Welcome Opa Hans!!!

We are so glad you got a new computer and can read our stories and see our pictures!

We all love you!

R2 Update from Dr. G & Mama

Dr G. says everything looks good. He estimates that R2 is about 6 pounds. He thinks R2 will come early, although he didn't say how early.

I have had a couple days off work, sleeping and nesting. Yesterday R2 & I went shopping for the Big Sister party he will be throwing for Boo. The 3 departments we needed each seemed to be farther from each other, not to mention the elevator, dressing rooms and bathroom. By the end of about 30 minutes, I was exhausted, and there was one important item not in Penney's stock. I had gone to a mall on purpose so I would have other options, but walking across the store seemed like a marathon, much less out into the mall and back. So, feeling very silly, I got in my truck to drive down to Sears, where the shopping was successfully completed. I discovered the 2 minutes in the truck with a dedicated, personal air conditioning system was an extra bonus.

In other news, I simplified the R2 ticker. Hopefully it will work for those of you having trouble.

Fred is right

I've actually been trying to add tickers for both Boo and R2 since I launched the blog. My problem is that the tickers are too big for the sidebar and putting them at the very bottom seemed useless. Fred inspired me to look for a new one that was smaller. There aren't many out there. There is one floating baby that is a little bit creepy and then a few really boring ones. I've compromised with the least boring of the boring, and here are the ones that don't fit:

One Month

4 Weeks
30 Days
720 Hours
43,200 Minutes
2,592,000 Seconds

Give or take

Debut of Boo's First Pair of Vans -- Thanks A!

Invisible patterns

Boo and I went to Target and one of the things on our list was Boo's birthday present for R2. I took her to the baby toys aisle and asked her to help pick something out. She saw the baby cell phone immediately and said "Boo's phone." I told her we were looking for a present for R2, and she repeated "Boo's phone." So, I told her that we would get her a phone and she could give R2 a phone of his own. That was satisfactory.

So, now Boo has a phone. It's yellow with flowers on it. She called Daddy all the way home. She says: "Hello? Hi. Good." Then she hangs up and starts over. Apparently, all cell phone conversations begin like that. Hello? (Hi, it's me) Hi! (How are you?) Good."

Best laid plans

So, as I said, the post-nap plans were the inside slide & dinner at the fun center. The inside slide required much more parental involvement than Mama anticipated (I brought a magazine). It is kind of like a brightly colored plastic army obstacle course with rope bridges and webbed levels, plus crawling through tunnels. Not designed for those 1 month and 2 days away from giving birth.

But, Boo and I did make it all the way to the top and she went down the biggest slide without me. After that, I found a way to send her down the little slide with minimal assistance. The restaurant closed. We had Cheerios for dinner & went to bed very late! Thus ends the girl weekend.

The Real World

Strider's House strives to be a happy place. Sometimes after a hard day, it's really nice for Mama to find one thing funny or happy or good to report. Sometimes it's really hard. Those are the days that it is the nicest.

Strider's house has been silent for a few days now because Grandpa (Daddy's Grand, Boo & R2's Great) has been in the hospital. I didn't, and still don't, really know what to say. The family is anxiously awaiting the results of some tests tomorrow. Daddy has gone to the Sunny State to be with his family.

Mama & Boo stayed home. Boo has asked each morning when she finds Mama alone in bed "Where's Daddy." She seems to accept the answer that he went to visit Gigi & Grandpa. She said "Gigi & Grandpa FUN!". We've called and talked to Daddy & Nanna. Mama has tried to be extra fun this weekend because it's one of the last Boo-only weekends, and because she doesn't want Boo to miss Daddy too much. We've been to Boot Camp & Baby Loves Disco. We went to a local restaurant and had cinnamon French toast for breakfast ("really yummy"), and got Boo's hair cut -- plus a lollipop (pink) and a balloon (green). We watched Big Bird and Dora. I promised her the "inside slide" at the local fun center after her nap. Unfortunately, her nap came late today (4 pm). I'll probably still take her and have dinner there, and let her run on the play equipment before bedtime, which will probably be late.

Grandpa & Gigi, along with the rest of Daddy's family tree, would appreciate your prayers. If you do not pray, I'm sure they would appreciate your good wishes, thoughts, intentions, energy, etc.

Perspectives

When I was 5-ish, Aunt BSU got pnemonia and had to spend the night in the hospital. I'm sure this was a very stressful time for Oosje and Bampa. I think that they also worried that it was a very stressful time for me.

To help me through this difficult event, they took me to the Holiday Inn. I had never been inside, but I had fantasized about it my whole life. It was a giant castle-like building that sat alone on a hill between my house and town. It surely must be a place of magic and princesses. We went to the restaurant and I got a giant ice cream sundae in a pretty fluted glass just like they have on TV. All that plus a night without an annoying little sister was more fun than I thought was possible. Better than Disneyland.

Last night Boo and I went to Boot Camp. While we were working out, someone smashed out the windows of Daddy's car and took his briefcase. Altogether, it could have been a lot worse than it was. The briefcase didn't have much in it. They didn't take any electronics, or Mama's purse. Mama and Daddy are annoyed, frustrated, and inconvenienced. I think the worst part is that we were robbed by rather stupid thieves. It reminded me of when Oosje was helping Mama move to the Rainy State and someone smashed her window and took her suitcase. I'm sure they were upset that they got a bunch of clothes from a 40-year-old woman. Oosje was very upset because she lost a sweater that Mama had knit for her, along with several other useful items. But, nothing that the thieves could sell or trade for their trouble.

Mama was worried about Boo. We had to sit in the parking lot and wait for Daddy to come, and then sit some more while the bank and the police were called. It wasn't very warm, and the car was covered in broken glass. She got to sit in the "way back" under a blanket. Our Boot Camp friends stayed with us and fed her banana chips. Then Boo got to ride home in the front seat of Mama's truck, which is, in Boo's words, "Really fun." She will get to stay there for a couple of days until we can get the window fixed. This morning, she got to go through the car wash in the front seat. From Boo's perspective, a bunch of super fun things all added up in a row. Why don't we do this more often?

Oosje's Revenge

Oosje has often said that it was difficult to parent a smart child.

Yesterday I corrected Boo on something. I think it was "inside voice" as she was screeching at the breakfast table. She looked at me and said, "Not talking to Boo." When I told her that I was, in fact, talking to her and repeated the correction, she calmly replied "No, not talking to Boo inside voice." Very clear, very logical. I hear you, Mama, but I'm sure that your rules don't apply to me.

Unrelated... some pictures from this weekend.

Quick, it's not raining... let's go to the park!

Daddy made hamburgers for dinner. They were very yummy. Boo helped by stirring the flour, an important step in making hamburgers.

OK, five days... I'm a pregnant working Mama!!!

1. Month Mama, Daddy & Boo were born in
2. Daddy's first name
3. R2's last name
4. Boo's dog
5. Boo's first name
6. Mama's first name

There isn't a story in the same way there was for the first name. We just like it and think it sounds good. It doesn't hurt that it is shared by a recent Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice and Mama's Uncle T's late night friend.

Thank You, Daddy!

Daddy and Boo gave Mama a fabulous spa package last Mother's Day. It's hard to be a working Mama and find a day to spend at the spa. I finally did. Massage, pedicure & facial, plus just relaxing. It was fabulous.

Daddy has also been working hard on R2's room:

First finished fish:

Finished clam (it has silver spots, the photo doesn't really show how it glows).

In progress (I love the "ghosty" images):

A day of pampering is strangely exhausting. Daddy is off seeing Frogz with Fred. Mama is going to bed early.

11 years ago today, give or take a week or two

Mama and Daddy are very different in many ways. People have asked us how we make the relationship work. We don't know, we just do.

Maybe it's because Mama and Daddy are also similar in many ways. Two important similarities are our love of movies, and our ability to geek out deeply (see, for example, Mama on Harry Potter).

So it was in early April of 1996, when, during spring finals study week, Daddy, who had met Mama a couple of weeks before, sent an email inviting Mama to a pizza, martini & Casablanca study-break. Mama went because she loves Casablanca. When she learned that the copy of Casablanca being shown was owned by Daddy, she was impressed.

Thus, Casablanca was Mama and Daddy's first movie, but not the first date.

When Daddy and Mama did end up going on a date, it was, naturally, to see a movie. The movie was Fargo. The choice was an easy one, as Mama and Daddy both love the Cohen Brothers and wanted to see their latest offering. The location was a mall movie theater that smelled of death and had buckets catching the water dripping from the ceiling. It being the Cohen Brothers, Mama spent the first few minutes trying to interpret the meaning of a subtle pattern in the snow, which turned out to be smeared dirt where someone had tried in vain to clean a small portion of the filthy screen.

Over the years, there have been many movies. Some have been very successful events, inspiring hours of satisfying geeking, like Serenity. Some have been terrible failures, inspiring many complaints, like Dead Man.

So, when after months of working on names, including full-geek commitment by both parents, internet research, a spreadsheet containing over 300 names, blog solicitations, and more, Daddy looked up from the guacamole he was making and said the name of the AFI's "Greatest Hero in Film History", we both wondered a little bit why we hadn't thought of it before.

So, there it is. We have a middle name, too. I just need another day or two to figure out how to tell that story.

Easter Rundown

Nanna sent a pretty basket and a prettier dress. We held a practice hunt in the living room. Find the eggs, put them in the basket.

Saturday at Boot Camp, we had our first egg hunt. Plastic eggs with goodies inside. Jelly beans, chocolate, stickers, bouncy balls, and small toys. Each egg had to be examined after the finding. Like Christmas, the concept of "more, more, more" has not set in yet. Boo was eventually cajoled into finding more eggs. After that, she charmed Q.J. out of the loot from his eggs. Needless to say, there was no nap that day for Boo. Mama did have one, and Daddy did a long stint with an over-sugared tot.

The plan for Sunday was to do some egg hunting at home before heading to the local park for the hunt there. Last year, for anyone who hasn't seen the DVD, it was pouring rain, howling wind, and freezing cold. But, weather doesn't stop Rainy Staters from fun, so off we went, to arrive 2 minutes before the official start time to find the hunt done and cold, wet parents bundling cold, wet children into waiting cars.

Mama's memory is not so reliable, though. It turns out that the park hunt is on Saturday, not Sunday, at about the time Boo was refusing to nap. So, Mama went into research mode and found an egg hunt at McMennamins Edgefield. Egg hunt, Easter Bunny and Brunch at a historic local site renovated into a brewery. Perfect for us.

So, Sunday, we went out to Edgefield. Three squares were marked off for different age groups scattered with plastic eggs and candy. This was reminiscent of the ill-fated "Eggstravaganza" that Mama and Auntie BSU did as children. For a full account of that event, see Lil' 11's blog. Fortunately, Mama learned her lesson at that event and will be better able to prepare appropriate expectations for Boo & R2.

We found the under-3 square. Parents all around were coaching their munchkins. "Go for the eggs. They've got the best stuff in them," "Go grab as fast as you can," and the like. Two squares down, the 10 year olds were taunting each other. We had the novices. At the call of "go" the other groups swarmed the field (ala Eggstravaganza). Our group had to be coaxed onto the playing field. "Pick it up, put it in your basket." Every piece of candy was celebrated. "Look, Mama, I got it! I got it!". The field was picked clean, although slowly.

Then the Easter Bunny showed up. Mama took Boo to meet him & get a photo. It turns out that the Easter Bunny is a large, scary rodent. Boo wanted nothing to do with him.

So, we went upstairs to brunch. Grapes and melon and waffles with butter, Boo couldn't have ordered a better meal. Mama and Daddy ate well. Boo drank orange juice out of a big girl cup. All was well. The check took awhile in coming Boo got restless. Mama took her out to the hallway and balcony for distraction.

Peeling around the corner, she ran straight into the dreaded bunny. She was paralyzed. She climbed on Mama's lap and repeated over and over "Easter Bunny no kiss Boo." Now, maybe it was "no eat" or "no get", but it sounded like "no kiss". The bunny wasn't offended. He moved on to admiring fans, but not entirely out of sight. Boo wouldn't move. Not even away from the monster. She also wouldn't stop looking at him. Mama finally convinced Boo that we should run away as fast as we could to the balcony which was a bunny-free zone where we were safe.

That night we realized that the Easter Bunny had forgotten to come to our house. Just as well since he wouldn't have been a welcome visitor!

R2 Update

R2 and I went to the doctor on Friday.

He is head-down and "fairly low in the birth canal." When I asked whether that meant he might be early, she said "Oh, I can't promise anything like that." She did say she thought he was unlikely to turn over again, and that he is "smart enough to know which way to face."

All other signs are good.

Easter pictures & tales soon.

Speaking of Harry Potter

Ginger asked for my predictions based on the cover art released last week. Here they are. They are based on all 3 covers released, including the US version, the UK kids version, and the UK adult version (all available for viewing here).

Where are the Wands?
On the US version, neither Harry nor Voldemort are holding a wand. They look as though they may be reaching for their wands, as though they had to summon them (accio wand), but neither one of them would be wandering around during the war without a wand, so something happened. Voldemort would have never used a disarming charm (expelliarmus), so maybe there is something we don't know yet about brother wands that happens when they fight each other. Or, maybe one or both of the wands were lost before, because....

The UK kids version has Harry, Ron & Hermione diving, falling, or being thrown through a round opening into a large pile of gold & jewels. Again, all of their hands are visible and none has a wand.

Horcruces
Two suspected Horcruces show up clearly on the UK kids and adults version. On the kids version, Ron appears to be carrying the Sword of Griffindor. We have seen this before, and last we knew it was locked up in Dumbledore's office. The adult version appears to be the locket of Salazar Slytherin, stolen by Death Eater "RAB", with the announced intention of destroying it.

Also, on the US version, Harry is wearing something around his neck which may be Slytherin's locket.

Fire
The background of both the US and UK kids version are similar fiery shades of red, orange and yellow. Other clues seem to indicate heat & light (UK kids), and smoke & charring (US).

Settings
The setting on the US cover is unfamiliar. The US covers have always been set in a location revealed for the first time in that book. Maybe a Quiddich pitch or other stadium?

The UK cover setting is more interesting. I think this must be Gringotts. I have further suspicions about whose vault it is and why our friends are there, but those ideas are not based on the covers. Since I HATE unannounced possible spoilers, I won't put my book-based guesses here. I will put a few in the comments, so if you don't want to know, don't go there.

Other Thoughts
On the US version, Harry and Voldemort's postures are notably different. Harry looks more confident than Voldemort, who might be in retreat, or maybe even falling.

That's what I've got so far. 104 days, 1 hour, 53 minutes right now . . . watch the ticker!

R2 Updates from BabyCenter, Mama & Oosje

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches. Thanks to his recent weight gain, he's losing that wrinkled alien look. Most of your baby's bones are hardening now, but his skull is still quite pliable. It's actually in separate pieces with spaces in between. This flexible structure allows your baby's head to compress so it can fit through your relatively narrow birth canal. The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance. This is totally harmless, normal, and temporary. His skull plates won't completely fuse until he's about 9 to 18 months old.

Mama's Update

R2 is getting big & squishing all my organs. He's also making me nauseous again in the morning, which makes breakfast really hard. This morning he got a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie because I figured that I needed to maximize the calorie-per-ounce ratio since I can't eat much in the morning. There are also fresh Krispy Kreme donuts at the office, so he got a chocolate covered one of those, too. Now he's doing a happy sugar dance.

Oosje's Update

I saw R2 yesterday walking down the street. He was about 15, walking with his Mom. A tall, skinny boy with a mass of dark brown shaggy hair, big brown eyes and really cool, funky glasses. He was smiling and so full of life. I flashed forward immediately and saw R2 in 15 years and it made me smile too.
However, I just read that R2 is 17.5 inches long this week so those glasses, walk and smile will be on hold for a little while.

Mama's response: It sounds like we're having Harry Potter! However, Harry has already been rejected as a name, as has almost everything else. Sorry, folks. We'll get there sometime before he goes to school.

Car Games

Boo likes to look for things in the car. Favorites are yellow busses, other busses, big big trucks, cars just like Daddy's, trucks just like Mama's, cars just like a variety of daycare friends and staff. Sometimes it's colors. Sometimes it's birds or trees or snow (OK, it was only snow for a week or so, but that was an exciting week). Sometimes it's specific vehicles like red trucks or purple & green busses (actually a common paint scheme for busses here in Raintown). The game goes "Eyes open, black and white car (the and is always emphasized)." Then "I see! I see! I see black and white car. Eyes open, more black and white car..."

Then there are the motorcycles. Those are almost as exciting as yellow busses. "I see mo'icle!! I see mo'icle!!" gets extra enthusiasm.

Now that it's May, Boot Camp has moved back outside. Yesterday was our first class in the park. It was a beautiful spring evening and we talked about all the things we saw. Doggies. People walking. People running. People playing basketball and baseball and volleyball.

Fitness experts say you should exercise at a level that you are not breathless, and how you can tell is if you are able to hold a conversation. Well, I've never had to hold a constant conversation during exercise until recently. But, I can say R2 and I are meeting that goal quite well.

A boy rode by on a bicycle. "I see mo'icle!!! I see mo'icle!! Mama! Mama! Mo'icle".

"That's a bicycle, Boo. It looks a lot like a motorcycle except...."

Except what? How do I differentiate a bicycle and a motorcycle to a toddler? They both have two wheels, people ride them, people wear helmets. I can't really say motorcycles go on the road and bicycles in the park, because bicycles go on the road, too. I think that motorcycles having motors is too complex.....

"Mo'icle!!! Mo'icle!!!"

"Bicycle."

"(I can't even begin to spell what followed phonetically. It had four sylables, the first two being ba-ba and then a very distinct ending that seemed to have no relation to "cycle", but it was repeated exactly the same way over and over again during the rest of the conversation)"

"Yes, bicycle. (Oh!) "Bicycles have pedals. People riding bicycles pedal around and around. People riding motorcycles have their feet still." (Hey, that's pretty good. I'm pretty proud of that. Except, the boy on the bicycle is coasting down a hill and not pedaling).

The motorcycle/bicycle conversation continued for quite a while. Another Boot Camp Mama offered that motorcycles are noisy. I was pretty impressed by that, but it didn't seem to help. When we get back in the car, we see a motorcycle and she says, very tentatively "Ba-ba ______??".

Big sigh. She's working so hard at this and I am at a complete loss at how to help her.

"Motorcycle. See how the rider is not pedaling?"

"Oh. Mo'cicle?"

"Yes."

"Ba-ba _____?"

(What do do? I don't have any other ideas? Oh, well...) "Hey, Boo, eyes open for a car just like Daddy's!!!"

Distraction, thankfully, works this time around.

Any ideas for next time?

Happy First Birthday to Princess L.J.

See you at Boot Camp!

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Boo slept through egg dying last year. This year Mama and Daddy were in charge of dye and Boo got to put stickers on.

Name that kid