July 2011 Six Pix

Most of the time it's just entirely too difficult to choose ONLY 6 photos.  This was one of those months.  So here are my EIGHT photos for July Six Pix.

My little Jaynie's rainbow toes.  I just can't get enough of those chubby little feet.  So very cute.

 

One of MANY backyard pool parties.  We most definitely got our money's worth out of that pool.  It has sprayers all over the orange thing so you can play in the pool even as it's filling up.  Jayna spent many a hot, humid day in that pool.  And I even got in there a few times.

 

We watched Laura and Lee's dogs this month.  This is Lani...she watches television.  It is the most hilarious thing ever...especially if you turn on Animal Planet.

 

"Look mommy!!  I drew a centipede!!"  I then relayed to Jayna that I am deathly afraid of centipedes.  So, what did she do?  She took red chalk and drew a line by it's face.  She then said, "See mommy...now it has a mustache.  You CAN'T be afraid of a centipede with a mustache."

 

Jayna is in that splash of water.  She LOVES waterslides!!  Every week after swim lessons, the kids get a few times to go down the slide and Jayna gets back in line EVERY TIME to do it again. 

 

Two princesses having a worldly discussion...probably about politics.  Or Barbies.  Who can tell?  :)  Layla and Jayna play so well together.  It's nice since I'm sort of friends with Layla's parents. Ha.

 

Jayna and I resting after a LONG weekend in the sun.  See my face?  Yep...I'm fried.  Oh, and Jayna is wearing her stylish home-decorated eye patch.  Maybe she won't have to have surgery.  (Okay...she DID have surgery...6 months later.)

 

Chris helping Jayna at swim lessons.  She's such a trooper.  Look at that resolve on her face!!  She doesn't give up easily at anything...a good trait to possess. 

 

 

July was a busy month for us!  How about you?

Together on Tuesday: Annual Tradition

I've always had to share my birthday with a huge event that happens close to where I live. 

My birthday isn't always on the same day as this event, but it's almost always during the weekend that I'd celebrate my birthday. 

Makes it hard to plan a party that people will actually COME to.

It's May here in my hometown.  Well, I suppose it's May EVERYWHERE.  But May is special where I live. 

It's the month of the Indy 500.

My birthday is ALWAYS, without a doubt, just days away from this race.  And it's also ALWAYS, without a doubt, right around Memorial Day weekend. 

Do you know how many people attend the Indy 500?  Yeah...like a jillion.  And probably 15 or so of those people are my friends.  Do you know how many people take Memorial Day weekend to go out of town and celebrate the impending summer by visiting lakes, pools, and amusement parks?  Yep...another jillion.  And probably 15 of those are my friends.  And since I only have 30 friends, that would make for a pretty boring birthday party. :)

And how many of you would be surprised to learn that this post is NOT about the Indy 500 OR Memorial Day weekend OR my birthday?

None?  Yeah...I didn't think so.

Today I'm linking up with Michelle at After 9 and Some Weekends, Charlotte at The Dog Days of Life, Nancy at Purple Peaches and Sarah at Just Living (YAY!!  Another new face!!) and we're talking about local events that have become part of our lives.  (Tish is having some technical difficulties and will be joining us soon.  Hang in there!)

Here is the topic in all of it's formality: 

"What local annual event in your current (or childhood) area has become engrained as part of who you are? What makes this event so special? What traditions do your family and/or friends have? What memories does the event bring back when you celebrate or attend each year? Have you ever had to miss the event and if so, how did that make you feel? If you have moved away, how far would you travel to come back each year? Is it important to you to pass this event onto your children and/or new comers to the area, or do you prefer to let them find or create their own traditions?"

This was a hard one for me.  I've done some soul searching though, and I've come up with some things.  (I guess not really soul searching.  More like memory searching which coincidentally is much more difficult than soul searching these days.)

When I was young, we went to the annual Circle of Lights in downtown Indy.  I hope to eventually carry on this tradition, but Jayna was just a bit too young in the past years.  Maybe this year or hopefully next we'll be able to take her and she'll withstand the cold and the crowd.

Anyhoo...many of the things that we do annually aren't events in our area.  We have created our own traditions and things.  We have an annual family zoo trip with my family.  We have an annual Indiana Beach trip with Chris' parents.  We try and have either Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve at our house every year.  If we have Christmas Eve, we make gingerbread houses.  We go to the pumpkin patch every year.  We have begun an annual trip to the Children's Museum before Christmas.  We do a lot of things yearly, but they are unfortunately not local events.

Last year's carousel ride at the Annual Indy Zoo trip.

(Look how little the kids look!!!  And that was only a year ago!!)

Annual Christmas Eve gingerbread houses in 2010.

Annual Children's Museum trip to "ride the yule slide."

This was 2011 with the Vidals.  Layla and Jayna have a great time together!

Jayna and Pappaw in 2010 at the Annual Indiana Beach trip.  Chris' parents have a house on a lake near Indiana  Beach, so it's an easy and fairly cheap trip, but Jayna has the time of her life!

Annual pumpkin patch trip from 2009.  Look how teeny Jaynie is!!

There is one local event that we have attended for 2 years now and plan on attending every year.  Our local Irish Fest is the most awesome festival there is.  There are many, many musical acts.  There are Irish dog demonstrations.  There are tons of bagpipe players.  There are demonstrations on how to stamp leather.  There are many Irish dancers.  There is more Irish food than you could ever eat in 3 days.  And, of course, there's Irish beer. :) 

And no...we aren't Irish.  I just thought I'd answer that burning question right away.

I LOVE it.  Jayna LOVES it.  And...well, Chris loves it too.  Jayna's favorite part is this:

These gals (AND GUYS!) can seriously and quite literally dance a jig!!  Fantastic!

Last year we even bought her a jingle skirt (that isn't at ALL Irish) so she could dance along with the Irish step dancers. 

Jayna dancing in her jingle skirt.

I don't have a favorite part.  I love it all.  The dancing, the kilts, the food, the heritage, the beer.  I love the vendors who sell their handmade goods and even the ones who rope me into buying a jingle skirt that is more Indian than it is Irish.  We plan on making this an annual event for many years to come.

I don't plan on moving, so I'm not sure I'd travel for this.  It is important to me to help teach Jayna about other cultures.  This festival is rich in Irish culture.  It's a learning experience as much as a fun time.  And I tell EVERYONE I KNOW about Irish Fest!!  Why wouldn't they want to know?!? :)

I'm already looking forward to it again this year.  September can't get here soon enough.  I even prepurchase our tickets.  I'm THAT into this thing.

So...what do YOU do in your community that has become tradition?  Have you made your own traditions?  What are they?  I'd love to hear them!!

Now go and use those links in the beginning of this post and read what Michelle, Charlotte, Nancy and Sarah have to say!!  And see you all next Tuesday!

Together on Tuesday: Workin' for a Livin'

So yesterday was Tuesday and conincidentally, Michelle over at After 9 and Some Weekends was the only one to actually post on Tuesday!  We are all just outstanding with timing. :)
For serious though, I was busy all day yesterday...from the time I woke up late to the time I fell asleep on the couch at 9pm.  If I fall asleep on the couch, that means I'm tired and that even if I were awake, I'd be a fairly useless waste of space. 

After you finish up here, head on over to Michelle at After 9 and Some Weekends, Charlotte at The Dog Days of Life and Nancy at Purple Peaches and see what they have to say (if they're caught up.  Be patient...we all have busy moments in life.)

Today's topic is something that is near and dear to my heart.  I have a desk job and I go stir crazy.  I am the creative type and there is NOTHING creative about a desk job.  Seriously.  It bores me senseless on some days, but it is reliable, provides me with benefits that are very needed in this day and age and puts food on the table.  At this point in my life, I can't give all that up and risk going for broke.  I have a child and other responsibilities that force me to act responsibly. 

So here it is:  What is your dream job?  How would this job affect your ability to be a mother, wife, etc.?  Would you go back to school?  Would you relocate? 

"I want to sing and dance.  I want to sing and dance.  I want to be a pirate in the Pirates of Penzance.  Wear me silver buckle slippers and me tight shiny pants.  I want to sing and dance."

Whoever gets that reference gets 10 bonus points.

Really I don't want to sing and dance.  In fact, I'm pretty bad at both.

First of all, I actually know some people who have something close to my dream job.  And they actually LOVE what they do.  I think that makes it harder and easier at the same time.  See, my dream job is unconventional. 

I want to create things and sell them.

That is the long and short of it.  Would you like me to be more specific?  Okay.

Knowing people who do this?  Well, that just makes me slightly jealous.  BUT...it gives me hope that it can be done effectively.

I have many creative interests.  And I'm actually pretty good at a lot of creative things.  I can hold my own with a crochet hook.  I can paint.  I can scrapbook.  I can effectively repurpose furniture.  I can use power tools.  I can bake AND decorate.  And I simply LOVE all of those things.

I basically want to be Martha Stewart minus the felony conviction and jail sentence.

This will absolutely not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me.  They all know that I love all of those things.  Many of them think I'm wierd for it.  Many of them think it's pretty cool.  They all know that they can ask me a vast array of questions regarding crafty and creative things and I'll help out.  I've made many decorated cupcakes for friend's kid's birthday parties.  I've made invitations for those parties.  I've painted paintings and murals for friends.  I've made scrapbooks for more people than I can count.  I've crocheted things for friends.  I even recently redid a piece of furniture to suit my needs.  And I do it ALL FOR FREE because I love my friends.  Now if I could only find a way to get paid for it...

A few years ago I asked Chris if I could quit my job and become an event planner.  I'd start small with kid's birthday parties and stuff and then work my way up to weddings.  He then asked me if I was on serious drugs. :)

For what it's worth, I really do think I'd be good at it.  I just don't know if I could make a living out of it.

My friend Kelly owns her own business called FireWheel Tie Dye.  She tie dyes things and then sells them at Farmer's Markets and things.  She is fabulous!  I have 2 ombre dyed scarves from her and I wear them often.  I envy her. 

This is one of Kelly's beautiful ombre dyed scarves.  She's fabulous.  Check her out of Facebook at FireWheel Tie Dye.

There is a woman who lives near me who makes her living like this and as a blogger.  Her name is Beckie.  She doesn't know I even exist, but I read her blog religiously and love some of the things she comes up with.  Find her here at Infarrantly Creative.

Would I relocate for it?  Nope.  As much as I complain about Indiana weather, I do really like living here most of the time amongst family and friends.  Would I go back to school for it?  In a heartbeat!  If I could've gotten paid to go to college, I'd still be there.  I LOVE learning. 

How would it affect my ability to be a mother, wife, etc.?  I actually think it would have a positive impact on my parenting skills.  I would be working from home, so I could come and go as I pleased and have Jayna there with me.  When she goes to school, I'd be able to pick her up and drop her off and take her to various classes, events, etc.  I'd have more time to do household things since I'd automatically be there.  And it would be great for Jayna and Chris if I were doing what truly makes me happy.

Here is a random sampling of my creative life, past and present:

This is one of my more recent projects.  I needed a cabinet to house my bedroom television, computer and junk, but I also need it to be something I could sit at and use the computer.

This is what it looks like when you open it.  The printer shelf slides out to access the scanner and the top drawer hinges down so the keyboard can slide out to be used.  Thank you, dad and Chris for your help!!!



This is the inside of one of my baby books.  I have about 5 of these to finish up for various people.  I just need to DO IT!!  

First of all, sorry for how terrible I look in that picture.  That was the day we had to let go of Morgan.  I finished crocheting that cowl (THAT I LOVE BY THE WAY) to keep my mind off of it.  I hope KT's mom (or KT if she kept it) likes it!

Spiderman cupcake toppers for Chance's birthday.  They just sit on top of the icing.  They were way cute. :) 

Crocheted flower hair barrettes for Jayna's girl friends for Valentine's Day last year.  I STILL have people asking for more of those. 

Picture frame wreath for the front door at Christmas.  My mom and Aunt Mary and I made these.  Sorry for the terrible pic.  It was night, it was 10 degrees and I can say that I probably was taking it without shoes on. 

Homemade Christmas gifts:  The pink jar is salt and sugar peppermint foot scrub.  Totally organic.  The left one is vanilla brown sugar body scrub.  Again, totally organic.  And the little one is chocolate mint lip balm.  And it is also totally organic.  I still use ALL of these.  I'm on my third batch of brown sugar.  Soooo good for your skin. 

This is the first page of my 2012 Project Life album.  I love it.  And thank you Nancy at Purple Peaches for those AWESOME photos!!! 

I had an old canvas that had dimensional tape all over it that I couldn't peel off.  I couldn't bring myself to toss it, so I joint compounded over it and made it a painting.  I love it. And of course I love The Beatles. :) 

The tree in Jayna's room.  Although now the coral flowers are orange.  My JBird and her orange.  Orange this, orange that.  You'd think with her princess complex that she'd love pink.  Nope.  Orange it is.  I also painted them orange to match her new bedding. 

Fondant cows for Layla's first birthday.  I have never had more fun making something out of fondant.  I think they're pretty cute. :) 

Mickey Mouse Club House cupcakes.  Stars, gears and Mickey ears for Kaesyn's second birthday.  I loved this project too.

WOW!!  This entry is LONG!!  No wonder it took me 2 days to write it!  Good thing I only wrote about ONE of my dream jobs...

What do y'all want to do with yourselves in a perfect world?  Are you okay with your current job or do you yearn to do something completely different?

Now head on over to Michelle, Charlotte and Nancy and see what they want to do for a living!

A Random Update

It has occurred to me that I haven't blogged about Jayna in a long time. 

Here I got all upset about never blogging about anything else and then I just went and forgot about her. 

I'm sure she's all broken up about it. 

I tried to add a video to this post, but the video is too long.  I had a specific reason for uploading said video, but I guess y'all will just have to wait until I shorten it up (nearly IMPOSSIBLE to edit out my little JBird) to get the full picture.

Jayna is 3 years and almost 8 months old.  This makes me want to vomit.  I am having so much trouble with the fact that she's so smart and cute and she's going to grow up and continue to be smart and cute and I'm going to have to deal with that.  I don't envy myself AT. ALL.

She can spell up to 5 letter words now.  We work on this everyday and she loves it.  She loves that she can do it herself and doesn't have to ask me how to spell things.  She wrote G-R-I-L on her chalkboard in the kitchen last week while we were cooking dinner.  I said, "Jayna!!  You spelled 'grill!'  Great job!!"  She said, "Daddy's grilling the chicken, so I wrote 'grill.'"  Fair enough logic, I suppose.

She can now add in her head to a certain degree.  A few days ago I was explaining how the weathermen were 10 degrees off of what they said the temperature would be.  She quickly said, "Mommy!!  That's called math!  Kind of like 5 plus 3."  I played along and said, "So what does 5 plus 3 equal?"  She held up 5 fingers on one hand, three on the other and then counted them.  That's a wonderfully surprising first step at age not-even-4 to get the hang of adding.  Last night she was eating 8 jelly beans and 3 princess candies for dessert.  She looked in her bowl, looked up at me and said, "I have 8 jelly beans and 3 princess candies.  That makes....(paused as she looked up at the sky)...11!!!  Mommy!! I added my candies!"  She didn't even have to use her fingers!!  I gave her 3 more easy adding problems and she did them all correctly without her fingers.  On the 4th one, which was 9 plus 9, she gave up.  But again, great first steps here.

She is kind and polite and caring and emotional and loving and sassy.  A few mornings ago, her preschool teacher asked her a question that Jayna answers the same way EVERYTIME she's asked and Jayna responded with, "Why you ask me that question when you know the answer?"  She didn't say it like she was being a smartass or anything and even though I was laughing on the inside, I told her that that isn't a proper response when someone asks her a question.  Hilarious. :)

She loves to cuddle.  She regularly compliments me on my jewelry, my clothes, my hair.  She tells me I'm smart and she says her daddy is the best guitar player she knows.  She is a fierce fashionista.  She regularly asks Chris for different clothes than the ones he picks out for her in the morning.  She does it to me, too, but I just get frustrated and make her pick out her own clothes.  The results are pretty interesting when that happens.

She loves to tell stories.  Mostly about princesses getting married, but there are always some original elements in there.  Over the weekend she told Chris and me a story where "the rabbit turned into a froggy and then into a car...and then he stayed a car for awhile." 

She loves for Chris and I to tell her what we do during the day at work.  She's fascinated by it.  She'll ask me what I did and I'll start to tell her.  She'll almost immediately interrupt me and ask, "Did you type perials?"  That's her word for "proposal."  Her latest is, "Did you send any mailtypes?"  That's her way of saying "emails."  She's so cute I could die of the overload.

She loves to learn new things.  She knows about trees and photosynthesis and her immune system and phases of the moon and where the sun rises and where it sets.  She likes to do hands on things ESPECIALLY if you're teaching her these things.  She helped me plant the entire garden and also helps me take care of it.  She likes to help Chris build things and she likes to help me paint furniture.  She LOVES technology and learning about computers and how to use them and she can work the iPad better than Chris and I can.  She loves her learning apps and her playing apps alike. 

She helps me do things around the house to earn an allowance.  She sets the dinner table.  She helps me sort laundry.  She helps put dishes in the sink.  She puts the silverware away from the dishwasher.  She helps with Ollie.  And I don't MAKE her do any of it.  She wants to help.  She knows that 4 hands get things done more quickly than 2 and that we'll have more time to play if she helps out.  And while that isn't always true when you've got a 3-year-old helping me, I NEVER turn her down.  I let her help me do anything she wants to help with.

She loves her Ollie more than words can say.  She is kind and gentle to him.  He comes up on her bed everynight for family story time and singing bedtime songs.  And then she hugs and kisses him goodnight.  She helps with giving him treats and feeding him and letting him in and out to go potty.  She calls him "buddy" all the time.  It's very adorable.  "Come on in, buddy.  It's raining out there."

Her current favorite toy is a piece of multi-colored yarn that I gave her a long time ago.  It's probably 8 feet long.  She ties her swings together in the backyard.  She tucks the end into her pants and lets it drag behind her so "her prince can find her."  She made a bridge for bugs over the garden with it.  We loop it around the tree and the garden post to make a finish line for our races.  She uses it as horse reins on her glider.  She has had more fun with that piece of yarn than anyone ever should.  And I think it is the most creative and cute thing she's probably ever done.

Don't you worry!!  She has her troublesome points too.  A few weeks ago, she got 4 time outs in ONE WEEK because she wouldn't stop listening to an older little girl during rest time.  Jayna and this other little girl are the only 2 who don't take naps anymore, so they lay on bean bag chairs in the common room for 30 minutes while the other kids fall asleep in the nap room.  The older little girl kept talking to Jayna and telling her to do things that kept getting her into trouble.  It happened once and I promptly had a talk with her about peer pressure (although I didn't use those words) and about how she should ignore this other kid when it was time to rest, learn, be quiet, etc.  She said, "Ignoring my friends is mean.  I'm a nice girl."  It took an entire week to convince her that it was, in fact, the appropriate thing to do.  And now she regularly ignores this other kid even when she doesn't have to.  She told me earlier this week, "So-and-so wanted to play a game and I didn't want to play.  She kept asking me so I just ignored her.  She cheats anyway."  :)

She regularly gets whiny when she's tired.  She doesn't want to finish her dinner but still wants dessert.  She doesn't want to drink her milk before having lemonade.  She can throw a tantrum with the best of them.  She has an attitude, people.  Pure sass.  And she isn't afraid to use it. 

Overall, I love being her mom.  I get sad and sentimental at times that she will indeed grow up.  Doesn't every parent have that?  I worry about her.  I worry about if I'm doing the right thing.  I worry if I'm somehow making her grow up too fast or if I'm trying to keep her little for too long.  I worry about when she's a teenager.  I worry that I won't teach the right lessons or set a good enough example for her.  And I worry about really bad things too like kidnapping and things like that.  I...I worry.

I just want to keep her safe, let her flourish as her own little person and show her what it means to love and be loved.  That's all. :)

Drawing of Jayna wearing a crown while playing with her infamous yarn.  I'm the one at the top. 

Helping plant and water. 

 Helping build the garden.

Cuddles with the JBird.

I thought I was just putting baby wash into the bath.  Turned out to be bubble bath.  The ratio of bubbles to water was about 10:1.  And it was the highlight of the weekend. 

Planted garden.  Jayna dug in there more than I did. 

Playing iPad.  Probably Tiny Zoo.  That's one of the 2 apps she needs help with...mostly because I won't let her buy stuff from it.  

The wine cork plant markers that Jayna helped me make and place.  She loves to do anything crafty.

So that's what's going on!!  Consider yourselves updated!! :)

Together on Tuesday: Famous People? Hmm...

So, go figure.  The ONE week Michelle over at After 9 and Some Weekends gets her Tuesday post finished EARLY is the ONE week that I'm a day late.  I suppose that balances us out.  Or something.

In my defense, I DID write a follow-up to last Tuesday's post, so there's that.  Or something.

Anyhoo.

So this week's topic is an interview with a famous person.  I think this may have been a little too broad.

I am supposed to pick ONE famous person?  Of ANY kind?  Living or dead?  No constraints?  Yep.  Tooooo broad.

I'm not sure I can pick just one.  I have probably 10 people in mind and all for completely different reasons. 

Mike Lowell to get a good picture of what it's like to be a professional athlete for years and STILL manage to be a class act.  That man is perfect.  Seriously.

Martha Stewart to ask her HOW IN THE HELL SHE KNOWS ALL THAT STUFF.  I mean, come on.  Even if you don't "like" the woman, you have to admit that what she does is impressive. 

Austin Kleon to get some good solid and TRUTHFUL advice on how to become an outstanding artist and get someone to NOTICE.

Jack White to get an idea of what a creative process really entails...and also how he juggles playing several instruments in several different formations of a band across many genres of music.  Amazing.

Kurt Vonnegut because I think he'd be incredibly inspirational regarding writing.  I would just ask him nonsense questions just to get his answers.  That man can't say something stupid.  It's all insightful and honest.  And hilarious.

Jennifer Garner so I could figure out how she was in the limelight for quite a few years and still kept her privacy and wits about her.  And I'd take some parenting advice from her also.

But after all of this, I think who I'd really choose is fictional.

I'd interview Walter White.  From Breaking Bad.

I'm sure you're all still tired of me talking about Breaking Bad from last week.  But I'm going to do it anyway.

I have chosen him because I think that while he is a celebrity character, he isn't far from real life people who "do what they gotta do."  I mean, we all have to survive one way or another and when it comes down to it, you never know what you'll do in a situation until you're SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. 

We can all speculate.  "No way!!  I'd never make meth to pay my hospital bills from my debilitating cancer that could potentially force my family to become homeless after I inevitably die anyway!!  Not a chance!!!"  But you really don't know what you'd do until you're experiencing something.

I'd ask him questions.  Oh boy, would I ask him questions.  Here are a few that come to mind:

• What do you think about moral fiber?  Does what you've done have any bearing on who you think you are as a moral being? 
• Do you take any responsibility for the fact that you are supplying people with a drug that will potentially end their lives or cause them to end the lives of others?  If yes, then how do you sleep at night?  If no, why not? 
• Do the secrets get more and more difficult to keep?  How do you cope with feeling alone all the time because you can't talk to many people?
• How do you view Jesse?  Like a son?  Like a business partner?  Like a moron?
• Do you believe that you're in so deep that you can't get out?  How would you get out?  How many human lives are expendable so you can live your life?
• Will you ever come clean to Walter Junior?  Do you think it's necessary or is it too big of a risk?

I could still go on forever. 

I found this topic to be the most intimidating.  That being said, I could also see this being a recurring topic that could be narrowed down a little (or a LOT) and be more effective and focused.

Now, go over to After 9 and Some Weekends and see who Michelle had a face-to-face with (hypothetically, of course).

Who would you want to have a chat with?  Anyone specific?  Alive?  Dead?  Why?

Together On Tuesday: Kid Free Vacay

Chris and I rarely leave Jayna for more than just an overnight at Nana's.  I can actually count on ONE hand the amount of times that we've left her anywhere for more than just one night. 

That being said, we don't mind leaving her.  Not anymore atleast.  It used to be a gigantic deal to go somewhere for a weekend, or heaven forbid, FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS (like when we went to Tennessee for Erik and Janette's wedding), but now we're just all, "HEY!!  You want us to come have adult time in a different state for 3 days?!?  SURE!!  Just let us find a place to board our kid!!"

We don't actually say that.  We ask one of the Nanas and they're usually happy to oblige.  And Jayna couldn't be happier to get away from us for more than just one night.  I mean she wouldn't really need us at all if she were taller and could drive.  True story right there, people.

So sometime in late February I got a text from my good friend Mark asking if we wanted to come to Louisville at the beginning of March and go to the Buffett concert with him and his lovely wife Charlotte.  Charlotte and I are a lot alike...you know, drinking, cursing lunatics with loose morals (love you, Charlotte!).  I love to hang out with the 2 of them and I was excited to get away from life for just one extra day.  We decided that we'd go down there on Friday morning and come home Sunday. 

It occurred to me about a week before we were scheduled to leave that we'd probably need something to do on Friday while Mark and Charlotte were being responsible adults and...um...working.  I went to Louisville's tourist website and was reminded that a little piece of something I love was made there.  LOUISVILLE SLUGGER BASEBALL BATS!!!!

Y'all, I was probably more excited about that part than I was anything else.  So we got to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory early Friday morning.  My agoraphobia got the best of me and I thought I was going to pass out for a minute, but I pulled myself together, sir, and pressed on.  I LOVED it.  I have pictures of some hilarious things...unfortunately, my photos aren't downloaded from my camera.  BUT...I have iPhone pics.  Probably more of those than camera pics.

Even if you don't LOVE baseball and only like it a little, I suggest you go on the tour of the factory.  It is fascinating to watch the different methods of how baseball bats are made, how they're branded and how they're stained.  It's really outstanding.  We even got to watch some old guy who is part of the family Louisville Slugger is owned by hand lathe a bat.  Simply fascinating.  It's a true art form.

The Louisville Science Center has a travelling exhibit right now called GUITAR:  The Instrument That Rocked The World.  So of course we had to go there.  It was a so-so exhibit.  I probably didn't enjoy it as much as Chris and/or Mark.  They play the instrument, I don't.  I did enjoy seeing all of the formations of a guitar from across the world and through time.  We saw one guitar made out of an armadillo shell!!

Overall, the Science Center is a great place for kids who like to do hands on things.  There is a ton of that sort of thing there.  We tried to encapsulate ourselves in a giant bubble (FAIL).  We made a piano play using pressure and hot air (SUCCESS...but I couldn't tell you how) and we built structures to see how sound they were under stresses such as shaking and quaking (FAIL).

We also did something extremely unexpected...we went, wait for it, SHOOTING.  As in I shot a gun.  TWO guns actually!  It was more fun than I ever imagined it would be.  I've always been terrified of guns.  This took a little of the fear away and taught me that learning about any subject/activity/etc. can take the edge off of the fear.  I still don't think I'll ever own a gun, but I'm a little more comfortable with gun safety and shooting them. 

And, of course we went to the concert!!  Jimmy was outstanding!! He sang so many older songs that it was like being at one of his concerts from when I was in my early 20's.  We had lots of fun there and drank toooo much cheap expensive beer, ifyaknowwhatimean.

Overall, the trip was a huge success.  We're busy people.  So are Mark and Charlotte.  And we always wish we could see them and hang out, but we rarely ever get to.  This was a great getaway for just 3 days and we did so much catching up...and drinking.  I even hugged a horse statue!! :)

I think most of all, it was just good to hang out with adults and do what we wanted when we wanted.  We also got our doggie fix as Mark and Charlotte have 2 dogs, Eli and Austin.  Eli is a tiny dog with a HUGE personality (and a complex) and Austin is a giant kid. :)  Louisville is a surprisingly fun city too.  There were many things to do that we didn't do.  The streets are lined with art that is sometimes overwhelming, but still outstanding.  There is a stretch of road that is closed off to traffic called Fourth Street Live.  It is a street lined with bars and restaurants.  Right up my alley!!  We spent some time there on Friday and then were back again on Saturday for the Buffett pre-party.  And if there was one thing that I'd forgotten it was BUFFETT FANS KNOW HOW TO PARTY.  Even if you don't like Jimmy Buffett his concerts and pre-parties are always a good time.

And without further adieu, here is a photo collage.  Y'all are sadly mistaken if you thought I was going to upload a million pictures singly.  Not.  Gonna.  Happen.  Although I really wish I had the one off of my actual camera of me pretending to bludgeon a wax figure of Derek Jeter with a Louisville Slugger. :)

It isn't until now that I've realized that I have a double in there.  Oh well...I like my Red Sox enough to deal with that!!

Pictures in order like you're reading a book from top left:



The Red Sox Pennant at the Slugger Museum, the giant bat out front of the Slugger Museum, Mike Lowell's signature on the Slugger Wall of Fame, a piece of art on the streets of Louisville entitled "The Raft," me holding a bat that Big Papi actually used in a game, Eli taking a nap while halfway standing, me looking hott in my eyes and ears :), my favorite guitar of all time...The Air Guitar, me dancing with Austin, Chris playing the Capri Sun guitar, Paul McCartney's bass, Chris shooting a 22, the Wall of Fame including Babe Ruth's signature, Chris holding Big Papi's bat, Charlotte putting herself in a bubble, all of us in the prism mirror thingy at the Science Center, me 2.5 sheets to the wind hugging a horse statue, Mark playing the Capri Sun guitar, me shooting an assault rifle (JOKE:  it's a 22...just with a scope, laser and light), the Red Sox pennant again.

I can't wait to do it again, but my liver needs a rest for now. :)


Now head on over to Michelle's blog and read about her vacay!! If it isn't there yet, it will be soon!

Little Girls at the Museum

Back on December 16th of LAST year, we went to the Children's Museum with our dear friends Laura, Lee, Layla (3.5) and Levi (.5).

I'm JUST NOW getting around to blogging about it.  I've been....busy.  You know, doing stuff like going to museums and junk.

We went last year before Christmas too and mostly because PBS sucked Jayna into wanting to go on the Yule Slide.  And I'm telling you...that slide is as much fun for grown ups as it is wee ones.  We thought we'd load up again and go ride the slide again.  And it was awesome.

Last year was a little frustrating.  The girls were only 2 and while they were interested in some of the things (read:  BARBIES), they couldn't DO many of the things.  They were just a tad too small yet.  This year was SO much better.  If they were a little taller and could drive, they wouldn't have even needed us there.

There is a very cool new exhibit there also.  It's a National Geographic exhibit called "Treasures of the World" or something.  There is more interactivity in the one exhibit than there is in the whole rest of the museum.  I mean kids like to LOOK at things, sure.  But what they really want to do is DO things.  They want to touch things and throw things and play with things and wear things.  Especially the ones who can't read yet.  That exhibit is a good teaching tool even if the child is at the non-reading age.  The Barbie exhibit has things to do, but those are pretty much all things that little girls do at home.  And we all know that it's no fun doing things at places like a Children's Museum that you ALREADY do at home almost everyday.  How educational and/or fun is dressing a Barbie with rubber bands and pieces of fabric?  Notsomuch.  Just ask Layla and Jayna. 

As always, the girls had a delightful time together and played well.  No fighting.  No arguing.  No clinging to mommies.  I think they're used to each other now and they get along so well.  I hope Jayna has made a life long friend there. :)

And here's the proof that I'm not lying:

They're getting ready for a snowball fight in the Jolly Winter Days exhibit.  It was super intimidating for both of them.  Too many older kids acting like jackasses.

Lee and little Levi saying hello to Santa.

YULE SLIDE!!!!!!

GERONIMO!!!!

Fossil digging in the DynoSphere.  This picture reminds me of Bubba and Forrest.  "I'll lean against you and you lean right back against me.  That way we don't have to sleep with our heads in the mud."

More digging.  They spent about 30 minutes in there.

Dinosaur costumes!  They were so cute as little dinos.

This is part of the NatGeo exhibit.  You put all the pieces of a mummy's tomb together and then it lights up and makes big scary noises and shit.  Pretty cool.

Part of NatGeo.  Me being a scuba diver. :)

Tiny scuba divers!!  I can't take it! :)

Under the glass exhibit.  They laid there for all of 30 seconds.  Probably because much longer and they'd both have been asleep.

Hand holding in the Barbie exhibit.  Darling. :)

Playing Barbie stuff.

OWNING that Barbie runway.

Lee looks giant on that slide.  This picture is hilarious to me because of that.

Jayna wants that slide in our house.  We live in a ranch style house.  Go figure.

Playing with the huge snow globe.  Silly girls. :)



If you have kids, TAKE THEM TO THE NATGEO EXHIBIT!!  It is so much fun and education in one!  And if you do end up going, call us.  We'll meet ya there. :)