Friday, August 6, 2010
Happy Birthday tooooooo....Youuuuuuu!
Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband. I am so looking forward to sharing every other birthday together in this life.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Blue Genes
Craig and I have spent the last three years wondering how we ended up with two blue-eyed daughters. He half-jokingly calls them the pool boy's kids because his own eyes are as chocolate brown as they come.
I thought I had it all figured out from the two weeks we learned about genes in my college biology class. I learned back then that hazel and green are parts of the blue-eyed gene, so a person with hazel eyes(me) has a 13% chance to have a blue-eyed child if she gets it on with a blue-eyed carrier(Craig). Having TWO kids who were a 13% shot is, like compounding percents ...too much math for me. But I'd been thinking we should play the lottery with those odds.
So anyway, now it seems that the old beliefs about recessive blue-eyed genes are not altogether accurate. The recessive inheritance works the same way, but now there's some more juicy tidbits. I'll spare you a LOT of super-smart sounding, scientificy mumbo-jumbo about genomes and the blue-eyed gene, and just give you the interesting parts.
A gazillion years ago, everyone had brown eyes. Scientists discovered a genetic mutation that causes blue eyes, and that it came from one person a thousand years ago. And they now believe that people with blue eyes have a single common ancestor.
Also, get this, people with hazel eyes like me are just freaks in general, because they are a further mutation of the blue gene. Hazel eyes can't decide if they want to be brown or green so they shift around, helped by a genetic mutation that allows them to do so.
So...here is my conclusion. All three of my girls are mutants, and Christian and I are mutants to the 2nd power. The only normal gene pool around here is Craig.
He knew this all along, I bet.
I thought I had it all figured out from the two weeks we learned about genes in my college biology class. I learned back then that hazel and green are parts of the blue-eyed gene, so a person with hazel eyes(me) has a 13% chance to have a blue-eyed child if she gets it on with a blue-eyed carrier(Craig). Having TWO kids who were a 13% shot is, like compounding percents ...too much math for me. But I'd been thinking we should play the lottery with those odds.
So anyway, now it seems that the old beliefs about recessive blue-eyed genes are not altogether accurate. The recessive inheritance works the same way, but now there's some more juicy tidbits. I'll spare you a LOT of super-smart sounding, scientificy mumbo-jumbo about genomes and the blue-eyed gene, and just give you the interesting parts.
A gazillion years ago, everyone had brown eyes. Scientists discovered a genetic mutation that causes blue eyes, and that it came from one person a thousand years ago. And they now believe that people with blue eyes have a single common ancestor.
Also, get this, people with hazel eyes like me are just freaks in general, because they are a further mutation of the blue gene. Hazel eyes can't decide if they want to be brown or green so they shift around, helped by a genetic mutation that allows them to do so.
So...here is my conclusion. All three of my girls are mutants, and Christian and I are mutants to the 2nd power. The only normal gene pool around here is Craig.
He knew this all along, I bet.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Supermom
Today I went grocery shopping and Caitlyn came along for the ride. I know she's only two, but I enjoy her company a lot. Especially in the grocery store because she loves food, so it's easy to entertain her.
As we go up and down the aisles, she likes to "hold" all her favorite things in the cart with her. Today she had several things piled around her, with a pint of blueberries and huge bag of steamable broccoli front and center in her lap.
So anyway, there we were...walking around in the produce section while Caitlyn "reads" her packages,
"B-r-o-c-c-o-l-i. Dat's broccoyi! I YIKE dat broccoyi! B-l-u-e-b-e-r-r-i-e-s. Dat's byou-bewies. B and B!"
Then she she started counting all her packages as she dumped them in the back of the cart, and asked to go to aisle number 4.
I looked up from my shopping list to a crowd of people all staring at us with their mouths opened wide. Without pausing a beat I said, "Um...yeah. So dat broccoyi makes you pretty smart." and walked away laughing to aisle 4.
Those people looked at me as if Caitlyn was some kind of genius toddler and I was some kind of Supermom. Not really. I mean, Catie's great and all, and it DID make me proud that instead of all the junk she could have asked for, she chose two of the top 10 superfoods to hug to herself. But still...it was just some freak of the space-time continuum that those people happened to see her showing off everything she knew all at once.
I did walk away a little taller, though. Today's Supermom status might be temporary, but I'll take it. Way to represent, Catie!
As we go up and down the aisles, she likes to "hold" all her favorite things in the cart with her. Today she had several things piled around her, with a pint of blueberries and huge bag of steamable broccoli front and center in her lap.
So anyway, there we were...walking around in the produce section while Caitlyn "reads" her packages,
"B-r-o-c-c-o-l-i. Dat's broccoyi! I YIKE dat broccoyi! B-l-u-e-b-e-r-r-i-e-s. Dat's byou-bewies. B and B!"
Then she she started counting all her packages as she dumped them in the back of the cart, and asked to go to aisle number 4.
I looked up from my shopping list to a crowd of people all staring at us with their mouths opened wide. Without pausing a beat I said, "Um...yeah. So dat broccoyi makes you pretty smart." and walked away laughing to aisle 4.
Those people looked at me as if Caitlyn was some kind of genius toddler and I was some kind of Supermom. Not really. I mean, Catie's great and all, and it DID make me proud that instead of all the junk she could have asked for, she chose two of the top 10 superfoods to hug to herself. But still...it was just some freak of the space-time continuum that those people happened to see her showing off everything she knew all at once.
I did walk away a little taller, though. Today's Supermom status might be temporary, but I'll take it. Way to represent, Catie!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Best Ad Campaign Ever!
So. Damn. HILARIOUS!
Admit it...that was the best two-and-a-half minutes of your day! And there's more where that came from...
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sienna
Admit it...that was the best two-and-a-half minutes of your day! And there's more where that came from...
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sienna
Friday, July 23, 2010
American Girls
Next week while we're in New York we're going into the city and taking the girls to The American Girl's Place. I'm so excited! I've been reading the American Girls books for years. I came once before to the Manhattan store years ago when Jacque and I took a trip to New York City. It was so cool. I can't wait to show it to the girls.
I know they are still very young and don't know the difference. But regardless of whether either of them will "remember" going here years from now, I still think it's important for them to experience life's many joys.
I know a lot of people would argue that things like this are wasted on toddlers or preschoolers. Some people might think that it's a waste to spend time doing things like dressing up for Halloween, or going to Disneyland, or even going to the Zoo with toddlers. People would argue that they don't get it, and will not remember anyway.
I just think that every single thing you do with your child, from the monumental to the insignificant, has some kind of effect on who they grow up to be. I want my kids to grow up and not ever remember a time when we did NOT do these things. I want them to look back and see photo albums of themselves being a part of our family and a part of the world from the day they entered it. They are here on this planet, and deserve to really BE here.
So next week we are going to choose Bitty Babies and get photographed with them, and take them to tea. And yes, it's overpriced for what it is, but I don't care. My girls are going to have an awesome day and I will be there to remember it for them.
I know they are still very young and don't know the difference. But regardless of whether either of them will "remember" going here years from now, I still think it's important for them to experience life's many joys.
I know a lot of people would argue that things like this are wasted on toddlers or preschoolers. Some people might think that it's a waste to spend time doing things like dressing up for Halloween, or going to Disneyland, or even going to the Zoo with toddlers. People would argue that they don't get it, and will not remember anyway.
I just think that every single thing you do with your child, from the monumental to the insignificant, has some kind of effect on who they grow up to be. I want my kids to grow up and not ever remember a time when we did NOT do these things. I want them to look back and see photo albums of themselves being a part of our family and a part of the world from the day they entered it. They are here on this planet, and deserve to really BE here.
So next week we are going to choose Bitty Babies and get photographed with them, and take them to tea. And yes, it's overpriced for what it is, but I don't care. My girls are going to have an awesome day and I will be there to remember it for them.
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