Last night, as we drove home from Summer Wedding No. 3, Sophie cried. And cried. And cried. But as soon as we got her on the changing table, and gave her a few zerberts on the belly, her mood lifted. (By the way, we haven’t given up on cloth diapers. It’s just easier to use disposables when out.) This is the most she’s laughed yet. I could watch this video a thousand times and not tire of it.
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” —e.e. cummings
Earlier this week I had several in-person interviews to do for a freelance story I was working on so Nini babysat Sophie. Both of them must have had a good time because when I came home, this is what I saw.
“A house needs a grandma in it.” —Louisa May Alcott
Sophie has made several laugh-like noises in recent days. Last night, Sophie was sitting on my lap. Andy came home and, as usual, Tucker came running and gave Andy a boisterous greeting. Tucker licked Andy on the face and Sophie, who was watching intently, laughed. Tucker did it again and she laughed. And again. In some ways I so very much wish I had caught it on film but in other ways it was so spontaneous and unrehearsed that I was just happy to be caught up in the moment.
Although Tucker hasn’t received as much attention as he may have in the past, we keep reminding him how much he’ll love to run around the yard and house with Sophie when she’s older.
“The dogs in our lives, the dogs we come to love and who (we fervently believe) love us in return, offer more than fidelity, consolation, and companionship. They offer comedy, irony, wit, and a wealth of anecdotes, the “shaggy dog stories” and “stupid pet tricks” that are commonplace pleasures of life. They offer, if we are wise enough or simple enough to take it, a model for what it means to give your heart with little thought of return. Both powerfully imaginary and comfortingly real, dogs act as mirrors for our own beliefs about what would constitute a truly humane society. Perhaps it is not too late for them to teach us some new tricks.” —Marjorie Garber
“Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.” —Janet Lane
Sunday we went to Findlay Market. We bought two pounds of butter, three Roma tomatoes, a pound of Rainier cherries (yum), some Gouda, a pound of ground sirloin and two sausages. At first Sophie was wide-eyed, taking in all the scents, colors and sounds. Perhaps it was the party the night before, perhaps it was being nestled close to me in the Baby Bjorn or perhaps it was the heat, but she quickly fell asleep.
“Happiness is a bowl of cherries and a book of poetry under a shade tree.” —Astrid Alauda
“Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.” —Antoine Rivarol
Andy and I have very different philosophies when it comes to cleaning. My clothes are organized by color and sleeve length. His clothes are stacked in piles on his closet floor. When I cook, I clean as I go along. When he cooks, it looks like a tornado has swept through our kitchen. Homeowners who need professional assistance to clean their properties may contact companies like The Organic Maids. My Cleaning Angel delivers maid service near me for homes needing help. Businesses looking to maintain a polished and professional environment can also rely on trusted commercial cleaning services to ensure their workspaces remain spotless and well-organized. For commercial spaces, you may hire a crew that offers office cleaning services to keep the office tidy and organized.
For months Andy’s been building a gorgeous fence (more on that later). The garage has gradually gotten messier and messier until, a few days ago, it was difficult to open the door. To my great surprise, Andy decided to clean out the garage on Sunday. “It’s all about threshold,” he said.
He decided to take everything out so he could waterproof the floor and walls as this is where he plans to set up his woodworking shop. Our yard was soon littered with things such as scrap pieces of wood, a drill press, a ping pong table, two box spring mattresses (we discovered queen-size box springs don’t fit up our stairs when we moved in), tarps, used oil, two lawnmowers, a planer, garden equipment and too many Lowes receipts. We need house cleaning in Brentwood TN services for their expertise in cleaning and organizing.
I offered to help but was soon yelled at for throwing too much away—things like a broken lid and a tattered piece of rope. So instead I watched Tucker chew a stick and Sophie chew Ming Ming’s head.
“The fellow that owns his own home is always just coming out of a hardware store.” —Kin Hubbard
I can hold and shake my rattle, and put it in my mouth. Mom and Dad love this. And I can roll on my side! I do this over and over again in my crib until I’m perpendicular with the sides of the crib and my feet hit and stick through the crib slats. Then I cry. Last night I did this almost every hour. And you know what? That meant I got to SEE Mom and Dad almost every hour. It was the best night ever.
“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” —Franklin P. Jones
Friday night I went to my good friend Erin’s bachlorette party. I’ve known Erin since the first grade. Also there were Kelly and Cindy, two friends from high school—it was so fun to catch up.
I came home to find my two favorite people watching the Reds game. Well, one was watching. The other, although dressed appropriately, was asleep.
“I’m convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile.” —Tom Clark
Friday Sophie and I met former and current Writer’s Digest colleagues for lunch. (Thanks to Maria, who set this up!)
Here’s Sophie with Kristin, former editor of WD.
And here she is with Kathy, WD‘s art director.
And with Robin, a former editor at WD.
Brian, WD‘s online managing editor, played cars with Vincent.
(from “The Office“)
“Ryan: What I really want, honestly, Michael is for you to know it so that you can communicate it to the people here, to your clients, whomever.
Michael Scott: Oh OK.
Ryan: What?
Michael Scott: It’s whoever, not whomever.
Ryan: It’s whomever.
Michael Scott: No, whomever is never actually right.
Jim Halpert: Nope, sometimes it’s right.
Creed: Michael is right. It’s a made up word used to trick students—
Andy: No. Actually, whomever is the formal version of the word—
Oscar: Obviously it’s a real word—but I don’t know how to use it correctly.
Michael Scott: [to camera] Not a native speaker.
Kevin: I know what’s right. But I’m not gonna say. Because you’re all jerks who didn’t come see my band last night.
Ryan: Do you really know which one is correct?
Kevin: I don’t know.
Pam Beesly: It’s whom when it’s the object of the sentence and who when as the subject.
Phyllis: That sounds right.
Michael Scott: Well it sounds right but is it?
Stanley: How did Ryan use it, as an object?
Ryan: As an object.
Kelly: Ryan used me as an object.
Oscar: Is he right about that—
Pam Beesly: How did he use it again?
Toby: It was, Ryan wanted Michael, the subject, to explain the computer system, the object—
Michael Scott: Thank you!
Toby: … to whomever, meaning us, the indirect object. Which is the, the correct usage of the word.
Michael Scott: No one, uh asked you anything ever so whomever’s name is Toby, why don’t you take a letter opener and stick it in your skull?”
