8.29.2008

news break

I won't write much about politics on this blog, there are people out there who can do that much better than I can. However, I would just like to express in writing how freaking excited I am about this presidential election! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
HISTORY PEOPLE, HISTORY!
I watched a lot of the DNC and every night it brought tears to my eyes.
I remember a few months ago feeling very torn between Clinton and Obama. I really really wanted the best candidate to be a woman, so much so that I didn't know who I wanted to win the nomination...I think Obama is the best candidate, I do, I just want a woman too you know?
I also love that we have such a fantastic election as the first election in Josephine's lifetime. My daughter, who is half black, has nearly always lived in a world where it is absolutely possible, and not just in theory, to have a president of the United States who is not a white man.
Ok, this is about all the politics I can stand to write about this morning...and it's about time I shower...

8.25.2008

Look what I can do!


I made a new baby-wearing device. It's pretty huh?

Kind of a crappy picture, but hopefully you can get an idea of what's going on here.

And no sewing machine!

In other life-changing news: We have Comcast digital cable which offers PPV options as well as several free movies. I found out that the Exercise TV is also free. Sooooo that means I have been trying out the yoga and Pilate's and other exercise "classes" in my living room. Convenient! Free!

If you've never tried yoga, you probably should give it a shot. I've heard of people who get addicted to the feel-goodness you have after a yoga session, to the point that they are complete assholes if they miss a day...So don't do that, but maybe try it once or twice.

Can you believe it's the end of August already? Schools are starting up...the first few tinges of golds and oranges are showing up at the top of the mountains...pretty soon I'm going to have to get Josephine dressed everyday instead of letting her run around naked.

8.23.2008

8 Months

Josephine,

This month has been packed with firsts that I hope to never forget. I have a perpetual calendar that I write things on, like your first word, mama, and the first time you took a few steps before crashing into my lap. Next year when those dates come back around, I'll see that July 30th 2008 you got up on both knees to crawl for real instead of the army scoot you've been perfecting. I'll document all of your milestones for sure, but this month there was so much more that I want to remember besides.

I don't want to forget how we share a piece of chocolate sometimes in the afternoon. I put a square of whatever chocolate grandma has around the house in my lips and you try to bite the corner that sticks out. My little baby bird has to give her mama a kiss if she wants to have a taste. I have no idea how you still manage to get chocolate all over your face, a candy goatee framing that perfect smile of yours.




I want to always hang on to the nights that you would get a second wind. You would practice your hollering all day and with your pipes all warmed up you'd play a very loud game of come catch me Papa. A game that has you yell and scream and laugh until Papa crawls over and you try to scamper away but you only manage to tumble over onto a pillow. Then you laugh even louder and send Papa hiding behind the pillow and the game turns into the loudest game of peek-a-boo in history.


You are very good at playing with everyone. You know when you are supposed to laugh even though you don't get the joke and you can always get any one's attention back on you if we dare take a minute to talk to someone else in the room. You also know how to tear your diaper off if I don't put it on backwards. You tear one side half way open, look to see if I have seen what you've done, then finish the job as fast as you can.



I know this won't last forever, but I wish it would: I love when you stare at me when you are sitting in the shopping cart and when I look into your eyes you give me the most genuine smile one person has ever given another. You smile like you know how much I love you. You smile like you have to show all the love in the world in one facial expression.

Here's something I don't have a picture of, my most special time with you in the morning: I bring you in the shower with me now. I hold you in my arms for the first minute and let you hold your hand in the stream of water, then set you down with some toys while I wash my hair. You do just fine in there, then I stop the drain and let you splash in the bath while I towel off. If I don't set you down fast enough though, you fall asleep, just conk right out without warning on my shoulder. It's hard to describe the special feeling of having your tiny wet body snuggled up to me, your arms wrapped as far around my neck as they can reach.

8.19.2008

the biggest dorm room i have ever seen

Friday, us ladies (grandma, Martha, Josephine and I) went to the zoo! hooray for caged animals!

The big draw exhibit they have right now is an albino alligator, The Ghost of the Bayou. This picture was taken right after Martha dangled Josephine's toes over the alligator pit, just for fun. Ok, that didn't happen, the gator is behind glass, but you should have seen how that baby-eater was eye balling us.

It was a nice day that wore the baby out.

Saturday and Sunday I spent my free time fighting with or avoiding Martha because she was a little anxious about going off to college and leaving her boyfriend behind. Apparently she deals with anxiety by tearing heads off...but it's ok, moving out for the first time is pretty scary.

Monday afternoon we loaded up the cars, (Martha is the only one of us that got a car to take to school), we picked up the boyfriend and drove up to the place Martha will call home for at least this next semester, and hopefully the next four years.

Her new digs are pretty sweet as far as dorm rooms go. She has a double room, but no room-mate! So, she has an extra desk and wardrobe and space and privacy! Look at the view! And the super safe window that only opens about 4 inches and has bars covering those 4 inches just in case.

Hey! Are you one of those people that claims to never get car sick? Really? I challenge you to sit in the back seat of our Pathfinder while my mom drives. It was a nice straight and smooth highway that felt like an off road adventure.

I need to go off on a tangent for a moment, stay with me. Back when I was newly pregnant and realized that I needed to move out here to Utah I wasn't sure how I'd get here with all my stuff. For a while I thought I would have to fly out here and that meant I'd mail the things I couldn't pack and toss everything I could live without. I started to slowly clean out my apartment and one night in a fit of pregnant hormones I threw away my sewing machine. Soon after, I decided to drive out here instead and that meant I could pack a lot of stuff in the car...the sewing machine would've fit fine...but it was too late.

Well, I'm currently making something fabulous, but it's taking a really long time to sew by hand, one nap at a time. The car ride gave me almost two solid hours of sewing time while Josephine was sleeping in her car seat and my mother was driving like she was cross-eyed. I didn't throw up but I did sew my thumb to my thigh. I am not finished yet, but I'm a hell of a lot closer, and the blood came right out...

Anyway, I guess if I wasn't here my parents would officially be rid of all their kids...I like to think I'm keeping my mother from having a empty nest meltdown.

8.14.2008

it could be a phase- or it could mean i need to activate the microchip

It seems my daughter is a tumbler and a runner.
She turns with a squeal and tries to crawl away when anyone enters the room. She will start to crawl out of the room, stop and look back at me, and if I flinch she will squeal and pick up speed.
Her favorite game right now is to stand up on the couch when I'm sitting next to her on my computer and purposely fall backward. She really loves it when someone suddenly looks her way and she can combine the running away with the launching backward into the cushions.
I do not look forward to shopping with her when she can really run away from me...I think there is an extra dog leash around here somewhere...

8.11.2008

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

Because I know you have all be wondering...here are a few of my favorite things: The bathroom and kitchen edition




1] Philosophy skin care products. Specifically the Purity wash and On a Clear Day H2O2 cream. My skin went bonkers after Josephine was born and I tried a few different products including a few months of a birth control pill that all just made things worse. I finally gave in and bought the Philosophy products after months of reading rave reviews and now? I feel pretty, oh so pretty... If your skin care routine isn't working out for you, I recommend you look into Philosophy.

2] I bought these sun dried tomatoes to put on a pizza and the rest of the week I put them on sandwiches, in salads, on more pizzas...mmm...they are so delicious. I could probably eat them straight from the jar.

3] The other day I wandered to the yogurt section, as I am wont to do, and found these:
They come in delicious and unique flavors, but best of all there are no weird ingredients, all natural. When I sit down to eat I like to have something that I can share with Josephine, she eats a lot more if we eat together, and I feel good about sharing these with her instead of the super sugary and artificial color loaded yogurts.

4] I love getting new lotion. I don't love strong smelling lotions, sugary sweet smelling lotions, or expensive lotions. I've been pretty loyal to the Aveeno brand, but when I saw that Suave made a cheaper Aveeno knock-off I had to give it a shot. And I love this lotion. You will love it too. It has the perfect consistency, no weird smell, and that nice low price of Suave.

5] Like I said, I'm a fan of Aveeno. I love the baby lotions and washes, the sunblock, the shaving cream etc. but most of all I love the sunless tanner. I've tried a million kinds of sunless tanners and they are all the same, stinky and orange. Oh but the Aveeno has the very mildest of stinks...I mean no sunless tanner is totally odorless, but this one is very close. Very close. And, at least on my skin, it isn't orange at all.
This is what we do all day...

8.02.2008

a few things to look at:

Adding this to the places I need to visit before I die.
I should probably get my order in soon.
Just what I need to make dinner extra special.