Abby’s baptism
August 30, 2009
Dad Tate took most of these great pictures. I'm forwarding them in place of the normal weekly update. We had a fantastic weekend and it was a delight to have Mom and Dad Jones, Mom and Dad Tate, uncles Andrew and Jonathan and Jonathan's wife Diane and Baby Matthew all here. We only wish it could have been longer.
Abby turned 8.
August 25, 2009
- Lily spent a couple of days trying out underwear,
- Elsie got to play with her friend Julia,
- Timmy likes his 1st grade class even though it's much more structured than kindergarten,
- Abby had a beautiful American Girl birthday party and had baptismal interviews at the same time,
- Kate ended up in a different class from her two best friends,
- Gina worked hard to make that American Girl party happen, and
- I got to read through an amazing dissertation by Louis de Broglie.
The week of the scary hair stylist and the nice dentist
August 16, 2009
- Lily got some scissors, cut some of her own hair, and then chased down Elsie and Timmy and actually managed to get a bit of Elsie's hair and also knicked her ear.
- Elsie chose "plain" for her flavor of toothpaste at the dentist (foregoing mint, bubblegum, cookie dough, raspberry, etc.).
- Timmy managed to arrange to have his flosser, a toothbrush, and sucker all be orange.
- Abby revealed that she had raided every closet in the home for hangers because she had decided that all of her clothes needed to be hung up (this explained the hangar accounting problem that Gina and I had been having).
- Kate cried one day about going back to school and the chattered excitedly for the next few about the same thing,
- Gina wondered if she needed to shave her legs (she didn't) when Lily said "Mommy, I want to brush your hair" and then came and brushed Gina's leg.
- I kept taking being distracted from different tasks until I had read through "The Far Side Gallery 2."
Bradshaw 6.0
August 10, 2009
Things have been too calm around here; probably, the weekly updates are getting boring; life's been too easy; Timmy's been wanting a little company. So, we're pleased to announce,
- Gina's expecting.
- The due date is December 25th (exactly 4.5 months from now).
- We had the second ultrasound today and found out that
- It's a boy!
Only one week left of summer vacation
August 9, 2009
- While we were leaving the soccer field near our home, Lily was squatting and digging. Gina asked her to come and she explained, "No. I'm digging for potatoes."
- Elsie almost beat her older brother and sisters in a footrace,
- Timmy wondered if there were any "physig" jobs in Utah,
- Abby went off the slide into the pool about 37 times one day,
- Kate prayed so quietly at the end of primary that nobody could hear her,
- Gina's been wearing some new cute outfits, and
- I'm excited for tomorrow. (I'll write more then.)
Why aren’t there razors that stay sharp?
August 3, 2009
So 100 years ago, razors had to be sharpened pretty much every time you shaved. Then Gillette started selling razors with disposable blades. That was over 100 years ago and we’re still buying disposable blades!
So my question is this: why can’t we make razors that are sharp and stay that way, that never have to be sharpened and that never have to be replaced? Obsidian, anyone? Diamond crystal?
Fun for every age
August 2, 2009
- Lily found the last mud puddle in our back yard, covered her hands and feet and diaper, and then came into the house. (Oddly, there was no trace left on the carpet)
- Elsie got on top of Timmy and repeated over and over again in her most commanding voice "You say sorry!"
- Timmy saw green fire,
- Abby read through "Asterix and the Goths,"
- Kate read through "Calvin and Hobbes,"
- Gina got us and her brother Sam out to a beautiful camping spot about 20 miles out of town and then had us hike to a 30 foot waterfall,
- I realized how much I'm enjoying work and that I'll be sad to move on to the next challenge, and
- Sam taught me a bit about fusion and convinced me that catalysis rather than containment is the way to go.
Visitors!
July 26, 2009
- Lily barrelled past Gina and the kids on the side walk exclaiming "get out of the way!"
- When Gina tried to explain to Elsie why she should not have told Grandma Gordon that she was "going to be the first one to Heaven," Elsie replied with a vehement "but you're getting old too! You'll die soon too!"
- Timmy learned how to dive down into the pool water to retrieve a diving rocket,
- Abby added red pieces of paper under several plates to set off their color and arranged pieces and table settings for symmetry and color offset,
- Kate, after locking herself in the toy room because she was nervous about performing in a little recital for Dad, Gigi, and Grandma allowed herself be coaxed to play and then decided to play several pieces,
- Gina had a bit of a break while Dad, Gigi, and Grandma entertained the kids,
- I worked with a prospective advisor on Tuesday and Wednesday until we completed an application for post-doctoral fellowship.
- Gigi had to be careful where she sat because the seat next to her was such a hot commodity,
- Dad scared Lily by approaching her underwater like a giant shark, and
- Grandma Gordon let Kate hold her hand for most of the time that we walked around Los Alamos.
No! It’s blue!
July 19, 2009
- When Timmy noted that Lily's face was read (she had just woken up), Lily angrily retorted "No! It's blue!"
- Elsie spent many minutes feeding me extravagant but imaginary meals,
- Timmy has been getting behind a window fan and singing in a loud fan voice,
- Abby made all the kids lime sherbet milkshakes,
- Kate fell off the tramp and dented the metallic shed near it,
- Gina ordered 24 feet of sandwich for a lunch in Albuquerque, and
- Between swimming, walking and sitting in this mountain sun I got a nice sun burn.
- Lily began saying "No way, Father!",
- Elsie swallowed a few cups of water while learning how to swim; she also spent a lot of time as the Bubble Gum lady, who hands out bubblegum and cooked meat to good kids,
- Timmy, after hearing that hand sanitizer had moisturizer, showed Gina that his eyes were moist,
- Abby sewed two strawberry pin cushions and a patchwork pillow,
- Kate's been jumping on the trampoline with Timmy and Elsie while changing into Cocoa and different Indians from different tribes,
- Gina replaced the screen of our front screen door, and
- I spent time last night on the Internet trying to learn how to replace a broken ignition lock.
