two-thirds old

Another month has come and gone like a thunderstorm. Clara still has no teeth and only some hair, but she hasn't been resting on her laurels. She figured out that eating solid foods is a significant step beyond putting toys in her mouth. When hungry at dinner time a few days ago, she snapped at spoons of oatmeal. Previously, eating solids had been merely a diversion.

She's a crawler now, mostly. It's kind of a drag/army crawl with interspersed rolls, but she gets all around the living room, often in pursuit of power cords, loose papers, and vents. The tiled kitchen and hallway are barriers due to a few too many ouchy head bonks. And she's getting louder, complaining when either frustrated or bored with us.
She loves hanging out with our friends. Sadly, Fereshteh is gone for summer, but will be back in the fall as a big-time UIUC student. Go Illini!Clara and Jill sometimes stop by my office to say hello and bring a treat. Clara loves checking out new places. How many other phone cords will she see during her lifetime?
Speaking of oldies but goodies, on my way home today a fraternity was playing Guns n Roses in the front yard. Which got me thinking, that song came out when I was in jr. high. After some math, I conclude that many frat boys weren't born yet.

I'm reading (okay, skimming. Malcolm Gladwell would have done a much nicer job with the topic.) Gregg Easterbrook's The Progress Paradox. The basic question is why Americans are so unhappy despite the amazingly pleasant conditions of our lives. Basically everything is better than it used to be (e.g. the environment, food, health care, leisure time, ...). So enjoy life people!