News 7/28/04

7/28/04 Not much new happening here. It's a really beautiful evening, not too hot and humid, but definitely summer! We are off to the park to run around a bit (let's face it, the only running we do is chasing after our girl...).

We finally realized it is easier to take turns watching her at the park. If we double team it we look like over-anxious parents and we both end up worn out. If we take turns one can hang out at the picnic tables while the other works up a sweat climbing the jungle gym. It's no fun being the "on duty" parent (well except for the joy of watching her have fun) but it's SO EXHAUSTING! She is right at the age where exploring is everything but danger means nothing. And she's a daredevil. She will climb those stairs and run right to then where the fireman pole waits for the big kids. You either have to chase her up the stairs and over the little bridge to beat her to the pole, or stay on the ground and hope she doesn't take a turn and head down the ladder! It's crazy!

But the best thing about the park is lots of excercise means lots of sleep for a toddler. Can't wait to get home!

7/24/04 Howdy folks! We made it home! It was a great trip! Aside from a few melt downs (from our daughter and from me) it was a really nice time. We were able to have a change of scenery, which was so necessary after the usually monotonous schedule. The only set back was that she didnt like the swimming pool! For some reason she freaked out whenever we would go in! This was highly unusual because she loves the bathtub and has been swimming once before. So, although I'm not a big suntan freak, I am unfortunately still my natural white color that I've been the last two years!


7/16/04 Isn't it funny how we get all stressed out before we leave for something fun? What I mean is, it seems like whenever there is a vacation, trip, party, night out, something fun planned, it seems like stress levels get real high until you arrive at the destination. This happens to us time and time again!

I dont know exactly what causes it, maybe it is the anticipation of excitement that drives us to the edge. Maybe it is the craziness of getting ourselves together and on our way that winds us up until we pop! I know it's not right, but it's something our family deals with.

Speaking from experience and from conversations I've had with his family, my husband can be quite a task master when it comes to leaving on time. It usually goes like this: if he is the one "supervising" the trip, we leave at "0800 hours" or you might get left behind. I remember watching him follow family members around the house putting on the pressure to leave by telling them once they walked outside there was no coming back in! This kind of stuff stresses people out! But to his credit he is famously known for arriving early to events. I, on the other hand, succeed in stressing myself out by "thinking" too much about the whole occasion. I make lists and more lists, start packing days in advance, wake up in the middle of the night remembering that one key item I haven't yet packed and then spend the next day wandering around the house trying to remember what it was I remembered the night before. I plan out just when and how we need to pack the car then freak out if we dont do it just as planned. So I guess we both have our little ideosyncracies that bother not only others but also ourselves!

I think my biggest pet peeve about my husband is he has a small time management problem (is this going to get me in trouble?....) which often causes tensions to rise because just as we set the house alarm to leave he is suddenly having to brush his teeth, find his keys, search for his wallet, as if we hadnt made these plans hours or days ago. The man standing at the door saying, "Ready when you are!" is suddenly dashing around the house trying to beat the alarm as it counts down. So I am often standing at the door with the baby and my purse, diaper bag, snacks, etc, waiting to find out if we really are leaving or not. This from the man who barked out "We leave at daybreak!"

I suppose his biggest pet peeve with me (besides me sharing this information with the general public...) would be my "my way or the highway" mentality on how to pack, how to load the car, how to drive, how to get there, etc. Is that a woman thing or a deeper issue that needs to be dealt with? I guess you could say I am particular, or maybe even perfectionistic. Ok, let's be honest here, I'm a control freak.

Anyway, needless to say, we are on our way, and cant wait to get there. And oh yeah, I wasn't joking. We really do leave at daybreak....

7/12/04 We are embarking on our first family vacation since having our daughter 16 mos. ago! Granted, we have been on a few short trips in the car (when she was about two months old), and two flights across the country to visit family, (when she was about 8 months old), but nothing like this. You see, once they start walking, travel is a whole new ballgame.

Trying to figure out how to entertain a toddler who cannot yet talk, but definitely knows how to run around, while she is locked into a car seat for six hours is mind boggling. I know many parents make longer trips than this with several kids tied down, and hey, I applaud them. But hearing about it and actually set off on your own adventure are two different things.

See, you aren't just packing for you and your husband, or even just "packing" for your child. You are underdaking the mother of all packing project. You've gotta pack clothes for each day, all kinds of weather, and then another round of clothes in case those clothes get soiled. You've gotta pack diapers, diaper bags, diaper cream, thermometers, medicines, ointments, snacks, toys they love, toys they've never seen before in case they ditch the toys they love, more snacks, strollers, play pens, hairbands, barretts, shoes, more toys, sippy cups, bibs, baby silver ware, doctor's phone numbers, the baby carrier in case they wont go in the stroller, baby music to entertain them when they ditch all the toys, and every other thing under the sun that you might need when stuck in the car, stuck in the hotel, or stuck in the room in the middle of the night.

Then you have to try and fit it all in the itsy-bitsy compact car you plan to make the drive in. I'll let you know how it goes! In the meantime, we appreciate your prayers....!

7/5/04 Well I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July celebration! We got together with my husband's sister and her family and it was lots of fun. We met up at an ice cream parlor near the main street of a small parade that takes place each year, and cooled off before finding our seats along the curb.

The four of us have had so much fun together in the past it has been great "growing up" or "growing old?" just 10 miles from each other the last 4 years. In that period of time we have begun to have children, the men have settled into their jobs, and I think we have moved a total of 4 times all together. Anyway, it is strange watching us become the "adults" and our children begin to enjoy the perks of childhood, while we still feel like the 20 year olds we were when we all became a family. Anyway, back to my story...

So like I said this is a little parade that takes place each year. Kids decorate their bikes and wagons and ride alongside mom or dad to start the parade off. Then the political candidates make their drive down main street tossing candy, balls, and what-have-you to win a few votes in the upcoming election. It ends with the police cars and fire trucks blaring their sirens. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes.

Well about midway thru the political part of the parade we had acquired a bit of candy and my brother-in-law was goofing around with a tootsie roll and stuck it to his top teeth to get a laugh from his 4 year old daughter. Just about that time one of the candidates taps him on the shoulder to shake his hand and he, not knowing who it was, turns and gives her a big grin with tootsie roll wrapped all around his teeth! It was truly one of the funniest moments we have had as a family in a long time. We are still laughing today about it.


7/2/04 Have a great Independence Day celebration! Thank you to all of our service men and women who have served to protect this nation and our way of life over the years. May God bless you all! Have a great 4th!

6/29/04 I dented the Scion.......! Nothing major, but ooooooo was I in trouble! Well, not really, but I was sure I would be. It was all so innocent, really. I big huge innocent accident. That's why it's called "accident" right? It's not on purpose therefore it's an accident.

It happened in our own driveway! We had a guy over to do some recording and he parked awkwardly (if I might say so myself) so that his backend was just crossing the path of my exit from the carport. Now I have been exiting that stall of the carport for years, so it is basically like clockwork to me. A little angle right with the steering wheel to avoid the big tree and a quick turn of the wheel left to stay on path down the driveway. I do it several times a day and could probably do it in my sleep!

But not this time. I put it in reverse and without even putting my foot on the gas...with just the slightest backward motion....less than 5 miles per hour.....I hit his car. EEEEK! I panicked! Luckily --and I love you buddy---his car is kinda a junker so I couldn't even tell if or which dent I made in his vehicle. I had to get to my appointment and didn't have time to go in and tell my husband and his friend. (OK, you're right, there was plenty of time but what's a girl to do!?) I saw the damage had been done and didn't want to face "The Man."

I went to my appointment and came home knowing the buddy would still be here and so would my hubby. Our friend didn't see a thing and I was off the hook there. But someone else wasn't quite so forgiving. Honestly--and I say this with a pure heart--it is a very small dent. More like a ding. I mean no paint damage, smaller than my hand, like the size of an egg. Just a small ding. When I told him his face went white--I'm not kidding. "What happened?" he asked. So I explained.

I suppose I've been forgiven, but I must admit it comes up every now and then. It doesn't help that he had already given me the nickname "the barreler" as a driver, and then I have an accident in our new car! (His nickname, by the way, is "daydreamer." He's one of those guys who looks around a lot and kinda accelerates then decelerates. Drives me crazy.)
Anyway, let's hope he makes the next dent.

6/25/04 I guess life is normal right now. I don't have any quirky little stories to tell or news to report. My husband and I are adjusting to being alone together with our daughter again....isn't that funny? Company leaves and life returns to normal but you have almost forgotten what normal is. So it ends up taking a few more days just to return to normal! With his work we are used to him coming and going and we have come to accept that this adjustment period exists and we just have to roll with it. Sometimes it goes rather smoothly and other times it is a lot like a football game with one of us on offense and the other on defense. Lots of tackling, kicking, throwing, tripping, foul play, bumping heads, facemask fouls, yards lost, and fumbles as we both try to reach that glorious endzone unfortunately on opposite ends of the field. Eventually we figure out how to work as a team again and we cross the line together, exhausted, a bit bruised (metaphorically speaking...) but happy to be one again.