the latest

I can't seem to get it together to post or respond to e-mail lately. Or bathe, but I suppose that's a separate issue.

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Ollie's teachers told me they almost called me a couple days ago because he kept getting into so much trouble. They said at least he makes a characteristic hissing noise before he clobbers the other babies. It was noted that a call home for misbehavior is not usually warranted for one-year-olds. They were mostly laughing, I think. Today he hurled big wooden hunks of fake food at his baby cousin for playing with his toys. I think I'm going to start picking on him, or something. Oh, wait ("a doll, a doll...")

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We're almost done with Dylan's room, which is going to be most excellent. Since it's looking like we're going to stick around this house for a few more years we're looking at it in a whole new light. We're starting with sprucing up both kids' rooms and getting a whole bunch of boring medium-big things like mattresses (most opaque consumer purchase ever, per consumer reports) and light fixtures and a new toilet. We're toying with finishing the basement, but may not have the collective stomach for it. I want to paint a bunch more rooms but Aaron has suggested that further painting projects be put on hold pending appropriate ventilation opportunities (= warmer than 19 degrees out).

There's a house down the road that seems PERFECT for us and continues to taunt us, but we keep going over things and it does seem like staying put for now is the right decision.

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I've started working through the first set of Bob books with Dylan. She just seemed all of a sudden like she was really ready to pick up reading. It has been so cool. We've been doing one every couple days for the past few weeks and it's helped her put everything together. By everything I mean: three letter words with short vowel sounds, except "e" because I guess that comes later.

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Snuffy and I ventured out into the snowstorm yesterday and covered 3.5 miles on cross country skis (me) or paws (Snuff. obviously) in like an hour and a half. Perhaps the DRIVING WINDS and RAGING SNOWSTORM could have been incorporated more thoroughly into the day's agenda? Maybe next time? Self?

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Mat sat on the fat cat and the big pig but not the sad rat.

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Rank lists were due this week. That is all.