Monday, June 30, 2008

Peony Garden

Here are some pictures we took of Lily in the Peony Garden in the Arb. There are hundreds of peony plants that all bloom at the same time each spring.

Friday, June 27, 2008

House, anyone??

OMFingG. We are never going to sell our house. It doesn't really help that our realtor is turning out to be an Incompetent. Wednesday afternoon, Lily was just settled down for a long summer's nap, and I was chillin' on the couch watching the lesbian show (don't ask) and in what do my wandering eyes do appear, but a realtor and couple with their baby walking up to the door. WTF!?? WTFingF!?? Apparently, Incompetent doesn't think that its important to pick up the phone and make me aware of the fact that people want to see our house. So I let them in, explain that no, my realtor didn't call and yes, my daughter is sleeping upstairs so they can't see her bedroom, and scurry onto the deck to give Incompetent a call. Voicemail, of course... "Umm hi. Its Katie. People just showed up at my house for a showing that I wasn't aware of. Call me back." (Read: You stupid Incompetent, you forgot to call us about the showing. I'm so glad you are potentially going to suck up any remaining bit of equity we have built in this house for doing such a suck job. Oh, and by the way...you SUCK) 20 minutes later, she calls back, gives 50 different excuses (Read: LIES) and thanks me for "Being so sweet about this!" Now, if you are reading this, you most likely know me personally, and undoubtedly know that I am anything but sweet. In fact, I don't think anyone has ever referred to me as sweet. Except maybe when Lily has wiped her cookie smeared hands on my face and then someone runs into my face with their tongue. Then maybe I can be categorized as sweet. Maybe. So, dear reader, what is the point, you ask? Well, if we don't sell our house then I can look forward to yet another school year filled with 60-90 minute commutes (ONE way), idiots crashing into one another, salt shortages, orange barrels, obnoxious morning show deejays, copious amounts of money spent on gas, and my personal favorite--sunshine delays on 696. So please, someone buy our house. Anyone.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Talking up a storm



Lily is in the midst of something called a language explosion. I like it much better than her earlier explosions, which I coined "Poopsplosions". Yes, language explosions are much nicer. Here is a partial list of her words, in no particular order:






  1. Sesa (always whispered, meaning Sesame Street)

  2. Papa (for Grandpa)

  3. Didu (Grammy is glad that she's no longer refering to her as DooDoo)

  4. Botch (Gretch)

  5. Bert (from Sesa)

  6. Abby (from Sesa)

  7. Bobby (Barney, the uber-annoying purple dinosaur)

  8. Nana (banana or Nana, depending on the context)

  9. Oh (Ota)

  10. Mommy (sometimes Mama, but lately Mommy)

  11. Dada (sometimes Daddy)

  12. Ami (Her doll Amelie)

  13. Ball

  14. Up

  15. Down

  16. Yes

  17. No

  18. Elp (Help)

  19. Apple

  20. Weee! (Swing or park)

  21. F,S,P,M,N,V,Z (the letters)

  22. In

  23. Out

  24. On

  25. Off

  26. Bus

  27. Me

  28. Lil-lil-lil (Lily)

  29. Baby

  30. Babies

  31. More

  32. Thump (Frosty the snowman-related)

  33. Block

  34. Cheese

  35. Ha-ha (Bunny)

  36. Neow (Kitty cat)

  37. A million other animal sounds

  38. Nose

  39. Mouth

  40. Ears

  41. Eyes

  42. Ni-ni shh shh (bed)

  43. Baff (bath)

  44. Hi

  45. Bye

  46. Books

  47. Oct-pus (Octopus)

  48. Lala (Princess)

  49. Ah-ah-ah (Evil queen)

  50. Ah ah ah, ah ah ah (Mermaid)
  51. Hot
  52. Wet
  53. Niiiiice (Lotion)
  54. Brush
  55. Beans



Yep, even when she says "no!" and runs away, I'll take language explosions over Poopspolsions any day.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Heeere we go!


Well, I thought since I have sooo much time on my hands this summer (at least according to my husband, who lives in a world of pure imagination) I thought I'd start a blog to serve as a stand-in for my memory, which has all but disappeared since birthing Lily. Its my hope that this blog will offer the reader philosophical musings, answers to questions previously unanswered by the human race, reasons to keep smiling in times of despair, and at the very least, updates about all things in the world of Ehmann (which, let's face it, is truly fascinating indeed!)
Why the title? Well, for those of you who don't know, Swinging on a Star is a song by Bing (no last name needed IMO). The lyrics pretty much sum up every parent's hopes and dreams for their child--live up to your potential, get educated, and be a person of good character. Its not very PC (but I don't really think PC was around in 1944, was it?), but it sure gets the point across!

Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?
A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule


Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a pig?
A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig


Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a fish?
A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook
He can't write his name or read a book
To fool the people is his only thought
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish
A new kind of jumped-up slippery fish


And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see it's all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin' on a star