Election Day Cupcakes

Today Jane celebrated her birthday at school. Two kids of the nine in her class share a November 8 birthday! There was a birthday celebration last week and will be another next week (in addition to this week's two). That's a lot of cupcakes!

Instead of participating in the sugar rush, which is something I shield Jane from as much as humanly possible, I decided to provide a regular snack of some of Jane's favorite foods -- cheese, peanut butter crackers and strawberries -- as well as pretend crochet cupcakes for the kids to take home. The kids -- and adults -- really seemed to like them. Her teacher also said the kids ate that snack much better than they usually eat.

I got to go to her birthday celebration snack time, and I took pictures and a short video of her friends singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Just precious.

Each crochet cupcake took me about 45 minutes - 1 hour to make, depending on how into the TV show I was. I thought I was finished at eight but then found out a new girl came to class. Thankfully I had enough time to make nine!

I looked at several crochet cupcake patterns online, but I ended up making it up a bit as I went along. I've made a crochet cupcake baby hat and this was like that, although instead of top down I crocheted bottom up. I started with a brown circle of about 3 rows of single crochet, then chained 6, turned *single crocheted 5 in the back loop only, slip stitched into the circle and then again in the next stitch of the circle, then single crocheted 5 in the front loop only, chained one, turned, repeat from * around and then slip stitch the "tube" of the cupcake wrapper together. Then I crocheted around the edges to make the "top" of the cupcake wrapper.

I switched to white and crocheted in the back loop only for two rows then started decreasing somewhat evenly. (Single crochet 10, then single crochet 2 together, etc.) until I got close to a top. I stuffed and sewed the top closed. Then I added a row of reverse single crochet to the free loop of the very first row of white to make the icing pop (and cover up the raw edge of the wrapper).

I made a cherry with magic circle, 3 single crochet in loop, pull tight, 2 single crochet in each stitch around, then decrease around, then decrease again, tucking in the loose ends to give it some shape (the cherry isn't really stuffed though). I sewed that on.

I did the "sprinkles" differently on some of the cupcakes. At first I put them on before I stuffed and sewed up the white part, but eventually I just started adding them at the end after everything was stuffed. I think they could easily come out if pulled on, although I did try to weave in the ends to give them a little staying power. They're just random stitches in three colors to look like jimmies.

Jane will have a cake at her birthday party, and along with the sweets and treats she gets to have while celebrating others' birthdays I think she'll have enough! I hear the siren call of food dye, especially for sprinkles on the top of her cake. But I'm holding firm to my belief that I shouldn't feed her any food dyes and as few chemicals as possible. Even on, or perhaps especially on, her birthday.

Crochet: Pink Sock Monkey

I haven't had any custom hat orders except this one, and I made it for one of Shawn's woodworking friends. He has a six-month-old great granddaughter. I made it a little bigger than it had to be, but it should still fit, and it should last longer.

I should really iron my backdrop, huh? And work on the lighting!

I got the folding table from the other Target today. $11 off, woo hoo. I have agreed to a craft sale at an assisted living center on December 6. I am also considering the craft fair at Jane's school, although it would be nearly 8 hours of selling. And I'm just not sure I have enough or can make enough stock by then (or if I could stand to be at a booth for that long, not to mention child care...).

Don't forget to vote tomorrow. I'm with Mary.

What's Annoying Me Today

I get annoyed very easily. I take note of annoyances with the intent of writing scathing blog posts, but usually annoyances fade. Which really is a very good thing and I should "let it go," to quote one of Jane's favorite songs...

• Target -- love the store, but not the sale management. I want to buy a six-foot folding table for future craft sales. I looked at it on Friday but decided to talk to Shawn before I bought it. When I got home there was an ad and it was going on sale for $10 less! I went back today, the first day of the sale and they had sold the single table they had in stock. The guy who helped me was pretty nonchalant about the chances of it coming back in stock during the sale. Ugh. It was also a lot to fight the Sunday traffic over there.
• Rude emails -- I do the website, social media and some email marketing for the church as a volunteer thing. Most of the people I work with have a business etiquette that includes "could you" and "thank you." I got an email today with an abrupt "add this" and "use this language" with no thank you or please. I did it anyway (within a few hours even), but still annoying.
• Car pool carseats -- when I drop off Jane at school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings I see many other moms unbuckle their kids and let them ride in the front seat or even on their laps for the last few car lengths. I am so damn judgy but it just seems like a horrible chance to take (and sets a precedent for carseat-free riding). Jane stays securely buckled until we're at the front of the line and her teacher comes to the car to get her.
• Disregarding deadlines -- this is a bit of beating a dead horse, since I've alluded to the trouble in previous posts, but the magazine I'm working on is coming down to the wire. There's still missing content and the design is rough, actually what I'd have expected the first draft to be several weeks ago. I am having to adjust my expectations, and I'm not very good at that at all. I want excellence in everything I do, including one-off projects, and I hate when circumstances beyond my control keep it from being the best it can be.

I'm sure I'm annoyed by a lot more things, but these are what come to mind and what I gretched about at various points today. Hope you're less aggravated than I am. I seem to live in a perpetual state of annoyance.

Welcome to November ... remix hey!

Rabbit, rabbit.

My fingers have been itching and my brain has been whirring with ideas for writing this month. I can't guarantee that anything will be good, but I'm committing to write every day this month.

Welcome to National Blog Post Month, or NaBloPoMo. Tons of people are writing this month.

My posts will be some day-in-the-life type things (including my daughter's third birthday), crochet projects (I've completed a few!), Thanksgiving travel on my 34th birthday, things that annoy me and some musings about a short Bible study I completed last month. If you have any post ideas send them my way!

This is the first I've written on my brand new computer. My old one is still technically alive, so I've had a hard time giving up Windows 7 for Windows 8 (of course I buy a new PC right as a new OS is announced). But I have pretty much everything transferred, including my browser settings. So there's really no excuse. With this one I can unplug and work for hours on the couch without moving the power cord.

I had a part-time job this fall that paid for the computer (and more). I'll write about it and share the project when it's finally complete and printed ... sometime this month. It's been a trying experience for a lot of reasons, not the least of which has been the utter disregard for deadlines and completely dysfunctional workflow. I am realizing how spoiled I've been with access to top graphic designers and working with people who care about the finished products.

Otherwise all is well in the Red Stick.

I Survived Holly Days 2014

I paid $16 for the privilege of walking into a convention center to shop for cute, expensive gifts. Many were handmade and worth the price. Others seemed less reasonable. The ticket price was $11, but I also had to pay $5 for parking. Kind of ridiculous all around.

It's "for a good cause," whatever that cause is. The Junior League does outreach in the community, so spending money to go isn't something I feel bad about (although the parking fee just goes to that garage).

I carried Jane around on my back in the Ergo, since strollers were not allowed. (And a good thing too. It was crowded enough without the addition of strollers.) We made a loop, methodically, around the outside and then zigzagging in and out of the shorter aisles and middle aisle. There wasn't a clear flow to the aisles, so there were always people going both ways and clumps of people stopping to chat "Oh hi, I haven't seen you in forever."

(No surprise: I didn't see ANYONE I knew.)

I bought about five Christmas presents -- I had to feel like I was getting my entry fee money's worth. Just before we left Jane got down from my back to try out these expensive horse toys. They were more than $200, and the sales guy was weird about which ponies were for demonstration. I did not like him -- or the toy -- at all, but we'd walked past it and she'd asked to play on them. It was a small reward for not crying and bucking while riding on "mama horse" through the shops.

All together we were only there for a bit more than an hour. I could have spent more time methodically going through each shop and looking at pieces individually. There was a lot of great jewelry, although it's such a personal item it's hard to buy something like that for other people. (Hey, I have a birthday coming up though!) I couldn't last much longer than an hour with the 35 extra pounds on my back. And once she was down it would have been a matter of time before she wandered off -- or pulled my arm out of the socket by going limp/dragging me down.

Ideally I would go to a thing like that alone, with headphones, to shop in stealth, leave-me-alone mode, which is much more efficient although anti-social. I don't think I'll ever go to the Holly Days again, unless someone had free tickets or otherwise invited me specifically. But it was worth it to see what it was all about this once.

I didn't find out how much the booth rental was, although if I ever got serious about my crochet hats that would be an obvious place to sell. (I saw two booths that had crochet hats, but they were afterthoughts/not the main thing being sold and didn't have much selection -- they were also MUCH more expensive than mine.)

An idea for an entrepreneurial junior junior leaguer -- a child care service like they have at Ikea -- just a room or area where parents could drop off their kids and shop, for a charge of course. Could offer activities and crafts, games, etc. I definitely would have been down for using a service like that (at least in theory). It's probably a nightmare legally though.

Carry on.

Glitterati

We went to the Denham Springs Fall Festival yesterday, and it was a very good time. There were arts and crafts, kiddie rides and loads of antique stores.

Jane's favorite thing was the face painting. In that same Daniel Tiger episode some real life kids got their faces painted to look like the DT characters. When I saw that they had a face painting booth I didn't hesitate, because Jane had been asking to have her face painted since we watched the show.

Putting toxic chemicals on her skin is never a good idea (I didn't even ask what the paint was made of), but I really did a bad thing because there was GLITTER in the paint (either that or the lady added the glitter afterward). Jane became the cutest tiger ever (chosen by the face painting lady because Jane was wearing her tiger crochet hat), and the paint itself came off easily when we got home (I was smart enough to not let her lay in her bed with a full face of paint). But even after a shower we still have glitter on her face and in her hair, and even after vacuuming the car her car seat is still sporting sparkles.

Is this my life now?!

Next time, and there will be a next time, I'll pay closer attention (rather than taking pictures of the painter at work!) and specifically ask for no glitter before the painting begins. I'll also be sure there's no paint near her mouth -- the bit on her nose migrated to her lips somehow and it was quite a mess. Who knows how much she ingested. I'm so careful about what she eats, but I didn't think about this getting in her mouth.

Rookie mistakes all around. I hope we can get the glitter out of the car with a lint roller and/or tape. Any other ideas? I'm so worried about some getting in her eye and scratching it somehow. So far it hasn't, but I'm always worrying about the worse case.

Dress Up Day

On an episode of Daniel Tiger that Jane and I watched (on Amazon Prime) today the characters all dressed up and had a parade. They knocked on people's doors to show off their costumes, and instead of candy they got stickers for their sticker books. What a wonderful idea -- I'd love for that to be the m.o. for our church's trunk-or-treat. I'm not sure how I'm going to keep Jane from eating the crap she'll collect.

I'm trying to decide what we'll hand out from our "trunk." Last year I bought a bunch of things that were non-candy -- vampire teeth, some bracelets, bouncy balls, etc. I've got a cart ready for checkout at Oriental Trading just ready to hit "purchase."

But there's part of me -- the CHEAP part off me -- that realizes how much less expensive it would be to pick up a couple bags of value candy at Walmart or Winn Dixie and call it a night. (My shipping alone is $10. GAH.) I wouldn't let Jane eat any of it, but other people's kids are going to eat it anyway, so why should I shell out more money? And I'm still buying CRAP that's just different crap (and won't harm their bodies ... well, as long as they don't ingest it).

Yeah, I just placed my order... Junky toys for everyone!

The Unintended Silence

I haven't written at all in September, not really. The posts for the BR Maker Faire were slap-dash necessities because I handed out more than 60 cards with my URL and I wanted relevant content at the top. Nothing has come of that, although I've been working on other crochet projects anyway.

The biggest reason for a lack of posting is a paying, part-time job I'm doing. It's for the local university -- actually one of the departments my husband works in -- writing and editing an annual magazine. I went into the process for an informational interview that turned into a job offer. I grossly underestimated the time it would take me, although the director wisely built in some overrun and I hope to at least keep it within that number of hours.

Basically I've been working 20-ish hours every week, which seems like nothing thinking back to my career-filled life, but when I'm balancing it with child care it has left me feeling as exhausted and strung out as I ever did while working (save for the morning sickness road trip of 2011). It has also involved a lot of working with others -- almost all strangers who don't want to bother with the magazine or me. And I've had a few tense gripe sessions with Shawn about him getting me into this!

Things are slowly coming together for the magazine though, and I'll find a new equilibrium once it goes to print. (I'll post a link to it on my Facebook and maybe my professional site -- keep reading.) There may be additional work with this department (their website needs serious attention), or maybe not. There's another possible website job with a different organization slated to start in January, although I won't know if I've actually been chosen to do it until sometime in late November at the earliest.

I purchased www.mariwalker.com when I saw it was available (there's an author with my name who used to own it). For now I'll use it to promote my freelance communications offerings -- although every job I've had so far has come to me without trying. Not sure if that will last.

Jane has started a two morning per week preschool program that has been the only way I've been able to work as much as I have. (I've also had to make her sit in her dad's office for an hour here and there -- which she adores because she gets to be with him ... and watch Daniel Tiger or Olivia!)

She loves school and has never looked back. She loves her teacher, her friends and all the fun stuff they do together. I lost it the night before her first day with ugly crying and straight up fear of leaving her, but after the nerves of day one I've felt really good about it too. (Perhaps in part because I've been frantically working/interviewing/writing during her school hours.)

Today was my first day without an interview, where I was at home without her (normally I have been going from drop off to the university until it's time to pick her up). It was great -- easier to fit in exercise, then a more leisurely Target run with no "get in the cart" negotiations.

I will write more in October, leading up to NaBloPoMo in November.

Want to Order a Crochet Hat?

Thanks for your interest in silvermari crochet hats. Most of what I make are sized for infants and toddlers, although I can size up and down for custom orders (and based on the Maker Faire I'll be making more elementary-age girls sizes).

Please email me at silvermari@gmail.com to place an order. (I may consider setting up an Etsy shop in the future.)

I will need to know the style of hat you'd like (see photos in my silvermari crochet hats Flickr album for ideas), the colors (general or specific) and a couple head measurements. Most importantly I need the head circumference -- measure around the crown of the head. It's also helpful to have the brow height -- from the top of the head to just above the eyebrows (or wherever you want the edge of the hat to be). If head measurements aren't available let me know the age for the recipient. (I use this great chart for estimating head sizes.)

Hats range from $15-$20, depending on size and complexity. I am located in Baton Rouge, LA, and I can meet in a public place within BR to deliver local orders. Shipping costs will be extra.

I expect about a week turnaround time for each order, although that depends on other factors (including number of orders I already have, if it's a hard-to-find yarn that I need to special order, etc.), so I'll let you know in our email conversations. If you have a rush deadline let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

If you have other crochet projects you'd like to commission, please contact me for a quote. See my silvermari crochet Flickr album for examples of other types of crochet projects I've completed.

Photo of my booth at the 2019 Maker Faire

Baton Rouge Mini Maker Faire

This Saturday I'm going to be part of the Mini Maker Faire at the East Baton Rouge public library. I'll have my crochet hats for sale and will be demonstrating crochet and teaching anyone who wants to give it a try. I'm confused about the way it will work, but if nothing else it will give me some stories.

If you're visiting my site because you saw my booth at the faire, welcome! I don't write exclusively about crochet, although I do post about almost every project I make. I hope you'll stick around. See more about my crochet craft.

A Decade of Owen

Last visit to Baton Rouge as a 9-year-old.

It's hard to believe that "Baby O" is ten (10!) years old today.

I can vividly remember the day ten years ago, when I was in Maryland starting graduate school and my sister was in labor. Owen was almost a week late. I had been home on Beth's actual due date.

I sat in an orientation class of some sort, and for the "ice breaker" fact I shared that my sister was having a baby and I'd rather be with her at that point. The dean of the school did his best to make me feel "other" and wrong about that. He just couldn't understand that desire and mocked me for it.

Beth and I texted for as long as she could manage.

I was in Ikea looking at hanging hooks with my roommate when I got the call from my dad that Owen had arrived.

I didn't get to meet him until nearly four months later -- December 17, 2004. And in the meantime I met Shawn.

Graduate school was the right thing for me, and led me to my life with Shawn. But I sure would have liked to have been there when Owen came into the world.

Now he's a silly, smart and fun boy. It's amazing to realize how quickly the time has gone.

Here's to many, many, many more years of Owen! AMLBO!!!

Feelings About Others Feeding My Toddler

So I'm not really a mommy blogger, despite motherhood being the thing that defines this season of my life best. I start and stop writing about my daughter, even though there's so much to say I try to think about her privacy vs. sharing my parenting experiences.

(Total random aside: I read a lot of mommy blogs, and one version I can't stand -- but still hate read -- are the non-stop complainers. Yeah, I get it. Motherhood/parenthood is hard. But get over yourself/mix in a little bit of the wonder and joy now and again! /rant)

Anyway, this is something that's been bugging me and I want to write about it as a way to organize my thoughts and consider my next steps.

What Jane eats is important to me. I'm not a perfect hippie, but I aspire to some aspects of the lifestyle -- in particular whole foods free of chemicals, dyes and extra sugar.

So far I've been able to do an OK job for Jane. Being in charge of her meals means she is at least offered a variety of choices, all of which are good for her. She does not eat super sweet things -- including ice cream, candy, cookies, Kool-aid or even juice -- no matter how much I know she would love them.

That's not to say things don't slip in -- she eats her share of processed crackers, cheddar bunnies or rockets (Trader Joe's brand goldfish), pretzels, dip, pizza and salad dressing. She's tried cake (and talks about is a lot!) and gets whipped cream on her berries occasionally plus sneaks a few chips every now and again too. She can eat a grilled cheese the size of her head and loves quesadillas.

Let's just say that her diet isn't perfect but it could easily be derailed. Especially as she grows and is going into more situations where I'm not in charge of what she eats. A particular sore point for me is our church Sunday school. Jane was invited to join the preschool class this fall. I've decided to wait on letting her start -- partly because I want her to be fully potty trained -- but mostly because I don't want her being fed junk food every week.

I want our church to do better by our kids -- ALL our kids. I know I can't wipe out the mentality that "treats" for kids are a way to show love, which I think is a big part of the food selection at church. Truthfully I find myself wanting to do that often -- whether with food or toys -- so I fully realize this is a "pot-kettle-black" situation too. (In more ways than one, since my own diet leaves a lot to be desired ... Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper addiction are clear examples of that!) There's also the ease factor of most unhealthy foods -- packaged, keep forever and kids will actually eat them.

But I don't know if I've got the fight in me to even make the change for the littlest kids, and so I've put it off. I said I'll reevaluate sending her to the class when she's 3 in a couple months.

But every Sunday I feel a tug -- of what she's missing in the class in terms of spiritual education. The nursery where she is (and where I complained about the snacks there until they agreed to cheerios, pretzels and water) doesn't include any type of Bible story or praying, both of which Jane is ready for.

I shouldn't have to choose between her spiritual health and her physical health, and I know in both instances Shawn and I are the primary factor for now. I don't see a solution yet, except for getting into it/really pressing for better food choices at the preschool class level.

Or should I change? Am I being overly controlling about what goes into Jane's body? Is it inevitable that she consume junk, and therefore just go with the flow? It seems like the other parents at church take that approach. (And I'm not questioning anyone's dedication for their kids or their kids' health.) Can I hold it off a little longer?

How will I know?

Crochet: Leaping Stripes & Blocks and Mary Jane Shoes

 I've used Mooglyblog patterns before and loved them, but I finally subscribed to the blog itself. It's amazing and full of great crochet ideas and patterns. Love.

Anyway I made the Leaping Stripes & Blocks pattern for a to-be-born baby using dark grey, white and honey bee yellow. I didn't like the color choices at first, but as I kept plugging away they grew on me. There are a lot of great yellow & grey crochet inspiration pins that I looked through to help myself believe that this combination was winning. I'm pretty much won over, although I think I would have liked it more had I made the stripes of color wider.

I added a soft ruffle edging, which I borrowed from a pattern in my Gumdrops and Rainbows pattern leaflet. It's basically *double crochet, chain 2 in first stitch, (dc ch2 dc ch2) in second stitch and repeat.

I had checked out a Crochet to Go ebook from my library and tried a pattern there too. It was for crochet baby Mary Jane shoes. I followed the pattern exactly and made the sock with my first attempt. They looked somewhat crazy, in part because I couldn't figure out what "curved part" meant when looking at an oval, and also because the sock is open in the back and very floppy.

For my second try I omitted the sock and used yellow for the sole and grey for the shoe itself. I made them in about 2 hours (watching TV, so not working the entire time). Very easy and adorable. I love the way the second pair turned out. They'll go with the blanket when it's closer to due date!

TIBTIL: Starbucks Iced Coffee

This is a ridiculously expensive treat, if you look at it from the cost of brewing and chilling coffee yourself. If you look at it against the cost of buying individual iced coffees at Starbucks then it's a downright bargain! Either way it's a thing I bought that I love.

I grabbed it on a whim when I was looking for buttermilk (none to be found in my regular grocery store). I really like it -- although I'm not super particular about my coffee so results may vary! I put it over ice and add some milk or fat-free half and half. Sipping from a straw completes the experience for me.

This is not a sponsored post.

Punctuality is Killing My Toddler's Social Life

I keep screwing up moms group meetings. A couple weeks ago it was because of my lack of smart phone and a non-sending text message that said it sent.

Today it was a park playdate near our house. I saw it yesterday but only decided we would go today after we did wake up and get ready and Jane agreed that she wanted to go. They were meeting at 10 at the park. A few people had written "can't make it til 11" but the others didn't say anything so I assumed it was still 10. Bad assumption of course, but I cannot bring myself to be late. Even though taking my time and being a little late today would have been so easy.

I was the first one there a few minutes after 10 -- and on our own save for another couple of unrelated to the group kids until well after 10:30. I should really stop being punctual (at least when it comes to this group).

The other moms started to arrive closer to 11 and all had brought lunches for their children. I didn't pack Jane anything other than water, so it was a bummer to her that we had to leave for lunch at home.

ALTHOUGH it was ridiculously hot and humid, so an hour and a half outside was more than enough for me anyway. Jane and I were both soaked through with sweat, despite the cool towels.

Once we were home and cooling off she was happily playing with her toys no problem. I'm still a social malcontent, but I'm really trying to make connections. I guess I need to understand the dynamic of the group a little bit more ... and always pack food!

My conversations with the other moms were fine. I do a lot of listening and not much talking. Especially with one of the moms; she told me something about her daughter and I said something about Jane to affirm that little girls act that way, and she cut me off and told me no her daughter didn't do that exactly. It was bizarre and a minor thing. Meh.

I'll keep plugging away and making it to play dates even if I don't totally believe I'll ever be able to make real friends for myself. Pessimist much?

Luddite or Purist? No, I'm Just Cheap

I don't have a smart phone.

Not my current phone, but basically
the same deal.

It is usually no big deal, but lately I've missed two or three group meetings with people because I didn't have access to the MeetUp site where they posted "20 minutes late" messages. So Jane and I explored the strawberry farm and zoo without the rest of our group.

Otherwise my flip phone with a pay-as-you-go plan is just fine and a great money saver (average $8/month for talk and text) ... as long as it works. Sometimes the texting feature doesn't work correctly, like at the last zoo trip I texted the group leader and she apparently never got the message. Or when in Chicago trying to meet up with a friend her "in the lobby" texts started coming hours after we had met up. (Luckily when she called me the phone did work.)

When someone at church borrowed my phone to call her husband she said "wow, you are a purist." I'm not sure that's true. I'm also not sure I'm a Luddite, because I certainly use technology. I'm almost always at home with my wifi -- and so I have access to everything I smartphone would have via my iPod Touch and/or my Kindle Fire (both gifts from my mom ... so maybe she's the only thing keeping me from true Luddite status?). There is wifi in a lot of places out and about too -- the library, Target, etc. But there are times when I am disconnected, and to be honest it isn't that bad.

I think I'm just cheap, because I don't want to spend $70 - $100/month on something I wouldn't use so much (given that I rarely talk on my cell phone and my iPod/wifi hacks are enough right now). I'm sure that will change if my life does -- being more on the go, in a job, Jane at school, etc. 

Imperfect Parenting

Babywearing was so much easier when she was small.

We practice attachment parenting and gentle discipline. It came so naturally during infancy and even early toddlerhood. Now it is so much more of a struggle as she becomes more and more independent.

Example: Last week she ran away from me. At first it was just from one end of a library meeting room to another. She waited for me at the door and I caught up as we left. As we're lining up to check out our books she BOLTS out through the front doors, laughing her fool head off. I sprint after her -- as much as a fat lady carrying 3 bags and a picnic blanket can sprint -- and catch her just before she hits the sidewalk and the parking lot traffic beyond. AH!

I dragged her back into the library, to big protests, but I had to take the books, which had set off the alarm, back in. I held her hand while she struggled and begged to be free, and I checked out the books. In hindsight I should have left them there and walked out with her.

In the moment part of me wanted to spank her -- and believe me this is an not an isolated feeling -- but in cooler head moments I can see how that would accomplish nothing except letting me vent my rage. And I certainly don't want to vent my rage on my precious baby girl, no matter what she's done that upsets me.

But at the same time I feel distaste for other people who advocate for any one parenting style to the exclusion of others -- for OTHER parents! I'm all for living into a chosen discipline and parenting style, and while I think our choices are correct I don't think that means other parents' choices are not equally valid for their children.

Mama Fail, Summer Edition

I pulled another good one today, and in the process wound myself so tightly I'm still coming unraveled.

Earlier in the summer I had perused a local moms blog calendar. It listed lots of things to do for the summer, some of which seemed like good ideas for Jane. One of them was a weekly $1 kid-friendly movie at a local theater. I looked at the linked PDF, made note of the dates and movies I would actually consider taking her to (had to be G and we had to be in town), and today was the first one: Oceans.

Jane and I had been SO EXCITED to go see her first movie. And we had raced through a trip to the church where we were helping with the bulletin. I had stressed out last night about how I was going to get it all done, and then WHAMMO ... that was all for nothing.

The document that was linked was the 2013 list. I would have noticed if I'd looked at the file name, but I never noticed it on the PDF flier itself.

First, the movies are always on Wednesday. (7/24 was a Wednesday last year of course) Second, the theater wasn't even open so there was no one to ask/no sign about the program. I had to wait until a UPS person got someone to open the door for her to ask my question.

I was so perturbed and thought maybe I'd just gotten the theater wrong and raced across town to see if I could catch it at the correct theater. No dice, because I had the YEAR wrong. Not the theater.

Dejected doesn't begin to describe it. And I feel pathetic for being upset over such a small thing! We came home and found the Oceans movie on Amazon to rent for $3, basically spending $1 more than we would have at the theater (minus the popcorn I might have sprung for to mark her first in-theater movie).

The movie itself was fine -- didn't totally hold her attention but probably would have been more dramatic and engaging on a huge screen. We may try again next week with The Lego Movie when my sister and Owen are visiting. We'll see...

Still Swimsuiting Up

I've given more thought to the moms-should-get-in-the-water-with-their-kids idea that I read and wrote about a while back. When I first read it I understood the message as -- love your body and don't let your fatness or out-of-shapeness keep you out of the pool with your kids. And while I think that's still the main point I've also come to see another side of it -- a bit of apathy.

I don't have the luxury of choosing to stay out of the water with Jane because she is so little. If she's going to swim someone HAS to go in with her. But with bigger kids that is a less clear area. If you're outside the pool watching (and really watching) then the kid can swim alone/with other kids. And there's something about that that is very appealing -- even in my toddler mamahood I can see that.

Because putting on a bathing suit, even with all the body confidence in the world, is a chore. There's getting your hair wet, being wet for a while and dealing with drying off and changing. Just the logistics are a little annoying, especially if you're not in love with swimming or being in the water.

But even with all that I still am at a point where I would love to have better access to a pool, mainly because I know Jane loves it so. I checked the BREC pools and they all closed last week. What the heck -- we're in the dead of summer and the pools are closed? The water park is still open, but that's less fun -- and more expensive. Bummer.

Losing and Finding

I'm on a bit of a cleaning and organizing frenzy, mainly because of things I've lost and can't find and the utter chaos of so much stuff squirreled away throughout the house is stressing me out. It's not a nesting situation, where I'm trying to make things look better, although the work inevitably makes that so. It's more about getting a grip on all the accumulated detritus of my life (our life) and know where the heck stuff is. (Spoiler: It's a losing battle for me.)

I would love to have an app for that -- Ctrl+F to find whatever obscure thing I'm looking for (travel wallet, Christmas ornament from Gatlinburg, etc.). But in order for something like that to work I'd have to physically tag every little thing and/or put it in a list showing where it lives. And if I did that then I'm fairly certain my brain would retain where it is. Just like I remember where things are that I use regularly -- I don't lose my deodorant or the kitchen knives.

Writing Utensils by mrsdkrebs on Flickr

And in this faux clutter-busting (because really I'm not even getting rid of a fraction of the stuff I have -- just organizing and moving it around in somewhat more logical placements) I am bewildered by the HUGE number of pens I own. There are pens everywhere. I should never have to buy another pen in my entire life, or possibly Jane's entire life. But you know I will. Ah, I love them.

With all this I STILL cannot find my travel wallet. Oh where, oh where could that CB2 wallet have gone? There's nothing in it besides old boarding passes, my Southwest membership rewards card (an airline I never fly anymore just because the routes don't match up to where I need to go) and a terrible drawing of a dress I made. But it's still driving me crazy not knowing where it is or for sure if I left it on an airplane.

Qdoba vs. Chipotle

My favorite foods are terrible. I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE cheeseburgers. I dig Tex-Mex, even quick service variety. Tacos are my jam (oh, Taco Mayo!), but I also like burrito places. While we were in Chicago Jane and I ate at a lot of quick service places out of sheer convenience and exhaustion, including Qdoba and Chipotle. It made me want to write a little comparison.

My history with Chipotle dates to the University of Maryland, when there was one walking distance from my grad school apartment. I'd never heard of it before and my roommate and I pronounced the word wrong for a while. AH. So it has good memories, but it loses out in the head-to-head comparison now.

Although this has nothing to do with why I like it less, at the Chicago Chipotle a random guy engaged me in conversation about my burrito. I was sitting there, with my toddler, wolfing this thing down and the guy, possibly homeless because he came in to just use the bathroom, talked to me about it twice -- on the way in and out. It was so weird.

From robertrazrblog on Flickr

I first went to Qdoba in Manhattan, and my favorite part was -- and still is -- the queso, which Chipotle doesn't offer. Also a plus for me now is that Qdoba has a kids' menu, which Chipotle does not. That means Jane can get a cheese quesadilla, beans or apple sauce, and a milk jug. Her options at Chipotle are severely limited. I guess I could try to feed her a taco? (In Chicago I just went next door and bought her a cheese sandwich -- wow nutrition on vacation).

My second favorite part of Qdoba is the beverage station, which is a new thing. They're also available at Noodles & Co. and Burger King -- the machines that give you lots of options for each drink. My pick is cherry vanilla diet Dr. Pepper.

Looking at their websites I see Chipotle offers alcohol, although I've never actually had a margarita there. (And that might be enough to sway my vote the other way, if I were dining without Jane that is. Mama loves her margaritas even more than queso!)

Back in BR I have access to both restaurants. Neither is particularly convenient, although the Qdoba is near Whole Foods and Chipotle is on the north side of campus where I never go. There used to be a second, ultra-convenient Qdoba near our old apartment, but it's closed and turned into some kind of bistro. Gag.

Taste of Chicago: Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger

 The Taste of Chicago was going on while we were in town, and it was only a few blocks away from our hotel. So Jane and I walked over one evening for supper. It was exiting -- and exhausting -- because of the huge crowds. There was an enormous line to get in, so I kept walking down Grant Park to another, significantly less crowded entrance.

Jane had fallen asleep in the stroller on the walk over, and she slept the entire time we were there. Oh well.

I bought some tickets and bought myself a Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger. I had never seen the SNL bit that refers to, but I did look it up when we got home. Way old and semi-funny. The burger itself was OK. It had been sitting in a cooler or something to keep it warm.

I bought Jane a piece of cheese pizza that she ate when she woke up on the walk back. There was fun-looking kids area, but I weighed the cost of waking her up, standing in line for the bouncy slide and then wrestling with her to go back in the stroller for the walk to the hotel. (She stayed in the stroller!)

I loved this city view behind Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. Apparently there are light shows after dark and every 20 minutes there is a water show when the fountains do different things. I didn't notice and only learned that a few days later on our skyline boat tour on Lake Michigan. Something for our next trip to Chicago!

In Chicago: Lincoln Park Zoo

This was the first animal we saw in Lincoln Park Zoo, and this was the first picture I took that day. After this the bear was in the water and we weren't able to see him as well. Apparently there was a way to go down and view him under the water. We could see him playing from up above but then we moved on.

This was my favorite Chicago thing that we did. It's free, took up a good number of hours. If it weren't for toddler naps, general exhaustion, heat and sun exposure we could have stayed much longer.

In Chicago: Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium was a good time, although expensive. Jane is under 3 so was free, which made the sticker price a little less shocking. We went early to beat the crowds, and for the first hour or so we didn't have hordes of people around us. After we watched our 10:30 dolphin show though it started crowding up, and when we left by 1 pm it was impossible to see the exhibits because of all the humanity.

Jane loved everything, especially the iPads they had at most of the tanks to give more information about the fish and sea creatures inside. She also loved the 4-D movie -- 15 minutes of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. It was scarier than I expected! But I do love Ray Romano's voice though.

My favorite were the jellies. Even though they're invasive and horrible they are beautiful to look at in a tank under those pretty pretty lights!

In Chicago: Navy Pier

We went to Navy Pier twice. It's a tourist trap and a half, crowded and obnoxious. I loved the Children's Museum that's there, although it would be better in a different location and without so many people/groups of children. Jane had a good time. We also took a boat ride out into Lake Michigan to see the Chicago skyline that was fun. This is a picture of the Ferris Wheel that is there. It costs $7 (each) to ride it, so we didn't do it. Jane did ride the carousel with her dad for $6. Ca-CHING!

I also saw The Little Hat Shop, which was a kiosk selling crocheted hats just like the ones I make. Totally weird, and they were selling for $25-30. I imagined pricing mine at $15-20 (and still will when they go to a craft fair in the fall). I looked them up online and it's a little chain and even though the hats are handmade it's done sort of like manufacturing in that different crocheters make different parts of the hats. Is there art in that? I'm not sure. But I was actually pretty happy to see it and know about it.

Here are some of my reviews from the Chicago trip on TripAdvisor.

In Chicago: Sunburn City

Crimeny Christmas I got a weird sunburn on my back, mainly on my shoulder blades, the last day of our trip. How can I get complete coverage with sunblock on my own with a wild toddler? And without any aloe handy my pain never resolved. Lugging my huge backpack and rolling all the luggage on our trip back was incredibly painful. Yech. It still hurts a few days later. WHINE WHINE WHINE.

I was mostly able to keep Jane sunburn-free, although she did get a little pink on her arms and legs some days (I'm expecting more freckles -- signs of sun damage I know!). We did a lot of outside stuff, but we kept inside activities in the mix and I always slathered her with sunscreen. I think her skin took the hit when we would just go outside to walk to a restaurant or store. I wasn't as vigilant then.

When we went to the beach in the morning sun I had her wear a little boy swimsuit (much longer leg coverage) and a long-sleeve rash guard. She looked like a little boy but it definitely helped keep her skin covered. She also is pretty good about wearing her little green sun hat, which is adorable -- just like her!

My precious girl has the most beautiful skin and I want to keep it protected!

In Chicago: Fancy Hotel with So-So Service

We stayed at a posh hotel in Chicago but it was actually a less comfortable stay than when we're at a mid-range business style hotel. I think that says something about us but also about the hotel itself, which caters to high-end clients and is a bit dismissive of anyone in steerage. (There's a separate hotel-within-a-hotel for the high-rollers.) Also this hotel didn't have coffee makers, fridges, etc. and those things make staying in a hotel with a toddler much easier.

Our room was fine -- nice fixtures and attractive enough with plenty of space for a king-sized bed and pack-and-play. But around the edges as a little worn. The door to the bathroom had splinters of paint coming off it. The tub drained slow. The mirrors had fingerprints that never were removed -- and they were way too high for any of us to have made unless Shawn or I stood on the desk, which we didn't. Eventually I stopped wishing for access to Windex and paper towels! The ironing board was attached to the inside of the closet door and made a big racket every time you opened it. Just little things like that -- lack of attention to detail.

Wine glasses in the hallway for 24+ hours

The worst offense though was the hallway. Other guests would put trash and room service items outside their door and they would stay there for a long time -- like up to a day. So aesthetically unpleasing sure, but painfully annoying to walk past multiple times per day with a curious toddler.

High-end hotels charge for Internet of course, but thankfully we got our wifi free with the conference. Unfortunately it was pretty crappy wifi. It died completely for a few hours and then I had repeated trouble with the connection to my computer right when I needed to do a bit of work for the church. Typical. Troubleshooting via phone routed me to an off-site person.

The hotel was huge, and so being down in the lobby or street level we were overwhelmed with the noise every time. It seemed louder in there than it was even out on the street. The hotel is located very close to the El train, and you can hear it in the room. But eventually it just became part of the background. I liked it because it gave us a real city vibe.

There are a lot of doormen milling about, but they weren't very helpful to me. I think we had the door opened for us only once and usually I had to do the pull-the-stroller-in-backward-while-I-hold-the-door-open-with-my-butt move on the non-handicap entrances.

In Chicago: Giordano's Pizza

This was the good stuff. Nom, nom, nom.

Where We Have Been

We were away for one week, and we just got home last night. I have many stories to tell, but I thought I'd do a quick update to set up the posts. I didn't write really while we were there, although I took a few notes and thought about what I would write if I had the time. It was an amazing trip, although we're still a little woozy from the travel...

In Chicago: 103 Stories Up

Random: Fruit Tree in the Front Yard

We've owned our house for almost three years now (closed on July 11 just before Jane was born), and for the first time a tree in the front yard is fruiting. They are like peaches, and maybe that's what they are, although I'm not sure. I haven't tasted them yet, but I assume it would be OK to eat? We have a lemon tree in the back yard that made two lemons last year and nothing since. I have such a black thumb I'm surprised something would pop up like this. Any ideas?

The fruit tree

Close up of the fruit

The already spoiled fruit that has dropped from the tree. I need to pick it up, because yuck.

Forgot to Pack

I've written about packing for travel with kids a couple times. I am getting better, and I remembered almost everything we needed. That's fairly easy when you consider we were driving to Tennessee and I could just throw things in wherever. We had our suitcases and backpacks, but I also had a small cooler and forty-eleven reusable tote bags full of snacks, toys, groceries, etc. Here's what I forgot:

• Books for Jane -- WILD as I usually overpack in this area. We had some books, but they were new ones that I had wrapped for her to open on the drive. I totally spaced on including her regular bedtime books (she doesn't read the same ones every night, but she does read something before bed). We made due, bought some books and a family member who came later from closer to the cabin was able to bring some other books (although they were questionable and heavy on the princess/makeup/girlie stuff that Jane doesn't usually see) -- she loved them!
• Nail scissors -- these are always in my makeup bag, so I'm not sure how they were missing. I didn't intentionally remember or forget them, but they were needed for opening a few things and specifically for removing Jane's Dollywood wristband (from when she was measured -- SILVER baby). Luckily someone else had teeny tiny nail scissors. Otherwise we might have resorted to Popeye's pocket knife!
• Hand soap -- I hate washing my hands with a bar of soap, especially in a shared bathroom. I meant to bring a pump soap but forgot. This was easily remedied with $1 when we went to the grocery store for perishable food, so no big deal since I remembered it then.
• Marker -- for our amusement park time I wanted to write my cell phone number on Jane's arm. I didn't have a marker with me, there wasn't one in the house and no one else had a Sharpie. A 10-year-old cousin did have a washable Crayola marker, which we used the first day. But it was so big that the number took up Jane's whole arm and it washed away quickly from sweat and sunblock. Her wristband had a place to write a phone number, so we just did that the second day. It would be an easy thing to include because I always have pens and pencils. Maybe I should stash a sharpie in my car anyway.

That's it. Just a few little things. I'm not sure how we'll do on our next big trip since we'll be traveling by plane and have much less packing space. More screen time for Jane, perhaps?!

A Toddler's Dollywood Adventure

The highlight of our trip to Tennessee last week was our two days at Dollywood.

We bought a three-day, two park pass that included Splash Country. Jane was free because she's under 3, but it was still ridiculously expensive. We probably could have saved some money buying the tickets online even with the $16 processing fee. Live and learn. Also they say no outside food, but they don't check your bags (makes you wonder about security actually). I brought in some snacky foods for Jane but otherwise abided by the rules.

The first day we had Jane measured at the Central Measuring Station near the Showstreet Fountain. It was a good thing because it showed us which rides she could ride on (not that we would have attempted to let her ride on any she was too short for). But we also had her measured the second day, which was wholly unnecessary and actually wasted time that could have been spent riding on one or two rides. We arrived both days pretty soon after the park opened, so the lines were long for things like measuring and rides closest to the front of the park.

If you ask Jane now what her favorite part was, she'll say "the trolley," by which she means the tram that carried us from the parking lot to the front of the park. Silly girl! She did a lot of things while at the park: the Scrambler (she was way too small and it was too scary), the Lucky Ducks, the Busy Bees, the Piggy Parade, the Carousel (probably her real favorite, including getting to ride a chicken like Skeeter from the Dixie Stampede show), the Dollywood Express coal-powered train and the Rockin' Roadway cars.

We watched several shows, including two from the Imagination Library that were short plays based on children's books. Ladybug Girl and Bingo was our absolute favorite, and I think we should have gone to see it again. I bought her a copy of the book, and we've read it so many times I think I know it by heart! We'll definitely be checking out others in this series. We also saw One Cool Friend, which was good but not as good. We also really like the "I Am a Rainbow" theme song that's played at every Imagination Library show.

In our two days there we didn't even make it to the play areas. There's a playground and at least three water fountain/splash pad-like areas for kid play. And there were other rides she was big enough to try, although she was too scared of the Flying Elephants and we got rained out for the River Battle one. Both days I was packing her bathing suit, swim diapers, change of clothes and beach towel, but she didn't get wet either day (aside from some torrential rain just before we left for good -- we took shelter during a magic show so only our stroller got completely drenched).

My favorite part of the park was the Ladybug Girl and Bingo show, but my favorite ride was the Mystery Mine. I got to ride several roller coasters, because Shawn and I were able to go to the park sans toddler on Sunday afternoon. (Turning our three-day ticket into four days effectively because if you go to the park after 3 pm your next day is free.) I hadn't been to an amusement park since college, when I went to Frontier City with a friend and we wrote about it for our college paper. (I was able to find it in the archives but not an easy way to link to it. A little too embarrassing anyway, but fun.) I'd forgotten how awesome roller coasters are. Wheeeee!

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were great for a family vacation, and there was plenty for a toddler to do. Everything is quite touristy, but not in a bad way ... especially when you're a tourist! I'm not sure if we'll go back, although Jane is already talking about how she'll be bigger when we do go back and she will want to ride on the Flying Elephants.

Note: Some Amazon affiliate links used.

Swimsuit Mama

This post encouraging mamas to put on their swimsuits and play with their kids has received a lot of attention. I think it's a great message, and I tweeted it too. But I kind of hate that it's even necessary. Of course we should swim with our kids, and I don't think I've ever hesitated.

I am all for moms (and grandmas and dads and grandpas, etc.) having fun with the kids and especially eschewing any negative body image feelings during play time.

But I also have never been thin, so I think putting on a swimsuit isn't some huge effort for me -- no more so than putting on a swimsuit before having Jane might have been. I can't relate to the moms who have memories of strutting their stuff in tiny bikinis. That's just never been me.

I've never been thin, although I was probably a regular sized kid. Compared to my very skinny boy cousins (who are 2 and 4 years younger also) I was gargantuan ... at least until they grew well over six feet (and I probably still weigh more than them). I've also always been bigger than my sister. Anyway, I have a distinct memory of watching myself in a bathing suit as a ~10 year old -- a video my uncle had shot during one of my sister's swim party birthdays. We were watching it together, and I remember cringing ... and feeling that my body was gross or not as cute as the other, littler children. I don't know if anything was actually said when I was onscreen, so this could have been all in my mind and something that I figured out by the media images of "good" bodies, but UGH.

I don't want Jane to feel that way, no matter what her body looks like. I want her to recognize her body as something good and strong. And I want to feel that way about my body too. My body is pretty healthy and is definitely strong. It made a baby who has turned into my favorite girl ever! I have work I can do to strengthen my body and prolong its usefulness. I do that with varying success. And because I can wear a bathing suit without too much effort doesn't mean I don't have body hangups or care deeply about what other people think of me and how I look. But I want to love my body in a way that shows Jane she can love her body too.

And that includes putting on a swimsuit (and sports bra!) without making it into a big thing.

Palm Plant after Trimming

Here's what the palm plant looks like after I trimmed away all but the latest growth. I'm sure professional gardeners could sheer even closer to the trunk. Whatever the case it's a major improvement over the previous look.

The View

We just came home from a week in Tennessee, and here is what our view was from the cabin's back porch. It was lovely, and we had a great time. There are a lot of stories that I want to write. For now I'm just adjusting to getting back and catching up.

Crochet Hats for No Real Purpose

When I made hats last Christmas for many of the toddlers in my life my aunt mentioned that she could probably sell them at her work's craft fair in the fall. After I worked on some crochet blankets in the first of the year I started to work my way through my stash of yarn and have ended up with about 50 toddler- and baby-sized hats (and bought more yarn because I can't seem to stop). There are so many hat ideas, and each one takes me just a few hours to make. The character ones take the longest because of the small pieces and sewing them in place (sometimes having to redo them placement because I'm not happy with my first try).

I'm not sure that I can actually find buyers for any of the hats -- or how I'm going to stop myself from making more. Hrm.

Sports Bra with a Swimsuit

I had never thought of this until I saw a lifeguard at Jane's water exploration class wearing a neon yellow sports bra under her red lifeguard suit. It looked cute, but also was an "Aha!" moment. Bathing suits that fit me never have enough breast support. And I knew if I was going to try the aqua aerobics I would need it!

When I workout in our sun room I double up on sports bras, and I still sometimes have too much bounce for comfort. In the water one sports bra and bathing suit plus the water has proven to be enough for me to be comfortable and not worry about wardrobe malfunctions or nip-slips. The sports bra does smell chlorine-y like a swimsuit, although I'm sure a few washes will cure that (or I can just have water-only bras if I cared about how I smell).

From now on every time I swim or play in the water I'll be sporting a sports bra underneath.

Some Thoughts on Week One of Water Exploration

The night before the start of the water exploration class I was a nervous wreck. Anxious was an understatement. I worried about whether there would be traffic on the way to the water park, if I would miss my alarm and sleep too late, if Jane would eat her breakfast, if we'd have time for everything. I was also VERY worried about how Jane would take to being in the water without me, even though we had discussed it from the day we signed up for the class.

Jane is two and a half, but we're still very much a unit in a lot of ways. She was upset, and even though I had been anxious about it and worried, I somehow hadn't steeled myself for the rush of separation anxiety I got when she had to go. It took about three tries that first day, but we separated when it was time to get life jackets. She DID want to get in the water and have fun, but she didn't want to do it without me.

Every day got a little better, at least in that I didn't cry myself after that first day. Jane didn't toddle off to class of her own accord and was always handed off, panicked look on her face and crying, to one of the extremely patient and kind lifeguard teachers. We are certainly a memorable pair!

It's not clear to me what she's learning, although she has talked about big kicks, and I've been able to see her being pulled around in the water some while she floats on her back. All the parents are made to sit on benches on the other side of a giant water feature so the kids won't be distracted. I hate it and absolutely agree with it at the same time.

At the same time as the water exploration and swim classes (for older kids) there is a water aerobics class that was plugged for the parents. I didn't want to pay $45 for just a few classes, because realistically I can't come any time other than when Jane is exploring the water with the other kids and lifeguards. But after I checked their website and saw you could pay $5 per class I decided to give it a go. It would also let me save time and knock out my workout for the day.

Unfortunately it also gives me a better look at Jane's class, and she's able to see me sometimes and she does get distracted and sometimes even wanders off on the edge of the pool. Scary to me, and not good for her. But oh, she is adorable in her bathing suit and life jacket lined up with the other kids.

I love the aerobics class. It's mostly older ladies, although there is one teenager and a few women my age or so. The water makes the hard work feel easier, although at the end I'm sweaty and red faced, and I definitely get my heart beat up. My favorite challenge is when we have to take turns sprinting into the jet made by the giant water slides (the class is in the pool where they land). It's so difficult and so fun. I also love the mindless class aspect -- someone tells me what to do and I do it. It's a big reason why I like the workout videos I have been doing too. I'm sure I would really love regular aerobics/exercise classes too. Child care is my sticking point though.

So there are pros and cons to the water aerobics, but I intend to do the class three more times next week. Jane has four more sessions, but the last one they said we could get in the water with the kids to see what they have learned, so I'm looking forward to that!

The other really hard thing about this experience has been the wake up time (and getting Jane up before she wakes up naturally). I have to be up by 6:15 to get everything done so we can leave by 7:25 and get to the water park by 7:45 for the 8 am class. I HATE to be late and leave time for traffic too -- so far we have been lucky and we get there by 7:40 and end up sitting on a bench and waiting anyway. I know it's a routine I could get used to -- and will have to when school starts and everyone needs to get places on time -- but I'm glad this is temporary and that tomorrow we get to sleep in (a little at least)!

Palm Plant

Every two years this thing sprouts new leaves. It's amazing to watch how fast they grow -- I say up to six inches in 24 hours! Shawn thinks that is ridiculous. Next time I want to measure -- or at least document with photos. I kept intending to do it but got side tracked and only took this picture when I had my camera out yesterday. I think we should shear the rest of the leaves off entirely -- I saw a plant like this pruned that way at our library. We'll see...