Hmm...

 

The morning after Eleanor and I flew into this great land, we went for a walk on Fuller's campus. This sculpture is one of the first things we encountered (Matt took the picture when he was here in April). I was a bit concerned how Eleanor would react to this graphic portrayal of Christ's crucifixion. Eleanor is a child who gets upset when reading Hop on Pop because of "sad dad." Before we got very close to the sculpture, two grade school aged kids approached with their father. They proceeded to climb all over Jesus. I was a bit taken aback, but at the same time somewhat relieved that I didn't have to explain the crucifixion to a two-year-old.

The Young Girl and the Sea

 

Eleanor throughly enjoyed her first encounter with the cold water that is the Pacific Ocean. She also really liked chasing the sea gulls (although she called them eagles).

The Bed Bed Book House

 

 

 

Ahhh. We've finally made it to our new abode. We've finally unpacked enough boxes to be able to walk through the place without cursing and rueing the day (as much). We've finally managed to find an unsecured wireless network in our building (well actually that was one of the first orders of business). I've been here a week, the girls a little less and we thought it was time for an update.

Above you see several photos we just took (this is live, up to the minute stuff folks) of Melody and Eleanor on Eleanor's exclusive balcony on this Craftsman style home. The building is over a hundred years old and comes with some accompanying quirks but we're starting to feel at home. Our neighborhood is wonderful and we already feel welcomed by those living here in Ford Place. Across the street is a special little courtyard with some collectively shared toys. E has become obsessed with the Blue Car: a plastic, fisher price car sized just for toddlers. She hasn't managed to figure out the flintstones style engine but is very content to sit in it, pushing buttons and turning the wheel before getting out and back in again. We've met several other "babies" and Eleanor is loving them (though today she was talking about riding "more airlplane" and about "Mimi and Momou."

For more exciting pics from the roadtrip of Jason and Matt, check my picasa web album (see link to the right) a little later.

Contact: at the Very Large Array

Bloggin to you from a very nice Flagstaf, AZ Quality Inn via their very nice highspeed internet. Road trip to LA in progress and going well.

Pics from today's expedition to the Petrified Forest (which is actually a fossilized logjam, not a forest) will be forthcoming. In fact, my recently re-discovered GI Joes have been traveling with us and greatly enjoyed a chance to get back into the field.

But today you get pix from the Very Large Array. The VLA is a very large radio telescope used for gathering information about the universe. It was also featured prominently in the film, "Contact," starring Jodie Foster in which she uses the VLA to listen for space aliens. The Very Large Array is a series of very large satelite dishes that can be configured in a variety of ways for different applications, sort of like a zoom lens on a camera.

My brother Jason and I stumbled upon it and were duly wowed by it in all it's nerdy glory. This is the array that provided evidence for the existence of black holes. Very cool. I did my best Jodie Foster imitation.



Even Jason got in on the action:

More Birthday

 

Matt and his brother Jason share a birthday at the end of August. (They aren't twins, but three years apart.) They celebrated their birth last night with a feast of Bart Simpson cake. Eleanor was super excited about the cake, but being the mean mom I am, we had it after she went to bed.

Eleanor Helps Pack

Eleanor wanted to make sure that we didn't leave any necessary items, so she packed her own box using the stomping method to make more space.

More Birthday

(I hope you can see the picture now. I uploaded it again.)

Whenever we ask Eleanor what she wants for her birthday, she responds with "more birthday." This year she will be celebrating her birthday no less than four times, so I guess she gets her wish. Her first birthday celebration was at Matt's parents' house. She was very excited about the "bubba crackers" (bear crackers or Teddy Grahms) on the cake.

In other fun news, today Eleanor counted using "one." In the past she has always just said "two, twee" and more than one of anything has been "twee." Twice today she counted correctly, first when she was putting on her shoes ("one mink shoe, two mink shoe" "mink" = pink) and at the library on the elevator she counted the floors as we went up.

Packing

 

Eleanor decided that these boxes made a nice chair to sit and read "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" or "Moom Moom" as Eleanor calls it.

Matt's last day at work was Friday, so our major packing spree has commenced. The movers come in 13 days. Will we be ready?

First Lollypop

Every time we go to the post office, the nice lady asks if Eleanor is old enough for a sucker. I always say, "Not quite" and she always says, "Okay, but I get to give her her first sucker." Since I realized this might be our last trip to this post office, I allowed the sucker. To say Eleanor enjoyed it would be an understatement. The sucker lasted over an hour and was thrown away without protest when it was time for lunch. Although when Eleanor saw this picture she wistfully said, "wucker trash" and went to see if she could find it.

The Weekend

Friday, the good chaplains with whom I have worked these past two years took me out for a goodbye lunch at Cafe Bossa Nova. Excellent.



Saturday morning we met Alice, Silas and Micah at the new Chick-fil-A to play in the play-place. They had a great time, broken arm notwithstanding.


Tonight Melody's mother took us out for pizza at Damgoode pies. Eleanor made friends with the hipster music snobs behind us and found a new friend in her reflection in the window.


I'm not sure how I feel about the low-quality images from my camera phone. They're nowhere near as good as our DSLR, and not even as good as our old point and shoot, but dangit, there's something to be said for a camera in your pocket at all times. It invovles a bit of a shift in aesthetic but at times it's kind of like shooting with a pinhole camera, or an old plastic toy camera with light leaks. And with the instant image review you can really experiment and get some interesting effects.

What do you think?

El Chico Con Los Loco Gringos (y Gringas)

beads

Eleanor loves the beads on the fan pull.

Shaved Ice

Eleanor finishes her shaved ice. All of it.

Packing

Pictures

Allie and Taylor doing what they do best. I don't have many pictures from our time at the lake...especially pictures that I'm willing (or allowed) to show.



A two carrot girl is worth more than a two karot diamond. Eleanor pulled these carrots herself and enjoyed them much.



Eleanor loves Donkey. She calls him "hee haw." Donkey caused a bit of a stir this morning by escaping his pen. I'm not a very good donkey herder and no one else (except Eleanor) was home.



My dad took Eleanor fishing. She released the crickets and tried to kiss the fish. I think she liked it.



I thought Eleanor would enjoy painting with water colors. My mom found some paper and we sat outside for some afternoon art. She painted with the brush for awhile, then she had to feel of the paint with her fingers. When her pointer finger was covered, my dad told her to touch her nose. She touched her nose, then proceeded to paint my dad's big toe.

Magic Wardrobe

Behold the actual wardrobe that inspired C.S. Lewis' vision of the gateway to Narnia, on display at Wheaton college's Wade Center. I spent most of hesterday morning in their special collection reading room reading letters sent by JRR Tolkein and George MacDonald. Fun stuff for nerds.

Their collection also includes the desks of Lewis and Tolkein (Where portions of the Lord of the Rings and all of the Hobbit were produced).

Sacred Space

For the past few days I have worshipped daily with fellow ministers of the gospel from traditions, creeds and churches other than my own.

In this space, the chapel of the unnamed faithful, at a methodist seminary outside of chicago, I have experienced the truth that we truly are many members but one body. Thanks be to God.

From one lake to another

chicago's North shore

Dharma Initiative Headquarters

Don't tell anyone, but i've discovered the dharma initiative's secret HQ in Evanston, Il. More on this later.

"Wa-wa"

Eleanor likes the lake. Just like her mom. They'll get to enjoy it for a few more days. Alas, I'm off to Chicago...