25 September 2010

The Olympics

Starting in the mid 1980's, my family has done the "Ertman Olympics."  In more recent years, the event has taken place over Labor Day weekend.  Various traditions have been added, such as wearing Groucho Marx glasses, but the general principles are goofy games with cheap, zany prizes.  This year we had a new game.  Some will know of it:  An otherwise sealed box has a hole cut into it, has a specified number of balls inserted inside (for us, it was six).  The box is then tied to the participant's waist and the player jumps and jiggles and wiggles to try and get as many balls out as possible within an allotted time (in our case 30 seconds).

The first video is a demonstration of how the game is done.  Please observe Dave's stellar technique.  This second video is the Pumpkin attempting it herself.  She insisted on playing and I give her huge kudos for her remarkable moves!

18 September 2010

Surrounded by Beauty

                                          Estranged from Beauty -- none can be --
                                          For Beauty is Infinity --
                                                             ~Emily Dickinson

16 September 2010

"I sit now!"

Yep.  It's been a while since I have posted again.  This time, however, I did manage to take some pictures during my hiatus.  But then when I uploaded them all to my computer I felt myself getting lightheaded realizing how many I had to go through and edit and then figure out which ones were "blog worthy" and which ones told a good story, etc.  So, I finally decided that I would create "mini posts" for a while.  I will simply put up a few pictures relating to only one theme.  Today's theme:  Veda Sitting.
She has been sitting very well for a few weeks now, but as it has been that long since I last wrote no one even knows that!  She loves this additional freedom, and she is very near to standing too.  Sylvia was never all that interested in standing (although, she did love to jump), but Lovebug will want nothing but to stand.  I will try and sit her down on the ground and she keeps those little legs of hers stick straight in protest.  I think it won't be long and she will have the strength and balance to keep herself in that position for stretches of time.  But one never knows with her.  She is our "full of surprises" baby.