Vacation: Day 2 - Frank the Concubine

First of all I have a confession to make. (And this has nothing to do with the "concubine" title of my post.) I like Litchfield Beach even better than I like Cape Cod. And for those of you who know about my past love with the Cape, this will come as a huge surprise. There are a few reasons...
1. I can see the ocean from our balcony!
2. We can walk with Little Man to both the pool and beach. This lets us go down for an hour a couple times a day instead of trying to pack up for a few hours at the beach and the 10 to 30 minute drive, depending on which beach we want to go to. When I was single, this wasn't such a big deal. I could easily sit on the beach with a good book for hours at a time.... With a little one, that doesn't really work.
3. The beach is private, so there aren't a lot of people to climb over.
4. The sand is different and the water is warmer. I rarely actually get into the water on the Cape. It's too darn cold and there's a lot of seaweed and stuff. Down here, the water seems much more clear and the sand is finer. We spent an hour in the ocean yesterday morning and another hour playing in the sand last night. It was a lot of fun for all of us. (I have to say that this would be more difficult if there wasn't a washer and dryer in our condo. We do end up covered in sand from head to toe.)
I'm sure there are more reasons, but I'll stop there for now.

As for Frank... we were watching Cars last night and were at the tractor tipping part. Wil's friend, Jonas, had never seen the movie and was getting a kick out of it, when Frank, the COMBINE made his appearance. Jonas laughed at out and said "Frank's a CONCUBINE", completely oblivious to his mistake. I almost wet my pants.

Vacation: Day 1 - Road Trips and Waffle House

We finally made it out of Calvert County. We left after sacrament meeting on Sunday and started our drive to South Carolina. It was fabulously uneventful...no screaming or car sickness. Our only small drama was the dysfunctional "Cars" DVD. We ended up watching "Hardhat Harry" for far too long. It's a DVD called All About Trucks, with 2 half hour segments. One about tractor trailers and the other is Monster Trucks. Little Man loved it. I found it a bit mind-numbing. (I was one of those parents who swore they wouldn't let their kids watch TV in the car, until we started talking about an 8-hour road trip with the Little Man. We didn't let him watch movies for 8 hours straight, we did turn it off between movies. It made the trip a lot easier. I will be taking it out of the car when we get home though. I really don't want him to get used to the idea that getting in the car means you get to watch TV.)

I started this post thinking of my dad and road trips we have taken. At some point we insisted on the "Waffle House Rule", which is that there will only be one stop per day at a Waffle House. When we were trying to find someplace to stop for dinner Sunday night, there was the Waffle House sign. Since Little Man loves eggs, we figured it was a safe place to stop if we wanted him to actually eat something. Of course we had to chronicle his first trip to Waffle House for Grandpa.
It was a bit difficult to get his attention though, because we were next to a busy road and he was mesmerized by the cars and trucks driving by.

Discoveries

First of all, I have to tell you that the Grant is DONE. Submitted and off of my desk!!! Hallelujah.

Now back to Little Man's latest discoveries. It feels like all of a sudden his ability to comprehend and climb onto/into things has exploded this week. Every time I turn around he's discovered something new.

1. Opening the linen closet door.
2. The Disney movie "Cars" (4 times in 5 days)
3. Climbing onto the toilet, laying his belly across the bathroom counter, getting his toothbrush, turning on the water, putting his head under the faucet to drink the water and "brushing" his teeth.
4. Spiting. While driving in the car yesterday he figured out how to get a mouth full of "juice" (thank goodness this juice was only water) and projectile spit it all over himself and the car seat. This discovery could come from the above brushing activities. Since the only time I let him in the bathroom now is when I'm brushing my teeth and can keep a close eye on his climbing.
5. Coloring. Up until the past week or so his attention span for coloring has been limited to maybe 5 minutes. It is now one of his favorite things to play. If he's sitting on my lap at the desk, he'll ask for a pen and paper and spend 20-30 minutes drawing... or asking me to write "e" all over the paper. It's been nice to be able to put him in the highchair with paper and crayons and be able to post a blog or answer an email. I LOVE IT!
6. The Mouse in "Goodnight Moon"
7. Climbing from the bed to Wil's nightstand and jumping back onto the bed.

What day is it?

You know how, when you are planning for a trip, the weeks before end up being PSYCHO crazy? Well, that's me right now. I keep thinking that if I can just make it to Sunday, I won't really care if everything is properly cleaned and packed because I'll be on my way to the beach. A week without deadlines, hectic schedules or overextending myself. A week with a view of the ocean and real waves to lull Little Man to sleep at night. And if I'm really dreaming, it will be a week of sleeping in, reading on the beach and Little Man on his BEST behavior!

As for now, I've got my fingers crossed that I can actually accomplish everything on my to-do list.

I Heart Mod Podge

**Pictures have been added. Scroll down to see them.
***AHP this is for you!

Last week I taught a class for our "Midnight Madness" Enrichment activity (think Super Saturday, but on a Friday night) on Altered Paint Cans and Clipboards. I think I have now become addicted to Mod Podge. I want to "alter" everything I see or at least make presents for everyone I know. I think part of the addiction has also come from the super cool paper pack that Shea got me for my birthday and the lack of time to actually work on any new projects. But Mod Podge is so cool and super easy!

So Ames, this is what you do... Go to your local Stuff-mart or craft store and pick up some Matte Mod Podge (the yellow container), a sponge brush and some fun patterned scrapbook paper. Pick out something that needs new life (I've used wooden letters, a clipboard, empty clean paint cans, etc. You could also do terra cotta plant pots, picture frames, or an old recipe box.But go for wood or metal, plastic doesn't work so well.) Give it a quick sanding, just to make sure there's no debris or to rough up any old finishes. Make sure it's clean from the dust. Tear up your paper into random sized pieces. Take a piece of torn paper and put a light coat of Mod Podge on the back. Put it on and wipe out any bubbles. Do this with all of your paper until you have covered as much of the surface as you would like. Cover with a good coat of Mod Podge. Remember that even thought it goes on white, it will dry clear. Also, DO NOT worry if something isn't exactly as you want it. This is meant to be kinda "messy" looking.

I'll post some pictures as soon as I can. If this seems daunting, we can get the stuff and make something while I'm there. (Maybe initials for the kids' bedrooms?) I promise you'll be hooked!

My letter "B"

The Thankful Can, my clipboard and Wil's Valentine can.

Close up of the bottom of my clipboard.

Little Man "helping" and showing me his "cheese" face. (This actually gave me another idea. He found the "b" while I was trying to take the pictures and now he doens't want to put it down. It might be fun to make him his own alphabet to play with...big letters in fun kid prints. Oh the time I wish I had to work on these things!)

Peanut Update

We saw the doctor this morning. Peanut's heartbeat is nice and strong. Everything is going well... and at 16 weeks, I've only put on 5 lbs. I guess there is a benefit to the no dairy thing. We tentatively scheduled the C-Section for February 28th with March 3rd as our back up. Our doctor only does surgery on Monday and Friday, but the Friday before is the 29th. Apparently we aren't the only ones avoiding the 29th, so she's trying to get another day on the schedule. We also got the referral for our ultrasound, so we should know by mid-October if Peanut is a girl or boy. I hope "she" cooperates as well as her brother did.

Very Odd

This morning Little Man woke up at 6:45 crying for his "juice", which is a sippy cup of milk. I tried my normal routine of giving him a pacifier and telling him that it was still sleepy time. That worked for about 10 minutes and he was again crying for juice. The medicine he has been on this weekend has done a great job of kicking the cough, but has made the poor kid terribly gassy and REALLY irritable. It was obvious this morning that he was NOT ready to be awake, but he is stubborn enough to force himself awake for his sippy cup. So, desperately wanting to start the day with a shower, I took his cup of milk into him and told him that he could have his milk, but that he had to go back to sleep as soon as he was done drinking it. TWO HOURS later he was still playing quietly in his crib. I had time to shower and get ready, check my email, make some phone calls and make breakfast. I'm sure that this was a fluke, but believe me, I'm gonna try it again!

Return of the Cough, Part 2

I found out today that Little Man's pearly whites are not the cause of his fussiness this week. I was worried this morning, wondering how long I should let it go before heading to the Doctor. I was dreading the trip and the co-pay to hear the words, "He's just teething". Then he woke up from his nap with THE COUGH and wheezing... a total red flag for a mom who spent 4 days at Children's with RSV. I called the doc right away and he saw us half an hour later. Good news is his lungs are clear. Bad news is the he does have croup. I'm so glad we caught it right away and got meds in him before he went to bed tonight. We'll be staying in tomorrow and hopefully getting him some extra sleep.

My Mom ROCKS!

Of course, she's my mom and I'm totally biased. But this post is to congratulate her on her PROMOTION!!!! You deserve it!

Those Pearly Whites

Little Man and teeth have been an issue since month 4, when he started teething. By 6 months he had 6 teeth and by 7 months he had 8. Up side to the whole thing was that it was over fairly quickly. Now he's working on his 2 year molars and I don't know if we are going to survive. Today was a whirlwind of crying, tylenol, temper tantrums with only a one hour nap for a break. Definitely a "Calgon take me away" kinda day. Until, Susie came over to Mom and Dad's after work and played with Little Man so I could get dinner ready with out any fits. She sure is a great sissie.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!!

Today is Dad's big SIX-0. I'm not sure how happy he is about that, but we sure hope he has a great day!

Grandmother's Chicken Noodle Soup

My grandmother isn't your typical "Grannie" by any means. She will ONLY answer to Grandmother. By the age of 4, I knew how to shop, taking the time to look through the racks to find a good deal... thanks to Grandmother's training. And although she has always been a great cook, homemade chicken soup was never on the menu. When we were sick, Grandmother would show up to visit with her special bag of Chinese take-out. Wonton Soup always made it better. Now when I'm feeling under the weather, the first thing I want is some Wonton Soup.

**This picture was taken right after sitting on Santa's lap Thanksgiving weekend. Grandmother was in great spirit's, but Little Man had had enough of picture taking for one day.

Return of the Cough

The first time I experienced The Cough, I was pregnant with Little Man. The Cough started in the first trimester and turned into bronchitis. It came and went throughout the pregnancy and turned ugly the week he was born. The Cough is the main reason behind the no dairy mandate...in hopes to avoid the Return of the Cough. It worked pretty well until the last few days, then I spent last night keeping everyone in the apartment awake with my dog like barking. I wish I could begin to describe to you what it sounds like. It's so nasty - one of those deep painful coughs that leaves your voice sounding like something that is more fitting to a large burly man. It's really attractive!

At some point last night, I came up with a great post about The Cough and my frustrations. Luckily, sleep finally took over for a couple hours. Unfortunately that leaves this version of "Return of the Cough" for you to read. The good news though...my doctor just called in two prescriptions for me that should help make the weekend better and best of all, will knock me out.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

After spending over 3 hours in the car yesterday, I was a little concerned about how Little Man would react to a highchair at a nice restaurant. Well, nicer than what he's used to in Calvert County. Luckily, we were early and there's a small park across the street from Wil's office. So we spent half an hour letting the Little Man get some of the wiggles out. At first it was funny because he wasn't sure what to do. You could see the questioning look on his face when I told him he was allowed to let go of my hand and run. Then the magic happened... the amtrak train runs about a block away and even though it's hard to see through the trees, you can definitely hear the engine and the horn. Little Man was amazed. And if that wasn't enough, we realized that if you sit in the right place you can see the planes taking off from National airport. He didn't know what to do. Watch for the planes, try to find the train, run through the muddy grass... what's a little boy to choose. He finally decided that he would run to the center of the lawn, where he could still see the planes, watch for one to take off then run back to us, excitedly pounding his chest (Little Man sign language for "please") and saying "Again, Again". It was nice to not be rushed to be somewhere and to have the time to enjoy him being a little boy.

Eating in Style

Part 1
It seems like years ago that the girls (you know who you are!) made frequent trips to Baja Fresh and every time we pass one, I get the craving. I don't know if it's so much the food (which I do still love) or the fond memories. Either way, yesterday while out shopping we passed a Baja Fresh. In between our trips to the Arundel Mills Mall and Costco, I got to quell the craving. I was a little concerned that the no dairy mandate would put a damper on the experience, but I think for the first time it actually made something better. I ordered my usual Baja Burrito with Steak (NO CHEESE) and it was fabulous. A little messier without the cheese to hold stuff together, but it wasn't as heavy and really yummy! The added benefit? No repeating the guac a few hours later.

Part 2
After a long day of shopping, Little Man and I drove over to Crystal City to pick Wil up from work and meet our friends, Todd and Mandi for dinner. It's been far too long since we've seen them and even though I was exhausted, I was so excited to hang out with them. Little Man was an angel, especially for only having had a 40 minute nap in the car. We went to the Carlyle Grand (owned by the same people who run Sweetwater) and the Great American Restaurants chain has yet to disappoint. The Roast Chicken Salad was divine. Wil's ribs were really good too.

So I guess the theme of the weekend ended up being good food and great company, not a bad way to spend your time.

A Pilot or a Wingman?

After reading Heidi's blog a couple days ago with her pilot and wingman theory, I've been thinking about which I am in different relationships. At heart, I am a wingman. I am rarely comfortable as the center of attention and have always liked to have someone with me when involved in large social events. I think that's part of the reason Heidi and I made such great roommates for so long. But I was a bit perplexed at which I was when it came to Wil and I. Until last night....

We went on a double date with some friends from the ward. They wanted to learn how to peel and eat crabs, which is one of my favorite things to do. It's definitely a Maryland thing, that a lot of people don't get. It isn't about the food, it's a social thing. Wil didn't get it either until our date last night. Picking crabs is all about being social, it's never a quick meal and you HAVE to be with people you enjoy. So we headed to Abner's, one of those places that looks like a dump, but has great food. We spent 2 hours, picking and eating crabs, shrimp, hush puppies and onion rings, talking, laughing and having a great time. It was FABULOUS! As we sat there, I realized that my husband is definitely the pilot, although I'm not sure he would see it that way. He HATES large social situations and avoids them like the plague. But last night he was totally in his element and it showed - people he felt comfortable with and enjoyed, not too fancy of a place and good food - a great combination. I, of course, was happy to let him run with the conversation and inserted my 2 cents whenever I felt the need. Meanwhile, those crabs sure did hit the spot!