The Einstein I'm Not Edition

There's no getting around it- I have a pesky little quirk about me- my gigantic ego...when I fly Southwest they make me purchase an additional seat just for my ego. It's just all about me. Sometimes you never know when the lightning will strike- the sudden crash of recognition, the knowledge revealed. For me it was timestamped 11:14pm, Sunday December 18th, 2005. There I was standing in the Shopper's Drug Mart, staring at the cans of baby formula when it happened. See we've reached an impasse in Ginny Grace's brief life. She has learned ever so eloquently the lesson of Alfred Marshall, the partial equalibrium of supply and demand. Her demand has temporarily outrun the supply of her mother and therefore, subject to the great and powerful free market forces, she is now to soon (and too soon) have her first taste of foriegn substance. But back to me, me, me and my personal moment of enlightenment... Staring at the cans I'm attempting to decipher the packaging (this is an 'unwritten' economic law apparently, shiny wrapping makes consumers purchase...it works in the cereal aisle at least). Trying to remember the instructions from my wife, which were rather simple and direct, yet these cans...written in some sort of 'mommy code'. I'm so perplexed. This is of great import. This is my child this stuff is going to go into- but the dilemma is still all about me at this point- 'don't screw this up and make the wife mad' Frustrated and awaiting the moment when I'm sure drug store security is going to start checking me out, I thrust my hands into my pockets to hunch my shoulders over and think harder (it's stage two of my concentration process...stage three is the pacing stage...it's not pretty to watch, or so I've been told). Anyway, there I am...staring, struggling, afraid...and my right hand closes over something in my pocket... It was Ginny Grace's hair barrette that she wore the previous night to the Snyder Christmas party. It had fallen out as I picked her warm sleeping body up out of her carseat when we got home. (When she's zonked out she does this little body arch curl that just melts me like Frosty in the hothouse). I didn't even have to pull it out of my pocket- it took about a nanosecond to realize from touch what it was and that's when it hit me. It isn't about 'YOU' anymore you dumb jerk. Your wife being mad at you is the least of your problems and if you screw up, you'll just have to lug your hump back down to the store again and fix it. Of course I knew all this before, somewhere inside my coconut, but there it was so clear, so profound...in its little plastic claspy glory. So we've now got a can of formula in the house. Our own private strategic milk reserve- for the days when she's super hungry and mommy is just all pumped out. And as much as we might feel like we've failed somehow, the important thing is that HER needs are taken care of, rather than our fragile egos. Today my parents and siblings had their Christmas. My brother and his ever growing Brady Bunch brood is heading down to FLA for some sunny Christmas climes and so they gathered to have dinner and presents. My parents now have, essentially, 7 grandkids: GG, Samantha, Nick, Tina, Kayla, Natalie, and Nathan...whew... We sent presents down to them and miracle of miracles the varied post offices managed to get them there intact and on time. So I called this afternoon and listened as they opened the presents we sent, and chatted with them and somehow it made the hundreds of miles seem a bit less distant. As a small and early present to all of you here's a special little clip of Gracie's meeting with the big red guy...(it might take a minute to load for you, and if you are on a Mac it might not play since its in Windows Media file, but just click the link below and enjoy...) Ginny Grace and Santa We're getting excited about Christmas here. We'll be heading to Mom and Dad Snyder's house Sunday and looking forward to spending some quality time in their warm and comfy house in the sweet embrace of family. We still have a few things to tidy up this week, some loose strings and of course Shell has to work this week as well. Today though she was able to get Dixie girl all trimmed up and bathed. I could tell right away this evening that Dixie girl had gotten a bath because she was assuming her sleeping spot of grumpiness on the couch- the place she goes when she's been horribly treated to a near drowning...with soap. But she smells good- at least to us. This last week has also seen some big blessings in our world. Renee and Jeff brought little (well not so little) Tyson Russell Harrison Reid into the world. Apparently his mommy and daddy knew he was going to be a big boy so they gave him an extra name! We are so looking forward to seeing them all on Boxing Day and share new parent stories with each other, and compare and contrast the relative sizes of the bags under our eyes. Today we also got news that has us over the moon. It seems Santa has heard our most important Christmas wish, and little Elisa looks like she's going to be able to go home with her new mommy and daddy for Christmas. We are just so happy for Mike and Laura and this little miracle baby. They are going to be wonderful parents! So this just leaves Maria and Andrew's little one still a-brewin' and the 2005 Babypalooza will be complete. Also two of my favorite women in the wide world had (or will have) birthdays this week... Our darling Lauren, the Aussie dream, had a birthday last week and the woman I'd personally fight a war with Troy AND Sparta over, Laura has a birthday this Tuesday. These two ladies are very special to me and I love them both very much. Well let's see what we have in the photo bin this week... Getting ready for the studio Xmas party, this little diva is wearing a lovely blue gown with white blouse...her smart ensemble says 'don't touch me or I'll cry for an hour in Uncle Tim's office'... But fussy fits do have their rewards...like slumbering cuteness in the morning aftermath... Yes my smile may say "I love you Daddy" but my eyes say "I'm going to cry later until your head spins around, Daddy"...the calm before the storm... Mmmmm....plastics...it's what's for dinner... Signaling a touchdown... Enjoying her morning while mommy and daddy fight off the flu that ravaged the house last weekend... "Dear God, please don't let me catch whatever plague Mommy and Daddy have"... "But maybe to be on the safe side I'll just hide..." In non-pukier times... (mostly for Auntie Tara...) Dixie is just over to whole sad ordeal...little does she know she's getting a shave and a bath soon... "I don't mean to be a critic but I find Piglet to be rather banal, whilst this Pooh and Tigger are quite capricious..." In case some of you are away from your computers until after the holidays, let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas (and/or Holiday of your religious faith) and a Happy New Year (unless you are from China in which case you have to wait 'til February). Til next time Cheers Ron