tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55085842026-03-31T16:41:27.413-04:00The 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.comBlogger1071125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-26841360708513174412024-12-16T16:00:00.002-05:002024-12-16T16:00:54.119-05:00

We've had fun with the various vehicles the past few weeks. Extensions granted during COVID have meant that all three cars have registration renewal dates and emissions inspections due in the fourth quarter of the year or so. No big deal, just have to keep on top of it all.However, when I went to renew the registration of the 2017 Honda, I was surprised to see online that it's registration was

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-10199136855835665692024-05-01T09:59:00.003-04:002024-05-01T09:59:58.202-04:00

Back in 2015, I bought a used Fiat 500 Pop. The Hyundai had been totaled in 2012 and the old CR-V was being ... problematic. I'll admit I was acting on impulse a bit and really frustrated, so I didn't do the full due diligence that I should have, but the price wasn't bad despite it being a fairly basic model. I'd had a rental Fiat 500 Sport a few months before and really enjoyed driving it. This

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-55321713994190299272023-11-08T09:37:00.004-05:002024-05-01T10:02:49.080-04:00

They arrived in D.C. on December 6, 2000, and spent their first month getting used to their new digs before making their public debut on January 10, 2001. Today, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, along with their three-year-old cub, Xiao Qi Ji, are headed back to China. For the most part, this blog is dormant (though my kids love to look back at some of their very early adventures that I shared here),

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-15453959868366947522014-04-28T20:26:00.003-04:002014-04-28T20:26:48.589-04:00

The hedline pretty much says it all. About a quarter of the main living space in the house is off limits. We're washing dishes outside. The kelvinator is in the living room (it's really an Amana, but it's more fun to say "kelvinator" than "fridge"). And, in general, nerves are frayed. Details are being recorded at Survivor: Kitchen Remodel.

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-71994591021765496512013-03-17T08:55:00.003-04:002013-03-17T08:56:05.824-04:00

... or at least their names. Back in first grade, it was suggested to Celeste that she not not talk about a certain dog breed at school too much because the name — shih tzu — sounded a little too close to something rude when she said it. Flash forward to breakfast a few days ago when Celeste and Quinlan were both talking about shih tzus; C turned to me with a quizzative look and said:

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-4151807412468870682013-02-24T11:56:00.001-05:002013-02-24T11:56:59.298-05:00

In general, Q doesn't like playing games; the one exception over the years has been Go Fish, although we not too long ago picked up Apples to Apples, and she's loved it. Despite that, she's had a long-standing aversion to "winning games." Instead she usually likes to play Calvinballesque card games where the rules constantly change to ensure that everyone playing is doing well. Now, Quinlan

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-31759204047176242802012-11-02T06:31:00.000-04:002012-11-02T06:31:20.930-04:00

This morning, between preparing the different egg, toast, and cereal orders at breakfast. I asked the girls if they'd already had their vitamins or not. Being a bit of a prat, I pronounced vitamin as the British English /ˈvɪt ə mɪn/ instead of the American English /ˈvaɪt ə mɪn/. Naturally, this offended Celeste gravely. After correcting my pronunciation, she stated, "besides /ˈvɪt ə mɪn/ is a

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-59399752396921272012-09-24T21:47:00.000-04:002012-09-26T21:47:18.806-04:00

Quinlan woke up overly early this morning. Despite being a little on the fragile side, she was doing fairly well, but while flipping through a book of older pictures of herself she ran across one of her and Big Elephant. Big Elephant is a very large stuffie that came into the house as a baby gift for Celeste; of course, since Big Elephant (as the name implies) is not a dog, it eventually became

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-51778780042495640032012-08-28T06:39:00.001-04:002012-08-28T06:39:16.434-04:00

Quinlan sometimes gets frustrated by things. Things that she really should enjoy, instead of be annoyed by. Like early morning music from crickets and birds. But this morning, she decided to have her revenge ... with music and dance. It's a bit dark ... which is quite normal for 6:00 a.m., but you can still make out most of the dance moves, hand motions, and, of course, the lesson in song.

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-75926166462556546342012-04-08T20:36:00.003-04:002012-04-09T11:22:55.036-04:00

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.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-2885177347266605422012-01-05T22:10:00.004-05:002012-04-08T20:50:48.006-04:00

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.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-61979492032097059242011-12-16T12:40:00.002-05:002012-04-08T20:55:06.162-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-31249486570818524382011-12-12T11:58:00.002-05:002011-12-12T12:01:17.634-05:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-64037383249260314492011-08-29T21:15:00.000-04:002011-08-29T21:16:53.669-04:00

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.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-84207762422668711562011-08-13T14:17:00.002-04:002011-08-13T14:21:59.365-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-82744054349936786922011-07-28T22:54:00.004-04:002011-07-28T23:06:48.809-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-89993017287579797422011-07-15T20:41:00.003-04:002011-07-15T21:04:31.772-04:00

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.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-56746924700857468092011-05-19T08:48:00.001-04:002011-05-19T10:51:39.789-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-30491621374561153392011-05-12T06:17:00.002-04:002011-05-19T10:52:47.624-04:00

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

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-41386273292475126172011-05-01T20:52:00.001-04:002011-05-01T20:54:41.916-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-65816921448607808512011-04-25T15:36:00.042-04:002023-07-19T16:56:27.265-04:00

So the washer and dryer that came with the house have seen a lot over the years, especially since the kids arrived in 2004 and 2006, including nearly burning down the house and flooding the basement. But the time finally arrived to replace them both. Based on recent experiences of fellow HVL parents, we went with a front-loading washer and a matching dryer (both Kenmore units — a 

T. Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08456765743893065023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-70969460745635823772011-03-24T21:01:00.000-04:002011-03-24T21:02:35.605-04:00

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.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-24805610775370042992010-08-12T13:26:00.002-04:002010-08-12T20:29:18.965-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-31591962310246465422010-08-05T20:28:00.002-04:002011-05-19T10:54:30.363-04:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5508584.post-46530357573828024602010-06-07T21:41:00.002-04:002010-06-07T21:47:37.582-04:00

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.com1