Blue Flower

Well, I sent the Dinosaur to school this morning with some homemade cupcakes. She's so excited about Halloween. Dawn and I are going to take her and Jacob trick-or-treating tonight, so I'll have lots of pics for you tomorrow!

Marc, dearest brother, this link is for you. Enjoy.

Convinced that the President's bent on a war with Iraq is due to his never playing a video game, ever, Mikel Reparaz has launched a Buy Bush a Playstation campaign.

Okay, there are now new pictures available in the family section. Enjoy!

In Finland, Seven-Year-Olds Have Cell Phones
In a country where 92 percent of households have at least one cell phone, it isn't too surprising that many children as young as seven or eight have their own phones. Decorated with covers featuring cartoon characters and personal logos on the screens, the phones have become important to both the kids and their parents. Finland has strict rules on marketing to children. Most efforts are directed to parents, who see the devices as convenient tools for coordinating activities and checking that their children are safe. Schools are having to create policies for how cell phones can be used during class. The rules include - no texting, no games, no music and no calls during class - and the phones have to be stored out of sight. In Finland, one observer said, having a cell phone is as common as having a watch or a set of house keys. Thanks for the tip, Kathy!

New York Tells Microsoft to Get It's Butterfly Decals Out of Town (via slashdot)

Quote from same slashdot entry: Latent IT writes "I wish I had a link to submit with this, but strange things are afoot in New York City. At 61st and Broadway, 30-40 guys and gals in butterfly suits colored in the Microsoft colors, and carrying MSN banners just rollerbladed by, screaming at the top of their lungs down the middle of Broadway. Interestingly enough, this took them right near the under construction AOL Time Warner building. It seemed worth jotting down, but they were literally gone and down the street before I could reach my digital camera. (Place all bug on windshield jokes here.)" I'm guessing that this is the suit that he's talking about. Ugh. There goes my appetite for lunch.

Our host is having a problem with the ASP application and since most of our pages are asp, our pages aren't showing. I'm in the process of correcting this so please keep checking back. Thank you.

If you're looking for links to news in what's happening in the world today, I'm sorry I've been lacking in that department for a few days. But, there are more important things:

Kirsten was a wealth of hilarity last night, beginning with our trip home. We had planned to go out to eat, and I asked her if that sounded good. She said yes, and then she said—or at least it sounded like she said—"Where are we going to eat." I replied that we were going to eat at Sonny's. She (sounded like she) said, "No, where are we going to eat." Now, she must have been meaning to say something else, because we went back and forth several times. Finally, exasperated, I said, "Kirsten, it sounds like your asking where we're going to eat and I'm telling you we're going to eat at Sonny's." To which she replied, "I KNOW what I said, and I said, where are we going to eat!" I never did figure out what she wanted to know, because I broke out laughing after that comment. She joined in. He...

Then as we were getting ready to leave, I asked her to change shirts. The one she had on was spattered with lunch, and I figured she should have a clean canvas for the dinner spatterings. She brought a new shirt into our bedroom and said to Stan, "Papa, put this on." To which Stan replied, "I don't think it will fit me, baby." You should have seen the look on her face.

Last, but certainly not least, was the lecture I received on the way home. I can't remember exactly what the conversation was, but it ended in Kirsten telling me that I wasn't her friend, and that she wasn't going to give me any candy. I replied that I didn't care.
Kirsten: Mommy, give me alone. (translation, leave me alone.)
Mommy: Why don't you leave _me_ alone.
Kirsten: You're not being a have. (that's pronounced hAv, as in behave.)
So, I'm not being a have. Look out, Kirsten's watching. You should all make sure to be a have.

Jacob had his 4-month well-baby visit this morning. The stats? He's 14lbs and 12oz, and 25" long. The doc was very happy with his growth. And get this, she TOLD me to start him on cereal, veggies, and fruit. I didn't say, "Well, I already did last week." But I was impressed that she said that. Other doctors in the same practice have told me to wait until he's 6 months old.

I've been neglecting the news lately, so: via Slashdot, read Your Mama was a pig.

This weekend I was in Kirsten's room helping her pick up her toys. She came across a little bracelet that she calls her watch and she put it on her arm. I asked her what time it was. She glanced at the watch and said, "The time is now." Wow, she's right.

Later the same day found Kirsten circulating from person to person—a coloring book in one hand, a crayon poised over the coloring book in the other hand—asking each person what they wanted to eat. We went through about 4 courses and as many pieces of Tupperware each before she was convinced that we were indeed full. I wonder if we eat out too much? "Mommy, what do you want?" "I'll have a big plate of nachos." "Good, we have nachos!" He he...