Happy Birthday Uncle Clyde!

Green Day

Well, today being Earth Day, I guess I'll jump onto the "Going Green" bandwagon. Although, the whole Earth Day thing is starting to get annoying...especially when you know people don't really mean it.

For example, we had a Vendor Fair today at work where different vendors gathered in a big room to see who could attract our business by giving away the coolest SWAG. By the end of the fair, I was pretty sick of all these companies with their GO GREEN! marketing plans....for example, one prominient office supply vendor asked us to GO GREEN! by not putting in an order until our total reaches 50$ to minimize shipping costs and packing materials. Ummmmm....if you wouldn't ship a 6 pack of sharpie pens that's about as big as my hand in a HUGE 12 x 12 x 12 box filled with styrofoam peanuts, maybe THAT would be a better way to GO GREEN! rather than ask us to spend more money! Erg... Also, the same vendor was giving out free pens! Individually wrapped! In a Plastic Bag! That contained more marketing materials printed on non-recyclable shiny glossy paper! GO GREEN! indeed.

Another vendor tried to convince me that buying from their local company would reduce emissions and transportation costs. I declined one of their HUGE 5 inch thick catalogs (it probably took a whole tree to print the things, I kid you not, it was about 1000 pages) and told the rep I'd rather browse the catalog online. I explained that we're trying to minimize getting paper catalogs and he kinda looked at me funny like it was a novel idea.

I'm not going to let them get to me though, I am interested in preserving the environment, so I guess whatever brings that issue to the forefront is commendable, no matter what the underlying commercial gain is...better than nothing, right? On that note, here's a cool list of 50 ways to Go GREEN!...little things that you and I can do to help out Mama Earth. I like # 17 (woot woot!)

http://www.wireandtwine.com/green/50/

Funny Face

'Cuz cute doesn't happen ALL the time....

Laundry Day

8 months old!

Time just keeps flying by...the past month has been pretty full. Practically every weekend had something exciting going on. Lauren went from L.A one weekend to Lake Tahoe the next to Oakland the following week....busy girl!

8 month favorites:

Cheerios, Gerber puffs, tupperware, Cheerios, measuring cups, wooden spoons, teething biscuits, oh and did I mention Cheerios?

All those nifty toys...and all she wants is tupperware!

Dislikes:
Green beans, peas, Junior McPhee (our outside cat), green nasal aspirator bulb.



Tricks:
Crawls over and under EVERYTHING! Can pull herself up to standing (but still forgets how to get back down sometimes), plants raspberries (AKA zrbbrts) on any leg, arm or tummy that she can get her mouth on. Clicks her tongue. Knows how to manipulate with either extra cute smiles or whiney whines to get her snacks.

Now you see her...now you don't

Milestones:
Still no teeth! She finally sleeps through the night consistently. Yay! Occasionally she will have a bad sleeping night that we figure is teething, and when she was sick she couldn't sleep unless she was in her carseat (being upright helped with congestion). OH, and she can say Mama and Dada...but not really. More like mama, dada, fafa, vava, fafa, etc. indiscriminately. I mentioned the crawling and standing already. Every now and then we'll catch her standing unsupported for 2 to 3 seconds before she comes crashing down. My mom thinks she'll be walking before she's a year old!

Her favorite sleeping position

Bring on MONTH 9!!!

Naptime

Napping with Daddy on a Saturday afternoon

Lauren meets Lola

A couple of weeks ago Lauren met her Great-Grandmother, affectionately known as Lola Minyang. "Lola" in Tagalog means Grandma or also can be a term of respect for an elder like an Auntie or Great Aunt.

While we were in town for the funeral of Lola Judy, who unfortunately, Lauren never got to meet, we were able to visit with Lola Minyang, the last surviving grandparent on either side our families. She is a sharp and fiesty 89 years old!

Lake Tahoe

We spent the weekend at Lake Tahoe with some of my friends (my mom and sister came along too). Lauren went from snow bunny to poolside cutie and Peter and I had a bit of casino action too.

I wish I looked this good in a bikini!

Green Beans!

I guess she doesn't like 'em.