Stingy Jack and the Attack of the Tongue

So this is kind of an over-all, catch you all up on what's been going on post. It's been a while, I realize, but we thought we'd have our own internet by yesterday and come to find out the phone jacks in our apartment are smaller than phone jacks ON THE REST OF THE CONTINENT! So we have to go to an AT&T store or a Radioshack and buy another ethernet cord that will fit our special phone jacks. I feel like I'm so much better than everyone else. I'm so happy I have small phone jacks! It really sets me and my phone company apart from the rest of society.

Anyway, on a far less interesting note, some pictures of how my darling husband watches and cares for our sweet daughter:

Mmmmm...clementines.

Mum, these are good.

Oh, uh, let's see...I don't know if I can really remember, but, OH! I think it was Dad who put me up on a small counter next to an electric appliance, pressurized oil, and an open outlet. Yeah, that seems right.

We went to the park the other day. Madie still loves the swings. She could sit in one of those all day and have me push her back and forth. She loves it even more if there's a kid in a swing next to her. She loves to watch them!

She also likes leaves and flowers. Mike picks them off things and hands them to her when we go on walks. She never eats them. She just wants to hold on to them.

The Tongue.

On Monday night, after we stuck the wee one in bed, we had some friends over to carve pumpkins. It was a lot of fun! Even though it took me forever to figure out what I was going to carve.

Getting started on the piece de resistance.

The wolf is Kevin's and behind it is Shain's. (Sorry this is the best pic I could find of them. But it wasn't me...)

Mike's puking pumpkin. We saw this a few years ago and every time it makes Mike laugh. My visiting teachers thought it was great on the front porch.

I carved a white pumpkin. They were selling them at Trader Joe's for a great price on Monday morning and I just couldn't pass them up! This is just one part of the carving. The rest of it says, "O, October morning mild."

Anyone want to guess the poem and author? (I did leave out one word to the opening line just to make things easier.) This is one of my favorite poems; I even memorized it for a class I took focusing on the author. Here's the catch though! No typing it into a search engine and then claiming the knowledge. You can look it up, by all means, but let another person guess. It's more fun that way. "Obviously we all know each other very well. I think we'll all feel comfortable within the confines of the honor system."

We didn't get pictures of our neighbor's pumpkins (again, I was not the picture-taker that night) so maybe I'll get them one of these days on the porch.

Did you know Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland where they carved them out of turnips? They were to ward off evil spirits and help guide the spirits of loved ones. It's based on a story about a man who sold his soul to the devil for a pint--obviously Irish, right?--but when the devil turned himself into a sixpence he placed it in his pocket next to a cross, which kept the devil from turning back. ... Okay it's kind of a long story for this blog, so we'll jump to the end: Jack wasn't allowed into heaven yet the Devil had no power to take him into Hell and so Jack wanders in search of Earth with a burning coal from Hell in a hollowed out turnip. The Irish started using pumpkins when they came to America because they were cheaper.

This scene looks like something from a Tim Burton movie. Actually it's the backyard of a house we pass on our way to the park. Aren't these things HUGE?! And so weirdly shaped!

Other than that, Mike has been working on the bike. I have a really nice Diamondback mountain bike that he takes to work. The poor thing has spent a wet summer in Maine outside and then a snowy winter in Idaho outside. (They weren't allowed inside, so I had no choice!) It needs a major tuneup, starting with the chain. After a few let-downs he finally got it fixed and replaced a tire. He said the next morning was the smoothest ride of his life. He loves being able to bike to work. The next project is finishing the coffee table. The goal is to have that done this weekend. YAY! I can't wait 'til we can have it back--it's not very big, but it's a lot better than the little ottoman we're using as a table right now!