incidents and accidents, hints and allegations

The Pip rediscovered his camera today (the kids both have real ones, though old, because made-for-kids cameras are terrible) and took 241 pictures, mostly at the fire station for a Girl Scouts tour [*], three of which I thought I'd share, plus one I took.

[*] Without SteelyKid, perversely, because I assist with Girl Scouts and Chad assists with Odyssey of the Mind, which had its first meeting today, so they both needed to be at that, and so the Pip needed to be at one of those, and was much better off rampaging the fire station than sitting at a meeting.

First, a pair of portraits of me: one I took because, for some reason I was never entirely clear on, a social media circle elsewhere was doing selfies in hoodies. As I said then, I don't wear hoodies, but I stopped to take this before I headed out into the rain. I rather like the severity of it and the slightly mysterious air the raincoat's hood provides:

( hooded figure selfie )

Next is the one the Pip took today, because it's nice to be reminded of his literal POV (lots of pictures of my belly in the full set) and because it demonstrates his breathtaking lack of personal space. Also, my hair is very shiny in this.

( portrait in extreme closeup )

And while we're doing selfies, the Pip's first attempt, which is extremely blurry because it's an old camera and thus doesn't have a flip screen, but amused me:

( super blurry Pip )

Finally, one arty picture worthy of his dad, a fire truck's shiny hubcap (also a portrait of us):

( selfie in hubcap )

(Probably you want actual pictures of the Pip, too, and Chad's got you covered: leaping into a leaf pile, leaning over a book that SteelyKid is reading him, with said book on his birthday, and sitting in the driver's seat (SteelyKid too). Also, SteelyKid in her taekwondo sparring gear, because I found it while looking for the rest of these.)

And he barely objected to taking his amoxycillin (he got strep a week and a day after his sister), so on the whole, a good night.

Behind the cut, two pictures of me with my new glasses and, more importantly to most, SteelyKid:

( two images )

Every time I pick SteelyKid up, or dress her in her nine-month outfits, I marvel at how big she's getting.

And then I see Chad holding her—

( picture )

—and I marvel at how tiny she is.

Like the subject says.

( bonus zoom on hands )

A cropped, but otherwise unaltered, picture of me now, wearing the latest in accesories:

In the mirror in our entryway, trying out a sling for SteelyKid. Hair's longer than I'd like, glasses are the previous version (current version got twisted when they were awkwardly packed in the hospital, and then I popped the screw trying to un-twist them, and I haven't had the opportunity to get them repaired yet), but at least I showered today.

I'm still not sure about the sling—the angle SteelyKid's head is at doesn't look comfortable, but my torso is narrow and there doesn't seem to be any other way—but she was falling asleep in it when I took the picture:

( sleepy scrunched-up baby )

and protested when I tried to take her out of it. Since she's been colicky (oh, the joys of discovering yet another food that probably causes her pain!), and is now sound asleep, I'll risk it for a little while longer.

Comments on babies in slings (note the specificity) are welcome. Other advice is not.

Upon hearing that I was going to take her upstairs and feed her, SteelyKid said, "Exh-cellent, my plan to dominate Chateau Steelypips is working!"

We have added "Evil Genius Baby" to our ever-growing list of nicknames for her (ActualBaby, SteelyKid, the Empress of Eastern New York (suggested by a commenter at Chad's, in light of Emmy's status as the Queen of Niskayuna) . . . ).

Our home renovation project is now done, done, done. The contractor installed the cabinet doors yesterday (sooner than we expected) and did a last little thing outside today. I should probably have waited for daylight, but I couldn't resist taking pictures tonight once I'd finished (some of) the other things I needed to do:

( Pictures! )

I've finished the first of the cross-stitch projects I'm making for FutureBaby! Of course I picked "Butterflies" to do first because it looked the simplest, but it still went surprisingly fast (just a little over two weeks). And I'd forgotten how addictive crafts can be—look! My fingers producing tangible colorful designs right before my very eyes!

(The finished version is even cuter than that picture, which is a little over-exposed or something, if I do say so myself.)

Now I will let it rest for a couple of days while I, err, hurry up and finish kicking a recalcitrant brief into submission, then I'll look for visible errors, wash it, press it, and tuck it away to be framed once I'm done with the other two. At this rate I may even be able to do that dragon alphabet—have to see how my energy holds up, but really, cross-stitch is great for when I don't feel like I have the brain cells to read or write . . .

I am so ridiculously excited about this.

While I'm posting, have a mixed-bag links dump, because they've been accumulating:

( baker's dozen of links )

ETA: one more link: pregnancy mug shots. (ETA 2: pre-emptive comment: I am wicked tired of people discussing the size of my stomach, so please just assume I've heard it if you're moved to say something in that vein.)

An extreme miscellany this time: tigers, lemurs, Amazonia exhibit, wolves, and a beaver.

( 15 pictures )

Some big mammals, and a bunch from the small mammal house.

( 23 pictures )

I've pulled out 32 pictures from our visit to the Freer and Sackler Galleries in DC, almost all Asian art, and posted them in this gallery or behind the cut, whichever method of browsing you prefer.

For almost all of these, I took pictures of the labels and so have more information; if you're curious, just ask.

( 32 pictures )

Zoo pictures next.