The Boy Turned Three

We kept his actually birthday low key because the big events would come later. Also, His Mom was out of town most of the week for an on-campus course at WCU. I gave him some Batman vehicles as he has fallen in love with what he sees of the Batman movies. On Saturday, we met up with the Birmingham clan for Tupelo Honey and pottery painting. It went really well. The girls adore him, and they do a fantastic job watching over him. We can leave him alone with them for a good hour with no worry. 

We met up again Sunday, and My Mom and Her Guy came up to see everyone. We all had lunch in downtown Brevard before going back to our house for a small party. He got some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys which he'll have to grow into. I gave him some toy vehicles in Mom's name. Cupcakes were eaten. The kids ran around like mad. We went to the college and waded into the creek. He and I stayed home (he hadn't napped at all) while everyone else went back to Asheville for pizza. He slept like a rock.

It all went really well. No friction, no toes stepped on. As good as we could hope for.

Mom and I nailed down some details for the Labor Day trip to Atlanta. As I learned when His Mom was gone, if you stick to the routine, everything is fine. He only melts down when he's exhausted or you don't have a back-up plan for an excursion.

Picture of the Day
nice cover.

Visitors from Afar

A contingent of Danish students and teachers are in town for the fortnight. We hosted the teachers, Inge and Sophie, last week for a dinner. It went right nice. They cooed over Your Nephew something fierce, and he behaved himself very well. They got to see each stage of his entire post-daycare routine, and he hugged them goodbye.

We made a quasi-Thanksgiving  dinner for them: turkey tenderloin, sweet potatoes, and a dressing with cranberries. They loved it. We offered them ciders after we heard one of them was a big fan. Your Sister wanted to make a toast and tried a willkommen. They greeted it with polite smiles. I suggested skoal, and they brightened at that.

They had each been in America before with other student groups, but this was their first time in this area. They had plans for the big tourist spots, and we traded notes on child-rearing. They liked his nursery, and we swapped shopping tips from Target and Ikea. (I've never seen an Ikea.) They were curious about the types of daycare available in the states, and were surprised to hear of the new trend in "sick daycare" where a certified nurse watches sick children when they can't go to daycare.

I told them about our reading plans for him, and they gave deep, happy sighs to the mention of the Little House series. We already have the books in his room. Your Sister will read those to him, and I'll try Harry Potter. I really hope he picks up Encyclopedia Brown. I loved those. Whenever I'm in Barnes & Noble, I confirm they still stock the books.

She and I took turns with his bedtime routine. I suppose she talked teaching styles with them. I mentioned our school trips to Europe. Occasionally, the younger teacher would ask for English words like braid and commute.They took a phone call during the dinner, and I got to hear them talk in their native language for a good ten minutes. It sounded elvish, and, looking at the Tolkein movies, you can see how the Danes may have been incorporated.

I walked them back to the house where they stayed in our neighborhood, and they were worried about bear attacks. I tried to say it was very unlikely so close to town. I think we've had one bear sighting in city limits in the past 10 years. It's far more likely to walk past a deer at night.

We're still open to hosting exchange students when the deputy is older.  We'll let him have a half-vote on the matter. Just to be nice.

We still haven't cracked on one of the dried-food buckets. We might do that during Your Sister's spring break. I was hoping to start my 40-year-old specialist tests with our doctor that week, but she's out of town. I'll have to wait until summer so the deputy can stay at home for my appointment.

Picture of the Day
I seek my people in the stars. SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE HORSEY!

Turns Out That Wasn't Right

No, Your Aunt did not send us 300 pounds of dried food.

She sent us 400 pounds.

Thirteen 30-pound buckets of dried food pouches guaranteed to last 25 years.

It all arrived an hour after our phone call. I'm tempted to open up a pouch and try it. I figure we can offer the rest to the local doomsday preppers.

That Can't Be Right

Did Your Sister really get a call from Your Aunt, saying she was mailing us 300 pounds of dried food?

That ... that can't be what she said.

Good Day

So last week, I was checking my Facebook messages, and I noticed the Other folder had mail in it. FB doesn't tell you it puts messages there from those not yet befriended. I had three. Two were comments on my Commissioner Gordon costume, one dating back to September.

But the third message was from December. And from Australia. A cable-access roller derby show found my Power Jam artwork and asked to use it for their show.


Power Jam Episode 12 from Fans Of Derby on Vimeo.


I said yes and sent them the artwork. They then asked if it could be customized. Seems the Smucker's/Smacker's joke wouldn't fly there. I gave them the fonts to make adjustments, but I warned them that my finished artwork was a photo. I made the label, printed it, glued it to a jar, photographed that, and edited the picture for my t-shirt design. When I tired to edit the Smacker's name on the photo, it looked wonky. They'll try it at their end. I was assured I'd get at least one of each product they made with the artwork. That'll be my payment for the art use.

I don't expect they'll rake in the dough with this. But if there is a demand, I'll make parallel products here and make money off that. Australia, and I can't believe I'm saying this, will be my test market.

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I penciled page 14 of the comic this morning, and it feels like I have momentum again. I need to hustle to give myself breathing space between now and June. It'll be a little tight, but it's feasible.  It looks like I'll be working the big June convention by myself, and that might be the death of me. But I'll die delighted.

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The boy is potty trained. Bribery wins the day. We put him in diapers for naps and overnight. Otherwise, it's Thomas the Tank Engine undies all the way. In other news, I'm fucking tired of Thomas the Tank Engine.

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Your Sister was given Cefdinir, the antibiotic name for a Tolkien character, and an inflammatory for what was diagnosed as a sinus infection. But it doesn't act like one. Still, she's coughed and hacked since Thanksgiving, and this stuff is helping. She's anxious about re-certification, but she would be miserable if she hadn't lost a class to her guidance position.

Picture of What Is This ... Three Months?

Han.