A Brave New World

We've sold our beloved IMac, along with many other of our possessions as a part of our move to SC and then WI, which we should really blog about soon (although we've mentioned it in parts). So, now, for computing power, we rely on our beloved IPad. After some searching we think we've found good ways to have an excellent blog experience on the Ipad, although it took some searching. We've ordered a card reader for our cameras' memory cards, so that we can get pictures onto our blog. The app we settled with was Blogsy which both uploads photos and allows them to be easily transferred to the blog. It was $5 of our $100 appstore credit that we got when we bought the IMac. There is a free wordpress app, but it had only okay reviews and we didn't feel like having to set up a whole new blog.

Speaking of selling the computer, we are pretty sure we came out even on the computer, we paid somewhere around $1100 or $1150, depending on how big the student discount was. We also got a printer, some scaled down versions of photoshop and premiere, a free OS Lion upgrade (that we could use again if we buy an older computer) and the $100 itunes credit. We sold just the computer, not the mouse or keyboard for $970 (it was going to be a $1000 but we couldn't find a good way to get OS Lion onto the new mac). We might keep the keyboard (which I am typing with IPad on at this moment) and the mouse (for a future laptop perhaps), or we might sell them along with the Printer. I'm sure not too many people care, but we were excited. We bought a mac which was more expensive because we know they retain their value better than any PC, and it paid off.

So, in conclusion, this blogpost is mainly a test of the new app. If it works well enough, it might make us keep going only with the Ipad for even longer than we'd planned. Maybe we can get Theo blogging too.

 Here's some unrelated photos and videos while we wait for the camera connector kit to come.

 

 

And a photo of him asleep in the sleepingbag, propped up to fight off a stuffy nose.

 

Life: Lately

Cecilia made me feel guilty the other day for not blogging, but honestly, it's a bit impossible now that Theodore has discovered the computer and doesn't nap. By the time he goes down in the evenings, I just want to cuddle up on the couch in front of the fire with my lover and watch a movie on Netflix. So, sorry, blog readers, but I will try to be better.

Life is swell, though it's weird to be in the kind of limbo we are in. We are currently waiting on Clementine to make her appearance, wondering if it may be sooner rather than later. I've been having pretty consistent Braxton-Hicks practice pressure waves and yesterday at Church I was feeling so much pressure I had to spread my legs in order to sit comfortably. I can't tell if this is normal, but my midwives tell me not to worry, so I'm trying not to. I'm officially around 32 weeks, and time seems to be both flying by and passing by in slow motion. Pregnancy is trippy like that.

We are also planning a move sometime in the near future back in with my parents. We've been a little less frugal than usual with our money, and with my job not giving me as many hours as I need, paying our rent over the summer seems superfluous when Tim will be done with school and nothing will be keeping us in Provo. My very generous parents have offered to let us stay with them for the summer rent-free, so we'll probably take them up on it unless something drastic changes. Not really looking forward to sharing a bathroom with my siblings, but it will be nice to have actual savings for when we start grad school in the fall. We also are selling everything (including our car) except what we can carry in suitcases on the airplane. Daunting task to reduce your life with two children down to six suitcases. Now comes the equally daunting task of finding Tim a summer job... anyone in Columbia have any suggestions?

Speaking of Theodore and the computer (refer back to first paragraph), he has mad skills. He can get on, open Google Chrome, and go to PBS Kids to find his games with absolutely no help from us. It's awesome and maddening at the same time, we have started to leave the computer chair upside down on the bed when we are down because otherwise he will climb up, grab the keyboard and mouse from our high-up hiding place, and go to town. As much as I love his ingenuity and independence, I also hate being the mean mommy who takes away the computer from him after a few minutes because he got on while I ran downstairs to throw the laundry in. He is limited to less than an hour a day of iPad and computer time, but it's been really hard to keep him entertained with the recent bout of nasty weather (rain, sleet, hale, snow.... in that order). He has recently discovered Thomas the Train and cannot get enough. I took him to Toys 'r Us a few weeks ago because we had a coupon and he played for THREE straight hours with their giant Thomas the Train table and tracks and tunnels and the whole she-bang. Then I looked at the price tags of the individual items... and geez. That stuff is pricey. Tim and I found this ad on Craigslist, but who has $350 to spend on their toddler's train addiction?! Even if it is an incredible deal. I guess it could be his Christmas/birthday/Christmas presents for a few years....

When he's not playing computer or with trains or with Annabelle, he is constantly counting (he starts at 2 and always ends at 9, but it's pretty dang cute!), reading (getting better at sounding out words and loves finishing your sentence when you are reading a book) and requesting the ABC song over and over again. He also just recently started his love for books on tape, though they are usually Tim's books because he will listen to them while they are playing in order to multi-task with schoolwork/dad work, but we plan on finding some kid-friendly books next time we hop over to our local library for story time. Tim loooooves books on tape, and wants nothing more than to instill that love in our children.

Hope this long update satisfied your voyeuristic tendencies. No pictures though. One day I'll post a pregnant picture, I think it's a little pathetic that I've only taken one a trimester. Poor Clementine, already a neglected second child.

Some missed events

We missed a few events that we remembered when we uploaded photos from our lesser used camera, so here they are. In mid-September, my friend Matt and I ran in a local 10k. It was my first race in my new 5fingers, which were and are great (they barely escaped being returned to REI when we found cheaper pairs later). I took 1st and he 2nd, but that was only out of 6 or 7. It also marked the end of serious running for me last year. I did not run with Theo, but Cait brought him after the race finished.

In sadder news, I let Theo burn his hands on the stove. I turned away from him standing on a stool near the stove where he was helping me cook eggs. I had turned off the burner but it was still hot. He slipped and caught himself on the burner with both hands. He cried some, but not too much, and had to have them bandaged for a few days, but he seems no worse for the wear. Also, this picture marks Theo's transition in interest from the Ipad to the Desktop Mac. He's gotten really good with the mouse and navigating to PBS kids as long as we turn the secondary click off. Sorry, no pictures of the unwrapped burned hands, not an opportunity I will regret missing.

Christmas in Pictures: Boxing Day Brunch

The day after Christmas, we invited some of our wonderful friends over for a Boxing Day Brunch of crepes with all the fillings. Nutella, fruit, jam, fancy cheese, real whipped cream: you name it. They were delicious, our friends are awesome, and Alice and Theo were in love... with the Nutella crepes. I think my favorite part was when the two Beatty boys found our Star Wars books. They were smitten. Tim is hoping that is our future.

Harrison and me, strangely coordinated in our outfits

Crepes, Julia Child-style. SO EASY.

Ben and Athena

Beattys plus Tallia

Jon, Harrison, and fireplace

Cutest, fattest baby ever

Crepes!

Christmas in Pictures: Christmas Eve/Day

Tim worked most of the day on Christmas Eve, joining us back home that evening for clam chowder (great recipe, but I accidentally bought FAT-FREE half and half.... bleh, bleh), homemade rolls, a homemade fire in the fireplace, and lots of Christmas movies on the iPad. Theodore fell asleep during A Christmas Carol: Jim Carrey style. For some reason, he refused to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol, which I was rooting for. Oh well.

We woke up entirely too early.... even if kids aren't getting anything, I think they just KNOW. Theo was way too grumpy to go to Church at 9, I think he knew that he was supposed to get presents and didn't get any. Oh well, he was cheerful again by 10:30 so we meandered over to the local Episcopal church. Silly, they didn't have a nursery on Christmas Day, so we only lasted about 30 minutes into the service before heading to another local LDS ward where it was OK that you had a kid with you making lots of cute sounds.

Our presents were meager, but appreciated. My parents sent us money and an Olive Garden gift card, Casey and Melissa came through as usual with handmade mittens for me, a tool kit for Tim, and an iTunes gift card for Theo. We celebrated by buying him a new Winnie-the-Pooh app. After Church, the babe was tired, so we wrapped him up in the Sleepy Wrap like old times (thought he would hate it, but he loved it still) and walked around the neighborhood. I took a nice long nap with him and woke up to cook Christmas dinner (chicken, stuffing, sweet potatoes) and Skype with Tim's family. We finished the day by lounging in front of the fire, again.

Homemade wrapping paper

Back massager, that we ended up taking back because it was cheap

Tool kit from Casey and Melissa

I was so excited about Tim's gift, a wool plaid fedora. Alas, too small.

Theo didn't get anything, but liked Dad's tool kit

Sleepy wrapped -- went to sleep before we hit the next block on our gorgeous, sunny Christmas Day

He looooooooves the fireplace

Tim's idyllic Christmas

Theo's idyllic Christmas

Happy holidays everyone!