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Hello, LJ friends! I'm still posting at http://halfwayhip.typepad.com.
March 21st, 2008
January 4th, 2008
I've thoroughly enjoyed catching up with all of my LJ buddies today. I spent the rest of my internet time today tending to my own overly neglected blog. Enjoy:
http://halfwayhip.typepad.com/halfway_h
http://halfwayhip.typepad.com/halfway_h
October 18th, 2007
Hey, friends. I'm still (infrequently) posting over at http://halfwayhip.typepad.com if you wanna come take a peek.
June 9th, 2007
January 11th, 2007
December 28th, 2006
I'm still here! Well, not HERE here, but over at http://halfwayhip.typepad.com
November 3rd, 2006
I'm setting up shop at http://halfwayhip.typepad.com/halfway_h
I decided I like it better over there! Let's see if it actually makes me blog more...
I decided I like it better over there! Let's see if it actually makes me blog more...
October 30th, 2006
Day 5 - Drove from Cleveland to Detroit to visit Matt's Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sue. Ohio Turnpike has these really nice travel plazas with better-than-usual food choices. They all have Starbucks, as well. Only thing missing was a kids play area inside. Kids did pretty well on this leg, but it was only about 3-4 hours of driving. Chuck and Sue were very welcoming. He had just come home from a long stay in the hospital, and she seemed very relieved to see some fresh faces. Aidan played with her grandkids' toys and was such a good sport about being called "Matthew" all the time by Sue. It really became so funny b/c she just couldn't stop! We got some much-needed outdoor time by walking through their neighborhood to a school park and then had a dinner of soup and sandwiches. We stayed at a nearby Holiday Inn. We got a suite, which was nice b/c I could update the blog and we could watch "Lost" without disturbing Aidan. Evan stayed up late with us, as usual!
Day 6 - One of the hardest days of our trip. Aidan woke up in a nasty mood and it didn't improve much all day. Matt was emotional b/c we were going to see Schoolcraft College, where his Uncle Dick was a trustee. Dick was murdered over 2 years ago, and there's a memorial tree planted in his honor at the school. This is where his ashes were placed after his funeral, which we couldn't attend. We were so impressed by how nice the campus was and excited at the prospect of contributing to the endowment in Dick's name, which will provide scholarships to students wanting to become teachers. Trader Joe's was just down the street, we had noticed earlier, and we just couldn't pass up our first opportunity in almost 2 years to visit one. We picked up some sushi for our lunch, as well as some great snacks, fruits, and a case of Charles Shaw wine. This visit came at a steep price b/c Aidan soon melted into a puddle, so we had to cut it short. Drove from Detroit area to Grand Rapids. Another relatively short drive, so we stopped along the way at an outlet center. Matt took the kids to KB toys while I bought a few shirts for us at the Gap. Arrived at the Holiday Inn in GR at 5:00. We were immediately greeted at the door by my MIL, Nancy, who was going to have a meeting with the minister performing Grandma Pat's funeral in just a few moments. She said he wanted all of us to be there. WTF?? I had to pee, Aidan had to pee, the baby needed to be changed, we had been on the road all day, and now this unscheduled meeting? She wanted me to take my kids, who had been strapped in the car all day, to a quiet restaurant? After a few moments, everyone could see that the kids just weren't going to hang. So, I offered to take them to the hotel room while Matt stayed back to talk. I'm so glad he participated and helped his mom with all of this. FIL, Jim, got sick and we ended up not seeing him to Sunday afternoon. Fine by me, honestly! We had dinner at nearby Panera Bread.
Day 7 - Matt left early to go to the funeral home with his mom to finalize all the arrangements. Matt's cousin, Carrie, called when she got into town and we made plans to meet at a park. I got lost on my way to the park, but it made us go through this wonderful little town called Cascade. It was really just right out of a movie...the leaves were just perfect, the houses were adorable, and the Thornapple River looked enchanting. Evan Aidan couldn't get enough of the scenery. We finally made it to the park, but we didn't stay long b/c it was so cold and windy. Matt's cousin Carrie was there, along with her husband, Mike, their daughter, Ellie, and Matt's other cousin, Jacob. We all went to a noodle place for lunch. Afternoon was pretty quiet. Matt and his mom came back. Nancy and I took the kids to this great bookstore while Matt got his hair cut. Later, we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant, which really was surprisingly good. I was jealous of the Creative Memories ladies I kept passing in the hotel's meeting rooms. They were apparently having some sort of scrap-a-thon where they stayed up all night in there scrapbooking away.
Day 8 - The day of the funeral. Whirlwind from start to finish. Brunch with the whole family at 10. Very good food and great conversation with relatives. Everyone is joyful, for the most part, b/c Grandma Pat died 3 months before, and this gathering was really more of a celebration of her life than anything else. Matt hadn't really processed her death yet, though, so he was pretty moody. Funeral in Rockford at 1. Someone had arranged childcare for the 3 kids, so we all got to enjoy the service in peace. We all got a chance to go up and share memories of Pat, which Matt and I both did. I spoke about her welcoming me into the family, and about how proud she was of her great-grandchildren. Lots of smiles and tears for this extraordinary woman. She will always be a role model for how I want to live my life as I age....lots of great friends, food, wine, volunteerism, and travel. At 3, the immediate family went to place Grandma's ashes in the Rogue River, as she had instructed b/c it was where she placed her husband's ashes nearly 30 years before. It wasn't a very formal occasion at all, but Matt and Aidan were able to share a really sweet moment together, looking down at the ashes on the bank of the river. I think Aidan really understood what was happening. Family gathering at a relative's house. There was a 7yo boy there, and lots of cool toys for Aidan, like a drum set, several guitars, and a video game system. Oh, and lots of toy guys, too...Nancy spied Aidan hiding all of the choicest weapons under a bean bag. We never found out why. LOL! Food was good, but it ran out. Awesome cheesecake and a nice glass of wine. Later, at the hotel, I stayed back with the kids and enjoyed some junk food and junk TV while Matt hung out at the hotel bar with his sister, BIL, and their cousins. I was soooo glad he got to spend that time with them, but kind of bummed that I couldn't be there, too.
Day 6 - One of the hardest days of our trip. Aidan woke up in a nasty mood and it didn't improve much all day. Matt was emotional b/c we were going to see Schoolcraft College, where his Uncle Dick was a trustee. Dick was murdered over 2 years ago, and there's a memorial tree planted in his honor at the school. This is where his ashes were placed after his funeral, which we couldn't attend. We were so impressed by how nice the campus was and excited at the prospect of contributing to the endowment in Dick's name, which will provide scholarships to students wanting to become teachers. Trader Joe's was just down the street, we had noticed earlier, and we just couldn't pass up our first opportunity in almost 2 years to visit one. We picked up some sushi for our lunch, as well as some great snacks, fruits, and a case of Charles Shaw wine. This visit came at a steep price b/c Aidan soon melted into a puddle, so we had to cut it short. Drove from Detroit area to Grand Rapids. Another relatively short drive, so we stopped along the way at an outlet center. Matt took the kids to KB toys while I bought a few shirts for us at the Gap. Arrived at the Holiday Inn in GR at 5:00. We were immediately greeted at the door by my MIL, Nancy, who was going to have a meeting with the minister performing Grandma Pat's funeral in just a few moments. She said he wanted all of us to be there. WTF?? I had to pee, Aidan had to pee, the baby needed to be changed, we had been on the road all day, and now this unscheduled meeting? She wanted me to take my kids, who had been strapped in the car all day, to a quiet restaurant? After a few moments, everyone could see that the kids just weren't going to hang. So, I offered to take them to the hotel room while Matt stayed back to talk. I'm so glad he participated and helped his mom with all of this. FIL, Jim, got sick and we ended up not seeing him to Sunday afternoon. Fine by me, honestly! We had dinner at nearby Panera Bread.
Day 7 - Matt left early to go to the funeral home with his mom to finalize all the arrangements. Matt's cousin, Carrie, called when she got into town and we made plans to meet at a park. I got lost on my way to the park, but it made us go through this wonderful little town called Cascade. It was really just right out of a movie...the leaves were just perfect, the houses were adorable, and the Thornapple River looked enchanting. Evan Aidan couldn't get enough of the scenery. We finally made it to the park, but we didn't stay long b/c it was so cold and windy. Matt's cousin Carrie was there, along with her husband, Mike, their daughter, Ellie, and Matt's other cousin, Jacob. We all went to a noodle place for lunch. Afternoon was pretty quiet. Matt and his mom came back. Nancy and I took the kids to this great bookstore while Matt got his hair cut. Later, we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant, which really was surprisingly good. I was jealous of the Creative Memories ladies I kept passing in the hotel's meeting rooms. They were apparently having some sort of scrap-a-thon where they stayed up all night in there scrapbooking away.
Day 8 - The day of the funeral. Whirlwind from start to finish. Brunch with the whole family at 10. Very good food and great conversation with relatives. Everyone is joyful, for the most part, b/c Grandma Pat died 3 months before, and this gathering was really more of a celebration of her life than anything else. Matt hadn't really processed her death yet, though, so he was pretty moody. Funeral in Rockford at 1. Someone had arranged childcare for the 3 kids, so we all got to enjoy the service in peace. We all got a chance to go up and share memories of Pat, which Matt and I both did. I spoke about her welcoming me into the family, and about how proud she was of her great-grandchildren. Lots of smiles and tears for this extraordinary woman. She will always be a role model for how I want to live my life as I age....lots of great friends, food, wine, volunteerism, and travel. At 3, the immediate family went to place Grandma's ashes in the Rogue River, as she had instructed b/c it was where she placed her husband's ashes nearly 30 years before. It wasn't a very formal occasion at all, but Matt and Aidan were able to share a really sweet moment together, looking down at the ashes on the bank of the river. I think Aidan really understood what was happening. Family gathering at a relative's house. There was a 7yo boy there, and lots of cool toys for Aidan, like a drum set, several guitars, and a video game system. Oh, and lots of toy guys, too...Nancy spied Aidan hiding all of the choicest weapons under a bean bag. We never found out why. LOL! Food was good, but it ran out. Awesome cheesecake and a nice glass of wine. Later, at the hotel, I stayed back with the kids and enjoyed some junk food and junk TV while Matt hung out at the hotel bar with his sister, BIL, and their cousins. I was soooo glad he got to spend that time with them, but kind of bummed that I couldn't be there, too.
October 24th, 2006
Day 3 - Had a wonderful, leisurely breakfast with Scott. Amy had to fly out early for business, but she left us a yummy french toast casserole in the oven, which Scott served to us with berries. Unfortunately, Scott is not a coffee drinker, and the proof was in the cup. I made the mistake of asking if there was enough for a second cup, and he proceeded to put more water in the automatic maker and run it through the grounds a second time. Drove through the beautiful Ohio countryside to the little hippie town of Yellow Springs, since it was the town I had picked (from online, site unseen) for us to live back when Matt thought we might move to the Dayton area. All through Ohio and Michigan, my face was pressed against the window, taking in the autumn perfectness, which I had never seen before. Four seasons! I have yet to experience a real winter, though. We found real coffee in Yellow Springs. Yum. Stopped in Columbus for lunch at Wendy's. Arrived in Cleveland at Matt's Uncle Jerry's and Aunt Faith's house, where Matt's parents had already arrived. They had driven up from Texas through Tennessee and Kentucky. Lots of family arrived and arrived and arrived. Jerry and Faith have 5 children, all of whom live in the area. There are about 15 grandchildren, all age 13 and younger. Aidan was in heaven for a while, but then overwhelmed. Not in a bad way, though. He just retreated down to the toy-filled basement for a while to get away from all the action outdside and upstairs. Jerry and Faith have a split-level home and none of the rooms are too big, so it really was overwhelming with everyone there. I really like Matt's cousins, though, and they've always shown an interest in getting to know me and the kids. We talked about parenting a lot, and I found myself in a bit of a heated discussion with Matt's cousin's wife about Babywise. I clearly expressed my disdain for the book, but I proabably didn't do it in the most diplomatic way. I'm sure I came across as crazy and dogmatic, but it wouldn't be the first time, I'm sure! Now, at least, they all know where we stand on the issues.
Day 4 - We had a decent night's sleep. B/c of limited space, Matt and I were separated with the kids. Evan and I were in a room with a twin and a crib, and Matt and Aidan shared a room with just one twin. It was still better than staying at a hotel. We're staying in so many this trip as it is. Jerry is totally in love with Evan, and Aidan has really taken to Faith. They are really very nice people, and so interested in getting to know all of us as people. Jerry's attentiveness makes my FIL's aloofness (is that a word?) all the more apparent. Jim just doesn't show much interest in our kids. Aidan clearly gets on his nerves, and I don't think he's held Evan or interacted with him more than 3 or 4 times in the past year. His loss. We hang around the house all morning trying to figure out what we're going to do. Matt and Jerry get into a lively political discussion, but it's very civil, something that never would happen with Jim around. (He and Nancy (MIL) had gone to visit his godmother.) After lunch, we drove a long way to see cousin Annie and her kids. They live in one of those huge, new cookie-cutter houses. I feel very cold in those houses, and they're never furnished to scale, but I did admire their mudroom and spacious kitchen a lot. I do wish that we could entertain more than 4 people in our house. The visit with Annie was great, and the kids played and played. We then drove even more out to Annie's husband Herb's firestation. The night before, Herb had promised Aidan a firehouse tour since he was missing the firestation field trip that was going on at Gingerbread that day. I was a little annoyed that we still ended up in the car for an hour and a half on our day off from driving, but it was worth it. Herb was great about taking us around and showing Aidan everything. Back at Jerry and Faith's, we had a huge meal that would rival Thanksgiving. It would have been perfect, except that Jim made some comment about my brother serving in Iraq. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it stung me to the core, and I almost left the dinner table. Luckily, someone else picked up the conversation so that the attention wasn't on me, so that I could catch my breath and try to just let it go. It was a really backhanded thing to say, and something that Jim would have no idea about. I wanted to scream at him to shut his piehole b/c he had no clue what he was talking about. I stewed for the rest of the evening, but tried to enjoy Faith and Jerry and Nancy enjoying the kids. Evan and I didn't sleep well at all that night, and I became sick of trying to cosleep in a twin bed and nursing off only one side all night.
Day 4 - We had a decent night's sleep. B/c of limited space, Matt and I were separated with the kids. Evan and I were in a room with a twin and a crib, and Matt and Aidan shared a room with just one twin. It was still better than staying at a hotel. We're staying in so many this trip as it is. Jerry is totally in love with Evan, and Aidan has really taken to Faith. They are really very nice people, and so interested in getting to know all of us as people. Jerry's attentiveness makes my FIL's aloofness (is that a word?) all the more apparent. Jim just doesn't show much interest in our kids. Aidan clearly gets on his nerves, and I don't think he's held Evan or interacted with him more than 3 or 4 times in the past year. His loss. We hang around the house all morning trying to figure out what we're going to do. Matt and Jerry get into a lively political discussion, but it's very civil, something that never would happen with Jim around. (He and Nancy (MIL) had gone to visit his godmother.) After lunch, we drove a long way to see cousin Annie and her kids. They live in one of those huge, new cookie-cutter houses. I feel very cold in those houses, and they're never furnished to scale, but I did admire their mudroom and spacious kitchen a lot. I do wish that we could entertain more than 4 people in our house. The visit with Annie was great, and the kids played and played. We then drove even more out to Annie's husband Herb's firestation. The night before, Herb had promised Aidan a firehouse tour since he was missing the firestation field trip that was going on at Gingerbread that day. I was a little annoyed that we still ended up in the car for an hour and a half on our day off from driving, but it was worth it. Herb was great about taking us around and showing Aidan everything. Back at Jerry and Faith's, we had a huge meal that would rival Thanksgiving. It would have been perfect, except that Jim made some comment about my brother serving in Iraq. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it stung me to the core, and I almost left the dinner table. Luckily, someone else picked up the conversation so that the attention wasn't on me, so that I could catch my breath and try to just let it go. It was a really backhanded thing to say, and something that Jim would have no idea about. I wanted to scream at him to shut his piehole b/c he had no clue what he was talking about. I stewed for the rest of the evening, but tried to enjoy Faith and Jerry and Nancy enjoying the kids. Evan and I didn't sleep well at all that night, and I became sick of trying to cosleep in a twin bed and nursing off only one side all night.
October 19th, 2006
Day 1 -- Drove from Norman, OK to E. St. Louis, IL. Breakfast from Braum's (on the road), coffee from Starbucks (this was all before we left Norman!), lunch at McDonald's in Springfield, MO (we had been promising Aidan for months we'd do "Old McDonald's" on our trip as a special treat), dinner was room service at our hotel. We arrived at the hotel much later than expected. We chose a Sheraton b/c we'd get the room free as a priority club benefit. Really nice. Kids were really melting by the time we got there around 7:45. It was our longest day of driving, and Evan just was not a happy camper. Aidan didn't really stick with any one diversion (DVD, Leapster, coloring/drawing) for very long, but preferred looking out the window.
Day 2 -- E. St. Louis, IL to Dayton, OH. Breakfast at Panera (eaten on the road), stopped to see the World's Largest Ketchup Bottle, which wasn't as impressive as it sounded, but Aidan got a kick out of it. Soccer for Aidan and nursing for Evan at a rest stop. Lunch at a Thai place in Terre Haute, IN (very yummy) and coffee to go from Starbucks. I had brought along crochet and The Happy Hooker book to reteach myself, and do a little bit, but mostly I gawk out the window at what autumn really looks like b/c I've never seen it. I can't get enough of seeing the varying shades of leaves against the green, green grass. Matt and I listen to _The Omnivore's Dilemma_ on audio book. He writes a lot about corn and how it's ended up in all of our foods...a fitting book choice for this drive since the only fields we can see are corn. Arrive to our old friend Scott's house, which is so cute. He and his wife, Amy, are very hospitable and set us up really nice with two rooms, pizza on the grill, chocolate cake, and a big bubble bath for Aidan. Amy is really good with Aidan and reads him bedtime stories. Sleeping is a bit uncomfortable, as the bed is only a queen, and we forgot our precious bed rail. Evan started out in the pack and play, but didn't last long. Instead of me switching Evan from side to side in the night to nurse, I had to swich places with Matt so that Evan stayed in the middle.
Day 2 -- E. St. Louis, IL to Dayton, OH. Breakfast at Panera (eaten on the road), stopped to see the World's Largest Ketchup Bottle, which wasn't as impressive as it sounded, but Aidan got a kick out of it. Soccer for Aidan and nursing for Evan at a rest stop. Lunch at a Thai place in Terre Haute, IN (very yummy) and coffee to go from Starbucks. I had brought along crochet and The Happy Hooker book to reteach myself, and do a little bit, but mostly I gawk out the window at what autumn really looks like b/c I've never seen it. I can't get enough of seeing the varying shades of leaves against the green, green grass. Matt and I listen to _The Omnivore's Dilemma_ on audio book. He writes a lot about corn and how it's ended up in all of our foods...a fitting book choice for this drive since the only fields we can see are corn. Arrive to our old friend Scott's house, which is so cute. He and his wife, Amy, are very hospitable and set us up really nice with two rooms, pizza on the grill, chocolate cake, and a big bubble bath for Aidan. Amy is really good with Aidan and reads him bedtime stories. Sleeping is a bit uncomfortable, as the bed is only a queen, and we forgot our precious bed rail. Evan started out in the pack and play, but didn't last long. Instead of me switching Evan from side to side in the night to nurse, I had to swich places with Matt so that Evan stayed in the middle.
October 12th, 2006
I'll be honest. Life has just sucked since we got back from Florida. I can't decide if it's all circumstantial, that it would suck for anyone living it, or if there's something wrong with me. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to get to my happy place. Also, when I say that life has sucked, it's all relative...I'm constantly reminding myself that what I consider a hard life would be downright enviable to a good amount of the world's population.
The week after Mom left, we all got sick with a stomach virus. Aidan got hit on a Wednesday night and threw up all night. We had a great day just hanging around the house the next day, so all seemed fine. Friday evening, while we were 45 mins. away from home taking our VW to the shop for a battery replacement, Evan started throwing up. Poor thing threw up all the way home, but he didn't seem to mind too much. In the middle of the night, I got sick, as well. Saturday was awful b/c both Evan and I were sick. Saturday night, just as I was feeling better and getting angry about all the shit that didn't get done while I was sick, Matt threw up. Of course, he got to take to bed all day long Sunday while I took care of at least 10 loads of laundry.
Laundry has been a sore spot for me lately. I don't see why I'm the one who should be solely responsible for it. Yes, he works full time out of the home, but he'd still have to do his laundry if he didn't have a wifey who stays at home with the kids. I like staying at home with my kids, I like taking them on adventures and providing learning and creative opportunities for them. They're thriving and mostly happy. However, the way I parent doesn't leave a lot of time in my day for housework. We have a cleaning lady who comes every other week, and she scrubs the kitchen, the bathroon, and dusts and cleans all the floors. We are quite willing to part with $120 a month to make this happen, b/c if we didn't, we'd fight even more. Again, there's the guilt about even having a freaking cleaning lady. No one I knew growing up had one. My mom ignored us all day on Saturdays while she cleaned, blasting Heart and Rolling Stones records. I'm sure that there were also many, many late nights when she stayed up folding laundry, like I do now. My anger over our household situation has been bubbling up for the past month, but I'm finding it impossible to bring it up in conversation with Matt. I don't think it would change anything, and he'd just get defensive and withdraw. When he withdraws, the whole family really suffers, and I don't want to do that to us. Yes, I realize that we need therapy, and we have been, but not since before the Florida trip, in June. I have suggested we go back, but Matt said he couldn't fit it in. I haven't asked again b/c I'm exhausted and sick and tired of always being the one who thinks of everything. Please, can I get an amen from anyone else on this, or am I the only one?
So, MIL came last weekend so that we could plant our front landscaping. We needed to do it in October b/c it's planting season, and by the time we get back from our Midwest trip, it will be too close to the first frost. Wonder of wonders, we actually got it done on Sunday. MIL watched the kids all day, and we hired a friend's son to help us finish the job. We planted about 10 plants and bushes, plus a Blue Atlas Cedar tree in honor of Evan's birth. I had to finish thawing the placenta in the microwave, which kind of grossed me out. I'm not all that spiritual about these types of rituals, but I still felt this need to do this. I wanted to have something to commemorate Evan's birth in this house, something we could drive by 20 years from now and see. The tree looks really cool, too.
Tile guy was supposed to come first thing Monday morning. He had put us off for about a month b/c the job he had been doing went over. Around 4am Monday, MIL developed a raging case of diarrhea. B/c we only have one bathroom, we had to put off tile guy. There was lots of back and forth about MIL going to a hotel so she could be more comfortable, but nothing was ever decided. We didn't want to kick her out, and we kept thinking that she'd get better any hour. She did get better and slept well Monday evening, but right when we were expecting tile guy on Tuesday, she had another episode. By this time, I was so incredibly frustrated. I hadn't had a shower all day Monday b/c she needed the bathroom, she wasn't eating or drinking anything, even though we told her it was the only way she'd start getting better, Matt wasn't communicating well with her about going to a hotel, etc. I just wanted him to be the one to decide. Again, I'm always the one. We ended up totally scrambling to get her to a hotel, to get a shower for me, and to clean out the bathroom so that tile guy could start. Meanwhile, poor Evan cried in his exersaucer for too long. :( MIL did get well enough to go back to Dallas later that day, and she's made a full recovery in the days since. I joked to Matt that God has put a plague on our house b/c he's an athiest now.
Tile guy is really very nice and seems to be a perfectionist, which is what we want. He's knocked out the shower tiles and is rebuilding the structure behind it. He's taken out some of the old lead pipes, and will soon take out the old window and replace it with glass bricks. I'm going to open a flickr account soon and post pics of the progress. Looks like we'll have to trust him enough to let him work while we're out of town. Honestly, it's worth the risk if it means less discomfort for all of us. I've already had to spend the last two days out of the house all day long, and will do so again tomorrow. He'll have to rip out the toilet and vanity soon, and I just don't want to be here for that. We were w/out a shower or bath for one day, and so I took a shower at my friend's house. Matt's been going to the Y. Tile guy put the bath spout back on yesterday, so Aidan and I took baths, even though we're surrounded by the guts of the walls of the house. The 80-year-old wood smells and looks pretty creepy. I keep thinking that beady little eyes are going to peek at me through the slats while I'm in the tub.
Sorry this is so disjointed. I just had to get it all down, editing be damned. We're leaving for Ohio and Michigan on Saturday and will be gone almost two weeks. After that, Evan turns one. Unbelievable.
The week after Mom left, we all got sick with a stomach virus. Aidan got hit on a Wednesday night and threw up all night. We had a great day just hanging around the house the next day, so all seemed fine. Friday evening, while we were 45 mins. away from home taking our VW to the shop for a battery replacement, Evan started throwing up. Poor thing threw up all the way home, but he didn't seem to mind too much. In the middle of the night, I got sick, as well. Saturday was awful b/c both Evan and I were sick. Saturday night, just as I was feeling better and getting angry about all the shit that didn't get done while I was sick, Matt threw up. Of course, he got to take to bed all day long Sunday while I took care of at least 10 loads of laundry.
Laundry has been a sore spot for me lately. I don't see why I'm the one who should be solely responsible for it. Yes, he works full time out of the home, but he'd still have to do his laundry if he didn't have a wifey who stays at home with the kids. I like staying at home with my kids, I like taking them on adventures and providing learning and creative opportunities for them. They're thriving and mostly happy. However, the way I parent doesn't leave a lot of time in my day for housework. We have a cleaning lady who comes every other week, and she scrubs the kitchen, the bathroon, and dusts and cleans all the floors. We are quite willing to part with $120 a month to make this happen, b/c if we didn't, we'd fight even more. Again, there's the guilt about even having a freaking cleaning lady. No one I knew growing up had one. My mom ignored us all day on Saturdays while she cleaned, blasting Heart and Rolling Stones records. I'm sure that there were also many, many late nights when she stayed up folding laundry, like I do now. My anger over our household situation has been bubbling up for the past month, but I'm finding it impossible to bring it up in conversation with Matt. I don't think it would change anything, and he'd just get defensive and withdraw. When he withdraws, the whole family really suffers, and I don't want to do that to us. Yes, I realize that we need therapy, and we have been, but not since before the Florida trip, in June. I have suggested we go back, but Matt said he couldn't fit it in. I haven't asked again b/c I'm exhausted and sick and tired of always being the one who thinks of everything. Please, can I get an amen from anyone else on this, or am I the only one?
So, MIL came last weekend so that we could plant our front landscaping. We needed to do it in October b/c it's planting season, and by the time we get back from our Midwest trip, it will be too close to the first frost. Wonder of wonders, we actually got it done on Sunday. MIL watched the kids all day, and we hired a friend's son to help us finish the job. We planted about 10 plants and bushes, plus a Blue Atlas Cedar tree in honor of Evan's birth. I had to finish thawing the placenta in the microwave, which kind of grossed me out. I'm not all that spiritual about these types of rituals, but I still felt this need to do this. I wanted to have something to commemorate Evan's birth in this house, something we could drive by 20 years from now and see. The tree looks really cool, too.
Tile guy was supposed to come first thing Monday morning. He had put us off for about a month b/c the job he had been doing went over. Around 4am Monday, MIL developed a raging case of diarrhea. B/c we only have one bathroom, we had to put off tile guy. There was lots of back and forth about MIL going to a hotel so she could be more comfortable, but nothing was ever decided. We didn't want to kick her out, and we kept thinking that she'd get better any hour. She did get better and slept well Monday evening, but right when we were expecting tile guy on Tuesday, she had another episode. By this time, I was so incredibly frustrated. I hadn't had a shower all day Monday b/c she needed the bathroom, she wasn't eating or drinking anything, even though we told her it was the only way she'd start getting better, Matt wasn't communicating well with her about going to a hotel, etc. I just wanted him to be the one to decide. Again, I'm always the one. We ended up totally scrambling to get her to a hotel, to get a shower for me, and to clean out the bathroom so that tile guy could start. Meanwhile, poor Evan cried in his exersaucer for too long. :( MIL did get well enough to go back to Dallas later that day, and she's made a full recovery in the days since. I joked to Matt that God has put a plague on our house b/c he's an athiest now.
Tile guy is really very nice and seems to be a perfectionist, which is what we want. He's knocked out the shower tiles and is rebuilding the structure behind it. He's taken out some of the old lead pipes, and will soon take out the old window and replace it with glass bricks. I'm going to open a flickr account soon and post pics of the progress. Looks like we'll have to trust him enough to let him work while we're out of town. Honestly, it's worth the risk if it means less discomfort for all of us. I've already had to spend the last two days out of the house all day long, and will do so again tomorrow. He'll have to rip out the toilet and vanity soon, and I just don't want to be here for that. We were w/out a shower or bath for one day, and so I took a shower at my friend's house. Matt's been going to the Y. Tile guy put the bath spout back on yesterday, so Aidan and I took baths, even though we're surrounded by the guts of the walls of the house. The 80-year-old wood smells and looks pretty creepy. I keep thinking that beady little eyes are going to peek at me through the slats while I'm in the tub.
Sorry this is so disjointed. I just had to get it all down, editing be damned. We're leaving for Ohio and Michigan on Saturday and will be gone almost two weeks. After that, Evan turns one. Unbelievable.
Thursday (Sept. 21)...after mom arrived, we went to the grocery store and Starbucks. I cooked a deep-dish pizza for dinner, along with whole wheat gingerbread cake from a mix I've had in the pantry for a year and got tired of looking at. I made a cream cheese frosting for it, one so good that I could slather an old tire with it and it would be yummy. Part of our new eating routine is not having sweets in the house/every night. I did say that I could make dessert once a week, but that means that there's dessert leftover for many nights afterward. Ha! Aidan's behavior started tanking the minute Grandma arrived and didn't improve much til she left. It's weird b/c I don't think she's overstimulating...I guess she just wants to talk to me so much, and Aidan feels left out and needs to interrupt all the time. Matt went to bed early b/c he had a horrible day at work. Actually, he's had a horrible couple of weeks at work. I hope it lets up soon for him.
Friday (Sept. 22)...we dropped Aidan off to school and go to International Pantry, a wonderful, locally-owned kitchen and gourmet store. I picked up some jasmine rice (can't remember the last time I bought white rice), some almond paste, and some orzo (the only place in town I can get it). We then went to the fabric store to get felt for Aidan's Peter Pan costume. He changes his mind every day about what he wants to be for Halloween, but hopefully, he'll love it when I present his finished costume to him. I just have to make it now. Oh, and find a pan flute. :) Had lunch at Turquoise Cafe, a wonderful but tiny local healthy/fresh/good food cafe. Drove around while Evan napped, hit Starbucks, went to the local children's consignment sale, and then picked up Aidan from school. Matt met us at home, and we all packed in the van to go to the state fair. As usual, we loved the few exhibits we got to see, like the Agtropolis building, where kids can see eggs hatching, pet pigs, see a cow being milked, look at bugs, watch goats and sheep climb around a huge hill. There's also a "be a farmer" display where kids are led through the process of planting a seed, harvesting, taking food to market, and getting money for it. I made the attendant laugh by asking, "Where's the part where they have to sell their land to an agribusiness conglomerate?" We ate too much, and in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I tried a deep fried Twinkie. And I regretted it. Talk about cottonmouth. Speaking of regret, we saved the midway rides we promised Aidan for last, which proved to be a very unwise move. By that time, it was nearing 9:00 pm, the place was elbow-to-elbow, and it took about half an hour to stand in line for 3 tickets for one ride, which had another 10 minute line. A friend later told me that she had to tell her kids no ferris wheel when she found out that it would cost them $20 to ride it. Thankfully, Aidan was appeased with just one ride, a funhouse type activity maze/slide thing. We all drove home in a funk. Mom, Matt, and Aidan fell asleep immediately, but since Evan had napped on Matt's back most of the night, he was ready to party. I watched an Oprah rerun while he played on the floor, and so we didn't get to sleep til after midnight.
Friday (Sept. 22)...we dropped Aidan off to school and go to International Pantry, a wonderful, locally-owned kitchen and gourmet store. I picked up some jasmine rice (can't remember the last time I bought white rice), some almond paste, and some orzo (the only place in town I can get it). We then went to the fabric store to get felt for Aidan's Peter Pan costume. He changes his mind every day about what he wants to be for Halloween, but hopefully, he'll love it when I present his finished costume to him. I just have to make it now. Oh, and find a pan flute. :) Had lunch at Turquoise Cafe, a wonderful but tiny local healthy/fresh/good food cafe. Drove around while Evan napped, hit Starbucks, went to the local children's consignment sale, and then picked up Aidan from school. Matt met us at home, and we all packed in the van to go to the state fair. As usual, we loved the few exhibits we got to see, like the Agtropolis building, where kids can see eggs hatching, pet pigs, see a cow being milked, look at bugs, watch goats and sheep climb around a huge hill. There's also a "be a farmer" display where kids are led through the process of planting a seed, harvesting, taking food to market, and getting money for it. I made the attendant laugh by asking, "Where's the part where they have to sell their land to an agribusiness conglomerate?" We ate too much, and in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I tried a deep fried Twinkie. And I regretted it. Talk about cottonmouth. Speaking of regret, we saved the midway rides we promised Aidan for last, which proved to be a very unwise move. By that time, it was nearing 9:00 pm, the place was elbow-to-elbow, and it took about half an hour to stand in line for 3 tickets for one ride, which had another 10 minute line. A friend later told me that she had to tell her kids no ferris wheel when she found out that it would cost them $20 to ride it. Thankfully, Aidan was appeased with just one ride, a funhouse type activity maze/slide thing. We all drove home in a funk. Mom, Matt, and Aidan fell asleep immediately, but since Evan had napped on Matt's back most of the night, he was ready to party. I watched an Oprah rerun while he played on the floor, and so we didn't get to sleep til after midnight.
September 21st, 2006
My mom is on her way here. It's been quite a while since her last visit...I think it was when Matt had his surgery back in March. It's so funny to me how everyone talked up coming to visit us really often once we moved to Oklahoma from California, but it just hasn't materialized. My older brother, Terry, has never visited my home as an adult. When I do see him (rarely), it's at his house, or at one of our parents'. I'm trying to talk my youngest brother, Daniel, into coming to visit b/c he goes to Univ. of North Texas, which is only about 2 hours away. His schedule is really prohibitive, though, b/c he's always got music gigs. He's in a jazz band, an orchestra, and a mariachi band, plus he's got a lot of high school private lessons to give. Oh, and he plays at a church in our hometown every weekend. I really want to spend more time with his girlfriend, whose name is also Leah. She seems really cool.
It's a beautiful day out today...very moist, cloudy, rainy, and windy. I'm so sick and tired of hot, windy weather. I'm tired of walking outside and feeling like the gods have pointed a huge blow dryer at the humans.
Still going to the Y to work out, and I'm still enjoying it, for the most part. I do better when I listen to music as opposed to podcasts or watching TV. I don't see how people can watch those TV screens that are mounted right in front of the ellipticals. I tried that once, and it made me really dizzy. I'm now doing the weight loss program on the elliptical instead of just winging it on a manual setting. I think it made a difference b/c I was sweating so much more. I'm also being pretty picky abot what songs to listen to while I'm doing cardio. Red Hot Chilli Peppers, while very motivivating, are not good b/c my body wants to go into a funkified slouch when I hear them. Much better are my old dance tunes, like Depeche Mode remixes and rave music. I also like the staccato beats of Joy Division and the newer wanna-be bands like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol. Listening to my music makes working out so much better b/c I rarely get to connect with that part of myself...the part that would much rather be in a smoky club or an outdoor rock festival than a library storytime crawling with toddlers or the middle of the flourescent-lighted Y.
Oh, and the official stats are that I'm down to 191 lbs. I was about 199 2 months ago, before we went to Key West, and 195 when I weighed in 3 weeks ago. Clothes are fitting much better. I'm now a firm size 16 at Old Navy, instead of floating between 16 and 18, and my size 16 Levi capri jeans, which I haven't been able to wear in 2 years, fit wonderfully now. I've been weeding out a lot of my post-partum clothes and buying more exercise clothes. I really need to finish reading the Lose Your Mummy Tummy book so that I can start doing ab work. Because I have a dyastasis (an abdominal split), I can't do any traditional ab exercises. I got the basic Tupler Technique down from the book, and I'm just doing it when I remember to, and I'm holding my belly button as far back toward my spine when I think about it. The chiro confirmed a few months ago that holding the belly in was one of the best things I could do for my back. It's hard, though, b/c I have so little muscle tone in that area, so it tires out easily. I keep wondering if I really need to buy a splint, as the books suggests?
It's a beautiful day out today...very moist, cloudy, rainy, and windy. I'm so sick and tired of hot, windy weather. I'm tired of walking outside and feeling like the gods have pointed a huge blow dryer at the humans.
Still going to the Y to work out, and I'm still enjoying it, for the most part. I do better when I listen to music as opposed to podcasts or watching TV. I don't see how people can watch those TV screens that are mounted right in front of the ellipticals. I tried that once, and it made me really dizzy. I'm now doing the weight loss program on the elliptical instead of just winging it on a manual setting. I think it made a difference b/c I was sweating so much more. I'm also being pretty picky abot what songs to listen to while I'm doing cardio. Red Hot Chilli Peppers, while very motivivating, are not good b/c my body wants to go into a funkified slouch when I hear them. Much better are my old dance tunes, like Depeche Mode remixes and rave music. I also like the staccato beats of Joy Division and the newer wanna-be bands like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol. Listening to my music makes working out so much better b/c I rarely get to connect with that part of myself...the part that would much rather be in a smoky club or an outdoor rock festival than a library storytime crawling with toddlers or the middle of the flourescent-lighted Y.
Oh, and the official stats are that I'm down to 191 lbs. I was about 199 2 months ago, before we went to Key West, and 195 when I weighed in 3 weeks ago. Clothes are fitting much better. I'm now a firm size 16 at Old Navy, instead of floating between 16 and 18, and my size 16 Levi capri jeans, which I haven't been able to wear in 2 years, fit wonderfully now. I've been weeding out a lot of my post-partum clothes and buying more exercise clothes. I really need to finish reading the Lose Your Mummy Tummy book so that I can start doing ab work. Because I have a dyastasis (an abdominal split), I can't do any traditional ab exercises. I got the basic Tupler Technique down from the book, and I'm just doing it when I remember to, and I'm holding my belly button as far back toward my spine when I think about it. The chiro confirmed a few months ago that holding the belly in was one of the best things I could do for my back. It's hard, though, b/c I have so little muscle tone in that area, so it tires out easily. I keep wondering if I really need to buy a splint, as the books suggests?
September 11th, 2006
*I cooked all weekend. Pesto, baked spaghetti, homemade foccacia, fruit salad, green salad, brownies for the YMCA family night, mushroom/red pepper/green onion/feta frittata, blueberry mini-muffins, organic sausages, homemade coconut shrimp. Lots of yummy leftovers to take us through the beginning of the week. (No more brownies, though.) No fast food since over a week ago!
*We went to work out at the Y on Friday night and then headed over to the free family night, which they do once a month. They served Frito chilli pie and had a scarecrow stuffing workshop. We had a blast stuffing our clothes with straw, and Aidan loved running around the empty gym with the other kids.
*Soccer meeting on Saturday morning, which was pretty pointless. We just got the rosters and met our coaches, who are all young college-aged girls. There were enough kids for 12 teams in the 3-5 yo range. That was amazing to me b/c in summer basketball, there were only about 12 kids total...barely enough for 2 teams. After the meeting, we went to Athletic Village to buy shin guards, cleats, socks, and some new running shoes for Matt, who couldn't remember the last time he bought new work out shoes. (4 years ago??)
*Massive headache Saturday afternoon after my haircut, so Matt took Aidan to get me a Starbucks and then with him to his haircut and then up to Edmond to pick up the rest of our stuff from the FL trip. (We had sent our big stuff, like the extra carseats, the playpen, the bed rails, etc. with Matt's coworker, who brought it back on his trailer.) Evan and I had a relaxing afternoon at home.
*Aidan become feverish all of a sudden Saturday night and went to bed w/out eating. Matt had to sleep with him in his bed, and he woke up crying throughout the night. He felt well yesterday, but he had another rough night last night, coughing and crying every half hour or so. Poor Matt got almost no sleep and had to be awake at 4:30 for an early flight today.
*Minor disagreements about parenting this weekend. To me, getting progressively louder and more angry does nothing to calm the situation. Apparently, Matt doesn't mind getting into near-constant power-struggles. *big, heavy sigh*
*We went to work out at the Y on Friday night and then headed over to the free family night, which they do once a month. They served Frito chilli pie and had a scarecrow stuffing workshop. We had a blast stuffing our clothes with straw, and Aidan loved running around the empty gym with the other kids.
*Soccer meeting on Saturday morning, which was pretty pointless. We just got the rosters and met our coaches, who are all young college-aged girls. There were enough kids for 12 teams in the 3-5 yo range. That was amazing to me b/c in summer basketball, there were only about 12 kids total...barely enough for 2 teams. After the meeting, we went to Athletic Village to buy shin guards, cleats, socks, and some new running shoes for Matt, who couldn't remember the last time he bought new work out shoes. (4 years ago??)
*Massive headache Saturday afternoon after my haircut, so Matt took Aidan to get me a Starbucks and then with him to his haircut and then up to Edmond to pick up the rest of our stuff from the FL trip. (We had sent our big stuff, like the extra carseats, the playpen, the bed rails, etc. with Matt's coworker, who brought it back on his trailer.) Evan and I had a relaxing afternoon at home.
*Aidan become feverish all of a sudden Saturday night and went to bed w/out eating. Matt had to sleep with him in his bed, and he woke up crying throughout the night. He felt well yesterday, but he had another rough night last night, coughing and crying every half hour or so. Poor Matt got almost no sleep and had to be awake at 4:30 for an early flight today.
*Minor disagreements about parenting this weekend. To me, getting progressively louder and more angry does nothing to calm the situation. Apparently, Matt doesn't mind getting into near-constant power-struggles. *big, heavy sigh*
September 9th, 2006
Matt arrived home last Saturday evening. 70 days...his longest temporary duty yet. It's hard to think of it as a long deployment b/c we were together for almost half of it. He is having some trouble adjusting to being home. Family life was a lot easier in a lot of ways in FL...being in someone else's home, being on an island where time doesn't seem to exist, having a very laid-back work schedule. I can tell his brain is just worrying so much about returning to his normal work responsibilities.
On a positive note, we all went to the Y together on Sunday. It was the 3rd time I had been in a week, and the 4th time I had worked out. I want to take advantage of the child care room now, while Evan is still willing to go and have a great time. I was just doing the elliptical while listening to back episodes of This American Life on my I-pod, but on Friday, I had a staff person show me all the weights, so now I'm going to do both cardio and weight training. When I get bored, I'll figure out something else. I used to dread working out, but now, it seems like it's the only oasis I really get. Time to listen to my show w/out stopping to answer random questions from the backseat, a full hour or more of time when my body is all my own. I can already feel myself getting stronger, too. My goal is to lose around a pound a week and to repair the dyastasis (abdominal wall separation) that happened with the last pregnancy. I started ahead...I had actually LOST 4 lbs. in Key West, despite all of the frozen chocolate key lime pie on a stick. I love nursing!
Update, since I always seem to post late: worked out again on Tuesday, walked on Weds, worked out Friday. The weights are killing me...hopefully I'll be able to stick to it this time. Down to what I weighed when I got pg with Aidan.
On a positive note, we all went to the Y together on Sunday. It was the 3rd time I had been in a week, and the 4th time I had worked out. I want to take advantage of the child care room now, while Evan is still willing to go and have a great time. I was just doing the elliptical while listening to back episodes of This American Life on my I-pod, but on Friday, I had a staff person show me all the weights, so now I'm going to do both cardio and weight training. When I get bored, I'll figure out something else. I used to dread working out, but now, it seems like it's the only oasis I really get. Time to listen to my show w/out stopping to answer random questions from the backseat, a full hour or more of time when my body is all my own. I can already feel myself getting stronger, too. My goal is to lose around a pound a week and to repair the dyastasis (abdominal wall separation) that happened with the last pregnancy. I started ahead...I had actually LOST 4 lbs. in Key West, despite all of the frozen chocolate key lime pie on a stick. I love nursing!
Update, since I always seem to post late: worked out again on Tuesday, walked on Weds, worked out Friday. The weights are killing me...hopefully I'll be able to stick to it this time. Down to what I weighed when I got pg with Aidan.
August 28th, 2006
After a 12 hour journey yesterday, we finally made it home. The boys were really so good, but the day still wore me out. Our flight was delayed about 2 hours in Dallas, so we didn't get home to eat dinner til 9:30, which was really 10:30 since we were still on Key West time. We had a snack in DFW, but that was before I knew there would be a delay, so it wasn't enough. Aidan was such a trooper, though, and so glad to be home again. The first thing he did was go to his room to look at all of his stuff.
I was a little scared to come home to a dark house that had been closed up for a month. I was expecting to find the a/c broken again or some kind of bug infestation, but everything looked good. Oh, the smell of my own house!!! My house smells like wood and essential oils. I kept taking deep breaths all night b/c I just couldn't get enough.
This morning was a little difficult. I didn't sleep well last night due to listening to the noises of my now-unfamiliar house. The kids slept great, but I tossed and turned all night. We had no food this morning, and no coffee. Then, I found that my van wouldn't start. I guess I left a door ajar or a light on or something b/c the battery was completely dead. I had to reinstall the carseats in the Corolla and take us through the McDonald's drive-thru for breakfast so that we could get to Aidan's school on time. My friend Steve came over later to help me jump-start both the Jetta and the van. The Jetta has been sitting there for two months now, and it was blocking the way to the van's hood. The van couldn't be put in neutral and rolled back. Crazy. After much car-shuffling, we got the job done. Hopefully, it was just a fluke that the battery ran out.
I was a little scared to come home to a dark house that had been closed up for a month. I was expecting to find the a/c broken again or some kind of bug infestation, but everything looked good. Oh, the smell of my own house!!! My house smells like wood and essential oils. I kept taking deep breaths all night b/c I just couldn't get enough.
This morning was a little difficult. I didn't sleep well last night due to listening to the noises of my now-unfamiliar house. The kids slept great, but I tossed and turned all night. We had no food this morning, and no coffee. Then, I found that my van wouldn't start. I guess I left a door ajar or a light on or something b/c the battery was completely dead. I had to reinstall the carseats in the Corolla and take us through the McDonald's drive-thru for breakfast so that we could get to Aidan's school on time. My friend Steve came over later to help me jump-start both the Jetta and the van. The Jetta has been sitting there for two months now, and it was blocking the way to the van's hood. The van couldn't be put in neutral and rolled back. Crazy. After much car-shuffling, we got the job done. Hopefully, it was just a fluke that the battery ran out.
August 22nd, 2006
I feel like I've barely had time to even breathe these last few weeks. Very much like a classic vacation around here...running around all over the place to try and see and do everything. Matt's mom, Nancy, came in 10 days ago and left yesterday, so we saved up most of our sightseeing for when she was with us. As usual, she was a great help with the kids, but I was glad to say goodbye. For one thing, Aidan's behavior has really been tanking hard the past few days, and I think it's partly due to what I'll call GOSS (Grandma OverStimulation Syndrome). I think Evan had it a bit, as well...he wasn't falling asleep as easily for naps or nighttime and was pretty clingy at times. We've all had very little downtime, and Aidan hasn't had a lot of opportunities to play with other kids. I've also felt like I had to entertain constantly. It's not that Nancy demands that at all, but I would feel that way with almost anyone here. Nancy's not always good about just making herself at home..she's always asking if she can get a drink of water, and I have to do it for her b/c she can't work the nozzle on the water jug, etc. Of course, all the time she spends playing with the kids more than makes up for any inconvenience. I'm just ready to get back to normal family life. The dynamic between me and Aidan really changes when Grandma is in the picture. I honestly think he was ready for her to go, too, and that's why he was behaving so badly even with her this past weekend.
During her stay here, we went to:
*Bahia Honda State Park, which is where my brother Terry and I went snorkeling in 1989. It's still really cool, but the water wasn't nearly as clear as I remember, and Matt couldn't see much. We went on a really rainy day, though, so we couldn't do much exploring. We're going to try to go back this week sometime.
*The Key West Aquarium, which were initially disappointed to see was not air-conditioned. Very cool displays, though. Aidan picked up several critters from the touch tank, like conch, sea cucumber, sea urchin, and horseshoe crab. We all got to pet a nurse shark and see sting rays close up. I've never seen Aidan so into exhibits before this.
*Mallory Square, just for a little while after the second Aquarium visit. (We went for a bit the next day b/c it was free and Matt had to work for a few hours.) While we were on the square, a Disney ocean liner had quietly floated up to dock. It was like turning around to see a 10 story building suddenly appear. Nancy took Aidan to watch the mechanics of getting the ship docked while I nursed Evan nearby. I was reminded why I don't ever want to take a cruise again.
*Lobsterfest, which was hot and crowded. We tried several things, but the favorite was tempura lobster tail on a stick dipped in melted butter. OMG.
*The Lighthouse, which I unexpectedly found very interesting. Since Nancy was walking with Aidan, I got to hang back and actually read some of the signs in the Keepers' House, which is now a museum. I was fascinated by the pictures and letters and diary entries from the girls who grew up as daughters of the keepers. One, in particular, held my interest b/c her family lived at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, which is really a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. It was cool to learn that several women held the position of lighthouse keeper in the 1800s, one for decades, but unforunately, they didn't get much space in the museum.
*Discovery Glass Bottom Boat, which was a bit of a letdown for Aidan. The adults found it very fun, though. I think we can better appreciate a nice ride out to sea. We traveled about 45 minutes to the coral reef, where we got to look through the big windows in the bottom of the boat. I got a tad seasick, but plenty of water seemed to help.
*Pirate Soul museum, which was another letdown in a way. $15 for adult admission, and the fun only lasts about 45 minutes. What was there was really well done, though. I can't help but think that a mother of small children helped with the design b/c the signs were mostly written in large print, so that we could (mostly) read them while walking by at breakneck speed due to a scared 4yo.
*Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, the best beach we've found in Key West. We all spent lots of time just lazing about in the water. We're definitely going back at some point this week.
Last night, we just vegged. I watched about 5 episodes of Gilmore Girls Season 5 and stayed up way too late in the process. Evan's teething, so there's lots of biting and soreness going on. I know from experience to just ride it out b/c it will end soon.
During her stay here, we went to:
*Bahia Honda State Park, which is where my brother Terry and I went snorkeling in 1989. It's still really cool, but the water wasn't nearly as clear as I remember, and Matt couldn't see much. We went on a really rainy day, though, so we couldn't do much exploring. We're going to try to go back this week sometime.
*The Key West Aquarium, which were initially disappointed to see was not air-conditioned. Very cool displays, though. Aidan picked up several critters from the touch tank, like conch, sea cucumber, sea urchin, and horseshoe crab. We all got to pet a nurse shark and see sting rays close up. I've never seen Aidan so into exhibits before this.
*Mallory Square, just for a little while after the second Aquarium visit. (We went for a bit the next day b/c it was free and Matt had to work for a few hours.) While we were on the square, a Disney ocean liner had quietly floated up to dock. It was like turning around to see a 10 story building suddenly appear. Nancy took Aidan to watch the mechanics of getting the ship docked while I nursed Evan nearby. I was reminded why I don't ever want to take a cruise again.
*Lobsterfest, which was hot and crowded. We tried several things, but the favorite was tempura lobster tail on a stick dipped in melted butter. OMG.
*The Lighthouse, which I unexpectedly found very interesting. Since Nancy was walking with Aidan, I got to hang back and actually read some of the signs in the Keepers' House, which is now a museum. I was fascinated by the pictures and letters and diary entries from the girls who grew up as daughters of the keepers. One, in particular, held my interest b/c her family lived at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, which is really a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. It was cool to learn that several women held the position of lighthouse keeper in the 1800s, one for decades, but unforunately, they didn't get much space in the museum.
*Discovery Glass Bottom Boat, which was a bit of a letdown for Aidan. The adults found it very fun, though. I think we can better appreciate a nice ride out to sea. We traveled about 45 minutes to the coral reef, where we got to look through the big windows in the bottom of the boat. I got a tad seasick, but plenty of water seemed to help.
*Pirate Soul museum, which was another letdown in a way. $15 for adult admission, and the fun only lasts about 45 minutes. What was there was really well done, though. I can't help but think that a mother of small children helped with the design b/c the signs were mostly written in large print, so that we could (mostly) read them while walking by at breakneck speed due to a scared 4yo.
*Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, the best beach we've found in Key West. We all spent lots of time just lazing about in the water. We're definitely going back at some point this week.
Last night, we just vegged. I watched about 5 episodes of Gilmore Girls Season 5 and stayed up way too late in the process. Evan's teething, so there's lots of biting and soreness going on. I know from experience to just ride it out b/c it will end soon.
August 19th, 2006
Today was a lot of fun. B/c Matt kept getting a bazillion "emergency" work-related calls, we didn't get on the road til noon, but it was still a good day. We drove up the keys to Marathon to do a little sightseeing. On the way, we passed over the Seven Mile Bridge and Bahia Honda State Park, which I instantly recognized as the awesome place my older brother Terry and I got to snorkel when we came to the Keys for vacation in 1989. We'll definitely be coming back up to Bahia Honda at least once this month. Sombrero Beach was one I found out about accidentally while searching for something else on the internet. The reviews did not disappoint. One of the cleanest public beaches and facilities I've ever seen anywhere. We parked right by the playground, where we ate a picnic lunch. The bathrooms were pristine, and the beach was just over a sand dune. My only complaint was that there was some broken glass and lots of coral and shells, so we had to go back to the car for water shoes. (Not a huge complaint, but soft sand is nice to sit in!) The water was just right for a dip, but we didn't stay too long. There were on-and-off rain showers, and we wanted to get to the Crane Point nature center before it closed.
http://www.cranepoint.org/museums.html
http://www.cranepoint.org/museums.html
August 6th, 2006
We've been in Key West for over a week now. My baby sits across from me in the high chair, chewing on a frozen bagel. I still can't believe how well he can handle real food now. Aidan is in the nearby bathroom, still brushing his hair, which he's been doing for about 10 minutes solid. Matt had to go to work early and will be home around 9 or 10. My dining table faces the french doors, which overlook the backyard, all deck and pool, bamboo fence and deck chairs, hand-painted tiles and palm trees. I'm so in love with this house. It's a house I would choose to live in myself. I just might not have so many decorative roosters and tall vases around. :) I'm so glad that we upped our budget a bit for the month to get a place as nice as this. We're in Old Town, walking distance from a few cool shops and restaurants and a neat little grocery store. We've got three bedrooms and THREE BATHROOMS. It's going to be so hard to go back to having only one bathroom! It's nice to be in a place that's decorated in light, calming colors, very unlike our house.
Here's the listing for our house:
http://www.realkeywest.com/properties/v
I'll need to save that link so that I can see where all the knick-knacks should be put back before we leave! We didn't pay that much for our rental, though it's still pretty budget-busting for us. I can't imagine how many more years it will take for us to be able to afford to come here in-season.
It's pretty much got all the amenities of a real home. My only complaints are that there are no privacy shades in any of the bedrooms, so I can't walk around naked at night, and the sun wakes Aidan up first thing in the morning. (Really no different than home, but he will sometimes sleep in.) Also, there are about 20 very dull knives in the kitchen and no real cutting board. I got so frustrated, I went to Ross and got a $10 Santoku knife (awesome!) and a cute hot pink cutting board.
Life has been nice here...a much slower pace than usual. It's neat to just be with the boys and not spend our outings chatting with my friends. (Although I do really miss the Norman scene...we've really got it so good there.) I'm talking to and playing with Aidan a lot more. There's less for me to do here house-wise, and I don't have the project plans burning up my brain-space ,projects I never actualy get to anyway. So far, we've been swimming in our pool almost everyday. There's a big pool with slides and lily pads at the Navy base a few blocks away. It's only open a few days a week, but we've already been there 3 times. Aidan has to wear a life jacket there, but it allows him to roam around and do the slides and activities without me, since everytime we go there, Evan is lulled to sleep very quickly in my Hotslings water pouch. Last Wednesday, I took the kids to one of the few sandy beaches here. (KW is not known for its beaches, and the few that are here have all had some kind of damage from last year's hurricane.) We parked ourselves under the shade of a palm tree, played with sand toys, and just sat in the surf. Evan ate lots and lots of sand. The only way I could get him to stop was to let him sit between my legs in the surf. I don't know if it's b/c he was born in the water, but that kid just loves being wet. Oh, the sand. If it weren't for that, we'd be at the beach everyday. Evan was still pooping it out 2 days later, leaving me to believe that his intestinal tract is very well-exfoliated. We went out to dinner on Friday night at the historic harbor to this great open-air seafood restaurant. We walked the boys partially around Mallory Square, but we missed the sunset. We stopped to watch one of the performers, but he stopped mid-act and refused to keep going b/c the audience wasn't enthusiastic enough or something. It was pretty weird, but we're starting to get used to all the weird characters around here. Last night, we were invited to the birthday party of one of Matt's coworkers here. It was at the Duval Beach Club, the perfect bar for parents with young children in tow. The birthday guy treated everyone to chicken wings and other munchies, and the gaggle of kids who showed up had an absolute blast playing on all the beach chairs. At one point, Aidan and a cohort had untied the sail from a Hobie Cat and were swinging it around. It was really a near-perfect evening. Picture parents getting hammered (me, not so much, but just enough) at the restaurant while their children run around only halfway supervised on the beach directly in front of the restaurant, happily playing around a lesbian and a hetero couple making out on the beach chairs, and a crazy older woman in a flowery bathing suit, sitting in the sand talking to herself. Welcome to Key West.
Here's the listing for our house:
http://www.realkeywest.com/properties/v
I'll need to save that link so that I can see where all the knick-knacks should be put back before we leave! We didn't pay that much for our rental, though it's still pretty budget-busting for us. I can't imagine how many more years it will take for us to be able to afford to come here in-season.
It's pretty much got all the amenities of a real home. My only complaints are that there are no privacy shades in any of the bedrooms, so I can't walk around naked at night, and the sun wakes Aidan up first thing in the morning. (Really no different than home, but he will sometimes sleep in.) Also, there are about 20 very dull knives in the kitchen and no real cutting board. I got so frustrated, I went to Ross and got a $10 Santoku knife (awesome!) and a cute hot pink cutting board.
Life has been nice here...a much slower pace than usual. It's neat to just be with the boys and not spend our outings chatting with my friends. (Although I do really miss the Norman scene...we've really got it so good there.) I'm talking to and playing with Aidan a lot more. There's less for me to do here house-wise, and I don't have the project plans burning up my brain-space ,projects I never actualy get to anyway. So far, we've been swimming in our pool almost everyday. There's a big pool with slides and lily pads at the Navy base a few blocks away. It's only open a few days a week, but we've already been there 3 times. Aidan has to wear a life jacket there, but it allows him to roam around and do the slides and activities without me, since everytime we go there, Evan is lulled to sleep very quickly in my Hotslings water pouch. Last Wednesday, I took the kids to one of the few sandy beaches here. (KW is not known for its beaches, and the few that are here have all had some kind of damage from last year's hurricane.) We parked ourselves under the shade of a palm tree, played with sand toys, and just sat in the surf. Evan ate lots and lots of sand. The only way I could get him to stop was to let him sit between my legs in the surf. I don't know if it's b/c he was born in the water, but that kid just loves being wet. Oh, the sand. If it weren't for that, we'd be at the beach everyday. Evan was still pooping it out 2 days later, leaving me to believe that his intestinal tract is very well-exfoliated. We went out to dinner on Friday night at the historic harbor to this great open-air seafood restaurant. We walked the boys partially around Mallory Square, but we missed the sunset. We stopped to watch one of the performers, but he stopped mid-act and refused to keep going b/c the audience wasn't enthusiastic enough or something. It was pretty weird, but we're starting to get used to all the weird characters around here. Last night, we were invited to the birthday party of one of Matt's coworkers here. It was at the Duval Beach Club, the perfect bar for parents with young children in tow. The birthday guy treated everyone to chicken wings and other munchies, and the gaggle of kids who showed up had an absolute blast playing on all the beach chairs. At one point, Aidan and a cohort had untied the sail from a Hobie Cat and were swinging it around. It was really a near-perfect evening. Picture parents getting hammered (me, not so much, but just enough) at the restaurant while their children run around only halfway supervised on the beach directly in front of the restaurant, happily playing around a lesbian and a hetero couple making out on the beach chairs, and a crazy older woman in a flowery bathing suit, sitting in the sand talking to herself. Welcome to Key West.