Little Dorrit

Am I the only one who has fallen head over heels in love with PBS's Masterpiece Classic? First, it was Jane Austen's works, which are always wonderful - the girl always gets her love. Then, Wuthering Heights - absolutely painfully heartwrenching - the actor who played Cathy was wonderful, Heathcliff outstanding and pathetic... Totally worth purchasing. Now, it is Dickens's Little Dorrit.

5 wonderful episodes of Little Dorrit:
Can Amy Dorritt be this kind and selfless?
Can John really be this lovesick and good? (Oh, yes, he can...)
Can Mr. Clennam truly be this nosey, but wonderful, and handsome to boot?
Can Panks really be a good guy despite the pigman affect?
Could "Blandois" be any scarier??! Yikes.
Could Mrs. Clennam be colder?
Could Mr. Dorritt be more shallow, yet also lovable in his own way??
Why is Fanny likeable, and isn't Mr. Sparkler wonderful??!
And who didn't have Mr. Merdle pegged?

Dash my buttons, if you haven't seen it, Netflix it!

(Kev will want me to let everyone know that I published this rather than him, but as if! I suspect no one is in question here...)

Henry's Spring Cleaning

The springlikeness.

Posted by Kevin......
So, spring comes to those who wait and freeze.

Saturday: After a 70 mile morning ride with the Northfield Bicycle Club, I joined Henry and Stace for some serious backyard gardening that afternoon.

Stace turned over the garden while I watched Henry. It was inevitable that he would eat a clump of dirt.
Here is the dirt.....and here is Da-da's water bottle.

So, we have a babysitter staying with Henry while I work downstairs, and I heard this big clunk, and the babysitter said, "OH! Boom." and I waited to assess the damage as if it is a serious boom a short silence is followed by a wail. But, instead I heard Henry loudly say, "Aaach", and scramble back to his feet to trundle on.

Stace's Thoughts on Parenting

Pretty much, you can't do anything right.

Knowing that Henry thinks pine cones are interesting, while on a walk I presented a nice, big one to him and without even touching it, he simply shook his head and said, "uh uh".
Today after swinging endlessly in his swing in the backyard, I tried to take him out and he started to scream. So "we" swung a little more and I dislodged a frustrated child from the swing.
Going inside after spending sufficient time outside was also not in his plan.

Kev and I question where our son learned to throw his sippie cup when he is no longer using it. I mean, we hardly ever throw our dishes when we are done eating - who does this? I've informed Henry that that simply isn't done - here, or anywhere, in fact - and he can get the heck over it, and wait until he is on the floor to drink from his sippie cup again because that's where the sippie cup is.

Kev tells Henry that he can have more food when he has eaten what is in his mouth. Now, I don't know that Kev has ever suggested to Henry that he will get more when his mouth is empty, but Henry has figured that if necessary (and it so often is) he will simply expel what is currently in his mouth in order to get whatever new food is waiting.

Forget feeding him. He can do it himself, thank you very much. He turns his head, hollers, shakes his head from side to side saying, "uh uh". But, sometimes while doing that he will open his mouth for a bite.

He has, God forbid, 2 play cell phones (MUCH to my chagrin. I have learned that trying to keep him away from this sort of thing is a bigger challenge than I am up to.), but he much prefers picking up the battery pack attached to the cord of my laptop and yabbering into it, then holding it up to his ear.

On the flip side:
He listens, comes when I call (almost always), is super easy to redirect, and can get things when I ask him to do so. He brushes his teeth (2), and loves doing so. I don't understand him when he talks back and almost always, it sounds so cute. He trundles around carrying a blankie, a teddy bear, or gets towels out of the clean linen drawer and acts like he is scrubbing the floor. (It's all endearing to me, not just the latter part...) He goes to the front window when a parent is leaving and watches them leave.

Basically, I want him to stay like this forever, but with a full set of teeth.

Guess who's walking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are now proud parents of a Toodler. Yes, I said "toodler" because he is toodling all over the place, and proud as can be because of it.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and ...

Posted by Stace

"Moo", says the cow, and Henry.
He sings while Mama howls what a wolf says.
"oo, oo, oo" says a monkey, says Henry.

Henry knows where his nose is - and will stuff both fingers clean up his nostrils when asked to point it out.
He knows where his ears are. He points out his bellybutton - and stuffs his finger in ours every chance he gets. He pats his chest when asked where his tummy is.
And he knows where his penis is.
Kev says it's because he's taught Henry the Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Penis song.