Saturday we celebrated my uncle Roger’s 50th birthday at my grandma Gebhart’s house. There was lots of food for lunch, including a big bowl of my uncle Roger’s blackberries, picked that morning. (He also sent us home with some fresh corn—yum!)
In addition to Uncle Roger, Sophie met lots of new people—Aunt Ellen, Uncle Mark and Aunt Tammy—for the first time.
In true Gebhart fashion, there was lots of ice cream on hand.
“Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization.” —Daniel Webster
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
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
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.
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.
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
