friend kidly

I know that the dead of summer seems to be an odd time to be knitting but I actually find that those super hot afternoons when we’re hunkered down in the air conditioning and baby girl is napping an ideal time. It’s nice to knit and think about cold autumn days and snowy winter treks when one is able to wear a nice coat and scarf. Unfortunately for me I live in a climate where we barely have winter days cold enough for a coat, let alone a scarf. I really miss living with four seasons and even though they were severe right about the time you thought you couldn’t take it anymore a new and beautiful season began. So, in honor of the changing seasons and to welcome autumn (my favorite), I’ve decided to knit Charlotte a baby scarf out of my last skien of this great shade of green. The pattern is scaled down from an adult one and I like the way it’s turning out.

Well, my folks do have a place in the mountains so at least there is a chance that she’ll get to use it.

…or lack there of in this case.

Early this year former border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were imprisoned after being wrongfully convicted of violating federal gun laws and covering up the shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler. Ramos and Compean were two of 9 agents present at the scene of the shooting, three of those agents were given immunity in order to testify against them. They were sentenced to 11 and 12 years respectively, which for Compean means leaving behind a wife and three young children. Because this was a federal case they will spend their time in Federal prison which is nowhere near their families…Compean won’t see his kids grow up. This case has been highly publicized and rightly so. Members of both political parties have called for Bush to commute the sentence of both former agents but nothing as of late has happened.

One of the most sickening aspects of this story relates to the drug smuggling “victim” who was shot in the buttocks during the altercation but was well enough to escape back to Mexico with 743 pounds of marijuana. He was given immunity and border crossing passes in order to receive free U.S . medical care and to attend the trial. During which time he was arrested for drug smuggling while using one of these passes.

Sadly, even if their sentence is commuted, these two men whose vocation was to protect our borders will not come out of this unscathed. Agent Ramos had to be transferred after spending 6 months in a prison where he was severely beaten by illegal aliens and the families of both men have had to live with threats from those believed to be associated with the drug smuggler. Anyway, their are a lot of sad details left out of this short post so if you would like to read more you should check out freeborderagents.com , ramos-compean.blogspot.com or search under the agents names for related news articles and court transcripts.

Within the past three weeks, Charlotte’s first two teeth have made an appearance. She now has her two bottom middle incisors…and boy don’t I know it. I am in the process of teaching Charlotte not to bite while nursing and I actually think she understands. Well, at least I haven’t been bit in the last 48 hours.

It’s hard not to overreact when someone chomps on one of the most sensitive spots on your body. The first time it happened I think I startled her with my cry of pain. Since then I’ve learned to look for signs that she’s about to chomp so I’m not taken by surprise and am therefore able to react appropriately. When she does bite I just bring her head into my breast which forces her to open her mouth for a breath all the while saying “don’t bite mommy”. I find that if I tell her this before letting her nurse it also reminds her that she’s not to bite or else she’ll get an uncomfortable face plant in my breast. Maybe she’ll get a nice break before those next teeth start twisting their way through.

Charlotte received a package today consisting of some colorful wood blocks and a fabric stacking toy both by Haba. Husband came home and saw all of the pieces scattered about and said, “So it begins.” Now that she’s mobile it’s fun to spread the toys out and let her decide what she would like to play with. We do have to watch her closely around the wood blocks because she still lunges and flip flops without concern for what surrounds her. She really seems to enjoy the fabric stacking toy because each part is a different color, texture and makes a unique sound. Oh, and it helps that the pieces stick together with velcro because she seriously digs the sound of velcro being separated.

After the latest mass recall of Fisher Price toys due to the amount of lead in the paint, Haba toys are a breath of fresh air…literally. Look around their website and you will find a statement on the importance of being naturally and environmentally conscious. Haba produces a toy with the developing child in mind but at the same time remains good stewards of this earth by keeping waste to a minimum and closely monitoring their economic impact. I like that.

…or gray, if you prefer. So, it’s pretty obvious that I am prematurely graying (see also pic from B is for Butchered). If you’ve ever wondered from which side the gray hair gene is passed, I can with confidence tell you it is the mother’s. My beautiful mother saw her hair starting to turn in her early twenties and I in my teens. Like my mother, I colored my hair for years. My reasoning was not to cover the gray but more because I liked changing my hair color whenever I desired. Around 2003, at the age of 24, I decided to chop my hair off and no longer color it. I have since been au naturale and have received varying comments. I am often times amazed at how many people feel comfortable asking me whether or not my hair is “natural” and am flattered that most of the times it is well received. I can vividly recall a time on the subway when I was annoyed with everyone crammed around me and my hair acted as a conversation starter with one of the passengers next to me. This small talk on the train helped to re-humanize those I shared a commute with and let me realize that my annoyance was a waste of energy. I guess this is one of the ways God has given me to connect with others during this time on earth.

While living in Brookline, MA, husband and I were lucky enough to see two games at Fenway Park. The company I worked for at the time had four season tickets and raffled them off each season. Most people are lucky if they get to see one game at this historic park because of the cost due to demand for seats. The pictures here are from a 2004 game against our hometown team the then Anaheim Angels.

This was the Red Sox year since they went on to the playoffs as a wild card team then went all the way to win the world series. Needless to say, unless you don’t follow baseball at all, this was a huge deal. A historic year to have visited the park and we were even more fortunate to live only a few blocks from the ball park at the time. I heartily recommend that if you ever find yourself in Boston during baseball season try your darnedest to catch a game. Or, if nothing else, at least pay a visit to beautiful, historic Fenway Park.

Exorbitant=$13 beef jerky.

We made a nice trip to our local farmer’s market last night, had some good junk food, people watched, bought some fresh baked bread and then got swindled into buying a 1/2 lb. bag of jerky for $13. It’s just not right, they give away free samples to get you hooked than they charge an exorbitant price if you actually want to take some home. Really it’s our fault for not asking how much the stuff cost before saying we’d take it. But, we’ve all been there, right? You assume something will be reasonable in price only to find out how much it is after you’ve agreed to buy it and by that time you feel to deep into the transaction to say anything. Instead, you bight the bullet, pay for the goods and walk away kicking yourself. Live and learn is right.

BTW, we tore into the jerky on the way home and it is really good.

The 60 Minute IPA from the above mentioned brewery is easily my favorite domestic beer. Unfortunately for us, it is currently unavailable in CA. We were introduced to this beer while living in Boston by a good friend of mine who hales from the same state as the beer, Delaware. That’s right, Delaware does have some noteworthy features. I would constantly tease my friend about being raised in such a seemingly inane state where the residents either claim Philadelphia or the Jersey shore as a stomping ground. Of course he would defend his home state of Delawherever and turns out that I owed him a big touché upon my first taste of this wonderful beer. If anyone reading this happens to be from Delaware I jest and I know that it truly is an important state historically. For those who love a rich, hoppy beer and are lucky enough to live in an area where this fine brew is available I highly suggest giving it a whirl. And, if you’re brave, also check out the 90 Minute IPA.

I now love Delaware and hope to someday visit it (i.e. the Dogfish Head brewery).

One of my most favorite things about being a mother is sharing sleep with my little one. I love being able to comfort, caress and feed Charlotte throughout the night and just because the sun goes down doesn’t mean I stop mothering. Sleeping next to my baby feels natural and right, all of the associated scientific benefits of co-sleeping for both mom and baby are just a plus. With the appearance of Charlotte’s first tooth and her creeping all over our living room rug I am realizing more and more how precious and fleeting these early years are. I won’t be able to sleep this close to her forever so I better enjoy it while I can.

I was tired of my hair getting in my face and baby girl using it as reins so I chopped it off. I’ll have husband go in and even out the back. But, regardless of how it looks, I feel a whole lot better and saved a bunch of money avoiding a trip to the salon