Weird Science

Does anyone have a lava lamp these days....... other than me?

This one turns on every day during the winter. Takes about an hour to heat up enough to be fluid, making the translucent balls of goo that float up when heated and sink down when cooled.

 

It is an interesting process. The lamp is at the bottom and as the goo begins to warm it forms a dome. Then all of a sudden the warmer stuff inside the dome erupts out shooting to the top of the glass, then solidifies again in a most weird formation.

I find the formation fascinating.

And in a way, disgusting. It looks like an alien embryo perhaps.

Or Julie's gall bladder.

Have I shown you that?

Quite interesting...

My interests and occupations can be quite sophisticated (it is apparent no doubt) and .... well,

I thought I'd share.

Peek.....A.....Boo!

Alas, this blog is about the center of the universe... again.

Reine: The serious, contemplative side.

One of her funny expressions.

The innocence of the little ones are a lesson if we can but learn and apply it. Reine doesn't worry about how she looks, whether serious, funny, goofy or otherwise. She is self-unaware. No pretense, no calculation, no deception. Pure innocence. And endearing. (and in this case, a little messy)

She is so good natured.

Her grandpa teases her as much as he can get away with,
as long as she doesn't mind!

What I like about this video is that about half way Reine lifts both arms and pulls a face ready to squawk about not having something to eat, I think. At that exact time, Grandma puts a piece of toast on her tray and aborts it mid start!

I have so many videos of her. I like to just watch her. This one is nice because she is making cute noises but near the end she gets a drink and coughs a little. I cough with her and she mimics me with much cuteness.


In these next two videos Reine is playing her version of peek-a-boo with Grandma (Julie). It's the first time I've seen her do this. I love her laugh. Too bad you can't see the videos in sharper detail.

Reine with Uncle Kevin

Reine is fascinated with cell phones. She'll turn them over and over, pressing numbers, making the screen light up and calling people she doesn't even know.

Using Unc to climb up into a better position.

(I love her feet in this and the photo before!)

Ah, now she can see the fishies better!

So there you are, another installment of the center of the universe. 
  As seen from her grandpa's eyes anyway.

Tacos & Ladder Ball Anyone?

One so very nice Sunday evening we had the gang (Kevin, Michael, Lindsay & Reine) at our home for taco dinner, as we are want to do. Later we went onto the front lawn to play some Ladder Ball. After a bit we had a few visitors, two of which stayed to play a couple of games with us.

Here are a number of photos and a few videos of that evening.

While dinner was under construction I took some self-portraits of me and Reine. Reine actually cooperated for a few of them.

That night we tried a different kind of avocado. A low fat avocado if you can believe it. It was quite large and held much promise. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. It had a strange texture with a lot of moisture. That alone wasn't bad. It didn't taste like an avocado should. Now, describing the taste of an avocado is nigh to impossible but we definitely could tell what one doesn't taste like, and this one was perfect in that way. Fortunately, even if it didn't taste like an avocado we would eat it anyway if it tasted good. Unfortunately, it didn't. Sadly, A LOT low fat avocado went to waste. :'(

Dinner is served.

Nice days in Anchorage cannot be beat. That said, it would sure be great to have a few more of them. What would it be like to live somewhere that has soooo many days of warm sunshine that a day or two of rain or even clouds are a remarked upon occurrence?

We set Ladder Ball up on the front lawn in the mist of a gorgeous evening.

 

Michael's sister Nancy came by for a few minutes. She'd been out of town for a few weeks and wanted to see Reine and meet Mickelle.

 

   

A very cute family.  

Reine didn't like the grass!

It was quite distressing to her. She her sitting holding up her left leg? Apparently she could feel the grass poking her through her pants.

"I don't like this Mom."

Thank goodness for our dads. They are always concerned for our utmost comfort. Always looking out for us! Unfortunately for Reine, her papa is just like the rest of us papas.

I believe we can see the truth confirmed here that we are DEFINITELY grateful for our mothers, most of whom do not have a sadistic sense of humor!

Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Rogers came over to see Reine. That might sound strange and I'm sure it isn't exactly totally true but that's the context I use now whenever Reine is involved in the least degree. It is all about Reine.

Great Grandma shows her enthusiasm!

 

We talked them into playing a game or two with us. 

After a few rousing games of Ladder Ball we retired to the kitchen and partook of homemade apple pie made of apples from our own little tree and homemade vanilla ice cream. That was uh..... yummy!

I'll end this blog with a parting shot of Reine.
It only seems appropriate.... =D

Poops?

Not too long ago in a land near enough, we had a family dinner of tacos and such with Kevin, Mickelle, Michael, Lindsay and Reine. In the mist of dinner or perhaps close to the end Reine put on a demonstration. I got the camera out a little late but still captured a bit of the action. So, speaking of the end, without further adieu........ Reine.

Reine Likes Ice Cream

Grandma... Not fast enough!