Wow, this summer is flying by.  In June, we had baby showers in both Iowa and Wisconsin.  Then, we took a week-long vacation in Villard, MN, just south of Alexandria.  Pictures of the events have been updated on the picture site: http://picasaweb.google.com/derek.d.anderson/

On the 4th of July, we went down to Wabasha for a Suilmann family reunion.  We stayed to watch the fireworks.  Normally, Clair and I sleep on the futon, but with Violet along, I got bumped down to the couch.  Mark and Sandy have a pretty comfortable couch.

Clair has started working on Monday nights, so we hired a baby sitter to cover the gap from when Clair leaves and I get home.  So far, so good.  She experienced a diaper blowout and didn’t quit.

Violet just keeps getting cuter.  She is over 13 lbs and 24 inches long.  Up there in the 95-97% for her age.  She’s quite healthy.  I think she is starting to laugh.  She loves flashing lights: tv, rainforest play area, flipping a light switch, the sun through the tree leaves.  She greats us every morning with a big smile and giggle.  It makes waking up a lot easier.

Violet and I have been watching movies together.  She usually falls asleep in her Boppy on the couch, so I turn on the subtitles and turn down the volume.  Last week, we watched Taxi Driver.  On Sunday, we watched The Incredibles.  I think that was more Violet’s speed.  I’ve got The Last Temptation of Christ sitting on the entertainment center.  I might have to wait until Violet falls asleep to watch that one.  I don’t want her thinking Willem Defoe is Jesus for the rest of her life.  He’s a good actor and from Wisconsin, but he was also the Green Goblin.  I could see how that would be confusing for a kid.  “Why is Jesus throwing exploding pumpkins at Spider Man?”  Good question, kid.

I was at a free screener movie with my friends Stephen and Tim last night.  The movie was “The Rocker” with Rainn Wilson.  It was a bad movie with a great supporting cast and a few good lines.  I wish I could recommend it, but I can’t.  Anyway, before the movie started, the random guy next to me was telling his girlfriend that an Obama/Clinton ticket was guaranteed.  For some reason, I couldn’t be quiet.  I told him, “No way in hell!”  The man retorted with, “I bet you a hundred grand,” and seemed kinda pissed that a stranger would have conflicting political views.  I didn’t really want to continue the conversation at this point, but I didn’t know how to get out of it.  Then Tim stepped up and threw out the best line of the evening, better than any line in the movie: “That’s a serious bet for a man at a free movie.”  Burn!

Due to some weird twist of fate, I managed to find a perfect St Nic’s gift for Clair: a t-shirt with a pregnant samuri schoolgirl on it. On Wednesday night, Mike O. and I went to the Lagoon to see a free screening of Juno. It is a movie about a pregnant teenager who is trying to give her baby up for adoption. It is actually a comedy, a very good one at that. One of the characters gives Juno a comic book about a pregnant superhero named Yuki. After the movie, they handed out t-shirts with Yuki. Classic. If you see Clair soon, be careful when reaching to touch her belly. She might channel Yuki and slice off your hand.