Random ramblings

Two snippets of conversation:

"It's snowing! A hundred snowflakes are falling! More than a hundred hundred hundred - a googleplex!"

"Mom, do you know why  I know googleplex is a number? Luka told me."
The last part was said in a very solemn, assured tone, because if Luka said it then it MUST be true. Obviously.

When explaining to Karin why a BLT is called that, she said "But then the lettuce has to be after the bacon, and then the tomato!", referring to the current layering of her sandwich being bacon-tomato-lettuce. And yes, I explained that it only refers to the things that are in there, not the sequence in which they have to be applied :)

Translation/vertaling:
Obsessief, misschien?
Toen ik aan Karin had uitgelegd waarom een BLT (een sandwich met gebakken spek, sla en tomaat) zo heet, zei ze "Maar dan moet de sla na het spek, en dan pas de tomaat!", wijzend op de volgorde in haar huidige sandwich, spek-tomaat-sla. En ja, ik heb uitgelegd dat de letters alleen zeggen wat er in zit, niet de volgorde waarin ze moeten worden toegepast :)

We just got the new trailerbike, and rode it home along the bikepath. She _really_ likes it. A lot :) We rode home from work/daycare and stopped on our way at the REI where we had bought it Sunday. It was put together, didn't seem to fall apart when I picked it up, so with some futzing and removing child bikeseat and fixing my bikeseat which of course chose that time to break, we did manage to attach the new trailer to my bike. Quite sturdily too. During all this, of course, Karin was bouncing around and super excited and virtually squealing.

After walking the now extra-long bike from the parking garage to the beginning of the park (only 5 minutes, if that) we both got on. Karin had sat on it from the garage to the park, just to get a feel and so that I could actually see her for the first bit. Kinda hard to see when riding in front of her. I needn't have worried. Like a fish in the water - she loved it. Of course it helps that she's been riding her own bike-with-trainingwheels. But still. She held on well, and kept her feet mostly on the (extra-wide) pedals. We went very slowly at first, she didn't like to go too fast, where too fast for her is less than a normal ace for me. For now. That'll get better with actually riding a few times, no doubt.

For today - definitely success. For tomorrow, well, the T (subway) since they're predicting thunderstorms in the afternoon. Oh well. There will be many more chances.

The unthinkable just happened - Karin fell down the stairs! After years (oh my g-d, can't believe I'm actually saying that!) of telling her not to carry so much while going down the stairs, she tumbled down them, while carrying too much. I'm partially amused, partially relieved and only slightly concerned. Thankfully she didn't hurt herself badly and was done crying within 30 seconds - mostly from the scare, I think. The stairs are covered with carpet, which probably helped soften the bumps. Relieved, because she's finally getting some empirical feedback. You know, from mother nature, not from an adult. And amused, because she's the second person in less than 24 hours to fall down the stairs in our house. Unfortunately for nekowoman she fell down the much more painful back stairs (bare wood, steep, curved).

babble, babble, <lots of generic babble>
and I will listen *very* well and
after school I will do all my homework and then
I will marry Alex
and James
and live happily ever after!

"
Goodnight Elmo
Goodnight Woofie
Goodnight Parasaurolophus
"

(not missing a beat, and not mispronouncing anything)

Windy weather this weekend - the perfect time to go wandering around in the Arboretum. My parents are in town, and Karin definitely needed to run around and burn some energy. So, off to the park we went. It was gorgeous! Not quite full foliage change, there were plenty of trees with green leaves still, but also plenty of ones that were all pretty colors yellow, orange, red, brown (and some bald ones too). She sure ran around a lot, and probably walked twice as much as we did. Crashed within 5 minutes once she sat in her carseat.
Then today, on our way into work, we ran into a downed tree. Figuratively, at least, because it was plenty big enough to see and stop on time. With some pushing, I managed to get onto the little side-hill and around it. We spent a few minutes looking at the damage, and I pointed out the tons of roots sticking out and how one tree knocked over the other two. At least 10 people passed by in those few minutes; walking, jogging, biking, walking dogs.
Once we continued, I could hear Karin babble in the back (to herself), and pointing at trees. "Big tree <pause> big tree <pause> another big tree <pause> little tree <pause> <pause> grote boom <pause> grote boom <pause> nog een grote boom* <pause> big tree... I guess some of what I explained sunk in :)

* "yet another big tree"

... Karin is riding in the back seat of my bicycle (on the way to daycare), singing boisterously and clapping her hands. The song? "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands".

It is way too freakin' early in the morning. And she is putting all the grapes in a perfect arc along the side of her plate. I'm doomed.

Finally warm enough this morning to ride bike to daycare/work. Pumped up the tires, threw a fleece blanket over Karin's legs, and rode off in the wonderful morning sun.

People smiling
Other bikes on the streets
Geese honking and chasing eachother in the Muddy river
Getting free excersize and an easier, faster commute at the same time
Karin belting out Annie's "Tomorrow" in the back seat: priceless.

I like spring.