Best I Was Just at Home and Look at What Happened

Hey everyone, this isn't a style/design blog anymore. It's a pictures of kids blog. Deal with it.

Spent the weekend at home in Chicago, the occasion? Greg's Mission Farewell.

Saturday morning, breakfast was happening in the nook.

Interrupted suddenly by a caterpillar sighting. Investigation was a must.

This one is Ellie.

This one is Rachel. She has a lamb.

Here's an old family game, it's called Rock n Roll. It got invented after I was too big, see if you can figure out how it's played.



Breakfast had, most of us headed for the park at my old gradeschool. This is Kristen. She is my sister.

Mom.

This one is Blake.

This is Cory, he's really doing the monkey bars here.

And this is Owen doing a real pull-up. Or chin-up. You tell me.


And here's me really balancing.


This is Grandma Taylor a.k.a. "California Grandma"

Rachel, swinging.

Rachel, hanging.

Edwards assembled.

Mother again.
Oh it's me again.

Cory looks like he watches Friday Night Lights but actually he's never even seen it.

This is me saying "Not a single episode?"

Kristen is a Mom so she looks worried all the time.

"Don't worry, Kristen. Let's pose for a nice picture together instead."

"No, actually I think I'd rather worry."


Here comes Dad.


Pooped. Not really, thanks to Nordic-Track.

While we were all sitting under the trees way over on the other side of the park this was really happening. Owen didn't get a lot of one on one time as a child so now Mom tries real hard to make it up to him.
Grandma and Emily. Finally, a picture of Emily.

Little bit later we headed down to the place that we go to.

Here's 12 people ready to absolutely wreck a Mexican restaurant.

Don't worry, I was in a group shot too.

And finally, risen from his slumber, the man of the hour, the man of the weekend, Brother Gregory.

Getting down to business. Also please note that by now Grandma Barnes (a.k.a. "Utah Grandma") has appeared.

We spend a lot of time reading the menu every time we go to Las Fuentes but it's all an act, it isn't like we don't know exactly what we're getting.

This visit: 6 plates of nachos, at least.

I like this one, she was the one at the other end of the table yelling "More nachos please!" Come to New York again, okay?

The everybody.

See, I was there.

Something curious: a Hummer with 3 pigeons on it. From a distance it looked like they were inside it.

And Saturday night: the Fare Thee Well Party.

As mandated by tradition, the Missionary Farewell Piñata. Sure he's going to Argentina, sure Owen went to Spain. This is just how we do.


Murder complete.

And look at this, New Yorkers: some Mulcocks rolled up. They're getting tight with my parents, a little too tight. I need to raise my profile, I'm moving up to twice weekly phonecalls home.

And Dear Family: You thought Grandma and I had left for the hotel but really, you were being spied on.



Next: What Happened on Sunday? Soon you'll know.

Best This Week Is Dedicated to Beauty: Hygiene

It looks like I'm being marketed to.

For a while I've just been using my hands to bathe with my bodywash, but that's no way to live. So I went to the drugstore to get a scrubby thing. They had them in light blue, they had them in white, they had them in pink (all colors I've done before) and wait...they had them in Black? What a fine manly color, I thought to myself.

When I got home I noticed the tag:


For Men!

Best This Week is Dedicated to Beauty: Design, Internet Fame, and Coincidences

Two of my favorite beauticians (meaning someone who works in the realm of beauty--why, is there another meaning to the word?) are Claire the Architect and Brittany the Interior Designer. As far as I know (and I feel I know pretty far) these two don't know each other at all and I'm hear to talk about some mad coincidences.

Presently, Claire is living in Holland working for a "eating designer." Brittany is in Copenhagen honing her craft. Last week Claire's workplace (and face) were featured in Wallpaper Magazine Online (you'll have to click on the slideshow to see her). Also, last week Brittany began contributing as a foreign correspondent for Design*Sponge (here's one, and another [those are in reverse chronological order]). These two substantial and praiseworthy online conquerings were first made known to me through gchat statuses on the same day at practically the same time. That's out of the ordinary, isn't it? Can you imagine how I felt with all these coincidences raining down on me? It was crazy.

Anyhow, a public bravo to both of them. Perhaps their internet accomplishment and Euro-proximity shall yield a new friendship? Or, more excitingly, a terrible and bitter archrivalry? Time will tell!

Best This Week is Dedicated to Beauty: Film.

It's too bad that it wasn't until Thursday that I decided Steady Mobbin' would be dedicated to beauty this week, but the first three days of posting seem consistant enough with the theme.

Right now what I want to say is: I'm pleased and relieved that Ebert gave 500 Days of Summer four stars. If you've talked to me in real life you might know of my worries about this movie (which I'll go into after I see it and talk about it here), but Roger has given it a pretty strong stamp of approval. I am prepared to let this be the second movie I see this summer that I actually like without reservation.

Best This Week Is Dedicated to Beauty: Literature.

In case you were worried or wondering, yes, I'm reading Ulysses and yes, I'm having a great time. It's going slower than anticipated and it turns out the book is trickier than I remembered but still I'm loving every minute and every sentence.

Originally I had pretty ambitious notions of making a post about each chapter of the book and dropping lots of quotes and insight and research on you. After spending the better part of a Sunday several Sundays ago just tackling the introduction to my thoughts on Telemachus, the book's first chapter, I realized that that ambitious notion wasn't going to happen.

BUT that doesn't mean you aren't getting any Ulysses. This week I've mostly been reading the Wandering Rocks chapter and I came across a scene I just thought was too nice not to share. Please, read and see what can be done with words. (A little background: in this chapter Stephen Dedalus, one of our protagonists, is walking around Dublin):

Stephen Dedalus watched through the webbed window the lapidary's fingers prove a timedulled chain. Dust webbed the window and the showtrays. Dust darkened the toiling fingers with their vulture nails. Dust slept on dull coils of bronze and silver, lozenges of cinnabar, on rubies, leprous and winedark stones.

Born all in the dark wormy earth, cold specks of fire, evil lights shining in the darkness. Where fallen archangels flung the stars of their brows. Muddy swinesnouts, hands, root and root, gripe and wrest them.

and a few paragraphs later:

Stephen went down Bedford row, the handle of the ash clacking against his shoulderblade. In Clohissey's window a faded 1860 print of Heenan boxing Saers held his eye. Staring backers with square hats stood round the roped prizering. The heavyweights in light loincloths proposed gently each to other his bolbous fists. And they are throbbing: heroes' hearts.

Just little descriptions, that's all. But to me they stood out.

Best It's About Time

He always wanted a brother.



First night out on the town with the new kid. I was halfway home on the subway when I realized I had left half of my belongings at work, I guess I was a little too excited about the new kid. Back to the office I went and then cabbed it home. I never ever take taxis, but it was 11:30, I'd had enough.












Pretty pleased with the uninformed snapshotting so far.