I’ve been so into citrus fruit recently. I guess you could call it a craving. But I get like this every year when the citrus fruit is good and in peak season. So even though I don’t think it qualifies as an official pregnancy craving, I’m chalking up my current passion for all things juicy and tangy to my little babe.

Just recently, I’ve been noticing a lot of things that are designated as ‘St. Clements’ flavor. I looked it up because I didn’t know about this flavor combination. Apparently, foods and beverages that have orange and lemon flavors can be called St. Clements. And it is apparently an established British tradition, harking back to a nursery rhyme. You can have it in baked goods, such as St Clement’s Cake or St Clement’s Shortbread. Of late, I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for St Clement’s Drink, too. If I’d have known about the St Clement’s cocktail when I was little, I definitely would have ordered that sometimes in lieu of a Shirley Temple. To make up for those lost opportunities, I think I’ll try and order a St. Clement’s next time I’m ordering a drink.

 

In working with a social survey, one of the most pivotal issues is determining the level of analysis. Are you going to be studying individuals, households, or organizations? The level of analysis factors into pretty much everything - sampling, creating well-phrased questions, making appropriate generalizations, etc.

Households are a very common level of analysis. In households, you can get very precise information about social issues, without the added cost and effort of interviewing each and every sampled individual in a given population. A lot of surveys are run at the household level because it is both efficient and yields meaningful data.

One thing that I find interesting is how 'household' is defined. Social relationships are often difficult to disentangle, so it's important to make sure that people are correctly included in a household (or appropriately excluded from it), regardless of the legal or familial technicalities. Depending on the survey context, the definition of a household usually has to do with dwellings and/or eating together. For example, the U.S. Census Bureau defines a household as "all the people who occupy a housing unit" and then goes on to detail exactly what makes up a housing unit.

When a survey is carried out in lots of different countries, the definition has to be harmonized to make sure that 'household' means the same thing in all of the places where the survey is conducted. In America, where privacy and individualism are highly valued, it's easy to understand how you could explain a household as: the people who belong inside when the door is locked at night. But you can certainly see how household sizes could get ridiculously huge if you ask a question like 'who lives in this housing unit?' in a place where extended families live together on large compounds. As a result, in a lot of surveys in developing countries, the definition of a household has been stripped down to its essence: people who live together and eat from one pot.

I really like that way of defining a household. I think that's a poetic way of summarizing a potentially complicated web of relationships. The people who have the strongest social bonds are usually the people who eat together every day.

There's a church right next to our flat. It looks like a typical, lovely Anglican church.

 But what church has a buzzer board on the front door?

The whole church building has been converted into flats.

The church community still meets, but not in the historic sanctuary. Now worship takes place in an adjacent (less majestic) building.

The church on our street is the first time I've seen a church converted into condos. Then less than a mile up the road, I noticed that another church is in the process of being converted.

 

England definitely has an abundance of beautiful old churches and not quite enough churchgoers to to fill the pews. That's not really new news. Of course, something has to happen to the buildings when the church body can't afford the building anymore.

I've seen churches converted into bars, theatres and cultural centers. The idea of living in a converted church is a new one for me. I've got mixed feelings about it. Obviously it would be incredible if the church buildings didn't need to be sold in the first place. However, I'd rather it be used as a living space than repurposed as a bar. What do you think about the matter?

There's a blog that I always enjoy seeing in my reader feed: habit.

Every day each habit contributor posts a photo together with a few words. The words may or may not have anything to do with the picture. I'm operating under the assumption that the picture has to be taken on the date of the post. The pictures are artistic and well composed, and they take notice of the smaller points of life. I like the cleanness and simplicity of the habit posts, as well as the glimpses that they offer into other peoples' experiences. The blog reminds me of a feeling that I strikes me when I am on a busy highway or walking in a crowded street: every single person here is thinking their own thoughts and I can have no idea what is in their minds. To me, it's a reminder to have compassion on others and always try to understand where they are coming from.

If I were doing a habit post (then it would have had a lot fewer words and the photo would be more compelling) for today this would be mine:

hurried out the door this morning so we could walk together. had 2 quick meetings. went to the loo. looked in the mirror while washing my hands and realized I'd forgotten to put on make-up.

 

{Flashback Friday}

2007

Pumpkin, age 3, at the Children's Museum

Doing what she loves: Painting

The museum has a really cool painting wall where kids can paint to their hearts content.

I was looking through some old photos earlier this week and I ran across these two photos. 

Looking at them definitely brings about a tug on my heart! I just want to jump in the photograph and give that little munchkin hugs and kisses.

I feel like I've blinked merely a few times since then....

....and suddenly she's seven years old.

....and in the 2nd grade.

....and has her top two adult teeth growing in at the moment. 

She's not a little bitty girl anymore! 

I love my sweet Pumpkin. 

Ever since he was about two years old, Superboy has had a strong interest in the following subject matter:

gadgets & gizmos,

robots,

gears,

Rube Goldberg machines,

inventions,

factories,

control planels....

That sort of thing.

* * *

When they're little, some little boys develop obsessions with dinosaurs.

Or with big trucks and construction equipment.

Or with basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls, etc.

Superboy displayed only mild interest when it came to those things.

However, he would literally LIGHT UP with excitement when it came to gadgets/gizmos/robots etc. 

His interest in robotic & mechanical topics has remained consistent over the years.

* * *

In 2011, Superboy began talking about his desire to purchase an iPad.

Owning his very own iPad, from his perspective, was one step closer to building a robot or becoming an inventor. He was really serious about wanting to buy one.

(Keep in mind he's only 9.5 years old. I had major hesitation when the topic first came up.)

He had years of saved allowance just sitting in the bank. He tends to be more of a saver than a spender.

After lots of contemplation, we decided to let him have the green light on purchasing an iPad.

(With a few obvious guidelines and boundaries on how/when it's used.)

He didn't have quite enough to purchase it yet, but it turned out that his allowance PLUS our Christmas gifts to him (2011) were enough to cover the price tag of the iPad.

He was so excited to open that particular present on Christmas morning. I don't think he'll ever forget it.

* * *

During the school week, he only uses it for two purposes: morning alarm clock and to check the weather via his trusty weather app. I now get an enthusiastic weather report from him each day at breakfast, which is a new element of our morning routine. :-) Very fun.

He uses it on the weekends to play games (...within reason. He knows not to play it all weekend long. Great discussions about moderation.)

So far, so good. When he got a DS a couple of years ago, he had the same school week vs. weekend arrangement, so it's been nice just to continue with those same boundaries.

He's always loved to read, which is something that I am bound and determined not to jeopordize.

So far, so good on that front. The iPad doesn't seem to have made a dent in his reading habits.

* * *

The other day I picked up his iPad to check on something. I ended up clicking around and landed on his camera roll. To my surprise, he had TONS and TONS of pictures saved. I haven't seen him snapping very many pictures over the month that he's owned his iPad, so I was really curious.  

As it turns out, you can snap screen shots of your games as you're playing them.

So he has taken LOTS (and I do mean LOTS) of screen shots of one of his favorite games.

As I scrolled through photo after photo of these images, a smile came to my face. 

9 year old boys are so awesome.

I love their little brains.

Particularly his little 9 yr old brain. 

I told Hunter about finding all of these screenshots, and his response was,

"Yeah, he's been sending me emails at work with screenshot after screenshot."

So cute.

I also found this photo (below), taken on Christmas day. 

My kids like pictures that "go on and on for infinity."

When I was a kid, I liked that sort of photo as well.

There's an image within an image...within an image...within an image....and so on and so forth.

Another fun thing about the iPad is the ability to make fun little videos like this one. I think this took about 15 seconds to create.