Nora Evelyn

Nothing to see here. Just this unbelievably big girl sitting on the couch reading* Richard Scarry in pigtails.

* not really.

Today Nora’s Granny gave an Irish breakfast (a proper fry at the crack of noon). At some point the topic of my old VW Beetle came up and its rather unfortunate and untimely loss. I loved that car. It got 25 miles to the gallon (of gasoline) and something like 20 miles to the pint (of oil). I once traded apples for motor oil at a rest stop near Novi just so I could get home without my engine seizing up.

After hearing of the car’s untimely loss, Nora turned to me, put her hand on my arm, looked earnestly up into my eyes, and we had the following conversation:

Nora: I will get you a new Beetle car, daddy.
Me: oh, thank you, sweetie!
Nora: I will get you a new Beetle car. It will have to be when I’m a grown-up so I can drive it to you.
Me: *sniff* *tears up*
Nora: And you can drive it everywhere. You can drive it to work!
Me: thank you, honey, that’s very sweet.
Nora: *hand still on arm* what’s your favorite color, Daddy?
Me: green
Nora: I will get you a green Beetle car, daddy. When I am a grown-up.

*sniff*

When Nora wants to pretend to bake a cake she insists on only the finest, and fanciest, pretend cookery. This is the casserole she uses for pretending to bake (and serve) cakes.

I love this picture. I love this picture. Jen took this picture and it might be one of my favorite things that has ever happened ever (yes, including cookies). Okay so we have Nora’s crazy smile, Julie mouse patting violet bunny on the head (presumably to comfort her for something), Corny Cob looking just the tiniest bit crazy stalker there in the corner, Marabelle snoozing in a Biscuit-blanket hammock, and the disembodied head of Yellow Baby overlooking it all.

Our friends Wes and Jo and Zara and Amity stopped by during a 4^th of July swing through town. They were incredibly forgiving that I’d stood them up repeatedly to write, thanks guys.

(from July 8^th)

Waaaaaay back on June 16^th we celebrated (2 days late) the birthday of Nora’s Uncle Eric. We did this at a perfectly charming local bistro: Le Merle Americain Rouge

(from June 16^th)

Nora’s no stranger to the audiologist’s laboratory or, for that matter, to the phonetician’s laboratory (also here, here and here). But lately she’s been quietly dealing with some mild hearing loss (she’s amazingly good at reading lips). We caught it with our trusty SPL meter and some head-turned whispering of words like `cookie’ and `ice cream’. I’m not going to let myself post the audiograms, but here are some photos Jen took during a recent exam.

(from July 8^th)

There is no reason that a peanut butter & jelly sandwich on wheat with a side of julienne carrots has to be boring!

(from June 17^th)

Never underestimate the playtime potential of a well-loved old blanket and a pointy wizard’s cap.

(from July 5^th)

(from June 28^th)