My friends! I’ve bitten the bullet and moved my blog over to Blogger. I plan to update regularly again (and I am sorry for the summer hiatus… it took me by surprise too!), so I look forward to seeing you again in my new digs!
Come say hi!
June 9, 2011
Disney Adventure — Firsts, Flashmobs, and Fantasyland
Thursday evening the hubs, J and I set out for Disneyland. We hadn’t gotten to go in a few months, and though she had visited before (proof:
)
this was the first time she was big enough to go on anything and potentially enjoy it. Stephen wanted to take her on the carousel, so that was our first stop. I was not completely convinced that she would be allowed to ride, but was quickly proven wrong. We found a horse and strapped her on and started documenting her first ride with all the thoroughness of a moon landing. I remember when I was young and would ride the carousel thinking that it must be no fun for the adults who had to tend to their kids instead of getting to ride.
How wrong I was. We probably had more fun than she did. It was so precious.
Next up was a trip on Small World, which is something of a sensory overload for a seven month old, I think. She sort of like it. Sort of.
A rare mom-baby photo. Usually I wield the camera.
Earlier, when we had arrived at the park, we could see there was some sort of media event going on, but I didn’t do my due diligence beforehand, so we didn’t know quite what. Had I done any research I would have known Thursday was the opening day of the new “Mickey’s Soundsational Summer” Parade and they were having a huge sort of VIP opening for it.
Lots of media guys.
Normally we’re not huge parade-watchers, but my sister’s boyfriend’s mom was involved in a flashmob which opened the parade (we knew there was going to be a flashmob, we just didn’t realize what it was for).
Finally the flashmob began. They faux-interrupted a speech.
Don’t they make you want to dance? Between this and the return of So You Think You Can Dance, I’m one step-ball-change away from signing up for jazz class.
By the time the flashmob was over, I was SO stoked to see the parade, which ended up being pretty great (not surprising, given it was Disneyland). The floats are themed to look like pop-up picture books, and were really gorgeous.
Click on read more for all the float-goodness.
June 1, 2011
Stumble: Yoga and Starbucks Water Cup Edition
This week I went to yoga. I love yoga. I am not very good at it (Ali would say I need to have “compassion for my practice,” and she’d be right, but my faint competitive streak comes out in these situations), but I am always calm and sore after, which is a nice combo. Anyways, she kicked our tailfeathers on Saturday morning, making us do things like dolphin:
All rights reserved by Richard-
Um, I had no idea my arms could bend like that. Although I definitely didn’t look like that.
Which apparently leads into things like peacock scorpion, which, I seriously doubt:
Photo by maureen miranda
When I got home I realized I had somehow managed to skin my elbow during all the dolphin-ing. It was weird.
As further evidence of my definite inability to be able to do any sort of freestanding armstand, today I attempted to use my very broken Starbucks cup (I dropped it on the way to work and the inner cup separated from the outer cup). I filled the sad cup at the water cooler (yes, we have a literal water cooler. No, no cool gossip or American Idol chitchat occurs there) and started on my way back to my office when I dropped said sad cup (I would like to blame this on its being broken, but let’s be honest) and it bounced and then splashed ALL OVER my sweet, pregnant co-worker who was using our copy machine. Also, the whole office is carpeted. I’ll just let all that sink in.
I got her some paper towels, I sopped up the water, I furtively swiped at the copier (I’m sure it’s fine…), we laughed and moved on but seriously. I cannot be trusted to do peacock scorpion! It’s a very, very bad idea!
Via Snuzzy
The end.
UPDATE: Ali informed me the above shots are of something called “scorpion,” which sounds rather more unpleasant than peacock, but is perhaps more appropriate.
May 25, 2011
Redundancy is Extremely Real
~~~
When I was pondering over what I could post for this week’s installment of pretty, happy, funny, real, I worried because it turns out there is only one thing I have taken pictures of this week. I’ll leave it to you to guess (how could you possibly) what that might have been. After despairing for a few moments, a light went on (I decided to cheat). WHAT could be more real than a mom who incessantly takes pictures of her child? Nothing, I tell you. So here we are.
Here you have the “evocative black and white quasi-profile shot.”
I like to call this one “Mommy please put down the camera and play with me.”
This one is my favorite:
There are more (oh, there are more. We’re just scratching the surface here, people) but they’re all from the same baby photoshoot, so I will spare you!
But oh! I just remembered I took some pictures at our church fair last week. And, is it just me, or does this:
Just look like the worst idea ever? Eek.
We had fun on the ground, though.
May 19, 2011
7 Things That Made Me Cry This Week
–UPDATE–
I’m adding an eighth because Becky made me cry today too.
–END UPDATE–
Listen, it doesn’t take a whole lot to make me cry. I can think of three things just today that did it (Note: this has not always been the case. Getting married nudged me in that direction and having a baby pushed me over the edge. I now cry with almost no prompting). Most of these are sweet, happy things. I actually think things that are sweet and happy make me cry more than sad things, which probably says something about me but I’m not sure I want to figure out what.
~1~
This video:
~2~
Simcha’s post on Robins. I understood it so well, and I’ve only had one, and that one only for six months!
~3~
There is an older woman whose home is adjacent to the parking lot I use at work. The area is a beautiful “old town” with 100 year old homes and huge trees and antique stores. This woman’s home was once beautiful too, but has fallen into disrepair. She has many, many (many many) cats running around her property and a good deal of broken down stuff in her front yard (imagine a scene from “Hoarders.” It’s like that.). The house gives off a smell that makes me think it isn’t ever cleaned. Maybe not in a decade or two. She is cheerful and always says hello when she’s outside, but isn’t outside often. The last couple of days I have noticed a dumpster out in front and today as I was walking to lunch I saw that all of her things were being piled up on the sidewalk and a man (who looked like a city worker, not a relative) was busily sweeping and throwing things away. She was sitting on her rocker, looking scared and sad. It was so heartbreaking. I hope very much that she is getting some help, as I think she needs it, but it was so hard to see.
~4~
This song:
I am so late to the Mumford and Sons party. I love this album, though. Total roll-down-all-the-windows-and-sing-loudly music.
~5~
PW’s post about her boys at Universal Orlando. Okay, this is an older story, but I cried lots when I read it the first time (and I just read it again and I misted up so it counts for this week!).
~6~
My hubby and I watched Pride and Prejudice last Friday (he lost a bet) and I cried. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve read that book and watched that movie and I still cried. The end gets me every time (and several parts in the middle, but that’s neither here nor there). I’d link to it, but I can’t find it, so just go and watch the last five minutes of the 2005 version. I know that version gets a lot of hate because of no Colin Firth and all, but I still love it and the (admittedly somewhat cheesy) ending.
~7~
This picture:
I mean, what is she, three?? Five and a half? Voting?? Going to college??? (at least I’m not dramatic about it, am I right?)
That was fun! Cathartic, anyway. Go see Jen over at Conversion Diary for other 7 Quick Takes that hopefully won’t be about crying.
Forgot the Flour 