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January 30, 2003

Picture Estella

The littlest baby in the family has been so very silly and way too grown up lately. She shares pieces of a banana with her dada and lets you know who is boss, sometimes loudly.

She can stand alone while holding the crib railings.

She loves the outdoors, with so much to see. She is very observant.

While shopping the other day with Little Stuff, I had to pick her up a soccerball.
She shares the most wonderful smiles with us and gets so excited when mama gets home. Giggles bubble out when you suprise her gently and the cats continue to garner her attention each time she sees them. Baby is the greatest.

Posted by clappstar at 11:27 PM | Comments (1)

January 28, 2003

Lots Of Neighbors

How many neighbors do you have on earth? Got a guess? Go find up to the minute statistics on the population of the world.

Posted by clappstar at 09:39 AM

January 21, 2003

She Is Growing

Estella is changing from baby to little person so quickly. She says "kihhhe" with a snake sounding "h" to refer to the cats. I guess you could say that is her first word. Or maybe since it is kind of unclear, it is her first definite sound associated with an object. "Dada" was probably her first clear sound, but not yet associated so everything from a cookie to the neighbor boy is called dada.

Here she is taking a bath.

She is eating bananas, rice and other cereals, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.

She is quite good at feeding herself the little stuff.

Posted by clappstar at 10:31 PM

January 20, 2003

Martin Luther King Jr.

Today marks the contributions of a man who's dream helped get America back on the track towards universal freedom and equality of opportunity that the founding fathers had envisioned but failed to globally enact. It seems that some still find it, unfortunately, a controversial holiday. Those who do, miss the point of Dr. King's message. His dream was focused specifically for his time in history and the black American's he sought to help. However, his message was explicitly universal as ought this holiday be. To pause and remember his work and the essence of his message on this day can do a lot towards building community. His message sought inclusion and asked all Americans to put their selfishness, be it intended or absorbed through tradition, aside to build a more unified culture in America.

Posted by clappstar at 11:56 AM

January 18, 2003

Alki Sunset

The winter in Seattle has been entirely decent so far. I had planned on getting soaked at least fifty percent of the mornings on my ten block walk to work. So far only once. The clear air and mild temperatures have made it entirely possible to go outside for walks in Seattle's parks. Yesterday, Estella and I walked along Alki Beach in West Seattle in anticipation of a beautiful sunset. First, with the sun still up in the sky, we saw a great view of downtown Seattle.

Estella watches the setting sun.
The sun went down south of the Olympics, far south of the mid-summer sunset. Yet it splashed the Olympic Mountains in shades of pink and purple and then cast them as a sharp silhouette in deep contrast to the fiery sky above and to the south. Sunlight passing through the atmosphere retains its red wavelength from the perspective of a viewer on the horizon, thus the warm hues of a sunset and sunrise. Clouds reflect the warm colors, appearing as vibrant oriental cushions in the sky. The display was roughly framed below by the Puget Sound as its chop and waves reflected perfectly the anxiousness and anticipation of a Friday night.
Estella and I just took it all in walking back and forth along the path as ferries passed and seagulls took flight. Runners alone and couples together crossed our path, though the number of people out to see the blazing sky was suprisingly small. On our way back to the city side of the point, we were delighted to see the lights of the city and facades of the buildings reflecting the sunset. And as if all this weren't enough, the full moon had just risen over the city! Wow. Plus I had this beautiful, silly, smiley little baby with me the whole time. What a grand time.
Additionally, after our fun in West Seattle, we went back home to mama. Baby was so excited to see her. She let out a shout and a giggle and squeezed me tight with excitement as we walked through the door with mama right there. Before we left, earlier, mama and baby were having fun.

Posted by clappstar at 12:03 PM

January 17, 2003

Recombinant

From a report published in 1985 to advise on the safety and concerns regarding drugs and biologicals produced with what was then the new recombinant DNA technology:

"Recombinant DNA technology involves the systematic arrangement and manipulation of specific segments of nucleic acid (DNA) for construction of composite molecules which, when placed into an appropriate host environment (cell type), will yield a desired product (protein)."

So when you ask what have I been doing lately, that about sums it up. My new focus is on taking the product (protein) and purifying it from the host environment (cell).

Posted by clappstar at 07:33 AM

January 16, 2003

Doctor Dad

I was cleaning up my computer and organizing some folders and came across this picture I had scanned of my dad's business card. John C, MD or Dr. C, pediatrician or childrens doctor. He practices in Tacoma, Washington or rather University Place. Notice the ear probe. He has already detected three ear infections on Estella.

Posted by clappstar at 01:01 PM

January 09, 2003

Beware, America

The military industrial complex? Are we being lulled to sleep with the purported development of a "defensive" military? Smart ol' president Ike said that America has huge responsibility in keeping the world safe. Can you imagine living on the brink right now in Iraq? At the very least we have an obligation to act or stand down, but to keep up the rhetoric of war is keeping all of us down. Especially the Iraqi children who like the American children of the Cold War are probably frightened out of their socks going to bed each night. I am not necessarily against war in Iraq, but I am totally against posturing and build up.
Tell me if I am wrong.

Posted by clappstar at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)

January 07, 2003

Disposable Underwear

Have you noticed? Lately everything is disposable. What ever happened to the horror stories they used to preach to us in school about the dangerous increase in garbage generated per person. I, for one, still get paranoid thinking about where all the garbage goes.
When you purchase batteries at the drug store they come in an oversized and thick clear plastic shell. When you open a toy for your little baby at Christmas you must have a chain saw to cut through the plastic straps and packaging that ties the poor toy down. When I pick up the mail each night, 90 percent of it goes right to the recycle bin. A bag of chips!?! That plastic wrapper is going to be hanging out in a landfill for a long, long time.
Resolution: Consume less "disposable" stuff this year.

Posted by clappstar at 09:50 AM

January 06, 2003

Sunset From Kerry Park

After a wonderful holiday break, it is back to work. Robyn is teaching lessons again, so Estella and I go out and find something to do. Today it was so nice and clear out I knew we could have a great view of the sunset. Estella slept along the way to Queen Anne. I bundled her in her winter coat and a new stocking cap she was given. We got out and sat on the concrete walls at Kerry Park looking out over the downtown skyline of Seattle. Elliott Bay was very smooth, the glassy water broken only by the ferries and a large container ship slowly crawing into port. The City reflected the setting sun and Mount Rainier loomed grandly in the distance. There we sat, Dada and baby.

An older women looked on next to us. She was with her daughter and was quite enamored by little Estella. Estella loved the attention and got very loud babbling away between smiles.
As the sun went ever farther toward the curtains of the Olympic Mountains, more and more people gathered to view the spectacle. There were probably over a hundred people as the sun departed, many taking pictures.

Posted by clappstar at 06:34 PM | Comments (3)

January 05, 2003

Estella Plays Piano

She really likes to play and hear the piano. This can only mean one thing, pretty soon I am going to have to start paying for her piano lessons.

Posted by clappstar at 07:01 PM

January 02, 2003

Good Living

I highly recommend this book by University Presbyterian Church pastor Earl Palmer. Even if you aren't a Christian, it lays out very pertinent details on how to live a logical, simple, thoughtful life growing as a loving, encouraging, nurturing person.

Posted by clappstar at 11:15 AM