gitmo waterboarded

I got home from a week away (in Atlanta) at a conference. I found this in the shower. I’m really concerned by what Leah is teaching the children. I thought we all agreed – in our house, at least – that torture was wrong?

Originally uploaded by erik.w.davis

John and Heather Leave for Arizona

Originally uploaded by erik.w.davis

Bon voyage, John and Heather. We love you, and miss you already.

daddy’s a horsey

Originally uploaded by erik.w.davis

More video at Flickr. Will repost from Youtube if they render the video more prettierly.

I just mentioned in the previous post that Freeman is spending the weekend up in Wisconsin with his grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc. Not us, though. Nope, we’re working, cleaning, etc.

Freeman likes to write emails to people. Mostly that means dictating word salad to me. Since he has no idea that typing takes time, it’s really improving my typing speed. Back up to secretarial speeds soon!  Here’s the email he sent this morning. Word Salad? Should I be worried about the popsicle and the soda can? Or the eggcrack on his butt?

—-

Dear Paxton, Dorian, and Kailani,

I both love you and I both miss you all the time; but I’m sure you’re fine. Do you have any sickness? But maybe you want to go to the cave. Just one day out for you and me. I love you so much it breaks my heart, but I just had an eggcrack in my butt, or in my head. C’mon, go to the cave with me! Off we go.

all done. Our house is six miles away from you if you want to visit. Bye. I love you. Next time I’ll see you. The exit is joy appropriate for everyone. I love you so much that I just love you, do you love me? You’re best friends with me. Or would you like to go to PomPom with me; Doo doo doo.  Soda cans are wiggling in the popsicle.

THe end of the wheels, hunting for forest, along came the brother, shaking up the boor merest. Up came the sun, dried up all the rain, the itsy-bitsy spider, …. I love you, I love you, won’t you go to meet me? Thanks for meeting me this Summer. This will be fun. Goodbye meeting duck

Love,

Freeman

A Walk With Nahanni

Originally uploaded by erik.w.davis

Heya. For those still following this little space, here are some new photos! See especially the most recent photos – this evening’s post-prandial walk with little girl.

Where is little boy? You may be asking yourself. Ahhh, good question. He is visiting with his Meimei and Pompom (that’s my parents) and his cousins, Dorian, Paxton, and Kailani, in Wisconsin this weekend. First weekend away from us.

I insisted that my father call us when Freeman was willing to talk to us a bit. He finally called, and put Freeman on the phone.

“Hi daddy!”
“Hi, sweet kid – how you doing?”
“Good….Okay, I don’t want to talk now. Bye!”

He’s having a blast, apparently.

Not actually my Aunt Jackie in Laos

Originally uploaded by erik.w.davis

When in Laos, I took this photo of a woman (my mother is on the left) who looks so similar to my aunt jackie (that’s not her on the right) that I had to stop her, explain the situation, and then ask her to agree to let me take her photo. Lovely and patient scandinavian tourist that this lady was, she agreed.

Home Rosebush

Originally uploaded by erik.w.davis

Just wanted to grace our slow-moving Embassy site with a picture of our rosebush in bloom. Note the beautiful compost bin, which is completely full, quite stinky, and provides – I think – a lovely counterpoint to the glorious flowers.

Cheers,

Erik

Just wanted to share this photo. Nahanni shows off a bite mark from one of her little buddies/assailants at day care!

Yeah, we’ve been out of commission here at the embassy’s communications center lately: too busy with all of our other commitments to write anything here. I hope the twitter feed has kept some of you amused and vaguely in touch.

A few things of note:

• Freeman is attending J.J. Hill Montessori (Public) in the Fall. I’m excited, and nervous. I hope it’s not too big a school, or too big a change. Worried parent syndrome.
• Nahanni is now sleeping in her own bed! That’s a huge change. She’s sleeping in her own twin bed just a few feet away from her brother, in their own room. Not sleeping through the nights yet, but an awesome improvement nevertheless.
• Our awesome next-door neighbor Pat taught and showed me how to replace our basement plumbing pipes two nights ago. The job lasted from 7 PM until 2 AM, but we got rid of the old, clogged, cast-iron pipes and replaced them with spanking brand new copper pipes (less lead, more water flow, and much shinier). They look great, and work much better (no more using the outdoor hose to fill up a sink full of dirty dishes, e.g.). Thanks to that, I now have a better idea of how to do basic plumbing, use a blowtorch, a hacksaw, sauter (“flux”), and a host of other issues.
• The next morning, the basement was flooded. The ancient water main shutoff had blown when I turned it back on. Pat fixed it with a crescent wrench. Wow. No problems now.
• Then, I bought and installed a new kitchen faucet.
• Leah’s been doing TONS of work on the new embassy: painting, ripping up carpeting, decorating….just tons of stuff.

We’re having our official housewarming party this Saturday! Should be lots of fun – people from Macalester, the neighborhood, the IWW, and, of course, family.

Then, Leah’s parents (Nonna and Poppop) show up in about a week and a half. The kids are nearly besides themselves with excitement.

Okay, that’s it. But hey – we love you.

Back when Freeman wouldn’t sleep for love or money, I almost lost my mind. That period lasted only about three months.

This kid hasn’t slept since he was born: seriously. Three years old, the child has never slept:

Doctors said Rhett Lamb of St. Petersburg apparently has a condition called chiari malformation that puts pressure on his brain.

Rhett has never taken a nap or gone to sleep at night, forcing his parents to keep watch day and night.”(My husband) has the day shift and I kind of have the afternoon shift,” mother Shannon Lamb said. “We share the night shift because no one can sleep in the house when he is up anyway.”Lamb said she is working extra to pay for Rhett’s large medical bills. She also said her husband, David, has given up his job to care for their child.”I would give anything for Rhett to be this normal little boy who plays and has a good time,” Lamb said. “If it takes going to every single solitary doctor, I will do it.”

lordy, lordy. No doubt she’s going to every single doctor. my deepest sympathies. [link, via]