summer goes to the zoo

into the woods

for memorial day, bryan and i took summer on another expedition, this time to wallace falls. ever the predictable baby, here is summer's basic itinerary for hiking:

-- put summer into hiking backpack

-- summer is very happy and content riding along

-- summer takes a nap

-- summer wakes up screaming like a banshee

-- summer is fed

-- attempts are made to put summer back into the hiking backpack

-- attempts fail as screaming baby frightens other hikers and disturbs wildlife

-- mom carries summer in her arms

-- mom tires of carrying summer and forces her into the backpack

-- summer screams like a banshee

-- summer takes a nap

-- summer wakes up and is very happy and content riding along

ah, the great outdoors.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Oil

Senate Democrats hauled top oil execs into a hearing last week | link. The topic of conversation: huge profits.

Don't get me wrong, I don't rejoice paying $4 a gallon for gas. Nevertheless, blaming oil execs isn't exactly a fruitful endeavor.

First off, this is America. When we read about people earning $12 million a year, we don't resent them. We want to be them.

More importantly, though, the analysis on the issue is a little bit shallow. Yes, the profits are huge. But that's akin to saying a hummingbird doesn't eat a lot of food (it eats 3x its weight a day). Look at the numbers. I can't claim to be original here, but since I can't find the link to the original content, I'll do the exercise myself.

 

Open the Global 2000 and filter out non-US companies. Exxon Mobile is at the top of the list with over $40 billion dollars. OK, maybe I'm upset now.

 

However, if you sort the list by profit margin, a different picture emerges. Exxon drops to #14 with a profit margin of 11.3%. Who is #1 you ask? Microsoft... at 29.3%. Bill Gates may not be sexy, Mr. Jobs, but the man sure knows how to make money.

summer parole

The infant phenomenon uttered her first word today. Unfortunately, we can't get her to repeat it. We were walking along the shores of Rattlesnake Lake. As we approached the lake side, Summer awoke from her motion induced nap and became very chatty. After I made an unremarkable comment about the mud surrounding the lake, it happened:  Summer said "mud."

 

Emily and I looked at each other with fear and amazement and immediately focused our intention on the babe. Regrettably, she has not spoken another word since. Because I fancy myself to be a scientist of sorts, I'm going to have to categorize this as a spurious result.

 

Fortunately, Summer's other feats of the day were well recorded. Behold her first hike and her first encounter with grass.

awake to silent joy

Ode, Composed on a May Morning by William Wordsworth (excerpt)

While from the purpling east departs

The star that led the dawn,

Blithe Flora from her couch upstarts,

For May is on the lawn.

A quickening hope, a freshening glee,

Foreran the expected Power,

Whose first-drawn breath, from bush and tree,

Shakes off that pearly shower.

All Nature welcomes Her whose sway

Tempers the year's extremes;

Who scattereth lustres o'er noon-day,

Like morning's dewy gleams;

While mellow warble, sprightly trill,

The tremulous heart excite;

And hums the balmy air to still

The balance of delight.

un cadeau, pour moi?

If there's any list you should try to get on, it's the group of people Emily gives gifts to. I have the good fortune of being near the top (I was recently demoted due to Summer's meteoric rise to the number one slot). Case in point: Birthday 08.

You may recall the festivities perpetuated by Emily on the day itself. The fun did not stop there:

This year, Emily's gift to me was a *very* nice camera. Technically, she didn't give me the camera itself but a large sum of money earmarked for the camera. This is because even though I have wanted a DSLR for years, I'm cheap, and generally speaking, don't like to spend money on anything.

So after an additional month of dithering, I finally took the plunge. The gift is already starting to pay dividends. As expected, Emily and Summer will be my most frequent subjects.

summer goes to the park

splish splash

meet tubba sums. this picture was taken at her last known sighting: a mere four days ago before her unexplained and irrational fear of water began.

now it's i do the dishes, she screams. i wash my hands, she screams. we run the tub, no surprises here, she screams.

and supposing we have the audacity to actually put her into the tub, party's over, she's gone berzerk.

ah, the fleeting fancies of six month olds. tubba sums, where did you go? please come back; we miss you so!

oh happy day

(summer love and i)

Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous.
It is to decide forever to have your heart go
walking around outside your body. --Elizabeth Stone

(flowers from my mom & dad)

We never know the love of our parents for us till we
have become parents ourselves. --Henry Ward Beecher

(wicked chef's knife from bryan)

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces
of pie for five people, promptly announces she never
did care for pie. --Tenneva Jordan

...mmm...pie....

sweet summer girl

bryan and i gave summer a mid-year performance review today and decided to renew our six month contract with her, so she should be gracing the pages of our blog for at least that much longer. here are some photos of our small celebration:

summer helping me bake the cupcakes.
her contribution was essential.

half-pink cupcakes (on the inside, too!)

yum!
(shortly after this picture was taken, summer
*accidentally* got her first taste of icing. oddly enough,
she enjoyed it just about as much as the squash)

it's my party, and i'll cry if i want to.
(for those with superhuman eyesight, check out her two bottom teeth)

ahoy, matey!