I Wholeheartedly Agree

see more dog pictures

Dive Dive Dive

On Friday the 13th of June, my son “dove” off the diving board for the first time in to my waiting arms.

Since then, he has done it approximately 3000 times.  At least I am getting some exercise, treading water until he jumps in, then helping him to the side.

We took some pictures, I will post them once we get them downloaded.

Cute Noises

So my kids still are not talking, but Melody has started to do a few cute sounds.  First, she likes to say “Arg” like a pirate…especially when one of the pirate episodes of Backyardigans is on.

She can’t quite formulate the word, so it comes out “ooog” in a fairly high pitch.  But she doesn’t stop at just saying it.  She also does the arm motion.

Too cute for words.

Another thing she is doing is related to both Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Backyardigans.  She has started to howl.  Yet again, she doesn’t stop at just the sound.  She tosses her head back and bays like it’s a full moon.  The dogs are not so wild about this one.  They get all excited and bark at her.  She thinks this is hilarious and will continue to howl.

Dad’s Day

Father’s day is coming up.

I really have nothing else to say.  It is nice to have a day devoted to fathers, but in my family the “day” consists of a steak dinner…sometimes.  I also typically get a gift with the kids pictures on it which is cute and cool, but we are not talking about bells and whistles here.  Basically, just another Sunday.  And you know, that is fine. 

The idea of gift-giving is confusing to me.  On the one hand, if I want something I am likely to buy it myself.  On the other hand, I love finding a gift for someone else that they would not have gotten for themselves, or didn’t know that it existed.

For example, last Christmas I gave my mother a painting that was similar to a wall mural in her father’s house.  It was a touching gift for a woman who lost her father earlier that year.

But most of the time, gift-giving is a net-negative proposition.  If a person spends $10 on an item that they think I want.  Then the cost of the product is $10.  If I didn’t want it, then the value of the product is $0.  Net: negative $10.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain.  After all, rarely do I get a gift that I actually did not want.  And on rare occasions I get a gift that I value more than the cost.  Those are the times I hope for.  And that is what I aim for whenever I give a gift.

Words of Wisdom

So, my neighbor and long-time babysitter is graduating from High School this week.  Luckily she will be going to a local university, so we will not have to get a completely new babysitter…though I doubt she is available as often as she is now.

I was trying to think of what to write on her graduation gift card.  I like to give advice…it is one of my not-so-guilty pleasures.  I am also a firm believer in letting people make their own choces.  So, I was thinking “Listen to advice, but follow your own path” might be good.

Then I realized what I was giving her.  It is a family tradition of sorts to give a wine bottle (or in my case a sparkling cyder bottle) filled with money to a graduate.  My maternal grandfather started the tradition when I graduated from college by stuffing $1400 in to a wine bottle.  It took forever to get all of the money out, but it was also strangling fulfilling.  So, I have decided to give my traditional gift with the words

“Accomplishments that are earned are more satisfying than those that are given.  Congratulations on earning your diploma.”

Congrats Anna!