Little Kite Girl

By the way, I wanted to offcially announce that John graduated and has finished his BA in English. We’ve both still got a long way to go with school and our goals, but this is a significant achievement, one that has taken him many years and much wandering to accomplish. In some ways, the undergrad is the hardest part. Definitely tests your patience, that’s for sure.  When you take time to do some other things during your college years, which John and I BOTH did, the general ed requirements can feel like death.  Little advice, freshman, DON’T PUT THEM OFF.  I thought my death certificate was going to read “Cause of death, Online science course.”  But I digress. I’m excited for you John. And as anticlimactic as things sometimes feel, this is big. And important. And something to be very, very proud of. I love you.

I hope my laptop sits next to yours forever.

Last night I pulled out one of my memory boxes from Scranton.  I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard looking through it before.  First of all, what the CRAP was I doing with pictures of Alan Greenspan?  Was he ever that cool?   Probably not.  Second of all, I thought I threw some of those pictures away.  For shiz.  There is one in particular that I used to hate because I thought I looked “fat.”  If I could I’d go back and kick myself in the head.  I was not fat.  Nope.  Not even a little.  20 years old and the crew team was better to me than I realized at the time.  Cut to me getting John moving the eliptical trainer into the house for general use.  Yup.  Gotta get to that soon.  And thanks, Sara, for loaning me that outfit so that my post pregnancy self could look back and become depressed.  Tis ok.  I can get back there, right?  Maybe not 20…but 23?  That was a pretty good year, too.  Of course it found me in London, living on chicken and rice and whatever anyone would feed me…walking for 8 hours a day.  Yeah.  Have you heard about my beautiful baby boy?

A few years, marriage and a baby can give you a lot of perspective on your college self.  Probably not as much as I’ll have 10 years from now, but it was definitely interesting.  I was especially amused by letters I had kept from various guys I dated.  One collection I threw away entirely.  Another one I kept because it was so pathetic (poem included) that I just couldn’t get rid of it.  I think my life has always been a bit busier that I thought at the time, more people and drama going on than I realized.  Makes me wonder what I’ll think looking back at now.  I’m just glad I found John and that we have our Camper, and although being married and having a baby comes with a lot of “grown up responsibilities,” it also comes with a lot of peace and feelings of establishment and support and joy.  I’m pretty happy with where I’ve ended up so far, and am looking forward to all the good stuff coming up.  Especially that elliptical….

January 2008 Ode to my ridiculousness.

February 2008 Imagine a time when I was mad that my stomach was flat.

March 2008 If only it hadn’t hit my butt eventually.

April 2008 John! This was it!  The thing you said you’d only do for me 3 times in life, so I had to use them sparingly!  Sigh.  That was driving me crazy.  The STINKEYE.  (For anyone who is curious, I used up all three in the month of April.  And I’ll never see it again. And he still makes me choose the movies.)

May 2008 Ah the snoogle.

June 2008 Back where I started from.

July 2008 Typical of life back then.

August 2008 Oh the belly.

September 2008 The birth of my Camper.

October 2008 Mommy Life

November 2008 Mommy Life…Again

December 2008 The newest reason I love Christmas.

New Years resolution for last year:

“I have made some resolutions this year. First, I want to learn to drive stick. I know. I’m lame. I’m the only person in my family that can’t. I think that even includes all of my family-in-law, too! Technically- I guess I can…but I just get all scared and freaked out and can’t do it anymore. So, I want to get over that. I also want to learn more about web design, and really make this page what I want it to be. Third, I want to take more time to read for PLEASURE (ta da! No more required philosophy readings!) and review books online. Fourth, I want to learn to cook more things. I think I’ve already come a long way in that department- but I’ve got a lot to learn. Fifth, next year this time I’d like to feel good about my weight and health. Notice that I didn’t specify how much I would weigh or what kinds of things I’ll eat. I just want to NOT think, “Ah, this has got to change.” Finally- I want to keep in touch with my friends better. They’re scattered everywhere, and I miss them! I have to find a way to talk to them more often.”

So, how did I do?  Well.  I can cook more things.  Hurrah for me.  I did read a lot more too, which is fabulous.  And I have gotten better about calling my girls and even catching up with family.  So that’s good!  As for the driving stick thing…yeah, we lost the car that I would have learned on in a tragic accident.  (I can’t find a link to a post about it, I think it happened last Feburary??)…and as for the healthy…well, I got pregnant AND sick, and don’t feel all that great about my exercise routines.  So another bust.  As for this site- I am closer, but still so far away.  So you know what?  I am pulling a New Years ditto (with a few exceptions and additions).  Give it another go.  So, for the record, my “goals” this year are:

Be healthy and feel healthy.

Cook good food! Learn new things!

Keep in touch with friends, more visits.

Work on this site more.

Be a good Mommy and Wife.

Start a grad school program that I LIKE.

I think that maybe be all for now…but I can change it ’til the end of the day!

Happy New Year all.

Bottle Warming: From MUCH experience, we finally discovered that the best thing for bottle warming on the go is actually a thermos full of boiling water (obtained from obliging coffee machines) added to a cool bottle to warm it up just a bit.  When it’s new, 2 oz. hot to 3 oz. cold seemed to yield the perfect temp.  At home, we got this handy little electric kettle.  I remembered my England days and how everyone had one and used it for everything.  Nighttime bottles are quick, just about 1 minute to boiling, and then add to cool water and WA LA.

Teething Toys: Yay for the soothie teether!  He loves it!

Swaddles:  I am sad to say that Camper has started to Houdini out of his miracle blanket, but it has been the best swaddle, by FAR.  Many precious nights of sleep gained from this nice little device.

Cozy Carseat:  The OH SO HANDY Bundle Me.  I gotta tell you, not having to wrestle Camper into a baby coat contraption in a car before a pit stop in Kansas with temps below freezing and crazy winds was nice.  Very very nice.

That’s all for now…just wanted to share the things we love!

The new contents of my “purse.”

My brother just locked me in the basement laundry room and made me cry.

John said, “Why didn’t you just turn the light back on?”
Me: I couldn’t find it.
John: How long were you in there?
Me: Just a second. I started to cry and he opened the door.
John: Do you want me to go down there and take that latch thing off so he can’t do it again?
Me: No. It’ll be ok…..I have to change the laundry in an hour.
John: I’ll go with you.
Me: Thanks.

I think gingham should just go away. For ever.

Anonymous 1: Yeah, I always ask him to tell me when I get that hair on my chin.
Anonymous 2: I have to say…there’s no good way to tell her that.
Anonymous 1: What if it were something ridiculous, like, “The zebra’s out of the pen!”?
Anonymous 2: Or, “The chickens are loose on the Arizona highway!”
Anonymous 1: What!? No! There’s only one Zebra!

My baby is sleeping peacefully in his crib after getting cuddled to sleep by Grammy Lee and then by Daddy.  My husband is busy baking chocolate chip peppermint cookies.  We have our own bedding and towels unpacked and pictures on the walls and almost all of the boxes of stuff are unpacked.  We still have a ton of stuff in the “lair” to unpack, but that will come.  Tomorrow I get to take Camper to visit a friend and then continue unpacking.  Fingers still crossed for a phone call from one of the million of applications John has filled out for a job.  But we are here.  We are here.

Friday- Left Provo, accompanied by The All American Rejects “Gives You Hell.”  Camper slept all day, was up during the evening, slept all night in a beautiful hotel (in bed with Mommy and Daddy) with a morning breakfast buffet consisting of many wonderful sausages and yummy eggs.  And good juice.  And lots of skiers.  Sleeping place: Veil, CO.  Said goodbye to the beautiful western mountains.

Saturday- Left CO, drove over scariest mountain summit of life so far.  Super serious weather demanding super skilled winter driving and use of the Subaru’s Sport Shifting.  All drivers and passengers handled it like champs.   Long day of driving, much catching up with my Auntie.  Camper slept all morning, was awake all evening, and then slept all night in a so-so hotel in bed with Mommy.  No king beds available, so we split up.   Breakfast was disappointing. Sleeping place: Salina, KS.

Sunday- Coldest day of the whole trip.  Temperatures so low it hurt to pump gas, lots of wind through KS.  I recall a nice lunch in a Subway…unless that was Monday. Still no snow!  More bonding with my Auntie (taking turns driving while John and Jon were in the moving truck), Camper slept all morning, was awake in the evening, and slept all night in a rather interesting hotel that seemed pretty fancy, was super-affordable…and turned out to be a windy death trap with door 4 frozen shut.  More on THAT later.  Sleeping place: Terra Haute, IN.

Monday- Decided to GO FOR IT.  Had a really good meal at a Cracker Barrel and then just DROVE.  No hotel that night! More quality time with my Auntie ending in hilarity as everyone in both cars quickly got uber tired.  Went through good old Scranton, although it was too late to stop and visit.  Arrived home around 5am after missing our exit and going through Connecticut by accident.  Everyone did the bare minimum upacking the cars to allow ourselves to fall into bed and sleep for a couple of hours.  Sleeping place: HOME.

Tuesday- Slept, ran errands, sat around like zombies.

Wednesday- Unloaded truck and returned it.  Worked on unpacking.

Today- CHRISTMAS! Wonderful day in which Camper got more presents than anyone else, and we all loved it.  Worked on unpacking a bit more, but mostly just rested and visited.  Oh yeah.  And napped.  Napping was good.

So those were the bare bones of our trip.  I’m sure I’ll update more on the way it was easiest to travel with Camper…keeping a 7 to 7 schedule and hitting a hotel before his bedtime, or the things Auntie and I got to talk about and how amazing it was to get time away from the world with her and just spend time together, or about how hysterical things got in Wilkes Barre with my brother saying he was going to call the cops on my Aunt who was loitering outside a gas station or how fun it was to talk over walkie talkies the whole trip….but I’m tired.  John is tired.  There is still so much to do, we’re just glad to be here and settling into our newest phase of life.  I’ve been forgetting to check my cell phone and taking naps with Bubby whenever he falls asleep and eating lots of good food.  Tomorrow it’ll be back to real life, cleaning and organzing and more job applications for both me and John, I’m sure.  But for now we’re just chillin’, enjoying the holidy.

Merry Christmas everyone, hope it was a good one!

Auntie, if you remember anything I need to write about, just leave it in the comments, I’ll work on the long post/recap later.  With pictures!