north for the winter

By the 4th of this month, we had 1,212 travel miles under our belt. Annabelle settled back with her snack like she's done this flight seven times before. 

When we arrived in Massachusetts, Annabelle shivered and said, "Mama, it's so shakey (chilly) here!" We've been in the south too long! As if her reaction to the completely normal winter weather wasn't proof enough, she used "y'all" in a sentence for the first time today. My attempts at northern indoctrination have not been strong enough. At least she likes snow.

Erika told us about a store "that sells plants and succulents." What an understatement. It was a lush garden created in an old warehouse. Plants were everywhere. Taxidermy animals were around every corner. There were shells, gemstones, rugs and decor. Everything had a hefty price tag. Annabelle walked in and immediately knocked over a squirrel. I thought we would be kicked out immediately.

"I give the bear kisses!"

AB and Ivy are better friends than ever. Each visit the age gap gets smaller and they play together more and more. We had a mini Aunt Camp and at one point Erika and I were in the living room drinking coffee and the little girls were upstairs playing by themselves. We didn't have anyone in diapers or on a 3-hour feeding schedule. It was wonderful.

Annabelle was happy to help, aka supervise and take over, as Ivy opened a gift. She confidently told Christopher, "I'm going to babysit Baby Ivy. I babysitted Brennyn so I know how to babysit Ivy."

I was able to see both Autumn and Ivy on this visit. Unfortunately, we didn't get to visit at the same time, but they were both willing to drive up to Mom's new house for short visits. Autumn and I had been planning a trip to Primark for weeks. When we arrived at the mall, Autumn drove around the parking lot repeating, "I don't know where the parking garage went! It was here last time I was here! How can a parking garage disappear?!" Because we were at the wrong mall, that's how. We intended to go to the Banks Mall but ended up at the Brooks Mall. I'm glad to report I was not the navigator so I was not the reason we were lost. 

Grandma's 91st birthday is Tuesday but we celebrated her today. I loved seeing all my relatives. Grandma collects snowglobes so Annabelle made her a plastic one. Naturally, AB helped unwrap it and gave a steady stream of comments about it. She also prepared a birthday song, birthday speech and birthday prayer for Grandma but she didn't have the time or audience to perform them yet. 

I hope I can be half the woman that Grandma is.

we were made for the beach life

I'm about to discuss a whole week of life in one post so settle in and buckle up.

Last Thursday night Annabelle starting exhibiting signs (namely screaming) of a UTI. The next day I kept her home from art camp and brought her to walk-in hours at the doctors. He said he doubted she had an infection but if I wanted, I could take her down to the hospital for a test. I disagreed with his diagnose but he's the one who went to medical school. My degree is only from Web MD. He wrote a prescription for an antibiotic just in case.

We had never been at the hospital so of course, we didn't know where to go. The man behind the registration desk was not one for chit-chat about the weather or our weekend plans. I was reading the paperwork upsidedown as he highlighted the lines to sign and saw a word I didn't recognize. "Aminor." I thought it was a French word. Perhaps is was pronounced ahhh-me-nor. Then he turned the paper around and I saw that it said "a minor" as in "I am signing for a minor." WHY AM I IN CHARGE OF A CHILD WHEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH.

When we got to the lab bathroom, AB had the most epic meltdown about not wanting to pee. I wouldn't want to either but she had to do it. I could not convince her to pee. She was crying and screaming and tears were pouring down her face. The nurses said we could leave and bring the pee back later. Sesame skipped out of the hospital as if we had just had a leisurely stroll through a garden center. A few hours later she peed in her pullup. She had several accidents since the night before so I put a pullup on for while we were out and forgot to take it off. How was I supposed to squeeze pee out of a pullup? She must have sensed my frustration (or maybe heard it when I said I was very frustrated) because she pulled out the little potty and went. So back we went to the hospital with a cup of pee. Several things then went wrong at the library and Walgreens so I rewarded us with munchkins and coffee. Eating my feelings since 1989.

Saturday we packed for our long awaited trip to Florida. I planned for us to leave early Sunday morning. We woke up that night not once, not twice but four times to the sound of Annabelle throwing up. The antibiotic was not gentle on her little stomach and she was so miserable. She lay on the couch all morning barely speaking which is how you know when she's sick. I felt nauseous too but I couldn't tell if it was because I felt been cleaning up vomit or because the stomach bug was about to bite. Thankfully she perked up by the evening thanks to zofran so I planned to try leaving the next morning. I packed a trash bag with towels, paper towels, changes of clothes and a cleaner. It was not my first rodeo. I've traveled with a vomiting child before. 

The doctor called the next morning to say she did indeed have an infection. What a surprise! I knew it. My Web MD degree is valid after all. He called in a different prescription so armed with the new prescription and zofran we set off. No one threw up or had accidents. 

"I think I look pretty fabulous. You do too, Mom."

We had the best time. We grew up so far from Grandma Connie that we only saw her once a year at most. This time we had her to ourselves for three afternoons and evenings. She is hilarious. She knows everyone in her retirement park and is the life of the party. We drove her golf cart up and down the streets stopping at her friends' homes. Most of them are widows or widowers so much of the talk is about who likes who or who wants to be asked out by who. Grandma is happily dating Charlie from four doors down so she isn't looking for anyone, as she frequently points out. She is part of Weight Watchers but doesn't diet on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday because she has standing plans with her friends and wants to eat what they're eating. 

In the morning while she was at work went to the pool or the beach. This is the first summer that AB will wear a lifejacket and float around on her own. What a game changer. I can float around on my noodle and not have her glued to my hip. A new swimming day has dawned. 

It's important to wear proper floation on land. 

family affair

Our favorite little girl came to visit over the weekend.

Ivy Rose is in the house.

She came with her parents but they didn't come running to hug us at the airport. 

They were only here for two and a half days but we tried to fit everything in. I gave them an award-winning tour of our new town. It takes less than three minutes to drive through the center of town (even if you get a red light) so it was a very short tour. We visited a new coffee shop and were flabbergasted that the people making the coffee didn't know how to make ice coffee. We had to tell them that regular ice coffee is not the same as a latte. "You want us to pour coffee from the refrigerator over ice?" Yes. That's literally all there is to it. We went back the next day and ordered one drink with whipped cream and one without. The lady at the drive-through window made sure she pointed out which had whipped cream and which didn't. HOW WOULD WE HAVE KNOWN WITHOUT HER.

I expect this is what it will look like when I have another child.

Neither child is looking at the camera and I look exhausted.

Except I'm already exhausted so only half of it will be new.

We visited two playgrounds and the zoo. It was so hot on Friday that I got sunburned after an hour at the playground. I love sunshine but I'm VERY concerned about what temperature it will be in by April when it's already over 80* in February.

Erika helped me hang up outdoor lights on my front deck. I have visions of a Pinterest worthy deck with a rug, flower pots and maybe a fountain. Currently, it has a kids trampoline, pink Frozen pool, and black and white teepee. It's not exactly an outdoor oasis but the lights were supposed to kick it up a notch. We came home from a pizza dinner at Mellow Mushroom to my lights twinkling in the darkness. The sky was clear and we looked at the constellations. The girls ran around playing and giggling. It was lovely. I had carefully inspected the area for frogs and having seen only a small one that hopped away I thought we were in the clear. I sat on the swing and enjoyed chatting with my family. For whatever reason, I decided to check the wall behind me. THERE WERE MORE THAN  TWENTY FROGS. They were everywhere. I'm not embarrassed to say I screamed and yelled and jumped. I swear I could feel them crawling on my skin. I have no choice but to burn the place down. So much for my outdoor oasis. 

Aside from the frogs we had the best visit. We live 7 million miles from home and I've missed everyone so much. Daniel and Erika came right at the knick of time to boost morale. 

dollywood days

Sometimes I wonder if the saying "a rolling stone gathers no moss" was written in reference to us and our inability to stay home and not live out of suitcases. Our most recent trip found us visiting Dollywood in our former home state of Tennessee. Christopher's parents were so kind to plan a family trip there for a few days last week. We did so many things that it would take several thousand words and 148 pictures to recap so I'll stick to some highlights. 

Except for the occasion fussing Annabelle is almost always a good flyer. She did even better than normal this trip. She did all four flights without watching any shows on the ipad. She colored, looked at books and took naps. She read the plane safety manual on each flight. It's important to be prepared in the event of an emergency water landing. 

On Thanksgiving morning we went to an exotic bird sanctuary. I've never seen so many beautiful birds in one place. We got to hold and feed several of them. Once AB got over her fear of holding them she loved it. I saw a sign that said some of their birds are for sale. I would have taken one in a heartbeat but I knew that at $2,995 Christopher would say it was too expensive of a souvenir. 

Annabelle was a little hesitant about the rides at first but how quickly that changed when she got on the Lucky Ducky ride with the fearless Sadie and Emory. She wore the Lucky Ducky, Piggy Parade and Busy Bees rides over and over. She wasn't a fan of the elephant ride that went in the air but there's always next year. She was perfectly happy with all the kiddie rides. 

 Look who we happened upon! Normally AB is shy around characters but she was still riding the high from the Piggy Parade. She marched right up to him and gave a huge smile. (I'm sorry this is turning into the Annabelle show. I don't see that changing anytime soon since I do nothing but hang out with her.)

I've never visited Dollywood at any other time but I'm here to say Christmas is The Time to go. The lights and decorations were beautiful. It was so festive.

We went to two lovely Christmas shows. They were a combination of fun and Christmas spirit and we all loved them. 

Santa appeared the day after Thanksgiving. I've never seen a better Santa. He looked the part, had a beautiful suit and was so kind. He asked all the children if they knew about Baby Jesus and made sure they all knew the holiday isn't only about Santa. We saw him again the next night and since there were no other children in line Sesame got to talk to him as much as she wanted. They talked about her friends, how reindeer fly (he said God makes them fly) and her nativity toy. She talked and talked. He asked her about the smocked nativity on her dress and she chose that moment to clam up. Everything in me was hoping (and audibly hinting) she'd give an eloquent answer and make him think I'm a good mom. All she did was stick her fingers in her mouth and mumble something about Paw Patrol. It was a humbling moment for me.

Annabelle loves all her cousins but she especially enjoyed spending time with Emmy. They're so close in age and I love that they're becoming little buddies.

Since we were there at Thanksgiving it's only right to mention a few things we're thankful for. Christopher is thankful for his health, I'm thankful for a good nights rest and good cheddar cheese and AB is thankful for her light up shoes. Judging by what she told Santa I'd say she's also thankful for Paw Patrol. 

the travel chronicles- part 2

We've returned from our second trip of the 2017 season of Living Out of a Suitcase.

Speaking of suitcases, I am extremely pleased to report that I achieved my goal of a suitcase weighing less than 50lbs. When the guy at the ticket counter weighed my bag and it was 43lbs I almost did a happy dance. That was the exact number I was going for but I didn't think I'd reach, especially since I had some of Annabelle's things in there. I'll be the first to admit I pack too much. But what if I need to change my shorts three times a day? What if I don't feel like wearing the striped shirt? What if I am invited to dine at the White House? I like to bring plenty of options. Christopher's bag was OVER 50lb both times which brought me great joy. (He'd want you to know he was responsible for carrying all the odds and ends that didn't fit in my bag and he did NOT pack 50lbs worth of clothes but whatever. The scale does not lie.)

During our layover in America's worst airport (Atlanta), the emergency alarm went off. No one but us paid the slightest attention to the man saying "an emergency has been reported. Please remain calm and await further instructions." Christopher said in case of an emergency our meet up spot would be in the back of Atlanta Bread Company. We never found out what the emergency was, but the ceiling above us seemed like a disaster/emergency waiting to happen. The entire thing was exposed and electrical wires were hanging down which didn't give me too much confidence while sitting under it.

We arrived in Texas after suppertime and went to Christopher's parents house for a quick visit. We spent that night at a hotel which delighted Annabelle to no end. She loves the phones (proof that she is my daughter) and the "honeypot", commonly known as the ice bucket. She is so easy to please.

The next morning we went to NASA. I have spent my entire life wanting to be an astronaut so it was a dream come true to go there. I was asked to become an honorary astronaut and naturally I agreed.

Turns out looking like an astronaut doesn't make you one (who knew?). Immediately after the above picture I crashed a shuttle.

The purpose of the trip was to spend a week at a beach house in celebration of Opa's birthday. The beach was beautiful. I couldn't get over how warm the water was. 

Sesame loved every minute of the beach. She's a little fish. 

Aunt Stephanie set up a pirate scavenger hunt for the kids. She's such a cool aunt. 

For three out of the four flights we sat in the very back rows and had no windows. Being a dedicated window seat fan I did not enjoy the arrangement, but I got a lot of reading done. On the first flight home the pilot told us that Donald Trump was arriving at an airport near our destination and we "had to fly extra fast to beat him and avoid the restricted air space." We hurled through clouds so fast the turbulence was awful and poor Sesame got sick. In a way you could say Donny T was responsible for my daughter getting sick. I never get sick on planes but I was holding onto the arm rests and barely kept it together. I popped a Bonine the second the turbulence started which was a dignity saving move.   

We had a wonderful visit but I was so happy to see my bed. I need to invent a way to bring my bed on all my travels, but I have a feeling it would make my suitcase more than 43lbs.

saturday by the sea

Saturday was our 6th anniversary. We spent a few hours walking by the ocean and gawking at all the houses 28 times larger than ours.

The traditional sixth anniversary gift is iron. The iron bookends I ordered Christopher weeks in advance were back ordered so I went to the deep recesses of my brain searching for a temporary alternative. I read somewhere that a modern gift alternative is sugar/candy, so I bought him a box of Nerds. Nothing says I love you like a cavity in a colorful box.

That evening we went out for clam cakes and chowder to celebrate Dad's birthday. Annabelle was in her happy place. She lives for time in a sandbox and having an entire beach of sand was beyond exciting. 

Baby Ivy was there also. Annabelle insisted on holding her or her hand as much as possible. Ivy stole my clam cake and crawled to the other side of the blanket. On that same weekend last year Ivy had just gotten out of the NICU. Look at her little bald head now! She's so cute.

I hope next year she and Annabelle are building sandcastles together.

Christmas 2016

People are pulling down their Christmas trees and here I am, talking about our Christmas five days later. I like to keep the holly jolly going until well into the new year.

We celebrated our own Christmas at home the weekend before Christmas. We had a North Pole breakfast with snowmen shaped pancakes and Christmas straws in the morning, played in the snow and opened gifts at night. Annabelle gave me a music box that plays Edelweiss which she told me about four days before I opened it. Every time she talked about it she would tell me, "But Daddy said not to tell you 'bout it." She asked for a whistle and a jump rope, both of which she got in her stocking. Christopher bought the whistle and I have a feeling it might accidentally on purpose get temporarily lost it if goes too annoying. 

We went to a Christmas Eve service than made the long commute all the way across the back yard to my aunt and uncle's for Christmas festivities. Sesame was so! excited! about all things Christmas. It wasn't my favorite holiday season in general but she definitely made it better. She was only 9 months old on our last Christmas here so this year she was old enough to enjoy everything.

She's worn this dress 3 years in a row. I hope it still fits when she's 14.

She was having a fantastic hair day.

Aaron passed out the gifts on Christmas morning and this tag stumped us all. We have neither a Cristy or a Della in our family. We're not known for great organization skills on Christmas morning but this takes the cake as the most random.

Annabelle's single stroller wasn't big enough for her ever growing family of babies so Grammy and Grampy got her a double stroller. She quickly learned to maximize space and stuffed in no less than 7 assorted dolls and animals. She pushed it across the yard to Memere's then abandoned all the babies so I was once again on Grandma babysitting duty.

66% of us are smiling so I call this a successful family picture.  

Baby Ivy and I got some good cuddles in on her first Christmas. She is so cute. I wish Daniel and Erika would have stuck her in my stocking!

She knew it was important to do some planks and burn off all that wrapping paper she ate!