Pool Time

Here's a couple of vid's of M in the pool yesterday. Her canonball is still more of a belly flop which all spectators find amusing and slightly painful to watch. She can swim all the way to the deep end now without help! We've had thunderstorms every day for 4 days now with last night bringing a spectacular lightening storm that lit up the sky like daylight for nearly an hour. So, we've had to get our "loop" time in earlier in the day before they strike. 

You know you love me

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Footloose and Floatie Free

Happy day-after Father's Day to all the fathers out there, especially the father of D-Addy. Too cute! We had a great weekend visiting with Mommy H and Pap. Pap brought N down a fishing pole and a filled tackle box as his F-Day gift. They tested out the pole today at a tidal inlet and caught 2 baby sharks and 2 small unidentifiable fish. All were tossed back, but what a blast. M completely enjoyed her grandparents and spent time each day in the pool with Mommy H. She really had the full mermaid moves in effect, as on Thursday I had decided that 4 and 1/4 was too old to not be putting her face underwater. So without fanfare I grabbed M, bobbed up and down with her in the pool while counting 1-2-3 and then dunked her. Best thing I ever did! She immediately took off the floaties and has hardly put them on since. Now she doggy paddles, back floats, and definitely puts her face underwater (purposely and not.) Here is a scene from the pool now:

M: Hey Mom, look. I can put my face underwater.

Me: Awesome!

M: Look, Mom. Hey, Mom. I can put my face underwater.

Me: Wow! Your such a big girl.

M: Watch me Mom, watch me. I can swim without my floaties!

Me: Mm-hmmm

M: Watch me Mom, look. Watch Me. I'm a big girl, I swim without my floaties, and I put my face underwater.

Me: W-O-W

And on and on. She just needs to get down that talking while her head is barely above surface leads to water intake, and drowning. My favorite was the second day when she was in the 4' and her head quit bobbing above the water. Norm responded with the reflexes of an ex-lifegaurd and pulled her up for air quickly. She hardly took a breath before saying, "I put my face underwater!" Such a proud little mermaid.

G's First Published Fiction

Hey ya'll,

This is the story  I wrote that was published in C.O.D's literary magazine. Once on the page, look to the left hand menu and click on Ruby's Gift. Enjoy.

P.S. "Excuse me, there's two n's at the end of my name." Translation: It's Ga-linda, with an uhhh.

Track that book

I just heard about a great new website/game called Book Crossing. After you join online you can register your books by ISBN and release them into the wild at coffees hops, surf shops, park benches, etc. Then, when someone picks up and reads (or not) your book, they go the website and go to that specific books journal entry page to record where it is, where they found it, what they thought. It's like Where's George, but sooo much cooler. Books change lives. My username is gwendyland, come check me out later when I have time to spruce up my book reviews.

Martha Madness

So, we have yet to get cable T.V. service (but don't mess with my internet, ya'll) so I have had oodles of time to catch up on all the ABC network season finales that I missed. 

Spoiler alert if you are even more behind than I was!!

How awesome was the Desperate Housewives ending??!! My especially favorite part is where Brie turns into the Martha Stewart we all know she should be. Ahhhh. To have my heroine invade your lives every Sunday next fall as the screen version of Ms. Stewart is so satisfying. On a sadder note, only one box of books did not survive the cross country mailing. It contained my wedding planner, my homebirth notebook-with all ultrasound photos:( my recipe book from Omy (sis #1) and my Martha Stewart Handbook. How do I know this, you ask? I got a phone call while we were still home hunting in S.C from a guy who lives in Texas and received my wedding planner in the mail instead of his brother's package to him. I guess a mail truck from SoCal (that guy's brother lives in La Jolla) damaged a bunch of packages, because all they could make out of the wreckage was my wedding planner matched to his name?? He said he would mail it to me, but I haven't seen it yet. The other items from that box are lost to the wind and/or government warehouses. Au revoir, and you all enjoy the new redheaded version of Martha on your T.V.'s next fall.

Swiffer Lust

I am so currently in love with my SwifferVac (Thanks Gram!) It vacuums. It Swiffers. There is no cat hair too wispy or food bit too large. Macaroni, I fear you no more. Mighty Zeus, the commercials were right! Cordless, sleek, and unassuming...Swiffer, you have my heart.

Look, it's so easy even boys can use it. Baby boys.