern cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, or spots like the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, the Lake of the Ozarks

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-70927859437036862822009-07-04T15:02:00.000-04:002009-07-04T15:05:01.650-04:00

Happy fourth of July, everyone!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-8709407783067872452009-07-01T22:06:00.002-04:002009-07-01T22:12:28.386-04:00

Some recent Charlotte-isms:Jeff: How'd you know that, Charlotte?Charlotte: I just learned it up! Learned it up.Charlotte explaining how the seashells came to us: They flew up out of the water and glugged onto the sand and then Nana got them and gave them to us.I'm changing Sam's diaper, and Charlotte is watching.Charlotte: whispers somethingJana: What's that, honey?Charlotte: I said, such

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-60150580449722089602009-06-27T21:43:00.003-04:002009-06-27T22:09:57.843-04:00

Six MonthsI just went back and read what I wrote here when Charlotte was six months old (see here). I know it's odious to compare your children, but I couldn't help think how different, and yet how similar, parenting is this time around. Sam is a few pounds heavier than Charlotte was at six months, and about an inch and a half taller. He has one tooth, whereas Charlotte had two (although that

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-51503000475708052009-06-26T11:00:00.003-04:002009-06-26T11:13:22.988-04:00

Charlotte's birthday weekend was loads of fun. It featured vast quantities of buttercream, balloons, and spontaneous renditions of a song Charlotte calls "The Tractor and the Mower." The temps were soaring and the humidity was high, but we all sweated through the outdoor birthday party happily. The buttercream also sweated, unfortunately. (Still delicious). The night before Charlotte's party, our

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-45461565118156227222009-06-23T10:36:00.004-04:002009-06-23T11:11:13.430-04:00

Three years ago, right about now, I was informed that I was still only dilated to about 5 cm after several hours laboring both at home and the hospital. I was momentarily disappointed but Jeff hauled me out of bed and I alternated walking laps around the room and bouncing dementedly on the giant inflatable labor ball. That helped, because two hours later I was fully dilated. Of course, Charlotte

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-6745871602277070822009-06-15T21:30:00.003-04:002009-06-15T21:42:29.318-04:00

I haven't been writing much lately, because I just haven't been inspired. The only things I can think of to write have to do with either: 1. adorable things my children have said/done, and while I know Charlotte-isms are one of this blog's more popular features, I don't want to come off as a family circus-cartoon knock-off; 2. political and/or social commentary that I decided long ago is going to

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-5831753374036630032009-06-07T16:42:00.002-04:002009-06-07T17:14:38.555-04:00

She-holds my hand on a walk of any length, even from the dining room to the kitchen.-usually has sticky hands these days.-calls the refrigerator "Mr. Cold."-likes to be present for Pooh's diaper changes and wake-ups.-calls her brother Pooh Bear.-is my constant helper.-has questions about everything. Everything.-is teetering on the brink between toddler and little girl.-goes to sleep entirely on

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-67337437455475122052009-06-03T11:38:00.004-04:002009-06-03T11:44:08.273-04:00

This morning, I was sitting on the bottom step as Charlotte stood behind me, giving me a "scratch massage" by rubbing her hairbrush on my back. My bra strap caught her brush through my t-shirt a couple of times, and after the third time she stopped and grabbed the neck of my shirt, pulling it back and nearly choking me."What are you doing, Charlotte?" I asked, laughing."I'm lookin' for your bras.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-71529783873716234952009-05-30T11:41:00.004-04:002009-05-30T20:26:44.696-04:00

A nearly three-year-old who never watches TV is the ideal audience member for Pixar's new movie "Up" because no suspension of disbelief is required. There is no disbelief. Charlotte was really and truly convinced that everything that happened on the screen was, in fact, actually happening. Dogs really flew biplanes. Houses really soared above the clouds lifted only by balloons.Obviously, this has

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-55061575751681585572009-05-26T14:37:00.002-04:002009-05-26T14:53:25.696-04:00

Oh, summer. Don't ever leave.I'm enjoying my summer vacation so much. And I think I can attribute that enjoyment to two things: 1. the vacation part (you know, being off from school); and 2. the summer part (as in, the season).The first reason is obvious. I have time now to do all sorts of things I didn't have time for during the school year: taking long walks with the kids. Playing pointless

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-63070538651443642492009-05-23T15:47:00.002-04:002009-05-23T15:49:56.279-04:00

Charlotte and her Grandma Tigchelaar are playing a guessing game.Nana: I'm thinking of someone with hairy legs...Charlotte: Who is it?Nana: He has hairy legs, and not alot of hair on top of his head.Charlotte: Who is it?Jana: Who do you think it could be, Charlotte?Charlotte: It's Sam!(P.S. It was Papa Tigchelaar).

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-44105907536415347422009-05-20T12:10:00.003-04:002009-05-20T12:11:47.483-04:00

Scene: Charlotte and Jana are sitting at the table, eating egg sandwiches. Charlotte sniffs her sandwich.Charlotte: This smells cheesy! And...hammy!Jana: Hammy! (laughs)PauseCharlotte: You should write that up on your blog!

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-15822282828688229932009-05-16T20:07:00.003-04:002009-05-16T20:20:19.283-04:00

Around two p.m. yesterday, did you hear something you couldn't quite identify? Something sort of...breathy? Like a gigantic, huge sigh of relief? Well, that would have been me. Sorry if it blew your hair back or anything.Yesterday afternoon I went onto campus with Charlotte to hand in my final seminar paper. My first year of my Ph.D. program is OVAH. If I knew how to insert audio clips, I'd place

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-3558481473648164002009-05-13T15:32:00.003-04:002009-05-13T15:53:43.183-04:00

I'm breaking radio silence to regale you with what will no doubt be a mish-mash of seemingly unrelated tidbits, because that's how I roll when I've been laboring over seminar papers nonstop for what seems like weeks. My critical texts have started entering my dreams. Last night in my dreams I was having a conversation about Anzia Yezierska with two dead theorists over cookies. At least the

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-64610061355263401872009-05-05T23:16:00.002-04:002009-05-05T23:25:16.516-04:00

She looks impossibly small, suddenly, next to all these other kids. Although they're only a year or two older than her, they seem to tower over her, all gangly arms and shrieking mouths and long legs. They clap along with the singing and punch each other in the arms and giggle and act like kids. I look down at her, at her rounded baby-cheeks, her wide blue eyes taking it all in. Her hand holding

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-65598981201815878632009-04-28T01:25:00.002-04:002009-04-28T01:31:25.285-04:00

KeywordsSam, 4 months old:ActiveAlertChubbyHappySpasticCooingDroolingHungrySmilingCharlotte, 2 5/6ths years old:BossyCreativeCuriousDemandingImaginativeTenderSensitivePrecociousFunny

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-82728541400628022242009-04-23T17:57:00.002-04:002009-04-23T18:06:41.082-04:00

BruiserSam had his four-month checkup today. He weighed in at 18 pounds 3 ounces (97th percentile) and was 27 inches long (off the charts here). He weighs almost a pound more than Charlotte did at that age, and is as tall as she was at nine months.My favorite part of the appointment was when the doctor was checking his hip joints. He made a sound that caused the doctor to apologize to him. I said

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-61720018898990234932009-04-20T20:57:00.002-04:002009-04-20T21:05:57.671-04:00

A bedtime conversation:Jana: Goodnight, Charlotte!Charlotte: Mama, I have a question.J: Okay, what is it?C: Ummmmmmm... (long pause). Do...you...like...animals?J: Charlotte, are you stalling? Yes. I like animals. Goodnight.C: But wait!J: What, honey?C: I want you to know. I DON'T like animals.J: Okay. Noted. Goodnight, now, sweetie.Minutes later, I hear Charlotte loudly singing in her room, NOT

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-3111712357775720582009-04-18T21:19:00.001-04:002009-04-18T21:19:53.167-04:00

Tomorrow morning, I run my first 5k. Click over to TigBlob to see how I'm feeling about that.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-22551995301558285232009-04-16T23:09:00.002-04:002009-04-16T23:16:59.238-04:00

Last night, I was just about asleep, when a thought struck me: in just a couple of months, Sam will be ready to eat baby cereal!Seriously, these are the kinds of things that keep me awake at night.When Charlotte was a baby, every stage seemed to stretch out to infinity. Do you know what I mean? Brand new infancy, with its constant night-waking and nursing, felt at the time like it was lasting

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-31573875459203824012009-04-12T17:38:00.003-04:002009-04-12T17:46:05.874-04:00

One of the nice things about having friends and family visit* is being able to pose for a family picture without having to set up the tripod and run back to the couch while the self-timer flashes. Thanks to my friend Mindi, who spent the weekend with us, for this picture:What's that adorable dress Charlotte's wearing? I'm glad you asked! Here it is, closer up:My mom made this dress for her. I

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-41241760664249190942009-04-08T02:00:00.002-04:002009-04-08T02:06:32.494-04:00

It's 1 a.m. I'm up working on a paper proposal, due tomorrow at 7 p.m. Instead of working, I'm thinking about: Sam's cheeks. Charlotte's singing. Jeff, who is heading home from a Bonnie Prince Billy concert. Baseball...And that last one suddenly makes me remember a story Jeff told me when we were dating. We were talking about prank phone calling people. The basics: is your refrigerator running?

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3921929.post-30565115664509024762009-04-03T12:37:00.002-04:002009-04-03T12:38:05.535-04:00

New Video!New video featuring both kids: Sam and Charlotte Tell Tales, Or Dueling Storytimes

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04608563619794630680noreply@blogger.com3