We done gone and did it, folks. We bought a house. In Colorado.

Actually, we bought a dirt lot with the promise of a house. But oh, the promise. I am posting this picture in honor of Love Thursday because my heart swells like a cantaloupe when I think that we CAN do this, much less that we HAVE.

I love it here.

Note: I am on a high right now — one that blocks out any thoughts of being away from all of you. You know that breaks my heart. Can we just think about the delicious floor plan for now?

On a separate note: Shaun calls me Rain Girl because of my singular ability to sing-on-cue any song ever written (OK, that’s a bit bold, but I do know a lot of lyrics).

Every blog seems to have a schtick. They either link to other fun sites, talk about deep important stuff, or just crack everybody up. I don’t know what my niche will finally be, but we came up with a fun idea today. Starting with this post, I will title each post with a lyric. I will try desperately to use a lyric that is relevant to the post, but if that doesn’t work, I’ll just defer to a classic. And, I will somehow link to the song or lyric so that you can share in the tune as well.

Who knows if this will cause legions of folks to check in — but it will sure give us all something to hum about, yes? And, there will be those nay-sayers who check in to see, “Is She Still Doin’ It?” To those negative-Nellies, I say “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet…”

I wish you love today.

We got, in the mail today, the list of the students in Ruby’s new preschool class. We fly home Saturday, and she heads to school right after Labor Day. I was so pleased to see the diversity of the list — names like Sibanda, Jayaraman, Mtunguja, and Zinn showed up in her group. I wonder what the other parents thought, upon receiving the list, about MY daughter:

Rubby Fanning.

That chick is the hit in every preschool, huh?

News from our DC Office this morning: the Firehook Bakery right next-door was held up by a couple of wild-eyed city dwellers using tasers as weapons. What the!? “I Need Some Lunchtime Crack” meets “Star Wars.”

This is what I am afraid of people. The Re-entry. Into a place where this is normal!

Monday morning thoughts in DC:

“I wonder if there will be a taser-toting ass-clown in the Firehook Bakery this morning.”

“Another shooting on the Hill? Well, it was three blocks away…we’re completely cool over here.”

“How many of my [trash] Super Cans need to be stolen before I just start whinging trash into the alley from the upstairs window?”

Monday morning thoughts in Colorado:

“How is it that Moose eats the same thing every day, and only occasionally has mind-numbing gas?”

“Do I have time (read: 4.5 minutes) to pick up a coffee on my way to work? (additional note: coffee pick-ups happen at one of three places — none of which have ever catered to a wild-eyed anyone).

“Would I be more comfortable in this outfit with or without underpants? You know, more jiggle, but less wriggle.”

Tasers. Come On!

Karen at Chookooloonks came up with a great idea — celebrate something you love every Thursday. You can also read about the birth of the idea here. So here’s my first stab at [What I] Love Thursday…

My parents visited Colorado last weekend. Here my mother is explaining to Ruby the benefits (and necessity) of sunblock. I love the belly on that child, as well as the intense concentration on her face — learning about SPF safety. Best is the smile that is always right at the corners of my mother’s eyes when she looks at my daughter.

I wish you love today.

I have not been a diligent blogger this last week. I apologize to those of you who actually check in here to see how we are and what we’re doing. My parents were in town this weekend and we didn’t stop moving the whole time. Boulder Farmer’s Market, park after park after park, Starbucks runs, lots of chatting and staring out into the sky together.

This summer has flown by — we pack to go home shortly and land at Dulles the evening of September 2nd. I can’t wait to see every-single-person.

And, Ruby will have perfected her rendition of Lemon Tree for a recital upon arrival. I promise I’ll learn how to get that dang video off my camera! You would think it was a Rubik’s Cube for Pete’s sake.

This video is whizzing all over the blogosphere. I had no idea that Shaun and I were being followed on our last trip to the shore. And by a creepy singer no less!

The knee is much better, thank you. Ruby has been back in day care, and this week enjoyed “spirit week,” which I think is mostly a way to allow the staff to wear pajamas to work. Ruby’s favorite was Crazy Hair Day, as seen left, and here. The yogurt wasn’t part of the final outfit.

So we’re still supposed to be icing Ruby’s knee while she’s on this round of Naproxen.

We started off with the ever-sophisticated bag of corn. Used it until I realized that it was open on one end and Ruby was eating lots of frozen corn while I was folding laundry and picking up toys. I will spare you the details of how I learned this.

We found a better solution in the “ace bandage aisle” of Walgreens, though I think she’s sort of missing the corn.

We had corn on the cob tonight. She calls it “candy on a bone,” though she can’t take original credit for that. Thanks, Aunt Jenny!

In a dream last night, I had made it to Blogher in San Jose. I met Dooce, wearing this shirt. I also spent the evening with a preponderence of drag queens, none of whom could stay within the lines with their lipstick. Fast forward to waking up with an enormous bejeweled safety pin in my uhm, privacies. Also, I had lost track of the zillion dollar camera, and couldn’t remember either the piercing or the disappearance or theft. Huge stress ensued when I realized I would have to tell Shaun that I had lost another camera. Heather and the other ladies were very supportive, but everyone just kept dancing while I limped around trying to find the Nikon.

I was still there when I woke up. You know that feeling? Good news though: the camera was in the diaper bag where I left it, and then…peek, tap, tap. Thank heavens. The giant vagina jewelry would not have worked with the kicky skirt slated for today.

to a Childrens’ Hospital, I recommend one that has one of these.

The Ball Machine.

Each of those colored tracks is transporting superball-sized rubber balls all over the inside of the cage. It makes great clinking and dinging noises. The balls hit at precise places so that they bounce and sproing into the next perfect spot to get swept up and keep moving.

I couldn’t believe the ball(s) hit the same spot on this cat’s tongue every time.

Ruby was transfixed. Almost enough to forget that a lovely looking woman, with Momma’s blessing, had just shoved a needle into her kneecap. Almost.

Not distracted enough, however, to forget that the main reason one goes to the hospital is to get a popsicle.