Friday's Thoughts

Today is a day of random pictures that don't really "go" together.

It just feels like the right thing to do today, just be random.

So, this is how I look lately, I have a tumor growing on my left side. 

It has its own legs, arms, and a head.

I would have it surgically removed, but it is really cute.

Soon it will be walking on its own and I doubt I will look like this much longer.

Speaking of walking on its own, I'm giving it only another month before I'll have to really start running.

She much prefers to be on her own two feet even though she's incapable of doing so without assistance.

She can cruise along the furniture, walls, whatever is available.

She can walk behind her push toy, but can't steer.

She's even taken a few steps on her own when she didn't know daddy let go of her.

Of course, as soon as she realized she was on her own, she dove for the floor.

Good to know she's a little cautious.

This picture was about a month ago, she has much more hair now, Yay!

And it is starting to curl just a bit in the back, Yay again!

Oh my, it is almost June now!

Where has May gone?

We have more family visiting time planned this weekend.

She loves her cousin Ryan, even though it looks like she's trying to push him off the bench.

Apparently, she wanted to see something and he was in the way.

This pushiness is not unusual behavior for her.

She knows what she wants and has no problem letting us know.

I have a marigold growing in the cracks of the back patio.

I told you this would be random.

I didn't plant it there, yet still, it grows.

I wonder how long it will last considering I don't usually water the patio.

This is Holmes.

You probably remember him from earlier posts.

He wouldn't look at me.

Typical cat behavior.

He's very fluffy and pretty and soft.

I wish you could pet his picture so you could feel it too.

He looks harmless enough, however, this was shot not long after he clobbered Laci in the head.

Pushed passed his baby limit he lashed out at her.

He didn't scratch her.

He just sort of hooked her with his claws (all five of them) and held her there until I came to the rescue.

Can't say as I blame him.

She follows him and tortures him relentlessly all day long.

You would think he would learn to run away by now.

Running away is not on his agenda.  Yes, he has an agenda.  He's a cat.

That's about all the randomness I have for now.

I'm looking forward to a great long weekend with my family.

Ryan's overtime will be hitting hard soon so we have to enjoy our time together while we can.

Happy Friday.

Some days...

...we all just need a nap.

Peonies & Other Adventures

When Beth told me she wanted to drive 200 miles to buy some flowers I thought she was crazy.  Then I remembered two things about my sister:  one, she IS crazy, and two, she is really crazy about her flowers.  Have you seen her blog?  I mean, the girl planted a gajillion seeds in her garage this winter just for fun.  She has been researching this particular peony farm for months and was adamant that she was going there to purchase some peonies - her favorite flower.  Luckily for her, her sisters and mother are ridiculously supportive of her obsession and her extended family lives very close to the peony farm.  So, to the peony farm we all went.

We left for the Bay Area on Friday morning and I really think Beth would have preferred if we passed up Aunt Jen's house and headed straight to the peonies.  But, the agreement was we would be visiting the peonies Saturday morning at 9 am sharp!.  And I mean SHARP!!  Since this was supposed to be a relaxing weekend for me, I wasn't really in the mood to rush around Saturday morning to hurry to the peony farm.  I casually mentioned to Beth that maybe it would be OK if we didn't get to the peony farm exactly at 9 a.m., that perhaps 9:05 or even 9:10 would be acceptable.  Well, you would have thought I asked her to remove her right arm based on the death look I was given.  Alrighty then, 9 a.m. it is.  In actuality, we arrived at exactly 9:06 and thankfully, Beth did not have an aneurysm as a result of our tardiness.

The peony farm was actually pretty cool.  There were peonies everywhere, this lady specializes in growing them.  Beth was in her glory with all the flowers, and a fellow peony fanatic to talk to.

There were rows,

upon rows,

upon rows,

upon rows of peonies.

There were so many different colors and they really are a very pretty flower. 

While Beth chatted it up with the peony lady, I took a lot of pictures.

And more pictures.

And Laci practiced her walking.

If it weren't for Beth, I probably never would have seen the beautiful hills of Milpitas that we drove through to get to the peonies.  That part was very cool.  Since I was driving, I didn't get any pictures of the scenic drive up, but I did get this view from the peony farm.

After the peony excursion, we returned to the city where I was reminded that I'm a country bumpkin, driving a country bumpkin truck, in very unfriendly territory.  Seriously, I just don't understand city drivers.  Is it your goal to risk life and limb every time you drive to the store?  Oh, it isn't?  Well, you had me fooled.  

We had an awesome girls lunch at New Jersey's Cheese steaks, and an exciting trip to a two story Target.  You can tell I'm from the country when a two story Target is a big deal.  Heck, any Target is a big deal.  At least I wasn't taking pictures of the Target escalators like someone else I know, mom.  We returned to Aunt Jen's house after our adventures and finished our relaxing weekend with some tri-tip, Mad Gab, and lots of visiting.  Oh, and Beth had to tend to her flowers.

Laci was very good for most of the driving part of our trip, except the final hour on the way home when it was obvious she had spent entirely too much time in her car seat and not even Cheerios could help the situation.  To all parents who embark on road trips longer than three hours, I have profound respect for you.  You are much braver than I am. 

Happy Baby

So happy after a very rare two-hour morning nap.

Rosy cheeks.

Messy hair.

Big smile.

Pretty brown eyes.
Yes, today, they are brown.

Is it too much to ask for this everyday?

Going on a Road Trip

This morning, Laci and I are leaving on a girls-only road trip to see my "Aunty Jenny" and the rest of the family in the Bay Area.  Ryan is staying home to hold down the fort.  His eardrums are probably thanking him right now.  This could possibly be the loudest road trip anyone has ever taken - my mom, sisters, Laci and I - ummmmm, I don't think any of us has an "inside" voice.  I love my family, but truly, we are freakishly loud sometimes.  The best part is we'll probably all be talking at the same time, and I'm sure, at some point, I'll have to play the part of the parent and make everyone "BE QUIET!!!" so I can think for a minute while I'm driving.  Oh, the joys.  Hopefully Laci's little eardrums don't burst from the level of excitement they are about to experience.  Thank goodness it's only about a three hour drive.  Personally, I don't think even I could handle any more than that.  But seriously, I'm excited to spend so much time with my family and to create some new memories we won't soon forget.

My Herb Garden & Peppers Too

Since I'm so good at starting projects, I went out and bought a bunch of new plants the other day.  For the record, I actually did finish this project, well sort of.  Let me explain.  I got all the plants planted.  However, the part about keeping them alive all summer, well, we'll just have to see if I can stick that one out.

Instead of going with the usual variety of marigolds and other hearty plants, I decided to plant an herb garden.  I love to cook, but I hate going grocery shopping so I rarely, OK, NEVER, use fresh herbs.  I usually have Food Network on my TV all day long, and those guys are always using fresh herbs, and since most of my cooking inspiration comes from them, I need fresh herbs too.

The obvious solution:  plant my own herbs.

So I did.

Just the basics for now:

Basil, Chives, Parsley, & Thyme.

They smell soooo good, and I've already used some of the basil and the thyme.  I have two of each plant, but I'm already realizing I could probably use a few more.  Then again, let's see if I actually end up using these first, then maybe I'll plant more next year.

Oh yeah, and we also planted some Eisley Wax Peppers.

We have been looking for this type of pepper for two years now.  We've tried finding plants and even tried finding seeds, but no luck.  I found these guys this year at The Plant Barn, which is an awesome little nursery in Durham.  They aren't very hot and we plan on pickling some.  I told Ryan we'd be canning them, but he said actually we'd be jarring them, then I told him that you "can" in jars, and he, having worked in an actual cannery where canning means cans, just didn't agree.  Anyhow, they are going in jars with vinegar and lots of garlic and some other goodies so we can enjoy them for a while.  Guess that means there is another project on the horizon for me.  Hopefully, I'll finish that one too.

...nine months...

My baby girl is nine months old today.  She has now been out of womb for as long as she was in, which seemed significant until I wrote it.  Anyhow, she is growing and learning and amusing me and driving me crazy all at the same time.  She pulls herself up on anything and everything, sturdy or not, which makes for some precarious balancing moments and a few crashes here and there.  She especially loves to pull herself up on my legs, making any task that requires me to stand extra challenging.  Dishes and cooking have required new strategies as of late.  She cruises around the house using the furniture and walls for support, and sometimes she forgets that she really can't walk yet.  She just lets go and expects me to catch her, never mind that I'm on the other side of the room.  She actually can stand on her own for a few seconds before plopping down on her butt or diving for my arms for support.  It is so cute to watch her realize she can stand on her own - she looks really proud for a second, that is, until she realizes she's about to fall.  Then, terror!

She isn't a big eater, which surprises me.  She's only recently begun eating food again - she went on "strike" for about a month.  Must get that from her father.  No person in my family ever has a problem with consuming enough food.  Her chunky thighs and butt reassure me that she is certainly getting enough nourishment.  Lately, she is enjoying eating again, but only if she can put the food in her mouth herself.  Seriously, she refuses to eat from a spoon or fork, baby or regular, but if it's a chunk she can grab and put in her own mouth, then she'll gobble it up.  Cheerios are a definite favorite, along with peas and corn (which make for interesting diapers), carrots, pears, and french toast.  Actually, she gobbles anything she can grab, food or otherwise, though I doubt the gobbling is hunger-induced.  The other night she discovered dog food comes in nuggets just right for her little fingers and she is constantly finding things in the carpet that remind me I need to vacuum more often.

She babbles and yells a ton.  Seriously, the girl has some vocal cords.  Good to know she got something from me - lack of an "inside" voice.  She still loves her animals, they can always bring a smile to her face.  I'm pretty sure her first word will be "doggie" or "kitty" or maybe even "woof".  I'm really working on "mama" but so far all I can decipher is "Yay Yay Yay" repeated over and over while wildly shaking her head from side to side.  Weird, but cute and funny to watch.  She probably gets the "weird" from me too.

We love our sweet girl so much (obviously).  Who wouldn't?  I catch myself rocking her a little longer lately after she has fallen asleep, just to look at her sweet little face and watch her breathe and smell her sweet babyness.  I know it will be gone too soon.

A Dog Story: Lunati Gets a Gopher

Warning:  The gopher dies at the end.

Sorry, does that ruin the story for you?

You might remember that I have claimed to have gopher hunting dogs in the past,

but up until the other day, I didn't have any proof.

I submit exhibit A above.

Let me set the scene.

I am doing the dishes and looking out the window when I notice Lunati is looking very intently at something on the ground in front of her.  She keeps poking at it with her nose and won't let Bailee within ten feet of her.  I think maybe she has a gopher, but more likely it is a tennis ball, or stick, or something equally awesome.

For once, I remember to grab my camera before I go out the door.  Good thing, because sure enough, it IS a gopher.  And to her credit, there wasn't a cat in sight.  I can only assume she has caught it on her own.  Good girl!

You see, last year, our yard was covered with gopher mounds everywhere.  Lately, I've noticed there are significantly fewer gopher mounds than last year.  Unfortunately, the gopher mounds have been replaced with giant craters dug by the above mentioned "Good Girl" in the hopes of catching a pesky critter or two.  I guess it's a matter of deciding which is the lesser of two evils.

Here she is in action.

The gopher was full of fight and vigor when I made it outside.  About three minutes later, he lay very still, mortally wounded.  You know how cats play with their prey before killing it?  Ok, well, they do.  They sort of bat it around and let the little critter think it can escape, then they bat it around again until, well, it is no more.  That is, unless you're my blond kitty.  She prefers to play with the gopher for 30 minutes without wounding it at all, and then lets it go free.  Yeah, she's great at catching them, but absolutely useless in controlling them.  But this story isn't about blond kitty (yes, that is her full name), this story is about Lunati.   

Lunati pretty much does the same thing as a cat, except instead of batting it around with her paws, she pokes it with her nose.  No biting, just nose punching, and quickly, because the little booger tried to bite her every time she got close.  At this point, if Ryan were home, he would have retrieved a shovel, popped the gopher on the head (to ensure its death), and put it in the trash.  That way we don't end up with half dead gophers in the house, which has happened before, but I'll spare you the details for today.  I couldn't bring myself to do that.  I couldn't even bring myself to watch the end of the killing.  Guess I'm not so country after all.  I took a few pictures and left Lunati to her kill, which she guarded carefully. 

Now, what should be the climax of my story is the part I didn't stick around for.  I know she killed the little guy, but I have no idea if she ate it, buried it, lost it, or hid it.  I meant to go back and check, but as with most things I try to remember lately, I forgot - surely I was distracted by something more important like a poopy diaper, a booger to wipe, or another load of laundry.

The moral of the story is:

If you have a gopher problem,

buy a cow dog,

then deprive it of cows for seven years and it will find a new job digging for gophers.

The End.

Mother's Day

This Mother's Day was the best I've ever had.  Ok, so I am aware that this was my first Mother's Day (as a mother), but still, it couldn't have been any better.  The best part about it was that it was just one of those days that was great without having to plan it.  The greatness just happened.  We were still up camping in the woods and I got to wake up to these two beautiful faces.

We didn't do anything super special.

It was just a special day in that we spent the entire day together as a family.

No interruptions, no TV, no computer, no chores, no "shop" time.

I got to do my favorite thing:  cook for my family.

Laci ate her first pancake and of course, loved it.

We packed up camp later in the afternoon and headed down the hill.

Ryan was driving and I was fighting the open mouth head bobs all the way down.

Why is it that whenever I fall asleep in a car, my mouth has to open and I drool all over?

Gross.

But true.

When we got home, my sweet husband almost completely unloaded the trailer for me

and even started the laundry.

It felt like Mother's Day continued on to Monday.

It was raining outside, so we spent the entire day in our pajama's just hanging out.

Ryan helped chase Laci most of the day and helped with the mountain of laundry from camping.

It doesn't sound that great as I write it here, but I remember feeling very relaxed and happy all day.

What more could I ask for?

I have to admit this mothering thing is tough...tougher than one would imagine.

It is also the best part of my life right now.

Watching my little girl grow and learn is so amazing.

She makes me smile everyday.

I'm still a rookie, but I have a lot of great examples in my life to follow,

especially my own mom.

She knows how much I love her and need her,

but I'm sure it doesn't hurt to mention it here again.

I can only hope I do as good a job for Laci as my mom has done for me.

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day to all the mama's out there.

I just want to let you know you're doing a great job,

even when you feel like running out of the house screaming like a crazy person.

(I'm not the only one that feels that way, am I?)

I hope your day was as good as mine.

Fall River Camping Trip

We went on our first camping trip in Roy this past weekend and had a blast.  Can you really call it camping if you can take your bedroom, kitchen, and most importantly, bathroom, with you?  In the past I would have said no way, but I've been converted.  I'm just not cut out for tents and open air bathrooms anymore.  I think that means I'm getting old, but really, I don't care.  Even with a few RV glitches, we had a really great time.

"What kind of glitches?" you ask.  Oh, you didn't ask?  Too bad, I'll tell you anyway.

Glitches like a CD player that can turn itself on at random times of the day and night, like at 3:30 in the morning.  Glitches like a propane sensor that we thought was a carbon monoxide sensor that kept going off on our first night there, which prevented us from running the generator that night, which prevented us from running the heater that night, which left us at a chilly 47 degrees by Saturday morning.  Glitches like a real carbon monoxide sensor that decided to go off the second night, at about 12:30 am, which prevented us from running the generator again, except this time, we realized we can run the heater without the generator.  This information would have been very helpful the night before.  Can you tell we're RV rookies?  At this point, both sensors have been violently carefully removed from the trailer by way of wire cutters.  Don't worry, we'll replace them...maybe.  Is warmth more important than carbon monoxide poisoning?  Hmmmm, I'll have to think about that one.

Laci did pretty well on her first camping trip.  She finally remembered how to sleep Saturday afternoon.  Too many dogs, people and quads kept her awake most of the weekend.  She's always afraid she'll miss something.  She's at the in between crawling and walking stage and she just wanted to be down on the ground most of the time.  I wouldn't have minded the dirt, except she wanted to eat it.  I actually wished she could walk, until I remembered I would have to chase her then.  At the rate she's going now, she probably will be walking by our next trip.  Laci got to go for a ride in the Rhino and loved it, that is, until she fell asleep.  She's still not too sure about quads, though.  Silly baby - what's the difference?

It has been about a year and a half since Ryan and I have been camping.  I really miss it, it is one of the things that brought us together.  With his crazy summer work schedule though, camping is a rare occasion for us.  I'm really hoping we can squeeze in another trip before the overtime starts, but I fear this one trip might be it until Fall.  At least he was smart enough to take off two days after our trip as well.  We needed the two days to recuperate from all the fun.  We spent all day yesterday in our pj's just hanging out and doing laundry.  Today, Ryan is out mowing the weeds that seemed to have grown two feet while we were gone for the weekend.

Camping has taken on a new look for us.

I think I like it.

Too cute...and I think she knows it.

"How do you turn this thing on?"

"Why do you keep pointing that thing at me?"

"Is this really necessary?"

"Hi Aunt Deena. 

I think you're really cool. 

Especially with this really cool mug you have. 

Let's be friends."

We ate lots, as usual. 

 Why does everything taste so much better in the mountains?

Mmmmm...S'mores.

Happy Cousin Evan.

Not so happy Cousin Evan.

We did lots of this too.

What are we doing?

Staring at the fire, telling stories, doing nothing.

Isn't it great?

Two of my favorite camping things:  Fire and Ryan.

Fire is cool.

Yeah, I'm a pyro at heart.

I can't help it, I think it's genetic.

I love it, except for the smoke smell that permeates everything.

I wish fire didn't have smoke.

Then it would be perfect.

So, was I even there?

As usual, I spent the weekend behind the camera.

Oh wait, there is ONE picture of me:

Tending the fire.  Go figure.

I'm disappointed I didn't take more pictures while we were there, but it isn't always convenient to have a camera strapped to your neck.  Especially with a grabby baby around.  And I forgot my camera when I rode around the mountain with Ryan.  Bummer, because the scenery was much prettier around our campsite than in it.  More pictures next time, for sure.