Pardon My Blogging Absence

Remember my Home Projects List? We're really knocking it out. Will be back to regular blogging soon...with lots of pictures!

On My Mind

(If you are reading this post in a reader, there is a video, that will probably not come up. You'll need to open the post in an internet browser.)

It's amazing how many little things in a single day, that use to be overlooked, now remind me of my brother. Literally, thousands of small moments everyday make me think of him. No matter the time that goes by, there is a pain that aches beyond anything that can be described when you miss someone the way I miss him.

I heard this song on the radio not too long ago. 

Each time I hear it, I feel a small whisper in my heart, "He had just enough time. Save your tears. He is fine. I will send you a rainbow. You will see his colors and know he is fine."



This photo was taken November 2008 on our way to his memorial service.

Glacier Park + Screaming Baby =

I promise, no more screaming baby titles. Especially because each time I say that, I keep adding...

....fortunately, not us!

I'll start by saying that if you live near family, whether it's a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, an aunt, an uncle, a grandma, a grandpa or a x-second cousin from your x-step-dad's side, who is there to help you raise your child(ren), be sure to thank them...often! This is not a luxury I have and I have to tell you, the moments I do get when I am near my family, and they keep K for anything from a few minutes so I can take a shower without planning around her schedule, or an entire day, so I can go out and do whatever I want, I become a new person. I guess I should say I become an old person because it's like a moment where I can just be me again. Yes, even in the simple moments like taking a shower without timing it so I can be sure to squeeze in all I need before K wakes from her nap. It's refreshing.

So, when I got to spend almost the entire day in Glacier Park, along with the hubby and two of our closest friends, it felt like I hit the lottery! This was the real vacation part of our vacation!

Entering Narnia (Avalanche Trail):

Check out how blue that water is!

The same area J and I got engaged 4 years ago!

The sign we see after maneuvering over limbs, scaling steep cliffs, and peering over all sorts of steep drop offs to get near the waters:

Heading deeper into Narnia:

My favorites:

(hubby on the left, Nurse K, and Dr. J)

And Bambi, who all but told me to move as she decided to take a walk down the lake on the same narrow little path I was on-

As she approached me:

As she walked along the path she booted me off of:

And because I was in a particularly refreshed mood after a full toddler-less day, enjoying fresh air, good friends and Bambi, I asked J to take a picture of me. Not that it's a particularly good picture...but if this is me feeling refreshed, I obviously wouldn't ever post a non-refreshed me picture!

Hotel + Screaming Baby =

...again, fortunately not us.

But, the three of us, carrying a small country in our suitcases, managed to stay in quite possibly the world's smallest hotel while we were traveling.

It was the Days Inn at the Spokane airport.

I could almost stretch my arms across the room.

Ok, it wasn't that small, but it was definitely the smallest room I've stayed in. When they dropped off the pack-n-play for K to sleep in, Jeff and I basically had to hire an architect, an engineer, and a entire construction crew to determine how to find space for the pack-n-play to be set up. If we placed it in the bathroom, we couldn't close the bathroom door. Also, if we went inside the bathroom, closed the door, then set it up, we couldn't open the door to get out of the bathroom. We couldn't place it beside the bed because there wasn't enough space before you hit the wall. We attempted to move the base of the bed flush against the wall to make enough space on the other side of the bed, but the bed was mounted to the floor and we couldn't move it. We tried placing it at the foot of the bed, but the desk, mounted to the wall, was in the way. We couldn't put it in the "hallway" into the bedroom because the door to our room wouldn't open/close.

So, the genius husband I married, opened the closet, took everything out, said a prayer, waved a magic wand, sprinkled magic fairy dust, and viola, the pack-n-play just barely fit into the closet.

By this time, we were ready to pass out.

K was not.

So....

That's the closet door that's open. Her pack-n-play is in there. The tv is mounted above the closet.

Seeing a theme?

I promise...she does not watch this much at home.

(disclaimer: The Days Inn Spokane Airport is actually a very comfortable, clean hotel and would have been great if the rooms were just a bit bigger.)

Airplane + Screaming Baby =

...fortunately, not us.

Although traveling with a toddler carries many challenges. 

First there is the luggage issues. Seriously, who knew the smallest person required the most stuff? If it were just J and me, I think we'd have one suitcase. Take along K, and we have three. Plus a crammed diaper bag. Plus a crammed mini-cooler for drinks and food. Plus a humongous car seat. 

Thank goodness for Southwest. I'm convinced the 5 executives at Southwest have a combined total of about 80 children who realize that even on their salaries they cannot afford excess baggage fees. That's why they vote every year to make sure Bags Fly Free (disclaimer: I have no knowledge of the number of executives of Southwest, their families, how often they vote or how much money they make, but I am certain that excess baggage fees are...well in excess...and Southwest is awesome for realizing that when people travel, they travel with stuff).

Second, no one caters to Moms in an airport. Going through security with a child may as well be an Olympic sport. Or a suicide attempt. Take your pick. The person in front of you will undoubtedly be the slowest human being on the face of the planet, making the Tortoise look like he's gunning it in a ferrari. Meanwhile, you are juggling your crammed diaper bag, crammed mini-cooler, and a squirmy toddler while trying to gather the correct number of bins to place your 10,000 items in before sending them through the scanner. As if wipes, diapers and crayons are the materials one would use to take down a plane. "Excuse me Captain. You better hand over control of the plane or I will color all over your face. Don't test me. I have mad coloring skills."

However, Tortoise, moving in slow motion in front of you, is still trying to figure out whether he needs to place his shoes in separate bins, blocking any ability to grab the 18 bins you need for the mini-house you are carrying with you to send through the scanner.

On top of that, Mr. WallStreet-With-No-Family-Or-Any-Idea-Of-What-It-Mean-To-Be-Polite is behind you practically shoving his way to the bins because heaven forbid he misses his plane and has to join the commoners in coach on the next flight.

But...all of us Moms manage to make it through security. Our hair is standing straight up, our shoes are on the wrong feet, and we are leaving behind a trail of miscellaneous socks/Cheerios/toy cars/one or two articles of clothing as we pass through security, hoping our sanity will make its way to the other side before our plane departs.

And then...we board. And because our kids fly in our laps for free until they are two years old, and no one wants to pay for a seat the child is not likely to sit in for more than 10 minutes of the entire flight, we cram the smallest child, with the most luggage on the entire airplane, into a seat with Mom, who lost her sanity at check in, half her clothing at security, and any ability to think for two seconds about needing something for herself to eat on a flight that provides nothing but a mini glass of water and two peanuts over the course of 1300 miles, and we expect Mom to entertain the entire ride.

(disclaimer #2: AAP recommends no tv until age 2. Sorry, but even Southwest had to cut out SuperNanny from their flights)

I have no idea how generations of Moms before us survived.

Scrumdiddlyumptious

Scrumdiddlyumptious is a real word (if you look in the urban dictionary). But in case you aren't familiar with it, it means this:

(image from Our Best Bites)

and this:

(image from Taste of Home)

Yum.

These are my two newest favorite recipes I've discovered from my month-long strike against eating out.

Be forewarned, I know how ridiculous my next sentence is going to sound - as if it belongs to the same genius that decided to put "Warning: Contains Nuts" on a jar of roasted peanuts.

Warning: If you don't like veggies, these recipes aren't for you.

I, on the other hand, am in the minority of the American populous between ages birth and 95 and I love vegetables...well, most vegetables. I'll pass on brussel sprouts.

If you too happen to be in the minority, there is a little link under each picture that will lead you straight to the recipes.

Bon appetite!

Weekend Edition

1. Saturday - Trip down to San Diego to see the lovely BLC while she was on vacation. Love this girl - she is one of the most wonderful people I know! I had such a great time catching up with her and wish I got to see her more often! 

2. Saturday evening - Concert in the park. Journey tribute band. J and I had a blast. But I think K had even more fun than us! She was up an hour and a half past her bedtime and she showed no signs of slowing down. She was so excited to see so many people and she was singing to the music. Believe it or not, she is totally a Journey fan, thanks to Glee. 

3. Sunday - Church. After church, ate out (gasp!). Nap time followed. Then playing at the park. Great weather. Great day. This is what Sundays were meant to be.

And of all these fun events, the only pictures I took over the weekend were these three. Guess it shows that after a month of no eating out (yes yes, with the exception of a few CFA visits), the most eventful portion of my weekend that I just couldn't miss and had to capture in a picture....was eating out.

...but really, I had a great weekend. Loved my time with BLC, loved the concert in the park, and loved the relaxing Sunday!

A Friday Photo

Like Daddy...

...like Daughter.

Thursday Thoughts

I am definitely not a fashionable person. Seriously, my dream closet looks something like

this:

plus this:

I could live everyday in jeans and a white shirt. Add a bunch of great shoes, a few handbags and some fun jewelry and I'm set. That's the extent of my fashion sense. 

Feel free to call Stacy London and Clinton Kelly on me.

I'll tell you exactly where I'll spend that $5,000 shopping spree. 

Talbots. 

Yeah, I said it. 

I think my mom shops there. 

But seriously. I just got their September 2010 catalog in the mail.

You know what it says on the front?

Love At First Zip.

Apparently:

"There's nothing sexier than a great-fitting pair of jeans." - Michael Smaldone, Chief Creative Officer of Talbots.

Mr. Smaldone is my new best friend. 

Now please go over to What Not to Wear and nominate me. I'd really like to go spend all that money on 

this:

this:

this:

and this:

*all images from Talbots.com

Hey, at least there's no white shirts in my list.

A Mom's Good Intentions

Obviously, as a parent, you try to do the best you can for your child. Finding the balance between discipline and enjoying childhood. Giving presents without over indulging. Teaching healthy eating habits without depriving your child of a little dessert. Then you question yourself -- did I give enough? Too little? Am I doing the right thing?

Take the below picture (if you click on it, you'll get a much better view). 

Here, K and I are outside in the sun for a little bit. 

I basically bathed her in sunblock. There is such an abundance of sun in California, I'm convinced you can sit inside with the blinds closed and you will still get a tan. Yes, that means that I actually do have a little bit of a tan (KDL, you would be so proud!)!

Her clothes cover her well. Not just to protect her skin, but because from day one, I'm teaching her to dress modestly (ok really, I'm not going overboard. I realize the word modesty and baby don't really go together. but I do have all intention of teaching her to dress appropriately!). If I ever have to see her dress like I did at certain times in my life, I will probably forbid her from shopping anywhere other Nuns 'R Us. 

I've had to work on teaching her to keep her sunglasses on, but like I said, lots of sun here. All that squinting leads to wrinkles (no I'm not worried about wrinkles on a one year old...just teaching her to wear her glasses) and sunglasses protect your eyes from harmful damage from the sun. UV damages skin and eyes. And these cute little glasses have built in UV protection (check out Gymboree to pick up a pair of your own...well for your child, not you). 

But sometimes, I have to wonder...

Are all my good intentions...

going to come to this?!

(not intending to judge any pageant girls out there...wait, don't they like judging...

...maybe that was a bad joke...)

Don't be jealous...

...of all the super fun stuff I did today.

Blog-Over

I gave the bloggy a little make over. Nothing major since I don't understand all the "language" computers and internet pages speak to each other. But, it'll make my pictures a little bigger. Including that one of the feet at the top of the page. Sheesh, that's practically life sized now.

Thursday Thoughts

1. Kaitlyn had a check up today. She's still, as the doctor calls it, tall and "lean." Apparently, American growth charts are too lenient so although Kaitlyn is in the 25% for her weight according to American growth charts, put into a global perspective of height/weight growth, she's really around the 50%. Hum, do they use growth charts for adults? If so, I'll take the American one please!

2. I distinctly remember being about 8 months pregnant and going to the mall one day. I had a near panic attack because I realized it was one of the last times I'd ever be able to just whisk myself off on a whim and go to the mall without a thought of childcare or feedings or naps or any other child-related care taking issue. Although I distinctly remember having that thought, I can no longer remember or even imagine what it felt like to be so alone and carefree. I don't even have the luxury of going to the bathroom by myself anymore.

3. It has been 3.5 weeks since I've been out to eat (other than 2 trips to Chick fil A which are totally excused since it's brand new and prior to those visits, my CFA visits have been few and far between!!). I've been cooking three meals a day for almost a month. I'm running out of ideas. But I suppose after a month, it's okay to start repeating things, right?

4. I'm becoming so domestic aren't I? Before you know it, I'll be showing of pictures of all my cross-stitching projects.

5. Hum, maybe I could use another list. In addition to my Adventure of the Week, my Books to Read, and my Home Projects, I'll post a list of Cross Stitch Projects.

6. I'm totally just kidding. Nothing against cross stitching though, just not my thing.

7. At least, not yet.

Adventure of the Week...

...will be continued next week. We had a little LA adventure planned but because of a few appointments we'll be going next week.

However, we did do a little "camping out"...

...we played a little ball...

...and rolled around in the grass a bit.

Back to regularly scheduled adventures next week!

Thursday Thoughts

Just a post of random thoughts for the week.

1. Kaitlyn is now 18 months old. Looking back, I cannot believe how fast it has gone. The other night, Jeff and I were looking at pictures and videos and it is amazing how much she has grown and changed in the last 18 months. It really almost hurts to see her growing up so fast. I think I need to tape my eyelids open because I'm scared to blink.

2. We also just made it to an official one year mark in California. That too has gone faster than I thought, but unlike Kaitlyn growing, this is a good thing! Truth be told, I'm actually kind of enjoying the experience of something totally different. I just don't want to think about it being permanent and without a definite "leave" date it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But at least I know we now have one year down!

3. I discovered two new shows I love. I am not one to stray much from the basic cable of ABC, FOX, NBC, and, totally for Kaitlyn, PBS, but I've gotten hooked on two USA shows: White Collar and Covert Affairs. Someone needs to tell tv produces that having such long breaks in the summer is not a good thing. Overpaid actors really don't need three months for a break. I mean, really. During the summer, I get hooked on new shows and all of a sudden Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, and Modern Family just don't seem as good. I mean, who knows, maybe now that I'm out of the habit of watching them, I won't even return to them once they come back on...well until of course they show the commercials for the season premiere. I'll be hooked then.

4. Today, I read this article about the full body scanners that have been placed in major airports around the country. If you aren't aware of these, here's just a tiny little nutshell - it takes a scan of your body that is kind of like our sci-fi dream of x-ray vision. Basically it takes an image of your naked body. Now, no, it does not look like an image that you are going to find in certain adult-magazines. But it is a digital image that is pretty darn close to x-ray vision. For security purposes, this is actually a pretty amazing thing. For privacy purposes, let's just say you better not be modest at the airport. Someone behind a screen is going to see your anatomy and it isn't your doctor. There are supposed layers upon layers of privacy (for example - your face is blurred, the person looking at the image is in this little room and never actually sees your face, they can't even see you in the flesh as you walk through, etc.) but one of the great claims people have mentioned when the privacy issue comes up is that the images are not stored. They can't be downloaded and sold (like in LAX where naked celebrity pics could be sold for a lot of money!). It's an image that comes up, checks you for dangerous, hidden objects and then once you are cleared to go, so is the image. Poof, it's gone. Here is an article from 2009 that has a video (look for the red words "watch a video") where you can see more. If you check out the first article, you'll see that this alleged claim that the images can't be saved isn't exactly true, as thousands of images have been saved. Personally, I am so adamantly against such a violation of privacy, whether or not the images are saved, I cannot believe that these things are being used on a daily basis. I also find it incredibly hard to believe that a majority of the population is okay with the use of these machines. But, I'm not going to make a soapbox out of this. Point is, I'm very much against the use of these machines. Fortunately, you can still opt out of using them.

But...I also recently saw this movie The Ghostwriter. Decent movie, although I felt like it was a little slow. But there is a quote in it, which I'm not going to get exactly right, but goes something like this: "I'd like to set up two lines at every airport. In one line, you can walk up, check in, no questions asked, no security checks, and board your plane. In another, you'll first deal with all the precautions we've taken based on information we've gathered, yes, some of it through torture, and I'd like to see which line you'd choose before you put your kids on a plane."

Just some thoughts.

For the record, I'm still opposed to someone taking a scan of my body...and especially of my child's body. I can't imagine what I'll be facing when Kaitlyn is 16 and we go to the airport. But...if those two lines did exist...hum.......

5. On a lighter note, since I'd rather end on a lighter note, the high tomorrow is 75°. Hallelujah. I'm tired of hot.

Tomorrow starts the weekend!