Another new toy

I guess since I mentioned my new toy in the last post, I should mention Nate's too.

He got an iphone this past week.  He could really use it for work, and when he found out that the firm would pay for the monthly data package, he headed over to the Apple Store to get his phone--as an early birthday present.  But then the phone was going to cost twice as much as we thought because neither of our phones were due for an upgrade.  So, then what happens?  The firm says they will just buy the phone for him.  Well, I guess we know for sure that the people at work like Nate or they wouldn't be buying him a $500 phone. (Yes, that's what that thing cost them.  Insane.  Completely insane.)

A clean floor

So I finally figured out how to keep my floors from being so messy all the time.  (despite the three tornados that are constantly blowing through)  Want to know the secret?  All you have to do is buy a super expensive vacuum.

We've had about the cheapest vacuum you can buy since we've been married.  It worked okay.  Then after a few years it broke and we replaced it with the same vacuum.  It worked okay too.  Then one day I realized that is smelled aweful when I vacuumed and that more dirt was probaby coming back out of it into the air than was being vacuumed up.  True, the bag was full and needed replacing, but I was officially sick of having a crappy vacuum.  Nate had been wanting me to get a Dyson since way back when he was working at Circuit City (they sold them there).  So, we've been saving a little each month since January to buy this...

I love this thing.  It's actually fun to vacuum with.  It picks up so much stuff.  And... you can't vacuum if the floor is covered in toys.  So I've been a lot more on top of picking things up.  Because my $400 is not going to sit unused in the closet.  If you spend that much on a vacuum, you are somewhat obligated to use it.  So, messy floor problem solved.

On another note, I had what was probably my first conversation with Damon.  You know how you talk to babies, even though they don't talk back, and then one day they actually answer you?  Today I was playing with Damon and I asked him, "Do you want to eat some lunch?"  Damon came over to me and answered "Cracker.  Mmmm."  (he says cracker like "ka-kuh")  It was short and simple, but I think its the first time he's reponded with words to something I've said to him.  It was really cute.  But he aparently thinks anything you eat is a cracker because I gave him green beans and he called them crackers the whole time he ate.

Birds, Dancing, Movies, and Natalie says

Here are some random things from our month of June.  We've had a nest right above our front door the whole month.  We had some birds build a nest a few months ago, but aparently, they weren't very talented nest builders because both their eggs ended up falling out and breaking.  Kind of sad.  But our most recent bird build a very nice nest and sat there day and night until her babies hatched.  I first noticed the babies on the 28th, but I think they had probably been there (under the mother) for longer than that because they weren't very small babies.

This cute little guy...

really is the most awesome dancer in the world.  I was going to take a video with my phone to post on here so you could see for yourself, but I discovered that my newer phone doesn't do videos!  So you will just have to believe me.  All babies are cute when they dance.  But I have to laugh out loud every time I see Damon dance.  He moves just his hips back and forth from side to side.  Usually, his hands will be on something and he will stick his little bum out and then his hips will go all the way to one side then bump all the way over to the other side.  Back and forth.  It is so funny.  And it never gets old.  His vocabulary is also expanding.  He says "cracker" very well.  He annunciates "no" so well that sometimes I can't tell if one of the other kids said it.  Oh, and "stop!"  is one of his new favorites.  He usually says this-- not when something is being done to him, but when Natalie and Kelton are doing something to each other, or if they are fighting.  Hmmm, do you think he hears me say that to them several (hundred) times a day?  He even has the intonation down.  It makes me laugh.

Last Saturday (which I guess was technically in July) I took Natalie and Kelton to see Cars 2 in the theater.  It was the first time any of us had seen a movie in 3D.  Nate stayed home with Damon.  He wasn't too sure about watching a 3D movie because he was afraid it might trigger a migraine.  I have to say, I wasn't all that impressed with the 3D.  It was okay, but I think the technology still has a ways to go.  And the glasses are a little more than annoying.  Natalie liked the movie--she's easy to impress.  I saw her checking over the top of her glasses a few times to make sure things weren't really coming out of the screen toward her.  Kelton was not so sure.  I can't tell if he likes seeing movies in the theater.  Or maybe this movie was a little too intense, or maybe he just wasn't too happy to miss his nap.  He was really good during the whole movie, but this is him shortly after we got home...

Then yesterday (hmm...also not in June) Natalie and I had some funny conversations.  We were playing Uno and I looked over at her and it just hit me how pretty she is.  So I said,

"Natalie, you are so beautiful."
N: "Yeah, and I'm so tan too."
Me: (I laughed) "Yes, you are so tan."  (she tans very quickly playing outside in the sun)
N: "Except I wish that I was peach like you, and not tan."

If only the rest of the world felt that way... :)  Actually, I really stopped caring a long time ago about having tan skin.  I will just have to start pointing out to people that my legs aren't white.  They're peach.  Sounds better.

Then, when I took Natalie in to her room at bedtime, I said,

"Guess what we are going to do tomorrow?"
N: "What?"  (real excited)
Me: (motioning with my arm to her messy floor that was cleaned the day before) "This."
N: (somewhat jokingly) "But I didn't do it.  Damon did."
Me: "Damon didn't do this."
N:  "Yes he did.  He's out of control!"