Monday, April 30, 2007

Milestone

So everyone keeps saying that I had a "milestone" birthday yesterday. I guess 30 is a milestone. In highschool, 30 meant "officially old". In the past few years I've learned that 30 is really the new 20. In many ways our generation is a little behind our parents on the growing up thing. In our parents generation it was not uncommon for a 30 year old to be celebrating 10 or 11 years of marriage and having kids getting ready to go to junior high. In my generation, if you have a kid going to junior high it means that you probably had a little "oops" in high school and are finally able to get out and go on a date since babysitting isn't that much of an issue anymore. My generation is the first to have the luxury of quarter-life crisis.

For those of you unaware of the term "quarter life crisis", here's a little explaination provided by quarterlifecrisis.com:

QLC FAQs• Q: What is a quarterlife crisis?• A: The quarterlife crisis, or QLC, is essentially a period of anxiety, uncertainty and inner turmoil that often accompanies the transition to adulthood.•

Q: Who coined the phrase "quarterlife crisis?"• A: Abby Wilner, co-author of Quarterlife Crisis and Quarterlifer's Companion, coined the phrase in 1997 after she graduated from college, moved back home, and couldn't figure out what to do with her life.•

Q: What makes the QLC unique for twentysomethings today? • A: Essentially, it is taking longer to become an adult today based on traditional markers such as financial independence and starting a family. The average American job hops 8 times before the age of 32, the average college graduate accrues $20,000 in education loan debt, and the average age to get married is now 27.

You have a quarter life crisis? You move in with your parents! note: not knocking moving in with your parents, I did it too, more than once.

I was lucky enough to have mine very early in my 20's. Necessity made me push through it and fake it as much as I could.

I've decided that milestone birthdays are scary for people who are full of regret for what they have done (or not done) in the years leading up to the milestone. I am happy to turn 30. I am fulfilled, satisfied, and overjoyed with the life that I have. I've had a relatively successful career, I'm able to stay home and take care of my beautiful 1.5 kids, I have a loving and purposeful marriage, good relationships with family, and so many good and faithful friends that my calendar is booked for the next 4 weeks. I'm not sure that life can get any better than that. Regrets? Sure, I have them. I am realistic, however, and know that 30 is indeed the new 20 and I can still accomplish those things. There is lots of time, and if there isn't, I know that I've done pretty well with the 30 years I've been given so far.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Fashionista


Ever since knowing the Hardy Family, an awesome family that was part of my mom's church for several years as the dad served as our youth pastor, I said that when I had kids I'd let them wear whatever they wanted. Visions of little 4 year old Caleb in his shorts and oversized cowboy boots usually come to mind when I think of them.

I've been looking forward to the day when Aimee would have an opinon about what she'd wear for a long time. That day has finally come. Over the past few weeks, Aimee's clothing selections started with her shoes. She started with only wanting to wear 1 sock and no shoes, then she discovered the hand-me-down moon boots I had been storing. She loved the boots, but again, would only wear one sock and one moon boot on her left foot, leaving the right foot bare.
Next came her obsession with hooded shirts. On one ocassion she picked out the hooded terry cloth robe that came with her bathing suit. She wore it all day. Even to the grocery store.
Then a few days later, she rediscovered a hoodie sweatshirt she used to wear when she was around nine months old. She had me help her put it on and it looked like one of those half sweaters that are in style now. Then she had me cover it up with another hoodie that I keep on the door for when the house gets a little chilly. She wore both sweaters all day, in 75 degree weather. Wouldn't let me take them off.
Today it was a cute sparkly pink hand-me-down one piece bathing suit. We put it on right over her pants and grey long sleaved t-shirt from Stephanie, the one that has the ice skates on it. She looked kind of like a wrestler.
Having a child with opinions is pretty fun.


Saturday, April 21, 2007

Order regained

Things are getting back in order. Aimee has her room back with the shiny pretty new floors that Brian put in this weekend. I have working plumbing in the kitchen. I have the office back, at least temporarily, and the clutter around the house is slowly going back to it's home. I feel better. Much better.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Uproar

I havn't posted lately because our house is upside down right now. I'll tell you all about it when things go back to normal. If it wasn't for Yoli being here to help, I'd have to put Aimee in Daycare for the day.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The F word

Aimee now knows how to count to ten, except for one thing. She refuses to use the right words to say Four and Five. Instead it goes a little bit like this, "One, Two, Free, Diaper, Remmy, Six, Sebo, Eigh..., Nine, Ten! Yay!". Brian and I have tried everything to get her to say "Four" and "Five". Puzzles, counting bunnies, correcting, all to no avail. Any ideas?

Sunday, April 08, 2007

1st Family Vacation!


After about a month of dreaming up ideas for a quick baby-less getaway, we decided that we didn't want to be without Aimee for too long and that we'd take a mini vacation togather. Wisconsin Dells was the perfect location. Not too far away, for not too long, and pretty toddler friendly. Our first stop of the FAMOUS Paul Bunyans Cook Shanty. Brian has been telling me about this place for years. It's only open during the spring and summer, and we've always gone to Wisconsin in the fall or in winter. Each time we've driven past it, Brian has felt horribly cheated...so close, yet so far away! Learning that it would be open pretty much sealed the deal for us and within days our reservations were made and maps printed.

Here I am explaining to Aimee that she was finally going to experience one of her Daddy's favorite childhood meals; Paul Bunyan's Breakfast, where the first thing they put on the table is a nice warm batch of sugar coated donuts! I couldn't wait to see how that would set Aimee up for the rest of the day!
Posted by Picasa

Extreme World


We had a few hours to kill since check in at the hotel wasn't until later on in the day. Since we have a little animal lover in the family, we thought she'd enjoy "Extreme World", where you can feed 20 wild alligators! She thought they were interesting, and popping little meat chunks through a tube for the alligators to chase after was kinda cool too. Not so cool? The way they looked at Aimee. Especially that big one in the picture.
Posted by Picasa

All Smiles


There are two things that are a little off in this picture. 1. I forgot the top of her bathing suit and ended up having to buy her another suit at the waterpark, so no, the pieces do not match. 2. She is ALL SMILES. What's wrong with that? She woke up at 6 am and had not had a nap all day. The time of this picture was around 2 pm. She was REALLY having a good time!
Posted by Picasa

Water Slide


The Waterpark had a pretty nice sized toddler area. They had several small waterslides for the kids that parents could use too. Aimee LOVED the waterslides...so did we!
Posted by Picasa

A successful end to the 1st family vacation...

This picture pretty much says it all.
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

To my Republican friends...I love you, I just don't understand you.

** Instead of just complaining about it, I actually sent a copy of this to the Congresswoman via email. I included another paragraph that you will find at the end of this post.

I was part of a teleconference townhall meeting with our congresswoman last night. So depressing. Basically, the congresswoman (Judy Biggart) is on the phone and everyone who wants to ask her a question gets "in line" by pressing the pound sign, then gets to ask her a question. Lots of things were discussed. Mostly people congratulating her and telling her that the war isn't going that badly and how the liberal left media makes it look like the war is really worse than it is. (Vet's and their families will probably disagree).

The thing that really got me fired up was her stand on Immigration. People called in to say that all illegals should be sent back and she whole heartedly agreed and then said that Congress would NEVER consider a bill that would help the 12 million undocumented workers (she called them illegals) earn the right to citizenship and that they all NEED to go back. I wonder if the good intelligent people of this district have considered the sheer economic impact that wiping out an entire work force would have on this country? I wonder if they have thought about the thousands of manufacturing pants that would grind to a halt? The livestock that would die and rot right there in their holds? The produce that would rot in the fields and the seeds that would go unplanted? While it seems that the majority of republicans are so against a plan to help undocumented workers become legalized they seem to forget that many business owners are Republicans too, and that their businesses couldn't run without the people that are willing to work for them. Fine the business owners? Fine them for what? For offering competitive pay and benefits and not being able to find legal labor because no one wants to work long and dirty hours? Fine them for having their hands tied and either shutting down their business or turning a blind eye?

By the way, Ms. Biggert, I do not believe that a Republican congress would ever address this issue. The agricultural industries are too powerful and they would suffer too much. I do believe that Republicans will use this as another hot button issue to get conservatives to vote and then do nothing, as you have done to end abortion, fix social security and medicare, and the Iraq war.

The tide is turning Judy Biggart and I will NOT be voting for you. (I didn't include this part in my email. That would have been just rude.)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Sunshine

It's no secret that I've been feeling pretty crappy this week. I've actually been feeling the pregnant lady blues and spent most of Monday crying about one thing or another; the episode of Oprah, not feeling well, and at the end the day...Deal or No Deal (I mean COME ON!). Pregnancy has NOT been pretty this week.

However, in the gloominess of my day there have been lots of little rays of sunshine produced mainly by Aimee. The cute Shirley Temple curls my mom made for her on Monday, her learning how to say Cookie and Yucky (and confusing the two), and her singing her bedtime song. Brian and I usually sing to her the song, then we sing it again in kitty voices. "Meow Meow Meow....meow meow meow meow" When we sing the words to the song, it ends with "yes...I....do...." So when Aimee lays in her crib, she sings the kitty version and ends it with the sweetest little, "I...dooo". I wish I could put it in a bottle and keep it with me forever.