Funk and Fun

Much like Marin, I've been in a weird funk lately and just haven't wanted to write anything. Not that there hasn't been stuff going on.

The pregnancy is progressing. The baby's being nice about kicking, still, the addiction to ice chips has come raging forward (finally), and last night I had to find different sleeping arrangements to combat the constant late-night heartburn (thank you, David and Frances for the reclining camp chair--it works like a charm & I don't have to leave Jonathan by himself).

The kids are both getting bigger (and cuter) all the time. Joseph got new church shoes, today, and his feet are even bigger than they were last time he bought shoes. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but I guess it has been 4-5 months and he's put on weight in that time. Sigh... For his birthday, Elena and I got him a book (exactly like hers, only for boys) so he can learn how to go potty. He likes reading it, and even insisted on taking off his diaper and sitting on the potty, one day, but we're not going to make a big push for another 5-6 months. They both got to do the same research study at UT about language acquisition. They looked at a bunch of toys and the lady mis-labeled two of them (called a dog and a ball a "gep" and a "danew"), then asked each of the kids to find the toys with the weird names. Elena was kind of funny for this one because the lady told her at the end that she'd told Elena a silly word and asked what the real word was. Elena said she didn't know, as if by giving her a fake word the lady had shaken Elena's trust in all previous knowledge, including the word "dog." Elena is also learning to be a really good helper and put toys away when we clean up the living room. She still doesn't seem to eat much, though that may be because she grazes. It drives me crazy, though, when she tells me she's hungry and asks for food, then doesn't eat it. At all. Not even one bite. She's done this twice in the last week and it makes me want to scream in frustration. Please tell me it'll go away.

Jonathan just got a call from the guy at the City, so please pray for him as he goes in for interviews. We really want this job and all the good things it will do for his career.

And here's a fun thing from Regan. Play along--you put in bold the things you've done, and you can add comments if you like.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it– if I've said it, I meant it--it's not the sort of thing I just toss around
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise – I'm sure I've done it, even if I can't remember when
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game - a UT football game a long time ago
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables – my tomatoes came in just as this whole salmonella thing started
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - kids are great for causing these
21.Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you weren’t ill - first pregnancy, on the only day I threw up, didn't know how long it was going to last, ended up feeling fine so I could have gone but didn't
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse - partial, but not total
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun - the funny thing was that after an hour I couldn't stop
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment - most days, really
36. Loved your job 90% of the time - Build-a-Bear's the best!
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - we've never had enough, really, but I've still been satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing - only to test some rappelling gear
40. Gone on a walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight - not even when I was super skinny
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume - theme of the dance where I first realized my now-husband was really good-looking and I should ask him out, or something
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day - not all that long ago, either--pregnancy makes you really tired
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain - not a very heavy rain, either time, but still
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie – most of my scenes got cut, and I don't think I ended up on screen, but I still filmed
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch -store-bought cookies taste funny—unless they're oreos
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68.Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy – three years ago, some baby toys for Elena
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money – prizes, but not money
77. Broken a bone – left middle finger—real treat for my teachers as I tried to write stuff
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi – not sure if I've managed to ingest any, but I've seriously tried twice
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about – we do this all the time when trying to explain Jonathan's major
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands – and mosquitos, too
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad - only The Oddessy
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch - I was taught how to knit right-handed, then taught myself how to do it left-handed and how to do lace/cables/etc.
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating – not personally, but eaten fresh-caught fish I watched get caught, cleaned and cooked
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream – for a few months when Elena was small
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair – red, baby, but never permanently
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep – and a toddler, too
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway Play - not on Broadway, but the touring show of Les Mis
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band – middle school band, but not a rock band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone – taught lots of folks to knit or crochet
122. Ridden a train – Europe's so cool
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need – not that I remember
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in a historic place – Nauvoo (so a city, if not a building)
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David -not the real one, or the replicas, only photos
147. Had your portrait painted – drawn not painted but it still counts
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers – and petticoats
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz - waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books - I think I've read most of the old ND books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane – only after watching Lost!
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life -Elena almost fell out the window in her room when she was little
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint - I know how to needlepoint, but that doesn't mean I do it
178. Laughed till your side hurt – at least once a month
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen a geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma – someday—it's a goal to get over the needle thing
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom-made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime – have been a witness to a bad car wreck and got interviewed by police
200. Responded to emails (or memes) like this