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Here's my little pumpkin.
(Thank you to Aunt Sandy for the awesome Halloween dress!)
Happy Halloween! we'll be sitting at home, handing out candy to trick or treaters! Who knows, maybe if we get a whim, we'll take Emma to a couple houses. This dress really should be shown off!
(What? You wanted a pregnancy update? Ultrasound pictures and details? Baby names? Nursery Decor? I've got all your answers...Coming up later today.tommorow.)
Emma doesnt have to share!
For those of you that were not able to attend, we missed you and quite assuredly talked all about you! We ended up having 9 bloggers come to the first EVA Bloggy Meet Up. The list included me, Girlville, Punchy, Lisa, Sandy (and Aunt Sue!), Norman's Woman, Magnolia Sun, Pam, and on Saturday night, Shannon! It ROCKED. Some of us have been friends for over nearly 3 years and others of us have only recently made contact. I did not feel nervous at all about meeting these women. It was like getting together with old friends. Very comfortable. Next time, I hope more of you can come! No word yet on when "next time" will be, but word on the blogging street is that it will be in the North East (Boston, Philly, NY, who knows). Volunteers to chair the next Meet Up are welcome to step forward! Only criteria needs is time and ability to make decisions in the best interest of the group. (Dear Goodness, I hope I did that!)
One week ago today....
Jason and I headed up to the airport to pick up the first bloggers arriving for our Meet Up. Lisa and her daughter arrived about 8:30am.
I had prepared a sign....
But I recognized them instantly, and the sign never got to be used! So sad.
We had some time to kill so we headed for IHOP. I had a delicious breakfast of pumpkin pancakes and eggs and hashbrowns. (What? Baby's got to eat!!)
Hanging out with Lisa and T felt so normal. When I was getting dressed that morning, I just threw something on and threw my hair in a ponytail (cause it was early!) and knew that they wouldnt care. It's like we were old friends. I'd like to think Lisa loved me the same in the morning as later when I dressed up more. :)
After a long breakfast, and an even longer ride around the Charlotte area, Jason and I dropped them off at the hotel to settle in while we headed back to the aiport to pick up Magnolia Sun!
We headed back to the hotel and all checked-in.
(hotel website photos)
As the Bloggy Meet Up organizer, I had chosen a hotel in Uptown Charlotte that had some amenities that I knew would be important to our group. It offered a free shuttle service to area resturants and businesses (which we used at night for dinners) and a wonderful deluxe breakfast. At night, we would spend a lot of time all gathered on the other side of that fireplace to talk.
Jason and I took a much needed nap Friday afternoon and then he headed home for the night to take care of Emma.
At 6pm, Girlville and I hosted (and really, she brought EVERYTHING) a wine and cheese hour in our hotel room for all of us Bloggers to finally get together and mingle before heading out to dinner.
I know its blurry, but its the only picture I really got of the cheese. And I LOOOOVE me some cheese. Girlville had picked out 4 wonderful cheeses and had an assortment of crackers and wine to drink. Big Thanks to her for orchestrating that event!
Look! There's Magnolia Sun!
Bloggers lounging about the room.
(pic borrowed from Sandy)
This is Girlville (my roommate), me and Punchy!
After mingling (and cofirming that no of the Bloggers were serial killers), we headed down to the lobby to catch the shuttle to our dinner resturant.
(Elevator picture courtesy of Sandy again)
I spent a lot of time picking out the resturants for our Bloggy Meet Up. Menu choices were important but so was menu PRICES. Some people spent a lot just to get to the Meet Up, I didnt want them to break the bank.
I chose Brixx Pizza for Friday night dinner.
(website picture, not mine)
It is a very cool pizza place located about a mile from the hotel. I had been there once before in college and new that the menu would offer a variety of dishes (pizza, pasta, sandwhiches, salad) at affordable prices.
Norman's Woman and Punchy shared this gorgeous looking Quattro Formaggio Pizza.
I had this AMAZING fresh mozzerella sandwhich.
The picture doesnt do it justice, but here's what the menu description said about it:
Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich
roma tomatoes, red onions, fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette. served on baguette 7.95
Amazing. Must buy ingredients and recreate at home this weekend.
Here's a group shot of us a dinner.
(picture borrowed from Norman's Woman)
Then we all headed back to the hotel, changed into our Jammies and sat down in the lobby until Way Too Late.
Stay Tuned for Days 2 and 3!
It's raining here. Everything for the past couple days has been wet and darker than usual with a slight chill in the air. I've got my knee high brown boots on today and a courdoroy jacket.
For us in SC, this is Fall. Our area has been in a very serious drought for months. I don't expect this rain will change that much, but it has still been a welcome site. I don't even care that it means I have floors covered in muddy paw prints.
The leaves are starting to come off the trees and cover the ground. Drinking hot chocolate at the office is no longer considered "weird".
(Oh, wait, my husband just came by my office to give me a McDonald's egg and cheese biscuit...awww)
Emma is such a little person now. She is a good little walker. It seems like her favorite thing to do right now is collect stuffed animals, walk them over to either someone or some thing and drop them off, walk away, and then walk back over and retrieve them. Over and Over again. It's so cute. She looks so determined.
For a while now, she's recognized and called out the name for "ball". Of course, to her it's "Baaa!" but I know she knows what it is. She can recognize a lot of things by name, but "baaaa" has been the only thing she's verbalized.
Last weekend, she noticed a little girl on TV playing peek-a-boo, and quite clearly said "Peek-a-Boo!". She's done it maybe a dozen times since then, but rarely when prompted. It's the funniest thing becuase, I think, Peek-A-Boo is quite a difficult thing for a little one to say. Funny because she'll say that, but nothing else.
We've been trying not to respond to "eh?" lately when she points to something she wants. We tell her to say "please" or "more". Of course, its not working yet, but one day....
I dont think we'll take Emma trick or treating this year. I dont think she's ready for that. Without her talking, its hard to know what she understands. I think we'll hang out at home and watch for other trick or treaters.
I've been doing a good job this past month focusing soley on fall and Halloween and not the holidays that are looming just around the corner (or the store aisles). I'm trying hard not to say, "I cant believe its almost Christmas time!". Because I want to savor these other times.
This year, our holidays wont be filled with presents or gift lists. They'll be soley filled with family togetherness, holiday decorating and cookie baking/craft making. Presents are not in our budget this year. That might sound a little sad, but I am very ok with that. When I think back to my favorite Christmases, its never the presents I remember, its the setting and the feelings.
They'll be time for physical presents again one day, this year we'll focus on the unseen gifts we can give each other.
I know you are anxious for a big ole Bloggy Meet Up 2007 recap, but I never got around to ordering that replacement USB cable and I keep forgetting to borrow my MIL's even though I have seen her every day for the past 3 days! I'll see her again tonight and will do my best to remember to get the USB cable. Although really, I didnt even take that many pictures! I'm counting on the theory that we all had our cameras so we all have pictures.
I was out of commission yesterday with some sort of Bug. It started Sunday morning really, with a bad headache and exaustion that I just couldnt get over. Then it evolved into massive throwing up. I seem to be better today. Apparently, whatever it was is going around because my MIL has it too. Hope you don't get sick!
Anyway, I'm back at work today but I drew the short straw and have to take minutes for a office meeting that lasts all day today and tommorow. ( I know. It sucks.)I'll pop in and out throught the day, so don't worry. :)
Gah, it almost seems pointless to post without pictures. I'm so boring.
I almost didnt go by McDonald's this morning. And then I noticed my husband had slipped 3 dollars into my purse. I figured that must mean he has concern for the baby getting enough to eat, so I should go and get sustinence. :)
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I loved hearing all of your favorite foods. I am quite happy to learn that it isnt granola and wheat bread that is making you all happy. We're in this together!
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I would love to share pictures with you of Emma's first trip to the County Fair. We went last night (paid waaaay too much for a funnel cake) and took lots of pictures, BUT, the USB cable for the camera is still missing. It's been over a week since I have seen it, and I dont think it is coming back. And I really have no idea what to do about that. I know not all USB cords are created equal so I'm not sure how to go about getting a new one. Ideas Welcome. Spare USB cords that fit a Fugi Fine Pix S3100 are also welcome.
(Ok, I just went to Ebay and I can buy one for 99 cents plus $5 shipping. But still, if you have one just lying around and you happen to be coming this way...)
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However! I do have a few new pictures of Emma you havent seen! (thanks to my SIL)We dropped by Jason's brother's house the other night to check out their new boat. (Ironically, the day after he bought the bought, our town went into a stage 4 (I think) drought and the lakes are so low they've restricted boats from using landings. So, no boat outings for a while.
I think Emma needs her own boat, don't you?
Emma knows that if she's going to captain a boat, she's going to need to get in shape.
Luckily, she found this stand alone basketball goal to work on her upper body strength.
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So what's going on this weekend? Me- not much, just hanging out. Oh, wait.... I think there IS something going on this weekend.... Now if I could only remember what it was........
I know we are all searching for the key to happiness. Some days, you think you have it, other days you know you don't. Well, good news folks! I've got it! In fact, it's sitting on my desk right now!
One morning, after dropping Emma off at daycare, I was driving back to work. Something in the distance caught my eye. Whatever it was, it was shimmering. Glistening really. Perhaps glowing. I took a detour and ended up at the source of the shimmering/glistening/glowing object... The base of the Golden Arches.
Oh yes. McDonald's.
I didnt know I was going to find the key to happiness in a McDonald's. But one sweet tea and two cheese biscuits later, there I was... The Land of Happiness.
I tried to google a picture of the cheese biscuit, but there were none. I have a feeling that a McDonald's cheese biscuit has never lasted long enough for its picture to be taken.
Now, why is a McDonald's breakfast the key to happiness? I'll tell you why. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I never have time for breakfast at home and rarely remember to bring snacks to work. That leaves me very hungry and very cranky all day long. And tired. And pessimistic.
But from the magic of the large sweet tea, I am filled with energy and zest for life. Renewed! Optimistic! And the cheese biscuits make my hungry belly feel all warm and wonderful inside. It provides stamina to make it thru another work day.
I cant do this everyday, which means some days are not filled with happiness, but one the days that I have my McDonald's, I know life isnt that bad and I can make it thru the day.
What's your key to happiness? And don't go getting all serious and say your family or religion. I want to know what brings you the same satisfaction that McDonalds brings me.
7 years and one week ago my mother passed away. Last year, I wrote a very depressing post about her death, but this year I didnt post anything at all. It was a really busy week last week and although I didnt have time to reflect last week, its important to make time.
I can go weeks without thinking about her. Maybe that's because in the end, we werent all that close. Maybe that's because I have a very bad memory when it comes it comes to my childhood. Maybe I'm just a cold person. Or maybe I'm normal.
I still dont like to give the details surrounding my mother's death. I dont want the details of her death to cloud the details of her life. My mother was an amazingly creative person. She was also an alcoholic.
As much as I thought this was something she could just magically change about herself, I know now that it's not that easy. I used to roll my eyes when people talked about alcoholism as a "disease". But it is a disease. Maybe not like cancer or alzheimers, but it is still something that needs treatment and professional help and support to overcome.
I know my mother wanted something better for herself. I know she felt powerless to change her circumstances. I know she didnt want to be an alcoholic. I'm not making excuses. We all still have to be responsible for our choices. I know alcoholism runs in my family. I beleive it is genetic. I enjoy alcohol on occasion (when I'm not pregnant that is), but I know I cant let it be my only form of stress relief. I cant let it be the one thing that makes me forget about my worries and relax.
I wish I had answers for others that have family members that are alcoholics. I wish I knew just what they should say or do to help them. We tried it all. Provide financial assistance to ease the burden, don't provide any financial assistance so they cant buy alcohol, love them, hate them, get a court ordered stay in a rehab clinic, stage an intervention with all their friends, call the police, distance yourself. Done it all. Unfortunately, the Big Thing that makes alcoholism a different kind of disease than cancer is that the alcoholic has to want to change. To see that there is a problem. You can do all you can (and you should in my opinion-try it all) but it might not be enough.
I only got to spend 20 years with my mother. And let's be honest, most of us don't have the best recollection of our first 20 years. It is a big struggle for me to remember the good times. I know there were plenty of good times. I was my mother's everything. She went above and beyond for all my birthday parties. She always created the invitations by hand, often drawing elaborate fairies to covey the theme of the party. She could draw, she could sing, she could come up with simply amazing ideas. She graduated from college, traveled the world, worked very hard to buy her first house, had wonderful caring friends, was a wonderful caring friend, and was a beautiful person inside and out.
It's very hard to accept that my mother was a good person and an alcoholic. It's as if we are led to believe that you can not be both. Alcoholics must be bad people. I hope as I get older I will be able to make sense of it all, but I know that I might never be able to to. Can anyone make sense of alcoholism?
7 years and one week down.
Man, a 4 day business trip really takes a lot out of you!
I took exactly 2 pictures while I was away, one of my hotel room and one of the ocean view, but- I couldnt locate the USB cord this morning, so those pictures will come later.
Somehow, with 4 days and 3 nights at an ocean front resort, I never managed to actually make it down to the beach. I really wanted to take a walk, get my toes all sandy and take some pictures, but there was literally no time. We worked all day long and in the evenings. And just because, I got cold Tuesday night so I was not at my best.
The quick run down:
The Good News: My work week ends on Thursday because I have Friday OFF (and it's a comp day!!). 4 days until Bloggy Meet Up 2007!!!!!
