Max has become the "uh-oh" king. He realized this was an expression some time last week at my mom's house. We all smiled and laughed at him, so now he knows it's cute when he does it. And he does it. A lot. As a matter of fact, he says uh-oh constantly. Sometimes it's really funny because he does it at the appropriate time and other times, it just makes no sense and fits in with the rest of the baby babble. He also still loves peek-a-boo and is holding the blanket over his face to do it. Well, he tries. The blanket doesn't always end up covering his face. e also is starting to do soooo big, although once again, he's not consistent. He has even mimicked the tone of voice to do soooo big, but only a few times.
I'm just wondering if uh-oh counts as a first word, or if we're still waiting for it...
Also, he has realized he can climb up on the antique trunk I've got in our living room and use it to gain access to the blinds as well as all of the stuff Jack stows on the chair and couch. This is more fun than anyone could ever imagine. And, he can even get off of it himself. He just slides off head first and face plants onto the floor and then crawls away like nothing happened. (It looks painful to me, but apparently it's not...)
(post cut short... Max just woke up and is uh-ohing up in his crib and Jack is dinging for a snack of some sort...)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Wise words
As I wrote in a staff e-mail... Clearly this is just one side of the issue, but for many newspaper employees, and specifically beat reporters, it's our side of the issue.
All I Wanted for Christmas Was a NewspaperRead the whole piece here.
Bloggers are no replacement for real journalists.
By PAUL MULSHINE
Newark, N.J.
When my colleague at the Newark Star-Ledger John Farmer started off in journalism more than five decades ago, things were very different. After covering a political event, he'd hop on the campaign bus, pull out a typewriter, and start banging out copy. As the bus would pull into a town, he'd ball up a finished page and toss it out the window. There a runner would scoop it up and rush it off to a telegraph station where it would be blasted back to the home office.
At the time, reporters thought this method was high-tech. Now, thanks to the Internet, a writer can file a story instantly from anywhere. It's incredibly convenient, but that same technology is killing old-fashioned newspapers. Some tell us that that's a good thing. I disagree and believe that the public will miss us once we're gone.
Mr. Farmer, who is now the Star-Ledger's editorial page editor, retold his experience of the old days a short while ago at a wake of sorts for departing colleagues. The paper has been losing money and might have had to shut its doors sometime early next year. So the drivers' and mailers' unions made contract concessions, and about 150 nonunion editorial staff took buyouts as part of an effort by the publisher to save the paper.
The Star-Ledger is among the 15 largest newspapers in America, and it circulates in some of the most prosperous suburbs of New York City. We are perhaps alone among the major papers in devoting extensive coverage to small-town news and sports. We routinely get scoops on what the Steinbrenners are thinking about the Yankees. And in 2005, the paper won the Pulitzer Prize for its sober coverage of Democrat Gov. Jim McGreevey's resignation after his admission to an adulterous affair with another man.
The Opinion Journal Widget
The problem is that printing a hard copy of a publication packed with solid, interesting reporting isn't a guarantee of economic success in the age of instant news. Blogger Glenn Reynolds of "Instapundit" fame seems to be pleased at this. In his book, "An Army of Davids," Mr. Reynolds heralds an era in which "[m]illions of Americans who were in awe of the punditocracy now realize that anyone can do this stuff."
No, they can't. Millions of American can't even pronounce "pundit," or spell it for that matter. On the Internet and on the other form of "alternative media," talk radio, a disliked pundit has roughly a 50-50 chance of being derided as a "pundint," if my eyes and ears are any indication.
The type of person who can't even keep track of the number of times the letter "N" appears in a two-syllable word is not the type of person who is going to offer great insight into complex issues. But the democratic urge expressed by Mr. Reynolds is not new. Someone is always heralding the rise of "the intellectual declaration of independence of the American people," as H.L. Mencken once put it.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas photos
As promised...
Max smiling at Kristie's grandmother's house in Savanna, Ill.:
Max opens a set of balls from Kristie's Aunt Pam and her family:
Kristie explains the concept of sticker books to Jack:
Did I mention Kelly got Jack a marching band set that included a drum, whistle, gloves and cymbals? He loves it.
Max smiling at Kristie's grandmother's house in Savanna, Ill.:
Max opens a set of balls from Kristie's Aunt Pam and her family:
Kristie explains the concept of sticker books to Jack:
Did I mention Kelly got Jack a marching band set that included a drum, whistle, gloves and cymbals? He loves it.
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| From How's House |
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas fun
Look, it's not that I don't like Christmas. It's just that Christmas with kids can be, well, challenging.
On the plus side, we didn't end up in the emergency room, as we did Christmas Eve 2005, when Jack introduced us to his cashew allergy. But we did have our struggles with both boys, with the end result being a Christmas to remember, though not necessarily for all the right reasons.
For starters, we didn't really do much to decorate our house this year. Our artificial tree, which we first assembled in our rental home in Fulton in 2002, was deemed unsafe based on a few factors. One, the thing leans on a good day, as if there were a stiff breeze in the living room (and given the age of the home and bitter wind outside, that may not be a stretch). Two, Jack's favorite hobby last December was repositioning ornaments. Constantly. Three, Max is just enough older (about seven weeks) than Jack was for his first Christmas, which means he's that much better at crawling and that much more focused on pulling himself up to a standing position... which means it wouldn't have been long before one or two children were swallowed by a toppled tannenbaum.
And though it doesn't factor into the safety of the tree, this point warrants mentioning: This is a pre-lit tree, which is supposed to be a convenience. Not so much. There's about four strands of lights and a collection of plugs, all with handy blue stickers on them so you can put plug A into slot A, plug B into slot B and so on. Which would work great, if our dumb cats hadn't chewed off all the stickers in the tree's first year. We've never been able to get the entire thing lit since then.
So we haven't exactly been in the Christmas spirit. We decided not to send out mass mailings of Christmas cards (about 75 cards, letters and photos -- don't forget the stamps). We cut back drastically on our gift budget. And since I have to work a fair amount, we aren't really traveling together.
The weather, as most of you know, was highly unpleasant earlier this week. Kristie's dad came out to get her and the boys in his truck Tuesday, and I drove westward after I got done at the paper Wednesday. Christmas in Savanna with the Cottral side of the family went mostly well (photos to follow), although it did see the debut of Jack's 2008 Christmas glitch: opening a gift, then loudly proclaiming "Oh, I hate this!" and flopping on the floor. Never mind the fact it took him all of five minutes to decide he loved the stuff and it was fun to play with.
On Christmas Eve, a highly congested Max slept very poorly, which means I also slept poorly. I was glad Kristie got some sleep, since earlier on the 24th she stubbed her toe so severely she's still limping and not totally sure it isn't broken. Max and I finally got up around 6 a.m. (he was stirring about every 20 minutes). I changed a diaper, fed him, changed him again, finished feeding him and got him back to sleep about 10 to 7. Jack woke me up around 8:30, and all four of us were downstairs by 9. By 10 a.m. Jack had politely woken everyone else in the house so we could open presents.
However, Jack was under the mistaken impression he was going to open all of his presents first while everyone else watched. There also was an incident where max got a hold of one of Jack's gifts (because the kid loves to tear paper) and, although he didn't get anything open, Jack was sufficiently pissed. I'm not clear on all the details of what happened next, but I distinctly recall Kristie and I double-teaming Jack, her with one appendage (and a bum wheel) and me with another (and Max in my other arm) hauling him upstairs for a holiday timeout.
Eventually he agreed to come back down and not be a total turd, although we did have more of the "I hate it!" business that nearly spurned another showdown.
The rest of the day is kind of a blur to me, less than 24 hours later, a whirlwind of junk food, wrapping paper, spoonfeeding a distracted baby while my mother-in-law vacuumed the remains of a broken light bulb from an Easy Bake Oven... finally around 3:30 p.m. Max and I went back upstairs to catch up on the sleep both of us missed the night before.
I knew dinner was being served at the Workman Christmas around 5 p.m. But I was so tired, and I knew Max was wrecked, so I let us both sleep until he finally woke up. And when he did, just before 6 p.m., I found Kristie downstairs, patiently waiting (and playing a new video game...) for us so she could feed Max and we could head over. She did feed Max, then she took his temperature and found him hovering around 101. Ugh.
So just before 7 p.m. I headed out to look for infant Tylenol. The good news is that I lived in Fulton-Clinton for four and a half years, so I know right where everything is. The bad news is the only thing open was a Kwik Star way out on the west end, and it did not sell infant Tylenol. So I essentially spent 30 minutes driving mostly plowed streets, waiting at stoplights despite being the only car in sight and came home empty-handed.
Finally, about 8 p.m., Kristie told me I should just leave for Ottawa so I wasn't on the road too late. I agreed, and left her at her parents' house with a sick baby, left Jack at Kristie's grandparents' with no idea if he was eating dinner or trotting out the "I hate it" schtick again and hopped in the car. Due to a minor iPod malfunction Wednesday, I was left with just my radio to amuse me... and only two stations not playing bad Christmas music.
So I'm back at the paper today and then back to Fulton over the weekend, where hopefully Max will have gotten better (I'm wondering if the fever isn't related to his first tooth FINALLY coming in) and Jack will be less of a stubborn brat. Then another week of holiday work schedules... let's just say I'll be happy if my brain is somewhat settled by Jan. 5. But I'm not getting my hopes up.
And lest you think it was all bad, I should point out we did get to spend some quality time with many family members, a good deal of whom we don't get to see as often as we did when we lived much closer. It's always fun to see relatives so excited to see our kids, crabby or not, and especially so at holiday time when we can tell they've done more than just buy a gift. Many of Kristie's family members gave presents that show they know what our kids like, or that will help our kids think of the people who gave them. Or both.
We got a lot of great pictures, which I'll share as soon as I'm in the same ZIP code as our camera. We have a very understanding family who welcomes us into their homes and lives, and it's important for us to remember they're happy to be with us no matter the circumstance. Sometimes overstressed parents can feel like they and their kids are ruining everything, but what's important is being together. I felt pretty lonely driving around looking for baby drugs last night, but that's only because I was focusing on me, and not what a wonderful environment we have to bring the boys to for holidays or any day.
And though I'd almost always rather be with family than at work, at least I really like the people I work with, so being at the office isn't such a bad thing.
But I'll be happy when things settle down a bit.
On the plus side, we didn't end up in the emergency room, as we did Christmas Eve 2005, when Jack introduced us to his cashew allergy. But we did have our struggles with both boys, with the end result being a Christmas to remember, though not necessarily for all the right reasons.
For starters, we didn't really do much to decorate our house this year. Our artificial tree, which we first assembled in our rental home in Fulton in 2002, was deemed unsafe based on a few factors. One, the thing leans on a good day, as if there were a stiff breeze in the living room (and given the age of the home and bitter wind outside, that may not be a stretch). Two, Jack's favorite hobby last December was repositioning ornaments. Constantly. Three, Max is just enough older (about seven weeks) than Jack was for his first Christmas, which means he's that much better at crawling and that much more focused on pulling himself up to a standing position... which means it wouldn't have been long before one or two children were swallowed by a toppled tannenbaum.
And though it doesn't factor into the safety of the tree, this point warrants mentioning: This is a pre-lit tree, which is supposed to be a convenience. Not so much. There's about four strands of lights and a collection of plugs, all with handy blue stickers on them so you can put plug A into slot A, plug B into slot B and so on. Which would work great, if our dumb cats hadn't chewed off all the stickers in the tree's first year. We've never been able to get the entire thing lit since then.
So we haven't exactly been in the Christmas spirit. We decided not to send out mass mailings of Christmas cards (about 75 cards, letters and photos -- don't forget the stamps). We cut back drastically on our gift budget. And since I have to work a fair amount, we aren't really traveling together.
The weather, as most of you know, was highly unpleasant earlier this week. Kristie's dad came out to get her and the boys in his truck Tuesday, and I drove westward after I got done at the paper Wednesday. Christmas in Savanna with the Cottral side of the family went mostly well (photos to follow), although it did see the debut of Jack's 2008 Christmas glitch: opening a gift, then loudly proclaiming "Oh, I hate this!" and flopping on the floor. Never mind the fact it took him all of five minutes to decide he loved the stuff and it was fun to play with.
On Christmas Eve, a highly congested Max slept very poorly, which means I also slept poorly. I was glad Kristie got some sleep, since earlier on the 24th she stubbed her toe so severely she's still limping and not totally sure it isn't broken. Max and I finally got up around 6 a.m. (he was stirring about every 20 minutes). I changed a diaper, fed him, changed him again, finished feeding him and got him back to sleep about 10 to 7. Jack woke me up around 8:30, and all four of us were downstairs by 9. By 10 a.m. Jack had politely woken everyone else in the house so we could open presents.
However, Jack was under the mistaken impression he was going to open all of his presents first while everyone else watched. There also was an incident where max got a hold of one of Jack's gifts (because the kid loves to tear paper) and, although he didn't get anything open, Jack was sufficiently pissed. I'm not clear on all the details of what happened next, but I distinctly recall Kristie and I double-teaming Jack, her with one appendage (and a bum wheel) and me with another (and Max in my other arm) hauling him upstairs for a holiday timeout.
Eventually he agreed to come back down and not be a total turd, although we did have more of the "I hate it!" business that nearly spurned another showdown.
The rest of the day is kind of a blur to me, less than 24 hours later, a whirlwind of junk food, wrapping paper, spoonfeeding a distracted baby while my mother-in-law vacuumed the remains of a broken light bulb from an Easy Bake Oven... finally around 3:30 p.m. Max and I went back upstairs to catch up on the sleep both of us missed the night before.
I knew dinner was being served at the Workman Christmas around 5 p.m. But I was so tired, and I knew Max was wrecked, so I let us both sleep until he finally woke up. And when he did, just before 6 p.m., I found Kristie downstairs, patiently waiting (and playing a new video game...) for us so she could feed Max and we could head over. She did feed Max, then she took his temperature and found him hovering around 101. Ugh.
So just before 7 p.m. I headed out to look for infant Tylenol. The good news is that I lived in Fulton-Clinton for four and a half years, so I know right where everything is. The bad news is the only thing open was a Kwik Star way out on the west end, and it did not sell infant Tylenol. So I essentially spent 30 minutes driving mostly plowed streets, waiting at stoplights despite being the only car in sight and came home empty-handed.
Finally, about 8 p.m., Kristie told me I should just leave for Ottawa so I wasn't on the road too late. I agreed, and left her at her parents' house with a sick baby, left Jack at Kristie's grandparents' with no idea if he was eating dinner or trotting out the "I hate it" schtick again and hopped in the car. Due to a minor iPod malfunction Wednesday, I was left with just my radio to amuse me... and only two stations not playing bad Christmas music.
So I'm back at the paper today and then back to Fulton over the weekend, where hopefully Max will have gotten better (I'm wondering if the fever isn't related to his first tooth FINALLY coming in) and Jack will be less of a stubborn brat. Then another week of holiday work schedules... let's just say I'll be happy if my brain is somewhat settled by Jan. 5. But I'm not getting my hopes up.
And lest you think it was all bad, I should point out we did get to spend some quality time with many family members, a good deal of whom we don't get to see as often as we did when we lived much closer. It's always fun to see relatives so excited to see our kids, crabby or not, and especially so at holiday time when we can tell they've done more than just buy a gift. Many of Kristie's family members gave presents that show they know what our kids like, or that will help our kids think of the people who gave them. Or both.
We got a lot of great pictures, which I'll share as soon as I'm in the same ZIP code as our camera. We have a very understanding family who welcomes us into their homes and lives, and it's important for us to remember they're happy to be with us no matter the circumstance. Sometimes overstressed parents can feel like they and their kids are ruining everything, but what's important is being together. I felt pretty lonely driving around looking for baby drugs last night, but that's only because I was focusing on me, and not what a wonderful environment we have to bring the boys to for holidays or any day.
And though I'd almost always rather be with family than at work, at least I really like the people I work with, so being at the office isn't such a bad thing.
But I'll be happy when things settle down a bit.
Monday, December 22, 2008
House project
Remember when it used to look like this?
And this?
Well, now it looks like this.
And yes, I took that photo this morning. The siding contractors are working today. I don't even want to think about being outside, and they're out there climbing up scaffolding and nailing stuff to the house. Insane.
Also... this makes me chuckle:
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| From House Project |
And this?
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| From House Project |
Well, now it looks like this.
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| From House Project |
And yes, I took that photo this morning. The siding contractors are working today. I don't even want to think about being outside, and they're out there climbing up scaffolding and nailing stuff to the house. Insane.
Also... this makes me chuckle:
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| From House Project |
Sunday, December 21, 2008
More Libertyville photos
Jack helped Aunt Kim and K make cupcakes for dessert tonight. And yes, he's still wearing his church outfit. Nice tie, huh?
Jack, Carter and Nick operating the Ergangs' Christmas train.
Max was super excited to get a gift -- mostly because he got to rip paper. This puts him light years ahead of Jack at Jack's first Christmas.
Zoe was tremendously cute after she ate dinner. She sits like a champ and was happy to see Toby, who is Allison's dog.
The look on Max's face makes me chuckle. Jen's happy because this photo doesn't make it look like she's craving a baby of her own. Matt looks like he just sniffed a fart. But that's his usual appearance.
Matt and Pops strike a familial pose.
One of the amusing parts of the night was Nick, Alexis, Kristie and I sitting at the "kid" table with Jack, Carter, Max and Zoe. Kristie held Max so I could spoonfeed him pears, Alexis was giving Zoe apples. Jack and Carter were trying to focus on dinner, but they mostly wanted to get back to the train. So the "grown-ups" (ha!) got to swap stories about getting our kids to eat dinner and what lengths we'll go to to make sure they get sustenance.
Finally the older boys couldn't take it and both got up from the table to commence tearing around the Ergangs' house. I would have been mad if it wasn't adorable. And roughly 90 seconds after Carter went home for the night, Jack was back up to the table finishing his meal.
Another fun event was when Maggie and Toby were play fighting in the living room. Kirk and Linda's dog, Linus, who normally is totally reserved, jumped out and basically told Maggie to back off of Toby, even though they were just fooling around. After that happened twice, Maggie had enough of Toby, but Toby didn't understand why. And Linus went back to being cool.
Jack, Carter and Nick operating the Ergangs' Christmas train.
Max was super excited to get a gift -- mostly because he got to rip paper. This puts him light years ahead of Jack at Jack's first Christmas.
Zoe was tremendously cute after she ate dinner. She sits like a champ and was happy to see Toby, who is Allison's dog.
The look on Max's face makes me chuckle. Jen's happy because this photo doesn't make it look like she's craving a baby of her own. Matt looks like he just sniffed a fart. But that's his usual appearance.
Matt and Pops strike a familial pose.
One of the amusing parts of the night was Nick, Alexis, Kristie and I sitting at the "kid" table with Jack, Carter, Max and Zoe. Kristie held Max so I could spoonfeed him pears, Alexis was giving Zoe apples. Jack and Carter were trying to focus on dinner, but they mostly wanted to get back to the train. So the "grown-ups" (ha!) got to swap stories about getting our kids to eat dinner and what lengths we'll go to to make sure they get sustenance.
Finally the older boys couldn't take it and both got up from the table to commence tearing around the Ergangs' house. I would have been mad if it wasn't adorable. And roughly 90 seconds after Carter went home for the night, Jack was back up to the table finishing his meal.
Another fun event was when Maggie and Toby were play fighting in the living room. Kirk and Linda's dog, Linus, who normally is totally reserved, jumped out and basically told Maggie to back off of Toby, even though they were just fooling around. After that happened twice, Maggie had enough of Toby, but Toby didn't understand why. And Linus went back to being cool.
Weekend in Libertyville
Here's a few quick snaps we grabbed already -- hopefully we'll have more after dinner with the Ergangs (four grandparents, ten twentysomethings, four kids age 4 and younger and three dogs) tonight.
When we got here Saturday morning, the first thing Jack did was help K decorate her Charlie Brown tree. This is a real treat since we don't have a tree this year for a variety of reasons.
In case you're wondering, this is how Max and I interact in those rare times he's not already in someone's arms. Note the nice, new hardwood floor in the living room (which Jack, Max and Maggie treat as a gymnasium).
Aunt Kim gave Jack a post-church piggyback ride. Jack insisted on keeping his "work clothes" on because he "got a lots of work to do today." He calls them work clothes because there's a tie involved, and I wear a tie to work... you get the idea.
Pops and Max make faces at each other after lunch. This was a pretty cute occurrence, but tough to frame.
Lunch was incredibly messy, but I did get a chance to snap this shot, which already is one of my all-time favorites. Instant classic.
Also tough to photographs was Max and Maggie playing together. Max decided to grab Maggie's ball and throw/drop it, then see where it landed and go pick it up. Eventually, Maggie caught on and went to pick up the ball each time Max threw it. Except she doesn't always bring it back, so he would crawl after her. It didn't last terribly long, but it was pretty funny while it did.
When we got here Saturday morning, the first thing Jack did was help K decorate her Charlie Brown tree. This is a real treat since we don't have a tree this year for a variety of reasons.
In case you're wondering, this is how Max and I interact in those rare times he's not already in someone's arms. Note the nice, new hardwood floor in the living room (which Jack, Max and Maggie treat as a gymnasium).
Aunt Kim gave Jack a post-church piggyback ride. Jack insisted on keeping his "work clothes" on because he "got a lots of work to do today." He calls them work clothes because there's a tie involved, and I wear a tie to work... you get the idea.
Pops and Max make faces at each other after lunch. This was a pretty cute occurrence, but tough to frame.
Lunch was incredibly messy, but I did get a chance to snap this shot, which already is one of my all-time favorites. Instant classic.
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| From Pops and K's |
Also tough to photographs was Max and Maggie playing together. Max decided to grab Maggie's ball and throw/drop it, then see where it landed and go pick it up. Eventually, Maggie caught on and went to pick up the ball each time Max threw it. Except she doesn't always bring it back, so he would crawl after her. It didn't last terribly long, but it was pretty funny while it did.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Splish-splash, Max was taking a bath...
It's 45 seconds long, and that's only a fraction of the time he spent doing this.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
As promised
A Baby Peterson photo...
Here's Steph's e-mail (and yes, she sent it a week ago today):
Here's Steph's e-mail (and yes, she sent it a week ago today):
In my slightly alert state, I'm attempting to send some photos....I can't remember who knows via Facebook or phonecall or rumor mill... so here goes a semi-official announcement:Glad to see everyone happy and healthy and not arguing about whether or not junior will eat the dinner his parents cooked for him. That part will take a few years.
Richard Micah Peterson was born Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 5:05 a.m. (12 hours past the 'water break' for those who desire to know about these things). We're going to call him Micah ... hoping he'll grow into the verse from Micah 6:8. The nurses kept referring to him as 'little Richard' which made me crack up imagining him turning into a black man with curly hair whalin' on the keys.
He weighed 7 lb 9 oz and measured 20 inches. He's cute as can be and we have no idea who he looks like. ;-) Mom is convinced he looks like the Peterson side... but she thinks it's just because she doesn't recognize me or Tim in his features. ;-)
Mom & Dad are getting some rest at home thanks to Mom V being on hand to clean and cook and go to Meijer 12 times a day. Who knew you would need so many things besides diapers and onesies???
Merry Christmas if we don't get ourselves together before then!
Love to you all!
Steph & Rick & Micah
PS - Please share with friends that I've missed because my eyelids are drooping...it's not that I don't love them... I've just lost my functioning brain for today at 4 pm. ;-)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
House Project
A few quick shots of the new room, with the major difference being the new hardwood floors. I hope to get some exterior shots uploaded tomorrow so everyone can see the new blue siding.
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| From House Project |
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| From House Project |
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| From House Project |
Keep On Smiling
Here's a few photos from the past few days in Ottawa.
Jack talking on the phone. He may just be fer-tending.
One of Max's new favorite things is crawling into the bathroom to spy on people in the shower or doing other business, as it were.
I'm not sure why, but I get some of the best Max pictures when I'm holding him and shooting with my free hand. I also get several dozen with part of his face cut off, but the keepers are really worth it.
Every once in a while, and only when he decides the time is right, Jack does his best to point out he still has a rightful claim to the title "Cutest Holland Boy Ever."
Jack talking on the phone. He may just be fer-tending.
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| From Hollands at Home |
One of Max's new favorite things is crawling into the bathroom to spy on people in the shower or doing other business, as it were.
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| From Hollands at Home |
I'm not sure why, but I get some of the best Max pictures when I'm holding him and shooting with my free hand. I also get several dozen with part of his face cut off, but the keepers are really worth it.
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| From Hollands at Home |
Every once in a while, and only when he decides the time is right, Jack does his best to point out he still has a rightful claim to the title "Cutest Holland Boy Ever."
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| From Hollands at Home |
Max crawls
The Moose has mostly learned to crawl like a real baby (though sometimes he still refuses to use his right leg). He is much better at pulling himself up on things than the video shows.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Wise words
Here's the entirety of Steve Chapman's blog post today about Tribune Co.'s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection:
Keeping calm about the Tribune's bankruptcyThe full blog is here.
Years ago, when I was arguing for legalization of illicit drugs, my elders told me I'd feel differently once I had kids. I had three, and I didn't feel differently about the wisdom of prohibition. For years, whenever I've defended the free market against those objecting to its ruthless elimination of uncompetitive firms, angry readers have told me I'd feel differently if it were my company and my job that were at risk. As of today, my company and my job are now officially at risk. But no, I don't feel any differently.
Business has been brutally hard for newspapers lately. The rise of the Internet has deprived us of readers and revenues, and now a recession is pulling us down as well. So Tribune Co., saddled with a heavy debt load, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to gain some breathing space.
Seeing your employer and "bankruptcy" in the same headline does get your attention. But I'm no more worried today than I was before this development. Tribune Co. and the Chicago Tribune are profitable enterprises with lots of valuable assets. Chapter 11 isn't my idea of a good time, but it's not as dire as it sounds, and it won't stop us from putting out the paper every day.
I'm glad to see that no one in this industry has had the gall to ask Washington for a bailout. True, journalism provides a valuable service to the public. But if the public isn't willing to pay for that service, we have no grounds to demand a rescue. It's our job as journalists to provide something people want in a form that they want and are willing to pay for. If we can't, we deserve our fate. But I hold out hope that we can.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Wildcat updates
Facebook taught me three things in the last 24 hours.
1. Kristina Vanni was on the NBC morning news today. I recorded the entire show and watched her segment this morning. You can read her tips on hosting an easy holiday party by clicking here. No video yet. And the picture they posted with the story is completely unrelated. And they spelled her first name wrong. But still, she was on network TV in the country's third-biggest media market, and that's always cool, unless it's because you set fire to a asbestos factory.
2. Andrea Bercos has a blog here, which is perma-linked at right under "LHS Pals." That category probably needs a new name, since it also includes the sites of people who were in high school the same time as me, except it was a different school, and also people who went to LHS but not when I did. Anyhow... the biggest news:
3. Rick and Stephanie (Velander) Peterson welcomed son Richard Micah today. He checked in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces and 20 inches long. There are photos on Steph's Facebook profile, and if she says it's cool, I will post some here.
1. Kristina Vanni was on the NBC morning news today. I recorded the entire show and watched her segment this morning. You can read her tips on hosting an easy holiday party by clicking here. No video yet. And the picture they posted with the story is completely unrelated. And they spelled her first name wrong. But still, she was on network TV in the country's third-biggest media market, and that's always cool, unless it's because you set fire to a asbestos factory.
2. Andrea Bercos has a blog here, which is perma-linked at right under "LHS Pals." That category probably needs a new name, since it also includes the sites of people who were in high school the same time as me, except it was a different school, and also people who went to LHS but not when I did. Anyhow... the biggest news:
3. Rick and Stephanie (Velander) Peterson welcomed son Richard Micah today. He checked in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces and 20 inches long. There are photos on Steph's Facebook profile, and if she says it's cool, I will post some here.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Nine months
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| From Hollands at Home |
I took the above picture on Tuesday, when Max turned nine months old. Today, we celebrated by going to the doctor's office for a checkup. The doctor celebrated by helping with an emergency C-Section at 7:30 a.m., which made him a tad late for our 8:30 appointment and in a hurry to move on to the rest of his day. So here's the quick rundown:
Max is 2 foot 4 (OK, 28 inches, but it sounds funnier if you give it as a real height) and about 16 1/2 pounds. His melon is 18 inches around. The doctor seemed to think Max is a little on the skinny side, which he wouldn't if he had to carry him around all damn day like Kristie and I do. He also suggested Max should be up to 8-ounce bottles by now (as opposed to 5-ounce drinks), which he wouldn't if he had to follow him around after every feeding to wipe up baby spew.
Since Max drops anchor about thrice daily and has cut drastically back on the chunk blowing, I'm pretty satisfied with the intake-output ratio. Still, we gave him some larger bottles today without any adverse side effects. Yet. He still gets fruit and cereal twice daily (and this week, out of necessity born of poor parental planning, happily tried oatmeal cereal and Dutch apple dessert instead of the usual rice cereal and apples or pears) and, if we're bold enough, may begin vegetables. All previous attempts at green food have been met with unhappy Moose faces.
The doctor also suggested a vitamin, though I'm not super sure why. Jack was never on any vitamins, and I'm pretty satisfied with him thus far. Whereas Jack had a tooth by this point in his life, Max is still working on that development. I don't see it as imminent, but it certainly should happen by Jan. 2.
So there you have it. We have kept our children alive a total of 64 months and change, which I think is commendable, not to mention the fact we're still happily married despite living with two boys who (warning: massive understatement approaching) can try our patience every now and then.
Thanks to everyone who keeps checking up on us via the blog. We appreciate your interest, comments and caring.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Food for thought
I was helping Jack get dried off after his bath tonight and he tooted. Our conversation below:
Jack: I tooted. (giggling)
Me: Excuse you. Oh Jack, that smells.
Jack: (more giggling) What do toots look like?
Me: They're just air, so they look like air.
Jack: Hey Dad, toots are just air. Mom told me all about it.
Only in the Holland household.
Jack: I tooted. (giggling)
Me: Excuse you. Oh Jack, that smells.
Jack: (more giggling) What do toots look like?
Me: They're just air, so they look like air.
Jack: Hey Dad, toots are just air. Mom told me all about it.
Only in the Holland household.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Boys will be boys
Two more photos I thought you couldn't live without...
Max gives K a little post-Thanksgiving eye poke.
Jack wanted to lick the frosting off the candles from Pops' birthday cake Sunday night,\. Pops let him have some -- but not all.
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| From Hollands at Home |
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| From Pops and K's |
House Project
A few more shots of my parents' house expansion project as witnessed by miy one eyes this weekend.
The dining room just before the floor guy started installing the new hardwood in the new room. It's supposed to be done by Wednesday afternoon. His work will include sanding down and refinishing the existing hardwood so it all looks the same age.
This is the room over the new part of the main floor, as seen from Pops & K's closet. The part of the wall that juts out holds the new furnace, and on the other side there's a little nook right by the window.
The kitchen as presently constituted, with an extra TV, dresser and piano that aren't usually there. The high chair goes away when we do.
Having Pops' birthday cake on the porch, which is a little extra crowded.
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| From House Project |
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| From House Project |
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| From House Project |
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| From House Project |
Child labor
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| From Hollands at Home |
While it may look as if I'm loafing while making Jack vacuum so the house is clean for Thanksgiving, what's actually happening is that I'm holding Max so the vacuum doesn't scare him. You can see a Max foot if you look close enough. And Jack volunteered to vacuum, I might point out.
Tub Time at 726
About the first thing I did when I got to Libertyville Saturday night was give the Moose a bath. (It was time, plus there's construction dust all over, so he was a little extra dirty.) He's been taking baths without his baby tub for a few weeks. In fact, the first one was when we were here for Thanksgiving. I keep meaning to get a photo, but I never have. Turns out it was worth the wait since he was SO happy during his Saturday bath I got a ton of great shots. I don't usually post so many from one event, but I couldn't decide which is my favorite.
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| From Pops and K's |
Notice a theme?
These photos are cute on their own, but viewed together, I think we're starting to develop a theme.
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| From Hollands at Home |
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| From Pops and K's |
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| From Pops and K's |
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
This year, we have a lot to be thankful for. Namely that our brief traumatic experience March 2 resolved itself quite nicely and Max's stay in the NICU was just a brief, harmless moment compared to what many other families endure. There are a lot of things about our life I'd like to improve upon, but when your kids are healthy and (moderately) happy, you've got job one under control.
In the spirit of a happy holiday (we're hosting four extra Hollands tomorrow), here's a picture Kristie took of Jack and Max playing together. It looks better in still life than how "together" they truly were, but I doubt we'll remember that when we look at this frame 20 years from now.
And, just for kicks, here's Max, who somehow weaseled one arm out of Jack's old outfit, playing with groceries Kristie brought home tonight.
In the spirit of a happy holiday (we're hosting four extra Hollands tomorrow), here's a picture Kristie took of Jack and Max playing together. It looks better in still life than how "together" they truly were, but I doubt we'll remember that when we look at this frame 20 years from now.
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| From Hollands at Home |
And, just for kicks, here's Max, who somehow weaseled one arm out of Jack's old outfit, playing with groceries Kristie brought home tonight.
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| From Hollands at Home |
Sunday, November 23, 2008
We Got Worms
I was really happy with this picture when I took it:
And then after I looked at it a few more times, I realized where I'd seen it before. In "Dumb and Dumber":
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| From Hollands at Home |
And then after I looked at it a few more times, I realized where I'd seen it before. In "Dumb and Dumber":
For the birds
I made the mistake Friday afternoon of parking my car under a tree outside historic Washington Square (historic because it hosted the first Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858, which is commemorated with a boulder, plaque, statues and fountain). It also happens to be across Jackson Street from the newspaper office. When I got back out to may car after work Friday night, this is the sight that greeted me:
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| From Hollands at Home |
Not gross enough for you? Here's the close-up of my roof:
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| From Hollands at Home |
It's supposed to me about 40 today, so I plan to hit the car wash. Seven or eight times.
Mobile Max
You may have noticed the picture of Max on top of a box of diapers. Rest assured, he got up there on his own. He's also gotten up a few stairs, a suitcase, and anything else less than two feet tall.
The other night he heard Jack in the bathtub, so he insisted on being set on the floor (no arguments from his parents), then managed to scoot himself into the bathroom and pulled himself up on the tub to see what his brother was doing. I offer the following as proof:
While I don't have photographic evidence, I can report that another of his favorite hobbies is to scoot around the dining room floor shutting the doors (one to the kitchen, which is spring loaded, and one to the hallway, which is on traditional hinges). It's not a horrible habit, except he doesn't always move away from the doors after he shuts them, so people opening them from the other side need to be extra vigilant regarding his whereabouts.
The other night he heard Jack in the bathtub, so he insisted on being set on the floor (no arguments from his parents), then managed to scoot himself into the bathroom and pulled himself up on the tub to see what his brother was doing. I offer the following as proof:
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| From Hollands at Home |
While I don't have photographic evidence, I can report that another of his favorite hobbies is to scoot around the dining room floor shutting the doors (one to the kitchen, which is spring loaded, and one to the hallway, which is on traditional hinges). It's not a horrible habit, except he doesn't always move away from the doors after he shuts them, so people opening them from the other side need to be extra vigilant regarding his whereabouts.
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