Month: September 2006

Today at Wegman’s Cafe, Mommy helped Austen eat rice with a fork. Austen became fascinated, trying very hard to copy Mommy’s technique. Mommy and Daddy have learned that it’s impossible to teach Austen something unless she herself decides that she wants to learn it. They just wait for her to signal that she’s ready.

Timmy, Riley, Dean (standing), Ryan, Austen and Aaron on a playdate at the “animal haven” in Merrill Park.

Austen is worried that these lyrics apply to some of those closest to her:

They see me mowin’
My front lawn
I know they’re all thinking
I’m so White N’ nerdy

Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Can’t you see I’m white n’ nerdy
Look at me I’m white n’ nerdy!
I wanna roll with-
The gangsters
But so far they all think
I’m too white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Really really white n’ nerdy

First in my class here at M.I.T.
Jock skills I’m a champion of D&D
MC Escher that’s my favorite MC
Keep your 40, I’ll just have an Earl Grey tea
My rims never spin to the contrary
You’ll find they’re quite stationary
All of my action figures are cherry
Stephen Hawking’s in my library
My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
I got people begging for my top 8 spaces
Yo I know Pi a thousand places
Ain’t got no grills but I still wear braces
I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
I’m a whiz at minesweeper I can play for days
Once you see my sweet moves you’re gonna stay amazed
my fingers movin’ so fast I’ll set the place ablaze
There’s no killer app I haven’t run
At Pascal, well, I’m number one
I do vector calculus just for fun
I ain’t got a gat but I gotta soldering gun
Happy Days is my favorite theme song
I can sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I’ll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I’m fluent in Java Script as well as Klingon

They see me roll on, my Segway!
I know in my heart they think I’m
white n’ nerdy!
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Can’t you see I’m white n’ nerdy
Look at me I’m white n’ nerdy
I’d like to roll with-
The gangsters
Although it’s apparent I’m too
White n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
I’m just too white n’ nerdy
How’d I get so white n’ nerdy?

I’ve been browsing, inspectin’
X-men comics you know I collect ’em
The pens in my pocket I must protect ’em
My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
Shopping online for deals on some writable media
I edit Wikipedia
I memorized the Holy Grail
Really well
I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL
I got a business doing websites
When my friends need some code who do they call?
I do HTML do for them all
Even make a homepage for my dog!
Yo I got myself a fanny pack
they were having a sale at the GAP
Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
POP POP! Hope no one sees me get freaky!

I’m nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream
I was in AV club and Glee club and even the chess team!
Only question I ever thought was hard
Was do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?
I spend every weekend at the Renaissance Faire
Got my name on my underwear!

They see me strollin’
They laughin’
And rollin’ their eyes ’cause
I’m so white n’ nerdy
Just because I’m white n’ nerdy
Just because I’m white n’ nerdy
All because I’m white n’ nerdy
Holy cow I’m white n’ nerdy
I wanna bowl with-
the gangsters
but oh well it’s obvious I’m
white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white n’ nerdy
I’m just too white n’ nerdy
Look at me I’m white n’ nerdy!

Check out the video.

Austen sings along to the show, which she often watches in the morning or while eating — blame that on Daddy, not Auntie Holly. She has a Po doll and says “Po” clearly when she and Mommy sing the Teletubbies’ theme song.

Sometimes she throws a mini fit when she doesn’t get her way, which Mommy and Daddy try to ignore. Distracting her often helps the situation. Mommy carries the Elmo phone for distraction emergencies.

Dear Austen,

Before becoming Mommy, I always thought that diapers would be one of my least favorite parts. And, it’s true that poopie diapers can be nasty. But the funny thing is that when Daddy and I discover one, there’s often a lot of goofy smiles and laughter. “Uh, oh, it’s poopies!” “Oh, no! Not the poopies!”

We’re wacky sometimes.

Love,
Mommy

Austen is attempting new words everyday. Yesterday, it was “That’s” and “Elmo’s” while Mommy and Daddy were singing Elmo’s theme song. Today it was “Whoozit” when Mommy was talking to Austen about her Whoozit toy.

Austen went to Queens to visit with Grandma, Grandpa and Chacha while Mommy and Daddy went car shopping. She had a wonderful time with them, as always, but it still shocks Mommy and Daddy how much she prefers Grandpa to everyone else. She squirms to get away from Mommy when her eye catches Grandpa. “She makes a bee line to Grandpa,” explains Chacha.

Mommy and Daddy have been remiss and need to take more photos of Austen and Grandpa Rodey.

Austen and Mommy hosted a “Sound of Music” viewing party. They set the DVD to sing-along mode and tested the family room’s acoustics. There were snacks and toddlers roaming everywhere — Scout being a popular item of pursuit. Believe it or not, Austen is not the only little one who’s fascinated by Mommy’s singing. 🙂