all by hisself

He wanted me to tailor an extra-large flannel shirt he bought in high school to fit his actual (slim) proportions in order to feed his flannel shirt addiction within budget.

I thought it sounded too hard, so I told him it was really easy and that he could do it.

Then he did.

also i found some cool robot fabric online today

Me and March. March and Me.
We never got along much, March and me.

This year, I understand the fickleness a little better and I see that March has
good and bad days.
Like pregnant people do.
Even all in the same day.
example:
Today
The goodness: someone wanted to drive up from Salt Lake to buy our undrivable car.

The badness: we are missing a spoon. And it's not the one I tried to grind up in the disposal.

remembering and not remembering

I don't have a lot of traditions about commemorating Jocelyn. Or any.
In fact, after 11 years, I can't even remember which day I'm supposed to commemorate.
March 16 or 17?
I can't remember.
Just like I can't remember whether my wedding anniversary is May 2 or 3.
But I do remember that the shorts she is wearing in this picture had an appliqued Winnie the Pooh on one leg.
And that I had a pair, too, against my will.
And that her shirt wasn't hers.
But was it Bryns? Or for some reason Christy Ward's?
I do not remember.
I also did not remember to wear green today.
I did not remember until today that I have a horrifying bibliography due on Monday.
I do not remember a lot of things these days.
But I do, of course, remember Jocelyn's 4-inch platform sandals.
(Which I'm guessing I'm wearing in this picture because we were not the same height.)
And her pretty eyes.
And the time she purposely made me laugh so hard I wet myself while we were outside playing.
I didn't think it was very funny.
She did.

because sometimes you actually don't need a nap: secret move #725

Step numero uno: change out of that crazy polyester dress and take off your coat.
The bank said it was 56 degrees, after all.

Step 2: While you are putting on your now daily wardrobe (maroon cords), do NOT {this is important} succumb to filling the indent you left intact on your bed this morning.

No. 3: Do an activity that involves at least four things you like.
Bike/mail/sun/exercise.

#4: Take a detour up a hill because the post office is only about a half mile away and you're not ready to go home yet. Enjoy that you kind of look like you're dressed like a little boy.

Five: Go down the hill you went up. See the trees.
See, you feel better.

Final step: No nap. No need. Eat a cookie.

growth: two inches

they waited cautiously for her response when they asked her to move from an office to a cube in the open

Old View

New View

They needn't have worried.

i wrote this post sometime last week but i've been too chicken to post it but now i'm getting tired of avoiding the subject

you have some splaining to do

Can you tell me why you still don't know about the child we're expecting this fall?

And while you're at it, since most of you have done this a time or two, why haven't you told me about the constant awkwardness & clumsiness that comes along with growing a baby?

And why has no one mentioned that first trimester "nausea" and "tiredness" are way different than regular person nausea and tiredness? And what about water? Water can even make you feel green?

And could someone please tell me how on earth you do this with other little ones about? If I can't take care of Nate, he just takes care of me. But a 2-year-old can't even reach the knobs on the washing machine.

Also, how do you not talk about it constantly: how you feel, what's irritating you right now, how you can feel things inside your stomach changing, how amazing it is to hear and see someone else's heartbeat inside of your body, what you eat, what you can't even think about eating (garlic you stay away from me), how you really thought you'd be one of those women who runs five miles until the day she delivers but you can't even walk up stairs, what clothes you already can't wear, how you knew the pregnancy would stick this time, blah blah blah etc. etc. etc. all the time?

Well, can you splain?

PS: SO EXCITED

just a tip i learned firsthand

When you go to a real hair stylist for the first time in years and she gives you your favorite cut, you will let her style it with products and devices you will never touch with your own hands because you can tell she thinks she's doing you a favor, especially after you tell her you let your hair air dry most of the time, and she will somehow have the ability to transform you into a Rachel head from the 90s. It will be awesome! (Especially since you know it will never happen again.) So don't be dumb and take your only picture proof in a dark room so no one will believe you. You'll regret it.

if you don't have a brother, then god bless you: a letter from my brother follows

truck truck truck truck!!!! i got a letter the other week that said something about a TRUCK! did nate get a truck?truck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck trucktruck truck truck truck
just curious

love elder timberlant

secret move #fifty million

This special installment is called
How to feel awesome even if you just ate an entire row of brownies

It's easy (if you're lucky) to be awesome even after a dubious skill like that.
Step 1: Start sewing together some of the 256 quilt squares you were able to cut from your own stash of fabric. A stash in a dresser drawer that allows you to actually make a semi-coordinating scrap quilt instead of spending $200 on fabric to sew one.

an old-fashioned song about murder, if you're so inclined

To Keep My Love Alive

This post is brought to you by Pandora, an episode of Gilmore Girls where someone mentions an old singer named Blossom Dearie which caused me to look her up and add a Pandora station of her, my sniffly nose and a pot roast sandwich.

two truths and a lie

why, no, it isn't very pretty

Melt. Mud. Receding.

He seems to know everything about me. Like that this early '90s Collin Raye song will make me cry. (Don't barf, Brittany.)

Me: I thought you were going to get home before me and I was going to sing that song, If you get there before I do, don't give up on me...you know the one. I was singing it to myself.
He: It made you cry, didn't it?

But what he doesn't know is that I have a half-eaten bag of circus peanuts hidden in the drawer of my side table and I just ate two. (Don't barf when you find out, Nate.)

before they were stars #1

This is the first of zillions of photos I took of my friend Nate P. I thought it would be cool to distort his awesome face with a pointless effect in photobooth. (Dumb idea.)

You can see my yellow dress shoulder. He told me that he really liked this dress. We held hands in front of tons of people and ate s'mores. I thought it was really cool.

for all the lovers

Today I've been thinking about what it would take to put together a family history for my side and Nate's sides of our family. For Nate's side, I'd have to find out whether Rasmus Petersen really changed his e to an o to evade his wife (smooth, Rasmus), and for my side, I'd need to find out the name of this lady at my grandparents' wedding:

negligence

Do you know anyone who wants to come over here and scrape off that month-old nail polish from my fingers? Or wash the laundry from our trip, or put that belt away that I wore two days ago, or clean up my car or read six books for me?

Or turn on the crock pot that I filled with our dinner this morning but neglected to turn on?
Or for goodness sake do something about my hair?