Presidential Cabinets

David has some issues with our kitchen. It has more than twice the amount of cabinets and drawers that our kitchen in Palo Alto had.  He claims not to understand when I tell him where something goes. If I say "it goes in the left corner cabinet" he things there are just TOO many cabinets where that description could apply. 

So one day he takes some of my post-it notes and labels each and every cabinet and drawer in order of the US presidents. Starting with Washington.  He calls them the Presidential Cabinets. David is enamored with puns. (obviously).  

These new labels have their own difficulties. First of all, I don't remember which president goes with which cabinet. And the labels are too small so I have to lean forward and squint (since I never wear glasses in the kitchen).

Clearly our camera is not good at closeups. But if you squint you can sort of read the labels.

The "Grant" cabinet

The "Johnson" cabinet

etc, etc. There are 20 cabinets/drawers total, labeled in sequential order going from left to right around the kitchen. Just FYI, silverware is in Madison.

still empty...

DH likes to look inside the car seat cover when he gets home each day. I've been meaning to put something in it for a joke, but keep forgetting. Meanwhile...

It is still empty!

More side views with the standard control group

This is a continuation of this post: http://laurahasathought.blogspot.com/2011/09/pregnant-side-view-control-group.html
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34 weeks and 4 days along. (11/12/2011)

We forgot to take a control picture of DH, so here we are the next day:

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34 weeks and 5 days along. (11/13/2011)

Notice how DH remains in control. And how happy he is about it:)

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37 weeks and 4 days along. (12/03/2011)

This style of skirt should look familiar! Its all I wear...

In control and SO excited about it...

DH and his bro, looking a touch lopsided.

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38 weeks and 5 days along. (12/11/2011)
Note the slant at the bottom of the dress. This is what happens when you pretend your dress is maternity...

 Still in control...but not QUITE as thrilled about it...

the mustache: a thing of mystery

Once upon a time David tried to grow a mustache. It was very short lived. It died at the end of September 2010. The mustache was a bit sparse, to say the least, and grew very slowly. I hated it. So did he. He grew it for 4 or 5 weeks. The last couple weeks of growth occurred while I was in Seattle and so I arrived home to find this:

He looks like a deadbeat in the 2nd photo, which somehow seems appropriate. We cherish these photos, because DH probably won't ever have another mustache:)

I posted this video on my blog over a year ago, thanks to my friend Rachel. But it still rocks and should be revisited. I asked DH to contribute his own thoughts on what it is to have a mustache (so he can be cool like the dudes in the video). It goes like this--DH: "having a mustache is like ah.. driving a Ferrari. Um..its less comfortable than you would think"

Apparently Indian police officers get paid more if they have a mustache. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3392809.stm

The end.

Running as the pregernaut + ironman delight

So I kept up with my running schedule (with lower intensity/distance) until the end of my 2nd trimester (around week 27). At that point I started to get side aches and would have to slow to a walk. I wasn't even running that fast, just jogging and plodding along. I was hoping to run longer into pregnancy, but oh well. Being in good shape before and during pregnancy and having strong abdominals has made it so that I haven't had any lower back pain. I think having good posture has helped too.

After I stopped running I was planning on walking for exercise or going to a gym to use their machines if walking didn't do enough. Unfortunately I got really sick right after I quit running and that lasted for 2 months. I am finally well enough now to expend energy on exercise and so am wanting to start up again with something.

I am planning on running a half-marathon next summer sometime. I think I need a goal like that to help myself get back into the running habit and get back into shape. I am really excited to use the running stroller I purchased. I got it used and at a discount (yay!). It also has an awesome name: THE IRONMAN.

Woo!

Christmas

David and I have been thinking about Christmas much earlier than usual this year. With the baby due on Dec. 20, it is probable it will arrive before the holiday. The men in David's family have a tendency to go Christmas shopping at the last minute. (like Dec 24...) I pointed out to David that this tendency may be inconvenient with the expected arrival date of our tot. He agreed and did the uncharacteristic thing of buying presents 6 weeks in advance. (Some of them, at least. He is not done yet..)

Because of this early Christmas movement, David is getting in the Christmas spirit. I am definitely a Grinch, so he is deprived usually. He wore a Christmas tie to work last week. And he is using a Christmas mug for his peppermint tea. And he sings Christmas songs all the time now. And he giggles about it (in a manly way). We might even put up the Christmas tree in November instead of the week before Christmas. (This may cause all who know of my grinchness to faint with shock).

But I must point out that it does not bother me at all to have my husband sing Christmas songs around the house. It only bothers me when other people do it. Like Celine Dion. But clearly I am biased. (Although I cannot understand why anyone would prefer Celine Dion to DH's tunes.)

the end.

Study Carrels and Bathroom Stalls

The Green library on Stanford University campus has some fantastic study carrels. They are big, cozy, old, and made of wood. They are also covered in graffiti. You can find practically anything in a Stanford carrel: poetry, math, scavenger hunt hints, love notes, and of course all topics related to sex education. You may find yourself staring off into space during a study session and realize you are staring at something written on the carrel. It was kind of amazing how so many people added to existing notes over time, making the graffiti sort of artistic. I did not spend a great deal of time in these carrels, but since they were so cozy and entertaining, I did enjoy the time I spent.

When we moved to Provo this past August, one of my top priorities was to finally get a look at the BYU study carrels. I feel like I've heard a lot of talk about the BYU carrels. Some people would talk about their old BYU study carrel as a lost loved one. Apparently they were very attached. The first week of school this fall, David took me to a new faculty breakfast on campus. Afterward we went into the library for a bit. And then I forced him to show me some study carrels.

Now I may report on the sad state of the BYU study carrels. They are exceedingly dull and small. I had high hopes of finding colorful material written in secret inside the carrels, but I looked in at least six of them and there was not a single thing written. NOTHING. The comparison between Stanford and BYU carrels is disheartening. I was looking forward to seeing what BYU students saw fit to write in their carrels. Apparently they have nothing to say. There weren't even any favorite scriptures etched into the plastic.

We also attended stake conference the 3rd or 4th sunday after the move. We were supposed to go to Provo High School's auditorium for it, which I thought really weird. But I sensed another opportunity to inspect the creativity and personal expression of the local students by inspecting their bathroom stalls. After using the facilities during my visit, I can say that Provo high school students either have zero personal expression in bathroom stalls, or the stalls have all been recently replaced. I remember plenty of thrilling material to read in the bathroom stalls during my time at Bountiful High 10 years ago. Bountiful and Provo are both pretty conservative, but Provo takes the cake.

Poor little Provo / BYU students. They don't even know what they are missing. It could be I am wrong and simply looked in the wrong carrels and bathroom stalls. Or not.