The Little Pink Lady Edition

It is safe to say the life of a biker wife is a lonely one.

We barely saw N this weekend. Although, I'm positive I would've been checking his forehead for a fever if he was home much. To attain the status of cool rider, one must ride.

And ride he did.

On the way to church yesterday, Zoe saw him riding next to us. She was yelling for him and waving. She about jumped out her carseat with excitement when he honked.

I think she's officially our biker baby. Lord help us!

N is officially the coolest guy at church. I saw 3 close accidents in the church parking lot of men stopping to check out his ride. That bike is a testosterone magnet. While N may be the hit of the male population at church, my love of the bike is not shared by many wives.

I saw quite a few eye rolls.

Maybe they're right. It isn't the safest and the call of the bike is strong.

I'm learning, as a biker wife, you have to find some way to encourage your biker to come home. Fortunately I know the key to N's heart.

A grilled steak.

He knows I'll burn the meat to an inch of crisp, so he raced home to BBQ. Zoe kept staring out the window as though he might honk at her again.

I think she's in love!


With her daddy and his bike!

I was hoping she had some sort of pink jacket so she could be his first Pink Lady. It was 98 degrees outside. That would just be plain mean.

Even more so than dragging her to the basketball tourney in a back-pack.

The ‘cause he’s a coo-ooo-ooo-oool rider Edition

Zoe’s new Kelty Kids 2.1 is awesome. Especially if you consider sweat dripping down your back and having crowd rage awesome.

I knew there would be basketball players and fans. I didn’t know how much the heat would zap people’s ability to walk at any speed faster than a one of those cable internet Slowsky turtles.

Then again I had a 24 pound monkey on my back. I may have had a perception problem. That Kelty manual writer knew what he was talking about.

We weaved through 180,000 of our closest friends to see my sister and nephew at their concession booth. To purchase a $2 bottle of water. I hope when my nephew makes it to the NHL he remembers my dedication to his career.

I’m sure I’ll have to remind him a few times. At least weekly until he’s 55 or so.

In my moment of heat exhaustion I agreed to addition of a new family member.

No, I’m not pregnant.

I’m a biker wife.

I have my very own coo-ooo-ooo-oool rider. If you haven’t seen the cinematic masterpiece that is Grease 2, you are missing out.

We’re trying to think of a name of his gang. Since Wild Hogs is taken, I thought perhaps The Road Generals. He prefers Wild Saints. Quite honestly, it sounds a bit like a rebellious priest who takes the convent’s hog out for a spin after mass.

That’s not really what I had envisioned for N. I’m not sure what that makes me.

Although, my helmet does have a sweet pink rose on it. I’m not sure a priest would be driving around with a rose wearing woman!

I’ve been around the block twice. My hands are almost unclasped. Thankfully I’m having Zoe type this for me. She’s a whiz. She works for cheap.

We’re hoping we’ll see N sometime within the next week or so. Apparently the call of the pavement is strong.

The Friday Five Faves Edition - Vol. 1

This blogging world is so fun. It's like a social mixer that I've been missing out on for at least the last year. I have to give a proper shout out to my dear friend Jamie. She started me on this trend and I'm happy to report I'm riding that blogging train like Cole Trickle road that track.


Pretty soon everyone will be posting comments like "let me out of the car Cole, let me out of the car."

They won't be able to handle this kind of action.

Onto the topic at hand. I met Dena, a fellow blogger and more importantly fellow scraper. Not the boxing kind, the paper and picture kind. She's fabulous. If you haven't checked out her blog, you need to!

Every Friday she posts a Five Faves list of the week. She asked that I post one too. Well if you can call being called "young lady" asking. It was more of a challenge really. Since I don't back down from a challenge (which I learned from Cole Trickle), here is my Five Faves.

Five Fave Blogs that I read religiously:

1) Dena Coe - she is a talented scrapbooker and talked me off a scrapbooking cliff recently. Plus she gives previews of products and papers. If you're a scrapbooker you know you can never have enough paper! Dena is an inspiration to scrapbookers. You will want to go home and whip out your pictures and supplies after seeing her creations.

2) Angie Smith - she is the wife of Todd Smith, member of Selah. Her blog is dedicated to her daughter Audrey Caroline, who is awaiting her and Todd (and her sisters) in Heaven. Angie is a very talented writer and I promise you will be moved by her posts. I must warn, bring Kleenex.

3) Big Mama - she lives in Texas with her husband and daughter. She is a child of the 80's (a woman after my own heart) and an Aggie. You will love her wit and insight. Plus she's got her hand on the pulse of women's fashion. That's a friend everyone should have.



4) Jody Ferlaak - She is mother of 5 (one in Heaven waiting and one on the way). God has taken her family on a journey no one could've imagined. She writes with hope, wit and honesty (her blog is titled Nitty.Gritty.)



5) April James Art - April James is an artist out of Nashville. I've seen several pieces of her art. I will own one piece after this weekend! To say I'm excited would be an understatement. If I were to describe her as talented, I wouldn't be doing her justice. She has a God-given gift. What's even better, she uses it to glorify God.

I know I'll have more blogs to mention after I spend more time in the blogging world, but this is a good start to the list.

The C is for Cookie Edition

Yesterday was an eventful day. Not only was Zoe up most of the previous night, but that developed into severe Intwopendence attitude throughout the day.

Fortunately for me, I bought a child carrier backpack. Zoe and I are headed down to the nation's largest three-on-three basketball tourney this weekend. In our city, you ask? Why yes. Apparently we're the only city in the nation that can close all routes through downtown and life will function as normal.

In high school I never missed this tournament. It was my feable attempt to impress boys with my love and knowledge of basketball. Obviously since I married a band member, my charms cannot be rivaled.

Now the whole experience serves as an opportunity to people watch and support my nephew's hockey team. Hockey at a three-on-three hoops tourney? Why yes. His hockey team is sponsoring a concession stand. He knows the key to my heart. Fried foods.

Because there are like 2 billion people crammed into 40 city blocks, I thought it best to avoid any stroller action. Nothing worse than running over some 7 foot, 300 pound basketball player's pinky finger, which provides the magic touch for his three-pointers. I don't know if I'll be able to keep him from experiencing Zoe's riot act.

I have to protect the players. It's my civic duty.

I'm very excited about my new pack. May I present the Kelty Kids 2.1 in Green Apple.

I spent a good portion of the evening attempting to coordinate all the moving parts for a safe, comfortable ride. I read the entire 4 pages of the directions. Learning that carrying a child like this might affect my coordination and width perception.

Fortunately for the writers of the Kelty, I've always had a width perception problem.

Or maybe just a width problem.

Since Zoe loved riding in her Bjorn when she was an infant, I knew she would love riding in a backpack. I was right. She cried, screamed and pulled my hair the entire 35 hours she was in it.

Okay 3 minutes, but I swear it felt more like 35 hours.

Finally, after hiding the pack and distracting her with cookies, she calmed down. We read her book Nighty Night which suprisingly talks about sleep. Cookie Monster is her favorite. He sleeps with 7 cookies. Which I think reminds her of me. Except I'm not blue.

We were headed to bed, she kissed grandma and was all smiles. My mom asked us to turn around and Zoe was holding a cookie.

I'm glad she's learning right.

Maybe next week we'll try one for each hand.

And pack a whole bag of them in the Kelty Kids. I'm going to need something to stop my screaming. From all the hair pulling.

Or a peace offering to the 7 foot guy whose finger I step on from the coordination issue.

The Slight Cheerio...Chip...Puff Addiction Edition

Zoe, my mom and I went shopping last night. Some things like climbing are still somewhat hard for Zoe. She loves the slide in the nursery at church. We thought we'd get her a slide for home so she could practice. Every sane mother wants to teach their child to climb. We all look forward to a day where she'll be on top of the dining room table cleaning the chandelier.

While wondering the aisles at Fred Meyer, we realized we needed some milk and cotton PJ's for Zoe. About 5 minutes after that we realized it was Zoe's dinner time. She was practically hurling herself into the cart to find food. If you've met Zoe you know nothing comes between her and dinner. Or any meal for that matter.

Not even a cool slide that will eventually lead to many heart attacks to her mother.

Fortunately my days as a CampFire girl paid off. I am always prepared. I know that's the Girl Scouts and they do have some good cookies. Let's be honest, a frozen CampFire mint during a PMS attack is pure heaven. Pure. Heaven.

I gave her a bowl of her chips and puffs. If you don't have a toddler with a food addiction, these are made by Gerber and resemble adult food. However 30 seconds in your mouth and they're mush.

Zoe LOVES them. They're the second thing she kisses in the morning after Lamby. Okay, maybe the third after me. On a good day.

We devoured the chips in time for us to learn they're sold out of slides. They apparently don't sell the display item. They also don't know when they'll get more. I love sales help.

We pay for our food items and head to the car. Zoe is twisting around to see if there is any food in that cart for her. She'll try to eat the PJ's, but they're just not as filling.

Once in the carseat she finds her potato masher. Because we have highly expensive, educational toys. She also finds a bowl to mash in. Watch out Rachael Ray. Watch out.

For the 10 minute ride home I hear her whining. She would call out "mommy" and tip the bowl back. I could hear her hands scraping the bottom of the bowl. I recently told her the story of Jesus feeding thousands with a few fish and couple loaves of bread. I have no doubt she was trying to recreate that story in the backseat.

Fortunately we got home to chicken and vegetables that she ate like I haven't fed her in days. I also didn't get read any riot acts.

Until it was time to brush her teeth. Welcome to the age of intwopendence. Leave your sanity at the door.

The Riot Act Edition

You know when you have friends who are parents that warn you about certain things? If you haven't given birth, your friends feel the need to share with you how much of a painful, yet joyful experience it was. You cross your legs because you can't get your brain past the pain part of the story.

If you have friends with children older than yours and they tell you about the perils of teething, potty training or sleep deprivation. Like it's their job to inform you.

This is my part of that vicious cycle. As Elton John once sang, it's the circle of life.

I've never liked the term terrible 2's. Although I use it, I don't like it. To me it implies there is something terrible about my child. As a mother and as a woman, I cannot even being to endorse that. What it should be called is the Age of Intwopendence. Yes, I said intwopendence. Which is extremely witty.

Zoe is already displaying it. On Sunday N walked ahead of us to take her stroller into the house. Not to mention nature was calling. Too much information? I speak only truth.

Apparently that type of urge is unacceptable to a 16 month old. For the entire length of the yard, she pointed her finger and told her daddy just how she felt. I have no idea what she said, but I knew I didn't want to be on the receiving end of that gibberish tongue-lashing.

Then it happened.

Last night she was playing in her crib. This is a favorite activity. She runs circles in her crib, plays with her stuffed animals and sings along to her mobile. It's endearing. Plus it keeps her in one spot while I take a break from chasing her around. She hasn't caught on yet!

Grandma took her stuffed lamb and puppy and put it between the crib and the wall. See, not only is this a time of running laps, but also slight, stuffed animal cruetly. Don't tell PETA, Stuffed Animal Division.

Zoe thought I took them. I began to realize how it felt to be on the receiving end of her anger. She would bend at the waist, her hands in fists, reading me the riot act. All the while Lamby and Puppy (we're very creative with names) were smiling down on her from their vice-like prison.

I can only imagine what these tyraids will be like when she has real words. It could be like Mommy Dearest but in reverse. I promise I'll stop using those wire hangers now.

On a side note, I'm a little miffed myself. At my high school career counselor. Miss Janny. She did not clearly demostrate the "summers off" benefit people in the teaching industry enjoy. If she had, I may have given that career path some serious consideration. Instead I sit in a windowless office studying for a designation. I'm in adult summer school.

The Sunshine and Prayer Edition

Having spent time with children, it seems they are usually in a hurry to grow up. It's ironic that as an adult you sometimes crave the life you had as a child. Watching Zoe grow, everyday and experience is exciting. Everyday brings something new into her world. Her needs, emotional, physical and spiritual, are all met. Her life decisions are all made for her. I'm so grateful that N and I can provide that life for her.

As an adult, we have to make the decisions. I know God has a perfect plan for us, but it's not as clearly defined as it was when I was a child. On Friday we got a call regarding the house. A gentleman would like to take responsibility of the house, use a property management firm to find a rent-to-own tenant and we would either have no or smaller payments each month. There are many things I must check on regarding the pros and cons of this type of arrangement, but the biggest one we struggle with is if this is of God. N and I spent much time in prayer over this new development this weekend. Additionally, I know many of you who read this blog have been praying for us too. Thanks doesn't even begin to describe our gratitude.

Your prayers are working!

I was in the car this morning listening to Air1, our new, Christian radio station. James Dobson gave a few second message about deciphering God's plan. How appropriate! He suggested reading the Bible and making a list of all of God's qualities that you can find. Then match up the situation you're evaluating to that list. If they don't match, it's probably not from God. It sounds so simple, yet I wouldn't of thought of it.

To clear our heads this weekend, we decided to go for some walks. There is something in the time we spend outside as a family that helps both N and I. Zoe loves the time outside and the breeze in her hair. Here is the chronology of a walk with us, from Zoe's perspective:

1) You first have to pack some snacks. You can't enjoy the show of God's nature without appropriate nurishment.

2) You need good UV protection. These don't match my outfit, so I don't wear them very long.

3) As soon as you start out on the open road, you can start snacking. When my mom and dad look at me, they usually see me doing this. I typically only take my hand out when I see something I must point out.

4) Today I saw a flag, the mailbox that Danni ran into, a discarded toy that I really wanted to play with that mommy said was "yucky", a squirrel and lots of sunshine.

5) Typically, during the walk when there isn't much to look at and I'm not eating, my other favorite thing to do is play with my shoes. I'm not walking, so I don't know why I need my shoes anyway. I try very hard to take them off. Mommy ran over one the other day.

6) There is one mailbox I look forward to the most. This is usually the time Mommy checks that my shoes aren't undone. It's also the mailbox that I get to walk home from. It's the most exciting part of the whole trip. Aren't we cute?

7) Then I walk up the grass, to the deck and check on my flowers that are growing almost as fast as I am. Thanks, in part, to my walking snacks that I devour.

8) Once inside, I chill with my daddy. I learned this weekend to give him zerberts on his back. I'm quite good.

The Jeremiah Edition

Yesterday I was led to start reading the book of Jeremiah. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11, so I thought why not read what led up to that verse.

I have a fancy, archaeological Bible. It gives historical insight into the culture, the time period and customs. This Bible totally fits my History Channel personality.

What I learned about Jeremiah surprised me a little. He was reclusive and shy. Not exactly what you would expect from a prophet. It struck me that God would choose Him, yet He always has a plan. The Jews were going to be punished because they turned their back on God. Jeremiah was the messanger. God told Jeremiah to not pray for the Jews, that his prayers would go unanswered. While Jeremiah delivered the terrible news to the Jews that God was angry at them and there would be consequences, he prayed for them still.

He prayed knowing that he couldn't and wouldn't change God's mind. Yet he loved the Jews. He loved them enough to lift them up to God, despite their actions. I think this is why God chose Jeremiah.

Often times when I come across something that hits me like that, I get into the car to drive to work and the perfect song fits that message. I don't believe in coincidences, so I know God is speaking to me. This morning the first song I heard was Brandon Heath's Give Me Your Eyes.

Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight

Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos

Chorus
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work, He’s buying time

Chorus

I’ve been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
I need a second glance
Give me a second chance
To see the way you’ve seen the people all along

Chorus

What an awesome prayer, like Jeremiah. To see people, all people, as God does. We are made in His image.

The Special Crown Edition

We celebrated two people this weekend. The first was E. We had a birthday party for her with her friends. We rented out a gymnastics school and the kids got an hour of gymnastics lessons. This meant time on the balance beam, the pommel horse, tumble track (a 25 foot long trampoline), on a zip line and on a real trampoline. The kids had a blast. So did the parents! Those trampolines are such a workout.

My mom found a tiara for E that said "Birthday Princess." E loves tiaras. In her 1st grade picture this year, she is wearing one! She snuck it out of the house and put it on right before it was picture time at school. No one knew about it until we got the pictures back.

As soon as we were on the way home, E thanked N for "making her feel so special." That is the joy of being a parent. The ability to impact your child's sense of self-worth. To know that they, for even just one moment, see themselves through your eyes.

E is a sensitive, sweet girl. We are very blessed to have her as one of our princesses.

We also got to celebrate N. I fall more in love with him daily. This weekend was no exception. To watch him play and interact with our girls is such a joy. God placed the treasure of him in my life. I am eternally grateful. I would not have gotten through the last year and a half without him by my side. He is my support, my encouragement, my prayer partner, my best friend and my love. Thank you for being my husband and such a wonderful father to our children. We are all blessed because you are in our lives.

Because each special person needs a crown on their special day, the girls got creative. Thanks for being such a good sport!

The String of Moments Edition

Normally I only post on topics that would classify as goings-on updates. Lately I’ve felt led to go a little deeper. Please indulge me for a brief moment.

Sometimes I struggle with where God has me. If I should’ve learned anything this past year and a half it is that God works in the minutia. His plan for me is a string of moments, not one grand gesture. As I watch Zoe grow, I fall more in love with her each day. I realize how blessed I am with the privilege of being her mommy.

I know you’re wondering where the struggle is. As an only child, I had always dreamed that I would have more than one child. I wanted my children to know siblings because I never did. Then I was told I would have a hard time getting pregnant; that my chances of miscarriage were great because of a hormone condition. In my early 20s I prepared for a life without children.

When I married N we decided to try almost immediately. Yet I was unconvinced that it would happen. I called fertility clinics to see what the guidelines were and the chances of someone with my condition would have to conceive. I was always told that we had to try for at least a year before we could come to them. So I prepared myself for a long road.

God had a different plan for me. It was surprisingly easy to get pregnant. All those high school health class teachers really did know what they were talking about! I loved being pregnant. I loved the nausea. I loved the weight gain and leg cramps. I loved every trip to the bathroom. I loved feeling Zoe move. It meant I was going to be a mother. Her mother. It meant for a short 9 months I could provide for her every need. I knew her.

I prayed daily for her. I prayed daily for me to be the mommy God wanted me to be. Then I learned what it was like to praise God in that storm. He carried us. He gave us both life that day.

I realize I’m still in a storm. I will never again experience the nausea, the weight gain, the leg cramps, the multiple trips to the bathroom or the flutter of an unborn child. God’s plan for me doesn’t include more children.

Please don’t read this wrong. Zoe is perfect. She is everything I prayed for and then some. I wouldn’t trade a moment of my time with her for anything. I'm having to learn to let go of my dreams, my desires and let God take control. Do I understand why this is His plan for me? No. Do I trust that He has a reason? Yes.

I heard a pastor ask, “do we interpret God through our circumstances or do we believe that He is who He says He is?” I pray God helps me understand who He is more each day. I pray He helps me let go of my desires, my dreams. I pray He helps me give Him the helm and to enjoy the ride. Each moment in my string of moments that He has already planned for me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

I Peter 1:8 - Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.

The What Every Girl Needs Edition

Zoe
She is learning to open and close doors now. She can't reach any handles yet, but if the door is slighly ajar, expect a visitor.

One door she doesn't open or close is the fridge. If that fridge door is open, nothing is safe. However, she does have a drug of choice. Chocolate sauce! I thought I would include a couple picture of her almost nightly routine of "hitting the sauce." Apparenly no girl is too young to need a little chocolate fix once and awhile.

K
Us older girls also need our fixes too. While chocolate is sometimes in order, good friends tops the list. Last night I had the awesome opportunity to get together with two of my dearest friends. I've known these girls since we were 5. Amber, Morgana and I met at Twigs for drinks and some conversation. At the top of the list was wedding planning. Amber is getting married! Of course Morgana and I are all about helping her out in anyway we can.

Finally, after almost 2 weeks of being engaged, she asked us to be in her wedding. Our responses:

Morgana: Is it bad that I was already planning your bridal shower?

Me: Is it bad that I was already practicing my speech for your reception?

This is how you know we've been friends for so long!

After drinks it was off to a showing of the Sex and the City movie. I've missed those girls too!

Thanks Amber and Morgana for a really fabulous time...and keeping me out WAY past my bedtime like an adult!

Special Edition: The Need A Laugh Edition

I received this video from my dear friend Amber awhile ago. I just watched it today. I'm still wiping away tears. This video is about pranking in a women's restroom and it's absolutely hilarious.

The Old Self Edition

The Entertainment Section
Saturday we had a couple parties to attend. My cousin graduated high school, so we had attended her graduation party. Zoe actually got to spend a little time up close with some puppies. They're full-grown dogs, but everything is a puppy to Zoe. After about 15 minutes of being unsure, she petted one. Then it was a full-on scream of excitement every time she saw one after that. My uncle and aunt had three puppies at their house, so it was an hour of screaming.

My best friend Amber also turned 30 this weekend. We stopped by Amber's parent's house for a party. It was really a duel party as she got engaged to Chris last weekend. I am excited to see what God has in store for her. I know it'll be great things. She has two neices that are around Zoe's age. It was fun to see how they all interacted. Ry is 3 and loved to follow Zoe around. She was her little helper. Tavi is a little over a year and couldn't quite figure out how Zoe was walking around without holding on to stuff. Likewise, Zoe was totally clueless how she could get herself up the stairs. Instead of attempting to try any longer, Zoe picked up Amber's new picnic blanket and wore it as her newest accessory. It was a fun afternoon and I came home one, proud mamma. Whatta blessing Zoe is.

The Arts & Crafts Section
Now that Zoe is older, I have an even harder time scrapbooking. I have a box of pictures waiting to be put into an album. What we've learned about Zoe is that she's a crafter and quilter in training. My mom was working on some quilts for church and laid them on the floor. Zoe loved them. She stood on them and twirled.

In order to allow me some time to scrapbook, Zoe must also have a project. She is great at sorting paper. She will spend a good 20 minutes taking the paper out of her drawer and ripping it. I can actually get some cards done in that time!

The Beautiful Mamma Section
I also thought I would share a picture of my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. They are expecting a son around Labor Day. Oh the irony! My sister is absolutely beautiful. Micah Christopher is growing to be a healthy, active boy! We can't wait to meet him. In the meantime, I thought I would share a picture of his crazy parents. Whatta lucky boy he is!

The 7 Year Old Mind Section
We are preparing for E's birthday party this weekend. She got to invite 4 friends to her party. I got a call last weekend that one little boy from her class will be coming. My nephews will be coming. N asked E who else she invited to her party. She couldn't remember. I hope they RSVP before Saturday or we'll either only have a couple children or I won't know who they are! Should be a fun time!

The 5 Things Edition

Zoe keeps N and I on our toes all of the time. What do you expect from a kid that decided to come 10 weeks early?!? These last few weeks have seemed more packed with her personality. Good and bad. She's starting to showcase her independence more. Sometimes it's hard to discipline because you're trying not to laugh. Here are the Top 5 Zoe moments from this week:

#5 - They say children imitate what they see. Apparently, when I talk about a list of things, I point to the fingers on my other hand as I go through the list. Now anytime Zoe has multiple things to say, she does the same thing. You know it's going to be a story when she starts pointing to her hand.

#4 - She grabbed an empty milk jug, attempted to take the lid off and then tipped it back. She now carries it around for a small portion of the day.

#3 - She loves crackers. Apparently Chicken in a Biscuit crackers are not for eating, but for putting down the heat register.

#2 - As I was on boogie patrol yesterday, I took a Q-tip and attempted to clean out her nose. While I was doing that, she decided to stick her finger in my nostril. What goes around comes around!

#1 - The one you've all been waiting for...She was playing and got into a position that was hard to get out of. Instead of calling for help, she decided to say "oh s***." Yep, a potty mouth before potty training. I'm hoping it was a misunderstanding. One can only pray!

The Rota Is Back Edition

The Nuclear Waste Section
There are many things parents do that fall into the category of disgusting. Boogie patrol goes into that catgory, as do many other things typically associated with bodily functions. It gets exacerbated when the child is sick. As you know, Zoe is suffering from bi-lateral ear infections and three, new teeth. Fortunately Zoe is a saint when she's sick. She's not whiny, just cuddly and likes to relax.

We knew her head hurt, but what we quickly realized this weekend is her tummy hurt too. We're experiencing our second round of rotavirus. This is the flu on steriods. Zoe can clear a room with the smell. N adequately describes it as "1,000 rotting, dead pigs." While I don't personally know that smell, I have to think we're close. Yesterday was our first day without the northern nuclear plant producing anything. Now if we could get the southern plant to slow down production, we're golden. You see rotavirus likes to get the southern plant production started when Zoe is sleeping. She'll be all comfortable and cooing. After 3.5 hours of sleep, you open the door to nuclear fallout. I won't go any farther except to say that daddy earned his diaper changing stripes this weekend! I just got the dry heaves.

The Independent Section
Despite feeling like poo, literally, Zoe is still growing to be such a wonderful girl. Not to mention, independent. For the first time this weekend, Zoe fed herself with a fork. Usually once the food is on the prongs, she will pull it off with her other hand and feed herself. Yesterday, she used the fork correctly. She was so proud of herself.

After the bananas, she just couldn't hold her own food. She enlisted daddy to help with her Hawaiian Sweet roll.

The Spokompton Section
For several weeks I've been wanting to post about this, but haven't had the picture to accompany. On my way home, there is a trailer that was for sale last summer. A sweet, older woman lived in this trailer, but it was obvious she couldn't care for it and needed to sell. I was shocked that is sold so quickly since it is an aluminum trailer. Within weeks it was clear why these people bought this house. The yard. They had ideas for the yard. Ideas that aren't quite mainstream. Most people put in gnomes, flamingoes or those tacky cardboard cut-outs of some older woman bending over in the flower bed. While I'm not found of any of those things, I would gladly welcome them.

These people prefer aliens, spaceships and huge, nautical anchors surrounding their swimming area. I realize this picture does not do the yard justice, but I had to share.