de colores

[click on any image to enlarge]

Seeing baby goslings on private property, I asked and was given permission to roam their lot for a good photography location. I zoomed in pretty good, and paid so much attention to sharpness, that I did not notice until later, that the color of the water came out different. It was after 5PM, and the water looked bluish with the sun coming from my left. But when I switched positions, and the sun was at my back, the water was green. Why do you suppose that is?

frozen embryo

We did not make a snowman this year. Not-a-one. D1 used to make snow bumps in the backyard, and they were as cute as anything you've ever seen. I have an idea in mind of what a snowman should look like if I could build one. The problem is, that I do not usually have the time or energy. When it snows hard, I need to shovel the driveway around my work schedule, and I'm just too tuckered-out to do anything more with the snow after that. I wish there was some way to make a snowman without having to break my back shoveling.

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So here's what I did... I selected the best snowman and snowwoman from this area. (One might expect it to be difficult to find a snowwoman, but Mr. Snowman was willing to use an internet dating service, so it wasn't too bad.) They were introduced, and liked each other. I performed a marriage ceremony, and before they melted, they donated a frozen embryo. This is Junior, in the photo above.

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Looking again, I see that we are dealing with fraternal twins. Notice the runt near the upper-left corner. I think I'll call them Julius and Vincent.

holiday elf

Rylan (my grandson) came to visit on Christmas Eve. The whole family instantly became paparazzi when he showed up. We even have voice recordings on cell phones. He is exceptionally vocal and his voice has impressive dynamic range. (That means he likes to hear himself scream.)

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He brought his mom and dad with him, which was nice. I like them too, and we had a pleasant visit with my daughter and son-in-law. I hope they don't mind that we gushed so much over the baby.

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When I first heard that they were going to visit, I wondered what it would be like to see my grandson. The last time we saw him, he was only a week old. He is ten months now. I prepared myself for a shy baby, and decided not to take it personally if I freaked him out. What a delightful surprise then, when he freely allowed himself to be held, and did not cry, except for when he needed to be fed and changed. I held him for a little while, but naturally, we wish we could spend a lot more time with him. I offered up a silent prayer for him when I picked him up, and I remembered doing the same thing the first time I held him at the hospital as a newborn.

15 years ago

This time next month, my redhead will be holding her own baby in her arms. They grow up so fast! Mr. Big Eyes there turned nineteen this week.

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Fast-forward another fifteen years... the Mrs. and I will probably be part-time greeters at the local Wal-Mart.

grandson

Rylan

My daughter sent us a progress report on our grandson. Yes, I said grandson... it's a boy. And she included a picture. His name is Rylan. The Lord bless you, little buddy!

life goes on

These newborn hamsters are just hours old. Happy birthday, little ones!

ain't they grand?

These are some of my buds. Most of our children are close in age, and we have seen the joys and struggles of our fellow parents here. I'm happy with how our kids are turning out, and yet I think I understand why some animals eat their young.

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It is written that children are a gift from God. That is certainly true, but my personal opinion is that grandchildren must be a reward for not giving up when our children drive us to the edge of insanity.

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The other night, we picked up someone else's baby, and I didn't mind at all that she soaked my collar and sleeves in baby drool. I held this tiny girl and didn't want to put her down. I would do just about anything, just to make her smile... or laugh. Oh, a baby's laugh! Is there anything in the world that can compare?!

tadpole

My little girl (she'll always be "my little girl") announced that she and her husband are going to upgrade Mrs Craver and me to grandparent status!!! We're so excited!

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This week, I am going to insert a ticker in the sidebar. This will keep us up to date on the expected development of my grandbaby.

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Someone has already given him/her the nickname "Tadpole." I'm not sure where that came from, but it sounds cute, so it stuck.

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Photo credit: Mary as flower girl in '88 by Sam Lloyd.