Lagniappe

I would have called this post "Miscellanea," but in honor of the WhoDat nation, I thought I'd go Nawlins-style. (Lagniappe means "extras"--look for it above the list of apps and sides next time you go to a Cajun restaurant.)

A few thoughts this week:

• Kate is growing in her language skills right now. At the 12-month mark, she really was only saying "baba" and "mama" and they were only loosely connected to "bottle" and "mommy." Now, when we ask her "Where's your sippy cup?" or "Where's Daddy/Mommy?" she can retrieve or point appropriately.
• Actually, "Dada" may be coming along better than "Mama" at this point, even though she had the "ma" sound down first. She will actually say "Da?" when looking for Matt. It's really sweet. She'll also give hugs to either of us (sometimes) when we ask.
• We didn't really attempt the sign-language thing at all her first year, but recently, I've been doing a few basic ones for her (more, please, snack, cup, eat, and "all done!") and she will imitate some of them, with a possible connection to the meaning. I do think she knows "all done" now, as it's the most consistent one I've worked on (and the most fun to do!) At the end of mealtime, I do the sign--both arms raised in an "I surrender!" pose--then when she imitates it, I take away her tray. This morning, when I asked "Are you all done?" without doing the sign for her, she did it herself, so I think we're getting there!
• In non-Kate news, I began my day by prying a tiny shard of glass out of my big toe. That was not fun, and is kind of disconcerting with a toddler running about.
• I am also shocked at the snow we're getting this year. Last year, the dusting we got while I was giving birth was the most we got all year, but this year, we've had three "sticking" snows already--the more recent two of several inches accumulation!
• Today is this third snow to which I'm referring, and while it's beautful, I hate the whole "should I drive in it?" question. It seems silly to worry about three silly inches of snow, when part of the nation functions fine with a foot! But, we don't get the plowing and salting that Yankee states do, and the popular refrain that "Southerners don't know how to drive in snow" seems to give everyone an excuse to stay off the roads. Oy! Could the fourth and fifth snows this year please come on weekends, when I don't HAVE to go anywhere?
• I've written before about Mike Slaughter's new book Change the World. The book trailer was posted to Facebook last week. I love it. Very powerful.
• I've been listening to Jennifer Knapp's album Kansas for the last several days. I always tend to play the same CD (no, I don't have an iPod or much of an interest in getting one) over and over before switching to another, but I've really been in a rut with this one. I can't find words for what's going on in my spiritual life right now, but somehow this album gives voice to what I'm not sure how to express. Her voice has a strange, Alanis Morrisette sort of quality, like a middle eastern mourning wail.
• Tonight when Matt goes to Roundtable Pulpit, I'm watching My Sister's Keeper. After renting the book through Bookswim, I put the movie at the top of our Netflix queue. Matt refuses to watch it with me, but I'm quite looking forward to it!

So that's the "extra" stuff in my life right now that didn't make it into Project Life or another post.

What's going on with you these days?