Babygirl's new best friend - Cousin Brandon!
Friday, August 25, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
What will they think of next
Boy oh boy! It is the age for being a parent! Kid distractions at every turn. I have to say, Babygirl will definitely be a TV-watcher. It's the only way to get stuff done. Pop in a 30-minute Elmo or Barney video and you can vacuum, do laundry, fix your lunch, etc. I haven't experienced the Terrible Twos in the grocery yet. Hopefully, Publix will have these things by then!
Fireworks by Smokey (pun intended)
Our next grand adventure was going to the lake house in Kingston, TN for the 4th of July. We headed up there for four days of fun, hillbillies, lots of food, fireworks, and mayflies. The whole clan was there including my grandmother, parents, aunt, her husband, my brother and sister-in-law, and us. Big party with lots of food. LOTS of food.
Granddaddy and Grandmommy bought Babygirl an insane pool-type thing. It had a slide, it squirted, it had moveable parts. Insane! She had a blast with it. We also took the Munchkin out for her first boat ride. The grandparents rented a pontoon for a couple days, which has gates and railing all around. We put a munchkin-sized life jacket on her and away we went. And, she loved it.
The highlight of the trip was firecracker night, which was the 3rd this year (except for some neighbors down the river that thought lighting huge rockets at 2:00 am the night before was a good thing). As it was last year, you gotta love legal firecrackers in hillbilly country. All the rednecks shoot some amazing stuff out over the river. Including us! We all setup our “watchin’ place” by dragging all the deck chairs down by the river. Granddaddy and Uncle Peewee proceeded to light what turned out to be, by comparison a puny stash, out over the river. In between our rockets, we watched an amazing show of booms, and swooshes, and lights directly across the river. Sleepy Babygirl sat on my lap the whole time and flinched and then clapped appropriately. About a half hour later, we realized that it got really light across the river. Then we realized the locals lit something up. Lo and behold, we got to watch half the hillside burn in addition to the awesome fireworks show. I can only imagine that next year’s show will be a disappointment.
Granddaddy and Grandmommy bought Babygirl an insane pool-type thing. It had a slide, it squirted, it had moveable parts. Insane! She had a blast with it. We also took the Munchkin out for her first boat ride. The grandparents rented a pontoon for a couple days, which has gates and railing all around. We put a munchkin-sized life jacket on her and away we went. And, she loved it.
The highlight of the trip was firecracker night, which was the 3rd this year (except for some neighbors down the river that thought lighting huge rockets at 2:00 am the night before was a good thing). As it was last year, you gotta love legal firecrackers in hillbilly country. All the rednecks shoot some amazing stuff out over the river. Including us! We all setup our “watchin’ place” by dragging all the deck chairs down by the river. Granddaddy and Uncle Peewee proceeded to light what turned out to be, by comparison a puny stash, out over the river. In between our rockets, we watched an amazing show of booms, and swooshes, and lights directly across the river. Sleepy Babygirl sat on my lap the whole time and flinched and then clapped appropriately. About a half hour later, we realized that it got really light across the river. Then we realized the locals lit something up. Lo and behold, we got to watch half the hillside burn in addition to the awesome fireworks show. I can only imagine that next year’s show will be a disappointment.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Hilton Head 2006
So I think it will be a long time before Mapgeek and I have a vacation again. As told to me by a friend, when you have kids “vacations” become “family trips”. Gone are the days of sitting by the beach/pool, reading a trash-mag and sipping a fruity drink. The beach now consists of running up the beach after the baby, running down the beach after the baby, distracting the baby from poking sleeping sunbathers, distracting the baby from taking off with other kids’ toys, etc. We had a great time watching our little girl discover the beach and all the joys of sun, sand, and water. She loved it! As if we had any doubts….
We’re still competing with naptime, so our days consisted of getting up around 7, eating breakfast, and heading to the beach. Then it’s back around 11 for naptime and lunch. Then back to the pool in the afternoon for an hour before the second nap. I felt like we were on the move the entire time. It’s hard work entertaining a toddler! The weather couldn’t have been better though. Mid-80s all week and no rain while we were there. Of course, then we get back to Atlanta and it’s been 95 ever since. We’re definitely ready for fall here.
We’re still competing with naptime, so our days consisted of getting up around 7, eating breakfast, and heading to the beach. Then it’s back around 11 for naptime and lunch. Then back to the pool in the afternoon for an hour before the second nap. I felt like we were on the move the entire time. It’s hard work entertaining a toddler! The weather couldn’t have been better though. Mid-80s all week and no rain while we were there. Of course, then we get back to Atlanta and it’s been 95 ever since. We’re definitely ready for fall here.
Is it August already?
Wow ok so I said when I started this blog that I’d NEVER let it lapse. And here it’s been almost 3 months! So sue me. It’s been a busy spring and summer so I’ll try to catch you guys up in a few hopefully interesting installments.
May was slammed as it is every year, falling right on the tail of our anniversary. My wonderful husband, Mapgeek, after a brief respite from anniversary responsibilities (and a great one it was!), gets to suffer through Mother’s Day and then straight into the gauntlet that ends with the annual trek to Hilton Head Island in the beginning of June. This year was a little longer and included six family birthdays, Father’s Day, and our annual BBQ. To top it all off, his lovely wife (me!) was contending with the First Trimester Blues. Yes, you read right…we are now expecting Curleykid v3.0! More on that later.
Moving right on to Babygirl’s first birthday….we had a wonderful party for her and invited our immediate family, a few close friends, and a few of Babygirl’s friends. Babygirl was a charmer, as always, and a little social butterfly. She did all the appropriate cake mushing and playing that one should do on their first birthday. And then she crashed hard for a long nap. And I did too!
May was slammed as it is every year, falling right on the tail of our anniversary. My wonderful husband, Mapgeek, after a brief respite from anniversary responsibilities (and a great one it was!), gets to suffer through Mother’s Day and then straight into the gauntlet that ends with the annual trek to Hilton Head Island in the beginning of June. This year was a little longer and included six family birthdays, Father’s Day, and our annual BBQ. To top it all off, his lovely wife (me!) was contending with the First Trimester Blues. Yes, you read right…we are now expecting Curleykid v3.0! More on that later.
Moving right on to Babygirl’s first birthday….we had a wonderful party for her and invited our immediate family, a few close friends, and a few of Babygirl’s friends. Babygirl was a charmer, as always, and a little social butterfly. She did all the appropriate cake mushing and playing that one should do on their first birthday. And then she crashed hard for a long nap. And I did too!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
Ren Fest 2006
I’m so sorry! It’s been far to long since I’ve updated my blog. It seems like there is so much going on. Our springs always seem to be so busy. Busy, busy six-toothed Babygirl is keeping me hopping. I do think it’s easier once they start to walk. Then you don’t have to worry about putting them down somewhere.
Let’s see – on the Babygirl front – she loves to be chased! Mapgeek or I will “chase” her and she gets so excited. She tries to walk fast, flaps her arms, and laughs and someone tries to get her. Of course, she always get so excited she falls down. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.
We took her to the Renaissance Festival this weekend. We met Biff, JD, and Biff’s daughter, Freckles (and the cutest freckles ever!) down there. Biff, Freckles, and I have been going off and on for a few years. Anyways, Ren Fest is hilarious. All the local nerds get dressed up in their best D&D outfits and show up speaking Old English. The weather was beautiful and there was plenty of park-like areas for Babygirl to run around. Lots of food including roast turkey legs, fried dill pickles, and kettle corn (though I couldn’t find the corn this year, dangit). There’s also shows including a real live joust!
Babygirl loved this big dragon (i.e. person in a dragon suit) at the entrance. Wasn’t scared a big. She just wanted to touch it. There was also a Mother Goose exhibit where you could sit and talk to “Mother Goose”, which was a big white goose named Maggie. There were 2 other geese and a duck. Babygirl LOVED it! She even got a hug from Maggie. We also went to the petting zoo part too. There were rabbits, geese, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, and lots of loud roosters. Babygirl especially liked the rabbits and lambs. Of course, by the time we left, 3 hours later, Babygirl was crankkkkkk-eeeee and immediately fell asleep in the car. Sweet thing.
I’ll try to post some pictures shortly!
Let’s see – on the Babygirl front – she loves to be chased! Mapgeek or I will “chase” her and she gets so excited. She tries to walk fast, flaps her arms, and laughs and someone tries to get her. Of course, she always get so excited she falls down. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.
We took her to the Renaissance Festival this weekend. We met Biff, JD, and Biff’s daughter, Freckles (and the cutest freckles ever!) down there. Biff, Freckles, and I have been going off and on for a few years. Anyways, Ren Fest is hilarious. All the local nerds get dressed up in their best D&D outfits and show up speaking Old English. The weather was beautiful and there was plenty of park-like areas for Babygirl to run around. Lots of food including roast turkey legs, fried dill pickles, and kettle corn (though I couldn’t find the corn this year, dangit). There’s also shows including a real live joust!
Babygirl loved this big dragon (i.e. person in a dragon suit) at the entrance. Wasn’t scared a big. She just wanted to touch it. There was also a Mother Goose exhibit where you could sit and talk to “Mother Goose”, which was a big white goose named Maggie. There were 2 other geese and a duck. Babygirl LOVED it! She even got a hug from Maggie. We also went to the petting zoo part too. There were rabbits, geese, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, and lots of loud roosters. Babygirl especially liked the rabbits and lambs. Of course, by the time we left, 3 hours later, Babygirl was crankkkkkk-eeeee and immediately fell asleep in the car. Sweet thing.
I’ll try to post some pictures shortly!
Monday, April 10, 2006
Immigration 101 (cont'd)
Ok, I found a great site, Rapid Immigration, with everything you'd want to know about immigration. I think it's very interesting how our rules and social attitudes evolved. Basically, the US limits immigration to 700,000 per year. And there's quotas from different countries so that one country doesn't have all the slots. If there weren't the limit, millions would immigrate here and the country would have to absorb them all. If that were the case, there wouldn't be enough jobs for everyone and there would most likely be rampant poverty which leads to more crime, etc. Sounds like a good reason to me to enforce laws against illegal immigration. Plus, I thought everyone else in the world hated America?
Significant Historic Dates Affecting US immigration
Naturalization Act of 1790 - Stipulated that "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States"
1875 - Supreme Court declared that regulation of US immigration is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act - prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
1885 and 1887 - Alien Contract Labor laws which prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
1891 - The Federal Government assumed the task of inspecting, admitting, rejecting, and processing all immigrants seeking admission to the U.S.
1892 - On January 2, a new Federal US immigration station opened on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
1903 - This Act restated the 1891 provisions concerning land borders and called for rules covering entry as well as inspection of aliens crossing the Mexican border.
1907 The US immigration Act of 1907 - reorganized the states bordering Mexico (Arizona, New Mexico and a large part of Texas) into Mexican Border District to stem the flow of immigrants into the U.S.
1917 - 1924 - A series of laws were enacted to further limit the number of new immigrants. These laws established the quota system and imposed passport requirements. They expanded the categories of excludable aliens and banned all Asians except Japanese.
1924 Act - Reduced the number of US immigration visas and allocated them on the basis of national origin.
1940 The Alien Registration Act - required all aliens (non-U.S. citizens) within the United States to register with the Government and receive an Alien Registration Receipt Card (the predecessor of the "green card").
1950 Passage of the Internal Security Act - which rendered the Alien Registration Receipt Card even more valuable. Immigrants with legal status had their cards replaced with what generally became known as the "green card" (Form I-151).
1952 Act - Established the modern day US immigration system. It created a quota system which imposes limits on a per-country basis. It also established the preference system that gave priority to family members and people with special skills.
1968 Act - Eliminated US immigration discrimination based on race, place of birth, sex and residence. It also officially abolished restrictions on Oriental US immigration.
1976 Act - Eliminated preferential treatment for residents of the Western Hemisphere.
1980 Act - Established a general policy governing the admission of refugees.
1986 Act - Focused on curtailing illegal US immigration. It legalized hundred of thousands of illegal immigrants. It also introduced the employer sanctions program which fines employers for hiring illegal workers. It also passed tough laws to prevent bogus marriage fraud.
1990 Act - Established an annual limit for certain categories of immigrants. It was aimed at helping U.S. businesses attract skilled foreign workers; thus, it expanded the business class categories to favor persons who can make educational, professional or financial contributions. It created the Immigrant Investor Program.
USA Patriot Act 2001 - Uniting and Strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism
Creation of the USCIS 2003 - As of March 1, 2003, the US immigration and Naturalization Service becomes part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department’s new U.S. Citizenship and US immigration Services (USCIS) function is to handle US immigration services and benefits, including citizenship, applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant applications, asylum, and refugee services. US immigration enforcement functions are now under the Department's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, known as the Bureau of US immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE)
Significant Historic Dates Affecting US immigration
Naturalization Act of 1790 - Stipulated that "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States"
1875 - Supreme Court declared that regulation of US immigration is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act - prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
1885 and 1887 - Alien Contract Labor laws which prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
1891 - The Federal Government assumed the task of inspecting, admitting, rejecting, and processing all immigrants seeking admission to the U.S.
1892 - On January 2, a new Federal US immigration station opened on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
1903 - This Act restated the 1891 provisions concerning land borders and called for rules covering entry as well as inspection of aliens crossing the Mexican border.
1907 The US immigration Act of 1907 - reorganized the states bordering Mexico (Arizona, New Mexico and a large part of Texas) into Mexican Border District to stem the flow of immigrants into the U.S.
1917 - 1924 - A series of laws were enacted to further limit the number of new immigrants. These laws established the quota system and imposed passport requirements. They expanded the categories of excludable aliens and banned all Asians except Japanese.
1924 Act - Reduced the number of US immigration visas and allocated them on the basis of national origin.
1940 The Alien Registration Act - required all aliens (non-U.S. citizens) within the United States to register with the Government and receive an Alien Registration Receipt Card (the predecessor of the "green card").
1950 Passage of the Internal Security Act - which rendered the Alien Registration Receipt Card even more valuable. Immigrants with legal status had their cards replaced with what generally became known as the "green card" (Form I-151).
1952 Act - Established the modern day US immigration system. It created a quota system which imposes limits on a per-country basis. It also established the preference system that gave priority to family members and people with special skills.
1968 Act - Eliminated US immigration discrimination based on race, place of birth, sex and residence. It also officially abolished restrictions on Oriental US immigration.
1976 Act - Eliminated preferential treatment for residents of the Western Hemisphere.
1980 Act - Established a general policy governing the admission of refugees.
1986 Act - Focused on curtailing illegal US immigration. It legalized hundred of thousands of illegal immigrants. It also introduced the employer sanctions program which fines employers for hiring illegal workers. It also passed tough laws to prevent bogus marriage fraud.
1990 Act - Established an annual limit for certain categories of immigrants. It was aimed at helping U.S. businesses attract skilled foreign workers; thus, it expanded the business class categories to favor persons who can make educational, professional or financial contributions. It created the Immigrant Investor Program.
USA Patriot Act 2001 - Uniting and Strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism
Creation of the USCIS 2003 - As of March 1, 2003, the US immigration and Naturalization Service becomes part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department’s new U.S. Citizenship and US immigration Services (USCIS) function is to handle US immigration services and benefits, including citizenship, applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant applications, asylum, and refugee services. US immigration enforcement functions are now under the Department's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, known as the Bureau of US immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE)
Immigration 101
I’m sure you all are as curious as I am about the hoopla that’s going on with the immigration reform. I’ve been hearing it on the news and apparently the “Mexicans” went on strike recently (are “Mexicans” the only immigrants?). I got to thinking about immigration and have lots of questions.
1. Can a person from Guatemala one day just say “hey, I think I’m going to move to Florida this week”?
2. What’s the criteria for immigration? Do you have to have a job lined up? How are you supposed to find a job if you can’t come here to look?
3. I hear stories about people being deported. Or maybe that’s just on TV. If deportation happens, who decides who gets to stay and who has to go?
4. At what point in history did the US government decide to stop or severely limit letting people in?
5. What exactly is the big deal about this immigration reform? Sounds like the government is actually going to enforce existing laws.
And I do understand some of the bigger picture. If we didn’t slow the influx of immigrants, communities wouldn’t have time to absorb so many without a lot of problems (see Katrina Victims for an example). And, I totally resent having to pay, through taxes, for services for non-taxpayers, including welfare junkies and illegal immigrants.
I’m going to do a little research and let y’all know what I come up with. Please feel free to respond if you know the answer to any of these.
1. Can a person from Guatemala one day just say “hey, I think I’m going to move to Florida this week”?
2. What’s the criteria for immigration? Do you have to have a job lined up? How are you supposed to find a job if you can’t come here to look?
3. I hear stories about people being deported. Or maybe that’s just on TV. If deportation happens, who decides who gets to stay and who has to go?
4. At what point in history did the US government decide to stop or severely limit letting people in?
5. What exactly is the big deal about this immigration reform? Sounds like the government is actually going to enforce existing laws.
And I do understand some of the bigger picture. If we didn’t slow the influx of immigrants, communities wouldn’t have time to absorb so many without a lot of problems (see Katrina Victims for an example). And, I totally resent having to pay, through taxes, for services for non-taxpayers, including welfare junkies and illegal immigrants.
I’m going to do a little research and let y’all know what I come up with. Please feel free to respond if you know the answer to any of these.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Baby Action
Oh my gosh, Babygirl is walking! It apparently started last weekend when she “let go” and stepped a couple of steps for her Grandmommy P. Then on Monday, we stopped Big D’s house while we were out walking. Babygirl saw Remy (the French bulldog) and let go of my hand and took two steps to Remy so she could tackle him. Best baby-dog ever, by the way.
Mapgeek and I are babysitting Bandit, aka Track Star, my brother and sista-in-law’s cat, while they are away. Babygirl LOVES this cat. Best baby-cat ever, by the way. You’ve never seen such a cat. He loves to be around people and just follows us around the house. And he purrs and snuggles up against Babygirl, all while she’s pulling his tail and grabbing his collar. Anyways, she walks to him constantly. A few steps here, a few steps there…
We also attempted to start swimming lessons this week. More for Mommy’s sake than Babygirl’s. We’re taking swimming at a local dive shop, SeaVentures, that happens to have an indoor pool. We’re also taking with one of our fellow Stroller Striders and her son. I got Babygirl all suited up in the brand new swim diapers and the cutest new bathing suit, when Sister Stroller Strider walked in and informed the 12 of us (6 mommies and 6 babies) that class was cancelled. Someone threw up and no one could enter the pool for 30 minutes. Basically our entire class time. All 12 of us were very disappointed and the mommies were discussing the fine art of drinking pool water and barfing, when the throw-up boy’s mommy apologized. I felt so horrible for her because it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I mean, sure the dive shop is refunding us for that class, but who’s to say Babygirl won’t be the upchucker next week.
Lots going on here in the fine town of Roswell. More to come!
Mapgeek and I are babysitting Bandit, aka Track Star, my brother and sista-in-law’s cat, while they are away. Babygirl LOVES this cat. Best baby-cat ever, by the way. You’ve never seen such a cat. He loves to be around people and just follows us around the house. And he purrs and snuggles up against Babygirl, all while she’s pulling his tail and grabbing his collar. Anyways, she walks to him constantly. A few steps here, a few steps there…
We also attempted to start swimming lessons this week. More for Mommy’s sake than Babygirl’s. We’re taking swimming at a local dive shop, SeaVentures, that happens to have an indoor pool. We’re also taking with one of our fellow Stroller Striders and her son. I got Babygirl all suited up in the brand new swim diapers and the cutest new bathing suit, when Sister Stroller Strider walked in and informed the 12 of us (6 mommies and 6 babies) that class was cancelled. Someone threw up and no one could enter the pool for 30 minutes. Basically our entire class time. All 12 of us were very disappointed and the mommies were discussing the fine art of drinking pool water and barfing, when the throw-up boy’s mommy apologized. I felt so horrible for her because it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I mean, sure the dive shop is refunding us for that class, but who’s to say Babygirl won’t be the upchucker next week.
Lots going on here in the fine town of Roswell. More to come!
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Our Stroller Made the Web!
We had a great time visiting 'Manda in Charlotte last weekend for St. Patty's Day. A "local" photographer (she had a heck of a New Yoook accent) asked Manda and McCallen to pose. More later!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Viva Las Vegas!
Ah, so much to write about! We’ve had a busy week. We all made it to Vegas and back this week (we all = Mapgeek, Babygirl, myself, Grandma C, Grandpa C, and Markyjo and Niknik).
Air travel and Babygirl
Let’s start off talking about airplane travel and a baby. There’s just so much STUFF that you have to take along with a baby. We checked our 3 suitcases (2 small ones for Mapgeek and myself and 1 big one for Babygirl). We carried-on 2 backpacks, a car seat, a stroller, and a baby. We had it all packed perfectly to lug around. Mapgeek had a backpack (with a laptop, video camera, and digital camera) and we put the car seat in a bag with a shoulder strap. A little heavy, but manageable. I had the diaper backpack and the baby in the stroller. Then we had a couple jackets in the stroller’s underneath basket.
And then we get to the security checkpoint. We literally had to unpack Mapgeek’s backpack, the car seat, and the stuff in the stroller’s basket. Babygirl had to come out of the stroller, which was then sent through the scanner. The computer, cameras, and the jackets had to be put in bins to go through the scanner. The two backpacks had to go in bins to go through the scanner. And to top it off, we had to take off our shoes to go through the scanner. *sigh* It’s quite an ordeal. Then we got to pack it all back up to get to the plane.
Babygirl did excellent on the plane. We left around 6pm and I had a few bottles ready for her to suck on when we took off and landed, just in case she had problems with her ears. I never noticed any issues with her except being sleepy and being too wound up to go to sleep. The only negative in getting to Vegas was a brief layover in Dallas. Since we were flying about the time that Babygirl goes to bed, I was hoping she would sleep the entire flight. Unfortunately, the layover ensured a power nap between Atlanta and Dallas and then full-on go-mode baby.
When we got to Vegas, Grandpa C had a limousine waiting for us (yay Grandpa!) so we loaded all 7 of us and all our STUFF for the quick jaunt to the Flamingo Hotel.
Ok, now about Vegas…
Day 1
We got checked into the hotel pretty late. Luckily, we had the forethought to get adjoining rooms with Grandma and Grandpa C. Everyone went out gambling, and Mapgeek and I put Babygirl in her crib (got one at the hotel) and hung out next door. We ordered room service and watched TV. We were all exhausted, so it was a brief evening for us.
Day 2
Babygirl was up and going at 6:30am, so the three of us got ready for the day, which takes 2 hours. We met the family and headed downstairs to one of the restaurants for breakfast. The Flamingo was the first hotel that we were introduced and it was astounding at first look. It seemed like the casino wrapped around and every corner you took was another entrance into it. Which was pretty much the case. Near the main restaurant, there was an exit into the hotel’s courtyard, which had wildlife exhibits and gardens. There were penguins, flamingos, lots of ducks, turtles, and huge coi. A river-type thing ran through it all. Babygirl loves animals, especially the penguins. After breakfast, Mapgeek, Babygirl, and I spent a good bit of time outside at the Flamingo. The weather was gorgeous, but a little cold to take advantage of the four pools.
The three of us walked across the street to Caesar’s Palace. We quickly realized that the Flamingo was nothing compared to some of the other hotels. Caesar’s was unreal. Gaudy, excesses like you wouldn’t believe, and HUGE. We grabbed lunch at the Hyakumi Sushi Bar in the hotel. Probably the best sushi I’ve ever had. YUM! It’s interesting to me that the hotel developers spend an unbelievable amount of money to build this inside city and then try to make it look like outside. The Forum Shops in Caesar’s looked like a European city. You walk down cobblestone streets, with stores on either side and look up and it looks like a blue sky. At the end of one of the streets was a big Roman-looking fountain and an aquarium. Needless to say, we spent some time there so Babygirl could yell at the fish.
After Caesar’s, it was back to our room at the Flamingo for Babygirl’s naptime. Again, thankfully we had adjoining rooms because she won’t sleep if someone is in the same room. Grandma C volunteered to sit with the napping Babygirl so Mapgeek and I could try our luck at gambling. We got some quick lessons from Grandpa C and Markyjo, but lost anyways. Tried out the slot machines, digital blackjack, and digital poker. Not brave enough to expose our ignorance at any of the tables.
Dinner was with the entire family at a Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Canonita Restaurant, in the Venetian hotel. The Venetian is again, one of the hotels with excess. There’s a river running through the hotel and you can take gondola rides. Unbelievable. We ended up cutting dinner short because Babygirl was fussy. She doesn’t seem to like to sit in one place for long. As long as you move with her, she stays relatively happy. So, Mapgeek, Babygirl, and I headed back to the Flamingo to put her to bed.
After dinner, Grandma C sat with Babygirl for an hour so Mapgeek and I could try gambling again. Old pros by this time, we pretty much stuck with the nickel poker so we would lose our money slower and get a couple of free drinks and wind down.
Day 3
We were up again at 6:30am. This time, we were ready before everyone else, but still dealing with a baby that doesn’t want to be in a stroller or held. Knowing that she’d never sit through breakfast, Mapgeek and I decided to grab a quick bite and head to the Mirage Hotel to see the lions. Our quick bite ended up being $12 bagels in the Mirage at a deli. $3 apiece for bagels, and $3 apiece for cream cheese. Each of the cream cheeses that we bought was enough for 4 bagels. I wish the deli woman had said something, as it was obvious we didn’t need that much. Ah well, live and learn.
The lions weren’t out while we were there, so we continued to keep moving and headed back into the Forum, just in time for Babygirl to fall asleep in my arms. Back to the Flamingo for a nap. And as typically is Babygirl, she woke up when we got back and was raring to go again. We headed off to lunch at Margaritaville, which is in the Flamingo. The highlight of lunch was watching the volcano inside the restaurant erupt.
After lunch, we spent a few hours in our hotel room, letting Babygirl play. Mapgeek dozed off and I got bored after a while, so Babygirl and I headed back to the wildlife exhibits at the Flamingo. Mapgeek caught up with us and we headed over to the Bellagio Hotel to see the dancing fountains and the gardens in the hotel. Apparently, the Bellagio is the crown jewel of the hotels in Vegas. It was just as ostentatious as Caesar’s Palace, though without the Forum shops. We saw the Dale Chihuly flower sculpture in the lobby and the botanical gardens in the Conservatory. It was gorgeous! We then went outside in front of the fountain and caught one of the shows. Babygirl loved it!
Dinner was with Markyjo and Niknik at an Italian restaurant in the Paris Hotel. The Paris is where they stayed on their honeymoon. Again, another amazing hotel, though we didn’t spend as much time in this one. After dinner, Markyjo and Niknik watched Babygirl for an hour so Mapgeek and I could gamble again. We wandered aimlessly around looking for ways to lose our money. Stuck mostly with slots and poker.
Day 4
Grandpa C rented a car, so after breakfast at the Flamingo, the family loaded up and drove out to see the Hoover Dam. It was an amazing thing to see. It wasn’t as wide as I thought, but was definitely as deep. Lake Mead apparently serves Las Vegas’s potable water needs (and all its excess) and the dam supplies all the power for Vegas (and all THAT excess). As I continue to write this journal, I realize that everything in Vegas is huge and excessive. People must lose a lot more than the $30 that I donated. :)
We got back around lunch time and Mapgeek and I grabbed lunch at a deli counter in the Flamingo. Afterwards, we tried to entice Babygirl to nap, which she wouldn’t. So, we headed back to the wildlife exhibit at the Flamingo. Yelled at the penguins for a while before dinner. Dinner on this last night was the highlight of our culinary experience in Vegas (except for maybe the sushi). We ate at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Spago, in the Forum. And we got to see the aquarium one last time. After dinner, Grandma C sat with Babygirl so Mapgeek and I could “donate” another $30 to Vegas.
Home again, home again, jiggity-jig
The trip home was pretty uneventful. Luckily, it was a direct flight home and Babygirl slept for at least the first half. When we got home, she was excited to see her toys and was even excited to see her crib. And when I put her down that night, she immediately curled up and stuck her thumb in her mouth. As did I…
Air travel and Babygirl
Let’s start off talking about airplane travel and a baby. There’s just so much STUFF that you have to take along with a baby. We checked our 3 suitcases (2 small ones for Mapgeek and myself and 1 big one for Babygirl). We carried-on 2 backpacks, a car seat, a stroller, and a baby. We had it all packed perfectly to lug around. Mapgeek had a backpack (with a laptop, video camera, and digital camera) and we put the car seat in a bag with a shoulder strap. A little heavy, but manageable. I had the diaper backpack and the baby in the stroller. Then we had a couple jackets in the stroller’s underneath basket.
And then we get to the security checkpoint. We literally had to unpack Mapgeek’s backpack, the car seat, and the stuff in the stroller’s basket. Babygirl had to come out of the stroller, which was then sent through the scanner. The computer, cameras, and the jackets had to be put in bins to go through the scanner. The two backpacks had to go in bins to go through the scanner. And to top it off, we had to take off our shoes to go through the scanner. *sigh* It’s quite an ordeal. Then we got to pack it all back up to get to the plane.
Babygirl did excellent on the plane. We left around 6pm and I had a few bottles ready for her to suck on when we took off and landed, just in case she had problems with her ears. I never noticed any issues with her except being sleepy and being too wound up to go to sleep. The only negative in getting to Vegas was a brief layover in Dallas. Since we were flying about the time that Babygirl goes to bed, I was hoping she would sleep the entire flight. Unfortunately, the layover ensured a power nap between Atlanta and Dallas and then full-on go-mode baby.
When we got to Vegas, Grandpa C had a limousine waiting for us (yay Grandpa!) so we loaded all 7 of us and all our STUFF for the quick jaunt to the Flamingo Hotel.
Ok, now about Vegas…
Day 1
We got checked into the hotel pretty late. Luckily, we had the forethought to get adjoining rooms with Grandma and Grandpa C. Everyone went out gambling, and Mapgeek and I put Babygirl in her crib (got one at the hotel) and hung out next door. We ordered room service and watched TV. We were all exhausted, so it was a brief evening for us.
Day 2
Babygirl was up and going at 6:30am, so the three of us got ready for the day, which takes 2 hours. We met the family and headed downstairs to one of the restaurants for breakfast. The Flamingo was the first hotel that we were introduced and it was astounding at first look. It seemed like the casino wrapped around and every corner you took was another entrance into it. Which was pretty much the case. Near the main restaurant, there was an exit into the hotel’s courtyard, which had wildlife exhibits and gardens. There were penguins, flamingos, lots of ducks, turtles, and huge coi. A river-type thing ran through it all. Babygirl loves animals, especially the penguins. After breakfast, Mapgeek, Babygirl, and I spent a good bit of time outside at the Flamingo. The weather was gorgeous, but a little cold to take advantage of the four pools.
The three of us walked across the street to Caesar’s Palace. We quickly realized that the Flamingo was nothing compared to some of the other hotels. Caesar’s was unreal. Gaudy, excesses like you wouldn’t believe, and HUGE. We grabbed lunch at the Hyakumi Sushi Bar in the hotel. Probably the best sushi I’ve ever had. YUM! It’s interesting to me that the hotel developers spend an unbelievable amount of money to build this inside city and then try to make it look like outside. The Forum Shops in Caesar’s looked like a European city. You walk down cobblestone streets, with stores on either side and look up and it looks like a blue sky. At the end of one of the streets was a big Roman-looking fountain and an aquarium. Needless to say, we spent some time there so Babygirl could yell at the fish.
After Caesar’s, it was back to our room at the Flamingo for Babygirl’s naptime. Again, thankfully we had adjoining rooms because she won’t sleep if someone is in the same room. Grandma C volunteered to sit with the napping Babygirl so Mapgeek and I could try our luck at gambling. We got some quick lessons from Grandpa C and Markyjo, but lost anyways. Tried out the slot machines, digital blackjack, and digital poker. Not brave enough to expose our ignorance at any of the tables.
Dinner was with the entire family at a Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Canonita Restaurant, in the Venetian hotel. The Venetian is again, one of the hotels with excess. There’s a river running through the hotel and you can take gondola rides. Unbelievable. We ended up cutting dinner short because Babygirl was fussy. She doesn’t seem to like to sit in one place for long. As long as you move with her, she stays relatively happy. So, Mapgeek, Babygirl, and I headed back to the Flamingo to put her to bed.
After dinner, Grandma C sat with Babygirl for an hour so Mapgeek and I could try gambling again. Old pros by this time, we pretty much stuck with the nickel poker so we would lose our money slower and get a couple of free drinks and wind down.
Day 3
We were up again at 6:30am. This time, we were ready before everyone else, but still dealing with a baby that doesn’t want to be in a stroller or held. Knowing that she’d never sit through breakfast, Mapgeek and I decided to grab a quick bite and head to the Mirage Hotel to see the lions. Our quick bite ended up being $12 bagels in the Mirage at a deli. $3 apiece for bagels, and $3 apiece for cream cheese. Each of the cream cheeses that we bought was enough for 4 bagels. I wish the deli woman had said something, as it was obvious we didn’t need that much. Ah well, live and learn.
The lions weren’t out while we were there, so we continued to keep moving and headed back into the Forum, just in time for Babygirl to fall asleep in my arms. Back to the Flamingo for a nap. And as typically is Babygirl, she woke up when we got back and was raring to go again. We headed off to lunch at Margaritaville, which is in the Flamingo. The highlight of lunch was watching the volcano inside the restaurant erupt.
After lunch, we spent a few hours in our hotel room, letting Babygirl play. Mapgeek dozed off and I got bored after a while, so Babygirl and I headed back to the wildlife exhibits at the Flamingo. Mapgeek caught up with us and we headed over to the Bellagio Hotel to see the dancing fountains and the gardens in the hotel. Apparently, the Bellagio is the crown jewel of the hotels in Vegas. It was just as ostentatious as Caesar’s Palace, though without the Forum shops. We saw the Dale Chihuly flower sculpture in the lobby and the botanical gardens in the Conservatory. It was gorgeous! We then went outside in front of the fountain and caught one of the shows. Babygirl loved it!
Dinner was with Markyjo and Niknik at an Italian restaurant in the Paris Hotel. The Paris is where they stayed on their honeymoon. Again, another amazing hotel, though we didn’t spend as much time in this one. After dinner, Markyjo and Niknik watched Babygirl for an hour so Mapgeek and I could gamble again. We wandered aimlessly around looking for ways to lose our money. Stuck mostly with slots and poker.
Day 4
Grandpa C rented a car, so after breakfast at the Flamingo, the family loaded up and drove out to see the Hoover Dam. It was an amazing thing to see. It wasn’t as wide as I thought, but was definitely as deep. Lake Mead apparently serves Las Vegas’s potable water needs (and all its excess) and the dam supplies all the power for Vegas (and all THAT excess). As I continue to write this journal, I realize that everything in Vegas is huge and excessive. People must lose a lot more than the $30 that I donated. :)
We got back around lunch time and Mapgeek and I grabbed lunch at a deli counter in the Flamingo. Afterwards, we tried to entice Babygirl to nap, which she wouldn’t. So, we headed back to the wildlife exhibit at the Flamingo. Yelled at the penguins for a while before dinner. Dinner on this last night was the highlight of our culinary experience in Vegas (except for maybe the sushi). We ate at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Spago, in the Forum. And we got to see the aquarium one last time. After dinner, Grandma C sat with Babygirl so Mapgeek and I could “donate” another $30 to Vegas.
Home again, home again, jiggity-jig
The trip home was pretty uneventful. Luckily, it was a direct flight home and Babygirl slept for at least the first half. When we got home, she was excited to see her toys and was even excited to see her crib. And when I put her down that night, she immediately curled up and stuck her thumb in her mouth. As did I…
Friday, March 03, 2006
Taking my babygirl gaming
Oh my gosh! When did I turn into a nerd?!? Is it a function of the times or is gaming really still considered “nerdy”? Mapgeek and I have been gaming together ever since we started dating (and before, but not together). Lately, we’ve been primarily doing the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games). Great acronym for us engineer-types. We’ve been playing World of Warcraft for over a year. Since I was pregnant, we’ve been playing these two trolls. I play a mage and he’s a warrior. It is funny to me that we’re still not to the highest level in the game, yet we’ve been playing these chars (characters for the non-nerds) for over a year. Guess it has something to do with the 5 other chars I’ve been playing too. We tried out Everquest (aka, Evercrack), which people said was a great one to play. We didn’t like it as much. It seemed too tedious to get ahead.
Anyhow, I wonder if anyone that regularly reads these posts is a gamer too…
We’re off to Vegas tomorrow. Got a plane ticket for Babygirl too. Mapgeek and I each took a carry-on suitcase (though we checked them) and a backpack to Spain for two weeks. This trip, we’re taking our two suitcases, a huge suitcase for Babygirl, a carry-on for Babygirl (aka, The diaper bag), a car seat, a stroller, and I’m sure we’ll end up with at least one more carry-on (since we can…we DID buy three seats ya know). It’s amazing how much stuff a baby can take. Clothes, blankets, burp clothes, bibs, diapers, food, bottles, formula, etc. Good thing the dog is staying at home.
Anyhow, I wonder if anyone that regularly reads these posts is a gamer too…
We’re off to Vegas tomorrow. Got a plane ticket for Babygirl too. Mapgeek and I each took a carry-on suitcase (though we checked them) and a backpack to Spain for two weeks. This trip, we’re taking our two suitcases, a huge suitcase for Babygirl, a carry-on for Babygirl (aka, The diaper bag), a car seat, a stroller, and I’m sure we’ll end up with at least one more carry-on (since we can…we DID buy three seats ya know). It’s amazing how much stuff a baby can take. Clothes, blankets, burp clothes, bibs, diapers, food, bottles, formula, etc. Good thing the dog is staying at home.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Monday, February 13, 2006
Takeover 2030
Is anyone else nervous about Muslims? I know I am and it's not because of any racist (the fundamental belief that one race is better than another) or bigoted thoughts. I'm nervous because there seem to be a lot of Muslims (radicals?) out there that absolutely hate me and want me dead. At all costs - including the death of their own. And everything ticks them off. It's a catch-22 for all Westerners - no solutions except for death. I haven't heard of any Muslims propose a plan for co-existing. A profound quote from the Mona Charen op-ed piece from Friday - "[Muslims] want to live in Europe and reap the benefit of the civilization Christianity, rationalism and enlightenment have created -- but they despise it and hope to destroy it." Read her column about Bruce Bawer's "While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within."
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Teen Using Restroom Falls Out Bus Window
LOL! Ok, the news is interesting today. How exactly does *this* happen? And can you imagine the shock of other cars on the road?
(disclaimer: ok, it's not really funny, but...)
(disclaimer: ok, it's not really funny, but...)
Clean water in Iraq
A topic after my own heart! A soldier in Iraq is helping to upgrade a couple of water treatment plants (WTP’s for all yall that don’t know) in Iraq. Someone once told me, that water and wastewater treatment were the most important health advances thus far in human history. What a concept….no bad stuff in what you ingest and no sewage in the streets.
And I still believe that we are doing a lot of good being over there. Just think, these people will have clean water! Does anyone really think Saddam would put money in the budget to update WTPs and infrastructure??
And I still believe that we are doing a lot of good being over there. Just think, these people will have clean water! Does anyone really think Saddam would put money in the budget to update WTPs and infrastructure??
One of the last
So, Atlanta, and the black community, buried Mrs. Coretta Scott King yesterday. It’s sad to lose such a great lady. One of the last figureheads in the fight for equal rights. I wonder how the equal rights movement would have turned out if her husband had not been killed at such an early age. And, is anyone surprised? More anti-Bush during Mrs. King’s funeral yesterday. However, I guess if you make your life political, then you should expect your funeral to be political. I sure am tired of hearing about “WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION” and “KATRINA VICTIMS”. *sigh*
Sunday, February 05, 2006
A little perspective puh-leeze
Boortz was discussing the latest on the Muslims being offended about a cartoon of Muhammad. I liked his summary of some of the highlights of the recent past. Let's not forget who is also doing great in the offending category.
• Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in New York City. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslim officials block the exit where school girls are trying to escape a burning building because their faces were exposed. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on their way to school in Indonesia. A Christian school. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder teachers trying to teach Muslim children in Iraq. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder over 80 tourists with car bombs outside cafes and hotels in Egypt. No Muslim outrage.
• A Muslim attacks a missionary children's school in India. Kills six. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims slaughter hundreds of children and teachers in Beslan, Russia. Muslims shoot children in the back. No Muslim outrage.
• Let's go way back. Muslims kidnap and kill athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims fire rocket-propelled grenades into schools full of children in Israel. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder more than 50 commuters in attacks on London subways and busses. Over 700 are injured. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims massacre dozens of innocents at a Passover Seder. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder innocent vacationers in Bali. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslim newspapers publish anti-Semitic cartoons. No Muslim outrage
• Muslims are involved, on one side or the other, in almost every one of the 125+ shooting wars around the world. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims beat the charred bodies of Western civilians with their shoes, then hang them from a bridge. No Muslim outrage.
• Newspapers in Denmark and Norway publish cartoons depicting Mohammed. Muslims are outraged.
• Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in New York City. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslim officials block the exit where school girls are trying to escape a burning building because their faces were exposed. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on their way to school in Indonesia. A Christian school. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder teachers trying to teach Muslim children in Iraq. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder over 80 tourists with car bombs outside cafes and hotels in Egypt. No Muslim outrage.
• A Muslim attacks a missionary children's school in India. Kills six. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims slaughter hundreds of children and teachers in Beslan, Russia. Muslims shoot children in the back. No Muslim outrage.
• Let's go way back. Muslims kidnap and kill athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims fire rocket-propelled grenades into schools full of children in Israel. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder more than 50 commuters in attacks on London subways and busses. Over 700 are injured. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims massacre dozens of innocents at a Passover Seder. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims murder innocent vacationers in Bali. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslim newspapers publish anti-Semitic cartoons. No Muslim outrage
• Muslims are involved, on one side or the other, in almost every one of the 125+ shooting wars around the world. No Muslim outrage.
• Muslims beat the charred bodies of Western civilians with their shoes, then hang them from a bridge. No Muslim outrage.
• Newspapers in Denmark and Norway publish cartoons depicting Mohammed. Muslims are outraged.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Indianapolis - Take 2
Wow! Didn’t I say I was going to update more often? Our life has finally settled into a routine of sorts, so needless to say…I’ve been busy! The weekend after going to the lake, we headed up to Indiana to see Mapgeek’s extended family. This is the trip we attempted in November, but had to reschedule due to sick family. MLK weekend, so we didn’t have to take any precious time off. We left Friday afternoon and went to Nashville and spent the night in our favorite Holiday Inn Express (hello wifi!). Had our Krystal’s and Guinness date, though Babygirl wasn’t as accommodating this time. She gets distracted trying to sleep with Mommy and Daddy trying to watch TV or surfing the web. We got up early Saturday and drove the rest of the way to Indianapolis.
We got there in time for a late lunch with Mapgeek’s grandparents, which is who we were there primarily to see. Luckily, Mapgeek’s uncle and aunt were there to go to lunch with us at the very close-by Mexican place. It’s interesting that as our favorite relatives get elderly, the more nervous we are about transporting them. Especially with Babygirl. We are especially grateful that there are relatives there, used to the situation, that can make time for us too. We headed back to our next favorite Holiday Inn Express to let Babygirl nap. Then back to the grandparents for an evening hello. Needless to say, Saturday was busy. Sunday was even more so….
We got up and took breakfast to Mapgeek’s Grandparents. From there, we drove the hour+ out to Terre Haute to visit the family farm. Babygirl got to play with her older cousins and we got to visit the aunts and uncle. Babygirl LOVED playing with the girl cousins. Seems like she’s around boys much more often. From Terre Haute, we drove the hour and a half back through Indianapolis to Franklin to see the other aunt and uncle and cousins. Also a good time. Then back in the car yet again to drive the 45 minutes back to the hotel. Lots of car time. Babygirl was a trooper as always. We fed her at the appropriate times and she took her naps in the car in between stops. I think we might have the hang of this. We all slept great that night.
Monday, we ate breakfast again with Mapgeek’s Grandparents and the hit the road for the 9 hour trip home. We were worried that Babygirl was going to be hard to travel with for 9 hours straight. But, she was even better on the way home, then she was from Nashville to Indiana! We stopped periodically to walk around and she seemed to sleep a good portion of the way. Kudos to the Britax carseat! Did I mention before that Babygirl outgrew her infant seat? I wasn’t expecting to buy another carseat at 6 months, but after finally figuring out how to install it, it is working out great!
Well, we made our first of many long car trips and survived. Next up….an airplane ride to Vegas in March. Not sure how that’s going to work with all the baby gear…
We got there in time for a late lunch with Mapgeek’s grandparents, which is who we were there primarily to see. Luckily, Mapgeek’s uncle and aunt were there to go to lunch with us at the very close-by Mexican place. It’s interesting that as our favorite relatives get elderly, the more nervous we are about transporting them. Especially with Babygirl. We are especially grateful that there are relatives there, used to the situation, that can make time for us too. We headed back to our next favorite Holiday Inn Express to let Babygirl nap. Then back to the grandparents for an evening hello. Needless to say, Saturday was busy. Sunday was even more so….
We got up and took breakfast to Mapgeek’s Grandparents. From there, we drove the hour+ out to Terre Haute to visit the family farm. Babygirl got to play with her older cousins and we got to visit the aunts and uncle. Babygirl LOVED playing with the girl cousins. Seems like she’s around boys much more often. From Terre Haute, we drove the hour and a half back through Indianapolis to Franklin to see the other aunt and uncle and cousins. Also a good time. Then back in the car yet again to drive the 45 minutes back to the hotel. Lots of car time. Babygirl was a trooper as always. We fed her at the appropriate times and she took her naps in the car in between stops. I think we might have the hang of this. We all slept great that night.
Monday, we ate breakfast again with Mapgeek’s Grandparents and the hit the road for the 9 hour trip home. We were worried that Babygirl was going to be hard to travel with for 9 hours straight. But, she was even better on the way home, then she was from Nashville to Indiana! We stopped periodically to walk around and she seemed to sleep a good portion of the way. Kudos to the Britax carseat! Did I mention before that Babygirl outgrew her infant seat? I wasn’t expecting to buy another carseat at 6 months, but after finally figuring out how to install it, it is working out great!
Well, we made our first of many long car trips and survived. Next up….an airplane ride to Vegas in March. Not sure how that’s going to work with all the baby gear…
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Be jealous all ye city slickers
So I’m writing this from the comfort of the lake house. We loaded up the family (2 parents, 1 kid, 1 dog) in the car on Friday and drove the 3 hours up to Tennessee. It’s so quiet up here. I got all bundled up this morning to take the dog out. It was almost dawn, so it was just barely light. It was so quiet that I thought I my hat was on down over my ears blocking out the sound. When I took off my hat, I realized that there wasn’t ANY sounds. No birds, crickets, the waves on the shore. Nothing. And then the next door neighbor coughed and scared the bejeezus out of me. He was on his back porch, sipping on his coffee, looking at the lake. A true Maxwell House moment. What a life.
The house itself is awesome. It’s on Watts Bar Lake just outside of Kingston. Since Granddaddy P lives here during the week, the house never gets that vacant, dusty, dead bugs in the sink kind of feel. It’s a 3-bedroom, 2-bath log cabin that’s only a few years old. The kitchen is huge and has tons of counter space and nice appliances. Plus, my parents have stocked it with all the comforts of home. Coffee maker, satellite, wireless network. You know, all the typical things you think of when you think “log cabin”.
TVA controls the lake and dams, so the lake is low for the winter. Where the house is, the yard and lake bed gently slopes down. When the lake level is low, the water recedes a pretty good distance and the docks are all out of water. So no fishing. And I was so looking forward sitting out on the dock in 30-degree weather waiting for a fish to nibble.
Mapgeek and I brought our computers (obviously, since I’m writing from here), and got some good gaming time. And we cooked and ate and grilled and ate some more. Babygirl had fun in the wide open floors with the toys we brought and also got to chase the dog. The dog is the only one that didn’t seem to have fun. He gets so picky about eating in a strange place. I think that we’ll be back up here soon. I hope. I’m looking forward to the spring when we can enjoy the outdoors.
The house itself is awesome. It’s on Watts Bar Lake just outside of Kingston. Since Granddaddy P lives here during the week, the house never gets that vacant, dusty, dead bugs in the sink kind of feel. It’s a 3-bedroom, 2-bath log cabin that’s only a few years old. The kitchen is huge and has tons of counter space and nice appliances. Plus, my parents have stocked it with all the comforts of home. Coffee maker, satellite, wireless network. You know, all the typical things you think of when you think “log cabin”.
TVA controls the lake and dams, so the lake is low for the winter. Where the house is, the yard and lake bed gently slopes down. When the lake level is low, the water recedes a pretty good distance and the docks are all out of water. So no fishing. And I was so looking forward sitting out on the dock in 30-degree weather waiting for a fish to nibble.
Mapgeek and I brought our computers (obviously, since I’m writing from here), and got some good gaming time. And we cooked and ate and grilled and ate some more. Babygirl had fun in the wide open floors with the toys we brought and also got to chase the dog. The dog is the only one that didn’t seem to have fun. He gets so picky about eating in a strange place. I think that we’ll be back up here soon. I hope. I’m looking forward to the spring when we can enjoy the outdoors.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Ah, where to begin...
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We certainly did. Best one ever! Busy, busy, busy though. Babygirl was a trooper through it all, though she was completely worn out every night.
Babygirl had her 6 month checkup a couple weeks ago. Still long and lean, but healthy and a very happy little baby. She entertained the doctor with her toe sucking trick, all while the doctor was trying to talk to me. Slurrrrrp! The big item that came out of the checkup is that Babygirl has outgrown her infant seat (she’s too tall for it). Huge shock for Mapgeek and I who were not expecting to invest in a new car seat for a few more months. So, I bought a new seat that was recommended by many and now we can’t figure out how to install it to our satisfaction. And no, fire departments don’t install car seats anymore. Liability of course.
Babygirl is also crawling! Full on, pedal to the metal, get out of my way, CRAWLING. Not only that, she also pulls herself up. So we’ve also had the big investment of a gate for the top of the stairs and the Superyard XT, which is a bunch of gates linked together that you can form a circle with (like a playpen). In our case, I stretched it from one wall, across the fireplace and TV (including cords) to the other wall. Makes a nice Babygirl barrier and she loves to pull up on it and watch the fire or the TV. I love this thing!
So that’s our biggest news for the moment, though I have tons more to write about. It will have to wait until another time.
Happy New Year’s!!
Babygirl had her 6 month checkup a couple weeks ago. Still long and lean, but healthy and a very happy little baby. She entertained the doctor with her toe sucking trick, all while the doctor was trying to talk to me. Slurrrrrp! The big item that came out of the checkup is that Babygirl has outgrown her infant seat (she’s too tall for it). Huge shock for Mapgeek and I who were not expecting to invest in a new car seat for a few more months. So, I bought a new seat that was recommended by many and now we can’t figure out how to install it to our satisfaction. And no, fire departments don’t install car seats anymore. Liability of course.
Babygirl is also crawling! Full on, pedal to the metal, get out of my way, CRAWLING. Not only that, she also pulls herself up. So we’ve also had the big investment of a gate for the top of the stairs and the Superyard XT, which is a bunch of gates linked together that you can form a circle with (like a playpen). In our case, I stretched it from one wall, across the fireplace and TV (including cords) to the other wall. Makes a nice Babygirl barrier and she loves to pull up on it and watch the fire or the TV. I love this thing!
So that’s our biggest news for the moment, though I have tons more to write about. It will have to wait until another time.
Happy New Year’s!!
Monday, December 19, 2005
I'm ethnic!!
My ethnically enhanced global village name is Aneko Chiyo.
Take The Global Village Multi Culti Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Remembering Pearl Harbor
As we're on the anniversary of this significant event in our history, I just wanted to remind you all to remember those at Pearl Harbor. Please look through the link above to refresh your memory about all the men and women that fought so hard to keep the world free. Thank you!!
Never forget...
Never forget...
Monday, December 05, 2005
What exactly is a "Holiday Tree"?
A great op-ed piece from Mike Adams (UNCW professor) appeared in Townhall today. It seems that my beloved Auburn had a "Holiday Tree" lighting this past weekend. *sigh* I'm VERY disappointed in our current SGA (student government association) for allowing this nonsense.
HOWEVER...
Several members of the SGA at Auburn spearheaded a movement to counter this by putting a resolution out. And, rather than me attempting to vent my disappointment and then getting more and more ticked over political correctness (don't EVEN get me going), I thought I'd share the resolution since it says it all (and in a nice manner). I'm inserting this below for those that don't want to follow the link.
RESOLUTION
Whereas, a decorated tree is the traditional, historical symbol of Christmas; and
Whereas, the Christmas tree is a decorated tree celebrating and symbolizing the historical Christmas season; and
Whereas, a tree has historically been known as a Christmas Tree in the State of Alabama, the United States of America and around the world; and
Whereas, the tree has historically been known as a Christmas Tree on Auburn’s campus; and
Whereas, calling the tree a Christmas Tree preserves historical correctness and embraces religious diversity; and
Whereas, in pursuit of Auburn’s spirit of diversity and tolerance of differing ideals, the Student Government Association Student Senate maintains that traditional symbols, religious and otherwise should not be suppressed; and
Whereas, labeling a Christmas Tree as a “Holiday Tree” appears to be religiously intolerant toward those who celebrate Christmas; and
Whereas, the University Administration and the Student Government Association have promoted a spirit of diversity and religious tolerance on campus; and
Whereas, the name of the tree is not a legal issue rather an issue of preference and historicity; and
Whereas, even the display of a manger scene by a government body has been held to be constitutional to celebrate Christmas and its origins;
Therefore be it Resolved, that the Auburn University Student Government Association Student Senate recognizes the decorated tree on campus during the Christmas holiday season by its historical name of “Christmas Tree”; and
Therefore, Be it Further Resolved, that the decorated tree re-labeled a “Holiday Tree” be properly reinstated with its original, historical, traditional, intended, and common title and identified for what it actually is, a “Christmas Tree.”
War Eagle! and Merry Christmas!
HOWEVER...
Several members of the SGA at Auburn spearheaded a movement to counter this by putting a resolution out. And, rather than me attempting to vent my disappointment and then getting more and more ticked over political correctness (don't EVEN get me going), I thought I'd share the resolution since it says it all (and in a nice manner). I'm inserting this below for those that don't want to follow the link.
RESOLUTION
Whereas, a decorated tree is the traditional, historical symbol of Christmas; and
Whereas, the Christmas tree is a decorated tree celebrating and symbolizing the historical Christmas season; and
Whereas, a tree has historically been known as a Christmas Tree in the State of Alabama, the United States of America and around the world; and
Whereas, the tree has historically been known as a Christmas Tree on Auburn’s campus; and
Whereas, calling the tree a Christmas Tree preserves historical correctness and embraces religious diversity; and
Whereas, in pursuit of Auburn’s spirit of diversity and tolerance of differing ideals, the Student Government Association Student Senate maintains that traditional symbols, religious and otherwise should not be suppressed; and
Whereas, labeling a Christmas Tree as a “Holiday Tree” appears to be religiously intolerant toward those who celebrate Christmas; and
Whereas, the University Administration and the Student Government Association have promoted a spirit of diversity and religious tolerance on campus; and
Whereas, the name of the tree is not a legal issue rather an issue of preference and historicity; and
Whereas, even the display of a manger scene by a government body has been held to be constitutional to celebrate Christmas and its origins;
Therefore be it Resolved, that the Auburn University Student Government Association Student Senate recognizes the decorated tree on campus during the Christmas holiday season by its historical name of “Christmas Tree”; and
Therefore, Be it Further Resolved, that the decorated tree re-labeled a “Holiday Tree” be properly reinstated with its original, historical, traditional, intended, and common title and identified for what it actually is, a “Christmas Tree.”
War Eagle! and Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Turkeys and stuff
Well, we tried to go to Indianapolis to visit Mapgeek’s extended family (two grandparents, three uncles, two aunts from both sides of the family). We left the Friday night before Turkey Day to make it to Nashville (half way) for the night. Four hours later, we pulled into a hotel north of Nashville and got a phone call informing us that part of the family was sick. Seriously enough to not want to get Babygirl involved. Sooooooooo, we had a cozy night in a Holiday Inn Express, complete with wi-fi, a six-pack of Guinness, and a six-pack of Krystals. And we came home on Saturday. Long way for a much needed pseudo-date. We’re rescheduling for January and greatly looking forward to introducing Babygirl to her family.
Turkey Day was yummy, of course. Lunch was at my parents house. The whole gang including my siblings, Mapgeek’s parents and siblings, and all the spouses came. It’s fun having everyone there. It’s like a big traditional pilgrim-fest rather than just a few people, though it’s a lot of work. Luckily, my brother shopped with Mom P and convinced her to get a 20-lb bird. It was HUGE! I should have taken a picture.
The rest of our much needed long weekend was spent painting the 2-story foyer in our house. Borrowed an extension ladder and another folding-type ladder thing AND a power roller from my I-own-every-power-tool-and-anything-else-you-can-think-of dad. Power rollers rule. Especially if you’re two stories up and trying to paint a large expanse of drywall. Still took us two whole days. I think we’re going to take a break from painting for a while.
Whew. I need a beer just talking about it.
Turkey Day was yummy, of course. Lunch was at my parents house. The whole gang including my siblings, Mapgeek’s parents and siblings, and all the spouses came. It’s fun having everyone there. It’s like a big traditional pilgrim-fest rather than just a few people, though it’s a lot of work. Luckily, my brother shopped with Mom P and convinced her to get a 20-lb bird. It was HUGE! I should have taken a picture.
The rest of our much needed long weekend was spent painting the 2-story foyer in our house. Borrowed an extension ladder and another folding-type ladder thing AND a power roller from my I-own-every-power-tool-and-anything-else-you-can-think-of dad. Power rollers rule. Especially if you’re two stories up and trying to paint a large expanse of drywall. Still took us two whole days. I think we’re going to take a break from painting for a while.
Whew. I need a beer just talking about it.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Let me tell you a little story 'bout a man named Jed...
I thought you guys might get a kick out of this. In the mail the other week, I received a bunch of junk mail (as usual). However, in the spirit of trying to save money, I’ve been going through it scouting for sales and coupons. I came across this scratch off thing from Marietta Dodge. Got a coin and did a quick scratch to see if I won a shopping spree (no free cars). There were nine boxes and if 3 match, you win whatever is in the boxes. I matched for $1000 shopping spree! A $1000 ONLINE SHOPPING SPREE! Right before Christmas! How lucky! Then rationality set in, and I thought “well that was too easy.” So I called up the phone number at the Dodge place and was told that there was no gimmick and congratulations. I won $1000 shopping spree. I was only responsible for shipping and handling and a processing fee. All I had to do was drive over to Marietta Dodge and claim my gift certificate.
So, Mapgeek and I loaded up and headed on over to the car dealership. We actually didn’t have to listen to a sales pitch, which we thought was part of the thing. And, to top it all off, the guy said just to show their appreciation for us coming in, they would DOUBLE our shopping spree. $2000!!!! Unbelievable. So, we got our gift certificate and left, plotting our shopping spree all the way home. Big screen TV, Ipod for me, the best baby toys, etc.
We get home and I get the laptop booted up to start my shopping extravaganza. First thing I noticed is that there are no big screen TV’s, that being the first item to shop for. Then I started noticing that it’s all these generic company’s items and most are things we’d never buy, much less use. But no matter, it’s still free money so I’d find something. Then, I decided I’d better go see what this “processing fee” was going to be, especially if I was going to order a bunch of junk. For spending the full $2000 on our shopping spree, it was going to cost us over $600 for S&H and a processing fee! That’s over 30%!!!! And the less you spend, the more the fee is!
So, in a nutshell, y’all are all getting fruitcakes for Christmas. Sorry.
(Clark Howard would be so proud!)
So, Mapgeek and I loaded up and headed on over to the car dealership. We actually didn’t have to listen to a sales pitch, which we thought was part of the thing. And, to top it all off, the guy said just to show their appreciation for us coming in, they would DOUBLE our shopping spree. $2000!!!! Unbelievable. So, we got our gift certificate and left, plotting our shopping spree all the way home. Big screen TV, Ipod for me, the best baby toys, etc.
We get home and I get the laptop booted up to start my shopping extravaganza. First thing I noticed is that there are no big screen TV’s, that being the first item to shop for. Then I started noticing that it’s all these generic company’s items and most are things we’d never buy, much less use. But no matter, it’s still free money so I’d find something. Then, I decided I’d better go see what this “processing fee” was going to be, especially if I was going to order a bunch of junk. For spending the full $2000 on our shopping spree, it was going to cost us over $600 for S&H and a processing fee! That’s over 30%!!!! And the less you spend, the more the fee is!
So, in a nutshell, y’all are all getting fruitcakes for Christmas. Sorry.
(Clark Howard would be so proud!)
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Quote of the Day
I read this amazing quote from Teddy Roosevelt that was posted on Boortz's news this morning. I'm going to post it here for your entertainment and thought.
"... if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiances here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag,... we have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Teddy Roosevelt -- 1907 (www.cacp.info #548)
"... if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiances here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag,... we have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Teddy Roosevelt -- 1907 (www.cacp.info #548)
Monday, November 21, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Yip yip yip, all the way home (see y'all!)
My Tigers did it again! I love to beat Georgia! Boy, what an even matchup though. We were looking at the stats on SportsCenter and they were almost dead even in passing, rushing, and points. Auburn is hanging onto hope for getting into the SEC Championship. A pipe dream especially since the Tide couldn’t manage to beat LSU. Figures. Stupid elephant things.
And I can’t BELIEVE that South Carolina beat Florida! Woohoo! How bizarre too that Spurrier beat his beloved Gators. You know Columbia was rocking last night.
I have my list of teams that I love to see get beat. It changes from year to year depending on how much I pity them or whether there’s some tenuous connection, such as someone that went to that school that ticks me off. Florida topped my list for years because of Spurrier. Oh, how the times have changed (did hell freeze over??) now that he’s at Carolina. And I pity Florida now, so they aren’t at the top anymore.
Ok, I know you are all waiting expectantly for my Beat the Crap Outa’em list so here it is:
#1 Georgia – I live in Georgia and I’m tired of hearing “Go Daaaawgs” (appropriate hick accent here). I’m also tired of hearing how great their football team is. Doesn't seem like they've been delivering on this.
#2 Southern Cal – REALLY tired of them. They need to lose. Plus, they get put on top of the pack by the powers that be and screw the rest of the undefeated teams out of the National Champion title (refer to Auburn last year).
#3 Florida State – Primarily because of Bobby Bowden. That's because of his son, Terry that did some damage to the Auburn program in the mid-90’s.
#4 Clemson – Primarily because of Tommy Bowden. That's because of his brother Terry. Anyone else as sick of the Bowden’s as me?? Other reason is our adoption of South Carolina as one of our Teams That Must Be Cheered For.
#5 Florida – It’s hard to let go of bitterness. :)
I know many of you are wondering why Bama didn’t make the list. At the moment, I’m still recovering from the pity years they’ve had recently. I’d say they are in the Top 10. Other honorable mentions that are inching their way close to the top 5 – Michigan (I’ve got a long-standing disdain for Michigan), Miami, UNC, and Nebraska. I’m still thinking about adding Texas to the list.
My list of Teams That Must Be Cheered For is pretty obvious. Though there are only 4 teams that are non-negotiable. Everyone after that is subject to be put on the Beat the Crap Outa’em list.
#1 Auburn
#2 South Carolina
#3 NC State (long family history here)
#4 Indiana (This is actually Mapgeek’s alma mater. Carolina was grad school.)
Honorable mentions here are teams that I’ve always liked for whatever reason. Penn State, Tennessee (they are here mostly for the strong pity factor this year), and Notre Dame (also the pity factor, though if they revive their glory years, they might be switching lists).
And I can’t BELIEVE that South Carolina beat Florida! Woohoo! How bizarre too that Spurrier beat his beloved Gators. You know Columbia was rocking last night.
I have my list of teams that I love to see get beat. It changes from year to year depending on how much I pity them or whether there’s some tenuous connection, such as someone that went to that school that ticks me off. Florida topped my list for years because of Spurrier. Oh, how the times have changed (did hell freeze over??) now that he’s at Carolina. And I pity Florida now, so they aren’t at the top anymore.
Ok, I know you are all waiting expectantly for my Beat the Crap Outa’em list so here it is:
#1 Georgia – I live in Georgia and I’m tired of hearing “Go Daaaawgs” (appropriate hick accent here). I’m also tired of hearing how great their football team is. Doesn't seem like they've been delivering on this.
#2 Southern Cal – REALLY tired of them. They need to lose. Plus, they get put on top of the pack by the powers that be and screw the rest of the undefeated teams out of the National Champion title (refer to Auburn last year).
#3 Florida State – Primarily because of Bobby Bowden. That's because of his son, Terry that did some damage to the Auburn program in the mid-90’s.
#4 Clemson – Primarily because of Tommy Bowden. That's because of his brother Terry. Anyone else as sick of the Bowden’s as me?? Other reason is our adoption of South Carolina as one of our Teams That Must Be Cheered For.
#5 Florida – It’s hard to let go of bitterness. :)
I know many of you are wondering why Bama didn’t make the list. At the moment, I’m still recovering from the pity years they’ve had recently. I’d say they are in the Top 10. Other honorable mentions that are inching their way close to the top 5 – Michigan (I’ve got a long-standing disdain for Michigan), Miami, UNC, and Nebraska. I’m still thinking about adding Texas to the list.
My list of Teams That Must Be Cheered For is pretty obvious. Though there are only 4 teams that are non-negotiable. Everyone after that is subject to be put on the Beat the Crap Outa’em list.
#1 Auburn
#2 South Carolina
#3 NC State (long family history here)
#4 Indiana (This is actually Mapgeek’s alma mater. Carolina was grad school.)
Honorable mentions here are teams that I’ve always liked for whatever reason. Penn State, Tennessee (they are here mostly for the strong pity factor this year), and Notre Dame (also the pity factor, though if they revive their glory years, they might be switching lists).
Babygirl's Big Day
Babygirl had her first of many big day last week. She was baptized in the church. And, even more special, was that she was christened by the same wonderful minister that married Mapgeek and I. We opted to go Methodist instead of Catholic, since neither Mapgeek or I are not particularly active (and I’m not Catholic anyways) in the Catholic church.
Babygirl wore a BEEE-utiful dress that Grandmommy P made. It was an amazing labor of love. And she wore her little bonnet and looked like a little angel. Not that I’m partial or anything. The ceremony was very sweet and I got all teary as Mommy’s are prone to be with a baby’s milestones. After church, Mapgeek and I had the family back over to our house for lunch.
The next weepy event will probably be Christmas. Babygirl has started sitting up for longer periods. She has to be sat up, but will stay that way and play. I think crawling is just around the corner. I’m really looking forward to Santa coming and bringing lots of Babygirl toys!
Babygirl wore a BEEE-utiful dress that Grandmommy P made. It was an amazing labor of love. And she wore her little bonnet and looked like a little angel. Not that I’m partial or anything. The ceremony was very sweet and I got all teary as Mommy’s are prone to be with a baby’s milestones. After church, Mapgeek and I had the family back over to our house for lunch.
The next weepy event will probably be Christmas. Babygirl has started sitting up for longer periods. She has to be sat up, but will stay that way and play. I think crawling is just around the corner. I’m really looking forward to Santa coming and bringing lots of Babygirl toys!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The morning after too much booze
If we'd only had aerobics class the night after! I'd have never missed those classes.
I especially like the helpful hints at the bottom of the article. Wonder what just-out-of-college journalist wrote these.
-Don't drink cheap liquor.
-Have a cheeseburger and fries, three glasses of water and two ibuprofens before going to sleep.
-Drink lots of water.
-To brave the hair of the dog, start drinking again.
-Eat a big breakfast, take two Excedrin Tension Headache, then take a hourlong nap (if you have trouble getting back to sleep, you're not really hung-over).
-Have a Bloody Mary for breakfast.
-Check into the spa for the day (after eating something to soak up the alcohol).
-Homemade lemonade using the coldest water, tons of sugar and fresh lemons.
-Red beer (tomato juice and beer).
-Pepperoni or cheese calzone.
-Take two Tylenol before passing out.
-BC Powder: pour packet on tongue and chase with water.
I especially like the helpful hints at the bottom of the article. Wonder what just-out-of-college journalist wrote these.
-Don't drink cheap liquor.
-Have a cheeseburger and fries, three glasses of water and two ibuprofens before going to sleep.
-Drink lots of water.
-To brave the hair of the dog, start drinking again.
-Eat a big breakfast, take two Excedrin Tension Headache, then take a hourlong nap (if you have trouble getting back to sleep, you're not really hung-over).
-Have a Bloody Mary for breakfast.
-Check into the spa for the day (after eating something to soak up the alcohol).
-Homemade lemonade using the coldest water, tons of sugar and fresh lemons.
-Red beer (tomato juice and beer).
-Pepperoni or cheese calzone.
-Take two Tylenol before passing out.
-BC Powder: pour packet on tongue and chase with water.
Halloween!
Ok, so Halloween itself was the last of the week-long festivities that Babygirl and I attended. Somewhat of a letdown. We trick-or-treated the Mega-family across the street and the Next Doors. Then Babygirl fell asleep, while Megamom and I chatted on the front lawn and watched the neighborhood munchkins. There was one post-puberty and very tall young man that showed up at our door. I gave him a handfull of loot. Mapgeek and I were talking about the last time we went out. I remember feeling really stupid knocking on doors. You know you're too old when you start feeling stoopid. It's been a fun week and I'm sure next year will be even more exciting!
We're trying to get ready for our busy, busy weekend. There is a fundraiser for the Foundation Fighting Blindness on Friday night. One of my favorite fundraisers...a wine tasting! And I get to partake this year! It also includes a silent auction, which I always manage to spend a ton of money in the guise of "getting a good deal". Babygirl is also getting christened on Sunday. The wonderful minister that married Mapgeek and I will be blessing the Babygirl. It means a lot to us to have her there. So, Uncle Markiejo and Aunt Niki are coming in town (Mapgeek's brother and wife) as well as my Aunt Wufpakgrl and my Grandmother. We've got family meals out the wazoo this weekend. Plus, we're having everyone over for lunch after church on Sunday. Lots of fun!
We're trying to get ready for our busy, busy weekend. There is a fundraiser for the Foundation Fighting Blindness on Friday night. One of my favorite fundraisers...a wine tasting! And I get to partake this year! It also includes a silent auction, which I always manage to spend a ton of money in the guise of "getting a good deal". Babygirl is also getting christened on Sunday. The wonderful minister that married Mapgeek and I will be blessing the Babygirl. It means a lot to us to have her there. So, Uncle Markiejo and Aunt Niki are coming in town (Mapgeek's brother and wife) as well as my Aunt Wufpakgrl and my Grandmother. We've got family meals out the wazoo this weekend. Plus, we're having everyone over for lunch after church on Sunday. Lots of fun!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Pre-Halloween Festivities - Take 2
The next big festivity that we did this weekend was Boo at the Zoo. It’s at the Atlanta Zoo and all the kids show up in costume. We went with the Next Doors and their babygirl and some of their friends. Ended up being five couples and five little girls. Babygirl was fascinated with the activity. She was especially fascinated with the lemurs. Mapgeek held her (as we did throughout the zoo – she likes to be held, not ride in the stroller) and they looked at the lemurs play and jump around. I think it’s because she can see them since they’re black and white. And we meandered around for a couple hours.
It’s been several years since I or Mapgeek have been to the zoo. It still depresses me, though there have been a lot of improvements in the last 10 years. Willie B isn’t there anymore, but Atlanta has two panda bears now. I can’t wait for Babygirl to be a little older and take her back! Atlanta is also getting ready for the grand opening of the new aquarium. I think it’s the largest blahblah-something in the US or world. Now, aquariums I love!
Sunday afternoon, we met up with the Grandparent P’s for some lunch and prime photo ops. At their church, there is an annual pumpkin sale, where they pile hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins out on the lawn with hay, etc. Looks like a big pumpkin patch. So, we dressed up Babygirl in her little cat costume and took her over to get some pics in the pumpkins. Unfortunately, she can’t quite sit up straight and doubly unfortunate, she was enthralled with the hay she was sitting on. So, most of the pictures have her pitching forward grabbing at the hay. But she’s cute as always!
This weekend, our neighborhood is having a Halloween party for the kids, down at the club house. We’ll dress up Babygirl yet again and head on down for the kid-fun. And lastly, Halloween is Monday! We’re definitely getting use out of this costume. I’ll let you know how the trick-or-treating goes!
It’s been several years since I or Mapgeek have been to the zoo. It still depresses me, though there have been a lot of improvements in the last 10 years. Willie B isn’t there anymore, but Atlanta has two panda bears now. I can’t wait for Babygirl to be a little older and take her back! Atlanta is also getting ready for the grand opening of the new aquarium. I think it’s the largest blahblah-something in the US or world. Now, aquariums I love!
Sunday afternoon, we met up with the Grandparent P’s for some lunch and prime photo ops. At their church, there is an annual pumpkin sale, where they pile hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins out on the lawn with hay, etc. Looks like a big pumpkin patch. So, we dressed up Babygirl in her little cat costume and took her over to get some pics in the pumpkins. Unfortunately, she can’t quite sit up straight and doubly unfortunate, she was enthralled with the hay she was sitting on. So, most of the pictures have her pitching forward grabbing at the hay. But she’s cute as always!
This weekend, our neighborhood is having a Halloween party for the kids, down at the club house. We’ll dress up Babygirl yet again and head on down for the kid-fun. And lastly, Halloween is Monday! We’re definitely getting use out of this costume. I’ll let you know how the trick-or-treating goes!
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Pre-Halloween Festivities - Take 1
Wow! We’ve had a busy and fun week! Having a kid opens up a whole new world of stuff to do and photo ops to take. Events that I’ve never paid attention to are now the number one Saturday (and Thursday!) event. And it’s so much fun! I also never realized how much I love kids. All of them. Little angels can do no wrong.
Megamom and I are still doing the Stroller Striders thing on Tuesdays. I have decided that Stroller Striders is the absolute BEST thing that I’ve done recently. Not only am I supposedly getting into shape (haha), but it’s a huge social outlet. The women in my group occasionally get together for a Mom’s night out. And then there’s other get togethers and play groups that meet periodically. It’s really fun. And you have a ready made group with at least one thing that you know you have in common. It actually doesn’t matter if you have more in common….you always end up talking kid.
So, Megamom was telling me last week about this Halloween thingy that Roswell Parks and Rec was having. It was on a Thursday afternoon from 4:30 to 7:00 and for kids 8 and under. Have I mentioned before how much I love Roswell? They had it at the community center at the park we walk in. Kids were to come in costume for a costume contest among other festivities. One gym was set up with a little plywood house town with hay bales and little plywood houses. Nothing elaborate, but it was free! Different companies sponsored the houses and the kids went “trick or treating”. The other gym had all the moonwalk, blowup things that the older kids could play in. Then, in the various classrooms, there was a cake walk, face painting, a magic show, and a craft room.
I bought Babygirl a cute little black cat costume, complete with ears and tail. Grandma C came over and the three of us plus Megamom and her 4 boys went. Babygirl was in complete awe of all the kids and activity. And she was a big hit in her costume. We ran into a couple of our fellow Stroller Striders too! We pretty much just walked around and looked at everything. Babygirl did get whiskers and a little pink nose painted on her little cat face. Which ended up in a big black smudge by the afternoons end.
I can’t wait for Halloween!
Megamom and I are still doing the Stroller Striders thing on Tuesdays. I have decided that Stroller Striders is the absolute BEST thing that I’ve done recently. Not only am I supposedly getting into shape (haha), but it’s a huge social outlet. The women in my group occasionally get together for a Mom’s night out. And then there’s other get togethers and play groups that meet periodically. It’s really fun. And you have a ready made group with at least one thing that you know you have in common. It actually doesn’t matter if you have more in common….you always end up talking kid.
So, Megamom was telling me last week about this Halloween thingy that Roswell Parks and Rec was having. It was on a Thursday afternoon from 4:30 to 7:00 and for kids 8 and under. Have I mentioned before how much I love Roswell? They had it at the community center at the park we walk in. Kids were to come in costume for a costume contest among other festivities. One gym was set up with a little plywood house town with hay bales and little plywood houses. Nothing elaborate, but it was free! Different companies sponsored the houses and the kids went “trick or treating”. The other gym had all the moonwalk, blowup things that the older kids could play in. Then, in the various classrooms, there was a cake walk, face painting, a magic show, and a craft room.
I bought Babygirl a cute little black cat costume, complete with ears and tail. Grandma C came over and the three of us plus Megamom and her 4 boys went. Babygirl was in complete awe of all the kids and activity. And she was a big hit in her costume. We ran into a couple of our fellow Stroller Striders too! We pretty much just walked around and looked at everything. Babygirl did get whiskers and a little pink nose painted on her little cat face. Which ended up in a big black smudge by the afternoons end.
I can’t wait for Halloween!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Irish Baby Blessing
May all the blessing of our Lord touch your life today.
May He send His little angels to protect you on your way.
Such a wee little fit, sent from above.
Someone so precious to cherish and love.
May sunshine and moonbeams dance over you head
As you quietly slumber in your bed.
May good luck be with you wherever you go.
And your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.
May He send His little angels to protect you on your way.
Such a wee little fit, sent from above.
Someone so precious to cherish and love.
May sunshine and moonbeams dance over you head
As you quietly slumber in your bed.
May good luck be with you wherever you go.
And your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Happy 4-month Birthday!
Once again, two weeks have passed without a peep from Moi. I think of all these great things to share and then when I sit down to blog, Babygirl wants to play. At the moment, she’s sleeping, so I’ll try to catch up.
We went to Hilton Head last weekend for Grandpa C’s birthday. It was nice to get away with the family and we stayed in a neat townhouse in Sea Pines. It overlooked a lagoon and there was a preserve on the other side of the lagoon. There were two alligators that sunned themselves (or rather clouded themselves) on the banks during the day and cruised around in the morning and evening. In the evening, the egrets would come in to roost on the far side of the lagoon. So, we all spent our evenings on the back deck, watching these huge white birds fly in while sipping a cocktail and keeping an eye out for gators. Beautiful scene. Babygirl spent her time rolling around on the floor. Yes rolling. She’s figured out the fine art of immediately flipping whenever she’s put down. Everyone spent their turn rolling around on the floor with her. I think we might even have some good film of it all. Babygirl and I also got twinkie outfits from the Salty Dog. I’m hoping some of her cuteness will rub off on me.
Today, Babygirl and I went for her 4 month wellness checkup. I can’t believe it’s already been four months (as of today)! Seems like yesterday. Babygirl has previously been around the 50% on weight and height. She has now apparently shot up in height and coming in at the 75%, but still at 50% in weight. Long and lean. Sounds like Granddaddy P’s genes. We also have a new doctor as our old one left the clinic. However, I like the new Doc even more, though she went to med school at Tennessee. Boo! (ok, I’m really a closet Vols fan). The Doc asked all the typical developmental questions. It turns out that Babygirl is pretty strong for her age and apparently pretty active too. Doc said that we’ll probably have an early crawler. And not to be surprised if I put her down one day and she moves. She’s already scooching around using a roll/toe-push combo. We’ll have to start baby-proofing soon.
I still have to come up with Halloween costumes for us all. Maybe the Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear. Think it’s been done?
We went to Hilton Head last weekend for Grandpa C’s birthday. It was nice to get away with the family and we stayed in a neat townhouse in Sea Pines. It overlooked a lagoon and there was a preserve on the other side of the lagoon. There were two alligators that sunned themselves (or rather clouded themselves) on the banks during the day and cruised around in the morning and evening. In the evening, the egrets would come in to roost on the far side of the lagoon. So, we all spent our evenings on the back deck, watching these huge white birds fly in while sipping a cocktail and keeping an eye out for gators. Beautiful scene. Babygirl spent her time rolling around on the floor. Yes rolling. She’s figured out the fine art of immediately flipping whenever she’s put down. Everyone spent their turn rolling around on the floor with her. I think we might even have some good film of it all. Babygirl and I also got twinkie outfits from the Salty Dog. I’m hoping some of her cuteness will rub off on me.
Today, Babygirl and I went for her 4 month wellness checkup. I can’t believe it’s already been four months (as of today)! Seems like yesterday. Babygirl has previously been around the 50% on weight and height. She has now apparently shot up in height and coming in at the 75%, but still at 50% in weight. Long and lean. Sounds like Granddaddy P’s genes. We also have a new doctor as our old one left the clinic. However, I like the new Doc even more, though she went to med school at Tennessee. Boo! (ok, I’m really a closet Vols fan). The Doc asked all the typical developmental questions. It turns out that Babygirl is pretty strong for her age and apparently pretty active too. Doc said that we’ll probably have an early crawler. And not to be surprised if I put her down one day and she moves. She’s already scooching around using a roll/toe-push combo. We’ll have to start baby-proofing soon.
I still have to come up with Halloween costumes for us all. Maybe the Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear. Think it’s been done?
Friday, September 30, 2005
Immortalizing Babygirl
Babygirl, Grandmommy P, and I went today to have the first “official” pictures taken of Babygirl. As I mentioned before, Babygirl is on the verge of outgrowing all her 0-3 month clothes. It’s been a somewhat traumatic event for me as I look at her cute things. The very FIRST things that I’ve ever bought for her and realize that she’s never ever ever going to wear them again. It makes me very sad. So, we’re immortalizing Babygirl in her cute dresses. And then I’ll have them professionally tucked away for who knows what. Maybe I can stick them in the box with my wedding dress (whenever I get *that* sealed up). Then in twenty plus years, when she opens my wedding dress to wear at her own wedding, she’ll find her first babygirl dresses and we can be all nostalgic all over again. A great Mommy/Babygirl moment. It’s making me teary just thinking about it.
Anyhoooooo….
We went to the Bern Art studio in Northpoint. I found them when I was wandering around one day. They had a framed example of the body parts pictures. Body parts is the black and white photos that are taken of the baby’s body parts. Hands, lips, feet, butt, ears, etc. A good friend of my mom’s introduced me to the concept when she showed me her grandson’s 100 or so pictures or his parts. You then can make a collage of the parts. All for remembering them young and small. (tears again here) So, I decided to make an appointment with Bern Art just because time’s running out and I didn’t know what else to do. The people that run the studio are super nice and hopefully the pictures will be awesome.
I’d say the most important pictures we got were of Babygirl in her christening gown that was made by Grandmommy P. This is the most amazing christening gown ever and I wish you all could see the detail that went into it. An absolutely AMAZING heirloom. Mairin will be the first in it, but it’s intended for all the clan’s children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Hopefully someone down the line will put together a big composite of all the babies that were christened in it.
And then we came home and got the washing machine repaired. All in all, an exciting day.
Anyhoooooo….
We went to the Bern Art studio in Northpoint. I found them when I was wandering around one day. They had a framed example of the body parts pictures. Body parts is the black and white photos that are taken of the baby’s body parts. Hands, lips, feet, butt, ears, etc. A good friend of my mom’s introduced me to the concept when she showed me her grandson’s 100 or so pictures or his parts. You then can make a collage of the parts. All for remembering them young and small. (tears again here) So, I decided to make an appointment with Bern Art just because time’s running out and I didn’t know what else to do. The people that run the studio are super nice and hopefully the pictures will be awesome.
I’d say the most important pictures we got were of Babygirl in her christening gown that was made by Grandmommy P. This is the most amazing christening gown ever and I wish you all could see the detail that went into it. An absolutely AMAZING heirloom. Mairin will be the first in it, but it’s intended for all the clan’s children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Hopefully someone down the line will put together a big composite of all the babies that were christened in it.
And then we came home and got the washing machine repaired. All in all, an exciting day.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Slacker is as slacker does
Wow! Has it really been two weeks since I blogged? I've been so busy or maybe it just feels that way. Nothing super spectacular going on except for Babygirl.
Just random thoughts today....
Whirlpool's automated "customer service" stinks. After finally getting through all the voice activated stuff, I finally got put on hold to talk to a live person. After over 20 minutes of that, I hung up and looked for a service person online. And why do I have to have an 8-hour window? And the woman at the repair shop was very helpful in suggesting that I leave a key for the repairman just in case I'm not home. ????????? All for the want of a washing machine spin cycle.
Ventured to Publix again and saw a pregnant guy parked in the pregnant lady (person?) parking space. Miracles of modern medicine.
I've been clipping coupons to save a little money. Millionaire next door ya know (the book for those that missed the reference). It cost $2.50 for the newspapers to save us $5.00 today. And I actually made a conscious effort to be honest and ONLY buy stuff that we needed. Are coupons really worth the effort or is it the same difference to buy store brands and stuff that's on sale (pork tenderloin was $2.99/lb today!)?
We took Babygirl to two parties on Saturday. She was such a trooper! Except for the hunger meltdown in the car in between the two, she was happy and social all night. She also discovered last week that she can make a lot of noise. For about 3 days there she chirped and squawked for hours. Not having experience with young infants, I wonder if she's doing normal things or if she's spe-shul. She's also in the process of outgoing her 0-3 month clothes. It's very traumatic for Mommy. We have an appointment with a photographer this week to capture the cute dresses that she won't be able to wear again. :(
After having a record wet year, we're now having the driest September on record. Not to mention that it's still hitting the upper 80's. Must be that global warming thing that Bush caused. At least when we go to Hilton Head this weekend for Grandpa C's birthday, we'll be able to enjoy it. Boy, I'm ready for fall!
Football season is in full swing. I now compete for the TV with Mapgeek on Thursdays thru Sundays. I have to take the remote with me if I walk out of the room, just in case he wants to "check" scores during commercials. Haha! Though I am learning a lot about the Falcons.
All of our very nice neighbors have either had us over for dinner or have brought us dinner. And our one party we had was during the neighborhood progressive dinner. Can you say poor planning? I hope to have a neighbor-gathering sometime soon, though our falls always seem so busy with several trips in October, Babygirl's christening in November, another trip in November, and then we're into the hoidays. It never seems to stop. Please forgive us neighbors!
I think I've covered the random. Babygirl says "Ahhhhhhccchhhhkkkkkmmmmmmmmaaaaa!" (Hi and bye in Babygirl-speak).
Just random thoughts today....
Whirlpool's automated "customer service" stinks. After finally getting through all the voice activated stuff, I finally got put on hold to talk to a live person. After over 20 minutes of that, I hung up and looked for a service person online. And why do I have to have an 8-hour window? And the woman at the repair shop was very helpful in suggesting that I leave a key for the repairman just in case I'm not home. ????????? All for the want of a washing machine spin cycle.
Ventured to Publix again and saw a pregnant guy parked in the pregnant lady (person?) parking space. Miracles of modern medicine.
I've been clipping coupons to save a little money. Millionaire next door ya know (the book for those that missed the reference). It cost $2.50 for the newspapers to save us $5.00 today. And I actually made a conscious effort to be honest and ONLY buy stuff that we needed. Are coupons really worth the effort or is it the same difference to buy store brands and stuff that's on sale (pork tenderloin was $2.99/lb today!)?
We took Babygirl to two parties on Saturday. She was such a trooper! Except for the hunger meltdown in the car in between the two, she was happy and social all night. She also discovered last week that she can make a lot of noise. For about 3 days there she chirped and squawked for hours. Not having experience with young infants, I wonder if she's doing normal things or if she's spe-shul. She's also in the process of outgoing her 0-3 month clothes. It's very traumatic for Mommy. We have an appointment with a photographer this week to capture the cute dresses that she won't be able to wear again. :(
After having a record wet year, we're now having the driest September on record. Not to mention that it's still hitting the upper 80's. Must be that global warming thing that Bush caused. At least when we go to Hilton Head this weekend for Grandpa C's birthday, we'll be able to enjoy it. Boy, I'm ready for fall!
Football season is in full swing. I now compete for the TV with Mapgeek on Thursdays thru Sundays. I have to take the remote with me if I walk out of the room, just in case he wants to "check" scores during commercials. Haha! Though I am learning a lot about the Falcons.
All of our very nice neighbors have either had us over for dinner or have brought us dinner. And our one party we had was during the neighborhood progressive dinner. Can you say poor planning? I hope to have a neighbor-gathering sometime soon, though our falls always seem so busy with several trips in October, Babygirl's christening in November, another trip in November, and then we're into the hoidays. It never seems to stop. Please forgive us neighbors!
I think I've covered the random. Babygirl says "Ahhhhhhccchhhhkkkkkmmmmmmmmaaaaa!" (Hi and bye in Babygirl-speak).
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