tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55085842012-05-10T14:30:34.623-04:00The attempt to chronicle the life of an editor who needs to write more for himself and hopefully thereby find some new directions in life.T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.comBlogger105612538.95643-76.95282This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-75926166462556546342012-04-08T20:36:00.003-04:002012-04-09T11:22:55.036-04:002012-04-09T11:22:55.036-04:00

We recently went to Chincotegaue Island and on the way stopped at NASA Wallops Island. During her turn through the gift shop, Celeste really wanted a model of the solar system. It was a pretty simple snap-together kit with glow-in-the-dark paint. Flash forward a week (we had to wait until we got home, and then for an afternoon when I was home to help her with it) and we snapped things together

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2012/04/we-recently-went-to-chincotegaue-island.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-2885177347266605422012-01-05T22:10:00.004-05:002012-04-08T20:50:48.006-04:002012-04-08T20:50:48.006-04:00

When Quinlan is feeling under the weather or overtired, she can get quite mean. Tonight, after a day when Evelin was sick and thus not as available to Q as the little one would like, she was in rare form.After telling me that she didn't love me and musing as to why Mumma couldn't have have married someone else*, Quinlan started listing out the only people she loves:Her Kindergarten TeacherHer

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com3http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2012/01/less-loved-than-lima-bean.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-61979492032097059242011-12-16T12:40:00.002-05:002012-04-08T20:55:06.162-04:002012-04-08T20:55:06.162-04:00

Today's lesson in not making assumptions ...I stopped in to D.C. Sandwich to pick up two banh mí for lunch (one đậu hủ chay and one bì chay) and had a brief moment of concern when the order ticket was written with a note that looked (to my inexpert eye) like hangul at the bottom. Should I be concerned about the authenticity of the sandwiches? (And really, what does "authenticity" mean or matter

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/12/authenticity-crisis.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-31249486570818524382011-12-12T11:58:00.002-05:002011-12-12T12:01:17.634-05:002011-12-12T12:01:17.634-05:00

It's been seven years since I was a behavior watch volunteer at the zoo. I had to experience all the excitement surrounding the arrival (and departure) of 太山 — Tài Shān, fondly known as 黄油条 (buttersick) — over the fence as a regular visitor to the zoo instead of through the behavior watch camera lenses.Despite not being there twice a month, I do pay attention when I see mentions of 美香 (Měi Xāng)

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/12/scottish-tian-tian.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-64037383249260314492011-08-29T21:15:00.000-04:002011-08-29T21:16:53.669-04:002011-08-29T21:16:53.669-04:00

So Hurricane Irene blew through this weekend (just days after an earthquake, which added to the fun for the weather-phobic second grader). The biggest problem we had was a 23-hour power failure and about five bags of mostly sticks and twigs. The girls were a little apprehensive trying to fall asleep without power on Sunday night (the power failure happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, while the

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/08/powers-out-and-back.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-84207762422668711562011-08-13T14:17:00.002-04:002011-08-13T14:21:59.365-04:002011-08-13T14:21:59.365-04:00

This morning, on the way to the Girls Rock! DC camper showcase at the 9:30 Club ...Celeste: Lightbulb!Quinlan: Celeste. Why did you say "lightbulb"?Celeste: I just say "lightbulb." You know, like when some people say "holy crap"? I say "lightbulb."

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/08/conversations-from-backseat.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-82744054349936786922011-07-28T22:54:00.004-04:002011-07-28T23:06:48.809-04:002011-07-28T23:06:48.809-04:00

literally ...I went to tell Celeste good night tonight and ended up knocking over a bit of her furniture. Rewind (that's probably the best idea). After running tonight (and spending some time sitting around in the backyard cooling down), I went upstairs to tell the girls good night. While talking with Celeste, she mentioned that earlier in the week, she'd been spinning around in her room and it

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/07/when-theories-hit-wall.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-89993017287579797422011-07-15T20:41:00.003-04:002011-07-15T21:04:31.772-04:002011-07-15T21:04:31.772-04:00

Tonight Quinlan agreed to let us start reading the Chronicles of Narnia with her. She'd heard parts of the radio play version before, on a long car trip or two when we'd been reading the books with Celeste, but she was worried that the books would be too scary or something. Tonight, however, I started in with the first two chapters of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (yes, we’re sticking with

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/07/age-aint-nuthin-but-number-tonight.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-56746924700857468092011-05-19T08:48:00.001-04:002011-05-19T10:51:39.789-04:002011-05-19T10:51:39.789-04:00

On the way to school this morning, I was telling the girls that I hadn’t had enough sleep the night before. I went out with some friends for a late 3D showing of Thor and didn't get home until about midnight, so only about five hours of sleep before the day started.Celeste said that wasn't good because people need "seven or eight or nine or ten or eleven hours" of sleep. I agreed, but noted that

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/05/up-too-late.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-30491621374561153392011-05-12T06:17:00.002-04:002011-05-19T10:52:47.624-04:002011-05-19T10:52:47.624-04:00

Celeste just work up crying because she dreamt that "someone cut down all of our curly tree," referring to our Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (Corylus avellana 'Contorta'), which she loves to play under, picking leaves for the fairies to use as dresses.Fortunately, it was a fairly easy matter to let her look out our bedroom window and to see that the tree was fine — excepting a few places where

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com2http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/05/nightmares.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-41386273292475126172011-05-01T20:52:00.001-04:002011-05-01T20:54:41.916-04:002011-05-01T20:54:41.916-04:00

I'm no monarchist by any means, but I am clued in to mass culture enough to know that the royal wedding was happening on Friday morning. So, when Quinlan woke up at 5:45 a.m., ready to go for the day, I decided to let her watch some of the pomp and circumstance.Long ago, I lost the battle against Disney princesses a long time ago, unfortunately. It started when Celeste went to kindergarten, and

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/05/princesses-in-morning.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-70969460745635823772011-03-24T21:01:00.000-04:002011-03-24T21:02:35.605-04:002011-03-24T21:02:35.605-04:00

Quinlan had a rough time getting to sleep tonight. She started off the night being a bit goofy and playing around. She tried to dive on to her bed and misjudged things, hitting her face against the footboard and resulting in many tears.After some bedtime stories and a little snuggling, she was supposed to get to sleep ... which isn't exactly what happened. Instead, she spent a bit of time crying

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com2http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2011/03/up-above-world-so-high.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-24805610775370042992010-08-12T13:26:00.002-04:002010-08-12T20:29:18.965-04:002010-08-12T20:29:18.965-04:00

Celeste and Quinn have a new game where they take apart a word and look at the different phonemes/components.During lunch today, Quinn started with zinnia: "If it didn't have /ə/ it would be zinny; if that didn't have /i/ it would be zin; if it didn’t have /zɪn/ it would be nothing!"Then Celeste moved on to sunshine: "If it didn't have /sʌn/, it would be shine; if it didn't have /ʃaɪn/, it would

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/08/playing-with-language.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-31591962310246465422010-08-05T20:28:00.002-04:002011-05-19T10:54:30.363-04:002011-05-19T10:54:30.363-04:00

So Celeste found a book about Channukah in the free book pile at the pool and has been reading through it. This morning she was reading it during breakfast, so entranced by the story of the Maccabees that she couldn't eat her toast. Plus it irritated Quinlan that Celeste wouldn't let her look at the pictures.I took the book and read to the both of them while they ate, and when it got to the end

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/08/give-me.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-46530357573828024602010-06-07T21:41:00.002-04:002010-06-07T21:47:37.582-04:002010-06-07T21:47:37.582-04:00

Every night, Quinn has one bedtime request: "Daddy, don't tell Mumma that you read to me." (If Evelin does the reading, the request is the same, "Don't tell Daddy that you read to me.") A little bit later, usually when the didn't-do-the-reading-tonight parent goes into her room to remind her that she's supposed to be falling asleep, she announces: "Uhm, Mumma/Daddy? Daddy/Mumma didn't read to me

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/06/keeping-secrets.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-49726207090335765562010-06-06T19:57:00.000-04:002010-06-06T19:58:09.685-04:002010-06-06T19:58:09.685-04:00

Celeste: "Daddy? What does 'sexy' mean?"Me: "Uhm, it's kind of the same as attractive."Celeste: "Daddy? What does 'gut' mean?"Me: (Starting to look around at the magazines in the check-out lane to figure out where this is coming from) "Uhm, it's the same as a tummy."Celeste: "Why do women have tummies and men have guts?"Me: "What?"Celeste: "Men's Health says 'Loose Your Gut', but Women's Health '

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/06/gender-specific-magazine-blurbs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-69018713291576231312010-05-05T06:13:00.001-04:002010-05-05T06:15:10.683-04:002010-05-05T06:15:10.683-04:00

After dinner last night, Quinn runs excitedly into the kitchen where Evelin and I were cleaning up and Celeste was putting away her dinner dishes:Q: "Celeste! Celeste! Celeste! Do you want to do something fun? So fun? We could go to jail!"C: "Okay!"And they both run out of the room.

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/05/were-going-to-need-bail-money.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-25228358981015146642010-04-19T16:49:00.003-04:002010-04-19T16:51:17.930-04:002010-04-19T16:51:17.930-04:00

... I think I'd use this as part of a print ad for Rhode Island Red's ...

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/04/were-i-in-advertisting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-26007698008086780092010-04-18T21:18:00.003-04:002010-04-18T21:20:28.482-04:002010-04-18T21:20:28.482-04:00

I have to wake Celeste up each school morning at 6:30 a.m., so we do try to get her to bed at a decent hour. Usually, she’s in bed during the 7:00 p.m. hour and will read for a little while. Usually she’s asleep by a little past 8:00 p.m., but some times she stays up later.Tonight, at about 8:45 p.m. Evelin thought she’d heard a noise from Celeste’s room, so I went up to check on her. I figured

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/04/technorati-tags-tag-name.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-34163136152136219442010-04-04T08:39:00.002-04:002010-04-04T08:40:11.043-04:002010-04-04T08:40:11.043-04:00

Quinn (as she's working through a pile of jellybeans): "My stomach feels like ill, but I'm not ill."

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-wisdom.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-21769757282377583982010-03-26T19:54:00.004-04:002010-03-26T20:13:01.328-04:002010-03-26T20:13:01.328-04:00

I've found, upon occasion, when the girls are getting crazy in the car, the radio applied at sufficiently loud volume tends to smooth things over — especially 105.9 The Edge or Jack-FM.This morning, on the way to Quinn's school, one of the stations was playing Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky". Quinn asked who the singer was, I said "Tom Petty."Celeste started riffing on his name: "Tom Puppy," "Tom

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/03/it-must-be-hair.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-19426399449202215312010-03-14T20:37:00.000-04:002010-03-14T20:38:34.523-04:002010-03-14T20:38:34.523-04:00

And, once again, I'm kicking myself for not having a video camera on these kids 24/7 so that at least some college funding could be secured from America's Funniest Home Videos.Yes. Despite the smile, that is an icepack on Quinlan's forehead. But that's getting a few minutes ahead of the story.Celeste and Quinn were running around, avoiding cleaning things up, while Evelin put together their

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/03/hidden-dangers-of-folding-laundry.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-63709649176938196652010-02-14T16:29:00.003-05:002010-02-14T16:38:42.164-05:002010-02-14T16:38:42.164-05:00

Celeste and I were making groceries on Saturday. She was being pretty good, despite testing her "If you say 'please' enough then grown-ups will give you what you want" theory a few times, when she started looking in the (not ice cream) freezer cases and saw a bunch of boxes of ... Celeste Pizza-for-One. There was much clapping, dancing and a really big smile ...

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/02/celeste-discovers-celeste.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-62717686865178097682010-01-08T06:02:00.003-05:002010-01-08T06:12:11.929-05:002010-01-08T06:12:11.929-05:00

I'm sure these aren't the worst things we'll have to deal with over the years, but sometimes it's a fine line between laughing hysterically and how do I handle this.Scene IQuinlan is in the bath. I am downstairs and hear:"Snow White! Snow White! C'm on! Go get your gun!"Talking with her afterwards, Quin explained that it was Cinderella who wanted Snow White to get the gun. I don't know if that

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com6http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2010/01/parenting-is-hard-three-and-half-scenes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-91273325393995326702009-12-19T14:39:00.002-05:002009-12-19T14:47:29.136-05:002009-12-19T14:47:29.136-05:00

We knew it was going to be a snowy day today, but the predicted snow totals kept increasing over the course of the day yesterday. This morning, we woke to a nice 5" or so, with more coming down, and, according to Weather.com ... a blizzard warning.Fortunately for us, Celeste is a huge fan of the Little House on the Prairie series and was able to tell us exactly what we should do when there's a

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1http://lifechange.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-to-do-in-blizzard.html