Lost

Technology is so wonderfully frustrating to me right now. I have always considered myself to be fairly savvy when it comes to learning new technology. I take the stereotypical "guy approach" to learning new programs. You know, a guy needs to put together a new bookshelf so he dives right in without using the instructions and only concedes to read them if there is a problem? Well that is me and technology.

I have yet to find a program that I couldn't just "figure out" by exploring it for a time. Granted, I know that means my knowledge of said programs is fairly limited, but as long as I am able to accomplish the task at hand, I am happy. I don't necessarily need to know all the ins and outs of the program and I don't care to know the fullest extent of its capabilities. If I ever do, I know the instruction booklet is just within reach.

That said, we recently bought a new computer, and with it all upgraded software. Not a big deal if I had the time to sit down and explore it all to figure out how to make it do what I want it to do, but I don't have the time.

My biggest frustration right now is in the new video editing software I have. I have seen enough of it to know it will be really fast and easy to use and will allow me to do quite a bit more editing with my videos than programs past. The problem is that I don't have any clue how get the videos from my camera to the computer because it is using a completely different uploading system than I am used to and it won't do what I am asking it to do.

Right now, all I want to do is upload a couple of really cute Claire videos to my computer so I can post them and I have no clue how to do it. ARGH!! All my first attempts have been feeble at best. I guess I can attribute that to the fact that I only give it a couple of minutes here or there and then have to give up to go attend to my more important job--taking care of Claire.

Speaking of which, she is now awake and ready for breakfast. I guess I could have used this time to explore the program, but I figured my time was better spent whining to all of you about it.

Later!

Cheeeeeeeeeese!

So I am really tired of all the stoic poses Claire offers the camera now-a-days.

She truly is a happy child and smiles or laughs almost all day long. The problem is that she is also a very inquisitive child. Anytime the camera comes out, she wants to examine it and figure out why Mommy holds this weird thing up to her face while making strange cooing noises.

Frankly, when I put it that way, I can't blame her.

So she puts on her "engineer face" (we have Daddy to thank for that) where she is focused on solving the perplexing problems of "What is that thing and how does it work?"

So today I tried teaching her what "smile" means. She was doing her best to mimic my examples and it was quite funny. Her natural smiles are much cuter, but the attempts are definitely worth posting. Enjoy!




And my favorite . . . . .


Awwww sweat pea, we love you!

Freshly Steamed Poopy Diapers

I don't know if I have ever professed my dislike for vegetables on this blog or not, but there you go. The few vegetables I can stomach have very little nutritional value for me and the ones I gag over are the very ones I need for a healthy lifestyle. For example, I love canned green beans, corn, fried okra and potatoes (made anyway you can think). I absolutely gag over spinach, squash, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, etc, etc, etc.

That said, I am doing my best to push through my dislike and have at least one of these veggies at every dinner. I am doing this for a couple of reasons. The first being for the health of Michael, Claire and my unborn child who is currently gestating and, I am quite sure, in serious need of valuable nutrients. The second reason is that I don't want my children to grow up hating veggies the way I do. Although I can't say that exposure to veggies will cause Claire and her sibling to appreciate them. Goodness knows my parents tried. I was exposed to veggies on a fairly regular basis, but to no avail.

So the veggie of choice for last night's dinner was steamed broccoli. I steamed the evil greens and lovingly placed them on the table with enough butter and lemon pepper that I am sure it defeated the purpose of including them in the meal. After choking them down, I headed off for Starbucks to hang out with some friends from church for a bit. Upon my return to my lovely home I was immediately hit in the face with a stench that convinced me that Claire had had some sort of massive diaper explosion in her sleep. I was half way to the living room when it dawned on me that the smell was actually left over from the broccoli steaming process. SHUDDER!! In that moment, I remembered exactly why I resist bringing broccoli into the house.

Now in fairness, I am going to assume that the odor was amplified due to my pregnancy and the fact that I currently have the smelling ability of a hound dog, but I was still disgusted that something so good for you can create such a foul odor. One that lingers long into the evening.

Next time? I am placing the steamer on the back porch while cooking the broccoli. And don't think I won't! Let the neighbors think my dog had an accident, I don't care. It won't be in my house and that's the important thing.

Veggies--yuck!