After a typical Monday morning of dishes, sweeping, mopping, dusting, bathroom cleaning, and laundry, I asked Leah to help me make her bed by putting a pillowcase on her pillow.
Her response: "That's really hard work, Mom. Why do you save all of the hard work for me?"
!!!
(sigh)
Monday, April 19, 2010
First Taste
Just like his mom- loves chocolate, but it all goes straight to the thighs!
(Yes, he found the chocolate on his own, and no, those are not his mother's thighs)Thursday, April 15, 2010
Drawings
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Buon Giorno, Principessa!
Last month I went to Italy to attend the Maize Genetics Conference (don't laugh Melanie). Here's a rundown of the trip with lots of pictures. I flew out on a Tuesday evening and flew all night. Before arriving in Venice I had a layover in Paris. It was morning and I hadn't slept all night thanks to a Nintendo-playing teenager with a bladder the size of a pea so I was a little tired. As we took off I got to see the Eiffel Tower, although I think the view on Google Earth is probably better than the one I got.
Can you spot the Eiffel Tower? Me neither but I saw it when I took the picture from the plane!
I had originally expected to travel through Venice on a gondola. 
But they were pretty expensive so...
I took a water bus instead.
They get pretty crowded and aren't quite as luxurious as the gondolas but you can still get a pretty good view of the city.
This was my first time in a country where I could not speak the native language. As a result I ended up getting on the wrong water bus when I first arrived so rather than taking a 15 minute boat ride and then a 5 minute walk to the hotel, I took a 1 hour and 15 minute boat ride followed by a 35 minute walk with luggage. The only advantage to this was that I got some good pictures of the island and I got to wander the streets of Venice, which was cool but also a little weird since I was carting my luggage behind me.
This is the street that my hotel was on. You can't tell me that isn't cool.
St. Mark's Basilica
St. Mark's Square (from the balcony of the Basilica)
Close-up of the Basilica
It took the artist about 45 seconds to sculpt this horse out of a blob of melted glass
After my brief stay in Venice I hopped in the rental car and traveled about 2.5 hours northwest of Venice to a mountain town called Riva del Garda. It was quite different from Venice and was a fine example of the topographical diversity in Italy.
The conference was great and a lot of people were very interested in the research I'm involved with and promised to follow up on my work next year. One night, for dinner, the conference organizers brought people in to make authentic polenta, a dish made from yellow corn with cheese and meat mixed in. Sadly, it was the best food I ate during the entire conference. The local food was great but everything served at the conference center was a lot like what you would get in the States.
Buckets of cornmeal mixed with lots of fresh cheese and bacon...mmm
After the hike I drove back to Venice, ate the best seafood pasta dish I've ever had (the restaurant is Restorante Da Bepi in Mestre if you're ever interested) and went to sleep. I finished off the trip by flying through Amsterdam and picking up some tulip bulbs from Holland and then went to Chicago. From Chicago I took the Amtrak (my first time on a passenger train) to West Lafayette. Overall this trip was full of "firsts" and I'm grateful for the opportunity. However, after a long week of unknowns it was nice to come home to my wonderful family.
Can you spot the Eiffel Tower? Me neither but I saw it when I took the picture from the plane!I arrived in Venice the day before the conference actually started so that I could adjust to the time difference. However, a day in Venice doesn't come along too often so I spent it exploring the town instead of sleeping in a hotel.
I had originally expected to travel through Venice on a gondola. 
But they were pretty expensive so...I took a water bus instead.
They get pretty crowded and aren't quite as luxurious as the gondolas but you can still get a pretty good view of the city.This was my first time in a country where I could not speak the native language. As a result I ended up getting on the wrong water bus when I first arrived so rather than taking a 15 minute boat ride and then a 5 minute walk to the hotel, I took a 1 hour and 15 minute boat ride followed by a 35 minute walk with luggage. The only advantage to this was that I got some good pictures of the island and I got to wander the streets of Venice, which was cool but also a little weird since I was carting my luggage behind me.
This is the street that my hotel was on. You can't tell me that isn't cool.After I found my hotel I went to St. Mark's Square and saw the Basilica. The architectural detail was amazing and I was in awe to see this building that had withstood the test of time.
St. Mark's Basilica
St. Mark's Square (from the balcony of the Basilica)
Close-up of the BasilicaThe following morning I went to the island of Murano where they are known throughout the world for their glass blowing. I saw a demonstration where they made a glass figurine of a woman in a dress and bonnet, and a glass horse, both with great detail.
It took the artist about 45 seconds to sculpt this horse out of a blob of melted glassAfter my brief stay in Venice I hopped in the rental car and traveled about 2.5 hours northwest of Venice to a mountain town called Riva del Garda. It was quite different from Venice and was a fine example of the topographical diversity in Italy.
The conference was great and a lot of people were very interested in the research I'm involved with and promised to follow up on my work next year. One night, for dinner, the conference organizers brought people in to make authentic polenta, a dish made from yellow corn with cheese and meat mixed in. Sadly, it was the best food I ate during the entire conference. The local food was great but everything served at the conference center was a lot like what you would get in the States.
Buckets of cornmeal mixed with lots of fresh cheese and bacon...mmmThe conference ended at noon on the last day which left me the afternoon to explore Riva del Garda. I explored the town a little and bought some souvenirs. 
Then I got together with some graduate students from Cornell and the University of Illinois and we went hiking. It was a great hike. As we reached the top of the mountain we were in the thick of the clouds and you couldn't see the town or the lake below. It was gorgeous.
Then I got together with some graduate students from Cornell and the University of Illinois and we went hiking. It was a great hike. As we reached the top of the mountain we were in the thick of the clouds and you couldn't see the town or the lake below. It was gorgeous.
After the hike I drove back to Venice, ate the best seafood pasta dish I've ever had (the restaurant is Restorante Da Bepi in Mestre if you're ever interested) and went to sleep. I finished off the trip by flying through Amsterdam and picking up some tulip bulbs from Holland and then went to Chicago. From Chicago I took the Amtrak (my first time on a passenger train) to West Lafayette. Overall this trip was full of "firsts" and I'm grateful for the opportunity. However, after a long week of unknowns it was nice to come home to my wonderful family.Yard Work
The weather has been fantastic lately, and we have loved being outside. Jason is getting slightly obsessed with making the yard look great- no small undertaking considering that our neighbors on either side have commented that we are the first people who have ever done anything to the yard to make it look nice. Jason's green thumb seems to be working it's magic, and our yard is looking great. 
Although I did weed-whack the entire yard, let's be honest- Jason does most of the work while I take pictures of Leah "pretending to be garbage"
and stuffing Adam into the smallest things I can find!
Yard work- it's a group effort, really.Don't Blink!
Adam has started doing a bunch of fun things in the last week or so... or maybe I've just started noticing them! With Leah, I was always on top of the "milestone" lists and so eager to see her perform. With Adam, I just love every day and am pleasantly surprised when he starts something new... makes me feel like I can't blink or I'll miss the new things.
Time for his first haircut?!I don't have a picture of it, but not only can Adam wave bye-bye, he raised his hand and sustained all of the church officers in ward conference on Sunday. He's got such a strong testimony already!
He has started sorting and putting things into containers- makes doing the laundry much easier!
And while he's not officially crawling yet, he can scoot all over the place (preferably backwards), and just today proved that he can get from his back to sitting, and from sitting to standing! He's determined to become mobile, and lets me know loud and clear when he's stuck. He's getting to be such a big boy!
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