Small Mercies

My mom and dad sent me this beautiful plant about three weeks ago. You wouldn't know it by looking at it now, but for the first two weeks after it arrived, it would drop its leaves if I even looked at it. Okay--you can still kind of see some black on one of the leaves it is about to lose, but I consider it a victory that the flower actually bloomed! I have a hard time growing anything. I've killed more plants than I can even count. Bryan has asked me to stop buying them since we know from the outset that it is a waste of money.

This year, I wanted to buy some herbs to plant in our yard so we'd have fresh basil and chives all summer long. As we were wandering around Home Depot, Bryan noticed the herb seeds were only 99 cents. So, to satisfy his practical side while still allowing me to indulge my inner gardner, he suggested I try the seeds. I relented but fully anticipated that if I can't keep a plant alive, I'd have a hard time getting seeds to grow. I took the seeds home, planted and watered them and tried to keep my hope alive. The next morning, we saw squirrels digging in my pots! I had painstakingly planted my seeds exactly 1/4 inch beneath the soil and these squirrels were ruining everything. I thought we'd have to spend the rest of the summer looking at pots of dirt. But, this morning, while I was outside admiring the bloom on my hibiscus, look what I saw!!! SPROUTS! My little seeds had sprouted--well, at least in two of the four pots I planted.

Evan Sleeps Through Earthquake

For the life of me I can’t figure out how Evan could sleep through the earthquake Annandale experienced yesterday but will wake up the second the phone rings. Granted it was a minor earthquake, registering 1.8 on the Richter scale, but still. Ashley was home with Evan and said there was a loud boom and she felt the house move. Apparently the boom was from the movement of the earth. “It was probably the seismic waves exiting the surface and coupling with the air,” according to the Washington Post article titled, “The Earth Moves. Annandale Yawns.” Evan apparently wasn’t the only one who didn’t give much thought to the earthquake.

Smoke and Mirrors

It is very rare these days that I actually look pulled together, which is why I was relieved when I saw this photo of myself with a colleague in front of the Supreme Court during our annual conference on Capitol Hill. We were walking from a Senate building to a House building for a meeting and stopped for a quick photo. Posting a photo of myself may be a little vain, but not only had I fixed my hair that day (unlike today), I put on makeup, a suit and high heels! I’m happy it is all documented in this one photo. I didn’t actually feel all that pulled together, since I was feeling incredibly guilty for being away from Evan longer than usual. Smoke and mirrors is all I have to say.

Signing Time

Bryan and I have been wanting to teach Evan sign language and we've made a few half-hearted attempts, but now we're finally ready to get serious. My friend Melissa told me about the Signing Time DVDs that her daughters love, so today Evan and I went to the library and came home armed with two DVDs. I don't usually let Evan watch much t.v. but these are educational, right? They really are cute DVDs with kids making the signs for each word they're trying to teach. Evan was loving it. He was watching very intently and each time one of the kids on the DVD would make a sign, he would pause as though he were thinking and then pat his head. It is like they were having a conversation, but I'm not quite sure what Evan thought he was talking about! Then, tonight at dinner, I made the sign for water when I gave Evan a drink. He reached for the cup with one hand and pat his head with the other. I think it is a universal symbol.

Visiting Great Grandma

They start them young--those grandmas. From the day Evan was born he has been spoiled by not one, not two, but three grandmas! His Great Grandma Dorthy, who we call Granny, lives the closest to us, which means we get to see her the most often. We met Granny and Aunt Nanci for dinner on Saturday and it is no wonder that Evan loves visiting with Granny. Not only did she share her chocolate malt (which I think she ordered just for Evan) and her french fries, but she also played cars with Evan. At one point Granny stopped playing in order to engage in some adult conversation and Evan quickly reached over and put her hand back on top of the car. Granny played along and I think they both had a great time.


At the end of lunch Granny and Nanci said goodbye to Miss Ashley, who is leaving us on Saturday. We have had a wonderful year with Ashley as our nanny and we're all going to miss her terribly. I have a few more days before I have to say goodbye, but I already know I am going to cry.

A Few Small Steps for Man

Evan is learning to walk! He is getting a little more daring with each passing day. Now he doesn't have to think about it quite as much when he decides to travel by foot versus on his knees.


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Office Supplies and Toddler Toys

We found a new use for Post Its at our house when we stuck some on the wall and created a fun new game for Evan. He had a great time walking along the wall and pulling them down. The video is a little dark. We really need to get some extra lamps for our living room.


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