June 21, 2007 0834

8lb 6oz 20.5 inches. 14.25" head. Here's some first images, more coming soon.

Obviously Eleanor is the best child ever and we trust her a great deal. So if she was backing Amy, Jon and Leann were backin' Amy! It's exciting to have met the first woman senator from Minnesota. Explaining the senate (particularly as it was at the time during the race, a cesspool) was kind of boring, so we told Eleanor that Amy Klobuchar (about whom Eleanor still speaks and asks what she's doing) was going to become "a powerful woman" and Eleanor accepts this explanation with a no-nonsense nod and assent, "Yeah! Amy Klochar, she has powers!" which we must agree with wholeheartedly.

As we mentioned, we're having another baby, expected in June. There is the first picture of him or her (we'll find out and let you know) at the right. Cute little alien space monkey from beyond the Oort clouds, ain't s/he? Keep us in your prayers!

We took a little vacation recently. We headed up north to Cascade Lodge where we took our honeymoon in 1996. We decided that after ten years, we should go back.

Jon and Leann's tenth anniversary trip pictures

Eleanor and Marisol played together while Mari's new baby sister, Constance was being born. So we took some pictures of that.

Then later, Jon went to Atlanta for a couple days. So Leann and Eleanor took a couple days to play around Minneapolis. They took the train and went to the park and to the amusement park inside the MOA.

Here are the pictures.

You can go see pictures of us and Eleanor, all taken with a cell phone (so they kind of look raw or blurry). Some of them can be seen here just navigate around.

There's also a gallery of pictures taken BY Eleanor because she's already eerily comfortable with technology. Once you get past the dizzying bluriness, there's a certain beauty to them, a certain j'ne sais quois to the pix. Mostly because she's SO delighted to be taking them.

Yes, picture, singular, sorry. At right is the latest Eleanor picture. FYI If you click the pic, it will pop open a new window with a much bigger version (In case you're wondering, some of our readers--family members of course-- will be receiving actual factual pictures). We're so proud of our little girl, and here she is. Leann reports that the photo session was particularly hilarious as Eleanor was delighted to be shot, asked for more pictures, ran around the studio and found an Elmo that was on-site for the purpose of making other kids smile and insisted they photograph Elmo in a number of poses she set for him. She was also happy to hold the "E for Eleanor" block.

ANYway, there she is! Eleanor's three, and loves to play with her kitty, play on the computer, and learn about stuff at school. By school we mean a pre-K program and hourly daycare at Calvary of Golden Valley. Incidentally, that's the same daycare and preschool Leann attended 25 years ago! And they say modern daycare is destroying our traditions and family values. Bollocks.

Okay this is just a cover-my-rear post until some pix come together. Leann, Eleanor and I bought a house last year. Since August we've been living in a pre-WW1-era home in North Minneapolis' Jordan neighborhood. Together with Leann's family and a few stalwart friends and neighbors, we've been busy as ants making our house a home. Pictures are forthcoming. Also there's a new picture of Eleanor who is in a pre-K program and part-time daycare at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley. The picture is blindingly cute.

We are basically happy, though we work very hard and that makes it harder to find, and cling to, our tenuous balance with the world.