Recent News, or, Stuff I Always Mean To Mention, But So Often Forget

1. Emma decided to talk on 2-2-08 and promptly announced six words to the world. Toes, Mama, Daddy, cup, shoe, milk. More have appeared every day since, which tells me they were always in there but she wasn't interested in having to do the work. I get where she's coming from. Talking is sometimes overrated.

2. The demolition for our family room is tentatively scheduled for March 29. Depending on if Bill gets a new job before then (very likely) that date may move up, since he'll burn all his vacation time first and then quit.

3. The new furniture for said room is here. http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romply/romplycmw/index.cfm

4. My trip to Ikea with Betsy Sellers is next week and I cannot wait. http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=12&catalogId=11001&langId=-1&StoreName=pittsburgh

I just want to get out of Cleveland and breathe some other state's air, even if it is Pittsburgh.

5. My 92-year old grandmother voted for Barack Obama in the California primary. http://www.barackobama.com/index.php She said that '08 is likely to be her last Presidential election, and she wants her vote to make a real difference in this country, because she's tired of the "birdbrains" running the show.

6. Helen knows all her letters by sight and can count 1-5. She's not yet 18 months old.

7. I finally won a game of International Rummy with the Grobles. It only took a wheel of baked brie, two pots of coffee, and some damn good chocolate cake, but I pulled it off. http://alpha.fdu.edu/~knapp/intrummy.html It was the same night Obama spanked Clinton in three states and the Virgin Islands. Coincidence? I don't think so.

8. My friend Sally Z. says her New Year's resolution was "follow through" and that after a month and a half of making it a consistent habit she thinks she's got it licked. After a month and a half, I still don't have a New Year's resolution. Lazy? Or realistic? I'm just not sure.