Good Morning from Maui

It was a long day yesterday, getting up at 4:00 am and then finally giving up the dream of staying up until 10:00 pm Hawaii time (which would have been 1:00am home time.) Lucy who, like the family dog senses that something is up when the luggage is pulled out, was up at 4:00 am to visit with us before we left. I will share that it was rough leaving our Peanut. She is in excellent hands and was (mildly) happy when we zipped out the door. She's been on our minds and in our conversations, which only means that we're parents who like and miss their kid.

 Our flight was nice, and rather uneventful. That's a good thing for a flight where you need to pay attention to where the life rafts are. Our flight attendant, Donny, looks like he spends a LOT of time in the sun in the Hawaiian Islands. To suggest he was leathery would be going lightly.

We explored the tiny town near the airport, at lunch at "THE" sports bar. Then we did what all people do on a Saturday regardless of where they are. COSTCO! We picked up steak, cheese, chips, wine and Trader Vic's Mai Tai's. Then we started our drive across the island to our condo.

Maui is actually quite small, and in less than an hour (mostly because of a 35 mile per hour speed limit) we were pulling into our condo. It was fun to drive through the valley then around the south side of the island to see all the people at all the beaches. We got oriented and even found the grocery store nearest our home base. Our condo unit is the end unit closest to the ocean and the view is amazing. We have a large lanai off the living room, that all the condos have, but because we don't have a neighbor on the ocean side we also have mini-balconies along the west side of the condo. We slept with the windows open and were lulled to sleep by a)being extremely tired after our 20 hour day and the sounds of the waves.

 We awoke this morning at 4:00am local time and are now, at 6:00 am enjoying coffee, Love's Bakery donut holes and planning our day. I know there will be more time in the ocean, the bay that we're on is good for swimming and we will go explore Lahaina today. Our goal is to find a place to have dinner and stay up until 10:00pm tonight.

The condo is well appointed, the bed is comfortable, but the coffee maker, Mr. Coffee, sizzles and crackles as if there is a leak in the pot. It sounds a lot like cooking bacon. BACON! That is on our agenda at 7:30 when the breakfast place next door opens up.

Maui, Mommy & Morning Sickness

DON'T FREAK OUT... WE ARE NOT HAVING ANOTHER BABY.

Morning sickness refers to our girl.  Wednesday, I got a call from "school" at 3:00pm saying that Lucy was sick.  When this has happened in the past the "sickness" has been mostly hooey - a cranky girl who REALLY needed to nap, or a not nice, but not medically concerning diaper rash.  However, when they call, I go.

When I arrived, she was not wearing the super cute outfit from the morning and when I looked in her cubby there were not one, but two bundles of her clothes in plastic bags.  She seemed perky and happy.  I noticed that the schools 'mega stroller' (this thing holds 8 kids!) was outside and one of the teachers was wiping up "stuff" from two stations.  Apparently, Mason got sick in the morning and was sent home, but whatever he had going on in his sad tummy had already been shared with Lucy and one other classmate.

They took the kids to the park in the mega stroller without knowing that the bug had spread.  They knew pretty quickly once the kids starting giving back their lunches.  That must have been one sad and stressful walk back to the school.

As I said, Lucy looked fine.  She wasn't hot or cranky.  However, halfway between school and our house (it's less than 2 miles) she threw up in the car seat.  Poor little peanut, she was strapped in an it was a big throw up. I pulled over to run back to "help".  I didn't really have much to offer other than kind words and to help her lean forward.  I guess it's the mommy equivalent of holding her hair back while she threw up.

Once we got home I we took a quick bath, changed into pj's and then made our way downstairs onto a cozy (yet easily washable) quilt.  Lucy then threw up every 15 minutes for about 3 hours.  It was sad and we were both a stinky mess by the time dad got home.  She was super tired, so we gave her a second bath and an new clean set of pj's.  She went to sleep without any fuss.  I popped into her room about every 20 minutes to make sure she was sleeping on her side or at least not face up.  I had fears of her throwing up in her sleep and not having the awareness to spit it out.

Lucky us, she slept like a champ and woke up hungry and in a good mood.  Banned from school I had to take the day off and with a kid who didn't act sick we had a play day.  I did have to cancel my long planned, pre-vacation hair cut and color, but I suppose these are the things that we do for our kids.  Lucy woke up early and in spite of not acting sick, took a two hour nap at 7:30 am.  Later, after some food and a snuggle we packed up for a trip to Costco and then Safeway.  (My overly ambitious plan was Costco, Ulta, Target and Safeway, but that didn't work out.)  That afternoon, after a regular food lunch, Miss Lucy napped for another two hours. She was happy and her tummy was quite calm.

Back to school she went yesterday.  Mason was there but his mom restricted his diet to crackers and juice.  Holy heck mom, aren't you aware that your kid is an EATER?  He's a sweet boy, but he would eat from the time he woke up until he fell asleep if you would let him.  He has no "full" button.  (Lucy has one and it looks like "hey I'm done here, so I'm putting the rest of this onto the floor.")  So, with Lucy back on a regular diet, her breakfast of fruit and bagels were pure torture for Mason.  He stood at the high chair and practically begged for food.

Lucy did seem tired yesterday and didn't nap well at school.  She had a yummy dinner of chicken, orange peppers, strawberries and some string cheese and then took a quick bath and off to bed.   It was only 5:20 and we knew it meant that she'd be up early today (5:11am) but keeping her up just so we can sleep in until 6 is not ok.

Over night, she made NO noise.  She seemed to be sleeping like normal.  However at 5:00 am I heard her fussing (not crying) I went to get her and immediately upon opening the door could tell something was really wrong.  Sometime during the night she had thrown up her dinner and instead of crying for help, she went back to sleep and it was everywhere.  I felt so bad, because it smelled terrible, she must have been uncomfortable with it on her pj's and in her hair.

Since John & Susie are here, we opted to keep her home from school today and we are nursing a happy kid with a sensitive tummy.  She only wants to drink milk which could be an issue, but at least it's liquid. She's on a diet of toast, pears, apple sauce, and bananas.  She took a nap this morning and I'm confident we'll get another one this afternoon.     Having extra help is great because I can still nurture her and they are having fun playing with her.

We leave for Maui tomorrow morning and I am of course conflicted about leaving behind a child that is not 100% well, but she is in excellent hands.  The time they are spending together today (with me popping in and out) will make for a smooth transition.  Leaving her here is far less stressful than if we knew she was not feeling well and we were going to try to take her with us tomorrow.  The idea of a mildly sick kid on a five hour flight curls my toes, and not in a good way.

We are packed and checked in.  I am VERY excited about the trip and looking forward to the "idea" of sleeping in.  It won't happen because we are programmed to be up at 6am, but at least we'll be waking up to the sounds of the ocean and not a much loved but early riser baby.

Stair Climber

This one was a few weeks earlier

Easter Weekend

Loving the new swing at Grammys.

I love a long weekend!  We ventured over to Eastern Washington to visit with the grandparents.  Grammy Georgia hung a swing in the back yard and while tentative at fist, Lucy quickly decided it was a good thing. 

Hanging in the hammock

My loves

 We spent a good amount of time outside, which Lucy loves.  She wasn't too sure about the hammock, but we managed a cute photo, so for all anyone knows she thought it was great.

Lucy cemented her "un-invitation" to Maui by not sleeping well in our shared hotel room.  At one point, Jason forgot where he was and asked me if I turned her monitor up to full blast.  "No I didn't, she's in the same room with us."  Whoops.  She was up from 1:30 to 4:00 am.  The upside was that she slept the entire car ride home.  It was the ugly sleep too, her mouth was slack and she actually snored.   Thankfully, she perked up for some playtime, dinner and a bath, then slept like a champion that night.  Still, she made me feel even better about leaving her at home while we head to the tropics for a week.

Speaking of, the Denver grandparents arrive tomorrow evening, so we are in house cleaning mode.  Yes, we just had a house full of company, but that was a long weekend, it wasn't people living in our house and searching for things they need.  There's a different level of clean required for that.

I think Jason is worried because I have a large pile at the top of the stairs and it seems to be getting worse, but my strategy is to stage stuff in a common location and then dispose of it all at once.   The house looks horrible and then all at once, it looks put together.  That's my hope anyway.

Right now, the guest bed is covered in my Maui gear, shorts, tops, swim suits, dresses, and shoes... lots and lots of shoes.  Since our guests arrive tomorrow, tonight is "Pack Night".

Shades!

"hunting" for Easter eggs

She isn't looking, therefore it is mine!

This is a great day!!!

Opening Easter gifts.  The paper is amazing

Flirting at bath time

Weekend Recap

I did win money in the huge Mega Millions lottery.  I scanned my ticket this morning and the report came up that I'm a $2.00 winner.  I told Jason and he asked for $1.  As Washington is a community property state, I guess I have no choice but to share. It kills me to give up half of my winnings, but honestly, he's worth it.

My Smart GuyFriday, we got word that Jason passed his certification exam for the new technology platform he attended training on.  There were six people in his class and of the five that took the test earlier, only one passed.  He had to wait a week to take his exam (due to some crisis at work) and the results from his co-workers was making him nervous.   He applied that energy into studying and taking the practice tests and not only did he pass, but he did so with a very good score.  Way to go!

Happy Anniversary
Saturday, we strapped the kid into the safety seat and drove to Shelton to attend the 50th Wedding Anniversary party for some old friends. . Shelton is a small, logging town about 30 minutes outside of Olympia, and it's kind of on the way to the strange land where the Twilight Vampires live.  I did expect sparkly people to pop out of the woods from time to time.

The party was nice, but other than the happy couple we didn't know anyone.  There were people there that knew my parents, but the host was bad at introductions and would introduce us at "Art's daughter" but didn't offer the other persons name.  I did have a conversation with a gal who went to high school with my dad and his sister, but it was a short conversation.

Also, while sitting on the couch I found pin in the cushion.  Clearly, the lady or lord of the house is a sewer and crafts on the couch.  From that moment on my comfort level for letting Lucy roam on the furniture dropped to zero.  I'm sure I looked like a crazy person patting the furniture and picking at the cushions, but I couldn't get the memory of all the pins that would be everywhere in Aunt Evelyns furniture. on her floor, or when she'd leave my house after a visit.  She was not baby compatible.

The groom, Mike seemed smaller than I remember.  Granted I was wearing tall shoes, but for the first time ever he sort of felt old.  He seemed pleased to see us and I'm glad we went.  I had forgotten how he calls his wife "Mother".  Listen up boys, referring to your wife as Mother is creepy and wrong.  Jason calls me "mama" from time to time, but he does it when he's speaking on behalf of Lucy.  "Mama, can you get me a clean pair of pants?"  It is not "Mama, where would you like to have dinner tonight?" or "Mama, wanna make out?"  ICK

We stayed at the party for about an hour and then used Lucy as an excuse to move on home.  We decided not to backtrack and drove up the peninsula to Bremerton and took the ferry across to Seattle.  Our GPS decided we wanted to take the Southworth / Vashon ferry and we didn't figure out the mistake until we were at the Southworth exit off Highway 16.  It was 4:05 and we were hoping to make the 4:15 ferry.  I knew we wouldn't make it and would have to make Lucy suffer through an hour wait at the ferry terminal.  Thank goodness for Jason because he has faith.  We paid the toll at 4:13 and were the 3rd to the last car on the ferry.   Lucy was happy to be home and even managed to stay up and play until almost 6:45 pm.  (party girl!)

Sunday, Cranky Sunday
What is it about a kid who stays up "late" that feels the need to wake up early?  Our night owl from the night before woke up to start her day at 5:45 Sunday morning.  (Today, Monday, she had to be woken up at 7:00 am!)   We don't stay up late unless we have plans, which is a good thing, because even with a 10:00 pm bedtime, 5:45 am on Sunday feels early.

I'm not touching you!

With such an early waking we had time to make breakfast and have a leisurely morning.  In spite of the cup of good coffee and the excellent peanut butter toast I was cranky yesterday morning.  I was irritated at my most excellent spouse and knew it was borderline irrational, so I tried to keep it to myself.  However, in my state of spitefulness I picked up my own breakfast dishes and put them in the dishwasher, but did not touch his plate.  I wondered how long he would let it sit on the table before he did anything with it.  I finally put it away, while he was making dinner.  You can't be irritated at someone for their failure to pick up after themselves when you a) leave shit everywhere too and b) they are making you dinner.

My attitude adjustment came far later in the day, so during church I was still cranky and not at all happy with the discovery that it was Palm Sunday.  Now, as a day Palm Sunday doesn't piss me off, but they give out palm fronds and the kids (Jason and Eric) can not help themselves by using it to poke their neighbors.  To be fair, Jason didn't actually poke me in the face with the fond, but somehow being poked and having the thing .25 centimeters from your face feel like the same things.

After church, we headed home for a two hour nap for little Miss 5:45 is Awesome!  Jason did some work and I watched tv and sulked.

 We ventured out in the afternoon to the outlets in Woodinville.  The Hanna Andersson store does wonders for my mood.  The kid clothes are happy and bring summer into my world.  I hope Lucy likes girly stuff because I think it's the cutest.

Eddie Bauer had some nice finds too, including a very casual, but pretty summer dress for me and a pair of shorts I would not have purchased had they not been 50% off.  I was not at all pleased to discover after we left Woodinville that the clerk did not actually give me the 50% off for the shorts.  Grumble.   Rather than head back to Woodinville, we're going to stop at the outlet store in North Bend on our way to visit the Granger Grandparents and if they can't make the price adjustment I'll simply return the darned shorts.  Grumble.

All these minor irritations were nothing compared to how bad I felt for Lucy.  She had a "poop situation" or rather "I need to go and can't" situation.  Poor little bug worked on her problem all day and it was horrible to not be able to help her.  We loaded her up on juice (prune) and fruit as well as water but I think we may have just been adding pressure to the backlog (sorry for that imagery.)  Finally, at 5:30 she worked something out and it was clear she felt a lot better.  I warned the day care teachers that she might be extra poopy today but thankfully they haven't called to say "come get your angry, pooping child."

 What I find ironic is that she has one teacher that makes it seem like Lucy is the only child who "goes" a lot at school.  "Oh, every diaper, is poopy."  Where as, I know for a fact that everybody poops.  I read a book once.   I guess I shouldn't feel judged when Lucy goes on a regular basis, it is far worse when she doesn't, as that's when I know that her diet is off.

By bedtime I had shaken off my dark cloud and went to bed with a sunny attitude.  One of the frustrating things about a bad mood is that it seems to cascade; my ability to roll with normal minor issues is diminished and I'm not the person I want to be.  Thankfully, that was yesterday, today I am very much back to normal.  In fact, when I cut a hole in my shirt while removing tags from the pretty Hanna Andersson clothes I didn't even cry or curse.  The other good thing... only 13 sleeps until we leave for Maui.

Maui!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 50th!

Fictionary

Defensive manure : the poop you make in your pants when you have to swerve to save yourself from a bad driver.  

Hoppy Easter

Making Plans

We're being told that the odds are better that I'll become a Saint than actually winning the Mega Millions lottery tonight.  I don't think "they" know how I could NEVER be a Saint, so the odds of the lottery win are actually in my favor.

Regardless of the minuscule chances of winning, it's been a fun 24 hours thinking about what we would do with the money.  After a quick search online at premier homes for sale it became clear that we'd "need" to build a custom home to meet our selfish wants.  A soundproof media room for the kids (Jason & the man friends) and a craft room for me.  I'm envisioning white built-in cabinets to store my gift wrapping stuff, a solid surface island for all the macaroni crafts Lucy and I will be making and a place for my sewing machine to live where it can be at the ready (maybe on a table that pulls out from the wall so it can be tucked away for clean lines in the room (like an appliance garage).  Our needs are simple and we're probably thinking really small, but we're simple people.

Then the next dilemma is built the house big enough so the grandparents can move in and live with us, or build tiny in-law cabins on the "compound" so they can be close when they want, but we can still carry on with Naked Tuesdays like normal.  I'm guessing, once they come to grips with the fact that Naked Tuesday is a reality that they'll opt for their own private space.  If Naked Tuesdays isn't happening now, it will happen after the option of all those people living with us is a possibility.

As for charity work, do we start your own foundation or set aside money and dole it out to the charities we're already supporting?  It would be really fun to write some big checks to the charities we're supporting now.  I'm sure the Domestic Violence Prevention group that my classmates started last year would be super excited for a whopper donation, because they are over the moon for everything over $100.   There would certainly have to be a plan as I'm sure the requests for help from genuinely needy souls would be coming at you, and I'm not good at "no".

The other thing about being wildly rich would be the creative theme parties we could throw.  Right now I'm thinking that a "Hunger Games" themed party would be a hoot.  Maybe the guests wouldn't have to actually kill each other, but physical challenges in the woods would be great fun to watch.  I guess it all depends on who we invite over.  That boy from high school who broke my heart, he should be wary of an invitation to a "high school reunion" at my place.

Over breakfast this morning, Jason said that we'd have to extend our upcoming Maui vacation and fly the grandparents and Lucy over to join us (that includes you too Mom... chill out.) but I am so ready for a solo (Jason and I) vacation that the first thing out of my mouth was -"they can come, but AFTER we get a week to ourselves!"  That's when I got the "chill out" look from my beloved.



It would be a "big ask" to ask the grandparents to endure the five hour flight with the Lucy, but we'd put them in first class to ease their discomfort.  After a cocktail or two Lucy is very compliant.  I bet the flight attendants would be all "judgey" about feeding cocktails to the one year old - whatever.

Until tomorrow morning these plans are a fun distraction.  In the meantime, today is the day the sheets get washed and unless I'm super confident of our win and the arrival tomorrow morning of Fabritzo, our new houseboy, I'll have to do it myself.

We've been flocked!

Sleepy snuggle with daddy

Processing

Boy wouldn't life be easier if we didn't have to deal with other peoples feelings?  I suppose the trade off for the complicated situations are the moments of peace and utter happiness that comes with loving yourself and those around you.

I was secretly pleased when I joined Jason's family only to discover that there was familial unrest and long seeded angst over issues that occurred during the childhoods of some of the cousins.  Not pleased in that I was taking joy in their inability to get along or cope as adults, but comfort in the fact that similar situations in my own family aren't as unique as I thought they were.

Since our wedding, when an unrelated crisis occurred and things came to a head, two members of the immediate cousins have stepped out of the family under the idea that it's easier not to deal with anyone else.  Having never really had the opportunity to know these folks as warm, loving people the loss is mostly the hurt my most important person has experienced.  I don't mean to suggest that he's ever sat down and wept over this situation, but I can tell that the withdrawal of friendship and the harsh things said about other members of the family are hurtful.  

For me, it is a lost opportunity to welcome the entire family into my life.   You may not believe it based upon what I share here, but I'm pretty guarded about my feelings.  (I get that from my dad.)  Now, with the inclusion of Jason and Lucy in my world I'm extremely guarded about their feelings as well.  Should the "family rift" be healed and everyone starts coming to family events again, it will be a long time before (if ever) I warm up an open myself or openly welcome these folks into our inner sphere.

I state all this because a similar situation is occurring on my side of the family and I'm considering drawing a line in the sand.  The decision is a lot more difficult because I know these folks and have grown up with them in my life.

Without getting into the gory details, one of the sisters is mad at my mom and has decided to cut off communication.  I suppose this is fine, if at the age of 60, you decide it is easier to step out of family events rather than deal with the offending sister.  However, it should be no surprise that doing that means you're opting out of all events where said sister is present.   I mean, if you're mad at me and don't want to see me, don't be shocked that Jason isn't popping by to say hi and have a glass of wine from time to time.  We are a team.  Similarly, as much as I have fond memories of time spent with this aunt and uncle, my heart lies with my parents.

Unfortunately, during Lucy's birthday weekend my failure to invite my aunt and uncle to Lucy's 1st birthday festivities became known to them in a way that was unintentionally, but none the less hurtful and my uncle called to ask about it.  I tried to cover (lie) to deflect, but as the conversation went on I fessed up that since I hadn't seen or heard from them since June, when they came to a picnic at my parents house and but didn't speak a single word to my mom, and then didn't respond to a genuine invitation to come to our home for a visit, that I thought I was following the party line and was leaving them alone per their own desires.   The phone call was uncomfortable and compounded by the fact that we had house guests who could hear my side of the conversation and were thankfully too polite to inquire.

So, here's the part that raises my blood pressure.  While my uncle was on the phone asking about what was going on and why they weren't invited, my aunt was in her car driving over to my parents house.  In the heat of her anger, she assumed that my mom was preventing me from having a relationship with her.  Her choice of names for my mother was (to be polite) unacceptable and the fact that she had to be told emphatically to get out of the house is troubling.  Be hurt, be angry, but don't forget yourself and lose control.  I live in a peaceful world, a peaceful house with people who are loving.  Sure, there are frustrations, but we do not scream and call each other names that rhyme with "sticking finch".    I don't want Lucy exposed to that within the comfort of her own family and I don't want her to think it is ever acceptable to refer to anyone in the family in those terms.  You can disagree, and even dislike members of your family, but disrespecting them in their own home is ... trashy.   Furthermore, the idea that at the age of 43, that my mom has any power whatsoever to prohibit me from having a relationship with anyone I want is preposterous.  It's laughable, I think Jason snorted milk through his nose at the idea that I could be "controlled".   I took it as a compliment that I'm a confident, self-assured woman and not a bull-headed, moose who does what I want regardless of rational thought.  Don't correct me, I like the way I'm looking at it.

My uncle asked me to reach out to my aunt to apologize for the invitation oversight and maybe suggest times we could get together (in neutral territory.)  I agreed, but that was before I knew about the drama at my parents house.  I've been mulling over a response and it isn't very "come visit!" or "let's meet for dinner".   They are 100% entitled to not like or spend time with anyone they like, but the same is true for me.  Furthermore, just as I'm not inclined to expose Lucy to the nuttiness that are the "angry cousins" I'm not inclined to give her lots of time with people who openly express anger towards her Grandmother.  (And by lots, you know I mean none....)

Life is too short to be spent being angry with each other, but if that's the path you're on, I can't stop you, but I can keep your angry energy out of my home.  Tragedy and sadness will come regardless of what I do, but our daily life can be peaceful and happy, so that when we're touched by the hard things in life we have a solid foundation to rely on.  (Is that too Zen for you?)

Anyway, I'm thinking if I respond to my aunt that an open letter to all the sisters is in order.  There's a lot of re-interpretation that happens among themselves and I'd rather be an open book than open for paraphrasing.

We'll see.  My next step is to write a letter, share it with my sane partner and then decide what to do.

Problem Solved

It looks like some lady named Vicki from somewhere Pennsylvania won my HGTV dream house.  I want to hate her for walking away with my fantasy vacation home, but after watching the video of her winning I can't.  She cried the good cry and still managed to be funny.  Her husband even dissed HGTV a bit when he said they watch the channel every night to put them to sleep (ha ha... I do that with CSI.)

Good for her.  I hope the dilemma of how to sleep more than 6 people in that 5,000 square foot house isn't too much of a burden.

I guess we're destined for the next dream house.

the winner of my house

Sleep and other traumas

Did I mention that I had a baby? I think I did. So far, things are going well. She's learning to eat with utensils or truth be told hold the spoon while feeding herself with the other hand. She's working on walking - she'll happily tootle through the house behind the mobile music 'thing' that is on wheels. She can't turn yet, so when walls happen she's simply stuck. This walking thing is a two person operation at this point. I think the more practice we get with the walker the sooner she'll let that thing go and just motor on her own. She doesn't get to move to the next class until she's walking, but she's READY to transition. She gets to visit that class during the day and doesn't seem to have the separation anxiety about leaving the infant room teachers that some of the other kids have shown.

Surprisingly, Miss Lucy was in a good mood after 'school' and played for quite a while. She hasn't been enjoying the bathtub lately, so Jason and I (foolishly) experimented with a mama & me shower. Not he and I, Lucy and I. It was a colossal FAILURE. Girlfriend screamed and cried the entire time. No amount of snuggles or reassurance worked and after a traumatic hair washing and body scrub I handed a drippy, screaming child to her dad who was waiting with a big fluffy towel. The screaming stopped immediately and all seemed right again in the world. Thankfully, by the time I finished up, and dried my hair (a necessary activity - I promise you.) she had disassociated the shower from me and was happy to see me.

> I don't really know why the bathtub is no longer fun, I thought it was related to a diaper rash, but that is nicely gone but she still doesn't want to sit and play like she use to. I'm sure it's simply a phase, and eventually she'll figure out that the longer she plays in the tub the later bedtime is. Last night she did get some post 'bath' playtime and in spite of the bad night sleep the night before made it until 6:30 pm before I spotted an eye rub and we zipped upstairs. It's cute how her sleepy cues are so subtle, and I almost question if we're putting her to bed too early. However, last night there was nary a peep from the nursery until 6:30 this morning. She's a terrible napper, but an excellent sleeper (most of the time.) Now, maybe she made sounds and I was too dead tired to hear it, but I don't think so. My mama hearing is pretty awesome.

Pigtails & a smile

Yogurt Face

flight delay

How sad, I was able to jump on the noon flight home from San Jose today and was even upgraded to first class. I made arrangements to pick up the peanut from day care early and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the inbound plane. I sent a text to Jason about the 6 minute delay and then the announcement came...the defroster on the pilot side is not working and the replacement part has to be flown in from Seattle. It's on the inbound plane, that is due to arrive at 3:00. They swear its and easy fix once they have the part. We'll see. So much for picking Lucy up at day care, but i should be home before she goes to bed. Fingers crossed on that front. Either way, its still better than being on the 6:50 flight that arrives at 9:30pm.

I've already eaten lunch, so now here I sit in the squishy Southwest Airlines recliners mooching power from an airline I choose not to use. There is no flight out of this gate for a couple hours so I feel safe that I'm not taking a recliner from an actual customer.

The shopping options here at San Jose Mineta International Airport are sad. There are 9 Hudson stores (for overpriced water, nuts and San Jose t-shirts) and one "Life is Good" store. I did manage to find a cute summer sleeper for whatsherface, but that's about it. The food options here are far better than in San Francisco, but again... I already ate so it doesn't matter. There is a wine bar, but it's only 1:00 and I'm trying to keep up with my work mail, so boozing it up isn't an option.

I think I can share that we (Lucy's wonderful father and I) are headed to Maui next month and I'm very excited. Leaving Lucy with Grandma & Grandpa is a blessing but I do know we will miss the heck out of her. We certainly don't plan on dumping her at G&G's every year, but it's a nice option every now and then.

I spent some time online looking at adventures in Maui for the baby free set and found a luau that looks amazing. I found some spas that offer outdoor side by side massages for couples, but honestly if I was going to spend $500 in an afternoon I want it to last more than an hour. Snorkling sounds great and reasonably priced, but I want to wait to book it until we get there. I don't want to snorkle if there's tsunami debris in the water. I'm not worried about radiation or anything like that, but it is expected and they can't say how much or what type of stuff there will be. Better to risk the 10% early booking discount than forfeit the fee for opting not to go. Plus, it's not garbage, it's the remainder of peoples lives, their houses and their stuff...that feels personal.

well, I guess that's about it. If you need me< I'm at gate 22.

Terri

Judge Much!?

I'm cruising Facebook while I eat dinner tonight (on the road) and am reading the Chinookville group for a usually sweet look into the little area I grew up in. Normally posts are folks looking to buy, sell, or trade goods and services. Tonight I spotted a question "Does anyone know where to rent a space for a baby shower and how far ahead to book?"

As I read through the replies it became clear that the gal posing the question is the soon to be mama (which is a slight breach of social rules) and that she wants to wait until AFTER graduation. Um...her graduation.

Teen pregnancy isn't a scandal, or unfortunately unusual, but I hope to not be a Grammy when Lucy is seventeen. But, if she does come home with a bun in the oven you can bet your bippy she won't be planning her OWN baby shower.

Just Goofing Around

birthday girl

Lucy & Grandma Georgia

Lost in San Francisco

  I wasn't really lost, I took some "lost time" during one of the lesser sessions at the conference I'm at yesterday.

I took off on foot to Chinatown and enjoyed the sights and sounds of that neighborhood as it came to life.   Shops were being opened and the local bakeries were filled with folks enjoying a morning meal.  As I wandered around (hopeful that I wouldn't have to re-trace my steps) it was fun to see this neighborhood without throngs of tourists.  I got pulled into a couple shops that had wonderful and colorful 'things' to buy, freshwater pearls, silk outfits, scarves, jade trinkets were presented similarly in each storefront.   In spite of signs exclaiming "70% off"  or "Everything Must Go" the prices seemed consistent between the stores.  Bargains in Chinatown are not to be found, so I decided to only buy the things I thought were priced fairly and that I really wanted.  It ended up being a small list, a purple silk outfit for Lucy and a cute "Chinese" looking magnet for my bulletin board.

Once done in that neighborhood I wandered towards the main shopping district downtown.  I found a few treasures that seemed worthy to get.  My criteria for acquisition included the "do I want to carry it" test. 

I found a nice place to sit and enjoy lunch and in spite of the $17 tab for my sandwich, it had to be sent back to the kitchen due to a significant disagreement about what "medium" meant in relation to the doneness of the meat. 

I decided to continue on foot back to the hotel.  I was only nine blocks away.  However, in San Francisco six of those nine were straight up hill.  I took my time and enjoyed the warm but windy walk.  My 'former fat girl' trick to a hilly walk is to cross periodically stop and cross the street to take a few steps at a non-incline.  I know it means that the walk takes longer, but it works for me. 

My face was quite pink and I was breathing rapidly when I got back to the hotel, but my walk was great and I feel like I experienced a nice slice of San Francisco. 

The night before we were at the waterfront and had an event at the aquarium.  I zipped into the Hard Rock Cafe and picked up a treat for my guy.  It's a good thing too, because as I was packing my treasures from my day out it was clear that everything was for Lucy or me, but not for Jason.  Sorry honey, maybe I'll find something at the HMS Host store at the airport.

1st birthday party recap

The house filled with relatives and not one fight broke out.  Wait, these were mostly Jason's side of the family, where there have been fights but the 'difficult' topics have been moved to the side and those who can't not bring it up have stopped coming around.  Translation:  they are just as screwed up as every other family, but we're living in a peaceful era these days.

Lucy's Denver grandparents flew in Wednesday and immediately started the process of getting familiar with the ever changing child.  My mom arrived Thursday and it didn't take too long for Lucy to be comfortable with the "strangers" who had moved into our house.   I wonder at what age she starts having memories of these people who love her so very much.  It doesn't take her long to relax and play but (vainly so) it is pleasing how much she still runs to mama when she can.    As long as I stay out of her line of sight she's happy.  With multiple grandparents in the house I can get stuff done.  By stuff I mean, hanging party decorations. 

Thursday was Lucy's actual birthday and to celebrate she had an appointment with Dr. Robin, our pediatrician.  The appointment went well, we got the ok to feed her anything we want (peanut butter, fish…) with safety in mind.  It will be a while before she is given a handful of peanuts or other choking hazards.   Lucy cried during the weigh in (but what girl doesn't) but then recovered until the dreaded peak into her ears and mouth.  We calmed her again but there were the shots… poor little peanut.  The only "upside" to the shots is that she screams so much that we get a good look at her teeth.  (a small consolation.)

Lucy was kind enough to be happy during a lunch out and then took a lengthy nap.  We let her open a gift and gave her a slice of birthday cake. We figured that doing it on her actual birthday with a small audience would be less stressful than the major event Saturday with 26 of her closest friends and family looking on.  Oh, we did that too, but it was a lot less fun for her.

Friday, after a morning of play we dumped the one year old at "school" and we went to John Howie Steak House for lunch.  We also ran some errands to prepare for the big event the next day.  Jason and his dad made spaghetti sauce for 26 and in doing so cleared our spice cupboard.   If you need us next weekend we'll be downtown at Penzy's purchasing oregano, fennel and basil.  

Saturday we finished cleaning the house (which means taking all those little things that live on the counters and hiding them in places where they will never be found again) and prepared for the onset of the party guests.  Our first guest arrived at noon and the last person left around seven.  These are great people who break up into loud and happy groups.   We pulled together lunch while keeping Lucy happy and visiting with our guests.   It takes a village to feed a village.  Even with the sauce made ahead and warming in a huge crock pot finishing the pasta, the bread and whipping up a massive Caesar salad was coordinated effort.  (Huge thanks to Jas' mom who handwashed and tore  the lettuce) and made me look like the hero when I whipped up a fresh salad in no time flat.

We fed the people,  and then opened gifts.  Lucy enjoyed opening the boxes, but probably would have been happy to stop after the first box was opened.  There was a rather large influx of toys into her world Saturday.  We're in discussions about how to limit the overwhelming nature of 20 new toys.  Some items may be 'set aside' for a bit and I think we'll weed out some of the stuff that isn't as popular.   We'll see, there is still a hope that our entire main floor does not become a 100% dedicated kid space.

The birthday cake plan at the party didn't go as well as I had envisioned.  She cried when we plopped her down,  she calmed enough to endure being serenaded and I was careful to keep the cake with the candle out of reach… well, not careful enough.  Her little hand was reaching towards the lit candle and I blew it out as fast as I could, but she grabbed the hot smoking wick and burned her little thumb.   Bad Mama!  No permanent damage was done, but I feel terrible.

Once the public display portion of the party was over, Lucy was happy again.  Clearly this party was more about our survival of the first year vs. a party for Lucy.  Next year we will keep it to a dull roar, perhaps a present from mommy and daddy and dinner. 

Sunday we finished reclaiming the house and I had to get ready to leave.  I left on a 5:00pm flight to San Francisco.  Thankfully, Jason's mom is hanging out at our house until Wednesday.  While Lucy comes down off the disruption of her schedule it will be handy for Jason to have some help.  This morning that meant that she was able to take a long long nap before going to school.    Hopefully tonight, when she's back in her own room and back on a 'schedule' that she'll sleep better tonight.

We're superbly blessed with a happy child who is bright, no health issues and she brightens our world every day.   I loved Lucy at day one, but at year one I'm excited about her personality, her humor and the life she has ahead of her.   

 

Birthday gifts are good!

Lucy has birthday cake!

Lucy finds safety at her 1 yr doctor appt

Bubbles!!!

Guess Who?

Here's one of the adorable pix we had taken at Christmas.  To see the others you must come by the house for her first birthday party (Saturday.)

It was a coincidence

Tonight was "Breakfast for Dinner" night at our house. I cooked bacon, pancakes and Jason fried us some eggs. Yum yum.

Turns out...today is "National Pancake Day". How do you like them apples?

Survived the First Year

Well, we have almost done it.  As of Thursday we will have managed to keep our Lucy alive for a whole year.  I guess our job is done.  Whew.  Wait, you mean we’re not done?  Oh well, I guess we’ll just keep going.   

Lucy at one year old is a happy kid.  She’s right on target with being a bit clingy to mommy, but she’s also good at independent play and is happy at her day care with her friends.  It is strange to think that a one year old would have friends, but she and Conner, who is much older (13 months), really seem to connect and play together.   Maybe it’s because they are developmentally very similar and enjoy the same things, but it is sweet to see them sit and make each other laugh.  I’ve been trying to be friendly with his mom, but we don’t seem to have the same connection.  There is another girl/mom combo at school that is more interactive and it is possible if Lucy and Lily become buddies that the moms might too. 

Lucy is weaning herself from the bottle.  She no longer has a bottle at bedtime and we are gradually decreasing the amount of formula she is drinking.  Soon we will start to do bottles of milk instead of formula.    My anxiety about transitioning to healthy foods that we make for her is lessening.   Each time I come up with a new combo that she likes it pleases me.  Soon she’ll be eating most of the stuff we eat. 

Personality wise, Lucy seems to be a playful and bright kid.  She’s not drawing pictures of advanced math algorithms or anything, but she clearly understands the things we’re saying to her.   Her understanding of basic things like no, yes, up, bring, share, eat, all done, leave it alone, and more are spot on.  It’s nice to be able to talk to her and it really seems like she’s taking it in.   She plays well alone, loves to play with others, and she certainly knows how to flirt.  Every trip to the grocery store is like a parade, she waves at all the people until they wave back. 

In the morning, when time allows Lucy gets to come into bed with us.  I’m sure this is common for most parents as it’s an easy was to keep that linger in bed for 15-20 minutes in the morning routine and spend time with the little ones when they are the most rested.  After the infant phase where she just laid there, she explored the nook we created for her.  Open handed pats on daddy, then on mommy,  and back to daddy were common.  She learned VERY quickly that a yank of the fuzzy hair on daddy’s chest caused him to cry and cover up like a turtle.  Thankfully, the hair pulling era seems to be over.   Now she actively crawls, flops and hops around.  She’ll stop for a brief moment to give a full body hug to whichever parent is the most available. It’s a quick snuggle and then she’s up again.  If only baby energy could be harnessed to power the world.

We took a road trip this past weekend and she did very well in the car.  The trip down was a little bit harder, but it messed with her bedtime routine.  She was awake far longer in the car than she would have been had she been in a bed.  We wore her out the next day, she played and played and explored at Auntie Jenny’s house.   Lew, who is 5, has all sorts of wonderful toys – blocks and things that stack, things that make noise, and she was busy all day.  Auntie Jenny also pulled out some wonderful things that Lucy’s dad had to play with too.  Someone has been doing some eBay purchases and acquired the Fisher Price Airport, the airplane and a fancy street scene.  They didn’t have all the people, but Lucy, Lew, Jenny and Jason had a great time.

A road trip was probably a crazy idea considering that we will be having a house full of guests this next weekend, but alas, the lure of visiting with friends can't be denied.  I can clean the house later this week.

Lucy @ Dirty Daves

She eats pasta!

I'm watching you

Our First Temper Tantrum

Lucy is mad and I film her.  I am a mean mama.  (tee hee).  As you will see she recovers very quickly and is her happy self right away.

Below is a shorter video of her being semi-cute after eating.

An oldie: Lucy @ 10 months, playing at the coffee table

The toy swipe!

Lucy waves hello

Date Night

Jason and I got dressed up and went out to dinner for his birthday. Normally, dinner out for us is the 4:45 seating at Casa Durango, our neighborhood hot spot for burritos and carne asada. Antonio doesn't mind that we bring little miss discards cheerios on the floor and we like the food. Someday, she'll stay up past 7:00 on a regular basis and we may be able to dine out with the general population again. Until then, dinners out are either with the no-teeth set (oldies and babies) or it's s big deal that involves babysitters. If I have to pay a babysitter, I'm going to do dinner right. So, for Jason's birthday we dressed up and went to El Gaucho. Sure, it's expensive as hell, but I got to put on a dress and the fancy shoes.

Our Lucy sitters arrived early so they could play with her so we headed to the restaurant early. We enjoyed a cocktail at the bar. We had all night to give each other love eyes so a rap with the bartender is fun. We discussed the merits of infused vodkas. (Don't be surprised if we whip up a batch for the summer.) After our cocktail hour we were escorted to our table, a lovely two top in the back of the dark candle lit section. This restaurant had a few sections that, in my observation, are seated based upon your mode of dress. The well lit section above the bar seems to be filled with the jeans and t-shirt crowd, the section we were in had the suits, jackets and ladies in sparkle gear or dresses. There is an elevated ring of booths around the perimeter of the dining area and those were occupied by request during the reservation process (maybe next time that will be my request.) There is a second level that is mostly private rooms for larger parties. I asked the waiter about the segregation of diners based upon their mode of dress and he (in his tuxedo) swore up and down that it wasn't true. However, not one t-shirt was in our section, nor have I ever seen it in my many (4) visits to the Gaucho.

We brought our own bottle of wine from our collection and were happy to pay the $25 corkage fee. We never would have paid the restaurant price for that wine, and we had been storing it for a while. It was yummy. Our dinner was wonderful, although my fillet medallions were overcooked and in spite of the dark location I could tell immediately. Our waiter arrived back at the table within seconds and pulled a flashlight from his tuxedo and took one look, gasped in horror and whipped my plate away before I could say "oh... I'll eat it". While I waited they brought me a plate of the most heavenly mashed potatoes that God ever created. I knew better than to smear them all over my face, but I really wanted to do it.

Jason and I talked like we were on an amazing first date about everything under the sun but we also gossiped about the people around us. We like to try and pick out the people on a date, the bored married couples, the people who are fighting and those that either have just had sex, or will be having sex in the next 90 minutes or so. To our right were two tables of two, a young couple with a bouquet of roses and petals sprinkled on the table and within arms reach an older couple who seemed to be celebrating a birthday - again with a small bouquet of roses. I felt bad that I hadn't thought that far ahead in requesting flowers to make Jason's birthday dinner that much more special. (I'm such a jerk.) To our left was a larger table and the couples arrived separately. The first to arrive was a couple in their late 20's, she was a lovely blond and he a dark haired dreamboat. They seemed happy and chatty with each other. However, when the second couple arrived, a brown haired woman with a man who looked eerily like the first guy the blond clammed up like someone took a crap on her skirt. (what!?) Anywho, when the older couple arrived it was clear it was the parents of the two men and the ladies were the wives. Instantly, the dark haired woman started talking and laughing with the mom and the blond didn't say another word the whole night. Everyone but her ordered appetizers, steaks and drank wine. They had a great time. She however ate salad, drank either water or a tall clear cocktail and seemed to be wishing for death. I thought how awful it must be to be happily in love with your man but not connect with his boisterous family. Frankly, the family seemed fun so the poor girl came off like she has a major stick up her butt.

 We lingered over dinner and dessert and the older couple to our right finished dinner and left. I noticed that they left their roses on the table, so after a few moments I said to Jason, "I'm getting you flowers." Without even having to stand up, I reached over and pulled the small bouquet onto our table and we proceeded to talk and enjoy our night. Maybe a minute later the woman was back, in her coat, standing at her former table. The waiter arrived and she said, "I forgot my flowers, but they aren't here." HORROR. I felt badly and was terribly embarrassed. I fessed up immediately and as I handed them to her I sad "I'm so sorry, we thought you left them. Happy birthday." She looked confused, took the flowers and left without saying a word. (I'm sure I don't come off very well in her version of the story.) I turned back around and Jason was laughing at me. Clearly, my horror was humorous. I'll give him credit for acknowledging that it was a no harm, no foul situation.

A moment later the waiter arrived at our table with a new bouquet of roses in hand and pointed to the other table of two and said "that couple over there would like you to have their roses." HORROR. If you thought I was embarrassed before, imagine how that was compounded upon realizing that the folks around us saw me steal the flowers and then have to give them back. I leaned over and said "you don't want to give me your roses, I'm a common criminal." They laughed and said "enjoy!" Jason and I had a good laugh... well, he laughed and I tried to compose myself. As the evening wound down we were ready to head home and our waiter brought us the bill (horror again, but it was expected) and reminded us to take our flowers home. We were just getting on the freeway when I remembered that I forgot to grab the roses. Oh well, at least the generous couple had already left and didn't see me abandon their sweet gesture.

 Happy Birthday to my special guy, next time I'll buy you your own roses.

Happy Valentine's Day

Sometimes you just have to lay down and drink

Thoughts of the week

Lucy is feeling much better.  She hates the eye drops, but we only have to do them until Wednesday.  The antibiotics for her ears is a far more likable medicine.  She sucks it down like candy.   For the most part, she seems like herself.  She's happy and eating well.   Around 4:30 yesterday she stopped being so fun, but my patience was waning too.  We had an early dinner, followed by a quick bath and then some more play time.  I took her up to her room at about 5:50pm, drugged her, put drops in her eyes (skipped a bedtime bottle) and out she went. The bedtime bottle is now off the table for good.  Like everything else we transition I worry far more about it than is necessary.  She had been taking 6 ounces at bedtime then 4, then 3 ounces of a 4 ounce bottle and then in the last week or so, 1 ounce...  It is probably more accurate to say that she weaned herself.   It will make our night time dental routine easier.  It was a bit jolting to have a soothing warm bottle then drag her into the bathroom for a quick brush of the tooth and then back to the soothing, calm bedroom.  Now we can do the teeth as part of the bath routine and simply read then go to bed.

So, Lucy is on the mend, but my other roommate is feeling like death.  He has a rather nasty sinus infection.  You don't need details, but he's on the same antibiotics that Lucy is on (but his comes in a pill) and thankfully I don't have to pin him to the bed to take it.

He didn't sleep last night and is now on the couch watching old episodes of The Shield.  Funny, when sick, I  watch Sex and the City or the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice -both share the same story but have vastly different wardrobes and there is a significant lack of the word "f*ck" in the BBC show.

Going to hell soon?

Speaking of "f*ck" - did you see the Grammy's last night?  In a night of national (rock and roll) mourning for Whitney Houston, Nicki Minaj was a total freak show.  I think her sound is quirky and I kind of like it (not enough to buy an album, but I'm interested in her music)  however I think the Exorcism of Nicki was disturbing.    I know that there are a whole heap of serious Catholics who aren't over the Madonna "Like a Prayer" thing where she made out with a black Jesus who came to life due to her totally awesome music, but I think they have a new hoe to row this morning.  The theme made me uncomfortable, the music wasn't all that great and then the girls spreading their legs over the heads of the kneeling altar boys was a bit much.   Just WOW.

The Catholic League wasted no time in issuing a statement "Perhaps the most vulgar part was the sexual statement that showed a scantily clad female dancer stretching backwards while an altar boy knelt between her legs in prayer. Finally, “Come All Ye Faithful” was sung while a man posing as a bishop walked on stage; Minaj was shown levitating."

They went on to rail about the current presidential administrations attacks on the church (sorry, but I don't think that all employers being required to cover women's health issues is an affront to the church) so they lost me a bit, but I understand their outrage about Ms. Minaj appearing with "the Pope" and then giving this crazy performance.

You know I'm not a huge fan of groups that push their agenda onto the rights of others, but I also think intentionally offending them is disrespectful.  You don't have to agree, but for pete sake, you don't have to sexually assault an altar boy to make your point.

As for Whitney Houston - just sad.  Unfortunately, it's not overly shocking news.  However, her "people" are claiming she was getting it together and had never looked better.  Something is fishy (no pun intended) when you take a bath and die.  Sober people don't do that unless they don't know how to stand up safely.

Speaking of bathtub safety, Miss Lucy has taken to wanting to stand up while in the tub.  I will wrestle with her and put her back on her bum with a firm reprimand "we don't stand in the bathtub" , but after about the 4th time, I just pull her after telling her "if you stand up you must be "all done".   I asked Jason if it was ok to tell her that that lady on the TV died because she stood up in the tub, but he says Lucy is too young to understand and that telling her fibs like that will come back to haunt me.  I guess he's right.   Being consistent about pulling her out of the tub when she stands is a bummer because it cuts bath time short and she's not really done playing.   Hopefully it's just a phase and she'll get the rule eventually.

Sit & Spin

This is why Lucy will hate mama someday....

What is he doing?

Tunnel love

Static hair

Sick Kid

I was in San Jose earlier this week and the trip, while good for work was unremarkable and there's little to report.

The city of San Jose has banned plastic bags and now most stores are charging 10 cents for paper bags. This would be the incentive needed for me to remember to bring my own bags into the store.  However, when traveling and in a rental car you have to buy the bag.   I did get into a small altercation with the kid at Target who simply set my 15 items aside after ringing me up and moved on to the next customer.  "Er... can I get a bag?"  "Sure, but it'll cost 10 cents."  "um, ok, you could have asked me."  "Oh, some people hate the charge."  At that point I was contemplating pay for my 10 cent bag with credit card, but opted to hand the kid a dime instead.  Grrrr.  I kept my fancy 10 cent Target bag and it now lives with my luggage that I leave under my desk at the office.  Should I need to go to the store again, I'll have a bag with my travel stuff that I can forget to take with me.  From now on it will feel just like home.  I respect the movement away from the plastic bags, but for non-locals it isn't practical.

The San Jose portion of my trip was fine, the hard part was what was going on at home while I was away.  Miss Lucy was sick.  She had a significant throw-up event on Dad in the middle of the night, and then got sent home from 'school' with a suspected case of Pink Eye.

Jason quickly obtained an appointment with the Pediatrician and not only was the Pink Eye confirmed (apparently it was obvious) but she also had the onset of an ear infection.  No wonder she has been cranky and not sleeping well.  We're now on a round of oral antibiotics for the ears and eye drops for the pink eye.  You have to know that she really HATES the eye drops.  Thankfully, we only have to torture her with those for 1 week.  The antibiotic is a 10 day event but she doesn't hate it.

She stayed home yesterday as the rule is kids must be 24 hours without fever (and one other symptom) before they can come back.  Lucy and I played on the floor all day yesterday.  She took good naps and was a happy camper this morning.  She was excited about school which was nice to see.  Apparently, Dad was solo parenting a cranky, lethargic kid who was not interested in food.

The first night I was home she was up in the night multiple times, stuffy and wanting to snuggle.  I was thankful for naps yesterday as it allowed me the 45 minute rejuvenation nap needed to function for the day.  Last night, she went to bed and with the exception of one moment at 12:30 where she put herself back to sleep needed no parental interventions.  HURRAH!

Jason is, as everyone suspects, a great dad. He's a good doctor to our little girl, but he was also VERY ready for me to come home.  Handling the sick kid is fine, but the cranky kid and a mess and medicine that you have to hold her down to administer - not fun on your own.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that Lucy will be in good health when I'm on my back to back trips in March.

We also established that Lucy will transition to the big kid room soon and that it will not be around the same time that Jason and I leave her to go to Maui.  I'm sure she'll be fine with grandma & grandpa but changing rooms at the same time seemed like too much going on.

I can't believe it has been a year.  More on that mind blowing concept later.

Hi!

Eating mama's (tofu) Mac & cheese

More weddings!

Oh I love a good wedding and with a few perplexing exceptions, my wonderful and delightful friends are paired up and wedding season seems to be waning in my world. (To all the single ladies in the world, I know of the last, smart, witty, fun, single and caring man on earth... give me a call and I'll assess your worthiness for an introduction.)  He's a straight as the day is long, so any of you single guys out there have to keep looking.

Any-who... back to my point.  The local news lately is filled with what I see as progress in our state.  I'm talking about the historic votes to allow all couples, regardless of gender makeup to marry.  Unless something drastic happens it will pass the next legislative step and then the Governor will sign the bill into law.  It's a darned complicated process but I'm rather excited about it.

I'm sure the signing into law won't be the end of it, there will be people who will sue, those that will suggest that a law won't be valid unless its voted on by the citizens of our state, but I say 'whooie!'  We elected the folks in Olympia and their work stands for us all - just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.  My dad taught me that.  It was a blinding lesson in reality, where he told me to "want in one want and spit in the other and see which one gets full first."  I had to test that theory about five times before I really figured out that wanting wasn't all that productive.  I also learned that a handful of spit wiped on the couch will get you sent to your room.

I know plenty of people who feel with the most deepest of convictions that homosexuality is a sin and that allowing these 'sinners' to marry is an affront to the foundations of marriage.  I don't agree, but I respect their right to believe that way.  I also respect their right to pick and choose which parts of the bible to follow.  Rules such as if you rape a woman and she isn't married you have to marry her.  We don't stand by that one... or the penalty for adultery being death by stoning.  Other non-practical rules, such as crop rotation have been clearly moved aside as not relevant to our modern society, and I doubt that all priests still don special undergarments when they approach the alter, lest the die of guilt (that's in Exodus, and thank you Google for a fruitful search of absurd Bible laws.)  I don't discount that many modern churches and religious organizations still call homosexuality a sin.  That is fine, for them.

Churches and religious organizations can (and should) lead their people according to their beliefs and interpretations of Gods (or whomever) divine law.  Those teachings however should not extend to how laws are crafted in our modern, religiously free society.  Who is to say that YOUR view of God is the same as mine or that it is more relevant or more right?  Basing laws on a specific moral code is not acceptable in our modern civil government.  Sure, thou shalt not kill has wormed its way into our legal system, but come on, when you murder someone you trample their civil rights just a bit.  It's not only an infringement of their ability to dine at McDonalds but also ties back to the 10 commandments.  However, we have not created laws that can result in capital punishment for all the commandments.   I can find no civil code to prohibit anyone from envying their neighbor or their hot wife.

I support the rights of  Churches to opt in or out of performing, supporting, condemning or endorsing same sex unions.  They can deem me a sinner all day long for my support for that matter.  However, the State (a non-religious based entity) should not participate in mandated discrimination of any kind.

The argument that a same sex union harms the fabric of or society, the basis of families or will impact the marriage of anyone else is (again I say) whooie!  There have been gay couples for ages and it hasn't really harmed anyone, or impacted the fabric of society.  I would argue that the feeling that these people should stay closeted or that it's ok to bully gay kids or anyone) has done more harm than loving acceptance would have done.    Just as a sham marriage between two complete strangers or celebrities has no impact on my world, a union between two women in Yakima would have zero impact on me.    That's not entirely true, if I knew them, and was invited to the wedding I might spend some money on a new dress, a wedding gift or two and maybe a hotel room.  That is a positive impact to our economy, that's not a bad thing.

The fight isn't over, the discussion will go on for a while, but hopefully it will be resolved once and for all and we can move on to bigger and more important things.

By the way, I was trying to look up a statistic that would support a statement I thought I wanted to make about most serial killers being heterosexual males and accidentally downloaded a rather large PowerPoint presentation from Radford University entitled "Serial Killers".  Should anyone important be monitoring my online activity I'm  not doing research for extra curricular activities. Turns out, the report makes no reference to sexuality other than to note that serial killers have a higher rate of sexual abuse in their past than the rest of the population.  Since consenting adult sexual behavior isn't abuse the point is irrelevant.    Point to note, abuse and dismembering of animals is a VERY strong indicator of future deviant behavior and should be taken VERY SERIOUSLY.