7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 14)

#1 - Oh my, this is the first "Quick Takes" I've done since the one I posted in August the day I went into labor. And now my sweet Blueberry is 24" long, 11lb 8 oz (I know, I know--skinny little monkey she is), and has turned 4 months old! What happened?!

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#2 - My darling husband sent me this picture about a month after Blueberry was born, and I've hung on to it as a reminder of how much I'm NOT screwing up my child--even when I feel like I surely must be!

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#3 - Been busy working on Christmas presents this week. I think we're almost all done. Now just waiting for some of them to arrive and then to wrap and get them to those they belong. Chris is nice and easy this year as he just wants music. My Christmas present (and birthday present and Christmas present for next year!) is going to take a bit of planning on my part, but I'm very excited about it. I told Chris that all I wanted was to go to see Hillery who went and abandoned me nearly a year ago now (guilt trip much?!). The other half of my present, as gifted by my husband, is that I'm under orders to take a decently sized trip. No fly-by, weekend visit. Tough on him as he'll have to stay home and work and take care of himself. Now to find dates and get a ticket! This kind of thing is truly my favorite kind of gift in the world.

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#4 - Ugly Tree was last Saturday. And I finally won with a hideous hippo! I'm delighted by this fact as I've come in second for multiple years in a row now. Few new people joined us this year, and a good time was had by all. Blueberry did her usual "There are people around, I can't possibly sleep" act. But as she's generally pretty angelic while doing so, it worked out okay.

(photos courtesy of Aaron Jones)

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#5 - I really need to get a picture of the pose I'm currently in. It's becoming a common one for me lately. I'm sitting at our big desk. My feet are propped up on the desk. I'm supporting the keyboard with my knee. And my arms are propped up by a pillow on one side and Blueberry on the other as she is draped over me, munching away. Actually, I take it back. She's asleep now. What am I going to do when she gets bigger?!

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#6 - I'm feeling very accomplished this morning. It's just now 9am, and I've gotten up, dressed, dressed Blueberry, made my husband lunch, made the bed, put in a load of laundry, washed out diapers, cleaned up the kitchen, got a load of diapers out of the dryer (still need to folded), had breakfast (cooked and everything!), and have checked my email, and am now writing a blog. Go me! Now the questions remain: will the clothes in the wash get put into the dryer and then folded later, the dishes that got put into the dishwasher to be run--will they get put away, will I get around to answering a couple of the emails that were sitting in my inbox, and will I actually manage to finish this post in time to get it up today? And let's not discuss what I've been thinking of as The Jumble:

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#7 - Probably due to the many conversations and thoughts on sleep that I've had lately, the quote that keeps running through my brain is Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech. Actually, it's not the whole speech, but just the one line: "...to sleep, To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub..." Of course suicide is the farthest thought from my brain currently, so I can't really go to far with the rest of the speech. But that one line keeps drifting through my consciousness. So I release it here. It's like the song that you have stuck in your head. Sometimes (at least I find this to be true), you just have to listen to the song to make it go away. Maybe just saying the line will make it dissipate? We'll see if my theory works.

In the meantime, I have a wiggle-worm playing peek-a-boo on my lap as she's waking up from her little snooze. Not quite awake enough to keep her head up to look at me, but she keeps trying.

Till next time, I leave you with this additional Hamlet thought.

"This is the very ecstasy of love"

Daybook - December 8

Outside my window...brilliant sunshine lights up the morning sky. However, upon opening the door to let the puppy dogs out, I was hit in the face by a freezing cold blast of air. So deceptive! It's supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow and Friday. And then it's supposed to snow on Saturday.

I am thinking...of plans for this spring and several trips that we're wanting to take.

I am thankful for...a good night's rest. Amazing how much that can help the brain.

From the learning rooms...[or in our case--the learning brain]...comes laughter! We keep trying to video tape (our camera has a mini video-recorder in it) Blueberry laughing, but so far not much success. Will keep trying though as it's delightfully funny.

From the kitchen...I am trying to compile a list of menu items. Got to work on stream-lining dinner planning, so this is the place I will start.

I am wearing...jeans, gray sweater, and bare feet (I took my socks off earlier because I laid down with Blueberry to get her to take a nap--I object to naps in socks--and forgot to put them back on. Yes, my toes are cold. And my nails are rather in need of repainting).

I am creating...a pile of Christmas presents that need wrapping and, in some cases, shipping.

I am going...nowhere! At least not today. Monday we went grocery shopping. Tuesday was MOPS. Tomorrow I go to the studio. And Friday I'm meeting up with a friend. And Saturday, Chris and I will hopefully be going on a date. So today is a blissful at home day.

I am reading.. . the Harry Potter series again. And I'm trying to find my copy of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Love that book. Blueberry and I are working our way through a huge book of children's poems. Found a delightful one on Christmas pudding today called The Remarkable Cake by Margaret Mahy. Very accurate expression of my sentiments regarding plum cake!

I am hoping...to get a letter for my one job written, the editing of a friend's final Master's thesis done, dinner made, laundry dried, and some work done on the house. To high of expectations? Perhaps.

I am hearing...the delightful harmony of Christmas songs.

Around the house...I have made a sad decision. I am not decorating for Christmas this year. This is a rather momentous decision for me. I love decorating for Christmas. My Freshman year of college, I talked my roommate into letting me decorate for Christmas in October! It's one of those things that Chris and I had to compromise on as he (strangely) objects to my decorating before Thanksgiving.

Originally I had been planning on just not putting up a Christmas tree this year. but I've realized that as much as I miss my decorations, it would be a more stressful thing than a happy thing to put them up this year. So I have, rather sensibly I think, decided that I will spend the time focusing on cleaning my house and enjoying my sweet baby girl (not in that order!), and bring out the decorations next year. Also, we're not going to be here for Christmas, so that kind of adds a little more weight to not putting them up.

But next year--that will be a different story!

One of my favorite things...drinking water. Best drink in the world.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Thursday--studio. Last week before the Christmas show--HELP!
Friday--going out in the morning with a friend.
Saturday--going to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader with Christopher.
Working on Christmas presents and several writing/editing jobs. Tidying my house. Writing up recipes for Christmas.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Leggings--as mentioned in an earlier day book.

Want to join in? Go check out The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Thought for the Day

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences. –C.S. Lewis