About
When I hold your small body close to mine
I feel weak and strong at the same time
So few years to give you wings to fly
Show you stars to guide your ship by
-Johnny Clegg, Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
One day Zoe and Apollo will look back on 2011, and it will seem like a long time ago. They may read about our generation in the news and in history books, but what did their parents and their parents’ friends think about things as they actually happened? What were the folks like back then?
We created this blog to one day be a window into the world that mom and dad inhabited while Zoe and Apollo were growing up, and we invite you to contribute. Feel free to drop your thoughts into this time capsule, and help us guide Zoe and Apollo into life on planet earth.
Welcome aboard kids, it’s gonna be one helluva ride!
-Emery and Nancy
6-10 months
Since the last post we bought a house. Since we bought a house, we have had time for little else except helping two fat babies get fatter. Here are some videos of just how much fatter they got over the course of 4 months (warning: suitable mostly for grandmas and aunts). Recently Zoe and Apollo’s great aunts came for a visit. Zoe ate watermelon for the first time and demonstrated her newly acquired clapping skills. Apollo managed to crawl all the way up the stairs. Both were excessively kissed, but seemed no worse for the...
read moreTrip to Minneapolis
Recently we went to visit my sister in Minneapolis, with her husband Dave and two daughters Rachel and Lana. It was Zoe and Apollo’s first trip on a plane. They didn’t seem too impressed with the plane ride and slept most of the way. Here are some pics from the trip. PausePlayPlayPrev|Next Zoe's first trip to the airport Nancy and Apollo at the ticket counter Lana and her sock Lana lounging with Zoe Rachel in her tutu
read moreZoe’s helmet
A few weeks ago Zoe got fitted for a helmet. The helmet will help her head round out, as it is currently kind of flat in the back due to how she likes to sleep, and from being the first twin. Basically they put a white panty hose type material over your head, and scan you with a handheld scanner, sort of like what the checkers use at Home Depot. The process, however, can be rather boring. But it does make your cheeks look big. A couple weeks later, a helmet was made. After a week break-in period, Zoe went in for her first...
read moreA little of this and a little of that
So the 14th was Nancy’s birthday. A couple weeks before that, we went to the beach with our friend Michael, and Nancy took some pictures of things they found near the shore. Michael also took a pic of mom and dad, and a closeup of Zoe. Some time between then and now, the babies had a bath. They also sat on the couch, the floor and the back of Michael’s Jeep. Sitting and lying on stuff occupies most of their day. PausePlayPlayPrev|Next Back of the jeep shot of Zoe by Michael Picture by...
read moreRaising 5 month old curmudgeons
The following is a speech the old man gave at Sunrise Toastmasters in Portland I have two very skeptical babies. Their skepticism starts as soon as it is time to go to bed. Now by day, they are the epitome of well behaved, happy-go-lucky babies. This I can attest to, from the safety of my office, far away from any crying or screaming or fussiness. Yes, by day my kids are angels. Night, however, is a different matter. Once the sun goes down, their nice warm cribs mysteriously transform into places that my twin babies, Zoe and Apollo, firmly...
read moreHappy 2012!
Happy new year everyone! Thanks for following this blog, your support and comments in 2011 have been very much appreciated. But, we’re only getting started! 2012 looks to be a very interesting year. It’s the Year of the Dragon (or snakes redrawn to look like dragons), and also the end of the world. This end of the world prediction appears to have more support than Harold Camping’s, so it will be interesting to see what happens, or what we make happen. In the meantime, our gang plans to try to buy a house, have Nancy’s...
read moreA man’s guide to buying eggs
I’ve never noticed eggs to have any difference in flavor. By the time we men eat eggs, they’re usually scrambled in left over bacon grease and doused with ketchup, salsa, or Tabasco sauce, and the only observation is “yes, I’m eating eggs.” It is with this mindset that I went to the store this week for eggs. In addition to a dozen of the expensive “free range organic” eggs Nancy normally gets, I added a perfectly respectable carton of $0.99/dozen Kroger brand eggs. As part of her post natal recovery,...
read moreWeekend pics
Nancy’s mom threw a big shindig in Xinjin this weekend to celebrate the new grandkids. That’s what you do when U.S. immigration won’t let you in to see them yourself. Watch out kids, the old man is feeling an immigration rant coming on… but for now, some pics: Lots of family and friends were invited and lots of spicy food was served. Including lucky red-dyed eggs for babies who have reached their first month. And a few rounds of drinks. With luck, we’ll find a way for Nancy’s mom to see the grandkids...
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