Happy Birthday, Barbie!

Barbie is looking great at fifty, don't you think?

Long after my friends had "outgrown" her, I adored her. My friend Katie had an older sister. Together they had created quite a collection of Barbies, clothes, and accessories. When Katie decided she was too big to play with Barbies, I was overjoyed when she passed them along to me. It meant even MORE clothes and glamor!

Check out the history and fun facts about Barbie here.

Paparazzi in space

Whew! I'm relieved.

I'm a closet fan (well, not anymore) of Battlestar Galactica. Like many people, I was hugely perturbed in the first season to see they'd cast Starbuck as a female. (Fans of the original show know that Starbuck was definitely a male.) However, now that we're in the final season, the casting is beginning to make sense. I'm thinking the writers may have done it to be really obvious. After all, if she turns out to be a Cylon (read: MACHINE/arch enemy of humans), it would make a lot of people thwack their heads and say, "Duh, I should have seen that coming."

However, the most important thing to know today is that Max is not a fracking Cyclon. ("Frack" is a popular word on BG.) He is a human. How do I know this? My trusty iPhone has an application designed just for the purpose of identifying human and machine. One simply takes a photo and the app tells you whether the person is a human or not.

Now, that's a handy use of technology that everyone really needs, don't you think?

Happy Square Root Day!

This reason to celebrate only happens a few times in a century. 3-3-09 is today. 3 is the square root of 9. The last time it happened was 2-2-04. The next time will be 4-4-16.

Ah, the joy that is nerdom.

updated

It's been hectic trying to get settled in our new home and at the office. I've spent a while this morning updating the blog. I placed events in February where they belong, so don't be surprised if you see something new where you didn't before!

Paparazzi strikes again

It's been a while, but the photogs have snapped Max doing one of his new hobbies. My brother Brett has a knack for intercepting these pictures before they make it to the magazines you see at the grocery store.

Max's first daffodil

Uncle James and Aunt Martha gave Max his first flower. It's a good thing the daffodils growing outside the office were hardy; otherwise, it wouldn't have lasted for the pictures. Max really studied his new toy in all the ways a baby does...he mauled it, chewed it and beat it...and the flower still looked happy.
My mom encouraged Max to smell it. The flower fit nicely around his nose. Being a first time mother, I expressed concern about pollen and allergies.

This was the wrong thing to say in front of my aunt and uncle who promptly started teasing me.

They started offering Max the suckers we have in the office for customers. I said my little bit about how I don't want him having sugar until his first birthday. I was serious, of course. Everyone else just laughed.

Uncle James asked if I've fed him mashed potatoes or gravy.

No. He's only received jarred baby food--organic mostly.

He said, "Flour gravy has saved more lives than the Red Cross."

Well, who can argue with that?

Who says you can't get good stuff playing Dirty Santa?

Every year at Christmas, my family gets together for a lively game of Dirty Santa. Max is modeling part of my gift from this year's festivities. It's a hat and a vase. Versatility is key, right?

I think Max likes hats.